Businesses Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Businesses Marketing - Essay Example Moreover, he claims that, in order to understand how consumers actually make buying decisions, three scopes have to be identified, which are who makes the buying decision, the types of buying decisions, and the steps in the buying process. This report will examine the importance of marketing to organizations in the twenty-first century. It will focus on one company, namely Mercedes Benz, and first of all show what marketing is. In addition, it will look at how Mercedes Benz uses marketing strategies and techniques. Furthermore, it will consider the reasons why marketing is essential to this organization, and how it has changed its use of marketing and how it might continue to do so in the future. In order to do this, it will be necessary to use marketing models and examples throughout. Also, a history and definition of modern marketing will be given. Next, the functions of marketing will be explained. A description of the marketing process, with particular emphasis on the development of integrated marketing strategies by organizations will also be covered. ... It was around 1960, when marketing mix was first introduced. The concept of the marketing mix primarily revolves around marketing's four Ps, which include price, product, place and promotion (Grnroos, 1994). From then on, this basic marketing mix model remained unchallenged. It even overpowered earlier marketing models Wroe Alderson's organic functionalist approach as well as the system-oriented approaches and parameters theory advocated by Copenhagen school in Europe. Similarly, previous approaches like the commodity, functional geography-related regional and institutional schools, have long been forgotten. For a long time, the use of marketing mix has been concentrated on the simple business to customer market. For over forty years, the management paradigm of marketing mix has indeed dominated most thoughts, practice and research of marketing. As time goes, the concept of the marketing mix and the four Ps had become an irrefutable paradigm used in academic research, which in turn results to validity being taken for granted. In most parts of the marketing and academic world, researchers remain to consider the concept as the epitome of marketing truth even up to the present time. One way of using the marketing mix in generating greater understanding and communications is through the establishment of long lasting customer relationships. For years, there has been a growing interest on the study of customer relationship economics. It has been introduced by Heskett et al. (1994) that understanding the concept of market economies means the achievement of understanding the customers rather than focusing on the development of scale economies. One example cited by Reichheld (1993, p. 65) was the result of his study at MBNA, a US credit card

Marketing Communication and Branding Essay Example for Free

Marketing Communication and Branding Essay Introduction After careful market research of some of the different phone markets in today’s industry; the market that was the most interest to the writer was the disability phone market. Of all the mobile phones researched, none were found to have Braille included; only speaking activated commands designed to send text messages as well as calling. The idea the writer proposes is a phone for the visually impaired which has a sole purpose for calling people. The keys will be fitted with Braille so that the individuals are able to effectively feel what number they are pressing. SOSTAC Situation Analysis Upon research it was found the size of the disability phone market is small in comparison to others, such as android where there are thousands of brands available. Around 360,000 people are registered blind or partially sighted in the UK (Action for Blind People, 2011), showing that, with the assumption that everyone needs a mobile phone in today’s society, the key segments that this brand will relate to are the 360,000 potential customers within the visual impairment mobile phone market. The key competing brands include Doro, an established competitor who supply a range of mobile phones for the disabled. They supply too many online retailers, ranging from handheld mobile phone to home landlines. Alternatively, Amplicom is another competitor who develops mobiles with large buttons, aimed at the visually impaired market. These competitors will be the toughest to compete with due to their experience and current market share; a large investment and money will be required to make sure that the proposed brand can gain a decent amount of market share. Porter’s five forces is an appropriate model which can be related to overcome such competition, due to its ability to â€Å"evaluate entry barriers, suppliers, customers, substitute products and industry rivalry† (Freitag, 2005). Furthermore Porter’s five forces can determine what the current market is for the brand, as well as the outlining any existing competitor’s positions in relation to the developing product. Moreover, it can also show how a firm’s stakeholders can influence the company with the use of bargaining power (Chee and Harris, 1998). This  information would be vital to obtain prior to the launch of the brand to reduce the chance of product failure. The macro-environmental factors will be implemented to the brand through PEST analysis; Political, Economical, Situational and Technological. Political factors which relate appropriately to the disability mobile phone market include the strict laws on the disposal of production materials such as batteries and any forms of radioactive waste, as well as any compulsory health and safety procedures during the production and contribution of the developing products. Breaking these rules could result in heavy penalties including fines and even the termination of the company in severe cases. Suitable economic factors include the assessment of the current poor financial climate. This leads to the assumption that it is currently not attractive to place investments as money is generally tight for most, reducing the overall customer base for the developing product. Example solutions for this could include enticing consumers with bargain phone prices or even reduced fixed monthly contract payments which will include a suitable amount of minutes for the target segment. Furthermore by offering all deals at lower end prices will suitably fit the market, as there can be a general assumption that those who are visually impaired may also fit well within the retirement market, a segment that generally has less money spare. Regarding social factors the main issue considered is ethics; relating to how products are developed and distributed, in addition to advertising techniques used to help promote the brand. Equal opportunities and fair working conditions should be issued to all employees involved in the development and promotion of the brand so that the product can represent diversity; relating appropriately to the disabled mobile phone market. Advertisements should be honest and not have any misleading content to confuse any consumers; and all information promoted will be fully implemented into the design of the mobile phone. Technological factors are by large the most relevant and important to consider within mobile phone industries. Due to the constant development of technology within the actual mobile phones, it is an competitive industry to be involved in. Nevertheless within the disability phone market the ‘look’ of the phone is a lesser important factor during purchasing; it is what the phone provides to the consumer to aid their special needs when contacting someone. Simple, up-to-date software is required so that all relevant  features are implemented, in addition to having an appropriately sized screen with higher contrast settings so that the visually impaired are able to read clearer. Large number buttons are essential so the Braille fits comfortably and the user is able to identify what number they want to press with ease. Objectives Here are three objectives that are going to be set for the new developing brand: * Increase awareness of the service in disabled people by 50% within 6 months * In three years time production costs should be reduced by 10% * In the next two years revenue should be approximately  £7 million These objectives act as sufficient targets and in turn will motivate staff and drive productively due to the time scaled that these objectives must be achieved. The chosen objectives all appropriately relate to the current disability phone market and the specific areas that could be improved, such as increasing the awareness of service for people with special needs. This could therefore encourage other companies to develop other suitable day-to-day products to suit their needs also, which could furthermore promote the idea of developing a whole new organisation specially aimed at designing products to aid people with special needs. Strategy The push/pull strategy involves creating demand from two aspects; push strategy involves the demand being created by the manufacturer’s distributers, and pull relates to the manufacturer creating demand via their own promotion techniques (Frazier and Summers, 2011). The brand will follow a pull strategy because it is envisioned that demand will be created through advertising and an effective, unique selling point. This is good because through a push strategy, it is sometimes required to distribute a higher volume of goods, which is better related to a mobile phone industry with a larger audience, unlike the niche, disabled market. Another benefit of this is that because the developing brand is unheard of an unproven; preventing stock piling of products if they are not sold, saving money. Although, a pull strategy will require a large investment for advertising, it is estimated that the cost of production and potential stock piling outweighs this in fiscal terms. Relating to the objectives, the pull strategy will aid  the accomplishment of said targets with the use of an advertising campaign, creating the demand that will create supply to the blind market. To engage the consumers, advertising campaigns will hosted at specific events which relate to the disability market, such as the Cambridge Disability Sport and Arts festival. By doing this it will allow the promotion of the developing product to be recognised and positively received by the disabled. This will allow potential consumers to try out the mobile phone and leave feedback regarding their thoughts and opinions. The Paralympics 2012 is taking place in London, an excellent occasion which can be related to individuals with special needs. It is a global event which promotes diversity of all sorts within the sponsoring organisations and sport activities; which can be related to the promotion of the brand’s developing product and encourage consumers to try it out to see if it can suit their needs. Combined, by implementing such advertising campaigns during the Paralympics and obtaining a respected and relatable celebrity sponsor can help achieve the completion of the increasing awareness objective. Additionally, after appropriate research, selling the phone at a competitive price will create demand; and furthermore help achieve the  £7 million revenue objective. To achieve the reduced in production costs objective, mass production will need to take place, which will effectively lower production costs, or even investing in a new technology to produce more units at a cheaper rate, over a period of time, may even reduce costs by 10%. Tactics Expanding further within the advertising campaigns aimed to help achieve the awareness and revenue objectives, this will include visual posters on noticeable areas of everyday life such as telephone boxes, buses, taxis and even billboards. To carry out ethical diversity promotions, the advertisements will also be located within care centres for the visually impaired, as well as any social and youth clubs to increase awareness. Radio adverts will also take place as it is fair to assume that a wide diversity range of people listen to the radio, allowing the promotion of the  developing product to all audiences. Any user feedback from testing the developing product will be noted down and kept for future improvement, allowing management to raise questions on how to improve the brand and image it represents to consumers. By doing so will potentially improve the awareness of the disability market as well as increasing the possibility of generating revenue due to the improvement of the product to suit the special needs. Ade Adepitan, a wheelchair basketball sportsman and TV presenter can be a suitable celebrity endorsement to help promote the product as he is someone the key segment can truly relate to will help achieve awareness and furthermore create a positive brand reputation which will create demand; and therefore revenue and profits. Issuing the mobile phone with a competitive price of  £60 is suitably competitive and will create demand; helping to achieve the  £7 million revenue objective if 116,666 units are sold within the 2 year time scale. Promoting this product in the UK only can help assess if the product is largely successful to its key segment, and after the 2 year objective is attained, further action can take place to help make the product go global. Lower production costs will occur if an appropriate manufacturer is found; who follows all ethical procedures the brand wants to promote, in addition to supplying the company with great production unit price rates so that the most possible revenue and profits can be generated. Furthermore, a ‘green policy’, known as a policy to help lead greener lives, can promote the brand to be extremely sufficient with its production, enticing customers and portraying the brand image to be ethical and fair. Nevertheless green policies are very expensive, which would mean that either a generous sponsor would have to be applied for, or even a loan would have to take place to implement such activities. Action Firstly, finance will have the overall responsibility of distributing budgets to all departments so that the entire production and launch of the new brand is successful. Once all budgets have been issued the marketing department will be able to effectively form a plan on when the launch will take place and what is proposed to take place during the entire duration. Within the marketing department a market research team will be organised so an investigation of production methods and price rates of manufacturers is performed, as well as making sure all ethical procedures the brand would like to follow are implemented. Relevant findings will be informed to the finance department to see if there are enough budgets to apply any new changes. All tasks taking place for the launch will be managed by a team leader – essential for the success of team member communication and task success. This will then be approved by a main, overall manager of the entire launch, so all task deadlines are met and workloads are of a high standard to boost the quality of the promotion. A time management tool named a Gantt chart will be implemented so all tasks are clearly shown, along with their time deadlines to help guide leaders and encourage team members to strive to complete a task to benefit the brand’s launch. This will be combined with a critical path analysis, where all shortest possible times in which tasks can be completed are shown to avoid delaying the entire launch. Example Critical Path Analysis, Source: http://tutor2u.net Example Gantt chart, Source: www.ganttchart.com/ Control Two things will effectively measure the growth of awareness and gather an accurate estimate. Firstly the sales records will be analysed. A growth in sales indicates the rise of awareness and any initial sales from year one indicate consumer’s knowledge of the product. A questionnaire will also be released to specific geographical locations and the results will give an indication as to how many people and how far spread the awareness of the branch has reached. An appropriate measure to identify whether or not the production costs have been reduced would be to look at energy bills to see if the change in production equipment or manufacturers has been an effective adjustment. To determine whether or not revenue will reach 7 million pounds can be monitored by customer loyalty and re-purchasing. A high customer re-purchase rate is a strong indicator that the brand is respected and trusted with their products and service. References Action for Blind People, (2011), Facts and figures about issues around sight loss, [online] available at: http://www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/facts-and-figures-about-issues-around-sight-loss/ [accessed 05/05/2012] Chee, H. and Harris, R., (1998), Global marketing strategy, London: Financial Times Pitman Publishing. Frazier, G. L. and Summer, J. O., (2011), Contemporary Views on Marketing Practice, [e-book] Marketing Classics Press. Available at: Google Books http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=eqn23RV52hECpg=PA217dq=push+pull+strategy+definitionhl=ensa=Xei=IHeqT7y9DIqw0QWDgOXlAwved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=push%20pull%20strategy%20definitionf=false [accessed 24/04/2012] Freitag, N., (2005), Critical The Impact of Culture on International Marketing Plans and Review of the French Wine Industry, Munich: Grin Publishing, 1(1), p.15. GanttCharts, (2012), [image online] available at: http://www.ganttchart.com/gantt-chart-example.png [accessed 04/05/2012] Tutor2u, (2012), [image online] available at: http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKft-Y9gw7P3sIBXtcdKf4ot5R7Jqo_Pn-cUzg_bXwuovgXq1can7WpViQ0Q [accessed 01/05/2012] Bibliography Doro, (2011), [online] available at: http://www.doro.co.uk/products/Specialneeds/ [accessed 25/04/2012] Matobmobile, (2010), [online] available at: http://matobmobile.co.uk/index.php?id=elderly_mobile_phones [accessed 25/04/2012] Scribd, (2012), Pest Analysis, [online] available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/58834389/Pest-Analysis-Nokia [accessed 21/04/2012]

