Tourism Service Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tourism Service Marketing - Essay Example These organizations are keen to embrace new technology and trends that are relevant in the market (Gordon, 1999). In this case, consumers also dictate the pricing of the goods and services. Schneider (1980) points out customers are given the first priority and dictate almost all strategies implemented in this organizations. Both support and critics have been provided for this marketing strategy. In an argument by Gordon (1999) relationship marketing strategy is e most significant strategy that would ensure an organization has a greater competitive advantage. The author defines competitive advantage as the ability of an organization to be preferable than its competitors in terms of consumer selection (Gordon, 1999). To ensure consumer selection an organization should ensure the competitors are first priority when implementing marketing and production strategies. Christopher, Payne & Ballantyne (1991) point out that this can only achieve with the relationship marketing strategy. The sa me argument is supported by Gordon (1999) who points that competitive advantage achieved through relationship marketing strategy is effective enough than any other form. The author compares relationship marketing strategy to the profit and sales oriented marketing strategy (Fielding, 2006). ... For this reason, the relationship marketing strategy is more effective is achieving competitive advantage that the profit oriented marketing strategy. In analyzing the advantages of the relationship strategy, Turner (2003) argues that the strategy captures the attention of a wide market range hence ensures sufficient income from their production of goods and services. Additionally, the strategy ensures that an organization retains a significant level of competitive advantage. Worthington & Britton (2009) also point out that the strategy makes it easier and possible for an organization to expand its market area and still be assured of a good market reception. However, Gordon (2009) points out that this strategy has negative influence in the profit retention and sales pushing of an organization. The author indicates that the profit retention marketing strategy incorporates all strategies possible to push sales (Gordon, 2009). With this strategy, an organization ensures that the target profit and sales level is ensured. With the achievement of extra profit and sales, an organization is in the best position to retain a significant competitive advantage. Turner (2003) also argues that an effective advantage is based on the internal success of an organization rather than its marketing abilities. In analyzing the marketing strategy of Costa Coffee, the organization uses relationship marketing strategy (Fielding, 2006). Since its creation in the United Kingdom the organization has been successful across Europe and the some parts of Africa (Worthington & Britton, 2009). As a hotel organization the organization focuses on effective pricing, hospitality and service provision, quality production of goods and

Ethical Dilemma Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Ethical Dilemma Worksheet Essay Include any important | |potential economic, social, or political pressures, and exclude inconsequential facts. | | | |The most important fact about this case is that officers never saw the male suspect driving while intoxicated. The fact that two | |different police reports were made one stating the officer saw the male driving and the other stating officer did not see the male | |driving. | |Identify each claimant (key actor) who has an interest in the outcome of this ethical issue. From the perspective of the moral | |agent—the individual contemplating an ethical course of action—what obligation is owed to the claimant? Why? | |Claimant |Obligation (owed to the|Perspective (What does the claimant hope will happen? ) | |(key actor) |claimant) | | |Officer Rook |Designated officer to |Officer Rook wrote the original police report and followed policy and turned it in to | | |write original report |the D. A. ffice to let the process begin for the individual male arrested for driving | | | |while intoxicated. | | D. D. A. Acute |To ensure that laws are| | | |upheld and the process |D. D. A. notices the differences between both police reports and make notes of them. | | |serves all parties |The D. D. A. has the responsibility to uphold all laws and rights of individuals and | | |involved. |wants to ensure that the criminal justice system is just and fair. |Officer Nixon |Turning in second |Officer Nixon turned in the second the police report that made note that the officers | | |police report |saw the individual male driving. This officer wants a conviction of the individual | | | |male for driving while intoxicated. | |Wife |Wants to take husband |Wife wants to take husband home after being processed. Wife reported that her husband| | |home |had bad experiences while in Somalia and it would best for him to go home. | | | | | | | | Evaluating Alternatives |What are two alternatives for the scenario? One alternative can be a wild card that you ordinarily may not consider an option | |because of potential implications. Both should be within free will and control of the same moral agent. |Alternative A |Alternative B | |Use report without seeing intoxicated male driving |Use report with seeing intoxicated male driving | |Respond to the following questions based on your developed alternatives. | | |Alternative A |Alternative B | |What are the best- and worst-case | | |scenarios if you choose this |Best-Original report is used charges are |Best-male is convicted of driving while | |alternative? |dropped. |intoxicated | | | | | | |Worst- the male individual is drug through |Worse-Male is convicted of driving while | | |the criminal justice system and tax payer |intoxicated. The original police report is | | |money is wasted. |never shared | |Will anyone be harmed if this |No harm will come. |Yes harm may come when convicted and sentence to| |alternative is chosen? If so, how | |serve time incarcerated. | |will they be harmed? Consider | | | |families and derivative effects. | | |Would honoring an idea or value—such | | | |as personal, professional, or |No |Yes | |religious—make the alternative | | | |invalid? | | | | | | |Are there any rules, laws, or | | | |principles that support the |Yes the law of needing to see the driver of |no | |alternative? Are there rules, laws, |driving while intoxicated. | | |or principles that make the | | | |alternative invalid? State the rule | | |or principle and indicate if it | | | |invalidates or supports the | | | |alternative. | | | Applying Ethical Guidelines |Consider each ethical guideline and explain whether it would support or reject your alternative. |Guidelines based on the action itself |Alternative A |Alternative B | |Should this alternative become a rule or policy that everyone in this|There is law in place to avoid|No, this is wrong and | |situation should follow in similar situations in the future? (Kant) |making arrests like this. |unethical | |Does this alternative result in using any person as a means to an end|No |Yes the Officer Nixon wrote a | |without consideration for his or her basic integrity? Kant) | |bad report and is using the | | | |court system to enforce his | | | |false report | |Is the intent of this action free from vested interest or ulterior |Yes |No, convict ion is wanted | |motive? Kant’s good will) | | | | Does this alternative demonstrate a genuine concern for others |No |No | |affected by the decision, and is the moral agency responding to a | | | |perceived need? | | | |Guidelines based on consequences |Alternative A |Alternative B | |Is the good hat results from this alternative outweighed by the |Yes, the good being that the |No, falsifying reports is | |potential harm that might be done to others? (Mill’s harm principle) |charges are dropped. |unethical and can have | | | |rippling effects on all | | | |officers. |Is any harm brought about by anyone other than the moral agent? |No |Yes, the husband and the | |(causal harm) | |rookie officer who wrote the | | | |first report. | |Will anyone be harmed who can be said to be defenseless? No |No | |(paternalism) | | | |To what degree is this alternative based on the moral agent’s own |This is the truthful report |This should never be used, | |best interest? (ethical egoism) |and should be used regardless |based on it bei ng falsified. | |of the outcomes. | | |Which alternative will generate the greatest benefit—or the least |Because this alternative is | | |amount of harm—for the greatest number of people? Select only one |the truth it will only have | | |alternative. (utilitarianism) |the best possible outcome. | Ethical Decision Making |Choose to proceed with either Alternative A or Alternative B and explain the reasons for your decision. | | | |I would go with alternative A, because it is the truth and the original report turned in. I would allow the court system work | |their process and except the outcome reached. I would then address the facts of a falsified police report and the officer who tried| |to used it. |

Expanding Medicare to Include Prescription Drug Coverage :: essays papers

Expanding Medicare to Include Prescription Drug Coverage Introduction Throughout the past year of presidential campaigning, one of the top issues for both candidates has been that of whether or not there should be a prescription-drug benefit added to Medicare. Both George W. Bush and Al Gore have proposed a plan to expand Medicare to include full prescription-drug coverage for senior citizens receiving Medicare, at the expense of taxpayers. It is obvious why this issue has been such a priority for both candidates. Senior citizens vote at a much higher rate than other age groups. Both candidates know the importance of these senior citizen votes and believe that the proposal of adding a prescription-drug benefit is something that will appeal to a vast number of senior citizens. Both candidates have portrayed the issue as being very critical and as a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The question, however, is whether or not such drug coverage is a worthwhile project to undertake. Is the problem indeed serious enough to call for the type of reform that the candidates are proposing? Medicare is already a very costly program to keep up, and adding prescription-drug coverage would increase these costs even more. In order to fund this project, there will need to be a tax hike. Should taxpayers subsidize this prescription-drug benefit? Is there a good reason why this redistribution should take place? What are the benefits and costs of this proposal? These and other questions will be addressed in this paper as we examine the following topics: the need for senior citizens to have prescription-drug coverage, the political rhetoric involved with this issue, the projected shortfall in the budget of the Medicare program, and who really would benefit if a prescription-drug benefit was added to Medicare. Need for Prescription-Drug Coverage Many people argue that the lack of a prescription-drug benefit is the major shortcoming of the Medicare program. But are Medicare recipients really in need of such a benefit? According to a study done by the AARP Public Policy Institute, about 25.6 million, or 65 percent, of noninstitutionalized Medicare beneficiaries already receive some type of prescription-drug coverage, whether it is through employer-sponsored health plans or individually purchased private health policies. This leaves about 13.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who are without prescription-drug coverage.

