The Safety And Health Of The Public - 1939 Words

The central idea I am proposing is this; the safety and health of the public will be put at risk if the same kinds of people keep political power in the future. What I mean by this is people with no engineering background or similar trade don’t have or chose not to act in the best interest of the public when their careers are on the line. On top of that the world is changing at a blinding pace: the challenges of global warming, population growth, and rapidly advancing technology, are problems the general public is ill equipped to handle, without the help of engineers in positions of power. The threats to humanity will overwhelm the political structure we currently have, unless engineers are at the helm to meet them. There are several human made disasters we have covered in the class talking about what happens when people with little to no engineering experiences made engineering decisions. For most cases only a few people were directly affected, while this is a tragedy so peop le lost their lives the scale of the issues has been on a smaller scale. I bring your attention to the events dubbed the Flint Water Crisis it is a much larger scale issue where thousands of people were affected by a series of bad decisions. To understand the context of my argument we need to understand how the Crisis happened, the people responsible for making the crisis and those that help to resolve it, and most importantly how the public is affected. So let’s take a look at how the public wasShow MoreRelatedThe Safety And Health Of The Public Essay1870 Words   |  8 Pagesthis; the safety and health of the public are put at risk if the same kind of people keeps political power in the future. Consequently what I mean is a person with no engineering background or similar trades in positions of power chose not to act in the best interest of the public when their careers are on the line. [4] The world is changing at a blinding pace; the challenges of global warming, population growth, and rapidly advancing technology, are behemoth problems the general public needs helpRead MoreThe Safety And Health Of The Public2047 Words   |  9 Pagesis this; the safety and health of the public will are put at risk if the sa me kinds of people keep political power in the future. What I want to covey is people with no engineering background or similar trade don’t have or chose not to act in the best interest of the public when their careers are on the line. On top of that the world is changing at a blinding pace: the challenges of global warming, population growth, and rapidly advancing technology, are problems the general public needs help toRead MoreThe Plan For Public Health And Safety1733 Words   |  7 PagesThe next component of the General Plan is the plan for public health and safety which addresses issues of: Geology and Seismicity, Flooding and Drainage, Noise, Air Installation Land Use Compatibility, Hazardous Materials, Crime Prevention and Protection Services, Fire Prevention and Suppression Services, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Medical Facilities. The issue of geology and seismicity is important to the Lancaster area at large due to its location being less than ten miles south of the SanRead MoreThe Environment, Public Health And Safety1205 Words   |  5 PagesEnterprises should protect the environment within the framework of environment laws in the countries in which they operate. They should not pollute the environment, public health and safety. In particular, enterprises should collect all the information about the environment where they operate and analysis the environment, safety and health impart due to their activity of operate. They need to make specific plan about how to improve the local environment performance and recycle the nature resources.Read MorePublic Health, Safety, And The Environment750 Words   |  3 Pagestaking up such a large percentage of land, there is less land for farmers, housing, and other resources. Landfills also give off multiple dangerous chemicals. For example, landfills give off greenhouse gases, dioxins, furans, and mercury (â€Å"Public Health, Safety, and the Environment†). Landfills are also a severe caus e of deforestation. Also, landfills take away land that could produce resources needed to feed the steadily growing population and assist in eliminating the Global Food Crisis. Not onlyRead MoreEthics, Public Health, And Environmental Safety3018 Words   |  13 Pagesengineering and the adoption of transgenic crops, a new set of questions regarding ethics, public health, and environmental safety has grown from a theoretical concern to one that must be considered as genetic engineering plays an increasingly large role in our everyday lives. As genetically modified (GM) food has entered the marketplace, these ethical questions have fallen not just to scientists but to the public at large, and the issue has grown into a massive, polarized debate with no signs of resolutionRead MoreThe United States Health Care Public Safety Essay1069 Words   |  5 PagesBackground The United States health care public safety net system largely provides healthcare services to the uninsured and the under insured. However, this vulnerable population still cannot access adequate care and compared to the privately insured population, the uninsured receive less preventative and specialty health care services. The need for safety net providers to improve the delivery and access to care has led to increased funding through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care ActRead MoreThe Code Of Ethics And The Law Of The Public Health, Safety, And Welfare981 Words   |  4 Pagestheir clients, society, and themselves. According to the National Society of Professional Engineers, â€Å" the services provided by engineers require honesty, impartiality, fairness, and equity, and must be dedicated to the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare† (NSPE, 2015). This means that engineers need to work towards providing all customers, including society as a whole, the best work and proficient product they possibly can. To ensure that each project they work on is workingRead MoreWhy Vaccination Is Necessary For Our Public Health And Public Safety ( Plotkin 1-15 )1323 Words   |  6 Pagessociety in preventing diseases. They believe that making vaccinations a requirement will be beneficial for our public health and public safety (Plotkin 1-15). The question mainly asked is if vaccines should be given and/or required of all children. The National Vaccine Information Center, also known as (NVIC) is a non-profitable charity to help prevent vaccine injuries. They help inform the public about the risks involved in the use of vaccines. NVIC goes on to say, â€Å"like prescription drugs, vaccines areRead MoreA Number Of Public Health And Safety Concerns Arise From Injection Drug Use944 Words   |  4 PagesA number of public health and safety concerns arise from injection drug use, including: HIV transmission (Mathers et al., 2008), hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission (Alter, 1997; Lake and Kennedy, 2016), overdose (Lake and Kennedy, 2016; Sherman et al., 2007), abscesses and infections (Binswanger et al., 2000; Salmon et al., 2009), and improperly discarded syringes (Buchanan et al., 2003). Supervised injection facilities (SIFs) —also called drug consumption rooms (DCRs), safe injection sites (SISs)

The Ethical Dilemma Mathew And The Immediate Permanency...

Introduction The ethical dilemma Mathew and I decided to write on was scenario three, where the mother left her daughter with an â€Å"unwilling caregiver† right after the father was incarcerated. In this case while the mother was pregnant with the girl, the mother used drugs, causing the baby to go through withdrawals after she was born. The daughter, Tonya, has now been in foster care for 19 months with the same family, and the mother was not able to be located. Now both her biological father and foster family have shown interest in wanting to keep Tonya, our ethical dilemma in this case is finding the best placement for Tonya in this situation. In this case we’re discussing prospective family reunification versus immediate permanency for Tonya. While Tonya is our main concern making this decision, we also have to consider the competency of the biological father and foster family. Position Number One The first option we found for Tonya was letting her stay in her current foster home until she could be reunified with her father, Mr. Calvert. He does have parental rights as her biological father, and as long as he takes the necessary steps and precautions that he is required to do to get her back, we do feel he deserves to have his daughter placed with him. It could be argued that spending at least two years in foster care could be too long for Tonya, but it has been found that it is average for most children to spend about two years in foster care (â€Å"Foster Care†, n.d.).

The Dark Knight Returns The Illustrated Book Essay Example For Students

The Dark Knight Returns The Illustrated Book Essay In 1986, Frank Miller released the illustrated book, The Dark Knight Returns. Frank Miller’s eyes for dramatic lines, Klaus Janson’s inking and Lynn Varley’s coloring lift this literature up to the top of mainstream comics. In The Dark Knight Returns, the pictures successfully symbolize the underlying meanings and create intensive atmosphere. Minds and ideas are imbedded in the graph in such a way that graph becomes the continuum for the meaning. On page twenty-six, Frank Miller focuses on the ideological struggle between Bruce Wayne and Batman. Bruce Wayne tries hard to keep Batman from free despite his relentless struggles to break the chains. Frank Miller uses dramatic lines and shadows to evoke the imagery of captivity and innermost entanglements deep inside Bruce Wayne. The windows are represented by the cell bars, which metaphorically emphasize the point that Bruce Wayne is struggling to repress Batman’s escape. The prison view is painted with limited color, rendering bleak and harsh image and depicting drastic and furious floundering. Besides, the use of shadows creates a nightmarish atmosphere. In the eighth and eleventh panel, the window frames are cast on the face of Bruce Wayne, which generates an illusion that these shadows resemble scars. It is this misconception that escalates the tension of innermost struggling of Bruce Wayne. Furthermore, the comparison of color is surprisingly strong in this page. From the fifth panel to the twelfth panel, there exists a pattern in which similar images are expressed in both bright and dark tinges. Throughout these panels, Bruce Wayne, who are devoid of color, and Batman, who are lurking in the dark, engage in a drastic combat. In the final panel of the page, an enormous flying bat with flaming jaws crashes through the window symbolized by cell bars. The deliberate extension of this panel and the element of flame give us the impression that after enduring all the endlessly raging innermost conflicts and fights, finally the Batman breaks through all the barriers and chains. In page fifteen, the first few panels describe workers at Arkham Asylum walking down the halls and discussing the weather and other trivial things while passing the room of Joker. This seven panel doesnt stand out so much but ordinary chatting is a process of drawing the attention to Two-Face’s room. The augmenting intention explodes in the last several panels, in which Frank Miller lets his intention flows out of the page by the symmetric structure of panels, deliberately and metaphorically. A plastic surgeon and a physiatrist are trying to convince Two-Face has been cured and about to unveil his new face. It is the transition point from the previous single image form to two symmetric halves. This physical mirror structure regarding the character of Two-Face seamlessly corresponds to his split personality. This deliberate parallelism setting is such a brilliant combination of meaning and picture that the border between graphics and meanings exquisitely blur. In twelfth panel, Two-Face’s split personalities are stressed again. The dramatic effect reaches its peak by the hands of Miller: â€Å"Thank you, Dr. Wolper. And now, Harvey Dent meet Harvey Dent. † The line is separated into two halves, which again suggests the sheer comparison between his conflicting personalities the bright side and the scary side. In panel thirteen, finally, Harvey Dent sees himself in the mirror, shockingly finding himself that his face is again unified. It is the point that the panel changes back to the single structure, which further reinforces Two-Face new identity–unified face. This transition from single to symmetric structure and back to single panel keeps its pace with the underlying meaning that Miller tries to convey and the dramatic effects that Miller intends to intensify. The interaction behind this parallelism marks the monumental point at which picture and meaning are mingled seamlessly. .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe , .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe .postImageUrl , .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe , .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe:hover , .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe:visited , .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe:active { border:0!important; } .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe:active , .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3adb0e7446ed79869717edfffbf281fe:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Studio by Philip Guston EssayFrank Miller consummately manages to convey the internal ideas externally. The pictures are imprinted into the process of developing characteristics of figures, together with the use of monologue, highlighting the protagonist’s loneliness, burden and innermost conflicts. The interplay between graphs and meanings, the exquisite visual expression and effective use of such devices as imagery, symbolism and metaphor enable The Dark Knight Returns to transcend the conventions of superhero comics and become Literature, with a capital L.

