Commonly Confused Words Seam and Seem

The words seam and seem are homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings. Definitions The noun seam refers to a line formed by sewing together two pieces of material, or to any line or mark like this. The noun seam may also refer to a thin layer of coal, ore, etc. As a verb, seam means to join together to form a seam. The verb seem means to appear or to give the impression of being something. Examples If you can sew a straight seam on a sewing machine, you can make a quilt in just a day or two.The shoulder seams of the mans blue waffle-weave jacket were visibly straining; around the brace was tied a necktie, which reached only a third of the way down his chest.(Gish Jen, Birthmates. Ploughshares, 1995)Historical research is often rather like mining: the researcher finds a rich seam of ore and keeps digging until the lode is exhausted.(John Tully, Silvertown. NYU Press, 2014)After the attack, the battleship seemed to be spouting flames at every seam.Once she had pampered her students, singing them songs, letting them call her at home even, and ask personal questions. but now she was losing sympathy. They were beginning to seem different. They were beginning to seem demanding and spoiled.(Lorrie Moore, Youre Ugly, Too. The New Yorker, 1990)The street looks tremendous. People on the far side seem tiny and archaic, dwarfed by the great sky and the windy clouds like pedestrians in old prints.(Walker Percy, The Moviegoer, 1961) Idiom Alerts Bursting at the SeamsThe expression bursting at the seams means very full or crowded.- His long hair hung like rags in the heat; his clothes were much washed and faded to pastel colors. His suitcase, a canvas affair, repeated his worn appearance and was bursting at the seams.(Paul Theroux, The Great Railway Bazaar. Houghton Mifflin, 1975)- The house burst at the seams, and hilarious pandemonium reigned. Chinese Lady, Emily and Tommy, up at six in the morning, had spent until ten oclock preparing the wedding breakfast for fifty and more people.(Mary Jane Staples, Down Lambeth Way. Corgi, 1988)Coming Apart at the SeamsThe idiom to come (or fall) apart at the seams means to be weak or in poor condition and close to the point of collapse.- Looking around me in the months after my return from New York, I saw a city falling apart at the seams, torn by political strife and civil unrest, a city eaten alive by greed and envy.(Rupert Smith, I Must Confess. Cleis Press, 2007)- Lepski hung up. H e walked, heavy footed, out to his car and headed back to headquarters. He felt as if his ambitious little world had come apart at the seams.(James Hadley Chase, You Must Be Kidding. Robert Hale, 1979) Practice (a) Conflict and anger are often not about what they _____ to be about on the surface.(b) Marcie took out a penknife and ripped open the _____ of her jacket.(c) Uncle Willie didnt _____ to notice that Mr. Taylor was oblivious to everything he said.(Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Random House, 1969) Answers to Practice Exercises: Seam and Seem (a) Conflict and anger are often not about what they seem to be about on the surface.(b) Marcie took out a penknife and ripped open the seam of her jacket.(c) Uncle Willie didnt seem to notice that Mr. Taylor was oblivious to everything he said.(Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Random House, 1969)

Trying Juveniles as Adults - 1404 Words

When it comes to trying juveniles as adults, it is a strong issue to follow through, but it has been a controversial topic to the public. This topic is a controversial topic even considering that there are numerous arguments to put forth on both sides. There will be stated pros and cons of each side and articles to back up the arguments. Juveniles are defined as children who fall under the age of 18, depending on the state. Even though, some juveniles are tried as adults despite their under age. In this article the Pro side is going to be, the crime is a crime no matter who did it. Even if a child did a crime doesn’t mean the victim didn’t suffer. There are several people who believe that the juvenile court has been established with the†¦show more content†¦According to examiner.com, â€Å"research shows that the human brain goes through a slow maturation process between ages 10 through 25.The emotional make-up of a child is generally fully developed by age five (Examiner).† So, when it comes to this study it shows that Cameron Kocher’s brain wasn’t even in the start of its process. Therefore, Cameron showed the signs he was showing because he most likely didn’t fully understand what was going on, or what he did. During this time, when juveniles have no responsibilities, and maturity it is not expected of them, they most likely do not understand the consequences. Therefore, it is considered unjust to convict them in the mann er as adults. Also, in CNN according to Jessica Reaves, â€Å"The juvenile prison system can help kids turn their lives around; rehabilitation gives kids a second chance. Successful rehabilitation, many argue, is better for society in the long run than releasing someone whos spent their entire young adult life in general prison population. A young person released from juvenile prison is far less likely to commit a crime than someone coming out of an adult facility (Reaves).† This is another way to look at the situation. When it comes to juvenile’s rehabilitation is a way to help the juvenile fully understand what have gotten them in their certain situation. Also, it’s a way to add onto what they can do to make sure the juvenile doesn’tShow MoreRelatedTrying Juveniles as Adults Essay1312 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Caldwell (1961) the juvenile justice system is based on the principle that youth are developmentally and fundamentally different from adults. According to Mack (1909) the focus of the juvenile justice system has shifted from â€Å"was the crime commi tted† to â€Å"why did the child commit the crime†, â€Å"how can we help the child†. When performing as it is designed and up to the initial intentions, the juvenile court balances rehabilitation (treatment) of the offender with suitable sanctions whenRead MoreTrying Juveniles As Adults And Providing Rehabilitation1598 Words   |  7 PagesTrying Juveniles As Adults And Providing Rehabilitation During Incarceration Today’s heated debate regarding the decision to try juveniles as adults has prompted individuals to construct opinionated and informational articles on the topic. The nation’s troubled youth are protected by groups that believe these offenders deserve rehabilitation and a chance to develop into a productive member of society. However, others believe that those committing certain heinous crimes should be tried as adults asRead MoreRole of Cognitive Development in Trying Juveniles as Adults Essay example618 Words   |  3 Pagesthe United States, you are considered an adult at 18-years old. With age comes a plethora of other privledges. You can drive at 16 with a proper drivers license, legally engage in intercourse at 17, vote and purchase cigarrettes at 18 and purchase and consume alcohol at 21. Although there is one age restriction that hasnt been set in stone. In the justice system, one may be considered an adult at 18 and be tried as such. The option of being trie d as an adult hangs on many circumstances. If the individualRead MoreJuveniles And The Criminal Justice System1594 Words   |  7 Pages Juveniles and the Criminal Justice System There is much debate over whether or not juveniles should ever be tried as adults. Juveniles are defined as children under the age of 18. In the past, juveniles have been tried in a separate juvenile court because of their age. However, trying juveniles as adults for violent crimes is a trend that is on the rise. Age is supposed to be a deterrent for placing those under 18 on trial and giving them stiffer punishments that are often reserved for adults. ManyRead MoreJuveniles Should Be Legal For Adult Courts1528 Words   |  7 Pagesor not juveniles should receive waivers to adult court. There are three methods that are used to transfer a juvenile to adult court. Juvenile waiver, statutory exclusion, and Concurrent Jurisdiction are the three different methods used to transfer a juvenile to adult court. Statutory exclusion is when the juvenile is transferred immediately to the adult court. Concurrent Jurisdiction is when the juvenile may be tried as an adult and a juvenile at once. T hroughout all three methods juvenile waiverRead MoreEssay on Juveniles Tried as Adults843 Words   |  4 PagesFinal : Question #1 A juvenile being tried as an adult is a very sensitive and controversial issue over the past years. There has been a significant increase in the number of juvenile offenders being tried in adult courts for serious crimes. Juveniles should be tried as adults depending on the seriousness of the crime that they commit. There are many factors that contribute to juvenile courts and to what extent a juvenile should be tried as an adult. The juvenile justice system was intendedRead MoreShould Juveniles Be Tried as Adults? Essay867 Words   |  4 Pages29, 2012 Should Juveniles be tried as Adults? There are many controversies that surround juveniles being rehabilitated rather than going through the adult justice system, but studies show that juveniles are not fully developed to be tried as an adult. One of the main questions that it always boils down to is â€Å"should juveniles be tried as adults?† in my opinion juveniles should not be tried as adults because of their age. First, I believe that juveniles should not be tried as adults because their mentalitiesRead MoreJuveniles Being Tried As Adults1238 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Juveniles Being Tried as Adults† There are articles or news reports every once and a while about juveniles committed heinous crimes, but not serving any real time for the crime. Juveniles or even adults should not serve a few years for murder or rape. Murderers, rapists and other criminals are being released from jail every day after serving only very short sentences for their heinous crimes. (Source #1) Who are these criminals and what makes them so special? The criminals are juveniles who commitRead MoreThe Main Aim Of Eradicating Criminal From The Society1439 Words   |  6 PagesJuvenile Crimes The main aim of eradicating criminal from the society is to enhance peaceful coexistence among people and to aid development. In this regard, individuals who fail to fit in this setting should be eradicated regardless of their age and made responsible for their actions. Releasing murderers, rapists, and other criminals from jail after serving a lenient and short sentence does not rehabilitate them in any way. In this regard, all those who are engaged in criminal activities that riskRead MoreEssay Juvenile Delinquency1499 Words   |  6 PagesMain Post: Juvenile delinquency is a problem that affects society as a whole. Understanding Juvenile delinquency is important because it is part of trying to figure out how people in American society should react to it; specifically, in terms of law enforcement officers, their agencies, and State legislators. When deviant behavior becomes continuous, chronic and widespread it gets perceived as a significant part of the population as threatening to the general well-being of society (Thompson

