Advantages to a Rigorous Approach to Environmental Virtue Ethics Essay Example For Students

Points of interest to a Rigorous Approach to Environmental Virtue Ethics Essay A decent moral hypothesis requires both legitimate meticulousness and instinctive intrigue to give a successful apparatus to understanding what is correct and what's going on. In the field of ecological morals, there has been critical grant in building up an obligation morals dependent on the innate estimation of nature, most quite by Paul Taylor. Taylor in reality gives a legitimately clear contention to securing nature by expanding on the standards he calls the biocentric standpoint (Taylor, 99). While this grant has been useful in offering a clarification for what the individuals who esteem nature naturally perceive, some have seen that it doesn't give positive responses to how we should live (Cafaro, 31). Goodness ethicists, then again, have explicitly tended to this inquiry (Sandler, 6), and the outcome is a truly available hypothesis that looks back to the exemplary naturalists like Thoreau (Cafaro). Ecological ethicalness morals has its own issues, in any case; now and then appears that excellence ethicists are esteeming human â€Å"flourishing† or â€Å"experiences of wonder† before the common habitat they’re professing to maintain (Rolston, 70). This paper endeavors to give a structure to tending to this investigate of ecological ideals morals by characterizing the impediments of regularizing moral frameworks and delineating rules for natural excellencies just as a portion of the preferences an arrangement of ethicalness morals has over other moral methodologies. Moral Systems So as to examine an arrangement of ecological uprightness morals, it is important to figure out what we mean when we talk about a moral framework. Morals is a â€Å"branch of theory worried about the idea of extreme worth and the norms by which human activities can be made a decision about right or wrong.† (Britan. . ?dia Britannica. 2007. Encyclop?dia Britannica Online. 9 Apr. 2007 com/eb/article-9106054>. Holmes Rolston III, â€Å"Environmental Virtue Ethics: Half the Truth, however Dangerous as a Whole†, Environmental Virtue Ethics, pp. 61-78 (Rowman Littlefield Publishers, 2005) Ronald Sandler, â€Å"Introduction: Environmental Virtue Ethics†, Environmental Virtue Ethics, pp. 1-12 (Rowman Littlefield Publishers, 2005) Ronald Sandler, â€Å"A Virtue Ethics Perspective on Genetically Modified Crops†, Environmental Virtue Ethics, pp. 215-242 (Rowman Littlefield Publishers, 2005) Paul W. Taylor, Respect for Nature: A Theory of Environmental Ethics (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1986) Subside Wenz, â€Å"Synergistic Environmental Virtues: Consumerism and Human Flourishing†, Environmental Virtue Ethics, pp. 197-213, (Rowman Littlefield Publishers, 2005)

Family Related Issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Family Related Issues - Assignment Example Branch of Labor, 2010). Intelligently, if a loco parentis is a reasonably related individual to the representative to meet all requirements for care under the FMLA, at that point an organic dad, paying little heed to the quality or amount of his child rearing, qualifies. Legitimately, the law assigns â€Å"biological† parent, however that raises a fascinating predicament: shouldn't something be said about a natural parent who surrendered his/her youngster for selection? As of late, many embraced kids have discovered their natural guardians, or the other way around. Does the parent who surrendered his/her privileges as the child’s parent qualify as a parent under the FMLA? Taking the law actually, s/he does in light of the fact that s/he is the natural parent. In any case, an appointed authority may not decipher the actual intent of the law in that manner. The admonition for such dubious connections among worker and parent is the way that the representative must record h is/her relationship with the parent before taking family leave. In a similar passage of the FMLA that characterizes the connections qualified for family leave, segment j, titled â€Å"Documenting relationships,† it says, â€Å"For motivations behind affirmation of family relationship, the business may require the representative pulling out of the requirement for leave to give sensible documentation or proclamation of family relationship. This documentation may appear as a basic articulation from the representative, or a youngster's introduction to the world testament, a court document, etc. The manager is qualified for analyze documentation, for example, a birth certificate,â etc.† (U.S. Branch of Labor, 2010). It appears as though the business could request a type of ridiculous documentation of the qualification of parent or worker to fit the bill for the family leave particularly if time was an issue (i.e., the parent was kicking the bucket), so if a business ne eded to keep a representative from taking family leave, s/he could be in consistence with the law, however only irrational about the confirmation of the option to do as such. That would likely dishearten most representatives from endeavoring to take family leave. 2. Clarify whether the size of the business can have any impact on whether Tony is qualified for family leave under the FMLA. The size of a business does make a difference. In the video, â€Å"Family Related Issues: Family and Medical Leave Act,† because of Tony, the employee’s verbal solicitation for leave, Herman, the chief, answers, â€Å"That's impossible. This is an independent company. Everybody is crucial.†Ã‚ Tony answers, â€Å"Small? You have in excess of fifty workers, on the off chance that you tally everyone.† Herman counters with â€Å"Not full-time employees.† In Herman’s mind permitting Tony three weeks for family leave would make him lose cash. He has recently app lauded Tony for being the top sales rep (Family and Medical Leave Act, 2004). In any case, Herman isn't right. Not all businesses are required by government law to permit family leave, however those with at least 50 workers are. Section 825.105 of the FMLA gives an extensive portrayal of how a business, by goodness of the quantity of workers s/he utilizes, must conform to the government law. A portion of the more clear attributes that make a business obliged to consent is the area of his/her business. That is, it must be inside the United States or

Literary Tourism Honolulu, HI

Literary Tourism Honolulu, HI In my first memory of O‘ahu, I’m running in an open field. Makakilo, I think. I would travel to the island twice more (for state cheerleading championships and to visit my brother who landed a job in, as my dad called it, “the city”) before moving there in 2014 for nearly three blissful years. How do I begin to write about a place that I love so ferociously? And yet, the reality might be that I’m always writing about it somehow. Considering I could go on forever about Hawai‘i, a thousandish words on Honolulu barely highlights several bright stars in a place teeming with beauty. A must see, the knowledge obtained from walking through ‘Iolani Palace’s  doors will make you a better person and, likely, break your heart if the organ’s in good emotional working order. After the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, Queen Lili‘uokalani, who penned “Aloha ?Oe (Farewell to Thee)”  and Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen, was confined to house arrest in her royal residence following accusations of an insurrection. After regaining civil rights, she lived out her days there, advocating for Hawai‘i’s independence. The Royal Hawaiian opened its doors on February 1, 1927. If only the wide halls, build for promenading, could share all they’ve seen. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 1 p.m., the “Pink Palace of the Pacific” hosts a free historical tour, where visitors can learn what songs the band played in the Persian Room while diners slurped soup. Sip a mai tai where Joan Didion reread everything penned by George Orwell, and stayed with her husband and daughter “in lieu of filing for a divorce.” Imagine Duke Kahanamoku surfing out front.   Hawai‘i has noodle game like it has sand, and on my itinerary and in my life, the food ranks high. Once, I bought a book, Mambo in Chinatown, just because it had my choice-carb in the first sentence: “My name is Charlie Wong and I’m the daughter of a dancer and a noodle-maker.” While working at Schuler Books Music, I took home (thanks to their hardcover library) The Ramen King and I  and read it cover to cover.   In Kaimuki, Ed Kenney’s food philosophyâ€"and hand-cut noodlesâ€"make his eateries staples. Travel writer Paul Theroux dined with Anthony Bourdain at Kenney’s first restaurant, Town, in Parts Unknown. There, the travelers talk about island politics. “Did anyone ever come to an island with a good intention?” Theroux poses. There, I ordered the pasta (surprise!) with pork, beef, pancetta, porcini ragù, and parmigiano. Also, on my noodle to-do list: The Pig the Lady  and Piggy Smalls. I’ve noticed through the voyeuristic world of social media that writers, especially poets, prioritize flowers. From build-your-own bouquets to pretty pots for succulents, Paiko  in Kaka‘ako covers your needs. They also carry agriculture books, including ‘OHI: How to Gather and Arrange Hawai‘i’s Flora by the store’s founder along with photographer Mariko Reed. Since I learned that the  Honolulu Museum of Art housed three of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings from her time in Hawai‘i for a Dole pineapple art commission, the place took up residence on my bucket list. In anticipation of visiting, I reread Joan Didion’s O’Keeffe essay in The White Album  to savor the artist’s words: “I made you take time to look at what I saw and when you took time to really notice my flower you hung all of your associations with flowers on my flower and you write about my flower as if I think and see what you think and seeâ€"and I don’t.” Touring the property, I gazed at every piece, relishing my time, not knowing when her work would appear. I marveled over Diego Rivera’s The Flower Seller: the colors, the chip in its frame. Stuck on Frida Kahlo, I rounded the corner. Straight ahead, the three pieces hung parallel to the spot I had obsessed over the woman who wrote O’Keeffe in March of 1933. In the letter, Kahlo confessed, “I thought of you a lot and never forget your wonderful hands and the color of your eyes.” Being there felt like a daydream. Filled with gratitude, I visited the café to order rosé and toast my person, while waiting for  chilled soba noodles with fresh island mahi to arrive. One of my shopping havens, Na Mea Hawai‘i  serves as a cultural hub and is resilient AF. After Ward Warehouse (the store’s previous home)  was allocated  and, later, demolished to build condos, the store split into four locations until finding a new space at Ward Centre. Luckily, my visit coincided with their reopening. The store hosts talks, book signings, workshops, among other things.  Research additional literary events (like the  annual  Hawai‘i Book Music Festival and Wine and Words fundraiser) and work them into your plans.  Once upon I time, I attended both: the former as a presenter and the latter as a reader, and they are worth fighting traffic for. If you can’t stay forever, please take pieces of Hawai‘i home as keepsakes and share them with loved ones. Buy local books and literary journals from  Bamboo Ridge, Bess Press,  Hawai‘i Review,  Manoa: A Pacific Journal of International Writing, TinFish, and University of Hawai‘i Press. As a former editorial intern for  Manoa  and a contributor at  Hawai‘i Review  and  Bamboo Ridge, I can vouch for the love that goes into these publications. Read local  writers,  listen to local music, and watch local documentaries. Don’t forget to eat Spam musubi. Pay your respects at Pearl Harbor and Punchbowl, hike Diamond Head, paddleboard, fish. Learn Hawaiian words. Talk story with residents. Thank them for their time with a smile and Heineken. While listening to the waves, watch the sun set and rise, the sun set and rise.

The Pitiful Ghost in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay - 2928 Words

