Negotiation Tactics

Law of the Olympic Games Law 451D – Sec. 001 (4-Credit Seminar) Spring 2010 Administrative Information Professor Joseph Weiler Instructor: Ken Cavalier E-mail: [email  protected] ubc. ca E-mail: [email  protected] net Phone: 604 – 822 – 4246 Phone: 604 – 581 – 0261 Office: Curtis 221 Instructor: Arun Mohan Instructor: Brian Schecter E-mail: [email  protected] comE-mail: [email  protected] com Phone: 604 – 375 – 3901 Class Schedule: Tuesday: 2 – 5 pm Classroom: UCLL 173 (Lower Level of the Leon and Thea Koerner University Centre) Evaluation Term paper accounts for 2/3 of the final grade. a. Approximately a 30 – 40 page paper is expected. b. The paper is due on Friday, April 30 by 4:30 p. m. c. Papers must be handed in at the Fish Bowl (Reception) Desk in paper format, and e-mailed to Professor Weiler in Word format. Class participation accounts for 1/3 of the final grade. a. A portion of the class participation mark will be based on a discussion that will be led by a student-group and center on the topics delineated in the course schedule (next page). b. A portion of the mark will be based on a discussion outline that must be created and handed out to the class—preferably by e-mail—at least a week before your particular discussion. c. A portion of the mark will be based on participating in the other discussions. Course Materials Students will read from the Course Kit, which will emailed to everyone. In addition, in preparation for the weekly discussions, the class will read the discussion outlines prepared by their fellow students, as well as materials from the suggested readings listed in these outlines. These materials will be available online and/or on course reserve. Schedule The course will follow the schedule detailed below: Week 1January 5Introduction and Administration Week 2January 12Administration: Group Topic Organization Week 3 January 19 The Olympic Movement: Setting the Stage -History, goals, values, benchmarks Week 4January 26 The Bid Process — Fairness, scandals, checks and balances – — Lessons from previous bids Guest: Don Rosenbloom (2010 Bid Corp) Student Discussants: Andy Roy: [email  protected] com Jon Conlin: [email  protected] com Week 5 February 2 Citizen Engagement and the Olympics Plebiscites, interest groups/watchdogs, community activation and mobilization -Housing Impacts: Positive and/or Negative? Guests: Rob VanWynsberghe (UBC: OGI Project) and Brenda Metropolit (VANOC) Student Discussants: Samuel Loeb: [email  protected] com Christian Nielsen: [email  protected] com Week 6 February 9 Eligibility to Play / Judging of Events â €“ Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs, Illegal Drugs, – Gender equity: the Women Ski Jumpers Case – Disability – Nationality – ADR-Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – Comparison with professional sports and tours Guest: Nick Hopewell (Sports Lawyer) Student Discussants: Alexis Marach: [email  protected] com Week 7February 16No Class due to Midterm Olympic Games Break Week 8February 23No Class due to Midterm Olympic Games Break Week 9March 2Building and Operating the Games – Operation of the labour market, wage inflation and building costs, regulation of work stoppages employment equity strategies, use of volunteers Guests: Brian Dolsen (2010 Bid Corp, 2010 Legacies Now) and Roslyn Kunin (Canada West Foundation) Student Discussants: Alia Somji: [email  protected] com Peter Thoegersen: [email  protected] dk Emilie Vingtoft-Andersen: [email  protected] com Week 10March 9Revenue Sources: Sponsorship – Trademarks and Sponsorship – Exclusivity – Sponsors as â€Å"Olympic Partners† – Ambush marketing Guest: tba Student Discussants: Chris Filipchuk: c. [email  protected] com Alexandra Tratnick: [email  protected] com Week 11March 16 Revenue Sources: Broadcast -Television, radio, videogames, Internet: Are they complementary or competitive properties and platforms? -Domestic rights, global rights, valuation strategies -Distribution of revenue: IOC and NOCs and OCOGs -Relation to sponsorship Guests: tba Student Discussants: Audrey Lim: audry. [email  protected] com Neil Spencer: [email  protected] a Week 12 March 23 Sustainability and the Olympic Games -The Triple Bottom Line of Sustainability: Economic, Environmental and Social Sustainability Guests: Linda Coady, Margaret Dickson (VANOC) Student Discussants: Alasdair Shaw: [email  protected] gla. ac. uk Week 14 March 30 Aboriginal Inclusion: the Fo ur Host First Nations as Olympic Partners Guest: Tewanee Joseph, Executive Director, Paul Manning (Senior Consultant) : Four Host First Nations (FHFN) Secretariat Student Discussants: Victor Ing: [email  protected] ubc. ca Gina Wu: gina. cy. [email  protected] com Week 14April 6 Olympic Legacies: 2010 Legacies Now Building Better Communities -Sport and Recreation, Literacy, Arts, Volunteers Guests: Bruce Dewar (2010 Legacies Now) Student Discussants: Robert Pinsent: [email  protected] com Week 15April 13Cultural Olympiad -Torch Relay, Opening and Closing Ceremonies -Relation between Cultural Olympiad and other media and entertainment products during Games time -Ambush marketing and citizen protests -Cultural legacies UBC’s Role in the Games Guests: Michelle Aucoin, UBC Olympic Secretariat Student Discussants: Course Wrap-Up April 30 (Friday)Paper Due at 4:30 p. m. Via E-mail to Professor Weiler and Hard Copy to Fishbowl Office Negotiation Tactics Law of the Olympic Games Law 451D – Sec. 001 (4-Credit Seminar) Spring 2010 Administrative Information Professor Joseph Weiler Instructor: Ken Cavalier E-mail: [email  protected] ubc. ca E-mail: [email  protected] net Phone: 604 – 822 – 4246 Phone: 604 – 581 – 0261 Office: Curtis 221 Instructor: Arun Mohan Instructor: Brian Schecter E-mail: [email  protected] comE-mail: [email  protected] com Phone: 604 – 375 – 3901 Class Schedule: Tuesday: 2 – 5 pm Classroom: UCLL 173 (Lower Level of the Leon and Thea Koerner University Centre) Evaluation Term paper accounts for 2/3 of the final grade. a. Approximately a 30 – 40 page paper is expected. b. The paper is due on Friday, April 30 by 4:30 p. m. c. Papers must be handed in at the Fish Bowl (Reception) Desk in paper format, and e-mailed to Professor Weiler in Word format. Class participation accounts for 1/3 of the final grade. a. A portion of the class participation mark will be based on a discussion that will be led by a student-group and center on the topics delineated in the course schedule (next page). b. A portion of the mark will be based on a discussion outline that must be created and handed out to the class—preferably by e-mail—at least a week before your particular discussion. c. A portion of the mark will be based on participating in the other discussions. Course Materials Students will read from the Course Kit, which will emailed to everyone. In addition, in preparation for the weekly discussions, the class will read the discussion outlines prepared by their fellow students, as well as materials from the suggested readings listed in these outlines. These materials will be available online and/or on course reserve. Schedule The course will follow the schedule detailed below: Week 1January 5Introduction and Administration Week 2January 12Administration: Group Topic Organization Week 3 January 19 The Olympic Movement: Setting the Stage -History, goals, values, benchmarks Week 4January 26 The Bid Process — Fairness, scandals, checks and balances – — Lessons from previous bids Guest: Don Rosenbloom (2010 Bid Corp) Student Discussants: Andy Roy: [email  protected] com Jon Conlin: [email  protected] com Week 5 February 2 Citizen Engagement and the Olympics Plebiscites, interest groups/watchdogs, community activation and mobilization -Housing Impacts: Positive and/or Negative? Guests: Rob VanWynsberghe (UBC: OGI Project) and Brenda Metropolit (VANOC) Student Discussants: Samuel Loeb: [email  protected] com Christian Nielsen: [email  protected] com Week 6 February 9 Eligibility to Play / Judging of Events â €“ Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs, Illegal Drugs, – Gender equity: the Women Ski Jumpers Case – Disability – Nationality – ADR-Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – Comparison with professional sports and tours Guest: Nick Hopewell (Sports Lawyer) Student Discussants: Alexis Marach: [email  protected] com Week 7February 16No Class due to Midterm Olympic Games Break Week 8February 23No Class due to Midterm Olympic Games Break Week 9March 2Building and Operating the Games – Operation of the labour market, wage inflation and building costs, regulation of work stoppages employment equity strategies, use of volunteers Guests: Brian Dolsen (2010 Bid Corp, 2010 Legacies Now) and Roslyn Kunin (Canada West Foundation) Student Discussants: Alia Somji: [email  protected] com Peter Thoegersen: [email  protected] dk Emilie Vingtoft-Andersen: [email  protected] com Week 10March 9Revenue Sources: Sponsorship – Trademarks and Sponsorship – Exclusivity – Sponsors as â€Å"Olympic Partners† – Ambush marketing Guest: tba Student Discussants: Chris Filipchuk: c. [email  protected] com Alexandra Tratnick: [email  protected] com Week 11March 16 Revenue Sources: Broadcast -Television, radio, videogames, Internet: Are they complementary or competitive properties and platforms? -Domestic rights, global rights, valuation strategies -Distribution of revenue: IOC and NOCs and OCOGs -Relation to sponsorship Guests: tba Student Discussants: Audrey Lim: audry. [email  protected] com Neil Spencer: [email  protected] a Week 12 March 23 Sustainability and the Olympic Games -The Triple Bottom Line of Sustainability: Economic, Environmental and Social Sustainability Guests: Linda Coady, Margaret Dickson (VANOC) Student Discussants: Alasdair Shaw: [email  protected] gla. ac. uk Week 14 March 30 Aboriginal Inclusion: the Fo ur Host First Nations as Olympic Partners Guest: Tewanee Joseph, Executive Director, Paul Manning (Senior Consultant) : Four Host First Nations (FHFN) Secretariat Student Discussants: Victor Ing: [email  protected] ubc. ca Gina Wu: gina. cy. [email  protected] com Week 14April 6 Olympic Legacies: 2010 Legacies Now Building Better Communities -Sport and Recreation, Literacy, Arts, Volunteers Guests: Bruce Dewar (2010 Legacies Now) Student Discussants: Robert Pinsent: [email  protected] com Week 15April 13Cultural Olympiad -Torch Relay, Opening and Closing Ceremonies -Relation between Cultural Olympiad and other media and entertainment products during Games time -Ambush marketing and citizen protests -Cultural legacies UBC’s Role in the Games Guests: Michelle Aucoin, UBC Olympic Secretariat Student Discussants: Course Wrap-Up April 30 (Friday)Paper Due at 4:30 p. m. Via E-mail to Professor Weiler and Hard Copy to Fishbowl Office