House of Sand and Fog Essays -- essays research papers

I read House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III. This story is one of classic tragedy which also contains a nearly unbearable amount of suspense. It tells a story of the conflict between people of different races who have an inability to understand each other. They each want possession of a small house in the California hills but for very different reasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On one side, there is Kathy Nicolo and Sheriff Lester Burdon who want the house from which Kathy was evicted. It previously belonged to Kathy’s father and she is reluctant to relinquish possession of it. Then there is the Behranis, a Persian family who was forced to flee to America in fear of their lives. They want the house because it symbolizes their rise from poverty (they had to leave everything behind and were quite poor when they arrived in the United States) back to affluence which, to this family, will help to restore their family’s dignity, lost when thrust into poverty. The story centers on gaining possession of the house. Unknowingly, all of these characters are doomed to tragedy by their inability to understand each other, hurtling down an explosive collision course.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main characters in this story are Sheriff Lester Burdon, Kathy Nicolo, Massoud Amir Behrani, Mrs. Behrani, and their son, Esmail Behrani. Lester has a very soft spot in his heart for battered and abandoned women, an outlook that Burdon attributes to his father's having left his mothe...

Background Essay -- essays papers

Background Information Warfare is defined as, â€Å" the offensive and defensive use of information and information systems to deny, exploit, corrupt, or destroy, an adversary’s information, information-based processes, information systems, and computer-based networks while protecting one’s own. Such actions are designed to achieve advantages over military or business adversaries† (Goldberg). Cyber-Terrorism is defined as, â€Å"the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives in the worldwide network of computer and/or computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange† (Doyle). The two definitions are not formal and are not the exact definitions of either two terms. The reason for this is that there is no exact definition that constitutes information warfare or cybe r-terrorism. From these definitions above, we can conclude that a cyber-terrorist will use information warfare techniques to reach his goal. For example, if the United States understands the system that operates the scud missiles of Iraq, then through Information Warfare (hacking / cracking) they could make the scud missiles useless. This protects the Untied States pilots on attacks of chemical or biological weapons of mass destruction by reducing the chances of the pilots actually being shot down. Information Warfare has been around since the creation of the NSA. The first machine that deciphered code was created by United States scientists and was calls the Fish. However, the greatest advancement in our technology came when the United States stole the Enigma machine fr... ...Terrorism Introduction. < http://www.survivalguide.com/cyber_terrorism_introduction.htm> [2002, October 16]. Deutch, J. (25, June 1996). Foreign Information Warfare Programs and Capabilities. [2002, Sept12]. Ensor, D. Garrett, M. Smith M., & Williams, D. (February 20, 2001). FBI assesses 'grave' damage from latest spy scandal. < http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/02/20/fbi.spy.impact/> [2002, October 16]. Goldberg, I. (December 2, 2000). Glossary of Information Warfare Terms. < http://www.psycom.net/iwar.2.html> [2002, October 16]. Johnson, D. (2001). Computer Ethics. Prentice Hall, NJ. (November 2001) Cyber Protests Related to the War on Terrorism : The Current Threat. < http://www.nipc.gov/publications/nipcpub/cyberprotests1101.pdf > [2002 September 12].

