Women in Hamlet Essay Example For Students

Women in Hamlet Essay In William Shakespeares Hamlet, women play an important role. They are the ones whom the men use to play out their nefarious plots. They are quite easily manipulated and have almost no say in anything. It seems as though Shakespeare thought of them as tools, as most men did at the time. Ophelia is the first woman in the play who seems to be being manipulated. Her father, Polonius, uses her to spy on Hamlet. He sets her up in a hall, where she is to meet Hamlet Polonius and King Claudius spy on them. She goes along with this, even though Hamlet is the man she loves. We will write a custom essay on Women in Hamlet specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Her father is so easily able to convince her that Hamlet does not actually love her, that it is no wonder young women of the time would nearly always marry the man their father chose out for them. Gertrude is not immune to this mistreatment. She has no trouble believing that there was no foul play involved in the death of her husband. Claudius is so convincing, he even gets her to marry him. The fact that their marriage happens a mere few weeks after Hamlet Sr. s death goes to show how quickly women of the time turned their back on things that no longer interested them. If her dead husband could not provide her with some divertissement, she wanted nothing to do with him; she certainly didnt want to waste her time grieving. She felt that Claudius would be someone fun and could give her what she wanted, so without thinking about those around her, especially Hamlet, she went ahead and married him. She also betrays Hamlet by telling the king of his visit to her room. She tells him of how he killed Polonius and made her swear not to tell him. The fact that she could betray her own son for her husband, who is not even his father, is proof that the man controlled women they were married to. In conclusion, it is evident that women were not strong-willed individuals in William Shakespeares time. They did what was asked of them without much of a fight. This certainly did not help with their oppression. It was not until women started standing up for their rights that they were heard and taken seriously. It is a shame that it took so long for them to do it. There may have been many intelligent women who may have helped invent or create things that would have greatly helped civilization, unfortunately mankind missed out on that opportunity.

How To Make A Living Blogging

How To Make A Living Blogging Ah, the blogging dream. You, in a coffee shop or sitting on a beach, earning an income. You discovered how to make a living blogging and its smooth travel from here on out. Whoa, now.  Lets slow down and think things through. You might not be able to spend the rest of your life tapping out blog posts on your laptop swinging in a hammock as the sun sets behind palm trees, but you can still make a living blogging on more realistic terms. Make A Living Blogging, Without The Myths I bet youve heard a few myths about how to make a living blogging and instead of thinking about those bogus promises rationally, youve adopted them as truth. Thats a bad move to make if youre going to quit your day job and bank on blogging. What are the myths you often hear? The most important thing to do is to just start. How many times do you hear the advice to just get started or something about the longest journey begins with the first step? The most important thing to do is not to just start. Its to have a plan on what youre going to do before you start. There are so many things to consider before you sink time into a blog or freelance career.  What are you going to write about? Will you have a niche blog? Will you write for other blogs? How will you monetize your blog? Will you have ads?  Will you have a product or service to sell? How much income do you need? Will you need a part-time job? You have to start, but perhaps you should start blogging before you quit your day job. Get a feel for it. And, more importantly, make some serious plans. Figure out what youre going to do before you make the leap. Do some research.  Ask tough questions and provide honest answers, and then start. Start knowing where youre headed. Even if your direction changes, you didnt start out by wandering around, lost. Working for myself will be much easier than working for someone else. Making a living as a freelance writer and blogger isnt easy. This isnt a story of you not working for the man, and sleeping in until noon every day, wandering over to your computer and tapping out a few thousand words before taking a nap. Its not like a regular job; you cant clock in and clock out. Blogging Myth: Working for myself will be much easier than working for someone else.Freelance writing and blogging means you have to have discipline to self-start and make the chase every morning. It means you will need to get a handle on what to charge as a freelance writer and blogger. You cant undersell yourself with your own pricing structure. It means working directly with clients; no more hiding behind the company or policies. It means organization, the best tools, and learning how to work when you dont feel like it. It means you will still be taking ordersnot from your boss, but from your client. In effect, you might be working twice as hard for every dollar you make. Thats not a bad thing. There are lots of benefits in working for yourself, but easier isnt one of them. I have to have a hugely successful personal blog or it wont work. As youll read below, huge amounts of traffic on your own blog are only one small way you can make a living as a blogger. You do not have to have a blog with massive amounts of traffic unless you plan to fund a winter home in the Bahamas solely off of ad clicks from traffic. Be honest. That kind of outcome happens to very few writers and bloggers, mainly the ones telling you they did it and getting traffic and clicks from bloggers like you who want to figure out what they did. Thats a pyramid, and not everyone is at the top. Traffic is important, particularly if youre selling a product or using ads or affiliates for income, but not everyone needs a million hits a month to still make a decent living off of their blogging. Just tell me the formula and Ill go do it. Making a living blogging is, sorry to say, without a clear formula. What works for one blogger wont work for another. What works in one niche wont work for another. What works in one year wont work the next. Trends change, blogging changes, available tools changethere is no one-size-fits all formula for success. This is what you dont want to hear, butfind what works for you. This comes about with trial and error experience. Its not usually fun. Be cautious when reading about a sure-fire way to make money on a blog, because theres no guarantee that will work for you. I only want to blog on my blog. Dont put all of your income eggs in one basket. It will take time to make your own blog an income-generating behemoth (if ever). It is foolish to restrict your blogging to one income source only. Find many ways to make a living blogging so that you are on secure ground should something change. When you are new and starting out, you dont have the luxury of being a purist (unless you have a trust fund to live off of). Make A Living Blogging On Your Blog Ideally, youll make a living off of your own blog property, where you call the shots. Your blog is about more than personal writing freedom, though.  If you dont love your own writing, youre going to have a hard sell making your clients love the writing you do for them. Your blog just happens to be the perfect place to find your voice, figure out blogging, and learn to love your writing. You Need More Than Great Writing If You Need Significant Traffic Great writing isnt all that youll need. What do you think of when someone talks about making money off of their blog? You think ads and affiliates.  For ad revenue or affiliate links to really work, you are going to have to build serious traffic. And, even then, youll likely need other sources of income from your writing or even a side job. How do you build that traffic? Build traffic to your site by participating.  Commenting on other blogs and participating in social media networks and groups is vital to building traffic to your own blog. Take marketing strategy seriously. Weve talked about several methods of marketing that are both creative and powerful when it comes to bringing traffic to your site. Whatever method you choose for your blog, take it seriously and dont leave marketing your own blog up to chance. Write regularly. Were big cheerleaders for regular, planned content using a tool like an editorial calendar to make certain it happens. Write so search engines and readers have something new to read whenever they visit. Learn about search engine optimization (SEO). Learn all you can about what good SEO requires, and take the steps to make it happen. Get the plugins, do the research, do the writing. Be patient. Guest blogging. Writing on others blogs is a great way to tap into their audience and introduce yourself to new people. Find blogs you enjoy reading and would be able to write great content for. There are many websites that  list reputable companies  that offer ad campaigns and services, but youll likely have to show you have significant traffic. If that is the route you wish to go, do your research well and choose a company with a good reputation for both payout and privacy. Ad Revenue Isnt The Only Option But maybe that isnt the route you want to go. Maybe you dont want ads on your site.  Dont forget what else your blog has to offer, besides the potential for ad revenue: Your blog is your proof. Its a resume, its samples of writing, its proof to clients that you know what youre doing and have the experience. Its your writing portfolio. Your blog is a publishing house. It is a way to generate income off of your writing from ebooks, self-published books, and magazines. You can create written content, fiction and non-fiction, that others might enjoy reading and would pay money for. Your blog is your brand. This is where you run your PR from, your updates, your news, and where you create that unique online personality. Your blog is a place to offer subscription content. Depending upon your niche, your audience, and the level of expertise in the content you share, you could offer paid memberships to portions of your blog. People will pay to get regular access to your site as long as you keep the content high quality, publish frequently, and offer something unique they cant find elsewhere. Your blog is a chance for affiliate links. Writing reviews or other blog posts that allow you to include links to affiliate sites is another way for you to earn extra cash from your blog. While you might not get rich right off the bat, it is extra income. A niche blog is particularly good for affiliate links. Your blog is the home base for your product or service. Having a product or service that you sell on your blog is a fine way to create steady income and build a business. It should fit well with the niche your blog is in. It might be paper or ebooks, coaching services, an app, a WordPress plugin, T-Shirts–anything. Dont overlook the power of your own blog when you think about making a living as a freelance writer and blogger, but dont let that be where you stop your efforts to make a living blogging. Your blog is your home base, but writing is your skill. That skill is portable. Make A Living Blogging On Other Blogs Writing for other blogs can go beyond guest blogging without pay. There are some blogs that will pay you for content, just as any other freelance client would. The trick is finding blogs that will pay you for your writing. This doesnt happen by accident. Block out time to find blogs that will pay you to write for them.   Rather than a hit-and-miss approach of saving bookmarks as you find them, create a list of search terms and make an effort to block out time to find a place to blog. Whether you use a spreadsheet or an organizing app, sift through the resources and note where, what, and how they want you to write for them. Save the links, decide which blogs youll write for, which ones pay and which ones are unpaid guest blogging. In other words, be purposeful about finding blogs that pay just as you would any other paying client, and organize your results so that you can organize your plan of attack. Get in the habit of being paid. It should be obvious that if you dont get paid in a timely manner, you should not write more posts until you do get payment. Youve agreed on a set amount before you start? Then thats what you should receive. Some blogs might offer their writers a percentage of the ad revenue, or other payment options. Know what you need, and dont let the myth of its good exposure convince you to let slide a previous agreement of payment. Make A Living Blogging As A Ghost Blogger Ghost blogging is controversial. Its the practice of being paid to write blog posts for another blog without receiving any recognition or rights to your work. Payment varies, from as low as $20/600 words and up. Once youve submitted the post and received payment, your writing is out of your hands and youre done with it. You will likely find more paid ghost blogging opportunities than you will paid blogging opportunities. Most people who ghost blog dont make a big public announcement about doing it. Its a controversial practice, and if you do an online search on ghost blogging, youll get a slew of popular bloggers decrying the practice for its lack of authenticity, claiming that it hurts other writers and bloggers, and that it cheats the reader. Such claims have elements of truth to them, perhaps, but sometimes impending bills and payments speak louder than a call to authenticity.  You have to make your own decision on whether or not youre comfortable writing for another blog without receiving credit. The Reality Of Ghost Blogging If youre ready to try your hand at ghost blogging there are a few things you should know. Though getting paid for your writing is a good feeling, there are aspects to ghost blogging that you will need to come to terms with before diving in. You dont always get to write about the things you love. You may luck out and be able to find blogs to write for that cover topics you enjoy talking about, or are an expert at. Chances are pretty good, though, that youll find yourself writing about things you didnt give much thought to, you cant believe anyone would read, or you have zero interest in. For example, are you ready to write about choosing the perfect houseplant, or how to take care of goldfish? (Sometimes youre relieved your name isnt associated with the post.) Thats ghost blogging. This means youll need to come up with a system that makes sure you get your work done. You cant miss a deadline. You will have to force yourself to write on things that arent fun, you will have to do research that takes up time, and you will have to deal with feedback from the client you may not agree with. Its not all that different from other forms of freelance writing except one thing: your name isnt on it.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CRITICAL ANALYSIS - Essay Example Although, microscopic urine sediment analysis is generally regarded as the gold standard for urinalysis, its flaws are also acknowledged. Besides the problem with interobserver variability and imprecision, this method is also labour intensive and very time consuming (Langlois et al., 1999). While the culture method is the preferred method of detecting and quantifying bacteria in urine (Graham and Galloway, 2001), non-culture tests include Gram staining of uncentrifuged urine specimens, Gram staining of centrifuged specimens, or direct observation of bacteria in urine specimens, Nitrite test, leukocyte esterase tests etc. Suprapubic aspiration is generally considered the best method to avoid contamination of specimen, however, this method is rarely used because it is invasive and thus uncomfortable and dangerous (Wilson and Loretta, 2004). Semi-automatic equipments like the Yellow IRIS, followed by the UA-1000 and UA-2000 (Sysmex Corporation, Kobe, Japan) were early attempts at automation of urine analysis. With the Yellow IRIS, precision and sensitivity is reported to be considerably better as compared to visual microscopy, especially at the lower concentration range. The Yellow IRIS device after removing mucus strands from native urine, adds a dye and the stained urine is passed through an optical pathway. A strobe lamp interrupts the motion of the fluid and the particles in it are captured on a colour video-camera. The resulting images of the particles are differentiated with respect to their lengthwise dimensions and then presented for validation by a trained analyst. UA-1000 and UA-2000 follow the same principle, but provide better image resolution compared with the Yellow IRIS because the particles are captured by a colour CCD camera Several studies evaluating and/or validating these automated urine examination methods have been carried out and published. From its findings, a few authors concluded that though the UF-100 might not be seen as a

