The 1930s The Good Times And The Bad Times Essays -

The 1930's: The Good Times and The Bad Times The decade of the 1930's can be characterized in two parts: The Great Depression, and the restoration of the American economy. America had been completely destroyed due to the Stock Market Crash of 1929. It was up to the government and people of the 1930's to "mend" America's wounds. One man stood up to this challenge, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He promised to fix the American economy, provide jobs, and help the needy. During The Great Depression, the crime rate had risen to an all new high. J. Edgar Hoover helped to create the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As America was restored, culture grew quickly. Dance clubs, new music styles, glamour girls, movies and sports were all popular forms of entertainment in the 1930's. From January 1st, 1930 to December 31st 1939, American was in a process of healing it's economic wounds. The stock market panic preceded an economic depression that not only spread over the United States but in the early 1930s became worldwide. In the United States, despite the optimistic statements of President Herbert Hoover (president during the crash) and his secretary of the treasury, Andrew W. Mellon, that business was "fundamentally sound" and that a new era of prosperity was just about to begin, many factories closed, unemployment steadily increased, banks failed in growing numbers, and the prices of commodities steadily fell. The administration began to take steps to combat the crisis. Among the measures taken were the granting of emergency appropriations for farm relief and public works, modification of the rules of the Federal Reserve System to make it easier for people in business and farming to obtain credit, and the establishment of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), with assets of $2 billion, to make emergency loans to industries, railroads, insurance co! mpanies, and banks. Nevertheless, the economic depression steadily worsened during the remainder of the Hoover administration. Hoover's plans were not working well. By 1932 hundreds of banks had failed, hundreds of mills and factories had closed, mortgages on farms and houses were being foreclosed in large numbers, and more than 10 million workers were unemployed. The presidential campaign of 1932, in which the Democratic candidate was Franklin D. Roosevelt, was waged on the issues of Prohibition and the economic crisis. The Democratic platform called for outright repeal of the 18th Amendment and promised a "new deal" in economic and social matters to bring about recovery from the depression. The Republicans did not call for outright repeal of the amendment. In regard to the depression, they warned against the danger to business and the national finances if the social and economic philosophies of the Democrats were substituted for the sound and conservative ideas of the Hoover! administration. The Democrats won an overwhelming success in the election, carrying all but six states. Almost immediately after taking office, Roosevelt called on Congress to convene and began what would be known as the Hundred Days, which lasted until June 16, 1933. On March 6 Roosevelt called a nationwide bank holiday, and on March 9 Congress passed the Emergency Banking Act, which provided for federal bank inspections. In the summer of 1933, the Glass-Steagle Act set much more stringent rules for banks and provided insurance for depositors through the newly formed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). These acts helped to restore popular confidence in the wake of widespread bank failures. Two acts, one in 1933 and one in 1934, mandated detailed regulations for the securities market, enforced by the new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several bills provided mortgage relief for farmers and homeowners and offered loan guarantees for home purchasers through the Federal Housing Administration, or FHA. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration which was headed ! by Harry Hopkins, a social worker appointed by Roosevelt, expanded existing relief grants to the states and resulted in assistance for more than 20 million people. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) provided work relief for thousands of young men under a type of military discipline. The CCC emphasized reforestation, among other projects. Congress established the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to develop the Tennessee River in the interest of navigation and flood control and to provide electric power to a wide

Focus essays

Focus essays The 1940s were a time of drastic social changes throughout the world. Although World War II was centralized in Europe, its effects created a shockwave across America. American Jews faced persecution and anti-Semitism on a daily basis. While some Americans chose to support the Jews, the majority either kept quiet or joined hate groups like the Christian Front. As these hate-groups expanded and their power increased, Americans were forced to take sides. Some tried to ignore the social changes, many joined the masses, and then a few individuals stood up to the oppression. In Focus, Arthur Miller strives to portray the different attitudes and perspectives of Americans during this time of war. Miller uses the characters as representations of different groups all faced with the same problem of anti-Semitism. The main character, Newman, becomes a victim of anti-Semitism when he acquires a new pair of glasses. Gertrude, Fred and Finkelstein represent the various societal responses t o his seemingly superficial, yet complex change. The author uses the main character, Lawrence Newman, as the focal point for anti-Semitism in his epic novel. It is through Newmans eyes that the hostile New York Jew-hating environment of the 1940s can be portrayed. Similarly, Newmans surroundings are able to perceive him through his eyes, more specifically his glasses. From the beginning of the story, Newman begins to undergo a crucial transformation that will forever alter the way he looks at things. Other central characters are key to bringing about this transformation. Everyones reaction to his new glasses, including his own, brings about an extraordinary life-changing experience, where Newman must confront his worst fears. Where as once Newman saw anti-Semitism from the aggressor side, he is now seen as the victim, a Jew. Through this role reversal, Newman can no longer be the apathetic gentile, and he must decide whether to j...

I need a reaction peper for an environmental science class of one page Essay

I need a reaction peper for an environmental science class of one page - Essay Example The study of Dr. Hayes on the effects of Atrazine in frogs is a corollary on an accurate prediction of what could happen on humans. He takes on an almost renegade approach as he goes against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and drug companies for the banning of Atrazine. This herbicide which is used for 80 million lbs. a year in the United States, as he has illustrated, was already banned in many other countries. The primary findings that he proposes are the effects of Atrazine on frogs in different ecological areas including creating controlled groups. He concluded that the frogs exposed have increase in hormonal imbalance and chemically castrating frogs same as how other chemicals cause tumors in rats. Male frogs are actually growing eggs in their testes and they are taking a longer time to metamorphose. This is significant because this can also happen to humans as we drink the very same water exposed to Atrazine. It is undeniable that these same effects already exist in o ur system and this has a generational effect. I ardently believe that in the largeer scale of things, â€Å"it is better to err on the side of caution.† To the end of his talk, Prof. Hayes insisted that it is still the people who now have the power to stop this and in this case time is of the essence.