American War effort in Vietnam Essay

The Vietnam War is viewed by the majority as one of the worst periods in American history. The Americans moved into Vietnam in 1954 under the pretence of fighting against an â€Å"evil and aggressive Communist regime†1. The government stated the Domino Theory as a reason for involving themselves in someone else’s war, whereby if America did not stop Vietnam from falling to Communism then other countries would follow, and American liberty, free enterprise and security would be put at risk. It is hard to define one important reason for the American’s defeat in Vietnam. There are many factors that explain it: restrictions on the military and tactics that the American army employed, coupled with the strength of the North Vietnamese Army. The war also cost a lot of money, which meant inflation, tax rises and America’s economy suffering. The collapse of the home front and the lack of support from the media was cause for the presidents to retreat and was another reason for the undermining of the war effort. This information from home often leaked to the front line and caused the deterioration of troops’ morale, also, the government was often criticised for not understanding the political nature of Vietnam, where no-one really understand or cared about the term democracy. The general consensus by most historians is that the military tactics employed played a large part in determining the outcome of the war. Justin Wintle’s ‘The Vietnam Wars’ concentrates on the military aspects, and suggests that while the Americans had a superior military and equipment, the tactics they used were useless due to the environment in Vietnam – Westmoreland’s search-and-destroy operations would have been an effective opposition to guerrilla combat, ‘or would have done had they been able to take place in a sealed environment ventilated by the Ho Chi Minh Trail’2, proving that the tactics used were inappropriate and not well thought out by the army generals. Even Major John Fenzel in the US Army agreed that defeat was due to tactical failures, which meant that they could not compete with the ‘multi-faceted strategy of insurgency and protraction’3 of the North Vietnamese army. General Bruce Palmer Jr. stated that Vi etnam was ‘†¦a devilishly clever mixture of conventional warfare fought somewhat unconventionally and guerrilla warfare fought in the classical manner’4. It was not just that the American strategy was ineffective; it was ineffective  in the conditions and against a strong North Vietnamese army perfectly adapted to their environment. Due to the absolute strength of American air power, the Americans were lucky enough to keep a good death ratio where the number of Vietnamese deaths heavily outnumbered their own, however the fact that the war dragged on for so long greatly deteriorated the troops’ morale. Obvious tactical failures were the Phoenix Program under Nixon where troops agents infiltrated into Vietnamese peasant districts to detect activists, and while its effect was obvious, its methods were seen to be violent and news of innocents being murdered soon reached home. Operation Apache Snow, where American soldiers attacked Vietcong taking refuge on Ap Bia, now more commonly known as ‘Hamburger Hill’. Troops attacked with fire-fight, hand-to-hand combat and aerial bombardment, however this only served to increase opposition to the war, so ‘Hamburger Hill’ was abandoned, which impelled Senator Edward Kennedy to label the operation as ‘senseless and irrseponsible’5. Morale among the troops was also decreasing. When tactics looked successful, morale was high. But as strategies resorted to a degree of barbarism with innocents being killed and bombing raids, news of lack of support from the home front reached the front line and the drawn out nature of the war ensured that morale soon deteriorated. Also, the experience of war was reasonably comfortable, as Saunders points out in ‘Vietnam and the USA’; soldiers spent a considerable amount of time away from the front line and in Japan or Saigon for ‘Rest and Recuperation’, this obviously led to an ‘air of  unreality and disorientation’6, where drug abuse was common. This lack of morale led to  even more barbarism, one marine unit was known to say- ‘our emotions were very low  because we’d lost a lot of friends†¦so†¦we gave it to them†¦whatever was moving was going  to move no more – especially after (our) 3 days of blood and guts in the mud’7. There were other factors, which led to this low morale. It was often frustrating for some soldiers as men in authority were not always as experienced as them; this meant that there appeared to be little structure to strategies, leading to confusion. They also could not capture the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese, with the hamlet programme set-up by Diem, and the bombing of Vietnam by Americans, the Vietnamese peasants disliked American troops. However, it is easy to understand the Americans lack of reaction to the Vietnamese, as the circumstances of the war were obviously frustrating, and they felt that they were fighting someone else’s war, resenting the American government for sending them. This dislike for those who they were supposed to be helping meant that it was a difficult task for the American troops to win the war. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) on the other hand were very well suited to the surroundings and made the most of their environment. The situation in Vietnam appeared to be, as James Cameron stated, ‘from the moment the US prepared its first bomb in the North of Vietnam, she welded the nation together unshakeably. Every bomb was a bonus for Ho Chi Minh’8. It seemed that whatever hindered the American army only strengthened the Vietnamese. What the Americans did not realise was that the blitzes from firepower united the North Vietnamese. Chinese and Soviet aid meant that the NVA could enjoy modern  hardware: rocket launchers, anti-aircraft batteries, mortars and flamethrowers. The view shared by many historians is that ‘they could be defeated but they could never be vanquished’9, they had great perseverance and their tactics were clearly laid out, in summary: Americans attack and NVA retreat Americans camp and NVA raid Americans tire and NVA attack Americans retreat and NVA pursue The structure of the army also seemed more advanced than that of the Americans. Someone carrying supplies and ammunition maintained each unit. Structure was built upon the idea of ‘cells’ of three or ten men, so if they were discovered or captured, they would not lose large numbers of troops. This also meant that they could move around more stealthily and communication around the cell was easier. The NVA became expert at setting booby traps and it became hard for Americans to effectively fight them as they attacked enemy units and then quietly disappeared into the jungle. The communists were also better at winning over the Vietnamese population. Their combination of brutality and kindness allowed them to gain the support of the Vietnamese peasants. This obviously gave them an advantage over the American Army. The actions of the American Presidents also went some way in undermining the war effort. Eisenhower had restricted involvement in the war, rejecting any idea of bombing the country –  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœyou boys must be crazy. We can’t use those awful things against Asians for the second time in less than ten years.’10. While he did give support to the French in their Vietnam battle,  Eisenhower saw that sending troops in would be unwise. When Kennedy became president, he increased America’s commitment to Vietnam, needing a more adventurous foreign policy  and bigger defence expenditure. The war is seen as ‘Johnson’s War’ as it was Johnson who  started major escalation. With the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, it appeared that the population  was behind Johnson and his efforts to send more troops to Vietnam, but towards the end of his term, public opinion had swayed and their was  pressure to start bringing soldiers back home. Nixon had initially supported the war, but soon he was under a lot of pressure to allow fewer troops out, and bring more back. Nixon soon began to organise secret bombing campaigns so that he could fulfil his own wishes concerning Vietnam without losing the public’s confidence. Nixon was able to manipulate the situation by making announcements of troop withdrawals at times so that it would decrease opposition. Eventually, Nixon ended the war due to public opposition, the realisation that the war was not winnable, the need for a vote-winning action, and opposition from Congress. The main problem with the presidents is that they seemed to have their own personal agenda for Vietnam, knowing little about the actual situation. After a meeting with, Johnson and Kennedy, a State Department expert said – ‘†¦I was asked to say something at the end of the meeting and they looked at me absolutely helpless, the whole group of them. There was not a single person there who knew what he was talking about†¦They simply did not understand the identification of nationalism and Communism’11, this issue was also brought up at a National Teach-In, ‘the obsession of American policymakers with what they see as monolithic Communism has blinded them to the fact that Communism in Asia has adapted itself to nationalism’12. Those in power often fooled the public and therefore undermined American involvement in the war, as there was a good kill ratio, where it looked like the American forces were winning, officials could fool themselves into believing it would be a victory; however the Tet Offensive showed the reality of the situation. Presidents seemed to be set on destroying Communism, being blind to the  fact that building a feasible South Vietnam was outside of America’s power, what was needed was for them to understand Vietnam and ‘work with rather than against this powerful forceâ₠¬â„¢13. The majority of Vietnamese did not ‘even know the difference between communism and democracy’14. The Vietnam War was the first war with free press, so the media played a huge part in undermining the war effort, undermining public opinion and demoralising American troops in Vietnam. The media had started off supporting the American presidents and their decisions about the war,  however, their support soon decreased as news of the brutal reality of the war and the campaigns that had been covered-up leaked to the press. Press coverage was a major factor in ensuring lack of public support, and therefore the retreat of presidents from Vietnam. One notable example is the issue of ‘Life Magazine’, which saw a full edition with two hundred and forty-two photographs of the soldiers killed in Vietnam during just one week of fighting. As well as showing the hardships which Americans had to endure in Vietnam, the media showed ‘footage of the bulldozing of human carcasses into mass graves, the napalming of children, and the ravaging of villages by American soldiers’15, so that the public began to dislike soldiers, causing many men to try to dodge the draft. Not only did the media allow public opposition to spread, it also undermined the military; less people were drafted into the  war, low morale, and secrets were leaked to the press from troops in Vietnam which the media was able to exploit. The NVA would then be able to see this and could expect attacks. The images that were on television were so powerful that they have been used as one of the main reasons why America was defeated due to the impression left on the public. Although, Riddick argues against this analysis – ‘while the media can influence public opinion, inVietnam media reportage merely reflected, and did not create the national mood of  disillusionment’16. The government, however, understood how influential the loss of media  support could be. In February 1968, a CBS reporter, Cronkite, left an aside not meant for broadcast – ‘what the hell is going on? I thought we were winning this war?’ President Johnson supposedly said – ‘If we’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Mr. Average citizen’. In order to cope with the expansion in Vietnam, US financial aid was greatly increased, Washington had, for example, sent out approximately $2billion worth of aid in the time running up to the Paris Peace Agreement. The war was costing money, and started to interfere with the economy. Johnson,  however, would not admit to the extent of expenditure in case Congress decided to cut budgets on his domestic programmes. In 1965 the government deficit was $1.6billion, in 1968, it was $25.3billion, Johnson had not requested the required wartime tax increases. This resulted in inflation, and eventually taxpayers became indignant and they increased the pressure on Johnson to put an end to the war, or to take a different approach. The war was a great hindrance on America’s economic stature. It denied funds to America and other needs, such as hospitals and education. In the early sixties, Vietnam was popular; patriotism was strong in a confident nation, who assumed that they had the necessary weapons and firepower to assure victory. Opinions on the war differed according to geography and age. The Southern and Mid-West counties were conservative and patriotic whereas coastal counties were liberal and democratic. The older generations supported the war because of the effect of World War II, which had brought prosperity. The younger generations had more liberal attitudes. They were concerned with freedom of speech and self-expression. Conscription also made the war unpopular with young adults, which resulted in low morale in the army and a fall in the number of troops as draft papers were torn up. Further into the sixties, anti-war sentiment was growing in America, the turning point was the Tet Offensive, where the public was able to see the reality of the war and the fact that they were not winning. Soldiers returning home were jeered at and called ‘baby-killer’, and trust in the American government was lacking. At the onset of war, those who opposed it could be split directly into three categories: ‘people with left-wing political opinions†¦pacifists who opposed all wars†¦liberals who believed that the best way of stopping the spread of Communism was by encouraging democratic rather than authoritarian governments’17. The fact that presidents had decided to use chemical warfare especially upset the public as they saw images and heard stories of innocent men, women and children dying as a result. The mid-sixties was also a time of black rights. There were disproportionate numbers of blacks fighting in Vietnam, and it seemed unfair for America to expect blacks to fight this war for ‘freedom’ when they enjoyed little of this at home. Historians saw the blacks as ‘comparing themselves with the Vietnamese: both were, in their view, victims of a  racist government’18. An International War Tribunal was set up and they, along with other critics, claimed that ‘US behaviour in Vietnam is comparable to the atrocities committed by the Nazis in WW2’19. In 1967, the ‘Vietnam Veterans Against the War’ was formed, one member stated ‘I hope that someday I can return to Vietnam and help to rebuild the country we tore apart’20. Also, anti-war leaders claimed that if troops were not withdrawn from Vietnam, the government might  need to bring them home to stop a revolution. Apart from these comments to the government, several protests were taking place. By 1965, organised rallies were being held in approximately forty American cities and a few foreign capitals. There were a lot of students  protests as the younger generations refused to accept the authority of the government. Groups  against the war were dedicated to protesting for the withdrawal of troops, putting a lot of pressure on the government. Violent protests started to become more common as more  atrocities became apparent in the press, specifically the incident of My Lai where about 400  innocents were murdered, which damaged the morale argument about the need to save Vietnam. In November 1965, Norman Morrison imitated the actions of Buddhist monk in Saigon by setting fire to himself out side the Pentagon. A protest at Kent University where four students were killed by open fire brought the message to the public that ‘loss of life as a result of the Vietnam War†¦was no longer confined to Indchina’21. There was still a considerable amount of support for the governments policies, however, even a minority in America can protest vociferously and make a huge difference, especially when figured of respect and authority  speak out. For example, Senator J. William Fullbright spoke out against ‘that arrogance of power which has inflicted, weakened and in some cases destroyed great nations in the past’22, Martin Luther King also spoke out about how ‘the Great Society has been shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam’23. Public pressure meant that in 1968, Johnson had lost confidence in his decisions and his war and he announced he was calling of bombing raids and was prepared to open discussions on the possibilities of peace talks. However, the war was prolonged into Nixon’s term as president, which served only to strengthen the disquiet against the war. As C. Reich stated, ‘the War seemed to sum up the evils of our society: destruction of people†¦environment†¦war by the rich and powerful against the poor and helpless, justification based on abstract rationality, hypocrisy and lies’24. The presidents knew that unless public opinion was swayed towards them and the war, they would not be able to stay in power. By the time Vietnam ended, it was clear that a major reason for withdrawal was down to public opinion. There is no doubt that public opinion went a long way in ensuring that presidents retreated and the war effort undermined. Opposition resulted in a decline in troops and protests throughout America which demonstrated the unrest which politicians had to act on. However, there are other factors which add to this to explain America’s defeat, the failure of the American army against a strong Vietcong force, the role of the media, the economic situation due to mass expenditure, and the blindness of the government to the real situation in Vietnam. Saunders – ‘The USA and Vietnam’ (p.2) 2 Wintle – ‘The Vietnam Wars’ (p. 136) 3 Major John Fenzel – ‘Vietnam: We Could Have Won’ 4 General Bruce Palmer Jnr. – ‘The 25-Year War: America’s Military Role in Vietnam’ (p.176) 5 Wintle – ‘The Vietnam Wars’ (p.165) 6 Saunders – ‘The USA and Vietnam 1945 – 75’ (p.85) 7 Ibid. (p.89) 8 James Cameron – ‘Witness’ 9 Wintle – ‘The Vietnam Wars’ (p.165) 10 Saunders – ‘The USA and Vietnam 1954 – 75’ (p.32) 11 State Department Report 1963 12 National Teach-In – Gettleman – ‘Vietnam: History, Documents, and Opinions on a Major World Crisis’ (p.411) 13 Gettleman – ‘Vietnam: History, Documents, and Opinions on a Major World Crisis’ (p.411) 14 Vietnam Veterans Against the War Statement – John Kerry to the Senate Committee of Foreign Relations – 1971 15 Franklin H. Bruce – ‘From Realism to Virtual Reality: Images of America’s Wars’ (p.441) 16 Riddick – ‘The Vietnam War’ 17 A Vietnam Overview – www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/VietnamWar.htm 18 Higgins – ‘Vietnam’ (p.101) 19 A Vietnam Overview – www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/VietnamWar.htm 20 Ibid. 21 Wintle – ‘The Vietnam Wars’ (p.168) 22 Ibid. (p.157) 23 Ibid. (p.161) 24 C. Reich – ‘The Greening of America’ (p.194)

