Pip grows Essay

Pip grows up as a blacksmiths assistant yet he had always truly wanted to be a ‘gentleman’. He is stunned when he receives a copious amount of money from an unknown source. Pip quickly jumps to the assumption that his new found wealth had been provided by Miss Havisham. He goes to thank her and she carries on leading him down the wrong belief that this wealthy benefactor is her. Pip wishes to become a gentleman and traveled to London to complete his learning. He meets many characters that help him on his way through life. Pip becomes a stuck up snob who cares for nothing but himself and though he believes he is becoming a ‘gentleman’ he is only becoming rude, self obsessed and unable to see clearly once again. His actions were idiotic and lead to his own destruction when he becomes in debt and unable to help himself. He then find out to his surprise that the convict he helped so long ago when he was simply a troubled little boy is his benefactor and not Miss Havisham. I feel it is now that Pip comes to the realization that his images of Estella and Miss Havisham were only illusions and did not tell the truth that lay deeper in their dark hearts and personalities. Pip, however, is still obsessed with Estella and will not admit it because of his pride and snobbery. Miss Havisham repents her cruelty and also allowing Pip to believe she was something that she was not. Miss Havisham wishes for forgiveness and begs it from Pip. He however, he does not give it to her and she dies violently in a fire while Pip is with her in her house. Magwitch is then sentenced to death because of his return to England, Pip and two others then plan to help Magwitch by getting him abroad and out of danger but they fail to save him because they are stopped by the river-police and they find Compeyson onboard. Magwitch and Compeyson fight and struggle Compeyson drowns and Magwitch escapes with brutal injuries. He then dies later in prison and on his death bed tell pip that his daughter and Pip are in love. Magwitchs daughter is Estella. This news hits Pip and he is left alone while he sets up his own business with the very little money he had sense to save. Unfortunately he becomes ill but lucky for him Joe rescues him and pays off his debts. It is now Pips turn to repent his snobby actions and returns to Kent with the hope to marry Biddy. He find out that she is already married to Joe. Pip then goes abroad and returns seven years later only to meet Estella in the ruins of Satis House. It is there that they hint that they will be united. This is The story after his first two life changing encounters. Pip develops his character in many ways, especially in ways that were unexpected as when we first met him he seemed to be a boy who at such a young age had understood the identity of things and was kind and caring even through the hardship so early in his life. This does show that the money he received not only changed him but later helped him to see clearly in the way he had when he was just a young innocent boy. He suffered so much in his life but we as an audience must realise he did bring the majority of it on himself. It was brought through his snobbery and rejection of those that would have always been true to him no matter what and the reality that they did stay true to him. In a twisted way his money, snobbery and later suffering helped him in appreciating his life. If it was not for the late suffering he endured however her would not have redeemed himself and this point is crucial. Although it is hard to believe Miss Havisham and Estella could have experienced true feelings we do see that they learn to have genuine feelings of love and sadness. Miss Havisham shows her feelings with many thanks to Pip. The reason I say this is because when Miss Havisham realises the depth of Pips love for her adopted daughter Estella who she taught to hate and destroy men she remembers her love with Compeyson. She then remembers herself and understands her sins and does the only thing she thinks she can do. She takes responsibility for her actions. Miss Havisham asks for Pip’s forgiveness, helps Herbert Pocket and leaves and fortune to Herbert’s father. All of these self less acts show Miss Havisham, for on last time, became in touch with her feelings that she left behind so long ago. Estella not only show that she has feelings but she is understood as someone similar to Pip. Ignore her disdain and the audience will understand that she too was an orphan and a victim. They share so many similarities yet are separated so much by different positions in both life and society. They both use their surrogate parents to extract revenge from society. Pip uses Magwitch and Estella, of course, uses Miss Havisham. Estella is presented as a hated character because of her lack of care and love but she is to no extent evil she is only living and acting how she thinks she should because of what Miss Havisham taught her. Estella was taught many lessons but not to love. She is honest in admitting this and does not try to deny it. She tells Pip that she will toy with all men but not him and this presents a type of loyalty. I am certain that Estella knew of Pips love for her but she did not love him back because if the simple reason that she did not how to. Estella did show that she had some feelings for Pip when she allowed him to kiss her in their childhood. After her failed marriage I think that She came out of it scared of the world and the things she did not understand like love and I think she was scared of herself because she did not know how top react to situations due to the lack of information she was granted by Miss Havisham when she was young and innocent. Estella was a strong and proud character but she needed to be loved by someone that was not using her to succeed where they did not (Miss Havisham) or to just use her (Drummle). Although this novel was written more than 150 years ago its themes of love, snobbery, suffering and redemption are still relevant today and will still be relevant in another 150 years. I think that Charles Dickens was not ahead of his time when he wrote this, I feel he was at a point in his life were he had realised ‘†¦ the identity of things.. ‘ for himself. He knew like anyone who reads this book that these characters are not one person they represent so much more than that, society as a whole. Their suffering can be read into and developed more to explain difficulties we, the audience, go through today during our life. I can guarantee you that each and every character and their story will relate to another person in this world today and a person in the future too. Charles Dickens wrote this novel to help us understand what he did. This book is about life and death and all the pieces in between. A griping novel and a book which has one page to relate to a different part of life or a different life all together.

