Managing Ethichs and Social responsibility Research Paper

Managing Ethichs and Social responsibility - Research Paper Example In relation to the conception of business ethics along with social responsibility, Business Ethic Management (BEM) is viewed to be a process of analysing as well as minimising ethical issues or problems with the application of certain specific programs and effectual practices. There are varied important elements that are applied by different organisations for minimising ethical problems or issues that include formulating effectual mission statements and establishing standard code of ethics. It has been apparently observed that the people involved with an organisation are provided with business ethics related education as well as training in order to effectively operate their respective business activities in accordance with organisational objectives. Moreover, business operations of an organisation are required to be audited as well as reported in an appropriate manner in order to effectively analyze business performances by a significant level (University of Bahrain, n.d.). News Int ernational or NI Group Ltd (NI) is regarded as one of the renowned as well as the biggest publishers of famous British newspapers. The well-known newspapers published by NI are The Sunday Times and The Times. These newspapers which publish by the organisation are considered to be the best in consideration to quality. Furthermore, another well-known newspaper of the organisation named The Sun is regarded to be one of the most read newspapers in the UK that accounts to seven million readers per day (NI Group Limited, 2012). This discussion will emphasize upon analysing ethical as well as social issues that faced by NI. Moreover, the discussion will further focus upon the techniques as well as the standards that adopted by the organisation in minimising all these identified issues that are pertaining within the organisation. Ethical and Social Issues of NI NI is one the famous newspaper publisher in the UK that faced several issues or problems which have been identified to hamper the p erformances as well as the business ethics of the organisation at large. The organisation has faced the problems due to corrupt practices that were performed for investigating certain crime related activities or news reports. The major ethical problem that faced by the organisation is the phone-hacking investigation procedure. Moreover, the staff members of the organisation were also alleged that they were involved in accessing messages of general public along with comprising the celebrities as well as the politicians (Davies, 2009). Furthermore, one of the staff members named Clive Goodman as well as two other members of NI was identified to be involved in tapping the phone calls of Prince William, a member of royal family (Day, 2006). There was another event that hampered the ethical standards of the organisation considering the case of Milly Dowler who was murdered. In regard to this case, the members of NI were alleged that they erased messages from Milly Dowler’s mobile phone with the intention of acquiring future messages (Muller, 2012). Furthermore, the organisation is also charged with the crime of providing bribery to public officials for acquiring important information

Budge and Financing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Budge and Financing - Essay Example mains that by giving up control of the city’s water and sewer network to such an entity, a level of community sovereignty is given away for an indeterminate amount of time. Furthermore, the complexities of contract length and term also further complicate the issue. Additionally, the citizens are likely to question our overall commitment to this community if we are willing to sell our infrastructure to a foreign owned provider. Furthermore, the loss in shareholder trust will likely have a profound effect on the coming election and may even lead to certain elements within the community calling for the dismissal of the city manager. In this way, I believe the needs of the community can be better served by seeking domestic solutions to the price constraints and needs that our current budget grapples with. The main differences between visions of the budget process between chief executives, operating agencies, and legislatures can be described as a function of what each entity desires to obtain from the process. Starting with the operating agencies, the main concern is to ensure that the operating expenses for the coming fiscal year are met. Additionally, any pertinent policy needs/changes and/or expansions must also be raised. Similarly, the legislature has a vested interest in the process as they are trying to appease special interests that exist within their constituents as well as within certain operating agencies with which their particular political stance or platform has forged a special commitment to support (Kostyaev 5). Likewise, other entities within the legislature will be most concerned with denying funding in the most substantial way to reduce the overall budget to appease their own party/platform or constituents (Hale 368). Lastly, the chief executive is responsible for approving the budget, making any necessary amendments or suggestions and finally signing the budget into law. Most of the action with regards to this process occurs from

The evolution and adaptation of infanticide and siblicide

The evolution and adaptation of infanticide and siblicide INTRODUCTION LIFE HISTORY The term life history describes an organisms strategy of allocating time and energy between growth, reproduction and survival (Levin 2009; Bergon, Townsend and Harper 2008). Life history traits make up an organisms life history and include growth patterns, size at birth, size and age at sexual maturity, the number, size and sex ratio of offspring, parental care and length of life (Levin 2009; Bergon, Townsend and Harper 2008). The effect of finite resource availability on organisms for potential investment into growth, reproduction, and survival, is to set limits on life history traits, often referred to as trade-offs (Levin 2009; Bergon, Townsend and Harper 2008; Cotgreave and Forseth 2008). If an organism commits more time and energy into one specific life history trait, it will come at a cost, a reduction of time and energy that may have been available to one or more other life history traits (Levin 2009; Bergon, Townsend and Harper 2008). An example of this often observed in rela tion to reproductive strategies (Forbes and Mock 2000). Many reproductive strategies have evolved but are always subject to tradeoffs; it is a case of quantity versus quality (Forbes and Mock 2000). Life history traits respond like any other phenotypic trait to natural selection and therefore