Sunday, December 29, 2019

Civilian Life vs. Military Life Essay - 1053 Words

Being in the Army has huge differences compared to being in the civilian life. There are many differences and there are some things that are the same, being in the Army and being in civilian life. The average day for a US Army Soldier consists of waking up at 0400 hours in the morning being to first formation; accountability formation by 0630 hours. Then from 0630 to 0730 hours a Soldier will do Physical Readiness training (PRT), wear as the average wake up time for a civilian would be around 0630 to 0700 hours. The Soldier will wake up, do PRT eat breakfast and go to first work call formation by 0900. The average civilian would wake up, eat breakfast, and go to work. The average Soldier would have already done a lot of things that a†¦show more content†¦It is from an unknown author but I would like to share it with you. I think that it sums up military life vs. civilian life. Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes. He stays up for days on end. You take a warm shower to help you wake up. He goes days or weeks without running water. You complain of a headache, and call in sick. He gets shot at, as others are hit, and keeps moving forward. You put on your anti war/dont support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends. He still fights for your right to wear that shirt. You make sure youre cell phone is in your pocket. He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags. You talk trash on your buddies that arent with you. He knows he may not see some of his buddies again. You dont feel like helping out your dad today, so you dont. He does what he is told. You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls. He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists. You complain about how hot it is. He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow. You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong. He does not get to eat today. Your maid makes your bed and washes yourShow MoreRelatedMilitary Life vs Civilian Life787 Words   |  4 PagesMilitary Life vs. Civilian Life When we think about the military these days, normally the first thing that comes to mind is war. However, when we think about the civilian world the one thing that stands out is freedom. As a result, in order to maintain that freedom we must have our military go out and fight wars. There are many differences between our military and the civilian life; nonetheless, similarities do exist. A few that will be discussed pertaining to military and civilian life are howRead MoreMilitary Vs. Civilian Life1270 Words   |  6 PagesMany civilians end up thanking veterans for their service without knowing how their lives actually differ. Military life can offer many differences that civilian life cannot. Having lived both lives, I have an inside perspective on the differences between the two. These differences can include laws, regulations, and the different types of punishment one may receive. Although, everything between the two may seem different, there is also a similarity. That similarit y, is encountering the same personalityRead MoreEssay about Military vs Civilian Life723 Words   |  3 Pagesjoined the military would my life be different?† Now when people think of the military they think of going to war and getting yelled at, but there are so many differences between military life and civilian. Most people sometimes believe that military life and civilian life are the same. Now there are a lot of differences their occupational life, living expense and some the freedoms they have. Occupational life is an example of differences between military and civilian life. In civilian life, you haveRead MoreSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment Barriers: Military Life vs. Civilian Life1259 Words   |  6 PagesSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment Barriers: Military Life vs. Civilian Life Marina Herrera Butte College Abstract This paper explores the interesting relationship between substance abuse and mental health problems among military and civilian life. As well as stigma barriers to treatment within a military vs. a civilian setting. The article â€Å"Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment in the Military: Lessons Learned and a Way Forward† written by Katie Witkiewitz and ArmandoRead MoreA Brief Look at Igor Sikorsky1157 Words   |  5 PagesIgor Sikorsky widened the field of aviation throughout his life with inventions that caught the interest of the world. In the early 1920’s, after successfully building a four-engine biplane, Sikorsky began his work on amphibian aircraft. The aircraft proved to be versatile with its ability to take off and land on an airstrip or in the water. Sikorsky increased the size and maximum range of his designs until producing the S-42 Flying Clipper. His line of amphibian planes became the precursor to commercialRead MoreAgent Orange : A Herbicide Mix ture Used By The Us Military During The Vietnam War Essay1350 Words   |  6 PagesAgent Orange is a herbicide mixture used by the US military during the Vietnam War. (Agent Orange Vietnam War History). The Department of defense advance project (DARPA) had an important role in the U.S development of herbicides as a military weapon (usa.gov). The first large scale defoliation by the US military took place in Fort Drum using a chemical called agent purple and a spray system that was the model for the one used in Vietnam (Buckingham). The use of chemicals in war is considered biologicalRead MoreThe Invisible War1662 Words   |  7 PagesInvisible War, many of the service members were treated as though their attire (short skirts, running shorts, etc.), behavior, and alcohol consumption encouraged the sexual assault attacks and sexual harassment they endured during their service in the military. Also known as â€Å"victim blaming†, this form of blaming often occurs because perp etrators do not want to be held culpable for their wrongdoing. It also may be used as a way to take the blame off the wrongdoer and displace it onto the victim. InRead MoreCyber Attack And Cyber Attacks958 Words   |  4 Pagesattacks (JOAC, i), extrapolation to an era of cyberwar is unjustified as cyber attacks alone do not constitute an act of war and cyberspace should not be considered in isolation in regard to war. Increasing dependence on cyberspace for U.S. civilian and military systems and networks, combined with the ability for remote access to attack without overt exposure of the attacker’s identity or organization, make cyber attacks an attractive means against a stronger opponent. However, an act of war hasRead MoreUnited States Department Of State1748 Words   |  7 Pagestheir definitions, it is possible to get a better grasp of the concept and which organizations fit the description.   Professor Kydd defines terrorism as â€Å"politically motivated violence, usually targeted at civilians by non-state actors, but sometimes by states and sometimes towards non-civilians,† (Kydd 9/7). Kidd specifies that this violence is directed toward people, not property, does not usually involve economic motivation, is usually by a state-actor, and is performed for a broad audience inRead MoreGun Control Amendment990 Words   |  4 Pagesrecent incident, several others in past few years, has spark the debate over gun control in the United States. More and more are calling for a complete ban for assault type of weapons, that to include fully automatic and semi –automatic weapons with military attachments and features. In the light of the recent surge of incident involving guns, particularly assault type weapons has call for a ban. That has created an outrage from the advocates of gun owners and the (NRA) National Rifle Association. However

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Alcohol Abuse Essay - 1036 Words

Alcohol is the most commonly used drug in the United States. Although the consumption of alcohol by itself is not a social problem, the continuous and excessive use of alcohol can become problematic. There are four symptoms associated with alcohol dependence which are craving, loss of control, physical dependence, and tolerance. 17.6 million People, or one in every 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence along with several million more who engage in risky, binge drinking patterns that could lead to alcohol problems. (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, n.d.) The United States has banned drugs such as heroin, LSD, and marijuana in the United States because they claim that these drugs dangerous and that these†¦show more content†¦Cognitive-therapy helps individuals with alcohol dependence recognize what precedes and follows their episodes of alcohol use, which often leads to alcohol use to begin with. Motivational enhancement therapy encourages the person suffering from alcoholism to increase their desire to participate in therapy. Stimulus control refers to a treatment method that teaches the alcohol-dependent person to stay away from situations that are associated with alcohol use and to replace those situations with activities that are contrary to using alcohol. Urge control is an approach to changing patterns that lead to drug or alcohol use. Alcohol has a different effect on each individual when they consume it. Different factors that affect how people react to alcohol are age, gender, race, physical condition, amount of food eaten before drinking alcohol, how quickly the alcohol has been consumed, if there are other drugs in an individual’s system at the same time alcohol is being consumed, and if there is any past family history of alcohol problems. Impaired brain function resulting in poor judgment, reduced reaction time, loss of balance coordination, motor skills, or slurred speech are all contributed from alcohol intoxication. Alcohol causes dilation of blood vessels producing a feeling of warmth but results in rapid loss of body heat. Also you have an increased risk of certain cancers, stroke, and liver diseases. If womenShow MoreRelatedAlcohol abuse1512 Words   |  7 Pages Alcohol abuse in the society. A review of the literature Abstract Alcohol abuse is also a serious medical and social problem, but is not the same as alcoholism. Alcohol abuse is theRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol On Alcohol Abuse942 Words   |  4 PagesEveryday around the world people fail to realize the effects alcohol abuse can have on themselves as well as their loved ones. Alcohol can be highly addictive, and plague an individual s life. Individuals who suffer from alcohol abuse go through various withdrawal symptoms when attempting to cease from drinking alcohol. There are various methods alcohol abusers to quit using alcohol. For adults who abuse alcohol, achieving abstinence can be an arduous process that can be overcome with the perseveranceRead MoreDrinking Alcohol And Alcohol Abuse952 Words   |  4 Pagesmore. Alcohol can be highly addictive and plaguing the lives of alcohol abusers. When alcoholics do attempt to quit drinking alcohol, they go through various withdrawal symptoms that complicates the road to sobriety. Quitting alcohol is far from a simple process and will require initiative and perseverance. Although many attempt to quit alcohol by simply by going â€Å"cold turkey,† there are various steps people can follow to successfully quit drinking alcohol. For those struggling with alcohol abuseRead MoreAlcohol Abuse And Alcoholism Abuse1458 Words   |  6 PagesThe alcohol abuse definition is similar to alcoholism in that in both cases alcohol is causing harm to the drinker s life and those around them. The difference is that those who abuse alcohol, but are not yet alcoholics, typically can put some limitations on their drinking and they have not yet become physically addicted to alcohol. The key to the alcohol abuse definition is not in the amount of alcohol consumed but on how it affects an individual. Alcohol abuse is a psychiatric diagnosis in whichRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol On Alcohol Abuse941 Words   |  4 PagesEvery day around the world, people fail to realize the effects alcohol abuse can have on themselves as well as their loved ones. Alcohol is highly addictive, and can plague an individual s life. People who suffer from alcohol abuse go through various withdrawal symptoms when attempting to cease from drinking alcohol. There are various methods alcohol abusers to quit using alcohol. For adults who abuse alcohol, achieving abstinence can be an arduous process that can be overcome with the perseveranceRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol On Alcohol Abuse1965 Words   |  8 PagesAs of January 2015 alcohol related deaths were represented as accountable for approximately 6% of deaths worldwide. That is 3.3 million deaths from alcohol related car accidents to alcohol poisoning. The consumption of alcohol can be tied with being a factor in a variety of diseases, disabilities, tragedies, and crimes. An estimate of over 76 million people suffer from alcohol dependence and abuse. Consumption of alcohol can become a serious threat to personal and public health when an individualRead MoreThe Church And Alcohol Abuse905 Words   |  4 PagesThe Church and Alcohol Abuse The Church s Teaching on the Use and Abuse of Alcohol The Scriptures and the practice of the Church see alcohol as a gift of God. The Psalms praise God who has given us wine to gladden our hearts, (Ps. 104,15) and the Gospel tells of Jesus providing wine for the wedding celebration at Cana. Every Sunday we gather at the altar where at Jesus’ command we offer and receive wine that has become his blood by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures and the Church areRead MoreAlcoholism and Alcohol Abuse1492 Words   |  6 Pagesmortality rates due to alcohol-related accidents and health issues are close to 35,000† (â€Å"Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse). This fact explains how many problems come along with alcohol abuse, and tell about health issues and accidents that could be caused by alcohol. Alcohol can be very dangerous and threaten the lives of people even if they are not the one consuming alcohol. Wrecks often happen and kill innocent people as a result of people drinking and driving. There are many alcohol related deaths inRead MoreThe Abuse Of Alcohol On Purim Essay1695 Words   |  7 Pages1 Introduction 1.1 Hypothesis The abuse of alcohol on Purim in South Africa results in a complacent attitude towards drinking in Jewish teenagers. 1.2 Aim To determine if: the abuse of alcohol on Purim in South Africa results in a complacent attitude towards drinking in Jewish teenagers. 1.3 Significance of research I am a Jewish boy, going to a Jewish school. In my 17 years of life, I have been exposed to many of my Rabbis, friend’s parents and youth councilors getting drunk on religious occasionsRead MoreAlcoholism and Alcohol Abuse1082 Words   |  5 Pagesmillion people have an addiction to alcohol. This drug can be a mild to chronic addiction and sometimes can turn out fatal for some people (Chakraburtty). Almost 100,000 people have died from overusing this drug (Chakraburtty). Alcoholism and alcohol abuse is not only damaging emotionally, physically, and mentally to the person who is doing it, but to the people around them as well. Both alcoholism and alcohol abuse are each categorized as different cases. Alcohol abuse is different from alcoholism because

