Main Stream Rap causes social problems in minority communities Essay

Main Stream Rap causes social problems in minority communities - Essay Example Such portrayal highlights negative stereotypes and suggests lesser moral and ethical standards for African Americans compared to that of other American citizens. The vast majority of popular programming displays African Americans in stereotypical dispositions that beg the assumption that blacks gain prosperity strictly through the avenues of sports and entertainment, not education. Thus, many black youth develop unrealistic goals and dreams that lead to dead end lifestyles. Many of the most popular television and music attractions aimed towards black audiences promotes the worship of money, drugs, sex, violence, and disrespect to authority. Those themes are in direct conflict with the themes of the â€Å"American Dream† which guarantees success to those who strive for education and commit to a lifetime of hard work. Mass media glorification of the black entertainer coupled with the seemingly blind eye given by mass media to blacks excelling in other areas outside of sports and entertainment give black youth a limited scope of ambition while leading many down the path highlighted by the many social and economic problems present today in the black community. II Abstract The factors that affect the academic and athletic experiences of the African Americans relate to cultural, economic and stereotyping factors. The last factor is mainly psychological. The Whites generally approves an African American while he excels in the area of sports and entertainment whereas he does not wish him well in the fields related to excellence of intellect. The purpose of this study is to explore and explain the threat of stereotypes amongst the African Americans and that threat is mainly from sportspersons and the stars of the entertainment industry. The younger generation turns out to be their blind followers and that they do by neglecting education. Discriminatory treatment of African Americans in fields other than entertainment and sports is also an issue. Racial socializat ion is also a factor that creates hurdles in their path of career advancement in other areas. Unable to counter several multifaceted factors like financial, social and historical they submit to the easy options available and look forward to the role models in the avenues of entertainment and sports. As for the psychological agony they often experience, the impact of the historical context cannot be ruled out. Role models, sports stars, media and family environment continue to influence their dispositions at the cost of education. III Introduction Mass media plays the dominant role in depicting and shaping the personality of the African Americans. But the prime goal of the media is to increase their audience, consequently profits, unfortunately though. Their favorite subjects are drug use, gang violence, violence and all sorts of antisocial dispositions. Thus media has contributed to wrong and unfriendly opinion about the African Americans. The media have enough historical stuff to m ake stories and continue to picture African Americans as second-class citizens. As such African Americans continue to

Review of Litterature on Finance and Potential Areas of Development Literature

Of Litterature on Finance and Potential Areas of Development for Further Reseaarch - Literature review Example Thus the concept of finance includes several underlying theories and understanding that make the system applicable towards the achievement of the financial goals and objectives of the business organizations or the world as a whole. The present study focuses on a literature review thereby discussing on the studies of several researchers on the topic of finance and would try to determine the potential areas of development for further research. Literature Review on Finance: The following literature review has been based on the studies conducted by several researchers as obtained from journals and different articles. These literatures have been particularly focused on the severe issue of economic and financial crisis that is capable of impacting the entire world through the phase of recession. The studies have been based on the issues of the theories discussed by the researchers and no quantitative analyses have been involved. The study has been narrowed down in the sense that irrelevant materials have not been included in the review. Since the length of the paper has been limited, hence number of sources has been considered accordingly. However the researches have been analyzed critically determining their objectives, and the strengths and weaknesses of the studies. In terms of the purpose of the study, only those researches have been included that are appropriate and relevant to the financial literatures and readers would be able to relate to the issues relevantly. A study conducted by Christian Marazzi reflects an understanding of the financial crisis and the nature of the problems considering the transformation that have been taking place over the years. Marazzi is an Italian economist who conducted an analysis of the global crisis that he considered as a new type of crisis that involved neo-liberal financial capitalism. He focused on the problems related to finance that have been mounting up over the years. Concentrating on the recent global economic crisis, h e stressed on the level of unemployment and difficulties that the world was supposed to be encountered with. He mentioned that the financial deficits were leading to insolvency