Marketing the X-Box

Introduction The main aim of this project is to help me understand the marketing process, which is required to launch a new successful product. The new product I will be marketing is the Microsoft X Box. Millions of new products are launched every year worldwide. Most are unsuccessful and are taken off the market after a while. Without marketing a new product is very likely to fail. Microsoft needs to market their products because there is so much choice in the market. Marketing will give Microsoft a better understanding of the market and customers needs and wants. I will be acting as the marketing director within this company. Marketing is basically the management process, which is responsible for identifying potentially profitable products and them selling them to customers. Microsoft is a multi-national successful company with substantial profits and is aiming at a mass market with the X Box rather than a niche market. Microsoft will want to sell to as many places as possible. A marketing plan would help improve the company's performance and increase sales. There's a lot more to marketing than just advertising, marketing involves†¦ > Researching the market and finding out what customers want. > Developing and designing a product that satisfies customers and consumers. > Producing the right amount and to the right quality of the product. > Making sure that the customer is aware of the product and what its about. > Getting the price right so that the product is affordable to customers, but also allows the business to be profitable. > Ensuring that the product is on sale in places convenient to the customers. This can be summed up using a term called the marketing mix or the 4P's, place, product, price and promotion. Place A product is unlikely to be successful if customers find it difficult to purchase. So place is a vital part of the marketing mix. Microsoft needs to consider how to get their products to the customer. Channels of distribution need to be efficient and effective. For a product to sell it must be in the right place at the right time for customers to buy. Microsoft needs to find out where it's convenient for customers to buy the X Box. The X Box is likely to sell more in Electronics Boutique rather than New Look because people go into New Look to buy clothes not games consoles, but people do go into Electronics Boutique to buy computer games or games consoles. I will need to look at: > Where to sell the X Box and why? > Channels of distribution. > Selling to places that wont tarnish the company's good reputation. > Where it's convenient to sell to customers. > Selling to as many places as possible (mass market). > Disadvantages and advantages of selling the X Box in certain places. Product Microsoft have to decide what product or range of products they are going to sell. They also have to decide what quality of product they wish to make and sell, what name to give the product and how it is to be packaged. Another decision is whether to attempt to brand the product. I will have to look at: > The product life cycle and how it could affect the X Box. > Why is the product is called the X Box. > Product range. > Does the product satisfy the needs and wants of the customers? > Research and development of the X Box. > Is Microsoft product orientated or market orientated? > Importance of quality. > Product differentiation. > Disadvantages and advantage of the X Box. Promotion Microsoft needs to decide how best to promote the products they make and sell. The decision involves weighing up the relative cost of each form or promotion and how best to target their customers. They also need to consider the use of advertising agencies. Promotion is all about communicating with potential customers, if the public isn't aware of the X Box then they are not likely to go out and buy it. Microsoft will also have to be careful not to offend potential customers with advertising that discriminates against certain people, e.g. race or gender. When looking at the promotion part of the marketing mix I will have to consider: > Different types of advertising, where to use them, why, the cost and will they be effective. > Different types of promotions, where to use them, why, the cost and will they be effective. > Stages of the product life cycle and how the affect the promotion of the X Box. > Disadvantage and advantage to promotion. Price Price is another element of the marketing mix. Microsoft must decide how to price its product. In making this decision Microsoft has to consider, what are the prices set by competitors, how price can be used to increase sales of the product, whether the price will cover costs of production, whether customers are willing to pay that set price and different pricing strategies such as skimming or penetration pricing. When looking at the price section of the marketing mix I will have to consider a number of things: > Prices set by competitors. > How price can increase or decrease sales. > Does that price cover cost of production? > Are the customers willing to pay that price? > Different pricing strategies such as skimming and penetration. > Disadvantages and advantages to setting that price. If the marketing mix is wrong, for example, the price of the X Box is too high and it is not selling in places convenient to customers, the X Box wont be as successful as it could be. The marketing mix is a vital part of ensuring a new products success, without it the product will fail. Market research is a major part of this project. It can help me to find out the customers needs and wants, which will enable me to create the right marketing mix. The product needs to be affordable, make a profit and to be promoted and sold in the right places. It is also very important that the X Box is aimed at the right segment of the market. The market can be split into different categories: Age Age can be separated into years or stages of life e.g. child, teenager, adult or pensioner. Microsoft mainly targets adults with their existing products. With the X Box Microsoft is likely to target younger people such as teenagers because they are more likely to buy the X Box rather than a pensioner. Gender Different products can be aimed at different genders e.g. make up is aimed at women and beer is aimed at men. Some people could say this is sexist but men are more likely to buy beer than make up. Businesses have to be very careful when advertising to certain genders as not to offend people. Microsoft are likely to aim the X Box more to males rather than females because boy tend to buy games consoles and computer games more than girls. Income/Occupation The population can be segmented according to their salary or occupation. Microsoft mainly targets people with above average income because their products can be slightly expensive, but they have to be careful not to advertise this because people could get offended. Microsoft also has to make sure their product is affordable to as many people as possible but not lower the price too much in case they lose profits. Area The area in which people live can divide the population. People in the northeast of England may have a different lifestyle to people the south of England, therefore their needs and wants will differ. Microsoft will need to promote the X Box in different ways according to location as to satisfy a mass market. Ethnic, cultural and religious groups Businesses need to be careful with the production and promotion of its products when it comes to different religions. If a business decides to produce its products in Asia because of cheap labour, people from Asia could refrain from buying that business' product because they are offended. Equally businesses have to be careful when advertising its products as not to offend people of certain ethnic, cultural or religious groups. Socio – economic groupings One of the most important ways of separating the population is the use of socio-economic groupings. Socio-economic groupings work like this: Social Grade Social Status Head of household's Occupation % of total UK population A Upper Middle Class Higher managerial, administrative or professional such as doctors, lawyers and company directors. 3.5% B Middle Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional such as teachers, nurses and managerial. 12-13% C1 Lower Middle Class Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial administrative or professional such as shop assistants, clerks and police constables. 22% C2 Skilled Working Class Skilled manual workers such as carpenters, cooks and train drivers. 32-33% D Working Class Semi – skilled and unskilled manual workers such as fitters and storekeepers. 19-20% E The Poorest In Society State pensioners or widows, casual or lower grade workers, or long-term unemployed. 10% The Product Life Cycle The Development Stage Products start life in the development stage. This is where the product is designed and also where the majority of the marketing is done. There are no profits at this stage, only costs. Microsoft will have to make up for the money lost in the growth stage of the product life cycle. The Introduction Stage This is the stage where the product is launched. Profits and sales are minimal in this stage, but it doesn't last too long if good advertising is used to make the customers aware of the product. The Growth Stage Sales and profits are increasing rapidly in this stage. Microsoft will have to consider what pricing strategies and promotions to use to keep the X Box in this stage as long as possible. Maturity In the maturity stage, the product reaches a peak in terms of sales. Research and development costs are likely to be paid off. The product could be profitable enough to be financing the development of new products. Saturation Towards the end of the maturity stage the market becomes saturated. Competitors bring out products to try and take sales away. It is likely that Microsoft will not be able to sell any more of the X Box at this point. Decline Eventually a product is likely to go into decline, sales will drop dramatically. Microsoft could try extension strategies at this stage to try and increase sales slightly or they could just withdraw the product from the market. The product life cycle can affect a lot of the marketing mix, for example, which promotions and pricing strategies to use at certain stages in the product life cycle. A Business would like to be in a sellers' market where customers have little choice but to buy from them. In a buyers' market though, business have to be market orientated and the greater is the need for effective marketing. I think Microsoft is in the buyers' market. Although they are a major company with substantial profits, Microsoft still have competition such as smaller software companies. The product ‘X Box' is a slightly different product from what Microsoft usually sells. Microsoft specialises in software and hardware for PC's, the ‘X Box' is a games consol, and so the main competition will be Sony and their Playstation. Although the Playstation is a very successful product it may be entering decline in the product life cycle because the Playstation has been around for a while. When the Sony Playstation started to enter the maturity stage Sony launched a new product the Playstation 2, this would be the ‘X box' main competition. I think Microsoft could afford a very large budget because the company's profits are very large, the fact that they have spent a lot of money developing the product could affect the budget for marketing the product. I estimate that the budget would be somewhere around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½20 million. I'm going to cover various areas of marketing, which will include†¦ * Analysing the market, finding out what customers want, where best to sell it and find out about the competition and target market. * Market Research, desk research and field research. * The Product, product differentiation, ways of differentiating the product, branding and retailing. * The Product Life Cycle, look at what similar products have gone through in the five main stages. Development, introduction, growth, maturity and saturation, and decline. * Pricing, competition, costs of making, affordability and pricing strategies. * Demand and Supply, what people want, how much they want and what they are willing to pay. * Promotion, advertising packaging, direct mail etc†¦ * Place, channels of distribution. * Retailing, how retailing within the company would affect marketing. * Constraints on Marketing, the law, ethics and the market and pressure groups. They are many disadvantages and advantages of marketing. Disadvantages include things such as, cost and constraints on marketing. Constraints on marketing are ethical considerations, the law (Trade Descriptions Act 1968), codes of practice (Advertising Standards Authority) and pressure groups. Ethical considerations include things such as labour, many multinational companies have been criticised for using workers in the Far East because they are relatively cheap, and the business want to take advantage of the lower costs of production. Nike was once criticised by the press because of the high prices they charge for their goods and the low wages paid to workers and low costs of production. Microsoft will have to ensure that they don't put too much of a profit mark up on the X Box, and also make ensure their workers are treated fairly. Other ethical considerations are the use of promotions and advertising such as the use of images in adverts. Many companies have been attacked by pressure groups because of the content of the adverts they use, such as images of beautiful woman that lure men into buying the product and information included in the adverts. For instance should a