Sexual Images And Its Effects On Society - 1472 Words

Whether for procreation, as with early humans who knew that a large group meant more protection and a better chance at survival, or for pleasure, as many current societies interpret and present it sex has driven decisions and cultures throughout history. However, modern technologies and interpretations of sex, in particular the way it is portrayed in advertisements and entertainment, have begun to alter the way that society views individuals—particularly women. With the creation of the internet, a person’s access to sex in the form of pornography has sky rocketed. In addition, many companies have begun to increase the number of advertisements produced that contain sexual images or themes—subscribing to the notion that sex sells. Massive amounts of sexualized images, particularly of women, are available for free consumption. Overall, the increased prevalence of pornographic images, particularly violent images, both through advertising and entertainment media, has led to changes in how society perceives women and gender in a modern setting. The age at which individuals are exposed to sexualized images has drastically decreased over the past hundred years. A hundred years ago the mere concept of pornography was highly immoral, and what is now viewed as an acceptable amount of nudity and promiscuity would have caused uproar. Television advertisements during the Super Bowl are an excellent example of this concept. While considered family programming appropriate for all ages,Show MoreRelatedSexual Images And Its Effects On Society1477 Words   |  6 Pageshumans who knew that a large group meant more protection and a better chance at survival, or for pleasure, as many current societies interpret and present it sex has driven decisions and cultures throughout history. However, with modern technologies and interpretations sex, in particular the way it is portrayed in advertisements and entertainment, has begun to alter the way that society views individuals, particularly women. With the creation of the internet, a person’s access to sex in the form of pornographyRead MoreThe Negative Impact of Pornography on Society Essay924 Words   |  4 Pages Pornography is tearing apart the very fabric of our society. Yet Christians are often ignorant of its impact and apathetic about the need to control this menace. Pornography is an $8 billion a year business with close ties to organized crime.The wages of sin are enormous when pornography is involved. Purveyors of pornography reap enormous profits through sales in so-called adult bookstores and viewing of films and live acts at theaters. Pornography involves books, magazines,Read MoreSociological View of Women and Body Image850 Words   |  4 PagesThe Sociological View of Women and Body Image You have just bought a new pair of jeans. You think that you look absolutely great in them until you turn on the television or compare yourself to the person on side of you. Today, women all over the world are focused on the way society views them, which has an influence on the way they view themselves. The field known as sociology of the body investigates the ways in which our bodies are affected by our social experiences, as well as by the norms andRead MoreThe Effects Of Media On Women s Self Esteem1327 Words   |  6 Pages In this paper, I will argue that the media portrays one image of beauty and this has a damaging effect on women’s mental health, resulting in low self esteem and further deepening gender inequality within our society. I will argue this by discussing the effect media has on women’s self esteem, how the media promotes a patriarchal society and the stereotypes it presents to the public. Finally, I will discuss the sexual objectification of women p resented in the media and later examine how individualsRead MoreDepiction of Women in Lyrics Essay1223 Words   |  5 Pagesboth men and women. In the past four decades, lyrics have begun to increasingly depict sex, sexual violence and male dominance. With teenagers being the main audience for the music media the lyrics are typically aimed for that age group. Because of the targeted age group the lyrics have affected women mentally into a stereotypical role of women in society and has influenced teenagers into engaging in early sexual acts. There are two main sources where these messages could be found within the musicRead MoreSelf Images And Self Image1451 Words   |  6 Pages Self-Image HERO Training 2015-2 Thomas Cumbie Tuesday, August 18 2015 What is Self-Image? A person s self-image can depend on many factors, to include internal/external and perceived/actual. Their answer when asked What do you believe people think about you? can provide a very succinct view of their self-image and possibly how it is formed. The concept of self is derived from many traits usually perceived as demographic information (gender, height, weight, race, etc.) but alsoRead MoreThe Psychological effect of Body Image on Adolescence882 Words   |  4 Pagesbody image. Body image is an issue that has always been of important consideration for teenagers. How a person looks can determine who they associate with, how they are perceived and represent their way of self-expression. Most of the times in this life stage how an individual view themselves can affect them in certain ways, such as their psyche. The effects of body image for adolescents can cause certain psychological impairments such as dysmorphophobia, eating disorders, and early sexual practicesRead MoreSex in Advertising1358 Words   |  6 PagesAdvertising I chose sex in advertising for my research topic because I do not know about it well, even though a lot of sexual images and texts in advertisements. When I was a little kid, I often surprised by ads with sexy woman. Even now, I sometimes have my eyes glued to such kinds of advertising. I wonder that there are some physiological reasons why people pay attention to sex images. Also, learning about sex in advertising is useful for my career because I want to work for an advertising companyRead MoreThe Effects of Pornography1558 Words   |  7 PagesInstructor: Peter Shea Class: Composition II ENC 1102 December 7, 2012 The Negative Effects of Pornography on Society The opinion of most people today is that pornography is harmless and that there are no real harmful effects that result from it. The truth is, we all can be affected by pornography, and the sexual messages our society is exposed to. Pornography and the messages it conveys have a direct effect in shaping attitudes and encouraging behavior that can harm, not only individuals whoRead MoreEssay on Pornography1735 Words   |  7 PagesPornography Pornography is ripping apart our society. Although Christians are sometimes discus tied with the impact and apathetic about the need to control this menace. Pornography is a year business with close ties to organized crime. Pornography involves books, magazines, videos, and devices and has moved from the society into the mainstream through the renting of video cassettes, sales Of so-called soft-porn magazines, and the airing of sexually explicit movies on Cable television.

Racism in America Essay - 1075 Words

Black youths arrested for drug possession are 48 times more likely to wind up in prison than white youths arrested for the same crime under the same circumstances. Many people are unaware how constant racism has been throughout the years. It is important to understand the problems of racism because it is relevant to society. Racism in America is very real and Americans need to know it. Racism is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that ones own race is superior and has the right to rule others. This trend has been around for a long time, from slaves, to discrimination, etc. Although in many cases, people in the time period†¦show more content†¦Stereotypes is one of the most common causes of racism. Through radio, through television, through the internet, through music, through books, and many alike, the real potential for stereo types to arise are an inevitable p ossibility. Parents, willingly or not, expose and teach their children, subconsciously, by saying statements and/or watching programs that involve racism. When there is a constant source of negativity towards a certain race, then it will eventually effect the overall opinions of the populous. (The 4) Another very common cause for racism is the unfamiliarity of one towards other races. People have the tendency to fear what they do not understand. If a person has not grown up around a particular race before, then the chance of the person being a racist toward that particular group greatly increases. Not always, but when a person has already been supplied with negative stereo types, and does not have real experiences with at least one of the people in that particular group, then the chances of racism tendencies are increased. The explanation recently stated is the reason why it is important for children to be around other races at a young age: to ensure that their minds are used and ad apted to being around them. When they are in those situations, subconsciously, they learn traits that counterbalance negative stereotypes that they may learn in the future. (The 4) Another cause of racism is selfishness. Humans are sometimes very selfishShow MoreRelatedRacism In America Racism1096 Words   |  5 PagesLeah Song Professor Dongho Cha English 161 22 October 2017 Racism in America The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended all state and local laws requiring segregation. The â€Å"whites only† signs have ceased to lurk over water fountains, bathrooms, and restaurant counters. However, that is only on legal terms and paperwork. Many Americans don’t want to admit it, but segregation is still around. Sometimes by design or by choice. The 21st century segregation exists only in our school systems and communities. ItRead MoreRacism In America1047 Words   |  5 Pages Many people believe that racism in America is an issue of the past. Slavery has been abolished, segregation is no longer prevalent, and the last president of the United States was African American. While these facts prove that the U.S. has come a long way since the development of Jim Crow Laws and the â…â€" Compromise, racism has still not been defeated. In the past, America’s political system made it possible for racism and slavery to thrive. Today, America does not allow for segregation or discriminationRead MoreRacism in America1431 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Racism in America Introduction Is racism still a problem in America more than fifty years after the Civil Rights Movement, and 48 years after the 1964 Civil Rights Act signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson? How far has America come from the days when African Americans were lynched by fanatical racist mobs and from the days when Jim Crowe laws trumped the laws set forth by the U.S. Constitution? This paper delves into those and other issues involving racism in America. Thesis: AmericanRead MoreRacism In America1187 Words   |  5 PagesRacism has shaped societies since the beginning of time, as far back as the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Even then, people living in the land of Goshen were subjugated to racism because of their differences. From Hitler and the Nazis to the Southern American slave owners, prejudice of one race against another has resulted in atrocities. Racism has shaped the form of our present day societies. Racism will likely never be completely removed from our society it will alw ays exist. However,Read MoreRacism in America3085 Words   |  13 PagesRacism has taken on several forms in America over the past several hundred years. The most substantial or well known is the plight of the African American slaves and the injustices they suffered. Today, a new form of racism is developing; one that has always been around but has now entered the forefront of most Americans minds. This new racism is against members of the Middle Eastern culture and religion. The actions of September 11th have not created a new problem, they have just shed lightRead MoreRacism in America3527 Words   |  15 Pagesï » ¿ Racism in America Alton Dawson Liberty University Abstract The purpose of this research is to show the effects of racism in America. Racism is defined as one group assumes superiority over other groups that develop attitudes of arrogance and ignorance. Despite many laws and legislation attempts to eliminate the evils of racism, the problem focuses on the cultural differences of race, color and biological supremacy. Racism comes in the form of ethnic cleansing, hate groups, discriminationRead MoreRacism in America2427 Words   |  10 PagesThere is surely no nation in the world that holds racism in greater horror than does the United States. Compared to other kinds of offenses, it is thought to be somehow more reprehensible. The press and public have become so used to tales of murder, rape, robbery, and arson, that any but the most spectacular crimes are shrugged off as part of the inevitable texture of American life. Racism is never shrugged off. For example, when a White Georgetown Law School student reported earlier this yearRead MoreRaci sm In America1757 Words   |  8 Pagesand inequity ever felt by minority groups comes from White racism, expands it into many different examples. While reading his book, I decided to research for myself if his opinions were just that, or had evidence and facts. What I found was a combination. As much as I would love to say that racism hasn’t existed in this country since 1964, that’s unfortunately not true. And while that is true, the bulk of the evidence pointed away from racism in the sense that White people were trying to take powerRead MoreRacism In America1868 Words   |  8 PagesRacism in the United States is still very alive and well. Even after fifteen decades after abolishing slavery, the United States is still a slave to its racist past. In all honestly, the United States hasn’t come to terms with its ugly racial bigotry and injustices. For example, Donald Trump was elected the 45th president; his rise to ascendancy was driven by a campaign that no t only lacked basic human decency, but was filled with xenophobia, Islamophobia and misogyny. While blacks are no longerRead MoreRacism in America Continues733 Words   |  3 Pagescomments and images have not reformed. Blacks continue to be undervalued in society. Not much has changed when it comes to social justice. Hate crimes against Blacks continue to go unpunished. America has evidently regressed when it comes to justice for Black/African Americans. One might ask; how do we know that racism hasnt ended? The evidence is obvious. â€Å"Emmett Till, who was 14 years old in the summer of 1955 when he walked into a local grocery store in Money, Miss., to buy gum. He was later roused