Business Promotion Strategic Marketing Plan

Question: Discuss about the Business Promotion Strategic Marketing Plan. Answer: Introduction The aim of the present assignment, which is a continuation of assignment one is to establish a profound strategic marketing plan for the organization SolarCity of New Zealand. It is required to mention that while establishing convenient marketing strategies for SolarCity, the paper would first focus on the primary and secondary target markets of the considered organization, which has been thoroughly illustrated in the previous assignment. Thereafter, the present assignment will move on to construct apt strategic functions for product, pricing, distribution or supply chain and integrated marketing communication of SolarCity. From the previous assignment, it has been identified as well as understood that the organization is primarily a limited enterprise in the premise of New Zealand that is involved from developing and manufacturing product to financing and remote monitoring of the solar panels and solar power system. Most importantly, the first assignment has pointed out that the organization has three distinct kinds of target markets presently; the first one is the households of New Zealand while the second one commercial sector of the country. However, the third kind of target market has been identified to be the offshore clients. In case of establishing the product and pricing strategy, the present assignment would have to consider the key buying behavior and concern of the target market of SolarCity, which has been effectively diagnosed in the first assignment. It says that scarcity of natural resources is the main concern that drives the target markets of the organization to buy their products. However, from the competitor analysis, the present assignment have got a hint about what exactly SolarCity would adopt as strategy, which says that the organization would have to beat Green Energy Corporation, Agua Del Sol LLC and Solar Collector Inc mainly. Marketing plan In accordance with the SWOT, situational, stakeholder and competitor analysis from the previous assignment, it has been understood that the following goals and objectives are possessed by the concerned organization. Considering the buying behavior of the target markets and their kinds, marketing plan A would be to devise suitable positioning, distribution and communication strategy that would support SolarCity to influence the minds of the identified target markets and fulfill their demand (Hollensen 2015). Following the marketing goal A, two particular marketing objectives would be To identify needs and basic characteristics of the target markets Seemingly, the specific premise of the objective is to identify the needs and characteristic features of the target market, would be covered within two weeks by the hands of the chief marketing executive of SolarCity. To design appropriate communication and distribution strategy The above goal has been designed keeping in mind about the prime purpose of the assignment, which is to grow the sales and market expansion for SolarCity considering their chief target markets. Therefore, the specific premise for the second objective is understandably the establishment of the suitable strategies with the help of executive marketing director of SolarCity within the time of fifteen days. Marketing goal B Keeping in mind about the marketing goal A, the second goal of SolarCitys marketing would be to increase the profit margin by implementing appropriate pricing and product development strategy. More precisely, the second goal would be to expand in the market by beating the existing rival organizations alongside advancing the rate of sales. Therefore, two accompanying objectives for this distinct goal would be To procure appropriate strategies for developing product The specific premise of the objective, which is to procure strategies for product development would be done within the time of one month through the hands of the chief executive of product scrutiny and development management. To design strategy for selecting appropriate price On behalf of this particular objective, it can be said that the specific aspect of the objective would be to identify the average financial status of the primary and secondary target markets within the time limit of two months. In this context, it should also be mentioned that the responsible person for accomplishing this objective would be the assistance-marketing executives and assistance finance manager of SolarCity. Primary target market According to the market audit report of SolarCity, the primary target market of the considered organization is divided into two major types, which are the commercial sector and the household owners of New Zealand. More elaborately, the primary target market of the concerned organization can be segmented into both males and females of the society. However, if the primary target market can be identified with psychographic attributes, then it can be said occupation wise most of the household owners are homemakers, service men and business professionals. On the other hand, the other part of the primary segment involves the ministry of the economic development and department of conservation. Identifying characteristics and needs of the primary target market The demographic characteristics of the household owners involves both male and female inhabitants of New Zealand whose age range from 24-65. Furthermore, this individual target market possesses the value of saving non-renewable energies alongside they have the strong concern for the increasing the use of renewable energies like the solar power. Therefore, the preference of this kind of target market rests on the unique and most up-to-date design and potentiality of the solar panels. On the other hand, the other kind of the primary target market possesses the value to unique and effective energy solutions. Therefore, understandably the preference of this part of the target market depends on the efficiency of the solar panels and their capacity to resolve energy issues. Therefore, their individual energy issues understandably determine the buying habit of the commercial sector of New Zealand (Slack 2015). However, the buying preference of the households owners unlike the other one main ly depends on the price range of the solar panels as per the fact the solar energy is used for everyday energy needs in the house. Secondary target market According to the previous report of marketing audits, there has been found a third target figure for the organization SolarCity, who are predominantly the offshore or oversees organizations those like the commercial sector of New Zealand searches for innovative energy solution. SolarCitys desire to provide energy solution to other countries in form of market expansion is an indication of the fact that the organization has already planned to beat their archrivals with their preference for target market. Characteristics, basic needs and buying preference The secondary target market is the commercial market of the other countries; therefore, it is understandable that their needs and buying preferences would be approximately similar with commercial sectors of New Zealand. Therefore, it can be said that commercial enterprises, which utilizes a huge amount of energy would have the preference to have energy solutions those are affordable yet efficient. However, it is fortunate that the demographic attributes of this target market would help the considered organization in expanding in an international ground (Baker 2014). Most importantly in this case, the organization has to keep in mind that the basic needs of the secondary target market would not be limited within energy solutions. The organization should anticipate that from offshore clients, demand for both household goods and energy solution devices would come (McDONALD et al. 2016). Product strategy for primary target market Product feature Prior to design a fruitful strategy for product, it is required to denote that for the primary target market, SolarCitys product will be the solar hot water, solar photovoltaic, evacuated panels, evacuated tube based system and installation devices of solar panels. The most significant aspect of the offered products of SolarCity for the primary target market is they are varied and usable for both household and business. Brand name and packaging The products and service will be offered under the brand name of SolarCity with its official logo. However, in case of both product quality and packaging it should be contemplated that the organization would adopt the product strategy of changing the design and performance of the existing products. Most significantly, in terms of packaging, SolarCity should provide two types of packaging for both kinds of the primary target market. One should be a trial package and the other one should be for the final use (Strauss 2016). Positioning strategy For the primary target market, the positioning strategy would be the packaging strategy itself. According to the packaging strategy, the organization would provide the privilege to the target markets to have a trial of the preferred products. Supplemental products and value Each of the offered products for the primary target market would retain the core values that the organization fundamentally proposes. However, the products provided as trial pack would contain experiential attributes as they are for trials (Grant 2016). On the other hand, in terms of supplemental products, SolarCitys service for implementation for both the trial and permanent purpose will act as supplemental products. Product strategy for secondary target market Product feature The product for secondary target market or the clients from other countries would be mainly the evacuated panels and evacuated tube based system and their service for the installation of solar power and technical support. Brand name and packaging Same as the brand name and packaging for the primary target market, the service for the offshore clients will be provided under the same brand name and the packaging strategy would be same (Khan 2014). Positioning strategy For the secondary target market, the positioning strategy would be to provide free installation service for providing tube based systems along with one year of guarantee to every customer. On the other hand, for the installation service, the positioning strategy would be to provide the technical support is relatively low rate than the normal market price (Goi 2015). Supplemental products and value As per the fact that the organization would mainly provide the evacuated tube based system and technical support in terms of implementation service, the organization would provide a twenty four hours of free online customer support to the customers offshore. On the other hand, as all the services are prime services of SolarCity, therefore reasonably the organization would be providing core values to all of them. Pricing strategy for primary and secondary target market Strategy for primary target For the primary target market, SolarCitys overall pricing strategy would be the discount policy as per the fact that the organization attempts to encourage a larger unit purchases. Therefore, the pricing objectives will be the rate of preference for having discount and the current usage rate of the commercial sector and household owners of New Zealand (Bag and Biswas 2013). Most importantly, the pricing strategy will be strongly supported by the proposed designing strategy, which is to provide the privilege of using the trial package. It is because, the fundamental tactic of the discount policy, which is to encourage larger units of purchase by quantity discount will be accomplished by the positioning strategy to provide free installation service (Ferguson and Higgins 2015). Strategy for secondary target The overall pricing strategy for the secondary target market would be the discount policy as well as it would help the organization to maintain a firm competition with the rival organizations of the offshore countries (Antoncic et al. 2016). Therefore, SolarCitys pricing objects for the secondary target market would be to know the usage rate of solar power of the offshore market and the current market rate of discount. The positioning strategy is to provide free installation and free online customer support, which would help to capture the minds of the target market and would accomplish the positioning strategy appropriately. Most significantly, considering the need of price competition to the competitors, it can be said that the organization would keep the rate of discount at least 10% less than their potential rivals would. In this context, one aspect is needed to be mentioned, which are both of the pricing strategies would have connection with the value of monetary costs unlike th e distribution strategy (Certo 2015). Distribution strategy for primary and secondary target markets Strategy for Primary target For the primary target concern, the overall distribution strategy would be to improve service. Therefore, the channels according to this strategy would be the leading national retailers and distributors of solar panels. Alongside, the proper place will be most of the local leading service centers, through which the local household owners will be able to easily become SolarCitys customers. Thus, understandably with the help of local service centers, accomplishments of the positioning strategy to providing free installation will be easy (Florian and Pajzos 2015). Strategy for Secondary target