The Pitiful Ghost in Hamlet In Shakespeare’s tragic drama, Hamlet, there is one character who is different from all the others. He is a supernatural being – a Ghost. His role is quite as important as anyone else’s. This essay will be devoted to an explanation of this Ghost. Maynard Mack in â€Å"The World of Hamlet† elucidates the reader on how the Ghost introduces the problem of appearance versus reality: The play begins with an appearance, an â€Å"apparition,† to use Marcellus’ term – the ghost. And the ghost is somehow real, indeed the vehicle of realities. Through its revelation, the glittering surface of Claudius’ court is pierced, and Hamlet comes to know, and we do, that the king is not only hateful to him but†¦show more content†¦A real event described at the beginning of the drama has exercised a profound influence upon the whole imagery of the play. What is later metaphor is here still reality. The picture of the leprous skin disease, which is here – in the first act – described by Hamlet’s father, has buried itself deep in Hamlet’s imagination and continues to lead its subterranean existence, as it were, until it reappears in metaphorical form (232-33). Gunnar Boklund’s â€Å"Judgment in Hamlet† introduces the Ghost in terms of the dilemma of the protagonist: It is a commonplace to refer to Hamlet’s â€Å"dilemma† and a critical problem to explain in what this dilemma consists. A natural way to come to terms with the problem is obviously through the character that forces the dilemma upon Hamlet, that is to say, the Ghost. This is a particularly attractive approach, since it promises to bring the findings of modern research into Elizabethan demonology to bear directly upon the question of the nature of the Ghost and its message. It was apparently generally believed,Show MoreRelatedLife Of Pi Character Analysis819 Words   |  4 Pagesstruggle one encounters often determines their development as a person. In society, many people face obstacles which assist shaping them as a person. Internal struggles are a catalyst to change in ones’ life. Through the use of Hamlet from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, and Piscine Molitor Patel from Yann Martel’s novel Life of Pi, readers are able to perceive the impac t internal hardships have on ones’ life. Firstly, the author Yann Martel faced internal struggle as he was passionate aboutRead More Indecision, Hesitation and Delay in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay1334 Words   |  6 PagesHesitation in Hamlet   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeares Hamlet is tragic because all of the enmity being the product of one mans inability to make decisions. I believe the play is showing the steps of hesitation a person goes through who cannot choose, and the resultant angst. This one man is Prince Hamlet. Throughout the play he comes into situations where he just cant move himself into action. In Act I, Scene 5 Hamlet has an encounter with a ghost who explains that it is Hamlets deceasedRead MoreThe Importance Of Revenge In Hamlet701 Words   |  3 Pages Shakespeares tragedy plays are based on revenge as the core, consequently, all the scenes depicting the emotion and the concern before the thought killing an enemy from the character pedal to build a string of art in Hamlets. Although, the revenge is evil however it is pitiful and sorrow when it starts with love and truth. Hamlet has a great love and a faith never collapsed for his mother. Thence, when confronted with the truth of his father died, he feels horrible and more depressed that hisRead MoreThe Success Of The Conjuring Trick1722 Words   |  7 PagesA conjuring trick is normally played between enemies or competitors. However, in Hamlet, the conjuring trick is plotted by a father in order to possess the soul of his son. The success of this conjuring trick is basically based on four elements which are the contemporary belief,the evilof the plotter, the victim’s circumstance, and the convincing evidences. Elizabethan age was the period when the tragedy of Hamlet occurred. Although, Elizabethan era was a Golden Age in English history, people inRead MoreHamlet : Sadness, Madness, Or Just Misunderstood1053 Words   |  5 PagesHamlet: Sadness, Madness, or Just Misunderstood At best, I believe that Act I, Scene II might be one of the most important parts of Hamlet. It prepares any reader with the character’s styling of Hamlet, its importance to the play, its characters, and the logical play on words to show the complexity of Shakespeare’s skills as a playwright. Though, it might be a bit of over-aggrandizing to say that the first Act and second scene could be so crucial. It set the tone of the play for many of the charactersRead MoreAbstract: Hamlet of William Shakespeare Tragedy Revenge2100 Words   |  9 PagesThesis: In the play, Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare is described as a tragedy of revenge, through psychological origins of revenge, the styles of revenge during that period and the structure of Elizabethan revenge tragedies. This article, Shakespeare and Psychoanalysis: Tragic Alternatives: Eros and Superego Revenge in Hamlet., written by Joanna Montgomery Byes focuses on the psychological origins of revenge and in what part does the socialized and/or individual superego play in creatingRead More The Tragic Tale of Ophelia and Hamlet Essay1390 Words   |  6 PagesThe Tragic Tale of Ophelia and Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The common problem of lack of communication has plagued couples since the beginning of time. The relationship Hamlet and Ophelia share in Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is no more immune to these human tendencies. Throughout the drama, many misunderstandings cloud their relationship. Unspoken problems and pressures within Ophelia’s and Hamlet’s private lives lead to overlooked, unnoticed love. For Hamlet, his bond with Ophelia pales in comparisonRead MoreHamlet s Search For Justice1294 Words   |  6 Pagesthis model of a person in searching for justice appears in Shakespeare’s novel, Hamlet. The title character, Hamlet, understands justice in terms of a noble revenge, but fails to take action, due to his weak disposition to act on his thoughts. Hamlet’s search for justice was not successful because his sense of â€Å"justice† was flawed, ultimately leading not only to his own death, but to Laertes who had a very similar mission to that of Hamlet. Hamlet’s fatal flaw leads to the question concerning whatRead MorePoisoned Love: Essay 2. Life, Love, Death, Revenge, Grief,1392 Words   |  6 Pageswell known to the writing of William Shakespeare, his play Hamlet is not an exception. In this play the reader follows a young prince Hamlet on a quest for retribution on his uncle, for the murder of his father and the incestuous affair with his mother. To exact his vengeance on his uncle, King Claudius, Hamlet put on an act of being mad to catch his uncle profess his sins, and causing it to be morally right for hamlet to kill him. Hamlet tells very few of his act, and one of those excluded from thisRead More The Relationship between Hamlet and the Bible. Essay2412 Words   |  10 PagesThe Relationship between Hamlet and the Bible.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It may appear that anything could be twisted into a typological pattern. Such interpretations appear to suffer from the structuralist faults of skating too lightly over actual texts, ignoring details that cannot be forced into a preconceived mold, and robbing narratives of their concrete shapes through abstraction. I would stress that there is more to Shakespeare than typology, but I would also insist that typology is often an

Child Prostitution As An Illegal Act - 2029 Words

Across the world each day, there are hundreds of cases of children unwillingly partaking in prostitution. In 2002, research by Willis and Levy stated, Child Prostitution involves offering the sexual services of a child or inducing a child to perform sexual acts for any form of compensation, financial or otherwise. (Willis Levy 2002) Children who encounter such sexual activities under the age of eighteen are considered children, and is seen as illegal. Individuals who are older than eighteen are no longer a child in the government s eyes. For the past decade, or so, the world has done their best to look at childhood prostitution as an illegal act-- shutting down facilities and speaking up for children whose voices are not always heard. Through prostitution, trafficking, and the black market of trade have been of recent concern for all parties due to the illegal acts of using, selling, and purchasing children. The new millennial has brought forth many issues with these particular mean s because of the unforeseen futures of these innocent children. Throughout the years the number of children that have been harmfully touched or talked to in a damaging way has increased drastically. Willis and Levy stated in an article that, â€Å"an estimated 1 million children are forced into prostitution every year and the total number of prostituted children could be as high as 10 million.† (Willis Levy 2002) This number is growing each year and we, as Americans, are the only way to fixShow MoreRelatedThe Revolution Of New Orleans1453 Words   |  6 Pagesforty-nine, the whores in fifty-one; and when they got together they produced the native son.† This sheds some light as to how long prostitution has been a part of America. Prostitution dates back to the beginning of colonization in the United States, but wasn’t considered a legal act. At the time the laws just didn’t acknowledge what a prostitute or the act of prostitution itself was. In 1721, the French government shipped eighty women to the colony of New Orleans that housed seven hundred men to promoteRead MoreSex, Prostitution, And The Production Of Sex Toys Essay1687 Words   |  7 PagesSex work, consisting of prostitution and the production of sex toys, has been implemented in the United States since the 18th century. Through red-light districts, street prostitution, escort or out-call prostitution, brothel prostitution, and child prostitution, prostitution still thrives in the United States despite legality. Sex toys has become increasingly more available on shelves but still primarily stay in the e-commerce realm. Sex work has struggled to stay in the United States becauseRead MoreProstitution Should Be Illegal in Canada Essay1583 Words   |  7 Pagespossibilities of illegal activities inside the world of prostitution. From reading the newspapers to hearing it on the television, we know nothing good ever comes out of prostitution because of the exposure to the risky businesses and dangerous people. Prostitutes engages in a number of dangerous harmful activities such as taking drugs, rape, emotional and physical abuse, and the worst case scenario is death. In this thesis paper, I’ll be discussing the main points and arguments as to why prostitution shouldRead MoreThe Social Stance Of Prostitution1323 Words   |  6 PagesProstitution is the selling of one’s body in exchange for money, and it is the oldest occupation in the world, beginning in the early society of Mesopotamia (Fanni, 2014). Prostitutes were seen as inhumane and disease ridden since in the early 1980’s, when prostitution was most prevalent, there was an increase of HIV/AIDS because of the transferring of disease from prostitutes to their clients (Carrasquillo, 2014). Although there is such a negative perception of prostitution, it is a source of continuousRead MoreProstitution As A Form Of Sexual Abuse899 Words   |  4 PagesProstitution can have the meaning of, â€Å"engaging in sexual acts or activities for the exchange of money or goods†, this can also be a form of sexual abuse. Prostitution status for the countries shown for the â€Å" number of countries prostitution is illegal: 109, number of countries prostitution is restricted: 11, number of countries prostitution is legal: 77, number of countries with no laws for prostitution: 5.† Prostitution is illegal in all states in the US except for 11 counties in Nevada. The MannRead MoreShould Prostitution Be A Victimless Crime?1506 Words   |  7 PagesThe act of prostitution has been a leading topic of moral and legislative debate for centuries. Sometimes referred to as the ‘world’s oldest profession’ because it dates back to around 2400 B.C., prostitution is the practice of exchanging, selling or trading of sexual acts for payment. Although this service is forbidden amongst the world more often than it is not, the debate of its legalization has remained a heated issue (ProQuest Staff).The legalization of prostitution and whether or not prostitutionRead MoreIs Prostitution A Crime?968 Words   |  4 PagesWhat Is Prostitution? Prostitution is where people engage in a sexual activity with someone else for money. The whole subject of prostitution is full of ambiguities and hypocrisies; we generally think of the transfer of money as the element that makes prostitution a crime although money plays a subtle part in all sorts of sexual relationships. We define prostitution as systematic sexual violence and oppression against women and girls. The definition of prostitution includes not only the exchangeRead MoreProstitution And Deviance : Examination Of Theories Amongst Positivist And Constructionist Perspectives Within Society1604 Words   |  7 PagesProstitution and Deviance: Examination of Theories Amongst Positivist and Constructionist Perspectives Within Society Deviance is behavior, beliefs or characteristics that many people in a society find or would find offensive and which excite, upon discovery, disapproval, punishment, condemnation, or hostility (Goode, 2011 p. 3). Most scientists will agree that a person s most basic needs, physiologically, are breathing, food, water, sleep, and sex. If all of these are the most basic to humanRead MoreConsent Is A Vital Part Of Human Socialization1593 Words   |  7 Pagescrime. (Dempsey, 2013) There are two sides to every jail cell, meaning that the question â€Å"Does victimless crime exist?† has contrary answers depending on who’s answering. This paper’s assertion is in support of the present factor of victimhood for an act to be considered a crime. In Crime and Morality by Hans Boutellier, it is explained that â€Å"[Bedau (1974)] wonders whether there really is such a thing as victimless crime. ‘If there are crimes which are truly victimless, for what reason did they becomeRead MoreShould Prostitution Be Legal?1371 Words   |  6 PagesPrositution in the U.S For my paper I chose the topic â€Å"Prostitution In the U.S† I picked this topic because I feel as if there’s a lot to discuss about the subject itself. Prostitution in my eyes, should be illegal in all parts of America. I feel as if the crime itself is degrading not only to women, but the families of those involved that choose to commit these acts. My personal opinion, going more into detail is that I grew up viewing sex as a sacred act between two people that love and care about eachother

