The Pyramid Of Life

The Pyramid Of Life When you look at a pyramid, youll notice that its broad base gradually narrows as it extends upward. The same holds true for the organization of life on Earth. At the base of this hierarchical structure is the most inclusive level of organization, the biosphere. As you climb the pyramid, the levels become less encompassing and more specific. Lets take a look at this hierarchical structure for the organization of life, starting with the biosphere at the base and culminating with the atom at the peak. Hierarchical Structure of Life Biosphere: The biosphere includes all of the Earths biomes and all living organisms within. This includes areas on the Earths surface, below the Earths surface, and in the atmosphere. Biome: Biomes encompass all of the Earths ecosystems. They can be divided into regions of similar climate, plant life, and animal life. Biomes consist of both land biomes and aquatic biomes. The organisms in each biome have acquired special adaptations for living in their specific environment. Ecosystem: Ecosystems involve interactions between living organisms and their environment. This includes both living and nonliving material in an environment. An ecosystem contains many different types of communities. Extremophiles, for example, are organisms that thrive in extreme ecosystems such as salt lakes, hydrothermal vents, and in the stomachs of other organisms. Community: Communities consist of different populations (groups of organisms of the same species) in a given geographic area. From people and plants to bacteria and fungi, communities include the living organisms in an environment. The different populations interact with and influence one another in a given community. Energy flow is guided by the food webs and food chains in a community. Population: Populations are groups of organisms of the same species living in a specific community. Populations may increase in size or shrink depending on a number of environmental factors. A population is limited to a specific species. A population could be a species of plant, species of animal, or a bacterial colony. Organism: A living organism is a single individual of a species that exhibits the basic characteristics of life. Living organisms are highly ordered and have the ability to grow, develop, and reproduce. Complex organisms, including humans, rely on the cooperation between organ systems to exist. Organ System: Organ systems are groups of organs within an organism. Some examples are the circulatory, digestive, nervous, skeletal, and reproductive systems, which work together to keep the body functioning normally. For instance, nutrients obtained by the digestive system are distributed throughout the body by the circulatory system. Likewise, the circulatory system distributes oxygen that is taken in by the respiratory system. Organ: An organ is an independent part of the body of an organism that carries out specific functions. Organs include the heart, lungs, kidneys, skin, and ears. Organs are composed of different types of tissue arranged together to perform specific tasks. For example, the brain is composed of several different types including nervous and connective tissues. Tissue: Tissues are groups of cells with both a shared structure and function. Animal tissue can be grouped into four subunits: epithelial tissue, connective tissues, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue. Tissues are grouped together to form organs. Cell: Cells are the simplest form of living units. Processes that occur within the body are carried out on a cellular level. For example, when you move your leg, it is the responsibility of nerve cells to transmit these signals from your brain to the muscle cells in your leg. There are a number of different types of cells within the body including blood cells, fat cells, and stem cells. Cells of different categories of organisms include plant cells, animal cells, and bacterial cells. Organelle: Cells contain tiny structures called organelles, which are responsible for everything from housing the cells DNA to producing energy. Unlike organelles in prokaryotic cells, organelles in eukaryotic cells are often enclosed by a membrane. Examples of organelles include the nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes, and chloroplasts. Molecule: Molecules are composed of atoms and are the smallest units of a compound. Molecules can be arranged into large molecular structures such as chromosomes, proteins, and lipids. Some of these large biological molecules may be grouped together to become the organelles that compose your cells. Atom: Finally, there is the ever so tiny atom. It takes extremely powerful microscopes to view these units of matter (anything that has mass and takes up space). Elements such as carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen are composed of atoms. Atoms bonded together to make molecules. For example, a water molecule consists of two hydrogen atoms bonded to an oxygen atom. Atoms represent the smallest and most specific unit of this hierarchical structure.