Teach for America to Increase the Workforce and Adopt New Technology Term Paper

Teach for America to Increase the Workforce and Adopt New Technology - Term Paper Example It has recorded steady growth since it was founded. Currently, it has more than 5000 employees. Teach for America is looking to reach out to the low income community and promote education relentlessly. The organization has been expanding over the years and its operations are extending all over the United States. The organization is looking to increase its workforce in order to expand its operations all over the nation. This paper will focus on the systemic nature of the organization and how the increase in the workforce will improve the effectiveness of the organization, its processes and the productivity of the employees. Effects of the increase in the number of employees Teach for America is a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide education opportunities to children in America, both in urban and rural areas regardless of the size of their parents and guardian’s income. The organization has formed partnerships with several charity organizations and depends on donations from companies and well wishers. The organizations appeals to alumni graduates and leaders to join and become mentors to young students pursuing academic greatness. The key stakeholders in the organization are the human asset business partners that ensure that the organizational goals are met. It ensures that teamwork is upheld in the organization (Strachan, 1996). ... The management will have to come up with ways to fund the change since more funds are required to compensate the new employees. The deficit from the annual budget increase will also call for the injection of more funds in order to cater for the new projects. The organization aims at reaching out to more children from the rural areas. An increase in the number of poor students that the organization supports will have a divine funds straining effect on the organization. Increase in responsibility as funds remain constant leads to financial strains (Strachan, 1996). In order to cater for the financial requirements, the organization might be forced to lower on the employees’ compensation amount. This will ensure that whatever amount is available is equally distributed among the entire workforce. However, this will have a negative effect on the employees since it might kill their moral as they are going to be doing more work than they are being rewarded for. If the organization is to increase its workforce therefore, they will have to come up with better ways to raise funds (Hanson, 1999). An increase in the workforce will enhance the overall performance of the organization. It will enable the organization to reach out to a greater number of children in the rural areas and to motivate those already in schools. There are wide regions that need to be covered. The organization strives to ensure that education opportunities are provided to children and therefore the move to increase the workforce is parallel to the organization’s mission statement (Hanson, 1999). An increase in the workforce will also translate to a transformation in the way roles in the

Personal Philosophy of Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal Philosophy of Nursing - Essay Example Indeed, such image is what most people hold henceforth, no disagreeable reactions should be manifested in the presence of patients even though a nurse may be in trouble or is not feeling well. This makes it important for nurses to have healthy environments and strong support systems to enable them to accomplish their duties despite the challenges they go through in their personal lives. Being caring and patient are already difficult. However, having such attributes is not enough for a person to become a nurse. Nurses should have enough knowledge about various diseases and their managements that is why a person’s educational background is very important. Moreover he should also be well-trained in the matter. When a nurse is knowledgeable and well-trained, he will be able to perform his responsibilities efficiently but effectively. In addition, a nurse should also have effective communication skills. Since nurses deal with different people from different familial and cultural backgrounds, they should be able to express their thoughts well. Moreover, it is also essential that they understand what people convey through words and body language because it is a part of their job to make initial assessments of the patients and relay the information to physicians. When this is not well communicated, patients may not be given necessary