Modern Technology vs Books

One of the most important marvels of modern technology is the Internet, which has not just revolutionized the process of information retrieval, but also, dramatically changed the way people seek information. If in the past, people often had to spend so much time and energy going through many pages or sheets of printed media only to seek for specific information, now with the aid of the internet; information retrieval can be much easier and time-saving. The revolutionary way which the internet offers triggers an intriguing question whether it will replace books or printed media as the main source of information.From my observation, I tend to believe that it will. My main reason is because it has so many advantages over printed media, which make the former (the internet) more preferable, more interesting, more attractive, and even more reliable than the latter (printed media). As a result, more and more people turn to the internet every time they need to seek for information. Here are some of the advantages which I can list to support my belief. First, the kinds of information which the internet provides are almost unlimited.We can find almost any topics from a single computer equipped with a good connection to the internet, while it is impossible to find such a large number of topics only from a single book or a single newspaper. As a result, when people need almost any information, ranging from the latest news, house rentals, car sales, to public transport schedules and fares, they rely on the internet rather than printed media. Second, the information stored in the internet can be updated at very short intervals, enabling its users to always get the latest progress or development.This kind of updating can’t be applied to printed media and thus, printed media always lags behind the internet. Third, the internet also provides other facilities that printed media can’t provide. For example, it enables its users to perform multitasking or interactivit y, so that they can communicate with other people, play online games, download or upload pictures, and so on, while seeking for information. Fourth, the optimization of internet usage can reduce paper consumption significantly. Since the environmental awareness is on the rise, people are encouraged to reduce paper consumption.More paper consumption can lead to more deforestation because the raw materials for making paper basically come from forests. As a result, paperless office and â€Å"going paperless† are being intensively promoted, and here in this context, the internet has proved to be supportive. Looking at the rapidly widespread use of the internet and people’s increasing reliance on it, I believe that someday the internet will triumph over printed media. The first signs of it have shown. For example, the number of internet users is increasing so dramatically, while the sale of printed media is decreasing.

Athlete Classification

Athletes: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly As a casual reader of the sports section of this newspaper, you come across many articles depicting the triumphs of local athletes. However, very rarely do these articles describe the actual athlete behind the success. Athletes come in all sorts of sizes and shapes. They range from the incredibly talented to the horribly uncoordinated. Some are great teammates while others would rather be a one man team. Certain athletes seek out attention from the people around them while others are modest and stay in the background.The fact of the matter is that there is a wide spectrum of different types of athletes that exist in this world and no two athletes are exactly the same. However, each can be put into one of nine general categories that they best fit. General Paton: the athlete who stands out as the captain of the team by helping their fellow teammates and managing their team. They are a well-rounded athlete, fairly skilled at their sport, but mo re importantly excellent at inspiring their team to perform to the best of their ability. This athlete is the backbone of the team and without them chaos could quite easily break out.The other athletes look up to this leader and follow their orders. When your team is losing, the leader is the one who gets everyone together and says things like â€Å"We can still win this† and â€Å"Don’t give up yet, we’re still in this one†. You can expect to see these athletes to do great things in their sports careers and in their regular lives. Effort King/Queen: the athlete who is known for doing everything they can to improve their game, from staying after practice to do extra to going to the gym every day before practice to workout. They are extremely motivated, determined and dedicated to what they do.These athletes are the ones that coaches very much want to be on their team. These players are known for being highly beneficial not only to the team’s succes s, but also to the other players around them. They set a great example for others around them and can leave a lasting mark on people. They may be referred to as a â€Å"gym rat†, but don’t think that’d a bad thing because when it comes to game time, don’t be surprised if they outperform the opposing team’s â€Å"star† player. The Natural: the athlete who was given the gift of natural athleticism. They are known as the â€Å"MVP† of their team.Most often, they are three sport athletes who do pretty well in each. They don’t have to work as hard as others to be able to have relative success as they are often naturally strong and talented. Many other people loathe these athletes because they have all the tools they need to succeed. There is no guarantee that these athletes will be good teammates or have good work ethic, but coaches can be assured that these people are a great place to build upon and make a team around. The Anti-ath lete: the athlete who was not given much natural ability. They are weak, uncoordinated, and clumsy.They can get by playing some sports, but they have limited options as most sports require decent athletes at a competitive level. They are the â€Å"benchwarmer† of teams, the weak link in the chain. Other athletes get easily frustrated with these players when they make mistakes even though it may not be entirely their fault. Although their athletic output may not be as high as some would like, no one can question their effort and dedication. They play sports not because they are good at them, but because they truly love them, and in some cases, that can bring someone further than natural talent. Timmy/Tina Tries Too Much†: the athlete who â€Å"overworks† and goes beyond what’s necessary in unimportant situations. Everyone has seen at least one of this type of person before, whether they know it or not. The most common place to find these types of people is in gym class. They are the ones that you see coming to every class and trying as hard as they can to win. Many people don’t like these people too much because they exert themselves in unnecessary situations. Many times, these people develop a poor reputation as a â€Å"try hard† among their friends.They may not be the most talented person there, but you can always count on seeing them breaking a sweat. â€Å"Sammy/Susie Suck up†: the athlete who does everything they can to suck up to their coach. They try to get all the brownie points they can in hopes of getting more playing time. They follow all directions given by their coach, they help out whenever possible, and they give full effort when the coach is looking. They are very similar to a teacher’s pet that you would most commonly find in elementary school. Much like the other students find these eacher’s pets to be annoying, a coach’s pet’s teammates often think that these people a re annoying and not fun to be around. â€Å"The Tornado†: the athlete who is overly aggressive when playing sports. They are known to push other players around and often get in trouble with the ref. Also, they are a coach’s nightmare as they are hard to control. The athletes aren’t always good to have on a team because they give the team a bad reputation and make it seem as though everyone on the team plays like they do. Also, they are much more prone to being benched and as a consequence, letting the rest of the team down.Many times, other athletes don’t like participating with people like this because these aggressive people take the fun out of competition. .The Crowd Pleaser: the athlete who likes to show off in front of their fans. They wear the flashy equipment, they perform the crazy stunts, and they are the cocky personality in the locker room. To give you a clear picture of this kind of athlete, just imagine the player that has the best gear, the flashiest jersey, performs the â€Å"coolest† moves, and seems to put on a show for their â€Å"fans†.It isn’t uncommon for their teammates to call them a â€Å"show boat† right to their face. But that doesn’t stop them from doing what they do best because they thrive on the attention. Garbage Can: the athlete who throws away their athletic abilities and coasts. They are lazy, unmotivated, and not dedicated at all. They may be one of the best athletes around but they don’t apply their abilities. Everyone knows at least one person who completely wastes the natural talent that was given to them.It’s a shame to see these athletes waste talent when there are other athletes with considerably less talent who work twice as hard. Many people don’t like these athletes because they take their abilities for granted and don’t realize that half of the battle towards being successful in a sport has already been fought for them. All th ey need to do is put in just the slightest bit of effort and they will start to see considerable success. In most cases, these athletes are looked down on by others and carry a negative connotation with them everywhere they go.There is a lot more to a team’s success than just the wins. The players involved are what really define a team and they ultimately determine how successful a team can be. You don’t always need a team full of superstars to win. This is where many sports coaches go wrong. They think they can build a championship caliber team from a bunch of players that would rather prove they are good than their team. It’s important to remember that it takes the right combination of these nine types of athletes to make the perfect team.