Case Study Of Hypertension Health And Social Care Essay Free Essays

string(177) " Nicholas has now quit smoke Nursing Diagnosis Goals Interventions Rationale Evaluation Fatigue related to the effects of high blood pressure and the day-to-day life stressors\." A 55 twelvemonth old male named Nicholas Manners, is admitted to the ward for direction of his high blood pressure. Upon reaching, he appears rather ruddy in the face. He was referred to the exigency section by his GP as he was kicking of a concern and giddiness. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study Of Hypertension Health And Social Care Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now He was stabilised and has been transferred to the ward for farther direction. He tells the nurse, he has had a concern for the last three yearss and has had really small slumber. Mr Manners is a Chief executive officer of an advertisement bureau and works long hours. Nicholas has two boies aged 15 A ; 17 and his married woman Lucy, who is really supportive. Lucy tells the nurse that Nick chows on the tally due to his busy agenda and frequently chows at eating houses when entertaining clients. Nick smokes 10-15 cigarettes/day and has had multiple efforts at discontinuing. He has a household history of coronary arteria disease, his male parent died of a bosom onslaught 5 old ages ago at the age of 75. Observations on admittance ; BP 160/90, SaO2 97 % on room air, Temp. 37.1, Pulse 95, RR 19 beats per minute, wt 90 kilogram, ht 170 centimeter, Nil Known Allergies ( Jennings, 2010 ) . Blood force per unit area refers to the measuring of force that is applied to the walls of the arterias as the bosom pumps blood through the organic structure. The force per unit area is determined by the force and the sum of blood pumped, and the size and flexibleness of the arterias. High blood force per unit area, besides known as Hypertension, is considered as above 120/80 mmHg ( PubMed Health, 2011 ) Pathophysiology Arterial blood force per unit area is a merchandise of cardiac end product and systemic vascular opposition. A alteration in the vascular wall thickness affects the elaboration of peripheral vascular opposition in hypertensive patients. This consequences in the contemplation of moving ridges back to the aorta and hence increasing the systolic blood force per unit area ( Medscape, 2011 ) . Although 90 % of high blood pressure instances, the cause is non truly known ( Moser, p.11 ) , harmonizing to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare ( AIHW ) , the causes of high blood force per unit area are both biomedical and lifestyle oriented. Major causes include ; being overweight, dietetic salt consumption, and nutrition forms which involve low consumption of fruit and veggies and an high consumption of saturated fat ( Australian Institue of Health and Welfare,2010 ) . Although most of the clip there are no marks and symptoms, such may happen ; confusion, ear noise or buzzing, wearin ess, concern, irregular pulse, epistaxis, vision alterations. These marks are known as marks of complication or perilously high blood force per unit area called malignant high blood pressure Nursing Appraisal As a patient is admitted to the infirmary, it is critical to execute a nursing appraisal on admittance to garner baseline readings of the patient. The Systems Approach Framework was used to buttockss Mr Nicholas Manners from caput to toe in a mode of subjective and nonsubjective informations. The classs used are as follows ; Central Nervous System, Cardiovascular System, Respiratory System, Gastrointestinal Tract, Renal System, Integumentary System and Metabolic System. CNS – patient is able to communicate-states he has a concern, assess motion of limbs, esthesis to fringes and trouble if any. CVS – HR 95, BP 160/90, assess capillary refill, patient is red in the face – assess circulation of the remainder of the organic structure including warmth and coloring material. RESP. – RR 19 beats per minute, SaO2 97 % on room air, auscultate his chest- listen for abnormalcies in the lungs as he is a tobacco user, measure his work of external respiration. GIT – farther buttocks appetency and eating wonts, auscultate for intestine sounds, buttocks and record intestine direction. RENAL – buttocks input and end product and record observations if needed, utilizing a unstable balance chart. INTEGUMENTARY – buttocks tegument for cicatrixs, waterlessness, integral and skin turgor. METABOLIC – buttocks Hb, BGL and liver map through a blood trial. Education and Psychosocial support Education and support that can be offered to Nicholas to help him in deriving more information and support for his Hypertension include: Dieticians which Nicholas can be referred to during his stay in infirmary, to educate him about a healthy diet and besides supply support. Social worker to supply support for Nicholas and his household if needed. Information brochures can be retreived from the infirmary, to educate Nicholas on Hypertension. Web sites such as Better Health Channel, Hypertension Education Foundation and the Heart Foundation, all provide instruction and information about support for patients about high blood pressure. Nursing Diagnosis Goals Interventions Rationale Evaluation Ineffective wellness care related to incapableness to change life style Short term: Introduce low-sodium and low fat nutrients into Nicholas ‘ diet Refer Nicholas to a dietitian for instruction of low-sodium and low-fat nutrients. To cut down the sum of high-fat nutrients Nicholas is devouring. Nicholas ‘ diet presently consists of less high-fat nutrients. Short term: Aim to cut down blood force per unit area readings to less than 150/80 by the following GP visit in a hebdomad. Teach Nicholas to take Nicholas ain blood force per unit area daily at place and record it. To brace Nicholas ‘ blood force per unit area at a lower degree. Nicholas ‘ blood force per unit area readings have now stabilised to a lower degree. Long term: Develop a regular exercising program for Nicholas to follow. Promote Nicholas to walk for an hr each twenty-four hours. To promote Nicholas to prosecute in a healthy life style. Nicholas participates in an hr of physical activity each twenty-four hours. Long term: Aim to discontinue smoke in the following 8-12 months. Refer Nicholas to back up plans such as ‘QUIT ‘ to back up and help Nicholas in discontinuing smoke. To cut down Nicholas ‘ hazard of holding blocked arterias and therefore increasing Nicholas blood force per unit area Nicholas has now quit smoke Nursing Diagnosis Goals Interventions Rationale Evaluation Fatigue related to the effects of high blood pressure and the day-to-day life stressors. Short term: Aim to command side effects such as weariness. Educate Nicholas on the side effects, to help him in commanding them. To help Nicholas in deriving cognition of the side effects and how to command them in instance they are experienced after discharge. Nicholas is able to command his small if any side effects experienced. Short term: Aim to keep a stable degree of fluids in the organic structure. Ensure Nicholas drinks plentifulness of H2O throughout the twenty-four hours. To maintain Nicholas hydrous and cut down weariness. Record amounts utilizing a unstable balance chart if needed Nicholas ‘ weariness degrees have decreased as he is imbibing plentifulness of H2O throughout the twenty-four hours. Long term: Reduce the emphasis degrees experienced throughout the twenty-four hours. Discuss emphasis cut downing methods applicable to Nicholas. To cut down the hazard of increasing Nicholas ‘ blood force per unit area. Nicholas has reduced his emphasis degrees utilizing the methods discussed Long term: Develop a healthy feeding program to utilize one time Nicholas is discharged Refer Nicholas to a dietician to help in educating him in the importance of a healthy diet and developing a program. To cut down weariness related to an unhealthy diet. Nicholas has continued his healthy feeding program and does non endure from weariness. Nursing Diagnosis Goals Interventions Rationale Evaluation Imbalanced nutrition related to deficient cognition of the relationship between diet and the disease Short term: Brace the instabilities of nutrition Provide Nicholas with a scope of fruits and veggies To supply Nicholas with a assortment of foods from a scope of nutrients. Nicholas ‘ diet now chiefly consists of fruit and veggies Short term: To do Nicholas ‘ cognition on the disease Provide Nicholas with information such as booklets about high blood pressure To guarantee Nicholas has a good cognition of high blood pressure Nicholas is now good educated on his disease Long term: To brace Nicholas ‘ weight within 6-8 months of discharge Refer to dietician to measure and supervise his diet and aid with his weight loss To guarantee Nicholas has the support required to run into his end Nicholas is now within a healthy weight scope for his gender, tallness and age Long term: Derive more cognition on the effects of smoke Educate Nicholas on the effects of smoking to his organic structure To guarantee he is cognizant of the harm smoke is making to his organic structure Nicholas is good informed on the effects of smoke Nursing Diagnosis Goals Interventions Rationale Evaluation Non-compliance related to the side effects of the intervention ( Ackley A ; Ladwig, p.315 ) Short term: Maintain stableness of side effects Monitor Nicholas and supply advice when non following instructions of intervention To guarantee Nicholas ‘ intervention continues on the right way. Nicholas ‘ side effects have decreased. Short term: Long term: Long term: Maintain conformity of intervention Educate Nicholas on hazards if intervention non followed as required To guarantee Nicholas ‘ wellness does non deteriorate Nicholas is compliant with his intervention Diagnostic Trials Diagnostic trials that will help with the appraisal and direction of Nicholas include: Electrocardiogram ( ECG ) – This trial determines if the bosom has sustained nay harm due to untreated high blood pressure ( Cardio Connection, n.d ) . This trial assists with the direction of Nicholas ‘ high blood pressure by supplying moving ridges of the electrical current of the bosom. Urinalysis – This trial is used to test the causes of high blood pressure and expression for any harm to the kidneys as a consequence of untreated high blood pressure ( Cardio Connection, n.d ) . The trial assists with the direction to derive information about the wellness of Nicholas ‘ kidneys. Blood Glucose – This trial determines the sugar degrees in the blood and screens for secondary causes of high blood pressure and the hazard factors involved with more accelerated diseases such as diabetes. Both diabetes and high blood pressure are associated with the rapid patterned advance of arterial sclerosis and harm to the kidneys ( Cardio Connection, n.d ) . This assists in keeping a stabile sugar degree of the blood to cut down the hazard of harm to the kidneys. Serum K – This trial looks for a treatable cause of high blood force per unit area and finding the baseline degree prior to utilizing medical specialty for intervention ( Cardio Connection, n.d ) . This assists in finding a baseline to compare to if it were to promote. Hazard Appraisal Upon admittance, a hazard appraisal must be completed to find the patient ‘s hazard of holding a autumn. This appraisal besides assists the nurses in guaranting the patient has their properties or AIDSs within range to guarantee the patient ‘s safety and to diminish their hazard of hurt. The appropriate appraisal tool for Nicholas would be a Falls Risk Assessment Tool ( FRAT ) . This relates to Nicholas as he complained of giddiness and deficiency of slumber. This is needed to measure his hazard of hurt. Mention to Appendix 1 for a Falls Risk Assessment Tool. Medicines Nifedipine – Antihypertensive agent – as stated by Tiziani, 2006 Action: Besides known as Ca adversaries, these agents impede the inflow of Ca ions during depolarization of cardiac and vascular smooth musculus, doing betterment in the myocardial O supply and cardiac end product, and a decrease in myocardial work by cut downing afterload ( Tiziani, 2006 ) Use: Angina pectoris Mild to chair high blood pressure Nicholas has been prescribed this medicine to help with bracing his blood force per unit area. Interactions: Contraindicated with rifampicin May do bosom failure if used with beta-adrenoceptor-blocking agents Serum concentrations may be increased if given with Tagamet, Quinidex or Cardizem. Excessive cardiovascular depression may happen if given with inspiration anesthetics. Adverse effects: Headache, giddiness, dizziness, flushing, weariness, dizziness. Anorexia, sickness, irregularity, abdominal hurting, dry oral cavity. Muscle spasms. Nursing points/precautions: Note and study thorax hurting because thie requires stoping the drug. Patient should be advised to avoid drive or operating machinery if giddiness or dizziness is a job. Caution if used in those with aortal stricture, bosom failure, liver damage, discrepancy or Prinzmental angina, unstable angina, or recent myocardial infarction. Atorvastatin – lipid-regulating agent – as stated by Tiziani, 2006 Action: Reduce cholesterin significantly in patients with type II lipemia and hence besides significantly cut down the hazard of coronary arteria disease Use: Hypercholesterolaemia Nicholas has been prescribed this medicine to take down the entire cholesterin and low-density lipoproteins ( LDL ) Interactions: May addition plasma concentration of Lanoxin, increasing the hazard of toxicity. Caution if used with Tagamet, Aldactone or ketoconazole. Adverse effects: Headache, insomnia. Constipation, flatulency, abdominal hurting, sickness, diarrhea. Back hurting Nursing points/precautions: Liver map trial should be performed before get downing therapy and at 6 and 2 hebdomads, so twice annually. Advise patient to describe any musculus hurting, spasms, tenderness or failing, unease or febrility. Should be withheld if any status occurs that predisposes the patient to rhabdomyolysis, such as injury, sepsis, uncontrolled epilepsy or metabolic, or endocrinal instabilities. How to cite Case Study Of Hypertension Health And Social Care Essay, Free Case study samples

Hercules Incorporated vs. United States Improper on the Part

Question: 1. A. Would it have been improper for the contractor in this instance to purchase liability insurance and include the cost of such insurance as part of the fixed price contract for Agent Orange? B. Why would a contractor choose to do so?2. A. What is the impact of Congress refusal to grant the Court of Federal Claims (formerly the Claims Court) jurisdiction over implied-in-law contracts? B. What is the policy basis for not doing so? 3. The Court discusses the Spearin Decision, reaffirming it and distinguishing it in interesting ways. When the government awards a contract, it wants the contractor to fulfill the contracts specifications. This decision holds, to oversimplify the matter that the government stands behind those specifications for contract law purposes but not for tort law purposes. A. Why? B. Why would the statutory and administrative authorizations that suffice for the government to have to pay when its specifications result in contractual burdens on the contractor, not s uffice to say that the government should pay tort liability burdens? Answer: 1. Part A No, it would not have been improper on the part of the contractor in this instance to purchase a general liability insurance and add the cost of the same to the Agent Oranges fixed price of the contract. As stated in the Hercules case an agreement which is for indemnification and that which is not open ended such as a liability insurance but has been capped to a certain amount which might have been provided by a private insurer is not improper. Part B The federal employees are barred under the Anti-Deficiency Act (Anti-Deficiency Act, 1987) to enter into contracts that require payments in future of amount in advance of, or more than, an appropriation that is existing 31 U.S.C. 1341. This is an important evidence to the fact that a government officer who was contracting would not be able to provide, in fact, the indemnification that is contractual as has been claimed by Thomson. Thus the contractor may choose to opt for the liability insurance to ensure that he is protected from any kind of liabilities risk that may be imposed on him by any lawsuit or any such similar claims. Thus any claim under the insurance policy the insured would be protected from the same. As mentioned in the Hercules case an agreement which has been capped and one which reflects in the price of contract shall make the Government a type of self-insurer, is within the appropriation in effect since the risk of liabilitys expenditure which would be assumed shall be equal roughly to the premium cost which would be saved by the government by way of self-insuring. Thus a contractor who is aware of risks that can arise potentially as much as the government is aware of such risk would be able to sense the trouble that may arise and obtained likely from the government a payment of the premium that is sufficient. 2. Part A The Claims Court was created by the Congress to permit limited and special cases class for proceeding against the United States (Tennessee v. Sneed,, 1878) and the cognizance for only those claims can be taken by the court why by terms of Congress some act have been committed to it. It is the requirement of the Tucker Act (Tucker Act Shuffle Relief Act of 1997, 1998) that needs to be complied with for a suit to be founded on which states that it is only in implied contract that a suit can be brought against the government. The consequence of this is that there is no action that can be brought in cases that are similar to the Hercules case since the recovery in the contract is implied in law and not in fact. Part B The policy basis for this is that for the Court of Claims to have jurisdiction the demand which has been sued on needs to be founded between the parties on a convention meaning thereby there should have been a meeting of the mind (Hercules, Inc. v. United States, 1996). It is only in contracts that are either implied or express in the fact that this jurisdiction shall extend to and not the contract claims which are implied in law (Sutton v. United States,, 1921); (Merritt v. United States, 1925) (United States v. Mitchell, 1983). It is vide the Tucker Act that the jurisdiction has been conferred upon the court for determining and hearing, the claim that made against the United States and are founded by contract that is implied or express with the United States ( 28 U.S.C. 1491(a)). 3. Part A Neither the Spearin decision (United States v. Spearin, 1918) nor the warranty extends as far as tort law. When specifications have been provided by the government directing the manner in which the performance of the contract is to be carried out, then it is warranted by the government that the performance by the contractor of the contract would be satisfactory if the specifications are followed by it. The performance will not be frustrated or made impossible due to the specifications. However, this circumstance is not sufficient to infer further that it is beyond performance that this warranty exceeds to the claims by the third party against the contractor. Therefore in the Hercules case, it would seem strange to arrive at the conclusion that even after understanding the military use of the herbicide there was contemplation by the United States for the warranty to be extended to third party claims or tort claims against the contractor. The avoidance of such is more likely since the contractor would be provided through reimbursement of the contract what through tort law has been denied to him. Part B It would not suffice to say that the government has to pay other than the burden on the contractor due to the specifications tort liabilities as well in light of the Doctrine of Feres. This doctrine provides immunity to the government from tort suits of armed services personnel. The government contractor who had been sued by the armed personnel could not, in turn, sue the government for the injury that has been caused as it would circumvent the indemnity that the Feres doctrine provides the government. References Anti-Deficiency Act. (1987). Washington, D.C. Hercules, Inc. v. United States, 516 U.S. at 424 (1996). Merritt v. United States, 267 U.S. 338, 341, 45 S.Ct. 278, 279, 69 L.Ed. 643 (1925). Sutton v. United States, 256 U.S. 575, 581, 41 S.Ct. 563, 565-566, 65 L.Ed. 1099 (1921). Tennessee v. Sneed, 96 U.S. 69, 75, 24 L.Ed. 610 (1878). Tucker Act Shuffle Relief Act of 1997. (1998). [Washington, D.C.]. United States v. Mitchell, 463 U.S. 206, 218, 103 S.Ct. 2961, 2968-2969, 77 L.Ed.2d 580 (1983). United States v. Spearin, 248 U.S. 132, 39 S.Ct. 59, 63 L.Ed. 166 (1918).

