Can Military Force Promote Humanitarian Values?

Abstract Recent years have seen an increase in humanitarian interventions which have involved military operations. However is it feasible that the two operations, military and humanitarian are compatibleThis paper investigates whether this is the case and, to do so, assesses military force in terms of the values which underpin humanitarianism. This paper utilises a case study from the Libyan conflict to assess whether there is a politicised nature in the push for military led humanitarian operations, and examines whether there is a political undertone in the increased usage of military forces. It is argued that this undertone serves to undermine the possibility that military forces can promote humanitarian Introduction For several decades, humanitarian intervention has been a factor in military operations. This paper examines whether military forces can promote the values of humanitarianism during aid operations. To do so this paper will examine a number of elements and seeks to define humanitarianism. In doing so, the question of what role military forces can play is considered. This includes, for example, where military forces are deployed to affected regions or states and the role which they have been asked to conduct. This paper investigates whether the underlying aims of military forces are compatible with that of humanitarianism. This paper argues that they are not and that recent years have seen developments where military action has been wrongly justified on the grounds of humanitarian intervention. What is Humanitarianism? The concept of humanitarian intervention which utilises military force can be classed as a subjective one. Whilst some commentator’s class military led humanitarian interventions as being â€Å"the use of military force to protect foreign populations from mass atrocities or gross human rights abuses† (Waxman, 2013), others such as Marjanovic (2012) define the action as being â€Å"a state using military force against another state when the chief publicly declared aim of that military action is ending human-rights violations being perpetrated by the state against which it is directed†. Yet despite the subjectivity, there is a series of components which can be extracted from these various definitions. These components include: a form of war or conflict, the potential that non-combatants will be negatively affected by this conflict; and where human rights abuses are considered to be taking place In essence, there are a number of factors which should be present when military led humanitarian assistance is being considered. Weiss (2012: 1) argues that there is an underlying notion of a â€Å"responsibility to protect† and that this has a tendency to dominate modern geo-political thinking, but instead it is arguable that the global community can be accused of cherry picking where it seeks to intervene. Weiss had previously argued that any intervention should incorporate aspects of post conflict redevelopment programming (Minear & Weiss, 1995), yet since the perpetuation of military led humanitarian interventions, he has reconsidered his perspective to argue that such actions should now constitute â€Å"activities undertaken to improve the human condition† (Weiss, 2012: 1). This latter inclusion indicates that the shift in conflict dynamics, from one which is largely based on conventional warfare to the usage of non-state actors and combatants in an asymmetric conf lict zone has been a party to Weiss’s new perspective. Where values are considered, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) (2013) argue that these incorporate aspects of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. Essentially, therefore, it can be argued that where military forces are deployed to support humanitarian operations that it is essential they act according to these guiding principles. Role of the Military in Humanitarian Interventions Recent years, particularly since the end of the Cold War (Pattison, 2010), have seen military operations to support humanitarian interventions in a number of collapsed or failed states. These include, but are not limited to, Iraq, post-Gulf War One (1991 – 2003), Bosnia – Serbia (1995), Kosovo (1999), East Timor (1999) Somalia (2002), Haiti (2004), and Libya (2011) whilst other humanitarian interventions which have required military assistance can be considered to have taken place in post conflict Iraq and Afghanistan (Pattison, 2010). Weiss (2012) argues that the concept of humanitarian intervention has increased the potential for interventions into states in order to protect non-combatants from conflict. Contrary to this, the earlier reference to cherry picking provides a casing point when the political discourse which took place at the United Nations (UN) Security Council in relation to the ongoing conflict in Syria can be considered to be a case where the window o f opportunity for intervention has now closed, particularly since this conflict has led to the involvement of Islamic State and the Kurdish Peshmerga (Dagher, 2014). Increase in Military led Humanitarian Operations As stated, recent decades, particularly since the end of the Cold War, have seen a rise in the numbers of ethnically charged conflicts and where humanitarian interventions have been considered as necessary (Kaldor, 1998). In a review of this era, Kaldor noted that there had been a change in the dynamics of conflict and that the underpinning issue was of a series of belligerents and combatants which were not constrained by international regulations, such as the Geneva Convention protocols, Laws of Armed Conflict or relevant United Nations Charters (Kaldor, 1998). This changed dynamics has perpetuated and has spread to a number of conflict zones around the world, but has also seen a rise in the usage of conventional forces to support non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Similarly, Christoplos, Longley, and Slaymaker (2004) also noted a changed emphasis in humanitarian aid provision during this era. They argued that the underpinning programmes have been utilised to create a tripartite system of humanitarianism which incorporates rehabilitation (for both state and society), development of state and social infrastructures and relief programmes which provide for maintaining civil society during crisis periods. This particular perspective reinforces a belief that military interventions can help NGOs deliver aid by providing security (Seybolt, 2007). Nevertheless the incorporation of military activity into this mix has also resulted in a further complication since military operations deploy to aid zones with a preposition of maintaining operational security. This includes the potential for combating belligerent forces where such a need exists (Davidson, 2012). Stability Operations Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) (2013) argues that the first decade of the twenty first century has seen a near trebling of military support for NGOs in countries which have been affected by war, natural disaster or where the state infrastructure has been affected sufficiently that it is unable to assist with recovery programmes. GHA also note that peacekeeping operations have increased at a similar rate, particular in the years discussed earlier by Kaldor (1998) to the present day. UK military doctrine emphasises that any military activities which has a humanitarian focus should incorporate stability operations (Ministry of Defence, 2011). In clarifying this position, the UK Ministry of Defence added that: â€Å"The peacekeeper fulfils a mandate with the strategic consent of the main warring parties, allowing a degree of freedom to fulfil its task in an impartial manner, while a sustainable peace settlement is pursued.† (Ministry of Defence, 2011: 1.1). Such a perspectiv e indicates that the simple inclusion of additional personnel to assist NGOs is not the primary role of military forces but instead is indicative of a more political role which is intended to shape the political landscape of the affected region or state where assistance is being provided. This aspect does not sit comfortably with the principles of humanitarianism as espoused by NGOs such as the ICRC (2013). This perspective is further enforced when it is noted that the Ministry of Defence cannot rule out military action during humanitarian operations. Doctrinal papers evidence that military operations will also incorporate war fighting components as well as security duties. This was the case in Afghanistan, which was a stabilisation operation during which the UK military â€Å"had the consent of the host nation government but no other warring party (Afghanistan: Taliban 2001 – present) [†¦] A military force may decide in such situations that the defeat of a specific enemy is essential to the success of the operation.† (Ministry of Defence, 2011: 1.1). Essentially, therefore, there is a political perspective which can serve to undermine any arguments of altruism during a humanitarian operation which is supported by military efforts. Should Military led Humanitarian Interventions be justified? The UN backed military operation in Libya during its recent uprising and civil conflict was arguably mandated via humanitarian intervention based upon aid relief and assistance (United Nations, 2011). However it is arguable thatthat this particular intervention was politically motivated since it is evident that the Gaddafi regime had previously irked those states (USA, UK & France) which were at the forefront of the military aspect of intervention (Boulton, 2008). The argument put forward by the trio of states sought to ensure a quick resolution to the conflict and that a perpetuation of the conflict would lead to a humanitarian crisis. Kuperman (2011) notes that Resolution, 1973 allowed for a number of additional practices by military forces. These included, for example, allowing intervening forces to stabilise the Libyan conflict, to assist the undermining of the authority of the Gaddafi regime and to help bring the conflict to a swift conclusion. To achieve this Kuperman (2011) no tes that Libyan state financial and economic assets were frozen, the regime was also subjected to an arms embargo (Kuperman, 2011). It is also to be noted that the USA, France and the UK also operated outside of the mandate provided by the UN by deploying private military contractors to fight alongside insurgents seeking to overthrow the Gaddafi regime (RT News, 2012). That said, the Libyan conflict has not ended and continues to dominate local Libyan politics and society. This outcome serves only to undermine the utilitarian role of humanitarianism. It is fair to suggest that the actions by military forces were more political than humanitarian and served only to perpetuate the US led policy of regime change. This is a factor which Williamson (2011) argues has resulted in military planners utilising military force within humanitarian relief efforts and which has served only to muddy the political and societal dynamics of any affected zone. Williamson’s (2011) argument can be considered in tandem with the British military doctrine which refuses to rule out combat efforts but in relation to the post-Cold War era which has seen non-state combatants realign the battlefield to one which compares directly to a counter insurgency warzone (US Government, 2012). Legal Issues Where the Libyan case study is considered, it is worthwhile noting that, previously, Goodman (2006) had argued that there is a clear contradiction between military interventions into any state using a guise of humanitarian purposes. Goodman (2006) furthers his argument by stating that there is no legal justification for a unilateral humanitarian intervention into another country, and that it is highly unlikely that such a move will ever be likely. The rationale behind this argument is that states then have the potential to militarily intervene in other states using humanitarianism as a justification for regime change or some other ulterior motive. It is to be noted that Goodman bases his arguments upon the dynamics of recent interventions in Kosovo and Iraq as well as the refusal to intervene in the Sudan or in Rwanda (Goodman, 2006). Similarly when attempts were made to intervene militarily under the auspice of humanitarianism in Syria, this was rebuffed by the UN General Assembly s ince it was suggested that those who sought to intervene (again, the USA, UK and France) were doing so out of a political motive which involve a war fighting phase as opposed to relieving suffering on the ground, indeed a part of the proposal was to arm anti Assad militias which were aligned to the al Qaeda franchise (Benotman and Blake, 2013). The outcome of this particular policy has been the evolution of Islamic State. Conclusion In conclusion, the incorporation of a military force to benefit humanitarian operations can serve to benefit the potential for aid relief via the provision of security escorts for NGOs when operating in hostile environments. However with recent decades seeing a vast increase in the preference for military led humanitarian operations, the potential for a conflation between humanitarian principles and the advancing of political aspirations of donor states cannot be denied. This has been the case in Libya where humanitarianism was presented as a causal justification for military interventions which were mostly politically or ideologically led. With the vales of humanitarianism incorporating impartiality and neutrality it is hard to see how military forces can promote humanitarian values, particularly when their presence may result in engaging with potential belligerent forces in order to stabilise a country or region so that NGOs can conduct their own operations successfully. Essentiall y, therefore the aims of military forces (and their political masters) are vastly different from aid agencies, this serve to provide confirmation that military forces cannot promote humanitarian values, purely by virtue of their own activities and nature of their work. Bibliography Benotman, N., and Blake, R. (2013) Jabhat al-Nusra: A Strategic Briefing, London: Quilliam Foundation. Boulton, A. (2008), Memoirs of the Blair Administration: Tony’s Ten Years, London: Simon & Schuster. Christoplos, I., Longley, C. and Slaymaker, T., (2004) The Changing Roles of Agricultural Rehabilitation: Linking Relief, Development and Support to Rural Livelihoods, available at http://odi.org.uk/wpp/publications_pdfs/Agricultural_rehabilitation.pdf, (accessed on 13/11/14). Dagher, S., (2014) Kurds Fight Islamic State to Claim a Piece of Syria, (online), available at http://online.wsj.com/articles/kurds-fight-islamic-state-to-claim-a-piece-of-syria-1415843557, (accessed on 13/11/14). Davidson, J., (2012) Principles of Modern American Counterinsurgency: Evolution and Debate, Washington DC: Brookings Institute. Global Humanitarian Assistance, (2013) Counting the cost of humanitarian aid delivered through the military, London: Global Humanitarian Assistance. Goodman, R., (2006) Humanitarian Intervention and Pretexts for War, (J), American Journal of International Law, Vol. 100: 107 – 142. International Committee of the Red Cross, (2013) Humanitarian Values and Response to Crisis, (online), available at https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/57jmlz.htm, (accessed on 13/11/14). Kaldor, M., (1998) New and Old Wars: Organized Violence in a Global Era, Cambridge: Polity Press. Kuperman, A., (2011) False Pretence for war in Libya, available at http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2011/04/14/false_pretense_for_war_in_libya/accessed on 13/11/14). Marjanovic, M., (2011) Is Humanitarian War the Exception?, (online), available at http://mises.org/daily/5160/Is-Humanitarian-War-the-Exception, (accessed on 13/11/14). Minear, L and Weiss, T.G., (1995) Mercy Under Fire: War and the Global Humanitarian Community, Boulder: Westview Press. Ministry of Defence, (2011) Peacekeeping: An evolving Role for the Military, London: HMSO. Pattison, M., (2010) Humanitarian Intervention and the Responsibility To Protect: Who Should, Oxford: Oxford University Press. RT News, (2012) Stratfor: Blackwater helps regime Change, (online), available at http://www.rt.com/news/stratfor-syria-regime-change-063/, (accessed on 13/11/14). Seybolt, T., (2007) Humanitarian Military Intervention: The Conditions for Success and Failure, Oxford: Oxford University Press. United Nations, (2011) Resolution 1973, (online), available at http://www.un.org/press/en/2011/sc10200.doc.htm#Resolution, (accessed on 13/11/14). US Government, (2012) Counter Insurgency, Virginia: Pentagon. Waxman, M., (2013) Is humanitarian military intervention against international law, or are there exceptions?, (online), available at http://www.cfr.org/international-law/humanitarian-military-intervention-against-international-law-there-exceptions/p31017, (accessed on 13/11/14). Weiss, T., (2012) Humanitarian Intervention, Cambridge: Polity Press. Williamson, J., (2011) Using humanitarian aid to ‘win hearts and minds’: a costly failure?, (J), International Committee of the Red Cross, Vol. 93, (884): 1035 – 1062.

