Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Are fish and chips really british's national dish Essay

Are fish and chips really british's national dish - Essay Example Fish and chips are a traditional food in the United Kingdom and one of the few dishes that is distinctively British (Smith, 2006:103). The dish contains a piece of fish, usually cod, or haddock that undergo dipping in butterfat and then deep-fried. Cut potatoes that are deep-fried to produce a product named chips is the usual companion of the fish. The dish is served in paper, seasoned with salt and vinegar, and its consumption or eating is done using the fingers or a wooden fork. Most towns in the UK have numerous restaurants band fast food joints that serve fish and chips. Fish and chips have a long history because they existed during the Victorian era and by twentieth century; the dish had gained popularity and British regarded it as a symbol of British identity and class (Le Besco, 2008:33). More so, chips and fish were important form of sustenance during two world wars. In spite of fish and chips venturing in to diverse nations in the world, chips and the fish seemed to have sto len the hearts of the Britons (Smith, 2006:103). This is the case because the British have embraced it as their national food to the extent that they have formed annual awards that award the best restaurants that serve the best fish and chips. For instance, the National Fish & Chip Awards were held for the 25th time in 2013 this year, and The Bay in Stone haven, Aberdeen shire, got the awards as the best British fish and chips shop in Britain. To proof this point, scholars researched on the intensive perception of the British in consuming fish and chips in 1999. Their research findings claimed that the Britons consumed approximately 300 million servings of fish and chips. This is equivalent to six servings for everybody in the country. More so, statistics claim that there are around 8,500 fish and chip shops across the UK, and McDonald’s outlet is the favorite outlet that serves this dish (Smith, 2006:103). Argument against the fact that fish and chips are British’s na tional dish With current changes, the chips and fish perception seem to be changing as well. These changes are a result of stiff competition from other take away food such as pizzas and burgers. More so, the other major reason as to why British are opting for other food is because they are becoming health conscious since fish and chips contain and partly due to health concern over the high fat content of fish and chips (Smith, 2006:111). Still in this section, fish and chips have become more expensive as the days go by and that is why people are opting otherwise. Current survey, British cuisine boosts a wide range of tastes, which may vary from region to region. Many of their dishes are foods like meat, fish, potatoes, flour, butter, and eggs. Main dishes are products of beef, lamb, chicken, fish, or pork whose accompaniment is potatoes or carrots, peas, cabbages and onions. Some of the main dishes have strange names like Toad-in-the-Hole and Bubble & Squeak and. In addition, some o f the most common and typical foods, very popular in England are sandwiches, pies, trifle and roasts dinners (Smith, 2006:111). However, above all these dishes, sandwich tops them all. Sandwich invention came earlier than even the chips because it estimates claim that sandwich was invented in the mid seventeenth century. The sandwich idea came from a certain gambler who asked a waiter to offer him a piece of ham that he placed between the two

Monday, October 7, 2019

Marijuana should be forbidden in the United States Essay

Marijuana should be forbidden in the United States - Essay Example alcohol or tobacco, its legalization would only result in an increase in its usage which could result in long-term addiction problems (DuPont, 2012). A study carried out in 2006 has found that marijuana is the most widely grown cash crop in the country with values exceeding that of corn and wheat combined (Marijuana Prohibition, 2008). While the plant was widely grown in the US, a federal law of Controlled Substance Act that was passed in the year 1970 prohibited the cultivation, use and trading of the drug within the country. The Act further classified the drug as a Schedule 1 drug by which the drug has more potential for abuse. However, in the following years certain states decriminalized the use of the drug and allowed medical use of marijuana as its use was found to be effective in the treatment of nausea, rheumatism and labor pains (Marijuana Facts and Statistics, 2012). Though the drug continues to be a controlled substance and users are subject to federal prosecution, research studies have shown that even teenagers have easy access to the drug with a particular study showing that popularity of the use of marijuana overtook that of cigarette tobacco over the past year (Marijuana Facts and Statistics, 2012; Marijuana Prohibition, 2008; Coffman &Dobuzinskis, 2012). An anti-legalization group has argued that marijuana use poses a great risk for the physical and mental development of young children (Coffman &Dobuzinskis, 2012; DuPont, 2012). A recent study showed a decline in the IQ levels among teenagers who used the drug regularly. The study further noted the harmful effects that the drug would have on the brain development in these teenagers. Thus the group is campaigning against legalization of the drug citing the negative effects it has on teenagers which would in turn affect their education and career later in life. There is also less awareness about the exact effects of the drug that has hindered efforts to prevent the use of the drug (Coffman

