Strategy Of Oil Spill Disaster In The Gulf Of Mexico Essay

Strategy Of Oil Spill Disaster In The Gulf Of Mexico - Essay Example In the month of April, the year 2010, a platform for deepwater drilling in the Gulf, located fifty miles from the Louisiana coast capsized and sank due to an explosion. Several attempts to seal the top the well continued to be futile necessitating huge volumes of oil to spill and spread to the shores. The spills reached as far as the marshes Louisiana. The company that was behind the oil-drilling venture was the British Petroleum. The effects of this disaster are tremendous and cut across several sectors ranging from the economy to the biological sustainability. The oil spillage threatened the livelihood of more than four hundred species of wildlife. The sea animals whose lives were most threatened includes tuna, whales, and shrimps together with several species of birds. The land animals most affected by the disaster were the white-tailed deer, gray fox several amphibians like the snapping turtle and the alligator. The economic costs arising from the spillage in the Gulf were huge (The Daily Green 2010, p.1). For instance, by June 2010, the government had paid $ 62 million as compensation claims to 26,500 the residents in the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, the insurers will likely spend up to $ 1.5 billion in compensation. Close to 12, 000 residents of Louisiana are now jobless due to oil spills in the Gulf (The Daily Green 2010, p.1). For instance, by June 2010, the government had paid $ 62 million as compensation claims to 26,500 the residents in the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, the insurers will likely spend up to $ 1.5 billion in compensation. Close to 12, 000 residents of Louisiana are now jobless due to oil spills in the Gulf (The Daily Green 2010, p.1). This is not the initial time the British Petroleum industry has had to confront a disaster. A refinery that the company owns in the city of Texas experienced a massive explosion in 2005.

How the world has changed Essay Example for Free

How the world has changed Essay The essay â€Å"Use Your Own Words† by Anne Trubek argues a great point that technology is changing the way we read and write and that spell must change also. Should the world let technology take over? What is the purpose of a map if you can easily find it on your phone and get directions? Think about it, what is the purpose of having a book or newspaper in modern times if you can easily go on the internet. She supports this by showing and explaining how spelling checkers and much more are slowly messing with the way we spell. What Trubek states in her argument is very true, spelling has went from â€Å"As soon as possible to ASAP† just in a matter of centuries. It all started in 1475 reducing the amount of letters in words, abbreviating. Back then there was no one or thing to tell you whether you spelled it wrong or right now we have many systems that correct the spelling. Even though it was used in that time as telegrams. I agree that we have let technology change the way the spelling system is now; some of the effects are hardly changeable. For instance text messaging has made people have a certain and crazy way of spelling that most well a lot of professors, teachers and more dont always understand. Kids and certain adults communicate in many different modalities as a result of technology. When using iPhones, tablets, smart pads and more they use T9 word which corrects the spelling as you text or swipe and let you circle some of the words and it spells them for you. When I started high school and got my first phone I used it, it’s a technology built to help people typing on cellphones. I didn’t know how to spell words so it used set of words that where similar to the word I was looking for. Texting became even easier to me when I was a minor. Some people are happy but 10% complain as Trubek stated â€Å"Damn you, autocorrect† (220). When you look on websites people misspell a lot using spelling systems like swipe, then have to apologize for the mistakes. While younger centuries are developing this apart of their lives, older are saying we have lost are mind. Another true fact is teacher even want us to use spelling  grammar and check on computers like in Microsoft word and more. The spelling system argues that spelling reform would make a huge change in the world today that’s the way she looked at it if you read page 221 they stated that reduce the words help people get a better understanding. Just slowly and often not in an organized way. There are many words that were once spelled very differently but have now changed. For example, error was spelled errour. In American language has been up and down beaten and destroyed just as fast as it was built. The writing has even changed certain formats for certain paper, the way your letters look, everything. I believe she feels we have already done enough to it what could possible go wrong with trying to make it better in the world, changing the spelling systems and making it not so much as slang but as proper English, or even just letting people know what goes where and not always shorting the word. In the future at the rate there going words want live on it will be codes that you will have to go by. It is great that we have established new inventions but not to take and destroy what many of our ancestors built. I think that most important thing to her is how she can make a change; I mean I understand we have let technology do a lot for us. Like computers, tablets, phones can keep all of those files and handouts in neat folders. The way that we think of textbooks is completely changing. It is no longer just text and pictures. Today’s textbooks often have web-based sites that include assessments, animations, additional materials, videos, and other materials to support the learning of new contents. Even you have books that can be downloaded on everything and it reads it for you and or watch the movie or as I like to call it the remake. Which by the way takes away from your reading skills and more? I’m not sure if this is a part of the learning, but we don’t pass notes in class anymore. Because we can easily get them off are email or as most students do text one another instead. Its just another funny way how technology has changed education. As I look over this essay it makes me want to take and bye me a lot of dictionary sit down and study every word in the book. Instead on using the one on my phone and cutting down on the way I spell in my texting. When Trubek stated â€Å"Standardized spelling enables readers to understand writing, to aid communication and ensure clarity† (222). She made me think about what my grandmother always told me â€Å"don’t eat anything if you can’t spell it; know where it came from and what’s in it. This is a great article I would encourage a lot of people to read it and think about it, and hopeful as they get older try to change the way they incorporate how to spell, read write and learn.

Childhood and Adulthood in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Essa

Childhood and Adulthood in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger   Ã‚  Ã‚   Holden Caulfield sees childhood as the ideal state of being. He thinks adulthood is filled with corrupt people. The only way anyone can win in the adult world is if the cards are stacked in his favor. The characters in The Catcher in the Rye play a diverse set of roles in the war between childhood and adulthood.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Children do not think of appearances very highly, but in order to be respected in the adult world you must always look your best. Holden did not care what people thought about him as long as he felt good. He would wear his red hunting cap backward (p. 18). He also would have his hair cut crew cut style, which is thought of as a kids haircut. Ackley is the absolute extreme of not just looking, bad but he also had terrible hygiene. He had mossy yellow teeth from not brushing them and bad acne(p.19). Adults always hide their imperfections to make themselves look good, but many are as Holden calls them, secret slobs (p. 27). Stradlater is a perfect example of this. He always shaves twice but never cleans his razor (p. 27). He will spend forever making sure his hair is perfect and all his clothes look just right. Sunny, the prostitute, bleaches her hair and dresses up nice to fit into the adult world (p.95). Mrs. Antolini, a married women, needs to look good when she goes out in public. The night Holden crashes there for a while, she looks terrible without her make-up and with rollers in her hair (p. 185). All that matters is she looks good by society's standards so she can be accepted into the adult world.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Children live on lasting compassionate memories, while adults go for empty sexual conquests. Holde... ... living. Mr. Antolini gets through to Holden a little better but is unable to keep his attention (p 181). Carl Luce is just a few years older than Holden and basically tells him he is immature and will always be the same (p. 136).Kids really want things to stay the same while adults want things to change and grow quicker than they should.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Holden seems to be the only one fighting this war. When he makes an adult decision he always gets sick. When someone he loves makes an adult decision Holden gets very mad. The more he tries to keep kids from turning into adults the more depressed he becomes. As he goes crazy, life will become hell for him.       Childhood prolonged, cannot remain a fairyland. It becomes a hell (Louise Bogan).       Work Cited    Salinger, J.D.   The Catcher in the Rye.   Boston: Little, Brown, 1991.

