Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Common Sense Human Rational Thinking - 1490 Words

Common Sense:( naturalistic, non-factual, cannot be proven, subjective ). We tend to base our views of society on our own and our friends and relations experiences. This is likely to be a rather narrow view. Many people have negative views of ethnic minorities when they have never even met members of these groups. Their beliefs are not based on solid information. Its a basic ability to understand and judge things, which is shared by people around without any debate about it. Its form of human rational thinking. Example: someone who started off career in a low position and now become manager or director of this company. This can allows you think that this is common that after time you can go up position after some experience. However,†¦show more content†¦The more evidence you collect, and more carefully you collect it, the more accurate your results will probably be. Research Process : 1) Area of investigation Start with identify a topic to research and question to address. Think of some general ideas or topic areas that you are interested in researching. Its a preparing for the project, defining the research problems. - discovered something, met some unusual people - studied or learn about something exciting or interesting there is no easy way to identify area to research and there is needs to ask some questions first. 1. Is it possible to obtain data ( primary and secondary ) 2. Project should have strong links to the subject matter of your course 3. How about ethic? Is it right to do it, can this harm you, will you be in danger during this? You need to have a bright idea. Good way to identify possible topic is to spend some time talking to colleagues, and must be what you enjoy with. However, there some situations that you can feel lost, but do not panic. Good way is to start off by thinking about the big topics that interest and motivate. 2) Literature Review In order to obtain information, there needs to have idea of the kind of things that is looking for. You should know about the theories and evidence that currently exist in topic area. Always keep a look out for articles and programmes relevant to your research. - newspapers ( good source of current information on a

Monday, December 16, 2019

Year-Round Schooling Free Essays

Year-round school presents a very controversial issue that school districts struggle with every year. The same arguments, facts, and statistics are presented annually, and somehow a conclusion is never reached. Many people believe that year-round school would be a step in the right direction. We will write a custom essay sample on Year-Round Schooling or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although there are many positive innovations to year-round school, the advantages do not outweigh the disadvantages of cost, breaks, vacations, employment, and scheduling. The traditional school calendar as been the same since the 1800s. This calendar is the traditional 180-day system with a two month break for summer. It was not operated on the year-round system way back when because farmers needed their children in the summertime to help tend the farms. Many people believe that this traditional style should change because it is outdated, but why should we change the schedule that our ancestors made if it still works without any flaws? Year-round school operates on a 180-day system, the same as the traditional calendar. The main difference between the two systems is the amount of time on break. There are many forms of the year-round calendar, as each individual school district may choose whichever plan they believe will fit their schools the best. The most popular examples of these schedules include: 45-15, 60-20, and 90-30 (Kelly). These represent the number of days attending school to the number of days off. These schedules would repeat over and over year-round, so the students would only get small breaks periodically throughout the year. Although these periodic breaks would add up to the same amount of days students would get off during a summer break, research says it would not help the academic achievement of the students. In other words, it is not how long the kids are in the classroom, it is how engaged in learning they are while there are there (Morin). Another example of why year-round schooling would not be a good idea is because it would separate American families that are used to traditional summer vacations. Families have always been accustomed to planning summer activities like vacations, reunions, and summer camps. If students were in school for the greater part of the summer, it would make it very difficult for families to plan these activities and typical childhood memories would get lost in the shuffle of year-round school. It is very important for children’s development to spend quality time with family and friends and with year-round schooling, this simply would not happen. Not only would it make hurt your average family during the summer, it would also hurt the school’s employees. Year-round school would put more demand on school staff such as cafeteria, custodial and maintenance services because they would have to make special accommodations for events such as graduation and dances. Also, teachers who would usually continue their own educational careers during the summertime would have to find alternate forms of education due to their now unusable schedule (Vandewater). Along with significant disadvantages, there are also distinct advantages associated with year-round schooling. Some year-round school advocates suggest that a shift in the time designated for teaching and learning will help students achieve more by minimalizing summer learning loss, allowing for innovation and implementation of creative programs, and by providing the time needed to assist children who need extra help (Lynch). By having breaks that are more consistent, some say that shorter vacations might also help students retain information they would’ve forgot over a two-month break. Basically, shortening breaks will improve student achievement. Another pro would be how year-round schooling could replace summer school, which many districts have cancelled due to budget cuts. For students that traditionally attend summer school because they need remediation, year-round school allows remediation to be addressed throughout the year. In conclusion, schools shouldn’t convert to year-round schooling because it wouldn’t help any with learning loss over summer break, it would separate families by discontinuing the traditional childhood summer, and it would hurt the schools’ employees. Although year-round schooling sounds as if it might have some potential, there are too many flaws involved with it right now to confirm that it would making schooling better. How to cite Year-Round Schooling, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Advertisement Strategy of Open Family