Multitasking free essay sample

What are some different views on multitasking and digitalized media? What were some ways the South Korean education and health systems are trying to combat Internet and gaming addictions while instilling internet values? Do you agree or disagree with these methods? How about the US schools? Did you agree or disagree with the use of technology in middle and high schools? In the latter half of the documentary, they explore media multitasking on a social level. We see gamers conventions, online dating and marriages, and delve into virtual reality. How do you feel about this new phenomenon? Do you think relationships that begin and are sustained online can matter as much as traditional relationships? Do you think this is healthy? Lastly look at your own live, academically, professionally, and personally. Would you consider yourself someone who is multitasker? If so, has it enriched your life, made you more stressed? Consider ways you can limit your tech and internet use and lower your multitasking Digitalized media era is considered as a revolution in such a way it have changed human behavior and lifestyle; while multitasking is a very old fact if we return back to primitive years, before the social division of labor the human should hunt and cultivate to be feed, build his own cabin, sew his clothes and other activities. We will write a custom essay sample on Multitasking or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As a result human development led us to more and more necessities and habits (watching movies, playing, shopping, traveling, reading and also social, political and economical interests). Human needs progress constantly and inventions too, it is thus that digitalized media appeared to guide and facilitate our human being and behavior. Nevertheless multitasking and digitalized media became a very bad cocktail, because as much as digitalized media is powerful and competent our multitask sense become excessive. In fact technological distractions prevent us to do not be bored due to the numerous things that Internet, smartphones and many other technological utilities may offer. A wave of information about people, history, hobbies, goods and communications; Such as a planet easily accessible, a compression of the world, a 3rd dimension. As everything in life, multitasking and digitalized media have their advantages and conveniences. Multitasking allows us to do many things at the same time and it allow us to have a better management on our lives but it makes stressful and less focused. Brain results by using technology affect us, humans suffer of an addiction to games, network, cell phones and it is very hard to be detached to this new way of human being. Digitalized media had a very bad impact on the majority of South Korean’s teenagers; the time spent by using technology is very marking especially in uninteresting things such as games and social medias. South Korean’s study less and give more importance to games which shrink our capacity to think; more over doctors consider the phenomenon as an addiction. Thus South Korean’s government is trying to make people aware about digital dependence dangers with the implementation of addiction’s center care and also the learning of a moderated technology uses and in the right way. This methods concern young students too, they go online once they learn reading and writing, it is a very interesting approach because it psychologically guide the next generation to use technology as a normal and ordinary habit by learning Internet ethics. The US schools consider Internet as an new educational tool, nevertheless students lack of focus during the class. Actually students have a problem of writing skills due to the internet distractions and multitasking by getting bored. But in an ecological view digitalized education decrease paper expanses. Social media is a virtual world, it makes to a disconnection with the real and natural life; but it is a useful (moyen) for people that have no time or some difficulties for a new meeting, some websites have a social meetings in function of your personal critere research; for example place to meet one potential guy in one week, you save your time by meeting more guys in less time. There is also some people that suffer of a lack in trusting in their selves, social media play an important role by helping them to have more confidence and meeting a similar mankind. Social media is not safe because it is not a filtrated environment and people are different but it is a criteria of our human being. I personally had a very great online meeting and this relation is memorable to me, social media can be the object of the beginning of a relation. But real relations are much better because feelings and sensations are stronger, generally people start by knowing each other and after meeting for real, it is not a bad thing at all it is a new era. Sometimes multitasking bother me, when you are busy and someone is calling you, answering became an obligation, (c’est etouffant) The digital and multitasking mixture private us from our freedom and destabilize our focusing and human being. I use technology frequently but only to satisfy what my head order me and what is good for me. Thus in a positive view multitasking allow me to do instantly everything I want without any difficulty, maybe it is a very stressful thing but there is advantages and conveniences in everything, multitasking make me always moving and acting. And even if my ambitions depassent my power and capacity; if the willingness of being a politician, a philosophe, a business woman, a designer by hobbies, and a charity actress; yes I am a passionate multitasker.

The Idea Of Women In Combat Is Not Unusual Anymore. Essays

The idea of women in combat is not unusual anymore. They should be able to hold combat positions beacause although physical strength matters, the military still needs the intelligence that women can bring. Also, banning women from the combat hurts their military careers. Although women account for only ten percent of the enlisted personnel (Time, 8/21/95/ Pg. 31), they are still a major part in the armed forces. Their performance recently has generated support from Congress and the public for enhancing the role of females in the military. During the Persian Gulf War, women were sent to the Middle East to fly helicopters, service combat jets, refuel tankers, and load laser-guided bombs. Their performance has led the world to realize that women are extremely useful in combat. Defense secretary Dick Chaney said "Women have made a major contribution to this [war] effort. We could not have won without them." Leaders in the field agreed. The Gulf War had the largest deployment of women in the armed forces in history. These women encountered the same risks as the men they served with. Twenty one females lost their lives (Holm, Women in Combat: The New Reality, pg. 67-68). In the Persian Gulf, there were no exact positions and all areas were equally vulnerable, so the idea of safe havens for women was not really applicable. By many armed forces policies, females are banned from combat jobs and units, but in the Persian Gulf War females were assigned to battleships, aircraft carriers, and marine support groups dug into the desert. From their experience in the Persian Gulf, military women have earned the right to be treated as equals with men and not as protected individuals. In spite of their record as able combat personnel, there are laws and policies that restrict women in the United States Military from serving in positions that require them to engage in direct combat. Women in the Air Force and Navy are barred from aircraft and vessels that have a chance to be exposed to combat. The official, established policies of the Army and Marine Corps exclude women from combat (Snyder, pg. 75-76). These policies prohibit women, on the basis of gender only, from over twelve percent of the skill positions and thirty-nine percent of the total positions offered by the Department of Defense. Such policies excluding women from combat need to be repealed by Congress. The Fourteenth Amendment's "Equal Protection Clause" insures every citizen "the equal protection of the laws." Although the clause is not applicable to Federal government, the Supreme Court said the Due Process Clause in the Fifth Amendment prohibits the federal government from making unreasonable classifications. Therefore the set laws and policies that exclude women from combat not only violate the Fifth Amendment, but also deny women their fundamental right to engage and excel in their chosen occupation. There have been many court cases involving women in combat over the years, although there has never been a case directly challenging the constitutionality laws and regulations banning women from combat. In the case of Frontiero vs. Richardson, the court rejected the idea that "man is, or should be, woman's protector or defender," which in actuality, put women not on a pedestal, but in a cage. In Satty vs. Nashville Gas Co., the decision stated that gender does not determine who is able to perform capably as a soldier. In the case of Schlesinger vs. Ballard, it was realized by the Supreme Court that the combat exclusion hinders the abilities of women to gain the experience needed for promotion within the military. The combat exclusion puts women wishing to obtain qualification for high-level positions at a disadvantage, because leadership training is usually acquired in combat-type positions. Although many females are not eager to go into combat, there are women who can and want to do the job. In a time where technology takes over battle lines and brains might be more important than brawn, a reason to exclude women is non-existant. By: Megan Craven, Jennifer Kopper, Stacey Rohrer Sources: Time Magazine, Aug 21, 1991 p.31. Holm, Jeanne, Women in Combat: The New Reality, pg. 67-68. Snyder, Kathy L. "An Equal Right to Fight."

