Why do firm operate in high-risk countries Give specific examples Essay

Why do firm operate in high-risk countries Give specific examples - Essay Example The term high risk implies that a certain country’s economy has a higher inclination towards risk. This risk may exist because of some social and political problems that the country might face. Because of a social and political turmoil in the country, government policies regarding the foreign direct investment may not be very friendly and so may not be very attractive for the investors. Also there is likelihood that the security situations in such countries also may affect the foreign businesses. For example many firms have suffered in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan where the security situation does not permit a healthy business environment. The products of the firms that operate in high risk countries may not provide the value they once did, as Penn (2003) points out. Also according to Penn (2003), the overall productivity of the firms and companies might fall because the revenues earned would be less than those that were earned previously. As a consequence, the cost s incurred by the investors might rise too. The firms would be increasingly burdened in such situations with unnecessary costs and the benefits expected may also be dwindling. Also the interest rate in the high risk countries is generally less which means that the foreign direct inflows are also gravely affected. This is true for all the foreign direct investors that operate in high risk countries. However, it is interesting to note that recently there has been a trend of companies working in the high risk countries when they actually should have found exits. Of course there might be some benefits in doing so, that encourages the investors to work in such situations. The paper discusses some of the advantages that a firm might have while investing in countries that are in state of recessions. Most of the economists like Rothgeb (1986) believe

Price War Essay Example for Free

Price War Essay How should a company try to deal with the threat of a price war? Fontinelle (2010) believed that price war has a big impact which leads to a string of price reduction that vaporizes the profit margins. There are some solutions which can cope with the menace of a price war. To start with, Rao et al. (2000) showed that the manager of a company should take into account of other options before answering the price cuts call. The manager should consider matching price cut is a good choice or not before deciding. Moreover, additional information about the price war is needed to be figured out immediately. Does the discounted price apply for a short period of time or long term? In addition, the terms and conditions for the promotion are also involved. For example, Starbucks drove their customers crazy because of the 50% discount Frappuccino in happy hour campaign. In addition, it also attracts more new customers. Meanwhile, their competitors should consider about applying the same strategy or do nothing. The competitor’s managers must be particularly careful as the threat of price war is high. In addition, they may get more disadvantages instead of advantages as if their brand is not as strong as Starbucks. Misreading the competitor’s purposes which is one of the main factor causes price war can lead to unavoidable price war (Little, 2003). Therefore, correct information about competitor’s intentions must be obtained carefully. The reason behind the price cuts must be figured out to have the right respond. With the same example above, the competitors’ managers should research in detail about Starbucks promotion campaign to have their suitable marketing strategy. According to Rao et al. (2000), marketing communication strategy plays an important role in ensuring the competitors understand the reason behind the company pricing tactics which assists in avoiding a price war. Advertisement should not only focus on the price but also the quality and benefits of the product. Therefore, the companies should selectively reveal their strategy intentions in the purpose of staying away from price reductions. To avoid igniting a price war, Swartz (2012) claimed that products are required to be differentiated. It means that the products must be customized to become outstanding in the market share. Although other traders may offer products which are similar to those competitors are selling, it doesnt necessarily mean the company must serve identical products or services. Therefore, there are many ways of differentiation in order to make the customers realize which product is more valuable to purchase. Rao et al. (2000) pointed out that awareness of customer’s level of price sensitivities is also important. To carry out a successful pricing strategy, a company must first comprehend the basic understanding of customer perception of price sensitivity. This changes when new competitors enter the current market as company have to be aware of other competitors pricing strategy as well. As a conclusion, companies should keep clear of price wars as it can be difficult to manage as soon as price wars begin to gain a head start. Arguments between companies regarding price wars should be handled calmly to avoid unnecessary conflicts. As a side benefit, it would also reduce the chances of initiating price wars.

Applications Of Chemical Equilibrium In Industrial Processes Environmental Sciences Essay

Applications Of Chemical Equilibrium In Industrial Processes Environmental Sciences Essay From the simple processes of dissolution and crystallization in a saturated sugar solution to a complicated industrial process of oxidation and reduction in industry chemical equilibrium plays a major role. Chemical equilibrium is the balance in the rate of two opposing reversible reactions with no change applied to the system with applied constant pressure and temperature. In a system where carbon monoxide is reacting with oxygen gas to form carbon dioxide there will be quantity of carbon monoxide left in the solution for as long as the reaction is placed. This is due to this reaction being a reversible reaction, although carbon monoxide and oxygen gas are synthesizing to form carbon dioxide, a contradicting reversible reaction is taking place, the decomposition of carbon dioxide to form carbon monoxide and oxygen gas. Figure 1: Chemical EquilibriumAs shown in Figure 1, in a reversible process, the rate of reaction for products turning into reactants [forward reaction] slows down as more reactants are changed into products simultaneously the rate of reaction of products changing into reactants [backwards reaction] speeds up. At a certain time for a specific temperature and pressure, the rate of reaction for both would be equal with no further change in the system.reaction-rate-time-graph.gif Still, when the system is under influence of a change in temperature or pressure the reversible reaction would be affected. Le Chateliers principle generalizes this in if a system in equilibrium is subjected to a stress the equilibrium will shift in the direction which tends to relive the stress. (Le Chateliers Principle) If the system is under the influence of a temperature altering the system will oppose this change. If an increase in temperature causes the increase in the rate of an endothermic reaction then the system will oppose this reaction by lowering the temperature thus favoring the endothermic reaction. Similarly, if the decrease in temperature increases the rate of the endothermic reaction, then the system opposes this stress by favoring the exothermic reaction. Pressure, is another variable contributing in affecting the state of equilibrium that affects gaseous reaction only. If an increase in pressure is applied, then the system opposes this change by aiming to lower the pressure favoring the side with less gas molecules. Likewise, if a decrease in pressure is applied then the system opposes this change by increasing the pressure favoring the side with more gaseous molecules. Several process in industry depend on Le Chateliers principle, the Haber-Posch process, the contact process, and the Ostwald process. In the Haber process nitrogen gas from air reacts with hydrogen gas from natural gas [mainly methane] in order to provide ammonia gas. Since ammonia is a crucial substance in agriculture for the manufacturing of fertilizers it is vital to produce as much as possible in the lowest time possible. N2(g) + 3 H2(g) is in equilibrium with 2 NH3(g) ΆH=-92KJ mol-1 The previous equation shows the chemical equation for the formation of ammonia. In order to obtain the highest amount of ammonia the reaction needs to be stimulated forward. An increase in pressure would influence the system. By increasing the pressure, the system will oppose this stress by decreasing the pressure favoring the side with less gas molecules thus the forward reaction providing more ammonia gas. The process takes place in a pressure of 200 atm. Since enthalpy of reaction is negative, then the forward reaction is an exothermic reaction. To induce the system into manufacturing further ammonia gas the temperature needs to be lowered. Yet, the low temperature would cause fewer collisions between particles causing the process to take more time. A compromise is put into action. The temperature is increased to 400-450ËÅ ¡C with adding an iron catalyst. The iron catalyst works on lowering the activation energy needed for the reaction to occur thus ensuring that reaction takes time in as short time period as possible. (Clark,1) Nitrogen gas is easily liquefied under high pressures and is collected separating it from nitrogen and hydrogen gas which are recycled. Similar to the Haber Process, the contact process is an exothermic reaction in which sulphur dioxide gas is oxidized to produce sulphur trioxide, an initial step into forming sulphuric acid. (Clark,1) 2 SO2(g) + O2(g) is in equilibrium with2 SO3(g) ΆH=-197KJ mol-1 In this process also, a high temperature of around 400-450ËÅ ¡C is used with vanadium pentaoxide catalyst and a high pressure of 100-200kPa. In addition, the Ostwald process is in which nitric acid is formed in several steps; the oxidation of ammonia is a highly exothermic reaction which takes place in it. (Clark,1) 4 NH3(g) + 5 O2(g) is in equilibrium with4 NO2(g) + 6 H2O(g) Ά=-950KJ mol-1 To insure the highest possible amount of nitrogen dioxide formed a high pressure is used, with a great temperature of 900ËÅ ¡C and a platinum-rhodium catalyst. (Clark,1) Although sufficient solutions to producing essential products were obtained, limitations are found when considering the economic factor. In the contact process, using a platinum catalyst would be more efficient but since it is highly expensive and susceptible to poisoning thus the platinum-rhodium catalyst is used. Moreover, high pressure is expensive to produce. First, extremely strong pipes and containment vessels need to be built to withstand such pressure, and the maintenance and running of high pressures are costly. (Clark,1) Nitric acid is widely used in jewelry industry, when combined with hydrochloric acid it forms Aqua Regia, a reagent that is capable of dissolving important metals such as gold and platinum. It was often used in 1940 and 1965 as an oxidizer in liquid-propellant rocket engines. (Article Trader) The Haber process has been identified as environmentally destructive. It abrupt the nitrogen cycle, pollutes ground water, and increases the levels of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide, a potential greenhouse gas. Yet, if it wasnt for nitrogen fertilizers farmers wouldnt be able to prosperous as much. Sulphuric acid may show signs of harm and injury on plants reducing yield of certain crops, it may also dissolve in water droplets in clouds causing acid rain. It results in the damaging of wildlife and vegetation. Acid rain close to ground level can also cause damaging to building and statutes. On the other hand, sulphuric acid may reduce the invasion of pests or fungal diseases on plants causing plants to become healthier. Likewise, Nitric acid plays a major role in agriculture forming ammonium nitrate fertilizers. (Environment Agency) In the health factor, the excessive exposure to sulphur dioxide may harm the eyes lungs and throat. Furthermore, nitric acid is highly corrosive to the eyes, skin, and mucous membrane. (Environment Agency)Contact with dilute nitric acid concentrations may cause skin irritation, deep painful burns, and hardening of epidermis, while eye contact may cause severe burns and permanent damage. Inhalation of high concentrations may cause respiratory irritations with possible fatal effects. Ingestion of nitric acid results in the burning and corrosion of mouth, throat, and stomach. A dose of 10mL is fatal to humans. (Article Trader) Science has proven to bring forth various solutions. Chemistry is no separate part of industry. It provides it with the most suitable and contemptible answers. Chemical equilibrium plays a major role in aiding to provide the utmost concentration of product needed. Several conflicts and damaging factors might be the result of such industrial processes but are all main reason behind erecting and the prosperity of the human society.