Presenting Christianity To Buddhism Essay

The last words of Jesus the Christ to his first band of disciples was to â€Å"go and preach the gospel to every creature† (Mk. 16:15). It has become, ever since, the mandate that the church at large has taken upon itself to endeavor to accomplish. Today, this command is commonly known among Christians as the Great Commission, and thus, all of the mission statements crafted by different Christian denominations hinge on these words of Jesus. The command is a major one, and so, must be heeded by the church of every generation. It is therefore incumbent upon the people of God to go and seek opportunities to present the â€Å"good news† to everyone – all peoples of any culture and religion which have no knowledge of God’s prescribed way of salvation as clearly revealed in the gospel. Specifically, this paper is focused on understanding Buddhism and on how to present the Christian faith to its people. Buddhism believes in a particular path of salvation it calls the â€Å"dharma. It (dharma) was realized by its founder, Siddhartha Gautama, of the Sakya tribe in Nepal, while in his deep meditation. After that defining moment of his life, he became the Buddha, or the one who is enlightened. The man was actually a member of the royal family and in fact, a prince. He lived around 566 BCE (Boeree 2000). The following statistics were taken from an internet web site whose concentration is on studies about Buddhism (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet 2008). The ten countries most populated by Buddha adherents are mostly located in Asia. They are: Japan (8,965,000 followers), China (102,000,000 followers), Vietnam (49,690,000 followers), Thailand (55,480,000 adherents), Myanmar (41,610,000 adherents), South Korea (10,920,000 adherents), Sri Lanka (12,540,000 devotees), Taiwan (9,150,000 devotees), Cambodia (9,130,000 followers), India (7,000,000 followers). It is very crucial for those who would take the task upon themselves of reaching the people of other religious background to have enough background of these religions. One major reason for this is, if the particular religion is embraced by the general population of that country, or at the least, it is one among other religions that has a huge following in that area of the globe, it must have been an influence in that particular society. It is therefore a must for missionaries to gain an ample background necessary for them to be effective in the mission of their choice. Background of Buddhism As stated briefly above, the founder of Buddhism was a man whose background was one of royalty. He was a prince, but had chosen instead when he was at an age of twenty-nine to leave the privileges of his royalty in order to understand the meaning of life, and in particular, why is there so much suffering. He was deeply moved by the sufferings that he saw. He therefore embarked on a journey in his life and engaged in an arduous spiritual discipline intent on discovering for himself the answer for all of these sufferings which he saw around him. An account was told of him when he at a particular time had decided instead to just sit under a certain tree, and there, to meditate until an answer is finally found. As the story unfolds, true indeed, Siddhartha Gautama, on that momentous day – as the sun rises, he became the Buddha. He was enlightened (Buddha means â€Å"the enlightened one†). From that point on, the Buddha has taken upon himself the self-less task of teaching to people the â€Å"dharma† – the spiritual path which he discovered in his enlightening encounter. For more or less 50 years, he wandered around the regions of India, and a following started to develop around him from every class devoted to practicing the path. Today, statistics show that the number of Buddhists worldwide has reached 365 million, and are said to be filling up 6% of the population of the world. It is one of the four considered major religions of the world and is the fourth in terms of number. Still, Christianity has the biggest number of followers – next to it is Islam, then next to Islam Hinduism, and as noted, the fourth is Buddhism (Robinson 2008). A. Buddhism’s Development It is commonly believed as reflected by certain historians in their works that Buddhism is to a certain degree has died out in India. In its first 200 years, the teachings of Buddha were preserved through oral tradition. After two hundred years, Disagreements ensued as it was during the following years that its authorities began to convene their â€Å"councils† – and in the course of these councils, splits occurred. And so, from India, Buddhism had become well-established in Sri Lankan soils. And it was from there that it spread out around Asia, and now represented in not less than five major forms: The Theravada Buddhism (Southern Buddhism), Mahayana (Northern Buddhism), Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism, or as some consider it – â€Å"the third path†), Tibetan, and the Zen Buddhism. Nowadays, Buddhism is even becoming a religious trend among the westerns (Calyaneratne 2006). It began to be known in the latter part of the 1800’s in the west when the Europeans then with their colonial occupations had been exploring Asia’s cultures and its religious texts being translated into the native languages of the west. B. Its Teachings There is what Buddhism calls as â€Å"four noble truths. † These are: suffering, its cause, release from suffering, and that there is a way to be released from life’s sufferings. These are, more or less, what constitute the four noble truths as taught by the Buddha. To properly understand the Buddhist’s worldview, it is basic to know and feel their perception of life generally. It is good to start in the so-called â€Å"four noble truths. † First, suffering. As has been noted above under â€Å"Background of Buddhism,† Nepalese Prince Siddhartha Gautama, before experiencing his enlightenment had been wandering already seeking for answers to the widespread suffering which he had seen among people. The hardships which he saw definitely had impacted him so much that it caused him to reconsider his royal comforts. In fact, he left the convenience and security of the wealth of his life, and chose rather to live the life of a hermit. Suffering is â€Å"duhkha† in Sanskrit, and like its English equivalent, it means distress, torment, filled with grief, and pain. For the Buddhist, all these describe imperfection. What aggravates suffering is the anitya; it means that there is no permanence in this life – and it includes human existence. The last words uttered by the Buddha are these words: â€Å"Impermanent are all created things; strive on with awareness† (Boeree 2000). With a very similar outlook to Hinduism, Buddhism also believes that all things in creation are interrelated. Humans have no separate identity. Man therefore has to find that which will align him to everything. Next to suffering, the second noble truth is attachment. Actually, this second truth is somewhat seen as a proof of man’s blindness. Because man naturally does not see things in right perspective, he continually clings to everything considered to be of infinite value, oblivious of the fact that nothing here is permanent. The Sanskrit word â€Å"trishna,† which is translated â€Å"attachment† in English, means many things to Buddhists. It extends from â€Å"clinging,† â€Å"desires† (which in themselves have no obvious implication of evil per se), to â€Å"lusting,† â€Å"greed,† and â€Å"craving,† (which now, considering the implications of those words, have somewhat taken an evil tone). Since all things are in an imperfect state, there is a constant â€Å"clinging. † To humans, the persistent lusting and craving for things results from a mistaken sense that the material world somehow has lasting existence. The effort therefore to hold on to these things stems from valuing too much those which have no real permanence. Hatred and dodging are also forms of clinging. To Buddhism therefore, it is very crucial that the person fully realizes the temporal-ness of things. Without a grasp of this basic truth, humanity in general is currently attached to that which is after all – temporary. Third noble truth: the overcoming of the attachment to things. This third basic truth of Buddhism is often misunderstood. In Sanskrit, the word is â€Å"nirvana. This word is now being misconceived as â€Å"complete nothingness. † The word is actually referring to the release of things. To let go, and to stop clinging. After this note, the reference is to be free of the former attitudes spoken of in the second noble truth, which are expressions of attachment: hatred, lust, greed, and all the negatives, etc. , and to fully and thus happily accept the interconnectedness and imperfection of all things. the fourth noble truth: the path. This is the dharma. The Buddha had become convinced after his spiritual encounter that there is a way. For the Buddha, this path was a kind of a â€Å"middle way† which can bring balance between different and often contrasting philosophies. The path in Buddhism is explained in eight points, and more commonly referred to as the â€Å"eightfold path† (to veer away from plagiarism, the author has changed the exact wordings of the following eight points). 1. Proper Perspective. This is to have properly grasped the so-called â€Å"four noble truths. † 2. Right Ambition. It is a pure desire to liberate the self from its negative attitudes – continually holding on to temporal things; as a result of which, the person remains hateful and ignorant. These first two are considered wisdom, or the prajna. 3. Appropriate Speech. This includes not only the telling of truths, but refraining from any words that might hurt, to abstain from any form of gossip and lying. 4. Proper Behavior. This one embraces the prohibitions of such hurtful actions as murder, promiscuity, robbery, etc. 5. Honest Livelihood. To make one’s living through honest means, including things such as those which might hurt other people and animals. Points 3-5 are taken as shila – these are expressions of morality. 6.  Right Endeavors. This pertains to the application of what are right to actual actions which were first perceived in the mind. Excellent qualities should be cultivated and practically performed. 7. The Possession of the Right Mind. This refers to the cultivation of the right kind of mindset. It again focuses on the elimination of such negative attitudes as hatred, lust, ignorance. 8. Proper Focus. The constant meditation of the temporal-ness, the imperfection, and the interconnectedness of all things in order to progressively arrive at true knowledge. These last three points are considered â€Å"meditations,† the Samadhi (Boeree 2000). Presenting the Christian Faith Having explored the basics of Buddhism, it is now time to look at the gospel. Even to have gained a comprehensive knowledge of Buddhism does not fully prepare the Christian missionary to the task of evangelizing Buddhists. Learning the culture of the target people group is recommendable only after one has fully grasped the Christian teachings. In fact, the Christian can still be effective in evangelism even without knowing beforehand the other people’s culture. It might cause some difficulties though, but a mastery of the gospel teachings will enable the Christian, first, to love the un-reached people, and second, compelled by that love and guided by his understanding of the true wisdom of God, the Christian missionary will at the very least, present the gospel message clearly and leave the people rethinking their worldviews. It’s a matter of how do we understand effectiveness in presenting the gospel. Presenting the gospel today is not different from how the first disciples presented it to the people of their world. For Christian missionaries today, here are some pointers: first, preach the gospel. Remember the basic presumptions of the Christian faith like the true spiritual state of the target people. Nothing can self-defeat the presentation of the gospel more than the attempt on the part of its preachers to somehow change its features with an aim to accommodate the audience. What the Buddhists need is the word of God, and thus, it has to be delivered to them clearly and powerfully without compromise. And of course, as presumed all along in the argument of this paper, a basic knowledge of the culture will give the Christian missionary an extra edge in his presentation. Second, live among them with the heart of a missionary living out the spiritual disciplines of a biblical Christian. When genuine love is there, it becomes almost impossible to miss that fact. People will feel the genuineness of the intention; and when the wisdom of God is presented as expressed in the gospel, it will be either acceptance on the part of the people, or outright rejection of the true truths.