crisis hampering the banking system as a whole. In this regard he criticized the easy solutions considered by reformists. (Bria, 2009, pp.388-394). Marazzi’s study can be considered to be focused and relevant to the issues and impacts of financial crisis. He has tried to related theoretical aspects with the prevailing financial status across the world. However it can also be said that the study could be tried to be more specific in determining the measures that might effectively resolve problems associated with financial crises. Similar to Marazzi’s the study conducted by Barsky and DeLong lacked the wide ranging aspects and approach to specific measures in the context of financial crises and their impacts. Barsky and DeLong in their studies discussed about the fluctuations of the stock markets. According to them, fluctuations in the stock market are reflected by the asset pricing model that considers the present-value concept in the context of the efficient markets. The fluctuations that have been visible in the US financial markets over the years have been obtained to be in consistence with

Importance Of Marketing In Todays World Marketing Essay

Importance Of Marketing In Todays World Marketing Essay Introduction: According to the American Marketing Association marketing is defined as activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large'(American Marketing Assocation, 2007). Drucker states the aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous (American Marketing Association, 2007). By keeping the above definitions in view we can say that to identify customers needs and act accordingly to satisfy their needs is called marketing. The aim of this report is to develop an understanding of marketing concepts, use and apply it to Marks Spencer (MS) in order to understand the role and significance of marketing. Importance of Marketing in todays World: Due to Economic downturn marketing has gained importance in past few years in order to gain the attention of the consumers.In 21st century marketing has become one of the key strategies used by organisations world wide. Companies can not use one simple marketing strategy which meets the need of both markets and consumers because they are so versatile to be dealt collectively this is because of continues change in modern society. Cultural changes and advancements in technology divided a market into so many segments.In order for MS to capture large market share it has to set up successful market strategies and make the most of technology. MS Marketing Process: In the past and the present MS proved to be successful to meet its consumers continuously changing needs by effectively implementing marketing processes. Following are the four stages which helped MS to understand fulfil its customers requirements. Situational Analysis: In this stage of marketing process companies like MS keep both internal and external environment in view to carry out the market place analysis and try to spot gaps in the market. In addition to identifying the customer needs, must understand its own capabilities and the environment in which it is operating (NetMBA, 2007). This stage is very vital as the rival companies such as Tesco and Waitrose are always coming up with new ideas and new products etc so that they can stay ahead in the competition. In SWOT analysis this rapidly changing marketing environment comes under the heading of threat. Marketing Strategy: By keeping the core purpose of this report in view, the major change in approach which has been seen in the companies is the shift from mass marketing approach to target marketing. In target marketing approach companies try to identify trends in the segmented market as its the one of the most important factor in STP. Segmentation There are two main types of segmentation i.e. geographic and demographic segmentation. The later one is used by MS to target market for its products and it recognizes its consumers by social class , income and age which is very crucial for success in todays world e.g. clothing line is divided into three segments i.e. premium price, medium priced, and low price. MS customer segmentation is also divided in following 4 groups (Carbon commentary, 2007): Green zealots: people who will actively seek out the most ethically and environmentally responsible products. Climate change is particularly important issue to these people. Those interested and concerned, but often uncertain how to shop to achieve their ethical objectives. Aware of the problem, not certain that their actions can have much effect or that they need to shop differently. Struggling, dont give priority to issues. Targeting: DAMP (distinct, accessible, measurable and profitable) process is used by MS to understand, identify and target the required segments of the market. According to the marketing director , Steven Sharp , although we sell to everybody big, small, young, black, white our absolute target market is a bit older and is comfortable with traditional media (Telegraph, 2006). It means that MS targets, offers (products and services) and sells to a large market but mainly to a mature age group. Positioning: The From this it can be seen that MS targets a very large audience, but the key here is to target the mature age group way that an audience of consumers or buyers perceive a product or service (Baines, P. Fill, C. Page, K., 2008, pg.251). This definition of positioning means that perception has a great deal of importance in terms of both physical attributes and the deliverance of a product. MSs market research information provides