Noise Pollution and Mitigation in Urban Developments Essay Example

Noise Pollution and Mitigation in Urban Developments Essay Example Noise Pollution and Mitigation in Urban Developments Essay Noise Pollution and Mitigation in Urban Developments Essay When the topic of pollution comes about, most people usually attribute it to air pollution. Air pollution is usually the first thing people think of because it is the highly debated form of pollution that occurs in most urban settings. What some people may not realize is that it is only one form of pollution that takes place. Pollution also exists in soil, water, light and noise. While these topics are known, some are not as readily discussed as much as the others. Noise pollution is often a topic not mentioned though is a problem in a lot of cities in the world. Through many years, many cities have seen the problem and have either added to it or made solutions to contain or reduce it. Noise pollution, while not always the most prevalent form of pollution discussed, is an important factor in the sustainability of a city and its citizens. In order to begin to discuss how noise pollution is important to the city it has to be defined. The definition of the word â€Å"noise† according to the Merrian-Webster’s dictionary is â€Å"any sound that is undesired or interferes with ones hearing of something. So for something to be polluted of noise is for it to be disturbed by sounds from someone or something. You can attribute the phrase â€Å"noise pollution† to just about anything. If you are in a crowded room with everyone talking, the room is being polluted by noise. This same concept comes when you are defining noise pollution to a city. What in a city causes it to be surrounded by noise? In reality, almost everything in a ci ty in one way or another contributes to noise pollution. Around the world, most major cities have tried their best to add all the things that most other major cities have and sustain it as best as possible. Things like public transportation, land usage, businesses, and highways are just certain factors that are made to create a city into a striving place that can prosper and be a model to other areas of interest. All these things bring the problem that most major cities face, including noise pollution. So what are the biggest factors that contribute to air pollution? The biggest contributors are when cities are nearby highways with traffic, airports, railroads, manufacturing plants or factories, areas of construction or destruction and even things like open concert venues Mayntz). Most cities have these structures centralized in their areas or very close to the area. Something these parts of the city have in common is amount of noise they produce. Vehicles in highways are making noise while they drive, planes with huge engines leaving and entering airports have high rates of sound, construction and destruction is noisy, trains are loud, factories usually have some noise from machinery a nd concerts are meant to play loud music. All these factors combined create in themselves a single loud noise that can surround their area. Though noise is a daily occurrence in most people’s lives, it is important that we see why it is a problem amongst people and a city as a whole. What some people don’t realize is that noise pollution is like air pollution and water pollution. It can have effects on the health and mental state of people living in and around cities that have issues with it. There have been many studies that have linked noise pollution with different type of health issues. Many people who live near cities that have high amounts of noise pollution often incur stress related illnesses, high blood pressure, hearing loss, sleep reduction, and even speech interference (EPA 1). Perhaps the most evident health issue that people have Noise Induced Hear Loss, or NIHL. Though many things in someone’s life can lead to a reduction in their hearing, many connections have been made toward noise pollution in cities have made the likeliness of it more prevalent (Suter 14). While noise pollution will not cause these things in everyone who lives near city or goes to one a lot in their life, the many connections made in many cities around the world to people who have some of these issues is very evident. By causing health and mental issues to the people, it then goes on to affect how a city is built and ran, or how it would have to change how it is going to stop it. The first part in how noise pollution is important to a city is on where it is created. As stated earlier, a large contributor to noise problems are highways. When creating a city that wants to be highly impacted by those who commute from places like suburbs or the countryside, there will need to be some sort of highway to get people there. That’s why most major cities have multiple highways or freeways that are nearby or even pass through them. With the amount of traffic the highways could endure, noise eventually rises. Poor planning on a city is how they maintain the noise pollution that comes from a highway. Reducing speed limits has shown to make a gradual decrease in noise. The problems that cities face when trying to reduce speeds is in more traffic congestion, which leads to poor transportation and air pollution. Many cities still seem to support the call for the end to noise pollution. Recently, many people who are living in cities near highways in Switzerland are lobbying heavily to make regulations on noise pollutions from highways stricter. They are calling for more sound-proof barriers along the highways, which is also something done to reduce noises from traffic. It is quite staggering how much people are willing to stop noise pollution at all cost. There have been many countries in Europe that have even been willing to pay more on their taxes to have their money go towards efforts that would reduce noise pollutions in their cities. In 2005, residents in urban developments near Spain were willing to pay four Euros per decibel a year to reduce noise in their neighborhoods (Viladrich-Grau 1). This not just meant highway reduction but also railroad noise and airport traffic. This leads into another problem with poor planning in cities and noise pollution: neighborhoods. Many large cities have begun to build more residential areas in the area of the downtown metropolitan areas. Housing in the area is made to cut some commuting for some people. The tradeoff can be that they must endure the noise pollution that the city can cause. Most suburbs aren’t even that safe from the causes of noise pollution. Looking at just here in Los Angeles County there are many cities that reside next to highways and railroads. There are even some that are within miles of airports, such as Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. Burbank is a city north of Los Angeles that has many residential areas and other cities with residential areas. There are many examples of areas that have these problems, especially dealing with the sounds coming from loud jets in airports. Tons of residents in the cities surrounding London’s Heathrow Airport made complaints of problems from jets, but little has still been done to change the effects from it. Road and airport noise are the biggest concerns when it comes to noise pollution. When cities begin to grow, we eventually grow into people living near or using these things every day. Cities have to deal with noise pollution no matter what. There have been some very famous cases of residents or local governments trying to fight noise pollution and the effects it has. Most new cities cannot avoid having noise problems, it is something that is almost inevitable with cities as they try to become more modernized and offer more to their citizen and those who wish to visit. In terms of vehicle noise, more has been done to reduce this in cities than other forms of noise pollution. Since most cities have to have roads and highways to be accessible, this is the number one concern to most people. Cities have begun to plan strategies to reduce noise pollution in all its form. This is called noise mitigation. Most cities have been helped in reducing noise pollution thanks to the introduction and growing popularity of the hybrid car. Though a big help, the hybrid car is still not even close to being used by most commuters. To help reduce noise on the road, places have made changes to their speed restrictions, road materials, and even technology in barriers that reduce sound. The city of Melbourne, Australia has had a very unique approach to reducing their noise pollution from highways that are close to communities near the Flemington area. The highway passing through this area is covered by a barrier made of bars. The design, while looking stylish, is made to reduce the sound made from vehicles passing through the road. The sound tube has successfully made noise from the road less heard by the people living near it. Melbourne has plans to add more noise reducing structures to their highways soon. It is plans like this that help the people living in areas around Melbourne to not worry about the effects of sound pollution. While commuter vehicles are a cause of noise pollution, so is city maintained public transportation. Many cities have made sure that routes for their bus or rail systems are following sound levels set by their governments and other programs. Dating as far back to the 1970s, computer models have allowed city public transportation authorities to plan out their routes and lines to make sure that they keep sound to lower levels (Kutz 1). The Boston Metropolitan Transportation Authority, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit, Houston Light Rail system, and Portland’s Beaverton light rail line have used this technology to have their buses and light rails reduce their noise levels and avoid areas where it can affect people the most. Road noise is the most common of the noise most cities face. As mentioned before, there is also the problem of airlines and airports. This however is more difficult to maintain as trying to reduce noise from an aircraft requires the companies that make the jets and airplanes to drastically change the way they build their machines. It has come to a point that no company would seek to drastically renew their engines for the sake of sound. The only way that airplane noise can be reduced is by city planning, flight time regulations or residential sound proofing (Suter 22). In terms of city planning, the idea is to have the developments of your city a good distance from airports. While a central business district may not be affected as much, it should still be a good distance from areas of that sort. The main concern is residential areas as they have the more population that are permanent and therefore can be affected by the problems associated with noise pollution. If neighborhoods were able to be a good distance from airports, the effects of their sound pollution would decrease or even be nonexistent. Unfortunately as cities expand, they go into whatever area was trying to be maintained to be a cushion from airport sounds. As cities expand or are near airports, regulations to come into place to soundproof the homes in the area. Here in the United States, the government took measures into seeing that the cities and towns surrounding airports would soundproof homes and businesses. The Federal Aviation Administration began projects in 1979 to insulate buildings so that they would be able to reduce noise from nearby airports. Over many years, the program created many soundproof residential areas that made homes and buildings with things like window glazing, fireplace baffling, and caulking construction seams (ASNAA 1). Canada has also made neighboring city developments to soundproof the area if it is in certain proximity to an airport using Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF). As mentioned with the London Heathrow Airport, the problem persist as homes are too close to airport landing sites that it is almost nearly impossible for the cities to greatly decrease the noise pollution problems. What some cities don’t realize that while the noise mitigation is useful for their citizens, it is also helpful to the environment that may surround them. The term â€Å"going green† is popular now as fears of global warming and dwindling resources are a reality. What most people don’t realize is that noise pollution is also something that needs to be taken care of when â€Å"going green. † Many cities across the world have made efforts to help the environment, and what they don’t realize is that though noise pollution seems like a problem just for humans that it is also an nvironmental issue. Many groups around the world have fought for cities and even countries as a whole to maintain themselves when it comes to noise issues. Most major cities in the U. S. and other countries have groups that are dedicated to reducing the noise pollution in their area or areas close to nature. The reason why they fight for noise mitigation near nature is that just as humans are affected by noise pollution, so are animal wildlife. Studies have shown strange activity from many species of animal when presented to areas that have issues with noise pollution. The Los Angeles area has a group named Citizens Against Noise whose motto, according to their website, is â€Å"To fight all kinds of noise pollution. To educate the public about the connection between noise and stress, and how it lower the quality of life and damages both your physical and mental health. To lobby lawmakers and pressure the authorities to solve the problem of excessive noise. † The group is also dedicated to helping areas around nature to reduce their noise pollution even more. There are many more groups that have the same goal, such as Alaska’s â€Å"Quiet Rights Coalition,† British Colombia’s â€Å"Ban the Canon Initiative† and Hong Kong’s â€Å"Hush the Bus Movement. † All these groups are helping cities find the balance to make sure noise pollution doesn’t affect their lives and nature anymore. This is how everything eventually fits into how planning and sustaining a city. All types of pollution are tied into each other. Most air pollution is contributed from traffic congestion and emissions from factories and plants. These emissions from factories and plants can also cause water and soil pollution if it is close to the source. These things can also have an effect on light pollution as traffic and a building’s lights are ongoing. The one thing that these things will always seem to have in common is the characteristic of noise. When it comes to making a city run well, you have to try and keep these things nonexistent or to the lowest possible point of affecting anyone. It would seem that the dream of developers is to try to make themselves a city that can be sustainable and profitable. Cities seem to be made to centralize business, pleasure, and home. The problem with cities though is that sometimes they are planned to be something and then eventually over time becomes something else. Cities begin to grow into different areas; they can sometimes see an increase in population that may not be able to handle it and even can unforeseen events that cause distress. With noise pollution, it seems that it is something that can’t be avoided to make a city run with many things that create the issue. So as it becomes almost necessary to bring in different types of pollution, it leads the solution to be brought up by the cities itself. Just like the current situation in Switzerland, regulations for noise pollution may be passed by the government but if something else is not regulated it then something should be done about it. Luckily, citizens of cities who are affected by the issue are taking a stand and demanding that something be done to reduce the noise. They are striving to make their city more sustainable. By attempting to create some sort of noise mitigation, they help the citizens of the area and also to whatever else it could possibly be affecting, i. e. nature. That is why so many groups are active in trying to bring forth the subject of noise pollution. It is unwanted and unhealthy for many. A city that reduces this problem will be more desirable to live in or work in. With more people doing that, it creates an effective chain of work that could eventually lead to other parts of the city such as other forms of pollution and sustaining things like transportation, business, and human activity. Noise mitigation is an essential part to making a city sustainable. Cities that have been planned poorly or are crumbling to the effects of it show a lack of sustainability. Many examples have shown that some minor and major changes to structure or regulation are all that it takes to make a difference in reducing noise issues. Most people should be concerned about this issue as health and mental states are at risk. We also have to think about how it is affecting nature. Some cities have taken the initiative to try and mitigate the problem, but some who have serious issues with it have not done a thing or failed at their attempts. Though the issue may be lack of resources or funds to create projects for noise mitigation, it should still be seen as a concern as cities continue to expand and populations grow. With no sustainability with noise, the growing population and nature will be dealing with more issues than those of greenhouse gasses and violence. : Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act of 1979. 1979. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. . CITIZENS AGAINST NOISE (C. A. N. ) Los Angeles, California. Free HOA Websites, Neighborhood Websites, Homeowners Association Websites, Condo Websites, and Community Websites Neighborhood Link. Web. 21 Apr. 2011. . Kutz, Myer. Handbook of Transportation Engineering. New York, NY [u. a. : McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print. Mayntz, Melissa. Types of Pollution. Major Environmental Issues | Going Green. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. . Melbourne Planning Proposals. Melbourne: VicRoads. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. . Noise Pollution | Air and Radiation | US EPA. US Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 25 Apr. 2011. . Open Directory Society: Issues: Environment: Noise Pollution. ODP Open Directory Project. Web. 21 Apr. 2011. . Suter, Alice H. Noise and Its Effects. Rep. Administrative Con ference of the United States. Web. 25 Apr. 2011. . WRS | Noise Pollution Persists despite Federal Rules. World Radio Switzerland. 27 Apr. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. .