Financial Reporting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial Reporting - Assignment Example The assets listed in Coca-Cola Company’s balance sheet are classified into two main categories, current and other assets. Current assets are divided into two sections, with the first one being cash and cash equivalents and short term investments (The Coca-Cola Company, 2013). All the other assets that do not make up part of current assets are the long-term assets that are listed individually. In a balance sheet, cash equivalents always appear with cash as the first of current assets. From research, it is noted that cash equivalents are non-cash assets that are highly liquid or can be converted into cash immediately. This means that cash equivalents are assets that can be readily sold or disposed of and converted into cash for immediate use. Just like cash, cash equivalents are usually low risk and return assets, meaning that their face value rarely changes much. From the annual report for The Coca-Cola Company, it can be seen that the total value for the total current liabilit ies for 2012 was $27,821,000,000 while the total value for the total current liabilities for 2011 was $24,283,000,000 (The Coca-Cola Company, 2013). It should be noted that 2012 was the most recent annual reporting period while 2011 was the previous annual reporting period for The Coca-Cola Company. ... The creditors expect to be paid at a future date, so they review the financial statements to see if the company will be able to pay its debts in time. The creditors will look at the balance sheet to determine if the company has enough current assets to pay immediate debts and if the company’s debts can be covered by the assets that it owns. The creditors will also look at the annual reports to assess the liquidity of the company should it need to pay its debts immediately. Conversely, investors are the people who own the company, mostly in the form of shareholding. In any investment, the investors look to earn a return on their investment and get a return for their investment. This means that information contained in the balance sheet and income statements is important to the investors. The investors will look at dividends paid out to determine if they will earn a return on their investment, that is whether they will make a profit by investing in the company. The investors wil l also want to be sure that their original investment is paid back, so they look at the current assets and current liabilities to know if they will get paid the value of their investment. Finally, the employees of the company are assumed to want to work for the company for as long as possible. This means that the employees of the company expect the company to be a going concern, meaning that the company is expected to have sound performance and look to be profitable. To determine this, the employees of the company will look at the financial information presented in the balance sheet and income statements to determine if the company is growing or failing.

Advantages of applying Accounting Information System in the banking Term Paper

Advantages of applying Accounting Information System in the banking sector - Term Paper Example Business processes involve the coordination of closely related prearranged activities conducted either by the respective staff members or a computer. The main reason for the orderly arrangement of business activities is to ensure the accomplishment of the primary goals (Romney & Steinbart, 2012). Decision-making should be based on the available relevant information. Therefore, Banks should strive to improve their information gathering and processing tactics in order to produce relevant information. Accounting information system involves the gathering, storing and dispensing of both financial and accounting information, which is then rulied on for decision-making purposes (Romney & Steinbart, 2012). It is important to note that the accounting information system is applied on both the financial and non-financial data of an organization. Notably, the implementation of the accounting information system has the same advantages for banks as it has for other organizations in other sectors. On that note, the three advantages of applying the accounting information system in the banking sector could be helpful in making decisions, increasing efficiency and effectiveness and developing internal controls as will be discussed in this term paper (Romney & Steinbart, 2012). The accounting information system eases the preparation and the analysis of the financial statements. Company law requires the preparation and publication of the annual financial statements by banks and other companies. The preparation and publication of the financial statements are in the interest of various users of such information. The financial statements contain four categories of a company’s financial information such as the balance sheet, the income statement, the statement of changes in equity position and the cash flow statements. Each category of the information provides a different financial perspective of the banks (Hall, 2013). Financial statement analysis - the use of

Political Corruption in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Corruption in America - Research Paper Example The American government has been observed as corruption free from the viewpoint of other countries. Many of these states have contended that such attribute is the reason why America has become a superpower. However, if one is to critically assess the history of the American government, it can be observed that U.S. before was in truth and in fact struggling to eradicate the prevalent problem of corruption in its local and national level of government. Considerably, there have been many political personalities who have been charged and arrested for violating the anti-corruption law. To cite, U.S. Congressman Duke Cunningham in 2005 was charged with having conspired to commit bribery, wire fraud and tax evasion (Rozen 15; Meyers 14). He then decided to resign and relinquish his post. Later on, he was convicted and sentenced to over eight years of imprisonment and ordered to pay a whopping amount of more than one million dollars in restitution (â€Å"Duke Draws† A01). Notably, thi s type of corruption has been referred to as political corruption which poses danger to democracy and good governance and undermines the legitimacy of the government and its democratic values (Gore). According to Heidenheimer and Johnston, â€Å"political corruption involves a public official who violates the public’s trust in a manner which harms the public interest by knowingly exploiting his or her office for clear personal and private gain in a way which runs contrary to the accepted rules and standards for the conduct of public office so as to benefit a third party† (42). In this sense, there are two ideas which can be derived from this definition, corruption and the culture of corruption. There is a culture of corruption if a public officer does a corrupt act because he or she expects to be given a reward.

Brief Review of Literature Discussing Theories Essay

Brief Review of Literature Discussing Theories - Essay Example Equally, Bronfenbrenner, Pavlov, Skinner, Watson, Vygotsky in the midst of others, are among the distinguished theorists who have addressed the issue. This paper will review literature discussing theories and theorists concerned with the cause and response to problematic behaviour in children. Causes of problematic behaviour in children The development of children behaviours, whether good or problematic, starts at an early age. These behaviours may persist, if no intervention measures are put in place. In addition, the magnitude of the problem develops with age, as children who demonstrate problematic behaviours during their earlier years are likely to show more problems later in life (Papatheodorou, 2005 pp. 4). These behaviours start at birth, when they are controlled by external factors. Bowlby’s attachment theory asserts that infants begin to develop psychological attachment to the first people they relate with, and use the knowledge they acquire to shape their behaviours. The infant-parent relationship is thus very useful in influencing the environment that shapes the behaviour of the children (Wallach & Caulfield, 1998 pp. 125). According to Dowling (2009 pp. 11), developing the confidence of children at a tender age plays a major role in shaping their behaviours. She affirms that, confidence is a driver in supporting the growth at a tender age. It is apparent that children gain confidence from the relationship they develop with their parents. Such activities as allowing children to play may increase their self-confidence, which plays a role in shaping their behaviours (Dowling, 2009 pp. 11). John Bowlby (Arnold, 2010 pp. 21) in his study of the attachment theory affirmed that the earliest bond between children and their caregivers has a lasting effect in their lives. These affects are demonstrated in their behaviours, which may be problematic or calm. Children who do not have strong attachments with their parents or caregivers usually develop oppo sitional-defiant, conduct disorder and in extreme cases post-traumatic depression. This makes the children aggressive, upset most of the time and having a feeling of insecurity (Arnold, 2010 pp. 23). Piaget’s theory about children development cements the attachment theory. According to Piaget, children have the ability to construct their own knowledge based on the experiences they go through. In addition, he affirms that accommodation and assimilation play a role in shaping the behaviours of children. As a result, children who are rejected at a tender age may learn bad traits, which are reflected in their behaviours (Bronfenbrenner, 1979 pp. 10). Domestic violence in the families also plays a major role in shaping the behaviours of children. This incidence entails any form of threatening behaviour or violence, physical, psychological, financial or sexual between two adults who have been living together. Such incidences are devastating to the lives of a child who may not be aw are of what is going on. What children see, hear or experience during the violence makes them change their perception as well as behaviours. Children who for example hear their parent scream in anger or plead in fear, will develop aggression and hatred towards a certain group of people. As a result, the hatred is reflected in their behaviours (Sterne, Poole, Chadwick, & Lawler, 2010 pp. 4). On a larger perspective, the society in which children are brought up

