Ethical Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical Dilemma - Essay Example In short we can say that there is no satisfactory outcome of an ethical dilemma and despite this, decisions have to be made. The outcome of the ethical dilemma affects both the subject and object leaving both unhappy at the end of the day. How I became Aware of the Term: I came to know about the ethical dilemmas and its severity when a lady in my neighborhood faced this situation. Let us call the lady ABC. She was pregnant and belonged to Jehovah Witnesses Sect of religion. Unfortunately she met an accident in which she lost her blood. When she was brought to the hospital her breathing rate was 28/m and she was complaining about weakness in the head. After careful evaluation and several different tests including ultrasonography the doctors suggested blood transfusion to save her and the baby. The situation became worst when she refused to accept blood as it was against her religion. Doctors suggested other ways of blood gain like blood products but she refused both the methods on rel igious grounds. In her worst situation she delivered a baby. But after two hours her condition became even worst and she died of cardiac arrest. The doctors were bound to follow the religious ethics as they could not do anything against anyone’s religion. This is a complete and true example of ethical dilemma. The Dilemma: â€Å"The major ethical dilemma was that by honoring the patient's autonomy and religious beliefs, the physicians and interdisciplinary team were faced with compromising their moral duty to administer professional care in accordance with established standards.†Ã‚  (Chua & Tham, 2006). ANA Code of Ethics and the Facility at the Hospital: While treating her, the Doctors were bound to follow a particular principle of ANA code of Ethics; that is to respect and honor the religious beliefs of the patients. Preserving her religious values, the doctors did not infuse blood and at the end she died. The provision of ANA code of Ethics further highlight that th e ‘nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient’ and hence, all other factors become meaningless once the patient gives consent to the treatment, in our case it could be an acceptance of blood diffusion. Both the parties were affected by following the ANA code of ethics, the Doctor and the patient with her family. The ethical dilemma relating to the religious beliefs of the patients are complex in nature. The religious and social beliefs, if not handled properly, may give rise to other ethical threats like discriminatory practices, bias on religious basis and so on. Any attempt to force or taking uninformed health saving practice poses a greater risk to the nursing profession leading to a deterioration of reputation of nurses. Hence, there is a strong relationship between a religious factor and the abidance of ANA code of ethics in making decisions when the patient’s life is at stake. Under such circumstances, a nurse must use his/her convincing abilities through proper communication with the patients and their families. The decision, however, lies with the caretakers and the patients regarding practices that are against their will, religion or social norms. The nurse has a responsibility of confidentiality towards the patient as per ANA code of ethics. In order to convince the patient on blood