RESEARCH METHODS FOR MANAGERS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

RESEARCH METHODS FOR MANAGERS - Assignment Example The ability to form teams virtually that will operate across the limitations of time, distance and organizational boundaries have proven to be the successful for the organizations. These teams use electronic collaboration technologies and other techniques to lower facility and travelling costs, reduce project schedules and improve decision making communication and time. Since companies are more focused on foreign markets for expanding their base of customer, they are also looking at lowering costs or exacting effectiveness by tapping the foreign labor pool. For this purpose, outsourcing and off- shoring have become very prevalent. The result is that firms are able to achieve substantial cost saving and decrease their time to market when building software solutions, offering services, manufacturing products since additional risks are managed effectively (Gruhn, Volker, Schope & Lothar, 2002, P. 254). Today the management desires to establish international presence by exacting operatin g efficiencies and reducing costs of distributed teams created by mergers, acquisitions, technical specialization and downsizing. Organizations that do not use virtual teams effectively have difficulty in competing in the global, competitive and rapidly changing markets. Those organizations that will succeed in finding ways of working across boundaries like systems, technologies, people and procedure. Literature Review Managing virtual teams can be more complex than managing traditional teams, however. First, virtual teams primarily communicate and collaborate by using technology such as e-mail, groupware, etc. Virtual teams exclusively depend on software and technology tools to collaborate and communication, whereas the teams that are traditional can always abandon technology and software tools in favor of face-to-face communication and collaboration. Secondly, boundaries were crossed by virtual teams in relation to organization, distance, and time. This raises the need of attentio n towards the issues of collaboration and communication

School management Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

School management - Scholarship Essay Example The unit serves as a foundation for years 2 and 3. How a Value Added Framework can explain the UK's economic decline; Value Added: its calculation and its importance; How do markets work' Using markets for cost recovery; New technology, direct exports and Globalisation to increase cost recovery; Using annual report and accounts to analyse a business; Institutional conditions and their impact on business; Using the Value Added Framework: (a) The case of privatisation; (b) Structural factors and how they affect business. Within these themes we separate and de-contextualise the key areas of market, productive and financial performance. Later we reinstate context in order to first, investigate the institutional conditions and secondly, examine how both internal and external forces affect the firm/industry. The lectures are organised into three themes with each lecture introducing and developing a new topic/issue or debate while steadily contextualising our understanding to show inter-relations between topics/issues. Before attending each lecture you are expected to read at least one article related to the topic area in addition to the course textbook readings (see lecture programme). The worThe workshops provide the opportunity to discuss issues related to the lecture and to develop your understanding of the topic while deepening grasp of the subject. The teaching structure will vary but will include discussion of key issues and a small individual/group presentation. During most weeks you will receive a worksheet which you must complete for the following weeks' workshop as it will serve as a basis for discussion. Additionally, you must present a short case study based on a company. Key Bibliography: Individual sets of readings are indicated for each week of the course. Recommended textbook: Haslam, C. and Neale, A. (2000)

Sampling Strategy and Sample Size for a Quantitative Research Plan Coursework

Sampling Strategy and Sample Size for a Quantitative Research Plan - Coursework Example Because the population is made up of a very large size, the researcher shall set up a sample size. The sample size basically refers to a fewer group of persons out of the population who would become respondents to the researcher (Berry, 2005). In order to arrive at this number, it is important that the researcher uses a sampling strategy that would meet the objectives of the study. To this end, the researcher shall devise the use of the random sampling strategy to select the members for the sample size. Random sampling is the kind of sampling strategy where every member of the population has an equal chance of becoming part of the sample size. This is because the researcher uses a strategy that presents all members in the population with an equal probability of becoming part of the sample size. The mechanism that would eventually ensure that some members are included whiles others are rejected would be the effect of chance. By this, reference is being made to the fact that given the same probability, it would only be by chance that some members will be selected ahead of others (Bartholomew et al, 2008).  Ã‚  Ã‚   The random sampling strategy shall be applied in a very specialized way. This would be done to ensure that the researcher enjoys and benefits from the full advantages of the random strategy. It is worth noting that the procedure by which the researcher shall select the members of the sample size by applying the random sampling strategy is known as sampling (Cheng, 2009). There are several sampling procedures.