washing powder manufacturer claim in an advert that its washing powder ‘washes whiter' than other powders on the market when there is no scientific proof that it does? Should tobacco companies promote their products when they damage peoples health? If people are really shocked by an advert they may consider not buy the products produced by that company, therefore Microsoft will have to be careful when choosing methods of promotion. The law ensures that advertising does not fool the public. The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 states that is illegal for products to be incorrectly described for example Microsoft couldn't advertise the X Box as if it comes with a free TV if it doesn't. The government has encouraged businesses to adopt a code of practice as an alternative to passing laws. Codes of practice are rules, which businesses voluntarily agree to keep, but have no legal status. Advantages of marketing include†¦ Helping the business to get a better understanding of the market, marketing also lets the business to know what price, to set where to sell the product what promotions to use and what the potential customers want from the product. Market research will also tell the company whether there is a demand for the product in question. Marketing will change across different countries because different countries have a different way of life. For instance people in America can afford to pay a lot more for the X Box than people in the poorer parts of Africa and Asia. Market Research Microsoft needs information if they are to make good decisions. They need information about their target market to help them create a successful marketing mix. One way of gaining that information is by carrying out market research. Market research is a cost-effective way of finding out what people believe, think, want, need or do. There are various types of market research. Microsoft needs to decide what market research methods are most likely to give them the information they need. Businesses, which are mainly product, orientated risk spending a large amount of resources launching a product, which proves to be a failure. Researching the market helps reduce the risk. Microsoft should focus research and design effort onto products, which have a chance of success in the market place. When the product is launched a carefully researched product stands less chance of failing. Stages of Market Research Market research will help Microsoft to find answers to questions about the market. * What is the target market for the X Box? * How can Microsoft use the X Box to increase market share? * What is the right price to set that will maximise profits and be affordable to as many people as possible? * What are the right promotions to use that will appeal to Microsoft's target market? * Where's the best place to sell the X Box? * What do customers want and need? * What is the demand for the X Box? * What are existing patterns of sales for other games consoles? I then need to decide what information might help answer the questions, then I need to decide how best to collect this information. The information is then collected and analysed. Finally Microsoft has to make a decision about what to do in the light of the information gained. Desk Research Desk research involves the use of secondary data. This is information that is already available both within and outside the business. Information within the business Microsoft collects information routinely. Invoices for instance will tell them how much they sell and who they are selling to. Information outside the business Businesses can also collect information, which is available from sources outside the business such as: * Internal sources – such as sales invoices, reports and accounts. * Government – published statistics such as consumer spending figures, reports such as monopolies and mergers commission reports. * The Media – reports in newspapers, magazines on radio and on TV. * Trade associations – statistics or reports published by national organisations such as the TUC, the CBI or chambers of commerce or industry associations such as the Engineering Employers Federation. * Research organisations – reports prepared by specialist market research organisations such as Mintel or Mori; articles published in academic journals such as university journals. Field Research Field research involves the collection of primary data, information that no one has yet collected. It is collected specially for the particular piece of research. Primary data is collected through direct investigation, usually through observation, survey or experiment. To help me create my marketing mix I used both secondary and primary research. I collected primary data in the form of a questionnaire that I asked 50 people. I used secondary data from the Internet. I used the Internet to find out about Video Game sales and I found a report by PC Data about home Internet users planing to purchase console or PC games during the 2000 holiday season, and that PC and console gaming is no longer a male-dominated domain. This was very useful research and it helped me a lot when putting together my marketing plan. I didn't find any information from the media or the government because of lack of time. Quantitative and Qualitative Research There are two main types of survey data – quantitative, and qualitative. Quantitative Quantitative research provides numerical data. At the completion of a quantitative project it is possible to say (for example) what proportion or percentage of the population fall into different groups – those that want something, those that would be likely to buy something, those that are in favour of a particular policy or plan, etc. The essence of quantitative research is that every respondent is asked the same series of questions. Quantitative research can be done in various ways: By face-to-face interviewing, either in the street or, for more complex projects, in people's homes. This was the traditional approach to data collection, and remains important. In-home work is particularly suitable for lengthy interviews, or for some sensitive subjects. The understanding that can be established between the interviewer and the person being interviewed (the respondent) can help to ensure that detailed and thorough information is obtained. By telephone. This is a fast-growing form of data collection, is somewhat less expensive per interview than face-to-face, and can provide data more quickly – in some cases, overnight. Telephone research would rarely be suitable for lengthy interviews, but it can be ideal for smaller-scale, fast turn-round projects both amongst the public and for business research. Both face-to-face and telephone research involve the most basic form of data gathering, talking to people. There is one other form of quantitative data collection that should be mentioned – postal and self-completion research, which is the cheapest form of quantitative research, though it can take a relatively long time to gather data by post. Self-completion questionnaires can be handed out, for example, at exhibitions, on aircraft, or in town centres, to get peopleà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s views. Self-completion questionnaires must be kept simple and the researcher has little control over whom, or how many people, return the form. Another form of quantitative research is omnibus surveys. These are useful for those with small budgets and relatively few questions to ask. Qualitative Research Qualitative research, though it cannot provide numerical data, provides understanding of how or why things are as they are. It can be used on its own or to help in the development of a questionnaire for a quantitative study. There is no fixed set of questions and therefore no assumptions about what is, or is not, important. Instead there is a list of topics, problems, or possibilities to be explored. The form and nature of the discussion is heavily influenced by the informants' own concerns or assumptions. Qualitative research is the way in which typical or relevant peoples' attitudes and beliefs can be explored, and ideas can be generated. It can be used for everything from testing reaction to a potential new advertising campaign, to exploring staff attitudes to a new management structure or procedure. There are various sorts of qualitative research, including the following. * Unstructured interviews with a single informant, based on a framework of themes and topics. The interview is adapted to the individual, and the interviewer feeds off and responds to the respondents' replies. * Focus groups (or group discussions) involve a similar approach but bring together a number of relevant people – typically about eight – and therefore benefit from the interaction between the different personalities and experiences in the group. I used quantitative research because I needed to find information quickly and easily, I think qualitative research would have been a lot more time consuming and will have used a lot of resources. I decided the best way to collect information about the market was to use a survey. A survey can't ask customers for their opinion. Only a fraction or sample of customers can be surveyed. To be useful, the sample chosen must be a representation of all consumers. In a random sample, every potential respondent has an equal chance of being chosen. Random numbers can be used to do this or it could be done by ‘picking people out of a hat'. It is often quite difficult to construct a truly random sample. So a cheaper and quicker method is to use systematic sample. This is where every 100th or 1000th person on a list such as the telephone book is chosen. A systematic sample is not truly random though and therefore the results may be less reliable. In a quota sample, the sample is broken down or stratified. One problem with a quota sample is that any people who fit the description can be asked to complete the survey. So Microsoft wanting to find 50 people aged 13 – 30 to complete a survey could ask the first 50 13 – 30 year olds who came out of Electronics Boutique in Bedford. This may not be very representative of all 13 – 30 years olds nationally. A stratified random sample may get round this problem. It is a quota sample where all the respondents, the people being interviewed, must be chosen at random. Microsoft would have to find some way of selecting people aged 13 – 30 through pure chance. I used a quota sample, I asked 50 people in Electronics Boutique my questionnaire. I used Electronics Boutique because a lot of people go in there to buy game consoles and other computer related products, and asking this people would give me a good idea of the target market. I think my data is quite reliable because the people I asked my questionnaire to are the people that are most likely to buy Microsoft's products. Price Pricing Strategies The product should be launched in November ready for the Christmas rush. The pricing strategy skimming should be used in the introduction and the growth stage of the product life cycle. Skimming is setting a high price initially and then lowering it later on. This is almost always used for products that incorporate new technology such as new DVD players and PCs. Some people are willing to pay high prices for new technology, the price of the X Box will be set high at first to catch this end of the market. By doing this Microsoft can maximise their profits and cover the costs of developing the X Box. When sales start to slow down Microsoft should lower the price and use a different pricing strategy. To ensure sales keep increasing half way though the growth stage Microsoft should change the pricing strategy from skimming to market orientated. This is where the price charged is based on analysis of the market and its characteristics. Market research might need to be undertaken again at this point to ensure that Microsoft knows what the customers are willing to pay. Market orientated pricing should be used at this point because the top end of the market is likely to be saturated, Microsoft will need to lower the price of the X Box slightly to provide for the people that aren't willing to pay as much. Using market orientated pricing will therefore help keep sales rising and the X Box will appeal to a broader market. When the sales of the X Box are slowing down it could be because of competition. This is when Microsoft will need to use competition based pricing because new games consoles will be being launched and the X Box wont be new technology anymore. Microsoft will need to lower the price a lot to compete with the new technology and keep people interested. Psychological pricing could be used throughout the life cycle. This is when a product is priced at 99p instead of a pound so that the customers automatically think it's cheaper. I don't think Microsoft will need to use cost based pricing with the X Box because Microsoft makes so much money off existing products going into debt wont be a problem. The X Box will soon make up for the research and developing costs in the growth stage of the life cycle. Penetration pricing also isn't appropriate for the X Box because new technology doesn't rise in price as it becomes more popular it starts off at a high price because of the cost of development. Price to be Set In the introduction stage of the life cycle the X Box should be priced at 299, in the growth stage the price should be lowered to about 249, when the market has been saturated the price should be lowered again to 199 and when the product goes into decline it should be priced between 99 and 149. Factors Affecting the Price > Cost of promotions and advertising > Cost of research and development > Customer's needs and wants > Competitors > Demand > Costs of distribution