represent adaptations that have been made by organisms to their environments (Levin 2009; Cotgreave and Forseth 2008). The question; Offspring are difficult to produce and are a critical determinate of fitness. So how does siblicide and infanticide evolve as a life history strategy and are they adaptive? SIBLICIDE The demise of an individual as a result of another directly related individuals actions is referred to as siblicide (Anderson 1995; Godfray and Harper 1990; Anderson 1989). Siblicide may transpire among siblings or be brought about by the actions of parents (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Anderson 1995). Siblicide has been documented occurring in plants, fish, insects and mammals but has been best observed in avians (Holcomb 2001; Mock and Parker 1997). There are many hypotheses surrounding siblicide and why it occurs (Godfray and Harper 1990). Siblicide may take place as a direct form of assault on another sibling through physical attacks or expulsion from the nest, or may transpire indirectly in the form of exclusion from food by competition which results in starvation (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008). There are two forms of siblicide known as obligate and facultative siblicide (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Anderson 1995; Anderson 1988). The Brood Reduction hypothesis best supports facultative siblicide as an adaptive reproductive strategy that benefits both parents and surviving offspring in response to the event of unpredictable resource shortages (Forbes and Mock 2000; Mock and Parker 1997). The strategy is to hatch as many offspring as would normally be expected if conditions were optimal (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Forbes and Mock 2000; Anderson 1995). In the event that environmental conditions are severe and the resources available are unable to meet the demands for all of the offspring to survive, sibling rivalry ensues and is anticipated to become fatal resulting in brood reduction (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Forbes and Mock 2000; Mock and Parker 1997). The reduction in brood size will then allow the parents to successfully raise the remaining nestlings (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Forbes and Mock 2000; Godfray and Harper 1990). Blue-footed boobies are well known for facultative siblicide (Anderson 1995; Anderson 19 88). They are capable of laying between one and four eggs, the average clutch size though is usually two (Anderson 1995). When resources are plentiful all of the chicks are hatched, and fledge, however, should resources be scarce, the first hatched chick will dispatch the younger siblings (Anderson 1995). Obligate siblicide is the occurrence of siblicide regardless of resource abundance (Anderson 1989). Parents regularly produce more offspring than they can successfully fledge and it is the case that one the first born nestling will eliminate the second nestling soon after hatching (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Forbes and Mock 2000; Anderson 1989). The hypothesis that best supports obligate siblicide is the Insurance Egg hypothesis (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Forbes and Mock 2000; Anderson 1989). The Insurance Egg hypothesis is the theory that parents actually produce a second egg specifically as a backup, in the event that the first egg fails or succumbs to predation (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Forbes and Mock 2000; Anderson 1989). The cost of the second egg is essentially less to the parents than the benefit of producing that insurance egg should the first egg fail (Forbes and Mock 2000; Anderson 1989). This overproduction is an adaptive response to the insecurity of offspring survival or v iability (Forbes and Mock 2000; Anderson 1989. In general, very few species of bird commit obligate siblicide (Anderson 1989). The masked boobies and brown boobies are two obligately siblicidal species (Anderson 1995; Anderson 1989). Blue-footed boobies, masked boobies and brown boobies all utilize the same life history trait of asynchronous hatching (Anderson 1995; Anderson 1988). There are differences however, between the asynchronous hatching times as a result of facultative or obligative siblicide (Anderson 1995; Anderson 1988). The length of asynchronous hatching is shorter in the blue-footed boobies than the masked or brown boobies, mainly due to the form of siblicide (Anderson 1988). The effect of asynchronous hatching on the nestlings is conferred in age, size and hierarchy of the first hatched nestling over the second or third nestling and therefore, the offspring hatched first has the competitive advantage over the later hatched offspring as a result (Anderson 1988). In regard to facultative siblicide, this manipulation by the parents in staggering hatching times can be viewed as a strategy to counteract the uncertainty of resource availability by bestowing the competitive advantage on the first hatched nestling should brood reduction become necessary in the event of a shortage of resources (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Anderson 1988). In regard to obligative siblicide, the first hatched chick will inevitably commit siblicide and therefore the advantages of being first born come into play (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Anderson 1989). INFANTICIDE The term infanticide can be described as the killing of dependent offspring by individuals belonging to the same species (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Hiraiwa-Hasegawa 1988). Infanticide is not limited to the killing of unweaned offspring, it can occur during the reproductive cycle, for example re-absorption of the embryo or abortion, and can be committed by females and males as well as offspring or other members within the social group (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008). Infanticide has been observed in mammals, including several primate species and lions (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Hiraiwa-Hasegawa 1988; Packer and Pusey 1983). The act of infanticide is an adaptive behaviour strategy to enhance individual fitness (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Agrell and Wolff 1998; Hiraiwa-Hasegawa 1988; Packer and Pusey 1983). Infanticide of unrelated infants committed by males due to reproductive competition is supported by the sexual selection hypothesis (Kappeler and van Schaik 2004; Borries et al. 1999; Agrell a nd Wolff 1998; Hiraiwa-Hasegawa 1988). Under this hypothesis, infanticidal males secure mating opportunities and increase their chance of siring infants and therefore gain a reproductive advantage and increase fitness (Borries et al. 1999). African lions (Panthera leo) and hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus) both live in groups consisting of one dominant male and a number of females (Hiraiwa-Hasegawa 1988). The residence time of the dominant male is usually short, approximately two years (Hiraiwa-Hasegawa 1988). Infanticide occurs as a consequence of a group takeover, one male gaining control of anothers group (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Kappeler and van Schaik 2004). As a result of short term dominance status of males in these instances, it is to the advantage of the usurping male to dispatch of infants within the group so he can take full advantage of the females reproductive career (Kappeler and van Schaik 2004; Borries et al. 1999). Both female langurs and lions share a common life history trait, they are almost always ready to resume sexual activity and begin reproducing after the loss of their unweaned infant; much earlier than they otherwise would if they still had care of their dependant offspring (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Kappeler and van Schaik 2004). There is evidence to show that female primates and lions swiftly revert to estrus after the loss of their unweaned infant (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Kappeler and van Schaik 2004; Borries et al. 1999; Packer and Pusey 1983). Whilst females are lactating, they are effectively unresponsive to further reproduction (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Packer and Pusey 1983). Therefore, the act of infanticide and the quick return of estrus as a result, ensures the females bear infants to the usurper much sooner than if the females had surviving infants (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Kappeler and van Schaik 2004; Borries et al. 1999; Agrell and Wolff 1998). Infanticide is undoubtedly a major disadvantage for female reproductive success even though it may well be an adaptive behavioural strategy for male reproductive success (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Kappeler and van Schaik 2004; Packer and Pusey 1983). As such females have developed counter strategies in an attempt to decrease their reproductive losses as a result of infanticidal males after a takeover has occurred (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Kappeler and van Schaik 2004; Agrell and Wolff 1998; Packer and Pusey 1983). Research into these behavioural strategies has revealed a range of different tactics employed by females in an effort to rescue their infants from almost certain death (Hausfater and Hrdy 2008; Kappeler and van Schaik 2004; Agrell and Wolff 1998; Packer and Pusey 1983). Some of the strategies employed may include leaving the group, sometimes in the company of the deposed male, aggressively defending the infant from attacks by the new male, repeatedly mating with the new male to confuse paternity of already pregnant females at the time of takeover, pseudo-estrus of already pregnant females or in some cases, the termination of an early pregnancy to avoid the inevitable (Agrell and Wolff 1998; Packer and Pusey 1983). CONCLUSION How and why siblicide and infanticide life history strategies have evolved has been the subject of great debate for many years. The results of studies conducted provide quite a lot of evidence in support of the different theories for both siblicide and infanticide being adaptive life history strategies (Kappeler and van Schaik 2004; Forbes and Mock 2000; Borries et al. 1999; Mock and Parker 1997; Agrell and Wolff 1998; Hiraiwa-Hasegawa 1988). In consideration of siblicide, studies conducted provide evidence in support of theories that facultative siblicide has evolved in response to the unreliability of resources and, obligate siblicide has evolved due to the uncertainty of survival or viability of offspring. Where infanticide is concerned, evidence favours the theory that evolution of this life history strategy is predominately an adaptive male behavioural strategy to increase reproductive success in response to short term dominant male status within groups. The act of infanticide i ncreases the males chance of successfully siring offspring while they hold the dominant male status. In response, females have evolved counter-strategies to reduce the impact of infanticide on their reproductive success. In conclusion and in consideration of the evidence available, both siblicide and infanticide life history strategies are adaptive even though they seem to be contradictory to the success of reproduction.

Online Pay-Per-View Movies :: Computer Entertainment Papers

Online Pay-Per-View Movies I choose to discuss the topic of the internet as a new medium for pay-per-view movies because I feel it is a very fresh and new topic that has not been discussed, nor received much attention. The onset of this new medium comes from an attempt to deter online movie pirates from stealing the movies to actually purchasing them for a low price. I feel this is especially important for me to be writing this on a college campus because that is where a great deal of movie pirating occurs due to the fast online connections that the universities provide. File sharing programs like Kazaa and Limewire run ramped on college campuses making this an interesting alternative to explore. With this subject hitting close to home, I choose to research it and find out why it would be a good alternative to the free downloads that we receive from online people to people file-sharing programs. While there are a few sites out there that offer this kind of pay-per-view service, I choose to specificall y focus on the site Movielink.com because it is backed by five major Media Corporations comprised of Universal, Sony, Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer, Paramount, and Warner Brothers. For this reason, it was the ideal internet site to explore to show the recent trend towards getting new movies online, even if only for a short time. For this paper, I had to do a lot of research to find information on how the internet sites for pay-per-view movies worked, and how they were going to be marketed. Since the prevalence of this kind of internet site is very recent, I received the majority of my information from periodicals. For this, I did a lot of research on my University Library Site looking for newspaper and magazine articles from all around the world. I came up with a few very good articles that gave me a plethora of knowledge that I attempted to incorporate into my story. Since I choose to focus on the site Movielink.com, which is backed by the previously mentioned entertainment companies, I choose to make each of the CEO’s of the companies a character in my paper. It is important to note that none of these CEO’s ever met, nor do they necessarily reflect the personality traits that I created.

