Thursday, October 31, 2019

The recent developments in the business environment Essay

The recent developments in the business environment - Essay Example The main motivation for mass marketing is the huge profit prospect created economies of scale. Starting from the strategy of competing on prices, companies have shifted to the focus on adding customer value by enhancing product quality. Recognizing the uniqueness of each of the segment of market segment, niche, and individual customers companies have embarked on target marketing. As opposed to mass marketing, target marketing focuses on serving a specific and identified target market. Instead of going after everyone, customers choose the most lucrative sector to cater to and use all of its resources in order to satisfy the needs and wants of these customers. From its humble beginnings Wal-Mart has become one of the most successful and biggest retailers in the world. What is very interesting about the company is its firm adherence in mass marketing as a strategy in the attainment of its organizational goals. Since its inception, the company is stuck to the principle in competing through a low pricing strategy. Following this, the company leverages on its ability to reap huge economies of scale through the large volume of sales. However, with the evolution of a hypercompetitive business environment characterized by the presence of higher customer bargaining and more aggressive competition on product quality (Kotler & Armstrong 2001) industry experts note that Wal-mart should leave mass marketing and focus on launching specific strategies aimed at each segment that it serves including Blacks, the Affluent, Empty Nesters, Hispanics, Suburbanites, and Rural Residents. Recognizing the importance of cultivating relationship marketing and the significance of considering the unique needs of each segment, this paper strongly recommends that Wal-mart embark on a target marketing approach. It should be noted that the more competitive nature of the retail industry dictates that each player pursue a harmonious and lasting relationship with its buyers by adding the value that they require. Thus, Wal-mart should step out from serving the broad anonymous crowd and start selling to each segment (Bianco 2004). It is recommended that the company does this by utilizing market penetration and product development. Recognizing that the product offered by Wal-Mart appeals to the working and bargain hunting customers, it is deemed most appropriate if the company looks into the possibility of serving the upscale segment by offering a new set of products which appeals to this demographics. Aside from this, the company can also opt to stand out from the crowd by improvin g on the other aspects of retailing such as merchandising, add-on services, and ambiance. Wal-Mart has long appealed to Blacks, Hispanics, and Rural Residents because of its price appeal. Having the capability of charging rock bottom prices because of economies of scale, Wal-mart has become prominent to this market. However, the proliferation of retailers who are taking efforts of targeting these markets somehow hurt the sales of the giant retailer. Thus, it is recommended that Wal-mart looks into penetrating these segments by offering more beverage and food products which are culturally appealing to Blacks and Hispanics. In order to cater

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Analysis of Nike Inc Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Nike Inc Essay The brand name â€Å"Nike† is one of the most recognized around the globe. The name is synonymous with high-quality athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories in the minds of many people worldwide. Perhaps it is the compelling marketing that commands attention. Or maybe it is the association between the brand name and its famous endorsers, such as Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. Alternatively, it may be Nike’s cutting-edge sporting vision and technology that entrances multitudes of consumers. Quite conceivably, it is a combination of these factors that has propelled Nike to the top of its industry. However, not the entire of Nike’s story is ideal. In recent years, the company has faced criticism in connection with its use of contract labor in developing nations. The purpose of this case is to provide an understanding of the company’s background, its general business strategy, and its use of contract labor. The Athletic Apparel and Footwear Industry The athletic apparel and footwear industry experienced steady growth for more than two decades, beginning in the early 1980’s. For example, the volume sales in the footwear market are projected to reach 13. 3 billion pairs by the end of 2012, and by the year 2015, the world footwear market is forecast to reach $195 billion. Consumers were not just professional athletes, but ordinary men, women, and children who wore athletic apparel for both sports and leisure. The industry became more fashion-oriented, resulting in higher levels of innovation and cutting-edge technology. As a result of the emphasis on style and fashion and customers’ demands for improving performance and comfort, the industry experienced short life-cycles for individual products. The industry was characterized by fierce competition in global markets. Industry leaders jousted for supremacy in the professional, female, and youth segments. By 2005, the U. S. market was considered to be mature, and global markets were likewise rapidly approaching maturity, resulting in intensified competition for market share. There also was heated competition for advertising and promotional licenses, particularly between the two industry giants, Nike and Adidas. For instance, Adidas sponsored one of the world’s premiere soccer clubs, Real Madrid, while Nike sponsored Manchester United, also a world class soccer club in Great Britain. Adidas was also the Official Supporter of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and the Germany 2006 World Cup in soccer. However, Nike’s presence was very evident in the World Cup: many teams in this tournament wore uniforms emblazoned with the unmistakable swoosh. The athletic footwear and apparel industry has enjoyed a measure of stability beginning in the 1980’s, due in part to the high barriers to entry that new firms faced. There were high start-up costs due to expensive raw materials; costly innovation, technology, and advertising; and the high market share held by the industry’s leaders. Existing companies achieved economies of scale that were not available to potential new entrants. In addition, established companies had distinct identities and brand-loyal customers. New entrants would have needed to match these companies in research and development and advertising expenditures to win over customers loyal to the other brands. The world economic recession has affected the world footwear market with sales witnessing erosions in developed countries and growth slowing down considerably in developing countries. The decline in income levels have reduced the spending on clothing especially apparel and footwear (including casual, outdoor, sports, and formal footwear). Tight liquidity and financial constraints have redefined value and have induced simplicity in lifestyles and this marks the beginning of shifting consumer focus towards value for money bargains. The recession induced price sensitivity, and trading down to lower price points, has therefore constricted revenues in the marketplace, even though expanding opportunities to value brands and private label brands. Premium priced branded athlete footwear market, which exhibited resilience at the start of the recession, has witnessed quick deterioration in business opportunities, with the number of sports participants and enthusiasts declining. The economic pressures of the recession impacted consumers interest in taking up sports, and the drop in sports participation is reflected in the widespread postponement of renewal of club membership fees. Against this backdrop, the global market for athletic footwear is expected to increase at a modest pace during 2007 through 2015 period. Nike, Inc. – From Humble Beginnings†¦ Although headquartered in Oregon, U. S. A. , Nike operated around the world. As of 2006, the company employed approximately 26,500 individuals worldwide. From humble beginnings, Nike had risen to lead the athletic footwear and apparel industry. Nike began life in 1964, co-founded by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. Bowerman was an Olympian, then an Olympic coach, then head track coach at the University of Oregon from 1948 to 1973. On a trip to New Zealand during the early 1960s, he noticed people running for and for the sheer joy of running. The concept intrigued him, and upon his return to the United States, he started the country’s first running club. He also wrote a book entitled â€Å"Jogging† in which he explained how to run for fun and fitness. During Bowerman’s tenure at the University of Oregon, he had coached a young middle distance runner named Phil Knight. Knight wrote a research paper arguing that cheaper, high-performance Japanese shoes could overthrow German dominance of the U. S. athletic shoe industry. On a trip to Japan, Knight contracted with the Onitsuka Tiger Company to sell its quality athletic shoes in the U. S. He made up the name Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS) in 1962 and formed a partnership with Bowerman in 1964, each partner investing $500 in the business (Nike Timeline, 2006). Bowerman designed most of the prototypes and made suggestions for improvement to the Tiger Company, while Knight distributed the shoes from his father’s basement and out of the back of his car at track meets. In 1965, Jeff Johnson, Knight’s former track competitor at Stanford University, became the first full-time employee of BRS. Under his guidance, BRS opened its first retail outlet in Santa Monica, California, in 1966 (Nike Timeline, 2006). In the following year, the company was incorporated. In 1971, Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student that Knight met at Portland State University, designed the swoosh for $35. Later that year, Jeff Johnson devised the name Nike, after the Greek goddess of triumph and victory. â€Å"Nike† edged out Knight’s idea of calling the company â€Å"Dimension 6† (Nike Timeline, 2006). In 1970, Bowerman created the first running outsole by pouring liquid rubber into his wife’s waffle maker, an innovation that forever changed the design of running shoes (Nike Timeline, 2006). In 1972, Nike and the Onitsuka Tiger Company parted company. Later that year, Romanian tennis player Ilie Nastase became the first professional athlete to sign an endorsement contract with Nike. Nike’s signing of American record-holder track athlete Steve Prefontaine in 1973 led to many athletes converting to the new brand. In 1974, the waffle trainer was introduced and quickly became the best-selling training shoe in the nation. Subsequent endorsement contracts, advertising campaigns, and athletic footwear innovations (such as Nike air cushioning shoes in 1979) established Nike as a force to be reckoned with. In 1986, corporate revenues exceeded $1 billion for the first time (Nike Timeline, 2006). To Industry Leader In 2005, Nike generated total revenues of $13. 7 billion, an increase over 2004 of 11. percent. Nike held 40 percent of the global market for athletic shoes and apparel (Nike, Inc. , Datamonitor, 2005). Adidas’ acquisition of Reebok in January 2006 made that company a serious rival to Nike’s industry dominance, cornering 20 percent of the worldwide market (Nike, Inc. , 2006, Hoover’s Company Records). The remaining 40 percent market share was divided among other industry contenders, such as Puma AG Rudolf Dassler Sport, K-Swiss, Adams Golf, Callaway Golf Company, and Columbia Sportswear. Nike continued to lead the industry, largely due to its strong international presence. In 2003, Nike’s international sales outstripped its U. S. sales for the first time; in 2005, international sales generated 62. 7 percent of all revenues. Nike sold about 200 million pairs of athletic shoes, and the footwear division contributed 53. 1 percent of all sales for 2005. In 2007, Nikes revenue totaled $16. 326 billion, making a total gross profit of $7. 16 billion. In 2012, for the quarter ended 29 February, Nike’s net income rose 7% to $560 million from the same period last year. Nike said that worldwide future orders for its footwear and apparel, scheduled for delivery from March to July 2012, came to $9. billion up 15% from the same period last year. In North America, Nike’s revenues surged by 17% to $2. 15 billion, and in China, gained by 25% to $694 million. Revenues in Western Europe, which has been suffering from sluggish growth and a debt crisis, rose by 4% to $962 million, but these are expected to increase prominently this summer, with the European football championships in Poland and Ukraine and the 2012 Olympics in London. Finally, the total revenues rose 15% to $5. 8 billion. In January, Nike agreed compensation in a dispute with workers in Indonesia over unpaid overtime. Its Indonesian subsidiary will pay $1 million to about 4,500 workers. Nike’s Vision, Mission and Values An effective and successful Vision statement is powerful and compelling, conveying confidence and inspiring views of the future. The importance of a Vision Statement should not be underestimated. One good paragraph will describe the values, services and vision for the future. The main reason for an organizations existence is to follow through on the mission, vision values, and goals taking into considerations all key stakeholders. However, every company has different set of stakeholders varying in power and significance. The Nike organization uses the collaborative process in functional areas identifying the key stakeholders to facilitate appropriate interactions. In defining the company, strategic managers must identify all of the stakeholders groups and weigh their relative rights and their relative ability to affect the firms success (Pearce Robinson, 2009). Resourcing the key stakeholders to recommend strategic action plans that support the organizational structure and facilitate the organizations success. The Nike Mission is to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world and if you have a body you are an athlete (Nike, 2010). This refers to the fact that Nike exists to supply everyone in the world with the shoes, equipment, or apparel that if anyone has a body then anyone has the potential of becoming an athlete. From the start one understands that Nike intends to merchandize to the world of athletes or people who have a body. That is a huge undertaking, which involves various sets of stakeholder groups. The mission is the catalyst that drives the organization. The stakeholders have power to influence the process of accomplishing the mission, vision, values and goals. However the stakeholders groups have varying ideas, goals, objectives and expectations on how to accomplish the mission. Thus claims must be reconciled in a mission statement that resolves the competing, conflicting and contradicting claims of stakeholders (Pearce Robinson, 2009). The mission must be clear and concise with a solitary purpose that represents the firms goal. Nikes vision is to help Nike, Incorporated and our consumers thrive in a sustainable economy where people, profit, and planet are in balance (Nike, 2010). By integrating information from the various stakeholders roups, rethinking pass mistakes and processes will allow Nike to continue, implementing sustainable principles. This information enables Nike to make changes in the industry and in the company. Identifying challenges, brainstorming solutions, deciding and acting to evaluate, monitor, and reevaluate if the vision is in line with expectations. Nikes values are formed by the strategy teams whose primary focus is to work repeatedly on each part of the vision, strategy, factories, environment, community people, and culture the process keeping Nike in line with working toward the goals of Nike organization. The goal for Nike is believing in the partnerships formed valuing the opportunity to work together with all stakeholders in the apparel industry and to share best practices. Nike has built a stronger relationship with the European governments by considering legislation that will form the future of the clothing industry in areas such as recycling, environmental labeling, consumer awareness, and sustainability. Nike supports the goal of partnerships that bring solutions to enhance sustainability throughout its supply chain and helping the world. Nikes mission, vision, values and goals take on the responsibility living up to these stated purposes. Working together to provide inclusiveness, and diversity inventing ways for people, products and profit to thrive for the Nike organization. Creating systems that work together with partners to rethink, reshape, and analyze challenges. Each component builds upon the other to accomplish primary reasons that Nike exists, for the athlete, the planet and to profit. A company’s core philosophy has the power to influence, inspire and challenge employees on a daily basis. Nike, being the progressive company they are, employs an emergent strategy, one that originates in the interaction of an organization with its environment. Nike’s philosophy is of an extremely importance, not only because of the great success it has garnered Nike and their products, but also because of the continuous call to creativity and innovation it facilitates. The Nike core purpose, experiencing the emotion of winning and crushing your competition, is also important in developing the foundation of a brand promise and value proposition.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Relationship Between Enlightenment and Sociology

