Cineplex Entertainment - The Loyalty Program Case Study

Cineplex Entertainment - The Loyalty Program - Case Study Example The essay aims to outline the recommendations of Sarah Lewthwaite, the market director for the Cineplex Entertainment, to the committee of senior executives. The presentation contains persuasive arguments regarding loyalty program development campaign, considering the movie industry, which is having inconsistent revenues each year. Cineplex entertainment was founded in 1979 as a small chain of movie theaters. In 2005 Cineplex acquired its largest supplier and become the Canada’s largest film exhibiter. The market share of Cineplex after that acquisition jumped up to 40 million visits of customer per day. Cineplex also started giving value added services to its customer like food at branded concession counters, arcade games, etc. In the same year they also expanded their strategies and entered into new markets which generated customer traffic and boosted their revenue per day. Although the revenue appreciated a lot in the year 2005 compared to the previous years but cost of operation got high as well which shrined the net income of the company. Cineplex Entertainment had issued Elite cards to the customer which offered them rewards like free movie viewing after they accumulate a certain number of points. Cineplex had no CRM capabilities which could help them in driving customer traffic. According to the survey in 2005, 95% respondents wanted to have movie reward offer back. Considering that option for further investment Sarah Lewthwaite gave option of starting a loyalty program to the committee. Cineplex needed a loyalty partner because creating their own data system it would have cost them about $5.5 million in the first year. So they looked went on to look for a partner. Flight Miles, having 72 percent of Canadian active members, had the top loyalty program in Canada. Flight Miles can give Cineplex an opportunity to get access to their data bank of seven million customers which would certainly help them in targeting their market. Flight Miles program would cost yearly about $5 million and $0.09 on every point issued to the customer. Flight Miles executives offered Cineplex $250,000 to make the deal more attractive. Scotiabank approached to Cineplex as a potential partner for the loyalty program. It is amongst the top five bank of Canada having 6.8 million customers and 950 branches in Canada. The Scotiabank proposed a 50-50 cost sharing and expected naming rights on three theatres. They offered a three card reward strategy as well. The estimated cost portion of Cineplex w as about $3 million in the first year and $1.7 million and $1.9 million in the later years. Sarah Lewthwaite has now three options to look for loyalty program and had to work on them to finally get the best option. She will have to see the benefits as well as the constraints of the three options. She also restructured the reward program. Sarah performed a sensitivity analysis in the concession revenue per guest which might increase by 5 to 15 per cent and also thought of having a nominal one time or annual membership fee of $2 to $5. Sarah Lewthwaite also knew the fact that only 40 per cent of the points earned by the customer in the loyalty program would be redeemed annually. Lewthwaite then drafted reward structure that contained a preliminary list of four options but she was not sure that which option will click in the customer mind. Loyalty program required a data base vendor who could manage the

Kaplan university science Essay Example for Free

Kaplan university science Essay This assignment concerning the differences between reputable source and questionable sources is in regards to weight loss programs. There are so many different programs available to the public. Unfortunately they are often from a questionable source consisting magic pills and supplements and marketed as the recommendations of a seemingly practicing physician who has conducted scientific research of sorts that will back up his claims. Many times it is stated or at least implied that there is absolutely no necessary change in diet or lifestyle needed. I think this makes their products a best-seller because it feeds into the fears and insecurities of the customer as well as the fantasy of something for nothing. For example, there is a new fad of weight supplements by ’Dr. Oz’. â€Å"Oprah and Other Celebrates Lose 4lbs a Week of BellyFat With This Secret That Readers Can Try Now!According to Dr. Travis Stork, Garcenia Lean Extreme works in more than one way. The first way is it goes in and causes the body to burn glucose, or sugar, and burn fat mainly in the liver. The second way, the most important way, is it slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream. So, when you don’t have sugar building up because sugar turns to fat. When the two combine together, you get this synergistic effect that basically burns and blocks and stops fat, but it is also natural and safe†. (Dr. Oz n.d.) The advertisement goes on further to provide quotes from seemingly satisfied customers whom boast of unprecedented weight loss in record breaking time without changing a single thing in their daily routine or diet. However, there are medical weight loss programs which are the result of legitimate and peer reviewed research. These programs offer no magic pills or supplements but do provide tested and proven facts concerning healthy and sustainable weight loss induced by a routine exercise regimen, significant reduction in calorie intake, and dramatic lifestyle changes. None of which is by any means easy. But, this is the program that can confidently guarantee amazing weight loss results and deliver. For example, â€Å"Specialist dietitians competent in Counterweight Programme delivery conducted two four-hour training sessions and a further 3 hour sessions after 6 months to consolidate the initial training.

The Meaning Of Chow Yun-fat (its In His Mouth) :: essays research papers

The Meaning of Chow Yun-Fat (It's In His Mouth) Ultimately, it comes down to his mouth. Chow Yun-Fat is the coolest movie actor in the world today, and the only way I can explain this is to talk about his mouth. He does cool things with his mouth. Smoking cigarettes is no longer an emblem of cool in the USA, but Chow does wonders with cigarette smoke in Prison On Fire. Director Ringo Lam understands this; like most of the great Hong Kong directors, he loves using slow motion and freeze frames to pinpoint important moments in his movies, and he saves a few of the most elegant slow-motion sequences for Chow blowing smoke and looking cool. In John Woo's over-the-top classic, Hard Boiled (the rough literal translation of the Chinese title is Spicy-Handed Gun God), Chow plays with a toothpick. There are few movie moments more violently cool than the shot of Chow, a gun in each hand, sliding down a stair banister blasting a dozen bad guys while letting his toothpick hang just so from the side of his mouth. In God of Gamblers, Chow plays a gambler who gets a bump on his head that turns him into some quasi- autistic prodigy, like Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. Chow retains his intuitive skill at playing cards, but now he must be pacified by constant pieces of chocolate that he scarfs greedily, goofy smile on his face. Blowing smoke, dangling his toothpick, eating chocolate, or just smiling ... ultimately, when trying to explain why Chow Yun-Fat is cool, it comes down to his mouth. Everything I have said so far describes a subjective reaction to watching Chow Yun-Fat on the screen. Fill in the name of your favorite actor or actress, change the specific references, and this could be your essay. We don't learn anything new from such subjective meanderings; we only identify taste preferences. I'm proud to be a Chow fan, but then, I am proud to be a fan in general. With other favorites of mine, though, I am able to get at least a little bit beyond subjectivity. Be it Murphy Brown or X-Ray Spex, Bruce Springsteen or NYPD Blue, at some point I can analyze my relationship to the cultural artifact in question, place it in some cultural context, and come to some hopefully useful conclusions about both the particular text and our interaction with that text. Chow Yun-Fat, however, seems to defy my attempts at analysis; ultimately, it all comes down to his mouth and nothing more. Try describing Chow Yun-Fat to someone who has never seen him on the screen.

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Essay exa

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Introduction Tatum’s book â€Å"Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?† (1997) analyses the development of racial identity and the influence of racism in American’s culture. She emphasizes the Black-White interactions by comparing the terminology in which racism perceived based on David Wellman’s definition of racism. Tatum also believes racism is not one person in particular but is a cultural situation in which ethnicity assigns some groups significantly privileged compared to others. She illustrates how engaging children in terms of interracial understanding will empower them to respond to racial stereotypes and systems of discrimination. Talking about Racism Tatum: The author states racism is all around us and we should talk about racial discrimination. Throughout her book she explains the hesitation people have about talking about racialism. She argues that people are silent out of fear of being impolite, indiscreet and infringing boundaries. Response: I find the statement people are silent out of fear to be true. I try to avoided conversations that could offend someone or could be misinterpret. It reminds of a conversation with a friend one time. We were watching the movie â€Å"Lion King† when he jokingly compared me to the laughing Hyena. I jokingly compared him to voodoo witchdoctor which happens to be a monkey. To my surprise, he asked, â€Å"Did you pick the monkey because I was Black?† I was so embarrassed and ashamed when I hurt his feelings, I never thought of it as a racial comparison. Although we laughed it off, it still bothered me that I hurt his feelings. Just this week I thought I might of offended someone because I was reading Tatum’s... ...at it means to be Black. Does that not still divide the lines of humanity based on the color of a person’s skin? I thank statements like, â€Å"race-conscious† parents teaching their children to be Black is forming prejudice. I teach my children to be kind to others not what means to be White. In interracial relationships if they have a child what should the child be taught? How to be black or white because I thank it is true, children are taught racial differences by their parents and other adults. Personally, I find most mixed racial children are the perfect skin color we all try to achieve. I am not sure I would recommend Tatum’s book to read to discourage racism even though she raises some valid points. Works Cited Tatum, B. D. (1997). Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? And other conversations about race. New York, NY: Basic Books. Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Essay exa Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Introduction Tatum’s book â€Å"Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?† (1997) analyses the development of racial identity and the influence of racism in American’s culture. She emphasizes the Black-White interactions by comparing the terminology in which racism perceived based on David Wellman’s definition of racism. Tatum also believes racism is not one person in particular but is a cultural situation in which ethnicity assigns some groups significantly privileged compared to others. She illustrates how engaging children in terms of interracial understanding will empower them to respond to racial stereotypes and systems of discrimination. Talking about Racism Tatum: The author states racism is all around us and we should talk about racial discrimination. Throughout her book she explains the hesitation people have about talking about racialism. She argues that people are silent out of fear of being impolite, indiscreet and infringing boundaries. Response: I find the statement people are silent out of fear to be true. I try to avoided conversations that could offend someone or could be misinterpret. It reminds of a conversation with a friend one time. We were watching the movie â€Å"Lion King† when he jokingly compared me to the laughing Hyena. I jokingly compared him to voodoo witchdoctor which happens to be a monkey. To my surprise, he asked, â€Å"Did you pick the monkey because I was Black?† I was so embarrassed and ashamed when I hurt his feelings, I never thought of it as a racial comparison. Although we laughed it off, it still bothered me that I hurt his feelings. Just this week I thought I might of offended someone because I was reading Tatum’s... ...at it means to be Black. Does that not still divide the lines of humanity based on the color of a person’s skin? I thank statements like, â€Å"race-conscious† parents teaching their children to be Black is forming prejudice. I teach my children to be kind to others not what means to be White. In interracial relationships if they have a child what should the child be taught? How to be black or white because I thank it is true, children are taught racial differences by their parents and other adults. Personally, I find most mixed racial children are the perfect skin color we all try to achieve. I am not sure I would recommend Tatum’s book to read to discourage racism even though she raises some valid points. Works Cited Tatum, B. D. (1997). Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? And other conversations about race. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Business plan for men skin care