ESPN

Company Culture and Environment When employees arrive to work at their Bristol, Connecticut Headquarters, they are greeted only by a small, unassuming sign that says, â€Å"Welcome to ESPN. † In a calculated and understated way, this sign is representative of the culture that pervades throughout the organization. Simply stated, ESPN, the company is about the fans and the sports, not ESPN. This statement offers a preview of sorts to a culture at ESPN that truly goes the extra mile in emphasizing customer satisfaction by offering its programming thru state-of the art program offerings thru multiple channels.A brand promise sums up the essence and meaning of a brand and how the brand connects to its consumers. ESPN’s promise of delivering â€Å"Sports, with Authority and Personality,† clearly outlines what they do, how they do it and what differentiates them from their competition. With respect to Sports, ESPN connects to its fans through many platforms, including m ultiple television and radio programs, internet applications including television online, restaurants, and numerous mobile applications.In doing so ESPN strives to consistently deliver unmatched quality that is strengthened by leadership and innovation. As an Authority in sports programming, ESPN emphasizes integrity, authenticity and expertise that is unparalleled in the industry. Regarding Personality, ESPN emphasizes throughout its organization, the effective use of humor, passion and community by expressing their affinity for its fans regardless of origin.While the brand promise of ESPN is certainly evident throughout all of its programming through all of its delivery channels, it is its hiring practices that appear to give the most obvious credence to the company living up to this promise. From its inception ESPN maintained a policy of hiring employees that were/are first and foremost sports fanatics. ESPN saw sees this as a critical factor in having its employees display the l evel of enthusiasm and knowledge that it wanted to promote and display its brand promise.They also see this as an equalizer of sorts whereby everyone who views ESPN, regardless of race, color education could relate with one another. Anthony Smith, a management consultant who has worked with ESPN for over 20 years and author of ESPN; The Company, sums up the environment and culture at ESPN best when he wrote; â€Å"I can think of few other companies that do as good a job of creating an atmosphere of fun and excitement for its people and its customers – maybe Southwest Airlines in the airline industry, Starbucks in the consumer goods space, or Apple and Google in high-tech.But it’s hard to surpass ESPN. † (Smith, P. xxiii, ESPN; The Company. ) This information, combined with information gathered through direct conversations with ESPN Marketing employees would strongly indicate that ESPN has done an outstanding job of entrenching its brand promise both internally a mongst its work-force and externally through its broadly scoped programming. From an internal branding perspective ESPN appears to have achieved what all companies strive for; to entrench its vision and culture that pervades throughout everything it does. Espn COMPANY Case ESPN: The Evolution of an Entertainment Brand In the 2004 movie Anchorman character Ron Burgundy ( Will Ferrell) auditions for a position on SportsCenter with the very new and lit-tle known network, ESPN ( Entertainment and Sports Programming Network). The year was 1979. After pronouncing the name of the network â€Å" Espen,† he then is shocked to find out that ESPN is a round- the- clock sports network. Through his laughter, he asserts that the concept is as ridiculous as a 24- hour cooking network or an all- music channel. â€Å" Seriously,† he shouts. This thing is going to be a financial and cultural disaster. SportsCenter . . . that’s just dumb! † While this comical sketch is fictitious, when a young college graduate named George Bodenheimer took a job in the mailroom at ESPN it 1981, it was for real. Today, Mr. Bodenheimer is president of the network that has become one of the biggest franchises in sports, not to mention one of the most successful and envied brands in the entertainment world. As a cable network, ESPN commands $ 2. 91 from cable operators for each subscriber every month. Compare that to $ 1. 7 for Fox Sports, 89 cents for TNT, and only 40 cents for CNN. The core ESPN channel alone is currently in more than 96 million homes. With that kind of premium power, it’s no wonder that ESPN shocked the world in 2006 by becoming the first cable network to land the coveted TV contract for Monday Night Football, which went on to become the highest rated cable series ever. But even with its three sibling channels ( ESPN2, ESPNEWS, and ESPN Classic), the ESPN cable network is only one piece of a bigger brand puzzle that has become Bodenheimer’s $ 6 billion sports empire.Through very savvy strategic planning, Bodenheimer is realizing his vision of taking quality sports content across the widest possible collection of media assets to reach sports fans wherever they may be. Employing a hands- off manage ment style, Bodenheimer has cultivated a brand that is brash, tech savvy, cre-ative, and innovative. He tells employees that ESPN belongs to all of them. He gives them the freedom to come up with their own ideas and push them forward. His only rule is that every new ideaand push them forward.His only rule is that every new idea must focus on fulfilling ESPN’s mission of reaching sports fans and making them happy. In the process, ESPN has become as recog-nized and revered by its customers as other megabrands such as Tide, Nike, and Coca- Cola are to theirs. Bodenheimer’s career- spanning dedication has grown ESPN to well over 50 businesses. The all- sports network has become a truly multiplatform brand, a rarity for any TV network. This growth has given ESPN tremendous reach. ESPN. com alone reaches 22. 4 million viewers a week.But even more stunning is the fact that during any seven- day period, 120 million people ages 12 to 64 interact with some ESPN medium. Here†™s a rundown of ESPN’s portfolio of brands: Television: ESPN has sprawled into six cable channels and other TV divisions that give it both a local ( ESPN Regional Television) and global ( ESPN International and ESPN Deportes) presence. It was one of the first networks to break new ground in HDTV with simulcast service for ESPN and ESPN2 and it still maintains the most HD programming content and highest level of HD viewership in sports.Cable operators and viewers alike consistently rank ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Classic above all other channels with respect to perceived value and programming quality. But perhaps one of the most innovative moves in all of tel-evision sports occurred in 2003, when ESPN content was inte-grated into its sibling network ABC. ESPN on ABC is now the home for the NBA Finals, NASCAR, NCAA football, NCAA bas-ketball, World Cup Soccer, British Open, and the IndyCar Series. Although ESPN has numerous cable channel brands, one program stands out as a brand in its own right. SportsCenter was ESPN’s first program.And with as many as 93 million view-ers each month, it remains the network’s flagship studio show. SportsCenter is the only nightly, full- hour sports news program. And whereas, in the past, ESPN has rebroadcast taped episodes of SportsCenter during the day, a new schedule incorporating nine straight hours of live SportsCenter everyday from 6 a. m. to 3 p. m. will begin in the fall of 2008. Outside the United States, ESPN airs 14 local versions of SportsCenter broadcast in eight languages. Radio: Whereas many radio formats are suffering, sports radio is thriving.And ESPN Radio is the nation’s largest sports radio network with 750 U. S. affiliates and more than 335 full- time stations. In addition to college and major league sports events, the network broadcasts syndicated sports talk shows, providing more than 9,000 hours of content annually. Publishing: ESPN The Magazine launched in 1998 and immedi-ately beg an carving out market share with its bold look, bright col-ors, and unconventional type, a combination consistent with its content. With the dominance of Sports Illustrated, many didn’t give ESPN’s magazine enture much of a chance. Within its first year, ESPN The Magazine was circulating 800,000 copies. Today, that number has ballooned two- and- a- half times to 2 million, whereas Sports Illustrated has remained at a stagnant 3. 3 million. At the same time, ESPN is making headway into one of the oldest of all media: books. Although ESPN Books is still waiting for a megaseller, because of the cross- marketing opportunities with the other arms of ESPN, this small division has consider-able marketing clout in a struggling industry. If they didn’t have the TV stuff and everything else, they’d be as hard-pressed as other publishers to make these books into major events,† said Rick Wolff, executive editor at Warner Books. Internet: ESPN. com is the leadin g sports Web site, and ESPNRadio. com is the most listened to online sports destination, boasting live streaming and 32 original podcasts each week. But the rising star in ESPN’s online portfolio is ESPN360. com, a subscription- based broadband offering that delivers high-quality, customized, on- demand video content.Not only can fans access content carried on ESPN’s other networks, but they also get exclusive content and sports video games. For the true sports fan, there’s nothing like it— it allows viewers to watch up to six different events at the same time choosing from live events for all major professional and college sports. Since ESPN360. com began service in 2006, this broadband effort has doubled its distribution and now reaches 20 million homes. Beyond working through its own Web sites, ESPN is exploring the limits of the Internet through an open distribu-tion venture with AOL.By providing ESPN content via a branded ESPN video player in AOLâ₠¬â„¢s portal, viewers have more access to ESPN’s content. But advertisers also benefit from a larger online audience than ever before. Mobile: In 2005, ESPN ventured in to one of its trickiest and riskiest brand extensions to date. Mobile ESPN was designed as ESPN’s own cell phone network, putting content into sports fans’ pockets 24/ 7. But after a year, the venture was far from breaking even and ESPN shut it down. However, even though Mobile ESPN is down, it’s not out.ESPN has capitalized on the lessons learned and started over with a different strategy. Today, ESPN provides real- time scores, stats, news, highlights, and even programming through every major U. S. carrier, with premium content available through Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm. Mobile ESPN also reaches an international audience of mobile customers through more than 35 international carriers. ESPN’s mission with its mobile venture is to â€Å" serve the sports fan any time, anywhere , and from any device. In fall 2007, it reached a major milestone in that goal when more people sought NFL content from its mobile- phone Web site than from its PC Web site. â€Å" We’re having extraordinary growth on ESPN. com’s NFL pages, but we’re also seeing extraordinary usage with mobile devices as well,† said Ed Erhardt, president of ESPN Sports customer marketing and sales. Mr. Erhardt sees great potential in mobile, saying that it is â€Å" a big part of the future as it relates to how fans are going to consume sports. Bodehnheimer and his team see no limit to how far they can take the ESPN brand. In addition to the above ventures, ESPN extends its reach through event management ( X Games, Winter X Games, ESPN Outdoors & Bass), consumer products ( CDs, DVDs, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Golf Schools), and even a chain of ESPN Zone restaurants and SportsCenter Studio stores. ESPN content is now reaching viewers through agencies that place it in airport s and on planes, in health clubs, and even in gas stations. â€Å" Now you’re not going to be bored when you fill up your tank.It gives new meaning to pulling into a full- service station,† says Bodenheimer. â€Å" I’ve been on flights where people are watching our content and don’t want to get off the flight. † A powerful media brand results not only in direct revenues from selling products but also in advertising revenues. Advertising accounts for about 40 percent of ESPN’s overall revenues. With so many ways to reach the customer, ESPN offers very creative and flexible package deals for any marketer trying to reach the cov-eted and illusive 18– 34 year old male demographic. Nobody attracts more men than we do,† asserts Bodenheimer. â€Å" We’ve got a product and we know how to cater to advertisers’ needs. The merchandising opportunities we provide, whether it’s work-ing with Home Depot, Wal- Mart, or Dic k’s Sporting Goods, we want to partner if you want young men. † As amazing as the ESPN brand portfolio is, it is even more amazing when you consider that it is part of the mammoth ABC portfolio, which in turn is a part of The Walt Disney Company portfolio.However, it is no small piece of the Disney pie. ESPN revenues alone accounted for about 18 percent of Disney’s total in 2007. Since obtaining ESPN as part of the 1995 ABC acquisi-tion, because ESPN has delivered on the numbers, Disney has allowed ESPN to do pretty much whatever it wants to do. Just a few years after the acquisition, Disney’s then- CEO Michael Eisner told investors, â€Å" We bought ABC media network and ESPN for $ 19 billion in 1995. ESPN is worth substantially more than we paid for the entire acquisition. And Disney leverages that value every way that it can, from Mouse House advertising package deals to conditionally attaching its cable channels to the ESPN networks through cable oper ators. Questions for Discussion 1. In a succinct manner, describe what the ESPN brand means to consumers. 2. What is ESPN selling? Discuss this in terms of the core bene-fit, actual product, and augmented product levels of ESPN. 3. Does ESPN have strong brand equity? How does its brand equity relate to its brand value? . Cite as many examples as you can of co- branding efforts involving the ESPN brand. For each of these cases, what are the benefits and possible risks to ESPN? 5. Analyze EPSN according to the brand development strategies from the text. What have they done in the past? What would you recommend to ESPN for future brand development? Sources: Alice Cuneo, â€Å" More Football Fans Hit ESPN’s Mobile Site Than Its PC Pages,† Advertising Age, January 7, 2008, p. 7; Mike Shields, â€Å" ESPN, AOL Strike Web Video Deal,† Brandweek, April 8, 2008, accessed online at www. brandweek. com; Andrew Hampp, â€Å" ESPN Makes Jump to Major League,† Advertis ing Age, May 14, 2007, p. 32; Ronald Grover, â€Å" Comcast’s C- TV: Channeling Disney,† BusinessWeek. com, December 1, 2006; Jeffrey Trachtenberg, â€Å" ESPN’s Next Hurdle: Selling Its Audience on Books,† Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2007; Jason Brown, â€Å" Out- of- Home TV Ads Finally Coming of Age,† Television Week, January 28, 2008, p. 12; also see www. espnmediazone. com. Espn COMPANY Case ESPN: The Evolution of an Entertainment Brand In the 2004 movie Anchorman character Ron Burgundy ( Will Ferrell) auditions for a position on SportsCenter with the very new and lit-tle known network, ESPN ( Entertainment and Sports Programming Network). The year was 1979. After pronouncing the name of the network â€Å" Espen,† he then is shocked to find out that ESPN is a round- the- clock sports network. Through his laughter, he asserts that the concept is as ridiculous as a 24- hour cooking network or an all- music channel. â€Å" Seriously,† he shouts. This thing is going to be a financial and cultural disaster. SportsCenter . . . that’s just dumb! † While this comical sketch is fictitious, when a young college graduate named George Bodenheimer took a job in the mailroom at ESPN it 1981, it was for real. Today, Mr. Bodenheimer is president of the network that has become one of the biggest franchises in sports, not to mention one of the most successful and envied brands in the entertainment world. As a cable network, ESPN commands $ 2. 91 from cable operators for each subscriber every month. Compare that to $ 1. 7 for Fox Sports, 89 cents for TNT, and only 40 cents for CNN. The core ESPN channel alone is currently in more than 96 million homes. With that kind of premium power, it’s no wonder that ESPN shocked the world in 2006 by becoming the first cable network to land the coveted TV contract for Monday Night Football, which went on to become the highest rated cable series ever. But even with its three sibling channels ( ESPN2, ESPNEWS, and ESPN Classic), the ESPN cable network is only one piece of a bigger brand puzzle that has become Bodenheimer’s $ 6 billion sports empire.Through very savvy strategic planning, Bodenheimer is realizing his vision of taking quality sports content across the widest possible collection of media assets to reach sports fans wherever they may be. Employing a hands- off manage ment style, Bodenheimer has cultivated a brand that is brash, tech savvy, cre-ative, and innovative. He tells employees that ESPN belongs to all of them. He gives them the freedom to come up with their own ideas and push them forward. His only rule is that every new ideaand push them forward.His only rule is that every new idea must focus on fulfilling ESPN’s mission of reaching sports fans and making them happy. In the process, ESPN has become as recog-nized and revered by its customers as other megabrands such as Tide, Nike, and Coca- Cola are to theirs. Bodenheimer’s career- spanning dedication has grown ESPN to well over 50 businesses. The all- sports network has become a truly multiplatform brand, a rarity for any TV network. This growth has given ESPN tremendous reach. ESPN. com alone reaches 22. 4 million viewers a week.But even more stunning is the fact that during any seven- day period, 120 million people ages 12 to 64 interact with some ESPN medium. Here†™s a rundown of ESPN’s portfolio of brands: Television: ESPN has sprawled into six cable channels and other TV divisions that give it both a local ( ESPN Regional Television) and global ( ESPN International and ESPN Deportes) presence. It was one of the first networks to break new ground in HDTV with simulcast service for ESPN and ESPN2 and it still maintains the most HD programming content and highest level of HD viewership in sports.Cable operators and viewers alike consistently rank ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Classic above all other channels with respect to perceived value and programming quality. But perhaps one of the most innovative moves in all of tel-evision sports occurred in 2003, when ESPN content was inte-grated into its sibling network ABC. ESPN on ABC is now the home for the NBA Finals, NASCAR, NCAA football, NCAA bas-ketball, World Cup Soccer, British Open, and the IndyCar Series. Although ESPN has numerous cable channel brands, one program stands out as a brand in its own right. SportsCenter was ESPN’s first program.And with as many as 93 million view-ers each month, it remains the network’s flagship studio show. SportsCenter is the only nightly, full- hour sports news program. And whereas, in the past, ESPN has rebroadcast taped episodes of SportsCenter during the day, a new schedule incorporating nine straight hours of live SportsCenter everyday from 6 a. m. to 3 p. m. will begin in the fall of 2008. Outside the United States, ESPN airs 14 local versions of SportsCenter broadcast in eight languages. Radio: Whereas many radio formats are suffering, sports radio is thriving.And ESPN Radio is the nation’s largest sports radio network with 750 U. S. affiliates and more than 335 full- time stations. In addition to college and major league sports events, the network broadcasts syndicated sports talk shows, providing more than 9,000 hours of content annually. Publishing: ESPN The Magazine launched in 1998 and immedi-ately beg an carving out market share with its bold look, bright col-ors, and unconventional type, a combination consistent with its content. With the dominance of Sports Illustrated, many didn’t give ESPN’s magazine enture much of a chance. Within its first year, ESPN The Magazine was circulating 800,000 copies. Today, that number has ballooned two- and- a- half times to 2 million, whereas Sports Illustrated has remained at a stagnant 3. 3 million. At the same time, ESPN is making headway into one of the oldest of all media: books. Although ESPN Books is still waiting for a megaseller, because of the cross- marketing opportunities with the other arms of ESPN, this small division has consider-able marketing clout in a struggling industry. If they didn’t have the TV stuff and everything else, they’d be as hard-pressed as other publishers to make these books into major events,† said Rick Wolff, executive editor at Warner Books. Internet: ESPN. com is the leadin g sports Web site, and ESPNRadio. com is the most listened to online sports destination, boasting live streaming and 32 original podcasts each week. But the rising star in ESPN’s online portfolio is ESPN360. com, a subscription- based broadband offering that delivers high-quality, customized, on- demand video content.Not only can fans access content carried on ESPN’s other networks, but they also get exclusive content and sports video games. For the true sports fan, there’s nothing like it— it allows viewers to watch up to six different events at the same time choosing from live events for all major professional and college sports. Since ESPN360. com began service in 2006, this broadband effort has doubled its distribution and now reaches 20 million homes. Beyond working through its own Web sites, ESPN is exploring the limits of the Internet through an open distribu-tion venture with AOL.By providing ESPN content via a branded ESPN video player in AOLâ₠¬â„¢s portal, viewers have more access to ESPN’s content. But advertisers also benefit from a larger online audience than ever before. Mobile: In 2005, ESPN ventured in to one of its trickiest and riskiest brand extensions to date. Mobile ESPN was designed as ESPN’s own cell phone network, putting content into sports fans’ pockets 24/ 7. But after a year, the venture was far from breaking even and ESPN shut it down. However, even though Mobile ESPN is down, it’s not out.ESPN has capitalized on the lessons learned and started over with a different strategy. Today, ESPN provides real- time scores, stats, news, highlights, and even programming through every major U. S. carrier, with premium content available through Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm. Mobile ESPN also reaches an international audience of mobile customers through more than 35 international carriers. ESPN’s mission with its mobile venture is to â€Å" serve the sports fan any time, anywhere , and from any device. In fall 2007, it reached a major milestone in that goal when more people sought NFL content from its mobile- phone Web site than from its PC Web site. â€Å" We’re having extraordinary growth on ESPN. com’s NFL pages, but we’re also seeing extraordinary usage with mobile devices as well,† said Ed Erhardt, president of ESPN Sports customer marketing and sales. Mr. Erhardt sees great potential in mobile, saying that it is â€Å" a big part of the future as it relates to how fans are going to consume sports. Bodehnheimer and his team see no limit to how far they can take the ESPN brand. In addition to the above ventures, ESPN extends its reach through event management ( X Games, Winter X Games, ESPN Outdoors & Bass), consumer products ( CDs, DVDs, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Golf Schools), and even a chain of ESPN Zone restaurants and SportsCenter Studio stores. ESPN content is now reaching viewers through agencies that place it in airport s and on planes, in health clubs, and even in gas stations. â€Å" Now you’re not going to be bored when you fill up your tank.It gives new meaning to pulling into a full- service station,† says Bodenheimer. â€Å" I’ve been on flights where people are watching our content and don’t want to get off the flight. † A powerful media brand results not only in direct revenues from selling products but also in advertising revenues. Advertising accounts for about 40 percent of ESPN’s overall revenues. With so many ways to reach the customer, ESPN offers very creative and flexible package deals for any marketer trying to reach the cov-eted and illusive 18– 34 year old male demographic. Nobody attracts more men than we do,† asserts Bodenheimer. â€Å" We’ve got a product and we know how to cater to advertisers’ needs. The merchandising opportunities we provide, whether it’s work-ing with Home Depot, Wal- Mart, or Dic k’s Sporting Goods, we want to partner if you want young men. † As amazing as the ESPN brand portfolio is, it is even more amazing when you consider that it is part of the mammoth ABC portfolio, which in turn is a part of The Walt Disney Company portfolio.However, it is no small piece of the Disney pie. ESPN revenues alone accounted for about 18 percent of Disney’s total in 2007. Since obtaining ESPN as part of the 1995 ABC acquisi-tion, because ESPN has delivered on the numbers, Disney has allowed ESPN to do pretty much whatever it wants to do. Just a few years after the acquisition, Disney’s then- CEO Michael Eisner told investors, â€Å" We bought ABC media network and ESPN for $ 19 billion in 1995. ESPN is worth substantially more than we paid for the entire acquisition. And Disney leverages that value every way that it can, from Mouse House advertising package deals to conditionally attaching its cable channels to the ESPN networks through cable oper ators. Questions for Discussion 1. In a succinct manner, describe what the ESPN brand means to consumers. 2. What is ESPN selling? Discuss this in terms of the core bene-fit, actual product, and augmented product levels of ESPN. 3. Does ESPN have strong brand equity? How does its brand equity relate to its brand value? . Cite as many examples as you can of co- branding efforts involving the ESPN brand. For each of these cases, what are the benefits and possible risks to ESPN? 5. Analyze EPSN according to the brand development strategies from the text. What have they done in the past? What would you recommend to ESPN for future brand development? Sources: Alice Cuneo, â€Å" More Football Fans Hit ESPN’s Mobile Site Than Its PC Pages,† Advertising Age, January 7, 2008, p. 7; Mike Shields, â€Å" ESPN, AOL Strike Web Video Deal,† Brandweek, April 8, 2008, accessed online at www. brandweek. com; Andrew Hampp, â€Å" ESPN Makes Jump to Major League,† Advertis ing Age, May 14, 2007, p. 32; Ronald Grover, â€Å" Comcast’s C- TV: Channeling Disney,† BusinessWeek. com, December 1, 2006; Jeffrey Trachtenberg, â€Å" ESPN’s Next Hurdle: Selling Its Audience on Books,† Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2007; Jason Brown, â€Å" Out- of- Home TV Ads Finally Coming of Age,† Television Week, January 28, 2008, p. 12; also see www. espnmediazone. com.