Planning For Change In An Organization

Planning For Change In An Organization The purpose of this essay is to understand the background and the issues related to organizational strategic change. Be able to lead the stakeholders in the development of a strategy for change and to be able to plan to implement models for ensuring ongoing change. According to Rajagopalan Spreitzer 1997, strategic change is a difference in the form, quality, or state over time in organizations alignment with its external environment. Managing change is all about creating changes in a planned and orderly movement and it is considered to be a crucial role in the organization. Background of the Organizations Strategic Change Travelodge Hotel According to Travelodge 2011, they are considered to be the first budget hotel brand to be introduced in the Uk in 1985 and now managed to operate 380 hotels (over 26,000 rooms) throughout Ireland, Spain and the UK. The chain is under the operation of Dubai International Capital, who purchased the organization from Permira in 2006 as stated in Travelodge site, 2011. January 2009 is the date when Travelodge UK has been launched. They have undergone the first retail-style price checking programme. Through this, they were able to measure up the prices of all the giant UK hotel chains to make sure that they remain being the leader on price. Due to its rapid growth, they are continuously working on their plan of operating 70,000 rooms which is approximately 1000 hotels by the year 2020. Aside from that, they are aiming to be the biggest hotel operator when the Olympics come on 2012. Based on last years data, six and a half million people dwelt in Travelodge. Due to its promotion in the internet of  £19 per night, 87% of those guests booked from online according to the data gathered. This promotion is applied throughout UK. LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1.1 KURT LEWIN ( Unfreeze, Change, Freeze ) Unfreezing This stage involves preparing oneself for a change and preferably making a situation in which change is needed. The more urgent the change should be made, the motivation to make the change is high. Change Time is needed and must be given to people as this is not an easy time because people are learning about the changes and they need to understand the process, In this case, support from the management is essential such as coaching, training and expecting mistakes being a piece of the course. Freezing This is the final stage of the process and it is very relevant as the desired change must be accepted and sustained. Without the freezing stage, there is always a tendency of the people to return back to the things that they are used to do. It is necessary to ensure that desired change is continually being performed and not forgotten. Bullock and Batten, planned change This model involves four stages: exploration, planning, action and integration. The occurrence of the exploration is when the management confirms that there is a need for change and secure resources needed for it (enotes,2011). Resources may be classified into physical or mental such as the expertise of the manager. Subsequently, planning takes place when the people in charge in decision making create a desired plan followed by review and approval. When the implementation of the plan takes place, that is when the action stage occurs. Lastly, integration starts by the time the action in the desired change plan is in motion and when the changes have been associated with the organization with a certain degree of validation by means of policies and organizational procedures. McKINSEYS 7S Strategy to have a competitive advantage in the competition, strategies are needed. Structure organizational structure and the line of management Systems employees daily activities Shared Values organizational values being implemented to employees Style the way leaders and managers behave towards the realization of its objectives. Staff employees and their whole capabilities Skills the expertise and capabilities of the people in the company 1.2 RELEVANCE OF CHANGE MODEL Travelodge Hotel is best analysed using the McKinseys 7 S. In this case, due to the constant existence of the hostels, which obviously offer low prices, Travelodges objective of expansion every year has been affected. In this matter, they need minimize their cost and expenses for them to sustain in the competition regarding price. The company needs to have a good strategy to maintain their growth and to have an advantage in the hotel industry, like providing extra discounts to students and tourist. Talking about the structure, being a hierarchical management as all orders are mandated by the head office, they need to see to it that proper communication must be observed from the top to the bottom. In this way, a change of structure is needed. Likewise, for the change to be effective, systems of the organization must be taken into consideration without neglecting the core values of the hotel which is to provide affordable accommodation to everybody. In my point of view, objectives of the company relating to expansion and change will be best fulfilled if management is supportive enough to motivate people to perform. In implementing changes, employees and their skills are relevant because without them planned changes in Travelodge Hotel will just be wasted. The models and techniques are important for the organization because it serves as the guidelines to achieve the plan. 1.3 VALUE OF STRATEGIC INTERVENTION In every planned action that needs to be materialized, strategic intervention is needed because it gives and reminds individuals a certain motivation and direction in between the process. Making us