Nonpolar Molecule Definition and Examples

Nonpolar Molecule Definition and Examples AÂ  nonpolar molecule has no separation of charge, so no positive or negative poles are formed. In other words, the electrical charges of nonpolar molecules are evenly distributed across the molecule. Nonpolar molecules tend to dissolve well in nonpolar solvents, which are frequently organic solvents. In a polar molecule, one side of the molecule has a positive electrical charge and the other side has a negative electrical charge. Polar molecules tend to dissolve well in water and other polar solvents. There are also amphiphilic molecules, large molecules that have both polar and nonpolar groups attached to them. Because these molecules have both polar and nonpolar character, they make good surfactants, aiding in mixing water with fats. Technically, the only completely nonpolar molecules consist of a single type of atom or of different types of atoms that display a certain spatial arrangement. Many molecules are intermediate, neither completely nonpolar nor polar. What Determines Polarity? You can predict whether a molecule will be polar or nonpolar by looking at the type of chemical bonds formed between the atoms of the elements. If there is a significant difference between the electronegativity values of the atoms, the electrons wont be shared equally between the atoms. In other words, the electrons will spend more time closer to one atom than the other. The atom that is more attractive to the electron will have an apparent negative charge, while the atom that is less electronegative (more electropositive) will have a net positive charge. Predicting polarity is simplified by considering the point group of the molecule. Basically, if the dipole moments of a molecule cancel each other out, the molecule is nonpolar. If the dipole moments dont cancel out, the molecule is polar. Not all molecules have a dipole moment. For example, a molecule that has a mirror plane wont have a dipole moment because the individual dipole moments cant lie in more than one dimension (a point). Nonpolar Molecule Examples Examples of homonuclear nonpolar molecules are oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and ozone (O3). Other nonpolar molecules include carbon dioxide (CO2) and the organic molecules methane (CH4), toluene, and gasoline. Most carbon compounds are nonpolar. A notable exception is carbon monoxide, CO. Carbon monoxide is a linear molecule, but the electronegativity difference between carbon and oxygen is significant enough to make the molecule polar. Alkynes are considered nonpolar molecules because they dont dissolve in water. The noble or inert gases are also considered nonpolar. These gases consist of single atoms of their element, such as argon, helium, krypton, and neon.

Evaluation of James McNeil Whistler's Crepuscule in Flesh Colour and Essay

Evaluation of James McNeil Whistler's Crepuscule in Flesh Colour and Green - Essay Example This means that a perusal of most of Whistler’s work will reveal little else than an artist’s creative impulses gone wild. Tonalism can be seen as a result of these creative impulses of Whistler. Whistler’s 1866 Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso (910 x 1080 x 100 mm painting, oil on canvas, London: Tate, N05065) is perhaps one of the earliest works that reflects the artist’s desire for tonalist attitudes. The painting is the first piece in a large number of similar works that followed at the hands of Whistler. This indicates that the Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso (Figure 1) cannot be evaluated in isolation from these other related works because they share similar traits and characteristics that eventually came to define tonalism. Another major thing to take note of is the relative unknown nature of Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso as not many treatises on art especially art from the tonalist genres have given it much focus1. However if the period immediately before this painting in Whistler’s life is looked at, it will become very clear that it defines a personal rebellion. In turn this personal rebellion from an already Maverick persona resulted in new nuances being painted into the heart of the world of art. The combination of various rebellious attitudes coupled with a distant past in the military gave birth to the Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso and its sister works that were all created in Chile and represented similar militaristic scenarios processed through the lens of an artist’s eyes. The sister pieces of the Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso include The Morning after the Revolution: Valparaiso, Nocturne in Blue and Gold: Valparaiso Bay (Figure 3) and the sketch for Nocturne in Blue and Gold: Valparaiso Bay (Figure 4). Whistler possessed an uncanny genius for art from an early age2 and this in turn affected his personal choices on life and career. Being a rebel from the start, Whistler was quick to abandon his career with the military at West Point but this in turn left some unfinished desires with Whistler3. As the rebellion in the Spanish colony of Chile took on the shape of a war, Whistler was attracted to revisit the military based part of his persona. Speculation remains to why Whistler went to Chile – some claim he was looking to satisfy his militarism based impulses from West Point4, others think that Whistler considered the rebellion of the Chileans as heroic5 while recent research suggests that he was selling arms to the Chileans. In any case, Whistler was an artist before he went to Chile and artists generally detest war because of its barbaric conduct. However Whistler still chose to go to Chile. Before this point in time Whistler had been rebelling from an ordinary life in order to achieve his life of artistic desire6. Yet his voyage to Chile reveals that now Whistler was rebelling from his art istic life in order to come to terms with a life where you have to work to make some money. This in turn indicates that Whistler was more or less at war with himself at this point in time and his accounts from the ship he travelled on show a Whistler who is disinterested in life and what happens around him. His personal infighting must have kept him well occupied on his journey from Spain to Chile. His first painting in this series of paintings, Crepuscule in Fle

Cold Mountain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cold Mountain - Essay Example It is worth noting that this two individuals only knew each other for a brief moment but Inman deserted the war troops in a bid to see Ada again. In summation the whole book is filled with flashbacks which give a detailed account of the history of this two separated souls. However, in the subsequent sections of this narrative we are going to discuss three important quotes and there relevance in the novel. First and foremost, â€Å"what have you achieved today? Was always nothing†. On the same point, the author uses this particular phrase to signify that Inman had nothing else going on apart from the fact that he wanted to be reunited with Ada. This is evident from the fact that he embarks on a fatal journey in his bid to reunite with Ada despite his war injuries that have not yet healed properly. Secondly, â€Å"But I had no idea on how to prepare a meal†. Apparently, the author uses this phrase to signify that Ada was helpless before her encounter with Ruby, a young woman who taught her survival techniques before the reunion with her husband Inman while she was hunting wild turkey. Lastly, â€Å"Then red her letter† â€Å"she could speak French and Latin†. It is worth noting that Ada was the ministers daughter thus she was well educated. In actual fact, the author uses this particular statement to support this argument since individuals who spoke both French and Latin at the time were mostly the literate individuals in the society. To this end, the cold mountain is an interesting fictional story thus can be read for leisure

Psychology of Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psychology of Gender - Essay Example From perspective of male students, the presence of females in their surroundings will make them more cautious about their attitude, body language, and performance at school. Coeducation creates sense of competition, but this sense of competition is not just limited to the boundaries of academics, the influence is to the extent of extra circular activities; therefore at coeducational units the focus on extra circular activities is severe than single-sex schools. Research results have verified that single-sex education has academic and social advantages; it gives ample opportunity to the students to focus more upon the academic challenges. The academic struggle invested by the students in single-sex education is more extreme compared against coeducation institutes where element of extra circular activities prevails. As per research, no negative effects on the performance of female students have been observed while studying in single-sex schools.

