Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Global warming Essay - 1100 Words

Global warming (Essay Sample) Content: Global WarmingStudentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s Name:Professorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s Name:Course Title:Date:Global WarmingGlobal warming is the cause of climate changes in the world. The world wide debate over how to curb global warming has been revolving around limiting the levels of carbon dioxide that are emitted into the atmosphere (Silby, 2007). According to Gore (2006), human activities are responsible for the increasing rates of carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere. These activities include burning of forest and use of machines that emit very high levels of carbon dioxide.For these reasons, actions that would aid in reducing the levels of carbon dioxide produced and increasing the number of forests and vegetation ought to be taken. This means that regulations and educating people on the importance of these two aspects is necessary.Solutions involving reduction of dangerous gas emissionsMachines are among the major non-natural contributors of carbon dioxide. Examples of these ma chines include motor vehicles and industrial machines. Most of these machines emit carbon dioxide that exceeds the amount required by plants. This creates excess carbon dioxide that ends up causing the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a result of gases forming a layer on the earthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s atmosphere. This layer reflects the heat from the sun back into space and releasing infrared radiation into the atmosphere. Gradually, these radiations will cause more heat on the earthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s surface making it much warmer than before. This is what is referred to as global warming.A majority of people on the earth use cars that emit a lot of gases into the atmosphere. People should be encouraged to use vehicles that are environmentally friendly à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ that have reduced levels of carbon dioxide emitted.One good way of reducing this would be offering tax incentive to people who use these cars. This will make the costs of buying and maintain them much easier. This will make driving smaller or environmentally friendly cars more beneficial to most people. This will encourage many to choose them over the ones that emit a lot of gases (Silby, 2007).Industrial machines also emit a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If these levels were reduced, the rate of greenhouse effect would be reduced as well. Legislations should be formulated in order to regulate the levels of gases that are produced and emitted into the atmosphere by different companies. Research should be intensified to come out with alternative ways in which waste gases are disposed off into the atmosphere. These should be safer way which would not cause any environmental degradation.The Kyoto Protocol was one step that the United Nations had taken towards changing the climate for the better. In the agreement, member parties agreed to set international standards that would aid in the reduction of gas emission into the atmosphere. The agreement had a principle of common but differentiated r esponsibilities where developed countries would have a bigger burden. This is because of their increased level of gas emissions compared to the developing countries. The United States was the biggest critique of this agreement with the senate voting overwhelmingly against it. The argument that president Bust put forward for this was that it would pose a major economic burden to the country (Hulme, 2009).Although it is very expensive to implement, the benefits would be beneficial future generations. Implementing the Kyoto protocol could lead to a reduction in the social costs of carbon. The social costs of carbon can be analyzed in terms of the magnitudes of net market costs changes caused by climate changes. Different sectors have different magnitudes that are measured differently. Also, some are easier to monetarily measure than others. For example, it would be easier to measure effects on infrastructure than on tourism.Another way of measuring the social cost of carbon is using the aspects of life that depend on climate. Examples of these are the breeding territories of different animals and the quality of life of the people. Although difficult to determine the monetary worth of the quality of life, it is definitely much more than the amount that could be used to reduce gas emission.The last way of measuring the social cost of life is the ethical consideration. When global warming increases life will be very tough for generations to come. For this reason, it would be very important to spend the appropriate amounts in order to save the environment for them (Hulme, 2009).Solutions involving protection of naturePeople should be encouraged to take measures that will lead to protecting their nature since it creates a good balance ...

Monday, May 18, 2020

The Life And Lonely Death Of Noah Pierce - 1636 Words

In Ashley Gilbertson’s â€Å"The Life and Lonely Death of Noah Pierce,† she talks with the family members and friends of veteran Noah Pierce to find out what led to Noah’s suicide following his service with the United States Army. It is believed that Noah’s experiences in Iraq attributed to him having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and causing a change in his behavior during and after his service. Additionally in one of the letters to his mother detailing an engagement with enemy contacts and even though he claimed that he came unscathed with no bullet wounds or lost limbs, Noah admits to possibly having traumatic brain injury (TBI) because of that experience (Gilbertson). Exposure to the war environment in Iraq and the murders he committed had a direct impact on Specialist Noah Pierce in which it cultivated his aggressive behavior which caused numerous episodes that spiraled down to Noah committing suicide. Noah’s quiet behavior growing up differed from the personality he had acquired in the military. Shortly after 9/11, Noah had enlisted in the United States Army and was sent to boot camp in June 2002. In a letter written to his mother, Noah claimed that the drill sergeant would make him yell absurd things like â€Å"blood, blood, blood makes the green grass grow† (qtd. In Gilbertson). This point in his life foreshadowed the hostile mannerisms Noah would carry with him for the rest of his life. After several months in boot camp, Noah was assigned to a unit that was part of