How to Apply for College in the US as an International Student

How to Apply for College in the US as an International Student SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips According to the Institute of International Education, almost 975,000 international students studied at colleges in the United States last year. If you’re hoping to be one of those students, then this guide is for you. To help you through the college application process, this guide will go over all the steps you need to take, from translating your transcript to taking the TOEFL. Before jumping into the process of international student admissions, let’s review how your application process is the same as a U.S. student's and how it’s different. Applying to College: International vs. Domestic Students As an international student, you'll largely take the same steps to apply to U.S. colleges as students from the U.S.You'll just need to add a few extra steps to account for differences in languages, school curriculum, andgrading systems. Below, you'll find an overview of the main similarities and differences between applying for college as an international student in the U.S. and applying as a domestic student. How Applying Is the Same Many of the steps you’ll take to apply to college in the U.S. are the same ones that domestic students take. You should apply to several schools to increase your chances of getting accepted. Eight to nine is a good number, but some students apply to even more. You’ll apply by an early deadline, usually in November of senior year, or a regular deadline, usually in January or February of senior. Some schools have even later deadlines that fall in the spring or summer. You might use the Common Application or Universal Application, both of which can just be filled out once and sent to several schools. If any of your prospective colleges don’t accept those applications, then you’ll fill out a separate one. Your application will contain your personal information, like your name and date of birth, as well as any extracurricular activities, jobs, or internships. You’ll also send a personal essay, one or more letters of recommendation, a transcript with your high school grades, and, for most colleges, SAT or ACT scores. A few colleges also ask you to answer supplemental essay questions, which call for shorter responses than your mainpersonal essay. The bulk of the application process is the same for international and domestic students, but international college students do have to take some additional steps. Read on to find out what these steps are. How Applying Is Different There are a few extra steps if you’re applying as an international student. First, you might have to take the TOEFL if you’re from a country where the official language is something other than English. The TOEFL (or its alternative, the IELTS) is a test that demonstrates your English language proficiency. Second, you may need to get your transcript and any other academic credentials evaluated by an approved organization. This evaluation puts your courses and grades into U.S. terms so that admissions officers can understand them. If financial aid is important to you, then you’ll have to figure out whether you can obtain aid directly from colleges. Federal financial aid is only available to U.S. citizens. You might also apply foroutside scholarships. Finally, you’ll need to sort out the legal requirements of living in the U.S. by applying for a student visa. Usually, you apply for your student visa after gaining admission to a college and accepting a place in the next class. Now that you have a sense of the unique requirements for international student admission, let’s dive into the application process, step by step. Read on to learn how each piece of the international student application fits together! How to Apply to College as an International Student Many colleges are seeking to make their campuses more globalizedand welcome international applicants. At the same time, there aren’t as many spots available for international students in the USA as there are for domestic applicants, so you shouldmake sure you understand the college process and can send off the strongest application possible. Colleges vary in their individual policies and requirements, but for the most part, they all ask for the same materials. Most collegesask forthe following: Application High school transcript SAT or ACT scores TOEFL scores Personal essay (and any supplemental essays) Letters of recommendation Many of these components take months or even years to prepare, so college planning should start early in high school. Let’s talk about each of these application components in detail, along with tips for preparing each. The Application You can think of your application - the actual forms that contain your personal information - as the umbrella that covers all the other documents you’ll send. Each school has its own application, but many accept the Common Application and/or the Universal Application. These are both free services that allow you to fill out just one application and send it to several schools. Colleges that don’t accept these applications, such asstate schools in California and Texas, have their own application systems. Regardless of whether you use the Common Application or a school-specific application, you’ll find that both look pretty similar. Applications will ask for your personal information, like your name, address, schools attended, and any extracurricular activities. If your school requires an essay, then you’ll usually paste your essay into your application. You may also invite recommenders via email to upload their reference letters. While creating an account and filling out your application is free, submitting it requires a fee. Some schools have no application fee while others cost as much as $80 or $90. The average application fee is around $35 to $40. If the fees are burdensome, you may be able to obtain a college application fee waiver from the colleges that you’re interested in. Below you’ll find a few more tips to help you prepare your college applications. Tips for Your College Application Preparing to apply to college is a process that can start at the beginning of high school. Colleges will look at all four years of your classes, grades, and extracurricular involvements, so it helps to consider your college goals as you make choices throughout 9th, 10th, th, and 12th grade. Most students apply to several colleges; typically, eight or nine is a good number. That way they can maximize their chances of getting accepted. Students usually apply to two to three safety schools, or ones where their credentials are well above that of the average accepted student. They also apply to schools to which getting accepted is more challenging - usually two to three match schools and two to three reach schools. The application forms themselves are not all that time-intensive. You should give yourself at least a month before your deadlines to fill them out and proofread for any errors. As an international student, you might be in a good positionto emphasize any language skills or unique multicultural experiences that you have. The aspects of your application that require months, if not years, of planning, are your SAT/ACT scores, TOEFL scores, essay, and letters of recommendation, as you’ll learn more about below. First, let’s consider another piece of your college application, your high school transcript. Depending on college policy, you might need to translate your transcript. High School Transcript To determine admission, colleges look closely at high school grades. To show schools this important information, you’ll send an official transcript. Usually, your school must send your transcript in a sealed envelope. For some schools, you can send your transcript directly. Others will ask you to get it translated and certified by an official credential service. If your school uses a different grading system than the 4.0 scale used in the U.S., then you may have to send off your transcript for evaluation. This transcript service may cost around $100. The company should be a member of NACES, the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, like World Education Services, Inc. Some colleges will allow you to use unofficial translators. Tufts, for example, says â€Å"Acceptable translators include English teachers or other school officials, professional translators, or a local EducationUSA office. Students do not need to utilize credential evaluation companies of any sort.† Read on a few tips for sending your high school transcript to U.S. colleges. Tips for Your High School Transcript Colleges look at your grades throughout high school, as well as your course selection. They consideryour commitment to your academics, your progress in particular subjects, and the extent to which you challenged yourselfwithhigher level courses. Each college sets its own admissions policies, so make sure to research each school on your list about what it wants you to do with your transcript. You should be able to find this on the international admissions page on its website. If you can’t find this information online, you should email or call the admissions office directly. If you need to use an evaluation service, then you'll have toplan especially early. These services typically take about seven business days after receiving your documents. You might start the process about a month before your deadlines to make sure everything arrives in time. In addition to your grades, your SAT or ACT scores are another important part of your college application. Below we'll take a closer look at thestandardized testing partof your college applications. Schools may be very different from one another,so standardized tests, like the SAT and ACT, are usedto bridge the gap. SAT or ACT Scores For most four-year U.S. colleges, your SAT or ACT scores are an important part of your candidacy. Colleges consider both tests equally, so it’s up to you to decide which one you’d rather take. Some colleges additionally require SAT Subject Tests, though they usually waive this requirement if you send ACT scores. While you can self-report your scores on your application, you’ll need to send official score reports via your College Board (for the SAT) or ACT, Inc (for the ACT) accounts. If you send multiple score reports, many colleges will â€Å"superscore† your results, or take your highest scores by section and recombine them into the highest possible composite score. The SAT and ACT require lots of prep and planning, and we have tons of resources to help you achieve your target scores. For now, let’s go over a few of the most important tips for planning for these important tests. Tips for the SAT and ACT The SAT and ACT are challenging tests, and both require a lot of prep to do well. To start your planning, you first need to decide which test to take. Familiarize yourself with their similarities and differences, and choose the one on which you can gain the higher score. Then, you canset a goal for yourself. Determine your target scores based on personal goals and your colleges’ expectations. Most colleges publicize the average SAT or ACT scores of accepted students, and you can also find this information on PrepScholar’s database of schools by searching for "name of college + PrepScholar."Once you know the average, you can aim for an even stronger score to be a competitive candidate. You might start your prep with a timed practice test to gauge your current scoring level and diagnose your strengths and weaknesses. Depending on how much you seek to improve, you can figure out how long you need to study. A score improvement of only 30 points on the SAT may just call for about 20 hours of studying, for example, while a score improvement of a few hundred points could require over 150 hours. Lots of students take the SAT or ACTmore than once to achieve their target scores. As mentioned above, many colleges superscore your results,so you don’t have to worry about increasing your score in one section but decreasing in another. If retaking the SAT or ACT is in your plans, then you’ll need to leave yourself enough opportunities to retest. You might take the SAT or ACT for the first time in your sophomore year. That way, you can take it again as a junior, and even in the fall of senior year if you seek improvement. Your SAT and ACT scores show that you have the academic skills to succeed at the college level. If you’re a non-native English speaker, then you may also have to take the TOEFL to demonstrate that you have college-ready English language skills. Hope you're feeling chatty! The TOEFL will get you speaking in English. TOEFL Scores If your native language is something other than English, then you may have to take the TOEFL (or its counterpart, the IELTS) to demonstrate your English