Question: Discuss about the Advertisement Strategy of Open Family. Answer: Introduction: From the assignment 1, it has been found that the Open Family is an NGO in Australia that helps homeless and needy youth. This company is working in this sector for the last 34 years. It has been found that homelessness has become a serious issue in this country. Youths between the age group of 12 to 14 are the major victim of domestic violence and family breakdown that gives rise to this issue (Openfamily 2017). The Open Family tries to provide best quality service to these homeless youths. The organization operates in Victoria and New South Wales to provide assertive service to the young homeless people. The mission of the company is to provide shelter to the youths, who are at the verge of losing their home. They will also work with these youths in order to improve their quality of life. The vision of the company is to provide support to the homeless people, so that they can overcome their depression and poverty and build a better future (Openfamily 2017). It has been found that, the organization provides different types of service to young people. They are such as community ownership, mentoring, mobile youth outreach and wellbeing of needy people. From the macro environmental analysis (PESTLE analysis), it has been found that local government is major channel of funding for the organization. It has also been found that presently the Australian government has reduced the budget of local government (Openfamily 2017). It has increased pressure on the organization. Economic factors like recession and inflation rate have also affected the business of the company. Presently, social exclusion has increased in the Australian industry. It has made the business more significant in terms social perspectives. Different laws and policies of Australia like tax law, employment t law, import and export law, safety and security law and consumer law have affected the business of Open Family. It has been found that Open Family mainly targets young people between the age group of 12 to 25. However, the company is now wants to recruit young people between the age group of 18 to 35 to work with the organization. In the assignment 2, a background summary of assignment 1 has been provided. After that promotional strategy for the organization has been developed. In this section different aspects of IMC mix have been discussed along with promotional tools that need to be used. In the last section, it has been mentioned how the company can implement these strategies to attract youth volunteers. Aspects of IMC (Integrated Marketing Communication) According to Martnez (2012), integrated marketing communication is not as easy as it sounds. It includes different aspects of communication like marketing tactics, public relation and advertising. All these aspects need to be coordinated appropriately, so that marketing objectives can be fulfilled. All these aspects are described below: Boone and Kurtz (2013) stated that, this strategy (PR) can be used to develop and foster the relationship with public.In addition, it helps to develop favorable image and credible reputation for an organization. Bickhoff et al. (2014) mentioned that, presently social media has become an important part to enhance relationship with customers and show responsiveness. According to Armstrong et al. (2012), the difference between advertising and public relation is that, it is focused on channels. These channels are like newspaper, television, radio station and billboard to place company massage. Peck et al. (2013) stated that, sales promotion technique is a significant part of a companys sales and marketing plan. It can be integrated with other communications elements to make the messages cohesive. It also can boost a companys promotional efforts. According to Pealoza et al. (2013), the direct mail targets specific audiences (certain income level people with a defined geographical boundary). This strategy can solicit action within a specific time period, with the help of different items of mail like expiration dates or seasonal catalogs and coupons. The direct mail required to be creative and leverage that creativity with other communication. Advertisement as a promotional tool The company Open Family has decided to use advertisement as the effective promotional tool for marketing. The company is going to use different channels such as television, radio station, magazine and billboards to place its message. This strategy of marketing is going to be used, as it allows the company to control what they want to say, where they want to say and how long it will be telecasted to the audiences or viewers. This strategy can help 18-35 years students to work for the company. Advertisement Strategy to recruit volunteers The management of the Open Family will have to follow some steps in order to develop a proper advertisement strategy to recruit volunteers for the organization. Those recommended steps are hereby mentioned below. Role description for the volunteers: Before issuing an advertisement for volunteers, Open Family management will have to develop a volunteer role description (Aristide and Dimitrakakis 2015). Volunteers must know what they will be asked to do in the organization. Identifying target audience: It is important for Open Family to understand who they are trying to interact with and how they might tailor their ad to attract their audience. Using suitable language and media will play a major role. As Open Family is looking to recruit volunteers aged among 18 to 35, it is recommended that online advertisement would be the best possible strategy (Pasqualotti and Baccino 2014). Besides, local press, television and radio can also help to reach a wider audience. Developing a catchy title: A catchy title must be developed for the role of the volunteers. A properly developed catchy title will ensure that the ad will grab peoples attention (Malik et al. 2014). Besides, the title must also precisely represent the role of the volunteers. Design of advertising and copy layout: Ample amount of time and creativity must be there into the design, language and copy layout of the advertisement. The body-copy must be divided by using bullet points. Using long unwieldy sentences must be avoided (Wahyuni and Fitriani 2014). A proper font style and font size should be selected that can be read clearly for the posters that will be distributed in different places. Having bullet points and short concise sentences in the advertisement will help the volunteers to scan through it (Kolomok and Krapivensky 2013). They will understand the advertisement quickly. Emotion imaginary can also be included in the advertisement as it will grab attention and will invoke a reaction. Organizations Mission: A simple one liner should be added to describe the role of the organization and its mission. Sell the opportunity: The management of Open Family must realize that there are other organizations looking for volunteers. In this situation it is paramount to portray the company and its role in a best possible way (West 2013). Besides, all the advantages that the volunteers will receive must be mentioned in the advertisement. Emphasize time assurance: It is the major part of the advertisement. Open Family management will have to highlight the required time commitment, does not matter whether it is 2 hours a week or 20 hours per month (Enos and Hersh 2015). If this information is not there in the advertisement, then the potential volunteers will suppose a large time assurance is necessary and will consequently not apply. List of benefits: Working to make the society a better place can be a suitable title. However, volunteers will give their time only when they will gain something from It. It is important to outline the benefits that the volunteers will gain by getting involved with Open Family. By working with Open Family, volunteers will get a chance to make a difference, help people in need and will be able to make new friends (Moriarty et al. 2014). Besides, they will also gain work experience which will help them to begin a new career. These all points must be presented in the advertisement. Description of the application process: This is another critical aspect of the advertisement. In the advertisement all the steps of application process must be described in a proper manner (Barnard and Kreiss 2013). For example, if someone is interested, what should they do next? Is there any type of information form? Who must they contact to get the application form? Is there an interview process? When the interview will start? What should be the location of the interview? What documents they must carry for the interview? Is there a dress code? Contact Details: In the advertisement, a phone number must be included so that potential volunteers can gather more information if they want. Open Family have their official website. Therefore, the link of the website can be shared in the advertisement. The management of the organization must make sure that they have ample amount of resources in place to respond to applicants within one or two days (Vromen and Coleman 2013). If Open Family fails to respond promptly then it will portray a negative image. As a result volunteers will lose their interest in it. Where to advertise: Open family can select one specific media for advertisement, or they can use a combination of advertising methods. It is recommended that they use a combination of advertising methods as it will deliver better results and will reach to the new groups in the community. First of all, the management of Open Family can utilize local press, televisions and radios. Hanging posters in local job centers will also cultivate good results. Church newsletters can also be used as an advertisement process (Gregory 2015). Open Family can also make presentations to local businesses or can attend volunteer fairs. Another productive method is word of mouth through friends and families of services users and existing volunteers. The management of Open Family can also use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to gain attention of potential volunteers. The can create a Facebook page where all information related to Open Family and their recruitment process will be shared. Volunteers can ask questions directly via the comment section. It will also help the organization to develop a relationship with the volunteers. Management of Open Family can place ads free of charge with their local volunteer center. They can also place their ads on www.volunteer.com.ie (McDonough and Egolf 2015). Celebrity endorsement process can also be used as an advertisement method. In this process, famous celebrities will appear in a video and will ask volunteers to join Open Family and to help the organization to support the young people of the country. Conclusion: From the assignment 1, it has been found that the major objective of the company is to provide shelter to the homeless youths of Australia and work with them to improve their life style. Youths belong to the age group of 12-25 is the major target for the organization. It has been found that cutting down the budget has pressurized the company. In the assignment 2, section a promotional strategy has been developed for the organization. After analyzing different aspects of integrated marketing communication, advertisement has been selected as the effective promotional tools to attract volunteers belong to age group of 18-35. It has been found that there some major steps that the company needs follow to develop this advertisement. At first, the management team has to develop a volunteer role description. Then the management team needs to decide the target audience for this advertisement. It has been found that the target audience for this advertisement is youths belong to that age group of 18 to 35 years. The company needs to select suitable language and media as they important role in advertisement. After that, the company needs to develop a catchy title for the advertisement. The company needs to provide ample amount of time to design the advertisement more creatively. In case of TV and radio advertisement it is required to add emotional content. It will attract the organization to attract more youth volunteers towards the company. References Aristide, T. and Dimitrakakis, C., 2015, December. Optimal Advertisement Strategies for Small and Big Companies. InInternational Conference on e-Infrastructure and e-Services for Developing Countries(pp. 94-98). Springer International Publishing. Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., and Brennan, R., 2012, Marketing : An Introduction, Pearson Prentice-Hall, London, London Barnard, L. and Kreiss, D., 2013. A Research Agenda for Online Advertising: Surveying Campaign Practices, 2000-2012.International Journal of Communication,7, p.21. Bickhoff, N., Hollensen, S., and Opresnik, M., 2014,The Quintessence of Marketing: Strategic and Operative Marketing PlanningSegmenting, Targeting, Positioning.pp. 47-11 Boone, L., and Kurtz, D., 2013, Contemporary marketing. USA: Cengage Learning Enos, R.D. and Hersh, E.D., 2015. Party activists as campaign advertisers: The ground campaign as a principal-agent problem.American Political Science Review,109(02), pp.252-278. Gregory, A., 2015.Planning and managing public relations campaigns: A strategic approach. Kogan Page Publishers. Kolomok, O.I. and Krapivensky, A.S., 2013. Pedagogical and sociological aspects of Youth volunteering.World Applied Sciences Journal,23(10), pp.1330-1333. Malik, M.E., Ghafoor, M.M. and Iqbal, H.K., 2014. The Impact of Advertisement and Consumer Perception on Consumer Buying Behavior.International Review of Social Sciences and Humanities,6(2), pp.55-64. Martnez, P., 2012, The Consumer Mind: Brand Perception and the Implications for Marketers, USA: Kogan Page Ltd McDonough, J. and Egolf, K., 2015.The advertising age encyclopedia of advertising. Routledge. Moriarty, S., Mitchell, N.D., Wells, W.D., Crawford, R., Brennan, L. and Spence-Stone, R., 2014.Advertising: Principles and practice. Pearson Australia. Openfamily, M. 2017.What We Do - Open Family Australia. [online] Openfamily.org.au. Available at: https://www.openfamily.org.au/what-we-do.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2017]. Pasqualotti, L. and Baccino, T., 2014. Online advertisement: how are visual strategies affected by the distance and the animation of banners?.Frontiers in psychology,5. Peck, H., Christopher, M., Clark, M., and Payne, A., 2013, Relationship Marketing, Burlington: Linacre house, Jordon hill Pealoza, L., Toulouse, N., and Visconti, L. M., 2013,Marketing management: A cultural perspective, USA: Routledge Vromen, A. and Coleman, W., 2013. Online campaigning organizations and storytelling strategies: GetUp! in Australia.Policy Internet,5(1), pp.76-100. Wahyuni, S. and Fitriani, N., 2014, May. The Effectiveness of TV Advertisement: A Comparative Study on Esia and Flexi. International Conference om Business And Information 2009, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. West, D.M., 2013.Air wars: Television advertising and social media in election campaigns, 1952-2012. Sage.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Luther man between God and the Devil

