Hiv, Gonorrhea, And Syphilis - 1434 Words

Introduction Sexually transmitted diseases in the United States are on the rise after several years of decline. Three STD’s in particular are a concern to health care providers: gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. The CDC reports that the reports for chlamydia are up 27% from four years ago (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). The numbers are even more startling when looking at these three STD’s in St. Louis city. I ask these questions when writing the brief: 1.) Does St. Louis address these rising concerns differently than other metropolitan areas in the nation? And 2.) What have other cities done in the United States to combat the growing number of teenagers and young adults with STDs. Background The St. Louis region was named the STD capital of the world for the 5th consecutive year since 2010 (CDC, 2015). In 2015, there had been a recorded 14,961 cases of chlamydia, the 17th highest per-capita rate in the country (CDC, 2016). Rates of syphilis stayed relatively steady at just over 400 cases in the metro area. The city of St. Louis, however, measured the highest rate of both chlamydia and gonorrhea among counties and independent cities. These numbers are both up from 2014 (CDC 2016). Although rates of Gonorrhea, Chlamydia and syphilis are increasing in many parts of the nation, teens and young adults ages 15 to 24 account for nearly two-thirds of diagnosed cases of chlamydia and half of gonorrhea cases (figure 1). Although everyone sexually active canShow MoreRelatedSexually Transmitted Diseases Essay1303 Words   |  6 Pagesand multiple sex partners. Some of the most commonly found sexually transmitted diseases are gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV/AIDS, and syphilis. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are six hundred-fifty thousand new infections of gonorrhea in the United States each year. (Ultimate Guide: Gonorrhea par.2) Gonorrhea is a very common bacterial sexually transmitted disease. Gonorrhea is caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and is also one of the oldest known human diseasesRead MoreSexually Transmitted Disease Essay845 Words   |  4 Pagesput out in 20153 that during the 2011-2013 years there were 1,513 cases of Chlamydia, 431 cases of Gonorrhea, and 6 cases of Syphilis. During reports from the 20164 year which covers from 2012-2014 there were 1,536 cases of Chlamydia, 428 cases of Gonorrhea, and 5 cases of Syphilis. Looking at this data we can see you have only a small increase in cases of Chlamydia but both Gonorrhea and Syphilis dropped by a small bit. This shows that at the very least the programs are slowing the spread of STDsRead More Sexually Transmitted Diseases Essay1495 Words   |  6 Pagesamong people of all ages. Some are less severe and dangerous than others, but none of them are to be taken lightly. Some of the most common diseases are Acquired Immunity Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which is caused by the HIV virus; Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Herpes Simplex, and Syphilis. These facts from the STD Homepage (http:// med-www.bu.edu/people/sycamore/std.) further explain the diseases and what one can expect from them. Sexually Transmitted Diseases are serious and can have lifelong effects;Read MoreEssay : How To Conceive Children1000 Words   |  4 Pages Sexually transmitted diseases in pregnancy can hurt you and youre creating infant, contingent upon the kind of contamination. †¢ HIV/AIDS: Thanks to the production of intense meds, transmission of HIV contamination to your baby is fundamentally diminished. Be that as it may, when the ailment is passed on, the outcomes are disastrous - the child may create HIV contamination. †¢ Herpes: Herpes disease in a pregnant lady is moderately protected until she prepares to deliver. Dynamic herpes soresRead MoreEssay on STDs1724 Words   |  7 PagesSTDs are becoming a concern for Americans and especially American teens. There are two kinds of STDs, viral and bacterial. Viral Studs are incurable; the most common viral Studs are HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, herpes, and HPV. Bacterial STDs are curable. The most common bacterial STDs are gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. STDs, are also known as venereal diseases, is a term that refers to more than 50 diseases and syndromes which have been transmitted through the exchange of body fluids such as semenRead MoreEssay On Std And Sds1116 Words   |  5 Pagescomplications, cervical and other kinds of cancers, and liver disease - all health issues and diseases that can emerge due to sexually transmitted disease. Research shows that sexually transmitted disease also increases your chances of contracting HIV/AIDS which is incurable and will last a lifetime. Pregnant women can also be affected by sexually transmitted disease. Sexually transmitted disease in pregnant women can cause early labor and uterine infections before and after birth, low birth weightRead MoreWake County Health Case Study1857 Words   |  8 PagesInterview: Wake County Health Department â€Å"Wake county’s HIV/STD community program offers a comprehensive continuum of care including prevention education, HIV/STD counseling and testing, and treatment and supportive services for people with HIV/AIDS† Services provided: 1. HIV/STD Education and outreach: a team works with individuals, groups, partner agencies and communities throughout Wake County. They provide HIV/STD prevention education. Prevention education according to the CDC are facts/informationRead MoreStds Essay2127 Words   |  9 Pagesmost common types of STDs that I will be addressing are, HPV(human papillomavirus), chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and HIV/AIDS. History STDs have been known to humans for centuries. Lack of knowledge and awareness lead to a widespread transmission of diseases with little or no treatments available. Syphilis and gonorrhea were the most known diseases during the medieval times in Europe. Syphilis was believed to be spread by soldiers who contracted the disease on the voyages led by ChristopherRead MoreSexually Transmitted Diseases: Morbidity and Mortality in the State of Georgia981 Words   |  4 Pagesof chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis each year 2010 rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea increased approximately 11% and 13%, respectively from 2009; however, 5-year trend data suggest a less than 1% (0.3) change in chlamydia rates and an overall 6.7% decline in rates of gonorrhea. Youth and young adults and women continue to bear the burden of chlamydia and gonorrhea; the burden of syphilis among young adults has become more pronounced, in 2010, 50% of primary and secondary syphilis cases were underRead MoreSexually Transmitted Diseases ( Std ) Essay1590 Words   |  7 Pagesfor treatment secondary to antibiotic resistance and the primary method of prevention is being focused on risk assessment and education (Decker, 2016). The most common STD’s include, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Trichomonas, Syphilis, Herpes simplex, Human papilloma virus (HPV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). One of the STI’s is a bacterial infection cause by Chlamydia trachomatis which infects the genital area (Skowron, 2012). This bacterial infection manifests with no symptoms early on and vague

Critical Critique Of The Liars - 1233 Words

Juan Ruiz Psych 30 Cassens Important Writing Critique In this article DePaulo and her fellow researchers try to answer the question â€Å"Do people behave differently when they are lying compared with when they are telling the truth?† They went ahead and combined results of 1,338 estimates and found 158 cues to deception were reported in the study. The results showed that in some ways, the people that were lying were less forthcoming than the truth tellers. The liars also told less compelling tales when asked to explain their reasoning. Cues were also more visible when people were motivated to succeed, especially when the motivations were about themselves rather than money or materialistic objects. This study had also been approached 40†¦show more content†¦Other researcher also went on to explain the specifics of deception as the subject broadened. Zuckerman in 1981 found that liars might also be experiencing a greater sense of arousal than the truth tellers. This was noted by the liars having greater pupil dilation, more frequent speech, increased blinking, as well as a high pitched voice. In 1985 Ekman wrote an article explaining the role of emotions that are involved in deception. When Ekman was able to understand the emotions the liars were experiencing, Ekman stated that it’s possible to predict the behaviors of a liar that differ from truth tellers. He gave an example by showing that the cues that involve fear like speech errors, faster and louder speech, and high pitch gave a greater chance of a liar being pointed out. Ekman also found that liars who felt guilt lying to someone they could trust showed certain behavioral indicators of guilt. In De Paulo’s study she explains that one of the main reasons that it is more difficult to lie than to tell the truth is because when someone is lying they have to fabricate a new and never experienced situation so the probability of error goes way up compared to when someone is telling the truth all they have to do is simply tell the story as is. Liars are also more likely to fail when they know less about their target or the target knows more about the subject at