Saturday, May 16, 2020

The Virtual And Physical Classroom - 975 Words

As a society increasingly dependent on technology in countless aspects of daily life, students and educators have been naturally led to the question of technology’s role in education. Virtual education has divided those who ponder its legitimacy, with most being educators who are directly affected by virtual learning. Advocates argue that the approach is convenient, opportunistic, and effective. Critics of e-learning emphasize the importance of face-to-face contact and accountability. At the root of these arguments is this basic question: how authentic is the virtual world? Can we gain anything of value that can be applied to real life when we sit behind a screen? As American citizens spend hours with devices daily, this is a question that desperately needs to be answered. As Dr. J.B. Arbaugh acknowledges in his comparison of the virtual and physical classroom, there are two dimensions to a classroom that need to be evaluated when considering its effectiveness. Exam performanc e is important because it shows the the students are comprehending the information, and participation is important because it shows that the students can apply the information to their own interactions (Arbaugh). In his study he put two classes side by side that had the same course material and instructor but was either virtual or traditional in approach. He found that class participation increased within the virtual classroom as more introverted people could more easily post comments online ratherShow MoreRelatedA Classroom Interaction Of Student And Faculty892 Words   |  4 Pagesdisadvantages of Traditional Classroom interaction of student and faculty. The Virtual Classroom System replaces the manual system with online Interactive Classroom using Java. What we are doing is actually defining a portal of social interaction where students can ask questions and various teachers of that particular subject can answer. A discussion can also be started about a particular topic with int eraction coming in from various students and teachers. In Virtual Classroom System the students andRead MoreThe Educational Value Of Virtual Reality1686 Words   |  7 PagesEducational Value of Virtual Reality Since the 1950’s, virtual reality (VR) has been hovering on the periphery of technology without achieving accepted mainstream application or commercial adoption. However, that is beginning to change and virtual reality has become a popular topic within the latest technological headlines. According to TechCrunch, VR startups have raised more than $1.46 billion in venture capital, and people believe that this is the year that VR will finally take off. Virtual reality providesRead MoreTechnology Has Not Only Transformed The Way We Approach Teaching1538 Words   |  7 Pagesrecognisable to Victorian educators (Robinson, 2010; Howson, 2006). Nevertheless, it can be argued that teaching has undergone significant changes within the last decade, with technological advancements gaining ever greater prominence within the classroom (Selwyn, 2011). Technology has not only transformed the way we approach teaching but has also influenced the ways in which children learn (Halverson and Smi th, 2009). In order to meet the technological needs of today’s children, teacher trainingRead MoreWhich Type Of Classroom Response System Is More Effective, Hand Held Clicker Or Virtual Respond Devices?1157 Words   |  5 PagesRESEARCH PROBLEM: Which type of classroom response system is more effective, hand-held clicker or virtual respond devices? B. INTRODUCTION: Nowadays educators are looking more and more efficient ways to measure student learning progress in the classroom. Efficiency is not the whole case the feedback educators receives should be quick too. As today s generation use more personal electronic devices(Ipads,Iphones) they’re looking for more interaction in the classroom. We can’t deny this need becauseRead MoreEducational Spaces : Not Only Transmitted Through People804 Words   |  4 Pagesenvironment for women (such an equality award) boosted performance for all women, regardless of their RS scores. (Mendoza-Denton, ShawTaylor, Chen, Chang, 2009). In another study, male and female students gave a speech to an audience in a virtual-reality classroom that either had pictures of male politicians (i.e., Bill Clinton), female politicians (i.e., Hillary Clinton or Angela Merkel) or no photo. When participants saw no pictures or the picture of a male politician, men outperformed women bothRead MoreWhy Is A Manipulati ve?1223 Words   |  5 Pagesfractions, decimals, order of operations. To name a few manipulatives; blocks, cards, number tiles, counting tubes, etc†¦A manipulative can be taught either concrete (hands-on) or virtual. Hands-on manipulative models are physical objects such as base-ten blocks, deck of cards, Dice games, and Algebra tiles. A virtual manipulative is a technology that models the existing manipulatives such as base ten blocks, rulers, fractions bars and algebra tiles to name a few. These manipulatives are in theRead MoreWhy Is A Manipulative?1199 Words   |  5 Pagesfractions, decimals, order of operations. To name a few manipulatives; blocks, cards, number tiles, counting tubes, etc†¦A manipulative can be taught either concrete (hands-on) or virtual. Hands-on manipulative models are physical objects such as base-ten blocks, deck of cards, Dice games, and Algebra tiles. A virtual manipulative is a technology that models the existing manipulatives such as base ten blocks, rulers, fractions bars and algebra tiles to name a few. These manipulatives are in theRead MoreLearning Outcomes Of Virtual Labs1480 Words   |  6 PagesLearning Outcomes of Virtual Labs compared to Hands-On Labs With many schools experiencing budget issues or simply don’t have the room nor the ability to justify the extra expense of a science lab, many schools are looking online for virtual resources. The need to increase science literacy is almost a mandate from our dear president. This is a good thing, but the problem is people don’t want to spend money. NGSS demands more cognitive understanding of all sciences and engineering practices. SchoolsRead MoreHow Virtual Worlds Can Be Used For Enhance Learning And Education1004 Words   |  5 PagesHow Virtual Worlds Can Be Used To Enhance Learning and Education Virtual worlds have solved many of the challenges faced by educational institutions. Today, hundreds of colleges, universities and other learning organizations are either augmenting their current traditional classroom curriculum with a virtual learning component or are holding classes and entire programs exclusively in immersive learning environments in Second Life. Second Life’s persistent virtual environments give students an opportunityRead MoreChallenges Faced By Educational Institutions993 Words   |  4 PagesVirtual worlds have solved many of the challenges faced by educational institutions. Today, hundreds of colleges, universities and other learning organizations are either augmenting their current traditional classroom curriculum with a virtual learning component or are holding classes and entire programs exclusively in immersive learning environments in Second Life. Second Life’s persistent virtual environments give students an opportunity to work together synchronously and then return, individually

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Analysis of the Song Runaway Love Essay - 1527 Words