Introduction The preface to Luther by Heiko A. Oberman gives the reader a sneak preview of what to expect while reading the book. In his opening sentence however, Oberman warns the reader that discovering Luther is something that cannot fit within the confine of scholarship exposition. To understand Luther however, Oberman notes that people must be ready to leave behind their views about the world and life.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Luther: man between God and the Devil specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because Luther’s world was different from what the contemporary man knows; the church had so much power that it was equated to heaven, while the emperor’s represented the â€Å"powers of heaven† (xix). Reading through the book, one gets the impression that Oberman shares in the religious and spiritual issues that he documents about Luther having gone through. He relates the Luther experiences and discoveries both in terms of emotional and physical struggles as the same as what people in the contemporary society face. In the preface, one gets the impression that Oberman does not give religion or the state of the society as much weight as a factor that affected Luther’s life. This is made clear by the phrase, â€Å"It is not the Catholic, protestant or modern Luther we are looking for†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (xix). He however acknowledges that â€Å"we† will encounter religions and society’s state in the course of reading the book. The use of â€Å"we† in preface gives the reader the impression that he/she is not alone in discovering Luther. Oberman makes himself part of the journey too. The dying scene The main body of Oberman’s books starts with the dying scene where Luther is being attended by the â€Å"Reverend father†. It was February 18, 1546 when Luther Died. Before his death, Luther went through some final te sting where witnesses were summoned by his friend Justus Jonas just to confirm that Luther had â€Å"died steadfast in Christ and the doctrines that he had preached† (3). Oberman notes that Luther had always prayed that he would always be able to resist the devil to the very end believing that resisting Satan, who is branded as the ultimate and bitterest enemy to human kind would be his ultimate liberation from the tyranny posed by sin. Oberman also notes that Luther believed that a trust in God convinced him that the agony that he suffered in his life would be nothing more than brief blow upon his death (3).Advertising Looking for critical writing on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Liberal thinking Oberman further succeeds in portraying Luther as a person who had his own way of thinking. As indicated in the book, the author narrates that Luther adjusted his time with benchmarks rather than tolerance , enlightenment, modernity or progress to determine time. In order to understand Luther therefore, Oberman suggests that â€Å"we† need to read Luther’s history with a non-conventional perspective (12). Luther’s influence on the politics of the day seems to have been known to him more than anyone else. In one scene for example, Oberman states that Luther knew he posed a risk to the policy in Saxony. Since he did not want to break the sovereign’s freedoms that would be contained in political actions, he made the Saxony’s elector an attractive proposal that if accepted would have seen him leave the land (22). In a bid to stop Luther from leaving, the elector summoned him and promised to take a neutral position, while granting Luther the academic freedoms necessary to discuss scriptural questions with his students without any hindrances. Yet, Luther’s affair with the law was not always smooth. In 1520 for example, Pope Leo announced a condition al excommunication to Luther based on his works, which the pope defined as â€Å"heretical, offensive and false† (Oberman 22). The pope however gave Luther 60 days to submit a response. Luther however could do nothing like that and finally in 1521, the Pope signed the excommunication letter, hoping that it had finally settled the troubles that arose from Luther. Luther’s supporters argued that the excommunication was motivated by the fact that the church could not stand reformation, yet a time for the same in the church was long overdue (Oberman 24). Reformist, teacher, doctor or preacher? Oberman’s book further notes that Luther’s influence on reformation would have ended sooner were it not for the death of Emperor Maximilian I in 1519. Before the death of the emperor, the Elector Cajetan in Saxon had done a lot to protect Luther. However, his protection of Luther stood no chance of surviving a final decision by the Papacy in Rome. Luckily however, the d eath of the emperor created a political upheaval in succession, which for a fair amount of time shifted attention from the Luther question.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Luther: man between God and the Devil specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The controversy between the Germans and the Papacy regarding Luther was clear as one end held that no one could be placed under a ban without being accorded a suitable hearing, while the other side maintained that Luther was under an automatic ban due to his incorrigible and notorious heretics (Oberman 36). While the Papal attracted critics, Oberman portrays Luther as having gained more public support especially from his writings which criticized how cases were â€Å"nipped in the bud† when they were tried in the imperial, papal or local courts (36). Having argued that no one deserved being banned without being given fair hearing, the Germans succeeded in convincing the Papacy to grant Luther a hearing. In 1521 therefore, Luther appeared before the Bishop’s court sought to find the reality about the accusations of heretics placed on Luther. During the hearing, Oberman portrays Luther as a tactical and knowledgeable person who refused to answer non-specific questions. Asked whether he recognized the books written in his name as his own work, Luther sought to have the books mentioned individually (38). According to Oberman, the mentioning of the books served to dispense the notion that Luther was a â€Å"stupid monk† to anyone in the court room who may have held that idea. Asked whether he could recant, Luther requested the court to give him time to think. On his return the following day, his answer was an indirect one. He said that his books were neither polemical nor sharp. He stated that his writing addressed the Christian faith and life as directed by the gospel. To this end, he stated that not even the opponents woul d find anything objectionable in the books. About the books that addressed the Papacy, Luther told the court that he had addressed how the papal office had ruined the church, weighed the human conscience down and oppressed the empire. He therefore argued that he could not renounce anything he had written in his books because by doing so, he would be encouraging tyranny.Advertising Looking for critical writing on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By recounting this episode, Oberman portrays Luther as a person who stood steadfast with what he believed in regardless of whether he had the support from others or not. In a documented recounting of the proceeding that took place in the hearing, Luther is portrayed as a watchful person who not only realized that the hearing was not intended to gather information, but rather to accept the anticipated recantation by Luther or uphold the ban. Since the hearing was made of Germans, Luther argued that instead of acting independently, the Germans had acted childishly, allowing themselves to be fooled by the Romans. Oberman observes that though Luther’s evaluation of how the interrogation was conducted was indeed valid, he (Luther) was wrong about the Germans acting childishly. Oberman argues that no where in western Christendom would people find it politically viable to protect a seemingly rebellious monk against extradition from Rome. More so, obtaining a public hearing like what the Germans did for Luther who was perceived by Rome as a notorious heretic was also unusual. According to Oberman therefore, the same Germans who Luther has termed â€Å"follies† had kept his issue alive in such a long time such that the ban imposed by Rome was stifled (Oberman 40). Oberman’s book gives a clear picture of Luther’s attack on Rome and the papacy and gives the reader the actions that made Luther such a bitter person against the actions of Rome. At some point in the book, Luther is quoted saying that every person in Rome had gone crazy and â€Å"†¦had become inane fools and the devils† (Oberman 43). His reason for such strong wording about Romans was the fact that they had accepted the information passed by the church in Rome in that time, which Luther referred to as lies, which were being passed on as truths. According to Luther, Rome was the devil’s gateway to the church, yet, Christ sought representation through people who we re willing to work, preach, suffer and die. Instead however, the office of the Pope which was supposed to act as the servant of Christ leading the way for the church followers had become the â€Å"ruler of rulers† (Oberman 43). Reading this book however, one not only identifies the character of Luther, but also Oberman’s character as well. For instance, by making the devil a central agenda in his biography of Luther, one gets the impression that Oberman shared the convictions that Luther had about good and evil. One also gets the impression that not only does Oberman find the justification for a faith in Christianity, but he also finds â€Å"a new belief in the devil† (104). Surprisingly, Luther and Oberman are from different centuries. Luther was from the middle ages, while Oberman just wrote the book in the 19th century. Yet Oberman’s writing succeeds in portraying the devil not as a medieval residue, but an astonishingly modern reality. Oberman specifi cally portrays Luther’s role giving the reader a new understanding of Satan’s role in a person’s life. Through Luther’s believes and discoveries regarding Satan, Oberman gives the reader a few insights about how Satan allegedly operates. For example, as opposed to what many people may think; holiness and sanctity does not necessarily mean that the devil is absent. According to Luther, acts of Christianity which include preaching the gospels, people gathering to hear God’s word and other things that Christians do in order to strengthen their faiths provoke Satan to attack Christians even more. Luther also notes that in an attempt to ‘mislead’ Christians, the devil ties people down to religiosity. To this, Oberman adds that one is entangle in self devout analysis. He thus concluded that the ideals of divinization, perfection and holiness are Satan’s way of misleading the Christian faithful. Unlike a person who seeks Christ because he or she is â€Å"filthy and sinful†, Oberman notes that those who think they are divine, perfect or holy do not see the need to do so. Oberman is also successful in drawing a distinction between modern Protestantism and what Luther believed. Most notably, Oberman documents the high regard that Luther had for the sacraments. Despite his protests against the act of the Catholic Church and the papacy, Luther is quoted as having said â€Å"I am undeserving, but I rely on the faith of the church- or of another believer. Whatever my situation, O Lord, I must be obedient to your church, which bids me to go to communion. If I bring you nothing else, at least I bring you this Obedience† (Oberman 242). Further distinction between modern Protestantism and what Luther believed is portrayed by Oberman as his demand that Christians go to confession at least once annually. To this, Luther stated that instead of people approaching the sacraments with fear and humility, they should have faith and be confident when taking part in the sacraments. Through abandoning humility and fear and embracing faith and confidence, Luther argued that people would stop seeking worthiness, since no one could be worthy before God. Luther’s stand about the sacrament did not go unchallenged. Oberman notes that the Swiss for example questioned the profit that people got from assuming that Christ’s flesh was represented in the Holy Communion, while Christ himself had dismissed the flesh as having no profit. Further the Swiss questioned Luther how obedience can replace insufficient faith. With no clear answers from Luther regarding these questions, the Swiss branded Luther a neo-papist and a captive of the middle ages (Oberman 242). As a reformist, Oberman portrays Luther as a person who attracted more foes in high ranking positions than was prudent to do at that day and age. For example, he challenged the supremacy of the papacy and the mandate given to councils. Thoug h he acknowledged that the pope deserved respect as the bishop of Rome, while the papacy deserved being held in high regard especially because it was an institution created by agreeing people, he said that neither the pope nor the papacy deserved to serve as the standard of obedience. Instead, the Gospel should be used as the measure of obedience (Oberman 246). Oberman once again portrays Luther as a person who had a firm believe in himself and the things he did. For example, while his friends tried to dissuade him from publicly questioning the authority that the pope and the papacy office had on Christianity, Luther rendered an account based of St. Peter who the pope is modeled after. To this, he said that though Peter had a prime and honorary position among other apostles, his position did not give him any legal supremacy or authority to â€Å"make, send, govern or ordain other apostles† (Oberman 247). Oberman also portrays Luther as a man who believed that the institutions in the church should have been formed under the guidance of the Gospel. This he suggested should have been the case if people adhered to the gospel adequately instead of depending on heresy. According to Oberman, Luther insisted that the unwavering theology of the cross of Christ could not support either catholic-subjectivism or the protestant individualism. Rather, true theology would further unity in Christianity regardless of the denominations and would thus succeed in letting people know the need to heed God’s commandments. A reoccurring image of Luther throughout the book is that of unwavering and often fearless man. One gets the impression that Luther knew the possible implications of his words and actions but still chose to criticize or point out the evils that bedeviled the society mainly because the church then refused to play its rightful role and instead chose to engage in power games and governance. In 1519 for example when his ties with Rome were still intact, O berman observes that Luther said that the church â€Å"was an accumulation if schisms† (249). When the church in Rome finally excommunicated him, he burned the canon law and the bull of the pope to show his rapprochement. This was seen by some as the final act of revolt that Luther had started in 1517. Oberman notes that attempts by those opposed to Luther’s action to brand him a Hussite failed. Hussites had previously waged war against the Catholic Church and labeling Luther as one would no doubt would have cost him some support. Luther is however portrayed as a person who would have cared less about the labels that his opponents gave him. Luther is also portrayed as a person who attached meaning to his dreams. In Oberman’s account, it is stated that Luther had Utopian and devilish dreams, which he quickly recognized as traps set by Satan. In his interpretation, Satan conjured up images of purity for people and then encouraged them to understand the evil contai ned in their words, actions or thoughts (64-66). The reformation Oberman starts the chapter on reformation breakthrough by creating the Luther that people would have expected to see. Having become a doctor of theology, Oberman states that Luther was now in the same ranks as some stupid monks who spent their time arguing about nothing in specific. The monks perceived themselves as guardians of the proper doctrine and piety, yet, they were barely able to â€Å"count their own toes† (151). Oberman therefore portrays Luther as a truth seeker therefore contradicts public expectation of what the learned theologians of his time were used to doing. Oberman credits the reformist ideas of Luther to the fact that he (Luther) encouraged people not only to agree to the idea that God is just, but rather seek him with their entire beings, which included their thoughts and actions; bodies and souls; and suffering and love. Oberman also observes that the search for salvation as championed by Luther suggested that all people; whether educated or not could engage in the same exercise. Still, Oberman portrays Luther who did not allow his understanding of theology to alter his perspective or raise his voice to critique the medieval theologians who were regarded as authorities at that point in history. Central to the reformist ideas of Luther as noted by Oberman was Vicar General Staupitz. The latter is credited by Luther for â€Å"first of all being my father in this doctrine, and having given birth [to me] in Christ† (Oberman 152). Having introduced Luther into the doctrine, Oberman’s book indicates that Staupitz gave him a longing to seek the reality of the principles therein from the scripture. Still, not everything in the scriptures made perfect sense to Luther. More specifically, Oberman quotes Romans 1:17, as a scripture written by the St. Paul as an obstacle that Luther struggled with. The scripture reads: â€Å"For therein [in the gospel] is the right eousness of God revealed† (Oberman 152). During his study of the scriptures however, Luther appear to have come as one thing as the absolute truth; that God’s righteousness is the eternal law through which all men and women will be judged on doomsday. According to Oberman, the righteousness of God is not distributed to humankind like talents; rather, it put men who are willing to abide by God’s teaching in a position where they can attain righteousness. Luther’s discovery about God righteousness however suggests that it is united with Christ’s righteousness, further confirming that Jesus Christ and God the father are one. According to Oberman, Luther’s ability to think originally gave him the reformist qualities. More so, he was willing to test the discoveries he made while studying the scriptures against the prevailing laws used by the church. Luther’s discovert about the righteousness of God was unheard of during his time. He used it to discredit the doctrine of good works as championed by the church and to human action; he discredits the reward and merit ideals which were at the time the main motivators for human action (156). According to Oberman, tribulations and struggles make the true life of a theologian as opposed to speculation or philosophizing. Notably however, Luther’s experiences as a reformist reduce the fears, hopes, successes and struggles to two stages: 1) a desperate monk; and 2) the self-confident reformer. Oberman however notes that Luther astounds scholars because his works seems to have taken some form of systemic research, from which drew conclusions and finally delved into the world of reform. Accordingly, Luther’s reformist ideas were drawn from lesson from St. Augustine and St. Paul. After seeking a deep understanding of the scripture, he indulged in conflict with the pontifical church through logical accusations and arguments. Luther’s reformist role is not only co vered by Oberman alone. Other writers like Levi et al (259-284) have included Luther among the reformers who contributed schismatic solutions towards the renaissance and reformation. Luther’s Death Oberman gives the reader the impression that Luther’s death was not only waited by Luther himself, but his adversaries too. Most notably was Johannes Cochlaeus who first wrote about Luther. Unlike Oberman however, Cochlaeus did not have any kind words for Luther. He instead denounced him as the devil’s spawn that is portrayed in the Bible as the seven-headed dragon. What no one could not establish beyond Luther’s death however was whether his soul was taken by the devil or whether God rewarded it by taking it to everlasting happiness as Luther all along wished for in his life. Their books takes special note of the role that the reformist idea played in Germany at a time when Rome had taken the reigns of power in Europe through the office of the papacy and the p ope as the power figure. In this book however, one gets the idea that Luther’s ideas only set ablaze the feelings about Rome that had simmering in Europe and especially Germany. In an effort to solve the mystery of who between God and the Devil took Luther’s soul, Oberman’s book (3) gives an account of how simple believers and people in the academic world sought to establish the truth. The not-so-informed believers simply imagined that whoever was fast would snatch Luther’s soul first. The academic scholars on the other hand argued that a descent into hell could be easily diagnosed medically. According to their argument, Luther’s death would have been abrupt if the devil took his soul because, â€Å"the devil [would have] snipped the thread of life†¦, thus leaving the church unable to render its last assistance† (Oberman 3). As such, they argued that Luther’s slow death meant that he had commended his soul into the hands of God. Initially, Oberman (4) succeeds in portraying Luther as a patient, understanding and cheerful man who understood the reality of death in such a way that many men would have difficulties doing. More specifically, he describes how Luther knowing his death was imminent chose to spend his last days in his birth place in Eisleben where he mediated a protracted battle between two brothers. Weeks before his death, Luther is portrayed as a patient man who despite his despise for lawyers, spent hours sitting between the two parties trying to mediate them. Oberman also succeeds in portraying Luther as a man who had the nerve to accept that the inevitable death was eventually going to catch up with him. He even seems to have made fun of the fact that in death, he â€Å"would lie down in [his] coffin and give the worms a fat doctor to feast to on.†(5). Oberman also portray Luther as a man who had a firm believes in life after death although he did not state it as a fact. Rather, he said that â€Å"it was very likely† that people’s spirits in heaven would be renewed. He however stated that it was also likely that man’s spirit and body would remain undetached for people who would end up in hell (5). How closely Luther’s friends associated him with a man of God is evident when the news were first broken to his friend Melanchthon. Struggling for control and struggling to get the right words to break the news about Luther’s death to his students, Melanchthon used a phrase used to describe Prophet Elijah’s death. He told his students that the â€Å"charioteer of Israel has fallen† (Oberman 6). Having been the personality behind the evangelical movement and the reformation, Luther left a gap that had no immediate successor. To this end, Oberman manages to bring out the difference in tact between Prophet Elijah and Luther. Unlike Elija who had picked Elisha to be his successor, Luther had refrained from such a thing believin g that the Gospel would be strong enough to charge its own way (Oberman 7). Unfortunately, not every one shared in the Pope’s opinion. Conclusion Overall, reading about Luther gives one the impression that he was an argumentative, single-minded person, who hard an enormous amount of self confidence and believe. This characteristic mainly comes across because he did not waiver even when he faced opposition for his writings or spoken word. Being branded a heretic meant that he could face death by fire. Yet, even with controversies regarding his 95 theses raging, he could not renounce any of his written works or apologize for the same (Cep 5). He strongly believed that he had written the right thing and that apologizing for pinpointing the evils in the society would only lead to more tyranny. His writings and actions however led to his excommunication from the Catholic Church by Pope Leo and since Luther knew he could not reform the church from outside, he began the process of b uilding a new church (Cep 14). This marked the beginning of the protestant church, which was based on the concepts of freedom and liberty. According to Oberman, Luther never referred himself as the reformer; rather, he used the titles professor, preacher or doctor because he believed his role in Christendom was proclaiming the good works which were necessary for the survival of the real religion on the threatened world. Yet, Luther did not fail to have a fair share of shortcomings. Oberman notes that Luther, the ex-monk at some tome adopted the role of a new layman who was eager for the joys and pleasures that come with secular jobs. According to Brady, the new form of apocalypticism and worldliness that overtook Luther at some point meant that he became an alien to reformation (41). The progressive reformation that was as a result of Luther’s actions was far from his initial intention. Reading through Oberman’s account of Luther, it is clear that though Luther imagine d a world where the devil was forever pursuing God’s children, he adopted a sober view of Christianity and hence adopted a reformist role. Works Cited Brady, Thomas. The work of Heiko A. Oberman: papers from the symposium on his seventieth birthday. PA Netherlands: Brill Publishers, 2003. Print Cep, Casey. â€Å"The ecstasy is real†. The Harvard Book Review. Dec. 2008. Web. Levi, et al. Renaissance and Reformation: The Intellectual Genesis. New Haven, CT: Yale University press, 2004. Print. Oberman, Heiko. Luther: man between God and the Devil. California: The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group, 1992. Print. This critical writing on Luther: man between God and the Devil was written and submitted by user Paige Key to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Customer satisfaction and willingness to switch Essays