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 18

When it was over, I rested my cheek against his chest while still staying mostly on my side. His heart beat heavy beneath my hands, and the smell of his skin and sweat nearly overpowered me. I lay there, perfectly still, scarcely daring to breathe. I was afraid that if I moved too much, I'd break this spell, this dream that I'd somehow stumbled into. Slowly, carefully, Seth ran his fingers through my hair, idly twining the strands into loops. He let his hand drop and shifted slightly, just enough to press a kiss to my forehead. I exhaled and snuggled closer, realizing that I really wasn't going to wake from this dream. At least, that's what I thought until his cell phone rang. The ring was â€Å"Where the Streets Have No Name† by U2, not a particularly hard or jarring song but one that made me flinch anyway. For a moment, we each held our breath, both of us frozen. I wanted the phone to disappear off the face of the earth, to get smote the way I kept fearing some demon would smite me. I needed it to go away because if it kept ringing, it meant none of this was real. That we were going to have to face reality. But it was already too late. The spell was broken. The phone was reality. â€Å"You should answer that,† I said. He hesitated for the space of two heartbeats, sighed, and then slowly disentangled himself from me, still careful of my back. Sitting on the side of the bed, he reached down and pulled the cell phone from his jeans pocket. I shifted over, staying propped up on one elbow, admiring the shape of his body, even as a strange, bittersweet feeling began spilling through my heart. I knew, without knowing how I knew, that it was Maddie. â€Å"Hey. Yeah†¦I got caught up with†¦um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Seth paused, and I sensed something monumental about to take place. â€Å"I got an idea for this latest chapter.† I closed my eyes. In all the time I'd known him, I'd never heard Seth outright lie. â€Å"Right. Yeah. Okay. Um, if I leave now, I can probably make it in†¦oh, twenty minutes. Mmm-hmm. You want me to pick you up, or†¦? Okay. See you there.† He disconnected and continued sitting with his back to me, clasping the phone in his hands. Although he sat up straight, he had the air of someone hunched over, weary with defeat. â€Å"You have to go?† I asked. He looked back at me, anguish on his face. â€Å"Georgina†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I managed a weak smile. â€Å"It's okay. I wasn't tricked here. I understand the situation.† â€Å"I know, but I want you to realize that it wasn't†¦that I didn't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't need to finish. One of the things I'd always loved about Seth was his open, honest nature. Occasionally he'd been able to hide his feelings from me, but more often than not, they shone through on his features. This was one of those times. With a single look, I saw what was in his heart, that he hadn't had sex with me because I was easy or available. He'd done it because of how he felt about me, because he loved-still loved-me. It made all of this that much worse. â€Å"I know,† I said softly. After one more kiss to my forehead, he put on his clothes. I watched each move hungrily, uncertain if I'd ever see anything like it again. When he was dressed and ready to go, he sat beside me on the bed, playing with my hair again. Again, those golden brown eyes spilled over with emotion. He was overcome and confused. I was too, but for his sake, I tried to appear strong and articulate. â€Å"It's okay,† I said. â€Å"It was great. Amazing†¦but I understand that we shouldn't have and that we can't ever†¦Ã¢â‚¬  So much for articulation. â€Å"Yeah,† he agreed. â€Å"It was just this once. And it was perfect.† â€Å"Just this once,† he repeated. I couldn't read his voice, but something told me he wasn't entirely happy about that. Neither was I, but honestly, what could we do? We'd succumbed to passion, and now he had to go back to his girlfriend. End of story. He tipped my head back, and our lips met in a soft, warm kiss. It was brief, only a few moments, but I felt that same, soul-deep connection that had consumed me during sex. He stood up and studied me for a few moments more, as though he might not ever see me again. I felt a little silly lying there naked, but his expression told me he thought I was beautiful. He left after that, and I stayed in bed, drunk on my own feelings. Aubrey joined me, curling up against my leg. â€Å"Was that how it was supposed to be, Aubrey?† I couldn't decide. Certainly the sex had been everything I'd ever imagined with Seth. But this afterglow? It was a bit lacking. Nothing about the situation was normal. I had no prior experience to fall back on. After almost a half hour of staring at nothing and reaching no conclusions, I got out of bed. I was still reeling from what had happened, and my body burned with what Seth and I had done. I usually liked to shower after sex, but not today. I could smell Seth on me, his sweat and even a faint trace of the leather-and-apple cologne he used sometimes. I couldn't stand to wash him off yet, so I put the old cotton robe back on. Ratty or not, its fabric was soft against my bruised skin. As I was about to leave my room, I noticed the photo of the medallion on the floor. I picked it up, intending to set it on my nightstand, and froze. There was writing on it. Inked with a black Sharpie, neat handwriting read: Smoky quartz indicates earth or a oneness with the earth . The symbols on the medallion were circled, with lines drawn out from each one, leading to brief notes: this indicates an affinity for water, a harmonious, blending state; this is similar to the water one, except it's for the earth; this is a masking symbol, meant to shield the object it protects and keep the seal strong; this one's strange, indicates blankness or whiteness-maybe white sand or stones?; this is the symbol for tears-combined with the water sign, probably indicates salt water . I reread the notes three times. Where had they come from? When had this happened? I retraced my steps, trying to figure out when I'd abandoned the picture. There'd been no writing when I showed it to Dante. The most likely time would have been while I was out for food. Someone could have also theoretically broken into my home and done it while I was with Carter in the living room, but sneaking past the angel seemed pretty out there. Unless†¦was it possible Carter had helped me after all? He kept saying he couldn't; he'd even directly denied involvement with my assorted rescues. But the timing here was awfully coincidental. I kept staring at the symbols, at the notes, and the pictures of the seal. Whoever had written this was irrelevant for now. If their notes were correct, then I needed to use them to find Jerome. Carter had said the seal served two purposes. One was to infuse the vessel with power. The other was to serve as a â€Å"lock† that could open the vessel and release Jerome. The parts of the seal itself were with the demon and the summoner, but the symbols should give some clues to the vessel's location. Supposedly, these symbols would have been used in hiding Jerome, infusing the vessel with a type of energy specific to the location that would help blend and mask Jerome's presence. An affinity with the earth, as well as markings for water-salt water, specifically. A lot of places that were infused with power tended to be wild, natural places, though some had become centers of civilization and activity. Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle, for example, was one such ancient place of power that had been completely built upon by humanity. But these†¦what did they indicate? Some place near salt water, apparently. The vessel was probably close enough to the water that the symbols would resonate and camouflage its location. And the earth location? Buried in the dirt maybe? Was Jerome buried on some beach near the ocean? Jerome's kidnappers wouldn't want to keep him too far away from them, but nonetheless, the Pacific flanked the entire western half of Washington. That was a lot of beach, and I knew there were a lot of places of power along there. I didn't know of any white sand beaches anywhere in the area; only further investigation could say for sure. Groaning, I lay back on my bed, still holding the picture. The notes had only narrowed down the locations, but that was still a lot of area to cover. Yet what could I do? I had to find the vessel, sooner rather than later, or else Seattle was going to have a new archdemon. Studying the photo further, I willed it to give me some more info. Nothing. Just the medallion, the mystery notes, and Mary's cataloging info at the top which told me little- I frowned, rereading her header. It was brief, just the materials, name, and date the medallion had been created and then picked up. But the date it had been finished†¦the date stuck in my head. Why? It was from a week ago. Something about that date was important, but I couldn't figure out why. It felt likes years had passed in this last week, but I nonetheless counted backward, reassessing my recent activities. There. The seal had been made the day after I'd first gone to Vancouver†¦the day the vampire turf war had gone down. Would the seal's creation have triggered anyone's immortal radar? I didn't know, but if it had, Jerome, Grace, and Mei would have all been busy sorting out the ensuing vampire mess. Misdirection. From there, other things began to arrange themselves in my head. I thought back to the Army of Darkness, wondering what events their activities might line up against. The event in Queen Elizabeth Park matched the date the seal had been picked up. And the Army's impromptu visit to Seattle†¦? That had preceded Jerome's summoning, though no one would have wanted to direct attention to that, would they? The answer was here. I just couldn't quite make the pieces fit yet. The Army had staged their show. Jerome, Grace, and Mei had given it their full attention. Jerome had been summoned. Where had this game's other players been? I left the bed and its aching, alluring memories. Finding my cell phone, I dialed Kristin's number. â€Å"Hi, Georgina,† she said, pleasant but busy like always. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"How's it going?† â€Å"Crazy.† I could imagine the grimace on her face. â€Å"Cedric's stressed to hell-no pun intended-with all these demons in the area. At least that†¦that succubus is distracting him.† â€Å"Tawny?† â€Å"Whatever her name is. Cedric's actually out with her right now.† Bitterness and the tiniest hint of jealousy came through in Kristin's voice. I remembered her perpetual devotion to him-and the look on her face when he'd asked Tawny out. I felt for her but had too many romantic hijinks of my own to deal with. â€Å"Huh.† I didn't really know what else to say. â€Å"Look, I have a question for you. Do you know, did Cedric come to see Jerome the day the Army was down here?† â€Å"Yeah. Cedric came down after you left the message. I thought you knew.† â€Å"No†¦I only heard about it after the fact, and then, the whole summoning kind of took precedence.† â€Å"Why do you want to know?† I hesitated. I liked Kristin, but she was clearly loyal to Cedric. I didn't think it'd be wise to share my theories with her, like that the Army being in Seattle had provided a convenient reason for Jerome and Cedric to be together when Jerome got summoned. It occurred to me that I might very well owe Hugh an apology for my adamant denial of Cedric's involvement. Something else also occurred to me. â€Å"Um, it's a long story,† I said hastily. â€Å"Do you know if he's been hanging out with Nanette a lot?† â€Å"Why?† Her tone was quickly turning suspicious. She didn't like me interrogating her about her boss. â€Å"Well†¦I told him the other day that I thought Nanette might be involved with Jerome's disappearance. He didn't think so, but he told her†¦and she got really pissed off. She, um†¦. well, let's just say she got physical, and I have the scars to prove it.† My immortal friends had pointed out that Nanette's attack made her look guilty. If Cedric had done enough goading to make her angry when he told her, it could have very well sent her to me in a rage-and successfully shifted attention from him. Fuck. I didn't want another suspect in all of this. I didn't want it to be Cedric. Nanette had hitherto been a convenient explanation. Kristin was silent for several seconds. â€Å"I didn't know that,† she said quietly. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"Mostly. Mei healed the worst of it, but I'm still a little sore.† â€Å"I can't imagine†¦Cedric would never have told her if he thought that was going to happen. He likes you. He wouldn't condone that. He couldn't have known. I'm sorry.† She was sincerely contrite, hurt at the thought that her boss-even if he was a demon and a servant of evil-could have been involved with something that had turned out so terrible. â€Å"It's okay,† I said. â€Å"I've gotta run, but thanks for the info. Things are kind of crazy here too, as you can imagine.† We said our good-byes and disconnected. I flipped the cell phone around in my hand, feeling overwhelmed. Nanette wasn't off the table yet, but Cedric was right alongside her now as a culprit-maybe more so. If I had enough evidence, I could possibly take it to Grace and Mei†¦but I didn't have that yet. Besides, knowing who the culprit was wouldn't solve the immediate issue: finding Jerome. I glanced back at the photo, resting on my nightstand. Sore back or no, it looked like I had to do a little beachcombing. I nearly knocked Dante over when he came home that night. â€Å"Succubus,† he said, letting me wrap my arms around him. He was careful only to rest his hands on my hips. â€Å"Happy to see you too.† My eagerness was twofold. I was excited to see him because I wanted to pick his brain about the medallion and places of power. But also†¦well, while hanging around today, I'd had a lot of time to think about Seth and what had happened between us. The memory of his body still made mine burn, and I grew breathless recalling that amazing connection and sense of rightness between us. And yet†¦whatever rightness had been between us, it had still been wrong. He was with Maddie-my friend. I'd been upset when she and Seth had first slept together. I was no different. In fact, I'd knowingly done it, which made it worse. Now there was Dante to consider. Dante, who despite that dark, scowling nature really did love me and wanted to win my regard as more than just someone I had sex with. This was where my future lay, not with Seth. I kissed Dante on the lips, lingering several seconds. â€Å"I missed you.† His smile turned wry. â€Å"Don't look at me like that, or I'm going to have a hard time remembering that you're injured and that I should keep my hands off you.† Those words triggered a pang of guilt. My injuries certainly hadn't been enough to keep Seth off me. I could have told Dante that I was better, that it didn't matter, yet for whatever reason†¦I didn't. We broke apart, and I found the medallion picture for him. He stared incredulously as I showed him the phantom notes and explained my story. â€Å"What, you have no idea how they got there or who did it?† â€Å"Nope, but at this point, I'm not going to question it.† He shook his head, face still shocked. â€Å"Well. I wish I'd known this before I left. Would have been a lot easier to just wait and have invisible helpers come leave clues.† I recalled how he'd gone out to see what he could find about the medallion. â€Å"What'd you turn up?† He gestured at the picture. â€Å"Same thing.† I rested my hand over his. â€Å"Sorry. I really appreciate your help. And if your research found the same thing, it means I can probably trust this.† â€Å"Maybe,† he said, still not sounding happy about the wasted time. â€Å"What are you going to do? Something crazy?† â€Å"Look for saltwater beaches, I guess.† Dante let out a low whistle. â€Å"There are a lot of those around here. Not to mention you have no way of identifying this vessel anyway.† â€Å"I know. But I've got to start somewhere. Can you help me make a list?† We got an atlas of the Pacific Northwest area from my car and laid it flat on the kitchen table. Scrutinizing every detail, we each marked as many places as we knew. Dante knew a lot more than me, which didn't particularly surprise me. I'd once noted to Erik Lancaster that those who study religion tend to know more about it than those who practice it. Sometimes, I felt the same way about immortal affairs. We found twelve in all that were easy day trips-and many more beyond that. â€Å"Looks like you've got your work cut out for you,† Dante mused. â€Å"When are you going to look? Too dark now.† I stared at the map with dismay. â€Å"Tomorrow, I guess. Can you go with me?† A psychic like him might able to sense something, as Carter had pointed out. He grimaced. â€Å"Not tomorrow. I've actually got a few appointments people have scheduled. Crazy, huh? I probably can go the next day or the day after, if you can wait. I'd feel better if you didn't go alone.† I was glad for his business but sad at the delay. â€Å"I don't think I can wait. Don't worry, though. I'll find somebody.† â€Å"On the bright side,† he said, trying to cheer me. â€Å"I'll have money tomorrow. We can go out somewhere nice.† I mustered a smile. â€Å"Yeah, that'll be-oh, shit. I can't.† â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"Fuck. I promised the people at the store I'd teach salsa after work.† â€Å"Cancel,† he said dismissively. My dance lessons didn't hold much importance, as far as he was concerned. â€Å"Tell them you're sick.† That wouldn't entirely be a lie†¦and yet, I hated to go back on my word. Furthermore, I could still see Maddie's radiant face, so excited and happy when I'd agreed. How could I deny her that after what I'd done to her today? â€Å"No†¦I've got to do it. Let's go eat out now. My treat.† He drove us over to Belltown for some of Seattle's best seafood. Wine and conversation flowed, and I discovered I was healing by leaps and bounds. When we got back to my place later and went to bed, Dante snuggled up to me and kissed my neck. â€Å"Looks like you're on the mend,† he noted, moving his lips up to my earlobe. â€Å"We could do it†¦I could be careful†¦Ã¢â‚¬  All around us were the sheets and blankets where Seth and I had made love earlier. The thought nearly smothered me. God. I really should have washed the bedding. I swallowed and shifted position so that I didn't meet Dante's eyes. â€Å"Maybe†¦but I'd rather wait, so we can not be careful.† I hoped there was enough of a seductive growl in my voice to make it believable. Dante sighed, fortunately unwilling to push me. â€Å"Fair enough.† He rolled over and left me to sleep, but it was a long time in coming.