Sunday, October 6, 2019

I, the Juror by Joyce Carol Oates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

I, the Juror by Joyce Carol Oates - Essay Example Further the defending and prosecuting attorneys do their utmost to obscure the actual facts by drowning the jurors in a deluge of sheer verbosity calculated to bias the jury in favor of their respective clients. Consequently the behavior of the jurors as they half-heartedly try to arrive at the truth is characterized by prejudice and a singular lack of interest in the proceedings that are far-removed from their own lives. Oates description of the behavior of her fellow jurors is chilling. Their careless thoughtlessness is far more disturbing than deliberate maliciousness or spite, as the sheer subtlety of the former trait puts them in a position to do irreparable damage albeit inadvertently to those supplicants seeking justice. From the clothes worn by the jurors (one juror actually turns up in shorts) to their careless misrepresentation of facts in their final deliberation of the case, the jurors behave with a certain frivolity that shows a lack of respect for the gravity of the situation and their own responsibility to fellow human beings. Age old prejudices based on the color of the skin or sex thought long dead and buried rear their ugly heads and manifest themselves in the long-winding, precarious road to justice. Such conduct on the part of the jurors is surprising in the extreme. Their exposure to the dark underbelly of American society is a far cry from the pristine, squeaky-clean existence t hey are accustomed to. Most react by hastening to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the world of the victim and defendant, in which they want no part. Therefore the jurors made no attempt to grasp the facts or analyze them with any degree of insight or intelligence, the bottom-line being a largely white jury wanted no truck with the blacks and their doings. In this day and age, such a state of affairs is shocking and the

Saturday, October 5, 2019

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

Of Narration - Essay Example In vain, he tried to bring himself to understand how he could do foolish enough to attempt cheating in exams, yet he had never succumbed to this temptation even once. His mind paced to and fro, as if in an attempt to cushion him from the glaring disgrace that stared him in the face. That he is diligent and a promising young man, people readily agreed. All his continuous assessment test papers had averaged above seventy percent. The fact that this was his first semester underscored further, the bright prospects of success that Joe had ahead of him, both in campus life, and thereafter. Indeed, Joe was a stark contrast of his peers who were grappling with the new concepts that were being introduced to them. The contrast that differentiated Joe from his peers surpassed matters of impeccable academic performance. Unlike his friends who tinkered campus life with fun, Joe was an orphan who knew that the brightness of his success depended on his academic excellence. A first born among four siblings, Joe’s plate of responsibilities was indisputably full. Finishing campus with first class honors, landing a decent job and supporting his three brothers were the main objectives that lingered frequently in his mind. However, the most immediate objective that Joe shouldered apart from his studies was processing the family’s inheritance, since his parents had died without having written a will. This task, Joe had to juggle with his studies. As such, no lady had managed to squeeze herself into Joe’s life and time yet. Nevertheless, with all his commitment and focus, little had Joe known that his busy schedule had slowly started eating into his academic time plan. It was just three weeks ago when he copied down the exam timetable that had signaled the end of the semester. One of the second continuous assessment takeaway tests had not been handed in. The lecturer’s deadline was firm, to the effect that all essays had to be handed in before the