language proficiency. Unlike the SAT or ACT, the TOEFL is computer-based in most countries. Its scoring scale ranges from 0 to 120, and it tests your Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing skills. Many schools require a minimum TOEFL score. If you don’t have the requisite TOEFL scores, then the rest of your application doesn’t matter! The TOEFL is definitely a test to be taken seriously if you want to study at a U.S. college. Like the SAT or ACT, you could take the TOEFL more than once to achieve your target scores. Here are just a few examples of colleges with a TOEFL requirement. The TOEFL iBT is the internet-based test; the less common TOEFL PBT is the paper-based test, and its scoring scale ranges from 310 to 677. College TOEFL iBT TOEFL PBT American University 100 600 Boston University 95 550-600 Harvard 100 600 Northeastern 79-80 550 Penn State 90 550 UCLA 87 560 A few schools will waive the TOEFL requirement if you achieve a minimum score on the verbal sections of the SAT or ACT. Because these sections require strong English skills, they can sometimes act as a stand-in for the TOEFL. As with every other part of your application, you’ll need to research each college of interest to learn about its stance and plan accordingly. Below you’ll find a few more tips for planning for the TOEFL. Tips for the TOEFL As an international student, you may have the double challenge of prepping for the both the SAT or ACT and the TOEFL. You’ll have to set aside time to study for both tests and arrange a testing schedule that works for you. Like the SAT or ACT, you may want to start studying at least three months before your first test date. Set aside several hours each week to review with high-quality practice materials and take practice tests. The earlier you start, the more available test dates you’ll have to retake the TOEFL if need be. If you have strong language skills early in high school, then you might consider taking the TOEFL in 9th or 10th grade. Then you can devote even more timeto other tests and application components. If you wait until later in your high school career, then you should take the time to devise a study plan that balances your time between both the TOEFL and the SAT (or ACT). In addition to your grades and test scores, admissions officers are also interested in learning more about you as a person. One way that they accomplishthis is by reading your personal essay. Your college essay can be about whatever you want! This one about the megastore, Costco, got its writer into five Ivy League schools. College Essays Many 4-year colleges claim to use a holistic admissions process, in which they consider not just your grades and test scores, but also your personal qualities and motivations. One way that they get to know you as a person is through your personal essay. In your personal essay, you’ll typically be asked to reflect on a meaningful experience in your life and how it shaped your identity. What you choose to write about should reveal something significant about your values, and your essay as a whole will show your writing style and thought process. If you use the Common Application to apply to colleges, then you’ll choose one of five prompts for your essay. Here are just three examples of Common Application essay prompts: The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family. As you can see, the essay prompts ask you to share something personal and meaningful. Schools that don’t use the Common Application will likely have their own essay prompt. They might look similar to the ones above or simply ask why you want to attend the college and to describe some of your future goals. Some colleges, especially the more selective ones, will ask additional supplemental essay questions. These are shorter in length, perhaps a few paragraphs or less, and vary by school. They might ask why you want to attend the school or to talk about a favorite book or artist. Some are abstract, like Tufts’ question, â€Å"What makes you happy?† Others are kind of random, like the University of Virginia’s recent prompt, â€Å"To tweet or not to tweet?† Whatever the supplemental questions, they vary by college and should not be overlooked. Below you’ll find a few tips for writing your college essays. Tips for Your College Essays The college essay is a unique piece of writing. It requires you to be introspective and to share something that’s meaningful to you on a personal level. The best essays tend to zero in on a particular experience that reveals something significant about the writer’s identity. The personal essay’s a challenging assignment, so you should give yourself several months to work on it. You might take several weeks to brainstorm the right topic. Once you come up with a draft, you might share with teachers, friends, and families for feedback. Ultimately, though, the essay should be in your voice and stay true to who you are. As an international student, you may be able to bring unique multicultural experiences or language skills to campus. Your essay’s a great opportunity to share your perspective and show admissions officers why it should be represented on campus. Supplemental essays, while not as lengthy as the personal essay, are also an important part of your application. Probably the most common mistake that students make with supplemental essays is rushing through them and producing generic answers. Your supplemental essays should be specific and customized to each school.They’re typically an opportunity for you to show what you know about the college and your particular reasons for wanting to attend. While admissions officers learn about you from your personal essays, they also get to know you through your recommendation letters. Rather than hearing your voice, they hear what your teachers and/or counselor have to say about you. Ask a teacher who's happy to paint a flattering picture of you in her letter of recommendation. Letters of Recommendation The final important piece of your college applications isyour letters of recommendation. Requirements for reference letters vary; some colleges don’t ask for any, while others ask for one, two, or even three. Usually, colleges want to see one or two recommendations from teachers and one from your school counselor. If you don’t have a counselor, then you might get one from a principal or other administrator. You’ll choose your recommenders and ask them if they’d be willing to provide you with a recommendation. Then you’ll invite them to submit their letters through your online application. Your recommendation letters should speak to both your academic and personal qualities. Like your essays and the rest of your application, they should give admissions officers insight into your strengths and skills as a student, as well as your personality and character. In addition to our in-depth guides on recommendation letters for college, you’ll find a few tips below. Tips for Your Letters of Recommendation Just as you should give yourself plenty of time to write your college essay, you should give your recommenders sufficienttime to write your letters. You should ask your recommenders at least one month before your deadlines. You might also ask at the end of junior year. It’s best to ask teachers who had you recently and for a whole year; junior year teachers tend to be a good bet. If your teachers write in another language, then you’ll have to get your letters translated. The best letters come from educators who know you well, so you should ask teachers with whom you have a strong connection. You might also share your own thoughts and ideas via conversation and a â€Å"brag sheet,† a document you can prepare to help your teachers. You couldtalk aboutyour favorite classes, significant experiences, and academic and personal goals for college. For many colleges, your recommendation letters are a very important part of your college application. Admissions officers are sifting through many strong applicants and trying to gain a clearer idea of who you are as a person. Your recommendation letters are a great opportunity to showcase your positive relationships with your teachers and successes in school. Now that we’ve gone over the main parts of your college application - the application itself, transcript, standardized testing scores, essays, and letters of recommendation - let’s consider some final tips for applying to college as an international student. Keep these final tips in mind as you make plans togrow academically and personally at a U.S. college. Applying to College as an International Student: 3 Final Tips Applying to college is a complex process, and it becomes even more complicated for international college students due to additional steps, like taking the TOEFL and having your materials translated and certified. By familiarizing yourself with the entire process, you can make sure that you have enough time to prepare all your materials by the deadline. With this knowledge, you can produce a competitive application that will secure you a spot at a U.S. college. As you work your way through the steps, remember these three key tips. 1. Don’t Underestimate the SAT/ACT or TOEFL Doing well on standardized tests is important for all college applicants, and it becomes even more significant for international students in the USA. The TOEFL shows admissions officers that you have the reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills to succeed in college-level classes. The SAT and ACT, furthermore, show your academic skills and college readiness. These tests are meant to measure students on a level playing field, regardless of differences in individual high schools and curriculum (though of course, how well they do this is a matter of debate). Admissions officers may be unfamiliar with your school abroad, so they especially rely on these test scores to make sure you have college-ready skills. As discussed above, you should set aside several months to prep for each test and leave yourself additional test dates if you want to retest and achieve your target scores. If your sights are set on a U.S. college, then make sure you have the SAT or ACT and TOEFL scores to compete with other applicants. 2. Remember that Many Colleges Use a Holistic Process While test scores are important, remember that they’re not the only part of your application. Many colleges use a holistic process to admit students, in which they consider your personal qualities and impact in your school community. Admissions officers want to learn about your interests and pursuits in and out of school. They’re interested in your extracurricular involvements and any leadership positions. They want to see if you’ve done community service, volunteered, or worked a part-time or summer job. They also gain a sense of your role in your school community through your letters of recommendation. Admissions officers tend to be more impressed by deep involvement in a few areas than scattered participation in many areas. You might keep this in mind as you move through high school and choose your activities, as well as when you describe your involvements on your application. Ultimately, applying to college requires a lot of self-reflection about your identity and goals for the future. Think about what’s important to you and what you hope to achieve. Then, reflect this self-awareness through your essays and application as a whole. 3. Plan Early! Finally, the importance of planning early cannot be emphasized enough! There are a lot of moving parts that go into a college application, and none of them can be completed in a short time frame. Admissions officers are interested in all four years of high school, so planning early willhelp you make informed choices about your courses and involvements. For instance, you should try to challenge yourself in one or more upper-level classes and stick with an activity or two throughout your time in high school. Follow your interests and you may have a sense of what subject you’d like to choose as your major once you arrive at college. In the end, you college application will tell a story to admissions officers about your high school experience and identity. By planning early, you can make the most of these years with a goal-oriented, proactive mindset. All of your hard work will pay off when you send off a great college application that gets you accepted into your dream school! What’s Next? Are you figuring out where to apply to college? This guide will help you research colleges and find the best ones for you. Will you be taking the TOEFL and the SAT? Check out this comprehensive guide to learn about the TOEFL and SAT and how to prepare for both. Are you getting ready for the SAT? To help you prepare, we’ve compiled our best articles in the Ultimate Study Guide for the SAT. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Basketball

