Roles and Functions Paper

HCS 325 Roles and Functions Paper 10/22/12 The four major functions in managing health care accurately are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Managing health care is important especially for employees and your place of business (Lombardi). These factors ensure quality service without any rest stops or burdens being an issue. Within the health care field, employees usually have trouble with communicating with the higher authority due to issues and lack of time.Planning is important to ensure that goals are being set and that the future looks brighter than what it already is. Planning comes along with meeting needs and focusing on the employees well being. Organizing is ensuring that all things are done and made on time (Hagemann). Organizing comes along with ensuring that there is no time to make residents/patients wait for care. Leading is one of the most important parts of management because this can leave a reputation that either looks good or bad.This is the time wher e employees should offer suggestions and speak up on any problems that they may have on the job. This is also the time to set goals for employees to meet by a certain period. This gives the manager time enough to challenge those who work under him so that he/ she can get a hint of what assignments should be given to what employees based off how they perform. Controlling is very important because this way everyone is following guidelines and rules along with working as a team rather than individual performance.Employees should be able to call on one another to help each other out so that no one feels left behind or less than. (Hedlund) The most important role for a health care manager and leader throughout a diversified health industry is to maintain balance meaning always be sure that everyone is comfortable as well as equality towards each individual. The manger should have different innovative ways that will cover a diversified health care industry. I will love to gain more inform ation about how to be more of a leader than a manager in a health care setting. T * The References * Lombardi, D. N. , & Schermerhorn, J. R. (2007). Health care management: Tools and techniques for managing in a health care environment. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. * Hagemann, Bonnie; Stroope, Saundra. T+D. Jul2012, Vol. 66 Issue 7, p58-61. 4p. 1 Color Photograph * Hedlund, Nancy; Esparza, Angelina; Calhoun, Elizabeth; Yates, Jerome. Physician Executive. Sep/Oct2012, Vol. 38 Issue 5, p6-12. 6p. 1 Color Photograph, 1 Diagram. Roles and Functions Paper Managers in the health care field have many important roles and functions. As the health care system continues to evolve, sound management is critical to the survival of health care institutions (Johnson, 2005). Every manger’s main duty is to succeed in helping the organization achieve high performance while utilizing all of the organization’s human and material resources (Lombardi and Schermerhorn, 2007). Mangers in the health care field must strive to improve daily operations and make future planning on ways to improve efficiency and productivity. According to Lombardi and Schermerhorn (2007), on a daily basis health care managers must recognize performance problems and opportunities, make good decisions, and take appropriate action. This is achieved by using the process of management; planning, organizing, controlling the use of resources, and leading to accomplish performance goals. One of the day–to-day responsibilities of a health care manager is informing the team members about what is expected of them. Health care mangers must also recruit, train and develop team members (Lombardi and Schermerhorn, 2007). Other responsibilities are the following: coordinating with other teams, plan meetings, figure out the work schedules, and clarify goals and tasks. The most important responsibility of a health care manger I believe a health care manager has is to ensure that each team member has the tools he or she needs to be productive. Mangers must also take on certain roles in order to ensure that team members are being productive. There are three categories that the roles of a health care manager fall in; interpersonal roles, informational roles, and decisional roles. Interpersonal roles involve interactions with people inside an outside the unit (Lombardi and Schermerhorn, 2007). Informational roles of a health care manager involve giving, receiving, and analyzing information. Finally, the decisional roles of a health care manger involve using information for decision making, problem solving, and addressing opportunities (Lombardi and Schermerhorn, 2007). The most important role of a health care manger I believe is giving, receiving, and analyzing information because communication between management and team members ensure that the needs and wants are being met. There are many responsibilities and roles a health care manger must fulfill. The most important responsibility of a health care manger I believe a health care manager has is to ensure that each team member has the tools he or she needs to be productive. The most important role of a health care manger I believe is giving, receiving, and analyzing information because communication between management and team members ensure that the needs and wants are being met. By completing this course I hope to learn more about the responsibilities and roles of health care mangers. I would also like to apply what I have learned while taking this course to my work habits, so that I can improve my management skills.

Life Span Perspective on Human Development Essay

In this essay I will touch on several different theories of human development and growth as well as their theorist. I will show how hereditary and environment play a vital role in human development and identify a few aspects of life span perspectives. Psychosexual Theory One theorist was Sigmund Freud who believed that the development of sexual personality or libido was the development of personality. Freud beliefs were that every individual goes through five stages that further form your personality. The first stage or the earliest is the oral stage which includes sucking and drinking, sexual drive is focus around the mouth, later on leading to more aggressive biting, chewing, sucking of thumb and later years of possible cigarette smoking. The second stage is the anal stage or the toddler stage. His stage is actually broken down into two parts; the first part is called the expressive period in which the child takes pleasure in having a bowel movement. The other part to the second stage is the retentive stage where they will store their feces. The Phallic stage is where children gain pleasure from stimulation there private area, this also is a time were the child will begin to identify with either mother or father depending on the sex of the child. This will help to identify gender roles. The latency stage is the puberty stage where teens find a more acceptable way channeling their sexual aggression. The last stage is the Genital stage in which the adult has reach sexual and emotional maturity. Ego Development Ego development theory was created by Erik Erikson. Erikson believed our personality is formed from opposites such as dependant or independent, aggressive person or passive person, are just an example of a few. Erikson stated that some of these traits you are born with others are learned. Erikson based his theory off the study of the Sioux Indians during this study he learned that behavior and the Indians culture played a great part in there world. Erikson organized life in stages from birth to death, in this theory Erikson theorized that children who had a difficult childhood, versus a child who did not have so many challenges. First stage birth to 18 months trust versus mistrust in this stage we as babies will either learn to trust and have confidence or mistrust and have a feel of worthlessness. Early childhood stage 18 months to 3 years Autonomy versus shame, in this stage children start to master some of the skills on their own their independency kicks in and it also at this stage they may be easily shamed. Ex. (toilet training). 3 years to five years is the intuitive versus guilt, 6 years to 12 years is the industry versus inferiority, 12 to 18 years identity versus role and then there are three more stages after that. Environmentalist Theory John Watson, Skinner believed that a child environment shapes what they learn and environment. Depending on how and where you were raised will determine how you react to things. It was believed that be more stable learning environment will help develop normal stages of growing up. Children seem to learn best through rote activities were the recite colors, alphabet, numbers their address and telephone. When children don’t take to this form of learning they are said to have a learning problem or disability such as ADD. Conclusion In conclusion I agree with every theory except for Sigmund Freud psychosexual theory, I felt a little uncomfortable with some of the points, I do not believe that any part of the sucking, drinking, or chewing as a infant has anything to do with sexual drive. I think it all had to do with surrounding to your environment weather you be an adult of infant. The Theory that I agree with the most is John Watson, Skinner the environmentalist theory, I believed that children learns through things being repetitive, I feel that a good environment breeds a stable child then there are the exceptions. Carlson, Neil R. Psychology: The Science of Behavior. Boston: Allyn, 1990 Gleitman, Henery. Psychology. New York: Norton, 1991 Western, Drew. Psychology: Mind, Brain, Culture. New York, 1999.