Relationship Between Enlightenment and Sociology The theory of social development and progress was the key concept of the Enlightenment [Ray,13]. The experience of Renaissance recovery from the dark ages, rediscovery of antique philosophy, the expansion of colonialism and exploration of non-European cultures, violated established order and lead to expansion of new ideas doubting tradition. The Enlightenment recognized that human history changes, that societies experience material and mental, moral, or philosophical progress. That modernity is just another stage of development, that does not lead the end of history, but might be as well a beginning of some better, new society. Eighteen century thinkers considered reason as the leading force of change, believing, that human knowledge and consciousness may develop linearly. Since the Enlightenment was an age of science and reason, philosophers tend to classify and order possessed knowledge. That lead to a few theories of historical stages development of societies that arranged histor ical periods in progressive order, as Turgot and Condorset did [Ray, 13-15]. The Enlightenments attachment to the idea of progressive development of societies lead to the ideas of future utopia final, goal stage of social evolution. It was a very optimistic concept of history, leading from dark, oppressive periods in the past, through ambiguous and chaotic modernity, to some enlighten, better, just future. Such utopian vision was described by Condorcet, for whom future society would prevail tyranny by changing tradition and superstition into reason [Ray, 15]. Delany wrote of the Enlightenment as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦characterized by a certain utopianism, which was a reflection of the belief in the promises of modernity to bring about freedom. Unlike earlier social thought, it displayed a great belief in the power of human action to shape the future [Delany, Blackwell, 23]. The same was true for Marx, who saw communism as the perfect and most of all just social system. For Marx the end stage of human history communism represented the most desired and final phase of human development. As Sideman wrote: Marx never gave up his Enlightenment faith in the coming of a new era [Sideman, 1998, 36]. But contrary to the Enlightenment philosophers, for Marx the utopia was not to be obtained through evolution and development of reason, but through revolution of working class. The idea of revolution was not present in eighteen century before the experience of French revolution. Though it is sad that the Enlightenment prepared the ground for the revolt in France, works of eighteen century thinkers did not appeal to force or violent change. Marx shared the romantic vision of with socialist thinkers and activists supporting French strife. Moreover, unlike his eighteen century ancestors, Marx sought emancipation in proletariat the working class of modernity. The Enlightenment was an age of intellectuals, giving special role to philosophers in the process of development of society [Szacki]. In eighteen century thought reason had the emancipatory force. Marx violent vision of revolution did not reserved place for intellectuals, though Marx was one of them. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Ideologies and religion The end of the Middle Ages ended the era of gods laws and theological explanation of social order. The Enlightenment separated religion form politics. Eighteen century brought to life the concept of public private spheres. Religion became private matter of citizens. Gods rights no longer decided on political questions and social relations. Secular society was based on secular rules. The Enlightenment believed in reason and science, and through them sought emancipation from religion and superstition. Social change required that cultural traditions be weakened to allow for new ideas and attitudes favoring social progress [Seidman, 1998, 34]. Religion and tradition constrained social change and overruled the utopian vision of future. It does not mean that the Enlightenment was a truly secular area. Rejection of religion covered only public, political sphere. None of the great philosophers of the period Becon, Diderot, Locke postulated atheism [Ray, 13]. The issue was to separate reli gion from science, theology from logical reasoning. Religion intruded cognition, so had to be abandoned in the sphere of knowledge. Marx also shared with the Enlightenment the concept of secular society. Though he brought the idea of secularization further. For Marx every ideology and meta-narration of society in every stage of its development was a product of current economic relations, so was the religion. Religion, internalized rules, regulations and prohibitions, served justification of the conditions of production and hence the justification of exploitation. In this sense religion was a mechanism of oppression. That is why, according to Marx, emancipation not only required rejection of theological order of the world, but also complete rejection of religion. Once again this emancipation required revolution dramatic and sudden change of economic conditions that would change social relations, including execution of religion. In this sense religion was not a private issue, but a political one, that justified bourgeois order. As in the eighteen century religion obstructed change this time, though, it was not s uppose to be withdraw from public life, but destroyed absolutely. Revolution guaranteed changing social order not only in the sphere of production, but also in the sphere of religion. The role of science The Enlightenment was the era of development of sciences. A great expand of sciences such as mathematics, medicine, natural sciences changed the view of modern philosophers on the world and human kind. Science revealed mystery of existence and the order of nature. That is why science become one of the ways to obtain individual freedom. Science lead to discovery of logical, rational order of human and societal relations. For Marx science also had an important role in revealing the rules of organization of society. Marx knew that in order to change, it is necessary to understand the social forces institutions, cultural traditions, social groups [Seidman, 1998, 34]. In Marx theory science held the explanatory role by revealing the real nature of social order, gives information about social classes, modes of production and rules of historical development. According to Marx, science should be based on rational assumptions, logical laws, it should reject common sense and superstitions. Economic perspective Though Marx theory shares materialistic perspective, he was not the one to introduce economic interpretation of social life. Adam Smith, Adam Ferguson and others eighteen century thinkers saw the leading role of economy in social life. Those early economists wrote about dehumanization of work and disintegration of society through modern specialization of production and technical development of the production process [Ray, 15]. Capitalist revolution of eighteen century brought new phenomena that were not overlooked by present-day thinkers. Negative effects of industrialization, demographic explosion and urbanization were thoroughly discussed by that time. As we can see, the importance of material conditions for human individual and collective life was not the Marx invention, though he also observed that technology destroys social relations. Innovations, machines and devices used in the process of production serve the dominant class for exploitation of workers [Ray, 65]. Nevertheless, with his materialistic view on society, Marx went further, with the idea that: the reproduction of material life precedes the production of culture [Seidman, 1998, 37]. For Marx material conditions of existence were the basis for all other characteristics of life. According to Marx, living conditions determine social structure, policies, rules and morality. Marx showed that certain social conditions shape certain forms of consciousness. That was a great contribution of Marx thought to social sciences. Since Marx, social scientists began research on the role of material conditions on human thoughts, believes and attitudes, giving a start to many discipline s of social sciences, as sociology of thought, sociology of knowledge or sociology of religion [Szacki, 231]. Moreover, since Marx, social scientists consider development process and ownership relations of societies as the most important criteria of social studies analysis. The concept of state Enlightenment to find such origins of social order not to limit freedom. How to reconcile freedom and social order. Enlightenment the idea of individual in society free form state, church and other collective forms of organizations. Civil society idea freedom through civil rights. In search of order based on rational assumptions. The role of philosopher as a leading role in creating social order, morality. Intelectuals [Szacki, 84, Ray, Enlightenment, 11]. All stages of development according to Marx were different social formations. Those formations were direct creations of economic relations within society. The most thorough fully described formation was bourgeois one. It was contemporary, most developed and differentiated mode of production. Capitalism stage of development was characterized by binary class structure, where one class was the group of society that sold their work and did not own other means of productions the workers, while the other was the group of owners of means of production that benefited from workers work the capitalists. Individualism and collective action In earlier philosophy status of human being in society was constant and determined not by human himself but by external forces the world order, gods will, some kind of justice and internal sense of social existence. Enlightenment and especially the French revolution, brought the idea of civil society and civil rights [Szacki, 85]. The Enlightenment claimed that all human beings share some common characteristics that are independent of external, historical or natural conditions. It was a kind of individualism, that claimed that human nature in general have some common characteristics inherited form the state of nature. That is what makes society egalitarian differences between human status in society are merely secondary. In this sense that all (male) human beings are equal and share the same civic rights. Emancipation in this context was a political emancipation of citizens form feudal, traditional relations. Marx connected human position in social structure with material conditions and idea of work and ownership. For him the idea of society was not based on the idea of civil rights but on the idea of economic relations between different social groups classes. It was dichotomous vision of society made of workers and capitalists the owners of means of production. Emancipation was possible not on the basis of civil rights but on the basis of changing economic relations. This was a revolutionary perspective leading to turnover of social order. Unlike the Enlightenment, Marx did not perceived emancipation and concept of freedom in individual actions. He clearly rejected individualism both in terms of individual social actions and as the method of inference about human conditions. Marx claimed that every individual is rooted in his collective history and society, and his consciousness, as well as beliefs, goals and needs are shaped through that heritage. That is why not only analysis of hum an conditions, but also the projected change of social relations, has to take into consideration collective baggage and collective effort. That is why Marx shared the belief that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦individuals do not act on ideas primarily because they are true of have been proven correct, but on the basis of their self-interest. Ideas may shape our actions, but our social interests determine which ideas we adopt. CLASS AND DIVISION OF SOCIETY Critical theory Marx is perceived as the father of critical theory. As Bryan wrote it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦classical sociology is a critical discipline, because it represents typically an attack on the taken-for-granted assumptions of bourgeois, utilitarian liberalism. This critical tradition is conventionally associated with Marxism [Bryan s. Turner, Blackwell, 9]. But one cannot negate that critical attitude was characteristic for the Enlightenment thought. XVIII century philosophers questioned traditions, religions, authorities, beliefs, metaphysics and everything else that was not perceived rational. Marx theory gave basis for future revolutions, but it was the Enlightenment thought that was a mother of French Revolution. In this sense the Enlightenment theories were the first revolutionary theories, revolutionary through their critique, doubt and rejection. Marx only developed further this critical perspective, but he was not the first one to neglect contemporary, well established order. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦our social interests are determined by our social position, in particular our class status [Seidman, 1998, 34] Marx and Engels aimed to shift the focus of social criticism from the analysis of consciousness and the evolution of ideas to that of the development of social institutions and conflicts [Seidman, 1998, 37] Historical materialism class dynamics shape the organization of socioeconomic systems which in turn, determine the structure and direction of the whole society [S, 38] Class theory of society, class struggle Power comes from the ownership of means of production social theory becomes the critique of political economy, [Delany, Blackwell, 25] New constructs: commodification, class-struggle, profit, surplus value Marxs social theory was a critical one. Critique does not try to explain or simply interpret society for its own sake, but is inherently critical of the prevailing social order and seeks to reveal the system of domination. [Delany, Blackwell, 25] Karl Marx, effectively replaced philosophical analysis with an advanced social theory of modern society. [Delany, Blackwell, 23] Conclusions Reason vs. modes of production Reason vs. false consciousness Reason vs. ownership