Pornography criminalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pornography criminalization - Essay Example The CNN article is just one of many that are published each year about pornography within the United States. 1. Fully Criminalize Pornography. Outlawing pornography would mean removing pornographic material from computers, TVs, magazines, sexy videos and posters; Outlawing pornography is speculated to increase the incidents of sex crimes. The pornographic material and production would go underground and the production of the material might be done by "much nastier people than those who run it now" (Micklethwait, p1). Pornography has been deemed by many as dangerous to women because it promotes sexual violence against women (Corbin, 1-5). Outlawing pornography is argued to help women regain control over their bodies. Pornography that contains fantasies of rape may lead to the fantasy being acted out in the form of an actual rape. This may bring an unintended message that "sex is bad and only men should be interested in it" (Corbin, 3). The negative aspects of pornography are many. There has been "mounting evidence from teachers, social workers, probation officers, doctorsthat there is a link between scenes of violence depicted on TV, Video, and films, and human behavior."(Munday, 1) According to Munday many people feel that "freedom of expression has gone to0 far" (Munday, 1). The desire to have pornography banned has been met with opposition that asserts that banning it would a violation of the first amendment right to free speech. On the other hand it has been argued that pornography violates a woman's civil rights (MacKinnon, 1). MacKinnon further argues that "pornography is a political practice of power and powerlessness" (MacKinnon, 2). Conservatives continue to argue that pornography degrades women and uses them only as sexual objects that need to be controlled (Pornography and Ethics, 3). Some would argue that the viewing of pornography does little or no harm but one only need recall recent news that reported a young American boy who hung himself after viewing the execution of Saddam Hussein over and over on national TV. "We're theorising he tried to experiment or mimic the behaviour and it got out of control" (CNN, January 5, 2007 - 7:49AM) People are affected by what they see in what ever format it appears. Their behavior is a result of their environment and what they are exposed to. When is comes to pornography, where is the line drawn that protects our freedoms and does no harm. 2. Fully Legalize Pornography. Some liberals argue that pornography is mostly low value content designed to produce sexual arousal and contains speech of little value intellectually and does not need protecting (Pornography and Censorship, 5). Proponents of legalized pornography argue that to further censure pornography would have chilling repercussions in the publication or showing of other materials such as valued literary, artistic, and political works. They question how to define pornography and argue that any definition would also exclude other materials as stated above. Criminalizing pornography would act to suppress future works because the artists, writers, etc who "would fear that their works would be construed as pornography and thus not publish out of fear they would be prosecuted" (Pornography and Censorship, 8-9). The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) president

Audi and Its Communication Strategy in UK Essay

Audi and Its Communication Strategy in UK - Essay Example The marketing communication of the company is tremendous and this is evident from the well established brand name of the company. In this report we will discuss the communication strategy of Audi in United Kingdom in detail. We will first briefly discuss the history of the company in United Kingdom. In the end we will comment on the efficacy of the communication strategy of the company in UK market alongside with some recommendations. Audi: A Brief History Audi AG is a German car manufacturer that builds a wide range of automobiles from super mini cars to SUVs. The company has a large global presence as it is operating in Europe, India, Brazil, and China (Audi Website, 2012). Audi has its headquarters in Germany and the company is the wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG. Volkswagen markets Audi as its premium brand for the upper income group market. The history of the company dates back to the 19th century when it was founded by August Horch (Audi Website, 2012). The first Audi car came out in 1909 and since then the company has not stopped. In 1964 it was purchased by the automobile giant Volkswagen which marks the new era in the history of the company. ... Audi in United Kingdom The operations of the company in United Kingdom are going extremely well. The company is growing in the country at a great pace and is pushing well known brands like BMW and Toyota behind. In 2011 Audi became the market leader in the premium cars segment of UK leaving behind the giant BMW (Cars Pages UK, 2011). From 2010 to 2011 the sales of Audi in the UK increased by 27.9 percent (2011) and this shows the pace of growth of the company. Seeing such growth the company is planning o introduce new models in the United Kingdom market to tap the potential offered by the UK market. It is amazing to see a premium car brand growing at such a great pace even in the times of recession and this depicts the brand value of the company. Communication Strategy of Audi in United Kingdom The marketing strategy of Audi has been greatly successful in the country because it has made Audi a market leader in its premium segment. In this section we will attempt to understand the mar keting strategy of Audi in United Kingdom using different marketing theories. Audi derives its brand value from its rich history that expands over three centuries. The company uses it history as a mark of respect to show the world that it is a formidable force in the automobile industry. Audi uses its legacy to attract customers and build trust of customers on its products. The company corporate tagline is â€Å"Vorsprung durch Technik† meaning progress through technology (Audi Website, 2012). This shows that the company communicates itself as a brand that focuses on innovation in technology. The products of the company also follow this tag line as they are mostly a pioneer in their own respective size ranges. The use of this tagline is mainly to communicate

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Business management - Essay Example Luckily, the company I wish to work for i.e. GE was not on that list and the ethical report from GE as well as other data gathered from secondary sources about GE show that the company is on rather well footings when it comes to ethics. To conduct the audit, the first source was GE’s own report on their corporate ethics and their citizenship in terms of being a part of the business world (GE, 2006). As discussed by Carmichael et. al. (2008), elements such as ethical values, baseline ethics, social expectations and stakeholder analysis were used to create an ethical audit on the position of GE and to understand their current standings with regard to ethics. Additionally, secondary sources were also used that show that GE still has some trouble with regard to ethical treatment of certain minority employees which shows that there is room for improvement. The company itself is well esteemed and held in high esteem by business analysts as well as CEOs of other companies (Demos, 2006). It has a long history of global operations and has excellent in many sectors and fields of business such as administration, human resources management. According to Welch (2005), a large part of this admiration comes from the manner in which GE handles its business aspects of good leadership coming from the highest end of the company and the process of creating positive motivation for the employees of the organisation. As a global player, GE is certainly a giant with a history that goes back to the invention of the light bulb at the hands of Edison. Today, GE is the name given to a large group of companies work under the same umbrella with eleven different concerns. From finance, to technology to aviation to manufacturing, GE engages in a variety of business which require a large number of employees spread across the globe. More than 300,000 employees in a 150 countries work for the company with a unified system that has been

Gender Issues Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gender Issues - Research Paper Example of discrimination, gender, and roles among men and women as those that influence our day-to-day activities and what traits we pick to interact with other people. Gender is the state of being either male or female; hence, discrimination in gender refers to the prejudicial treatment of someone because of his or her gender. Gender discrimination, according to most researchers, is most likely to be experienced at place of work rather than anywhere else. Gender discrimination at work place includes in hiring, promotion, demotion, unequal pay or benefits, harassment, hostile work environment or firing. The New York Times relates to gender issue the fact that Hillary Clinton was not appointed the Vice President, but Joe Biden appointed. Her backers and supporters seemingly perceived this as gender discrimination. That remains largely arguable. Even so, some authors, such as Wollstonecraft, have argued that women are systematically degraded by receiving the trivial attentions, which men think it manly to pay to the sex, when, in fact, men are insultingly supporting their own superiority." Such feelings elaborate the masculine discrimination that cle verly elevates the stature of men in the society. Sex is commonly used by men degrade women and make them feel inferior to them while still making sure that they do not rise above them. Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people have not yet been openly accepted by the society. Pew Research Center shows that, 92% of the LGBTQ persons say that today society has become more accommodating and more than half of them believe that by the end of the decade, more people will accept them. Recent legislation passed in different states in the country, allowing and legalizing these groups of people, is a sign that finally the society is embracing them. The church, which has been a strong advocate against them, is finally warming up to them. The recent appointment of a gay clergy has shown that the groups’ advocacy

Family Planning Essay Example for Free

Family Planning Essay †¢ It means the spacing of children and that parents are completely free to choose the number of children they want. †¢ People in almost all parts of the world are agreed that family planning is necessary in every country which desires to raise the living standard of its people. †¢ Family planning has also been referred to as the totality of human efforts to achieve human dignity, economic stability, health and happiness and welfare through: o Birth regulation and spacing of children by the use of accepted scientific methods Rhythm †¢ Only method that the Catholic church approves of †¢ â€Å"Periodic abstention† †¢ A plan of avoiding sexual intercourse during the fertile period just before and after an egg has been produced in her body †¢ Most women release an egg cell about once a month usually 14 days before the menstruation †¢ May vary from month to month and it is necessary to determine whether accurately as possible when an egg will be produced †¢ Can be reliable if the menstrual cycle is regular †¢ The doctor may help you determine when your fertile period is Sterilization †¢ Vasectomy(male); Tubal ligation(female) †¢ An operation whereby a tube, vas deferens, where the sperm cells pass is being removed †¢ In tubal ligation, the one removed is the tube where the egg cells pass †¢ Those who use this method are those with three to four children †¢ It is for couples whose families are complete †¢ The procedure much simpler for the male †¢ There no side effects and the cost of operation is cheaper Douching †¢ Flushing out the vagina with a medicated solution immediately after intercourse to remove or destroy sperm Abstinence †¢ Refraining from sexual intercourse †¢ 100% effective To have all this methods of family planning, one must be full of fire and enthusiasm about it yourself in persuading people to do such. If people are convinced of the possibility of family planning, the result will not only help the couples either rich or poor, to have a sound and healthy family but also make the nation a powerful and strong one. The world is not after the quantity but the quality of the people. Any couple who desires to use a family planning method should visit a family planning clinic so that they can learn the important details concerning the particular method they may choose and assure pregnancy protection. General Principles Governing the Choice of Contraceptive method 1. A contraceptive method is not for an unmarried individual but for a married couple. Although only one mate may be involved in its use, it affects the interpersonal as well as sexual relationship of husband and wife. 2. The effectiveness and the acceptability of any method are in direct proportion to the experience of the physician in suiting the method to the couple’s particular needs and the degree of motivation of the couple in using the method consistently. 3. The physician, being human, has his own preference and emotional reactions thereto. It is only in listening with respect to the patient’s reaction that the couple’s emotional need will be met. Catholic Church’s Position on Family planning On July 31, 1975, Julio R. Cardinal Rosales, pres. Of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, made the following classifications on the stand of the Church in the Philippine Population Program: 1. The Church is in accord with the Government on the need for family planning. The church has always advocated responsible parenthood. 2. The church respects the Government responsibility in making available to the citizens such means of family planning that would not violate their conscience of those employed by the Government in its program. 3. The church advocated the family life program which upholds human dignity, healthful marital love and family relationship, and which teaches that the means for family planning is the natural method, with the exclusion of artificial contraceptives, sterilization and abortion. 4. The church maintains that the individual conscience is the ultimate arbiter in the choice of the means for family planning.

