Objectives of the Firm Essay

The standard economic assumption underlying the analysis of firms is profit maximization. Real world firms, however, might not, and many times do not, make decisions based on the profit-maximization objective, or at least exclusively on the profit-maximization objective. Other objectives include: (1) sales maximization, (2) pursuit of personal welfare, and (3) pursuit of social welfare. Although firms are assumed to make decisions that increase profit in standard economic analysis, real world firms often pursue other objectives on a day-to-day basis. Some firms set their sights on maximizing sales. For other firms the owners or employees are inclined to enhance personal living standards. And more than a few firms take steps that promote the overall welfare of society. In some cases, these other objectives help a firm pursue profit maximization. In other cases, they prevent a firm from maximizing profit. Profit Maximization Profit maximization is the process of obtaining the highest possible level of profit through the production and sale of goods and services. This is the guiding principle underlying the analysis of short-run production by a firm. In particular, economic analysis is assumed that firms undertake actions and make the decisions that increase profit. Profit is the difference between the total revenue a firm receives from selling output and the total cost of producing that output. Profit-maximization means that a firm seeks the production level that generates the greatest difference between total revenue and total cost. Consider how profit maximization might work for The Wacky Willy Company. Suppose that The Wacky Willy Company generates $100,000 of profit by producing 100,000 Stuffed Amigos, the difference between $1,000,000 of revenue and $900,000 of cost. * If profit falls from this $100,000 level when The Wacky Willy Company produces more (100,001) or fewer (99,999) Stuffed Amigos, then it is maximizing profit at 100,000. Alternatively, if profit can be increased by producing more or less, then The Wacky Willy Company is NOT maximizing profit at the current level of production. Suppose, for example, that producing 100,001 Stuffed Amigos adds an extra $11 to revenue but only $9 to cost. In this case, profit can be increased by $2, reaching $100,002, by producing one more Stuffed Amigo. As such 100,000 is NOT the profit maximizing level of production. * In contrast, suppose that producing 99,999 Stuffed Amigos reduces cost by $11 but only reduces revenue by only $9. In this case, profit can also be increased by $2, reaching $100,002, by producing one fewer Stuffed Amigo. As such 100,000 is NOT the profit maximizing level of production. Sales Maximization A reasonable, and often pursued objective of firms is to maximize sales, that is, to sell as much output as possible. Clearly sales lead to revenue, meaning that maximizing sales is also bound to maximize revenue. But as the analysis of short-run production indicates, maximizing sales does NOT necessarily maximize profit. So why do firms do it? Are firms unreasonable? Are they irrational? Do they NOT understand the basic economic principles of short-run production? For some firms, the answers to these questions could be yes. But for other firms, sales maximization is actually a reasonable, even better, alternative to profit maximization. Consider, the day-to-day production of Wacky Willy Stuffed Amigos. Suppose the President of The Wacky Willy Company, William J. Wackowski, issues a corporate directive to sell as many Stuffed Amigos as possible, to maximize sales. Is Willy Wackowski wacky? It might be that Mr. Wackowski has no knowledge of basic economic principles. Alternatively Wacky William might have more business sense than it appears. In particular, if the price received from selling Stuffed Amigos is greater than the cost of producing each one, and looks to remain that way regardless of the quantity produced, then a reasonable goal is to maximize sales. If sales are greater, then so too is profit. Wacky Willy does NOT maximize profit under these circumstances. That is, it does not produce the quantity that achieves the highest possible profit. However, with each Stuffed Amigo produced, profit increases. In fact, Wacky Willy might not KNOW the profit-maximizing production level. All it knows is that selling more Stuffed Amigos, increases profit. While sales maximization can serve as a means of pursing profit maximization, it can also prevent a firm from maximizing profit. The reason, of course, is that if sales become so large that the cost of production increases such that marginal cost exceeds marginal revenue, the maximizing sales does not maximize profit. Pursuit of Personal Welfare The people who make decisions for a business are, in fact, people. They have likes and dislikes. They have personal goals and aspirations just like people who do not make decisions for firms. On occasion these people use the firm to pursue their own personal welfare. When they do, their actions could enhance the firm’s profit maximization or, in many cases, prevent profit maximization. How about a few examples? Once again, consider William J. Wackowski, the president of The Wacky Willy Company. Perhaps Willy enjoys the finer things in life–a large house, fancy cars, and expensive vacations–which require a hefty income. As the primary stockholder of The Wacky Willy Company, when the business maximizes profit, then William J. Wackowski benefits with more income. In this case, the pursuit of personal welfare coincides with profit maximization. Alternatively, suppose that the Mr. Wackowski hates the color purple. He simply refuse to produce ANY purple Stuffed Amigos. However, market studies clearly indicate that buyers want purple Stuffed Amigos. Moreover, the purple fabric that would be used to produce purple Stuffed Amigos is significantly less expensive than other colors. Mr. Willy clearly is wacky in this case. His purple-phobia prevents profit maximization. William the Wackster might also decide to enhance his corporate lifestyle at the expense of corporate profit. He could, for example, give himself a bigger, more luxurious (but unneeded) office, a higher (but unneeded) salary, a company jet (also unneeded), season tickets to Shady Valley Primadonnas baseball team (clearly unneeded) and other (unneeded) amenities that are NOT needed to profitably produce Stuffed Amigos. These improve William’s personal welfare, but at the expense of corporate profit. Pursuit of Social Welfare The people who make decisions for firms also have social consciences. Part of their likes and dislikes might be related to the overall state of society. As such, they might use the firm to pursue social welfare, which could enhance or prevent the firm’s profit maximization. How might William J. Wackowski’s pursuit of social welfare enhance or prevent profit maximization of The Wacky Willy Company? Suppose that William wants a cleaner environment. As such, he might implement more costly environmentally â€Å"friendly† production techniques and materials. He does his part to â€Å"clean the environment,† but at the expense of company profit. Then again, Mr. Wackowski might feel that government environmental quality regulations restrict capital investment and economic growth. As such, William might have The Wacky Willy Company use part of its advertising budget to promote this view point. He might even use company revenue to set up the Wackowski Foundation for Policy Studies that is both a scientific think tank and a special interest lobbying organization with the goal of reducing environmental quality regulations. While the pursuit of social welfare is likely to reduce company profit, it could have the opposite effect as well. Such activities could give The Wacky Willy Company a likeable public image that motivates people to buy more Stuffed Amigos than they would otherwise. In fact, some firms use the pursuit of social welfare as one aspect of their overall advertising efforts. They enhance their public image at the same time they do something â€Å"good† for society. Natural Selection Whichever objective a firm pursues on a day-to-day basis, the notion of natural selection suggests that successful firms intentionally or unintentionally maximize profit. That is, the firms best suited to the economic environment, and thus generate the most profit, are the ones that tend to survive. The natural selection of business firms is an adaptation of the biological process of natural selection, in which biological entities best suited to the natural environment are the ones that survive. The concept of economic natural selection means that those firms that generate the greatest profit are the ones that avoid bankruptcy and survive to produce another day. While firms might pursue sales maximization, personal welfare, or social welfare, only those firms that also maximize profit remain in business. 2) The following   is from chapter one in the text   Financial Management and Policy, by James C. Van Horne, Copyright 1974 by Prentice-Hall. It is classic finance. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE FIRM In this [course], we assume that the objective of the firm is to maximize its value to its shareholders. Value is represented by the market price of the company’s common stock, which, in turn, is a reflection of the firm’s investment, financing, and dividend decisions. Profit Maximization vs. Wealth Maximization Frequently, maximization of profits is regarded as the proper objective of the firm, but it is not as inclusive a goal as that of maximizing shareholder wealth. For one thing, total profits are not as important as earnings per share. A firm could always raise total profits by issuing stock and using the proceeds to invest in Treasury bills. Even maximization of earnings per share, however, is not a fully appropriate objective, partly because it does not specify the timing or duration of expected returns. Is the investment project that will produce $100,000 return 5 years from now more valuable than the project that will produce annual returns of $15,000 in each of the next 5 years? An answer to this question depends upon the time value of money to the firm and to investors at the margin. Few existing stockholders would think favorably of a project that promised its first return in 100 years. We must take into account the time pattern of returns in our analysis. Another shortcoming of the objective of maximizing earnings per share is that it does not consider the risk or uncertainty of the prospective earnings stream. Some investment projects are far more risky than others. As a result, the prospective stream of earnings per share would be more uncertain if these projects were undertaken. In addition, a company will be more or less risky depending upon the amount of debt in relation to equity in its capital structure. This risk is known as financial risk; and it, too, contributes to the uncertainty of the prospective stream of earnings per share. Two companies may have the same expected future earnings per share, but if the earnings stream of one is subject to considerably more uncertainty than the earnings stream of the other, the market price per share of its stock may be less. For the reasons above, an objective of maximizing earnings per share may not be the same as maximizing market price per share. The market price of a firm’s stock represents the focal judgment of all market participants as to what the value is of the particular firm. It takes into account present and prospective future earnings per share, the timing, duration, and risk of these earnings, and any other factors that bear upon the market price of stock. The market price serves as a performance index or report card of the firm’s progress; it indicates how well management is doing in behalf of its stockholders. Management vs. Stockholders In certain situations the objectives of management may differ from those of the firms stockholders. In a large corporation whose stock is widely held, stockholders exert very little control or influence over the operations of the company. When the control of a company is separate from its ownership, management may not always act in the best interests of the stockholders [Agency Theory]. [Managers] sometimes are said to be â€Å"satisficers† rather than â€Å"maximizers†; they may be content to â€Å"play it safe† and seek an acceptable level of growth, being more concerned with perpetuating their own existence than with maximizing the value of the firm to its shareholders. The most important goal to a management [team]of this sort may be its own survival. As a result, it may be unwilling to take reasonable risks for fear of making a mistake, thereby becoming conspicuous to the outside suppliers of capital. In turn, these suppliers may pose a threat to management’s survival. It is true that in order to survive over the long run, management may have to behave in a manner that is reasonably consistent with maximizing shareholder wealth. Nevertheless, the goals of the two parties do not necessarily have to be the same. Maximization of shareholder wealth, then, is an appropriate guide for how a firm should act. When management does not act in a manner consistent with this objective, we must recognize this as a constraint and determine the opportunity cost. This cost is measurable only if we determine what the outcome would have been had the firm attempted to maximize shareholder wealth. A Normative Goal Because the principal of maximization of shareholder wealth provides a rational guide for running a business and for the efficient allocation of resources in society, we use it as our assumed objective in considering how financial decisions should be made. The purpose of capital markets is to efficiently allocate savings in an economy from ultimate savers to ultimate users of funds who invest in real assets. If savings are to be channeled to the most promising investment opportunities, a rational economic criteria must exist that governs their flow. By and large, the allocation of savings in an economy occurs on the basis of expected return and risk. The market value of a firm’s stock embodies both of these factors. It therefore reflects the market’s tradeoff between risk and return. If decisions are made in keeping with the likely effect upon the market value of its stock, a firm will attract capital only when its investment opportunities justify the use of that capital in the overall economy. Put another way, the equilibration process by which savings are allocated in an economy occurs on the basis of expected return and risk. Holding risk constant, those economic units (business firms, households, financial institutions, or governments) willing to pay the highest yield are the ones entitled to the use of funds. If rationality prevails, the economic units bidding the highest yields will be the ones with the most promising investment opportunities. As a result, savings will tend to be allocated to the most efficient users. Maximization of shareholder wealth then embodies the risk-return tradeoff of the market and is the focal point by which funds should be allocated within and among business firms. Any other objective is likely to result in the suboptimal allocation of funds and therefore lead to less than optimal level of economic want satisfaction. This is not to say that management should ignore the question of social responsibility. As related to business firms, social responsibility concerns such things as protecting the consumer, paying fair wages to employees, maintaining fair hiring practices, supporting education, and becoming actively involved in environmental issues like clean air and water. Many people feel that a firm has no choice but to act in socially responsible ways; they argue that shareholder wealth and, perhaps, the corporations vary existence depends upon its being socially responsible. However, the criteria for social responsibility are not clearly defined, making formulation of a consistent objective function difficult. Moreover, social responsibility creates certain problems for the firm. One is that it falls unevenly on different corporations. Another is that it sometimes conflicts with the objective of wealth maximization. Certain social actions, from a long-range point of view, unmistakably are in the best interests of stockholders, and there is little question that they should be undertaken. Other actions are less clear, and to engage in them may result in a decline of profits and in shareholder wealth in the long run. From the standpoint of society, this decline may produce a conflict. What is gained in having a socially desirable goal achieved may be offset in whole or part by an accompanying less efficient allocation of resources in society. The latter will result in a less than optimal growth of the economy and a lower total level of economic want satisfaction. In an era of unfilled wants and scarcity, the allocation process is extremely important. Many people feel that management should not be called upon to resolve the conflict posed above. Rather, society, with its broad general perspective, should make the decisions necessary in this area. Only society, acting through Congress and other representative governmental bodies, can judge the relative tradeoff between the achievement of a social goal and the sacrifice in the efficiency of apportioning resources that may accompany realization of the goal. With these decisions made, corporations can engage in wealth maximization and thereby efficiently allocate resources, subject, of course, to certain governmental constraints. Under such a system, corporations can be viewed as producing both private and social goods, and the maximization of shareholder wealth remains a viable corporate objective.

