The Movie Lockdown By John Luessenhop - 1610 Words

In the movie Lockdown created in 2000 by John Luessenhop tells a story of three friends wrongful convicted and sent to prison and the problems they deal with while incarnated. In the beginning of the movie Avery Montgomery which is the main chartartcer is taking time off from college to spend time with his girlfriend Krista , and help raise their young son. Though the movieportray the possibility to be a black professional swimmers to be rare, Avery is skilled to swim at a championship level, so when he has an remarkable win he gets offered a scholarship. Cashmere is also an important character that is Avery s best friends since childhood. Though their personalities and lifestyles are very different, for instance Avery tries to†¦show more content†¦Later that day after he commits an attempted robbery where he shoots and kills a young girl at a drive through, then wipes off the gun and throws it into the backseat of Cashmere s convertible when he is not there. After the swi m meet, Cashmere and Dre, takes Avery out to celebrate his big win with them but he does not want to go instead he wants to spend time with Krista. But, she tells him to go have fun with his friends so he changes his mind and they get in the car. During the car ride, Dre, who is riding in the backseat, finds the gun, and ask Cashmere about violating their unwritten rule. But Cashmere does not know what he is referring to, so the three men begin arguing about the gun to find out they have a strange gun, in their possession and they have no idea where it came from or what it could have been used for. Not focusing because they were arguing over how to get rid of the gun some cops spotted them because Cashmere car looks very similar to Broadway s car that had been seen at murder earlier that day. The cops pulled them over. One of cops was a female officer; she orders them out of the car at gunpoint, which they submit to, but in instant Cashmere s pitbull runs toward the officer who kills him in self-defense. Cashmere pulls out his gun in anger at the loss of his dog, and points it at the officer only to be shot and knocked down. After being wrongfully convicted, the three are sent to the same med ium security prison while serving a

Gun Violence Free Essays

Many of us have heard many times, â€Å"Guns don’t kill people on their own, it takes a person to pull the trigger. † Even if people find this statement to be true, guns are an issue that needs to be addressed. A gun is simply an easy tool that people can use and manipulate with hardly any thought. We will write a custom essay sample on Gun Violence or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many suggest taking away guns and promoting peace through government help while others think that the guns are what keep them safe. Situations arise everyday where people have witnessed, or know someone who has been effected by gun violence. Sadly many of the cases result in death or severe injuries. Even though this is a very controversial topic, many people would agree with the fact that guns are an easy means to commit a crime. Guns in general are too easy for people to obtain and use for violent deviant acts. Not only are guns responsible for violent deaths, but a considerable amount of accidents take place every year do to improper equipment or even placing them in unsecure places. There needs to be better ways to regulate and control gun distribution around the world. If not, people run the risks of witnessing these acts or even being part of them. Guns are a very touchy topic of discussion. The differing opinions dealing with the control of use can often lead to even bigger discussions of the reasons for owning them. In the forefront of the pro-guns argument is a feeling of self-defense. Being able to protect oneself in the event of an altercation with an armed individual is a very valuable piece to the freedoms given to citizens as members of the United States. Some feel as though if no one owns them, the problem is completely alleviated. There is a bit of debate surrounding both stances but for the most part it is understood that a complete eradication of arms is rather improbable. Last year, a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found more than 1. 7 million children live in homes with loaded and unlocked guns (momlogic). This, however, sparks multiple instances in the minds of those with the anti-gun mindset that having no guns at all would have caused no one to be injured and possibly given someone another chance to live. In the case of children, there is no ability to distinguish what is harmless and what could potentially hurt them. When guns are brought into the picture, that mental incapacity seems to grow exponentially. In 2009 around fourteen million guns were sold in the United States legally. However there are about four hundred million guns owned legally in the United States. With that being said, thirty-five percent of American homes have at least one or more guns that are legally owned. However, back in 2007 officials confiscated about seven hundred illegal guns from people and bought about five hundred and fifty six from many dealers through out the country. These facts alone show that there are a lot of guns in the states and measures are being taken to help lower the number of illegal guns. Guns are tools that have many issues and problems that follow them. Guns have been used in many untraceable murder cases, adult and child accidents, and even have been used as a means to hide the real evidence. With respect to the child deaths, many of these could have been prevented. In July of 2008, it was reported in Jackson Mississippi, that a three year-old toddler fatally shot himself while finding a gun in his parents car while waiting in a gas station parking lot (momlogic). There has also been a case where a 10-year-old son of a New York City police officer died after shooting himself in the face with his father’s loaded revolver. The boy found the weapon on a shelf in the basement while looking for a ball his mom had hidden (momlogic). The Children’s Defense Fund report on children and gun violence shows that the number of children and teenagers killed in one year dropped below 4000 for the first time since 1988. The number, 3792, equals just over 10 children every day (sbcoalition). Some may feel that these accidents are due to sheer chance and misfortune on behalf of the child. That may hold some bearing but in the case of how well these guns were hid from the children, the weight is greater. Sometimes the incident doesn’t involve children. Teens are often targets just as easily as children are for gun misuse. Sadly, they sometimes know what they are doing. Whether they are showing off their dad’s new handgun to a friend and forgetting its loaded and blowing their friend’s head off or even playing â€Å"games† such as Russian Roulette, they usually have some idea what they are getting into in comparison to the younger aged kids. The overall national rate of child handgun homicide victims was 1. 20 per 100,000 (sbcoalition). Many people wonder if there is a way to fix these issues, sadly a way to resolve them hasn’t been put in to action yet. Even though there are no rules officially in effect, preventive measures are probably the best way to combat a problem as this. To ensure that children don’t endanger themselves by what seems to the youthful eye to be a toy, guns should be required by owners to be stored in a gun safe if they have, or expect to ever have small children in their home at any time. This alone can effectively lower the number of these mournful incidents that we hear about in the news and media. Although none widely implemented, there are many ways that can fix these problems that have been overlooked. By taking all the guns that are being sold and making them subject to annual inspection, those who own guns will be forced to keep on their toes. By having them inspected, it allows trained individuals to access the guns determine the uses and how often the gun is being used. Also harsher punishments could be implemented to keep people in line. By doing this, we are scaring people into making appropriate choices with their guns. A trade in program ran by the local authorities could also be a good way to keep tabs on guns. By offering people new guns if they trade in ones that are illegal, we gain the means to being able to conduct and make people subject to inspections. Within the trade in program, there could also be an option to restore or give new serial numbers to â€Å"black-market† guns. This option would benefit those who wish to keep the same gun and will also give the authorities a way to identify what was once an unknown in the gun databases. Even though these are great ideas, there are always people who will say that it is not far and an unjust way of managing guns within the nation. One person might argue that these new ideas infringe upon their rights, specifically their right to own firearms. What these people seem to overlook is that, their rights are still being honored. These ideas to regulate guns simply make people subject to inspection if they want to own them. In some cases, it even offers people guns. In some cases someone might also argue that their privacy is being taken away. People could consider guns private property and being forced to show them and have them inspected is in fact invasion of their privacy. With that statement being said, people have got to understand that by allowing their privacy to be invaded for solely that reason is in fact making their lives much safer. There are always going to be those people who are going to argue that it takes away their dignity, but many would agree that giving up their dignity in respect to helping reduce gun violence is worth it. However, people can obtain them too easily. With this being said, people should focus on ways to let people keep their rights while at the same time, regulate how they are obtained and used. During a one-year study, researchers have found that about 88,649 people died due to a gun related incidents. People’s lives are valuable and deserved to be protected. People have came up with numerous amounts of ideas as to regulate gun control but, non have really focused on concealed weapon license, extra education classes, or even finding ways to track people and their use of their gun. This is a very controversial subject and people have many different opinions that all are valid and relate to the topic as a whole. There are some arguments that people have as to their right, safety, and some even go as far to say altering their rights is taking away their dignity. ( this I stop and the rest of the info is information that needs to be placed in somewhere. ) References http://www.law.ucla.edu/volokh/2amteach/SOURCES.HTM#TOC1 http://www.statehealthfacts.org/profileind.jsp?cat=2sub=32rgn=35 http://www.ammoland.com/2009/09/04/1000000-guns-added-to-american-homes/ http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/27/2/214 http://www.jstor.org/stable/2672531 How to cite Gun Violence, Essay examples Gun Violence Free Essays There are many kind of violence in the world, and the most common and deadly is gun-related violence. Not surprisingly, gun violence is one of the major public concerns in the American society. Interestingly, gun violence is also most common in urban areas and it is in close conjunction with youth activity and gang violence. We will write a custom essay sample on Gun Violence or any similar topic only for you Order Now There are many violent crime related to guns and the presence of guns often would trigger many violent crimes. Since 1865, President Abraham Lincoln, President James Garfield, President William McKinley, and President John F. Kennedy were assassinated, and the gun violence for Americans has become quite common. Moreover, high profile gun violence incidents, such as the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and more recently, the Columbine High School massacre, the Beltway sniper attacks, and the Virginia Tech massacre have also fueled debate over gun policies. According to the report, prevalence of homicide and violent crime is greatest in urban areas of the United States. In metropolitan areas, the homicide rate in 2005 was 6. 1 per 100,000 compared with 3. in non-metropolitan counties (fbi. gov). In America, cities with populations greater than 250,000, the mean homicide rate was 12. 1 per 100,000 (fbi. gov), and the rates of gun-related homicides are greater in southern and western states. In America, to get a gun is somewhat easy. It is not expensive and there are many firearms available. According to the report, among juveniles, the minor under the age of 16, 17, or 18, serving in correctional facilities, 86% owned a gun at some time, and 66% acquiring their first gun by age 14 (fbi. ov). Juveniles most often acquire guns from family, friends, drug dealers, and street contacts. In inner city, youth cite â€Å"self-protection from enemies† as the top reason for carrying a gun. Moreover, the mind of youth is immature, and they usually be impetuous and easily given to passions or act on impulse and without due consideration. This is shown in statistics that most violent crimes related to guns were committed by the youths. Even though gun itself is neutral, we cannot deny the potential danger elated with guns. Guns are meant to protect the people, but it often used as a tool to commit violent crimes. Therefore, establishing the laws and the limitations to prevention the youth to touch guns is important. Also, families and schools should educate and guide our youths more carefully. Don’t let our society become more and more dangerous and give our offspring a safe living space by promoting stricter firearm controls and zero tolerance on youth gun possession. How to cite Gun Violence, Papers Gun Violence Free Essays Gun Violence Gun violence, in the United States especially, is a growing concern and highly debated topic when the discussion of gun control is brought up. Here are several facts that I found to be troubling, and even disturbing. * The average of guns deaths in the annual is less than 50 in Japan compared to more than 10,000 in the United States. We will write a custom essay sample on Gun Violence or any similar topic only for you Order Now (http://www. heedinggodscall. org/content/pfctoolkit-10) The number of gun related deaths in the United States dwarfs that of Japan annually, perhaps a sign of the overwhelming amount of gang violence in the U. S. * The per capita gun death rate in Louisiana is the highest annually in the United States at 19. 04%. The lowest per capita death rate is help in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Hawaii at a mere 2. 02%. (http://www. heedinggodscall. org/content/pfctoolkit-10) Per 100,000 people, almost twenty percent of the population would die in a gun related homicide. That number seems incredibly high. * Lifetime U. S. edical costs for gunshot injuries are an estimated $2. 3 billion, with U. S. taxpayers paying $1. 1 billion, almost half of the total. (http://www. heedinggodscall. org/content/pfctoolkit-10) In an effort to keep that number down, it might be smart to put a little more funding into law enforcement to keep guns out of criminal’s hands in the first place. * Guns in a household triple the risk of a family member being killed by a gun. (http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. ov/pubmed/8371731) I don’t know how I feel about this statistic as the use of a firearm for protection can save a life even though this stat says that the gun in the household makes it immediately more dangerous. * A 1993 study gathered that 2. 45 million crimes are thwarted by guns in the United States every year. (LaPierre, Wayne (1994). Guns, Crime, and Freedom. Regnery Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 0-89526-477-3. ) This is the other side of gun possession seen as a positive. With guns as a protection, regular citizens can protect themselves from potential danger. How to cite Gun Violence, Papers

