Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Environmental Movement and the Philippine Politics Essay Example

The Environmental Movement and the Philippine Politics Paper From May to October, the southwest monsoon dominates, while from November to April, the dry winds of the northeast monsoon take over. It covers a restless part Of the world. Most Of the mountainous islands are volcanic, and the country also lies within the typhoon belt of the Western Pacific. It also experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activities. The Philippines is a newly industrialized country with an agricultural base, light industry, and service-sector economy. Industrial production includes food, beverages, tobacco, and pharmaceuticals among others, with heavier industries dominated by the production of cement, glass, industrial Heimlich, and refined petroleum products etc. However, long-term economic prospects are undermined by persisting poverty, inadequate infrastructure and education systems, and trade and investment barriers. The Philippines suffers from severe deforestation, deteriorating coastal resources, declining fish production and overflowing trash. This environmental state threatens the country’s remaining important global terrestrial and marine biodiversity. While total forest cover has increased in recent years, natural forests-?habitats for most valuable plants and animals continue to be pelted and fragmented by illegal cutting and conversion to other uses. We will write a custom essay sample on The Environmental Movement and the Philippine Politics specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Environmental Movement and the Philippine Politics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Environmental Movement and the Philippine Politics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer About 70% of coral reefs are already destroyed-?overflowing and destructive fishing practices threaten the country’s food security. Less than 40% of solid waste is collected, the rest clog rivers and waterways. Almost 58% of all groundwater is contaminated and unfit for aquatic life. Only 7% of domestic effluents are managed. The Philippines is prone to natural disasters, particularly typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis, lying as it does astride the typhoon belt, in the active volcanic egging known as the â€Å"Pacific Ring of Fire,† and in the geologically unstable region between the Pacific and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Philippines also suffers major human-caused environmental degradation aggravated by a high annual population growth rate, including loss of agricultural lands, deforestation, soil erosion, air and water pollution, improper disposal of solid and toxic wastes, loss Of coral reefs, mismanagement and abuse Of coastal resources, and overflowing. According to Greenback Southeast Asia, the Philippines major historical river, the Passing River is now biologically dead due to negligence and industrialization. Currently, the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources has been busy tracking down illegal loggers and been spearheading projects to preserve the quality of many remaining rivers that are not yet polluted. The Philippines is endowed with rich natural resources that can support the country’s national development and ensure that the Filipino people can live in peace and prosperity. For the past century, however, our environment has gone through severe destruction and depletion. The degradation of our ecosystems has proceeded alongside poverty and the dislocation of communities from their lands and livelihoods. Fishers in the Philippines are increasingly coming home with pitiful catches. Of a number of factors which have led to this situation, one stands out: over- fishing in many areas. According to the Asian Development Bank (DAB), there has been a drop of 90% in the quantity of marine organisms that can be trawled in some traditional fishing areas of the Philippines. This isn’t just a question of declining fish stocks and biodiversity, but also of social impacts and economic losses. Mismanagement fisheries resources is estimated to cost LOS$ 420 million annually in lost revenues. At the root Of the overflowing robber is weak fisheries management, ineffective policies and poor enforcement of fishery laws. Coastal zone development has been particularly damaging to the Philippines’ marine environment, especially to coral reefs, mangroves, and sea grasses. As populations have increased, so have their needs for construction materials and living space. Excavation, dredging, and coastal conversion to accommodate coastal development have seen corals being extracted for reclamation and construction, especially in coastal villages. Mangroves have particularly suffered from coastal development, notably at the hands of the aquaculture industry. In the Philippines, aquaculture has reduced mangrove stands to only 36% of 1900 levels. After decades of deforestation, which has left about 3% of the original cover, forests continue to be under threat from agriculture and arbitration, illegal logging and forest fires. Sustained forest loss in the Philippines is causing severe soil erosion, and is threatening the country’s rich biodiversity. This is particularly worrying as many of the Philippines’ species, which depend on these forests, are endemic (they cannot be found anywhere else in the world). For example, of 180 native terrestrial mammal species here, about 61% are endemic. Inconsistent laws, inadequate regulations, weak enforcement and lack of funding are making forest conservation a major challenge. Only about 10% of sewage in the Philippines is treated or disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. The rest goes back to nature – usually the sea. In this context of poor waste treatment and high population growth, water pollution is a growing problem for the country’s groundwater, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. Polluting industrial material is also found in abandoned mining areas, with mercury pollution affecting water bodies in these areas. These problems are unfolding in a context of poor planning, and cake management and enforcement of regulations. Today, the Philippines has over 74 million inhabitants, and the country’s wildlife are threatened, not just by a burgeoning population and mismanagement of environmental resources, but also by over-hunting of animal species for both commercial and subsistence use and widespread ignorance as to the larger, long-term benefits of biological resources to humans. The manifest increasing fragility of its ecosystem has made it clear that the Philippines, while aggressively pursuing economic programs to compete with others in the region, must now tree toward environment-friendly policies and practices, especially in the tourism industry, which relies heavily on natural attractions. Recognizing the country’s unique but still mostly untapp ed potentials for environmental tourism, in 1 994 the Department of Tourism, or DOT, formulated the Code of Ethics for Philippine Customize. The code enjoins all sectors concerned, among others, to assess and evaluate the environmental state of every potential site prior to development, especially taking into account the impact of development on the site; consider the cultural values and lifestyles of the coal community before introducing tourism to minimize shock and degradation; conserve scarce resources like water and fuel; apply more rigorous waste reduction and pollution control measures; encourage a shift to indigenous biodegradable materials and, last but not least, refrain from and discourage poaching activities, collection of wild life and marine life, and the purchase of items with high cultural and historical value. Thence, in tune with recent global awakening aided by mainstream media coverage of environmental issues, and adopting new approaches and strategies toward avian the planet for posterity, Philippine government agencies and the private sector have been working closely to focus broader attention on a s ource of great pride for the Filipino nation -? the country’s abundant wealth of endemic species-? and the precipitous rate at which these species are decreasing and disappearing. The trees around us can serve greatly against challenging environmental problems such as floods, landslides, global warming and the like. Sadly, an increasing loss of trees in our surroundings can be observed. Recognizing the need to tackle the environment issues as ell as the need to sustain development and growth, the Philippines came up with the Sustainable Development Strategy. The notion for the Sustainable Development Strategy includes assimilating environmental considerations in administration, apposite pricing of natural resources, conservation of biodiversity, rehabilitation of ecosystems, control of population growth and human resources development, inducing growth in rural areas, promotion of environmental education, strengthening citizens’ participation, and promoting small to medium sized enterprises and sustainable agricultural and forestry practices.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The scientific method Essay Example

The scientific method Essay Example The scientific method Essay The scientific method Essay Laboratory Objectives After completing this lab topic, you should be able to: 1. Identify and characterize questions that can be answered through selecting investigation. 2. Define hypothesis and explain what characterizes a good selecting hypothesis. 3. Identify and describe the components of a scientific experiment. 4. Summarize and present results in tables and graphs. 5. Discuss results and critique experiments. 6. Design a scientific experiment. 7. Interpret and communicate results. Introduction Biology is the study of the phenomena of life, and biologists observe living systems ND organisms, ask questions, and propose explanations for those observations. Science assumes that biological systems are understandable and can be explained by fundamental rules or laws. Scientific Investigations share some common elements and procedures, which are referred to as the scientific method. Not all scientists follow these procedures in a strict fashion, but each of the elements is usually present. Science is a creative human endeavor that involves asking questions, making observations, developing explanatory hypotheses, and testing those hypotheses. Scientists closely scrutinize investigations in their field, and each scientist must present his or her work at scientific meetings or in professional publications, providing evidence from observations and experiments that supports the scientists explanations of biological phenomena. Read the following example and answer the questions that follow. Agricultural scientists were concerned about the effect of air pollution, sulfur dioxide in particular, on soybean production in fields adjacent to coal-powered power plants. Based on initial investigations, they proposed that sulfur dioxide in high concentrations would reduce reproduction in soybeans. They designed an experiment to test this hypothesis (Figure 1). In this experiment, 48 soybean plants, Just beginning to produce flowers, were delved Into two groups, treatment and no treatment. The 24 treated plants were delved Into four groups of 6. One group of 6 treated plants was placed in a fumigation chamber and exposed to 0. 