Personal Community Health Free Essays

Stress; can have a major affect upon your body. It can be detrimental to your health. An increase to your stress levels stress can cause neurons to die which leads to headaches, anxiety and depression. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Community Health or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the digestive system there can be mouth ulcers and cold sores. In the circulatory system the constant elevated blood pressure and heart rate increases risk of blood clots or heart attack. Your breathing also quickens increasing your chances of colds or respiratory infection, while it also depressed your immune system leaving you more likely to get an infection. This has shown me that if you are constantly stressed out you will be more likely to continually be sick which in turn can lead to you becoming more stress. It is therefore important to constantly manage your daily stress levels. Psychological health; and well being are very important to your overall health, mentally and physically. A person who is in good psychological standing is able to: function and carry out their responsibilities, they have a realistic perception of motivation of others, have rational and logical thought patterns, and they are able to adapt to adversity and change. Health is just not physical, your mental stability and health are also vitally important to your wellbeing overall. In order to be physically health you must also be psychologically healthy. MyPyramid; is an approximate to the amount of each food type that you should consume daily. It also gives you some rough guidelines for exercise time and to eat according to your personal calorie needs. It is important to eat a range of foods. A balanced diet is a key ingredient to helping your body maintain itself as well as to provide you with energy to make it through your daily tasks. Wellness-Illness Continuum: is an indicator of which way your health is going. You can be in average health yet you are heading towards illness. Or you can be of average health and heading towards optimal health and wellness. This has shown me that even though you may be healthy you have to make sure you are heading towards the optimal health and wellness with a zest for life and emotional growth rather than illness and worst case scenario premature death. Managing your Weight; is also an important part of being healthy. Depending upon your age, gender and height you should maintain a certain weight. This can be done by eating a balanced diet and regular exercise. Being an active person myself, I know how hard it can be to maintain your weight. I have the opposite problem to most people. I struggle to put on weight so I have to be very certain about what I eat and the amount of cardio exercise I do weekly. How to cite Personal Community Health, Papers

Visa and MasteCard Antitrust1 Essay Example For Students

Visa and MasteCard Antitrust1 Essay Duality, Monopoly and Government Failure Duality or illegal business practices which one contributed to Visa and MasterCard attaining over seventy-five percent of market shares. Who is really to blame for Visa and MasterCard obtaining the ability to monopolize the market; the government; member banks; or Visa and MasterCard collaboration. The Department of Justice investigation will bring forth many issues to closely review and consider. Reviewing the courts transcript, released by the Department of Justice on the governments antitrust case investigation; United States of America verses Visa International and MasterCard International Incorporated. reveals how the government may have been a major contributor to Visa and MasterCard effectively obtaining market power of the general-purpose card networks. The government should have evaluated the Worthens suit more closely. When the Worthen Bank of Arkansas, a Visa member bank, wanted to issue MasterCards general-purpose cards, Visa adopted Bylaw 2.16 prohibiting members bank from issuing any other network card. Worthen sued Visa; stating the Bylaw 2.16 violated section 1 of the Sherman Act. The courts agreed with Worthen; stating bylaw 2.16 in itself was per se a violation of the Sherman Act and ruled judgment in Worthens behalf. However, the Eighth Circuit court reversed the decision and sent the case for retrial using the rule of reason as the foundation. While awaiti ng trail Visa wanted to impose a more restrictive bylaw, so they asked the Department of Justice to review their new proposed Business Review letter. The new policy would not only prohibit members from issuing other general purpose cards, but also prohibit banks from providing card acceptance service for any other card presently in existence or card that may develop in the future as well. The Department of Justice stated, it could support the more restrictive bylaw of Visa member banking only issue Visa cards, but it was concerned about the restriction of banks providing card acceptance services to merchants for both networks. The Department of Justice believed the bylaw might handicap the entry of new banking cards and possibly lessen competition in the industry. Before the case was retried, Visas Board of Directories overturned Visas General Counsel decision and permitted Visa member banks to issue MasterCards general-purpose cards and MasterCards Board of Directories agreed to al low their member banks to issue Visas general-purpose cards. The government had no objections to Visa and MasterCard joint venture of allowing overlapping ownership and the dual governing structure of the banks, that later became known as duality. Both Visa and MasterCard Board of Directors sent the Department of Justice letters stating their business intentions; the letter stated, when one board acts with respect to a matter the results of those actions are disseminated to the members that are members in both organizations. As a result, each of the associations is a fishbowl and offices and board members are aware o f what the other is doing, much more so than in the normal corporate environment. One point of interest to consider is, if the government could foresee the negative externalities that Visas Business Review policy would have on the market structure, why did it not foresee the full implication that duality would have in the industry? Visa and MasterCard may have initially entered into an association, because they believed duality would be the easiest and fastest way of resolving their legal differences. They had no clue of the impact their decision would have on the industry and market structure. On several occasions, member banks violated both section 1and 2 of the Sherman Act. Although there were no written policies or safeguards in placed preventing Visa and MasterCard from competing against each other, governing banks would often reject any implementations of or refuse to investments in any competitive initiatives proposed by the separate management.Officials at the highest level of Visa and MasterCard corporations have publicly and under oath acknowledge co-ownership and governance has significantly lessened competition. Visas International president and Chief Executive Officer testified, Visa was a better organization before duality. He also stated their groups of banks wanted to support Visa and go beat up MasterCard and those who supported M asterCard banks wanted to go beat up on Visa. However, it was hard for them to take an aggressive step against each other, because some Board of Directors was a member of both banks and they would not allow any competition. The President of MasterCard International and General Counsel wrote a letter to the Department of Justice claiming member banks viewed Visa and MasterCards association as complementary and are displeased when one attempt to enhance itself at the others expense; therefore, making it impossible to compete in certain areas. He testified: It is clear that because of duality you do not see MasterCard and Visa attacking each other in the marketplace. .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8 , .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8 .postImageUrl , .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8 , .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8:hover , .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8:visited , .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8:active { border:0!important; } .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8:active , .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8 .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u69dec510646dc04a5b73bfa028aab2d8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Fantasy's Integral Role In The Creation Of A Kille Essay The member banks defended the actions by focusing on the accessibility of general-purpose cards in the marker and competition between card issuers; responding that card issuers compete for cardholders with respect to interest rates, annual cardholder fees, payment terms and conditions. Therefore, it is not necessary for Visa and MasterCard to compete with one another. As time passed, Visa and MasterCard realized the advantages duality provided them and they began collaborating with governing banks by adopted rules and policies prohibiting member banks from doing business with other general-purpose card networks such as American Express and Discover/Novus. In an attempt to complete in the card networks, American Express developed a single merchant terminal that would accept and process all network general-purpose cards, Visa and MasterCard violated Section 2 of the Clayton by enacting a new regulation forbidding member banks to process their cards. However, the demands by merchants f or a single terminal forced Visa and MasterCard to modify this policy, so they allowed merchants to process their cards using other general-purpose card networks, but charged merchants higher fees for using non-Visa/MasterCard network systems. Even though Visa and MasterCard adjusted their position on a single terminal processing system, the Department of Justice investigation revealed Visa and MasterCard still remained in control of 85% of the market power; leaving very little market shares to American Express who had only 5% and Discover/Novus with 8.5%. Visa and MasterCard enacted several exclusionary practices that restrained competition. For example, they prohibited banks from during business with other general-purpose card networks; prohibited American Express and Discover/Novus access to their ATM machines for cash advances; and terminated any member bank that issued American Express and Discover/Novus card networks. Entry into the general-purpose card network market is a difficult task within itself. The ability of producers to establish new banking cards and network system requires large investments and the success in the market depends upon the consumers willingness to accept and use the product. Visa and MasterCard further complicate matters, by implementing anti-competitive polices that injured competition, and increased entrants costs. Member banks restrained critical competitive initiatives that were developed by Visa and MasterCard management. When MasterCard developed its Smart card, the governing banks refused its release, and only after Visa had developed a similar card, did the member banks allow Visa and MasterCard to banks all Master card to release theothe card was released only after Visa had developed a similar card. The government antitrust laws were established to ensue consumers receives good quality products; there are enough producers in the industry to provide such product s, and the price of the product is sold at a fair market price. The Federal Trade Commission is the government agency responsible for monitoring business practices of organizations within the industry and take legal actions against violators of antitrust laws. As for the Visa and MasterCard monopolization antitrust case, evidence presented by the Department of Justice investigation revealed actions by the government, member banks, as well as Visa and MasterCard contributed to the market failure of the general-purpose card networks. Complaint for Equitable Relief for Violations of 15 U.S.C. s 1 Civil Action No. 98-civ.7076. http://www.usDepartment of Justice.gov/atr/cases/f1900/1973.htm 15 Jun 2000. Bibliography:Micheel Smith 26 Female