Friday, October 4, 2019

Fiscal Federalism in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Fiscal Federalism in Nigeria Essay The question of an acceptable formula for revenue sharing among the component tiers of the Nigerian nation is one of the most protracted and controversial debates in the political and macroeconomic management of the economy. This debate has its foundations in the history and evolution of the Nigerian federation. â€Å"Revenue allocation or the statutory distribution of revenue from the Federation Account among the different levels of government has been one of the most contentious and controversial issues in the nation’s political life. So contentious has the matter been that none of the formulae evolved at various times by a commission or by decree under different regimes since 1964 has gained general acceptability among the component units of the country. Indeed, the issue, like a recurring decimal, has painfully remained the first problem that nearly every incoming regime has had to grapple with since independence. In the process, as many as thirteen different attempts have been made in devising an acceptable revenue allocation formula, each of which is more remembered for the controversies it generated than issues settled† Fiscal federalism refers to the scope and structure of the tiers of government responsibilities and functions as well as the allocation of resources among the tiers of government. Perhaps the most important issue of fiscal federalism is the revenue allocation formula, the sharing of national revenue among the various tiers of government (vertical revenue sharing) as well as the distribution of revenue among the state governments (that is, horizontal revenue allocation). The centralization of Nigeria’s fiscal federalism began with the report of the Dina Commission (1968) which argued that an appropriate revenue allocation system should result in a more equitable distribution of revenue among the states to achieve a balanced development of the federation. Revenue allocation can be described as a method(s) of sharing the centrally generated revenue among the different tiers of government and how the amount allocated to a particular tier is shared among its components. Nigeria is a federal state – under the federal system of government, federation or centrally-generated revenue is shared among the three levels of government, namely; the federal government, the states and the local governments. The theory of revenue sharing in a federal state is that each level of government receives an allocation of financial resources tailored to their specific requirements as defined by the mandate of legislative competence, their actual situation and the statutory indices of calculation. In Nigeria, decisions as to what proportion of centrally-generated revenue that would be retained by the federal government, the proportion that will be shared among the state governments and the proportion that will go to the local government has always been a problem, due to the fact that there is no consensus of opinion as to what could be seen as an ideal formula. The principles that guide the implementation of intergovernmental fiscal relations include: (a) The Principle of Diversity: The federal system must have the ability to accommodate a large variety of diversities. Hence, the fiscal system must provide scope for variety and differences to supply national, regional and local public goods. (b) The Principle of Equivalence: Based on the geographical incidence of different public goods, allocative efficiency requires the equalization of locational advantages arising from inter-jurisdictional differences with a combination of taxes and public goods and services. This requires the use of fiscal instruments for achieving macroeconomic objectives of growth, stabilization and full employment by residents of different geopolitical units; this requirement controls for what is often referred to as â€Å"central city exploitation thesis†. (d) Minimum Provision of Essential Goods and Services: This ensures that fiscal federalism guarantees all citizens, irrespective of where they reside, the minimum provision of ertain basic public goods and services. (e) Principle of Fiscal Equalization: In order to ensure a minimum level of public goods and services same degree of fiscal equalization is required. This is as a result of differences in resource endowment. (f) The Efficiency Principle: This principle implies that efficiency must be applied in the allocation of resources (g) The Principle of Derivation: The component units of a system should be able to control some of its own resources as they desire. h) The Principle of Locational Neutrality: Interregional fiscal differences tend to influence location choices of individuals and firms. Therefore, policy should focus on minimizing distortions due to some interference. Hence, differential taxes which create locational distortions should be avoided as much as practicable. (i) The Principle of Centralized Redistribution: This principle states that the redistribution function of fiscal policy through progressive taxation and expenditure programmes should be centralized at the federal level. That is, if the redistributive function is decentralized, it can result in distortions in location decisions. It should be noted that the above principles are not mutually consistent. There are several challenges and contending issues confronting intergovernmental fiscal relations in Nigeria: 1) Non – Correspondence Problem Ideally, each level of government should be given adequate resources to allow it discharge its responsibilities. Because this is not possible, there is usually a lack of correspondence between the spending responsibilities and the tax powers/revenue sources assigned to different levels of government. It is this incongruence that is often referred to as the non-correspondence problem. In Nigeria, most of the major sources of revenue come under the jurisdiction of the federal government yet lower levels of government are supposed to generate internal revenue. There is, therefore, the need to resolve the imbalance between assigned functions and tax powers. The issues concerning fiscal relations among the constituent units of the Nigerian federation that remain mostly unresolved are the divergence between assigned functions and tax powers, principle of horizontal and vertical revenue allocation, dependence of states and local governments on federal sources of funding, tendency towards concentration and federal presence in the states (Fadahunsi, 1998). The five principles currently applied in the horizontal revenue allocation formula are far from acceptable to all the stakeholders. 