Analysis of the poem Belfast Confetti Essay Example For Students

Analysis of the poem Belfast Confetti Essay The title ‘Belfast Confetti’ is very informative it tells us that it is in Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland. Belfast is a beautiful place filled with stunning scenery and fields; it is also a very religious and politically minded city. ‘Confetti’ gives us a first impression of happiness, joy, celebration and special occasions but ‘confetti’ in this poem means a radically different thing, the complete opposite of joy and happiness. The poem is about an Irish civilian caught in the middle of a dirty minded terrorist attack, many innocent people like himself were caught in the rain of fire that these terrorist inflicted on the streets of Belfast. He and the innocent civilians of Belfast find themselves in a dehumanising, frustrating situation because they could get charged their own lives due to the terrorist assault, i think a great deal of impotence must be surrounding these people because they have no reason or fault to be caught in the middle of this hell hole surrounded by arm personnel, tanks and military objects with no escape. The structure of this poem is irregular and presented in a unusual fashion. In the poem its structure is presented in one long line and then a couple of words in the next sentence and carries on like that throughout the poem ‘trying to finish a sentence’, this reflects in the chaotic state that the streets of Belfast find itself in.  The terrorist have attempted due to political reasons and the military personnel and authorities have interfered because there is a huge risk of death and fear for the innocent bystanders and they are also there to lock up these wanted terrorist and exterminate them from putting the country at risk. It is unfair for the civilians because they could lose their lives when they don’t really deserve to lose them; they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and there is no escape from this epicentre of conflict filled with flying object being bombarded at them such as nuts, bolts and nails which could really cause some damage w hen fired at a high speed. The main character in this poem is the innocent civilian (speaker) he is local and we know that because he knows the name of all the streets. He is a innocent, uninvolved civilian getting on with his everyday life and unintentionally been caught in this mess, he just wants to live a peaceful life but the terrorists don’t allow it because he and many others are victims of this. The terrorist just want to do as much damage as they want and destroy. The authorities are also being very intimidating by bombarding these shocked and scared people with questions. The poet is very clever in the way he uses his techniques of words to marry the significance of the poem and the way he is showing us when we read it. For example he uses punctuation to show the conflict that is happening in the poem, the poem also shows a paragraph with no punctuation, this is confusing just like the poem itself ‘Belfast is like a paragraph with no punctuation’. He also uses the names of streets which are named after famous battles and wars. He uses words like labyrinth representing that there is no way out or if there is a way its very complicated to escape.

Why do men resort to domestic violence Essay Example For Students

Why do men resort to domestic violence Essay Introduction to Sociology Research- Paper1One of the most overlooked forms of violence in todays society is domestic violence. Domestic violence is most likely to occur behind closed doors, which is one of the main reasons why domestic violence is not given that much attention. In most cases domestic violence is the silent, ugly side of dating and people do not like to talk about it.Due to the fact that domestic violence is becoming more common over the years warrants more and more research to help with the ongoing problem. Why do men in the United States resort to domestic violence? Domestic violence is an intense or furious often-destructive action or force within the household. Domestic violence is measured by any physical or verbal abuse. This abuse could be used against any person within the family, or even a girlfriend or boyfriend. Physical or verbal abuse from an ex-girlfriend or an ex-boyfriend can also be considered a case of domestic violence. Domestic violence may be the cause of a fatal shooting or it could just simply be a man telling his wife that she is worthless, while he orders her around using profanity on a consistent basis. We will write a custom essay on Why do men resort to domestic violence specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now My first article was a domestic violence case in Cleveland, Ohio that occurred on February 10, of this year. Mother Found Stabbed To Death In Closet. Her husband is now facing charges after the victims body was discovered early Friday morning. The couple have two little girls, but it is not known if they were at the house during the stabbing. The victim, Bebe White, was a white female at the age of 25 and her husband, Vincent White, is a black male at the age of 34. The Whites had a history of domestic problems, said officials. Vincent White was just released from prison last year after serving two years for domestic violence, assault, and abduction. According to police and court records, Vincent White has had legal problems dating back to the late 1980s. Vincent Whites father blamed what happened on his sons drug habit, however he did not go into what type of drugs. In this article there were a few strengths. I believe finding out the age difference between the couple could have some meaning behind it. They were a mixed couple, which could also be the reason for some domestic troubles. The victims husband had some drug issues, however the article did not specify what type or types of drugs the murderer was into. Knowing that Vincent White was doing drugs is a solid strength, but since the article did not go into detail it could also be considered a weakness. The second article, Violence: The Silent, Ugly Side Of Dating, by Dennis Wilken-TGI Staff Writer. Porch and her staff go out to the high schools to discuss teen dating violence to help the younger generation opens their eyes to domestic violence. Porch is the teen co-coordinator for the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline. We talk to both male and female students. Violence starts by someone thinking they have the right to control another person, Porch said. Porch goes on to say that the classic component to the program is education and they get the information out because no one deserves to be hurt. Porch also issued plenty of danger signs: excessive jealousy, isolation, sexual coercion, threats, name calling, not allowing you to make any relationship decisions, intimidation, not taking responsibility, partner checking up, and changing the way they dress. Even though this article is about a program to help the younger generation, it offered a lot of red flag warnings, which were absolutely the strengths of my second article. The weakness of my article would have to be hard facts, there were none, but I felt this was an important article because it shows how much domestic violence has come over the years and gives women a lot of danger signs to look for when being in a relationship. .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21 , .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21 .postImageUrl , .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21 , .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21:hover , .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21:visited , .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21:active { border:0!important; } .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21:active , .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21 .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc3c46a1db4b92c4cba3030851ce57d21:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Smoking2 EssayMy third article was a shocking one. Female Abuse Continues In Pregnancy. Women who suffer from domestic violence by their partners are often beaten after getting pregnant and have given birth, which put their babies endanger also. More than 2,600 women in North Carolina participated in an 18-month study. The study found that about 7 percent suffered physical domestic violence during a sample 12-month period, and the abuse continued after becoming pregnant and gave birth. This study implies that intimate partner domestic violence is occurring in the immediate postnatal period, and an opportunity exists for pediatric health care practitioners to identify this domestic violence. It is important to note that even this relatively low prevalence translates into the abuse of more than 3,000 new mothers annually in North Carolina, study author Sandra Martin of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The strengths of my third article, Female Abuse Continues In Pregnancy, are the statistics from their studies. Knowing that domestic violence continues during pregnancy is also a strength. The weakness of this article is the fact that the studies were done in North Carolina and not the whole United States. Another weakness would be no mention of age, race, or religion. Words/ Pages : 909 / 24