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Blood is on Our Hands Essay -- Essays Papers

The Blood is on Our Hands The two main tribes that occupy the vast land of Rwanda, Africa are the Tutsi and Hutu tribes. According to David Rieff, author of Rwanda and Genocide in the Twentieth Century, Rwanda gained its independence from France a little over forty years ago and the territory has been involved in or been on the verge of a civil war between the two tribes ever since. During most of the colonial period the Tutsis had control because of the influence of the Banzugu, the white French man. The Banzugu only occupied about one percent of the population but they obtained most of the material wealth within Rwanda. The Banzugu separated the Hutus from the Tutsis socially based on there physical features. The Tutsis were thought to be the superior tribe because of their non-African appearance, pale skin and their aquiline noses. Since the beginning of their tribal existence the two tribes have lived next to one another, believed in the same religion and spoke the same language. After Rwanda gain ed its independence from France the Tutsis held the majority of the power and authority. The Tutsis only held the control for a short period of time before the Hutus took control. When the Hutus took control many Tutsis fled Rwanda in fear of their lives or stayed and were murdered (1-2). This was just a preview of the rage to come in April of 1994. About nine months before the massacre broke out the governments involved in the peacekeeping agreement signed what was called the Arusha Accords. This treaty was to be an international agreement to help control the constant battling between the Hutus and the Tutsis. On August 4, 1993 only five short days before the funding to the Rwandan government was revoked, Presi... ...f 1994 in Rwanda in the amount of time it would have taken you to read this paper over fifty-five innocent people would have been put to death! Works Cited Burkhalter, Holly J. â€Å"The Question of Genocide: The Clinton Administration and Rwanda.† World Policy Journal 11.4 (1994): 44-55. Byrne, Louise. â€Å"Doctors Battle to Contain Cholera in Rwandan Camps.† British Medical Journal 309 (1994): 289 Des Forges, Alison, et al. Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda. New York: International, 1999. Gourevitch, Philip. We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda. New York: Farrar, 1998. Ignatieff, Michael. â€Å"The Next President’s Duty to Intervene.† New York Times 13 Feb. 2000, late ed., sec. 4: 17. Rieff, David. â€Å"Rwanda and Genocide in the Twentieth Century.† The New Republic 214 (1996): 27-37.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Chapter 2 Exercises & Case Exercises Essay