The Strategic Position of E-Bay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Strategic Position of E-Bay - Essay Example In the end, this report recommends that eBay develop and implement a business to business exchange. The success and even the mere survival of a business organization are strongly linked to its ability of utilizing its core competencies in crafting an efficient strategy as a response to the trends and challenges in its business environment. The phenomenal success of eBay is one of the most documented dotcom stories as it features the specific factors that an online retailer needs in order to survive. However, with the maturity of its market, the online auction store is threatened by a market slowdown and other environmental pressures (Thomson, Strickland, and Gamble 2006). Thus, the organization needs to put in place a strategy which can bolster its growth. The financial situation of eBay can be best understood by using an annual statement analysis which considers the trend and the significant financial ratios of the business organization. Appendix 1 highlights the computed financial ratios of eBay based on the audited annual report that it filed in the SEC during 2005. During 2005, eBay generates total revenue of $4.55 billion, a double digit growth of 39% from the 2004 level. Of this, 82% accounts for gross profit, 32% translated into operating income, and 24% is recorded as net profit. eBay finances its resources with less risky equity. In fact, the company has a resource structure of 15:85 in favor of stocks. This implies that the online auction firm has a relatively smaller amount of interest obligation which it can easily pay with its huge income. The company can more than pay off its immediate obligation, having a current asset account which is more than twice its current liabilities. eBay, though, has a low return to equity of 11% (see Apendix 1). 3.2. Marketing Analysis The phenomenal success of eBay is directly linked to its efficient marketing strategy. The business organization segments its market according to their interests into six categories namely, bargain hunters, hobbyist and collector buyers, professional buyers, casual sellers, hobbyist and collector sellers, and power and corporate sellers (Thomson, Strickland,& Gamble 2006). Being an online operator, eBay has succeeded to provide a user friendly website with unique features to make buying and selling easier and more convenient to customers. As a global player, eBay captures each locale through the use of customized platform that reflects the unique culture, values, and language of each country (eBay 2007). The company succeeds in satisfying the needs and wants of its various customers through the provision of venue where buyers and sellers can find the items that they want with the price that

Learning Styles Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Learning Styles - Term Paper Example Cooperative learning finds the students working effectively in groups. The result is productive learning and if this cooperative learning is planned well the benefits are innumerable. The students should be allowed to work on topics of their own choice. This manner the student’s social and academic ability would improve. The teacher can group the students based on their ability and learning skill. Therefore every group would have a top student, a middle student, and a struggling student. Examination of certain strategies in teaching would enhance better learning. As Felder and Soloman said, â€Å"when planning and developing instructional material, strive for a balance of teaching styles to match various learning styles†.The four basic styles of teaching include formal authority, demonstrator or personal model, facilitator and delegator. Formal authority epitomizes the teacher who adopts a centered approach for the teacher feels responsible for providing and calculating the impartation of knowledge which the student is to obtain and assimilate. The relationship between the teacher and student as well as between the students is not given importance. Teachers who use the formal authority method concentrate more on the content of the lesson while the student is expected to receive this content. The teacher enlightens the content and materials in a manner that enables the students to receive the crux of the lesson and appreciate the essence of the whole time spent in learning.

