Critical care nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical care nursing - Essay Example The drugs prescribed demonstrate that the endeavor was to keep her blood pressure within normal limits, to keep her cholesterol levels in check and prevent any further cardiovascular complications, primarily as a measure to reduce the risk of a heart attack (NIH). The prescribed drugs are standard regimen to keep the blood thin, control blood pressure and reduce hyperlipidemia. However, 5 days post-discharge, the woman was presented again at the emergency department with the primary complaint being that of sudden onset of breathing difficulty. According to her husband’s statement, the woman had probably forgotten to take some of the prescribed medication, had undergone stress due to current heat wave, and had exerted herself while making preparations for the ensuing Christmas celebrations. Vital signs as registered on arrival at the emergency facility included a respiratory rate of 28, heart rate of 130 suggestive of rhythm sinus tachycardia, a B.P. of 140/100, oxygen saturati on of 94% on 6 litre oxygen via facemask and a capillary refill value greater than 3 seconds. On palpation her skin felt cold as well as clammy. Upon lung auscultation, bilateral fine crackles were discernible. Immediate treatment recommended and provided at this stage was in the form of GTN (Nitroglycerine) infusion and an IV diuretic, frusemide at a dose of 40 mg after which she was shifted to the ICU. In the ICU, sinus tachycardia was observed along with a HR (Heart Rate) of 133. ECG (electrocardiograph) revealed resolving acute anterior septal myocardial infarction with present Q wave. She had marked hypotension with a value of 85/70 and JVP was estimated at 6 cms above the sternal angle. Echocardiography revealed an ejection fraction of 50% with poor diastolic filling. Respiration was shallow and tachypnoeic with a RR of 35. Despite a supplement of 10L/Nonbreathing mask oxygen therapy, she continued to maintain poor oxygen saturation at 80-90%. Her pain score was determined as 5/10 and the urine output was 200mls. GTN infusion was discontinued and she was put on dobutamine at a dose rate of 500 mg/100 mls in 5% dextrose titrated to a MAP of 70 mm Hg. Mask CPAP was initiated. The woman’s age, BMI and the clinical symptoms presented clearly show that she is at a clear risk of a sudden onset heart attack which has occurred according to her presented symptoms on admission at the emergency facility. Such acute heart failure syndromes (AHFS) are a recognized reason for the high rise of cases needing hospitalization over the last few decades due to rising incidence of lifestyle diseases (Coons et al, 2009). The risk of mortality is high in such cases and therapy has to be instituted immediately. The above patient’s history, signs and investigative laboratory scores clearly show that she is suffering from acute onset heart failure. Her low BP (85/70), evidence of sinus tachycardia (HR 133), poor diastolic filling suggestive of reduced left ventricul ar ejection fraction (LVEF), low RR (35) and poor oxygen saturation despite artificial support are clear markers for her diagnosis (Coons et al, 2009). Although the above signs are sufficient for establishing diagnosis of AHFS, it has been suggested that newer diagnostic markers such as cardiac troponin and B-type natriuretic peptide levels can assist in establishing a positive diagnosis and should be employed (Pulkki et al,

ANALYSIS A&P supermarkets VS Shoprite Research Paper

ANALYSIS A&P supermarkets VS Shoprite - Research Paper Example The company operates around 435 supermarkets all over the United States. It is being operating as a subsidiary of Tengelmann Group, which is a based in Germany. A&P is only operating in the market of USA and has around 45000 employees. Once known to be the biggest supermarket retail chain in the country, A&P is now facing several financial issues and challenges. In the year 2010, the company reported a decline of around 7.4 percent in the overall revenues. The operating loss was reported to be around $600.6 million in the same year and the net loss in the year 2010 was around $875.6 million. Shoprite Holdings Limited is serving in the retail industry through different subsidiaries and provides the customers with fast moving consumer goods retail services. The company has being operating a vast network of hyper markets, outlets, and stores. Apart from this the operations of the company are expanded into 17 different countries and have well constructed supply chain network. Shoprite ha s been reporting considerable financial results and performance from several years and has been able to survive in the time of economic recession. It is offering significant dividend to its shareholders. The strategic and financial analysis carried out in this report, suggest that Shoprite is a better option for investing the money as the company is reporting increasing profits and revenues. INTRODUCTION: Retail industry is a recession proof industry and the industry has been growing even during the time of recession. The main reason for this is because of the fact that people have to eat, drink and wear clothes despite of what the situation of economy is. Because of this reason, a lot of investors choose to invest in companies within the retail industry particularly grocery stores. OVERVIEW OF A&P: The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P) is a US supermarket chain; the company was once one of the biggest companies in the US but it has been reduced in size. A&P runs 435 supermarkets in eight eastern states and the District of Columbia (AP Freshonline). In late 2007, A&P acquired its longtime rival, Pathmark Stores, for about $1.4 billion, reversing years of decline at the grocery company. A&P is a subsidiary of Tengelmann Group, a German Retailing Group which owns about 40% of A&P. A&P operates only in the US and is headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey. It employs approximately 45,000 people (Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, 5). OVERVIEW OF SHOPRITE: Shoprite Holdings Limited (Shoprite) is an investment holding company that operates through its subsidiaries and offers fast moving consumer goods retail services by operating a range of hyper markets, stores and outlets. It operates through 1,394 stores, including 265 franchised outlets and 1084 corporate outlets in 17 countries. Shoprite is headquartered in Western Cape, South Africa, and primarily operates in South Africa, the Indian Ocean Islands and various other African Countries. It employ s about 88,000 people. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: Both companies offer a range of products and services which mainly include