A Study Of Preoperational Stage As Given In Child Development Theory

A Study Of Preoperational Stage As Given In Child Development Theory The Preoperational Stage The Preoperational stage is one out of four Piaget Stages. It occurs during the ages of two to seven years. There are limitations to the child’s thoughts during this stage. What the child sees is automatically what is real, to them. This stage is a very visual stage for a child. During this stage, children have a lack of conservation, no identity constancy and egocentrism. There is a lack of conservation among children during this time of their life. According to Piaget, conservation is basically the amount of a substance remains the same no matter if it changed its shape or form. Children do not have the ability to understand â€Å"conservation.† An example of a children’s lack of conservation skills, is when a child is shown two glasses of milk with the same amount. Then the adult will pour one glass of milk into a larger, thin one. The child will usually say that the larger, thin glass of milk has more liquid than the first glass, when in fact they are both the same amount. Children cannot grasp the fact that a task can be reversed. Children during this age usually look at what they think looks the best. They will usually pick the item that is most visually appealing, which is called Centering. Centering will affect Class Inclusion: â€Å"the understanding that a general category can encompass several subordinate elements† (Bels ky 147). Kids will not look at the bigger picture, and will jump into conclusions rather quickly than an older person would. Conservation is something a child will learn, as they grow older. During this stage, children will not have identity constancy. Kids will not be able to know that a person wearing a costume is not real; but to them, it is real because that is what they see. They do not know that the person is still himself or herself on the inside despite what they see on the outside. Animism is also very prominent during this stage. Children believe that inanimate objects have feelings and abilities that humans do. I believe a lot of people can relate with this, having a teddy bear and thinking that it had feelings. And during the ages of two to seven, children also think that their parents or any grown-up has the ability to do anything. This is called artificialism. A lot of kids go through this stage in life, where they believe that humans are capable of doing impossible things. Kids just look at what they see and automatically believe it. Lastly, egocentrism is an important element during the preoperational stage. Young children do not know that other people have different beliefs or thoughts. They believe that everything revolves around them, but not in a conceited manner. Children during this age just do not have much awareness of their surroundings; they think that whatever they believe is what others believe, as well. Egocentrism among children does not last forever, because they will learn and gain awareness, as they grow older. During the preoperational period, children do not have much awareness and are egocentric, have no identity constancy or conservation. During the early years of a child’s life, they do not have the capacity to learn about their surroundings. A child’s thought process is a lot different than an older person’s. That is why they always say older people are wise. As a child grows older, they will have the ability to understand the world as a whole.