Wk3Stat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wk3Stat - Essay Example Consider the case of the scores of the class under consideration. A sample of their plots would look as shown below: The above plot has a slight positive skew. A look at the figure will show that these measures do not differ significantly in this case although they may be typically up or above one another. However, there are several cases where these measures vary significantly. Consider the case of any organization, where the salary varies depending on the designation of the employee. Typically, as one goes up the hierarchy, the salaries increase and vary inversely to the number of employees at a particular level. In a regular case, the number of low level employees is the most while their salaries are the least in the firm. As one moves up the hierarchy, the salary increases and reaches a maximum with the top executive management, which is usually the least in population. When the salaries are plotted on the graph against the number of people receiving it, the resulting graph is said to be highly skewed as shown below: The relatively large skew in the above graph results in very different values for these measures. In this scenario, determining the mean will not present a true picture as only a fraction of the entire employees would be drawing such salaries while the maximum number of employees would be drawing much lesser salaries. However, the mode would clearly present a clear figure on the maximum number of people employed at a particular salary level. The mean would further not provide any clear picture of the highest amount being drawn by a minute section of the employees, namely the top management, leading to discrepancies in statistical estimates. In such scenarios, the mode is the preferred choice to estimate the maximum number of employees within the

HSA 530 wk 7 assignment 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HSA 530 wk 7 assignment 2 - Coursework Example In addition, Human Resource Management can be seen as process of bringing people and their organization together as a way of accomplishing their goals. In the health sector, the HRM plays various roles such as; legal and ethical matters of treatment, deals with the health and safety of all employees and patients, deals with labor unions in the health sector, job analysis and design of all employees, selection and recruitment of employees, deals with employee benefits, training and motivation and lastly is also concerned with the termination of employees. All these are the activities required to be accomplished by any HRM in any given hospital. However, the HRM has to follow some rules and regulations from the Joint Commission while in the line of duty. According to the law, any HRM in any health service must be accredited by the Joint Commission. This is in order to prove that they are capable of providing the highest level of performance in their line of duty. In addition, the HRM has to adhere to all standards of the Joint Commission and especially when hiring new members of staff. Similarly, he or she has to ensure that the organizations objectives are all met (Anand & BÃ ¤rnighausen, 2004). This is seen as to undermine the duties of the HRM since they do know all their responsibilities and the procedures they should follow. Notably, the HR is forced to follow the policies and procedure of the Joint Commission rather those that are provided by the hospital itself. Resultantly, the HRM is compelled to follow the job description outlined by the Joint Commission thereby foregoing those set by the hospital. Due to these c olliding obligations, the HRM has no choice but to follow the commission. Collaboration is manifested when employees work together towards achieving a given target. Therefore, collaboration is an essential aspect of growth in any organization and especially in the health sector (Boddy,