Theories of Motivation for Conflict Management

Theories of Motivation for Conflict Management CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 1.1 Introduction of conflict management Conflict management is a practice that we can use to identify and handle conflict sensibly, fairly and efficiently. Since conflict are always happen anyway, anytime, and anyplace. So it is very important that there are people who understand conflict and know how to solve them. This is important in today’s market more than ever. Everyone want to have a good place, good situasion that doesn’t have any negative conflict to make them feel more comfortable to work. But when we listen to someone talk about conflict management, our first idea and the meaning comes to our mind is problem in organization. Conflict is a natural part of life. Because everyone face their own conflict. Conflict is very hard to avoid when we work with other because people will always have different viewpoints and perception toward something. The way to handle the conflict determines whether it works and give advantages or disadvantages. It is very hard and really difficult for people to build a strong team or group. If we are facing the conflict, we can choose to ignore it, complain about it, blame someone for it, or try to deal with it through hints and suggestions, or we can be direct, find out what is going on, and try to reach a resolution through negotiation or compromise. We have to solve the negative conflict and increase the positive conflict , we have to plan everything in other to dealt with this conflict so it is not too easy to get pulled into the argument and create any larger mess. Actually that is depend how team member going to cooperate with each other, what type of resolution they want to choose. This all about their choice whether they want to move on or just give up with it. Conflict is not always a bad thing, though. Healthy and positive conflict is a result of working or team the cooperate well with each other to finish the task that be given. Conflict always happen because of differences between people that often make various teams more effective than those with similar experience. When people with a differ viewpoints, experiences, skills, ideas and opinions are given a task, a project or challenge, then the combination of the effort can be more effective than any group of similar individual could achieve. So, team members must be open to these differences and never let them rise and become a negative conflict. Understanding and appreciating the differences of the viewpoints that involved in conflict are major reason in its resolution. A team member have to develop this skill in order to maintain a positive conflict. According to Kenneth W. Thomas and Ralph H. Kilmann there are five conflict styles we can follow when the conflict happened and how to resolve to prevent the conflict or make it worse. These five styles are accommodating, avoiding, collaborating, competing, compromising. Well, a accommodating person is someone that having high capable to cooperate with their worker. This may be what he want or it opposing with hat he desired and cannot achieve his goal. This will be more effective when the other person recommend it to have better solution. An avoiding of the issue is the better way for person to avoid the conflict. But this styles will not help the team or the person to achieve their goal. But it can help the work become better or hen the person has no chance of winning. The collaborating is the situation where the leader and the member will cooperate together and make their dream come true. A great collaborating between them maybe help them to gain more benefit. It can be effective using in complex situation. Then the competing, competing is a situation where the leader and member having different opinion and compete with each other to achieve their goal. The person will act himself without getting any agreement from others, this only happen when emergency time or last minute task. Last, compromising,for this situation whether the leader or the members can achieves what they want. This can be a moderate level of cooperation. In this situation, they maybe need an other solution to achieve equally of their important goal. 1.2 Scenario of conflict management in group During our group assignment we face a lot of conflict. The most of all, the interpersonal conflict arise in our group. This occurs because we have different view about what should be done. This is because of personality different in group found that it is very difficult to cooperate with each other. Saying about personality different, I realize that each of the group member has their own personality, such as quiet person, it is very difficult to deal with this type of person because it is hard to make them give full attention and cooperation in doing the task, they being silence and less giving idea, they was like avoiding from the task. Not helping other to finish the task well.. Some of the group member, also have a stubborn personality, even very bossy, this make our discussion become difficult because this type of person keep rejecting the idea from others. Apart from that, we also have different perception. Each of us comes from different background, we have different experience and also different education level. This differences cause each of us have our own ideas and way of solving our problem during the task. Different background, our group came from different background because we all mixed together, international and local student. It is very difficult to have a conversation amongs us, because we have different slang. Some of the group member have their experience in doing this kind of assignment while other not. So this make this assignment become difficult to solve when we have different ideas based on the experience we have. About educational level, some of group member very good in academic while some differ, this make the lower one feel discourage and shy to give an idea , this situation become a competing, they will act themselves without getting any agreement from other. this make our group lack of idea and suggestion duri ng the discussion doing the assignment. Not only that, each of group member has conflict within themselves which more known to intrapersonal conflict. This make one individual difficult to give full cooperation in doing our task. For example, a person in group found that it is very difficult to come early for the group meeting discussion because they have their problem. They know they should come early but they refuse to come because of the conflict within themselves. Some have personal problem like they don’t like one of the group member, this make them feel hesitate to come for meeting. They feel it is very hard to face each other. This make group discussion very difficult to do. While doing the task, we found a lot of difficulties. However, we able to manage and put everything in order. Based on the basic type of conflict, I found out that our group member face the goal conflict, this happen when our group member set their goal and it is imcompatible with each other. Everyone is set their own goal based on their own desire. So make each group arguing to each other to satisfy their desires and to achieve their goal. Besides that, this group also face the affective conflict, I can say this because some of my group member getting angry with other member, this occur when someone in the group did not give full cooperation and not serious with the task that been given, this cause some of member really angry among themselves. Conflict Resolution How we managed and resolved our conflict by conflict handling intention. These five type, competing, collaborating, avoiding, accommodating and compromising really happen during the group discussion. Competing, each of our group member have their own goal for the task, they have a desires to pursue their personal concern without thinking of other. They participate very eagerly and doing their best to make sure the work done fast, they don’t consider about others and don’t want to accept other opinion. This make the group leader have to set out the the best idea and force the member to vote which idea and suggestion is the best. Collaborating, group member try to work well with other to have full satisfaction of the task. Group member try to accept and try to think the idea and suggestion together, list down the idea and suggestion and agree with it easily. Avoiding, group member try to avoid the conflict to make thing better. They start to ignore and not giving full attention on the task. They just simply run away from the difficulty. Then group leader asking the member to listen first, then talk, speak out the. Try to keep the peo ple and problem separately. Accommodating, when the member seeks to satisfy their own interests but neglect it because they concern about others. This make us have to come by paying attention to the important interests that being presented. And last compromising, a group member willing to give up something. They make sure that their good relationships are the first priority and always keep the task in order. when the conflict arise, we use three types of way to prevent the conflict, the first types is trust and communication, this is the greatest way, we can prevent the conflict if the group member are trusting each other, my member tend to be more honest and being open communication among our self, the leader encourage the member being open in communication so that we all can understand each other more than before. Second , goal structure, goal should be clearly defined and the role plus the contribution of each other must clearly identified, so the leader have made the clear job, task and goal for each one of the member , so they are aware of their task and try to achieve their own goal and task. Third, by ignoring the conflict, sometimes it is good to just ignore the problem. From leader viewpoint, it is not worth the time to get involve and try solve it, if the problem is too much and we cannot find the solution, so we just try to ignore it and move on to other part. Motivation introduction of motivation Motivation is used in the workforce not just to attract individuals that organization but to keep them there. One definition of motivation ‘has to do with a set of independent or dependent variables relationship that explain the direction, amplitude, and persistence of an individual’s behaviour, holding constant the effects of amplitude, skills, and understanding of the task, and the constraints operating in the environment. As example, every member of the group must cooperates in generate the idea to make sure that the assignment that is given by lecture can be finished successfully Motivation results from the interaction of both conscious and unconscious factors such as the intensity of desire or need, incentive or reward value of the goal, and expectations of the individual and of his and her peers. These factors are the reasons one has for behaving a certain way.. 2.2 Theories of Motivation Cognitive Evaluation Theory This theory suggests that there are actually two motivation systems, Intrinsic and Extrinsic that form to two kinds of motivators that are intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Intrinsic motivators can be as achievement, responsibility and competence, that come from the actual performance of the task or job the intrinsic interest of the work. Other than that, the kind of extrinsic motivator such as pay, promotion, feedback, working conditions and also things that come from a persons environment, and controlled by others. One or the other of these may be a more powerful motivator for a given members. Intrinsically motivated members perform for their own achievement and satisfaction. If they come to believe that they are doing some job because of the pay or the working conditions or some other extrinsic reason, they begin to lose motivation. The belief is that the presence of powerful extrinsic motivators can actually reduce a persons intrinsic motivation, particularly if the extrinsic motivators are perceived by the person to be controlled by people. In other words, a leader who is always dangling this reward or that stick will turn off the intrinsically motivated member. Acquired Needs Theory ( mcclellan) For this theory, some needs as a result of life experiences such as need for achievement, accomplish something difficult. For example, in a group need to do things for themselves to make sure their work done and perfect. Beside that, in a group need for affiliation, from close personal relationships to make rewarded for making friends. Other than that, we also need power and control other. This is able and get what they through controlling others. Expectancy Theory (Vroom) This theory bring together many of the elements of previous theories. It is the combination of the perceptual aspects of equity theory with the behavioral aspects of the other theories. Basically, it comes down to this equation: M = E*I*V Motivation = Expectancy * Instrumentality * Valence Motivation is the amount a person will be motivated by the situation they find themselves in. It is a function of the following. Expectancy is which the group of the persons perception that effort will result in performance. In other words, in the group the persons assessment of the degree to which effort actually correlates with performance. For instrumentality can be perception of the group that performance will be rewarded or punished. The group’s assessment of how well the amount of reward correlates with the quality of performance. Valence also can perceive strength of the reward or punishment that will result from the performance of the group. If the reward is small, the motivation will be small, even if expectancy and instrumentality are both perfect. 2.3 Types of motivation and scenario: Motivation is the drive or urge that stimulate one’s desires and energy in people to be continually interested and committed to a job or a task that is given to them in order to attain a goal. There are two different types of motivation that we can use while progressing to finish our task. That is, Positive Motivation and Negative Motivation. Positive Motivation is the type of motivation that can become our inspired, the drive is put on the member in order to increase the urge. For example, we can give any praise and credit for group member work. As a group leader, she or he should praising group members that are contributing the matter in group. This will encourage them to do more than that. From that, all group member been inspired to give more alternative. Next, all group member should showing their interest in the welfare of other group, This will encourage them to contribute and cooperate, they will feel they are considered important. Negative Motivation is the type of motivation, that trigour fear in group members mind. By using this method, our work will done by persuaded negatively instead their own willingness. For example, we can threat group member. Group leader can threat non cooperative members not to be included on the attendance if they keep skipping meetings. Second, group leader will use their power as a leader to influence members to do their assigned jobs by setting rules to those that don’t do their work will not be included in the final product. 2.4 how to subordinates (job satisfaction/ non-cash incentive) For job satisfaction, there many aspect of this, but all is depending on how each individual feels how this job satisfaction is important. Our goal is to understand the job satisfaction, or how please someone is with their job and sense of achievement they get from doing it. Well, reward and job satisfaction make us to think about causes for job satisfaction is rewarded to a person while doing their job. From our group assignment, we think about the reward that we will get as a prestige we get for doing a job. For example, we are thinking how the contribution that we give fully in doing the task and feel satisfy with the work and the whole contribution that be pour out. After all the contribution have been given, we will hope for the best result for the task. So this can be a job satisfaction. Jod satisfaction in performance, the relationship between and satisfied a person is with their performance. Giving a good performance sure will give you more satisfaction, so the leader will give an appraisal to boost up the confident level inside the each member . so by this, everyone in the group will being motivated and willing to contribute more on the task. Besides that, non- cash incentive being part of the motivation for the group member, we have to noted that with non-cash incentive reward, each person will doing their job more better , and they get more attracted and hold more to their interest, getting them more excited about the possibilities, and motivating them to act in a way that meets task objective. The non-cash incentive that we do in our group is, after finish the task, we will have a simple and small party. The leader find the best time to gather the group member and having some fun after the task done. This will make them more relaxing and feel excited. References Analytictech.com,(2015).Motivation.[online]Availableat:http://www.analytictech.com/mb021/motivation.htm[Accessed 14 Jan. 2015]. Cherry,K.(2015).WhatIsMotivation?.[online]About.comEducation.Available:http://psychology.about.com/od/mindex/g/motivation-definition.htm[Accessed 14 Jan. 2015] EducationPortal,(2015).WhatIsConflictManagement?Defination,StylesStrategiesEducaionPor[online]Availableat:http//educationportal.com/academy/lesson/whatisconflictmanagementdefination-styles-strategies.htm1 [Accessed 14 Jan 2015]. Wright.edu,(2015).ConflictManagement:StyleandStrategy.[online]Availableat:http://www.wright.edu/~scott.williams/LeaderLetter/conflict.htm [Accessed 14 Jan. 2015].

Essay examples --

Since the mid-1990s, the United Nations (UN) and other multilateral bodies have asserted authority for the administration of war-torn territories and shouldered the responsibility of placing them on the trajectory of political change (Knoll 2008: 2). In 1995, right after Dayton Peace Agreement, the UN assumed responsibility in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Chesterman 2004: 2). In 1999, following NATO’s armed intervention in Kosovo, the Security Council adopted Resolution 1244 establishing the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (Brabandere 2009: 37). Just a few months later, a transitional administration was created with effective sovereignty over East Timor until independence (UNTAET). These expanding mandates continued a trend that began with the operations in Namibia in 1989 and Cambodia in 1993, where the United Nations exercised varying degrees of civilian authority in addition to supervising elections (Chesterman 2004: 2). However, although the UN had assumed responsibility in 68 countries since 1948, the missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, and East Timor are commonly seen as unique in the history of the United Nations (Chesterman 2004; Doyle 2001; Chopra 1998; Wolfrum 2005; Stahn 2008). First, international administrations of these countries represent the most comprehensive missions ever deployed by the United Nations. Second, these cases also represent clear examples of democratic regime-building efforts on the part of international administrators. In the three cases, democratic regime-building has been an explicit goal, and international administrators have sought to oversee and involve themselves in a full process of regime change (Tansey 2009). Lastly, the three cases also display variation on both independent a... ...lack of interviews or surveys represents a limitation in this respect. These gathering-data techniques could enormously supplement the present paper in addition to primary documents, academic literature and non-academic materials published by think-tanks and NGOs. Second, following Przeworski et. al. (2000) and Mainwaring et. al. (2001), the present paper it leaves out substantive results such as social equality and economic development. Nevertheless, although these caveats are significant and may serve as the impetus for further research they do not overshadow the modest endeavor of the present paper. As Mainwaring et. al. (2000) suggests, by applying a trichotomous scale with a modest information demand, the number of coding errors significantly would be reduced and thus achieve greater reliability than would be possible under a more demanding measurement scale.