understand on the things that we do, why we do it and how, is the main function of intervention. Its value cannot be underestimated as they are the tools in the process of achieving organizations objective. Travelodge process of change within the organization and among individuals, requires human process intervention, team building consensus and conflict, as well as human resource management as they are a huge organization. Considering the external, organizational and government intervention is also necessary because the target of expansion requires all those things to operate. ISSUES RELATING TO THE ORGANIZATIONS STRATEGIC CHANGE Various issues are to be considered pertaining to the strategic change in an organization. It does not matter how we define this change because of the mere fact that challenge to the company is inevitable: balancing the demands and hopes among the stakeholders including customer, employees, management and shareholders. Without balance, an organization risks an anxious work force that may yield declining output. Needs for Change Travelodge is experiencing a decline of sales nowadays due to the emergence of new hotels and hostels in the City Of London. Further promotions and offerings about their products and services must be considered. One of the reasons why people tend to stay in other hotel is because of their services and prices. Another thing to be considered by the organization is the culture of their staff. The company is experiencing a high people turnover for years already. Since people are having various options to choose from in the market regarding accommodations, plus the crisis in the economy, Travelodge must be able to have an edge in the market. This thing must be given focus by the organization to maintain the market share. Factors that are driving the need for strategic change in Travelodge The present economy and the massive competition in the hotel industry are one of the factors why there is a need for a change. Travelodge being a low cost accommodation, still needs to find ways on how to increase market share and be profitable. The upcoming Olympic games on 2012 is a good opportunity for them to increase profit. Hence, further development of their promotions and offers must be studied and done. Customer satisfaction is one of their problems nowadays because of low performance of the team which leads the company to adapt change in the system of delivering exceptional experience and services to the guests. Considering the external factors, competitors edge in prices and services are one of the factors that affect the operation of Travelodge Hotel because it decreases the guest turnover and therefore affects their financial status necessary to run the business. Resource Implications of the Organization Not Responding to Change Human Resources which pertain to employees are expected to resist in the process of change because they may feel uncomfortable in doing new things related to what they are used to. Skills Development is necessary for each and every employees working in the hotel industry especially in the aspect of customer service. Strict compliance of the standard operating procedure is required for guests satisfaction. Likewise, physical resources like refurbishments of the building may be hard to do because it entails a lot of time and money to finance the said project. Though it is necessary for Travelodge to keep their rooms and the entire hotel presentable to gain more positive reviews from guest, there are still lots of things to be prioritized and considered especially in the matter of finance. Financial resources is always an issue in implementing any projects because of the fact that there is a decline in the income of Travelodge Hotel. In connection with this, a difficulty in implementing the change is visible. BE ABLE TO LEAD STAKEHOLDERS IN DEVELOPING A STRATEGY FOR CHANGE MULTIPLE CAUSE DIAGRAM According to Hopkins 2005, it is a technique that you can use on your own or with groups of people and also known as the fish bone method. To start with a definition of the performance problem is the essential idea followed by a question of why it is happening until building up a picture of various factors affecting the performance. Travelodge Hotel is undergoing a decrease in performance of their sales and income because of the massive competition in the market. Their regular patrons are finding better options regarding to prices and services. Recent reviews show a lot guest complaints and guest being dissatisfied. This is because staffs are not delivering exceptional service to the guest as well as the appearance of the room itself. Due to crisis financially, further trainings to individuals and building improvements have been left out for a while which results to low performance. Change Management Strategy with Stakeholders 3.2.1 Employees Development Employees must undergo training programs to enhance their skills in customer service. This refers to staff from Front Office Department and Food and Beverage Department because they are the one who are directly in contact with the guest. Further trainings and performance appraisal of the employees must be given focus by the management because in this way employees will tend to do their best in imparting good customer service to the guest. Next step is to create a system which motivates the employees to perform well such as providing extra gratuities at the end of the month. Normally, in the hotel industry, guests are generous enough to leave some tips for the staff, in connection with this, Travelodge must have a system for the gratuities to be divided equally amongst the employees from all departments. 