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Essay

The character Margaret is married to Brick, the son of Big Daddy. They live together in Big Daddy’s house, along with his wife, Big Mama. We, as readers learn a lot about her character from the way she speaks, by what is said about her and by the stage directions. We also gain a good insight into her relationships with the people around her. Margaret’s relationship with Brick comes across as quite bizarre. His lack of interest in what she has to say gives the impression that he doesn’t care and also shows a slight lack of respect. For example, when Brick replies to Maggie’s first line in the play, he says â€Å"Wha’d you say, Maggie?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The stage directions prior to his response read â€Å"A tone of politely feigned interest, masking indifference or worse.† Other stage directions describing his attitude to Maggie’s statements share the same negativity; such as â€Å"Without interest.†, â€Å"Wryly†, â€Å"Absent mindedly†, â€Å"Dreamily†, followed by sarcastic comments. We also get the impression that Brick doesn’t find his wife as attractive as other men do. On page twenty-one, Maggie says â€Å"Way he always drops his eyes down my body when I’m talkin’ to him, drops his eyes to my boobs an’ licks his old chops!† The fact that she’s telling her husband how other men show interest in her comes across as a subtle hint to her husband that perhaps he should appreciate her more. Almost reassuring herself, as well as him that she’s an attractive woman. Brick’s response however doesn’t seem like the reply she was looking for. He describes her â€Å"talk† as disgusting. There’s also a sense of insecurity on Maggie’s front. When she catches Brick staring at her, she asks him continuously what he’s thinking when he stares at her like that. On page twenty-five, Maggie says â€Å"†¦I wish you would lose your looks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is a particular strange request to make of one’s partner. It makes readers assume she doesn’t want to be attracted to Brick any longer. This assumption is soon backed up with further lines on page twenty-eight when the couple talk of the â€Å"conditions† Maggie has to follow in order for Brick to continue living with her. They also refer to their bedroom as a cage, giving the sense of entrapment. Margaret’s relationship with Mae seems strained and false. Maggie’s continuous insulting of Mae’s children gives the impression that they don’t get along particularly well. The topic of children in Maggie and Brick’s relationship also seems awkward. Mae seems to take a patronising tone with Margaret on page twenty-nine when she says â€Å"Maggie, honey, if you had children of your own you’d know how funny that is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It seems that Mae is well aware of Maggie’s envy towards her for having children and likes to bring it up from time to time. Margaret often refers to Big Daddy when she’s attempting to make Brick jealous. When she was talking of the man who was looking her up and down, she was talking of Big Daddy, Brick’s father. She uses him as an example of a man who gives her attention to try and get Brick to do the same. She also talks of Big Daddy not getting along with Gooper, Brick’s brother or Mae. On page twenty, she says â€Å"Big Daddy dotes on you honey. And he can’t stand Brother Man and Brother Man’s wife†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Big Daddy is also supposed to be dying of cancer, therefore there’s a lot of talk of who will be getting the large share of his will. Margaret is obviously very aware of her sexuality. On the first page of the play, a stage direction says â€Å"She steps out of her dress, stands in a slip of ivory satin lace.† She also cares a lot about her appearance and what Brick thinks of her. I feel this because of her asking Brick what he thinks of her when he looks at her and because of stage directions such as â€Å"She adjusts the angle of a magnifying mirror to straighten an eyelash†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her relationship with her husband seems one sided and cruel. It seems as thought she wants children and a happy marriage like her sister in law however it’s made obvious that Brick doesn’t share the same passion. We know from the continuous talk of Big Daddy’s will that she has dreams of being rich. So far, Williams has made Maggie seem like a desperate, hurt character that covers her pain up with her loud personality.

Genetic explanations Essay

Genetic explanations for the Initiation of addictions Heritability of addictions such as alcoholism and gambling can be studied through family and twin studies. The presumptions of twin and family studies are that if family members share similar behaviours, then the degree to which the behaviours are caused by genetic factors can be examined. There are two types of twins, identical and non-identical. Identical twins are monozygotic (MZ) as they came from the same egg, and therefore share an identical set of genes. Non-identical twins are dizygotic (DZ) as they come from two different eggs that were fertilised at the same time, and as a result their genes are no more alike than any brother or sister’s. Twins can also differ in the environment that they are brought up in. Some twins may, rarely, be separated at birth and therefore have very different upbringings. If researchers are able to find MZ twins who have been raised apart (i.e. same genes but different environments) then they will be able to distinguish between the influenc e of genes and environment on a certain behaviour. If MZ twins who have been raised apart booth show the same behaviour, then the behaviour is probably genetic; but if only one of them has that behaviour then it may well be caused by the environment. The degree to which twins and family members share a behaviour is termed a concordance rate, with 1 (or 100%) being entirely genetic, and 0 (or 0%) being entirely environmental. McGue (1999) found a concordance rate of 50-60% for alcohol addiction, and Agrawal & Lynskey (2006) found a concordance rate of 45-79% for addiction to illicit drugs. This means that just over half of the factors that cause addiction to alcohol are genetic in origin, as are half to three-quarters of the factors causing addiction to illegal drugs. A problem with this conclusion, however, is that the genetic link may be for behaviour disorders rather than addiction, and these behaviour disorders may manifest as many antisocial behaviours including alcohol and drug use. The sensitivity of the dopamine system is one biological explanation for the imitation, maintenance and relapse of addictive behaviours (see below), and so it would make sense for researchers to look for genes that are responsible for causing particularly sensitive or insensitive dopamine systems. One such gene is called the DRD2 gene (or dopamine receptor density 2 gene). The DRD2 gene codes for the number of dopamine receptors available in the mesolimbic dopamine system. A person with fewer dopamine receptors is  unable to ‘feel’ the effect of dopamine as well as someone with a higher number of dopamine receptors, and so needs higher levels of dopamine to produce the same effect as a person with more dopamine receptors. People with the DRD2 A1 variant of the gene have fewer dopamine receptors, and also seem more vulnerable to addictions. Evaluation for genetic explanations of addictive behaviour Genetic inheritance may explains individual differences in addiction Genetic inheritance can, through the diathesis-stress model, explain why some people become addicted whereas others in the same environmental situation do not. The diathesis-stress model is the idea that a genetic vulnerability may manifest in the right circumstance – e.g. if a person who is susceptible to becoming addicted, due to their genetic inheritance, is suffering from some form of stress or boredom due to environmental factors, then they may partake in an addictive activity. However this is a very deterministic view of human behaviour that ignores environmental factors, as not all people with the A1 variant of the DDR2 gene become addicted even if they partake in a potentially addictive activity. Inconsistent research findings linking specific genes to addictions Noble (1998) found support for the DRD2 A1 gene being linked to alcoholism (the gene was found to be carried by 48% of severe alcoholics, 32% of less severe alcoholics, and 16% of non-alcoholic controls), but many other studies have failed to find such a link. Specific genes are linked to other disorders as well as addiction The DDR2 A1 gene is also common in people with autism and Tourettes, as well as in people with addictions. Autism and Tourettes sufferers are not pleasure seekers and do not tend to suffer from addictions, and so the link between the A1 variant of the DDR2 gene and addictions is unclear and far more complex than simply claiming that the gene causes addiction. The dopamine model of addiction Initiation of addictive behaviour: Dopamine is released in the mesolimbic dopamine system of the brain, to signal reward and pleasure. If a behaviour causes dopamine release then the brain knows to â€Å"do it again† – e.g. eating, drinking, keeping warm, having sex – these are adaptive behaviours in evolutionary terms as they help an  organism/species to survive in its environment. Unfortunately other non-adaptive behaviours (i.e. behaviours that do not necessarily aid survival) can release huge amounts of dopamine (e.g. gambling and drug taking). Certain chemicals (e.g. amphetamines, alcohol, cocaine) can directly cause huge amounts of dopamine to be released. The effect of this dopamine release is to tell the brain that the behaviour is desirable and that it should seek to DO IT AGAIN! And according to incentive sensitisation theory, desire for the rewarding substance or behaviour persists even in the absence of the substance or behaviour. Maintenance of addictive behaviour: Repeated exposure to an addictive behaviour or substance causes reduced sensitivity to the dopamine release through a process known as down regulation. This means that more of the behaviour is needed to cause the same pleasurable psychological effect in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Stopping the behaviour altogether creates a state of disequilibrium in the dopamine system, and leads to withdrawal symptoms that can only be reduced by repeating the (now learned) behaviour. This disequilibrium, an increased need for dopamine stimulation, and the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms it causes now drive behaviour so that it is no longer pleasure (positive reinforcement), but the need to reduce withdrawal symptoms (negative reinforcement) that drives the addict’s behaviour. Relapse of addictive behaviour: When an addict finally manages to stop engaging in a behaviour or taking a substance, they are at risk of relapse. According to the dopamine model, relapse can be explained by addiction causing permanent brain changes that lead to lasting memories of the substance or behaviour. Environmental reminders of the addiction (e.g. being in a pub, watching horse racing, returning to a location where drugs were taken, being under stress) can release small amounts of dopamine, which in turn lead to the addicted person desiring a greater dopamine reward that can only be obtained by re-engaging in the addictive behaviour Evaluation for the dopamine model of addiction Support for the dopamine model of addiction: Support for the dopamine model comes from many experimental studies, such as  a study into the effects of ritaline (Volkow, 2001). Volkow gave a drug called ritalin to healthy volunteers and correlate their subjective experience of the drug with the density of dopamine receptors in their mesolimbic dopamine systems. Those that reported pleasurable feelings with ritalin had fewer dopamine receptors than those that hated its effects. This supports the theory that some people are more vulnerable to the effect of dopamine-releasing drugs than others. Neurochemical explanations ignore social factors: An important point to note is that neurochemical explanations for addiction (e.g. the dopamine model) ignore social and environmental factors that may also contribute to addictive behaviour. However, they can lead to effective treatments for addictions, e.g. replacing cigarettes with nicotine patches. Implications from animal research: Grant et al (1998) found that animals that lost social status also lost dopamine receptors, and offers therefore a possible explanation for social-class based addictions (e.g smoking in lower socio-economic groups). However, animal studies may not be generalisable to human addictive behaviour. Inevitability of dopamine sensitivity leading to addiction: The dopamine model suggests that reduced dopamine sensitivity, as caused by fewer dopamine receptors, inevitably leads to addictive behaviour. However, there is likely to be a complex interaction between an individual’s specific environment and whether or not dopamine sensitivity leads to addiction. A stimulating environment may provide enough dopamine reward to protect people from addiction, whereas a dull or boring environment may not (Volkow, 2003). Neurochemical explanations are reductionist: Neurochemical explanations for addiction reduce addictive behaviour to a simple variance in the structure of the dopamine system, and so ignore social and cognitive factors that can influence addictions. However they can lead to effective treatments, so in this case it is useful to be reductionist.

