A critique of a film

Day by day, it is increasingly more difficult to maintain safety in our society, since interactions between people create dangers, either at ‘high’ political level, or on the daily basis.We live not in the no-man’s-land, so people adjust to new conditions and changing situations. Still, there are those, who cannot accept this environment and who, probably, cannot be accepted. Being busy with our education and careers, we simply have no time to think carefully about the hidden threats of the environment, which can be really aggressive, and even destruct our bodies.In the movie ‘Safe’, Carol White (Julianne Moore) lives with her husband and stepson in a comfortable suburban home in California.   Her life is completely predictable, and in spite of the fact that she has ‘relationship’ with her husband, she begins feeling isolated and then – drained and depressed.Mysteriously, she falls ill with weird symptoms: she experiences nose bl eedings, dizziness and allergies, and doctor attributes it to stress. Having passed different tests, she understand that there is nothing physically wrong with her, but nevertheless she takes medication and changes her diet, getting of the all-fruit diet and cutting back diary products.When her condition doesn’t go away, she gets a recommendation to visit psychiatrist. The problem with her mind is a reason for the illness. Carol finally understands the necessity, which requires of her to go to a place, where people who suffer from toxic allergies and those with AIDS can ‘clean’ themselves, and, probably, the only place where she can feel safe.As the plot develops, it becomes clear that the treatment, received at hospital, is improper and probably, only worsens the situation. Haynes’s idea was to show the powerlessness of traditional medical science against new illnesses, caused by external irritants, but destroy humans from inside. In the film, Carol comba ts a real ten-headed hydra, which responds to the new treatment courses with new painful fits of allergy.Carol drives her car – and endures a coughing fir; she breathes in her new perfumes –and feels lightheadedness. Aerobic classes, which pursue a goal of helping her relax, are initially doomed to be unsuccessful: she has never had tension in her life, she has never had close relations, so there was no ground for either extremely positive or extremely negative emotions in her life. Thus, she cannot relax, because she never experiences stresses in pure medical meaning.Moreover, the medicaments Carol receives are irritants, as they also consist of toxins or other synthetic substances. On the contrary, Dunning chooses a different direction and creates some kind of cult, or community with certain beliefs, values and philosophy. People living there find there attachment and new system of coordinates, in which it is possible to consider their illness and cope with related i nner problems.It is possible to notice that by the end of the movie, she becomes increasingly more shattered, and probably her sickness breaks her and makes her re-evaluate the relationships which had existed in her life before she fell ill. She has a husband, bad hasn’t given birth to children, because Carol ‘endures’ the existence of a domestic plant, which should be carefully watered and supplied with the necessary nourishment, but whose opinion weighs like any plant’s opinion.It is possible to note that her first steps were determined (or, at least, highly influenced) by her husband. To my view, her sickness is a force which makes her re-think her existence and understand that she had had only ‘mechanical’ relationship with her husband, who even doesn’t try to understand her and empty conversations with her friends, carpenter and drycleaner.The scene, which reinforce her sense ‘of nobodiness’ is one where she looks at h er husband from the bed and asks ‘Where am I? At the moment?’. He answers that she is in Carol and Greg’s house, but she begins to cry, because this lush house has never belonged to her as well as her own life.

Human Resources Information System (Hris) Essay

There are many different purposes, functions and components to HRIS software systems. Technology has been constantly expanding, and with all the new possibilities, companies are able to use these software systems to help their HR departments perform their jobs faster and easier. Large businesses want to make the most amount of money, by spending the least amount possible; with HRIS they are able to realistically achieve this goal. Businesses need to grow and expand or they will not succeed. The main purpose of an HRIS is so companies can use it internally to keep track of the store’s budget, payroll and employee information more accurately and efficiently. Many large human resource organizations develop or buy these software systems to improve their HR operations while trying to keep the total operating costs low. The more a business can save on wages, the more it can spend on the company internally, to invest in improving the other departments as well. Some companies use HRIS systems to help them communicate worldwide; companies can have one business with several stores around the world that speak different languages. HRIS software systems main function is to help HR personnel handle and process large quantities of information that is tracked and updated automatically; this allows HR staff to focus on personal interaction with employees, instead of dedicating the majority of their time to paperwork. The key functions of an HRIS software system are to create and maintain employee record, adhere to legal compliance, forecasting for future planning, strategic alignment and enhanced decision making (Dessler, 2011, pg 61). The other functions that an HRIS system can perform include items such as control, effectiveness, flexibility, efficiency, responsiveness, accuracy, ease of use, automation, timeliness and process improvement (HR Systems Strategies Inc, n.d., pg. 1). The companies that are worldwide can use this to communicate the same thing to other countries with the HRIS system. HRIS software systems can have many components to it; however, not all companies require the same components. The general components that most large HR organizations have include a database to store employee information, time and labour management to track employee attendance, payroll to ensure employees are paid correctly and legally, benefits to ensure employees have appropriate benefits and retirement investments, recruitment to help build the company’s workforce, training for new or promoted employees, organization charting and scheduling for employees shifts and breaks and an employee interface for employees to review personal information (Jennifer, n.d., pg. 1)(Dessler, 2011, pg 58). Some companies can develop their software systems to be capable of performing things such as a salary analysis, budget planning, job design and performance reviews (Cezanne, n.d., pg. 1). The cost of an HRIS software system can depend on many factors, such as how complex or simple it is and if it was specialized for your company or if it is a general system. Large companies such as fortune 500 can run systems around the tens of millions of dollars, but smaller companies can run systems for less than a thousand dollars (HRIS, HRMS and HR, n.d., pg. 1). The reality is that there are many different HRIS software systems for any price range, but however much you invest into it, is how much you will get out. The HRIS system that a company chooses should not be based on how complex the system is, but how beneficial the system will be to help improve the businesses HR department. The impact of technology has changed the role of HR in many different aspects. The most obvious positive effect of using technology in an HR department is the increase of accuracy and efficiency, which in turn reduces costs and improves results within the company. The use of technology makes it able for HR to dedicate less time to paperwork and more time to employee interaction (Hall, 2012, pg. 1). Works Cited â€Å"Cezanne.† Cezanne. Cezanne Software Limited, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. . Dessler, Gary , and Nina D. Cole. â€Å"Human Resources Management and Technology.† Human Resources Management in Canada. 11th Canadian Edition ed. Toronto: Pearsons Canada, 2011. 58,59,61,62, 63. Print. â€Å"HR Systems Strategies Inc | HRIS Software Canada / US.† HR Systems Strategies Inc | HRIS Software Canada / US. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. . â€Å"HRIS, HRMS and HR software FAQà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s.† Free HRIS HRMS and HR Software Buyers Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. . Hall, James. â€Å"Impact of technology on human resource management | Importance of Technology.† Importance of Technology. N.p., 1 Mar. 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. . Jennifer, Kristin. â€Å"The Components of an HRIS System | eHow.com.† eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More – Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. .

Religion as a Tool of Control Essay

â€Å"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people† (Marx 260). This statement implies that religion is a powerful concept that encourages people to accept their conditions instead of revolting against their plight. Indeed in the wrong hands, it can be perverted to justify countless atrocities and so be used as a tool of oppression. In her novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood portrays a dystopian society, a fictional republic called Gilead, whose rulers use the power of religion to validate their terrifying personal agenda. She satirizes the political system that uses faith to validate its mandate, and justify its more questionable laws. Clearly the use of religion for political purposes is one of the central themes of the novel; Atwood takes a set of fundamentalist religious beliefs followed by certain fringe elements in contemporary society and takes them to their logical end to highlight their true despotic nature. In Gilead, politics and religion go hand in hand. The Sons of Jacob use religion and psychological tactics to control the masses and bend them to their will. Consequently the republic makes extensive use of religious terminologies for example domestic servants are called â€Å"Marthas† referring to a domestic character in the bible, the soldiers are called â€Å"Angels† while the local police are the â€Å"Guardians of the Faith†. The ruling government officials are called the â€Å"Commanders of the Faithful†. Even the names of shopping stores have biblical references like All Flesh, Milk and Honey, Loaves and Fishes. The purpose of this extensive use of biblical language is to deceive the people of Gilead into believing that their rulers enact the will of God Himself. Moreover the government only adopts certain aspects of Christianity while it shuns those that it finds inconvenient. For example Aunt Lydia, a teacher to the handmaids, says â€Å"I’ve learned to do without a lot of things, you get too attached to this material world and forget spiritual values. You must cultivate poverty of spirit. Blessed are the meek. † (Atwood 110) at this point in the novel Offred notes that Aunt Lydia says nothing about inheriting the Earth. Thus the republic used religious justification to demand docile behavior from the handmaids. Therefore religion is used as a powerful political tool in Gilead. Women play a very limited role in Gilead’s society; biblical allusions are used to weaken their status. A Commander makes the following speech at the women’s prayvaganza. â€Å"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved by childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. â€Å"(273) Therefore, by drawing an interpretation from a single biblical story the role of women is limited to reproduction. Moreover, in order to prevent the women from getting libertarian, secular ideas mass censorship takes place in Gilead. The country is cut off from the outside world as it does not even allow international television to be broadcasted; Offred notes this while watching the television â€Å"Serena clicks the channel changer. Waves, colored zigzags, a garble of sound: it is the Montreal Satellite Station being blocked. â€Å"(101) Furthermore all books deemed heretical by the republic are burned and women are not allowed to read at all, the bible is kept under lock and key so that the Commanders can read out only those parts that are prescribed by the government. Offred’s commander reads out the following passage from the bible on the day of the monthly ceremony â€Å"Give me children, or else I die. Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear fruit upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. â€Å"(112) This biblical tale, narrated in the novel by the Commander, forms the basis of the concept of a handmaid which is why it is given special significance in Gilead and it is also another one of the archaic stories from the bible that are used to enforce highly questionable obligations on women. Thus the women of Gilead are subjugated by a warped version of Christianity. Religion is supposed to emancipate man. But The Handmaid’s Tale depicts a society in which it is used to shackle people, to brainwash them, to force them to conform to a lifestyle permitted by their government. Margaret Atwood compares the people living in Gilead’s repressive society to rats trapped in a maze, she points out â€Å"A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere as long as it stays in the maze†(363). In fact those that rebel to the established norms are dealt with harshly; they are punished at a seudo-religious ceremony called the Particicution, where they are lynched to death by a mob of women for false crimes they did not commit. Regarding this, the dissident handmaid, Ofglen remarks â€Å"He wasn’t a rapist at all, he was a political. He was one of ours. â€Å"(350) What this entails is that the society in the novel is highly autocratic and it does not allow the freedom of expression, in fact it uses fear to control its citizens and induce thei r piety, as Offred notes â€Å"We must look good from a distance: picturesque, like Dutch milkmaids on a wallpaper frieze. Soothing to the eye, the eyes, the Eyes, for that’s who this show is for. We’re off to the Prayvaganza to demonstrate how obedient and pious we are. † (266) This highlights the peoples’ inherent paranoia, the fear of being found unfaithful, that has been slowly cultivated into their hearts and minds. Truly the establishment defiles the true spirit of religion by going against its very essence: the spiritual liberation of mankind. The use of religion for political purposes is one of the central themes of the novel; Atwood takes a set of religious beliefs followed by certain fringe elements in contemporary society and takes them to their logical end to highlight their true despotic nature. In conclusion, Margaret Atwood portrays a horrifying alternate reality in which religious fundamentalists dominate and religion comes to dictate every aspect of human life. The topic of religion carries a lot of significance in the novel; in fact the novel serves as a warning against the extremist views held by many modern think tanks.

