Novel Frankenstein Essay

â€Å"The Novel Frankenstein is as relevant and terrifying today as it was when it was first published† Explain How Mary Shelley makes her narrative effective and why it has fascinated and shocked audiences for nearly 190 years. ‘Frankenstein’ is one of the most well known gothic horror stories. ‘Frankenstein’ is set in the seventeen hundreds and was written by Mary Shelley. Mary Shelley wrote the book in 1816 and ‘Frankenstein’ was first published in 1818. Mary Shelley blends gothic horror and romance which makes this novel world-famous and so successful. The novel has also been so successful because of the effective narrative Mary Shelley uses to shock and fascinate her readers. Such as the use of a lot of very detailed descriptive language and the use of three narrators to get different emotions and feelings to the reader. During the nineteenth century, electricity was a relatively new invention. This meant that many scientists were testing the use of electricity with the body. Scientists thought that Electricity could bring a dead person back to life. Erasmus Darwin suggested that this was possible. Mary Shelley was aware of a process called galvanism and a scientist named Luigi Galvani who had discovered that electricity flowed through nerves meaning that when electricity was placed in certain places on a dead body or animal if would move and look like it was alive. Scientists were learning more and more about the human body and how it worked. The general public were very interested and fascinated by these discoveries. Mary Shelley was from the romantic period. The ‘Romantics’ believed in the power of the imagination. They looked to nature for and saw awe and wonder in its majesty. They distanced themselves from the evils of capitalism and industrialism. This could have lead here to write this story to show people how messing with science could lead to disaster, as it was messing with nature which was the main inspiration for the ‘romantics’. Mary Shelley was from a very radical family with very strong beliefs. Her mother was a campaigner for women to have equal rights and her father was another political free-thinker. He said that as long as people acted sensibly, there would be no need for rules or laws. Her mother died 10 ten days after giving birth to her and Mary Shelley also lost her own daughter within 2 weeks of giving birth. The reader also experiences these feelings when Frankenstein’s mother dies, just like Mary Shelley’s mother. This is a technique to get the reader to feel the same as Shelley did to make the novel seem more real. These could be the reasons why Mary Shelley was so obsessed with bringing the dead back to life and the inspiration behind her novel ‘Frankenstein’. Mary Shelley got the inspiration for the novel in the snowy summer of 1816. In 1815 there had been an eruption from Tambora which had set the world into a long volcanic winter meaning that the summer of 1816 was a dark and cold one. Mary Shelley and her husband Percy Shelley had visited Lord Byron at his villa by Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The weather was too cold to go outside and enjoy a normal summer, so Byron challenged Mary Shelley and his personal physician John Polidori to each compose a story of their own, and the winner would be whose story was the most terrifying. Mary Shelley got the idea for her novel when she had a half-waking nightmare, and then she wrote this down giving her the main inspiration for ‘Frankenstein’. ‘Frankenstein’ is about a young student of natural philosophy called Victor Frankenstein. He is determined to find the secret of life, and when he does he creates a living creature. The monster is gentle and kind, but is abounded by Frankenstein because he looks too ugly; this means he has to hide away from society as all who meet him are afraid of him. As the monster is lonely and isolated, that causes him to take revenge on his creator. He does this by not killing him, but all the ones he loves and cares about. Frankenstein, having nothing worth living for, pursues his monster to the Artic in order to destroy him. This leads him to exhaustion and death, the monster then sees he is dead and then kills himself as it is the only place he can seek rest. The novel shows the horrible consequences of playing God and this is what makes the book fascinating, as it questions all the main beliefs of religion and the soul. The book is different as it has three narrators who are Frankenstein, Robert Walton and the monster. They all narrate and give the reader a different insight into the story, which makes the book very unique. This technique is very effective because as it gives a different insight into each character it can make the reader feel different emotions for each character. Such as when it is Victor Frankenstein telling us his own story, it makes the reader feel more sympathetic towards him because the reader experiences the tragedies and upsets that Frankenstein feels.

Karl Marx and Marxist Class Struggle

Marxist Approach Marx’s Beliefs: Philosophy was meant to be used as a tool to bring about change. The capitalist system caused the alienation of the workers, therefore causing them not to be able to live to the fullest http://ragingdove12603. tripod. com/id13. html Queen, Plaid, and Big Tall Goony-Goony walk into A&P in â€Å"nothing but bathing suits†, and don’t â€Å"even have shoes on†. The girls walking in â€Å"naked† and â€Å"barefoot† can represent a Marxist class struggle. Sammy’s high admiration and observance from behind the cashier towards these girls in the story portrays a Marxist class struggle. He views the girls, especially Queenie, as superior and high-class, and compares himself and the place he works in as â€Å"crummy†. In this case, it’s Sammy who is â€Å"the working-class†, and he tries doing something about his position/status by quitting his job for these high-class girls. He doesn’t see working at A&P or his manager Lengal as desirable as he sees the class of these girls. He struggles in the end with his decision: â€Å"Looking back in the big windows . . . I could see Lengel in my place in the slot . . . and my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter. Feminist Approach: Sammy as a possible girl â€Å"Being naked approaches being revolutionary; going barefoot is mere populism† – John Updike Populism is a â€Å"political philosophy supporting the rights and power of the people in their struggle against the privileged elite. † â€Å"You know, it’s one thing to have a girl in a bathing suit on the beach . . . and another thing in the cool of the A&P, under the fluorescent lights . . . with her feet paddling along naked over our checkerboard green-and-cream rubber-tile floor. Perhaps Sammy emphasizes â€Å"her† descriptions of the three girls, because she admires their revolution of having to be working women/women under â€Å"policy† and desires their courage and freedom to be â€Å"different†. Or perhaps Sammy desires the freedom and luxury (power) the girls have. By entering A&P â€Å"naked† and â€Å"barefoot† the girls show power/voice to be seen, something uncommon for most girls during the time. They face the consequence of Lengal. Sammy witnessing Lengalembarrass the girls quits to stand up for them, but doesn’t catch their attention.