Trade openness and its impact on economic growth

Trade openness and its impact on economic growth The main objective of this chapter is to have an overview of what has been said in the literature regarding trade openness and its impacts, mainly on growth and exposure to external shocks. Infact, the benefits and costs of increased integration remain the subject of a hotly contested debate. Section 2.1 provides an overview of the theoretical perspective of different authors. Section 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 elaborate on the impact of trade on growth and exposure to external shocks respectively. Finally, section 2.2 reviews the empirical literature. 2.1 Theoretical review 2.1.1 Trade and Growth The net effect of trade openness on economic growth has been and remains a subject of much controversy. It is well known that periods of openness have generally been associated with prosperity while protectionism has been the companion of recessions. World international trade has experienced exponential growth over the past two decades. L. Fontagnà © and M. Mimouni (2000) have stated that since the end of the European recovery after World War II, tariff rates have been divided by 10 at the world level, international trade has been multiplied by 17, world income has quadrupled, and income per capita has doubled (p. 2). An economys openness is said to be one of the key determinants of its growth, along with human capital, the investment ratio and the rate of population growth (The Deutsch Bank Research, 2005). Countries that have successfully indulged in international trade, opened themselves to foreign direct investment and attracted foreign workers experienced much higher economic growth than countries that have failed to become integrated into the global economy. Explanations brought forward by The Deutsch Bank Research (2005) on how increased trade boosts growth are drawn from the neoclassical trade model, the technological transfer argument and the institutional improvements argument. In order to explain the neoclassical model of international trade, one should go back to Adam Smith (1776) and David Ricardo (1817). They showed that two countries with absolute and comparative cost advantages can benefit from trade given that each country specialises in producing the good that it can manufacture at a relatively lower cost. The total number of manufactured goods that both countries can consume thus increases and higher welfare follows. However, it is to be noted that economic growth is not an immediate consequence. Technology transfer occurs via the importing of high-tech capital goods, production facilities, patents and licences, as well as knowledge-intensive services. Furthermore, the importing of new technologies also stimulates the development of domestic technology via the imitation and enhancement of imported products. So trade accelerates technological progress, which in turn is the key source of long-term economic expansion according to growth theory. The institutional framework also plays a major role. It encompasses improving infrastructure, boosting capital market efficiency and safeguarding property rights. This process is facilitated by increasing international competition, which prompts domestic companies to continually optimise their production processes and develop new products; this also speeds up technological progress and thus boosts economic growth. In the same breath, Grossman and Helpman (1991) established that openness enhances economic growth through the following channels. Firstly, trade enlarges the available variety of intermediate goods and capital equipment, which can expand the productivity of the countrys other resources. Secondly, trade permits developing countries the access to improved technology in developed countries, in the form of embodied capital goods and thirdly, trade allows intensification of capacity utilization that increases products produced and consumed. To Fontagnà © and Guà ©rin (1998), openness is certainly a prerequisite, not the engine of growth. It simply fuels the engines of investment, reform and credibility. The trade performance of individual countries tends to be a good indicator of economic performance as well. Performing countries tend to record higher rates of GDP growth. The majority of developing countries have joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) and have taken initiatives aimed at opening their economies. Nevertheless, the outcome has not been systematically positive since export performance sometimes remains disappointing and these countries steadily follow contrasted development paths. Guà ©rin (1999) pointed out that there is no systematic gain in growth associated with the binding to the multilateral rules of international trade. Accordingly, Rodrik (2000) argues that integration into the world economy hardly substitutes for a development strategy. Nonetheless, some developing countries record high growth rates by specialising in niche markets and concentrating their export markets, while other developing countries record more moderate rates of growth with a well diversified array of products and partner countries. In other cases, successful performance is the result of a favorable product or market penetration since the beginning. Successful performance can also be gauged in terms of a countrys ability to adapt its export profile to changing patterns of world demand. The phenomenal differences among the growth rates of the East Asian, the Latin American, and Sub-Saharan African countries over the last several decades have stimulated a renewed interest in the effects of trade policies on growth. During most of the 20th century, import substitution industrialization (ISI) strategies dominated most developing countries development strategies. While developing countries in Latin America that followed ISI strategies experienced relatively lower growth rates, East Asian countries, that employed export-promotion policies, consistently outperformed other countries. This probably explains why a growing body of empirical and theoretical research has shifted towards examining the relationship between trade liberalization and the economic performance of countries since the late 1970s. 2.1.2 Trade and Exposure to External Shocks Trade provides countries with new growth opportunities but also exposes them to external shocks. Many economists believe that, though openness to trade increases average GDP growth rates, it also raises output volatility by exposing countries to terms-of- trade shocks. The term vulnerability is often brought up when referring to exposure to external shocks. Vulnerability refers to inherent characteristics which render countries prone to exogenous shocks Open economies are subject to external shocks and Rodrik (1998) has argued that more open economies have bigger governments, because government spending is used to smoothen those external shocks. The vulnerability of countries to some types of external shocks should be reduced when these countries exports are better diversified. More specifically, the effect of trade openness on growth volatility, might it be either negative or positive on average, is likely to be exacerbated when the country in question exports either a relatively small set of products, or sells its goods to a small number of destination markets. The argument is that a higher degree of concentration in exports would imply that any idiosyncratic price shock experienced is more likely to have a substantial impact on the countrys terms of trade, and this would then induce greater fluctuations in a countrys growth process. Furthermore, a higher degree of diversification would likely imply that a country is involved in a larger number of both implicit and explicit international insurance schemes, which would similarly serve as a cushion against such fluctuations. It has been argued that the structure of developing countries exports makes those countries particularly vulnerable to external shocks. Michaely (1958) showed five decades ago that countries with lower GDP per capita tend to be characterized by a higher commodity concentration of exports and argued that as a result, shocks affecting individual export products can have significant effects on overall export performance and potentially on economic performance in developing countries. However, it is to be noted that many small states manage to generate a relatively high GDP per capita when compared to other developing countries in spite of their high exposure to exogenous economic shocks. This would seem to suggest that there are factors which may offset the disadvantages associated with such vulnerability. This phenomenon was termed by Briguglio (2003) as the Singapore Paradox, referring to the reality that although Singapore is highly exposed to exogenous shocks, this small island state has managed to register high rates of economic growth and to attain high GDP per capita. This reality can be explained in terms of the ability of Singapore to build its resilience in the face of external shocks. Practitioners keep wondering whether being open, or in the process of opening up, can determine long-run negative effects linked to an increased exposure to external shocks or greater stress on certain actors. The open question is the following: does trade openness or the process of opening up magnify the risk exposure of the open economy and/or increase uncertainty towards the future, with negative consequences on its welfare? This question does not have a once-for-all answer. It concerns, in general terms, the issue of the balance between the advantages of trade openness and the drawbacks of a greater exposure to shocks and uncertainty. The simplest analysis of risk suggests that at low levels of trade (as typical in developing economies), further trade liberalisation would tend to reduce risk exposure, because (larger) world markets with many players are likely to be more stable than (smaller) domestic ones (Winters, 2002). The hypothesis of a likely long term negative welfare effect of exposure to external shocks and uncertainty a sort of vulnerability hazard induced by trade openness in developing countries (Montalbano et al., 2006 and 2008; Guillaumont, 2007a, 2007b; UNUWider 2008b) has been supported by a number of considerations: Dercon (2001) underlines the role of openness as a vehicle for an entirely new set of shocks and incentives able to put traditional mechanisms under pressure and hamper people standard management strategies; Calvo and Dercon (2003 and 2007) and Ligon and Schechter (2003 and 2004) highlight how risk averse households will have lower levels of welfare or a lower expected utility if they face greater variation in future consumption, as it is more likely in the case of trade openness; Winters (2002) and Winters et al. (2004) suggest that trade openness could alter households optimal portfolio leading to sub-optimal choices, especially for the poor, because of a poor ability to bear new risks and weak capabilities to insure themselves against adverse impacts or simply because their behaviour can be negatively affected by rising uncertainty. 2.2 Empirical Review Do open economies grow faster than closed economies? Almost all empirical growth studies have provided an affirmative answer to this question. The reason for this strong bias in favor of trade liberalization is partly based on the conclusions of a wide range of empirical studies, which claimed that outward-oriented economies consistently have higher growth rates than inward-oriented countries. It is also partly due to the tragic failures of import-substitution strategies, especially in the 1980s and overstated expectations from trade liberalization. Levine and Renelt (1992) show that trade openness may affect growth through investment. Continuous openness may lead to faster long-run growth since openness allows larger access to investment goods. Trade liberalization provides incentives for foreign direct investment; nevertheless, foreign investment may crowd-out domestic investment. Rodriguez and Rodrik [1999] also emphasize the indefinite sign of the effects of trade on growth. Net effects are positive if the resource allocation driven by trade policy promotes sectors that generate more long-run growth, but are negative otherwise. Economic volatility has been shown to reduce economic growth (Ramey and Ramey, 1995; Martin and Rogers, 2000; Imbs, 2007) and the positive growth impact of trade may therefore be attenuated if it leads to significant exposure to external shocks. Terms of trade volatility is probably the most widely used measure for external shocks. A number of studies have used quantitative, multi-sector equilibrium models to analyse the effect of terms of trade shocks on output volatility. Kose (2002) finds that world price shocks play an important role in driving business cycles in small open developing economies. His results confirm the results of earlier work by Mendoza (1995) or Kose and Riezman (2001). A number of recent studies have analysed the relationship between terms of trade shocks and changes in GDP growth in vector auto-regression (VAR) models. Ahmed (2003) uses a VAR model to study the sources of short-term fluctuations in the output of six Latin-American countries and finds that changes in the terms of trade and foreign output play a moderate role in driving output fluctuations. Using industry-level data, di Giovanni Levchenko (2009) investigate the channels through which trade openness might affect volatility. They find a strong positive correlation between the risk content of exports and the variance of terms of trade and also found that export specialization affect macroeconomic volatility. They find that trade openness appears to lead to countries becoming more specialised in their exports. This is problematic given that openness is likely to also expose a country to a greater number of shocks. Trade openness may expose economies to external shocks, but may also act as a buffer against domestic shocks. The overall impact of openness on volatility is therefore an empirical question. Easterly, Islam and Stiglitz (2001) and Calderon et al. (2005) find that higher trade openness leads to larger growth volatility. In contrast, Kose et al. (2002) do not find that trade openness have a robust effect on GDP volatility. Most studies on economic vulnerability provide empirical evidence that small states, particularly island ones, tend to be characterised by high degrees of economic openness and export concentration. These lead to exposure to exogenous shocks, that is, economic vulnerability, which could constitute a disadvantage to economic development by magnifying the element of risk in growth processes, without necessarily compromising the overall viability. Cordina (2004) shows that increased risk can adversely affect economic growth as the negative effects of downside shocks would be commensurately larger than those of positive shocks. The high degree of fluctuations in GDP and in export earnings registered by many small states is considered as one of the manifestations of exposure to exogenous shocks. In the analysis of the linkages between trade openness and volatility, for instance, an extensive use of panel data appears. Among the most recent exercises, Kose et al. (2003); Hnatkovska and Loayza (2004); Wolf (2004); Calderon et al. (2005) use panel data to measure the external exposure of a worldwide sample of countries by the sensitivity of first and second moments of economic growth (average rate and standard deviation) to openness and financial shocks. They also allow the possibilities of non-linearities by allowing growth and volatility effects to vary with the level of economic development. On the same wake, Loayza and Raddatz (2006) apply semi-structural VAR to a panel of 90 countries with annual observations for the period 1974-2000 in order to isolate and standardise the shocks; estimate their impact on GDP and examine whether and to what extent this impact depends on the domestic conditions.4 Using this technique, as mentioned, they show that trade openness magnifies th e output impact of external shocks. Santos-Paolino (2007) too, who applies the same Panel VAR approach for a selection of SIDS from the Caribbean, emphasises the negative impact of terms of trade shocks on current account and real output volatility. Malik and Temple (2006), in their effort to explain differences in output volatility across developing countries, use instead a Bayesian method to highlight explanatory variables that are robust across a wide range of specifications. They show the pervasive role of geography in determining aggregate volatility: since remoteness is associated with a lack of export diversification, a significant phenomenon of high volatility of terms-of-trade and output of the more remote countries is apparent. This result is not sensitive to the precise regression specification, nor it is driven by the contrasting geographies of low income and high income countries. Concerning the analysis of the linkages between trade openness and economic crises, Cavallo and Frankel (2007), following closely the definition of Calvo et al. (2003), Frankel and Rose (1996) and Frankel and Wei (2004), use a Probit model to measure the probability of a sudden reduction in the magnitude of net capital inflows; exchange market pressure and output loss for a set of 141 countries for the period 1970-2002. They find evidence that trade openness makes countries less vulnerable to sudden stops and currency crises. A special feature of this work is that they address the problem of endogeneity of trade, using gravity estimates to construct an instrumental variable for trade openness based on geographical determinants of bilateral trade which are supposed to be exogenous. In a slight different exercise, Glick and Rose (1999) explain regional contagion of crises, using a binary probit equation across countries via maximum likelihood. They use cross sectional data for 161 countries in five different episodes of widespread currency instability. Their conclusion complement that of Cavallo and Frankel (2007), arguing that no matter who is the first victim of the speculative attack and what factors are behind it there is a strong evidence that currency crises tend to spread regionally because of trade linkages. It emerges from the above how current analyses remain basically ex post assessments, mainly targeted to issues not directly linked to vulnerability. An additional effort is needed to build a sound methodology to assess vulnerability to trade openness. A. Federici and P. Montalbano in a paper entitled Assessing vulnerability to trade openness: a cross-country analysis offer a substantive contribution to current debate on the effects of trade openness on developing countries vulnerability. The main result of this cross countries empirical test is to highlight a robust and significative statistical relationship between consumption volatility linked to trade openness and a positive consumption gap, i.e. the presence of negative shocks on consumption growth. This phenomenon remains covered up by simple data analyses and largely overlooked by current empirical literature on openness and growth. This paper demonstrates that situations of vulnerability to trade can co-exist with a positive trade and growth relationship. Some countries keep higher probability to be worse off in case of negative external shocks, because of endogenous characteristics (resilience) and/or the use of inadequate coping strategies (responsiveness). Empirical work on the construction of an economic vulnerability index (Briguglio, 1995; Briguglio and Galea, 2003; Farrugia, 2004) is often based on the premise that a countrys proneness to exogenous shocks stems from a number of inherent economic features, including high degrees of economic openness (measured as the ratio of international trade to GDP), export concentration (measured by the UNCTAD index of merchandise trade) and dependence on strategic imports (measured as the ratio of the imports of energy, food or industrial supplies to GDP). All vulnerability indices using these or similar variables come to the conclusion that there is a tendency for small states to be more economically vulnerable than other groups of countries. L. Briguglio, G. Cordina, N. Farrugia and S. Vella (2008) provide an explanation as to why inherently vulnerable countries may register high levels of GDP per capita. It is argued that countries may be economically successful because they are inherently not vulnerable, or because they are resilient in the face of the vulnerability they face. The obverse is also true, in that countries may be unsuccessful because they are not sufficiently resilient. The paper has also shown that GDP per capita is positively related to economic resilience and negatively related to inherent economic vulnerability. Furthermore, per capita GDP is found to be more sensitive to resilience variables than to vulnerability variables. H. Yanikkaya (2002) showed that trade liberalization does not have a simple and straightforward relationship with growth using a large number of openness measures for a cross section of over 100 developed and developing countries observed from 1970 to 1997. The regression results for numerous trade intensity ratios are mostly consistent with the existing literature. However, contrary to the conventional view on the growth effects of trade barriers, our estimation results show that trade barriers are positively and, in most specifications, significantly associated with growth, especially for developing countries and they are consistent with the findings of theoretical growth and development literature. 2.3 Conclusion Much has been said in the literature regarding trade and growth. However, the more exposed to trade a country is, the more vulnerable it is to shocks coming from abroad. But nonetheless, economists believe that trade openness promotes economic growth. These have led some observers to identify an interrelationship between openness to trade, output volatility and growth.