Gordon Bennett Artist Essay

Gordon Bennett was born on 8 October 1955 in Monto, Queensland of Aboriginal and English/Scottish heritage. Bennett enrolled as a mature–age student at Queensland College of Art in 1986 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Arts) degree in 1988. Gordon Bennett is a contemporary artist and says his earlier art work where influenced by his personal experiences. Bennett’s work is defining Australian Culture and Aboriginal History, he wanted to change the way Australia and the world saw Indigenous Australians. Bennett includes a focus on the role and power of language, including visual representations, in shaping identity, culture, social issues and history. Bennett’s work alludes to visual and verbal violence of history of black and white relations, his scenes from outside Australia, deconstructing history and exposing the ideologies and structures that shape history. Bennett works both in traditional easel paintings and in multi-media, Photography, printmaking, video, performance and installation. The critical and aesthetic strategies of postmodernism have had significant impact on the development of his art practice. His work is layered and complex and often incorporates images, styles or references drawn from sources such as social history text books, western art history and Indigenous art. The emphasis on making ‘art about art’ which is the focus of his non-representational abstract paintings, contrasts clearly with the focus on social critique that was integral to Bennett’s earlier work, and is intended to provoke viewers thinking and opens up new possibilities for understanding the subjects he explores.

Mother Tongue: Thesis Paragraph

Mother Tongue: The Struggles of Communication Communication is arguably the most essential and powerful part of everyday life. Societies ability to run smoothly, efficiently and benefit as many people as possible, hinges greatly on communication and how effectively it is used. We need to communicate to get new and innovative ideas across, to state opinions, to sort our arguments and most importantly, to better understand those around us.The short story Mother Tongue by Amy Tan addresses the reality that the inability to communicate effectively and see the different perspectives of those around us can hinder the flow of society and often block us from new ideas and potential. Communication is different for everyone as shown by the narrator’s mother, and how she has difficulty expressing her ideas so that other’s understand and respect her.We can see that she is still a very intelligent woman who has a great understanding of the world around her even though some view her language as â€Å"broken†. Amy argues that standardised tests are not adequate indicators of intelligence because there are many different types of intelligence, and the test only covers one type. Lastly, because the narrator has grown up with what others see as limited exposure to â€Å"proper† language, she is dissuaded by teachers (as our many others in similar circumstances) from pursuing a future in English.The theme of the importance of communication in this story is very prevalent in today’s society because of the recent flood of immigrants to Canada, and the importance that they integrate well into Canadian society so we can run smoothly as the diverse country that we are. We need to reach an understanding that because lifestyles and habits l differ from our own, it does not make them worse or less valuable.

The 10 Most Unusual International Borders

The 10 Most Unusual International Borders Every country (except for some island nations) borders another country, but that doesn’t mean every border is the same. From large lakes to a shared collection of islands, national borders are more than just lines on a map. 1. Angle Inlet In far southeastern Manitoba, Canada, lies an inlet of the Lake of the Woods that is part of the United States. Also known as the Northwest Angle, this exclave of the United States, considered part of Minnesota, can only be reached from Minnesota by traveling over the Lake of Woods or by traveling through Manitoba or Ontario. 2. Azerbaijan-Armenia Between the Azerbaijan and Armenia border, there are a combined total of four exclaves or islands of territory that lie in the opposite country. The largest exclave is Azerbaijans Naxcivan exclave, a not insignificant piece of territory located within Armenia. Three tiny exclaves also exist- two additional Azerbaijan exclaves in northeastern Armenia and one Armenian exclave in northwestern Azerbaijan.   3. United Arab Emirates-Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates-Oman The boundary between the United Arab Emirates and its two neighboring countries, Oman and Saudi Arabia is not clear. The boundary with Saudi Arabia, defined in the 1970s, has not been publicly announced, so cartographers and officials draw the line at their best estimate. The border with Oman is not defined. Nonetheless, these boundaries lie within a fairly inhospitable desert, so boundary demarcation is not an urgent issue at this time. 4. China-Pakistan-India (Kashmir) The Kashmir region where India, Pakistan, and China meet in the Karakoram Range is incredibly complex. This map illuminates some of the confusion. 5. Namibias Caprivi Strip Northeastern Namibia has a panhandle that extends far east several hundred miles and separating Botswana from Zambia. The Caprivi Strip provides Namibia access to the Zambezi River near the Victoria Falls. The Caprivi Strip is named for German Chancellor Leo von Caprivi, who made the panhandle part of German South-West Africa to provide Germany access to Africas eastern coast. 6. India-Bangladesh-Nepal Less than twenty miles (30 kilometers) separate Bangladesh from Nepal, squeezing India so that far eastern India is almost an exclave. Of course, prior to 1947, Bangladesh was part of British India and thus this border situation did not exist until the independence of India  and Pakistan (Bangladesh was initially part of independent Pakistan). 7. Bolivia In 1825, Bolivia gained independence and its territory included the Atacama and thus access to the Pacific Ocean. However, in its war with Peru against Chile in War of the Pacific (1879-83), Bolivia lost its ocean access and became a landlocked country. 8. Alaska-Canada Southeastern Alaska contains a peninsula of rocky and icy islands, known as the Alexander Archipelago, that cuts Canadas Yukon Territory as well as northern British Columbia off from the Pacific Ocean. This territory is Alaskan, and thus part of the United States.   9. Territorial Claims on Antarctica Seven countries claim pie-shaped wedges of Antarctica. While no nation can modify its territorial claim nor can any nation act upon such a claim, these straight boundaries that typically lead from 60 degrees south to the South Pole divide up the continent, overlapping in some instances but also leaving significant segments of the continent unclaimed (and unclaimable, according to the principles of the Antarctic Treaty of 1959). This detailed map shows the boundaries of the competing claims. 10. The Gambia The Gambia lies entirely within Senegal. The river-shaped country was started when British merchants obtained the trading rights along the river. From those rights, The Gambia eventually became a colony and then an independent country.

Research Paper

Research Paper Like most Disney material, nature themes were incorporated into the earliest parks, including Adventureland, Frontierland, Natures Wonderland, and the newest, Animal Kingdom. Disney carefully edited these natural settings that show the less wild side of the wilderness. However, how does the tourist comprehend the illusions? How are the plants and animals adapting to reflect the illusion, and how are they accented by the interactions with both human nature and Disneys technological nature? These questions and more will be answered within the following sections: Definitions, Technological Nature, Kilamanjaro Safari, and The Final Answer. The Animal Kingdom is a modern exhibit designed to follow the natural pattern of an African community. The most eye-popping attraction, the Kilamanjaro Safari, is an open-air, nearly barrier-free animal reserve at Floridas Walt Disney World. It was a major shift from a cow playground to a zone of care for other wise caged animals. Here, African animals freely roam through acres of savanna, rivers, and rocky hills. The rider is advised to be aware, You never know what could happen in the wilderness (Tate 1). Before I can begin to consider the nature of the Animal Kingdom, the definitions of nature and technology must be established. Websters American College Dictionary lists nature as the natural world as it exists without human beings or civilization. In the case of the Animal Kingdom, this definition is inappropriate because Disney itself is a man-made civilization, with merchants, restaurants, and restroom facilities. Technology is defined as that branch of knowledge that deals with applied science, engineering and the industrial arts. This definition of technology can be reworked to fit the Disney model of nature. What exactly does Disney do? ...