Scientific Revolution And Secularism

Scientific Revolution And Secularism In the 17th century, Europe had undergone a drastic change in science, philosophy and politics. With new innovations in science, the world began to demystify and doubts began to disappear as new discoveries were being accomplished and questions about the anatomy, evolution and mankind were being answered. The Scientific Revolution was an indirect cause of the growth of secularism in Western Europe during the 17th century. Scientists attempted to address issues of humanity and the universe, furthermore through new discoveries they challenged preconceived notions. Galileo Galilei, William Harvey and Sir Isaac Newton were among the many scientists who, through experimentation and analysis, arrived at some of the most important scientific developments in history. Galileo Galilei was an astronomer and a physicist, born in Pisa, Italy and studied at the University of Pisa. He accumulated mathematical and scientific evidence to support the theories Copernicus held of a heliocentric universe, a theory which defied the Church and went against Aristotles theory of destiny and a divine plan. Galileo started performing controlled experiments such as rolling balls down slopes and measuring their speeds, he showed that motion could be described mathematically (Newman, 2002, p.72). Galileos physical experimentation had liberated people from confinement of religion and had initiated questioning of the Churchs views. His findings had influenced such philosophers as Locke, Machiavelli and Hobbes who had composed modernistic theories of humans and governments which had little to no room for religion and opinions of the Church. Galileo had challenged three major aspects of the Churchs beliefs, one being that there is unification between celestial and terrest rial mechanics and that the universe is subject to change. The second being his mathematical approach to reasoning which was in sharp contrast to divine revelation as the source of truth and the Church as authority of judgment. Galileos last aspect that challenged the beliefs of the Church was his support of the heliocentric cosmology, essentially diminishing the geocentric worldview of importance of humans and the idea of scattered stars with no pattern (Ardent, 2004). By remodeling the telescope, Galileo had since allowed people to visualize and experience these scientific discoveries. He disproved many long-held assumptions made by the Catholic Church during his time, and through his experimentations encouraged a new train of thought which in turn resulted in the beginning of secularism. Similar to Galileo, William Harvey had made significant discoveries which contrasted the views of the Church. Harvey was an English physician who was not satisfied with divine power as an explanation for the workings of the human body (Newman, 2002, p.73). His discoveries in human anatomy were one of the most significant achievements in physiology and medicine in the 17th century, but his work had opposed the Creation Story, which led to skepticism of the Bible. Harvey had made the discovery that humans and animals only had a limited amount of blood by cutting open the vein of an animal and allowing it to pour out (Bhatia, 2010). This was considerably different from the previous thought of blood being a natural spirit where it flowed out to vital spirits in the heart and animal spirits in the brain (Bhatia, 2010). Harvey did not burden himself with these theories but took it upon himself to solve the mysteries of the human body, separating fact from fiction and eluding the beliefs of the Catholic Church. Distinguishing that the heart was a pump and not a filtration plant where blood simply just passes through (Newman, 2002, p.74) had created a whole new way of thinking, people now knew how the heart worked and were beginning to doubt the thought of a divine plan and God creating humans, which brought about thoughts of evolution. In 1642, Sir Isaac Newton combined the knowledge of Galileo and Harvey, along with his own, to create yet another breakthrough in science which resulted in the growth of secularism. Newton accurately described the movements of objects in the solar system and how they move under the influence of universal gravitation (Bhatia, 2010). Newton had further influenced secularism by his discoveries in science, his Three Laws of Motion stated: if no force acts on an object, it will remain at rest or maintain its constant motion in a straight line every change of motion or acceleration is proportional to the force that caused the change and inversely proportional to the objects mass for every action force, there is no equal reaction force in the opposite direction. (Newman, 2002, p.73). These Three Laws of Motion had allowed people to make sense of their actions and the actions of the objects they use on a daily basis. Newton had explained things with concrete evidence, along with certain things that had only been explained in biblical texts which allowed more of a separation between government and religion. Science and technology having liberated men from the superstitions of religion, now guaranteed continuous process. (Genovese, 1997). He showed that God does not make everything happen, which caused people to stray from the belief of divine power and use science as a way of explaining the world. Newtons scientific enhancement, along with the works of Harvey on human anatomy and Galileo in astronomy and the universe, had truly boosted the growth of secularism in the 17th century. Through scientific analysis, these three scientists created new thoughts and theories that challenged the assumptions of mankind made by the Catholic Church. It was the beginning of a new era of thinking, an era where evolution of mankind and the universe were proved with scientific evidence and not holy texts. The Scientific Revolution had significantly affected the growth of secularism in the 17th century and has continued to affect secularism in the 21st century, as people still question and doubt Gods existence, faith and religion.