Human Rights Violations in North Korea

Human Rights Violations in North Korea After World War II, Japanese-occupied Korea was divided in two: North Korea, a newly Communist government under the supervision of the Soviet Union, and South Korea, under the supervision of the United States. The North Korean Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) was granted independence in 1948  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹and is now one of the few remaining Communist nations. The population of North Korea is approximately 25 million, with an estimated annual per capita income of about US$1,800. The State of Human Rights in North Korea North Korea is in all likelihood the most oppressive regime on Earth. Although human rights monitors are generally banned from the country, as are radio communications between citizens and outsiders, some journalists and human rights monitors have been successful in uncovering details about the secretive governments policies. The government is essentially a dictatorshippreviously operated by Kim Il-sung, then by his son Kim Jong-il, and now by his grandson Kim Jong-un. The Cult of the Supreme Leader Although North Korea is generally described as a Communist government, it could also be characterized as a theocracy. The North Korean government operates 450,000 Revolutionary Research Centers for weekly indoctrination sessions, where attendees are taught that Kim Jong-il was a deity figure whose story began with a miraculous birth atop a legendary Korean mountain (Jong-il was actually born in the former Soviet Union). Kim Jong-un, now known (as his father and grandfather once were) as Dear Leader, is similarly described in these Revolutionary Research Centers as a supreme moral entity with supernatural powers. Loyalty Groups The North Korean government divides its citizens into three castes based on their perceived loyalty to Dear Leader: core (haeksim kyechung), wavering (tongyo kyechung), and hostile (joktae kyechung). Most of the wealth is concentrated among the core, while the hostilea category that includes all members of minority faiths, as well as descendants of perceived enemies of the stateare denied employment and subject to starvation. Enforcing Patriotism The North Korean government enforces loyalty and obedience through its Ministry of Peoples Security, which requires citizens to spy on each another, including family members. Anyone who is overheard saying anything perceived as critical to the government is subject to a reduced loyalty group rating, torture, execution, or imprisonment in one of North Koreas ten brutal concentration camps. Controlling the Flow of Information All radio and television stations, newspapers and magazines, and church sermons are government-controlled and focus on praise of the Dear Leader. Anyone who makes contact with foreigners in any way, or listens to foreign radio stations (some of which are accessible in North Korea), is in danger of any of the penalties described above. Traveling outside of North Korea is also forbidden, and can carry a penalty of death. A Military State Despite its small population and dismal budget, the North Korean government is heavily militarizedclaiming to have an army of 1.3 million soldiers (the fifth-largest in the world), and a thriving military research program that includes the development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. North Korea also maintains rows of massive artillery batteries on the North-South Korea border, designed to inflict heavy casualties on Seoul in the event of international conflict. Mass Famine and Global Blackmail During the 1990s, as many as 3.5 million North Koreans died of starvation. Sanctions are not imposed on North Korea primarily because they would block grain donations, resulting in the deaths of millions more, a possibility that does not appear to concern the Dear Leader. Malnutrition is almost universal except among the ruling class; the average North Korean 7-year-old is eight inches shorter than the average South Korean child of the same age. No Rule of Law The North Korean government maintains ten concentration camps, with a total of between 200,000 and 250,000 prisoners contained therein. Conditions in the camps are terrible, and the annual casualty rate has been estimated as high as 25%. The North Korean government has no due process system, imprisoning, torturing, and executing prisoners at will. Public executions, in particular, are a common sight in North Korea. Prognosis: By most accounts, the North Korean human rights situation cannot presently be solved by international action. The U.N. Human Rights Committee has condemned the North Korean human rights record on three different occasions in recent years, to no avail. Strict sanctions are of limited usefulness because the North Korean government has already demonstrated that it is willing to allow millions of its citizens to starve.Military action is not feasible, primarily because the artillery batteries maintained by the North Korean government along the demilitarized zone could literally result in millions of South Korean casualties. North Korean leaders have promised an annihilating strike in the event of U.S. invasion.North Korea maintains a stockpile of chemical weapons, and may also possess biological weapons.North Korea has augmented this threat with nuclear weapons development.North Korean missiles delivering chemical, biological, or nuclear munitions can reach South Korea, can almost certainly reach Japan, and are presently being tested for potential launch against the U.S. west coast.The North Korean government regularly breaks treaties, reducing the value of diplomacy as a human rights strategy. The best hope for North Korean human rights progress is internaland this is not a futile hope. Many North Korean citizens have gained access to foreign media and foreign radio stations, giving them​ a  reason to question national propaganda.Some North Korean citizens are even distributing revolutionary literature with apparent impunityas the governments loyalty enforcement system, fearsome though it is, is too bloated to function efficiently.The death of Kim Jong-il in 2012 has introduced a new generation of leadership, which may respond to international pressure in a more practical way.

Preondactylus - Facts and Figures

Preondactylus - Facts and Figures Name: Preondactylus (Greek for Preone finger, after the region in Italy where it was discovered); pronounced PRE-on-DACK-till-us Habitat: Shores of southern Europe Historical Period: Late Triassic (215-200 million years ago) Size and Weight: Wingspan of one to two feet and less than a pound Diet: Probably fish Distinguishing Characteristics: Long beak and tail; relatively small size About Preondactylus Gross-out alert: paleontologists have identified two fossils of Preondactylus, one normal and the other not so normal, and both hailing from Italys portion of the Alpian mountain chain. The normal fossil is an imprint of a nearly complete specimen, lacking only part of the head, encased in a 200-million-year-old slab of limestone. The not-so-normal fossil is a wadded-up ball of bones, as if a Preondactylus individual had been gobbled up a prehistoric trash compactor. As far as paleontologists can tell, this ball is what is known as a fish pellet: the unfortunate Preondactylus had been eaten whole by a prehistoric fish, which then vomited out the indigestible bits, including the bones! Now that that unpleasant detail is out of the way, what kind of creature was Preondactylus? Paleontologists have identified this long-tailed, narrow-beaked reptile as one of the most basal (i.e., earliest and least-evolved) pterosaurs in the fossil record, dating to late Triassic southern Europe. Preondactylus was closely related to other early pterosaurs like Rhamphorhynchus and Dorygnathus (hence its classification as a rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur, as opposed to the pterodactyloid pterosaurs of the later Mesozoic Era), and it probably made its living by plucking small fish out of the water (which would explain how that unfortunate individual wound up getting eaten by a fish itself).

Criticisms of the Federal Reserve System Assignment

Criticisms of the Federal Reserve System - Assignment Example M1 is a category of supply of money that includes all the physical money; that is, currency and coins. It also includes negotiable order of withdrawal accounts and checking accounts. M2 is a category of money supply which includes M1 and saving deposits, market funds, and time related deposits. When M1/M2 is defined commercial institutions such as banks create money in the society. Fiscal policy is the way the government influences its economy through controlling its revenue or taxation and its expenditure. The federal reserve alone controls fiscal policy. If any other governmental entity was involved in this, Fed would have been scraped due to the criticism towards it. it is important to have three different governmental entities so that each one of them serves specific purposes for the public. This ensures that the public receives better services since they are handled efficiently. Fed is there in order to take care of a sensitive issue of money. It has a major influence on the economy of a country and therefore should be handled separately. In monetary policy there is an authority to control money supply to promote economic growth (Paul,