Advertising and Product

Expressed usually as a percentage of  target market, brand awareness is the primary goal of  advertising  in the early months or years of a  products introduction. [1] Brand awareness is the extent to which the consumer associates the brand with the product he desires to buy. It is the brand recall and the brand recognition of the company to the consumers. Brand recall is the ability of the consumer to recollect the brand with reference to the product where as brand recognition is the potential of the consumer to retrieve the past knowledge of the brand when enquired about the brand or shown an image of the brand  logo. Brand awareness is an essential part of  brand development  which helps the brand to stand out from the others in this monopolistically competitive market. A brand name that is well known to the great majority of households is also called a  household name. - Importance  [edit] Awareness, attitudes, and usage (AAU) metrics relate closely to what has been called the Hierarchy of Effects, an assumption that customers progress through sequential stages from lack of awareness, through initial purchase of a product, to brand loyalty. In total, these AAU metrics allow companies to track trends in customer knowledge and attitudes. [2] Brand awareness plays a major role in a consumer’s buying decision process. The knowledge of an acquaintance or friend having used the product in the past or a high recognition of the product through constant advertisements and associations coaxes the person to make his decision in the favour of the brand. The eventual goal of most businesses is to make profits and increase sales. Businesses intend to increase their consumer pool and encourage repeat purchases. Apple is a brilliant example of how there is a very high recognition of the brand logo and high anticipation of a new product being released by the company. An iPod is the first thing that pops into our minds when we think of purchasing an mp3 player. iPod is used as a replaceable noun to describe an mp3 player. Finally, high brand awareness about a product suggests that the brand is easily recognizable and accepted by the market in a way that the brand is differentiated from similar products and other competitors. Brand building also helps in improving brand loyalty. - Types of Brand Awareness  [edit] Aided Awareness- This type of awareness is generated in a consumer. When asked about a product category, if the consumer is aided with a list of company names and he recognizes the company from the given set it is categorized as aided awareness. Top of the mind Awareness- When the name of the company is automatically recollected because the consumer very promptly associates the brand with the product category, it is called a top of the mind awareness of the product. [3] - Methodologies  [edit] Mokhira discussion in industry and practice about the meaning and value of various brand awareness metrics. Recently, an  empirical  study appeared to put this debate to rest by suggesting that all awareness metrics were systematically related, simply reflecting their difficulty, in the same way that certain questions are more difficult in academic exams. [4] Channels of Brand Awareness  [edit] There are many ways to generate brand awareness in the consumers. Listed below are four such channels Advertising  is the activity or profession of producing information for promoting the sale of commercial products or services. 5]  Advertising is used through various media to generate brand awareness within consumers. They can be aired as radio ads, television commercials, internet etc. Guerrilla Marketing  tactics allow every small firm to compete with bigger firms by carving out narrow but profitable niches. These tactics include (1) extreme specialization, (2) aiming every effo rt at favourably impressing the customers, (3) providing service that goes beyond the customers expectations, (4) fast response time, (5) quick turnaround of jobs, and (6) working hours that match the customers requirements. The term Guerrilla Marketing is a registered trademark of author Jay Levinson who popularized it through his several Guerrilla books. [6] It is an out of the ordinary way of marketing a product. Low-cost channels can be utilised to generate a high level of interest in the product and create brand awareness. Utilisation of personal contacts is the most popular way of guerrilla marketing. Product Placement is an advertising technique used by companies to subtly promote their products through a non-traditional advertising technique, usually through appearances in film, television, or other media. 6] A formal agreement between the product manufacturer and a media company can be generated through which the media company also receives an economic benefit, usually in the form of a fee. The media company in return will showcase the product through any of the various means they have available to make the brand stand out. Some people, however, consider product placement to be deceptive and une thical. For example, Coca-Cola could pay a given fee to have the title character drinking a Coke, instead of a Pepsi beverage, or Toyota might pay to have one of the characters drive their newest automobile. Through product placement, companies hope that moviegoers will take note of the products used by the characters, and therefore think more strongly about using the products themselves. Social Media is the most contemporary and cost effective way of creating a brand awareness with an online audience. Many companies use social media like facebook, youtube, blogs What is Advertising : The word advertising is derived from the Latin word viz, advertero   ad meaning towards and verto meeting towards and verto meaning. I turn literally specific thing. Simply stated advertising is the art says green. Advertising is a general term for and all forms of publicity, from the cry of the street boy selling newspapers to the most celebrate attention attracts device. The object always is to bring to public notice some articles or service, to create a demand to stimulate buying and in general to bring logethel the man with something to sell and the man who has means or desires to buy. Advertising ha s been defined by different experts. Some of the quoted definition are :   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   American marketing association has defined advertising as any paid form of non personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor. The medium used are print broad cast and direct. Stanton deserves that Advertising consists of all the activities involved in presenting to a group a non- personal, oral or visual openly, sponsored message regarding a product, service, or idea. This message called an advertisement is disseminated through one or more media and is paid for by the identified sponsor. Advertising is any paid form of non – personal paid of presentation of ideas goods or services by an identified sponsor. Advertising is a non- personal paid message of commercial significance about a product, service or company made to a market by an identified sponsor. In developing an advertising programme, one must always start by identifying the market needs and buyer motives and must make five major decisions commonly referred as 5M (mission, money message, media and measurement) of advertising. Basic Features of Advertising On the basis of various definitions it has certain basic features such as : 1. It is a mass non-personal communication. 2. It is a matter of record. 3. It persuades buyers to purchase the goods advertised. 4. It is a mass paid communication. 5. The communication media is diverse such as print (newspapers and magazines) 6. It is also called printed salesmanship because information is spread by means of the written and printed work and pictures so that people may be induced to act upon it. Functions of Advertising For many firms advertising is the dominant element of the promotional mix – particulars for those manufacturers who produce convenience goods such as detergent, non – prescription drugs, cosmetics, soft drinks and grocery products. Advertising is also used extensively by maters of automobiles, home appliances, etc, to introduce new product and new product features its uses its attributes, pt availability etc. Advertising can also help to convince potential buyers that a firms product or service is superior to competitors product in make in quality, in price etc. t can create brand image and reduce the likelihood of brand switching even when competitors lower their prices or offer some attractive incentives. Advertising is particularly effective in certain other spheres too such as : i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  When consumer awareness of products or service is at a minimum. ii)  Ã‚  When sales are increasing for all terms in an industry. iii)  When a product is new and incorporate s technological advance not strong and. iv)  When primary buying motive exists. It performance the following functions : i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Promotion of sales ii)  Ã‚  Introduction of new product awareness. iii)  Mass production facilitation v)  Carry out research v)  Ã‚  Education of people. TYPES OF ADVERTISING Broadly speaking, advertising may be classified into two categories viz. , product and institutional advertising. a)Product Advertising The main purpose of such advertising is to inform and stimulate the market about the advertisers products of services and to sell these. Thus type of advertising usually promote specific, trended products in such a manner as to make the brands seam more desirable. It is used by business government organization and private non-business organizations to promote the uses features, images and benefits of their services and products. Product advertising is sub-divided into direct action and indirect action advertising, Direct action product advertising wages the buyer to take action at once, ice he seeks a quick response to the advertisement which may be to order the product by mail, or mailing a coupon, or he may promptly purchase in a retail store in response to prince reduction during clearance sale. Product advertising is sub-divided into direct amp; indirect action advertising amp; product advertising aims at informing persons about what a products is what it does, how it is used and where it can be purchased. On the other hand selective advertising is made to meet the selective demand for a particular brand or type is product. b)Institutional Advertising : It is designed to create a proper attitude towards the sellers to build company image or goodwill rather than to sell specific product or service. Its purpose is to create a frame of mind and to implant feeling favourable to the advertisers company. Its assignment is to make friends for the institution or organization. It is sub-divided into three categories : patronage, public, relations and public service institutional advertising. )  Ã‚  In patronage institutional advertising the manufacturer tells his prospects and customer about himself his policies and lives personnel. The appeals to the patronage motivation of buyers. If successful, he convince buyers that his operation entitles him to the money spent by them. ii)  Public relations institutional advertising is used to create a favourable image of the firm among employees, sto ck-holders or the general public. iii)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Public service institutional advertising wages public support. c)Other Types : The other types are as follows : i)  Ã‚  Consumer advertising i)  Ã‚  Comparative advertising iii)  Reminder advertising iv)  Reinforcement advertising ADVERTISING OBJECTIVES The long term objectives of advertising are broad and general, and concern the contribution   advertising should make to the achievement of overall company objectives. Most companies regard advertisingly main objective as hat of proving support to personal selling and other forms of promotion. But advertising is a highly versatile communications tools and may therefore by used for achieving various short and long term objectives. Among these objectives are the following : 1. To do the entire selling job (as in mail order marketing). 2. To introduce a new product (by building brand awareness among potential buyers). 3. To force middlemen to handle the product (pull strategy). 4. To build brand preference 9by making it more difficult for middleman to sell substitutes). 5. To remind users to buy the product (retentive strategy). 6. To publicize some change in marketing strategy (e. g. , a price change, a new model or an improvement in the product). 7. To provide rationalization (i. e. Socially acceptable excuses). 8. To combat or neutralize competitors advertising. . To improve the moral of dealers and/or sales people (by showing that the company is doing its share of promotion). 10. To acquaint buyers and prospects with the new uses of the product (to extend the PLC). BENEFITS The functions of advertisement, and that purpose its ethics, may be discussion below : 1. It leads to cheaper prices. No advertiser could live in the highly competitive arena of mode rn business if his methods of selling were more costly than those of his rivals. 2. It acquaints the public with the features of the goods and advantages which buyers will enjoy. 3. It increases demand for commodities and this results in increased production. Advertising : a)  Creates and stimulates demand opens and expands the markets; b)  Creates goodwill which loads to an increase in sales volume; c)  Reduces marketing costs, particularly product selling costs. d)  Satisfied consumer demands by placing in the market what he needs. 4. It reduces distribution expenses in as much as it plays the part of thousands of salesman at a home. Information on a mass scale relieves the necessity of expenditure on sales promotion staff, and quicker and wider distribution leads to diminishing of the distribution costs. . It ensures the consumers better quality of goods. A good name is the breath of the life to an advertiser. 6. By paying the way for large scale production and increased industrialization, advertising   contributes its quota to the profit of the companies the prosperity of the shareholder the uplifts of the wage earners and the solution of he unempl oyment problem. 7. It raises the standard of living of the general public by impelling it to use to articles of modern types which may add to his material well being. Modern advertising has made the luxuries of yesterday the necessities of today It is a positive creative force in business. It makes two blades of grass grow in the business world where one grew before. 8. It establishes the goodwill of the concern for the test articles produced by it and in course of time they sell like not cakes consumer search for satisfaction of their needs when they purchase goods what they want from its beauty, superiority, economy, comfort, approval, popularity, power, safety, convenience, sexual gratification and so on. The manufactures therefore tries to improve this goodwill and reputation by knowing the buyer behaviour. To sum up it may be said that advertising aims at committing the producers, educating the consumer, supplementing the salesman converting the producer and the dealer to eliminate the competitor, but above all it is a link between the produce and the consumer. WHY amp; WHEN TO ADVERTISE Advertising as a tool to marketing not only reaches those who buy , but also those whose opinions or authority is counted for example a manufacturer of marble tiles and building boards advertises not only to people who intend to build houses but also to architect and engineers. While the manufacturers of pharmaceuticals products advertise to doctors as well as to the general public. At time it is necessary for a manufacturer or a concern to advertise things which it does not sell but which when sold stimulates the sales of its own product. There are concerns like electric heaters, iron etc. because the use of these increases the demand for their products. Advertising should be used only when it promises to bring good result more economically and efficiently as compared to other means of selling. There are goods for which much time and efforts are required in creating a demand by sending salesman to prospective buyers than by simply advertising them. In the early days of the cash register in America it was sold by specially trained salesman who called on the prospective users and had the difficult task of convincing them that they could no longer carry on with the old methods, and that they urgently needed a cash register. In our country certain publishers have found it less costly to sell their books by sending salesman from house to house among prospective buyers than to advertise them. In these two examples the cost of creating demand would be too high if attempted by advertising alone under such circumstances advertising is used to make the salesman acceptable to the people they call upon to increase the confidence of the public in the house. Naturals when there are good profits competitors will be attracted and they should be kicked out as and when sufficient capital is available by advertising on a large scale. Immediate result may not justify the increased expenditure but it will no doubt secure future sales. DESIGNING ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN : An advertising is an organized series of advertising messages. It has been defined as a planned, co-ordinate series of promotional efforts built around a central theme and designed to reach a specified goals. In other words, it is an orderly planned effort consisting of related but self – contained and independent advertisements. The campaign may appear in one more media . it has single theme or keynote idea and a single objective or goal. Thus, a unified theme of content provides psychological continuity throughout the campaign while visual and oral similarity provide physical continuity. In short run, all campaign want pre-determined psychological reaction in the long run, practically all campaigns have sales goal. The series of advertisements used in the campaign must be integrated with the sales promotional efforts and with the activities of the sales force. Campaign vary in length some may run only for a few days, other for weeks, yet other for a season or the entire year. Usually a range of 3 to 6 months includes many campaigns. Many factors influences campaign length such as competitors advertising media, policies, seasonal falls curves of the product involved, the size of the advertising funds, campaign objectives and the nature of the advertisers marketing programme. OBJECTIVES OF CAMPAIGN The advertising campaign, especially those connected with the consumers aims at achieving these objectives : i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  To announce a new product or improve product. ii)  Ã‚  To hold consumers patronage against intensified campaign use. iii)  To inform consumers about a new product use. iv)  To teach consumers how to use product. )  Ã‚  To promote a contest or a premium offer. vi)  To establish a new trade regional, and vii)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To help solve a coca regional problem. The institutional advertising campaign on the other hand, have these objectives. i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  To create a corporate personality or image. ii)  Ã‚  To build a company prestige. iii)  To keep the company name before the public . iv)  To emphasize company services and facilities. v)  Ã‚  To enable company salesman to see top executive consistently when making sales calls, and vi)  To increase friendliness and goodwill towards the company. Developing the campaign programmes. The advertising campaigns are prepared by the advertising agencies, which work an behalf of their clients who manufacture product or service enterprises, which have services to sell. The word campaign is used because advertising agencies approach their task with a sum Blanca of military fanfare in which one frequently hears words like target audience logistics, zero in and tactics and strategy etc. The account executive co-ordinates the work in a campaign. The creation of an advertising campaign starts with an exploration of consumers habits and psychology in relation to the product. This requires the services of statistical trained in survey techniques and of others trained in social psychology. Statisticians select samples for survey which are done by trained interviewers who visits individuals, included in the sample and ask question to find out about their taste and habits. This enquiry often leads to a change in a familiar product. For instance bathing soap may come in several new colours or cigarette in a new packet or talcum powder in another size. Such interviews are often quite essential to find out the appeal of advertising message for a product that would be most effective with consumers. David Ogilvy describes a consumers survey to find out the most meaningful benefit in which women are interested when they buy a face cream. The largest preference as given to Cleans deep into pores followed in order of importance by prevent dryness, is a complete beauty treatment, recommended by skin doctors makes skin look younger contains estrogenic hormones, pasteurized for purity, prevent skin form aging, smooth our wrinkles ogilvy concludes, form this voting come one of Helena Rubinsteins most successful face creams. We christened it deep cleanser, thus, building the winning form into name of the product. After getting the data the account executive puts together the essential elements of his clients brief, interprets the research findings and draws up what he calls the advertising strategy. STAGE IN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN Several steps are required to developed an advertising campaign the number of stages and exact order in which they are carried out may vary according to an organisations resources, the nature of its product and the types of audiences to be reached. The major stages/step are : 1. Identifying and analyzing the advertising. 2. Defining advertising objects. 3. Creating the advertising platform. 4. Determining the advertising appropriation. 5. Selection media plan. 6. Creating the advertising message. 7. Evaluating the effectiveness of advertising. 8. Organizing of advertising campaign. 1. Identifying amp; Analyzing the Advertising target : Under this step it is to decided as to whom is the firm trying to reach with   the message. The advertising target is the group of people towards which advertisements are aimed at four this purpose complete information about the market target i. e. the location and geographical location of the people, the distribution of age, income, sex, educational level, and consumers attitudes regarding purchase and use both of the advertising product and competing products is needed with better knowledge of market target, effective advertising campaign can be developed on the other hand, if the advertising target is not properly identified and analyzed the campaign is does likely to be effective. . Determining the advertising objectives : The objectives of advertisement must be specifically and clearly defined in measurable terms such as to communicate specific qualities about a particulars product to gain a certain degree of penetration in a definite audience of a given size during a given period of time, increase sales by a certain percentage or increase the firms market shares.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The goals of advertising may be to : i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Create a favourable company image by acquainting the public with the services offered available to the employees and its achievements. i)  Ã‚  Create consumers or distributor awareness by encouraging requests providing information about the types of products sold; providing information about the benefits to be gained from use of the companys products or services; and indicating how product (or services) can be used; iii)  Encourage immediate sales by encouraging potential purchasers through special sales contests, getting recommendation of professional people about companys products etc. iv)  Ã‚  It secures action by the reader through associating ideas, repetition of the same name in different contexts, immediate action appeal. . Creating the Advertising platform : An advertising platform consists of the basic issues or selling points that an advertiser wishes to include in the advertising campaign. A single adve rtisement in an advertising campaign may contain one or more issues in the platform. A motorcycle producers advertising platform should contain issues which are of importance to consumers filling and such issues also be those which the competitive product do not posses. 4. Determining the Advertising Appropriation: The advertising appropriation is the total amount of money which   marketer allocates. For advertising for a specific time period. Determining the campaign budget involves estimating now much it will cost to achieve the campaigns objectives. If the campaign objectives are profit relating and stated quantitatively, then the amount of the campaign budget is determined by estimating the proposed campaigns effectiveness in attaining them. If campaigns object is to build a particular type of company image, then there is little basis for predicting either the campaigns effectiveness or determining the budget required. 5. Selecting the Media : Media selection is an important since it costs time space and money various factors influence this selection, the most fundamental being the nature of the target market segment, the type of the product and the cost involved. The distinctive characteristics of various media are also important. Therefore management should focus its attention on media compatibility with advertising objectives. | Media| Form| 1. | Press Advertising or Print|   | i)| Newspapers| City, Small town, Sundays, Daily, weekly, Fortnightly, quarterlies, financial and annuals, English, vernacular or regional languages. ii)| Magazines| General or special, illustrated or otherwise, English, Hindi, Regional language. | iii)| Trade amp; Technical Journals, Industrial year books, commercial, directories, telephone,   Directories, references books amp; annuals. | Circulated all over the country and among the industrialist and business magnates. | 2. | Direct Mail| Circulars, catalogues, leaflets, brochures, booklets , folders, colanders, blotters, diaries amp; other printed material. | 3. | Outdoor or Traffic| Poster and bills on walls, railways stations platforms outside public buildings trains, buses. 4. | Broadcast or radio and T. V. | Spot, Sectional or national trade cost| 5. | Publicity| Movie Slides and films non theatrical and documentary films metal plates and signs attaches to trees. | 6. | House to house| Sampling , couponing, free gifts, novelties, demonst-rations. | 7. | Dealer aids| Counter and widows display   demonstration given by retailer or the advertises goods. | 8. | Internet| Today, Internet is a big spot for advertising. | So these are the media of the advertising campaign of the selecting of the media. 6. Creating the Advertising Messages : This is an important stage of advertising campaign. The contents of the message has to be very carefully drafted in the advertisement. Characteristics of person in the advertising target influence the message content and form. An advertisers must use words, symbols and illustration that are meaningful, familiar and attractive to those persons. The type of media also influence the content and form of the message. 7. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Advertising : The effectiveness of advertising is measured for a variety of reasons : a)  Ã‚  To determine whether a campaign   accomplished its advertising objects. )  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To evaluate the relative effectiveness of several advertisements to ascertain which copy, illustrations or layout is   best. c)  Ã‚  To determine the strengths and weaknesses of various media and media plans. In other words, measuring advertising effectiveness is needed to determine whether proposed advertisement should be used and if they will be no w they might be improved; and whether going campaign should be stopped, continued or changed. In accomplishing these purposes, pretests and post test are conducted. The former tests before exposing target consumers to advertisements and the letter after consumers have been exposed to advertisements and the letter after consumers have been exposed to advertisements. For an effective advertising programme, the advertising manager requires a basic understanding of the medium that is going to carry it. For effectively using advertising the management must test advertising to know which of the advertisement to know which of the advertisement have proved profitable and why as compared to others. - Customer satisfaction From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Customer satisfaction, a term frequently used in  marketing, is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. Customer satisfaction is defined as the number of customers, or percentage of total customers, whose reported experience with a firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds specified satisfaction goals. [1]  In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 71 percent responded that they found a customer satisfaction metric very useful in managing and monitoring their businesses. 1] It is seen as a key performance indicator within business and is often part of a  Balanced Scorecard. In a competitive marketplace where businesses compete for customers, customer satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key element of business strategy. [2] Within organizations, customer satisfaction ratings can have powerful effects. They focus employees on the importance of fulfilling customers’ expectations. Furthermore, when these ratings dip, they warn of problems that can affect sales and profitability. . . These metrics quantify an important dynamic. When a brand has loyal customers, it gains positive word-of-mouth marketing, which is both free and highly effective. [1] Therefore, it is essential for businesses to effectively manage customer satisfaction. To be able do this, firms need reliable and representative measures of satisfaction. In researching satisfaction, firms generally ask customers whether their product or service has met or exceeded expectations. Thus, expectations are a key factor behind satisfaction. When customers have high expectations and the reality falls short, they will be disappointed and will likely rate their experience as less than satisfying. For this reason, a luxury resort, for example, might receive a lower satisfaction rating than a budget motel—even though its facilities and service would be deemed superior in absolute terms. [1] The importance of customer satisfaction diminishes when a firm has increased  bargaining power. For example,  cell phone  plan providers, such as  ATamp;T  and  Verizon, participate in an industry that is an  oligopoly, where only a few suppliers of a certain product or service exist. As such, many cell phone plan contracts have a lot of  fine print  with provisions that they would never get away if there were, say, a hundred cell phone plan providers, because customer satisfaction would be way too low, and customers would easily have the option of leaving for a better contract offer. There is a substantial body of empirical literature that establishes the benefits of customer satisfaction for firms. You can check out the retails shops using this link http://www. sony. co. in/section/retailshops Here is what I found RAJEEV ELETRONICS P. S. 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Quoted MRP is for 1 unit of the product. ) + Compar e * KLV-32BX350 *  »BRAVIA Engine 3â„ ¢ *  »Clear resolution enhancer *  »BRAVIA Sync Standard Retail PriceMRP  Rs  27,900(MRP inclusive of all taxes. Quoted MRP is for 1 unit of the product. + Compare * KLV-26BX350 *  »BRAVIA Engine 3â„ ¢ *  »Clear resolution enhancer *  »BRAVIA Sync Standard Retail PriceMRP  Rs  22,900(MRP inclusive of all taxes. Quoted MRP is for 1 unit of the product. ) + Compare * KLV-22BX350 *  »BRAVIA Engine 3â„ ¢ *  »Clear resolution enhancer *  »BRAVIA Sync Standard Retail PriceMRP  Rs  15,900(MRP inclusive of all taxes. Quoted MRP is for 1 unit of the product. ) + Compare ledlllllllllll LED DETAIL ON ONLINE FROM WEB SITE (http://www. sony. co. in/product/kdl-46hx925/overview) Utilizing Customer Feedback *