1. Consider the statement: an individual threat agent, like a hacker, can be a factor in more than one threat category. If a hacker hacks into a network, copies a few files, defaces the Web page, and steals credit card numbers, how many different threat categories does this attack fall into? a. Overall, I believe this attack falls into four major threat categories: deliberate acts of trespass, compromises to intellectual property, technical failures, and managerial failure. Furthermore, I believe this attack would be categorized as a deliberate act of theft/trespass which compromises intellectual property due to technical and managerial failures. b. It seems as this hacker was deliberately causing harm (i.e. copying files, vandalizing the web page, and theft of credit card numbers); due to their method of entry – hacking into a network – it leaves me to believe there were some technical failures, such as software vulnerabilities or a trap door. However, that is just one possibility as to what could have occurred. This could have also been a managerial failure; say the unknown hacker used social engineering to obtain the information to gain access to the network – proper planning and procedure execution could have potentially thwarted this hacker†™s attack. 2. Using the Web, research Mafiaboy’s exploits. When and how did he compromise sites? How was he caught? c. Michael Demon Calce, also known as Mafiaboy, was a high school student from West Island, Quebec, who launched a series of highly publicized DDoS (denial-of-service) attacks in February 2000 against large commercial websites including: Yahoo!, Fifa.com, Amazon.com, Dell, Inc., E*Trade, eBay, and CNN. Calce also attempted to launch a series of simultaneous attacks against nine of the thirteen root name servers. d. On February 7th, 2000, Calce targeted Yahoo! With a project he named â€Å"Rivolta† – meaning riot in Italian. This project utilized a denial of service cyber-attack in which servers become overloaded with different types of communications, to the point in which they completely shut down. Calce managed to shut down the multibillion dollar company and the web’s top search engine for almost an hour. His goal was to establish dominance for himself and TNT – his cybergroup. Over the next week, Calce also brought down eBay, CNN, Amazon and Dell via the same DDoS attack. e. Calce’s actions were under suspicion when the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police noticed posts in an IRC chatroom which bragged/claimed responsibility for the attacks. He became the chief suspect when he claimed to have brought down Dell’s website, an attack not yet publicized at the time. Information on the source of the attacks was initially discovered and reported to the press by Michael Lyle, chief technology officer of Recourse Technologies. Calce initially denied responsibility but later pled guilty to most of the charges brought against him – the Montreal Youth Court sentenced him on September 12, 2001 to eight months of â€Å"open custody,† one year of probation, restricted use of the Internet, and a small fine. It is estimated that these attacks caused $1.2 billion dollars in global economic damages. 3. Search the Web for the â€Å"The Official Phreaker’s Manual.† What information contained in this manual might help a security administrator to protect a communications system? f. A security administrator is a specialist in computer and network security, including the administration of security devices such as firewalls, as well as consulting on general security measures. g. Phreaking is a slang term coined to describe the activity of a culture of people who study, experiment with, or explore telecommunication systems, such as equipment and systems connected to public telephone networks. Since telephone networks have become computerized, phreaking has become closely linked with computer hacking. i. Example of Phreaking: Using various audio frequencies to manipulate a phone system. h. Overall, a security administrator could use this manual to gain knowledge of terms associated with phreaking and the in’s & outs of the process (i.e. how it is executed). However, the security administrator should focus on Chapter 10 – â€Å"War on Phreaking† – this section (pg 71-73) deals with concepts such as access, â€Å"doom,† tracing, and security. An administrator could reverse engineer this information to protect his/her systems from such attacks. 4. The chapter discussed many threats and vulnerabilities to information security. Using the Web, find at least two other sources of information on threat and vulnerabilities. Begin with www.securityfocus.com and use a keyword search on â€Å"threats.† i. http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerability-threats ii. Dark Reading’s Vulnerabilities and Threats Tech Center is your resource for breaking news and information on the latest potential threats and technical vulnerabilities affecting today’s IT environment. Written for security and IT professionals, the Vulnerabilities and Threats Tech Center is designed to provide in-depth information on newly-discovered network and application vulnerabilities, potential cybersecurity exploits, and security research results j. http://www.symantec.com/security_response/ iii. Our security research centers around the world provide unparalleled analysis of and protection from IT security threats that include malware, security risks, vulnerabilities, and spam. 5. Using the categories of threats mentioned in this chapter, as well as the various attacks described, review several current media sources and identify examples of each. k. Acts of human error or failure: iv. Students and staff were told in February that some 350,000 of them could have had their social security numbers and financial information exposed on the internet. v. â€Å"It happened during an upgrade of some of our IT systems. We were upgrading a server and through human error there was a misconfiguration in the setting up of that server,† said UNCC spokesman, Stephen Ward. l. Compromises to intellectual property: vi. Today we bring news of action against a site that supplied links to films, music and games hosted on file-hosters all around the world. Authorities say they have charged three individuals said to be the administrators of a very large file-sharing site. vii. To get an idea of the gravity local police are putting on the case, we can compare some recent stats. According to US authorities Megaupload, one of the world’s largest websites at the time, cost rightsholders $500m. GreekDDL (according to Alexa Greece’s 63rd largest site) allegedly cost rightsholders $85.4m. m. Deliberate acts of espionage or trespass: viii. The individual responsible for one of the most significant leaks in US political history is Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. Snowden has been working at the National Security Agency for the last four years as an employee of various outside contractors, including Booz Allen and Dell. ix. Snowden will go down in history as one of America’s most consequential whistleblowers, alongside Daniel Ellsberg and Bradley Manning. He is responsible for handing over material from one of the world’s most secretive organization – the NSA. x. Additional, interesting, read: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57600000/edward-snowdens-digital-maneuvers-still-stumping-u.s-government/ 1. The government’s forensic investigation is wrestling with Snowden’s apparent ability to defeat safeguards established to monitor and deter people looking at information without proper permission. n. Deliberate acts of information extortion: xi. Hackers claimed to have breached the systems of the Belgian credit provider Elantis and threatened to publish confidential customer information if the bank does not pay $197,000 before Friday, they said in a statement posted to Pastebin. Elantis confirmed the data breach Thursday, but the bank said it will not give in to extortion threats. xii. The hackers claim to have captured login credentials and tables with online loan applications which hold data such as full names, job descriptions, contact information, ID card numbers and income figures. xiii. According to the hackers the data was stored unprotected and unencrypted on the servers. To prove the hack, parts of what they claimed to be captured customer data were published. o. Deliberate acts of sabotage or vandalism: xiv. Fired Contractor Kisses Off Fannie Mae With Logic Bomb xv. Rajendrasinh Babubha Makwana, a former IT contractor at Fannie Mae who was fired for making a coding mistake, was charged this week with placing a â€Å"logic bomb† within the company’s Urbana, Md., data center in late October of last year. The malware was set to go into effect at 9 a.m. EST Saturday and would have disabled internal monitoring systems as it did its damage. Anyone logging on to Fannie Mae’s Unix server network after that would have seen the words â€Å"Server Graveyard† appear on their workstation screens. p. Deliberate acts of theft: xvi. Four Russian nationals and a Ukrainian have been charged with running a sophisticated hacking organization that penetrated computer networks of more than a dozen major American and international corporations over seven years, stealing and selling at least 160 million credit and debit card numbers, resulting in losses of hundreds of millions of dollars. q. Deliberate software attacks: xvii. China Mafia-Style Hack Attack Drives California Firm to Brink xviii. A group of hackers from China waged a relentless campaign of cyber harassment against Solid Oak Software Inc., Milburn’s family-owned, eight-person firm in Santa Barbara, California. The attack began less than two weeks after Milburn publicly accused China of appropriating his company’s parental filtering software, CYBERsitter, for a national Internet censoring project. And it ended shortly after he settled a $2.2 billion lawsuit against the Chinese government and a string of computer companies last April. xix. In between, the hackers assailed Solid Oak’s computer systems, shutting down web and e-mail servers, spying on an employee with her webcam, and gaining access to sensitive files in a battle that caused company revenues to tumble and brought it within a hair’s breadth of collapse. r. Forces of nature: xx. Websites Scramble As Hurricane Sandy Floods Data Centers xxi. The freak storm flooded data centers in New York City, taking down several major websites and services — including The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed and Gawker — that depended on them to run their businesses. xxii. Several websites stored their data at a lower Manhattan data center run by Datagram, whose basement was inundated with water during the storm, flooding generators that were intended to keep the power on. s. Deviations in quality of service from service providers: xxiii. China’s Internet hit by biggest cyberattack in its history xxiv. Internet users in China were met with sluggish response times early Sunday as the country’s domain extension came under a â€Å"denial of service† attack. xxv. The attack was the largest of its kind ever in China, according to the China Internet Network Information Center, a state agency that manages the .cn country domain. xxvi. The double-barreled attacks took place at around 2 a.m. Sunday, and then again at 4 a.m. The second attack was â€Å"long-lasting and large-scale,† according to state media, which said that service was slowly being restored. t. Technical hardware failures or errors: xxvii. A hardware failure in a Scottish RBS Group technology center caused a NatWest bank outage. xxviii. It prevented customers from using online banking services or doing debit card transactions. u. Technical software failure or errors: xxix. RBS boss blames software upgrade for account problems xxx. The boss of RBS has confirmed that a software change was responsible for the widespread computer problems affecting millions of customers’ bank accounts. v. Technological obsolescence: xxxi. SIM Cards Have Finally Been Hacked, And The Flaw Could Affect Millions Of Phones xxxii. After three years of research, German cryptographer Karsten Nohl claims to have finally found encryption and software flaws that could affect millions of SIM cards, and open up another route on mobile phones for surveillance and fraud. Case Exercises Soon after the board of directors meeting, Charlie was promoted to Chief Information Security Officer, a new position that reports to the CIO, Gladys Williams, and that was created to provide leadership for SLS’s efforts to improve its security profile. Questions: 1. How do Fred, Gladys, and Charlie perceive the scope and scale of the new information security effort? a. Charlie’s proposed information security plan aims at securing business software, data, the networks, and computers which store information. The scope of the information security effort is quite vast, aiming at securing each vulnerability – in addition to the aforementioned, the new information security plan also focuses on the company’s staff. Since extra effort will be required to implement the new managerial plan and install new security software and tools, the scale of this operation is quite large. 2. How will Fred measure success when he evaluates Gladys’ performance for this project? How will he evaluate Charlie’s performance? b. Gladys is appointed as CIO of the team, which is gathered to improve the security of the company due to virus attack that caused a loss in the company; I believe Fred will measure Gladys success by her ability t o lead, keep the plan on track (i.e. time management) and successfully sticking to the proposed budget. Charlie was promoted to chief information security officer, a new position that reports to the CIO; I believe Fred will measure Charlie’s success by his ability to implement the new plan, report his/their progress and the overall success of the new system. 3. Which of the threats discussed in this chapter should receive Charlie’s attention early in his planning process? c. Portable Media Management (Ex. USB, DVD-R/W) should receive Charlie’s attention early in his planning process