Hotel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hotel - Essay Example Providing ample security for the visiting guests is yet another operational challenge facing the start of new Boutique hotels. This is because; the hotels target middle to high class incomes individuals, who are also the target of criminals. Collaborative customization is what we can learn from mass customization of tangible goods, which allows the service provider to discuss with the customers regarding their preferences, and thus articulate their services to match the preferences. Option and choices are yet the other aspects learnt which can be applied to mass customization of services. This will entail availing a range of services to customers, so they can choose on what fits them best. Boutique hotels can maintain standard level of service without compromising their customization mission, through training their staff to offer services differently to their customers, based on customer preferences. This way, they can differentiate service offering strategies, even though the services offered are

Historical religon art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Historical religon art - Essay Example This paper therefore provides an understanding on how faith, worship and theological ideas are represented through the mediums of art and religious architecture. In recent times, faith evangelism has been transformed into music. This is whereby individuals use music to propagate their faith to other individuals. For example, people produce music with biblical messages to break the monotony of written literature. In this regard, individuals are able to understand the message in a humane approach. Conversely, faith representation through art is restrained to representation of superior beings thanks to the sin of blasphemy. The Catholic Church, for example, has come under criticism over the representation of Jesus on the cross in their churches raising the question of idolatry. This therefore puts limitations to the way in which faithful worship. In a Christian view, one of the Ten Commandments abhors individuals from making any graven image that depicts God. This is mind, it is essential that art does not step on the ideological and perceptions of doctrines in the church. Nevertheless, use of art to propagate various faiths is critical. This is because most people across the world prefer art to written literature (Short 45). Although as earlier stated, art should be limited to the tenets of church’s regulations. Faith and theological ideas are presented through songs and dances that are forms of art. This is through church performances whereby use biblical verses to come up with sweet music. Moreover, other forms of art include drawings either in books on the streets. The drawings serve as recipes for the proliferation of the gospel. For instance, individuals use drawings to pass a message about the life and times of Jesus. This provides a historical approach to the gospel. Drawings kill the monotony of listening in a church congregation. Moreover, drawings as forms of visual arts are applied across the streets thus are reach-effective implying

Adopting Strategies in Raising Levels of Attainment of KS3 Essay

Adopting Strategies in Raising Levels of Attainment of KS3 - Essay Example A factor that must be addressed in improving the capacity of students to achieve greater heights at a pace equal to their peers within the same class must first be assessed in the aspect of literacy, for without literacy one cannot strive for full achievement. In recent years there have been a great many emerging initiatives that have been designed to promote literacy. Understanding these initiatives and applying them toward secondary education is a singularly important concept toward the ability to teach effectively in the KS3 environment.There is a growing concern in KS3 level schools with the current state of literacy. That concern would be the decline in literacy standards in the UK. This is an issue fiercely debated and so reiterating those arguments would be of no benefit. With the statistics that have been gathered and compared historically as well as reviewed with the current international evidence, standards of literacy in the United Kingdom would hardly be high enough for a sizeable proportion of the number of students. Yet, in order to be flexible, we must be willing to give each student a baseline level from which to start, and then we must ascertain goals for their further achievement. I believe that there is room within the National Strategy to adopt a much more refined approach to the teaching methods at KS3. An example of this consideration would be, higher ability students may be able to surpass the specification of the strategy. I also would believe that lower ability students may not be fully able to achieve all of the objectives in the National Strategy and it would be more appropriate in this case for them to spend longer periods acquiring solid basic ICT skills and understanding. To maintain standards in educational tolerance and sensitivity, we must learn about each student individually. This would be for their benefit to not only realize their goals and aspirations but to know their potential limitations and help them in the discovery of methods toward surpassing those limitations in order to gain access to their aspirations. Professors must also provide the students the outside methods toward attaining confidence in their ability to learn new skills in forwarding their education. Consistent teaching and learning is managed in order to improve attainment resources for teaching and learning in the form of revision guides, coursework help, lesson plans, worksheets, tasks and links to other sites. This has often resulted in improved consistency in teaching and would also have enabled students' access to useful materials encouraging independent learning. Consistency in teaching and learning at KS3 schools which would contain similar information, learning resour ces and homework for the younger students' use is an important factor to consider as well and then following that up with sharing copies of completed projects so teachers are aware of what students should have learned after completion of particular units. This is one thing that specialist schools, such as the Computing Specialist school that would cater to so many different nationalities would strive for, the

B202A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

B202A - Essay Example Opportunities for career growth abound in the organization for employees to achieve self-actualization. Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation suggests that ‘motivators’ deal with aspects of work and include work, promotion, achievement, responsibility and recognition whereas ‘hygiene factors’ deal with the context in which the work is rendered and includes working conditions, interpersonal relations and supervision. Amongst Kellogg’s various initiatives to make the organization a good place to work and a desirable employer of choice, the company has a ‘Fit for Life’ program that enables employees to use fitness centers, get free health checks as well as annual fitness assessments. The company uses flexi-time, home working, part-time working, job sharing, career breaks, parental leave et al. as motivators. Herzbergs hygiene factors correspond to Maslows physiological, safety and social needs (basic pay, work conditions) whereas Herzbergs motivators corresponds to Maslows esteem and self-actualisation needs (recognition, growth, achievement). Employees are often cited as the most importance resource that an organization has. Motivated employees go that extra mile to ensure that their organization is ahead of competition. Having a motivated work force accords numerous benefits to an organization: Save Costs: Motivated employees are more involved in their work. They tend to go beyond the call of their duty, apply their minds and suggest product and/or process improvements for the organization. Any such innovative idea given by the motivated workforce has the potency to save massive amounts of money for the organization. Reduction in Employee Turnover: Employee turnover costs an organization dearly. In case the replacement is not found immediately, it may hamper the smooth functioning of the organization. In addition to the time and money

The Veil and Muslim Womens Behavior Research Paper

The Veil and Muslim Womens Behavior - Research Paper Example The way Muslim women dress is strongly influenced by religious rules. The fundamental principle can be found in the Quran, which prescribes dress requirements for both men and women. This is important because the Islamic text functions as the code of ethics of Islamic societies and that it, certainly, is the basis of the norms by which Muslims live by. Therefore, while the text merely advises, they were closely followed across the Islamic world. Sura 24, 31-32, specifically prescribes the use of adornments for women. To quote:They shall not reveal any parts of their bodies, except that which necessary. They shall cover their chests, and shall not relax this code in the presence of their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons, their brothers, the sons of their brothers, other women, the male servants or employees whose sexual drive has been nullified, or the children who have not reached puberty (Sura 24:31).The above text has different interpretations from different Islamic communities. However, it set the standards by which women dress themselves by explicitly stating the rationale behind the rule. This is the reason why women in Muslim countries wore the veil. This piece of clothing depicts all that this paper is interested about. Its usage is typified by several cultural connotations that is why it influences the way women behave and act.The veil or hijab is the answer to the requirement of covering women’s body up to an acceptable degree.... This piece of clothing depicts all that this paper is interested about. Its usage is typified by several cultural connotations that is why it influences the way women behave and act. The Veil The veil or hijab is the answer to the requirement of covering women’s body up to an acceptable degree. This latter element to the rule gave Sura 24: 31 slightly different interpretations across the Muslim world, which resulted to the variations in how the veil is worn. But the fact remains that the veil became a cultural tool to depict and enforce what is considered ideal behavior in women. Numerous scholars have explained this theme and one may be sure that several interpretations were also posited. Gabriel cited some of the most important of these. He cited to important schools. The first is the Islamic perspective wherein women are being protected and supposedly â€Å"liberated† because the veil allows them to determine and be reminded of the importance of certain ideal behavio r such as piety, honor, modesty and the concept of guarding morality (4). This is the ideal principle as espoused by the core Islamic belief system on women. Many Islamic women choose to wear the veil on their own accord. In a survey, for example, it was found that 9 out of 10 women in all age groups in Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan approved of the Islamic dress code norm (Hassan 191). The other school explains that the veil became a tool for Islamic communities to isolate women and restrict them from participating in the public sphere. Both of these schools have valid arguments, but what is significant is the way they both highlight how the veil can impact behavior through the sheer symbolisms and norms it represents. Taking the view of the Islamic scholars, the veil