The Effects of Mentoring at-Risk Youth

THE EFFECTS OF MENTORING AT-RISK YOUTH Abstract: Mentoring has arguments both for and against its effectiveness in relation to at-risk youth. These programs have been known to help in areas of self-esteem, attitudes toward drugs and alcohol, grades, attendance and disciplinary problems in school. Although, the scope of at-risk youth can be quite narrow, if administered correctly it can be inclusive of all teens with emotional and behavioral problems. These programs should not be considered a quick fix to such a large problem, but it can be used as a means to an end.Mentoring programs for youth and teens considered to be at-risk have begun to grow throughout the country. Not all programs agree on a generalized approach, but it is fair to say the concept is the same when dealing with this group of youth. The term mentor is basically described as a trusted counselor or teacher. The term at-risk, for purposes of this study, relates to youth from single parent households, who exhibit emot ional and behavioral problems. The overall consensus is to pair a responsible and caring adult with a troubled adolescent youth.The ultimate goal is for a relationship to form and to build a bond of trust with an adult who can in turn, help them deal with the troubles that often arrive in life. Unfortunately, many adolescents are never given the opportunity to build relationships with caring adults. Nearly a quarter of all American children will live in single-parent homes, and half of the current generation of children will live in a single-parent household during some point in their childhood (Dryfoos, 1998).There are a host of factors that contribute to this situation such as changing economic, social and cultural conditions have increased the vulnerability of negative life outcomes for adolescents’ (Dryfoos, 1998). Natural mentors are described as close family members such as father, mother, uncles, aunts, brother’s, sister’s and/or grandparents. In order to address the problems that have come to light as a result of the diminished availability of natural mentors, volunteer mentoring programs ave multiplied in recent years (Freedam, 1993; Rhodes, in press). Just as natural mentoring, volunteer mentoring involves building a relationship between the youth and adults, as to off support in meeting the youth’s academic, social, career, and/or personal goals (Dubois, et al. , in press). It is estimated that as many as five million American youth are involved in some type of mentor program being it in school or community based.They range from such programs as the renowned Big Brothers/Big Sisters to other less structured programs. Without such programs to assist these youth, once they are adults, they are more likely candidates for divorce, high unemployment; physical and mental problems, drug and alcohol abuse, and quite often become involved in more criminal activity (Patterson, Debaryshe, & Ramsey, 1989). If left unchecked, these pr oblems could prove costly both to society and the individual.Whereas the approximate average cost of a well organized and operated mentoring program is estimated at around $1,000, taking into account a per child per year projection, it could eliminate or at least marginalize the need for future social services (Grossman & Gary, 1997). Youth without the proper social support framework or low levels of social support, has a tendency to be withdrawn, and show a lack of concern about their future. They are negligent, and more likely to harm others than were youth who had the privilege of being exposed to a proper social support system (Kashani, Reid, & Rosinberg, 1989).Although only a vice mentoring could provide some social support and could improve the way these youth function in society. Some theorize that youth develop deviant behavior because they lacked the opportunity to interact and or relate with positive role models within their community (Hawkins & Weis, 1985). Mentors can at times be that beacon of hope or the voice of reason which would allow these youth to see and appreciate appropriate social behavior and could in turn curve their delinquent behavior.Most mentoring programs are forced to rely on the kindness of the community for support and this usually comes in the form of volunteers and donations (Keating, Tomishima, & Foster, 2002). Even though the effectiveness of mentoring programs are often brought into question, the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America organization has a proven track record of successful unions between caring adults and at-risk youth. This organization conducted a study of at-risk youth over the course of approximately one year to show the effects of a positive mentor to mentee relationship.The results revealed they were less likely to become involved in the following activities: 46% illegal drugs, 27% start drinking, 52% skip a day of school, and 37% to skip a class. The mentees were more trusting of parents, and not as prone to lie to them, they also felt more support from their friends. High intensity programs can be effective, especially those with more one-on-one interaction in the form of frequent meetings throughout the month, meeting between 2-4 hours at each visit along with frequent phone contact (Tiernay and Grossman, 1995) (Keating, Tomishima, & Foster, 2002).In this age of technology there is a host of opportunities available for the tech savvy to capitalize on when it comes to mentoring. E-mentoring is the next step in mentoring programs. A program has been in existence for the past 11 years, created by a group of researchers from Drexel University called the â€Å"I Could Be† program, in order to study the effects of online mentoring. So far the results have been mostly positive. Online mentoring can be both an effective and viable option when compared to the traditional face-to-face method.Given the current nature of working conditions, organizations may seek to implement e-mentori ng programs due to their ability to be both cost-effective and time saving compared to the traditional approach. The study showed that students who were comfortable using computers tended to get the most out of the program. Students with the lowest level of confidence at the beginning of the program saw the biggest gains. One of the major drawbacks is that, you’re not face-to-face. The major advantage is the ease of access to more than one mentor.Concerns regarding the overall security of children may have helped to slow the growth of this type of program. Unfortunately high dropout rates and poor academic performance have seemingly became synonymous with the experience of African American male youth. Upon visiting just about any public school in the Country you are bound to find African American male youth almost aimlessly wondering the halls, as if they have been alienated from the educational process and left to their own devices to discover the American dream for them.The ir presence is scarcely seen in the gifted and advanced academic classes, while at the same time they are highly represented in remedial classes. When it comes to suspension and expulsion they dominate the list in comparison to their White male counter-parts (Bailey, 1996; Center for the Study of Social Policy, 1990; â€Å"Federal Report,† 1999; Ford, Grantham, and Bailey, 1999; Lee, 1992; Skiba, Michael, Nardo, and Preston, 2000; Trescott, 1990). They are often observed hanging out on street corners or in the malls, where they are viewed with both fear and contemptment.They often give up on the education process entirely because they feel as if the things learned there do not apply to them and they seek elsewhere for success. The educational system is often viewed as a way to place a label upon them and to stifle the potential for them to grow as individuals (Narine, 1992) (Bailey & Paisley, 2004). Reports have stated that approximately 1 out of every 4 male African American s have to report for court ordered supervision and that there are more African American men controlled by the court than there are enrolled in college (Bass & Coleman, 1997; Green & Wright, 1992; Mauer, 1990).Although only 15% of African American youth are represented in the juvenile population, they constitute approximately 43% of juveniles in public facilities and 34% in private custody (Bailey, 1999, FBI, 1996; Sickmund et al. , 1997). There is an apparently clear overrepresentation of African American male youth in juvenile facilities. This in turn makes for a negative self-image as well as creating an inherit distrust and disrespect of authority (Lee & Bailey, 1997) (Bailey & Paisley, 2004). Minority and poor populations are grossly underserved within the educational system.As a result these students are less likely to be assigned to classes that would prepare them for college and they are quite often being taught by teachers working out of their field (The Education Trust, 199 8). Unfortunately, the majority of most minority and poor populations have the least amount of qualified teachers. The fact is most of these kids will not escape the confines of such experiences and thus will not seek higher education because of feeling an inability to perform in the college arena (Bailey & Paisley, 2004).African Americans populate a mere 17% of the total school system, yet they account for 32% of suspensions and 30% of all expulsions (Skiba et al. , 2000). When it comes to graduating from college African American males have a devastating 1 in 12 chance and when it comes to high school dropout rates they have a 1 in 4 chance (Trescott, 1990). For those who realize the need for higher education and choose to pursue college and university enrollment in the United States, they will find what it means to be a true minority because African American males only account for 3. % of the college population (U. S. Bureau of the Census, 1998) (Bailey & Paisley, 2004). Mentoring is viewed by some as an intervention for at-risk youth who need assistance and preparation for adult life as well as being a conduit of sorts to curb dropout rates, delinquency, unemployment and a host of other ill’s associated with troubled youth (Mech, Pryde, & Rycraft, 1995) (Blechman, 1992). The effects of mentors and mentor programs in general vary greatly and according to how the study is conducted it allows for objective to be set in order to quantify the study.Some studies suggest that mentors have no beneficial impact on the mentee, while they do note some changes occurred but some of the changes were outside the scope of the study (Royse, David, 1998). The first thing we should mention is that the study conducted by Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America was conducted over a 15 month period. It is believed that more relevant changes might have taken place had the study been conducted over a 24 or 30 month period. Longer matches between mentor’s and menteeâ€⠄¢s were believed to be more productive by parents than shorter ones.It is important to note while mentoring does have positives effects, it is not and should not be considered the quick fix to our at-risk youth, problems (Frecknall & Lurks, 1992) (Royse & David, 1998). The second thing to consider is although most mentors kept accurate logs concerning time spent with mentee’s, some did not. This in turn made it difficult to accurately account or report the times of volunteers since these logs were incomplete. With that being said, it made accounting for actual time of contact between mentor’s and mentee’s difficult, to say the least.If the mentor is not consistent when meeting the mentee, the overall objective could be hindered significantly (Roaf, Tierney, & Hunte, 1994). It is vital to keep records in regard to the relationship between the mentor and mentee. This can be difficult because mentee’s are sometimes concerned about their image among peers so they are reluctant to explain the presence of a mentor. Even though some results say mentoring is ineffective, the fact remains that the lives of at-risk youth are substantially affected by a caring adult (Garmezy, 1985; Rutter, 1987; Werner & Smith, 1992; O’Sullivan, 1991).This should be evidence enough as to the need for even more mentoring projects to be formed, refined, and applied to those in need of such services. These programs may not always have immediate tangible results. They have proven to be not harmful while at the same time, having potential to catapult mentee’s into their destiny (Royse & David, 1998). In conclusion, I’ve often heard it said that children are the future and we should teach them well and let them lead the way. Although they are the future, yet and still, America is letting a minority segment fall by the way.One thing is sure, if people are not given hope and allowed to see themselves as viable members of society; they will abando n all morals and rules that govern the land. Although mentoring can be a key element in getting at-risk youth back on track, it should not be the only source to help these youth. This must be done with all due diligence in order to insure the future survival of all Americans. If something is not put in place soon, America will have alienated an entire generation.This will have created a third world society within the borders of the land of the free and the home of the brave. References: Bailey, D. F. , Paisley, P. O. (2004). Journal of Counseling and Development v. 82 no. 1 p. 10-17 http://www. icouldbe. org/csewi/public/pg_evaluation. asp http://www. infed. org/learningmentors/youth_mentoring_in_perspective. htm Keating, L. M. , Tomishima, M. A. , Foster, S. (2002). Adolescence v. 37 p. 717-34 Royse, D. (1998). Adolescence v. 33 no 129 p. 145-58

A Modest Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

A Modest Proposal - Essay Example Jonathan uses numerous techniques complete his writing. This power of satire portrays to the lack of morality and expedience of how Ireland's dealings are managed. The lack of authority held by the Irish people springs from the extensive amount of power the English Protestants held over the Irish, especially the penal laws imposed upon the Irish Catholics. Jonathan uses this truth to exploit his prominent satire and eventually to suggest the consumption of the babies of deprived Irish mothers. The author uses satire severely in his writing. One of the most apparent uses of satire Jonathan uses is when he talks about the likely English response to his suggestion. He claims, "Maybe I could name a nation, which would be happy to consume our whole country." Here, Jonathan is reflecting the degree to which the English had power over the Irish. The basis of his proposal centers in the notion of consuming the newborns, as food, is no mistake.This idea was selected in order to symbolize the collapse of Ireland through the "consuming" power the English had over the Irish. This made the Irish seem as powerless as infants (Smith 138). At one point, while making his suggestion, Jonathan guarantees the politicians who dislike his approach that the deprived people of Ireland would rather surrender their life than experience the everlasting scene of misfortunes. While Jonathan is giving his suggestions to the ruling class, he ironically represents the hardships as being the sole liability of the poor (Smith 140). Jonathan is talking to the politicians who have denied the Irish Catholics some of their rights, but he argues that the Irish are repressing their landlords by not settling their rent on time. The author contradicted himself at this point. The satire, of course, was the immense economic cruelty imposed on the Irish by the English through agricultural protectionism and other things. Jonathan’s use of satire, in his writing, serves to portray, to the English lea ders, the reality of the circumstances that they are subjecting to the people of Ireland. However, despite Swift's obvious dislike for the English, he, at some instances, also partly blames the Irish for the conditions of the country. Specifically, his depiction on the part of the Irish is what appears to trouble Jonathan the most (Smith 140). While a person might assume that Irish Catholics should have united to deal with English, they instead fell victim to forfeited certain liberties and land seizures. Jonathan asserts that his suggestion will greatly reduce the number of papists, who stay, at home, to deliver the empire to the Pretender. It is obvious that Jonathan does not, in fact, believe that the papists are exploiting the Protestants. However, I feel that he is attacking the Irish Catholics for not trying to take back their nation from them. Jonathan argues that the Irish have gladly handed their nation over to the English, and that makes them the most treacherous enemies t o Ireland (Smith 140). Throughout the writing, Jonathan, when talking about the Irish infants, uses terms as if he were describing farm animals. Phrases and words such as pigs, stock, flesh, cattle and carcass, were all present in

Criminal Justice Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Criminal Justice Today - Essay Example Two most common models of how society determines which acts are criminal The two most common models used by the society in determining which acts are criminal are the consensus model and the conflict model. The consensus model holds that each of the component parts of the criminal justice system works towards a common goal and that the movement of people and cases through the system is good due to corporation between different components of the system. From these, the society is able to establish what actions are criminal in nature. The conflict model on the other hand, holds that the interest of the criminal justice agencies strives towards making actors within the system serving them. This is a good model used by the society for determining which acts constitute a crime (Schmalleger, 2011). The government structure as it applies to the criminal justice system. The government structure consists of the legislative, executive and judicial system. The legislative arm makes the laws whi ch are applied by the judiciary in administering the criminal justice to the people. ... Sociological theory holds that the society is the one to blame for criminal acts witnessed in the world today. Physiological theory, on the other hand, holds that the personality of an individual is what leads him or her to commit a crime. Psychobiological holds that crime is a result of an individual’s DNA and trauma to the brain. Social-psychological, on the other hand, believes that a person’s way of life and lack of direction are what lead them to criminal like activities, while biological theory holds that an individual commits crime due the evolutionary stages that he or she passes through (Schmalleger, 2011). The components of the criminal justice system and the criminal justice process The criminal justice system consists of three main components: the police, criminal courts and the correction agencies. These criminal justice systems are established mainly because crimes have no boundary. As such, the government makes laws and the police are meant to enforce the se laws, apprehend offenders and investigate crimes. Criminal courts, on the other hand, conduct trials, ensuring due process in the administration of justice by determining the innocence or guilt of the accused person. The main reason why criminal courts trials were designed was to aid in reviewing of all evidence before the accused person can be declared guilty or innocent. The work of the correctional agencies is to carry out the rulings given by the courts, reforms, rehabilitate and reintegrate the convicted criminals back into the society (Schmalleger, 2011). The three components are supposed to work in unison as they abate criminal activities and maintain normality in the society and the world at large. It is noted that each of

Domestic Business Activities from an International and Global Point of Research Paper

Domestic Business Activities from an International and Global Point of View - Research Paper Example As Vice President, it is important to have knowledge of domestic activities and policies and to understand the various cultures and operations of the sales force outside of the United States. This can only be accomplished by using a human resource (staff) from around the world as they are familiar with the countries, company, and cultures in which they live and are operating. Proper training, understanding of a various cultures, how business is handled in different parts of the world, varying company policies and operations (although the company is one entity, policies and routines vary slightly, if not extremely, in order to accommodate the differences), language and cultural differences, various sales methods, training, customer service, account management, follow-up procedures, key accounts management, etc. can only be handled by working with the various sales teams and using their expertise. The Vice President must make use of his number one asset which is a human resource in ord er to apply the best approaches and methods and focus on both the macro and microeconomics of the global business. He cannot do this alone but will achieve success if he learns from those in the various parts of the world and learns from those who are experts in the various locations and cultures in which they live and work. They will know the best approaches to communication, sales, customer service, find solutions, developing innovative tactics, etc. The best way of managing a diverse sales team is to incorporate the sales management from each area and empowering them and learning from them.