a key analytical tool in identifying a consumers preference. MS and the Consumer Society: A consumer society is a culture in which consumption of material goods is encouraged, and the economic health of the society is dependent on the spending of the population (Xaxx, 2010). Basically in consumer society companies make the consumers feel that they need specific product in their life so here marketing plays an important role in terms of attracting consumers to buy a specific product.MS should be very careful in terms of fulfilling consumers expectations regarding price, convenience and experience as a whole because consumers behaviour is seen to be rapidly changing. MS is advertising its products quite cleverly to its target market and persuading consumers as MS itself is a symbol of quality so whatever they sell is of high quality which has a psychological effect on the target market, persuading them to buy particular products/services they offer. Marketing is undoubtfully fashionable (Baudrillard, 1988, p.30) it means marketing is a bridge of communication in terms of both introducing products for sale in the market and letting people know how eco friendly they are, which is practiced by MS. MS is also part of fashion industry of which marketing environment is rapidly changing, by the help of PESTLE analyses we can look into that and the importance for MS to adapt these changes. PESTLE Analysis: Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal and Environment analysis are used to explore external environment. Political: Political factors like government policies, taxation, subsidies and grants can effect MS operations e.g. if government increases taxes then, MS have to cut their costs, which can include MS reducing expenditure on marketing. Economic: Economic factors include inflation, taxation, interest and consumer buying power etc basically it includes and affects everyone in the economy. It affects MS marketing strategy and their operation in the market. Consumer buying power means MS shift focus on their pricing strategy carefully, to attract consumers and hence boost sales. Sociological: Consumer buying behaviour and demographic are the factors involved in sociological analyses. Consumer behaviour is the main aspect of marketing, as it focuses to understand consumers preferences, habits and attitudes and then act accordingly in order to attract customers. MS being quality conscious not only try to keep up with their quality standard but also tries to improve it in their stores which they also show in their advertisements. This will have good psychological impact on consumers mind as well as they will always relate MS to quality. Technological: Advancement in technology eased out marketing for companies in 21st century. Internet proved to be one of the biggest revolutions in the field of marketing as it made communication and transfer of information effortless. Internet played a vital role in communication and transfer of information worldwide. MS is marketing its brands and products through its website which is easily accessible by the consumers basically they are one click away from buying required products/services. Legal: MS has to follow certain legalities while trading, dealing with employees and competitors and make sure that all the action they perform are legitimate in the eyes of law. Environmental: The last but not the least factor of PESTLE analyses is environment. One of the reasons behind MS success story is that they have a good organisational culture and this factor also makes a distinction from its rival firms. Marketing Mix Decision at MS: The term marketing mix became popularized after Neil H. Borden published his 1964 article, The Concept of the Marketing Mix Product: A product is defined as anything that is capable of satisfying customer needs (Baines, P. Fill, C. Page, K., 2008, pg. 15). There are three levels of product i.e. core, actual, augment. Core level proves to be the most beneficial and meaningful part of the product. Its the final product being served to the customers for example, MS jackets made from wool being served to customers as clothing to keep the warm. Whereas, the method by which a product is delivered to MS customers comes under the heading of actual product and augmented product is concerned with how the customer receives the product and also considers after-sales services. Women show their keen interest in MS thats why MS makes the most of the profit from women wear however MS still tries to enter new market by conducting market research and bringing out innovative products. Food store is a success story of MS capturing new market. Price Price is what company charges for a product to the customers. In 4ps of marketing mix for a company price is the only factor of source of income. On the other hand product, place and promotion are the cost for the company. While charging for products and services MS keeps the current market value in view. More cost based than most is the type of policy used by MS for pricing (Daily Mail, 2009) which differentiate it from its rival companies. Place Customers can purchase product from the available place. MS has over  600 stores located throughout the UK, ranging from large out-of-town and flagship stores of over 100,000 sq ft, to Simply Food stores of around 7,000 sq ft. Our largest store is located at Marble Arch on Londons Oxford Street and  has around 170,000 sq ft of selling space'(Marks Spencer, 2011). MS is very flexible in terms meeting the demands of its customers and is very carefull and successful till date.