6 pimp (parts power plant. The experiment was repeated on the remaining three treated groups. The no-treatment plants were placed similarly in groups of 6 in a second fumigation hammer and simultaneously exposed to filtered air for 4 hours. Following the experiment, all plants were returned to the greenhouse. When the beans matured, the number of bean pods, the number of seeds per pod, and the weight of the pods were determined for each plant. Figure 1 . Experimental Design for soybean experiment. The experiment was repeated four times. Soybeans were fumigated for 4 hours. Determining the Variables Read the description of each category of variable; then identify the variable described in the preceding investigation. The variables in an experiment must be Leary defined and measurable. The investigator will identify and define dependent, independent, and controlled variables for a particular experiment. A) The Dependent Variable Within the experiment, one variable will be measured or counted or observed in response to the experimental conditions. This variable is the dependent variable. For the soybeans, several dependent variables are measured, all of which provide information about reproduction. What are the dependent variables? B) The Independent Variable The scientist will choose one variable, or experimental condition, to manipulate. This arable is considered the most important variable by which to test the investigators hypothesis and is called the independent variable. What was the independent variable? Can you suggest other variables that the investigator might have changed that would have had an effect on the dependent variables? He dependent variables, only one independent variable is usually chosen. Why is it important to have only one independent variable? Why is it acceptable to have more than one dependent variable? C) Controlled Variables Consider the variables that you identified as alternative independent variables. Although they are not part of the hypothesis being tested in this investigation, they would ha ve significant effects on the outcome of this experiment. These variables must, therefore, be kept constant during the course of the experiment. They are known as the controlled variables. The underlying assumption in experimental design is that the selected independent variable is the one affecting the dependent variable. This is only true if all other variables are controlled. What are the controlled variables in this experiment? What variables other than those you may have already listed can you now suggest? Choosing or Designing the Procedure The procedure is the stepwise method, or sequence of steps, to be performed for the experiment. It should be recorded in a laboratory notebook before initiating the experiment, and any exceptions or modifications should be noted during the experiment. The procedures may be designed from research published in scientific journals, through collaboration with colleagues in the lab or other institutions, or by means of ones own novel and creative ideas. The process of outlining the procedure includes determining control treatment(s), levels of treatments, and numbers of applications. The value set for the independent variable is called the level of treatment. For this experiment, the value was determined based on previous research and preliminary measurements of sulfur dioxide emissions. The scientists may select a range of concentrations from no sulfur dioxide to an extremely high concentration. The levels should be based on knowledge of the system and the biological significance of the treatment level. What was the level of treatment in the soybean experiment? B) Replication Scientific investigations are not valid if the conclusions drawn from them are based n one experiment with one or two individuals. Generally, the same procedure will be repeated several times (replication), providing consistent results. Notice that scientists do not expect exactly the same results inasmuch as individuals and their responses will vary. Results from replicated experiments are usually averaged and may be further analyzed using statistical tests. Describe replication in the soybean experiment. C) Control The experiment design includes a control in which the independent variable is held at an established level or is omitted. The control or control treatment serves as a encroach that allows the scientist to decide whether the predicted effect is really due to the independent variable. What was the control treatment in this experiment? What is the difference between the control and the controlled variables discussed previously? EXERCISE II: DESIGNING AN EXPERIMENT In this exercise, the entire class, working together, will practice investigating a question using what you have learned so far about the scientific process. Cardiovascular fitness can be determined by measuring a persons pulse rate and respiration rate before and after a given time of aerobic exercise. A person who is more fit may have a relatively slower pulse rate and a lower respiratory rate after exercise, and his or her pulse rate should return to normal more quickly than that of a person who is less fit. Your assignment is to investigate the effect of a well-defined, measurable, controllable independent variable on cardiovascular fitness. Specific questions can be asked about an independent variable related to the broad topic of cardiovascular fitness. For example, your question might be Does cigarette smoking have an effect on cardiovascular fitness? List the questions in the space revived. Choose the best question and propose a testable hypothesis. B) Hypothesis Record the hypothesis chosen by the class. The Experiment A test, called the step test, that is often used for assessing cardiovascular fitness (Sinusitis and Fine, 1987). Here are the basic elements of this test: 1. The subject steps up and down on a low platform, approximately 8 in. From the ground, for 3 minutes at a rate of 30 steps per minute. 2. The subjects pulse rate is measured before the test and immediately after the test. The subject should be sitting quietly when the pulse is counted. Use three fingers to find the pulse in the radial artery (the artery in the wrist, above the thumb). Count the number of beats per minute. (Count the beats for 30 seconds and multiply by 2. ) 3. Additionally, the pulse rate is measured at I-minute intervals after the test until the pulse rate returns to normal (recovery time). Count the pulse for 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds, count 30 seconds, and rest 30 seconds. Repeat this procedure until the pulse returns to normal. Record the number of minutes to return to the normal pulse rate. (Do not record the pulse rate. ) As a group, design an experiment and record the components below: Dependent variable(s): Controlled variables: Control: Level of treatment: Replication: Summarize the experimental designed by your class: Prediction Predict the results of the experiment based on your hypothesis (if/then). Following the procedures established by your investigative team, perform the experiment and record your results. Results Record total class results in a Table. Identify the treatment conditions at the top of the table. Presenting and Analyzing Results Once the data are collected, they must be organized and summarized so that the scientists can determine if the hypothesis has been supported or falsified. In this exercise, you will design tables and graphs; the latter are also called figures. Tables and figures have two primary functions. They are used (1) to help you analyze and interpret your results and (2) to enhance the clarity with which you present the work to a reader or viewer. Tables You have collected data from your experiment in the form of a list of numbers that may appear at first glance to have little meaning. Look at your data. How could you organize the data set to make it easier to interpret? You could average the data set or each treatment, but even averages can be rather uninformative. Could you use a summary table to convey the data (in this case, averages)? Table 2 is an example of a table using data averages of the number of seeds per pod and number of pods per plant as the dependent variables and exposure to sulfur dioxide as the independent variable. Note that the number of replicates and the units of measurement are provided in the table and table legend. Table 2. Effects of 4-Hour Exposure to 0. 6 pimp Sulfur Dioxide on Average Seed and Pod Production in Soybeans. Treatment Number Seeds per Pod Pods per Plant intro 243. 26 16 ASS 241. 96 13 Tables are used to present results that have a few too many data points. They are also useful for displaying several dependent variables. For example, average number of bean pods, average number of seeds per pod, and average weight of pods per plant for treated and untreated plants could all be presented in one table. All values of the same kind should read down the column, not across a row. Include only data that are important in presenting the results and for further discussion. Information and results that are not essential (for example: test-tube number, impel calculations, or data with no differences) should be omitted. The headings of each column should include units of measurement, if appropriate. Tables are numbered consecutively throughout a lab report or scientific paper. For example Table 4 would be the fourth table in your report. The title, which is located at the top of the table, should be clear and concise, with enough information to allow the table to be understandable apart from the text. Capitalize the first and important words in the title. Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), short prepositions, and conjunctions. Refer to each table in the written text. Summarize the data and refer to the table; for example, The plants treated with sulfur dioxide produced an average of 1. 96 seeds per pod (Table 2). Do not write, See the results in Table 2. If you are using a database program, such as Excel, you should still sketch your table on paper before constructing it on the computer. Application 1. Using the data from your experiment, design a summary table to present the results for one of your dependent variables, pulse rate. Your table need not be the same size or design as the sample. In your table, provide units of the dependent arable (pulse rate). Tell the reader how many replications (if any) were used to calculate the averages. 2. Compose a title for your table. Refer to the guidelines in the previous section. Interpreting and Communicating Results The last component of a scientific investigation is to interpret the results and discuss their implications in light of the hypothesis and its supporting literature. The investigator studies the tables and graphs and determines if their hypothesis has been supported or falsified. If the hypothesis has been falsified, the investigator must suggest alternate hypotheses for testing. If the hypothesis has been supported, the investigator suggests additional experiments to strengthen the hypothesis, using the same or alternate methods. Scientists will thoroughly investigate a scientific question, testing hypotheses, collecting data, and analyzing results, until they are satisfied that they can explain the phenomenon of interest. The final phase off scientific investigation is the communication of the results to other scientists. Preliminary results may be presented within a laboratory research group and at scientific meetings where the findings can be discussed. Ultimately, the completed reject is presented in the form of a scientific paper that is reviewed by scientists within the field and published in a scientific Journal. The ideas, procedures, results, other scientists. Because of this, science is sometimes described as self-correcting, meaning that errors that may occur are usually discovered within the scientific community. Scientific communication, whether spoken or written, is essential to science. During this laboratory course, you often will be asked to present and interpret your results at the end of the laboratory period. Additionally, you will write components of a scientific paper for many lab topics.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Statistics in Business Decision Making Term Paper

Statistics in Business Decision Making - Term Paper Example As discussed in the introduction that this paper will attempt to describe statistical tools such as mean, standard deviation, variance etc. These statistical tools often come under the heading of descriptive statistics as they are the main tools used to collect data quantitatively and present in the more meaningful manner to draw some logical conclusions from the data collected. Once data is collected, it is nothing more than a raw set of data which may provide no clue about the potential information that they may provide. Thus one meaningful way of manipulating the data will calculate the mean or average of the data. It is also important to note that mean values may provide distorted information because of the outliers effect. One large observation value can distort the results and mean values may become more inflated due to the impact of outliers or larger values in the population.Mean value is considered as one of the most significant and important measures especially in finance. There are various uses of this measure in finance i.e. from measuring the average rate of return on an investment to calculating the weighted average rate of return of a portfolio.Similarly, average values are also calculated for studying the costs also as concepts such as average cost, average variable costs, average fixed costs are important concepts to understand in order to make important business decisions because controlling costs is one of the fundamental responsibilities of the managers.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

European culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