Effects of humor in advertising

Effects of humor in advertising Humor in advertising is like a gun in the hands of a child. You have to know how to use it. Otherwise, it can blow up on you. (Miller, 1992) According to Marc G. Weinberger and Charles S. Gulas (1992), Humor is by no means a guarantee of better ads, but its effect can be enhanced with careful consideration of the objectives According to Fugate D. (1998), Advertising humor refers primarily to the ability of audiences to respond positively when one or others are portrayed in a playful manner. Employ of humor in advertising propose that as much as 30.2% of prime time television advertising is planned to be humorous (Weinberger and Spotts 1989). Numorous researches conducted by others has also indicated similar high (or still higher) levels of practice of humor in television ads (Kelly and Solomon 1975; Markiewicz 1972; Speck 1987) and in radio (Weinberger and Campbell 1991).whereas the use of humor is high, the effectiveness of humor as a interactions device remains doubtful. In attempts to describe its impact, humor has confirmed to be extremely indefinable. This lack of information has led advertising managers and researchers similar to both honor and criticize the usefulness of humor in advertising as explained in the opening quotes. The truth is that humor is a difficult theme that has been experimentally deliberate by advertisers in numerous dozen studies over the past few years. Humor is a diverse idea that is affected by a wide range of factors. As an outcome of the many contingencies forced by preferred aim, style of humor, medium, placement and viewers , generalizations about the effect of humor are filled with pitfalls (Stewart-Hunter 1985). However the open question of humors usefulness in advertising is unanswerable, we can bring together the accounts of humor research in the perspective of suitable constraints to increase insights about its belongings. For that reason, the more suitable questions to ask are: 1) What communications objectives are mainly expected to be accomplished through the utilization of humor?; 2) What communication factors are likely to influence the result?; 3) For what audience is humor most suitable?; and 4) What product factors advise the use or non-use of a humorous approach? The intention of this paper then is to analytically observe the research that has been conducted to increase insight into the belongings of humor with respect to these questions.The extensive use of humor, attached with the unsettled questi ons regarding it, has drawn the attention of several communication researchers. In a commonly cited analysis of the early literature in the field, Sternthal and Craig (1973) drew some uncertain conclusions about the use of humor on a number of communications objectives. These conclusions must be viewed as uncertain because, although based on a thorough analysis of the existing literature in 1973, this literature base was fairly small and consisted about completely of non-advertising studies as there was merely slight previous work in advertising to review. In the years since the Sternthal and Craig work, humor has established widespread extra analysis in over 30 studies that have appeared in the marketing literature, and a vast many more studies that have appeared in the literature streams of education, communication and psychology. This paper has the relevant aspects of this literature in order to modernize and broaden on the Sternthal and Craig work. Thus, the design to be followe d will be to observe the result of humor as it applies to a variety of communications objectives and then to broaden on this work by including implementation, placement, audience, and product factors that have come to light in the past few years. The nature of the communication objective plays a main role in the suitability of the use of humor. Sternthal and Craig (1973) scheduled advertising objectives and the impact of humor on each of these objectives. Revisited after few years of prevailing research some of these conclusions remain logical, while others come out to be in need of modifications. Humor and Attention Studies have revealed that 94% of advertising practitioners see humor as an useful way to increase attention. Moreover, 55% of advertising research executives find humor to be better to non-humor in gaining attention (Madden and Weinberger 1984). Whereas the special views of advertising executives should not be equated with accurate hypothesis testing, these views do mirror a knowledge base built on years of day to day understanding with proper research outcome. Furthermore in the case of attention, these practitioner views find to be well supported by the available experimental proof. inside studies of real magazine ads (Madden and Weinberger 1982), television ads (Stewart and Furse 1986), and radio ads (Weinberger and Campbell 1991) in average industry ad testing situations, humor has been found to have a positive effect on attention . Likewise, this attention effect has also been verified in the laboratory. In a detailed test of attention effects in the adverti sing field, Speck (1987) compared humorous ads with non-humorous controls on four attention measures: early attention, constant attention, predictable attention and on the whole attention. He found humorous ads to do better than non-humorous ads on each of the attention measures. The attention attracting capability of humor has also been verified in education research (Powell and Andresen 1985; Zillmann et al. 1980). In a review of the education literature, Bryant and Zillmann (1989) conclude that humor has a positive effect on attention, the advisory attitude taken by Bryant and Zillmann is suitable for all the humor attention studies. While the outcome seem to point out a positive impact on attention, and in common the past few years of research mainly supports the conclusion drawn by Sternthal and Craig (1973) , future researchers should be attentive that all humor is not shaped equal. Associated humor, that is, humor directly associated to the product or problem being promoted, appears to be more thriving than unassociated humor (Duncan 1979; Lull 1940; Madden 1982). In detail, controlling for the associated factor makes the result of the investigational studies in advertising undeniable in their support for a positive effect of humor on attention. This explains that the mere inclusion of canned humor into a given ad is not likely to have the same impact on attention as the use of a more incorporated humor cure. Humor and Understanding The literature is assorted on the outcome that humor has on understanding. In a study of 1000 broadcast commercials, Stewart and Furse (1986) found humorous substance to enhance the understanding of an ad. Other studies have found alike positive outcomes (Duncan, Nelson and Frontczak 1984; Weinberger and Campbell 1991; Zhang and Zinkhan 1991). On the other hand, these studies distinguish sharply with the outcomes of other advertising researchers who have found a negative association between humor and understanding (Cantor and Venus 1980; Gelb and Zinkhan 1986; Lammers et al. 1983; Sutherland and Middleton 1983). This negative outlook of the effect of humor on understanding is shared by the group of research executives (64%) at U.S. ad agencies. While findings indeed fail to determine the true effect of humor on understanding, they do call into question the reality of a global negative effect hypothesized by Sternthal and Craig (1973). It is important to look f or factors that may sort out these findings. To this extent, it appears that some other factors seem to explain much of the lack of conformity in the studies. First, there is a lack of a reliable definition of understanding among studies. Depending on the exact measure used, recall may be an signal of understanding or it may merely draw attention. More significantly, the measures engaged may have an impact on the outcomes found. Those studies that use several measures of understanding (Speck 1987; Weinberger and Campbell 1991) are more expected to discover positive or mixed positive effects on understanding than those studies that utilize solitary measures (Cantor and Venus 1980; Lammers et al. 1983), representing that a positive understanding effect may be missed by comparatively narrow measures. Further confirmation of the significance of measures is found in the work of Murphy and his colleagues (Murphy, Cunningham and Wilcox 1979). Their study of framework effects demonstrates t hat diverse measures of recall may create different recall outcomes. Secondly, humor styles may be an important determinant in understanding effects. In one study which directly compared the effects of various humor styles on understanding, Speck (1987) found major differences due to styles. His findings point out that some humorous ads do better, and some do worse than non-humorous ads on expressive and message understanding and that this differential act was attributable to humor styles. Comic wit was found to under perform non-humorous treatments while all other humor styles(i.e., satire, full comedy, sentimental humor and sentimental comedy) out performed the non-humor treatment. Lastly, the nature of product advertised appears to play a vital role in the impact of humor on understanding. This product factor is collected of two dichotomies, high involvement vs low involvement products. Those studies employing high involvement products (Speck 1987; Stewart and Furse 1986; Weinber ger and Campbell 1991; Zhang and Zinkhan 1991) in general indicate a positive effect of humor on understanding. On the other hand, studies employing low involvement products (Cantor and Venus 1980; Gelb and Zinkhan 1986) have found a negative effect of humor on understanding. we believe that these studies do present a thorough test of the association between humor and understanding that can present insight into the impact that humor may have on advertising understanding. An study of the related non-advertising studies shows eight studies that report a positive effect of humor on understanding and eleven studies that indicate a null or mixed effect. None of the non-advertising studies reports a negative effect of humor on understanding, which again challenges the conclusion drawn in 1973 by Sternthal and Craig. Of the education literature, possibly the strongest support for a positive relationship between humor and understanding appears in work conducted by Ziv (1988). This study ind icates that humor can drastically improve learning. Humor and influence Sternthal and Craig (1973) concluded that the interruption effect of humor may lead to influence. However, they note that the influential effect of humor is at paramount no superior than that of serious appeals. These conclusions seem to agree with the opinions of U.S. ad executives. Madden and Weinberger (1984) found that only 26% of these practitioners approved with a statement claiming humor to be more influential than non-humor. whereas U.S. advertising executives mainly agree with the conclusion of Sternthal and Craig (1973), this opinion is in sharp distinction to that of their British counterparts, 62% of whom found humor as more influential than non-humor and only 7% of whom were found to conflict with this claim (Weinberger and Spotts 1989). Audience Factors The majority of practitioners consider that humorous ads are best appropriate to a target audience composed of better educated younger males (Madden and Weinberger 1984). The advertising literature usually supports this faith. Quite a few studies have indicated an communication between gender and humor efficacy (Gorham and Christophel 1990; Lammers et al. 1983; Madden and Weinberger 1982; Stewart- Hunter 1985; Whipple and Courtney 1980,1981). The effect of gender may be moderately explained by obvious differences in humor admiration. In a review of the literature, Whipple and Courtney (1981) conclude that men appear to enjoy aggressive and sexual humor more than women do, and women emerge to have a better admiration for nonsensical humor. However, they warning that the results are not convincing and that these preferences may be shifting as society changes. Additional, the perception of the initiator of the humor may be an key mediator, as will be discussed. Contrary to the hold of the findings in marketing, research in education generally has not found major gender effects on humor response. Both in an broad educational experiment discussed earlier (Ziv 1988), and in other experiments (Davies and Apter 1980; Weaver, Zillmann and Bryant 1988; Zillmann et al. 1980), the positive effect of humor on learning was not found to be different by gender. The dichotomy of outcome of gender effects on humor raises some attention-grabbing issues. Humor is very closely attached into the culture, experiences, and points of suggestion that are shared between the humor creator and the humor receiver. For instance, research has recommended that the gender response to sexual humor is reversed when the creator of the humor is female (Gallivan 1991), and the individuality of the joke may persuade which audiences discover the joke funny (Gruner 1991). If this is certainly the case, then much of the distinction based on gender, and maybe race and age as well, may be explained by different perspectives of the creator of the humorous treatment and the receiver of that treatment. Thus, the shared point of view between the initiator of a humorous ad and the target of the ad is a potentially significant dominant variable in humor effectiveness. This problem has been largely ignored by researchers. In addition to gender, race, and age, other audience factors may impact the competence of humor and are worthy of thought. Humor is a common human practice exhibited by people of all cultures and throughout all of recorded history (Alden, Hoyer and Lee 1993). Though, the research that has examined humor in advertising cross-culturally indicates degree of difference in use of humor among countries, equally in humor types employed and in supreme levels of humor used (e.g. Alden, Hoyer and Lee 1993; Weinberger and Spotts 1989). Moreover, experimental proof indicates that people of diverse cultural backgrounds respond to humor in a different way. In an experi ment that compared Israeli Jews of Eastern and Western descent, Weller and his colleagues found significant differences in the admiration for ridiculous jokes between the two groups (Weller, Amitsour, and Pazzi 1976). They conceive that these differences are due to habits of thought and mental attitudes ingrained in cultural backgrounds. These findings entail that even when language differences are uninvolved, jokes may not be easily exchangeable among cultures. An additional audience factor of note includes audience and product relations such as prior brand attitude. Chattopadhyay and Basu (1989) indicate that humor has better positive effect, with regard to influence, for those audience members with a prior positive brand attitude. These and other audience factors should be reserved in mind in the blueprint of humorous ads and upcoming humor study.

Virginias SOL Testing. :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The abbreviation SOL stands for, Standards of Learning. The Standards of Learning is a test that was devised in the spring of 1998 to provide information on the progress of students toward meeting achievement levels. To me as a citizen of Virginia, and as a student, I think this test is a burden on most students in all grade levels, and should be eliminated. Because first, the number of tests being administered to student each year is outrageous, second, the penalties a student has to face for failing are too harsh, and third, it puts the school in jeopardy of losing its accreditation which is a no win situation. Virginia’s Standards of Learning has come under much criticism over the past couple of years, and I for one think it deserves to be criticized. Each year student in every school district across America have to take two or more test such as, the (LPT) Literacy Passport Test, the Stanford-9 exam or the (SOL) Standards of Learning, depending on the grade level. In two out of these three tests, students are required to pass in order to graduate, and judging by last years test scores, most students future would be endangered if they are unable to bring there score up. This has led to the question, â€Å"are we testing our students too much†? This question was bought up at a General Assembly meeting in March of 2000, the Virginia Board of Education responded by saying they would move the Stanford-9 exam from the spring to the fall, so it would not interfere with the spring SOL tests. But this still is not enough for me, because all of these tests are designed to do one thing, and that is to evaluate a student’s comprehensive knowledge of a certain subject. So what I don’t get is, why do a student have to take two or more test a year just to evaluate his understanding of a certain subject.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since this test has been devised, the number one question everybody is asking is, â€Å" isn’t it unfair to base a student’s entire future on one test, when he or she simply could have had a bad day when taking the test†? The president Kirk T. Schroder of the Virginia Board of Education, answer this question by saying, â€Å"First of all, these tests are untimed, so no student is under arbitrary time pressure in taking the test.

Colgate-Palmolive :: Oral Hygiene Industry

WS1 CP Paper Colgate-Palmolive has been a leader in household and personal care products. In 1991 the company planned new product launches while planning to venture into new markets (Quelch & Laidler, 2011). The company’s plan worked and now the company offers products from oral hygiene products to dish soap to dog food. This paper will discuss the company’s mission. This paper will also discuss a SWOT analysis which according to Kotler and Keller (2009) is â€Å"the overall evaluation of a business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.† Mission A mission statement should be clear and thoughtful. A mission statement should also provide employees with a sense of purpose and direction (Kotler & Keller, 2009). According to Colgate (2011) the company’s mission statement is â€Å" to provide Colgate with a significant competitive advantage by reducing total delivered costs, extending technology resources and developing excellence in purchasing, logistics and sourcing processes.† The company has been successful in its mission and accomplishing its goals. Strengths Colgate-Palmolive has been a strong force in the oral hygiene industry. The company has many strengths that have contributed to the company’s success. The company has become a global leader with seventy five percent of sales coming from international operations (Colgate, 2011). The company has built strong brand recognition over the years. According to Sekar and Thomas (2008) â€Å"brand differentiation is now becoming an important tactic for combating competition in the hostile marketplace.† While price is important, brand is also an important influence for consumers (Chain Drug Review, 2010). Another influence is product positioning. Colgate-Palmolive has been successful in positioning their products in stores and displaying more skus than other brands. The company has a focus on new product development and innovation. Products range from oral hygiene products to pet foods. The company sells high margin products that they are able to produce at a low cost to the company (Datamonitor, 2011). Colgate-Palmolive’s financial strategy has helped the company to achieve great success. Weaknesses Although the company has many strengths the company does have some weaknesses. While the company remains the market leader in Ireland (Checkout, 2008), the company has experienced a decrease in sales in other European countries (Datamonitor, 2011). This decrease could be the result of less spending on advertising compared to the company’s competitors (DeSanto, 2010).