Compare the ways in which William Wordsworth and Williams Blake Essay

Compare the ways in which William Blake and Williams Wordsworth describe London and its effects on them in their poems â€Å"Composed upon Westminster Bridge† and â€Å"London† Both â€Å"Composed† and â€Å"London† are pre 1914 romantic poetry however differ on how they are influenced by romanticism. Romanticism was a fairly new type of poetry and was developed in the 18th century and used mostly in late 18th and early 19th centuries; ideas of romanticism include: the celebration of the lower class, an idyllic world, the importance of nature, faith opposed to organised religion and freedom of expression. Blake was known as the father of romanticism and his writing is both dark (when talking about society) but beautiful (when talking about nature). Wordsworth on the other hand saw romantic ideas and beauty everywhere (including society). Life in the 18th century was all about change and revolution; some people were being more open on their views of organised religion and other areas of society – thus influencing romanticism. â€Å"Composed† is a poem about Wordsworth’s positive appreciation of London; Wordsworth grew up in Yorkshire – a land full of nature and beautiful countryside: the romantic idea of an idyllic world. This could be why Wordsworth can see the beauty and romantic views in London because he has grown on seeing so many around him. Blake however grew up in London itself therefore allowing him to see its darkness and allowing him to experience a structured and strict society. Wordsworth was an enthusiastic romantic who wrote the poem â€Å"Composed† from what he saw standing â€Å"Upon Westminster Bridge†. Wordsworth expresses his own personal view points on London; we see this as he writes in first person Wordsworth also never refers to other people suggesting that he wants London to be his own and no one else’s. Wordsworth sees freedom and innocence within the city: this can be seen when he writes that the city is â€Å"fair:† using â€Å"fair† suggests that Wordsworth sees an innocent beauty in London. Also Wordsworth uses a colon after the word â€Å"fair:† meaning that the city isn’t just beautiful but has other elements also. â€Å"Fair† is also used often in love poems, showing Wordsworth’s love of the city. Wordsworth’s love of the city is also seen when he uses personification such as â€Å"The River glideth at his own sweet will.† The use of personification identifies that Wordsworth classes the River as an equal or even higher and also shows how personal the city is to him. Differing to Wordsworth sitting and watching the city go by Blake is walking the streets at night: a time when evil is allegedly revealed, Blake choosing this time to write suggests that the poem will be negative and also dark. Blake reveals London’s late night deceptions in his poem â€Å"London†. Blake appears to see nothing in London except deception, oppression, death and depression. This is shown multiple times such as â€Å"And the hapless soldier’s sigh Runs in blood down the palace walls.† The â€Å"soldiers sigh† being the oppression and depression, the â€Å"blood down palace walls† being the death and deception. Wordsworth seems to be the opposition to these negative views, shown in his explicit positive imagery: â€Å"Never did the sun more beautifully steep†. This quotation basically means that the sun has never looked as beautiful as it does now, sunshine symbolises a fresh start and purity. Therefore suggesting the city is pure as the rays of the sun are shining on it. Purity is also suggested when Wordsworth writes that the air is â€Å"smokeless† even in the industrial city, London. The frequent use of positive imagery throughout the poem creates ideas that Wordsworth has seen London as a cathartic experience and has been enlightened by the city. Through out the poem it would appear that Wordsworth wants the reader to feel at peace with London and shows his calm and blissful visit to the city; seen in Wordsworth’s use of language: â€Å"touching†, â€Å"silent† and â€Å"asleep†. All of these words give a harmonious and peaceful atmosphere; this implies that Wordsworth feels at one with the city. Wordsworth was influenced by many different things whilst writing â€Å"Composed†; one of these influences may have been that Wordsworth was on his way to visit his daughter in France, this may have given Wordsworth positive emotions and allowing him to see London as a stepping stone on the way to see his daughter giving him hope. Hope is indicated as Wordsworth writes in the morning, a time for fresh starts and new beginnings, Wordsworth then goes on to say that the morning is â€Å"silent† and â€Å"bare† suggesting that anything can happen. All poets have reasons for writing a per civic poem â€Å"Composed† is no exception to this; Wordsworth writes the poem to show people that romantic ideas and hope can be found anywhere and that London is the heart of this. Both the language and punctuation in the poem shows hope and freedom. The purpose of the poem can also clearly be defined from the quote â€Å"This City now doth like a garment, wear The beauty of the morning; silent bare,† This quotation shows both honesty and innocence; by the words â€Å"silent bare† – both of these words suggests that the city is not hiding anything and possesses no hidden deception. Innocence is shown as the city â€Å"doth like a garment, wear they beauty of the morning;† As the morning is new and innocent and is around the city: reflecting its innocence back upon the city. The poem â€Å"London† by Blake however has a completely different purpose and is written to show that society does not express hope, romantic ideas and is in fact corrupted and full of deception. Blake uses the poem to show how society manipulates nature and faith as shown in the quotation â€Å"Every blackening church appals;† This represents how religion has been manipulated by society and is now evil unlike faith that is true and honourable. The romantic view of organised religion is that it toys with people to make them believe that they believe in God, taking away their freedom and the purity of faith and religion. Blake has always lived in London and craves freedom and an escape from what he perceives a political and oppressed society. The differences between the purposes can be clearly defined and explained, as it is not solely the views of the poets that make their poems it is also, their positions in life and London; their state of mind; experiences and previous encounters with the city and the time of day. Wordsworth uses the structure of â€Å"Composed† to further replicate freedom in London: as the poem is a sonnet (representing society and London – what most believe as ruled and structured) however uses punctuation to break up the rules and structure to enforce freedom and constant flow of life, suggested by Wordsworth’s use of only one full stop. However significant usage of the semi-colon, colon and comma in varied places rather than just at the end of a line thus creating fluency; relating to the river in the city which is free and powerful. Wordsworth’s use of enjambments is also an indication to this much like in the lines â€Å"Open unto the fields, and to the sky; All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.† The enjambments allow the reader to think about the true meaning of the line and language, encouraging them to visualise the scene. Wordsworth uses positive language when talking about London, he also uses straight forward imagery of London opposed to hidden deceptions (like in Blake’s â€Å"London†), and this reflects honesty onto the city. Wordsworth writes of freedom in London this creates hope for the people of London – giving them something to admire and aspire for. This is shown in the quotation â€Å"The river glideth at his own sweet will:† â€Å"glideth† indicates peace and harmony as gliding is a constant non aggressive pace also suggesting freedom and nature, much like a bird gliding through the air – creating hope and showing Wordsworth’s admiration for the River. Although Wordsworth writes about London in a positive way parts of his language suggest that he knows there are parts of London that are not as romantic and peaceful as he sees now. Shown in the quote â€Å"And all that mighty heart is lying still!† this last line indicates that Wordsworth believes the city can be aggressive by referring to it as â€Å"mighty heart† (mighty heart also suggests a busyness as the heart is centre of everything) however sees the city at peace so writes that the city is â€Å"lying still†. Blake also uses the river as a symbol of freedom, however Blake suggests that the river’s freedom is corrupted and restricted – still the river maintains a glimmer of hope being the cities only freedom (according to Blake’s â€Å"London†). We can see Blake’s views on the river in the line â€Å"chartered Thames does flow† First it can be suggested that Blake respects the river as he refers to it by it’s name â€Å"Thames† instead of just calling it â€Å"river† (like in â€Å"Composed†) this suggests that Blake still sees hope in the river and partly wants to be like the river. However restrictions can also be seen in the word â€Å"chartered† suggesting that someone set Thames out that way and that it can not do anything but follow the set out path. There is not only restriction but also freedom within this quote as the river â€Å"flows† this shows freedom and hope. Generally Blake’s language is very morbid and negative, which suggests constrainment leading to the Blake’s view on politics. Blake is very critical of London is the poem the complete opposite to â€Å"Composed† however just like â€Å"Composed†, â€Å"London† is made personal as Blake writes in first person and refers to some of his senses: sight and sound. â€Å"And mark in every face I meet† And â€Å"through the midnight streets I hear† both of these quotations show Blake using his senses, showing that Blake takes in everything that is happening around him. Industrialisation versus romanticism is a key theme throughout the poem; Blake is very traditional and romantic and does not fit into London because of this. Through his poem Blake suggests that the industrialisation that has consumed the city only creates depression, oppression and distinctively destroys happiness and honesty. This is made apparent by the â€Å"chimney sweepers cry† symbolising the depression of the people of London by the â€Å"cry†; however showing that they are trying to clean up the state of society as they are cleaning the dark, dismal and black ashes in the city. Blake does not just blame the city itself Blake also blames the people inside the city – people who influence industrialisation. During the fourth stanza Blake suggests that the actions that people are making now will create problems for the next generation. â€Å"Youthful harlot’s curse† symbolises the sins of the youth creating a â€Å"curse†: a word this is often used in association with witches. These sins cause â€Å"the newborn infants tear† which further exemplifies future problems the next generation will have to deal with and fix due to mistakes made by the youth of the time. The curse in stanza four is also shown by the â€Å"plagues† and the â€Å"marriage hearse† which indicates death. In the case of the â€Å"marriage hearse† this creates a link between eternity and death destroying aspects of hope and proving the impurity of the city. Blake uses imagery, alliteration and language choice to illustrate his portrayal of London; using these skills he opens the open up to his reader inviting them to have their own interpretations. The differences are very apparent between the poems and there are clear divides of attitude; the state of mind of the poets; and how society affects them. Romanticism and industrialisation are key elements in both poems however are showed in immensely different ways. Blake remains negative due to the changes that have taken away romanticism; Wordsworth however keeps positive indicating clear elements of hope.