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

My Diary Essays - 9, The Complete Hank Williams, Free Essays

My Diary Essays - 9, The Complete Hank Williams, Free Essays My Diary October 06. 1999 Dear Diary, What an excellent way to start off mt 13th birthday, my dog got ran over by a car! To make it better it was my own mother that did it. He was my only true friend, the only one that I really loved and cared for, and now he is dead. I hate my over-weight, hard-ball of a mother! It was her fault, all her fault! I don't blame her for not letting me have any friends over, she to ashamed of herself! And, I hate to say this but I am ashamed of her to. If people really knew what she was like, they would be ashamed too. She knew the only real friend I ever had was my cute little dog Marshall, and then she turns around and killed him! I HATE HER! I HATE HER!!! How could she be so careless, how could have she not seen him, he isn't that small. I don't know what I'm going to do without Marshall. How will I ever get along. I'll certainly miss waking up every morning, and seeing him standing on his hind legs at the foot of my bed, with his front paws braced against the side, starring at me with his big brown eyes. I can remember that his stubby tail would thump back and forth, and he lean his head over and lick my face and neck, with his warm rough thong. Boy did I love that dog, I'm going to miss him so much. I'll never find a friend quite like him, he is irreplaceable. Marshall didn't care about the way that I looked, whether or not I was smart or stupid, or even about the guys that I messed around with,( which is why my ape of a father resents me.) He never once put me down like everyone else. He loved me, and now he's gone, and it's all because of my mother!! I'm going to miss Marshall, but I know that I will never see him again, thanks to my selfish mother who let him run free while I was at school. She knew how much he loved to chase car. He always did do it, ever since he was a little puppy. But of course she didn't care. I'm never going to forgive her for this, NEVER!! Chrissie October 08th 1999 Dear Diary, I no longer care what I do, my own father calls me a sl**, so why shouldn't I live up to his accusations Just last night, I went out and did exactly what he expected me to do. I'm sick of him calling me a sl**, and everything else in the book, when I hardly even does anything. I hope that he's happy now, that I gotten into drugs and I'm trying to drown out my problems in booze, that should make him really proud. Oh, sometimes I wish that I was dead, so all my problems go away, and I could be myself and next get lectured on it. It not like anyone would care anyway.. Mom is too absorbed in her own selfishness, and Dad, he's just off in his own little world. The both of them don't even know that I'm alive, except when it come time to bi*** at me for something that I did. Nobody cares for me except for a few idiots that only want one thing sex! Sometimes I even wonder, why should I even care. It's not like I'm going to be anything when I grows up. My school grades are falling and I'm almost positive that I will have to take the grade 7 over again. That's going to be fun, that will make Dad even more happy with his little girl. I just don't know what to do! Nobody cares about me so why should I!! Chrissie October 10th 1999 Dear Diary, My house has turned into a was zone!! Ever since my 13th birthday, nothing has been the same. Whenever I return home from somewhere, Mom barricades herself in her bed room, and Dad prepares an attack. We never avoid each other's territory, because that would mean victory for te other. Our regular routine is tossing a few verbal bombs at each

Monday, October 21, 2019

Campaign Funding essays

Campaign Funding essays What We Dont Know About Campaign Finance Does Hurt Us. No matter what your social issue, if you want to solve it get the money out of politics. Only then will lawmakers vote for their people rather than their pocketbooks. Jack E. Lohman. Money corrupts politics, and when contributions are being made to candidates it is not in the best interest of the American people. Campaign Finance is out of control in todays political races. Candidates are taking money from wherever and whoever they can get it. Soft money is flowing through elections without care or caution. People who make these contributions do not share the views of the average citizen, so politicians end up representing the wrong people. Money decides races, sometimes leaving the better man but lighter spender out of a position. Candidates make decisions based on what will help them financially that what is better for the people. Contributions by industry are made not in the interest of the people, sometimes hurting them in ways they dont even know. No matter what th e opposition may say campaign finance reform is needed urgently to keep our democracy as our founders intended it. People and corporations that make the largest donations to campaigns do not share views with the general population. Politicians will listen to those who give them money so that they can depend on that money being there again when it is time for reelection. Yet individual donors making a $200 dollar or more contribution make up only .33% of the population. This extremely small percentage of mostly wealthy individuals gain the power to influence politicians to their liking. The idea that these people should have power to affect government more than those with less money goes against the concept of equality for all, which is what made this country great. People who make large donations do not share the same views on most issues as the general population...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Global poverty and education