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Research Design - Assignment Example Looking at extrinsic motivation, this motivation comes from the outside. In the next stage, they are more internal about their motivation, and this relates more to themes of self-efficacy and self-esteem that comes from inside the individual instead of coming from outside. Having intrinsic motivation is not necessarily the same thing as having self-esteem, although it may be related to this concept. Valuing health and a fitness atmosphere is also a big part of cultivating self-esteem and positive self-image in this environment of research questions into athletic performance, and decreasing potential conflicts and problems in life. Overall, the plan focuses on both self-esteem and motivation. Motivation shows a mind-body connection, so whether or not a positive and motivated mind can lead to a better body for the subjects, is another major question in regards to the researchers. This points towards a holistic definition of fitness as is shown in motivation itself, of which this is part of internal or intrinsic motivation to increase the fitness level of the athlete, who is measured cycling in the study. The authors make educated guesses about whether or not athletes would respond positively or negatively to motivational factors. â€Å"Athletes occasionally follow pacing patterns that seem unreasonably aggressive compared with those of prerace performances, potentially because of the motivation provided by competition. This study evaluated the effect of extrinsic motivation on cyclists` time trial performance† (Hulleman et al., 2007). Extrinsic motivation may be true, but uses levers to encourage a certain way of thinking. Dealing with issues of motivation and planning means that the athlete would be hypothesized to need to have definite goals and at the same time still be flexible. That is, the effective motivated pro will have a master plan going but at the same