I hope that the loan application will be approved as soon as possible -We really appreciate and we are grateful towards your consideration of approving our loan, as we look forward to hear from you soon. Thank you Yours Truly, 2. Executive Summary The Retro Skincare is a new business providing high-quality, full service distribution of skincare products specialty in moisturizing skin products and whitening product. Our product supplier is Reuben Skinner Company. Reuben Skinner Company is the sole manufacturer of the skincare product and located in Saba.In particular, what really sets up apart is that we are the ONLY full service distribution company servicing the skincare products around Slang Valley. In addition, Reuben Skinner Company has an exclusive contract to distribute a new, groundbreaking product that loud enable us to gain immediate access to a majority of the potential customer base. The principal owner is Subheadings, experience brings office management, high levels of cu stomer service, and over 20 years in distribution and sales management.At this time we are seeking additional equity capital to compliment our own investment and are seeking to arrange a bank line for inventory and receivables financing. Having firm commitments to distribute several high-quality new age skincare products we plan to distribute our first products within 30-60 days of finalizing financial arrangements. Our target customers are men located in urban areas and retailers. Our targeted end user is between the ages of 24 and 65. They are urban professionals with at least some college.Pricing of our products are ranging from ARM 17- ARMS per unit. 3. Introduction Reuben Skinner Company to customers in Malaysia. This will accomplished through a combination of company- owned retail outlet and wholesale distribution. The Retro Skincare will purchase product directly from manufacturer to eliminate the middle man and allows us to operate on a 25-30% profit margin, while providing our customers with competitive prices. The proposed location for Retro Skincare is Clan Marrow, Bangs. The principal owner is Subheadings.Distinguishing characteristics of our business will be the combination of management experience, sales and distribution experience, high- quality, innovative products and exceptional customer service. 4. Business Objectives and Mission 4. 1 . Objective To open and operate a successful skincare product distributorship in the Slang Valley market, employing three to five employees the first year. To obtain a minimum of 100 regular customers in the skincare market the first year of operation. Achieve first year ales of ARM 40,000. Maintain an average gross margin of 25 percent.To produce a net profit of at least OROMO,OHO by the end of the third year of operation. 4. 2. Mission The Retro Skincare intends to become a recognized distributor of specialty skincare products and spreading it around Slang Valley. The Retro Skincare plans to develop strong re lationships with key customers so we will be viewed as indispensable partners, rather than Just another supplier. The Retro Skincare will seek out and work with the manufacturers we represent to deliver the most innovative and exciting products possible to the customers we serve.We are not only selling product, we are selling service. † 5. 1. Industry Description and Analysis Skincare is one of the largest industry in the world. Technological advancement in the skin care market combined with development of innovative products contributing to the growth of skin care industry. The increasing demand for anti-ageing products and growing concern for the use of natural and organic skin care products are the major factors driving the skin care industry. In estimation, Malaysian annually spend an estimated ARM 3. Million on skincare products and cosmetics. By reason of lath awareness and aggressive product branding, consumers spend large amount of their income in buying skin care prod ucts. Malaysian skincare concerns include the heat and humidity of the climate, the drying effect of skin, stress and lightening the skin and areas of hyper pigmentation, acne, and the effect of aging on the skin. These concerns translate into strong prospects for skincare products and remain in broad consumption across all age and income groups in Malaysia.International brands such as Lance, L'Oreal Paris, Lola, Esteem Lauder, Clique and Sheikdom play a dominant role in the upper-end market of Malaysia. Imported products are highly in demand as most of the middle and high-income earners associate imported products with higher quality than local brands. The cosmetic giants still hold a dominant position in this industry and they will most likely continue to. But they have realized the need to acquire new brands and to keep their affiliation in the background. In recent year, names like Grainier, Dashing men, Naive have been acquired as local skin care products.This strategy indicate s that a few of the traditional big players recognize the benefits, for themselves and the industry, of emerging niche brands. 5. 2. Industry Trend Rapid arbitration in Malaysia resulted in strong demand for skin care products from both men and women. Sales for 2013, the most recent year available, were up to 45 percent, almost double the industry average of 20 percent. Soap is losing popularity as a facial skincare product, with the proportion of female users falling from 58% in 2008 to around (36%) in 2013.Due to skin dryness, women are attracted with emergence of facial and skin care products such as cleanser and moisturizing cream which make their skin healthy. At earlier, there are no skin care products use facial skincare products than women. Men's reactive approach to their skincare regime is the biggest challenge facing the industry Nowadays, men consumers can find some brand new skincare products of men almost in all grocery shops and supermarkets. An increasing number of c onsumers exposed to wide variety of skin care products like skin care products enhanced with collagen and other natural ingredients.Due to increasing disposable incomes and stronger consumer purchasing confidence in 2012, strong demand was seen for skin care products, particularly mass brands, since consumers could afford them to enhance or maintain their skin condition. Malaysian favor nature-inspired products mainly. If current trend play out as expected, the business of skin care products for men will become increasingly consolidated among other industry. The unique properties of men's skin need to be addressed in these new products (smaller sebaceous glands, oily skin, thicker skin etc. So that the products work effectively and the user experiences noticeable results more rapidly. 6. Market Segmentation Research 6. 1 . Market Analysis Summary The demand for man's skin care products are certainly on the rise as men are paying more attention to their appearance. According to resea rch conducted by Retro Skincare, six in 10 (65%) Malaysian men consider their appearance important and almost (48%) admit what they want to look attractive and well groomed. Just 15% of men admit that while it is acceptable for women to use skincare products, it is not acceptable for men to use such products.Highlighting the growing importance of the men's facial skincare market, today, as many as 7% of men admit to spending a lot of time on their facial skincare routine. Research highlights more than four in ten (42%) men use shaving lotions and almost a quarter (22%) use facial cleanser. 12% of men SE eye cream and gels , 17% use anti ageing products and 7% use moisturizer. While many of the nation's men are adopting a regular skincare regime, it remains that a lower proportion of men use facial skincare products than women.Men's reactive approach to their skincare regime is the biggest challenge facing the industry. Encouraging men to adopt a more preventative approach to their s kin's demographic changes in both mature and emerging markets: an increased number of men employed in the sector of services, increased competition in the workplace, ageing baby boomers eager to stay stylish, and the young generation influenced by hanging standards of male beauty. New entrants on the markets, as well as technologically advanced products, expanded lines, and innovative packaging are also stimulating sales. . 2. Market Segmentation To keep up with demand, the men's skin care market is becoming more segmented and expanding into new categories and claims. Generally, skin care market for male can be segmented based on four main segments: geographic, demographic, cryptographic and behavior. For the purpose of this analysis we are focusing solely on the male market. New research from Minute reveals that beauty and personal care munches specifically targeted at men have increased globally by 70% over the past six years (2007-2012).Its stated the market for facial skincare h as increased an impressive 20% in the last five years alone, valued at El,l billion in 2012, the market is set to reach a beautiful El,2 billion in 2017. L. Demographic: Retro Skincare target market is the retailers who have established relationships with consumers and the consumers themselves. We are essentially the distributing arm for these retailers. Our market research indicates about 46 potential retailers within a 1 to 25 mile radius of our location, who currently sell our competitors reduces. Our target retailers are drugstores and pharmacies.Another target market is men (end user). There are 30,001 ,710 individuals in Malaysia and 5,315,008 are male adults 18 to 65, which are our target consumer market. They are urban professionals with at least some college. This consumer has an active lifestyle. They are concerned about social and environmental issues. Mind and body wellness are important to them. Sales have been sustained as increasing numbers of young men are interested in capturing the stylish looks of media stars while older men have paid more attention to keep their skin younger as their younger days.Therefore, older men will give more attention to anti-aging products while young men will look for skin whitening products and moisturizer. Some youngsters will opt for acne free skin products. Our products can be used by any group of incoming level. Malaysia's men working under heat weather will buy sun block and skin care product which lighten the skin and areas of hyper pigmentation. Demographic factors such as the rising number of single-occupancy households, as consumers delay committing to marriage and children, have led to a growing number of men doing their own shopping, with ore disposable income to spend on themselves.Retro Skincare found out that single customers purchase a certain product more frequently than married people. II. Geographic: Men in different climatic conditions and with different skin colors will have with higher moistur e content. They also more inclined to whitening function products. High portions of the target market for Retro Skincare products are in urban areas with the population that desire to buy skincare products. Our main target geographic area will be KILL and Clangor because both states hold the largest number of men also have more urban areas.So our geographically targeted location to market our skincare product is in Bangs, KILL Central, Wants Major, Cubans and Among. We analyses, and came up with a conclusion that these areas will be best place to promote and market our Retro Skincare products. 6. 3. Competitors The skin care market is very broad. It includes products labeled as body cream, shower cream, cleanser, moisturizer, day cream, after shave and etc. Our market positioning will be in the lower price quadrant of high quality natural products.While there are other companies that distribute variety of skin care products, there are no main business in Malaysia focuses exclusively on the men's skin care product market as Retro Skincare. This will provide considerable flexibility in pricing and allow for the creation of great deal of customer awareness and brand loyalty, erecting significant barriers to entry for potential competitors. However there are some businesses offering men's skincare products as minor part of their businesses. Our primary competitors for men skincare products are: 7. L'Oreal Paris 8. Grainier 9. Naive 10.Clean 11. Their shortcoming is that they contain more chemicals than the natural herbs and ingredients of our company Retro Skincare products. Our main wholesale competitors will be power retailers who merge the specialty store concept with the discount store's emphasis on price. These retail warehouses are large stores with products displayed on metal racks in a warehouse setting. There are two distinct types of retail warehouses, the first being a membership and the second a consumer store which is open to the general public. Their shortcoming as with other competitors is service.Buyers must travel to them to pick up their goods. Some of the power retailers have Just begun to offer delivery services, which is helping retailers to appreciate the value of using a distributor like our company Retro Skincare. 7. Competitive Forces, Strategies and Risk Assessment 7. 1. Competitive Forces There are 5 competitive forces as following and the weak and strong determine how strong each of the competitive forces in our business is: Large amount of capital required High retaliation possible from existing companies, if new entrants would bring innovative products and ideas to the industry.Therefore we are introducing groundbreaking product 2. Supplier power (Weak): Supplier located in another state Saba. They are not currently available for wholesale distribution in Slang Valley The supplier supply in larger scale Products are widely accessible Supplier do not pose any threat of forward integration There are many suppliers who can supply different brand of skincare products 3.Buyer power (Strong): There are many skin care products buyers: urban area professionals, skin problematic customers Most of the buyers are individuals that buy one brand of product and can bargain for lower prices Buyers tend to switch to another brand of skincare product or to start using it Buyers can easily choose different skincare reduces based on their skin need Buyers are price and benefit sensitive and their decision is often based on how much does a product will cost them with a benefit of it 4.Threat of Substitutes (Weak): There are many alternative types of skincare products, such as soap, traditional products (aloe Vera) Substitutes can rarely offer the same convenience Alternative types of skincare products almost always cost less and sometimes are more natural and less chemical 5.Competitive Rivalry (Very Strong): Moderate number of competitors If a firm would decide to leave an industry it would incur huge losses , so most of the mime it either bankrupts or stays in skincare industry for the lifetime Industry is very large but matured Size of competing firm's vary but they usually compete for different consumer segments Customers are loyal to their brands 7. 2. Strategies for competitive advantage Cost Leadership We will improve our business cost to lower than our competitor to sell our skincare products. We have lowest cost of delivery service, cost of staff and staff wages and other.Differentiation We offer and selling only one brand of skincare product. This makes us easier and convenient for us to promote and sell it. Only full service distribution company in skincare market around Slang Valley. Our products are male oriented, which harder to get in market We has strategic location of distributing store Retro skincare products has beautiful design for exterior packaging and promotions Brightening serum for male is unique Operational Effectiveness full delivery service in 24 hour of avail ability We had implemented good leadership to our staff in order to became successful distributing company in future.The combined experience of the principal owners brings upper office management skills, high levels of customer service, and over 20 years in distribution and sales management. Customer Orientation Individualized customer service – providing our customers with what they want, when and how they want it. Free samples of new product for the customers Lower cost with quality product Fully integrated programs to help customers increase sales through menu development, creative promotions, advertising, and custom marketing material.Key personnel will stay in contact with our customers, and will be able to respond to changes in this market much faster than our competitors. 7. 3. Risk Assessments We had analyses that of strategic to sell our skincare product for male is good cause it has less competitor and the market is growing slowly. Risk from loses will be reduced if our company product sale is increased. Moreover we have good better promotion strategic without reducing our product sale profits.Based on our current analysis we find out that we has medium or lower than medium risk levels to sell our product in Slang Valley area. 8. Product 8. 1 . Description and Concepts The brand name is â€Å"Skinner†. The products are natural with less use of chemicals. The products will be delivered to customers or retailers in overnight shipping, on-site revive and 24- hour availability after the purchase is made. Our underlying rationality in choosing products is to select outlines that bring reliable quality, competitive prices and product satisfaction to our customers. We have personally quality we ensure.The primary products to be distributed through Retro Skincare will be as the following with the price stated: All the products are came in gig except shampoo and conditioner will be 100 ml. 8. 2. Features and Advantages Other service provided for customer and retailers: Free delivery, customer service ND consultation Retro Skincare will make these same products which available through wholesale sellers available through our excellent, full delivery service by sending these products directly to their doorstep at a competitive price Orders in bulk will be sold for customer carryout or delivery.Easy to use because the directions are written on each of the product itself and small template is provided to let customers know the benefit of these products and how to use it. These products are offered according to men's different skin type and they can choose to buy the product according to their skin need. For example there are 3 types of cleanser offered by Retro Skincare: Acne free, sensitive skin and Hydra Energetic. All the creams can last long for 2 months of usage.