Friday, December 13, 2019

Business in China Free Essays

November 29th, 2012 International Business Doing Business in China The role of government when doing business in China is very important. It is especially important if you are from a different country, such as the United States, because the approaches to dealing with the government are much different. There are many factors in which should be considered when dealing with business related issues with the government. We will write a custom essay sample on Business in China or any similar topic only for you Order Now These include whether or not your business strategies go along with the plan the government has for Chinas development, understanding how the Chinese government interfaces with your business, and also how to deal with pressures from the government when they want you to do things you and your business don’t want to do. (Palne, 2010). A major mistake foreigners often make when dealing with the Chinese government for business is that they think they can gain government support with money and connections to people in higher positions. Working with government isn’t a matter of periodically wining and dining the right officials or reacting when policies change; it must be a central part of the strategic planning process. † (Palne, 2010, pg. 104) The role of culture when doing business in China is important if you want to be successful. When going to a foreign country to do business, it is essential that you learn the norms of the culture because they can be very differe nt compared to where you are from. â€Å"A US company must learn the local business etiquette and norms. The correct protocol can actually be learned from the Chinese themselves. As previously stated, humility is a powerful tool in China. Accordingly, a US company must be open to learning from the local Chinese. † (Chapman, J. Xu, W, 2008, pg. 9) The business dynamics are not going to be the same so you have to become familiar with environment to ensure that you are doing business properly within the Chinese culture. In China, personal relationships are very important when dealing with business. â€Å"With many layers of bureaucracy and personal interests to deal with, China is not a place where individuals function alone. As a result, the whole pattern of business relationships in China is different from the West. Although the Chinese are generally polite, suspicion and distrust characterize all meetings with strangers. Moreover, China has a history of hostile relationships with foreigners. † (Chapman, J. Xu, W, 2008, pg. 9) Being from a different country when doing business is already an obstacle, and having to gain the trust and form a good relationship with local business owners makes it more difficult. China is a fast growing economy and is a great place for a business looking for an opportunity to grow. There are many different reasons in why a company would want to move and do business in China. A major reason why many companies from the United States move to China to do business is because of the low-cost work force. A low cost workforce means that the wages for the workers in China are significantly lower than compared to those in the United States, translating into a substantial amount of financial savings for a business. â€Å"China also has an economy that has been growing 9 to 10 percent for years, and a vast market, including a rising middle class. U. S. and other foreign importers and exporters can also benefit from China’s strong port infrastructure and the abundance of container services linking China with the rest of the world. † (Armbruster, 2007, pg. 7) Starting a business in China is also a great opportunity to expand your business internationally. If you want to connect with a different area, China is definitely a strong place to go. When doing business in China, there are many risks associated with it. Although there are ample opportunities to succeed, it is also very challenging to do so. The things that make doing business in China so challenging is that you have to not only worry about your company doing well, but you also have to worry about government and cultural issues. If the government is not in support of your business, it can make it very difficult to do well in China because government support is so important. There are also corrupt government officials that you potentially have to deal with. â€Å"There are a hundred corrupt officials who go unpunished for each one who is punished. (Armbruster, 2007, pg. 9) If that statement is even somewhat true, there has to be a large amount of corruption between officials which can go positively if you are doing business the wrong way but can also have negative effects. Having a China strategy is very important. A China strategy is a plan on how you are going to move your business into China and be successful. A China strategy is important because you have to know how to enter a market when going into a new environmen t, especially one as different as China’s. China is no longer a third world country or an emerging economy. As the second largest and fastest growing economy in the world, soon to overtake the United States, it is a genuine force to be reckoned with. Within the past few years there has been a remarkable development inside China and the establishment of a significant middle class. † (Watson, 2011, pg. 51) You have to be able to know what you are going to do with your business once you are in China. You also have to have a backup plan in case you need to remove your company for any reason. What I found most interesting about doing business in China is the many different things you have to deal with compared to doing business in the United States. In China, the government is very involved and if you are not getting support from them, then it makes it very hard to do well. â€Å"Many CEOs chafe at stalled negotiations and bureaucratic interference when they should be figuring out how to work with Chinese authorities. That’s critical; in most industries, it’s impossible to do well in China without the government’s backing. † (Palne, 2010, pg. 05). Another thing I found interesting is the opportunity to start a business in China. I knew that they were a fast growing market but I did not know that they were developing so largely, only second behind the United States. Another thing I found interesting is why so much business is still moving to China even though it is heavily government controlled and there is a high level of corruption. You would think that there would be another country that you could find but at the rate China is growing, it is hard not to want to do business there. How to cite Business in China, Essay examples Business in China Free Essays Would US companies be better suited trying to â€Å"go it alone† in China or to partner with a company that will provide tangible assets and other services for the US-based MNC? What stumbling blocks might exist when partnering with a company in China? After reading the article I believe that a US company will partner up with a company that will provide them with tangible assets and other services. As the fastest-growing major economy in the world, China continues to offer global companies attractive investment and business opportunities. However, doing business in China also means navigating the complexities that arise from China’s unique historical, political, and cultural contexts (Burkitt, 2012). We will write a custom essay sample on Business in China or any similar topic only for you Order Now Establishing a company in China can be a trying and tedious task requiring elaborate approval and registration procedures. Despite the challenges, leading US companies are succeeding in China by developing collaborative relationships with Chinese stakeholders and demonstrating the agility to continuously adapt their strategies to the country’s dynamic environment. Applying for approvals from various authorities is common in China. Navigating China’s complex business and regulatory environment to submit the applications to the right channels is an extremely tedious process that the enlightened businessman would rather leave to a partner in China. These companies are positioning themselves for long-term success by embracing the Chinese proverb qiu tong cun yi, which means â€Å"seeking similarities while respecting differences. † In doing so, they are co-opting China’s long-term interest in stability and prosperity into their business strategies, China investment regulations and compliance issues (Chu, nd). China is doing business more and more the American way, but non-Chinese executives still must work hard at building trust in relationships with their Chinese business partners. Chinese business strategy has changed a lot, and they adopt western practices (Chau, 2012). Cultural misunderstandings and stereotypes are one of the main causes of business failures, when doing business overseas. You should be able to share your vision and enthusiasm, with a good partner, who can bring expertise in the areas in which you are inexperienced. Having a partner from China with a good reputation and should be someone who understands the legal and financial responsibilities endemic to sharing a business, most importantly, it should be someone who has a good relationship base business culture of China; it might be advantageous to learn about some basics of the Chinese language, culture, history, and geography (Csanad, nd). If done so, your Chinese potential business partners will take you much more seriously, and you will have more chance of being able to get the business with whom you get along and also to keep up with frequent regulatory changes can prove daunting for businesses. There are some barriers in doing business in China, because we must learn the cultural and religious differences. One con is that most Chinese business activities and deals are made through face to face interactions. To successfully launch a business in China you will need to travel to china and meet with your partners and employers unlike in the US they will do meetings on the phone and via webcam. A pro, which can still be part of barriers, is that having a Chinese company as a partner they can help you with land and buildings, because they know the country and where the best place would be the con to that is that you have to rely on someone else, to do the leg work with you. Another barrier is that the US likes to work direct and have upfront communication while the Chinese are the opposite; they are indirect and try to avoid accountability for making business decisions, the US always like to take accountability and deal with things head on. A barrier that must be overcome is that American’s tend to be overly friendly, patting each other on the back and saying good job, whereas in China that is not done, patting someone in the back can be construed as aggressive and insulting. I have to say that the barriers can be overcome, but it will take time, it’s just a matter of getting use to the cultural differences. This will take time, but it can be achieved. How to cite Business in China, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Business Leadership Obtain Productive Returns