Feminism: A Fight for Human Rights Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive

Abstract This essay explores the concept of feminism as a human right rather than merely a struggle of American women to achieve equal opportunity and salaries in the corporate world. Without denying the importance of such achievements, the facet of feminism that is explored for the most part is the ability for women around the world to be treated as human. Not only are women denied rights such as the opportunity to be educated or to earn money to feed their children, moreover they are considered property and subject to abuse. The central concept portrayed in this essay is that as women climb the ladder in the struggle to eliminate glass ceilings in the corporate world, we must not leave vast numbers at the bottom, still struggling to be considered human. The essay explores writings on women?s issues from sources including the Bible, Virginia Woolf, and Bell Hooks enabling observations from diverse times and cultures to be explored. Often our society is oblivious to what is happening in other countries or even other neighborhoods, this essay is a reminder. Feminism: A Human Right Feminism, as thought by many Americans, is not just a movement to create high-level jobs in the corporate world and equal salaries for women, although that component must not be disregarded. Women around the world are being treated as lower class citizens if citizens at all. Meena was a woman born in Kabul who was murdered in 1987 for her work with the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, also known as RAWA. Meena and other members of RAWA fought for the right to earn money to feed their children, the right of literacy and knowledge, the right to leave their homes without permission from their husband, let alone the rig... ...Http://www.amnestyusa.ort/news/2002/kenya03082002.html>. Marder, Herbert. Feminism and Art. Chicago: U of Chicago P., 1968. Meena. ?I?ll Never Return.? Payam-e-Zan, Issue No. 1. 1981. RAWA. 20 Oct. 2002 . ?Nigeria, Death by Stoning Upheld in the Case of Nigerian Woman Amina Lawal.? Amnesty International U.S.A. 20 Aug. 2002. Amnesty International. 15 Oct. 2002 . ?Pakistan, Tribal Councils Must Stop Taking Law Into Their Own Hands.? Amnesty International U.S.A. 5 July 2002. Amnesty International. 15 Oct. 2002 . Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One?s Own. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1929. Yoder, John Howard. The Politics of Jesus. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1994.

My World of Studies Essay

Haya, which literally means shame, bashfulness, and refraining from saying or doing anything improper or indecent, to describe one who, out of fear and awe of God, seeks to avoid displeasing Him. It urges one to be more careful, self-possessed, and self-controlled, for such restraint, if originating in feelings of modesty, result in paying God the respect He deserves. Combining the instinctive feeling of shame with modesty based on Islam forms the greatest safeguard against shameful or indecent acts. Alone, each one may be diminished or utterly lost. The words haya (modesty or feeling of shame) and hayat (life) come from the same root. This signifies that modesty is a sign of a lively heart, and that a heart’s liveliness depends on its owner’s belief and knowledge of God. If a heart is not fed continuously with belief and knowledge of God, it is almost impossible for it to remain lively and give rise to modesty. Narrated by Abu Huraira (ra): The Prophet said, â€Å"Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya is a part of faith.† (Bukhari) The good Hayà ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is to be ashamed to commit a sin or a thing which Allah and His Messenger (saws) has forbidden, and bad Hayà ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is to feel ashamed to do a thing, which Allah and His Messenger (saws) ordered to do. DIFFERENT TYPES OF HAYA ∞Firstly, to talk about the types of Good haya. For example, anyone who is a believer, he/she should build their personalities and their character with the good dimensions of haya. The most important is that he/she must be shy of doing ANYTHING displeasing to Allah (swt), with the belief that he/she will have to answer for all their deeds. If one develops a sense such as this one, it will help the believer to obey all of Allah’s command and to stay away from sins. Once the believer realises that Allah (swt) is watching us all the time and we will have to answer to every move we make in this dunya, he/she would not neglect any order from Allah or His Messenger (saws). So the stronger this sense of haya becomes, the more it motivates one to make sure that Allah (swt) doesn’t see him/her doing anything prohibited. The way to develop this haya is that one must keep learning and absorbing more knowledge and applying it to their lives. ∞Another type of haya is more of a social aspect concerning others besides Allah (swt). Normally these things often come in regard with ones relationship with family. For instance, a child not wanting to do something displeasing to his mother, or a wife not wanting to do something displeasing to her husband or even a student who is careful about saying something incorrect in front of his teacher.. ∞Last but not least is the type of haya in which the believers become shy of themselves. This is when they have reached the peek of their Iman. What this means is that if they do, or say, or see, anything wrong or even commit the tiniest sin, they start to feel extremely bad and embarrassed or they feel extreme guilt in their heart. This builds a high degree of self-consciousness and that is what strengthens the believer’s commitment to Allah (swt) People will go out an get degrees in law schools, or science, or engineering and they will put four to six years of their lives studying for this stuff that will only benefit them in this world. In this society people including Muslims, choose their careers according to how much money they will make and what status they will have in this society as to being a lawyer or a doctor etc. They do not realize that in Islam the BEST stature of a Muslim is that of a â€Å"dai’i† or a teacher of Islam. Another proof of bad haya is that which is extremely popular amongst many sisters in this western society. One of the most important aspects of haya, for women, is that of guarding their chastity and their modesty. . They are shy of the opposite gender in this society because of what they might experience if strange men look at them and lastly they have haya because they are ashamed of going out in public and committing this grave sin of displaying their beauty is public. There are many women in this society who claim that they have haya but to follow the order of hijab is backwards and that women in this society shouldn’t have to cover is obviously disbelief. There are many verses in the Qur’an and many ahadith explaining the reasons behind observing Hijab. The Islamic Shariah has not stopped at giving the Commandments of Hijab, it has also clarified every such thing which directly relates to these commandments and, with the slightest carelessness, may result in vulgarity and immodesty. This is why modesty has been called the ornament of a woman, which protects her from many sins and which prevents ill-intentioned men from daring to have bad thoughts about her. This haya has been made a part of her nature to safeguard her from being abused by immoral men. Narrated Aisha (ra): â€Å"I used to enter my house where Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was and take off my garment, saying that only my husband and my father were there; but when Umar was buried along with them, I swear by Allah that I did not enter it without having my clothes wrapped round me owing to modesty regarding Umar.† (at-Tirmidhi and Ahmed) In conclusion we must understand that Haya is important for both men and women. Men are to control themselves by getting married as young as possible or if they cannot afford that, they should fast. Women are told to conceal themselves so that the men will not be over taken by the whispers of Sheytan and will not disrespect or take advantage of the women. There are many verses in the Qur’an that have clearly explained how we have to behave and Allah is All-Knowing therefore He knew that we would face these problems living in this society, and that is no excuse to change Islam and only practice what we feel is right. Allah (swt) has told men how to guide their modesty and has told women how to guide their modesty. If either one of them refuse to follow the commandment of their Lord, may Allah have mercy on them and may He guide them to the straight path. â€Å"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.† (Qur’an Nur, 30-31) ALL PRAISE BE TO ALLAH, AND MAY HIS PEACE AND BLESSINGS BE UPON MUHAMMAD (SAW), HIS FAMILY, HIS COMPANIONS AND HIS TRUE FOLLOWERS UNTIL THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT.

Terra Gatson Essay

They similar because they tend have we as people questioning and have also different perceptions about the world we live in. Hey both were misled as to what the world we live in is and how it operates as a whole. There are also other topics as well that can be pointed to show exactly what else can be depicted about the comparison between them. The Matrix is Greek philosophy which is very interesting to a lot of people. The definition behind is the idea of freeing one's soul or mind as even presented in the Allegory of Cave is a well-known idea attached to Greek philosophy.The difference between them is that The Matrix and The Plat's tend to have reasons that justify and reasons as to why they tend to do what they do. It is something that they come up to make whatever wrong they are doing to give a good reasons as to why they are doing it. Seems like a wrong thing to do, but looking at my life I have ran into a lot of people that make up excuses to cover their behinds so others will be believers of their wrongs. A wrong is a wrong and a right is a right not the other way around.The bible is a great source to find out the truth to a lot so if you want to know if something is true pick up a bible to retrieve some of your information so you will have a better understanding. At the end of the Matrix we were left with a piece to my understanding that had me thinking we were living in a computer based world but looked passed it, but it sometimes have me thinking. The Matrix is really based on Descartes which is about the human race being deceived in many different ways.Many scientist research a lot to prove that we are not living in this or that but it is left to only one person to determine what our lives are and that is the man up above. I have my doubts about a lot but I know God is the reason for everything but would have to say were are not computer based which is my opinion and I'm sticking to it. The world that we are living in today is a test of our faith but the devil will not take the faith that I have in my awesome God because I know it is him who has watched over me for 21 years ND I love him for that.I WOUld have to say for me that the in question three that I don't like either but if I had to decide would say Ignorance is bliss because it's something I tend to say a lot. I don't want to dwell on that topic because the most important one is question and I think it was covered well. The three synopsis were good but its nothing like watching the actual movie to get every fine detail as to why this happened and how it actually occurred, but the synopsis was great to go by because I'm sure everyone doesn't have time to look at three movies in a week.