(SMCR) Strategic Marketing- A Contemporary Review Essay

(SMCR) Strategic Marketing- A Contemporary Review - Essay Example A shop-window provides 24-hour advertising and creates and identity for the shop. Using celebrities as models has also been a successful marketing strategy. Advertising has always been an effective marketing strategy for fashion clothing. Creating and using catchy terminology to describe fashion apparel is a recent and effective trend in fashion marketing. PR events such as press and commercial events play a significant role in fashion marketing communications. Meeting sociological needs of the people like overweight, age and utility is an emerging trend. An example is the marketing of designer clothes for plus-size women. Building customer relationships can help create new customers and keep the old ones. A well-recognised brand name is the most valuable asset of any business. This can increase customer loyalty in the short term as well as retain substantial value long term. Lastly and most importantly, assuring employees that the organisation values their input is important for the success of any campaign. Marketing fashion is a process that ensures that the products, from the producers’ hands, reach the consumers’ hands by motivating the consumer to buy the products. However, marketers cannot coerce customers into buying and this is especially true for the fashion industry as evidenced by the failure of the Woolworths womenswear retail chain (Bohdanowicz & Clamp 1994, p.2). Marketers of fashion will have to consider all factors that influence the industry to ensure successful reception of products. While consumer preferences and utility would be the main factors to be considered while marketing fashion, with the increasing popularity for green products, social marketing strategies will have increased significance in fashion marketing in the coming decades. This report aims to analyse all marketing issues including those relating to

Identify and critically assess the principles which underpin the EU Essay

Identify and critically assess the principles which underpin the EU Public Procurement - Essay Example Framework Procurement can be defined as â€Å"the purchase of commodities, goods, works or services by public administrators†.1 A public administrator in the EU Law includes state, government, association governed by public law and similar bodies. Collectively, public procurement accounts for 13.5% of the European Union’s GDP.2 This therefore means that the authorities have a duty to provide a legally acceptable set of guidelines that promotes the European Union’s single market system and also prevents leakages and unfair procurement practices and corruption. However, some challenges in the EU Procurement Laws do not enable the EU Procurement system to achieve its objectives. In the UK, the threshold for the observance of EU Public Procurement Law is ?100,000 for government supplies and ?4 million for works and services.3 These thresholds are really high. This gives room for various forms of manipulation. A public institution that desires to be mischievous is lik ely to buy goods and services in lower amounts so that they will not be required to follow the EU Procurement Rules. This gives room for easy evasion and manipulation. Reasons for the EU Public Procurement Laws The first reason why the EU Public Procurement Law was enacted was that the European Union has laws that guarantee the freedom of movement, person, capital and services across borders so nations and governments should not have public procurement systems that discriminate against people from other EU nations.4 Also, non-tariff protection exists for all EU businesses in the transfer of their goods and services across the various borders.5 The EU Procurement Law avoids amongst other things, discrimination against efficient companies by ensuring the fair treatment of all potential bidders for a public supply tenders across the EU. The extent to which the procurement law has protected non-national businesses in bids and tender is quite questionable. This is because with higher tra nsportation costs and diversity issues, it is often common for public institutions to choose local suppliers and not external suppliers. In summary, the EU Procurement Laws state that public institutions should honour three things in their operations.6 The are: 1. They must treat a business and person of other EU nationality fairly7 2. No discrimination, there should be equality 3. There should be transparency in bidding and tender selection process. However, with the uneven trends of development in the EU, there are cases when there is the need for positive discrimination to help some national businesses to grow by supplying to public institutions in the country. Adhering strictly to the public procurement framework can only cause some local businesses in smaller nations like Portugal and Latvia to collapse in the face of other richer businesses from more powerful nations like Germany, France and Britain. Overview of Underpinning Principles The main areas and aspects of the EU Publ ic Procurement policy include transparency, publicity, objectivity, accountability, non-discrimination and flexibility/redress.

Risk Assessment Is the Health, Safety and Environmental Management Coursework

Risk Assessment Is the Health, Safety and Environmental Management - Coursework Example This essay explores the methods of risk identification that are applicable to the health, safety, and environmental issues. Brainstorming is a method used across all disciplines to identify risk. Groups of professionals come together and verbally identify the risks that are in their sectors. In this method, all the people involved need to be informed and well equipped with the general knowledge so that they can appreciate the opinions of the others. Relevant documentation is required after the brainstorming exercise so that the information can be stored for use in the evaluation exercise. Interviews can also be used to identify risks that are bound to occur in a certain field of interest. Precaution should be taken on the kind of person interviewee since it affects the reliability of the kind of information that will be collected. It is normally advised that an interview is carried out after a brainstorming session to have appropriate questions to ask in the interview. However, inter views are limited to the capabilities of the facilitator and therefore he/she should be competent in carrying out interviews. Experiments can be performed to identify a risk. In the health sector, experiments can be performed on animals that have reaction characteristic similar to those of humans. In the environment samples can be set aside, experiments performed on them, and the results of the experiments used to identify a risk. Risks can be identified by reading documented knowledge. Researches were done previously and knowledge from books and journal is an important source of information in risk identification. However, the researcher should be cautious when using this knowledge to ensure that it is relevant and from a credible source. A lot of research has been done in the safety and health sector and the documented information could offer solutions in identifying risks. Documented historical knowledge that is widely accepted as a fact could be used in risk identification

Half The Sky Essay Example for Free

Half The Sky Essay With Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn are great authors who give us true stories of girls and woman from Africa and Asia and their extraordinary struggles. We view the Cambodian teenager sold into sex slavery and an Ethiopian woman who suffered devastating injuries in childbirth. Drawing on the breadth of their combined reporting experience, Kristof and WuDunn view our world with anger, sadness, clarity, and, ultimately, hope. Through these stories, Kristof and WuDunn help us see that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing women’s potential. They make clear how so many people have helped to do just that, and how we can each do our part. In much of the world, the greatest unemployed economic resource is the female half of the population. Countries such as China have prospered precisely because they emancipated women and brought them into the formal economy. Realistic, and inspirational, this book is essential reading for everyone. They tell of an attempt to help a woman dying in childbirth in an African hospital, and the institutional, social, and financial problems that block efforts. They discuss how their support for legalization of prostitution was undercut by the more sordid reality they discovered behind the apparent success of just such a legal zone in India (in Kolkata), and examine how legalization of prostitution in the Netherlands compares as an anti-trafficking technique with the criminalization of sex-service purchases in Sweden. They point out how the campaign against female circumcision has been set back by the campaigners’ use of terminology (â€Å"female genital mutilation†) that turned the people they wanted to help against them. Kristof and WuDunn emphasis how important it is for individuals speaking up and resisting—but it’s here that their proposals (or, at least, their exhortations) seem questionable. (Mukhtar Mai) name we have heard before, Usha Narayane, and Sunitha Krishnan are clearly remarkable women, and deserve every support, but it is also true that they are very brave, and driven individuals—and lucky, because of their risk.