Security Recommendations for Accounts and Passwords

Introduction Security is a very important issue in computer systems and most organizations dedicate significant resources in securing their systems.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Security Recommendations for Accounts and Passwords specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Easttom (2006) observes that protecting the system’s perimeters from external attacks and installing antivirus software and anti-spyware does not complete the securing efforts. Proper configuration of the machines is necessary for the network to be considered secure. Knowledge on how to secure accounts and make adequate use of passwords is therefore very important for computer users and administrators. Easttom (2006) provides recommendations on accounts and passwords from the NSA, Microsoft, and himself. This paper will discuss other recommendations on accounts and passwords and discuss them with particular emphasis being given to areas in which they differ from recommendations offered by Easttom. Analysis of Recommendations Prevention of unauthorized access is a core goal of computer security. The primary means used by many intruders to access the system is by trying the default settings. Strebe (2004) recommends that the default user account settings should always be reconfigured since they provide an easy starting point for potential intruders who wish to gain access to the network. Most default settings are not configured to offer optimal security and changing them will increase the security level of the system.Advertising Looking for assessment on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The visibility of the available user accounts should be hidden. By making use of the â€Å"Name and Password† option as opposed to the â€Å"List of users† option for the login window improves the security of the system. This is because without a visible list of us ers, an intruder will have a harder time hacking into the computer since they have to guess not only the password but also the name of the user. Another recommendation is that the password hint feature should be disabled. While this feature might be helpful for the legitimate user who has forgotten their password, it will also make it easier for an intruder to guess the password and then gain access into the system. SANS (2012) observes that a password hint like â€Å"my family name† will easily help an intruder to break into the account. Even if best practices are followed when opening new accounts, the system can be compromised if the account becomes inactive when the employee leaves the organization. A malicious former employee whose account is still active can compromise the system from outside since the system still recognizes him/her as a legitimate user. SANS (2012) recommends that an audit of all accounts in the system should be done regularly and all inactive account s dealt with. Tracking account will be integral to the security of the system since it will enable the administrator to promptly identify dormant accounts and remove them from the system. User accounts which have not been utilized for a set period of time should be disabled. While an account is disabled, all the files associated with it should be moved to a secure location to prevent any intruder from accessing them. Monitoring of attempted access to deactivated accounts can help the administrator to identify hacking attempts.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Security Recommendations for Accounts and Passwords specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Account lockout policies are important since they prevent a user from making an infinite number of wrong login attempts. Easttom (2006) recommends a number of account lockout durations, which include 3 hours for the account lockout threshold and 48 hours if someone atte mpts to crack the password during weekends. After the lockout time has expired, the account is automatically unlocked. The CERT (2012) recommends that automatic unlocks after the specified lockout duration should not be used. Instead, the security professionals must manually review the case and then proceed to unlock it after the investigation is complete. By conducting a manual review, the administrator will be able to identify anomalous activity and take appropriate action against it. If the account is unlocked automatically, the unsuccessful intruder might continue with the attempts and eventually break into the account. Users who make use of their work accounts outside the office might have remote access to their account. Remote access increases the risk that the individual will log in from a public computer therefore exposing their login credentials to others. The CERT (2012) recommends that remote access should be restricted and specific IP addresses should be used if it is po ssible. If this is not possible, then concurrent logins should be guarded against and users should only be able to have one active session at any time. Any concurrent login attempt should be flagged down by the security personnel and a review of the login attempts done to help track attempted hackings.Advertising Looking for assessment on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Easttom (2006) recommends restricting administrator rights to only the users who need such privileges on a regular basis. This notion is supported by SANS (2012) who asserts that uncontrolled administrative privileges might be used to perpetrate attacks against the system. The CERT (2012) confirms that a hacker who gains access to an account which has administrative privileges can do just about anything on the compromised machine. Having administrative privileges loosely and widely distributed therefore increases the risks to the system from outside attacks since intruders can access more resources once they compromise an account with administrative privileges. Administrators normally create accounts for all the users and assign them with a generic password such as â€Å"password†. Walshaw (2000) states that once an account has been created, the users should be forced to change password during the next logon. By implementing such a practice, the scenario where a community of users have the same password will be avoided and the security of the network will therefore be increased. Strebe (2004) recommends assigning random passwords for each user and having the specific user report to the administrator in person to receive it. This approach prevents account compromise, which can occur if a user who was allocated an account does not actually need it and therefore never logs on to change the default password Effective password management is important for ensuring account security. One measure for ensuring this is setting the password age. Easttom (2006) recommends that the maximum password age should be set at 60days (2months) while Microsoft and NSA both recommend 46days (1.5 months). The rationale behind this is that people are unlikely to change their password unless they are obligated to. Even then, they are likely to make use of the same set of two to three favorite passwords. Forcing users to select a new password within a given duration of time will i ncrease the security of the network. This is because such a policy will safeguard against the sharing of passwords since the user will be forced to keep changing their password on a regular basis. However, forcing people to frequently change their passwords might be detrimental to the security of the system. This is because such a policy will cause users to select very easily guessed passwords so that they do not forget the passwords (Strebe, 2004). In other cases, the user might simply modify their simple password slightly so they can keep reusing them. SANS (2012) agrees with this notion by suggesting that user-level passwords should be changed in six months. Instead of enforcing frequent changes, users can be required to memorized highly cryptic passwords. Users are advised to avoid using similar passwords for all their accounts since if an attacker breaks into one account, they can have access to all the other accounts. However, users might have a hard time tracking the numerous passwords used for all their different accounts. Some might resort to using the same password for every account. This is very dangerous since compromise on one account will lead to security problems at the organization. The CERT (2012) recommends the use of a password manager to help users store and trace their unique passwords. A password manager is more secure than writing the password on a piece of paper since it keeps the passwords protected at a central location. Conclusion Computer systems have many risks and effective security measures must be employed to guard against these risks. In addition to investing in security measures such as firewalls and antivirus software, the organization should adhere best security practices provided by various authorities in security implementation. This paper has reviewed some recommendations on accounts and passwords in order to identify the best practices that can ensure optimal protection. By adhering to these recommendations, the organiza tion will be able to benefit from a secure computer network. References CERT (2012). Technical Information Paper-TIP-11-075-01 System Integrity Best Practices. Web. Easttom, C. (2006). Network defense and countermeasures: Principles and practices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Strebe, M. (2004). Network Security Foundations: Technology Fundamentals for IT Success. NY: John Wiley Sons. SANS (2012). Critical Control 16: Account Monitoring and Control. Web. Walshaw, R. (2000). Mission Critical Windows 2000 Server Administration. NY: Elsevier. This assessment on Security Recommendations for Accounts and Passwords was written and submitted by user Johnny Harvey to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Germany Economic Situation