Chlorophyll Essay -- Research Paper Science Cancer Papers

Chlorophyll Research Paper Many studies in the area of cancer research are opening up new possibilities for cures and prevention measures. One area of research is directed at the effects that chlorophyll may have on cancer cells within the human body. Research is being conducted to investigate whether chlorophyll has important cancer fighting factors that may play a role in the destruction of cancer cells or whether it is an effective preventive agent. Intensive research for naturally occurring plant products which reduce genotoxic effects are driven by the increasing exposure of humans to environmental toxins (Sarkar, 1994). Experimental evidence indicates a strong relationship and connection between diet and cancer prevention. One’s food choices have been consistently shown to be a determinant factor of human cancer risk (Arbogast, 1995). A positive correlation was shown between the chlorophyll content of vegetable extract with the vegetables’ antimutagenic activity (Sarkar, 1994). Chlorophyll is of considerable interest as an anticarcinogenic substance because it is so abundant in the green vegetables that humans consume. Chlorophyll also has shown no toxic effects to humans (Arbogast, 1995). It is not clear however whether effective uptake of chlorophyll through diet would be enough to protect against certain types of cancers or whether one would need to take supplements along with a balanced diet (Ar bogast, 1995) Derivatives of chlorophyll may also be an important aid in preventing or managing cancer. Research indicates that foods yielding chlorophyll derivatives may play a major role in cancer prevention. Chlorophyll derivatives have a high affinity for tumor tissue in comparison to normal... ...y, S., Poretz, R., and Segelman, A. Effect of Dietary Chlorophyll Derivatives on Mutagenesis and Tumor Cell Growth. Teratogenesis, Carcinogenesis, and Mutagenesis., 79 : 313-322, 1999. Hortensteiner, S., Ougham, H., and Thomas, H. Ring in the new, Ring out the old. IGER innovations., 1 : 1-5, 1998. McKinley, T. Class outline procedure protocol. Department of Biology. Concord College : 2002. Ross, C., Salisbury, F. Plant Physiology. Wadsworth Publishing Company., 3 : 181-183, 1985. Sarkar, D., Sharma, A., and Talukder, G. Chlorophyll and chlorophyllin as modifiers of genotoxic effects. Mutation Research., 318 : 239-247, 1994. Taiz, L., and Zeinger, E. Plant Physiology. The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company Inc. Redwood City, CA. : 179-218, 1991. Ting, I. Plant Physiology. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc., 1: 400, 1982.

Neiman Marcus Sales Plan

Neiman Marcus is a premier luxury retailer with distinctive merchandise and superior service. They opened in Dallas, Texas in 1908. Since 1908, Neiman Marcus has opened 40 additional stores. In 2010, the current count is 41 retail stores and 28 clearance centers called Last Call Neiman Marcus. As you can see from the chart, Neiman Marcus sells very diverse items. The largest category is women’s apparel, followed by women’s shoes, handbags and accessories, men’s apparel and shoes, cosmetics and fragrances, designer and precious jewelry, home furnishings and decor and the smallest category is other items. Neiman Marcus’s Mission Statement: â€Å"Neiman Marcus Stores will be the premier luxury retailer recognized for merchandise leadership and superior customer service. We will offer the finest fashion and quality products in an exceptional environment. † For the fiscal year 2010, Neiman Marcus had strong sales numbers. The total sales in the first quarter included the months of August, September, and October. The total sales were $ 869 million. The second quarter included the months of November, December, and January. The total sales were $ 1,102 million. The third quarter included the months February, March, and April. The total sales in the third quarter were $ 895 million. These figures include all 41 retail stores and the Neiman Marcus on-line website. According to the latest annual report from the U. S. Census Bureau the total amount of sales for the U. S. retail industry was $ 4. 13 trillion. This report comes from the calendar year ending in December 2009. Neiman Marcus has three top competitors. They are Barneys New York, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Even though there are many other luxury retailers, only the three listed above can compete with Neiman Marcus’s customer service and diversity of products. Code of Ethics The Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. placed a Code of Ethics and Conduct to all its sales associates. The following are only a few examples of the policies that were placed. Protecting Customer Information When it comes to customer information, Neiman Marcus is dedicated to protect their customer’s confidential information. The company places the responsibility of protecting customer information to each sales associate that comes in contact with that information. Not only is certain information protected by state and federal laws, it is also protected by the company’s own data security policies. Sales associates are prohibited from using a client’s personal information on personal PDA’s or any personal computer for future reference. Conflicts Of Interest Neiman Marcus’s Code of Ethics and Conduct describes situations in which sales associates should avoid. According to the Code of Conduct, associates should avoid any situations that their personal interests could conflict to those of the company. The sales associate should avoid lending money to its customers for them to buy from the company nor should he or she use the company’s information or a customer’s confidential information for personal gain. It is also stated that the â€Å"associates should not accept any gifts†. These rules are made to avoid any unethical transactions between its associates and its customers or other parties. Discipline For Violations Neiman Marcus has disciplinary guidelines for sales associates who authorize, condone, or participate in actions that violate not only the company’s policies but the law. This also applies to sales associates who encourage others to retaliate against whistleblowers. Sales associates who withhold information relating