Question: Discuss about the Business Leadership for Obtain Productive Returns. Answer: Introduction The Personal Leadership Model to develop takes into account three of the major areas of leadership such as teamwork, ethics, and leadership theory. These three areas of leadership are to be considered in the model of Personal leadership. Teamwork, Ethics, and Management play vital role to help an organization carry on its business related activities successfully. In addition to this, it supports the culture of the organization and makes it more of fortified and growth-oriented. Teamwork is the way to success and to help the employees to act in good faith towards each other. Teaming and leadership come out to be an effective combination providing with the most worthwhile outcomes. Ethical Leadership is the concept that looks forward to giving importance to ethics in each area just to come up with the best decision. Management is to provide support in managing the resources and to obtain productive returns (Schein, 2006). Organizing Idea The Personal Leadership model planned is as a result of an organized and coordinated idea. This comes up with the intention to allow an organization have a systematic and methodical working style. These three aspects such as ethics, management, and teamwork are very close to the way an organization would be able to meet the destined goals and objectives. An organizing idea leads to credibility in a way that an organization would be able to plan and perform tasks in the most disciplined manner. It would add to great growth and lead to the most valuable experiences. Organization culture would become more of improved and bettered up and hence lead to credibility. The vision is to maintain an enduring presence and that can move forth by having better working conditions together with the satisfied workforce. Traits of the workers would also get more of ameliorated and going to prop up the organization as well. Not only this, the three of these models are going to lend a hand in having more effective relationships. On the whole, these areas would act as the key constituents in allowing the company generates the most pleasing and optimistic returns. Traits, Skills, and Tasks An effective leader is a one that carries all the characteristics that prove to be helpful enough in acting as a role model in front of the followers. This can only be done by getting close to the traits, skills, and tasks at the part of an effective leader. A Leader can only be effective when the potential to be the best and different from the mob has. The traits and skills considered in an effective leader are the commitment towards the task, creativity, and innovation, delegation, positive outlook, futuristic approach, proper communication, team building, and inspiring others. The tasks for an effective leader are handling risks, problem-resolving ability, sharing tasks, and developing trust on the team members. By possessing these set of traits, skills, and tasks, it would be very much effective carrying upon tasks and obligations in the most requisite manner. It becomes equally imperative to have the potential just to inspire others in a positive manner (Northouse, 2012). Core Values The core values that the leadership model emphasizes on are the management of the resources just to get best out of it, to encourage teamwork for the sake of receiving optimum results from this collaboration, and to abide by the ethical aspects at each subsequent step to maintain the positivity within the aura of an organization. These core values together present the whole picture with regards to the way an organization would be able to draw in hopeful results from the way business practices goes on. In the current scenario, the organization has to live up to the expectations of the key stakeholders and to maintain survival to the longest possible time. With the consideration of these core values, it would be easy and effortless to perform organizational tasks and also to ensure its victory. These core values would also be capable enough to convey about the value carried by the personal leadership model. In this way, it would present an enlightening example in front of concerned people. Relationships The use of the leadership model will definitely provide benefit to the relationships that exist in an organization. It can also be taken in a way that the leadership model focuses more on teamwork, ethics, and management. These three are the key to success and also allow the company move in the right direction. Management serves to be the most important area in dealing with the business activities and permitting it to reach the destined position. If management goes on well, it would sustain positivity amongst the employers and the employees, and lead to productive relationships (Sadler, 2003). Ethics is also an important area that could help the company determine wrongful ways while carrying out business. The wrong way to make the profit, bad behavior with the workers, to deceive the shareholders and production of the defective products to the customers are all said to be unethical. These can be made out effective through ethical approaches and also help in forming better connections in between the human resources. Teamwork leads to the unification of the human resources in order to attain the goal or objective. By working together, it would be very much helpful to come across with each others positive and negative points. This could be very much helpful and accommodate to draw in the best possible results and to move further with positive relationships. The leadership model puts in best possible efforts to avoid negativity from the working culture and also to feel comfortable in the workplace. In doing the same, the results drawn would be highly encouraging and hopeful. Culture The use of the leadership model would be very much supportive of having the most strong and well-built culture. Actually, the models used are to look on the way culture is very much growth-oriented and to make employees feel passionate towards their work. Leaders role is to lay positive impact upon its followers just to derive the same level of output from them. In this way, the model is able to add on great value and make organizational culture apt for its key people. The working ambiance would come up as the most favorable and constructive place in order to make workers strive hard for an accomplishment of the target levels. Each member would feel good and associate with the organization in the most likely manner (Shriberg and Shriberg, 2011). Leadership Practiced The leadership practiced in the model is seeking to achieve immense growth and success. It can only be made out possible by moving forth with the respective three areas such as ethics, management, and teamwork. These three acts as the most important pillars in making leadership model move ahead with the realization of the so-called objectives. It also helps workers to raise their level of performances and to contribute actively. In this way, the leadership practiced in the model is to move on the right path, and to promote work to understand the power of unity together with making the best possible use of the accessible resources. These are found out to be very much effective and hopeful enough in matching well with the expected areas of growth. Performance levels can also be made maintained and sustained for the betterment of an organization. Difference The leadership model is different from the current one as it gives significance to the concept of ethics, management, and teamwork. In consideration of these three areas, an organization cannot stop to carry on its business activities. It adds value and worth to the company and to develop an effective and the positive workplace environment. The reason behind the same is leadership model forms connection with these areas in order to lay the positive impact on the followers. It imparts with a lot of learning to the followers and persuades them to act in the best possible manner (Leviticus, 2016). Application The application of the leadership model would take place by forming the understanding with the same. Before going further with an application of the model, it is very much essential to understand it effectively. After this only, the application of the model should take place in order to realize success from it. The model and its key areas and the way it could benefit the organization are to be taken into consideration in the broadest manner (Western, 2007). Its implications are to think upon just to takes a safer side in case of emergence of any serious problem. On the personal level, the application of the model takes place by carrying upon ethical approaches. It would help in differentiating in between right and wrong. Teamwork would lead to comprehending the power of unity and to be faithful towards each other. At last, the management is to make best possible use of the available resources. This turn up highly successful and would allow the person grow and prosper at its largest. At each aspect, the results obtained would be up to the mark and allow one to maintain better standing at the personal as well as the professional area. Conclusion The leadership theory model proves to be the best choice for the company. It would definitely be of great assistance so as to maintain growth levels and to attain success for a long period of time. References Leviticus, J. (2016). Top Five Leadership Traits, Qualities Skills. [online] Available at: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/top-five-leadership-traits-qualities-skills-32557.html [Accessed 25 September 2016]. Northouse, P.G. (2012). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks: SAGE. Sadler, P. (2003). Leadership. 2nd ed. Sterling, VA: Kogan Page Publishers. Schein, E.H. (2006). Organizational Culture and Leadership. 3rd ed. John Wiley Sons. Shriberg, D. and Shriberg, A. (2011). Practicing Leadership. 4th ed. Danvers, MA: John Wily Sons, Inc. Western, S. (2007). Leadership: A Critical Text. City Road: SAGE.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Perks of Being a Wallflower Context Analysis Essay Example