Techonology and Decision Making Paper Hcs 482

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND DECISION MAKING Technology and Decision Making University of Phoenix Healthcare Informatics HCS/482 Richard Ong November 15, 2008 Technology and Decision Making Technology, decision-making processes, and data accessibility have changed dramatically in recent years. This paper will discuss systems and informatics theories. The paper will confer on the Data, Information, and Knowledge (DIK) Model. The role of expert system in nursing care and medicine will be provided. Decision aids and decision support systems are used everyday providing focus, leadership and direction within technology and will be examined. The use of technology for patient and client management will be explored. An analysis of the impact of technology on healthcare and health status will be investigated. Systems and Informatics Theories Systems are â€Å"a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole† (Systems, n. d. , Definition). Systems describe healthcare, schools, computers, and a person. The systems are either open or closed. Closed systems are inoperable to function with others third party products and open systems are designed to allow third party products to plug in or interoperate with the system. Neither system interacts with the environment. Open systems consist of three characteristics; purpose, functions, and structure (Englebardt and Nelson, 2002). Systems can have more than one purpose based on the needs of the user. Functions that the system will need to carry out need to be identified for the system to achieve its purpose. The â€Å"systems are structured in ways that allow them to perform their functions† (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002, p. 6). The two types of models used to conceptualize the structure of a system; hierarchical and web (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002). Some examples of system applications are; institution wide, specialty support, documentation, administrations, operations, expert, stand alone information, and decision support. The study of healthcare informatics incorporates theories from information Nursing science, computer science, cognitive science, along with other sciences used in the healthcare delivery (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002). Three models that represent the informatics theories are; Shannon and Weaver’s information-communication model, Blum’s model and The Nelson data to wisdom continuum. Shannon and Weaver’s model states that a message starts with the sender and is converted to a code by the encoder. The converted message can be letters, words, music, symbols or a computer code (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002). The message is carried by a channel and along with the message noise is transmitted in the space to the decoder where the message is converted to a format that is understood by the receiver. â€Å"Bruce L. Blum developed a definition of information from an analysis of the accomplishments in medical computing† (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002, p. 12). According to Blum the three types of healthcare computing applications are; data, information and knowledge (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002). Data is information that is not interpreted. Data that is processed and displayed is categorized as information and when the data and information are combined and formalized knowledge results (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002). â€Å"A knowledge base includes the interrelationship between the data and information† (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002, p. 13). The Nelson Data to Wisdom Continuum states the four types of healthcare computing applications are; data, information, knowledge and wisdom. The four overlap at all times. Data is the naming, collecting and organizing the message. Information is further organizing and interpreting the message. Knowledge occurs when the message is interpreted, integrated and understood. Wisdom is the ability to understand and apply the message with compassion. Data, Information and Knowledge Model â€Å"Nursing informatics, as defined by the American Nurses Association(ANA), is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science and information science to manage and communicate data, information and knowledge in nursing practice† (Newbold, 2008, para. 1). Decision making by healthcare professionals is based on the assimilation of data, information and knowledge to support patient care. Organizing data, information and knowledge for the processing by computers is accomplished through the use of information technology and information structures (Newbold, 2008). The first level is data which â€Å"†¦are recorded (captured and stored) symbols and signal readings† (Liew, 2007, Definitions). Data is bits of information though to just have data is not meaningful to decision making. The second level is information which is organized, interpreted and communicated data between machines or humans. Characteristics of quality information are: complete and clear in its descriptions, accurate, measurable, preferably by measurable objective means such as numbers, variable by independent observers, promptly entered, rapidly and easily available when needed, objective, rather than subjective, comprehensive, including all necessary informati on, appropriate to each user’s needs, clear and unambiguous, reliable, easy and convenient form to interpret, classify, store, retrieve and update† (Theoretical issues, 1998, Concepts). Knowledge is the third level of the model and is the collection of information that is obtained from several sources to produce a concept used to achieve a basis for logical decision-making. The information needs to be useful and applied to be known as knowledge. The final level is Wisdom which â€Å"†¦is the highest level of being able to understand and apply knowledge using compassion† (Theoretical issues, 1998, Concepts). â€Å"Information consists of data, but data is not necessarily information. Also, wisdom is knowledge, which in turn is information, which in turn is data, but, for example, knowledge is not necessarily wisdom. So wisdom is a subset of knowledge, which is a subset of information, which is a subset of data† (Steyn, 2001, para. 2). Without an understanding of the source of data and information which is based on activities and situations, the relationship between data, information, and knowledge will not be understood (Liew, 2007). Expert Systems in Nursing Care and Medicine Medical artificial intelligence is primarily concerned with the structure of Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs that perform diagnosis and make therapy recommendations. Unlike medical applications based on other programming methods, such as purely statistical and probabilistic methods, medical AI programs are based on symbolic models, such as statistical and probabilistic methods, medical AI programs are based on symbolic models of disease entities and their relationship to patient factors and clinical manifestations’ as defined by Clancey and Shortliffe (1984). Expert systems (ES) in nursing care and medic ine fill an appropriate role with intelligent programs offering significant benefits. They hold medical knowledge containing specifically defined tasks and are able to reason with data from individual patients responding with reasoned conclusions. The advantages of an expert system over a doctor are: 1. A large database of knowledge can be added and kept up to date with the ability of a large amount to be stored. 2. The system does not forget or get facts wrong. 3. The continued existence of the knowledge is forever not lost with death or retirement. 4. The computer can make contact with specialist knowledge that a doctor may not have. . The ES may shorten time to make the correct diagnosis and reduce diagnostic errors. 6. Countries with a large number of population and have physicians are limited can receive medical knowledge leading to prompt care. ES’s are not replacing doctors or nurses but are being used by them stimulating an interrogated large database of knowledge of a human expert. Decision Aids and Decision Support Systems Decision support systems (DS S) are systems that â€Å"model and provide support for human decision-making processes in clinical situations. They are advanced technologies that support clinical decision making by interfacing evidence-based clinical knowledge at the point of care with real-time clinical data at significant clinical decision points†(Gregory, 2006, p. 21). Decision support systems offer various methods of decision support, including recommendations for diagnostic testing, critical lab value alerts, help with diagnosis and advice for clinicians on what medications to use. According to the British Medical Journal, â€Å"Clinical decision support systems do not always improve clinical practice, however. In a recent systematic review of computer based systems, most (66%) significantly improved clinical practice, but 34% did not† (Kawanoto, Houlihan, Balas, & Lobach, 2005, p. 769). Decision support systems can improve patient outcomes however; more studies are needed to develop better systems. Decisions by their very nature are uncertain, medical decisions have the added complexity of involving an individual’s values and beliefs as related to the risk-benefit profiles or uncertain outcomes of medical treatment. The goal of using a decision aid is to help the patient make informed decisions based on his or her belief and value system. Limited and conflicting research on the use of decision aids makes it impossible to determine if having patients use a decision aid would benefit him or her. According to an article published in the Medical Decision Making Journal â€Å"Decision aids are a promising new technological innovation in health care, however, like any new innovation, their widespread adoption needs to be preceded by a careful evaluation of their potential harms, rather than an uncritical promotion of their potential benefits† (Nelson, Han, Fagerlin, Stefanek, & Ubel, 2007, p. 617). Decision aids can be an important addition to promoting shared decision making between the physicians and patient however, decision aids â€Å"may send the wrong message to patients about the goals of decision making, or lead patients to believe that they can reduce or eliminate uncertainty when confronting decisions† (Nelson, Han, Fagerlin, Stefanek, & Ubel, 2007, p. 618) Technology for Patient and Client Management Technology can be used in many areas of patient and client management. Technology is said to have the potential to bring the patient and healthcare providers together creating patient-centered care. The goal of patient-centered care is to empower the patients, give patients choices and tailor treatment decisions based on the patient’s beliefs, values, cultural traditions, their family situations and their lifestyles. Technology impacts this concept when healthcare providers use clinical information systems such as enhanced patient registration systems which uses the internet or onsite wireless devices, using decision aids and decision support systems, Telemonitoring Devices, and the electronic health record. New technology will help healthcare providers with patient management by increasing the ability of healthcare providers to retrieve and apply accurate information about their patients quickly and allow patients to acquire information to improve control of their diagnosis and or treatments and to talk with their healthcare providers. Technology on Healthcare and Health Status Analysis The future holds many technological changes that will affect healthcare directly and help shape our already powerful profession. Technological advances will dramatically change healthcare provider’s roles and the healthcare delivery systems. Computers are not unusual for a patient to use to surf the Internet to find information related to the diagnosis. Patients may also browse the Internet and find conditions here the symptoms are closely related to what he or she is experiencing. He reads all he can find, and when he goes to the doctor he may be informed, misinformed, or over-informed, regarding the possible diagnosis of his problem. Technology presents to the healthcare consumer a tremendous resource of information regarding his healthcare. Computers, biosensors, implants, genetic therapies, and imaging devices are examples of the emerging technologies of the 21st century. Medical artificial intelligence in contexts such as computer-assisted surgery, electrocardiography and fetal monitoring interpretation, clinical diagnosis, and genetic counseling will have a major impact on our future. Telemedicine currently ranges from radiographic consultations across cities to telebiotic surgeries across hemispheres (Cohen, Furst, Keil & Keil, 2006). Interactive disks already assist patients to make more independent medical decisions regarding their care. Devices for home use can help monitor blood pressure and blood glucose or perform a pregnancy test. Technology also helps assist patients with finding information regarding a diagnosis. Although technology is very beneficial to healthcare other concerns continue to exist. Every day healthcare providers use complex machinery, including many types of monitors, ventilators, intravenous pumps, feeding pumps, suction devices, electronic beds and scales, lift equipment, and assistive devices. The directions for use of many of these machines are not self-evident and may be highly complicated. As a result, some patients may endure injury secondary to misuse of the product (Cohen, Furst, Keil & Keil, 2006). The company may also incur unexpected expenses if the equipment becomes damaged and need to be replaced. Similarly, new computer systems present many learning difficulties for healthcare providers. Many computer systems are not user friendly. Computer systems designers are notorious for supplying computers with numerous advanced but obscure functions, but these systems often lack the ability to make daily tasks easier t accomplish. Millions of dollars have een wasted on computer systems that are not used or are underused because the user needs were not assessed before the systems were designed (Thielst, 2007). There remain three basic reasons for the continued increase in healthcare costs: inflation, increased demand for services as a result of federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and expensive technological advances in medicine. Conclusion In conclusion, sign ificant economic and social trends are dramatically altering the forms of healthcare delivery in the United States and the roles played by healthcare providers. Advances in technology, globalization of culture and communication, ever-widening computer applications, aging of the population, and dynamic changes in the healthcare industry are among major developments (Thielst, 2007). To cope with and to contribute to the future of healthcare, the healthcare team must understand how computers are now being used in healthcare, and they must be able to work with computers in a cost-effective manner in their healthcare practice. No matter what delivery system is in place in a particular institution, healthcare providers will find that each is vitally involved with ensuring quality and in discovering measurable ways of monitoring quality. References W. J. Clancey and E. H. Shortliffe, eds. (1984). Readings in Medical Artificial Intelligence: First Decade. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley. Cohen, T. , First, E. , Keil, O. & Wang, B. (2006). Medical equipment management strategies. Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology, 40(3), 233-238. Englebardt, S. P. , & Nelson, R. (2002). Health care informatics: An interdisciplinary approach. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier. Gregory, A. (2006, January/March). Issues of Trust and Ethics in Computerized Clinical Decision Support Systems. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 30(1), Pp. 21-29. Kawanoto, K. , Houlihan, C. , Balas, A. , & Lobach, D. (2005, April 2). Improving clinical practice by using clinical decision support systems: A systematic review of trials to identify features critical to success. BMJ, 330, P. 765-700. Liew, A. (2007, June). Understanding data, information, knowledge and their relationship. Retrieved November 10, 2008, from Journal of Knowledge Management Practice: http://www. tlainc. com/article 134. htm Nelson, W. , Han, P. , Fagerlin, A. , Stefanek, M. , & Ubel, P. (2007, October 1, 2007). Rethinking the Objectives of Decision Aids: A Call for Conceptual Clarity. Medical Decision Making, 27(5), Pp. 609-618. Newbold, S. (2008). A new definition for nursing informatics. Retrieved November 10, 2008, from Advance for Nurses: http://nursing. advanceweb. com/Article/A-New-Definition-for-Nursing-Informatics. spx Steyn, J. (2001). Data, information, knowledge and wisdom. Retrieved November 12, 2008, from Knowsystem: http://knowsystems. com/km/definition. html System. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Answers. com: http://www. answers. com/topic/system Theoretical Issues. (1998). Retrieved November 10, 2008, from University of Texas at Tyler: http://www. uttyler. edu/nursing/ckilmon/ni/theory. htm Th ielst, C. (2007). The future of healthcare technology. Journal of Healthcare Management, 52(1), 7-10. Retrieved from ProQuest database on November 11, 2008.