Pro Capital Punishment :: essays research papers

Indian Penal Code 302:.............'to be hanged till death'! And the judge in his high seat signs with a grim face and breaks his pen. That blot of ink on that damned paper slowly transforms into drops of blood. Justice has been done and people may rest in peace. Wish it were so! The civilized world debates whether this is indeed...justice. The men who seat in high backed chairs and decree, the high priests of justice are demi gods. They kill....period! The Bible says that even God forgives. Who the hell is man to decide whether a person be allowed to live or not? What power, what authority entitles him to deal death at the scratch of a pen?The whole world awaits a judgement day. The mortal judges can hardly wait. Crimes are punishable and indeed , their intensities should vary with their heniousness. But to take away the right to live is against humanity. Imagine, dear reader, how it must feel to feel the rope press on your neck, the air suddenly rare, the crushing sensation on the spine. At a kerchief's drop, the lever moves and the man hangs in mid air, legs throwing frantically for some support, the pain unbearable till one hears the 'snap', the crack of the human neck! Where has the humanity vanished? Judgement was never meant to be so brutish. One of the most portent arguements against capital punishment is that we have no right to take something we cannot replenish.Life, the supreme and enigmatic benediction of God. We cannot provide one with it. What gives us the right to take it away? History says, there was a time in middle earth, when an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth , used to be the form of justice imparted. History also nomenclates that period as the 'dark ages', man was still on the threshold of civilisation. This is vengeance, not justice.It is barbaric in essence and is no better than 'street justice'. If this form of juvenile jurisdiction must prevail, legalise the underworld. After all they deal with equal fairness. Justice is not infalliable. It is administered by humans and errare humanum est. But this is like walking on quicksand. Here one mistake is irreversible. A man hangs and with that everything ends. What if it is later proved that someone goofed up, something went terribly wrong? No amount of repentance will make right that terrible wrong.

Violent Music and It’s Impact on children

Violent Music and it Impact on Children Causes and Impact of Emotional, Financial, and Physical Abuse of the Elderly Augustine Reeves Delaware Community County College April 16 2014 Introduction Does violent music really impact children life? We asked these questions every day, but do we get the right answers? This is unpredictable. No one knows what will be the outcome if we do not have music in our life. When I was a kid music was part of my every day activities. Rap, R&B, Country etc. Was profanities used in those songs? Yes. Did I used them in the streets? Yes.But does it really makes us who we are today. Different Medias Anderson, Carnage, and Banks(2003) emphasize the differences between Medias which one is more effective. Such as watching music videos and listening to audios only music. Is it more effective for a kid to do what he or she saw in the video, then saying what he or she heard in a music lyric. Music videos are more doable for children. Children will most likely tak e what they saw and transform it in their way of doing. The why Most parents who cares about their children behaviors will always block musical channels like B.E. T and M. T. V, and would rather allow their children to sites to MPH music. In other to imitates a music lyric, you have to be a good listener, how to use to lyrics in different ways. Violent Music lyrics Impact on Children When listening to audio music with lyric, it increases thought, aggression, and emotions feeling on children. Most words that are used in lyrics are aggressive and nonaggression. According to Exposure to Violent Music, Craig A. Anderson, Nicholas L. Carnage, and Jeanie Banks(2003) did an experiment on Aggressive and Nonaggression words.Aggressive Words blood, fight hurt wound butcher gun choke hatchet knife Nonaggression Words alley drugs police stick animal movie red bottle night rock The experiment was to allow college students to listen to music with these aggressive words and nonaggression words and see what will be the outcome, and heir behaviors. The outcome was very clear that after the experiment was over the students who listened to the aggressive music had more negative feeling and aggressive thought of doing something, then the student who listened to the non- aggressive songs. Children have the mind of believing anything they hear or sees.Children who listens to aggressive music believe that they do not need to go to school, they believe they can sell drugs, become a rapper themselves, not listening to their parents because that what they heard while listening to aggressive music. That how aggressive music can impact children life. Violent Music video Impact on Children life According to helping to Curb Youth Violence, Jan L. Peterson and Russ Newman (2000) believed that youth between the age 12 and 24 year face the highest risk of being involves in violent acts and most likely involved in being kill.About nearly 60% of kid death are result of violent behaviors. Such a s, homicide, accidents, gang fighting, dating assault etc. Because youth spend almost 6 to 12 hours a day watching MET, B. E. T, Youth, and other music channels. Musical videos is more about sexual oriented acts. It is said that teen who listen to rap video become more involve in violent dating. Musical videos are influenced and threaten to children. Conclusion I believe to that my thinking, my movement, my thoughts have something to do with music. As a youth I believe the image of music, the words, the videos act should be limited.But at the same time we cannot live without these things in our life no matter how risky it is. Life can be very stressful especially for the elderly. Sometime it is hard to imagine how life would be financially when getting older and knowing you won't be able to work and support your family. Situation like those can lead to depression, emotions, and can sometime lead to violent in the family. Most elderly realize that they cannot depend on social securit y tax anymore. Financial Exploitation on Elderly According to Shells L. Jackson and Thomas L.Haberdasher (2012), financial exploitation is defined as the illegal or improper use of an elderly person's funds, property, or assets. It is said that elderly victims annually loss $2. 9 billion to financial exploitation in Midlife 2009. Those lost can be very effective on the elderly because these are something they worked for their life. Retirement is what every individual wants so they can rest and enjoy what they worked for. But how do they lead to depression? As a retire person it is hard to replace a lost assets. Therefore it can lead to loss of independence and security for an elderly person.With that situation the person have to rely on a family member, or even going far as getting on social welfare. For that season it can lead to self-decline, depression, even suicide attempt. What leads to Depression on Elderly? Depression does not really start with someone already at the age of 6 5. It can start with a person at age of 17 and follow till they are in their ass's. According to The relationship between stress and depression, Vivian Kraal], Simms Seekers, and Ella Remains state that life events in relation to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and maltreatment during childhood.For example, a 16 year old girl lost both parents at that age she will most like be depress and might affect her life going forward. Elderly depression can also come from lack of financially assistance at a young age. A person who can work, or work and not save enough for the future can lead to depression. Because at the age of 50 they to worry about who will take care of them, they'll to worry about going to nursing home. Causes of Physical Abuse on Elderly Elderly people experience more physical abuse then others. Some causes of physical abuse on elderly are domestic violence and caregiver problem. Family issues come with domestic violence.The process of an elderly person living with a spouse can be trustful especially if the elder is sick or have mental issues. Sometime it can be financial problem. Buying all the medication, the food, and cloths. If the spouse not doing to responsibility it is consider as an abuse. The next one is caregivers. Sometime caregivers are having their own problem. It may be personal issues, psychological issues, and mental issues. The risk is very high when someone with these situation life with an elder. Physical Abuse can come when a sick elderly refuses to take his or her medication especially when it is at a consistence rate.The receiver can become to scream, names calling, and sometimes lead to hitting the elderly person. Conclusion Most elderly people are committing suicide because of how they are treated, how abuses people are to them, losing the asset makes them believe life is not worth living. Stress and depression mostly causes heart attack on elderly people. People work hard and save to live in the future, so let them liv e to the fullest of it. Reference Page Anderson, A. C. , Carnage, L. N. , & Banks, J. (2003). Exposure to violent media: The effects of Songs with violent lyrics on aggressive thoughts and feelings.