Pillsbury Challenge Essays

Pillsbury Challenge Essays Pillsbury Challenge Paper Pillsbury Challenge Paper The Canadian Pillsbury ready-baked goods cookie line is experiencing disappointing performance, and the marketing manager at General Mills Canada Corporation is under pressure to make strategic decisions that will help turn around the segment. The marketing manager has engaged the help of the consumer insights team to conduct market research studies that will shed light on consumers and their attitudes, behaviors, and preferences towards the product. The goal is to understand how marketers can make better decisions, based on different types of consumer research, show how the relevant customer insights can help to determine strategies and explore the ways to improve business performance. Its that we are going to explain during this study. Firstly, we will see the company overview, then the consumer insights and their implications (the key learning) and to finish, we will do some recommendations for the Pillsbury Cookie Challenge. One of the worlds leading food companies, General Mills operates in more Han 1 00 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, such as Hypoxia, Pillsbury, Hagen-Dads, Nature Valley, Green Giant, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the company operates in three segments: IIS Retail, International and F-DOD service. Representing 69 per cent of total sales, the US Retail segment is the largest of the three. General Mills Canada Corporation (CM) is a subsidiary of General Mills. With annual sales of IIS$ 566 million, CM is a leader in the Canadian packaged foods market and the second largest division within the International segments. The Canadian division is split into four business units: breakfast, baked goods, meals and snacks. Part of the General Mills portfolio, the Pillsbury brand is the leader in the refrigerated baked goods category with a full range of products, including cookies, biscuits, breads, pizza and pie crusts, sweet rolls The Pillsbury refrigerated cookies is available in multiple flavors and two aromas (chub and ready-to-bake), with seasonal cookie special for Halloween, Easter, Valentines Day and Christmas. The cookies are sold between $2. 99 and 34. 99, according to the cookie format, the type of retailer and the region. The RUG products can be buy in all major grocery retailers such as Metro, Lobar, Sobers and club stores in Canada. About the marketing strategy, there is not a strategy specific to the Canadian market. Indeed, its the US advertising, which is adapted to the Canadian market, for example. In terms of the market, Pillsbury was the most profitable segment of General Mills Canada, with refrigerated cookie dough owning 62% of ready-baked- goods sales and yielding 75% category profit. Pillsbury held 85% of the market share and Was carried by all major Canadian retailers. However, volume growth, household penetration, and cookie segment growth were all flat. THE RUB COOKIES SOOT How the RUB cookies category is on the market? How to better take into account its weaknesses and threats? Here, we are going to draw up a SOOT analysis in order to better sharpen our recommendations, and thus, solve the problem raised by this case. In order to find some solutions for the Pillsbury challenge, its interesting to have an overview about the Pillsbury cookies weaknesses, strength, opportunities and threat. The goal is to take into account the opportunities and strength of the product and to spread out it. Contrary to that, we will do suggestions, which both resolve the issues and will try to remedy the weaknesses. In a nutshell, we are going to use and exploit the weaknesses and threat through the consumer insights in order to bring strategic and relevant recommendations, with a view to the Pillsbury problem. Pillsbury Doughy is an advertising icon and mascot of the Pillsbury company) THE PROBLEM STATEMENT RUB in Canada branch performance were not satisfied over the past two years whereas refrigerated cookies had always been the most profitable product line of its category. Indeed, the volume growth between 2004 2006 had remained nearly flat at 1 % and the household penetration had fallen to 24% from previous years. The goal is to understand the possible reasons of decline in cookie sales, through the Consumer insights (taste, advertising, Current brand messaging Of the Pills bury). For this purpose, the marketing manager Guile wants to see the difference between consumer markets of Canada and that of United States in order to design a marketing strategy according to it to boost the sales as well as profit of this category. HOSTED ANALYSIS In order to understand these cultural differences here are the Hefted framework: Power distance Interdependence among its inhabitants Value placed on egalitarianism Canadians value a straightforward exchange of information individual Allis Individualistic culture people look after themselves and their immediate families Employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiatives Masculinity Moderately masculine society Work-life balance and are likely to take time to enjoy personal pursuits, family gatherings and life in general uncertainty avoidance Uncertainty accepting. Easy acceptance of new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or consumer products Pragmatism Normative society Strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking Great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to eve for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results Indulgence Indulgent Willingness to realize their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun Higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish. 1 . CONSUMER INSIGHTS What are consumer insights? Definition: the collection, deployment and interpretation Of information that allows a business to acquire, develop and retain their customers. Process of collecting and analyzing customer feedbacks toward a product or a brand. Who use it? Internal marketing teams and a 3rd party research firms to conduct nonuser research. What types of business challenges can benefit from consumer insights? Gathering Consumer Insights helps to understand the preferences, attitudes and behaviors of consumers for business decisions and for new product development, brand message and promotional actions. It also helps to localize where a product can be improved or repositioned. How are consumer insights obtained? Quantitative research: based on the measurement and analysis Of relationships between variables. Questionnaire web survey. Qualitative research: gather a more in depth understanding of behavior. Focus group: owe cost, quick turnaround time. Marketing research tool where a small group of people engage in a moderate roundtable discussion on particular topics of interest D obtain the groups opinions about, or reactions to, specific products or marketing-oriented issues. Concept test: image, price, preparations, and benefits to see purchase intent. Used for new product development and to help develop brand messaging. Most concepts include an image of the product, along with pricing information, preparation instructions and a summary of key benefits. Presented to consumers in verbal or visual form ND quantitatively evaluated by consumers by indicating their degree Of purchase intent. Creative testing: evaluating the effectiveness of ads, testing the advertisement. The goal of both types of tests is to optimize advertising and packaging so that more consumers purchase the product. Usage and attitude study: survey that focuses on the frequency of product purchase and use, desirable attributes in products and product strengths and weaknesses. Quantitative study The Usage and Attitude study What? Ask consumers about their perception of the product:  «The frequency of product purchase and use  »  «The desirable attributes of the products  »  «The strengths and weaknesses Of the products  » Why? To find the right profile of the product user. To obtain insights and ideas about new products or current products Qualitative study The In-Home immersions study: Four two-hour visits at 2 lapsed users and 2 brand champions home. Why? To observe, rather than interview, the world of the consumer when theyre baking.  « To develop a real life and dynamic view of the consumer-brand relationships The discovery workshops study: 26 moms: lapsed and current users categories CLC shared thoughts, feelings and experiences. Why? To understand relationship and behavior regarding the Pillsbury brand 2. KEY LEARNING This part of the analysis will allow us to understand the difference and the similarities between the Canadian and the US market. First of all, we can make some observations about the Pillsbury Cookie Case: It is clear that the Family structure and consumer demographics are similar in Canada and in US as well as the frequency of RUG cookie baking. However, there is a big difference of preferences between scratch, refrigerated, and mix baking in both countries. Finally, we also can notice that the kid-request has a age impact on parents purchase especially in Canada. N this case, some researches are led: a quantitative one and a qualitative one. The results of theses studies are the following ones: The results of the quantitative study show clearly that Canadian people prefer the scratch baking. Indeed, 56% of Canadians VS.. 22% of Americans bake only from scratch. Another important thing to highlight is that there are similar purchase drivers in both countries but not in the same weight: -Top 1: Convenience -TOP 2: Taste -Top 3: Quality (12% less Canadians than Americans think it is high quality). Top 4: Kid- request: (10% more  « like to eat cookies  »13% more  « fun activity with kids  » This study also demonstrates that Purchase is impulsive and that the use of refrigerated cookie dough increases particularly in household with kids. The second research uses qualifications. Here, the results indicate that for mothers, baking experience is very important. With Pillsbury Cookie, this experience is relatively easy, quick, practical, affordable and pleasing to children. The most important thing is that baking is the opportunity to share memories and happy nonentities hillier and to put a smile on everyones face. For the children eating cookies the most important even if they participate, most of the time, with enthusiasm and involvement. What is enough surprising is the lack of interest of mothers and children toward nutritional values It does not matter because Contraindications really love Pillsbury. Baking and eating them represent a kind of magic, something special and it is better than a ready- made product because it is seen as an act of generosity because it asks some efforts to cook. And to finish, with Pillsbury, sometimes consumer has the impression of cheating or to keep a little secret that make him feel good. . RECOMMENDATIONS Now that we knotted Canadian consumers insight and the key learning from the usage and attitude study, we can develop several recommendations for Pillsbury into the Canadian market in order to increase the products sales: Commercials focus on children CM could use stimulus factors into the advertising in order to let the brand into the Children and mother memory. To do that they can play on several marketing aspects: Size, Intensity, Attractive visuals, Color and movement, Position, Isolation, Format, Contrast and expectations, Information quantity. Thus we recommend communicating on TV with attractive and colorful commercials. Emergency should place some printed adding front of schools, food retailers and bakery. These decontaminations on the convenient, quality and tasty side of the product. Create a Family bounding experience: In order to build a global relationship with the brand and give some future flashbulb memories, CM should focus on the brand experience for consumers. In order to add value for the moms the company could offer a baking experience with cooking classes. It would be a great moment to share between moms and children. Thanksgiving and Christmas are periods that have to be targeted in the calendar as both are about giving and sharing. Create a new product for Canadian consumers: We saw that Canadian moms love cooking. Therefore, CM should launch a cookie baking kit. This kit could be a box including all the necessary ingredients to bake cookies at home. It would be convenient for moms who have busy lifestyle and look for convenient solution to share time with their children. This kit could have a value added for children: 1 mould offer In each it, Minnie Mouse shape,Heart shape, Pumpkin shape, ghost shape, Snowman shape Focus on Emotion and well being association: In order to influence the attitude of the mother and their children about the brand, they can use testimonies on their website and social networks (Youth, faceable, Mainstream). Monthly newsletters with cookies recipes During special events such as: Halloween, Easter, Birthdays, Christmas, CM should share some customers recipes by emailing. Bake-off contest CM should create some Baking contest where customers will win Coupons and deals. These contests should be very attractive with music and a any attractions for children and moms. Make this day a real experience. Presentations and webzines to provide home-styles recipes We have seen that lappers and users are mothers keen on cooking and bringing joy and happiness all over the household. As webzines are web- based presentations, they would fit perfectly with the convenience sought by customers. As in the BIB industry, mothers (and potential fathers) would only have to switch on their computers or smartness to attend the webzines. Moreover, both moms and children would be able to improve their cooking skills from industry experts. Smartness APS and partnerships with high tech leaders CM could partner with smartness applications specialist in order to reach moms in new way. This would be the opportunity for consumers to connect deeply With the brand. Strategic partnerships with Tim Horton As the Canadian purchase drivers are taste for children and convenience for busy mothers, building a partnership with brand like Tim Horton would reinforce Pillsbury position and desire to connect with kids. Canadian people are in love with the restoration brand Tim Horton because its the most famous Canadian one. Moms always pick up there coffee there in the morning and get some bakeries for their children at the end of the day. For instance, like brands such as Kit or Ms did, Pillsbury could partner with one of childrens Tim Horton favorite dessert: the Tomtits. Sponsored events Shelf allocation and Point-of-sale display Pillsbury product should be situated on the lowest levels of the shelves in supermarkets in order children to kick them up and draw their mothers attention. This sales form of sales promotion located next to checkout counter would draw customers attention, and particularly childrens attention. It would be an efficient strategy to promote new Pillsbury products, or special offers according to relevant periods of the year e. G. Back To School, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Timeline for recommendations In order to implement these recommendations, we believe Pillsbury should build a timeline all over the year. Therefore, the marketing team would focus on specific events or period matching the customers expectations. This timeline shall bear witness of the complete understanding of consumers insights and behavior.