to a violation are also at risk of disciplinary action. Sales associates who also submit false reports of violations or suspected violations which are made in bad faith will also receive disciplinary action. Neiman Marcus also prohibits sales associates to share employee discounts. Because the company regards the employee discount as a courtesy and privilege extended to the employee, if discovered, sales associates can have their benefit revoked or be terminated. Recruiting and Selecting Part of how Neiman Marcus selects its sales force is through its interview process. Part of that process is the use of a personality assessment to screen for desirable candidates to fit with Neiman Marcus’s ideology. The screening tests are supposed to help an interviewer have objective information that is not subject to biases. According to the Dalrymple’s Sales Management text â€Å"Testing was found to be one of the most reliable predictors of entry level job success. † Three main tests mentioned are intelligence, personality, and aptitude. The application process is as follows: after a candidate completes a job application on a HRIS (Human Resource Information System) they are then transferred to the SHL system and complete an assessment test. They are then transferred back to the HRIS system. (â€Å"SHL is a company that provides workplace talent assessment solutions including ability and personality tests, and psychometric assessments in more than 50 countries and in 30 languages†. ) A report is then immediately available which enables the interviewer to hire right then and there. As a result of Neiman Marcus adopting this process they make claims of having a reduction in staff turnover by 18%. In locations where the new system is being used, the pay for sales associates have been increased by 15. % and the interview – to- hire cycle was reduced from several days to 24 hours. The criteria selected by Neiman Marcus for a sales associate position is a direct result from the planning process where the company would define the company culture by analyzing the job, analyzing the job description and determining the qualifications they want to invest in a sales force. After receiving that information, the company SHL designed a personality assessment based on key competencies, attitude, and behaviors that applied to top performing sales associates with good employment tenure records. The assessment is simple and easy to use by store managers for the purpose of minimizing the risk of poor interviewing techniques. 30% of businesses that were surveyed showed that they used personality tests in hiring. Many companies consider testing more important than experience or education, while other companies like Universal Studios Theme Park will still interview candidates regardless of test scores just in case there were errors in the assessment. In most cases the results are close to what is surmised in the interview. Long held debates question whether or not personality tests can reduce personality to a set of numbers. Examples of popular tests are the â€Å"The Myers-Briggs type indicators used to match job seekers with jobs based on four qualities of introversion/ extroversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, judgment/perceiving and for careers in positions of authority and trust. Another popular test is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory test, which looks for drug abuse or other pathologies. Questions remain unanswered. Could this sort of testing stigmatize applicants who have not committed any wrong doings and could it result in an injustice to innocent people? A survey showed that 49 percent of companies that used computerized hiring systems saw no changes in turnover rates. The American Psychological Association found little evidence that tests purporting to measure honesty are accurate. The danger that lies in these tests is they are not regulated or certified, and anyone can make up a test and make claims as they wish. Companies like â€Å"People Answers† make claims of â€Å"streamlining the recruiting process† and hiring process for hiring managers offer â€Å"full behavioral analysis on every candidate†. They claim they can uncover hidden attributes that reveal a candidates drive for success and can separate out the underachievers. While this procedure may save time and the associated costs of hiring staff, questions arise about these programs of whether they make allowances for people who come from different cultures and minorities. These programs may be set to be too narrow as to not give equal opportunity to deserving candidates. Creativity and innovation cannot be predicted by a computer survey. Also, candidates could gain knowledge on how to beat these tests rendering them useless. While these tests might prove to be a good indicator of the attributes of what a company finds desirable in a candidate, it is being suggested here that there is no substitute for good training and interview skills. Caution is indicated where there could be an over reliance on these procedures and could prove to be a drawback in the long run. Training Since Neiman Marcus’s training programs are decentralized, sales associates are trained at the store location where they will work. This instruction is done in a classroom setting that includes web conferences and online essions. This strategy reduces travel expenses and managers can observe the new employees first hand. The decentralized training for sales associates has worked well for them. One of the things Neiman Marcus has been doing right is their training philosophy and techniques. Much of what they have done has been imitated by others. The contemporary theory of customer service was popularized by Neiman Marcus. Neiman Marcus offers a five day training course to new employees, while Nordstrom has a less formal approach with more emphasis on incentives and providing information. New Sales force employees receive training that covers Neiman Marcus history, policies and procedures. They also receive a course called ‘The Art of Selling† which teaches new sales associates how to give outstanding service to clients. This training offers custom-designed materials and programs to fit the Neiman Marcus philosophy. The material covers product knowledge and how sales process behavior leads