Approaches To The Broken Windows Policy Explained Criminology Essay

Approaches To The Broken Windows Policy Explained Criminology Essay 1. Explain the Broken Windows theory of policing. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this approach. Detail the two most important benefits and the two pitfalls of such an approach to policing. Police departments, in the past twenty years, have adopted a theory that says by resolving minor disorders serious crimes can be reduced. It is called the broken windows theory, also known as order-maintenance,zero-tolerance, or quality-of-life policing. (Harcourt Ludwig, Winter 2006, p. 282) It came to the forefront after a 1982 Atlantic Monthly article by James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. The article argued that when low-level quality-of-life offenses were tolerated in a community, more serious crime would follow. The broken windows theory says that the variation in disorder in neighborhoods that explains the variation in crime, holding structural disadvantage constant. The real trigger is disorderliness itself. (Harcourt Ludwig, p. 281) According to this view, broken windows, abandoned buildings, public drinking, litter and loitering cause good people to stay in their houses or move out of the neighborhood entirely. The theory argues that the minor events and incivilities that frightened people, far from being a distraction for police departments, should be identified as key targets of police action. (Moore, 1992, p. 138) It leaves criminals free to roam and send a message that law violations are not taken seriously. The focus of the broken windows policing strategy is to address community anxiety about public safety. Broken windows advocates argue that the role of the police is fundamentally to maintain public order. (Dammert Malone, Winter 2006, p. 39) Some of the advantages of the broken windows policing are that it reduces social and physical disorders, furthers joint safety endeavors, and bring communities together. Broken windows theory assumes an essentialist notion both of disorder and its connection to perception: visual cues are unambiguous and natural in meaning (Sampson Raudenbush, Dec. 2004, p. 320). The theorys biggest test has been in New York City, where a dramatic decline in crime has been attributed in large part to order maintenance. Rundown parts of the city have been cleaned up, and police focus more on such problems as panhandling, turnstile jumping, and public drinking. Police have even cracked down on people who clean the windshields of cars at stoplights with squeegees (Parenti, 1999, p.77). Among the first and hardest hit were the homeless, who travel, beg, and live in the political and physical basement of the class system: the citys six-story-deep concrete bowels. Advocates of such tactics argued that in order to address these crimes, the police must be afforded wide discretion and should not be hamstrung by constitutional rules. Still broken windows enforcement has won a proper place among trends in criminal-justice reform. But in doing so, the police ignored the principal lesson of their own theory. If the toleration of minor law violations leads to more serious crime on the street, it would also follow that the toleration of minor law violations by the police will lead to more serious crime on the force. And that is precisely what has happened. The broken windows theory suggests that minor disorders, both physicaland socialis causally related to serious crime. (Harcourt, 2001, p.68) Broken windows gives rise to wars on the poor, racism, and police brutality. (Weisburd Braga, 2007, p. 80) As mayor, Giuliani appeared to show his eagerness to impose law and order at all costs with the implementation of the zero tolerance policy. This led to a dramatic increase in arrests for such crimes as riding a bike on the sidewalk and playing loud music. People who admit that crime is decreasing because of these policies are only being self-defeating because if they admit that crime is down because of these policies, then they can use the same policies on the cops to improve police conduct. Yes, broken windows does reduce crime, but if an uncivil society breeds criminals, certainly a belligerent police force breeds police brutality. To what extent can police brutality be explained by turning the police loose with order maintenance tactics? Many civil libertarians and advocates for the homeless, for example, oppose order maintenance because they believe it infringes on the liberties of selected populations (the poor, minorities, the homeless, and youths) and opens the door to abusive police practices. The debates about these issues have been vigorous and often rancorous. (Kelling, October 1999, p. 1) Surveillance cameras are everywhere. They are in housing projects, at traffic intersections, and on subway platforms, with plans constantly announced to add more. There are undercover quality-of-life police squads who ride the subways, busting people for fare skipping or even for placing their bags on the seat next to them. The police sweep down on the homes of suspected drug dealers and people they mistakenly think are dealing. A simple tip from a snitch can send cops to knock down the door and toss in a stun grenade. (RW, October 18, 1998) In conclusion, police officials need to focus on the substantive content of police work; find and delineate the means to conduct police work morally, legally, skillfully, and effectively; then structure and administer departments on the basis of this literal work and not a fictionalized view of police work. (Kelling, October 1999, p. 2) 2. Under what circumstance in society would the broken windows approach work best? Give at least two specific circumstances and detail how the approach will work from start to finish. The broken windows approach to policing would work best in areas where there are a lot of untended behavior. It can be untended homes, untended yards, and even untended children. If left untended these can lead to a community that is out of control. A well kept home and community can quickly turn into a frightening place to live. Ones perception of incivilities in the neighborhood has a greater impact than the actual amount of incivilities in the neighborhood (Weisburd Braga, 2007, p.83). Houses that are not cared for gives criminal miscreants the impression that the residents of the community do not care about the quality of life in their neighborhood. It signals to them that they are free to roam to neighborhood and steal, litter, and vandalize. The unkempt houses opens up the community for more disorders, such as public drunkenness and loitering, that if not dealt with will lead to more serious crimes. Neighborhood disorders influences honest people to move out of the neighborhoo d or lock themselves in their homes, but it influences the disorderly and especially criminals to move into the neighborhood and commit crimes. (Harcourt, Nov. 1998, p. 297) Teenagers begin to gather in front of the local convenience store. Litter starts to accumulates on the side of streets. People start to drink alcohol in front of the corner store; in time, a drunk in left to sleep it off on the sidewalk. Pedestrians are being approached by very persistent panhandlers. All of this gives citizens the feeling that their neighborhood is no longer safe. The feeling of insecurity forces them to stay inside of their homes, or move away, which leads to further deterioration of the neighborhood. These types of crimes deteriorate the citizens trust and confidence in polices ability to provide its first obligation, which is safety to the public. In order to deter this type of catastrophe police should implement some form of broken windows policing. First, you have to determine what is the core or main problem that should be resolved. The panhandler that was left to harass the residents as they walk to the street is, in effect, the first broken window. This act is the one that opened the proverbial door for criminals to enter into the community. If the community cant keep a belligerent panhandler from harassing the citizens, a thief may believe, that the community is even less likely to notify officers of a mugging or step in while it is taking place. By resolving the panhandling issue, the major issue, you can also start eliminating some of the smaller problems. Panhandlers are a serious problem because they prey on the sympathies of the residents. As more and more residents give the panhandlers money, more panhandlers move into the community seeking out these same opportunities. Eventually they are hanging out with signs at every freeway off-ramp, stop sign, and intersection light waiting for some naive motorist to give them money. the appropriate and realistic goal is to find a means within an imperfect system for humanetreatment (Hodulik, Summer 2001, p. 1075) of those that panhandle. The trick to getting rid of panhandlers is to stop giving them money. Police have to inform residents of the panhandling epidemic . To do this the police department should set up a community meeting. Residents should be informed that most panhandlers do not use the money that they are given for food and clothing. A lot of them use the money to pu rchase drugs and alcohol. Police should teach the residents how to ignore the panhandlers and how to avoid eye contact with them. Also another way getting the churches, community leaders, and merchants together to establish a voucher distribution system as a way of making sure that the panhandlers are actually getting food and clothing. Vouchers would be sold to people in the community and they can give them to the panhandler instead of money. Panhandlers cash these vouchers in at some of the local merchants in exchange for food, no alcohol or tobacco, and clothing. This way the residents can still give knowing that the panhandler will not go purchase drugs or alcohol, but food and/or clothing. Knowing this will make the residents interact and give more to the panhandlers. Another circumstance that can benefit from broken windows policing is the dilapidated and vacant homes in the community. Ineffective neighbor networks mightbe related to more physical-structural qualities of a community (Wilcox et al., Spring 2004, p.186). These homes can quickly turn into a breeding ground for illegal drug activities, temporary shelter for the homeless, and hideouts for those running from the police. One thing that police officers can do is meet with the residents so that they can voice their opinion about the rundown homes in the community. At this time they can also seek any suggestions on how to correct the problem. The first thing for officers to do is search these homes for squatters and criminal. They should be check to see if they have any warrants. If no warrants they are released and asked to leave the house. Those with warrants will be arrested and taken to jail for processing. Next, is a community renovation project. By removing these desolate properties can restore the health and safety to the community. It can also increase the value of the other homes in the neighborhood. If the home has an owner they can pay to get the house torn down. If there is no owner or the owner can not pay for a demolition the community has to come together to get the houses demolished. One way the community can do this is by getting a demolition grant for neighborhood stabilization. This way the federal government pays for the demolition of the homes. Once the funds have been secured then the next thing is to get an affordable demolition company. The main objective is to get the most out of the grant money, more houses demolished at the cheapest possible cost. After they have a demolition company, the dilapidated homes should be demolished and the land cleared. To help with the beautification of the community the land should be reseeded after the structure has been cleared. Some of the land could be turned into a community garden. The rest could be sold so that more houses could be built on it. The most important thing is that once the houses have been cleared the criminal miscreants will no longer have areas within the community where they can dwell and commit devious acts. Also it gives the residents back a a sense of pride in their community. No longer will they fear walking out of their front door because of the drug activity going on down the street. This one act can change the dynamics of the community from downtrodden and crime infested to viable. It lets the deviants know that the residents care for their community.