Germany Economic Situation Introduction Introduction to Germany Overview Germany is located in Europe and it is considered one of the most prosperous nations in this part of the world. It is a federal parliamentary republic that is made up of 16 semi- autonomous states (Fulbrook 23). The capital city of the nation which also serves as the political, economic and cultural center is Berlin. It is also the largest city in the country.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Germany Economic Situation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As of the year 2010, the population size of this nation stood at 82.3 million (Fulbrook 23). This makes Germany the most populous member of the European Union, the economic bloc to which it belongs. It is also regarded as a major political power and one of the most technologically advanced nations in Europe. History This country has a very long history dating back several centuries. However, contemporary historians are of the view that the current Germany state can be traced back to the year 1814 after the fall from power of Napoleon I, a man who has ruled France and the neighboring territories with an iron fist for a very long time (Boyes 10). After his fall from power, the Congress of Vienna came together in the year 1814 to form what came to be known as the German Confederation (Philpott 245). This is also referred in some quarters as the Deutscher Bund. The confederation brought together 39 autonomous states that were hitherto operating independently. However, there were periodic disagreements among the member states regarding the restoration politics that were advocated to ensure the smooth running of the confederation. The history of this country is marked by intermittent conflicts and revolutions. For example, the country was actively involved in both the first and the second world wars. In World War I, this country suffered a great loss having lost more than two million soldiers. In 1918, the co untry went through the infamous German Revolution which led to the creation of the Germany republic. At some point, the country was divided into two entities which were informally referred to as West and East Germany. The western part of the entity was allied to the western nations of France, United Kingdom and the United States of America while the Eastern sector was allied to the Soviet Union.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Population As indicated above, the population of this country was approximately 82,329,758 as of the year 2010 (Fulbrook 35). In the same period, the population growth of the country stood at about -0.053 percent per annum. This means that unlike countries in the developing world which are battling huge population growth, the major concern of this nation is the negative growth in its population size. It is also noted a large portion of this c ountry’s population resides in the urban centers. As of 2008, Fulbrook (35) is of the view that about 74 percent of citizens in this country was living in the urban areas. As of the year 2010, ethnic Germans made up about 91.5 percent of the total population in the country. These were followed by individuals of Turkish ethnic groups at 2.4 percent. Protestant is the main form of religion in this country. Boyes (10) is of the view that about 34 percent of the citizens are followers of the protestant Christian faith. Catholics account for about 32 percent of the total population with Muslims accounting for about 3.7 percent of the total population. Like other developed nations, the literacy levels in this country are quite high. As of the year 2010, literacy level stood at 99 percent while level of school attendance was 100 percent (Philpott 243). Infant mortality rate stood at 3.99 per 1000 individuals in the year 2010, with life expectancy for men standing at about 75.98 year s. The life expectancy for women in this country was quite high than that of men, standing at 82.40 in the year 2010. Political System According to Wolf (4), parliamentary form of government is practiced in this nation. Germany can be described as a democratic state with a constitution that protects the rights and freedoms of the individual. The constitution also informs the distribution of powers in a federal form of government. According to Hopkins (15), the chancellor who is equivalent to a prime minister is the leader of the executive arm of the government. There is a ceremonial president who is the chief of state. The prime minister of the country is elected by the lower chamber of the country’s legislature.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Germany Economic Situation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The federal judiciary system of this country can be considered as being fairly independent. It is made up o f several structures enshrined in the constitution such as the constitutional court, high courts among others (Blaise 3). The role of the judicial arm in this country is to interpret the constitution and to ensure that the rights and privileges of the citizens are protected. Germany is a multiparty democracy with several vibrant political parties. The Christian Democratic Union (also referred to as the Christian Social Union) is one of the oldest parties in the country. With 237 seats in the Bundestag, this party is considered to be one of the most influential political entities in Germany. It is currently led by Angela Merkel who also happens to be the current Prime Minister of this country. Another party referred to as the Social Democratic Party holds 146 seats in the current parliament. This party is not only one of the oldest parties in Germany but also in the world. Currently, the party is led by Sigmar Gabriel who is also credited with promoting the party among the large citi es and the industrialized states in this country. Another political entity in Germany is the Free Democratic Party which draws majority of its supporters from the middle and upper class Protestants in this country. Today, this party which is led by Guido Westerwelle holds 93 parliamentary seats. Other political parties in this nation include The Left, Alliance 90 Greens among others. Germany Foreign Relations It is noted that the current Germany nation is significantly different from the Germany that it was during the first and second world wars as far as her foreign relations are concerned. During these wars, Germany was an enemy to many nations such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Today, the country enjoys fairly strong and close ties with other western nations such as the united states of American and United Kingdom. It is also a member of NATO and an active member of the European Union (Niewyk Nicosia 345). The country also actively participates in Unite d Nations’ affairs making it one of the key contributors to this body. Another organization to which the nation is affiliated is the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (herein referred to as OSCE).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Economy This report is going to address the economic situation in Germany today. As such, this aspect of the nation will not be deeply dealt with in this section of the report. However, it is important to mention that the economy of this nation is the fifth largest in the world. This is using purchasing power parity (herein referred to as PPP) as the indicator. It is the largest economy in Europe, dwarfing other economies such as France in the region. As of the year 2010, Germany was the leading exporter of machinery, technology and household items in Europe. This was made possible by a highly skilled labor force that is to be found in this nation. However, it is important to note that the economy of this country faces several challenges like other economies in the world despite the fact that it is a fairly large one. One of the challenges is the low fertility rates as identified earlier in this paper. This threatens the sustainability of this economy given the fact that it might ru n into labor shortage and reduced internal market in the future. Objectives of the Report This economic analysis report has several objectives. They are as listed below: Analysis of Germany’s macroeconomic indicators Analysis of Germany’s fiscal indicators Analysis of Germany’s monetary indicators Analysis of Germany’s international indicators A critical analysis of the problems facing Germany from a business perspective A critical analysis of future prospects for businesses in Germany Macroeconomic Study of Germany Preamble In section 1 of this report, the reader was introduced to the economic analysis of Germany which is going to be the major focus of the report. Issues covered included political system of the country, economic situation and demographic data. The aim of this background information was to provide the reader with an idea of the nation which is going to be the focus of this report. The author also provided the reader with a list of objec tives that the report will strive to achieve. In this section, the reader will provide information on the macroeconomic indicators of Germany. The issues that will be covered in this section include major macroeconomic indicators, fiscal indicators, monetary indicators, international indicators and Germany’s level of foreign exchange reserves. Major Macroeconomic Indicators in Germany Real GDP The Gross Domestic Product (herein referred to as GDP) is a major indicator used to measure the status of a country’s economy (Trading Economics 3). It can be conceptualized as the total value of all goods and services that are produced by the economy in a given period of time. This value is usually expressed in terms of dollars. According to Blaise (2), it is a measure of the size of the country’s economy expressed in terms of dollars. On the other hand, real GDP can be conceptualized as the size of the countrys economy after adjustments have been made for price changes ( Blaise 3). This means that the inflation or deflation rates are taken into account when computing real GDP. The relationship between GDP and real GDP is vividly illustrated in the equation below: GDP= Real GDP x Price (adapted from Boyes 10) As of 2010, the GDP in terms of purchasing power parity for Germany stood at 2.94 trillion US dollars (Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] 8). This makes it the fifth largest economy in the world. Real GDP Growth Rate Real GDP growth rate measures the rate of growth of the economy making adjustments for price changes. According to the CIA (3), the real GDP growth rate in Germany for the year 2010 was 3.5 percent. In 2009, the growth was -4.7 percent while it was 0.7 percent in 2008. The figure below represents the growth rate of real GDP in Germany between 2007 and 2011: Figure 1: Real GDP Growth Rate in Germany Source: Trading Economics (4) Rate of Unemployment Rate of unemployment in any economy can be conceptualized as the percentage of the la bor force in that particular economy that is not employed (International Monetary Fund [IMF] 3). In 2010, the rate of unemployment in Germany stood at 7.1 percent according to figures given by the International Labor Organization (ILO). This was a slight improvement compared to the 7.7 percent that was recorded in 2009. Current Account Balance IndexMundi (2) views current account balance as â€Å"the (economy’s) net trade in goods and services plus net earnings from rents, interest, profits and dividends and net transfers to and from the rest of the world during the period under consideration† (pp2). It is noted that the figures above are computed using exchange rates as opposed to purchasing power parity. In 2010, the current account balance for Germany stood at 188.4 billion US dollars. This was a slight decline from the 2009’s estimates of 188.6 billion dollars (IndexMundi 1). Fiscal Indicators Ratio of Gross Fiscal Deficit to Nominal GDP The 2010 budget for this country was marked by a huge fiscal deficit similar to that recorded in other nations in the European Union. The fiscal deficit for the country in 2010 was about â‚ ¬50 billion (Workman 9). This was about -3.3 percent of GDP according to CIA (21). The country has put measures in place to bring down this ratio to about 0.35 percent of the GDP by the year 2016. Government Expenditure The government expenditure in this country was about 1.535 trillion US dollars in 2010 (CIA 22). According to Roubin (237), about 50 percent of the country’s GDP is consumed by the government given the fact that the authorities have to support an expensive social welfare policy. The public debt for this country in 2010 was about 80 percent of the GDP (Philpott 244). Niewyk Nicosia (34) puts the average