Why birmingham Essay Example For Students

Why birmingham Essay In the midst of racial tensions, a conscious decision was made to make Birmingham, Alabama the target to aid the civil rights movement. Why? Because the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) had a deeply organized center there, because of the impulsive police commissioner, and because the Ku Klux Klan had one of its most violent chapters located in Birmingham. These reasons in addition to forty percent of the citys population being black (Hampton and Fayer, 124) contributed to the careful selection of Birmingham to aid in the hard struggle of the civil rights movement. The SCLC was particularly well-organized in Birmingham. With a budget of roughly one-million dollars, and divided in to different departments such as the Citizenship Education Department and the Department of Operation Breadbasket, the SCLCs organization was compared to that of General Motors by Reverend Wyatt Walker in 1963 (qtd by Morris, 253). The organization staged such acts as instituting economic boyco tts opposing businesses that discriminated against blacks. In addition to money and organization, the SCLC also had experience on their side. The people who headed the separate departments had taken part in many of the civil rights protests.(Morris, 253). Possessing all of these traits, the SCLC proved to be a strong force in the progress of the civil rights movement. We will write a custom essay on Why birmingham specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Another reason that Birmingham was chosen was because they had a racist, impetuous police commissioner by the name of Eugene Bull Connor (Morris,252). He was easy to infuriate and his violent responses to the non-violent protests served as good publicity to expose the injustice that minorities endured at the time. During a Freedom Ride in 1961, a riot broke out between protesters and those against the movement. The police were slow to arrive, according to Connor, because it was Mothers Day (Fairclough, 112). Blatant apathy towards the many violent and unjust acts that occurred during this time proved Eugene Bull Connor to be ignorant enough to fall into the SCLCs intricate plan for equality in the south. A third reason for the choice was the fact that one of the KKKs most violent klaverns was located in Birmingham. One of its members, Robert Chambliss, took part in bombings so often that he was known as Dynamite Bob. Chambliss and his fellow Klan members undoubtedly helped Birmingham become known as Bombingham (Hampton and Fayer, 124). The Klans ominous presence in the city was a brutal reminder that things had to change. These and many other reasons contributed to the selection of Birmingham, Alabama as the mark for the advancement of the civil rights movement. Without these factors, the effort to change the south from an ignorant and racist sector to the integrated south that we see today may have been impossible to achieve, and future efforts to progress this ongoing movement would seem a nagging impossibility. Bibliography:Fairclough, Adam. To Redeem the Soul of America. Athens: University ofGeorgia, 1987. Hampton, Henry, and Steve Fayer. Voices of Freedom. NY: Bantam Books,1990. Morris, Alan. The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement. NY: The Free Press, 1986.

Gatsby a story of lust, deceit and no romantic love Essays

Gatsby a story of lust, deceit and no romantic love Essays Gatsby a story of lust, deceit and no romantic love Paper Gatsby a story of lust, deceit and no romantic love Paper Gatsby is one of the wealthiest people In America and is completely Infatuated with Daisy Fay; someone he met, and deceived, five years ago. She Is only a figment of his imagination which he has constantly [Click] (decked) out with every bright feather that drifted his way (152). His idea of Daisy is a chimera, a green light on the wrong side of the bay. Slide 4] Gatsby deceives himself into thinking that by devoting his life to getting filthy rich, he can win back Daisy from Tom, whose freedom with money (is) a matter for reproach (1 1 He refuses to see that Daisy has mumbled short of his dreams (92) and instead clings onto his colossal postulation of Daisy. [Slide 5] Very simply and understated, Daisy Is materialistic and loves being the centre of attention. She cries over Gatsby shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel (89), not out of love but because of the wealth she could have had with someone else. Daisy Is In love with the idea of who Gatsby Is and how religiously he has thought about her, just like Gatsby is only In love with the perfect Idea of Daisy. Although they begin an adulterous affair, Daisy is only trying to get back at Tom and is presumably many past sprees (125). Gatsby wants to have the girl everyman desired before the war, and Daisy wants to experience something new, after all shes [Click] been everywhere and seen everything and done everything (24). Their relationship exists only for each others personal gain. Of course, Daisy is ashamed when she realizes she has had an affair with a gangster but only for the sake of her image. Even in the end, the girl of his dreams has the ability to prevent his death but does nothing, further showing that she never truly loved Gatsby In any romantic way. Based on just as much lust and deceit is the relationship between Tom and Daisy. Toms old wealth is exactly what Daisy looks for in a man and Daisys popularity with other men Is like a prize Tom has won Or bought. : They (are) careless people who (smash) up things and creatures and then (retreat) back Into their money or their vast carelessness And let other people clean up the mess they (have) made (170). [Slide 1 OFF money [Click] and Tom, the most obvious example being after murdering Myrtle. Ironically she describes Tom as revolting (125) and seems to despise him. She has deceived herself into thinking that image is the most important thing money can buy which makes it impossible for her to divorce Tom as it is frowned upon. Their relationship is based [Click] on no romantic love and consists of no respect as Tom makes no attempt to be discreet about his affair. It is the comfort of their wealth and selfishness to their own image that keeps them together, not romantic love. Disparaged by Tom, Myrtle Wilson, his current mistress is treated with less respect than Daisy. When she disobeys him, he smacks her on the snout without a second Hough. [Slide 7] She doesnt mind as all she wants is to pose as and be a part of the upper class. [Click] She desperately believes that Tom loves her, when really he only lusts for her. Her sister, Catherine, is convinced that its really his wife thats keeping them apart, shes a catholic and they dont believe in divorce (36). To contradict this, nothing is ever said about Daisy being a Catholic; her loose and nonreligious life style challenges the claim. Tom deceives Myrtle; he would never leave Daisy for someone who would Jeopardize his image. Slide 8] On the surface, it seems that Tom leads the perfect life and Myrtle wants to use him to rise up; the same way she used George to climb Just a little bit. Myrtle marries George because (she) thought he was a gentleman(37) and that he knew something about breeding (37), not out of love. Their relationship is based on Georges desire to have control over something in his life. When Myrtle begins to escape his control he decides that the best course of action is to lock her up; clearly showing that he does not really love Myrtle in any romantic sense but instead uses re for his own needs. No relationship in The Great Gatsby features any allusion to or imitation of romantic love. Each character builds relationships from lust and deceit. They do so in order to get whatever it is they desire and are ultimately parasites as they use all they want without giving anything back. [Click] [Click] The fact that The Great Gatsby elucidates how miserable life is for characters on opposite ends of wealth and status perhaps demonstrates Fitzgerald negative view on life and society. A society full of parasites s bound to run itself into the ground.

Success of Chick-fil-a and how it relates to management Essay

Success of Chick-fil-a and how it relates to management - Essay Example 3). Truett unveiled his entrepreneurial skills at an early age of 8 years by opening and successfully operating a stand of Coca-cola at his family’s front yard on 1929 (Cathy 1). Six years later in 1935, Truett’s family relocated to Atlanta’s downtown due to financial strains. He started a paper delivery service to his neighbors, which enhanced his customer service and relations. In 1946 Truett started a small restaurant called Dwarf Grill with the support of his brother Ben Cathy (Cathy 1). This business adventure led to the opening or a second Dwarf House in Forest Park, which unfortunately burnt to the ground leading to massive loss of profit and property. A strong Christian character and business oriented attitude prompted Truett to rebuild the burnt restaurant and started using a home-made chicken recipe for a boneless chicken breast in a sandwich (Cathy 1). This recipe was from his mother’s kitchen, and Truett called it Chick-fil-A. In 1967, the bone less chicken breast recipe attracted many loyal customers which led to the opening of Chick-fil-A first restaurant in a shopping mall in Atlanta (Cathy par. 3). Truett continued to inspire his employees by offering scholarships for further education and housing for the less fortunate teenage boys. Chick-fil-A’s customers enjoy the delicious boneless chicken at affordable prices, which has contributed to 1,605 other restaurants in a total of 39 states in America (Cathy par. 4). As the CEO of Chick-fil-A, Truett has displayed his management and leadership skills by operating the chain of restaurants for 44 years with an upsurge of sales and charity donations (Cathy 4). Employees and youths in local communities benefit from the scholarships offered by Truett to acquire the best education and skills. Management practices Effective management practices in a company ensure that stakeholders, shareholders, employees and customers achieve their personal goals. Good management practic es are directed towards the following departments in a company: human resources, company product, marketing, technology development and process controls. Customer satisfaction is significant in increasing sales while improvement of employees’ working conditions, competency and confidence ensures a high performance output. Interpersonal relations with customers Chick-fil-A chain restaurants are currently under the management of Truett Cathy’s son called Dan Cathy. Cathy is the president and Chief of Operations (COO) of Chick-fil-A restaurants across the U.S. (Zikza 3). Mr. Cathy has power and authority that allows him to sit behind a desk in a closed office and issue orders, but his charismatic character leads him to abandon his office and attend to his customers personally (Carter par. 6). He further explains that Dan Cathy shakes his customers’ hands, serves them the tasty food, clears food trays and helps in cleaning up after his customers. One of Cathyâ€℠¢s foremost and memorable activities in his restaurants is giving kids free ice cream while they are all shouting in joy (Carter par. 8). In the contemporary knowledge-driven markets, many leaders forget the strong customer relationships and services and focus all their time, energy and resources on making profits only. Businesses thrive on demand and

Most effective Leadership & Management Styles & approaches Coursework

Most effective Leadership & Management Styles & approaches - Coursework Example Guiding the work of subordinates and subsequent organizational success requires good knowledge and espousing the dissimilarity between management and leadership. Differences of the models emanate from ascribed roles and expectations. Management is a function that entails frameworks for performing things right whereas leadership is the affiliation that the leader has with groups that can inspire and strengthen the business. In this regard, Managers are enablers of their subordinates’ accomplishment. They provide necessary inputs for productive and successful teams. Managers perform crucial roles of planning, controlling, commanding and coordinating followers. Good management skills offer the transition to participative and consultative operations (Adeniyi, 2010, pp. 64). Managers are rational characters and usually under control problem solvers. Quite often, they concentrate on personnel, goals, structures, and resource availability. Unique personalities of managers include persistence, analysis, strong will, and intelligence. Managers focus on supervising work by controlling subordinates. Most common managerial styles include dictatorship, Autocratic, Authoritative, Transactional Consultative and Democratic approaches to handling situations. Thus, far managing a group requires keen analysis of components and devising appropriate responses. Contrariwise, a leader is anyone among team members with a particular talent, creativity and experience in a certain part of the business. They usually guide colleagues based on capabilities and prove useful to the manager and the team. Good leaders exhibit excellent skills like participative, consultative and transformational approaches while handling followers (Adeniyi, 2010). Their sole focus is an achievement of goals. Effective leaders understand that there is no single best style to manage people. In its place, they acclimatize their