Unlike the primary target market, overall distribution strategy would be change channel strategy, as per the fact that the clients will be from offshore. Therefore, increase of own sales coverage and area specific distribution would be required (Milichovsk and imberov 2015). The channels would be local retailers and leading organizations with service centers of each specific country through which the agenda of providing discount in installation and online customer care would be flexibly maintained. Promotion strategy for the primary target Integrated marketing communication for the primary market will be to increase the exhibition coverage along with increase of social media. Consumer promotion elements For the purpose of promotion for the targeted consumers, SolarCity will advertise through online social sites, for which the organization would use e-mail shots, expand, and improvise its existing websites. Nevertheless, in terms of public relation strategy, the organization would consider setting up Facebook page and Twitter account for planning exhibitions and campaigns. Trade promotion elements In terms trade promotion elements, the considered organization would use both the advertising channels and the elements for public relation strategy. More precisely, company websites, industry specific websites, Facebook and Twitter account all will be used as trade promotion elements. Promotion strategy for the secondary target The overall integrated marketing communication strategy for the secondary target market will be to introduce a new product policy, as the organization would make their venture in several new countries (Willing et al. 2015). Consumer promotion elements In terms of consumer promotion elements, the organization would use industry specific websites and use online advertising campaigns. Similarly, like the public relation strategy of primary target market, for the secondary target market, the public relation strategy would be the same. Trade promotion elements In terms of trade promotion elements, in the offshore countries, online social media like Facebook, Twitter will help SolarCity. Moreover, a modified version of the existing website of SolarCity would also help. Therefore, reasonably both advertising and public relation strategy will be used. Implementation strategy for primary and secondary target markets In case of implementing the strategy for both the target markets o SolarCity, the organization would take concern about the structural issues at the very first. For the households and commercial sector of New Zealand, the organization would change the reporting relationships as well as they need to add some more positions for extending the service to free implementation and free online customer support. On the other side, for the offshore clients, the organizations would have to change some of the line of its authority as new positions of authority would be required in individual offshore places. Four internal marketing activities would be necessary regarding this concern Employee training for accomplishing the strategies for offshore clients Combating employee resistance through organizing meetings and incentives Motivate the existing employees and share each of the decisions regarding strategies through top-down and bottom-up communication (Pathak and Makwana 2015) Hire new employee for the installation and customer service department Evaluation and control Input controls Process control Output control (In general) A detailed outline of the possible capital expenditure Online and offline market research for two months ($50,000) Recruitment of twenty individuals within one month ($20,000) One month of training to the existing employees and management ($30,000) Revise the incentive policy and implement bottom-up communication policy within three weeks (McCormack and Johnson 2016) Regular survey on the field of product modification and development Number of ratings on Facebook and company websites from offshore places Construction of a separate team within one month for monitoring and measuring the marketing performance Use of checklist for measuring whether four objectives have been met or not (Mun et al. 2014) Use of an observing team for measuring and taking feedbacks from the product development field Output control Standards (In details) Options Overall performance 20% increase in dollar sale in the home ground would be monitored by the executive finance officer Acquisition of loyal customers would be monitored by the customer management executive Increase of sales volume up to 15% in the offshore zone would be controlled and monitored by the regional finance officer (Mosca 2016) Price performance Sales analysis and market share analysis will be controlled and evaluated by the finance department through online rating and by detail comparison of the revenue margin Product performance A thorough product testing after each modification and product development in the first three month through the hands of product development executives Distribution performance standards and IMC performance Quarterly survey for analyzing distribution efficiency and analysis of the supply chain integration would be undertaken Analysis of the brand awareness through comparing revenue margin and online ratings To evaluate the proposed advertising strategies, advertising research would be used, which is effective in improving the promotion systems Informal controls Employee self control It is a possibility that the employee may lack in confidence for handling the plans for offshore clients In that case the organization would consider providing training sessions Employee social control Workshop relationship may lack while hiring new stuffs from diverse culture and background for accomplishing marketing target for the offshore clients In that case, SolarCity would consider increasing communicational bond with the new employees Cultural control It is possibility that the marketing activities may not influence the minds of the offshore target market due to different culture and perspective Therefore, SolarCity should think about making a thorough market research and make suitable modifications prior to implement the strategies. Marketing audits (measuring effectivess) Options Measures Responsible person Profit-based Comparison between current profit margin and the previous profit margin Finance executive Time-based Strategy for primary target market would be implemented in the first week Strategy for the secondary target market would be implemented in the second month Marketing executives Measuring effectiveness of modified product and promotion activities Review of customer feedback Keep track of Facebook ratings Product testing on frequent basis and address the analysis made after each product testing Marketing executives Product development executives In case expectation does not meet Assessment and modification of the existing strategies Implementation of new strategies Marketing executives Conclusion The above marketing plan has identified two individual target markets of SolarCity, which are the household owners and the commercial sector of New Zealand in terms of primary and offshore clients to be secondary target market. The plan has been made considering different needs and expectation of the individual target market. The report has pointed out that for satisfying both of the target markets; the organization would provide the facility of using the trail package with discounts. Most importantly, the plan has implicated that for promoting the products for both kinds of target markets, SolarCity would concentrate upon creating online websites and Facebook page along with online exhibitions and campaigns. References Antoncic, B., Auer Antoncic, J. and Aaltonen, H.M., 2016. Marketing self-efficacy and firm creation.Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development,23(1), pp.90-104. Bag, S. and Biswas, D., 2013. Four P's compass model in new paradigm of marketing mix.International Journal of Applied Services Marketing Perspectives,2(1), p.273. Baker, M.J., 2014.Marketing strategy and management. Palgrave Macmillan. Certo, S., 2015.Supervision: Concepts and skill-building. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Ferguson, J.M. and Higgins, L.F., 2015. Structure and Locus of Control in Marketing Courses. InProceedings of the 1987 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference(pp. 236-240). Springer International Publishing. Florian, G.L. and Pajzos, C., 2015. THE IMPACT OF MARKETING PERFORMANCES ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCES IN THE CONTEXT OF ROMANIAN SUPPLY CHAINS.SEA: Practical Application of Science,3(2). Goi, C.L., 2015. Marketing Mix: A review of'P'.The Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce,2005. Grant, R.M., 2016.Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley Sons. Hollensen, S., 2015.Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education. Khan, M.T., 2014. The concept of'marketing mix'and its elements (a conceptual review paper).International journal of information, business and management,6(2), p.95. McCormack, K.P. and Johnson, W.C., 2016.Supply chain networks and business process orientation: advanced strategies and best practices. CRC Press. McDONALD, M.A.L.C.O.L.M. and Brown, L., 2016. 5 Strategic marketing planning.The marketing book, p.86. Milichovsk, F. and imberov, I., 2015. Marketing effectiveness: Metrics for effective strategic marketing.Engineering Economics,26(2), pp.211-219. Mosca, F. ed., 2016.Global Marketing Strategies for the Promotion of Luxury Goods. IGI Global. Mun, J.M., Leem, W.B. and Cho, S.H., 2014. A Study for Promotion Strategies of the Smart Grid in Convergence technology.Journal of Digital Contents Society,15(4), pp.513-520. Pathak, A. and Makwana, K., 2015. Business Promotion strategies for small enterprises.SAMVAD,8. Slack, N., 2015.Operations strategy. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Strauss, J., 2016.E-marketing. Routledge. Willing, I., Plage, S., Woodward, I. and Skrbis, Z., 2015. Exploring contradictions and challenges in performances of openness in tense cosmopolitan encounters. In12th Conference of the European Sociological Association. Andersen, O., Kheam, L.S. and Elnan, H., 2015. An Exploratory Study of International Product and Promotion Adaptations in SMEs. InProceedings of the 1997 World Marketing Congress(pp. 153-157). Springer International Publishing. Antoncic, B., Auer Antoncic, J. and Aaltonen, H.M., 2016. Marketing self-efficacy and firm creation.Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development,23(1), pp.90-104. Bag, S. and Biswas, D., 2013. Four P's compass model in new paradigm of marketing mix.International Journal of Applied Services Marketing Perspectives,2(1), p.273. Baker, M.J., 2014.Marketing strategy and management. Palgrave Macmillan. Certo, S., 2015.Supervision: Concepts and skill-building. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Ferguson, J.M. and Higgins, L.F., 2015. Structure and Locus of Control in Marketing Courses. InProceedings of the 1987 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference(pp. 236-240). Springer International Publishing. Florian, G.L. and Pajzos, C., 2015. THE IMPACT OF MARKETING PERFORMANCES ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCES IN THE CONTEXT OF ROMANIAN SUPPLY CHAINS.SEA: Practical Application of Science,3(2). Goi, C.L., 2015. Marketing Mix: A review of'P'.The Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce,2005. Grant, R.M., 2016.Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley Sons. Hollensen, S., 2015.Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education. Karakaya, E., Nuur, C. and Hidalgo, A., 2016. Business model challenge: Lessons from a local solar company.Renewable Energy,85, pp.1026-1035. Khan, M.T., 2014. The concept of'marketing mix'and its elements (a conceptual review paper).International journal of information, business and management,6(2), p.95. McCormack, K.P. and Johnson, W.C., 2016.Supply chain networks and business process orientation: advanced strategies and best practices. CRC Press. McDONALD, M.A.L.C.O.L.M. and Brown, L., 2016. 5 Strategic marketing planning.The marketing book, p.86. Milichovsk, F. and imberov, I., 2015. Marketing effectiveness: Metrics for effective strategic marketing.Engineering Economics,26(2), pp.211-219. Mosca, F. ed., 2016.Global Marketing Strategies for the Promotion of Luxury Goods. IGI Global. Mun, J.M., Leem, W.B. and Cho, S.H., 2014. A Study for Promotion Strategies of the Smart Grid in Convergence technology.Journal of Digital Contents Society,15(4), pp.513-520. Nieroda, M. and McGoldrick, P., 2017. Healthy Eating Promotion: Translating Consumer Expectations into CSR Strategies (An Abstract). InCreating Marketing Magic and Innovative Future Marketing Trends(pp. 665-666). Springer, Cham. O'guinn, T., Allen, C., Semenik, R. and Scheinbaum, A.C., 2014.Advertising and integrated brand promotion. Nelson Education. Pathak, A. and Makwana, K., 2015. Business Promotion strategies for small enterprises.SAMVAD,8. Rogers, T. and Davidson, R., 2015.Marketing destinations and venues for conferences, conventions and business events(Vol. 14). Routledge. Slack, N., 2015.Operations strategy. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Strauss, J., 2016.E-marketing. Routledge. Willing, I., Plage, S., Woodward, I. and Skrbis, Z., 2015. Exploring contradictions and challenges in performances of openness in tense cosmopolitan encounters. In12th Conference of the European Sociological Association.