Free Essays on Mary Rowlandson And The Power Of Gods Elect

The Power of God’s Elect Puritan beliefs are very numerous and strong. One of their biggest beliefs was that they were of â€Å"God’s elect.† The Puritans thought of themselves as God’s last test for the perfect secular group. This idea also ties in with what is called unconditional election or predestination. Predestination is the belief that God saves only a certain number of souls, which he chooses, regardless of the faithfulness of the person. A person’s salvation is determined before they are born and cannot be altered by human actions. Puritans believed that they were superior over every other social group in their time. Puritans used the Bible to relate everything that happens to them, good or bad, and used it to justify the current situation. In Mary Rowlandson’s captivity narrative, she uses a plethora of Bible verses and scriptures to show that the Puritans were superior over the Native Americans as well as to show that she was one of God’s elect. Mary thinks of her capture and every detail about it as a trial from God. King Phillip’s War (1675-1676) was brought about by Native Americans who were tired of the English settlers taking their land. The Wampanoag Indians invaded Mary Rowlandson’s hometown of Lancaster in February of 1675 taking twenty-four Puritans hostage. One of these hostages was Mary Rowlandson. Despite seeing most of her family brutally killed by savage Native Americans, Mary is able to find comfort in the Lord, Mary wrote: We had six stout Dogs belonging to our Garrison, but none of them would stir though another time, if an Indian had come to the Door, they were ready to fly upon him, and tear him down. The Lord hereby would make us the more to acknowledge his Hand, and to see that our Help is always in him. (13) When she sees her family, home, and town destroyed by Indians, she sees this as an act of God, not an act by the Indians, â€Å"O the doleful sight that now ... Free Essays on Mary Rowlandson And The Power Of God's Elect Free Essays on Mary Rowlandson And The Power Of God's Elect The Power of God’s Elect Puritan beliefs are very numerous and strong. One of their biggest beliefs was that they were of â€Å"God’s elect.† The Puritans thought of themselves as God’s last test for the perfect secular group. This idea also ties in with what is called unconditional election or predestination. Predestination is the belief that God saves only a certain number of souls, which he chooses, regardless of the faithfulness of the person. A person’s salvation is determined before they are born and cannot be altered by human actions. Puritans believed that they were superior over every other social group in their time. Puritans used the Bible to relate everything that happens to them, good or bad, and used it to justify the current situation. In Mary Rowlandson’s captivity narrative, she uses a plethora of Bible verses and scriptures to show that the Puritans were superior over the Native Americans as well as to show that she was one of God’s elect. Mary thinks of her capture and every detail about it as a trial from God. King Phillip’s War (1675-1676) was brought about by Native Americans who were tired of the English settlers taking their land. The Wampanoag Indians invaded Mary Rowlandson’s hometown of Lancaster in February of 1675 taking twenty-four Puritans hostage. One of these hostages was Mary Rowlandson. Despite seeing most of her family brutally killed by savage Native Americans, Mary is able to find comfort in the Lord, Mary wrote: We had six stout Dogs belonging to our Garrison, but none of them would stir though another time, if an Indian had come to the Door, they were ready to fly upon him, and tear him down. The Lord hereby would make us the more to acknowledge his Hand, and to see that our Help is always in him. (13) When she sees her family, home, and town destroyed by Indians, she sees this as an act of God, not an act by the Indians, â€Å"O the doleful sight that now ...

African American Women and Music

African American Women and Music The purpose of this report was for me to research and explore the connection between African American women and music. Since prior to the slave decades, music has been an integral part of African American society, and served as a form of social, economic, and emotional support in African American communities in the past and present. This paper will cover three different types of secular music that emerged during the slave days, through the civil war, reconstruction, and depression periods. They are blues, jazz, and gospel music. Each of these forms of music are still in existence today. In addition to exploring the history of each of these genres of music, this report will identify three African American female music legends, Bessie Smith, Emma Barrett, and Mahalia Jackson.Blues emerged in the period between the end of the civil war, and the beginning of the 20th century. Originating in the fields of the rural south, it became popular after the emancipation of the slaves.Portrait of Bessie SmithIn this form of music, the singer and composer is one in the same, a characteristic not evident in the spiritual songs of the slave communities. Spirituals were somewhat of a passage way for blues. Blues followed blacks to urban societies as spirituals followed the slaves onto the plantations. The differences between these types of music were that spirituals were collective, whereas an individual sang blues. Blues attributed to the evolution of black society toward individualism after the collective society of slavery. Blues became know as the music of the black working class. It was a way for African Americans to express the modern problems of economics, social errors, and poverty and power struggles they faced after they became free. African Americans were still living in unjust societies, where jobs were hard to find. They began...