Basics of the Federal Court System essays

Basics of the Federal Court System essays I have chosen the United States Federal Court System as my topic of research. I believe the U.S Federal Court System is paramount to our criminal justice system. Today the Federal Court System is a complex structure of courts and actors working together in an imperfect process to deliver justice. Throughout the years theres been controversy and debate between the rights of state and federal courts. However, as the dual process evolved they became dependent on each other. Without one or the other, the system will not function properly. The Federal Courts have been a controversial issue since the 18th century. The two landmark decisions that are well known are the Article III of the U.S Constitution and the Judiciary Act of 1789. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation in the past was thought to be the absence of a national supreme court to enforce federal law and resolve conflicts and issues between different states. The major issue during the Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 was that there be a separate court system for federal and state. This divided the people into two groups, the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Anti-Federalists were advocates of states rights and feared a strong national government that would result in the weakening of individual liberties. The Federalists on the other hand distrusted the states and favored a strong national government. This conflict between the two groups was later resolved at the constitutional convention which designed Article III of the U.S. Constitu tion. This then provided an outline of a federal judiciary. (Americas Courts and the Criminal Justice System, 2009) The judicial Power of the United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such inferior Courts as the congress may from time to time ordain and establish. Since then, there were many alterations made, but ultimately in 1988 Congress eliminated many of the mandatory appeals to...

20 Things People Hate About Your Website

20 Things People Hate About Your Website Do you want to create a website that is guaranteed to attract and keep visitors? Developing a web presence that audience loves is easy – if you avoid the twenty things people hate about websites. Whether it be through smartphones, laptops, tablets, or home computers, almost everyone can easily obtain the vast and overwhelming source of information that makes up the world-wide web. It goes without saying that online sources are full of useful and popular web pages that people visit again and again because they love what is offered at that particular page. However, many websites they visit leave a terrible impression that makes them never want to return. We’ve searched high and low to reveal the top twenty things that people hate about your website to guide you to create a site that they will love! Copy Mistakes Listed below are the most common mistakes made when it comes to your website’s text content, better known as the copy. 1. Your Copy is Over-Saturated with Keywords In years past, the way search engines found webpages was by the amount of keywords within the copy. Today, search engines are much smarter and are able to find what you are searching for without the use of keyword density. While keyword density is important for SEO (search engine optimization) when you have too many keywords in the copy, it makes it unreadable for those who visit your website!   2. Confusing About Us Page The about us page should be exactly about the website your guests are visiting. When you do not have a clear and easy to understand about us page, your visitors will feel confused and overwhelmed at not knowing the exact products or services you offer.   3.  Lack of a Blog A blog is a great way to boost your SEO, but it is also a great tool to connect to your website visitors. Blogs can give a great source of information and   they will boost traffic to your site just so long as the blog you offer readers is interesting and updated often. Blogs can also be sources of Frequently Asked Questions and their answers to assist your visitors with an issue without having to contact customer service. 4. Call to Actions that Do Not Match Offers The calls to action that you feature on your website should coincide with the offers you are promoting to your visitors. Nothing will frustrate people more   than being told they will receive a 50% off discount if they buy now. Only to find out there are more strings attached to the promotion such as: must spend X amount of money, selected items only, or applicable for in-store purchases only. When your call to action doesn’t match the offers, your reputation will suffer, but more importantly, so will your conversion rates. 5. Headlines That Misguide Readers Catchy and interesting titles and headlines within your copy are great and useful ways to attract the reader’s attention. Just bear in mind that if your copy doesn’t match the title, you will become known as a ‘click bait’ site or one that attracts readers because of the title. Once they reach the website, they quickly realize the information they were looking for is not there and they will leave. Not to mention misleading headlines annoy readers and create distrust. 6. Contact Forms Instead of Contact Information When your website does not feature basic contact information such as email, phone number, and/or address your visitors will not be able to contact you! Sometimes websites will use a contact form. Contact forms are a fill in the blank information box that will store the data provided by the website visitor and will leave the communication up to the team behind the website. This is unreliable for visitors and many people nowadays feel uncomfortable with giving out personal information over the Internet. 7. Unclear Descriptions of What Your Company Does This is just as bad as having a mashed up About Us page. When you have visitors to your site and your website is not intuitive enough to show exactly what your company does, it will create feelings of confusion and mistrust. If you cannot make your visitors stay for more than fifteen seconds, they will be more than likely to abandon your site to never return. Visual Mistakes Websites must be visually appealing to visitors. This will help encourage them to stay on the site and even return knowing they will have an enjoyable experience. 8.  Using Obvious Stock Photos It’s alright to employ the use of stock photos from time to time, but be careful which ones you select for your website! It is painfully obvious when a website is using tacky, generic, or even cheesy stock photos. Images should be used on your website to help your visitors. Using generic photos serve no purpose when it comes to being helpful to your visitors. 9. Using Distracting Animations Animations can be fun and entertaining for your website visitors, but take caution when thinking about using them for your website. Often times, people find that animations are distracting as the constant movements take the eyes away from the text they are trying to read. For example, if your website does not pass the three second blink test (the crucial three seconds it takes for visitors to decide to stay on the page or not), they will click the back button. Obtrusive and distracting animations can cause your site to fail the three second blink test and if you are interested in using animations on your webpage, make sure to do so the right way! 10. Not Knowing What to Do While this is the most obvious visual aspect of your websites, many webpages out there have no indication as to what the visitor is supposed to do once they arrive. If you’re an online store that shoppers cannot easily access products or they cannot figure out how to use your site, guess what? They will shop somewhere else. The same goes for every single type of website, whether you are on online store or not. If your visitors cannot figure out what to do, then they will head somewhere else for what they need. 11. There Are Too Many Pop Ups If there is any one thing that will turn people away from your website, it is the use of pop ups. No one likes them. No one. If you are using them on your site, please take the steps to remove them! People find pop ups annoying and sometimes difficult to close. Besides, pop up ads will distract your visitor from the main purpose of visiting your site in the first place. 12. Sliders Take Too Long to Load Using image sliders are popular choices for web design and when they are done right, you can have a visually appealing website. On the contrary, if your site has loaded nearly 90% of the way and your visitors still cannot see the slider image, they will find that they will have to wait too long for your site to do its thing and they will become bored and search elsewhere. User Interface Mistakes When it comes to websites, user interface is one of the most important factors in attracting and keeping visitors on your page. When user interface is done right, your visitors will have no trouble and even enjoy using your website. If the design and usability is unfriendly or not functioning properly, you will find that you will have unhappy visitors whose numbers continue to dwindle. 13. Unable to Contact Customer Service There are hundreds of websites that offer instant connections with customer service agents, whether they are live or virtual. When you see the pop up or prompt to use their online customer service and you actual go to do so, chances are you are already frustrated due to an issue you are experiencing. As a visitor you automatically expect the online customer service tools to work and function so you can be assisted with your issue. When these things are not working, visitors can become outraged and confused, not knowing where they need to go for help with their problem. Furthermore, if you have your customer service contact information listed on your site, make sure it is accurate and that your customers are able to reach someone. 14. Not Mobile or Tablet Optimized Today people are accessing the Internet via the smallest devices possible. Yet, there are still plenty of sites out there that do not work on mobile phones or tablets. This can be caused by the lack of mobilization in the design and code structure. To put it simply, some webpages are not built or coded, to adjust to the smaller screens which will prevent the entire thing from loading at all. Mobilization ensures that your website will work on: iPhones Tablets Android phones Laptops with small screens In short, the mobile-optimized site can be accessible for your audience from any device. 15. Poor Navigation Tools Poor navigation within a website will leave your visitors confused and frustrated, as they will not know what to do or how to find something on your site. Having a search bar or navigation bar that functions properly and is easy to use will allow your visitors to find exactly what they need in just a few clicks. Phrasing the navigation copy, how to properly analyze visitor’s flow, are used to make a website easy to search though. Take time to design your site and make sure you can achieve the perfect website navigational tools. 16.  Struggling to Buy Products When you are buying anything online, all you want is for this process to be quick and painless. There are several websites that commit what is known as two-site syndrome and their users go to click on something and it leads you to another site to complete the task that should have been done on the first website. Two-site syndrome has shown to decrease conversion rates, and make the customer experience a miserable one. Take our advice and avoid the two-site syndrome so your customers can make their online purchases as hassle free. Overall Website Mistakes 17. No Social Media Icons Social media is one of the greatest ways to connect and network between current and future customers. It is so common and very easy for visitors to share with their family and friends by using the social media icons found on the website. Social media icons make it instant and did I mention ‘easy’ for your guests to share what they love about your site! Not to mention, when your site and content can be spread across several social media platforms, your site will be able to see a boost in SEO and your page ranks according to your search browser. A quick list of social media icons all online business should or need to have: Facebook Instagram Twitter Imgur Tumblr Google+ Flickr 18.  Auto-Playing Videos   We’ve all been to those annoying sites that startle you when they catch you off guard with their loud and unexpected video that begins to play out of nowhere. People across the globe find those auto-playing videos on websites to be insulting, distracting, and annoying as they are reported to be one of the worst tactics for webpages. 19. Internal Links that Lead Nowhere Crosslinks also known as internal links, are links within the webpage that keep your visitors on your page or provide a gateway to another useful website, are excellent tools for allowing your visitor to learn more or continue searching for related topics. When you go to click on an interesting link and you end up nowhere, you will become frustrated and even decide to leave the entire site behind. This all comes down to not having proper function and this alone will change the minds of your visitors. If you do have internal links, always make sure for them to open with a fully separate tab. Many times, customers will click on a link and want to continue reading or examining your website. In this case allow them to stay on the page they are reading and let the link they clicked on open up in a whole new tab so they do not lose their place! 20. Takes Too Long to Load Going back to the point made about the three second blink test, people want things to happen fast! Unless the Internet connection is fully to blame for a slow load time of a webpage, you need to do everything you can to allow your site to load fast. The longer it takes for your website to load, the more people will search elsewhere and abandon your site completely. In today’s world, many people seek instant gratification. This is especially true for using the Internet and accessing websites. According to a study, 40% of your sites visitors will leave if it takes longer than three seconds to load. Luckily, there are ways to test the site’s load time and you can make sure to take the steps to adjust where you need to in order to pass these tests. Once you have tested your load time check the following factors to ensure they are not causing your site to load at a snail’s pace: Spikes in traffic – too many people trying to access the site at once will definitely cause a slow-down. Sharing server space if your site is hosted somewhere and you share server space with a busier, more active site, it can cause your site to be slower. It is advised to hire private server space to prevent this from happening. The total number of the HTTP requests your site receives. If you are trying to boost your traffic and maintain a healthy following of regular visitors, make sure you are NOT making the mistakes that lead to people hating your website. Even though they might not seem like a big deal, even the smallest mistakes can lead to low traffic, low conversion rates, and low bottom line results. At the end of the day, if you want to have a strong and prevalent online presence, no matter what sort of website you have, make sure you are doing everything in your power to ensure yours is mistake free. Giving your visitors a pleasant experience will not only have them coming back for more (and telling their friends when they share your site on their social networks), but your webpage will not be known amongst the worst on the Internet. This will only happen if you avoid the twenty things people hate about websites, so plan and execute your web strategy carefully! Your site’s survival on the Internet depends on it!