Customer satisfaction and willingness to switch Essays Customer satisfaction and willingness to switch Essay Customer satisfaction and willingness to switch Essay Customer Satisfaction was recognized as major outcome of marketing activity which helps in explaining post purchase phenomenon such as repeat purchase and brand loyalty. Oliver (1999) defined Customer Satisfaction as the consumer s sense that consumption provides outcomes against a standard of pleasure versus displeasure. Eshghi, Roy and Ganguli (2008) suggested that relational quality, competitiveness, reliability, reputation and transmission quality are significant predictors of customer satisfaction. Aydin and Ozer(2005) defined it as customers overall (dis)satisfaction with the brand based on all encounters and experiences with that particular brand. Hence, in the study overall customer satisfaction with the service provider was evaluated instead of consumers specific transaction experiences. They also suggested that increased customer satisfaction, increased trust in the firm and switching costs are essential for customer loyalty. Customer loyalty is a relationship between relative attitude towards on entity and repeat patronage behavior (Dick and Basu, 1994. Oliver (1999) suggested that customer satisfaction and Customer Loyalty are linked inextricably. Harris and Goode (2004) suggested the satisfactions mediating role in the relation between perceived quality or value and loyalty. Anti n, Camarero, and Carrero (2007) have confirmed that the mediating effect of customer satisfaction between the predisposing (poor service quality and low firm commitment) and precipitating factors (price unfairness and anger incidents) of dissolution and the consumers switching intention. Also, Spiros P. Gounaris, Nektarios A. Tzempelikos, Kalliopi Chatzipanagiotou (2007) explained how customer percieved value influences, through customer satisfaction and loyalty, the buying behaviour of consumers. In our study, the term perceived price is to mean the degree of reasonability which a customer associates a given price fixed for the usage of the mobile service, value- added services charges and the monthly rental charges. This is mainly a perception factor in the consumer mind. We test for the influence of this factor, the perceived price on the construct of customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction in turn encompasses the comprehensive view of the mobile service provider in the customer`s mind. While customer satisfaction is contingent on several factors, herein we explore the effect of the perceived price on the same. There has been a body of research carried out in the past, in various sectors, on the influence of this factor on the overall customer satisfaction levels. Carmen Anti n, Carmen Camarero, and Mirtha Carrero (2007) found evidence in the insurance industry that unfair pricing is a determinant to customer satisfaction. In fact, they have concluded that unfair pricing strongly impacts switching, in a direct and indirect manner via customer satisfaction. Chada and Deepa Kapoor (2009) have stated that Customer satisfaction in turn affects the price senility of a customer. Evangelia Blery, Nick Batistatos et al (2008) conclude that the perceived price is negatively affects a repeat purchase of a customer in a negative manner. Makam S Balaji (2009) examined the effects ofvarious factors, including perceived price on customer satisfaction in the Indian mobile telephony sphere and found it to be strongly associated. The findings of Muhammad Mohsin Butt and Ernest Cyril de Run(2008) show that the satisfaction levels of Pakistani mobile telephone service users satisfaction is dependent on price, among several other factors. Ristola and M. Kesti(2006) conceptualized that the service quality depends upon the above mentioned factors. The physical factors involves the physical product and supports, interactive quality refers to the interaction between the customer and the service provider, and the corporate quality is symbolic in nature and involves the perception about the company in the minds of the customers and its brand image. Service quality is defined as a global assessment that is the customers overall impression of the relative inferiority/superiority of the service provider and its services. Further, Rusk and Zahorik supported the expectation-perception gap for measuring service quality. The main antecedents to perceived service quality are the customer expectation and perceived performance (Bitner and Hubert). Further, Richard Spreng, Linda Shi,Thomas Page suggested that net Customer Satisfaction has a marginally higher impact on switching intention than total perceived service quality. Also, A. Taylor,Thomas L. Baker(1994) concluded that Consumer satisfaction moderates the relationship between the quality of service and intention to switch. Zhilin Yang, Robin T. Peterson (2004) found that switching costs moderate the relationship between satisfaction and perceived value. Next, Hsin-Hui (Sunny) Hu, Jay Kandampully and Thanika Devi Juwaheer(2009) examined the association and impact of customer satisfaction and perceived value and found that customer satisfaction is affected by perceived service quality. Das, Bhagaban Mohanty, Sangeeta(2007) carried out a study in the Indian context and found that better perceived service quality leads to increased customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction results from the comparison of expected performance with that of the perceived actual performance (Churchill, Suprenant, 1982). Parasuram et al also suggested that service quality is positively related to the customer satisfaction levels and that service quality perceptions are dependent not only on the outcomes but also on the evaluation of the service delivery process by the customers. Venetis and Ghauri (2000) viewed that the service quality is regarded as one of the few means for service differentiation and competitive advantage that attracts new customers and contributes to the market share. Further, Rakshit Negi (2009) concludes that the service quality was found to be significantly linked with the overall cellular phone user satisfaction. Also, Birgit Leisen(2006) suggests, as perceived levels of satisfaction increase, the less likely the customer is going to switch to a more conveniently located competitor and, hence, the more loyal he or she remains. Further, T. Vanniarajan, P. Gurunathan (2009) concluded that the cellular operators need to engage in improving the quality of both the value added services and the main service quality to increase their customer satisfaction which would lead to a greater customer loyalty. Hence differentiation leads to customer satisfaction.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Is it Okay to Split an Infinitive Can I start a sentence with And