A summary of Amazon’s business Essay Example for Free

A summary of Amazon’s business Essay I’ve used Amazon in my books for over 10 years now since many companies, from startups and small businesses to large international businesses, can learn from their focus on the customer and the approach of using technology and analysis to improve results. It consistently outperforms other companies in its ACSI customer satisfaction rating too. I aim to keep the case study up-to-date for readers of the books and Smart Insights readers who may be interested. In it we look at Amazon’s background, revenue model and sources for the latest business results. I recommend anyone studying Amazon checks the latest Amazon revenue and business strategies from their SEC filings / Investor relations. The annual filings to give a great summary of eBay business and revenue models. A good summary of the latest business model initiatives is available in this Amazon annual report summary for 2011. For Q4, 2010: North America segment sales, representing the Company’s U.S. and Canadian sites, were $7.21 billion, up 45% from fourth quarter 2009. International segment sales, representing the Company’s U.K., German, Japanese, French, Chinese and new Italian sites, were $5.74 billion, up 26% from fourth quarter 2009. Excluding the unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, sales grew 29%. Amazon has come a long way since it launched in 1995: From: and it’s offices†¦ to it’s current Seattle headquarters: Amazon performs exceptionally efficiently measured against revenue per visitor, which is one of the key measures for any commercial website, whether it’s a media site, search engine, social network or a transactional retailer or offers travel or financial services. Of course profit per user would be quite different due to the significantly lower costs of other .coms like Facebook and Google. Note: SEC is the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which is a government agency for which companies have to submit an open evaluation of their business models and marketplace conditions. Further Amazon case information This case study created by FaberNovel â€Å"Amazon.com: The Hidden Empire† one of five â€Å"Most Favorited† slideshows and one of the five â€Å"Most Popular Technology Presentations† of 2011. Recommended: Amazon Case Study Context Why a case study on Amazon? Surely everyone knows about who Amazon are and what they do? Yes, well that’s maybe true, but this case goes beyond the surface toreview some of the ‘insider secrets’ of Amazon’s success. Like eBay, Amazon.com was born in 1995. The name reflected the vision of Jeff Bezos, to produce a large scale phenomenon like the Amazon river. This ambition has proved justified since just 8 years later, Amazon passed the $5 billion sales mark – it took Wal-Mart 20 years to achieve this. By 2008 Amazon was a global brand with other 76 million active customers accounts and order fulfillment to more than 200 countries. Despite this volume of sales, at December 31, 2007 Amazon employed approximately 17,000 full-time and part-time employees. In September 2007, it launched Amazon MP3, a la carte DRM-free MP3 music downloads, which now includes over 3.1 million songs from more than 270,000 artists. Amazon Vision strategy In their 2008 SEC filing, Amazon describe the vision of their business as to: â€Å"Relentlessly focus on customer experience by offering our customers low prices, convenience, and a wide selection of merchandise.† The vision is still to offer â€Å"Earth’s biggest selection and to be Earth’s most customer-centric company. Consider how these core marketing messages summarising the Amazon online value proposition are communicated both on-site and through offline communications. Of course, achieving customer loyalty and repeat purchases has been key to Amazon’s success. Many dot-coms failed because they succeeded in achieving awareness, but not loyalty. Amazon achieved both. In their SEC filing they stress how they seek to achieve this. They say: â€Å"We work to earn repeat purchases by providing easy-to-use functionality, fast and reliable fulfillment, timely customer service, feature rich content, and a trusted transaction environment. Key features of our websites include editorial and customer reviews;  manufacturer product information; Web pages tailored to individual preferences, such as recommendations and notifications; 1-Click ® technology; secure payment systems; image uploads; searching on our websites as well as the Internet; browsing; and the ability to view selected interior pages and citations, and search the entire contents of many of the books we offer with our â€Å"Look Inside the Book† and â€Å"Search Inside the Book† features. Our community of online customers also creates feature-rich content, including product reviews, online recommendation lists, wish lists, buying guides, and wedding and baby registries.† In practice, as is the practice for many online retailers, the lowest prices are for the most popular products, with less popular products commanding higher prices and a greater margin for Amazon. Free shipping offers are used to encourage increase in basket size since customers have to spend over a certain amount to receive free shipping. The level at which free-shipping is set is critical to profitability and Amazon has changed it as competition has changed and for promotional reasons. Amazon communicate the fulfillment promise in several ways including presentation of latest inventory availability information, delivery date estimates, and options for expedited delivery, as well as delivery shipment notifications and update facilities. This focus on customer has translated to excellence in service with the 2004 American Customer Satisfaction Index giving Amazon.com a score of 88 which was at the time, the highest customer satisfaction score ever recorded in any service industry, online or offline. Round (2004) notes that Amazon focuses on customer satisfaction metrics. Each site is closely monitored with standard service availability monitoring (for example, using Keynote or Mercury Interactive) site availability and download speed. Interestingly it also monitors per minute site revenue upper/lower bounds – Round describes an alarm system rather like a power plant where if revenue on a site falls below $10,000 per minute, alarms go off! There are also internal performance service-level-agreements for web services where T% of the time, different pages must return in X seconds. 2011 update on vision and importance of technology According to founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, technology is very important to supporting this focus on the customer. In their 2010 Annual Report (Amazon,  2011) he said: â€Å"Look inside a current textbook on software architecture, and you’ll find few patterns that we don’t apply at Amazon. We use high-performance transactions systems, complex rendering and object caching, workflow and queuing systems, business intelligence and data analytics, machine learning and pattern recognition, neural networks and probabilistic decision making, and a wide variety of other techniques.And while many of our systems are based on the latest in computer science research, this often hasn’t been sufficient: our architects and engineers have had to advance research in directions that no academic had yet taken. Many of the problems we face have no textbook solutions, and so we — happily — invent new approaches†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ All the effort we put into technology might not matter that much if we kept technology off to the side in some sort of RD department, but we don’t take that approach. Technology infuses all of our teams, all of our processes, our decision-making, and our approach to innovation in each of our businesses. It is deeply integrated into everything we do†. The quote shows how applying new technologies is used to give Amazon a competitive edge. A good recent example of this is providing the infrastructure to deliver the Kindle â€Å"Whispersync† update to ebook readers. Amazon reported in 2011 that Amazon.com is now selling more Kindle books than paperback books. For every 100 paperback books Amazon has sold, the Company sold 115 Kindle books. Kindle apps are now available on Apple iOS, Android devices and on PCs as part of a â€Å"Buy Once, Read Anywhere† proposition which Amazon has developed. Amazon Customers Amazon defines what it refers to as three consumer sets customers, seller customers and developer customers. There are over 76 million customer accounts, but just 1.3 million active seller customers in it’s marketplaces and Amazon is seeking to increase this. Amazon is unusual for a retailer in that it identifies â€Å"developer customers† who use its Amazon Web Services, which provides access to technology infrastructure such as hosting that developers can use to develop their own web services. Members are also encouraged to join a loyalty programme, Amazon Prime, a fee-based membership program in which members receive free or discounted express shipping, in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. Competition In its SEC (2005) filing Amazon describes the environment for our products and services as ‘intensely competitive’. It views its main current and potential competitors as: 1) physical-world retailers, catalog retailers, publishers, vendors, distributors and manufacturers of our products, many of which possess significant brand awareness, sales volume, and customer bases, and some of which currently sell, or may sell, products or services through the Internet, mail order, or direct marketing; (2) Other online E-commerce sites; (3) A number of indirect competitors, including media companies, Web portals, comparison shopping websites, and Web search engines, either directly or in collaboration with other retailers; and (4) Companies that provide e-commerce services, including website development; third-party fulfillment and customer-service. It believes the main competitive factors in its market segments include â€Å"selection, price, availability, convenience, information, discovery, brand recognition, personalized services, accessibility, customer service, reliability, speed of fulfillment, ease of use, and ability to adapt to changing conditions, as well as our customers’ overall experience and trust in transactions with us and facilitated by us on behalf of third-party sellers†. For services offered to business and individual sellers, additional competitive factors include the quality of our services and tools, their ability to generate sales for third parties we serve, and the speed of pe rformance for our services. From Auctions to marketplaces Amazon auctions (known as zShops) were launched in March 1999, in large part as a response to the success of eBay. They were promoted heavily from the home page, category pages and individual product pages. Despite this, a year after its launch it had only achieved a 3.2% share of the online auction compared to 58% for eBay and it only declined from this point. Today, competitive prices of products are available through third-party sellers in the ‘Amazon Marketplace’ which are integrated within the standard product listings. The strategy to offer such an auction facility was initially driven by the need to compete with eBay, but now the strategy has been adjusted such that Amazon describe it as part of the approach of low-pricing. Although it might be thought that Amazon would lose out on  enabling its merchants to sell products at lower prices, in fact Amazon makes greater margin on these sales since merchants are charged a commission on each sale and it is the merchant who bears the cost of storing inventory and fulfilling the product to customers. As with eBay, Amazon is just facilitating the exchange of bits and bytes between buyers and sellers without the need to distribute physical products. Amazon Media sales You may have noticed that unlike some retailers, Amazon displays relevant Google text ads and banner ads from brands. This seems in conflict with the strategy of focus on experience since it leads to a more cluttered store. However in 2011 Amazon revealed that worldwide media sales accounted for approximately 17% of revenue! Amazon marketing Amazon does not reveal much about its marketing approach in its annual reports, but there seems to be a focus on online marketing channels. Amazon (2011) states â€Å"we direct customers to our websites primarily through a number of targeted online marketing channels, such as our Associates program, sponsored search, portal advertising, email marketing campaigns, and other initiatives†. These other initiatives may include outdoor and TV advertising, but they are not mentioned specifically. In this statement they also highlight the importance of customer loyalty tools. They say: â€Å"while costs associated with free shipping are not included in marketing expense, we view free shipping offers and Amazon Prime as effective worldwide marketing tools, and intend to continue offering them indefinitely†. How ‘The Culture of Metrics’ started A common theme in Amazon’s development is the drive to use a measured approach to all aspects of the business, beyond the finance. Marcus (2004) describes an occasion at a corporate ‘boot-camp’ in January 1997 when Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos ‘saw the light’. ‘At Amazon, we will have a Culture of Metrics’, he said while addressing his senior staff. He went on to explain how web-based business gave Amazon an ‘amazing window into human behaviour’. Marcus says: ‘Gone were the fuzzy approximations of focus groups, the anecdotal fudging and smoke blowing from the marketing department. A company  like Amazon could (and did) record every move a visitor made, every last click and twitch of the mouse. As the data piled up into virtual heaps, hummocks and mountain ranges, you could draw all sorts of conclusions about their chimerical nature, the consumer. In this sense, Amazon was not merely a store, but an immense repository of fact s. All we needed were the right equations to plug into them’. James Marcus then goes on to give a fascinating insight into a breakout group discussion of how Amazon could better use measures to improve its performance. Marcus was in the Bezos group, brainstorming customer-centric metrics. Marcus (2004) summarises the dialogue, led by Bezos: â€Å"First, we figure out which things we’d like to measure on the site†, he said. â€Å"For example, let’s say we want a metric for customer enjoyment. How could we calculate that?† â€Å"There was silence. Then somebody ventured: â€Å"How much time each customer spends on the site?† â€Å"Not specific enough†, Jeff said. â€Å"How about the average number of minutes each customer spends on the site per session† someone else suggested. â€Å"If that goes up, they’re having a blast†. â€Å"But how do we factor in purchase?† I [Marcus] said feeling proud of myself. â€Å"Is that a measure of enjoyment†? â€Å"I think we need to consider frequency of visits, too†, said a dark-haired woman I didn’t recognise. â€Å"Lot of folks are still accessing the web with those creepy-crawly modems. Four short visits from them might be just as good as one visit from a guy with a T-1. Maybe better’. â€Å"Good point†, Jeff said. â€Å"And anyway, enjoyment is just the start. In the end, we should be measuring customer ecstasy† It is interesting that Amazon was having this debate in about the elements of RFM analysis (described in Chapter 6 of Internet Marketing), 1997, after already having achieved $16 million of revenue in the previous year. Of course, this is a miniscule amount compared with today’s billions of dollar turnover. The important point was that this was the start of a focus on metrics which can be seen through the description of Matt Pounds work later in this case study. From human to software-based recommendations Amazon has developed internal tools to support this ‘Culture of Metrics’.  