Beauty in Architecture

Art has been around for so long that it has become an integral part of a human being's life. A thorough observation of all forms of art speaks of one common significance – art as the so-called â€Å"universal expression of the soul. † The ancient carvings in an Egyptian cave, the soothing melody of a harp, the beautiful words of a poet, and the abstract objects in a painting all define art as timeless, pure, and perfect. But how far can a universal language serve mankind? Can an old fine-tuned guitar or a gold-textured jug stand as a man's ally in his lifetime?It is somewhat ironic to admit to ourselves that we have gotten so used to the notion that the most beautiful will never be the most useful. One form of art though that has stood apart from this irony is architecture. In its most basic explanation, architecture is both a combination of a work of art and science to build and erect buildings. For a builder and designer called the architect, architecture is a monumen tal task. First, because it is an art that speaks of a meaning; and second, because its completion will serve more than man's desire for beautiful things.Architecture stands so unique from the rest of all artistic forms. A building will stand tall and proud for the entire world to see long after the beauty of the most expensive painting loses its appeal for the eyes. Architecture has a dynamic role to play and to sustain. One vivid example of its difference from all arts is a home. Inside a house are walls with paintings in every corner, an elegant piano in the living room being played by well-trained hands, and a long hallway lined with slender China vases about a foot tall.Overtime as the family living inside the house grew up and changed physically and mentally, so are their treatment for all these pieces of art. The hands that once played the piano may later find other interests to pursue, one or two of the vases gets broken into pieces because of carelessness or accidents, and the paintings may one day be moved to another room where no one can eventually look at it. A helpless and unhappy ways for these arts to retire. But not for the house.Children go to school, attend college, and get married but they always come back to the house that have been there since their birth. A few repairs here and there over the years, fresh interior and exterior paints, and an installation of new household technologies may be a part of the family’s growth but the house remains a house. A shelter and a fortress for mankind. It has protected the family from vicious storms and heavy rains, from the terrible heat of summer, from the freezing temperatures of winter. Above all, it has become a symbol of the family’s traditions and cultures.It no longer portrays a spacious neat place where children, parents, relatives, and friends can gather around comfortably. It has grown into something the inhabitants can be proud of because its structures and textures have been t ransformed into a representation of status, wealth, achievements, educational degrees, and even religion. This is only a brief and simple example of the importance of architecture in an ordinary life. Moving on to a broader and global view of the existence of architecture, we find buildings and establishments housing larger groups of people.From the family who lived in the house with occasional visits from friends and relatives, we shifted our eyes towards the cathedral or mosque in the city that symbolizes its flock of followers that goes in and out to worship and pray. There is also the hospital that is structured to accommodate as many sick patients as possible and the palace or mansion that epitomizes the actions and behaviors of a certain type of government and ruler. Bridges made of wood or steel provide a passage for fast and accessible transportation.The St. Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican became the seat of Catholicism in the world. Buckingham Palace symbolizes the royalty as the reigning ruler of Great Britain and the White House the powerful effects of a nation’s unity. The Chrysler Building exemplifies a wealthy businessman’s passion for automotives. Not only does architecture speaks of religion, government, and education, it also evokes feelings. The Great Walls of China was both a protection and defense from enemies in ancient Chinese times.Taj Mahal was a man’s undying profession of love for his wife and The Statue of Liberty was a gift of one nation to another. Architecture is more than an expression of our joys, anguish, rage, victories, and problems. Architecture must follow a strict set of guidelines before expressing man’s varying emotions. Tradition and culture lead the guidelines and principles in erecting and building. A man must design and create in accordance to the period or backdrop a piece belongs. Through architecture, the community and its inhabitants can speak to another generation their beliefs, righ ts, and traditions.When a building, a bridge, or a church has served its function, when we have declared architecture as more lasting than the rest of the arts, and when we have given the establishments too much credit for serving us loyally, we seek and desire for something more from them. As we evolved mentally and emotionally, we develop dissatisfaction for simplicity, plainness, and mediocrity. We use our common senses to start discerning that which is not plain, simple, and mediocre and the greatest tool for this task is our philosophy.And what better way to apply philosophy in architecture than to criticize a structure for its beauty or ugliness. Once we have applied this philosophy, we discover how sad our evolution has become. As our societies change forth into what we call a modernized world, our â€Å"modern† minds would dispose or discard slowly and gradually the old ways and traditions. There is no longer that appreciation for the artistic sides of things. They ha ve been dismissed as impractical, costly, and useless, turning everything we create into mere thresholds of function (McElwee, 1996).With this realization we go back to our dissatisfactions. Plainness and ugliness cannot stay visible forever, we consciously decide. It is no longer enough for a church to be just a place of worship. It has to speak through its design, color, and texture the religion of the people. To build a bridge is not only to nail pieces of woods and steel together