Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis - 1964 Words

Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Christina Hand, Ray Philips, Emmet Flynn, Cat Guerrera, Christa Rehmeyer, Mike Norton, amp; Nikolas Morrow August 6, 2012 ECO/365 Franny Chan Factors that affect demand, supply, and equilibrium prices in the market in which the competing organization operates; define the market for your chosen product, including an analysis of its competitors, potential customers, or potential buyers. The cell phone market is a massive market; some studies conclude that more than half of the United States has cell phone accounts (Simon, 2004). One attribute that defines the cell phone market is the idea of consumers giving up their land line use. Many individuals are now giving up their land line use†¦show more content†¦into the market. If the size of the market increases the demand curve shifts to the right. When the IPhone first came to the cell phone market in 2007 it offered an alternative in the cell phone market, generally competition between cell makers can cause the demand for a product to drop (Yahoo Inc., 2012). As an example if Samsung were the market leader before the IPhone’s initial debut and just as many people are still buying cell phones the introduction of the IPhone caused several consumers to leave to Samsung for Apple Inc. This eventually leads to price wars were companies must the lower the price of their products and may require a cut in sup ply to fall in line with the decrease in demand. Price elasticity is a tool designed to identify the overall change in demand or supply of a product compared to the overall movement of price. Apple frequently talks about the whether they should change the price of the current iPhone. Apple uses elasticity of demand to determine if their profits will go up or down by lowering its price. Before the iPhone was released it was estimated to be sold at a very high value. So with that being said, Apple lowered the price tremendously, especially if you think about all the features you get. Apple sold a very large amount of these phones the first day. One thing that gaveShow MoreRelatedCurrent Market Conditions: A Competitive Analysis1615 Words   |  6 PagesCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Competitor analysis is a tool used in marketing as well as strategic management whereby an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of an organizations both current and potential competitors is done. A useful technique in carrying out a competitor analysis is the construction of a competitor array. This is done through various steps first identification of the industry that the organization wants to venture into. This encompasses the scope and natureRead MoreCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis1592 Words   |  7 PagesCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis ECO/365 March 4th, 2013 Week 3 team assignment Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Introduction In a society that has seen historical economic fluctuations and shifts in one’s long-term employment, consumers are searching for the best bargains they can find. Consumers across the United States are looking for ways to save money; thus, searching for stores that will provide them with everything they need at a lower cost. CompaniesRead MoreCurrent Market Condition Competitive Analysis1646 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis John Smith ECO/365 January 1, 2020 University of Phoenix Jane Doe Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Internet streaming alternatives for traditional television and radio are becoming increasingly popular. 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It will also discuss a short history on Apple’s MP3 player, the factors that affect demand, supply, equilibrium prices in the market, and any issuesRead MoreCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis1818 Words   |  8 PagesCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Nicole Williams, Miquail Broadous, Miguel Flores, James Johnson ECO/365 April 18, 2013 Chris Foster Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Baby Tech is a new company who specializes in making car seats for infant children (0 to 11 months). Our first product will be an electric car seat that comes with a remote control. Baby Techs Baby Soother electric car seat features the new technology with safety and comfort. This car seatRead MoreCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis1606 Words   |  7 PagesCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis They say life is short, eat dessert first. Now thanks to the innovative people at Maine Root Handcrafted Beverages, you can. At the request of the Marketing Director for Maine Root Handcrafted Beverages, the following is a competitive marketing analysis to determine a new flavored soda’s potential success. The analysis focuses on our primary competition, factors that support our recommendations for maximizing the profit-making potential, and successfullyRead MoreCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis2322 Words   |  10 PagesCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Apple Inc. is a firm located in Cupertino, CA, that has impacted the computer and electronic industry since April 1, 1976, by founders Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne, and Steve Wozniak. Apple Inc. has ranked number to on the 2015 IndustryWeek 50 best US manufactures list, with a revenue of $182,795 million (â€Å"The 2015 IndustryWeek 50 Best US Manufacturers, 2016). Today Apple has created an industry of new and improved technology, with products such as theRead MoreCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis1606 Words   |  7 PagesCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis The product that I have selected will be in the telecommunication arena. There are four major companies that compete for exclusivity for marketing purposes over my elected product of Apple product/s. There is one major competitor to my product and that would be Samsung and Sony, however, the smart-phone is no comparison to any other phone in my era to date. The companies listed all sell Apple products. ( Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT T ) TheRead MoreCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis1396 Words   |  6 PagesCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis History of the Organization BMW Corporation, which started with a small aircraft engine plant, manufactures its products in 30 factories in Germany and thirteen other states scattered around the world. This is one of the few car companies, which does not use robots in factories. The entire assembly on the conveyor is performed manually. In the end there is only computer diagnostics of the basic parameters of the car. Within almost 100 years of experienceRead MoreCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis2688 Words   |  11 PagesCurrent Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Current Market Conditions: Introducing a New Tablet In 2010, in reaction to rumors of a 7-inch tablets being introduced into the market, Steve Jobs simply said, â€Å"7-inch tablets are tweeners: too big to compete with a Smartphone and too small to compete with the iPad† (Chen, 2010). While Apple has stayed true to this, many tablet manufacturers have introduced tablets smaller than the iPad, and they are having success. Samsung has introduced the Galaxy

Sunday, December 22, 2019

6 Branches of Philosiphy - 1508 Words

What makes philosophy so important? Tyus V. Harshaw American Intercontinental University PHIL 201-1501B Jerry Nwonye April 05, 2015 Abstract Although the many aspects of philosophy have shaped the world today, most of it has come from rules that are still applied to everyday life. All the important questions to life’s answers aren’t going to be always answered but can be theorized in some way. In philosophy often people use different branches of determining certain things are and asking certain question according to what they apply to. These methods are known as the braches of philosophy including: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, politics, and social philosophy. Moving past the basics in†¦show more content†¦Nowadays living in a society of being judged by almost everything you do can surely affect one’s morality simply because they don’t won’t be made of a mockery. People would rather do nothing than be the one to do something out of the goodness of their heart, it’s always about the â€Å"what do I get if I do this?† instead of â€Å"I will expect nothing if I do this†. So it can throw peoples morals off by being the person society wants them to be instead of being the person they want to be and being responsible for their own actions. Determining the question of â€Å"What is beautiful† is the question most asks themselves and how they can achieve it. In Aesthetics art seems to be a prominent subject that people can relate to as being beautiful. Whether the art form is music, painting, reading, writing, all these are based on judgment of what you think is beautiful. The importance of aesthetics is the unique perspective of thinking especially when it comes to beauty or art. Being able to see it from your own eye and parts of it that look beautiful to you. Ultimately beauty comes from the eye of the beholder, the person determining what is beautiful is always going to be the solution. For example, if everyone is in a pottery class and there’s a finished vase and it’s jagged, crooked, and beat up but people are calling it beautiful because of technique and you don’t think so because