Basketball Basketball is an athletic sport, usually played on an indoor court in which two competing teams of five players each attempt to score by throwing an inflated ball so that it descends through one of two baskets suspended, at each end of the court, above their heads. The team scoring the most such throws, through field goals or foul shots, wins the game. Because of its continuous action and frequent scoring, basketball is one of the most popular spectator as well as participant sports in the world.Court and TeamsThe measurements of American and international basketball courts differ slightly. The basketball court is a rectangular area ranging in size from about 94 ft by 50 ft to about 74 ft by 42 ft. At each end of the court is a vertical backboard, measuring usually about 6 ft by 4 ft. Each backboard is anchored to a wall, suspended from the ceiling, or otherwise mounted so that its lower edge is about 9 ft above the court.Portrait of the University of Michigan varsity bas...

Guide to Punctuation for English Learners

Guide to Punctuation for English Learners Punctuation is used to mark the cadence, pauses, and tone in written English. In other words, punctuation helps us to understand when to pause between fully formed ideas when speaking, as well as organize our thoughts in writing. English punctuation marks include: period .comma  ,question mark ?exclamation mark !colon :semi colon ; Beginning English learners should focus on understanding the period, comma, and question mark. Intermediate to advanced student should also learn how to use colons and semi colons, as well as an occasional exclamation mark. This guide provides instruction on the basic rules of using a period, comma, colon, semicolon, question mark and exclamation point. Each type of punctuation is followed by an explanation and example sentences for reference purposes. Period Use a period to end a complete sentence. A sentence is a group of words containing a subject and predicate. In British English a period is called a full stop. Examples: He went to Detroit last week. They are going to visit. Comma There are a number of different uses for commas in English. Commas are used to: Separate a list of items. This is one of the most common uses of a comma. Notice that a comma is included before the conjunction and which comes before the final element of a list. Examples: I like reading, listening to music, taking long walks, and visiting with my friends. They would like books, magazines, DVDs, video cassettes, and other learning materials for their library. Separate phrases (clauses). This is especially true after a beginning dependent clause or a long prepositional phrase. Examples: In order to qualify for your certificate, you will need to take the TOEFL exam. Although he wanted to come, he wasnt able to attend the course. Separate two independent clauses that are connected by a conjunction such as but. Examples: They wanted to purchase a new car, but their financial situation would not allow it. Id really enjoy seeing a film this evening, and Id like to go out for a drink. Introduce a direct quote (as opposed to indirect speech i.e. He said he wanted to come ...). Examples: The boy said, My father is often away during the week on business trips. His doctor replied, If you dont stop smoking, you run the risk of a heart attack. Separate appositives (a noun, or noun phrase) or non-defining relative clauses. Examples: Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, comes from Seattle. My only sister, who is a fantastic tennis player, is in great shape. Question Mark The question mark is used at the end of a question. Examples: Where do you live? How long have they been studying? Exclamation Point The exclamation point is used at the end of a sentence to indicate great surprise. It is also used for emphasis when making a point. Be careful not to use an exclamation point too often. Examples: That ride was fantastic! I cant believe he is going to marry her! Semicolon There are two uses for a semicolon: To separate two independent clauses. One or both of the clauses are short and the ideas expressed are usually very similar. Examples: He loves studying; he cant get enough of school. What an incredible situation; it must make you nervous. To separate groups of words that are themselves separated by commas. Examples: I took a holiday and played golf, which I love; read a lot, which I needed to do; and slept late, which I hadnt done for quite a while. They plan to study German, for their travels; chemistry, for their work; and literature, for their own enjoyment. Colon A colon can be used for two purposes: To provide additional details and explanation. Examples: He had many reasons for joining the club: to get in shape, to make new friends, to lose some weight, and to get out of the house. She gave notice for the following reasons: bad pay, horrible hours, poor relations with colleagues, and her boss. To introduce a direct quote (a comma can also be used in this situation). Examples: He announced to his friends: Im getting married! She cried out: I never want to see you again!

Anorexia Nervousa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Anorexia Nervousa - Research Paper Example This article highlights on the available reported cases regarding anorexia nervosa besides talking about the possible cases and the ultimate treatment methods. Introduction Anorexia nervosa represents one of the psychiatric disorders which associates with abnormal eating behavior, aggressive weight loss and psychiatric comorbidities (Gila et al, p. 480). Individuals with anorexia nervosa normally faces the fear of eating normally because of the fear of gaining weight. The disease normally have severe effects on individuals. It is often difficult for the individuals to know that they are suffering from the disease thereby furthering the effects of the disease. Because of the fear of gaining weight, the individuals will do anything within their effort to ensure that they have gained weight. Some of the individuals end up starving, while some seek for aggressive physical exercising in order to lose weight. These individuals may feel that they are on their daily efforts of cutting down o n their weight, when it is actually anorexia nervosa. They have the feeling that they are perfecting their nature and controlling their body weight which may not be true. The disease is often common on young women who believe that being thing is a perfectionism. The following are some of the facts about anorexia nervosa: Facts about nervosa Statistics shows that the presentation of anorexia nervosa among individuals in the society has been on the increase since the late 1960s with the female constituting gender with higher prevalence. The prevalence in females is 10 to 20 times as regarded in that of male. This statistics provide a background for studying the influence of the disease in the society (Andersen, p. 728). Many of the reported cases in the hospitals also shows that around 90% of the patients admitted because of anorexia nervosa were women. The figures are a good illustration of that women serve as the major individuals susceptible of the disease. The trend on women arise s because of the trends of lifestyle that most of the female individuals are likely to live. The statistics also show that among the women, those mostly susceptible of the disease are the women living in upper class besides those in urban societies. They are mostly educated and professionals individuals who are in the peak of exploiting their knowledge. Another striking statistics is that around 5% of the adolescent girls exhibit the symptoms of anorexia nervosa hence bringing to conclusion that the disease can affect an individual irrespective of their ages. Further, the influence of contemporary lifestyle also have considerable effect on the number of young men and adolescent boys being susceptible to the disease. These are surprising facts which must be taken into consideration during the war against the disease. Most of the named individuals in the above statistics do not always recognize the presence of the disease. A study carried in the UK also shows that 1% of women existing within the age bracket of 15-30 years always suffer from nervosa. This is indifferent to the number of men, within the same age group, whose statistics is always varying. Studies also shows that the most susceptible individuals are those who hold unrealistic expectations about their weight. Case presentation from Iraq This is case about MR is a perfect illustration of the experience an individual may have when suffering from anorexia nervosa. MR,

Managerial leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managerial leadership - Assignment Example The movie establishes different characters, playing different social roles and it is upon their intrinsic roles, that the movie presents the theory of social leadership. Trevor McKinney Trevor McKinney, being the main character denotes a social person, who was ready to mingle with anybody in the society as long as he perceived the need to solve a given problem in the person. Trevor lives a disturbed life as his mother is a drunkard while the father is always away, but insinuates psychological torture whenever he goes back to his family. Despite all the mayhem surrounding Trevor’s life, he engaged in a plan to give the society the best of his help following Mr. Simonet’s intervention to help him remit help to the society. In his quest to people in the society, Trevor embarks on shared leadership strategies, whereby he ensures that his subjects derive an environment to portray their initiatives (Graen, & Graen, 2006:45). Trevor portrays the concept of shared purpose by ta rgeting to help the affected individuals who he happens to meet during his life. For instance, he perceives the plight of the homeless man, Jerry as overwhelming and requiring immediate redress. Trevor’s obsession to help the affected individuals emanates from the desire of accountability in rendering long-lasting solutions after having been a victim of antisocial circumstances. Trevor establishes a concept of internal definition of the antisocial effects that the subjects undergo before redemption. He is a victim of similar circumstances and seeks to alleviate them from their current situations. However, Trevor’s devotion aims at ensuring a continuous rate of repossession of the ideas upon his subjects, who will further deliver the attributes other needy people in the society (Crosby, 2005:87). Such an aspect shall ensure continuity in delivering fruitful leadership policies to alleviate the problems of the entire society. Eugene Simonet In the movie, Eugene Simonetâ €™s role inspires his social studies student, Trevor to perceive the need to overcome his social fears, and seek to provide the society with the best alternative solutions to their problems. At such a point, the teacher represented the characteristics of fear and the need to ensure that the society derives earlier resolutions into alleviating prevailing problems before prolonged and imminent scars control their livelihoods (Miller, 2009:69). Arguably, the movie portrays the teacher with possessing facial and neck scars that the people are unable to withstand. However, Simonet reacts positively to the stigma and ensures that he devices knowledgeable approaches that would serve to rescue other individual from being victimized into the same situation (Chrispeels, 2004:58). Simonet expresses the concepts of accountability, partnership, and ownership by expressing his views to Trevor and the need for him to devise an appropriate approach that would serve as remedies to the affected i ndividuals. He solely derives the importance of acquainting individuals with present advantages that would service the prevailing social problems. Therefore, he intrigues into the people’s future lives and understands their mishaps. Therefore, he ascertains that the best correctional approach to alleviate the social discontent would be through