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Reflection - Essay Example Different countries have evolved separate items of mass entertainment, they can therefore be considered as their domestic culture. Youngsters, in the progress of their active life, learn to engage in activities mainly on the basis of information collected from mass media entertainment such as TV, music, movies, mobile and internet of course to the greatest extend these days (Nachbar 1992, p. 414). Engagement in popular culture should be productive, I mean, by way of learning the ethical values of great works done by people in literature, art and architecture. Students need to attend sessions of cultural activities and perform their role thereby. They should realize that culture is a source of ethical values apart from mere entertainment. Learning about modern popular culture encourages people to form a positive attitude towards their community. Movies, stage-shows or any other form of public entertainment should focus on building this attitude among people. Modern popular culture however, imprints the enthusiasm of more indigenous cultures involving tattoos, fashion design, animated photography etc in returning to the primitive style as a fashion. As the globe has been totally trodden by man, the need for cultural globalization has already evolved. People presently have the attitude to respect and follow the indigenous culture as a connection with modern popular culture. Also, with the development of sports and folklore programs across the world, the engagement of popular art in the social life has been reinforced. Therefore, in the light of due consideration of values and standards of popular culture these days, I don’t consider a change in my attitude towards them unless it goes all against social ethics; e ven on such conditions, there are legislative measures to regulate such possible

Relationship between Leisure Activity and Life Satisfaction Essay

Relationship between Leisure Activity and Life Satisfaction - Essay Example (Ragheb & Griffith, 1982). Although these two are distinct, life satisfaction is somewhat related to mind and leisure is related to physical aspect but they share a relationship. In this article I have focused on these few questions; (a) what leisure activities are taken by people (b) How different people participate in different activities (c) What is the relationship between life satisfaction and leisure activity (d) Are few leisure activities strongly related then others to life satisfaction The data is all related to the United States population and is taken from the census of the USA government. From all the data I have gathered, it's found out that frequency of participation in leisure activities also differ by sex, age and income levels. Furthermore there is a positive correlation between leisure activity and life satisfaction. The activity theory which states that the greater the frequency and intimacy of activity, the greater the life satisfaction; and the needs theory which refers to the theoretical frameworks which purport that when individuals satisfy their needs, this in turn has salutary effect on subjective wellbeing which leads to life satisfaction; (Diener and Lucas 2000) have been used in this article. Apart from the busy lives, people want leisure thus they engross themselves in different leisure activities. According to the US census of 2007 out of the total population, 1,255,897 million were attending and participating in various leisure activities. The table 1 below shows this; Activity Participants in the last 12 months/1 Number(000) % Adult educational courses 13462 6.1 Attend shows/art galleries/music & horse race 106796 48.4 Backgammon 3675 1.7 Cooking/baking/barbequing 125588 77.2 Billiard/pool/board games/chess/puzzles 97581 44.1 Bird watching 12498 5.7 Book club/reading books & comics 97390 44.2 Concert on radio 6997 3.2 Dining out 107456 48.7 Electronic games/computer games 63282 28.7 Entertain friends/relatives 90197 40.8 Sport league 6192 2.8 Fly kites 5219 2.4 Furniture refinish/ home decoration/wood work 44245 20 Go to bars/beach/theatre/museum 149346 67.7 Karaoke 9142 4.1 Model making 3501 1.6 painting/drawing 15146 6.9 Photo album/ scrapbook 17782 8.1 Photography 28340 12.8 picnic 22426 10.2 Play bingo/cards/musical instruments 77228 35 Trivia/video/words game 59737 27 Zoo attendance 27081 12.3 Source: Mediamark research. New York, N.Y, According to the table people are involved in different leisure activities; all indoor and out door. People have different moods which set up their way of choosing a leisure activity. Life satisfaction is attained by different people in different ways and so different leisure activity gives people different levels of life satisfaction. As shown, people are mostly interested in Cooking/baking/barbequing and then the priority is given to going to bars/beaches/theatre and museums. The least number of participants are in model making. Thus majority of the US population prefer indoor activity; staying at home and involving themselves in cooking/baking and barbequing which gives them satisfaction; out of the population second preference is given to outdoor activities which satisfy people. Indoor activities like model

Global Geopolitics of the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Global Geopolitics of the Middle East - Essay Example However, for investments to flourish continually there has to be stability, which has become threatened by the brutal regimes in existence. An economist at the International Energy Association states that an investment worth over $19 trillion in gas and oil is required from now until 2035. This is where the significance of the Middle East arises from as growth in petroleum supply is expected to come from there and North Africa. This is in spite of the fact that oil has been discovered in other countries, for example, Brazil. Therefore, for this investment to be achieved funds have to be availed and stability in the region needs to be maintained. An example of this is Iraq which is a primary oil producer in the region but has continuously suffered due to instability and targeting of its oil facilities. Another example is Syria, which even though is a small producer, has brought a standstill to foreign investments in the oil sector because of barbaric policies enacted by the government. Historically, the Middle East has been known as the cradle of civilization resulting from discoveries in science and religion and widespread trade activities. In addition, the region is highly acclimatized for its scholarly efforts though the environment has not been conducive for this to be more far-reaching. Consequently, a majority of citizens from various states within the region go to study abroad. Israel, being a democracy and the only Jewish state, has attracted reinforcement of its territories from the U.S. This is because, since the period of the Cold War, U.S has endeavored to ensure continuity of flow of oil and at an affordable price, but initially, this was possible as oil was replacing coal as a source of energy. The Middle East is accountable for an approximate of 40% of oil exports in the world this is because, globally, economic growth and progress has been greatly reliant on carbon-based forms of energy particularly crude oil. More so, there are

Consumer Compliance- week 5 Discussion Post Responses Assignment

Consumer Compliance- week 5 Discussion Post Responses - Assignment Example A mortgage and a Deed of Trust helps in making sure that the loan is paid back by the lender. They secure the loan’s repayment by placing a lien on the property (Bevans, 2009). In a mortgage, the lien gives the right to the lender to sell the property and recover money while a Deed of Trust gives a lien to a trustee. In case of default, a mortgage requires that the judicial foreclosure which is often costly while a Deed of Trust allows for non-judicial foreclosure which is often faster and less costly (Haupt & Haupt, 2006). Both the documents help in securing a loan and provide mechanisms for recovery the loan incase the borrower defaults. A mortgage gives foreclosure rights to the lender while a Deed of Trust gives the rights to the trustee. Even though Deed of Trust seems to be the most efficient method because it allows for faster foreclosure time than a mortgage, it complicates the process because it has more parties involved (Haupt & Haupt, 2006). However, incorporating a trustee facilitates the foreclosure process because that is their area of specialization. They have the necessary man power to easily foreclose. Nevertheless, a Deed of Trust requires that proper notices be posted and rules followed, which makes it equally time-consuming (Bevans, 2009).Bottom of

Business Models and Planning Chapter Questions Assignment

Business Models and Planning Chapter Questions - Assignment Example Typically, business models undergo significant adaptation to immediate business environments. This means that managers can employ an appropriate business model to counteract changes brought by actions of competitors and other market forces. Technically, business models strive towards maximizing profits by optimizing interrelatedness of production inputs. Practically, outcomes of adopting a given business model remains uncertain. Some model innovations may yield successful outcomes while others may lead to failure. Based on chapter 4 on business model innovation, it is undeniable that companies use different approaches in trying to increase profitability. Despite the immense competitive pressure exerted by active model innovations, most changes in those models are still radical as opposed to being specific2. In many cases, a firm may adopt a correct model but lacks technical framework of articulating the model’s principles into its marketing lines. One definite relation between model innovation and profitability features in the aspect of value proposition. Value proposition becomes instrumental whenever product and service firms understand essential behaviors of consumers in potential markets. All model innovation processes adopts the notion that value proposition plays a significant role in influencing consumers’ purchase decisions3. Inclusion of a concise and appealing proposition statement will not only attracts customers’ attention but also convince a new consumer into purchasing a product or service. In order to appreciate the importance of value proposition in marketing, one should acknowledge the influence exerted by service-profit chain. This chain establishes the relationship between customer satisfaction and profitability. Supposedly, model innovation aims at enhancing corporate profitability by addressing the needs of stakeholders, which in this context comprise