Smoking Essay Example Essay Example

Smoking Essay Example Paper Smoking Essay Introduction Smoking Smoking Essay Body Paragraphs Smoking Introduction Many researchers (Naquin Gilbert, 1996; Siquera et al., 2001) have conducted studies aimed at identifying the effects of smoking on different populations. Siquera et al. (2001) noted that those who begin smoking in high school continue to smoke several years later, and they are unable to quit when they want. Among the research conducted is the relationship between smoking and perceived stress (Naquin Gilbert, 1996). Research conducted by Naquin and Gilbert concluded that smoking leads to increased stressed levels. Smoking among university students tends to be a relatively common thing in many universities, although not all the students smoke. This is mostly because of peer influence, and the feeling that smoking will enable them to cope with the pressure they face in school (Parrott Murphy, 2012). Some students also smoke because they feel that smoking helps them to relax (Siquera et al., 2001). Many smokers tend to experience feelings of relaxation and satisf action when they smoke, but they report feeling anxious and stressful when they are not smoking (Parrott Murphy, 2012). This has led them to believe that smoking helps them manage the stress they feel. Naquin M and Gilbert G (1996) conducted research aimed at identifying the smoking behavior of students and its effects on perceived stress. This study revealed that the students who smoked had higher levels of perceived stress compared to those who have never smoked (Naquin Gilbert, 1996). There is high nicotine dependence among students. Nicotine dependence has a big role in maintaining smoking among adolescents. The adolescents move from experimenting with smoking, to regular use, which in turn leads to addiction (Rojas et al., 1998). Only 5% of high school students think that they will continue smoking after five years, but more than 75% of them continue smoking. This shows the extent of nicotine dependence among students (Siquera et al., 2001). Men are most likely to smoke and u se other substances. However, there is minimal difference among men and women in the level of nicotine dependence (Okoli et al., 2012). This study aims to examine the stress levels and nicotine dependence in undergraduate students who smoke. It is hoped that the findings will show that cessation of smoking will help undergraduate students who smoke to deal with stress. Problem statement and hypothesis As noted, students who smoke do so for different reasons, and one of the reasons is that it helps them to cope with the challenges they face in college. The students believe that smoking helps them to reduce their stress levels. The research will aim to identify the different factors that contribute to stress levels among undergraduate students, and the methods that different students use to cope with these challenges. Three specific questions will be addressed in the study: to examine the differences in perceived stress between students who smoke, the ex-smokers, and those who have ne ver smoked to examine differences in nicotine dependence in students who smoke or are ex-smokers to examine for gender differences in nicotine dependence in students who smoke or are ex-smokers Materials Questionnaires The Perceived Stressed Scale questionnaire (PSS) This questionnaire measures the perception of stress on individuals. The questionnaire will offer information indicating what the participants find stressful in their lives. This questionnaire will provide information about the participant’s current feelings or thoughts. It will measure the extent of the students’ perceived stress, and whether this perception makes them more susceptible to smoking. All the participants will fill the questionnaire. The Fagerstorm nicotine dependence questionnaire This questionnaire will determine the level of nicotine dependence among the participants. It will determine how often the current smokers smoke and other smoking habits. It will be adjusted to capture responses fr om former smokers (Siquera et al., 2001). Demographic information, which includes gender, age, year of study, and the smoking habit of the participants, will be collected from the participants. The research will involve the use of three types of questionnaires, addressing the three groups. The questions will be structured in a way that reveals the students current smoking habits or lack thereof. The questionnaires will also identify the factors that contribute to the habit of smoking among the student population. Questionnaires targeted at the students who have never smoked will focus on how they cope with different challenges and pressure while they are in school. Methodology Design This research will be an unrelated design focusing on differences between groups according to smoking status. A one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) will be used to examine any differences between the three groups (IV) on perceived stress scores (DV). The three groups are the independent variables, and they include undergraduate students who have never smoked, current smokers, and former smokers. To examine nicotine dependence (DV), a two way ANOVA will be conducted. It will examine the differences between smokers and non-smokers (IV1), in addition to any effects of nicotine dependence on gender (IV2). The ANOVA test is useful in this case because it compares two or more variables. This research defines former smokers as the participants who have not smoked a cigarette for the last three months. A current smoker is a participant who is a habitual smoker or one who smokes occasionally. The third category is the participants who have never smoked a cigarette in their lives. Participants The sample (N=75) will consist of 75 undergraduate students from the University of West London, who will be recruited opportunistically. Twenty-five students in the sample will be students who have never smoked, another twenty-five will be former smokers, and the remaining twenty-five participants wi ll be current smokers. The students will receive an invitation to participate in the research from the school notice board and from the active social media in the school. This will include the use of blogs, and different social networking sites. The participants will be selected randomly from the different undergraduate students at the university, and participation will be on a voluntary basis. They will be selected from the students who respond to the invitation. This will ensure variety in the research. The research will ensure that the participants are at different levels in their undergraduate studies. The research will encourage both male and female students to take part in the research. In addition, it will include students of different ages and study disciplines. The research will ensure confidentiality of all the participants. Some participants may be concerned about revealing some information such as their age, or even the fact they smoke or they have ever smoked. The parti cipants will be informed of their right to privacy and confidentiality. They will sign a consent form, indicating their willingness to participate in the research. Procedure Students from the university of west London will be approached opportunistically and asked if they would be willing to participate in a research study and smoking ‘status’ will be ascertained prior to handing out questionnaires. The invitation will target undergraduate students from various disciplines. All the participant groups will receive and complete the Perceived Stress Scale Questionnaire. Current and ex-smokers will complete the Fagerstorm Nicotine Dependence questionnaire. Participation will be on voluntary basis and this will be explained to each student. The research will encourage both the male and the female students to take part. In addition, the research will include students of different ages, from different study disciplines, and in different year of study. It is hoped that a fairly equal number of students will be obtained in each group. The current and former smokers will each receive questionnaires, where they will answer questions regarding their previous and current smoking habits. The questions will include questions such as the time the students started smoking, the factors that compelled them to start smoking, how often they do it, when they smoke, when they stopped smoking or why they have not stopped smoking, and what they feel or they felt when they quit or when they do not smoke. In addition, the participants will fill out forty questionnaires of the Fagerstorm Nicotine Dependence and Nicotine Tolerance. They will fill the questions sometime after they taken a cigarette. The research will indicate whether my hypothesis has been accepted or rejected. The research results will indicate whether I have answered the research questions, which deal with smoking as a form of coping with stress. Analysis This is quantitative research. As highlighted above, unrelated ANOVA will be used to explore the aims of the study. A one way ANOVA will test for differences in PSS scores between current smokers, ex-smokers, and those who have never smoked. A two way ANOVA will test for differences between former smokers and smokers. It will also test for differences in male and female current and former smokers. It will test for these differences on FTND scores, and examine whether there is an interaction effect between the two. References Naquin, M. R., Gilbert, G. G. (1996). College students’ smoking behavior, perceived stress, and coping styles. Journal of Drug Education, 26 (4), 367-376 Okoli, C. T., Torcholla, I., Khara, M. (2012). Sex differences in nicotine dependence among addictions clients accessing a smoking cessation program in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 19 (9) 776-784 Parrott, C. A. Murphy, S. R. (2012). Explaining the stress inducing effects of nicotine to cigarette smoke rs. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental 27, 150-155 Rojas, L. N., Killen, D. J., Haydel, F. K., Robinson, N. T. (1998). Nicotine dependence among adolescent smokers. Archives of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine. 152 (2), 151-156 Siquera, M. L., Rolnitzky, M. L., Rickert, I. V. (2001). Smoking cessation in adolescents: The role of nicotine dependence, stress, and coping methods. Archives of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine. 155, 489-495 We will write a custom essay sample on Smoking Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Smoking Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Smoking Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Enviornmental Challenges essays

Enviornmental Challenges essays An environmental challenge is something within the area that you live, that makes it difficult to settle there. Many times geography of a certain area has given certain civilizations problems that needed to be overcome. The geography of the Aztecs in Lake Texcoco and the geographical setting of the Inca civilization in the Andes mountains were both environmental challenges that the civilizations had to overcome. The Aztec civilization on lake Texcoco had a large environmental challenge because it was and island in the middle of a lake and there were no pass ways to the surrounding land. The Aztecs settled in the middle of Lake Texcoco because it was where they saw a bird sitting on a cactus holding a snake in its mouth, a sign from the Gods that's where they should settle. The challenges the Aztecs faced were a lack of food, because the island wasn't big enough for a temple and many gardens. The other environmental challenge they faced was transportation back to the main land because the main civilization was on the island. Even though the civilization faced these problems, they adapted to over come them. The Aztec civilization on lake Texcoco adapted quite easily to over come these environmental challenges. The first way the Aztec civilization adapted was to build floating gardens surrounding the island. These gardens called Chinampas, supplied food to the whole Aztec civilization. The chinampas were made of dirt piled on top of rafts that were anchored to the bottom of the lake until the plants roots touched the bottom. After this was accomplished, the plants were able to be harvested and the civilization would not go hungry. The chinampas were really a novel idea because they dint have to water the plants, for their roots could absorb water whenever they needed. Another way the Aztecs adapted to their challenging environment was building bridges from the island to the mainland. By building bridges, the Azte...

Differences Between Collaborate and Corroborate

Differences Between Collaborate and Corroborate If you are having a hard time deciding when to use the commonly  confused words, collaborate and corroborate, you are not the only one. Here are the definitions of each of these terms to help you in your writing: The verb collaborate means to cooperate or work jointly with others. The verb corroborate means to strengthen, support, or confirm with evidence. Examples of Usage In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed. (Charles Darwin)According to legend, he killed over a hundred men, but no historian has been able to corroborate this claim. Practice Usage (a) Divine was hired to _____ with the author to produce a new screenplay.(b) True ideas are those we can assimilate, validate, _____, and verify. Answers: (a) Divine was hired to  collaborate  with the author to produce a new screenplay.(b) True ideas are those we can assimilate, validate,  corroborate, and verify.