Case Study Illy Cafe

About Illy Company background and description The history of illycaffe is linked to the lives of the company's founder, Francesco Illy, and his family. Francesco in 1933 set up a business in the cocoa and coffee sector, and then decided to concentrate exclusively on coffee. Nowadays the illy group is made up of several companies located in North America, France, Germany, Spain and Benelux. Product Illy serves coffee to its customers. They insist on the fact that there are not selling basic coffees but the one which is a result of Scientifics’ research.They want to serve the best coffee due to a result of a long experience, knowledge of coffee biology and chemistry, very good skill at roasting, enabling technologies, and also a family’s entrepreneurial passion. They are also selling products which fit to the coffee world like, machines, capsules and also accessories. Revenue In 2007 turnover amounted to $221. 000. 000. In 2011 the turnover was $342. 000. 000. There is a real increase over the years. Customers 70% of its sales circuit cafes, hotels and restaurants, 20% for individuals and 10% in companies, these are illy’s customers.Illy has developed solutions for small restaurants, small hotels, cafes and other places of conviviality where coffee consumption is low but still want a perfect coffee. The company offers machines meeting the needs of its business customers. To match with its image of unique coffee Illy is increasing partnerships with the biggest names in tourism Meridien and Hyatt. The company also Illy customers offices, employees may have during their break espresso from the brand. To do this, Illy provides the I-Espresso and offers a complete range.Also Illy own its own bars called â€Å"Illy bar†, so the customer can go there and have a coffee in the company’s atmosphere. It is also possible to buy coffee brand for personal use at home. The website offers the purchase of cafe, cafe machine but also derivatives (eg cups). Most of its customers are the professionals (served in more than 50,000 public places) but Illy is developing the â€Å"Illy’s bar† to create an atmosphere for the company. Location Illycaffe was founded in Trieste in Italy. Nowadays the Illy group is a multinational organization that operates in more than 140 countries across the 5 continents.The main markets for Illy are US, Europe and Japan. Employees The company has about 700 employees. Industry With a turnover of â‚ ¬ 695 million and a growth of over 30% per year since 2001, the European leader in espresso is Nespresso. The level of competition that Illy faces differs according to the sectors, for example in the Hotel, Restaurant and Cafe sector the main competitors are Starbucks and Lavazza. Whilst in the coffee machines and coffee capsule systems the main competitor is Nespresso from Nestle group. The competition in both sectors is quite intense with Starbucks and Nestle having global reach.The adv antages these companies have over Illy are their vast economies of scale, stronger brands and higher customer reach. Mission and vision The mission: produce and deliver the best coffee that nature can offer for connoisseurs and those who will appreciate it with a special attention to methods of growing and processing the most suitable and sustainable. They want to create an emotional experience through the degustation of their coffee. The vision: being an innovative company, proud of its history rooted in the contemporary and future-oriented.Combine art, science and experience to offer the best products. They have for vision to be recognized as a world reference for coffee culture and excellence, ti be the first choice of professionals. The values: passion for excellence, the pursuit of perfection and ethics, the valuation of individual talent and teamwork. The desire to improve the lives of all those involved in the coffee chain. Attention to people and the environment. Illy Coffee : Alternatives Selection 1)Problem definition – how to become more responsible (=sustainable) coffee producer without losing the revenues/customers/quality.The original goal of Illy was to provide best coffee to customers, but the good quality coffee does not necessarily mean responsibly produced coffee. So many coffee growing countries use unethical growing practices which reduces the price of 1 kg of coffee from the farmer, but jeopardizes the company? s ethical image. Thus now Illy needs to balance three aspects – quality, profitability and ethical aspect, which is a difficult problem, since it involves the whole supply chain and for the company of such scale of operation to solve this problem will be extremely difficult (140 countries on 5 continents).Plus this challenge is also industry driven – all big coffee companies are moving towards sustainability of supply chain, and greater awareness of the customers about these issues nowadays can give a coffee com pany additional competitive advantage. 2)First of all before we outline alternatives and solutions, we need to clarify, what responsible coffee business means. Although â€Å"sustainability† has been defined in a variety of ways over the past several decades, the Brundtland Report (1987) has provided the most widely-accepted and enduring definition at the international level.According to the Brundtland report: â€Å"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.. In relation to coffee business Acting Responsibly involves a complex activity spread over whole supply chain: -Environmentally related: bear in mind environmental impacts of coffee production (â€Å"technified† or mono-culture growing practices impact, rain forests, pesticides, waste water and etc. -Social aspects: well-being of farmers and their families (minimum fair price limits, no price dumping, ch ild labor prevention) -Business-wise: when all actions and decisions taken are analyzed in terms of long-term goals of the company, current and future benefits for stakeholders and preserving viability of the company. With responsible business and supply chain model in mind a multinational like Illy might choose one of few alternative pathways: – -Marketing based approach – market the idea under a good â€Å"sauce† to your customers.Might involve working with few sustainable/ organic pilot farms and making public aware of this, or introducing your own quality standard, like own CAFE standard of Starbucks. This alternative does not involve additional costs, or reengineering of supply chain, it is more like exploitation of Responsible practices idea. But it might create additional revenues due to the fact that company can sell â€Å"responsible† coffee with even bigger price margin. Time wise this idea might be implemented quite quickly. -Supplier related a pproach.This involves responsible purchasing strategy – control and assessment on the level of bigger supply chain units – cooperatives/processing plants/exporters. Does not require complete reengineering of whole supply chain or additional costs related to separate farmers support/educational programs. More time consuming – selection, assessment of existing and new suppliers might take time. Does not really fit with Illy, since its strategy has always been close work with separate farmers. -From bottom to top strategy – every level of supply chain needs to be re-thought.Company needs to realize the importance of each individual farmer (f. ex through payment of Fair trade or responsible farming bonuses to ensure the sustainable existence of farmer communities), not only use quality control (Illy is already working with ISO quality control standards) but rather keep an eye on whole production and processing process. Moreowever, the efficiency of packing, l ogistics and transportation should be analyzed and improved – which will result in eliminating or reducing the costly, non-environmentally-friendly steps.But doing this Illy might incur additional costs (because now it will have to pay more for raw material), which can however be offset not at the expense of the â€Å"responsible† customer (who is ready to pay more for responsibly produced coffee), but rather through improving the efficiency of the whole supply chain, which will reduce the average COGS. This strategy involves extensive cooperation with all other stakeholders in coffee business – working on and adhering to commonly accepted quality and sustainability standards (like Fair Trade label, Utz coffee, RA and etc. , cooperation with local research institutes to introduce better and more sustainable farming practices for growers, or even bringing together all main players like Sara Lee, Nestle and the European branch of Kraft did in 2002 by creating of t he Common Code for the Coffee Community, a multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at increasing sustainability and responsibility awareness in the coffee sector. 3)While choosing the alternative, we have been guided by Illy? s strategy, code of conduct and long-term benefits of the decision to the company.We do not want any satisficing decision, we want to optimize the whole system – company has a lot of strengths, we can use them to build up more powerful structure. We want our customers to get only the best coffee, but we also want to do it responsibly. If there is any decision to be taken, which will involve not only additional costs or revenue growth, but also extensive long-run improvement of the whole business model, we will chose this decision. Meaning, that we will opt for alternative number 3. 4)Implementing the decision.Improve the technology and introduce Integrated Process management to cut production and logistics costs and reduce business complexity to offset the co sts of high quality coffee. The company buys coffee beans directly from farmers that reduce the higher prices in the spot market. The shipping and the supply of coffee beans from farmers to the company is carried out by company under strict supervision and inspections. This shows that the bargaining power of suppliers is low with company’s commitments to provide higher quality coffee to the customers.There is a need to create a strategy for the developing economies especially the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) which will in future become key markets. A safe bet would be to create an alliance with a local partner who has expertise in the local markets, cultures and politics for example in India and China which are very big geographically, population-wise and culture-wise the local partner will add immense value in launching and growing the Illy products in a way that best suits that particular market. 5)Results Evaluation – might be performed in several steps.O n one hand, we will analyse the actual performance – if the revenue and market share is growing, if COGS are decreasing due to better efficiency, this means the strategy has been chosen and implemented right. On the other hand we need to understand the degree of customer awareness of our strategy – that means answering the question: did all these changes happen because we turned to more responsible business, or it was just due to other favourable factors†¦In this case customer opinion must be collected and analysed.Competitors’ reaction and Illy’s response: What can the competitors do? There is a wide variety of ways – from fair competition by improving the quality or reducing the price to unfair battle, consisting for example of running a systematic smear and defamatory campaign against a competitor, both directly and indirectly (on the internet and through certain machine distributors), designed to put consumers off buying Illy? s coffee.Som e competitors try to do their own investigation to uncover the unsustainable practices within supply chain (sometimes a company itself has no idea what sub-sub-suppliers are doing) and make sure that it leaks to social networks. Illy should in its turn double-check the standards and practices within its supply chain to avoid bad rumor spread, and be proactive – have active campaign in social media to create awareness of its brand and customers’ loyalty. SWOT Tangible Product: The product which is coffee is very fine.So the foundation of the brand which is the basic product is solid Basic Brand: Illy brand is is a red background with white lettering. You will also find Illy in plain bold red lettering. I believe is to attract the attention of the people. This logo has been used since (1980). The core elements for Illy are a strong brand name, high quality, attractive packaging and design The Augmented brand: Illy has added value to their brand by selling fresh beans in sealed cans, also giving the consumer the option to have it grind whether they want it bold, decaffeinated, caffeinated. hey also have tablet which goes inside espresso machines sold in any illy location. . The main factor is that along with high quality the brand is also associated with high price and hence is getting restricted to a niche market only The Potential Brand: When consumers only rely their morning coffee on the Illy brand than Illy has made their mark, even though in many other key markets like Italy it has been a major success, but it still needs to win other important key market like Japan and China.There are in all six products that will be analysed here, premium coffee, coffee pods for machines, ready to drink canned coffee, Agrimontana, the confectionary products, Domori the chocolate business and Dammann Feres the tea brand. Leader: Coffee Try Harder: All the small brands come under this sector but mainly the pods of coffee business Double or Quit: Coke has partn er up with the Illy brand to make up a canned coffee business in which the coffee will be sold to the consumer.Custodial: Is similar to the cash cow concept in BCG, this would be the chocolate business Cash Generator: this is undoubtedly the premium coffee business Phased withdrawal: this is a difficult one to point but it seems the confectionary business is the most likely candidate as it is not generating as much growth or profits as it should Divest: Again a difficult one but once again the wine or confectionary products in the Illy portfolioKey Points Analysis â€Å"Illy has a strong brand and is associated with high quality and premium pricing! † The company has shown impressive growth despite recession The key strategic partnerships like the one with Coca Cola company for canned coffee are proving to be the real winners The group needs to focus its attention on the sister brands and needs to extend the well-established Illy rand image to these sister concerns There is a n urgent need to improve the sales and awareness of the sister companies The company applies to its R, supply chain and marketing expertise to grow its coffee products like coffee pods and machines There is a need to create a strategy for the developing economies especially the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) which will in future become key markets The company needs to constantly re-invent the ways to sustain customer interest in its brand and its products, just like the Universita del caffe. † Strenghts: Strong retail store operations:50,000+: events in which illy is involved annually worldwide and more than 6 million cups are consumed each day. -Wide geographic presence: 140: countries where illy is available -Top-quality final product: 4: major certifications for quality and sustainability, 4: company-founded research facilities, 4 of 8: major worldwide coffee industry innovations, This is a known and appreciated throughout the world for high quality and unique tast e. The company has followed a strategy, which has a high focus on quality and consistency of their products -Experience: created in 1933 Innovation : The first,pressurized packaging, came in 1934, just one year after the company’s founding. By adding inert nitrogen gas under pressure, an oxygen-free environment forms as illy cans are sealed, preserving essential aromas and promoting mingling of coffee’s naturally occurring oils. Result: coffee that not only stays fresher longer than under any other packaging method, but whose flavor is actually enhanced over time by its surroundings. The second, came just one year later, in 1935: the Illetta, precursor of the modern espresso machine that, for the first time, separated pressure and heating elements.Result: espresso that is consistently round, rich and balanced, not bitter or burnt-tasting. 1974 saw illy’s third revolutionary invention: pre-tamped, pre-dosed, expertly ground espresso in single serve paper pods. Re sult: delightful espresso in reach of anyone, anywhere – at home, at the office, or at a favorite cafe or restaurant. The system, called ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) became an industry standard. – Another strength is the strong supply chain right from the coffee bean farmers to the suppliers, Illy has maintained strict quality control and good relations creating value for everyone involved.Weaknesses: sluggish growth rate / Investments needed (coffee machines that support the proprietary Opportunities: -Business expansions: Gruppo illy includes: †¢Domori – premium chocolate (acquired July 2006) †¢Dammann Freres – the legendary French purveyor of tea (March 2007) †¢Mastrojanni – critically lauded winery in Montalcino, Italy – (September 2008) †¢Agrimontana – high- quality jams and marron glace (stake acquired December, 2005) -Rising hotel and food service industry in Italy : Rising trends in coffee exports : 56%: sha re of illy coffee enjoyed outside of Italy, 200+: espressamente illy coffee bar locations worldwide -10% rate growth market -Been recognized from the market as the dominating market -Scientific research : genetics, agronomy, botany, physics, mathematics, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, engineering, physiology and psychology. All areas explored in the four laboratories illy. -Quality and sustainability : Sustainability has three-fold implicationsat illy: economic, social and environmental. Ready to drink coffee business partnering with Coca Cola will attract global customers and create newer segments for the company's products -There is a need to create a strategy for the developing economies especially the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) which will in future become key markets. Threats : -Highly competitive market : Key competitors : Caffee Negro Group, Luigi Lavazza, Segafredo Zanetti, Starbucks Corporation -Risk of battle in dominating the market by multinationals : Nesp resso -Economic crisis : Most of the global markets including nearly all the major markets that Illy perates in have suffered from recent credit crisis and economic downturn -While expanding globally the major risk involved is the supply of high quality premium coffee beans -The inconsistency in the growth of the sister brands and their chare in the portfolio creates a real threat of losing these brands at some point if they get totally overshadowed by the coffee business. At this point, Illy needs to consider the growth rate and growing strategies of these newly acquired brands to keep them profitable.