European culture - Research Paper Example Symbols consist of words, gestures, pictures, and objects representing a particular meaning. People sharing the culture only understand the meaning (Bondebjerg, 2004). The research seeks to find out the influence of the historic European culture to the present culture. It will highlight the current culture and matters of art and recreation such as music. The culture of Europe comprise of many overlapping cultures (Bundaberg, 2004). This indicates that now common culture does not exist. European culture passed through a series of events under different groups of people. The Greeks laid the foundations of the modern culture. Romans strengthened it while the Christians established it with the help of the other Europeans. In the fifteenth century, renaissance and reformation reformed and modernized the culture. The European empires that came after reformation globalized the culture. This culture succeeded to influence other cultures of the world through European education and Christianity (Goldstein, & Council of Europe, 2005). Culture consists of many aspects. By grouping similar aspects together, Scholars came up with five main components of culture. They include communication, cognitive component; material component, behavioral aspects, and religious aspects .communication comprise language. Language forms the most important aspect of culture in all cultures. People of the same culture interact and socialize with each other through the language (Goldstein, & Council of Europe, 2005). A symbol is anything used or shown to pass a particular massage or meaning. They vary with cultures although sometime they cut across many cultures. Cognitive component forms the second major aspect of culture. It comprises the ideas, knowledge, beliefs, and values of a particular group of people. Knowledge, considered as the storage of information fact and assumptions passes from generation to generation through formal

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Active teaching strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Active teaching strategy - Essay Example The reason for choosing a game is that psychologically we tend to perform better in a competitive environment and also studies have soon shown enhanced brain function with lesser amount of stress when the activity being performed by the person is mentally stimulating rather than tiring Keeping this philosophy into consideration the idea that I like to propose for active learning is that of "ten questions".would have a group of four people, each team will have ten questions to find the answer, the questions will be asked by the team leader of each team by mutual discussion with its other members. The answer to each question will be either yes or no. no phrases or other words will be used to answer the question. Similar questions will not be answered and will not be counted in your question count. Once all ten questions are answered the team must guess the answer if the answer is guessed correctly the team receives 10 points and if the team answers incorrectly no points are award. If t he team guesses the answer before the 10 question limit that team will receive bonus 10 points and 20 in all and if it answers incorrectly it will get -10 points. The team to guess most of the answers correctly wins.extra needed and no set up time is required also due to the ease and playability of this activity this activity can also be exercised by the students among themselves. The other good thing about this sort of exercise is that it applicability is universal and can be used by teachers of every subject. This sort of activity also motivates team work among the students which can prove to be very vital for their profession. PROCEDURE: The whole class will be divided into groups of 3 to 4 members. Each team will them have to guess the procedure by asking question to the teacher. The team will then guess the answer and the team with the most correct answer will be the winner. This team will then be awarded the title of washing wizard. To further stimuli the learning process the members of the winning team will be awarded marks which will be counted in their assignment and then these marks will added in the final tally as well. CONCEPT OF THE ACTIVITY: "People learn in response to need. When people cannot see the need for what is being taught, they ignore it, reject it, or fail to assimilate it any meaningful way. Conversely, when they have a need, then, if the resources are available, people learn effectively and quickly." (Brown and Dugout, 2000, p.136). The concept of the activity is very simple and that is to train the nursing students about the importance of hand washing and due to the nature of this activity this importance can be transferred to the students in a fun manner in which they can learn and remember it as well. ACTIVITY METHOD USED: This activity method that is being used is known as "Kolb's Model of Experiential Learning (Kolb, 1984)". This model of learning follows these steps: 1. Action- The learner performs some type of activity related to the lesson or subject. 2. Reflection- The learner reflects about what they did and what happened as a result of their activity. This can be in one of several forms: free writing, journaling, or small or large group discussions. 3. Knowledge/theory- The learner uses the results of the reflection to develop knowledge and theories, which helps further the learning process because the learner is conceptualizing their own theories, not accepting the theory of the instructor.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Critical Evaluation of Change Managed in Practice

Critical Evaluation of Change Managed in Practice The Government has clearly outlined the need for nurses to develop leadership skills at all levels within the workforce in order to deliver the NHS modernisation programme (DH  [1]  1998; DH 1999). The leadership role expected of community practitioners is evident in Shifting the Balance of Power (DH 2001a) and Liberating the Talents (DH 2002) with the expectation that health visitors will lead teams which will deliver family-centred public health within the communities they work (DH 2001b). The change I was to lead however was not initiated primarily to support clients, but instead to protect staff working in the community to ensure they were safe and supported in their public health work as a large proportion of the time is spent working alone. The issue of lone worker safety is particularly topical after the recent murder of a mental health support worker during a home visit (BBC News 2006). To support this proposal, Baulcomb (2003) asserts that any change management initiative should not only yield benefits for patients but also for staff and the wider organisation. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE 2005) reports that nurses and other health care workers are 2.8 times more at risk of an injury  [2]  than clerical workers and the vulnerability of health care workers increases significantly if they are working alone  [3]  (Chappell and Di Martino 2000). It was a particularly pertinent time to examine mechanisms for risk reduction as they had still not been reviewed despite a member of staff being off sick  [4]  due to an adverse incident involving lone work. As health visiting frequently requires lone work, it was clear that lone working practices needed reviewing to reduce the likelihood of a similar or more serious incident recurring. Further drivers for change were identified as a result of observations of workers in practice. I noted the following areas of concern: up-to-date whereabouts of staff not always provided (or out of date) and a lack of a reporting-in system which would identify whether staff had finished work safely for the day. I discussed these issues with the community nursing manager who wholly supported any attempts to introduce mechanisms that would improve lone worker safety. A further driver for change was the obligation to implement health and safety legislation. Due to limitations in report length, this information has been provided in Appendix One. If changes are to be implemented which lead to increased worker safety, this will have a positive (although indirect) effect on clients because if staff feel safer and more supported in their roles, they will be less likely to be off sick with stress or injuries (Mahony 2006) which would impact on the teams ability to deliver the public health agenda. As workers who contribute to the implementation of health and safety measures are known to be healthier and safer than those who do not (HSE 2005), it was felt that this would be an appropriate area for the team to examine and implement change. It was after consideration of these anteceding factors that the need for change was established and a vision created: To improve the safety of lone workers within the health visiting team. Implementing the change was a dynamic and multidimensional process with many facets too abundant to detail fully here, however pertinent examples will be selected and analysed. The following study will detail a reflective evaluation of my application of leadership and management theory to effect a change in practice. The successes and difficulties encountered will be given throughout with reference to the literature. Change management requires well-developed leadership and management skills (Marquis and Huston 2000). A combination of these skills is necessary to ensure that the job is done not only efficiently, i.e. new mechanisms are put in place and embedded into the teams practice (the management dimension) (Stewart 1996) but that it is achieved in such a way that motivates and inspires staff to change their practice- the leadership dimension (Stewart 1996). To guide the changes, a change management model was selected. Deegan et al (2004) report that such models provide a theoretical sequence, which will be instrumental in helping the change manager to choose, develop, and order activities which are required during planned change episodes. As the change was planned (as opposed to emergent), a suitable model was Lewins three-stage model of planned change (Lewin 1951)  [5]  . The use of this model in the National Health Service (NHS) is widely documented and has underpinned the successful changes in many of the research papers read  [6]  . It is also a simple model which is not overly prescriptive and so does not restrict individual practitioner creativity (Cameron and Green 2005). The three stages of planned change according to this model are: unfreezing the existing equilibrium (Unfreezing); moving to a new point (Movement) and refreezing the changes into practice so that they become embedded in practice (Refreezing). My change management project is currently part way through the Movement stage as the change has not been fully implemented or evaluated yet I continue to lead this project  [7]  . Lewin (1951) suggests that in the changes preliminary stage, factors which will drive or resist the change should be identified. This process is known as Force Field Analysis (FFA) and will identify the change enthusiasts, the potential objectors and the undecided (Turner, 2001) (see Appendix Three for the FFA carried out at this stage). Lewin (1951) asserted that change occurs as a result of a shift in the equilibrium between the opposing forces (those which resist change) and the driving forces and is thought to be more likely to occur successfully if restraining forces are removed rather than by simply increasing the driving forces. Hussey (1998) exercises a word of caution at this juncture warning that an increase in the driving forces may lead to an increase in the restraining forces, however if the driving forces outweigh the restraining forces, there is a positive climate for change (Cameron and Green 2005). After analysing the force field I could see that the driving forces o utweighed the resisting forces and so confirmed that the change was needed and realistic. Leaders motivate their staff by inspiring vision and encouraging followers to share in that vision (Bennis 1997, Davidhizar 1993) and like in Kassean Jagoos study (2005), the unfreezing stage was initiated by facilitating peoples thoughts on the current situation (Greaves 1999)- stimulating ideas for how to change the current situation  [8]  . As people can only be empowered by a vision that they understand (Sheldon and Parker 1997), it is paramount that strategies are used to foster inclusion and participation so that all team members are fully aware of the impetus for change. For change to be successful and enduring, Kouzes and Posner (1987) say that it is imperative that the leader encourages team ownership of the vision by encouraging their participation in the project. Without participation failure is likely to result due to resistance from team members. It is vital to the success of the change that it is perceived to be needed by those that will be affected by the change ( Marquis and Huston 2000) and so to raise awareness of the issue and create dissatisfaction with the current state (Lewin 1951), I introduced my ideas at a team meeting. On reflection, I can identify aspects of transformational and situational leadership in how I shared my ideas and interacted with the team. Most team members agreed that risks to lone working needed to be reduced and willingly offered their