What are the major advantages and disadvantages of the four principles Essay

What are the major advantages and disadvantages of the four principles approach to health care ethics - Essay Example In the 1970s, theologian James Childress and philosopher Tom Beauchamp came up with the ‘four principles’ approach (Beauchamp 1994, p.35). They enrolled the four principles, which they believed could be considered over each other when making an ethical decision on matters pertaining to medicine. There has been a substantial evolution of the Principles of Biomedical Ethics since the first version of its kind of theory and the requirements of particular circumstances. Principlism has specifically changed into a realistic approach for ethical decision-making focusing on ethical principles of justice, autonomy, non-maleficence and beneficence. Principlism is usually attained from, and is consistent with many theological approaches, social and even ethical advances towards ethical decision-making. The advancement, which is pluralist in nature, is quite necessary when one has to make an ethical verdict in a society or institution because clusters of pluralist fields by descrip tion can concur with neither certain ethical theories nor their explanations. The adequate state rather is that majority of people and communities would concur that there exists an extensive concurrence on the common values of justice, non-maleficence, beneficence and autonomy. Justice The principle of justice means allotting the benefits and saddles of a particular verdict fairly. It demands for proper allotment of benefits, risks and expenses evenly. In the present era, communities are enlightened co-operations that are principled by ethical and legal features of justice that give meaning to the support requisites. Individuals in a community get fair treatment if they receive due and just treatment. The phrase ‘distributive justice’ brings out the meaning of impartial,... Center of discussion in this paper is Principlism, also known as the ‘four principles’ approach refers to a set of moral codes and principles that are employed by decision makers to arrive at decisions in any particular profession. The four principles related to the way of conduct in health. The principles include beneficence, justice, Non-maleficence and autonomy, which is the acknowledgement of a person’s right to make judgments and hold views based on personal beliefs and views. Each principle defines different affairs of concern in health. The principles have their basing in morality required in health. The preference over the four kinds of ethical principles as the structure for ethical decisions making in medical ethics originates partly from proficient background and responsibilities. The virtues and requirements of health professionals have constantly been edged by professional pledges to issue medical care and ensure protection of patients from system fai lure, harm or ailment. Although Beauchamp and Childress’s ethics try to set up on this structure, they considerably move away from it as they try to encompass parts of ethics that have been deserted traditionally in principles of health care, mainly via the ethics of respect for justice and independence. The four principles are required to issue a complete structure for biomedical ethics, but the common structure is only theoretical and is on standby until it gets advanced specification.

Wk 11(61) project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wk 11(61) project - Essay Example This is an activity that is pretty much governed by the state in which you live he said, because there are certain "clinical standards" that you must adhere to if you are going to work in the state. He also is very careful to make notes that are informative about the case and not judgmental. This sometimes is difficult because some of the offenders act as thought they have done nothing wrong. He must use his patience and communication skills in order to get through to some of the men he deals with on an average day. In terms of activities, he said that he is in counseling sessions throughout the day and the only thing he really gets to do is take a lunch. He does answer phone calls and emails between sessions so that he does not get behind. He often reviews his cases and sometimes he will have to provide reports to a probation officer or to the courts as to the progress that his clients have made. Another thing he pointed out was that a lot of the people who come to his office have been referred there by an agency. Because of this they may appear to be angry and hostile at the beginning of the process but most will settle down and get into it once they know they are not being judged. Office help is expensive and since he is in private practice he attempts to cut his costs as necessary. He is in business with his wife and they have a receptionist for scheduling appointments and taking referrals. He said that they do this so that they will have more time to work with clients and so they do not have to worry about scheduling. Sometimes they have case report conferences in the office especially when they have a particularly difficult case. In the event that the client is violent they want to know exactly what they are dealing with in the process. The regulations that govern counseling in Ohio include a Code of Ethics for counselors in the state and there are strict Medicaid guidelines. He

Amistad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Amistad - Essay Example The Spanish colonies of Cuba and Puerto Rico would continue to tolerate the outlawed slave trade until the 1860s, but eventually outlaw slavery by the end of the 1870s2. By the time of the Amistad incident, the feeling in America towards slavery had polarized. Feelings ran the gamut from the abolitionists that called for an immediate ban on slavery, to the people that felt a constitutional amendment was long overdue, and included the advocates that argued slavery was a states' issue and wished to prolong the practice, primarily in the rural South for economic reasons. In the Northern States, "the rising voices of black, as well as white, abolitionists are partly responsible for ending slavery in the Northern states during the first part of the nineteenth century"3. According to Jackson, "if many were sympathetic to the Africans, there were plenty of others among the American press and public with only contempt for them", and Cinque, the leader of the mutineers, was described by one journalist to be "as miserably ignorant and brutalized a creature as the rest"4. Many people such as "Lewis Tapan, a prominent New York businessman, Joshua Leavitt, a law yer and journalist who edited the Emancipator in New York, and Simeon Jocelyn, a Congregational" could sense the coming of the civil war over this unresolvable issue and "decided to publicize the incident to expose the brutalities of slavery and the slave trade"5. In 1839, the nation was deeply divided over the slavery issue and many people were willing to take a hard stance either for or against it. C. Legal aspects of the Supreme Court's decision. Though there was significant political and emotional pressure placed on the court, the eventual decision was a correct legal finding. The case rested on three principles; jurisdiction, the mutineer's status as slaves, and the concept of slaves as property. "The Spanish minister pointed out that the Amistad mutiny took place on a Cuban vessel traveling between Cuban ports and was thus beyond the jurisdiction of American courts"6. The court ruled that the mutineers were "kidnapped and free Negroes, the treaty with Spain cannot be obligatory upon them; and the United States are bound to respect their rights as much as those of Spanish subjects"7. The court rightfully found that they had been kidnapped, since they had been taken in violation of international agreements, and since they were being held as kidnapped captives, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's decision. "The court declared that the blacks had never been lawful slaves and that they were kidnapped and illegally transp orted to Cuba. Their mutiny was an act of self-defense"8. Adams challenged the Court to find a more sweeping decision "on the basis of natural rights doctrines found in the Declaration of Independence"9. However, the majority opinion "found slavery repugnant and contrary to Christian morality, he supported the laws protecting its existence and opposed the abolitionists as threats to ordered society. Property rights, he believed, were the basis of civilization"10. D. Impact of the Amistad incident on slavery. The impact of the Amistad incident gave the abolitionists a social and political boost that would continue to echo into the future. "The importance of the Amistad case lies in the fact that Cinque

Wk 11(61) project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wk 11(61) project - Essay Example This is an activity that is pretty much governed by the state in which you live he said, because there are certain "clinical standards" that you must adhere to if you are going to work in the state. He also is very careful to make notes that are informative about the case and not judgmental. This sometimes is difficult because some of the offenders act as thought they have done nothing wrong. He must use his patience and communication skills in order to get through to some of the men he deals with on an average day. In terms of activities, he said that he is in counseling sessions throughout the day and the only thing he really gets to do is take a lunch. He does answer phone calls and emails between sessions so that he does not get behind. He often reviews his cases and sometimes he will have to provide reports to a probation officer or to the courts as to the progress that his clients have made. Another thing he pointed out was that a lot of the people who come to his office have been referred there by an agency. Because of this they may appear to be angry and hostile at the beginning of the process but most will settle down and get into it once they know they are not being judged. Office help is expensive and since he is in private practice he attempts to cut his costs as necessary. He is in business with his wife and they have a receptionist for scheduling appointments and taking referrals. He said that they do this so that they will have more time to work with clients and so they do not have to worry about scheduling. Sometimes they have case report conferences in the office especially when they have a particularly difficult case. In the event that the client is violent they want to know exactly what they are dealing with in the process. The regulations that govern counseling in Ohio include a Code of Ethics for counselors in the state and there are strict Medicaid guidelines. He

Discussion of Portfolio Theory Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Discussion of Portfolio Theory - Coursework Example Corporate investors use the same concept when they build up a portfolio. The above discussion demonstrates that asset is a weight in the portfolio. An investor never buys all securities of the financial market; rather selects a combination of securities. This is when the concept of risk arises. Thus, portfolio theory has two important parameters: weight of an asset in the portfolio and its risk. The concept risk relates to the return on investment. Let us consider a single stock A. The stock A has predicted returns for different economic states as well as the probability of occurring these states. Theoretically three states are considered: boom, average, and recession. Using formulas, one can calculate expected return, E (rA), and risk of the return of the stock A. The risk of return is expressed through standard deviation ÏÆ', and in percentage. A portfolio consists of multiple financial instruments, each of them with specific predicted returns. Let us now say, we have three securi ties in a portfolio: stock B, stock C, and stock D. The portfolio return will be E (r portfolio) = WB x E (rB) + WC x E (rC) + WD x E (rD). The value of E (r Portfolio) will compensate the risk of each single security.A portfolio consists of Gold Stock, Auto Stock with relative weight 75 % and 25 %. The return is shown below.: Convert predicted returns of two stocks to the return of one average stock. The formula is Average predicted return = Weight of Auto stock x Predicted return + Weight of Gold stock x Predicted return.

