Comparison Between Marx And Rousseau - 1138 Words

Due to state laws and policies, Marx and Rousseau both agree men are not living in a free society. In western democracies today, both philosophers’ ideas are clear and visible. Rousseau and Marx both argue in their works that men seek to control property, as a way to control others. Rousseau argues in his work, discourse on the origin of inequality, that man is not equal due to the greed and selfishness of individuals who control the government. Charles Bertram argues that, â€Å" Rousseau believes that a system of individual rights of private property and self-ownership that is accompanied by massive disparities of wealth and income inevitably leads to distortion and deformation of the will as the people seek to curry favour or seek advantage†, Bertram (2004) . Bertram points out Rousseau’s idea that the idea of owning property purely to survive off of does not work, as others seek to reap the wealth and rewards from the land, through tariffs or quotas etc. Today this is obvious in western society. Karl Marx believes that all property should be owned by the state, as he lists in the Communist Manifesto. According to Lowith (2003), he also be lieved working men become property themselves through the work they put in. This is common in England during the industrial revolution, as workers were easily replaced. Lowith (2003) also finds that Marx compared man in bourgeois society with the commodity as a product of simple labor. I support this statement strongly. In Mexico, due toShow MoreRelatedJohn Locke s Theory Of Theory And Social Discourse1253 Words   |  6 Pagesprotected property. A half century later, Jean Jacques Rousseau published Discourse on Inequality, a piece that explored the proprietary origin and distribution of equality while subtly critiquing John Locke’s theories. By the time Karl Marx began to explore bourgeois society and its shortcomings, Rousseau was an established Locke critique who Marx’s On the Jewish Question and Communist Manifesto could contend with. The largest point of contention between the three would be the concept of property and theRead MoreRousseau s The Social Contract15 88 Words   |  7 PagesThe following texts, Rousseau s The Social Contract, Marx’s Private Property and Communism, Estranged Labor and Money, all differentiate between a general will, and a more personal, individual will. However, Rousseau’s and Marx’s theories of a general will, or collective being have discrepancies in both the origin and implications of general will and individual will. Rousseau defines general will as a collective desire to advance society towards a common goal. However, Rousseau warns that ignoringRead MoreThe Bourgeoisie Essay1503 Words   |  7 Pages     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Karl Marx describes â€Å"Society as a whole [as being] more and more [split] up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other-bourgeoisie and proletariat† (Marx 124).   As Marx made his distinction between upper class, bourgeoisie, and lower class, proletariats, it is important to keep in mind the societal structure at the time.   To understand how classes were created and the disparity between the rich and poor, or, bourgeoisie and proletariat, it is necessaryRead MoreThe Struggle to Gain Equality: A Study of Native American Woman in Literature1678 Words   |  7 PagesFeminine which creates inequality between men and women. In The Four Idols, Francis Bacon uses the four idols of the tribe, the cave, the marketplace, and the theater to show how humans understanding and intelligence hinders their knowledge of nature. In The Origin of Civil Society, Jean-Jacques Rousseau concludes that the Social Contract benefits those who are not strong to fight for their equality in law and civil rights. In The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx disapproves of an industrial societyRead MoreHobbes Vs. Marx On Government s First Duty1038 Words   |  5 Pages Topic #1 – Hobbes vs. Locke vs. Marx â€Å"Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives,† said Ronald Reagan. Some political philosophies like John Locke would agree to this statement, while other, like Thomas Hobbes would not, and some will both agree and disagree, like Karl Marx. You will come to learn why the â€Å"social contract† of John Locke is the best through the review of all three philosophers main ideas on government, the comparison of all three philosophers, and finallyRead MoreThe Inequality Of Class Stratification950 Words   |  4 Pages1. Are we really equal? â€Å"Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains† (Rousseau, 1994, p.45.). This report will develop from the foundation of Rousseau, exploring the notion that all humans are understood as equal, yet disparities across society are widespread. I will assert that class stratification is manifested within the micro-level sociology of education. It will demonstrate that class inequalities are maintained and reproduced through the means of social, economic and cultural capitalRead MoreThe Marxist Concept Of Communism1735 Words   |  7 Pagesproperly understand the Marxist concept of communism, one must start where Marx himself does, with an understanding of the evolution and revolutions that created the current class system. Unlike Rousseau and Hobbes, Marx does not begin with a hypothetical human state of nature, but instead recounts the human history of hierarchy, saying, â€Å"the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles† (Marx, 1 4). He then traces these struggles, from ancient Rome to the problems ofRead MoreThe Critique Of Karl Marx Essay1549 Words   |  7 PagesIn â€Å"Marx: Anthropologist,† Thomas C. Patterson provides archival research and contemporary analysis to defend the assertion that Karl Marx was one of the first urban anthropologists and a progenitor of emic ethnography in western culture. Patterson also aims to correct prior misinterpretations of Marx’s work in a polemic manner, addressing deficiencies in early analyses through careful argumentation and relevant evidence to contrary inferences. Patterson’s stated purpose is to answer the questionRead MorePlato And Aristotle s Views On Political Philosophy Essay3649 Words   |  15 PagesIntroduction: The term â€Å"Political Philosophy† is a normative study of state, government, relationships between individual and communities, laws, rights and justice. It depends on the philosophers that can be entangled with ethics, economics and also metaphysics. Political thinkers are the pioneers of â€Å"Modern Politics† in the world. The first serious political thinkers emerged in Greece. Plato and Aristotle are two great philosophers of ancient Greece. Plato in his book â€Å"The Republic† delivers theRead MoreEconomic Equality Between The Social Classes Of The Great United States Of America1658 Words   |  7 PagesThere should be greater economic equality between the social classes of the great United States of America. While there is no agreement of a full blown communist or socialist revolution, a la Karl Marx, there is agreement that there should be slight changes towards this idea of equality. According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, a social contr act (theory) â€Å"is the view that persons moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society

Religion and Schools Essay - 599 Words

Many of our state and federal laws are based upon Christian religious rhetoric that remain on the books, if not, always enforced. These laws that shape how our country and schools operate, even define how educators are supposed to behave. Freedom of religion, a mandate of the U.S. Constitution, yet, religion has found its way into our laws and classrooms. A clearly defined part of the Alabama Educator Code of Ethics states the following, â€Å"Standard 3: Unlawful Acts: an educator should abide by federal, state, and local laws and statutes.† However, many of the laws that are on the books about moral and ethical behavior were created utilizing religious scripture and designed to foster a Christian way of life. Thomas Jefferson, an advocate of†¦show more content†¦The state of Alabama still has many laws on the books that make it unlawful to be a homosexual. Does this mean that a gay or lesbian teacher is in violation of the law and they are morally unfit to teach? Right and wrong behavior is not black nor white. There are shades of grey that make behavior subjective and not necessarily equivocal to law-breaking behavior. It is important to note, that being an educator does come with certain responsibilities to be â€Å"moral compasses,† but who deems what is moral. In an increasingly technologically monitored world in which people can take pictures, record videos and alter images to suit their needs or biases, anyone can fall victim to unethical behavior at the hands of an angry, manipulative community member. Furthermore, are current laws and standards for educators fair or simply egregious? Matters of faith should remain for those teaching Sunday school and not for our public school teachers whose job it is to mold the intellectual component of a student’s mind. Despite David Purple’s stance that there should be a â€Å"commitment to nourishing the power of love† in our classrooms, it is neither the job nor responsibility of a school or teacher to foster religious or spiritual growth. One can hope that a student will develop a keen intellect to pursue this growth on their own utilizing the analytical skills and compassionate learning they gained in the classroom. Teachers have a responsibility to teach, beShow MoreRelatedReligion : Public Schools And Religion2002 Words   |  9 PagesReligion in Public Schools Issues involving public schools and religion have been topics involving intense debate. It is difficult for the government to elucidate the appropriate boundaries of religion in the public schools. It is true that teaching about religion is permitted in the public education systems, but the real question is where the margin should be set between teaching religion and simply teaching about religion. It is almost impossible to teach about the history of the United StatesRead MoreReligion in Schools Today1253 Words   |  6 Pagesregards to our religious beliefs. Many young children are brought up today confused about religion and the significance it plays in their lives. There are many sanctions and rules now on what can and can t be thought or displayed to people on public property, but it wasn t always like this. In this paper I will be discussing the American religious experience in regards to the impact religion has in the public schools. since 1776 the United States has grown from a nation of relatively few religiousRead MoreThe Effects Of Religion On School Performance867 Words   |  4 PagesWhy is school easy to some while almost impossible to others? Almost everyone has wondered these questions at least once throughout their school career. Religion is one area that is alleged to have a great effect on school performance. Therefore, students who are active in religion should be expected to perform better in school. Whether a child’s increased performance comes from the values which his or her religion pushes or from the environment they are immersed in, some aspect of religion is thoughtRead MoreEssay on Religion in Public Schools 1442 Words   |  6 PagesThe subject of religion in public schools is one that has been debated vigorously and passionately. The warriors from the Right and Left fail to appreciate the facts because they are caught up in the rhetoric and have difficulty viewing this emotion al topic dispassionately (Haynes, 2011). Both sides are right about one thing: this is an important subject. The debate on religion in the public school is complicated by the fact that there are two clauses dealing with religion in the First AmendmentRead MoreShould Religion Be Taught At School?1640 Words   |  7 Pages Should Comparative Religion Be Taught In School Many people have thought that religion is one of the most important aspects of our lives and that it is a structure for how we must carry ourselves. Some believe that a life without faith or religion is no life worth living at all because that is what allows them to give meaning or purpose to life. Many would agree that there are great stories about morals and traditions that each provides and we could learn a great amount of wisdom and understandingRead MoreFreedom of Religion in Public Schools1748 Words   |  7 Pagesthe individual practice of religion in school has become a very controversial topic. There are many different views on this matter and even more opinions on how it should be handled. There are people on both sides of the spectrum, there are those who believe that it should be taught and allowed in school, and there are those who believe it should not be taught or practiced in school. There have been cases brought to court about how religion should be taken out of schools, or if it should be allowedRead MoreReligion and Public school Essay1652 Words   |  7 Pagesestablished religion. To prevent this from happening in America, the Framers of the constitution banished the ability for the state to interfere with religion, and vice versa. Yet over time this mixture of government and religion has been tested, especially in cases involving school and religion. Like any argument, there is a party which agrees and another which disagrees. When looking at schools and practices of religion, there is a side that believe the mixture of school and religion is just andRead MoreThe Practice of Religion in Public Schools762 Words   |  4 PagesThe Practice of Religion in Public Schools The â€Å"establishment† or â€Å"religion† clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution reads: â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof† (Education Week, 2003, para. 2). It is from this clause that the idea of separation of church and state comes. It is also the basis for much of the debate regarding the practice of religion in public schools (Education Week, 2003). OneRead MoreReligion in Public Schools Essay1131 Words   |  5 PagesDefinition: Religion in school is the practice of any personal religious beliefs in a place of education. Introduction: In recent years teaching or the individual practice of religion in school has become a very controversial topic. There are many different views on this matter and even more opinions on how it should be handled. There are people on both sides of the spectrum, there are those who believe that it should be taught and allowed in school, and there are those who believe it shouldRead MorePrayer and Religion in School Essay1055 Words   |  5 PagesReligion and prayer can benefit students in educational settings by positively contributing to better grades and behavior. Personal faith and prayer are important to people in many walks of life. Some individuals believe that this need for religious stimulation includes the youth in our school systems. There are different reasons why knowledge of religion and prayer can be important to students. For example, if students do not know about diverse faiths, it can be difficult for them to have a well-rounded