The Introduction To Argos And Amazon Information Technology Essay

The Introduction To Argos And Amazon Information Technology Essay This report has been prepared regarding the operations of Argos and argos.com and it will look at their operational processes and also with discussed in details the theory of capacity planning, inventory management, supply chain management, performance measurements and total quality management and will look at the chosen organizations with relation to above mention theories. Operational management is the process of effectively managing resources and converting them into final goods and services to offer to the customers, the process of operational include all the management of all the resources which are used in the manufacturing of goods and services to used them effectively for the better result and achievement of goals for the organization. In this assignment the operational management processes of two organizations Argos and Amazon.com will be look into with details and they efficiency regarding the operations will be discuss to see how they manage their operations to provide better goods and services to the customers. Argos is one of the U.K leading retailer and it provide customers different goods, the company was establish in 1973 and now it is part of Home Retail Group, which is UKs leading home and general merchandise retailer. Argos, has nationwide network of over 670 stores coupled with its many ways to shop via catalogue, online and in store allows customers to mix and match from the full range of selection, order, pickup and delivery. The Argos retail experience is also made more convenient with home delivery, the innovative check and reserve and text and take home services, and the in-store Quick Pay kiosks, enabling consumers to make the best use of their free time. According to an HPI tracking study running from January to March 2006, 96% of customers would recommend Argos to a friend. Moreover some research agencies has issued interesting figures about retail sector businesses like Argos, Tesco and Asda. According to new Nielsen Online figures, Argos held its number two ranking above Tesco and below Amazon, with a 32% year-on-year growth in the number of UK visitors to 8.2m (homeretailgroup.com) Argos has supply chain management system which is very effective it provide the services through its catalogue system which allows the user to check the item without visiting the store and finding the best product their looking for and booking it online and collecting it either from the store or by home delivery. Argos also has a very effective distribution channels which enable them to have outlets on different locations so the customers can visit the stores and select the items from either looking at the catalogue or at their online system and making the payment on the system and just collect the items they want to purchase which reduces the time which usually customers have to face in order to buy the item because of this effective management of the Argos supply chain and distribution channels the users can get their items less than the time which they will take in other stores which is one of the reason of Argos success. Amazon.com:- Amazon was first establish as a book selling website in 1995 but diversify itself to selling other items such as DVDs, appliances, video games and other electronic goods it also provide the users and option to download some of its item instead of waiting to received it on mail. Amazon.com work on the basis of e-commerce providing its customers different facilities to use for their shopping and its simply a website for online shopping and provides latest items to different customers according to their needs. The features provide by amazon.com are: Reviews By Customers:- Amazon.com provide the customers to review any item they have bought from the website and rank it on the scale from 1 to 5 stars and also discuss what they think about the product this feature enables the other buyers understand the product help them make their decision regarding the product. The view are check by amazon.com to avoid any false information provided by the users and amazon.com like to post both good and bad reviews about the item for the convenient of their customers and to make them understand about each aspect of the product. Content Search:- This is one of the most useful tool provide by amazon.com for its users, the content search tool allow the customers to search for a specific word or content in a book. This feature has been design for customers who wants to buy books regarding specific information this tool enable them to find out what books have the information required by them and show them a photo of the page from the book and sometime give a free preview of the book to its customers to help them decide whether it is the book or information they were looking for it not. Third Party Sellers:- Amazon.com also helps in selling product from third parties on their website by listing them at amazon.com and directs the customers to other sellers product according to their desired information needed. Amazon.con use a centralized payment system for all its users whether sellers or buyers and control and monitor it. Just like Argos the company Amazon.com also has a very effective supply chain management system which enables them to deliver the products desired by the customers on time, with their content search feature the customers get the chance to select their products. They also have an effective distribution system usually the customers who order from amazon.com get their delivery within 2 to 4 days which make the whole process of shopping very enjoyable for the customers. By using the principle of operational management both the companies Argos and Amazon.com have been proving the customer best service and which is one of the reason of the success of both companies that their users prefer to shop from them and also recommend them to their friends and family, the principle use by Argos and Amazon.com are the basic principle of operational management and if used correctly can result in success for any organization in the long run. Part B Capacity Planning:- Capacity planning is the process of determining the amount of work that an organization can do in any given time it is basically determines the capacity of the organization to meet the demands in the market which is always changing due to change in customer taste or in technology. Capacity planning is the crucial part of any organization operational management which determine the capacity of the firm to meet the demands of customers in the market as it will provide the organization the competitive advantage and better utilization of the resources of the organization. Capacity planning is part of the strategic planning of the organization and it provides them a guide to utilize the resources with full capacity and managing the organization resources effectively and making the organization a success. Inventory Management:- Inventory management system was already used in America and Japan it is the most important part of any organizations operation as organization need to maintain a sufficient level of inventory not only helps in the production processes but also it helps in meeting the demands of the market as the manufacturer needs to have sufficient level of stock to supply to the market. Maintaining sufficient level of stock whether raw material or finished products to supply to the market involve many costs such as maintaining cost, ordering costs and carrying cost handling these costs is also a part of a better inventory management system as it is the responsibility of the operations management to handle this processes they need to be sufficient enough to manage the processes of inventory handling efficiently. There are many inventory management systems available to help the management in this processes some of the famous systems are Economic Order Quantity and Just In Time inventory management which enables the managers to use the inventory effectively in the operations. A example of inventory management systems can be seen in the Sainsburys operations where they focus on the maintaining the inventory in the stores through computerized systems and whenever a item short on inventory the system automatically place the order for the new one and which arrive before the item ran out of stock thats been a major part of Sainsburys success. Supply Chain Management:- Supply chain management consist of managing the supplies of the organization efficiently to maintain the level of organization products and services, it not only consist of managing the suppliers but also consist of monitoring and controlling the activities associate with the production of the products and their effective management the process consist of many activities which are: Procurement. Customer service management. Physical distribution. Product development. With these activities an organization creates chain of values and add values in them for the customers and in the product as well which is why these are one of the important activities in the operational management process. An example can be seen in the case of Toyota where the company understands the importance of these activities and provide the customers with products with added value through not only their manufacturing processes but also through their distribution and customer relationship process also this is one of the reason that the company Toyota has grown over the years and its customers preferred to buy its car because they believe that they get value for money. Performance Measurement:- Performance measurement is the process which enables the organization to set the measurements to determine where they are in terms of goals and their achievement it gives the organization an overview of their current position and where they want to be in the future. It is a great way to control and measure the activities of any given department by measuring the actual performances to the target it gives them an idea about their performances and what improvements they need to make. Many organizations used this model in their employee appraisal as well to reward the employees who have achieved the tasks to motivate them also to identify the employees who are behind the tasks to ask them the reasons behind it and if there any help they need in order to achieve the tasks. The application of performance measurement is used at every level of the organization as it is a used for tool for the organization it helps them where they, How they will improve and such questions are answer through performance measurements therefore it is a useful tool. The example of companies using performances management can be seen in Sainsburys where the company not only measures the performances of its employees but also the performance of its store by sending mystery shoppers to the store and checking the budget performances of the stores and also doing performance appraisal for the employees as well. Total Quality Management:- Total quality management is a programme use by many firms to gain competitive advantages by providing the customers with best quality products and increasing their satisfaction, it is a philosophy of management which emphasis on continuous improvement in the quality of the product. The process of total quality management involves involve everyone working in an organization as it is believe that every one working is the organization is responsible for the continuous improvement of the product and services and it should not be consider the activity of only one department. In application of quality management can be seen in the case of sports direct where every employee working in the organization strives to provide best quality services to their customers not in terms of products but also in customers services which result in many customers preferring sports direct over the other sports shop, once a customer enter into the outlet of sports direct they get the feeling of somewhere really sports related from shelving to staff working there the sports fan get this feeling when they are shopping at sports direct because of their total quality control management and which result in many customers buying their sports related stuff from the company because they trust the name and the quality of sports direct which is because sports direct never disappointed them when they come to shop over there. Part C In this part of the assignment the application discuss above will be relate to the organizations or Argos and Amazon.com to see how these applications helps these companies to achieved their goals and objective and what competitive advantages the company are having due to each module and how they develop the companies strategies over the years. Argos:- The first organization that will be look in detail regarding the above mention theories will be Argos as it is the believe of many that these theories are working fine with Argos and they will be look one by one with operations of Argos. Capacity Planning at Argos:- As it has already been discuss how proper capacity planning helps an organization in its operations and proper planning of resources to achieve the goals set by the management. Being one of the biggest retailer of U.K Argos understand the importance of capacity planning and plan all its operations based on the proper planning of its resources as many customers can get the information about the product they want to buy from Argos website that where they will be available and if not available at one store where else they can find the item and how much quantities left to collect which enables the customers to know about the product and how much time they will have to wait to get their hand on the product. Due to this properly planning of capacity Argos has been having competitive advantage over its competitors and it also helps them in their marketing strategy by distributing their catalogue to the customers for free and providing the idea of items they can collect from the outlets of Argos. Inventory Management:- Inventory management has been one of the strong points of Argos operations as Argos has to hold many items in their inventory to meet the demands of customers they been keen on providing the products by different manufacturers to the customers. One of the unique features which is provided by Argos is that it provide the customers information about the products and their availability by providing them information is the item available for home delivery or if the item out of stock in one store which other store they can collect the item and it also provide them the option to reserved the item on their website if the item left has not much quantity so by reserving the item on the website the customers make sure that the item will not be sell by the time they reach they store and they can collect is because of this method of maintaining inventory the operational capacity of Argos can be seen and understand properly. Supply Chain Management:- Argos has many outlets all over U.K and supply the items to all the stores is not an easy job and Argos realized that but they overcome this problem but having a good chain of distribution channels and also by providing information about the product and its availability and also make sure that the customers will get their desired product on time and without having to wait much for the product, the distribution channel consist of both the supplies for stores and also for home deliveries as well to manage effective system of deliveries. Performance Measurements. The use performance evaluation techniques have been an integral part of any organization and Argos is no difference in fact using performance measurement has been a part of Argos success and it gave them an idea how the company is performing not only with the products but also with the customer satisfaction which make them realised the areas they need to make improvements and the areas where they are working fine can improve even more to provide better services to the customers. Total Quality Management:- Just like other features the total management concept has been also used by Argos under this principle the Argos staff has been trained to make them understand the role they play in the success of Argos and what they can do to improve the services at Argos even more. Argos not only emphasis on improving the quality of the services offer by the staff but also make sure that the products offers by Argos are of great quality and value to the customers as they know that making the customers happy is the most thing to do if a business wants to survive. Amazon.com:- Same like Argos the company Amazon.com also employed the principles discusses in part b of this assignment and will be look one by one. Capacity Planning:- Millions of customers visit amazon.com daily and do their shopping form the website due to which it is very important for the website amazon.com to provide their customers the best items they has to offer and keeping this thing in mind the company use their resources very well in term of proper capacity planning this can be seen by looking at the growing number of people who log in to amazon.com to buy the stuff they need with confidence and amazon.com has been delivering stuff from books to health equipment to all sort of customers and making them happy which is the reason they achieved the competitive advantage. Inventory Management:- Amazon.com has storage facilities all over the world and due to which the company is able to deliver anything anywhere in the world and due to having storage facilities all over the world the delivery cost is less for some countries. They have an effective system of managing the inventories which are far more than any other company as the website provide many options to the customers and their customers are in millions they know how important it is for them to utilized their inventory management to provide the customer the products they need on time and with less delays. Supply Chain Management:- Being provider of many products and having millions of customers supply chain management its one of the biggest issue for amazon.com and the company knows its importance that is why they manage their supplies very carefully to make sure that the products ordered by the customers reach them on time and without any delays due to which the company gain popularity. Amazon.com has also introduced the service for their customers where they can also sell their items on amazon.com website to other customers for some fee chargeable by amazon.com for providing these services but the company make sure that whatever the item is presented for sale by other customers of amazon.com should meet the quality standards of amazon.com and provide their other customers the products which give them value for money because when a customer visits amazon.com they visit with the expectation that they will get good deals from amazon.com than any other supplies of the goods and it provide amazon.com not only the competitive advantage over the competitors but also it helps them market their name all over the world due to the services they offer to their customers. Performance Measurement:- For the purpose performance management amazon.com always ask its customers for feedbacks about the services provided by amazon.com and also it provide them a review system in each item where the buyers of that item post their reviews about the experience they had with the product and does it meet with their requirement so the other customers can see and decide whether they should buy the product or not amazon.com not only publish the good reviews but also the bad reviews of the website and products and try to improve the areas where they have been criticized by the customers to provide them best quality services. Total Quality Management:- The quality of the product and services offer by amazon.com is the main focus point of their business and they take it very seriously through conducting surveys and reviewing the reviews post by the customers to understand their weakness and overcome them. As it been said before the company provide other users to sell their products on their website as well but they make sure that the product presented for sale meets the quality requirement of amazon.com and all the sellers are present with stars based on the feedback they get on their sales by doing this amazon.com make sure that the buyers get the best quality products from the sellers and also to make sure that the quality standards are maintain by amazon.com at all time, they also make sure that the staff at their customer service communicate with the customers positively and help them out in their queries to give a positive image of the company to the customers and by doing this the company has been able to increase its market share over the years. Sources:- Â  Operation Management By Frank Rowbotham, Masoud Azhashemi, Les Galloway Operation Management By C. Donald, J Waters, Donald Waters. Service Management Improving Service by Robert Johnston and Graham Clark Operations management policy, practice and performance improvement by Steve Brown, Kate Blackmon, Paul Cousins www.argos.co.uk www.amazon.com www.thetimes100.co.uk