3.2.2 Promotions As Travelodge Hotel is accepting bookings online like all other hotels, promotions and offers must be presented as well in their site to create peoples awareness of what is being offered during the season. 3.2.3 Customers Feedback External stakeholders are relevant in developing a change. By asking feedback from them regarding the services during their stay will help the hotel to develop the areas which they are low in performance. Reviews regarding the hotel provide a lead for the potential guest to make a choice. Nonetheless, Travelodge must see to it that guest are satisfied in order for them to leave an excellent rate and review. Evaluation of the System Used Using the Multiple Cause Diagram is advantageous because in this way, the management can pinpoint the exact cause of the problem that needs to be change. It is an easy to use tool for Travelodge Hotel to be performed because answering to the why question is all it needs. For instance, the cause of a decline in profit is the massive competition in the market, hence, followed by moving their regular guest to other hotels because of poor services. In this way, the management of Travelodge will be able to identify the factors which cause the main problem. And through this, they can easily formulate a strategy which will help them overcome the present status in their business. Management of Resistance Strategies 3.4.1 Open Communication This must be done all throughout the process for the people to fully understand the purpose of the planned change, and the opportunities that lies ahead if change will be implemented. In the process of change exchange of ideas is necessary for the people to feel that their participation is important which somehow results to motivation in responding positively to change. Authority Process This is necessary in order to control peoples behaviour for the benefit of the implemented change. Management must direct people that certain change must be adapted and they need to participate on it. Evaluation In the implemented change, an evaluation is necessary for the management to know whether people are responding positively and whether the goals are halfway to achieve. Knowing the cause of resistance must also be taken into consideration so that proper ways to handle the situation will be exercised. BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT MODELS FOR ENSURING ONGOING CHANGE 4.1 ADKAR Model In my own understanding, ADKAR model is appropriate to use for Travelodge Hotel as it delivers awareness for the necessary changes, desire to participate and support the change, knowledge on how to change, ability to implement the planned change and reinforcement to sustain the change in an organization. Implementation of the Model for Change 4.2.1 Awareness Travelodge Hotel management must see to it that people concerned are aware of the planned change before implementing it so as to avoid resistance and more chaos in the organization. Because strict compliance of standard operation procedures are needed to be implemented which have been neglected by most of the people, management has to announce accordingly its pros and cons. Desire To instil this to the employees, they need to be aware first of the necessity why change must have to happen. So therefore, in informing people that policies and procedures must be changed pertaining to customer service efficiency, convincing them to believe that the hotel is not performing well in terms of income which somehow affects their benefits can create a desire for them to participate in the process. 4.2.3 Knowledge This comes after having the desire of participating in the process. The management is therefore required to elaborate the things that need to be done in the implementation of the planned change. For instance, in order to have a high rate performance in the reviews, receptionist must perform well in dealing with the customers complaint and in achieving that, further trainings are needed. Ability In this area, the Managers of Travelodge Hotel must provide coaching and mentoring to people. In the case of Food and Beverage division, Food and Beverage Managers must provide hands-on training to the staff because this is where he knows whether staffs are performing according to the standard of the hotel. Reinforcement This is where the management needs to have focus for the change to stay in place. This can be done by undergoing evaluations and proper monitoring of the employees performance through feedback from Travelodge guests or on the job observation. Measures to Monitor Progress Progress of the change can be monitored through progressive reviews during meetings and consultation. Wherein each individual will have a chance to speak out their ideas and observation. Likewise, goal- based evaluation is also helpful because this is where the management can assess if the goal is being reached already or still needs more hard work for it to be realized. Similarly, regular reports regarding customers feedbacks and employees performance must also be considered for the management to take necessary measures if something out of the context is happening. CONCLUSION In my own understanding, ADKAR model is suitable to use in implementing the change for Travelodge because it emphasizes to individuals which are the main resources in the organization. By using this model, determining the specific area to improve and to maintain is easy simply because it is a step by step process. Travelodge current situation is driving the company to strive more in formulating ideas on how to improve their services especially in customer satisfaction. Hence, by implementing the planned strategies, it will somehow give the organization an edge to compete in the market.