Public Employees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public Employees - Essay Example This essay discusses the benefits of the patronage system versus the merit system for public employee. First, the patronage system refers to a system where public employees are hired or dismissed based on the support of an individual candidate or the political system. When a candidate belonging to a certain political party wins an election, they have the right to appoint a given number of individuals into public positions (Farazmand, 2007). This is the real meaning of the patronage system that is commonly referred to as the spoils system. The appointment of these individuals is based on political support rather than merit as the appointment criteria. Although the patronage system exists across the various levels in the US government, the number of positions offered through this system has reduced drastically since the 1880s. In fact, the system existed in the US until 1883 with the enactment of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883. In 1820, congress set a limit of the federal administrators to four years and this lead to an increase in the public employees’ turnover (Dautrich and Yalof, 2013). By the 1860s, the patronage system and the civil war had led to increased corruption and widespread inefficiency in the public service and had spread to low rank government positions. There are numerous benefits associated with the patronage or spoilers system. To start with, the system helps put in place a well-organized political system that rewards campaign workers. The system also puts individuals who agree with the political agenda in power thus promotion cooperation, trust and loyalty within the public service. The system ensures continuous turnover and this brings new individuals and ideas into the system. This system was replaced by the Merit system when the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 was enacted (Dautrich and Yalof, 2013). The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 specified that public jobs

Government intervention in global business Outline

Government intervention in global business - Outline Example Different economic forces, such as, booms, recessions or different forms of crisis such as financial crisis, create different situations that need different forms of government intervention. In this paper, the issue of government intervention would be studied with respect to the various measures that governments in different nations of the world adopt. This research work would follow inductive approach and use secondary data for the analysis of data. The research process would involve preparation a research proposal, designing the research method, identification of reliable sources of information, collection of data from secondary sources, analysis of the data and the inferring the results from the discussion of the facts gathered through review of literature. Research studies have been made in the past and are also being made in the current times to assess the motivations behind government intervention in the global economy. Many of the research results reveal that one of the most important and commonly observable intentions of the government behind intervening in the economies is to boost up the economies (Tragakes, 2011). In the developing economies, governments emphasize on increasing level of economic activities in the economy, while in the developed countries, the intention of the government is to maintain stability in the economy and also enhance future growth prospective. According to some researchers, the policies developed by the governments are, essentially, either directed towards covering their economies against outside economic forces or regulating the performances of internal economic forces operating in their countries (P. J. Welch and G. F. Welch, 2009). The varieties of policies of the governments at the global level, fu ndamentally, are guide by these two basic motives of intervention. Partnership has become a buzzword in the current economic context. Until the past few decades, the

Osteoporosis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Osteoporosis - Case Study Example Although any individual can contract the condition, Asian and Caucasian women are more prone (Compston, 62). Apart from the vertebrae, osteoporosis affects all the bones in human bodies. However, most instances are seen commonly on the wrist, hip and spine, also known as the vertebrae. It supports the body to maintain its varying postures. Serum calcium levels are elevated in osteoporosis due to its liberation from bones because of hormone influence, the parathyroid hormone in it and more calcium absorption by the kidney that raises its level in the blood (Compston, 18). Referring osteoporosis metabolic bone diseases implies that they result from mineral abnormalities and are often reversible after treating the underlying defects. Osteoporosis can be prevented or slowed down by supplementing the food with enough elements known to lead to this condition. Exercise strengthens bones and their production contrary to the belief that it raises the risks for osteoporosis  acquisition. There are drug therapies that go handy with osteoporosis. They include use of medication such as thyroid hormon e, steroids, diuretics and anticonvulsants (Compston,

Rawls's Theory of Distributive Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rawls's Theory of Distributive Justice - Essay Example Rawls’s theory has an historical root from social contract tradition that is associated with Thomas John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Traditional social contract theory addresses a state of nature that describes the content of a social contract which is an agreement to enter civil society. Distributive justice deals with the questions of distribution of liberties, wealth, and income (Rawls, 2003) According to Rawls there are two principles that are supposed to govern the basic makeup of a just society are the parties to the original position: an imaginary circumstance which specially constructed by a rational individual. The principles are (a) the principle of equal liberty and social justice where each individual has equal claim to adequate basic rights and liberties. In this system there are equal political liberties with guaranteed fair share. (b) The difference principle: there are social and economic inequalities that are attached to positions which are open to all un der conditions of equal opportunity, and they are to benefit even the least advantaged member in the society (Rawls, 2003). According to this principle, an inequality can benefit the person who gets the smaller share. Inequalities can form incentives which increase the size to shared, so that the smaller piece may be larger in absolute terms. The difference principle deals with strict equality under circumstances where differences in income and other rewards do not affect the incentives of an individual. On the other hand, in the real world currently, greater rewards bring forth greater productive effort, thus increasing the total wealth of the economy and therefore the wealth of the least advantaged (Rawls, 2003). Rawls argues that if the skilled and motivated increase their rewards then the poor will benefit than they would have been through equal allocation of income. He also realizes that redistribution cannot go as far as his moral preference for equality without making everyon e worse off. He argues for inheritance taxes because unregulated transfer of wealth through generation would end up in the accumulation of wealth in given section of society. According to Rawls, individuals who are not lucky enough to have wealthy parents do not have worse starting points than those who were so fortunate. He contends that society should tax the wealthy with the undeserved inherited gain of children of rich persons (Gerald, 1999). According to Rawls such a system of justice will limit the unfair resources and encourage the redistribution which will favor the disadvantaged. For Rawls it is unfair to leave the disadvantaged in no better position than before, even if the inequality does not harm them. In this way he emphasized the distribution type of justice which favored equal distribution of basic commodities like income and wealth. Practically, it implies that in difference principle, the society must distribute wealth up to the extent that the wealth of the most di sadvantaged is improved. In essence the society must tax and reallocate wealth of wealthy individual to the point where their incentive to generate more just fade away. Rawls describes his theory as political because it does not depend on assumptions that are usually unclear to rational citizens in a pluralistic society. He argues that justice require equality as it complies where everyone has fair equal rights and liberties. To Rawls disagreements are resolved on the basis of prior agreement

About the Investment Options Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

About the Investment Options - Research Paper Example Mutual Fund is a professionally managed pool of assets. Assets are collected from many investors. It is then invested in equities, bonds, money market instruments and other investment options. Mutual funds are open-ended or closed-ended investment options. The option to pull back the investment amount anytime is available with the investors. The number of units to be allotted for any individuals depends upon the amount of investment and the prevailing NAV of the company in the market. Suppose,  £500 is invested and the present NAV of the company is  £5. The number of allotted units to the investor will be (500/5  £) 100. The investor has to pay a nominal fee for their investments. Mutual funds are professionally managed, so the chances of losing money are also minimal than investing directly in shares. The diversified nature of mutual funds also keeps the risk level within the nominal range. Due to diversification, less return from one company or sector gets easily nullified by the higher return by other company/sector. Gold is possibly the most invested metals around the world. It is also the universally accepted medium of exchange. In accounting prospect, the depreciation value of gold is almost zero. Gold is also believed to be worked as an inflation hedge. In most of the times, gold has a negative correlation with the performance of the share market. This is why people prefer gold as their investment option when the equity market is underperforming. Fixed term bonds are the means of getting a fixed interest amount after a specific period of time. Fixed term bonds have the maturities ranging from 6 months to 5 years. It may vary depending upon the need of the corporate and also upon the market condition. These bonds are issued by corporate bodies. There lays a default risk embedded with this kind of bonds.  Ã‚  

Art Blog Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Art Blog - Assignment Example Galleries open here and there, and museums feature exhibits that are not to be missed. Yet that visit to a community garden opened me to a whole new world of the art scene. Of course the Museum of Contemporary Art, the L.A. County Art Museum, and the Getty Center house several of the best pieces of art in the world. But ever since a community garden opened my eye to something new about art, I have been keener to observe those Chinatown galleries that feature up-and-coming artists that houses a more â€Å"homely† type of art. I have been more appreciative of the unpretentious airs in several of these galleries like Kathryn Brennans, Tom Solomans, and China Art Objects. What that little community garden did to my art perspective was huge. Since then, I never have to look far to see art in my surroundings. I can see it in simple places and things. In the community garden, I never thought the day would come where I would be looking at garden plots as works of art. Yes, they may no t be technically pieces of art, but works of art they are. There is no such thing as being too radical or being too conventional in art. Now I know there are no rules. Art is when it moves you even when you do not know why. Aside from being appreciative of art, I also love books. What moved me the most in the Getty Center is its collection of books within the Getty Research Institute and the vast collection of pictures of different architectures. Additionally, I also find it fascinating to stare at the illuminated manuscripts and glimmering decorative arts and furniture. I agree with Natalie that the museums programs and activities for kids and families are a joy to behold. I visited the place a few times, and I must state that for adults who do not have any kids in tow, it is worthwhile to catch the nighttime view of the place. I am all for self-expression. Sadly, the street art scene in Los Angeles is something