Perks of Being a Wallflower Context Analysis Essay The Perks of Being a Wall? ower: Context Analysis Paper ! Stephen Chbosky, a 29 year-old ? lm director and screenwriter published his ? rst semi-autobiographical novel in 1991, The Perks of Being a Wall? ower. He later directed the movie in 2011 and released it in October 2012. The central theme of the story revolves around the struggle to understand the terrible things that inevitably happen to those we love and to ourselves. It unfolds through a series of letters written by the main character, Charlie, addressed to us, the reader, that detail his painful yet joyous freshman year of high school. Chbosky frames the ? m only loosely in this way, preferring showing over telling — we never see Charlie talking to the camera. The novel has been a â€Å"backlist staple for the publisher, consistently selling between 70,000 and 100,000 copies in paper each year through the outlets recorded by Nielsen BookScan† (C. J. , 2012). According to Anthony Ziccardi, v-p and deputy publi sher of Simon Schuster, â€Å"it has always been a big seller in the college market. † The movie tie-in edition, with the lead actors on the front cover, sells just as frequently as the original. It’s do doubt that the rhetor of Perks of Being a Wall? wer hit success with his novel, but the movie proves to do the same. ! This striking theme and complex plot of a typical, teen â€Å"problem† story doesn’t dwell on a divorce or accidental pregnancy. This story has â€Å"developed a cult following it† as a teen reader responds how it does more, â€Å"it reminded me of me and my friends, totally and completely† (Spitz, 1999). The ? lm functions similarly. It’s unique yet edgy, which makes it different and relatable at the same time. Even though Chbosky studied ? lm speci? cally, his ? rst novel was a huge success. This single literary work in erotic ? ction transforms marvelously onto the big screen. We will write a custom essay sample on Perks of Being a Wallflower Context Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Perks of Being a Wallflower Context Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Perks of Being a Wallflower Context Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I think that his ? lm background is largely to thank for this. Not many writers can direct their own movies. Chbosky’s young age and talent allow him to reach a young adult audience in a way many cannot. I believe that he created this work of rhetoric, the ? lm as well as the novel, to portray a stark realness to the story of a coming-of-age 15 year-old boy where so many can relate. ! Mr. Mudd Productions, producers of Juno, sought to hire Chbosky to create the ?lm adaption. The producers of the ? lm, John Malkovich, Lianna Halfon, and Russell Smith then hired him to write the adapted screenplay and to direct the ? lm. Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller starred in the ? lm. The production even waited for Emma Watson to ? nish with Harry Potter before beginning. The ? lm was shot in the Pittsburgh area from May 9, to June 29, 2011 and set in the early 1990s. A few scenes from the characters’ adventures with the The Rocky Horror Picture Show were ? lmed at The Hollywood Theater in Dormont. Chbosky had seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show when he was younger in that theater and found out it was reopening, so requested to rent it for ? lming (Fischer, 2011). ! Interestingly, the novel was semi-autobiographical. In an interview with Tara Aquino, Chbosky explains that it was always intended to become a movie and â€Å"thought of the title 21 years ago† (Aquino, 2012). Though it was always his plan to write a produce a great narrative, what made him begin writing in the ? rst place was initially a bad break up. He needed something to give himself hope. Charlie, the main character, struggled similarly in trying to answer the question of why good people allow themselves to be treated less than what they deserve. Throughout the writing process, Chbosky was able to ? nd a better place. The audience is coming-of-age young adults. He was able to hit his audience perfectly. So many people still come up to him and let him know how much the books helped them in hard times to not feel alone. That reward alone is enough Chbosky claimed and helps him â€Å"feel far more connected to people than he ever did† (Aquino, 2012). Though many producers wanted to take over the adaption of The Perks of Being a Wall? ower, Chbosky couldn’t let it go. The casting was very important to Chbosky, because he wanted not only people that reminded him of his own life but also generous and real people. He met with Emma Watson once and knew she was a perfect character for Sam, exploring the wilder side of herself. The main character, cast as Logan Lerman, is actually really con? dent in real life. Chbosky wanted to have him audition as Patrick at ? rst, be Lerman knew he wanted Charlie. Finally, Ezra Miller’s charismatic personality put him as Patrick. ! Stephen Chbosky and Logan Lerman certainly shared a bond. Chbosky put a lot of faith in Lerman to embody a character that Chbosky sees in himself. He said their relationship developed quickly and evolved over time. He recalls a photograph of the two of their backs, and â€Å"what’s amazing is—I had no idea this was happening—we both have roughly the same posture, and we started to meld. I don’t know if he was getting things from me or if it was just a natural kind  of camaraderie, but it de? nitely happened† (Aquino, 2012). Chbosky even remembers how special it was on the set for these actors who have never had a proper prom or graduation to experience these things on and off-screen. Chbosky shared one of the most locations of ? lming with the three cast members the ? rst night of ? lming. He took them through the Fort Pitt Tunnel which brought them closer â€Å"but also made them understand [his] vision for the movie and how beautiful [he] felt the movie was† (Aquino, 2012). I think this is an extremely mportant moment for Chbosky in really expressing what the story of The Perks of Being a Wall? ower means to him by letting the kids feel it for themselves. Watching the actors come together and be there for each other in the short time they had for ? lming really gave him a sense of contentment that they were becoming the characters he remember s years ago during his hard, yet joyous days. I believe that all young adults who have either read the book or watched the ? lm can connect with these characters. Chbosky’s number one goal was to help people with or without friends not feel so alone. The actors played a huge role in the ? m’s success for achieving that by staying true to Chbosky’s vision in the novel and carrying over its dif? cult and confusing reality to the big screen. ! As mentioned before, the novel earned great success, before and after the ? lm. Entertainment Weekly gave the ? lm of an average ‘B’ rating. A reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle, Amy Biancolli, applauds the ? lm for steering away from â€Å"following certain narrative conventions so closely, that we think we know what’s coming around every bend. With The Perks of Being a Wall? ower, when something different hits us, the impact leaves a bruise† (Biancolli, 2012). This ? lm ? nds an unexpected freshness in the old cliches by remaining attentive to all that happens within and between unhappy teenagers. One of the ? lm’s major critiques is that it isn’t strong on plot — all of the energy and likability doesn’t sustain the movies second half, which tries to present wishful fantasies as sort of realistic developments. Also, the lead character is frustratingly passive at times. Sometimes an inexperienced ? lmmaker can use a helping hand from his cast. Luckily, Stephen Chbosky got that from Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller and Emma Watson in the adaptation of the popular novel. This was only Chbosky’s second time in the director’s chair, and like his main character, he’s a little unsteady on his feet. I think this in an interesting comparison, because thanks to Chbosky’s stars, the ? lm — like the book — sets itself apart from other comedy-drama coming-of-age ? lms as a smartly observed study of a troubled teens ? rst year in high school. When Charlie is distant, the camera remains as a ? y on wall. As he becomes more engaged, the camera draws closer to him and his friends, creating real intimacy between viewer and characters. The ? m, just like the novel, succeeds so well because of the connection and relation between Chbosky and his characters. So though Chbosky is new to the industry, in a way, the ? lm is able to develop better because of that. Also, the ? lm lacks necessary creativity to be considered a classic. NY Daily News says that, â€Å"though the ? lm is set in early ’90s Pittsburgh, it’s lacking the creative details required of a classic. And the ones we do get tend to feel off: Would Sam and Patrick, vinyl devotees who adore The Smiths, really be so entranced by Dexys Midnight Runners and so mysti? d by David Bowie? † Other than lacking experience and a few creative details, critiques commend Chbosky on recreating a unique narrative on the pleasures of friendship and the wisdom gained from adolescent misery. ! Stephen Chbosky, the semi-autobiographical writer and director of The Perks of Being a Wall? ower, creates an artifact worth watching. This being his ? rst novel and second time as a director, the 29 year-old produces the novel and ? lm to reach a troubled young adult audience to remind them that they are not alone. He does so by closely selecting his characters for the ? m adaption and, more so, mirroring his central character’s emotional state. Chbosky primary mission succeeds: To show how loneliness can become companionship, and to acknowledge that by surviving together, we can rise above adolescent despair. The Perks of Being a Wall? ower has a kind quality almost unheard of in American movies of this genre.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Concepts of Speculative Fiction Essays

Concepts of Speculative Fiction Essays Concepts of Speculative Fiction Essay Concepts of Speculative Fiction Essay Speculative fiction is a unique, amazing and awesome way to portray a piece of fiction, speculative fiction is a piece with many different genres like science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, science fantasy, and superhero fiction. Speculative fiction takes our existing world and things and turns it into a whole new and different world that doesnt actually exist, usually speculative fiction has a purpose or a goal that the author want to portray. It turns it into a what if question. So what if you were 7’5ft? What if you had unlimited money? Many questions exist in this form and if the what if questions that put that exiting spin and different story lines on that piece of fiction. The Raven looks into universal issues because the main character is sad or mourning a loss of his wife that died recently and this led him to hear voices, and talking to a raven. People have the exact same issues and they experience the same thing as this because when they lose someone they wake up with the same kind of feeling or when they are really stressed out about an issue. When people lose someone or are under real bad stress they turn to drugs or some other form of painkiller, alcohol, etc. It doesnt tell us but he may also be on some form of drug but it does not tell us if he is or not. This could be considered a universal issue because so many people turn to those things. The author Allen Poe shows the weaknesses of society in todays world and makes us think about the way that we cope with losing something or being stressed out over something. It might not affect everybody, but most people if not all have had this experience and it they had to or will deal with the same pr oblem that Allen had to deal with. Allen Poe used very specific language to show the reader what he means; the reader has to focus on what he wants them to understand. He uses language or text that in todays world isnt usually used and it seems different to

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Tax burden on the middle class Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tax burden on the middle class - Thesis Example The seemingly unfair rich-poor balance in the state and local taxes has spurred discussions across different economic forums. Such imbalance has contributed immensely to the regressive tax system evident in many states. The tax burden is huge on the middle-class and low-class. The research utilized existing literature to find out whether the middle-class paid more tax than the upper-class and the lower-class taxpayers. Specifically, scholarly journals that had analyzed the topic were critical to the research. Additionally, recent reports from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy were used in the research. The data is presented in the tables and graphs. The tax systems levy more taxes on the middle-class taxpayers than they do on the upper-class counterparts. A study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy indicated that many state tax systems tend to charge the low-and middle-income families a higher tax rate than the upper class counterparts. According to the study, the imbalance has contributed to the widening income inequality gap in which the middle and low-income households feel the negative implications of differential taxation rates. The poorest twenty percent of the low-income earners pay approximately 10.9 percent of their income to the local and state taxes (Davis et al 3). Similarly, the middle twenty percent of the US citizens contribute 9.4 percent of their income towards the tax. On the other hand, the rich taxpayers pay a mere 5.4 percent of their income to the local and state taxes (Davis et al 3). Notably, the tax systems burden the middle-class, as well as, the lower class at the expense of the wealthy t axpayers. However, taxation system in California has attempted to balance tax rates among the three classes. In California, the poorest citizens pay 10.5 percent, while the top one percent residents contribute 8.7 percent (Davis et al 21). Nonetheless, the tax rate gap is arguably wide. The