Armstrong Helmet Company Essay

Armstrong Helmet Company manufactures a unique model of bicycle helmet. The company began operations December 1, 2013. Its accountant quit the second week of operations, and the company is searching for a replacement. The company has decided to test the knowledge and ability of all candidates interviewing for the position. Each candidate will be provided with the information below and then asked to prepare a series of reports, schedules, budgets, and recommendations based on that information. The information provided to each candidate is as follows. Cost Items and Account Balances $ Administrative salaries 15,500 Advertising for helmets 11,000 Cash , December 1 0 Depreciation – Factory Building 1,500 Depreciation – Office Equipment 800 Insurance – Factory Building 1,500 Miscellaneous expenses – Factory 1,000 Office supplies expense 300 Professional Fees 500 Property Taxes – Factory Building 400 Raw material used 70,000 Rent on production equipment 6,000 Research & development 10,000 Sales commission 40,000 Utility Costs – Factory 900 Wages – Factory 70,000 Work in process – Dec 1 0 Work in process – Dec 31 0 Raw materials inventory, Dec 1 0 Raw materials inventory, Dec 31 0 Raw materials purchases 70,000 Finished goods inventory, Dec 1 0 Production and Sales Data Number of helmets produced 10,000 Expected sales in units for December ($40 unit sales price) 8,000 Expected sales in units for January 10,000 Desired ending inventory 20% of next month’s sales Direct materials per finished unit 1 kilogram Direct materials cost $7 per kilogram Direct labour hours per unit .35 Direct labor hourly rate $20Cash Flow Data Cash collections from customers: 75% in month of sale and 25% the following month. Cash payments to suppliers: 75% in month of purchase and 25% the following month. Income tax rate: 45% Cost of proposed production equipment: $720,000 Manufacturing overhead and selling and administrative costs are paid as incurred. Desired ending cash balance: $30,000 Required: Using the data presented, do the following in your respective groups. 1) Classify the costs as either product costs or period costs using a five-column table as shown below. Enter the dollar amount of each cost in the appropriate column and total each classification. Product Costs Item Direct Materials Direct Labour Manufacturing Overhead Period Costs 2) Classify the costs as either variable or fixed costs. Assume there are no mixed costs. Enter the dollar amount of each cost in the appropriate column and total each classification. Use the format shown below. Use the format shown below. Assume that ‘Utility Costs – Factory’ are a fixed cost. Item Variable Costs Fixed Costs Total Costs 3) Prepare a schedule of cost of goods manufactured for the month of December, 2013. 4) Determine the cost of producing a helmet. 5) Identify the type of cost accounting system that Armstrong Helmet Company is probably using this time. Explain. 6) Under what circumstances might Armstrong use a different cost accounting system? 7) Compute the unit variable cost for a helmet. 8) Compute the unit contribution margin and the contribution margin ratio. 9) Calculate the break-even point in units and in sales dollars. 10) Prepare the following budgets for the month of December, 2013. a. Sales b. Production c. Direct materials d. Direct labour e. Selling and administrative expenses f. Cashg. Budgeted income statement 11) Prepare a flexible budget for manufacturing costs for activity levels between 8,000 and 10,000 units, in 1,000-unit increments.QUESTION 2 INCREMENTAL ANALYSIS (20 MARKS) Navula Company is considering the purchase of new equipment to replace the existing equipment it currently has. Details of the new equipment are tabulated below: Invoice Price $140,000 Freight Charges $ 4,000 Installation Costs $6,000 Expected useful life 5 years Salvage value 0 The new equipment is faster than the old equipment, and it is more efficient in its usage of materials. Existing equipment could be retained and used for an additional 5 years if the new equipment is not purchased and by that time the salvage value of the equipment would be zero. However, if the new equipment is purchased now, the existing machine would have to be scrapped. The current book value of the existing machine is $36,000 and the company uses the straight-line depreciation method. Navula Company’s accountant has accumulated the following data below regarding annual sales and expenses with and without the new equipment. DETAILS OLD EQUIPMENT NEW EQUIPMENT Production & Sale Output 12 000 units Increase by 10% Selling Price $100 $100 Gross Profit Rate 25% of sales 30% of sales Annual Selling Expenses $180,000 Increase by 10% Annual Administrative Expenses $100,00