War Brings Peace

First M . Last Name Professor ‘s Name Class and Number 7 February 2007 Can War Bring Peace ? War is considered as a particular branch of a specific philosophy , with Carl von Clausewitz being considered as the â€Å"only philosopher of war ‘stated in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy . It also says that it refers to , â€Å"a phenomenon which occurs only between political communities ‘ or â€Å"certain political pressure groups , like terrorist organizations , might also be considered `political communities ‘ in that they are associations of people with a political purpose (Stanford ,War , 2005 . On the other hand , peace is the pursuit of justice with opposite methods of human diversity and who seek peace are more or less responsible for social changes in visionary ways , while the proponents of war are considered to be narrow minded with one thing in mind – to win something they want , using whatever methods they need to accomplish this . Rel igion has been blamed as the cause of many wars , yet they considered themselves to be an advocacy for non-violence . A source of conflict ,religion is also a philosophy and practitioner of peace . Contradictory in itself , this explains the conflicting views bringing war into existence . Not all wars are caused by opposing religious views , but the majority of them are . Jenny Teichman wrote in The Philosophy of War and Peace that â€Å"Aggressive wars have often been waged for religious reasons and still are today (Teichman , 2002 , pg . 2 . According to Alexander Mosley in Philosophy of War , â€Å"man cannot stop war – it is his nature to wage war ‘ which backs my theory that war is the product of man ‘s ideas and hence is a product of choice . We fight for peace through war , and war continues on until peace comes into being–these are contradictory statements . Peace found through war is not peace , only a win-win situation , or a give-in situation at the cost of lives , money , and and power win â€Å"Man chooses war , and by this is meant that each individual participant chooses war (or has to choose differently , if war is thrust upon him through invasion or conscription ‘Mosley also states that , â€Å"The individual is a volitional being , whose cognition is free to use and direct and in group activity such as a battle , each individual must contribute his thought and effort — even if only accepting the orders of others (Mosley , pg . 39 . Does this refer to the desire for peace – hardly . It refers to the fact many are at war through the desires of others for ulterior gain that has nothing to do with achieving peace . There is nothing wrong with different views – they are only different ,with each individual thinking their viewpoint is the correct one -unfortunately , many feel their way is correct for abs olutely everyone with everyone else wrong or evil . To sum it up , how each one goes about getting their way is what sets the scene for war or peace : one may peacefully go about it with diplomatic and peaceful ways , such as†¦

Judicial Precedent

Judicial precedent: A judgment of a court of law cited as an authority for deciding a similar set of facts; a case which serves as authority for the legal principle embodied in its decision. The common law has developed by broadening down from precedent to precedent. A judicial precedent is a decision of the court used as a source for future decision making. This is known as stare decisis (to stand upon decisions) and by which precedents are authoritative and binding and must be followed. In giving judgment in a case, the judge will set out the facts of the case, state the law applicable to the facts and then provide his or her decision. It is only the ratio decidendi (the legal reasoning or ground for the judicial decision) which is binding on later courts under the system of judicial precedent. Any observation made by the judge on a legal question suggested by the case before him or her but not arising in such a manner as requiring a decision is known as obiter dictum (a saying by the way). There may several reasons for a decision provided by the judge in any given judgment and one must not assume that a reason can be regarded as ‘obiter' because some other ‘ratio' has been provided. Thus, it is not always easy to distinguish ratio decidendi from obiter dictum when evaluating the effects of a particular decision. A single decision of a superior court is absolutely binding on subsequent inferior courts. However, certain of the superior courts regard themselves as bound by their own decisions whilst others do not: 1. Decisions of the House of Lords bind all other courts but the House does not regard itself as strictly bound by its previous decisions, for example, in Murphy v Brentwood District Council (1990) the House elected to overrule its earlier decision in Anns v London Borough of Merton (1978) on the issue of a local authority's liability in negligence to future purchasers of property. 2. The Court of Appeal, Civil Division, holds itself bound by its previous decisions: Young v Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd (1944) but in that case also identified three exceptional cases where it would disregard its own previous decision. These are (i) where two Court of Appeal decisions conflict; (ii) if the decision although not expressly overruled conflicts with a later decision of the House of Lords; and (iii) if the earlier decision was given per incuriam (through want of care) however it cannot ignore a decision of the House of Lords on the same basis. . Divisional courts of the High Court have adopted the rule laid down in Young's case although judges sitting at first instance are not bound to follow the decisions of other High Court judges although they tend to do so for the sake of certainty Judicial precedent is an important source of English law as an original precedent is one which creates and applies a new rule. However, the later decisions, especially of the higher courts, can have a number of effects upon precedents.. In particular, they may be: †¢Reversed: where on appeal in the same case the decision is reversed, the initial decision will cease to have any effect †¢Overruled: where in a later case a higher court decides that the first case was wrongly decided †¢A refusal to follow: this arises where a court, not bound by the decision, cannot overrule it but does not wish to follow it so it simply refuses to follow the earlier decision †¢Distinguished: where an earlier case is rejected as authority, either because the material facts differ or because the statement of law in the previous case is too narrow to be properly applied to the new set of facts †¢Explained: a judge may seek to interpret an earlier decision before applying it or distinguishing it, thus the effect of the earlier case is varied in the circumstances of the present ca Judicial Precedent Judicial precedent: A judgment of a court of law cited as an authority for deciding a similar set of facts; a case which serves as authority for the legal principle embodied in its decision. The common law has developed by broadening down from precedent to precedent. A judicial precedent is a decision of the court used as a source for future decision making. This is known as stare decisis (to stand upon decisions) and by which precedents are authoritative and binding and must be followed. In giving judgment in a case, the judge will set out the facts of the case, state the law applicable to the facts and then provide his or her decision. It is only the ratio decidendi (the legal reasoning or ground for the judicial decision) which is binding on later courts under the system of judicial precedent. Any observation made by the judge on a legal question suggested by the case before him or her but not arising in such a manner as requiring a decision is known as obiter dictum (a saying by the way). There may several reasons for a decision provided by the judge in any given judgment and one must not assume that a reason can be regarded as ‘obiter' because some other ‘ratio' has been provided. Thus, it is not always easy to distinguish ratio decidendi from obiter dictum when evaluating the effects of a particular decision. A single decision of a superior court is absolutely binding on subsequent inferior courts. However, certain of the superior courts regard themselves as bound by their own decisions whilst others do not: 1. Decisions of the House of Lords bind all other courts but the House does not regard itself as strictly bound by its previous decisions, for example, in Murphy v Brentwood District Council (1990) the House elected to overrule its earlier decision in Anns v London Borough of Merton (1978) on the issue of a local authority's liability in negligence to future purchasers of property. 2. The Court of Appeal, Civil Division, holds itself bound by its previous decisions: Young v Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd (1944) but in that case also identified three exceptional cases where it would disregard its own previous decision. These are (i) where two Court of Appeal decisions conflict; (ii) if the decision although not expressly overruled conflicts with a later decision of the House of Lords; and (iii) if the earlier decision was given per incuriam (through want of care) however it cannot ignore a decision of the House of Lords on the same basis. . Divisional courts of the High Court have adopted the rule laid down in Young's case although judges sitting at first instance are not bound to follow the decisions of other High Court judges although they tend to do so for the sake of certainty Judicial precedent is an important source of English law as an original precedent is one which creates and applies a new rule. However, the later decisions, especially of the higher courts, can have a number of effects upon precedents.. In particular, they may be: †¢Reversed: where on appeal in the same case the decision is reversed, the initial decision will cease to have any effect †¢Overruled: where in a later case a higher court decides that the first case was wrongly decided †¢A refusal to follow: this arises where a court, not bound by the decision, cannot overrule it but does not wish to follow it so it simply refuses to follow the earlier decision †¢Distinguished: where an earlier case is rejected as authority, either because the material facts differ or because the statement of law in the previous case is too narrow to be properly applied to the new set of facts †¢Explained: a judge may seek to interpret an earlier decision before applying it or distinguishing it, thus the effect of the earlier case is varied in the circumstances of the present ca