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Genesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Genesis - Essay Example First, man was made in the image of God as a proof that God has the ability to make decisions. This characteristic can also be seen in humans, as they have the ability to make decisions. This is an exceptional characteristic that is evident in humans. On one hand, humans have the freewill to make decisions, without any obligation from other animals. However, all the other creatures on the earth surface do not have such characteristics, as they are bound by nature. Similarly, creation of man in the image of God enhances the creativity of the Supreme Being. Humans have the ability to be creative in a number of aspects. Apparently, this aspect gave humans control over other creatures on the surface of the earth, since they lack such a character. In addition to this, humans have the mental and social capability, which is enhanced through speech. When looking at the book of Genesis, God communicated through speech. Since the word of God was immensely powerful, all the creation was made th rough spoken words. Ultimately, God gave man the ability to speak. This shows common characteristics in man and God. Making man in the image of God redeems human beings from the animal world. According to the story of creation, God is in ultimate control of all creation2. He has control over all activities, animals, plants and any other creation. However, after creating man in his image, God gave man control over the other creatures on the earth’s surface3. In essence, man was instated as the supreme control over all the creation on earth. This shows that God gave man the power to take care of all the creation, which is in resemblance of His character. Man was created in the image of God, which denotes the righteousness and innocence of God. As a fact, God is holy and supreme being with a moral compass. Initially, Adam was created as â€Å"very

Monday, November 18, 2019

To what extent can global geopolitics in the period since 1989 be Essay

To what extent can global geopolitics in the period since 1989 be described as a 'clash of civilisations' - Essay Example Between the 1940s and 1989, global citizens were held hostage to recurring conflict between the world’s two largest superpowers which never reached a full militaristic situation as a result of both superpower’s capability to impose mass destruction against the other (Gaddis 56). However, since 1989, many states have developed more technological capacity and economic strength, making powers other than the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc more influential in geopolitics. Since 1989, more geopolitical power spread throughout emerging militaristic and economically-sound states has changed the dynamics of political relationships throughout the world. This essay explores the Gulf War, theory regarding global capitalism and U.S. unipolarity to describe how geopolitics, today, has led to a clash of civilisations. Between 1980 and 1988, Iraq had been engaged in a lengthy war against Iran, sparked by unsettled border disputes between the two nations. Iraq, a once-wealthy and prosperous nation, was witnessing its economic strength diminishing as a result of continuously funding a costly military effort against its rival. During this war, Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest oil producers, began to fear that if Iran won this conflict, it would create an Iran hegemony that would ultimately threaten national security of Saudi Arabia and its oil-related revenues. Saudi Arabia had loans $26 billion USD to Iraq as a dual effort to ensure that the Shia in Iran would not gain substantial political power. Kuwait, another oil rich nation, had also loaned Iraq $14 billion USD to assist Iraq in its military objectives against Iran. By 1990, Kuwait refused to simply forgive this $14 billion dollar loan even though Iraq was convinced that the eight year-long war had achieved an oppression of Iran’s growing strength (Watson, George, Tsouras and Cyr 61). The Saudis, additionally, placed considerable pressure on Iraq to begin loan