A Transnational Corporation Influence on the World Economy Case Study

A Transnational Corporation Influence on the World Economy - Case Study Example Three major ways in which TNC's participate in the economic activities of the host country are through international trade, technology transfer and international (foreign direct) investment. These activities, both individually and collectively, have the potential impact host countries in different ways, and these ways depend on several variables. This paper will examine these internationalisation activities and discuss their impact on the economy of the countries involved, especially that of host countries. With the new advancements in transportation, information, communication and technology, international trade has become more prevalent over the past few decades, and especially this past one. Locally, international trade has changed the activities of the market. It has created the need for countries to produce more for export and encouraged a greater dependence on imports to fill gaps in local markets. In the past, international trade had been dictated by colonialism, but now things have been changing. New superpowers have arisen, and they have given birth to transnational corporations. ... However, the transnational corporations of developed countries have dominated the global economy. The trade agreements formulated among countries have usually rested heavily in favour of the developed countries. Several reasons have been proposed for this, but two stand out. Even in areas where developing countries have a comparative advantage, participation in the global markets has been limited because of market protection that still exists in both developed and other developing countries. The other reason is that the negotiating powers of developing countries are heavily restricted by tight budgets ("Market Access").

Prepare a report for a UK fashion retailer that (1) identifies key Essay

Prepare a report for a UK fashion retailer that (1) identifies key relevant changes in the UK market (750words) and (2) suggest strategies and tactics that are - Essay Example The unemployment rate has increased to its highest level in 17 years, as a result disposable incomes will remain flat in 2009 and consumption is forecasted to reduce by 1.2% in 2009 with credit being hard to get. (BBC News Report, 2008). The reduction in disposable income may impact negatively on the fashion retail market, because people tend to curb spending on fashion items in favor of necessities such as food. On the positive side however, it is also possible that with the increasing difficulties in obtaining credit, more people will be unable to purchase big ticket items such as homes and will opt to spend their money on clothing and footwear instead. In a restrictive economic environment, supermarkets marketing fashion apparel are likely to enjoy higher levels of customer support as compared to specialist fashion outlets. (www.verdict.co.uk). With rising costs of gas and less of disposable income, consumers are likely to target their purchases to a supermarket where all goods are offered under one roof. Specialist fashion retailers may be faced with rising costs in rent, etc added to which the costs of sourcing products from China are likely to increase which could further decrease the margins available to specialists. (www.verdict.co.uk). Since the U.K. economy has been declining throughout the last three successive financial quarters, the value of the pound has been falling, thereby giving rise to outsourcing exchanges with smaller margins of profit. In such an environment, there is likely to be an increasing squeeze on midmarket retailers, many of whom may be forced to exit the market, since they offer neither low price for competitiveness, neither do they offer special value for their brands. Howard’s decision model shows that consumer purchase behavior is a component of (a)brand recognition (b) attitude towards the brand and (c) confidence in judging the

A Transnational Corporation Influence on the World Economy Case Study

A Transnational Corporation Influence on the World Economy - Case Study Example Three major ways in which TNC's participate in the economic activities of the host country are through international trade, technology transfer and international (foreign direct) investment. These activities, both individually and collectively, have the potential impact host countries in different ways, and these ways depend on several variables. This paper will examine these internationalisation activities and discuss their impact on the economy of the countries involved, especially that of host countries. With the new advancements in transportation, information, communication and technology, international trade has become more prevalent over the past few decades, and especially this past one. Locally, international trade has changed the activities of the market. It has created the need for countries to produce more for export and encouraged a greater dependence on imports to fill gaps in local markets. In the past, international trade had been dictated by colonialism, but now things have been changing. New superpowers have arisen, and they have given birth to transnational corporations. ... However, the transnational corporations of developed countries have dominated the global economy. The trade agreements formulated among countries have usually rested heavily in favour of the developed countries. Several reasons have been proposed for this, but two stand out. Even in areas where developing countries have a comparative advantage, participation in the global markets has been limited because of market protection that still exists in both developed and other developing countries. The other reason is that the negotiating powers of developing countries are heavily restricted by tight budgets ("Market Access").

Pets Are Our Responsibilty Essay Example for Free

Pets Are Our Responsibilty Essay Many people think that pets are too much of a responsibility, as they require food, walked on a regular basis, trained properly and lots of love and care. Any pet that lives outside a cage has to be trained properly so that it does not soil the home. Without training dogs can be very destructive and even dangerous. Pets are also very expensive and their food, toys, and medical treatment cost a lot of money too. Some pets are not looked after properly by their owners and sometimes the owner even loses interest. There were 40,879 humane destruction’s of dogs last year, 32,769 of cats and 18,816 of others. These figures include 29,610 dogs and cats too sick to live. People are cruel to pets and hurt them in al sorts of ways. In 1985 the RSPCA had to destroy 137,632 dogs cats and other pets, many were healthy but just too much for the RSPCA to find homes for. Inspectors from the RSPCA were called out to investigate 64,678 complaints last year. These are just some of the bad points of having a pet.Others think of pets as trusted friends as they give us comfort and affection. Pets are tame animals kept for companionship or because they are attractive to look at. Pets are good fun and can teach children responsibilities in life. Pets in the UK are very popular below are the top ten pets in England and Wales. In 1980 there was 5.6million dogs in the UK, this number increased by 1.8million in 1989. There were 2million more cats in the UK in 1989 than in 1980. The number of Budgies also increased by 0.1million in 1989. The Royal Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals more commonly known as the RSPCA looks after animals that have been treated badly. Last year the RSPCA homed 105,079 animals including dogs, cats and many other animals. If you don’t have a pet I would seriously consider buying one. Pets are very good company and almost any animal could be a pet. Unusual pets require special care and some knowledge and how they behave in the wild. Many pets need very little attention or space – there is room in the smallest home for a fish tank or a birdcage.