LEGAL ASPECTS OF NURSING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

LEGAL ASPECTS OF NURSING - Essay Example The reason being, prior to Mr. Abraham’s death, was a drunkard’s life. One who frequented the emergency room with similar cases of injury because of drunken behavior. On the other hand, all previous cases, and scenarios involving his admission to the same health facility, had ended positively (Sloan, 2008). In this particular incident, Mr. Abraham engages in merry making that result to drunken behavior bringing about physical energy to him. Upon admission to his one favorite health facility for treatment, his drunken mood takes the better of him and causes him to be uncooperative at the institution. This forces the management to take extra caution while dealing with him, and with this, Mr. Abraham was restrained to keep still and ensure his own safety. Taking the safety measures to another level, the management results to restraining the patient, Mr. Abraham, onto a bed, with vest restraints too, minimizing the risk of any fatalities. Unfortunately, for the patient, he is later found lying dead on the floor beside the bed, with no certain explanation of what had transpired (Sloan, 2008). In view of the above scenario, there lies one main question. To whom did the blame of his sudden death lie? On the institutions side, and in their own defense, there lied vivid evidence of their well-intended will and measures, which they had taken to protect Mr. Abraham from himself. This is whereby the principles of patient protection come in. The firm goes out of its way to ensure that Mr. Abraham, due to his trends and behavior was guaranteed extra safety. This including restrictive vestments that would inhibit him from inflicting injury to himself (Sloan, 2008). Patient protection is evident throughout the scenario, since the instance whereby the patient was received to the facility, immediate attention was accorded to him. Further restraining and protection followed suit, to the instance of his passing away. It is evident, as the health institution put into consideration the patient’s current state, as well as the reputation they had of him due to previous encounters, making sure, that he would be in the safest state possible, despite his drunk condition that was likely to cause him self-harm (Sloan, 2008). The fact that the situation resulted to a deadly end, made true the fact that there lied room for further improvement, upon the safety measures taken by the health facilities to facilitate Mr. Abrahams security. One of the measures likely to ensure this was to assign a specific nurse or any relative employee to ensure that Mr. Abraham had someone to keep an eye on him at all time, up to the moment when he would regain sobriety. If this would have been the case, then the instance of Mr. Abraham being found lifeless on the floor would have been avoided, as there would have been a party, monitoring his every move at all time. More to the scenario is the question of whether there lied greater duty on Mr. Abraham’s side, fr om an ethical perspective. Research on ethical practice of individuals in within the community reveals that, the victim had a greater role to play, ethically, before the sudden occurrence took place. This is in that, was it not for Mr. Abrahams careless and irresponsible drinking habits, the situation would have never come to what it was. If at all the victim practiced moderate drinking, not stretching it beyond reason, the fight that led to his injury would not have

The Mozart Effect Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Mozart Effect Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example The video also employed the talents of a researcher and annotator who did live recreations of versions of the tests, where subjects chosen at random in a public place were subjected to Mozart music and to music from Blur and then made to undergo the battery of cognitive tests that included solving puzzles, testing reaction times to falling rulers, and tests of memory, among others The findings in the public tests were in congruence with the findings in other studies that state that there is nothing in Mozart music that is special, even though Mozart music did indeed boost subject performance in cognitive tests. This is the conclusion because music by Blur also had the same effect. The baseline was silence. In both cases where subjects were first subjected to silence and then to either Mozart or Blur music, there were observed improvements in the performance of the subjects to the tests. The final caveat is that the performance boosts occurred after listening to the music, and that th e performance boosts were short-lived. The video in all is a good general overview of the nature of the Mozart effect tests and the kinds of challenges that have been made to it over the years (Applasamy, 2012). Bangerter, A. and Heath, C. 2004. The Mozart Effect: Tracking the evolution of a scientific legend. British Journal of Social Psychology (2004). [Online]. Available at: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/documents/BJSP,%20Mozart%20Effect.pdf [Accessed 26 November 2013] Demorest, S. and Morrison, S. 2000. Does Music Make You Smarter? Music Educators Journal 87 (2). Green, C.S and Bavelier, D. 2008. Exercising Your Brain: A Review of Human Brain Plasticity and Training-Induced Learning. Psychology and Aging 23 (4). [Online]. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2896818/ [Accessed 26 November 2013] Husain, G., Thompson, W. and Schellenberg, E. 2002. Effects of Musical Tempo and Mode on Arousal, Mood and Spatial Abilities. Music Perception 20 ( 2). [Online]. Available at: http://www.psych.utoronto.ca/users/ghusain/Publications_files/GH2002Mozart%20effect.pdf [Accessed 26 November 2013] Jausovec, N., Jausovec, K. and Gerlic, I. 2006. The influence of Mozart’s music on brain activity in the process of learning. Clinical Neuropsychology 117. Jenkins, J.S. 2001. The Mozart Effect. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 94 (4). [Online]. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1281386/ [Accessed 26 November 2013] Lubetzky, R. 2010. Effect of Music by Mozart on Energy Expenditure in Growing Preterm Infants. Pediatrics 125 (1). [Online]. Available at: http://www.pediatricsdigest.mobi/content/125/1/e24.full [Accessed 26 November 2013] Makielo, L. 2012. The Mozart Effect. The Epoch Times. [Online]. Available at: http://epoch-archive.com/a1/en/sg/nnn/2012/01%20January_2012/Issue%20395_17_January_2012/395_B4.pdf [Accessed 26 November 2013] Nantais, K.

The Rise of E- Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Rise of E- Business - Essay Example E-business receives due attention due to several reasons. These reasons belong to two main categories: benefits for the suppliers and benefits for the customers. Each of these categories shows how beneficial this new mode of conducting business is. Briefly, e-business is the market for goods and services, which exists online. The suppliers make their goods and services available online, through the websites of their companies. Customers visit these websites, go through the online catalogues and finally select and order their chosen product online. They usually make the payment for these goods and services online as well, after which the supplier couriers the goods to their physical addresses. The efficiency and speediness of this innovative new medium of trade has gained it much popularity throughout the world, as people in both developed and developing countries benefit from this advantageous new option today (Berreby, 2010). Firstly, e-business has led to immense profitability for the supplier side of the market. These suppliers rejoice the numerous advantages virtual trade has over store-based, physical trade. It eliminates the need of large amounts of tangible capital, thus making it a very profitable venture. It replaces the need for inventory and stock collection concerning future predictions of demand. Apart from this, it is also an effective way to keep track of all transactions, since they are all recorded online. Finally, the e-business is one that helps tap into markets all over the world, that is, to reach customers in every country; instead of just the country, the supplier lives in (Li, 2007). These numerous benefits to conducting a business online have led to a sharp rise in e-business over the last decade. Whenever a business is set up, one of the most essential factors to consider is how much startup capital it will require. This refers to the land, buildings, offices, stores, etc. This property needs to be bought or rented, maintained, paid ta xes for and depreciated. All these costs can combine to form a significant chunk of the costs of the business. Apart from this, a large number of employees are required for the upkeep and maintenance of the property, be it repair people, janitors, or other maintenance staff. These numerous employees increase the costs of running a business greatly, and are sometimes responsible for a great cut in profits. E-businesses, however, do not require such buildings and property. The costs of maintaining an online website, although substantial, are not as great as the costs of hiring or buying and depreciating physical property (Karake-Shalhoub, & Qasimi, 2006). This is a major attracting factor for people who choose to start e-businesses. Apart from this, the inventory needs of a physical business are also huge. The seller needs to budget according to the next month, and for this she needs to predict demand for the following period and then order and store that amount of goods in inventory, until they are sold. If any of these inventories is not sold by the end of the next period, it needs to be accounted for, check for expiry and included in the calculations of the following month’s inventory. This procedure takes up a lot of time, money, and effort, and often leads to wastage of goods and shortage of storage space (Stanford-Smith, & Chiozza,

Technological and community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Technological and community - Essay Example â€Å"We are now living in a globalised world† seems to be a favorite catchphrase among authors and writers, and applicable to businesses and organisations because transactions can be conducted at an instance, and people can communicate from one side of the globe to the other end with just a personal computer and an internet connection. Moreover, because of globalisation national borders are not very important now, and there is the interconnectedness of organisations and businesses, while countries focus more on deregulation, privatisation and liberalisation of industries, and the importance of world markets. Global firms use many different structural forms in dealing with globalisation. They can use the horizontal structure because this is made easier with the availability of the internet and Information Technology. Globalisation affects very much the ordinary community. Significant social changes can take place both before and after the phases of the most intense physical activities, for example, construction, production, and expansion; pathways of influence can be social as well as physical. Nevertheless, the technological changes have brought about inequalities because of the digital divide in the community setting where there is lack of technological attention from the government and the business or private sector on the part of these communities which are seen to not being able to contribute to progress and development. No human enterprise can surpass technology’s success in improving the material conditions, enhancing the cognitive attributes, and attenuating the physical limitations of humans. While some celebrate the coming of unprecedented wealth and prosperity brought on by the recent advances in genetic engineering, nanotechnology, computer-communication systems, and so on, others bemoan the possible demise of humans as autonomous social beings because of the coming of the so-called cyborgs, transgenic organisms, and clones. (Parayil, 1999, p.