The Hunger Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Hunger Games - Essay Example Katniss emerges winners in the game in many perspectives: she is lovely and likeable, perhaps attributes that make her the envy of other girls her age. She is adored by many because of her sheer struggles, never relenting even when other characters in the play would have given up. Katniss is the rock, the foundation of her family. She becomes a role model to her sister, Prim. She is protective. She helps a young girl, Rue, from her neighborhood with food she forages from the forest. Apart from food, they share companionship and clothing. In her words, she teamed up with the young lady â€Å"because she is a survivor, and I trust her, and why not admit it? She reminds me of my Prim† (15.28). Through her survival and protective instincts, one can conclude that she has weathered many storms even at her tender age. What is more, girls her age cannot survive on their own, let alone protect themselves. She seems to be older than her actual age. This means that she is a survivor, another quality that makes her a winner in comparison to other characters in the play. She provides for yet another boy from a different district. The girl is named Peeta Mellark. She is skilled in hunting than a boy, Peeta. She comes out as a stronger character with a resolve to succeed in life regardless of her unfortunate background. Towards the end of the play, she risks her life so that she can help Peeta by going into the dangerous forest to bring the only medicine that can cure the boy. She is a reliable character that many people, within and without her neighborhood, can depend on. She protects people whenever she can, even at the expense of her own life. She is courageous, not a coward. This makes her a winner. When it is evident to her that she could win the Hunger Games, she asks: â€Å"For the first time, I allow myself to truly think about the possibility that I might make it home. To fame. To

Operation Hope unethical partnership decision with Union Bank and Nix Essay

Operation Hope unethical partnership decision with Union Bank and Nix Check Cashing - Essay Example Union Bank of California has entered in to partnership with Operation Hope which is a non-profit making organization and also Nix Check Cashing to offer financial services to low-income households. Many residents have low incomes thus consider savings-oriented services less attractive. Bryant of Operation Hope is initially reluctant to join the Union/Nix ownership model that includes financial literacy and market opportunities for Union Bank. Surprisingly, Operation Hope becomes the first non-governmental organization to sell 40 percent of its Hope Center in Willowbrook to a financial institution. This partnership links a bank which provides high interest payday loans to Operation Hope that is supposed to safeguard the welfare of the community b y providing services to low income households. The banking officers are reluctant to offer short term loans. The partnership may expose customer privacy information since Union Bank may share customer confidential information with Nix and Ope ration Hope. Nix employees are inefficient and have to give a 10 day waiting period before processing the loans. According to Union Bank, the aim of the partnership is to create 6,000 new bank customers and provide 750,000 ATM transactions (Bradley 7). Though from the Union Bank should comply with 1977 community Reinvestment Act by meeting the credit needs of communities. Nix alliance has compromised the role of Operation Hope since it cannot play a public watchdog role while it is a partner to the partnership. The construction of the partnership is aimed at ensuring profitability and success of Union Bank and Nix Check Cashing. The partnership agreement between the three institutions is unethical. The partnership is geared at increasing the profitability of Union Bank and meeting regulatory requirements like Community Reinvestment Act which requires Union Bank to offer services to communities (Bradley 7). Virtue ethics According to virtue ethics, the current state of affairs is une thical since it is not guided by ethical virtues. The virtues of Operation Hope management require them to act in a virtuous manner and act as community watchdog. Operation Hope as a non-profit institution should not enter in to a partnership which seeks to exploit the local low income households by providing expensive financial services. Operation hope should have avoided a partnership that has the potential of exposing private customer information and contravening human dignity virtues. In order to safeguard community welfare, Operation Hope should display virtues such as integrity, compassion, wisdom and courage and reject any partnership that seeks to provide expensive loans to low income households. According to Aristotle, the virtue ethics will consist of the mean between the extremes of excess and deficiency which are vices but some actions have no extremes like murder since it is virtuously wrong (Bowie 87). According to Aristotle, pleasure will impede ethical choices. For i nstance, the management of Operation Hope has acted with fear in order to uphold the partnership instead of safeguarding the community welfare. Union Bank is also unethical in its decision to partner with Nix and Operation Hope since its main objective is to adhere to requirements of Community Reinvestment Act and increase market share and profitability and not to provide the cheap loans required by the low income households. Union Bank decision is unethical since it only wants to increase market share at the expense of the society welfare. The decision of Operation Hope to join the partnership has been motivated by the pleasure of being associated with Union Bank which is a reputable Wall Street institution and Nix which is well known for cashing services. The partnership is unethical since it only promotes profit interests of Union Bank shareholders and not common interests of the low income ho

To Read without Being Lost Essay Example for Free

To Read without Being Lost Essay Human beings are almost always positive about knowing where they are in their life. But, they may never exactly know for certain where they maybe going or what their life will lead to. Billy Collins, the author of numerous poems including Introduction to Poetry and Schoolsville shows the aspects of this theory throughout his works. Collins provides enough details and description to let the reader know where they are when reading his poems, but not necessarily always where he is going with them. While most poets hide information or the fine points from us, Billy Collins does not. Instead, he indulges the reader with his clear topics, literary devices and precise imagery throughout the poems. In the poem, Introduction to Poetry, Collins chooses to use a personal experience of his own to form the topic. The poem describes him teaching to his students and telling them precisely how to write and find out the analytical meaning of a poem. Collins does this by telling his students to not express or say the underlying meaning in plain words. He suggests discovering the meaning of the words and phrases of the poem by â€Å"holding it up to the light like a color slide† (2-3). In a literal explanation, when a person holds a colored slide up to the light they see a great diversity of colors. Similarly, when looking at a poem differently, the poem conveys multiple important messages. Poet, Billy Collins, uses various literary devices to create a purpose for the reader. The desire Billy Collins has for the reader is to illustrate the picture he is painting for them and to comprehend his style. For instance, metaphors in the Introduction to Poetry make it almost painless for the reader to understand what is in fact being said: â€Å"I want them to water-ski across the surface of a poem† (9-10). This metaphor clearly explains that Collins wants the reader to have words to ponder, but the poem should flow smooth for them like water skiing across calm water. An additional literary device Collins makes relevant is personification. He gives living characteristics to a non-living object— a poem. When Collins says, â€Å"they begin beating it with a hose† (15) he does not literally mean that the students beat the poem with a hose. In reality, he is saying that the students get so frustrated that they can’t understand the concept. If they could they would beat it with a hose to get a meaning out. All Collins wants  is for them to treat the poem with loving attention and find the underlying significance for themselves. Imagery is also a key component when reading the Introduction to Poetry. Throughout the poem, Collins includes descriptive words to form mental images of a scene in the reader’s head. He makes it so clear that when he says they â€Å"torture a confession out of it† (14) a literal picture comes to my head. I see a student strangling the poem with a rope to force the meaning out of it. Imagery is presented again when Collins states: â€Å"drop a mouse into a poem and watch him probe his way out† (5-6). As I read this I pictured a mouse scattering through a poem like he would a maze, trying to find the piece of cheese. What the author is actually trying to declare is that he wants the students to have their poems not speak the meaning in plain words. Instead the poem should have the reader engaged in the work and wanting to find the way out, or meaning. In addition to the work, Introduction to Poetry, the poem Schoolsville also provides one of Billy Collins’ personal experiences when teaching as the topic. In the poem Collins informs the reader of how he reflects on the importance and meanings of his past. â€Å"Glancing over my shoulder at the past, I realize the number of students I have taught is enough to populate a small town† (1-3). Billy Collins means what he says word for word in these lines. This is the general idea for the poem. The topic also revolved around reminiscing and revisiting the past. Such as when Collins says, â€Å"I can see it nestled in a paper landscape† (4) he is referring to the past he had with his students. He stresses for the reader to understand that when he taught it was seen from his viewpoint only. It shows that traveling through one’s memory will eventually come to the reality of the present. Literary devices in the poem Schoolsville not only create a purpose, but they also make the poem interesting to read when depicting them. The reader is automatically grasped to the style of the poem by Collins’ literary devices. To be specific, when the author describes the girl at the drug store â€Å"brushing her hair like a machine† (19) he gives an example of a simile. In an analysis of this, he is saying the girl is brushing her hair furious, like a machine does work furiously. Another example of a literary device in Schoolsville is how the girl â€Å"signed her papers in lipstick† (17) is an allusion to â€Å"references to Hawthrone† (21). Hawthorne was the author of the  Scarlet Letter, which was a romantic novel. Therefore, the girl signing her papers in lipstick was also directed towards a romantic scene. Although I could not relate to this poem, it hooked my imagination through the imagery. The illusion of the teacher’s town, Schoolsville, is what made it almost real by Collins’ intricate description of the population. â€Å"The A’s stroll along with other A’s† (22) was a mental sketch of A plus students dressed tidy and carrying their books walking along with others of their kind. Another illustration of imagery is when Billy Collins writes, â€Å"a bell rings on the hour and everybody zigzags† (11). Immediately, I vision myself personally in high school waiting impatiently for class to end. As Collins did say, as soon as that bell chimes everyone from my class bolts out the door and â€Å"zigzags† through the hallways. The believability of the imaginary town is alluring to the reader. As Billy Collins writes his poetry he does so without losing the reader intentionally. The poems Introduction to Poetry and Schoolsville are descriptive, but yet easy to comprehend. The literary devices, apparent topics, and life-like imagery all contribute to what makes Billy Collins’ poems enjoyable and entertaining to read. Works Cited Collins, Billy. Introduction to Poetry. 1988. Print. Collins, Billy. Schoolsville. 1999. Print.