The Best AP Human Geography Review Plan

The Best AP Human Geography Review Plan SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Half the battle in reviewing for AP tests is knowing where to begin and how to structure your time. How do you successfully switch from preparing for in-class tests to gearing up for the more comprehensive AP exam? In this guide, I'll give you a list of all the topics you'll see on the AP Human Geography exam, go through a detailed review plan, and provide some tips for acing the test. What’s on the AP Human Geography Exam? There are seven main topics covered by the AP Human Geography exam.Every topic should show up in roughly the same number of questions (except for the first topic on the basics of what geography is, which will only make up 5-10 percent of questions). Like other AP exams, the AP Human Geography test has a multiple-choice and a free-response section. You have an hour to answer 75 multiple-choice questions and 75 minutes to answer three free-response questions. I’ll list all the topics covered by the course along with links to key terms and notes to go along with them so that you can use this article as a resource for your AP Human Geography review. The â€Å"Additional Notes† I've included are from CourseNotes, â€Å"Key Terms† are from Quizlet flashcards created by students for each unit of the course, and the â€Å"Important Things to Know† notes are PowerPoints in pdf form from an AP teacher.I’d recommend using a review book and/or your notes from class to supplement the information in this article. AP Human Geography Topics Topic #1: Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives Key Terms Geography and Human Geography Topic #2: Population Key Terms Important Things to Know - Topics 1 and 2 Additional Notes: The Earth As Humanity’s Home Fundamentals of Population: Location, Distribution, and Density Processes and Cycles of Population Change Where and Why People Move Topic #3: Cultural Patterns and Processes Key Terms Additional Notes: Cultures, Environments, and Regions A Geography of Languages Diffusion of Languages Modern Language Mosaics Origins and Distribution of Religions Religion: Location, Diffusion, and Cultural Landscape Religion, Culture, and Conflict Topic #4: Political Organization of Space Key Terms Important Things to Know - Topics 3 and 4 Additional Notes: Political Culture and the Evolving State State Organization and National Power Multinationalism on the Map The Changing Global Political Landscape Topic #5: Agricultural and Rural Land Use Key Terms Additional Notes: The Livelihoods of Rural Peoples Rural Settlement Forms Commercial Agriculture Global Disparities in Nutrition and Health Topic #6: Industrialization and Economic Development Key Terms Important Things to Know - Topics 5 and 6 Additional Notes: Industrial Activity and Geographic Location Resources and Regions: The Global Distribution of Industry Concepts of Development From Deindustrialization to Globalization Topic #7: Cities and Urban Land Use Key Terms Additional Notes: Civilization and Urbanization Urbanization and Location Urban Pattern and Structure Changing Civic Experiences Here’s a comprehensive document (from an AP teacher's public site) that covers all the topics in AP Human Geography so you can review everything in one place if you want. There is also a bit of a science aspect to AP Human Geography, so you should know how to read the different types of models.I’ll get more into this (with corresponding links) in the section on study tips at the end of this article. Grids are a staple of urban planning, unless you live in Boston. I have no idea how anyone found their way around here before GPS. Then again, my sense of direction is so bad that I've resorted to cheating to escape from corn mazes more than once. AP Human Geography Review Plan Even if you know what’s on the test, it’s not always easy to come up with a good plan of attack.This section will walk you through a study process that will get you up to speed with everything the test might throw at you. Step 1: Take and Score a Full Practice Test Your first move should be to take a full practice test so you can get a better idea of your current score level.When you take the test, time it to the specifications of the real AP exam so that you’ll be able to tell if you have any issues with time management.Circle any questions where you don't feel totally confident in your answer.Even if you end up getting them right, you’ll want to reexamine that content later in your review.Remember, there are no points taken off for incorrect answers. You just get a point for every question you answer correctly.Ultimately, you should fill in every bubbleeven if you end up guessing. Score your test by adding up all the points you earned and plugging the results into this online calculator.You’ll be able to see approximately where you fall in the AP score range (although keep in mind that the calculator uses the 2006 exam curve, so you shouldn’t take the results as gospel).Then, you can set a goal for improvement and decide how many hours you’ll need to put into your prep. If you’re already scoring in the 5 range on an official practice test, you might not even need to go through all the rest of these steps.You can just do a couple of hours of light review before the test.If you’re not satisfied with your score, you should go through all the steps at least once.If you want to improve by one AP point, I’d say going through this process seriously once or twice should be enough to get you up to speed.If you’re shooting for an improvement of two points or more, you’ll probably need to devote a bit more time to studying the material and taking practice tests.Depending on how quickly you pick up on things, you may cycle through the process two, three, or even four times. For more advice on setting a goal score, read these articles on whether you need a 5and how AP credit works at colleges. Every cycle through this review plan will become progressively more radical. You can get some sweet air going through your mistakes. Step 2: Go Through Your Mistakes Assuming you’ve decided that your score could use some improvement, you should go through your mistakes on the practice test and categorize them.If you want to see real improvements, this is the most important stage of the entire study process.This is how you’ll decide which content areas to focus on in your review.There’s no point in studying concepts and terms that you’ve already mastered. You might also note whether certain question formats gave you more trouble than others.Did you have more problems on questions that asked directly about definitions or regional characteristics, or did you struggle more with logical reasoning questions that required you to apply intuition on top of your knowledge?To show you what I mean by the latter, here’s an example: You need to know what â€Å"physiological population density† is, but you should also understand on a deeper level why it’s considered to be a useful measurement (the answer is A).If these types of questions were a problem for you because of the extra layer of analysis, try shifting your focus onto doing practice questions rather than memorizing content. Step 3: Study Appropriate Content and Do Practice Questions After you finish categorizing your mistakes, start looking at notes that correspond to the areas where you had the most trouble on the test.Make sure that you’re fully absorbing the information as you read.In this case, flashcards might be useful because there are so many terms to remember for AP Human Geography.If you had problems identifying specific regions and connecting them to topics on the test, you might review a world map as well. If you found the free response questions especially challenging, you should also practice a few more of them before you move on from this step.You can use some of the sites I list in my study guide for this exam to review specific topics with short multiple-choice quizzes.I’d recommend getting a review book if you feel that you would like more structure and want to see all the content together in one place.Check out my article on the best review books for AP Human Geography to get a better idea of which one will fit best with your needs. You should consider devoting some extra time to reviewing if you took this as a first semester class and haven't revisited the material in a while. Some schools offer AP Human Geography over the course of just one semester because it doesn't cover as much material as most other AP classes. Step 4: Take a Second Full Practice Test When you feel that you’ve fully addressed all of your mistakes on the first test, you can take a second timed practice test to check if you’ve managed to improve.After you score this new test, compare your score to the goal you set in the first step.Then, decide whether you want to go through the study process again or are happy with your current score.If you find that you haven’t improved, you need to reevaluate how you conducted this process and make some changes in the next round.Were you in an environment that was too distracting? Did you skim over the terms and your notes instead of really absorbing them? These are the kinds of things that might cause your efforts to stall. Here’s the estimated time required for each of the steps in this process: Step 1: 2.5 hours Step 2: 1 hour Step 3: 2 hours Step 4: 2.5 hours Total Time: 8 hours You can always spend more time reviewing content and answering practice questions if you find that you’re rusty on many different topics or want to ensure a dramatic improvement on the next test. Sometimes you have to try a few different study methods before you find the one that does the trick. AP Human Geography Study Tips and Strategies In this section, I’ll provide some study tips that are specific to this class and will help you successfully navigate your AP Human Geography review. Tip #1: Memorize the