Victory of Congo

This is a story of terror, heroism, slavery, greed and discrimination in colonial Africa, particularly in Congo. In the late 1890s, Congo’s population declined due to murder, drought, people being starved, exhaustion, diseases and low birth rates. The death toll was measured to be approximately 12million.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Victory of Congo specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is due to this torture that Edmund Dene Morel (a journalist and an agent of a shipping company), Rogger Casement and Henry Grattan founded the Congo Reform Association (CRA) in 1904. The aim of the foundation was to help the impoverished Congo’s workforce. This was through gaining the plight’s attention. The movement revealed major abuses of the public servants in Congo. This brutality consequently led to Congo’s annexation in 1908. The above mentioned activists gathered enough information on the exploitation and abuse of these public servants in Congo. After achieving their goals, the CRA was dissolved in 1912 (Hochschild 288). The movement was supported by Joseph Convad (a steam-boat officer) who wrote the Heart of Darkness book. America’s segregation was seen as a kind of apartheid; the kind that was experienced in South Africa. It was an unfair inequality that was a discrimination against black Americans. The blacks were faced with economic and social discrimination and also brutally abused by the police. They also suffered the problem of homelessness and discrimination of their children in schools. Blacks were made to believe that they were inferior to the whites and they could never rise beyond the poverty line. Adam Hochschild in his book, King Leopold’s Ghost, describes the brutality that Congo faced under king Leopold II of Belgium. Morel quit his job to concentrate on putting an end to Congo’s brutality and cruelty. Only the courageous people would dare expose the bad side of the Congo atrocity. More of those who followed suit were two African Americans, George Washington Williams and William Sheppard. All these heroes vowed to struggle for the sake of Congo’s freedom. Rogger Casement was thereafter killed for being a â€Å"traitor†. Leopold II was Belgium’s king and a private monopolist of the only colony worldwide. Joseph Conrad was terrified due to the cruelty and inhumanity of the whites based in Congo (Hochschild 166).Advertising Looking for assessment on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Leopold, an individual who robbed off the integrity and good nature of Congo succeeded in the name of religion, humanitarianism, civilization and development. People from Africa and Asia were also tortured. This was very inhuman and hypocritical of the king and other perpetrators. Morel and Casement acted in boldness and their activism was committe d to outdo the murderous people like king Leopold. Morel is recognized as a moral supporter and activist of human rights. Morel and Casement decided that it was time to end the discrimination against human beings of different color, race, religion, country and ethnicity. This was their drive in their activism to end cruelty (Hochschild 293). Moreover Leopold exploited the people because he had an upper hand in technological advancement. He was able to get exposure to new technology that was unutilized before. This included the gun technologies, medicine among others. The Congo citizens had to live with a lot of pain and humiliation. Also, some murders passed unnoticed. There existed a coerced labor system in Congo. The Belgians overworked the Congolese and most times this led to death. Leopold committed crimes against humanity and it was a perfect time for this to be put to end, according to Casement and Morel. Thus, human and civil rights activists had to make changes to transform humankind. Commissions of inquiry were later held as projects to commence and support the end of colonization and a beginning of freedom. Museums in Congo finally established historical sites of king Leopold’s era of brutality in Congo (Hochschild 265). Morel suffered imprisonment, almost alone, in his fight for the Congo people. The king was greedy for wealth and so he extorted the poor using his power and influence. He wanted to own the colony personally. In this regard, he formed The International Africa Association, to â€Å"civilize and aid† Congo. Since Morel worked for a company that had collaborated with Leopold, he was able to establish several facts that show Leopold was taking advantage of Congo. These include, shipping weapons and not invoicing them, profit skimming and other disparities. Slavery and forced human labor was also high. Morel’s efforts included writing a journal, â€Å"West African Mail.† This was aimed at documenting the cruelty of Leopold. The two activists also held several interviews that exposed the evils and also did approximately 50 lectures of the same (Corbett par. 5).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Victory of Congo specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Leopold used cunning methods, lies, politics, and ignorance to rule. He even used to poach elephants so that he could trade on ivory (Wilson par. 6). Leopold feared competition from the various countries that also dealt with rubber. This made him bring forth slaves who would work tirelessly to ensure he stays ahead of the competitors. He made sure that using his tricks; he got control of the infrastructure especially the transport sector, to run his operations. His supervisors were often whites while the blacks were the slaves who did most of the dirty work. He defended himself saying that his work was solely humanitarian. It is a sad fact that the judicial system in Congo was very slow and unfair. This made efforts to bring Leopold down futile. The system discriminated against the blacks by giving them punishments while it forgave the whites (Corbett par. 8). With the help of very reliable sources Morel and Casement were able to reveal Leopold’s secrets. He slowly lost the battle. Leopold succumbed to cancer in 1909. By then, the two activists had succeeded in making certain reforms. They included taxation that replaced forced human labor and also a major transition in the industry of rubber. Those who took leadership after had the economic and social interests of the Congo citizens at heart (Corbett par. 10). Africa should however not put all the blame for its underdevelopment on colonialism. This is because it has been proven that some countries have made it, despite having had colonization. The efforts of the activists were overly challenged. They were imprisoned, tortured and even sued for libel from their pieces of writings and documentation. Morel investigated the fraud rate in the shipping business, headed by Leopold. The rest of the colleagues in the shipping company were afraid to expose Leopold’s evils for fear of loss of the lucrative jobs. Morel was an accurate man who made sure that efforts by those supporters of Leopold to get him failed miserably. He wrote journals, reports, letters, a magazine, conducted interviews, and took photos exposing Leopold. Sir Charles Dilkes was a major supporter of morel. The pulling down of Leopold meant that the trade industry and revenue of Congo would be enhanced. Morel joined active politics, even after the death of Leopold and was later imprisoned and died in 1924, of a heart attack (Wilson par. 9).Advertising Looking for assessment on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Corbett, Bob. King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2004. Webster Library. Web. Hochschild , Adam. King Leopold’s Ghost. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2004. Print. Wilson, Garret. King Leopold’s Ghost; A Story of Greed,Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. n.d. Web. http://www.garretwilson.com/books/kingleopoldsghost.html. This assessment on Victory of Congo was written and submitted by user Colten Holt to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