Time Scale for Research Project Free Essays

Time scale for Research Project 1. Design and create Video demonstrations (Completed) 2. Decide on a conceptual framework for the project (Laurillard) 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Time Scale for Research Project or any similar topic only for you Order Now Decide on quantitive/qualitative or mixed method (Mixed quantitive/qualitative) 4. Source and read 20 quality applicable resent journal articles (5 new already) 5. Design and create a questionnaire for research (Completed) 6. Design and create a practical marking scheme (completed) 7. Decide on whither to use a focus group or not or interview or not (numbers)(Focus Group Interview) 8. Design and create a questionnaire for info on students phones for first day (completed) 9. Decide on what journal to write for (by Nov 1st) 10. Decide on possible themes for article structure and headings etc (see 9) 11. Design and create a consent form for the students (by Nov 1st) 12. Design and write an application for consent from ITB to carry out research (by Nov 1st) 13. Put abstract together and submit to Open Learning online journal(completed) 14. Make up a specific timetable for implementing study (by Dec 1st) 15. Write annotated bibliography (by Dec 7th) 16. Decide on a learning theory for the project (by Dec 1st) 17. Rewrite literature review (Completed) 18. Rewrite research proposal (Completed) 19. Decide on specific method of analysing the results. Miles and Huberman’s interactive model of data analysis. (by Dec 7th) – (Jan 1st) 20. Carry out practical study and collect data (Jan 6th – 22nd) 21. Collect data from questionnaires and focus group (Jan 25th – 29th) 22. Analyse data (Feb 1st – Mar 1st) 23. Write journal paper (Mar 1st – June 1st) 24. Constantly read journal papers and adapt entire study as work proceeds, start writing ASAP and keep on updating ePortfolio and private Blog. How to cite Time Scale for Research Project, Essays

Globalization Drivers free essay sample

Globalization drivers Ultra luxury car industry Luxury car industry There are four different kinds of levels in the luxury car industry. The levels divide the actors of the market into different levels depending on their grade of luxury. We have chosen to focus on the highest level of luxury cars; the ultra luxury cars. The main players of this level are companies such as Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, but the level also includes the not as big companies as Cadillac, Aston Martin and Maserati 1.All these companies have in common is that they are international companies with a two-way communication between the head quarters and the different desks scattered around the world. The head quarters develop and supplies the desks with main car models while the desks receives the customers preferences so they together can produce custom made cars 2. Segment The companies in the Ultra Luxury Cars industry directs to a narrow group of costumers, which belongs to the upper class or upper middle class all over the world. They are all sharing almost the same main needs, which consists of status, speed and transportation.The customers achieve these needs by buying the ultra luxury cars because they represent a very high level of exclusivity, individuality and craftsmanship 3. Since the customers share the same needs overall, it could be termed as Levitt’s (1983) convergence perspective. Where the needs of customers all over the world are becoming more converged, which is typical for the market of luxury goods. Since the customers in the segment, which the ultra luxury car companies focus on, share overall the same needs and then they are localized all over the world, the industry considers a globalized market.Most companies that are involved in buying heavy machinery or other large purchases have high fixed costs and the automobile industry is no exception to this. However there are still differenes within the whole industry, for example the demand and production of a Porsche may not be as huge as with Toyota for example, which essentially means that a luxury car’s fixed cost per unit is higher than an ordinary family car’s. The rent of a factory and all the other different expenses to keep the production running form the fixed costs.As the labour expenses for example are a lot cheaper in Asia, most car companies, including the luxury ones, have migra ted their production there. The pressure for globalization is clear, but still there are some luxury automobile companies that have stayed loyal to manufacturing the cars in their country of origin, such as Aston Martin. (https://www. honk. com/aston-martin) Experience curve Most luxury automobile companies have many decades of experience in manufacturing their cars, which means both skilled expertise in technology as well as years of building a strong and distinguished brand.In luxury cars especially the significance of the brand is very important as many of the customers purchase these cars only for the status symbol that they give its owner. Building a solid brand usually takes years of work in exceeding the customers expectations, it demands strong-willed marketing, filling a specific niche at a right time. Sourcing Luxury automobile companies usually favour centralized purchasing which means that they buy the parts that they need from one location for all the locations within the organisation. This provides standardization of a product which is quite essential in luxury cars, as well as some cost-savings. Automakers universally outsource production of parts or sections of vehicles, and for example Porsche is known to use a Finnish company, Valmet Automotive, to assemble its two main product lines, the Cayman and the Boxster. (http://www. just-auto. com/news/porsche-to-outsource-boxster-production-to-osnabrueck_id121470. aspx) Product development costs Because of the nature of the product, the development and research of new technologies can be quite costly within the automobile industry. Technological changes The last decades the technical development for luxury automobiles has gone very quickly.For example the first luxury automobiles were noted as luxury just by having seat heating or high beams. Nowadays luxury is more about buttons for technological equipment’s, voice command, fuel efficiency and safety for the car driver. With having this thoughts in aspect, you can considerate the technical changes in the luxury automobiles industry as a pressure for globalization. Of course there are still some exceptions, for example Rolls Royce that is having a more of a British approach in their cars, with less buttons and simpler interior and equipment.These things can point against a more localization approach. Favourable logistics The logistics for the luxury automobiles depends for how long distance they have to be transported, so for the consumers it will be cheaper if they can find an automobile as close as possible. Another aspect is that depending from which country the automobile is imported from you have to pay a different amount of taxes and insurance fees and even other regulations can appear. Therefore the companies will have an advantage if they are locally settl ed, even though the really rich clients won’t care about the cost for the transports. Actually this may be why many automobile companies has started factories in Asia, though for example the German automobile companies had made a between 30-40 % sale growth in China. They may by this decision not only gain low labour costs but also lower transport costs. Country specific differences If you look at last year’s statistic for automobiles producing, low labour cost countries like China, Japan, South Korea and India is all in the top five, the other country in top five is Germany.This shows that many automobile brands have factories in these countries just for the low labour costs. In Germany the automobile industry is one of the biggest employers in the country, one reason is that Germany have many famous car brands and they have a lot of experience in the country. Between the different luxury automobile brands it differ a lot from where they are produced, like Mercedes-Benz have factories in a lot of different countries, Ferrari is only produced in one city and li ke for example Aston Martin is only produced in cities in UK.Therefore you can say that there is different kind of localization and globalization approaches. Competitive globalisation driver The next driver concerns the competitive environment, eg the amount of competition from other countries and continents as well as if there is any interdependence between countries. According to Yip (2003), globalised competitors and country interdependence are pressures for globalization. Globalised competitorsIn the luxury car industry, there are competitors from for example the US (Cadillac), Germany (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, Audi), Italy (Maserati, Ferrari), Japan (Lexus, Acura) and England (Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce). According to Stonehouse et al (2004) a company that faces global competition has to compete on global terms as well. Therefore these facts indicate that this specific industry has become or are becoming globalized since there, given the examples above, are competitors from Europe, Asia and North America.Interdependece of countries In today’s economy and as a result of specialization, companies are focusing on their core c ompetences. For example, the German brand Mercedes are mainly focusing on innovation and design (Mercedes. com) while Acura have environmental friendly performance and innovation in the center of attention (acura. com). The headquarter of Mercedes is placed in Stuttgart and the production is taking place in Germany, Japan, USA, France, England and

Biggart and Swedberg Views on Capitalist Development

Fallen Hero essays

Fallen Hero essays Traditional American feature films share the common characteristics of classical Hollywood cinema. In fictional films the main character is often portrayed as the hero that saves the day. However, the movie, Fallen contradicts this conventional way of cinema. The main character is a black detective that does not accomplish his goals in the end, and in turn receives no closure. Through examples of Mise en Scene, point-of-view shots, cinematography, lighting, editing, sound, narrative structure, motifs, and flashbacks one can argue how the role of the customary hero is challenged in Fallen. The character John Hobbes is shown as an everyday family man with a protagonist view of life. His character is often seen in a white t-shirt wearing a cross necklace; two common ideals of an American hero. His point-of-view is clear showing true colors when viewing the rest of the world. This is opposite of the fuzzy, yellowish-green, often birds eye view that Azazel has. The conflicting point-of-views label the characters as good and evil. This example shows ordinary heroic characteristics, however the opening scene foreshadows the fate of the hero without the audience knowing. Through the use of internal diegetic sound the voice of Azazel narrates the whole movie, but the viewer does not find this out until the end when evil lives on. Azazel begins by telling a story about a time he almost died, by flashing back to the events that occurred. The audience, however, hears the heros voice saying this and assumes the hero almost dies. The opening scenes setting and narrative was designed well to trick the audience. The director, Gregory Hoblit, does a pretty good job of making the movie suspenseful without using extreme violence or gruesome beasts. Instead he uses motifs to present an eerie atmosphere when evil is around. The most obvious and effective motif is the use of the Rolling Stones son ...

Formal analysis of one photograph chosen by student making use of two Essay

Formal analysis of one photograph chosen by student making use of two different methodologies taught in the module - Essay Example Semiotics is the use or capturing of visual meaning within an image. It can be described as a language within itself, without the need for words. Indeed, it is clear that ‘The Power of One’ is extremely emotive, its language powerful and vast and immediate. What is the visual meaning of this image? As has been already mentioned, this image has the potential to evoke contradictory visual meaning, depending on what one sees and on whether one solely sees rather than reads into the image. The implicational qualities of images alone create an array of possibilities as to how an image will be read and just what the observer will see both at the beginning and during the observation of an image. That is to say that what one may see or feel or notice, and how one will accept an image when first viewed may not necessarily be, and is usually not the same as that after observing and examining an image for some time. Images are different from texts of actual language, and this cause s one to approach an image with uncertainty; ‘The Power of One’ does not tell one how to feel or what exactly it is – there is no actual language. And so, one must decipher the unwritten yet strongly visible language portrayed. This is where the previously mentioned conflicts become apparent. Indeed, it is quite simply an image of a woman, but is she defying the soldiers or protecting her land? The expression on her face is pained, perhaps she is trying to simply protect her land†¦or it could be determination and anger, perhaps she is defying the soldiers, fighting them. But let us look at the image as a whole, for there is a great deal more language contained in other elements which will allow one to understand perhaps on a deeper level the woman and the purpose of her presence. We can see the language of the soldiers – the clothes they wear are black; a menacing colour of death; they are all male. The woman wears household clothes; she is a woman