Saturday, December 14, 2019

DTLLS Unit Seven Free Essays

string(53) " cope with the changes that will come in the future\." Introduction It is unquestionable that each individual requires idiosyncratic conditions to nourish a growth and development that will turn them into the person they become. These conditions are provided through the institute of education through comprehensive knowledge of the educational infrastructure and the requirements and variety of qualities that each student presents. Looking at myself, I can say that my learning environment was the most crucial part of my life, encouraging me to step into the world and pursue a career I enjoy. We will write a custom essay sample on DTLLS Unit Seven or any similar topic only for you Order Now It proved efficient in establishing personal competence, social and qualitative skills, as well as allowing proficient gains in knowledge and autonomy. Since learning is a continuous process in an individual’s life, the qualities carried influence following stages and hence the importance of methods of teaching and evaluation is consequential. The contribution of learning to economic growth is one of many challenges in our society today. Teachers have a large impact on the skills and developmental skills student’s carry with them to aspire to a career into that sector. It is crucial to provide student with more than just facts but the tools that will ‘increase aspirations and awareness of the value of skills to them’ (Leitch Review of Skills Final Report, 2006). As study shows that our out-of-class experiences are just as important as the ones we learn in class (George D. Kuh, 1995). They have an increasing influence on the way things are viewed in the curriculum and that leads me to the conclusion that students with less social ability may be at a higher risk of employing a career in which they are less defined compared to those with higher sociability that would pursue careers that are suitable to their defined characteristic’s and abilities. Therefore, treating each student individually will encourage those individuals that are unable to flourish within their environments to identify themselves and accept achievements and skills in pursuit of specific careers. Furthermore, Dewey provides an understanding on reflection on such experiences and its importance in promoting a more complex and interrelated mental schema (Wertenbroch Nabeth, 2000). It generally helps to sum up knowledge from experiences and education and construct it mentally and use it in professional practice and to understand the world. To guide persons into higher order thinking through the skills learned in class is a significant target. Lack of it can be a result of environment, learning and reduced tasks of reflection. As an educator I believe reflection is integral in the lifelong learning process and to encourage it is to encourage promotion in economical growth. By adding depth to the meanings of observations and descriptions made in class it is possible to relate to the individual and reach the acquired goal in this specific area. The methods employed in class will improve personal development and enhance the interest in learning as a whole. Using descriptive writing reports, which allow the students to reason based on their personal judgment and encourage problem solving, is an essential. As to the facts, Hatton Smith reported four activities that aid the process of reflection: Action research projects, case and cultural studies, practical experiences, structured curriculum tasks like reading fiction and non-fiction as well as oral interviews and keeping journals. Community regeneration can be made through advancements in the institute of education and better teachers with a more rounded understanding of the world. Part 2: Waves of change have been implemented in the educational sector and our perception of it and the ability to cope with it have proved difficult. Policy can be viewed as the method of bettering and increasing the opportunities for learners in order for them to acquire qualifications and improve their capabilities. However, it has been a challenge for the sector to mend the system in a way that is equally beneficial to both the staff and the students. Some say: â€Å"Changing the way things are done †¦ does not necessarily change either the ultimate outputs of the system or the underlying principles that characterize the sector. These principles lie in the cultural and professional values and the societal expectations that underpin the system at the macro-scale.† (Lumby and Foskett, 2005:27). On the other hand, some believe it can destroy the system: â€Å"Commitment to the learners may not, however, be enough to help staff cope with the pressures of further waves of change .†(Paper, 2005) Agreeably, it is a large responsibility that the teaching staff must take on but it is nevertheless a high target to attain especially when it is constantly changing. Having said this, it is obvious in the current educational society, reforms made have a strong impact on the teaching staff and eventually trickling down to the students. To maintain the principles previously mentioned you must diligently teach without forgetting the â€Å"why† and â€Å"which† questions that strongly affect a minority of students whilst teaching a group for example. So it can be said that these fluctuations effect students and the teachers, which seems somewhat counterproductive to achieve a more efficient educational system. The major problem now is that because of funding cuts, schools and their staff are unable to further use equipment and facilities to achieve new and exciting methods of teaching younger student, which limits student interest and inevitably lack of interest in education as a whole. The effects that educational reform have on the learning circle produces different repercussions with the younger ones with comparison to the older stud ents it has been seen through some studies that adjustments in examination style or just general curriculum changes proves difficult to adjust to. Therefore it is wise to take extra caution in primary school classes in order to guide the children appropriately and through educational standards allow them to feel stable. To further enforce, it is the responsibility of the teaching staff to not let reforms affect the teaching in the classroom. Furthermore, it is mandatory to view the way changes in the past have allowed us to cope with the changes that will come in the future. You read "DTLLS Unit Seven" in category "Essay examples" Currently, the educational climate has been continually changing to establish a more equipped foundation for each current climate and the challenges they face. The advantage of this is that it has given teachers and staff of today a better understanding of how to prepare and acclimatize to change without major impact on teaching and student. Past teaching experiences have shown that during changes in the system, there is a great deal of confusion in curriculum and teaching, which has made the transition to the new system harder for teachers to cope with and ultimately effect the students learning. Under initiative leadership, all staff members are expected to take responsibility for the successes of the teaching and implementation, which by definition portray a high priority on improving and m aintaining an effective educational system. Leadership in a participative group will be matched to the tasks identified by the group, and leaders will emerge with sanction from the group. Thanks to past generations of teaching faculty we have consciously learnt that all levels of education in this country are primarily about teaching without recognizing what is required to develop a highly functional group. Students don’t have a primary role in what is to be taught. Students wait to be told what to do and how this is to be achieved. Teaching, instigated by the authorities, places the student in a strict relationship with the teacher and their teachers only. Fortunately there are some good teachers who encourage and facilitate learning, but we have mostly teachers who tell their students what has been decided they need to study and learn in the classroom. Finally, constructive learning is a personal journey, resulting from the maintenance of a steady practice and of personal motivation. Learning that is the way forward in education and an adventure essentially under the control of the individual, encircled by the developmental capabilities that are encountere d throughout the course, and with time and maturation is constricted somewhat by the method and course of experiences open to the teacher and student. Part 3: Evaluation has always been a key and a significant role in successfully maintaining a constructive and adherent learning environment. It allows the teacher and the teaching staff to better understand the fluctuations of student understanding and of specific subjects at specific times during the educational year. It allows for struggling students to understand their difficulties and with the teachers help better their understanding, it allows for exceeding students to push their learning capacity and achieve higher than expectations. Evaluation has always been, and always will be a key, decisive and imperative pillar in education. However some faculties in the educational society believe that by early evaluation of students since the age of 6 in their first year of primary school have many downfalls to it including stress, teacher’s favouritism and students not enjoying the time they have in school which ultimately defies the concept of learning and teaching as a whole. Although this may be true in some instances, because of early evaluation we have been able to identify students at an early age who have learning difficulties and attend to their needs, we have also been able to aspire students to achieve great thing with a knowing understanding of what needs to be accomplished leading to a great deal of increase in applications for university in the past few years. Having said this, evaluation has also been a significant and key way of better understanding the curriculum and changes in the curriculum and most importantly how the staff has taught this curriculum. This has proved as a very useful tool during educational reform when evaluating teachers has helped to better orientate themselves during implementation of new curriculum. It has also provided an outline as to how faculties are able to organize their teaching plans, class schedules, extra curricula activities and many other vital and important issues concerned in school. Moreover this has been in some way a guideline to the educational society in the government as to whether or not different syllabi have proved effective enough and consequences of these results. This has been done in a very constructive method to provide goals and targets for both students and teachers in order to create a more efficient and opportunity giving educational climate. This having been said evaluation of teachers and students in particular especially from GCSE’s until university and further education learning has proved troublesome and in some instances farfetched. University and colleges entrance requirements have increased significantly as have grading systems in college, so much so that a new great boundary has been created for the top achievers. This can be said to increase the gap between students in the same classes and often provide teachers difficulty in assessing how to teach a wide range of students with different understandings of the specific subject. Part 3, 4 In my teaching area, learners’ feedback and views are crucially important in determining what’s needed to improve their learning and therefore successfully reaching their goals in education. But I also highly value colleagues and head teacher opinions as this would help me improve my teaching methods and provide a high standard of education as well as following a set of quality assurance policies by which the work is continually monitored, which include self-assessments, reviews meetings by colleagues, recording data regarding success rate, attendance, in year retention†¦ References: Leitch Review of Skills: Prosperity for all in the global economy-world class skills, Dec 2006-Page 17. The Other Curriculum: Out-of-Class Experiences Associated with Student Learning and Personal Development Author(s): George D. Kuh. The Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 66, No. 2 (Mar. – Apr., 1995), pp. 123-155 http://www.businessballs.com/traindev.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_development http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelong_learning http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_and_Skills_Council http://issuu.com/snatchmo/docs/unit_7_wider_professional_practice_draft_2003_for_ Lumby and Foskett, 2005:27 Paper, 2005 10. Reflective Practice in the lifelong learning sector, Jodi Roffey-Barensten R.Malthouse How to cite DTLLS Unit Seven, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Nursing Care Priorities for Resources Availability -myassignmenthelp