2) Fiscal Autonomy and Independence The issue of relative fiscal autonomy and independence of the state and local governments in a true federal structure goes with the corollary issue of the correspondence of governmental functions and revenue sources. Since the creation of the twelve-state structure in 1967, states and local governments have been excessively dependent on the Federation Account. This independence must be reduced if the federating units are to be free to pursue their own development goals without being hampered by the unpredictable fluctuations in their shares of the Federation Account. It is important that revenue sources should be reallocated and made compatible with the fluctuations stated for each tier of government to enhance steady and proper funding of administrative and developmental activities instead of the often experienced unexpected financial constrictions at the two lower tiers of government. 3) Oil Producing States, Oil Producing Local Government Administrative Areas or Communities Professor Omo Omoruyi in his treatise â€Å"the Politics of Oil: who owns the oil, Nigeria, states or communities† (2000) raised three salient questions on true ownership of oil in Nigeria. The question of local control over local resources is an established constitutional principle in federal systems. But the way the Nigerian federal system developed under the external colonial order (1954-60) and continued under the period of geo-ethno-military internal colonial order (1960-1999) and in the democratic dispensation between 1999 to date is yet an unresolved contending issues in the discourse about Nigeria’s federalism. He challenged the â€Å"Tripod† approach to Nigeria’s problem where the three major ethnic nationalities decide the content and the trend of national issues. This tripod approach to Nigerian politics, should have been done away with by now, with the introduction of the notion of ‘federal character’, which takes states in the federation as the units of representation. The tripod approach to Nigerian politics applies to how the oil, which comes from the non-majority areas, is approached in the political and economic discourse. We should also be aware of the feeling among the majority ethnic nationalities that the areas producing oil by virtue of powerlessness in the military and politics should not be allowed to lay claim to the oil from their areas as of right†. However, theres a distinction between oil producing communities and oil producing states. This is the basis of the activities of the Traditional Rulers of the Producing Communities who are dealing with the President and want the money due to states on the basis of the 13% derivation in the Constitution should be paid to the â€Å"oil producing communities/local government areas†. The Traditional Rulers’ argument is that â€Å"communities† own oil and not â€Å"states†. This is an unresolved issue and separates the communities in riverside areas directly affected by oil spillages from their compatriots in landed areas from enjoying the full benefits of allocations to producing states. One does not know the end of this argument. How should the National Assembly address this matter? The federal government should find a way of making the oil producing local government administrative areas as shareholders in the joint venture arrangements with the oil companies, thus making them stakeholders in the oil industry. There was the issue of who should be spending the oil money. Should it be the Nigerian government in conjunction with the oil producing areas? Should it be the oil producing areas alone? The Constitution from 1960 till after the civil war up till 1978 gave the right of ownership to the federal government but the proceeds were shared between the federal government and the regions or states on the basis of derivation like the agricultural crops. 4) Federation Account and the Derivation Fund It is important to define what constitutes the Federation Account – to which the various vertical revenue allocation formulae have been applied and what should be directly financed from it. Up to 1990, the amount accruing yearly to the Federation Account was still over 96% of totally federally collected revenue; but since 1991, when it first dropped to about 75% and nose-dived to around 35% by 1997, it showed no sign of recovery (Olowononi, 1999). It is therefore clear, that in such a situation, whatever the vertical formula applicable, there must still be a serious fiscal imbalance between the ederal government and the two lower tiers of government. It is crucial to redress this revenue imbalance in the spirit of balanced true federalism. What appears to account for this imbalance is the assertion of the self-claimed right by the federal government to finance various first-line charges from the Federation Account before the application of the vertical formula. The first-line charges include funding for external debt service, national priority projects, NNPC priority projects, special reserve account, and excess proceeds of the crude oil sales account, and in addition, the joint venture cash calls account. These deductions are made from the proceeds of crude oil sales before the derivation fund in the Federation Account is arrived at, and after which further deductions for special funds and the funding of the federal capital territory are made. It will seem more logical, with the exception of the joint venture case calls, that these various charges which are federal government obligations be financed solely from the federal government’s revenue proper, that is, from its share of the Federation Account or from its revenue from other sources. Therefore, in order to determine what constitutes the derivation fund, resolving the issue of the Federation Account is crucial. Thereafter, the derivation formula to be utilized can be arrived at. 5) Oil – Producing Areas and the Derivation Principle The crude oil production has been the most important economic activity in the Nigerian economy since the early 1970s is not subject to debate. Its impact is not limited to its contributing almost 90% of Nigeria’s total foreign exchange earnings but also to the fact that the national budgets are predicated on the expected annual production and price of crude oil.