Measuring Customer Satisfaction at ImageStream Essay

ImageStream Internet Solutions, Inc. is a privately held company in its 9th year of operation. ImageStream engineers, manufactures, and distributes Linux-based routing products for network and Internet applications. ImageStream products are used by Internet service providers (ISPs), governments, schools, and businesses in more than 75 countries around the world. As ImageStream moves toward its next decade, market forces require it, like most high technology companies, to be fast and responsive. The company faces constant change in demands and needs along with the pressures of mission creep in the face of limited resources. It is against this backdrop that ImageStream started its ISO 9000:2000 certification process. This process requires not only the implementation of quality processes, but measurement of their efficacy as well. ImageStream conducts key manager meetings twice monthly, and a company-wide review on a semi-annual basis. During these managerial and company reviews, the senior executives identify key metrics driving the success of the company’s mission, including those metrics that would benefit most from significant improvement. This proposal outlines the use of a customer satisfaction survey and seeks to answer the management question: What is the current customer satisfaction with the level and type of customer service provided by ImageStream? The study will explore the conceptual framework of service quality, the positive and negative impacts of service quality on ImageStream, and the effect of favorable and unfavorable customer intentions on perceived quality using survey research. Armed with the statistical analyses outlined below, the operations management team will identify current trends in customer satisfaction in a proactive attempt to resolve to any issues. Background and Literature Review The study and development of customer service techniques and customer  retention management programs has blossomed into its own industry. This increasing focus on customer satisfaction is not surprising, given the positive correlation between happy customers and successful companies illustrated in countless marketing research studies. This study will outline the relationship between customer satisfaction with service and customer retention at ImageStream. To support the findings, we will conduct an empirical study focusing on the relationship between perceived service quality and customer intentions. Weinstein and Johnson (1999) recommend that companies like ImageStream should spend â€Å"75% of its marketing budget on customer retention strategies† and to strengthen these relationships. Once customers commit to a product platform, and the longer they use and deploy that platform, the more profit ImageStream can realize. Longstanding, satisfied customers will generally continue, or often increase, purchasing, require less operational and customer service support, and be more willing to pay price premiums to remain with the company–all without incurring new customer acquisition costs (Pine, Peppers, and Rogers, 1995). This paper will analyze how ImageStream’s service relationship with its customers produces customer behaviors indicating whether or not a customer will remain an ImageStream customer. The methodology used will follow Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman’s study on this topic (1996). Since replacing lost customers requires new customer acquisition costs, customer retention should be a fundamental performance measure for ImageStream’s executive staff and a key component of the company’s incentive programs (Zeithaml et al., 1996). According to the American Management Association, acquiring a new customer can require five times the investment needed to keep an existing customer (Weinstein et al., 1999). Literature Review Customer service, not surprisingly, has been researched extensively: from the conceptual framework of service quality, to the positive and negative impacts of service quality, to the effect of favorable and unfavorable  customer intentions on perceived quality. We review these concepts in recent literature, and investigate an empirical study focusing on the relationship between service quality and customer behavioral intentions (Zeithaml et al., 1996). Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman (1996) offer a conceptual model of service quality. The researchers postulate that the quality of customer service will determine whether a company retains its customers or loses them to defection. Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman (1996) highlight seven key points: 1.Customer defection has a negative relationship with an organization’s profitability. 2.Retaining current customers costs less than acquiring new ones. 3.Customer retention should be a fundamental component of incentive programs. 4.Companies must advertise not only to attract new customers, but to replace lost customers. 5.Advertising, promotion, and sales costs are required expenses when attracting new customers. 6.In general, at the beginning of a customer/vendor relationship, the customers do not generate a profit for the company. Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman estimate that acquisition cost recovery can take as long as four years. 7.Positive customer assessments of service quality lead to positive behavioral intentions, strengthening the relationship between the customer and the company. Negative assessments, on the other hand, create unfavorable customer behavioral intentions. The unfavorable conditions weaken the customer/vendor relationship. Based on their research and observations, Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman  (1996) believe that expressed or observed behavioral intentions can indicate whether or not customers will remain with an organization. Reinartz and Kumar (2000) challenge Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman’s assertions that customer retention always leads well-managed companies to profitability. Reinartz and Kumar (2000) argue that long-term customers are not always the most profitable customers, and dismiss research assuming that loyalty equates with profitability as a gross oversimplification. Reinartz and Kumar (2000) contend that managers should not automatically assume increased lifetime spending, decreased costs of service, and decreased price sensitivity for long-term retained customers. Reinartz and Kumar (2000) go further in also disputing the idea that long-term retained customers require lesser marketing investment by companies. Their research concluded that long-term customers often have inactive purchasing periods unrelated to their retention by an organization (Reinartz and Kumar, 2000). During these dormant periods, these customers are at best a break-even proposition for organizations, and often consume marketing and service resources resulting in net losses during periods of inactivity. Reinartz and Kumar (2000) found that short-term customers may be as significant to customers as longtime clients. Other research indicates that organizations struggling with a single approach to satisfy all customers can end up with â€Å"inefficient and inappropriate levels of service† (Cohen, Cull, Lee and Willen, 2000). Cohen, Cull, Lee and Willen (2000) conclude that organizations must customize their service to meet each customer’s individual needs. Superior service generates favorable behavioral intentions in customers, including increased future spending, acceptance of price premiums, â€Å"word of mouth† referrals, and, ultimately, customer retention (Zeithaml et al., 1996). Research suggests that most employees have a â€Å"true customer orientation† in that they understand their customers’ needs, and possess empathy and respect for their customers (Bitner, Booms and Mohr, 1994). Quality service builds customer faith in the organization, and â€Å"is essential for maintaining competitive advantage† (Berry, Parasuraman and Zeithaml, 1994). Since quality customer service can generate positive behavioral intentions, quality service strategies are effectively profit strategies for organizations. Research illustrates this link between service and profitability, as Keaveney (1995) found that customer defections can cost an organization future revenue stream. As customers’ intentions toward a company improve, the results include new customers, increased business with existing customers, fewer lost customers, and added pricing power (Berry et al., 1994). Berry and Parasuraman (1997) stress the creation of customer feedback channels as a component of quality service. Listening and responding to the customer’s needs in a quality way has a â€Å"direct effect on the quality of service provided† (Berry and Parasuraman, 1997). This focus on customer feedback drove the purpose of this series of papers. Evidence, such as Keaveney’s study, highlighting the role customer loyalty plays in making an organization more profitable makes it imperative that companies quickly and proactively address concerns, complaints and other unfavorable behavioral intentions among their customers (Tax, Brown and Chandrashekar, 1998). Tax, Brown and Chandrashekar’s point also applies in a comparative sense as well. Organizations can potentially provide satisfactory service that nonetheless lags other competitors’ service offerings. In these cases, customers may defect because of the attraction of comparatively superior service offerings from a competitor. Managers of service departments and service companies must recognize this comparative measure, and realize that some customers will defect even when they are satisfied with a former provider (Keaveney, 1995). Customers display favorable intentions such as praising the company, expressing a preference for the company to the company or to other consumers, continuing and/or increasing purchasing volumes, paying price premiums, and making recommendations to others based on their satisfaction with the company (Zeithaml et al., 1996). Satisfied customers stay loyal to an organization longer, pay less attention to competitive products, exhibit less price sensitivity, offer service improvement or expansion ideas to the organization and cost less to service over time than new customers (Weinstein et al., 1999). When dissatisfied, customers display unfavorable intentions such as expressing an eagerness to leave the organization, decreasing purchase patterns, voicing complaints to the vendor, complaining to others, or taking legal action against the organization (Zeithaml et al., 1996). When customers do leave an organization, many choose to do so quietly with the intention of â€Å"getting even by making negative comments† to others about the organization (Tax and Brown, 1998). Since defecting customers can impact current and future revenue streams, properly identifying dissatisfied customers and understanding why customers defect can be valuable tools in improving customer retention management programs. Companies must implement strategies to overcome potential customer defections. Retention efforts should begin as soon as organizations acquire new customers. The organization should proactively attempt to learn and address customer needs and resolve any complaints or concerns quickly (Weinstein et al., 1999). Weinstein et al. (1999) suggest several ways to build loyalty and increase favorable behavioral intentions in customers. They suggest that organizations could embed sales staff at the offices of their best customers, participate in their customer’s events or promotional efforts, interview their customer’s customers, conduct retreats with major customers to share best practices and to train customers on company products and services, develop a preferred customer pricing strategy, reward customers for referring new business, solicit feedback on product development roadmaps, and even partner with key accounts on industry research projects (Weinstein et al., 1999). SERVQUAL Among the most popular assessments tools of service quality is SERVQUAL, an instrument designed by Berry, Parasuraman, and Zeithaml (1994). Through numerous qualitative studies, they evolved a set of five dimensions ranked consistently by customers as central to service quality, regardless of the  service industry. Berry, Parasuraman, and Zeithaml (1994) defined these dimensions as: *Tangibles: the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials; *Reliability: an ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately; *Responsiveness: a willingness to help customers and provide prompt service; *Assurance: the knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence; and *Empathy: the caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers. Based on the five SERVQUAL dimensions, the researchers also developed a survey instrument to measure the gap between customers’ expectation for excellence and their perception of actual service delivered. The SERVQUAL instrument helps service providers understand both customer expectations and perceptions of specific services, as well as quality improvements over time (Berry, Parasuraman, and Zeithaml, 1988). Analysis of customer responses to a SERVQUAL questionnaire presents numerous potential practical implications for companies and their customer service teams. Scope We will conduct a study of all ImageStream customers (the â€Å"population†) by e-mailing or mailing a questionnaire to companies listed in ImageStream’s internal records. The study will take less than one month to complete. We will contact all customers and direct them to the on-line survey, and follow up with customers who have not responded after two weeks. We will end the study after four weeks, and expect 25%-30% participation. We base this estimate on the response rate of similar studies mentioned above. A response  rate of at least 10% will yield a significant sample, enabling us to make conclusive findings and recommendations. Methodology We identify three determinants of customer satisfaction with ImageStream: service quality, solution quality, and price (through a measure of perceived value). Data on customer satisfaction, service quality, solution quality and price will be collected through the attached questionnaire survey. The questionnaire adapts the SERVQUAL instrument developed by Berry, Parasuraman and Zeithaml (1998) and uses a combination of Likert-scaled, dichotomous and unstructured questions. The use of both bipolar Likert/dichotomous and unstructured questions allows us to benefit from the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative research. The use of quantitative questions allows us to obtain a high degree of reliability and validity using the scientific method, and enables others to more easily repeat or replicate our study. The qualitative questions provide background for customer responses, and help to identify any underlying issues highlighted by the quantitative research. Triangulation, in this case the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, allows us to overcome the weakness of using only one research technique. We do not assume that there is only one reality and believe that different research methods will reveal different perspectives. Using quantitative and qualitative triangulation allows us to use different sets of data, different types of analyses, different researchers, and/or different theoretical perspectives to study customer service. The quantitative question results will provide data that we can subject to complex statistical analyses. We will combine the quantitative question responses to determine central tendencies and dispersion of the data, including measures of mean, standard error, median, mode, standard deviation, variance, kurtosis, skewness, and range. We will analyze the  results of each question and of the study as a whole. Based on the results of the analysis above, we will develop regressions to identify potential relationships between past service experiences, perceived quality, future purchasing behavior, and loyalty. A possible research design for the regression analysis follows. H1: There is a positive correlation between the level of superior customer service and positive future customer behavior. H2: There is a negative or no correlation between the level of superior customer service and positive future customer behavior. H3: There is a positive correlation between the level of inferior customer service and negative future customer behavior. H4: There is a negative or no correlation between the level of inferior customer service and negative future customer behavior. Using these results, we can make conclusions about the management problem defined above. Development of these findings will include the use of anecdotal evidence from the qualitative questions in the survey. We will use the responses to the qualitative questions to support the quantitative findings, and to highlight key issues not covered by the quantitative portions of the survey. Possible Findings Following Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman (1996), we believe that a positive relationship exists between quality service and positive customer behavior as defined above. Additionally, we believe that our research will show that favorable customer behavioral intentions will be higher among customers experiencing no service problems. Customers who have experience problems, but received service to resolve them will show the next highest level. Customers with unresolved service problems will show the least favorable  behavioral intentions. Conclusion Customer service and its effect on customer retention in an organization is a growing area of research, and one that is vital to maintaining quality at ImageStream. This paper examined customer retention and defection from an organization in the context of customer service quality, exploring four areas: 1.A conceptual framework of how service quality affects particular customer behaviors and the consequences for ImageStream, establishing the purpose for this study, 2.Empirical studies that focused on the relationship between service quality and customer behavioral intentions, 3.A triangulated quantitative and qualitative survey to study perceived service levels among ImageStream customers, 4.Follow-on research based on the survey results and statistical analysis, including a summary of expected findings Customer retention branches off into many other significant areas such as value-added services, supply chain relationships, use of information systems to service customers better, and very importantly perceived and expected performance. Organizations have a chance to learn from their customers. The more customers teach the company the more effective it becomes at providing exactly what they want and the more difficult it is for competitors to lure them away from the organization (Pine II et al., 1995). Learning about customers is what this whole retention topic is about. The customers tell the organization what to do to keep them. The strategy is for the organization to learn how to listen and respond. References Anton, J. (1996). Customer Relationship Management: Making Hard Decisions with Soft Numbers. New York: Prentice Hall. Berry, L., Parasuraman, A. and Zeithaml, V. (1988). A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and its Implications for Future Research. The Academy of Management Executive, 8, 32-52. Berry, L. and Parasuraman, A. (1997). Listening to the Customer: The Concept of a Service-Quality Information System. Sloan Management Review, 38, 65-76. Berry, L., Parasuraman, A. and Zeithaml, V. (1994). Improving Service Quality in America: Lessons Learned. The Academy of Management Executive, 8, 32-52. Bitner, M., Booms, B. and Mohr, L. (1994). Critical Service Encounters: The Employee’s Viewpoint. Journal of Marketing, 58, 95-106. Chase, R. and Stewart, D. (1994). Make Your Service Failsafe. Sloan Management Review, 35, 35-44. Cohen, M., Cull, C., Lee, H. and Willen, D. (2000). Saturn’s Supply-Chain Cooper, D. and Schindler, P. (2002). Business Research Methods (6th ed.). Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Cronin Jr., Joseph J. and Taylor, S. (1992). Measuring Service Quality: A Reexamination and Extension. Journal of Marketing, 56, 55-68. Heskett, J., Jones, T., Loveman, G., Sasser, W., and Schlesinger, L. (1994, March-April). Putting the Service-Profit Chain to Work. Harvard Business Review, 164-174. Innovation: High Value After-Sales. Sloan Management Review, 41, 93. Joppe, M. (n.d.). The Research Process. Retrieved January 12, 2004 from http://www.ryerson.ca/~mjoppe/rp.htm Keaveney, S. (1995). Customer Switching Behavior in Service Industries: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Marketing, 59, 71-82. Pine II, J., Peppers, D. and Rogers, M. (1995). Do You Want to Keep Your Customers Forever? Harvard Business Review, 73, 103-114. Pitt, L., Watson, R., Kavan, C. (1997). Measuring Information Systems Service Quality: Concerns for a complete canvas. MIS Quarterly, 21, 209-221. Reinartz, Werner J. and Kumar, V. (2000). On the Profitability of Long-Life Customers in a Noncontractual Setting: An Empirical Investigation and Implications for Marketing. Journal of Marketing, 64, 17. Tax, S. and Brown, S. (1998). Recovering and learning from service failures. Sloan Management Review, 40, 75-88. Tax, S., Brown, S.and Chandrashekar, M. (1998). Customer evaluations of service complaint experiences: implications for relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 62, 60-76. Van Dyke, T., Kappelman, L., and Prybutok, V. (1997, June). Measuring Information Systems Service Quality: Concerns on the use of the SERVQUAL questionnaire. MIS Quarterly, 21, 195-208. Weinstein, Art and Johnson, W. (1999). Designing and Delivering Superior Customer Value: Concepts, Cases, and Applications. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Whyte, G., Bytheway, A., and Edwards, C. (1997). Understanding User Perceptions of Information Systems Success. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 6, 35-68. Zeithaml, V., Berry, L. and Parasuraman, A. (1996). The Behavioral Consequences of Service Quality. Journal of Marketing, 60, 31-46.