PERSPECTIVES ON EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOUR Case Study

PERSPECTIVES ON EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOUR - Case Study Example Though a questionnaire is an appropriate research tool to measure leadership behaviour and its impact on the organization, it does have limitations. These limitations include response bias, which involves stereotypes or favoritism shown toward the leader by the respondents that can distort results. There may also be social norms that exist within the organizational culture that have established a leader is effective even though such effective behaviours have not been observed personally by respondents. Therefore, the respondents may provide information within the questionnaire format that they believe will satisfy these social norms about the leader. There may even be problems with reliability with the research instrument, the questionnaire, that is not developed with questions that accurately measure what is intended to be understood. Causality is defined as a cause and effect phenomenon where situation x occurs as a direct result of activities stemming from situation y. When measur ing leadership, causality might be whether leadership behaviour x has a direct impact on employee motivation y. Consider the following: An organizational leader is using a questionnaire format to determine whether motivation is being negatively affected by improper leadership. Correlations are being sought in relation to the respondent information returned from the research tools.

The Best Alaskan Salmon in Ohio Essay Example for Free

The Best Alaskan Salmon in Ohio Essay If I said it was possible to have fresh, never frozen, Alaskan salmon delivered anywhere in the United States within two days of the fish being caught, people might call me crazy. I know I would but that is exactly what I found being advertised when I began searching for online retailers of Alaskan salmon. I have been enjoying salmon for a long time and living in central Ohio has forced me to try many avenues for the best salmon I could find. My choices were often limited to whatever stock of salmon was available at local retail locations that were often previously frozen. What I needed was a service that offered me a wide variety of wild, fresh salmon and Great-Alaska-Seafood exceeded my expectations with the best tasting salmon I have ever had. The first thing I look for when I buy salmon is quality and to me that means wild-caught, not farm raised salmon. The problem here is the vast majority of salmon sold in stores is sold as being â€Å"wild† from the Atlantic Ocean but this is not completely true. The trick here is fisheries are allowed to market their salmon as â€Å"wild† as long as the fish is allowed to swim in the Atlantic Ocean. However, they are still being fed processed food pellets. The main difference between wild and farm raised is their diet, which affects the overall quality of the fish. There are even health considerations that should be taken if farm raised fish is frequently consumed. Wild salmon from Alaska are considered by many as the best source of quality salmon available. Since this fishery was based out of Alaska I had some confidence I would be paying for the best salmon out there and they delivered on their promise. The freshness of the fish was also a big concern when I began to entertain the idea of making an order for salmon online. Locally I am often left to pick from Alaskan salmon filets that were previously frozen for transportation to Ohio, on the other hand, the first thing I noticed was this company offered free overnight shipping with a minimum purchase that was in my price range. This almost seemed too good to be true. Amongst many other online retailers I could not find a single competitor offering this service. With their service offering free overnight shipping with special packaging that involves dry-ice, I was able to purchase a fresh, never frozen, salmon. When I received my first order I was almost stunned that I could have an Alaskan salmon, just caught a day or two before, delivered to my door. This exceeded my expectations largely because I would have never thought it was possible. As much as I love salmon, everything must be taken in moderation. Eating the exact same type of salmon every week might get boring fast. So, I also needed a good amount of variety available to purchase amongst the different salmon species native to Alaska. The main types between salmon are â€Å"white† and â€Å"red† flesh and they taste distinctly different. When parlayed with the different locations and diets of the Alaskan salmon species, this allows for a lot of different ways to prepare and cook the fish. This is very important to me and I was very happy to see this company offered 8 different species of salmon. To add even more variety the company offers over 10 different smoking methods that add incredible flavor to the fish. All of which I have tried and taste phenomenal, including a variety of other seafood items they sell ranging from colossal crab legs to prawns that weigh one pound each. When I began my search for a new source of salmon I figured I would not have much luck living in Ohio. What I found was a company offering one of the best online services I have ever seen. The free overnight shipping plus the large variety of fresh salmon was exactly what I was looking for. I did a vast amount of research on multiple retailers that sell salmon and other seafood online and what I found is, for us salmon lovers far from the ocean, this is best option available.