Free Essays on Zion National Park

Zion National park Cedar City is the ideal headquarters for your visit to Color Country including six National Parks and some of the world’s most beautiful scenery. Protected within Zion National Park's 229 square miles (593.1 km) is a spectacular cliff-and-canyon landscape and wilderness full of the unexpected including the world's largest arch - Kolob Arch - with a span that measures 310 feet (94.5 m). Wildlife such as mule deer, golden eagles, and mountain lions, also inhabit the Park. Mukuntuweap National Monument proclaimed July 31, 1909; incorporated in Zion National Monument March 18, 1918; established as a national park on Nov. 19, 1919. Visitation Highest in summer; lowest in winter. Location Southwest Utah, on the edge of the Colorado Plateau Address: Superintendent, Zion National Park, Springdale, UT 84767 Telephone: 435-772-3256 This line offers 24-hour recorded information. Climate Be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions. Temperatures vary with changes in elevation and seasons. Day/night temperatures may differ by over 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Spring weather is very unpredictable. Stormy, wet days are common, but warm, sunny weather may occur too. Precipitation peaks in March and September. Spring wildflowers bloom from April through June, peaking in May. Summer days are hot (95-100 degrees F.), but overnight lows are usually comfortable (65-70 degrees F.) Afternoon thunderstorms are common from mid-July through mid-September. Storms may produce waterfalls as well as flash floods. Fall days are usually clear and mild; nights are often cool. Autumn color displays begin in September in the high country, and in Zion Canyon in early November. Winters in Zion Canyon are fairly mild. Winter storms bring rain or light snow to Zion Canyon, but heavier snow to the higher elevations. Clear days may become quite warm, reaching 60 degrees F.; nights are often in t he 20s and 30s. Winter storms can ... Free Essays on Zion National Park Free Essays on Zion National Park Zion National park Cedar City is the ideal headquarters for your visit to Color Country including six National Parks and some of the world’s most beautiful scenery. Protected within Zion National Park's 229 square miles (593.1 km) is a spectacular cliff-and-canyon landscape and wilderness full of the unexpected including the world's largest arch - Kolob Arch - with a span that measures 310 feet (94.5 m). Wildlife such as mule deer, golden eagles, and mountain lions, also inhabit the Park. Mukuntuweap National Monument proclaimed July 31, 1909; incorporated in Zion National Monument March 18, 1918; established as a national park on Nov. 19, 1919. Visitation Highest in summer; lowest in winter. Location Southwest Utah, on the edge of the Colorado Plateau Address: Superintendent, Zion National Park, Springdale, UT 84767 Telephone: 435-772-3256 This line offers 24-hour recorded information. Climate Be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions. Temperatures vary with changes in elevation and seasons. Day/night temperatures may differ by over 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Spring weather is very unpredictable. Stormy, wet days are common, but warm, sunny weather may occur too. Precipitation peaks in March and September. Spring wildflowers bloom from April through June, peaking in May. Summer days are hot (95-100 degrees F.), but overnight lows are usually comfortable (65-70 degrees F.) Afternoon thunderstorms are common from mid-July through mid-September. Storms may produce waterfalls as well as flash floods. Fall days are usually clear and mild; nights are often cool. Autumn color displays begin in September in the high country, and in Zion Canyon in early November. Winters in Zion Canyon are fairly mild. Winter storms bring rain or light snow to Zion Canyon, but heavier snow to the higher elevations. Clear days may become quite warm, reaching 60 degrees F.; nights are often in t he 20s and 30s. Winter storms can ...