Question: Write about theNursing Care Priorities for Resources Availability. Answer: Introduction Priority setting is very important in nursing and lack of it can lead to serious consequences for patients. Nurses must be aware of important international, local and national healthcare trends in nursing (IOM, 2011). Recent studies show that priority setting as a tough skill for new nurses to acquire and is not given sufficient time in nursing education. Priority setting id described as ordering of nursing problems using notions of importance so that a sequential order for nursing actions can be established. Priority setting is influenced by a number of factors, for example nursing expertise, condition of the patient, resources availability, organization of the ward, care philosophies or models, relationship between nurses and patient and cognitive used which is used by nurses in priority setting (Brown et al, 2015). There is a need for nurses to approach care in an accountable manner so that the future of nursing is strong. Accountable care is known as a team of healthcare provider s holding shared responsibility for quality and cost of healthcare that they provide to communities with an aim of improving healthcare values (CMS, 2009). The main strategy is to provide effective healthcare, involve the patients in making decisions and reduction of illnesses that can be prevented. This paper will look at nursing care priorities of Mr Rhatin Bhai, an 87-year-old patient with Parkinson's disease. An analysis will be made of whether the patient has problems managing his medication using the Levett-Jones clinical reasoning cycle. Two theories, which can be used to explain nursing priorities, are the Millers functional consequences theory and the Levett-Jones clinical reasoning cycle. The Miller functional consequences theory was invented by Miller and it states that older adults get to feel functional consequences due to age related changes and other risk factors (Johnson Chang, 2014). When there are no interventions, functional consequences become negative but with interventions, they can be positive. A nurses role is to identify factors, which lead to negative functional consequences and initiate the relevant interventions that will lead to positive consequences. Normal changes related with age can negatively interfere with the activity and quality of life of a patient (Martini, Nath Bartholomew, 2015). The nurse has to differentiate between changes caused by age that can be reversed and risk factors, which can be modified. The clinical reasoning cycle is a reference to judgments and clinical decision-making through a logical process. It was developed by Levett-Jones and is an eight-stage process that nurses or medics use to collect signals, process information, understand a patient's problem, plan interventions and do an evaluation of outcomes after which they reflect again on the whole process (Levett-Jones et al, 2010). The Clinical Reasoning Cycle by Levett-Jones The situation of Mr Bhai will be analysed using the clinical reasoning cycle, which has eight processes (Levett-Jones, 2013). Mr Bhai is a patient who suffers from Parkinson's disease and currently has a tremor in both hands, which is becoming worse. Due to this, he is having difficulty in performing activities of daily living like cooking and doing his shoelaces. His finances just enable him to meet his expenses and this may be affecting the purchase of medication. Consider the patient's situation Parkinson's disease is a chronic disorder that affects the central nervous system and has a direct impact on the motor system of a person. It is characterized by shaking of the body, rigidity, slow movement and increased dependency on other for basic activities with growing age. The patient, in this case, is Mr Ratin Bhai who is 87 years old who lives independently as he lost his wife and they did not have any children. His mobility has been altered and he now had a slight tremor in the hands, which is making simple tasks difficult to do. He has relatives close by but does not want to bother them. He is currently on the following medication. Thyroxine 100 micrograms daily Carbidopa/Levodopa 25/100 q8h Entacapone 200 mg q8h Due to the tremor on his hands and the difficulty in performing some basic tasks, Ratin may be having some difficulty in managing his medication. Collect cues/information In the collection of information, the nurse must focus on the biopsychosocial context of Parkinsons disease and operate on ethical, legal and operational assumptions to prevent the complications of the disease and put in place the necessary treatment and rehabilitation procedures. The nurse will look at the pathophysiology of the disease and consult other professionals on the team. The symptoms of Parkinsons disease are divided into motor and non-motor and each of these has different symptoms (Postuma et al, 2015). The nurse will interview Mr Bhai to get to know his age, his living situation, his feeding habits and how he takes his medicine. She will also ask him symptoms, which lead him to believe that his sickness is getting worse. Through the information collected, an appropriate diagnosis will be made. Process information The nurse will process the information that has been given by Mr Bhai by looking at the effects of Parkinsons disease and comparing it to the symptoms, which he is suffering from (Galter, Nieto Baroto, 2016). One of the symptoms of Parkinson's is tremors and Mr Bhai has tremors on his hands (Hunter, 2016). Another symptom is social isolation, which is also affecting Mr Bhai as he has no children and is a widower. He also does not want help from his relatives. Financial worry also stresses Mr Bhai as he is retired and whatever he earns barely meets his expenses. Patients with Parkinson's disease also suffer from decreased mobility. Mr Bhai's mobility has decreased due to old age and hypothyroidism, which causes weakness of the muscles. The nurse will assess Mr Bhai's case and see where his symptoms fit to know how to give him the appropriate care. Identify problems/issues Three nursing priorities that will be identified are dealing with the tremors, restoring performance of activities of daily living and dealing with the uncertainty about the future. One of the motor symptoms of Parkinsons disease is tremors. Pin-rolling tremors occur in the hands and the symptom is back-and-forth rubbing of the thumb and forefinger. When the hands are at rest, they also tremble. There is also difficulty in doing activities of daily living. Parkinsons can make it harder and less safe to perform normal activities that were previously done. In this case, Mr Bhai is unable to tie shoelaces and make a cup of tea and this can lead to health deterioration as he lives alone and cannot do basic activities. There is also an uncertainty about the future of Mr Bhai. One of the symptoms of Parkinson's is Hypothyroidism, which can lead to depression and social isolation. Mr Bhai seems to be suffering from this as he prefers to be alone and does not want the help of his relatives. The top care priority, in this case, will be dealing with the tremors. It is imperative that the tremors are managed so that Mr Bhai is able to do basic activities, which are very important to enable him to get better. Establish goal/s The nurse will establish goals so that Mr Bhai's symptoms are managed for a positive outcome. In this case, the goal will be to manage the motor symptoms, non-motor symptoms and principles of rehabilitation symptoms. The current drugs that the patient is using will be reviewed to see whether they are an adequate part of the treatment and if the dosage is sufficient for the current symptoms, which the patient has developed. The general practitioner of Mr Bhai seems to suspect that Mr Bhai may not be managing his medicine regimen as required hence the escalation of symptoms. The focus should be on how to ensure that Mr Bhai takes all the medication, which is required and does not skip any dose. This will include any additional medicines that will be administered (Miller, 2014). The nurse, therefore, has to get down to the bottom of why Mr. Bhai may not be taking his medicine faithfully as it may be intentional as he feels they are not working or unintentional as his finances may not be sufficient for purchasing the medicine. The main goals will, therefore, be to manage Mr Bhai's tremors by putting in measures to ensure that the tremors in both hands reduce in two weeks. In one month, he should be able to tie shoelaces and make a cup of coffee (Pont-Sunyer et al, 2015). The nurse also has to make sure that Mr Bhai has a realistic progression of his disease in a week. Take action The nurse will take action on managing Mr Bhai's symptoms. The action that will be taken is to review and manage medication that Mr Bhai is currently taking, as he should not be having tremors if the medications are working. The current medication may also be leading to the negative side effects. Tests will be done and if medication is not working, it will be changed. Mr Bhai will also be referred to occupational therapy for assessment so that it can be determined how much he is able to do for himself. This will help him to maintain self-independence and pride. Mr Bhai will also be referred to a physiotherapist to make an assessment of if he needs mobility aid that will help to make him more independent. A social worker will also be involved so that Mr Bhai gets assistance in organizing his meals and doing other basic activities. The social worker will assist in arranging for home care so that Mr Bhai's quality of life is improved. A fall risk of assessment is also required so that falls and subsequent injuries are prevented (Wu Hallet, 2013). Evaluate outcomes The nurse must ensure that Mr Bhai is monitored and progress documented (Bryant Knights, 2015). In an evaluation of the outcomes, the nurse will do an evaluation of whether the tremor has decreased on Mr Bhai's arms. An evaluation will also be done on whether he can now tie his shoes and make a cup of tea. It is also important that Mr Bhai is asked questions to determine whether he now has an understanding of his disease. Reflect on process and new learning The nurse will reflect on the whole process to confirm if everything has been done correctly so that the patient gets a positive outcome. All the processes will be reflected upon and reviewed together with the general practitioner. Anything new that has been learnt in regards to managing the disease must be noted so as to be applied to any future patients (Schrag et al, 2015). Constant monitoring of Mr Bhai will occur so that he is helped to manage his disease appropriately. Conclusion As demonstrated, the important role of nurses in the care of patients with Parkinson's disease is quite obvious and training of new nurses to meet growing demands is important. Nurses have to prioritise what to handle when a patient comes into their facility. Through this, the right diagnosis is made and the patient gets quality healthcare as whatever is most serious is handled first. Mr Bhai's case also emphasizes the importance of a support system for patients who are suffering from conditions brought about by age (Kitson, 2009). The nurse plays an important role by ensuring that the family becomes aware and is involved in the patient treatment process. Different tools should be developed to enhance nursing care as nurses play a key part in ensuring that patients get well. References Brown, D., Edwards, H., Seaton, L Buckley, T. (2015). Lewis's medical-surgical nursing: Assessment and management of clinical problems (4th ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Australia. Bryant, B., Knights, K. (2015). Pharmacology for health professionals (4th ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Australia. CMS[Centers for MediCare MediCaid services] (2009)Roadmap for Implementing Value Driven Healthcare in the Traditional Medicare Fee-for-Service Program. Available at:https://www.cms.gov/QualityInitiativesGenInfo/downloads/VBPRoadmap_OEA_1-16_508.pdf, accessed 20 June 2011. Galtier, I., Nieto, A., Barroso, J. (2016). Cognitive Impairment in Parkinsons Disease: Historical Review, Past, and Present. InChallenges in Parkinson's Disease. InTech. Hunter, S. (Ed). (2016). Millers nursing for wellness in older adults (2Australia and New Zealand ed.) North Ryde, NSW: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins. IOM[Institute of Medicine] (2011)The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, S-5. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC. Johnson, A Chang, A. (2014). Caring for older people in Australia: Principles for nursing practice. Brisbane: John Wiley Sons Australia. Kitson A.L.(2009)The need for system change: reflections on knowledge translation and organizational change.Journal of Advanced Nursing,65(1),217228. Levett-Jones, T. (Ed.). (2013). Clinical reasoning: Learning to think like a nurse. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson. Levett-Jones, T., Hoffman, K., Dempsey, J., Jeong, S. Y. S., Noble, D., Norton, C. A., ... Hickey, N. (2010). The five rights of clinical reasoning: An educational model to enhance nursing students ability to identify and manage clinically at riskpatients.Nurse education today,30(6), 515-520. Martini, F. H., Nath, J. D., Bartholomew, E. F. (2015). Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology. (10th ed.). Boston: Pearson. Miller, C. A. (2014). Nursing for wellness in older adults: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Pont?Sunyer, C., Hotter, A., Gaig, C., Seppi, K., Compta, Y., Katzenschlager, R., ... Wenzel, K. (2015). The onset of nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (the ONSET PD study).Movement Disorders,30(2), 229-237. Postuma, R. B., Berg, D., Stern, M., Poewe, W., Olanow, C. W., Oertel, W., ... Halliday, G. (2015). MDS clinical diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease.Movement Disorders,30(12), 1591-1601. Schrag, A., Horsfall, L., Walters, K., Noyce, A., Petersen, I. (2015). Prediagnostic presentations of Parkinson's disease in primary care: a case-control study.The Lancet Neurology,14(1), 57-64. Wilson S.,Ramelet A.S.Zuiderduyn S.(2010).Research priorities for nursing care of infants, children and adolescents: a West Australian Delphi study.Journal of Clinical Nursing,19(13-14):191928. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2009.03025.x. Wu, T., Hallett, M. (2013). The cerebellum in Parkinsons disease.Brain,136(3), 696-709.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Brand Equity Restoration and Advertising Evolution free essay sample