ideas (see Appendix Four). Encouraging team input and facilitating problem solving are key features of the supportive behaviours exhibited by the situational leader (Northouse 2004). Situational leadership was developed by Hersey and Blanchard (1977) and assumes the leader adapts their style according to a given situation  [9]  . This style has two main types of intervention: those which are supportive and those which are directive. The effective situational leader is one that adjusts the directive and supportive dimensions of their leadership according to the needs of their subordinates (Northouse 2004). As most team members were highly motivated in the project, freely offering suggestions and ideas, a directive role was not needed. The supportive behaviours I employed encouraged a participative approach characterised by the use of finely tuned interpersonal skills such as active listening, giving feedback and praising (Marquis and Huston 2000) which can be likened to a Skinnerian approach of positive reinforcement. In retrospect I can identify my correct use of this leadership style by looking at a later development of this model which introduced a further dimension to the leadership style: the developmental level of the participants. This is ascertained by assessing workers competence and commitment to completing the task. The member of staff that appeared to take little interest and was not able to offer ideas displayed a lower developmental level compared to other team members and hence I directed her more using the coaching behaviours advocated by Hersey and Blanchard (1977). This coaching promoted inclusion and participation by: giving encouragement, soliciting input and questioning the participant on what they thought of the proposals and the changes they would like to see. This was done to increase levels of commitment and motivation (Northouse 2004) and thus integrate that team member into the change process. On reflection this can also be identified as an example of reducing the resist ing factors to the change within the force field as by adapting to the needs of that team member, she was encouraged to take part and share ideas rather than hinder progress and potentially thwart the change. A model which places great importance on the needs, values and morals of others is transformational leadership (Northouse 2004; RCN 2005) and elements of this could be identified in my leadership. The needs of staff could be regarded as the need to stay safe, and values may be their desire to get home to their families at the end of the day. I was aware that on face value, looking at improving safety for lone workers would perhaps not appear to be an issue that would provoke much excitement, or according to Kotter (1999) light a fire. However, I articulated my vision in terms of getting people to consider the impact of what the consequences could be if we were to be a victim of an adverse incident. When discussing the impact of this with staff and getting them to consider the impact of not changing practice, of how their lives and their families lives could potentially be affected, I created motivation within the team to examine working practices. This was confirmed to me as many of the staff showed their interest by their offering of ideas to meet this challenge. By tapping into the moral dimension of a proposed change i.e. promoting the need to contribute in order to protect the safety of not just themselves but also the wider team, the transformational leader further inspires staff to change by motivating followers to transcend their own self-interest for the sake of the team and organization (Bass 1985). Once the vision had been shared and accepted by the team, several strategies were discussed that could contribute to risk reduction (Appendix Four). At this stage it was realistic to focus on a single change. A reason for this was because McIntosh (2000) highlights that many changes focus on the needs of the organisation (e.g. to provide certain services or to implement Government policy) and often overlook the needs of the employees. Applied to this case, there was an organisational need to manage risk but this had to be balanced with not overwhelming the team with too many changes at once  [10]  . At the meeting it was decided by the team members present  [11]  that the simplest intervention to implement would be to phone into the clinic base administrators when finishing their shift to notify that they had finished work for the day and were safe  [12]  . Although the proposed change would not eliminate the risk of an adverse incident occurring, it would ensure that should an incident occur, it would be identified and acted upon as swiftly as possible and thus the risk would be managed more effectively. Vroom and Yetton (1973) propose five types of considered decision-making ranging from that which may be expected of an autocratic manager i.e. a decision is made by the leader entirely alone, through to a democratic approach whereby the matter is discussed with the whole team and a consensus decision is made. When analysing my own management stance it was clear that my style had been distinctly democratic as I had sought to include everyone and promote consensus decision-making. I demonstrated sensitivity and appreciation of the pressures that others were under by ensuring that those not present at the meeting were included in the decision-making process as open consultation with key stake holders often leads to the successful introduction and adoption of change (Phair and Good 1998, cited in Deegan et al 2004). This contributed to creating a climate of a learning organisation. A learning organisation is one where all members are encouraged to increase their capacity to produce resul ts they care about (Karesh 1994) and one which promotes the exchange of information between members in order to create a knowledgeable workforce. I was determined that those who could not attend the meetings still be part of the decision making process. However there were difficulties with this as due to being in practice just two days a week meant that it was unrealistic to consult each absent worker individually and so I emailed out meeting minutes from the meeting and invited feedback  [13]  . Although the use of email to communicate ideas is one of the least popular ways to receive information, it was one of only a few methods available to me and hence justified its use. Without using this medium, communication with the team would have been compromised and could have led to some team members feeling they had been excluded from the decision-making process. Further analysis of this point reveals my own concern that all the follow up and meetings needed to be done by myself whe n perhaps this could have been delegated to someone else. With regard to situational leadership, if team members are motivated and committed to the change, the leader can assume a more passive role where they let team members take responsibility for doing the job and refrain from giving unnecessary support (Northouse 2004). This perhaps reveals Theory X management style traits (McGregor 1960) whereby the manager feels the need to keep a tight grip on staff perceiving them to need coercion to achieve tasks, deeming them to possess little capacity to explore and solve problems spontaneously without direction. This approach may convey distrust of the team (McGregor 1960) and was therefore not an ideal management style in the actual situation I was in. Rather than viewing this as a weakness however, it must be viewed as an opportunity to explore my assumptions of the team, assessing whether my assumptions had any grounding in reality or whether this style was assumed due to my inexperie nce leading and hence insecurities about the role. Reaching a consensus on the change to implement was an example of how in situational leadership, decision-making can be shared between the leader and motivated followers (Hersey and Blanchard 1977). From a management point of view, this participative approach facilitates the process of completing the task but it is also an example of how leaders empower their teams by transferring some of their power to the follower to enable them to be active participants in the decision-making process. After confirming the change intervention, the safety plan was devised (see Appendix Six). This was a contingency plan detailing the steps to take should a team member fail to report in. The team agreed that I should draw this up due to my previous experience of using one. As the manager is responsible for ensuring a task is completed on time and is done efficiently (Stewart 1996) there was no reason for this task to be delegated elsewhere as this would have taken up time and hence been an inappropria te use of resources. During the movement stage, I positively reinforced the importance of the change by acting as a role model. Role modelling is a key feature of transformational leadership whereby the leader demonstrates specific types of behaviours that they want their followers to adopt (Northouse 2004). Stewart (1996) also reports that the greatest power as a leader is the example that you set (p.25) and so I did this by ensuring that I implemented the proposed changes i.e. I always reported into base on finishing work even before the agreed implementation date. The change is currently in the latter stages of the Movement phase with implementation and evaluation still required to complete the phase  [14]  . Refreezing is the final stage of Lewins model and involves the change agent (myself) supporting staff to integrate the change into practice so that it becomes part of the status quo (Marquis and Huston 2000) ensuring that over a period of time everyones practice changes and there is no chance of reversion to former ways. A strategy for the future development of the change and to conclude the refreezing stage would be to carry out an evaluation to determine the changes effectiveness. A summative (or outcome evaluation) could be conducted to investigate: whether the intervention is effective in reaching planned goals; what happens to the participants as a result of the change and whether it is worth continuing with the change intervention (Robson 2003). The first question could be assessed by carrying out a risk assessment of the hazards faced by lone workers including strategies in place to reduce risk. The HSE (2005) detail a five-step risk assessment guide that can be carried out to assess the extent of risk post-intervention. Ideally a risk assessment should have been carried out in the unfreezing stage and thus provide a baseline to compare against. Another strategy to obtain objective data would be to keep a copy of all reporting-in records which should identify those failing to report in  [15]  . Although this appears to be a policing measure which may imply distrust for staff (typical of a Theory X manager, McGregor 1960), it may be the only way of conclusively being able to tell if people are actually putting the new change into practice. If an audit of these records revealed certain team members were not engaging in the process and were having to be chased by administrators to ascertain whether they had finished work safely, I would use responsive leadership skills incorporating effective interpersonal communication to work with these staff members to identify what the problems and issues were. It is vital that this is done as if ignored these resisting factors could impede the change and failure could result (Hussey 1998). A key goal of refreezing is supporting those involved so that the change remains in place (Marqui s and Huston 2000) and so this audit may reveal those who need further support  [16]  . The change detailed in this case study has first and foremost considered the needs of the employees (i.e. to be safe in their lone work) yet has many benefits for the wider organisation and staff: potentially decreased litigation due to decreased adverse incidences affecting staff, increased recruitment and retention due to the organisations increasing attractiveness as a supportive employer and many more. This highlights effective use of a combination of leadership skills to inspire and motivate staff coupled with the ability to function in a management capacity by directing changes necessary in order to meet the organisations requirements (Marquis and Huston 2000). Change management requires well-developed leadership and managerial skills (Marquis and Huston 2000). However as a student health visitor many of these skills were far from being well developed and rather than use and manipulate models as I went along, elements of models such as transformational and situational were recognised retrospectively. However in doing so my knowledge of the theoretical underpinning has been developed and consolidated arming me with a plethora of skills to draw on in future. Northouse (2004) states that leadership style refers to the behaviours shown by an individual who attempts to influence others. I felt this was a daunting task as in my student role I felt very much the subordinate as opposed to the leader. However, Government papers such as Making a Difference (DH 1999) stress for the need to develop leadership at all levels meaning it is not an activity reserved for the upper echelons of an organisation (Garvin 1996). I found it hard at times to reconcile the requirement to develop leadership skills with the need to embrace evidence-based practice as the two often clashed due to the fact that there is little empirical evidence of the effectiveness of many leadership models (Northouse 2004) including those I used. To further illustrate this point Wright and Doyle (2005) conclude it is impossible to say how effective transformational leadership is with any degree of certainty and it is not possible to say here that another approach would have been more effective without trying it. Northouse (2004) also criticises other models of leadership including situational leadership, and questions their validity commenting that they are under-researched and with few published research findings. I had not viewed myself as a born leader and coupled with my student status, I felt nervous embracing a leadership role. Marriner-Tomey (1996) however asserts that leadership skills can be developed over time, indicating that skills can indeed be learnt, dispelling the myth that leaders are born not made. This provides me with reassurance that with further experience of leading in practice, along with a deeper knowledge of leadership theory, I may become a more effective and inspiring leader. References Bass, B. M. (1985) Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectation. New York, Free Press. Baulcomb, J. (2003) Management of change through force field analysis. Journal of Nursing Management. 