â€Å"Runaway Love† Ludacris does a remarkable job of portraying his message about the struggles that some adolescents are faced with. â€Å"Runaway Love†, by Ludacris, featuring Mary J. Blige (2007), represents the theme of struggle through hip-hop and rap music. It is about little girls who are â€Å"stuck up in the world on their own.† They have to take care of themselves because the people they are around do not care about them. They range from nine to eleven years in age, and their goal in life, at such a young age, is to run away from home. Ludacris is trying to get the listener to realize the struggles that even children have to face because adults are not the only ones who have problems, like most people believe. He is very successful in†¦show more content†¦She does not feel safe and ends up taking pills because she thinks that they can get rid of her pain. She is only an adolescent and does not realize that she can ruin her life by becoming addicted to taking pills. Afte r a while, she meets a sixteen-year-old boy and without her seeing it, he takes advantage of her. He knows that she is going through a lot, so he pretends that he loves her so he can have sex with her. Erica truly believes that she is in love, so when he asks to have unprotected sex, she agrees. She becomes pregnant and the â€Å"love of her life† decides that â€Å"he ain’t ready for a kid,† so he leaves her. Now Erica is stuck with the responsibility to not only take care of herself, but also for the child that she will be having. Even though her life is not fair, she is unable to face her consequences and â€Å"she says she’s about to run away and never come back.† The tone of â€Å"Runaway Love† is sad, depressing, and it opens the eyes of the listeners. These characteristics seem to go along well with the song’s lyrics. Although Ludacris only uses a few poetic devices, they enhance the tone of the song. People who read the lyrics to Ludacris’ song can tell that he is portraying a very serious story. The melody is not upbeat, like most other hip-hop or rap songs, which makes the listener hearShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Song Runaway Love by Ludacris and Mary J, Blige Essay722 Words   |  3 PagesThe song I picked for this homework assignment is called Runaway Love by Ludacris and Mary J. Blige. The song is describing the hardships of three young girls and their struggle to survive. Finally, the girls are fed up with the lives they are forced to live and decide to pack up their things and run away. I think this song can relate to many aspects of sociology that we have learned in class. Some examples shown through the song are poverty, education, healthcare, marriage and family. All threeRead MoreThe Society We Currently Live In Is Infused With Aspects1451 Words   |  6 Pagesinfluence of Rap and Hip-Hop music: An analysis on audience perceptions of misogynist lyrics by, Gretchin Cundiff states that, that there is an increase in representation of sexual violence against women in the media (Cundiff 2017).† This is apparent in shows such as Narcos, Game of thrones, and Deadwood. Though these shows have received considerable backlash for using sexual violence as a major plot, their ratings remain through the roof. Similarly, the songs with an unusually high amount of sexualRead MoreDiscussing The Basics Of Psychological Disorders Essay971 Words   |  4 PagesGmelin. The case was of a 20-year old woman whose personality would alter from a German speaking woman to a French aristocrat. It has been stated that the woman knew nothing of the French personality. In relavence to the topic, the movie I chose for analysis is, â€Å"Frankie and Alice.† The main character Frankie, who is portrayed by Halle Berry, is an individual who suffered with Dissociative Identity Disorder. The movie is based of a true story of an African American â€Å"go-go dancer,† who suffered with theRead MoreCulture Analysis : Jamaica. Jamaica1394 Words   |  6 PagesThe country that I chose to conduct a culture analysis on is Jamaica. Jamaica is a third world country located in North America and the 3rd largest island in the Caribbean Sea. There is a 2.5 million population, which equally divided between urban and rural areas. The country runs approximately 146 miles long and varies between 21- 52 miles wide. The climate is tropical and its main tourist attraction is their beautiful beaches. The capital of Jamaica is Kingston, which has a population of more thanRead MoreChanging Themes in the Art of Rap1800 Words   |  8 Pagesevolving; some songs mor e delightful than others. In the 1980’s, rap created a way for blacks to overcome oppression, however, currently rap is promoting violence, most times, in a negative light. Rappers like Public Enemy, often promoted black power in their songs and coming together as a race. A few decades after the Civil Rights Movement, racism is still lingering and rap became a way for blacks to express their opinions without being violent. Public Enemy writes in his song â€Å"Fight the Power†:Read MoreMaking Sense of Advertisements Daniel Pope8330 Words   |  34 Pagesnot only for consumer goods. A particularly disturbing form of early American advertisements were notices of slave sales or appeals for the capture of escaped slaves. (For examples of these ads, visit the Virginia Runaways Project site at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/subjects/runaways/) Historians have used these advertisements as sources to examine tactics of resistance and escape, to study the health, skills, and other characteristics of ensl aved men and women, and to explore slaveholders’ perceptionsRead More Political Advocacy in Anarchist Punk Music Essay3584 Words   |  15 Pagesphilosophy has remained unchanged, punks have significantly altered the ways they espouse their beliefs, over time becoming more militant and directly confrontational with those that hold power. This paper attempts use quantitative and qualitative analysis to determine how significantly anarcho-punk political advocacy has changed between the early 1980s and present day. Additionally, this paper argues that increased militancy is a byproduct of the progressive masculinization of punk music, which generatesRead More African American Culture through Oral Tradition Essays3405 Words   |  14 PagesAmerica as slaves, they also brought with them their individual cultures, languages and customs. However, their white slaveholders suppressed this part of their heritage in them. Thus they had to find other ways of expression, mainly story te lling and songs. It is incredible to see how African slaves could ever smile and laugh under the horrible and cruel circumstances, which were imposed on them by the brutal slaveholders. The whole body of folktales and spirituals arose from the experiences whichRead MoreA Hermeneutical Analysis of Philemon2669 Words   |  11 Pagesï » ¿A Hermeneutical Analysis of Philemon By Jonathan A. Watson Introduction I have read various books on Theological Hermeneutics, and one, whose title has slipped my mind, had once suggested the Hermeneutics isn’t only about picking up the Bible, analyzing it, and putting it back down, but also making an application through it. So, in this paper I have followed such a suggestion. First I will mention the background of the book being hermeneutically analyzed. This answers many of the questions neededRead MoreCharacter Analysis on the Conflicts and Themes of Godfather Death2303 Words   |  10 Pagesnarrators: A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Innocent narrator or naà ¯ve narrator—usually a character who fails to understand all the implications of the story. Ex: Huck Finn—Huck accepts without question the morality and lawfulness of slavery; he feels guilty for helping Jim, a runaway slave. But far from condemning Huck for his defiance of the law—â€Å"All right, then, I’ll go to Hell,† Huck tells himself, deciding against returning Jim to captivity—the author, and the reader, silently applaud. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unreliable narrator—the point