I Hope to Explain the Birth of Our Universe :: Graduate Admissions Essays

I Hope to Explain the Birth of Our Universe. Â   Since childhood, the studies of philosophy and science have interested me profoundly. Having read many books on relativity, quantum mechanics, existentialism, religion, capitalism, democracy and post-Aristotelian philosophy, my quest for knowledge has only intensified. Certainly, the purpose of my life is to discover a greater understanding of the universe and its people. Specifically, I plan to better grasp the interrelationship among forces, matter, space, and time. In addition, I hope to find a unified field theory and a convincing explanation for the birth of the universe. Â   During the summer of tenth grade, I took a number theory course at Johns Hopkins University with students from Alaska, California, and Bogota, Colombia. My attendance of the New Jersey Governor's School in the Sciences is another accomplishment that exemplifies my dedication to knowledge. During the summer following eleventh grade, I took courses in molecular orbital theory, special relativity, cognitive psychology, and I participated in an astrophysics research project. For my independent research project, I used a telescope to find the angular velocity of Pluto. With the angular velocity determined, I used Einstein's field equations and Kepler's laws to place an upper bound on the magnitude of the cosmological constant, which describes the curvature of space and the rate of the universe's expansion. Â   In addition to learning science, I recently lectured physics classes on special relativity at the request of my physics teacher. After lecturing one class for 45 minutes, one student bought many books on both general and special relativity to read during his study hall. Inspiring other students to search for knowledge kindles my own quest to understand the world and the people around me. Â   Also, as president of the National Honor Society, I tutor students with difficulties in various subject areas. Moreover, I am ranked number one in my class, and I am the leading member of the Math Team, the Academic Team, and the Model Congress Team. In the area of leadership, I have recently received the Rotary Youth Leadership Award from a local rotary club and have been asked to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law and the Constitution in Washington D.C. Currently enrolled in Spanish 6,I am a member of both the Spanish Club and the Spanish Honor Society. Â   As student council president, I have begun a biweekly publication of student council activities and opinions.

What Ive Learned

On July 21, I went to a family barbeque in Rochester, NY. After leaving the barbeque, I was on my way to meet my brothers John and Nick at the local bar to talk and have fun. After we saw our oldest brother John off, Nick and I decided to race down the main street in town. I learned on this day to never race a vehicle around a dangerous curve. While my brother and I exited the parking lot of the bar, he went around me to lead. I followed him until we reached the main street, Peach St.As we approached the street, Nick lined up on the right side of my vehicle and within three seconds we stepped on the gas pedal. While speeding down Peach St. around 80-90mph, I noticed that after we passed the community center. Also, I was now in the lead. Since I had the lead, I attempted to apply my brakes but because I was going too fast they wouldn’t work. Noticing that my brakes weren’t working, I thought about what was going to stop my car in this residential area. At this point, all I could do was keep my foot on the brakes and scream.As I began to scream, I watched as my car went through someone’s living room window and my body hit the steering wheel. After the car went through the living room window, I then got out making sure everyone was alright. Now that everyone was fine, I called the police, and my family. While standing outside my car, I look around and all I see is my car on the porch of the house with glass all over it and the front wheel turned the opposite way. From my speeding, I totaled my car and destroyed someone’s house.Realizing what just happened, I now felt like I was hit back to back by three tractor trailers. This was one of the worst feelings to experience. Because of my dumb decision to speed, I ended up with no car; the family who was enjoying their night was out of a house for a few nights. I was now stuck dealing with a new type of depression. At the end of the day I honestly promised my daughter and myself as well as m y family that I was done with racing unless it was on a real track.