How to Write Content Both Humans and Search Engines Love

How to Write Content Both Humans and Search Engines Love I’m a big fan of Google. That means that every single word that I write has the â€Å"mumbo jumbo† that appeals to search engines. In other words, each post that I write has at least some sort of keyword analysis to it. For example, this post itself is based around keywords like how to write for search engines and content writing. But, that’s not all. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m a fan of writing for humans too. Why? Because even if you get ranked at the top, at the end of the day, Google doesn’t pay you, nor do they subscribe to your website. Humans do. That being said, it is an age long debate between SEOs  who you should really write for: search engines, or humans? Well, today, I’m going to show you how you can actually do both. In this post, I’ll share with you a little about the history behind the conflict between search engines and humans, why there has been so much debate going on around it. I will also go super in depth into how, by the end of reading this post, you can have a good idea of how to write content that both search engines and humans love. Let’s begin! Download Your Free SEO Content Template and Guide Bundle Creating the best content possible that achieves high search engine rankings and inspires readers to click isnt easy. That is, of course, unless you have these 12 free downloadable resources. Apply the advice youll get in this post with these free templates and guides: On-Page SEO Checklist SEO Content Strategy Guide Latent Semantic Indexing Infographic Best Time to Publish Blog Posts Guide Keyword Research Template SEO Rank Tracking Template Blog Post Outline Template Blog Post Writing Checklist Catchy Blog Title Infographic How to Write a Blog Post Template Emotional Power Words Tear Sheet Content Calendar Excel Template How This Post is Written I was originally going to write this post in the manner of a listicle, when I decided that â€Å"’s readers don’t need this! They don’t need another list telling them what to do!† And that’s true. The Internet’s already full of this stuff. That got me the idea of writing this post to be as actionable as possible. At every step of the way, I will be listing down particular steps that you can take, and apply immediately to your own blog. Recommended Reading: How to Boost Traffic With 34 Important SEO Tips You Need to Know (+ Free Kit) The Ultimate Blog Writing Process to Create Killer Posts How to Make an SEO Content Strategy That Will Improve Your #1-3 Results By 248% The Test Bed In order for us to understand this post in detail, we’ll have to use a standard post for our study. In this case, we’ll be using my post on LinkedIn profiles: The Debate Between Search Engines and Humans If you want to understand the debate between Search Engines and Humans, first you’ll have to understand how different these two beings analyze the same chunk of text. For this case study, let’s use the best search engine word reader that every WordPress owner knows and love: the YOAST analyser. Should you write for search engines, or for humans? The answer: both.Your SEO Best Friend, The YOAST Analyzer The Yoast Analyzer is a plugin  that you can install easily from the WordPress Repository, and is totally free (though it comes with paid upgrades that you really don’t need). Downloading Yoast Installing Yoast is pretty straightforward. First, you’d want to go to Plugins on your WordPress Dashboard. Click on it. Then, click on Add new on the top left-hand corner. Next, on the left-hand corner of the screen, you should see a box that looks like this: Type in Yoast, and you should see the following option at the bottom: Click on the blue install button (my button says active because it has already been installed). Accessing Yoast To access the Yoast analyser, simply click on Posts on the left hand side of your WordPress Dashboard: Next, choose a post that you’re working on: Then, inside the Edit Post section, scroll down to the bottom, and you’ll see the Yoast Plugin. The Yoast Analyzer displays key SEO information on your post that looks something like this: Here’s what the colors mean: Orange: Meh†¦Your content is good...but not that good Green: Yay! Red: Change it. NOW. Here's how to make the most out of @yoast for your #WordPress blogAnalyzing your Content for Search Engine-Friendliness The first thing we have to understand in order to create search engine friendly words, is to understand that how Yoast breaks down your post. In this section, you will learn all about the different ranking points that Yoast identifies after years of being in the industry as the top plugin for SEO. Step 1: Enter Your Focus Keyword The focus keyword is what the Yoast plugin operates around with. It’s this section that helps Yoast to analyze your post, and give you all the useful information that you saw in the screenshot above. Naturally, it’s also the first step that you should take when you use this plugin to analyze your text for search engine friendliness. Now, you try it: Select a keyword that you want to rank for, depending on the topic that you’ve earlier decided. For example, in the case of my LinkedIn profile post, I naturally chose to rank for the keywords Linkedin profile. If you’re just starting with writing a blog, you might want to consider using long tail keywords (3 or more words as your focus keyword), but for the sake of this tutorial, we will just keep things basic. Once you’ve decided on the keyword that you want to rank for, input your keyword into the focus keyword section, and wait, as YOAST analyses your text, and churns out your report. Step 2: Keep Your Slug Short and to the Point Simply speaking, the slug is simply the end phrase that your post URL ends with. For example, this is the slug of my LinkedIn article: Take note that the slug cannot contain stop words, which we will cover in Step 3. Take note that the slug should be short, concise, and should not contain irrelevant information in regards to your keyword. If you’re wondering what irrelevant information looks like, it might include the following: The date of your post The category of your blog The time that you posted One general rule of thumb that you can steal from me is to simply use the objective of your article and effect that it brings for the user. For the sake of helping you to understand what objective and effect is, here’s a deeper explanation: Objective: What is the purpose of the article? What is the article based around? Effect: What end goal or effect does it bring the user? What benefits can the user expect out of the article? The first step is to go your headline, and identify what your objective and effect is. For example, going back to my LinkedIn article, my post title looks like this: As you can see, I’ve identified the objectives and the effect of the LinkedIn post, which then gives me a starting point for my slug. In this case, my objectives and effect look something like this: Objective: LinkedIn profiles. Obviously, since the entire article is dedicated to talking about LinkedIn profiles, this part is a no-brainer. Effect: Simple steps. It’s a list of simple things that readers can do to get their desired effect. Converts. What’s the point of writing up a LinkedIn profile if it doesn’t convert? This is a sure winner. When you piece together the Effect and Objective of your title, it becomes super easy for you to come up with a decent slug. Here are some examples that I came up with for my post: Powerful-linkedin-profile Highly-converting-linkedin-profile Simple-steps-linkedin-profile-converts As you can see, I chose the first one, because I felt that it was more direct, to the point, and more importantly, search engine friendly for that particular keyword. Now that you understand what a slug is, it's time to understand what stop words are. Quick #SEO tip: make your slugs search engine-friendly.Step 3: Inbound and Outbound links Links are at the heart of the internet. They help search engines understand website, and they also help humans to better reach and access information. In other words, every time you create a blog post, be sure to do your linking correctly, if you want both search engines and humans to love it. Links consists of two types: inbound and outbound. Inbound Links Inbound links are links that pointing internally within your site, and are also known as internal links. In other words, these are links that you point out to the other pages in your website. For example, if I were to do a post on content marketing, and the work that I have done as a Content Marketing Consultant, I could include a simple line in my post that says â€Å"after being in the Content Marketing field for 6 years...† I could then point a link from the sentence to a page where I talk more about my Consulting career, and how I can help my clients. Internal links help search engines to better understand where all the information is connected together, and how your site functions. This means that from a technical standpoint, it’s a bonus for the search engines, because they don’t have to run into walls every time they crawl your site. Also, internal links help your audience to stay on your site longer, because you are hopefully pointing them elsewhere with relevant information, which then helps them to understand what you do, and what your site is about. Needless to say, your bounce rate (the percentage of people who leave your site without any engagement with it) decreases because your visitors are now staying longer on your site, because they're more engaged with your content. For example, at Contentrific, I found that by increasing the number of internal links to my site by five, I found out that my bounce rate actually decreased by roughly 7%, which is not too bad for a start. How can adding internal links help decrease bounce rates?Outbound Links On the other hand, external links are links that are actually pointing out from your site. In other words, they are links that point search engines from your site to other websites. To really understand external links, it's best to use an example. Imagine that you have a new shoe company in town. You’re trying to tell the town hall to put up advertisements on their noticeboards, so that you can advertise your town. But imagine the town hall doesn’t really understand what you’re saying. â€Å"Is it an apparel shop?† â€Å"Do you sell food there?† Frustrated, you come up with a brilliant reference for them: â€Å"My shop is like a Nike of this town.† Now imagine the collective sigh that the town office gives you, when they finally understand it. If you haven’t guessed it yet, the town hall was Google in my example, and your shop was your website. By externally linking out to other authority sites like Nike (assuming your site sells shoes and sports apparel), it helps search engines like Google to better understand your site by referring your content and pointing them towards authority sites that have already been ranked highly. For example, if I were to do a post on content marketing, I’d make it a point to link out to other   learning resources on authoritative sites like Content Marketing Institute, Copyblogger, and any other sites that have been around for awhile. Think of Google as a learning baby,  and your objective is to teach this baby how to associate red with danger, green with go, and so on. Although it might not seem like a lot, these changes do contribute to an increased ranking when it all adds up. Don't worry that you might be pointing to your competitors, because in due time, you'll just rub the authority that they have, establishing yourself as the main voice in your industry as well. Step 4: Length of Text The length of your blog post plays a significant role in getting your posts to rank. Long-form blog posts are also increasingly becoming the most popular form of content of choice, because of the changes in Google’s algorithm in the recent years. So what exactly is long-form content? To put it simply, you can assume that you’re writing long form content when your blog posts go beyond 1,500 words. You’re writing long form content when your blog posts go beyond 1,500 wordsMy personal recommendation is to write content that goes above 2,500 words, since it has been proven extensively that this form of content is the ideal type of content that gets the most number of social shares and engagements  (assuming you don't have time to write mega posts of 8,000 words like I do). At every step of the way, you want to make sure that the content that you put out is not just there so that you can hit the word count, but actively works to elaborate and reinforce your main point. For example, if you're writing a post on LinkedIn profiles, you'd want to write extensively on the different aspects of a LinkedIn profile, instead of just the usual â€Å"create an account on LinkedIn and start filling it up†. A good start point for elaborating on your main topic is to find related topics and subtopics to write about. The key point is to fill up the meat of your content, so that it becomes an impressive hamburger that your readers will boast about to their friends. Step 5: Keyword Density Keyword density is simply technical jargon which basically means the number of times that particular Focus keyword appears in your content. For example, if my focus keyword is "linkedin profile," then the measure of my keyword density is the number of times the words â€Å"linkedin profile† appears in my entire blog post. In general, it is best to come up with keyword density of more than 1.5%; if you can't go higher than 2%, it would be best. Take note, however, that over-stuffing your posts with keywords is a bad thing. This gives a negative signal to Google that you're trying to flood your blog post with the key word, in an attempt to rank for it, instead of really providing information that shows value to the reader. Recommended Reading: Your Ultimate Content Marketer's Guide to Keyword Research Step 6: SEO title Your SEO title is something that you want to pay particular attention to, mainly because your headline is a key make or break factor that determines whether or not a reader clicks through to your article. Now, this is where it gets a little bit tricky. It's tricky because marketers and bloggers like you have to come up with SEO titles that are both human friendly, which means it intrigues, persuades, and excites, but it also has to be easy enough for search engines to understand it at a glance. Fortunately, Yoast makes this extremely easy for us. Just follow the green button! Kidding. Recommended Reading: Here Are the 101 Catchy Blog Title Formulas That Will Boost Traffic By 438% Step 7: Length of Page Title The next step that we have to take is to make sure that your page title isn't too Long. It's important for you to pay close attention to the length of the page title, since you wouldn't want your title to cut off mid way like so: Step 8: Focus Keyword Appears in URL Next, you have to make sure that the focus keyword that you've selected earlier is included in the URL. In other words, make sure that your focus keyword is included your slug as we've mentioned in step 2. This might actually get a little confusing, since we just covered the topic of effect and objective, but if you get your objective right, it’s a piece of cake. For example, if I were to do a blog post about tennis balls, and the main objective is tennis balls, why wouldn’t you place the words tennis balls in your URL? Chances are, you would. Step 9: First Paragraph of Copy Search engines tend to prioritize the words that you place in front of your copy, as opposed to the words at the back. More specifically, by placing your focus keyword in the first paragraph of your content, you’re telling Google â€Å"Hey! This keyword has been repeated in the page title, the URL, as well as the first paragraph!† What does that tell you? It tells you that the keyword is something that Google should pay extra attention to. For example, if I were to do a post on blogging, but I only mention the keyword â€Å"blogging† at last paragraph of my blog post, how relevant do you think my article is? Well, search engines work in roughly the same way as well. Recommended Reading: How to Maximize Your On-Page SEO in 2017 With One Awesome Checklist Step 10: Meta Description Although the meta description has been widely debated by SEOs whether it is a ranking factor, it is generally agreed that they are relevant for driving human interaction with a site. This is because when a searcher searches for information about a particular topic or question on Google, the queries come back to him/her looking like this: The shaded portion is where the meta description is located. Can you see why it is still considered important, even though most SEOs think that it’s not considered a ranking factor? Think of your meta description as an elevator pitch of sorts. Its job is to condense the information in the post into either a question or a sentence, to attract the attention of the reader, and convince them to click  through. The important points that you must have in your meta description are: A value proposition of the article Clear, concise summary of the article Create points of intrigue about your article, so that the prospective reader is incentivised to click through Make sure that your keyword is also included in the Meta Description. You don’t need to place your keyword at the front of your Meta Description. Step 11: Single Instance of Keyword This might come as a shock to you, but when I first started out in SEO, I initially thought that the way to rank for keywords on Google was to create a ton of content around the same keyword! Boy, was I an idiot. But, now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense why I would think this way. It’s because most gurus online didn’t explain it clearly, or didn’t bother to explain it at all. When they say â€Å"create more content around your keyword†, it doesn’t mean create more content that are around the same keyword. Instead, what you should do is to create content around related keywords to your main keywords. Create content around related keywords to your main keywords.For example, in my LinkedIn profile writing article, my main keyword is obviously on LinkedIn profiles, but the topic is about LinkedIn in general. If I want to â€Å"create content around the same keyword,† what I should instead do is to find related keywords around the general topic â€Å"LinkedIn†, and find other keywords that are related to it. In this case, I can create come up with keywords such as: LinkedIn Publishing LinkedIn Sales Emails LInkedin Groups You get the point. When you create related content around a certain set of keywords (or keyword groups), you are in fact re-emphasising to search engine that your blog and website is about those particular group of keywords. Just don’t make the same mistake I did by using the same keyword over and over again- that’s suicide! Recommended Reading: How to Improve Your Keyword Research With Latent Semantic Indexing Before We Proceed to the Human Side ... Whew! We just covered what it takes to write for search engines. That’s a lot to digest (I know, my content gets comments like that all the time), but it’s information worthy to know. But, since this post is also about writing for humans, let’s cover that in the next section. What About Human Readers? Obviously, since this post is about search engines and human readers, we can’t continue without defining what human reading is. For those of you who are experienced bloggers (as I know you are, because you use :P), you’ll know that YOAST provides another section that helps you to analyse your post, and see if it scores well in the human’s eye too. This section is called the Readability Section. Again, access your Yoast Analyzer in your Edit Posts page, then click on Readability. You should see the Analyzer display a completely different set of information on your post. Again, the colors green, orange and red mean the same thing as I’ve mentioned above. Understanding the Different Factors that Make Up Human-Friendly Words In the next section of our post, we're going to take a look at the different factors that give us an understanding of how to write persuasively toward human readers. But before we proceed, let's take a look at the objectives of writing for humans: We want readers to subscribe We want to persuade readers to take a specific action Readers of our content have to be convinced that the content has value They have to find that the information on the blog post is easy to consume Now that we've defined the objectives of writing for humans, let's see what Yoast gives us. Step 1: Subheadings Do you like to read chunks of messages that are lumped together? I didn’t think so. That’s where subheadings come in handy. Subheadings are headings other than the H1 tag in your blog post: Generally, you’d want to make sure that you follow these steps when you write content on your blog: Have a subheading every 300 words Include your focus keyword in your subheadings - this keeps things on track for the reader too Include only 1 H1 in your content Step 2: Write Sentences No More Than 20 Words Long This should be a no-brainer too. Generally speaking, when you write sentences that are short and concise, it's easier to read your content. Step 3: The Reading Test Recently, I started seeing plenty of bloggers and writers trying too hard to write like the â€Å"big boys†, where they staff a ton of technical jargon and hard to understand sentences into their posts. While it's important to show that you know your stuff, it can hurt readability in the Long run, and lose you more readers than you would otherwise. For example, this post could have been explained using terms like canonical keywords, technical on-audits, and so on, but I deliberately chose to right in a simple way. But why? Shouldn't we write to impress? No. You should instead write to achieve your blogging goals, which most of the time means getting new subscribers to your website. Think about it this way. How are you supposed to convince new visitors on your site, sign up for your newsletter when they don't have a clue what you're talking about? For that reason, I always make it a point to  write in a way that even a high school kid will be able to understand. As a rule of thumb, you should always assume the majority of your readers are total beginners. In fact, Copyblogger did a case study, and they found out the number of beginners visiting their site was a staggering 80%, while advanced users were at 20%. How much traffic did you just lose? In fact, total beginners are the people who are trying to search for information the most, and the most desperate for a solution. If you can put across a concept or technique easily, in a way that is able to relate to that pain point, why won't they subscribe to you? Recommended Reading: How to Build New Marketing Skills in 11 Simple Steps (Backed By Science) Step 4: Paragraph Length With the attention span of a reader significantly reducing, it becomes harder and harder for marketers and content creators to maintain the level of attention to the words that we are saying. This means that any small mistake with the formatting of your content will turn off your readers, and significantly increase your bounce rate. And when it comes to keeping the attention of your readers, one of the most important aspects of overall readability of your content is the length of your paragraphs. Why is it so important to have paragraphs done right? Because the length of your paragraph creates an overall look and feel of your content. Which would you rather choose to read? Chances are, you’d choose the one on the right. Tip: For best results, keep your lengths to 20 words per sentence and no more than three sentences per paragraph. Step 5: Transition Words/Phrases Transition words are words that help to guide readers along your content. They make reading your content easier, in short. When you write blog posts, especially blog posts that are actionable in nature, you’d want to use words like these: Step 6: Passive Voice If you take away one piece of advice today from this post, and it'd be to  never write in a passive voice. I say this again. Never write in a passive voice. But, what exactly is passive voice? I'll give you an example. Say for example we are writing a simple sentence describing an elephant in a forest. Can you guess which voice is passive, and which is not? â€Å"The elephant went through the forest and came out a teddy bear† Versus: â€Å"An elephant is the best companion that you can have when you go to the forest, because it’ll become a teddy bear† The first one is the passive voice. Passive voice makes your content dull, monotonous, and irritating to read, because the reader is not a part of the action. For example, Ramit Sethi, one of the world’s top bloggers, uses a ton of active voice in his content. This keeps his content engaging, and is the main reason why readers read to the last sentence. Why should you never write in passive voice?Four Additional Tips So†¦ the key idea is to follow whatever Yoast tells us, and we’ll be alright, right? Well, not quite. You see, much as Yoast is a great plugin, it can only do so much by analyzing our text. The truth is, there are many other ways that you can improve your content, so that both search engines and your readers will love it. Since there are an endless number of ways that you can go about doing it (maybe I should come up with a blog post about it in the future), I’ll just list down four simple steps in this post that you can take additionally to improve your content.