This case was written by Professor Michele Greenwald, Visiting Professor of Marketing at HEC Paris, for use with Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective – 7th edition by George E. Belch and Michael A. Belch. It is intended to be used as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. The case was compiled from published sources and interviews with executives at IBM and Ogilvy Mather. Introduction During the 1970s and ‘80s, IBM was one of the most successful companies in the world. The company had experienced strong growth in both revenue and profits and had a virtual stranglehold on the market for mainframe computers. In fact the company was often referred to as â€Å"Big Blue,† a nickname derived from its massive blue mainframe computers. For four consecutive years in the 1980s, IBM held the top spot in Fortune magazine’s annual list of the most admired companies in the United States. We will write a custom essay sample on Brand Equity Restoration and Advertising Evolution or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, by 1993 the quintessential â€Å"Blue Chip† company had reached its nadir. Over the three previous years, IBM had lost a total of $15 billion and its stock price was at an 18-year low. The brand had fallen below number 250 in Interbrand’s annual survey of the most valued brands with a brand value, estimated at a negative $50 million dollars. The explosive growth of personal computer networks threatened IBM’s lucrative mainframe and minicomputer business and the company was struggling to turn the situation around. In the late 1980’s and early 90’s, the drivers of innovation nd change in information technology were smaller, nimble companies like Microsoft, Compaq, Dell, Oracle and others who offered less expensive systems than IBM that could basically accomplish the same tasks. IBM had fallen behind in technology as its top management stubbornly clung to the notion that traditional mainframes, which had been the company’s primary strength, would maintain their dominant position in the marketplace. Compounding the problem was the fact that IBM had become a bloated and inefficient bureaucracy that had lost touch with its customers and had a risk-averse culture relative to its competitors. An image on the cover of Fortune magazine in the early 1990’s depicted IBM as a dinosaur. The situation had become so serious that the board of directors considered breaking up IBM into several companies that would be better able to compete in emerging technology markets against the smaller, more nimble players that were gaining ground at IBM’s expense. In April 1993, Lou Gerstner became the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IBM and was given the task of turning around the company. Gerstner was a former McKinsey consultant who had built his reputation through senior assignments at American Express and RJR Nabisco. Although not known as a technophile, he started by speaking with customers, large and small, around the world to gain an understanding of their needs and how they perceived IBM. Based on their feedback, Gerstner came to the conclusion that IBM was worth more in the long run as a whole, rather than as disparate pieces. He envisioned a three-legged company that, with offerings of software, hardware and consulting services, could synergistically leverage its strengths to solve specific problems that would improve their customers’ performance and business results. Gerstner brought on board Abby Kohnstamm who had worked well with him at American Express. Together, they made a radical move by consolidating all IBM advertising creative work worldwide with one agency – Oglivy Mather. Prior to the consolidation, IBM’s advertising was handled by a network of approximately 40 different agencies around the globe. However, IBM’s top management felt the company was projecting too many images with its advertising divided among so many agencies. They decided that by consolidating all of its advertising with one agency, IBM would be able to present a single brand identity around the world. Chris Wall, worldwide creative head of the IBM account for Ogilvy Mather, noted that: â€Å"It was a massive consolidation job of a very complex brand in a very complex category. The challenge for Ogilvy was to take a brand with heritage from the past and bring it to the present: taking what was good and truthful, and infusing it with a modern voice. We have taken a very complex topic in an environment of constant change, in which the products evolve but are not quite new products you cant show and often cant demonstrate. Our challenge has been to keep the IBM brand fresh, interesting and topical because at the end of the day what youre selling is trust. † The consolidation followed a reorganization and change in IBM’s business and communications strategy that was initiated by Gerstner. Prior to the reorganization, IBM had at its core 13 semiautonomous business units, each of which could develop its own independent business strategy with a concomitant marketing communications strategy. These businesses overlapped and inherent in the mix were potential communications conflicts. Under Gerstner, the 13 units were reintegrated into a more cohesive whole. The strategy emphasized the integration of the units and the key role IBM played in technology around the world, while reinforcing the heritage of the company. Central to the implementation of the new worldwide strategy was the global articulation of this vision in a single voice. â€Å"Solutions for a Small Planet† The first step taken by IBM to project a single brand identity around the world was the launching of a new advertising campaign in January 1995 with a contemporary tone known as â€Å"Subtitles. The goal of the campaign was to communicate the message that IBM delivers solutions that are simple and powerful enough to manage information anywhere, anytime, and for anyone. The tagline for the campaign was â€Å"Solutions for a Small Planet. † It originated from a focus group in Paris where a participant made the observation that: â€Å"It’s as if technology is making the world smaller and bringing everyone closer together because we all share the same problems. † The commercials developed for the campaign used the same imagery but were varied for each country by the use of subtitles in the local language. The campaign targeted â€Å"C-level† executives, such as CEOs, CIOs, and CFOs, rather than the previous target audience of procurement and information technology executives. The goal of the advertising was to convey that IBM was capable of solving business problems, not just hardware and software issues. The campaign was effective in communicating that technology affects even average people around the world and IBM is there with solutions for smaller as well as larger, more complex technology needs. This new campaign was in line with Lou Gerstner’s strategic vision for the company which was for IBM to be recognized as â€Å"a provider of solutions. † The campaign also communicated an important message that IBM remained vigorous, innovative, and a purveyor of technology and solutions while retaining its latent strengths of global scope, leadership, and reliability. Several of the print ads from the â€Å"Solutions for a Small Planet† campaign as well as a photo board of the â€Å"Nuns† TV commercial are shown in the power point file that accompanies the case. While the â€Å"Subtitles† campaign was a step in the right direction, IBM needed to go further creatively by showing prospective customers that the company was hip to new technologies, understood their needs and issues, and had the solutions to make a difference. Key to developing this kind of advertising was the need to build a creative group that had a deep understanding of business and technology issues. In 1997, IBM published a 3,000-word manifesto in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, using copy written in business terms a CEO or CIO would use, rather than tech-heavy terminology. It illustrated to potential customers that IBM understood their business, spoke their language and had the expertise to help them solve their problems so they could perform better. The photography was very â€Å"street level,† providing the perspective that IBM was out of the ivory tower and in the trenches working with its clients to help them solve their business problems. The â€Å"E-business† Campaign The â€Å"Subtitles† campaign had one of the most successful runs of any image-oriented advertising campaign ever done by IBM. However, by the late ‘90s, the Internet was growing as more companies were using it to conduct business and IBM was working with them to support their electronic business processes such as advertising, merchandising, inventory management, order fulfillment and customer service. Thus, IBM decided to position itself as the most comprehensive provider of end-to-end solutions for e-business. This led to the introduction of the â€Å"e-business campaign,† which had several sub-campaigns to support different pieces of IBM’s business. These included e-culture† which focused on helping companies adapt to doing business on the web, â€Å"e-business people† which focused on IBM’s global consulting services and â€Å"e-business tools† which included IBM’s products such as the ThinkPad personal computer and servers. The umbrella campaign recast all IBM communications in relation to doing business online and helped the company come to own the â€Å"e-business† label. The campaign was give a contemporary look by producing television spots in black and white with a horizontal, oblong frame that created a screen with movie-type dimensions. The visual was framed in IBM’s blue logo color, which evoked the brand’s longtime equity, but at the same time, portrayed IBM in a fresh, new way. The spots were â€Å"slice of business† scenes in which business people experienced technology problems that IBM was able to solve. The commercials were witty and displayed a sense of humor (traits that were not previously associated with IBM), thereby projecting a much hipper, â€Å"with it†, and in-tune image onto the brand. A female voice-over was used, which was another symbolic departure from its previous staid imagery, and different from most other business technology advertising. The print ads were also done in black and white with only the @ appearing in color (red). As part of the E-business campaign, IBM utilized testimonials around the theme of â€Å"XYZ Company is an IBM e-business. † Large, well-known firms such as Mercedes Benz and Motorola, as well as others that were smaller and less known, were featured in the testimonials. A pool of print ads, illustrating the diversity of e-business customers, appeared in magazines, wild postings, outdoor billboards, and at airports. The campaign communicated the message that IBM worked with companies of all sizes across a wide range of industries and its broad expertise made them the most knowledgeable advisers for almost any business. Companies started approaching IBM asking to be included in the campaign as being portrayed as an â€Å"e-business† enhanced the way they were perceived by their customers. Great synergy accrued to IBM from putting all their communications behind a unified