Interior Castle Or The Mansions Theology Religion Essay

Interior Castle Or The Mansions Theology Religion Essay In both Lakoff and Johnsons Metaphors We Live By and Teresa of Avilas Interior Castle or The Mansion there is a discussion of metonymy in relation to metaphor, both of which are significant crucial concepts in St. Teresas Christian conceptual metaphorical system. Within this paper I shall formulate an argument proving that St. Teresas Christian conceptual metaphorical system is coherent and falls within Lakoff and Johnsons conceptual metaphorical systems guidelines on the grounds that Teresas system appeases Lakoff and Johnsons definitions of metaphor and metonymy and all the sub-classes. In order to validate my argument I will make reference to the Teresas Interior Castle outlining the structure of her metaphorical system by covering the metaphor and metaphor sub-classes used along with identifying the target and source domains entailed in the system. Teresas Christian conceptual metaphorical system has three primary conceptual metaphors: IN GOD, IN MANSION, and IN SOUL. Teresa uses a JOURNEY metaphor to talk about the path to achieving spiritual union with God. According to Tim Perrine, St. Teresa of Avila wrote The Interior Castle as a spiritual guide to union with God. Teresa received her inspiration for this work from a religious experience she had. God gave Teresa a vision that showed her a crystal globe that contained seven mansions within it. At the centre of the globe, residing in the deepest mansion is God. Teresa interpreted this religious experience as an allegory which reveals the way for ones soul to take a journey to achieve union with God by reaching the seventh inner most mansion. The soul must go on a journey to become united with God in the seventh mansion. Each mansion represents a step closer to reaching God or climbing another level on a ladder. The Crystal Castle with seven different mansions is a metaphor re presenting the soul. The rooms closest to the seventh were able to receive a glimpse of the essence of God which resided in the seventh room. From the outside of the Crystal Castle the lights cannot be seen because darkness and impurity surrounds the outside of the castle. If one on this journey to reach the seventh room succumbs to temptation and falls victim to the devils torment, the light that was once emanating from the seventh room where God resides will as a result of being infected by sin, disappear and the venomous animals that were once held outside the Crystal Castle by Gods divine light will be able to enter the castle. In the first mansion the concern is the souls state of purity. A soul in the first mansion is surrounded by sin and is only able to reach God by seeking his divine grace through preaching humility. The second mansion is also a mansion where one practices prayer daily. The soul can only advance on its journey by humility, recognition of God in the soul and daily prayer. The third mansion is the mansion of exemplary life whereby one has such a love for God in their soul. Their soul also truly disl ikes all form of sin and the soul has a longing to do works of charity in the name of almighty God. In the fourth mansion the soul opens itself up to God, relying on him for everything and becomes purer as God increases his influence. The fifth mansion contains the initial stage of union with God whereby the soul opens itself up to embody Gods grace in order to receive his gifts. The soul commits to marry. Teresa refers to the soul as a silkworm which feeds on the sustenance of God. The soul enters a cocoon like state in order to transform into a butterfly which embodies part of Gods divine light. In the sixth mansion the soul and God are like lovers. In this mansion the soul receives an increasing amount of favors from God but is also faced with outside afflictions. In the seventh mansion the soul succeeds on its journey to achieve spiritual marriage with God as a result of the soul acquiring clarity in prayer. When one partakes in sins their soul is unable to partake in the journe y to reach God. One must be able to acquire humility and self-knowledge to understand the works of God. Once an individual on their journey learns to truly understand humility and self-knowledge they will realize the beauty of the soul as a result of Gods light. All our goodness and that good works that come from ones good are authored by God. The strength and power of ones will is strengthened by what lays behind that door of the seventh room in the Crystal Castle. The journey inside oneself that takes place in the crystal castle is likened to degrees of prayer by Teresa. One entered within themselves and penetrates the depths of their soul while gaining perfect self-knowledge along the way which ultimately leads to one reaching the seventh room where God is waiting. One who has perfect self-knowledge is able to become unified with Gods grace through a union with him which allows those who reach the seventh room to take part in his light and love. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the soul grows and profits by its communication with God (Teresa, 23), we suffer from a self-ignorance that is curable if o ne seeks to cure it. Not enough inward reflection is given to the beauty of the soul. When one doesnt reflect upon their soul which is innate they are unable to receive gifts that soul may possess, they are unable to see who is inside the soul or how important a role the soul can play in their life. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦souls without prayer are like bodies, palsied and lame, having hands and feet they cannot use.(Teresa, 43). In order to enter the castle and begin this journey into the soul one must take part in prayer and meditation. The mind must take part in this prayer, repetition praying and not taking God into consideration is not praying. Those typically found residing in the first mansion in the castle are typically those who self reflect occasionally and pray a few times a month. Usually these individuals are concerned with materialistic things. Teresa says that it is still possible for these individuals to realize the state of their soul on the road it is currently travelling and make adjustments and changes in their lives to set their soul on a positive path. Those who choose to do this begin the journey that takes place inside their soul which is referred to as the crystal or diamond castle. Those who enter the first rooms are followed by numerous venomous reptiles which are a metaphor for sin and the torments of hell. The sin of an individual creates these creatures which attempt to blind the individual from seeing the divine light of God which resides at the center of the castle in the seventh mansion When mortal sin is present in the soul it obscures Gods divine grace. Teresa uses a metaphor to describe what m ortal sin does to the soul, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the sun in the centre of the soul, which gave it such splendour and beauty, is totally eclipsed. (Teresa, 46). The soul that is in mortal sin is separated from God and no longer a part of him. It has been tainted which causes the crystal which is a metaphor for the soul to become dark and unable to reflect the bright sun. The soul is like a crystal in the sunshine over which a thick black cloth has been thrown, so that however brightly the sun may shine the crystal can never reflect it. (Teresa, 47). Crystal is used as a metaphor to refer to a tainted mortal sin soul, throwing a black cloth over a clear crystal that was once able to reflect the sun will no longer be able to do so. The meaning behind this is that sinning taints the soul and creates a disconnection between an individual and God. As long as that thick black cloth is there, the soul will not be able to experience what the bright sun representing Gods divine grace has to offer. Teresa refers to the soul as a tree which is planted by a river. The tree receives life from the sun which enables it to bear fruit. The sun is a metaphor for God and the fruit that comes from the tree are metaphors for good deeds and good actions. Thus, God is the initiator behind those good deeds. When in the first mansion within the crystal castle one is able to be humble on this journey and that one individual should only think of God when doing any good deed or action. In the second mansion one is taught how important prayer is to reach God. One must retire into them self in order to truly know thyself; without retiring into the soul to contemplate life and ones actions, heaven will always be out of their reach. In the second mansion the soul is able to take more charge on its spiritual journey. Those who reach the third mansion are those who realize the issues that arise when one trusts in their own strength. The individuals in the third mansion live a balanced life which is achieved through prayer, penance, charity, and abstaining from sin. Through this the individual is able to go farther in their spiritual journey to become a part of Gods divine grace. In this stage of the journey the individual who has been able to enter the third mansion will have their soul baptized in the Holy Spirit. As a result of this the individual on their spiritual journey has their soul opened up and is filled with the gifts God has given them through the Holy Spirit. Teresa states that An earthy king may have subjects yet all do not enter his court (Teresa, 41). This is a metaphor which refers to those disciples of God on their spiritual journey. God may have many children and followers but this does not mean everyone is granted access into his kingdom in heaven. Nor should anyone assume that because they are a follower or believer in Him that they will automatically gain access into the kingdom because of this. On the spiritual journey in the soul those who enter each mansion will learn to be jumble and realize that they are a servant of God and entering his kingdom is something one earns by journeying within oneself and joining God in the seventh mansion. Humility is the ointment for our woundsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦God, who is our Physician, will come and heal us. (Teresa, 45). Teresa uses a metaphor for humility by describing it as the ointment for our wounds; she makes a point to concentrate on humility because one should learn to be humble in order to succeed on this spiritual journey. Teresa refers to God as a physician who will heal our wounds; this metaphor is used to show that no matter what one must go through on this journey God will always be there to heal the wounds of those who seek him. On this spiritual journey in the soul one must have e an everlasting unyielding love for God. According to Teresa true love for God is one of the essential things one must learn to pay à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦no attention to the weaknesses of nature which might retard us. (Teresa, 45). God will look after the individual on their spiritual journey and reward them in proportion to their great love for God. Teresa presents a metaphor of nestling baby birds that are taught by watching elder birds. Their flight makes us try to soar, like nestlings taught by the elder birds, who, though they cannot fly at first, little by little imitate their parents: I know the great benefit of this. (Teresa, 47) This metaphor is used to teach that one should not give up if they find a trial on this spiritual journey difficult, they should consult a person who is detached from the worldly things and seeks spiritual marriage with God. Just like a baby bird learning to fly is taught by the elder more experienced bir d to fly, an individual on a spiritual journey trying to reach unity with God should consult an elder who has learnt how to get through trials and tribulations in order to become one with God. Their soul is not yet strong enough and may succumb to the suffering that their soul will be exposed to during the trials on their spiritual journey. In the fourth mansion one must practice the prayer of the quiet; this prayer is quiet and passive which allows one to travel deeper on their spiritual journey in to the soul where they meet with the divine grace of God. The soul is no longer dependant on the individuals will but becomes dependant on God. The natural and supernatural meet in this mansion; the soul receives natural understanding from God, this can be thought of as the mind being impregnated with wisdom directly from the gifts of God. Teresa uses a metaphor to explain two types of prayer one will use in the fourth mansion. The metaphor uses two fountains with basins that fill with water; these fountains are filled two different ways. One fountain receives its water from a distance that travels through numerous waterworks and pipes. The other fountain receives its water directly from the source which is the spring, no machinery or aqua-ducts are needed. The water that runs through the waterworks and pipes represents sens ible devotion which is obtained through meditation. This water is obtained through the results of an individuals endeavors which are thoughts, labor of ones mind, and meditating on created things. The fountain that receives the water directly from the spring itself is a representation for God. Prayer of Quiet or divine consolation receives supernatural favors directly from God himself just like the fountain which receives water directly from the spring. This greatness from God that presents one with divine joy is presented in the soul itself according to Teresa. This transition between the two fountains represents the individual on this spiritual journey breaking away from the bonds they once had with the outside world in order to be able to enter deep prayer which focuses on the importance of love; true love that flows directly from the spring itself which is God. On page sixty-three, Teresa presents another IN metaphor. We should rather abandon our souls into the hands of God, leaving him to do as he chooses with us, as far as possible forgetting all self-interest and resigning ourselves entirely to himself. (Teresa, 63) God is a container metaphor whereby the soul which is the target domain of the source domain. The source domain is interior castle that has seven mansions one must go through in order to achieve union with God. The journey present here is a spiritual journey where the soul must enter IN the interior castle in order to become one with God through spiritual union. God is the container object in the container metaphor along w ith the interior castle which is also the container object of the container metaphor. Throughout the rest of the journey IN the interior castle the soul opens itself up to receive more gifts from God, ultimately leading up to the seventh mansion which is the mansion of spiritual marriage where the individuals soul becomes one with God through spiritual union.

Coke Zero Essay

Describe the specific type of consumer that the Coca- Cola Company is targeting with each of the following products: Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Cola, Plus, Coca- Cola Blak, and Full Throttle Blue Demon. What types of demographic segmentation is each product’s marketing most likely to include? The Coca- Cola Company has many different types of products that are marketed towards certain demographics. One of Coca- Colas most popular carbonated drink is Diet coke. Diet Coke is marketed to consumers concerned with nutrition and looking for a low- calorie drink, specifically men when first introduced. Originally Coca Cola thought to Market the drink towards men, but due to the â€Å"feminine stigma† and aspartame- sweetened after taste that turned some consumers against the product . Diet Coke is currently marketed towards women who want to lose weight. Coke zero is designed to target consumers such as younger people. Coke Zero was designed to offer an alternative low calorie drink to people who didn’t really drink Coca- Cola classic or Diet Coke. Diet coke plus, which is a sweeter version of diet coke is fortified with vitamins and minerals, this drink is marketed towards consumers that want to take in less calories and are health conscious . Coca cola blak, which is a cola with coffee essences is marketed to older, more sophisticated consumers who are willing to pay more. Full throttle blue demon, an energy drink with an azule flavor was designed to market towards Hispanic men. Most of the demographic segmentation that is most likely included in each products marketing for each type of drink is Gender, Age, Income level, and life style. Each demographic segmentation such as Gender and life style was described while reading about each product. One good example is Diet Coke. Since the word â€Å"diet† is used in the product name â€Å"Diet Coke† that attracts females because the word â€Å"diet† is used, but tended to turn away males, due to the drink having a reputation of a female image. When Coke Zero was created Coca Cola decided to not use the word â€Å"Diet† since it would most likely scare away males, who were the target consumer for this new drink. Using Demographic segmentation can really help make or break a product.