2-1-2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

2-1-2 - Assignment Example Prior to recession that started in 2008, economy of Lithuania was found to be growing at the rate of 8%. In 2004 the country joined in European Union. It has also joined World Trade Organization. Most of the trades take place with Russia and other neighbors that are located in Eastern Europe. The process of turning old traditional Lithuanian economy into a market economy is almost complete. Most of the state owned organizations have been made private. The recent global recession that started from mid of 2008, has greatly affected the economy of the country. In 2007 Lithuania’s real GDP was growing at the rate of almost 8%, but in 2008 the figure came down to 3%. In 2009 the country’s GDP shrank at the rate of 16.8%. Such negative growth is mainly due to the global financial meltdown that has affected almost all the developed and developing economies in the world. In 2008 Lithuania’s GDP per capita was $18,000 and in 2009 the figure reduced to $15,000 per capita. According to the prediction of Bloomberg, Lithuanian economy might have positive growth in 2010. It is also predicted that in 2011 the economy might grow at the rate of 4% (Hà µbemà ¤gi, December 23, 2009). In 2008, unemployment rate was almost 5.84%, but in 2009 it increased to 15%. Inflation rate has decreased from the past. In 2008 inflation rate in the country was 10.9% and in the next year it was around 4.7% (Central Intelligence Agency, n.d.). Lithuania’s economy was in growth track prior to the recession period. In 2007 GDP growth rate was 8.9%, but in the next year this rate was 3% and 2009 Lithuania’s economy was having negative growth rate. It is predicted that in 2010 economy will return on growth track. In 2011 economy is expected to grow at the rate of 3-4%. In 2008 discount rate offered by central bank was 4.73% which is almost unchanged from the previous year when the rate was 4.82%. Hà µbemà ¤gi, T. December 23, 2009, SEB: Lithuanian economy to expand 4% in 2011, Baltic

Article Critique and Comparison Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critique and Comparison - Article Example searchers often opt to use either quantitative or qualitative methods of research as a prelude to a more structured or comprehensive form of study in the future. In an article written by Mohamed, Conley & Yoo (1999) entitled â€Å"Perceptions of Child Care Centre Owners in Chicago: Implications for Public Policy† published in the International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, the authors delved into a quantitative method of research with the objectives of (1) estimating the supply and demand for day care centers (DCCs) in Chicago; and (2) identifying plans and perceptions of DCC owners in the city, specifically in areas of expansion and environmental barriers. The objective of this essay is to determine the kind of research method used and to proffer a critical analysis in terms of its appropriateness and applicability for the study. It aims to identify the kind of data collection used, method of gathering, and how results were used to draw aptly conclusions. The authors used the quantitative method of research which is more of a descriptive and nonproving compared to a qualitative approach. Data for quantitative approach are generally â€Å"checklists (check off behavior that is assigned a number)† (Observational Research, n.d., 21). This type of research method has large sample sizes, fewer special skills required to administer, utilizes questionnaires, among others. The article specifically explained the method used for the research, to wit: two sets of samples were obtained through random. The first set was formed to estimate the demand for DCCs in Chicago and samples were chosen from the Chicago White Pages telephone directory. There were 250 eligible responses validated through phone interviews given a set of standards for eligibility (respondent must have at least one child aged 13 or under). The second set was needed to solicit capacity utilization, expansion plans, and perception of owners of DCCs in Chicago. A list of licensed DCC was initially

Vp 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vp 2 - Essay Example The Tea Ceremony is a ritualized Japanese cultural contribution that involves taking tea in a specific space with prearranged procedures. Supposed to have started in the 16th century, the tea ceremony was a wealthy affair sought to unite rulers, warriors, and merchants. It was a social function for the rich that provided them a forum to discuss weighty issues (Cooper and McLean 1). They used natural forms of utensils, especially from China and Korea, countries revered for their culture. To an extent, the value of these objects and utensils was synonymous to that of treasures. The Japanese have a liking for such imperfect objects (natural form), which is a characteristic of their culture. Most of them were unglazed objects made in kilns that may seem to have no value at first sight. Their value has remained over the years to present where the utensils/objects re still seen as valuable. The preparation and drinking powdered green tea (matcha) is a delicate procedure that involves years of training. It involves detailed choreography that a layperson cannot easily master. The interaction in a tearoom not only involves the host and the guests, but also the utensils (Cooper and McLean 5). The guests witness the tea preparation and each step must be done specifically. Surprisingly, there is no repetition of the process in any other subsequent ceremony; the choreography only applies to a singular tea gathering. In addition, there is tea etiquette pertaining to the drinking of the tea, and the usage of the utensils. The utensils have both a practical value and an aesthetic value that the Japanese tradition appreciates. During a ceremony, there are several objects and utensils, but only a few serve in the occasion. The Tea Ceremony resulted in the creation of several other forms of objects that are enshrined in Japanese traditions. The relevance and significance of the ceremony lie in the need for purification and the connection with nature. Although

Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Essay Background and Context South East Asia was the region that experienced the first wave of H5N1 in both animals as well as humans. As of 1 march 2006, the following is the epidemiological situation: Human infection: no new cases of human infection have been reported since 13 Jan 2006. To date, out of a total of 21 cases of human infections (animal- to- human transmission) 12 are confirmed by WHO reference laboratory as H5N1 infections. The number of deaths due to the infections is 4, and is included in the 12 confirmed cases. All others cases were treated successfully. All 12 cases involved directed close contract with poultry. No human- to- human transmission has been observed. Animal infection: between 15 December 2005 and 23 march 2006, a total of 191 outbreaks across 48 provinces were confirmed and dealt with. All outbreaks were reported from backyard poultry premises, except for one which involved a small- scale poultry farm. A total of 2,304,445 poultry have been culled as part of the national response. To date, 33 individual cases of avian flu have been found in wild birds. No cases have been detected in individual poultry farms. With no new human cases being reported after the last case of 13 Jan 2006, South East Asia has moved from ‘crises response’ to ‘risk management’ mode. Per WHO guidelines, the region is currently maintaining avian flu pandemic alert phase-3. Communication Challenges and Approaches Following the national response to the ‘first wave’ of H5N1 infections in both animals as well as humans, from a communication perspective, at least three categories of ‘audiences’ now exist in South East Asia. the thousands of rural families who have directly experienced their poultry flocks being culled, and with it, at least temporarily, perhaps their source of live hood and nutritional security. the million of viewers who ‘ experienced’ the effect of H5N1 outbreak prevention and containment operations through the media and information channels, without necessarily developing a full understanding of the reasoning and science behind the response. An unknown number of people who neither experienced the outbreak response directly nor received it through the media. The current and future behavioral intent of all these ‘audiences’ in future outbreak responses is largely unknown. This unknown element constitutes a significant concern with regard to national ‘preparedness’, and falls squarely in the communication domain. Field visit and some rapid small-scale surveys in urban and rural areas reveal that through most people have heard of avian flu, there is enormous confusion, lack of clarity, and a felling of dismay among people with regard to the disease, its mode of transmission, its symptoms and treatment, and compensation for the loss of live-stock. There have also been instances of families hiding poultry from culling teams in outbreak areas, and reports of stigmatisation of families who underwent treatment for symptoms. Towards development of a comprehensive communication strategy, an inter- agency, inter-sectoral, unicef- supported workshop on al communications was held under the leadership of the child- intersectoral board (CIB) in Ankara on 9-10 February 2006, to reflect on emerging lesson and planning for future responses.   Key findings and recommendations from the workshop Review all current communication materials, including strategy documents and plans of various agencies working on avian flu, to ensure that messages and plans are harmonized, to minimize duplication, improve coordination, and enhance the impact of intervention. Establish an inter- sectoral strategic communication working group on avian flu to coordinate all communication intervention, under the leadership of the child inter-sectoral board (CIB), governments of South East Asian region. Fill information gaps with regard to community perception of risk and behavioral intent. Conduct of rapid, participatory KAPB studies and the involvement of communities in decision- making and planning are critical for long- term solutions especially since backyard poultry- keeping is a wide – spread culture practice in rural South East Asia. In parallel to clear and improved messaging through the mass media, implement a strong inter- personal communication component to ensure outreach to rural population, with comprehensive and relevant information on bird flu. The mass media is currently providing information in a fragmented manner, and has not been responsive to community concerns. Additionally, frontline workers and community leaders need to be sensitized and comprehensively trained to carry out information and behavior change outreach work, especially in hard-to reach areas and populations. Much of the â€Å"preparedness† can and should be done in advance. Establishing a closure and more engaged partnership with the media, and developing and pre-testing messages and products for the full spectrum and epidemiological scenarios, should be done as soon   as possible. In short the national response calls for the implementation of an integrated communication strategy which addresses the social/political domain through advocacy; strengthens BCC communication capacities and skills of the AI service delivery system; and promote adoption of AI preventive behaviors among communities and individuals through social mobilizations and inter personal communication interventions. Messages and interventions need to be harmonized across all implementation partners. Strategic Programmatic goals The programme goals of national contingency plan of various South East Asian nations for Avian Influenza are articulated in two key documents: Contingency Plan for Avian Influenza (April 2005), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA). Goal: Maintain disease response preparedness, and implement rapid control measures in the event of suspicion or an outbreak of disease, to contain virus transmission. Pandemic Influenza National Action Plan (Oct 2005), Ministry of Health Goal: To ensure that all persons, facilities and institutions are prepared to recognize and manage influenza pandemic, and plans are in place to reduce the transmission of the pandemic virus strain; decrease cases, hospitalizations and deaths; maintain essential services; reduce the economic social impact of a pandemic. The documents are the cornerstone of the national preparedness and response plans for the prevention and rapid containment of outbreaks (animal-to-animal, animal-to-human, human-to-human transmission). The communication interventions envisage the dissemination of key message to the public through the mass media and frontline workers, to promote hygiene and prevention behaviors, across the various epidemic phases. Communication Goals and Objectives The overarching goals for 2006 of the communication strategy are: All services provide use the knowledge, recommend healthy practices and reach at least 80% of the population with adequate and accurate information and knowledge. Policy-makers and community leaders use the knowledge and information to prevent and contain avian/pandemic flu, to ensure full systemic and institutional preparedness for rapid roll-out of appropriate interventions to control localized outbreaks, or the emergence of a pandemic. Specific Communication Objectives Through the implementation of a comprehensive and coordinated public education, behavior change and policy advocacy campaign, the following will be achieved by end of 2006: At least 80% of the population correctly recall the negative health effects of Avian/Pandemic Influenza; know the correct methods of AI prevention. At least 80% of those who keep backyard poultry, or are involved in commercial winged animal farming and trading, know how to use safe practices and AI prevention behaviors. At least 80% of community leaders such as teachers, imams and muhtars have a comprehensive knowledge of AI prevention measures and actively disseminate and knowledge. Domains for Strategic Communication Interventions The communication strategy will be implemented to simultaneously influence the following three domains: Social/Political Domain: The primary objective in this domain is to use advocacy methods and tools for the establishment of a supportive and enabling socio-political environment for avian influenza prevention/containment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strategic coordination mechanisms and advocacy activities are planed to place AI prevention high on the political, social and development agenda;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and to foster political will, and increase financial and other resources to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ensure full ‘preparedness’.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Policy advocacy activities will include strategic use of data and approaches to advocate to the parliamentarians, provincial governors and administrators about the impact of the issue at the national level. At the local level, advocacy will be used to convince opinion and community leaders about the need for local action and preparedness. Media advocacy will be conducted to improve quality of reporting, and to ensure that the public receives information of relevance and society remain strongly committed to implementing national AI prevention and containment policies. Target audiences and communication ways include: inclusion of avian flu issues in parliamentary debates and other political events; press conferences; news coverage; technical conferences and symposia; celebrity spokesperson; and meeting between various government agencies and civil society organizations, community and religious organizations, municipalities, service providers, association of physicians, and the private sector. AI service delivery Domain: The objective in this domain is to bring together all feasible and practical inter-social allies, and increase their communication capacities to raise people’s knowledge and awareness, and influence their attitudes and practices, for prevention and containment of avian flu. Allies include; frontline development workers, community leaders, non-government Organizations, municipalities and local media. An appropriate mix of interpersonal, group and mass-media channels, including participatory methods will be used in the implementation of these activities. The range of activities include group and community meetings, school-based activities, traditional media, road shows, leaflets, posters, pamphlets, videos, and home visits. The focus will be on communicating a series of messages about AI transmission and prevention and informing the public about what services are available and where and encouraging reporting of dead/sick bird/poultry. Community and individual Domains: The objective in this domain is t establish community norms and safe practices related to poultry-keeping, for the prevention of avian-flu. Community mobilization techniques can help create an environment through which communities particularly affected and ‘at-risk’ communities, can discuss, organize, build consensus and communicate their own perspectives on AI. Primary audiences including women and children, families involved in backyard poultry-keeping, small-scale commercial poultry farmers and dealers, transporters of poultry products, community leaders. Summary Implementation of a coordinated and comprehensive country-wide Public Education and BCC campaign, directed at stimulating greater public dialogue on Avian/Pandemic Influenza within wider society, and adoption of ‘safe practices’ by ‘at-risk’ population to reduce risk of virus transmission. Implementation and monitoring of policy and media advocacy interventions that facilitate the creation of robust policy implementation mechanisms and a proactive media environment. Increasing of communication capacities and competencies of key partners to implement, manage and monitor prevention/containment strategies, at national and sub national levels. The Campaign will use an evidence-based mix of mass media and ground-level inter-personal communication interventions to achieve the strategic goals and objectives elaborated earlier. Management and Coordination Mechanisms for Implementation The strategy will be implemented, both, at national and sub-national levels, by a range of institutions and partners including the ministry of Ministry of Health, the Ministry of agriculture, Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Interior, UN and international organizations, the provincial Governorates, the Media, non-governmental and community-based organizations , and the private sector. To coordinate and effectively manage the implementation of the communication interventions, the following is envisioned: Establishment of a formal, inter-sectoral Strategic Communication Working Group (SCWG) on AI Prevention/Containment, which will provide overall technical guidance and oversight in the planning and implementation of the interventions The SCGW will be comprised of communication and technical specialists, drawn from among the various partners. Drawn from among the various partners. The Provincial governorates, in collaboration with national counterparts, will provide leadership in coordinating and managing the implementation of activities at the provincial level including the preparation of micro-plans and training of key front-line workers like teachers, health workers, youth groups, and local NGO.