Differences of marketing strategy between Apple and Samsung in smart Dissertation

Differences of marketing strategy between Apple and Samsung in smart phone industry - Dissertation Example Smartphone helps the users in accessing internet based applications in a much faster manner owing to its potential of global connectivity. Further Smartphone in comparison to other mobile phones also helps its user base in applications facilitating complex computing. Existence of Smartphone has helped in enhancing the aspect of personalisation pertaining to the consumers where the user base can delete and keep a large number of mobile applications according to one’s selectivity and desire. Thus the emergence of a Smartphone has in total revolutionized and transformed the cellular communication market by enabling the user base to avail internet application anywhere and anytime. With the help of Smartphone the consumers thus tend to enjoy a large number of applications pertaining to the ambit of social networking and also internet based activities like e-mails in an enhanced fashion for which global demand for such tends to rise in an accelerated mode. Moreover usability of Smar tphone also enables the people to retrieve large amount of information relating to their surroundings and interests relating to food and restaurants, news, games and sports and others. The global market for Smartphone in comparison to normal mobile phones is found to gain a rapid acceleration despite the economic fluctuations affecting the global telecommunication devices market. A survey conducted during the period ranging from 2007 to 2010 reflects that the global market for Smartphone has gained a compounded growth rate of 4 percent. Moreover the percentage of sales in units for Smartphone has increased along the 2007 to 2010 period by a rate of 20 percent. The same percentage rise has also been located in terms of market volume growth of such along the stated periods. Focusing on such rise along the 2007 to 2010 period forecasts pertaining to the sales volume for Smartphone has been made along the period ranging from 2009 to 2015. It is observed that where during 2009 the number of Smartphone sold were 173 million the same is taken to reach around 619 million units by the close of 2015. This exponential rise in the demand for Smartphone is related more to the incorporation of 3G and Wi-Fi enabled network in the cellular gadgets thereby contributing in the enhancement of the potential of the Smartphone (Song, n.d.). The global Smartphone market is governed by leading competitors like Apple, Samsung, Motorola and Research in Motion mobile phone companies. These companies compete with each other pertaining to the Smartphone industry in terms of the emotional and rational enhancements shared with the consumers. Samsung tends to gain command over other players in the Smartphone market by working on the frontiers of innovating different models. Moreover Samsung also focuses to gain the market lead by rendering Smartphone that are affordable in terms of cost. Competing with Samsung, Apple focuses in rendering Smartph

Efficiency and Collaboration Proposal Coursework

Efficiency and Collaboration Proposal - Coursework Example However, it is not denied that Microsoft Excel can be used in various others ways like inventory, financial worksheets, etc. But Microsoft Access is a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) application which is primarily meant for maintaining records whereas Microsoft Excel’s primary function is to act as a tool for data analysis. As it is necessary to maintain records of personnel working in the organization, an application is essential which can be used to enter the records and provide reports based on various parameters, Microsoft Access is flexible and useful when compared to Microsoft Excel. Microsoft Office is a easiest tool for documentation, tables, analysis, making presentation, maintaining records and getting reports. All the applications in MS Office package are flexible with each other that the data can be imported and exported to different applications. Similarly, all the data existing in MS Excel can be imported in MS Access through Import Option available in MS Access. This not allow the data to imported but it actually imports the data head-wise as it was entered in Excel thus eliminating the problem of entering the data again in Excel. The main benefit of MS Access is that value can be given to the parameters and based on these values data can be entered and reports can generated. Additionally, it offers the flexibility to design report based on our conditions. Such reports can help the organizations in decision making process. Party Plates can use MS Access to its fullest extent as possible to derive data as per its requirement and generate reports to make necessary changes in its strategy. Information pertaining to personnel’s can be obtained category wise to determine the payment policies, costs, products, sales data, etc. Such detailed data will help the sales department in taking decisions regarding the strategy formulation in times of crisis. As the competition is intense in the

Womens Work and Globalized Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Womens Work and Globalized - Case Study Example In this case, the women find themselves able to cope well with the challenges that come with the globalization and the women’s work in the workplaces. As a result, more and more women should seek the available employment in the technologic areas applied areas instead of leaving them only to men as it has always been there before Globalization to women in the workplace currently witnessed in various sectors of the employment sectors in the world. Today many women take very complicated courses that initially were for men. For instance, areas such as engineering, medicine, chemistry, and physics used to be for men. However, the trend today is remarkable since it is women who form the best engineers, doctors, and scientist when compared to men. Despite the social changes that are also there to influence the globalization trends among the women in the workplaces, the trend of the invention of modern technologies encounters them. The invention of computers today makes it entirely possible for the women where they can work in an organization as clerks, receptionist, secretaries, and other positions that men do ignore or refuse to take. As such technology becomes useful to women in working with to an organization in such work sectors Countries such as Japan and Italy today have most of their women playing the greatest role in globalization issues due to employment. In these countries, women begin to start embracing the use of technology as early as their childhood status. When they become fully grown up, they can effectively use the various forms of technology which, in this case, promotes the globalization trends in the world. Despite the presence of discrimination that may come due gender and also the political influences that there may be in a particular country.

Ecosystem Components Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ecosystem Components - Essay Example The sustenance of this park depends on the cooperation of people living in the area, and the activities of the government to protect it (Boarman & Coe, 2002). This paper will examine the characteristics of this ecosystem, and the plans that are in place to ensure that it continues to sustain life in that area. The major structural and functional dynamics The massive dry land that is the Mojave Desert makes the Joshua Tree National Park a beautiful sight. This area is the special habitat for the Joshua Tree, which is also known as Yucca brevifolia. Geological displays, such as hills of unadorned rock, are also part of this environment. The functional dynamics of the ecosystem border on the competitiveness of the living things in the habitat. Living things, for example plants, have to be competitive in their quest to retrieve sunlight. Over some time, the plants in this area have to adapt to the environment to reduce their exposure to sunlight. It is through this adaptation that they a re becoming a part of the ecosystem’s food chain. Ravens stand out with an increase in population in the ecosystem. An imbalance in such may lead to an alteration in the ecosystem’s food chain as there might start being a decrease in the tortoise population (Fontaine et al., 2011). How humans may have affected biogeochemical cycles Over the years, humans have been affecting the biogeochemical cycle that exists in this natural habitat. For instance, the driving of vehicles in this habitat at high speeds has led to the death of a number of animals, for example tortoises. The decomposition of these animals leads to the disruption of the carbon cycle that is present in the area. The carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen cycles are affected as the decomposition of these animals tie to biological matter, causing a release of carbon dioxide gas into the ecosystem. Fires are another way in which individuals affect the ecosystem’s gas cycles. The burning of dry plants makes i t difficult for the ecosystem to sustain itself as the primary producers are being eliminated. Also, the acidic nature of the fumes released into the atmosphere in such an ecosystem may prove challenging to the phosphorus cycle that exists (Fontaine et al., 2011). How knowledge about JT National Park can help or has helped to develop plans for its management and restoration In the 21st century, it is particularly crucial for individuals to help in the restoration and management of national parks. The educational programs in institutions are being re-examined to allow different areas to bring focus to the preservation of national parks, and other natural habitats. Since parks are a place where basic biology can be observed, learners are engaged through visits on a regular basis. By understanding the dynamics surrounding the JT National Park, individuals might be keen on trying to be more cautious as they drive through the desert or its environs. The terrain may be difficult to compre hend and this makes it even more tedious in trying to educate people. However, by having the locals in that area take the initiative to act as guides, it may be possible to avoid some of the human acts that may work against nature (Boarman & Coe, 2002). Forest fires, a thing that is common, should be a thing of the past. People should become more self-aware of the threats they pose. The implication of species interactions in ecosystem management and re