National Achievement Test Essay Example for Free

National Achievement Test Essay This study tried to analyze the Mathematics achievement of the second year high school students of Hermano Miguel Integrated School as revealed in the National Achievement Test (NAT). The relationship between the achievement in Mathematics and their profile was also determined. The results were utilized in developing and evaluating the proposed expanded remediation module. What is the profile of the students as regards age and gender? Gender. In terms of age, it can be seen from table 1 that out of 37 second year high school students used in the study, nine or 24. 32 percent are males and 28 or 75. 8 percent are females. It can be deduce that majority of the students are females. It may also be inferred that there is one male student for every 3 females as the males represents almost 1/3 of the population. Age. As can be viewed in table 2, there are 21 or 56. 76 percent who are 13 years old while 15 or 40. 54 percent are 14 years old. The mean age is 13. 38. this implies that generally, the students are in the normal age range of a second year high school student. How did the second year high school students perform in the National Achievement Test (NAT) in Mathematics? The National Achievement Test (NAT) is an examination given by the Department of Education to all second year high school students in the country. For school year 2009-2010, it was given last March 2010. In Hermano Miguel Integrated School. There were 37 all in all who took the said achievement test in Mathematics. Mathematics is divided into seven topics or areas. There are seven levels of mastery based on the raw scores that were set by the Department of Education. Performance as Regards Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities. Most of the students numbering to 17 or 45. 5 percent had low mastery while two of them were described to have absolutely no mastery of the Linear Equations and Inequalities. Only 13 or 35. 14 percent scored 35 – 65 having received average mastery level. The mean score of the students in this area is 30. 22 equivalents to low mastery level. These data tend to show that generally, the students failed to master the necessary skills in solving linear equations and inequalities. When interviewed, the students said that they really have difficulties in understanding this particular lesson especially inequalities where symbols oftentimes confuse them. They also could not formulate accurately the required equations to the given word problems. The teachers also said that there are times when the students can solve equations but when a word problem is given, they could not make the appropriate equations. Performance as Regards Systems of Quadratic Equations. The students have low master in quadratic equations. This is revealed by the mean score of 33. 62. This means that the students have difficulties understanding this particular topic in Mathematics II. Analyzing further the result will reveal that three or 8. 1 percent have some understanding of this topic as they were described to be moving towards mastery. However, three of them were found to be absolutely no knowledge of quadratic equations. Most of the students obtained scores between 35 – 65 which indicates that they have average mastery. This means that some of them may have the ability to cope up with the lesson on quadratic equations. Performance as Regards Systems of Rational Algebraic Expressions. The students got a mean of 29. 73 in the area of Rational Algebraic Expressions. This indicates that generally they are of low mastery. This implies that the students could not understand well the lesson on rational algebraic expressions which is quite difficult since it involves letters that tend to be abstract to the students. More than half of the students or 51. 35 percent have low mastery level while three of them are totally ignorant of the topic since they scored only 0-4 equivalent to absolutely no mastery. Apparently, the students failed to master the skills in simplifying rational algebraic equations, performing operations on rational algebraic expressions, solving rational expressions and in solving problems involving ational algebraic expressions. As the students said, they are confused when symbols and not numbers are involved in the equation. Some of them believed that Algebra is too abstract. This is a challenge to the teachers to make problems real life so that the students could relate with it and see its importance to their life. With this, the students may become interested to learn Algebra. Performance as Regards Variations. It can be observed that the students are generally average learners in this topic as their scores fall in the average mastery level. This implies that a lot of them could understand the lesson on variations. It may also be inferred that they have averagely developed the competency on identifying relationship between two quantities in real life that are direct, direct square, inverse and joint; represent the relationship as equations that varies directly as the square of a given value; and solving problems on variations: direct, and inverse. It reveals that 16 or 43. 24 percent have average mastery of this topic while no one was found to have absolutely no knowledge of variations. The lowest score was between 5 – 14 which means very low mastery. Performance as Regards Integral Exponents. It is revealed also in this particular lesson the students’ mean score is 23. 49 which indicates that they have low master of integral exponents. This may mean that generally, the students could not perform well the operations of exponential expressions where the exponents are whole numbers and fractions that may be positive or negative. The students said that they could hardly understand integral exponents especially when it is applied in a word problem. There are 16 or 43. 24 percent who showed, low mastery while 13 or 35. 14 percent were found to be possessing absolutely no mastery as their scores fall between 0 – 4. On the other hand, two of them or 5. 41 percent are moving towards mastery as their scores belonged to 66 – 85 bracket. As displayed in the table, the average score is 19. 80 implying that generally the students showed low mastery of this lesson. More than majority (62. 16 percent) exhibited low mastery with six of them or 16. 22 percent showing absolutely no mastery. It may be inferred that the students are likely to fail in the test on radical expressions as they claimed that they tend to be confused when numbers and letters are involved in the equation. Some of them admitted that they do not favor much Mathematics especially Algebra that appears to be so abstract to them. Impliedly the students have not mastered fully the competencies on simplifying radical expressions, perform operations on radical expressions and solving radical equations that were tested in the National Achievement Test. Performance as Regards Searching for Patterns and Sequences. It can be seen in table 9 that the mean score of the students in this lesson or topic is 30. 30 that is tantamount to low mastery level. This implies that generally, the students have not developed the skills required in searching for patterns and sequences. The table also reveals that most of them showed average mastery and low mastery but one of them has absolutely no knowledge on how to solve a problem where patterns and sequences have to be identified. This may mean that the students failed to master the skills on finding the common differences and the nth term arithmetic geometry and in solving arithmetic and geometric problems. Comparison of Students’ Performance in the Areas of Mathematics 2. Table 10 presents that the students are generally of low mastery level in Mathematics as their over-all mean is 29. 88. This means that out of 100 items in the test, the students could only get almost 30 correct answers. This also implies that most of the students find it difficult to understand Algebra. This gives the teachers some challenges to make the learning of Algebra enjoyable by applying it to real life situations so that it will not appear to be too abstract to the learners. According to the recent Basic Education Review prepared by the Department of Education, the mean percentage scores revealed in the National Achievement Test from School year 2004-2008 is 59. 53% and the weakest among the five core subjects taken in the tests was Mathematics, with a 4-year average of 52. 59% (DepEd, 2009). Looking closely at the table, it can be observed that the students scored highest on the topic on â€Å"Variations†. This is the only topic where students may find it understandable to them as they were found to have average mastery level. On the other hand, they were found to be of low mastery level in all the other six areas of Mathematics 2. They scored lowest on the topics â€Å"Radical Expressions, Integral Exponents, and Rational Algebraic Expressions. † These are the topics that need to be given so much emphasis by the teacher when discussing them to the class. They need to make use of varied teaching strategies, varied exercises and detailed explanation. These are also the topics that were included in the proposed remediation module prepared by the researcher. What significant relationship exists between the students’ Mathematics achievement and their profile? Using Yates Correction Formula, the coefficient of correlation was determined. This helped in identifying the relationship between Mathematics achievement and profile that includes age and gender. The data are provided in table 11. Since the computed values of 1. 88 and 0. 00 are both less than the tabular value of 3. 841 then it can be said that at 0. 5 level no significant relationship exists between the students’ Mathematics achievement and age as well as gender. This means that the Mathematics performance of the students is independent of the age and gender. The null hypothesis therefore is accepted. This implies that regardless of age and gender, the students may or may not perform well in the class. It can also be said that the learning Mathematics is not due to age or gender but maybe due to other factors not covered in the study such as interest, teaching competency of the teachers and availability of instructional materials. What remediation module can be proposed? Based from the results of the two examinations, the researcher came up with the remediation module whose main objective is to help the students master the necessary Mathematics skills. The topics covered in the module were â€Å"Radical Expressions, Integral Exponents, and Rational Algebraic Expressions† as these are the ones where the students scored lower compared to other topics. The remediation module was then subjected to evaluation of the five Mathematics teachers form the same school. The complete module can be found in the succeeding pages. According to Liban (2006) school administration should provide supplementary materials for the teachers that would help enrich their socio-technological needs of the present time. Castanos-Agpaoa (2006) said that a module is a new teaching strategy for arranging learning experiences in education and it has been receiving much attention. The strategy of learning modules has become a part of all level of teaching. A learning module is a self-learning package dealing with one specific subject matter unit. It can be used in any setting convenient to the learner and may be completed at the learner’s own pace. It may be used individually or in small groups What is the assessment of the teachers of the proposed remediation module? As can be seen in table, the over-all rating given by the evaluators is 4. 95 which indicates that the proposed remediation module is an excellent material that can help the students improve their Mathematics performance. The evaluators rated the remediation module as excellent in all the criteria except on the criterion related to inclusion of objectives that are of psychomotor domain that was rated as very satisfactory. Conclusions In the light of the findings, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. In the second year, there are 3 females for every one male student. 2. The students are in the normal age of a second year high school. 3. The students can get only 30 correct answers out of 100 items. They are seemingly low in understanding Mathematics. 4. The students need to improve in the areas of Radical Expressions, Integral Exponents and in Rational Algebraic Expressions. 5. In the preparation of the remediation module topics on Radical Expressions, Integral Exponents and in Rational Algebraic Expressions. 6. The students’ ability to learn Mathematics is not directly affected by their age and gender. 7. The proposed remediation module meets excellently the evaluation criteria and therefore it can be used in the classroom. Recommendations Based from the findings and conclusions of the study, the following recommendations are hereby offered: 1. The home environment and parents are still important for the behaviors and choices of adolescents. Adolescents  who have a good relationship with their parents are less likely to engage in various risk behaviors, and on top of all there is a need for the respondents for closer guidance in terms of study habits by making follow-ups on daily lessons, accomplishing project and the like. 2. The respondents should be exposed to interesting and challenging learning activities in Mathematics to sustain their interest and momentum in studying Mathematics. 3. Mathematics teachers may use the proposed remediation module in order to help the students improve their Mathematics achievement. However, the module needs to be evaluated periodically to see its functionality and effectiveness. 4. The teachers may give more exercises in every lesson so that students can master the necessary compe tencies required in a particular topic or lesson. 5. Varied teaching strategies may be adapted by the teacher to see which one may work better in helping the students improve their Mathematics performance. 6. Topics for further study.