Comparison of Adidas and Nike Footwear

Comparison of Adidas and Nike Footwear COMPARITIVE STUDY OF Brand of Leading Footwear Giants With special reference to Adidas and Nike ABSTRACT BRANDING The 1980s marked a turning point in the competition of brands. Management came to ralise that the principlal asset of a company was in fact its brand names. The brand is not the product but it gives the product meaning and defines its identity in both time and space. Too often brands are examined through their component parts: the brand name, its logo, design or packaging, advertising or sponsorship, the level of image and brand awareness or, more recently, in terms of financial valuation. The brand is a focal point for all the positive and negative impressions created by buyer over time as he comes into contact with the brands products, distribution channel, personnel and communication. The brand continues to be, at least in short term, a byword for quality even after the patent has expired. The brand performs an economic function in the mind of consumer and thus has a lasting and memorable effect on the companys activities, be it as distributor or owner of the brand. Legally a brand is simply a symbol which distinguishes a companys product and certifies its origin and thus only obtains its value through registration and conformity. In order to understand in what way a strong brand is a generator of growth and profitability, it is first necessary to remind ourselves of the fnctions that it performs with the consumers themselves, and which are the source of this valuable goodwill. Once these functions are valued, the consumer seeks out the brands and becomes attached, indeed loyal, to them and, in accordance with the valuation, is often prepared to pay more for the branded product. On the other hand, when these functions are either not fulfilled or not valued by the public, the attraction of the branded product decreases and its premium price becomes unacceptable. Branding means much more than just giving a brand name and signaling to the outside world that such a product or service has been stamped with the mark and imprint of an organization. Brands are a direct consequence of the strategy of market segmentation and product differentiation. It is no wonder that the word â€Å"brand† also refers to the act of burning a mark into the flesh of an animal as a means to claim ownership of it. Branding though, is not about being on top of something, but within something. The product or service thus enriched must stand out well if it is to be spotted by the potential buyer and if the company wants to reap the benefits of its strategy before being copied by others. The brand should have its own specific point of view on the product category. It is this conception whichjustifies the brands exixstence, its reason for being on the market, and provides it with a guideline for its life cycle. A brand is both the memory and future of its products. Products are mute: the brand is what gives them meaning and purpose, telling us how a product should be read. A brand is both a prism and a magnifying glass through which products can be decoded. Brands become credible through persistency and repetition. Whats in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. William Shakespeare Shakespeare was wrong. A rose by any other name would not smell as sweet †¦. Which is why the single most important decision in the marketing of perfume is the name. Al Ries and Jack Trout An idea, in the highest sense of that word, cannot be conveyed but a symbol. Samuel Taylor Coleridge A brand is an external manifestation of what happens inside the organization. The brand is the most powerful asset of a company. It is the instrument by which the products move. It is the symbol of a companys promise. Branding is the process by which companies distinguish their product offerings from competition. A brand is created by developing a distinctive name, packaging and design, and arousing customer expectations about the offering. By developing an individual identity, branding permits customers to develop associations like prestige and economy with the brand. Buying a brand reduces the risk of the customer and eases his purchase decisions. Brand superiority leads to high sales, the ability to charge price premiums, and the power to resist distribution power. A brand is a distinguishing name or symbol (such as a logo, trademark, or package design) meant to identify the goods or services of either one seller or a Group of sellers. Its purpose is to differentiate the goods or services from the goods or services of the competitors. A brand gives signals to the customer the source of the product, and protects both the customer and the producer from the competitors who would attempt to provide identical products that appear to be same. The strength of brand is directly proportional to the expectations of the customer about it. The brand is the culmination of all the activities of the organization. The brand name conveys the set of values and attributes embodied in the brand. When we think of M with curved top reminds us of the delicious burgers served at McDonalds outlets. This is how a symbol reminds us of the brand when it becomes applicable in the whole universe. A BRAND CONVEYS the following message Ø Attributes: can be both specific and abstract. Size colour and weight are specific. McDonalds gives identification of pure and hygienic food served by it. Ø Benefits: refer to the consumer perception of the needs that are being satisfied. McDonalds gives us healthy food, which is hygienic and ready to eat. Ø Values: Wipros values are to deliver best products and services by applying these values. Ø Culture: Mercedes represents German culture: organized and efficient and comfortable cars. Ø Personality: Raymonds fabrics provide a gentle, caring and lovable mans look to its users. Ø User: Barbies indicate that its user would be a small kid and not a teenager or an old man A successful brand has several essential attributes. The presence of most of these attributes can guarantee long-term eminence of the brand.  · The brand provides the benefits that customer desire. Customers buy a brand because its attributes, its image, its service and many other tangible and intangible factors create an attractive whole.  · The brand stays relevant.  · The pricing strategy is based on consumers perception of value. The company has to arrive at the right blend of product quality, design, features and price. Value pricing should not be adopted at the expense of essential brand-building activities. Whatever price the company decides to charge, it should be able to demonstrate that customers are deriving value from it in proportion to the price they are paying.  · The brand is properly positioned. Successful brands keep up with competitors by creating points of parity in those areas where competitors are trying to find an advantage, while at the same time creating points of difference to achieve advantages over competitors in some other areas.  · The brand is consistent. Maintaining a strong brand means striking the right balance between continuity in marketing activities and the kind of changes needed to stay relevant.  · The brand portfolio and hierarchy should make sense. The Gaps brand portfolio provides maximum market coverage with minimal overlap. Banana Republic serves the higher end, the Gap brand covers the basic style and quality segment, and Old Navy serves the mass market. Each brand has the distinct image and its own source of equity. Brand at each level of the hierarchy should contribute to the overall equity of the portfolio through their individual ability to make consumers aware of the various products and foster favourable associations with them.  · The brand makes use of and coordinates a full repertoire of marketing activities to build equity.  · Brand managers understand what the brand means to consumers. LITERATURE REVIEW Define the Market Market is the place where the sellers and buyers meet. It does not have any demographic limits. Market research  · Market research gives the knowledge about customers, its attitude, approach. Market research is collection of data which will make a person (as a business) more aware of how the people, you hope to sell the product of the company to, will react to your products or services. Conducting market research There is no uniform way of conducting market research, yet there are number of ways in which we may carry out your research but we need to carefully consider the reason of this choice and what you hope the evidence will suggest to you. There are various methods but Questionnaires and personal interviews are one of the most common ways in which you can conduct market research, and there are many methods of gathering data this way: Direct Interview, Mail Survey and Telephone interview of person. Marketing mix The Marketing Mix (The 4 Ps of Marketing) In marketing decisions we are to take decisions about the four following categories:  · Product which is produced by the company  · Price which is charged by the company  · Place (distribution) where it is sold by the company  · Promotion what is done to increase sales of the company These four Ps are those parameters that the marketing manager can control, subject to the internal and external constraints of the marketing environment. All the four elements of the marketing mix for a target market should reinforce one another and contribute positively to companys value proposition for the target market. The correct process to get its marketing mix right is that the company decides its positioning and sets each element of the marketing mix to conform to its positioning. Most companies start with fixing their marketing mix elements individually and only much later in their evolution do they consciously think about positioning. Different elements of the marketing mix send conflicting signals to the customers. Customers are confused about the companys true positioning. Such companies are not reaping the values that they could have from their marketing mix as customers pay less to compensate for the conflicting signals they get from one of the elements of the marketing mix. When customers get conflicting signals from the store, they always look to bargain for a lower price. If the same product had been sold from a brand ed store, all the four elements of the marketing mix would have presented a consistent image of high quality and premium product. Customers would not have bargained. Product Decisions Product means to tangible, physical products as well as services. Here are some examples of the product decisions to be made by the marketing manager:  · Brand name  · Styling of the product  · Quality of the product Price Decisions Marketing manager is to decide which pricing policy is to be decided by him for his product range so that consumer is satisfied and he is not losing profit. There are no fixed rules to be followed. Some examples of pricing decisions to be made include:  · Pricing strategy (skim, penetration, etc.)  · Cash discount and early payment discounts  · flexibility in pricing of the product of the company  · Price discrimination Decision about Distribution (Place) of Product Distribution means the process of delivering the goods to its customers. Some examples of distribution decisions include the following:  · Distribution channels  · Market coverage (inclusive, selective, or exclusive distribution)  · Warehousing arrangement  · Distribution centers of the company  · Transportation Promotion of goods It represents the various aspects of marketing communication. It is the communication of information about the product to generate a positive customer response. Marketing communication decisions include the following items:  · Promotional strategy (push, pull, etc.)  · Advertising of the product  · Personal selling sales force  · Sales promotions Swot analysis S Strength W Weakness O- Opportunity T- Threat This is very important for the company because it tells the weakness and the strong points of the company and if company then it is easier for the company to operate and also the profits as well as the market share of the company get increased so that it gets some synergy in its operation. Brand Image Brand image relates to the customers perception of the brand. Brand image can be defined as the set of beliefs held about a particular brand. Brand image is the sum total of impressions that consumers receive from many sources, all of which combine to form a brand personality. Brand image is also described as the way in which a particular brand is positioned in the market, i.e., hoe the consumer perceives the product. Brand image is a set of associations, usually organized in some meaningful way. Brand image is the understanding consumers derive from the total set of brand-related activities engaged by the firm. Implicit in all the above definitions is that brand image is a consumer-constructed notion of the brand. Consumers ascribe a persona or an image to the brand based on subjective perceptions of a set of associations that they have about the brand. For example, Lexus may be associated with lixury and status, while Volvo may have safety associations in the mind of the customers. McDonalds may be associated with a symbol such as the Golden Arches, or children may link the fast food giant to a place where they can have fun. The key difference between the brand image and brand identity is that whereas identity stems from the source or company, image is received by the receiver or the consumer. Brand message is packed or wrapped in terms of brand identity, and it is unpacked or unwrapped by the consumer in the form of brand image. Identity represents the firms reality while image represents the perception of the consumer. Brand attitude Attitudes towards brand are dynamic, and are learnt over a period of time. Therefore, each encounter of the consumer with the brand either reinforces the existing attitude or forces him to re-evaluate it. Consumers form attitudes about brands to consumption for several reasons:  · They simplify complex subjects  · They protect self-esteem  · They help us adjust to world  · They allow us to express fundamental values. There are three main sources of attitudes:  · Direct experience with the brands and situations  · Explicit and implicit learning from others about the brand  · Personality development Attitudes are not observable. Attitudes relative to purchase behaviour are formed as a result of direct experience with the product, word of mouth, exposure to mass media advertising, the internet and direct marketing. Attitudes are not synonymous with behaviour though they may result from behaviour. Attitudes have consistency, though they are not permanent, and can and do change. Once attitude develop, they are not always easy to change. Often the goal of marketing is to change attitude about a brand or a company. Attitudes occur within a situation. From a marketers perspective, it is important to consider the situation in which the behavior takes place, or one might misinterpret the relationship between attitude and behavior. Branding for a business means one need to stand out from the herd when it comes to business. Branding makes the company stronger and more