10 Important Events in the History of Latin America

10 Important Events in the History of Latin America Latin America has been always shaped by events as much as by people and leaders. In the long and turbulent history of the region, there were wars, assassinations, conquests, rebellions, crackdowns, and massacres. Which was the most important? These ten were selected based on international importance and effect on the population. It is impossible to rank them on importance, so they are listed in chronological order. 1. Papal Bull Inter Caetera and the Treaty of Tordesillas (1493–1494) Many people do not know that when Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas, they already legally belonged to Portugal. According to previous papal bulls of the 15th century, Portugal held claim to any and all undiscovered lands west of a certain longitude. After Columbus return, both Spain and Portugal laid claims to the new lands, forcing the pope to sort things out. Pope Alexander VI issued the bull Inter Caetera in 1493, declaring that Spain owned all new lands west of a line 100 leagues (about 300 miles) from the Cape Verde Islands. Portugal, not pleased with the verdict, pressed the issue and the two nations ratified the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, which established the line at 370 leagues from the islands. This treaty essentially ceded Brazil to the Portuguese while keeping the rest of the New World for Spain, therefore laying the framework for the modern demographics of Latin America. 2. The Conquest of the Aztec and Inca Empires (1519–1533) After the New World was discovered, Spain soon realized that it was an incredibly valuable resource that should be pacified and colonized. Only two things stood in their way: the mighty Empires of the Aztecs in Mexico and the Incas in Peru, who would have to be defeated in order to establish rule over the newly-discovered lands. Ruthless conquistadores under the command of Hernn Cortà ©s in Mexico and Francisco Pizarro in Peru accomplished just that, paving the way for centuries of Spanish rule and enslavement and marginalization of New World natives. 3.  Independence from Spain and Portugal (1806–1898) Using the Napoleonic invasion of Spain as an excuse, most of Latin America declared independence from Spain in 1810. By 1825, Mexico, Central  America, and South America were free, soon to be followed by Brazil. Spanish rule in the Americas ended in 1898 when they lost their final colonies to the United States following the Spanish-American War. With Spain and Portugal out of the picture, the young American republics were free to find their own way, a process that was always difficult and often bloody. 4.  The Mexican-American War (1846–1848) Still smarting from the loss of Texas a decade before, Mexico went to war with the United States in 1846 after a series of skirmishes on the border. The Americans invaded Mexico on two fronts and captured Mexico City in May of 1848. As devastating as the war was for Mexico, the peace was worse. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ceded California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming to the United States in exchange for $15 million and forgiveness of about $3 million more in debts. 5. The War of the Triple Alliance (1864–1870) The most devastating war ever fought in South America, the War of the Triple Alliance pitted Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil against Paraguay. When Uruguay was attacked by Brazil and Argentina in late 1864, Paraguay came to its aid and attacked Brazil. Ironically, Uruguay, then under a different president, switched sides and fought against its former ally. By the time the war was over, hundreds of thousands had died and Paraguay was in ruins. It would take decades for the nation to recover. 6. The War of the Pacific (1879–1884) In 1879, Chile and Bolivia went to war after spending decades bickering over a border dispute. Peru, which had a military alliance with Bolivia, was drawn into the war as well. After a series of major battles at sea and on land, the Chileans were victorious. By 1881 the Chilean army had captured Lima and by 1884 Bolivia signed a truce. As a result of the war, Chile gained the disputed coastal province once and for all, leaving Bolivia landlocked, and also gained the province of Arica from Peru. The Peruvian and Bolivian nations were devastated, needing years to recover. 7.  The Construction of the Panama Canal (1881–1893, 1904–1914) The completion of the  Panama Canal  by Americans in 1914 marked the end of a remarkable and ambitious feat of engineering. The results have been felt ever since, as the canal has drastically changed worldwide shipping. Less known are the political consequences of the canal, including the  secession  of Panama from Colombia (with the encouragement of the United States) and the profound effect the canal has had on the internal reality of Panama ever since. 8.  The Mexican Revolution (1911–1920) A revolution of impoverished peasants against an entrenched wealthy class, the Mexican Revolution shook the world and forever altered the trajectory of Mexican politics. It was a bloody war, which included horrific battles,  massacres, and assassinations. The  Mexican Revolution  officially ended in 1920 when Alvaro Obregà ³n became the last general standing after years of conflict, although the fighting continued for another decade. As a result of the revolution, land reform finally took place in Mexico, and the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party), the political party that rose from the rebellion, stayed in power until the 1990s. 9.  The Cuban Revolution  (1953–1959) When  Fidel Castro, his brother  Raà ºl  and a ragged band of followers  attacked the barracks at Moncada  in 1953, they may not have known they were taking the first step to one of the most significant revolutions of all time. With the promise of economic equality for all, the rebellion grew until 1959, when Cuban President  Fulgencio Batista  fled the country and victorious rebels filled the streets of Havana. Castro established a communist regime, building close ties  with  the Soviet Union, and stubbornly defied every attempt the  United States  could think of to remove him from power. Ever  since  that time, Cuba has either been a festering sore of totalitarianism in an increasingly democratic  world  or a beacon of hope for all anti-imperialists, depending on your point of view. 10. Operation Condor (1975–1983) In the mid-1970s, the governments of the southern cone of  South America- Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay,  Bolivia, and Uruguay- had several things in common. They were ruled by conservative regimes, either dictators or military juntas, and they had a growing problem with opposition forces and dissidents.  They, therefore,  established Operation Condor, a collaborative effort to round up and kill or otherwise silence their enemies. By the time it ended, thousands were dead or missing and the trust of South Americans in their leaders was forever shattered. Although new facts come out occasionally and some of the worst perpetrators have been brought to justice, there are still many questions about this sinister operation and those behind it. Sources and Further Reading Gilbert, Michael Joseph, Catherine LeGrand, and Ricardo Donato Salvatore. Close Encounters of Empire: Writing the Cultural History of U.S.-Latin American Relations. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1988.LaRosa, Michael and German R. Mejia. An Atlas and Survey of Latin American History, 2nd edition. New York: Routledge, 2018.Moya, Jose C. (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Latin American History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.Weber, David J., and Jane M. Rausch. Where Cultures Meet: Frontiers in Latin American History. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman Littlefield, 1994.

Female offenders are more likely to be referred to psychiatric Essay

Female offenders are more likely to be referred to psychiatric counselling than men. Discuss, taking into account the impact of gender stereotypes in the criminal justice system - Essay Example That, however, does not mean that women are more likely to be referred to psychiatric counseling than men. It appears that, as the number of female inmates continues to increase, prisons and jails fail to catch up with the pace of change in inmate demographics. Like many years ago, the criminal justice system lacks resources needed to meet women’s health needs. The corrections system continues to ignore the health care needs of female prisoners, turning mental health complications into the most viable explanation to women’s criminal acts. That women-offenders are more likely than incarcerated men to display the signs and symptoms of mental health complications has been abundantly established. The current state of research provides a wealth of information concerning the most serious mental health challenges faced by incarcerated women. Understanding the mental health trends in women offenders is crucial for the development of more relevant criminal justice frameworks and detecting the stereotyping and bias affecting female inmates in the corrections system (Freudenberg 2002). According to Covington (2007), when it comes to mental health, 73% of female inmates in state prisons display the signs of mental health disorders, compared to only 12% among the general population. 75% of those who meet the criteria for mental health disorders also display the symptoms of substance dependence or abuse (Covington 2007). This is probably why the largest percentage changes in delinquency have been noted in female youth (Cruise, Mar see, Dandreaux & DePrato 2007; Snyder & Sickmund 2006). However, the link between mental health complications and crimes committed by female offenders are beyond the scope of this discussion. More important is the current state of mental health in women-prisoners and its implications for the criminal justice processes affecting the corrections system. In this sense, the results

Discourse-Specific Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Discourse-Specific Narrative - Essay Example This essay discusses my literacy history and how it has been developed as a scholar through discourse communities and sponsors during my past and present experiences in reading, writing, research, and critical thinking experiences that await you in the discourse community particular to your major or career. Research demonstrates accounts of literacy attainment as well as language learning, also shows literacy teaching practices, development processes and writing struggles among scholars (Casanave and Vandrick 17). Such philosophical studies have resulted in creating considerable benefits to interested parties by permitting them to explore the scholar’s experiences in some detail (Bruner 105). The relationship between learning and literacy has been highlighted by many researchers. (Devereux and Wilson 124) affirm that the development of an array of literacy practices necessary for a particular discourse community, for example teachers, is crucial because of the close relationship between learning and literacy since scholars need to be able interpret a text, create meaning from it, know the relationships between text structure and function, draw conclusions, and develop the ability to critically think. According to these authors (Devereaux and Wilson) one of the most significant challenges for educators in is to develop forms of learning support that will present students with opportunities to develop their understanding of relevant concepts through literacy. My literacy experience started back at home. Most of my foundation literacy skills came from my family and close friends. My parents instructed me at home during my early schooling years. I remember my parents holding up using a portable blackboard to write simple vowels. I can memorize her voice repeatedly saying A, E, I, O, U. putting all this information in my head was boring and recurring at the time and that memory of boredom is fixed in my mind permanently. Although I struggled with

Marketing management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4

Marketing management - Essay Example The governance body include the CEO and the board of directors. These individuals determine the organizational objectives and ensure that the firm is progressing towards the desired direction by constant monitoring and review. These stakeholders look after the revenue generation of the firm and the prospective areas of development. Employees: The employees are the work force of the company that helps the firm to achieve its organizational objectives. The employees of M&S are more concerned about how the organization is concerned about their welfare. The employees prefer to receive perks and privileges from the management which acts as a motivational determinant of their performance output. Investors: The investors are the external stakeholders who invest in the company in hope of better return. The investors are more concerned about the financial health of the company, as their return on investment is dependent on it. Moreover, the capital generation of the company is also dependent on the invested amount. The investors closely monitor the ups and downs of the firm and invest or withdraw their money accordingly. Customers: The customers are more concerned about the value proposition of the firm. They look for what M&S has to offer and how they will give them more value than its competitors. The growth of the company is also sought by the customers as it will determine the value addition of the company. Government: The government is concerned whether or not the company is running in accordance with the proper rules and regulations. The government also ensures that the company’s performance is helping to improve the economic conditions of the firm. The employee market sector can be divided in two particular segments, the primary and the secondary sector. The primary sector constitutes the jobs with long term tenure and the employees are motivated by the inclusion of

Clinical objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Clinical objectives - Essay Example Beyond the immediate result, consequences of behavioral health violence lost productivity because of low morale and high medical costs resulting from treating the injuries. Some healthcare workers rationalize behavioral health violence as an occupational hazard and believe that measures need to be taken to cope with it. Nursing working on behavioral setting need take some measures to prevent such occurrences. It can be through medication, restraining the patient, and seclusion. Even though these methods are effective in the short term, they can also be used in the long term to change the patients’ behavioral patterns. Other methods include leaving the door open and making sure that there security to nurses when they are dealing with violent patients. Finally, an increase in the level of violence among patients towards nurses is closely associated with a decrease in the number of permanent nursing staff. One theory states that patients become violent because they are in need of continuity and stability around them (Richter, 2006). Behavioral health violence is widespread among Americans of all ages. It can be prevented by medication, restraining the patient, seclusion, and giving them attention and a stable environment. Other safety measures that can be taken by nurses include leaving the door open and making sure that there security to nurses when they are dealing with violent