Anti Terrorism Legislation May Infringe Human Rights

Anti Terrorism Legislation May Infringe Human Rights Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . Anti Terrorism Legislation May Infringe Human Right UK Anti- terrorism legislation of the past decade has been a passionately debated topic both within the media and the legislature itself. On one hand, it is argued that any nation should indeed encompass the ability to prevent any terrorist atrocity carried out against its people even if it is at the cost of human rights infringement. On the other hand, a tax on civil liberties has often been deemed an atrocity within its own rights and the recent influx of legislation has done nothing other than help with the evolution of global terrorism.   [ 1 ]    That the horrific events of September 11th 2001 changed the face of Terrorism is not at all in doubt. It was the end of the terrorism the world once knew as guerrilla violence for political gain. The violence administered on the New York skyscrapers was an unprecedented act which prompted an unprecedented reaction. Legislation in relation to terrorism in the UK was eagerly debat ed and following the 7th July 2005 it was accepted that the UK were not immune to attack thus facilitating the new legislation into position. Though anti-terrorist legislation has long existed in the UK and, much of which, has been incorporated within the recent developments, many new offences have also emerged creating a shift in the balance of power between the public and those forces responsible for administering the new legislation. Naturally there has been a significant increase in relation to the scope of police powers. Furthermore, the ‘Intelligence Communities’   [ 2 ]   have also capitalised in the power shift, especially in relation to covert intelligence gathering. To venture further into the effects of the recent developments to the legislation, it is important to analyse the current framework. A natural point of focus would be the definition of terrorist activity. Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000 outlines terrorist activity as: â€Å"the use or thre at of action where, the action involves serious violence against a person, serious damage to property, endangers a person’s life or creates a serious risk to the health or safety of the public.†Ã‚  The  Ã¢â‚¬Å"use or threat† must be â€Å"designed to influence the government or to intimidate the public†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚   [ 3 ]    Section 2 of the same Act outlines a terrorist offender is someone who: â€Å"is or has been concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism†Ã‚   [ 4 ]    Since the face of terror has changed to cell based networks, certain organisations are listed under the 2000 Act   [ 5 ]   as terrorist organisation, a recent addition to which has been Al-Qaeeda. A recent development emerging from the new legislation is the offence of organisations ‘glorifying’ terrorism being added to the list under s. 21 Terrorism Act 2006. This is not a question of whether such a provision is an intrusion on human r ights; free speech in particular, as it obviously is but rather to what extent is such taxation justifiable. Joining or rallying support of such proscribed groups is also a punishable offence under s. 12(1) of the 2006 Act. Arranging meeting and to address meeting of proscribed groups is also punishable under ss. 12(2) and 12(3) respectively. Even clothing worn in a manner that may raise suspicion that the wearer is a member of a proscribed group may earn a maximum penalty of 6 months imprisonment as per s.13 of the 2006 Act.

Identify two explinations that are particulary relevent for low voter Essay

Identify two explinations that are particulary relevent for low voter turnout in local elections as compared to national elections - Essay Example Current research has shown that one of the most critical reasons for lower voter turnout in local elections as compared to national elections is election timing. Hajnal and Lewis (2003) believe that scheduling local elections at the same time as statewide primaries or general elections would immediately increase number of votes cast in the local elections, because national elections historically have higher voter turnout (Hajnal and Lewis, 2003). The reason for this increase, as Hajnal and Lewis (2003) explain, is that it would be very convenient for voter to have just one day of elections, where they would have to check a few more names on their local election lists in addition to national election lists. Naturally, it makes sense. The voters would have to take less time out of their busy schedules to commute to the election sites. Besides, single election day requires less planning and organization on the part of the voters, and thus it becomes more convenient. Another reason for lower turnout in local elections is the limitation of the local government in terms of its service delivery arrangements as identified by Hajnal and Lewis (2003). A lot of local governments contract out the city services. For example, city councils will contract with county governments to provide the services for the city. This practice has a lot of advantages, such as more efficient and more cost-effective service delivery. However, at the same time this practice has its negative effects, especially when it comes to local elections. It reduces the power of local officials, such as their ability to provide and control local jobs. As a result, reduced power leads to reduced interests in local officials and local governance overall during the local elections. Thus, voter turnout in local elections can be increased by scheduling the local elections at the same time as national elections, and by providing more power to local officials. These steps would increase public

Critical Evaluation and Analysis of Employability Skills Essay - 1

Critical Evaluation and Analysis of Employability Skills - Essay Example The researcher’s main focus was to improve his skills in report writing because as a spinal research coordinator, he is required to write various projects and business cases. In addition, the author’s skills in budgeting, assertiveness, leadership, team working and knowing how to deal with difficult situations in line with HR policies are all important skills. Evaluation is an important stage in the self-reflection as it helps me to focus on my career goals and those of the organization. In researcher’s role as a spinal research coordinator he is required to liaise and coordinate with different levels of staff - medical and non-medical - within the spinal deformity unit and across the hospital. The coordination of various research projects, managing elements of operational delivery of the spinal deformity unit, and resource planning and assessment, are all requirements of researcher’s role. These requirements are in line with researcher’s plan to be come more conversant with HR policies. Thus, the researcher has developed team building skills since this role involved familiarizing himself with HR policies and regulations would enable him to work with human resource activities which require management. This plan has helped to improve researcher’s service delivery in the field of human resources and use his time more effectively to fulfill his potential and further career. The researcher’s personal development plan was to improve his report-writing skills which seem to meet the requirements of researcher’s organization. The role of a spinal research coordinator in his organization requires someone with knowledge of writing various reports and working on business cases. Since at the moment the author has little skills in regard to report writing, developing these skills shall be of paramount importance in attaining his organization’s requirements in this area. Other requirements of researcher’s o rganization, such as assisting the human resources department in recruitment and resource planning, are tasks that a resource manager should be accountable for.

The four agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The four agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz - Essay Example They proposed that the environment we live in is in fact a very sophisticated dream, and that each person is a reflection of another. Thus, we are all connected. That everything we do and say is a standard regime that we are each gradually programmed with as we grow. This pantheistic picture is what the Toltecs preserved through the centuries. It elevates man to a divine level, and it all depends with how we see ourselves. Although there are many pacts, or agreements, we make with society, God, and our fellow man, the most important agreements are those we make with ourselves, which will ultimately determine who we become. Don Miguel clearly outlines four of these agreements that, if reached, will transform and elevate the person’s life into a whole new aspect of the dream. The drama of hell that life brings will disappear, and the person will be creating his own personal dream of heaven. The first agreement is the most important, but most challenging to keep. It is to be impe ccable with your word. Because the word is very powerful, having the capability to either build or destroy. Don Miguel writes that, â€Å"The word is the most powerful tool you have as a human; it is the tool of magic. But like a sword with two edges, your word can create the most beautiful dream or your word can destroy everything around you.† He says that when your word becomes impeccable, or flawless, you grow seeds of love. You are released from fear and are free to live a life of happiness even though everyone around you is not. With this one agreement alone, you can transcend to the level of existence called heaven on earth. The second agreement is don’t take anything personally. For example, if a random person on the street, who does not know you, calls you stupid, and you accept it, then you will believe you are stupid, and you alone will be affected. The author writes that, â€Å"you take it personally because you agree with what was said, and as soon as you do, the poison goes through you, and you are trapped in the dream of hell.† But if you don’t, then no one can hurt you and you will break many negative habits and routines. The third agreement is don’t make assumptions. Because when we do so believing they are real, then we act on them and make life miserable. If we never assumed at the beginning, we would avoid much trouble. A lot of emotional poison is created and people are hurt or deceived. The fourth agreement is always do your best. This one sets the other three in a firm platform. Although it may vary due to conditions, as time goes by, it will become better than it used to be. Life will become more lively and fulfilling. Everything else will fall into place, and you will attain happiness. These are the four agreements of Don Miguel. They can be inculcated into many societies and professions. One such profession is the field of nursing. Because it deals with individual people in a benevolent way, these fou r agreements achieve a lot of success in such an environment. BODY The nursing field is defined by challenging, tough tasks. Compared with other professions, the nurse is the most indispensable. It is a matter of life and death, so it is very important that he not only knows what’s being done, but he should also be aware of himself. The way he sees and carries himself will influence the results of his actions greatly. The nurse who learns to instill within himself these four agreem