Terms Your knowledge of terminology is very important on the AP Human Geography exam.Many multiple-choice questions will ask you to rely on your understanding of terms to choose the correct answer.Take this question, for example: If you hadn’t studied the term â€Å"formal region† you’d be hard pressed to answer correctly (the answer is C, in case you’re wondering).Many of the sample multiple-choice questions in the course description are similar to this one.Out of the 23 questions, I could count ten that asked you to identify (directly or indirectly) the correct definition of a term or match a term with a definition. Likewise, on free-response questions, often the first part of the question asks you to define a term, and the rest of the question builds off of that definition.You could find yourself totally lost on these questions if you forget the definitions at their roots. Tip #2: Practice Free-Response Questions Free-response questions for this test are different from those you might see on many other AP exams.Human Geography falls into a subject realm between science and the humanities, and the free-response questions reflect that.You’ll need to write explanations and provide examples, but you won’t have to come up with actual essays with introductions and conclusions.You should practice getting right to the answer on these questions and avoiding too much fluff.It’s best to make it as easy as possible for the grader to award you points! Tip #3: Time Yourself Another thing you should know about AP Human Geography is that it’s a pretty fast-paced exam.You have to answer 75 multiple-choice questions in an hour, which means less than a minute for each question.Before you’re faced with the real test, you should make sure you can get through that many multiple-choice questions in such a short time span.You should also time yourself on the three free-response questions, for which you are given an hour and 15 minutes.Aim to spend no more than 20 minutes on any individual free-response question to leave yourself a reasonable time cushion. Tip #4: Understand Geographic Models and Theories Geographic models and corresponding theories will also play a big part in the exam.I found a document that lists the most important models you need to know for the exam.I’d also recommend taking a look at this comprehensive Prezi that describes the main theories and models covered by the AP Human Geography curriculum (I apologize in advance for any motion sickness you might experience when viewing information in this unnecessarily turbulent medium).The Crash Course review book also has a great chapter that summarizes all the models you need to know for this exam. Geographers have come up with many different models to measure the growth and dispersal of the human population around the world. They know exactly how far away we are from a Wall-E situation. Conclusion The AP Human Geography exam has 78 questions that you'll answer over the course of two hours and 15 minutes. The questions cover seven main topics. These topics include: Basics of Human Geography (Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives) Population Cultural Patterns and Processes Political Organization of Space Agricultural and Rural Land Use Industrialization and Economic Development Cities and Urban Land Use To prepare for the test, you should take a practice exam and evaluate your mistakes. Based on where your mistakes happened, you can study content selectively. The essential steps of your review plan should be: Step 1: Take and Score an Initial Practice Test Step 2: Go Through Your Mistakes Step 3: Review Appropriate Content and Do Practice Questions Step 4: Take a Second Practice Test This review process can be repeated as many times as necessary for you to feel happy with your score level. Some tips you should keep in mind as you study are: Memorize Terms Practice the Free-Response Questions Time Yourself Understand Geographic Models and Theories By following these steps and strategies, you can ensure that you arrive at test day fully prepared and confident in your abilities! What's Next? What score do you need to get on the AP test to make it worth your while? Learn more about how AP credit works in college classes. Are you self-studying for this or other AP exams? Follow our seven-step plan for self-studying to get the most out of your time. How late is too late to prepare effectively for an AP test?Read this article for some helpful advice on when to start studying based on your goals. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 7

Exam - Essay Example The most prevalent theory of buyer behaviour in respect of marketing activities is the ‘Utility Theory.’ This theory proposes that; buyers make decisions based on the expected result of their decisions (Bray, 2012). Buyers employ a rational behaviour when choosing commodities to consume; that is, they are concerned with self interest. Marketers are always aware that buyers will only consider the products and services that achieve the highest level of satisfaction. With this knowledge, companies produce products that meet the buyers’ needs. This theory views a buyer as ‘a rational man.’ Companies are influenced by this behaviour to design a product or service that will be desirable to the buyers. Marketing activities tend to focus on research and pricing domain of the product or service. There are various factors that influence consumers; according to contemporary research on buyer behaviour. Buyer behaviour arises from the objective of satisfying a need. This stage advances in information search; on a product that satisfies the need. The buyer then evaluates various alternatives obtained from information search. A purchase intention arises from the evaluation of alternatives. The purchase intention triggers the buyer to buy the product or service, consumes it, and then disposes it. This is the complete view of buyer behaviour. Marketers are aware that buyer behaviour advances from; a need to the actual transaction. Marketing activities will tend to focus on promoting their products and services. This promotion creates awareness; that is, it sensitizes the potential buyers about a particular product or service being offered. Buyers tend to apply a cognitive approach when deciding on which products or services to consume. This approach focuses on the buyers’ observed behaviour to intrapersonal cognition. The experience achieved from the previous use of a product or service

Continental Airlines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Continental Airlines - Research Paper Example Part of this success is attributed to the huge investment in employee management and training. This, in turn, leads to better customer care management realized from the employees of the organization. Introduction The story behind Continental Airlines is inundated with many successes and challenges that have characterized the company since its formation. Like any other operator in the turbulent airline industry, these challenges have, over the years, affected the operations of the company and often became the basis for the strategies that have enabled the company to sail through. In any case, Continental Airlines is today regarded as one of the best performing airlines not only in the United States but across the world. Founded in 1934 with a single aircraft in Texas, Continental has grown to become the fifth largest airline in the United States and the seventh largest in the world. This is realized through an annual passenger figure of 50 million across five continents. Presently, th e airline operates over 2,300 daily departures to over 200 destinations across these continents (Burlingham, 2005). Indeed, Continental operates in an industry dominated by several market players which are always on the watch for any strategy to outdo their competitors. The company has faced several financial quagmires over the past few years but has always managed to sail through these challenges. Through continual fleet modernization and an effective employee management program, the company has always been at the forefront in the provision of quality services that transcend the very borders of culture and distance. Although the company has faced bankruptcy twice in its turbulent history, these downfalls have acted as an impetus for success and triggered a new wave of novel strategies that define the company’s overall success. Continental’s Business Strategy At the dawn of this century, Continental was normally ranked in the tenth position among the major airlines in the United States. The major focus of the management was, therefore, to create a new business strategy that would shift the fortunes of the organization. This led to the adoption of a new series of business strategies that were focused on improving industry performance through improved customer service. The first strategy was labeled Fly to Win and was meant to ensure that all the employees in the organization clearly understood what the customers actually wanted in terms of service. This would facilitate an effective response mechanism in order to avail the right products to the right clients. Secondly, Fund the Future strategy was intended to relook into the cash flow and costs incurred by the organization, in order to bail it out of its financial quagmire. The focus in this case was cost management as a way of eliminating some of the unnecessary cost centers previously realized by the organization. The third strategy, Make Reliability a Strategy, was geared towards ensuring that customers were delivered to their destinations safely and without any delays (Ray, 1999). This was also to limit any loss of luggage that was often realized in the company. In a way, reliability was seen as the best way to create customer confidence which would ultimately enable the airline to widen the customer base. The fourth strategy, Working Together, was mainly focused on employee managemen