Human Rights and the Ethiopian Government Essay

Human Rights and the Ethiopian Government - Essay Example The current government stands accused of acts that go against basic human rights and certainly in no way represent the will of the Ethiopian people for freedom and democracy. The Human Rights Watch website (www.hrw.org) has said that "the aftermath of Ethiopia's landmark May 2005 parliamentary elections has laid bare the deeply entrenched patterns of political repression, human rights abuse and impunity that characterize the day-to-day reality of governance in much of the country". Although the Ethiopian elections were of great interest to a world audience who felt that the democratic process was truly at work, the truth was that political groups were literally fighting it out for a place in debates and on the ballot boxes. The EPRF was busy coercing voters into a repeat result from the 2000 election with abusive tactics that the HRW researchers explain as "government officials and security forces in much of Ethiopia mak[ing] routine use of various forms of human rights abuse to deter and punish dissent" (Ibid.). These authority figures are retaining such abusive control over the Ethiopian population by citing terrorist plots and other security threats that will legitimately let officials detain 'suspects' and interrogate them for purposes that actually bear no relation to actual national security. The EPRF has effectively decided that any dissenting movement from that of their own party is therefore a national threat and as such they have treated members of the CUD and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces as enemies of the state. The 2005 Amnesty International Report mentions that aside from citizen unrest within the country due to fear of torture and detainment, the government has also proposed new legislation that would put members of the press at risk of arrest for probing into what are deemed private parliamentary matters (Amnesty International Report 2005). Although international observers and internal watchdogs of the Ethiopian 2005 election reported that the results were in general in consensus with actual voting percentages, CUD and other opposition members maintained that there were a high number of uncounted ballots that might have made a significant difference to government. After refusing to accept the results of what they stated was a fixed election, CUD members decided that the official course of action would be civil disobedience. Thousands participated in the plan and this led to massive force on the part of the police, something that did no favors to the poor reputation of the EPRG in terms of human rights violations. After abusing these dissenters, the government maintained its official position and yet did little to change its image for the better both nationally and internationally. In the U.S. Department of State's "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices", fifteen different violations of human rights were reported in cluding unlawful killings, detentions of thousands without charge, government interference in union activities, self-censorship by journalists, government infringement on citizens' privacy rights and government

Clinical objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Clinical objectives - Essay Example Beyond the immediate result, consequences of behavioral health violence lost productivity because of low morale and high medical costs resulting from treating the injuries. Some healthcare workers rationalize behavioral health violence as an occupational hazard and believe that measures need to be taken to cope with it. Nursing working on behavioral setting need take some measures to prevent such occurrences. It can be through medication, restraining the patient, and seclusion. Even though these methods are effective in the short term, they can also be used in the long term to change the patients’ behavioral patterns. Other methods include leaving the door open and making sure that there security to nurses when they are dealing with violent patients. Finally, an increase in the level of violence among patients towards nurses is closely associated with a decrease in the number of permanent nursing staff. One theory states that patients become violent because they are in need of continuity and stability around them (Richter, 2006). Behavioral health violence is widespread among Americans of all ages. It can be prevented by medication, restraining the patient, seclusion, and giving them attention and a stable environment. Other safety measures that can be taken by nurses include leaving the door open and making sure that there security to nurses when they are dealing with violent

Macro2B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Macro2B - Essay Example Workers who spend time looking for employment are engaged in job search. This type of unemployment is the case of frictional employment, which is due to the time workers spend in job search. This exists even when the number of people seeking jobs is equal to the number of jobs being offered, that is it does not mean that there is a surplus of labor. However, unemployment when there are more people seeking jobs in a labor market than there are jobs available at the current wage is called as structural unemployment. Both frictional and structural unemployment is inevitable in any economy. Thus, a certain amount of unemployment is normal, which is called as the natural rate of unemployment. The natural rate of unemployment is the unemployment rate that arises from the effects of frictional plus structural unemployment. Actual unemployment rate fluctuates around the natural rate of unemployment. The natural rate of unemployment is calculated as: 4. Perhaps tongue-in-cheek, some economists occasionally distinguish between â€Å"good† inflation and â€Å"bad† inflation. Speculate as to why these economists might see some inflations as superior to others. Inflation is the sign that an economy is growing or expanding. The lack of inflation is an indicator that the economy is weakening. A small inflation is just as bad as high inflation. Thus, it is not easy to label inflation as good or bad, and it depend on overall economy and individual personal thinking. When an economy grows or expands (boom) the price level of goods and services rises. This effectively increases the inflation. Since, economy is growing people have more money to purchase and therefore, the purchasing power of individual increases comparatively. This type of inflation is generally referred as â€Å"good† inflation. If an economy continue to grows, there comes to a point (peak), when the inflation is too high and government needs to do something to lower

Nations Essay Example for Free

Nations Essay The debate over a national bank raged on for many years. These two selections illustrate the raging debate between two of the nation’s most vocal politicians. They illuminate a common theme throughout American history, namely the debate surrounding the strength of the federal government. To be sure, the focus is on the creation of a national debate, but the underlying debate about federalism underlies much of early American history. Thomas Jefferson’s states rights approach to government could not be more evident in this selection. Jefferson expresses concerns about affording too many powers to the national government. Per Jefferson’s usual rhetoric, he makes the threat of a totalitarian regime seem almost guaranteed. Jefferson cites the Constitution to show that those duties not specifically given to the federal government ought to be given to the states. Hamilton takes the contrary view. He suggests that all powers not given to the states should logically fall back to the national government. Alexander Hamilton was a staunch supporter of a strong national government and his quest for a national bank is perhaps the apex of his political leanings. Hamilton concludes that interpreting the Constitution liberally allows for service of the public good. These documents combine to underscore the fiery passions of the men deciding the course of the nation. To this day, the debates over the federal government’s powers rage on. Now we see debates about the re-regulation or de-regulation of industry, the ability of the federal government to legislate on a variety of social issues, and the role of legal preemption. Some debates never die down, they simply change form. In these pieces we also see the formation of a clear political ideology that will characterize political debates between the nation’s two major political parties: Democrats and Republicans. States rights and federal powers underlie much of the current political debates seen in the papers and on television. Jefferson is taking what would now be characterized as a Republican position, supporting less federal involvement in favor of giving states the right to decide their own policies. The formation of the Republican Party began years ago with debates much like this. The Democratic Party prizes a strong national government that looks out for the citizenry. Alexandria Hamilton cites the popular Democratic mantra of â€Å"public benefits. † One can see this rhetoric in debates over national health care policies and education policy. To think, early on these issues defined a nation and were not afterthoughts in larger partisan battles. This is perhaps where Jefferson was correct. He may have been quick to jump to conclusions about tyranny, but it may have been that bombastic rhetoric that kept society cognizant of what was at stake. The historical record is replete with a deeper understanding of issues that is so often lost in today’s world of sound bites, press conferences, and blogs. Jefferson and Hamilton’s speeches illustrate just how important the basic concept of life, liberty, and justice were. They also illustrate how these ideas are forgotten in today’s debates. Jefferson and Hamilton represent two opposing forces in American history. The debate over a national bank was the focal point of this debate for some time. The national bank debate represents a window into the past that can illuminate the present. Federalism is still a significant concern today.