to a successful conclusion. Another thing Neiman Marcus does right is their follow up training. They use a variety of methods that include classroom session, video, web conferences, systems training, online resources, lending library, in the job coaching, and in-store/in-facility experiences. Associates receive 200 hours of training their first year and 150 hours of training in subsequent years. This constant training reinforces the Neiman Marcus culture and leads to continual improvement, better selling skills, increased product knowledge, and ultimately better customer relations. Retailers have found that better service often equals higher sales and almost always results in loyal customers. A new topic for sales training is technology based selling skills. This is an area that is changing all the time. Cutting edge technology can give a company a real advantage over the competition when they are early entrants. One new technology is customer relationship management hand held devices. In the past, product information that might only be known by a few specialists with years of experience is now at the finger tips of the entire floor of sales associates. This is the power of being trained in using customer relationship management hand held devices. These devices are called Mobile CRMs. The devices have the power to take customer service to a whole new level. Imagine a sales person being able to access customer data at any time. Sales people can up sell, make suggestions, check inventory availability, and even answer customer’s questions about a specific product without having to run off somewhere to get answers and information. Instead, they can get it on the spot. If a product is not available, they can put the customer on a call list to be notified when a product has become available. This cutting edge technology will free sales associates to make the buying experience as effortless as possible. Sales people can make the transactions for the customer without having to go back to the register counter or point of sale station. Customers can be on their way in just minutes. This type of device helps a sales person improve his/her efficiency by being more competent in carrying out one’s duties which will in turn improve customer relations that result in an increase of productivity that leads to more personal satisfaction resulting in reduced turnover. According to the New York Times article, â€Å"Creating a Better Sales Force†, Mr. Lyon of The Container Store states: â€Å"If you give great service, you make people happier. Not only do employees who are better prepared to sell have a greater sense of accomplishment, they contribute ideas that help the company grow, and they become the next generation of management. † Account Relationships Neiman Marcus prides itself as the premier luxury retailer dedicated to providing our customers with distinctive merchandise and superior service. Former President Stanley Marcus believed in the â€Å"best of the best†, both in products and customer relationships. It was his belief that providing superior customer support through consultative transactions would result in customer loyalty. The sales associates should provide a â€Å"personal shopping† experience with each customer. They assist by knowing where merchandise is located, what? s in stock, what? s coming in, what will meet a customer’s needs, and what will not. Associates build trust with customers by answering the customer’s needs rather than providing the nearest product with a simple solution. For example, if a customer arrived looking for a lightly colored lip gloss, a sales associate would try to determine if the customer was looking for nourishment, a concealer, or an enhancer, because each situation may have a different product as a result. To assist the sales associates, Neiman Marcus partnered with Business Objects in 2002 to redesign a strategic customer relationship application. The new computer system provided sales associates with product information. They are able to know what is in stock and on the floor at all times. The system was also created to include a computer based clientele tracking system. This system can track all sales for each client. Based on the information from the sale, such as designers, colors, sizes, time of purchase, and frequency, a profile can be built for each customer. It will also allow the sales associates to track life events and special occasions for each client to add value and build a meaningful personal relationship. This system will also allow department sales managers to access real time reporting on the sales of each associate in their department based on dollar amount, number of sales, and brands sold. Sales associates are also instructed to build a relationship and create loyalty by maintaining familiarity with InCircle, Neiman Marcus’s loyalty program. Each associate is expected to introduce new customers to the program and provide updates to existing members. To become a member, a customer only needs to open a new Neiman Marcus account. Once opened, they are enrolled and can register their American Express and Diners Club credit cards, the only other cards accepted in stores. Each dollar spent in the store or online will equal one point in the InCircle loyalty program. After the first purchase, members will receive advanced notices of promotions, shows, and invitations to exclusive events. It is these â€Å"soft rewards† that generate Neiman Marcus’s most loyal customers. Sales associates promote the exclusivity of the events to make members feel as though they are included in the most fashionable circles. At the exclusive InCircle events, shoppers mingle with other likeminded members who positively influence their spending. Members are also encouraged to bring a non-member to the events which generate promising new customers. Businesses can also benefit for the quality customer service at Neiman Marcus. Many businesses use the knowledge and reliability of associates to place bulk orders. Often a business relationship can develop over the phone, with products being delivered in person. This service allows minimal interruptions for busy business professionals. This service if often utilized during the holiday season by corporations looking to distribute luxurious gifts to their employees.