level of government expenditure at about 43.7 percent of GDP. Revenues According to the CIA (39), total revenues (tax plus non-tax) for Germany stood at 1.427 trillion US dollars in 2010. Th e figure below represents the tax revenue for Germany as a percentage of GDP between 1996 and 2008: Figure 2: Tax Revenue for Germany Source: Trading Economics (3) Monetary Indicators Growth of Money Supply The rate at which money supply of an economy grows at is directly related to the rate of inflation in the country. This is given the fact that the government may control the supply of money in the economy in order to control the rate of inflation. In 2010, the growth of money supply in Germany was at 10.1 percent (World Bank 122). This was similar to the rate of money supply that was evidenced in the early 1990s. Inflation Rate As already indicated, the rate of inflation is determined in part by the rate of money supply in the economy. As a result of the current global economic crisis, the rate of inflation in this country is projected to hit the 2.4 percent mark in November 2011. Between 1992 and 2010, the average rate of inflation in this country was about 1.9 percent (Trading Economics 4). According to CIA (23), the inflation rate was about 1.1 percent in 2010, up from 0.3 percent in 2009. The figure below represents rate of inflation between 2008 and 2011: Figure 3: Inflation Rate in Germany Source: Trading Economics (9) International Indicators Openness Index Openness index can be conceptualized as a measure of the extent to which an economy interacts with other economies in the world. According to the World Bank (133), this is also referred to as the ratio of merchandise trade to the size of the GDP. In other words, it is the total exports and imports divided by the country’s GDP for that particular period. In 2008, the openness index in this country was 73.20 (Trading Economics 8). The figure below represents the openness index for Germany between 1976 and 2008: Figure 4: Openness Index for Germany Source: Trading Economics (3) Growth in Level of Exports Exports in this country were worth 95 billion Euros as of September 2011 (Trading Econo mics 2). Germany being the biggest exporter in the world, this form of trade accounts for more than 30 percent of the GDP. The figure below illustrates Germany exports between July 2009 and July 2011: Figure 5: Exports in Germany Source: Trading Economics (3) Growth in Levels of Imports In 2008, imports in this country were worth about 1.2 trillion US dollars (Workman 5). China accounted for about 6 percent of this figure while the United States of America accounted for about 5 percent (Workman 5). 2010 imports were approximated by the CIA (9) at about 1.099 trillion US dollars. This was up from 972.5 trillion US dollars in 2009. Level of Foreign Exchange Reserves KPMG International (4) conceptualizes foreign-exchange reserve as the foreign currency deposits that are held by a country’s central bank and other financial organizations. As of December 31 2010, the level of foreign exchange reserve in Germany was about 216.5 billion US dollars. This was up from 180.8 billion US dollars the previous year (Blaise 4). Critical Problems in Germany Preamble In section 2 of this report, the author provided the reader with an analysis of the macro economy in Germany. Various macroeconomic indicators were analyzed. These included major macroeconomic indicators, fiscal indicators, monetary indicators and international indicators. In this section, the author will provide the reader with an analysis of the critical problems in Germany. This critical analysis will be based on the macroeconomic study conducted above. The critical analysis will be carried out from a business perspective. Critical Problems Slowed Economic Growth The economic crisis that has swept the world since 2009 has not left Germany unscathed. Philpott (245) reports that the economy of this country has come to a near-standstill during the fourth quarter of 2011. The current global economic slowdown is said to have been the largest contributor to this development. Between April and June 2011, the lar gest economy in Europe grew by a paltry 0.1 percent, creating panic in the whole continent (CIA 23). This was a dismal performance given the fact that the economy was projected to grow at about 0.5 percent during this period. The current crisis in the oil market has also been blamed for the poor performance recorded by the German economy. This is considering the fact that the country is net oil importer. In 2009, the country imported about 2.671 million barrels a day. This is compared to the exports of 470,200 barrels a day made the same year. Fall in domestic consumption was also blamed for this dismal performance. Energy production also declined within the same period. Coupled with the rise of crude oil prices in the world market, this factor has greatly impacted on the economy. Declining Population Growth Rate It is also noted that the population of this country has continued to decrease over the years. This is a major concern for economists and other analysts in this country. In 2011, population growth rate was -0.208 percent according to CIA (9). Birth rate in 2011 was about 8.3 births in every 1000 persons. This is as compared to death rate as of July 2011 which stood at 10.92 deaths in every 1000 persons. What this means is that the economy might start importing labor in future. This is in addition to shrinking internal market. Unemployment Rate The rate of unemployment in this country has been another source of major concern among businesses. It is noted that in 2011, the rate of unemployment stood at 11 percent, up from 7.8 percent the previous year. Whereas this trend may appear good to businesses due to availability of cheap labor, it is not good for the growth of the economy. Future Prospects for Businesses in Germany Preamble In section three above, the author provided the reader with an analysis of critical problems that Germany is facing today. This critical analysis was carried out from a business perspective. The problems that this country fac es as a result of the current global economic crisis and the recent changes in oil prices were analyzed. Three critical problems were identified. These are the slow economic growth, decrease in population growth and unemployment rates in the country. In this section, the author will provide the reader with an analysis of the future prospects for businesses in this country. This analysis will also be based on the economic analysis that was carried out in this paper. Future Prospects for Businesses Slowed Economic Recovery Businesses should be aware of the fact that the country is recovering slowly from the economic crisis that it went through. However, it should be noted that this is just a short term holdback. Analysts such as Carsten Brzeski of the ING are however optimistic regarding the future of the country’s economy. He is of the view that the current trend in the economic growth in Germany is an indication of normalization in growth of the economy as it emerges from the throes of the economic meltdown. He is of the view that the economy of the country may still grow by about 3 percent this year (Fulbrook 34). There are other analysts who do not hold such a positive outlook as far as the economy of the country is concerned. These are of the view that the German economic miracle (also referred to as Wirtschaftswunder) might be coming to an end. They are of the view that the country may go back to an economic recession rather than emerging from it. However, there is still some hope for businesses in this country as far as the state of the economy is concerned. The Germany government has taken note of these developments and has made some steps to help the economy recover. Since the year 2009, the constitution of the country has been changed to include policies that are meant to reduce the fiscal deficit in the country. This is through the famous ‘debt brake’ or Schuldenbremse (Fulbrook 98). This is aimed at reducing the deficit of governm ent spending to a maximum of 0.35 percent of the GDP. This is by the year 2016. The policy goes further to state that state governments in this country will not be allowed to run deficits at all starting from 2020. This development shows that the future is bright for businesses in this country. Germany’s Foreign Policy It is noted that the foreign policy of this country has being improving over the years. Starting January 2011, Germany was elected to serve as a temporary member in the UN Security Council. It is also noted that there are strong trade ties between Germany and other nations around the world. This is very important for multinationals operating in this country and other businesses that are involved in exports and imports of goods and services in the country. However, analysts are of the view that the economy of this country relies heavily on exports. This is so considering the fact that this country is the leading exporter in the world. This being the case, the co untry’s GDP is very vulnerable to changes in the international market. Population Growth and Future of Businesses in this Country Another point that should be taken into consideration by businesses operating in this country is the fact that the population of this country is shrinking. This is both positive and negative to the country’s economy. The social welfare of the citizens is likely to increase since the government can easily manage the small population. However, this might be a challenge to businesses operating here. The size of the internal market may reduce. This means that the businesses may be forced to export their goods and services while importing labor in the future. Conclusion This report found that Germany has the largest economy in Europe. However, the report found that the economy of this country has being growing at a very small rate in the recent past. This slow growth has negatively affected the whole euro zone economy. Inflation rate was found to be 1.1 percent as of 2011. The country has a significant foreign exchange reserve as compared to other economies in the region. Some of the problems that are faced by this country include slow economic growth as mentioned above, reduced rate of population growth and unemployment rates. Being a net oil importer, this country is vulnerable to changes in the price of oil in the world market. This report notes that the future is bright for businesses operating in this country. This is given the fact that the government has taken measures aimed at improving the economy. The foreign relations between Germany and other countries have also improved over the years. However, there are some challenges such as the reduced population growth that businesses have to contend with. Blaise, Robinson. Sluggish German GDP Derails European Stock Rebound. Reuters. August 16, 2011. November 30, 2011. reuters.com/article/2011/08/16/markets-europe-stocks-idUSLDE77F0AQ20110816. Boyes, Peter. Germany in th e 21st Century. New York: Free Press, 2011. Central Intelligence Agency. The World Fact Book. November 15 2011. November 30 2011. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html. Fulbrook, Mary. A Concise History of Germany. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Hopkins, Kathryn. Germany Officially in Recession as OECD Expects US to Lead Recovery. The Guardian. July 12 2011. November 30 2011. guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/14/oecd-recession-germany-inflation-deflation. IndexMundi. Germany Unemployment Rate. IndexMundi. July 2011. November 30, 2011. indexmundi.com/germany/unemployment_rate.html. International Monetary Fund. World Economic Outlook. International Monetary Fund, September 2011. KPMG International. Country Focus- Germany. KPMG International, Fall 2010. Niewyk, Donald L., Nicosia, Francis R. The Columbia Guide to the Holocaust. Columbia: Columbia University Press, 2010. Philpott, Newton. Germany in Europe. London: Free Press, 2011. Roubin, Peter. Germany: Fiscal Policy. Global Economics. March 2011. November 30, 2011. roubini.com/briefings/49792.php. Trading Economics. Tax Revenue in Germany. Trading Economics. March 2011. November 30, 2011. tradingeconomics.com/germany/tax-revenue-percent-of-gdp-wb-data.html. Wolf, Martin. Europe Needs German Consumers. Financial Times. February 9 2010. November 30, 2011. ft.com/cms/s/0/3d744b46-15b7-11df-ad7e-00144feab49a.html#axzz1fAmzmojb. World Bank. World Development Indicators 2009. New York: World Bank, 2010. Workman, Daniel. Germany’s Top Exports and Imports in 2008. International Trade. May 8, 2009. November 30, 2011. http://daniel-workman.suite101.com/germanys-top-exports-imports-in-2008-a116094.