and cover them up with solid cement. It has to be shaped in elegance and style. Monuments are not only a plain sculpture of a legend’s bust or body. It could be a palace or a beautiful arched tower. A business establishment is not merely a tall building.Its concept of design could be stemmed from a businessman’s view of a successful life. Even a house or an apartment is not at all roofs on our heads and walls on our sides. It could be an outstanding structure among its surroundings. This i s a tremendous challenge for architecture. It has to serve its basic purpose and function, and at the same time pass the critical judgment of philosophy, in this case, the philosophy of art and beauty called aesthetics. Of course there are always exceptions from the judgments and scrutiny. Poverty and economic instability are one.In modern America, the poorest has to live in dilapidated housings where shelter is the only option to survive the cold and the heat. The lower-class struggle everyday to earn a penny for food and clothing. An idea to build a beautiful and spacious home is too bleak to consider. Some might just dwell under the bridges or lie down on the side of the streets. However, modernization has almost found itself among the groups of the poor. It has created, too, a concept that a structure that serves a role other than functionality is simply preposterous. Style, color, and beauty are not among the plans of the design.They are costly and time-consuming for the owner. Architects are distressingly left with no choice but to build a cheap establishment that takes fewer amounts of time and effort. The concept of architecture has solely described the kind of life a man has with technologies around him. There is no longer a place for art and beauty in a vehicle and mobile revolution. A house or an apartment in this period is no longer designed with curves, arches, and elegance, but with dull straight lines that accommodate enough appliances and technologies the dwellers have in their life.Aesthetics can help our modern minds get back to the original fundamentals of architecture: that beauty is included together with function and structure (Gatto, 2002). There is so much more in architecture than anything found in a painting on a wall, a sculpture of a goddess, a song of an opera, and a rhyme in a poem. But one should never forget that architecture, too, could stand beside these forms of art and be functional and beautiful at the same time. What then are the criteria for beauty? Do we build houses, towers, and bridges the way we paint a picture or write a song?In a way, we do but, along with the history it represents, there are aesthetic values to consider. There has to be art and science in architecture. It is the aesthetic value of a piece of architecture that separates distinctly its function and purpose from the beauty and art in its form. It involves a calculative thinking of a mathematician and an expressive feeling of an artist. Beauty in architecture competes with beauty in nature. While nature has been the most beautiful and timeless piece of art ever created, architecture, too, has a responsibility to play as nature to man.A construction of an object has to make the nature in the background looked more beautiful and appealing. It does not destroy or diminish the surrounding to where it stood. Considering the background was a barren piece of land, the object doesn’t make the whole picture look uglier, boring, and dry. It has to stand out as a distinction from the place, like a garden in a dessert or a lighthouse in a terrible storm. And of course, its beauty has to sustain its purpose. To design and to build is also to preserve its function and appeal.It takes a specialty and an education to criticize a piece of architecture according to its beauty. According to Scruton, as cited in A Weekly Dose of Architecture website (2006), calling a painting or music beautiful is different from calling architecture beautiful. Only the keenest of eyes equipped with aesthetic knowledge can understand architecture’s details of structure, function and beauty. Beautiful for man is what he perceives as pleasurable to his senses. The colors of a painting, the sound of music, and the grace of a ballerina catches the eyes, the ears, and the sensations.It is man’s most basic instinct of his judgment of beauty. That which delights and pleases him is beautiful. That which irritates and disgusts him i s ugly. What makes certain things labeled as the opposite of beauty? A look at the surface of beautiful objects evokes timeless joy and appreciation. But to understand why it has delighted us takes a thorough observation and scrutiny of our eyes and minds. Beauty is an association and combination of the aspects of art – color, structure, shapes, texture, etc.A right combination of colors, a perfect variation of lines and angles, and a precise proportion of each shape constitute a very attractive model of beauty. As mentioned earlier, man’s mentality evolves and changes. Our judgment for beauty deepens together with our intellect. Our feelings towards pieces of architecture vary overtime depending on the type of piece. We may have an understanding tolerance for a house or a store lacking in repairs but we don’t give considerations to a government hall, a church, or a huge commercial building to become less than what they were originally created for.There are cert ain levels of judgment applied to different degrees of art. An architecture that houses, sustains, and encompasses a great number of dwellers requires greater attention and care for beauty and its preservations. Judgment is not only based in evolving intellects and mentality. So, too, can our emotions and beliefs towards certain things affect our taste for beauty. Religious biases, political dissents, racial and intellectual discriminations among other things provide a pre-conceived notion of how we view and react to things and objects.The grandeur of the Vatican may look commanding and dominant for others who see Catholicism as not entirely the perfect religion around. The White House may disgust other countries because of the government’s overbearing tactics in war. Even the handsomely restored Germany may forever be treated with dread and despise by the Jews affected by the nightmares of the holocaust. This is what the great German philosopher Immanuel Kant pointed out (In