11. pp. 275-80. BBC News (2006) Man held as charity worker killed. News item [Internet], BBC. Available from: [Accessed 20th May 2006]. Bennis, W. (1994) On becoming a leader. NY, Perseus Press. Burns, J.M. (1978) Leadership. New York, Harper Row. Cameron, E. and Green, M. (2005) Making sense of change management: a complete guide to the models, tools and techniques or organisational change. London, Kogan Page. Chappell, D. and Di Martino, V. (2000) Violence at work. 2nd ed. Geneva, ILO. Davidhizar, R. (1993) Leading with charisma. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 18. pp. 675-9. Deegan, C., Watson, A., Nestor, G., Conlon, C. and Connaughton, F. (2004) Managing change initiatives in clinical areas. Nursing Management. 12 (4), pp. 24-29. Department of Health (1999) Making a Difference: strengthening the contribution of nursing, midwifery and health visiting. London, HMSO. Department of Health (2001a) Shifting the balance of power: securing delivery. London, HMSO. Department of Health (2001b) Health visitor practice development resource pack. London, DH. Department of Health (2002) Liberating the talents: helping PCTs and nurses deliver the NHS Plan. London, HMSO. Elkan, R., Kendrick, D., Hewitt, M., Robinson, JJA., Tolley, K. and Blair, M. (2000) The effectiveness of domiciliary health visiting: a systematic review of international studies and a selective review of the British literature. Health Technology Assessment. 4(13). Garvin, J. (1996) Leadership and nursing: traditional attitudes and socialisation. Nursing Management. 3 (3). pp. 20-22. Greaves, C. (1999) Patients perceptions of bedside handover. Nursing Standard. 14 (12). pp. 32-5. Health and Safety Executive (1974) The Health and Safety at Work Act. London, HMSO. Health and Safety Executive (2005) Work related violence: lone workers. [Internet], HSE. Available from: [Accessed 26th April 2006]. Hersey, P. and Blanchard, K. H. (1977) The Management of Organizational Behaviour. 3rd ed. New Jersey, Prentice Hall. Hussey, D. (1998) How to be better at managing change. London, Kogan Page. Karash, R. (1994) Learning-Org Dialog on Learning Organizations. [Internet]. Available from [Accessed 22nd May 2006] Kassean, H. and Jagoo, Z. (2005) Managing change in the nursing handover from traditional to bedside handover- a case study from Mauritius. [Internet], BMC Nursing. Available from: [Accessed on 2nd April 2006]. Kotter, J. (1999) John P. Kotter on what leaders really do. Boston, Harvard Business School. Lewin, K. (1951) Field Theory in Social Science. New York, Harper Row. Mahony, C. (2006) Risk reduction. [Internet], Nursing Times. Available from: [Accessed 14th May 2006]. Marquis, B. and Huston, C. (2000) Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: theory and application. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Lippincott. McGregor, D. (1960) The human side of enterprise. New York, McGraw-Hill. McIntosh, N.D. (2000) Implementing clinical education for phlebotomists.Nursing Standard. 15 (1). pp. 43-6 National Audit Office (2003) A safer place to work: Improving the management of health and safety risks to staff in NHS Trusts. [Internet], NAO. Available from: [Accessed 26th April 2006.] NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement (2005) Working with groups: improvement leaders guide. Coventry, NHS. Northouse, P.G. (2004) Leadership theory and practice. 3rd ed. London, Sage. Peters, T and Waterman, R. (1998) Re: planned change. [Internet], Shropshire and Staffordshire Workforce Development Confederation. Available from: [Accessed 15th April 2006.] RCN (2005) Transformational leadership processes. [Internet], RCN Practice Development Institute. Available from: [Accessed 1st May 2006]. Robson, C. (2003) Real world research. 2nd ed. Oxford, Blackwell. Selby York Primary Care Trust. (2004) Lone worker policy. York, SYPCT. Sheldon, L and Parker, P. (1997) Leadership and team building. Nursing Management. 4 (2). pp. 24-5 Stewart, R. (1996) Leading in the NHS: a practical guide. 2nd ed. Wiltshire, Macmillan Business. The Suzy Lamplugh Trust. (2005) Personal safety at work: guidance for all employees in the workplace, working off-site and travelling for work. UK, SLT. Turner, L. (2001) Introducing a medical emergency team. [Internet], Nursing Times 97 (40). Available from: [Accessed 14th May 2006.] Vroom, V. and Yetton, P. (1973) Leadership and decision-making. Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Press. Wright, M and Doyle, M (2005) Classical leadership. [Internet]. Available from: [Accessed 26th April 2006]. Bibliography: Alexis, O. (2005) Managing change: cultural diversity in the NHS workforce. Nursing Management. 11 (10), pp. 28-30. Handy, C. (1999) Understanding organizations. 4th ed. London, Penguin. Home Office. (2005) Research development statistics: violence at work. [Internet], Home Office. Available from: [Accessed 26th April 2006]. Maslow, A.H. (1954) Motivation and personality. New York, Harper Row. Mayhew, C. (2003) Occupational violence: a neglected occupational safety and health issue? Policy and Practice in Health and Safety. 1 (1) pp. 31-58. NMC (2004) Standards of Proficiency for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses. London, NMC. Percival, J. (2005) Inspire the team. Nursing Standard. 19 (34), p. 71. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurences Regulation (RIDDOR) website. [Internet]. Available from: Appendices APPENDIX ONE Health and Safety Legislation in Practice. The Lone Worker Policy (SYPCT 2006) in my practice area is heavily influenced by the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSE 1974) and the Health and Safety at Work Regulations Act (HSE 1999 cited in SYPCT 2006) which stipulate the duties of the employer  [17]  and the employee  [18]  . The more recent legislation requires employers to assess the nature and scale of any workplace risks to health and ensure there are proper control measures to reduce or eliminate risk. Although the policy encompasses the relevant legislation and raises awareness, its aims are particularly broad and apart from indicating particular training, there are few suggestions of good practice to help staff understand exactly how they can take reasonable care. It was also evident that although Lone Worker safety training was mandatory, fewer than half of the members of the team had accessed this within the l

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Marketing †Luxury Watch Marketing Plan Essay

1. Executive Summary This report contains a marketing plan strategy for a new luxury watch entering the luxury watches market. The new product that will be launched on this market is a exclusive luxury watch. Exclusive luxury watches are defined as the ones sold above $9999. The watch for which we are drawing the marketing plan is a gold and platinum watch with white diamonds. The use of innovative and unusual styling is become an increasingly important feature of the luxury watch market. The unique feature of the watch is the possibility of customization and therefore personalization of this watch. The report is composed of four parts. To begin with, we have done a context analysis to discussion the various macro and micro environmental factors that impact the relevant market dynamics such as market size and growth, positioning of existing brands etc. Then we have come up with the demographic and psychographics description of the target market. | | Pocket watches offer a different kind of experience for consumers. Some use it for its novelty and style whereas others find it more functional than wristwatches. A lot of people also use wristwatches and pocket watches alternately. Regardless of one’s preference, using a pocket watch at this day and age is still a very welcome sight. | 2. Main Report 3. 1. Context Analysis The marketing environment for Perkupoldies exclusive watch market represents overwhelming opportunities. It also contains some challenges that the firm believes it can meet successfully. The macro environmental factors are extremely encouraging. a) Economic environment: The number of people in the Forbes’s billionaire group and Merrill Lynch/Capgemini millionaire group are steadily increasing over the past decade. The number of billionaires has increased by more than 250 percentages. According to Merrill Lynch/Capgemini report the World’s High Net worth Individuals (HNWI) population has also grown to 9. 5 million with their assets rising to $37. 2 trillion. | Number of Billionaires| % Increase in number of billionaires| Billionaires combined net worth (in trillion dollars)| % increase in Billionaires group| 2012| 1226| 257. 56| 4. 6| 328. 57| 2003| 476| | 1. 4| | b) Social – Cultural environment: Wealthy people are driven by views of oneself. They spend money for acquiring of luxury goods and services to publicly display economic power. Sociologically, to the conspicuous consumer, such a public display of discretionary economic power is a means either of attaining or of maintaining a given social status. i. Developed Economies ii. Emerging Economies c) Technological environment – Product innovations, groundbreaking developments in mechanical and atomic watches enable extreme engineering and personalization of watches possible. Additionally, the below situation analysis details the context for Perkupoldies marketing efforts. Here we take a closer look at the internal and external factors that influence our marketing strategy using SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis The above SWOT analysis combines the external (opportunities and threat) and internal (strength and weakness) analysis. 3. 2. Market Analysis with Porter’s Five Forces a) Threats for New Entrants: The presence of profits in an industry will attract new firms willing to take advantage of these profits. Over time, too many new entrants will drive down these profits, decreasing at the same time the attractiveness of the industry. The presence of various barriers to entry can minimize this threat. b) Bargaining power of buyers: If the brand is very famous, successful and appealing to customers, there is no obvious difficulty for distributors to sell the products: the marketing and communication efforts done by the brand will drive customers easily into the jeweler’s shops. Jewelers are usually not especially risk takers and if they have no guarantee that the brand is a hit and will be easily sold, then one might have a hard time trying to convince them to buy ones products. All the power is in the hands of the distributors; with no distributors, the way to the customers is locked. What is more, distributors might be pressured by actual players to refuse to distribute new brands. Therefore, as we mentioned earlier, distribution is an important barrier to entry. c) Bargaining power of Suppliers: The luxury watch industry is dominated by mechanical technology; as a result, the procurement of mechanical movements is the high end brands’ main concern. Qualified manpower can also be an issue that should not be neglected; the number of watchmakers able to produce some of the most intricate complications is very small. d) Threat of substitute products: Counterfeit is a phenomenon that needs to be mentioned because it represents a non-negligible threat for the luxury watch industry. Secondly, in a larger sense, other luxury products can also be considered as a substitute. Now if we think about a legal substitute, which could be fought with conventional marketing weapons, the issue is more complicated. While in a narrower sense substitute could be confined to jeweler, in a broader sense we have to include all the luxury goods available on the market. a) Jewelry b) High end Pens (e. g.:- Mont Blanc) c). Cars Some customers could buy a watch while others would rather travel to tropical and exotic countries, or buy luxury cars or furniture. Therefore, because the range of substitute products we can include is so broad and difficult to define clearly, it is rather difficult to assess accurately how serious the threat is. e) Rivalry among Competition: Concerning the large trends, the past years, big groups were fighting over brands: each group wanted to increase its brand portfolio by taking over independent brands. 