Equity valuation& analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Equity valuation& analysis - Essay Example The given quotes indicate that the general principles adapted by the market participants do not include the use of discounted cash flow method. Most of the market participants use their professional judgment in valuing the securities and their judge their returns rather than using more sophisticated methods to value securities. Literature on investment and corporate finance indicates that the best method to find out the value of any investment is to discount the future stream of cash flows that an investor expects to receive with an appropriate discount rate. This discounting of future cash flows i.e. dividends, therefore lead to finding out the intrinsic value of an investment. The critical difference between intrinsic value of any investment and its market price lies in the fact that intrinsic value is what the value of security should have been and market price is the actual money placed by the market on that security. The difference between the two values therefore indicates whether a security is under-valued or over-valued. Value investors therefore often tend to find out this difference in order to make their investment decisions. It is also important to note that the discounted cash flow method takes into account the element of risk which other methods fail to integrate. The discount rate which is used to discount the future streams of cash flows takes into account the risk premium which compensates an investor for taking risk by buying a particular security. Discount rate is often calculated with the help of Capital Asset Pricing model which is based upon the risk free rate, the correlation of individual security returns with that of the market returns and the market risk premium. Thus if an investor uses discounted cash flow method to find the true value of an investment, the element of risk is already

Survey for health research and methodlogy class Essay

Survey for health research and methodlogy class - Essay Example In the U.S., both the medical community and public have shown more interest in different alternative medical practices over the past couple of years. The establishment of an Office of Alternative Medicine by the National Institutes of Health in 1992 was testimony to the growing interest by the U.S. healthcare fraternity in alternative medicines. The Office later noted that therapies that were then considered unconventional had the potential of gaining more acceptance and becoming conventional in the future (Berman, Singh, Lao, Singh, Ferentz & Hartnoll, 1995). Recent studies conducted in the United States of America, Britain, and Australia among other countries reveal that alternative medicines are getting wider acceptance and attention among physicians and members of the public. A study conducted in 1990 by Eisenberg and other researchers, for example, revealed that about 30% of the American population used at least one form or another of complementary therapy (Berman, Singh, Lao, Singh, Ferentz & Hartnoll, 1995). In Britain, the number of people practicing alternative medicine grew 5.6 times more than physicians. Alternative medicines are used in the treatment of various ailments ranging from fevers to aches, pains and cancers. A study published in the European Journal of Cancer in 2000 revealed that out of the 1023 women suffering from breast cancer, roughly 22% had consulted with an alternative medicine practitioner in the previous twelve months (Rees, Feigel, Vickers, Zollman, McGurk & Smith, 2000). The attitudes of physicians and patients toward alternative treatments for cancer have been a subject of great interest for many researchers especially considering the effects of physician attitudes on patients. In her study on the relationship between patients’ use of alternative cancer treatments and physicians reactions toward them, Bourgeault (1996) established that patient –physician

The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People English Language Essay

The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People English Language Essay In todays competitive world, looking for your next advantage is an ongoing exercise that requires a commitment to continuous improvement, reflection and a candid belief that the process of learning never ends. Some say that the day that you stop learning, is the day that you stop living and so comes one of the great minds on personal development, Dr. Stephen R. Convey author of the critically acclaimed book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to assist with that process. Before our analysis of 7 Habits, I will provide some information and background on the author, Covey. Covey is the author of several books including the international best seller, 7 Habits, a book named the #1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century and one of the top-ten most influential management books every. The book has been sold more than 15 million copies in thirty-eight languages throughout the world. Dr. Covey holds a M.B.A from Harvard University and a doctorate from Brigham Young Univer sity, where he was a professor of organizational behavior and business management.  [1]  With such esteemed credentials, the book 7 Habits presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. In his writings, Dr. Covey defines a step-by-step framework for living and working based on fundamental principles that provide the reader with the wisdom and power that change reveals and creates.  [2]  The book is divided into four primary sections, first principles, Private Victory, Public Victory and Renewal, through which revealing seven effective habits that one should pursue if they are to be effective in their professional and personal lives in bring about change. The following analytical essay seeks to describe each of these seven effective habits and analyze each of them would apply in ones life, be it professional or personal. In his first chapters, Dr. Covey seeks to set out the fundamental framework for all other Habits are based on, Principles. These habits represent the internalization of correct principles upon which enduring happiness and success are based.  [3]  Covey establishes the need to create a paradigm shift that involves changing the way we view the world. The events may be completely identical, however, the manner in which we view and interpret them need to be altered in order to make a problem situation into an opportunity i.e. make lemons into lemonade. This very same concept was demonstrated while attending a new release film, featuring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston titled Love Happens. In the film Eckhart, an author of a book on self motivation, takes a group of readers down into the streets of Seattle into the middle of a busy intersection, stopping traffic and then asking the group of people to describe what they see in an effort to demonstrate an important point. Traffic! No ise! Honking! Cursing! Anger! Frustration! Concrete buildings, shouted the people from the group as they stood blocking busy downtown traffic. Eckhart, then took the group of people back into the hotel up to the rooftop and once again asked the same question, Now describe what you see, asked Eckhart. Sunshine, rivers, horizon, open roads, HOPE!. Eckhart went on to describe the very concept that Covey describes as he opens the papers to his book on 7 Habits a shift in paradigm, changing your view of the world and good things will follow. What you are seeing is the same (i.e. the city) but seen from different perspectives (i.e. street vs. rooftop) and consequently they offer a different feeling and outlook on life. The first step in 7 Habits begins with the author moving the reader to shift our perspective. An additional example of this is illustrated by Convey by presenting two photos (one of an old lady and one of a young woman) combined into one where the viewer, since they were e xposed to one or the another of the pictures only sees the original picture that they were exposed. In his writing, 7 Habits explores a principle-centered, character-based, inside-out approach to personal and interpersonal effectiveness. Inside-out means to start first with self; even more fundamentally, to start with the most inside part of self with your paradigms, your character, and your motives.  [4]   I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life conscious endeavor, Henry David Thoreau. The chapter on Habit 1 describes principles of personal vision and the paradigm of Being Proactive. The Habit of Being Proactive is described as achievable through first learning to control our language and avoiding the use of reactive phrases. Lets compare and contrast reactive and proactive phrases: theres nothing I can do versus lets look at our alternatives, I have to do that versus I will choose an appropriate response. The next mechanism under Habit 1 is being aware of the Circle of Concern/Influence. This concept is best explained using the illustration below: Circle of Influence Proactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Influence. They work on the things that they can do something about. The nature of their energy is positive, enlarging and magnifying, causing their circle of influence to increase. Reactive people, on the other hand, focus on the Circle of Concern. They focus on the weakness of other people, they problems in the environment, and circumstances over which they have no control. Their focus results in blaming and accusing attitudes, reactive language, and increased feeling of victimization. Focusing on this, will result in Circle of Influence to shrink.  [5]  Building on the vision of self-fulfilling prophecy, leveraging the power of positive thinking, combined with control over our language to help yield positive results, with the opposite also being true, negative thoughts will result in the same. We control our happiness, since it starts and ends with the state of mind and in a position of power or influence, one can only be e ffective if he/she makes strides to radiate this energy. What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us, Oliver Wendell Holmes. Under Principles of Personal Leadership, Covey introduces Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind. This Habit describes the idea of a paradigm built on four primary factors, power, security, wisdom and finally, guidance. There are several others including money, family, work, etc but I will chose to focus of the first four. The four factors are described to be interdependent and when present together, harmonized and enlivened by each other, they create the great force of a noble personality, a balanced character, a beautifully integrated individual. The location of these factors on the continuum, the resulting degree of their integration, harmony, and balance, and their positive impact on every aspect of your life is a function of your centre, the basic paradigms at your very core. Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least, Goethe. Habit 3 develops the Time Management Matrix, through a habit titled Put First Things, First. The idea behind this habit is primarily, prioritizing based on whether the task is important versus not important and urgent versus not urgent. Being a person of influence and being effective in life is based on your ability to operate effectively with finite resources. There is never enough time to do get it all done. But making the best with what you have and focusing on the important and urgent matters will lead to effective leadership. The next set of Habits revolves around securing the Public Victory and migrating from Independence to Interdependence. This migration involves moving the interests of the many into a cohesive set of values, concepts and vision. As summarized by Samuel Johnson, the paradigms of interdependence are best noted through the following quote: There can be no friendship without confidence and no confidence without integrity. Within his discussions on paradigms of interdependence, Convey wrestles with several philosophies related to building cohesion with individuals and describes the Emotional Bank Account, a concept that notes relationships require that one make frequent deposits through courtesy, kindness and keeping commitments. These deposits, are needed in the journey to effectively mobilizing individuals and creating interdependencies in relationships. What makes you effective as an individual, is not necessarily true as a leader leadership is not management and it is important to dis tinguish between them. As a leader, responsible for the vision of a group, it is needed that you have the support of your team and draw on the reserves (withdrawals) from the emotional bank account in order to maximizing the return of your planned assignment and/or project. We have committed he Golden Rule to memory; let us now commit it to life, Edwin Markham. Habit 4 Think Win/Win is an eye-opening concept that looks to build synergies between individuals by teaching one to change their frame of mind and heart to constantly look for mutual benefit in all human interactions. This means that agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial, mutually satisfying. With a Win/Win solution, all parties feel good about the decision and feel committed to the action plan.  [6]  The paradigms of interaction through Win/Win are divided into six sections in order to assist an individual avoid the traps: Win/Win, Win/Lose, Lose/Win, Lose/Lose, Win and finally Win/Win or No Deal. The specifics of each individual paradigm are a bit too detailed and perhaps out of scope, however, I conclude analysis of this concept with an observation that each person must work hard to understand the interest of all parties if they are to arrive at resolutions that secure longevity in commitment to the cause, project, relation and so forth. Representing each parties interests when arriving at resolutions, serves to ensure that the diversity of concept allows for the needed commitment to ensure that the initiative is seen through. Win/win as described by Covey is not a personality technique. It is a total paradigm of human interaction. It comes from a character of integrity and maturity. It grows out of high-trust relationships, embodied in agreements that effectively clarify and manage expectations as well as accomplishment. It thrives through supportive systems built on culminating and supportive environment built to last with humility and self determination. The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of, Pascal. In the chapter of Principles of Empathic Communication, Covey simply breaks down the process of effective communication into the most basic definition which is listening for the purpose of understanding. This effort, described in Habit 5 as Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood works to explain to the reader that effective people listen more than talk. Hence humans were created with two ears and only one mouth, right? Covey sets out the principles and defines under the act of ignoring, pretending, selective, attentive and finally empathetic. Under each of these definitions of listening the ultimate goal is to first set out understand what the other partys main idea and decode it using effective methods of using probing questions, being empathetic to the other persons position and them moving into seeking to be understood. A common trap everyone is victim of. No one wants to be misunderstood, may it be cultural or language, non-verbal distractions effecting the transmission of ones message the goal and failure are closely linked to the receivers ability to properly listen to what and how the message is being delivered. As a receiver, be the first to lead by working hard to understand the ultimate goal of what is being said, then recapping what is being said to provide the sender with a certain level of comfort, then set out to deliver your message. Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little thingsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I am tempted to thinkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there are no little things, Bruce Barton. The 6th and the third in the process of transferring from Independence to Interdependence, Convey introduces the Habit of Synergizing. Synergy is a natural part of nature. Our ecosystem is built on the synergies between environment, the elements, its inhabitants, all working in tandem to support the renewal and progression of the natural world. Family life provides many opportunities to observe synergy and to practice it, says Covey in his chapter of Principles of Creative Cooperation. The very way a man and a woman bring a child into the world is synergistic. The essence of synergy is to value differences to respect them, to build on strengths, to compensate for weaknesses. The differences between the genders in this example, support the concept of strength in diversity through synergizing since each one person nu rtures a self-esteem and self worth that creates an opportunity for each to mature into independence and gradually move into interdependence.  [7]  Synergizing requires a high level of trust and cooperation to mobilize effectively. It is a natural being of the highest complexity that comes from creating an environment conducive to a network connected with the raw emotions of human trust, cooperation, belonging, all combined together to make for a sustainable goal of achieving a common objective. There is no real excellence in this entire world which can be separated from the right living, David Starr Jordon. The 7th and final Habit, is Sharpen the Saw, the very idea that we began with continuous improvement and self reflection. Though we may think weve mastered the 6 Habits to effective people, we must remained honest in knowing that we will always need to look back and reconsider how were interpreting the world in order to continue to progress effectively. This is the commitment is to preserve and enhance the greatest asset you have you.  [8]  This is represented by renewing the four dimensions of your nature physical, spiritual, mental and social/emotional. The four dimensions of yourself are the elements that form and sharpen your character and well being. Mental Dimension, like your physical being, requires exercise and proper nutrition in the form of literature, writing, strategic thinking and formulating ideas through the written word. Social/Emotional Dimension is gratified through giving back to society in service, charity, being empathetic to those in need and giving back in one form or another. Spiritual Dimension is belief in an absolute truth that formulates the greater purpose in this life. This is fundamental trust and belief in a greater Being that helps to make sense of what cannot be logically explain of life events. The Physical Dimension is the primal need to preserve your physical well being through exercise, proper nutrition and a sound outlet to overcome and manage the stress of life. Seven Habits. Neatly organized in three hundred and seven two pages, supported with examples and personal insights by one of the most acclaimed business academics of the modern age. Where does the thesis of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People stand in my mind after reviewing it in thorough detail? Simply, I agree. Covey is not the first or the last to write a self help book, looking to organize the soft elements of life into nice boxes and short lists that people are can follow to find the great answer to lifes struggle. But 7 Habits isnt just about cute habits organized in boxes. It starts with building on a fundamental concept etched with something everyone needs to be successful in their affairs personal principles. Covey never looks to advocate the laundry list of principles that one should follow to govern their decision matrix. The underlying principles must be based on ones own personal values. Each individual has a value set based on the elements that their life has exposed them to. Regardless of your personal faith, gender, even professional or academic background the principles and Habits outlined by Covey transcend to provide the reader with a scripture and guide that they can use to be more effective in their life, both professionally and academically. No one will ever define the formula of life, but we can train ourselves to understand the decision making paradigms to help make more consistent choices that mobilize first ourselves as individuals, then those interdependent organizations seeking unity and synergy towards that shared objective. 7 Habits is not a self help book, its a book of self reflection to help oneself achieve what they are destined to become. Starting with understanding our personal values, Covey moves the reader through Private Victory: Dependence to Independence by mastering Being Proactive, Beginning with the End in Mind and Putting Fist Things first. Public Victory: Independence to Interdependence by mastering think Win/Win, Synergize, Seek First to Understand, then Be Understood. And that invaluable commitment to continuous improvement and preserving your essential being with Sharpen the Saw. Is 7 Habits the best book I have ever read? Not really. Does it present ideas never considered? No. Then, what makes it great? The unity, simplicity and trust in you as a reader to find the answer within yourself. It takes a wise person, one with an MBA from Harvard perhaps, to understand that you cannot possibly write a book that would transcend 30-some languages and millions of copies with a message that would be applicable to all. It is the courage to provide a framework tailored to personal and individual values that allows everyone to consider this a guiding light to greater prosperity.