Is it Okay to Split an Infinitive Can I start a sentence with And The following is some basic writing help that answers your questions about when its okay to split an infinitive, whether to start sentences with â€Å"And† or â€Å"But,† and whether it’s okay to use a singular â€Å"they.† Here are the grammar rules and non-rules that tend to be confusing to many writers (and readers): Is it okay to split an infinitive? Yes, it’s okay to occasionally split an infinitive! But if you can be graceful, it’s better not to split it. â€Å"It’s okay to split an infinitive occasionally† would pose a lower risk of annoying your readers than the first sentence above, which, as you may have noticed, contains a split infinitive. Can I start a sentence with And or But? Yes, it’s okay to start sentences with â€Å"And† or â€Å"But.† But don’t overdo it. Is it okay to use they as a pronoun for one person? I used to be adamant that â€Å"they† is not an appropriate reference to a single person! But even I sometimes use it now and allow my clients to use it too. While there are often workarounds for using the singular â€Å"they,† they are often awkward. There’s a Can I use â€Å"this† without a reference? This is not recommended. The question always to ask yourself (or – see #1 – to always ask yourself) is, â€Å"This WHAT?† and tell us what the WHAT is. Rather than say â€Å"This is not recommended,† try â€Å"This construction is not recommended.†Ã‚  Otherwise your readers will not know what â€Å"this† refers to. Shall I go into whether it’s okay to end a sentence with a preposition?  Let’s save that one for another day. If you run into any other grammar questions that have you stumped, feel free to ask The Essay Expert. You can also sign up for my Grammar Writing Tips List for tips on how to communicate with grammatical correctness. Category:Grammar Writing TipsBy Brenda BernsteinMay 22, 2010 1 Comment Rob Berman says: May 27, 2010 at 2:29 pm Brenda: Please keep the tips coming. I learn from each of your posts. Rob Log in to Reply

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Vocabulary Story Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Vocabulary Story - Assignment Example However, my vacillation ended in a second. I dashed the house to save my brother. The smoke was so much and I got chocked however I did not capitulate. I was that I would inhale noxious gases so I ran even faster. I found my baby brother sleeping peacefully in his cot as his toys that hung above the bed oscillated. I picked him hastily and ran down the stairs only to find a crowd of people who commiserated me. The neighbor tried to put out the fire and the fire fighters arrived on time to save the day. Everyone including my querulous and supercilious aunt congratulated me for my heroic act. I walked innocuously towards the paramedics who tested us and said that we were healthy although my brother needed to be kept under observation as he was slightly cadaverous (Wilder 47). To recapitulate, this was the day I earned respect from my family and neighbors and stopped castigating me for my quiet nature. From that day everyone treats me chivalrously. The local headlines read ‘Little by becomes Superman’ and this levity put a smile on my

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

How Advertising and the Media Have Created a New China Research Paper

How Advertising and the Media Have Created a New China - Research Paper Example China is no exception: a country with a long history of communism, China slowly adopts a new, westernized vision of the global reality. Chinese media reflect and contribute to the development of new consumer images. The influence of advertising on individual and collective identities is difficult to overestimate. More important are the influences of media advertising on the development of gender relations and the changing perceptions of femininity in the postmodern Chinese culture. A content analysis of Chinese printed ads will provide a brief insight into the role of media and advertising in creating the country’s female ideals. Advertising and the making of new China: Setting the context How advertising shapes new China is a question surrounded by much controversy. It is no secret that the end of the 1970s marked a new stage in the political, economic, and cultural evolution of China. Since the end of the 1970s, China has changed dramatically from being predominantly Marxist to a becoming a new, market-socialist country (Tse, Belk & Zhou 457). The no-advertising culture gave place to a well-developed advertising infrastructure, which both facilitates and is facilitated by the rapid development of modern media sources and consumer values (Tse, Belk & Zhou 457). ... Chinese consumers gradually realize the value of market openness. In their consumer choices they mostly rely on the popular media sources. Product choices in China are no longer limited to bicycles and wristwatches but make Chinese consumers think twice, before they choose the best of the best in highly competitive Chinese and international markets (Tse, Belk & Zhou 458). Against the background of market openness and relative freedom of competition, the Chinese media have become an important carrier of unique cultural meanings. Advertising does not merely sell goods but has the strong potential to create a new collective identity (Johansson 357). Advertising creates a new image of self in Chinese consumers; it strengthens the sense of belonging to one or several societal groups; eventually, advertising creates a distinct borderline between Self and Others, but whether advertising praises or judges otherness depends on numerous contextual factors (Johansson 357). Chinese media context s are extremely complex and diverse. They create and sustain a self-otherness dichotomy which characterizes most, if not all, media processes in today’s China. Women are excessively susceptible to this type of media influences. It would be fair to assume that the role of women in the Chinese society and advertising in popular media are closely interrelated: the media reflect the dramatic changes in the women-society relationship and, simultaneously, drive the development of new gender realities. Advertising shapes new China, through new typologies of women and changes in female perceptions of Chinese cultural realities. This is probably why the role of advertising in the development of female identities and their implications for new

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Plan to Improve Organizational Sturcture and Recapture Market Share Essay Example for Free