Integration in SEC Football Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Integration in SEC Football - Research Paper Example In southern US colleges, the policy of segregation was deeply ingrained. Universities and colleges refused to admit Black students. Thus, it was natural for their teams to be White with no African-Americans. After the Second World War, the University of northern states desegregated and they admitted numerous African-American players to their respective teams. In spite of this, southern schools remained fully segregated. These colleges went as far as refusing to play desegregated teams from universities from the North even if the games were played in the North2. The Southeastern Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the southeast of the United States. It has its headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Currently, it sponsors team championship in nine men's sports and twelve women's sports. This makes it one of the largest in the world. As a sports institution located in the South, it was plagued with the issue of segregation for many years. It was part of a larger effort to prevent mixing of Blacks and Whites in America. This trend changed when the changes of the Civil Rights Movement hit the institutions of the United States. In doing this, the following objectives would be met: The integration of African-American footballers into the SEC can best be described in the wider context of the SEC and its unique position in American history. This is because SEC football is just a subset of the SEC which went through several changes as a unit rather than in individual sports. Thus, the approach that can best be used would be to examine the SEC as a whole with the emphasis on football. Â  

Financial Performance Measurement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Performance Measurement - Essay Example The cost of capital aspect is usually a main area of focus. The reason for cost of capital to be taken care of seriously is to ensure that the capital used does not exceed the expected returns from activities of the organization. There is also need to ensure that the cheapest type of capital is used to finance the company. The company therefore considers the cost of each type of capital to compute a general cost of capital referred to as weighted average cost of capital. This incorporates costs such as cost of equity and also cost of debt. The weighted average cost of capital method allocates weights to each component cost of capital. This weighted average cost of capital is usually the rate of return that the company should not operate under in order to be operating at a safe point. Weighted average cost of capital is the best measure of a company's cost of capital. Its measure gives weights to the components of a company's capital structure. Usually shareholder's equity and debt create a company's capital (Brealey, & Richard 2000p.66-67). The company's share price as in the financial times is recorded as 876.50 being the last price. This represents an increase in the company's share price as compared to last one week by 2.2%. 876.50 being the last share price also represent a decrease in share price as compared to 3 months earlier. ... EQ = This represents the shareholder's equity and equity equivalents TC = This represents the total capital RRR = This is the required rate of return, usually cost of equity capital D = This represents debt capital K = This represents the cost of debt capital TR = This represents the tax rate Using the figures of the group company the British Associates Foods plc the shareholder's equity for the year 2005 = 3,696,000 This is at required rate of return of 12% The group's debt as at 17/09/05 was at the tune of 150,000,000. This debt was at a cost of 10% Therefore the weighted cost of capital can be computed as follows: - Total capital = Equity capital + debt Therefore Equity capital = 3,696,000,000 Debt = 150,000,000 Total capital = 3,746,000,000 Therefore WACC = 3,696,000,000 x 12% + 150,000,000 10% (1.28%) 3,746,000,000 3,746,000,000 Note: the tax rate = 28% WACC 0.118 + 0.02 WACC 0.138 = 13.8% Therefore the WACC = 13.8% The company's share price as in the financial times is recorded as 876.50 being the last price. This represents an increase in the company's share price as compared to last one week by 2.2%. 876.50 being the last share price also represent a decrease in share price as compared to 3 months earlier. At the earlier three months the share price was 5.4% higher than the current share price of 876.50. Six months ago, the company's share prices are recorded to have been 16.4% higher than 876.50. This represents a large fall in the company's share price. Upto these six months ago, the trend seems to be moving in the same direction as that of the sector. A difference in the trend of the company's share prices emerges when the comparison of the

Six Cultural Intelligence Profiles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Six Cultural Intelligence Profiles - Essay Example Such people simply feel others. After interacting with a representative of a foreign culture for several minutes they intuitively know the right pattern of behavior. However, this ability develops with time and experience and sometimes it may let you down. Certainly, intuition is a good advisor in business, yet it is necessary to use your head and body as well, basing your work on systematic learning. The ambassador style is the most widely used one. A person, following this behavioral pattern, â€Å"convincingly communicates his certainty† of belonging to a new culture even if he knows nothing of it yet. Confidence is found to be a very powerful instrument of cultural intelligence. However, this style is often based on analytical observations and systematic learning, just as it happens in the analyst profile. Besides, the authors emphasize the necessity of having the humility to know what you don’t know. It is very dangerous to avoid underestimating cultural difference s and it is important to be able to accept one’s ignorance. The mimic style is based on body control. The mimic has â€Å"insight into the significance of the cultural cues he picks up†. Mirroring foreign partners’ gestures, speech, and mimicry, the mimic makes his guest feel at ease, facilitating communication and building trust. The style has obvious advantages and to my mind should be mastered (at least to a certain degree) by all the managers. The representatives of NLP explain how this works. The NLP technologies, permitting to acquire the necessary skills, are widely used in the world of business. Finally, chameleon style is characterized by high levels of all three CQ components.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 21

Case Study - Essay Example This incentive makes workers perform better. By making their own steel, Nucor cut down costs. This made the company more profitable. When making a product, it is normally cheaper to make your own supply. The making of steel made Nucor more profitable. Waits on shipment were eliminated, a cheaper process was used, and more effective steel joists could be made. The supply of steel allowed Nucor to bid on contracts for steel joists all across the United States. Finally the reason Nucor has performed better in the past is the cut of losses. If a division, acquisition, or venture did not perform as expected, Nucor would close the division or sell the losing acquisition or venture. This helped the remaining successful divisions make a profitable corporation. The company’s strategic positioning has been a factor in the success. The company has always changed with the times. From the beginning as a car maker to merge with a Nuclear Company, and finally as a steel manufacturer, Nucor has changed with the times in order to make a profit. Since making steel and steel joists was profitable, Nucor focused on making cheap steel products. The restructuring of the corporate level also was strategic positioning. When Iverson took over his method of vice presidents, division heads, and so forth worked in the beginning. However, after Iverson retired, a change needed to be made in order to keep up with other corporations. The strategic options for the future need to include more change. With the bad economy, development using steel joists will slow down. Cut backs will be necessary. Production cuts will have to be faced. However, the recession will not last forever. Nucor needs to look into other options for their steel. Oil rigs need steel pipes, decks, and platforms. Focusing on this industry until the economy picks up could be the answer. Development might slow down, but it will not stop. Nucor can focus on other industries, but

Barge Haulers on the Volga Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Barge Haulers on the Volga - Assignment Example This is because they are hauling the large boat upstream against the water currents and the sun is overhead. The figures of the men are positioned at the centre of the painting. At the background of the painting there are clouds seen from a distance and on the ground, there is water seen in the background where the men have pulled the boat from. Their landscape is also shown from a distance. The source of light is on top of the men as this is shown in their short shadows (Bolton, 2010). The shadows of the men are almost beneath them showing that the source of light was on top of them. The landscape in the background helps to prove and show the direction of the river and its currents. It clearly shows that the men are pushing the bought upstream. The tonal range of the painting is medium as their colours used are not so striking. The artwork has a blue tonal range because of the water and there is also some yellow standing out depicting the source of light. In the art, I see the eleven dressed in rags and they are also bound with leather harnesses. The painting brings out both the appreciation and celebration of men’s fortitude and dignity and at the same time, it highly condemns the people who sanctioned the inhumane activity. As much as the painting shows them to be accepting the men are defeated. Their faces and posture in the painting show physical discomfort. In the painting I only see one person coming out strongly. It is the youth who is brightly coloured and he seems to fight against the binds of leather and he appears to take a heroic poise (Cohen, 2008). He has raised his head to stare into the distance. This shows he has hope that there is redemption coming. The inverted Russian flag clearly shows that whatever is happening is not right or allowed. There is movement in the artwork and this is showed by the currents of water. The men also seem to be in motion hauling the boat. The artist has made the two-dimensional wor k to look as if in the third dimension by use of shades of colour.  