Performance Evaluation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Performance Evaluation Paper - Essay Example Secondly, in his evaluation the manager used terms that were not effective in the evaluation process. Instead of using the terms such as medium or low-medium, the manager could have used evaluation ratings such as outstanding, meets expectations, exceeds expectations, below expectations or unsatisfactorily (Robbins and Judge, 2007). In this way, it was possible for the manager to rate the engineer’s attitude. Thirdly, the current evaluation form used by the manager does not suggest methods of improving the negative aspects of the employees. Part A 1. Definition of the most commonly-used sets of evaluation criteria in organisations Productivity This is the volume of products or services that an employee produces during his or her duties. Employers mostly reward highly productive employees to motivate them and enhance higher productivity. Quality It means the originality of the work done by the employees. It portrays the innovativeness of an employee. Consistency This means prod uction of similar quality and quantity of work. Employers measure constituency by comparing the previous and the current evaluations. Attendance This is the rate at which the employees report to work. It involves checking the attendance records and valid reasons for absenteeism. Adherence to policy It means the extent to which the employees abide to the procedures that are set by the company. Part B. The relative value of the commonly-used evaluation criteria defined in Part A 1 As mentioned in the previous section, employers are keen to reward the employees who portray significant productivity thus motivating them to work hard. Even though the amount of products by the employees is a major evaluation criterion, it should not compromise the quality of the products. This is the major reason as to why managers evaluate the quality of the work done by employees. In the same way, consistency ensures that employees who depicts waxes and wanes during their duties are noted and adequate tr aining done to ensure they maintain unswerving performance (Robbins and Judge, 2007). Attendance ensures that employees are there when they are needed by their employers. Employees who are consistently at work are highly desired by the employers and their co-workers. Adhering to policies set by a company ensures employees’ safety and an improved working environment. Part C. Advantages of including supervisors, peers, and subordinates in the evaluation process It ensures that the ratings are anonymous. In this way, individuals provide open and honest evaluation that cannot be singled out from the multiple sources. In addition, inclusion of the various stakeholders ensures that ratings portray multiple perspectives that are ignored by the top-down technique of evaluation adopted by the traditional appraisals. In the same way, including supervisors, peers, and subordinates during evaluation saves time and it provides helpful performance feedback (Thomas, 1987). This is due to th e fact that there are no comparisons between workers, no goals and there are no figures involved in the process. Part D. Disadvantages of including supervisors, peers, and subordinates in the evaluation process One of the major disadvantages of including supervisors, peers, and subordinates in the evaluation process is that the possibility of giving dishonest feedback is high. For example, subordinates may give dishonest feedback

Texting and driving Essay Example for Free

Texting and driving Essay I think texting and driving is dangerous and whether or not it has affected you as of now, statistics show it could in the future. Did you know that texting while driving is now one of the most common distractions that take a driver’s eyes off the road today? Imagine if someone in your family, your mom, dad, or sibling were killed by a driver who was texting, how would you feel? Would you think, was that text really worth losing a life over? I am going to show you that texting while driving is never a good idea and can have dangerous and deadly consequences’ for that individual. Problem: Texting while driving kill’s people on a daily basis. Recent statistics from 2009 show that 5,474 people in the United States were killed due to texting. This was a significant increase from 2007 when 3,210 people were killed in accidents where drivers were texting.(http://www.stoptextsstopwrecks.org/#facts) Teenagers are the most experienced drivers and when they read or write a text it compounds their likely hood of having a fatal accident. Statistics bears this out with this age group when texting and driving 45% of their accidents resulted in death. The Allstate Foundation’s recent survey showed that 82% of teens report texting while driving, while only 23% admit to drinking and driving which shows how common this practice is for this age group. According to data collected by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on (http://www.textndrive.com/, more teenagers die on May 20 than any other day of the year. Over the past five years, May 20 claimed 63% more lives than any average day because of prom and other end of the school year celebrations II. Cause: Driving and texting is considered a multi-tasked skill that increases the output of the driver’s brain causing distractions to our cognitive functions, memory, visual fields, and manually. The first way that texting interferes with drivers is through the brain’s cognitive functions that allow for multi-tasking. Driver’s attention span is split between what’s going on in the road and what’s happening on their cell phone, and this lack of focus makes them a liability for other drivers. Most people do not have the cognitive skills to manage two different multi-tasked processes at once.  This causes individuals brains to process too much mentally, making the information that is received unclear and hard for them to react quickly to events happening in their surroundings. Second way that texting interferes with driving is through memory. a. Memory is when the brain engages in a constant process that sends. III. Solution: There are many solutions to this problem and I will list a few: Unless you are on a long road trip, put your phone away until you arrive at your destination, if you have to text just pull over for a few minutes. There are apps for most phones that you can use to prevent if you are tempted to text while you are driving called anti-texting apps that can be utilized. If you are on a trip with more than yourself, designate a person that will be the texter, if you are driving have your passenger text for you so you can concentrate on the road. Silence your phone if you are one who has to look at your phone for every noise it makes. I have just taken you through the problems with texting and driving. Provided you with the statistics and presented you with possible dangers of texting and driving. I have given you alternatives to not only keep you safe but to also keep others safe too. Laws are being enacted due to the public outcry and most states are on board with legislation punishing drivers that text. But that would be a drop in the bucket should you be distracted and injure or kill someone when it could have been avoided. I hope that I have convinced you to join me in educating people to change their driving habits†¦ Silence can saves lives. References: BIBLIOGRAPHY \* MERGEFORMAT Stop the Texys Stop the Wrecks. (2014). From Stoptextsstopwrecks: www.stoptextstopwrecks.org www.stoptextstopwrecks.org. (2014). From www.stoptextstopwrecks.org www.textndrive.com. (2014). From www.textndrive.com: www.textndrive.com/wordpress/2010/05/may-20-is-deadliest-day-for-american-teen-drivers/ Here is the link to my Persuasive speech: http://youtu.be/dgCanjzytFs

Personal Narrative- Contributing to Society Essay -- Personal Narrativ

Personal Narrative- Contributing to Society I am one of those people that you’d probably term â€Å"normal†. I attend a normal school, I work at a normal job, I have a normal life. You wouldn’t single me out on the street: there is nothing remarkable about me, I am one of the many. So, what has someone like me got to say that would make any difference to this world? I haven’t fought the important socio-political battles of this century; I haven’t done anything that will be recorded in the world annals. Yet, I believe that I can contribute towards a healthier society. We live in a world that has forsaken the value of small things and deems those who think like me, foolish dreamers who will be left behind in the rat race. Well, so be it. I know I have to keep working and living in thi...

Please Vote for Me

In the far away land of china the great film and documentary producer Don Edkins and film and documentary director Weijun Chen have made an epic tale of a class of third graders who have been introduced to democracy and a democratic election for their hall monitor. Of the class three of them have been chosen as the classes’ candidates. First we have Cheng Cheng he is a powerful leader but may not be the best choice for the class. Next we have Xu Xaiofei, she is a hard worker and almost gave up at one point but was willing to stick it out till the end. But last we have Luo Lei, he was previous class monitor and a strong willed but easly swayed character. All their characters will be tested by this election. Now after meeting all the candidates we’ll discuss their strategies because they were all unique in their own way. Now first off is the talent portion, I personally think that a talent portion is pointless in any election but, now they all had good strategy in their talents with the singing and instrument playing but cheng cheng was the behind the scenes attacker and also made the first signs of attack on the opponents by talking lou lei to start booing Xu Xaiofei, which made her cry. Now lou lei showed his true colors when he started crying and had cheng cheng apologize for him. Next, we have the debates and like any debates it has the goods of yourself as an opponent, but it also has the bads of your opponent. And this time the tables had turned a little Xu Xaiofei had decited to start making list of the other opponents’ faults which turned around on her when the opponents started to make lists to. They also questioned each other with â€Å"loaded† questions which proved cheng cheng to be a little bit of a liar. Other opponents were left speechless on the spot with some of the questions. Lastly they had their speeches which were partially created by them but some were made by their parents. The kids parents this entire time had been very active in there Childs debates, almost more into it than their kids. But their speeches like any common were kindly begging for people’s votes and with as hard as they tried to make a good impression on their peers. The one person who made that lasting impression was lou lei when he brought the gifts to hand out at the end of his speech. In the end compared to many of today’s politicians they ran a very clean race and were thoughtful towards each other. But in the thought of a third grader in china who knows. After their speeches the students casted their votes. It has been a long race for these children and in the end it all comes down to the other students. After careful counting of the ballets the vote was in lou lei had won with a unbelievable vote of twenty-five. He was a fair winner and shook both their hands but that wouldn’t hold back the tear of the other opponents. It had been a long and fair race but in the end there can only be one winner and as the great Ricky Bobby would say â€Å"if you aint first your last†.