Restaurant satisfaction Essay Example for Free

Restaurant satisfaction Essay Restaurant Customer Satisfaction Surveys Can Keep Your Customers Coming Back Keep your customers coming back and recommending your restaurant to others with help from restaurant customer satisfaction surveys. Restaurant customer satisfaction surveys give you quantitative insight into the opinions and attitudes of your customers. You’ll obtain facts about what they want, what they expect, and if they plan to return to your restaurant again. If results show that your restaurant does not meet your customers’ expectations, you’ll know exactly what areas to target for improvement. Whether you own a fast-food restaurant, a dine-in establishment, or a chain of restaurants, Infosurv’s restaurant survey measuring customer satisfaction can provide you with valuable data you can use to make better business decisions. Gauging satisfaction with a restaurant customer survey can tell you about the demographics of your customers as well as give you insight into what they really think about: Food quality Menu selection Menu pricing and value Waiting times Promptness of service Professionalism and friendliness of server(s) Server’s knowledge of menu Decor Restaurant location Overall restaurant experience By assessing the wants and needs of customers – and then acting upon them – restaurants have continually found that satisfaction surveys encourage: Repeat business Positive feelings towards the restaurant because they showed that they cared about customer opinions Increased recommendations by current customers Increased spending within the restaurant Whether you need a restaurant satisfaction survey designed from scratch exclusively for your customers, or have an existing survey that needs to be administered, Infosurv takes extraordinary measures to ensure validity, reliability and bias reduction. Our goal is to help you compose a highly relevant survey instrument that will yield sound and valid conclusions while achieving the maximum survey response rate possible. Learn More About Restaurant Customer Satisfaction Surveys From Infosurv To learn more about restaurant customer satisfaction surveys and the Infosurv Experienceâ„ ¢ please download our brochure. What Makes Customer Satisfaction Research Useful? Capture customer feedback and use the data to set business priorities. Mar. 25, 2008By Marian Singer, partner, FiveTwelve Group Ltd. Much has been written in the last couple of years about the promise of customer satisfaction research (CSR) to improve performance or shorten development cycles for businesses and organizations. This work is particularly germane in North America, where growth in many industrial and commercial markets is peaking and companies are scrambling for competitive advantage. The concept is simple: capture customer feedback and use the data to set business priorities. Customer satisfaction data is routinely gathered to support continuous improvement programs like TQM, ISO and Six Sigma. The answers to the questions How are we doing? and What should we do better? are the building blocks of a customer relationship based on measurable value. Answered correctly, they track improvements in the business relationship and identify areas for improvement. However, translating the answers into meaningful actions is difficult. The issue is not whether or not you are getting information about customer satisfaction; it is whether or not you are using information about customer satisfaction to act differently. Generally, two factors cause weak CSR: uninvolved stakeholders and useless data. Lets explore what makes CSR useful. An engineered products manufacturer had recently been purchased by investors seeing promise in their technological leadership. Research was commissioned to help the new team understand current satisfaction and long term business durability. They were shocked to find that more than 90% of the business was at risk. While sales teams showcased and closed many initial orders, lengthy start-ups, late shipments and poor quality pushed customers away once they had adopted the technology. The manufacturer was, in essence, training customers to prefer the technology on behalf of their competition. Employees were frustrated too. They had heard complaints but hadnt digested the consequences. Out of necessity, they assumed ample supply of new customers to replace the disgruntled ones. The costs associated with lost business hadn? t been clear. The team dove into the research, put answers into context, mined new feedback, and made survey adjustments even while they collected more information. They isolated common themes, asked why, and tested actions steps to recover the business. In the end, improved communication systems solved internal conflicts and kept customers in the loop. Investments in new secondary operations simplified customers processes and improved predictability. With these changes, the manufacturer was able to recover tenuous relationships, improve its pipeline and the satisfaction of its customers and employees in about a year. Today, the company monitors satisfaction routinely, taking care to not only benchmark against previous years performance but to test new ideas and gain a clearer understanding of the feedback it receives informally. So, how to ask the question How are we doing and what should we do better? When a business process like the collection of satisfaction data hardens into concrete steps, it loses flexibility, become sterile and impractical and as a result, can erode value. When data collection is exercise in scoring, ranking, and polling, it blocks inspiration, the creative process, decision-making, relationship-building and new learning that comes from effective listening. Weak CSR: Is a static process: A survey of customer satisfaction done once is a popularity contest. Done over time it can be a tool for decision-making, because it can show progress or setbacks. However, if you ask the same customers the same questions, year after year, eventually they are going to ask you to stop. It is very important to evaluate customer satisfaction routinely, to expose changes, but it is equally important to change it up to test new ideas, show responsiveness and build better relationships over time. Customer satisfaction is dynamic. The CSR process should be too. Ignores Context: Most CSR surveys assign a subjective value to tasks or functions like delivery, development, sales management, or customer service. If, however, the satisfaction score isnt understood in terms of its relative importance to the customer, it is difficult to see impact on business health. For example, a customer might state that their satisfaction with pricing levels is relatively low say a 3 on a 7 point scale. Without context, a natural reaction might be to re-examine pricing policies and those of competitors to look for guidance. If, however, pricing scored low in terms of importance in comparison to lead-time, a supplier would know that improvements in delivery could dampen the need for reactionary discounting. By knowing the context in which attributes are evaluated, suppliers can better allocate efforts, grow sales and save margin. Before asking How we are doing? CSR should first establish the importance of an attribute in order to provide context. Is Quantitatively Biased: CSR surveys are often biased by the preponderance of closed questions like force ranked lists and 1-7 scoring. Learning about low satisfaction with service may be informative, but investing the time to uncover ideas for improvement is what is crucial to improving a customer relationship. To illustrate, a customer with little tolerance for late deliveries may score delivery as important but add that a simple call to reschedule would satisfy. Without this background, a manufacturer might have invested to retool, having overestimated the hazard. Always ask Why? Keys to Success Treat customer satisfaction as philosophy Its counter to think that something as fundamental as listening to customers should be institutionalized, but in these days of consolidation and distant markets, it is absolutely necessary. As the knowledge economy continues to evolve, we see that high performers are distinguished by continuously improving CSR processes that get as much attention from process experts as LEAN or Six Sigma. A good first step is to view CSR not as a project thrown over the wall to the new MBA intern, but instead, as a philosophy of listening and interacting with customers. Design CSR that can flex and learn, like people do Its also counter to think that CSR should be designed to flex with what is known at the moment, but this is actually a sign of effective learning and communication, which are the key ingredients to usefulness. The ability of a research team to make changes along the way depends on whether they see and understand the trends early enough. The important factors determining CSR success are not sample size or repetition, but research transparency and the volume of critical thinking done during the project. Act Small CSR exists because companies are big. The complexities that are introduced when groups enlarge encumber simple activities like listening, thinking and doing. But these are the activities that create value and wealth. To make them simple again, build a great CSR process to do the basic, smart things that entrepreneurs are forced to do. Its Never the Data If you ask How are we doing and what should we do better? tomorrow, the answers that you get will be different than the answers you got yesterday. The most important ingredient to CSR is the action that you take with what you learn, and the ability of the customer to see and feel value from those actions. Marian Singer is a partner at FiveTwelve Group, Ltd. , a research and consulting firm that works to improve way that businesses, investors and member organizations listen to their customers and markets and how they act on what they learn. www. fivetwelvegroup. com http://www. industryweek. com/companies-amp-executives/what-makes-customer-satisfaction-research-useful Customer Satisfaction Survey By F. John Reh We all know customer satisfaction is essential to the survival of our businesses. How do we find out whether our customers are satisfied? The best way to find out whether your customers are satisfied is to ask them. When you conduct a customer satisfaction survey, what you ask the customers is important. How, when , and how often you ask these questions are also important. However, the most important thing about conducting a customer satisfaction survey is what you do with their answers. How You Ask Whether Customers Are Satisfied There are many ways to ask your customers whether or not they are satisfied with your company, your products, and the service they received. You can ask them: Face-to-face As they are about to walk out of your store or office, ask them. Call them on the phone If you have their phone number, and their permission, you can call them after their visit and ask how satisfied they are. Mail them a questionnaire This technique has been used for a long time. The results are predictable. Email them a customer satisfaction survey Be careful to not violate Spam laws Email them an invitation to take a customer satisfaction survey When To Conduct A Customer Satisfaction Survey The best time to conduct a customer satisfaction survey is when the experience is fresh in their minds. If you wait to conduct a survey, the customers response may be less accurate. He may have forgotten some of the details. She may answer about a later event. He may color his answers because of confusion with other visits. She may confuse you with some other company. What To Ask In A Customer Satisfaction Survey There is a school of thought that you only need to ask a single question in a customer satisfaction survey. That question is, will you buy from me again? While it is tempting to reduce your customer satisfaction survey to this supposed essence, you miss a lot of valuable information and you can be easily misled. It is too easy for a customer to answer yes to the will you buy from me again? , whether they mean it or not. You want to ask other questions in a customer satisfaction survey to get closer to the expected behavior and to collect information about what to change and what to keep doing. By all means ask the basic customer satisfaction questions: How satisfied are you with the purchase you made (of a product or service) How satisfied are you with the service you received? How satisfied are you with our company overall? And ask the customer loyalty questions How likely are you to buy from us again? How likely are you to recommend our product/service to others How likely are you to recommend our company to others. Also ask what the customer liked and didnt like about the product, your service, and your company. How Often Should You Conduct A Customer Satisfaction Survey The best answer is often enough to get the most information, but not so often as to upset the customer. In real terms, the frequency with which you conduct a customer satisfaction survey depends on the frequency with which you interact with your customers. My state renews drivers licenses for five-year periods. It would be silly for them to ask me each year what I thought of my last renewal experience. Conversely, if I survey the commuters on my rapid transit system once a year, I will miss important changes in their attitudes that may be driven by seasonal events. What To Do With Answers From A Customer Satisfaction Survey Regardless of how I ask my customers for their feedback, what I ask them in the customer satisfaction survey, and when I survey them, the most important part of the customer satisfaction survey is what I do with their answers. Yes, I need to compile the answers from different customers. I need to look for trends. I should look for differences by region and/or product. However, I most need to act on the information I get from my customers though the survey. I need to fix the things the customers have complained about. I need to investigate their suggestions. I need to improve my company and product in those areas the mean the most to the most of my customers. I need to not change those things that they like. Most importantly I need to give them feedback that their answers were appreciated and are being acted upon. That feedback can be individual responses to the customers if appropriate, or it can simply be fixing the things that they tell you need to be fixed. Whats Next in Customer Satisfaction Surveys?