Korean War Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Korean War - Annotated Bibliography Example As a result, the Korean Peninsula was divided into half along the 38th parallel. The Russians occupied area north of the line, while the United States of America occupied the south. In this book, the tensions and the political environments leading up to the war are described in detail. Both the North and the South were under dictatorial rule. In the South, there was the anti-communist dictator Syngman Rhee, while in the North, there was the communist dictator Kim Il Sung. It is observed that neither of the dictators was content to remain on his side of the 38th parallel and border disputes were rampant as a result. The connection of this invasion of the South by the North and the rising conflict thereof and the ongoing cold war is given in this piece. The war is said to have come as a surprise to the U.S. who considered it malicious and more than a mere border dispute. To them, nonintervention in the dispute was never on the table as they regarded it as a deliberate offensive in a communist campaign to take over the world. The Gays give more in-depth analysis of the situation between the United States and Russia particularly, prior to this war and the inevitability of these two nations’ role in the dispute. The warring nations are differently backed by two quarreling nations and so, when one invades the other, there is bound to be suspicion of a wider play. The stands taken by America and the Soviet Union are discussed in greater details. In April 1950, a National Security Council report known as the NSC-68 recommends the US to use military force to counter communist expansion anywhere it was perceived to be occurring. As a result, then US President Harry Truman is quoted as saying that if they let Korea down, the Soviets will keep on going and swallowing up one place after another. Lee talks about the difficulties and the armies of the war. North Korean army is seen as

Preparing for Terrorism and Disasters in the new age of Health Care Research Paper

Preparing for Terrorism and Disasters in the new age of Health Care - Research Paper Example imilar in their occurrences that pay no regard to national borders and, therefore, no country or community is immune from terrorism and disasters, not even the perpetrators of terrorism themselves. However, depending on the levels and type of preparedness of governments, communities and individuals, vulnerability to terrorism and disasters vary on a wide scale (UNGA, 2012). The most obvious consequences of terrorism and disasters are the setbacks impacted on economic and social development, disruption of water and electricity supply and the crippling of communications and transportation systems. Agreeably, some countries in the developed world are sufficiently prepared to recover from these disruptions, even though the costs in terms of time and finances are considerably high. However, terrorism and disasters also present constant threats to public health, especially among older adults with conditions and disabilities that call for extra assistance, those with chronic diseases and to families with children who have special needs. More importantly, the effects are of magnitudes that surpass the affected communities’ capability to manage with their own resources (UNGA, 2012). It is critical for authorities and communities to plan how they will respond to these vulnerable groups when stricken with terrorism or disasters. Among the preparedness measures is taking care of medication and equipment, notifying health professionals and moving to special shelters. This paper will research and discuss on the topic of preparing for terrorism and disasters in the new age of health care. The presence of threats to public health cannot be doubted, as is manifested in nuclear, natural, terrorist, biological, radiological and chemical incidents. Apart from the traditional causes of health problems which are mainly diseases, terrorist attacks and disasters compound the effects of the complexity of the threats. The impacts these events have on a nation’s well-being are more

Edward R. Murrow & Socrates Essay Example for Free

Edward R. Murrow Socrates Essay Indestructible courage, persistence and public service drove both Socrates and Murrow to live their lives with unwavering commitment for truth, critical thinking and unbendable integrity. With these values, Socrates and Murrow made their own lives as vivid examples of truth and veracity. They set the standards for all subsequent Western philosophy and the ideal broadcast journalism respectively. Nevertheless, their enduring courage may have brought them also to make half of themselves as merely ego maniacs or perhaps, self-centered intellectuals. Socrates pursuit of virtue and his strict adherence to truth clashed with the current course of Athenian politics and society. During his time, Socrates appears to have been a critic of democracy wherein some scholars had interpreted his trial as an expression of political infighting. He boldly face the charges made by the jury as seen in Platos â€Å"Apology,† an account of Socratess (unsuccessful) speech in his own defense before the Athenian jury. Socratess speech includes a detailed description of the motives and goals of philosophical activity as he practiced it, together with a passionate declaration of its value for life. I was really struck when Socrates purposefully gave a defiant defense to the jury because he believed he would be better off dead. With this statement, we can say that Socrates really happens to be a man of truth and valor similar to his modern counterpart, Edward Murrow. According to Wadleigh, â€Å" Murrow, at every juncture, did what he thought was right. He took risks that at the time seemed outrageous and he was not afraid of anything. † Furthermore, his exceptional courage is seen when he let Senator McCarthy hang himself with his open criticism program- but without any â€Å"expose† (Wershba Hottlelet). It was found out that Socratess works are often philosophical or dramatic texts rather than straightforward histories. Parallel to Murrow, â€Å" his voice made the words catch fire! The way he could add drama to the simplest looking text made him amazing! † (Wershba Kalb). Murrow offered himself to public service analogous to the teaching life of Socrates. Socrates pointedly declined to accept payment for his work with students whereas Murrow fearlessly did his job as a broadcaster. â€Å" He was a driven reporter – truly driven to tell people what was going on. He do it with intensity! † (Hottlelet) Plato refers to Socrates as the gadfly of the state (as the gadfly stings the horse into action, so Socrates stung Athens), insofar as he irritated the establishment with considerations of justice and the pursuit of goodness. If Socrates stung Athens, then Murrow stung America: â€Å" using his charisma, integrity and personal standards† (Wershba). It is Socrates and Murrows critical thinking that made themselves â€Å"men of worth. † Socrates showed this (critical thinking) through his philosophical works while Murrow made this appear through his jobs as a writer and broadcaster. These two men were really exceptional by committing themselves in pursuit of truth. However, their deep thinking and boldness has somehow conflicted their commitment to truth thus making half of themselves as merely ego maniacs or self-centered intellectuals. It was supported by the reasons why Murrow left his job at CBS: â€Å"Then there was the other side of Murrow, the driven news reporter. Murrow made Harvest of Shame and showed the rotten spots of American life. [CBS Chairman William] Paley didn’t like that. It scared away sponsors. Paley wanted it tame. Murrow wanted it real. † (Hottlelet) Another statement was from Hewitt telling that â€Å" Murrow would talk with his Person to Person guests beforehand Murrow felt that for entertainment some discussion to prepare the subjects was legitimate. Paley disagreed, so Murrow left. † He has that hidden pride in his self. Like what Ive said earlier, he did what he thought was right which is to leave CBS. Another thing I noticed about Murrow is his sense of egoism or perhaps, self-importance. It was stated in one of the interviews that â€Å"Murrow selected very good people, who, in his presence, got better. Those around him never wanted to disappoint or embarrass Ed—so they pushed themselves to their outer limits He set the pace; he was the example. † (Kalb) This statement was further supported by Hottlelet â€Å"He never gave instructions. He knew his worth. I think he just expected the trained reporters he hired to follow his example. † The life of Socrates appears to be really parallel to the life of Edward Murrow. By following what they thought was right and by pursuing the truth, they made half of themselves as the greatest and the most defiant men in history but half as conceited and egoistic individuals of all times.