Management Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management Class - Essay Example ation that comes from ‘drug reps’ who does not have much scientific knowledge about the impact of drugs on patients’ lives because these people are only after the sales commissions, expensive gifts, awards, and bonuses they’ll receive from the company out of selling these drugs. It is advisable to limit this type of interconnection between the doctors and medical student(s) and the drug producer(s) in order to avoid ‘under the table’ or ‘red tape’ transactions and ‘lobbying’ between the two parties. A close personal relationship between the doctors / medical students and the pharmaceutical companies could result to converting these doctors as ‘pharmaceutical sales representatives.’ Thus, endangering the lives of the patients. Controlling the importation of drug ingredients such as the ephedrine and pseudoephedrine from the nine major producers worldwide including Mexico is necessary in order to control the spread of ‘meth epidemics’ throughout the California, Oregon and other part of the United States.2 By regulating the importation of these ingredients, the meth cooks will have a hard time searching for the main ingredients to produce crystal meth. Another strategy is to regulate the selling of legal drugs like cold medicines that contain these ingredients throughout the United States. Having a strict control over the selling of these products, particularly by limiting the number of cold medicines consumers could buy as well as having the consumer register upon each purchase, could prevent the meth cooks from converting these legal drugs into crystal meth. The two main strategies that the U.S. federal government implemented contributed to the success of controlling the meth epidemics over several areas in the United States. By implementing a strict control over the main sources of the ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, the government is able to prevent the meth makers from producing enormous amount of meth within the