Religion And Its Effect on Medical Decisions Essay

Religion And Its Effect on Medical Decisions - Essay Example The author of the essay "Religion And Its Effect on Medical Decisions" believes that religion is an impactful force in the lives of many individuals, it undoubtedly impacts medical decisions. Health issues such as life, death, abortion, chemotherapy, etc have attracted religious arguments. At most instances, medical decisions are taken in accordance with the religious beliefs in order to avoid moral clashes. However, at many places, religion and medical decisions have conflicted to culminate in inhibited health care. The case of Adam Lovell is an example of when his parents let their religious convictions to risk the life of their two and a half year old son (Novotny, Perkin, and Orr). At the end of the essay the author comes to a conclusion. He sums up that medical decisions are impacted by various factors many of which are influenced by religion and spirituality. Also, the religious orientation and inclination of patients and their families are central factors that dominate the level of religiosity impacting medical decisions. The notion that religious individuals tend to go for life extending treatments is not generally true as willingness varies from person to person. Also, for serious illnesses and diseases such as cancer, the health care professionals may not consider religion as a priority for decision making as opposed to life saving scenarios that involve a greater focus on clinical recommendations than religion. That said, religion still dominates medical decisions as many patients are more religiously inclined.

The spread of global communications technology, such as the Internet, Essay

The spread of global communications technology, such as the Internet, has lead to a worrying trend of Westernization in countri - Essay Example The countries, which this growth of the internet has largely influenced, have also experienced an immense degree of westernization in several aspects, especially in culture, politics, and business. These influences however, have been stealthy in their arrival. The people of the countries influenced need to compare their lives with how they were in the past to realize how much of western culture has now become a part of their lives. The most dominant influence is perhaps the influence that has set in on the daily lives and culture of these countries. This includes several aspects of the culture, such as the food, fashion, language and ethics of these countries, each of which now have a ‘modern’ western touch to them, no matter which country the culture belongs to (Abdullah, pp. 22, 2007). While countries and regions are usually famous for their traditional dishes, which people have passed down from generation to generation over decades, some of the most popular foods in t hese countries happen to be fast food, which is prepared in western style. In other words, the food items, which are most common in the west, such as burgers and fried chicken, are now famous throughout the world, both under multinational brand names and local brands. To pin this effect down to the internet entirely may be unfair, as some of these multinational brands were able to penetrate the borders to these countries before the internet was developed to such an extent (Munck and Fagan, pp. 20, 2009). It is however, due to the internet, plus other forms of global communication like internationally televised media, that this sort of food is now amongst the most popular food items across the country. The advertisement that these brands receive through the internet is an effective source of popularity for these multinationals who sell western food to several countries around the globe. Examples of such multinationals, like McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken, both of which are bran ds who have seen immense growth in their international sales ever since this advertisement picked up speed. Not only does this advertisement make consumers in each country eager to try this food, but it also encourages the local suppliers in these countries to produce the same food as competition for these multinationals. These local brands are often a success because they are able to produce food of similar quality but at cheaper prices. This leads to additional promotion of these western foods due to the internet. The media also helps promote these foods as it not only shows commercials for these products, but shows characters on different television shows consuming these foods as a part of their daily lives. This is a significant reason why these western foods gain popularity so fast and become part of the pop culture in several different countries (Mooij and Mooij, pp. 12, 2010). In a similar manner, other aspects of culture like clothing, language, and music have also leaked fr om the US to other countries. They receive promotion on the internet as well as through popular American television shows, which the US televises internationally. In addition, experts have proven a link in between watching satellite television and developing a materialistic mind (Abdullah, pp. 22, 2007). There is a lot of implicit advertisement of brands through these shows. Other than this advertisement that different brands do, there also the simple effect of young impressionable people seeing certain clothes or hearing a

Muscles Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Muscles - Research Paper Example When the muscle needs to relax, an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase breaks down the existing acetylcholine that is in the synapse which terminates contraction. The sarcoplasmic reticulum ceases production of calcium II ions and immediately begins reuptake of the pre-existing ions. The muscle is then returned to its original shape via movement of muscle fibers. (2)Both systems are vital to our structure and our movement. The skeletal system is the support frame for our entire body. In some cases it encases vital organs (ie skull is to brain as rib cage is to intestines). However, the musculature in our body allows for vital functions to be carried out such as heart rate for blood pressure, movement of food for digestion as well as serving an important motor function as well. Muscles are attached to almost every part of the skeletal system. Without the skeletal system, our bodies would collapse under the weight of the muscles and without the musculature, we would not be able to carry out vital functions in our bodies as well as have locomotion. (3)The extensor carpi radialis was what allowed Ann to reach for the box on top of the refrigerator. This happens through muscle passively lengthening.

Julius Caesar Essay Example for Free

Julius Caesar Essay The author, William Shakespeare, portrays Caesar in a more favorable light compared to Plutarch. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Caesar’s character sketch is that of a just, fair, patriotic, loyal and dominating leader. He is in favor of the people and always acts for their benefit. Whereas Plutarch shows Caesar as a dictator, a fearless man who does nothing but keep to his word and disregard all kinds of modern amendments. It can only be William Shakespeare, a well-known genius praised by people for decades, can do full justice to the character of the great Roman leader, Julius Caesar, in his play. Shakespeare mentions the instance where Julius Caesar goes to the senate house where all of Brutus’ confederates add their petitions to those of Tillius Cimber, in behalf of his brother who was in exile, to withdraw his banishment. They kissed Caesar’s hand and praised him but Julius Caesar like a truly just leader did not subject to that flattery and refused to comply with their requests. Another instance is where Caesar in spite of people warning him about the omens of the Ides of March, dutiful of his kingship still goes to the senate house and attends the meeting which he thought was to discuss important issues concerning the people of Rome. Both of these instances show a true king in the face of Caesar. Caesar was most definitely a model political figure. He refused the crown three times when it was awarded by the people. All his actions showed that he cared only about the people of Rome and not about his achievements. This puts all the notions about Caesar being a dictator and unjust ambitious leader, totally wrong. Caesar truthfully contributed to Rome and its people throughout his life. 1