Helen Essay Thesis Example For Students

Helen Essay Thesis A monologue from the play by Euripides NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from The Plays of Euripides in English, vol. i. Trans. Shelley Dean Milman. London: J.M. Dent Sons, 1920. HELEN: At thy knees I fall,O virgin, as a suppliant, and here takeMy miserable seat, both for myself,And him whom, scarce restored to me, I seeNow on the verge of death. Forbear t informThy brother, that to these fond arms my lordAgain is come. O save him, I implore thee;Nor gratify thy brother, by betrayingThe feelings of humanity, to purchaseA wicked and unjust applause: for JoveDetests all violence, he bids us useWhat we possess, but not increase our storesBy rapine. It is better to be poor,Than gain unrighteous wealth. For all mankindEnjoy these common blessings, Air and Earth;Nor ought we our own house with gold to fill,By keeping fraudfully anothers right,Or seizing it by violence. For Hermes,Commissioned by the blest immortal powers,Hath, at my cost, consigned me to thy sire,To keep me for this husband, who is hereAnd claims me back again: but by what meansCan he receive me after he is dead?Or how can the Egyptian king restore meA living consort to my breathless lord?Consider therefore, both the will of HeavenAnd that of thy great father. Would the god,Would the deceased, surrender up or keepAnothers right? I deem they would restore it.Hence to thy foolish brother shouldst not thouPay more respect than to thy virtuous sire.And sure if thou, a prophetess, who utterstTh oracular responses of the gods,Breakst through thy fathers justice, to complyWith an unrighteous brother: it were baseIn thee to understand each mystic truthRevealed by the immortal powers, the thingsThat are, and those that are not; yet oerlookThe rules of justice. But O stoop to saveMe, miserable me, from all those illsIn which I am involved; this great exertionOf thy benignant aid, my fortunes claim.For there is no man who abhors not Helen;Tis rumored through all Greece that I betrayedMy husband, and abode beneath the roofsOf wealthy Phrygia. But to Greece once moreShould I return and to the Spartan realm;When they are told, and see, how to the artsOf these contending goddesses they oweT heir ruin; but that I have to my friendsBeen ever true, they to the rank I heldMidst chaste and virtuous matrons, will restore me:My daughter too, whom no man dares to wed,From me her bridal portion shall receive;And I, no longer doomed to lead the lifeOf an unhappy vagrant, shall enjoyThe treasures that our palaces contain.Had Menelaus died, and been consumedIn the funeral pyre, I should have weptFor him far distant in a foreign realm;But now shall I for ever be bereftOf him who lives, and seem to have escapedFrom every danger. Virgin, act not thus;To thee I kneel a suppliant; O conferOn me this boon, and emulate the justiceOf your great sire. For fair renown attendsThe children, from a virtuous father sprung,Who equal their hereditary worth.