Legal Advice - Aqua Sciences, Inc. Essay -- Business Law

Aqua Sciences Inc. is a Miami-Beach based company that develops innovative water technologies and brings the water everywhere â€Å"that human beings live.† This company creates new technologies that extract water from the moisture in the air. Thus, the water can be found everywhere, even in low humidity conditions. The newest technology equipment already includes Emergency Water Plant – mobile enclosed self-sustaining unit that can produce 2,600 gallons of water per day without additional power (Aqua, 2012). The major initiative the Aqua Sciences Inc. plans to do is to produce new Micro Water Plants, Rooftop Oasis, and Water Farms. Micro Water Plant will capture the solar heat through the solar panels and use the solar energy for pumps and fans. Rooftop Oasis will be the movable water plants for private residences or commercial buildings. Water Farm will be a large scale water facility that will be able to deliver 100,000 gallons of water and more per day. All of these tree initiatives plan to be distributed in and outside of the United States. Aqua Sciences, as any other businesses in the same area, has to operate under many strict laws. Administrative law is the law relating to the powers and procedures of administrative agencies. In the case of Aqua Sciences’ initiatives, the most relevant laws would be those of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 1970’s, the EPA received the authority for setting standards, giving permits, coordinated water quality programs, and ensured that the states enforced the national standards (Kochtcheeva, 2009). Under the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) signed in 1974, the Water Farm and Micro Water Plant projects of Aqua Sciences would be considered as public water systems.... ...age, D. W. (2010). Managers and the legal environment:2010 custom edition (6th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Federal Water Pollution Control Act. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/laws_regulations/docs/fedwaterpollutioncontrolact.pdf Goldscheider, R. (2002). Licensing Best Practices : The LESI Guide to Strategic Issues and Contemporary Realities. Wiley. Kochtcheeva, L. V. (2009). Administrative Discretion and Environmental Regulation: Agency Substantive Rules and Court Decisions in U.S. Air and Water Quality Policies. Review Of Policy Research, 26(3), 241-265. doi:10.1111/j.1541-1338.2009.00381.x License. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/license New Water System Capacity Development Planning Manual. (2003). Retrieved from http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/drinkingwater/docs/CDPlngManual403.pdf