Global Shopping Trends Essay Example

Global Shopping Trends Essay Example Global Shopping Trends Essay Global Shopping Trends Essay stores, catalogs, online, call centers, social networking, ddigital displays, mobile). Few, however, truly understand how consumers are using and shopping across each of their channels (e. g. , using social media sites to get discounts, going to the store to test the product and then purchasing the product online), and even fewer have a seamless, consistent and comprehensive multichannel strategy. However, having a comprehensive multi channel strategy will become more important than ever. As consumers become sawier, they are increasingly taking charge of their shopping experience, dentifying and leveraging many different sources of information and channels to optimize the different elements of their shopping Journey. As of this writing, 71 ppercent of respondents to the Deloitte U. S. 2011 Annual Holiday Survey were planning on shopping multiple channels in some manner viewing or researching products in one channel and purchasing in another, for exam ple. Since customers do not distinguish between channels, retailers will have to support seamless integration among and between each of them, including access to assortment, customer informa tion and order information. Within the next few years, it is likely that onsumers will expect to use a mobile device to get realtime inventory information about the closest stores or to order a product while in a store and have it delivered to their home. Therefore, in 2012 it is likely that retailers will continue to develop and launch innovative multichannel solutions. Retailers will need to have a clear understanding of the shopping Journey and how consumers move across channels, from mobile to social networking, the web and in store. Understanding how they go through the prepurchase, purchase, and post purchase process will be key to retailers identifying opportunities that both nhance their bottom line and actually make sense to consumers. For example, most large retailers in developed multichannel markets like the United States and the U. K. 2 of 14 no longer operate in silos but have become brand and product showrooms that drive revenues across all channels and are destinations for consumers to do more than Just simply browse and transact To support ssimilar iintegrated, seamless and consistent multichannel experiences, many retailers will need to reevaluate their business and make fundamental changes across their organizations in all functions. With the incredible speed t which the iPhone 4S sold one million units in 24 hours, four million the weekend it was launched and ssmartphones emerging as the most dominant consumer technology platform, one cannot mention multichannel without also discussing mobile. Moreover, since a significant population of mobile users has not even reached shopping age, one can anticipate that moDlle, ana all tne capaDllltles ana opportunltles It OTTers, will De top 0T mina among retailers in 2012. Mobile consumers are no longer Just early adopters: They represent a broad range of consumer segments and have become part of the ainstream population. For retailers looking to remain relevant in this connected consumer environment, the ability to leverage mobile to deliver an improved customer experience will be a critical success factor. To be sure, there is a great deal of aactivity in launching mobile solutions focused on the preshopping experience. However, many retailers are diving in without a clear strategy and few have launched an iintegrated multichannel experience. Retailers that can deliver an iintegrated customer experience demonstrating a clear understanding of consumer preferences and behaviors across the urchase process will have an advantage over the competition. In the race to put out a cool app, retailers must not neglect three important factors: Usability and the user experience, including integration points between mobile and other channels. A poor customer experience is worse than no app at all. Security and privacy. A mobilerelated security or privacy breach could severely damage a retailers reputation and hamper adoption of mobile capabilities. Access for employees and business partners. Sales associates need access to the same information as the connected super user consumers who walk hrough the door. Providing suppliers realtime visibility into the location and estimated arrival time of shipments can ultimately benefit consumers as well. From data to personalization Data analytics and personalization will continue to be critical success factors in 2012 and beyond. Indeed, personalization has become the norm for growing numbers of consumers. Given all the new channels through which retailers are interacting with consumers, from pointofsale to mobile to social media sites, the sheer volume of data that can be collected about consumers and their shopping behaviors continues to row. The industry is evolving quickly in its data analytics capabilities and in its ability to develop personalized marketing campaigns and customer experiences. Still, the ongoing challenge for retailers will be how to best analyze all this rich data and derive from it valuable insights about what consumers want and need. While technology is bringing radical changes to how people shop, the bricks andmortar store remains the core of retail. The physical store, however, is no longer the final shopping destination; increasingly, it is becoming a piece in a larger, more connected customer experience. This transition will require retailers to innovate and rethink their operating models in ways many couldnt even conceive of five years ago. In this, we shall be understanding the behavior, pattern, shopping trend in global m arket. 3. Major findings/lssues PreTerences over aeslgner products : SIX out respondents in the AsiaPacific 3 of 14 10 online survey region said they are willing to pay extra for designer products, exceeding the global average by 17 ppercentage points. Affinity for buying famous brands is highest among respondents in the AsiaPacific (55%) and Middle East/ Africa (56%) markets, exceeding the global average of 47%. Source http:// www. marketingprofs. com Chinese consumers are the most willing to pay more for designer products (74% of respondents), and fondness for famous brands is highest in India (74%).. Preferences over designer products: Six out of 10 online survey respondents in the Promotions: 78% of global respondents say quality is their most important product concern, with respondents in Latin America (83%) and Asia Pacific (82%) exceeding the global average. Price is key as well, with 65% of global respondents ranking it as important. % of global shoppers are aware of promotions and discounts and say products wit h free gifts are good incentives (58%). In particular, a large ppercentage of shoppers in the Philippines (77%), Vietnam (75%), Greece (74%), and Turkey (72%) find free gifts apealing. 4 of 14 Source marketingprofs. com . Shopping Around: Latin Americans are the most likely to shop around, to have preferred brands in mind before shopping, and to sample first before making a purchase. North American respondents put the least trust in products recommended by profes sionals (35%). Respondents in the Latin America and Middle East/ Africa rely the most on the advice of 5 of 14 professionals. Source marketingprofs. com Multichannel Shopping: With the ability to shop anywhere at anytime with any device, consumers are demanding excellence and consistency at every turn and are challenging retailers and brands to keep up. The key The increasingly sophisticated online shopper One of the findings that stands out and one heavy with implications for retailers was the selfdescribed sophistication of the online shoppers we surveyed. Many of considered themselves to be highly capable in terms of researching and purchasing nline. In fact, 72% of US respondents consider themselves to be either confident or experts in this regard, slightly besting the 69% of global respondents that consider themselves to De at tnls same level. 