Online Financial Services Essay Example

Online Financial Services Essay Introduction Services What are services? They are defines as concerned with performing tasks in and around households, business firms and institutions. Services industries are those domestic establishments which are providing some kind of services to businesses, governments and other organizations. FIRE, business and health services are the largest service industries. Business services include activities such as consulting, advertising, marketing and information processing. Categorizing service industries With these service industry groups, companies can be further categorized into those that involve transaction broking and those than involve a ‘hands on’ service. For instance, one type of financial service involves stockbrokers who act as the middle person in a transaction between buyers and sellers. Online mortgage companies refer customers to mortgage companies that actually issue the mortgage. In contrast, legal, medical and accounting industries perform specific hands on activities for their customers. In order to provide their service, these professionals need to interact directly and personally with their client. In this the opportunities for ecommerce are somewhat different. Currently doctors and scientists cannot treat patients over the internet but internet can at least assist their services by providing consumers with information, knowledge and communication. Features of service industries Knowledge and information intensity – With some exceptions such as providers of physical services such as cleaning, gardening and so on, and the most important feature of service industries is that they are knowledge and information intense. They process a great deal of information and employ people with the requisite skill and expertise. We will write a custom essay sample on Online Financial Services specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Online Financial Services specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Online Financial Services specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer For example lawyers for legal services. However, financial services sector is not so knowledge intensive, but it requires much larger investments in information processing just to keep track of transactions and investments. In fact the financial services sector is the largest investor in information technology, with over 80% of their invested capital going to information technology equipment and services. For this reason, many ecommerce services are suited to ecommerce applications and strengths of the internet to collect, store and disseminate information and provide reliable and fast communication. Personalization and customization – Services differ in the amount of personalization and customization required in them to be delivered but still all types of services involve some amount of it. Services like legal, medical and accounting require extensive personalization – the adjustment of a service to the precise needs of a single individual or object. Others allow individual some personalization to choose from a restricted as in case of financial services. The ability of internet and ecommerce technology personalize and customize service or components of service is a major underlying the extremely rapid growth of ecommerce services. Further the amount of customization also depends on the ability of ecommerce or internet to do so. Online Financial Services The online financial services sector is a shinning example of an ecommerce success story. With the innovative, pure online firms have been instrumental in transforming the brokerage industry, the impacts of ecommerce have been somewhat less powerful in banking, insurance and real estate where customers are more likely to use the web for research, but conduct research for traditional suppliers. In addition, pure online financial firms are not yet profitable. The costs of marketing and technology have far exceeded the early estimates of experts. As in the retail marketplace, it is the multichannel financial firms who are showing the fastest growth and strongest prospects of long term revival. Online Banking and Brokerage Online baking was pioneered in the US by NetBank and Wingspan in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Traditional banks had developed earlier versions of telephone banking but did not use online services until 1998. Although late by a year or two, the established brand name banks have taken a significant lead in market share as measured by number of unique visitors. Same goes as true for the brokerage firms as well Early innovators such as E*Trade and Ameritrade had been displaced from their leadership positions by the financial industry giant Fidelity and discount broker pioneer Charles Schwab. Merrill Lynch, The largest brokerage firm in the United States did not develop an online presence until 2000, but it rapidly added new clients after going online. Online Banking Behavior and Preferences Any belief {or maybe even wishful thinking) that the Internet is just a passing fad seems to be laid to rest by a new survey from CashEdge in New York. The survey polled more than 400 consumers nationwide who use online banking. Eighty-five percent of the survey participants said they would bank only with an institution that offered online banking capabilities. In addition, 82 percent said they would use more online capabilities if offered to them. Other survey findings noted that 87 percent of respondents have more than one institution where they keep their money. Along those same lines, 71 percent said they would prefer not to have to use checks or cash, but would rather use online funds transfers. Online usage has also created more of a demand for speedier service. Seventy-four percent of those polled said they expect a new bank account to be available for use the same day that they sign up for it. The popularity of online banking has been based on both speed and convenience. A majority (66 percent) of those surveyed considered having to go to a branch to be a chore. At the same time, 88 percent said they tried to cut down on their visits to the bank while 75 percent said that if they could, they would never go for a branch and would instead do all their banking online. Granted, these are online banking customers being polled, so the results may be somewhat biased. Still, the numbers do show a growing reliance on the Internet as a means for banking. Finally, customers polled said they do have concerns regarding online banking. Close to 50 percent cited security as a main concern about conducting banking transactions over the Internet. In addition, 14 percent said the issue of security keeps them from banking online. Online Mortgage and Lending Online mortgage lending is a growing field that is starting to seriously compete with traditional ‘person lenders’. The process is relatively easy. The important thing to remember is to make sure your know the ins and outs of any and all online home mortgage loans prior to submitting your personal information. In some cases, youll find fees can be much cheaper than traditional in person lenders. Further, you may discover a greater range of mortgage loan programs available. Among the highlights of these programs may be lower rates of interest and flexible repayment terms. Also, borrowers with a bad credit history may find online mortgage lending to be the answer to their prayers. In most cases, web-based lenders offer more alternatives to those with less than desirable credit ratings. Finally, it can shave a ton of time off of the traditional in person route and having to wait (what might be several days) to be approved. The bonus here is if you dont get approved the first time, you can apply to another lender right away and like the first time; youll get your answer quick. Its important to realize that not all online mortgage lenders have representation in all states. Before taking the time to apply online, its in your best interest to make sure that the lender in question is represented in the state in which you reside. A big negative is unfortunately accountability. Its your job as the potential borrower to do your homework and keep on top of your application. Its wise to check out the company to make sure theyre legit and will be able to fulfill any promises they make regarding terms and interest rates. Unfortunately with both traditional and online mortgage lending, the mortgage loan programs offered may be more in lenders best interest than in yours. Again, its so very important that you do some research and comparison shopping. Just like with traditional in person lenders you want to make sure that it is in your best interest not theirs. Another possible negative is the fact that some lenders will charge you a fee prior to you learning whether or not your application has been successful. Please note that some traditional lenders also ask for a fee upfront. Borrowers beware there are many legitimate traditional and online lenders than dont insist on such a fee. Unlike any negative dealings you may have with traditional mortgage lenders, online mortgage lending isnt regulated by a governing organization in which you can complain to. The bottom line is that while online mortgage lending may be the way of the future, its also important to research the lender and ask the right questions. And, while applying for a mortgage loan online may seem like a great idea, dont discount the value of getting a comparison quote from a traditional in person lender. Financial portals A website that provides a variety of financial data and information, acting as an information hub for clients who are individual investors requiring timely financial news and data to make their investment decisions. Financial portals are intended to give clients all the finance-related information they need. Often, the portals themselves will provide visitors with quotes, research, articles, analyst recommendations, etc. Financial portals may also provide links to various relevant sites that offer this kind of information. In addition, many financial portals provide email accounts, chat rooms and web forums. They provide their comparison with comparison shopping services, independent financial advice and planning. On the contrary, independent portal do not themselves offer financial services but act as steering mechanisms to online providers. They generate revenue from advertising, referral fees and subscription. Financial portals are a major source of visitors to major established financial services sites. For instance, about one third of visitors to Wells Fargo began their sessions at a financial portal. About 20% of visitors to established sites exit to portal sites. These have become so important to established online service firms that some providers like Charles Schwab and Citibank went ahead and have developed their own portals myschwab. com and myciti. om respectively, which permits users to personalize their financial web pages and provide account aggregation services. In general, financial portals do not offer financial services but instead they make their money from advertising and add to the existing online price competition in the industry. They are also a counter strategy of the large banking institutions to ensnare consumers into a single branded financial institution system with a single account and high s witching costs. Financial Portals are Hot, but for Whom? Suddenly-even by Internet time-the long sought one-stop financial portal has arrived. E-banking watchers are predicting that very soon, most big banks and some smaller ones will be sporting websites where customers can come to handle all of their financial affairs. Whats been missing until now is the ability to aggregate information and perform transactions that involve a customers accounts at rival institutions. Rich payoffs await the bank that can field a full-service financial portal. Its customers will likely visit he site more often, stay longer, and use more services. An early-adopting bank has the chance to become its best customers primary bank, where all financial information is consolidated into always-available net worth statements. For high-net worth customers, basic banking will likely evolve into online versions of what is now being called wealth management. Financial services industry trends The financial services industry provides four different types of services: sto rage and access to funds, protection of assets, means to grow assets, and movement of funds. These have been traditionally provided by separate firms. However, changing the institutional structure of the financial services industry has direct consequence for the online financial services. The trend contributing towards this cause is the industry consolidation or in other words movement towards integration financials services. Unlike in the traditional times, when banks were not allowed to operate in more than one area and industries like banking, insurance, brokerage were prohibited to from having significant financial interests in one another. Due to this concept only, some very small banks emerged in US in the past and it was also once called the most over-banked country in the world at that time. But this has long back faded into oblivion. Today the concept which is fast catching up is integration of financial services under one umbrella. Industry Consolidation and Integrated Financial Services Financial supermarket Most of the big online stockbrokers offer basic banking services like check-writing, automatic deposit, online bill payment and even A. T. M. cards. Now some companies are pulling out all the stops to convince customers to combine all their financial accounts with them, instead of keeping money at an assortment of institutions. This is called a financial supermarket. First, Bank of America announced that customers with at least $25,000 in traditional bank accounts — like checking, savings, money markets and certificates of deposit — could trade stocks free on the company’s brokerage Web site. Now some online brokers have sharply raised the interest rates they pay on checking accounts. Some time back, E*Trade Financial, based in New York, raised its top rate for checking to 3. 25 percent from 0. 8 percent. In late April, Charles Schwab bolstered its top checking rate to 4. 25 percent, from 2. 58 percent. Consumers have often preferred choosing their financial services a la carte — picking an interest-bearing checking account here, and a stock-trading site there. But financial services companies clearly have something else in mind. But there is dark side to it as well. Consumers should think carefully before combining their financial accounts with one company. The flip side to the convenience may be a decrease in investor privacy and data security. If a hacker broke into a company’s computers, then potentially they will know all of your sensitive information. People who combine their checking and brokerage accounts with one company should be prepared for cross-selling, the industry’s term for marketing many different financial products and services to customers. It is advised that customers should shop around before buying additional financial products, like mortgages and certificates of deposit, and not just to accept the rate at a company where they already have an account. Mortgages are a great example because the difference in cost over the life of a mortgage can be truly astronomical. The promise of internet and ecommerce technologies in the long rum would be to take the financial supermarket model one step further by providing a truly personalized, customized and integrated offering to customers based on their complete understanding in terms of his financial behavior, life cycle status, and unique needs. It will take time to accomplish this thing and also develop the technical infrastructure and consumer behavior toward a much deeper relationship with online financial service institutions. Online Financial Supermarkets. Dont bet on them. Big brokers would love nothing better, but consumers arent likely to bite At E*Trades Web site, you can buy shares in initial public offerings, do your banking, and get a 5% discount on a bottle of Le Parfum de Golf. At the American Express Co. site, you can pay your charge-card bill, trade stock, and book a flight to Kiev or Kuala Lumpur. Merrill Lynch Co. s ML. com will soon have $29. 