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Advertising Influences Purchasing Decisions Of Students Marketing Essay

Advertising Influences Purchasing Decisions Of Students Marketing Essay Total 2010 UK advertising expenditure amounted to 14.5 billion. Of this, more than 80 per cent was spent on display advertising in the press, broadcast, print and outdoor media. (Source: The Advertising Association) Under the current circumstances, advertising represents one of the major sectors in the economy with millions of workers worldwide. The efficiency of functioning of the economy in general, to a considerable degree, depends on that sector. Advertising accompanies competition between companies and is an essential attribute of the market economy. 1.2 Background Companies need to understand consumer behaviour in order to find the best way on how to shift demand of products in their favour. When companies are able to discover the reasons why consumers make particular purchasing decisions, they can adapt their marketing efforts to better suit the needs of the consumers. Understanding consumer behaviour may result in increased sales and improved profit performance of the organization. Classical microeconomic theories of consumer behaviour have focused on the principles of rational consumer behaviour, which suggests that consumers choice is primarily a matter of personal preferences, whereas utility theory of consumer behaviour maintains that consumer choices reflect their attempt to secure maximum usefulness from their financial resources. Citation! While classical theories still apply in contemporary western societies, the role of mass media, internet and various aspect of modern culture may have fundamentally changed many elements in the understanding of consumer behaviour. Also marketing opportunities available in the digital information age have altered the way how consumer choice is being shaped and used for profit. Advertising is perhaps the first thing that people think about when considering marketing. Companies must do more than make good products they must inform consumers about product benefits and carefully position products in consumers minds. To do this, they must skilfully use the mass-promotion tools of advertising. Advertising strategy consists of two major elements: creating advertising messages and selecting advertising media. Media planners consider many factors when making their media choices. The media habits of target consumers will affect media choice advertisers look for media that reach target consumers effectively. Target audiences are set to focus on different groups: adults, teens, pre-schoolers and other groups. It is essential to become familiar the target market, their habits, behaviours and attitude to advertising in general. It is known that student youth is less conservative in their views and decisions, comparing to others age and social groups. 1.3 Research Aims and Rationale Based on the above information, the main aim of the research is to investigate the extent to which the purchasing decisions of students in the UK are influenced by the advertisement campaigns. During the preparation of the current research paper a questionnaire was carried out among Queen Marys students, which aimed to study their attitude to advertising. Survey sample covered opinions of 20 young people between the ages of 21-24, that is students in their last years of studies. The survey had a probing character and could not represent the aggregate of the student youth population or even more general adult audience with statistical precision. However it offers a clear representation of dominating tendencies in preferences and opinions of the chosen audience, which is the main aim of mass advertising. 1.4 Outline of the Project The second chapter of this project will review the literature, and will focus on the importance of choosing an advertising media. Chapter 3 will introduce research method and procedures. Reasons for specific questions will be considered. Chapter 4 will report and analyse the results of the conducted survey. Finally a conclusion will be made in Chapter 5. It will also include recommendations for further research. Chapter 2: Literature review Advertising is an important means by which economic enterprises communicate with both their current and potential customers. It is often said that to be effective an advertisement must be read, understood, believed, remembered and acted upon (Adcock, Halborg, Ross, 2001) There are five principal ways in which a company can communicate with its markets: Media advertising (commercial television and radio, the press, posters, cinema and direct mail/internet) Public relations activities Selling Merchandising Packaging (Chisnal, 2001) These promotional activities are at the heart of effective marketing strategies. According to Adcock, Halborg, Ross, (2001) advertising strategy consists of two major elements: creating advertising messages and selecting advertising media. The major steps in media selection are: deciding on reach, frequency and impact; choosing among major media types; selecting specific media vehicles; and deciding on media timing. Media planners consider many factors when making their media choices. The media habits of target consumers will affect media choice advertisers look for media that reach target consumers effectively (Kotler, Armstrong, 1997). For example fashions are best advertised in colour magazines while daily newspapers are a first consideration in advertising real estate. Therefore different types of messages may require different media. The major media types are newspapers, television, radio, magazines, outdoor and the Internet. It is important to list advantages and limitations of these mediums, as they will prove to be guidelines in the interpretation of the observed results. For example, newspapers appeal for their timeliness and high believability. However, its audience is relatively small. On the other hand television has good mass