Teaching Students How to Write Essay -- English Writing Teacher Studen

Experience shapes us, randomness shapes us, the stars and weather, our own accommodations and rebellions, above all, the social order around us. Adrienne Rich, "Of a Women Born" My four-year old daughter now has the yearning to learn how to write. She scribbles illegible swirls, which she says is her story about a princess. She prints her name "Olivia" on books, magazines, and on her drawings. When she has a pen or crayon in hand she has an immediate urgency to write her name and where ever there is a flat surface she prints her name incorrectly. When I tell her there are not two "I"s in her name and attempt to show her the correct spelling, she throws her crayon in the air. What is essential and what I must remind myself is that at the moment, in her world, the spelling of her name is Oliia. When I hover over her shoulder as she scribbles, she stops writing. She feels inhibited, so now I resist teaching her writing. This is how I imagine many teachers feel when faced with a pile of essays written by high school students, which are streamed with grammatical errors and incoherent sentences. They feel apathy, as do many students, about writing. After reading t exts required for our composition theory class, I sympathize with students', teachers' and my daughter's frustration. Time is spent on error identification and what constitutes a finished piece, rather than on the potential of a piece of writing and the process of completing that piece. Time is not spent on how to create a "good" piece, or as Donald Murray describes, "rehearsal, drafting, revision and connecting." In a sense I could say Olivia is rehearsing the spelling of her name. It is no wonder she is throwing her crayon in the air, because I am correcting her versus ... ...se for Conflict." Contending with Words. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1991. 105-124. Kirsch, Jesa E. Ritcie, Joy S, "Beyond the Personal: Theorizing a Politics of Location in Composition Research." College Compositon and Communciation 46 (Feb. 1995):7-19. Murray, Donald M. A writer teaches writing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1968. Rich, Adrienne. Of Woman Born. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.1986. Royster, Jacqueline Jones. "When the First Voice You Hear Is Not Your Own." College Composition and Communication 47.1(Feb.1996): 29-40. Welch, Nancy, "Revising a Writer's Identity:Reading and "Re-Modeling" in a Composition Classroom." College Composition and Communication. 47(Feb 1996):41-27. Zawacki, Terry Myers. "Recomposing as a Woman-An Essay in Different Voices." College Composition and Comunication 43(Feb.1992):32-38.

Why Women Should Be Able to Vote

Today, I am speaking for the affirmative to why women in Australia should be given the rights to vote for many obvious reasons. My reasons being; firstly, we should all be treated equally with justice or else Australia would not be considered as an egalitarian society. Secondly, other countries have benefited their society by passing women’s suffrage. Lastly, women are just as hard-working as men and deserve as much as men do. To start off, I without a doubt believe that women should be able to vote as Australia or we would not be known as an egalitarian society.Egalitarian means to treat everyone equally regardless of their gender, social class, nationality, education, family, appearance or job. Why should we call ourselves an egalitarian country if we’ve even consider to not give women political privileges such as voting or contributing to ideas based on gender? Women are counted as citizens of the country. They still pay taxes and obey the law. Yet, their ideas and v oices are being crucially mocked and ignored.By allowing women to vote, contribute ideas and analyse problems, we would have more intense debates and more conflicts in arguments. However, we would also be aware of more common problems and needs of the people that need to be met. My next reason why women should be allowed to vote is that countries allowing women’s suffrage have benefited from these actions. The first country allowing this to be passed was our neighbouring country, New Zealand in 1883, and then followed by Denmark, Norway, Germany and Finland in the mid-1900s.Australia can grow by following the footsteps of these countries as they now have a wide variety of ideas beneficial to both men and women because it serves the citizen’s need which should priority. It also gives women, hope and role models to look up to. Lastly, women should be able to vote because we are just as hard working as men. A majority of women are capable of doing tasks men can do. Women are very committed to their family.How can a woman financially support her family if she does not get paid as much as men due to men’s bias? Women are expected to only do large amount of cooking, cleaning and looking after kids. It would only be fair if they were able to vote as their votes would contribute to what is best for the country and its future. In conclusion, I strongly believe women having the right to vote will increase our economy as its extremely beneficial for the people’s rights, needs and the future of Australia being known as an egalitarian country.