95 stock trades, videos featuring Merrill market mavens, and an auction for diamond earrings. The Web sure is hip. But does anyone really want all this from a stockbroker? Financial-services companies have long wanted to create giant financial super markets. And financial services companies on the Web are no different. The goal has been to offer consumers banking, investments, insurance, loans, and financial planning in one convenient place. The strategy has failed for decades, and it will fail again online unless financial-services firms radically change the way they sell their products and learn to compete on price. The core difficulty for such would-be supermarkets is that they face a constant barrage of competition from companies pitching better products or services at lower prices. Just as online brokers squeeze commissions down to an average of $15 a trade, American Express offers free buy orders for customers with balances of at least $25,000. Just as portal Yahoo! Inc. popularizes a Visa card featuring 5% discounts for online purchases, startup NextCard Inc. offers similar shopping bargains plus a choice of cards with various rates and terms. And you can design the picture on your card yourself. For free. Funneling The truth is, it probably doesnt hurt to offer sideshows such as earring auctions and perfume discounts. The problem for the one-stop shops comes when they try to funnel online customers into high-priced, proprietary products, which may well alienate Netizens accustomed to saving money online. Those potential customers will click through and be on their way, and its not hard for them to find a better deal. At E-Loan Inc. , you can compare low-rate mortgages from countless lenders. At least a dozen sites offer insurance shopping services. And new firms such as VerticalOne Corp. and a host of others let you maintain multiple online financial accounts from different companies at one Web site. Internet or not, people dont want to be tied downsomething online brokers know all too well. Many customers use online trading as a mere adjunct to their primary accounts at full-service brokers. And if they arent satisfied with one online broker, theyll switch to anotherand complain about their problems on message boards for all to see. A Forrester Research study found that only 16% of consumers are willing to keep their assets in a single institution. And theyre not eager to give up choice, especially when new financial products and services pop up online all the time. The Web is a world where consumers are in charge, and they can move money in an almost frictionless environment, says Forrester analyst James Punishill. Its easy to understand why the financial industry is rushing to develop large-scale financial Web sites. Consumers want to consolidate their financial lives on the Webbut not with just one firm. Successful online companies wont try to pigeonhole customers into the same old proprietary products they sold pre-Internet. Theyll offer a broad selection, use the power of the Web to facilitate comparison shopping, and explain why a premium is justified for higher-priced products. In financial services, the Net has changed the rules. Account aggregation Account aggregation is a method that involves compiling information from different accounts, which may include bank accounts, credit card accounts, investment accounts, and other consumer or business accounts, into a single place. This may include a database or may be provided through screen scraping where a user provides the requisite account-access information for an automated system to gather and compile the information into a single page. Usually this database resides in a web-based application or in client-side software. While such services are primarily designed to aggregate financial information, they sometimes also display other things such as the contents of e-mail boxes and news headlines. One of the first major account aggregation services was Citibanks My Accounts service, though this service ended in late 2005 without explanation from Citibank. Much has been said in the financial services and banking industry as to the benefits of account aggregation principally the customer and web site loyalty it might generate for providers but the lack of responsibility and commitment by the providers is one reason for skepticism about committing to those same providers. The service helps users to manage their money on the Internet (typical desktop alternatives include Microsoft Money, Intuit Quicken etc) in an easy to use manner wherein they get functionalities like single password, one-click access to current account data, total net worth and expense analysis etc. Multiple U. S. financial institutions and credit unions are providing the service, however most of the time a vendor, such as Yodlee or Vertical One, is the technology solutions provider. Both these are the leading account aggregators. They use the screen scrapping technology and software tools to pull information from upto one thousand different financial sites. A smart mapping technology is also used sometimes so that if the underlying websites change, the scrapping software can adapt and still find the relevant information. Account aggregation has evolved with single sign-on at most major banks such as Bank of America. With SSO (usually implemented via SAML) major financial institutions are now expanding their aggregation services into new areas. Rich Presentment (getting all the information about a bill that you owe) is a service that uses Aggregation extensively, and can be seen at AOL, using AOL Bill Pay. Aggregation also powers applications such as Funds Transfer, New Account Openings, Card Based Bill Pay and so on. Independent Financial Advisors are another group that account aggregators are beginning to focus their attention. Having seen increasing competition from the wirehouses and breakaway brokers, positioning themselves as their clients primary advisor is not as easy as it once was. Account Aggregation should be able to help many of these advisors gain the competitive edge by providing a look into their clients held-away and non-managed accounts. Aggregators such as Advisor Exchange and CashEdge specialize in working with the advisor industry and provide historical, transaction level data that is normalized and reconciliation ready The main consumer and regulatory issues generated by account aggregation services include: †¢Disclosure including disclosure about the risk of using an aggregation service; †¢Liability for unauthorised transactions it is important to determine for losses caused by unauthorised transactions. For example, under the current regime, a consumer who discloses their password or PIN to an aggregation service may lose the protection offered by the EFT Code if an unauthorised transaction occurs; †¢Liability for other losses for example, losses caused by misrepresentations, inaccurate information, poor quality of the service, downloading software, interruption of the service, etc; †¢Privacy – e. g. ho has access to personal information, and what will the information be used for; †¢Security especially the security of any location where account information is stored by the aggregator;†¢ consumer education; †¢Complaints and dispute resolution most aggregation services surveyed do not appear to provide internal or external complaints resolution processes; †¢Cost of aggregation services, and debt recovery; †¢Cross-jurisdictional issues for example, what are the implications if the ggregator is based in another jurisdiction; †¢Regulatio n of aggregators should they be subject to the same prudential supervision framework and other regulations that apply to deposit-taking institutions and/or other financial institutions? ; †¢The implications of the Financial Transaction Reports Act, which is designed to deter money laundering and tax evasion. Security Understanding Consumer Preferences for Authentication Methods Would online banking increase if financial institutions provided their customers with ways to enhance security? A new survey TriCipher Consumer Online Banking Study, suggests that may well be the case. Conducted by Javelin Strategy Research, the survey found that 31 million U. S. consumers would begin banking online and another 39 million consumers would increase their online banking activity if offered free identity protection software by their banks. In fact, this authentication method was chosen by 53 percent of respondents. The second most popular authentication method—chosen by 33 percent of survey respondents—was biometrics, which uses a dedicated hardware device to verify such physical characteristics as a fingerprint. The survey also tracked consumers preferences of the following authentication methods. †¢ E-mail or SMS One Time Password (21 percent): An e-mail or text message is sent with a random second password. †¢ OTP Token (20 percent): A small electronic device provides a constantly changing password. †¢ Out-of-Band (16 percent): A call is made to a registered phone number, requesting that a user enter his or her password over the phone, †¢ Peripheral Device Recognition (15 percent): Connection of a removable device (e. g. iPod, cell phone) owned by the consumer †¢ Scratch-off Card (11 percent): A card containing several PINS that are scratched off one at a time Exploring the Electronic Vault With electronically signed documents growing in popularity, especially for processing mortgages, banks are facing the question of how to protect and manage them. Banks must provide airtight security, yet at the same time make the documents accessible to a broad range of personne l. Electronic vaults can solve the problem, according to ‘Advanced Electronic Vaulting Solutions. A white paper from eOriginal, a Baltimore based provider of electronic document solutions. An electronic vault, as defined in the companys white paper, manages the legally binding. Authoritative Copy of an electronically signed contract or other document, and possibly its related transaction documents, in a secure location where it is held and transitioned during the entirety of its lifecycle, Electronically signed documents have been legally viable since 2000, when President Clinton signed the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (E-SIGN) Act into law. When an electronic vault is in place, once a document has been e-signed, a final copy is immediately sent to an electronic vault, where access can be controlled. From then on, a log will keep track of anyone who accesses the document, including such functions as printing or copying. An electronic vault can provide additional benefits beyond chose of security and access. For example, using electronic vaults can demonstrate that an institution has an original, untampered document, which enhances the integrity of the document. In addition, the secondary market requires that documents be stored in a secure, closed system, and electronic vaults fit the bill. An effective vault system can even indicate the new owner of a loan document, without tampering with the original document in any way. When judging the effectiveness of an electronic vault system, financial institutions should consider several requirements: 1. All documents should be protected, encrypted and time-stamped. 2. Privileged access rights to the documents should be maintained and enforced. . A complete audit trail should be kept for each document, including document access and transfer of ownership. 4. The document should be tested on a regular basis to determine whether any alterations have been made. 5. A vault system must be able to destroy an electronic original in the case where a paper copy becomes the legal version. Financial industry requirements for better authentication The success of this Web-based channel has bred new problems, pri marily in the orm of new types of online fraud, online versions of traditional fraud, or offline fraud that leverages vulnerabilities in online services. So far, the financial industry has been remarkably effective at controlling this fraud,1 but financial institutions cannot assume that current fraud-control measures will always be effective, and in any case the public visibility of fraud schemes such as phishing is eroding consumer confidence in the safety of on-line financial services, which troubles both financial institutions and their industry regulators. One fundamental issue is authentication. Consumers are not as sure as they should be of the legitimacy of the Web sites they interact with, while the ability of financial institutions to authenticate their customers is being undermined by phishing schemes and other attacks aimed at stealing passwords and other sensitive information. The net effect is that people are losing confidence in the safety of conducting their financial business on the Web, which will have a negative impact on the growth and adoption of online financial services no matter how effective the financial industry is in controlling actual fraud losses. Government regulators, of course, are also concerned about this trend. With these concerns in mind, the Financial Services Technology Consortium (FSTC) last year initiated a project aimed at defining â€Å"Better Mutual Authentication† practices for online delivery of retail financial services. This project has brought together major financial institutions from the banking and securities sectors, along with leading technology vendors, industry associations and observers from government agencies. New insights have emerged from this Project regarding the nature of authentication in a Web/Internet context, including the conviction that—although the necessary technology is largely available in theory—current Web authentication practices must be substantially improved if customer confidence is to be restored. FSTC’s BMA Project encourages and supports efforts by W3C to coordinate broad-based initiatives to improve Web authentication, and Project participants are likely to contribute to, or leverage, W3C’s initiatives. From the FSTC BMA Project’s perspective, requirements need to be addressed in the following eight areas: 1. Usability 2. Mutuality 3. Credibility2 4. Scalability 5. Availability 6. Interoperability 7. Flexibility 8. Adaptability For financial services, the first three— usability, mutuality, and credibility—are the core requirements. Usability is vital. Embedded in the hardware, operating system, browser, and internet services available today in the average computer is a truly impressive array of security technology, but it’s nearly impossible for the average consumer to make effective use of it, or even to determine if it is working correctly. Customer confidence in financial services can only be achieved if customers are able to confirm through trustworthy user interfaces that their Web interactions are safe. At the same time, customer safety depends on protection from impostors who may attempt to impersonate either the customer to the financial service, or the financial service to the customer; hence, the need for mutual authentication. Credibility2 of authentication requires that both customer and financial institution confirm the authenticity of the other party using something better than just passwords or other shared secrets. Beyond these core requirements, no authentication solution can be effective for retail financial services unless it can scale to support the entire consumer population. And consumers will resist adopting any new measures that impact availability of services, or that are too likely to break. Given the diversity of consumer needs, various authentication techniques will be required, and so interoperability is essential. Evolving consumer requirements indicate that flexibility is necessary to allow consumers to utilize multiple platforms in an anywhere, anytime online context. And, emerging threats and ever more sophisticated attacks from increasingly organized adversaries implies that viable solutions must be adaptable to a range of new threat scenarios. FSTC’s BMA Project participants recognize that the problems of Web authentication cannot be addressed by any one organization, or even by an entire industry acting alone. Instead, a coordinated approach is required involving: †¢ Operating System (OS) developers †¢ Providers of end-user computing platforms—e. g. PCs, mobile devices †¢ Browser developers/vendors †¢ Web server software vendors †¢ Vendors of authentication techniques †¢ PKI service providers †¢ Web content providers—e. g. , financial institutions †¢ Internet Service Providers (ISPs) †¢ Standards-setting organizations †¢ Industry associations †¢ Government agencies †¢ End users—e. g. , consumers, citizens W3C is well positioned to bring together many of the se players to establish common objectives and align their respective strategies. Financial Industry Recommendations Leverage PKI More Effectively – PKI alone, as currently implemented, does not allow a user to distinguish between a financial institution Web site and one that, although belonging to an impostor, has nevertheless obtained some sort of certificate and supports https sessions One possible approach would be for the financial industry to establish new guidelines for a restricted subset of the existing certification hierarchy that would issue certificates only to financial institutions, and then to add new indicators to the browser â€Å"chrome† that would let the user know whether a site’s certificate is certified by this â€Å"strong† certification hierarchy. †¢Engage End Users in Mutual Authentication Perhaps the greatest concern with current Web authentication practices is that end users—the customers of financial nstitutionsâ₠¬â€ are severely handicapped in their ability to know if the Web site they are viewing is legitimate or an impostor. The financial industry would like to see new approaches to Web authentication that actively engage the user in authenticating Web sites (financial services) as well as providing stronger evidence of the user’s authenticity. This will require active, two-way communications with users that provide consistent, understandable interfaces into the complete authentication process. However, user engagement should not become an additional burden or hurdle to be overcome. Instead, users should, at the very least, be given a dashboard they can trust and that provides the information they need when they need it, including useful alerts or warnings. Achieve Synergies with Alternative Authentication Techniques The financial industry recognizes that reliance on passwords alone is no longer adequate, given the current threat levels. Furthermore, the industry must address new regulatory guidance3,4 that calls for use of alternative authentication techniques that protect consumers from password theft and abuse. Multi-factor authentication is widely viewed as one of the more effective alternatives available to financial services providers. However, there are significant challenges with rolling out new authentication techniques that will adequately scale up to the many millions of consumers that already use online financial services. In particular, consumer adoption is a major concern. †¢Improve Techniques for Managing Passwords No matter what new authentication techniques get deployed, the financial industry will continue to utilize passwords and other shared secrets that can be exchanged bi-directionally between customers and Web sites. Browsers already provide password management tools for users, and increasingly serve as the preferred â€Å"password vault† for end users. Unfortunately, this concession to user convenience also heightens exposure to potential abuses, and financial institutions are increasingly concerned about the mounting threats to their financial services and customer interests. Browsers also provide various means for end users to enter passwords through special-purpose dialogs, though all of these mechanisms are considered deficient in one way or another. The financial industry would like to see new password entry procedures incorporated into browsers that require prior establishment of TLS (SSL) sessions and that enforce effective security practices for use of passwords. Growing importance Small-biz adoption of online banking to surpass 50% More than half of U. S. small businesses will have adopted online banking by the end of 2007, according to a new research report. Small-business use of online banking grew dramatically from 1998 to 2007, and Tower Group, a Boston-area research firm focused on the financial-services industry, estimates a further 10-percent penetration by 2010. Despite the growth and revenue potential of small-business online banking many financial institutions continue to under-serve this vital market, Tower Group says its research shows. While 95 percent of banks in the U. S. offer a dedicated small business online-banking product. Many banks simply provide a re-branded version of consumer online offerings — rather than creating more advanced features that meet the unique needs of small businesses, the research firm contends. Small-business owners straddle the line between consumer banking and corporate cash management. They appreciate the simplicity of retail online banking, yet value the features such as multiple user access and electronic payments found in corporate online banking, Tower Group contends. Banks, credit unions and emerging non-bank competitors of all sizes are chasing the small business market in an effort to capture a share of this expanding segment, said Patricia Hines. senior analyst in the Wholesale Banking pra ctice at Tower Group and author of the research. Highlights of the research include: †¢ In order lo retain existing small business customers, banks offering minimal features must expand online capabilities. Tower Group research found that less than 50 percent of banks include electronic payments in their small business online banking offering. †¢ At the upper end of the feature set, Tower Group expects banks to increase integration with other high-value online services such as employee payroll, merchant services, and investment management.