What parts of Catholicism did Martin Luther keep after the Reformation Essay

What parts of Catholicism did Martin Luther keep after the Reformation - Essay Example The Catholics and those who protested mutually demanded reforms; however, the manner that they struggled for the reforms differed in a great manner. The reformation commenced at the end of October in the year 1517, when Martin Luther who was a German monk inadvertently ignited an uprising (McGrath 11). With the aid of the Ignatius, Metto and associates of the Trent Council, the Catholic Church established a rather flourishing response. Nevertheless, the splitting up of the entire Catholic Church would be the definitive hardship that the original Catholics had to tolerate because of this development of novel ideas. The scuffle to dominate populace’s values and belief’s would generate a civilization of religious pluralism, as it is currently recognized (Ferguson 57). The protestant way was centered at diminishing the Catholic religion economically, opinionated and publicly, while pressure from those protesting made the Catholics into frequent fights to boost their own acc usations and develop their corrupt nature. Faith and trust are the means of grace and god himself is the Supreme Being who awards this to human beings. The Lutheran Church and the Catholic Church have similarities that are the basis of both religions. The conventional Catholic Church was selling lenience for the aim of getting money, corrupt funds that were employed to perform endeavors that interested them (Baker, Robert and John 199). For instance, they sold Jubilee lenience just next to the Witten burg Castle with the aim of generating money for Saint Peter’s situated in Rome. Martin Luther became perplexed and angry at the Church’s activity of selling the indulgences. Thus, he retorted to his individual loathing of this observation by posting a directory of complaints opposing the Catholic Church. The list of complaints was termed as The Ninety-Five Theses (Luther and Stephen 47). Therefore, he began a religious upheaval that was later recognized as the

Marketing Concultancy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Concultancy - Coursework Example This is a big problem potentially for Apple because the new firms can tank iTunes music revenues, and seriously undermine Apple’s business model. The proposed solutions therefore rely on leveraging the formidable strengths and assets of Apple, including its large cash hoard and its venerable name, to come up with alternatives to Spotify in order to check the latter’s rise and to shore up Apple’s revenues in music subscription sales. This solution leverages key strengths, and also leverages emerging trends in cloud computing and the benefits to be had from harnessing technological progress in cloud computing. This report makes use of external environmental analytical frameworks such as PESTLE and Porter’s Five Forces frameworks, as well as a SWOT analysis, to properly assess the extent of the market problem and Apple’s condition relative to the external market challenge (Hunt 2011; Goldman 2010; Ausick 2013; Google Finance 2014; Schaefer 2014; Hinks 2014; McDuling 2014). Apple needs no introduction. The maker of the iPhone and the iPad is the most influential and the biggest name in technology, and its smartphone business and the ecosystem of apps, software, music and other digital content is the biggest in the world in terms of revenues and traction in the premium markets all over the world. The company is described as being in the business of providing both portable devices and computing devices for mobile communication and personal computing, together with the digital content, platform and apps that go with the hardware. Apart from the iPhone and the iPad, the company is also the maker of the Mac and the Apple TV platforms, together with software such as iOS and OS X, and iCloud. Content is aggregated via iTunes and the App Store. With a market capitalization of $ 661.67 billion, Google is the biggest tech firm

The four agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The four agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz - Essay Example They proposed that the environment we live in is in fact a very sophisticated dream, and that each person is a reflection of another. Thus, we are all connected. That everything we do and say is a standard regime that we are each gradually programmed with as we grow. This pantheistic picture is what the Toltecs preserved through the centuries. It elevates man to a divine level, and it all depends with how we see ourselves. Although there are many pacts, or agreements, we make with society, God, and our fellow man, the most important agreements are those we make with ourselves, which will ultimately determine who we become. Don Miguel clearly outlines four of these agreements that, if reached, will transform and elevate the person’s life into a whole new aspect of the dream. The drama of hell that life brings will disappear, and the person will be creating his own personal dream of heaven. The first agreement is the most important, but most challenging to keep. It is to be impe ccable with your word. Because the word is very powerful, having the capability to either build or destroy. Don Miguel writes that, â€Å"The word is the most powerful tool you have as a human; it is the tool of magic. But like a sword with two edges, your word can create the most beautiful dream or your word can destroy everything around you.† He says that when your word becomes impeccable, or flawless, you grow seeds of love. You are released from fear and are free to live a life of happiness even though everyone around you is not. With this one agreement alone, you can transcend to the level of existence called heaven on earth. The second agreement is don’t take anything personally. For example, if a random person on the street, who does not know you, calls you stupid, and you accept it, then you will believe you are stupid, and you alone will be affected. The author writes that, â€Å"you take it personally because you agree with what was said, and as soon as you do, the poison goes through you, and you are trapped in the dream of hell.† But if you don’t, then no one can hurt you and you will break many negative habits and routines. The third agreement is don’t make assumptions. Because when we do so believing they are real, then we act on them and make life miserable. If we never assumed at the beginning, we would avoid much trouble. A lot of emotional poison is created and people are hurt or deceived. The fourth agreement is always do your best. This one sets the other three in a firm platform. Although it may vary due to conditions, as time goes by, it will become better than it used to be. Life will become more lively and fulfilling. Everything else will fall into place, and you will attain happiness. These are the four agreements of Don Miguel. They can be inculcated into many societies and professions. One such profession is the field of nursing. Because it deals with individual people in a benevolent way, these fou r agreements achieve a lot of success in such an environment. BODY The nursing field is defined by challenging, tough tasks. Compared with other professions, the nurse is the most indispensable. It is a matter of life and death, so it is very important that he not only knows what’s being done, but he should also be aware of himself. The way he sees and carries himself will influence the results of his actions greatly. The nurse who learns to instill within himself these four agreem

Marketing Concultancy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Concultancy - Coursework Example This is a big problem potentially for Apple because the new firms can tank iTunes music revenues, and seriously undermine Apple’s business model. The proposed solutions therefore rely on leveraging the formidable strengths and assets of Apple, including its large cash hoard and its venerable name, to come up with alternatives to Spotify in order to check the latter’s rise and to shore up Apple’s revenues in music subscription sales. This solution leverages key strengths, and also leverages emerging trends in cloud computing and the benefits to be had from harnessing technological progress in cloud computing. This report makes use of external environmental analytical frameworks such as PESTLE and Porter’s Five Forces frameworks, as well as a SWOT analysis, to properly assess the extent of the market problem and Apple’s condition relative to the external market challenge (Hunt 2011; Goldman 2010; Ausick 2013; Google Finance 2014; Schaefer 2014; Hinks 2014; McDuling 2014). Apple needs no introduction. The maker of the iPhone and the iPad is the most influential and the biggest name in technology, and its smartphone business and the ecosystem of apps, software, music and other digital content is the biggest in the world in terms of revenues and traction in the premium markets all over the world. The company is described as being in the business of providing both portable devices and computing devices for mobile communication and personal computing, together with the digital content, platform and apps that go with the hardware. Apart from the iPhone and the iPad, the company is also the maker of the Mac and the Apple TV platforms, together with software such as iOS and OS X, and iCloud. Content is aggregated via iTunes and the App Store. With a market capitalization of $ 661.67 billion, Google is the biggest tech firm