Plan to Improve Organizational Sturcture and Recapture Market Share Essay Over the past few years, WordPlay Greetings has experienced a sharp decline in market share as well has extremely high turnover of sales staff. The first major challenge discussed was the limited supply of items that are also sold to other national retailers and create competition against Word Plays smaller company owned and franchised stores. The second issue highlighted in our discussion was that operations have been inefficient which also leads to decline of profitability. WordPlay Management was fearful that high turnover of sales staff was a major cause of inefficient operations and stressed the importance of addressing this issue. Technological advances are certainly an issue that every industry must consider when trying to keep with or beat competitors. Online options for the greeting card industry have greatly advanced over the past few years offering ways to send expressions electronically and even customize them with photos and voices without having to leave home. It is critical revive WordPlays website and make stores more appealing to visit with new product lines and customization options that will attract customers and keep them coming back and telling others. Hiring and retaining talented and caring staff is goes hand in hand with keeping up with technology. Knowledgeable and caring sales people are just as important as the product. Developing an organizational culture that inspires and motivates will help spark new creative designs and product offerings for WordPlay Greetings. Bryce Dancetty has performed industry research, employee and market surveys, leading to job redesign, development of new marketing and product design teams, and improved organizational reward programs that aim at reducing turnover for WordPlay Greetings and getting them back on a path to profits. Introduction Bryce Dancetty Consulting has been working with WordPlay Greetings over the past several months to analyze their business, develop plans to reduce sales staff turnover, revive its product line, improve its organizational culture, and implement new programs that will motivate employees and enrich jobs and career paths. In this report we will review the methods used to collect data and form plans for change. Causes of Business Downturn WordPlay Greetings market share has seen sharp declines over the past few years. Company leaders concluded that causes for this problem stemmed from the limited supply of items that are also sold to other national retailers and create competition against Word Plays smaller company owned and franchised stores. An additional contributor to their decline was believed to be high turnover with in their sales division. WordPlay leaders agreed to work with Bryce Dancetty Consulting to look deeper in to these issues and how they could be resolved to help them regain market share and do better at hiring and retaining a highly skilled and motivated sales team. Bryce Dancetty Consulting employed the DECIDE Model which is based on statistical science to examine all aspects of the WordPlay business and its environment. The Decide Model allowed us to define the problem(s) and/or opportunities, along with objectives and constraints. Next, the possible decision factors that make up the alternative courses of action (controllable uncontrollable) are enumerated (given numeric values). Then, relevant information on the alternatives and possible outcomes is collected. The next step is to identify and select the best alternative based on chosen criteria or measures of success. Then a detailed plan to develop and implement the alternative selected is created and put in to effect. Last, the outcome of the decision process itself is evaluated. We addressed issues by performing a market research and analysis that focuses on the following questions: †¢How can Word Play develop products that are exclusive, unique and will help recapture a higher market share? †¢Can store hours be adjusted based on traffic flow and peak sales times in order to reduce labor costs and increase profitability? Are there colleges in the area that may have marketing and/or design students that would be willing to intern and help bring new/fresh product designs to Word Play Greetings? Research was done and information was gathered via surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups that Bryce Dancetty designed and assembled. Surveys and questionnaires provided a wealth of information quickly in a non-threatening manner. Most were completely anonymous and done at a very minimal cost. They were administered via mail as well as online. Feedback received via surveys concluded that Wordplay Greeting Cards current product line was being described as â€Å"stale† by former customers. This perception must be changed in order for the company to regain and increase its market share going forward. Focus Groups were utilized to explore topics related to operational efficiency, product design, marketing strategies, and common complaints regarding products to gain a more in-depth perspective on the best ways to increase market share and profitability. Focus groups yielded results that supported job redesign for the sales division, developing new product design and marketing teams, and creating an organizational culture that motivates and inspires. Sales Division and Sales Clerk Turnover Interviews of corporate employees as well as store staff were performed to better understand their impressions of the current state of the company, their experiences, and their ideas for improvement. From the information gathered, Bryce Dancetty provided a revised job description which is attached in the appendix for review. In addition to revising the job description for sales clerks, Bryce Dancetty made several recommendations that do not involve compensation adjustments that can also increase retention of sales staff for Wordplay Greetings. There is a significant need for WordPlay to increase feelings of participation within the organization. While allowing sales associates greater freedom in creating store displays, it is recommended that contests be incorporated to help motivate employees to put forth their best efforts. Allowing sales associates to take responsibility for deciding on how to put together displays is an example of vertically loading the job. Their autonomy increases and they feel more personal accountability for the outcome of their efforts (Hodgetts Heger 2008, pg. 306). Involvement in new product selections through the creation of employee focus groups is also highly recommended. The focus groups will be allowed to participate on conference calls and in web training to assist with selection of new products that will be carried in the stores and also learn how these choices impact the company financially. This feeds an employee’s desire to learn and grow in their career, knowledge, and skill (Heathfield 2012). A recent McKinsey Quarterly survey underscores this type of opportunity. Respondents felt that the chance to lead projects or task forces were often more effective at motivating than financial increases (McKinsey Quarterly 2009). Another way to build a connection within an organization and increase the sense of belonging that employees feel is to create a company newsletter. Newsletters helps share what is happening on a higher level by sharing hot company news being discussed by executives, sharing status on company goals, and stock standings. When there are multiple locations, newsletters help to share what is happening elsewhere and are a great way to share creative ideas, contest winners, and announce new contests. Employee Profiles can be included to highlight accomplishments both inside and outside of the company. The newsletter is also a great way to share benefit information, deadlines, health tips, and volunteer opportunities. Lastly, increased communication between employees and local as well as corporate management will be a key to retention of sales staff. Well-designed jobs anticipate the need for communication. Most employees want to know what is expected of them in the job, how they are doing, how they can improve, what latitude they have in changing how they do their tasks, what should be discussed with a supervisor and when the discussion should occur. Employees rarely complain about too much communication with their supervisor. They often want more communication (Hodgetts Heger 2008, pg. 306). The implementation of a regular newsletter as mentioned above will help with communication, however we are also strongly urging WordPlay Greeting Cards to provide a stronger line of communication via email that will allow employees to contact corporate offices more efficiently for feedback if they have concerns that are not being addressed at a local level and/or ideas that they want to share for improvement. Bryce Dancetty Consulting is confident that the revision of the sales clerk job description which increases responsibility and sense of participation will not only attract more applicants but also encourage company loyalty and lead to retention of a high quality sales staff that can be promoted in to management positions as the business grows. Job Enrichment Job enrichment is a way to motivate employees by giving them increased responsibility and variety in their jobs. Our plans for job enrichment will focus on allowing employees to have more control in planning their work and deciding how the work should be accomplished. Job enrichment efforts will include adding and clarifying: Skill Variety – the number of different types of skills used to do a job. This is important because using only one skill to do the same task repeatedly can get very boring. When employees get bored productivity decreases over time. Task Identity – A matter of realizing a visible outcome from performing a task. Being able to see the end result of the work they do is an important motivator for employees. This can be accomplished through Job Enlargement. WordPlay will move towards this goal by adding more tasks and responsibilities to existing jobs. To illustrate this concept – a customer service representative will follow a client’s issue from start to finish (phone inquiry through problem resolution). Customer service reps will be given greater access and authority to make account/claim adjustments so that fewer inquiries need to be escalated. They will be able to take pride in knowing they solved a problem themselves and customer satisfaction is also sure to increase. Task Significance – How a job impacts others in the organization. If this is clearly defined, employees will make greater efforts to do their best.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Fear :: essays research papers

FEAR ?@   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Recently, earthquakes have hit many places like, Kobe, Greece, Turkey and Taiwan. Moreover, some scientists predict that a huge earthquake will hit the Tokai area and it will have enough power to destroy the Tokyo area. I fear earthquakes for 3 reasons: anticipation of disaster, being on the point of death in the rubble, and becoming injured or sick. First, when any size earthquake hits, even a small one, I feel fear because my mind says, ?gSomeday there will be huge earthquake?h. Actually, a huge earthquake has not come yet, but psychologically I feel fear. For example, a few days ago an earthquake hit Tokyo. It was small but my heart beat so quickly during and after the earthquake that I could not do anything because I was so scared.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a huge earthquake such as the Kobe earthquake occurs, many buildings and houses will be destroyed. At that time, I give full scope to my imagination that I will be buried under rubble. Actually, being buried under rubble is most frightening to me because I could become weaker and weaker and finally die. I am frightened not only of being buried under rubble but also of being surrounded by fire or poisonous gas. Being surrounded by fire or poisonous gas, I could feel heat or breathe with difficulty and could know I am going to die. If an airplane crashes or a bomb explodes most people will die instantly, so people usually do not feel pain or fear. However if I am buried under rubble or surrounded by fire and poisonous gas I will feel pain or have difficulty in breathing and I will not die quickly. So it is an agonizing death filled with fear.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the earthquake happens, many problems will occur; for example, there will be a problem of supply with goods or temporary dwellings. However, the most frightening problem is disease. After an earthquake, there are sanitary problems. If some diseases spread among the people, it will be difficult to cure the diseases because there will be almost no medical supplies and almost no food.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Important Wealth Tax Cases Law for Ca Final Dt Nov 2011