Sociology Paper

Sociology Paper Sociology Paper Sociology Paper: Target - Clarity Sociology is rather young but very interesting science. It helps us study ourselves. That is why if you have got an assignment to write a sociology paper, do not neglect this good opportunity to learn more about people. Papers Sociology: Subjects of Research Any sociology paper (whether it is an essay or a term paper) is a kind of research of one or another aspect of the social life of people. Sociology papers may cover positive as well as negative sides of our life. Marriage, divorce, maternity, adoption of children, slavery, discrimination, social inequality these points and many others may be discussed in such papers. The only requirement to any sociology paper is that all the matter points of its topic must be highlighted fully enough and clearly. Your reader should understand what you wanted to study, in what way you made your study and what results this study led to. Paper Sociology: making your own social research clear Taking into acc ount the above-mentioned information lets try to point out tips that will help you make your paper clear.First of all, before getting down to writing of your sociology paper you should determine an issue clearly that you are going to research. It should be some narrower point of your paper topic whether you have been provided with this topic by your tutor or you have chosen it by yourself. As a rule, such an issue is formulated as a thesis statement of a paper that is presented at the beginning of this paper (in the introduction). Making a thesis statement will help you put your research in certain frameworks. It will be much better for you to make a plan of your research stating the main points that you are going to present. Split your paper into paragraphs in accordance with this plan. Pay attention that these paragraphs should be interrelated. Such a plan will make your sociology paper well-structured and logical. Your ideas will not exist separately but build a sing le picture your research of the issue in question. Pay attention to the vocabulary that you will use in your sociology paper. Avoid different idioms, slang elements, vulgarisms as your paper belongs to the academic writing. On the other hand, do not use a large number of various terms and unknown notions. That will make your writing not cognitive but dull. Try to use transitional words and phrases that will also give your paper some clarity. Pay attention to the precise data that you will state in your sociology paper to prove your suggestions and conclusions. All numbers, results of observations or experiments should be true. So, keeping in mind this information will help you write a clear and understandable sociology paper.

Articles of business ethics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Articles of business ethics - Term Paper Example rogram must incorporate, to wit: (1) a comprehensive statement of both mission and values, as well as a code of conduct that all personnel must understand and be fully aware of; (2) communication vehicles that focus on ethical practice to be monitored and updated regularly; and (3) regular training programs that provide case studies, updated ethical scenarios, and define appropriate business behavior in various business transactions. As emphasized, a one-time training program that focuses on ethics training is not sufficient; yet, a regularly updated and implemented ethics training must be undertaken to ensure conformity to the standards posed in business endeavors. The article proffered issues pertinent to the apparent decline in standards of morality by accepting payments from organizations supposedly in exchange of unethical activities. The author initially cited rampant examples of scenarios where payments have been made in exchange of placing a tattoo of the Web site of the donating organization on the forehead of a Utah woman or commitments to undertake long-term contraception (Kristof, 2012). Concurrently, the author cited a book written by a Harvard political theorist, Michael Sandel, entitled â€Å"What Money Can’t Buy†, arguing that â€Å"in recent years we have been slipping without much reflection into relying upon markets in ways that undermine the fairness of our society† (Kristof, 2012, par. 3). Kristof expounded on presenting other scenarios that depict people accepting payments for favors that run counter to ethical and moral standards. Article 3: Stevenson, B. (2012, May 13). â€Å"THE ETHICIST; Office Detectives.† Retrieved June 15, 2012, from The New York Times: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E2D8143AF930A25756C0A9649D8B63&ref=ethics The article’s main message focuses on addressing different ethical concerns from three different senders. The first scenario required suggesting that companies must employ people who could