Are Gmos Good for Our Health Essay Example for Free

Are Gmos Good for Our Health Essay So, its been a long day, your exhausted, really hungry, and dont think too much about what you want to eat. You just know that you will go for anything tasty that is fast and easy to make. Choosing what we we want to eat in this way should be familiar to all of us, its the American way: We want it and we want it now, and it always has to be better, faster, and last longer. Due to our forever growing population this demand only gets stronger and stronger; alas our creation of genetically modified organisms. The dominating corporate in charge called Monsanto promised to create this miracle food that will feed countries around the world, last longer, and make our diets healthier. After finding out that these genetically modified foods can cause health problems and arent provided enough for the malnourished, third world countries, can we really say that the creation of GMOs are living up to what Monsanto is telling us? One of the main defenses for GMOs is to help out third world countries; places where starvation and malnutrition hit the hardest. An article for Times magazine titled Grains of Hope illustrates all the excitement and hope that GMOs will solve world hunger. Reporting that the new GM strain in rice creates a new species of rice called Golden Rice. â€Å"This new rice produces beta-carotene, which the human body converts into Vitamin A. † â€Å" Nearly a million children die every year because they are weakened by Vitamin A deficiency and an additional 350,000 go blind† (Robbins, 2012, pg 1). You would think that this golden rice would be the answer to all malnutrition problems, but unfortunately it is not. According to a New York Times article titled Can GMOs Help End world Hunger? , â€Å"golden rice will not grow in the kinds of soil that it must to feed the hungry. To grow properly, it requires heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides. For the poor, developing countries it is unaffordable. Plus the heavy amounts of pesticides could travel into the bloodstreams of people and make them resistant to essential antibiotics. Research shows that â€Å"an eleven year old boy would have to eat twenty-seven bowls of golden rice a day in order to satisfy his minimum requirement for the vitamin† (Robbins, 2012, pg 2). The Monsanto Corporation and other biotechnology companies have invested billions of dollars to gain control over what we eat. Their main goal is not to feed the world but to retrieve maximum profit. Part of how their doing so is by monopolizing farmers. They do so by creating a Technology Protection System. This system creates â€Å"terminator seeds. †These seeds are altered so that they are sterile. Meaning that after the crop grows, it will not produce more seeds for farmers to harvest and grow next season. Instead, they have to buy more seeds over and over again. Due to the corporate patenting and monopolization of GM seeds, farmers also have to use excessive amounts of chemicals on their crops. â€Å"It is frequently argued that the high debt incurred by Indian farmers and resultant farmer suicides (over 250,000 since 1997) have largely resulted from the need to purchase costly pesticides and expensive seeds each year because they contain a terminator gene† (Todhunter,2012). In the earlier times of GMOs, many farmers couldnt wait to try out these products because the World Health Organization came out and said that they benefited agriculture productivity, human health and revived infertile crops. The World Health Organization stated in their article, Weighing in the GMO Arguments: For, â€Å"Genetically engineered resistance to pests and diseases could greatly reduce the chemicals needed for crop protection. Farmers are already growing maize cotton and potatoes that no longer have to be sprayed with bacterial insecticide. They also included that removing lignin found in trees will get rid of toxic chemicals in paper and wood made products, being healthier for people and the environment. WHO also goes on to add that â€Å"Genetic modification to become more tolerant of salt [found in infertile soil] and drought. † An article I found to support these findings called GM crops aid plant neighbours talks about a study done in china where they modified strains of cotton DNA so that the crops could make their own insecticide and solve pest problems. The results were positive, the insecticide Bacillus Thuringiensis, caused a reduction in the use of insecticide because it got rid of the cotton bollworm, a major pest to cotton. The newly engineered cotton also created greater biodiversity by attracting more lady bugs, causing the population of aphids, another cotton pest, to decrease. In the article, an advocate for organic farming shares that she agrees with the modified cotton because â€Å"organic farmers avoid pesticides by using natural processes to encourage beneficial predators. Getting rid of pests by introducing predators and reducing the use of pesticides is very similar to organic processes. † The new pest resistant crop may have been beneficial for a little while but as time went on they are began to build up in our bloodstreams. A recent study done by researchers from the University of Sherbrooke Hospital Centre in Quebec, Canada found that ninety-three percent of maternal blood and eighty percent of fetal cord blood test positive for the Bt toxin Cry1ab, Proving that transgenic materials are not effectively broken down and eliminated during digestion. Another harmful chemical 3-MMPA, showed up in 100 percent of pregnant womens bloodstreams. The chemical 3-MMPA is produced when our bodies metabolize gluphosinate, also found in GMOs. A study done in Europe found that gluphosinate can cause cancer, DNA damaged, and reproductive toxicity. Another recent study done by European researchers found that after feeding rats a diet of GM corn through out their lifetime have developed tumors all over their body and died prematurely. One thing Monsanto might try to tell you is that there are no long term affects to genetically modified products. Truth is, over years and years of Americans eating meat been changed overtime so that it is plumper and lasts longer has caused a growing epidemic that especially effects children. The additives we have been consuming were designed to have longer shelf lives, but the chemicals added also mimic human hormones that have estrogenic qualities and anabolic steroids. Because of these increased uses in poultry production children are starting puberty earlier and earlier. The article, Additives and Hormones in Our Food: A Growing Epidemic that effects Our Children, Includes a table showing how the trend of the onset age for puberty decreasing; showing that in 1970 the onset age for puberty was 12. 6 years old. In 2000, that number decreased to 9. 8 years old. Another growing the epidemic that is not only effecting Americas children but America as a whole is obesity. And guess what, chemicals added to our food are linked to that too. Based off of what Stephen Perrine, author of New American Diet, â€Å"We have all sorts of chemicals put into our newly, genetically engineered foods. † The Pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones that make our food more resistant to diseases and environmental stress contain obesogens. According to Perrine, â€Å"obesogens can cause heart disease,diabetes,obesity and high cholesterol. Most of the obesogens come from pesticides, non-organic produce, and GM corn-fed beef and chicken. For many years, GMOs seemed to be a great idea because they benefited agriculture productivity, human health and revived infertile crops. The whole intention for the creation of GMOs are great, they have proven to last longer and get rid of major pests and all but the fact that these modified organisms have caused major health problems to our people and havent benefited our poorer countries as they were suppose to, the invention of genetically modified organisms have done more bad than good. With that, people should be more careful about what they choose to eat. So, the next time you head out to go grocery shopping, look for labels for 100 percent organic foods, or go to the farmers market where everything is locally grown.