ternet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2006). Man simply has this idea inside his head about a certain object. Through these ideas he forms his judgment and reactions to it.So when the object has been made visible in front of his eyes, he already discerns it as beautiful or ugly. There is none of the hard work done in a careful assessment and scrutiny of every tiny detail. According to Kant, there are at least four factors to consider in making a judgment of beauty. A man has to experience joy and delight in something he sees as beautiful. The perfect blend of colors in a rainbow makes him smile that is why he calls it beautiful. Our judgment has to agree with almost everyone else, in fact with the whole universe, making the object universal.The object has to have a role to play other than for display and viewing and creation simply has to serve its purpose that it has been designed for. In Kant’s Critique of Judgment, he emphasized the importance of an experience of observing be auty before judgments as to how and why it is called beautiful are being set up. In Christopher Alexander’s Nature of Order, Book 1: The Phenomenon of Life, he pictures the present generation of architecture as lacking in life (Mehaffy, n. d. ). He blamed architects for the sluggish attitude in designing and constructing buildings.Architects have developed a similar attitude with the people, that in a technology-ruled and fast-paced world we lived in, we neglect to put details in architecture that breathes life. According to him, life is the most fundamental foundation of a structure. Life is breathing and moving. Architecture should be based on this and not on the robotic and mechanistic way our technologies convey. In our modern scientific way, the use of art has slowly been diminishing. Before it happens completely, let us bear in mind that without beauty in it is like a lonely statue of a hero standing out in a cold hard rain.The statue has no life and it no longer feels cold or heat. But architecture is an essential part of our life. So its essence and foundation must breathe life. We must take comfort not only for the roof it provides above our heads but also for the pride it makes us feel because of its beauty. Architecture is both a responsibility and a privilege to provide and attract. It has to welcome and not to frighten anyone away. It has to project a remembrance of its existence and not to kill all the memories forever. Even an old uninhabited castle’s haunted feeling depicts the lives of the powerful family who once lived there.But in our time today, the ugly unoccupied building gives us the shivers not because of the memories left there but of the hideous structure of the place. Architecture should never lose its beauty. After all, its ability to be the symbol of both science and art is what sets it apart. A house, a church, a store, a town hall, and a community that is devoid in beauty lack the true essence and purpose of life â €“ creation. If we are indeed too practical, busy, and perhaps too frugal to incorporate art with our dwellings, then we are better off to live in cold hard unshapely caves. Works Cited

New Product Launch Marketing Plan Essay

Executive Summary Learning Team A has shown in the first two phases of the marketing plan that individuals exercise for a variety of reasons including obesity, addressed target markets (recreational, fitness, and professional athletes), decision motivators and buying behaviors (individual needs and health concerns), the Product Life Cycle, the four P’s, and the product mix. Within this final phase, Learning Team A will be discussing situational analysis, market growth potential and competitive analysis, segmentation, target market, and positioning, pricing and distribution, and marketing communication. Also discussed will be the financial aspect, intended market objectives for year 1, year 2 and year 3, implementation milestones, and finally, evaluation and control metrics and methodology to measure performance. Situational Analysis My Run Buddy offers a new innovation in fitness technology as the first voice commanded treadmill. Its product marketing on extraordinary combination of powerful design and features are the key factors for its product brand development and market growth in the fitness industry. Enhancing and implementing strategic marketing plan will also be essential to the success of My Run Buddy. Market Growth Potential and Competitive Analysis There are so many treadmills out on the market today, individuals try to find just the right one that will give them just the right workout for their lifestyle. With the innovative features that are installed on My Run Buddy, such as the Voice Command option, Learning Team A believes that this will escalate My Run Buddy to the top of everyone’s list of treadmills. Learning Team A estimates that with these innovative features, sales will be high and  profits will be generated. Learning Team A compared My Run Buddy with two different treadmills that are out on the market today, the LifeSpan Treadmill and the Life Fitness T5-0 Treadmill. After reviewing both of these, the one that comes closest to My Run Buddy is the Life Fitness T5-0 Treadmill. The Life Fitness T5-0 Treadmill has many of the similar features, warranties and price range; however, it does not have the Voice Command feature. The Voice Command feature is what is unique to My Run Buddy and everyone that uses this machine, whether it be at home or in a gym, will feel comfortable with the features and enjoy the easiness of programming it to their respective needs. Marketing Strategies The major strategies to market My Run Buddy are aimed toward health and fitness industries. According to Wellsource (2014), in the next five years, an increase of at least 4.2 percent within five years is projected for the demand in services and equipment for the multibillion-dollar health and wellness industry. My Run Buddy will reach out to male and female customers mostly between the ages of twenty to forty years old, which does not limit customers who are fifty years of age and above because of the growing demand to promote active health lifestyle for all ages. In addition to the market target stated, a small percentage of customers who may use My Run Buddy include professional athletes preparing for competitions such as marathons or the Olympic games. Positioning My Run Buddy focuses on its ability to become as