Global poverty and education In recent years, the transnational agencies launched a number of initiatives aimed at reducing worldwide poverty and improving international security. Criticizing the modernism and development theories which were used previously, the scholars made attempts to explain the major causes underlying the failure of the development efforts of the previous half a century.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Global poverty and education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Refocusing on education development as the dominant discourse helpful for achieving the rest of the development goals is one of the most decisions made by the transnational agencies recently. This paper will discuss the criticisms of the development theories, the historical context of development efforts, the role of international and non-governmental organizations in multilateral education and solutions offered by contemporary scholars to enhance the effectiveness of the launched programs. Current sociocultural perversion marginalizing the poor In modern world, all governments make efforts to not only protect their citizens, but also to ensure their access to the basic services, including those of safe drinking water, health care delivery and education. Regardless of the fact that a wide range of domestic state institutions, international agencies and non-governmental organizations launch projects to benefit the poor, the poor perceive formal services as inaccessible and ineffective. The politics of representation of the Third World has had a significant impact upon the development discourse and formation of culture and subjectivities in developing countries. Escobar (1995, p. 215) noted that the very existence and status of the Third World is currently negotiated. The term of the Third World was created as an opposite of the First World denoting the countries which consider them as developed. The term has a negative connotation and remains an important construct used by those in power. Notwithstanding the chosen definition of modernity, the Third World should not be perceived as a uniform entity, but rather as a fragmented and polarized combination of diverse regions.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since the 1980s, resistance to development expressed by the grassroots movements was one of the strategies through which the Third World made attempts to construct their unique identities. This struggle against the intervention of international organization aimed at modernization and globalization into the domestic affairs of the Third World was fundamentally cultural (Escobar, 1995, p. 216). Another approach used for negotiating the development of the Third World was a concept of hybridization of local cultures and modernity to receive a new entity. However, this biological interpretation cannot be applied t o discussion of hybrid cultures as a combination of long-standing cultural practices and an incoming element of modernity integrated into the local cultures by transnational forces. With the advent of cyberculture and the global economic restructuring, the technologic gap between rich and poor countries has been dramatically increased. Consequently, rejecting to use some of the innovative technologies, countries of the Third World undergo the risks of becoming irrelevant to the world economy. Even though certain regions are involved into the processes of global economic integration, they remain marginalized from it benefits. As a consequence of the current state of affairs, this phenomenon is referred to as sociocultural perversion. The solution offered by Escobar (1995, p. 222) is a social reform for the Third World regions to reach the goals of technological modernization and competitive participation in the world economy with a special emphasis put upon the educational policies i n these countries. Historical context and trends in multilateralism and education The development theories have a significant impact upon the strategies implemented by transnational agencies and non-governmental organizations in relation to education policies for the developing countries. The combination of state-centric, transnationalist and structuralist theories clearly demonstrates the variety of theoretical approaches to be considered to understand multilateral cooperation and the controversy over the objectives, processes and outcomes of education.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Global poverty and education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The policy setting in UN education is a rather controversial and complicated process. According to Jones (2005, p. 23), the UN education process lacks harmony and consistency because of the multitude and diversity of educational issues around the world. Historically, educat ion concerns were included into the UN charter during a conference in San-Francisco in April – June 1945. The lobbyist delegations from developing countries and the US-based groups were pressing for the education case which was expected to contribute to international peace and security. Whereas the process of integrating the education concerns into the UN charter was rather smooth, the question of whether to establish a specialized agency focusing on education remained doubtful. In the year 1948, education was included into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a part of the UN program aimed at promoting peace and interdependence between the states on the global level. The entry of education as a multilateral concern into the programming of transnational agencies resulted in economic justification of education and consideration of the correlation between poverty of certain regions and the quality and accessibility of education programs there. Political multilateralism and economic multilateralism are the two major lines of thinking which had a significant impact upon the UN education programming. The goals of the global economic integration and governance were central to the multilateralism pathways chosen by the UN for promoting peace and security in the world. The links between material progress, security and modernization strategies have become explicit. Jones (2005, p. 31) stated that the circumstances on the international arena were favorable for this way of thinking. Since the mid 1980s, neo-liberalism theories influenced educational theories and became major concerns in educational policies and practices. Discussing the issues of the complexity and diversity of educational system, Jones (2005, p. 42) used the term of structured anarchy to emphasize the collaboration and competition among the variety of the UN education agencies.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main principles which were prevalent in the organization of the UN education since the year 1945 when education concerns were included into the UN chart included globalization, security and multilateralism. The complex interplay of these principles was responsible for the education for all movement. The international organizations in construction of multilateral education Within the recent decades, the multilateral agencies, including those of the World Bank, UNICEF, UNESCO and UNDP, have been playing an important role in structuring the world education agenda. These agencies played a dominant role in formulating the International Development Targets (IDTs) and following Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which became the basis for the education policymaking. According to Rutkowski (2007, p. 244), the main reason for which the international organizations had impact upon the education agenda on local, national and global levels was softness of the implemented strategies. At the World Conference on Education for All which took place in 1990 in Jomtien (Thailand) invited 155 national delegations from different countries a framework on providing access to basic education for citizens of all countries was shaped. According to King (2007, p. 379), the themes raised during that World Conference focused mainly on basic education associated with primary schooling. Moreover, regardless of the precise goals and time-bound target, the Jomtien Declaration and Framework were not prescriptive and were not shared by all countries. Ten years later after the World Conference in Jomtien, in the year 200, the World Forum on Education for All was held in Dakar. By this moment, it became clear that the target of achieving the universal primary education as it was outlined by Jomtien Framework within ten years was unrealistic. Six Dakar Targets were formulated at this Forum for expanding and improving access to primary education for children belonging to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged categories and ensuring gender equality in education. Just a few months after Dakar Forum, eight Millennium Development Goals were formulated at the global summit in New York. According to King (2005, p. 386), the peculiar feature of the Millennium Declaration was formulation of strict timelines for the targets related to the south and the absence of any time limitations in resolutions related to the north. The Millennium Declaration did not pay proper attention to the financial basis necessary for the realization of the offered targets. With its financing impact and the political force, the World Bank can be regarded as one of the strongest players in the sphere of multilateral education. Regardless of the fact that the World Bank as a UN specialized agency is better understood as a financial institution dedicated to borrowing and lending money, its political influence on the development strategies is obvious. Regardless of the fact that education is only a minor con cern of the World Bank and the annual reimbursements dedicated to this area do not exceed 10 per cent of the overall expenses, it addresses a wide range of education issues and is prominent in multilateral education. A significant contribution made by the World Bank to the global education agenda was the resurrection of interest in higher education which can be seen from the joint initiative of the bank and UNESCO, referred to as the task force on higher education and society (TFHES) (Jones, 2005, p. 135). Notwithstanding the significance of the World Bank and other international agencies, these were only a few players affecting the multilateral education agenda. The role of non-governmental organizations in realization of development projects The Western definition of modernity, according to which certain societies are recognized as more modern and developed than others and obtaining resources and knowledge to assist other les developed nations in achieving modernity, has criticize d as Western universalism. Elu and Banya (1999, p. 183) stated that this definition was used by the north or the so-called First World for inclusion of the southern societies into the north-dominated world. In the context of post-modern critiques, the diversity and complexity of the global development activities has increased resulting in proliferation of external and internal non-governmental organizations. As it has been mentioned earlier, regardless of all the efforts to reach the most disadvantaged groups of population, the formal services are still perceived as inaccessible by the poor (Narayan, 2000, p. 120). It is one of the reasons for which a growing number of aid agencies were turned into non-governmental organizations which can be more effective for launching the development projects and leading the resources to the poor. The other reasons for these changes are the growing interest among agencies in strengthening the developmental roles of institutions outside the public sector and the demonstrated potential of non-governmental organizations to reach the poor more effectively than the public agencies do. Therefore, the popularity of the non-governmental organizations as cost-effective alternatives to public development resources has grown. Elu and Banya (1999, p. 187) stated that Northern non-governmental organizations were frequently used for transferring the cultural awareness, values and patterns from the countries providing technical and financial assistance to the developing countries as recipients of this aid. Applying this perspective to the estimation of the role of non-governmental organizations, it can be stated that these establishments are frequently perceived as products of governments using them as temporary mediators for achieving specific political goals and expanding their influence. However, as it can be seen from example of African voluntary development organizations, southern countries do not remain passive recipients of the aid provided by northern states, but create their local non-governmental organizations as a response to the African needs. Then, the question of theoretical and practical relationships between external donors and the locally-based organizations is posed. According to Elu and Banya (1999, p. 190) a partnership between the northern and southern non-governmental organizations would be the most appropriate approach to enhancing the effectiveness of initiatives launched by both parties. Regardless of the obvious benefits of potential collaboration, the partnership between the rich north and impoverished locally-based organizations is associated with a number of dilemmas. Because of the inequality of resources, expectations and motivations of the actors, the effective partnership between the north and south non-governmental organizations is not achieved even though in theory the organizations agree that mutual relationship would be advantageous for them. Effective solutions for the education agenda The ineffectiveness of the initiatives launched by multilateral organizations can be explained with the lack of attention paid to the specifics of the education sectors in developing countries. A detailed education sector analysis can be an effective tool for empowering reform and development through the vast majority of studies did not address the issues of the sector structure in the context of the aid relationship. The need to simultaneously address multiple high priority goals, including those of improved healthcare and education appeared to be an unresolvable tension for Africa and other developing countries. Insufficient analysis of the specifics of situation in different countries significantly reduces the effectiveness of the programmes and initiatives. According to Samoff (1999, p. 270), the main conclusion made by studies addressing the problems of education in postcolonial Africa is that the educational system is in crisis without specification of the underlying pr ocesses and the most influential factors affecting it. The limited national control over the education sector analysis and insufficient sense of national ownership reduce the credibility and opportunities for the practical application of existing studies. The implementation of development strategies in specific locations can have a number of unexpected and even paradoxical consequences. For example, according to Pigg (1997, p. 259), the development implementation in Nepal was rather complex and had a number of local quirks. Thus, the highly trained Nepalese health care practitioners were unwilling to work in the countryside, whereas by providing training to the village practitioners, the development strategy increased their ambitions and enabled them to move to the urban areas. These unexpected consequences were not predicted before the launch of the initiative and prove the importance of conducting a thorough research of the local setting before the development implementation. Simi lar concerns were raised by Demerath (2003, p. 137) who pointed out at the shifts in the social attachments and ideologies of individuals after their enrollment into the training programs which are a part of development initiatives. In other words, a careful sector analysis can be an effective tool for enhancing the effectiveness of the education agendas and other development programs. Analyzing the main reasons for the failure of the global development efforts over the decades, it can be stated that the enhanced partnership between a wide array of aid organizations and a more serious consideration of the peculiar features of certain settings is important for eliminating the deficits in the programs and enhancing the effectiveness of initiatives. Coxon and Munce (2008, p. 148) stated that external aid donating organizations can threaten the local ideas of what education programs should be. For this reason, indicating global patterns of power and influence, policy makers should consi der the specifics of local cultures and pay more attention to the opportunities of enhanced partnership among the different aid donating organizations. Conclusion Analyzing the criticisms of the main development theories and initiatives, it can be stated that the lack of attention to the specifics of the situation in developing countries and lack of partnership between different agencies are among the main underlying causes of the failure of the development efforts of the previous decades. Therefore, the emphasis on education-development relationship, education sector analysis and enhanced partnership between different agencies are important for improving access to education, reducing the world poverty and enhancing international security. References Coxon, E. and Munce, K. (2008) The global education agenda and the delivery of aid to Pacific education. Comparative Education, 44(2), pp. 147 – 165. Demerath, P. (2003) Negotiating individualist and collectivist futures: Emergin g subjectivities and social forms in Papua New Guinea high schools. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 34 (2), pp. 136 – 157. Elu, J. and Banya K. (1999) Non-governmental organizations as partners in Africa: A cultural analysis of North-South relations. In K. King and L. Buchert (eds) Changing international aid to education: Global patterns and national contexts. Paris: UNESCO Publishing, pp. 182 – 206. Escobar, A. (1995) Conclusion: Imagining a postdevelopment era. In A. Excobar Encountering development. The making and unmaking of the third world. Princeton: Princeton University Press, pp. 212 – 247. Jones, P.W. (2005) Education, multilateralism and the UN. In P.W. Jones The United Nations and education. Multilateralism, development and globalization. London and New York: Routledge Falmer, pp. 94 – 136. King, K. (2007) Multilateral agencies in the construction of the global agenda on education. Comparative Education, 43 (3), pp. 377 – 391. Nara yan, D. (2000) Can anyone hear us? Voices of the poor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 3-126. Pigg, S.L. (1997) Found in most traditional societies: Traditional medical practitioners between culture and development. In F. Cooper and R. Packard (eds) International development and the social sciences. Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 259 – 290. Rutkowski, D. (2007) Converging us softly: How intergovernmental organizations promote neoliberal educational policy. Critical Studies in Education, 48 (2), pp. 229 – 247. Samoff, J. (1999) Education sector analysis in Africa: Limited national control and even less national ownership. International Journal of Educational Development, 19, pp. 249 – 272.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

International financil markts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

International financil markts - Essay Example Many of the investment management theories were found worthless in an investment climate which is characterized by innumerable number of investment opportunities with differing categories of risk. This has led the investors to think about collective investment to set off the risk from one investment with the return from another investment. This was formally called portfolio and many theories have been developed thereafter to facilitate portfolio management. This paper discusses some of the important concepts of modern portfolio management. The paper takes a descriptive approach where all the concepts are described in such a way how they are useful for investors. Investors always seek for an optimal investment portfolio where the returns are more and risk is less. This can be met through Portfolio Theory. The Theory helps in developing an optimal portfolio that will enable an investor to optimize market risk and generate more return from the business. Thus Portfolio theory is an approach to manage risk and return. The Theory has got much relevance in of financial management literature as many investors found them effective means of increasing the return at a given risk level. The theory is basically applied to the stock market and is based on the idea that there are basically two kinds of risk: (a) diversifiable or relevant risk (risk associated with events occurring in individual companies such as strikes, new marketing programs, lawsuits and new inventions (b) non diversifiable or market risk (risk associated with factors that affect all companies such as inflation, war and recession (Elton, 1999). The careful construction of portfolio of securities helps investors to reduce the diversifiable risk to zero and optimize the market risk. However the market risk cannot be eliminated as it is uncontrollable one. And to the investment managers it helps to meet the

Friday, October 18, 2019

Stem Cell Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Stem Cell Research - Essay Example Scientists and researchers have continually been trying to develop ways in order for society to have healthier lives. The use of stem cells may be one of the best answers yet. â€Å"Stem cells hold a lot of promise to cure many nasty diseases.†(Cline) There should be no debate on its application. Indeed, there is an ethical issue to be resolved. Nevertheless, if the stem cells were to be used to further life, I think the ethical issue surrounding this side of stem cell research should easily be resolved. If not, then other scientific approaches to furthering life that are being practiced now such as organ transplant should be paused as well until a decision is made on stem cell research. When a person is in a coma, doctors and family depend on brain activity to determine progress. This goes to show how important the brain is for a person to function well. As such, cures for neurological diseases should be of utmost concern. If stem cell research appears to be the answer, why not