and relevant message. At the end of 1998, IBM did something formerly unheard of in newspaper advertising. Ogilvy Mather created a 32-page color insert on heavy stock paper with a compilation of the e-business print executions. It included some surprising new content sprinkled throughout to create interest, a specific explanation of what e-business was all about, and a call to action for those interested in finding out more about IBM solutions for e-business. The timing for the campaign was right, as e-commerce and all things â€Å"e† were starting to explode. Moreover, IBM’s association of e-business with their brand in a big way at the outset of this explosion resulted in the company pre-emptively owning the term. Chris Wall of Ogilvy Mather noted that: â€Å"The effect of this simple decision was that IBM became one of the definers of how the world would talk about internet-based business, and this became a competitive advantage. By association, IBM became known as being at the forefront of developing ideas and recognizing technology trends: in short, it became a brand that â€Å"got it†. Prior to this campaign, IBM was constantly in the position of living down their â€Å"stodgy† past, making it harder to compete against Microsoft and other hot, young tech brands. But after e-business, IBM became one of the leaders of the pack. The crash of the dot-coms made everyone skeptical of 20 something change-architects. † IBM’s combination of steadfastness, depth, and its new, hipper, more cutting edge, and more â€Å"in the trenches,† image helped the company once again be viewed as a stalwart, in contrast to so many other fly-by-night high tech operations. Within 18 months of running the e-business campaign, the IBM brand had turned the corner and was on its way back up. In 1998 IBM’s sales topped $80 billion for the first time ever and earnings were $6. billion. Even more impressive was the growth in IBM’s stock price which had risen from a low of $41 in the dark days of early 1993 to nearly $125 by the summer of 1999. Fortune ran another cover story on IBM in 1999. However, this time the headline read â€Å"From Dinosaur to e-business animal. † The â€Å"ON Demand† Campaign The â€Å"e-business† campaign ran for several years and was followed by â€Å"ON Demand,† which was the first advertising campaign under Samuel Palmisano, IBM’s new Chief Executive who took over the leadership of the company when Lou Gerstner retired in 2002. Palmisano’s vision was to transform IBM by dramatically increasing its focus on the fast-growing Business Services market. Palmisano accelerated the shift in focus from â€Å"component value† (PCs and machines) to business value which involved providing end-to-end integrated solutions. This expanded vision of â€Å"ON Demand† business was based on the idea of how the world would work when businesses were fully wired with broadband, all systems were integrated, consumers had infinite choice, trends happened faster, companies provided better service and were more responsive to customer needs and business opportunities on a global scale. Richard Ryan, of Ogilvy Mather, noted that: â€Å"At its simplest level, ON is about getting your company to run better. ON means your company runs like clockwork. Business is smoother. Life is good. But people have heard all that before, so our first step was to create customer testimonials – China is ON, Napster is ON- to let people know that ON Demand is real and making a difference right now. Other executions-Fighting cancer is ON. Flying Phones are ON-speak to innovation and strategic expertise. Long copy executions let us get to the meat and potatoes of specific business issues. ON works across all of IBM’s product divisions. It’s a rallying cry for IBM’s 300,000 employees. It’s the marketing spearhead for Sam Palmisano’s vision. † Being ON means you’re responsive and flexible. It means being on your game: on budget, on track, on schedule. We wanted people to associate IBM with that new, ON Demand way of doing business. † Deirdre Bigley, Vice President, Worldwide Advertising Interactive at IBM noted that â€Å"while ‘e-business’ was all about e-commerce and the Internet, ON Demand was all about the technology and movements such as supply chain optimization. The red ON button used in the ads, combined with the words DEMAND BUSINESS became the brand signature in all marketing materials. The slogan also became the rallying cry for all company divisions that cross-sell various IBM’s products and services in an attempt to improve their customers’ business performance. All of IBMâ⠂¬â„¢s sales representatives from its server division, to software, to outsourcing – were selling the on-demand concept along with their own products. ON Demand’s task was to drive the development of all of IBM’s software and hardware, to make them capable of mixing with and managing applications from other vendors. Over time, IBM began to define themselves less and less through their specific hardware and software products, and more as a total business solutions company in which consulting services was the key part of the â€Å"3-legged stool† and a means to sell the company’s hardware and software. E-business was all about the Internet and became too limiting for IBM as the they needed to broaden their positioning. An IBM executive noted: â€Å"Business automation has blurred the customary demarcation between business and information technology, put IT at the heart of corporate strategy, and elevated the understanding of the possibilities. As a result, companies increasingly look for partners who can skillfully combine business insight with technology expertise. † IBM purchased the consulting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers in 2002 to enhance their expertise in consulting services, their credibility, and to increase their client base. IBM felt it was now uniquely positioned to provide the combination of IT and business consulting expertise that firms of nearly every size and in virtually every industry need in order to grow market share and revenue. They believed that no other firm in the world could deliver better on the combination of IT and business consulting to companies all over the world. As Wall Street analyst, David Cearley described it: â€Å"IBM is morphing from a computer company into a business expert, selling well-connected experts. IBM is changing its definition from International Business Machines, to international business models. † A major challenge for Ogilvy Mather in evolving the advertising for IBM was communicating the expanding scope of what the IBM brand stands for and the breadth of its business. The creative group had been given the task of describing IBM’s offerings in a way that sounds proprietary, but at the same time was understandable, to an ever-larger group of business professionals. With the acquisition of Price Waterhouse Coopers and the increased focus on business services consulting, IBM no longer was targeting primarily IT users. Rather it was marketing a broad line of products and services to top-level decision makers at companies and organizations of all sizes. â€Å"The Other IBM† and â€Å"Help Desk† Campaigns Since its inception, the name IBM has signified technology. However as the information technology consulting industry matured and web services were being built on open standards, organizations were shifting their definition of business value to include processes and enterprise optimization. In analyzing this new trend, IBM found itself faced with one of the biggest opportunities in its history: the $1. 2 trillion Business Process Transformation Services (BPTS) market. Demand for BPTS had escalated as companies increasingly realized the value of teaming with a strategic partner to help redesign their functions and processes to become more profitable, efficient and competitive. In 2005, IBM set upon a mission to position itself as the leader of the BPTS market by increasing awareness of and consideration for its capabilities in this area to senior business executives. IBM looked to Ogilvy Mather to develop an integrated marketing communications campaign to help establish awareness, credibility, and ultimately preference for IBM as a provider of business consulting services. Achieving this objective was not an easy task as it required maintaining IBM’s equity of superior technology and adding to it an equally strong perception that IBM offers superior business consulting services as well. Chris Wall noted that â€Å"IBM has a strong heritage as a technology company. A lot of people don’t realize they also do business consulting and not just technology consulting. † Thus, a major challenge for the IMC campaign was to get C-level executives to recognize that there is another â€Å"side† to IBM that provides business transformation services. In April 2005 a campaign was launched using the tagline â€Å"The Other IBM† which was designed to position the company as a provider of business consulting services and communicate its expertise in areas not typically associated with IBM. The creative used in the television commercials for the new campaign used imagery that alternated between scenes of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table wrangling with age-old business problems with counterparts at a contemporary business conference table doing the same. The metaphor of Sir Arthur’s Business Roundtable allowed for real issues to be discussed in a manner that was both informative and entertaining and to show how IBM Business Consulting could help businesses solve problems in specific areas. â€Å"The Other IBM† campaign was unveiled during television coverage of the Masters Golf Tournament on CBS. The Masters was the ideal platform for the launch due to the large number of senior business executives tuning in for the event. Also, since the Masters only allowed advertising from three sponsors, IBM was able to deliver its message with high frequency and without the clutter that typically hinders breakthrough during normal programming. The TV launch was followed by an eight-page manifesto in The Wall Street Journal which was used to set the premise of â€Å"The Other IBM† and define it in the context of business consulting services. Additional print executions were used to elaborate on the King Arthur metaphor as well as to focus on specific areas in the BPTS such as human resources, finance and accounting, supply chain and procurement, sales and marketing, and strategy and change management. All of the advertising directed prospects to a micro web site where users could explore content in areas such as leadership and innovation, learn more about IBM’s specific capabilities in functional areas, read case studies and locate additional contact information. In addition to advertising promoting â€Å"The Other IBM†, another integrated campaign called â€Å"Help Desk† was run concurrently to show how IBM’s on demand computing solves real problems and touches real people. The first phase of the integrated campaign focused on how IBM helps the world at large, while the second phase focused on more industry and customer-specific solutions. To underscore IBM’s ability to deliver value-added services to a customer, the advertising used the quick-problem solution metaphor of a