Positives and Negatives of the UK Electoral System Term Paper

Positives and Negatives of the UK Electoral System - Term Paper Example The timing of general elections and the fact that a Prime Minister whose party has lost majority status might attempt to remain the national leader; the most positive aspects are the theoretical involvement of every citizen of voting age and the regularity in which elections must legally be held. The premise of the general electoral system is fully democratic and meant to benefit the voters over the ambitions of politicians.   There are many legal checks put in place to ensure that the will of the voters is carried out; the problem is that the interpretation of voter will is often ambiguous.   Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the electoral system is known as first-past-the-post voting (or the plurality system); this is where the candidate or party with more votes than anyone else is given the leadership position (Judge 185).   During a general election, Members of Parliament (MP) are elected from each established riding to occupy the House of Commons; the political part y with the most MPs elected will take control of the federal government and be responsible for all federal legislation.   What concerns many voters is that given the first-past-the-post method of voting, a very large percentage of voters can be misrepresented by the outcome of their local elections.   If a high percentage of voters vote for the losing party in their riding and this happens all over the country, the representation of political parties within the House of Commons can be very different than the actual percentage of votes that went to each party.   Other countries, like France, have tried to deal with this issue by using a two-step plurality system that takes the two highest vote receivers from the preliminary round of voting and holds another round with only these two.   In the UK, the concern that actual voting percentages are misrepresented in Parliament persists.   Where the existing government is concerned, one of the primary negative aspects of electoral process includes the fact that the government is allowed to call an election at a time that best suits the party (Ware 300).  

Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Risk Management - Essay Example These risks are then incorporated in the bones of the â€Å"fish† (Lin, 2009). This is effective as it assists the person carrying out the analysis understand the critical threats that exist and thus work to eliminate all the risks starting with these ones. This method is effective in reducing the running costs because there is the prior identification and elimination of the risks. There is also the qualitative risk identification and assessment. In this, there is the red light and green light rating where there is the analysis of the risks that will have the greatest impact. After this, there is the analysis of the major project objectives where there is then the changing of the various features regarding the goals where they can be altered (Lin, 2009). This is helpful in that it reduces the amount of defects that may occur. Urgency assessment in identification assists in understanding where along the project continuation the risk may occur. Scheduled delays are the ones best resolved through this method of risk identification and

Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management Assignment - 2

Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management - Assignment Example The business planning process consists of different interdependent elements; each element geared for the ‘creation of a successful entrepreneurial venture.’ Since precious time is allocated for the completion of each element, it is necessary to evaluate their value in terms of successfully creating a business venture. Thus, the first part of this paper will provide a critique of each of the business planning process’ elements to determine and validate its inherent value. Elements: The Introduction Idea Generation. The first step of every business venture spawns from two personal views: the perceived market needs or wants and the manner by which these two can be met. The latter is commonly characterized by the prime planner’s personal capability, hobby, or any activity that has the potential economic value as a product or service commodity. These two views are the product of the prime planner’s idea generation and serve as the supporting backbone of t he whole business plan. The next set of ideas will then root from these two views. This being the case, it is essential to keep the main ideas valid, consistent and applicable to all other components to assure a sturdy framework for the whole business plan. Strategic Objectives. These are the types of objectives that are safeguarded by a unifying strategy (Robert, 1998). These objectives, which were set by the planner to secure both market and post its position as a reputable provider of services or products, have to be realistically realized; thus, the use of strategies. However, objectives are ever-changing and are periodically divided by the short-term and long-term goals. Objectives may come in the form of profit, equipment or service upgrades, advancement in market position against competitors, and other visions of business progress. Market Analysis and Research. Apart from building the foundations of the business plan through ideas and objectives, it is essential that relevant information about the market environment is incorporated. This element, amongst all the other, has the most potential of adding realistic facts and procures necessary strategies. The result of this research and analysis may specifically point the current and the target position of the business in terms of its industry. By realizing this position, the planner will have an inclination of what destination the business should take and importantly, how to get there. Understanding the Competition. Knowledge of the market environment introduces the presence of the business competitors. This element focuses on acknowledging the threats and opportunities these competitors present and serve to be part of the factors in designing the marketing strategies (Harvard Business School Press, 2010). In business, ignorance of the business’ competitors can be one of the most costly errors. Competition can be in several forms such as a strategic location (upon close proximity with clients), indu stry position, product or service bundle, et cetera. Financial Projections. Most helpful in delegating potential business investments are the financial information which consisted of cash flow, profit and loss forecast, and balance sheet projections. These proforma of figures immediately relate to potential financial returns - the investors’ gain (or loss) in joining a business venture (Parker, 2006). The investors also eye on the financial forecasts of cash flow as well as the profit and loss since these two

Television and film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Television and film - Essay Example Some of the mostly tackled subjects today would be the notion of masculinity, femininity, courtship, and marriage where conservative ways are now being represented in a reversed way. The women now play as the breadwinner, self-empowered, and independent. To have a fulfilling marriage, they often times illustrate it with a third party. Hence, as these kinds of shows are highly promoted to bring in more sales for a network, new and avid imitators of each character of a movie or series would be spawned, depending on their relatability to the audience (Television in American Popular Culture, n.d.). With this said, the visual entertainment media is indeed very significant in shaping the mindset and attitude of American culture today on every subject. The social influences of this kind of visual entertainment when it comes to the notion of femininity is mostly positive wherein women are now seen as equals with men. However, the value of courtship and marriage is continuously degraded especially when films embrace a more adventurous take on it, mocking the sanctity of respect, loyalty, and

Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management Assignment - 2

Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management - Assignment Example The business planning process consists of different interdependent elements; each element geared for the ‘creation of a successful entrepreneurial venture.’ Since precious time is allocated for the completion of each element, it is necessary to evaluate their value in terms of successfully creating a business venture. Thus, the first part of this paper will provide a critique of each of the business planning process’ elements to determine and validate its inherent value. Elements: The Introduction Idea Generation. The first step of every business venture spawns from two personal views: the perceived market needs or wants and the manner by which these two can be met. The latter is commonly characterized by the prime planner’s personal capability, hobby, or any activity that has the potential economic value as a product or service commodity. These two views are the product of the prime planner’s idea generation and serve as the supporting backbone of t he whole business plan. The next set of ideas will then root from these two views. This being the case, it is essential to keep the main ideas valid, consistent and applicable to all other components to assure a sturdy framework for the whole business plan. Strategic Objectives. These are the types of objectives that are safeguarded by a unifying strategy (Robert, 1998). These objectives, which were set by the planner to secure both market and post its position as a reputable provider of services or products, have to be realistically realized; thus, the use of strategies. However, objectives are ever-changing and are periodically divided by the short-term and long-term goals. Objectives may come in the form of profit, equipment or service upgrades, advancement in market position against competitors, and other visions of business progress. Market Analysis and Research. Apart from building the foundations of the business plan through ideas and objectives, it is essential that relevant information about the market environment is incorporated. This element, amongst all the other, has the most potential of adding realistic facts and procures necessary strategies. The result of this research and analysis may specifically point the current and the target position of the business in terms of its industry. By realizing this position, the planner will have an inclination of what destination the business should take and importantly, how to get there. Understanding the Competition. Knowledge of the market environment introduces the presence of the business competitors. This element focuses on acknowledging the threats and opportunities these competitors present and serve to be part of the factors in designing the marketing strategies (Harvard Business School Press, 2010). In business, ignorance of the business’ competitors can be one of the most costly errors. Competition can be in several forms such as a strategic location (upon close proximity with clients), indu stry position, product or service bundle, et cetera. Financial Projections. Most helpful in delegating potential business investments are the financial information which consisted of cash flow, profit and loss forecast, and balance sheet projections. These proforma of figures immediately relate to potential financial returns - the investors’ gain (or loss) in joining a business venture (Parker, 2006). The investors also eye on the financial forecasts of cash flow as well as the profit and loss since these two