Business Ethics And Surrounding Theories Philosophy Essay

Business Ethics And Surrounding Theories Philosophy Essay Business ethics for quite some time now has been a global issue as the case maybe in business deliveries. Business ethics may be defined as way managers take decision that will make their business reputation to be morally sound in business transaction. It entails that transparency is involve in decision making, ethical issue in business delivery is very vital to protect the image of the company (Boatright 2007). Business ethics helps managers to take the right decision in business transaction in other to keep their business moving at a rapid growth in the economy (Nash 1990) Ethics can also be defined as the study of how morality are involve in human decision to build their business reputation (Borland 1999).Ethical solution to business transaction has a lot possible solution to make business to deliver it objectives. The term ethics also has another, quite different use as the case may be which is to denote the field of moral philosophy. Every manager has a way to show transparency and accountability to the business approach, in other to make the right decision in business. ETHICAL THEORIES Teleological frameworks: these are the conduct of an individual or the outcome of an individual action.(mill, 1864).Ethical egoism entails that the decision that individual take will be in mutual interest of the organisation and balance it to be mutual beneficial in business transaction. Ego is derived from a Latin word meaning self, ethical egoism allows for self-interests to play a role in the actions of the individual as long as there are also positive benefits for others. The level of rationalization may evolve into the justification that pursuing a person self- interest is necessary to generate a positive outcome for others.(Beauchamp and Bowie 1997). Deontological frameworks: This aspect focuses whether the action is right or wrong on ethical issues. The duty of the person taking such decision is highly considered as the case may be in ethics. Ethical theories; these theories involves the way or approach which are linked with philosophical empiricism and utilitarianism.(George 1999). The act of utilitarianism deals with the decision that one will take which will make him feel relax in business transaction and the outcome of the business will be positive depending on the application. The rule utilitarian states that the decision the managers will result in potential rules of action. (Graham 1990). Business reputation in the context of business to business, deals with a way manager relate with other vital issue which will protect the image of the company. If adherence to the rule produces more positive result than otherwise, it is a rule that morally will be highly considered. The distinction between act and rule utilitarianism is based on the outcome should be highly considered in calculating the effect on business related issues. UTILITARIANISM: According to utilitarianism, our obligation or duty in any situation is to perform the action that will result in the possible balance of good over evil. ln classical utilitarianism, pleasure is taken to be more beneficial to compare with pain and harms which are evil. Rule or outcome of utilitarianism stipulated some issue which are questionable in its conduct in decision making process, in some specific circumstances the outcome is not favourable. Rule utilitarianism add, however that some times their are level of consideration in decision making that managers will take in other to make the right decision in business delivery. However, within rule utilitarianism there is a distinction between the strictness and absolutism of this particular branch of utilitarianism. Strong Rule Utilitarianism is an absolutist theory, which frames strict rules that apply for all people and all time and may never be broken. According to John Stuart Mill that managers should be keen in taking decision that will produce a positive output in business transaction. An example would be utilitarian might say do not lie, if the decision will yield profit that managers should consider the decision. EGOISM: All philosophical egoism holds that there are relationships between how people react to business decision that will influence them positively. The psychological egoist entails that managers will hide some decision because they have interest on it. PSYCOLOGICAL EGOISM: these entail the psychoanalysis that are involved in human actions and how managers take a positive decision in business transaction (Derry, 1987). The psychological egoist might reply that some such of the decision that managers will take are for the best interest of the company. After all, the manager did what he most wanted to do, and so must have been pursuing his perceived business decision that will make him to maximize profit. In one sense, this is true. If self-interest is considered with the satisfaction of all of ones preferences, then all deliberate action is self-interested at least if intentional actions are always explained by citing the reason why such decision is taking in business transaction. Psychological egoism turns out to be the way managers behave and relate their decision in business delivery. They intend an empirical theory that, like other such theories, it is at least possible to refute by observation in business decision (Freeman 1993). The psychological egoist entails why the decision of managers always influence the outcome of the company output in business transaction because they have interest. Perhaps as infants we have only self-regarding desires; we come to desire other things, such as doing our duty, by learning that these other things satisfy our self-regarding desires in business transaction . We pursue the other things for their own reason or effect because the reason why the are considered are vital in decision making. Even if this picture of development is true, however, it does not defend psychological egoism, since it admits that we sometimes ultimately aim at things other than our welfare because of business reputation. Business decision that are volatile should not be taking for granted because it will tarnish the image of the company or their reputation. The managers decision should be at a level that will be fair in business transaction, even if he would not have to negotiate but let the outcome o f the decision be positive (Freeman 1993). RATIONALIZING UNETHICAL BEHAVIOURS Ethics is about being and doing the right thing, not just presenting the right idea. When a corporation made some decision it might be ethical or unethical depending on the situation. Managers may try the short cut in other to raise their share prices, ultimately trying to satisfy or please the shareholders and increase their own bonuses.(Murray 2004). The institute of business ethics has a three cardinal point that deals with ethical test that are involve in business decision making. According to the statement that business reputation has being on the down ward trend means that the level of business transparency has been reduced drastically. Transparency: these involves sharing idea to others in the process of decision making .it also means making ones actions known to others when discussion are going on in a critical manner. It also entails that the more open a person in discussing his or her action to others, the more comfortable the person who are involve will feel that the decision is right in business transaction.(Bentham 2008).Effect: these are the impact the decision has on individual or parties that are involved. Decision makers will always be involve or aware of who will be directly or indirectly influenced by their actions. The decision taken may be ethical or unethical business standard depending on the application.(Ban tam 2008). Fairness: these involve making a decision that are fair to all in an ethical ways and even considering unethical ways. All the ethical theories above shows that business reputation needs a total overhaul as the case may be in business delivery.(Bentham 2008). EXAMINING REPUTATION IN BUSINESS ETHICS Business reputation has been on the downward because of ethical violation which the decision makers thought to be small. The decision makers have to consider the corporate code of ethics, professional will feel the small ethical violation is all right and will begin to justify all ethical lapses, no matter the size (Kant 2004). Moreover, business reputation in the market place should be a positive reputation. A lot of companies are trying all they can to protect the image of their company. Business reputation is a precious commodity, a lot of companies work hard to protect or maintain the image they have created. Many companies have realized that ones these image has been tarnished that is always difficult to restore. As an applied discipline, business ethics can be viewed as a way doing business in a responsible manner. Business operates on the underlying value of trust. it takes only one choice to change or tarnish the image of a company business reputation (Boatright 2007). CASE STUDIES Mr Cameron is trying to breathe a new life into an initiative which he believes is often misunderstood and unfairly mocked. He said is vision is to restore the broken society with the big society. David Cameron chief policy adviser Steve Hilton has been trying to stop him from doing deep think stuff at the moment and also tried to reduce or induce the prime minister vision or idea on big society.(Easton,2011).According to Easton has announce his extra cash for charities, more places in the National citizen service and new details of creating a big society bank with  £200 million. Cameron quotes that their are three key strands to the big society: 1. Encouraging social and voluntary action. 2. Decentralising power. 3. Reforming public services. Analysing Camerons quote in the big society with Deontological frameworks. These are the application of deontological approach in dealing with a volatile economy. Deontological focuses on whether the decision is favourable or not, it focuses on the duty or obligation in determining whether the action is right or wrong. (Stawick 2010).He focuses more on cuts and the other hand encouraging social and voluntary action. Under the above analysis of the prime minister on big society, he is using deontological approach on the society at large. According to Nigel carshew who ask a very vital question why is the big society bank not a social enterprise? The statement shows that the level of transparency in business reputation of big society is questionable. One of the effect is that the money which is been invested is a public money and at the same time use it to enrich the shareholders pocket.(Cohen ,2011).There is increasing evidence that council are choosing to slash grants rather than hit frontline services. Everyone assume its the cuts that are damaging us. But, letting local authorities do what they want with money is hurting us just as much (Collins 2011). ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND According to Philip (2011) he stressed that a lot of bankers are paid above their average pay while the Bank of England deputy governor said that bank should be allowed to fail without the tax payers money (Philip 2011).Royal bank of Scotland has been allocating bonuses and paying their staff above normal average pay which made the bank to go bankrupt in business delivery. This is an ethical issue in business reputation because they are using tax payers money for their personal use. Bankers were busy sharing money in the boom years and the tax payers are now paying for the cost of their failure. (Tucker 2011).The bank has shared above  £280 million pounds on bonuses to their bankers which has led to a collapse in the banking sector. CONCLUSION: The ethical business standard that is involved in business delivery above shows that business reputation is a precious commodity. According to David Rosser quote that Business reputation has been on a downward trend for too long and is a concern to growing number of business leaders. Dr Barry morgan,the arch bishop of Wales quote that MBA graduate should be taking a hypocritical oath upon completion of their degree. According to Dr Barry Morgan, he is pointing his view based on religious aspect not in business transaction that MBA graduate should play it according to the rules upon the oath taken like the medical doctors. Business reputation has two sides one is ethical and the other is unethical depending on the application in business transaction. Business reputation has been on the downward trend for too long because managers of business has being taking ethical issues for granted in their business to business transaction. Under the above assumptions on big society, business reputation has been reduced in the area of transparency and accountability. Royal Bank of Scotland decision to give their staff bonuses with depositors funds have jeopardized their business reputation and at the same time make the managers decision questionable.

to build a fire Essay -- essays research papers

Interpretation â€Å"To Build a Fire† In the story "To Build a Fire" by Jack London, a man is travelling through the klondike in Alaska to find his friends, "the boys". Because the man is only quick and alert to the things of life and not the significance, he finds himself in some very bad circumstances. The man experiences several instances of bad luck such as getting wet up to his knees, the spruce tree dumping snow on his fire, and matches falling through his numb fingers and going out in the snow. I think that the central idea of "To Build a Fire" is to listen to your instincts and the â€Å"significances of life,† because they will help you when you find yourself in troublesome circumstances. The man in this story is so focussed on reaching "the boys" that he overlooks numerous consequences because he is focussed on the individual actions. The man did not respect mother nature's power, in his arrogance he didn't listen to the "significances of life" nor h is instincts so he ended up paying for it with his life. The man "was without imagination" and only understood the facts. He was a newcomer without much experience and thought that he could conquer mother nature. In fact, he thought that any real man could overcome the odds. To him everything was just facts. For example, the temperature was seventy five below zero, which didn't mean anything to him except a number. He did not think of his "frailty as a creature of temperature." He laughed at the "old-timer at Sulphur Creek" when he warned him not to travel alone when it was so cold. The old man was experienced in life he was very wise, but the newcomer just called him "womanish". Even at the end of the story when the man knew he was going to die, he still was thinking that "freezing was not so bad as people thought" and "when he got back to the states he could tell folks what real cold was." This shows that the man wasn't taking his situation very seriously. He wanted to die with dignity instead of thinking of family or people who cared about him, he foolishly thought about how stupid he looked "running like a chicken with it's head off." He was stupid and responsible for his own death because he did not l... ...an the man in many ways. When the man wants to kill him and bury his hands in his carcass to warm them the dog knows. Without thinking, the dog knows the cold is dangerous and that the spring is risky. He also knows that "to permit the ice to remain would mean sore feet." The dog doesn’t know why, but it just obeys "the mysterious prompting that arose from the deep crypts of its being." While the dog may not have the intellectual capacity to create fire or food for itself, it instinctively knows where to go to find "the other food providers and fire providers". The dog shows extreme loyalty to the man and only when he "caught the scent of death" did he leave the man. Because the man does not pay attention to the "significances of life" and doesn't respect the power of the cold and mother nature he does not survive. The dog was able to survive because he listened and followed its instincts. Since the man didn't listen to the advice of experienced people, he was ignorant and never expected to be defeated by the cold. If the man had prepared himself for the worst, his death would not have been inevitable.