market coverage and combines sight, sound and motion but it is quite expensive. Magazines are known for their credibility and prestige. Advantages of outdoor advertising are high repeat exposure and low cost, while lack of creativeness is its limitation (Adcock, Halborg, Ross, 2001). Advertising on the Internet is a growing market; commercials are very flexible and can be viewed anytime. Cost is another major factor in media choice. Whereas television is very expensive, for example, newspaper advertising costs much less. Setting the advertising budget is a complex task. Some critics claim that large consumer packaged-goods firms tend to spend too much on advertising. They claim that the large consumer companies use lots of image advertising without really knowing its effects. They overspend as a form of insurance against not spending enough. (Kotler, Armstrong, 1997) For a long time, television and magazines have dominated in the media mixes of advertisers with other media being neglected (Jobber, 1995). Recently, however, the costs of these media have gone up and audiences have dropped. Advertisers are now increasingly turning to alternative media, such as outdoor advertising or the Internet. The question that concerns companies remains the same: how much effect does advertising spending really has on consumer buying and branding royalty? In order to answer it media impact must be re-examined regularly. Chapter 3: Research Method and Procedure 3.1 Introduction The current research paper is concerned with determining an appropriate media type (medium) which better suits habits and preferences of the observed population. This chapter re Therefore the aim of this chapter is to review the research methods which were used in this project. It is necessary for a researcher to choose a suitable method for the problem. To get a full picture a blend of qualitative and quantative research analysis is recommended. This research will take the following procedure: define the research objectives, develop the research approach and examine the process. 3.2 Research Objectives. This research takes into consideration three main objectives. Firstly, it seeks to determine respondents attitudes to advertising in general. Secondly, it tries to identify students preferences among different types of media. The final objective of the survey is concerned with evaluating the impacts of advertisement campaigns on the purchasing decisions of students in the UK. Research sample Since the population all International Students in London is too big, the sample, that is going to be extracted from the population, are twenty Queen Mary University students doing Pre-Masters foundation Program in 2010-11. The sample technique that is going to be used is a simple random sampling or just random sampling. This method assumes that each unit has exactly the same chance to be selected and used in order to avoid any bias 3.3 Research Approach and Instruments. There are several methods of collecting data for a research. In the current paper the primary data was collected using questionnaires. This method has proved to be efficient way in getting both quantative and qualitative data. The questionnaire (Appendix 1) incorporated both main types of questions which are commonly used in surveys: open-ended questions and closed questions. Open questions are interesting because of the spontaneity and individual flavour of the replies, but frequently it is difficult to compress free answers into a limited number of computer coding. Whereas open questions gave to the research depth and range of information, findings in closed questions provided the research with statistical evidence. 3.4 Process Interviewer was recording all answers verbatim because there is always a danger of interviewer bias through inaccurate recording. In order to make the sampling random, the survey will be conducted in place and at the time when it is highly possible to chose from relatively large number of students 3.4 Specific questions Question 1 and 2 determines Question 3 is marketing question Questions 4 and 5 attempts to Questions 6 to 8 looks at In giving an answer to the question 1: What is your attitude to advertising in general? respondents had a considerable freedom in phrasing an answer, which may be lengthy and detailed, and in his or her own words. In the question 3 respondents were able to choose from a range of possible answers. The simple follow up question invited to give a more detailed explanation on the subject. Questions 4 to 8 were closed type questions, which call strictly limited responses. The respondents were offered a choice of alternative replies from which he or she was expected to select an answer corresponding to his or her personal views on a particular subject. The research used simple binary questions requiring yes or no answer. 3.5 Summary The results of this process will appear and be analysed in the next chapter. Chapter 4: Results 4.1 Introduction This project sought to examine exposure to advertising media among students and find out to what extent advertising influences their purchasing decisions. To achieve the research projects aim and rationale, a questionnaire was utilized as stated in the previous chapter. The following section will present and analyse results (see Appendix 2) of this survey. 