-59055067894200044577006724650004029075-800735 Essays - Free Essays

-59055067894200044577006724650004029075-800735 Essays - Free Essays -59055067894200044577006724650004029075-800735 27 Sep 191700 27 Sep 1917-923925-791845 19 July 183400 19 July 1834-914400-9067800038957254643755 Degas00 Degas-10191754669155 Edgar00 Edgar Edgar Degas was a French artist well-known for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. He was born on the 19th of july 1983 and died on the 27th of september 1917. Edgar is to be known as one of the founders of Impressionism although he refused the term, and preferred to be called a realist which was an artist or philosopher who believed in showing and discussing realism rather than visionary thoughts. Edgar's paintings and drawings are especially identified with the subject of the dance, and over half of his work portray dancers. His portraits are known to to be amongst the finest in the history of art. In Edgar's early career, his passion was to be a history painter and he was well supported by his rigorous academic training and close study of classic art.

Review paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review paper - Essay Example However, poverty has driven these people towards survival of the fittest. Mothers become increasingly detached with infants who are perceived to be weak to survive the extremely poor conditions and a presumed to be a burden on the family. This aspect has been discussed in the paper. The researcher analyzed the reproductive backgrounds of seventy two women of the small town and tried to discover linkages between the economic and maternal disparity with material and emotional scarcity. The purpose behind this study is to find out the effect of materialism and economic disparity on the social and cultural norms of motherhood, attachment, parting and eventual loss by death. The researcher wants to prove that these sentiments are a production of the environment or the society a person belongs to rather than an innate psychological feeling of attachment that comes natural to a mother. His curiosity for this study developed because if two incidents in his life one of a girl from a rural area who murdered her infant son and one year old daughter. When he asked her for the reason behind her action she replied, ‘They wouldn’t stop asking for milk and that little ones had no feelings.’ And the second incident which formed the basis of his studies was in a town where there were was shortage of food, no access to clean drinking water, lack of sanitation and infectious diseases. The writer was involved with helping a woman give birth to her second child. However, her first child was not cared for, thrown in the dumps, living in very worse conditions, taken by compassion the writer took the child to the care center and with a lot of effort nurtured him back to health. The women there however paid no heed to weak children as mentioned above and shunned the writer for making an effort on the girls first born. The second born however was fair and healthy and was the center of attention. The culture there conformed to the natural term of

Gender Pay Gap In Sweden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Gender Pay Gap In Sweden - Essay Example Estimates vary on the extent of the pay gap, ranging between 15-25% (Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, Opinion on Gender Pay Gap, 2007, pp.1-2). Like many other EU member states the gap between men's and women's pay in Sweden has not changed much in the last ten years and there is a general consensus that women are still earning almost 18% less than men. The paper explicitly analyzes and addresses the different aspects of Gender Pay Gap in Sweden. The data presented in the paper is based on different sources particularly EU study group reports. It highlights different facts and figures about GPG in Sweden, its origins and Swedish government policy response to counter measures and to level out wage differences between women and man. It also gives few examples of good practices. And finally few recommendations are made to reduce the GPG IN Sweden. The gender pay gap refers to the difference between the wages earned by women and by men. In order to take into account differences in working hours and the impact of the income tax system, most estimates are based on differences in gross hourly wages. The most common method is to calculate the gender pay gap as the ratio of women's average gross hourly wage to men's average gross hourly wage, or as the difference between men's and women's gross hourly wage as a percentage of men's average gross hourly wage. In this case, the gender pay gap indicates how many percentage points the earnings of men have to decrease in order to be equal to those of women. Another method is to use the earnings of women as a reference point. In that case, the gender pay gap indicates how many percentage points the earnings of women have to increase in order to be equal to those of men (Meulders et al., 2006). It is unimaginable in a democratic and equal society that women continue to earn on average 15% less than men and 25% less in the private sector. Like many other EU member states the gap between men's and women's pay in Sweden has not changed much in the last ten years and there is a general consensus that women are still earning almost 18% less than men. Sweden's official wage statistics also indicate that over past ten years, the wage levels for women and men in various sectors of employment do not show any significant shift towards equality and has remained unchanged. According to the National Mediation Office 2003 annual report the gap between the sexes has remained largely unchanged over the past 10 years (Berg, 2004, para. 13). The same situation is reiterated by Anita Harriman, an expert on equal pay at the office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman which was created in 1980 when Sweden passed its first law against gender discrimination in the workplace. Anita Harriman some what dejectedly admits that they haven't been able to get at wage differentials. "Women in Sweden still earn only 82 percent of what men earn, and the only explanation for some of that disparity is wage discrimination" says Anita Harriman (Alfredsson, 2006, para. 1). In last couple of years the Swedish GPG has observed a fluctuating trend towards levelling GPG. Nevertheless, these inconsistent changes in levelling out

Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Microeconomics - Essay Example For instance, firms in the agricultural sector experience perfect competition. A firm that deals with supplying eggs may make a complete loss due to lack of good production. This does not make the firm go out of production but experience a loss (Francis 56). Firms that experience perfect competition often look at their competitors as a very small competitor in comparison to the total market. Though each company produces the same products, the aim is to provide a marketing edge to attain the customers (Krama, Bartram and Cieri 45). The problem comes as the products and services provided are of the same quantity and quality. By providing a competitive edge, companies are able to attract and maintain customers. A firm can go into a loss if it offers no competitive edge such as customer care service, after sale services, poor communication and in adequate advertising (Kern 78). Proper customer care services acts as a major consumer attraction. Firms under the same business line may suffer a loss but remain in business due to poor customer care services. Customers will prefer to access the same products or services from a different firm. The firm that does not offer proper customer care services ends up making sales only if the other firms are closed or their products supply is low. After sale services is another reason why firms can continue to make losses in a perfect competitive market. Firms may be offering the same products but others gain a competitive advantage by providing their customers with after sale services. A firm providing customers with eggs may offer an after sale service of providing free delivery of the products to the clients (Jain and Haley 98). Communication to the customers comes as an important aspect of ensuring competitive advantage. A firm in a perfect competition market should ensure to communicate properly to the clients before pushing for sales. Signs of the location of the business have to be communicated to the