The Rivalry Between The And West Side Story And The Outsiders

â€Å"Need a haircut, greaser?’† â€Å"’How’d you like that haircut to begin just below the chin?†(Hinton, pg.5) A Soc says, as Ponyboy gets jumped by a few Socs. There is a colossal rivalry between the Socs and the greasers, and it has always been that way. The two gangs cannot see each other and put aside their differences, thus the greasers, the poorer gang, on occasion, experience â€Å"jumps†, or in other words gets injured by a couple of Socs. This goes the same for West Side Story, a movie created in 1961. In West Side Story, two gangs, the Sharks (Puerto Ricans), and the Jets (White), are rivals, and one gang is thought of a lesser group of people. Slowly but surely, both gangs in both The Outsiders and West Side Story and eventually put aside their differences. In both West Side Story, and The Outsiders, the gangs learn a very important theme: â€Å"I should do what is right, even if it means crashing the stereotypes.† In The Outsiders, Johnny and Ponyboy save the kids that were trapped in the church fire. Because both Johnny and Ponyboy are greasers, society would not expect them to have willingly gone in to the church and save the children out of the kindness of their hearts. No, a greaser’s goal was to act tough and be â€Å"tuff†. In fact, it clearly states in the book, â€Å"Tough is the same as rough; tuff means cool, sharp—like a tuff-looking Mustang or a tuff record. In our neighborhood both are compliments,† (Hinton, pg.12). He wants to be tough and tuff and he wants to be heartlessShow MoreRelatedShakespeares Timeless Love Story Retold in Film Essay911 Words   |  4 Pages65; Mabillard). Furthermore, in the introduction to Gnomeo and Juliet, a Red Good Gnome says, â€Å"The story we are about to tell has been told before†¦ a lot† (Asbury, â€Å"Gnomeo Juliet†). While likely meant as simply another comedic line in film, there is significant tru th to that statement. Regarding this, within the theater and film industries Romeo and Juliet is very recognizable. As a timeless love story for generation after generation, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has been retold several times inRead MoreOutsiders Book Report1321 Words   |  6 PagesBOOK REPORT: The Outsiders 1. Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Puffin Books, 1967 2. The title of this book relates to the story, because in the book, Ponyboy and Johnny are outsiders. They can be thought of as Outsiders because they are labeled Greasers although they do not act like hoodlums, like the rest of the Greasers. They are thought of as Greasers just because they live on the East Side of town, and because they slick back their hair. But Ponyboy and Johnny are differentRead MoreDallas Winston: a Vulnerable Teenager or Just a Hoodlum?1537 Words   |  7 PagesDallas Winston: A vulnerable teenager or just a hoodlum? The Outsiders by S.E Hinton is a novel about a boy called Ponyboy who is involved in a rivalry between two gangs, the Greasers and the Socs. The Socs live in the West side of town; they look clean, have lots of money and drive blue Mustangs. The greasers live in the east side of town; they wear hair oil, t-shirts and jeans, and don’t have much money. Ponyboy is part of the Greasers, along with his two brothers Darry and Sodapop, his closestRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Outsiders1661 Words   |  7 PagesThe Outsiders Literary Analysis Is the American Dream fact ? Or Fiction ? In the novel The Outsiders, the author S.E Hinton explains the story of a young boy named Ponyboy and the struggle to survive, to find out the rights and wrongs in society, taking on difficult challenges like social class, loved ones, loyalty and rivalry between two different social classes . The question is brought up, is the American Dream fact ? Or fiction ? According to the knowledge that has been given, Through documentariesRead MoreLiterary Analysis : The Outsiders 2595 Words   |  11 PagesGina Cabano Eng-150 Whetstine Literary Analysis 05/04/15 Inside The Outsiders The Outsiders, a coming-of-age novel, written by S.E. Hinton who was a teenager at the time of writing is firmly based upon groups of teenagers divided amongst their social classes. The novel takes on the rival battles of the Socials and the Greasers. Susan Eloise Hinton as known as, S.E. Hinton was born July 22, 1950 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She had grown up as a voluntary tom boy in love with horses. Susan could not writeRead MoreThe Outsiders Is A Young Adult Novel Written By. Hinton2303 Words   |  10 Pages The Outsiders is a young adult novel written by S.E. Hinton. The book was first published in 1967 by The Viking Press. Today, the book is published under Speak, an imprint of Penguin Group. The book has a total of a hundred and eighty pages. The Outsiders fits in the genre of young-adult fiction because it relates to teens on emotional levels. Like Ponyboy, the teen protagonist of the story, teens relate to his emotional growth as he tries to piece his life together. The story follows a rivalryRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Outsider Essay1917 Words   |  8 Pagesbook THE OUTSIDER . The outsider is a book by S.E Hinton it was published in 1966 .The book is all about the society , class, rich and poor.At that time there was a two group soc and greaser we further do study about this in introduction. The themes that highlighted in this book are bridge between rich and poor , violence ,isolation,class difference the theme which i am going to highlight is violation and isolation because now a day sthese two are so common between teenager age. â€Æ'Read MoreBook Report on the Outsiders3269 Words   |  14 Pagesplans to marry Sandy, a greaser girl. Two-Bit Mathews - The joker of Ponyboys group. Two-Bit, whose real name is Keith, is a wisecracking greaser who regularly shoplifts. He prizes his sleek black-handled switchblade. He instigates the hostilities between the Socs and the greasers by flirting with Marcia, the girlfriend of a Soc. Steve Randle - Sodapops best friend since grade school. Steve is a seventeen-year-old greaser who works with Sodapop at the gas station. Steve knows everything about carsRead MoreThe Revolutionary Generation : Joseph J. Ellis1516 Words   |  7 Pagesgeneration. He attended and earned his B.A. from the College of William and Mary in 1965. He went on to pursue his education and received a Master of Arts, a Master of Philosophy, and a Ph.D from Yale University. After serving in the U.S. Army, he taught at West Point then became a history professor at Mount Holyoke College. As starting off as a professor he served as dean of faculty for ten years, and received the Ford Foundation Chair in American History. Supposedly around that time there were rumors ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Outsiders Essay2690 Words   |  11 PagesThe Outsiders is a story regarding the privation and accomplishments experienced by the Greasers and the Socs, two rival gangs living in the inner city in th e early 1960’s. The novel The Outsiders is about two groups of teenagers of bitter rivalry which was due to socio-economic differences.The Outsiders takes us through a journey of violence, struggle and death. It examines the life of a recently orphaned young man born into poverty confronted with the prejudices that he could not change. The novel