4.2 Findings. Part 1 As shown in Figure 1, the largest proportion of respondents prefers television, whereas magazines took the second place. The results also indicate that the Internet is the third most popular media, while newspaper and outdoor advertising share the fourth place. The percentages indicate the proportion of total votes students gave to a specific media. Respondents could make multiple choices in this question. From the qualitative data, the popularity of television was not a surprise as it combines sight, sound and motion. It was described by respondents as the most effective and the best medium for advertising. Its advantage lies in broad mass market coverage. It is believed that magazines appeal to students for their credibility and prestige; long life and good secondary readership (Adcock, Halborg and Ross, 2001). Students explained that it is good for fashion, and pictures of movie stars make it attractive. Outdoor media was described as the most creative and eye catching. It is interesting to note that on the contrary (Ibid) mentioned little creativity as a negative side of this type of media. Newspapers appeal for its timeliness and high believability (Ibid). It is noted that they are popular among respondents who spend a lot of time travelling. Internet advertising is a relatively new media type. However, the number of its admirers grows. It can be partly explained by the growing popularity of online shopping. Another advantage is that it has no time limitation and can be viewed day and night. However, respondents mentioned spam as its negative point. Radio came last, probably due to its disadvantages, being that it has fleeting exposure and encourages lack of concentration. 4.2 Finding. Part 2 The figure 2 below shows responses to questions 1-2 and 4-8. The bar chart clearly shows students opinions on specific subjects. The majority of students have a positive attitude to advertising and commonly cite its informative function. In other words it creates awareness of products. It is noted that some students see the artistic value in commercials. Advertising creates awareness, so it is no wonder that majority (65%) prefer advertised products over unadvertised (question 4). However, there is a strong opinion that quality products do not need advertising. There have been quite a few commercials that state that a product of their company is better than the competitors product. The results show that the vast majority of respondents do not believe those commercials. Therefore, might be a good idea for companies not to employ such advertising strategies. Slightly more than a half of respondent believe that commercials help them to make a better purchase. It is noted that consumers are better off when exposed to some information about the product before buying it. However 45% prefer to do their own research about the product. Answers to the question 7 clearly show the power of advertising. Eighty five per cent of students wanted to try something just because they saw it in a commercial. It is noted, that respondents were curious and wanted try a product to see whether it was as good as the commercial said it was. It is important to note that 70% of respondents sometimes sing songs from commercials. This may work as an indicator for companies that adding an appealing tune to a commercial can increase sales. 4.3 Summary The results have helped to reach the objectives of this research. This chapter has attempted to compare findings with description of Adcock, Halborg and Ross, (2001). Summary will appear in the next chapter. Chapter 5: Conclusion Introduction This chapter will summarize the findings of this research project, highlight some of the interesting results, offer practical implications, cite limitations of this project and give suggestions for further research. Summary of Findings and Interesting Findings The purpose of the current study was to identify an advertising media with the largest exposure and find out the effect it has on its target audience. Results were analysed in the previous chapter. Practical implications of this research were also considered. Identifying and understanding the target audience is important for companies who use advertising tools to promote their products. The evidence about students preferences among different media types may help companies to better allocate their advertising space. Results have shown that students have positive attitude towards advertising in general because it carries an informative function, creates awareness and helps them to make a better purchase. Some interesting results were found. For example, an advertising strategy, when a company positions their products as superior to a competitors products proved ineffective as only few students trusted such commercials. Companies may also consider adding appealing songs to their commercials. Limitations of the Research The current study was limited by the size of the sample and imbalance concerning the students country of origin. Since all of the respondents within this project were international students, the findings do not necessarily reflect the habits and opinions of all students. This is important since advertising campaigns usually target the values of the western societies and different cultures may have different attitudes towards advertising. Therefore, it would be important to conduct further research in this area of media influence and involve more respondents from western culture countries. Another limitation is that the questionnaire might have been more complete if it incorporated likelihood scales. Recommendations for further studies This research has raised many questions in need of investigation. The designed questions were not perfect so some other aspects may be needed to investigate what contributes to making a purchasing decision. Some factors examined in this research influence consumers but do not necessarily mean that they will make an actual purchase. For example, further research may investigate what advertising strategies such as verbal or visual elements appeal to consumers. Endnote This project has been concerned with advertisings influence on students purchasing decisions and the research indicates that choosing the correct advertising strategy is a crucial element in an effective marketing strategy. Bibliography Kotler Philip, Armstrong Gary Kotler Philip, Armstrong Gary, Saunders John, Wong Veronica Dennis Adcock, Al Halborg, Caroline Ross Principles and practise of marketing, Fourth edition published 2001. David Jobber, Principles and practice of marketing, 1995 Peter Chisnall, Marketing research, McGraw Hill, 2001 The Advertising Association. www.adassoc.org.uk