Friday, November 15, 2019

Marketing plan and analysis of Al Hilal foods

Marketing plan and analysis of Al Hilal foods The brand has great opportunity to grow in cities other than Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Faisalabad and Multan as they have created much credibility in big cities of Pakistan. 11 Also it has opportunity to GO GLOBAL. Customers outside Pakistan have more loyal behavior towards Pakistani products so there is a chance for this brand to grow globally. 11 Threats: 11 3.Understand the construction of a marketing plan 12 3.1 Produce the marketing plan for your organization 12 Executive summary: 12 Current market situation: 13 SWOT analysis: 13 Objectives and issues: 14 Marketing strategy: 14 Action programs: 15 Controls: 15 3.2 Risk in marketing plan and Mitigation strategies: 15 Risks: 15 Mitigation strategies: 15 3.3 Importance of each component of the plan: 16 4.Understand to Promote the Marketing Plan in Support of Strategic Objectives 16 4.1 How the plan supports strategic objective: 16 Plans of Fresher and their support to objectives: 16 4.2 Outline an approach to gain agreement of the marketing plan: 17 5.Conclusion 17 6.References 19 Introduction to Al-Hilal Foods Al-Hilal foods is a Pakistani company owned by Mr. Ch. Farrukh Sattar. The organization exited about 10 to 15 years ago. At that time it made only one product line i-e Sultan Ghee. After flourishing in that field it introduced its new product line i-e 100% pure juices a brand named as FRESHER in 2009. The brand flourished in just one year through WORD OF MOUTH marketing strategy and gave a tough competition to other big brands like Nestle, Minute Maid etc. Al-Hilal is listed a listed company. Fresher was first introduced in 5 flavors that are Mango Guava Peach Strawberry Orange After fabulous success of these all flavors Fresher introduced a new flavor called FALSA. As Fresher gained success within period of only one year they introduced new brands in 2010 names BOOMER and COOLER. Boomer is a fizzy drink and has 3 flavors Orange Lemon Cola While Cooler has 4 flavors that are Apple Orange Pineapple Grapes The Fresher company is working hard day by and moving forward in the field of 100% pure juices. Mission: Their mission is to promote locally. Vision: Their vision is prosperity of Pakistan. ( Ref. 7) Understand How The Marketing Plan Supports Strategic Objective 2.1 Explain how the strategy of your organization Impacts Upon marketing planning: Strategy: Strategy is a long term actions/plans which are made by some organization to achieve their peculiar targets/goals. (Ref- 1) According to Michael Porter the strategy is all about the mixture of different activities which are differentiated from competitors to pronounce unique mix of value. To him its all about differentiating yourself from customers as well as competitors. (Ref-2) Without a strategy the organization is like a ship without a rudder, going around in circles Joel Ross Michael Kami Marketing strategy: A marketing strategy is a process or model to allow a company or organization to focus limited resources on the best opportunities to increase sales and thereby achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. (Ref-3) The set of objectives which an organization allocates to its marketing function in order to support the overall corporate strategy, together with the broad methods to achieve these objectives Chartered institutes of marketing The above two examples show that , marketing strategy is actually the strategy that support overall corporate and which a company has to use efficiently to market its products on best opportunities while converging the limited resources to achieve its goal. Marketing planning: Marketing planning is a logical sequence and a series of activities leading to the setting of marketing objectives and the formulation of plans for achieving them (Ref-4) Now we can interrelate all the above terms with the help of diagram below. Business Goals Market Strategy Marketing Mix Marketing Plan The above diagram shows that an organization has to set business goals which are actually the target of company or mission statement. The next level comes of marketing strategy which is esteemed rule that company has acquired to market their products. After establishing the market strategy company moves forward towards marketing mix in which it define the whole marketing mix i-e Product, Pricing, Place and Distribution. Afterwards the process of writing of marketing plans comes in which company has to describe the whole market activities which are used to acquire business goals. (Ref-3) 2.2 Impacts of strategy on marketing planning: Under this heading the strategies of organization will be discussed and the impacts of that strategies on the marketing of organization will be noticed. What effect that strategies will throw on organizations long run and short run will also be discussed. Here we are talking about Fresher marketing plans. As described earlier it is a Pakistani local company that is making 100% pure juices and this is one of the marketing strategy of Fresher that make it distinguishes from others. The company has many competitors in the same line of 100% pure juices i-e Nestle, Shezan, Minute Maid etc. But the Fresher is successful yet to maintain the no. 1 position in the brands of 100% pure juices. And also Fresher is successful to maintain its positioning against Nestle and other strong brands like Minute Maid. The benefit what Fresher will get due to this strategy is that competitors are not attaching it from all the sides. Only fresh juice companies are interested to attach its strategies. It has no concern with any other product line of competitors. Another strategy of Fresher is that they are using PET BOTTLES instead of juice boxes which made their product easy to use for the customers and the look of their brand product is totally different from others. They are also using SHRINK WRAPS for the packaging of their products. The one more thing that makes their product discriminate is tags hanged with the bottle of juice on which a little description of brand and ingredients are written. These tags make the look of the product more elegant and it again helps to make a strong positioning of the brand. The promotion strategy that Fresher following is WORD OF MOUTH. They are using any other strong promotion strategy which again differentiate the brand from others in market. But as they are not focusing the advertisement strategy now when they that much stabled in market, they can spoil their positioning as well. Fresher has strong distribution strategy which has been helping the brand to be strong so far i-e they used ROLL OUT strategy of distribution. They started the distribution of their product from their own city and then they spread it in other cities with the passage of time when they had grown enough in the market. The strategy has a benefit that other strong competitors like Nestle, Minute Maid etc didnt notice such small brand and didnt take action for that. In the meanwhile Fresher entered in the market and had got a strong market positioning. Fresher had got another benefit of this strategy that is they maintained their resources with it. They started distributing their product in their city only and when they have earned enough money they spread it over other cities of Pakistan as well. 2.3 Component parts of a marketing plan: Parts/Categories with which a marketing plan is made up of are called components of marketing plan. Here the heading will elaborate all of its parts one by one. Executive Summary: It is the first component of the marketing plan which explains the summary of the whole marketing plan for the quick review by the management of the company. Mostly three issues are mentioned in this part. The Challenge Challenge consists of a little elaboration of product for which marketing plan is made and the summary of goals such as sales figures and strategic goals.. Company Analysis Company analysis mostly consists of the answers to following questions What are goals of the company? To what thing it focuses more? What are the strengths of that company? From what culture it belongs? What are weaknesses of the company? And in what market shares it exists? etc. Competitor Analysis In competitors analysis a short report about competitors weaknesses, strengths, market position and market shares is presented. (Ref-5) Current marketing situation: Its a marketing audit which shows the current market situation of the company by comparing it with the past situation of its own and with the market situation of competitors. It presents data about the market, product, competition and distribution. SWOT analysis: SWOT analysis is basically the analysis in which strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the product (to be marketed) are given to have a complete look on companys analysis. The firms internal environment presents strength and weaknesses while external provides opportunities and threats. Objective and issues: This heading defines the objectives of company in different areas such as market share, sales, profit etc. Also this category will deal with all the issues and problems that effect these objectives. Marketing strategy: In this category a marketing strategy or approach is recommended to achieve the particular objective. It is the main and important part of marketing strategy structure. The strategies will elaborate the marketing mix (product, price, distribution, promotion) as well. Action programs: In this step a report is given about details of marketing strategy. The report answers such questions like how will all plan start? Who will do it? What will be the cost of all plan? Etc. Controls: Indicates how the progress of the plan will be monitored. 2.4 Risks and advantages in the devised marketing plan: Risks: Fresher is having a big threat in the market due to its lack of advertisement strategy now when it has gain that much credibility. Other competitors in the market has built strong image through their advertisement promotion strategy. Now it is the time when Fresher might think of making a strong and highly attractive advertisement to throw behind all the competitors. Fresher is not having a properly educated team of employees and it dont have proper departments such as HR department, RD department, Marketing department etc. So the employees working in the competitors firm are more competent and they can make proper decision at proper time. Fresher has to work on it as well. It may form a proper team so that they can compete in the leading market. As Fresher employees are not that educated in their particular field, they have disagreement in the selection of strategies. This is the major risk for the Fresher in the market as it can lead to fall of the company. Advantages: Fresher has specialized workers only in the field of making juices. Their worker knows the formula and they are best trained workers in juice making as they have to make only one product line at one time and they concentrate fully on it while competitors of Fresher have more than one product line so their workers have less command on juice making. The earlier promotion strategy of Fresher (word of mouth strategy) is quite impressive as no competitor can concentrate on upcoming new brand in this way. It gave Fresher to expand rapidly in market. The different packaging of Fresher bottle made them different and they expand undoubtedly in the fresh juice market. The biggest advantage to Fresher was the introduction of 100% fresh juice first in the market which make them differentiate from the competitors and thus they expand rapidly. 2.5 SWOT analysis of Fresher Juices: The company is new in market and has no good setup so they have not worked on their SWOT analysis by themselves. I made its SWOT analysis by my own conclusions and analysis of the company. Here are some strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities for the company. Strengths: They have short brand name which a basic strength of Fresher. Brand name is thus easy to remember by customers so its demand in market increases. And it is also flourishing in middle and low class segmentation of customers (as the customers in such classes are mostly uneducated) just because of its short brand name and easy memorizing quality. Short brand name also creates word of mouth easily. The highest market share in the product line of 100% pure juices is gained by Fresher. It has best attractive packaging of its juice bottles so far that is a main strength and attraction of customers towards this brand. Its availability is much good as compared to other brands in the market. Weaknesses: The brand is new in the market so it is not financially strong as compared to competitors. It will take some time to become financially strong for which it has to strong its marketing. Advertisement is weak and now when the brand has earned much credibility its essential for it to make powerful advertisement to make it more strong and reliable as brand has less or near to no TVC recall. Positioning is the major weak point of the brand. They have to make it strong to further grow in the market. Opportunities: The brand has great opportunity to grow in cities other than Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Faisalabad and Multan as they have created much credibility in big cities of Pakistan. Also it has opportunity to GO GLOBAL. Customers outside Pakistan have more loyal behavior towards Pakistani products so there is a chance for this brand to grow globally. They can launch more brands as well which is again a great opportunity for the company to grow. Threats: Fresher has promoted its products only through word of mouth so its a great threat for it. Other competitors that are promoting their products through advertisement and other strategies of promotion can gain more repute. If a pre-established brand of outside the country launches its product here in Pakistan, there would be a great threat for Fresher as it is a new brand here. The strengths and weaknesses come from internal origin of organization while opportunities and threats come from external origin of organization. Helpful to achieving goals Harmful to achieving goals Strengths: Short brand name Highest market share Packaging strength Availability strength Weaknesses: Financially weak Weak advertisement Weak positioning Opportunities: Growth in small cities of Pak Go global Launch more brands Threats: Lack of promotion strategies Other brands Understand the construction of a marketing plan 3.1 Produce the marketing plan for your organization Executive summary: Challenges: The companys product is 100% pure juices and its target customers are mainly diet conscious people, children, upper class, upper middle class and middle class society. But it can also target to lower class customers easily as juice is a thing which a normal person use in everyday life. The product is already differentiated from others because it falls in 100% pure juice category. And Fresher was the first to start this category in Pakistan. Company analysis: The Fresher is a new company in 100% pure juices product line. The company has high market share due to its previous marketing strategies in which main one is word of mouth through which it was promoted and gained the high market share rank. The companys weaknesses are finance, weak advertisement and weak positioning. Here we are designing some strategies by which its growth rate can increase and it can maintain its market share. It can make its advertisement strong and so its positioning too. Competitors analysis: Freshers competitors are companies who make 100% pure juices like Nestle, Minute Maid etc. Now if we come to Nestle, the company has a big weakness that it is dealing with 100% pure juice as well as nectars on the same time which make their focus diverted to both lines in the same time. While its strength is, it has a strong brand positioning earned by other product lines first. Market share of Nestle is lower than that of Fresher but market position is strong enough. Current market situation: The current market situation of Fresher is going not that bad when we talk about its distribution in big cities. The Fresher has the highest market share in product line of 100% pure juices while all other competitors have left behind. The demand of Fresher is also increasing day by day due to its good taste and flavors. Its giving a tough competition to its competitors in the market. Competitors didnt notice it first because it used only word of mouth marketing strategy first and took benefit of this strategy to achieve its goals. But in promotion the other companies (competitors) are moving forward to it now as it is lacking its interest in promotions. The Fresher has best packaging as well. SWOT analysis: Strengths: Short brand name Highest market share Packaging strength Availability strength Weaknesses: Financially weak Weak advertisement Weak positioning Opportunities: Growth in small cities of Pak Go global Launch more brands Threats: Lack of promotion strategies Other brands Objectives and issues: The main objective of Fresher is to maintain its market share in the line of 100% pure juices. Then it also wants to expand its business in other cities as it is a good opportunity for it to grow more in the market. The increase of sales is required for the increase in profit. To make strength of positioning. Now the main issue is that the other companies in the same product line are also struggling hard to compete the market share of Freshers. The Fresher has to maintain its demand by which it can maintain its market share. The issue concerning the expansion of the brand in other cities is to face the other local brands in those cities. Marketing strategy: Fresher makes following marketing strategies to achieve its goals. Fresher has to focus on advertising strategies such as TVC, radio commercials, Print media ads etc. Ads can be made more attractive by using advertisement marketing strategies such as humor, fun, models or TV actors etc. The attractive the advertisement will be the more the customer will be attracted towards the product. They can use different distribution strategies to promote their brand more e.g they can distribute free samples in the areas where product is not known enough. They can fit stalls in main areas/markets of different cities for the promotion. As children are more attracted towards juices and pure juices are good for their health, they can conduct different activities for children to attract this group of consumers. Also the fresh juices are mostly used by diet conscious people so Fresher can also use the same strategy of activity conductance for these consumers as well. In this way they attract their most targeted customers. All these strategies can help to achieve goals of company. Attractive advertisement and free sample distribution can help to expand business in small cities and activity based strategy can help to increase sales. Hence all these type of strategies can be used to increase sales, increase in profit and to maintain the high market share. Action programs: Now it is turn to plan the actions. Fresher can appoint workers to fulfill these strategies. First of all Fresher has to maintain proper departments such as HRM department, RD department, Marketing department, Finance department and so on like this. Then Fresher has to assign them their duties. Human resources department will manage human resources which are one of the major sources Fresher needs. Marketing department will implement these strategies and will check the results. Finance department will assign finances to each department and make a check and balance on it. Plan can be started from distribution of the products as free samples. So that more and more people in other cities can know about the brand. It will increase sales and profit as well. Now this finance can be invested on advertisement and other strategies and so on. The cost of all the strategies will be planned by finance department and marketing department as these are marketing strategies. Controls: The system cant be effective and efficient until and unless it is supervised and controlled properly. So the control in implement of these strategies is also very important. Here marketing managers of Fresher will be the persons who look after all these things and implement strategies. 3.2 Risk in marketing plan and Mitigation strategies: Risks: Risks in above strategies are only few. As company is not financially strong as compared to its competitors so might it cant afford advertisement expenses. The other risk could be short term effect (which is never been required) of some strategies like activity based strategy etc. Mitigation strategies: If finances do not allow Fresher to make an attractive advertisement then Fresher can go for rank purchasing in commercial complexes like Hyperstar, Metro etc as it costs less than that of advertisement. The benefit of this strategy will be that the people of every targeted market of Fresher can gain knowledge about the product easily. It would be a long term effect of marketing strategy. Activity based strategy would be short term strategy so instead of this we can use another strategy in which Fresher can appoint some of its employees ( sales persons) to sale their product at low price or less profit by going door to door in different colonies of different cities. It could have a long term effect on consumers mind. 3.3 Importance of each component of the plan: First component is executive summary. The summary explain the whole summarize data of the plan in short form so that the reader or to which report is being presented can save his/her time and he/she can found what is written inside the report and whether the report is meaningful or not? The executive summary has a lot of importance in marketing plan as it contains companys challenges, companys analysis and competitors analysis. 2nd component of the plan is current market situation. It is necessary to provide so that a marketer or person who has to act upon the plan should know that at what level the company stands and what level they have to move to increase growth rate of the company. The third component of the plan is SWOT analysis. Mentioning it in the plan in necessary because it helps to analyze the strengths, weaknesses opportunities and threats of the business with the help of which a person can make marketing strategies. The forth component of the plan is objectives and issues which explains all the goals and their related problems in plan. The fifth component of the plan is marketing strategies. This is the main step in the plan to which company has to work to achieve goals. The sixth step is action programs. The step is important as it tells that how to implement these strategies and who will implement them and what will be the cost of all strategies. The final step is of control. This is also one of the major step of the plan as it is necessary to tell how to control the whole strategic system and who will control it? Understand to Promote the Marketing Plan in Support of Strategic Objectives 4.1 How the plan supports strategic objective: Plans of Fresher and their support to objectives: Fresher is assigned following plans. Attractive advertisement The attractive advertisement of fresher can attract more and more customers towards the brand which will help to increase the sales. Increasing sales maximize profit and when company earns more profit it will be able to expand its business. The advertisement can help in building strong positioning as it contains slogan and jingles through which an image that is different from its competitors can build up. The better positioning will help to maintain market share. Streghthen positioning, profit maximization, expansion of business Distribution of free samples Again its the marketing strategy that will help to maximize sales when people around will try the samples and will be attracted. Maximize profit will lead expansion of business and strong market share. Activity based marketing Activity based marketing strategy can only help to achieve goals in targeted consumers market by increasing sales at that category of customers. Rank/Shelves booking This strategy can be useful for better positioning of brand as it creates a good image of the brand. The most visible shelves will be booked by Fresher, the more consumers will be attracted towards the brand. Personal sales Again this marketing strategy will increase Freshers sales and its demand and again the profit will be increased. Actually all the strategies are made up to maximize the profit first and then other effects accompany it. 4.2 Outline an approach to gain agreement of the marketing plan: Conclusion In this assignment we learned about strategic marketing, How marketing plans supports strategic objectives, How a marketing plan is constructed and How to promote the marketing plan in support of strategic objective? We chose Fresher, A Pakistani 100% pure juice company and looked upon its marketing strategies, what Fresher is using now and what should it use in future to promote itself more. Fresher is well known company of Pakistan whose marketing system is not that good while it needs a perfect marketing system now when it has gain that much credibility. Though marketing managers are working in the company but company is not showing enough results in this field due to which there are chances of their fall down in future. Fresher is using some excellent marketing strategies such as WORD OF MOUTH, ROLL OUT strategy, SHRINK WRAPS, PET BOTTELS, TAGS, 100% pure juices etc But we suggested some more marketing strategies to them by our own study and analysis. We made a marketing plan in which some marketing strategies were suggested such as ATTRACTIVE ADVERTISEMENT, ACTIVITY BASED PROMOTIONS, SHELVES BOOKING in markets, PERSONAL SALES and DISTRIBUTING FREE SAMPLES to increase its sales and profit. As Fresher has high market share so these strategies will help it to sustain the market share and to increase growth rate of it. At the last we made a marketing plan and saw that how these plans support objectives. We also discussed the SWOT analysis of the company which tell us that company less threats and less weaknesses and more strengths. We also discussed risks regarding strategies but they very low.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Genetic Basis of Adaptive Melanism on Pocket Mice Essay examples --