Illegal Immigration Essay -- American Government, Social Issues

Illegal Immigration and Health Care With the economy of the United States in shambles, illegal immigration and the effects it has on health care can no longer be ignored. America has a whole needs to be concerned and well informed of the issues rather than collecting information piecemeal by way of media or other biased groups. If illegal immigration stays its present course the American tax-payer will continue to fund the well being of individuals who have broken federal rules and regulations and are being supported by law abiding citizens. This argument is not about individual rights to live and prosper. It is not about race or discrimination of any sort. It is only about the effects on health care that I am addressing. California has been plagued by budget deficiencies in recent years. Layoffs have been rampant as well as public service spending. According the governor, â€Å"The state was unable to balance the budget because of money spent on illegal immigrants† (Jacobsen 71). If this is the case, why has their not been an immediate demand for reform concerning illegal immigration? Jacobsen continues, â€Å"Services such as providing dental care to poor women and the elderly, treatment for drug-addicted pregnant women, and prenatal care in general would need to be cut because of the costs associated with illegal immigration† (71). When immigrants come across the border illegally, they directly affect health care for American citizens. This should not be tolerated and reform should be implemented as quickly as possible. Reimers states that â€Å"curbing illegal immigration could save $280 over the course of a decade† (97). The amount of money being spent on illegal imm igrants is massive. Not only that but the conservative re... ...uires distinguishing the categories of persons we desire to admit and setting minimal criteria for their admission† (155). Minimal is the keyword. As it stands the process for citizenship is arduous to say the least. We must go back to an earlier era such as the where boatloads of immigrants would arrive in New York. They would stand in line for hours if not days to get documented and obtain legal status. Few were turned away. If we did the same for our southern neighbors everyone would be in the system and would contribute to our society by way of consumers, laborers and tax-payers. Americans would then recognize Mexican immigrants not as invaders, but as a fellow human beings, contributors, and citizens of the United States. Health Care would no longer be burdened and aid could be given without breaking the backs of both government and tax-payer alike.

Homophobia

Homophobia among University Students The term homophobia, sometimes referred to as homonegativity and sexual prejudice, refers to an unreasonable fear, avoidance, and discrimination of homosexuals. Society has greatly changed their views on homosexuality over the years, yet homophobia still exists today. Extensive research has been conducted on homosexuality and how it affects our society. A previous study aimed at measuring homophobia examined literature on the topic since 1987.It was found that while society has seen a reduction in homophobia over the past twenty five years, discrimination still remains to be an issue (Ahmad & Bhugra, 2010). Another study was conducted at a university that examined the impact of college sexuality classes on students’ attitudes toward homosexuality. This study used a comparison group and had participants of both groups take two surveys, one at the beginning of the semester and one at the end.This study found that a sexuality curriculum can he lp to reduce homophobia by exposing students to accurate information (Rogers, McRee & Arntz, 2009). However there continues to be issues with measuring such a sensitive theme for reasons such as, measuring an attitude is difficult to do, and acquiring honest responses can also be a challenge. The present study aims at measuring homophobia among university students by asking a wide range of questions around the central theme. Methods ParticipantsParticipants were ( ) male and ( ) female undergraduate psychology students from a California university. Materials A survey was developed around six main themes. Those sixt themes were then divided among six groups, three in each lab, and each group developed five to ten questions that would measure their assigned theme, and research five to ten more questions from research articles. Seventeen questions were developed to measure homophobia. One question asked if marriage between homosexual individuals is acceptable.Another question asked whe ther homosexual couples are as qualified to raise children as heterosexual couples. Another question asked the participant if they would end a friendship upon discovering a friend was gay. Most answers were presented on a likert scale, using anchors 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neither agree nor disagree; 4=disagree; 5=strongly disagree. 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neither agree nor disagree; 4=disagree; 5=strongly disagree. However to ensure increased reliability, some questions were deleted and replaced with new ones and the survey was administered a second time.Procedure The survey was posted on psychsurveys. org for three days. Participants were emailed a link to access to and complete the survey. After the survey was complete, a reliability analysis was done, and some of the questions were replaced with new ones. Participants then had another three days to log back into the survey and re-take it. Results Discussion In order to increase this scale’s reliability, a larger survey should be used in the future to assess homophobia, with more in depth questions about feelings and attitudes around homophobia.Directly asking participants whether or not they are homophobic would create a floor effect because it is unlikely that anyone would identify themselves as homophobic. Instead, many carefully thought out questions should be used. Developing questions to assess a feeling like homophobia is a difficult task. Questions need to be worded in such a precise way as to not lead the participant into answering untruthfully. Questions need to be neutral so that the participant does not feel pressured to answer a certain way.In addition, the answer format was not ideal for all questions in the homophobia section of the survey. Answers were mostly reported on a likert scale for statistical purposes, while open-ended responses may have been more insightful. Furthermore, the sample used in the current study was all college students from California. Had this survey been administered to non-students from a more conservative state, or at a religious gathering, the results that were obtained may have been greatly different. Conclusion ReferencesMcCann, P. D. , Minichiello, V. , & Plummer, D. (2009). Is homophobia inevitable? : Evidence that explores the constructed nature of homophobia, and the techniques through which men unlearn it. Journal of Sociology, 45(2), 201-220. Retrieved from http://jos. sagepub. com. libproxy. csun. edu/content/45/2/201. full. pdf html (McCann, Minichiello & Plummer, 2009) Ahmad, S. , & Bhugra, D. (2010). Homophobia: An updated review of the literature. Sexual and relationship therapy, 25(4), 447-455. Retrieved from http://web. bscohost. com. libproxy. csun. edu/ehost/detail? [email  protected]&vid=1&hid=122&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ== (Ahmad & Bhugra, 2010) Rogers, A. , McRee, N. , & Arntz, D. (2009). Using a college human sexuality course to combat homophobia. Sex education, 9(3), 211–225. Retrieved from http://web. ebscohost. com. libproxy. csun. edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? [email  protected]&vid=1&hid=122 (Rogers, McRee & Arntz, 2009)

Discuss how the framers created a strong government limiting its own powers and those of the people.

Discuss how the framers created a strong government limiting its own powers and those of the people. When the framers created the constitution, they created a division of powers that where divided between National, State and local government. This helps more people to get represented by the government and brings government closer to people, it also limit's the power of government and they protect people by creating the "Bill of Rights". Some of the constitution principles was the idea that people have the right to vote, also that government has the consent of the govern, having a limited government, and the separation of powersEvery branch of the government has limited powers, the delegated powers are powers given to the National Government and they are found on the constitution on article 1, section 8. They are 3 types of delegated powers: the express powers are those that are listed on the constitution, the imply powers are those that are not listed on the constitution but they are based on the elastic clause "congress can do what is necessary and proper for the well of the nation ", and the imperative power that it says that only national government is capable of dealing with this problems.Diagram of the Federal Government and American Uni...The powers of the state and national government are separated, the reserved powers are those that belong only to the states and the concurrent powers are those that belong to both state and national government. The powers of branches are also separated and that the powers of each branch limit's the power of the other branches. There are 3 branches: the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch.The executive branch can limit the powers of the other branches by either appealing to the people, recommending legislation to congress, call for a special session of congress or the president can vito, the executives also appoints members to the government, appoint judges...