the first voice commanded treadmill providing extraordinary combination of powerful design, comprehensive product features, and positive health and fitness results to its customers. Its major advantage compared to other existing treadmills is its capacity to offer personalized fitness workouts to ensure safe workouts based on each user’s health status, vital signs, and intensity of workout. Marketing Program Kotler and Keller (2012) mentioned that consumers often make the decision to purchase certain products based on how they perceive the price of the  product is rather than the marketer’s stated price. The automobile may cost $100,000, and if some customers perceive the particular price to be reasonable price for the automobile, they will purchase it based on their perception and not because of the fact that marketers set the price of the automobile as $100,000. Same customer may feel that $30,000 for different automobile is too expensive even though he or she felt that $100,000 for the automobile was reasonable for them because they perceive each products differently. Kotler and Keller (2012) also mentioned that customer are less sensitive to price of the product when they believe that 1) there are not too many similar products in the market that can replace the quality of the given product; 2) the high price of the product can be justified; 3) stated price of the product is just a small cost of obtaining unique product for the life time. Learning team A intends to set the price of the voice commanded treadmill to create the perception that the price of voice commanded treadmill is reasonable enough for a customer to purchase the customized treadmill that can enhance their health status for the rest of their lives. Rather than matching the price of the treadmill to another company’s lower price of the treadmill, Learning team A believes it will be beneficial for the company if the company can justify that customers are paying for superior quality of the voice commanded treadmill, and they are saving money for more value on the voice commanded treadmill by paying the stated retail price. Kotler and Keller (2012) stated that companies need to consider four different objectives when they are attempting to determine the level of effectiveness for their market logistics: 1) How should the company handle orders from customers? 2) Where should the company store their products? 3) How much products should the company store in the designated storage space? And 4) How should the company distribute the product to the customer? Learning team A believes it is best for customers to be able to order the voice commanded treadmill from the company’s internal website or the electronic commerce company, such as Amazon because customers do not always have time to visit the local retail locations to order the product. Learning team A believes the company should store voice commanded treadmill in warehouses located in west coast, east coast, and southern states and use  the fast transportation method, such as FedEx, UPS, and USPS to expedite the shipment process. Learning team A does not recommend the company to store excessive amount of voice commanded treadmill in their storage locations, but they suggest that company’s logistic professional and sales professional should work together to determine the projected amount of sales for the given period and attempt to clear out the amount of inventory if they become too excessive by promoting clearance sales events. Marketing Communication Plan Multiple methods of advertising and promotion for My Run Buddy will be used as part of marketing plan for reaching out to its target market. Kiosks will be installed in stores and retailers selling the product, where its shoppers will experience free product demonstration. Discount coupons, extended warranty, free product delivery, or free trial offers are also few promotions to be considered for customers. Other than kiosks in stores, My Run Buddy can also be offered for free trial or deals to different fitness locations such as LA Fitness or Gold’s Gym. Furthermore, advertising through multiple media such as print, online, television will be utilized to spread information about the product. Financial Information Our cost structure allow us to pass some savings and still have a solid 200% contribution margin which means that even if we start with low profit, we can sustain the operation enough to see the product establish in the market. Our Policy is to have certain allowances and discounts for wholesalers tie to our AR so our Promotional Pricing follow the following: Total Cost (Including Labor, Overhead, and Transportation) per unit: $2,000 US Direct Cost (Parts, electronic components, etc†¦) per unit: $1,250 US Contribution Margin Goal (Floor Price): $2,500 Sensitivity on Total Profit without marketing expense: Price 1: $3,600 (80% Profit) p unit Price 2: $3,200 (60% Profit) p unit. We will sell the Unit to the Wholesale at $3,600 with a contractual allowance to renew each year of 5% prompt pay discount (less than 30 days), and an additional volume (more than 10 Units per month) discount of 7% of  the marked price. This will allow the wholesaler the possibility to pay only $3,181 per unit if they pay on time and order 10 units per month. A savings of $419 per unit or 11.64% discount. Our closest competition based on the specs (4.0 Motor, Absorption pad, Monitor, etc.. but without the voice activation is the Life Fitness Club Series Treadmill (http://www.treadmilltalk.com/treadmill-comparison-chart-5.html) with an average price in the US of $5,500. Financial Objectives To start sales with a minimum of 60% Profit To increase sales by 2% in Year 2, and another 5% Year 3 To keep plan under budget Break Even Analysis Cost to produce a treadmill unit (Direct Cost): $1,250 Fixed Cost (Annual Overhead): $9,000 ($750*12) If selling for $3,200, then we need to sell 5 Units to break even! ($9,000/ ($3,200- $1,250)) If selling for $3,600, then we need to sell 4 Units to break even! ($9,000/ ($3,600- $1,250)) If selling for $3,181, then we need to sell 5 Units to break even! ($9,000/ ($3,181- $1,250)) Marketing Expenses We are estimating a marketing expense (promotion, training, etc†¦) of $500 on Year 1, $400 Year 2, and $280 on Year 3 Per Unit; these figures are considered in the budget. Forecasting Demand We are estimating a total of 200 Units sales on year one with an increase