Introduction What's the problem? Examples of animals adapting to the environment have been known as far back as the case of the black peppered moths of England in the mid-1800s. In that case, entire populations of the black peppered moths were observed to change color in response to changes in their environment. More recently, bacteria have been known to develop resistance to antibiotic drugs, insects have developed various forms of resistance to insecticide, and plants have adapted to accommodate higher levels of heavy metals in the soil and water. The problem is that it is difficult to locate the genes that stimulate adaptation for three reasons: 1. Traits must be identified based on how they affect fitness and their ecological relevance. In other words, we need to find a trait that clearly makes a difference in whether or not the animal survives. 2. It is challenging to analyze phenotypes when there is little information known about genes. With the moths, nobody knows which of the moth's genes are responsible for the changes in color, so a genetic analysis is extremely difficult to do. 3. Most fitness-related traits are a mixture of many genes. This makes it hard to pin down the adaptations as a result of the actions of one gene. So where do the mice come in? Dr. Nachman's research explores the connection between genotype and coat color in four populations of rock pocket mice. Rock pocket mice live in rocky habitats in the southwest U.S. and northern Mexico. In the 1930s, classical studies revealed that there was a close correlation between the color of a mouse's coat, and the color of the rocks the mouse lived on. Light-colored mice... ...is mice, the alleles did not appear to be responsible for any changes in coat color. The similarity between coat color of the dark mice at Pinacate and the dark mice at Armendaris is probably due to convergent evolution. The Armendaris mice probably evolved the same adaptation (dark coat color) through a separate genetic mechanism. An interesting research project might be to determine the genetic basis of adaptation in the Armendaris population, and make comparisons. Any such results would be enormously useful in showing how evolution affects individual genes. References Nachman, Michael W. Hope E. Hoekstra, Susan L. D'Agostino. "The genetic basis of adaptive melanism in pocket mice." www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0431157100. Feb. 26, 2003. Purves,William K., et al. Life: The Science of Biology Sixth Edition. Massachusetts: Sinauer Assoicates, Inc. 2001.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Liberal Theory Essay