Wealth Tax FOR NOV 2011 EXAM 2011 – TMI – 203374 – PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT Rajiv Kumar. Versus Commissioner of Wealth Tax. Urban land – Agricultural land – the matter is covered against the assessee by order of this Court dated 8. 9. 2003 in W. T. A. No. 1 of 2003 in Jagraj Singh Mann v. CWT, Patiala & another – Decided against the assessee †¦. †¦.. 04. 1993 for charging the wealth tax? iii) Whether the order is sustainable by not appreciating that as per Article 246 r. w. List-1 of 7th Scheduled Item No. 6 the tax on the capital value of agricultural lands can not be levied by the Parliament and hence the interpretation rendered is unconstitutional? † Learned counsel for the assessee fairly states that the matter is covered against the assessee by order of this Court dated 8. 9. 2003 in W. T. A. No. 1 of 2003 in Jagraj Singh Mann v. CWT, Patiala & another. Accordingly, these appeals are dismissed. A photocopy of this or der be placed on the file of each connected case. 2011 – TMI – 203338 – PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT Commissioner of Wealth Tax. Versus S/Shri Kulbir Singh & Rajinder Singh. Assets u/c 2(ea)- The appeal of the Revenue by ignoring that under the provisions of section 2(ea) of the Wealth-tax Act the urban land is included in the definition of ‘assets’ w. e. f. 01. 04. 1993 and on merits the value of such urban land was taxable – The Assessing Officer included the agricultural†¦. †¦.. with the judgment of the Full Bench of this Court. 5. On merits, view has already been taken in favour of the revenue by order passed today in W. T. A. No. 31 of 2010 Tara Singh v. Commissioner of Wealth Tax etc. 6. In view of judgment of Full Bench of this Court in M/s Varindera Construction Co. Baghapurana, we are of the view that the impugned order of the Tribunal cannot be sustained and the same is set aside. The matter is remanded to the Tribunal for fresh decision on merits. It is made clear that if the assessee is aggrieved by this order, they will be at liberty to approach this Court. The appeal is disposed of. 2011 – TMI – 203319 – PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT Smt. Surinder Kaur. Versus The Commissioner of Wealth Tax & another. Assets u/s 2(ea)- Agricultural Land of which agricultural operation were being carried out – Hence, the matter is covered against the assessee by order of this Court dated 8. . 2003 in Jagraj Singh Mann v. CWT, Patiala & another – Accordingly, these appeals are dismissed†¦. †¦.. stantial question of law:- â€Å"i) Whether in the facts and circumstances of the case, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal was right in law in holding that the Section 2(ea) of the Wealth Tax Act would include the Agricultu ral Land of the Appellant of which agricultural operation were being carried out? † Learned counsel for the assessee fairly states that the matter is covered against the assessee by order of this Court dated 8. 9. 2003 in W. T. A. No. 1 of 2003 in Jagraj Singh Mann v. CWT, Patiala & another. Accordingly, these appeals are dismissed. A photocopy of this order be placed on the file of each connected case. 2011 – TMI – 203253 – PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT Commissioner of Wealth Tax. Versus S/Shri Kulbir Singh & Rajinder Singh. Assets u/s 2(ea)- The Assessing Officer included the agricultural land falling under the definition of ‘Urban land’ and ‘asset’ under Section 2(ea) for assessment under the Act – CIT(A) deleted the addition – ITAT refused to entertain the appeal on the ground that amount is small – Held that: – the†¦. †¦.. ith the judgment of the Full Bench of this Court. 5. On merits, view has already been taken in favour of the revenue by order passed today in W. T. A. No. 31 of 2010 Tara Singh v. Commissioner of Wealth Tax etc. 6. In view of judgment of Full Bench of this Court in M/s Varindera Construction Co. Baghapurana, we are of the view that the impu gned order of the Tribunal cannot be sustained and the same is set aside. The matter is remanded to the Tribunal for fresh decision on merits. It is made clear that if the assessee is aggrieved by this order, they will be at liberty to approach this Court. The appeal is disposed of. 2011 – TMI – 203386 – DELHI HIGH COURT Commissioner of Wealth-tax Delhi-VI Versus Motor & General Finance Ltd. Assessement – (a) Whether on the facts and circumstances of this case, is it mandatory to issue notice under section 16(5) of the Wealth-tax Act before passing best judgment assessment in case where return was not filed pursuant to notice under section 16(4) of the Act? (b) Whether no notice unde†¦. †¦.. f the relevant year has gone through various rounds of litigation before the authorities below because of no fault of the revenue. 2. In view of our above discussion we answer question (a) in the negative that where return was not filed pursuant to notice under section 16(4) of the Act, no further notice was mandatory under section 16(5) prior to passing of best judgment assessment. We answer the second question in affirmative in the sense that where notice under sub-section (4) of section 16 had already been i ssued, no notice was required to be issued in view of second proviso to section 16(5). Both the appeals are disposed of accordingly. 011 – TMI – 203069 – DELHI HIGH COURT Commissioner of Wealth-tax Versus. Motor and General Finance Limited U/s 17 of the Wealth-tax Act, 1957 – The assessee is in receipt of amount from various properties and had shown rental receipts of Rs. 6,14,36,188 (assessment year 1997-98) and Rs. 2,34,18,846 (assessment 1998-99) – The assessee had not filed the wealth-tax returns for these years and there being t†¦. †¦.. levant year has gone through various rounds of litigation before the authorities below because of no fault of the Revenue. 22. In view of our above discussion we answer question (a) in the negative that where the return was not filed pursuant to notice under section 16(4) of the Act, no further notice was mandatory under section 16(5) prior to passing of best judgment assessment. We answer the second question in the affirmative in the sense that where notice under sub-section (4) of section 16 had already been issued, no notice was required to be issued in view of the second proviso to section 16(5). Both appeals are disposed of accordingly. 2011 – TMI – 202991 – ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT Commissioner Of Income Tax Versus Late Sri Salekh Chand Through Legal Heirs Smt. Uma Rani& Ors Whether asset to be assessed in the hands of each of the co-owners separately and not in the hands of A. O. P. – similar questions were referred in Wealth Tax Reference No. 134 of 1999 which were answered in affirmative i. e. in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue – matter remanded to Tribuna†¦. †¦.. ) (b) of the W. T. Act are applicable in this case rather than Section 21-AA? 3.? Assessment Years 1986-1987 and 1987-1988? re involved in all these references. 4. The counsel for the parties also state that similar questions were referred in Wealth Tax Reference No. 134 of 1999 which were answered in affirmative i. e. in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue on 12. 7. 2007. 5. In view of the answer given therein, we also answer the questions referred to us in affirmative i. e. in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue. 6. Let our opinion be s ent back to the Tribunal for passing appropriate orders. 2011 – TMI – 203435 – PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT Commissioner of Wealth-tax Versus Shri Charanjit Singh (HUF) Agricultural land – beyond municipal limits – the land measuring 66 kanals 2 Maras is situated beyond the notified distance of 3 kms from municipal limit and as such it is not asset chargeable to wealth-tax with in the meaning of clause (ea) of section 2 †¦. †¦.. he CWT(A) and the Tribunal have concurrently recorded a finding of fact that the land in question was beyond the notified distance from the municipal limits, the fact remains that in the case of brother of the respondent-assessee, the revenue has accepted the finding of the CWT(A). . In view of above, we do not find any ground to hold the finding of the Tribunal to be perverse. The question No. 1 has, thus, to be answered against the revenue and in favour of the matter has been decided in favour of the assessee in the order mentioned above, the said question has also to be answered against the revenue. Accordingly, the appeal is dismissed. 2 011 – TMI – 203105 – HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGH COURT Commissioner of Wealth Tax Versus. M/s. H. P. Small Industries & Export Corp. Assets u/s 2(ea) – The assessee which is the State Small Industries and Export Corporation was allotted some land by the State – The assessee constructed sheds on this land and rented out the same to industrialists – The Assessee in its return of income included the rents received on account of t†¦. †¦.. never raised before any of the authorities below and further more we are of the view that the words of clause (iii) of Section 2(ea) indicate that the house to be exempt must be in the occupation of the ssessee for the purpose of any business or profession carried on by him. Keeping in view the language of the Section it cannot be said that the assessee was in possession through the tenants. In view of the above discussion, the questions are answered in favour of the Revenue and against the Assessee. The order of the Tribunal is set-aside and the order of the Assessing Officer as confirmed by the Commissioner (Appeal) is restored. No costs. GANESANRAMAN CA FINAL CHENNAI

Saturday, November 9, 2019

A Case Study on Formulation of the Information Strategy of Timberlodge Essay

Information strategy is an integral part of a business plan to improve the computer/communications architectures, hardware, software, peripherals, and training. The mentioned changes are targeted at refining business operations (Betz, 396). Accordingly, Timberlodge has benefited from restructuring of the technical aspect specifically its software/hardware architectures. Information strategy (IS) of Timberlodge should yield competitive advantage at a lower cost and higher profitability. IS is composed of three components namely information system (IS) strategy, information technology (IT) strategy, and information management (IM) strategy. In Timberlodge’s case study, they are looking to adapt the same innovative and technological approach into the product area of figurines based on the production driven by demand. The said aim is considered to be the company’s IS Strategy. Given the long business and supplier relationship of Timberlodge and Potterville, the company can meet halfway by integrating the new automated production processing system in their existing factory at Potterville. See more: Homeless satire essay In this way, the company and its highly skilled, experienced, and loyal workforce at Potterville that makes up the IM strategy. The company can make use of the same tool called KAPS Associates’ Systems Planning and Analytical Tool (SPLAT) as its IT strategy. Timberlodge can continue to achieve higher production through efficient, automated production system by integrating the new information technology into the traditional set up. The possible adverse publicity of the closure of its factory in Potterville can be avoided through adapting the new technology and retraining of the staff in Potterville. Timberlodge should also consider their loyalty and long standing job employment with the company. While these people are highly skilled, the new automated system requires low skilled people. Thus, workers must be re-assessed and rehired based on their skills.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Essay on Design part 2