Marketing Plan Case Study

Marketing Plan Case Study INTRODUCTION The following is the marketing plan for Ballantynes my brand of sweatshirts. Marketing segmentation refers to the process of dividing a market into segments or groups of customers with similar needs or wants who are likely to show similar purchase behavior. After market segmentation we get to know the different types of customers with different types of needs and desires. The target segments for my business would be young generation and mature people. I am opening sweatshirts business in Christchurch city.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Ballantynes, n.d) Two bases selected for market segmentation in my sweatshirt business are      Ã‚   Demographic ( Gender, Income, lifestyle) Behavioral (Attitude and Benefits looking for) PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS Youngsters: The target audience would be between the age group of 16-25. I would like to open the shop in near the Christchurch university area as it a busy area and youngsters normally hangout in that area. I would target both male and females as both of them wear it. I would target youngsters who are from middle -higher class, because students would normally prefer reasonable and trendy clothes. I would have clothes from medium to higher range. Professionals and Mature People: The target audience would be both male and females between the age group of 26-40, I would like open it in CBD area, as there are many corporate and tourist in that area and they can buy in during their break time, or while doing window shopping, Similarly tourist can buy products as CBD is a famous tourist place. I would target customers from middle class to higher class. Corporate people would prefer trendy sweatshirts which is easily feasible for them. Old People:-The target audience would be males and females between the age group of 50-75, I would like to open it in North shore as there are many retirement villages and the crowd is posh and they prefer trendy clothes, I would target income group from middle to higher class, Old people love to have comfortable and feasible clothing. So I will make it easily accessible to them. I am going to focus on Youngsters and Professionals as two potential target markets for my business. Type of market Demographic and Behavioral Characteristics Youngsters I am going to cover age group from 14 to 25 years in both male and female. They look for style and new designs in the product like chain, hoodies, colorful, pictures of stars and sports personalities, and some motivational quotations to have a unique personality in the society. They are bit price concerned as their income is limited and are probably dependent on parents in early ages. They belong to the category of different size and range of price. They are knowledgeable about brands but not loyal to them as they only want to look different. This market is large in size but less frequent user of sweatshirts. They have least concern with service but much sensitive about replacement and return guarantee. They consider price while buy products. Professionals and Mature people This segment belongs to the age group between 25- 50 years. They have potential to buy quality products and thus have less price sensitivity but look for casual designs with sober colors and convenient to wear during office times. They look for brands and quality stuff used to prepare the product. This segment mostly prefers simple and plain sweatshirts with benefit of warmth and personality feature. They sought for product which has brand value in the market and is seen number of times in public through print or electronic media. This segment prefers to have sweatshirts with detachable hoodies so that they can use it without it. They love to buy more durable products while buying clothes. Company objectives and resources Company objectives and resources: Companys objective will be maintaining loyalty with existing customers and by making good profit attracting new customers too. Company will focus to reach its break even as soon as possible by setting some targets and achieving them on time. Company will use various resources to meet their targets like advertisement resources.   Definability of segments: Competitive rivalry Will be high for the product as there are many clothing shops in Christchurch and everyone is competing. Bargaining power of suppliers: The bargaining power of suppliers would be low as there are many suppliers in the market Bargaining power of customers:   The bargaining power of customers would be high as there are many clothing companies joints in the market and they can bargain. Threat of new entrants: The threat of new entrants is high. Threat of substitute products or services: sweatshirts can be replaced by coat, jackets T-shirts etc. Current Size of the Market Population of youngsters: 300,000 Population of Professionals: 465,000 Industrial growth: 15% of total population The above statistics gives me assurance about my product and segment attractiveness in the market. And my business is having growth potential in long run due to the necessity of it as per climatic conditions in New Zealand. (statistics New Zealand, n.d) Task 3 A differentiated marketing strategy is when a company creates campaigns that appeal to at least two market segments or target groups.   I am targeting youngsters through styles, design, varied price range, stuff like cotton, woollen, synthetic and pictures of personalities, wording they do like to see on cloths, glowing colours, hoodies attached and promoting through social media. I will attract my second target market of professionals and mature people with casual look, brand logo, simple designs in sweatshirts, dual colour and quality stuff to protect from cold and have hoodies which can be removed too. I will provide unique designs to give a feeling of personality symbol to them and approach through social media, T.V advertisement and   promotion through magazines. (ballantynes, n.d) Task 4 As there are many competitors of my company Ballantynes, the major competitors    Cottton on The above diagram demonstrates my positioning of my product in the market.. Ballantynes is moderately priced with reasonable price and quality. Nike, Adidas, Puma are high in quality and even the price is higher. Cotton On is below me though it is low in price but the quality is not good. So I feel I can compete and sustain on the, market with giving reasonable pricing and good quality sweatshirts. Task 5 Product: 1. PRODUCT: What does the customer want from the product / service? What needs does it satisfy? I have a wide range of products such as sweatshirts for women, men sweat shirts, Kids wear, and fashion accessories. My product strategy will be latest design, fashionable, stylish, varied size with hoodies and Chain, pockets inside and outside, replacement or return facility in limited period to attract youngsters. I will provide specific logo on the sweatshirts front and back side. I will provide different fabric style sweatshirts it may be design with cotton stuff and woolen as well. I will give products in varied colors like plain, combination and quality stuff to attract my mature and professionals target market. I will provide different sizes for sweatshirts for example small, medium, large and extra large size. Price: What is the value of the product or service to the buyer? Are there established price points for products or services in this area? Price is the factor which attracts the customers thats why companys product is from low medium price range. Its service and stuff is very fine so people like to wear this brand and its price is also very reasonable. The competitors of sweatshirts are selling their product at comparatively high price, so that is great advantage because target segments are attracting towards sweatshirts product as it provides affordable and good quality products.The price range for my sweatshirts would be between $12-$150 Promotion: What is the value of the product or service to the buyer? Are there established price points for products or services in this area? For advertising we will advertise in magazines that mostly attracts customers. Billboards are good tool for advertising, they are attractive and everywhere could see them. Advertisements have to be written in simple language and easy to understand. We would promote them on social media as it is cost effective and can reach the mass market. Place: Where do buyers look for your product or service? If they look in a store, what kind? A specialist boutique or in a supermarket, or both? Or online? Or direct, through catalogue? Will open the   store Ballantynes   at   23/   Cashel Street Christchurch besides, that I will also make the product available online = in about nine languages in order to reach all its target segments from different nationalities. Through the website, customers can book their orders, check the latest offers. Task 6 Plan of monitoring and mechanisms: Feedback through Questionnaires: The feedback of customers is so important because feedback decided the sales or popularity of the product. So, I will do survey about our product in open market and will collect feedback from existing customers. This will have few questions which they will answer and it will help me to know what they think about our product, what are their future expectations and why they give priority to it in the market? We can send questionnaires to our customers through email also. Their positive feedback will be success of our marketing plan. Sale Trend through financial Information: I will also keep check on my financial information whether the business is in profit or loss. If my sale is going up it means my marketing plan is working and I can achieve my objectives. I will check all the reports once in the month to be updated. Market Research eye on my competitors will help me to understand what is market trend or demand in the market and availability of respective products. If my product is fulfilling the need and is having advantage on competitors it means my marketing plan will work and I can attract more customers. Ballantynes. (n.d). History. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from https://www.ballantynes.co.nz: https://www.ballantynes.co.nz/history statistics New Zealand. (n.d, n.d). Youth Population is ethnically diverse. Retrieved March 26, 2017, from www2.stats.govt.nz: http://www2.stats.govt.nz/domino/external/web/nzstories.nsf/fb471f7feb8c8d5fcc256af1000fa1c1/a9f90227a3017a3ccc256b17007aaef3