Perl String lc() Function

Perl String lc() Function Starting out with a new programming language can be challenging. Learning the functions is one way to go about it. The Perl string lc() function and uc() function are two basic functions that are easy to understand- they convert a string to all lowercase or all uppercase respectively. Perl  String lc() Function The  Perl  lc()  function takes a string, makes the entire thing lowercase and then returns the new string. For example: #!/usr/bin/perl $orig_string This Test Is Capitalized; $changed_string lc(  $orig_string ); print The Resulting String is: $changed_string\n; When executed, this code yields: The Resulting String is: this test is capitalized First, $orig_string is set to a value- in this case, This Test Is Capitalized. Then the lc() function is run on $orig_string. The lc() function takes the entire string $orig_string and converts it to its lowercase equivalent  and prints it out as instructed. Perl  String uc() Function As you might expect, Perls uc() function converts a string to all uppercase characters in the same manner. Just substitute uc for lc in the example above, as shown: #!/usr/bin/perl $orig_string This Test Is Capitalized; $changed_string uc(  $orig_string ); print The  Resulting String is: $changed_string\n; When executed, this code yields: The Resulting String is: THIS TEST IS CAPITALIZED About Perl Perl is a feature-rich programming language that was originally developed for use with text. It is cross-platform and runs on more than 100 platforms. Perl works with HTML and other markup languages, so it is frequently used in web development.

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

Research - Term Paper Example However, during the party, where Madame Loisel has an amazing time, she loses the necklace. In a haste to replace the necklace without Forestier knowing, Loisel and her husband spend all of their money, as well as money they do not have, to buy this new necklace. The debt puts the Loisels into poverty. The irony of this story is seen at the end, when Loisel meets up with Forestier after many years, only to find that the necklace that was lost was hardly worth a percentage of the one used as a replacement. The themes found in â€Å"The Necklace† are irony and greed. Madame Loisel longed for a life of luxury. She refused to go out because she felt that she did not meet any of the standards of the â€Å"rich women,† as was stated in the story. She lusted after what others had, and cared not for all that she had in her average life. It was Madame Loisel’s greed that caused the ironic outcome of the story. Had she not been so set on being charming and living, if only briefly, the life that she had longed for, she would have not lost the cheap necklace and gone on to replace it with a much more exquisite piece of jewelry. Her greed brought in the irony of her and her husband having to live worse than ever for ten years. Her greed blinded her of just how precious life was despite all of the material possessions. It was because of this that enabled her to witness how others below her were forced to live. From the first paragraph of the story, â€Å"The girl was one of those pretty and charming young creatures who sometimes are born, as if by a slip of fate, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no expectations, no way of being known, understood, loved, married by any rich and distinguished man; so she let herself be married to a little clerk of the Ministry of Public Instruction,† it was clear that Madame Loisel was a self-spoiled girl. This is shown in the way that she automatically links being pretty to having a perfect, rich

Becoming an ATF Agent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Becoming an ATF Agent - Essay Example All ATF agents are required to receive at least a bachelor’s degree. The individual must be at least twenty-one years old and no older than thirty-seven. There are a number of smaller requirements as well. In these regards the individual must, â€Å"Complete and pass the ATF special agent assessment test and the Treasury Enforcement Agent exam† (Jess, 2011). Potential ATF agents also undergo stringent background testing, including a polygraph test. In addition, it’s noted that you will need to, â€Å"undergo a physical exam and drug screening. If you are selected to become an agent, you will also participate in a much more specific law enforcement training program† ("Criminal justice degrees," 2011). While ATF agents must receive a four-year degree, there is not a specific major or degree the individual must receive; although many ATF agents pursue studies in criminal justice, law, or related fields. In addition there are specific paths within the ATF that require post-graduate coursework. In terms of cost, there is a great amount of cost differential based on the type of education – public or private – the individual seeks. In addition, concerns related to room and board also make the cost highly relative. Once individuals are hired as ATF agents there is also a considerable amount of training. It’s noted that the individual undergoes, â€Å"9 weeks in Glynco, GA where new agents are trained in surveillance, arrest techniques, firearms training and other skills.   New agents then spend 13 weeks at FLETC where they are trained on explosives, bomb scene investigation and other similar areas† ("Atf agent career," 2011). Even as there are considerable requirements to become an ATF agent, the beginning salary is commensurate with the extensive training; in these regards, beginning agents make approximately $25,000 per year, but within a few years can make nearly $50,000. In conclusion,

American Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Economics - Essay Example It was easily understandable that the situation had worsened far beyond immediate recovery. During this time, the concept of 'free market' prevailed. This idea suggested that the market would effectively balance itself the business could run smoothly without any government intervention. With this belief the government of President Hoover did not take any action believing the market would attain balance soon by itself and prosperity would return. It was assumed that once public regained confidence, business would begin and economy restored; but the business would not resume as there was surplus in the market that was unsold. Later, the government attempted to minimize state spending and increase taxes which in turn reduced the liquid money from market and worsened the situation. Attempts were made later to make this loss good by providing loans to banks in order to pump in money in market by offering relief work, providing loans to industries and expanding public works. No assistance in terms federal help was not provided and the government promoted 'self help' groups to promote self reliance. Decline in world trade and imports reduced because of an increase in import tariff. As an effect, exports also reduced considerably further weakening the state economy. With the onset of President Franklin Roosevelt's government, the