â€Å"help desk† across television, print and online executions. For example, in the TV spots, the â€Å"help desk† appears in improbable places such as a golf course where a group of scientists needs help after its solar-powered golf cart runs amok or in the middle of a busy freeway where a motorcycle policeman stops to learn how IBM can assist with traffic control. The print ads featured beautiful photographs of landscapes with stylized help desk stickers attached to show a problem-solution scenario. The online execution used an interactive component featuring a large white room with classical columns where visitors would encounter a number of industry-specific scenarios for which the IBM help desk representative devised a solution. The â€Å"Help Desk† campaign received a â€Å"BtoB Best Award† from BtoB magazine, a leading trade publication, as the outstanding integrated business-to-business campaign of 2005. The â€Å"Innovation That Matters† Campaign IBM was pleased with the results from â€Å"The Other IBM† and â€Å"Help Desk† campaigns as they demonstrated the company’s expertise in the area of Business Consulting Services and gained credibility for IBM among business executives without negatively impacting its strong technology heritage. However, in March 2006 the advertising moved in a new direction with the launch of the â€Å"Innovation That Matters† campaign that is designed to position IBM as a means for companies to significantly change how they do business when seeking ways to grow. The campaign was developed in response to a major research study IBM had conducted which showed that after years of retrenchment, corporations were embracing change and planned to radically transform themselves over the next several years. The new campaign uses the tagline â€Å"What makes you special? † and its objective is to start a business conversation and to open the door to exploring how IBM can help individual companies innovate, capitalize on their inherent strengths and redefine their business processes to differentiate themselves versus their competitors. The value proposition is that IBM can help companies innovate by changing their processes and technology. The advertising features companies that have developed new ways of doing business with IBM’s help and how this has given them a competitive advantage. The â€Å"What makes you special? † message also communicates customization and that there is no one size fits all prescription, as solutions are based on each firm’s unique capabilities and possibilities. The creative used for the campaign is very different from previous IBM ads and from other high tech, business-to-business advertising. It uses bold, saturated colors and simple images from everyday life (a radish, a pill, a car, a house) in a two-page print spread. The layout shows an item by itself on the left page of the spread and a â€Å"special† item on the right so that readers are drawn in to find out what’s special about it. Rather than using â€Å"high-tech† language, the copy describes business applications in terms that are relatively easy to understand. The choice of lower case letters in the headlines and tagline conveys a lack of pretension and shows that IBM wants to communicate that discussions with clients will be â€Å"down-to-earth† and not intimidating. Above all, the campaign speaks to customizing business solutions and improving processes based on the uniqueness of each individual firm. The message is that with the combination of IBM’s unparalleled consulting and technology expertise, customers can leverage their capabilities and strengths to gain a competitive advantage in their industries. IBM launched the new campaign, as they did with others by running a multi-page manifesto in The Wall Street Journal, the print media vehicle with the highest reach among C-level executives. The newspaper advertising broke a few days before the TV ads, which began airing the following weekend, and magazine ads appeared two to three weeks later. Additional eight page manifestos were run to allow IBM to explain the new campaign more completely and also provide examples of how their products and services apply to a range of different size companies and different industries. The television commercials for the new campaign include a spot called â€Å"Anthem† in which flower petals seem to inspire groups of men and women to sing along with an obscure song by the Kinks, â€Å"I’m not like everybody else,† that speaks to the new positioning. The spot ends with a series of questions that appear on the screen in white type such as â€Å"What makes you different? What makes you unique? What makes you special? † Another spot takes a fairy tale approach by showing a stream of office plants fleeing commoditized companies after realizing that they will only be watered at companies that are growing. In addition to television and print advertising, the global campaign includes 15 out-of-home executions, a dedicated web site (www. ibm. com/innovation), Internet banner ads and huge decals placed on the tarmacs of two Manhattan helipads which Chris Wall describes as â€Å"metaphorical illustrations† designed to target corporate decision makers. The goal for the integrated campaign is to convey a sense of imagination and possibility as well as to communicate IBM’s ability to help companies do special things. Internet Marketing As with most high tech marketers of business-to-business products and services, the Internet is an ideal, cost-effective, targeted marketing tool used by IBM to help identify prospects and provide information about its products and services. IBM’s website is designed to move prospects through the buying cycle from generating awareness and initial interest, to providing information such as case studies and testimonials, to converting interest into a purchase decision. Some of the online tools IBM uses include webcasts, podcasts, virtual meetings, and sending customized e-mails, as well as e-catalogs, and e-newsletters. Interested customers opt-in to receive relevant information. IBM’s website includes in-depth articles, reports written by technology experts, blogs from people inside and outside the company and press releases. Topics covered include the range of IBM products, services and business processes that can be improved or transformed, such as innovation, growth, operations, customer loyalty, team performance, and corporate governance. The products and services IBM provides that relate to each topic are elaborated on in the site. Great care has gone into developing a site that is easy to navigate so customers can focus on areas of interest or where they are most likely to be seeking help. Prospects answer questions online to provide IBM’s salespeople with data and information that can be used to address each customer’s specific needs. IBM’s internet marketing also includes paid search for keywords that relate to specific topics and issues of relevance to their customers on search engines such as Google, Yahoo! nd MSN. IBM also has developed web sites to support its integrated marketing communications campaigns which have included making commercials available for viewing by visitors to the site as well as relevant case studies and testimonials. For example the web site created to support the â€Å"Innovation That Matters† campaign included a section where visitors could view commercials, a Global CEO Study that could be downloaded, and a report on IBM’s Global Innovation Outlook. Moving Forward The transformation of IBM from a computer hardware company to a services and business solutions provider is one of the great comeback stories in the history of corporate America. In 2005 IBM had more than $91 billion in sales and a profit of nearly $8 billion. In the 2006 Interbrand Study, IBM ranked was ranked as the third most valuable brand in the world with an estimated brand value of over $56 billion. CEO Palmisano notes that IBM is not defending the past anymore as the company is off and running into a new world of business, beyond computers. In January 2005 IBM announced that was selling its personal computer business, best known for its ThinkPad lap tops, to Lenovo which is the leading computer company in China. The sale of its personal computer business was part of IBM’s strategy to move away from the confines of the slow-growing and highly competitive computer industry and to continue to transform itself into a company that helps other firms run their business in areas such as accounting, human resources, procurement and customer service. In the process of doing so, however, IBM and Ogilvy Mather have successfully balanced the company’s brand heritage as it has undergone changes in its business strategy. IBM is not saying good bye to its image as â€Å"Big Blue. † However the image of IBM has evolved and the brand clearly stands for much more than mainframe computers. Examples of IBM’s advertising from the campaigns are available in the Power Point file that accompanies the case. Discussion Questions 1. What is the primary objective of IBM’s advertising? How have the objectives of its advertising changed over the years? Evaluate each of the campaigns described in the case and the accompanying ads shown in the Power Point file. Are the intended branding messages being communicated clearly and do the ads speak equally well to users, as well as non-users, of IBM products and services? 3. What were the pros and cons of staying with the â€Å"e-business† campaign? Could it have been updated and retained or did it lose it relevance? 4. How was the â€Å"ON Demand† campaign adapted to keep the umbrella tagline while providing the specifics needed to communicate the â€Å"sub-business† component details? Do you think IBM’s advertising campaigns changed too often over the past 11 years? Were the changes made because the campaigns were not working well or was it an intentional evolution in the advertising and branding message IBM wanted to communicate? 6. Is there value to business-to-business marketers such as IBM in advertising through mass media that also reach the general consumer market? Evaluate the media choices used by IBM such as advertising on golf tournaments, on Sunday morning news shows, in airports, and even on the Super Bowl. Since IBM divested its personnel computer business, should they continue to advertise in mass media, such as on the Super Bowl? 7. How has the target audience for IBM’s products and services evolved over time? How have the type of business problems that IBM addresses in their advertising changed? 8. What were the advantages and disadvantages of using a creative tactic such as the metaphorical King Arthur’s Round Table commercial and print ads that were part of â€Å"The Other IBM† campaign? What is the value of using testimonials or mini-case studies across a variety of business and industries in IBM’s integrated marketing communications campaigns? 10. Does IBM’s advertising provide enough information to decision makers and does it matter that no reference to the prices of its products and/or services are made in the ads? 11. Evaluate the decision by IBM to consolidate all of its worldwide advertising with the Ogilvy Mather agency. What are the pros and cons of using one agency to handle all of its advertising?