Use of paramedics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Use of paramedics - Essay Example provide Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid treatment before or during the transport to the hospital as there are some cases where the medical care given during the transport to the hospital is at most crucial in saving a life. People who provide paramedic care are usually called â€Å"Ambulance Paramedic† or â€Å"Ambulance Officers†. Although there is no institutionalized education attainment required to be a paramedic officer, paramedic schools prefer to accept those with University degrees (What is A Paramedic, n.d.). Today, the roles of Paramedics are continuously being redefined especially because of the increasing demand for their services. Reportedly, there has been a higher incident count of those who suffer cardiovascular and mental illnesses that require paramedic care. Also with the aging population that is usually involved in medical conditions that need immediate care, nurses are slowly being replaced by paramedics to respond to community needs (What is A Paramedic, n.d.). There are a lot of reasons why paramedics are slowly taking the roles of nurses today. One of which would be the shortage of nurses in some communities due to the educational requirement that a lot of people are not able to complete (Paramedics fill in for ICU nurses, n.d.). Aside from that, there is a high percentage of medical cases today that need immediate medical care as patients learn about their illness only after experiencing an attack and needing cure already rather than being able to practice prevention. This says a lot of about our current lifestyle where people are surrounded with stress, busy schedule, inactive routine, and a lot of fast food alternatives which are unhealthy. With this said, helicopter emergency services is now being integrated in emergency rescue process. Helicopter emergency services are used to improve the efficiency of patient transport and increase mortality rate among severely injured patients especially those that are in inaccessible places

The podiatrist has a legal obligation and duty of care to ensure that Essay

The podiatrist has a legal obligation and duty of care to ensure that practice protocols adequately protect themselves and service users from the risk of infection. discuss this statement - Essay Example Globally, infection control is a changing area in medicine and medicinal practices. This is given the advancement in technology, the regulatory changes, and even microbial evolution (Simmers 2004, p. 67). This paper will try and examine some of the guidelines that reflect some of the best practices involved in preventing infection and cross-infection, and how these practices may set the target for infection control in podiatry. In order for the podiatric practice and practitioners to ensure safety among all service users and staff, it is vital for all the involved parties to have infection control principles that guide their everyday operations. These include work practices that have been adopted to achieve a specific level of infection control, which apply to the service users and staff. This is regardless of their perceived level of risk. By ensuring that standard precautions are properly conducted, it should be easier to ensure that all infections and their transmission can be prevented. Some of the standard precautions in the podiatric practice involve; proper hygiene practices, correct aseptic techniques, use of appropriate personal protective equipment, apposite protocols of waste disposal, and proper practices for cleaning and maintenance of the podiatric health center (Simmers 2004, p. 73). In any medical practice, hand washing may be the most crucial and important measure of infection reduction or minimization. The washing of hands must be done by the podiatrist and staff before and after the handling of any patient, or any activity that might increase the chances of risk infection. All hand washing amenities must be present in all consultation areas and these may include; hand basins and apt products that may not affect the outcome of the next patient consultation or meet (Kane, Schiefman & Vickers 1992, p. 37). The technique involved in hand washing also matters significantly, which involves; the duration and the quantity and type of

Finance assignment related to china and jordan political risk

Finance related to china and jordan political risk - Assignment Example 14). This paper aims at comparing the corruption price index rating of China and Jordan, reasons for the differences, and issues that create these differences, a rating of political risks of Chin and Jordan, examples of political risks on all countries, and potential drawbacks, and ways to hedge against risk. Corruption percentage index in Jordan is at 45 a decline from the 2012 rating of 48 while China’s corruption percentage index is at 40 showing that it increased from a rating of 39 in 2012 (Transparency International., 2014). Both countries were downgraded in the latest corruption percentage index owing to some factor that necessitated this action by Transparency international. The corruption price index differ by 5 points that that of Jordan being higher than in China and this can be explained by some reasons including a deterioration in political risk in China owing to increased political violence, slowing of the growth of the economy, and nationalism of resources. In Jordan, the differences is as a result for the lowering of corruption percentage index are fighting in Syrian that have led to the influx of refugees into Jordan leading to the domestic shocks on the Jordan economy and domestic strain on the economy owing to insecurity (Intelligence Quarterly, July 22, 2011). The issues that this could create are a reduction in foreign investment in the two countries as well as a reduction in the economic growth of the country. The other issues that could be created by increased political risk I inability of the county to attract new investments and investments by local investors in other countries with a high corruption percentage index. Generally, the political risk in China is low while in Jordan it is high. Examples of political risk in Jordan include the 2011 protests that rocked the country. There have not been enough reforms as agreed in 2011, as a measure to end the protests

Autoimmunity and risk of cancet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Autoimmunity and risk of cancet - Essay Example Discussion Stimulation of T-cell leads to maintained survival of T-cells when stimulated by self-protein MHC. Lymphoproliteration results if T-cell homeostasis is altered. Moreover, in certain circumstances, an interaction between activated T-cells and B-cells (e.g CD40L-CD40 interaction) may lead to autoimmunity (Rose & Mackay, 2006). Sometimes, the presence of self-antigen may become the cause of stimulation of T-cells; this activation is tolerated by phenomenon like anergy or deletion (Mak & Saunders, 2006). It therefore follows that failure to achieve deletion in this scenario may cause an autoimmune process to flourish. Moreover, defectively matured dendritic cells might interact with T-cells to generate a class to T-cells that are directed against self-antigens. Upon infection by a foreign pathogen, T-cells are activated and various clones are generated. Some of these clones can possibly cross-react with self-antigens resulting in transient or permanent autoimmunity (Ohashi, 20 02). In normal cells, the process of production of cells is tightly regulated by a number of very important mechanisms. Moreover, the new cells which are produced become differentiated and specialized to perform the function for which they are produced (Sherwood, 2012). This controlled multiplication of cells when becomes defective leads to the production of cells which are uncontrolled; cells start producing in an uncontrollable fashion. Therefore, due to this type of defective mitotic process, the cells that are produced are 'de-differentiated' and unable to perform their desired function. This results in a neoplasm. Neoplastic tissue demonstrates a growth rate that exceeds the growth rate of normal healthy tissue of the body (Stubblefield & O'Dell, 2009). For this reason, it manifests as a mass which is often referred to as a tumor. Since cancerous cells are not the exact replicas of the normal healthy cells of the body, they fail to mask themselves from the functioning immune sy stem of the body (Brunner & Smeltzer, 2010). Certain signals are 'flagged' on the cell membrane of cancerous cells that invite cells of the immune system to target such cells; therefore in most cases they are destroyed prior to the formation of their clone; cancerous cells are monoclonal in origin (Tobias et al, 2010). Inflammation brings about a number of changes to the vascular and epithelial tissues. Moreover, it affects the function of immune cells. This is the result of a complex interplay of molecules like cytokines, growth factors and chemokines (Jabbour et al, 2009). Furthermore, chronic inflammation due to irritation or infection has been accepted as a cause of cancer. Persistence of inflammation has been related to tumorigenesis and progression of cancer (Coussens & Werb, 2002). Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays a vital role in mediating inflammation by causing tissue destruction as well as recovery. The actions of TNF result in fibroblast growth which can destroy blood ve ssels and at the same time contribute to angiogenesis (Kollias et al, 1999). As far as the etiology of cervical cancer is concerned, the causative organism has been identified to be Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Studies have shown that E6 and E7 oncogenes are incorporated into the genome of the host (Radosevich, 2012; Robertson, 2011; Stanley et al,