adaptable than your competitors. Brand gives the business an immediate advantage because it is a backbone, or a frame work, on which company hangs its products. Brand gives awareness of the product to the customer. A branded business carries with it an ideology. If people know the brand they know the company and what it stands for. A brand carries with it the power to inspire and influence your customers. Brand creates a set of subconscious associations in minds of the customers of the company and sets you apart from the herd. Brand gives the customer satisfaction, surety about the following: 1. Quality of product of company 2. Reliability of product of company 3. Customer service (after sales /before sales) 4. Uniformity of material, size etc. Advertising campaigns uses the following for their product 1. Their Logos 2. Their Slogans 3. Their Promises We absorb every day that a lot of advertising promotion Logos, slogans and associated advertising methods (particularly background music) stick like mud. â€Å"Ek idea jo apke duniya badal de† â€Å"Im loving it†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ can name the brands. Company need to grab its audience and need to keep them until they are fully aware that it exists and that it mean business. It is advisable for the company not to copy its competitors, be original instead  ­ look to companies that inspire you for inspiration. There are some other ways of advertising but Word of mouth is by far the most effective form of advertising. People ignore Pop-up windows, but theyll listen to their best friend. If company provides a quality service people will recommend for it to the other prospects and help to make them customers. If company can provide quality at decent price customers will come back, inspiring customer loyalty is part of a strong brand identity. If company is lacking to shape its business, it may want to hire a professional to help shape your business model, or to improve its advertising scheme. Company should not limit itself; putting blinkers on is a way of staying focussed; but it also leads to missed opportunities of growth. INTRODUCTION Brands in todays intense global economy are strategic assets and a key source of competitive advantage. A brands equity adds or detracts from the power of the brand. It must be managed and leveraged to produce strong long-term performance and lasting revenue growth. Strong brand-building and measurement skills are crucial to achieve these critical objectives in todays fiercely competitive global economy. The brand performs an economic function in the mind of consumer and thus has a lasting and memorable effect on the companys activities, be it as distributor or owner of the brand. Brands create market segmentation and product differentiation. â€Å"Brand† also refers to the act of burning a mark into the flesh of an animal as a means to claim ownership of it. Branding though, is not about being on top of something, but within something. The product or service thus enriched must stand out well if it is to be spotted by the potential buyer and if the company wants to reap the benefits of its strategy before being copied by others. Brand equity It means to the value inherent in a brand name. This value stems from the consumers perception of the brands superiority, the social esteem that using it provides, and the customers trust and identification with the brand. For corporate world, their most valuable assets are their brand names. Well-known brand names are referred to as megabrands which attracts the customers. Companies prefer to leverage their brand equity through brand extensions rather than taking the risk launching a new brand. Brand equity is most important for low involvement purchases such as inexpensive consumer goods that are brought routinely and with little processing of cognitive information. Brand equity enables companies to charge a price premium an additional amount over and above the price of an identical store brand. A relatively new strategy among some marketers is co-branding (also called double branding). The basis of co-branding, in which two brand names are featured on a single product, is to use another products brand equity to enhance the primary brands equity. Brand loyalty and brand equity increases market share and profits are increased. Definition of Brand Equity Brand equity is the value and power of the brand that determines its worth. The brand equity can be determined by measuring;  · The price premium that the brand charges over unbranded products;  · By assessing the additional volume of the sales generated by the brand as compared to other brands in the same category;  · Returns to shareholders;  · Assessing the image of the brand for various parameters that are deemed important;  · Assessing the future earning potential of he brand; Various activities of the firm determine brand equity. These activities may enhance or diminish the brand value. Activities that are synchronous with the overall vision for the brand enhance equity, and any activity that goes against this overall vision reduces brand equity. The customer-based brand equity framework defines customer-based brand equity as the differential effect that consumer knowledge about a brand has on the customers response to marketing activity. Positive customer based brand equity results when consumers respond more favourably to a product, price or communication when the brand is identified than when it is not. Sources of brand equity occur when consumer are aware of the brand and hold strong, favourable and unique brand associations. Any action that a firm takes as part of its marketing programme has the potential to change consumer knowledge about the brand in terms of some aspects of brand awareness or brand image. Managing brand equity, however, requires more than taking a long-term perspective. Brand equity must be actively managed over time by reinforcing the brand meaning and if necessary, by revitalizing the brand. Who should be involved in process of building brands? Brand managers were originally dominant in brand building. However, the traditional brand manager concept has been criticized since changes in the external environment and within the firm raise doubts about its appropriateness. Limitations in the brand management concept have resulted in the move to categry management. In some firms the CEO is in charge of brands, which is advantageous as CEOs have authority, a long term perspective and control over resources. CEOs also have many objectives and may be subject to performance measures which conflict with the aims of building a strong brand. As such the â€Å"brand champion†, a senior executive with sole responsibility for managing and building one particular brand, is emerging as an alternative. However, as the role of marketing departments has declined branding mayhave ceased to be their sole responsibility. External parties may also be involved. Agencies attract employees who are interested in brand strategy, and these employees often develop brand strategy toolkits and gain insight and experience because of their exposure to different brand and brand contexts. Consumer involvement is also critical. Stages in building a successful brand  · Identify external opportunities  · Identify internal capabilities  · Define the brand and develop a brand concept  · Consider feasibility of brand  · Ensure internal commitment  · Position and differentiate the brand  · Structure organizational resources  · Market testing  · Operationalization The brand concept is based on the consumer needs that a brand can satisfy. A brand with a functional concept is designed to solve externally generated consumption needs. A brand with a symbolic concept is designed to associate the individual with a desired group, role or self image. A brand with an experimental concept is designed to fulfill an internally generated need for stimulation and/or variety. Brand identity originates from the company, i.e., the company is responsible for creating a differentiated product with unique features. The marketing mix strategy plays an important role in establishing a brand identity. The four Ps product, promotion, price and place- can play an important role in this process. Brand identity is the common element sending a single message amid a wide variety of its products, actions and slogans. This is important since the more the brand expands, the more customers are inclined to feel that they are, in fact, dealing with several different brands rather than a single brand. Through brand identity, a company seeks to convey its individuality and disinctiveness to the relevant public. It is through the development of this identity that managers and employees make a brand unique. The brand identity is made up of the following components:  · Brand vision  · Brand culture  · Positioning  · Personality  · Relationships  · Presentations Brand equity† has two components, we can more easily determine a reliable way to measure brand equity, and to track changes in brand equity over time. The components of brand equity are: a) retention and attraction of customers, b) stem from peoples experiences and c) perceptions of a brand. How should brand equity be reinforced over time? How can marketers make sure that consumers have the desired knowledge structures such that their brands continue to have the necessary sources of brand equity? In a general sense, brand equity is reinforced by marketing actions that consistently convey the meaning of the brand to consumers in terms of brand awareness an brand image as follows:  · What products does the brand represent; what benefits does it supply; and what needs does it satisfy?  · How does the brand make those products superior? What strong, favourable and unique brand associations exist in the minds of consumers? Both of these issues- brand meaning in terms of products, benefits and needs as well as brand meaning in terms of product differentiation depend on firms general approach to product development, branding strategies and other strategic concerns. The most important consideration in reinforcing brands is the consistency of the marketing support that the brand receives both in terms of the amount and nature of marketing support. Brand consistency is critical to maintaining the strength and favourability of brand associations. Brands that receive inadequate support, in terms of such things as shrinking research and development or marketing communication budgets, run the risk of becoming technologically disadvantaged or even obsolete. Consistency does not mean, however, that marketers should avoid making any changes in the marketing programme. On the contrary, the opposite can be quite true being consistent in managing brand equity may require numerous tactical shifts and changes in order to maintain the proper strategic thrust and direction of the brand. There are many ways that brand awareness and brand image can be created, maintained or improved through carefully designed marketing programmes. Brand loyalty occur when a customer makes the choice of purchasing one brand from among a set of alternatives consistently over a period of time. Brand loyalty is usually rated as the most important indicator of brand equity. Loyalty is a dual edged sword, an opportunity for those that consistently deliver on their promises; high risk, for those who dont. (Martin Hoffmitz, Executive Vice President) Loyalty is developed in the absence of something better. (Justin Lees, Commercial Controller) BRAND EQUITY BRAND LOYALTY MEASUREMENT AND MANAGEMENT Companies work hard building the strength of their brands to earn more profits. Bottom line job of marketing is to Build a brand, cultivate its strengths, prune its weaknesses, and make it more valuable to its owners. Marketing does ultimately work in concert to make a firms brands more valuable. Ways to Measure Brand Equity Measuring of brand equity establishes a baseline and track changes in its brand equity over time. Company must consistently work to improve the strength of its brands. it must trace progress, or risk flying blind. Changes in a quantitative measurement of brand equity can show the company the effects of its work, and aid in setting marketing and management priorities in the next business planning cycle. A company measures its brand equity to aid in assigning a monetary value to a brand. Wall Street measures the strength of a brand by looking primarily at current and historical financial measures, with minimal use of information directly from the voice of the marketplace (i.e., current and prospective customers). LOYALTY IN THE MARKET PLACE Whether husbands are loyal to their wives or not, whether employees remain loyal to their employers or not, marketers are realising the need to have a large number of loyal customers. The purpose of any organisation does not end with just getting the customers. Retaining them in their fold is an equally important task. No successful company is satisfied if a customer buys the product of the Company just once or twice. He/She must be made to buy the same brand again, and again. This is should be the core strategy for many of the fast moving consumer goods. Often consumers may not be aware of even the total set of brands available in the market of the product category under consideration. Again, they do not consider for choice all the brands they are aware of. They have an evoked set or a consideration set of brands within which they normally switch from one to another. Consider the case of toilet soaps. There are any number of toilet soaps available in the market. But consumers usuall y choose from their evoked set only. Suppose, the evoked set of brands for toilet- soaps for a consumer consists of Hamam, Rexona and Lux, she will buy only from these three brands. At the same time, she may buy one particular brand more often than other brands in the evoked set, which is a different issue to be taken up later. Footwear Technologies adiprene Ø Shock absorbing material under the heel. Ø Provides heel cushioning and stability. Ø Provides extra absorption of harmful impact forces. Ø Adds stability a ground contact. adiprene Ø Elastic material under the forefoot. Ø Allows a more efficient push-off. Ø Retains natural forces at toe-off for added forefoot efficiency. Ø Maximizes energy use. torsion Ø Helps control of the natural independent rotation of the heel and forefoot. Ø Creates stability and control. Ø Helps the forefoot adopt to surfaces easily. Ø Maintains mid-foot support. Traxion Ø Lugs in shoe bottom provide optimal ground penetration and maximum grip. Ø Lug placement optimizes comfort while increasing surface contact. Ø Adds stability at ground contact. Ø Meets the specific needs of different sports and surfaces. Pro-Moderator Ø Usage of TPU as lightweight mid-sole support system reduces weight of shoe giving greater mobility. Ø Improved durability of mid-sole adds to life of shoes providing consistent and stable run. Ø Direct moulding on mid-sole frees your foot from thick inserts giving improved toe-all. GeoFit Frame Ø An Internal footwear technology that enhances fit and comfort by placing padding in anatomically correct areas. Ø Every piece of anatomically moulded padding follows the form of the foot, evenly distributing pressu