Analysis And Evaluation Of Change In Avon

Analysis And Evaluation Of Change In Avon The main aim of this report is to investigate an organisation that is undergoing major strategic change. Firstly the report will describe the change that has been adopted. It will then evaluate the effectiveness of the change strategy in terms of the organisations structure, culture and politics. Finally the report will recommend and evaluate an integrated change strategy based on the three aspects. 2.0 A background of the organisation The organisation that has been selected is Avon Cosmetics Limited. Avon is a global manufacturer and marketer of beauty and related products. The company markets to women in more than 100 countries through more than 5 million independent Avon sales representatives. Product categories include: Beauty, which consists of cosmetics, fragrances, skincare and toiletries; Beauty Plus, which consists of fashion jewellery, watches, etc and Beyond Beauty, which consists of home products, gift and decorative products, candles and toys. (Avon, 2008 and Keynote, 2007) Avons company profile has been explored further in appendix 1 2.1 The meanings and theories of strategic change According to Lynch (2000, p921), Strategic change is the pro-active management of change in organisations to achieve clearly identified strategic objectives. It may be undertaken using either prescriptive or emergent strategic approaches. On the other hand Mintzberg et al. (2003) give five definitions of strategy and they are: a plan, a ploy, a pattern, a position and a perspective. It somehow agrees with Hayes (2002, p58) who states that a change strategy is essentially a plan to make things happen. It needs to address all the things that have to be done to bring about the change. However De Wit and Meyer (2004, cited in Hughes, 2006) emphasise that not all change is strategic and that much is operational. Operational changes are necessary to maintain the business and organizational systems, whereas strategic changes are directed at renewing them. 2.2 Avons strategic change Avons vision statement is to: To be the company that best understands and satisfies the product service and self-fulfilment needs of women globally According to Mintel (2006), the make-up market is growing fast in terms of fashion trends and has attracted many new brands over the past ten years. The cosmetic industry is very lucrative, innovative and fast paced industry. Therefore Avon has to watch the economy and rely on their brands. Being a global manufacturer and marketer of beauty and related products, Avon has been through several changes since it was founded in 1886. For over 120 years, Avon has been devoted to empowering women by helping them to look good and feel beautiful. The major strategic change is to: à ¢- ª Commit on brand competitiveness by investing millions in research and development on product innovation and increase advertising; à ¢- ª Re-design the organizational structure to eliminate layers of management in order to take full advantage of the global scale and size; and à ¢- ª Build a better tomorrow for women across the world both through representative earnings and helping millions of women to become entrepreneurs and run their own business. (Avon, 2008) (MultiChannel Marketing, 2007) It is suggested by Johnson and Scholes (2002) that we need to understand the magnitude of the challenge faced in trying to effect strategic change. In order to diagnose the strategic change within Avon, it is useful to consider the type of change that is required. In order to identify the type of change that has been adopted within Avon, we will use the model from Balogun and Hailey (1999, cited in Johnson and Scholes, 2002, p536, exhibit 11.2). Looking at Avons strategic change, it is quite clear that the nature of change will be incremental as it will build on the skills, routines and beliefs of those in the organization and the scope of change will be realignment as it will occur within the organizational beliefs and assumptions. The type of strategic change here will be adaptation as it will be accommodated within the current paradigm. Johnson et al. (2005) go to say that we need to consider the wider context in which change is to occur by understanding the organizational structure, culture, politics and the specific forces that will block and facilitate the change process. However there are other contextual characteristics that also need to be considered before embarking on a programme of change. They are: preservation, diversity, capability, capacity, readiness and power. 2.3 Organisational structure The effectiveness of change efforts is largely determined on how an organization is structured. In a world that is perpetually changing, an organisations design must support the idea that the implementation and re-implementation of a strategy is a continuous process. However, a number of traditional organizational design features tend to discourage change. (Lawler and Worley, 2006) According to Carnall (1999), an ideal organization structure will provide the right balance of information, power and resources to support the various activities within the organization in achieving its objectives. Appendix 2 shows the organisational structure of Avon and describes how it influences the identity and corporate image of the organization. It is clearly evident that Avon has been building bonds with women around the world by offering them a dynamic earnings opportunity to achieve economic independence, accomplish their financial goals and transform their lives. As a top global brand and world leader in beauty and related products, Avon continues to revolutionize the beauty industry by launching innovative, first-to-market products using Avon-patented technology. It also allows Avon a more direct response from consumers and allows them to sell their products without the expensive and lengthy process of getting it into traditional channels. Direct selling/marketing presents many benefits to consumers including avoiding hassles of traffic congestion, parking, lack of time, shortage of retail help and waiting at checkouts. (Wilkinson et al. 2007) Consumers can browse through Avon broch ures in the comfort of their home. 2.4 Organisational culture Just as the structure of Avon should fit the particular strategy it wishes to follow, so should its culture. An organisations culture is its deeply rooted traditions, values and beliefs. (Stacey, 2003) Bradt (2008) states that a winning company culture is simple and emphasizes three areas: serving the customer, growing the business, and developing employees. Whereas a losing culture is confusing and complex, places customer needs behind those of the company, and emphasizes personal gain over team achievement. Sopow (2007) goes on to say that there are high levels of mistrusts, poor communication and strong resistance if an organisations culture is unhealthy. Appendix 3 illustrates Avons organizational culture by using the cultural web model from Johnson and Scholes (2002, p232, fig 5.8). It is suggested by Cameron and Green (2004) that organizations should only involve themselves in culture change if the current culture does not adequately support the achievement of strategic objectives. Avons organizational culture in appendix 3 clearly indicates that the strategic change will be accommodated within the current paradigm and will occur within Avons beliefs and assumptions. 2.5 Organisational Politics In order to investigate the strategic change, it might be useful to regard corporations as political organizations and see strategy and change as part of internal politics within Avon. (Diedenbach, 2007) Johnson et al. (2005) states that there are two views of politics, one being healthy and the other one being unhealthy. While politics ensures that change is questioned and assessed, it also gets out of hand by showing a lack of commitment to a common vision and objectives. Morgan (1986, cited in Cameron and Green, 2004, p89) comments that Many people hold the belief that business and politics should be kept apart. However he contradicts this belief and this has been explored further in appendix 4. The most fundamental question from appendix 4 is whom should Avon be there for to serve? (Johnson et al. 2005) According to Joyce (1999), a stakeholder analysis requires you to identify the stakeholders, how they influence the organization, what the organization needs from each stakeholder and the stakeholders needs and expectations. Through the concept of organisational stakeholders, this question has been addressed in appendix 5. The analysis confirms the statement made by Andrea Jung, Avons Chairman and CEO Avons impeccable reputation is built upon a proud heritage of doing well by doing right. For more than a century, we have been setting the very highest example of integrity and ethics in all of our relationships with our shareholders, associates and Representatives; our suppliers and competitors; governments and the public. Our values and principles are the bedrock not only of Avons past but of its future. Avon was the first company to advertise, not tested on animals back in 1989 3.0 Evaluation of the proposed strategy The report has so far evaluated the effectiveness of the change strategy in terms of Avons organizational structure, culture and politics. It was found that the major strategic change does relate to the objectives of the organization and matches the organisationss capability, including its structure, culture and politics. However, being a global manufacturer and marketer of beauty and related products and a direct selling organisation, Avon is faced with several challenges. According to Wilkinson et al. (2007), direct selling activities vary fairly significantly from country to country. From appendix 1 and 2, we have established that Avons businesses are based on geographical operations in six regions and serving consumers in well over 100 countries. There are many factors to be considered and this involves understanding the market segment, competition, consumer behaviour, government rules and regulations, technological and social background. All of this is actually the external environment, which will either propel or halt the growth of business and so significant consideration needs to be given to them. Some of the competitive pressures that have been identified by Hill (2002) are cost reductions and local responsiveness. In terms of local responsiveness, pressures arise from a number of sources including: differences in consumer tastes and preferences, differences in infrastructure and traditional practices, differences in distribution channels and host government demands. Goll et al. (2007) go on to say that organizations must anticipate and respond to environmental changes to ensure competitiveness and, ultimately, survival. The basic assumptions underlying much of the strategic management is that successful firms change their strategies to attain a better fit with the environment. 