Police scandals are an untallied cost of the drug war Essay Example for Free

Police scandals are an untallied cost of the drug war Essay The FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and even the Coast Guard have had to admit to corruption. The gravity of the police crimes is as disturbing as the volume. In New Orleans, a uniformed cop in league with a drug dealer has been convicted of murdering her partner and shop owners during a robbery committed while she was on patrol. In Washington, D. C. , and in Atlanta, cops in drug stings were arrested for stealing and taking bribes. New York State troopers falsified drug evidence that sent people to prison. And it is not just the rank and file. The former police chief of Detroit went to prison for stealing police drug-buy money. In a small New England town, the chief stole drugs from the evidence locker for his own use. And the DEA agent who arrested Panamas General Noriega is in jail for stealing laundered drug money. The drug war is as lethal as it is corrupting. And the police and drug criminals are not the only casualties. An innocent 75-year-old African-American minister died of a heart attack struggling with Boston cops who were mistakenly arresting him because an informant had given them the wrong address. A rancher in Ventura County, California, was killed by a police SWAT team serving a search warrant in the mistaken belief that he was growing marijuana. In Los Angeles, a three-year-old girl died of gunshot wounds after her mother took a wrong turn into a street controlled by a drug-dealing gang. They fired on the car because it had invaded their marketplace. The violence comes from the competition for illegal profits among dealers, not from crazed drug users. Professor Milton Friedman has estimated that as many as 10,000 additional homicides a year are plausibly attributed to the drug war. Worse still, the drug war has become a race war in which non-whites are arrested and imprisoned at 4 to 5 times the rate whites are, even though most drug crimes are committed by whites. The Sentencing Research Project reports that one-third of black men are in jail or under penal supervision, largely because of drug arrests. The drug war has established thriving criminal enterprises which recruit teenagers into criminal careers. It was such issues that engaged law-enforcement leaders most of them police chiefs from fifty agencies during a two-day conference at the Hoover Institution in May 1995. Among the speakers was our colleague in this symposium, Mayor Kurt Schmoke, who told the group that he had visited a high school and asked the students if the high dropout rate was due to kids being hooked on drugs. He was told that the kids were dropping out because they were hooked on drug money, not drugs. He also told us that when he went to community meetings he would ask the audience three questions. 1) Have we won the drug war? People laughed. 2) Are we winning the drug war? People shook their heads. 3) If we keep doing what we are doing will we have won the drug war in ten years? The answer was a resounding No. At the end of the conference, the police participants completed an evaluation form. Ninety per cent voted no confidence in the war on drugs. They were unanimous in favoring more treatment and education over more arrests and prisons. They were unanimous in recommending a presidential blue-ribbon commission to evaluate the drug war and to explore alternative methods of drug control. In sum, the tough-minded law-enforcement officials took positions directly contrary to those of Congress and the President. One hopes that politicians will realize that no one can accuse them of being soft on drugs if they vote for changes suggested by many thoughtful people in law enforcement. If the politicians tone down their rhetoric it will permit police leaders to expose the costs of our present drug-control policies. Public opinion will then allow policy changes to decriminalize marijuana and stop the arrest of hundreds of thousands of people every year. The enormous savings can be used for what the public really wants the prevention of violent crime.

Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction

Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test the effect of different service quality factors as quality of food, music, ambience, waiter service on customer satisfaction in a restaurant and to study how the customer satisfaction ultimately relates to customer loyalty for the restaurant. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was given to MBA students of XLRI Jamshedpur in the age group of 21-30 asking questions to ascertain the different levels of service in the Sonnet restaurant. The results of these questionnaires were analyzed using factor analysis. Findings The factors that are crucial for obtaining customer loyalty are waiter politeness, waiter promptness, space, music and food quality. The waiter promptness, space, food quality are partially mediated by customer satisfaction. Of these factors, music negatively affects customer loyalty and positively affects customer satisfaction. Only waiter promptness, aesthetics, music and food quality affect the customer satisfaction. With customer satisfaction as the mediating factor to obtain customer loyalty, we find waiter politeness, waiter promptness, space, music and food quality are significant factors. Research limitations The study was limited only to the patrons of Sonnet, Jamshedpur. The respondents to the survey consisted of students of XLRI Jamshedpur who have visited Sonnet. Future research may be done on number of restaurants instead of a particular restaurant. Future research may also be conducted such that the respondents reflect a more heterogeneous group in terms of age, income level and location. The solitary effect of servicescape on the overall satisfaction level for the customer may also be explored in future research. Practical Implication Hoteliers and restaurant operators should try to ascertain which aspect of the service quality is perceived as more important by their patrons. They can then focus more to improve on these particular aspects as in future these would lead to more satisfaction for the customer. The customer satisfaction in turn will lead to customer loyalty and thus will increase the overall profit for the organization. Originality/value This paper provides insights into how music affects the satisfaction and loyalty for restaurant patrons. The effect of music on customer loyalty has not been conclusively proved in any research paper so far. The other factors of service quality that affect the satisfaction level and loyalty of a patron of the Sonnet restaurant in Jamshedpur have also been explored to provide a complete picture. Keywords Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty Introduction In todays fast paced world meals are no longer a very well planned event, on most occasions it is an afterthought. The proportion of women in the workforce has increased, As a result women have less time to cook meals at home. Hence there has been an increase in the trend of eating out. This results in a flourishing restaurant industry. Like any lucrative industry which attracts a number of players, the restaurant industry is also highly competitive. It is very important to get a feel of this industry from the viewpoint of the customer. It is the customer who makes the final decision of how much to spend and what, when and most importantly where to eat. Thus in order to offer the right service to the customers, restaurant owners and managers need to have a clear understanding of the factors that influence customer satisfaction. Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is the state of the fulfillment of the customers expectations from the establishment. When the difference facets of the service provided to the customers exceed the expected level, then the customer is positively satisfied. On the contrary if the perceived level is less than the expected level then the customer may develop negative perceptions towards the establishment. Customer Loyalty Customer loyalty basically indicates a repeat patronage of the particular facility whose services have already been experienced by the customer. Loyalty consists of both a behavioral dimension as well as an attitudinal dimension. Once a customer has a strong positive experience with an establishment, he is more likely to be loyal to it which may be exhibited through behavior as repeat patronage and recommendation (generally exhibited through positive word of mouth). Constituents of service quality The different factors of service quality which influence the customer satisfaction level include: Music: The music played at restaurant has a significant impact on the satisfaction level of the customer. Customers are generally more satisfied in an environment playing music they preferred than in an environment of no music. Music may also have an impact on the spending pattern of customers. Food Quality: Although restaurants have gained importance as a place for socializing, food is the primary reason why a customer visits a restaurant. Thus the quality of food and beverages as well as the variety influences the customer satisfaction level. Waiter Service: Waiters serve as the medium of interaction between the restaurant owners and the customers. Thus the service provided by the waiters often forms the image of a restaurant. Careful, pleasant and attentive behavior on the part of the waiter leads to high customer satisfaction. Ambience: Ambience ( dà ©cor and artifact, odor, noise level , temperature, spatial layout) forms the impression of the restaurant. Research background and hypothesis Music and Customer Satisfaction It has been often agreed upon by researchers that different aspects of service like ambience and layout affect the experience quality of a customer and thus influence his satisfaction. Music helps in creating the proper ambience in the restaurant and has important role to play in customer satisfaction. Studies in social psychology often indicate that there is a strong correlation between music and the social context in which the customer hears it. This relationship can also be extended to the setting of a restaurant. In 1996, North and Hargreaves studied the effect of music on atmosphere in a university cafeteria (North and Hargreaves, 1996). Results suggested that customers liking of the cafeteria increased with their liking for the music played within it. In their research conducted in 1996 North and Hargreaves also found that liking the music in a restaurant had a positive relationship with the customer returning to the establishment in future. According to Stephanie Wilson in her article, The effect of music on perceived atmosphere and purchase intention in a restaurant the music could be used by restaurants to create the proper atmosphere. This can also be used to distinguish itself from the competitors. The research states that the absence of music had the most negative impact on the atmosphere and thus on customer satisfaction. Wilson in her research actually found out that in an environment of no music the respondents were willing to pay the least maximum price. Wilson also found out that the type of music played may also have an important bearing on the customers overall experience as well as his spending habits. Ronald Milliman, in his article The Influence of Background Music on the Behavior of Restaurant Patrons, has proved that background music can significantly influence the behavior of patrons in a restaurant. This view is supplemented by Smith and Curnow (1966), who have proved that inappropriate, loud music creates an avoidance condition and thus can affect the customer perception about a restaurant negatively. In such cases music actually detracts from the service experience. J. Duncan Herrington and Louis M. Capella in their article Effects of music in service environments have stated that often music can be used by service providers in order to a distinctive image in the minds of the customers and thus get a competitive edge. Restaurants can take the aid of music to create an environment which complements their service offerings. Restaurants serving international food can play the music of the particular nation and restaurants serving a particular type of food can also similarly use music. Food and Customer Satisfaction: Variety and presentation of food and beverages and quality of the menu are one of the most important factors influencing the customers feelings towards the restaurant. According to Kincaid and Baloglou, in their article What Really brings them Back (2008), this has tremendous practical significance for restaurant operators. It should be made sure that an interesting variety of food and drinks are presented in unique ways. Food and drink quality is very important to the patrons of a restaurant and restaurant operators should ensure that a strict quality control is in place to make sure that only high quality food is being offered to the customers. Andaleeb and Conway in their article Customer satisfaction in the restaurant industry: an examination of the transaction-specific model(2006) has also opined that food quality is one of the major components which can be improved in order to enhance customer satisfaction. Hong Qin and Victor R. Prybutok in their research, Perceived service quality in fast-food restaurants: empirical evidence from China found that the quality of food was a critical factor in the customers overall level of satisfaction and often influenced the customers decision about selection of a restaurant. Ambience and Customer Satisfaction The ambience and layout of the establishment has an important role to play in the experience quality of the customer. Bitner (1992) coined a new term servicescape which denoted the physical constituents of a service environment. The different tangible constituents of servicescape such as optimum temperature, noise, furnishings and layout combine together to influence the customer satisfaction and repeat patronage level. In comparison to other service industries as banks servicescape plays a more important role in service industries as restaurants where the customer spends a greater period of time. Wakefield and Blodgett(1996) proposed a servicescape framework, the service environment comprised of five important factors: Proper layout and accessibility of the premises (i.e. how furniture, service area and equipments are organized within the establishment) Aesthetics of the establishment ( the interior decoration and architectural design) Seating comfort Electronic equipment ( arrangement of displays and lighting and electronic equipment) Cleanliness All these five factors together had a combined effect on customer satisfaction. As per Grayson and Mc Neill in Using Atmospheric conditions in service retailing, the proper servicescape leads to customer comfort. This comfort has two aspects: Physical comfort and emotional comfort and safety Both these factors together affect the satisfaction level of the customer. Han Ryu in their research The Roles of the Physical Environment, Price Perception, and Customer Satisfaction in Determining Customer Loyalty in the Restaurant Industry had studied the effect of physical environment on customer satisfaction. In the research they categorized the physical environment into dà ©cor and artifacts (which contributed to the attractiveness of the physical environment i.e. floor coverings, wall decorations, pictures, paintings etc), spatial layout (arrangement of objects as furniture and equipment) and ambient conditions (background characteristics as scent, temperature, lighting etc) . The research showed that of all the three dà ©cor and artifacts had the most significant and direct effect on customer satisfaction. The researchers have expressed their opinion that restaurateurs should give paramount importance to physical elements in the restaurant. These can be used as marketing and operational tools to improve the customer experience and resultantly imp rove the customer behavior. Waiter Service and Customer Satisfaction: How a patron is actually treated by the waiter in the course of service is also an important parameter which contributes to his satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Even if there is a service failure, a competent employee can take proper actions which can actually lead to service recovery (Bitner and Booms, 1990). Hence waiter and waitresses who serve as a liaison between the restaurant and the customer play the most important role in the success of the establishment. J.D. Pratten in his article The importance of Waiting Staff discusses that poor waiter service may consist of slow service, serving cold food, spoiling the presentation at the table, causing delay in the carriage of food (as a result of which different dishes at the same table may arrive at different times) failure to have all the accompaniments as sauces at the table, not having the proper cutlery etc. Any of the above occurrences may spoil the experience of a customer thus leading to customer dissatisfaction. A lot of competency and effort is required from the waiting staff to ensure that the experience of the customer is pleasant thus leading to satisfaction. Apart from the basic competencies mentioned above, the personal contact attributes of the waiters and waitresses with the customers including whether the employees were helpful, attentive, prompt, courteous, neat in appearance, and understood customer needs are also very important. Winsted in his study Service Behavior that leads to Satisfied Customers found that the three most important qualities which had a strong correlation with customer satisfaction in a restaurant are careful (.77), attentive (.76) and pleasant (.75). It has been also suggested that managers and owners of restaurants can actually have specialized training programs which will enable as well as encourage the employees to improve their service quality. This, coupled with regular tracking of performance can lead to increase in the customer satisfaction level. Pratten in his article Customer satisfaction and waiting staff (2003) emphasizes that the role of waiting staff in customer satisfaction is paramount and thus if this is not recognized and acted upon there will be a loss of business for firms. Customer satisfaction as a Mediating Variable Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty: It seems only logical that satisfied customers of any establishment will turn into loyal customers and will grant their patronage again. Researchers have also found that there exists a strong relationship between the two. As per Szymanski and Henard (2001), there are fifteen significant positive correlations between customer satisfaction and loyalty. Bearden and Teel (1986) have also proved that there is a relationship between satisfaction and loyalty. Thus a satisfied customer turns into a loyal one and brings more revenue to the restaurant. Fornell,Rust Dekimpe, in their research The Effect of Customer Satisfaction on Consumer Spending Growth has proved that an increase in customer satisfaction leads to growth in future customer spending. On the other hand, an unsatisfied customer can cause negative word of mouth publicity. He can actually cause other prospective patrons to turn away from a particular restaurant. Smith and Swindyard (1983) found that in case of a service which is consumed by the customer at the spot, the attitude and the satisfaction level of the customer is an excellent predictor of future purchases. Thus extending this if the consumers are satisfied by the service level at a restaurant then it is actually increases the probability of revisit by the customer. Namkung and Young (2007) in their research found out that food quality significantly affects customer satisfaction as well as behavioral intentions and the relationship between customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions is mediated by satisfaction. Kivela, Inbakaran and Reece in their research Consumer research in the restaurant environment, Part 1: A conceptual model of dining satisfaction and return patronage (2000) made certain observations related to dining satisfaction and return patronage. The study revealed that satisfaction had a strong positive influence on return patronage .The factors having significant influence on the customer included first and last impressions, service excellence, food excellence and ambience. Hypotheses From the above literature review, the following hypotheses are proposed: H1: Waiter service is positively related to Customer loyalty which is mediated by Customer Satisfaction H2: Ambience is positively related to Customer loyalty which is mediated by Customer Satisfaction H3: Music is positively related to Customer loyalty which is mediated by Customer Satisfaction H4: Food quality is positively related to Customer Loyalty which is mediated by Customer Satisfaction Methods Sample The young men and women of age between 21 to 29 years were identified as the target respondent group for the survey. One of the major reasons for choosing this specific respondent group was its availability and ease in communicating to them the questionnaire and getting the response. Since majority among this population has visited Hotel Sonnet during their stay in Jamshedpur, Sonnet was chosen as the hotel on which the questions would be based. The questionnaire was floated through a website and the respondents were asked to fill the questionnaire online. To encourage participation and increase the number of responses a disclaimer declaring the confidentiality of individual data was assured. A total of 164 respondents filled the questionnaire of which 156 responses were considered for the analysis and hypothesis testing. The reasons for not including the rest of the responses were incomplete data set and falling out of our target respondent group. Measures Based on the discussion in the above sections a theoretical model was developed and the following constructs were measured using different scales. Waiter Service Food Quality Ambience Music Customer Loyalty Customer Satisfaction Waiter Service, Ambience, Music, and Food Quality are considered as factors that determine Customer Satisfaction which in turn leads to Customer Loyalty. Waiter Service: Participants were asked to respond to Likert-type scales of 21 questions. The scale used was adapted from Kivela et al. (1999). The questions framed to assess consumer knowledge are consistent with prior literature. The scoring rule was to assign a numerical value to each of the response ranging from 1= Least Important to 5 = Very Important. Factor analysis has been done on the individual responses to determine the factors that constitute waiter service. The appendix reports the questionnaire items used. The content validity for the used scale has been established in the study and since we have used a very similar questionnaire and the scale, the scale can be considered as content valid. Ambience: The significance of ambience to an individual has been measured through 20 questions asked in the questionnaire. The scale used was adapted from Kivela et al. (1999). The questions framed to assess consumer knowledge are based on the questions used in the study and the literature review done during the research. The responses were recorded using 5-point Likert-type scales ranging from Least Important to Very Important. Questions asked to ascertain the importance of ambience are present in the questionnaire attached in the appendix. The individual responses were run through factor analysis to obtain the factors that determine the importance of ambience. The scale has been adopted from the aforementioned study and content validity has been established in the study. Music: Significance of music has been measured on a five-point Likert-type scale adapted from Kivela et al (1999). The individual responses have been subjected to factor analysis to obtain the factors that determine the significance of music. The content validity for the used scale has been established in the study and since we have used a very similar questionnaire and the scale, the scale can be considered as content valid. The appendix reports the questionnaire items used. Food Quality: 7 Likert-type scales have been used to determine the importance of food quality to an individual. Factor analysis has been done on these individual responses to get the factors that determine the food quality. The questions have been framed in accordance with the scale used by Kivela et al (1999). The questionnaire attached in the appendix. Customer Loyalty: 3 questions of Likert type scales have been used to obtain the responses from the respondents. Factor analysis has been run to obtain the factors comprising the customer satisfaction. Questionnaire used by Kivel et al (1999) has been used and the scale is content validated. The appendix reports the questionnaire items used. Customer Satisfaction: 4 questions have been asked regarding customer satisfaction and factor analysis has been run on this data to obtain the factors affecting customer satisfaction. The questionnaire used is same as one used by Kivela et al (1999). The questionnaire attached in the appendix. Analysis The factors for Ambience were found out by running exploratory factor analysis on the 20 items related to Ambience. It was found to contain 2 factors. Similarly the factor analysis was run on Waiter service (21 items), Music (9 items), Food quality (7 items), Customer satisfaction (4 items) and Customer loyalty (3 items) and they were found to contain 2,1,1,1 and 1 factors respectively. The three-step method developed by Erich B. Bergiel, Vinh Q. Nguyen et all for mediation analysis is used in this study. The first step uses Customer loyalty as the criterion variable in the regression equation and the 6 factors identified as predictors. The second step uses Customer satisfaction as the criterion variable in the regression equation and the 6 factors identified as predictors. The third step uses Customer loyalty as the criterion variable in the regression equation and the 6 factors identified as well as customer satisfaction as the predictors. Initially, multicollinearity was found initially between Customer satisfaction and Customer Loyalty (tolerance of 0.161 and VIF greater than 5 were observed). In order to solve this, a factor analysis with all the items corresponding to the 6 factors, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty were done. The items which were correlated to other factors were eliminated. Thus the items corresponding to the factors were brought down. After this, the three-step method of Erich B. Bergiel was used. Results The following were the factors that were identified and the component scores of items under each factor: Waiter service Waiter politeness Respects me .928 Uses very polite language .944 Is helpful and understanding .925 Makes me feel comfortable .932 Waiter promptness Responds to my comments .882 Is quick to attend and serve .804 Tables were cleaned quickly .780 Aesthetics Pleasant fragrance .816 Floor and carpet that are done with aesthetics .816 Ambience Space Spacious ceiling composition .837 Adequate parking facilities .890 Easily accessible location .854 Music Music I feel relaxed when my favorite music is being played in the restaurant .799 I like it when my friends like the music played in the restaurant .799 Food quality Food quality The food meets the expectations from the description in the menu .787 The food is a good value for money .787 The KMO of all the above factors were above 0.5 suggesting that the factors were sound. The Bartletts test of sphericity was significant for all the factors. The communality of all the items was above 0.4. The total variance explained was above 60% for all the factors. Varimax rotation was used to ensure homogeneity of items within factors and heterogeneity with other factors. The correlations between the factors are as follows: Customer loyalty factor Waiter Service Factor 1 Waiter Service Factor 2 Ambience Factor 1 Ambience Factor 2 Music Factor Food Factor Customer Satisfaction Factor Customer loyalty factor 1.000 Waiter Service Factor 1 .632 1.000 Waiter Service Factor 2 .561 .180 1.000 Ambience Factor 1 .712 .779 .440 1.000 Ambience Factor 2 .431 .287 .452 .410 1.000 Music Factor .349 .489 .455 .614 .414 1.000 Food Factor .670 .596 .551 .673 .456 .542 1.000 Customer Satisfaction Factor .665 .400 .683 .580 .494 .559 .658 1.000 All the above correlations were significant at 0.01 levels. Regression Analysis Regression analysis has been carried out with the following six identified factors on Customer Loyalty with Customer Satisfaction as the mediating variable. Waiter Politeness Waiter Promptness Physical Space Aesthetics Music Food Step 1: Regression of the factors on Customer Loyalty Model 1 Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients Sig. Collinearity Statistics B Beta Tolerance (Constant) 3.731 .000 Waiter Politeness .358 .330 .000 .327 Waiter Promptness .390 .360 .000 .537 Physical Space .359 .331 .000 .269 Aesthetics .092 .084 .118 .708 Music -.341 -.314 .000 .557 Food .200 .184 .010 .411 R Square Adjusted R Square .696 .684 The above table shows the results of regression with the six mentioned factors as independent variables and Customer Loyalty as dependent variable. The value of R square is 0.696 shows positive correlation between the six factors together and Customer Loyalty. The inference from Value of Beta and Significance is as follows: Waiter Politeness on Customer Loyalty: Significance of 0.00 and Beta of 0.33 shows that Waiter Politeness affects Customer Loyalty positively. Waiter Promptness on Customer Loyalty: Significance of 0.00 and Beta of 0.36 shows that Waiter Promptness affects Customer Loyalty positively. Space on Customer Loyalty: Significance of 0.00 and Beta of 0.331 shows that Restaurant Space affects Customer Loyalty positively. Aesthetics on Customer Loyalty: Significance of 0.118 is higher than a threshold of 0.05, which indicates that this has insignificant effect on Customer Loyalty. Music on Customer Loyalty: Significance of 0 and Beta of -0.314 shows that Music affects Customer Loyalty negatively. Food on Customer Loyalty: Significance of 0.01 and Beta of 0.184 indicates that Food affects Customer Loyalty partially. Step 2: Regression of the factors on Customer Satisfaction Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients Sig. Collinearity Statistics B Beta Tolerance (Constant) .000 1.000 Waiter Politeness -.014 -.014 .872 .327 Waiter Promptness .384 .384 .000 .537 Physical Space .132 .132 .175 .269 Aesthetics .103 .103 .089 .708 Music .134 .134 .050 .557 Food .246 .246 .002 .411 R Square Adjusted R Square .621 .606 The above table shows the results of regression with the six mentioned factors as independent variables and Customer Satisfaction as dependent variable. The value of R square is 0.788 shows positive correlation between the six factors together and Customer Satisfaction. The inference from Value of Beta and Significance is as follows: Waiter Politeness on Customer Satisfaction: Significance of 0.872 shows that Waiter politeness on Customer Satisfaction is not significant. This indicates that the impact of Waiter Politeness on Customer Satisfaction is insignificant. Waiter Promptness on Customer Satisfaction: Significance of 0 and Beta of 0.384 shows that Waiter Promptness affects Customer Satisfaction positively. Space on Customer Satisfaction: Significance of 0.175 is higher than a threshold of 0.05, which means that we cannot comment on the effect of Space on Customer Satisfaction Aesthetics on Customer Satisfaction: Significance of 0.89 and Beta of 0.103 shows that Aesthetics affects Customer Satisfaction positively. Music on Customer Satisfaction: Significance of 0.05 and Beta of -0.134 shows that Music affects Customer Satisfaction partially in a positive manner. Food on Customer Satisfaction: Significance of 0.002 and Beta of 0.246 indicates that Food affects Customer Satisfaction partially in a positive manner. Step 3: Regression of the 6 factors and the mediating variable (Customer Satisfaction) on Customer Loyalty Unstandardi