Effect of North Korea on Peace and Security

Effect of North Korea on Peace and Security North Korea and North East Asian Peace and Security Current security issues in North East Asia, raised by North Korea Nuclear Test. Please examine how far North Korea can affect the peace and stability in Northeast Asia and how other countries such as America, Japan, China, and Russia react on this issue. And lastly, How to solve this security issues permanently and increases future stability in the area? Contents (Jump to) Abstract Introduction Chapter One North Korean defence and foreign policy misrepresented or a threat to peace and security? Chapter Two – Containing the North Korean threat to peace and security in the North East Asia Region Conclusions Bibliography Abstract The following dissertation will discuss and evaluate North Korea’s influence and effect upon peace and security within the North East Asia region. This dissertation will evaluate North Korea’s relationships with other countries in the North East Asia region such as South Korea, Japan, and China. Countries from outside the immediate North East Asia region like the United States, Russia (as the largest successor state of the Soviet Union) and to a lesser extent Britain and France also have an interest in the North East Asia Region. All these countries have an interest in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear tests. For instance these countries must consider how the actions or the potential actions of the North Korean government are able to influence or effect peace and security within the North East Asia region. Non-governmental organisations like the United Nations and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) have taken a great deal of interest in how North Korea effects the peace and security of its immediately neighbouring countries. These organisations are taking North Korea’s nuclear programme as well as its ballistic missile capacity into account when they regard the North Korean threat to peace and security going beyond the confines of the North East Asia region itself. This dissertation will evaluate the development and changes in North Korean government policies that have influenced and arguably threatened peace and security of the North East Asia region from Korea’s initial division at the end of the Second World War through to the present day. North Korea has been regarded as a threat to the peace and security of the North East Asia region ever since Pyongyang’s decision to invade South Korea provoked the Korean War of 1950 to 1953. The Korean War as will be discussed set the mould for North Korean defence and foreign policies, whilst ensuring the importance of the relationship with China and Russia. The North Korean regime, as will be shown, has been very reluctant to embrace and adopt any kind of economic or political reforms, preferring to use its scant resources on maintaining and expanding its military capacity. It is also continuing its nuclear weapons programme, long drawn talks having yet to result in effective nuclear disa rmament, and thus undermining peace and security within the North East Asia region, and when issues of nuclear proliferation are concerned outside that region. Finally the following will explore whether there are any ways in which North Korea can finally become a country that its neighbours in the North East Asia region could trust and believe will not threaten their common peace and stability rather than a country that they mistrust. The United Nations is an organisation that could offer the North Korean assistance to overcome its failed economy in return for the ending of North Korea’s nuclear programme and potentially aggressive foreign policy. The main onus for international efforts to contain North Korean nuclear weapons development has been by the United States, China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. The prospects for the international community being able to monitor and eventually close down North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme, dismantling any weapons already constructed will also be discussed and evaluated. Introduction Korea has a long history of being a definable and separate nation state, although it was for many centuries subject to Chinese and later Japanese control (Lenman, 2004, p.450). Japanese control of Korea was ended by its defeat in the Second World War, which would inadvertently lead to the partition of Korea (Whitaker’s, 2007, p.892). The division of Korea was caused by the way that the Allied powers liberated the country from Japanese occupation, United States troops cleared the south, with the Soviet Union being responsible for clearing the north. This was intended to be a temporary division along the 38th parallel that would provoke the hottest conflict of the Cold War, as well as creating a dispute that continues to destabilise the peace and the security of the North East Asia region. As with the division of Vietnam the division was purely carried out as a reflection of the distribution of American and Soviet armed forces at the time of the Japanese surrender in September 1 945 (Gaddis, 2005, p.41). It was Kim Il Sung who had previously fought the Japanese for many years that emerged as North Korea’s first political leader, and he would be the man most responsible for his country’s attempt to re-unite Korea by force. Kim Il Sung was also responsible for North Korea’s subsequently militant defence and foreign policies that has remained stridently anti-Western, militaristic, and potentially aggressive towards its immediate neighbours in the North East Asia region ever since. It was Kim Il Sung that decided to re-unite Korea by force, after his realisation that diplomacy would not bring about such a re-unification led to the plan to invade South Korea, although he seems to have pre-empted similar plans that the South Koreans had hoped to implement. Kim Il Sung went ahead with that invasion with the approval of the Soviet Union and China, and the apparent indifference of the United States, which had already withdrawn its military garrisons from South Korea durin g 1949. However, the North Korean invasion which, was launched in June 1950 persuaded the United States to lead the United Nation’s forces into defending South Korea and driving the North Koreans back across the 38th parallel. The United States had been able to take advantage of the Soviet Union’s representative not been at the United Nations due to the Soviet decision to boycott the organisation due to Communist China being excluded from the Security Council (Evans Newnham, 1998, p. 293). The United States decision to intervene in the Korean War started its long -standing military alliance with South Korea to guarantee South Korean security from the continued threat of North Korean aggression. The Korean War itself would drag on for three years with the North Koreans having to rely on large-scale Chinese military intervention and covert air support from the Soviet Union. North Korea only survived after the American led United Nations forces had captured the majority of North Korean territory due to Mao Zedong sending in the Chinese army. The conflict could have escalated, due to the involvement of Soviet aircraft that could have provoked a war between the superpowers yet both Moscow and Washington did not want an all out war to start due to the Korean War (Hobsbawm, 1994 p. 228). After the Korean War the prospects for Korean re-unification seemed to be remote, with the two Korean states being integrated into the alliance systems of the Soviet Union and the United States respectively. North Korea was therefore firmly in the communist camp, and initially enjoyed strong and productive political, economic and military relationships with both China and the Soviet Union. South Korea was a willing member of the United States alliance system and received substantial monetary and military backing from the United States, and later significant economic investment from Japan that would make it wealthier than North Korea. The United States government was not bothered by the Seoul’s regime lack of democratic practices just as long as it remained fervently anti-Communist (Hobsbawm, 1994 p. 228). Kim Il Sung’s North Korean regime was in contrast avowedly Marxist-Leninist in ideological outlook, whilst trying to create a strong sense of North Korean nationalism that was decidedly anti-American and increasingly isolationist in perspective (Heywood, 2003 p. 179). The Korean War meant that neighbouring countries such as South Korea, Japan, and China kept an interest in political and diplomatic developments that involved North Korea, the former as potential enemies, the latter originally as an ally. The balance of power during the Cold War meant that North Korea could only pose a threat to the peace and security of the North East Asia region if that suited the Soviet Union, and to a lesser extent China. The Kremlin to a large extent kept the regime in Pyongyang in check, not wishing to provoke further conflict, and realising that the United States would not tolerate North Korea attempting to invade South Korea again, or indeed developing its own nuclear weapons. On the other hand the Soviet Union exported missile and nuclear technologies to North Korea as part of its military and economic aid packages to the Pyongyang regime (Gaddis, 2005 p. 6 0). The fighting during the Korean War was heavy, the agricultural sector being particularly adversely affected, and the war had devastated North Korea’s economy. American bombing had also heavily damaged the North Korean capital city, Pyongyang. The number of North Korean fatalities, 419,000 was testimony to the high human costs of the conflict, with around 3 million people dying during its course (Castleden, 2005, p.299). The scale of destruction did not prevent a strong economic revival and rapid industrialisation, although most of those improvements were brought about by considerable amounts of help from China and the Soviet Union (Castleden, 2005, p.300). Large-scale industrialisation in North Korea would therefore have undoubtedly been much harder to achieve without that substantial aid that North Korea received from China and the Soviet Union. The Soviet decision to export nuclear technology to North Korea, for the non-military use of generating electricity would later allo w Pyongyang the opportunity to start its own nuclear weapons programme. That would have been unthinkable at the height of the Cold War, as neither the Soviet Union nor the United States would allow any of their satellite states to disturb the nuclear power balance between them. However, once the North Korean regime believed that the Soviet Union and China would no longer offer North Korea any meaningful kind or level of protection that is indeed precisely what the North Korean regime decided to do (Lenman, 2004, p.451). North Korea would continue to operate a planned economy even though that would eventually fail to adequately support its military build up and its civilian population. The North Korean government opted to keep its military infrastructure expanding rather than attempt economic reforms or adequately providing for its people (Heywood, 2003 p.137). The Soviet Union would have certainly disapproved of North Korean plans to develop its own nuclear weapons, yet the Soviet U nion’s influence upon North Korean military and defence policies had waned long before its own disintegration in 1991 (Gaddis, 2005, p.264). North Korea arguably became a threat to the peace and stability of the North East Asia region due to the nature and character of its hard line Stalinist regime. Kim Il Sung was a Marxist dictator in the mode of Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong. However for the majority of the Cold War period the North Korean threat was seen to be much less pronounced to the non-communist parts of the North East Asia region than the more obvious threats of the Soviet Union and China (Gaddis, 2005, p.60). Kim Il Sung’s craving for power meant that North Korea dedicated and continues to dedicate a large percentage of its national budget and resources towards internal repression and building up its military strength to threaten the other countries of the North East Asia region. However, North Korea’s conventional weapons would not be enough to successfully invade South Korea whilst the United States continues to offer full protection against such attacks, even if their purchase had almost bankr upted the Pyongyang regime (Castleden, 2005, p.303). Despite the faltering of the North Korean economy in the last two decades or so, Pyongyang seems to be more interested in threatening South Korea and Japan with nuclear weapons and ballistic weapons than feeding its own population. Although North Korea should be wary of what happened to its erstwhile ally, the Soviet Union whose excessive and unsustainable military expenditure played a major part in its eventual collapse (Tipton, 1998, p.434). However, although the North Korean regime decided to start its nuclear weapons programme that decision violated North Korea’s formal and legal pledges not to proliferate its own nuclear weapons. North Korea had signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and had joined the IAEA, which meant that it was not supposed to start its own nuclear weapons programme at all (Evans Newnham, 1998 p. 68). For the North Koreans there were other examples of small and large sized states that had already broken their promises and legal commitments not to develop their own nuclear weapons. Those states nuclear weapons programme with varying degrees of reaction from the official nuclear powers of the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, China, and France. Countries such as Israel, India, and Pakistan have gone on to successfully acquire their own nuclear weapons with little or no action been taken against them to make them give up those devices. The North Korean regime understood that it c ould develop nuclear weapons with the possiblity that the United Nations and the leading powers would not be able to take any effective action to take those weapons off North Korea (Fukuyama, 2006 p. 80). Chapter One North Korean defence and foreign policy misrepresented or a threat to peace and security? Since the foundation of North Korea as a separate nation state its defence and foreign policies have been geared towards the re-unification of Korea on Pyongyang’s terms, rather than South Korea’s terms (Rayner Stanley, 2006, p.234). As far as the North Korean regime of Kim Il Sung was concerned the re-unification of Korea was not an issue that should concern any other countries apart from North and South Korea themselves. It was the context of the Cold War that complicated the strategic, military and diplomatic situation concerning the dispute between North and South Korea about which country should over power the other to dominate a re-unified Korean state. In military terms North Korea is the strongest, in economic terms South Korea is the strongest (Tipton, 1998, 434). On the one hand the assistance of China and the Soviet Union was useful for the economic development of North Korea and also as a means of building up the country’s military power. On the othe r hand the Cold War meant that the United States was more alert about the need to protect the countries in the North East Asia region that were opposed to communism, like Japan, South Korea and South Vietnam (Gaddis, 2005, p.60). The Cold War meant that the United States was unwilling to allow any more parts of North East Asia to fall under communist rule. After all the presence of United States forces in Japan had allowed the United Nations forces to resist Kim Il Sung’s invasion of South Korea. North Vietnam would eventually overcome South Vietnam despite the best efforts of the United States, yet the terrain of Vietnam was different from that of Korea and the North Vietnamese had better military tactics than the North Koreans (Hobsbawm, 1994, p.228). Whilst the Cold War continued, North Korea was not seen as the main threat to peace and security in the North East Asia region, superpower rivalry meant that the Soviet Union and the United States mistrusted each other more th an they mistrusted any other state. China would also emerge as a major power within the region, one that eventually took independent policy decisions from those of the Soviet Union. The United States government however, remains wary of North Korea’s intentions towards the rest of the North East Asia region (Gaddis, 2005, p.61). The peace and security of the North East Asia region altered during the 1960s, not as a result of changes in the Cold War, but as a result of alterations in the relationship between North Korea, China, and the Soviet Union. The regime of Kim Il Sung had not wished for North Korea to be reliant upon either China or the Soviet Union as soon as the country had recovered from the Korean War and had become economically self sufficient. By the mid 1960s the North Korean regime believed that it become self-sufficient and no longer such high levels of aid from China or the Soviet Union. Kim Il Sung wanted to maintain military links with China and the Soviet Union, yet did not wish for North Korea to be a mere client state of Beijing or Moscow. North Korea was not going to be like the majority of communist states in Central and Eastern Europe were in relation to the Soviet Union. Although of course the North Koreans did not have to worry about invasion by the Soviet Union if it took much of a n independent from Soviet policy (Castleden, 2005, p.301). North Korea’s military power was originally reliant upon Chinese and Soviet built equipment and the regime could not afford weapons from any other countries outside of the communist bloc (Gaddis, 2005, p.61). Under Kim Il Sung’s leadership North Korea could not get away from its close economic links with the Soviet Union until the latter’s collapse in 1991, which in turn would have very detrimental affects upon North Korea (Watson, 1997, p.246). The strong relationship between China and the Soviet Union declined dramatically towards the end of the 1960s resulting in border clashes between the two states. The break down in the relationship between China and the Soviet Union meant North Korea’s most powerful allies would spend more time arguing with each other than the United States. Pyongyang did not back either state publicly although Kim Il Sung regarded the Soviet Union as a more reliable ally, and unlike Beijing, Moscow did not occasionally make insulting comments about the North Korean leader (Watson, 1997, p.240). Whilst the North Korean economy seemed to enjoy impressive growth rates from the 1950s through to the 1970s, the country arguably did not have or develop the infrastructure or indeed have the resources to become a serious threat to peace and security in the North East Asia region. North Korean economic policy was heavily influenced by the planned economies of China and the Soviet Union, and was as unsuccessful in North Korea as they had been in China and the Soviet Union (Heywood, 2003 p. 152). Kim Il Sung’s regime collectivised agriculture and began the process of large-scale industrialisation. The collectivisation of agriculture commenced in 1946 when estates with Japanese owners were confiscated in the north under Soviet guidance (Tipton, 1998,p.304). Collectivisation and the modernisation of agriculture increased the life expectancy of the North Korean population. Industrialisation at least during the 1950s and 1960s appeared to be impressive. However much of that economic growth was due to the revenues raised from the export of natural resources to the Soviet Union and the receipt of aid from the Soviet Union (Watson, 1997, p.246) Economic growth could have been stronger if it had not been hampered by Kim Il Sung’s decision to make expenditure on the military as high as possible, and his government’s main priority. The military build up was meant to unnerve the South Korean government. In terms of total expenditure South Korea spent more on its military expenditure than North Korea. This was mainly due to North Korea being regarded as an ever-present threat to South Korean security. There were differences as to how the two countries military expenditure was regarded in the North East Asia region and beyond. South Korea’s military expenditure was seen as being justified as it would deter North Korea. On the other hand, North Korea’s military spending was viewed as being unjustified, aggressive and a sign of Kim Il Sung’s megalomania, policies that his son, Kim Jong Il has continued (Gaddis, 2005, p.61). North Korea had one major disadvantage if its regime wished to outspend South Korea in terms of their defence budgets, as they were poorer. Whilst North Korea found it difficult to find foreign investors, South Korea was able to attract very high volumes of investment, especially from the United States and Japan. South Korea’s increasing levels of wealth meant it could easily match North Korea’s military build up, without reducing the living standards of its population, or driving its government towards insolvency (Tipton, 1998, p.304). In terms of any future conventional war between North and South Korea, South Korea held key advantages. Firstly, the South Korean population was twice the size of its neighbour to the north, potentially allowing for its armed forces to have twice the number of personnel in war- time conditions. In 1985, South Korea was estimated to have a population of 41.2 million compared to North Korea’s population of 20.1 million people (Watso n, 1997, p.262). South Korea was economically more productive and therefore wealthier than North Korea, with the latter’s seemingly impressive growth rates beginning to slow down by the start of the 1980s. An example of the growing disparity between the countries was the per capita income, whilst it was $790 for North Korea in 1982, it was $1,840 for South Korea in 1983. In economic terms, North Korea could not realistically afford its high levels of military expenditure, although Kim Il Sung’s regime was determined to carry on with spending money it believed kept the regime in power and made it a continuing danger to its capitalist neighbours (Watson, 1997, p.262). In the following decade North Korea was widely regarded as bring an increased threat to the peace and security of the North East Asia region, despite the country’s economy going in to a steep decline. Whilst the North Korean regime refused to scale down its military expenditure its agricultural sector, especially suffered an alarming drop in productivity that contributed to an estimated two million North Koreans dying of starvation during the 1990s. Despite famine and economic decline the North Korean regime still used scarce resources to develop its nuclear weapons programme. North Korea barely increased its economic productivity during the 1990s and was by then considerably poorer than South Korea. To give a stark contrast, South Korean per capita gross domestic product (GDP) reached an impressive $13, 700, whilst North Korean GDP languished at $900. It was a paradoxical situation in which, although the North Korean regime could increasingly threaten its neighbours with miss iles and nuclear weapons, yet it would eventually need emergency aid from those countries to prevent more of its own population starving to death (Pipes, 2001, p.152). On paper at least, North Korea has impressive conventional military strength with around 3,500 tanks and 2,500 armoured personnel carriers, whilst the army had 950,000 troops. The North Korean air force has 590 combat aircraft, whilst the navy’s 88 submarines could pose a serious threat to shipping in the North East Asia region in the event of a future war. However it is the potential development and possible of nuclear weapons that causes a greater concern than North Korea’s conventional arsenal (Whitaker’s 2007, pp.893-94). South Korea has smaller armed forces yet still has a standing army 560,000 strong and 2,330 main battle tanks. South Korea would no doubt have to increase those numbers if 94, 450 Americans were not based in South Korea (Whitaker’s 2007 p. 895). However, it was not just North Korea’s strength in terms of conventional weapons that means it is regarded as being a threat to peace and security in the North East Asia region. The United States government has long suspected that North Korea has played a part in sponsoring and supporting terrorism within the North East Asia region and indeed further afield. The suspicions of the United States have been founded upon the anti-American rhetoric that the North Korean regime its content to produce from time to time (Gaddis, 2005, p.261). South Korea had previously accused North Korea of trying to undermine internal stability by supporting dissident South Korean groups and calling for the re-unification of Korea (Tipton, 1998, p.304). North Korea was one of the countries that the administration of Ronald Reagan denounced as being terrorist states back in 1985. The Reagan administration viewed North Korea as being a risk to international peace and security within and beyond the Nort h East Asia region (Ward, 2003, p.349). North Korea did not have any moral or political hang ups about selling weapons such as assault rifles to other countries that found it hard to acquire weapons due to arms embargo’s or sanctions. For instance, North Korea sold surplus Soviet manufactured assault rifles to Iran during the early years of the Iran-Iraq War. Such arms sales may have contributed to the United States accusing North Korea of being a terrorist state. The North Koreans could have countered that these claims were hypocrisy on the part of the American government that sold a much greater volume of weapons to any state or organisation that was anti-Communist, or if it suited the United States interests to do so. Hypocrisy that was demonstrated by the Iran –Contra Affair in which the money from arms sales to Iran was used to fund the Contra forces in Nicaragua (Fisk, 2006, p.278). North Korea also supplied ballistic missiles to the Iranians and even sent engine ers to Iran to ensure those missiles successfully reached Iraqi targets, especially Baghdad. The willingness of the North Koreans to sell missiles to the highest bidders certainly increased concerns about Pyongyang posing a threat to peace and security (Fisk, 2006, p.281). Surveillance and interceptions of cargo ships have provided evidence that North Korea will sell weapons to terrorist organisations as well as any state that can afford them. For instance, the Spanish navy intercepted a North Korean merchant ship that was officially taking cement to South Yemen. Once aboard that ship the Spanish found ballistic missiles that could have been used by the terrorist group that had brought those missiles. The Middle East is a volatile region at the best of times, so the ability of North Korea to supply ballistic missiles to governments and terrorists groups in that region is another concern for the United States and other Western countries (Davies, 2003 p. 238). It was during the early 1990s that the prospect of North Korea carrying out a successful nuclear weapons programme became the cause of major international concern. In the United States, the administration of President Bill Clinton was determined to persuade the North Korean regime to halt that nuclear weapons programme peacefully by preference, or by force if necessary (Clinton, 2004 p. 561). Aside from the United States, South Korea, China, Russia, and Japan were, and still are the countries that are most anxious to prevent North Korea acquiring and keeping nuclear weapons. Britain and France have also been involved in international efforts to prevent North Korea acquiring nuclear weapons as members of the United Nations Security Council, and as signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (Evans Newnham, 1998 p. 381). South Korea and Japan are particularly anxious and insecure about North Korea’s attempts to produce nuclear weapons because they would be the most obvi ous targets if North Korea ever decided to use nuclear weapons. That anxiety is increased because the South Koreans and the Japanese are well aware that the North Koreans have the technical capacity to fit nuclear warheads to its force of ballistic missiles that can reach all the major cities in South Korea and Japan. China is also anxious that the nuclear weapons programme of North Korea does not provoke a military confrontation between North Korea and the United States that would bring widespread destruction and shatter the peace and stability of the North East Asia region. China remains keen to continue its impressive economic growth rates and also hopes to maintain political stability in the region, a stability that North Korea has a strong propensity to disrupt. China is therefore willing to act as a go between to prevent conflict arising between the United States and North Korea that would be very damaging to the North East Asia region as a whole (Cheek, 2006 p. 136). That als o means that China is willing to back the efforts of the United States, South Korea, and Japan to reduce the North Korean threat to peace and security (The Guardian, February 14 2007). Russia, as the main successor state to the Soviet Union, on the other hand has attempted to maintain strong economic, military, and economic links with North Korea. Those links leave Kim Jong Il hoping North Korea has more leeway in its disputes with the United States and the United Nations over its plans to acquire nuclear weapons. Whilst Russia is caught between promoting its economic links with North Korea without harming its relationship with the United States that improved with the latter’s war on terror in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, it would normally put its relationship with the United States first. The Russians and North Koreans remain keen upon maintaining a strong relationship between each other, although that is based on pragmatism rather than a common ideological outlook. Whilst the Russian government believes that like the Chinese government it could help resolve the international disputes that currently mean that North Korea is regarded as been a threat to pea ce and security in North East Asia region (Meir, 2004 p. 417). North Korea’s defence and foreign policy was seen and remains seen as a serious and increasing threat to the peace and security of the North East Asia region because of the nature of the Pyongyang regime itself. That is due to Kim Il Sung and his son and successor Kim Jong Il concentrating upon the maintaining of their personal hold on power. That hold on power is through a strong military with undoubted loyalty to the national leader, and via a system of forced labour and prison camps that detain political dissidents or opponents of the regime. The regime’s internal position is also protected and promoted through a cult of personality for Kim Il Sung and now Kim Jong Il that rivals other cults of personalities witnessed in other communist regimes. It most closely resembles the cults of personality experienced in the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union, or China under Chairman Mao Zedong, especially during the tumultuous period of the Cultural Revolution (Castleden, 2005 p. 301). The North Korean regime during Kim Il Sung’s lifetime not only managed to copy Chinese and Soviet propaganda techniques; the North Koreans also managed to emulate their purges. Such pronounced levels of dictatorship have always managed to make the United States suspicious of North Korean intentions. The South Koreans and the Japanese tend to reinforce American concerns over the de-stabilising effects of North Korean defence and foreign policies. The South Koreans and the Japanese therefore have fears for their safety as without an American military presence in the North East Asia region they would not be