3.1 The key environmental influences PEST analysis is a useful strategic tool for formulating business strategies, marketing planning, business and product development. It ensures that the organizations performance is aligned positively with the external forces of change that could impact business environment. (Report Buyer, 2008) According to Strickland and Thompson (1996), firms cannot directly control these external factors. It is stated by Johnson and Scholes (2002) that environmental forces which will be especially important for one organization may not be important for another. For example a retailer may only be concerned with local customer tastes and behaviour, whereas a global company such as Avon will be primarily concerned with government relations and understanding future policies of individual country governments with different political systems. Other factors will be the ability to compete with multinational rivals The PEST framework categorises environmental influences into four main types: political, economic, social, technological. The PEST analysis for Avon is discussed further in appendix 6. From the discussion, it is now possible to identify a number forces for change and forces against change. Carnall (1999) suggests that when major changes are in preparation, or are being implemented, it makes sense to prepare for, and manage change in the more professional ways. Lewin (1951, cited in Hayes, 2002) developed one of the ways called Force Field Analysis. According to Johnson et al. (2005), a force field analysis provides a view of change problems that need to be tackled, by identifying forces for and against change. Carnall (1999) suggests that Force Field analysis proceeds in four stages. Avons major strategy change has been used to conduct a Force field analysis in four stages. See appendix 7 for stages 1 and 2. The key points will now be used to proceed to stages 3 and 4. 3.2 Managing strategy change Lewin (1951) argued that change can only be effectively implemented when the forces driving change exceed the forces restraining change. Stage 3 underlines the forces that are the most important, builds on the change drivers and list actions to reduce the strengths of the restraining forces. In order to decide how Avons strategic change can be implemented, the strengths of the forces will be analysed by reducing the strengths of the forces opposing the change and increasing the forces pushing the change. A SWOT analysis will also be helpful as Avon will be able to use the top rated opportunities, exploit the top-rated strengths, counter the top-rated threats and rectify the top-rated weaknesses. Wickham (2000) states that, a SWOT analysis is an audit of the impact of environmental trends on the business and its external capabilities in terms of responding to them. Nutt and Backoff (1992, cited in Joyce, 1999) recommends combining SWOT analysis with a strategic issue agenda to identif y possible strategic actions. A SWOT analysis for Avon has been explored further in appendix 8. It is stated by Mullins (2002) that an organization can only perform effectively through interactions with the broader external environment. The force field analysis from appendix 7 resulted in a driving change force of 17 and a restraining change force of 21. These figures indicate that despite there being many incentives for a major strategy change within Avon, there are slightly more factors restraining the strategy change. Those individual forces that scored highest (with a score of 5) will now be discussed in greater detail below in order to better assess their impacts. The SWOT analysis in appendix 8 will help to increase the forces pushing the change and reduce the strengths the forces opposing the change. 3.3 Key driving forces for change The level of government intervention worldwide Having a presence in well over 100 countries, Avon is subject to foreign laws, rules, regulations or policies such as restrictions on trade, import and export license requirements, tariffs and taxes.(Avon, 2008) For example in China, the governments decision to ban door-to-door selling, as part of an effort to crack down on pyramid schemes, presented a threat. (Euromonitor, 2006) However in March 2006, the Chinese government granted a direct selling-selling licence. Since then Avon has recruited 300,000 door-to-door representatives in China, thus improving the economy of the country in terms of unemployment. Avon must continue to expand in other developing countries to prove how influential the Avon direct sales method can be and how it can transform the lives of women and achieve economic independence. Lucrative, innovative and fast paced industry In the cosmetic industry, consumers demands and needs change overtime. In order to satisfy the consumers, cosmetics firms are forced to innovate a new product, replace a product, or upgrade its products to meet the demands of consumers at all levels. (Akers and Porter, 1995 cited in Kumar et al. 2006) Through their research and development team in New York, Avon are developing new products and focusing on new technology and product innovation to deliver first-to-market products. (Avon, 2008) Although Avons chief marketing tool is its brochure, it should now expand its global advertising presence and communicate a more unified brand image throughout its international markets 3.4 Key restraining forces for change Cultural differences worldwide Although women all over the world have similar aspirations when it comes to beauty products and share the same desire to look their best, the challenge is to bring out differently formulated products to suit different skins colours and textures. Another factor, climate, should be considered when comparing regional preferences for cosmetics products. For example talc is used in hot countries to relieve perspiration, while in colder regions such as Russia and Eastern Europe it barely gets a look in. (Matthews, 2006). Product choices by country are also determined by consumers ¹ ability to pay. Avon should still continue to exploit the tremendous growth opportunities in other developing countries. Matthews (2006) states that big multinational companies are using consumer educational campaigns as a key means of promoting growth in countries characterized by low disposable income. For Avon with operations in over 100 countries a question of considerable importance is how does a societys culture affect workplace values? The most famous study of how culture relates to values in the workplace was undertaken by Geert Hofstede. He used four dimensions and one of them was masculinity versus femininity. (Hill, 2002). This dimension looks at the relationship between gender and work roles. In the case of Avon, feminine cultures sex roles are sharply differentiated and traditional feminine values, such as achievement and the exercise of power determined cultural ideals. Avon must consider the cultures of countries that are male dominant. Counterfeiting activity are Eastern Europe and China A counterfeit item is as good as cash. Counterfeiters are not just a few guys in a shed mixing cream and pouring them into a tin. They are linked to organised crime, money laundering and in some cases, even terror groups. And they always find the weakest route to the market. (www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com) According to keynote (2007), the main hubs of counterfeiting activity are Eastern Europe and China. As Avon operates in these two regions, these restraining forces can be reduced by launching anti-counterfeit drives in both regions. It has also been suggested by Eyre (2007) that heat-shrink labels with integrated holograms could help the cosmetics industry in the fight against counterfeiting and forgery. 4 Conclusions This report offers an attempt to understand the major strategic change undergone by Avon Cosmetics Limited. A number of conclusions are evident. Firstly the report evaluated the effectiveness of the change in relation to Avons structure, culture and politics. It was found that the major strategic change does relate to the objectives of the organization and matches the organisationss capability, including its structure, culture and politics. However, being a global manufacturer and marketer of beauty and related products and a direct selling organisation, Avon was faced with several challenges in the external environment. The factors were: fierce competitions from multinational companies, consumer behaviour worldwide, government rules and regulations, technological and social background. Finally, in order to manage the strategic change effectively, the report attempted to increase the two main forces pushing the change and reduce the strengths of the two main forces opposing the change. Bibliography Ansoff I., and M c Donnell, E. (1990) Implanting Strategic Management. 2nd Edition. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited Brooker, K. (2001) It took a lady to save Avon. Fortune. New York: 144 (7) 202-208 Bradt, G. (2008) 5 Simple steps to build a winning corporate culture. Supervision. Burlington: 69 (3) 13-15 Cameron, E., and Green, M. (2004) Making Sense of Change Management. UK: Kogan Page Limited Carnall, C A. (1999) Managing Change in Organisations. 3rd Edition. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall Deresky, H. (2000) International Management: Managing Across Borders and Cultures. 