Theory Of Tourism Demand

Theory Of Tourism Demand Presently, considerable research in the field of economics of tourism since the 1970s led to well established models and methodologies to quantify tourism demand. Main factors that proved its significance are for example income in the country of origin, relative tourism prices at the destination, or substitute prices of an alternative destination. On the other hand travel motivation has been a focus within destination choice theories. The typical tourist undertakes several steps before deciding for a vacation destination. Each stage is influenced by internal and external stimuli and the tourists intention maximize its utility, thus to make the most of it. It becomes apparent that the root of total tourism demand lies within both economic and socio-psychological theories. It is the intention of the thesis to therefore propose a combined framework. In order to prove its validity a survey will be conducted to capture stereotypes associated with Ireland and the Irish and to what extend this influences Ireland as a destination choice. The results will then be incorporated into the new framework to help future research testing other variables. Literature Review Theory of Tourism Demand Research differentiates between two major approaches to analyze tourism demand: Tourism economists mainly consider an economic framework while travel motivation mainly applies a socio-psychological framework (Goh, 2012). The following paragraphs will go into more detail on each of the theories to illustrate that tourism demand can be derived from theories of destination choice as well as market demand theory. Although studying the characteristics of tourism is a comparably new era starting in the 1960s, this industrys excessive growth has also led to an equally extensive evolution as a field of study and consequently its methods and findings. Neoclassical economic theory usually assumes a multi-stage budgeting process for every choice for a certain product or service. Within a tourism context this process can be divided as in Figure . Additionally, each stage corresponds to a utility maximization problem where the consumer subconsciously intends to maximize the utility of the choices within the given budget constraint (Smeral Weber, 2000). As Figure illustrates the budget line shows how different combinations of tourism expenditure could be allocated to the destinations, but the indifference curve shows that the tourist wishes to allocate set proportions of the budget to each (Sinclair Stabler, 1997). The most recent review papers by Song and Li (2008) and Song et al. (2012) summarize the research progress made in respect of approaches, applied methods, innovations, emerging topics, research gaps, and directions for future research. According to their assessment a number of researchers have created and tested a variety of demand models for different destinations in order to quantify its impacts. Most commonly the number of arrivals is used as the indicator for total tourism demand of a destination, although tourist expenditure, and tourist nights in registered accommodations were chosen in some studies. Predominantly considered determinants that empirically proved to have an impact on tourism demand were: Income in country of origin Relative tourism prices at destination Substitute prices of alternative destination Travel cost Marketing expenditure One-off events (Song, et al., 2009) While total impact and its explanatory variables have been thoroughly investigated through several econometric models, little attention is placed to the social context of tourism decision making: Traditional demand theory does not explain how preferences and tastes are formed and change [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] (Sinclair Stabler, 1997, p. 29). Decision-making processes, its components and generalized frameworks have been widely researched over the past decades (Crompton Um, 1991; Woodside Lysonski, 1989). Decrop (2005) for example classified the factors of tourists decision-making process into six cognitive constructs: Tourist perception Learning and attitude Personality and self-concept Motivation and involvement Emotion Context On the contrary, Crompton and Um (1991) explain how tourists perception of a destination is influenced by internal and external inputs (see Figure ). Connecting the findings of Heung et al. (2001) review about major vacation motives and Gallarza et al. (2002) findings on attributes related to the destination image, it becomes apparent that research exploring factors influencing destination choice has been extensive. Despite the wide recognition of Um and Cromptonss framework of a multi-stage destination choice and acceptance that beliefs and attitudes are related to destination preferences, they are some restrictions when it comes to the act of purchasing a vacation at a destination. During the early stage of selecting a destination socio-psychological factors such as image or beliefs are significant indicators in specifing which destination evolved to a late consideration stage. However, the ultimate selection depends to a higher magnitude on perceived inhibtors acting on a potential traveler such as monetary constraints (Crompton Um, 1992). According to Crompton and Ums findings in the consumer behavior, tourism, and recreation choice literature à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦constraints should be integrated into the cognitive choice process. (Crompton Um, 1992, p. 97) Figure : Framework of decision-making process by Crompton and Um (1991) (Source: Own illustration) Similarly, very few prior studies focused on the influence of socio-psychological factors on demand itself. During the 1970s several studies concluded that a large number of explanatory variables affecting demand are too small to have a significant influence, but if aggregated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦are likely to be as important as prices and income in determining travel growth. (Goh, 2012, p. 1862). Additionally, OHagan and Harrison (1984) again proved the high significance of non-economic factors in their study. The main reason for omitting relevant variables in tourism demand theory is its difficulty to define and collect accurate measures (Song Witt, 2000). Attempts to integrate socio-psychological factors into tourism demand models have failed due to the lack of appropriated procedures and econometric models. As most these factors are more commonly interrelated a new more complex modeling approach would have to be designed and tested. As Stabler notes: Though motivations and preferences, in which images are embodied, are acknowledged as being important, they tend to be ignored by main stream economists, because they are either assumed to be relatively stable and therefore do not influence the model, or are considered too complex to cope with. (Stabler, 1988, p. 137) In summary, apart from each other the economic perspective as well as the socio-psychological aspect has been subject to extensive research. Both fields of study realize their incompleteness when it comes to assessing tourist behavior and demand. However, to fully comprehend and measure the tourism demand, theories of destination choice and theory of market demand should be combined to create an in-depth understanding (Goh, 2012). Stereotyping Social categorizing allows people to respond quicker to a range of perceptual impressions. As Lustig and Koester (1999) state the way humans process can be broken down into three aspects: Conceptual categories  [1]   Ethnocentrism  [2]   Stereotyping For this thesis most important, is the effect of stereotyping. First mentioned by Lippmann in 1922 it refers to a selection process to simplify our perception of others; creating pictures in our heads (Lippmann, 1922, p. 5). Basically, the cognitive representations of a group influence our thinking, judgment and behavior of people within that group. Hewstone and Brown (1986) defined three characteristics of stereotypes: Often individuals are categorized, usually on the basis of easily identifiable characteristics such as sex or ethnicity. A set of attributes is ascribed to all (or most) members of that category. Individuals belonging to the stereotyped group are assumed to be similar to each other, and different from other groups, on this set of attributes. The set of attributes is ascribed to any individual member of that category (p. 29) Thus, after defining an out-group, they, on the basis of their differing characteristic to oneself, the dissimilarities are emphasized and extended in order to create a more distinct division between the social groups. Last, the characteristics are attributed to all members of that group, resulting in a person not being treated as an individual, but as a typical example of a category (Lustig Koester, 1999; Hinton, 2000). Before judging, people rarely gather a sufficient amount of information from various resources. Most commonly, they had a direct experience with a few people of the out-group, received information and opinions second hand such as from friends or relatives, were influenced by the output of the mass media, or just general pigeonhole thinking (Brewer, 1996). These sources that form a stereotype initially are moreover the multipliers and causes for stereotypes shared by an entire social group. As Stangor and Schaller (1996, pp. 4-5) mention: From one perspective stereotypes are represented within the mind of an individual person. From the other perspective, stereotypes are represented as part of the social fabric of a society, shared by the people within the culture. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Because group values and group behavior provide the underlying foundation of stereotyping, stereotypes only have meaning to the extent they are culturally shared. Stereotyping is therefore not only an indiv idual problem, but when they are shared within a society; they have a considerable (positive or negative) impact on the labeled individual or group. As diverse and intricate as the environment appears to be and as useful as it seems to simplify this complexity by structuring, the more dangerous it becomes to misjudge and have inaccurate assumptions. Judd and Park (1993) assessed three major phenomena resulting from stereotyping: The so-called out-group homogeneity effect causes the person in the in-group to consider members of the out-group to be much more similar to one another than in reality. Second, humans tend to make wrong or inappropriately exaggerated assumptions about the group average, such as when all US Americans are assumed to be friendly and service-oriented, but also superficial. Third, the phenomenon of prejudices occurs when there is a negative valence inaccuracy, thus a negative attribute is weighted more important while the positive is being ignored or underestimated. For instance, when visiting the US a tourist could stereotype all Americans being superficial or insincere (the negative attribute), but disregar ding the fact that they are highly service and customer oriented (positive attribute). Conversely, one can show a positive valence inaccuracy. As Kunda and Scherman-Williams already proved in 1993 imprecise stereotyping can eventually lead to false interpretation of ambiguous incidents. Consider, for example, the unambiguous event of losing a soccer game. Ethnic stereotypes could relate the failure to laziness if the team was from Germany or low ability if the team is Kazakhstani. Thus, stereotypes will affect judgments of the targets ability even if subjects base these judgments only on the act, because the stereotypes will determine the meaning of the act. (Kunda Sherman-Williams, 1993, p. 97) Stereotypes even have consequences for future behavior. An investigation by Seta and Seta (1993) revealed the following results: The stereotype would persist even after the subjects were exposed to a disconfirming behavior as they expected a future action would compensate for the atypical behavior If a subjects stereotype would be consistently challenged by a member of the stereotyped group then expected compensatory behavior would cease. Nevertheless, the subject still expects another member of the group to make up for the disconfirming behavior. This way people are still able to anticipate certain future events without making it necessary to revise their deeply set beliefs and values. In conclusion, stereotypes are highly subjective, but because experiences and events are shared through various channels, it can eventually lead to a shared consensus. Although categorizing helps an individual to cope with an ambiguous environment more efficiently, caution has to be exercised to avoid unjust judgment of others behavior. Stereotyping is a strong set of beliefs and values, which is difficult to overcome for an individual and consequently even less likely for an entire social group. Conclusion Literature review gives a scattered insight into tourism behavior and demand. The field of tourism economics with its consistent developments in methodological innovations, research progresses, and different approaches consists of a comprehensive body of knowledge and theoretical foundations. Similarly, extensive research in the tourist behavior area and especially the understanding of decision-making process has led to a number of frameworks and assessment methods. Apart from each other, both have empirically and qualitatively evidence for a number of factors influencing the consumer equilibrium the point at which the tourists economical constraints intersects with the consumer indifference curve. Thus, market demand is proven to be depicted from economical as well as socio-psychological theories. However, only very few studies attempted to combine and investigate their relationship and impact. Factors influencing destination choice and destination image are many. Stereotypes are one of numerous causes shaping personality and beliefs. Due to its persistent nature and difficulty to overcome deeply held principles, stereotypes proved to be highly influential on expectations towards future situations peoples behavior. Thus, although stereotyping is a commonly known phenomena its implications into tourism theories is yet limited. The literature gave a profound understanding of economic and non-economic tourism theories as well as origin and impact of stereotypes on social behavior. It is the papers intention to prove a significant relationship between stereotypes and its influence on destination choice. Research Problem Research Problem It is evident from the literature that market demand as well as destination choice theory face constraints when trying to explain the complexity of tourists choices. Despite their methodological developments in econometric models over the past decades, integrating qualitative as well as quantitative measures has failed due to lack of available data or complexity. Similarly, socio-psychological frameworks tend to omit inhibitors and constraints such as budget. From the research problem identified above, the research question can be formulated as follows: To what extend can stereotypes be classified as a relevant factor influencing tourism demand? In other words, the author will intends to link both economic and socio-psychological factors into tourism demand theory. Further, it is hypothesized that stereotypes have a significant impact on the decision-making process of tourists and thus tourism demand in general. Research Objectives The research objectives are generated from the research question and should provide clearer sense of purpose and direction for the researcher (Baker, 2000). The following research objectives arise from the hypothesis above: Establish a framework that includes both socio-psychological and economic factors Song et al. (2012) as well as Song Li (2008) noted in their review papers that developments in tourism demand are limited to quantifiable measures. During their early works Crompton Um (1992) realized as well that the destination choice process is not limited to intrinsic motivators. Goh (2012) recently proposed an initial framework linking destination choice and theory of market demand. Investigate on stereotypes existing towards Ireland/Irish Seta Seta (1993) found that stereotypes deep-rooted and difficult to overcome. Stereotypes about Ireland and the Irish are widespread which could be due to its high emigration throughout the previous centuries. Since its subjective nature social science has not scientifically named or analyzed existing stereotypes. It will ths become essential to collect primary data. Analyze connection between existing stereotypes and willingness to choose Ireland as a vacation destination The multi-stage destination decision-making process has most commonly been researched by Crompton Um (1991; 1992) and Decrop (2005). Influencing factors are numeral and their magnitudinal impact depends on the stage of the process as well. Assess to what extend the economic tourism demand formula can be extended by the socio-psychological factors Research integrating socio-psychological aspects with tourism demand theory is limited. For example, Goh (2012) was able to link the factor weather with tourism demand theory. Based on the framework established from the first objective the author intends to generalize the findings. Research Method The methodology outlines how the research objectives are to be achieved within the given time frame and explains the rationale behind the chosen method (Saunders, et al., 1997). Special emphasize is to be placed on the research design, data collection, and ethical implications. Research Design In order to resolve the above mentioned research objectives a triangulate approach has been chosen, applying both quantitative as well as qualitative methods. First, in order to fully comprehend and test the relationship between stereotypes and tourism demand, a framework needs to be created which stems from economical as well as consumer choice theory. This inductive and more discovery-oriented approach is necessary due to the lack of available research and quantitative data that combined the two fields of study. Through an investigation of the literature about economic tourism demand and socio-psychological theory, the exploratory research will confidently result in a comprehensive tourism demand framework. Additionally, it will clarify the authors understanding about the separateness and consequently help to successfully commence with subsequent objectives (Heath Tynan, 2010). The main focus of this thesis will rely on a positivist approach though, thus deducing a hypothesis from the theory and empirically testing it (Saunders, et al., 1997). The intention is to quantitatively prove a causal relationship between stereotypes and tourism demand. From the literature review it can be concluded that socio-psychological factors play a major role when deciding for a destination and as a result imply to have certain impact on tourism demand of that destination. However, this hypothesis has not been tested yet. In order to do accomplish objectives two and three a survey will be conducted among people who have not visited or lived in Ireland. Conducting surveys allows the researchers to have more control over the research process and is widely perceived as authoritative by people in general (Saunders, et al., 1997). According to an analysis from Irelands national tourism board Fà ¡ilte Ireland its main markets are Britain, North America, France, and Germany (Fà ¡ilte Ireland, 2011). The author intends to collect sufficient amount of data from at least two source countries, namely United States and Germany. As the survey is standardized it will be easier to distribute to the different nations and later compare the received results. It aims at collecting cross-sectional data about the kinds of stereotypes existing towards Ireland and the Irish as well as the participants willingness to choose Ireland as a vacation destination based on their held beliefs. Regression analysis will then allow the author to conduct the fourth step of positivist research: Examining the specific outcome of the inquiry. It will either tend to confirm the theory or indicate the need for its modification (Robson, 2002, pp. 18-19) According to Saunders et al. (1997) the data collected might not reach such a wide range as a qualitative research method would due to the limited number of questions a questionnaire can contain. However, in case the conducted survey does not give sufficient causal explanation, thus its validity and reliability cannot be assured, additional secondary data from a recent survey by Fà ¡ilte Ireland could be analyzed who interrogated tourists that have chosen Ireland as a vacation destination (Fà ¡ilte Ireland, 2011). It is important to note though, this data can only serve supplementary as a clear distinction between stereotypes and other reasons to choose Ireland has not been considered. The reason for choosing a positivist approach is the advantages that come with it. Its deductive nature allows the application of a rigorous structure that would make this hypothesis applicable to generalization and give an opportunity for further research to test other socio-psychological factors (Easterby-Smith, et al., 2001). The last objective intends to incorporate the findings from the survey into the framework proposed at the beginning of the research applying the knowledge gained throughout the thesis. If the survey were to prove the causal relationship between stereotypes leading to higher likeliness to choose Ireland, the hypothesis demonstrated its validity. The fourth objective is to conclude to what extend the findings can be generalized and applied to other non-economic factors. Data Collection As mentioned above the main purpose of this thesis is a survey among US and German citizens collecting empirical data about stereotypes towards Ireland and the Irish as well as their willingness to choose Ireland as a vacation destination based on their held beliefs. Irish born as well as residents who previously visited Ireland are excluded. This specification is especially relevant as stereotypes root mainly from other peoples experience (i.e. visitors to Ireland) and/or limited familiarity with the other social group (i.e. Irish emigrants) (Brewer, 1996). The author targets to gain 50 utilizable questionnaires from each nation, totaling to n=100. In order to ensure a high number of participants from Germany the survey will be translated into German as well. Distribution will primarily be channeled as a web questionnaire through social media. This note only enables the survey to reach a wide range of potential partakers and guarantees there anonymity, but also ensures a certain level of randomness which is one of the main challenges when conducting surveys. Although the author cannot fully exclude a connection with all the participants, the potentially exponential circulation minimizes this risk. The data then will be used for a linear regression analysis in order to validate how the independent variable (stereotype) impacts the dependent variable (select Ireland as vacation destination). The linear regression will only be an approximation of the true relationship though, as it is not possible to include all the variables which may have an influence on the dependent variable (Koop, 2009). The omission of these variables in the model is referred to as the error term. The basic regression model is written as where y equals dependent variable (select Ireland as vacation destination), coefficients ÃŽÂ ± and ÃŽÂ ², x represents the independent variable (stereotype), and refers to the error term. A null hypothesis test will be applied to determine whether results are statistically significant. Main problems arising using regression analysis can be autocorrelation, omitted variable bias and multi-collinearity (Koop, 2009). As the hypothesis is only testing the impact of one independent variable on one dependent variable, autocorrelation can be neglected. Similarly, multi-collinearity, evident through high p-values and low t-stats can be excluded as only one explanatory variable is applied. However, omitted variable bias can lead to unreliable coefficients if an explanatory variable which may have an impact on the dependent variable are omitted from the data set. However, as mentioned above it is nearly impossible to include all explanatory variables, which is why the error term is included. The values of the coefficients will nevertheless be treated with caution. Ethical considerations have to be taken into account as well. The online survey ensures the participants anonymity and no personal data will be collected. Additionally, it goes without saying that the author conducts this hypothesis in an objective and non-discriminatory manner. Stereotypes have a tendency to classify or even favor one social group over the other. The thesis is not intended to strengthen or overcome beliefs towards Ireland or the Irish, but to capture a snapshot of existing stereotypes.