the American Revolution

The reasons that caused the American Revolution , and also played very significant roles were simply by economic and political reasons. After the French-Indian War the British Government decided to reap greater benefits from the colonies. The colonies were pressed with greater taxes without any representation in Britain. Parliament tried to establish power in the New World by issuing a series of laws. The passage of these laws undermined the Colonists loyalty to Britain and stirred the Americans to fight for their freedom. Before 1763, the only British laws that truly affected the colonists were the Navigation Acts, which monitored the colonys trade so that it traded solely with England. As this law was not rigidly enforced, the colonists accepted it with little fuss. The colonies also accepted Englands right to monitor trade. The change of course in 1767 was what really riled the colonists. England began to slowly tighten its imperial grip to avoid a large reaction from the colonists. Additional problems began when England passed the Writs of Assistance, which gave British officials the right to seize illegal goods, and to examine any building or ship without proof of cause. This was a powerful weapon against smuggling, but most importantly to the Colonists; it allowed the invasion of their privacy. This was crossing the line and violating the rights of an English man. The Colonists even went so far as to hire a lawyer, but the court ruled against him. During the Seven Years War, the British sent over ten thousand troops to America to deal with property problems at the frontier. This cost a large amount of money, and Britain did not want to see the sum come out of its own pocket. To pay for some of the expense, in retaliation, the British passed acts to tax the colonists and lighten the severe debt the empire was in. The acts were considered the In...

How to Graduate With a Bachelors Degree Faster

How to Graduate With a Bachelor's Degree Faster Many people choose distance learning for its convenience and speed. Online students are able to work at their own pace and often finish faster than traditional students. But, with all the demands of daily life, many students  search for ways to complete their degrees in even less time. Having a degree sooner may mean making a larger salary, finding new career opportunities, and having more time to do what you want. If speed is what you’re looking for, check out these six tips to earning your degree as quickly as possible. Plan Your Work. Work Your Plan Most students take at least one class that they don’t need for graduation. Taking classes unrelated to your major field of study can be an excellent way to expand your horizons. But, if you’re looking for speed, avoid taking classes that aren’t required for graduation. Double-check your required classes and put together a personalized study plan. Staying in contact with your academic advisor each semester can help you stick to your plan and stay on track. Insist on Transfer Equivalencies Don’t let work you’ve done at other colleges go to waste; ask your current college to give you transfer equivalencies. Even after your college has decided what classes to give you credit for, check to see if any of the classes you have already completed could be counted to fill another graduation requirement. Your school will probably have an office that reviews transfer credit petitions on a weekly basis. Ask for that department’s policies on transfer credits and put together a petition. Include a thorough explanation of the class you have completed and why it should be counted as an equivalency. If you include course descriptions from your previous and current schools’ course handbooks as evidence, chances are you’ll get the credits. Test, Test, Test You can earn instant credits and reduce your schedule by proving your knowledge through testing. Many colleges offer students the opportunity to take the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams in various subject matters for college credit. Additionally, schools often offer their own exams in subjects such as foreign language. Testing fees can be pricey  but are almost always significantly lower than tuition for the courses they replace. Skip the Minor Not all schools require students to declare a minor and, truth be told, most people won’t make too much of a mention of their minor during the life of their career. Dropping all minor classes could save you an entire semester (or more) of work. So, unless your minor is critical to your field of study or would bring you foreseeable benefits, consider eliminating these classes from your plan of action. Put Together a Portfolio Depending on your school, you may be able to get credit for your life experience. Some schools will give students limited credit based on the presentation of a portfolio that proves specific knowledge and skills. Possible sources of life experience include  previous jobs, volunteerism, leadership activities, community participation, accomplishments, etc. Do Double Duty If you have to work anyway, why not get credit for it? Many schools offer students college credits for participating in an internship or work-study experience that relates to their major – even if it’s a paid job. You may be able to get your degree faster by earning credits for what you already do. Check with your school counselor to see what opportunities are available to you.