3. 3. Pocket watch Industry Background. There was a time that no gentleman felt well-dressed without his pocket watch. Pocket watches, which originated in the fifteenth century among the upper class nobility, reached their heyday in the mid-17th to early 20th century. At one point in time, no middle or upper class gentleman would dream of leaving home without his pocket watch. Among the working class, pocket watches were more than a sign of status. They were, for many workers, an important work tool. Railroad workers, in particular, relied upon their pocket watches to time their duties. By the middle of the 20th century, with the advent of inexpensive wristwatches, the popularity of pocket watches began to wane. From full hunters’ case watches to ladies’ pendant watches, pocket watches are making their way back into the popular fashion scene. Their renewed popularity may have begun within the youthful goth culture, especially the Steampunk segment of Goth culture which esteemed all things Victorian and mechanical clockwork objects and items. If there’s any modern day item that embodies the spirit of Victorian Steampunk culture, it’s the pocket watch. While the popular comeback of pocket watches may have begun with the underground steampunk movement, it has quickly become a new fashion status symbol, popular with youth from the club scene to the stock market floor. Today, advances in glass mechanics and structure have created a new style of pocket watches transparent, scratch-resistant cover so owners can see the time without opening the case. Popular styles of pocket watches today include replicas of antique pocket watches as well as more contemporary styles that fit with today’s men’s and women’s fashions. 3. 4. Description of Product. The watch has several state of the art features which are meant to satisfy the below mentioned needs of the customers. a) Stated needs – To purchase a luxury product b) Real needs – A jewelry and accessory c) Unstated needs – An ever appreciating value d) Delight needs – Personalized e) Secret needs – An expression of status and exclusivity The features of the watch are as mentioned below: 3. 5. 1. Body Construction – The timepiece will be a beautiful handmade timepiece bearing the owner’s name. The watch may be made out of White gold, yellow gold or titanium depending on the specifications provided by the customer. 3. 5. 2. 1. Crystal – Swiss 3. 5. 2. 2. Glass – Sapphire glass with non-reflective coating 3. 5. 2. 3. Chain – Titanium/Yellow Gold/White Gold 3. 5. 2. Nature and Quality of jewels – The watch will have at least 100 brilliantly cut diamonds on the dial case. The chain will be made out of pure 22k gold with have around 200 cut diamonds. Though these specifications are given for the standard watch provided by our company. We will provide custom designed watches for customers that may have more diamonds. Proof of authenticity will be provided for all the diamonds on the watch. 3. 5. 3. Hand Crafted – Usually custom watches would require 4- 6months of manufacturing time depending on the availability of material. All watches will be hand crafted by highly skilled jewelry craftsmen. As each part needs to be fabricated, decorated, assembled, and tested, you can image that the process takes a long time. 3. 5. 4. Features – a) 26 cities world time (including Adelaide) b) Perpetual Calendar c) Radio controlled: Receives standard time radio waves across the world d) Daylight saving function (automatic in radio wave receivable zones, manual in other zones) e) Alarm, 12/24 hr.time f) Magnetic resistance g) 2000m Water Resistant 3. 5. 5. Limited Edition – The watch will be one of its kinds since the design will be custom made by our designers specifically for our customers. The design will be classic and superior that reflects the unique personality of our client and create everlasting value. 3. 5. 6. Warranty type: lifetime International Warranty 3. 5. Factors Considered while purchasing luxury watches a) Precious Metal Construction – It should go without saying that a high end expensive watch should be constructed from quality materials. This means the best possible metals and so forth, but it is also a good idea to ensure that the metals involved are inherently valuable. It also goes without saying that precious stones also are a desirable component given the style and variety of the watch. b) Nature and Quality of Jewels – The first thing to look at is the origin of the stones. The two major options are natural or manufactured. Natural stones are obtained the traditional manner – via often controversial mining methods. There is an inherent romance to the concept that a stone was derived from the earth, discovered, cut and polished, and then used on your luxury item. Aside from â€Å"recycled stones† (taken from older or unsold items), the alternative to natural stones are manufactured stones. c) Hand Construction – High-end watches are hand-made and assembled by master watch makers. Sometimes a team of people will be involved in making the watch, other times a single watch maker toils for as long as a year or more on a single watch. As each part needs to be fabricated, decorated, assembled, and tested, you can image that the process takes a long time. The longer it takes to make a watch, the more refinement and decoration will be found in an on it. There is no specific amount of time that you should look for as it depends on the company. d) Complications – High-end watches don’t just have beautiful mechanical movements, they have complex movements. Other complications effect how accurate a watch is or how interesting the movement is to look at while in operation (i. e. various types of tourbillon escapements). Other common complications in high end watches are perpetual calendars, rattrapante chronographs, sonneries, fusee and chains, moon phases, and multiple time zones along with world timers. e) Style- The best watch makers are skilled in making unique designs, but ones that are â€Å"instant classics. † The best designs will look good on anyone. Lastly, when looking at a designer look, you want to make sure it has enough unique qualities to justify the â€Å"exclusive† item you are thinking about buying. f) Limited Edition – The best luxury things in life comes in small quantities and are made in limited productions by dedicated people. Besides, having too much of anything cuts the value and the intrigue. So look for limited edition or highly limited production watches. Ask how many of a particular model has been made and whether or not there are 1000 or 100,000 of them out there. The more limited a watch is the more exclusive it is, which is a major component of true luxury goods. g) Appreciation of value – The lucky high-end luxury watch buyer will be able to afford a timepiece that has the potential to increase in value. 3. 6. Segmenting Targeting and positioning 3. 7. 7. Segmenting Market segmentation is vital for a company’s success. Without a clear idea of the nature of the target segments, the firm is forced to use a scatter? shot approach to marketing strategic decision making with little chance for success. It is necessary to identify target segments of consumers and tailor offerings to best meet the wants and needs of that particular group of consumers. 3. 7. 8. 4. Demographic criteria: a) Sex: The luxury market could also be segmented according to the sex criteria. Indeed men’s watches are quite dissimilar from women’s. There are differences on the precious metals used for the fabrication, on the size of the strap and of the dial. b) Income level: Naturally the income is a very important factor of the luxury market, because it determines the purchasing power of consumers which has to be very high. c) Geographic criterion: The luxury watches market could also be segmented according to geographic regions. People from different regions do not share the same culture of the purchasing power. 3. 7. 8. 5. Psychographic criterion Psychographic bass for segmentation center on perceptual issues. These segments are determined by combining individuals who are psychologically similar in their orientations. These distinctions are made based upon similarity of lifestyles, personalities and values. a) Lifestyle – it reflects the ways in which the individual chooses to live their lives. What types of activities they enjoy, what life settings they desire, and who they surround themselves with are all components of lifestyle. b) Personality – here the idea is to group people into roughly similar personality types with the underlying assumption that people will be more favorably disposed toward those of a similar personality profile. c) Core values – to try to match its core values with those of its customer segments building positive associations. The company stresses values in its products/services as well as in its corporate environment and culture, and the hope is that the segment will become loyal to the company because it embodies the core values of importance to the consumer. People have different reasons to buy luxury watches. Five motivations can be listed: * To be fashionable * To have a customized and unique product * To have an excellent and reliable product. * To have a product with the latest technology * To have a high standard of living 3. 7. 8. 6. Segmenting on the basis of Demography a) Income group – HNWI, UHNWI, Billionaires b) Sex – Male, female 3. 7. 8. Targeting Targeting requires the firm not only to aim at but hopefully to hit its target segments. The final important aspect involves the establishment of an important perceptual position in the mind of the consumer. It involves the decision of the number of different segments to select and serve and the best action plans to reach the identified segments. Measuring Effectiveness of Target Segments a) Measurable – size of segment, income and purchasing power, and characteristics of the segment b) Accessible – reachable by the firm and able to effectively serve the segment c) Substantial – large enough and capable of generating sufficient profits d) Differentiable – truly distinct from other segments in terms of composition and response to marketing stimuli e) Actionable – marketing programs can be developed to effectively identify, attract and serve the segment Purchasing behavior of Customers. a) Kind of purchase: Most of the luxury watches are bought either by a person for themselves or for another person (as gift). The unit price of a luxury watch would deter much of the gift buying behavior except by the seriously wealthy or on a very special occasion. One typical example is â€Å"birthday† or â€Å"wedding anniversaries† that, in the latter case, help to promote sales from the late spring onwards. b) Decision Making: In this market, the Influencer is the person who hopes to receive a watch as a gift. For example, it could be a woman who incites her husband to buy one for a special event. The consumer is the one who uses the product. In our example, it would be the woman who asks her husband to buy one for her (the consumer is often the influencer). c) Duration of decision–making process: We can distinguish people who do not consider high price to be a deterrent and who make an impulsive purchase; and others who think about spending such money in a luxury watch for a long time. d) Length of buying process: There is a minority of people who are interested in such product. But those who are really interested have already taken the price into consideration and thus would buy our product relatively easily. e) Consumption process: Due to their high prices, luxury watches are an investment for a lot of’ people and that is why it is in average bought once in one’s life. Analysis of Demand a) Potential market – millionaires and billionaires b) Available market – HNWI (High net worth individuals) UHNWI (ultra High net worth individuals) and billionaires. c) Target market – UHNWI (ultra High net worth individuals) and billionaires Based on the above mentioned Segmentation, purchasing behavior and analysis of demand the firm Perkupoldies would be targeting UHNWI and Billionaires. 