Crm of Pizza Hut

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON BRAND PERCEPTIONS: THE CASE STUDY OF ESTEE LAUDER DISSERTATION By PALESA MAHLOELE Presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MSc Marketing University of Wales APRIL 2011 ABSTRACT Social media has evolved through many generations and eras, it has been defined in various ways by different authors, researchers as well as academia. Some argue that it stems from the very early forms of interpersonal communication via email, while others solely accept it as the more recent form of social interaction on social media sites.Despite all the different arguments that exist regarding social media, extant academic literature on the topic is rather sparse. That being said however, the topic of brand perceptions has been studied and researched in depth in both the academic and corporate worlds. The understanding of brand perceptions has been the source of many debates which has resulted in a wealth of literature to draw o n for this research study. This research study sought to assess the impact that Social Media has on brand perceptions of consumers, with a specific focus on Facebook and the Blogosphere.In order to add structure and guidance to the research study, three research objectives were set. The first objective was to review extant conceptual models and theoretical frameworks related to social media and brand perceptions. The second was to evaluate Facebook and consumer blogs in their role as reference groups on consumers. The final research objective was to determine optimal strategies to improve sales and brand reputation of cosmetics through an increased presence on social media platforms; specifically Facebook and blogs.The researcher deemed it appropriate to conduct this investigation from a qualitative research paradigm. Given the nature of the topic under investigation, qualitative research would allow the researcher to delve deeper into the subject matter. Consequently, the study was carried out in an inductive approach using a case study strategy where data was collected from Estee Lauder and using multiple sources of evidence. This data collection was coupled with online survey in-depth as well as semi-structured interviews for both employees of the company understudy as well as regular consumers of cosmetics products.For the purposes of analysis, thematic data analysis method was chosen based of the fact that it would be most appropriate for qualitative analyses. This method of data analysis allowed the researcher to draw major themes that arose from the data collected as well as the few permeated themes that came through. The findings from this research study revealed that in principal, consumers and management accept and appreciate the importance of the impact that social media has on brand perceptions. It would seem, based on the results that the challenges boil down to the execution of social media marketing activities.Essentially, Facebook and the blogo sphere fulfil distinctive roles in communicating marketing messages, both consumer and company generated. Where Facebook is considered to be a social interaction space, blogs are seen to serve an information providing role. Based on the results of this research study, cosmetics companies have failed to recognise these critical differences. Despite the fact that Facebook is considered a private interpersonal communication space, the findings suggest that adding tangible value in holding a presence on Facebook can yield positive results on brand perceptions.Results from this study reveal the untapped potential residing in social media provided strategies that have consumer needs and desires are critically considered. Chapter One Introduction 1. 1Enquiry Overview The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of social media on brand perceptions using Estee Lauder as a case study. Social media in the context of this research study specifically refers to Facebook and Blogs. This research is qualitative in nature and is largely focused on proving the feasible solutions for Estee Lauder concerning leveraging social media.This enquiry overview seeks to provide the reader with an outline of what to expect from the rest of the paper. Each chapter of the study is concisely summarised to as to achieve this. The first chapter of the study opens up with a comprehensive introduction to the study. This section leads the reader into the study by providing the essential background and justification of the study. Moreover, the aims and objectives without which the paper would have no direction are laid out in this chapter and equally important are the research questions which the research seeks to answer.The subsequent chapter then delves into literature review of existing material on the subject of social media and brand perceptions, and where possible, literature on cosmetic marketing was also investigated. The purpose of this chapter was to build solid theoretica l foundation from which the rest of the study could be built. Additionally, chapter two is aimed at ensuring that the ‘wheel is not re-invented’ where certain relevant subjects had previously been researched and could therefore enhance this study. Chapter is primarily concerned with research methodology utilised in the study.Importantly, chapter attempts to rationalise the chosen research path. Further on to this, the research paradigm, the selected research instruments as well as the sampling methods, ethical considerations and pilot study are discussed in this chapter. This chapter provides the reader with a full understanding of the way in which the research aims and objectives are bridged with the direction the study takes. Chapter four is essentially focused on presenting the data and then analysing it. More interestingly, in chapter four the reader is taken through the data collection and analysis process.It is in this section that the research questions are mainl y addressed. Thematic analysis, which is the selected data analysis tool for this research study is discussed and justified at the same time; alternative analysis tools deemed to be unsuitable for the study are discussed therein. The study concludes with a chapter which proposes feasible recommendations to Estee Lauder concerning the way in which social media can be realistically leveraged in order to positively impact brand perceptions among its target audience.These recommendations are based on the empirical findings from this research study, discussed in the preceding chapter. Importantly, chapter five seeks to examine the findings of this research in relation to the research aims and objectives set out at the beginning of the study. 1. 2Research Aims and Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Social Media sites on brand perceptions, with specific focus on the cosmetics industry using Estee Lauder as a case study.This study will have a two-facet appr oach. It will analyse the impact of exposure of cosmetics brands, on Social Media sites from the influence of content generated by consumers or general members on Facebook and blogs; and on the other hand, this study will investigate the impact of content generated by cosmetics companies. Consumer generated content, in particular through blogs and ‘conversational’ interactions on Facebook by way of individual or private comments, status updates and photographs.Company (brand) generated content will specifically be focussed on fan pages created by cosmetics companies; using Estee Lauder as a case study. This research aims to achieve the following objectives. 1. To review extant conceptual models and theoretical frameworks related to social media and brand perceptions 2. To evaluate Facebook and consumer blogs in their role as reference groups on consumers 3. To determine optimal strategies to improve sales and brand reputation of cosmetics through an increased presence o n social media platforms; specifically Facebook and blogs. 1. 3Research QuestionsIn order to assess the effectiveness of social media platforms as a means of influencing brand perceptions of cosmetics, using Estee Lauder as a case study; the following questions must be answered through this research study. 1. What role do reference groups play in the purchase decision-making process of cosmetics? 2. Is there a link between exposure of brands on Facebook and blogs the consumer’s propensity to purchase cosmetics? 3. Are social media sites, specifically Facebook and blogs effective marketing tools when used in isolation in the absence of monolithic marketing programs? 1. rationale of the study Marketers are presently faced with the ever-increasing challenge of creatively developing communication techniques that will effectively reach their target audience. Where in previous years, consumers did not have access to a wide array of product information or choices, today; consumerism is dominating all aspects of life (Rahman and Rahaman; 2008). Industry expert, Raphael Viton (2009) postulates that social media marketing strategies work best for â€Å"high involvement† categories where information, feedback and testimonials from trusted sources play an important role in buying decisions.He further posits that this being the case for beauty products makes social media â€Å"perfect for cosmetics† Viton (2009). What has been clearly evident over recent years is that although numerous cosmetics companies have made efforts to have some presence on social media sites, very few are truly committed and many are unsuccessful in their approach. Many such companies embarked on a social media marketing campaign in the height of digital euphoria but did little to nothing in order to maintain these campaigns.According to research conducted by Forrester Research (2009) traditional advertising is on the decline with the rise of social media in the UK and the USA. This research further indicates that Social Media spending will increase to $3,113 (in millions) in 2014 from $716 in 2009 representing a compound annual growth rate of 34% – the highest percentage gain in the marketing mix. This spending activity also ranks it as the third most prominent program behind search marketing and display advertising.Edelman (2010) proposes, â€Å"Though  marketing strategies that focused on building brand awareness and the point of purchase worked pretty well in the past, consumer touch points have changed in nature. For example, in many categories today the single most powerful influence to buy is someone else's advocacy. Social Media presents marketers with a less costly means of micro-targeting their audience effectively. Whereas as previously, exorbitant budgets were required for mass reach, social media is able to achieve the same at a fraction of the cost.A paradigm shift has occurred where consumers are getting product information and in teracting, this revolution calls for an appraisal on the part of companies wishing to remain salient. Whereas more traditional promotional techniques, specifically, television, radio and print advertising once dominated product promotions; offline channels are now taking over. Owen (2010) claims that, â€Å"It's important to realise that an expanding audience in one channel does not automatically mean a decline in another. â€Å"As much as social media marketing is on the rise, evidence proving the effectiveness of these platforms used in isolation is scant.Social media is a fairly young discipline and many marketing managers are uncertain on how to effectively approach it in terms of coupling it with traditional marketing methods. Evidence is equally meagre with regards to how brands’ exposure on social media platforms affects their image either through brand fan pages or friend’s communication Galak and Stephen (2010) put forth that while social media was once the domain of younger, tech-savvy, early adopter consumers who were faster to adopt new technologies, it has now evolved into mainstream and covers a broad demographic spectrum.Today, 75% of Internet-using adults in the United States are active on such social media Bernoff et. al. (2009). This large number of users makes it critical to understand not only how social media influences consumers, but also how it operates alongside traditional media. Findings from this research study will add value to the development of effective social media marketing strategies for cosmetics companies (brands) going forward. 1. 5Scope and Limitations The generally accepted definition of Social Media spans to cover a wide spectrum of innumerable online tools.The extensiveness of existing social media platforms spans further than this research is able to cover. Financial restraints as well as time constraints inhibit this research study to cover the entire scope of social media platforms available today. Th is research will strictly concern itself with investigating social media in as far as it includes Facebook and beauty blogs. The study will also be purely focussed on the impact of brand perceptions on Facebook and blogs on the cosmetics industry using Estee Lauder as a case study.Moreover, data collected for this research will be limited to what is accessible through Estee Lauder company reports and secondary information that is publically available. Lack of access to internal marketing and sales data may limit the robustness of the Estee Lauder specific information. In addition to the above stated restraints, in order to achieve a more focussed study, it was deemed necessary to exclude the plethora of demographics that are also active on Facebook and blogs; consequently, this study will only focus on the female consumers between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five that purchase cosmetics at least once a month.Consequently, some may regard the generalisation of these findings as i nconclusive or rather narrow. There may be product specific factors that affect the outcome of these results as pertaining only to the cosmetics industry and not necessarily to other product categories across the board. There may also be factors that may uniquely affect people within that specific age group that will impact the outcome of the results of this research study. However, the findings of this study will contribute the understanding of social media on brand perceptions albeit for a specific industry.Notwithstanding the above-discussed limitations, this study will establish a foundation on which to build on when organisations embark social media marketing strategies to enhance their brand reputations. 1. 6Background of the study Boyd and Ellison (2008) define social media sites as â€Å"web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, a nd (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site. † For the purposes of this research study, all mention of social media sites refers specifically to Facebook and Blogs. The research will consider both consumer and company (marketing) generated content on these sites. An increasing number of people across the race and age spectrum are spending significant amounts of time online, socialising with friends through a variety of social networking sites.Traditionally, visitors to these social networking sites visited such sites primarily for the purpose of interacting with friends and publicly sharing details, comments and photographs of their lives. Human beings are social and have an innate need or desire to feel accepted and to fit in. Accordingly, they tend to be heavily influenced by the people around them or with whom they spend the most time on making purch ase decisions. Such people range in the type or relationships, including- family, friends, colleagues or even just casual acquaintances.Such groups of people help form and shape perceptions of brands. The word used to define this group of people is reference group. Solomon et. al (2010) define a reference group as â€Å"an actual or imaginary individual or group conceived of having significant relevance upon an individual’s evaluations, aspirations, or behaviour. † These are the people that consumers often rely on for product information they can trust. Stallen et. al clarify this concept further by explaining that, â€Å"decision-making is often influenced by the behavior of others.For instance, people frequently make similar decisions as their friends do (e. g. teenagers may choose to wear clothing that is identical to that of their buddies); while they also often choose differently than the ones they do not like (e. g. the clothing should not be identical to what i s worn by â€Å"uncool† kids). † As social media sites are where many people are now spending most of their time, these interactions are now taking place on such platforms. Over time, the social media landscape has evolved into a space where a broad range of information is disseminated.Consumers are now looking to these sites for product information that they can rely on from trusted sources-friends and family online. Thus, social media sites have in themselves, evolved to become a â€Å"reference group† as such. Casteleyn et. al (2008) suitably notes that the information that people display on their Facebook pages is constructed to communicate their personality to their friends and to the rest of the world. More often than not, these are the ‘desired’ perceptions that people would like others to have of them.Nonetheless, a myriad of information is propagated through these channels and reaches a wide spectrum of people beyond any geographical borders . This type of information dissemination is known as online Word of Mouth (WOM). WOM is commonly defined as an unpaid form of promotion in which a satisfied customer tells other people how much they like a product or service or even sharing a positive experience. The same is applicable in a negative sense, in which case a customer may have had a distasteful experience with a business, product or service and shares that with their online network.Cheema and Kaikati (2010) propose that word of mouth (WOM) communication is central to the exchange process as consumers often rely on others for assistance with purchases, especially for products with high financial or psychological risk. Several studies have empirically demonstrated that WOM is more persuasive than traditional media channels Godes et. al. (2005) WOM is considered to be one of the most credible forms of promotion because a person puts their reputation on the line every time they make a recommendation and that person has noth ing to gain but the pleasure of being heard.Traditionally the spread of WOM was limited to those within one’s geographical area and was bound to a close network of people with whom a relationship was shared. In modern times, the proliferation of the Internet has expanded the network exponentially. The growth of the Internet and particularly the rapid increase in popularity of social networking sites as a preferred medium of communication has broken down the boundaries that once limited WOM communication.As a result of this, coupled with the recent surge in technological developments worldwide, particularly pertaining to the Internet and continuously advancing social media sites- traditional marketing seems to be losing power and space with a majority of companies. The cosmetics industry is one that has had a significantly increased presence on social media sites. Extensive fan pages have been created on Facebook by both companies and consumers; wishing to share new product in formation, product experiences and recommendations. Similarly, there has been an equally considerable growth of beauty and cosmetics blogs.The definition of cosmetics is considered to comprise of skincare products (body and facial), make up, personal care products including deodorants, body washes and soaps. From this point on, for the purposes of this research study, all reference to cosmetics includes only skincare products (body and facial) and make up. Typically, cosmetics are advertised in glossy fashion and beauty magazines as well as on television. However, at present, beauty product marketers are searching for new ways to expand their consumer reach beyond the traditional avenues of fashion and beauty magazines.According to Decoursey and Sloan (2009)  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Concerns, particularly for smaller companies, include magazine clutter, increased ad rates and policies concerning rotation of advertisers in prime space. And virtually all marketers worry about harried consumers, who have less spare time to pore over fashion and beauty books. † As a result of the above, social media sites have emerged as an increasingly popular avenue for beauty product marketers to explore as a medium to reach their consumers, where social media sites form part of the consumers’ reference group.Consequently, the following research study aims to assess the impact of social media sites on brand perceptions of cosmetics products, using Estee Lauder as a case study. Further to this, the changing role of social media sites as consumption reference groups for brand exposure and product sales of cosmetics brands will be analysed. 