Price Competition Versus Non Price Competition Economics Essay

Price Competition Versus Non Price Competition Economics Essay When there is competition in firms on the basis of change in price, it is known as price competition. Price competition can involve discounting the price of a product (or range of products) to increase its demand. Various forms of market indulge in price wars in order to earn a large market share and a profit margin. As price of a product increases or decreases, it leads to fluctuations in the demand of the product of particular firms. So all the firms always keep a watch on the market forces of demand and supply, the derived equilibrium price, competition etc. in order to skim the market. Non price competition When there is competition in firms on the basis of factors other than price such as advertising, sales promotion, product differentiation, branding etc., it is known as non-price competition. Price competition vs. non-price competition Price Competition Non Price Competition Competition between the firms based on price where one firm tries to beat or match the price of the other. Firm tries to be the lowest cost giver for the product in the market. The firm must have the vision to respond to the strategy of other firm very quickly. High cross price elasticity must see more of price competition. Here the firms compete with each other with the strong factors like product differentiation, quality of the product etc. The firm tries to build consumer loyalty so that it can sell its product to the maximum number of consumers and increase its market share. They promote awareness in the consumer for the differentiation of their product. High own price elasticity must see more non price competition. Effect of price on Quantity Demanded Quantity Supplied An increase in price has an inverse relationship with the quantity demanded and a positive relationship with the quantity supplied i.e. an increase in price decreased the demand and increases the quantity supplied and vice versa. Determination of Equilibrium price The market forces of demand and supply determine the equilibrium price. This equilibrium price becomes the basis for firms in perfect or imperfect competition to charge a price for their product. Thus the firms make a cost minimising production function Figure 2: Equilibrium price: Supply and Demand forces Supply_curve_shift In the figure, equilibrium price is p0 and equilibrium quantity is QO i.e. when quantity demanded is equal to quantity supplied equilibrium is achieved. These points only show the equilibrium state but do not show the response of the change of quantity demanded and supplied with respect to price. Here comes the importance of elasticity of demand and supply. ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT MARKET SITUATIONS WHICH GIVE RISE TO PRICE AND NON-PRICE COMPETITION Elasticity and price and non-price competition play a vital role in determining various forms of market structure, their price, demand and supply, total revenue, shape of the demand curve etc. the market structure can be delineated as follows: MARKET Market Structure Imperfect competition Monopoly Perfect Competition Monopolistic Oligopoly Market is not merely a geographical expression but it can be any place where buyers and sellers are in regular contact and they have a perfect knowledge of price. BASIC FEATURES OF MARKET Very large number of buyers and sellers exist in a market. Both homogeneous as well as heterogeneous products are available in a market. Free mobility (movement) of and services goods in a market area. Firms are free to enter and exit. FORMS OF MARKET Perfect competition Monopoly Monopolistic Oligopoly PERFECT COMPETITION Perfect competition is a market situation where large number of buyers and sellers exist. In this market, firm is a price taker whereas Industry is the price maker. FEATURES OF PERFECT COMPETITION Large number of sellers and buyers exist in perfect competition. Homogeneous products are sold in this market where the price may increase or decrease but for the whole industry otherwise it will be a given price. In this market, price remains uniform for two reasons Homogeneous products Perfect competition Firms are free to enter and exit. Price = average revenue = marginal revenue because of price uniformity. Price has no role to play due to homogeneous goods. Price remains uniform but not constant. Example stock market. Non-price competition is not possible as the products are homogeneous, advertising, promotion and branding help the firms to differentiate and create niche in the market. D S P=AR=MR=D S D INDUSTRY FIRM Figure 1.1-Price determination under perfect competition MONOPOLY MARKET It is a market situation where a single seller exists with a large number of buyers and no close substitute is available of monopoly product. FEATURES OF MONOPOLY MARKET Single seller exists in monopoly market with large number of buyers. Close substitutes are not available of the monopoly products as it may work as an obstacle for the growth of the monopoly product. Entry of new firm is very difficult in monopoly market. The existing monopoly power will take all legal as well as illegal concepts to stop the entry of new firms. Price discrimination is one of the most striking features of a monopoly market. It may be defined as charging different price from different customers for the same product on the basis of segments of consumer, quantity to be purchased and degrees of elasticity of demand. Selling cost or cost of advertisement is negligible. Demand curve facing a monopoly firm is downward sloping but less elastic and MR is always less than AR. PRICE MR AR=D QUANTITY Figure 1.2-Demand curve under monopoly market Price leadership is present in monopoly as the firm can charge a high price and take the advantage of being a sole seller but they can charge a reasonable price because it helps in long run growth. In the long run, new firms may enter the market and the existing firms market share may fluctuate. So in their own interest monopoly firm charge a reasonable price. MONOPOLISTIC COMPETITION It is a market situation where elements of both monopoly as well as competition coexist together and differentiated products are sold in the market. FEATURES OF MONOPOLISTIC COMPETITION MARKET Very large number of buyers and sellers exist. This is a virtual market which exists in reality. Differentiated or heterogeneous products are available in this market. Each seller is selling different products from others creating a monopolist tendency. In this market, price always remains in a very close range as the commodities are perfect substitutes of each other. The demand curve facing the monopolistic competition market is again downward sloping but more elastic. In this market MR curve is always less than AR i.e. the additional revenue earned is always less than the average revenue. Firms are free to enter and exit. Price competition is there in monopolistic competition market. Because of the availability of close substitutes, a change in price of one product affects the demand of other product. Price AR=D MR Quantity Figure 1.3-Demand curve under monopolistic competition Non-price competition under this form of market is possible due to availability of close substitutes of the product. The firm in order to attract more customers and retain them would compete with each other on the basis of non-price factors on promotional front i.e. advertisement etc. However, the elements of price competition are also present in this form of market but the price always keeps in a very close range. Example, Once Coke increased its price from Rs.20 to Rs.22 in order to compete with Pepsi. OLIGOPOLY MARKET It is a market situation where few sellers exist with large number of buyers and both homogeneous as well as heterogeneous products are available. There is intense competition among them as far as price and output policy is concerned. FEATURES OF OLIGOPOLY MARKET The number of sellers are more than 2 and less than or equal to 10. Both homogeneous and heterogeneous products are sold. Both collusive as well as non-collusive form of oligopoly market exists. The demand curve in oligopoly market is very difficult to determine (Indeterminate demand curve). There is non-price competition in collusive oligopoly and price competition in non-collusive oligopoly. The demand of other firms is determined by the price variation of any of the existing firms. Until and unless the rivals reaction is not known when there is a change in price, the demand curve cannot be determined. Lets discuss the concept of elasticity so that we can know about the different degrees of elasticity in various forms of market. ELASTICITY Elasticity is the degree of responsiveness for a commodity to a change in its price. Elasticity measures the sensitivity of one variable to another. When a consumer is giving response to the price change he is more elastic whereas if a consumer is not giving response to the price change, he is less elastic. DIFFERENT TYPES OF ELASTICITY Price Elasticity of Demand Price elasticity of Supply Income elasticity of Demand Cross Elasticity MEASUREMENT Elasticity can be measured by following three methods Proportion method/percentage method Geometric method/point elasticity method Expenditure or total outlay method Terminology of elasticity Term Numerical measure of elasticity Verbal Description Price elasticity of demand(supply) Perfectly or completely inelastic Zero Quantity Dd(supplied) does not changes as price changes Inelastic Greater than zero, less than one Quantity Dd(supplied) changes by a smaller % as does price Unit Elasticity One Quantity Dd(supplied) changes by exactly the same % as does price Elastic Greater than one, but less than infinity Quantity Dd(supplied) changes by a larger % as does price Perfectly, completely, or infinitely elastic Infinity Purchasers(sellers) are prepared to buy(sell) all they can at some price and none at all at an even higher(lower) price. Income Elasticity of Demand Inferior good Negative Qty dd decreases as income increases Normal good Positive Qty dd increases as income increases Income-inelastic Less than one Less than in proportion to income increase Income-elastic Greater than one More than in proportion to income increase Cross Elasticity of Demand Substitute Positive Qd of some good and price of a substitute are positively related Complement Negative Qd of some good and price of a complement are negatively related COMPARISON OF MARKETS ON THE BASIS OF ELASTICITY Market forms Price elasticity of demand Perfect competition The demand in perfect competition is perfectly elastic which means with or without change in price, quantity demanded may increase or decreases to any extent. Monopoly The demand in monopoly market is less elastic. A change in price will not affect the demand by much. As there is only single seller in monopoly market, buyers do not have much options in front of them therefore the demand is less elastic. Monopolistic The demand is more elastic in monopolistic competition. It simply means that as soon as there is a change in price, there will be a greater change in quantity demanded. The demand curve facing a monopolistic competition is downward sloping but MORE ELASTIC. Oligopoly In oligopoly market, the demand curve can be both more elastic and less elastic depending upon the rivals reaction to change in price. CONCLUSION In current market scenario, most firms compete on the basis of non-price competition. Though there are some discrepancies in the prices charged by different firms, firms most often prefer and follow non-price competition because it leads to consumer welfare as well as firms profit in long run. PART II I visited Reliance Fresh (a departmental store) in order to conduct a research on floor cleaning detergents. As I entered the store I observed that on the left hand side there is a rack with five shelves on which all the toiletries items are displayed. Floor cleaning detergents are kept on three upper shelves of the rack. Adequate space is provided for the floor cleaning detergents and they can be seen easily from both sides of the rack. Glass cleaning detergents are also put along with floor cleaning detergents. On the topmost shelf, DOWSIL which is the in house brand of reliance chemicals is putted. The store is promoting DOWSIL because the profit margin is high as compared to other brands as it is a product of reliance chemicals. And they are giving a complementary floor cleaning brush with DOWSIL in order to attract larger number of customers. It is priced lower than other brands available. BRANDS I saw six floor cleaning detergent brands that were available. They are: LIZOL DOMEX CIF Easy off bang Mr Muscle DOWSIL perfumed floor cleaner(phenyl) COMPANY FLOOR CLEANERS VARIANT QUANTITY AMOUNT (Rupees) RECKITT BENCKISER LIZOL BLUE 975ML 99.00 BLUE 500ML 52.00 PINK FRAGRANCE 500ML 54.00 LEMON EXPLOSION 500ML 54.00 BEACHPOWDER (LIQUID) 500ML 50.00 HINDUSTAN UNILEVER CIF 500ML 78.00 250 ML 53.00 120ML 27.00 HINDUSTAN UNILEVER DOMEX WHITE 500ML 54.00 WHITE 1 LTR 108.00 HINDUSTAN UNILEVER DOMEX 2IN 1 BLACK 500ML 50.00 SC JOHNSON MR. MUSCLE (floor cleaner) 500ML 50.00 RECKITT BENCKISER EASY OF BANG 400ML 65.00 RELIANCE CHEMICALS DOWSIL PERFUMED 1LTR 66 2LTR 149 3LTR 250 I asked consumers some questions such as How do you choose your floor cleaning detergent? Do you go by advertisement, if yes what are the features that attract you the most? This helped me to come to these inferences: People go by experimental ads i.e. the ads which actually show how their product is different from others and the offers that they are getting such as buy 2 and get 1 free. Price, packaging and product quality matters for them but they dont know much about the ingredients. Here the demand of floor cleaners goes on increasing with the cost, packaging changes and the attractiveness of the advertisement. In my observation I can say that the floor cleaning detergent market is an oligopoly market structure because there are only 6-7 main players present in the market while considered individually. Entry is relatively easy but each brand is a different product in itself, hence even though firms are competing with each other each one is a monopoly by itself. ECONOMIC CONCEPTS BASED ON OBSERVATION Price and non-price competition All the brands compete with each other. The competition is price and non-price depending upon the elasticity. The brands mainly compete with brand differentiation. The different brands fight with packaging, new innovation and advertisements. So here we can say the floor cleaning market is having mainly non price competition as the prices are relatively same. On the other hand, local in-house brands are competing on price; they are placing themselves relatively cheaper than others in order to increase their sales The competition here determines the place and position of the firm which is named as producer. Elasticity of demand The demand in floor cleaning detergents market is more elastic i.e. if one brand increases its price, demand for other brand increases as it is consumers behaviour to shift to substitutes when price of a particular product increases. Packaging and product quality The market share depends upon the amount of work the firm puts on in differentiating its product from the other ones. For example when seen the differentiation LIZOL and DOMEX are coming in many variants which gives consumers a wide choice of variants according to their need. They are focusing more on packaging and product quality. This helps in increasing the demand of a particular brand. So we can say that here DOMEX has created its monopoly in the market till the time another firm gets into this very idea i.e. responds to it with its product with some new innovation in this segment of the consumer to challenge its monopoly When this happens the players in the market get into competition again introducing new product with some new difference. Pricing strategy Big brands such as DOMEX and LIZOL are following price skimming policy as they are relatively charging high prices than other brands in order to skim the market. On the other hand, there are some local brands such as DOWSIL which are competing with other brands on price. They are following price penetration policy. As compared to other brands, these brands are relatively cheaper. CONCLUSION This floor cleaning detergents market actually is a good field to study the economic concepts like market structure, elasticity and competition, and cost factor. According to me, this segment of the market is catering to the high income consumers, there is non-price competition. Since here consumers are less-price sensitive and are affected by the advertisements or product development undertaken by the firm. Hence, we do not see much price competition in this segment. But there are some local players who are competing with other brands on the basis of price. Instead firms catering to this segment only try to price themselves as cheaply as possible to attract the maximum number of consumers. In this survey, I have tried my level best to touch up on the different economic aspects that are prevailing in the floor cleaning detergent market.