Mutli Agency Working

The aim of the essay is to show an understanding of the value of effective multi-agency working in supporting children and families. It is mentioned in the department of education (2012) that multi – agency working is a way of bringing together practioners from different professions to give additional support to children and family who need it. Because children and their family needs can be very different it is ensured that right professionals are involved in the service provided, which might involve people from social work, health, education, early years, youth work, police and youth justice etc.When providing support for the children and their families it is important that practioners have an ability to provide a child centred and a holistic approach to contribute to the best support possible. Holistic approach means considering the physical, emotional, social, psychological and spiritual development and as well looking at it in a wider context. (FdA Early Childhood Studies 2012a)Department of Education (2012) mentions Multi-agency working as a generic term and is organised differently in every place, For Example it can be a team of professionals working around particular needs of a child or family, based on an area or just an establishment. The services work together within a unit or with other services and also have regular meetings for improvement of services.Multi-agency working provides benefits for children, young people and families because they support in the most efficient way, needs of the children and families are addressed more appropriately because of better quality services.. For example it provides with early identification and intervention, and keeping in mind the holistic needs, it provides better support for parents. Helping children leads to improved achievement in education and better concentration in education.Worden (1996) states that in situations where a child has lost a parent can be a very hard time for the children, because p arents are the most important people in children’s life. This can affect them both physically and emotionally. Penny (2005) states the community based figures on parent’s report of their children, aged five to sixteen who have experienced bereavement of a parent or a sibling is 3.5 %. Parkes (1993) in Machin  (2009) implicates that sometimes loss takes place suddenly leaving no time for preparation.And the impact of loss always exists. Erikson (1980) mentioned in Machin (2009) says that the psychosocial developments occurring across the child’s life span has changes such as losses and gains. The losses cause emotional distress, give grief. It is clear that from his life span theory from birth to death, challenges contribute to personal and social development. To this developmental process relationships or people form an important part of the life span. Littlejohn (2013) refers to Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment (1960) who believed that when the primary ca rer or the important figure of the child is unavailable, they respond in detachment and also may affect their ability to form caring relationship in life.Bowlby states that the children go through three stages of separation response: children might show anxiety, Show hopelessness due to the grief and feel detached. Bowlby also mentions that children and adults go through four phases of grieving process. Stage a: Shock, Stage b: Searching, protesting and yearning, Stage c: Anger or depression and Stage d: Accepting and re- adjustment. Parke, Gauvain (2009) mentions that Urie Bronfenbrenner (1979) suggests that whatever happens in the microsystem that is an individual’s experience in one particular setting, which is the family, in the case of children experiencing loss when one of the parent dies, the experience is very direct and the other settings in the microsystem are home, school and church etc.The mesosystem is the connection and relationships between microsystems, e.g. h ome/school, and church/family. Thus Bronfenbrenner states that the environment & emotions of the family can have direct effect on the child. (FDA Early Childhood Studies 2012 b). Penny (2005) mentions that Wendy Stainton Roger’s three main ways of determining the best children bereavement services as a ‘needs discourse’, a ‘rights disclourse’ and a ‘quality of life disclourse’. In the ‘needs’ disclourse Worden (1996) cited in Penny (2005) gives two alternative approaches to provide the children’s bereavement service.One is to wait till the child is showing difficulties with bereavement, which means waiting for the child to show emotional/behavioural distress and then to intervene. Stokes (2004) cited in Penny (2005)argues that this type of intervention could result in some children missing out the service that could be helpful to them. The other method would be to measure the children at risk by using a screening  i nstrument. Stokes again argues that this may not accurately reflect the experience of the family. Thus ‘needs’ disclourse alone cannot be used for child’s bereavement service.The ‘rights’ disclourse is an approach where the children’s needs must be met. Children’s right in the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989) says the children have the rights to be protected from abuse and exploitation, have services to promote their healthy development and participation in decision making .the problem with children’s rights is that it conflicts with needs, and hence require careful balancing. For example where the child’s right to be protected from what an adult considers as harmful for the children.The ‘quality of life’ discourse is about the best interest of the child, as it meets the ‘needs’ and the ‘rights’ discourse.in this approach the children’s welfare is taken into acco unt with the concerns, values, resources and families and community in which children are brought up. This holistic approach is to support resilience, which is to help children overcome whatever the life challenges they face. Every Child Matters (2003) aim to support the child to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, Make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being.In this it supports the services for bereaved children and families, which include early intervention and prevention, having support in transition and for the family. The Children’s trust brings together police, health and the voluntary sector, and the other agencies to be involved in community based bereavement services. For example The End of Life Care strategy makes provision for bereavement care, which helps children cope with the death of their close ones.Children who experience grief are support by services such as Hospice movement which support the dying and the children and the families of t hose who are experiencing loss. The Winston’s wish in Gloucestershire in 1992 gives a good support to children and families who have a hard time experiencing loss. These services help children through listening, doing activities, which help them talk about their lost loved ones and also form bond with the other family members. Penny (2005) mentions Rolls and Payne (2004) that identified objectives leading to interventions, which are followed by the children bereavement services and additional training, supervision are often offered.The interventions offered to children are to help make sense of what has happened and the how they feel; it helps provide a secure environment for exploring, help with expressing feelings, improve communication between family members and help bonding. It helps the children to manage their emotions and feelings, thus help create memories, reduce the feeling of isolated and help move forward in life and have hope for the future. There are two types o f service. Restricted and open access. Restricted service is mainly for group children who have experienced bereavement because of particular causes such as life threating illness.Open access service offer service and support to children and families whatever type and circumstances of death, the only restriction in that would be the age of the child and the area they live in. In this type of service when death is anticipated, information, guidance and support is given to the family and children before and afterwards. I the death is sudden or tragic, additional support is offered may be offered by hospital, police, victim support, social work team etc. If children show difficulties at a late stage, help can be offered through school counsellor, educational psychologist and in extreme situation can be referred to child and adolescent mental health services.Multi agency team thus improve children and their families’ quality of life and make sure the child bereavement service is available to all children and as professionals it is important to take into account different and changing situations. Professionals work in partnership with the children, their families, the school the child goes to and community the children are from to the best interest of the children.

Definition and Examples of Sermons

Definition and Examples of Sermons A sermon is a form of public discourse on a religious or moral subject, usually delivered as part of a church service by a pastor or priest.  It comes from the Latin word for discourse and conversation. Examples and Observations For many centuries, from the early Middle Ages onward, sermons reached a far larger audience than any other type of non-ritualistic discourse, whether oral or written. They are entirely in the oral tradition, of course, with the sermonist as the speaker and the congregation as the hearers, and with a live relation between the two. The sermon gains in potential effect because of the hallowed nature of the occasion and the religious nature of the message. Moreover, the speaker is a figure endowed with special authority and set apart from the willing hearers who are listening.(James Thorpe, The Sense of Style: Reading English Prose. Archon, 1987)I have been rather reluctant to have a volume of sermons printed. My misgivings have grown out of the fact that a sermon is not an essay to be read but a discourse to be heard. It should be a convincing appeal to a listening congregation.(Martin Luther King, Jr. Preface to Strength to Love. Harper Row, 1963)The various means through which heare rs are gratified implies, of course, that a sermon may answer to very different needs. . . . In a sense, these motives for audience attendance correspond with the threefold aim of classical rhetoric: docere, to teach or persuade the intellect; delectare, to delight the mind; and movere, to touch the emotions.(Joris van Eijnatten, Getting the Message: Toward a Cultural History of the Sermon. Preaching, Sermon and Cultural Change in the Long Eighteenth Century, ed. by J. van Eijnatten. Brill, 2009) St. Augustine on the rhetoric of the sermon:After all, the universal task of eloquence, in whichever of these three styles, is to speak in a way that is geared to persuasion. The aim, what you intend, is to persuade by speaking. In any of these three styles, indeed, the eloquent man speaks in a way that is geared to persuasion, but if he doesn’t actually persuade, he doesn’t achieve the aim of eloquence.(St. Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana, 427, trans. by Edmund Hill)It was perhaps inevitable that Augustines opinion would have a strong influence on the future development of rhetoric . . .. Moreover, the De doctrina provides one of the few basic statements of a Christian homiletic prior to the emergence of the highly formalized thematic or university style of sermon about the beginning of the 13th century.(James Jerome Murphy, Rhetoric in the Middle Ages: A History of Rhetorical Theory From Saint Augustine to the Renaissance. Univ. of California Press, 1974)Excerpt fro m the most famous American sermon:There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Mens hands cant be strong when God rises up: the strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands.He is not only able to cast wicked men into hell, but he can most easily do it. Sometimes an earthly prince meets with a great deal of difficulty to subdue a rebel that has found means to fortify himself and has made himself strong by the number of his followers. But it is not so with God. There is no fortress that is any defence against the power of God. Though hand join in hand, and vast multitudes of Gods enemies combine and associate themselves, they are easily broken in pieces: they are as great heaps of light chaff before the whirlwind, or large quantities of dry stubble before devouring flames. We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that we see crawling on the earth; so tis easy for us to cut or singe a slender thread that any thing hangs by; thus easy is it for God, when he pleases, to cast his enemies down to hell. What are we, that we should think to stand before him, at whose rebuke the earth trembles, and before whom the rocks are thrown down!(Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, delivered at Enfield, Connecticut on July 8, 1741)

Concept of oragnizations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concept of oragnizations - Research Paper Example As the economic situation continues to be difficult, organizations will find it difficult in abiding by their budgets. More resources and attention will be needed to manage and run organizations in the near future (Robbins, Campbell, & Judge, 2010). In my view, these are the most significant challenges because the new leaders of organizations are not adequately furnished with techniques, insight, and knowledge necessary for efficiency. Also, without addressing the issue of burnout, organizations may lose valued and experienced workers. Finally, leaders will be faced with difficult choices on how to adequately meeting the budgetary requirements while still strategizing for the future (Brickley, Smith, Zimmerman & Willett, 2000). The employer should permit a vibrant discussion or a healthy debate among people in the organization so as to choose the most appropriate solution to the challenges (Brickley, Smith, Zimmerman & Willett, 2000). I would choose these steps because if they are utilized, they will enhance the probability of successfully enforcing a change attempt. This is because all people will take part in identifying the problem and solution. The model is unworkable because organizations are affected by situations that frequently change over time. Also, an effective organization demands a comprehension of the core components of organizational principles and techniques, which most manages do not posses (Ott, Parkes & Simpson, 2008). Untested presumptions and inability to consider the informal organization force us to rethink classical design. Numerous presumptions made by classical design are not based on scientific examinations. They are based on value decisions that illustrate what they perceive to be correct attitudes and moral codes toward success. They fail to realize workers may have needs unconnected to work situations. Classical design also ignores informal associations as portrayed by