Concept Of Relationship Marketing Marketing Essay

Concept Of Relationship Marketing Marketing Essay The following report will look at IKEAs relationship marketing with its key community groups in Coventry (see appendix 1 for company background). The concept of relationship marketing, summary of audit findings, pressure groups, developing a co-ordinated communication mix and finally methods to measure success of communication mix are considered. 2. CONCEPT OF RELATIONSHIP MARKETING Early 80s was the emergence of the concept relationship marketing as an influential issue in the marketing literature. Bund Jackson is recorded as having used the term relationship marketing in 1970s in the field of industrial marketing (Gumesson et al., 1997). As IKEA strives to remain competitive in the business market, the company is moving away from transactional marketing that is based on a single, short-time exchange with a distinct beginning and ending towards a focus on retention of customers, establishing loyalty and building long-term relationships. According to Kotlet et al (2008 )relationship marketing is the process of creating, maintaining and enhancing strong, value-laden relationships with customers and other stakeholders IKEA is also active in establishing and maintaining a beneficial relationship with the communities by adopting corporate citizen values and approaches. Benefits from relationship marketing for IKEA are: Loyalty and retention Loyal community groups will recommend IKEAs business to others by positive, word-of-mouth communications which in terms will lead to business expansion. Christopher et al (2002) suggest that loyalty and retention can be achieved using relationship marketing ladder of loyalty: partner, prospect, purchaser, client, supporter, advocate and partner. Competitive advantage Good community relations programmes will add value to the IKEAs corporate social responsibility (CSR), thus differentiating from competitors CSR activities. Support for marketing activity IKEAs active community relations will create a positive image to the company by planned marketing communications. The basis of any relationship is based upon trust, commitment and co-operation. Morgan and Hunt (1994) with their model of what builds trust suggest that relationship commitment and trust are key variables for successful relationships because they promote cooperative behaviors between relationship partners and encourage them to maintain long-term relationships. Relationship commitment Co-operation Trust Figure 1.1. Three dynamics to trust within a relationship by Morgan and Hunt (1994) Once trust is formed the opportunity arises for relationship commitment and it is through this co-operation successful outcomes can be gained. In order to develop trust, commitment and co-operation IKEA should consider the following: Service encounter. Using face-to face interaction with key community groups such as site and neighbourhood community IKEA will result in a higher level of satisfaction, and a long-term commitment on behalf of both parties to the relationship. Collaboration. Collaboration in terms of sharing information, solving problems and an acceptance of compromise will establish long-term relationships between community groups and IKEA. Transparency. Relationship transparency has been suggested as a potential source of competitive advantage in business markets (Bliemel and Eggert, 1998). By informing, delivering value and satisfaction to the community groups IKEA will gain a competitive advantage. Creation of value. Community satisfaction implies that needs of community groups are being met by IKEA, for example, supporting local events, and environmental concerns. If they are not satisfied, they will withdraw their support and thus damaging corporate image of IKEA. 3. SUMMARY OF AUDIT FINDINGS IKEA is involved in a number of local, social and environmental projects in communities in the countries where they do business. The majority of IKEAs projects support children, homeless, student scholarships and environmental projects on climate change and the protection of natural resources. Different community groups may have some impact in one way or another on the company. An audit was undertaken to identify key community groups of IKEA, and to assess the nature and level of their impact on IKEAs relationship marketing and potential future use of relationship marketing. (For research methodology and detailed findings, see Appendix 2.) By grouping community groups in the power/interest matrix, IKEA may achieve a better picture on how communication and relationships between various community groups should be developed to reach agreement about and acceptance for the project and its implementation. Key community groups identified by the audit are the following: Site community The site community is defined by its geographical boundaries, thus it is a city or town where the company and any of its major facilities are located. (Burke E, 1999, p 61) Fenceline community The neighbourhood community is made up of the immediate neighbours surrounding the property of the company. (Burke E, 199, p 62) Workplace community Workplace community includes staff of IKEA. Local media: local press in Coventry The media provides focus and attention on many areas of corporate strengths and weakness of the company. Level of influence and impact of community groups on IKEA Local universities, church groups require minimal effort and monitoring. They have low interest or power to influence current IKEA relationship plans. These groups should be informed only to a necessary extent, and not much effort should be invested into them. There is no need for excessive communication with these types of communities. Local media should be kept informed. Despite of their low power they could be powerful enemies or allies when influencing attitudes of more powerful community groups. Their interest in the project must be taken seriously through dialogue and information to make certain that the companys viewpoint is heard. They can be helpful with the detail of companys project. They publicize issues and corporate achievements and form a line of communication from the company to the community groups. Local government, pressure groups should be kept satisfied. These community groups are powerful, although their level of interest in the strategies of the organization is relatively low. They are meainly relatively passively, but may unexpectedly appear due to certain events, moving to key community groups on that issue. IKEA should put adequate work in with these community to keep them satisfied, but not bombarded with information because that they become bored with message. These groups of communities are often passive, but can exert a great impact on the project. The relationship between a relative low interest and a high level of power makes these groups difficult to handle, it is therefore necessary to analyse their intentions and to involve them according to their interest. Site community, fenceline community, workplace community are key players of the project. The site community can provide services to the company such as fire, safety, education, transportation and the like. They are significant community groups with high interest in the project and high power to influence project implementation and completion. They should be an important consideration in the appraisal of new strategies. These community groups must be involved in all relevant project developments. They are the key players IKEA must engage with fully, and make maximum efforts to satisfy them. The needs and wants for each of community groups are various. On their own, no one group can entirely influence the activities or directions of the organization. However, some group communities posses greater power comparing to others. Overall, IKEAs relationship marketing was found to be effective in the area of media and sponsoring for charities. 4. PRESSURE GROUPS: SECTIONAL AND CASUAL Pressure groups are the activists of the community groups. In general, pressure groups are social aggregates with some level of cohesion and shared aims which attempt to influence the political decision-making process. (Ball and Millard, 1986, pp. 33-4) Pressure groups can be: Sectional pressure groups (also called defensive or interest groups). Examples: professional bodies, such as the British Medical Association, Trade Unions, The Law Society, etc. Casual pressure groups (also called promotional or attitude groups). Examples: Greenpeace, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, National Rifle Association, etc. Pressure groups interest and power are given in auditing findings (see appendix 2). Difference between sectional and causal pressure groups are: Sectional pressure groups Casual pressure groups directly and personally concerned with the effect of the campaign fought by the group as they generally stand to achieve economically and/or professionally membership is usually restricted as they are concerned with a particular section of society. aspire to involve as many eligible members as possible to join the group. seek to defend the interests of a section of society aspire to represent the general interests of a particular section of society not self-interested in that the accomplishment of their objectives is not essentially of direct economic or direct benefit to the members of the group. membership is not usually restricted as they aim to promote a cause tend to have an open membership in order to gain a critical mass of popular support and strength of campaigning. aim to change peoples attitudes about a particular issue or policy Local Trade Unions encourage companies to provide training at the workplace. They protect workers of the company. According to Harris D. et al (2008) trade unions may influence and impact the company in respect of working processes on the following areas: Issues of respect- workers are often misunderstood by the boss through verbal or physical abuse. Wage and benefits- some workers are not paid according to the full value. Working condition- health and safety at the workplace is the most unifying issue a union can pursue. Working hours- unions can force the boss the hire more workers and also can ensure that in emergency cases where someone must work overtime, they are fairly compensated for it. Job security- any disciplinary action taken against a worker may be subject to a procedure negotiated with the union. Environmental pressure groups is often formed to protest about, and arrest certain undesirable environmental impacts. For example, Greenpeace stands for positive change by defending the natural world and promoting peace through action. IKEA discusses environmentally related issues with Greenpeace. To respond to environmental concerns IKEA do the following: At IKEA Coventry used batteries, paper are recycled. It also phase outs single-use plastic bags. All profits from charging for plastic carrier bag have been donated to Englands Community Forest. Through swiping IKEA Family card at the IKEA checkouts customers help save over 3 acres of forestry. 