Chemical Shale Instability & Inhibition Research Paper

Chemical Shale Instability & Inhibition - Research Paper Example From the discussion it is clear that understanding the overall behavior of shale is the core intention of this paper. Furthermore, the discussion is also aiming at understanding various types of shale drilling fluids. This also includes the use of the drilling fluids and their composition. The other key concept explored in te discussion is the mechanism involved in the development of new shale.This essay discusses Shale can be defined as a sedimentary rock which is fine grained and is composed of mineral rich mud. The mineral composition found in this mud is variable. When discussing about shale instability and inhibition. It is prudent to note that the interaction between water and the clay like material forung within the shale is the root cause (REFF). This interaction contributes to wellbore instability which thereafter result in formation of poor gause and many other anomalies. This paper targets discussing issue related to shale instability and inhibition, challenges faced and h ow to prevent such inconvenient precisely when drilling shale. There are many types of drilling fluids that serve different purpose based on the shale being encountered. For example; the drilling fluid can be air, liquid or foam which is colloid of liquid and air (REFF). The role of the drilling mud at this point is to dissipate the heat by circulating the drilling fluids (REFF). Moreover, the drilling mud also lubricates the bits and reduces friction.

Reflective account of your own strengths and weaknesses of academic Essay

Reflective account of your own strengths and weaknesses of academic literacy competence for undertaking this course - Essay Example Yet another area where I am confident about my performance is my computer knowledge. In fact, I possess good keyboard skills. I am good in using analysis and presentation tools for various purposes that will immensely help me in my employability skills. In addition, I have the ability to learn various computer operations, and hence, computer literacy will be a positive point in my employability. However, the area where I lag behind is the ability to comprehend what I read. I think this happens because of my poor reading habit and skills. I think this lack of ability is going to have an adverse impact on my researches if not solved. Probably as a result of this, I find it difficult to do academic writing. My research skills are rather weak because firstly, I find it difficult to gather information, and secondly, I find it difficult to synthesise the information I collect. As a result, even if I collect a lot of information, my research ends up fruitless. There are certain areas related to research that I will have to improve if I want to improve my research. The very first thing is locating useful information, because â€Å"research strategies are as friendly as a puppy, as informative as a friend’s diary, and as helpful as a personal valet† (Badke , 2004, p. 176). I need to work a lot in improving my ability to reach useful information. It will have to be followed by learning how to organise what I have collected. As I possess poor study skills, what I do is to end up with a mixture of information from various sources that are not arranged appropriately. Another point that requires improvement is my ability to evaluate the information I collect. It often happens that I fail to collect relevant information and collect irrelevant ones. However, the most important problem I need to solve is my interpretation of the collected information. Probably due to my poor reading skills, my interpretation is often biased or