0T tne overall gr owtn In onllne sales In 2012 came from existing shoppers simply buying more online The popularity of online shopping is rooted in many factors What is it that is so attractive about online shopping, regardless of nationality or geography? Theres a great deal of global consistency in the top five factors cited. The conventional wisdom is that the issue of price is the driving force or the growth of online shopping, and indeed, it does feature among the top three reasons cited by our survey respondents Insights for the US Retail Industry, retailers can gain an additional margin oopportunity of 8% to 12% by offering free shipping, yet of retailers charge for shipping products. Perhaps even more impactful is the fact that 2 out of 3 US consumers say they are likely to cancel a purchase without free shipping The desired multichannel purchase Journey Online shopping has opened up huge new choices for consumers, not Just in terms of what they buy, but how they buy it. The Internet 6 of 14 has empowered the consumer in three ways: during the decision making process leading to the purchase; at the actual moment of purchase; and tthroughout the product owinership period, including product delivery, maintenance, and return. The challenge at least for some retailers is that consumers are starting to behave in far more sophisticated ways, whether theyre buying expensive items or weekly groceries. Because most retailers havent yet created efficient multichannel models, consumers are working it out for themselves, using different channels in ways hat best suit them. Consumers may choose to research a product in the store † a shoe perhaps † then use their mobile phone to find a better price online, and then call into the retailers customer service line to order and have the shoe shipped to their home. In essence, consumers are creating their own multichannel experiences by leveraging multiple retailers across a single category or product Keeping up with multichannel shoppers is getting more complex Take the clothing category. Almost onethird of our respondents said they prefer to research and purchase clothing nline, and this puts an onus on the retailer to manage the return process The role of the physical store is changing A key issue for all retailers with large numbers of physical stores is the role those stores should be playing in a multichannel world and how that differs by country. Chinese online shoppers, for example, are embracing the online medium more quickly than shoppers from other countries, replacing the need for physical retail outlets. But no matter the country, retailers should consider the roles of their stores now and in the future. Are they flagships for the brand? Are they a combination of flagship and technology emporiums, such as the Apple stores? Are they showrooms for product display, as is increasingly the case with white goods? What is the role of the retail store in the Tuture Ine world Is getting smaller: Local players Deware our survey results show that within individual territories there exists a sthrong bias towards the most wellknown, incountry, or homebased retailers. For example, the survey shows that the top ten retailers shopped across channels in the last 12 months include Walmart in the US (41% of local online hoppers) Argos (39%) and Tesco (30%) in the I-JK, and Taobao in China (34%). Source: wc. com/en_us/us/retailconsumer/publications/assets/pwcus multichannelsh oppingsurvey. pdf 7 of 14 2. Strategy Adopted Trend watching analysis and study Global Multi Channel consumer surveys and reports by PWC etc. Global shopping trends and behavior pattern Understanding evaluating multi channel shopping trends Data analyzed and studied by various sources providers including PWC and Nielson Critically evaluating the challenges and oopportunity for global shopping trends in fut ure of 14 3. Critical Evaluation of the Strategy Adopted Multichannel shopping is here to stay with the ability to shop anywhere at any time with any device, consumers are demanding excellence and consistency at every turn and are challenging retailers and brands to keep up. The key question retailers must now answer is How will multichannel shopping behavior continue to evolve? and What investments must be made to meet consumer expectations? Reason why consumers buy directly from a brand / manufacturer Source: pwc. com/gx/en/retailconsumer/retailconsumerpublications/ lobalmultichannelconsu mersurvey/countrysnapshots. html 90f14 Source: http://about. datamonitor. com/sectors/retail/om/luxuryretailmarketsize strategiescompetitor/ 100f14 Source: giovannicappellotto. it/4248globaltrendsonlineshopping/ To help understand this evolving retail marketplace, I undertook PWC global study of consumers which was focused on addressing the habits and preferences 0T onllne snoppers. snoppers Trom elgn t OITT erent terrltorles (us, cnlna, Hong Kong, Germany, France, I-JK, Switzerland, and The Netherlands) were iincluded Key findings from their study revealed: Twenty ppercent of survey consumers made their first online purchase within the last year, suggesting great upside oopportunity for retailers with an online presence Many more global online shoppers are following brands using social media, but only 3% have used the network to shop Researching products online is a critical element of multichannel shopping Consumers are leading the way in multichannel shopping, with many retailers lagging behind when it comes to meeting consumer need i have leveraged the insights from data and research to make several observations about how etailers can better support their online customers and attract new ones with three themes as . Multichannel shopping as a major force, Multichannel shopping consolidation and Global retailing in 2020. I have also highlighted several actionable items that 11 of 14 can help retailers keep up with and adapt to the changing multichannel retail landsc ape: Become far more innovative with their online websites and other ddigital offerings Improve bricks and mortar formats to emphasize quality and customer satisfaction as opposed to price and selection Align themselves with he growing middle class in emerging markets who are shopping more online and using multi channels to a greater degree than shoppers in developed mar kets Focus on satisfying customers across all channels, instead of viewing ddigital channels as a competing channel Today, global retailers have a huge oopportunity to enhance the experiences necessary to stay ahead of shoppers who are demanding more customization in terms of product choice, delivery, return policies and the number of retail channels for shopping 4. Lessons Learnt Global retailing in 2020 The complete embrace of ddigital technology As lobal world, and in turn, increasingly multi channel shopping world evolves, there are several trends that will permeate global shopping behaviors in the future: Complete embrace of ddigital technology: By 2020 retailers will have fully embraced the use of ddigital technology, including mining consumer data to better understand purchase behavior, fully employing social media, and leveraging twoway communication channels with the workforce, whether infield, instore, or during travel. Heightened influence of social media: Social media will influence a larger proportion of sales,