5. TWO NEW COMMUNITY GROUP RELATIONSHIPS Two new community group relationships that can be developed are: schools community and homeless community SCHOOLS COMMUNITY IKEA can focus its activity in the local community on helping local schools. The company will support learning and development of children at schools, for instance by providing new facilities. Helping children to learn and develop is an area in which IKEA has experience and can make a difference. Criteria for selection local schools to IKEA are the following: Opportunities to engage in local community acting as a good neighbor and supporting community initiatives consistent with IKEAs corporate responsibility objectives. By building communication, sharing resources, expertise, skills and developing unique solutions to community problems, these partnerships can become important. Excellent media and corporate social responsibility opportunities associated with supporting the school Sponsoring schools IKEA can attract a lot of attention from local newspapers and can provide great publicity for its business at the same time as enhancing the learning process for children. Developing relationships that can enhance long-term brand recognition So, schools are the natural hub of a neighborhood or community, and can serve as the foundation for community partnerships that will be beneficial to IKEA. However, relationship with school community should be minimal. Schools have neither high power nor influence to impact IKEAs activity. It means that IKEA may provide them with enough information that will be adequate. There is no need to spend much time with them. HOMELESS COMMUNITY IKEA may support homeless people in Coventry. For example, IKEA can establish partnership with Coventry Cyrenians which is a charity dedicated to working with homeless people or whose accommodation may be at risk. IKEAs vision is: To create a better everyday life for the many people. The many people can be homeless people that live in Coventry community. Charitable partnership is one of the ways through which IKEA may invest in the community it operates its business. IKEA supports this organisation by furnishing and decorating day-time activity centres and housing facilities with individual apartments and communal areas. In addition, co-workers of IKEA may volunteer their time. IKEA should be consistent in selection of charities to support. The criteria used for the selection of the charity are the following: Type of organization- registered charity in Coventry and surrounding areas. Primary focus is to support homeless people or people whose home may be identified as at risk for whatever reason, providing them with accommodation Should be dynamic, innovative and cost effective Any contribution from IKEA should be used by charity for the purpose for each it was given and to report effectively to the company on the process of the initiatives which companys funding has supported. the project should have a long life and be seen to actively improve homeless people 6. COMMUNICATION MIX FOR TWO COMMUNITY GROUP According to Kotler (2008) promotional mix is the specific mix of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion and public relations that a company uses to pursue its advertising and marketing objectives. Communication mix is important because of the following: ability to use different promotional tools to reach target audience it helps to communicate a range of messages to different markets helps in achieving companys marketing objectives Communication mix should have clear objectives and target audience. Communication objectives of IKEA: 50% awareness of IKEAs community efforts for school community and homeless community in Coventry within the next twelve months. Target: community groups such as site and fenceline communities, local government in Coventry In order to achieve objective IKEA should decide what components of the communication mix is needed to utilize in communicating with school and homeless community groups. The following are suggested communication mix for two new community groups: School community- Sponsorship Sponsorship is a business relationship ad should be mutually beneficial to the sponsored individual and the sponsoring company. Many researches and authors agree that the use of sponsorship by organizations is increasing (Sneath et al., Harvey et al., 2006; 2007; Wakefield et al., 2007) and that it is becoming a more significant part of the marketing communication mix. According to Fill C (2009) sponsorship can be defined as a commercial activity, whereby one party permits another an opportunity to exploit an association with a target audience in return for funds, services or resources. Benefits for IKEA using sponsoring schools are the following: Increase brand awareness of the company among community groups. It allows brand of the company to be communicated without the clutter and noise associated with advertising. Building and enhancing positive corporate image in community groups mind As a means of reaching wider target audiences To suggest to the target audiences that there is an association between the sponsored and the sponsor and that by implication this association may be of interest and/or value. Show that a company cares about it community and is prepared to invest in its future and the welfare of its community IKEA may use sponsorship for school community. Sponsorship may last 2 years for example, sponsoring new facilities for education. Limitations: Different methods of support are applied to sponsees depending on their needs and the sponsors needs as well. This points out to a lack of standardization, and therefore requires more time on planning and evaluation. Homeless community- Donation A donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. Donation for homeless community within next 2 years by donating products and home furnishing. Public Relations both for school and homeless community Public Relations is defined as the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics (Institute of Public Relations) Benefits of PR: Promotion of positive image of the company to the community group To build links with IKEAs community To oppose bad publicity PR activities will include press releases, press conferences and establishing community relationships. Limitations: Risk of losing control cannot always control what other people write or say about IKEA. Media: Local newspaper both for school and homeless community IKEA may use local newspapers of Covnetry such as Coventry Telegraph, and The Coventry Times. Coventry Telegraph is a daily newspaper in Coventry covering local news, sports, business, jobs and community events. Readers spend an average of 30 minutes reading The Telegraph. The Coventry Times is established free newspaper for the local area, providing local people with excellent information and advertising platforms. The Times reaches over 74% of houses in the Coventry area. Newspaper benefits: Gives favourable impression of the company A high profile image is lodged in the community groups mind Limitations: Short life span, circulation does not mean readership 7. MEASUREMENT OF THE SUCCES OF COMMUNICATION MIX It is essential to measure the effectiveness of each communication campaign. It is necessary to ensure that the communication objectives have been met and that the strategy has been effective and resources have been used economically. For example, advertising objective is to increase awareness of IKEA brand to 70% of the target market by 2009. Public Relations objective is to convince 80 % of community groups that the company is doing its business in a socially responsible way by 2009. Measuring and analysing the outcome of a specific interaction will help in the development of future communications and in evaluating the best methods to use. Evaluation is necessary for: Improvement of the effectiveness of different communication tools Knowing the effect of communication activities and improving needed areas IKEA will be able to reach the outcomes it seeks. Effectively engagement with audiences Throughout implementation, evaluation can help IKEA find ways to collect feedback from its community groups, how advertising is being received and learn how they are responding to various media messages. Allocation of resources wisely It provides a potential source of material for the new campaign. Evaluation can help IKEA determine whether its communication investments could be redistributed more effectively to achieve the desired results. There are many ways to measure effectiveness