Marketing mix and customer loyalty

Marketing mix and customer loyalty This chapter will discuss the findings of this study as outlined in the previous chapter and conclusions drawn. We will start this chapter by summarizing the whole study. Next, we will discuss the results in light of previous studies conducted by other researchers. Subsequently, we will identify the theoretical and managerial implications of the study. Lastly, we will present limitations of the study and directions for future research. The chapter ends with the conclusion of the study. The main objective of this study was to examine the relationships between the marketing mix used by the company and the relationship quality a company had with their customers and their loyalty. In addition, these relationships were tested under a supply shortage situation, to see whether the supply shortage situation would moderate the relationships between the marketing mix and the relationship quality with customer loyalty. Based on the literature review, four dimensions were identified for relationship quality, namely service quality, trust, satisfaction and commitment. The four dimensions for the marketing mix were product, price, place and promotion. For customer loyalty, four dimensions were also identified, repurchase, increase in repurchase volume, recommend and refusal to switch. A total of four hypotheses were developed in this study to match the objectives of the research. They are as follows: Customers perception of the marketing mix is positively related to customer loyalty. Customers perception of the relationship quality is positively related to customer loyalty. Customers perceived environment uncertainty moderates the relationship between marketing mix and customer loyalty. Customers perceived environment uncertainty moderates the relationship between relationship quality and customer loyalty. The data for this survey was gathered from construction companies registered with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) of Malaysia. A questionnaire was mailed to the construction companies based on their CIDB ranking and geographical location, thus ensuring that a representative sample was obtained. A total of 800 questionnaires were sent out and 179 were duly returned, giving this study a response rate of 22.4%. To ensure the goodness of measures, factor analysis and reliability test were conducted to test the data collected. Factor analysis was used to test the validity of the measures and the results showed that the extracted factors fit the conceptualized variables. Cronbachs alpha was used to test the reliability of the variable and the results showed that all variables had a sufficient level of reliability. Bivariate correlation analysis were conducted to determine the inter correlations amongst the independent variables and dependent variable. Regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis and sub-hypothesis. The study found that 3 of the hypothesis were partially accepted whereas the last hypothesis was rejected. 5.2 Discussions The aim of our study was to ascertain whether a supplier in the construction industry should focus on their companys marketing mix (cognitive component) or should they instead focus more on the relationship quality (affective component) they have with their customers, to ensure that their customers stay loyal to them. Further more, these relationships were also tested under a supply shortage situation, to see whether the relationships between the independent and dependent variables would change, providing us with valuable information for future use. This is because the supply shortage situation periodically happens in Malaysia and subsequently impacts the development of Malaysia as well. Similar research was done by Cater and Cater (2009) and De Rutyer and Semejin (2002) in which emotional motivation was the affective component and rational motivation was the cognitive component. Both researches found that both the affective and cognitive component positively influences customer loyalty. However, the affective component seems to be much stronger than the cognitive component in their findings. Our first hypothesis result seems to mirror those of other studies. van Riel et al (2005), Yoo et al (2000) and Kim and Hyun (2010) have established the effects of the marketing mix on brand equity. They found that companies investing in the marketing mix, product, price, place and promotion, would create brand awareness and a positive brand image. In this way, brand equity would be created, and when brand equity exists, brand loyalty follows. For this study, we replaced brand equity with the suppliers equity and brand loyalty with the customers loyalty. The results show that the companys marketing mix has a positive relationship on customer loyalty. The RÂ ² value indicates that 29% of the variation in customer loyalty can be explained by the variation in the marketing mix. The study found that buyers in construction companies placed great emphasis on the product, price and promotion, but not the place. This is slightly different from results obtained from van riel et al (2005), Yoo et al (2000) and Kim and Hyun (2010). In the aforementioned studies, results indicated that all the 4Ps had significant impact on customer loyalty for their respective industries which were the chemical and retail industry respectively. As this study was conducted in the construction industry, we were dealing with industrial products like cement, steel bars, sand, bricks, which are very expensive and represent a large amount in the cost of a building. Therefore, price would definitely be a very important consideration when purchasing. The product range that a supplier can provide is also important in maintaining their loyalty because a supplier who carries a wide range of products will mean that buyers need not source for other suppliers to fulfil their needs. Therefore this result is consistent with our literature review finding that says product and price play an important part in maintaining customer loyalty. Promotions have also been found to be significant in maintaining customer loyalty. Frequent advertisements seem to keep the supplier in the forefront of the buyers mind, thus increasing both their behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. With the current competitive situation that exists in the construction industry with many suppliers in the market and not many buyers, suppliers need to maintain their existing customers by offering discounts and volume rebates. These types of sales promotions are closely related to the dimension of price, thus a very effective method to maintain customer loyalty. This is similar to what has been postulated by Yoo et al (2000) Place (channel of distribution), was found to not positively affect customer loyalty. This is contradicting with other findings previously highlighted in the literature review. Probably this dimension of the marketing mix does not have an impact on customer loyalty because buyers of construction companies do their purchasing virtually via the internet, through the telephone or via facsimiles. Buyers do not need to physically go to the buyers office to place their orders, thus distribution intensity (the number of branches the supplier have all over Malaysia) would not be important to buyers. Also once they place their order with a supplier, the goods can be shipped anywhere in Malaysia as specified in the order. A buyer in Kuala Lumpur can place an order with a supplier in Ipoh for goods to be delivered to Johor Baharu. This is unlike the retail market in which distribution intensity (the number of stores available) helps to promote loyalty because it makes it easier for the consumer to acquire their goods. Our second hypothesis explores the relationship between relationship quality and customer loyalty. Numerous researches have been conducted on this in the B2B as well as B2C contexts. The rational is that when the quality is good, the relationship is successful, thus, leading to customer loyalty. In general, similar results were found in this study, in which we found that buyers in construction companies viewed the relationship quality they had with their supplier as important in maintaining their loyalty to them. The RÂ ² value indicates that 33% of the variation in customer loyalty can be explained by the variation in relationship quality. However, they did not view service quality as an important dimension in relationship quality for maintaining their loyalty to the supplier. Even though past researchers like Caceres and Paparoidamis (2007),Rauyruen and Miller (2006), Hewett et al (2002), Hennig-Thurau and Klee (1997), Storbacka et al (1994), Dorsch et al (1998) and Crosby et al (1990) has advocated that service quality will have an impact on customer loyalty, findings in this study indicate otherwise. This could be caused by the gender and cultural profiles of our respondents as well as the context of the study, which was the construction industry. According to Donthu and Yoo (1998) and Furrer, Shaw and Sudharshan (2000), cultural influences will have an impact on service expectations. All the previous researches mentioned earlier were done in the Western cultural context. Customers in different cultures or countries will have different levels of service expectations because cultures differ in their patterns of behaviour and attitudes. Donthu and Yoo (1998) and Furrer et al (2000) used Hofstedes typology of culture to investigate cultural differences on service expectations. They found that customers in high power distance countries, like Malaysia, were more likely to accept very low levels of service quality or overlook it totally. They would accept or tolerate poor service delivery because of the service providers expertise. For seemingly poor services, the customers of high power distance countries would find excuses for the service providers instead. Thus, in this study, buyers in construction firms in Malaysia do not view service quality as an important dimension in maintaining their loyalty to their supplier as opposed to their Western counterparts. Donthu and Yoo (1998) and Furrer et al (2000) also found that customers in feminine countries like Malaysia which focused on values such as interdependence and relationships did not expect every service encounter to be perfect and would sacrifice the service quality for more important values to them like long term relationships. As 69.3% of our respondents were from the Chinese race, the Confucian dynamic of long term orientation would come into play. The Chinese are more prone to saving face, respect for others and traditions. They do not like to complain and bring shame to others. Thus, in line with this thinking, our findings indicate that trust, commitment and satisfaction are important in maintaining customer loyalty in this study. Also being a very collectivistic country, Malaysian buyers in construction firms would always be looking at how they can preserve harmony in their relationship with the supplier and not rock the boat by complaining behaviour on the service quality provided. They would be willing to overlook the lack or poor service provided by the supplier. Due to this fact, they do not view service quality as being able to maintain their loyalty to the supplier. Gender also plays a role in service quality perceptions and customer loyalty. According to Gocek, Kursun and Beceren (2007) in a research on the role of gender in service quality perceptions in the textile industry, they found that males gave less importance to perceive service quality received compared to females. Males were less bothered about how service quality could enhance their overall satisfaction levels towards their supplier, and ultimately on their loyalty. Thus, in our study, 57.5% of the respondents were males as compared to only 41.9 % females. Therefore based on this, our findings indicated that service quality was not an important dimension in ensuring their loyalty. In line with other research in the literature review, the accepted dimensions of relationship quality like satisfaction, trust and commitment were found to positively affect customer loyalty. Hesket et al (1994), Storbacka et al (1994), Hennig-Thurau and Klee (1997)and Lam et al (2004) posits that when the customer is satisfied, it will impact on the relationship strength and longevity and ultimately on the customers profitability and serve as the key to an organizations success and long term competitiveness. Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001 linked trust to loyalty through performance whereas Sirdeshmukh et al (2002) linked trust to loyalty through value creation. Buyers need to feel that they can trust their suppliers and these can be exhibited by frontline employees (trustworthy behaviour) and management practices (trustworthy practices). Most researchers identify commitment among exchange partners as key to achieving customer loyalty. Morgan and Hunt, 1994, Dick and Basu, 1994 and Oliver, 1999, all agree that relationship commitment is similar to loyalty because of the consequences exhibited like positive word of mouth, rebuy or repurchase a product/service consistently and refusal to switch. Our third hypothesis was also partially accepted, in which the supply shortage situation moderates the relationship between the marketing mix and customer loyalty. In other words, the supply shortage situation affects how the suppliers marketing mix is perceived by the buyers, and this would affect their loyalty. As postulated by Wagner and Gopalakrishna (2001) and Kotler (1974), suppliers in the construction industry should be making intelligent adjustments to the marketing mix to focus on the opportunities presented by the supply shortage situation. Price still remains the most important component of the marketing mix, especially for buyers in construction companies because the procurement of building materials represents a large amount of the building cost. Therefore, suppliers must resist the urge to raise prices as shortage conditions on the grounds of supplier opportunism because by doing so, they will loose their customers instead. Suppliers must also ensure that they do not cut down on production or product lines because of a shortage in the mistaken belief that it would not affect their customers loyalty. Even though there is a shortage supply situation in the construction industry, this does not mean that certain essential building materials are not required by the contractor during that time. In fact, the whole range of building materials from the structural, intermediate to the final stages in the construction process is required, regardless of whether there is a supply shortage for certain materials or not. Therefore, it is important for suppliers to be cognizant of this fact, and ensure that they carry a wide range of product solutions for their customers needs, even though during a supply shortage situation. The place (channel of distribution) also becomes important during a supply shortage situation in maintaining customer loyalty. This is because during a supply shortage situation, buyers will try to reduce their risk of being unable to obtain their supply. Therefore, a rational buyer will maintain their loyalty with a supplier that has intensity of distribution (having many branches all over Malaysia) to ensure that they will be able to get their supply of building materials. A contractor based in Kuala Lumpur, might very well have jobs all over Malaysia, thus by buying from a supplier that has many branches all over Malaysia, this will ensure better coordination in deliveries to various job sites all over Malaysia due to the fact that there would be personnel from the supplier stationed in the relevant geographical area. The buyer would feel more comfortable and confident, thus enhancing their loyalty to the supplier. Our study indicates that promotion becomes less important during a supply shortage situation. This could be because in a shortage situation, products are able to sell themselves. Suppliers need not have promotions and advertisements to maintain their presence in the mind of their customers during a shortage. Their buyers are very much aware of their suppliers and their importance during a time of shortage Our final hypothesis was rejected, indicating that the supply shortage situation does not affect the relationship between relationship quality and customer loyalty. In other words, the supply shortage situation has no affect on how the buyer views their relationship quality and their loyalty with the supplier. This is contradictory to findings in the literature review which posits that a supply shortage situation is perceived as a risk. Thus, buyers will try to engage in risk reducing activities such as looking for other suppliers, thus making them less loyal to their existing supplier. However, our findings can be answered by a research done by Wood (2008) in the B2B context for wireless telecommunications. He found that when the buyer was very satisfied with his relationship (indication of good relationship quality) it would instead reduce the inclination of the buyer to search for new alternatives, thus positively influencing the buyers intention to remain with the supplier even during a supply shortage situation. This positive satisfaction with the relationship will instead negatively influence the buyers perception of other available suppliers in the market, thus ensuring the buyers loyalty to his/her existing supplier. 