Direct Marketing Summary

Direct Marketing Summary DIRECT MARKETING Direct marketing is a type of marketing that set sights on establishing and maintaining long term, structural, direct relationships between a supplier and its customers (Hoekstra and Zwart, 1993; Raaijmaakers et al., 1992). A relationship builds up through regular interaction, in which both parties react to one anothers actions. Direct marketing may be adopted at many levels in the distribution chain: producers, wholesalers as well as retailers may choose for direct marketing (e.g. Marshall and Vredenburg, 1988; Voorhees and Coppett, 1983). Developments in information technology, individualization tendencies, rising distribution costs and the increase of dual-income households have been known as the responsible factors for the increased confidence on direct marketing (Pettit, 1987). Direct marketing is escalating at two times the rate of traditional retailing methods (May, 1989). A Time magazine cover story anticipated the number of Americans responding to direct marketing solicitations to be 92 million in 1989 and the dollar amount of purchases to be $183 billion (Time, 1990). According to Statistical Fact Book (1993-1994), the percentage of adults spending $200 or more per year on products ordered through direct marketing rose from 16% to 21% in 1992. As a matter of fact, more money is currently spent on direct marketing programs and solicitations than on magazine or television advertising (Direct Marketing, 1994; Marketing News, 1992). Particularly, direct mail embraces the third largest percentage of all advertising expenditure, increasing from 16% in 1982 to 19% in 1992 (Statistical Fact Book, 1993-1994). In addition, a growing number of firms are now members of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), including Fortune 500 firms and leading advertising agen cies (Direct Marketing-Annual Survey, 1984; Statistical Fact Book, 1993-1994). The following media can be used to communicate directly with specific individuals and/or households in order to transmit direct marketing offers and solicitations:  § direct mail: an addressed, written, commercial message that is delivered at the addressees by a postal service;  § telephone; and  § interactive devices like interactive TV and Internet. As a result of the growth of direct marketing, the use of direct media, in particular direct mail, increases continually (Direct Marketing Associations Statistical Factbook, 1993). The increase of the use of direct mail also stems from heavier reliance on the medium, both by previous users as well as by new users. DIRECT MAIL Unlike earlier years, when the direct marketing industry was subjugated by small, morn-and-pop businesses, many large firms are now members of the direct marketing industry, including Sears, Montgomery Ward, AARP, L. L. Bean, and Lands End. This has steered an increased level of competition among firms in the industry. The increased level of competition, sequentially, has led to the surplus of consumers with direct mail solicitations, predominantly that of catalogues (Business Week, 1993a; Miller, 1994; Schwadel, 1988; Storholm and Friedman, 1989; Tixier, 1987). Over 64 billion direct mail pieces finished up in consumers mailboxes in 1989 (Time, 1990). In the literature attention has been primarily focused on the selection of households. In contrast, little attention has been given to the optimization of the design of the mailing, although direct mail practitioners often apply the manipulation of characteristics (Hoekstraand Vriens, 1995). Two studies have been concerned with the elements of the direct mail package. Akaah and Korgaonkar (1988) studied the relative importance of risk relievers in a direct marketing offer. They found that direct marketers can enhance the effectiveness by offering money-back-guarantees rather than free trials/samples, by using established manufacturer names rather than unknown manufacturer names, and that both new and established products can be sold by means of direct marketing. James and Li (1993) studied the importance of the design characteristics of the mailing, by interviewing both consumers and managers through a direct questioning procedure asking about the attractiveness of a number of separa te design characteristics of the mailing. However, letting respondents self-explicate the importance of the various design characteristics of a mailing may not constitute an appropriate task for the respondents, and may produce invalid results (e.g. Green and Srinivasan, 1990). Communicating with target audiences through direct mail is an elegant alternative to total reliance upon broadcast and newspaper mass media. Sending information by direct mail gives an opportunity to make contact with target audience in their homes. The payoff of direct mail fit in the potential for reaching larger target audiences competently, the low cost as compared to many other modes of communication, and perhaps most prominently, its flexibility (Murray, et al., 1988). Direct mail has many advantages over other media. For instance, direct mail can engage in precision targeting to a greater degree than other media, it offers the opportunity to personalize to any desired degree, and there is a large flexibility with regard to formats, timing and testing. However, the relative high cost per potential customer, compared to alternative media, requires sufficient response rates to ensure profitable implementation. So, it is important to develop ways to improve the effectiveness of direct mail campaigns. Vriens, et al. (1998) proposed a method to improve the effectiveness of direct mail by determining the optimal mailing design. They proposed two approaches, based on conjoint methodology, to determine optimal mailing characteristics efficiently. First approach presented a model of the consumer response process and second discussed the mechanism to influence the consumer response process. Another approach for improving the effectiveness of direct mail concerns manipulating the characteristics of the offer and the design of the mailing (e.g. Akaah and Korgaonkar, 1988; Fraser-Robinson, 1989; Roberts and Berger, 1989; Throckmorton, 1992; Và ¶gele, 1992). Characteristics that are essential to the design of the mailing relate to its form (size of the envelope, use of graphics etc.) and to some aspects of the contents (style of writing, use of testimonials etc.). In order to be able to manipulate the characteristics of the offer and the design characteristics of the mailing, the direct marketing manager needs to know exactly to what extent the various characteristics of the offer and the mailing influence the behavioral components of the response process. Milne et al., (1993) conceptualize direct mail as an implied social contract between marketers and consumers. Four attributes constitute the direct mail social contract: volume, targeting, compensation, and permission. An examination of public opinion polls [Equifax 1990, 1991; Hume 1991; United States Postal Service 1992] and proposals to change the direct mail environment [Baker 1986; DiTalamo 1991; DMA 1990; Jones 1991; Miller 1991; Westin 1990] suggest that these four attributes are critical to consumer decisions to participate in direct mail social contracts: Targeting— there seems to be universal agreement that the targeting of direct mail needs to be improved, enabling consumers to receive information of interest to them, but not that which they perceive to be too personal or perhaps even offensive. Volume— most consumers have strong opinions about the volume of mail they receive, and the majority of proposals influence mail quantity in some way. Volume varies more than targeting in terms of preferences. Some people would like more mail, whereas others would like less [United States Postal Service 1992]. Permission— the third criteria used to decide whether to enter a social contract relates to how the information provided to complete a transaction is used subsequently. For example, once an organization obtains information about consumers, that information could be considered their property to do with what they wish, including selling it to other organizations. Alternatively, the information could remain the property of the consumer, and no organization would be permitted to use it for any other purpose without the permission of the consumer. Once again, there is disagreement concerning which option is best. Compensation— a final consideration included in the evaluation of the attributes of a direct mail contract is compensation. Some have suggested that consumers receive compensation (e.g., coupons, rebates, special offers) for providing personal information that is used for direct mail purposes [DMA 1990; Westin 1990]. Others have charged consumers a fee to place them on the mailing lists of their choice [Miller 1991]. Milne measured the trade-offs consumers make among these attributes. The results suggest consumers want improved targeting efficiency and lower mail volume, and they are not willing to pay for these improvements. These findings suggest that consumers consider several attributes in their evaluation of direct mail social contracts. Mentioning name on the envelops of direct mail solicitations yield very positive results in terms of consumers response. Dignan Bahnson (1994) carried out an experiment to investigate causes of influence on the effectiveness of direct mail advertising. Direct mail has exposed promise as a method for getting to target audiences that are complex to reach with other mass media advertising approaches. A randomized experiment was performed to estimate the influence of form of postage and address upon the response rate to direct mail. Results specified that there was no considerable advantage from use of first class over bulk rate postage, but the payoff was significantly larger when the envelope bore a name rather than resident or occupant. With direct mail, artistically built-up educational materials can draw the receivers attention towards the solicitation in a manner where there are less competing solicitations than in TV, radio, or newspapers. For audiences with restricted access to mass media, direct mail can be an imperative means of outreach. For example, those people with limited transportation may not come across billboards, posters, and other identical mass media, but they are more likely to obtain regular mail delivery. Additionally, unlike television and radio solicitations, educational materials, sent by direct mail, can be kept for future reference (Gillespie and coworkers, 1983). After all, direct mail put forward an opportunity to expand two-way communication with the target audiences because the mail can be used to encourage the recipient to act in response to the programs information as well. Gerber and Green (2000) conducted an experiment to study the effects of canvassing, telephone calls and direct mail on voter turnout. The experimental tradition harks back to Gosnells (1927) studies in Chicago, which assigned certain city blocks to receive nonpartisan mail reminders to register and vote. Gosnell found that turnout increased by 1% in the presidential election of 1924 and 9% in the municipal election of 1925. Furthermore, the principal experiment to examine the effects of personal canvassing in conjunction with mailings that used varying types of nonpartisan appeals was conducted by Eldersveld (1956; Eldersveld and Dodge 1954) in two Ann Arbor, Michigan, municipal elections. In both cases the effects of canvassing and mail were statistically significant. Gerber launched a series of turnout experiments in which randomly selected households were exposed to mailings, telephone calls, or personal appeals before the general election. The study was designed to measure the ef fect of personal canvassing, telephone calls, and direct mail appeals on voter turnout. To study the impact of direct mail, an experiment was intended to measure the turnout effect of both the number of mailings received and the message conveyed. To gauge the first effect, the treatment group was divided into three subgroups and sent one, two, or three mailings, respectively. The mailings were sent out at three intervals: 15 days, 13 days, and 8 days before the election. The subgroup that received two mailings was sent mail on the two dates closest to the election, and the single mailing was sent 8 days before the election. The findings indicate that personal canvassing is highly effective, much more so than the direct mail and telemarketing campaigns that have come to displace it. Personal canvassing had a far greater influence on voter participation than three pieces of professionally crafted mail delivered within two weeks of Election Day. Less effective than direct mail were cal ls from professional phone banks. Commercial marketers have been the most fruitful client of direct mail (Dillman, D. A., 1978). For them, response rates vary usually depending on the type of good or service promoted and the complexity of the advertisement. Response rates range from 2-3 percent for a simple direct mail advertising of consumer products to 20 percent for mailings that put forward free products as enticement for future orders (Kanuk, L., and Berenson, C., 1975). Direct mail can be executed efficiently by using commercially prepared lists of recipients mailing addresses (Kanuk, L., and Berenson, C., 1975). Such lists are organized from utility company records, telephone directories, voting records, and further sources. Direct mail also gains importance in not-for-profit organizations. These firms define direct mail in their own perspective as â€Å"Direct mail† is the term used to depict the letters forwarded by philanthropic organizations in an endeavor to raise funds for support. In several respects, these letters are not dissimilar from the promotional direct mail sales letters sent out by businesses (Abelen, Redeker, and Thompson, 1993; Bhatia, 1998). Direct mail is a massive business in the U.S., and there are a few not-for-profit organizations that do not use the direct mail advertising medium in one way or another (Torre and Bedixen, 1988). As Abelen, Redeker, and Thompson (1993) indicated, the direct mail letter is the â€Å"most important instrument for communicating the ‘good cause of a nonprofit organization to a wide range of prospective donors† (p. 325). It is in this solicitation that the prospective donor has to be swayed to give money. In a small scale study, com paring Dutch and American direct mail letters, Abelen et al (1993) reveal that direct mail letters do follow general persuasive strategies which can differ from culture to culture. Besides that, direct mail is considered as one of the imperative marketing tools in arousing the significance of health and dietary practices. Direct mail advertising has been used with extensive success by community-based health learning programs. The Minnesota Heart Health Program deployed a form of direct mail as a strategy to stimulate action by community residents at risk for hypertension (Murray, et al., 1988). In his study, 28.2 percent of the community residents who received a single direct mail letter recalled receiving the message encouraging them to focus attention on screening for hypertension by discussing their blood pressure with a physician. Of the 28.2 percent, 12 percent reported taking action and having their blood pressure checked. Moreover, Gillespie and coworkers (1983) conducted a research to study the effectiveness of using direct mail to improve dietary practices. Of 621 eligible families, 24.5 percent were enlisted for the direct mail nutrition education pro gram. Results portrayed that those completing the program improved productive family interactions about nutrition. Race is a leading communicator cue in taking buying decisions from the medium of direct marketing. This may be primarily relevant in the case of industrial direct mail advertising where straight rebuy and modified rebuy purchasing