of each of the communication tools. The following are suggested evaluation methods: PR evaluation: quarterly Awareness of community groups about IKEAs community initiatives in Coventry community can be evaluated using marketing research through qualitative or quantitative methods. Attitude of community groups to IKEAs projects- by using research to judge if attitudes have changed positively or negatively. Media coverage and tone- can measure the number of column inches achieved, the type of headings and tone of coverage. Positioning- by measuring the position of IKEA in comparison to the competition Qualitative method: Focus group: at the end of programme According to Kotler (1999) focus group is a small sample of typical consumers under the direction of a group leader who elicits their reaction to a stimulus such as an advertising or product concept. By using in-depth interviewing skills a moderator can probe the thoughts and feelings held by the members of the group towards media vehicles or advertising messages. By negotiating a focus group to monitor the marketing communications pre-, during and post-campaign, this can help maximise the effectiveness of the campaign. Overall, results from focus groups will help us identify feelings regarding the corporate image of IKEA: brand, reputation and understand the attitudes of community groups towards IKEA. Quantitative method: survey or personal interviews: annually In order to identify the effects of the media we will use written surveys. Survey can be conducted by IKEA or consultants. By using large sample size we will be able to know concerns, community expectations, extent and quality of relationship with key community groups and company. Results will help design plans and programmes that build sustainable trust in a community. Personal interviews: quarterly A personal interview is a two-way conversation initiated by an interview to obtain information from a participant on a face-to-face basis (Cooper Schindler, 2003, p323) Limitation. Personal interviews are a lot more costly and time consuming comparing with other methods in the communication approach. Evaluation of sponsorship Media exposure measurement- to count column centimetres of coverage about the sponsorship activity achieved by IKEA Pre-testing and pos-testing of awareness in relation to sponsorship activity of IKEA Feedback from participants- quantitative feedback from community groups sponsored party and other stakeholders to determine effect on corporate image. Internal communication evaluation: monthly Feedback forms and attitude surveys may be used to gain feedback from participating staff: how effective they thought communication was; what information needs were or were not met; what effect the new role emphasis has had on their job satisfaction; etc. 8. CONCLUSION The company recognizes that supporting the community is not only a matter of morality, but it also improves a companys brand image, reputation and allows the company to gain more publicity and exposure. It is important that IKEA makes a careful selection of communication mix to communicate with key community groups. Appendix 1: Organization overview Company background IKEA is a Swedish Multi-National home furnishing Company (MNC). It was founded in Almhult, Sweden in 1943 by only a 17-year old boy Ingvar Kamprad who started selling farm implements at a reduced price under the name IKEA, which is acronym for his initials (I.K), farm (Elmtaryd) and village (Agunnaryd) where he was born and grew up. At the beginning IKEA sold small items such as food containers, pens, jewelry and watches before becoming internationally known. Due to the success of furniture line, Ingvar Kamprad decided to put an end to all the other products focusing only on furniture. In 1958, the first IKEA store was opened in Almhult, Sweden and since 1960s the IKEA stores opened outside Sweden. Nowadays, IKEA has turned into the worlds largest furniture retailer, with over 300 stores in more than 35 countries since its first outlet and visited by 600 million visitors around the world and plans to develop further. IKEA managed to double its sales significantly in a couple of years. Turnover of all IKEA stores (sales tax not included) was 22,713 million EURO in 2009. Organization structure In spite of its great expansion, IKEA is privately owned company. Ingvar Kamprad still has some control over the company through a unique organization. The IKEA corporate structure is divided into two main parts: operations and franchising. Currently, the company is owned by Stichting INGKA Foundation based in Netherlands. INGKA holding B.V. is the parent of all the companies of the IKEA Group. Every IKEA store is given the rights to operate the IKEA Concept on a defined market. IKEAs vision is: To create a better everyday life for the many people. The many people include suppliers, employees, customers, and other stakeholders affected by IKEA operations. Business idea: To offer a wide range of well- designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. IKEA does not have its own manufacturing facilities but uses subcontracted manufactures around the world. To facilitate shopping, IKEA provides catalogues, tape measures, shopping lists and website to help the consumer with fitting the furniture into the room. So, IKEAs success is based on the relatively simple idea of keeping the cost between manufactures and customers down. Target market The company targets the customer who is looking for good value and is willing to do a little bit of work serving themselves, so they pick up the furniture, carry it home and fix it themselves. The typical IKEA customer is young families and couples just starting out to middle income family. IKEA products IKEA product range is approximately 10,000 products in total. The product range of IKEA is extensive enough. It is wide in function as it sells not only furniture but also from plants and living room furnishings to toys and whole kitchens. IKEA make every effort to use renewable and recyclable materials in their products. IKEA brand and communication IKEA is one of the successful global brands associated with its unique cultural branding that merges the value, low cost and fashionable design to ensure the creation of affordable contemporary household goods for the middle class. The company emphasized its Swedish heritage in its international advertising, even going as far to insist on Swedish blue and yellow colour scheme echoes the colours of the Swedish national flag for its stores. Any IKEA stores include restaurants that serve Swedish meatballs. IKEA has a long tradition in marketing communication focusing primarily on printed media IKEAs catalogue is the worlds largest free distribution translated into several languages and now it is possible to view online on the website. Other IKEAs communication tools are: TV, radio, and internet. IKEA in UK According to the latest figures from market intelligence specialists Verdict Consulting, IKEA UK total market share up to the end of quarter three 2009 is 6.1 % IKEAs competitors in the UK are DIY retailers that are selling more home furnishings like Argos, B Q, Homebase and John Lewis. There are 18 stores in the UK, the first of which opened in Warrington in 1987. The largest IKEA store is in Croydon, London. In July 2009 IKEA opened a store in Dublin-its first in Ireland. Appendix 2: An audit of existing relationships with key community groups Introduction IKEA is undertaking an audit in order to identify projects key community groups in Coventry, an assessment of their interests, and the ways in which these interests affect project effectiveness and limitations. Stakeholder audit seeks to identify these. Audit methodology Methodologies that were used to undertake and audit of IKEA UK community groups are the following: Secondary research on stakeholder theory and stakeholder analysis methodologies. (See the selected bibliography attached as appendix of this report). Mendelows stakeholder mapping matrix will be taken as a technique to classify stakeholders according to their importance to the organisation. IKEA sustainability report 2008 and other documentary evidence in regard to the IKEAs relationships with community groups. Identification of community groups and nature of relationship A number of community groups were identified by the in-house survey. Identified community groups in IKEA are the following: Figure A1.1. Community groups and relationship Site community Workplace community Fenceline community IKEA Local media Strength of relationship Strong Weak Local government Universities Church groups Trade Union Greenpeace Stakeholder map: power/interest matrix In order to establish the community groups and their level of influence and impact on relationship marketing we will use stakeholder mapping technique. Mendelows stakeholder map classifies stakeholders in relation to the power that they hold and the extent to which they are likely to show interest in the strategies of the organization. The following figure shows the results of power/interest analysis for IKEA UK community groups. The symbols [+] and [-] are used, according to whether each group is, generally, a supporter or opponent of the aims and activities of IKEA. Figure A1.2. Power/interest for community groups in IKEA relationship marketing Level of interest Low High LowA: Minimal effort universities [+] church groups [+] Level of power B: Keep informed Media: local press [+/-] C: Keep satisfied HighLocal government [+/-] Pressure groups: Trade Union [-] Greenpeace [-] D: Key players Site community [+/-] Fenceline community [+/-] Workplace community [+/-] The current position of each community group may be justified as follows: Influence is considered with particular reference to the community groups potential impact on IKEAs relationshi