Paper of fact how the death penalty costs more than life in prison Essay

Paper of fact how the death penalty costs more than life in prison - Essay Example Thre had been 550 executions carried out since the reinstitution of the death penalty (Radelet and Borg 43). The death penalty is considered to be a method of deterrence, the primary reason for the argument for the death penalty in the 1970s centered on this debate. However, this has been denounced as a viable excuse for the death penalty as it is rarely considered as part of the cost/benefit internal discussion of an offender during the commission of a crime that would warrant a death penalty verdict. According to Radelet and Akers, as related in Radelet and Borg, â€Å" in a recent survey of current and former presidents of three professional associations of criminologists (the American Society of Criminology, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the Law and Society Association), 85% of the experts agreed that the empirical research on deterrence has shown that the death penalty never has been, is not, and never could be superior to long prison sentences as a deterrent to criminal violence† (45). Therefore, deterrence is not a viable argument for the death penalty. The second argument for the death penalty is incapacitation. ... life in prison went on to commit a murder later on, and ironically, this figure turned out to be the same percentage of those 630 offenders who were discovered to be innocent of the crimes for which they had been originally sentenced to death (46). One way in which the death penalty provides context is in consideration of the nature of law and race relations. The statistics show that since the new laws have been put into place, the death penalty is far more likely to be put into place by an average of three to four times more often when the victim is white. There is a less bias when the offender is concerned, but more often it is within the racial nature of the victim (Radelet and Borg 48). The nature of law, unfortunately, has shown that race is a defining factor in the treatment of an offender, whether it be through their own race or through that of their victim. Because law is subjectively applied, race has an effect in the decisions of the judicial branch of government. In additi on, it has been very rare that anyone of any means has been sentenced to death, making the death sentence relative to the poverty of the offender (Geraghty 209). However, the best argument that has come into existence, one that covers a vast number of issues in regard to the use of the death penalty as a punitive measure, is that concerning the financial costs of the issue. One of the reasons that is often given, by a factor of 11%, in support of the death penalty is because there is a belief that a death sentence is cheaper than supporting a life sentence of incarceration. However, the estimates in 1988 for the overall costs of an execution were 3.2 million, with it costing a mere 600,000 for life in prison (Radelet and Borg 50). While these figures are more than likely very different 20

Abbott Hospital Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Abbott Hospital Case - Essay Example A closer analysis of the various facts and figures presented in the study suggests that all the stakeholders were either not informed about the change or their feedback was not incorporated effectively. The fact that Sister Mary Theresa controlled almost all aspects of the pre-acquisition period suggests that the communication was not readily disseminated at all levels. Besides, the communication was relatively one-way with others just following the suit rather than raising the voice against the proposed acquisition. A key strategic issue in this was the lack of the effective human capital i.e. the resistance from the medical community and the doctors/staff working at the hospitals. Since the overall size of medical community at local level was relatively small therefore this can be a significant issue provided a limited availability of trained and skilled medical staff at the local level. It is also critical to note that the Mt. Mercy there is a clear lack of systems requirements as most of the orders and the strategic vision flows from the single source. Having a decentralized organizational structure can actually help an organization to share the responsibility while at the same time have more feedback before any decision is made. A key strategic issue while dealing with the change was that of creating a cohesive culture for both the hospitals. Due to relatively different strategies being adapted at these two hospitals, significant employee motivation issues emerged causing a decline in the revenue and profitability for the firm. It is evident that after the acquisition, the employees of the Abbott hospital are not considering themselves as part of the new organization. In order to achieve the economies of scale and to improve the efficiencies, it is critical that the organization must focus on developing a certain degree of

Is it free market or regulated financial systems that underpin Essay

Is it free market or regulated financial systems that underpin long-term economic success and effective corporate governance - Essay Example he financial system through restrictions, laws, requirements and guidelines aimed at influencing the economic outcome, protecting the consumers or environment as well as maintaining the integrity or stability of the financial system. The major problem is that any occurrence of financial crises has been perceived as a failure of the governments or other relevant institutions to apply the necessary regulatory control measures to avert such financial crises (Bernanke, 2000, p.21). On the other hand, the increased government involvement in matters of both market and financial systems regulation has been perceived as highhandedness on the part of the government, and thus criticized on the basis of stifling the free operation of the markets. Thus, either way, the law of unintended consequences always applies. The issue of the operation of the economy and the markets is a tricky one, due to the fact that a complete lack of control of the economic operations by the government makes economic crises more likely and severe in the future (Doepke and Schneider, 2010, p.72). Generally, government or formal regulation that is too heavy may stifle future financial efficiency, while at the same time hindering innovation (Meltzer, 2004, p.163). However, although free market is necessary for economic growth, many critics argue that it may not be sufficient condition for economic success and effective corporate governance. This paper seeks to critically compare the free market and the regulated market systems with a view to evaluating whether it is free market or regulated financial systems that underpin long-term economic success and effective corporate governance using the five major economies namely the USA, UK, Japan, Germany and China as case studies. There are a number of theories that have sought to explain the potential impacts of different financial systems on the overall long term economic success of a country and effective corporate governance. For example, the Theory of

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 19

Assignment Example Research limitations: This paper has a narrow focus (the inadequacy of American multinationals to adapt to expatriation) which is a limitation. By focusing only the failure of American business it could to some degree shows some bias in its conclusions. Practical Implications: In the case of expatriation of managerial staff it is important to take into consideration a wider frame of reference than purely technical skill and a good record. The successful American manager may not be successful elsewhere. And even if appropriate for the role he/she will need training and support in order to excel in their new role. Value to the Reader: The reader learns to see that in order for expatriation of managerial staff to be effective it is important for the entire organization to take a long term outlook and to create an expatriation programme. One which endeavours to select managers who have the coping skills required in expatriation and also to provide them with the required training and support. Finally the expatriate manager needs to be able to gain from the experience; they should not lose out by working abroad. It is this emphasize in particular which sets Japanese and European corporate cultures apart from the American ones. The American multinationals are reluctant to invest in expatriation programmes’ because of the mobile nature of the American workforce. Also because they have a more inward looking approach as companies the expatriate manager’s frequently find themselves losing out in their corporate career. The authors believe that this imbalance needs to be addressed in orde r for American multinationals to become more successful at expatriation. Design: This research begins with an overview of the resource-based view of multinational enterprizes.It then overviews some examples taken from Spanish multinationals; it makes

Is it free market or regulated financial systems that underpin Essay

Is it free market or regulated financial systems that underpin long-term economic success and effective corporate governance - Essay Example he financial system through restrictions, laws, requirements and guidelines aimed at influencing the economic outcome, protecting the consumers or environment as well as maintaining the integrity or stability of the financial system. The major problem is that any occurrence of financial crises has been perceived as a failure of the governments or other relevant institutions to apply the necessary regulatory control measures to avert such financial crises (Bernanke, 2000, p.21). On the other hand, the increased government involvement in matters of both market and financial systems regulation has been perceived as highhandedness on the part of the government, and thus criticized on the basis of stifling the free operation of the markets. Thus, either way, the law of unintended consequences always applies. The issue of the operation of the economy and the markets is a tricky one, due to the fact that a complete lack of control of the economic operations by the government makes economic crises more likely and severe in the future (Doepke and Schneider, 2010, p.72). Generally, government or formal regulation that is too heavy may stifle future financial efficiency, while at the same time hindering innovation (Meltzer, 2004, p.163). However, although free market is necessary for economic growth, many critics argue that it may not be sufficient condition for economic success and effective corporate governance. This paper seeks to critically compare the free market and the regulated market systems with a view to evaluating whether it is free market or regulated financial systems that underpin long-term economic success and effective corporate governance using the five major economies namely the USA, UK, Japan, Germany and China as case studies. There are a number of theories that have sought to explain the potential impacts of different financial systems on the overall long term economic success of a country and effective corporate governance. For example, the Theory of

Development of Chinese economic Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9500 words

Development of Chinese economic - Dissertation Example Phenomenal growth of Chinese economy over years significantly affects the world economy due to its sheer size and wider domestic market. The stability in domestic economy is very important for the Chinese companies to embark on programs to promote its products internationally. Any slowdown in domestic economy will severely affect the companies’ ability to carry forward its mission in development of international brands. The negative image created by counterfeiting consumer products by Chinese companies in the international markets is just one of the main obstacles in developing international brands. â€Å"Whenever you hear about counterfeit merchandise, you almost always think about China (Strusiewicz, 2012). The top international brands of EU, Japan and US have been assiduously developed over years and founded on quality and corporate social responsibility with concerns for all the stakeholders including consumers. â€Å"As a member of the World Trade Organization, China be nefits from access to foreign markets. But relations with trading partners have been strained over China's huge trade surplus and the piracy of goods† (BBC, 2013). ... Chinese Companies and Development of Global Brands Contents 1.0 Introduction 3 1.1 Background 3 1.2 Objectives of the study 4 1.3 Research questions 4 2.0 Literature Review 5 2.1 Chinese exports, development of global brands and economy 5 2.2 Motivations for internationalization strategies 12 2.3 Internationalization strategies adopted by Chinese firms 17 2.4 Lack of Chinese global brands 22 2.5 Chinese economy and factors influencing competition and global markets 26 2.6 How Chinese can develop global brands 31 3.0 Methodology 35 4.0 Analysis and findings 37 5.0 Conclusion 41 6.0 References 43 7.0 Appendices 48 Internationalization of Chinese Companies and Development of Global Brands 1. Introduction 1.1 Introduction In the past 30 years, Chinese economic growth has become the world's third largest economy. Now China holds more than two trillion U.S. dollars of foreign exchange reserves, and has become the largest trading country and foreign direct investment destination. This proje ct analyzes the economic situation in China, its relationship to the development of global brands by Chinese companies and its impact on world markets. China is the world's third largest economy, currently accounting for about 5% of the world's GDP. However, the country consumes one-third of the world's coal, steel and cotton, as well as nearly half of the cement. Chinese coal consumption is more than sum total of the United States, India and Russia. Ten years ago, China was an oil exporting country, but now has become the world's third largest oil importer and the second largest oil consuming country. The growth of Chinese economy is very important from the global perspective due to its impact on world economy. Therefore, the main objectives of the proposed research are to study the status

Stages of Demographic Transition in Spain Between 1960-2008 Essay Example for Free

Stages of Demographic Transition in Spain Between 1960-2008 Essay This corresponds to the red square stated on the figure showing the demographic transition theory. At the start of the second phase the birth rate and the death rate are still high, but in this phase they will both decline to a lower level. The death rate starts declining earlier and it will decline faster than the birth rate. This will result in a remarkable growth in the population size during the second phase. A important factor for the decline of the death rate is the improvement in the standard of living. Other factors for this decline were improvement in health care and in hygiene. The decline in the birth rate during the second phase of the demographic transition theory is also a result of the improvements in the standard of living and in health care. The increase in prosperity resulted in a decline of the total fertility rate. Children were no longer needed to work in the industrial life to help their parents raise an income, and because of the improvements in health care, children were no longer needed to take care of their parents when they were old.