Marketing in a Higher Education Institution Essay

I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Jake Ansell, for all his support and encouragement during this challenging dissertation period. My gratitude also goes out to all academic and support staff of the MSc Marketing and Business Analysis course for what was an educational stimulating academic year. All the knowledge passed on and assistance given formed a solid foundation that was invaluable during the course of working on this dissertation. I would like to also like to take this opportunity to extend my appreciation to my family members, course mates and friends, who acted as pillars of strength by continuously keeping check and giving out words of encouragement during the dissertation phase. ABSTRACT The nature of the rapidly changing Higher Education (HE) industry has forced universities to implement more innovative marketing strategies. In order to remain competitive, there is a need for universities to not only engage in marketing strategies that are relevant to the existing HE context, but also be aware of foreseeable changes that are taking place to enable them to alter their positions and adapt smoothly without being left behind. This study investigates the marketing strategies employed by the College of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Edinburgh and the relevance of these strategies in the context of the fast-moving HE industry. Three main areas were studied in the literature review- demands of the industry, current marketing philosophies and practices within the industry and trends that likely to shape the future of the industry. A proper understanding of these areas is important as it used as a comparative yardstick to evaluate the College’s existing strategic position and the direction it is heading towards. Qualitative research was used given the exploratory nature of the study that aimed to uncover thoughts, experiences and ideas of respondents. In-depth interview was used as the main research method as there was a specific need to gather detailed information from select-few respondents based on their job expertise. On a smaller scale, focus group interviews comprising students were also conducted as a complementary research to generate their perception and views regarding the Higher Education Industry. Upon analysis, discussion of the findings was divided into three sections based on their relevance to the research questions and the gaps observed in the literature review. The key findings was that the general philosophy of the College’s marketing is in line with the existing standards expected of the HE, but there is inadequate marketing for undergraduate levels which was brought about by an arguably false interpretation of high demand. The study also shows that there is under-utilization of the role of student ambassador and lack of gender-based marketing, both of which were identified in the literature as important in keeping up with fiercer competition and addressing challenges of the future. In terms of fee structure, high-income household students are expected to pay the largest share of costs because of their ineligibility to apply for most loans and grants. However, they are seen to be willing to pursue HE studies and view it as an investment for a better career. Low and middle-income household students, although are not affected much at undergraduate level, are likely to seek employment after their studies instead of commencing a postgraduate degree. The findings and analysis brought about several recommendations which include focusing on international marketing to increase the level of international students, hence generating higher revenues that could be channelled at funding purposes for postgraduate level to increase participation of low and middle-income household students. Recommendations for strengthening marketing efforts at undergraduate level, tailoring gender-based marketing and efficient utilization of student ambassador schemes were also provided. The study concludes that while the current marketing philosophy fits the existing context (with exception to undergraduate level), a lot can be done to capitalized on emerging trends to ensure that the College is better prepared to deal with the changes of the future. 1.0 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION This Chapter will present the purpose of the research, along with the objectives that are aimed to be achieved. It also brings into attention the relevant research questions that the study seeks to answer. The Introduction Chapter concludes with a structure of report to demonstrate the organization and structural design of this study. 1.1 Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to analyze the current marketing strategies employed by the University of Edinburgh’s College of Humanities and Social Science and its relevance to the rapidly changing higher education industry, to enhance the knowledge available in existing research and also to set the foundation for further research. Existing research on higher education is vast but there is limited research on contemporary strategies in the fastchanging higher education industry. More importantly, there has been very few studies done on the University of Edinburgh and the Colleges associated with it, in terms of its effectiveness in executing marketing strategies and preparatory measures in dealing with future challenges. The objectives of this research are: 1) To investigate the relevance of marketing strategies adopted by the College of Humanities and Social Science with regards to the existing context of the Higher Education industry. 2) To investigate the competitiveness of marketing strategies employed by the College of Humanities and Social Science with regards to the foreseeable changes to the Higher Education industry. In order to do this, there was need to gain a general understanding on the Higher Education industry and also the transformations that it has witnessed and are likely to face in the recent future. Upon identifying the underlying and emerging factors that are set to affect the marketing strategies undertaken by the College, the study was limited to a focused area of study and the following research questions were derived: 1) Are the general marketing philosophies of the University of Edinburgh in line with contemporary standards expected in the Higher Education industry? 2) To what extent are Student Ambassadors being empowered and utilized as a marketing tool to provide the edge in a competitive student recruitment market? 3) Are there initiatives on gender-based marketing to capitalize on the trend of consistently increasing number of female students in Higher Education? 4) How would a new fee-structure, if implemented, affect marketing strategies in recruiting UK, EU and Overseas students? 1.2 Structure of Report The report is organised as follows: CHAPTER ONE: Reveals the purpose of the study and central issues that are observed. It moves on to identify the research objectives that the study endeavours to appreciate through the assessment of key research questions (previous section). CHAPTER TWO: Provides an overview of the Higher Education industry and explores three main section- demands in higher education, contemporary marketing philosophies and practices of the industry, and the higher education fee structure. Each section is concluded by establishing their relevance to the research questions being posed. CHAPTER THREE: Discusses the methodology used in addressing the research questions. This Chapter establishes the reasons for the selection of methods and techniques used, and highlights the limitations in place. It also provides reasons as to why other methods were not employed. CHAPTER FOUR: Provides findings from the primary research and analysis linking the findings to the literature review. This Chapter is divided into three sections- New-age marketing philosophies of the higher education industry, relationship between tuition fees structure and marketing strategies with regards to recruitment for UK, EU and Non-EU students, and under-utilization of resources to capitalize of emerging trends (student ambassador and gender-based marketing). It also critically discusses the strengths and weakness of the College’s marketing strategies. Recommendations were also provided in this chapter to counter weaknesses that were observed. CHAPTER FIVE: Concludes the study and reiterates the summarized findings, analysis and recommendations of the previous Chapter. Areas for future research and research limitations that could be improved on were also highlighted. Note: In this research, ‘College’ would refer to College of Humanities and Social Science, University of Edinburgh. This is distinct from ‘University’ which would refer to the University of Edinburgh as a whole. Although this study is done in the College, the word ‘University’ will be used in some discussion areas which encompass both the College and the University. 2.0 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW The Literature review will emphasize on three areas: demands for Higher Education, contemporary marketing philosophies and practices of Higher Education, and Higher Education fee structure. A firm comprehension of these areas will provide a good understanding on the current structure of Higher Education and the direction it is heading towards. 2.1 Demands for Higher Education The implementation of effective marketing strategies depends significantly on clear understanding of demands within an industry. This section of the literature review aims to look into the patterns seen in demand, from both local and international perspectives, and how they have evolved over the years. It would seek to review motivations that drive demand for higher education and identify emerging trends that could have an effect on future demands in the higher education industry. Such understandings are vital for institutions in continuing to remain competitive and also in laying the foundations to facilitate possible changes in strategies for the future. Statistical figures show that in 1950, about 50,000 tertiary level students studied in institutions outside their home country (Brickman 1975). Europe and North America were the most popular continents of study destination and a vast majority of the students were from these regions. In terms of Asian students, few studied away from their home countries and for those who did, the majority followed the colonial path with students from India, the Malay Peninsula and Hong Kong heading to the United Kingdom and ones from Indochina preferring an education in France (Cummings and So 1985). Out of a total of 900,000 students who studied abroad in tertiary institutions in 1984, Asian students constituted about 45% of them in 1985. The sharp increase of Asian students was contributed by factors such as increment in income per capita in Asia which made it affordable for them to pursue a degree overseas and also the perception that overseas degrees were viewed as a platform to achieve good employment opportunities. Another contributing factor was the rapid expansion of secondary education in many Asian countries, hence creating more qualified tertiary-level applicants that the local education system could accommodate (Cumming 1984). Over the last decade, developed countries around the world saw a significant increase in demand for tertiary education and there have been a large volume of research in economic literature to assess and analyze the driving forces that brought about this shift. Albert (2000) states that all these studies lead to one major contributing force that has resulted in high demand for higher education; the positive association between level of education and income and career prospects. Testing this hypothesis in the UK context, Greenaway and Haynes (2000) reported that an average earning difference between a graduate and a nongraduate stands at  £410,000 while Skidelski (2000) through a study using a different methodology projects the figure at  £400,000. These figures are supported strongly by the report of UK’s Department of Education and Skill using Labour Force Survey data which estimated a lifetime average differential of  £400,000 as well (Greenaway and Haynes 2003). Therefore, given the similar period in which these studies were done, the UK figures asserts the findings of Albert (2000) whereby there is validity in the perception of association between income and level of education. Another important finding by Albert (2000) is the role of gender in explaining demand, in which women were noted to be relatively more motivated and inclined than men to demand for higher education on the basis that it would enable them to compete on par with men in career advancement opportunities. This is supported by Broecke and Hamed (2008) in which they stated that although women has been historically under-representation in higher education, statistics show that by 1992, they have caught up with men in terms of participation in England and as of 2008, are ahead of men by 7.2%. In a report submitted to the United Nations, Johnson and Vanderpool (2003) found that in the Carribean, the number of women in higher education outnumber that of men, and in some institutions even show 3.2:1 ratio. It is also estimated that the ratio could go up as high as 8:1 in favour of women. In the United States, the participation of women in higher education increased from 43% in 1971 to 56% in 1997 and the gap continues to widen (United States General Accounting Office 2000). In the UK context, the numbers of undergraduate female student applicants over the past 3 years have been consistently placed at 56% compared to male student applicants at 44% (see Appendix 1).This trend is of importance to higher education marketing in terms of weighing the importance of gender in relation to the establishment of target groups. While women may be seen as the ones more inclined to embrace higher education, it also indicates that little focus have to be channelled to them in marketing campaigns as compared to males. In terms of undergraduate students in the UK higher education industry, a significant portion of 88% consists of UK students in 2009/10. This is followed by Non-EU and EU students at 8% and 4% respectively. Figures based solely on undergraduate students enrolled on a full time basis indicate that UK students emerge as the significant front runner with 84% ahead of Non-EU students at 10% and EU students at 6%. As for part-time undergraduate students, UK students are again the majority at 94% followed by Non-EU students at 4% and EU students at 2% (see Appendix 2). Although the pattern across both these modes of study is quite similar, there is a difference in terms of percentage variation between the 2009/10 enrolments compared to the previous academic cycle of 2008/2009. While all full time students regardless of geographical background recorded a positive variation in enrolment, UK and EU part time students recorded a decrease in enrolment by 3% and 7% respectively. Only Non-EU part -time students registered a positive increment from 2008/09 to 2009/10 with an increase of 6% (HESA 2011). Sastry (2004) argues that the number of students obtaining postgraduate courses immediately after their undergraduate studies is expected to rise due to the fact that there has been increasing number of graduates over the years. Therefore, as supported by Hesketh and Knight (1999), postgraduate study is viewed as an option for undergraduates to differentiate themselves from the pool of other graduates seeking employment. Non-EU students make up about 43% of overall full-time postgraduate students in UK in 2009/10. This consists of a significant portion of total postgraduate students and the number has nearly doubled in the past seven years, indicating that this is a recent and emerging trend (HESA 2011). Overall, without taking UK into account, Non-EU students constitute 69% of students at all levels of study (see Appendix 3). This trend has seen the number of Non-EU students increase by almost 200% from 1995 to 2010. Income received by higher education institutions from Non-EU students during this same period has also increased significantly from  £455 million in 1995 to  £2,580 million in 2010 (see Appendix 4). Given that this is now a major market for UK tertiary institutions, there has been a rise in efforts taken to continue reaching prospective students abroad (Hemsley-Brown and Oplatka 2006). Important factors that come into play when assessing the ability of the UK higher education to remain   attractive are the standard and reputation of institutions, the expansion of local education system in countries abroad, particularly China and India, and the competitiveness of the UK market as opposed to other study destinations (Ramsden and Brown 2008). Employment opportunities in the UK is also a reason for Non-EU students to take up a postgraduate course as students who have studied in the UK for at least one full academic year would be eligible to apply for a Post-Study Work Visa. Guruz (2009) stated that incentives in the form of research grants and employment opportunities abroad are major forces that are considered by foreign students when choosing a study destination. However, it has to be brought into attention that the current UK Government has tightened visa regulations and the Post-Study Work Visa would be abolished in 2012 (The Guardian 2011). Therefore, the changes in regulation may bring about significant changes to the enrolment of international students in postgraduate courses in the UK. UK students consist of about 45% of the total number of full-time postgraduate students in the region, almost similar to the number of Non-EU students. However, UK students make up 82% of the part-time postgraduate students in 2009/10 (HESA 2011). This is partly due to the fact that the high postgraduate fees require students to work in order to finance themselves. Other contributing reasons include company scholarship and students not wanting to leave their jobs in times of economic turmoil (Jongbloed 2003). EU students make up about 12% of full time postgraduate students, with most of its students coming from the new countries admitted into EU since 2004. However, increasing or perhaps even retaining the current level of enrolment of EU students may be a challenge as projections show that the population of 1830 year olds in EU are set to fall by 14% over the next 20 years. Of the new countries admitted into the EU in 2004, it is projected that their combined population of 18 year olds will decrease by a significant 37%, from 1.5 million in 2007 to 1 million in 2027 (Ramsden and Brown 2008). Reviewing this section shows that there is an increasing number of Non-EU students, particularly Asians, opting to study out of their home countries. Overall, over the years, there are a growing number of students who embark on higher education and one of the major contributors to this is the positive association between level of education and career prospects. The secondary research also reveals that although the majority of undergraduate students come from the UK, most of the postgraduate students in the UK are made up of Non-EU students. The trend of growing number of female students in the higher education industry was also observed. 