Human Reasorce Mangment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Reasorce Mangment - Essay Example All this is deemed to be in tune with the specific requirements of the organization (Bloisi, 2007). Before the review and after Caf Co adopted its new outlook of its human resource management, its human resource management had a number of similarities with its new outlook on human resource management. One of the similarities was that Caf Co recognized its personnel as the most important asset of the company and to this end various amendments were made to benefit the workforce of the caf. There was also the aspect that the human resource of the organization was deemed as a very important channel of the caf achieving its objectives and goals and this played a very important part in ensuring that the personnel were well trained and recruited to ensure that they met their objectives. This brought about the similarity that the personnel of the organization were well trained and also that new employees were well recruited before joining the organization. There was also the fact that the employees were handpicked from the best selection the market had to offer and old employees were subj ected to refresher course at a certain period. This method of human resource management can be classified as the classical form of human resource management (Marchington, 2005). When Caf Co adopted its new human resource management, the human resource though being deemed as one o... When this perspective was undertaken by the organization, the human resource of the organization started receiving extra benefits which were deemed as motivators for the personnel to accomplish their objectives and also realize their targets. To this effect the benefits were awarded to various individuals who showed that they were capable of achieving the 4Cs which denotes competence, congruence, competence and cost effectiveness. This new outlook by Caf Co indicated that they had adopted the Harvard human resource management which advocates for these policies to be implemented by any organization (Bloisi, 2007). 2. Necessity of more responsibility in the line management It is important for the management of any organization to portray a high degree of responsibility in their human resource management. This is especially true to the line management because in this aspect the management is responsible for the administration of all human resource activities which when brought together plays an important part in ensuring the organizational output is well coordinated to meet the organization's objectives as well as targets. When the management portrays an attitude of more responsibility, the personnel will also view the various projects as very important and in turn will put more effort in ensuring that the objectives are met. The supervising role that the management will play will act as a motivator for the personnel to ensure that they submit a high quality results. This will in turn play a very important role in ensuring that the organization offers the clients high quality products and services and this will play a very important role in improving t he public outlook of the organization. In this respect, the sales base of the

Role of Vision at Mentor Graphics Research Paper

Role of Vision at Mentor Graphics - Research Paper Example Mentor Graphics in its quest to keep up lost its direction and ended up struggling to stay afloat. In the process Mentor Graphics lost sight of what it had set out to achieve. Vision is being used as a competitive mantra to beat their opponents. This was a reactionary measure when a new entrant came into the scene. In changing its vision because of competition, Mentor Graphics was focusing on its short term goals and in essence abandoning its long-term goals. Instead of using vision as an agent would strategically bring about change, Mentor Graphics used change as an architect of its vision. This is simply catastrophic at the very least and non-strategic. Another way vision is used is to capture the attention of its customer. Gerard Langeler and his team change their vision to make it more appealing to them. Again this is a deviation from its set objectives. Mentor Graphics even goes as far as basing their vision on the key pillars of their business based on stock performance. This random uncalculated move sank them into a quagmire situation when one of their key pillars does not yield profits. Again this is a reactionary move necessitated by the need to fix a short-term goal (Gratton, 2004). The vicious cycle of randomly conceived visions serves only to cast the company further away from their goals. The changes made to the vision of Mentor Graphics only favored it in the short term. Whilst its sales may have gone up in the short run, in the long run it distanced the company from its set out objectives hence business kept declining (Gratton,2004) .Thus the continuous changes made to the vision only worked to weaken and hurt the company in its long term goals. The main reason why vision failed miserably at Mentor Graphics was lack of a well-conceived strategy from the start. The company failed in strategically planning its course of action in the future. Their inconsistence in the criteria they used to come up with vision statements had long-term

The Simmons Hall Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Simmons Hall - Case Study Example The building stands 10 stories or 100 feet high, 385 feet long, and 53 feet deep. The building is wrapped almost entirely in a matrix of 2-foot-square windows, 5,538 of them to be exact (Ryan 2004). Huge gaps that double as terraces separate Simmons Hall's three aluminum towers. Volcano-shaped lounges push through the floors (Nasr 2007). The exoskeleton of the building is formed by a gridded shell, composed of precast concrete wall panels, called Perfcon ("Projects" 2003).The facades appear as flush blades of aluminium eaten into by several large cuts. In silhouette, it interacts with the sky behind. At a radically different scale, it is punctured by small, square and deep apertures that illuminate the interior without revealing each room's exact position or size. Where gable portions are eroded, upper sections of the building project forward dramatically (Ryan 2004). Internally, the building is as complex as its exterior. Wide corridors connect the dorm rooms and the building's amenities: dining, fitness center and a theater, among other facilities. Eight atria connect the floors vertically in a manner more flowing than rigid, contrasting the regimented exterior ("A Weekly Dose," Archidose.org 2007). The Simmons' Hall building uses a visual effect to look bigger t