Marketing Plan for Langkawi

Executive summary Langkawi, such an amazing island, attracted a lot of people from all over the world. Unbalanced regional development, domestic and foreign tourism competition make Langkawi cannot get a development very well, that is the reason why Langkawi cannot be the world-wild attraction. A right marketing plan can make Langkawi give full play to its advantages and make up for weakness, and then get a good development of marketing. Setting marketing objectives, confirm target markets, use marketing strategies to develop a marketing plan for Langkawi is the focal point of this article.Introduction Langkawi, â€Å"The Island of Legend† is located 108 kilometers northwest of Peninsular Malaysia, the border of Malaysia and Thailand. Comprising a group of 104 islands, the biggest one is Langkawi, it is a place for those seeking tranquility and refuge from the hustle and bustle of city life. The area is about 526 square kilometers. The main island spans about 25 kilometers fro m north to south. Two-thirds of island covered forests, hills and natural vegetation. It’s a biggest cluster island in Malaysia, constitute of 99 limestone islands.Langkawi Island is richly blessed with a heritage of fabulous myths and legends. As a natural paradise, this island perhaps is incomparable anywhere else in Southeast Asia. The country beauty of the island makes itself a compelling attraction. Langkawi, a drooping part of Malaysia, attracted no tourists until 1987. In 1997, there are 1. 7million tourists visited Langkawi and the number reached 2. 38million in 2009. Most of the development is in the main town of Kuah and in isolated beach resorts around the coast.The airport is located on this island as well hotel resorts, restaurants and shops. The two main beaches, Pantai Cenang and Pantai Kok, are on the island's western coast, with Pantai Cenang being the most popular as the place for hotels and restaurants. Dotted along the northern coast are the more luxurious resorts. With the only intention to promote tourism, the island was granted a tax-free status. Government has come up with special developments to promote the tourism industry in Langkawi.Tourists are also requested not to bring any cars or other vehicles to go to this island, so it can save this city far from pollution and then make it as a green tourist destination. The Northern Corridor Economic Region development program is a Malaysia Government initiative to promote the economic growth in the north of Peninsular Malaysia . In order to improve the Langkawi’s position as a world-class tourist destination, the Northern Corridor Economic Region is trying hard to attract further world-class hotels and holiday resorts to this island.In the folk custom aspects, the entertainment service development in Langkawi is not a patch on Phuket Island, the rich of history and culture is not as good as Bali Island, but it has abundant natural and geological beauty, simplicity and peacefu l country life, leisurely and comfortable tourism atmosphere, it can be developed as an ecological, geological and leisure tourism island. That makes Langkawi not only have a unique style with neighboring famous islands, but also an intellectual tourism trend for satisfy tourists yearning at present.Langkawi is surrounded with many legends that could be used in the marketing of the island. In addition to the natural and social resources, Langkawi has many other resources that could be developed into visitor attractions such as rubber fields, factories, fishing villages and the Hindu temples. The change of the future is expected to the attentive planning and decision by Lembaga Pembangunan Langkawi (LADA). Marketing objectives Langkawi is a potential island for coastal tourism. Coastal tourism has been the world's largest tourism hot spots and important pillar.With the development of the economy and coastal tourism in the context of the global is developing quickly, coastal tourism d evelopment of real estate has become an important component. In order to develop coastal tourism reasonable, the marketing plan should be suitable for langkawi. Vision To become a world-class agency in the efficient and creative development of langkawi's infrastructure and tourism industry. Mission To develop langkawi's specialized attractions (such as theme park) objective 1. To protect natural resource in order to obtain sustainable development. 2. To improve entertainment facilities in langkawi. . To create a theme park for eco-tourism. 4. Promote Langkawi as an international tourist destination. The island has an abundance of potential, especially in eco-tourism. They could build a theme park that co-exists with the environment and encourages eco-awareness. (Jimmy Leong ). only focuses on ecological protection, and to obtain sustainable development. The international success coastal resorts all pay attention to ecological protection principle. Target markets From region, the fig ure shows that more than 70% of visitor in langkawi is from Malaysia, that means main visitor market in langkawi is domestic market.However, Thailand, Singapore is Langkawi's largest market for foreign tourist. And from demography, family and couple prefer to go langkawi. Because langkawi is a quite beautiful and reasonable coasts for destination. Couple choose langkawi as honeymoon destination. The family go vacation because of amazing landscape, and also duty free shop. According to statistics released by the Tourism Division of the Langkawi Development Authority, that there were 2,461,455 visitors stayed on the island during 2009 which nearly 25% were from overseas, All in all, Langkawi's target market is couples and families both in international and domestic.Marketing strategies Product pricing The price that tourism enterprises set need to conform to the certain standards, if the price is too low, customers may thought those products are not worth to buy, tourism enterprises a re hard to get a profit, and if the price is too high, customers have no ability to consumption, there will be no demand on it. In Langkawi, some luxury hotels, restaurants and entertainment industries can use high price strategy to approaching market and it is good for market positioning.Travel agency, local attractions and hotels can offer discount for visitors when they reaches a certain amount. Some hotels, motels or airlines can provide seasonal discount in rainy season, international flights can adjustment the price according to the size of demand, and the purpose is to attract customers, make sure they can get a profit. Pricing can be based on competitors, it is a kind of methods that pricing according to the price of competitors. Price variance remains unchanged and always be a little higher than competitors or a bit lower. So ompare to other islands, Langkawi can pricing according to its dominant position and give a higher price, for inferior position, we can give a discoun t for customers, in order to attract them to come. Promotion Promoting the tourism development of Langkawi is very necessary. Promotion can be used in various ways. Public relations is a good way to promote it, we can make people pay attention to the propaganda by special events or public service activities. There are a lot of people from all over the world, looking for the information of Langkawi on the Internet.These potential visitors want to know the interesting places in this island, where they can stay, which restaurant offers the best meal. We can build websites about Langkawi’s detailed information, shows the travel and accommodation arrangements and let people know what the suitable choice is for them. Hotels can offer special discount for attracting tourists to stay in Langkawi, whatever people come to Langkawi for business, vacation or conference, Langkawi has different kinds of accommodation types to serve customers, discount hotels can attract more tourists to st ay because most of them want to save money.Airlines can provide cheap flights, make everyone can travel by air. Travel agency can promote the preferential travel project, save money and time for visitors. We can also advertise Langkawi through media, newspaper, magazine, television or â€Å"giveaways† such as calendars and training packages, print and send out brochures, provide travel reservation service and use publicity to build a positive image of Langkawi, let people see them in their daily life. People Only find that demand can satisfy the demand. The process of finding demand needs to realize by employees.Tourism enterprises need to arouse the enthusiasm of the employees, let them seeking for potential customers according to the demand of them. The employees with high quality and comply with the requirements are very important. Training the industry professionals, make sure travel agency employees can let visitors have a good experience in Langkawi, and get satisfactor y services from hotels, restaurants and other entertainment industries, because their service attitude and level is one of the key factors which decided to customers on the tourism enterprises satisfaction, a not professional employee may be adly affect Langkawi’s image, leading to the loss of customers, reduce the economic income of travel enterprises, affect the development of tourism industry in Langkawi. â€Å"People† not only those of the employees, but also customers. The feeling of customers on the service quality may be affected by the opinion of other customers. The marketing goal is getting loyal customers those whom believe in tourism enterprises and think they are worth to spend, and they are also willing to recommend Langkawi to other customers, thus to improve the popularity and positive image of Langkawi. ProcessesWhile producing and service delivering at the same time, process management can guarantee the availability of service and stable quality. Othe rwise, it is very difficult to balance the supply and demand of service. We must find the way to handle the peak demands, seeking the method in different level to maximum satisfy the different needs of different customers. In the implementation process of Langkawi’s marketing planning, it might happened some accidents because of the change of the market, we must do our best for the supervision, regulate and control in the whole process, to achieve the best effect of marketing.To sum up, in the marketing strategies combinations of Langkawi, in addition to the human factors are uncontrolled, other factors are controllable. We should adapt to the external environment actively, give full play to Langkawi’s advantages and make up for weakness, and then get a good development of marketing. Physical evidence Physical evidence is making the invisible services of products as much as possible becoming visible products, let consumers fell that the service product is exists, and i mproving visitors enjoy the value of the service products process.Germany has a successful businessman said: a simple reception is better than a detailed manual. For example, the first time a visit goes to the langkawi restaurant, before entered the restaurant, the restaurant’s appearance and signs has made him an initial impression. If the impression is good, he will go into the restaurant, and then the internal decorate, how clean the desktop is and the waiters’ etiquette image will directly to decide he will repast here or not. If management and utilization t well, it can help customers experience the characteristic of langkawi, improve the service when you get to enjoy the benefit and contribute to create a good image for langkawi, to support the implementation of the marketing strategy. Conversely, it may send wrong message to customers, influence the customer's expectations and judgment to langkawi, it will damage the image of langkawi. Physical evidence should f ocus on object factors, human factors and atmosphere factors and it also can improve physical evidence from outdoor billboards, TV advertising and the promotion activities in public places.We can add the local customs and features to langkawi’s guideposts and signs, on the other hand, service personnel should dress the same uniform, intensify efforts to make slogan and publicity material. Conclusion Langkawi is a romantic, beautiful island which has richly natural resources, where nature itself also has many excellent conditions, making her a paradise in Southeast Asia. Walking on the main island of Langkawi, an oasis of Rubber Forest and paddy fields are in front of you, dotted with the traditional tall houses (Ganlan), coconut waves, two or three Islanders who make a living by fishing and farming pass by.All these form a very laid-back screen. On this island which is full of ancient legend, the earth fell asleep in a lullaby of insect croak piping. In addition to  the bea utiful  natural scenery, Langkawi also  has a long  history and  traditional culture. Langkawi  is a  duty-free island that you  can buy  a lot of  duty-free products. As the famous internationally archipelago of 99 tropical islands in Malaysia, Langkawi is the absolute holiday paradise which offers modern accommodation facilities and amenities set against the natural backdrop of sun-drenched beaches and ancient rainforests teeming with exotic plant and animal life.For its beautiful geological heritage of stunning landscapes, Langkawi is a really good place to go, it is absolute a fantastic travel destination. Experience the beautiful countryside and the peaceful landscape of paddy fields, pass by some small villages with wooden houses which build by palm trees, and children pedaling their old bicycles on the road. Beautiful scenery, great adventures, five-star conveniences and an international airport make Langkawi a great place for a holiday. An agro-based econom y of padi and rubber cultivation and fisheries is being ast overtaken by a tourism-driven economy, taking into consideration the natural, unspoiled, ecological beauty of the island and major governmental emphasis. The largest and most developed island – known as Langkawi – is the focal point for most visitors. Traditionally the islanders have relied upon the farming and fishing industries for their livelihood, but in 1987 they were awarded Duty Free status, and the subsequent increase in visitors has promoted tourism to the point of being the islands largest industry.Tourism is one of the most important industries in Malaysia's national economy, and it has an important effect on promoting national economic and social development. Malaysia is richly in natural tourism resources and culture tourism resources. Since the 1960s, tourism resource advantages are gradually translated into the real economic advantages. With the rapid development of Malaysian tourism industry, d uring the past 50 years, remarkable achievements have been made in the number of tourists to Malaysian, foreign exchange income, tourism infrastructure construction, the opening and protection of tourism resources, and some other aspects.Langkawi has rich tourism resources. Develop Langkawi tourism market is good for the local economy,it can provide more jobs for local people. So develop a good marketing plan for Langkawi is very necessary, it can promote the development of tourism industry, thus promote the development of entirety economic in Malaysia. References Jeremy, A. (2002), The rough guide to Southeast Asia, Rough Guides Ltd,Mohamed, Z. H. I. (2000), The legends of Langkawi, Utusan Publications & Distributors Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur. John, S. Michael, T. (1998), How to prepare a marketing plan: a guide to reaching the customer market, MPG Books Ltd, Great Britain. John, W. (2010), How to write a marketing plan, Replika Press Pvt Ltd, India. Malcolm, M. & Hugh, W. (2011), Mark eting Plans: How to prepare them, how to use them, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, United Kingdom. Simon, R. (2007), Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei, Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd, Australia. Susan, B. (2001), Successful tourism marketing: a practical handbook, Kogan Page Limited, London.