Monday, November 25, 2019

Why there are Few Women in Telecommunications Industry in Europe and Middle East

Why there are Few Women in Telecommunications Industry in Europe and Middle East Introduction A decade into the 21st century, women in nearly all progressive countries across the world continue to be disadvantaged in their careers relative to men. Despite sustained efforts by governments and industry to promote gender equality in the workplace, women persist to experience occupational segregation, wage disparities, fewer promotions, and less significant wage increases (Schweitzer et al., 2011).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Why there are Few Women in Telecommunications Industry in Europe and Middle East specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This view is reinforced by Schreuders et al. (2009), who observes that occupational segregation, particularly in science and engineering fields, has been a matter of concern for governments and scholars worldwide. Available statistics demonstrate that in spite of their talent, ability, and opportunity, women continue to be underrepresented in these critica l sectors of the economy (Schweitzer et al, 2011), with Bhatia Amati (2010) suggesting that the segregation is the direct consequence of social, political, and economic systems that continue to reinforce gender stereotyping and role expectations. On her part, Bystydzienski (2004) posits that it is the lack of encouragement, mentorship, support and appropriate socialization to enter and remain in the sciences, engineering, or technology-related fields that is entirely to blame for the few number of women exhibiting interest in these fields. Although many research studies (e.g., Baron Cobb-Clark, 2010; Coder et al., 2009; Franzway et al., 2009; Morganson et al., 2010) have been initiated in a focused attempt to understand the reasons behind the noted occupational segregation of women in science and engineering fields, only a handful (e.g., Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004) have attempted to evaluate the trajectories of these dynamics from an industry-specific perspective. Furthermore, the se studies do not attempt to place the findings in a broader, historical, and institutional context, not mentioning that they lack the comparators necessary to understand the problem within a wider social and geographical context. It is these gaps in knowledge that provide the impetus to undertake the present study, which aims to understand why there are few women in the telecommunications sector in Europe and the Middle East.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Background of the Study Schreuders et al. (2009) observe that â€Å"†¦unlike other historically male-dominated occupations that have seen gains in achieving gender equity, many sciences, math, and engineering fields have remained peculiarly unbalanced in terms of gender† (p. 97). Other research studies (e.g., Kusku et al.; 2007; Coder et al., 2009; Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004) demonstrate that underrepresentation of women in engineering and technology-related fields continue to widen as women engineers and technicians find themselves swimming against the tide of prejudice intrinsically reinforced by the social, cultural, psychological and economic realities of life. These assertions are supported by well-documented data. A survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and cited in Coder et al (2009) indicates that while women made up an estimated 43% of the information technology (I.T.) workforce in 1983, the female percentage dropped to a paltry 26 % in 2008 in spite of the fact that the total I.T. workforce had more than doubled for the indicated period. Of course many research studies have been progressed to understand the dynamics involved in this type of occupational segregation, but it still remains unclear exactly why women remain a minority in engineering and technology-related fields (Coder et al, 2009). Indeed, extant literature demonstrates that many women hold the necessary educational background and resources to venture into these technical fields, but end experiencing impediments for reasons not fully under their control (Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004). This notwithstanding, various theoretical orientations have been advanced to explain the perceived lack of gender representation in engineering and technical fields, and what could be done to contain the situation from further deterioration. The present paper will heavily rely on two of such theoretical conceptions, namely the social constructionist theory and the pipeline theory. In considering how women view their abilities and position themselves in relation to their male counterparts, this Research is profoundly influenced by social constructionist doctrines as the experiences and characteristics accredited to women, portrayed by academia and industry as contributing to their current occupational segregation in engineering and technology-related fields, are not timeless and universal b ut are socially, historically, psychologically, and politically located (Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Why there are Few Women in Telecommunications Industry in Europe and Middle East specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To deduce that all women judge, think, or relate in distinctive and universal ways when making career choices, particularly in fields traditionally considered as male-dominated, inarguably denies the contextuality that frames behavior (Benson Yukongdi, 2005). Consequently, this study attempts to understand the reasons why there are few women in telecommunication industry by comparing experiences of women in two continents, Europe and the Middle East, with a view to comprehensively cover the differences that may arise from the diverse contextual and geographical backgrounds. The present study will also draw upon the pipeline theory to analyze why women are yet to ac hieve equal representation in engineering and technology-related fields, with specific reference to the telecommunications industry in Europe and the Middle East. As highlighted by Schweitzer et al. (2011), â€Å"†¦the pipeline theory suggests that increasing the number of women in male-dominated fields should lead to more equality in the labor market†¦ This presumes that women and men in the pipeline expect comparable career outcomes† (p. 422). However, as has been demonstrated in a number of research studies concerned with evaluating the reasons behind gender-based underrepresentation in the labor market, the movement of more women into the pipeline has not resulted in enviable treads for women careers, particularly when it comes to engineering and technology-related disciplines (Schweitzer et al, 2011; Coder Rosenbloom, 2009). Much attention will, therefore, be focused on understanding why women are yet to achieve comparable career outcomes with their male count erparts in the telecommunications sector, and the various alternatives that could be implemented to remedy the disparity.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Issues of meritocracy and social-cultural orientations will be comprehensively discussed and evaluated with a view to synthesizing the obstacles that come into play to hamper more women representation in the telecommunications sector in Europe and the Middle East. Advocates of meritocracy are of the opinion that â€Å"†¦in true meritocratic systems everyone has an equal chance to advance and obtain rewards based on their individual merits and efforts, regardless of their gender, race, class, or other non-merit factors† (Castilla Bernard, 2010 p. 543). Inside organizations, a fundamental strand of this study will concern how organizational policies and strategies affect employees’ opportunities and careers, particularly those policies and strategies designed to reduce discrepancies for women working in technical-oriented disciplines. In equal measure, previous studies have identified aspects of entrenched masculine culture, social-cultural dynamics, and weak copin g mechanisms as major reasons for lower representation of women in technical disciplines such as telecommunications engineering (Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004; Morganson et al., 2010). Indeed, Franzway et al (2009) posit that â€Å"†¦although women are as competent as their male colleagues in the technical dimensions of engineering, the gendered expectations and processes within engineering organizations are an entrenched problem for women’s careers† (p. 91). The rationale of the Research This study arises from the need for organizations and governments to develop policies, plans, and strategies that can be used to inform effective policy-making with regard to inclusion of more women into career fields traditionally considered as male-dominated. The paucity of statistical data on the underrepresentation of women in technical fields in other countries, with the exception of the United States (Blau Kahn, 2007), have often served as a reinforcing agent for ineffective and undirected policies that continue to be developed by organizations and governments in their bid to reverse the gendered disadvantage. Second, the study is informed by the need to develop tangible alternatives that can be used by organizations to not only encourage more women into engineering and technical fields but also to retain them. Extant Research demonstrates that women have unique capabilities and talents that could be used by organizations to attain optimal productivity and competitiveness (Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004). Equally, evidence has been adduced to the fact that more women than men are likely to leave employment in technology field (Franzway et al, 2009), due to a myriad of reasons which will be covered comprehensively in this study. Moreover, the results of this study can be used by educational institutions to develop academic and career paradigms that will encourage more women into the technical disciplines, with the hope that a high uptake of women will transl ate into equal representation in the labor market. Aim Objectives of the Study The general aim of this study is to critically evaluate the reasons why there are few women in the telecommunications industry in Europe and the Middle East. The following forms the specific objectives of the study: To critically analyze how women are impacted negatively as a result of employment discrimination in the telecommunications industry; To critically evaluate the interplay between meritocracy and social-cultural and psychological variables in entrenching occupation discrimination along with gender, and; To analyze and report on probable alternatives that could be used to alleviate gendered occupation discrimination in the telecommunications industry in Europe and the Middle East. Research Questions Based on the above objectives, this study aims to address the following research questions: What are the current practices and polices used by telecommunications firms in Europe and the Middle Eas t to ensure gendered occupation equality in the field? What issues within the meritocratic and social-cultural, psychological, geographical and political contexts could be serving as obstacles to gendered occupation equality for telecommunications firms in Europe and the Middle East? What are the current trends in occupation discrimination in telecommunications organizations in Europe and the Middle East? What are the alternatives being sought by organizations and governments in the two continents towards addressing the women underrepresentation in telecommunications industry? Scope of the Study Although the study makes frequent mention of women in science, engineering and technology-related fields, its analysis excludes all the other women working in the above-mentioned fields apart from those specifically working in telecommunications and information technology (I.T.) fields. The study does not deal with the position of the management of the selected organizations regarding occup ational segregation but focuses attention to understanding the dynamics involved from the female worker’s perspective and the official policies and strategies relating to occupational segregation of women in telecommunications industry within a wider continental context. This implies that the results gravitate more towards attempting to understand why there are few women in the field within a specific social, geographical and political context. Structure of the Dissertation The above forms the introduction section of this study, which has laid the groundwork for the subsequent sections. This section, among other things, have demonstrated the direction that this study takes by discussing the problem, stating the research aim and objectives, and discussing the rationale of the study. The following section will revolve around critically discussing the available literature on occupational segregation of women in science and engineering fields, with particular reference accorded t o Europe and the Middle East. The methodology, the third section, focuses on discussing the study design, population and sample, data collection techniques, and how the data for this study has been analyzed. The results are presented in section four, under findings, analysis and discussion. This study concludes by outlining some conclusions, recommendations and future research areas in section five. Conclusion The present study aims to analyze why there are few women in the telecommunications industry in Europe and the Middle East. Towards this purpose, the study relies on two theoretical conceptions, namely the social constructionist perspective and the pipeline theory, to evaluate the impact of occupational segregation in this critical sector, and the alternatives that could be developed to reverse the trend. Consequently, the deliverables include, but not limited to: understanding how women in the telecommunications sector in Europe and the Middle East view their abilities and p osition themselves in relation to men; understanding why women are yet to achieve equal representation in technology-related fields; understanding how issues of meritocracy and social-cultural, political, psychological, and geographical orientations impacts women representation in these fields, understanding how organizational policies and strategies within the wider continental context could be modified to encourage more women into science, engineering and technical-related fields. List of References Baron, J.D., Cobb-Clark, D.A (2010). Occupational Segregation and the Gender Wage Gap in Private- and Public-Sector Employment: A Distributional Analysis. Economic Record, 86 (273), pp. 227-246. Benson, J., Yukongdi, V (2005). Asian Women Managers: Participation, Barriers and Future Prospects. Asian Pacific Business Review, 11 (2), pp. 283-291. Bhatia, S., Amati, J (2010). ‘If these Women can do it, I can do it, Too’: Building Women Engineering Leaders through Graduate Peer Mentoring. Leadership Management in Engineering, 10 (4), pp. 174-184. Blau, F.D., Kahn, L.M (2007). The Gender Pay Gap: Have Women gone as Far as they Can? Academy of Management Perspectives, 11 (2), pp. 283-291. Bystydzienski, J.M (2004). (Re)Gendering Science Fields: Transforming Academic Science and Engineering. NWSA Journal, 16 (1), pp. 8-12. Castilla, E.J., Bernard, S (2010). The Paradox of Meritocracy in Organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 55 (4), pp. 543-576. Coder, L., Rosenbloom, J.L., Ash, R.A., DuPont, B.R. (2009). Economic and Business Dimensions: Increasing Gender Diversity in the I.T. Workforce. Communications of the ACM, 52 (5), pp. 25-27. Franzway, S., Sharp, R., Mills, J.E., Gill, J (2009). Engineering Ignorance. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 30 (1), pp. 89-106. Kotsilieri, F., Marshall, J (2004). Hellenic Women Managers in the Telecommunications Sector: Living in Transition. New Technology, Work Employment, 19 (3), pp. 177-191. Mo rganson, V.J., Jones, M.P., Major, D.A (2010). Understanding Women’s Underrepresentation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: The Role of Social Coping. Career Development Quarterly, 59 (2), pp. 169-179. Schreuders, P. D., Mannon, S.E., Rutherford, B (2009). Pipeline or Personal Preference: Women in Engineering. European Journal of Engineering Education, 34 (1), pp. 97-112. Schweitzer, L., Ng, E., Lyons, S., Kuron, L (2011). Exploring the Career Pipeline: Gender Differences in Pre-Career Expectations. Industrial Relations, 66 (3), pp. 422-444.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Relationship between Culture and Technology Research Paper

The Relationship between Culture and Technology - Research Paper Example The topic is based on the development and forms of old media which indicates the technological development in the old era. This will be compared with the temporary social network technologies such as the Facebook. This will be developed with the intention to observe the technological development along the time and the cultural change relied on the technological development. Furthermore, this paper will provide the understanding of cultural changes such as what individual’s daily life changes along with the technological development. This will examine the individual’s lifestyle in today’s world and what has changed and their relations with technologies. Thus, this current study will summarize the media development and the relationship between technological and cultural change. Overall, this present study is based on the relationship between old and new media technologies and their associated cultural practices. According to Mesch (2009), new media shapes many ways to communicate and interact with each other. It is identified that interactivity is considered as central to new media which include letters to the editor, radio and television talk shows, computer and technological programme and listener participation in such programs. In accordance of Pinchot, Paullet, and Rota (2010), it is identified that old media interactivity was less as radios, television and newspapers did not measure the preferences and opinions of people as communication was considered as conversation. Grossman (2008) argues that people were provided what the media idea and thought is right for them but in today’s world, the interactivity degree has enhanced that does not necessarily mean. This means that every media has few interactivity components or elements which mostly do as it is examined by computers which can converse back these days.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