Sweeney Among the Nightingales

Leonardo Rubio English 12 Period 6 1/2/11 Sweeney Among the Nightingales This essay is written as a reader response to the poem written by T. S. Eliot, Sweeney Among the Nightingales. Unlike many other poems of his time, T. S. Eliot’s intention was to portray man as vulgar or mundane and having a pessimistic or cynical attitude. T. S. Eliot may have had a different view of life and people than other poets. He may not have viewed man as heroic or romantic, but more crude and reprehensible. It is difficult to say exactly what T. S. Eliot was trying to convey or express through his poetry, because he wrote many inferences, which left a lot of his writing open to interpretation. He may have written much of his work as an outlet to his political or social views. The narrator presents this poem in third person. He sounds objective in reporting what he sees, but the language is somewhat difficult. This poem needs to be read several times and requires a lot of thought and some imagination. After reading this poem many times, it gets more understandable, but some parts remain difficult to understand. Some of the difficulty in understanding the poem may come from the referencing of other literary characters. Some of the other characters mentioned are from other great literary works, but are not familiar. This made it necessary to look up these characters and learn what the comparison is. The writer does a good job in showing or describing the character, but does not do a good job in describing the setting. The writer brings the character to life, by comparing him to animals like an ape, zebra, and a giraffe. He is also compared him to another literary character. From what is written, it sounds like the setting can be either a restaurant or a brothel. It makes more sense if it were a brothel, because one of the females goes to sit on Sweeney’s lap as he is sitting at a table, but she falls to the floor. You are left to assume she might have fallen because she was drunk. It also makes the reader think that the character, Sweeney is distrustful of the females involved. Therefore, it makes more sense to assume that it was set in a brothel or a place similar to it. In my opinion, the narrator or writer of this poem made it difficult to understand. I consider myself simple and describe things in simpler terms. My view is also more optimistic and I like to consider myself more romantic than this writer. It would be difficult to write a poem about prostitution or something similar. It would seem easier to write about love, life and family. I also find it difficult to make so many comparisons, especially to other characters who I do not know. It would be difficult to step into this narrator’s situation and give the poem the meaning and emphasis he is trying to convey. He may have had a difficult past or some kind of difficult situation in his life, which would cause him to write in this dark or negative manner. Because I am only 17 years of age and have not had many bad experiences, my writings would probably be more positive. I have not needed to overcome great challenges or difficult struggles in my life, therefore I would not have grim or dark things to write about. The poem, Sweeney among the Nightingales, by T. S. Eliot can be viewed as a social commentary. T. S. Eliot’s writings are considered dark and somewhat negative, but they are his opinions. T. S. Eliot describes the character in the poem, but he may be using this to describe men in general. This poem compares the character to animals, which makes him appear crude and indecent. It also portrays him as distrusting, which makes him appear paranoid. This may have been the way to do social commentaries without being very offensive to anyone in particular. This also may have been the proper forum to do social commentaries in this time period. This poem has several characters that are important to the story or meaning. The first and most important character is Sweeney. He appears to be the main character. He is compared to animals by the writer. The comparison to animals can make the character appear more barbaric or vulgar. This can also make him look somewhat of a bad person. The writer appears to make Sweeney look vulgar when he places him in what appears to be a brothel. Sweeney is also made to look as if he is paranoid. Sometimes paranoia or guilt is caused by past traumas. Sweeney’s character or personality is made to look distrustful, bad and vulgar. This could have been how the writer envisioned men in general. There are two females also in the poem. The two females appear to be in a brothel, so they may be thought of as prostitutes or whores. The reason one may think that they are prostitutes is because one of the females tries to sit on Sweeney’s lap right in the beginning. She also fell and Sweeney did not help her. It also appears that they did not know each other. The two females are made to look as if they are plotting against Sweeny. This makes the two females appear as if they cannot be trusted. There are other characters in this poem. They appear to have more of a silent role. The poem talks about other figures, but does not name them. It is somewhat difficult to understand if some of the other figures are other men or if they are referring to Sweeney. There is for sure a waiter in the poem. He appears to be an innocent bystander. He is just mentioned when he brings out food to the table. He does not appear to be important or necessary to the meaning of the poem. This poem leaves out important details that the reader must just infer or assume. The first important detail is the setting. The setting is either a restaurant or a brothel because there is a waiter. We can assume it is a brothel because one of the females goes to sit on Sweeney’s lap. He does not trust the two females and ends up leaving the place. Another detail mentioned in the poem is when the nightingales are singing near. This is in reference to another literary work that mentions nightingales singing. This means when there are others talking about illicit things that are going on or the telling of promiscuous behavior. It is also assumed that T. S. Eliot is anti-semitic, because of how he portrays Rachel Nee Rabinovich as somewhat vulgar and unflattering. She is referred to having â€Å"murderous paws†. She is also one of the two females that appear to be plotting against Sweeney. Some writers may use ways of writing where they leave it open to the readers interpretation. They leave it up to the reader to assume what is being said. This can be a very effective way to write, because their poem can have several meanings. Most people have different opinions and not everyone thinks alike. The poem can have different meanings to different people. The writer can also put out his opinions or social commentaries, but in a less offensive manner, because it is left open to interpretation. My experience or background with poems is not very extensive. I have little experience in reading poems and much less experience in writing them. The ones I have read are not like this one. The poems I have had experience with are more modern or what could be considered as romantic. My minimal background in poetry influenced me to think this poem is a bit weird or unconventional. It was very difficult to understand because of the vocabulary and distinct phrases. It also referenced other literary work that I was not very familiar with. The use of inferences also made it difficult, because certain things were left open to interpretation. The poems I have dealt with were not as complex. I prefer or am more accustomed to poems that rhyme or simple poems like roses are red, violets are blue, I’m going crazy and it’s all because of you. I also like poems that are more clear or understandable. Poems should flow and be easy to read and understand, if not then I lose interest. Sweeney Among the Nightingales, was difficult to understand and did not flow easily. It takes some imagination and love of poetry to enjoy this type of poem. After reading Sweeney Among the Nightingales, by T. S. Eliot, I found it somewhat difficult to understand. It may be a great literary piece of work and be written by a great writer, but I was not very impressed. It was necessary to read it several times to grasp some understanding. It was also necessary to look up the meaning of several words. This poem also made many comparisons, which were difficult to understand. There were also many inferences that left room for assumptions. This is difficult for someone of my age, who does not have much experience or world knowledge. This poem appears to have been written as a social commentary of its era. There is a possibility that T. S. Eliot may have had bad experiences in his life, and was using his writing as a way to bring out his point of view. This too is also an inference, because that information is not known. One would think positive or romantic things are written about happiness and love and negative or dark things are written about negative experiences or traumas. Michael Cummings, (2009). â€Å"Sweeney among the Nightingales†. Cummings study guide website, retrieved from: http://www. cummingsstudyguides. net/Guides6/Sweeney. html Poetry Foundation website, (2011). â€Å"Sweeney among the Nightingales†. http://www. poetryfoundation. org/poem/236780