Consumer Behaviour in the Coffee and Tea Industries

Consumer Behaviour in the Coffee and Tea Industries 1.0 The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf The Coffee Bean Tea Leaf is a standard coffee house in the market. It provides the high price coffee compare to the normal coffee shop. Even like that, there are still many people like to purchase and consume the coffee in the Coffee Bean. There are many reasons make the consumers purchase the coffee in Coffee Bean. 1.1 Quality of the Products The reason that makes the consumer addicted to the coffee is because the quality of the coffee. The Coffee Bean is importing the coffee nuts directly from the finest coffee estates in the growing regions around the world. This can enables the finest standard of the coffees nuts that is importing directly. Every outlet of the Coffee Bean provides the same standard of the coffee. This can make sure consumer confident in the quality of the products when they consume the coffee. Beside that, the consumer can enjoy the same taste, same standard coffee in every different country or outlet. 1.2 Healthy Products Coffee Bean holds a concept of produce healthy products to public. The consumer willing to spend money in Coffee Bean one of the reason is they take care about the health of the consumer. Coffee Bean is using the non-fat milk in their ingredient of making every different coffee. This make consumer fully enjoy their coffee. 1.3 Baking Technique Beside the quality of the coffee nuts that provided by the Coffee Bean, the baking technique of the coffee is important to the consumer also. Every coffee shop has the own baking technique method. Coffee Bean provides the own standard baking technique compare to the normal coffee shop. The normal coffee shop provides the different baking method while they make the coffee. The consumer cannot enjoy the same taste coffee because the normal coffee shop did not apply the standard baking method. Coffee Bean is giving the standard and professional training to the barista. All of the barista working in the coffee shop is full of experience and the technique of baking or making coffee. This can make sure all the consumers consume the quality and standard coffee. Besides the experiences barista in the Coffee Bean, they also well know for the lighter roasts. The coffees are full or mild and delicate flavor. These coffees are sure to please every palate. Every coffee that provided inside the me nu is full of the unique taste, the consumer can seeking the ultimate coffee experience. 1.4 Environment Environment in Coffee Bean also make the consumer willing to spend to the expensive coffee. Coffee Bean provides the comfortable environment to consumer. They are serving the consumer with the comfortable chair. The consumer can sit relaxing and enjoy their coffee well. Rather than that, the whole concept of renovation is full of the handcrafted oak paneled. The consumer can feel the nature of the lifestyle when their consuming the coffee inside the stores. Coffee Bean also is an ideal social gathering place for friends and family. They can spend the more time enjoying their coffee by sitting on the comfortable couch, chit chat with friends, and so on. Beside that, Coffee Bean also provides the WI-FI service. The consumer even can spend a day online and enjoy the coffee. Many of the students like to consume the coffee there because they can enjoy the WI-FI service also. 1.5 Status in the Society There are huge difference prices between the coffee in normal coffee shop and Coffee Bean. Sometimes, human always have the mind set that who are consuming the expensive products and they are the rich people or in the high standard level. They willing to spend because they like to show they are rich and high class than other people. They think the coffee in Coffee Bean is worth and reasonable prices. Coffee Bean also provides the destination and lifestyle quality experience to the consumer. They wanted the respect from the other people because they are purchasing the expensive products. Some of the consumer likes to consume the coffee in Coffee Bean because they want to get close with the friends. Some of their friends like to spend time and money in the standard and quality coffee. They just a part of the follower and they try to get close of the culture in their gang. Even the price is much more expensive than the normal coffee but most of the consumer will think that there is wort h of it. They can enjoy the standard quality and also show the high status in the society. They think that can build the respectful relationship in the society. Normally, the high class people can gain the respectful from other people. 2.0 Importance of Consumer Behavior Studies of consumer behavior are important in the society, community or even in the business industry. Consumer is playing the essential role in the market. The marketer needs to analyze the behavior of them before the new product launched in the market because consumer will like or dislike the products. This will strongly affect the profit and the images of the company. This only way to understand the consumer behavior is from the research or observation. The consumer behavior can strongly help the marketer in the business industry. 2.1 Setting Marketing Strategy Consumer behavior can assist the marketer in doing the marketing strategy. By observing the buying behavior of the consumer, the marketer will know how to plan their products in 4P that are product, price, place and promotion. With the result of the research on the consumer behavior, the marketer can know what product that needs in the market. After develop a new product, they can easily set the price of the product with the buying behavior. Other than that, the marketer can know which place is more suitable to set an outlet or held an event. At last, they will know what kind of the promotion will attract more consumer to purchase and intents more consumer to aware their products. 2.2 Predict the Consumer Consumer is important to the business. If there is no loyalty consumer in the product, the product must be unsuccessful in the market. Consumer can influence the huge affection to the business. Prediction on the consumer is important. The marketer should know the buying process of their consumers and try to satisfy their needs and wants. This can pleased the consumer and they will be giving the positive post purchase to the product and purchase again. This also can increase the sales of the products. The satisfaction of the customer will make the sales increase because they would like to purchase again or introduce to their friends and family. 2.3 Market Segmentation and Market Positioning Research on the consumer behavior easy the marketer segment the market. They know different needs of the consumer can group into different categories. Market can segment to races, gender, age, and so on. With the result on the hand, the marketer can easily to segment their product into which categories to make the products more successful. Besides that, the marketer also can know the market positioning of the products. Market positioning is what the position of the product in the eye of the consumer. With the result, the marketer can easily find out the brand position and the level of their products in the market. 2.4 Develop New Product and Pricing Strategies With the result of the research on the consumer behavior, the marketer knows well in the behavior of the consumer buying process and buying decision. Other than that, they also know the needs of the consumer. The marketer can easily to develop a whole new concept of the products that is fix to the consumers needs and wants. This also can satisfy and pleased the consumer when they purchasing the products that are really fix to their needs. Consumer behavior also can help the marketer how to place a price in a product. By the observation, the marketer can know how much the consumer can afford to their products and which pricing strategies can be practiced in their products. 3.0 Interview Three Families Family is an external factor that can influence the buying decision when the consumer needs to purchase a product. Each of every family will have the different buying behavior in their families. And yet sometimes the people who decide on the buying process and playing the main role while purchasing the products will influenced by other factors also. I had already interviewed 3 different families that having the different buying behavior in the family. 3.1 First Family The first family that I interviewed is a Chinese traditional thinking family. In this family, man will always be the main character in making decisions and everything. So, the father plays the main role on the buying decision. The other family members will just follow the instruction from the father. In the other hand, the mother is an ordinary housewife and she listened and obeyed to her husband. Meanwhile, the father will be the main income supporter in the family and in fact he has the power to make the decision for purchasing. However, some of the decision will not agree with the other family members but the father will be the final decider. 3.1.1 Influence in Culture Male is the main character in the first family. Everything should be decided by the father who majority earn and spend in the family. The culture of this family is discriminating the decision that made by the feminine. In the Chinese thinking, man always plays the main role. However, some of the decision may not be agreed by the other family members but the father has the power to influence the others to agree with him. This is because of their family culture is the man who decides and making decision. Although they do not agree but they just have to blindly follow because this is the culture in the family. 3.1.2 Influence in Demographic One of the factors that influence the other family members to adopt and accept the decision made by father in the Chinese traditional thinking family is demographic. Demographic can categories to age, gender, income and so on. The father mainly is the first person who supports the family with his income. His wife and his children have no power to control the usage of the income. The father himself has more power to control his income rather than other family members. So, he has the final buying decision to purchase compare to the family members which were incapable in gaining income ability. Besides that, the father is the eldest in the family. All of the family members have to pay respect on his decision because of his age. They respect the experience that he had and they willing to follow what he decided for them. They will show loyalty and trust to the fatherà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s decision. 3.1.3 Influence in Social Status On the other hand, father is an important social status in a family. Usually the children will follow what the father plan for them. They respect him because he is the father and the head of the family. He should not be giving the wrong decision to them and yet he always had to lead the family members to the right way. So, as for the practice, the family members had relied and believed on him. 3.2 Second Family The second family that I interviewed is a family which is the mother being the main role of buying decision. Both of the parents in this family are working parents. The mother is the one who earn more than the father. She is doing the final decision when the family wants to purchase a product. She is a strong view woman whom can made accurate decisions. And because by the word saying that women were gifted in the nature of comparing and strong in bargaining prices, she plays a very important role in the family. This is different and a bit of modern family compare to the first family. 3.2.1 Influence in Culture The character of mother in this family is stronger than the father because she is the one who playing the main role in buying process. She will be planning everything since the child was born. This is the one of the culture that being practice in this family. The father is giving the rights and authorities to his wife to decide everything for the family. The father, in this family rather not very well in planning and making decision on the products that they want to purchase, will passed the final decision to his wife. This culture is practice ever since the family was being formed. The children already being get use of this culture, and so they will just have to adopt it. 3.2.2 Influence in Demographic The mother in the second family that I interviewed worked as an assistant manager in the bank. Her monthly income is much more than the father. So, she always has the right to decide what to purchase. The children have no ability to purchase without the money from the mother. So, they will just have to accept what the mother bought for them. 3.2.3 Influence in Social Status The mother which holds a high education background compare to the father in the second family, her social status is higher than the father in fact she always will be consulting her children about their future plan, like selecting university to further off, what courses they should take. The children would like to follow and agree with her because she is having the high social status in the society. Besides that, she is the strong view mother in the family. The children would like to listen to mother because mother has the important position in the children heart. From the baby till adult, mother paying more concern to the children. So, they show the respective to the mother. 3.3 Third Family The third Family that I interviewed is the family who has the retirement parents. The son in the family will be the main role on the buying decision. The son is an adult worker who already worked in the society more than 10 years and he is the only son in the family. His parents are the baby boomers who are already retired long time. He is the only economy pillar which majority supporting the family. All the decision will be made by him because his parents are low education and retired old folks. 3.3.1 Influence in Demographic This factor is same with the first and the second families. The income factors influence the decision that make by the main role. The retired parents have no ability to purchase and the money is given by their son. The son has the right to decide what to purchase because he has the income earning. Age also is one of the factors that influence the retired parents follow the decision that make by the son. They think they already in the old generation and know nothing compare to the son so they just agree with him. 3.3.2 Influence in Social Status The retired parents were sending their son to the high education and they know their son have the high education. They believed that the knowledge of their child can make perfect decision. Additional they have got no other to depend on, and the only option they can only trust on their one and only child. From the above we can find three various families which show us different people playing the main role has a different buying decision.

a brief story :: essays research papers fc

A brief story   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Having lived in the United States for over four years, I find myself working harder and harder every day and not getting anywhere. Until finally I got a break of a lifetime, I have find a job that would not only pay me a few bucks more, and why not. Working at a fast food restaurant was not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So anyhow, that break came when I applied with a prestige airline. Who ever would think that I would’ve gotten such a job. This airline was looking for a responsible person, personal skills, and the ability to work under pressure. Tired of working my behind for only a few pennies, I went for an interview, and to my surprise I received a phone call the following morning from the person who interviewed me, telling me that I have gotten hired, that I got the job. I felt so happy and relieved to hear the good news, and promptly asked when could I start working?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before starting my new job I had to go through training. They explained to me every single detail about the company, the companies rules, etc. Within two weeks I had the job of a Customer Representative. Handling phone calls from left to right, and handling customer’s accounts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anyhow, let me speed up the story a little. I’ve been working with this company for over a year now, and it has sure brought me a lot of fun and of course, lets not forget the stress too. But no matter what the consequences, I am satisfied with my new job. I tell you, working for an airline sure has its good and bad side. What are the good sides of working at an airline? For one thing you get to travel for free, almost anywhere in the country. I for instance have taken a few trips of my own. I have been to New York, Atlantic City, Texas, Florida, and San Francisco, just to name some of the place I’ve visited. Florida, was, well, I guess what everyone expects it to be. I got the chance to go to Disney World, and to some of its beaches. I took a lot of pictures, and dance till my feet could not move any more. I interacted with different kinds of people, which it was sort of fun in a way too.