Why the Makah Indians Hunt Whales Essay -- essays research papers fc

Why the Makah Indians hunt whales: â€Å"Whales provide us with the food for our bodies, bones for our tools and implements and spirits for our souls.† â€Å"We haven’t hunted the whale for 70 years but have hunted them in our hearts and in our minds.† â€Å"Whales are a central focus of our culture today as they have been from the beginning of time.† This has been a tradition of the Makah Indians for more than 2000 years. They had to stop in 1926 due to the scarcity of gray whales. But their abundance now makes it possible to resume their ancient practice of the hunt. They have had an intensification of interest in there own history and culture since the archeological dig at their village of Ozette in 1970, which uncovered thousands of artifacts bearing witness to their whaling tradition. Whaling and whales have remained central to Makah culture. They are in their songs, dances, designs, and basketry. Their social structure is based on traditional whaling families. The conduct of a whale hunt requires rituals and ceremonies, which are deeply spiritual. And they believe hunting imposes a purpose and a discipline, which they believe, will benefit their entire community, especially the young, whom the Makahs believe to be suffering from lack of self-discipline and pride. Why the Makahs have they right to hunt gray whales: Before entering into negotiations with the Makah for cessions of their extensive lands on the Olympic peninsula in 1855, the United States government was fully aware that the Makahs lived primarily on whale, seal and fish. When the United States Territorial Governor, Isaac Stevens, arrived at Neah bay in December of 1855 to enter into negotiations with the Makah leaders, he was met with strong declarations from them that in exchange for ceding Makah lands to the United States they would be allowed to hunt whale. They demanded guarantees of their rights on the ocean and specifically, of the right to take whale. The treaty minutes show Governor Stevens saying to the Makahs: â€Å"The Great Father knows what whalers you are--- how you go far to sea to take whale. Far from wanting to stop you, he will help you – sending implements and barrels to try the oil.† He went on to promise U.S. assistance in promoting Makah whaling commerce. He then presented a treaty containing the specific guarantee of the United States securing the right of the Makahs to contin... ...hey should rise to a â€Å"higher† level of culture by not whaling. Whether or not you like what they are doing or not you should respect their culture and their traditions. The Makahs are just trying to keep their culture alive. Bibliography: â€Å"Makah Indians may become pirate whaling nation.† www.eye.net/news/enviro/1995/env0803.htm â€Å"Whales die, a culture lives.† www.seattle-times.com/extra/browse/html/altwhal_101396.html â€Å"An open letter to the public from the President of the Makah Whaling Commission.† www.Conbio.rice.edu/nae/docs/makaheditorial.html â€Å"Makah whaling: questions and answers.† www.makah.com/whales.htm â€Å"Edsanders.com – Politics – The new bigots.† www.edwanders.com/pol.bigots.htm â€Å"Treaty of Neah Bay, 1855.† www.nwifc.wa.gov/tribes/treaties/neahbay.htm â€Å"U.S. Indians plea to kill whale.† www.whale.wheelock.edu/archives/whalenet96/0247.html â€Å"Makah management plan for the Makah treaty Gray whale hunting for the years 1998 - 2002.† www.nwifc.wa.gov/whaling/whaleplan.html â€Å"How this happened – the Treaty.† www.seashepherd.org/wh/us/mktreaty.html â€Å"Indian tribe gets OK to resume whaling.† www.japan.cnn.com/earth/9710/23/whales.indian.tribe/index.html

Cultures Influence on Technology Essay -- Environment Environmental P

Culture's Influence on Technology Culture and technology are in a constantly expanding positive feedback loop. The greatest changes in human culture are almost always the result of a technological innovation. However, a technology capable of a cultural shift can only have come from the culture itself. Without the culture's choice to refine the technology, the practical applications would have been left as only fleeting ideas; technology will only be developed if the culture has some immediate and apparent use for it. Although a culture will develop a technology based on its inherent valence towards a particular application, that culture cannot possibly fathom the ultimate repercussions of its collective decision. The inherent multiplier effect in the feedback loop along with unforeseen applications of the technology will guide the "trajectories of cultural evolution" (Ehrlich 255) in completely unexpected ways. Even though cultures can and do have an effect on their course through history, it is only slight when comp ared to the monstrous effect that their technologies have on them. The nature and importance of this type of self-propagating relationship are described in Paul Ehrlich's book "Human Nature: Genes, Culture, and the Human Prospect." Ehrlich describes his own opinion on human development and feedback loops in the following passage: "It is important to know what shapes the course of history, how that influences the evolution of our natures, and how that in turn feeds back on evolutionary history itself." (Ehrlich 254) The statement briefly describes the general form of the positive feedback loop for human development throughout history. The influences he refers to could be anything from the environment to culture... ...e the resources and could not carry a kiln. They did, however, have an immediate and apparent use for the chariot, which could increase their speed and power by an innumerable factor. Although culture is able to guide the technological innovations that are borne from it, humanity does not seem to have much of a say in its course through history. Each step through time is a result of an infinite amount of steps before it all pushing history towards an unknown end. Even the individual who invents an integral technology is only a very small ripple in a tide of inexorable humanity. Works Cited: Chant, Colin. "Chapter 2:Greece" in "Pre-Industrial Cities and Technology." Routledge Press, 1999. pp. 48-80. Ehrlich,Paul R. "Ch. 11: Gods, Dive-Bombers, and Bureaucracy" in "Human Natures: Genes, Cultures, and the Human Prospect." Island Press, 2000. pp. 253-279.