Joseph Beuys Social Sculptures Concepts

Joseph Beuys Social Sculptures Concepts Joseph Beuys developed a new concept of art as Social Sculpture in post-war Germany after the long period of repression and lethargy. His theory advocated that every person in every situation has the ability to re-organise society and this essay discusses how he sought to realise these ideas within his own practice. Beuys (1921-1986), is one of the most prominent and influential German artists to emerge after World War II. As well as an artist, he was a teacher and activist and his theory on the ability of art to change the dynamics of society has reverberated across a generation of artists. (Electronic Arts Intermix 1997) Beuys, along with other founding members of the Fluxus movement, helped to reinvigorate a prosperous Avant-garde after the long episode of Nazi oppression. His work was highly experimental and always contentious, layered with intricate meaning and symbolism. (Moma n.d.) Throughout his career he produced thousands of conceptual works, drawings, installations, objects, performances and lectures. Maturing as an artist during the Fluxus movement, this encouraged Beuys to create progressively more anti-establishment and eccentric works.(Turner 2001) The Fluxus was an international movement which began in the early sixties and continued to thrive throughout the 1960s and 1970s. It was distinguished by a strong Dadaist approach and encouraged artistic experimentation intertwined with social and political activism that rejoiced in revolutionary change. (Delahunt 1996)The Fluxus movement also centres on the absolute connection between art and life (Durini 1997, p. 26), a theme which was central to Beuys artistic practice. It was during the war that Joseph Beuys decided to dedicate himself to art. Beuys entered the Dusseldorf Academy at the conclusion of the war. It was during his time at the Academy that he began to query academic limitations and sought to further his artistic capabilities and understanding of art through his subject matter, sculptural techniques and the use of non conventional materials. A major turning point for Beuys came during the mid 1950s when he suffered from a severe bout of depression which lasted for several years. He surfaced from this period with a renewed sense of purpose and direction. Beuys states â€Å"This was the stage at which I began systematic work on certain basic principles.† (Walker Art Centre n.d.) These principles were to later expand into his Theory of Social Sculpture. In addition to his depression, Beuys also reportedly suffered from several injuries which he sustained during the five years he served in the war. It is speculated that due to this suffering, the theme of injury and healing are ever-present throughout his work. As a survivor of World War II, Beuys saw Western society as highly traumatised, psychic, social, political and ecological, and he believed that art was a means of mending this suffering. (Walker Art Centre n.d.) During the 1960s and 1970s, Joseph Beuys helped to solidify performance arts position within the art scene. He used a collaboration of sound, time and objects in a series of â€Å"actions†, to create sculptural performances. These performances were often recorded and demonstrated the captivating manner in which the artist was able to use his physical and psychic energy in which to create scenes infused with historical, mythological and personal significance. (Moma n.d.) Beuys believed that performance art was an intuitive approach in which he could convey his belief in the artists ability to repair a damaged world. (Turner 2001) Beuys was spurred on by the ideal belief human creativity could be universal and that art could create revolutionary change. This belief is what led Beuys to advocate this theory of the concept of ‘Social Sculpture during the 1970s, when his political activism was at the forefront. This was the idea that each human being had the potential to creatively contribute to the reshaping of society, in other words ‘society as an artwork. (Tate Collection 2009) Beuys idea of everyone as an artist was very powerful, because it is an indicator of our human potential for future evolution. (Howard n.d.) He believed that this potential was oppressed by conformity, social norms and conventions (Garner n.d.), and that in order for society to reach its full potential, it needed to free itself of routine and remain unobservant to disparities and surrounding conflicts. This idea formed a large part of the intention of his work, he states â€Å"I not only want to stimulate people, I want to provoke them†. (Masters n.d.) Beuys regarded teaching as an important part of his work as an artist. (Tate Collection 2009) He produced a large number of chalkboard drawings in which to communicate the basic principles of his Theory of Social Sculpture. They were often in the form of diagrams and demonstrated the relationships between art and society. (NGV International 2008) These chalkboard drawings are viewed as artworks in their own right. Joseph Beuys selection of materials for his sculptures was notably eclectic and he believed that certain materials had significant associations and through their repeated use they achieved personal representation. (Tate Collection 2009) He spent a substantial amount of time ensuring that his choice of aesthetic materials expressed his intentions. (Garner n.d.) Fat is a material that Beuys frequently used within his sculptures. He often used it to provoke discussion and believed it a material which was very basic to life. Its flexibility in changing from solid into liquid form made it a compelling symbol of spiritual transcendence. Felt is also a material that features frequently in Beuys work, and it became somewhat of a personal signature. He believed its often mundane nature could be transformed into objects with multi-layered significance; he also liked the manner in which it absorbs any liquid that it comes into contact with. Felt also appealed to him because of its ability to act as an insulator, it became a symbol of warmth and the way in which it could act as a muffler, for example when he wrapped a piano and a loudspeaker in it. (Tate Collection 2009) There is widespread belief that he had a strong preference towards these two materials because when he was injured in the war, fat and felt were used upon his wounds to help mend them . Beuys began to use fat in the 1960s with his installations ‘Fat Corners (1968) and a sculpture entitled ‘Fat Chair (1964). Beuys reasoning behind these pieces is that they began an almost chemical process that would not have been so potent if he had only spoken theoretically about them. (Walker Art Centre n.d.) In ‘Felt Suit (1970), Beuys uses felt in the idea that it is a protective and magical material. It is modern day armour made out of modest cloth. Hanging on the wall, an empty shell with no human presence it is not a suit at all, instead it becomes merely a piece of art. Beuys states that the suit represents warmth and a means in which to protect an individual from the world. Beuys states â€Å"Not even physical warmth is meant, namely spiritual or evolutionary warmth at the beginning of an evolution† (Turner 2001). The suit is also reminiscent of the solitude of human beings. Such suits were often worn by prisoners, particularly those in Nazi concentration camps. (Turner 2001) ‘Rose for Direct Democracy (1973), is one of Beuys most famous multiples, it consists of a rose in a transparent cylinder. For Beuys the rose is a simple example of the evolutionary process with its revolutionary goal, which is to gradually blossom. In contrast to the organic nature of the rose is a manmade cylinder with measurements on the side, capable of determining the volume of the matter inside. This piece symbolises the transition from an unyielding and artificial system into an organic and flourishing one. In one clear image it communicates the importance of love and knowledge and passion and science. (Arithmeum 2000) In ‘How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare (1965), Beuys cradled a dead hare for three hours whilst walking around and showing it his drawings while at the same time explaining each drawing to the hare in a whisper. The hare is symbolic of birth for Beuys, as the hare is born and burrows underneath the Earth, later to re-emerge from it. Whilst in this action, he also covered his head in honey and affixed fifty dollars worth of gold leaf to it. His reasoning behind this was that by covering his head in honey he was evidently doing something involved with thinking. Since it is bees who are the source of honey, its use represents the goodwill and affection that societies of bees are recognised for. (Ordinary Finds n.d.) Beuys stated that he would prefer to explain his pictures to a dead animal rather than to a person because this way his words were not taken too literally. Beuyss most well known action occurred during 1974 ‘I like America and America Likes Me, when he spent three days alone in a room with a coyote. For this performance, he was flown into New York and immediately upon landing he was enveloped in felt and loaded into an ambulance. He was then taken to the gallery where the action took place, without once setting foot on American soil. He explained that his wish was to isolate himself, see nothing of America other than the coyote. Native Americans held the coyote in god-like regard and after the settlers came they merely saw it as a pest which needed to be ridded. Beuys saw the disparagement of the coyote similar to the damage in which white men had imposed upon America and its native people. This action was an attempt to heal some of those wounds. He reasons, â€Å"You could say that a reckoning has to be made with the coyote, and only then can this trauma be lifted†. (Tate Collection 2009) In conclusion, Beuys served as a remedy to the needs of the population at the time, which was awakening from the shock of their economic, social and cultural sluggishness after the war. He demonstrated a way in which to rise from the ashes which was entertaining, wholesome and spiritually challenging. (Chicago Art n.d.) Within his works and teachings, he strived for a complete revamp of the system in which art is merely a consumer product. â€Å"Art is, he said, â€Å"a revolutionary change in the sense of completing the transformation from a sick world to a healthy one.† (Masters n.d.)