Consumer Buying Behavior Essay

The most challenging questions for marketers are why buyers do what they do (or don’t do). Such knowledge is critical for marketers, since having a strong understanding of buyer’s behavior will shed light on what is important for the consumer and also suggest the important influences on consumer decision-making. Factors affecting consumers’ buying decisions are extremely complex. It is deeply rooted in psychology with dashes of sociology thrown in just to make things more interesting. It explains the influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends and society in general. Consumers’ buying behavior result from deeply held values and attitudes, their perception of the world, their place in it, from common sense, from impulse or just plain take. Consumers mainly face two types of purchase decisions: ‘New Purchase’ —these purchases are very difficult to be made by consumer due to lack of confidence in decision-making; and ‘Repurchase’— consumer feels confident in making these decisions since they have previous experience in purchasing the product. Let’s examine the process of how a consumer takes buying decision. The importance of each step might vary depending on the circumstances surrounding the purchase. Consumers’ decision-making process begins when buyer realizes his/her unsatisfied need, want or desire. Needs may be functional or psychological in nature, and retailers are often trying to satisfy psychological needs as much as functional ones. Consumers are motivated to satisfy their needs, they will next undertake a search for information on possible solutions. Consumers’ search efforts may result in a set of options from which a choice can be made. There might be two levels to this stage. At level one, the consumer may create a set of possible solutions to their needs (i. e.product types) while at second level the consumer may be evaluating particular products . The purchase decision may provide three possibilities to a consumer: from whom to buy, when to buy and also not to buy. In many cases the solution chosen by the consumer is the same as the product whose evaluation is the highest. A favorable post-purchase evaluation of the product leads to consumer satisfact ion. If the product performs below the consumer’s expectation, then he/she will re-evaluate satisfaction with the decision, which at its extreme may result in the consumer returning the product. When the consumer is satisfied with the product’s performance, repeat purchase is more likely Factors Influencing Consumer Decision-Making Process Consumer’s decision-making process is influenced by many factors such as cultural, social, personal and psychological. ‘Cultural factors’ exert the broadest and deepest influence on consumer behavior. It represents beliefs and, in many cases, we learn to act by interacting or observing other members of society. Consumer buying process offers two useful perspectives: the decision-making process associated with consumer buying and the factors which affect the buying process. It is stated that the consumers buying process can be divided into personal, psychological and social and cultural factors. The ‘social factors’, such as consumer’s small groups, family, reference group, social roles and status can affect consumer responses and influence their buying behavior. ‘Personal factors’ such as age, lifecycle stage, occupation, education and economic situation, and ‘Psychological factors’ such as, motivation, perception, learning, beliefs and attitudes and personality, also play major roles in consumer decision-making process. The ‘marketing programs’ often have a considerable amount of influence on consumers’ buying decision. It sometimes becomes irrelevant for consumers to think about the quality of the product when they are so influenced by its marketing: â€Å"Customer satisfaction is the major aim of the marketing concept†. Consumer’s buying behavior can be broadly classified into four main categories. Consumers engage in ‘Complex Buying Behavior’ when they are highly involved in a purchase and are aware of significant differences among brands. This is usually the case when the product is expensive, bought infrequently, risky and highly self-expressive. â€Å"Dissonance-Reducing Buyer Behavior† is observed when the consumer is highly involved in a purchase but sees little difference in brands. In this case, the buyer will shop around to learn what is available but will buy fairly quickly, perhaps responding primarily to a good price or to purchase convenience. After the purchase, the consumer might experience dissonance that stems from noticing certain disquieting features or hearing favourable things about other brands. In â€Å"Habitual Buying Behavior† products are brought under the conditions of low involvement and the absence of significant brand differences, e. g. , salt. Consumers have little involvement in this product category. â€Å"Variety Seeking Buying Behavior† involves buying situations, characterized by low involvement but significant brand differences. Here consumers often do a lot of brand switching for the sake of variety rather than dissatisfaction. Introduction to chocolates If people thought that chocolates were just restricted to kids think again. According to a recent study conducted by a major chocolate brand in India the major consumers of chocolates apart from kids are teenagers and people between the ages of 15 – 35. Chocolates which were considered expensive once have now become affordable by one and all. Most of the chocolate brands in India produce chocolates in different sizes that are priced according to their sizes. Chocolates like Diary Milk and Five Star can be got for just ` 10. Chocolates in India are slowly and steadily substituting the mithai or traditional Indian sweets.