National Brands And Private Labels

National Brands And Private Labels Different peer reviewed articles and articles published in newspapers, business magazines, retail industry websites and industry experts, test a hypothesis and to draw a conclusion. Findings: The findings from the study suggest that private labels are generally considered low on price and quality. Incidence of rejection generally happens prior to purchase due to extrinsic cues. Store loyalty and image plays a crucial role in selecting the private labels. Retailers derive higher margins, differentiate themselves from competitors and have better control over value chain in the case of private labels. To compete with national brands, retailers these days are developing a portfolio of private labels across price points, improving the extrinsic cues to improve the perceived image of private labels. Managers can enhance consumers perception of the PLB image by improving the service quality that relates to the PLB and provide PLB products with good quality and reliable performance safe for use to reduce perceived performance risk and physical risk, which in turn will increase consumers purchase intention for PLB products. INTRODUCTION: Private Labels: Private labels are defined as the products owned and branded by the organizations whose primary objective is distribution rather than production (Schutte, 1969). Private labels can also be seen as brands owned not by a manufacturer or producer but by a retailer or supplier who gets its goods made by a contract manufacturer under its own label. Pandya Joshi, in their book define store brands or PLs as brands owned, controlled and sold exclusively by retailer.Private label products encompass all merchandize sold under a retailers brand. That brand can be the retailers own name or a name created exclusively by that retailer. Distinction between National-Brands and Private Labels: The national brand is the product that is distributed nationally under a brand name owned by the producer or distributor, as opposed to local brands (products distributed only in some areas of the country), and private label brands (products that carry the brand of the retailer rather than the producer.) National Brands has longer history than the Private Label. So customer knowledge towards the national brand is higher than private labels. With the rise of national advertising, manufacturers brands or national brands (NBs) became widely recognized by consumers who elected their preferred brands and became loyal to them. Over time, manufacturers could exercise greater influence over the final demand for their products and secured a better bargaining position when dealing with retailers (Grant 1987). Retailers saw their margins drastically reduced, and their power to determine the prices to consumers depreciated (Borden 1967). In the food retailing industry, supermarket chains were no longer able to compete, solely, on the basis of price. A way found by retailers to beat competition was through the establishment of Private Label. TYPES OF PRIVATE LABEL Generic private labels Private labels first came onto the scene several decades ago in the US and Europe, and about a decade ago in India, as cheap, inferior products. They were presented as generics, often not bearing the name of the retailer, but simply the name of the product, such as milk or butter, in plain script on a white plain background. Mostly basic food products, canned goods and paper goods, they were offered at low prices, competitive with the lowest priced product in that category. The product range appealed to the budget-sensitive shopper. They were seen as low quality but cheap. Retailers rarely run price promotions because the product is cheap already and there is usually only one product to choose from. It emphasizes on the basic use of a product and is available in simple packaging, limited advertisement and cut in quality and therefore occupies the lowest price tier. Classic /copy cat private labels Copycat store brands carry the name of the retailer and tend to have packaging and price points very close to the products that they compete with. The retailers tend to target branded products that are already successful then produce a copycat that has similar ingredients, packaging and pricing. Copycat retailers can thereby cash in on the success of the branded product without having to incur the costs associated with developing the product and researching the market. Marketing costs are also kept down since the product is instantly recognizable as being associated with the product it is copying. With copycat brands there is no cost of failure to absorb since only successful products are targeted. The retailer tends to produce a similar product and offer it at a lower price than the branded product so the message to the consumer is that it is as good but cheaper. The advantages of having copycat brands is not only to make profit on the sale of the product itself, but it creates competition for the existing manufacturer branded products as well as increasing the retailers bargaining power with the manufacturers, since the retailer has the option to promote its own brand in competition with the original brands. The Spanish clothing chain Zara is a very successful copycat company that sells private labels only, producing fashion clothing at very low prices that imitates famous designers and well-known brands. They employ talented and unknown young designers to pick up on key trends and translate them into clothing for the Zara chain. Its strategy allows it to operate with extremely low costs of advertising, staffing, market research, and so on, that the manufacturer brands continue to incur. Premium private labels As retailer strategies have developed, the approaches have evolved to incorporate premium store brands. Retailers have seen the opportunity to differentiate their products and thereby target a whole new section of the market. The latest trend is to establish high quality products with distinctive packaging, presented as a whole new product line by the retailer, targeted at competing with the top brands in the range. Kumar and Steenkamp define two types of premium brands: the premium private label which is exclusive, higher in price, and superior in quality to competing brands; and the premium-lite store brand which is promoted as being equal or better in quality to the competing brands, while being cheaper. Value innovators in private labels Value innovators are the fourth main category of private labels. The retailers following this approach have focused on cutting down costs and processes to simplify the production and marketing of product ranges, so that a good quality product can be offered at very low prices. The value innovator approach differs greatly to the generic, copycat and premium label approaches. There are a number of key principles that must be adhered to for this approach to be successful. Limited number of products Low costs of production and marketing Good quality products at low prices PRIVATE LABEL BRANDS IN INDIAN MARKET  » Indias largest retail company Future Group has 12 apparel, 4 FMCG and 2 household product private labels in its formats Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar and Pantaloon. Besides these it also has many other private labels across categories and formats.  » Aditya Birlas private labels segment has 7 brands which Aditya Birla Retail Limited provides customers products under its own labels. Private label Food Brands include Feasters, Kitchens Promise, and Best of India. Home Personal care brands include Enriche, 110%, Pestex, Paradise and Germex. It is also planning to launch its private labels in milk and dairy products.  » Tata Croma has plans for 100+ private labels across categories like personal care equipment, laptops, small appliances, etc.  » Reliance Fresh sells staples and food items under Reliance Select and Reliance Value brands. It has recently launched Dairy Pure, in the liquid milk segment. Reliance also sells a number of private labels in other categories like apparel, through its various other formats.  » Shoppers Stop has around 10 private labels, the prominent ones being Stop, Kashish, Life, etc.  » Bharti retail recently launched 8 international private labels of Wal-Mart in its supermarket chain, Easy day.  » Myntra is looking to launch its own private label by Q3 2012, which according to him, will contribute to a better bottom-line for the company, since the margins in private labels are higher.  » Flipkart has entered the private label league through online store brand Digiflip, a brand that sells digital accessories such as laptop bags, sleeves and camera bags pouches.  » Ruchi Soya Corp has tied up recently with Future Group for manufacturing its private label brand Fresh Pure. Internationally  » Nestle works with Lidl, a discount retailer, to create products and packaging in many categories across countries. In the Indian context, Brand owners and manufactures like Indo Nissin (Brand: Top Ramen), Dynamix Dairy (Brand: Dynamix) etc. also manufacture private label brands for their retailers to occupy their excess production capacity.  » Wal Marts private label George is one of the highest selling apparel brands in the US.  » Aldi, the German deep discounter has more than 90 per cent of its sales coming from private labels. Some of its private labels sell more than any national brand in Germany ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF PRIVATE LABEL: The advantages and disadvantages vary depending to which market sector we are referring to. These can be defined as follows: For Retailers: Advantages: Reduction of producer domination in the marketplace Increase in consumer loyalty An opportunity to differentiate and provide variety Flexibility in pricing strategy Positive control over stock keeping inventory Better bargaining position in a depressed economy Disadvantages: Erosion of brand image and brand value if private label quality is poor Lack of standardization of private labels between categories upsets the customer Financial control concerns Excessive focus on the private label at the expense of other products The retailer could be perceived as less powerful in the marketplace as they dont promote recognized brands Low price may equate to low quality Lack of financial support from suppliers For Consumers Advantages: A guarantee of the same quality for a serious price differentiation More variety within the category A trusted retail name equals trust in the product Product provides a need based on a want, where products were missing within the category. E.g. ethnic foods, diet foods, sugar free foods and so on. Disadvantages: Low quality product. Consumers may have a prejudice to low price equaling low quality Previous customer failures could affect the whole private label range in a store. INDIA SCENARIO: Correlated with the immense growth in the retail sector, the growth in sales of private brands stands at an impressive 30% (YOY). As per an AC Nielsen study groceries account for 46% of Private Brand sales. Correlated with the immense growth in the retail sector, the growth in sales of private brands stands at an impressive 30% (YOY). As per an AC Nielsen study groceries account for 46% of Private Brand sales. Strategic Issues for Retail CEOs, a thought leadership report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, puts forth that private label products will be a major lever for growth of participants in Indias retail sector. Indian consumers, often referred to as value conscious, will find major benefit in purchasing private label products since final promotional offers to quickly move their own brands. Indias major retailers expect to embark upon the following strategies for their private label products: costs paid are lower. A demanding and aspiring middle class of 300 million people (or 75 million households) and a large young population of 500 million under the age of 25 years are just two of the demographic-oriented statistics that suggest a large market for private labels in India. In India, private labels are becoming a major component of retailers long-term strategies encompassing product development and sales. Most retailers are investing towards creating robust private label ranges which will appeal to consumers, delight consumers and also meet consumers price preferences. Those retailers who develop good quality, well-priced private labels, and focus on branding and promotion, will increase both their top and bottom lines in a retail environment where innovation, meeting customers needs and efficiency are imperative. (Indian Retail embraces private labels by N. V. Sivakumar). The greatest potential for private labels lies in developing countries, where retail chains with well-developed private-label ranges are growing rapidly. Although growth for private labels is expected in all most all sectors, the highest growth in share is anticipated in the ready-meals sector. The growth of private labels in the international market, especially in developing countries, will be guided by the demands of busier lifestyles. Delivering higher quality and convenience, and introducing innovation in product ranges will help the private-label market to expand further. Retailers can make use of these opportunities by offering good-quality private labels that will foster a sense of brand quality among the customers. Over the long term, this could offer retailers a significant advantage in the global retail sphere. (Going global with private labels: Sandeep Puri Dr Harsh Dwivedi). Private labels are still nascent in India which is to be expected given that modern trade started in the late 1990s. Given the variances in market maturity between Indias retail sector and that of other retail markets in the US and in Europe, it is natural that private labels have yet to achieve a level of sophistication in India that they enjoy overseas. RESEARCH FINDINGS: Some of the significant findings from the PLMA (Private Label Manufacturers Association) Research Report 2010 2011 are: 1). Consumers continue to turn to private-label products in these supermarket categories in which they had formerly purchased only a national-brand product. Around 43 percent of these consumers report that they have recently forsaken a familiar national brand for a private-label counterpart-a marked increase since the GfK study conducted in June 2009, when only 35 percent of consumers said they had done so. 2). Ninety-seven percent respondents compared private labels favorably to their previous national brand choices in the same categories. About 49 percent said that their new private-label selections compared very favorably to their earlier selected national brands. This is an impressive increase from 2009 when only 26 percent reported the same. A 2010 online global survey conducted by The Nielsen Company reveals that 60 percent of consumers across 55 countries from Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America and Middle East/Africa (comprising countries from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and South Africa) say they are buying more private-label brands because of the economic slowdown. An uncertain economy encouraged many customers to try private labels for the first time. Once this initial barrier was breached, they found private labels to be as good as their branded counterparts, albeit at economical prices. PRIVATE LABELS VS NATIONAL BRANDS: There are a few reasons driving private label growth: an increased concentration among retailers, an improved quality perception among consumers, and a rising social acceptance of private labels consumption. In addition, the current economic downturn has further boosted the appeal of private labels because of their price utility. To combat the threat posed by private labels, consumer packaged goods companies frequently adopt new innovation strategies focused on delivering new value to consumers. Furthermore, research shows that national brand manufacturers have mainly focused on increasing their distance from private labels through innovation and advertising in order to provide a superior value to the consumers compared to private labels brands. In this sense, product innovations help to sustain a national brands competitive advantage and provide a basis for a sustainable price premium over store brands. Research also shows that introduction of new products by national brands has a positive impact on their brand equity which makes them less vulnerable to PLs. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRIVATE LABELS IN INDIA: 1).Lack of retailer sophistication could hamper private label growth There is lack of supply chain sophistication among Indian retailers. Most retailers still exchange information manually with suppliers. Indian retailers are yet to implement bar-coding techniques properly, let alone sophisticated technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID). There is also a lack of integrated IT systems, coupled with low overall IT spending. As is evident, Indian retailers have a long way to go before they can be compared with international retailers such as Tesco and Wal-Mart, in terms of technology and supply chain sophistication. Therefore, unless retailers pay attention to these issues, they will be unable to make successful private label portfolios. 2).Rural areas unlikely to be tapped by private labels in the near future While it is widely acknowledged that the real potential in Indian retail lies in rural areas, the rural retail scenario continues to be unorganized and highly fragmented. While FMCG manufacturers such as Hindustan Unilever and ITC continue their efforts to solve the rural retail jigsaw through projects such as Shakti and e-Choupal, major retailers have tended to stay away from the rural scene. In light of high access costs due to infrastructure bottlenecks, along with absence of a successful rural retailing model, the above trend is likely to continue in the coming years. Therefore, the Indian private label market is expected to be largely confined to urban areas (metro cities), with some growth also coming from semi-urban areas (tier II towns). 3).Psyche of the urban Indian consumer is both a hurdle and an opportunity In an ACNielsen consumer survey in 2005, only 56 per cent Indians agreed that private labels are a good option in comparison with brands as against four in five consumers in developed countries. Further, the same survey also concluded that a majority of Indian consumers associate private labels with low cost, and are, therefore, apprehensive about compromising on quality. The target segment for organized retail in India is still predominantly urban, and in the context of private labels, it is more inclined towards upwardly mobile urban consumers. This segment gives high priority to quality, and the budget label perception does not help at all. Further, Indian retailers have not been able to develop a bond with consumers. Consumer loyalty has been seen to provide impetus to private label growth in developed countries such as the United Kingdom. The lack of this bonding and loyalty could hamper private label penetration in coming years. At the same time, though, the Indian consumers psyche also provides an opportunity for retailers. The Indian urban consumer is price-conscious, but also expects high quality. Private label products could actually fit the bill perfectly. 4).Intense competition in Indian retail could provide impetus to private labels With the entrance of several corporate majors such as Reliance, there is intense store-level competition in the current Indian retail scenario. However, if Indian retailers were to follow the UK model, this could actually turn out to be a boon for private label growth. Major UK retailers such as Sainsbury and Tesco have successfully used private labels to differentiate themselves. This scenario could be replicated in India in the near future. 5).Private labels likely to exhibit maximum penetration in food and groceries, clothing and consumer durables segments All segments where percentage of organized retail is relatively high, and which are also exhibiting the highest overall growth rates, are most likely to show maximum private label penetration in the near future. The following figure illustrates the findings of a simple analytical model based on the above two assumptions. Private label penetration by category http://www.indiaretailing.com/images/private10.jpg 6).Ability of retailers to innovate likely to drive future growth of private labels The main USP of private labels is their customization according to user demands. They are then promoted by various means including innovative packaging, promotional schemes, and placement within the retail store. Therefore, success of private label retailers globally has been dependent on their ability to innovate in all aspects of a product formulation or ingredients, supply chain, packaging, advertising, promotional schemes, and so on. The dynamism of private label retailers, in responding to changing consumer needs through suitable modifications, is also critical. In light of the intense competition in Indian retail, coupled with the choosy Indian customer, future success of private labels would depend on the ability of Indian retailers to innovate. This is again a question mark, given the reputation of Indian companies as poor innovators. RECENT TRENDS: Private labels are a growth opportunity that retailers cannot afford to ignore and many are assessing market potential by conducting pilot projects to assess the impact that own brands have on visibility, sales and revenues. Others are working on enhancing depth and breadth of private label ranges. Other selected observations include: While low-price private labels exist, retailers are changing their focus from a price game to one that involves developing a portfolio of brands with distinct positioning for each brand. Retail chains are trying to understand unfulfilled demands existing in Indian market through need-gap analysis. Retailers are incorporating demographic and psychographic indicators into their need-gap assessments. Retailers are also learning from the lessons of experimentation; the quality of their private labels is being improved, product extensions are being created, etc. Some retailers are launching dedicated formats for private labels in apparel and accessories. In the early stages of being launched, this is an indication of the level of commitment that retailers are exhibiting to private labels. Retailers are also working to increase and improve the level of trust that consumers have with regard to private label offerings. That said, sharp promotions, competitive pricing, freebies, etc. are some ways in which retailers can incentivize consumers to try private label products. Factors Influencing Private label Strategies: Private labels apparently be successful without having to rely on the price weapon?. Economic theory hold that the price consumers are willing to pay for a product depends on the utility they derive from consuming the product. A major source of utility is the perceived quality of the product. Perceived quality is defined as the degree of perceived performance excellence of the product. How well does the brand perform its function in the eyes of the consumer? Perceived Quality, Not Price, Drives Private Label Success To understand the relation between perceived quality and price, we need to understand the different types of buyers: Random Buyers are not particularly price sensitive and see little difference in quality. Brand buyers are consumers who are low on price sensitivity and perceive a large quality difference between leading national brands and the store brands .They will buy national brand Private label buyers are price sensitive consumers who perceive a small quality gap between leading manufacturer brands and the store brand. They will purchase the store brand. Toss-ups are consumers who are high on price sensitivity and perceive large quality differences between leading national brands and the store brand The battleground is among toss-ups and random buyers. However the strategy to induce them to private labels is very different. Random buyers can be attracted to the private by using in-store stimuli that guide the shopper to the private label, such as favorable shelf facings, shelf tag ons, and end-of the aisle displays. Toss-ups will usually purchase national brand since for most consumers quality is more important than price. This is especially true if the national brand regularly runs price promotions, which will appeal to the toss-ups high price sensitivity. Private labels can convert toss-ups in to private label buyers only if they convince consumers that the quality of the private labels is comparable to, if not better than, the quality of the national brands. National Brands Irrational Price Premium The question to ask is whether consumers willing to pay more for better quality? It is beneficial that they value quality, but better quality products often cost more to produce, which translates in to higher prices. Thus the question is whether products of higher perceived quality also command a higher price in the marketplace. Consumers are often willing to pay disproportionate price premium for better quality, because quality typically has more weightage than price in purchase decisions. When the relationship between perceived quality gap the price premium commanded by the NBs over PLs for CPGS (consumer package goods) was examined on 75 CPG categories in France, one of the worlds most important and competitive private label markets, the following insights were seen In categories where the perceived quality of national brands exceeds the quality of store brands, the average price premium for manufacturer brands is 56 percent. In quality- equivalent categories (i.e., categories where consumers do not perceive a quality difference between national brands and store brands), the price premium commanded by national brands is 37 percent. The French findings are consistent with the evidence from the United States. A recent study ( using objective quality as reported by Consumer Reports) finds that a 1 percent quality gap between manufacturer and store brands is associated with a 5 percent price gap The price premium that national brands command in quality- equivalent markets is the same as in France, or 37 percent. In 33 percent of the cases, consumers perceive manufacturer and store brands as quality equivalent; however they are willing to pay the same price for the store brands as for the manufacturer brand in only 5 percent of the cases. Conclusion The perceived quality gap between NBs and store brands is a major factor driving the price gap Quality is not the only factor; there is residual price gap that cannot be explained by quality perceptions. The findings we had in categories where consumers do not perceive a quality difference between national and store brands , the price premium commanded by manufacturer brands is substantial 37 percent . Consumers are unwilling to pay equivalent prices for store brands even if they perceive them as quality equivalent. This last result is rather depressing for retailers. Why are consumers willing to pay a price premium for manufacturer brands, even when they do not perceive a quality difference between national and store brands? The reason is that national brands have a clear advantage on brand imagery. BRAND IMAGERY AND THE PRICE GAP National brands offer something intangible that most private labels do not (yet) offer. They allow consumers to identify with the values imbued in the brand, and help consumers express who they are and how these brands fit in to their lifestyle and self concept. Brand imagery refers to the personalized social-emotional bond the consumer has with the brand. What does the brand stand for, and does that appeal to me? Consumers show no difficulty in assigning personality characteristics to brands, in thinking about brands as if they are animated, humanized, and personalized. For example brands like Marlboro, Harley- Davidson, Jack Daniels, and Levis glamorize American ideals of the West, strength, and masculinity, while sophisticated brands like Gucci, Chivas Regal, Revlon, and Mercedes are associated with aspiring imagers such as the upper class, glamour, and sexiness. These image components, regardless of the functional qualities of the product, can be extremely important to people. Two brands may be quality equivalent, but if one brand is stronger on image; it will generate higher utility in the target segment. Consumers are willing to pay a price premium for image utility. Using the French CPG data mentioned earlier, the findings are as below The average price premium commanded by manufacturer brands in categories that are low on imagery (e.g., floor cleaners, kitchen paper, canned green beans) is 38 percent. The average price premium commanded by manufacturer brands in categories that are high on imagery (e.g. deodorants, hair coloring products, whiskey) is 61 percent. Thus the price premium associated with brand imagery is, on average, 23 percent and contributes significantly to the price gap. Although the importance of brand imagery varies across consumers, some generalizations still emerge. Younger consumers attach more importance to brand imagery because of their greater desire for social acceptability, besides being more image conscious in general Singles and couples attach more importance to image utility than larger families. Poorer consumers give more weight to brand imagery. This seems paradoxical since they stand to gain most from purchasing a lower priced store brands. However, it allows them to show the world that they are also sophisticated consumers .Thus the fact that the poor buy private labels more often than the rich is because they have to, not because they want to. IMPLICATIONS FOR RETAILERS We have seen that there is a lot more to private label success than price. We can formalize these ideas by drawing on economic theory. Consumers will purchase a private label if the price premium for the national brands exceeds the utility the consumer derives from the surplus in perceived quality and imagery generated by the national brand. Thus private labels do not have to compete on price alone. Beyond managing the price gap, they can also compete on two non price strategies. We will discuss them first before turning to managing the price gap. Decreasing the Perceived Quality Gap One way to decrease the perceived quality gap with the national brands is to increase the objective (actual) quality of the private label by using better materials