Chiang Rai Thailand Health And Social Care Essay

Chiang Rai Thailand Health And Social Care Essay This is a quantitative research critique on a study conducted in 2008 in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand. The study investigates the causal relationships between age, antiretroviral treatment, social support, symptom experience, self-care strategies, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the northern region of the said country. Four hundred twenty-two subjects were selected to participate in the research and from them data were collected with the use of four different questionnaires. The results revealed that symptom experience had a significant negative direct effect on the HRQOL as opposed to age, social support, antiretroviral treatment and self-care strategies which had significant positive effect on the HRQOL. Furthermore, it was seen that social support and antiretroviral treatment had an indirect effect on the HRQOL through self-care strategies. With these findings, it was recommended that promotion of social support and adherence to antiretroviral treatment must be achieved to enhance the quality of life of people living with HIV/ AIDS. The title is laconically stated which included a minimal number of words but still adequately describes the contents of the paper (Day Gastal, 2006). It is concise yet does not compromise its relevance and does not sound uninteresting. It is briefly put together but still is reasonably extensive to explain the research without overwhelming readers with too much information. Moreover, the title is formulated in a strong and simple manner which is very important in ensuring readers will not be distracted or confused. The title presents the subject of the research which is the health-related quality of life in people living with HIV/ AIDS in the northern region of Thailand. The researchers of this study are Thitiarpa Tangkawanich, Jintana Yunibhand, Sureeporn Thanasilp, and Kathy Magilvy. Thitiarpa Tangkawanich, RN, Msc, Jintana Yunibhand, RN, Msc, PhD, and Sureeporn Thanasilp, RN, Msc, DNS are members of the Faculty of Nursing in Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand while Kathy Magilvy, RN, PhD, FAAN is a professor of the College of Nursing of the University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, USA. With all these academic credentials and qualifications, the researchers can be considered credible personalities in their respective fields of specialties. The research was made by respected professors and registered nurses. All of them have masters degree while Tangkawanich is the only one without a doctoral degree. The article uses an indicative or descriptive abstract to provide a brief summary of the main points of the research (Day Gastal, 2006). Since the research studies a social happening in a quantitative approach, the researchers used this kind of abstract as it describes what transpired during the entire research process. The abstract mentions the condensed form of the research aim, which is to find out the causal relationships between age, antiretroviral treatment, social support, symptom experience, self-care strategies and health-related quality of life. The methodology used in conducting the research is mentioned although some information was excluded as they were discussed in detail in the succeeding parts of the research. Four different questionnaires were used to collect data from the 422 respondents chosen for the study. Using the Likert rating scale, the data were analyzed and were then subjected to statistical treatment with SPSS and LISREL. The abstract also reports the maj or findings (Day Gastal, 2006) which show that symptom experience has a significant negative effect on the HRQOL while the other remaining variables had a significant positive effect. Additionally, social support and antiretroviral treatment were also found to have an indirect effect on HRQOL via self-care strategies. Lastly, the abstract of the study suggests a recommendation for the health-care team, together with the family and community, to promote social support and ensure antiretroviral treatment to enhance the quality of living in people living with HIV/ AIDS considering the research findings. It also illustrates the studys significance to clinical practice. The research problem is clearly presented in the introduction of the article as it explains the rationale behind the conduct of this study (Walsh Wigens, 2007). The aim in this study is to investigate the causal relationships between age, antiretroviral treatment, social support, symptom experience, self-care strategies and the HRQOL in people living with HIV/AIDS in northern Thailand. It examines whether or not relationships between these factors exist, what kind of relationships exists if there are any and how does it implicate the people with the infection and the probable interventions to be taken by health care team as well. The introduction was also able to give a situation about how people with HIV/AIDS in the involved study setting live their lives. It gave a brief discussion about HIV/AIDS which significantly provides a good jumpstart in explaining the entirety of the research. The introduction states the scarcity in research material that focus on the relationships among t he variables identified, HRQOL and PLWHA, establishing the need for the study to be conducted. Although the introduction was able to discuss the major points and variables in the study, it did not include the limitations. Additionally, the introduction also did not explain the main topic from a bigger international scope to a narrow and more specific level (Day Gastal, 2006). In sum, the introduction was able to establish a clear logic, an analysis of previous works, background information and the main purpose of the research (Walsh Wigens, 2003). The wide literature review used in the research was able to give a good background about the major points in the study. However, many other materials still could have been used to further strengthen the studys literature review. It is noteworthy that the study is supported by up to date information which makes it more timely and relevant. The literature review utilised articles from many other researchers whose research outputs have greatly provided helpful data to the study. The description of the present living conditions of the respondents (Sukati et al., 2005), the self-care strategies that they use (Panuwatsuk, 1998), the symptoms and their correlation to HRQOL (Dodd et al. 2001), the current antiretroviral treatment (Heckman 2003), all these and others, were taken from researches conducted from year 2000 through 2007. The literature is able to present in text the theoretical structure from which the study was anchored. With the amount of referenced articles presented in the lit erature, the balanced evaluation of supporting and opposing materials for the proposition is demonstrated. Since only few researches studies were made regarding the indirect effect of the many factors identified on the HRQOL in PLWHA, the necessity to develop a model that could present the direct and indirect effects of the predictors on the HRQOL in PLWHA has clearly risen as stated in the literature review. Moreover, important references were acknowledged accordingly to further reinforce the soundness of the study. Notwithstanding, it may have given an extensive overview on the study, but still it was not able to present a few significant points. Although the literature illustrated a comprehensive background on the study and the variables involved, it did not overtly cite the fundamental theoretical framework. The study is a quantitative research which tries to explain a social phenomenon. This connotes that no alteration of the environment was made and the respondents were not subjected to any form of controlled setting, thus, variables involved are limited. Since this is a quantitative research, it must have a sound hypothesis which will serve as its backbone. But it is not stated instead, an implied hypothesis was used to see whether or not relationships exist among the predictors: age, antiretroviral treatment, social support, self-care strategies and symptom experience on health -related quality of life in people living with HIV/AIDS. This is an example of a non-directional hypothesis (Wood Haber, 2006), where the hypothesis being tested is two-sided but can be tested by acquiring data and subjecting them to statistical analysis. The researchers used words that are mostly clear and understandable. They did not use too many jargons in the stud. Abbreviations like HRQOL, PLWHA and HIV/AIDS are also clearly defined to avoid confusion. Terms also have consistent and coherent definitions throughout the study, especially those operationally defined for this research (Walonick, 2005). The study uses a cross-sectional quantitative study with a non-experimental research design in identifying the respondents level of HRQOL in relation to their age, antiretroviral treatment, social support, symptom experience, and self-care strategies. It means that an observational study using a collection of data on one occasion was made with a specific group of population all at the same time (Walsh Wigens, 2003). It is the appropriate method to be used as it gives a snapshot of what happens in a chosen target group or a phenomenon at one point in time (Babbie, 2010). It is also fit for this research as it is commonly used in social and medical science. However, it also has its weakness or limitation since it only captures the data at one specific time as opposed to longitudinal studies which involve a series of measurements taken over a period of time (Babbie, 2010). Being a non-experimental research, no manipulation of the variables was done and there was no attempt made to chan ge the condition, behaviour or the environment of the variables as they are measured and analysed as they are. The respondents were just made to answer questionnaires that will reflect their own personal experience and at the same time provide data for the researchers perusal. The subjects chosen for the study are 422 people living with HIV/AIDS who visited eight chosen outpatient hospitals in the province of Chiang Rai in the northern part of Thailand. Of which, 188 are males and 234 are females, with ages ranging from 21 to 51 years old. The number of respondents may not be sufficient to completely represent the target population in the research setting but in many circumstances, a smaller sample size may be more significant and usable in investigating a situation in depth from different perspectives, while a large sample would be insignificant especially in social researches (Myers, 2000). The researchers employed the lottery method without replacement in randomly selecting eight hospitals out of the seventeen hospitals in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand. A random sampling method was then made to determine the 422 subjects who will be part of the study. They are people living with HIV/ AIDS who visited the eight chosen outpatient hospitals. The use of lottery method in conjunction with simple random sampling makes the selection of respondents more effective and valid as it ignores repeat selections of element and gives more precise estimators (Kalton, 1983). Clearly, the approach used in sample selection and the sample size are undoubtedly stated. The researchers were able to methodically discuss the procedure undertaken in data collection. They used four questionnaires to gather data from the participants: social support questionnaires, symptom experience questionnaire, self-care strategies questionnaire and health-related quality of life questionnaires. Each of these questionnaires has been carefully chosen and drafted for the study. The three questionnaires for social support, self-care strategies and health-related quality were all adapted from previous research while the questionnaire for symptom experience was drafted basing on the review of literature. The validity and reliability of the questionnaires were greatly anchored on the internal consistencies used for each questionnaire. The questionnaires are meticulously reviewed by the researcher to ensure its ability to measure what it intends to measure (Foddy, 1993). However, no mention about pilot testing was made and this may be considered one of the studys weaknesses . Creswell (2003) stated that ethical issues arise most commonly in data collection where confidentiality and anonymity are in careful scrutiny. These concerns are recognised and acted upon by the researchers by ensuring respondents were given due protection and their safety is not abridged. The researchers acquired the approval of the Ethical Review Committee for Research Involving Human Subjects and/or Use of Animals in Research, Health Science Group of Faculties, Colleges and Institutes, Chulalongkorn University, and the Ethical Review Committee for the Biomedical Group, Chiangraiprachanukroh Hospital, Thailand. With human subjects involved in the study, such approval was obtained. The purpose and methods of the study were explained to the participants through the informed consent which acknowledges the participants rights are protected (Creswell, 2003). The results of the study were presented clearly in graphical form and text. The results of the statistical treatment of the data were explained in four concise yet highly informative paragraphs while the demographics of the subjects were presented in a more visual and understandable table (Kumar, 2005). The internal consistencies of the data, using the Cronbachs alpha were also presented accurately, for social support 0.8, for symptom experience which was clustered into six symptoms, fatigue 0.88, nausea 0.92 , diarrhoea 0.93, depression 0.92, neuropathy 0.93 and anxiety 0.92; for self-care strategies 0.77 and finally for HRQOL 0.85. Given all these figures, readers are assured that the results are well calculated and analysed to ensure that high level of validity and reliability is achieved. Four different and highly-structured questionnaires (Overseas Learning Faculty 2004) were used in collecting data. The use of questionnaires is the appropriate technique in obtaining data for cross-sectional designed research or social surveys as it acquires first-hand information from the subjects without alteration or manipulation of their responses (Bryman Bell, 2003). On the other hand, SPSS and LISREL, statistical computer programs that perform higher calculations and structural equation, were used for statistical analysis. Statistical treatments done with the said statistical tool are considered highly correct (Norwegian School of Management, 2009). The results of the data analysis show that path relationships between the variables were investigated to ensure that significant differences are not attributed to variations in other relevant variables. It can also be noted that the data analysis adequately showed the complete information with the test value, degree of freedom and probability for each identified variable, thereby giving more established results. The discussion of the research findings ties together all the pieces of the study and gives a picture of the study as a whole. It relates and translates the figures to literature review thus making it more comprehensible and balanced (Russel, 2002). The researchers were able to go back to literature and discuss that most of their research findings are consistent and similar with the works previously done by other researchers on HRQOL in PLWHA. It also tackled the implications of the subjects socio-economic status, gender, age, social support, antiretroviral treatment, and symptom experience and self-care strategies to their health-related quality of life. The limitation of the study was also acknowledged where the use of cross-sectional model was perceived to be the models weakness since it only gives a snapshot of the existent observable fact at one point in time (Wood Haber, 2006). Thus, it was suggested that future studies should be conducted to further establish the causal relat ionships between the variables longitudinally over a longer period of time to acquire enduring and more reliable research results. The conclusion coheres with and is supported by the results obtained. The researchers conclude that a causal model of HRQOL in PLWHA indicate that most factors have direct and indirect effects on the HRQOL. Consequently, age, social support, antiretroviral treatment, symptom experience, and self-care strategies are considered to be significant factors in explaining and predicting the HRQOL in Thai PLWHA. Furthermore, self-care strategies link social support and antiretroviral treatment with HRQOL in Thai PLWHA. The researchers also presented the implications of the study which are very instrumental in the studys final recommendations. With the findings and conclusions at hand, the researchers strongly recommend feasible propositions to help people living with HIV/AIDS achieve a higher quality of living as they hurdle challenges of immense proportions, including HIV-stigma, lack of social support, and mental health issues such as depression (Jiraphongsa et al., 2009). The researchers gave motivation on the promotion of social support from the family and the community as it was found to be positively correlated with a better quality of life (Fogel, 1998). Observance to antiretroviral treatment, early symptom detection and prompt intervention and practice of self-care strategies must also be ensured to achieve a higher quality of living. The researchers also pointed out the need to conduct future research on this topic to overcome the limitations they met in conducting this academic work for stronger and more reliable results. (2,770 words)