Is Being Straight In The WNBA a Problem Professor Ramos Blog

Is Being Straight In The WNBA a Problem Growing up especially in my pre-teen years I was so confused with how I was supposed to act. I was so tomboy, I loved getting dirty and playing sports, I hated the color pink and never ever wanted a boy to beat me at anything. In middle school, I fell in love with basketball and took it very seriously. I played every day at lunch with all of my guy friends. As I got older and the more my friends and I started to hit puberty, things started to get a little weird. It wasnt common for a 13/14-year-old girl to be playing basketball with a bunch of sweaty teenage boys. Girls my age were supposed to start playing with makeup and trying to get boyfriends. As time went on the less and less I played basketball, with boys anyway. In a way, I felt like me playing basketball and not being girly gave off this vibe which caused people to question my sexual orientation. I for one didnt really enjoy that too much because I was young and I didnt want anybody thinking I was gay. Although as more time passed I questioned if I actually did like girls and it turns out I do. But the moral of the story is, is it okay to question the sexual orientation of a girl/woman in a predominately male sport? Or does it even matter? Candice Dana Wiggins is an American retired professional basketball player. Wiggins played college basketball at Stanford University, where she graduated as the all-time leading scorer in Stanford and Pac 10 womens basketball history. Throughout her playing career, Wiggins played for the Minnesota Lynx, Tulsa Shock, Los Angeles Sparks and New York Liberty of the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA) and has played overseas in Spain and Greece. Wiggins has also won a WNBA championship and WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year. Candice Wiggins caused a storm by claiming she was bullied in a league that was ‘98% gay’ but in truth, the WNBA is open, tolerant, and committed to inclusion. Candice Wiggins’ decision to go public with accusations that she’d been bullied in the WNBA, partly because she is heterosexual, was guaranteed to create a firestorm. Since Wiggins said that â€Å"98% of the women in the WNBA are gay women† and â€Å"people were deliberately trying to hurt me all of the time. I had never been called the B-word so many times in my life,† she hit the sweet spot for media coverage of the WNBA. The league is seldom considered newsworthy enough when we see things like the creation of a superteam in Washington, with Elena Delle Donne and the Mystics, or when an epic WNBA final between the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks goes down to the final seconds of an elimination game. But a player asserting all the most vicious stereotypes about the league? That’s when the big outlets cannot wait to step up. Many believe the timing of Wiggins’ claims are no coincidence, given that she was working on a book about her WNBA career. Perhaps more worrying than Wiggins’ remarks was that the league did little to push back against her claims. The WNBA did not respond to the Guardian’s request for comment on this story until a statement attributed to league president Lisa Borders. The statement read, â€Å"When I first read the comments I was stunned and disappointed. In my time with the league and as a fan before that, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know a group of highly competitive women who are driven to succeed at the highest level on the court and constantly striving to help create an opportunity for all members of their communities. â€Å"I’ve found our players to be earnest, heartfelt and eloquent, and clear in their commitment to our league’s core values of diversity, inclusion, and respect. Of course, it concerns me if any of our players do not have a positive experience and I hope that anyone who feels uncomfortable would reach out to me or others in the league office.† Beyond how incomprehensible that is to the players, why wouldn’t the league support its players when the facts are far friendlier to the league’s position than they are to Wiggins? it has ensured that in a rare moment in which the WNBA is in the spotlight, it is being defined by false information about the players and their accomplishments. But in the absence of guidance from the league, a funny thing happened. The diverse, opinionated and intellectually impressive WNBA players represented themselves and destroyed much of the ignorant stereotyping by Wiggins’ alternative facts. Devereaux Peters of the Indiana Fever made quick work of Wiggins’ math. WNBA legend and new Hall of Fame nominee Rebecca Lobo got at the issue with the 98% comment as it played in the media, referencing this ESPN piece that pointed out that â€Å"there is no published data on the number of gay players in the league.† As an 11-year veteran, Monique Currie put it, â€Å"Wiggins needs to check her privilege at the door, and not group her very unfortunate personal experiences on an entire group of women.† Many others followed. But what Wiggins has done is provide implicit permission for anyone else to categorize WNBA players by their sexuality. It also takes a percentage of media oxygen for a league that drew more than 1.6 million fans to its games last year, saw television ratings jump 11% and attendance by 4.6% during a year with the best overall play and playoffs anybody can remember and redirect it off the court. Worse yet, it is a built-in excuse not to cover the league for anyone in media who are looking for one. Even a former player said nobody watches, right? And to those not paying attention, the Wiggins story is one of the few that broke through, garnering ESPN alert status on phones and landing prime real estate in Bleacher Report, among many other places.  All contained within a falsehood, selling out a fanbase Wiggins herself claimed was what kept her going for years as a player. Imani Boyette of the Chicago Sky explained this eloquently in response to Wiggins, â€Å"You said, ‘Nobody cares about the WNBA. Viewership is minimal. Ticket sales are very low. They give away tickets and people don’t come to the game.’ And that’s simply not true. When you retired in March, you said the reason you stuck around so long and kept fighting through injury was because of the fans. Did you know our ticket sales and viewership increased this year? Did you care to know? â€Å"Your article hurt me, Candice, both as your fellow WNBA player and as a little girl who looked up to you. You chose to typecast an entire league instead of speaking your peace, telling your truth. You chose to put all of us down, fans included. How can you turn your back on an entity that gave you your career, your upcoming book, and your worldwide acclaim? I think that’s selfish.† This touched me a lot because I felt the exact same way as Imani Boyette, it blows my mind how quick she could be to talk bad on the entire WNBA. Wiggins didn’t even have the courage to defend her larger assertions about the league when contacted by Mechelle Voepel of ESPNW, one of the reporters versed in the league and then able to question her effectively. Wiggins ended up telling Voepel she merely wanted â€Å"privacy and peace†, a day after making statements that guaranteed less of both for the players who have followed her in the league. Wiggins used her platform to denigrate the league, its current and former players, while opening up a sinister new line of attack on a league that, in conversations with players from every era, embraces every woman, regardless of background or sexual orientation, who can shoot or rebound or dish or protect the rim. No one has come forward to corroborate Wiggins’ claims. And that doesn’t invalidate Wiggins’ own experience. But it certainly casts doubts on the broad conclusions she made about the league as a whole. And if Wiggins merely did this to try and gin up interest in her book †¦ well, she’ll likely find that she miscalculated. Those who support the league and its players aren’t interested in false accusations. And the people she emboldened with her statements, utterly unsupported by the facts or collective experience of others in the league? They aren’t interested in supporting women at all.