Essay on Design part 2 Essay on Design part 2 Essay on Design part 2Essay on Design part  1On the other hand, Fiat has a considerable experience of creating and maintaining exclusive brands, such as Ferrari or Maseratti. In such a way, the company can develop the effective marketing strategy to enhance its competitive position in the market. The company can rely on its own resources to develop the brand of Chrysler in the new business environment (Breneman Taylor, 2006). The development of the new brand image is essential to revive the interest of customers to the brand. The experience of Fiat in the creation and the maintenance of its brand can be helpful and effective taking into consideration the success of other brands promoted by the company, including Ferrari and Maseratti. Therefore, the company can develop the effective brand but Fiat should develop a long-run branding plan and strategy to revive Chrysler.The current marketing materialAt the moment, Chrysler faces considerable difficulties because the company and its brand is in decline after the economic recession of 2008 (Newel, 2011). In such a way, the company faces the problem of the ongoing deterioration of the marketing performance of the company leads to the steady decline of the brand image because the company cannot maintain its brand image without the effective funding and introduction of new products and innovations (Gwynn, 2004). In such a way, the company faces considerable problems with revival of its brand. In this regard, Chrysler relies heavily on Fiat. Fiat has retained the brand name and agrees to revive the brand and enhance the position of Chrysler in the US market. In such a situation, the position of the company in the US market depends on the branding strategy. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the company can use the full potential of its brand and revive its popularity investing into the aggressive promotional campaign, which though should be backed up by consistent changes in the production process, including the introduction of innovations and developing a new marketing strategy to reach the tremendous success in the market.Identification of target audiencesIn this regard, the target audience of the new brand is very important to determine since the branding focuses on the specific target customer group. The company can focus on the younger customer group taking into consideration the general marketing strategy of Fiat which is traditionally oriented on the younger customer group. In this regard, Chrysler may focus on the younger customer group to sell its products. The focus on the younger customers can help to improve its brand image and increase sales because, at the moment, Chrysler manufactures Fiat vehicles oriented on the younger customer group.Identification of competitorsThe major rivals of the company are traditional, GM and Ford (Viadrot, 2005). At the same time, the revival of the brand of Chrysler will shift the target audience of the customer from the family car segment to the younger customer group that means that the revived brand is likely to start competing not only with its traditional rivals, including GM and Ford but also with new rivals, including European companies, such Seat, Japanese brands, like Nissan or Toyota, and others, which are oriented on the large customer group, including the youth (Pine Gilmore, 2009).The design elements of the brand communications and their impact on the positioning of the brand to specific markets and audiencesThe brand communications should be accurate and concise. The brand design should reach the target customer group precisely. In this regard, the revived brand should be eye-catching, original, and dynamic. Therefore, Chrysler should refuse from its classical, traditional brand image and introduce a more dynamic one that could become more attractive for young customers. For instance, the current logo of the company is too proportional, graphically correct and accurate. Instead, the new brand im age should develop a more dynamic logoThe brand’s sustainability in its marketplaceThe brand’s sustainability is very important for the survival of Chrysler in the market, especially in the car manufacturing industry. In this regard, Chrysler should consider the possibility of developing new vehicles using alternative fuels along with fuel-efficient vehicles which are attractive to the younger customer group. Young people are concerned with both environment friendliness of their cars and their fuel efficiency because fuel efficiency saves their money, while the youth is normally concerned with saving money on fuel (Mohrman, 2008). In such a situation, the new brand of Chrysler should be fuel-efficient one that can enhance consistently the position of the company in the market and Fiat can help Chrysler in this field using its experience and technology of developing fuel-efficient vehicles.Conclusion: the next five years for the brandIn the nearest future, Chrysler will have to invest abundantly into the revival of its brand but the brand revival should accompanied by technological changes and innovations. For instance, the company can launch a new fuel-efficient car and make it a new generation car representing a new or revived Chrysler brand which is dynamic, active and environment-friendly, i.e. fuel-efficient (Peters, 2012). The development and introduction of the new vehicle will take one-two years and the creation of the new car should be accompanied by intensive promotional campaign to make the audience come prepared to the appearance of the new car and the new Chrysler brand. The company can start the mass production of the new car on the third year from now on and maintain the active promotion of its new brand and car. At the same time, the company can develop new models on the platform of the new car and expand the promotion including new models oriented on young people, who are interested in fuel-efficient, dynamic and active cars that help customers to maintain the active lifestyle.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Definition and Description of Geological Erosion

The Definition and Description of Geological Erosion Erosion is the name for the processes that both break down rocks (weathering) and carry away the breakdown products (transportation). As a general rule, if rock is just broken down through mechanical or chemical means, then weathering has occurred. If that broken-down material gets moved at all by water, wind or ice, then erosion has occurred.   Erosion is different from  mass wasting, which refers to the downslope movement of rocks, dirt, and regolith primarily through gravity. Examples of mass wasting are  landslides, rockfalls,  slumps,  and soil creep. Erosion, mass wasting, and weathering are classified as separate actions and often discussed individually. In reality, they are overlapping processes that usually act together.   The physical processes of erosion are called corrasion or mechanical erosion, while the chemical processes are called corrosion or chemical erosion. Many examples of erosion include both corrasion and corrosion. Agents of Erosion The agents of erosion are ice, water, waves, and wind. As with any natural process that takes place on the Earths surface, gravity plays a major role as well. Water is perhaps the most important (or at least most visible) agent of erosion. Raindrops strike the surface of the Earth with enough force to break apart soil in a process known as splash erosion. Sheet erosion occurs as water collects on the surface and moves toward small streams and rivulets, removing a widespread, thin layer of soil along the way. Gully and rill erosion occurs as runoff becomes concentrated enough to remove and transport larger amounts of soil. Streams, depending on their size and speed, can erode away banks and bedrock and transport large pieces of sediment.   Glaciers erode through abrasion and plucking. Abrasion occurs as rocks and debris become embedded on the bottom and sides of a glacier. As the glacier moves, the rocks scour and scratch the surface of the Earth. Plucking takes place when meltwater enters cracks in the rock beneath a glacier. The water refreezes and breaks off large pieces of rock, which are then transported by glacial movement. U-shaped valleys  and  moraines  are visible reminders of the awesome erosive (and depositional) power of glaciers.   Waves cause erosion by cutting away at the shore. This process creates remarkable landforms like wave-cut platforms, sea arches,  sea stacks, and chimneys. Due to the constant battering of wave energy, these landforms are usually short-lived.   Wind affects the surface of the Earth through deflation and abrasion. Deflation refers to the removal and transport of fine-grained sediment from the winds turbulent flow. As the sediment is airborne, it may grind and wear away surfaces with which it comes in contact. Like with glacial erosion, this process is known as abrasion.  Wind erosion is most common in flat, arid areas with loose, sandy soils.   Human Impact on Erosion Although erosion is a natural process, human activities like agriculture, construction, deforestation, and grazing can greatly increase its impact. Agriculture is particularly notorious. Areas that are conventionally plowed experience upwards of 10 times more erosion than normal. Soil forms at about the same rate that it  naturally erodes, meaning that humans are currently stripping away the soil at a very unsustainable rate.   Providence Canyon, sometimes referred to as Georgias Little Grand Canyon, is a strong testament to the erosional effects of poor farming practices. The canyon began forming in the early 19th century as rainwater runoff from the fields caused gully erosion. Now, just 200 years later, guests can see 74 million years of beautifully layered sedimentary rock in the 150-foot canyon walls.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Loan Officer Compensation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Loan Officer Compensation - Essay Example The republicans were in the opposition sector of the bill; in 2010 mid elections the republicans took control of the House. They were the ones who initiated the drive to end the bill, but unfortunately their efforts were gone wasted when most of the republicans joined the other side of the argument in May 2010, this happened when the senate passed a broadly similar bill. Four republicans changed their sides by supporting the new bill passed by the senate; only two republicans were left in the opposition side; however they could not generate enough influence to repeal the bill (New York Times) Loan Officer Compensation rule has been one of the hottest topics of debate in the real estate industry for several months. The changes were mainly designed to be in the favor of the consumer rather than the banks or financial institutions. The main opposition body of this rule consisted of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) and the National Association of Independent Housing Pr ofessionals (NAIHP), they first filled a stay order that was initially denied by the courts, later they their appeal helped them in granting an emergency stay but eventually it was also dissolved by the courts. The main reason why the courts rejected their appeal was the fact that they were unable to provide the courts with the appeal that was up to the standards of the courts to grant a stay order (Kraus) The new rule for the Loan Officer Compensation took effect on 1st April 2011, this rule was an amendment to the original (Reg Z). The rule was intended to limit the originators or the brokers from increasing their compensation at an expense of a disadvantage of the borrower, the primary aim was to incorporate consistency in the compensations paid to the brokers, previously the compensations were not found to be consistent between the transactions, they were dependent upon the broker’s ability to negotiate terms between the borrower and the lender, which at times resulted in a situation that was deemed to be in the favor of the broker and the lender, but not the borrower. The main reason behind the fact is that the borrowers are not always aware of the culture and customs of the borrowing industry, which left them with an obvious disadvantage. There were several problems that were highlighted by the critics of the industry that were present in the changes made by passing the new rule. The very first problem that was highlighted was the fact that the new rule would dramatically decrease the competition in the mortgage industry. It is analyzed as a change that was more favorable for the larger banks rather than the smaller banks of the industry; this was taken as a discrimination factor by the industry. An improvement factor for the whole economy is the one that will promote smaller businesses to flourish in their activities and increase their scale. The second issue that was raised by the group was a prediction that the change will bring about an increa se in the borrowing rate for the consumer in the long run as result from the decreased competition One of the biggest changes that were brought about by the new rule was the fact that the originators compensation is limited to one source only. Before the new rule took effect,