How The Eustace Diamonds Changes Representations of Femininity Essay

How The Eustace Diamonds Changes Representations of Femininity in Vanity Fair Since Anthony Trollope published The Eustace Diamonds (1872), readers have associated Lizzie Eustace with Becky Sharp of William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair (1848) (John Hall 378). Both Becky and Lizzie perform a femininity made all the more dangerous by contrast to the femininity of their idealized counterparts, Amelia and Lucy. Both novels involve a man’s choice between satisfying his sexual desire for the dangerous girl and fulfilling his promise to the ideal girl. As is typical in Victorian novels, the narrators spend more time exploring the bad girl option than the less-exciting alternative. In the context of denying the novel’s focus on Lizzie, Trollope’s narrator furthers the connection between the two bad girls by recalling Becky: Although the first two chapters of this new history have been devoted to the fortunes and personal attributes of Lady Eustace, the historian begs his readers not to believe that opulent and aristocratic Becky Sharp is to assume the dignity of heroine in the forthcoming pages (57). Given the difficulty of imagining how Trollope could have spent more time telling Lizzie’s story, the novel itself belies this statement; readers know that the bad girls are the heroines of both novels. Critics have noted the similarity between the two novels, but they have not really explored it. I want to argue that to understand the relationship between the good girl and bad girl in each novel, we have to move out from the dichotomy itself to the third term that determines the meaning of the other two: the woman who comes from abroad. I will argue that it is the shift that occurs in t... ... McLennan, John. Studies in Ancient History: Comprising a Reprint of Primitive Marriage. London: Macmillan, 1886. Miller, Andrew. Novels Behind Glass: Commodity, Culture, and Victorian Narrative. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1995. Nunokawa, Jeff. The Afterlife of Property: Domestic Security and the Victorian Novel. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994. Psomiades, Kathy. â€Å"Heterosexual Exchange and Other Victorian Fictions: The Eustace Diamonds and Victorian Anthropology.† Novel: A Forum on Fiction 33.1 (1999): 93-118. Thackeray, William Makepeace. Vanity Fair. John Carey, ed. London: Penguin Books, 2001. Thackeray, W.M. Vanity Fair. John Sutherland, ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983. Trollope, Anthony. The Eustace Diamonds. Stephen Gill and John Sutherland, eds. London: Penguin Books, 1969.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Essay