2016 TOEIC Registration and Test Dates

2016 TOEIC Registration and Test Dates 2016 TOEIC Listening and Reading Registration Basics If youre ready to take the TOEIC Listening and Reading, (youve read the documents listed below, practiced and prepared) then you have to register before you can take this 2.5 hour exam. The TOEIC is your key to the future in many cases, so you better read up on these important TOEIC registration facts before you decide to take the plunge.   2016 TOEIC Registration Details You can complete your TOEIC registration online or by filling out a form and mailing it to: In the U.S.: TOEIC ® Services America, 1425 Lower Ferry Road, Ewing, NJ 08618 In Puerto Rico: ETS Puerto Rico Office 250 Muà ±oz Rivera Avenue, American International Plaza, Hato Rey, PR 00918 For the TOEIC Listening and Reading test, there is no walk-in or standby registration, so be sure to register on time so you dont miss your spot. The deadline to register for a public testing session is always on the Thursday one week before the test at, 5 p.m., Eastern Time. If, for example, youre interested in testing on December 10, 2016, then your registration deadline is on Thursday, December 1.   TOEIC Fees: If you take the TOEIC at a public testing center in the U.S., the price is $75 if youd like your scores sent somewhere within the US. If youd like your scores sent outside of the US, the price is $80. If the test is given by your company or organization, the price is set by them so contact your supervisor for pricing info. Fees vary for test-takers outside the U.S. Changed your mind? Dont want to take the TOEIC and want your money back? Refunds are not given if you cancel your test for any reason, unless the test is canceled by the administrators because of low enrollment. So decide ahead of time the best month to take your exam so you dont lose out on the cash because youve had a change of heart.   2016 TOIEC Listening and Reading Test Dates in the U.S. Taking the TOEIC outside of the United States? Youll need to contact your local ETS Preferred Network Office  to find your local administrations. US testers, here are your test dates: January 16, 2016February 13, 2016March 12, 2016April 9, 2016May 14, 2016June 11, 2016July 9, 2016August 13, 2016September 10, 2016October 8, 2016November 12, 2016December 10, 2016    TOEIC Test Centers: There are a few public TOEIC testing centers across the U.S., but not every state has one and many states only have one or two. In California, for example, there are fifteen testing centers, but New York only has three and Colorado only has one test center. Depending on where you live, you may be driving, or even flying, a while. Across the globe not every country has a public testing center, either, so if youd like to register for the TOEIC, but a center isnt located near you, you can request information from ETS to help you find a way to take the exam near you. Complete your TOEIC Registration Now Must Read Documents Before You Complete Your TOEIC Registration: TOEIC 101 Write a Great TOEIC EssayHow to Make an InferenceHow to Find the Main IdeaHow to Understand Vocabulary Words in Context