Marcus (2004) describes how the ‘Creator Metrics’ tool shows content creators how well their product listings and product copy are working. For each content editor such as Marcus, it retrieves all recently posted documents including articles, interviews, booklists and features. For each one it then gives a conversion rate to sale plus the number of page views, adds (added to basket) and repels (content requested, but the back button then used). In time, the work of editorial reviewers such as Marcus was marginalised since Amazon found that the majority of visitors used the search tools rather than read editorial and they responded to the personalised recommendations as the matching technology improved (Marcus likens early recommendations techniques to ‘going shopping with the village idiot’). Experimentation and testing at Amazon The ‘Culture of Metrics’ also led to a test-driven approach to improving results at Amazon. Matt Round, speaking at E-metrics 2004 when he was director of personalisation at Amazon describes the philosophy as ‘Data Trumps Intuitions’. He explained how Amazon used to have a lot of arguments about which content and promotion should go on the all important home page or category pages. He described how every category VP wanted top-center and how the Friday meetings about placements for next week were getting ‘too long, too loud, and lacked performance data’. But today ‘automation replaces intuitions’ and real-time experimentation tests are always run to answer these questions since actual consumer behaviour is the best way to decide upon tactics. Marcus (2004) also notes that Amazon has a culture of experiments of which A/B tests are key components. Examples where A/B tests are used include new home page design, moving features around the page, different algorithms for recommendations, changing search relevance rankings. These involve testing a new treatment against a previous control for a limited time of a few days or a week. The system will randomly show one or more treatments to visitors and measure a range of parameters such as units sold and revenue by category (and total), session time, session length, etc. The new features will usually be launched if the desired metrics are statistically significantly better. Statistical tests are a challenge though as distributions are not normal (they have a large mass at zero for example of no purchase) There are other challenges since multiple  A/B tests are running every day and A/B tests may overlap and so conflict. There are also longer-term effects where some features are ‘cool’ for the first two weeks and the opposite effect where changing navigation may degrade performance temporarily. Amazon also finds that as its users evolve in their online experience the way they act online has changed. This means that Amazon has to constantly test and evolve its features. Amazon.com Technology It follows that the Amazon technology infrastructure must readily support this culture of experimentation and this can be difficult to achieved with standardised content management. Amazon has achieved its competitive advantage through developing its technology internally and with a significant investment in this which may not be available to other organisations without the right focus on the online channels. As Amazon explains in SEC (2005) ‘using primarily our own proprietary technologies, as well as technology licensed from third parties, we have implemented numerous features and functionality that simplify and improve the customer shopping experience, enable third parties to sell on our platform, and facilitate our fulfillment and customer service operations. Our current strategy is to focus our development efforts on continuous innovation by creating and enhancing the specialized, proprietary software that is unique to our business, and to license or acquire commercially-developed technology for other applications where available and appropriate. We continually invest in several areas of technology, including our seller platform; A9.com, our wholly-owned subsidiary focused on search technology on www.A9.com and other Amazon sites; web services; and digital initiatives.’ Round (2004) describes the technology approach as ‘distributed development and deployment’. Pages such as the home page have a number of content ‘pods’ or ‘slots’ which call web services for features. This makes it relatively easy to change the content in these pods and even change the location of the pods on-screen. Amazon uses a flowable or fluid page design unlike many sites which enables it to make the most of real-estate on-screen. Technology also supports more standard e-retail facilities. SEC (2005) states: ‘We use a set of applications for accepting and validating customer orders, placing and tracking orders with suppliers, managing and assigning inventory to customer  orders, and ensuring proper shipment of products to customers. Our transaction-processing systems handle millions of items, a number of different status inquiries, multiple shipping addresses, gift-wrapping requests, and multiple shipment methods. These systems allow the customer to choose whether to receive single or several shipments based on availability and to track the progress of each order. These applications also manage the process of accepting, authorizing, and charging customer credit cards.’ Data Driven Automation Round (2004) said that ‘Data is king at Amazon’. He gave many examples of data driven automation including customer channel preferences; managing the way content is displayed to different user types such as new releases and top-sellers, merchandising and recommendation (showing related products and promotions) and also advertising through paid search (automatic ad generation and bidding). The automated search advertising and bidding system for paid search has had a big impact at Amazon. Sponsored links initially done by humans, but this was unsustainable due to range of products at Amazon. The automated programme generates keywords, writes ad creative, determines best landing page, manages bids, measure conversion rates, profit per converted visitor and updates bids. Again the problem of volume is there, Matt Round described how the book ‘How to Make Love Like a Porn Star’ by Jenna Jameson received tens of thousands of clicks from pornography-related searches, but few actually purchased the book. So the update cycle must be quick to avoid large losses. There is also an automated email measurement and optimization system. The campaign calendar used to be manually managed with relatively weak measurement and it was costly to schedule and use. A new system: Automatically optimizes content to improve customer experience Avoids sending an e-mail campaign that has low clickthrough or high unsubscribe rate Includes inbox management (avoid sending multiple emails/week) Has growing library of automated email programs covering new releases and recommendations But there are challenges if promotions are too successful if inventory isn’t available. Your Recommendations Customers Who Bought X†¦, also bought Y is Amazon’s signature feature. Round  (2004) describes how Amazon relies on acquiring and then crunching a massive amount of data. Every purchase, every page viewed and every search is recorded. So there are now to new version, customers who shopped for X also shopped for†¦ and Customers who searched for X also bought†¦ They also have a system codenamed ‘Goldbox’ which is a cross-sell and awareness raising tool. Items are discounted to encourage purchases in new categories! I have a more detailed article on Amazon personalisation / recommendation system He also describes the challenge of techniques for sifting patterns from noise (sensitivity filtering) and clothing and toy catalogues change frequently so recommendations become out of date. The main challenges though are the massive data size arising from millions of customers, millions of items and recommendations made in real time. Amazon Partnership strategy As Amazon grew, its share price growth enabled partnership or acquisition with a range of companies in different sectors. Marcus (2004) describes how Amazon partnered with Drugstore.com (pharmacy), Living.com (furniture), Pets.com (pet supplies), Wineshopper.com (wines), HomeGrocer.com (groceries), Sothebys.com (auctions) and Kozmo.com (urban home delivery). In most cases, Amazon purchased an equity stake in these partners, so that it would share in their prosperity. It also charged them fees for placements on the Amazon site to promote and drive traffic to their sites. Similarly, Amazon charged publishers for prime-position to promote books on its site which caused an initial hue-and-cry, but this abated when it was realised that paying for prominent placements was widespread in traditional booksellers and supermarkets. Many of these new online companies failed in 1999 and 2000, but Amazon had covered the potential for growth and was not pulled down by these partners, even though for some such as Pets.com it had an investment of 50%. Analysts sometimes refer to ‘Amazoning a sector’ meaning that one company becomes dominant in an online sector such as book retail such that it becomes very difficult for others to achieve market share. In addition to developing, communicating and delivering a very strong proposition, Amazon has been able to consolidate its strength in different sectors through its partnership arrangements and through using technology to facilitate product promotion and distribution via these partnerships. The Amazon retail platform enables other retailers to sell products online using  the Amazon user interface and infrastructure through their ‘Syndicated Stores’ programme. For example, in the UK, Waterstones (www.waterstones.co.uk) is one of the largest traditional bookstores. It found competition with online so expensive and challenging, that eventually it entered a partnership arrangement where Amazon markets and distributes its books online in return for a commission online. Similarly, in the US, Borders a large book retailer uses the Amazon merchant platform for distributing its products. Toy retailer Toys R’ Us have a similar arrangement. Such partnerships help Amazon extends its reach into the customer-base of other suppliers, and of course, customers who buy in one category such as books can be encouraged to purchase into other areas such as clothing or electronics. Another form of partnership referred to above is the Amazon Marketplace which enables Amazon customers and other retailers to sell their new and used books and other goods alongside the regular retail listings. A similar partnership approach is the Amazon ‘[emailprotected]’ program which enables third party merchants (typically larger than those who sell via the Amazon Marketplace) to sell their products via Amazon. Amazon earn fees either through fixed fees or sales commissions per-unit. This arrangement can help customers who get a wider choice of products from a range of suppliers with the convenience of purchasing them through a single checkout process. Finally, Amazon has also facilitated formation of partnerships with smaller companies through its affiliates programme. Internet legend records that Jeff Bezos, the creator of Amazon was chatting to someone at a cocktail party who wanted to sell books about divorce via her web site. Subsequently, Amazon.com launched its Associates Program in July 1996 and it is still going strong. Googling http://www.google.com/search?q=www.amazon.com+-site%3Awww.amazon.com for sites that link to the US site, shows over 4 million pages, many of which will be affiliates. Amazon does not use an affiliate network which would take commissions from sale, but thanks to the strength of its brand has developed its own affiliate programme. Amazon has created a tiered performance-based incentives to encourage affiliates to sell more Amazon products. Amazon Marketing communications In their SEC filings Amazon state that the aims of their communications  strategy are (unsurprisingly) to: Increase customer traffic to our websites Create awareness of our products and services Promote repeat purchases Develop incremental product and service revenue opportunities Strengthen and broaden the Amazon.com brand name. Amazon also believe that their most effective marketing communications are a consequence of their focus on continuously improving the customer experience. This then creates word-of-mouth promotion which is effective in acquiring new customers and may also encourage repeat customer visits. As well as this Marcus (2004) describes how Amazon used the personalisation enabled through technology to reach out to a difficult to reach market which Bezos originally called ‘the hard middle’. Bezos’s view was that it was easy to reach 10 people (you called them on the phone) or the ten million people who bought the most popular products (you placed a superbowl ad), but more difficult to reach those in between. The search facilities in the search engine and on the Amazon site, together with its product recommendation features meant that Amazon could connect its products with the interests of these people. Online advertising techniques include paid search marketing, interactive ads on portals, e-mail campaigns and search engine optimisation. These are automated as far as possible as described earlier in the case study. As previously mentioned, the affiliate programme is also important in driving visitors to Amazon and Amazon offers a wide range of methods of linking to its site to help improve conversion. For example, affiliates can use straight text links leading direct to a product page and they also offer a range of dynamic banners which feature different content such as books about Internet marketing or a search box.Amazon also use cooperative advertising arrangements, better known as ‘contra-deals’ with some vendors and other third parties. For example, a print advertisement in 2005 for a particular product such as a wireless router with a free wireless laptop card promotion will feature a specific Amazon URL in the ad. In product fulfilment packs, Amazon may include a leaflet for a non-competing online company such as Figleaves.com (lingerie) or Expedia (travel). In return, Amazon leaflets may be included in customer communications from the partner brands. Our Associates program directs customers to our websites by enabling independent websites to make millions of products available to their  audiences with fulfillment performed by us or third parties. We pay commissions to hundreds of thousands of participants in our Associates program when their customer referrals result in product sales. In addition, we offer everyday free shipping options worldwide and recently announced Amazon.com Prime in the U.S., our first membership program in which members receive free two-day shipping and discounted overnight shipping. Although marketing expenses do not include the costs of our free shipping or promotional offers, we view such offers as effective marketing tools. Marcus, J. (2004) Amazonia. Five years at the epicentre of the dot-com juggernaut, The New Press, New York, NY. Round, M. (2004) Presentation to E-metrics, London, May 2005. www.emetrics.org.