George W. Bush During Afghanistan’s War on Terror Political Analysis

ALFONSO OTERO MIRELES 938394 FOREING POLICY George W. Bush during Afghanistan’s War on Terror POLITICAL ANALYSIS BASED ON DONNA H. KERR The term War on Terror refers to an ongoing, worldwide campaign against terrorism led by the United States and supported by several other countries, most notoriously England and members of NATO. The term was first used under George W. Bush’s administration following the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States, where 2996 people lost their lives and more than 6000 others were injured.Within months after the 9/11 attacks, the US sent troops to Afghanistan because this was believed to be the operational base for Al-Qaeda, at the same time the US looked to dethrone the Taliban regime and ‘’Bring Democracy’’ to this middle eastern country. Two years after the occupation, and without yet finding Bin Laden, the US embarks in yet another military invasion, this time against Iraq. This War on Terror has be en worldwide known as the Bush War, due to his effusive support and controversy.The implementing agent during Afghanistan’s war is without a doubt the Bush administration, they are the ones who started it, developed it and spent the most money on implementing the war. The authorizing agent in this situation would arguably be the United Nations because According to the UN’s rules, The US had to get approval from the UN’s Security Council in order to go ahead with the wars. In the case of Afghanistan, the UN accepted the occupancy, backing up their decision with the consent of most members plus an official report that stated that around 70% of deaths in this country were caused by the Taliban regime.The Conditional Imperative was the danger that Middle-Eastern Terrorist groups represent for the United States and the world and how nobody, not even the United States was safe from another possible attack. The recurring conditions of post-traumatic fear and terrorism fobia became a part of the everyday life of the average North American; the constant news reports on violence in some Middle Eastern countries was also a condition that needed to be ‘’fixed’’ by the US’s democracy Since its start the United States has maintained itself stable in ll of his policies regarding Afghanistan, they have indeed substituted policies in Iraq (after leaving the country) but as to Afghanistan they have only talked and promised to change it, but up until this day there has been not a notorious substitution of policies. All important declaration were made publicly, virtually everyone in the world was aware of the US’s decision of invading Afghanistan, and most of Bush’s declarations towards the topic.Of course the relevant public in this case would be the US’s government and population, the UK’s government and population and any other country that supported or was against the war, also the United Natio ns council and of course and Afghanistan’s entire population and ruling powers. GEORGE W. BUSH PERFORMANCE DURING IRAQ’s WAR Bush’s administration decided to go ahead and send troops to Iraq in 2003. With a similar approach as in Afghanistan, the occupation was led by George W.Bush and supported mainly by the UK. The main reasons where the belief that the Iraqi government was harboring weapons of mass destruction and some claims that linked Iraqi officials with terrorist group A-Qaeda. The lack of evidence of this weapons and the high costs of the two wars during times of economic instabilities led to an avalanche of national and international criticism and lack of support for the Bush administration, even though no consistent proof was (or has up to this day) been presented, George W.Bush won the following reelections and the North American troops remained officially in Iraq’s soil until December 2011. The military prescience of the US still remains in A fghanistan up-until this day. Bush’s administration main goals and objectives was primarily finding this infamous Weapons of Mass destruction, hunt down and get rid of all officials linked to Al-Qaeda, this included the nation’s leader Sadaam Hussein, who aside from being accused of crimes against humanity he was also believed to be linked to Al-Qaeda an of course to ‘’Bring Democracy’’ to this country.The UN gave Iraq one last opportunity through the resolution 1441 to come clean about the weapons of mass destruction. Iraq allowed inspectors to go and search for them. The United States blamed Iraq’s government of not being cooperative, and went ahead and used the force even though the resolution didn’t authorize the use of force even if they had been found. This is when he first option for Bush comes, he could’ve easily gone the other way and simply acccept the fact that there may not have been any secret weapons in the first place and not does anything relevant in Iraq, including not removing Sadam Hussein from power. A second option could have been accepting the UN’s statement of not using the force, admitting that there isn’t enough proof of the harboring of weapons but still destitute Hussein from power, and install a US hosted presidency.The third option would be also to dethrone Hussein, stop looking for weapons but stop not installing a US government overseas and simply let the Iraqi people decide for themselves. If Bush simply retracted from all accusations against Iraq, sent the troops back and not do anything against Hussein, there would’ve been an initial reaction of public opinion concerning mainly on Bush’s indecision and lack of consistent information. It would be hard to simply accept they were wrong and just leave.Moneywise, the costs of sending troops would still affect the