3. 7. 9. Positioning The last crucial step is placing of the product or service in a particular perceptual position within the mind of the consumer. The idea here is that there is a specific consumer segment in mind and a specific plan to reach it, and now the idea is to ensure that the target consumer has a clear and distinctive image in mind regarding the product offerings being aimed at them that is consistent and positive. a) Customer knowledge b) Ultimate social symbol c) Brand logo – crown d) Innovations in product line. e) Powerful brand ambassadors f) Sport and cultural events g) Philanthropic programs 3. 7. Distribution Distribution channel is key to the sales of Luxury products like Perkupoldies luxury watch. The central dilemma while choosing the distribution channel is generating sales in a dynamic market while maintain brand image and price. The steps to be followed while choosing a distribution channel are as follows: Step (a) – Analyzing customers desired service output levels: For understanding consumer needs the following 5 service outputs need to be viewed. (a) Lot size – usually one to two watch depending on whether its a single watch order or a couple watch order. (b) Waiting and delivery time – The basic product must have a very waiting and delivery time of less than 15 days for global delivery. The personalized versions will have a waiting and delivery time constraint of less than 45 days. (c) Spatial convenience – As a high end luxury product, it will be required to be available at key luxury outlets. (d) Product Variety – the assortment breadth of the marketing channel is very large as the product is highly customized. (e) Service backup – add-on services like credit, delivery, repairs and a high quality of service will be required by the distribution channel. Step (b) – Establishing objectives and constraints: The primary objective of the distribution channel is to provide easy availability at specific high end luxury retail outlets combined with the online purchase options for a highly customized product. Step (c) – Identifying and evaluating major channel alternatives: There are 3 major channel alternatives namely wholesale, luxury retail and online. There are three distribution channels options available for Perkupoldies luxury watch as mentioned below: a) Wholesale – These are sales through third parties. They may include various stores, boutiques etc. While this option offers growth for the product market there are several challenges associated with this distribution channel. b) Retail – These distribution channels are managed in-house. The sales are usually done through company owned or franchised branded stores. Company owned or franchised stores allow will allow Perkupoldies to have a better control over the pricing. For luxury products ‘Luxury Retail’ presents tremendous opportunities. Luxury Retail includes distribution channels like travel location and High-end hotels. c) Online – Sales and transactions are completed online. This distribution channel can operate as both retail and wholesale. Traditionally websites are operated by established retailers such as department stores and e-boutiques. There is an increasing trend towards luxury outlet e-stores, m-commerce, iPad applications, Social networking etc. Step (d) – Evaluating major alternatives: Based on the above analysis of distribution channel options and weighing their pros and cons it can be seen that the best option of distribution channel for perkupoldies is as mentioned below (a) Luxury Retail outlets in high end hotels and travel location (b) An online channel for customizing the product and ordering it. (1) Customize the Hands of the watch| (2) Customize the Body of the watch| (3) Customize the Body of the watch| (4) Personalize the watch e. g. engravings and pictures on the watch| Shown above online screens to enable customization of the Perkupoldies pocket watch|. 3. 8. Brand â€Å"What Rolls-Royce is to car, Perkupoldies is to pocket watch† Here are five steps to build a luxury brand – (a) Identifying a niche segment One of the fundamental principles of effective branding is for brands to diligently select a lucrative segment that they can then target through an enticing positioning. Given the focus on highlighting symbolic value either through an overall brand experience or via exclusivity in offerings, price points or availability, luxury brands have a heightened need to identify the niche segment for which they have designed their offering. (b) Positioning based on high levels of differentiation Since all luxury brands follow a differentiation strategy, the main focus should be to aggressively differentiate the brand ‘experience’. Successful product differentiation creates a competitive advantage for the seller, as customers view these products as unique or superior. (c) Emphasizing symbolic value Symbolic value emanates from the social standing of the brand, that is, the extent to which the brand is perceived as being an elite offering aspired to by customers. As such, symbolic value reflects the extent to which the brand is endorsed and validated by the cream of the customers. (d) Creating perceptions of exclusivity Perceptions of exclusivity can be created by unattainable price, limited geographic availability, barriers to possession, or even limited supply. Clearly, it is the identity, which the brand confers upon the owner. (e) Uncompromising delivery on superior brand promise Not only do luxury brands need to consistently deliver on the promise of symbolic value, but they also will need to project consistency and continuity at every possible touch point. Maintaining focus on superior value and unique brand experience across time and space is an important part of uncompromising delivery of brand promise. 3. 9. Advertising Print advertising appeals to luxury target groups Luxury brands have to cultivate their image continuously and an important aspect of this is the choice of appropriate advertising media. Although, the two luxury-oriented target groups see advertising as being more credible than the population as a whole, there are significant differences between the individual media, parallel to the degree of receptiveness. For both luxury and for premium-watch buyers, magazine advertisements are the most persuasive with 40 percent of this target group according advertisements the highest level of credibility. Poster campaigns are also rated positively. Less well received is advertising in the electronic media, on television and, above all, in e-mails and on the internet. Premium-watch buyers are also characterized bya very great affinity to luxury. However, they are significantly less interested in fashion than luxurybuyers – precision timepieces are their passion. Premium-watch buyers are interested in watches for watches’ sake and not as part of their outfit. 3. Conclusion This marketing plan explains how an attractive combination of 4P’s can be offered by Perkupoldies to promote and sell the pocket watch. There is an existent market for this product. The ease of entry is very low as it’s primarily an online business with a few high end luxury retail outlets. The company is offering a value proposition by offering a high value item which has an everlasting value. 4. References.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Bourdieu, P. Language and Symbolic Power Essay

French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, in his work, Language and Symbolic Power (1991), describes the power of language in relation to politics, social institutions, economics, and education. He views language as a means of communication but more especially as a competitive means of pursuing interests and objectives. He explores the traditional approaches to language but emphasizes that language is more important and beneficial when it is understood in the social context. â€Å"The social uses of language owe their specifically social value to the fact that they tend to be organized in systems of differences which reproduce the system of social differences† (p. 54). The connections between literacy and social positioning can be analyzed through the different forms of capital – economic, cultural (i.e. knowledge, skills and other cultural acquisitions, as exemplified by educational or technical qualifications), symbolic (i.e. accumulated prestige or honor), etc., which can be accumulated through family or social institutions (Menard-Warwick & Dabach, 2004). Central to the discussion are the two concepts ‘linguistic market;’ and ‘linguistic habitus’ that are considered as â€Å"sites of struggle and competition where individuals or agents strive to maintain or alter their position and where their capacity to compete is determined by the volume of capital they possess† (Riagà ¡in, 1997, p. 39). Linguistic capital, together with other forms of capital, defines position of an individual within the social hierarchy (Riagà ¡in, 1997). Bourdieu also speaks of a linguistic market competence as capital. His extensive use of the language of economics (e.g., markets, profit, price, investment), according to Riagà ¡in (1997), implies that individual adopts linguistic strategy that contributes to a realization of desirable outcome like profit that symbolizes prestige. Social dynamics will then contribute to the understanding of the role of education. For Bourdieu, literacy learning involves interrelated aspects of complex individual, social, and cultural contexts. This multidisciplinary perspective allows us to increase our knowledge and deepen our understanding of concepts and ideas that might form social groups. In the academic field, the habitus provided educators with a different way of viewing social institutions where students and teachers act and react analytically based on their practices, perceptions, and attitudes already in place. Teachers and students are viewed to have socially structured resources and competencies that enable them to use language in dealing with and understanding relationships, hierarchies, and literacy practices (Gutierrez & Stone, 2000). â€Å"Sociology can free itself from all the forms of domination which linguistics and its concepts still exercise today over the social sciences only by bringing to light the operations of object construction through which this science was established, and the social conditions of the production and circulation of its fundamental concepts† (Bourdieu , 1991, p. 37). The use of language through the power of media is also associated to the fields of politics and social sciences. Bourdieu’s dynamic model of the relationship between society and politics explains how language is used in political systems that affect social conditions. For instance, people who share common culture and social networks are likely to shape their own social institutions. The Civil Rights Movement in The United States (US) is an example of how social institutions are developed. In addition, Bourdieu also explains through the concepts of habitus, symbolic power, religious capital, and field the occurrence of social movements within institutions like religious groups. For example, the introduction of women’s ordination movement in the Catholic Church (Stone, 2001). It is therefore important to consider Bourdieu’ concepts of ‘linguistic habitus’ and linguistic market, as well as the different capitals in analyzing discourse social, political, and economic processes and changes because language should not only be viewed in the traditional perspective but also in the different context to maximize the use and functions of language in specific fields of study and practice. References Gutierrez, K. D. & Stone, L. (2000). Synchronic and diachronic dimensions of social practice. In C. Lee & P. Smagorinsky (Eds.), Vygotskian perspectives on literacy research: Constructing meaning through collaborative inquiry (pp. 150-164). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Menard-Warwick, J. & Dabach, D. B. (2004) â€Å"In a Little While I Could Be in Front†: Social Mobility, Class, and Gender in the Computer Practices of Two Mexicano Families Computer Users Tend to Develop Literacies Most Compatible with Their Current Lives Programs for Adult Learners Need to Make the Technology A Meaningful in This Context. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 47(5), 380+. Riagà ¡in, Pà ¡draig Ó (1997).Language Policy and Social Reproduction: Ireland, 1893-1993. New York: Oxford University. Stone, Lora (2001) â€Å"Misrecognition of the Limits†: Bourdieu’s Religious Capital and Social Transformation. University of New Mexico. Retrieved October 13, 2007 from http://www.jcrt.org/archives/03.1/stone.shtml.