INFORMATION RETRIEVAL THROUGH MULTI AGENT SYSTEM WITH DATA MINING Research Paper

INFORMATION RETRIEVAL THROUGH MULTI AGENT SYSTEM WITH DATA MINING - Research Paper Example a practically implemented research model for the information retrieval using Multi-Agent System with Data Mining technique in a Cloud Computing environment. The paper will undertake a review of the existing literature available on this arena and develop an empirical model showing real time data flow through MAS with data mining after retrieval of meaningful information from data warehouse present in a cloud computing environment. In the end, paper will provide recommendations for the organizations for effective implementation and use. Cloud Computing is a general term that refers to anything that â€Å"involves delivering hosted services over the Internet. Broadly it is characterized into three categories, namely: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)† (‘CloudComputing’, 2007). In the present age and knowledge economy, discovering new knowledge and retrieving information from a data center from a cloud environment is a difficult aspect. The concept of cloud computing does not provide facilities for the knowledge discovery and information retrieval. Furthermore, it is required that the so-called knowledge discovery should be in harmony with the structure, schema and architecture of that knowledge. The emerging knowledge cloud is considered insufficient to retrieve information effectively and thus, Chang, Yang and Luo (2011) undertook a study to propose "an ontology-based agent generation framework for information retrieval in a flexible, transparent and easy way on cloud environment† (p.1135). They proposed a framework for information retrieval in which the user will submit "a flat-test based† request to retrieve â€Å"information on a cloud environment†, the request will be â€Å"deduced by a Reasoning Agent automatically that is accord ing to a predefined ontology and a reasoning rule and then translated to a Mobile Information Retrieving Agent Description File (MIRADF) that is formed in a proposed

Ethical dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethical dilemma - Essay Example This is an ethical problem because the patient comes from an Orthodox Jewish family. This family’s denial of a pig’s xenograft is well understood since Orthodox Jews consider pigs unclean. It is impossible to solicit the patient’s wish is untenable since he is one year shy of the legal age, on the one hand. On the other hand, to listen to the parents’ adamant stand may prove to be catastrophic to the patient due to absence of synthetic ileums and the essence of time. The ileum of the pig is the only available option and transferring the patient to another state for treatment is prolonging the patient’s predicament and endangering his health. This is especially because the gangrene may spread to the rest of the patient’s digestive system. This is not necessarily an ethical dilemma. The patient’s parents can be called to the hospital and sat down for consultation and persuasion. In the event that the parents adamantly stick to their religious compunctions, the hospital will easily release the patient out of its custody, so that his parents can seek for a better alternative in another hospital. It is not up to the hospital to decide for the patient or the patient’s family on what is good for him after all. Again, carrying out surgical intervention on the client will not necessarily be going against the power of attorney’s decision. According to Karadag and Hakan, the principles of modern bioethics are non-maleficence, beneficence, justice and respect to autonomy. However, there are situations when upholding these principles becomes subject to ethical dilemma. A case in point herein is a treatable mentally unsound patient, Mark who has had a bout of testicular torsion. Doctors have unsuccessfully tried to manually rotate the testis back to its position, thereby prompting the need for surgical intervention (Karadag & Hakan, 8-9). In the case above, there is an ethical dilemma since respect to autonomy

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Are students benefitted or harmed by general education Essay

Are students benefitted or harmed by general education - Essay Example offer students with the needed credentials for their chosen careers, the learning institution still has other roles to play that are important in this globalization era. General education, first, helps the student to become a better person, parent, citizen, spouse, or employee than they would have been otherwise. This is because general education gives students extra information that would not have been included in their specific career courses. Thus, it makes student’s whole-rounded people. The country needs lawyers, scientists, business people, medical professionals, law enforcement professionals and educators and other professionals who have developed critical thinking skills and are conversant with some of the vital aspects of human thinking. The shift toward limited knowledge at the expense of general education does not consider professional critical thinking. Therefore, general education provides such professionals with critical thinking skills in a variety of fields (Go essl). Secondly, it is important for citizens in a democracy to participate and vote based on good judgment and not centered on the whims of the politicians who try to implement irrational and non-rational persuasions to control the voters. A strong basis in the humanities, arts and sciences as provided by the general education course can help address such issues (Goessl). Even though the student will not remember much in some coming years about a psychology, philosophy, or physics class, provided as general education, the critical thinking skills that they gain in these divergent fields will serve them well and stay with them throughout their life. These same gained skills can also help the student from being held at ransom by the elusive manipulation that some advertisers use. Therefore, it can be said that some of the courses students learn in general education, which on the outside may appear to be mundane and boring, underneath the surface are actually helpful in developing their

Maldives and Sustainable Development. Understanding and Developing the Essay

Maldives and Sustainable Development. Understanding and Developing the Role of Tourism in the Economy of Maldives - Essay Example This paper examines the role of tourism in the economy of Maldives in order to recommend specific programs that promote sustainable development. In this light, this paper begins with a general overview of Maldives by emphasizing on its geographical features, and the unique culture of the Maldivian people. After this, an intensive look at the economy of Maldives is done by crucially studying its top three sectors: tourism, construction, and fisheries. Then, the discussion is narrowed down on tourism by having an in-depth look at current tourism statistics, current market segments, and major products and services. This part is closely linked at an analysis of the positive and negative impacts of tourism on the economy and environment of Maldives. This paper concludes with a presentation of specific programs that can be used to promote sustainable development in Maldives. The Republic of Maldives is an archipelago that is consisted of 26 coral atolls, located in the northern Indian Ocean. It is comprised of 1,190 islands, and 200 from which are inhabited (Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation, 2009). Its capital island is called Male’. Its climate is warm and tropical, and seasonal changes are determined by the two yearly monsoons—the northeast monsoon and the southwest monsoon (Corporate Travels and Tours, 2011). The Maldives has a population of approximately 350,000. Its type of government is Independent Republic, while its primary religion is Islam. The currency used in this country is Rufiyaa (1 USD = MRF 15.42). B. People and Culture The culture in the Maldives is tightly linked with the geographical features of the country. As claimed by Red Dot (2009), the physical features of the Maldivian people differ from one atoll to the other, attributing to the genes passed on by South and Southeast Asians, Africans, and Arabs. It can be said that this racial mix has also marked the differences in the Maldivian people’s language, beliefs, and sub-cultures (Countries and their Culture, 2012). The mixing of cultures is evident in the Maldivian arts and craftsmanship. For one, the musical instrument used by Maldivian people called bodu-beru (big drum) resembles that of common African drums. Also, the dhoni is a unique Maldivian sailboat that has an overall design similar to the dow of Arabian countries. Last, the fine artistry behind the wooden beams in Maldivian antique mosques can be attributed to the architecture in Southeast Asian countries. Maldivians are known for their adaptation skills and positive outlook in life. They are generally cheerful, welcoming, and hospitable. In terms of their belief system, Maldivians still appreciate the upholding of unity and oneness in faith, but modernism has delivered a whole new culture with new sets of ideas and attitudes to the people. II. Maldives: Economy According to United States Virtual Presence Post or USVPP (2012), the economy of Maldives is based primarily on tourism and fishing. However, the other key sectors of Maldivian economy are construction, distribution, telecommunications, shipping, aviation, and banking support. A. Background on Economy The Maldives has achieved substantial economic growth over the last several decades (USVPP, 2012). In 2009, the country attained the highest GDP at around $1.3 billion, which is about $4,300 per capita. Tourism, the primary contributor of GDP, remained relatively strong due to the increase in tourist visits as evidenced by the growth in total bed-nights (The World Bank, 2011). However, it was also in 2009 when Maldivian economy shrank by 4 percent. Indeed, as USVPP (2012) further asserted, the fall in tourist arrivals, external financial, and product exports were all contributed by the global economic crisis that severely hit the country during that year As

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Ethical dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethical dilemma - Essay Example This is an ethical problem because the patient comes from an Orthodox Jewish family. This family’s denial of a pig’s xenograft is well understood since Orthodox Jews consider pigs unclean. It is impossible to solicit the patient’s wish is untenable since he is one year shy of the legal age, on the one hand. On the other hand, to listen to the parents’ adamant stand may prove to be catastrophic to the patient due to absence of synthetic ileums and the essence of time. The ileum of the pig is the only available option and transferring the patient to another state for treatment is prolonging the patient’s predicament and endangering his health. This is especially because the gangrene may spread to the rest of the patient’s digestive system. This is not necessarily an ethical dilemma. The patient’s parents can be called to the hospital and sat down for consultation and persuasion. In the event that the parents adamantly stick to their religious compunctions, the hospital will easily release the patient out of its custody, so that his parents can seek for a better alternative in another hospital. It is not up to the hospital to decide for the patient or the patient’s family on what is good for him after all. Again, carrying out surgical intervention on the client will not necessarily be going against the power of attorney’s decision. According to Karadag and Hakan, the principles of modern bioethics are non-maleficence, beneficence, justice and respect to autonomy. However, there are situations when upholding these principles becomes subject to ethical dilemma. A case in point herein is a treatable mentally unsound patient, Mark who has had a bout of testicular torsion. Doctors have unsuccessfully tried to manually rotate the testis back to its position, thereby prompting the need for surgical intervention (Karadag & Hakan, 8-9). In the case above, there is an ethical dilemma since respect to autonomy

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Maldives and Sustainable Development. Understanding and Developing the Essay