U.S. and China’s Future Essay Example for Free

U.S. and China’s Future Essay America is a powerful country with a developed market economy and great economic potential. American foreign policy has a great influence on the whole world. The main goals of America on the international market are to create a democratic world for American people and all other people. The era of globalization presumes the developed network of contacts with other countries and America is very successful in this aspect. China is another influential country. Big population and quick economical growth have made this country an important figure on the world political stage. Relationship between China and the United States have experienced major transformation during last fifty years. America’s foreign policy is greatly influenced by its economical and political interests. A serious test for America was The Great Depression. The Great Depression became the biggest economic fall during the history of the United States, which stared after the Stock Market Crash in 1929. Trade and personal income experienced a period of great decline during this time. Depression quickly became widespread to the most countries of the world. Economic instability finally led to the development of anti-democratic regimes in many countries, such as Germany, Italy and the USSR. The government of the United States managed to overcome the Great Depression without turning to dictatorship. Starting from the 1933 Roosevelt insisted on the necessity of a restructuring of the economy in order to avoid another depression. New Deal programs, aiming to stimulate demand and create work places, have been created. In contrast to many counties, which could not find a way to solve economical problems, the United States of America escaped this danger. This fact can explain the further successful American development on the world market. World War II has had a great impact on the position of most countries on the world’s map. After the experience of the World War I the United States of America took preventive measures when the World War II broke out. Hostility of Japan and threat of Nazi regimes to democracy made the United States of America take an active part in this war. Trying to keep neutral position the USA did not start war actions until the attack to Pearl Harbor. America being an active participant insisted on the Unified Allied Military Command for all the aliens, except the USSR because the Soviet Union did not want to declare war on Japan at first. In 1944 together British and American army attacked the Germans on the occupied territory of France. At that time the Soviets were attacking Germans in Poland and Romania (Friedman, 63). The United States of America took part in the WWII helped to stop Nazism and helped to save democracy in the world. It is necessary to note that the most powerful countries then were the United States and the USSR and so they were taking the most important strategic decisions. After the war the United Nations were created and America became one the five permanent members of the Security Council. The Cold War was another period in American foreign policy. This war was aimed to limit the USSR’s power all over the world and to find the balance. The US had established the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and got into close contact with China during that time. America was spreading its influence in every corner of the world, while the Soviet Union, being weakened after the war, was losing its power and might. By the end of the Cold War America invaded Panama and made a number of campaigns in Central America. â€Å"In 1986 the US was convicted of multiple violations of international law and breaches of treaties against Nicaragua by the International Court of Justice in The Hague† (Bunton, 64). Relations between the U. S. and Asian countries were not stable after the World War II, because of the so-called â€Å"American dominance† in the world. America was suspicious of Communist government of China making an assumption that China could invade all East Asia and so threaten America. China, in its turn, was afraid that America was going to weaken Chinese government. On the other hand, both countries saw the necessity in cooperation to escape the possible threats from both countries. Formally, America had not recognized China (Peoples’ republic of China) for almost 30 years and only after the war this conflict was resolved. After the Korean War, in which the United States and the PRC were enemies the relations between these two countries became frozen. â€Å"The Soviet Union was more of a factor than the Peoples Republic of China in instigating the 1950 North Korean invasion of South Korea. In response, the United Nations Security Council undertook to assist by military means the Republic of Korea† (Vogel, 167). All in all, this war has not had an official end but it has had a great impact on the relations between China and America. After it the relations became distanced, two countries had stopped any cooperation. America was even doing its best to prevent China from entering the United Nations. It imposed an embargo on trade with China and encouraged other countries to stop their cooperation with China. In the middle of the last century the situation has changed. The United States wanted to spread its influence in Southeast Asia in order to have an access to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia and the only way to do it was the improvement of relations with China. America also required the Chinese market of over one billion consumers. In the year 1969, America removed an embargo on trade with China and took a number of measures to develop a bilateral contact. The negotiations lasted till the year 1972. In this year President Nixon visited Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou and, as a result, two countries signed to the Shanghai Communique. According to this agreement China and America stated that they shared their views on foreign policy. Its main aim was to normalize the relations between tow countries (Harding, 143). All in all, America did not get all the profit it supposed to get from this agreement, as the American products could enter the Chinese market only in a few decades and their economic cooperation was very slow. To analyze the further perspectives of Sino-American relations, it is necessary to get some information about China’s economy. China presents a significant part of the world’s economy because of its geographical position, demographic factor and unique methods of economic development. The population of China makes 20. 7% of the world total, the territory of China is 3. 70 million square miles, GPD annual growth is 7. 05% on average. China being under transition and developing in a unique way can give good lessons for other young developing countries. To analyze the position of this country in the rate of modern economy today it is necessary to get acquainted with the history of China’s development. The first period on the way of its development is so-called â€Å"Five-Year Plan; 1953-1957† when the emphasis was made on the development of heavy industry following the Soviet Union example. The second step was â€Å"Great Leap Forward; 1958-1960†. This period is characterized by raising of agricultural and industrial production following an own program, not the Soviet one. In 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution took place and, as a result Mao’s theory of self-reliant economy and political struggle and its pursuit appeared. In 1978 started the process of economic reformation that continues till now. This process is aimed to reform the planned economy into the market-oriented one (Buxton 219). China’s reforms are often called â€Å"economic miracle†, as such progress and success is just unbelievable but the results are visible. Only in year 1978 60% of one billion population lived below poverty and China was concerned as one of the poorest countries in the world. Beginning from the year 1978 China started its transition from a command economy to a market one and from the rural society to the urban one. China has chosen one of the fastest rates for economic and agriculture development and succeeded in it. The rapid economic growth is the result of combination of part reforms and constant experimentation. There were made reforms practically in all areas but agriculture was the most reformed area. Agriculture played a very important role in eradication of poverty. â€Å"By international standards, Chinas social indicators as reflected in close to universal access to primary education, low infant mortality and high life expectancy have been outliers, in view of Chinas low initial per capita income† (Hsieh, 37). The first actions that were taken about agriculture were the privatization of farming, intensification of industry and liberalization of markets for many goods. The process of transition to urbanization took the US, for example, 47 years while China managed to double its income twice just in 10 years (1978-1996). If to compare economic geographical factors of the USA and China from the first point of view they seem absolutely different but it is only first impression. In fact, both these countries occupy large territory, which is rich in numerous mineral resources. Nature is represented by lowlands, highlands, mountains and valleys and this fact contributes to excellent conditions of economic development. Geographical factor is one of the factors which can explain such rapid and such successful development of the both countries. It is quite another matter that countries have chosen absolutely different ways of the economic development. According to the statistics of 1987 China was on the fifth place of long-run of Economic Growth while America was on the forth after Japan, Brazil, Canada and Germany (Mankiw, 237). Nowadays the situation has not changed very much and both countries sit tight on their positions and develop successfully. China was not in an enviable position after World War II. Due to American efforts it was isolated not only from America but also from a number of European countries. Sino-Soviet Split was the last straw and there were even military tensions on the Soviet borders. It was necessary to improve relations with America because China’s security was in danger. The rapprochement with the United States was of great importance for China. Now China was in security during the Cold War and could extend its foreign policy. China was by American side in the Soviet war in Afghanistan and Cuban movements. China and the United States had little political interaction until the middle of the last century. They did not even have direct diplomatic contacts. Only after the 1960s the USA and China began active economical partnership. At the present moment they are major trading partners. These relationships survived confrontation during Taiwan crisis and Tiananmen massacre of 1989. Economic relations are not the only point, which unites these two great nations. It is hard to underestimate the impact of China, as the most populous country of the world, especially after rapid economic development (Mann, 146). At the same time the United States of America is one of the most powerful counties of the world. Relationship between these two counties guarantees not only economical privileges for both of them, but also becomes important for maintaining peace in the world. The United States wanted to use China as a counterweight to the USSR during the period of the Cold War. It was difficult to develop relations between such closed political, social and economical unit as China, but President Nixon put much effort to develop this relationship. Henry Kissinger, State Secretary of the USA also put much effort in building relationship with China. His mission to Beijing was aimed to build the basis for future fruitful relationships between two countries. Relationships between the U. S. and China have become so useful for both countries that they continue them after the end of the Cold War. Economy is a strong basis for Sino-American relationships but conflicts between two values systems can become a serious problem in the future. All hopes of American government that Chinese authoritarian political system will gradually be transformed, like it has happened in other authoritarian countries, have gradually faded away. America, which serves a democratic ideal for the rest of the world, has to tolerate bad violations of human rights in China. In the 1960s, when relationships between these two countries were only developing the American government had very strong determination that China would turn to Western value system and switch to democratic principles. â€Å"Stolidly eyeing the authoritarian reality behind all the fine words and sumptuous banquets that Beijing bestows on influential visitors, it is necessary to remember how sorry has been Chinas record on human rights in recent decades and how cravenly Washington has sought to sweep that record under the carpet† (Mann, 112). China shows strong determination in its ruling regime and value system. Since situation is not likely to be resolved in the nearest future, it depends mostly on the United States: how long it will tolerate such state of events. Directed by economic profit, the United States during the long period closed eyes on the political aspect of the problem. If such a tendency continues, the U. S. will experience a threat to lose a status of the carrier of democratic ideals all over the world. Close relations with the one of the most authoritarian counties of the world will finally compromise the United States. Governmental regime which exists in modern China is a mixture of communism and Nazism. Such a regime has nothing to do with western democratic ideals. In addition, China used such tricks as military and industrial espionage against the USA. The concept of human rights practiced in these two countries are completely different and even incompatible. Nowadays it becomes more and more evident that Sino-American relationships are based on completely different goals. During the long period of time the U. S. was expecting liberalization of the Chinese government and modernization of its policies. As to China, it gladly accepted any kind of help in modernization but did not let interferer within inner policy of the country and rejected any attempts to liberalization. Since it becomes more and more evident that China is not going to change its governmental regime and economic structure, the United States has to choose if it is ready to prolong its relationship with this country or not. One of possible solutions would be a picky attitude, proclaimed by Harding. He proposes to develop realistic and nuanced policy toward China, and I agree with him. (Harding, 214). It is quite evident the U. S. will not be able to break its relationships with one of its major trade partners. On the other hand, it also evident that China becomes a dominant power in Sino-American relationships and if the situation is not changed recently, it will gain more and more power and knowing about the authoritative nature of Chinese governmental power, it is hard to predict all possible bad consequences of such interaction. First of all it is necessary to get rid of romantic vision of China as a country with the â€Å"developing† democracy. Rational attitude to China, as to an independent counterpart in a complex balance of power » can help the United States to renew health balance in these relationships (Harding, 217). In this way in 10 years Sino-American relationship will depend on the role the U. S. chooses inside of these relationships. It is quite evident that such kind of relationship is satisfactory for China and not satisfactory for the United States. If the U. S. does not agree to stand its role in these relationships any more, it will have to build a thoughtful strategy aiming to make China accept not only economical interaction, but also political ideas. If this happens, relations, despite they will be transformed, will stay in the form of close partnership in many fields. If this does not happen we can expect cold and estrangement in the relationships between these two countries. It is obvious that such close economical ties, which exist between China and the United States can not be broken in one day but they will be gradually reducing and this short down will be initiated by America. By that time China will have to make a difficult choice. It is evident that it needs American support and funding for the economical growth and development. On the other hand China is very reluctant to seek any compromises when it comes to internal political changes. In the case this country does not decide to make any changes towards liberalization, we will most probably face the decline of Sino-American relationships. This crisis will be hard to overcome, so America has finally to get rid of its idealistic hope that China will turn to liberalization and democracy. It will count only on concrete facts and numbers and if China does not provide sufficient proves, crises will not be overcome. So, next ten years promise to be very important for Sino-American relationships. After these ten years we can expect two results. Either China turns to liberalization and enters world of Western ideals of democracy as a peer, or it returns to its estrangement from the world culture, policy and economy. The impact of these two scenarios on the Sino-American relationships is evident. In the first case (if China turns to liberalization and democracy) these relationships will become even closer and bring profit to both countries. In the second case these relationships will gradually decline and even lead to serious conflicts. Works Cited: Bunton, T. S. , and Kathleen J. Michels.â€Å"2005 REPORT TO CONGRESS OF THE U. S. -CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION. † 2005. China Economic and Security Review Commission. 27 April 2007 http://www. uscc. gov/annual_report/05_annual_report. php. Buxton, Leonard H. China: The Land and the People. New York: Gallery Books, W. H. Smith, Pub. , 1988. Cohen, Warren. America`s Response to China. Columbia University Press, 2000. Eckholm, Erik. Clinton Urged to Meet Top China Dissident. New York Times 20 June 1998. Friedman, Milton and Anna Jacobson Schwartz. A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960. New York: Gallery Books, 1963. Harding, Harry. â€Å"A Fragile Relationship: The United States and China Since 1972. † Brookings Institution Press, 1992. Hsieh Chiao-min and Jean Kan Hsieh. China: A Provincial Atlas. New York: Macmillan Publishing, U. S. A. , 1995. Mankiw, N. Gregory, et. al. , Principles of Marcroeconomics. First Canadian Edition, Dryden, Harcourt Brace Company, Canada, 2003. Mann, James. About Face: A History of America`s Curious Relationship with China, from Nixon to Clinton. Vintage, 2000. Vogel, F. Ezra. Living With China: U. S. /China Relations in the Twenty-First Century. W. W. Norton Company, 1997..