Role of Gender in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Essays

Everyone in the literary world is familiar with Shakespeare's two â€Å"star-crossed lovers† Romeo and Juliet. Their love story, doomed by fate and feuding families has been an inspiration to many other literary works, movies and even music. Yet it is unknown what makes these couple’s story to popular and interesting across the globe. Is it their youth, their love of first sight quickly followed by their terrific death, the tragic events that lead to their demise, or a mixture of possibilities? One aspect of the play that causes an image in the reader' mind and has a profound impact is the exquisite language of Shakespeare. The language gives each character a distinct personality and character; each character has a different sense of humor, wit and love. Shakespeare’s words show society in Verona, different beliefs, values, and behaviors in both men and women are present in his play. The main characters of the play, Romeo and Juliet, are even affected by these be liefs and value, but mainly role of gender. Men in Verona are violent, sexual dominant, and take priority in deciding what happens or doesn’t happen. Every action they take is an expression of showing to the other men how dominant and powerful they are. The men choose violence as their first choice of solving their problems for example: in the opening scene, the Capulets and Montagues get into a brawl for no apparent reason other than their long feud. The two noble families do not get along well particularly due to the feud between them, the Capulets and the Montagues. During their first brawl, on of the servants of the Capulets, Sampson, states: â€Å"’Tis true, and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall; therefore I will push Montague’s men from the... ... â€Å"If that thy bent of love be honorable, thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow† (2.2.143-144). Juliet’s mind is obsessed with sexual thoughts more than a woman of her time. Her thoughts are portrayed as words times before they marry, â€Å"O, I have bought the mansion of a love, but not possess’d it, and though I am sold, not yet enjoy’d. So tedious is this day† (3.2.26-28). Juliet defies her parents many times when they are attempting to marry her with Paris. She hastily disagrees with them eventhough she is not supposed to. At the end of the play, Romeo becomes very heartbroken and feels great melancholy as he is seeing his beloved lying cold in the tomb and takes his life with poison, a method of suicide mostly committed by females. Juliet, upon seeing her husband dead, stabs herself with Romeo’s dagger in a violent manner reflecting her masculine personality.