5.2.1. Major results of the study Based on the explanation and discussion above, a summary of the major results are presented as follows: The marketing mix element of price presented by a company has a positive affect on their customers loyalty The marketing mix element of product presented by a company has a positive affect on their customers loyalty The marketing mix element of promotion presented by a company has a positive affect on their customers loyalty The marketing mix element of place presented by a company does not have a positive affect on their customers loyalty The relationship quality element of service quality does not have a positive effect on customer loyalty The relationship quality element of trust has a positive affect on customer loyalty The relationship quality element of satisfaction has a positive affect on customer loyalty The relationship quality element of commitment has a positive affect on customer loyalty The relationship quality has a stronger affect on customer loyalty than the marketing mix The supply shortage situation affects how customers view the marketing mix presented by the company and this would affect their loyalty. The supply shortage situation does not affect how customers view their relationship quality with a company, thus not affecting their loyalty. 5.3 Implications of the study Based on the research findings, several implications related to the theoretical and practical aspects of management will be discussed. 5.3.1 Theoretical implications The theory of cognitive-affective-conative-behavior was used in this study to explain the formation of customer loyalty. This theory suggests that customers loyalty is influenced by both cognitive and affective components. The cognitive components reflect that customers will make conscious evaluations based on information or knowledge such as the price or quality. (Oliver, 1999, Sawmong and Omar, 2004). Cognitive components in this study are represented by the 4Ps, namely product, price, place and promotion. (van Riel et al, 2005,Yoo et al, 2000, Kim and Hyun, 2010) The affective components reflect the fact that customers emotions or feelings are likely to play an important role in their behaviour. (Oliver, 1999) The affective components in this study are represented by relationship quality. (Hewett et al, 2002, Rauyruen and Miller, 2006, Caceres and Paparoidamis, 2007) The conative-behaviour is accompanied by the desire to an intended action. (Oliver, 1999) It can be exhibited through various ways through the customers behaviour; most commonly cited are repeat patronage (behavioural loyalty) and positive word of mouth (attitudinal loyalty). The findings in this research is consistent with the postulated theory. Both cognitive and affective components have an effect on customer loyalty. In this study, the RÂ ² for marketing mix was 29% and for relationship quality is was 33%. This indicates that the relationship quality has a strong affect on customer loyalty than the marketing mix. Research by Cater and Cater (2009) and De Rutyer and Semejin (2002) support this statement. In these researches, the affective component was found to be stronger than the cognitive component. Customers therefore seem to value the emotional we like more than the rational we benefit. Cater and Cater (2009) surmises that because of this findings, customers are not as rational as they should be, or much more likely, that rational benefits are perceived as minor in their decision making. In this case, the heart rules the head in the making of decision of continued loyalty. 5.3.2 Managerial implications From this study, we can draw several managerial implications as follows: The marketing mix presented by a company plays an important role in influencing their customers loyalty. Therefore, managers should not neglect the elements of price, product and promotion in their marketing strategies. Price is a very important consideration in purchasing in the construction industry as building materials are very expensive and make up a large amount of the construction cost. All buyers in construction companies would be very price sensitive due to this fact. Managers must ensure that they price their products competitively, according to the going rate. Pricing too high will have a negative affect unlike consumer goods which provide an impression of quality. ( Yoo et al, 2000) Managers should also pay attention to promotions to keep their company in the forefront of their customers mind. With the current competitive situation that exists in the construction industry with many suppliers in the market and not many buyers, suppliers need to maintain their existing customers by offering discounts and volume rebates. These types of sales promotions are closely related to the dimension of price, thus a very effective method to maintain customer loyalty. This is also similar to what has been postulated by Yoo et al (2000). Lastly, managers should make sure that their companies carry a wide range of products as this will ensure that their customers need not source for other suppliers to fulfil their orders. The relationship quality that a company has with their customer is also important in maintaining their customers loyalty. Managers should pay attention to their companys relationship management strategies and ensure that their customers are satisfied, trust and committed to the relationship they have with the company. Managers should focus on frontline employees especially sales personnel to ensure that they exhibit trustworthy behaviour. Management must ensure that they are ethical and honest in their dealings with customers, thus fostering a climate of trust. (Sirdeshmukh, 2002). To cultivate commitment, managers should place more emphasis on activities that produce strong positive feelings of affiliation and camaraderie between their company and customers. (Kumar et al, 1994). In general, satisfaction is a persons feeling of pleasure or disappointment resulting from comparing a products perceived performance in relations to his or her expectations. (Storbacka et al, 1994) Thus, ma nagers should focus on product and service quality and put in the effort to creating a high perception of these elements to ensure that their customers are not disappointed, but delighted instead. Supply shortages periodically occur in the construction industry. Thus, managers need to know how to manage their customer loyalty during such times. This study shows that the supply shortage situation affects how customers view the marketing mix presented by the company and this would affect their loyalty. Therefore, managers should be making intelligent adjustments to the marketing mix to focus on the opportunities presented by the period of uncertainty (shortage). By recognizing the changing environment, organizations can still retain their customers and enhance their profitability. (Kotler, 1974, Wayne and Gopalakrishna, 2001). As product, price and place have been found to affect customers loyalty during a supply shortage situation, managers should focus on these three elements. This means that they should not simply increase prices, reduce product lines and cut down on channels of distribution. Instead, managers should ensure that they price competitively, ensure that they carr y enough product lines and not shut down any branches/cut down on sales personnel during a shortage situation. As promotions was found to not affect customer loyalty during a supply shortage situation, managers can then save some spending and cut down on their sales promotion and advertising budgets. The supply shortage situation does not affect how customers view their relationship quality with a company, thus it does not affect their loyalty. However, this does not mean that managers should neglect the quality of the relationship they have with their customers. Managers should continue to do what they have been doing during normal periods. Ensure that your customers are satisfied and happy with the existing relationship they have by continually meeting their requirements and delighting them always. Overall, in a normal situation, to maintain their customers loyalty, a company should pay more attention to the relationship quality because it has been found to have a stronger affect. However, this does not mean that managers can neglect the marketing mix, because it has also been found to have an affect on customer loyalty. Therefore, prudent managers should pay attention to both cognitive and affective components to maintain their customers loyalty. However, when a supply shortage situation occurs, managers who focus on their marketing mix can reap substantial gains in their customers loyalty as opposed to the relationship quality. For managers, this provides them with valuable information on which aspect to focus on to advance their customers loyalty. Therefore, they can formulate strategic plans that suit the existing situation. 5.4 Limitations of the study The results should be interpreted in light of the limitations of the study. They are as follows: The sample surveyed. Our population for the study comprised of all organizations registered with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) of Malaysia. There are many more contractors which are not registered with the CIDB. Therefore, the results should be carefully considered as being representative of the construction industry as not all organizations in the construction industry were sampled. It should be noted that 62% of the respondents were private limited corporations which were locally owned. As such, smaller contractors might not have enough representation in this study. This study was conducted in the construction industry, thus it may limit the generalization to other industries and business to business settings. The study is based on perceptions. As such, the inherent limitations of perception studies are acknowledged. The respondents responses represent what they consider to be facts rather than what the facts actually are. Another limitation might be that the data was collected via a self administered questionnaire. There is concern in the study that customer do not always perform as they say they will and might not answer truthfully for a variety of personal or organizational reasons. The study asked for the questionnaire to be answered by someone in the organization who has done purchasing and experienced a supply shortage situation before. It should be noted that there is room for bias as we cannot ascertain that the respondent that answered the questionnaire fulfils that criteria. Due to the time constraints, a cross sectional study was conducted. As such, changes in the variables under study over time, especially the dimensions of relationship quality and customer loyalty may limit the possibility to infer causation. 5.5 Directions for future research While this study advances the knowledge of customer loyalty in the construction industry, it also provides additional opportunities for future research. Future researches should consider having more or different marketing mix dimensions instead of using the 4Ps. This might lead to different findings for customer loyalty. The same applies for relationship quality, in which different dimensions are used instead of the generally accepted ones of trust, satisfaction and commitment. Future research can also enhance this study by having a larger sample that covers all organizations in the construction industry, irregardless of whether they are registered with CIDB. Hardware companies are also involved in the construction industry by supplying building materials to contractors. They also frequently encounter supply shortage situations, thus, for future research, they can also be considered. Because nothing is manipulated in this study, it is difficult to make causal inferences from the data. Perceived marketing mix and the relationship quality could be illusive reflections, distinct from the actual efforts put in by the company. To investigate more thoroughly the causal impact of each independent variable towards loyalty, future researchers could design and conduct experiments manipulating the levels of the independent and the moderating variables. 5.6 Conclusion The main objective of this study was to examine the relationships between the marketing mix used by the company and the relationship quality a company had with their customers and their loyalty in the construction industry. In addition, these relationships were tested under a supply shortage situation, to see whether the supply shortage situation would moderate the relationships between the marketing mix and the relationship quality with customer loyalty. Overall, this study has provided some empirical evidence that a companys marketing mix and the relationship quality with their customers has positive impact on their customers loyalty. The marketing mix components had varying degrees of significant relationships to customer loyalty. Product, price and promotion were found to have positive relationships with customer loyalty. Place was found not to have an affect on customer loyalty. The relationship quality components also had varying degrees of significant relationships to customer loyalty. Trust, satisfaction and commitment were found to have positive relationships with customer loyalty. However, service quality was found not to have any affect on customer loyalty. Overall, relationship quality was found to have a stronger affect on customer loyalty in the construction industry. Perhaps the main contribution of this study is the evidence that the significance of cognitive and affective components in customer loyalty changes during a perceived environment uncertainty. Cognitive components become more important to customer during a supply shortage situation than affective components. Cater and Cater (2009) theme of rational we benefit rules against the emotional