Louis Vuitton in India free essay sample

The company was now looking to increase its reach and teamed up with other global brands to develop luxury malls in five Indian metros. Does a high-end brand have a market in a low income country? According to the National Council of Applied Economic Research, in 2001-02 there were 20,000 families in India with annual incomes greater than INR100 million. This number is expected to grow to 140,000 by 2010. Although 87% of the Indian population lives on an income of less than $2. 50 per day the high net worth consumers, which are the primary target of high-end brands, is growing. Although the maharajahs had lost much in 1956 and 1971, they were still significantly influential and formed the new elite that would be the new generation of customers for Louis Vuitton (LV) along with Bollywood actors, politicians, and bureaucrats. Exclusivity is a main factor in maintaining the gap between the super-rich and other consumers. Since LV caters to this need, they have an edge that allows them to charge the premiums on their goods. We will write a custom essay sample on Louis Vuitton in India or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Every market in the world will have consumers that desire to stand out, be recognized as special, and feed their egos. Whether they are looking for superior functionality and quality, a status symbol that shows they have â€Å"arrived†, or self-indulgence, every free market seeks to satisfy these needs and, as such, there will always be a desire for luxury goods. Where should this high-end brand find its niche? For centuries the maharajas of India held vast amounts of disposable income and enjoyed spending their money on luxury items as a show of class distinction. These maharajahs and their families knew LV very well and continued to buy LV products up until they finally lost power in 1971 following the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. From that point forward LV tried to connect with the country’s new rich: owners of businesses, CEOs of companies, and Bollywood actors. In India, the super-rich sought to â€Å"make statements† about their status. One way to show it was by buying expensive products that were out of reach to the vast majority of the population. Today, India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, second to only China, and has seen an exponential increase in the number of middle and upper class families with high net worth (HNW) or liquid assets in excess of $100 million. India’s economic boom continued to add families to this class. These newly-rich had extra disposable income and were starting to sample the good life by purchasing luxury items for the first time. The idea was that these consumers would get a taste of the finer things and would hopefully become customers for life. These consumers are exactly who LV was targeting with their expansion plans. Louis Vuitton decided to target these consumers directly by moving their stores out of the safety of luxury hotels and into luxury malls. Luxury malls were new to India and LV desired to be involved in their design so as to avoid any â€Å"cheapening† of the malls by adding tenants that didn’t fit the luxury brand status. LV traditionally enjoyed the retail ambiance of the luxury retail cluster. However, as noted earlier, if a luxury retail cluster wasn’t feasible, the luxury mall was the next best option. LV had the advantage of more than one luxury brand under the LVMH umbrella with different product offerings including Fendi, TAG Heuer, Christian Dior, Givenchy, etc. These offering allowed LVMH to place multiple products into the malls so they could enjoy the â€Å"spillover† from browsing shoppers. Luxury brands struggle to gain footing in India even today due to a poor retail infrastructure and high import duty taxes. i] The HNW Indian consumer likes to spend money and buy expensive items but also is price conscious. This means he won’t buy the same item in India if he can get it cheaper outside of the country. Also, the buying experience is apparently much better in foreign countries between the selection and customer service. There has been an effort by some luxury retailer s to clear those obstacles by adding more of a local flavor in their offerings and customer service and LV would be wise to do the same. Having a customized â€Å"India-specific† product may create the sense of â€Å"exclusivity† that wealthy Indian consumer’s desire and could help drive sales up locally. How should a luxury brand company deal with changing customer profile? In the past, luxury brand companies such as Louis Vuitton, Bentley, and Prada have never had an issue trying to market their products for their targeted HNW customers. In fact, a company like LV seemed to follow a basic strategy to attract customers ranging from the â€Å"nearly rich† to the â€Å"super-rich† with the slogan, â€Å"If you build it, they will come. Simply put, the name speaks for itself and creates demand. In India, however, the customer profile is entirely different the super-rich are also interested in looking for the best deal, not just the highest priced one and LV was now forced to make changes in order to better market their goods to the respective target population. It is apparent that L V’s target group was going to be wary of the cost, as their consumers also shop at discount stores like Target and Walmart, and this concept is illustrated by the tendency of the wealthy to not buy premium cell phones since, other than the name, there was no inherent superior value. Therefore, anything that LV puts out in an attempt to reflect itself as a luxury brand must be seen as the â€Å"creme de la creme† offering a unique value