Polymerisation of Light Cured Resin Cements

Polymerisation of Light Cured Resin Cements Discussion (3000-4000 words) Resin-based composite cements are widely and commonly utilised for the cementation of all-ceramic restorations to the prepared tooth structure because clinical studies have identified that using resin cements for this purpose enables the all-ceramic restorations to have an increased fracture resistance in service and thereby improved clinical performance (Kilinc and others). However, this purpose is only fulfilled optimally if the light-cured resin cement is adequately cured to achieve a sufficient degree of polymerisation. In order to initiate the curing reaction, light energy of an appropriate intensity and wavelength must activate and excite a sufficient number of photoinitiators in order to generate an adequate quantity of free radicals. The generated free radicals can then interact with the C=C bonds within the resin monomer and initiate the polymerisation reaction which results in the formation of a polymer (Dias et al, 2008). An adequate cure would consequently determine the s trength of the reinforcement that is achieved via the application of a resin cement to the ceramic specimens. Light transmission Talk about LT at different distances. Increasing the distance decreases both LT and DC. Lack of light can be overcome by increasing light intensity or increasing exposure time In this study, light-cured resin cement was utilised and adequate LT of restorations is even more pivotal for the for the polymerisation of these light cured resin cements because all these cements can utilise is the light that is transmitted through the restoration, or in the case of this study, the ceramic disc (Kilinc and others). The presence of a ceramic disc also restricts the transmission of light to the resin cement as according to Strang et al, a ceramic is capable of absorbing between 40-50% of the curing light (Passos et al, 2013). In this study, light cured resin cement The light transmission in this study was proved to be affected by the thickness and opacity of the ceramic disc as well as the distance from the curing tip. The translucency of a ceramic depends on its crystalline structure, light refractive indexes and the thickness of the ceramic (Kilinc and others). An opaque material may be ideal for aesthetically demanding clinical situations but opacity has been shown to affect light transmission as well as the polymerisation of the resin cement. It is clear from the results in this study that increasing the thickness or opacity of the ceramic disc decreases light penetration through the disc (Duran et al, 2012). A ceramic disc of increasing thickness or opacity would allow lower light energy to be transmitted through it and resultantly, lower LT. An opaque ceramic contains a higher percentage of chroma and this chroma pigment has the ability to absorb light, therefore less light is transmitted through the ceramic and consequently, negatively influencing the polymerisation of the resin cement (Passos et al, 2013). The results also highlighted the fact that the polymerisation was adversely affected with increasing thickness or opacity of ceramic specimens. The presence of a ceramic disc would influence light attenuation and therefore decrease the number of photoinitiators that are activated in the resin cement. The consequence is a lower DC (Filho et al, 2010). Most clinicians implement a curing regime of 400mW/cm2 for 40 seconds and this is thought to be generally enough for adequate polymerisation when applied directly on the ceramic restoration. The ISO recommend a curing light intensity of 300mW/cm2 and the depth of polymerisation should be no greater than 1.5mm. In this study, the curing time used was 30 seconds at an intensity of 800mW/cm2 (Akgungor et al, 2005). In the darker shades and thicker ceramic specimens, (give combos) had reduced light transmission as low as values†¦ therefore, the resin cement cured through these groups of ceramic discs were far from possibly achieving adequate polymerisation (Kilinc et al, 2011). Another option is to use dual-cured resin cements and dentists and clinicians tend to prefer to use dual-cured resin cement systems when cementing all-ceramic restorations because of the important of achieving adequate light transmission through the indirect restoration, which would consequently lead to an optimal degree of conversion of the cement layer, and the chemical reaction of dual-cured resin cements theoretically guarantees a satisfactory polymerisation of the cement as it could compensate for the lack of DC obtained via photo-activated means which would consequently improve clinical performance. The chemical polymerisation of dual cured resin cements is expected to guarantee the cure of the material even in the deeper regions where limited light reaches (Indian journal of dental research). The lower light transmission influences polymer development by primarily decreasing the C=C bond conversion since the polymerisation process is reliant on on the light exposure to both the ceramic but most importantly, the resin cement (Ilday et al, 2012). The lower the degree of light reaching the luting agent, the lower the degree of polymerisation and consequently, the lower the success and longevity of the resin-strengthening mechanism (Pazin et al, 2008). Light transmission through the ceramic and to the resin cement is vital because if the ceramic restoration/disc prevents polymerisation light from reaching the resin cement layer, causing inadequate polymerisation of the cement layer. This consequently affects the strength of the restoration and the risk of debonding is higher in poorly polymerised cement (Akgungor et al, 2005). During the process of light activation, the light passing through the ceramic is absorbed and scattered. Thereby, the light irradiance produced by the light source is attenuated and its effectiveness is reduced as the ceramic thickness increases (Filho et al, 2010). This was proven in a study by Meng et al, in which it was shown that a light intensity of 800mW/cm2 decreased significantly to 160mW/cm2 after light transmission through a 2mm thick ceramic specimen (Filho et al, 2010). The greater the LT through a ceramic material, the greater the irradiance reaching the resin cement surfaces and accordingly the greater the DC and mechanical properties (Pick et al, 2010). The light transmission through a ceramic restoration may affect the degree of polymerization of resin cements, because the amount of light that reaches the cement layer is decreased.10In general, the factors affecting light transmission through a ceramic material include the thickness and shade of the ceramic material, its microstructure, and the presence of defects and porosities. However, the thickness of indirect materials interposed during photo-activation is a key factor for light attenuation, and polymerization generally decreases as thickness increases.12 The physical and mechanical properties of resin cements may be affected by the thickness and microstructure of ceramic restorations. It is important to emphasize that light-cured resin cements should receive an adequate energy density to reach good polymerization and mechanical properties. Furthermore, only effective photo-activation may ensure clinically acceptable hardness levels of dual-cured resin cements, mainly in criti cal areas. Considering these issues, further studies are needed to find a way to compensate light attenuation aggravated by the interposition of indirect restorative materials. http://www.duhs.edu.pk/download/jduhs-vol.7-issue-2/9.pdf DC Increasing the distance, thickness or opacity of ceramic/resin cement layer would mean that the top few millimetres of the resin cement would adequately polymerise and the remaining material would poorly polymerise due to lack of light (Silva et al, 2009). Insufficient curing also enhances the solubility of the cement which is the common cause of debonding of the restoration (Dias et al, 2008). As the properties of the resin cements are directly related to the degree of polymerisation, the resin cement used for cementation was measured using FTIR. Favourable resin cement polymerisation is vital in order to obtain optimal properties of the cement in order to prolong the longevity and clinical performance of the overlying all-ceramic restoration (Ilday et al, 2012). Various studies have stated the importance of a high monomer-to-polymer conversion with a highly cross-linked polymeric network in order to obtain a clinically successful resin-based restoration. The presence of an increased amount of monomers decreases both DC and mechanical properties and the fracture resistance of the restoration (Francescantonio et al, 2013). The DC% of the resin cement was decreased under the darkest, thickest ceramic combination than under the thinnest, lightest ceramic. The clinical performance of both the resin cement and the ceramic restoration depends on many important factors, with one of these being the degree of polymerisation (journal of the Serbian chemical society). One way of assessing the DC of the resin cements is through the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) which detects the C=C stretching vibrations directly before and after curing of the resin cement material (Obradovic et al, 2011). Several factors have been shown to influence the polymerisation of resin-based cements such as the thickness of the resin cement layer, the intensity of the light source as well as the type of light source used, the distance from the curing tip and the duration of curing. The composition of the resin-cement can also affect the rate of polymerisation via factors like the polymer matrix, the filler particles and the coupling between matrix and filler (Obradovic et al, 2011). After a certain period of time, the DC graph appears to straighten off with no increase. This limited conversion is due to limited mobility of the radical chain ends and this limits the conversion of the pendant methacrylate groups from monomer to polymer (Obradovic et al, 2011). During the process of light activation, multiple growth centres are produced and the matrix transforms from a liquid to a viscous phase via the production of a polymer network from a monomer, i.e. the process of gelation. However, subsequently, the polymer network is highly cross-linked as most of the monomer is converted to polymer which results in the link between the monomers and the oligomers with the network being restricted due to limited diffusion (Filho et al, 2010). With light activation, there is a production of free radicals via the excitation of photoinitiators which enables the initiation step to occur instantaneously. As the propagation phase proceeds, the resin cement changes from a liquid to a viscous gel state, thereby making it increasingly difficult for monomers to diffuse to the polymeric growth centres. As a result, as the polymerisation reaction proceeds, less monomer is converted to polymer (Mendes et al, 2010). The rate of polymerisation reduces as the reaction proceeds due to the formation of fewer polymer growth centres. This promotes the formation of loosely cross-linked polymers and poorer mechanical properties (Silva et al, 2009). Adequate polymerisation of the resin cement is crucial for stability, optimal mechanical properties and the clinical performance of the indirect all-ceramic restoration. Furthermore, a greater degree of polymerisation would result in a greater bond between the resin-cement and the ceramic and consequently, maximum bond strength (Ilday et al, 2012). Along with using thinner or less opaque ceramic and resin cement layers, the cure depth of the resin cement, the degree of conversion and consequently the strength of the restoration can be increased by longer light exposure times or increasing the light intensity (Ilday et al, 2012). The latter two factors were not evaluated in this study. Insufficient polymerisation commonly causes early failure of the cemented all-ceramic restoration (Duran et al, 2012). BFS Flexural strength were found to show a relationship with conversion of double bonds with the resin cement (Ozturk et al, 2005). Ceramic specimens luted with a resin luting agent exhibited greater flexural strengths than the specimens without any form of luting agent (Pagniano et al, 2005). Look at pagniano journal for more info- if space left. The discs were left for 24 hours prior to BFS testing because the cement undergoes polymerisation for 24 hours after curing and if BFS was tested straight after curing, then the cement would not have reached the maximum polymerisation possible and therefore the risk of debonding and poor flexural strength is greater (Akgungor et al, 2005). The magnitude of strengthening is reliant on on the flexural modulus of the resin cement. This can also be known as the modulus of elasticity. (value of resin cement according to dr Addison journal). The modulus, in other studies, has been identified to be between 7 and 12 GPa. The elastic modulus of the cement is vital to study because it is related to how effectively stress can be transmitted between the all-ceramic restoration and the tooth structure. Moreover, it provides an indication as to how well the cement can resist elastic deformation which ultimate would endanger the integrity of the bonded interface between the ceramic and cement. Ideally, the resin cement should have an elastic modulus that is between that of dentine and the ceramic restorative material (Braga et al, 2002). Flexural strength of brittle materials is likely to be more affected by surface defects or imperfections such as porosity, cracks and other related flaws. Specimen failure is thought to initiate at the bottom surface of the specimen and all ceramic specimens were placed with the non-irradiated surface facing towards the load application and therefore a lower DC would lead to a reduced flexural strength (Pick et al, 2010). From BFS testing, it was evident that a decrease in BFS generated at the resin-ceramic interface when testing the ceramic specimen (A3.5 at 1.40mm) with the lowest DC. Resin coating significantly increased the mean BFS of the greatest conversion system but not as significantly in the other two groups of ceramic specimens tested. It should be noted that the system with the greatest DC had the greatest change in BFS which highlights the importance of DC on the magnitude of resin-reinforcement that is achieved (Fleming et al, 2012). Despite the resin-reinforcement, it is suggested by Yesil that failure still occurs and the mode of failure is caused by surface flaws or flaws within the ceramic material, the adhesive layer, or the bonded cement and flaws in the interface (Yesil, 2009). Furthermore, in a different study carried out by Thompson et al, the results demonstrated that when clinically failed glass-ceramic restorations were analysed, the majority of these restorations failed because of fractures and most of the fractures initiated from flaws and stresses originating from the adhesive resin cement interface and not from the restoration contact surface (Yenisey et al, 2009). Clinically, the thickness and opacity of the ceramic restoration acts as a barrier to light penetrating the methacrylate resin-based composite cements. Therefore, the durability of the bond produced between the ceramic restoration and the resin cement as well as the interface between the cement and the surrounding tooth structure will be compromised. For resin-based composites, a maximum value of DC is ideally wanted in which there is complete conversion of the monomer double bonds to network contributory single bonds. However, the conversion is normally between 45-70% because vitrification stops the reactions by inhibiting diffusion (Isgro et al, 2011). The strength values may be different due to the absence of polishing in the ceramic specimens that were tested for BFS. The discs used in LT testing were polished whereas the ceramic discs tested in BFS were not polished. Instead, the internal fit surfaces of the dental ceramics were roughened to promote adhesion. The strength values obtained may have been affected by the absence of polishing of dental ceramic specimens prior to mechanical testing. (see Isgro et al, 2011) for more info. Give values of % increase between cemented and uncemented samples and the mean values. Look at Pagniano et al, 2005 for information on how the interaction between cement and ceramic affects BFS. Add if word count available. Future work Look at effect with different light output- look at Duran et al, 2012 journal. If space left, look at Pazin et al journal for info on degree of cross-linking. Look at SEM images Look at Molin et al, 2006 and Isgro et al, 2011 for info on contraction stresses for BFS In conclusion, adequate polymerisation is desirable to reduce problems associated with post-operative sensitivity, microleakage, risk of recurrent caries, discolouration, in addition to decreased mechanical, chemical and physical properties of the resin cement. Furthermore, it will compromise the clinical success and longevity of the restoration. Sufficient DC would also improve the biocompatibility of the restoration and most importantly, the resin cement layer by reducing the number of residual monomers that are leached into the oral environment (Kim et al, 2009; Yan et al, 2010; Braga et al, 2002).