of 2% in Year 2, and another 5% Year 3. We will keep the price the same for the first 3 years; therefore we expect the following each year: Year1: $636,200 in revenue with a 64.7% Profit Year2: $648,924 in revenue with a 64.7% Profit Year3: $681,370 in revenue with a 64.7% Profit Marketing Objectives Year 1: Establish the Product in the industry: To be one of the top 5 brands in the fitness equipment industry among the wholesalers and the consumers. Year 2: Increase Sales on a steady pace: To increase the number of wholesalers purchasing our product by 7%. Year 3: Brand Management: To ensure consistency between our brand licensing strategy and the overall business goal† and to focus on maximizing leverage of the brand. Implementation Milestones Milestones during this project will be the main guides to product progression and success. In order to determine whether the product development and launch is on track our team has decided to set in place milestone or timeline marks to stay on track. Our product will have 4 major milestones with different sub sectioned goals. The first milestone will be identifying customer needs and within this major category we have to accomplish the following goals; business problems, customer requirements, business opportunity, target application and technology requirements/abilities. The second milestone will be to accomplish understanding of the market opportunity. Within this we plan to accomplish industry trends, market size and growth, target market and finally market channels. The third milestone will be entering the market. Within this second major milestone we will accomplish product positioning, competitive strategies, pricing, marketing plan, sales strategy, sales tools and customer support. The third milestone will be a continuous process during the length of the product. The final milestone is generating revenue and the goals accomplished will be establishing partners, channels and leads. The last milestone will also be a continuous process for the length of the product. Milestones may be introduced and revamped depending on the shift of the product lifecycle. Since our team is aiming for continuous growth and success, we are aware that milestones need to be in place and also re introduced so that a cycle does not fail and we continue to succeed. Evaluation of Metrics and Methodology Elrod, Susan Murray, and Bande (2013) mentioned that there are four different categories of performance measures supply chain companies consider when attempting to determine the level of effectiveness for their supply chain management system: financial cost, quality, time, and flexibility. The cost to produce the product, the cost to distribute the product to the customer, and the cost to store the product in warehouse are some of the key  factors affecting the financial cost category of the supply chain management performance metrics (Elrod et al, 2013). Customer’s perceived value of the product, level of accuracy of the product, and the ability for a company to distribute the product safely to the customer without any damage fall under the quality category under the performance metrics for supply chain management (Elrod et al, 2013). Learning team A intends to incorporate similar set of performance metrics by evaluating production cost and inventory cost against the amount of revenue the voice commanded treadmill generated for given period of time to determine if the cost of product is exceeded by the revenue the product generates. Learning team A will also evaluate how fast the company can distribute the voice commanded treadmill to its customers without damaging the product and how well the voice treadmill can perform according to the specific features on the product to obtain customer loyalty. Contingency Planning According to Mindtools.com (2014), â€Å"The need for contingency planning emerges from a thorough analysis of the risks that your organization faces. It is also useful in thinking about new and ongoing projects: what happens when ‘Plan A’ does not go as expected?†. Contingency planning is highly important to our team and will be the foundation we follow for risk assessment and planning. We will minimize error and failure by expecting the worse. What if the consumers do not want to buy our product, what if it doesn’t sell as much as we thought it would. By preparing for the worse we will be setting up for successful future. Our contingency plan will be to continuously conduct risk assessment regardless of how well our product is doing. Communicating issues and good ideas will be a constant goal within the product team and shareholders involved. If at whatever point we need to retrain or train personnel our team is equipped with the information to do so. We will keep documentation of successes and failures no matter how big or small. Finally we will evaluate performance and implement goals so that we are able to assess how well the product is doing. Conclusion In conclusion, Learning Team A has shown, within their marketing plan, that the Voice Command treadmill is a unique product that will generate large profits for the proper company in today’s society. Learning Team A has  also shown how this type of treadmill is more advanced than those on the market with the addition of the Voice Command feature and how it will be accepted in the long term by consumers looking for the proper workout equipment to maintain their health. With this new feature, Learning Team A feels that consumers will be drawn to My Run Buddy for their health needs as the innovative features lets them feel more comfortable working out and they don’t have to worry about calling anyone if there is a medical condition that arises, all they would have to do is tell the machine to contact the hospital. References Elrod, C., Susan Murray, P. E., & Bande, S. (2013). A Review of Performance Metrics for Supply Chain Management. Engineering Management Journal, 25(3), 39-50. Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2012). Marketing management (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Wellsource. (2014). Market trends project more growth for wellness industry. Retrieved from http://www.wellsource.com/company-news/Market-Trends-Project-More-Growth-for-Wellness-Industry.html Mindtools. (2014). Contingency Planning. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_51.htm

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