The dangers of Scams and corruption in Sports

The dangers of Scams and corruption in Sports Cricket a gentlemans game a very famous statement adored by most of the people who played cricket or enjoyed watching it around the 70s and 80s. But does this statement still hold true? Well from the commentators or cricketing experts perspective it does. But from the viewers perspective, there is a doubt over the statement, more so on the gentlemen playing the game. The year 2010 provided these viewers with more such incidents that could raise further doubts including those on the integrities of the players. The first notable incident was when Sri Lankan cricketer Suraj Randiv bowled a no-ball to deny Indian batsmen Virender Sehwag from scoring a century. Sehwag was on 99, with India needing just one-run to win the match. Randiv deliberately bowled a no-ball. Sehwag was thus stranded on 99 even though he hit that ball for a six. After much criticism, the Lankan bowler accepted the wrong-doing, but by then; the spirit of the game was already being questioned. As if this incident was not enough to dent the spirit of the game, and as if the no-ball had not got its due recognition, three Pakistani players were alleged in the spot-fixing controversy. The no-balls were now going to get a fair deal of recognition. The three Pakistani players, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir had allegedly accepted bribes from bookie Mazhar Majeed. The deal was to bowl deliberate no-balls and under-perform at specific points of time or in specific overs in the 4th test match with England at Lords. The information was used by Majeed to make wagers. When the news was first reported by the News of the World, the trio denied the charges and pleaded innocence. However, with their background of having being involved in prior such controversies related to match-fixing, doping, controversies related to the death of their former coach, this incident was not something that could have been shut without any investigation. The three players were temporarily suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Notices were sent to Pakistan board and these three players, seeking information into allegations of spot and match fixing. The Scotland Yard arrested Majeed for investigating the charges of suspicion of conspiracy. Later a few more arrests were made in the case, these being related to money laundering in connection with the fixing allegations. They submitted their reports to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS was to decide whether to hold the players guilty or not. Finally, the ICC concluded on its investigation that the t hree players were indeed guilty of accepting bribes for spot-fixing. They were subsequently banned for a period of 10 years for Salman Butt, 7 for Asif and 5 years for Mohammad Amir. 5 years for Butt and 2 for Asif were suspended on the condition that both of them commit no further breach of the code. All of them were allowed to appeal against their sentences with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The sentences were aimed to thwart other such incidences from occurring. But as they say an image once tarnished is difficult to rebuild. Here the image in question is not only of Pakistan cricket but of cricket as a game. Will such sentences prevent the future occurrence of such or probably new methods of match-fixing, is something that only the time will tell. Story 2: Lost in the Woods Tiger Woods is a professional American golfer one of the most successful golfers of all time. His achievements to date by winning the most career PGA tours major golf championships make him the youngest fastest golfer to earn him such accolades. But, there is always an upside of being a sports celebrity. Your personal professional lives are followed continuously by the media public who idolise you. Woods paid the price of being a celebrity when he got involved in one of the famous infidelity stories of modern times. On November 25, 2009, there was a story published in the tabloid The National Enquirer, which claimed that Woods was having an extramarital affair with one of the nightclub manager in New York, Rachel Uchitel. The media started garnering attention to the story about Woodss infidelity after Woods suffered a car accident a day later. The accident occurred near his home when he left around 2:30 a.m. in his car. Woods had hit a hedge, a fire hydrant, and a tree which was near his house. Woods was cited for careless driving paid a $164 traffic fine. He initially refused to speak to either the media or the police. This led to a lot of speculation among his fans media persons. Finally, after 2 days, he released his clarification statement on his personal website, which mentioned that he undertook blame for the car crash and said that he didnt want any more speculation as it was his personal matter. Reports soon surfaced in the media circles saying that Woods wife, Elin, had attacked his c ar with a golf club following an argument about Woods alleged affair with Uchitel. Further interest in the story grew when a San Diego based cocktail waitress, Jaimee Grubbs claimed in one of the magazines that she had a two-and-a-half-year affair with Woods. She also had various texts voice messages as a proof to support her claims. Soon, over a dozen women claimed through various mediums that they also had alleged affairs with Woods. This increased a lot of pressure on Woods from all sections of media, fans his sponsors. On Dec 11, 2009 he made a public statement on his website in which he admitted to infidelity and apologized for his behaviour. He also announced that he has decided to take a temporary break from playing professional golf till he settles down with his personal life. Shortly after this statement, several companies who were Woods sponsors started to reconsider the endorsement deals signed with him. On 8th December, 2009, Nielsen carried out a survey found that the advertisers had temporarily suspended television other media advertisements featuring Woods post the extramarital affairs scandals emerged. Some of the major sponsors of Woods showed him support initially and decided to retain him. But he was suspended by Gillette on Dec 11, and also by Accenture on Dec 13, stating that the golfer was no longer the right representative. The shareholders had undergone an estimated loss which was as high as $5  to $12  billion due to the Woods extramarital affairs scandal. The entire Tiger Woods infidelities controversy proved one thing that no individual can take anything for granted, even if he is the worlds highest earning professional sports athlete. Woods had admitted that he was unfaithful to his wife had extramarital affairs with a number of women. Infidelity is not acceptable by any court of law. It is the most unethical thing to happen in a marriage cannot be tolerated or forgiven by any partner (irrespective of their gender) in the world. He was caught by the charisma power that comes by being a famous sports celebrity. He had the wrong belief that he had the power to perform any actions, and his brand image his fan following would not cause any harm to him. He was under the impression that normal rules/laws followed in society did not apply to a big sports celebrity like him. This brought to his downfall his multiple infidelities tarnished his on-field brand image built by him from over a decade. His acts had disappointed his fans, fami ly, friends business partners all over the world. Woods officially divorced his wife on Aug 23, 2010. Currently, Woods has made a comeback to professional golf but he is neither in the best of his form on-field nor does he have the support that he used to have before the controversy. Story 3: Olympics take a Dope Olympics, the greatest sporting event in the world, is not free from issues and one of the issue which is bothering the organizer for a long time is usage of performance enhancing drugs. The genesis of using the similar things can be found in Ancient Olympics in form of specially cooked lizard meat which would improve athletes performance. In modern Olympics, there have been many cases where players have been banned for using drugs starting with alcohol usage in 1968 till 30 athletes were banned in Vancouver in 2010. IOC (International Olympic Committee) along with WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) has taken a strong stand against use of such elements. In fact, Zero Tolerance for Doping was adopted as an official slogan for the Beijing Olympic Games (2008). The case which we are going to see how Bahrain Athlete Rashid Ramzi was stripped of his gold medal for doping in 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Rashid Ramzi climbed to the top of the Asian scene, after transferring to Bahrain, winning gold medals at the Asian Athletics Championships and the Asian Games 2002. He set an Asian indoor record over 800 metres to take the silver at the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships-his first global medal-and took part in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He reached the peak of his discipline the following year by becoming both the 800  m and 1500  m champion at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics the first man to ever do such a double at the competition. He failed to retain his titles at the 2007 World Championships, but still took the silver medal over 1500  m. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he was the recipient of the first ever medal for Bahrain at the Olympics winning the 1500  m gold medal. However, he failed to maintain his integrity before performing at 2008 Olympics Games. His result (of winning gold medal in 2008) did not stand and he was excluded from the sport for two years after his test came back positive for the banned blood-boosting substance CERA (Continuous erythropoietin receptor activator), a newer version of a endurance-enhancing hormone that was cutting edge stuff. In April 2009, the Bahrain Olympic Committee reported Ramzi tested positive for doping at the Beijing Games. Ramzi tested positive for CERA, an advanced version of the blood-boosting drug EPO. Ramzis backup B sample was tested on June 18, 2009 and in July 2009 it was announced Ramzis B sample has tested positive as well. In November 2009, Ramzi was stripped of his gold medal. An important thing to note, here, is the players (many others including Ramzi were suspended or stripped of their medal) were knowing about illegal use of drug CERA but test to check CERA were not available before. So, players took advantage of it. But, as soon as test came into existence, it was applied on players and were given appropriate punishment. This incident tells us how hard IOC and WADA tries to eliminate drug issue from Olympics, usage of such drugs will become integral part of Olympics unless Players take a moral responsibility of eradicating drug demon. Story 4: Corruption in Commonwealth Games 2010 They killed animals, cut trees, displaced people, snatched livelihoods, destroyed river, looted the taxpayers, violated all possible labor laws, increased cost of living to unimaginable heights, asked students to vacate hostels, destroyed heritage of this age old city and all this in the name of Green Games. Yes, as a matter of fact the only thing green about October 2010 held Commonwealth Games in the capital city was the money involved in it. The mission of this game included creating sustainable environment and leave behind a lasting legacy and values include transparency. Delhi had won the bid in November 2003, in last six years whatever happened in the name of Games completely defied above mentioned vision, mission and values. On the contrary, the opacity in the conducting of the games deeply scarred the sentiments of the people and the civil society in India. The destructive development that had happened over the years in the name of a game has tarnished the image of India to a great extent. Initially the estimated cost of the games was around Rs. 150 crores which rose to Rs. 70,000 crores. Common mans hard earned money was used in an extravagant and reckless manner. There was corruption ranging from procurement of small items like towels, soaps etc. to construction of bridges and stadiums. Before the start of the games, corruption was suspected but the magnitude was not known. The cost of renovation of a stadium proved to be more than building a new stadium. There were reports of child labour in the construction of venues. Death of 48 labourers did not make much news and was mentioned in passing. For some of the mess in Delhi, Congress blames MCD controlled by BJP while BJP and other opposition political parties directed their fingers to the ruling party at Delhi. Allegations of corruption spanned a broad spectrum including issuing of  contracts and purchase of equipment from treadmills to toilet rolls. Indias anti-corruption watchdog identified more than 16 projects with possible irregularities. Allegations of corruption over the Commonwealth games 2010 event that took place   in Delhi in October 2010 are being investigated by several bodies including the  anti-corruption watchdog, the state auditor, the CBI and a special committee set  up by Prime Minister Singh. The Congress-party led coalition government came under fierce criticism for  mismanagement and ineptitude over the sporting extravaganza which cost up to Rs. 70,000 crore (USD  6 billion). It is obvious that a complete lack of governance and accountability has led to all kinds of politicians and officials diving in to make a quick buck out of the governments magnanimity. The Congress party, as a desperate measure to save its face, eventually sacked Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the organising  committee, as secretary of the partys parliamentary wing. Recently, Kalmadi and his Aides have been arrested and questioned by the CBI regarding the irregularities in the run-up to hosting the just-concluded Commonw ealth Games. What was supposed to be Indias moment of glory was turned into the countrys hour of shame. *.*.*.

Analysis of Donnes The Bait and Marlowes Passionate Shepherd to His L

Love, an extremely and unsurprisingly popular topic among writers in every time period and corner of the world, is the central subject of two similar, yet contradicting literary works – â€Å"The Passionate Shepard to His Love† by Christopher Marlowe and â€Å"The Bait† by John Donne, respectively. Each author masterfully utilizes imagery, but in different ways to achieve two different purposes. Marlowe’s idealistic vision of what love should be is countered by Donne’s rather cynical realism. Both works begin with an identical first line that is followed by a line that Donne alters from Marlowe’s original line. The change seems subtle yet it contains thematically significant meaning. Marlowe’s second line reads â€Å"†¦and we will all the pleasures prove†¦Ã¢â‚¬  while Donne slightly changes the latter of the two – â€Å"†¦and we will some new pleasures prove†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The discontinuity lies in the wording as Marlowe fails to recognize the negatives connected with relationships. Donne acknowledges these hardships, replacing Marlowe’s extreme word choice - â€Å"all† to â€Å"some†. The alteration provides a more realistic approa...