My SAT Testing Center Was a Nightmare - Make Sure This Doesnt Happen to You

My SAT Testing Center Was a Nightmare - Make Sure This Doesn't Happen to You SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips On Saturday, June 6th, I sat alongside high school students to take the SAT at George Washington Prep High School in South Los Angeles. I knew what to expect. I’d taken the test back in 2009 in South Florida when I was beginning my own college application process. I could never have imagined how different my experience would be this time. My SAT Testing center, located in a poor area of Los Angeles, had HUGEflaws that resulted in extremely unfair testing conditions for the students. When I shared these experiences with my co-workers, they were flabbergasted. But others shared experiences that were just as deplorable. I wish I were joking. I wish this were satire. But this isn't Saturday Night Live, and there were serious problems that ruined the experience for the other test-takers, many of whom were taking it for the first time and using vouchers. This is undoubtedly happening across the country and crippling the scores and futures of thousands of students. Unfortunately, as in my experience,these problems may be especially prevalent in lower income areas where students aren't as well prepared for how the test SHOULD go, and incompetent proctors may be overlooked. Read this and make sure this doesn't happen to you. I'll address the five main issues that occurred: Shortened section times Communicating the wrong instructions Intolerable noise Poor proctoring leading to opportunities for cheating Break time waived I'm reporting 100% fact from my own experience. I'm not a dramatic person, and I wish these things hadn't happened. At the end, I'll address why these issues matter, what you as a test taker should learn from my experience, and what the College Board should learn from my experience. Shortened Section Time Issues While many students are angry over the 20/25-minute discrepancy on section 8/9 of the test, this is not the timing issue I am referring to. To be honest, no one at my testing center seemed to notice. There were too many other issues. We only received 20 minutes for the essay portion, instead of 25 minutes - a full 20% less than the allotted time. Our proctor incorrectly wrote that we started at 8:45 when we actually started at 8:50, according to my watch and the clock on the wall.I didn’t say anything at the time because I assumed he was timing off his own watch that was perhaps 5 minutes behind. I assumed we would be stopped at 9:15 according to my watch, but we were stopped at 9:10. How many clocks does it take to tell the time? I didn't say anything, and I regret it. I was able to finish my own essay, but I could have potentially helped the students around me. I didn't say anything at the time because I second-guessed myself. Was I wrong?Was the section only 20 minutes long? I re-read the instructions after the test was over and realized that we were supposed to have 25 minutes for the essay. Also, in some ways, I felt helpless. I only had 1 proctor in my room, and he was the one making the mistakes. Would he listen to me? Who could I talk to other than him? I should have sought help from the other proctors especially because the timing issues continued. On a few sections without a break before them, we were short a minute per section. For those sections, our proctor said the section began at the same time the other ended.When in fact, he read directions in between, so the new section began about a minute after the other ended. With only 10-25 minutes per section, this minute could have been crucial to students. I made a mistake by not speaking up, but you shouldn't. If this happens to you, you MUST speak up. While this issue may have had the most direct impact on our scores, the others are just as worrisome. 100% Incorrect Instruction Issues On top of the timing issues, there were issues with the instructions.At the beginning of the test when reading the directions, the proctor misspoke and said you could not write in your test booklet. What I think he meant was that you can’t ONLY write your answers in the test booklet, as you need to fill out the scantron to have your test scored. A student was confused and asked if she could write in the booklet. He said no. This is absolutely, 100% false. You're supposed to mark up the reading passages and do your math figuring directly in the test booklet. I spoke up. I said, â€Å"Yes, you can write in the booklet, but you need to put your final answers on the scantron.†The proctor said he wasn’t sure.Finally, another student spoke up and said that she read on the back of her test booklet that you can write in it.The student who originally asked the question looked unsure because the proctor still said he wasn’t sure. This is unacceptable. Imagine how hard it is to do math without writing out work or use process of elimination when you can’t physically cross out answer choices.If this happened at my site, you could imagine how many instruction issues occur throughout the country. People who have studied the test thoroughly know this instruction is wrong. But people who haven't taken the test and aren't prepared would have no idea.This would cripple their score. Another PrepScholar writer took the test at a different testing center in Los Angeles this weekend, and her proctor kept skipping over instructions or telling "jokes" like "the test will last 23 hours."Her proctor really scared some students with that one.Additionally, her proctor missed several 5-minute warnings. So, it's very important to bring your own watch to self-time.Some issues are out of your control: Unbearable, Concentration-Breaking Noise Issues During my test, there were noise issues CAUSED by the proctor as well as outside noise issues.After starting the test, our proctor promptly popped in ear buds and began listening to music. This is wrong on a number of levels.We could hear the music clearly through his headphones, and finally, about 10 minutes into the essay, one student had the courage to ask him to lower the volume.To his credit, our proctor apologized profusely and lowered the volume - but he should not have been listening in the first place. LOUD NOISES! At some point in the middle of the test, our proctor opened the window to our classroom (big mistake).During one section, we heard young children screaming in the hallway for a few minutes (why were they at a high school on a Saturday? who knows!).Our proctor did ask them to stop, but it was still a disturbance, and the window should have been closed. During a later section, there was a very loud ice cream truck playing â€Å"it’s a small world† on loop.I asked the proctor about it, but he just told me it was an ice cream truck and did nothing. It clearly was parked in the school parking lot or something because it continued to play â€Å"it’s a small world† audibly and loudly for about 15-20 minutes. This noise was incredibly distracting. I was trying to power through a CR passage and block it out.Again, the proctor did not close the window. He did not try to get another faculty member to investigate the noise. He just let it continue. I know noise issues are a common problem.Another PrepScholar writer took the test in Northern California this weekend, and her proctor was watching a movieon their iPad, which accidentally switched to full volume during a section.She said her proctor promptly turned it off.However, no proctors should be allowed to use electronic devices during the test.They need to be alert and focused to catch any possible cheating. Creating Opportunities for Cheating Issues During my test, there was a definite possibility of cheating. I am not saying that anyone cheated. I did not specifically see anyone cheating. However, I know it would have been far more possible to happen compared to normal testing centers. At the beginning of the test, when the proctor was listening to his music while at his desk, it would have been easy to whisper to the students around you to discuss the essay. Don't do it! During one break, the proctor stood outside the classroom by the door, leaving all of the students who decided to stay in the room alone at their desks with their test booklet and answer key.It would have been easy to go back and review your work or answer problems you couldn’t get to. Additionally, the proctor only walked up and down the aisles at most 3 times during the entire test.He did not check calculators.We could easily have had unapproved programs with vocabulary words or something else. While I genuinely do not think cheating occurred in my classroom, my proctor definitely opened himself up to possible cheating.My proctor did not seem to care about much other than getting out of the test as quickly as possible, which leads me to my next point. Waiving Important Breaks Issues Another huge issue was that after our 4th section break, our proctor put it to a vote as to whether we would only break between the 7th and 8th section or whether we’d take 2 breaks. No. This test is NOT a democracy. The College Board requires three 5-minutebreaks and doesn’t let the students decide.We voted to take only one break.My proctor was elated as he was â€Å"trying to get to a Dodger’s game.† I didn’t need another break; however, I’m sure if I were a student who wanted the additional break to reset, I would have been too nervous to speak up and conflict the group opinion. Students should not have been placed in that awkward situation. Why Does This Matter? Social Inequality. The College Board Is Failing Its Students. All of these problems created an incredibly unfair testing environment. I definitely think my score may have been impacted. I barely finished the Critical Reading section while "it's a small world" was playing on loop. All of the issues made it very difficult to concentrate. Additionally, the essay, for which we received20% less time than normal, counts for 30% of our Writing score. An incomplete essay or poorly written essay could easily drop your score 100-200 points on the Writing section. If this happened at my testing center, which I randomly chose from the centers available in the Los Angeles reason, irregularity must be incredibly prevalent, and that is unbelievably sad. As I mentioned, two other PrepScholar writers also had unforgivably bad experiences at their test sites.Testing center regulation should be of the utmost importance to the College Board, especiallyas I believe this issue may impact those at the lowest socioeconomic levels more. I took my test at George Washington Preparatory High School in the Westmont neighborhood in South Los Angeles. According to an article from the LA Times, the average household income in Westmont is $31,572. It ranks 242nd out of the 265 ranked neighborhoods by household income in Los Angeles, meaning it'sthe 13th poorest neighborhood in all of Los Angeles, in the bottom 10 percentile. The College Board already knows from their testing data that their SAT tests unfairly disadvantage those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. However, the College Board does not take into account the unfair testing conditions that may be contributing to these students' lower scores as well. I know that the playing fields are incredibly uneven when it comes to SAT testing centers. My original SAT Testing Center, William T. Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, stuck to the rules. The proctors knew the instructionsand were able to answer any of our questions. There were no noise disturbances, and the timing was precise. The proctors circulated throughout the test, ensuring that there was no cheating. I don't know what it takes to become a proctor in South Los Angeles. Clearly, the proctors weren't instructed well, and the College Board doesn't care enough to maintain quality evenly throughout the country. If I were to guess, the College Board takes extra care when it knows students are hyper-vigilant and ready to pounce on a single screwup. In wealthy areas of metropolises like New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago, students would complain incessantly. And the College Board can't risk another scandal. So it pays attention to those areas and makes sure they stay quiet. But where students are unprepared, don't know their rights, and aren't as motivated to report problems, the College Board gets away with unforgivable behavior like this. TheSAT can account for a huge part of whether a student can get into her dream college or not. These conditions severely disadvantage the people the College Board is supposed to be trying to help. But not all hope is lost. While the College Board may not be doing anything to level the playing field, you as the test taker can take certain steps to help yourself get the fairest testing conditions possible. What a Test Taker Should Learn From My Experience: Try to go into the SAT as knowledgeable as possible about the test. Know the amount of timing you are allowed per section. Read the instructions at home. You should be able to read them off of any free SAT practice test. If you have any questions about these directions, email or call the College Board in advance of your test date, so you know the answer from the authority. Ask your older friends where they took their SAT. Ask them if there were any issues. Was the timing correct? Was there distracting noise? Bring your own watch to time yourself. If you notice a timing issue, raise your hand and ask/tell your proctor about it. For noise issues, unfortunately, the College Board doesn’t allow you to take the test with ear plugs (a policy I think they should change). You need to ask your proctor to close all windows. Ask your proctor to tell whoever is outside to quiet down or go elsewhere. If your proctor is unable to answer any questions you have about the instructions, ask your proctor to go ask someone else. Demand to speak to someone else or have your proctor call the College Board. If you have other issues with your proctor as far as allowing possible cheating or trying to cut out break or anything else, go find another proctor during your break! Tell the other proctor what is happening. If you feel your issues were not addressed at the testing center, call the College Board; here is their phone number. I did! The College Board takes these matters seriously as they pride themselves on standardization. What the College Board Should Learn From My Experience: With all of these issues, I hope the College Board will consider offering free re-tests to every other student at George Washington Prep High School. I also feel this reveals a bigger issue that the College Board needs to address: proctor training.I think all proctors should undergo a required training session before they act as a proctor for any SAT test. At these training sessions, the proctors should be taught the instructions and rules of the test. They should be taught the exact timing procedure including breaks, and they should be forced to practice it. Also, they should be told that they are never allowed to use electronic devices during the test. Additionally, they should be taughthow to watch for cheating by checking calculators, walking up and down the aisles, etc. Proctors need to know their own dos and don'ts. While I believe my proctor could have done better, I still think the College Board is to blame for the lack of standardized procedures at test centers. Why has the situation gotten so bad? I am not sure. Perhaps the College Board needs to send observers to every school site toensure fair testing conditions are being met? I also think thatall SAT test takersshould receive a test taker’s rights guide from the College Board so that they know what is fair or unfair.These students I took the test with were mainly first time, voucher-using students, who had no idea what to expect. What’s Next? Taking the SAT soon? Learn about the rules and regulations, and know thatif your test center has a problem to speak up. Trying to figure out where to go to college? Let us help you pick out your target school. Studying for the SAT? Read our ultimate SAT study guide. Taking the test really soon? Learn how to cram for the test. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Exploring the Bible through literaty genre Essay

Exploring the Bible through literaty genre - Essay Example tice during the time those events had happened, and in addition to that, most of the stories were written in parables that only ancient language or literature can best describe the message. The most challenging part of studying the bible’s literature is, understanding its true meaning and the message it wants to share in every shade of the words used. Therefore in-order for people to further understand the bible, authors tried to translate it in English. English has been acknowledged and almost spoken worldwide, there would be at least a few number of people from different countries who understand, write and speak English, however the issue that surrounds language does not end with translation. Every nation or country and even culture practices and uses their own language, this is how they communicate best within that group, and is more known to be their first language. And to make communication even more effective for orienting and teaching the young ones, their literature was based on that language. Comprehending the context (voiced or literature) is how a person understands the words used to complete the message of the story, and most of the time other nationalities that has a different language rather than English would translate the meaning of the word based on their orientation, and most of the time, the word that is translated would have a different meaning and bearing. One good example of first language translation is in p23. Genisis 2: 22-23 of the material. â€Å"And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, â€Å"This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.† The literature was originally written in Hebrew and later on translated in English word per word, a natural English oriented person reading this would definitely give meaning to the literature, because English is the person’s first language, and it would go from

Effect of the American Revolution on Native American groups Research Paper

Effect of the American Revolution on Native American groups - Research Paper Example The Native Americans had no centralized governance that can unite the whole country. In addition, they also had no laws. With this, Europeans described the Native Americans as barbaric or savage. Although the Native Americans had their own civilization, the Europeans still considered it as something backward as compared to their own civilization. This perspective became the reason of the Europeans to colonize America.2 Parts of America became a colony of the Spanish a year after Columbus’ discovery of it. There had been major changes in America. Since the reasons of Spanish in colonizing other territories included â€Å"glory, gold and God†, the major changes in the American Indians’ lives happened in these areas. In this era, Native Americans first acquired their religion, Catholicism.3 America was rich in resources and this attracted more colonizers, which included French and Dutch people. Also, the colonizers started mixing or forming marriage with the Native Americans.4 All colonizers of America contributed to the development of the nation. Each colonizer has its own perspective of living that has been imparted to the Native Americans. Also, one of the major contributors in civilization of the Americans was the English nation. The English nationals brought Protestantism in America. They also introduced the notion of â€Å"conqueror† to the Americans. Also, they started the slavery of the â€Å"blacks†. The English brought Africans to America and treated them as slaves working in the agricultural sector.5 It can be seen that colonialism greatly affected Americans. From being â€Å"behind† and â€Å"savage†, the Americans acquired religion, improved food system and governance from their colonizers which shaped the identity of the Americans. However, they did not settle as a colony only. America acquired freedom from their colonizers and became a nation. The Americans revolted against their colonizers and strugg led to achieve independence.6 From the revolution, Americans developed their definition of freedom. Americans worked to improve the view of the nation in terms of slavery. America became United States of America after the revolution.7 The development of country was soon observed. There were issues concerning the nation that the leaders started to encounter such as the establishment of the government and different social issues (e.g. gender issues) that started to rise and affect the development of the country. The Americans applied what they learned from the past years of being a colony to their newfound freedom. The building of the nation was much improved, laws were made and disputed. Slavery was reformed and people became more educated. After being colonized, America enlarged the nation’s territory also. Although the slavery had been reformed, it was not enough to eliminate slavery especially in the non-white settlers of United States of America. The people’s belief on their race heightened and expanded outward their territory. The US expanded their territory to the West. The Americans viewed their own race to be more important than that of the people with different skin color. They felt that it was a Divine right to extend their territory and the other