In the short story, â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,† Ambrose Bierce uses several descriptions and specific conversations between the round and flat characters to develop the main character traits throughout the story. Bierce methods do not give a word for word account of the character’s individual traits, because he wanted the provided descriptions to allow the reader to draw their own conclusions about each character’s purpose. His technique has produced one round character and a few flat characters that ultimately help develop the main character traits. The main character in the story is a man by the name of Peyton Farquhar. He is the round character because the whole story revolves around what is happening to this man. Most round characters can be classified as dynamic because they can recognize or can adjust to certain circumstances. In this case, Peyton, the main character is introduced to the reader after the situation had already occurred. The writer started off with Peyton about to be hung by the North for trying to stop them, because some Northern Scout dressed as a Confederate Soldier baited him into it. This initial detail set the story up for a flashback to reveal his character developing into courageous man who was willing to do whatever it took to help the confederate, even if he was not supposed to. The other characters presented in this story were the Sergeant who hung him, the Northern Scout, and finally his wife. Each of these characters can be classified as a flat character because they are not dynamic in any way, because each one only provides one role throughout the whole story. His wife is probably the most important flat character because she is the reason he reflects on his past and comes to a final realization before he dies. The thought of her, which the reader doesn’t know is a thought until the very end, allowed Peyton to also develop his character into something he wished he could have been. The sergeant in the beginning merely plays the role of a typical soldier and takes everything he does very seriously. He could be classified as a stock character because his role is a common stereotype of a soldier. Finally, the last character described in the story was the messenger. His role was simply to act as the transitioning character that led the main character t o end up dead. Overall, Bierce’s use of different characters to help develop the main character played a huge role in the development of the story. It helped the reader believe that Peyton really did escaped and become the man he wanted to be for his wife, even though he never really escaped. The different dimensions drew the readers attention and essentially told us that Peyton finally came to a self realization once it was too late.

Chemical Piranha Solution

Chemical Piranha Solution Chemical piranha solution or piranha etch is a mixture of a strong acid or base with peroxide, mainly used to remove organic residue from glass and other surfaces. Its a useful solution, but hazardous to make, use, and dispose of, so if you need to prepare this chemical, read over the precautions and disposal advice before you get started. Heres what you need to know: How To Make Piranha Solution There are multiple recipes for piranha solution. The 3:1 and 5:1 ratios are probably the most common: 3:1 concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to 30% hydrogen peroxide (aqueous H2O2) solution4:1  concentrated sulfuric acid to 30% hydrogen peroxide solution5:1  concentrated sulfuric acid to 30% hydrogen peroxide solution 7:1 concentrated sulfuric acid to 30% hydrogen peroxide solution (less common) base piranha: 3:1 ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) to hydrogen peroxide Prepare the solution in a fume hood and be certain you are wearing gloves, a lab coat, and safety goggles. Put the visor down on the hood to minimize the risk of damage or harm.Use a Pyrex or equivalent borosilicate glass container. Do not use a plastic container, as it will react with the solution and eventually fail. Label the container before preparing the solution.Make certain the container used for mixing is clean. If there is excessive organic matter, it may cause a vigorous reaction, possibly leading to a spill, breakage, or an explosion. Slowly add the peroxide to the acid. Do not add acid to peroxide! The reaction will be exothermic, may boil, and may splash out of the container. The risk of boiling or of sufficient flammable gas being released that could lead to an explosion increases as the amount of peroxide increases. Another method used to prepare piranha solution is to pour sulfuric acid over a surface, followed by peroxide solution. After time is allowed for the reaction, the solution is rinsed away with water. Safety Tips   Make piranha solution fresh before each use because the solution decomposes.Activity of the solution is increased by heating it, but dont apply heat until after the reaction to make the solution has completed. Its advisable to let the solution cool slightly after reaction before heating it.Do not leave hot piranha solution unattended on the lab bench.Do not store piranha solution in a sealed container. For that matter, do not store chemical piranha for later use, period.In case of skin or surface contact, rinse affected area immediately with large volumes of water. Continue rinsing at least 15 minutes. Seek appropriate emergency aid.In case of inhaling, remove affected person to fresh air and seek emergency medical aid. Be aware symptoms of exposure may be delayed.In case of suspected ingestion, seek immediate medical attention. How To Use Piranha Solution To Clean Sintered Glass - Piranha solution is used to clean sintered glass or fritted glass because it doesnt damage pores in the glass (which is why you dont use a strong base instead). Soak the glassware overnight in piranha solution before rinsing it with water.To Clean Glassware - Piranha solution can remove contamination on glassware that is untouched by other chemicals. Its important there is not excessive organic contamination. Soak the glassware overnight, then thoroughly rinse it.Apply as a surface treatment to glass to make it hydrophilic. Piranha solution increases the number of silanol groups on the glass surface by hydroxylating the silicon dioxide.Apply to remove residue from surfaces. Make sure you are removing residue and not a significant layer of material! Disposal of Piranha Solution To dispose of piranha solution, allow the solution to cool completely, to allow for it to release oxygen gas. Make sure the gas has dissipated before proceeding.Neutralize piranha solution by diluting it with large amounts of water. Do not neutralize it by adding a base, as the rapid decomposition releases heat and pure oxygen gas. The exception is when the volume of piranha solution is small (~ 100 ml). Then, dilute the piranha by adding it to water until it is less than 10% of the volume. Add sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate solution until the pH is 4 or higher. Expect heat, bubbling, and possibly foaming when the base is added to the acid solution.Usually, its okay to wash diluted piranha solution down the drain. However, some places prefer it be treated as toxic waste. Disposal also depends on the purpose of the solution, since some reactions may leave toxic residue in the container. Do not dispose of piranha solution with organic solvents, as a violent reaction and explosion will occur.