The Vietnamese culture, a rich heritage on many different levels

Vietnamese Culture Thesis Statement: The Vietnamese culture, a rich heritage on many different levels. Through exploring its religion, population, language, education, government, art and economics, an appreciation can be developed for the important contributions Vietnamese people make in American society. The early inhabitants of the area were Negritos. Some 4,000 years ago Austronesian (Indonesian) migrants from the north were moving into the area that is now North Vietnam. Later, Austro-Asiatic (Mon-Klimer and Maylayo-Polynesian) peoples arrived. Then, about 2500 years ago Viet (Yueh) and Tai peoples moved down from southern China. Out of this mixture of genes, languages, and cultures arose Van Lang, considered to have been the first Vietnamese Kingdom. In mid-third century B. C Van Lang was over run by and incorporated into another state to the north, forming the kingdom of Au Lac. Then Au Lac was incorporated into an even larger and more powerful state: Nam Viet. (Levison 284) Historically speaking, Vietnam (officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as of 1992) has struggled for independence for at least two thousand years, primarily from China. There have been brief periods when the country has itself p In spite of its long relationship and physical closeness to China, Vietnam has for most of historical time â€Å"defined itself as China†tms enemy, a fact memorialized in folk song and legend† (301). The Communist party enlists neighborhood committees and uses these along with its own organizations to monitor behavior and punish what it perceives to be deviance from the norm. About 20 percent of all Vietnamese people live in cities, the majority of these in two or three room apartments. The punishment for exceeding the two child limit was most easily enforced† (295). Once a tattoo artist, Tan experiments with subjects such as men masturbating and variations on the phallic symbol. But number one, there is very little money to be made in Vietnam, so there are few places to spend it. In writing, these tones are marked diametrically, giving the language a great musicality. In 1994 the population of Vietnam was roughly 69 millions. Respecting its economy, Vietnam is and always has been a very poor country, â€Å"with an annual per capita income of less than U. Although the party has eased up on the economy a bit regarding control, it still wields absolute political power. In Vietnam, â€Å"gossip and ridicule have been important weapons for social control because of a concern for face† (296). Was Communism to be practiced, as it should be in Vietnam There would be a middle and upper class which there are not except at the level of government, meaning it†tms the same old story of corruption, hunger for power and the odd need to keep the people as submissive and as under-privileged as possible. The children are taught that â€Å"water from Vietnam†tms many rivers and from the annual monsoons is basic to the rice agriculture† (26), which is so vital to the country†tms existence in terms of both substance and economy. Music plays a central role in daily life just as it does in America; its fine arts and architecture, however, reflect Chinese as well as Western influence. Most households have altars for their ancestors and â€Å"small shrines built in honor of various spirits (the earth god, Shakyamuni, the goddess of mercy, the god of wealth, etc. In spite of its long relationship and physical closeness to China, Vietnam has for most of historical time â€Å"defined itself as China†tms enemy, a fact memorialized in folk song and legend† (301). The Communist party enlists neighborhood committees and uses these along with its own organizations to monitor behavior and punish what it perceives to be deviance from the norm. About 20 percent of all Vietnamese people live in cities, the majority of these in two or three room apartments. The punishment for exceeding the two child limit was most easily enforced† (295). Once a tattoo artist, Tan experiments with subjects such as men masturbating and variations on the phallic symbol. But number one, there is very little money to be made in Vietnam, so there are few places to spend it. In writing, these tones are marked diametrically, giving the language a great musicality. In 1994 the population of Vietnam was roughly 69 millions. Respecting its economy, Vietnam is and always has been a very poor country, â€Å"with an annual per capita income of less than U. Although the party has eased up on the economy a bit regarding control, it still wields absolute political power. In Vietnam, â€Å"gossip and ridicule have been important weapons for social control because of a concern for face† (296). Was Communism to be practiced, as it should be in Vietnam There would be a middle and upper class which there are not except at the level of government, meaning it†tms the same old story of corruption, hunger for power and the odd need to keep the people as submissive and as under-privileged as possible. The children are taught that â€Å"water from Vietnam†tms many rivers and from the annual monsoons is basic to the rice agriculture† (26), which is so vital to the country†tms existence in terms of both substance and economy. Music plays a central role in daily life just as it does in America; its fine arts and architecture, however, reflect Chinese as well as Western influence. Most households have altars for their ancestors and â€Å"small shrines built in honor of various spirits (the earth god, Shakyamuni, the goddess of mercy, the god of wealth, etc.

How to Create Behavior Contracts for Students

How to Create Behavior Contracts for Students Every teacher has at least one challenging student in her class, a child who needs extra structure and incentive to change bad behavior habits. These arent bad kids; they often just need a little extra support, structure, and discipline. Behavior contracts can help you mold the behavior of these students so that they no longer disrupt learning in your classroom. What Is a Behavior Contract? A behavior contract is an agreement between the teacher, student, and the students parents that sets limits for student behavior, rewards good choices, and outlines consequences for bad choices. This type of program sends a clear message to the child by communicating with them that their disruptive behavior cannot continue. It lets them know your expectations and what the consequences of their actions, both good and bad, will be.   Step 1, Customize the Contract First, make a plan for change. Use this behavior contract form as a guide for the meeting you will soon have with the student and his/her parents. Tailor the form to your particular situation, taking into consideration the personality and preferences of the child you are helping. Step 2, Set Up A Meeting Next, hold a meeting with the involved parties. Perhaps your school has an assistant principal in charge of discipline; if so, invite this person to the meeting. The student and his/her parents should attend as well. Focus on 1 to 2 particular behaviors that you would like to see change. Dont try to change everything at once. Take baby steps toward major improvement and set goals that the student will perceive as achievable. Make it clear that you care about this child and want to see him/her improve in school this year. Emphasize that the parent, student, and teacher are all part of the same team.   Step 3, Communicate the Consequences Define the tracking method to be used on a daily basis for monitoring student behavior. Describe the rewards and consequences that correlate with behavior choices. Be very specific and clear in this area and use quantitative explanations whenever possible. Involve the parents in designing a system of rewards and consequences. Make sure that the chosen consequences are truly important to this particular child; you can even ask the child for input which will make him/her buy into the process even further. Have all involved parties sign the agreement and end the meeting on a positive note. Step 4, Schedule a Follow-Up Meeting Schedule a follow-up meeting 2 to 6 weeks from your initial meeting to discuss progress and make adjustments to the plan as needed. Let the child know that the group will be meeting again soon to discuss their progress. Step 5, Be Consistent in the Classroom In the meantime, be very consistent with this child in the classroom. Stick to the wording of the behavior contract agreement as much as you can. When the child makes good behavior choices, offer praise. When the child makes poor choices, do not be apologetic; if needed, pull out the contract and review the terms that the child agreed upon. Emphasize the positive consequences that can come as a result of good behavior and enforce any negative consequences of the childs bad behavior that you agreed upon in the contract.   Step 6, Be Patient and Trust the Plan Most of all, be patient. Do not give up on this child. Misbehaved children often need extra love and positive attention and your investment in their well-being can go a long way.   In Conclusion You might be surprised at the huge feeling of relief that all involved parties feel just by having an agreed-upon plan. Use your teachers intuition to start yourself on a more peaceful and productive path with this child.

Free Essays on Advertisementing For America

According to â€Å"Body Image & Advertising,† the average woman sees up to six-hundred advertisements every day. Many people have become unaware of advertising’s presence, because it is so banal and ingrained in American’s everyday lives. Not only do people not notice it when something is being marketed towards them, but they don’t understand the drastic affects advertising has on them. But in fact, advertising has a very large and very real affect on consumers. Things are marketed indiscreetly as well as subliminally. These messages are often given through beautiful models telling consumers to buy a certain product. Very few products are advertised using less than perfect women. Unfortunately, this causes much harm for the American society. Both males and females of all ages are distress over the body images seen in advertisements. The purpose of advertising is to market products to as many people as possible. Advertisements are seen in more than just commercials and advertisements; they are also in movies and television shows. Movies and television shows can hold many advertisements. When actors wear a specific brand of clothing or use a brand of cologne in movies, they are usually paid for their advertisement by the companies. The best way to advertise a product is make consumers feel dissatisfied with what they already have and make them want more. Causing people to buy things they otherwise wouldn’t, advertising creates a constant need. Commercials and other forms of advertising give people distorted views of what a healthy body image is. People try to achieve the perfect body, but find themselves lacking when compared to models and actors. This is unattainable because the men and women in advertising, television, and movies are airbrushed to take away discoloration, bumps, wrinkles, and any other blemishes that are unappealing. By showing consumers an unattainable goal, advertisers have set a never... Free Essays on Advertisementing For America Free Essays on Advertisementing For America According to â€Å"Body Image & Advertising,† the average woman sees up to six-hundred advertisements every day. Many people have become unaware of advertising’s presence, because it is so banal and ingrained in American’s everyday lives. Not only do people not notice it when something is being marketed towards them, but they don’t understand the drastic affects advertising has on them. But in fact, advertising has a very large and very real affect on consumers. Things are marketed indiscreetly as well as subliminally. These messages are often given through beautiful models telling consumers to buy a certain product. Very few products are advertised using less than perfect women. Unfortunately, this causes much harm for the American society. Both males and females of all ages are distress over the body images seen in advertisements. The purpose of advertising is to market products to as many people as possible. Advertisements are seen in more than just commercials and advertisements; they are also in movies and television shows. Movies and television shows can hold many advertisements. When actors wear a specific brand of clothing or use a brand of cologne in movies, they are usually paid for their advertisement by the companies. The best way to advertise a product is make consumers feel dissatisfied with what they already have and make them want more. Causing people to buy things they otherwise wouldn’t, advertising creates a constant need. Commercials and other forms of advertising give people distorted views of what a healthy body image is. People try to achieve the perfect body, but find themselves lacking when compared to models and actors. This is unattainable because the men and women in advertising, television, and movies are airbrushed to take away discoloration, bumps, wrinkles, and any other blemishes that are unappealing. By showing consumers an unattainable goal, advertisers have set a never...