Issues of Discrimination in Sports

Issues of Discrimination in Sports There are many different aspects that define the culture of a group of people. Whether it is the food or the music or the traditions, every single person in this world lives based on the culture that surrounds them. One vital part of a culture is sports. Games are a source of revenue, income, careers and entertainment. They create bonds between people who would otherwise have nothing in common, whether fans, athletes or administrators. A chance of healthy competition between individuals of a society is the basis for the games in which a select few participate and millions watch. Especially for the population of the United States, sports are so ingrained into the culture that it would be hard to imagine a country without them. Sports have been praised for their ability to be a melting pot (Lumpkin), an idea easily understood by the United States, which holds the same nickname. They are considered to be the great equalizer because more attention is given to the abilities of a person than to who they actually are (Humara). Most people believe that sports provide equal opportunities for both majorities and minorities alike (Kahn). But what if this is not true? Just as minorities are discriminated against in everyday society, there is speculation and debate that discrimination occurs in sporting institutes as well. Economists and the general public have become more interested in the issue of discrimination against minorities in professional sports (Kahn). This topic is easily pursued and assessed considering statistics are readily available for the public, such as the gender, age, race, ethnicity and salary of players in professional sports such as baseball, football and basketball (Kahn). A growing number of sports sociologists are focusing on these inequalities and trying to discover if there is an actual problem and if so how it can be corrected (Eisen 127). The general issue of discrimination in institutions was addressed by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This article prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin (Hanna). Some people argue that there is still evidence of racial discrimination in sports today, though. Despite laws, the situation becomes sticky when it comes to racial discrimination. Is it really possible to prove that someone was not hired based on their race? In some cases, yes, but in others, no. The government cannot force people to hire certain candidates, but their ability to punish institutions for denying a position to a candidate based on race is limited (Hanna). Within the institution of sports, there are several ways that a person can be discriminated against, such as during the hiring process, what position he or she is allocated, or how much he or she is paid in salary (Kahn). Discrimination can come from employers, coworkers, customers, and people who hold prominent positions such as sportscasters, Hall-of-Fame selection committees, sports executives and franchise owners (Leonard). Discrimination not only affects if someone is able to be a part of a team, but how they are treated while on that team. Minorities are said to experience discrimination during the hiring process simply based on their origin and the fact that those in decision-making positions are more inclined to hire those who are similar to themselves. Since several administrators are white males, they are more likely to hire white males when given the chose between several well-qualified candidates. Those who are hired could possibly experience discrimination through the allocation of their positions; minorities may be given less-prominent leadership and critical-thinking positions such as pitchers and quarterbacks (Kahn). Salary is a difficult area to determine discrimination due to the fact that numbers may be biased, figures may be omitted, players perform different positions at different skill levels, veterans are paid more than rookies, and contracts may differ based on the number of years and the salary to be paid (Kahn). Customers may show their own form of discrimination by refusing to attend games or purch ase certain merchandise, as well as racial slurs said during taunting or trash talking (Lumpkin). The three sports that are voted as the most popular in the United States are baseball, basketball and football. These three only offer a handful of positions: 737 in Major League Baseball (MLB), 245 in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 1400 in the National Football League (NFL) (Eisen 230). The chances of someone securing a position on a team in these institutions is miniscule, with four out of every 100,000 Caucasians, two out of every 100,000 African Americans and three out of every 100,000 Hispanics successfully doing so (Egendorf 95). Professional sports organizations are required to submit a Racial and Gender Report Card to assess the hiring practices of women and people of color in each organization. These assessments ensure that minorities are justly represented in such prominent organizations by considering the composition of the players, coaches and administration. For example, if African-Americans represent twenty-four percent of the population then twenty-four percent of the positions held in a sports organization must be held by African-Americans. In the 2010 Racial and Gender Report Cards, the MLB, NBA and NFL each scored an A in racial hiring practices, with the MLB and NFL improving from an A- and the NBA dropping from an A+ in 2009 (CBA). The color barrier in baseball was broken by Jackie Robinson in 1947 when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers and ended segregation in professional baseball (Kahn). At the start of the 2010 season, minorities composed over forty percent of the players in the MBL, including African-Americans, Latinos and Asian-Americans. Nine people of color (three African-Americans, five Latinos and the first Asian-American) hold the title of manager in the MLB, bringing the total managers of color to thirty percent. Thirty-two percent of coaching positions are held by minorities, and they are also well represented in administration positions as well (CBA). The National Basketball Association employs the highest percentage of minorities with eighty-two percent of their players being African-American, Latinos and Asian-Americans. Seventy-seven percent of those players are African-American. International players hold eighteen percent of positions on NBA teams. Michael Jordan is the only African-American majority owner of a professional sports team, but there are four African-American presidents in the NBA. Thirty percent of the head coaches are of a minority, with one American-Asian and eight African-Americans holding positions, while forty-one percent of the assistant coaches are of color (CBA). Administration in the National Football League hosts many positions for minorities as well, with twenty-five percent of the positions being held by African-Americans, Latinos, Asians and Native Americans, but no person of color has ever held majority ownership of an NFL team. The representation of minorities is relatively high for African-Americans at sixty-seven percent, but Latinos and Asian-Americans are only represented with one and two percent, respectively. Out of all of the professional sports organizations, the NFL has the smallest percentage of international players with two percent. The coaching staff of the NFL boasts six African-American coaches and one hundred fifty seven assistant coaches of color (CBA). Based on the data collected from the Racial and Gender Report cards of Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League, minority representation fares well in these professional sports. Certain measures, such as this report card, have been taken to ensure that minorities are represented in sporting institutes (CBA). One such measure is the Rooney Rule, enacted by the NFL in 2002. The Rooney Rule was headed by Dan Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers and states that any NFL team seeking to hire a head coach must interview one or more minority applicants (Hanna). This rule is most likely accountable for the fact that one fourth of NFL teams have a minority coach. Measures like these enable minorities to have an equal opportunity to be represented in the sporting organizations in the country in which they reside. While the numbers show that discrimination is very low, if not nonexistent, in sporting organizations in the United States, they can only go so far. Discrimination is not just about how many players of color are on a sporting team, but what they had to do in order to achieve their position and how they are treated once they are a part of the team. Blacks were excluded from professional sports all together until the 1940s, after World War II (Kahn). Before this time, African-Americans began their own black leagues that mirrored the white-only versions of the sport. For example, Rube Foster founded the National Negro Baseball League in 1920 that offered an alternative for black athletes excluded from the major leagues (Eisen 138). These leagues were a chance for African-Americans and other minorities to play sports they loved, although they were far from equal to their white counterparts. Once minority players were allowed to become a part of professional sports alongside white people, it was an uphill battle. African-Americans were striving for success in institutions that were controlled and defined by white standards (Eisen 135). They had to face the fact that they were both black and American playing white sports (Eisen 133). They wanted to be classified equally with their teammates, but they were defined by their color and not their ability (Eisen 138). These players strove to gain acceptance but never completely broke away from being defined by their race (Eisen 136). Wins symbolized symbolic nails in the coffin of racial inferiority but losses were evidence of their limits as minorities (Eisen 133). Many prominent minority athletes used their social status to help those in their race that were less fortunate while they pursued their careers (Eisen 136). Some may argue that discrimination exists in sporting organizations in the United States today. Qualifications and abilities may be overlooked because of the race of the applicant (Egendorf 103). Since many controlling positions in both professional and collegiate sports are held by white males, minorities have less of a chance of being hired due to the fact that the employer is more likely to hire someone similar to themselves (Egendorf 99). Athletes who have played the sport should be awarded leadership positions, but more often than not whites are hired over minorities (Egendorf 98). Minority athletes, many of whom grow up in lower-income areas, are denied equal training facilities during high school and are therefore at a disadvantage compared to their white counterparts when it comes to trying out for spots on professional sports teams (Kahn). Others do not see discrimination present in organizations such as the MLB, NBA and NFL. These people look at the statistics and notice that minorities are represented more in sports than they are in the entire population (Kahn). They also notice trends, such as the fact that the NBA is representative of more minorities than whites and that the NFL is increasingly composed of Pacific Islanders and Latinos (Egendorf 97). Since white players have more opportunities in society after retirement, they are more likely to retire earlier and therefore will not be as valuable as a minority who will play for a longer amount of time (Kahn). Either way the situation is looked at, minorities are fast becoming a majority (Justice Reader 2). Since the United States have been considered a melting pot for people from so many cultures and the country offers so many more opportunities, more and more people are immigrating in search of a better life. Although America has been defined as white, that is slowly beginning to change (Justice Reader 2). So how is justice ensured to minorities wishing to pursue a career in professional sports? The principle of distributive justice should be followed, or rewards, rights, opportunities, services and treatments because of who that person is, what he or she has done or to which group he or she belongs (Justice Reader 40). If an African-American athlete and a white athlete train equally for a position on a team, they should be given an equal opportunity to try out for that position. Their chances should be fair and consistent. Justice should be understood as merit focused on what is owed a person by virtue of his or her actions, efforts and impacts (Justice Reader 49). In the Old Testament of the Bible, we are told that God loves justice (Isaiah 61:8). The sin of humanity creates injustice in the world, yet we are called to live just and righteous lives (Micah 6:8). A reoccurring theme in the Old Testament is the law that God calls His people to live by. When the law is followed, we are able to live in harmony with God and other humans. This law has been broken, though, creating the injustices that we are dealing with in our day and age. One of the main focuses of the New Testament is the teachings of Jesus. In these teachings, He calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31). By treating our brothers and sisters in just ways, we are loving them as we love ourselves and treating them how we would want to be treated. The New Testament also tells us that we are all one body of Christ and therefore everyone is equal (Galatians 3:28). Why should some have privileges over others or be treated with injustice? Sporting organizations are very prevalent in the culture and society of the United States. The issue of minority representation has always been a controversy in the sporting world due to the fact that a successful career in athletics leads to success away from the athletic world (Eisen 221). Not only is minority representation important since they are a large part of the culture, but minorities are given more opportunities through a career in sports. Creating a system that gives equal opportunities and treatments to both majorities and minorities is one way to solve injustices in sporting organizations. Some actions to begin this system have been started, such as the Rooney Rule in the NFL. Individuals can voice their opinions when it comes to sporting organizations, such as protesting unjust actions and treatments. One voice may not be a lot, but many voices together can make a loud sound.

Happiness in Nicomachean Ethics and Living the Rule of St. Benedict Tod

Essay written by Elizabeth Sippel From pursuing pleasure to avoiding pain, life seems to ultimately be about achieving happiness. However, how to define and obtain happiness has and continues to be a widely debated issue. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle gives his view on happiness. According to Aristotle, different types of people pursue different ends. â€Å"The many,† or ordinary people, pursue pleasure, whereas politicians seek glory. However, people of superior refinement seek happiness. Happiness is the highest goal because it is an end desired entirely for its own sake, and it is selfsufficient. In order to define happiness, the function of man must be considered. Aristotle says that what makes man unique is his ability to reason. Thus reason must be connected to happiness in some way. Aristotle further argues that virtue is also tied to happiness. Virtue can be categorized as either intellectual or moral. Intellectual virtue, as the name suggests, corresponds to the reasoning self. Moral virtue, on the other hand, corresponds to the desiring self. Thus moral vi...