Media In Malaysia Like Rtm Media Essay

Media In Malaysia Like Rtm Media Essay 1 Malaysia concept (1 Malaysia) was unveiled by the incumbent Prime Minister, DatoSri Najib Razak upon taking office on 3rd April 2009. The goals to present this policy is to unite the nation, to form the equity in the economic dimension, enhance the social cohesion and also make sure the people live in harmony and peace between different races (1 Malaysia.com , 2009). According to the Malaysias Prime Minister Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Satu Malaysia means the mutual respect between the different races in Malaysia and also to contribute to the success of vision 2020. According to the research done by the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research, conducted from 19 June 2012 until the 1st of July, there are over 75% of Malaysian aware to this policy with 23% of people agree that it help to promote the unity among races and 18% of people think One Malaysia concept is about the equitable among the different races in nation. Besides, this survey shows that 46% respondents agreed the One Malaysia policy would be able to achieve the objectives, the rest are not agree with it, which mean there are over 50% of respondent are not even aware and understand about the policy. The survey proved the majority of respondent felt that the government has successfully creating awareness on the Satu Malaysia concept among the nation, but this concept is not completely accepted by all the Malaysians. As we know, mainstream media used by government to create awareness on the One Malaysia concept, and used on enhance the acceptance of the concept by the citizen of Malaysia. Mainstream media plays an important role to give information, report news and educate the audience about government policies, especially in the pluralism society like Malaysia. Mainstream media do not differentiate between our citizens on the basis of their background or ethnic origin, the media mostly deliver the message in the different languages like Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese, Tamil and English. For example, there are different channels in mainstream TV channels to broadcast the news programs with different languages, even the One Malaysia programs also have different version of languages. This is to make sure all the citizens can receive the information that they can easily to understand. The mainstream media in Malaysia like RTM, Media Prima and Bernama are controlled by government, and the alternative media like MalaysiaKini and The Insider are the popular news site to report the unvarnished news and event in Malaysia. Athough the alternative media occupy the small section of media in Malaysia, it still have a lots of audience an supporter compare to the mainstream media. Mainstream media used to promote the One Malaysia concept, for example the newspaper as tools to publish Malaysian government propaganda. Every day, there are many newspapers published mainly in Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese, Tamil and English, most of them are government-controlled. Mainstream newspaper report on every stunts of the One Malaysia policy and emphasis only on the benefit of the concept and projects, it never reveal or focus on the negative side of the policy. For example One Malaysia store, one of the project by KARISMA. When the project was finally launched, the mainstream newspaper mostly report on how the 1M store can benefit to citizen and set it as headline or give the news a wide space in layout, but when the criticism arise because of the low quality of One Malaysias products, newspaper only publish out the news with small space or never appear. It shows the mainstream media are partial and only shows what they want to show and filtered the important information befo re publish out. Another example like RTM, local television channels licensed to broadcast in Malaysia, it used by government to promote the policy too. TV station will broadcast the video clips about One Malaysia concept, for example the one Malaysias advertisement. For every important day like Merdekas Day, TV will Keep showing the One Malaysia Merdeka advertisement and Satu Malaysia theme song to make a strong impressive on the audience. Besides, mainstream media will report about the major event of 1 Malaysia that happen in town, for example the Sitiawans Chinese New year Open House. This CNY event was live broadcasted through RTM1, and it successfully gets a wide coverage in Malaysia and even the reporter of CCTV from China attended to make a live report. This event is for the CNY celebration and help to foster unity among the various races in Malaysia, by showing this event on TV, it help to promote the One Malaysia concept and also to gain support from the chinese community, so that the One Ma laysia concept can be widely accepted in nation. Nowadays, mainstream media especially free to air TV channels and radio station now losing a large numbers of audiences and readers, the credibility of mainstream media was suspected. People will not totally accept the messages of mainstream media before verify the facts through online. Most Malaysians are now become more polite and wiser to distinguish the facts, people start to search information through online, and they verify and confirm the facts before accepting the truth. One of the hot topics was the censored news of Bersih 3.0 on 28th April 2012. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and ASTRO (Malaysian pay TV station) broadcasted the two different version of news, the BBCs original broadcast been censored and the interview of the respondent about Bersih 3.0 filtered by Astro. This video clip will not appear on the mainstream media channels like RTM1. Astro is not government-owned media, but it is indirectly control by the government. This shows that most of the media in Malaysia have no freedom, the reporting is not true and be biased towards one side which is the dominant group. In my own opinion, although the mainstream media occupy most of the media space in Malaysia, it is not powerful enough to change people mind and influence on the behavior of citizens, this probably because of the distortion of truth and biasness of mainstream media. Nowadays, more and more people start to voice out and express themselves in cyberspace. It shows the influential power of social networking sites. The example of social networking sites like facebook, blog, twitter and YouTube are now becoming the source to get news and information, especially the unvarnished news. Most people said that the mainstream media tell lies and partial, they rather believe the alternative media instead of biased reporting. According to the limited effects theory by Lazarsfeld, media are not powerful enough to influence on individuals which is also known as limited effect perspective. He also claims that the heavy media users were the person whose advice was being held by others. Thus, the heavy media users will become the gatekeepers and opinion leaders. Opinion leaders used to advice the followers and this is later known as the two step flow. The Prime Minister in Malaysia, Dato Sri Najib Razak as the opinion leader and also a heavy media user, he created a website called 1Malaysia with a tagline The Personal Website of DatoSri Najib Razak to provide a place for open discussion and also to encourage the acceptance of One Malaysia concept by the citizens of Malaysia. The website now become one of the mainstream media in Malaysia, it always shows on the top of Google page for the keywords One Malaysia. He understands the influential power of internet, and also the less popular of mainstream media, he started to take part in social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and blog, all of these sites have gathered over millions of followers. Our Prime Minister act as the opinion leader not only for the real life but also in the cyberspace, this is one of the ways he used to promote the One Malaysia concept and influence his followers. This is known as two step flow. The message about One Malaysia concept share from mainstrea m media in Malaysia can easily reach to audience but this does not mean the mainstream media can influence people to accept the policy, the most influential things is the idea of opinion leader instead of mainstream media . Another example like the critic or commenter who bombard the biasness of mainstream media will be viewed as the nation hero and opinion leader, for example Namwee. He has a huge of followers on facebook, he act as the opinion leader to critic the biasness of media and also the BN politicians. His opinion could influence his followers because people craving of hearing the actual truth about the government leaders and policies. According to Lazarsfeld, media rarely had power to change people mind because it is almost always mediated by the individual differences. Individual influences in psychological make ups cause media influence to vary from person to person. Everyone has different ideas, mainstream media only can deliver the messages or information of One Malaysia concept to the citizens but not powerful enough to influence people decision, and make people accept to the concept. This is because audiences have the right to choose what to expose, this is known as selective process. The selective process, information that is inconsistent with a person already held attitudes will create psychological discomfort or cognitive dissonance. People generally work to keep their knowledge of themselves and their knowledge of the world somewhat consistent via selective processes. People tend to avoid the cognitive dissonance after made a decision. Thus people will avoid the facts that can prove the decision was wrong, so the more potential dissonance, the more we tend to avoid. People will denial and pretend that they never seen the evidence. Because of people have right to choose what to expose in mainstream medias messages, the One Malaysia concept cannot be completely accepted by the citizens. The mainstream media in Malaysia keep promoting the concept, but this policy might not the ideal policy to some of the citizens, they can choose to deny the message or choose to remember some part of the concept they like. In the selective process, there are three form of selecti vity, for example the selective exposure, selective retention and also the selective retention. Selective exposure, people tend to expose themselves to information that same to their pre-existing attitudes and belief. For example, the mainstream TV station RTM1 broadcast the One Malaysia program, audiences can choose not to watch the program and switch to another channels if they dont agree with the concept or not interested to the information. This is because they obey to their subconscious and dont want to change the pre-existing belief. Selective retention, people tend to remember the best and interested messages that are most meaningful to them. For example, the mainstream media keep showing the benefit of One Malaysias projects, the IPT students only choose to remember the stunts of One Malaysia Siswa Card (KADS1M), because this project is benefit to them and help them to reduce the daily cost of living, they only pay attention and accept the message that can fulfill their demands. Selective perception, people will change the meaning of messages so that they become consistent with pre-existing attitudes and belief. For example, When media shows the advertisement of 1Malaysia store and promote the products, audience will think purchasing 1Mproduct is a stupid action because in their pre-existing belief One Malaysia products are low quality and they never consider to purchase those products. These three forms of selectivity show media cannot control how audience think, how audience act and even accept to the One Malaysia concept. The ways the mainstream media are used to promote the acceptance of the One Malaysia concept successfully creating awareness among the Malaysian, but this does not mean that people are completely admit the concept and support the idea of the policy. As we all know, the mainstream media actually under controlled by the dominant group, the government and The Barisan National. No one dare to eject or deny the government policy, they remain silence since they have no freedom to speak out the idea, and they scare to bear the consequences of against government so they choose to admit it, for example the preventive detention law. So people remain silence because they think their views are in minority but in fact there is no one to speak out their opinion. According to the Spiral of Silence theory by Neumann (1974), a people view control the public scene and others disappeared from the public awareness as it adherents became silent. People fear of being isolation and know what actions and be haviors should take to avoid their likelihood of being socially isolated. For example, some people tend to keep their negative opinion toward the government policy to themselves when they think they are in the minority. This context is called Spiral of Silence. In conclusion, mainstream media in Malaysia are not powerful enough to change people mind, but it do have certain influence. Therefore, under the assumption of the two step flow process, selective process, and the Spiral of Silence theory, the messages of the mainstream media would not be able to reach the citizen directly. Thus, the effect of the mainstream media in Malaysia is considered as limited effect. In my opinion, the government has successfully creating awareness on the policy among the citizens of Malaysia through the mainstream media, but not the acceptance of the concept. The completely acceptance of the concept among nation might happen if there is no partial and biased information from the mainstream media, if media are more control by the dominant group, the less trust of Malaysias citizens can give to the mainstream media.

Cadaver Organ Donation :: Health Medical Essays

Cadaver Organ Donation Recently, TV Land aired a 1975 episode of All in the Family in which Archie Bunker tries to impress his boss by being the first in line to sign up for the boss’ favorite charity (Bogart 1975). It is not until Archie is holding his donor card that he realizes that he has signed up to be an organ donor. This causes great anxiety for Archie which manifests itself as more stress than usual, worrying about his age, and problems sleeping. Archie finally goes to rescind his donation and states that it is for religious purposes. Archie states that he had a dream in which he has died and is driving his taxi toward heaven. As he is driving toward heaven, people begin taking parts from the taxi. As he continues, people begin removing parts from Archie. When he reaches heaven he is not allowed in because God does not recognize him due to so many parts missing. Another humorous piece concerning organ donation is from Monty Python's Meaning of Life. In â€Å"Part V: Live Organ Donations† Mr. Brown answers the door and finds two men who have come to take his liver, which Mr. Brown states that he is still using. The two men wrestle Mr. Brown to the ground and find on him his Liver Donation Card. Mr. Brown states â€Å"Listen! I can't give it to you now. It says, 'in the event of death'.† One of the men respond with, â€Å"No one who has ever had their liver taken out by us has survived,† followed by a very bloody removal of Mr. Brown’s liver. Mrs. Brown enters the room and confronts the two men who respond that they are taking Mr. Brown’s liver. After she realizes what is going on she sees the entire episode as being Mr. Brown’s fault for signing the donation card in the first place (Gilliam and Jones 1983). These two views of organ donation in the popular culture make light of reasons why people do not register to be organ donors; however, they do reflect many people’s anxieties about being an organ donor. An example of this is found in a Boston Herald front page article where the removal of organs from an eighteen month old boy, not for the purpose of transplant, was called â€Å"heartless.† The child’s mother stated, â€Å"Our son David was all heart, and now he is buried without his heart.