Moral Responsibility in Business

Moral Responsibility in Business Moral responsibility Moral responsibility is the voluntary attributable responsibility ensuring that acts knowingly and intentionally carried out by rational human beings dont cause injury to other individuals. Wilmot (2001) contrasts the theories that from a business perspective, moral responsibility can be described as the quality of corporate behaviour by which the responsible corporation displays such characteristics as wisdom, prudence and moral fortitude, however from another perspective can be held to mean forcing corporations to account for their actions much as one would an individual. According to Constantinescu and Kaptein (2015), moral responsibility for outcomes in corporate settings can be ascribed individuals within the corporation, the corporation itself, or both, defining these as individual moral responsibility, corperate moral responsibility and Summative Corporate Moral Responsibility. There is a common held traditional belief that the product itself doesnt denote responsibility itself and that it is the user who has ultimate responsibility however this has been distorted over time to incorporate products liability and the effects thereof. According to Federwisch (2015), an individual or party is morally responsible for an event as long as three premises are met, namely if they caused the event to occur, they acted within the bounds of reason and they could have prevented the event from occurring. An example of this is the Perrier scandal in 1992, when a US production site discovered bottles containing the toxic chemical benzene. Perrier was arguably the market lead with over 60% sales derived from overseas exports. Having no contingency plan for product recall, the managements initial response was to pass the event off as an isolated incident, however when benzene was identified in Perrier globally, this was identified as an untenable explanation. In order to attempt to maintain reputation, a product recall of 160 million bottles from 120 countries was instigated at a cost of over $250m. Unfortunately, there was a delay in action from the company and poor decision making along with poor communication led to a loss of reputation among consumers (Caesar-Gordon., 2015). Subsequently, Perrier effectively went out of business, being brought up by the Nestlà © cooperation. This can be contrasted with the earlier effects of the Johnson and Johnson Tylenol event when in the eighties, packets of the pain killer Tylenol were deliberately contaminated with cyanide and placed upon the shelves resulting in several deaths. Immediately, the management body at the manufacturers made an ethical decision in accordance with their ethical perspective and halted the advertising campaign from the product, recalled 31 million bottles- Tylenol accounted for 17% of the companies net income, causing a cost of $100 million. Ultimately, the decision proved to be highly successful. Whilst initial losses were apparent, and stock prices in the firm dipped, public confidence in the firm was restored by the action and within two months of the event, the stock prices recovered and the company regained its market position (Benoit, 2012). There are however, examples in which the conditions become a grey area, notably in the manufacture of products that are designed to cause harm, creating a paradox in the subject of moral responsibility. Constantinescu and Kaptein (2015) posed the question, is there any point in discussing the morality of organizations when this could be rendered redundant in light of existing legislation-as such, do ethics transend law. Comparative morality suggests they do in that a firm may be acting within the bounds of legality, yet still perform unethical actions. An example of this is the production of armaments. Guns are designed to kill. They may not be employed as such as they can be used for certain non-lethal sporting practices e.g. target, filed and skeet (clay pigeon) however that dos not detract from the fact that the primary rationale for the design of a gun is to have the ability to kill. As such it becomes difficult to prove that the product was misused relative to its design specifi cation whilst maintaining that the action met with the conditions outlined earlier that denote responsibility. According to Kurtzleben (2015), it is not true that gun manufacturers are not liable for their goods, however, they have specific legal protections against liability that very few other industries can share, namely the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005-this doesnt absolve arms manufacturers from liability pertaining to defects in the construction of the item however it does provide the mechanism by which use of the device within its intended purpose cannot de facto be classified as misuse thereby, if such a weapon was used to cause harm to an individual, then it is performing as it was intended and a case cannot be bought against the manufacturer. If conversely during the process, the weapon self-destructs and harms the user then the manufacturer is liable. Wilmott (2001) raises the question that the application of corporate responsibility being aimed at the organisation rather than the actions of an individual arises because the probability of ascertaining guilt amongst a complex organisation is unlikely therefore the outcome is questionable. This leads to examination of the nature of punishments incurred by the relative organisation which may often appear complex and disproportionate, however this can reflect upon the nature of the punishment being control or deterrence, and can be compounded by the effect of reputation and image in light of a positive outcome. References Benoit, A. (2012, November 11). Johnson and Johnson: Recalling, Reassuring, and Reviving. Retrieved March 11, 2017, from https://bizgovsoc4.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/johnson-and-johnson-recalling-reassuring-and-reviving-2/ Constantinescu, M., Kaptein, M. (2015). Mutually enhancing responsibility: a theoretical exploration of the interaction mechanisms between individual and corporate moral responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics: JBE; Dordrecht129.2 (Jun 2015): 325-339. Caesar-Gordon , A. (2015). Lessons to learn from a product recall .Retrieved March 04, 2017, from http://www.prweek.com/article/1357209/lessons-learn-product-recall Federwisch, A. (2015). The Ethics of Product Usage. Retrieved March 11, 2017, from https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/business-ethics/resources/the-ethics-of-product-usage/ Kurtzleben (2015), http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/10/06/446348616/fact-check-are-gun-makers-totally-free-of-liability-for-their-behavior Wilmot, S., (2001). Corporate moral responsibility: What can we infer from our understanding of organisations? Journal of Business Ethics: JBE; Dordrecht30.2 (Mar 2001): 161-169

Role of Espionage in American History Essay -- American History Spying

Role of Espionage in American History Knowledge is power. It is as simple as that. Espionage is the secret gathering of information, often referred to as "intelligence". Intelligence refers to the processed information needed to make any decision. This could be used for business, military, economic, or political decisions. More often than not, this term refers to domestic or foreign policy of a country. Espionage is illegal in all countries, yet all countries have some form of espionage organization. The first espionage act was recorded 2500 years ago. The first book on espionage, The Art of War was written by a Chinese emperor/general Sun Tzu in about 500 BC. There is another type of espionage, counter-espionage. This is the collection of information of any espionage (Ransom 1). American espionage is particularly important. It has got us where we are today. Without it, we wouldn’t have got passed the Revolutionary War, and our independence. From the Revolutionary War to the highly technical world of today, espionage in America has always played a role in shaping American history. The Revolutionary War was the war for American independence. The intelligence gathering ability of the Americans was not very good. Foley, the author of the book Famous American Spies, says that the Americans were very disorganized. They were not very secret either. They held open meetings in public taverns for the community to see. They relied mainly on the infiltration of enemy lines and by word of mouth (Foley 17-18). The most famous tavern was the Green Dragon tavern. Foley mentions that some of the members were Sam and John Adams, John Hancock, James Oti... ...stead the CIA power was limited to just the U.S. and its job was the war on drugs and national security (Ameringer 391). America and espionage, unfortunately, have become synonymous. Secrets are abound and conspiracy theories fly in our country. Espionage, one way or the other, has always played a major role in American History. Works Cited Foley, Rae. Famous American Spies. New York: Dodd, Meard, and Company. 1964. Ransom, Howe. â€Å"Espionage.† Encarta. CD-ROM. IBM ed.2000. Seattle, WA: Microsoft, 1987-2000 Jeffreys-Jones, Rhodrl. â€Å"CIA.† Encarta. CD-ROM. IBM ed.2000. Seattle, WA: Microsoft, 1987-2000 Ameringer, Charles D. U.S. Foreign Intelligence: The Secret Side of American History. Lexington: Lexington Books, 1990. Richelson, Jeffrey T. A Century of Spies: Intelligence in the Twentieth Century. New York: Oxford University Press, 1955. Role of Espionage in American History Essay -- American History Spying Role of Espionage in American History Knowledge is power. It is as simple as that. Espionage is the secret gathering of information, often referred to as "intelligence". Intelligence refers to the processed information needed to make any decision. This could be used for business, military, economic, or political decisions. More often than not, this term refers to domestic or foreign policy of a country. Espionage is illegal in all countries, yet all countries have some form of espionage organization. The first espionage act was recorded 2500 years ago. The first book on espionage, The Art of War was written by a Chinese emperor/general Sun Tzu in about 500 BC. There is another type of espionage, counter-espionage. This is the collection of information of any espionage (Ransom 1). American espionage is particularly important. It has got us where we are today. Without it, we wouldn’t have got passed the Revolutionary War, and our independence. From the Revolutionary War to the highly technical world of today, espionage in America has always played a role in shaping American history. The Revolutionary War was the war for American independence. The intelligence gathering ability of the Americans was not very good. Foley, the author of the book Famous American Spies, says that the Americans were very disorganized. They were not very secret either. They held open meetings in public taverns for the community to see. They relied mainly on the infiltration of enemy lines and by word of mouth (Foley 17-18). The most famous tavern was the Green Dragon tavern. Foley mentions that some of the members were Sam and John Adams, John Hancock, James Oti... ...stead the CIA power was limited to just the U.S. and its job was the war on drugs and national security (Ameringer 391). America and espionage, unfortunately, have become synonymous. Secrets are abound and conspiracy theories fly in our country. Espionage, one way or the other, has always played a major role in American History. Works Cited Foley, Rae. Famous American Spies. New York: Dodd, Meard, and Company. 1964. Ransom, Howe. â€Å"Espionage.† Encarta. CD-ROM. IBM ed.2000. Seattle, WA: Microsoft, 1987-2000 Jeffreys-Jones, Rhodrl. â€Å"CIA.† Encarta. CD-ROM. IBM ed.2000. Seattle, WA: Microsoft, 1987-2000 Ameringer, Charles D. U.S. Foreign Intelligence: The Secret Side of American History. Lexington: Lexington Books, 1990. Richelson, Jeffrey T. A Century of Spies: Intelligence in the Twentieth Century. New York: Oxford University Press, 1955.