Friday, November 8, 2019

English Writing Assignment †Anonymous Quote

English Writing Assignment – Anonymous Quote Free Online Research Papers English Writing Assignment Anonymous Quote â€Å"Everyone has peak performance potential- you just need to know where they are coming from and meet them there.† -Anonymous Quote Driving a standard car has been one of Michelle’s passions for many years, but due to fear and hesitation this passion of hers hasn’t materialized into reality. In this paper I will examine the process of working towards achieving the rehabilitation goal, from the initial planning and setting of the goal to the practicum, whereby Michelle is able to practice towards the achievement of the set goal, which is to learn to drive a standard car. After much discussion with Michelle and working towards developing readiness, Michelle was ready to make her Overall Rehabilitation goal statement which is, â€Å"I will learn how to drive a standard car by March 31, 2003.† This statement made by Michelle is the building block for achieving the goal. It provides Michelle with needed structure and focus. Once the rehabilitation statement has been set, Michelle and I examined the various behaviours required in order for Michelle to successfully master her standard car driving skills. The required behaviors are divided into three categories, the implicit behaviors, explicit behaviors, and personally important behaviors. The implicit behaviors include upstanding driving laws and regulations, not stalling the car, and remaining immobile on hills. The explicit behaviors include developing personal techniques of driving and controlling the car, listening to the mechanical sounds of the car, steering with one hand, and investing time in understanding the individual car. The personally important behavior for Michelle includes the ability to successfully master the finesse of driving a standard car. While all the behaviors listed above are needed in order for Michelle to successfully drive the standard car, there are four specific behaviors that are critical for Michelle’s success, and they include, developing hand/eye co-ordination, listening to the mechanical sounds of the car, maneuvering in all conditions, and understanding the driving laws and regulations for driving a standard car. The reason why such behaviors are critical is that without the ability to master these behaviors the car cannot be driven successfully, and there may be legal implications involved. Once Michelle and I listed the critical behaviors, we looked at strengths and deficits in these behaviors. Michelle was able to identify which ones she was having difficulty with and needed to work on, and which ones was she comfortable in doing. The first behavior which is hand/eye co-ordination was stated as a deficit (-), the second behavior which is listening to the car’s mechanical sound was also stated as a deficit (-), the third behavior which is maneuvering in all conditions was stated by Michelle as a strength (+), and the fourth behavior which is understanding the driving laws and regulations for driving a standard car was also stated as a deficit (-). The initial stage in the process of setting and working towards achieving the rehabilitation goal are comprised of exploring the various environmental requirements and looking at the critical skills, which Michelle needs in order to achieve her goal. The second stage in the process includes the functional assessment, which focuses on the development and evaluation of the critical skills. For Michelle the chosen critical skill which she would like to work on is the being able to listen to the car’s mechanical sounds and know when the gears need to be shifted. The skill use description for Michelle is, the percentage of times per week where she does not stall on the road, and this is what we will be measuring. In order for us to measure this skill, an evaluation method was needed. There are two methods which I applied in order to measure Michelle’s skill building effort. The first is driving lessons, which are done on the prompted use level, which means that Michelle can only practice her driving under the supervision and directions of the instructor in driving school registered car. During the driving lessons Michelle will be taken by the driving instructor to practice her driving. The reason why we have to evaluate Michelle’s driving at the prompted level and not at the spontaneous use level is because spontaneous use cannot be tested until the prompted use level has been mastered due to legal implications and the safety of the driver. The second method is a driving log that Michelle will keep with her in order to document her driving lessons. In the log Michelle will put in the date of the driving lesson and she will also document the number of times the car did not stall because the gears and the clutch were shifted properly. This evaluation procedure will provide information on Michelle’s present ability to be attentive to the car’s mechanical sounds and how much practice is needed in order for Michelle to master this skill. Michelle’s skill use goal is that, she successfully shifts the car gears 95% of the time and the car does not stall. Michelle’s skill use goal or the needed level can be evaluated using a driving log, whereby she documents her driving and her ability to shift the gears successfully. Michelle has shown quite the determination and interest in successfully mastering her Overall Rehabilitation Goal. Working together towards the goal has enabled Michelle and I to break down the process into smaller components and to really focus on the methods and examine carefully the strengths, deficits, the needed skills, the required behaviors and ways of evaluating Michelle’s success. The process provides Michelle with structure, guidance and focus. She is able to examine why achieving this particular goal is so important to her and what is required of her into order to be successful in achieving the goal. Research Papers on English Writing Assignment - Anonymous QuoteThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseTwilight of the UAWMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalPETSTEL analysis of IndiaStandardized TestingResearch Process Part OneUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Essay on Arts Education and Art

Essay on Arts Education and Art Essay on Arts: Education and Art Why the Arts are so Important Before we can talk about why they are important, I think that we must also talk about what exactly are the â€Å"arts†. Arts can be described as dance, music, painting, ceramics, photography, theater etc. It is not just the traditional art that most people think of, such as painting, ceramics and drawing. According to the article â€Å"Why Arts Education is Crucial, and Who’s Doing it Best†, art education is important because it reaches us on so many levels. The article mentions such things as, â€Å"academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement and equitable opportunity.† The article goes on to mention that the arts can help in all subjects including but not limited to; â€Å"math, reading cognitive abilities (critical thinking) and verbal skills†. So some people may see the importance of the arts, but why is it so important that we still implicate them in school? One reason is that where many people are lucky enough to have parents that are interested in the arts and can afford to put there children in an art activity outside of school, or at least expose their children to it, not all students are so lucky. Some students may be in dance, or after school art programs. Some students may have parents or grandparents that take them to art museums etc. Yet other students may not have the funds to be in programs or to go to museums. Having these in our school gives those other students the chance they need to be exposed to the arts, and to help them â€Å"bloom† as an individual. Unfortunately the No Child Left Behind had put a dent in people’s idea that we need arts in the schools. People believe that more time should be spent in the class room learning basic math and language skills to pass the state tests, than to be spent in an art class room. â€Å"Arts are lovely but not essential†, is the way the paper states it. The article also gives light that some schools are realizing that arts can be used IN the classroom to help teach the basics. For example music notes and sheet music help in math content areas. As well as readers theater help in understanding historical events, or it might also help with fluency in reading. The article does state that these trials in the classrooms are still in the early stages but they are showing great results as to how we are trying to prove that art helps an individual as a whole. Tom Horne (Arizona’s state superintendent of public instruction) even states with these results that, â€Å"If they’re worried about their test scores and want a way to get them higher, they need to give kids more art’s, not less. There’s lots of evidence that kids immersed in the arts do better on their academic tests.† Where some schools are keeping the arts in their curriculum they are cutting down drastically on the time that is spent in these class rooms. Just because we have the program does not mean anything, you have to utilize it too! Not only is the time spent in these classrooms being cut but also the educators in the building that teach the subjects too. Another scary thought is that now that the arts are being pulled so far from curriculum that it will take large investments and time to implement them back. Yet we do have cities making the arts implements their goal. In Dallas they are getting students out into the art community in their own neighborhoods. Even in the elementary school level they are in the arts for 45 minutes a week! They realized –â€Å"that students flourish when creativity drives learning.† Another state is Arizona with the help of a Mr. Tom Horne, who has raised 4 million dollars, and re-implemented arts into schools that have not seen programs in decades. He states that we are teaching children three things: How to prepare for jobs, how to be citizens and how to enjoy the deeper forms of beauty. â€Å"The third is as important as the other two,† states Horne. I personally feel a strong connection to the arts and a sadness that they are not in schools