Customer Perception Towards The Japanese Automobile Marketing Essay

Customer Perception Towards The Japanese Automobile Marketing Essay LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction The purpose of this study is to investigate the customer perception towards Japanese automobile. This chapter reviews the relevant journals and case studies pertaining to brand name, features, consumer behavior, reliability and price, and customer purchase satisfaction. The sources of these literatures obtain from many sources such as ebscohost.com and emeraldinsight.com. Previous experimental findings relating to each construct will be explored. Next, theoretical supporting that form the basis of the current study will be provided. In the end, hypotheses and brief definition and for this study will be presented. In fact, the historical approaches allow us to create a richer mode of description and understanding (Booth, 2003) This chapter include the proof regarding of the factors that influencing the Malaysians in choosing Japanese automobile. As all industries trying to move forward to gain competitive advantage, it is necessary for the car manufacturers to know about the factor such as brand name, features, consumer behavior, reliability and price that playing a vital role affecting the customers decision-making in choosing Japanese automobiles. The automobile industry is considered the single largest manufacturing sector in the world (Turnbull et al., 1992). More than 10 percent of the Japanese and American output and employment are derived from this industry. Its contribution to the European Unions trade surplus amounted to ECU22 billion in 1991 (Wells and Rawlinson, 1994). The car industry might be the most outstanding and develop industry in the world with dominated by three forces which is USA, Japan and Europe (Donnely, Mellahi and Morris, 2002). The Malaysia automobile industry can be dividing into 2 stages. The first stage was started from 1960s. At that time, most of the car was imported in Completely Built up (CBU) form (Siti Iswalah Arshad, 2009). After year 1966, many of the foreign car manufacturers is import using Completely Knock Down form (CKD), which is import the raw material and assemble in Malaysia. For example, Peugeot was assembled by Asia Automobile Industries Sdn. Bhd. and Nissan cars which assembled by Tan Chong Motors. According to Siti Iswalah Arshad (2009), the second stage is from 1984, at that time Malaysian have launch the National Car Project and have own brand of the car which is Proton. This program is joint-venture with Japans car manufacturer which is Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. In year 1992, the second national car was built which is Perodua. Nowadays, Malaysian automobiles market share was dominated by this two local car. Recvently, Malaysia is one of the biggest car market in ASEAN, accounting for one-third of sales in the region by volume (Automotive Forecast World, 2005). Malaysia exhibiting a strong driving culture and one of the highest penetration rates of cars per capita in the world (Bonami, 2005). Therefore, there are various stimulatory and protective measures, such as investment incentives, a local content policy, and tariff and non-tariff barriers were implemented to stimulate the development of both local automotive and parts production (Rosli and Kari, 2008). The automobile plays a virtual role to Malaysian daily life (Momeni and Nazemi, 2009). According to the result from Malaysian Automotive Association (2010), the total vehicle sales in Malaysia has dropped from 605,156 units in year 2010, surpassing the previous record of 552,316 units achieved in 2005. (Thestar, 2011). The Japanese automobile, Toyota had the third highest sales volume at 91,559 units and this accounted for 15.2 per cent share of the overall industry sales. Toyota has been the leader for the non-national makes for 20 consecutive years in Malaysia and it is just a challenge behind the national carmaker Proton and Perodua. Non-national makes Honda and Nissan maintained their second and third positions within the non-national car segment. The Japanese car manufacturers which are the Toyota, Honda and Nissan also gain a large market share in Malaysia although Malaysian automobile market is still dominated by Malaysians national car which is Perodua and Proton. The industry of automobile can be seen as an important sector in the world. Especially in Malaysia, this industry is to be entrusting to accomplish the vision 2020 that can let Malaysia become developed country by that time (Siti Iswalah Arshad, 2009). According to Shamini (2008), the imported of the foreign car also allows the country to earn huge taxes which is to protect the market share of the local car. According to Mahidin and Kanageswary (2004), Malaysian local car was protected by Malaysian automotive policy which collects the import taxes for foreign cars to increase their selling price. Others than that, the local content policy set a minimum value of local parts that automobile producers have to source from local parts suppliers to be assembled in their end automobile units (Rosli, 2006). This statement will cause a big decrease on the competitiveness between the Japanese and local car in Malaysia. Table 1.1: The top 10 total vehicle sales by make (year2010)c:usersdarkheavendesktopvehiclesales2001.jpg Sources: Malaysian Automotive Association (2010) According to Malaysian Automative Association (2010), it shows that the Proton and Perodua have the largest market share and sales in year 2010. The local car market share is more than 50% of total sales. Besides, Japanese car manufactures Honda and Toyota are among the top competitors for the local car in Malaysia. From the table 1, the overall sales of the Japanese cars increase rapidly from year2009 to year2010. This can consider as a threat for the Malaysian local car. According to Ahasanul et al (2007), different customer will have a different perception when come to decision-making. Sometimes it can be related to different culture diversity. Malaysia has three major races which are Malay, Chinese and Indian (Krishnan, 2004). Their factor of consideration may be different from other country before make the purchase decision. This research is aim to examine what factors affecting Malaysian to go for Japanese cars in Malaysia automobile market. History of Japanese automobile industry The  Japanese  automotive industry  is one of the most prominent industries in the world and has grown constantly over a long time and has finally surpassing U.S. auto industry as number one producer of cars in world at 2006, according to a recent survey by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers. (Kyodo News, 2007). Major manufacturers of cars in Japan Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki, and Mazda are also amongst largest manufacturers of cars in world (EconomyWatch). The Japanese automotive industry began in 1902, with limited production of small (12 horsepower) vehicles by a number of companies on a trial basis but they were unable to compete against imported cars after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. (http://www.roaring.jp/jp-car-technology.html). By late 1910s, Japanese zaibatsu (business conglomerates) began building their first automobiles in the middle and they were involved in joint ventures to produce and sell cars in Japan under license. (http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Japanese_automobile_industry). Overcoming ill effects of defeat in Second World War that had destroyed national economy, was not an easy process on part of Japanese industries. Car manufacturers belonging to Japanese auto industry were commissioned to supply army trucks to South Korea by Federal Government of U.S. during Korean War between 1950 and 1953. This was main reason behind upswing of Japanese auto industry that began in 1960s. (http://www.economywatch.com/world-industries/automobile/japanese-auto-industry.html) During the 1960s, Japanese automakers launched a bevy of new kei cars in their domestic market. These tiny automobiles usually featured very small engines (from 360cc to 600cc) to keep taxes much lower than larger cars. The average person in Japan was now able to afford an automobile, which boosted sales dramatically and jumpstarted the auto industry toward becoming what it is today. (http://automobile-information-update.blogspot.com/2010/06/automotive-industry-in-japan.html) Rapidly increasing domestic demand and the expansion of Japanese car companies into foreign markets in the 1970s further accelerated growth. Automobile production in Japan continued to increase rapidly after the 1970s, as Mitsubishi (as Dodge vehicles) and Honda began selling their vehicles in the US. Even more brands came to America and abroad during the 1970s, and by the 1980s, the Japanese manufacturers were gaining a major foothold in the US and world markets (http://www.roaring.jp/jp-car-technology.html). After 1980s, the Japanese automobile industry is moving into a new era of internationalization when the US automobile began to lose its competitiveness and went into decline after the second oil crises. Compared with the late 1940s when just 20,000 units or so a year produced in Japan mainly small and medium trucks- the output, mostly of automobiles, surpassed 13 million in 1991 for thirty year in succession, making it largest in the world. (http://books.google.com.my/books?id=6O7ZnT018z0Cprintsec=frontcoverdq=japanese+automobile+industrysource=blots=QeNDqiVUousig=YZPgsbRUC5iWSN-ngnR5dBYFJPghl=enei=ay2ATeOrGcWtrAep3KTIBwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=13ved=0CIcBEOgBMAw#v=onepageqf=false) 2.1 Definition 2.1.1 Consumers decision-making Consumers decision-making can be defined as a mental orientation characterizing a consumers approach for making choices (Sproles and Kendall,1986). This mean that when a consumer would like to have or to make the purchase decision, they will pass through the process through recognition, search information, evaluation, purchase, feedback (Blackwell, Miniard, and Engel, 1995). Therefore, the consumer will choose a product or brand to consume from various choice that available in the market. According to Bettman, Johnson and Payne (2000), different situation will be affected by different factors. One of the problems that may encounter by consumer during decision making process is information overload. Information overload will increase the complexity of the consumer decision-making (Bettman, Johnson and Payne, 2000). The information can be obtained by advertisement, display, brochures and etc. Lynch and Srull (1982) suggested that decision-making can be categorised into 3 categories which are stimulus-based, memory-based and mixed. When consumer is being affected by the some outsource or external information or factor can be categorized in stimulus-based. When consumer makes certain decision based on their memory or internal perception, it can be classified in as memory-based. The combination of this two is mixed. Consumer has different tastes, needs, motivation and lifestyle when they want to purchase a product (Chisnall, 1985). There are some of consumer preferred high qualities and they are more willing to pay more in term of price but some of them are not (Monroe, 2003). Furthermore, the consumer decision-making can be investigated through the consumer characteristics. It includes brand conscious, price conscious, quality conscious, recreation conscious, innovation conscious, confused by over choice, impulsive and brand (Leo, Bennett, and Hartel, 2005). Therefore, it is important to find out the relationship between those characteristics and the consumer decision-making. Consumers are demanding an increased variety of products and customized products (Ahlstrom and Westbrook, 1999). Furthermore, customized producers tend to involve consumers early in the production process in order to increase the degree of customization (Duray, 2002). In order to operate in a truly customer-oriented way, a companys goal is not to be led exclusively by consumers expressed needs butto amaze consumers by anticipating and fulfilling their unarticulated needs (Stalk, 1988). Consequently, understanding decision process by which consumers purchase customized products is of practical importance. The decision of selecting the most effective positioning strategy constitutes a main challenge for marketers since it is central to consumers perceptions and choice (Aaker and Shansby, 1982; Pham and Muthukrishnan, 2002). If positioning is done effectively it has the potential to build powerful brands; however, if done incorrectly, it can also result in disaster (see, for example, Haig, 2005; Ries and Trout, 1986). 3 2.1.2 Brand name According to Rotfled (2009), brand name is a unique and is to mark off product itself to the consumer. The main advantageous of brand name is that it can help the company to deliver the information and communicate quality to the market (Hoyer and Brown, 1990). The recognition of brand name is half the battle for a business (Church, 2008.) because it helped to create a brand name with well-established associations. It is one way to create competitive advantage for the firm in competitive market. Somehow, it is a very costly process but has many returns once success is achieved. ( Arslan and Altuna, 2010 ). It provided the primary point of differentiation between competitive offerings and so such they can be critical to the success of companies (Wood, 2000). Consumer may tend to perceive the product from an overall perspective, associating with the brand name of all the attributes and satisfactions experienced by the purchase and use of the product (Murphy, 1990; Ambler, 1996). They normally based their purchasing decisions on information cues; either intrinsic cues (e.g. product design) or extrinsic cues e.g. brand name (Jacoby et al 1977). Brand image research has long been recognized as one of the central area of the marketing research field but somehow not only because it serve as a foundation for tactical marketing mix issues but also because it play an integral role in building long term brand equity (Keller, 1993). High brand equity implies that consumers may look upon a higher positively association that may related to the brand name, over and above those of the product itself (Rio, Vazquez and Iglesias, 2001). Brand-origin is defined by Thakor and Kohli(1996) as the place, region, or country where brand is perceived to belong by its target consumers. There has a strong relationship between the brand and brand-origin. The research on effects of country of origin has made up the largest number in international buyer behavior (Heslop et al 1998; Verlegh Steenkamp, 1999). Somehow, there are some effect he effect of country image on brand image which moderated by both brand and country reputation (Hui and Zhou, 2003). It can be summarized that the brand image of a product produced in a establish or developed country is likely to be affected differently from the brand image of a product produced in unknown country. Keller (1993) mentioned that consumer brand knowledge may determine on how consumers think about a brand. According to Durgee (1988), images of brands often create notions about the performance of their product stereotypes, their key characteristics, and benefits and related services. Consumers base on their level of preferences to see whether the brand is fulfilling their requirement or not (Urbany, Dickson, and Wilkie, 1989). According to Hutchinson (1983), the knowledge of the consumer has a positive relationship with the brand name. According to Srinivasan and Till (2002), the consumer will perceived the globalisation (foreign) product have a better quality than the local product. As a result, the consumer who is required high quality will prefer to select the foreign car. The power of brand lies in the minds of consumers or customers (Keller, 2000). Brand name assures customers that they will receive the quality that the product claims to deliver (Miranda and Konya, 2007). According to Baltas and Saridakis (2009), for those consumers who are affected by brand-name and will only buy branded good usually is more concern on the quality of product rather than the price of the product. That is because brand names play a traditionally important role in purchase car decisions because car quality is often difficult to evaluate prior to purchase and buyers may have to rely on carmakers reputations. (Baltas and Saridakis 2009). For some consumer, they are not willing to pay more to purchase the brand name but some will (Monroe, 2003). According to Muncy (1996), consumers are more flexible in selecting lower price product and normally are lower brands loyalty, more prices sensitive for perceived the different between products. Brand name exerts a significant inf luence on new car prices (Baltas and Saridakis, 2009). . 