Technological Advancements :: essays papers

Technological Advancements On November 7, 1940 the Tacoma Narrows Bridge was hit by winds of up to 40mph. The bridge began to twist and flutter. Some cables snapped and a six-hundred foot section of the bridge fell into Puget Sound. ^Wind is but one disaster, earthquakes are another^ (Jay Stuller 36). Disasters like this one and others could have been avoided if the proper precautions had been taken. Due to the disasters in the world the structures of today and tomorrow are much safer. Today most of these catastrophes are avoided because of the up to date technology, like architecture, predicting the disasters before hand and new techniques used by emergency rescue teams. Some major advances in today^s buildings include such things like the material used. For instance products like steel-reinforced concrete (refer to diagram 3-1), steel framing, and properly braced wood frames for houses are a few examples of how buildings are being retrofitted and new buildings are being built towards protection from disasters. As well, the foundations of the buildings can be built on shock absorbing ^base isolators^ containing springs or alternating layers of steel plates and rubber, to counteract the effects of earthquakes. In Japan architectures have been keeping mind earthquakes while designing and building structures. Unfortunately the buildings were mainly designed to withstand a vertical force. The Japanese buildings were designed to withstand a certain acceleration force, but in January 1995, an earthquake hit the city Kobe devastating the buildings, which were thought to be safe. It just shows, ^that building design criteria are crucial to withstanding effects of earthquakes^ (Gerad Baker 12). The normal Japanese wooden houses that had heavy roofs collapsed, and also newer homes were demolished, as seen on diagram 3-2. This could have been avoided by building the houses with lighter plywood frames with crossbars that distribute force evenly rather than houses with heavy timber walls that collapse under force. As well the materials used to build the structures has a great deal to do with the survival rate of buildings. The use of reinforced concrete is thought to be a major reason why buildings stay intact. It is possible to reinforce older buildings with extra concrete simply and effectively, which has been done in California since 1989. Bridges, a totally different aspect of building, but a very similar method for creating sound structures. During the Kobe earthquake the Hanshin expressway collapsed on its side for a stretch of 600m (pictures seen on page 5). This type of roadway is built upon reinforced concrete pillars. There is steel inside the pillars to increase its ability to bend and flex with the

Comparing Matthew Arnolds Dover Beach and Gerard Manley HopkinsGods

Comparing Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach and Gerard Manley Hopkins'God's Grandeur      Ã‚   Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach," and Gerard Manley Hopkins' "God's Grandeur" are similar in that both poems praise the beauty of the natural world and deplore man's role in that world. The style and tone of each poem is quite different, however. Arnold writes in an easy, flowing style and as the poem develops, reveals a deeply melancholy point of view. Hopkins writes in a very compressed, somewhat jerky style, using sentences heavy with alliteration and metaphors. His tone, though touched with sadness and perhaps even anger at man, unlike Arnold's poem, reveals an abiding sense of hope. Basically, each poet is presenting a very different view of Faith, and consequently of man's ultimate condition. Matthew Arnold begins his poem by describing a calm, beautiful scene. Dover Beach is lying "fair" in the moonlight. It is high tide and he sees the coast of France and "the cliffs of England... / Gleaming and vast, out in the tranquil bay." All seems lovely and quiet. According to Baum's research on the date and circumstances of the poem, Arnold is probably speaking to his new bride (86) as he says, "Come to the window, sweet is the night-air." But gradually the reader senses a shifting of mood and tone. Now he describes the "line of spray... / Where the sea meets" the land as "moon-blanched." And the tide, tossing pebbles as it comes, is a "grating roar" with a "tremulous cadence slow" that "bring[s] / The eternal note of sadness in." This melancholy mood grows deeper as he thinks of man's long span of history-- "The turbid ebb and flow / of human misery."    In the next stanza beginning with line twenty-one, Arnold gets to the reason ... ... in a sky that is brown, not completely black because God's Spirit is hovering in love over the dark world still, like a mother dove brooding over her nest.    Obviously, both poets recognize the darkness in the world; and both see love as a light in the   darkness. Arnold's love is human love from one individual to another and even that seems uncertain. The redeeming love Hopkins speaks of is God's love for man and His creation. That love is unchanging and indestructible--an abiding hope in the darkness. What a difference faith can make.       Works Cited Baum, Paull F. Ten Studies in the Poetry of Matthew Arnold. Durham: Duke UP, 1961. Boyle, Robert S.J. Metaphor in Hopkins. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina P, 1961. Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Literature: Reading Reacting Writing. 3rd ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt, 1991.

To What Extent Was the Considerable Growth of the Nazi Party?