economy but not as much as it did in reality, of course depending on when the dec ision would’ve been made. Supposing that Bush had accepted its wrongful information referring weapons of mass destruction, decided to leave the country, but not without restituting Hussein, I guess public opinion would judge this decision harsh, he would still increase public debt paying for the time of the troops in Iraq, but would maintain a high influence on this country by imposing its US funded government.I think in a utopian world, Bush should have gone with decision number 3, which meant the same as option two but without imposing its own ‘’democratic’’ government, this would appear as if the country was acting upon mere sympathy, a situation not common at all when it involves the US and wars. The Iraqi people could choose whatever form of government they wanted, which for me I think it sounds fair, it shouldn’t be up to the superpowers decide who will rule over weaker countries, but on the other hand I would suppose violence would inc rease, division and the local hunt for power could bring a mess of a consequence.Other countries and organizations including peace corps and the UN could also help out control the mayhem. Many theories surrounding the veracity of this accusations and the lack of overall evidence that backed up the US’s actions led to questioning over the real goals for George W. Bush in Iraq. Public opposition claimed that Bush was looking only in Iraq for oil and more power. Accoring to author John Harold Chapman of UK’s newspaper, the whole purpose behind the war was the hunt for oil and that the economic situation upon which the United States was going through justifies this answer.In his own words: Control over Iraqi oil should improve security of supplies to the US, and possibly the UK, with the development and exploration contracts between Saddam and China, France, India, Indonesia and Russia being set aside in favour of US and possibly British companies. And a US military presen ce in Iraq is an insurance policy against any extremists in Iran and Saudi Arabia. The prisoners dilemma represent BUSH on one hand with two options, whether to admit the lack of proof refereeing to weapons of mass destructions in Iraq, and on the other hand the percentage of his political party that supports him.Which in a way are pretending not to know about the lack of evidence and in a way ‘’hope for the other prisoner to be quiet. All assumptions are based on the hypothetically situation in which both know the weapons are a lie. 1)In one paragraph, describe and analyze the leader’s use of â€Å"cognitive shortcuts† and experience with â€Å"cognitive dissonance. † For example, the policy and culture of the Bush administration was one of war expansion, regardless of fact. They sought war and when confronted with conflicting evidence and faulty intelligence on Saddam Hussein, they went ahead and invaded anyway.Minimum paragraphs: 1 Minimum source s: 1 (excluding Neack) As to cognitive dissonance and Bush, I would say it’s a trick that he has played to the US government, he can go and invade a foreign country, in the case of Iraq, knowing that there isn’t enough proof to go and invade, both a big number or Iraqui civilians and US soldiers will lose their lives, public debt will increase, the already unstable economy will get directly affected but at the end, he uses this psychological tool to exclude and not metion the downside of going to war and just promising democracy for the needy, a ‘’greater good’’.Hurrican Katrin is also a good example of the hand-picking selection of information provided to the public regarding the delay of the help post-hurricane. Both appointments occurred under President Bush, who in 2001 also appointed two other civilians, James Roche (General Motors) and Thomas E. White (Enron), to head the Air Force and Army. William D. Hartung, Head of the Arms Trade Re source Center, challenged the appointments because he felt it was unethical to appoint businessmenwhose former companies would be the prime beneficiaries of increases in defense spending.Hartung further noted that at no time in recent history had military appointments been made from the civilian sector. With the use of cognitive shortcuts, Bush’s administration has been dealing with the big percentage of public discontent, providing only certain information that could be relevant in some cases, for example during the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, he never gave a real reason why there was a significant delay of help provided by the government, but instead he only focused on informing how much the delayed help forces helped once they arrived there.Iraq would still be the best example, by the big amoung of congnotive shortcuts used to cover the lack of information regarding Al-Qaeda’s connection to Iraq and evidently about the weapons. Comments: Good job, but you missed the Bureaucratic Model section! Some of your bibliography formatting was not correct. Grade: B+ Kerr, D. (1976). The logic of ‘policy† and successful policies. Policy Sciences, 7(3), 351-363. Neack, L. (2008). The new foreign policy: Power seeking in a globalized era. (Second ed. . Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Breuning, M. (2007). Foreign policy analysis: A comparative introduction. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. ARTICLE UN – TALIBAN 70% DEATHS http://articles. cnn. com/2011-12-15/middleeast/world_meast_iraq-us-ceremony_1_iraq-war-iraq-body-count-iraqis-struggle? _s=PM:MIDDLEEAST UN RESOLUTION 1441 http://www. undemocracy. com/securitycouncil/meeting_4644#pg010-bk01 JOHN HARROLD CHAPMAN, http://www. guardian. co. uk/world/2004/jul/28/iraq. usa