3rd Edition. UK: Prentice Hall International Diedenbach, T. (2007) The managerialistic ideology of organisational change management. Journal of Organizational Change Management. Bradford: 20 (1) 126-144 Euromonitor (2006) China green light for direct sales heats up cosmetics and toiletries race. (Online) Available from http://www.euromonitor.com/Chinas_green_light_for_direct_sales_heats_up_cosmetics_and_toiletries_race. Accessed on 08/03/08 Eyre, C (2007) Anti-counterfeit technology for cosmetics. (Online). Available from http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/news/ng.asp?id=79126. Accessed on 08/03/08 Goll, I., Johnson, N B., and Rasheed, A A. (2007) Knowledge capability, strategic change, and firm performance; The moderating role of the environment. Management Decision. London: 45 (2) 161 Hayes, J. (2002) The Theory and Practice of Change Management. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan Hill, C W L., (2002) Global Business Today. 2nd Edition. New York: McGraw Hill Hughes, M. (2006) Change Management. A critical perspective. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Johnson, G., and Scholes, K. (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy. 6th Edition. Harlow (UK): Prentice Hall Johnson, G., Scholes, K., and Whittington, R. (2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy. 7th Edition. Harlow (UK): Prentice Hall Joyce, P. (1999) Strategic Management for the Public Services, Buckingham Open University Press Keynote, (2007) Cosmetics and Fragrances. Market Report Plus. (Online). Available from http://www.keynote.co.uk. Accessed 18/02/08 Kumar, S., Massie, C., Dumonceaux, MD. (2006) Comparative innovative business strategies of major players in cosmetic industry. Industrial Management and Data Systems. 106 (3) 285-322 Lawler, E E., and Worley, C G. (2006) Designing organisations that are built to change. MIT Sloan Management Revie. Cambridge: 48 (1)19 Lynch, R. (2000) Corporate Strategy (2nd edition), Harlow (UK), FT Prentice Hall Matthews, I (2006) Targeting Cultural and Ethnic Differences in Beauty. (Online). Available from http://www.in-cosmetics.com/page.cfm/T=m/Action=Press/PressID=344 Accessed on 08/03/08 Mead, R. (1994) International Management: Cross Cultural Dimensions. Oxford: Balckwell Publishers Mintel (2006) Make-up -UK Mintzberg, H., Lampel, J., Quinn, J B., and Ghoshal, S. (2003) The Strategy Process. 4th Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Education Limited Mullins, L J. (2002) Management and Organisational Behaviour. 6th Edition. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall MultiChannel Marketing (2007) Avon Cosmetics. (Online). Available from http://www.multichannel.co.uk. Accessed on 27/02/08 Pellet, J. (2000) Ding-dong Avon stalling? Chief Executive. New York: (156) 26-31 Report Buyer (2008) Indian Cosmetics Sector: PEST Analysis. (Online). Available from http://www.reportbuyer.com/consumer_goods_retail/cosmetics_grooming/indian_cosmetics_sector_pest_analysis.html. Accessed on 03/03/08 Rose, S. (2000) Remaking the Avon lady. Money. New York: 29 (2) 46-49 Schneider, S C., and Barsoux, J L. (1997) Managing Across Cultures. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited Sopow, E. (2007) The impact of culture and climate on change. Strategic HR Review. Chicago: 6 (2) 20 Stacey, R D. (2003) Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics. 4th Edition. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall Strickland, A. J., and Thompson, A. A. (1996) Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. 9th Edition. London: Irwin Trim, P., and Lee Y (2007) Placing organisational learning in the context of strategic management. Business Strategy Series: 8 (5) 335-342 Wickham, P D. (2000) Financial Times Corporate Strategy Casebook. Harlow (UK): FT Prentice Hall Wilkinson, T J., McAlister, A., and Widmier, S. (2007) Reaching the international consumer: An assessment of the international direct marketing environment. Direct Marketing. 1 (1) 17-37 www.avon.uk.com www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com Appendix 1- Avons History Avon began life as the California Perfume Company in America in 1886, giving women an opportunity to earn by selling fragrance and cosmetics door to door. Mrs P.F.E Albee was the very first agent taken on by the companys founder David H McConnell, who started life as a door to door book salesman giving away small bottles of perfume which proved to be more popular than the books themselves. In 1939, the company name was changed to Avon and twenty years later, began trading in the UK. Avon Cosmetics Ltd is one of the top 3 beauty brands in the country with growing market share in the UK beauty market. Since then Avon has established itself as a global leader in the beauty industry, serving to customers in over 100 countries around the world. Avon is now largest direct selling cosmetics organisation in the world and their product lines include the well-known brands Anew, Skin So Soft, Avon Colour, Advance Techniques and Today. The product categories include: cosmetics, fragrance, skincare .toiletries, fashion jewellery, watches, home products, gifts, candles, toys, lingerie, health, fitness and wellbeing products. Being a direct selling organisation, Avons shop window is its brochure. The brochure offers a wide selection of beauty and related products at affordable prices. Customers have access to these brochures either at home, work, social or leisure activities. Avon is committed to excellence- every beauty product that carries the Avon name carries with it the highest standards of product safety and integrity. Avon products are enjoyed by millions of women around the globe in over 100 countries through over 5 million independent sales Representatives often known as the Avon lady. Avons vision statement is to: To be the company that best understands and satisfies the product service and self-fulfilment needs of women globally (Avon, 2008) (Keynote, 2007) Appendix 2 Avons organisational structure Avons business is conducted worldwide primarily in one channel, direct selling. They are based on geographical operations in six regions. See below: Avon has sales operations in 63 countries, including America and Avon products are distributed in 51 more countries through distributorships. Sales of products are made through a combination of direct selling and marketing by 5.3 million Avon representatives worldwide. Representatives generally purchase products at a discount from a published brochure price directly from Avon and sell them to their customers. In many countries, representatives can use the internet to manage their own business online, including order submission, order tracking, payment, and a two way communication with Avon. In the US, representatives can build their own Avon business through personalised web pages. The research and development facility is located in New York. A team of researchers and technicians apply the disciplines of science to the practical aspects of bringing products to market around the world. Relationships with dermatologists and other specialists enhance the ability to deliver new formulas and ingredients to market. Satellite research facilities are also located in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico and Poland (Avon, 2008). Appendix 3 Avons cultural web using model from Johnson and Scholes (2002, p232, fig 5.8) Stories Building bonds with women worldwide since 1886 to achieve economic independence and transform their lives Symbols Ding-Dong Avon calling. Worlds leading direct selling company of beauty and related products Power Chairman and CEO Vice Chairman Executive Vice Presidents Senior Vice Presidents for each of the six regions Routines Avon rep delivering brochures to own neighbourhood, customer chooses products, orders collected by rep products delivered back to customers (worldwide) Paradigm To be the beauty company most women turn to worldwide and creating lifelong customer relationships Controls High standards of product safety and integrity, rigorous quality controls on every product batch and no animal testing Organisation A flatter structure, equal opportunity employer where talent dedication are rewarded a whole range of training opportunities is available (Brooker, 2001) (Pellet, 2000) (Rose, 2000) (Avon, 2008) Appendix 4 The key beliefs of organisations as political systems are: à ¢- ª You cannot stay out of organisational politics as you are already in it; à ¢- ª Building support for your approach is essential if you want to make anything happen; à ¢- ª You need to know who is powerful, and who they are close to; à ¢- ª There is an important political map which overrides the organisational structure; à ¢- ª Coalitions between individuals are more important than work teams; à ¢- ª The most important decisions in an organisation is the allocation of resources, that is , who gets what, and these are reached through bargaining and negotiating. The above key beliefs lead to the following assumptions about organisational change: à ¢- ª The change will not work unless it is supported by a powerful person; à ¢- ª The wider the support for this change the better; à ¢- ª It is important to understand the political map, and to understand who will be winners and losers as a result of this change; and à ¢- ª Positive strategies include creating new coalitions and renegotiating issues Morgan (1986, cited in Cameron and Green, 2004) Appendix 5- Avons stakeholder analysis Bohret (1993, cited in Joyce 1999) suggests that drawing up tables of values to explore the goals and expectations of different social groups. See below for the stakeholder analysis for Avon. Stakeholder Power Interest Attitude Needs/expectations Government Worldwide H H Mixed Avon to meet or exceed all environmental laws of the countries and communities they operate Executive team H H Positive To give full recognition to employees and representatives worldwide, on whose contributions Avon depends and to share with others the rewards of growth and success All other employees L H Positive To achieve economic independence and an opportunity to earn in support of their well-being and happiness Customers L L Positive Active interest in cosmetics and fragrances and keen to look after their ap