Personal Narrative about Smoking Marijuana Essay examples -- Drugs Nar

Sniffed Out "All right chief, puff, puff, pass!" This reminder of smoker’s etiquette attempts to rise from the back seat, but the bumping speakers drown it out. I am in the driver’s seat of my car, floating on a thick cloud of music and smoke. My eyes close, my lungs fill, my head nods and becomes lost inside a hip-hop haze of bass, high hats, and trumpets. Just before Big Boi introduces his â€Å"Spottieottiedopaliscious Angel† a hand cuts through the smoke and whacks me in the back of the head. Leaving the music, I turn around, take a huge toke, give the middle finger (all in good fun), and pass the joint to the backseat. For the next twenty minutes my friends and I sit in my car, parked, windows up, seats laid back, and fill every crack and crevice with the sweet smell of marijuana smoke. We aren’t drug dealers or dope fiends. We are just four high school seniors getting prepared for class. Even though this ritual had been a part of our mornings since sophomore year, it became easier to carry out when the school selected us for the aptly named Joint Enrollment program (some might say we took the name a little too literally). On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings we attended an English class at the local college before going to school. Our Tuesday and Thursday mornings were completely open. Even the days we had Joint Enrollment allowed us forty minutes of free-time before second period. The clock flashed 9:20 and three doors promptly opened. Smoke billowed from the car like a shelled out bomb crater. Everyone went to their cars and the caravan to second period commenced. Rubbing my eyes, I turned the ignition, falling into the back of the line. I came around the curve and pulled into the turning lane leading to sch... ...ho sang in the choir at my church, was standing at the top of the hill next to the principal, some teachers, and the superintendent. They all watched me with spite. The next day I woke up thinking that I was the same person I was the day before. I thought I was still the kid who was an honor student and multi-sport athlete. I thought I was the same person who had been active in church since he was a kid and was praised by the entire congregation. I thought I was the same person who always looked out for his family and visited his grandparents twice a week. I know that I never quit being this person, but as far as the rest of the community was concerned, he was put to death in the parking lot in front of the high school doors. They immediately forgot about the former me, and replaced him with a deceitful, drug dealing dope fiend. Hey, but at least I didn’t go to jail.

German Peoples Support of Hitler :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

German People's Support of Hitler When you mention the name of former fuhrer of Germany Adolf Hitler, you usually are met with a reaction of disgust and terror. Memories of the holocaust and other nightmares of World War Two are brought to light and you wonder : " How could that have happened?" Well, that question cannot be answered in a few words, rather there is a complex list of ideas as to why this was allowed to happen and why people supported Hitler in the first place. The main reason is that Germany, at that point in time, needed change, and Adolf Hitler was symbolic of that needed change. Germany after World War One was a far cry from the prosperous empire that it had been before the war. The Treaty of Versailles proved to be damaging to Germany. Because of the treaty, Germany lost a lot of land and people. The agreement also required that Germany disarm herself. The new requirements were :" Germany was to have no large artillery, submarines, or military air force, and no more than 100,000 men under arms..." ( Chambers 895). Not only did these demand unemploy many men who made there living in the military, the laborers who produced goods to support this arsenal were also out of work. Six million Germans were unemployed at this time .The economy suffered more so because of heavy reparations demanded of Germany by the allies. " Germany was made liable for sums unspecified and without forseeable end and forced to accept 'responsibility' for losses from a war ' imposed ... by the aggression of Germany and her allies'" (Chambers 896). Hitler and his government made a quick solution to this situation by simply printing more paper currency, for the time being, it seemed that Hitler had made a step in bringing Germany out of the depression ( this was not to last long ). Adolf Hitler was a charismatic man, and a powerful speaker. His career as a public speaker began when he joined the German Workers' Party. It was said that he spoke with " ... a highly emotional, at times near hysterical manner...". And when Hitler spoke, people listened. In fact, after his first speech at the German Workers' Party meeting, Hitler became the star attraction, and the reason that many people attended these meetings.