Modern Heroes essays

Modern Heroes essays There are significant differences between celebrities and heroes. Heroes deserve more awards than celebrities do. Everyday heroes such as policemen, firemen, doctors and teachers deserve awards for their service to the community. We must recognize them as heroes working towards the wellbeing of other people. Real heroes should receive recognition for their accomplishments from the media. General Aung San, who founded the Burmese Army in 1941 and fought for independence from the British, is considered as the father of the nation. When Burma was under the British rule, Aung San first made his name through university level political action. Aung San fled to Japan in 1940 following his arrest for participating in the Communist Party of Burma. In 1941, Aung San and his thirty comrades founded the Burmese Independence Army (BIA). Aided by BIA, the Japanese marched into Burma within weeks of Pearl Harbor. Japan declared Burma an independent country and allowed General Aung San to create the Burma National Army (BNA). General Aung San took the position of the Defense Minister in BNA. At the end of War World II, Japan lost the War and Burma came under the British rule for the second time. General Aung San wanted independence immediately from England and also wanted to establish a democratic, civilian government. In July 1947, General Aung San was assassinated by his enemie s at the age of thirty-two before Burma was able to declare her independence in 1984. He might not be as well known as a famous actor, but he deserved recognition as a hero for his service to his country and people. Aung S. Su Kyi, daughter of General Aung San continue to struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma, and became the leading representative of the movement for freedom and democracy. She was only two years old when enemies assassinated her father in 1947, the year before Burma finally won its independence form England. In 1988, Aung S. Ky ...

Nash jewellers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nash jewellers - Assignment Example terest in reading brochures and waiting for others to tell them about trending jewelry stores instead they watch real shows on television for information. It has also become essential to use the internet as a communication tool, in order to target our audience and show the way we dominate in jewelry industry. Even though advertising Nash jewelry on radio and television may compromise the image of the store, I believe that this form of exposure will benefit the firm greatly (Nash 1). It is essential for Nash jewelers to focus its advertising on sites from the internet that appeal to the young individuals. Although I believe that Nash’s North store will assist the company to grow, I also believe in using the web and the internet as it will benefit the company’s store. Since the young customers are very interested in technology, we could photograph physical pieces of jewelry using a digital camera then posting them on the internet for customers to see. In addition, since we will present this ‘virtual’ inventory via the internet, we would develop computer programs that will enable the clients to search for the prices of items that meet their standard sat specific points. Shifting our efforts to popular internet sites such as Google will be effective in the promotion of our products. Young adults are now spending more time online communicating, therefore as the trend changes to digital so should our marketing plans (Nash 1). By keeping in mind the company’s goal to educate the public, I have come up with a series of advertisements ‘Gemtalk with John Nash’ that will air on the local television. Since it is illegal for television infomercials to advertize organization, services or products directly, the airing and production fee is inexpensive, and this will allow us to acquire great cost savings. I have written the scripts and paid 450 dollars per script for the filming of three advertisements. ‘Gemtalk’ will air for six months at a cost of 12 dollars

Business Myths Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Myths - Case Study Example â€Å"Hey, this meal is fantastic! You should start a restaurant!† This is a myth. Starting a restaurant requires various skills other than being a good cook 5. I’ll just open my store, and people will stream in off the sidewalks and buy from me. This is also known as the â€Å"If you build it, they will come† approach to business. Accessibility does not guarantee success in business. Customer may try it out but will not return if the product or service is poor. 6. It’s a cool idea. Everyone will love this. Often focus groups provide such input to marketers—we love the idea. Focus groups gives an indication of how the market will receive the product in the market given their past experiences and knowledge. But again, not a guarantee that such will succeed in the market. 9. Failure is bad. Failure is the opposite of success. This is why dodge ball has been banned in schools and soccer teams are penalized if they get more than five goals ahead of their competitors. The examples are Myth. But the statement that failure is bad is correct. Taken as a whole, this is a myth. 11. Cash flow is what really matters in business. Profit can just be a trick of accounting whereas cash flow controls whether you can stay in business. Many companies go out of business due to cash flow challenges, even though they were profitable on paper. Myth. While cash flow is important to keep the business running, it is not everything. Business also needs to invest and there are expenditures that do not immediately affect cash flow. 12. Having more customers is better than having fewer customers. Would you believe that some companies go out of business because they have too many customers or too much demand for their product? False. Customers are never too much. They are the very reason why a business exists. B. Is it true that: YOU CAN WIN CUSTOMERS JUST by LOWERING YOUR PRICES? Explain. No. Price is just one of the components in attracting

NFTS,exfs2,extfs3 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

NFTS,exfs2,extfs3 - Article Example NTFS, on the other hand, is very useful in the event where file systems are needed in sharing files with newer Windows systems. Journaling improves data integrity and recovery, especially after unclean system shutdowns. This avoids file system checks which take so long during the next reboot following an unintended shutdown. This is because the changes that occurred since the most recent write to disk are saved and ready to be restored. Journaled file systems guarantee fast crash recovery. The journaled file system also makes it faster to scan a partition and restore a system once the system has failed, unlike non-journaled file systems that take so long. Journaled file system also ensures better performance. A journaled file system is faster due to its codes that are highly optimized (Negus & Caen, 2008). Journaled file systems are usually slower than other file systems. The slowdown is a result of the many operations that have to be performed on the journal every time there is a file system change (EMC Education Services, 2012). Journaled file systems such as Ext.3 have become important especially in Linux distributions, and knowledge of the file system is applied in recovering evidence such as deleted files and file activity. A forensic investigator will, therefore, use the first mode, called the journal to obtain the information pertaining to the activity of the file system. This facilitates the recovery of file content, with an added advantage of recovering metadata activity on the file system (Easttom, 2011). In conclusion, journaling of file systems has proved to offer more advantages, thus the suitability in forensics and investigations. Its suitability in the restoration of systems after unintended shutdowns has been a great

A Case Study Related To Risk & Value Management

A Related To Risk & Value Management - Case Study Example The major risks of the company may arise to decrease in sales of plastic products, reduction in per unit price of plastic products, difficulty in coping up with the competition in the market, economic scenario, regulation and intervention of authorities, political intervention, social climate, competitive technology, environmental surroundings and legal issues. Let us consider each of these categories of risk separately for AutoPlast Ltd (Jones, 2010, p.19). Considering the present scenario of chemical leakage from the storage plant of AutoPlast Ltd. and contamination of water of River Cruze and subsequent outbreak of fire leading to the health problem of the surrounding housing estates, village and fish market, there is a dominant upheaval from the local community against the operation of AutoPlast Ltd. It is evident that there would be political intervention due to mismatch and fulfilment of interest of the political parties leading to several agitations and discussion between the management of AutoPlast Ltd. and the political entities. Political intervention would lead to demand of hefty compensations for the health-affected people and any disagreement on mutual points would lead to unplanned expenditures of the company that is likely to affect the profit margin of AutoPlast Ltd (Coleman, 1988, p.11). Economic Although AutoPlast Ltd. is considered to be a major player in the local economy employing several local people surrounding the river Cruze, the present scenario of fire outbreak due to the operations of the company leading to respiratory and health issues of local mass would generate a sense of disloyalty and hatred towards the brand of AutoPlast Ltd. and hence they would have a tendency to reject its products leading to the fall in production and price of AutoPlast Ltd. Thus, the economic risk of AutoPlast Ltd. in the present scenario needs to deal with in a strategic manner by the management of the company (Shapiro and  Glicksman, 2004, p.106). Soc ial Considering the present scenario of AutoPlast Ltd., the society has shown some tolerance to the company as it employs a majority of the workers in the local community. But considering the extent of damage in terms of life and death and the psychological impact on the society due to presence of stimulants, the extent of risk that AutoPlast Ltd. is going to bear in terms of goodwill and subsequent volume and value of sales is considerable. Technological Considering the present scenario, AutoPlast Ltd. would run the risk of devaluation and distrust of the technologies used in its industrial operation and process of manufacturing plastic products. The company would need to reconsider its cost on research and development of the technologies used. The up-gradation of technologies would need to be looked upon by the management so that there is no further chemical leakage from its storage during operation. The decisions of the management would ensure that AutoPlast Ltd. adheres to its c orporate social responsibility. Legal Due to the present scena