1. 8 SUMMARY This chapter comprehensively introduced the research study. It provided an overview of the study by stating the aims and objectives of the research and providing the rationale of the work.Finally the chapter closed with a discussion of the scope and limitations and the background of this study. Chapter Two seeks to systematically inv estigate extant literature on the topic. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1INTRODUCTION The focus of this section of the paper delves deeper into present research that has been conducted in fields related to the area of focus of this study as laid out in the preceding chapter. The purpose is to gather theoretical literature to make for a solid study together with the data that will be collected in this investigation.Research in the area of social media sites and consumer behaviour has only recently become of great interest to researchers in the past three to five years. The reason is two-fold 1) although social media sites have been around since the late nineties; they’ve only recently started to truly flourish in the past few years. 2) Brand marketers started identifying such sites as a suitable channel to communicate with their consumers over approximately the same period. To begin with, this chapter will explore a conceptual clarification of the terms social media in the w ay it is intended for this paper.Following that will be an interpretation of brand perception in the way that it relates to and will be studied in this research. In addition to this, further relevant literature on the topic will provide a broader scope into the subject under research will also be considered and examined. 2. 2Conceptual Clarifications Although social media is a relatively new construct in the communication world, a great many researchers and authors have provided their own interpretations of what it can be defined as (Chung and Austria, 2010; Dutta, 2009; Hoffman, 2004; Cova & Pace, 2006 Jones, 2009).As varied as the understandings may be from author to author, one thing remains consistent; social media is growing at a phenomenally rapid pace. Furthermore social media has revolutionised the way in which people communicate and that brands communicate with their consumers. Chung and Austria (2010) postulate that Social media includes various methods of online communica tion such as social networking, user-sponsored blogs, multimedia sites, company-sponsored websites, collaborative websites as well as podcasts.This definition includes just about the entire scope of the activities that a majority of individuals who participate in online communications would be involved with. Dutta (2009) further reiterates this point by stating â€Å"it’s no secret that social media—global, open, transparent, non-hierarchical, interactive, and real time—are changing consumer behaviour and workplace expectations. † It is becoming increasingly difficult and in some cases, impossible to follow traditional communication structures of non-transparency and hierarchy when people communicate via social media platforms.This is particularly true of business communication. Consumers now have more access to information than they ever had before. Hoffman (2004) supports the above statement, â€Å"the Internet makes available numerous information sour ces that consumers may draw on as they search for information and construct choices about commercial offerings. These information sources include social media sites, online product reviews (either by peers or experts), and uncensored in-depth product information on a variety of Websites, among many other sources. Cova & Pace (2006) put orth that â€Å"consumers in consumer-generated brand communities want to become influential participants and regard brands as ‘belonging to us’ and not as companies that supposedly own them. They are driven by a similar passion or ethos to form and engage in online brand communities, thereby producing their own cultural meanings around brands. Social media is a fundamental shift in the way we discover and share information. It provides individuals and particularly retailers with the ability to cultivate and have ongoing conversations and touch points with their customers and potential customers.Every retailer has a unique tribe of custo mers or a niche group of consumers. Social media helps broaden that group and engage with them like never before. Jones (2009) summarises it well in stating that â€Å"Social media essentially is a category of online media where people are talking, participating, sharing, networking, and bookmarking online. † From the above, it is evident that social media sites as a construct have evolved over time to encompass a considerably wider scope of the consumers’ online experience. When consumers make a purchase, they are buying more than just the product; they are buying into the brand.Keller (1993) maintains the above statements by putting forth that brand perceptions are attributes in consumer memory that are linked to the brand name. Solomon et. al (2010) defines perception as the process by which stimuli are selected, organised or interpreted. Marketers play a crucial role in shaping and defining brand perceptions in consumers. Findings from several research studies prev iously conducted indicate that brand perceptions play a pivotal role in the consumer purchase experience because they are said to influence consideration and evaluation, and therefore ultimately, purchase (Nedungadi 1990; Keller 2003).Several factors may influence brand perception, the factors include but are not limited to elements such as; price of the product, the way in which the product is packaged, where the product is sold, reviews and feedback by reference groups on the product, and indeed how product information is disseminated or advertised. This research study will explore the impact of social media sites, namely Facebook and blogs on brand perceptions- including but not exclusively the above-mentioned elements that often shape it.This review will be focussed on three aspects of the impact of social media on consumer purchasing behaviour as researched in previous studies: 1) The History of Social Media 2) The impact of WOM through social media sites 3)The role of opinion leaders and opinion seekers on social media sites as reference groups 4) Shopping as a social activity on social media sites 2. 3history of social media There are opposing schools of thought as to when social media was born. Some argue that social media did not begin with computers, and that it was born on â€Å"line† specifically on the phone.The era of Phone phreaking or the Rogue exploration of the telephone network of the 1950s was a period when techno-geeks-people who were very clued up on technology- began to investigate ways to allow them to make free or cheap calls. â€Å"These early social media explorers built â€Å"boxes† which were homemade electronic devices that could generate tones allowing them to make free calls and get access to the experimental back end of the telephone system. Borders (2009) While on the other hand, others argue that social media came in considerably more recent years.Boyd and Ellison (2007) claim that â€Å"the first recognizable social network site launched in 1997. SixDegree. com allowed users to create profiles, list their Friends and, beginning in 1998, surf the Friends lists. Each of these features existed in some form before SixDegrees, of course. For instance, profiles existed on most major dating sites and many community sites. Classmates. com allowed people to affiliate with their high school or college and surf the network for others who were also affiliated, but users could not create profiles or list Friends until years later. SixDegrees. com was the first to combine these features. As defined by Boyd and Ellison (2007), the generally accepted present-day understanding of social media and what it has become would however suggest that these platforms as we interpret them today, concurs with the latter date of origin. 2. 3. 1ORIGINS OF FACEBOOK Facebook was originally born out of the trivial concept of allowing students to judge each other based on their facial appearance. Over a relatively brief period, Mark Zuckerberg-founder of Facebook evolved the platform and introduced innovative ideas into the network, and added some useful features like a comments section, amongst other things.Within a few months most of the schools and universities in the United States and Canada were on board, and a surprisingly large number of people had joined Facebook. In September 2006, the network was opened to any individual who had an email address and was over the age of 13. Subsequently, Facebook rapidly grew into the most popular social networking website. 2. 3. 2ORIGINS OF BLOGGING Miller and Pole (2010) define a blog as a website containing dated entries, or posts, presented in reverse-chronological order.Blog features commonly include archives (previous posts, typically grouped by month and year), a blogroll (a list of recommended blogs), and a reader comment section. Today, most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the b logs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites. Brown et. al (2007) acknowledge that word of mouth (WOM) communication is a major part of online consumer interactions, particularly within the environment of online communities.The relative simplicity required to set up and participate in a blog allows for any individual that has a basic understanding of how a computer works to be involved in this online activity. Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Increasingly, blogs are now emerging as a new form of interactive advertising tool on the Internet.Cho and Huh (2008) The origins of modern blogging are often a point of great contention. There is a school of thought that believes that the ‘Mosaic's what's new’ page in 1993 was the first weblog. The ‘Mosaic's what's new’ in 1993 a list of links some people passed onto others. However, it wasn't until December 1997 that Jorn Barger coined the term â€Å"weblog† in his Robot Wisdom Weblog. In 1998, only a handful of blogs existed, and many of the bloggers knew each other and linked to each other's sites. Rebecca Blood, author of The Weblog Handbook, notes that one preeminent site listed only 23 blogs in existence at the beginning of 1999.The media started noticing blogs later in 1999 and drew attention to the phenomenon. But it was the proliferation of free weblog-creation programs in 1999 that made blogging into a hugely popular pastime. Before this software was widely available, most weblogs were hand-coded by web developers and others who taught themselves HTML. The new programs made it easy for anyone to create their own weblog. Blogger was released in August 1999 and was an immediate hit. This simple weblog application allows users to create any kind of weblog they desire.By October 2000, Blogger users were creating 300 new blogs a day, and the Blogger directory had over 5,500 blogs listed. In November of the same year, the 10,000th Blogger weblog was created. As of 2002, Blogger claimed over 750,000 users. The rise of tools like Blogger also changed the content of weblogs. While they had begun as link-driven sites offering alternative viewpoints on news and other subjects, weblogs began to collide with online journals. Blogger-style tools allowed links and commentary to quickly grow into longer essays and diaries on the Web.Online journals had existed before this, but weblog applications made journals easier to manage for those who didn't know HTML. 2. 4The impact of WOM through social media sites Both scholars and practitioners of marketing are particularly interested in WOM communication behavior in the context of online communities because of the extraordinary popularity, growth, and influence of such communities. Arndt et. al (1967) defines WOM as a consumer-dominated channel of marketing communication where the sender is independent of the market.It is therefore perceived to be more reliable, credible, and trustworthy by consumers compared to firm-initiated communications. Some literature reviews of studies in the field of social media sites reveal that the rapid spread of WOM on such sites concerning products and brands is one of their most distinguishing benefits. â€Å"A key finding from research indicates that 10% of new consumer packaged goods (CPG) account for 85% of viral buzz, but this does not necessarily indicate a direct link with sales generation. Niederhoffer. (2007) Furthermore, the once accepted belief that word of mouth influence comes only from the elite, highly connected few has been challenged. Consumption-related online communities essentially represent WOM networks, where individuals wi th an interest in a product category interact for information such as purchase advice, to affiliate with other like- minded individuals, or to participate in complaint or compliment interactions (Cothrel, 2000; Kozinets, 1999; Hoffman and Novak, 1996).While it can be argued that the WOM communication going on within these online communities has limited social presence in the traditional sense, these communities provide information and social support in both specialized and broadly based relationships, and are becoming an important supplement to social and consumption behavior. Wellmanet. al. (1996) A study conducted by Cyber Atlas (2001), for example, cited 84% of Internet users having contacted at least one online community.The popularity of these emerging consumption-focused online communities, and the WOM communication going on within them, highlights a need for increasing scholarly attention to be paid to online WOM communication. Smith et. al (2007) state that â€Å"Research s uggests that most people are moderately connected and are as willing as the highly connected to share marketing messages. † Increased accessibility to the Internet and thus, social media sites has exacerbated the connectivity of people through an increased number of touch points such as mobile phones.Whereas previously people who did not own or have access to personal computers or home Internet connectivity, were not able to access social media sites, now through their cell phones they are active participants on such sites. This research proposes that people have an innate desire to share messages with one another-including marketing communications. Social media sites have a unique distinguishing factor that traditional marketing methods lack and that is an ability to stimulate and enable two way dialogue between companies and their consumers and vice versa.An added advantage of this two-way dialogue is that it is possible for it to take place in real time and instantaneously. Consumers on these platforms are able to engage with companies that were traditionally out of reach to them on matters concerning their brands or products. Likewise, companies (brands) are able to gain insights into their customers and customers’ perspective, as well as directly address any issues or concerns at hand. In some cases, consumers engage with one another without the brand intervening at all; sharing opinions and experiences.In the same breath however, John Marshall Roberts, communications strategist and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Worldview Learning, training and Research Company for change makers,  highlighted the importance of the need for transparency and honesty, he warns that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"half-truths and ‘green washing’ are quickly exposed on today’s social media networks. † It is imperative that companies with a presence on social media sites maintain an uttermost level of integrity in their communication with consumers, as the truth can almost always be uncovered.In such cases, a positive reputation that a brand may have built over many years can be destroyed in a matter of days and indeed in an instant. Katz and Lazarsfeld (1955) in one of the earliest research studies on WOM concluded that WOM two times more effective than radio advertisements, four times more than personal selling, seven times more than print advertisements. This research, was investigating traditional WOM in the absence of social media and indeed the Internet. Such WOM was bound by geographical location, as people were limited to the people that they were physically able to interact with.The Internet and indeed, the exponential growth of social media sites, have eradicated this constraint. Trusov et. al. (2009) find that WOM referrals have a strong impact on new customer acquisition. In their research, they conclude that the effectiveness of WOM referrals on social media sites have resulted in a direct positive effect on sales of pro ducts. The creation of social media has meant that WOM can be directly tracked in relation to its impact of consumer behaviour with regards to individuals’ decision-making process. There are several motivations that lead consumers’ WOM referral behaviour.These two motivating factors have found to be the primary drivers such as extreme satisfaction or dissatisfaction (Dichter 1966; Richins 1983; Yale 1987), commitment to the firm (Dick and Basu 1994) and novelty of the product (Bone 1992). When a consumer has had an exceptionally pleasing experience with a brand, or on the other hand, a particularly unpleasant one they are more likely to share this with as many of their peers as possible. Depending on the experience, this could lead to extreme benefit on the part of the company behind the brand or it could be detrimental to its image.Equally significant is the level of loyalty that a consumer may have to a brand or company. Once a consumer has a reached a stage of extre me brand loyalty, they develop a deep connection with the brand as they would with a person. There have been various schools of thought on the motivating influences on spread of WOM. One of these was that consumers who communicate marketing messages to other consumers were previously assumed to engage in this behavior as a result of altruism or reciprocity or to attain higher status (Dichter 1966; Engel, Kegerreis, and Blackwell 1969; Gatignon and Robertson 1986).However, according to findings conducted by Kozinets et. al. (2010), the motivators are more multifaceted including the individual’s personality, specifically at whether they are opinion leaders or opinion seeker; this topic will be discussed in greater detail further on in the next section of the literature review chapter. Additionally, their research study suggests that the sharing of WOM marketing messages is â€Å"personal in a communally appropriate manner. † Therefore, advocating that WOM is heavily infl uenced by personal characteristics of an individual in a communal setting.Wiedmann et. al. (2007) address the question of why certain personal sources of information have more influence than others to identify general market-place influencers and use them for more effective product and message diffusion. They support that factors such as source expertise (Bansal and Voyer 2000; Gilly et al. 1998), tie strength (Brown and Reingen 1987; Frenzen and Nakamoto 1993), demographic similarity (Brown and Reingen 1987), reference group influence (Bearden and Etzel 1982) and perceptual affinity (Gilly et al. 998) have been identified as important antecedents of WOM influence. 2. 