Parent Involment in Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Parent Involment in Education - Research Paper Example The pure culture of the society this family lives in greatly influences how this family lives and how the child imbibes the culture as he expresses it in his developing personality. The mesosystem comprises the linkages and processes that take place between two or more settings with the child in common. A perfect example is how learning in school is supported by follow up lessons in the home. The third level comprising linkages and processes taking place between two or more settings is the exosystem. This includes at least one setting that does not directly involve the child, but still influences the processes within the immediate setting of the child. An example is the parent’s occupation. The workplace of this parent does not contain the child, but processes at work may affect his development such as the hours spent there by the parent may affect the parent-child bond. The fourth system is the macrosystem which includes the customs, values and laws considered important in th e child’s culture and upbringing. A child from another culture may celebrate special customs and traditions from his culture apart from the special occasions celebrated in his host country. Lastly, the chronosystem in Brofenbrenner’s Ecological model, refers to the time that transpires as the child relates in his various environments. An example is the change that happens to the child while he grows up moving from one system to another, like the westernization of the values of a child originally from an Asian culture (Brofenbrenner, 1979). This ecological model implies that the interplay and quality of the various systems and environments of the child will play different roles in influencing his development.... This paper approves that learning-at-home activities contribute to student success by incorporating learning activities done at home which are related to the children’s class work. Families support their children by helping out with such tasks. Examples of these activities may include interactive homework, goal-setting activities, student-family-teacher contracts for projects, summer reading packets and student-led home portfolio nights. Teachers may also provide tips and suggested activities that parents can do with their children such as arts and crafts or simple experiments as well as lyrics to songs. On the other hand, parents are always welcome to raise their concerns, questions or complaints regarding their children. They are free to call the school, write a note or schedule for a parent-teacher conference. This essay makes a conclusion that despite the school’s advocacy for family involvement, there is no pressure for parents to participate if they are not interested. However, for those dedicated ones who support their children in their growth and development, as well as the school’s efforts in optimizing their potentials by encouraging bonding with families, they receive recognition. Parent Awards are distributed at the end of the year to honor those who have been steadfast in their support and cooperation. Enjoining parents and families in their children’s school activities not only strengthens bonds between them but also creates happy memories that children will fondly look back to when they grow up.