proposition. In this, LV’s customer base must be shifted to the â€Å"next lower level,† rather than focusing only on the â€Å"super-rich† in order to maximize profits and buy into anything with a luxury brand logo on it. Instead, as Singh, Booker, and Barasia put it, Louis Vuitton can â€Å"acquire a less expensive brand, price products more carefully, and launch new value-focused brand extensions. [ii] In the case of LV, since a less expensive brand is contradictory to that which they are trying to emphasize, and LV has stated that it is not a discount luxury brand (and therefore has never once been discounted in price), the best option would be to open up a new line of products focused solely on Indian consumers and their buying behaviors. In doing so, LV can sustain their brand image as a high-end luxury brand for the super-rich, while also redirecting focus geared towards their more appropriate customer profiles in India. How should a luxury brand company deal with changing concepts of luxury? Louis Vuitton not only faces a different customer profile than before, but their consumers’ concepts of luxury are also changing. Considering the fact that the luxury market in India is expected to grow and reach $30 billion by 2015, while the market for luxury products is expected to grow 20 percent annually, it is apparent that in order for Louis Vuitton to be successful in India, they must carefully define, target, and market to HNW consumers. Customers of luxury consumer goods fall into three basic categories. The first category consists of older, wealthier, buyers that want to buy products for their superiority and quality. The second category includes consumers that feel they deserve to pamper themselves by purchasing exclusive products. The third category consists of young consumers, predominantly male, who want to indulge themselves in luxury goods. According to Inside the Affluent Space, an American Express study that examined Indian consumers, most fell into the second category and were predominantly affluent women. The target market of Louis Vuitton’s product is Indian women who wanted to prove to themselves and their peers that they ad made it. They were successful and driven women who wanted to make intelligent, exclusive choices and feel good about their purchases. Using a different marketing strategy, Louis Vuitton should focus on the exclusiveness of their products. Limited editions, products that make statements, and items that say â€Å"I made it! † Since Louis Vuitton does not mark down their products, this helps to retain the product’s value. Special or customized orders add to LV’s exclusiveness, and can be encouraged even further by identifying the brand with Bollywood actors. And with the brand’s unique design, color, embossing, and packaging, Louis Vuitton can stand out amongst the rest and appeal luxury consumers. The Indian culture is based on social hierarchy and buying luxury goods like Louis Vuitton makes the consumer feel that they are in a higher class with their prestigious purchase. Measures of success in India are money, wealth, and consumerism. Therefore, the prestige of the LV brand must be upheld by limiting the areas and businesses that sell their products to those which reflect the high-end and luxurious image of Louis Vuitton, as a means to reduce the risk of being viewed as â€Å"common. Case Update The DLF Emporio opened in New Delhi and houses Louis Vuitton as well as 73 other international brands including Cartier, Versace, DKNY, Dior, and Gucci. [iii] In addition to the Emporio, only one other luxury mall in Banglore has opened to date. Hermes opened India’s first stand-alone luxury retail store in Mumbai in July. [iv] Louis Vuitton currently has five stores in India: three in hotels in Mumbai and New Delhi, and one in each of the nation’s two luxury malls. [v] Donna Karen, another member of the LVMH group, has also entered India. [vi] Despite growing wealth in Asia’s third-largest economy, conversion of potential demand into actual sales has been slow. [vii] Most of India’s rich prefer buying their luxury items abroad where goods are cheaper, service is better, there is greater variety and a superior shopping experience. [viii] However, the opportunity remains and luxury brands like LV continue to vie for the HNW Indian market. [i] Chakravorty, Jui. â€Å"Insight:   Luxury retail not part of India’s success story†. Reuters. Aug 24, 2011. Retrieved Aug 26, 2011 from http://www. euters. com/article/2011/08/24/us-india-luxury-idUSTRE77N11120110824. [ii] Singh, Ashish, Booker, Mike, and Barasia, Sandeep. â€Å"India: Strategies for Consumer Goods. † Bloomberg Businessweek. 12 June 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2011 from http://www. businessweek. com/globalbiz/content/jun2009/gb20090612_706157. htm. [iii] DLF Emporio Website. Retrieved 27 August, 2011 from http://www. dlfemporio. com/d lf/wcm/connect/emporio/Emporio+Site/Left+Link/Emporio/. [iv] Chakravorty. Ibid. [v] â€Å"Louis Vuitton Locations in India. † MyStore411. Retrieved 27 August, 2011 from http://www. mystore411. com/store/listing/187/India/Louis-Vuitton-LVstore-locations. [vi] Mukherjee, Rupali. â€Å"Donna Karan to enter India with DLF Brands. † The Times of India. 27 March 2009. Retrieved 27 August, 2011 from http://articles. timesofindia. indiatimes. com/2009-03-27/india-business/28043607_1_dlf-brands-donna-karan-new-york-dkny. [vii] Khandelwal, Payal. â€Å"A luxe life. † The Financial Express. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 27 August, 2011 from http://www. financialexpress. com/news/a-luxe-life/835780/1. [viii] Chakravorty. Ibid.

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Management Accounting Beyond Budgeting