Drug Abuse in Canada :: Drug Abuse, Substance Abuse

Drug Abuse in Canada Introduction Drug use and abuse is as old as mankind itself. Human beings have always had a desire to eat or drink substances that make them feel relaxed, stimulated, or euphoric. Wine was used at least from the time of the early Egyptians; narcotics from 4000 B.C.; and medicinal use of marijuana has been dated to 2737 B.C. in China. But it was not until the nineteenth century that the active substances in drugs were extracted. There was a time in history when some of these newly discovered substances, such as morphine, laudanum, cocaine, were completely unregulated and prescribed freely by physicians for a wide variety of ailments. Canada’s Drug of Choice: Marijuana   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contrary to popular belief the rate of illicit drug use is actually on the decline. The most commonly used drug in Canada is Marijuana. According to the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey, 44.5% of Canadians surveyed said that that used pot at least once in their lifetime.14.1% reported that they have used marijuana in the past twelve months. Those individuals that have used in the past year varies greatly, with 20.8% not having used at all in the past 3 months, while 204.9% claiming that they have used only once in the past 3 months. 16% reported that they used monthly, 20.3% was weekly, with only 18.1% reporting to be using daily. The province with the highest usage is British Columbia with an average that is significantly higher than the national level, at 52.1%. British Columbia also has the highest past year usage compared to the national average at 16.8%.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As with alcohol, men (50.1%) are more likely than their female counterparts (39.2%) to have used marijuana during their life time. The same sample of men (18.2%) and women (10.2%) have used marijuana in the past year. This is up from 5.7% for men and 2.4% for women in 1993, over three times higher for the men and four times for the women. The younger generations, like men, are more likely to use marijuana, with approximately 70% of those between the ages of 18-24 years old having tired it at least once. The youngest age group sampled, 15-17 years old, almost 30% of them used cannabis in the past year, peaking at 47% with the age group18 & 19 year olds. After this point usage within the past year tends to decline with only 10% of the population surveyed claiming they still use marijuana.

Human Resource Law Essay

This paper will show that this scenario provides a case for gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is illegal under Title VII (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2007). In addition, this paper will show what legal and ethical issues arise in this case. Furthermore, this paper will show what Bob should do in this case. By using the female employee versus the male employee to serve the customer the company would be in violation of Title VII for gender discrimination. Title VII laws regarding gender cover the full scope of the employment relationship which describes that gender may not be the basis of any decision related to employment unless gender is used as a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ). Customer preference is not a legitimate and protected reason to treat otherwise qualified employees differently based on gender. Additionally, allowing the female employee to assist the customer over the male employee would be in violation of the store’s rotation policy. The policy states that each working day, two employees work in the store; one working the front and one working the back. Rotation occurs on a daily basis in order to disperse commissions fairly. Since this is company policy, there is no flexibility to change that policy and to rotation schedule clearly states that it is the male employee’s turn to earn commission. Discrimination based on gender is illegal and not in keeping with good business practices of efficiency, maximizing resources, and avoiding unnecessary liability. Title VII Issues Discrimination comes in all shapes and sizes, and managers have to be careful not to cross the line and do the wrong thing. Companies do not want lawsuits for discrimination or anything else. The store’s best customer, Imelda,  probably did not intend to offend anyone nor did she probably know that she was discriminating against anyone. Many times discrimination is not intended. Customers generally believe they are always right and get what they want. However, in this instance the customer is very wrong. Requesting a female employee over a male employee is a form of discrimination, gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is illegal under Title VII (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2007). If Bob asks Tom to step aside and allow Mary to assist Imelda with her purchases, he will be â€Å"in violation of Title VII and can be held liable to the employee for gender discrimination. Customer preference is not a legitimate and protected reason to treat otherwise-qualified employees differently based on gender† (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2007, p. 283). Legally and ethically, Manager Bob cannot swap employees Tom and Mary simply because Imelda wants it. Choice This is not an easy situation. On one hand, the customer is promising to buy five pairs of shoes if she gets a female employee to help her. This would be a huge purchase for the store, great for the profit margin as well as a large commission for the employee. On the other hand, not providing a female employee may denote a missed sale, Imelda may leave the store. Swapping employees would cheat Tom out of his commission. This would be unethical. Tom deserves his commission; he should not be asked or told to give this up. The Shoe Store has very clear company policies. Company policy does not allow two employees to split the commission (UOPX, 2013, para. 5). As stated previously, having Tom give up his commission would not be fair. Company policy rotates employees to keep commissions as fair and equal as possible (UOPX, 2013, para. 5). Manager Bob will need to explain to Imelda as nicely and calmly as possible that he is very sorry, but cannot provide her with a female employee. Bob should promise Imelda that Tom is a very nice man and that she will be in very capable hands; ensure her that Tom knows shoes and will treat her and her feet right. Bob should smile and guarantee her that she will be happy with the service she receives. Bob should apologize for the problem, explain that he contacted his regional manager to see if he could make an exception to company policy this time and was told no, and explain that the company risks a discrimination lawsuit. Finally, tell Imelda that he understands if she chooses to shop elsewhere today and  apologize again. Bob should not get into an argument with the customer; it is out of the stores control. In any business, a written policy can avoid or prevent lawsuits. The shoe store chain has clearly established that the rotation of two employees daily or weekly will occur in the store to create fairness in commission sales. In addition, if only two employees are present one works in the back of the store and the other works in front, this clearly creates fairness of commissions earned (pay), good business ethics practice. Working in sales requires a lot of personal judgment from a company representative. By its nature, the job relies heavily on social relationships and on persuasion. Sales people also usually work on commission; if they do not make the sale, they lose cash. In the wrong hands, these elements can lead to unethical behavior, causing undue pressure on customers or vendors. Ethical behavior and doing the correct or right thing is at the forefront for salespeople today. Subsequently ethical performance is an individual process and training development related issues are important. Salespeople require guidelines on ethical, equality and discrimination issues. The guidelines should be formulated and clearly communicated to help employees to effectively deal with situations of equal pay, fairness, and or discrimination whenever the need arises. Job performance, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction will prevail with knowledge and understanding of employment laws (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2007). What has guided the ethical issues is the set of standards the company has worked out from human reason by which the human actions to switch Mary for Tom is ultimately creating wrong business ethics. Trading assign duties between sales and costs will not mix. The maximum concern for sales cannot go hand-in- with maximum concern for employees. Furthermore, the shoe store business has added structure to the business by creating this policy. If the manager deviates from the established policy, Bob will create unfair treatment or discrimination based on gender, which could result in a lawsuit. After Imelda voiced her request that she wanted a female employee Bob was to enforce the company’s policies to avoid a potential lawsuit. Bob did what was necessary to inform Imelda the company’s polices and have Tom assist her with trying on shoes. Bob knows the company will lose money  because of the sales lost from this one client; however, the ethical issue arises to do what is fair and correct according the shoe store policy. If Bob makes the switch and has Mary assist Imelda instead of Tom, Bob has violated the discrimination law-Title VII (gender) as well has violating the equal pay law (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2007). The decision is allow Tom to assist Imelda and loose the extra sales. In future, the suggestion to Imelda would be to arrive at the store when a female worker is working the floor or to come in the store to see who is working the sales floor without putting the manager in the position to make compromises. Conclusion Discrimination issues can get many companies into trouble. Knowing the law is important for any manager. When questions arise that cannot be answered easily, ask for help. Title VII does not allow discrimination because of gender, meaning a man cannot be treated differently from a female and vice versa. In this case, all must be treated equally. Company policy will not allow Tom and Mary to split the commission and asking Tom to give up his commission would be illegal. Imelda will need to make her own decision whether to shop at the Shoe Store and allow Tom to assist her or leave for another store or until another day. The company must do what is right, what is legal. The store must treats its employees properly and do what is legal and ethical. Whereas Imelda may not be happy, the company cannot do anything that may bring a lawsuit against them. References Bennett-Alexander, D. D., & Hartman, P. L. (2007). Employment law for business (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. University of Phoenix (UOPX). (2013). Week Three. Retrieved from University of Phoenix,