Career in Hospitality Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Career in Hospitality Industry - Essay Example The history of amusement parks dates back to the 16th century. These places were started in Medieval Europe with the name "Pleasure Gardens" and provided live entertainment, dancing, games, fireworks and few rides. Today, the oldest operating amusement park in one of those pleasure gardens named 'Bakken' which was started in the year 1583 in Copenhagen. Amusement parks started getting great popularity in the late 19th century. The world's first modern amusement park 'Paul Boynton's Water Chutes' was started in the year 1893. After that, a large number of theme parks were opened in Europe and United States and the industry flourished. The great depression of 1935 and second world was a great blow to the industry. By the end of the World War II, varieties of amusement parks have already started to boom. Today's theme parks enjoy a good popularity and are located throughout the world in almost all countries with diversified themes and features. This industry today is highly dependable on the technological development, which has provided various sophisticated rides and other entertainment options. The amusement park industry provides opportunity to interact with people of highly diversified cultures than any other. ... Exposure in diversified areas Good growth potential Good working condition Decent compensation package Exposure to diversified cultures The amusement park industry provides opportunity to interact with people of highly diversified cultures than any other. This exposure and learning will be asset that will accompany me throughout my career in this field. Dynamic Environment This industry is the most dynamic among all of the hospitality industries. It has to change according to the peoples interests and had always changes with the development in the field of Science & Technology. Since I have interest in learning new thing and hate a stagnated environment, I decided that the amusement park industry will be the best suited for my career and preferred his over the others. Exposure to other areas of Hospitality Industry Amusement parks also provide facilities such as restaurants, hotels, travel assistance, etc. One of the reasons for choosing this industry among the others in the hospitality industry is that working in amusement parks provides exposure also in the areas of ride operations, admissions, food services, retail, entertainment and guest relation. Exposure to High End Technology The major attraction in the amusement parks is the rides. Today's rides are intensely technology driven and highly sophisticated. Since I have interest in the field of Science & Technology, this industry became my first preference to make my career among the others. Based on all these aspects, I had decided to make my career in the Amusement park industry. To enter into any industry, it requires a good knowledge and understanding of the industry. And also a lot of work needs to be done

Management by Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management by Objectives - Essay Example By setting objectives and completing them - the employee can enjoy a sense of accomplishment. Assuming a company has clearly conveyed a mission to be an embraceable vision for all employees from top to bottom; setting objectives with the employee and then letting the employee execute them gives the employee a feeling of team work and belonging. Peter Drucker first addressed MBO in 1954 in his book The practice of Management He later readdressed MBO in updated editions, including, Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices originally published 1973. In the book in Drucker is always careful to stress the human element of management. (Drucker, 21973) He stresses the combined power of teamwork when strengths are emphasized. We are all managed in some way, whether it is by our parents, our jobs or our rules of society. A concrete example of management by objectives is from the company where I am employed. The company requires the manager to sit down with each associate and set goals for the year. Some goals are individually driven and some are business driven. For example, an individual goal might be to learn (or job shadow) a different position in the company, whereas a company goal might be to complete audit reports within a 180 days of the start. The individual goal is set by the associate; sometimes with the coaching of the manager, if needed.

A Case Study Related To Risk & Value Management

A Related To Risk & Value Management - Case Study Example The major risks of the company may arise to decrease in sales of plastic products, reduction in per unit price of plastic products, difficulty in coping up with the competition in the market, economic scenario, regulation and intervention of authorities, political intervention, social climate, competitive technology, environmental surroundings and legal issues. Let us consider each of these categories of risk separately for AutoPlast Ltd (Jones, 2010, p.19). Considering the present scenario of chemical leakage from the storage plant of AutoPlast Ltd. and contamination of water of River Cruze and subsequent outbreak of fire leading to the health problem of the surrounding housing estates, village and fish market, there is a dominant upheaval from the local community against the operation of AutoPlast Ltd. It is evident that there would be political intervention due to mismatch and fulfilment of interest of the political parties leading to several agitations and discussion between the management of AutoPlast Ltd. and the political entities. Political intervention would lead to demand of hefty compensations for the health-affected people and any disagreement on mutual points would lead to unplanned expenditures of the company that is likely to affect the profit margin of AutoPlast Ltd (Coleman, 1988, p.11). Economic Although AutoPlast Ltd. is considered to be a major player in the local economy employing several local people surrounding the river Cruze, the present scenario of fire outbreak due to the operations of the company leading to respiratory and health issues of local mass would generate a sense of disloyalty and hatred towards the brand of AutoPlast Ltd. and hence they would have a tendency to reject its products leading to the fall in production and price of AutoPlast Ltd. Thus, the economic risk of AutoPlast Ltd. in the present scenario needs to deal with in a strategic manner by the management of the company (Shapiro and  Glicksman, 2004, p.106). Soc ial Considering the present scenario of AutoPlast Ltd., the society has shown some tolerance to the company as it employs a majority of the workers in the local community. But considering the extent of damage in terms of life and death and the psychological impact on the society due to presence of stimulants, the extent of risk that AutoPlast Ltd. is going to bear in terms of goodwill and subsequent volume and value of sales is considerable. Technological Considering the present scenario, AutoPlast Ltd. would run the risk of devaluation and distrust of the technologies used in its industrial operation and process of manufacturing plastic products. The company would need to reconsider its cost on research and development of the technologies used. The up-gradation of technologies would need to be looked upon by the management so that there is no further chemical leakage from its storage during operation. The decisions of the management would ensure that AutoPlast Ltd. adheres to its c orporate social responsibility. Legal Due to the present scena

Management by Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management by Objectives - Essay Example By setting objectives and completing them - the employee can enjoy a sense of accomplishment. Assuming a company has clearly conveyed a mission to be an embraceable vision for all employees from top to bottom; setting objectives with the employee and then letting the employee execute them gives the employee a feeling of team work and belonging. Peter Drucker first addressed MBO in 1954 in his book The practice of Management He later readdressed MBO in updated editions, including, Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices originally published 1973. In the book in Drucker is always careful to stress the human element of management. (Drucker, 21973) He stresses the combined power of teamwork when strengths are emphasized. We are all managed in some way, whether it is by our parents, our jobs or our rules of society. A concrete example of management by objectives is from the company where I am employed. The company requires the manager to sit down with each associate and set goals for the year. Some goals are individually driven and some are business driven. For example, an individual goal might be to learn (or job shadow) a different position in the company, whereas a company goal might be to complete audit reports within a 180 days of the start. The individual goal is set by the associate; sometimes with the coaching of the manager, if needed.

United States and Israel Essay Example for Free

United States and Israel Essay The relationship between the United States and Israel should be realized as different and unique in its own rights since both parties are distinct in their own way, gaining political, economic, and cultural independences that influenced and continuous to influence so many others. It can be said that for such a small country, Israel has acquired importance far beyond its size, not only politically but socially and culturally. It is apt to say that, today the United States is the lone superpower, carrying vast military might, capable leaders wielding economic and cultural strengths enabling vast influences of unparalleled scope. Owing to the distinctness of both parties, it will be astonishing to note if a relationship forged between this two did not possess certain distinctness as well. A variety of events both done and only as a result of circumstances, envelope this US-Israel relationship. Both carrying slack/criticism and praise for forging such a strong tie that transcends all political, moral/ethical, social and cultural bonds. This paper attempts to investigate the relationship between the two countries and how it was developed and sustained all throughout the years. And the answer the pressing question of its survival in the recent changing strata of economy, cultural and political powers and perspectives. Roots: The US-Israel relationship began in 1948 when President Truman of the United States readily acknowledges the sovereignty of the Jewish state, but despite this it is evident that the US did not truly acknowledge Israel by adapting a neutrality act that prevented sale or transfer of military weapons to Israel (Cristol, 2002). It can also be realized that Israel formed a closer relationship with France rather than America (Leiber, 1998). But despite these primary dimensions the progression of the American-Israeli connection was far from steady progressions. It can be said that the relationship at first was neutral at most and aid to Israel was slow, whether it be economic or military assistance. This relationship was slow in coming, it took many steps before an actual relationship was formed. A budding military relationship started when President Johnston started selling military weapons to Israel around 1965-66. Reinforced by Israel success with its military efforts against other nations, particularly that of the Soviets, American analysts started to realize that Israel has become a major regional power capable of aiding them in their Mediterranean and Middle East efforts. Israel’s defeat of the Soviets and its subsequent aid to the US in the form of information regarding Soviet weaponry and tactics were significant in the US military efforts in Southeast Asia and during the Cold War. The intensifying war, the Cold War to be precise, also intensified US-Israel relationship, as the US looked to Israel to be its stable, reliable ally in the region and as Israel responded as such, the relationship strengthened. Israel in turn was recognized as a â€Å"strategic asset† rather than simply being an ally (Steinberg, 1998). Israel was very much in the thick of the Iran arms sales as well as becoming the channel to funnel US arms to Central America. The US and Israel share common goals, passions and advocacies, the special relationship between Israel and the United States has come to rely on deep-seated factors, Sharing a commonality that enabled them to work together includes. Democracy. Both Israel and the United States hold democracy and liberty with the highest consideration. Note the fact that Israel is the only democratic country in the Middle East. Immigration. Not unlike the United States, Israel’s population is that of immigrants. Welcoming the embracers of Zionism, the Jewish national liberation movement. While, the United States, the land of greener pastures, immigrants consists mostly of those wanting to work in the US, seeking higher pay and better work environment. Economy. Both Israel and US economies value free market. Each committing to competitiveness, international trade liberalization support and multilateral trading. Education. It can be noted that both countries exhibit high regard for good education for its citizens. Both nations firm believers of education as an integral part in shaping a nations future thru proper education of its young. A mutual support system. Israel was also one of the first to support the US in its efforts to enhance security by cooperating with the US Department of Homeland Security for development of initiatives to enhance such, also supporting the US in many of its endeavors with the United Nations as the US continues to bring aid and assistance to its Israeli counterpart. This framework shows many areas of partnership that enabled US-Israel relations to grow in proportion and depth. But like any other relationship, this forged relationship did not come without problems and strains. Relationship strains came in the form of American pressure on Israel to withdraw its forces in the Sinai Peninsula. Israel’s role in the Suez operations in 1956. The AWACS being sold to Saudi Arabia, the Lebanese Massacre of Palestinians in 1982 and the intifada. All bearing strain on the relations between US and Israel. It can be surmised that sometimes differences in opinions and goals can sometimes bring in strain to a steady friendship but it is duly noted too that the bond of this relationship is very deep and rooted, it will not be easily deferred and it remains to be so. FOREIGN POLICY It can be surmised that these two nation forge a cooperation that is surprisingly balanced, if you weigh it against a range of international issues. The Unites States continues to be Israel’s power patron, with the US backing Israel financially and politically even to the point of strain with other allies. It can be seen that Israel shows its allegiance to the US by voting with the Americans in United Nations General Assembly votes 95% of the time, even in consideration of other countries recognized as close to very close American allies. It will be noted that through the years, Israel has supported the US, even to the extent that they are the only ones behind the US. This support can be deemed blind and maybe one of the reasons for the US continued alliance with this country. Continuing U. S. Support – strategy wise There may be a strategic and logical reason for US continuing support of Israel, it is noted as follows: ? Israel has effectively stopped victories by radical nationalist movements in not only Lebanon and Jordan, but in Palestine as well. ? Syria, a known ally of the Soviet Union for many years, has been kept in check by Israel. ? Predominant air force in their region is Israel’s Air Force ? It can be realized that the many and frequent wars engaged by Israel provided an actual testing ground for US weapons, and usually against its major counterpart the Soviet Union. ? That in order to support unpopular movements and regimes, Israel has become an American channel in providing military assistance, weapon sales to Islamic Republic of Iran, military junta of Guatemala, the Nicaraguan Contras, and the likes. ? Not only once did the Israeli intelligence assist US military operations in covert and intelligence gathering operations. ? Israel’s intelligent military has developed missles and weapons capable of annihilating the Soviet Union and not only once did it assist the US military in the research and development of new weapons, jet fighters and defense systems more capable of protecting the state. Conclusion It may not be a match made in heaven, but mutually working for each other and benefitting from it, it may well be as close as it can get. Many believes that the US support for Israel range from insane to absurd to illogical and even outright dumb. The special relationship forged by US and Israel is a mixture of causative factors that enabled this relationship to flourish including historical memory, regional security and stability considerations, the US national interest, religion and communal ties. It can also be partly due to personal rapport and friendships built by heads of the states. Although it is understandable that not many understand this ties, especially when they see the very people, Americans are supporting, killing and salvaging a great many people they believe to be enemies. They tend to think of it as utter hypocrisy. But it has to be believed that many great American presidents supported and aided Israel and one cannot surmise their actual reasons behind it, but it can be surmised that ultimately US Officials think of the nations interests and being privy to private/confidential information may have led them to continue their support for Israel despite how it is seen by the public for in the end, it’s still the nations general welfare that they are after. Works Cited Cristol, J (2002) When did the US and Israel become allies. History News Network. Online retrieved 21 Feb 2008 from http://hnn. us/articles/751. html Leiber, R. (1998) U. S. -Israel relations since 1948. Meria Journal 2(3): 11-20 Steinberg, G. (1998) Israel and the United States: can the special relationship survive the new strategic environment? Meria journal 2(4): 61-81