Why has the concept of work life balance become such a focus concern Essay

Why has the concept of work life balance become such a focus concern in the past decade - Essay Example working from home, compressed work weeks and flexible working hours), leave arrangements (e.g. maternity leave, paternity leave, and leave to care for a sick dependent), dependent care assistance (e.g. on-site daycare, subsidised daycare, eldercare, and referral to child care), and general services (e.g. employee assistant programs, seminars and programs related to family needs)’. These initiatives give employees work flexibility and ensure that those depended on them, children and the elderly parents, are cared about, thus reducing the family-work conflict, as well as providing time to be spent for personal interests and hobbies, which reduces stress and increases employees’ satisfaction with life and work. The issue of work-life balance was aroused in the USA in the mid of 1980s, yet since then it has become only more vital. This was caused by a number of reasons. In this paper we are going to discuss the sources of the problem and highlight the aspects making it a pr oblem, as well as benefits of work-life balance. Work-life balance initiatives are essential for creating normal conditions of work for people. Reports and surveys indicating the problem have been released and conducted for several decades already. However, the issue continues acquiring its vitality. In May 2005 Europe was worried by the report released by the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) showing that the workers in 10 new state entrants to the European Union worked three weeks more than employees in 15 core EU countries. Voters blamed politicians for shrinking vacation period. The 22 days of paid vacations in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland ad Slovenia were perceived as the violation of human rights. Meanwhile, according to the Families and Work Institute report 79 percent of US employees got no more than 16,6 days of paid vacation in 2001, the figure having dropped to 14,6 days by 2004. About 37 percent of US workers took less

The U.S. Military Fighting Forces in World War II (European vs Research Paper

The U.S. Military Fighting Forces in World War II (European vs. Pacific Theaters) - Research Paper Example However, some of the technological differences made the United States more superior than most of their enemies. Furthermore, despite the disunity in the American military forces, the military of such countries as Japan, which was the strongest force in the eastern bloc, also exhibited such severe disunity thus contributing to the American victory. 1) Geographic and Environmental Conditions (i.e., effecting the style of warfare) Climatic condition played important role in earning America the victory in the war, with an effective knowledge of the pacific climate in summer, the American forces prepared adequately with appropriate attire and carried drugs and mosquito nets to cushion the soldiers from the adverse weather in the continental region. The warm and humid climatic condition of the pacific in summer presented several challenges to the Japanese who did not have adequate information of the climatic condition in the pacific region. The humid condition hastened the pace of metallic . The Japanese did not prepare for such radical ramifications and therefore lost most of their artillery as they rusted fast thus proved inefficient. Additionally, more Japanese soldiers died of rom such tropical diseases as malaria, which they had not prepared effectively for. The warm and humid climate in the region required light attire a feature that the American forces had learnt of thus leaving their Japanese counterparts ill dressed for the combat thus the ensuing inconveniences in the battlefields. The jungle environment in the pacific required specific tactic of warfare, the American formed small patrols hat would maneuver through the jungle more efficiently often relying on the efficient backup owing to the efficient communication among the small troops. Additionally, the American soldiers relied on the marines after they learnt that the terrain would not permit large military formations. American and Japanese soldiers would therefore run into each other unannounced in the ir daily patrols thus resulting in open warfare. The military combat with the infantry and artillery type of fighting this implied that fighting was at close range requiring the use of effective weaponry. 2) Type of Enemy (i.e., German's vs. Japanese soldier & tactics used); The American success in the war portrayed that the country invested a lot of resources in understanding their enemies. Information is often key in military since it helps formulate both the offenses and defenses. With the adequate information about the enemy, the American government often employed the best tactics in either attacking or resisting the advances of the enemy. Technological advancement in the war was important in the ending the war. America had to prove technological advancement in order to end the war. The eastern bloc had a renewed determination to foster the war but their evident technological inferiority influenced their decision to stop fighting. The nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki pr oved to the eastern forces that the United States had the best military technology and could annihilate their population thus influencing their decision to end the spirited fight. The Germans also proved greater