Money in The Great Gatsby Essay Example

Money in The Great Gatsby Essay Example Money in The Great Gatsby Essay Money in The Great Gatsby Essay Essay Topic: The Great Gatsby In the novel, â€Å"The Great Gatsby†, money is prevalent. You almost cannot turn a page without running into its presence and influence. Characters in the novel strive for this ideal, often destroying themselves during this process. Often they are reduced to shallow shells of their former selves, all the while telling themselves they are happier because of it. They tell themselves that cheating on their hardworking husband, staying with someone who does not love them, or even giving up on their passion for writing, to work on Wall Street. Everyone wants to climb to the top by running over others, but nothing is left when they get there. In this novel money is the ticket to the good life, the driving force. Fitzgerald sets up the novel into different social groups. The rich are the group most satirized during the novel. There is the old money, new money, and no money.However back then there was a criterion you had to meet to be considered elite. People like Tom Buchanan and Jordan Baker are elite. They were born into the money they have. They haven’t lifted a finger their whole lives.The people of East Egg, the â€Å"old money†, have not worked for the money they have. They have established wealth over many generations and see the money as an essential part of themselves. Spending time at parties drinking, having sex, and many other such pleasures, is what they do to busy themselves. For the â€Å"old money† people, the â€Å"new money† people are less than. Gatsby has had to work for what he has. Whether it was illegal or not, he still had to work. He is only recently affluent; it is not bred into him. He grew up and lived his life poorly; he cannot possibl y be the same as the Buchanan’s or Baker’s because he knows what it is like to fight for what he wants. For the people who are â€Å"new money†, being new is not necessarily a bad thing. They have a little more insight of what it is like to not have wealth and status. They ha

Mobile phone addiction Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Mobile phone addiction - Literature review Example The use of mobile phones have also become a constant feature for many people, most especially teenagers who always find the need to stay in touch with each other. As a result, mobile phone addiction has become a significant issue among users. Studies on this problem have been carried out, seeking to establish its causes, manifestations, and remedies. This literature review shall review four peer-reviewed articles on mobile phone addiction. A literature search would first be carried out via an internet search using the following search words and similar combinations of these words: mobile phone addiction, cell phone addiction, causes of cell phone addiction, impact of cell phone addiction. Relevant studies shall be set aside for further analysis. Studies carried out in the last 10 years shall be included in this topic, and shall mostly cover teenage addiction to mobile phones. Studies which cover other forms of addiction (i.e. internet or video game addiction) will not be included in this review. Only peer-reviewed articles carried out by credible authors will be included in this literature review. Studies which cover texting addiction only shall not be included as mobile phone addiction may also include the use of calls in the phones. Text addiction is only a part of mobile phone addiction. ... Not many students manifest extreme addiction to mobile phone use and majority of the respondents to not manifest any addictive mobile phone use patterns (Ahmed, et.al., 2011). In effect, the respondents for this study are able to use their cell phones reasonably and do not manifest extreme addictive behaviours in their cell phone use (Ahmed, et.al., 2011). The results of this study imply that although mobile phone addiction is a reality in the current widespread availability and usage of mobile phones, it can be a controllable and manageable phenomenon. This study also indicates that mobile phone addiction can be a manageable phenomenon and that users are not as prone to addiction as seems to be expected by society. It is possible for users to control their mobile phone usage to cover only their essential mobile phone needs. The topic of the study is very much relevant in the current context where mobile phone use has become very much rampant, especially among the younger population (Garcia-Montes, et.al., 2006. The study deals with a specific issue, mostly on the establishment of mobile phone use and whether or not it has become a necessity or an addiction. The discussion seeks to specifically evaluate cell phone usage among the younger generation, assessing whether or not its use has reached addictive proportions. The study is a theoretical study, as it seeks to dissect the manifestation of respondent’s behaviour in relation to addiction and necessity (Flyvbjerg, 2006). The concepts of addiction and necessity are used in order to evaluate behaviour, using specific qualities for each concept in order to fully understand the respondent behaviour and mobile phone usage (Biel,

Safety project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Safety project - Research Paper Example The procedure will be based on the present resources that include XYZ’s financial statements, official documents, workplace analysis, and interrogations with some of the workers. Various resources can be used to gather in-depth knowledge about the standards. The companys budget will be used to show the impact of low standards of safety and health at XYZ. Additionally, documents from external monitoring bodies such as Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHA) will also provide information on previous ratings. The companys official safety documents will also be used for the assessment. Finally, a visual assessment will also provide data on the overall condition of the workplace. This step will deduct core standard from the collected data through an analysis. It will provide information on the condition of the firm and the some of the major problems based on safety and health maintenance. Finally, the results will be presented to Ms. Black and other members of the safety committee. Recommendations form the final step that will include the provision of ideas that can be used to change the current situation of XYZ. The safety committee will later review them to ensure perfection and positive impacts to the firms. They will also include a chance for more ideas to be incorporated by other members. In the case of XYZ, being the first safety will provide me with the chance to assess the company through various steps on its safety standards, create a report and later provide recommendations that will ensure enhanced levels of health and safety. The assessment will require different resources from the company that includes the following. The company XYZ has an average of 300 employees that have the right to work in a safe place as stipulated in the corporate charter. However, a close examination on the budget shows that the organization has been