The Theme of Carpe Diem in Robert Herricks To the Virgins to Make Much

The Theme of Carpe Diem in Robert Herrick's To the Virgins to Make Much of Time Robert Herrick's poem, "To the Virgins to Make Much of Time," focuses on the idea of carpe diem. More specifically, in this poem the idea of marriage while love and flesh are still young should be heeded or one may suffer in their later years alone and loveless. Herrick suggests that this gift of virginity might be a great waste if not given while it is still desirable. Virginity is a gift for the simple reason that it can only be given once to the taker of the prize, which he believes should be the husband. Therefore, he says to go out and find husbands, for youth is not perpetual and will eventually succumb to old age and loneliness. Through Herrick's use of colorful imagery and personification, the reader detects a sense of urgency and duty for the virgins to go forth and marry while time is still at hand and love is bountiful, thus creating the overall idea of carpe diem. The first stanza of the poem opens to the personification of the flowers as the virgins: Gather ye Rose-buds while ye may, Old Time is still a flying: And this same flower that smiles today, To morrow will be dying. (ll. 1-4) The rosebuds correspond to the virgins in that they are beautiful and delicate, yet they have not reached their full potential and maturity by becoming full bloomed roses. Time is also personified as, "Old Time," which suggests a genial greybeard more than a grim reaper (Rollin 83). Time is still "a flying" suggests a comical image more than ominous but still one of urgency (Rollin 83). The image of the smiling flower indicates innocence and freshness but it only "smiles today, To morrow [it] will be dying." A grim and abrupt end comes to t... ...s across his idea of carpe diem in a very understandable way. The images used were easily comprehended, and the poem was often comical. His advice is very typical of a charismatic man who easily can manipulate words in his favor. One illustration that came across from this poem was one of entertainment, and not surprisingly mostly on the behalf of men. I can imagine the laughter this poem would draw from women in a bar if a man attempted to use these arguments as pick-up lines. Yet, the message does have a serious light in that time should not be taken for granted. Something that one may possess today, such as beauty or youthfulness, will eventually succumb to old age. Experience things while they are still fresh and untouched, for later on one may regret not having done so. Works Cited Rollin, Roger B. Robert Herrick. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1992. 83-84.

Practise What You Preach

Practice what you preach Any person in the world is an individual and it goes without saying that all people differ. Consequently, all of them have different mentality, ideology, behavior, thoughts, attitude to the same things and phenomena. Usually since childhood we stand on one path and follow it during all our life. Here the influence of parents, grandparents, teachers can be seen, when we try to copy their adult habits.But it seems to be normal when a little child follows the ideas of a mother today, for example, and the other day he/she persuades everyone that a father says the truth, even though it contradicts a mother’s truth which was actual a day before. It can be understood that a child just explores the world and can’t decide whose ideas are worth following. Becoming a teenager, a young man or lady, we tend to make our own conclusions rather that listen to what adults say and think.And since that moment when we generate our own ideas and persuade other peopl e have the same beliefs, we are responsible for what we say. There is one proverb: â€Å"A word spoken is past recalling†. If you have said something once, don’t change your opinion in one hour or the next day, because in future people won’t know whether believe you or not, whether listen to or ignore you. Of course, it’s a usual thing when due to some experience, knowledge, evidence we can change our beliefs, it’s our personal thing.But when you begin to spread your ideas among other people, you should stand by them till the very end, otherwise keep silence. If your ideas were introduced aloud, if other people heard them once, then you are expected to practice what you preach. Here can be said in general about teachers, because they are those who teach a lot of children. The last without their own experience, remember everything said at the classes. Surely, they believe their teachers, because they are older and wiser.And if one day students see t hat a teacher doesn’t practice what he/she preaches, they won’t believe him/her anymore. Therefore the authority of a teacher won’t be stable. There is one more concrete example about Mr. Davidson from W. Somerset Maugham’s story â€Å"Rain†. Alfred Davidson, a self-righteous missionary, tried to make Miss Thompson a religious woman, to kill her lust and her desire to sell her body. But one day he succumbed to his lust and raped her, even though he was a missionary about 15 years and he was a married man.The next morning, he was found dead on the ocean shore  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a  suicide. He couldn’t live anymore when he had done a thing which was against his religious teaching. Summing up my essay, I would like to emphasize that an advice â€Å"Practice what you preach† given in the title concerns not only people who have authority: teachers, politicians, priests, but any person in the world. If you want to be trusted, don’t speak at random waste words, because people will expect you to follow what you’ve said.

Critical Analyis of John Locke, Hegel, and and John Stuart Mill Essay

Question 1:How does Locke prove that human beings have a natural right to private property? Answer (Book II chap V section 27): Humans have the right to private property because they are using their own labor in conjunction to take property from the state of nature and thus making it his own. By mixing his labor or his hands, which is an extent of himself, he is relating that property to him and no one else. When every we pour water into a glass, by using labor and our hands, we have the sole entitlement to the water. Question 2:How does human nature limit this right to property? Answer (Book II chap V section 31-32) Man has the right to use as much property as possible just as long as he finds away that is supports his life. Once he no longer finds ways to use his property for life, he has to give it up. To add to the limitations of property, Man can use as much property unless it is wasted and not good for the use of others. By wasting property, that persons is violating other people’s rights because human nature states that everyone has the an equal Question 3:How does Hegel’s abstract right define the relation between freedom, reason, and property? Answer: Question 4:How does Hegel prove that the abstract right to property necessarily involves relation to other person’s? Answer: Question 5:Using your answer to the proceeding questions, identify exactly what distinguishes Locke’s position on freedom and property from the way Hegel’s account of abstract right understands the same issue? Answer: Question 6:How does Hegel’s account of abstract right prove that right embodied in property necessarily violates the same right in other persons? Answer: Question 7:Using your answer to #6, explain why Locke is in no position to draw the same conclusion. Answer: Question 8:State in your own words Mill’s utility principle. Identify precisely how this principle introduces a tension between independent individuality and communal solidarity. Explain how this same tension appears in Locke and in Hegel’s abstract right. Answer:

Sole Proprietorship and Restaurant

1. 0 Introduction 1. 1 Background of the Study There are lots of beautiful restaurants with expensive food that get big earnings but they're not properly paying taxes. It can also cause the state or other local government to shut down a restaurant completely if taxes aren’t paid. Other restaurants change their sales for good even before the recession has started. Restaurants have become successful but others fail because of some problems like a bad location, poor visibility, no parking or maybe no foot traffic. These can affect the restaurant’s progress. 1. 2 Theoretical FrameworkMission: To serve great food at a reasonable price The restaurant is a single proprietorship; it has only one owner that provides the total needs of the business. It was established on February 13 2013. The restaurant starts at 6am until 12 midnight. The promos of the restaurant start at 10pm. The menus are based on their fixed menu just like fast foods; they're not changing their list every da y. The restaurant has 5 crew members which serve the customers every day. 1. 3 Statement of the Problem 1. 3. 1 General Problem This study tried to investigate the factors that affect the sales of the Dyulyus crepes and steaks.It answers the question â€Å"How do these factors affect the sales of the restaurant? † 1. 3. 2 Specific Problem This study also tried to answer the following questions: †¢ How do the employee's skills affect the sales of the Dyulyus Crepes and Steaks? †¢ Can changes in climate affects the sales of Dyulyus Crepes and Steaks? †¢ How a new build competent restaurant affects the Dyulyus Crepes and Steaks? †¢ Does the weekly menu give a negative effect on the sales of Dyulyus and Steaks? 1. 4 Significance of the Study The ManagementThis study provides the restaurant the factors and a suggested solution for the problems of the Dyulyus Crepes and Steaks. It can help them to improve the rate of their sales and it gives them some ideas on h ow to avoid a decreasing value of sale's rate. The Customer This study gives some knowledge to the customers about the competition and problems that occur on the restaurant. It will provide reasons why some restaurant give some promos and use different strategies on selling their products. The Researcher Working on the research, the researcher gains some knowledge on how to strategize a single proprietorship restaurant.He becomes aware on how hard to manage a single proprietorship restaurant. The Future Researcher This system can help the future researcher for them to have an idea for their upcoming research. It can guide them in constructing a research paper. 1. 5 Scope and Limitation of the Study Scopes This study focuses only on the following topics: †¢ The factors that affects the sales of the restaurant †¢ The effects that this factors brings on the restaurant's sales †¢ The suggested solutions on the following factors that gives a negative effects on the sales o f the restaurant LimitationsDespite of the following scope of the study, there are things that the study didn't include. These limitations are the following: †¢ The ingredients or recipe of the restaurant's menu †¢ The budget and the expense of the restaurant †¢ The solution for spoiled food 1. 6 Definition of Terms The following words are given with meaning for better understandings of this study: †¢ Sole Proprietorship – is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. 2. 0 Review of Related Studies and Literature 2. Foreign and Local Studies Foreign Studies According to the research paper of Syed Saad Andaleeb and Carolyn Conway published at November 3, 2009, the following factors affect the restaurant's sales. Product quality Because the â€Å"product offering† for a full service restaurant is likely to be assessed by evaluating an actual product ( the meal) and by where it is delivered (physical place), we decided to separate the tangibility dimension in SERVQUAL into its two aspects: food quality and the physical design/decor of the restaurant. The former has been discussed earlier along with reliability.From the perspective of physical design, environmental psychologists suggest that individuals react to places with two general, and opposite, forms of behavior: approach or avoidance (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974). It has been suggested that in addition to the physical dimensions of a business attracting or deterring selection, the physical design of a business can also influence the degree of success consumers attain once inside (Darley and Gilbert, 1985). This involves research on the â€Å"services cape† (Bitner, 1992) which is the â€Å"built man-made environment† and how it affects both customers and employees in the service process.Thus, we propose that; the better the physical design and appearance of the restaurant, the greater the level of customer satisfaction. Price The price of the items on the menu can also greatly influence Customers because price has the capability of attracting or Repelling them (Monroe, 1989), especially since price functions as an indicator of quality (Lewis and Shoemaker, 1997). The pricing of restaurant items also varies according to the type of restaurant. If the price is high, customers are likely to expect high quality, or it can induce a sense of being â€Å"ripped off. Likewise, if the price is low, customers may question the ability of the restaurant to deliver product and service quality. Moreover, due to the competitiveness of the restaurant industry, customers are able to establish internal reference prices. When establishing prices for a restaurant, an internal reference price is defined as a price (or price scale) in buyers’ memory that serves as a basis for judging or comparing actual prices (Grewal et al. , 1998). This indicates tha t the price offering for the restaurant needs to be in accord with what the market expects to pay by avoiding negative deviation (i. . when actual price is higher than the expected price). We propose that; the less the accordance of the actual price with expectations (negative deviation), the lower the level of customer satisfaction. Local Studies 2. 2 Foreign and Local Literature Foreign Literature According to the article of buzzle published at January 8 2013, the factor that affects a restaurant's sales is the following: †¢ Demand and Supply †¢ Marginal and Total Utility †¢ Money and Banking †¢ Economic Growth and Development †¢ Income and Employment †¢ General Price Level †¢ Trade Cycles †¢ Inflation †¢ Recession †¢ Exchange Rate Rate of Interest †¢ Government Regulations Local Literature 3. 0 Research Methodology 3. 1 Researched Design The researches are base from the interview with the owner, observation and analysis of th e researcher. The data was taken from the owner and was interpret and studied by the researcher. 3. 2 Data Gathering Procedures 3. 2. 1 Preparation The researcher talks to the owner and set a meeting date for the interview. After setting an interview, the researcher observes the transaction process of the restaurant and constructs some questions that can be use on the interview. 3. 2. 2 Interview with the ownerThe researcher conducts an interview with the owner. The following details are the coverage of the interview: †¢ Restaurant process †¢ Mission of the restaurant †¢ Menu of the restaurant †¢ Factors affecting their sales †¢ Promo's of the restaurant †¢ Strategies of the restaurant 3. 2. 3 Analyze the Study The researcher analyzes the given data from the owner and come up with the following factors which include the: †¢ Price of their foods †¢ Employees skills †¢ Seasons/Climate †¢ Promo's of the restaurant 4. 0 Presentation, Ana lysis and Interpretation of Data 4. 1 Sample Data 4. 1. 1 Restaurant Menu Cold CrepesMango Crepe60 Choco Banana Crepe60 Strawberry Crepe60 Warm Crepes Cheese Steak75 Beef n’ Mushroom75 Chicken Ala King65 Ham n’ Cheese60 Bacon n’ Egg60 Sizzlers T – Bone Steak99 Sirloin Steak75 Pork chop Steak75 Liempo Steak75 Savory Chicken Steak75 Hotdog w/ Egg Steak55 Tapsilog70 Sisig120 Extra Java20 Extra Gravy20 Softdrinks15 4. 1. 2 Interview †¢ What are the promos that this restaurant gives to the customers? Dyulyus Crepes and Steaks gives unlimited rice and free iced tea from 10pm to 12 midnight when you order a food from our restaurant †¢ What are the reasons that affecting the way you sell your products?The reasons are having other competent restaurants, which give a confusion to the customers which restaurant they will choose to eat in. Another reason is the bad weather which cause a laziness to the customers to go outside and buy from a restaurant. â₠¬ ¢ What solutions do you implement when a new competent restaurant becomes popular? It's natural in this kind of business, so we just act natural also. We don't easily get affected and trying to be consistent on our foods. Sometimes we are also implementing an improvement on the recipes. Table 4. 1. 3; Sales of Having a Promo and Without February 18-22, 2013 and February 25-March 1, 2013Table 4. 1. 4; Sales of hiring staff March 4-8, 2013 and March11-15, 2013 4. 2 Interpretation of Data The interview shows that the bad weather, climate and season can affect sales of the restaurant. In some way having a new competent restaurant near at the subject restaurant can also affect the sales. It just likes decreasing the chances that their products will sell. The table 4. 1. 3 shows that promos can affect the sales of the restaurants. People are always looking for promo which gives them a higher discount. The more the discount on the restaurant the more they will avail on the restaurant. Pe ople nowadays are just being practical.The table 4. 1. 4 shows that hiring of additional employees will affects the sales of the restaurant. In a positive way this factor can increase the sales. Having many employees can contribute more in production and serving customers in a fast way. 5. 0 Summary of Findings, Conclusion, and Recommendations 5. 1 Summary 5. 2 Conclusions The price is a bit expensive that's why they need to make it more affordable for students with a tight budget considering they only depend on their allowances. The students should also be able to enjoy their promos at their most convenient times and not during midnight where students have already went home.It's also wise to add some crew during peak hours to assist the waves of students coming in during their breaks. Offer menus that are applicable or enjoyable with the weather and always keep the food presentable and delicious especially if you know you have a rival restaurant. 5. 3 Recommendations Bibliography h ttp://www. technologyevaluation. com/search/for/sample-thesis-proposal-of-hrm-students. html http://www. ehow. com/way_6170764_thesis-ideas-management-degree. html Appendices ———————– [pic]

Career Counselor Interview Essay

It is never too early to start thinking about the career that you want. This is asked by many parents of children at an early age, teachers in grade school and junior high, again in high school, but what is not always asked is â€Å"what is needed to accomplish or reach that career choice?† With school counselors’ roles evolving over the years, many students see them as leaders and someone they can turn to for advice. Counselors work in â€Å"diverse community settings designed to provide a variety of counseling, rehabilitation, and support services† (Counselors, 2010). This student interviewed, Miranda Angeles, an enrollment counselor at Mt. San Jacinto Community College (MSJC), in Menifee. Miranda has a BA in Psychology from the University of Phoenix. She has been with MSJC for a little over a year and works primarily with the incoming freshmen. During the interview, this student learned what Ms. Angeles’ responsibilities were and how vital they are to h er students. Ms. Angeles is in charge of a competency-based guidance program. This program â€Å"is designed to assist students with the development of their educational, personal, and career goals† (2014). She stated that she feels since college freshman are transitioning into adulthood and/or the work field, as well as separating from their parents and figuring out their own independence, this program is extremely helpful in outlining their goals. Students need a sense of guidance with making decisions, when making them for the first time on their own and that it were school counselors can help guide them. Ms. Angeles also shared the importance of picking a college and what the student should consider. First, does the college have a program that peaks your interest in a potential career. Second, is the school accredited, meaning will your credits transfer elsewhere should you decide to change schools or want to further your education. Third, the location of the school and the student population in regards to class size for learning depending on your learning style. A smaller campus may be more appealing to you if you do better in smaller, close group setting. Fourth, the services offered at the school for the student. Do they have a student body, organized events such as dances or sports team. Lastly, what are the admission and financial aid process. Students wanting to attend college should talk to those who know the  admissions policy, so that the student can make sure they are on the right track. Many colleges and universities, as well as community colleges have their own set of requirements such as a certain grade point average (GPA), high school diploma or official transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, along with tuition fees. This sounds simple enough, however for incoming freshmen going through this alone, they could become overwhelmed, thus enrollment counselors are so important in helping guide the student. Since, Ms. Angeles works at the community college level, she shared that many community colleges have specific teachings for certain careers that can be completed for certification, shortening the time in school verses receiving a degree. Many students choose this route, while others want the degree, with either the degree itself or many of the courses transferring to a four year college if desired, once the student is accepted into the new college or university. Also, with community college, tuition is usually much lower than a four year, which appeals to many students if they have to use financial aid. Another plus to choosing community college over a four year is, â€Å"Community colleges have formed a partnership with traditional institution and serve a great diversity of students regardless of age, professional background, academic ability, and educational goals,† (Williams & Southers, 2010). This students understanding of this is that no matter your age, background, prior grades or educational goals, everyone pretty much is accepted into community college and can better not only themselves but family as well at any time. While interviewing Ms. Angeles, this student asked how she helps guide students who are set on a specific career. Ms. Angeles said that she often receives emails about upcoming community events and services and will share these on the bulletin board and with teachers in a specific field to share with students. She feels that â€Å"students who seek personal development are the ones who desire a long career and personal growth, and is an asset to the field of their choice† (2014). Ms. Angeles also feels that by being involved with school activities, projects and affairs, she is showing students her commitment to not only the  school but to them as well. â€Å"Being a counselor is a great career choice for those wanting to help others, you often times get to create your own ideas and things that will leave your client, or student in this case feeling a sense of accomplishment and good about themselves,† (2014). When asked about how she sees technology, such as iPads, influencing students, Ms. Angeles responded with â€Å"it is never too early to develop skills or have an interest in a specific career, such as a police officer or firefighter for boys and a princess or nurse for girls,† (2014). This left this student wondering, if there are places that students from elementary through high school can go and explore their interests and see how many of them follow through with making something bigger of those interests. They almost seem like dreams that we all have as children, one day growing up and wanting to be someone. With school counseling evolving over the years, it is important to not only ask children at an early age what they want career wise, but to educate them on what that includes as far furthering their education. During this interview, this student learned that counselors are not only there for the academic purposes, but emotional, social, and career wise as well. This student also learned that having a strong counselor at school will set the student up with a solid foundation for school and hopefully the beginning of a successful career with the choices the student has made along the way to find their own independence. References: Angeles, Miranda. (2014, July). Career Counseling Interview. Brown, D. (2007). Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development, 9th Ed. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Counselors. (2010). United States Department of Labor. Retrieved 2011, from Bureau of Labor Statistics website: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos067.htm Williams, M. R. & Southers, T. (Winter-Spring, 2010). Blurring the lines between high school and college: Early colleges and the effect on adult learners. Adult Learners 26(5), 210-212.