French Essays Abortion Laws in France

French Essays Abortion Laws in France Abortion laws in France does the system support a pro-choice or pro-life ideology? The way in which abortion has been viewed culturally has changed dramatically over time. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, attitude change began to liberalise alongside the social and cultural changes spreading through Western Europe.   A number of factors have been presented in the literature as contributing to the ‘wave of change’ evident in contemporary feelings towards abortion. Approximately 50 million abortions are currently carried out worldwide regardless of the differences in laws between countries. More than one-third of these procedures are performed illegally (mainly in the developing world) with nearly one-half taking place outside the health care systems. Once deemed a sin punishable by death, with more relaxed and liberal attitudes towards sexuality and reproduction, the act of aborting a foetus is now seen by many as a woman’s right. Often classified under the title of a ‘pro-choice’ standpoint, the decision of whether to continue with a pregnancy is seen to rest with the individual, and Governments following this perspective should thus offer the procedure in a safe and supportive environment demonstrating their recognition that a woman should have the right of control over their own fertility. Around two-thirds of the world’s women live in such countries, where abortion can be carried out on request, or for a range of reasons. Such laws have led to the development and rise of safe and legal abortions, leading to the rates of pregnancy-related complications such as death for mother or infant, to decrease. The pace of such liberalisation is however not constant across continents and countries, and laws differ in whether reasons need to be given in regards to the request of the abortion, conditions involved in obtaining treatment, and lastly whether consent of some form, other than that of the female is required. Different levels of explanation required before the abortion is provided can vary from physical and mental health risks to the mother and foetus, to socio-medical or socio-economic reasons, to abortion upon request (predominantly within first trimester). Also, consent in some countries is required for minors (under 16 years, UK) or in more restrictive nations from the spouse of married women (Japan, Turkey). Countries that have more stringent and restrictive conditions have contributed to the slowing in abortion law reform, with restrictions actually increasing within the legal systems of some places. Often classified as a ‘pro-life’ perspective, such countries vie w the right of the foetus to life from conception, irrespective of the wishes of the mother. Countries that clearly fall into this category include the United States, where further liberalisation of abortion through changes to the law, have been blocked. Abortion laws in France currently allow women to have an abortion up to 12 weeks into pregnancy; however there are a number of processes that women must comply with in order to get the procedure authorised. Not only do French women wishing to get an abortion have to attend mandatory ‘pre-abortion counselling’ but they also need to adhere to a seven day cooling-off period after the counselling before the abortion can take place. France had in earlier time been especially restrictive in its allowance of abortion; during Nazi occupation in 1940-1941 abortion was a criminal offence, and those practicing in providing abortions could be punished by death if convicted – a lady who had performed a number of illegal abortions around this time was executed in 1942. Although the death penalty was dropped in 1944, abortions were still performed in secret up until the 1970’s when French law was relaxed in order to allow women to have an abortion up to tenth week of preg nancy (Law No. 79-1204 of 31 December 1979) and this was then increased in 2001 to be available up to week 12. After this time the agreement of two physicians stating the health of the woman is endangered is required in order to allow an abortion to be performed. The implications of these requirements can mean a number of things for women. The time limit within French laws often mean that French women wanting to terminate their pregnancy after the twelfth week are required to travel elsewhere (such as the UK) in order to get the treatment. This itself can incur financial consequences through cost of travel and possibly prolonged time off work, but also psychologically as their support systems may not be accessible when abroad, and the stress of travelling to a foreign land with a different language may also add considerably to an already distressing situation. In cases where a woman is within the timeframe to get the abortion in France, so-called counselling sessions are often biased towards getting the female to keep the baby and can thus prove emotionally and psychologically challenging and upsetting, whilst the waiting period can prolong stress and distress levels with having to wait for the procedure to take place. Such actions can theref ore severely interfere with the woman’s decision making process, which ultimately has the potential to lead to a decision being made that will later be regretted. The time limit of twelve weeks thus limits women’s choice to have an abortion, and when the limit is missed can either lead to an unwanted child or the instigation of an illegal abortion that is likely to be under less safe, with greater health risks than regulated abortions, or where the woman is required to travel outside the country with the associated stressors of doing so, to have the procedure completed. As to whether French laws are thus consistent with a pro-choice or pro-life approach, the distinction in this country is not clear cut. The fact that women (over 16) may opt for an abortion on request without specific reasoning given, without consent from another required, appears to be consistent with the liberal pro-choice perspective. However the relatively strict time limit imposed, coupled with the enforced and often biased ‘counselling’ and set waiting period before the procedure can be performed does appear to attempt to make it as difficult as possible within the framework of French law, for the woman to terminate her unwanted pregnancy. French law can therefore be seen to be more pro-life than other similar western European countries such as the UK where counselling is not mandatory, and abortion can be performed up to 24 weeks into pregnancy. French law may in light of the points discussed, be seen to fall within some median point on the continuum between pro-life and pro-choice ideology, which may seen to benefit from giving the unborn foetus a degree of right to life, and yet also be seen to be restricting women in respect to their own reproduction capacity, in comparison to similar European countries, which may anger many in our culturally liberal modern day society. ESSAY PLAN: ABORTION LAWS IN FRANCE: DOES THE SYSTEM SUPPORT A PRO-CHOICE OR PRO-LIFE IDEOLOGY? INTRODUCTIONWhat has the background to abortion laws been, and how has mood and societal reflection on the topic changed over time†¦ PRO-CHOICE PROLIFE EXPLANATIONWhat are the pro-life and pro-choice movements, and what does each of these perspectives involve†¦. THE LAWS IN FRANCE Current laws and requirements for abortion to be granted IS FRANCE PRO-LIFE OR PRO-CHOICE?Are French laws consistent with a pro-life or pro-choice ideology? CONCLUSION OF THE POINTS REFERENCES Abortion in Law, History and Religion (1995) Childbirth by choice Trust ‘Abortion Policy: France’ The Population Policy Data Bank: Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat Gearty, C (2004) ‘The politics of abortion’ The Tablet Latham, C ‘Policy networks and reproductive rights in France and Britain’ BRIEFING PAPERS ‘Crafting an abortion law that respects women’s rights: Issues to consider’ (2004) Center for Reproductive Rights ‘Safe and legal abortion is a woman’s human right’ (2004) Center for Reproductive Rights INTERNET RESOURCES http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/population/abortion/France.abo.htmhttp://www.protectchoice.org/http://www.abortionfacts.com/http://www.prochoiceforum.org.uk/al11.asp