Enterprise Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Enterprise Development - Essay Example No it is not! It is also not possible for a gambler to gain consistently over a large period of time. Even the best of gamblers lose money consistently which proves that the role of chance is quite significant in gambling. This is not the case in entrepreneurship because there are many examples where entrepreneurs have earn large returns over a long period of time. Entrepreneurs and gamblers are different in the way that gamblers leave many things to chance whereas entrepreneurs do not (Wee, Lim, & Lee, 1994).There is no doubt that the role of chance in the success of an entrepreneur is also not negligible but this is nowhere similar to chance taken by gamblers. Entrepreneurs like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckeberg etc all started their business as entrepreneurs but today they are known to the whole world. This cannot be said for any known gambler of the world. Entrepreneurship is not gambling because there are many controllable factors in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs have a lot of control in how they manage their business and risk which is why entrepreneurship is not equal to gambling. Entrepreneurship is much more than gambling as it involves studying markets and taking calculated risks in hope of yielding high returns. One can easily gauge customer demand and using sampling and other procedures to do a trail run in order to test a particular product or service. Measures like these can be taken to cut down the risk and decrease uncertainty of any business. This is why gambling cannot be equated to entrepreneurship. There are many factors that play a role in the success of entrepreneurs like innovation, strong will, and farsightedness. All these factors decide whether an entrepreneur will be successful in the longer run or not. This shows that the success and failure of entrepreneurial ventures is not dependent on chance but on factors like innovation. Will innovation, strong will, and farsightedness makes a gambler

The Recruit Essay Example for Free

The Recruit Essay The book The Recruit by Robert Muchamore is an adventure packed story about a boy called James Choke who makes some bad decisions and is sent to prison where he spends the night in a cell and wakes up in the morning in a completely different location. James has been relocated to the campus of Cherub. Something that interested me in the story was how Cherub used teenagers to spy. Agents were used to find evidence and stop terrorist plots to kill people. Cherub used the agents because people wouldn’t be suspicious that a child would be a spy. Think about it if your child brought a friend home and he acted like a normal child and appeared to be normal would you expect him/her to be spying on your each and every phone call, email, and movement? Quote: â€Å"although there have been many technical advantages in intelligence operations since cherub was founded, the reason for its existence remains the same: adults never suspect that children are spying on them. † An important character in the novel the recruit is James Choke. James Choke or agent James Adams is important because he is the newest recruit at the cherub campus and he joins an exciting mission to stop a terrorist group called â€Å"Help Earth† from releasing anthrax bacteria into the air at a conference centre. The story follows James from when he was a normal teenager to when he is a member of the Cherubs team. An exciting piece of the story is when James Adams goes on his first mission. James first mission takes place in a hippy camp called Fort Harmony. James and Amy Collins must befriend the hippies and find out more about the potential attack at Petrocon (where world leaders are meeting for an oil conference) by the terrorist group Help Earth. The two discover a plot to release anthrax bacteria into the air at the conference centre. They discover this when James discovers a secret hide out underground. They find a container filled with the bacteria and James is admitted to hospital because of suspicions that he may have the bacteria in his body. James finds a storage tray in Fire and World Dunn’s remote control cars. The trays were going to be used to transport the bacteria to the air conditioning units. They were caught before they could launce their attack at Petrocon. I was pleased to find out that in turn James was rewarded for outstanding effort with a navy shirt (the shirt represents the level they are at), the satisfaction of completing his first mission, and the knowledge that he had saved 200 people’s lives.

Fighting Against Animal Cruelty English Literature Essay

Fighting Against Animal Cruelty English Literature Essay Fighting against animal cruelty is something Im particularly passionate and sensitive about. Some people may argue with me and tell me Im over reacting. However, I couldnt actually be bothered! People like myself are what our world needs to protect these creatures with no voice. In China dog control officers may kill any unaccompanied dogs on sight. There are no government supported charitable organisations like the RSPCA, which monitors the cases on animal cruelty. Animal abuse is on the increase in South Africa, and many of the perpetrators are young children. In 2006, three Randburg school girls set alight a mouse and watched as it burnt to death. They recorded the incident on a cell phone and their laughter is clearly audible as they enjoy the spectacle. Issues like THESE make me SO upset and angry! It kills me to see how people especially girls who are nurtures, can take it upon themselves to act this way! This is why taking care of or helping abused and abandoned animals is my most essential goal in life. My passion in life is to live in Paris in some little attic in someones house, and every morning wake up, set up my canvas and paint on the sidewalks. Ive wanted to do this since I was a little girl. Watching Aristo Cats and 101 Dalmatians has opened my mind to bigger things, and has showed me how free artists are in Europe. I want to paint and draw pieces that arent going to be assessed or moderated by people who are going to bring me down. I want to paint how I want to and what I want to, and then selling my artworks to people around the world and HOPEFULLY making money to open up an animal shelter or maybe more. Not only will I provide a home for all these poor lost and neglected animals; Im also going to go out and fight for them by being a part time animal cop. I can sit for hours and bawl my eyes out while I watch animal cops SA, MIAMI, HOUSTEN and PHOENIX on Animal Planet. This is what made me realise what my ambition was. Friends and family will tell you that I would sacrifice my life for an animal. And to you that may sound ridiculous, however it is the truth. Ive actually had two occasions when I felt like an animal cop. One of them was when I was in town one morning when the sun was blistering hot, I felt like I was baking! While walking along the pavement, I came across a puppy curled up in the corner of an open van. She had no water, no food and no shelter. This made me SO mad! I went back without my mum and confronted the man in that uncontrollable state. My mum was too scared to do anything about it so I stayed mad with her until she had to call my dad, who then told me to go to the nearest police station. This fortunately for me was across the road. I laid a charge by myself and those men were charged with animal abuse. After attending the circus 3 times when I was a little girl, Ive never been back since. Seeing animals being ill-treated in such an immoral and horrible way upset me terribly and my dad and I made a pledge that wed never go back to the circus again. Small things like this make a HUGE difference to our society and our world. The second incident when acting as an animal cop was when I went to my friends house to see her new kitten on a rainy night. Before I got there I had assumed that she was looking after this poor kitten that was found in the gutter. However, she was dumped in the Wendy house with no food, no water and no litter box! I found her behind some tools took her into the shower and washed her off all that dirt and grime. Shes now, living at home, with me. Her names Piglet because her nose is like a pig and she EATS like her pig! I d like to add that my cat has a bit of an identity crisis as she does no know whether shes a cat or a dog! She plays fetch with a rolled up cling wrap ball. When you throw it for her she skids and slides after it and brings it right back to you and drops it into your hand for more rounds. She sits in the shower with me because she LOVES WATER! She even plays catchers and hide and seek with me. I need say more. My mum told me that I was the animal farms weekly visitor without fail. Animals arent there for you to take your frustrations out on or to just feed them and leave. However they WILL sit there and listen to you when youre mad. upset and have no one to talk to. Whether you pass over that eagerly awaited walk in the park for the following day†¦ they still forgive you and will ALWAYS come running back into your arms. I hope that every one of you pay special attention to your animals, because just as much as they love you, they want you to love them back the exact same way without the voices to tell you so†¦

Breast Cancer Essay -- Diseases/Disorders

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world (Breast). Every three minutes a woman is diagnosed: one in eight women will have breast cancer (Walgreens, 2011; Chen, 2010). â€Å"I have to admit, like so many women, I always knew there was a chance. But like so many women, I never thought it would be me. I never thought I'd hear those devastating words: 'You have breast cancer.' â€Å"- Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a democratic representative of Florida (2011). Mutations turn genes on and off, activating diseases; all women have a chance of developing breast cancer (Understanding; Breast). Unhealthy cells divide and form a tumor. The tumor can be benign and not dangerous. Malignant tumors can become potentially dangerous (Understanding). The cancer becomes invasive when it spreads to other breast areas. Cancer that has not invaded other breast tissues remains noninvasive; noninvasive cancer can become invasive if not treated (Chen, 2010). If cancer cells get into the lymph nodes, the cells can get into the bloodstream and spread throughout the body (Understanding; Rosen, 2011). Ductal carcinoma cancer starts in the breast milk ducts (Chen, 2010). The milk ducts drain milk from the lobules to the nipple: 50-75% of breast cancer starts in the ducts (Understanding; Facts). Lobular carcinoma cancer develops in the lobules which produce milk: 10-15% of breast cancer starts in the lobules (Chen, 2010; Facts). Breast cancer starting in another area is rare (Chen, 2010). Rarely, a phyllodes tumor develops in the stroma or connective tissue of the breast (Rosen, 2011). Inflammatory breast cancer accounts for 1% to 3% of breast cancers. The skin of the breast looks red and feels warm with no lump: due to cancer cells blocking... ...greens. (2011, September 28). Behind The Scenes of Lifetime's FIVE [Video file]. Retrieved November 16, 2015 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeVZg2lWIlw Understanding Breast Cancer. Breastcancer.org. Retrieved November 25, 2015 from http://www.breastcancer.org/ About Breast Cancer. National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.. Retrieved November 25, 2015 from http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/ Facts for Life. Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Retrieved November 25, 2015 from http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/FactsForLife.html Breast Cancer Facts. The Breast Cancer Society Inc.. Retrieved November 25, 2015 from http://www.breastcancersociety.org/aboutbreastcancer/factsandstatistics/breastcancerfact.shtml Rosen, Leo and Rosen, Gloria. (2011).Learn About Cancer. American Cancer Society. Retrieved November 26, 2015 from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/index