Managerial Economics Essay

1) The elasticity of one variable with respect to another between two given points. It is used when there is no general function to define the relationship of the two variables. Arc elasticity is also defined as the elasticity between two points on a curve. The P arc elasticity of Q is calculated as The percentage is calculated differently from the normal manner of percent change. This percent change uses the average (or midpoint) of the points, in lieu of the original point as the base. 2) Definition of ‘Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns’ A law of economics stating that, as the number of new employees increases, the marginal product of an additional employee will at some point be less than the marginal product of the previous employee. The law of diminishing marginal returns means that the productivity of a  variable input declines as more is used in short-run production, holding one or more inputs fixed. This law has a direct bearing on market supply, the supply price, and the law of supply. If the productivity of a variable input declines, then more is needed to produce a given quantity of output, which means the cost of production increases, and a higher supply price is needed. The direct relation between price and quantity produced is the essence of the law of supply. An economic theory that states as additional inputs are put into production, the additional return will be in successively smaller increments. This can be due to crowding, adding less appropriate resources or increasing inputs of lower quality. In More Laymen Terms As the saying goes, â€Å"Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth,† in any production there is a point of diminishing returns where just adding more inputs will not give the same income as it once did. Although many industrial firms strive to reach ‘scale,’ where their size gives them a cost advantage at higher production levels, no matter what industry a firm finds itself there will always be a point where the additional gain from added input is reduced. 3) The prisoner’s dilemma is a canonical example of a game analyzed in game theory that shows why two individuals might not cooperate, even if it appears that it is in their best interest to do so. It was originally framed by Merrill Flood and Melvin Dresher working at RAND in 1950. Albert W. Tucker formalized the game with prison sentence payoffs and gave it the â€Å"prisoner’s dilemma† name (Poundstone, 1992). A classic example of the prisoner’s dilemma (PD) is presented as follows: Two men are arrested, but the police do not possess enough information for a conviction. Following the separation of the two men, the police offer both a similar deal—if one testifies against his partner (defects/betrays), and the other remains silent (cooperates/assists), the betrayer goes free and the cooperator receives the full one-year sentence. If both remain silent, both are sentenced to only one month in jail for a minor charge. If  each ‘rats out’ the other, each receives a three-month sentence. Each prisoner must choose either to betray or remain silent; the decision of each is kept quiet. What should they do? If it is supposed here that each player is only concerned with lessening his time in jail, the game becomes a non-zero sum game where the two players may either assist or betray the other. In the game, the sole worry of the prisoners seems to be increasing his own reward. The interesting symmetry of this problem is that the logical decision leads both to betray the other, even though their individual ‘prize’ would be greater if they cooperated. In the regular version of this game, collaboration is dominated by betraying, and as a result, the only possible outcome of the game is for both prisoners to betray the other. Regardless of what the other prisoner chooses, one will always gain a greater payoff by betraying the other. Because betraying is always more beneficial than cooperating, all objective prisoners would seemingly betray the other. In the extended form game, the game is played over and over, and consequently, both prisoners continuously have an opportunity to penalize the other for the previous decision. If the number of times the game will be played is known, the finite aspect of the game means that by backward induction, the two prisoners will betray each other repeatedly. 4) Third degree discrimination involves charging different prices to different segments of customers. This method of price discrimination is really an imperfect variation of the perfect type represented by first degree price discrimination. In this method different segments of customers are identified and each segment is charged price base on what price is most profitable for the company in each segment. The most common way of segmentation for this type of price discrimination is by geographic location. A very prominent example of this type price discrimination is charges for operations by surgeons. For the same type of operations surgeons and hospitals charge different fees depending on the type of hospital room and other facilities that the patient chooses during hospitalization for  operation. Other common forms of such price discrimination include discounts such as those for students or senior citizens. SECTION B: CASE LET 1 1) Demand theory indicates that the determinants of consumption are income (I), the price of the good in question ( pi ), the prices of other goods ( po ) and other variables such as tastes: i i q ï€ ½Ã¯â‚¬  q ( i o I, p , p , other variables). Consider the case of an illicit commodity such as marijuana. The consumption of marijuana involves risks of fines, in some cases imprisonment and, possibly, other costs associated with the shame of being caught. Consequently, the price of marijuana in its demand function ( p ) m should be interpreted as being made up of the conventional money cost ( p ) mï‚ ¢Ã¯â‚¬  plus the expected â€Å"other costs† per unit: 2) Legalization of marijuana would eliminate the criminal sanctions and penalties associated with its consumption. As this would decrease the â€Å"full† price, consumption would be expected to rise. Marijuana consumption is significantly higher amongst males than females – 60 percent of all males have consumed it, compared to 46 percent of all females. Consumption of marijuana is estimated to increase by about 4 percent if it were legalised; and by about 11 percent following both legalisation and a 50-percentfall in its price. Price is a significant determinant of marijuana consumption. Whilst marijuana consumption is estimated to be price inelastic, estimates of most of the price elasticities are significantly different from zero. Two types of price elasticities of demand for marijuana were estimated, gross and net. The gross price elasticity includes the effects of both legalisation and a price change, while the net version excludes the legalisation effect. The price elasticity of demand for marijuana differs significantly with the type of consumer. For more frequent users (daily, weekly and monthly), gross and net price elasticities are estimated to be  -.6 and -.4, respectively. Occasional smokers having a gross price elasticity of about -.3 and net elasticity of about -.1. Regarding those who are no longer users, they have gross and net price elasticities close to zero. For a given type of consumer, males and females share the same elasticity value. CASE LET 2: 1) In my opinion Yes, the Indian companies are running a major risk by not paying attention to cost cutting. To illustrate Comparing major Indian companies in key industries with their global competitors shows that Indian companies are running a major risk. They suffer from a profound bias for growth. The problem is most look more like Essar than Reliance. While they love the sweet of growth, they are unwilling to face the sour of productivity improvement. Nowhere is this more amply borne out than in the consumer goods industry where the Indian giant Hindustan Lever has consolidated to grow at over 50 per cent while its labour productivity declined by around 6 per cent per annum in the same period. Its strongest competitor, Nirma, also grew at over 25 per cent per annum in revenues but maintained its labour productivity relatively stable. Unfortunately, however, its return on capital employed (ROCE) suffered by over 17 per cent. In contrast, Coca Cola, worldwide, grew at around 7 per cent, improved its labour productivity by 20 per cent and its return on capital employed by 6.7 per cent. The story is very similar in the information technology sector where Infosys, NIIT and HCL achieve rates of growth of over 50 per cent which compares favorably with the world’s best companies that grew at around 30 per cent between 1994-95. NIIT, for example, strongly believes that growth is an impetus in itself. Its focus on growth has helped it double revenues every two years. Sustaining profitability in the face of such expansion is an extremely challenging task What makes this even worse is the Indian companies barely manage to cover their cost of capital, while their competitors worldwide such as Glaxo and Pfizer earn an average ROCE of 65 per cent. In the Indian textile industry, Arvind Mills was once the shining star. Like Reliance, it had learnt to cook sweet and sour. Between 1994 and 1996, it grew at an average of 30 per cent per annum to become the world’s  largest denim producer. At the same time, it also operated a tight ship, improving labour productivity by 20 per cent. Despite the excellent performance in the past, there are warning signals for Arvind’s future. The excess over the WACC is only 1.5 per cent, implying it barely manages to satisfy its investor’s expectations of return and does not really have a surplus to re-invest in the business. Apparently, investors also think so, for Arvind’s stock price has been falling since Q4 1994 despite such excellent results and, at the end of the first quarter of 1998, is less than Rs 70 compared to Rs 170 at the end of 1994. Unfortunately, Arvind’s deteriorating financial returns over the last few years is also typical of the Indian textile industry. The top three Indian companies actually showed a decline in their return ratios in contrast to the international majors. 2 ) Fast moving consumer goods will become a Rs 400,000-crore industry by 2020. A Booz & Company study finds out the trends that will shape its future Consider this. The anti-ageing skincare category grew five times between 2007 and 2008. It’s today the fastest-growing segment in the skincare market. Olay, Procter & Gamble’s premium anti-ageing skincare brand, captured 20 per cent of the market within a year of its launch in 2007 and today dominates it with 37 per cent share. Who could have thought of ready acceptance for anti-ageing creams and lotions some ten years ago? For that matter, who could have thought Indian consumers would take oral hygiene so seriously? Mouth-rinsing seems to be picking up as a habit — mouthwash penetration is growing at 35 per cent a year. More so, who could have thought rural consumers would fall for shampoos? Rural penetration of shampoos increased to 46 per cent last year, way up from 16 per cent in 2001. Consumption patterns have evolved rapidly in the last five to ten years. The consumer is trading up to experience the new or what he hasn’t. He’s looking for products with better functionality, quality, value, and so on. What he ‘needs’ is fast getting replaced with what he ‘wants’ Categories are evolving at a brisk pace in the market for the middle and lower-income segments. With their rising economic status, these consumers are shifting from need- to want-based products. For instance, consumers have  moved from toothpowders to toothpastes and are now also demanding mouthwash within the same category. The trend towards mass-customization of products will intensify with FMCG players profiling the buyer by age, region, personal attributes, ethnic background and professional choices. Micro-segmentation will amplify the need for highly customized market research so as to capture the specific needs of the consumer segment targeted, before the actual product design phase gets underway. 3) Industies impressive growth in value added as observed in the previous sub section is not accompanied by a commensurate rise in the level of relative productivity in terms of the cross–country analysis. The fragmented nature of Indian pharmaceutical sector characterized by the operation of a very large number of players, estimated to be about 10,000 units of which just 300 units are medium and large sized7, may be a reason for low level of productivity. The other important factor for low productivity can be due to the nature of technological activities in the sector, which tends to rely more on process than product development. Further, it may be that Indian companies are focusing at the low end of value†chains in the pharmaceuticals like producing generics than opting for branded products or supply bulk drugs to global players than market formulations of their own. 4) The Indian textile industry has been one of the foremost contributors to the country’s employment, exports, and GDP. The industry has been rated as one of the key drivers of the Indian economy and a bold target of exports of $50 billion (currently it’s $22 billion) had been targeted by the year 2012 by the government after the dismantling of the quota regime in 2005. However we are still far away from that target. Though now it can be blamed on the worldwide recession, I think we need to do some soul searching as to was it anyways possible. Globally, the Indian industry is recognized for its competitive advantages, especially in the cotton segment. The government has set huge targets for the industry and expects to attract investments of about Rs 1.5 lakh crore during the eleventh Plan period. This would meet the export and domestic targets, while taking various initiatives like setting up textile parks, training centers, and ‘made in India label promotion’ to global markets. The Indian textile industry is facing tough competition in the US, as exporters from smaller countries like Bangladesh are cornering the lucrative market at a faster pace, a FICCI study said. â€Å"In addition to China, countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and Bangladesh have managed to perform better than India in the US market in 2009,† the study said. Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam managed to increase their share in the US textiles and apparel import in 2009 year on year at a faster rate than India. The Indian textile industry will no doubt survive and move along by the strengths of its traditional position and domestic market. However, the growth envisaged and it being re-classified as sunshine industry over the last three years from a sunset industry may turn out to be a myth Section C: 1) A vision of the impact of free trade can also be gleaned from Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Samuelson (1970) who confidently asserted that: Free trade promotes a mutually profitable division of labour, greatly enhances the potential real national product of all nations, and makes possible higher standards of living all over the globe. It promotes a regional division of labor — this means that some regions of the world (or countries) will specialize in certain things. They will specialize in areas where they have a comparative advantage. It enhances national production — this means that countries will be able to produce more things if there is trade. That is because they focus on producing things they are good at and do not waste resources on things that they are not good at. It allows higher standards of living because there is more production. If there is more production, there are more things available to be consumed. Another belief in the importance of free trade can be ascribed to its  perceived indirect effect on peace, security and the prevention of war. One of the first articulations of this is by Baron de Montesquieu, who writing in 1748, stated: Peace is the natural effect of trade. Two nations who traffic with each other become reciprocally dependent; for if one has an interest in buying, the other has an interest in selling, and thus their union is founded on their mutual necessities. This theory of mutual interdependence has been explored in some detail by authors such as Keohane and Nye67 and is echoed in attempts to build and protect the mandates of global institutions seeking such co-operation. However few attempts are made to track the results of policy activities on whole population of States, and as a result the overtly negative impact on some groups, usually minorities and indigenous 2) The Decision Trees, used to help with decision making in business ( and many other areas), are a form of diagrammatic analysis. They are used as a tool for helping managers to choose between several courses of action. They provide an effective and clear structure for presenting options and within decision trees the probabilities and financial outcomes of these options can be measured. They also help to form a balanced picture of the risks and potential financial rewards associated with each possible course of action. In many business decision making situations chance (or probability) plays an important role, and the use of decision trees helps build probability into the decision making process. Pictorial representation of a decision situation, normally found in discussions of decision-making under uncertainty or risk. It shows decision alternatives, states of nature, probabilities attached to the state of nature, and conditional benefits and losses. The tree approach is most useful in a sequential decision situation. For example, assume XYZ Corporation wishes to introduce one of two products to the market this year. The probabilities and present values (PV) of projected cash inflows follow: A decision tree analyzing the two products follows: Based on the expected net present value, the company should choose product A over product B.