The Diabetes Issue Prevailing in South Asian Indian Women Term Paper

The Diabetes Issue Prevailing in South Asian Indian Women - Term Paper Example Kanaya et. Al (2010) stated that South Asians have a prevalence of diabetes despite their low body weight. This may be because of the difference in the culture that needs to be analyzed. Based on the study conducted by Kanaya et al, it was found that South Asian Indians immigrants are more likely to have diabetes than other US ethnic Groups. The discussion aims at highlighting the health issue prevailing in South Asian Indian women in Los Angeles County in the United States along with developing a health care program to curtail the health issue to an extent. Gielen, Bone (2008) stated that the quality of life is often affected by these health issues along with affecting the social and economic environment in the present as well as in the future. The health problem to be assessed in this particular discussion is diabetes using Precede-Proceed Model as a public health theory The study would be conducted in Los Angeles County by collecting data and information on South Asian Indian wome n suffering from diabetes. ...Wulffson (2011) stated that diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death and the ninth leading cause of premature death in Los Angeles County. The impact of diabetes has been severe on South Asian Indian women compared to any other ethnic group in the United States as per the study conducted by Kanaya et. al (2010). The data reflected that a total of 29% of Asian Indians had diabetes, after the full research and analysis, Indians still had high cases of diabetes compared to whites and Latinos. However, diabetes cases of South Asian Indians were similar to African Americans: Indians [odds ratio (OR), 1.0], whites, 0.29; Latinos (0.34) African Americans (0.77 ;) South Asian Indians have a different lifestyle compared to other ethnic groups in terms of nutrient intakes. Chowdhury and Hitman (2000) stated that the primary cause of diabetes is obesity that increases the weight of the body along with making it defunct up to an extent in terms of performing no rmal usual tasks. Along with this, hypertension and proclivity towards oily and rich food often affect the body mass index of South Asian Indian Women.  

The concept of normality in relation to homosexuality Essay

The concept of normality in relation to homosexuality - Essay Example The normality of homosexuality is a debatable issue. During my exploration on this topic, I relied on information from books, scholarly journals, and website sources. Ultimately, the conclusion will establish whether the world is better off without these rigid â€Å"normal† / â€Å"abnormal† labels and why. I base my analysis on an article â€Å"The normality of homosexuality† written by Alicia Mullins and published by The Maine Campus on April 06, 2006. I chose this source because it explains the meaning of heteronormativity in relation to homosexuality. I relied on the article â€Å"Homosexuality: Normality or Abnormality in U.S. Society† written by Nicole Higginbotham and published by Bellevue University on November 21, 2011. This article explains whether homosexuality is normality or an abnormality. I also base my analysis on the article â€Å"Homosexuality is normal so it should not be considered wrong† by Matt Slick and published by CARM. This article addresses the statistics, biology, and evolution of normality in the context of homosexuality. I relied on a 2009 article by Richard Balkin and others in the Journal of Counseling and Development journal. The journal article investigates the relationships between religious identity, sexism, homophobia, and multicultural competence. My analysis also relied on the book â€Å"The Battle for Normality† by G. J. M. van den Aardweg and published by Ignatius Press in 1997. This book offers advice to homosexuality afflicted.

Secret shopper (mystery shopper) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Secret shopper (mystery shopper) - Essay Example However, the purpose of this particular analysis will be compared to similar restaurants based upon the quality of the food that is offered and the quality of the services that were rendered during two distinct observed dining experiences. Further, the two experiences which will be detailed below are with respect to an experience that was had at a local Olive Garden and at a local Outback Steakhouse. Firstly, it must be stated that the actual pricing of the cuisine, whether for lunch or for dinner is more or less similar; with most dishes at both of these restaurants costing anywhere from $10-$18 per plate. However, even though the relative price differential is more or less the same, the similarities ultimately end there. The ambience of Outback Steakhouse is unique as compared to the ambulances several other restaurants that I had been to during my lifetime. Firstly, upon entering the steakhouse, the dining area is extraordinarily dimly lit; causing a situation in which an individual could likely stumble over any article on the floor that they might not otherwise see. Within the particular Outback Steakhouse that I went to, I was not greeted upon entering the front door. Instead, there was a rush of waiters and waitresses that brushed by me in a frantic struggle to serve the guests that had already been promised tables. Similarly, as I was waiting, I did not receive a nod or r ecognition that I would be seated anytime in the near future. Instead, it appeared to me that the wait staff was actively avoiding my glance. Eventually I was seated and there remainder of the dining experience proceeded as it should have. The take away that must be had from all of this is that the restaurant can only be measured based upon the two metrics that have thus far been stated. However, due to the fact that the dining experience that has been described fell flat on one of these, the likelihood of me

John Updikes a & P Is a Coming of Age Story Essay Example for Free

John Updikes a P Is a Coming of Age Story Essay John Updikes short story, A P is about a 19-year-old boy, Sammy, and his short but decisive transformation from a carefree teenager to a grown man with the consequences of his actions weighing heavy on him in the end. On an otherwise ordinary day, the course of Sammys life is changed by an out of the ordinary experience which challenges him and compels him to make a rash decision that is based on what he knows in his heart is right for him. Sammy tells the story as if it is just another day while the life-changing event unfolds in a manner of minutes. He gives insight about the town by giving short character descriptions that are revealing, not only of each character, but also of Sammys feelings about the town, the people in it, and his personal perspective on the life that he is living there. Although the character descriptions paint a negative picture, the negativity has more to do with Sammys thought of living in this town with these characters for much more of his young life. It is clear that Sammy is more than ready to move on, beyond where his life is now. Sammy offers few facts about himself other than that he is 19 and lives with his parents in a small, conservative, New England town. Sammy points out that the town is not far from the location of the Salem witch-hunts and burnings in centuries past. The elusion to Salem leaves an image of a lingering puritanical cloud over the town and its people. The story takes place in the A P grocery store in the heart of the downtown area where Sammy works as a checkout clerk. Sammys co-worker, Stokes, is 22 years old and married with two children. Stokes station in life represents a lifestyle that is not out of reach for Sammy, but certainly not the lifestyle that Sammy desires for his life although it is not clear even to Sammy what exactly the lifestyle that he desires is. Sammys boss, Mr. Lengel, who is a conservative and outspoken man, is a Sunday school teacher and the manager of the A P. Mr. Lengel is th e living image of everything that Sammy does not ever want to be. The customer that Sammy refers to as the cash-register-watchers and a witch (560) is a character that epitomizes Sammys disdain for the attitude of the usual customer that comes through his check out line on a daily basis, as well as the entire citizenry of his small hometown. The life-altering event begins to unfold in the very first line of the story. In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suites (560). The very first characters who are introduced in the story are everything that is not acceptable in this ultra conservative town, although the three girls bring with them a burst of pure innocent sunshine. Everyone in the store gawks at the three girls as if they have never seen a girl in a bathing suit. The fact is that they probably had never seen a girl in a bathing suit anywhere other than a place to swim which emphasizes that this is an ultra conservative town with puritanical attitudes. Sammy and Stokes are very preoccupied with the sight of the girls and they enjoy every second of it. Mr. Lengle, who doesnt miss that much (563) is fully aware of the enjoyment that Sammy and Stokes are having. Mr. Lengle insults the girls by telling them that they are not decently dressed. In the girls minds, uncluttered by the collective oppressive attitude that is the norm in the store, they are decent and see nothing wrong with their appearance. At this point, Sammy feels embarrassment for the girls and at the same time realizes that he is part of their embarrassment, because he is a part of the collective puritanical attitude. He also realizes that this is a turning point for him. Sammy has arrived at a cross road in his young life and he realizes that if he is ever going to become what he sees for himself in his future, and if he is ever going to reach what he truly desires in his life, he must make a decision. He must decide to break free from the collective attitude or remain a part of it. Sammy makes the decision to break free from the puritanical and oppressive attitude of all of the generations before him. Sammy quits his job and he does it while the girls are still in the store hoping that the girls will take notice that he does not have the same attitude and moral judgment of them and that he does not condone it. He hopes that the girls will see him as their hero. As Sammy takes off his A P apron and bow tie, he is shedding the old puritanical views and attitudes. As he walks out of the store, he embraces his newfound freedom and coming of age, although he also realizes that his parents will not be pleased. Sammy has known for some time that this is what he would eventually do, and this was the day, because the three girls provided a good reason and the opportunity for Sammy to assert himself, to become his own person with his own perspective, values, morals, beliefs and attitudes. Works Cited Updike, John. A P. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. 560-64.