Maldives and Sustainable Development. Understanding and Developing the Role of Tourism in the Economy of Maldives - Essay Example This paper examines the role of tourism in the economy of Maldives in order to recommend specific programs that promote sustainable development. In this light, this paper begins with a general overview of Maldives by emphasizing on its geographical features, and the unique culture of the Maldivian people. After this, an intensive look at the economy of Maldives is done by crucially studying its top three sectors: tourism, construction, and fisheries. Then, the discussion is narrowed down on tourism by having an in-depth look at current tourism statistics, current market segments, and major products and services. This part is closely linked at an analysis of the positive and negative impacts of tourism on the economy and environment of Maldives. This paper concludes with a presentation of specific programs that can be used to promote sustainable development in Maldives. The Republic of Maldives is an archipelago that is consisted of 26 coral atolls, located in the northern Indian Ocean. It is comprised of 1,190 islands, and 200 from which are inhabited (Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation, 2009). Its capital island is called Male’. Its climate is warm and tropical, and seasonal changes are determined by the two yearly monsoons—the northeast monsoon and the southwest monsoon (Corporate Travels and Tours, 2011). The Maldives has a population of approximately 350,000. Its type of government is Independent Republic, while its primary religion is Islam. The currency used in this country is Rufiyaa (1 USD = MRF 15.42). B. People and Culture The culture in the Maldives is tightly linked with the geographical features of the country. As claimed by Red Dot (2009), the physical features of the Maldivian people differ from one atoll to the other, attributing to the genes passed on by South and Southeast Asians, Africans, and Arabs. It can be said that this racial mix has also marked the differences in the Maldivian people’s language, beliefs, and sub-cultures (Countries and their Culture, 2012). The mixing of cultures is evident in the Maldivian arts and craftsmanship. For one, the musical instrument used by Maldivian people called bodu-beru (big drum) resembles that of common African drums. Also, the dhoni is a unique Maldivian sailboat that has an overall design similar to the dow of Arabian countries. Last, the fine artistry behind the wooden beams in Maldivian antique mosques can be attributed to the architecture in Southeast Asian countries. Maldivians are known for their adaptation skills and positive outlook in life. They are generally cheerful, welcoming, and hospitable. In terms of their belief system, Maldivians still appreciate the upholding of unity and oneness in faith, but modernism has delivered a whole new culture with new sets of ideas and attitudes to the people. II. Maldives: Economy According to United States Virtual Presence Post or USVPP (2012), the economy of Maldives is based primarily on tourism and fishing. However, the other key sectors of Maldivian economy are construction, distribution, telecommunications, shipping, aviation, and banking support. A. Background on Economy The Maldives has achieved substantial economic growth over the last several decades (USVPP, 2012). In 2009, the country attained the highest GDP at around $1.3 billion, which is about $4,300 per capita. Tourism, the primary contributor of GDP, remained relatively strong due to the increase in tourist visits as evidenced by the growth in total bed-nights (The World Bank, 2011). However, it was also in 2009 when Maldivian economy shrank by 4 percent. Indeed, as USVPP (2012) further asserted, the fall in tourist arrivals, external financial, and product exports were all contributed by the global economic crisis that severely hit the country during that year As

Biblical World View about the Euthanasia, Suicide, and Capital Punishment Essay Example for Free

Biblical World View about the Euthanasia, Suicide, and Capital Punishment Essay Euthanasia: To put a patient to death by withdrawing the life-sustaining medications or using medical act when the patient has little probability to revive from the disease or the unconsciousness is called euthanasia. After I read the chapter ten from The Right to Die and the Right to Kill, I comprehend that euthanasia is legal in some specific circumstance. In biblical way, the euthanasia should be prohibited because it is consider murder. But as the article says sometimes the euthanasia is reasonable. In my point of view, if a patient may ask for euthanasia to death, as a Christian, I will try to encourage the patient to live strong. I believe God do not give something that more than we could bear. Miracles happen every day, several true stories I heard that some patients with some lethal diseases survived from death by the cheer of their family and bless of God. But it does not means euthanasia is a bad thing. For instance, if the modern medical knowledge can no longer avoid the death and when the death is excruciating for the patient, with the permit of the patient the euthanasia is passable. In some circumstance, as a patient has been constantly unconscious, the family members of patient can choose to use the Euthanasia. Also I deem that euthanasia could apply to the capital punishment. To sum up, euthanasia is an acceptable means, but it should be done legally. Suicide: The definition of suicide as I learn from the article is that suicide is a self conflict, a severe sin of self-murder which is a selfishness or hopelessness act. The statistic shows us that suicide is a momentous social issue that the number people who committed suicide every year more likely higher than the number of people who dead in battle field. Commit suicide The reason why I have the negative view of suicide, it was a sore challenge to some one physically and mentally, and would also remain adverse impact to all the people who are related to him. Commit suicide is very disrespectful behavior to their family, friend, society. There are various types of suicide, but there usually two cause, people who suicide may motive by meaningful purposes or by emotion. People who committed suicide for further purpose are satisfactory. And a confident person will probably conquer the emotional suicide. Christians do not easily attempt to suicide, because God do not give something that more than man could bear. The saved people will have the eternal life in the heaven. It signifies the suicide is forgiving. But we should not easily think about suicide by some meaningless emotion. God is the only one who is to come to a decision how and when people should die. In my view, when I need to face the suicide, I believe the best way to do is read the scriptures and pray for God. Walt Ye Capital Punishment For all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Matthew 26:52, I believe this one of the best testimony of the capital punishment. The mentions of capital punishment in the scripture occur many times. It reveals the significance demand, because it shows the righteous of the society. A Christian commit murder is possible, but he should really need to think his or her salvation. Because Bible teaches us to love your enemies, the murder is unforgivable behave for a true Christian. God will forgive the sin, but the murderer should accept their civil law punishment. Sometimes, the investigation is very important, because the government may out the wrong person to death. In my personal perspective, the capital punishment is very necessary and an efficient tool of reduce the crime which could ensure the safety of our society.

Monday, October 14, 2019

LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 .1 Definition of Consumer Behaviour

LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 .1 Definition of Consumer Behaviour Consumer behaviour can be defined as the study of individuals, groups or organisations and the processes they use to select, secure, use and dispose of products, services, experiences or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society. (Hawkins, Best, and Coney, 2001, p7.) This definition contain a sequential process involving different activities that can be influence to the consumer in a number of ways. The study of Consumer Behaviour is the study of how individuals make decisions to spend their available resources (time, money, and effort) on consumption-related items. It includes the study of what they buy, why they but it, when they buy it, where they buy it, how often they buy it, and how often they use it. It concludes elements from psychology, sociology, social anthropology and economics. Consumer behaviour goal is to understand the buyer decision making process, both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics and behavioural variables in an attempt to understand peoples wants. Although this subject study on how and why consumers make decisions to buy goods and services, consumer behaviour research goes far beyond these facets of consumer behaviour and encompasses all of the behaviours that consumers display in searching for, purchasing using,evaluating, and disposing of products and services that they key expect will sa tisfy their needs. And other definitions is emphasise the mental, emotional, and physical processes and needs and wants, as well as the influence of perceived risk. (Arens, 1999, p129) The literature generally distinguishes between individual consumer buying and organisational purchasing processes. Wilson (2000) argues that the distinction is artificial and a generic behavioural model must be developed for both individual and organisational consumers with appropriate contextual adjustment. The field of consumer behaviour is enormous, and highlights the importance of the customer at the centre of the marketers universe. Every each consumers is unique with different needs and wants and buying choices and habits and choice that are in turn tempered by psychological and social drivers that affect purchase decision processes. (Brassington and Pettitt, 2000). The literature review concludes a high level overview about consumer behaviour. It contains consumer behaviour from an individual perspective and considers consumer behaviour in the context of a rational purchasing decision process. It is including a perspective on the ethical responsibility of marketers. Foxall (1993) notes that a purely behavioural approach, which relies on observed results as a means to infer the end result of human information processing should be supplemented by an evolutionary explanation. He suggests that evolution is a causal mechanism which accounts for selection or a decision by consequence. The experience of results of prior and similar behaviour (operant conditioning), environmental influences, and cultural changes should be considered in order to explain and predict changes in consumer behaviour. The argument is therefore, that the principle of selection by environmental consequence will enhance behaviourist thinking in a marketing context. When we analyzing about the consumer behaviour is perceived as cornerstone of a successful marketing strategy (Papers4you.com, 2006). Consumer behaviour is mental and emotional processes and the observable behaviour of consumers during searching purchasing and post consumption of a product and service (Batra Kazmi, 2004). Similarly Engel (et al, 1990) refers consumer behaviour is the action and decision process of people who wants to purchase goods and services for personal consumption. If these defining criteria are already observed, it is evident that we analyzing consumers decision making process is the foundation of entire notion of consumer behaviour. There are four different views related to consumer decision making process and behaviour (Schiffman Kanuk, 2004). The first views is economic view that consumers are primarily face competition and they are always expected to make rational decision on the basis of assumptions that they are aware of all product alternatives, they can rank benefits and limitation of each alternative and able to identify one of the best alternative. Second views is Passive View is absolutely opposite to economic view and this view suggest that consumers are irrational and impulsive as they are submissive to self-center interests of marketers and that consumers got influenced by the marketing tools. And the third views is Emotional View. This view related to perceive consumers decision making based on their emotional association or feeling about some products and services. Example, if a person loosing red colour pen neither go for rational decision by evaluating alternatives (economic view) or the perso n get influenced by marketers (passive view). Thus the person will try to purchase any ring closely resembled with his favourite. And the last views is Cognitive View where consumers are considered as thinking problem solver. which are receptive as well as actively searching for the products and services that can fill their need. Consumers behaviour under this view is based on information seeking and processing attributes usually directed by a goal. For example, buying a tooth paste from shop can have a certain goal of choosing product that can taste good (Papers4you.com, 2006). Â  Despite of critiques for each viewpoint, it can be considered a valid argument, that all four types of decision making behaviour exist and provide marketer guidelines to analyze consumer accordingly. After we anaylyze the data from each viewpoint, it can be considered a valid argument, that all four types of decision making behaviour are exist and provide marketer guidelines to analyze about consumer habits. Based on the general perception about most acknowledged and common cognitive view, Batra Kazmi (2004) asserts broader stages of a consumers decision making process that includes identification of problem (feeling need of a new car), information search (on internet and showrooms), alternatives evaluation (comparing brands, for example like on basis of repute and features), outlet selection and purchase (purchasing selected item) and post-purchase action (satisfaction or dissonance).