Behavior Therapy: Basic Concepts, Assessment Methods, and Applications

Behavior Therapy: Basic Concepts, Assessment Methods, and Applications. Different kinds of psychotherapies have existed throughout history, and have always been rooted in philosophical views of human nature (Wachtel P. , 1997). Specifically, behavior therapy intents to help individuals overcome difficulties in nearly any aspect of human experience (Thorpe G. & Olson S. , 1990). The techniques of behavior therapy have been applied to education, the workplace, consumer activities, and even sports, but behavior therapy in clinical settings is largely concerned with the assessment of mental health problems.In general, behavior therapy is a type of psychotherapy that aims on changing undesirable types of behavior. It engages in identifying objectionable, maladaptive behaviors and replacing them with healthier ones. . According to Rimm D. & Masters J. (1974), the label â€Å"behavior therapy† comprises a large number of different techniques that make use of psychological-especially learning- principles to deal with maladaptive human behavior. Behavior therapy is a relative new kind of psychotherapy (Corsini R. & Wedding D. , 2008).As a systematic approach, behavior therapy began in the 1950’s, in order to assess and treat psychological disorders. Behavior therapy was developed by a small group of psychologists and physicians who were not satisfied with the conventional techniques of psychotherapy (Thorpe G. et al, 1990). They linked behavior therapy to experimental psychology, differentiating it from other preexisting approaches. During behavior therapy’s first phase, the applied developed from principles of classical and operant conditioning. There are varying views about the best way to define behavior therapy.However, most health professionals agree to Eysenck's definition: â€Å"Behavior therapy is the attempt to alter human behavior and emotions in a beneficial way according to the laws of modern learning theory†. Erwin E. (1978), ins tead of proposing a specific definition for behavior therapy, he referred to some basic and important characteristics that this therapy possesses. According to Erwin, behavior therapy is used largely to lessen human suffering or to improve human functioning. He pointed out that it is a psychological rather than a biological form of treatment.In the cases of phobias treatment, behavior therapy is usually applied to treat the symptoms directly. Moreover, behavior therapy is characteristically used to modify maladaptive behavior or to teach adaptive behavior. This means that the focus is on individuals’ behavior. In some cases, behavior therapy techniques may even be used to reduce unwanted mental states as in Davinson’s (1968) use of counterconditioning to reduce sadistic fantasy, simply because the mental state itself is unwanted (as stated in Erwin, 1978).Another basic characteristic of behavior therapy is that it is often used in an incremental rather than a holistic fashion. Problems that are to be treated are first divided into their components and each component is treated separately. Last, behavior therapy is studied and used experimentally, being closely related to learning theory research. Three main approaches in contemporary behavior therapy have been identified (Corsini R. et al, 2008). These are the applied behavior analysis (ABA), the neobehavioristic meditational stimulus-response model, and the social cognitive theory.ABA refers to the application of the principles of learning and motivation from Behavior Analysis (the scientific study of behavior), and the procedures and technology derived from those principles, to the solution of problems of social significance. This approach is based on Skinner’s radical behaviorism. It identifies behaviors that should be extinguished and behaviors that are to be taught. It makes use of reinforcement, punishment, extinction, stimulus control, and other procedures derived from laboratory re search (Corsini R. et al, 2008).It is most frequently applied to children with autistic spectrum disorders, but is an effective tool for children with behavioral disorders, multiple disabilities, and severe intellectual handicaps. The neobehavioristic meditational stimulus-response (S-R) model features the applications of the principles of classical conditioning, and it derives from the learning theories of Ivan Pavlov, E. Guthrie, lark Hull, O. Mowrer, and N. Miller (as cited in Corsini et al, 2008). The S-R model has been linked to systematic desensitization and flooding.Systematic desensitization was developed by Joseph Wolpe (1958). It is a therapy for phobias based on counterconditioning -a technique for eliminating a conditioned response that involves pairing a conditioned stimulus with another unconditioned stimulus to condition a new response. If the new response in incompatible with the old response, so that only one response can occur at a time, then the new response can r eplace the old one. In systematic desensitization, patients visualize fear- evoking stimuli while relaxing, to associate the stimuli with relaxation instead of fear. (Lieberman D. , 2004).Flooding is another psychotherapeutic technique discovered by psychologist Thomas Stampfl (1967) (as cited in Harold, 1990) that is still used in behavior therapy to treat phobias. It works by exposing the individual to painful memories they already have aiming to put together their repressed feelings with their current awareness. Flooding works on the principles of classical conditioning (Lieberman D. , 2004). Social cognitive theory (SCT) refers to learning in terms of interaction between external stimulus response, external reinforcement, and cognitive meditational processes (Corsini et al 2008).Personal and environmental factors do not function as independent determinants; rather, they determine each other. It is mainly through their behavior that individuals produce the environmental condition s that affect their behavior in a mutual way. New experiences are evaluated in relation to the past; prior experiences help to subsequently direct and inform the individual as to how the present should be considered. Behavior therapy has mainly been associated with the era between 1950 and 1960, especially with the theories of I. Pavlov, E. Skinner, J. Wolpe, and A.Bandura (Yates A. , 1975). It is a clinical application of psychology that relies on empirically-validated principles and procedures (Plaud, 2001). Since the first behavior therapy alternatives to the psychoanalysis and other associated therapies were introduced almost 50 ago (Wolpe, 1958), constant improvements in behavior therapy have mostly been supplied by its foundation on conditioning principles and theories (Eifert ; Plaud, 1998). Specifically, behavior therapy relies exclusively on the experimental methodology initiated by I. Pavlov. Clinical applications of Pavlovian onditioning principles began in 1912, when one of Pavlov’s students, was the first to establish the counter-conditioning effect in the laboratory. Studies on anxiety have considerably assisted behavior therapy’s development. According to Wolpe and Plaud (1997), Wolpe’s experimental studies were based on the implications of early Pavlovian experiments by giving emphasis to the importance of the conditioning procedures. Actually, Wolpe made important contributions to behavioral therapy, such as proposing systematic desensitization and assertiveness training, both of which have become important elements of behavioral therapy.Albert Bandura is usually associated with the development of the social cognitive theory (Corsini et al, 2008). Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory derived from social learning theory. It aims to explain how behavioral principles and norms are learned through an interaction of the individual and his/her environment, mostly through the observing others. Skinner worked on radical behavi orism. He rejected traditional psychology and all the included concepts that referred to what he called mentalism.That meant any concept that revealed a belief in cause and effect relationships between mental activities and learned behavior. In the 1966 edition of his 1928 book, The Behavior of Organisms, Skinner still named the belief that emotions are important factors in behavior a â€Å"mental fiction. † In addition, he thought that it is wrong, or at least not scientific, to consider that people cry because they are sorry or tremble because they are afraid. Behavior therapy developed rapidly. Three â€Å"waves†, that actually are three divisions of the behavior therapy’s development, have been proposed.The first wave focused mainly on altering overt behavior. The second wave focused on the cognitive factors that contribute to behavior. This approach is also known as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The â€Å"third wave† of behavior therapy was propo sed by Hayes, Hollette, and Linehan (as cited in Corsini et al, 2008). It includes dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). On the whole, DBT claims that some individuals, due to unfavorable environments during childhood and due to unknown biological factors, react abnormally to emotional stimulation.Their level of arousal increases much more rapidly, peaks at a higher level, and takes more time to go back to baseline. DBT is a technique for learning skills that aids to reduce this reaction. DBT applies mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance skills (Yates A. , 1975). Mindfulness skills include core skills. They are the most difficult skills to accomplish, but when learned, the process of thoughts and emotions occurs in an significantly different manner.Some of the processes included to the mindfulness skill, as listed by Corsini et al (2008), are the following: Observe or attend to emotions without trying to terminate them when painful, describe a thought or emotion, be nonjudgmental, stay in the present, focus on one thing at a time (one-mindfully). Mindfulness skills are applied in later sessions, when the other (three) types of skills on focus. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a quite new type of psychotherapy, found by Steven C. Hayes in the mid 1990s.It is the development and combination of behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which has mostly been the established therapy for treatment of conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders. Acceptance and commitment therapy, like CBT, is based on the philosophy of â€Å"Functional Contextualism†, a modern philosophy of science rooted in philosophical pragmatism and contextualism, suggesting that words and ideas can only be understood within some kind of context and they are therefore often misinterpreted due to the fact that people have individual contexts.An ad ditional therapy that has had an impact on ACT is Relational Frame therapy, a type of behavioral analysis focused on language and learning. ACT is differentiated from CBT since it directly accepts the thought, â€Å"Everybody hates me. † This thought is viewed without passion, and sometimes it is transformed to a phrase like â€Å"I am having the thought that everybody hates me. † Ding so may be repeated until the thought becomes defused. Hayes identifies about 100 defusion techniques in ACT. Previous distracting thoughts are not actively dismisses by the individual going through ACT.This is another distinguishing factor from CBT which intends to reduce distracting and unhelpful thoughts. ACT therapists argue that the process of their therapy is much briefer than CBT, and for that reason it is considered more effective. There is a variety of concepts referring to behavior therapy. Two main categories of those concepts are the learning principles and the personal variab les. In classical conditioning, the researcher begins with identifying a reflex response, one that is activated regularly by a specific stimulus (Thorpe et al, 1990). In humans, these reflexes include he eye-blink response to dust or a puff of air in the eye, and the reflex of the knee jerk reflex in response to a hit in the correct point by the researcher’s hammer. Such reflexes appear regularly without any particular guidance, so they are considered to be unlearned or unconditioned. Classical conditioning occurs when a new stimulus acquires the ability to trigger one of these reflex responses. Operant conditioning makes use of the principles of (positive or negative) reinforcement and (positive/negative) punishment to bring about a desired response. (Lieberman D. 1994). Positive reinforcement is the presentation of something pleasant or rewarding immediately following a behavior, but In Negative Reinforcement a particular behavior is strengthened by the consequence of the s topping or avoiding of a negative condition. Moving to punishment, negative punishment occurs when in an attempt to decrease the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future, an operant response is followed by the removal of a desired stimulus, though in positive punishment an operant response is followed by the presentation of an aversive stimulus.Operant conditioning occurs when a consequence eventually becomes expected for a particular behavior. One example would be when a student is rewarded for getting good grades. The positive outcome of their behavior to study and achieve gain those grades is motivated by the anticipation of a positive result in addition to the good grades. In order to teach individuals complex tasks, Skinner proposed a system of successive approximations of operant learning where tasks are broken down into several steps that, when individually learned, summarily progress towards the complex task desired.Extinction refers to the reducing the probability o f a response when a characteristic reinforcing stimulus is no longer presented. Discrimination learning is the process by which individuals learn to differentiate their responses to different stimuli. When the opposite occurs, that is when individuals fail to discriminate between different situations ending up with behavior on situations other than that in which it was acquired, generalization takes place (Corsini R. et al, 2008). Personal variables that were proposed by Mischel (1973, as cited in Corsini R. et al, 2008), explain and â€Å"swapping† between individual and situation.They include the individual’s competences to create varied behaviors under appropriate conditions, his/her perception of events and people (including the self), expectancies, subjective values and self-regulatory systems. Behavior therapy is applied for and aims to treat only learned behavioral problems. Sometimes, however, health and learned behavioral problems coexist. Whether the individu al being in treatment has a learned behavioral problem alone, or a learned problem which coexists with a learned one has to be determined in the beginning of the process of behavior therapy.Two additional possible situations are either the individual in therapy to have a learned behavior problem as part of a psychosomatic disorder, or to have a medical problem that just appears to have been learned (Yates A. , 1975). Behavioral assessment is vital to behavior therapy. It developed rapidly during the 1970s, after initially being a covered part of behavior therapy in terms of research and professional development (Thorpe G. , et al, 1990). Now, behavior assessment is a rich and diverse subfield of behavior therapy that continues to develop rapidly.In clinical settings, behavior therapy is a method for treating mental health problems. Treatment involves proposing and putting into practice a plan of action that aims to resolve a problem. Deciding on the plan of action depends on the pro blem formulation so what has to be done in the early sessions of the therapy is the agreement of the therapist and the client on what is wrong and what has to be changed to improve or even eliminate it. Behavior therapy uses a number of assessment methods. In guided imagery the individual is guided in imagining a relaxing scene or series of experiences (Rimm D. t al, 1974). When an individual visualizes an imagined scene reacts as though it were actually occurring; therefore, imagined images can have a great impact on behavior. Role playing is a technique used in behavior therapy to provide partaking and involvement in the learning process (Thorpe G. et al, 1990). It helps the individual (learner) to receive objective feedback about his/her performance. Role playing techniques can be applied to motivate individuals pay more attention to their interpersonal state.One of its most important aspects is that it helps the learner experience a real life situation in a protected setting. Ph ysiological recording, self-monitoring, behavioral observation, and psychological tests and measurements are some more examples of the assessment techniques that can be applied during the behavior therapy (Corsini R. et al, 2008). In general, behavior therapists do not use standardized psychodiagnostic tests and projective tests. They broadly make use of checklists and questionnaires, self-report scales of depression, assertion inventories, etc.These assessment techniques are not sufficient for carrying out a functional analysis of the determinants of a problem, but they are useful in establishing the initial severity of the problem and charting therapeutic efficacy over the course of treatment. In conclusion, the clinical investigations of behavior therapists have significantly improved our understanding of how our behavior is coordinated with external events that occur in our lives; they have created ways of mediating in disturbing interpersonal aspects that were not efficiently t reated through other kinds of therapy.Behavior therapy can be applied to treat a full range of psychological disorders. These include anxiety disorders, depression and suicide, sexual dysfunctions, marital problems, eating and weight disorders, addictive disorders, schizophrenia, childhood disorders, phobias, pain management, hypertension, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, etc. (Thorpe G. et al, 1990). References Corsini R, & Wedding D. (2008). Current Psychotherapies. New York: Thomson Brooks/Cole. Eifert, G. , & Plaud, J. (1998). From behavior theory to behavior therapy (pp. 1-14).Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Erwin E. (1978). Behavior Therapy: Scientific, Philosophical, & Moral Foundations. New York: Cambridge University Press. Harold (1990). Handbook of Social and Evaluation Anxiety. New York: Plenum Press. Lieberman D. (2004). Learning and Memory: an integrative approach. United states: Thomson Wadsworth. Plaud, J. (2001). Clinical science and human behavior. Jou rnal of Clinical Psychology, 57, 1089-1102. Rimm D. , & Masters J. (1974). Behavior Therapy: Techniques and Empirical Findings. New York: Academic press. Thorpe G. , & Olson S. 1990). Behavior Therapy: Concepts, Procedures and Applications. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Wachtel P. , (1997). Psychoanalysis, Behavior Therapy, and the Relational World. Washington DC: American Psychological Association. Wolpe, J. , & Plaud, J. (1997). Pavlov’s contributions to behavior therapy: The obvious and the not so obvious. American Psychologist, 52, 966-972. Wolpe, Joseph. 1958. Psychotherapy by Reciprocal Inhibition. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Yates A. , 1975). Theory and Practice in Behavior Therapy. New York: John Wiley & Sons.