To what extent was the considerable growth of the Nazi party, between 1918 and 1933, a result of economic factors? The Weimar republic was introduced on the back of Germany’s defeat at WWI, the resignation of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the widely despised signature of the Treaty of Versailles. These conditions led to its collapse in 1933, and also the great rise in popularity for the Nazi party during this period. There is no doubt that a number of economic factors played a crucial role in the collapse of the Weimar republic and the rise of the Nazis, however, numerous other factors also played a part.Some historians consider a lack of effective opposition a major contributing in the expansion of the Nazis. It has also been argued that the appeal of the Nazi party won them many votes. Finally, the impact of other political factors cannot be ignored when considering this issue. Economic factors were a crucial component in the collapse of the Weimar republic and therefore, the rise o f the Nazi party between 1918 and 1933. According to Hugo Preuss, â€Å"Weimar was born with a curse upon it. This refers to the harsh conditions set by the Treaty of Versailles, and also the huge reparation payments of $6600 million that Germany were forced to pay as a result of their part in WW1. This was particularly difficult for Germany as their economy was weakened from funding their war effort. However John Hiden felt that other factors contributed more to the collapse of Weimar and the expansion of the Nazis. â€Å"Versailles certainly did not doom the Republic from birth. † Another important ingredient in the rise of the Nazis was the hyper inflation of 1923. It came as a result of Germany missing one of the reparation payments.This gave the French and the Belgians the excuse to invade the heart of the German economy, the Ruhr. To limit the benefit to the invaders, a general strike was called. However this slowed and nearly stopped their economy. More money was prin ted to try and solve this problem yet this only made the issue worse as it resulted in the hyper inflation of 1923. The worst hit were the middle classes who saw their savings become worthless in a very short period of time. This resulted in an increase in popularity for the Nazis as middle classes looked to extreme parties to bring stability to the German economy.A time of economic calm followed during the â€Å"Stresemann Era†. However calm came at the cost of an over reliance on loans from abroad, especially from the USA. A further economic factor in the expansion of Hitler’s party at this time and often seen as the crucial factor in his coming to power was the Great Depression. According to Finlay Mckichan, â€Å"Hitler would almost certainly have remained on the extremist fringe of politics had it not been for the Great Depression†¦ and the hardship it brought. † Germany’s reliance on US loans meant that when Wall St crashed and the US demanded repayments, their economy crumbled.This is an important factor in the rise of the Nazis as in times of economic stability, people are on the whole happy to continue to vote in the same party. However, like in Germany, when hardships occur, many look to extreme parties for a better way of life. This reasoning saw a vast growth in popularity for Hitler which culminated in his appointment as chancellor in 1933. Furthermore, the appeal of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party cannot be ignored when considering the growth of the between 1918 and 1933.During the hard times brought upon by the Great Depression and the Hyper Inflation, the German population looked for a strong leader to bring stability. Hitler fitted this role perfectly. He was very patriotic and strived for Germany to become an industrial power once more after the upset of WW1. However, more importantly, he was an extremely talented orator. His speeches inspired many people and this saw an increase in votes f or the Nazis. Furthermore, Hitler made very vague promises when campaigning. This meant that although appealing to other right wing parties, the Nazis were also seen as a viable alternative to a left wing government.This gained support for the party and helped them to expand up to their coming to power in 1933. Hitler also made promises to working classes to provide jobs and increase their share of the national wealth. This gained additional support and votes for the NSDAP and helped their rise to power. These factors led one historian to suggest the idea that â€Å"Hitler was the Nazi party’s greatest electoral asset. Finally, an important point to consider when looking at the attractions of the Nazis is the role played by propaganda and Joseph Goebbels.He portrayed Hitler as a deity and this image of a very powerful leader spread throughout Germany. Goebbels also spread other Nazi ideologies around the country by taking advantage of two types of growing media. The populari ty of radio and cinema was rocketing at this time, and this therefore saw a great number of people exposed to attractive Nazi policies. Subsequently, many votes were gained by the Nazis. This shows that the attractiveness of Hitler’s party was one of the crucial factors in the rise of their rise to power. A number of further political factors may also have contributed to the rise of the Nazis between 1918 and 1933.By introducing a democracy at a time when Germany was unstable having just lost WW1, the Weimar republic made maintaining power very difficult for themselves. They tried to make the country too democratic, in far too short a period of time. This was in an attempt to limit the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The majority of the population however failed to adjust and this led historians such as Ritler to say, â€Å"The rejection of democratic slogans became one of the essential conditions for the rise of Hitler’s party. † This was therefore an import ant factor in their rise to power by 1933.Proportional representation, the voting system introduced as part of the Republic’s democracy, also contributed to the growth of the Nazis. The system led to a number of weak coalition governments as no party could achieve a majority. Consequently, decision making was poor and many German's became disillusioned at the lack of achievement from their government. A more crucial mistake leading directly to the Nazis coming to power was the appointment of Hitler as chancellor in 1933. This decision was unexpected, mostly because Hindenburg openly disliked Hitler. However, two factors are considered to have influenced his decision the most.Franz Von Papen argued for Hitler to be appointed chancellor with himself as vice. He felt that with a cabinet full of conservatives, Hitler could be controlled and a repeat of his attempted uprising in 1923 could be avoided. Furthermore, Von Papen had been replaced as chancellor in 1932. Unhappy at this decision, formed an alliance with Hitler. Another possible reason for Hitler’s appointment as chancellor involved Hindenburg’s link to the Osthilfe allegations. This involved the president using government funds to pay for things such as gambling debts and holidays.Hitler may have been designated the role in order to end these investigations. Whatever the reason behind the appointment, it is seen as a key factor in the Nazis gaining power in 1933. Salmon feels that â€Å"Nazism came to power as a result of a miscalculation by conservative politicians. † Overall, although the Weimar Republic was weakened by political means, its complete collapse came as a result of economic factors. This therefore limits the influence of political factors when considering the rise of the Nazi party between 1918 and 1933.A lack of effective opposition to the Nazi party must also be considered when looking at their growth up to 1933. The lack of cohesion between the parties opposin g the Nazis made Hitler’s rise to power easier. A left wing challenge to Weimar came in 1919 with the Spartacist uprising. However, this was brutally suppressed by the Freikorps and over 700 people were killed. A year later, a challenge from the extreme right wing known as the Kapp – Luttwitz Putsch occurred. This involved the movement taking over Berlin. A general strike was called and this paralysed Berlin, forcing the Kapp government to flee.These events ensured that cooperation between the two extremes would be impossible, and therefore that no coalition would ever form between the two. Despite the failure of the Spartacist’s uprising, the KBD still provided a significant threat to the Nazis. Be that as it may, their opposition was limited as they only targeted working class votes. Hitler’s party appealed to a much larger proportion of the German population. Therefore, a lack of effective opposition cannot be ignored when considering the growth of the Nazi party as it allowed the Nazis to become the dominant political presence in Germany.In conclusion, a number of factors influenced the rise of the Nazis between 1918 and 1933. These components varied in their importance. A lack of effective opposition to the Nazis was important; however this ingredient was not crucial in the rise of the Nazis. The role played by political factors was even further unsubstantial as although they weakened the Weimar republic, its collapse-and therefore the rise of the Nazis to power- was brought about by other means. A much more key factor in the growth of the NSDAP was their attractiveness.Vague policies and expert propaganda won many votes for the party and contributed greatly to their exponential growth between 1918 and 1933. However, the pivotal component in the expansion of the Nazis was economic factors. They provided the hardship which encouraged Germans to look for extreme parties for economic stability. As support fell for the Weimar repub lic, votes increased for the Nazis and this resulted in their appointment as the new government of Germany in 1933.