This memo outlines the liberal approach to theorizing international relations. Like realism, institutionalism, or non-rational approaches, it is a name given to a family of related theories of international relations. Here it will not be used, as many use it in international relations, to designate theories that stress the importance of international institutions. Nor to designate theories that stress the importance of universal, altruistic or utopian values of a liberal sort, such as human rights or democracy. Nor to designate theories favored by left-wing (â€Å"liberal†) political parties or policies in the US. Instead, it is a theory that stresses the role of the varied social interests and values of states, and their relevance for world politics. Liberals argue that the universal condition of world politics is globalization. States are, and always have been, embedded in a domestic and transnational society, which creates incentives for economic, social and cultural interaction across borders. State policy may facilitate or block such interactions. Some domestic groups may benefit from or be harmed by such policies, and they pressure government accordingly for policies that facilitate realization of their goals. These social pressures, transmitted through domestic political institutions, define â€Å"state preferences† –that is, the set of substantive social purposes that motivate foreign policy. State preferences give governments an underlying stake in the international issues they face. Since the domestic and transnational social context in which states are embedded varies greatly across space and time, so do state preferences. Without such social concerns that transcend state borders, states would have no rational incentive to engage in world politics at all, but would simply devote their resources to an autarkic and isolated existence. To motivate conflict, cooperation, or any other costly foreign policy action, states must possess sufficiently intense state preferences. The resulting globalization-induced variation in social demands, and thus state preferences, is a fundamental cause of state behavior in world politics. This is the central insight of liberal international relations theory. It can be expressed colloquially in various ways: â€Å"What matters most is what states want, not how they get it. † –or- â€Å"Ends are more important than means. † Liberal theory is distinctive in the nature of the variables it privileges. The liberal focus on variation in socially-determined state preferences distinguishes liberal theory from other theoretical traditions: realism (focusing on variation in coercive power resources), institutionalism (focusing on information), and most non-rational approaches (focusing on patterns of beliefs about appropriate means-ends relationships). In explaining patterns of war, for example, liberals do not look to inter-state imbalances of power, bargaining failure due to private information or uncertainty, or particular non-rational beliefs or propensities of individual leaders, societies, or organizations. Liberals look instead to conflicting state preferences derived from hostile nationalist or political ideologies, disputes over appropriable economic resources, or exploitation of unrepresented political constituencies. For liberals, a necessary condition for war is that social pressures lead one or more â€Å"aggressor† states to possess â€Å"revisionist† preferences so extreme or risk-acceptant that other states are unwilling to submit. Three specific variants of liberal theory are defined by particular types of preferences, their variation, and their impact on state behavior. Ideational liberal theories link state behavior to varied conceptions of desirable forms of cultural, political, socioeconomic order. Commercial liberal theories stress economic interdependence, including many variants of â€Å"endogenous policy theory. Republican liberal theories stress the role of domestic representative institutions, elites and leadership dynamics, and executive-legislative relations. Such theories were first conceived by prescient liberals such as Immanuel Kant, Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, John Hobson, Woodrow Wilson, and John Maynard Keynes-writing well before the deep causes (independent variables) they stress (e. g. democratization, industrialization, nationalism, and welfare provision) were widespread. This essay introduces the liberal approach in three steps. It presents two distinctive assumptions underlying and distinguishing liberal theories. Then it further explicates the three variants of liberal theory that follow from these assumptions. Finally, it reviews some distinctive strengths that liberal theories tend to share vis-a-vis other types of international relations theory. Two Unique Assumptions underlying Liberal Theory What basic assumptions underlie the liberal approach? Two assumptions liberal theory make are the assumptions of anarchy and rationality. Specifically, states (or other political actors) exist in an anarchic environment and they generally act in a broadly rational way in making decisions. 2] The anarchy assumption means that political actors exist in the distinctive environment of international politics, without a world government or any other authority with a monopoly on the legitimate use of force. They must engage in self-help. The rationality assumption means that state leaders and their domestic supporters engage in foreign policy for the instrumental purpose of securing benefits provided by (or avoiding costs imposed by) actors outside of their borders, and in making such calculations, states seek to deploy the most cost-effective means to achieve whatever their ends (preferences) may be. Liberal theory shares the first (anarchy) assumption with almost all international relations theories, and it shares the second (rationality) assumption with realism and institutionalism, but not non-rationalist process theories. Liberal theories are distinguished from other rationalist theories, such as realism and institutionalism, by two unique assumptions about world politics: (1) States represent social groups, whose views constitute state preferences; and (2) Interdependence among state preferences influences state policy. Let us consider each in turn. Assumption One: States Represent Societal Preferences The first assumption shared by liberal theories is that states represent some subset of domestic society, whose views constitute state preferences. For liberals, the state is a representative institution constantly subject to capture and recapture, construction and reconstruction, by domestic social coalitions. These social coalitions define state â€Å"preferences† in world politics at any point in time: the â€Å"tastes,† â€Å"ends,† â€Å"basic interests,† or â€Å"fundamental social purposes† that underlie foreign policy. Political institutions constitute a critical â€Å"transmission belt† by which these interests of individuals and groups in civil society enter the political realm. All individuals and groups do not wield equal influence over state policy. To the contrary, their power varies widely, depending on the context. Variation in the precise nature of representative institutions and practices helps define which groups influence the â€Å"national interest. † Some states may represent, ideal-typically, the preferences of a single tyrannical individual, a Pol Pot or Josef Stalin; others afford opportunities for broad democratic participation. Most lie in between. The precise preferences of social groups, weighted by their domestic power, shape the underlying goals (â€Å"state preferences†) that states pursue in world politics. Sometimes, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other actors may form transnational alliances to assist social forces. â€Å"State-society relations†Ã¢â‚¬â€the relationship between a state and its domestic (and transnational) society in which it is embedded—lies at the center of liberal theory. [3] Liberals believe that state preferences cannot be reduced to some simple metric or preference ordering, such as seeking â€Å"security† or â€Å"wealth†. Most modern states are not Spartan: They compromise security or sovereignty in order to achieve other ends, or, indeed, just to save money. Nor do modern states uniformly seek â€Å"wealth. † Instead they strike rather strike complex and varied trade-offs among economic, social and political goals. Nor, finally do they seek â€Å"power† in the sense of â€Å"domination†: Many countries would clearly rather spend money on â€Å"butter† rather than â€Å"guns. To see how consequential the variation in goals can be, one need look no further than the implications for international relations of Germany’s evolution from Adolf Hitler’s preference for militant nationalism, fascist rule, autarky, and ruthless exploitation of German Lebensraum under Das Dritte Reich to the social compro mise underlying the postwar Bundesrepublik Deutschland, which favored capitalist democracy, expanding German exports, and peaceful reunification. Similarly one can look at the striking change in policy between Maoist and post-Maoist China, Soviet and post-Soviet Russia, Imperial and post-Imperial Japan, and so on. Assumption Two: Interdependence among State Preferences Influences State Behavior The second core assumption shared by liberal theories is that the interdependence among of state preferences influences state behavior. Rather than treating preferences as a fixed constant, as do realists or institutionalists, liberals seek to explain variation in preferences and its significance for world politics. The precise distribution and nature of the â€Å"stakes† explains differences in state policy and behavior. States, liberals argue, orient their behavior to the precise nature of these underlying preferences: compatible or conflictual, intense or weak, and their precise scope. States require a â€Å"social purpose† — a perceived underlying stake in the matter at hand — in order to pay any attention to international affairs, let alone to provoke conflict, inaugurate cooperation, or take any other significant foreign policy action. If there is no such interdependence among state objectives, a rational state will conduct no international relations, satisfying itself with an isolated and autarkic existence. Conflictual goals increase the incentive for of political disputes. Convergence of underlying preferences creates the preconditions for peaceful coexistence or cooperation. The critical theoretical link between state preferences, on the one hand, and state behavior, on the other, is the concept of policy interdependence. Policy interdependence refers to the distribution and interaction of preferences—that is, the extent to which the pursuit of state preferences necessarily imposes costs and benefits (known as policy externalities) upon other states, independent of the â€Å"transaction costs† imposed by the specific strategic means chosen to obtain them. Depending on the underlying pattern of interdependence, each of the qualitative categories above, the form, substance, and depth of conflict and cooperation vary according to the precise nature and intensity of preferences. The existence of some measure of divergent fundamental beliefs, scarcity of material goods, and inequalities in domestic political power among states and social actors renders inevitable some measure of pluralism and competition among and within states. Unlike realists such as Waltz and Morgenthau, liberals do not assume these divergent interests are uniformly zero-sum. At the same time, liberals reject the utopian notion (often attributed to them by realists) of an automatic harmony of interest among individuals and groups in international society. Nor do liberals argue, as realists like Morgenthau charge, believe that each state pursues an ideal goal, oblivious of what other states do. Liberals argue instead that each state seeks to realize distinct preferences or interests under constraints imposed by the different interests of other states. [4] This distribution of preferences varies considerably. For liberals, this variation—not realism’s distribution of capabilities or institutionalism’s distribution of information—is of decisive causal importance in explaining state behavior. A few examples illustrate how liberal theories differ from realist, institutionalist or non-rational ones. We have already encountered the example of war in the introduction, in which liberals stress states with aggressive preferences, rather than imbalances of power, incomplete information, or non-rational beliefs and processes. Another illustration is trade policy. Economists widely agree that free trade is superior welfare-improving policy choice for states, yet trade protection is often practiced. To explain protectionism, liberals look to domestic social preferences. An important factor in almost all countries is the competitive position of affected economic sectors in global markets, which generates domestic and transnational distributional effects: Protectionism is generally backed by producers who are globally uncompetitive; free trade by producers who are globally competitive. Moreover, even if the state is a net beneficiary from free trade, domestic adjustment costs may be too high to tolerate politically, or may endanger other countervailing domestic social objectives, such as domestic social equality or environmental quality. Certain domestic political institutions, such as non-parliamentary legislative systems, which governed US trade policy before 1934, grant disproportionate power to protectionist interests. This differs from realist explanations of trade protectionism, which tend to stress the role of â€Å"hegemonic power† in structuring trade liberalization, or the need to defend self-sufficient national security within the prevailing zero-sum geopolitical competition, perhaps by maintaining self-sufficiency or by aiding allies at the expense of purely economic objectives. Institutionalists might cite the absence of appropriate international institutions, or other means to manage the complex informational tasks and collective action problems—negotiation, dispute resolution, enforcement—required to manage free trade. Those who focus on non-rational theories (psychological, cultural, organizational, epistemic, perceptual or bureaucratic) might stress an ideological disposition to accept â€Å"mercantilist† theory, shared historical analogies, and the psychological predisposition to avoid losses. To further illustrate the importance of patterns of policy interdependence, consider the following three circumstances: zero-sum, harmonious and mixed preferences. In the case of zero-sum preferences, attempts by dominant social groups in one state to realize their preferences through international action may necessarily impose costs on dominant social groups in other countries. This is a case of â€Å"zero-sum† preferences, similar to the â€Å"realist† world. Governments face a bargaining game with few mutual gains and a high potential for interstate tension and conflict. Many ancient cities and states, including those of Ancient Athens, often imposed imperial tribute on defeated neighbors or, in extremis, killed the male population, cast women and children into slavery, and repopulated the town with their own citizens—a situation approximating zero-sum conflict. Today, it might still be argued that there are certain cases—trade in agricultural goods by industrial democracies, for example—where entrenched national interests are so strong that no government seriously considers embracing free trade. In the case of harmonious preferences, where the externalities of unilateral olicies are optimal (or insignificant) for others, there are strong incentives for quiet coexistence with low conflict and (at most) simple forms of interstate coordination. For example, advanced industrial democracies today no longer contemplate waging war on one another, and in some areas governments have agreed to mutual recognition of certain legal standards without controversy. One case of mixed preferences is bargaining, where states can achieve common gains (or avoid common losses, as with a war) if they agree to coordinate their behavior, but may disagree strongly on the distribution of benefits or adjustment costs. Under such circumstances, one of the most important determinants of bargaining power is the intensity of the preferences of each party; the more intense their preference for a beneficial settlement, the more likely they are to make concessions (or employ coercive means) in order to achieve it. Another situation of mixed motives is a situation where interstate coordination can avoid significant risks and costs, as in agreement to avoid naval incidents at sea, or to share information on infectious diseases. In such situations, institutional pre-commitments and the provision of greater information can often improve the welfare of all parties. Liberals derive several distinctive conceptions of power, very different from that of realism. One form of international influence, for liberals, stems from the interdependence among preferences that Keohane and Nye (Power and Interdependence) call â€Å"asymmetrical interdependence. † All other things equal, the more interdependent a state is, the more intense its preference for a given outcome, the more power others potentially have over it; while the less a state wants something, the less a state cares about outcomes, the less intense its preferences, the less power others have over it. Situations of asymmetrical interdependence, where one state has more intense preference for an agreement than another, create bargaining power. In trade negotiations, for example, smaller and poorer countries are often more dependent on trade and thus benefit more from free trade, and thus tend to have a weaker position and make more concessions in the course of negotiations. Enlargement of the European Union is a recent instance. Relative preference intensity can also influence the outcome of war, but in a different way. Nations are in fact rarely prepared to mortgage their entire economy or military in conflict, so their power depends not on their coercive power resources, but on their resolve or will. This is why smaller states often prevail over larger ones. Vietnam, for example, did not prevail over the US in the Vietnam War because it possessed more coercive power resources, but because it had a more intense preference at stake. From Assumptions to Theories Taken by themselves, these liberal assumptions—the international system is anarchic, states are rational, social pressures define state preferences, interdependence among preferences dictates state behavior—are thin. They exclude most existing realist, institutionalist, and non-rational theories, but they do not, taken by themselves, define very precisely the positive content of liberal theory. Some might rightly complain that simply pointing to state preferences opens up an unmanageably wide range of hypothetical social influences on policy. Yet, in practice, research has shown that, in practice, the range of viable liberal theories that test out empirically are relatively few, focused, and powerful. Three broad variants or categories of liberal theory exist: ideational, commercial, and republican liberalism. At the core of each lies a distinct conception of the social pressures and representative institutions that define state preferences, and the consequences for state behavior. Some of these have proven, empirically, to be among the most powerful theories in international relations. Let us consider each in turn.