U.S. Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

U.S. Law - Essay Example In business agreements, it is generally presumed by courts that there is an intention to create legal relations unless the parties insert a clause that their agreement shall not be binding in law but shall be binding in honor only. A contract is an agreement between two or more persons which is intended to create legally binding obligations. The word 'binding' is used for there are some contract which are valid but are not enforceable contract, certain basic requirements must be present. There must be an agreement based upon genuine consent of parties, supported by consideration and unable for a lawful object between competent parties. (Hussain, 2002).An offer may be made to a specific person or to any member of a group of persons or to the world at large, but it can not form the basis of a contract until it has been accepted an ascertained person or group of persons.For this case, the owner of happy acres made an offer to sell his property on March 15th to an interesting buyer. He o ffered to sell his property for $200,000, closing to take place 18 days of acceptance, time being of essence. The offeror added that if the offeree sent him a non refundable $4000, the offer would remain open for 30 days from the date thereof. This meant that if the offeree paid a non-refundable $4000, the offer would remain open for 30 days.The owner of Happyacres was told by a business acquaintance that he thought that would pay up to $275,000 for Happyacres on March 25th and he changed his mind and wrote a letter on March 26th. The offeror was actually revoking the original offer

Monday, November 18, 2019

Critical Thinking on Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical Thinking on Global Warming - Essay Example It is therefore global warming is alarming for the planet ("Global Warming"). Studies reveal that the temperature of the Earth has increased by 1Â °F ever since 1900 and it is increasing at much rapid pace since 1970. This augmentation in the temperature of the planet is called Global Warming. Normal greenhouse gases allow only sunlight and impede other hazardous radiations from reaching the Earth’s surface. An increase in temperature is due to emancipation of various gases called as green house gases encompassing smokestacks, vehicles, fossil fuels, appending to the standard Earth’s greenhouse effect. Researchers have estimated that if this rise in temperature will continue it is going to have devastating impact on climate patterns resulting in drifts, melting of glaciers and elevation in the sea level ("Climate changes"). Recent studies show that tundra is in threat along with Greenland where 32 glacial earthquakes occurred at Richter scale of 4.6 to 5.1, a mark of d estabilization of the planet. Recently, Indonesia faced earthquake of Richter scale 8.4. Catastrophes are on rise, red dust was witnessed by people of Australia and USA, hurricane Katrina is an example! Human race is witnessing a global emergency and climate emergency making global warming an International issue of concern ("Global Warming Is An International Issue"). Such reports from scientist keep on pondering human beings but still no concrete measure could be formulated to prevent global warming. An analysis is required to understand the ignorance towards the environment. With the advent of industrialization and to meet the escalating demands of growing population, more industries are being set up for the production of finished goods and job opportunities. For all these set ups and for residential requirements; forests are constantly depreciating. Deforestation is on the rise to create space for these set ups. Plants are depreciating and therefore lesser number of plants are av ailable to take up carbon-di-oxide, again contributing to Global Warming. Approval for construction is obtained through the politicians. In the name of development and progress, politicians are endorsing majority of the developmental projects without giving a thought and concern about the environmental hazard inhabitants are going to witness due to the construction process. In most of the developing nations there is no control over the escalating population as politicians are concerned about their 'votes'. Had they been concerned, the population of the world would not have escalated. Politicians are the ruling bodies of any nation, and it is highly imperative that they must be aware about the happenings going around and should be judgmental in their thoughts and actions to formulate the policies that can promote growth and development in an environmental friendly manner. The present article deals with the political concern about the global warming and what leaders have to say, how c oncern and aware they are about this serious issue. International Concern for Global Warming The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is one of the foremost international organizations working for the evaluation of climatic change. It is developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to offer the world with a clear scientific view about the state of the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Saying Actions Speak Louder Than Words English Language Essay

The Saying Actions Speak Louder Than Words English Language Essay Multicultural education programme is aimed to develop the knowledge about diverse cultures, therefore the author of this Bachelor thesis focuses her attention on this subject. Non-verbal communication should be understood not only with the language of hand or facial expressions but also when a person speaks: eye contact, smile, pauses in speech and the distance between interlocutors as well as other factors are important. Sen argues that in the context of multicultural communication, it becomes imperative that we train ourselves in decoding the non-verbal signs in a communication progress (2004: 163). Clayton suggests that non-verbal communication should be discussed in three areas, related to the individual, to language, and to the context (2003: 115). Non-verbal communication related to an individual involves eye contact, touching, posture, gestures and facial expressions (ibid.: 115-118). Non-verbal communication related to language includes vocal qualities, intonation, and the use of silence (ibid.: 119). The last one, non-verbal communication related to the context is discussed by olfaction, clothing, sonal appearance, artifacts as well as feeling about space and attitudes toward time (ibid.: 120-123). Some people believe that words are most important in speech because sometimes they do not notice how important non-verbal communication could be and that it can say more about someone than words. The person can lie when he is speaking but his behavior as for instance, embarrassment, always tells the truth. The principles of non-verbal communication between representatives of different cultures can help to overcome the incomprehension even without the knowledge of language. Discussing eye contact one should notice that it is the tool for contact establishment. In business field the direct eye contact means a sense of confidence. Nevertheless, the author of the research believes that Russians do not prefer to fix eye contact for a long time. In American culture vice versa it is the way how people usually behave. According to Clayton, direct eye-contact implies truth and honesty in the dominant Anglo-American culture (ibid.: 115). Another significant aspect of non-verbal communication is gestures. Feyereisen and de Lannoy quote Kendon (1986) and McNeill (1985), [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] gestures and words both relate to the mental representations that constitute thinking (Feyereisen and de Lannoy, 1991: 2). Individuals of diverse cultures can interpret some universal gestures differently. When one thinks about the word yes or no it means nodding and shaking the head. (Clayton, 2003: 117) Still in some countries, for instance in India or Bulgaria, the gesture no means the agreement (ibid.: 117). From these examples of gestures use it can be seen how differently communities can interpret the meaning. Further, within a multicultural environment, every culture forms a single notion of established manners, greetings, gestures and handshakes use. It is very often considered that a certain nation can use gestures more frequently than others. The author of the present research provides an example from the respondents answers (see Appendix 2; question nr. 11), one Latvian student wrote, usually Russian people within talking use many gestures. This type of behavior can confuse diverse cultures representatives where the active use of gestures is not welcome. Latvians, for instance, do not prefer to use a lot of gestures in their oral discourse, especially with strangers. A direct eye contact and outwardly restrained behavior are the most characteristic features for them. They also do not prefer to smile quickly greeting other persons. It is important to analyze how representatives of different cultures behave being in one group. Some foreigners, for instance, Americans or Italians being in Latvia could be confused with the type of unfriendly behavior of native people. Americans and Italians always smile greeting others but this could be atypical for the natives of other countries. The author knows from her own experience that Russians in Latvia differ from Russians in Russia especially by use of gestures. This signals that being in one group or living together in one country [Russians in Latvia] affects all those natives not only adopting the choice of words or sentence patterns from the Latvian culture, but also behavior, gestures and attitudes. To sum up, Russians in Latvia are more composed in behavior than Russians in Russia. It is typical for them in Russia to use a lot of gestures that are accompanied sometimes by a loud voice and very fast talking. Russians in Latvia were being socialized to the typical cultural behavior of Latvians. The process of adaptation of some features of non-verbal communication is developed since representatives of cultures always cooperate and affect each other being in one group. Feyereisen and de Lannoy quote Halliday (1973) and Levinson (1983) pragmatics also draws attention to the social conditions in which gestures occur (Feyereisen and de Lannoy, 1991: 24). The context of the verbal emission, gestures included, must be taken into account to understand the meaning of utterance (ibid.). Thus, every gesture occurs in appropriate context and conditions. As an example, Asians always smile when they are embarrassed. They usually demonstrate a neutral expression when angry, that makes impossible to understand their emotional condition. American people always keep smiling in order to show that everything is going well. The awareness of cultural differences in non-verbal communication leads to understanding the behavior of other people. Nevertheless, it is sometimes difficult to find a way how it is better to act. The above-mentioned suggestions are considered to be very important and everyone should understand that if someone behaves differently and sometimes incomprehensibly this can mean that he/she is coming from another culture. Clayton arguing about students nonverbal communication differences in the classroom, asserts that [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the loudness of a students response may be a sign of sincerity; the belligerent-sounding comment may be awkward intonation; [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the quest for more personal interaction may indicate an unconscious need for closer contact with authority; the wince under our affectionate pat on the back may mean discomfort with physical touch; [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] an inappropriate smile may mask shame, embarrassment, or fear [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] (2003: 128). Finally, everyone should be more attentive to others in order to communicate successfully; especially it is important during the process of education. Clayton adds that teachers cannot know all nonverbal languages of other cultures but she assumes that what we can do is [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] to lay aside our own cultural blinders, be sensitive to a variety of responses, be open to and affirming of different interpretations, and hopefully learn from our students [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] (ibid.). To conclude the author of the research would like to emphasize that: the awareness of cross-cultural differences leads to acceptance over cultures; the individual becomes more open-minded; the ability to interpret cross-cultural differences and use this knowledge in practice helps to act in a positive way;