Caryl Churchill’s play Far Away and Jane Taylor’s Ubu and the Truth Com

Caryl Churchill’s play Far Away and Jane Taylor’s Ubu and the Truth Commission Caryl Churchill’s play Far Away and Jane Taylor’s Ubu and the Truth Commission are two plays that both concern violent, corrupt political systems, but each playwright goes about confronting these issues in a quite different style. Jane Taylor structures her work with an omniscient perspective that allows the audience to see the reality of what is happening at all times, while Churchill utilizes a limited perspective that leaves the audience as unaware of the truth as her characters. These approaches result in two plays that are very different in character, but at the same time, both of the works successfully create a similar uneasy, frightening atmosphere that is effective in impressing upon the audience the dangers and injustices of such violent governments Ubu, the main character of Ubu and the Truth Commission, is a corrupt dictator faced with the ramifications of the cruel and violent actions of his government. Throughout the play he grapples with truth; during the course of the action he hesitates about telling the truth about his involvement in the affairs, tries to cover up the evidence, and ultimately gives false testimony, claiming innocence. In the end his dishonesty prevails, and the truth commission fails. The political head and the military leader head of Brutus escape punishment while the army head is done away with, and Ubu himself is let off his charges. The final scene closes on Ubu, his wife, and Niles, the crocodile representing the rich white population, sailing away free directly in the face of an eye symbolizing truth. Despite the failure of truth in this play, the facts are not hidden from the audience – Taylor lea... ...hes its purpose in a different manner. Taylor’s blunt symbolism displays the truth openly to the audience in order to place emphasis on the injustice of the outcome of such government. The bitter irony and sinister characters combined with the horrifying tales of the witness puppets create a truly uneasy atmosphere that serves her purpose well. In contrast to this omniscient viewpoint, Churchill produces a world in which the truth is hidden from the audience as well as the characters. This choice puts the audience in a position of great anxiety as well and just as effectively communicates the potential dangers of such an environment. Both Caryl Churchill and Jane Taylor explore the horrors of corrupt government with dramatically different methods, but both successfully construct worlds that force the audience to deal with these issues involving truth and corruption.

Sonnet and Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night Essay -- John Donne D

Sonnet and Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night how how the writer uses the form of poetry to protest against a situation or an attitude and reveal how successful you think he or she is. Sonnet & Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night. Sonnet by John Donne and Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas are two poems about death that seem to convey very different messages. These poems are obviously written by two men with two very different perceptions of death. Both poems are protest poems and challenge ideas that would have been instilled in the writers from an early age. Donne ,who was a priest, would have been brought up in a society where death was feared and at a time when there was much religious debate about where the "soul" goes after death but in his poem he writes that death has no reason to be "proud" because it is not so "mighty and dreadful" as people fear. This is an idea that contrasts greatly with Thomas' poem. Thomas was brought up in a strict religious environment and he would have been taught the ideas that are present in Donne's poem, that death is just the "soul's delivery" and would be like going to sleep , that death is not the end but simply a way on towards heaven . However, Thomas' poem contradicts this idea saying that death is something that everyone should "burn" and "rave" against, this poem shows a very angry and resentful conception of death. The idea behind both poems is that the authors are protesting against death, about how death is seen and how death is treated by people, as well as protesting against how they have been taught to treat death which makes these poems very powerful. Sonnet is written in the form of a sonnet which is ironic as this form ... ...assionate style of writing. This poem also uses imagery but not in the same way as Sonnet, it's images are not really for the reader to relate to, they are fantastic, they do not really seem real but that is the point, death to Thomas is something unknown and something to dread. Thomas' poem seems much more messy than Sonnet, it is contradictory and it is not easy for the reader to understand, they must study it in more depth to get an idea of what it is really about, this however only makes the poem more interesting and realistic because it seems to be straight from Thomas' mind , a jumble of thoughts that seems just to have spilled onto the page. These two poems are forms of protest and both authors have shown that poetry is an excellent way to speak out because these poems are persuasive and convincing arguments for both their very different views.

Violence and Politics :: Political Government Essays

Violence and Politics Let's talk about absolutely ridiculous pronouncements people make that either ignore simple fact or border on insanity. How about this one: Violence is no way to settle anything! Evidence suggests that violence is a very effective way of settling things. How about a few examples? In 1776, violence settled whether the thirteen colonies would be independent or remain under King George's thumb. In 1865, violence settled whether there'd be a Confederacy and a Union or just a Union. Between 1941 and 1945, violence settled whether Japan would control the Far East and whether Germany would control Europe. Violence settled whether American Indians owned and controlled the land now call United States or whether it would be European settlers and their progeny. In fact, violence has settled the question of land use-rights virtually everywhere. Violence and the threat of violence not only settles questions of land use; it settles other matters as well. For example, I have no problem with paying for the constitutionally mandated functions of the Federal Government - those enumerated in the U.S. Constitution. But I disagree with my earnings being given to dependent farmers, failing banks and poor people. Who has use-rights to my earnings is settled through threats, intimidation and violence. The U.S. Congress in essence tells me, "Williams, if you do not permit us to give your earnings to dependent farmers, banks, poor people, and any one else we deem worthy of your earnings, we will use violence to take your earnings and anything else you possess. Some readers might think that I am being overly hyperbolic. What do you think would be the outcome of the following scenario? I write on my IRS 1040 form: "I gladly accept my responsibility to pay my share of constitutionally mandated functions of the federal government. That share comes to about one-third of what you say I owe. I will not pay for activities not authorized by the Constitution." What happens. The IRS, the agents of the U.S. Congress, levies a fine and demands that I pay all they say I owe. I refuse. Then the IRS says, "We're going to confiscate your house." I say, "No you won't; that's my house." Then they send agents with automatic weapons to take my house. I stand and defend my house. The agents of the U.S. Congress kill me. The truth of the matter is that violence is such an effective and valuable means of settling differences that most governments demand to have a monopoly on its use.