Question: Discuss about the Management Accounting for Beyond Budgeting. Answer: Case Study 1 Topic: Beyond budgeting or budgeting reconsidered? A survey of North-American budgeting practice Author's Thesis: This article is based on the key role of budgeting in management control in an organization. In this paper the author has considered two arguments related to budgeting and surveyed two organizations to find the evidence for the arguments and has concluded which argument is supportive. The first arguments given in this article is that the problems with budgeting arise from the manner budgets are utilized and the second arguments is that budgeting processes are basically imperfect. The 3 main objectives of the study were to make literature on North-American budgeting practices up to date, to gather evidence to evaluate the criticisms and to determine trends in budgeting practice to provide base for future academic research. This shows author's concern for future studies on budgeting (Libbya Lindsay, 2010). As per the author, budgeting is one of the most wonderful opportunities for the managers to rejuvenate their organizations. Budgeting process is one of the most ineffective practices of the management as it consumes a lot of energy and time. Budgeting hides opportunities, big dreams and stunts growth (Hansen, Otley, Stede, 2003; Merchant, 1990; Shields Young, 1993). All main ideas of the paper To conduct the study a web based survey was conducted with the senior managers of the selected organizations. It is the best methods to collect the data from such huge audience as it saves time and cost both. Author selected two countries to analyze the trends: the selected organizations were based on US or Canada only, it must have at least 100 people employed, it must be large enough to have financial budgeting system. The questionnaire of the survey consisted of close ended and open ended questions. To present the evidence of the arguments the author selected a huge sample size for the survey. A total of 2583 CMA members and 13,712 IMA members were selected in the target sample. Canadian survey was conducted first and based on the analysis of the Canadian survey, US survey was modified. Modifications were made to improve some measures, to eliminate non-discriminating questions and to add some new questions as per the Canadian analysis. A total 558 respondents submitted the response for the survey out of which 346 were CMA members and 212 were US members. Out of the total respondents 51 percent of the respondents were from manufacturing industry and 49 percent of the respondents were from service industry. This shows the reliability of the data in terms of diversified industries. It means the results of the study can be applied in both the industries. Strengths and weaknesses of the paper To make the research reliable the author has performed primary research. Secondary research was not present in the paper. Secondary research must be present in this type of research as it provides the past scenarios related to the arguments presented in the research. Lack of secondary research has made the survey questionnaire less targeting towards the main problem. The author has measured the budgeting on various parameters like company's brand value, strategy, fixed performance contracts, adaptability etc. this shows that author interpret their arguments with supportive information. The material provided by the author was authentic, clear and accurate. The work of the author is satisfactory. Case Study 2 Title: Paying People to Lie: the Truth about the Budgeting Process Author's Thesis: This article is based on a situation where employees in an organization lie to their superior and subordinates to achieve targets in the decided budgeting schedule. The author of the article tries to understand the reason behind this situation and then recommended some suggestions to overcome these situations. In this article the author has used real budgeting process of a company for the whole year. Presenting the whole year budget planning process before analyzing the situation is a good approach of the author. To realize the arguments the author has considered some imaginary situations that frequently occurs between a manager and his subordinates. To make his research more reliable and consistent the author has used proved statements from reliable and trusted sources like statement from the book of Adizes (1989), where he stated that the people who tells a lie most about their inability to do, get more rewards as compared to others (Jensen, 2003). Jensen used graphical representation of parameters like salary bonus and performance of the employees measured by the % of budget on various schemes like curvilinear bonus schemes, fundamental sources of the incentives, pay-for-performance scheme etc. Finally, on the basis of the analysis of all these graphs Jensen stated that if manager's compensation is independent of the budget then they have no momentary incentives to lie, to game or to omit information. This shows that Jensen performed a deep analysis at each and every level of the company from lower management to top management. Finally Jensen recommended that organizations must stop to indulge budgets or targets in the compensation formulas and promotion systems for employees and managers. Jensen supported the argument that eliminating budget and target from the organization ultimately improves integrity in the organizations. Jensen supported the statement that employees lie and in revert they get rewarded; this destroys the value of their organization (Jensen, 2003). Other studies related to the topic was conducted by Hope and Fraser (1997), Kersnar (1999), Lester (2000), and Thomas (2000) where they conducted a study on a number of Scandinavian companies including Svenska Handelsbanken wherein they supported the argument that organizations abandoned budgeting to avoid the damaging effects of the behavior it encourages. Strengths and Weaknesses of the research paper This research paper has used all the theoretical aspects to prove their arguments that no practical analysis has been performed by the author to gain the actual insight of the situation that most of the companies face due to budgeting and setting targets. Although Jensen's theoretical work is very reliable and accurate, each term related to the topic has been explained very clearly but absence of actual situation makes a weak point for the research paper as the experts believe on the factual data and practical analysis of current circumstances. Hence overall the research is theoretical significant but it could be made more reliable by adding some current situations (Jensen, 2003). Case Study 3 Topic: Is the annual budget really dead? Author's Thesis: The purpose of study was to assess the validity of the criticism as seen by chief financial officers and other high-ranking officers in large Finnish companies. Bo-Goran Ekholm and Jan Wallin argued that in this age of information, the traditional budgeting is incapable of meeting the demands of the current competitive environment. The motive of the author for considering this topic is the little interest of the other experts in analyzing the reason behind this situation (Ekholm Wallin, 2000). A very few evidence is available till yet in case of Sweden companies. Author has presented his arguments from both perspectives: theoretical and practical. To present the arguments from theoretical perspectives Ekholm and Wallin presented statements from various proved studies like Hope and Fraser (1997: 20), Gurton, (1999), Porter (1996) etc. finally on the basis of the theoretical evaluation they stated that situation is dualistic because on the one hand they found that traditional budgeting is considered as a tool for maintaining internal effectiveness while on the other hand they found that it has apparently lost its active strategic role during the 1990s (Ekholm Wallin, 2000). To find more evidence on the role of traditional budgeting Ekholm and Wallin conducted a primary research to get the first hand results. To get the actual insight of the company's situation this research paper is focused on some very relative research questions which have not been answered yet by the previous researchers. A total of five research questions have been prepared on the basis of which a survey was conducted with 650 Finnish companies including some world-class companies such as Nokia, UPM-Kymmene, Stora Enso etc. this shows that this research paper has actually done some relevant work. Finally, on the basis of both theoretical and practical study Ekholm and Wallin argued that only small number of company were thinking of scraping the annual budget entirely. Although the firms have monitoring systems, continuous forecasts, and balanced scorecard, they still believe that annual budget is important in ensuring internal effectiveness. It also helps in informing stockholders a nd other stakeholders (Ekholm Wallin, 2000). Gafvelin and Kamola (1996), Lindvall (1997), and Glader, Johansson, Nilsson, Nilsson, and Samuelson (1996) supports the arguments that most of the Swedish firms use budgets as it is the primarily instrument that helps a company to achieve its internal effectiveness. Although they argued that budget does not offsets to any external effectiveness. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Study Overall the research paper is reliable to consider the arguments and to use them in the future studies. Ekholm and Wallin addressed all the previous questions which were not referred till yet by any of the researcher. This research papers has strongly presented all the arguments by providing enough evidence from both primary and secondary research. All the sources used by the author are credible and trusted (Ekholm Wallin, 2000). Case Study 4 Topic: New Ways of Setting Rewards: The Beyond Budgeting Model Author's Thesis: Principles enables leaders to break free from the contracts and move to a more lean, ethical and adaptive organization. Hope and Fraser tried to come out of the budgeting model to know the new ways of setting rewards for the managers and other employees in the organization. Hope and Fraser have focused on the various incentive schemes and their effect on the overall performance of the employees and managers. As per the current available data some people believes that incentives is one of the most powerful way to improve the individual performance while other believes that it is an unnecessary bribe that force people to do what they dont want to do (Hope Fraser, 2003). To reach to a trustful conclusion Hope and Fraser have considered various academic debates on the effectiveness on incentive schemes on the overall performance of the employees and the organization. Hope and Fraser have used graphical representation to show the impact of total salary and bonus on the performance outcome. In their research paper they considered some facts like why traditional approaches fail, beyond budgeting model etc. to come to a reliable solution. They argued that goal of the organizations are disconnected from the rewards. To prove their statements Hope and Fraser used a performance appraisal formula for a particular business unit. Overall by considering all the previous debates and current scenarios they concluded their final statement (Hope Fraser, 2003). Using the Hope and Fraser work it is possible to show that budgeting model is not the only way to reward the people but there are some other approaches also that depends upon the company, strategy, and prevailing culture (Hope Fraser, 2003). Kohn and some other researchers argued that motivating people by giving incentives is not an amount of motivation rather it is a type to deal with the weaken interest of the employees towards the task itself (Kohn, 1993). On the other hand McGregors Theory Y stated that people are motivated by self-esteem and the personal development not with the incentive schemes (McGregor, 1960). Jensen and Murphy stated that virtually there was no link between amounts paid to the employees and how well their companies performed for shareholders. To prove this evidence they conducted a survey in the year 1998 involving 771 companies of the UAE. Out of all companies more than two-third agreed with the fact that they did not see any connection between incentives and financial results (Murphy, 1990). Strengths and Weaknesses of the Study No primary research was conducted by the researchers. Evidences and facts have been collected from the debates and theoretical facts. Data used by the researchers was not robust enough to explain the complex issues related to the approaches beyond the budgeting model. Available evidences were not strong enough to justify the statement of the researchers. Limited sources were used for defining the statements. Research could be made more impressive and significant by doing a little more research (Hope Fraser, 2003). Case Study 5 Title: Budgeting Gamesmanship Author's Thesis: The thesis of this research is related to the budgeting gamesmanship at the product level in several large, diversified companies. The reason to choose this research topic is that Christopher K. Bart analyzed the limited attention of the business writers and other academics from the games that managers play with their budgets. Only a few studies have been conducted on the topic and out of which very few were qualitative. Hence, to add some significant evidences and statements Christopher K. Bart has chosen this topic for the research. The purpose of the author to conduct this research is to present an argument that builds on the past researches. The language of the author used in the paper is objective. The charts used in the research paper are prepared as per the information collected from the managers of all the eight firms. The charts properly presented the whole information (Bart, 1988). To effectively reach to supportive statements the researcher conducted primary research. Through past researches, the researcher has tried to verify the facts and interpret the opinion of various experts. The intended audience was clearly defined by the author. The intended audience for the research was all the product managers from eight diversified firms. An in-depth interview was conducted with each of the manager. In the final conclusion the author argued that product managers do indeed play games in their budgets. Apart from this, the author has also highlighted the facts that contribute to and facilitate the playing of budgeting games and those that frustrate and constrain their occurrence. This shows the efficiency of the author to clearly state their arguments (Bart, 1988). A study was conducted by Derek Teshun Huang (2003) on budgeting gamesmanship of managers in firms operating in various sectors of the economy. Through this research they argued that budgetary gamesmanship behavior was related to the organizational culture and performance measurement system (Huang, 2003). As per Odia and Okoye (2012) budgeting gamesmanship is not new. It is a routine behavior adopted by the managers to cope up with pressure during the budgetary negation process. According to them budget games are a way to achieve the set targets (Odia Okoye, 2012). Strengths and Weaknesses of the Study Data used in the study is consistent, reliable and precise. The research study is quantitative in nature and this saved the overall time and cost. No secondary information was used in the research. A total first hand primary research was conducted by the researcher. No evidences were available from the secondary research yet the research has focused on the issues that were not discussed in the secondary research (Bart, 1988). References Bart, C. K. (1988). Budgeting Gamesmanship. The Academy of management Executives, 2(4), 285-294. Ekholm, B.-G., Wallin, J. (2000). Is the annual budget really dead? The European Accounting Review, 9(4), 519539. Gafvelin, S., Kamola, A. (1996). Budget till vilken nytta? Magisteruppsats vid Foretagsekonomiska institutionen. Uppsala university. Glader, M., Johansson, C., Nilsson, J., Nilsson, G., Samuelson, L. (1996). 'Ekonomistyrning i svenska borsforetag', Rapport fran sektionen for redovisning ochnansiering. Stockholm School of Economics. Hansen, S., Otley, D., Stede, W. V. (2003). 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