Biography of Sun Yat-sen, Chinese Revolutionary Leader

Biography of Sun Yat-sen, Chinese Revolutionary Leader Sun Yat-sen (November 12, 1866–March 12, 1925) holds a unique position in the Chinese-speaking world today. He is the only figure from the early revolutionary period who is honored as the Father of the Nation by people in both the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan). Fast Facts: Sun Yat-sen Known For:  Chinese Revolutionary figure, Father of the NationBorn:  November 12, 1866 in Cuiheng village, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, ChinaParents: Sun Dacheng and Madame YangDied: March 12, 1925 in Peking (Beijing), ChinaEducation: Cuiheng elementary school, Iolani high school, Oahu College (Hawaii), Government Central School (Queens College), Hong Kong College of MedicineSpouse(s): Lu Muzhen (m. 1885–1915), Kaoru Otsuki (m. 1903–1906), Soong Ching-ling (m. 1915–1925); Chen Cuifen (concubine,  1892–1912)Children: Son Sun Fo (b. 1891), daughter Sun Jinyuan (b. 1895), daughter Sun Jinwan (b. 1896) with Lu; Daughter Fumiko (b. 1906) with Kaoru Early Life Sun Yat-sen was born Sun Wen in Cuiheng village, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province on November 12, 1866, one of six children born to tailor and peasant farmer Sun Dacheng and his wife Madame Yang. Sun Yat-sen attended elementary school in China, but he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of 13 where his elder brother Sun Mei had lived since 1871. In Hawaii, Sun Wen lived with his brother Sun Mei and studied at the Iolani School, earning his high school diploma in 1882, and then spent a single semester at Oahu College before his older brother abruptly sent him back to China at the age of 17. Sun Mei feared that his brother was going to convert to Christianity if he stayed longer in Hawaii. Christianity and Revolution Sun Wen had already absorbed too many Christian ideas, however. In 1883, he and a friend broke the Beiji Emperor-God statue in front of his home villages temple. In 1884, his parents arranged for his first marriage to Lu Muzhen (1867–1952), the daughter of a local merchant. In 1887, Sun Wen left for Hong Kong to enroll in the college of medicine and left his wife behind. They would have three children together: son Sun Fo (b. 1891), daughter Sun Jinyuan (b. 1895), daughter Sun Jinwan (b. 1896). He would go on to marry twice more and take a long-term mistress, all without divorcing Lu. In Hong Kong, Sun received a medical degree from the Hong Kong College of Medicine (now the University of Hong Kong). During his time in Hong Kong, the young man converted to Christianity (to his familys chagrin). When he was baptized, he received a new name: Sun Yat-sen. For Sun Yat-sen, becoming Christian was a symbol of his embrace of modern, or Western, knowledge and ideas. It was a revolutionary statement at a time when the Qing Dynasty was trying desperately to fend off westernization. By 1891, Sun had given up his medical practice and was working with the Furen Literary Society, which advocated the overthrow of the Qing. He also began a 20-year relationship with a Hong Kong woman named Chen Cuifen. He went back to Hawaii in 1894 to recruit Chinese ex-patriots there to the revolutionary cause in the name of the Revive China Society. The 1894–1895 Sino-Japanese War was a disastrous defeat for the Qing government, feeding into calls for reform. Some reformers sought a gradual modernization of imperial China, but Sun Yat-sen called for the end of the empire and the establishment of a modern republic. In October 1895, the Revive China Society staged the First Guangzhou Uprising in an attempt to overthrow the Qing; their plans leaked, however, and the government arrested more than 70 society members. Sun Yat-sen escaped into exile in Japan. Exile During his exile in Japan, Sun Yat-sen met Kaoru Otsuki and asked for her hand in marriage in 1901. Since she was only 13 at the time, her father forbade their marriage until 1903. They had a daughter named Fumiko who, after Sun Yat-sen abandoned them in 1906, was adopted by a family named Miyagawa. It was also during his exile in Japan and elsewhere that Sun Yat-sen made contacts with Japanese modernizers and advocates of pan-Asian unity against Western imperialism. He also helped supply weapons to the Filipino Resistance, which had fought its way free from Spanish imperialism only to have the new Republic of the Philippines crushed by the Americans in 1902. Sun had been hoping to use the Philippines as a base for a Chinese revolution  but had to give up that plan. From Japan, Sun also launched a second attempted uprising against the government of Guangdong. Despite help from the organized crime triads, on October 22, 1900, the Huizhou Uprising also failed. Throughout the first decade of the 20th century, Sun Yat-sen called for China to expel the Tatar barbarians- meaning the ethnic-Manchu Qing Dynasty- while gathering support from overseas Chinese in the US, Malaysia, and Singapore. He launched seven more attempted uprisings, including an invasion of southern China from Vietnam in December 1907, called the Zhennanguan Uprising. His most impressive effort to date, Zhennanguan ended in failure after seven days of bitter fighting. The Republic of China Sun Yat-sen was in the United States when the Xinhai Revolution broke out at Wuchang on October 10, 1911. Caught off guard, Sun missed the rebellion that brought down the child emperor, Puyi, and ended the imperial period of Chinese history. As soon as he heard that the Qing Dynasty had fallen, Sun raced back to China. A council of delegates from the provinces elected Sun Yat-sen to be the provisional president of the new Republic of China on December 29, 1911. Sun was chosen in recognition of his unflagging work raising funds and sponsoring uprisings over the previous decade. However, the northern warlord Yuan Shi-kai had been promised the presidency if he could pressure Puyi into formally abdicating the throne. Puyi abdicated on February 12, 1912, so on March 10, Sun Yat-sen stepped aside and Yuan Shi-kai became the next provisional president. It soon became clear that Yuan hoped to establish a new imperial dynasty, rather than a modern republic. Sun began to rally his own supporters, calling them to a legislative assembly in Beijing in May of 1912. The assembly was evenly divided between supporters of Sun Yat-sen and Yuan Shi-kai. At the assembly, Suns ally Song Jiao-ren renamed their party the Guomindang (KMT). The KMT took many legislative seats in the election, but not a majority; it had 269/596 in the lower house, and 123/274 in the senate. Yuan Shi-kai ordered the assassination of KMT leader Song Jiao-ren in March of 1913. Unable to prevail at the ballot box and fearful of Yuan Shi-kais ruthless ambition, Sun organized a KMT force to challenge Yuans army in July 1913. Yuans 80,000 troops prevailed, however, and Sun Yat-sen once more had to flee to Japan in exile. Chaos In 1915, Yuan Shi-kai briefly realized his ambitions when he proclaimed himself the Emperor of China (r. 1915–16). His proclamation as emperor sparked a violent backlash from other warlords- such as Bai Lang- as well as a political reaction from the KMT. Sun Yat-sen and the KMT fought the new emperor in the Anti-Monarchy War, even as Bai Lang led the Bai Lang Rebellion, touching off Chinas Warlord Era. In the chaos that followed, the opposition at one point declared both Sun Yat-sen and Xu Shi-chang as the President of the Republic of China. In the midst of the chaos, Sun Yat-sen married his third wife, Soong Ching-ling (m. 1915–1925), whose sister May-ling would later marry Chiang Kai-shek. To bolster the KMTs chances of overthrowing Yuan Shi-kai, Sun Yat-sen reached out to local and international communists. He wrote to the Second Communist International (Comintern) in Paris for support, and also approached the Communist Party of China (CPC). Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin praised Sun for his work  and sent advisers to help establish a military academy. Sun appointed a young officer named Chiang Kai-shek as the commandant of the new National Revolutionary Army and its training academy. The Whampoa Academy officially opened on May 1, 1924. Preparations for the Northern Expedition Although Chiang Kai-shek was skeptical about the alliance with the communists, he went along with his mentor Sun Yat-sens plans. With Soviet aid, they trained an army of 250,000, which would march through northern China in a three-pronged attack, aimed at wiping out the warlords Sun Chuan-fang in the northeast, Wu Pei-fu in the Central Plains, and Zhang Zuo-lin in Manchuria. This massive military campaign would take place between 1926 and 1928, but would simply realign power among the warlords rather than consolidating power behind the Nationalist government. The longest-lasting effect was probably the enhancement of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-sheks reputation- but Sun Yat-sen would not live to see it. Death On March 12, 1925, Sun Yat-sen died at the Peking Union Medical College from liver cancer. He was just 58 years old. Although he was a baptized Christian, he was first buried at a Buddhist shrine near Beijing called the Temple of Azure Clouds. In a sense, Suns early death ensured that his legacy lives on in both mainland China and Taiwan. Because he brought together the Nationalist KMT and the Communist CPC, and they were still allies at the time of his death, both sides honor his memory. Sources Bergere, Marie-Clare. Sun Yat-sen. Trans. Lloyd, Janet. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1998.Lee, Lai To, and Hock Guan Lee. Sun Yat-sen, Nanyang and the 1911 Revolution. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2011.Lum, Yansheng Ma, and Raymond Mun Kong Lum. Sun Yat-sen in Hawaii: Activities and Supporters. Honolulu: Hawaii Chinese History Center, 1999.  Schriffin, Harold. Sun Yat-sen and the Origins of the Chinese Revolution. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1970.

Separation of Colored Molecules Based on their Molecular Lab Report

Separation of Colored Molecules Based on their Molecular - Lab Report Example Chromatography is the method used in separating and analyzing complex mixtures. The separation process consists of a moving phase and a stationary phase. The mixture that is to be isolated is in the moving phase and it is made to pass through the immobile phase. Gel filtration is a procedure by which molecules are removed from a mixture based on their molecular shape and size. In gel filtration chromatography, the stationary phase consists of beads that have pores which span a narrow range that determines the size of the macromolecules to be fractioned. Large molecules that are large to enter the pores of the beads are separated thus comes out of the column first. Examples of gels used in gel filtration are Dextran, Polyacrylamide, and Agarose. When the column of Sephadex gel particles are packed: the volume of the solvent in the beads makes the internal volume (Vi) and that outside makes the external volume (Ve). The volume of the polymer forms the gel matrix volume (Vg). Bed volume is given by: The elution volume of a molecular substance is the volume of solvent that is needed to move out of that substance. Its least amount is the void volume. Small molecules have higher volume available them than the void volume. Where Kd is the coefficient of distribution and molecules have Kd between 0 and 1.The gel filtration column is divided into proteins of known molecular weight and then the Kd of each protein is calculated. The graph of Kd against log10 molecular weight is plotted and this graph allows the molecular weight of the unknown protein to be read from it. The buffer on top of the column was allowed to drain up to the level of the gel until the meniscus just disappeared.

Love in Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Love in Marriage - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that marriage is the basis of a family unit, and society's central component is family - thus, marriage. On a general term, marriage is the coming together of two individuals whose aim is a lifetime of partnership and possibly, reproduction. If this is true, then it is safe to say that stability is important for couples to move on with their married lives towards the fulfillment of their unified goals. While it is true that some couples may be married for reasons other than love, and while it is also true that these types of marriages may have worked for some of these couples, it still remains true that love plays a major and important role in the majority of marriages in the world. Nowadays, it can be said that love is overrated in relationships and undervalued in marriages. This may be the reason for several early marriages or relationships, and continuous increase in divorce rates. While no one says it is wrong to get involved with love at an early age, while inside a marriage, couples need to recognize it's importance â€Å"till death do them part.† According to recent studies, while romantic love is a concept that is widely accepted, not everyone considers it as an important factor in marriage. However, most studies show that love in marriage helps in stabilizing the union between the couples. Surprisingly, while not everyone views love as necessary to establish marriage, a large percentage of marriages in societies are based on romantic unions.... However, it should be first emphasized that the attention it needs is not the one that causes romance novel bestsellers or blockbuster hits. For one, successful marriages seem to be a rarity (De, 1996, p.703). How many among acquaintances or relatives have successful marriages, or have at least come from successful unions? It seems that almost everybody in today's world at least knows a person who have come from a broken home. Gone were the days when the term â€Å"broken home† causes tugs at the hearts of those who hear. Why? Because it has become so common. It is possible that people may have been so cynical of the concept of love that the more they hear of it's supposed failure to make marriages work, the more they disregard it. One has to remember that while love in marriages will not change the annoying things that they say make marriages collapse little by little, love may help in making couples focus not on what is annoying, but on what is pleasing. And while love will not keep either party from getting hurt, it will at least pave the way for possible forgiveness (Chapman, 2007, p.29-31). On a logical note, since humans are inherently in need of affection, marriages should be the foundation where the fulfillment of the sense of belonging and security should come from. As mentioned earlier, love in marriages helps in providing stability in a union. Therefore, people should not look into the idea of love in marriages as some sort of just a romantic idea resulting from too much reading of pocketbooks or watching romantic movies. Love in marriages runs deeper than shallow Hollywood presentations. Love and marriage are two crucial elements in human society. Understanding the importance of love is stabilizing this core unit