Csr and Consumer

The impact of perceived CSR initiatives on consumer’s buying behaviour: An empirical study Abu Bashar, Assistant Professor, Institute of Management Studies, Dehradun. ABSTRACT Although research into CSR and consumer behavior is still relatively young, there exists a growing interest in studying the links between CSR and marketing. The Indian consumers are now well aware that, in pursuing their business endeavors, companies now have to show more responsibility towards society and the environment where they are operating and at the same time do managers increasingly see CSR as a marketing tool to help create a competitive advantage.But what is the actual impact of companies’ engagement in CSR on consumer behavior? The consumers are getting more aware of the corporation involved in corporate social responsibility (CSR) through better education and the increased influence of the media. The companies up to a certain extent has already been realized that their socially respon sible behaviour have a direct impact on the consumer buying behaviour. In this research paper effort has been employed to investigate that how consumers are considering corporation’s CSR initiatives at the time of deciding on their purchase decision of products and services.For measuring CSR economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic variables have been considered from Carroll's definition. A random stratified sample of 250 respondents have been considered, the data have been collected with the help of structured questionnaire. After the data collection appropriate statistical data analysis was performed in the software program SPSS. Results confirm a positive relationship between perceived CSR activities and consumer buying behaviour. Keywords: corporate social responsibility, consumer behaviour, Philanthropy, Consumer buying behaviour. 1. IntroductionMultinational corporations first introduced the term stakeholder in the late 1960’s. Stakeholders were described as th ose who were in any way affected by the corporations’ activities. Soon thereafter, the term â€Å"corporate social responsibility† came into common use. The goal of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is to take responsibility for all the company’s actions and to have a positive impact on its environment, communities, employees, consumers and all other stakeholders (Freeman et al. , 2010). The European Commission (2011) defines CSR as â€Å"the responsibility of enterprises for their impacts on society†.More specifically, the responsibility of corporations includes the integration of social, environmental and ethical issues as well as human rights and consumer concerns, into their business operations and core strategy in close collaboration with their stakeholders. In research literature, CSR is defined as â€Å"a business organization’s configuration of principles of social responsibility, processes of social responsiveness, and policies, progr ams, and observable outcomes as they relate to the firm’s societal relationships† (Wood, 1991:693).In their opinion, the free market in that sense contributes to society by realizing this prosperity and therefore does not have any other obligations in that matter. However, on the other side of the spectrum the free market is viewed as inhibiting human freedom (e. g. through child labor) and as the root cause of economic and cultural imperialism in many developing countries. CSR is also seen as a way to attempt to be one step ahead of governmental interference, in order to avoid any kind of legislative restrictions or reprimands.Additionally, CSR is regarded as being used merely as a marketing tool, which introduces concerns about hypocrisy. As with many ethical issues, a great amount of organizations operate in the broad space in between these extremes, and the topic remains subject to continuous discussion (Friedman, 1970). One of the most important stakeholder groups is the consumer, and as Creyer and Ross (1997) confirmed; customers do indeed expect socially responsible behavior from companies. More interestingly, customers are willing to reward this behavior.It is no surprise that a steadily growing group of consumers pro-actively look for companies with ‘sustainable’ products and production methods. This new type of consumer is subject to an increasing amount of research by social and economic scientists, and characterized as ‘sophisticated’ and ‘environmentally and socially conscious’ (Forster, 2007). Corporations that do not equip themselves with CSR activities will often be left behind with the increasing global competition and borderless markets, and international corporations with sound CSR activities grow stronger (Altman, 2007).As the education level increases, consumers are made more aware of the need for pro social corporate behaviour. A lot of work has been done in Western countries to identify an organization’s behaviour regarding consumer purchasing decisions. However, not many studies have been conducted in emerging markets, such as India. CSR activities should enhance a corporation's image. This paper aims to examine the influence of perceived CSR initiatives on the buying behaviour of Indian consumers.We are interested in exploring whether consumers in India consider organisations' CSR issues before associating themselves with organisations’ products and services. Apart from that, this study also aims to identify the awareness level of Indian consumers towards CSR. The results of this study will also be useful for business organisations in understanding the consumers' priority for the CSR activities that they should be engaging in, and it will contribute to the existing literature. The remainder of this paper is structured as follows.The next section will discuss the literature review. The third section will explain on the methodology used. The findings and discussion will be presented in the fourth section and will be followed by conclusions and implications in the final section. 2. Scope of the study The scope of the study has been limited to CSR initiatives of corporate and consumer buying behaviour only. The study has been confined to Delhi & NCR region as this area has greater number of top notch corporations 3. Objectives 1. To study and analyze the current CSR practices being employed by corporations in India. . To find out the level of awareness of consumer about CSR 3. To find out the relation and impact of corporation’s CSR initiatives on consumer buying decisions 4. Research Methodology The study is based on descriptive research design. A structured questionnaire has been designed, to know the level of awareness and impact of corporation’s CSR initiatives on their buying decisions. The questionnaire consists of three major sections. The first section gathers information on consumers’ awareness towar ds corporate social responsibility (CSR).This section covers some general questions to obtain the respondent's understanding of the term CSR, which indicates the ability of the respondent to complete the rest of the questionnaire. The respondents who indicated having no knowledge in CSR were not included in the data analysis. Second section covers questions on consumer buying behaviour towards CSR initiatives by the business organisations. The statements were divided into four subsections based on Carroll's pyramid of CSR, which include economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities.While third section designed to gather demographic information of the respondents such as gender, age, education level and monthly income level. Section A and Section C were designed using nominal scales, whereas Section B was designed using a five-point Likert scale ranging from â€Å"1† for â€Å"strongly disagree† to â€Å"5† for â€Å"strongly agree†. Cronbach 's Alpha coefficient was used to evaluate the reliability of the measures. The Cronbach's Alpha coefficient for the four independent variables and one dependent variable was 0. 59. The survey was conducted in Delhi & NCR; responses of 250 respondents were collected. We targeted respondents who are seems to be conscious buyer and hence the sampling technique is non-probability convenience sampling. For visual representation of finding and results bar charts, pie charts and tables etc. ahs been used. 5. Review of literature During the 21th century, the focus of the environmental aspect of CSR grew even stronger and society’s increased interest regarding environmental issues put new light on CSR.Hence, even higher pressure was put on corporations and their initiatives for support of the environment. This can be seen in the European Commission’s CSR-report from 2002, in which CSR is described to have a close relationship between companies and societies to tackle both socia l and environmental concerns: â€Å"CSR is a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis.In their latest definition, the European Commission (2011) explains CSR as â€Å"the responsibility of enterprises for their impacts on society†. Another trend emerging in the 21th century was the focus of CSR from a consumer perspective. The fact that corporations started to work and participate actively in projects regarding CSR predictably woke up an interest also among consumers. Researchers were then eager to find out whether CSR activities had any influence on consumers or not, and if so, in what way and to what extent. In 2001, Mohr et al. tudied the relationship between CSR and consumers’ buying behavior. The results of the study showed that the majority of the respondents were in general positively disposed towards social responsible firms and moreo ver expected firms to be highly active within CSR. Furthermore, the results revealed that a small majority of the respondents did not really think about basing their purchase behavior on CSR or did it only sometimes, even if CSR as a buying criterion didn’t play much of a role in the decision processes or purchase behavior.However, 39% of the respondents were basing some or much of their purchasing on CSR (Mohr et al. , 2001). In 2005, Becker-Olsen and Hill contributed with two studies investigating the role of perceived fit (e. g. Similarity between corporate mission and social initiative), perceived corporate motive (other-centered versus profit-centered), and timing of an announcement (reactive versus proactive) on consumers’ responses to corporate social initiatives. The aim of the study was to explore the impact of perceived CSR on consumer behavior.The results of the study demonstrated that an overwhelming majority of the respondents believed that firms should en gage in social initiatives and 76% thought that those initiatives would benefit the firms. About half of the respondents stated that they would boycott firms that acted irresponsibly, if reasonable alternatives were available (Becker-Olsen & Hill, 2005). Finally, another relatively new trend within CSR developed in the 21th century is to view and utilize the whole concept as a competitive advantage.In 2006, the marketing and strategy guru Michael Porter wrote an article together with Mark R. Kramer, in which they introduced a framework that organizations can use to identify the impact they have on society, determine which effects to address and then suggest effective ways to do so. The authors propose that when looking at CSR from a strategically perspective it can become a source of remarkable social progress, since corporations apply their resources, expertise, and insights to activities that benefit society as a whole (Porter & Kramer, 2006).In carrying out their economic respons ibility, corporations are expected work within the framework of laws and regulations as a partial fulfillment of the â€Å"social contract† between corporations and society. Carroll (1991) stated that it is important for legal responsibility to be performed in a manner that is consistent with the expectations of governments and laws complying with the various federal, state and local regulations. A successful corporation should be recognised as one that fulfils its legal obligations.Conchius (2006), on the other hand, stated that legal responsibility includes abiding by consumer and product laws, environmental laws and employment laws while also adhering to laws and regulations governing competition in the marketplace. However, legal responsibilities do not embrace the full range of behaviours expected of corporations by society. Laws are important, but they are often inadequate. First, they cannot possibly address all of the issues or areas that a corporation may face.Second , laws often lag behind more recent concepts of what is considered right behaviour, and third, laws may represent the personal interests and political motivations of legislators (Carroll, 1998). Although economic and legal responsibilities represent ethical standards concerning fairness and justice, ethical responsibility encompasses those activities and practices expected or prohibited by society that expand beyond the limitations of legal responsibilities.Ethical responsibility embodies those standards and expectations that reflect a concern for what consumers, employees, shareholders, and the community regard as fair, just, or in keeping with the respect or protection of stakeholders' moral rights (Carroll, 1979). According to Carroll (1991), business performance can be determined by the corporation's consistency in promoting moral and ethical standards. If a corporation practises good corporate citizenship, the activities of the corporation are trusted.Ethical responsibility als o recognises that corporate integrity and ethical behaviour should go beyond the requirements of laws and regulations. Balancing economic, legal and ethical responsibilities is important. If the corporation does something that is appropriately economic and legal, it must also be appropriately ethical. Philanthropic responsibility refers to corporate actions that are in response to society's expectations of good corporate citizens. Corporate philanthropy is likely to enhance the image of corporations especially those that have high public visibility.Corporate philanthropy should also increase employee loyalty and improve customer ties. Philanthropic activities include business contributions in terms of financial resources or executive time, such as contributions to the arts, education, or communities. The distinguishing characteristic between philanthropic and ethical responsibilities is that philanthropic responsibilities are not expected in an ethical or moral sense. Philanthropy i s located at the most voluntary and discretionary dimension of corporate responsibility and has not always been linked to profits or the ethical culture of the firm (Ferrell, 2004).Although society wishes corporations to be philanthropic, it is voluntary on the part of corporations (Carroll, 1991). According to Fombrun, Gardberg and Barnett (2000), the case for philanthropy comes from two different sources; strategic philanthropists argue that, although philanthropy may not generate direct economic returns, it will enhance the firm's long-term competitive position through intangible gains in reputation, legitimacy or employee loyalty. Consumer Behaviour towards CSR This paper aims to examine consumers' buying behaviour as a result of corporate CSR initiatives.We are interested in examining that whether the purchase decisions of the products and services of consumers in India are based on corporation's CSR initiatives or not. In addition, we also seek to identify which type of CSR co mponent based on Carroll's pyramid of CSR will have significant impact on consumers' buying behaviour. Several studies have suggested that there is a positive relationship between a corporation's CSR activities and consumers' attitudes towards that corporation and its products (Brown & Dacin, 1997; Creyer Ross, 1997; Ellen, Webb, & Mohr, 2000).Mohr, Webb and Harris (2001) examined and their finding indicated a significant relationship between CSR and consumer responses. Sen and Bhattacharya (2001) research on reaction of consumers to CSR shows that CSR will directly affect consumers' intentions to purchase corporation's products. As cited in Pomering and Dolnicar (2008), marketplace polls reported that consumers expect corporations to provide information about what they do, and they will support those corporations that pursue CSR initiatives.Environics International Ltd. (Environics, 1999) conducted a survey regarding consumer responses towards corporate social responsibility. The r esult of the survey indicated that Australians have the highest CSR consumer expectations from businesses. A total of 86% of US respondents in the survey of Cone Inc. (2004) said that corporations should provide information on how they support social issues. 6. Research Results and Discussions Table 1: Gender of respondents | |Gender | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Model |R |R Square |Adjusted R Square |Std. Error of the Estimate | |CSR-CB |. 573a |. 329 |. 315 |. 36483 | |a. Predictors 🙠 Constants) CSR: corporate social responsibility components which include ethical, economic, philanthropic, | |legal. CB-Consumer Behaviour | The R square (coefficient of determination) is a portion of the total variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variables. According to the model summary, R square is equal to 0. 329, which is less than 1.This indicates that there is a weak linear relationship between CSR activities and consumers' bu ying behaviour. Approximately 32. 7% of variance in all the CSR components can significantly explain consumers' buying behaviour. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) has been preformed to test whether there is a statistical significant linear relationship between the combination of the four CSR components (Economic, legal, Ethical and philanthropic) and consumers' buying behaviour exists or not. According to Table 9, the p-value is . 000, indicating that the four CSR components significantly influence consumers' buying behaviour. Table 9: ANOVA of Multiple Regressions ANOVAb | |Model |Sum of Squares| |bDependent Variable (CB): consumer behaviour | | | | A coefficient table is very much helpful in explaining the relationship between the four CSR components and consumers' buying behaviour. Based on the calculated significances in Significance (Sig. ) column of Table 10, the p-value for each CSR component is less than 0. 05, which indicates that all the CSR components have a statisticall y significant relationship with consumers' buying behaviour. Table 10: Coefficients of Multiple Regressions Coefficientsa | |Model |Unstandardized Coefficients |Standardized |t |Sig. | | | |Coefficients | | | | |B |Std. Error |Beta | | In Table 10, the unstandardised beta coefficient is used for the values of the numbers in the linear regression equation.Theory explains that a higher beta value indicates a greater impact of the independent variable on the dependent variable. The independent variable (CSR components) can be ranked according to the magnitude of the beta coefficient to determine which component has the most significant impact on consumers' buying behaviour. The regression model relates Y (the dependent variable) to a function of X (the independent variable) and ? (the unknown parameter). It is formulated as Y ? f(X, ? ). The multiple regression analyses performed in this study are modeled as follows: Yi = ? 1xi1 + ? 2xi2 + ? 3xi3 + ? 4xi4 Therefore, the multiple re gressions line equation for this current study is: Consumer Behaviour = 1. 286 + 0. 59 Economic Responsibility + 0. 168 Philanthropic Responsibility + 0. 166 Ethical Responsibility + 0. 112 Legal Responsibility. The results explicitly defines that the economic responsibility attribute has the most significant impact on consumers' buying behaviour, as it has the highest beta value, followed by philanthropic responsibility, ethical responsibility and, finally, legal responsibility. Indian consumers seem to view CSR priority differently from other nations. Economic responsibility was still the basic utmost priority preferred. However, they ranked philanthropic responsibility as the second most important responsibility compared with legal responsibility.It is not surprising that Indian consumers see corporations' philanthropic responsibility as being more important than their legal responsibility. Consumers want corporations to contribute their money, facilities and employees' time to h umanitarian programs or purposes. Indians have been known as one of the most generous nations in the world. For example, the country's rate of donation and participation in helping the victims of natural disasters in the world has always been very encouraging. In addition, we have always heard that the generous Indians have made financial pledges and contributions to help those in need, they be orphaned children, the poor, accident victims and so on.Although the Indian consumers themselves have been very generous, the expectation for business institutions to do the same is unquestionable. As for complying with rules and regulations, it is not surprising that Indian consumers ranked legal responsibility last compared with Carroll's pyramid, which suggested that legal responsibility is the next most important responsibility Compared with those in developed nations, Indians regard rules lightly, to a certain extent, as we have always heard from the news about how Indians bend and ignor e stipulated rules and regulations. Among the most common examples are the bending of traffic rules and regulations promoting environmental protection. 7. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONSFor academicians, this research makes a contribution to the understanding the underlying dynamics of the role of corporate social responsibility in consumers' buying behaviour. The result of this study indicates that all of the CSR components have a significant relationship with consumers' buying behaviour. However, the limitations of this study must also be considered. The major limitation relates to the sample. With only 250 usable respondents, this sample size might limit the external validity of the findings. Managers should note that this research supports previous results reported in the literature, suggesting that a substantial, viable and identifiable consumer group exists that considers a company's level of social responsibility in its purchase decisions.Manufacturers and retailers have an oppor tunity to appeal to this group while simultaneously meeting their business objectives and make contributions to society. The type of CSR activities that should be engaged by the corporations should preferably be based on the priority indicated in the finding of this study, where the economic responsibility attribute has the most significant impact on consumers' buying behaviour, followed by philanthropic responsibility, ethical responsibility and finally, legal responsibility. 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