Religion Versus Science in The Scopes Monkey Trial :: American America History

Religion Versus Science in The Scopes Monkey Trial   Ã‚  Ã‚   The stage was set in Dayton, Tennessee.   The leading actor in this show was a twenty five-year-old science teacher named John T. Scopes. Scopes was under the direction of advancing America.   The playbill read The Scopes â€Å"Monkey† Trial.   In 1925 John T. Scopes was encouraged to challenge the Butler Law.   This law had been passed by a small town in Dayton, Tennessee to prohibit teaching contra to those in the Bible. Teaching from an evolutionary text, Scopes broke the law and gained the attention of the National media.   The concentration of the media on the Scopes Trial effectively presented the contrasting ideas of a religious town and an evolving country.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The town in Dayton, Tennessee was both religious and stable.   People in this town were seen holding signs marked with the command to â€Å"Read Your Bible† (Ginger 93). The inhabitants here had adopted the teachings of the Bible in order to feel secure within a time of change.   â€Å"In rural areas, particularly in the South and Midwest, Americans turned to their faith for comfort and stability† (Scopes 12).   The town would hold on to what they knew.   People in Dayton had no desire to travel forward with the roaring twenties.   William Jennings Bryan was the leading defender of the Butler Law as well as heading the prosecution. Bryan was determined to defend as literally true every word of the Bible.   In the deepest sense, he had to defend it; he needed reassurance and certainty, and since childhood had learned to rely on the Bible as the source of reassurance and certainty.   (Ginger 41).   Bryan would be the leader to a people who held on to religion and the past.   Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast to this small town were the advancing views of America.   The twenties continued to roar towards modernism.   â€Å"Breakthroughs in technology, the increase in material wealth, and the beginning of an empire seemingly heralded the upward march of civilization, with America on the forefront† (Dumenil 6).   In all directions, it was clear that America was moving forward.   Transportation was a prime example of this advancement.   Innovator Henry Ford introduced his â€Å" Ford Miracle† to the public (Dumenil 6).   Economies and the social values also began to advance.   â€Å"Dubious get-rich-quick schemes and fads†¦contributed to a tone of feverish frivolity† (Dumenil 7).   People began to lead fast paced lives with the desire to become rich, quickly.

Brokeback Mountain personal response

Whilst watching the film Bareback Mountain, I became frustrated at the mall characters, Jack and Nines. This frustration was because of an evident idea in the film that I agree strongly with, Sexuality is not a choice. ‘ This idea made me realize how lucky I am to have been born in an era where society is much more accepting of individuality than in the past. And I felt frustrated because the two men believed the only way to be accepted in society was to be something they weren't, which was trousseaux.In the summer of 1963 two young men, Nines Del Mar and Jack Twist, meet when they find work sheep-herding for the summer on Bareback Mountain. The two quickly form a friendship that eventually develops Into something more. They become mentally and physically Involved with one another. I believe the director's purpose of this film was to open the viewer's eyes, showing them that you cannot choose who fall in love with. The idea that ‘sexuality is not a choice' is developed in the film because the two men eave a perfectly fine life, they both had a loving wife and a family, but they were happiest when together.A close up of Nines' face shows him staring out of the window, trying to pass time by flicking his lighter whilst waiting for Jack to arrive at his house. You can see in his expression that he is excited; his eyes keep looking around as If he Is searching for Jack. This shot told the audience how much Nines cared for and missed Jack, because you saw different a side of Nines, a side where he was excited and nervous, the audience never saw this side of him when he was with is wife.I was happy when I saw Nines not being able to control his emotions towards Jack, it gave me faith that true love and happiness does exist. But I also felt extremely sorry the men's wife's, I felt as though they were using their wife's as a shield from reality, as they were afraid of what might happen to them if anyone found out about their relationship with one another. N o matter how much they tried to stay apart, they would always come back to each other. This is another way the idea ‘sexuality is not a choice' is developed in the film. The dialogue â€Å"l wish I could quit you† is said by Jack Twist.This quote reinforces the fact that Jack couldn't stay away from Nines, he wishes he didn't feel the way he felt about Nines, and he wishes that he could Just stop having the desire to see him, but he Just cannot ‘quit' him. He would rather be living with his wife, but he loves Nines so he can't resist seeing him. It shows that Jack would change himself so that he could fit Into society, If he was able to. This made me feel really upset. I have been taught from a very young age to always be yourself around others, even though they shamed of who he was.With all this being said, it makes me proud that the awareness and acceptance of the LIGHT community is growing greater each year. Just last year, on the 17th of April in 2013, an Amen dment Bill allowing same-sex couples to marry in New Zealand passed the final reading. It gives me great pleasure knowing that society is becoming more susceptible to diversity. But still to this day people still suffer from this fear of not being accepted, and it is very hard for them to ‘come out' about their sexuality to the public.I have had quite a few friends who have struggled with this issue. I have noticed they have all been scared of what their parents might think, say, or do. They are afraid that they will be a disappointment to the family. I think it is absolutely absurd for a parent to ‘disown' their own child because they are attracted to a different gender. I am sure that if their child could choose who they were to fall in love with, they would choose someone that their parents would approve of. I am truly disgusted that this ‘disowning happens still to this day.I would recommend Bareback Mountain to year 12 students because not only is it a great f ilm, it will teach, and further their understanding of the idea ‘sexuality is not a choice. ‘ I think that emotional students will particularly benefit in watching this film, as they will allow the film to affect them, and they will wonder about the deeper meanings in the film. I believe that this film could even change some people's opinions about homosexuals, because they will come to agree with the films strong message, ‘sexuality is not a choice. ‘