2.1.3 Features Features can be defined as something that to satisfy the customers needs and wants through the belonging, use, consumption for a product (Kotler, Philip, Armstrong, and Gary, 2007). According to Mowen and Minor (1998), the product attributes can be seen as a feature that might have on a product. This can actually influence the consumer on their decision making during purchase. Prior to product evaluations, consumers are often exposed to data that permits them to judge the covariation relationship among different  product attributes (Jacoby, Szybillo and Busato, 1977). The features of an automobile which can be provide include customer services, fuel efficiency, safety, quality and design of a car. Those features will be investigating detail in this research. The customer services can be consider as a feature of a product (Chung and Young, 2003). According to Lohse and Spiller (1998), consumer wants the customer services which include careful, valuable and continuous. Salespersons recommendations or suggestions are important especially before consumer make decision. This can help as a main factors that can influence the consumer decision-making process besides price, features and brand (Karjaluoto, Karvonen, Kesti, Koivumaki, Manninen, Pakola, Ristola, and Salo, 2005). In addition, Yi and Gong (2008) stated that although company offered the low prices, promotion and competitive advantage may not gain market if they neglect the customer service. Somehow, feature may relate to complementary product. The fuel efficiency affects the demand. The price of gasoline rise during this few years. According to German Agency of Technical co-operation (2005), the price of gasoline in year 2004 in Malaysia is USD 0.37 per litre, and then increased about USD 0.20 per little if compared with year 2002. Therefore, it also directly affects the demand of automobile of the market decreased (Kandapa, Thanyawee, Vanvisa and Yingyot, 2009). As result, some of the consumer will choose the car which are more fuel efficiency or the car which are use diesel or gasohol. Furthermore, the consumer will consider the safety of the car. The airbag of a car can provide the safety of the driver and passenger when the car was accident. Some of the consumers are willing to pay to obtain the safety when choosing between local and foreign car. It has a positive relationship (Kandapa et al., 2009). According to Liu and Bai (2008), the consumer will take safety as an important factor when they make comparison between local car and foreign car. Thirdly is the quality of the product. Different brand have a different quality (Obermiller and Wheatley, 1985). The foreign car and local car are different especially in term called quality. According to Steenkamp (1989), the quality of the product can influence the consumer decision. Steenkamp (1989) also categories the consumer into 2 groups with is the consumer who is high quality conscious and low quality conscious. The people who are in high quality conscious category are willing to pay more to have a better quality product, and the consumer who are falls into low quality conscious will not willing to pay more to obtain greater quality brand (Nor Khasimah et al, 2007). According to Uncles and Saurazas (2000), the consumers who are living in developing countries will perceive foreign product have a higher quality than local product, therefore the consumer in Malaysia who falls into high quality conscious categories will preferred the foreign car which includes Japanese car rathe r than local car. Lastly is the design of a car may be one of the feature. The consumer will tend to choose a larger car and which are more have a fashionable design that is attractiveness (Liu and Bai, 2008). According to Liu and Bai (2008), the design of a car also can let the consumer have an image which is discussion earlier in the brand name. They will feel have imaged if their car have a good design. It can let them have the greatest satisfaction (Chung and Pysarchik, 2000.) 2.1.4 Price Price Nagle and Holden (2002) stated that price can be seen as a monetary value that seller must give to consumer in order to exchange it with the services or product provide. Price always is the major concern of customer for making purchase decision (Smith and Carsky, 1996). Price has been one of several product attributes considered relevant (Voss et al., 1998).When faced with performance or quality uncertainty, consumers are more likely use external indicators, such as price, in order to compare and take a decision (Urbany et al., 1997). Importance of price as a quality indicator is likely to be greater, when there are only a few other attributes that indicate quality, or when the product is difficult to evaluate. ( Mitchel and Greatorex 1997). According to Munnukka (2005), customer can be divide into 2 categories which are moderate usage customer and intensive usage customer. It was discovered that consumer differ significantly in their price sensitivity levels when choosing between foreign car and local car. The consumer with moderate usage of the product will be less sensitive of the price but the consumers who are intensive users will be more sensitive to the price changes (Munnukka, 2005). For the moderate users of consumer, the marketers will focus on quality rather than price. For intensive users the marketers will focus on low price rather than quality (Munnukka, 2005). In this research, it is important to find out our target respondent whether they are moderate user or intensive user. The price of a product is one of the most important marketing-mix tools (Vogel et al, 2004). That is because it influences consumers willingness to paid and buying decision (Monroe, 1973). According to BusinessDictionary, Price promotion is the sales promotion  based  on  a  price  discount  offer. Retailers use various types of advertised price reductions to boost store trsaffc and increase sale (Messinger et al, 2010).By some estimates, price promotions account for almost a quarter of the marketing budget of some companies (Blattberg and Neslin, 1989). Despite the positive effect price promotions have on consumers perceptions and purchase decisions, they also have some negative effect such as lowering consumers perception of quality (Dodson et al., 1978), lowering consumers expectations for the brand (Monroe, 1971), and doubting the value proposition, that is positioning of the brand and creating a perceivable distinction in the competitive market, of the firm (Daun and Klinger, 2006) Therefore, knowledge on how consumers respond to price promotions is essential in making critical decisions concerning price promotions (Oliveira-Castro et al., 2008). Understanding how consumers perceive price promotions and respond to them should be of interest to retailers. It is important for researchers to understand the appropriate match between price promotions and the specific product types. The level of price is found to positively affect behavioural intentions mainly because price establishes image of the brand in the eyes of the consumers (Yoo et al., 2000). Consumer consistently used price as a predictor of quality, particularly when they have limited knowledge of product category offerings (Bredahl, 2003). Conspicuousness (willingness to spend a great amount of money to demonstrate their social status) plays an important role on brand purchases. (Swani, 2010). Wilcox et al. (2009) found that high-priced brands are highly related to consumer conspicuousness. When price deals lower the final price they pay, conspicuousness will be damaged, which makes consumers unhappy. Low-priced brand buyers are not concerned with conspicuousness or exclusivity desires. Instead, they would be pleased with the increased value garnered by the price deals. Consumers looking for quality, status, self expression, and image will gravitate toward high-priced brands to fulfill their goals. In contrast, price deals are expected to have a positive effect on low-priced brands because they provide transaction value, the major purchase goal towards low-priced brand s. Negative consumer reactions to perceived unfair prices can result in customer boycotts and lower sales (Grover, 1994). Buying a new car is an important decision for most consumers (Herrmann et al., 2007).That is because they perceived the risk for buying a car is relative higher than other product such as food or clothes. The complexity of buying process makes the consumer had to consider many factors before make the purchasing decision. Therefore, when they face the uncertainly information such as the features of the car or the quality of the car, they will consider the price for making comparison (Urbany, Bearden, Kaicker, and Smith-de-Borrero 1997). According to Aliman N. and Othman M. (2007), the local product normally will have a price advantages if compared with the foreign product. Aliman N. and Othman M. (2007) stated that if the foreign product would like to maintain the competitiveness, they should have the advantages of brand name and features. Besides, price and quality also have a positive relationship (Etgar and Malhotra, 1981). Consequently, if the price are high but the quality or features are aim to fulfil the expectation of buyers, the consumer will perceive that it is fair and more willing to pay a higher price for the quality demanded (Monroe, 2003). It means that most of the consumer will perceive high price as high quality. In Malaysia, the local car normally has a lower price than the foreign car. It is dangerous that the consumer perceive local car has a lower quality compare to imported car. Voss et al. (1998) stated that satisfaction is a function of price, performance and expectation with support for the expectation- satisfaction link being weak.In contrast to performance, perceived price fairness an important factor influencing overall customer satisfaction judgments. (Herrmann et al., 2007). This influence is both direct, and indirect via price fairness perceptions. If consumers perceive that the price they are charged for a given service or good are unfair, they are likely to adopt behavior that is directed against the interests of the selling company (Xia et al., 2004). The study of Bolton et al. (2003) showed that consumers decide their minds about what prices should be charged for a service or a product. This evaluation is important because it implies that consumers may care for the input and output ratios comparison with the seller in the absence of a comparative other. For example, a car dealers price offer for an automobile may be accompanied with an explanation of the prices of various options and delivery charges, as well as required down payment and financing arrangements. In such situations, both the initial price of the car quoted by the sales person (i.e., price offer) and the terms associated with the price and how these terms are handled and explained to the consumer (i.e. price procedure) will influence consumers fairness perceptions (Herrmann et al., 2007) Lastly, the depreciation value of the car also can influence a consumer decision to choose between local and foreign car (Baltas and Saridakis, 2009). The consumer will choose the car which are have highest depreciation values. According to Terry (November 1, 2005), the foreign car has an annual depreciation rate which are about 13% to 16%. The Malaysian car has a depreciation rate which about 40%. The foreign car have a highest depreciation values, therefore those consumer will be affected by this issues. 2.1.5 Reliability 2.1.6 Consumer Behavior According to the American Marketing Association, consumer behavior is defined as the dynamic interaction of affect and cognition, behavior, and environmental events by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives. Examples of consumer behavior include watching a TV commercial, visiting a store, or purchasing a product. Chinese consumers typically pay more attention to the informational content than entertainment features of the advertisements. One study found that Chinese customers considered themselves to be sophisticated and knowledgeable in their purchasing choices (Shen Zhao, 1995). According to Rosenblatt (1964), the ethnocentrism will usually have a positive attitude or manner for same group or the product made by their country, and a negative attitude toward the different group or the product made by different country. This means that a customer will make purchase decision which consider of the country of product or country-of-origin. Country of origin is generally described as the source country for a product or service provider, which may differ from the country of brand, assembly or design. Several studies has been found to significantly influence consumer perceptions of product performance and quality, these include price, brand, retail outlet and country of origin (Veale and Quester, 2009). According to Safiek et al. (2001), those consumers who are having high tendency of ethnocentric will more prefer to buy domestic product. They will feel that if buying foreign product will hurt their countrys economy. In essence, a highly ethnocentric people was proud to their own values, culture, symbols and hold in values and object for the different group because they will feel that buying foreign or import product will directly hurt their countrys economy and bring the impact such as unemployment. In contrast, low tendency of ethnocentric are more preferred to purchase the foreign products. They will view the foreign product or import product as a symbol of status, and they are more prefer to buy foreign product to make them have a highest status. According to Triandis (1994), collectivism means that the people will dependence with other people in the same group and get together with group which include their family and friends. Besides, according to Sharma et al. (1995), collectivist will consider the outcome before they take the actions. Consumers who are collectivism will choose the product which are easily accept by other people (Wickliffe and Pysarchik, 2001). In Malaysia, some of the research has found that there are more influenced by the collectivism culture (Burns and Brady, 1992; Bochner, 1994). The people who are collectivism also try to look for the similarity with other people and concern about the view of others people (Wickliffe and Pysarchik, 2001). The consumers who are more importance of the others people in the society, they will also more considered against the result of brand selection that decoded by them (Wickliffe and Pysarchik, 2001). The collectivism will influence the consumer when make choice between local car and foreign car. The marketers also can use advertisement if they are targeting those are collectivist (Kropp et al, 2005). The people who are highly collectivism will easily influence by the opinion leader, therefore the marketers of local ca