2.2 Contemporary Marketing Philosophies and Practices of Higher Education In order to remain relevant in rapidly changing industry, it is important for institutions to keep abreast with current needs of the market and changes that are required of the industry to remain competitive. Therefore, this section of the literature review attempts to assess the paradigm shift of traditional higher education marketing to contemporary strategies required by the industry and also look at key areas that could be fully utilized to enhance the efficiency of higher education marketing campaigns. The marketing of higher education needs to encompass the traditional emphasis on product, place, price and promotion but also include people, process and physical evidence through a service-oriented marketing approach which gives due credence to the value of the intangible and inseparable. In this context, the components of people, process and physical evidence have been altered slightly to represent a more appropriate connotation in regards to the higher education industry. Newman and Jahdi (2009) described people as ‘calibre’ or ‘champions’ whereby such human qualities in an institution would be pivotal in attracting students. This echoes the view held by McGrath (2003) in which a positive correlation between the development of education market and high priority on variables such as managerial competence, role-model associations and performance. The component of process has been defined as ‘capability’, where issues such as communication between the institution and prospective student, relationship marketing and enrolment procedures should be handled efficiently to gain competitive advantage. Newman and Jahdi (2009) further asserts that considerations as small as publicising opening hours for consulting and enrolment purposes as well as offering refreshments could, once combined, prove to be the ‘added value’ that would inevitably enhance the end service that is being marketed. The final component, physical evidence was represented by ‘charisma’, whereby elements such as geographical location, facilities and amenities are taken into account. Factors such as history and heritage of a location and the tradition of graduation ceremonies could provide a sense of identity that students would take pride in being associated with the institution (Roper and Davies 2007). However, Newman and Jahdi (2009) stated that the implementation of marketing mix could potentially lead to adverse consequences as marketing rhetoric may not necessarily always reflect educational reality. They go on to state that although there are indications that higher education marketers have started to take the leap into focusing on people, process and physical evidence, these elements need to be expanded to include contemplation and thoughts of higher education from staff and students as this would be able to minimize the mismatch of the marketing rhetoric and the reality of the environment. Critically, Newman and Jahdi (2009) also argued that knowledge and skills acquired in tertiary educational institutions should not be conveniently marketed as mere commodities that are to be sold as predetermined packages to those who have been targeted. Instead, there should be a genuine attempt to convey that education is a challenging industry that would require effort and planning by students, hence projecting the reality. Evans (2004) holds similar views about the need to craft a marketing effort that is as close to reality as possible, particularly given the context of the current climate whereby effectiveness, quality, competition and evaluation are a matter of public discourse and information are widely available and easily accessed. This is supported by Crosby et al. (1991), in their argument that a false representation in marketing could lead to adverse effects and negatively impact upon the credibility of an institution. Therefore, although not predominantly derived from a moral standpoint, the need to eliminate unsubstantiated benefits and other positive associations with an institution is vital in terms of marketing implications as failure to appreciate this growing issue may cause an institution’s credibility being put to question. Student ambassadors are very much part of UK higher education institutions and they have been known to assist in marketing efforts of their respective universities, predominantly via engagement with prospective students through campus tours. In recent times, student ambassadors have widened their scope of marketing operations and have now extended their services through handling multiple tasks, which include organizing residential summer schools to help prospective students to gain insights into university lifestyle in hope that this would encourage them to take up higher education courses. Another new area embarked by student ambassadors is their participation in mentoring activities, particularly for the disadvantaged youths (Ylonen 2010). These recent expansion in their activities have been encouraged the former Labour government’s initiative to expand participation in higher education for groups that are under-represented through its Aimhigher programme. In analyzing the relationship between higher education decision-making amongst the young and the role played by student ambassadors in this aspect, Gartland and Pacsuzka (2007) found that student ambassadors who are deemed trustworthy by prospective students could play a key role in widening their participation gap as prospects are more likely to consider them as a preferred choice of contact point when making further enquiries, especially if they do not have a family background in higher education. This is supported by Reay et al. (2005) in their argument that information gathered through relationships and networks are taken more seriously compared to ones obtained from official sources such as prospectuses and the Internet. Therefore, student ambassadors can potentially be seen as mediators and their interventions would greatly influence decisions made by prospects. Taylor (2008) argued that one of the challenges faced in institutions is to connect the territories of academia and school environment and hence, the role of a student ambassador fits in well as although they speak from the standpoint of the institution, there is not much difference in the age bracket between both these groups and this would create a more casual and appropriate comfort zone for prospective students to engage in. This finding is particularly relevant to marketers in determining the age group of candidates to be selected as student ambassadors, given that they consist of not only undergraduates but also mature postgraduate students. In a study of an Aimhigher programme in south-east London, Ylonen (2010) found that most student ambassadors had very vague ideas of what they thought their tasks would be like and many of them stated that their expected roles as perceived during training and their actual roles were very different. Although they generally had sound knowledge of higher education lifestyle and its environment, many lacked the thorough knowledge of procedures that occur within an institution, such as financial issues. Coordinators, most of whom are marketing officers within their respective universities, have also noted that many potentially good student ambassadors failed to apply because they did not see themselves to fit into the characteristics set by the coordinators (Terion and Leonard 2007). These weaknesses are of relevance to higher education marketing units as contemporary research suggests that despite having a valuable student capacity in the form of student ambassadors, their potentials are being under-utilized due to administrative and training setbacks. The flaws seen in this system is viewed to be largely due to the fact that there isn’t a national model of the student ambassador scheme to be used as a guideline and all higher education institutions are expected to craft and implement their strategies independently. Although it is important to have flexibility and a certain degree of autonomy, a scheme without guidelines can arguably be go astray and lose its sense of direct ion (Ylonen 2010). Literature in this area of study reveals that in terms of higher education marketing, there should be a focus on service-oriented marketing through an innovation of the extended 4Ps, which would include the elements of ‘calibre’, ‘capability’ and ‘charisma’. Apart from that, it also indicates that the growing importance of the role of student ambassadors have gone large unrecognized. Despite them being available in most universities, there is a lack of effective utilization of these roles. 2.3 Higher Education Fee Structure The future of higher education in the UK has been put into uncertainty by the recent changes in tuition fees policy and many are unsure as to how these changes would impact on demands by students across levels of households. Although the changes have been made effective in England and Wales, the Scottish Government has yet to make an official announcement on this issue. However, a comprehensive review of the changes that have been taking place in the fee-structure and how it has affected the industry as a whole and demand, in particular would enable higher education marketers to prepare for the changes that although unclear, appear to be imminent. The financing of the higher education industry has been a subject of debate for the past five decades and had been given high priority by successive governments, regardless of political inclinations. During this phase, there has been a shift from a fully-funded taxpayer scheme to a ‘cost-sharing’ system, whereby students are required to cover a certain portion of their tuition fees (Dearden et al. 2010). The change of system sparked a wide range of concerns, particularly the reservations that it would lead to a lower level of participation (Connor and Dewson 2001). The introduction of the 1998 Teaching and Higher Education Act was the first significant change made to the higher education financing structure as it marked the unprecedented introduction of tuition fees at a cap of  £1,000 a year for degree courses (Claire and Jonathan 2005). Maintenance grants that were previously offered were reduced  in stages and later eliminated only to be replaced with maintenance loans which were established in 1999 (Christie and Munro 2003). The 2004 Higher Education Act paved way for another significantly policy to be put in place in 2006, which saw the implementation of deferred fees which was applicable to all students, regardless of economic background (Harrison 2011). The new fee had a cap of  £3,000 and universities had the prerogative to decide the amount to charge each student (Dearden et al, 2004; 2005). Fee loans were provided, only to be repaid by students after graduation if they’re earnings were above  £15,000. Apart from that, the 2004 Higher Education Act also reinstalled maintenance grants which were to be distributed to poor students (Harrison 2011). In the year 2006, the value of this grant was significantly increased. As a result of the introduction of tuition fees along with the substitution of maintenance grants with loans, many argued that it would not only lower participation but also be discriminative against students from lower-income households (Dearden et al. 2010). On the contrary, there were also proponents of the new system who claimed that requiring student to contribute to their studies would instil a sense of responsibility in them and hence, at a larger scale, increase efficiency and quality of higher education (Greenaway and Haynes, 2003; Goodman and Kaplan, 2003). Apart from that, the benefits gained by higher education in terms of wages and salary brackets would offset the negative impact caused by the introduction of tuition fees. Another advantage of imposing tuition fees is that only students who are committed on acquiring skills and knowledge would enrol into institutes and not ones who wish to have prolonged ‘laddish’ times, hence in a way addressing the issue of youth unemployment (Lange 1998). It is also interesting to note that in the UK, government spending on higher education continues to grow despite larger share of financial burden being on placed students as shown by 2007 figures whereby  £918m,  £349m and  £564m were spent on maintenance grants, student fee loans and maintenance loans respectively (Dearden et al. 2010). In 2010, another significant policy change was made to the higher education financing structure in England and Wales, whereby the upper tier for tuition fees was increased from  £3,000 to  £9,000 (BBC 2010). While poorer students would be protected by a large number of scholarship and bursaries, students from middle and high-income households would be the group that is most negatively affected (Directgov 2011). Highly successful students who go on to land high paying jobs would also be affected as they would be required to pay loan amounts that are significantly higher than those with average incomes (The Guardian 2010). In the case of Scotland, the Cubie committee was formed in 1999 following the Scottish devolution to look into the higher education financing. The Cubie Report (2000) proposed that an endowment scheme be put in place and through the Education (Graduate Endowment and Student Support) (Scotland) Act 2001, students were required to pay  £2,000 when their annual earnings reached  £10,000. The repayment was later raised from  £2,000 to  £2,289 for students commencing their studies in 2006/07 academic period (The Cubie Report 2000). However in 2007, the government tabled the Graduate Endowment Abolition (Scotland) Bill which aimed at scraping the endowment scheme and the move was approved in 2008, hence restoring free education in Scotland (BBC 2008). Based on the United States context, Kent (1994) studied the relationship between the state’s public spending on higher education and the impact of tuition fee costs on higher education participation. The finding was that $1,000 increase in tuition fees would bring about a 3.7ppt reduction in participation among African Americans. On a wider scale, Kent (1995) found that there was a reduction in participation among Americans in higher education, in which a $1,000 increase in fees resulted in a 2.4 decrease in participation. On assessing a policy made in 1982 which led to financial aids being removed from students with deceased, disabled or retired father, Dynarksi (1999) found that the impact of aid withdrawal led to decrease tertiary participation by 3.6ppt. Supporting this finding is a study done by Seftor and Turner (2002), whom upon analysing the impact of aid withdrawal, found a small impact of reduction in participation by 0.7ppt per $1,000 of aid withdrawn. The UK context of higher education financial constraint on students and its effects on participation can be viewed at two separate phases; the 1998 reforms and the 2006 reforms as described earlier. The 1998 reforms, in terms of grants alone, saw low income students being the most significantly impacted, with participation estimated at 2.3ppt lower than what it would have been without the abolishment grants (Dearden et al. 2010). On the other hand, the increase in loans received by this group resulted in an increase in participation and hence, offset the negative impact brought about by the abolishment of grants. Therefore, there were no significant changes to participation for the lower income group. High income students, however, recorded a reduction of 5.4ppt in participation as even though the abolishment of grants had no impact on them, the increment of tuition fees was a significant impact (Dearden et al. 2010). Study on the 2006 reforms showed that both the lower and higher income groups did not record overall changes in participation (Forsyth and Furlong 2003). Therefore, this section of the literature indicates that despite concerns by many that an increment in tuition fees can be discriminatory towards lower income groups, studies have shown that the negative impact brought by the hike in fees are often outweighed by grants or loan packages. This also brings about serious implications to higher education institutions on deciding the type of financial assistance and the accurate target groups to ensure that participation does not see an unhealthy dip. Such a consequence could be detrimental to the economy of the country as many research seem to suggest that the economic well being of a nation state is directly associated with the level investments spent on education (Barro and Sala-i-Martin, 1995; Bassanini and Scarpenta, 2001).