decisions are inclined to be low rather than high involvement (Hutt and Speh 1998). In such instances, peripheral cues (race) have been found to be an imperative factor in attitude formation and change (Petty, Caioppo and Schumann 1983). In exploring the black consumer market, it has been found that the use of black models in print media might determine, to a great notch, who gets the black segment of the buyer market. In the consumer direct mail advertising medium, Wilson and Biswas (1995) found that the depiction of black modals in consumer specialty catalogs was about 4 percent. Each of these studies concluded that the percentages of blacks in consumer studies trailed their representation in society. Stevenson and Swayne (1999) studied the portrayal of blacks in industrial advertising into a new medium, business-to-business direct mail, and endeavor to determine if the representation of African-Americans in this medium is consistent with that found in other print media. Results showed that the percentage of ads portraying blacks was quite close to the presence of blacks employed in the business world. Moreover, it was found that the qualitative portrayals employed in business-to-business direct mail differed from those found in other industrial media. Thus, it appears that business-to-business direct mail advertisers are responsive to the increasing presence of African-Americans in the buying center. On the other side, some researchers contend that very large volume of such mail is acknowledged to cause consumer annoyance (Schwadel, 1988). Also, it adds to consumer concern about invasion of privacy (Williams, 1991). Thus, the consumers who are concerned about too much catalogue or direct mail solicitations are likely to evince negative attitudes toward direct mailing. This emergent perception regarding direct mailing results in the invasion of consumer privacy which has led to limit marketing practices. These restrictions on practices could be evaded if direct marketers segment their markets based on their consumers attitudes toward direct marketing practices. Milne Gordon (1994) form segments that measured consumers attitudes toward privacy and direct marketing. Data was used from a conjoint study that evaluated 151 consumers attitudes toward diverse direct mail environment scenarios (Milne, et al., 1993). Each scenario was explained using four attributes: targeting efficiency, quantity of mail received by the consumer, com ­pensation, and permission. These attributes and levels were selected because each had been included in at least some of the proposals for re ­stricting direct mail practices (DMA (1990), Di Talamo, Nichoias (1991), Dickson, Roger, and Hollander, Stanley (1986), Miller, Annetta (1991), Westin, Alan F. (1990)). Results of the study suggest that consumers differ in their atti ­tudes toward direct mail, and therefore, in what they consider acceptable in terms of direct mail practices. Principally, the Demanding Middle segment is against paying for mail solicitation. In addition, the Demanding Middle seg ­ment reports a high utility for better targeted mail. The Prospective Lobbyists reported they are sent too much mail. Lastly, The New Right group was comfortable with the status quo. As the youngest of the segments, it may be the most contented with the computer age and feel that direct mail is an acceptable way of doing business. This group had the highest rating of direct mail across all three segments. The governing body of the European Community has proposed a far more restrictive direct mail environment. The proposed regulations would prohibit the use of information about consumers without their permission and require that companies notify consumers when and for what purpose this information is forwarded to another party. The regulations would provide for compensation if information about a consumer is misused. While these regulations apply to direct mail in Europe, they have implications for direct mail in the United States as well. This is because they would prohibit the transfer of data outside the European Community unless the receiving country could assure that the previously described measures would be followed (Di Talamo, Nichoias, 1991). Moreover, several researches find out the fact that potential consumer most often experience risk while purchasing through direct mail. Homer E. et al., (1970) determined whether or not consumers perceive greater risk in the act of buying by mail than in buying from a store or a salesman. For 20 products studied, consumers perceived more risk in the mail-order situation than in the store/salesman situation. ATTITUDE Attitudes are favorable or unfavorable dispositions toward social objects, such as people, places, and policies. Attempts to establish the validity of the attitude construct have most often sought to demonstrate positive correlations between measured attitudes and the favorable-unfavorable aspect of observed behavior toward their objects. The frequently weak correlations observed in these attempts define the predictive validity problem for attitudes (documented especially by Wicker, 1969; see also Festinger, 1964, and LaPiere, 1934). A notable accomplishment of modern research on attitudes has been the solution of this predictive validity problem. That is, conditions under which attitudes strongly correlate with behavior have now been well identified (especially by Ajzen Fishbein, 1980; Fazio, 1986, 1990b; Fazio Zanna, 1981; Fishbein Ajzen, 1974; Zanna Fazio, 1982). Myers (1990) summarized these and related programs of research as showing that our attitudes predict our actions. . .if, as we act, we are conscious of our attitudes (Myers, 1990, p. 40, emphasis added). Similarly, in the description of attitude-behavior relations in their recent treatise on the attitude construct, Eagly and Chaiken (1993, pp. 208-211) referred to the importance of attitudes [coming] to mind and the perceived relevance of attitude to action. Although the modern synthesis achieved by the Fishbein-Ajzen (1974) and Fazio-Zanna (1981) research programs is now well established, it is difficult to avoid concluding that the attitude construct lost scope in the process. For those who can remember it, there might be justifiable nostalgia for an era in which Allport (1935) was able to proclaim that attitude was social psychologys most indispensable concept. The following list gives several definitions that have been influential in guiding scholarly and empirical treatments of attitudes, as indicated by their frequent citation in other works. Although the list may appear dated (the most recent entry is from 1962), it nevertheless remains current. Recent works (e.g., Eagly Chaiken, 1993; Fazio, 1986; McGuire, 1985; Petty Cacioppo, 1981; Zanna Rempel, 1988) continue to draw on them and remain within their boundaries. Attitude is the affect for or against a psychological object. (Thurstone, 1931, p. 261) An attitude is a mental and neural state of readiness, organized through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individuals response to all objects and situations with which it is related. (Allport, 1935, p. 810) Attitude is . . .an implicit, drive-producing response considered socially significant in the individuals society. (Doob, 1947, p. 136) An attitude is a predisposition to experience, to be motivated by, and to act toward, a class of objects in a predictable manner. (M. B. Smith, Bruner, White, 1956, p. 33) [Attitudes] are predispositions to respond, but are distinguished from other such states of readiness in that they predispose toward an evaluative response. (Osgood, Suci, Tannenbaum, 1957, p. 189) [An attitude is] a disposition to react favorably or unfavorably to a class of objects (Sarnoff, 1960, p. 261). Attitudes [are] enduring systems of positive or negative evaluations, emotional feelings, and pro or con action tendencies with respect to social objects. (Krech, Crutchfield, Ballachey, 1962, p. 139) The lack of mention of consciousness in this collection of attitude definitions accurately reflects a long scholarly tradition of nonconcern with the distinction between conscious and unconscious operation of attitudes. At the same time, nothing in this scholarly tradition actively opposes either the possibility or the importance of unconscious operation of attitudes. Standing starkly in the above list as suggesting unconscious operation is Doobs (1947) definition, which labels attitude as an implicit, drive-producing response. In spite of Doobs association with a behaviorist theory (Hull, 1943) that had no use for conceptions of either conscious or unconscious cognition, it is clear that Doob did conceive attitude as operating unconsciously (May Doob, 1937, p. 13). Lately, Doob commented, before World War II we all were impressed by psychoanalysis in addition to behaviorism, suggesting that, even though it may have gone unmentioned in many published treatments, the idea that attitudes operated unconsciously was quite acceptable in the 1940s and earlier. That conclusion is supported also by several passing references to the possibly unconscious nature of attitudes in Allports (1935) review chapter. Recent work has established that attitudes are activated outside of conscious attention, by showing both that activation occurs more rapidly than can be mediated by conscious activity (Bargh, Chaiken, Govender, Pratto, 1992; Fazio, Sanbonmatsu, Powell, Kardes, 1986) and that activation is initiated by (subliminal) stimuli, the presence of which is unreportable (Greenwald, Klinger, Liu, 1989). The present analysis of implicit attitudes extends work on automatic activation to explain how the attitude activated by one object can be (mis)attributed to another. An implicit attitude can be thought of as an existing attitude projected onto a novel object. The interpretation of several important existing findings as implicit attitude effects substantially expands the predictive and construct validity of social psychologys attitude construct. It also prompts the empirical search for further members of the potentially large class of implicit attitude effects. In the domain of attitude chang e, two recent theoretical analyses (Chaiken, 1987; Petty Cacioppo, 1986) have distinguished relatively thoughtful (central or systematic) from relatively thoughtless (peripheral or heuristic) roles of cognition in persuasion. The implicit processes conceived in the present analysis are, in part, subsumed by the notions of peripheral or heuristic processing, but also involve processes operating even further from the range of conscious thought than conceived in these analyses. Several researches on the attitude of people towards direct mail revealed that people evinced positive attitude towards direct mail. Implied social contract provides a basis for evaluating attitudes toward direct mail and temporal changes in attitudes. On the attitudinal questions a four-component solution revealed the following dimensions: (1) favorability towards direct mail, (2) direct mail seen as a resource, (3) list management concerns, and (4) environmental concerns. Respondents concerned about list management and the environmental impact of direct mail. Report a somewhat favorable attitude toward direct mail on average, but do not strongly view it as a resource. (Milne Gordon, 1993) Although it is appealing to infer consumer attitudes by directly observing behavior (e.g., patronage/non-patronage of direct marketing products), it is often difficult and subjective to draw conclusions about attitudes from behavior. A consumer observed purchasing a given product might have done so to take advantage of a special deal on price rather than because he/she particularly liked the product. Moreover, the relationship between attitude and intention lends itself more readily to cross-sectional research than the relationship between attitude and future behavior. Indeed, the viability of patronage intention as a surrogate measure of future behavior is well established in the literature (Darden and Lush, 1983). Furthermore, the theory of reasoned action (as noted previously) suggests that consumer behavior is influenced by intention to engage in the given behavior. Intention, in turn, is influenced by consumer attitudes toward the stimulus (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980). The results of the study by Bagozzi (1982) suggest that attitudes influence behavior but through intention. Additional support for this direction of linkage is provided by Bagozzi (1992) and Korgaonkar, Lund, and Price (1985). However, the linkage from intention to attitudes remains to be empirically established. Articulation of the norms that govern the direct mail social contract is useful in understanding why attitudes toward direct mail are changing and how they might evolve in the future. Norms have played an increasingly important role in shaping the direct mail environment and can be expected to do so to an even greater extent in the future. Illustrations of this are the growing percentage of customers who are aware of how information obtained through transactions is used by organizations [Equifax 1991], calls for consumers to receive compensation for their information [Westin 1990], and the practice of businesses charging a fee to provide certain types of offers (i.e., mail order catalogs). Because different types of individuals operate using different sets of norms, they will evaluate the attributes of the direct mail environment differently. Norms guiding the behavior of the majority of individuals and those who are most vocal in their opinions regarding direct mail can be expected to guide the evolution of the direct mail environment. However, researchers strived to identify the dimensions that derive knowledge of consumers attitudes toward direct marketing and the factors that underlie their attitudes but most of them have neglected the domains that determine the attitude of people towards direct mail. The significance of such knowledge lies in the fact that attitudes influence most aspects of consumption behavior (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980; Sheppard, Hartwick, and Warshaw, 1988). As such, knowledge of consumer attitudes and their determinants is vital to the proper identification and implementation of corrective measures. This notwithstanding, not much empirical research has been conducted on the topic- exceptions being the studies by Jolson (1970) and Lumpkin, Caballero, and Chonko (1989). Moreover, neither of the two studies focused directly on the determinants of consumers attitudes toward direct marketing. Ishmael R Akaah et al., (1995) explored empirically the influence of shopping orientation factors as determinants of consumers attitudes toward direct marketing and the linkage between their attitudes and intention to patronize direct marketing offerings. The study results indicate that four of the five shopping orientation factors examined significantly underlie consumers attitudes toward direct marketing, i.e., too much direct mail, like to examine product before purchase, retail people are pushy and past direct marketing experience. The results also suggest that consumers attitudes toward direct marketing significantly influence their intention to patronize direct marketing offerings but not vice versa. Fishbein and his associates attitude model have received the greatest amount of attention (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980; Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). Accordingly, the framework adopted here is Fishbeins attitude towards object model (Fishbein, 1963; Fishbein and Ajzen, 1967). Concerning direct marketing, Fishbeins attitude-toward object model would suggest that consumer attitudes are a function of how positively or negatively its various attributes are evaluated. Thus, consumers overall attitudes toward direct marketing would be positive if they relate positively to direct marketing attributes and negative if vice versa (Ajze