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Capital Punishment :: essays research papers

Capital Punishment I recently read an article from the ACLU, written by Adam Bedau. It explained, quite eloquently, that for society to execute a murderer made society no better than the murderer himself. He said, â€Å"The executioner is no better than the criminal.† I was impressed by this moral stance, but I was surprised to read that he failed to apply this logic consistently. For example, the he went on to argue that life imprisonment would be a more appropriate penalty for murder than death. Using this ACLU logic, it appears that for our society to lock someone in a room against his will and not free him for a considerable length of time makes our society no better than the everyday kidnapper. But if an individual locked another up against his will, wouldn’t the ACLU view this as kidnapping. Being from the Methodist faith I found this argument somewhat difficult. For in the Bible there is a scripture that states, â€Å"an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.† I presume the ACLU would agree that beatings or torture are also unacceptable forms of punishment for crimes. They seem to be inhumane. Yet in Eastern cultures, if one steals something, they lose a finger or two and sometimes an entire hand depending on the severity of the crime. This seems to be reason enough not to steal, as in these cultures there is a very low theft rate. Maybe the ACLU would find a monetary fine a more appropriate punishment? For society to take money away from someone against his will without giving him any tangible goods in return would make society a thief. Of course, the Bedau also explains that capital punishment brutalizes society, leading to even more murders. If we, as a society, adopt this no-punishment position, it logically follows that there would be less crime. Once criminals realized that no matter what they did, no fellow citizen would lift a finger to stop them, why, they’d just be so overcome with the generosity of their neighbors tha t they’d naturally be inclined to become upstanding, productive citizens.