Orion Shield Project Case Essay

In this paper, The Orion Shield Project is critically analyzed to determine how effective the project manager, Mr. Gary Allison, is in operating as leader. Specifically, the paper focuses on what technical, ethical, legal, contractual, and other managerial issues plague the success of The Orion Shield Project. The paper attempts to analyze these issues by first introducing the reader to background about the project, and then moving into a deeper discussion of every one of the previously mentioned issues. Due to the individuals he works with and the differing situations he is placed, Mr. Allison must make difficult decisions at every corner. After examining the project, it is found that Mr. Allison can improve his responses to these issues by accounting for the complexities of dealing with technology, becoming more solid in his ethical stance, understanding law and contracts and how they relate to the project, and connecting better with his team. Introduction There are many nuances to project management which can negatively affect a manager or project. The Orion Shield Project exemplifies why proper management is integral to any successful project. The project is a venture that NASA is promoting in order to improve the structural capabilities of the Shuttle Launch Booster. The prime contractor that NASA is using for this project is the Space Technologies Institute (STI), who put out a request for proposal (RFP) for a subcontractor to help with this project. SEC won the bid to become the subcontractor on this project, and the Director of Engineering, Mr. Henry Larsen, appointed Mr. Gary Allison as the project manager (The Orion Shield Project, 2003). As The Orion Shield Project advances, many issues arise which forces Mr. Allison to make difficult decisions. In this paper, I will critically analyze the issues Mr. Allison faces while managing The Orion Shield Project. In critically examining the way The Orion Shield Project is handled, I wi ll touch on the technical,  ethical, legal, contractual, and other management issues faced by Mr. Allison and analyze both his positive and negative actions in an effort to gain a better understanding of how project management plays a role in the outcome of this project. Technical Issues The Orion Shield Project gives rise to many technical issues which Mr. Allison has to navigate as he manages the project. The technical issues that specifically alter the integrity of the project are incapable components and a poorly designed test matrix. Incapable components present issues all throughout the project, with the most glaring problems occurring in the beginning and end of the project. The original technical specification that STI listed in their RFP was that all components must be able to operate efficiently between temperature ranges of -65 degrees F to 145 degrees F (The Orion Shield Project, 2003). This was an issue for the SEC project because testing within the company shows that their current component design would not function above 130 degrees F, and that the requirements would not be able to be met without different materials (The Orion Shield Project, 2003). This creates an issue for a bevy of reasons, including throwing off the timeline, the amount of resource s used, and commitments to stakeholders. While performing final tests on the component as the project was coming to a close it was found that the product was again not up to the specifications requested in the RFP. The purpose of The Orion Shield Project was to get the Shuttle Launch Booster to support an age life of at least 9 years, and after testing it was found that the age life would most likely be less than 5 years. This is actually less than what the original component NASA was using lasted, which was 6 years (The Orion Shield Project, 2003). Both of these points in the project are technical issues Mr. Allison is responsible for overcoming as project manager of The Orion Shield Project. In addition to the aforementioned technical issues, Mr. Allison also deals with a test matrix in the technical volume of the proposal which will not produce acceptable results. The test matrix is â€Å"an effective way of recording the coverage of the scope delivered† (Boyde, 2012, p. 701). From  this matrix, you should be able to tell what has been implemented, what has yet to be implemented, and what was determined to be out of scope for the current milestone release (Boyde, 2012, p. 701). Realizing the importance of the test matrix, Mr. Allison echoes his concern to his Chief Project Engineer Ms. Paula Arnold, who warned him around changing the test matrix and scope of the work. This would in turn affect the cost of the project which is not viable due to the nature of the contract that SEC is working under. Instead of addressing this issue up front and trying to find a way to trim some work off downstream to keep the budget manageable, Mr. Allison pushes on for three more weeks until the test matrix and research results are ultimately deemed unacceptable. This puts Mr. Allison and his team in a deeper hole and extends their timeline, while also projecting a sense of disarray when meeting with their stakeholders. In analyzing this project, it seems that the technical issues Mr. Allison was faced with while managing The Orion Shield Project amounted to three major sources, technology interdependence, technology novelty, and external factors. Technology interdependence refers to requirement of different expertise to perfect a final product (Hussein, Pigagaite & Silva, 2014, p. 706). One of the difficult duties that comes with managing is understanding how different elements of a project interact with each other, and how to get the elements to work together in an efficient manner. If Mr. Al lison got better with technology interdependencies, he would have been able to establish a more effective test matrix. Technology novelty is one of the biggest culprits for the technical issues Mr. Allison faced in The Orion Shield Project. Technology novelty refers to the idea that â€Å"no matter how much planning you do beforehand, when you assemble a final product – or even a part of it – testing will always reveal problems† (Hussein, Pihahaite & Silva, 2014, p. 706). In production, you should always assume that something can, and will go wrong. In reading The Orion Shield Project case, its glares out that Mr. Allison does not have a contingency plan built it, and did not allow himself enough time to tinker with the project to get it right. This in turn led to a lot of sleepless, stressful nights and still an insufficient, unacceptable product and project. The final sources of technical issues which are found to be relevant to Mr. Allison’s management case are external factors. Factors such as pressure from Mr. Larsen to force SEC into The Orion Shield Project and pressure from Ms. Sarah Wilson, a representative from STI, to stick to the schedule SEC proposed, led to many of the poor technical decisions Mr. Allison makes. Mr. Larsen’s pressure on The Orion Shield Project leads to Mr. Allison making false promises and trying to cover his traces throughout the entire project. This in turn leads to a strained relationship with Ms. Wilson, who pushes Mr. Allison to take on more of an administrative role, instead of the research focused position he prefers. In the end, Mr. Allison could have mitigated all of the external issues by maintaining a strict ethical code in his actions, which delves into the ethical issues he faces in managing this project. Ethical Issues Out of all the issues presented in The Orion Shield Project, the ethical issues seem to be the most devastating to the success of the project. The specific moments in which ethical issues arise all seem to occur within some type of interaction with Mr. Larsen. The first and most important of which occurs when Mr. Allison raises concerns with Mr. Larsen about the specifications that STI put out for the components. Mr. Larsen’s response to this concern was to lie to STI and express in the proposal that SEC had the capabilities to make a component that would go above and beyond the specifications required. Specifically, Mr. Larsen advocated that Mr. Allison say that SEC had a component design that would operate at up to 155 degrees F in hopes of later cornering STI into accepting the actual specifications that the SEC component could handle. Deceiving a partner about what you can provide them just to earn a contract or project is unethical on many levels. In an article written by Dr. Thomas Mengel (2006), communication between project stakeholders and project management is found to be extremely important. The article goes further to say that â€Å"project managers need to comprehensively determine the impact of any decision to be made† (Mengel, 2006, p. 230). Mr. Allison did not think this situation with Mr. Larsen all the way through, and because of that not only did technical issues arise,  but an ethical one as well. An ethical issue which Mr. Allison also has to deal with is the testing of new materials without his knowledge. After Ms. Wilson met with Mr. Allison and displayed her angst with how the administrative side of the project was going, Mr. Allison focuses more of his time and effort with the administrative tasks. This gives Mr. Larsen time to move in and work with Ms. Arnold on a new material, using more STI money in the process when the contract and Ms. Wilson specifically state that SEC would bear all costs of additional research beyond the original scope of work (The Orion Shield Project, 2003). It is understandable that Mr. Larsen is Mr. Allison’s boss and he does not always need to tell him what he is doing, but with a venture as big as this and with Mr. Allison being the project manager and the one ultimately responsible for results, it seems ethical to discuss these major decisions. One way Mr. Allison could have addressed this issue could have occurred before agreeing to accept this position and project. While Mr. Larsen was originally describing the position to Mr. Allison, Mr. Allison could have requested to include ethic checks in decision making processes and to â€Å"define a joint process and mutually agreeable criteria for ethical decision making† (Mengel, 2006, p . 231). This would help Mr. Allison set parameters around his interactions with Mr. Larsen. He could then use these well-defined parameters as a basis to disagree with an action or even refuse an action Mr. Larsen proposes if unethical. In failing to do so, Mr. Allison allows these unethical procedures to ultimately fall on his shoulders. An ethical issue which falls directly on the shoulders of Mr. Allison occurs when he withholds information from upper management about the short age life of the component near the end of the project. The ethical dilemma is clear here and could have far reaching damages for both SEC and STI. Mr. Allison should have told upper management as soon as testing shows the shorter age life of the component. No matter how difficult it is, maintaining an ethical code is essential to the proper management of not only projects but organizations as well. Legal & Contractual Issues The Orion Shield Project exposes SEC to a variety of legal issues, some coming from managements own unethical actions and many more coming from  contractual complications. The initial legal issue that arises from The Orion Shield Project occurs when SEC responds to the RFP issued by STI. When Mr. Larsen requests for Mr. Allison to make the proposal reflect that SEC’s component can operate at up to 155 degrees F, when in actuality it cannot operate above 130 degrees F, SEC breaches the RFP contract. At first glance you may not think a RFP is legally binding, but according to legal precedent it is. In the 1981 case of R. (Ontario) V. Ron Engineering, it was found that RFP’s are part of a two part contract, and that they are the bidding portion of the contract. What this means is that once a proposal is presented in response to a RFP, both sides are now legally tied to the contract and must abide by the terms stipulated in that proposal (The Legal Implications,† 20 12). In providing false promises in their proposal, Mr. Allison and SEC open themselves up to sanctions and being sued. Mr. Allison and SEC also open themselves up for legal action when they breach the firm-fixed-price (FFP) contract they agreed to with STI. As defined by Charles Russell Jr. and Susan Moser (2009) in Firm-Fixed-Price Contracting: The time and Materials Requirements Dilemma, a FFP is â€Å"a completion contract,† which means that â€Å"profit or fee is earned by the delivery of end items† (p.46). FFP’s also carry fixed prices and leave little room for adjustments as the project moves along. The fixed price and the need to make adjustments as the project went along are what opened SEC up to legal action. Ms. Wilson from STI specifically mentioned that after the first test matrix failed and a new one was developed, all additional research and development would be at the expense of SEC. But, when Mr. Larsen and Ms. Arnold began developing the new material for the component they used STI funding for it. This again was a breach of contract, and by not addressing this is sue Mr. Allison left SEC vulnerable to being dropped from the contract and sued for the wrong use of project funding. One way Mr. Allison could have avoided this situation would be to push for a different type of contract from STI for The Orion Shield Project. In an article written by Frank Kendall (2013) on the uses of FFP contracts, the restricting nature of the contract is described in great detail. Kendall describes how FFP contracts tend to restrict flexibility as contractors  learn more â€Å"about what is feasible and affordable as well as what needs to be done to achieve a design that meets requirements during a product’s design and testing phases† (Kendall, 2013, p. 2). Mr. Allison experiences this dilemma all too much as he runs The Orion Shield Project. A FFP contract was the perfect contract for STI; FFP contracts offer the lowest risk to the buyer due to the fact that it is not subject to any cost adjustments resulting from contractors carrying out the project (Russell Jr. & Moser, 2009, p.47). Instead of agreeing to such a rigid contract when you know your component will need multiple tests to meet specifications, SEC and Mr. Allison should have instead pushed for a more flexible contract like a time-and-materials (T&M) contract. A time and materials contract can be used when the duration, extent of effort, and costs associated with a project are generally unknown up front (Russell Jr. & Moser, 2009, p. 47). This contract would be more beneficial to SEC and Mr. Allison specifically when he changes the test matrix, and has to find new materials and incur more costs to complete the project. In the end, Mr. Allison mishandles many issues which leave himself and SEC vulnerable to legal action, luckily no such action occurs. Other Management Issues Separate from the main issues discussed earlier in this paper, there are also other, more managerial issues. The two other management issues that are present in The Orion Shield Project are staffing concerns and employee motivation. Mr. Allison’s first dilemma while working The Orion Shield Project is finding the staff he wants to help him with the venture. He is not given top priority in picking his staff, which make it difficult to get the key people necessary to ensure a smoothly run project. Many managers do not want to give up their main people, but with the help of Mr. Larsen he finds an â€Å"adequate† staff to fill in (The Orion Shield Project, 2003). This puts Mr. Allison in a dilemma because he does not have the option of working with the people he feels most comfortable with. Being uncomfortable while leading a project can do nothing but have negative effects on results. This also leads to Mr. Allison putting the burden of doing most of the work on his self, instead of leveraging his team better. Since this is a situation most project managers will have to deal with on their first project, Mr.  Allison could have done a better job utilizing his staff to create more positive project results. As The Orion Shield Project progresses, many of the members of the project team lose motivation to work on the project. The lack of team motivation came from the teams dissipating trust in Mr. Allison and the plans they were told would be final. Also, a lack of communication leads to heightened tension between the team. As Dorothy Ann Brenner (2007) points out in a recent article, communication, no matter what the form, helps with team chemistry and â€Å"gives them a clearer idea of their roles and what is expected of them so they understand their goals, as well as the team’s overall goal for a successful project† (p.19). Mr. Allison’s lack of communication with his team leads to certain members feeling out of the loop and disappointed with the direction of the project. In order for the Orion Shield Project to have even had a chance of working effectively, Mr. Allison has to motivate his project team so they will give their best effort and work (Brenner, 2007, p . 16). Conclusion As The Orion Shield Project progressed from the initial proposal to the final testing, issues seemed to arise around every corner. Mr. Allison had to make serious decisions at every level of the project and unfortunately many of those decisions were the wrong ones. Mr. Allison made critical mistakes when faced with technical, ethical, legal, contractual, and other managerial issues. After analyzing The Orion Shield Project case, findings show that Mr. Allison could improve his responses to these issues by accounting for the complexities of dealing with technology, becoming more solid in his ethical stance, understanding law and contracts and how they relate to the project, and connecting better with his team. In conclusion, Mr. Allison did not perform well in his first opportunity to operate as project manager, but, with a few tweaks to his approach, he could excel if he ever wanted that opportunity again. References Boyde, J. (2012). A down-to-earth guide to SDLC project management: getting your system development life cycle project successfully accross the line using PMBOK– in an adaptive way. S.l.: CreateSpace Independent Pub. Platform]. Brenner, D. A. (2007). Achieving a succesful project by motivating the project team. Cost Engineering, 49(5), 16-20. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu Hussein, B. A., Pigagaite, G., & Silva, P. P. (2014). Identifying and dealing with complexities in new product and process development projects. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences , doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.078 Kendall, F. (2013). Use of fixed-price incentive firm (fpif) contracts in development and production. Defense AT&L, 42(2), Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu Legal Implications of Issuing RFP. (2012, January 1). Rss. Retrieved April 16, 2014, from https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/legal-implications-of-issuing-rfp Mengel, T. (2006). Project management ethics: Responsibility, values, and ethics in project environments. AMA Handbook of Project Management, 227-235. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=1ba019be-81fb-4f39-8ccd-06cfe83e33b1@sessionmgr114&vid=5&hid=107 R. (Ont.) v. Ron Engineering, (1981) 1 S.C.R. 111. Retrieved from: http://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/2504/index.do Russell Jr., C. A., & Moser, S. J. (2009). Firm-fixed-price contracting: The time and materials requirement dilemma. Contract Management, 49(8), 44-49. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu The Orion Shield Project — HOME. (2003, January 1). The Orion Shield Project