Marketing orientation of nike

Marketing orientation of nike Marketing is the management process that identifies, anticipates and satisfies customer requirements profitably  [1]   In details of this definition, marketing is a management process where all the activities and tasks are coordinated and performed by both individuals and equipment. By identifying a group of customers their needs, interests and helps them to get goods in a reasonable price with good quality. Not only these, expecting them for the next time and which will make business profitable. The definition provided by the Philip Kotler is- Marketing is the social process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others  [2]   In this definition Kotler said, marketing is a social process means by researching market identify the consumers how they behave and attitude, consider and think about a product; how a particular product is good enough to satisfy buyer wants and needs; also how it is well enough to feel them grater to make and exchange with good value for the product. From my own definition- Marketing is a managerial and social process where organisation performs or does activities to ensure and identify customer needs and wants are fulfilled, satisfying them by creating products or services with the exchange of value through ensuring the profitability for the organisation. 1. B Marketing Orientation The meaning of marketing concept for an organisation is that, they are aimed all of it efforts to keep closer themselves to the customers for satisfying them by the services or products around the needs and wants and stay always a step ahead from their competitors. Basically the major objective is for the organisation to create a centre of attention of their products to the customers.  [3]   Basically marketing orientation is an approach to business that centres its activities to satisfy the needs and wants of its customers. Marketing orientation is really a good range of activities where it is necessary to make sure that all the marketing researches are about to invent the customer needs and requirements. The marketing orientation concept is based on the following three pillars- Nike are strongly customer-focused, heavily committed and give the superior value for customers. These company shares an absolute dedication to sensing, serving and satisfying the needs of customers in well-defined target markets. They motivate everyone in the organization to deliver high quality and superior value for their customers, leading to high levels of customer satisfaction. These organizations know that if they take care of their customers, market share and profits will follow.  [4]   1. C Selling vs. Marketing concept and which one best describes for Nike Selling orientation is a kind of marketing activities where business tries to influence or persuade customers to buy their product or service. It sees its work as getting the interest of potential customers for their existing products and services Marketing orientation is another part of marketing activities where the company first target a market, then try to discover customer needs and wants, besides some coordinating activities to convince consumers like pricing, design, communication, appropriate delivery, competitive and profitable goods and services. Nike is a market oriented organisation because- Nike has well understanding of its target consumers to construct a greater value for them. Has a good capability to adopt the taste of consumers by time to time. Does research on the competitors to see what strategies are they use to meet the customers need. Has good marketing plans and delivered the promise that they made with customers to give them high quality, appropriate features, design, styles and categories, right price products with availability. By satisfying the consumers needs/wants Nike getting well published in the market place and achieving its objective by making profit. 1. D Implementation of the marketing concept The benefits are: Knowing and understanding the changing needs, wants and desires of athletes and customers to create new innovative products. Look forward to market changes and take action very firstly to those changes. Strong brand image with consistently increase the number of people satisfied. Improve stakeholder benefits and maintain strong share values. Leading the market with advance thought and technology.(Nike+, Nike Free) Market research gives a huge priority of product acceptability.( packaging and attractive fashionable design) Sponsoring various celebrity sports personalities and certified teams who are used to get concentration of customers on Nike products. Easily manage the criticism. Powerful advertising of Nike products are creating better market for the company. The continuous improvement of the companys core competence. The costs of adopting the marketing concept are: Heavy investment in the marketing research and product development.(NSRL) High costs of employing the best people in their specialist areas. Using world best players for advertising products. Sponsoring different celebrities and professional teams in time basis. Huge investment on product advertisement before launching in the market. Different promotional costs TV advert, sales promotion and public relation. Distribution costs serving product in different channels. Communication costs- dealing differently with a range of different market segments. Heavy cost of maintaining large and expensive website. Task-2 2. A Macro and micro environmental factor Macro Environmental factor: Micro environmental factor is an external factor that influences the company externally. Social factor Nike brand and its slogan just do it is very well known to people. Consciousness of people about dieting and fitness. Consumers are changing themselves from sports to fashion oriented. Promotional advertising to get more young customers where internet is using as a primary source of information. Sponsoring sporting events and clinics to make good social image. Motivating womens, young consumers for leisure activities. Technological factor: Effective use of IT in the section of marketing information system in every aspect of products from development to distribution. It has advance technology to develop and research their product. Has a great propensity to take on new technology for the product. Heavy design and shape of athletic footwear. Nike has NSRL (Nike Sports Research Laboratory) which is offer new ways to improve existing products. Micro environmental factor: Profit margin for Nike 5 years average: 46.8% (Gross Margin) 9.3% (Net Margin) Structure- Nike has a matrix structure and there geographical structure consists of with NAFTA (USA, Canada, and Mexico), EU, EMEA and Asia Pacific. Technological development- For developing and executing idea Nike has APE, NSRL and it also has tax expert economists which focus in the reduction of future costs. HRM- Orthopedic Experts, Rubber Technologists, Production Engineers who are Involved to find out the right people and product for the company. Procurement- Nike buys its raw materials in bulk size, use labors and other services in the same countries where manufacturing takes place. Inbound Logistics China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. Operations Operating their business in more than 160 countries where most of the production is occurred in China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Turkey, Sri Lanka, India, Cambodia, Taiwan, Mexico and Israel. Outbound Logistics They sell their product to the retailers, via internet and with 700 contract shops in the whole world. Sales Marketing Secret Tournament campaign approach- TV internet ads, retails, consumers events, public relations.  [5]   6 Value Chain Analysis 2. B Segmentation criteria Geographic Segmentation Geographic segmentation is about dividing the market within diverse geographical part for example- in cities, town, nations, countries and regions. Nike footwear is really famous in the part of EU, EMEA and Asia Pacific currently. The objective is to sell this product in those continents where some particular sports is most popular. For example, football, basketball, rugby is widely popular in Europe now-a-days. It is not much popular in south Asia so basically its footwear is advertised more generally in Europe. (Nike, 2009). Demographic segmentation Demographic segmentation divides on age, gender, race, occupation, income, nationality, family size and also on the level of education. Relating to age and income, they target peoples in variety age from young person to middle-aged adults and the income series is basically from middle to upper class. By depends on race and gender it has broadly expanded itself nationally. They do advertise for both men and women for every single race and nationality. Nike really doesnt show off themselves with families but identify with teams. Teams of different sports in the world are targeted by Nike. It also did run ad campaign called stay in school in 1991. Psychographic Segmentation Psychographic segmentation gives a picture about social class, standards, characteristics, and the life style- opinions, beliefs, interests and values of customers. Nike uses athlete where it influences consumer to be interested on their shoes and footwear. Nike promotes a positive and confident attitude, target always those kinds of people. 2. C Target market Young generation (bachelor stage) between 18-30 years old. Because they want to themselves appear to others to be fit, healthy and athletic Because at this stage of age young people prepare themselves to enter into the job market. They are the generation X, they like fashion, sports. Nike uses their sports celebrity to advertise footwear which is fashionable and that make influences them to buy footwear. just do it, write the future are some of slogan that make these X generation very aggressive to do anything good and make the future bright. People between 30-50 years old, middle-high income social class. These people have already been achieved a bit in his/her life and they are now away from the crisis of economy. They have made their status, position in the society, wants to lead life gorgeously with prestige product like Nike. People can show of their status and ability of leading healthy life. Nike advertises its products by using different ways and it targets a particular groups or types of people by ads. Nike targeted men in a way that appeals to masculine values and to women with appeals to their values. Women today want equality with men, to be seen as just as able bodied and finally, both genders will buy Nike because its expensive and shows that they have the money to buy Nike, just as people buy Mercedes cars when a Fiat does the same job. 2. D Buyer behaviour in marketing activities I am going to mention some marketing activities that should follow Nike to take part on buyer behaviour: Psychological forces Motivation- Nike is a top brand with high quality design, style, price and lasting warranty which motivate people to buy Nike. Perception- World reputation, brand image, high features and quality. Personality- to show off to their friends and neighbours that they are fit, healthy athletic types and able to afford Nikes products. Social groups Culture- produce different design product based on the culture. Subculture- example-Air Jordan shoes specifically makes for basket ball game, popular in North America- USA, Canada. Social class- middle and upper classes. Reference group- Popular celebrities, teams and clubs Nike adopt to convince consumer to buy their footwear. Family- Parents want to see their children are athletes, well fitted and healthy which influence them to buy Nike. Situational Factors World brand and fashionable products. 700 contract shops all over the world where buyer can buy. (Over 18000 shops in USA) To show off people the status and ability to buy Nike. New innovative, fashionable, unique design and attractive footwear make interest and desire of consumers to buy Nike. Nike their information search leaves a buyer with possible alternatives, the evoked set. Nike has different features; design footwears which are specially different and suitable for particular work. (Football, soccer, running, skateboarding, cycling etc.). If the consumers are not satisfied on the previous product then they can try new any other model. Nike has so many stores, different products/models, well packaging system and many convenient ways for consumer to buy. Nike is such kind of brand which is persuading consumer decisions to purchase a Nike product with risk free. Good product, consumer feels superior with their whole satisfactory and tells someone about their satisfaction. Information search Internal search, memory. Providing ample information on Nike official site, internet, You Tube, in stores, on TV, radio, newspaper, magazine and public sources about the product. Task-3 3. A. Competitive Advantages Nike, at the present time ahead from their competitors by achieving some competitive advantages through their products. Nike has cost effective management information system(MIS) and many management layer that helps to reduce the overall product cost.  [7]   Continuous training and development program increase the efficiency of workers. By using advance technology and modern machineries they can produce product in a short time with low cost. They find out lowest price of raw materials and use cheap labour from under developing countries. Setting up business near to the suppliers. Huge scale of operation all over the world and where by finding place they minimize manufacturing costs. Selling product in low price where many competitors are visible. Using cheap transport carriers for product. Huge scale of advertising in those countries them running their business. Brand name, equity, image, recognition and world reputation. Using popular athletes for advertising and recommending their products. Trade mark -just do it, write the future and patents. New product development. Giving chance customer to customize footwear in their own style through online. Strong and genius RD, HRM. These are the sustainable competitive advantages that keeping ahead Nike at top position of the market and helping them to take proper advantages from their competitors and achieving the loyalty from the customers. 3. B. Distribution Strategy In fiscal 2009, Nike produced 100% of their footwear in china, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand and they distributed this footwear in their own countries as well as USA+ EMEA and Asia Pacific regions. Nike distributes their footwear to the retailers or whole sellers from straight to the factory or distribution centre all over the world through their own websites, direct mail or over the phone. In the distribution centre they inventory all their footwear and deliver them to different place in the world. Nike also uses agents, sales representative to distribute their product. So, in order to increase sales Nike has tried to wide their distribution channels. Not only this, Nike has used internet to distribute product by using virtual stores. They use containers and ships to deliver their product. Apart from, Nike uses future order program which help them to produce the product on time with lean production method and also help them to deliver just in time. Nike gives a good amount of redu ction on their product if resellers buy in a bulk size. Nike can take those steps in below to improve their distribution strategy. Need to build more small and large distribution centre to make product available. Need another centre in a particular area in case of fire or large number of small centres to spread risks. Back up IT system. Using very modern technology to produce, distribute and provide greater convenience and information. To constraint of time and space disappear should use online retailing. Using door to door service system. Cutting down production cost. Depending on the consumer behaviour, Nike should focus on the price instead of brand. 3.C. Pricing A full understanding of production costs, profit objectives, customers, competition, and other market information will help to determine the pricing strategy that best fits for Nike. With this information, the minimum price Nike can charge to break even and the highest price based on an estimate of customer demand. Here I am giving a demand curves for Nike that will help them to make price depends on the market demand. Price( £) Quantity Demanded Total Revenue 50 1000 50000 100 800 80000 150 400 60000 200 300 60000 First of all, Nike works out on diverse factors like market share, opposition, product uniqueness and perceived value of the product. In certain segments they are charging unique prices cause of quality product. They use the premium pricing strategy-fixed price, where they are enabling by the product to maintain its standard in the market. Nike has uniqueness that gives themselves extra value to the consumer. Nike is a prestige product which is highly demanded, where people shows their ability of buying Nike shoes. The image they made to the consumer about their brand which is influenced them to pay high price. If Nike wants then they can apply value base pricing strategy in certain segments. Sales Innovations Early adaptor early majority late majority laggards 2.5% 13% 31% 35% 18.5% High price less expensive good demand well demand not much expensive Then before good price better price  £70  £65  £60  £50  £40 Consumers (100%) Here, Nike charged high price at the beginning and skimming the profit from the market which is helping them to achieve their objectives. They do huge advertisement to make the price acceptable to the consumers and persuade consumers to buy premium product. 3D. Promotional strategy Nike has great marketing communication techniques with high quality products and loyal consumers which helps them to keep stay in the top position from a long time. By doing campaign about the ability of men, women with new fashion, using famous celebrates athletes and teams for advertising which are such outstanding steps they have taken to keep good communication between them and consumers. They have signed top athletes from different background of sports like soccer- Ronaldho, Ronaldinho, basket ball- Michael Jordan, tennis- Rafael Nadal , golf- Tiger Woods, cycling and some of the other sports. Not only these they sponsor local college students also. Nike uses new geographical area to promote their new product. Advertising on the TV- write the future, just do it contains slogan, internet- YouTube and other sites, broadcast which helps them to break the geographical barriers and increase the ability to reach people on the other part of the world. Sponsoring in different social activities where people or players wear Nike logo contains dresses; sales promotions like discounts, coupons and to keep good relation with the public they release their own press and magazine and take part on the events. Apart from, different tactics they use in advertising on TV which diverts consumer to visit internet to Nike website to see the finial ends. All those things are integrated Nike to meet its specific objectives in an efficient way. The objectives are included- new customers, new geographical areas, retaining the regular customers and bringing back the lapsed customers. Task-4 4. A. Marketing mix Nike is mainly footwear company but they also produce other apparels and stuffs as well. So for this section my choice is Nike footwear. The two marketing mixes that I have chosen for Nike they are- Sponsoring events Exhibitions or Fashion shows Sponsoring events- Nike might sponsors different community events like as local sports team, by doing music concerts or sports quiz in the city centre, school sports days, boys scouts and girls guide events or local community events for kids to show off their products while advertising the events as Sponsored by Nike. They could contribute some money there to make those events great to the people. Here, Nike aimed to target local communities and familiar themselves with Nike footwear, to make feel people price is not always a matter where brand, quality is visible and Nike is always with them in everywhere. Not only that, by doing this they can do some free publicity, can bring the attention and also can get opinions from different people. Fashion shows- Here, I am suggesting Nike to arrange 250-400 Nike fashion shows in posh restaurants to show and sell their fashions to the kind of people who can afford them. The restaurant wouldnt charge for entrance because it would bring them loads of new people who had never been there before and they could sell food and refreshments. But Nike could charge a small entrance fee and give the money to a sports charity thereby getting extra free publicity. Nike would of course advertise these fashion shows in banners or newspapers or in the posters. By doing these Nike can target richer class of people and can make influence to buy Nike prestige footwear to show their personality, ability to buy such brand and expensive footwear like Nike. 4.B. Marketing excellence is a key success factor in virtually any industry or company focused on consumer products or services. Defining what marketing excellence really means and how to mobilize the organization to achieve that goal, however, can be extremely challenging. Marketing products and services to organization has some good differences between them. For organization, marketing products are those activities that is related with products and a company does those activities until sell product to the end users. For Nike, they buy their raw materials from different manufacturer in a bulk size. For example they produced shoes, in the perspective of organization they need to count its ownership for the product which includes with product delivery costs, holding costs in stock and other costs like research and development etc. Not on these, they think about the quality as well. On this section organization buy product in bulk size in a very cheap price which is necessary. If unnecessary things bought by company which might affect the whole company in financially. On the other hand, marketing services are those work that company does to sell its product to actual consumer. On here, organization try to find out the way which will be useful to get/attract more consumers where it is imperceptible for marketing products. This is a common divergence between marketing a product and service. Here, organization puts lots of attempt to make desirability of its consumer. 4.C. In shortly, international marketing is a kind of marketing where a company setup his business in different foreign environment, consumer, laws and regulations. On the other hand, domestic marketing is all about running the business in the local/domestic market. In the aspect of Nike, there has many differences between those two markets. Cultural differences- Diverse and multicultural people who has different religion, taste, fashion, ideology and living standard. Different from social, economical, political and methods of doing business. Suppose Nike in China is completely different form Nike USA from the policies and ways of doing business. Market- Wide market with a number of competitors, challenges, risks, complexities and expensive. Different currencies which can varies time to time. The rate of customs duty, VAT or sales tax charged on the product. Changes to the products because of standards, voltages or average sizes of the population. Different language- Due to a language barrier it is more difficult to obtain and understand research data in international marketing. Promotional messages need to consider dozens of cultural differences between different countries. For example, for advertisement Nike uses different athletes depends on the country. By considering the differences in languages, expressions, habits, gestures, ideologies Nike develops their promotional messages. Those are some of the areas that makes difference between the international and domestic market for Nike.