5The role of opinion leaders and opinion seekers on social media sites as reference groups Bearden et. al. (1989) state that the pervasive use of spokespeople in product and service endorsements reflects the widely held belief that individuals who are admired or who belong to a group to which other individuals aspire c an exercise an influence on information processing, attitude formation, and purchase behaviour. Consumers influence other consumers in numerous ways.They act as models that inspire imitation among those who observe their purchase and consumer behaviour, either directly or indirectly. Flynn et. al (2001) propose that consumers spread information through word of mouth, as consumption is a major topic of social communication. They further influence one another by directly giving out advice and verbal direction for search purchase and use. Research reveals that the time spent online and the benefits pertaining to product information and brand awareness for consumers are impacted on by individual personality traits.Personality traits in this context are discussed as they pertain to â€Å"opinion leaders† and â€Å"opinion seekers†. Solomon et. al (2010) clarify the term opinion leaders by defining them as â€Å"people who are knowledgeable about products and whose advice i s taken seriously by others. † These people tend to be respected in their knowledge of specific products and hold great social power, as people tend to go to them for recommendations and advice. Opinion seekers on the other hand â€Å"are more likely to talk about products with others and to solicit others’ opinions as well. Solomon et. al (2010) Research conducted by Acar and Polonsky (2007) reveal that â€Å"gender and extroversion predict online social network size and time spent online; that opinion seekers spend more time online and have larger networks relative to opinion leaders; and that opinion leaders are more likely to communicate their brand use online† This research further found the â€Å"mediating role of opinion leadership and opinion seeking in explaining the impact of general personality traits online brand communication and social networking. †From this definition it is established that although people may seek information from various sources, there are certain individuals whose advice carries more weight than others. Opinion leaders also tend to be socially active and highly interconnected in their community. Opinion seekers on the other hand, are often seen to be followers of opinion leaders. They are constantly in search of information from others. This could explain the reason that they would be most active online as revealed in research discussed above by Acar and Polonsky (2007).Research conducted by Aaker (1991) and Keller (1993) concurs that the set of associations consumers have about a brand is an important component of brand equity. According to the findings from this research, consumers gain a certain level of psychological benefit from using or associating with certain brands. Consequently, the way in which the opinion leader is perceived will have a bearing on the brand perception to those that interact with him.Escalas and Bettman (2003) found that â€Å"students are more are more likely to develo p a self-brand connection when there is a strong usage association between a reference group and the brand and there is a strong connection between the reference groups and the consumer’s self-concept. † Therefore, in this research, if a student has aspiration or actual associations with a certain reference group, whichever brand(s) that are popular within that group or have a high usage rate within that group will in turn have a level of appeal to that student.It stands to reason then, that with the copious amounts of time spent online by consumers, and the loads of information imparted particularly by opinion seekers, that social media sites would now form a pivotal role of this brand reference and purchase decision making construct. Social media sites have in themselves evolved dramatically over recent years, occupying a more extensive space in today’s society. The advancement of social media has allowed it to reach a point where it could be considered to play a pivotal role in consumer interaction with reference groups.Childers and Rao (1992) put forth that the reference- group construct has supplanted the notion of group membership as one that explains group influence on individual behaviour. An important point to note is that the relationship between an individual and a reference group should be motivationally and psychologically significant for the influence to be considerable. Lessig and Park (1978) identified and examined three motivational reference group functions (RGFs) that lend themselves easily to the proposition of social media sites as reference groups.The functions are: informational, utilitarian, and value-expressive. These two researchers defined the terms in the following way. â€Å"An informational reference group imposes no norms on the individual. Instead, an influence is internalized if it is perceived as enhancing the individual's knowledge about his environment and/or his ability to cope with some aspect of it. T hus, the likelihood that an individual will accept information from this reference group as evidence of reality increases if he feels uncertainty associated with the purchase and/or lacks relevant purchase related experience. In line with this thinking, consumers in the process of purchasing products may visit Facebook or a blogging site in order to get product information, often from people with whom they have a personal relationship or connection. The influence of a utilitarian reference group on the other hand as outlined by the research conducted by Lessig and Park (1978) refers to â€Å"influence on individuals from a different approach from the informational reference group, these groups are seen to motivate an individual to realize a reward or to avoid a punishment mediated by some other individual or group or is expected to conform to the other's influence. The success of this phenomenon is achieved only if the individual feels that his actions are visible or will be known. Individual profiles are visible to everyone that participates on Facebook as well as blogs other than those with a private setting. Individuals subscribing to this form of reference group would tend to want as many people as possible to see their profile and thus display their group associations. The third motivational reference group function explored by Lessig and Park (1978) is the value-expressive reference group. An individual utilizes a value-expressive reference group for the purpose of expressing himself and/or bolstering his ego to an outside world. The degree of cohesiveness or norm specificity of the reference group is irrelevant for this function. What is important is the psychological image associated with the group whether the group is real or imaginary. A number of well-known cases exist in which attempts have been made to use the value-expressive reference group function in promotions.Consider the following examples: the â€Å"young generation† promoted by Pe psi, the ‘seaman image† promoted by Schlitz and the â€Å"sophisticated and liberated woman† concept promoted by Virginia Slim cigarettes. † Social media sites have now created a platform whereby people are enabled to create, aspire and join certain group. This information is more readily accessible and visible to the general public, thereby allowing individuals to display their affiliations with much more ease and higher reach.Childers and Rao (1992) further establish that from marketing and consumer- behaviour perspectives, the influence of reference groups on individual behaviour is often manifested in the types of products and brands purchased by individuals. 2. 6SHOPPING AS A SOCIAL ACTIVITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES A third view into social media sites and consumer buying behaviour show that these two concepts are intrinsically connected as shopping or sales in themselves are a social activity based on mutual trust.According to Shih (2009), â€Å"relation ships can sometimes even trump price as the deciding factor in purchase decisions. † Product information from a trusted source like friends, family or other people that may form a part of one’s reference group could result in the purchase of a product just from the mere fact that the information is coming from that specific person. It has been accepted for decades that shopping is more than the mere acquisition of products but rather it is more about the enjoyment, experience and entertainment.Dennis et. al (2009) state that â€Å"as well as its functional role it includes the pleasure of browsing, impulse buying, discovering new shops, topic for casual conversation, focal point for planned and unplanned activities with other people. This statement is particularly true among women. Researchers have drawn attention to the importance of social and affiliation motivations for shopping. Shim and Eastlick (1998) Social networks lend themselves as an ideal platform for the a bove-mentioned motivations for shopping.These networks have drastically revolutionised society in the way people engage and socialise. â€Å"Nearly half (49%) of the thirty million Internet users in the UK have used social networking at least once in the last year and 70% of people and households are Internet users. Dutton et. al. (2009) Young females are over-represented as users of social network websites. Research carried out by Lenhart and Madden (2007) reported that 70% of females use social network sites and 48% of teens visit social network websites like Facebook daily.Findings from research conducted by comScore (2010) reveal that social media users spend, on average, one and a half times more time online than the typical web surfer. In fact, heavy Facebook users spent an average of $67 online during the first quarter of the year—compared with less than $50 for the general netizen. Social networks essentially facilitate social shopping or social commerce as the terms tend to be used interchangeably to take place among users. Social Shopping is a method of shopping where shoppers' friends and family become involved in the shopping experience.Social shopping attempts use technology to mimic the social interactions found in physical malls and stores. 2. 7cosmetics and social media Estee Lauder has demonstrated willingness and innovation within the cosmetics category in terms of exploring social media sites to enhance brand perceptions and ultimately increase its sales. In 2009, Estee Lauder launched a business to consumer (B2C) social media marketing campaign for their cosmetics division, with their â€Å"Lets Play Makeover† initiative.As a prestigious and global skin care and Cosmetics Company, Estee Lauder saw an opportunity to tap into the increasing share of older women – mothers in particular – who were using social media. They thus created the Estee Lauder â€Å"Let's Play Makeover† Facebook application, which in essence is a virtual makeover tool. Women could upload their photos and use Estee Lauder products to create virtual make-up. This is a significant change to cosmetics marketing because it allows potential consumers to test and trial make-up in the privacy of their own homes before making purchases.This innovative application saves time and also lets them experiment with make-up at their own leisure. The effectiveness of this application is underscored by how it also integrates the full shopping experience by indicating to users which specific makeup they are using, from the eye-shadow to foundation colour – and seals the deal by allowing them to purchase their chosen products online, thus making the purchase experience more convenient for the consumer. The sharing aspect of social media is also encouraged, as the application lets users share their makeovers and before/after shots with friends.Social media campaigns should not just be considered as a separate entity. It's effe ctiveness in B2C marketing especially can be enhanced with other marketing methods. This example in particular shows how to effectively tie in offline promotions with social media marketing. The underlying strategy with Estee Lauder's â€Å"Lets Play Makeover† campaign is thus to use social media as the major point of purchase, but at the same time, offer alternatives for users to make purchases, ultimately allowing them to fully engage with their products and services whichever way they prefer.Proctor & Gamble’s Olay brand was another successful story in pioneering of cosmetics category of products to explore the use of online interactions through such sites. It rolled out an online interactive diary for the Olay Regenerist anti-ageing skincare brand in 2006. The diary provided detailed information on the skin each week for the first eight weeks of product use, taking the consumer through the process, as the effects of the product were not immediately visible.Research conducted post this activity revealed that Olay had produced a four to six times higher intent to purchase among the target group, with 78% of the sample saying they had purchased the brand within the last year. According to a report by Stylophane (2010) â€Å"if a user joins the fan page as a result of viewing an advert, this action is logged on the advert itself, which means friends of the user can see this action, prompting them to also become a fan of the brand. † Thus highlighting the effectiveness of the spread of WOM on such sites even in the most passive or subtle situations.Another successful cosmetics brand that has seen great success through its presence on Facebook is MAC. As at March 2010, MAC had the greatest number of fans (542,613) – more than double that of the second most popular brand, Carol’s Daughter. Nichol (2010) 2. 8SUMMARY This chapter was dedicated to the clarification and expansion of existing theoretical studies on the topic under re search. The terms Social media and Brand perception were defined and clarified in the way in which they are intended for this study.Additionally, further research that offers a robust consolidation of theories to support the research at hand were examined and discussed. CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1INTRODUCTION The previous chapter comprehensively explored extant literature on the topic under research. Focal points of discussion in the preceding chapter were on conceptual clarification and literature most pertinent to the topic in this study. The core purpose of this chapter is to expound and justify the chosen methodology of collection of primary data for this research.This chapter identifies research aims and objectives in relation to the research methodology employed. Moreover, this chapter discusses the chosen research paradigm or philosophy as well as its motives. Following onto this, the chapter explores the research approach, research strategy options as well as the selected data collection methods. Finally, this chapter deliberates the strengths and weaknesses of the research methodology for this study. 3. 2RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVESIt is imperative that the research aims and objectives mentioned at the beginning of the study are reiterated at this stage of the study as they form a crucial basis of the work going forward from this point. The research aims and objectives feed into the research methodology selected for the research. Therefore, at this point, it is prudent to reaffirm that the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Social Media sites on brand perceptions, with specific focus on the cosmetics industry using Estee Lauder as a case study.This research rests on the following aims and objectives; firstly the study set to review extant conceptual models and theoretical frameworks related to social media and brand perceptions. The following objective was to evaluate Facebook and consumer blogs in their role as referenc e groups on consumers. The final objective is to determine optimal strategies to improve sales and brand reputation of cosmetics through an increased presence on social media platforms; specifically Facebook and blogs. The above mentioned aims and objectives guide the researcher in the formulation and design of the research methodology.It is paramount that these aims and objectives are assiduously concomitant with the methodology employed in order to ensure the success of this research study. 3. 3RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY Galliers (1991) defines research philosophy as a belief about the way in which data about a phenomenon should be gathered, analysed and used. Epistemology which is, what is known to be true, is contrary to doxology, what is believed to be true encompasses the various philosophies of research approach. Latu (2007) elaborates this rationale in stating that the purpose of science, then, is the process of transforming things believed into things nown: â€Å"doxa to episteme †. As discussed by Hussey and Hussey (1997), there are two key research philosophies that have been identified in science and those are positivist (scientific) and interpretivist (antipositivist). According to Weber (2004), positivists attempt to build knowledge of a reality that exists beyond the human mind. Their research is based on a belief that human experience of the world reflects an objective, independent reality and that this reality provides the foundation for human knowledge.On the other hand, interpretivists are attuned to the belief that knowledge they build reflects their individual structure of interpretation that is based on distinct human experience, background, culture and other such divergent factors that may impact the way in which they interpret results from their studies. Interpretivists in other words, try to make sense of the world, acknowledging that their sense-making activities occur within the framework of their life-worlds and the particular goals they have for their work.Knowledge is built through social construction or interpretation of the world. This research study is conducted from an interpretivist point of view. The results and findings of this study rely heavily on human interpretation as it relates to human perception which is essentially, the way people psychologically organise the world around them. There is a significant human socialisation interpretation involved in the analysis of the way in which social media sites impact on brand perceptions of individuals.The term perception by its very definition is based on an individual’s interpretation of the world around them. It would then stand to reason that an interpretivist research philosophy would be employed in the conducting of this research study. As is stated by Levin (1998), positivists believe that reality is stable and can be observed and described from an objective viewpoint; it would seem a fundamentally flawed approach to take on a positivists vie w when conducting this research-considering the subjectivity of the topic under research of human perception.This study is involved with the interpretation of brands exposed on Facebook and blogs by various individuals. The way in which one individual construes the presence of cosmetics brands on Facebook and blogs will invariably be different from the way another may view it- based on their differing understanding of the world. The human element which is inextricably associated with the topic under research could be overlooked in the investigation were it to be conducted from a positivist philosophy.Therefore, in investigating the impact of social media on brand perceptions, the research philosophy germane and most appropriate is interpretivism. The two principal disadvantages of a positivist application to the study at hand are these; firstly, its quest for rigid laws and perfect standards of scientific methodology and analysis are improbable when dealing with social phenomenon. P ositivism standards are meant to be applicable repeatedly overlooking the variations in human behaviour. The second drawback is positivism’s inconsideration of the subjective and unique aspects of social phenomenon.Whereas, in dealing with the interpretation of individuals’ brand perceptions, the researcher must factor in varying social backgrounds, brand and brand communication preferences, natural scientists w