University Peer Selection and Influences of Social Support

University Peer Selection and Influences of Social Support Phase 1 – Peer selection and influence of perceived social support of university students: do connections matter? Background Perceived social support has been shown to be an important predictor of psychological disturbance where individuals are exposed to distressing stimuli such as earthquakes (Xu et al, 2013) and war (Besser Neira, 2012). Additionally, perceived social support has also been shown to an important predictor in school environments for academic achievement (Song et al, 2014), and other problematic behaviour indicators such as low self-esteem, adaptive skills and teacher reported social skills (Demaray Maleki, 2002) which are linked to educational advancement. Other studies have observed the origins of perceived social support for particular populations being an important factor. Chavajay (2013) found that international students felt great levels of social support came from fellow international students, and Zagenczyk et al (2010) found perceived organisational support (POS) of employees would be more like the nearest person they found to be influential. perceived social support is complex in nature, its links with human growth and prevention of psychological disturbance, but also how and where the sense of perceived social support transcends to and from can depend on the similarities of the people around them. Social network analysis considers the human in relation to others within the network, and it is shows the nature of their relationships that give rise to social phenomena found within the analysis of networks. This could be via structural effects such as reciprocity, centrality in the network and popularity, or it could be actor driven such as the tendency to behave in a certain manner, such as the case for friendships being linked to smoking behaviour (Mercken et al. 2012) or it could be levels of psychological phenomena (which are also characterised as behaviour) (Snjiders et al, 2010), or more commonly aspects of the self such as cultural indicators such as nationality, gender, race, sexuality and so on. Psychological research could develop into a new branch of social network analysis, the longitudinal actor-driven stochastic models (actor-driven stochastic model) as developed by Snijders et al. (2010) which can be used to validate social network phenomena variance with psychologi cal phenomena, such as perceived social support, by observing it longitudinally and use that information to model expectations on actor and network development while utilising Markov chain process to model the networks evolving structure. Rationale The rationale for exploring perceived social support with actor-driven stochastic model metholology can be found via a synthesis of some recent research in perceived social support. Besser Neira (2010), made inferences based on means that can no understand the individual in relation to their situation within a network. They discounted medium effect size change of attachment style across the length of their study, perhaps as a result of an inability to look at socialising factors, such as covariates of reciprocity and the tendencyofhomophily between dyads. When consideringZagenczyk et al. (2010) in conjunction with Besser Neira, they show that peer influence on perceived support options in an environment might be important, and therefore it is plausible to hypothesise that similar phenomena could change attachment style behaviours that Besser Neira observed. Zagenczyk and colleagues work was cross-sectional and used social network measures in a 2 step multivariate analysis, and the refore is unable to infer causality (a common criticism of social network analysis (Borgatti and colleagues)), although it shows that social network phenomena correlated with beliefs it does not show how these beliefs became over the life-cycle. When considering the origins of perceived social support within the university context Chavajay (2013) focused his attention on international students, in essence he focused his attention on a population with situational similarities and found that higher levels of perceived social support were reciprocated between these similar groups. Chavajay suggested that this may have been a result from a greater need to experience social support when entering a new culture, and this collective need amongst international students engenders greater levels of the perceived social support phenomena, but these inferences are subjective and have not been clarified with a qualitative investigation. Chavajays research describes the tendency for homophily wher e by similar populations naturally evolve denser and become more homogenous networks (Steglich et al. 2010) while Zagenczyk and colleagues research suggests structural factors such as centrality (as inferred by the importance advice ties which have a strong relationship with friendship ties and ties of structural equivalence) of certain individuals within proximate networks in organisations is indicative POS as POS emanate from advice ties of structural equivalence. If perceived social support or POS can be related to self-ordering phenomena as well as hierarchical network effects then research into this field can describe behavioural change via two distinct psycho-social roots. Psychology can utilise the actor-driven stochastic model to discover the relationships of perceived social support within categorical groups as well as through common mechanisms of friendship formation lime, reciprocity, homophily and transitive closure, i.e. researchers can combine agency and structure while modelling behaviour (perceived social support). The psychologist can analyse multiple data sets and generate a wide variety or multivariate and bivariate statistics, and to a degree infer time sequentiality when seeking causality. Research can combine active theory development through generating and comparing findings, and then control for alternative explanations while assessing uncertainties in inference Snijders et al. (2010). However, the model is assumption-intensive – the actor-driven stochastic model uses two functions to predict network evolution via microsteps. Firstly, rate function which depends on observation period, actor cocariates and network position, which combine to consider the speed and opportunity for change within the network, and secondly, the objective function which evaluates the actor decision to change a tie based on short-term goals following preferences, opportunities and constraints. These functions require network and behaviour parameter estimates to be used in order for the model to estimate network evolution, therefore good data and awareness of group context is important when carefully developing theory (Steglich et al. 2010). Investigations of human psychology, can benefit from interpersonal methodology such as the actor-driven stochastic model as the individual can be noticed within the context of their immediate relationships. Although, limitations to the model include traditional problems associated with effects that are distil in nature (Bronfenbrenner, 2005) – it can not explain the disappearance of a tie as a result of exo-system decisions in the wider environment, however as is traditional in the empirical method mechanisms are in place to resolve sample problems. However, since the researcher requires high levels of contextual understanding when using actor-driven stochastic model to understand phenomena, descriptive phenomenological investigation would be welcomed to help identify spurious relationships in quantitative data. In cases such as small pilot studies, when sample sizes are inadequate and where the aim is the learning of a new methodology Trafimow (2014) may argue that this links with the goals of qualitative inquiry. A researcher considering human intelligence of an alien culture is less likely to make valid measurements of intelligence if he basis them on personal experience. So when embarking on an exploratory phase of a research project Trafimow (2014) recommends using qualitative methods to find out the variables that matter and then to use empirical methods to quantify how much they matter. Another point to consider before implementing actor-driven stochastic model is its complexity. Not only must the researcher understand its core concepts and assumptions of the stochastic social network analysis, they also have to aquire the skills and knowledge to produce social-network panel data that fits the stochastic model. Additionally, the researcher must then be able to navigate and use RSiena, the program which runs inferential statistics and generates predicted network models in accordance with the statistics related to the actor-driven stochastic model (Snijders et al, 2010). With the level of complexity within such a psychological methodology, correctly measuring and validating perceived social support within the group context while correctly estimating parameters for ongoing theory development and model validation requires a 2 phase approach. Aims Phase 1 (MSc) To understand contemporary issues surrounding perceived social support Understand the ways social networks are analysed Understand perceived social support within the group context Develop valid panel data gathering forms for pilot study To understand practical psychological applications of actor-driven stochastic model To understand the relationship of peer selection and perceived social support Objectives Systematic Review of Literature: perceived social support perceived social support Measures Social Network Analysis actor-driven stochastic model Design Focus Group with Open Ended Questions on perceived social support Survey Focus Group on how they understand perceived social support Analyse and Evaluate Findings From Focus Group Compare Focus Group Findings with validated perceived social support questionnaires Build Panel Data Gathering Form Conduct Pilot Study using actor-driven stochastic model using RSiena Method This study is exploratory in nature and will be divided up into two parts. The first part will be qualitative and the second quantitative. Part 1: Participants For an exploratory qualitative exercise 8 – 15 will suffice to inform the evaluation of perceived social support. The group will be taken from a selected population university students that take part in a society and see each other on a regular basis. Prodecure Participants will be informed that they their information will be kept in strict confidentiality and that the session will be recorded for analysis. Participants will then be asked to complete a consent form before the focus group will begin. Focus group with open-ended questions The focus group will be structured around open-ended questions regarding the nature of perceived social support and how they understand it. An example could be â€Å"I wonder what comes to mind when you consider the support around you?† this would illicit the participants perceptions toward support and what kind of resources they see as available. Analysis This information will then be analysed using a content analysis method proposed by Berg (2007) and then used to validate existing self-report questionnaires such as Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, Farley, 1988) or the The 18-item Index of Sojourner Social Support Scale (Ong Ward, 2005), both of which were used on populations of university students. The validated survey questions will then be used as part of the panel data gathering form used in the quantitative analysis. Part 2: Participants The specification for the participants is that they will be in a reasonably dense network structure and therefore see each other on a regular basis and reciprocate within the group. Although the minimum amount of participants for the method for reliable results is n > 25 (Snijders et al, 2010) 8 – 15 participants will suffice to form the basis of a RSiena pilot study. Prodecure Participants will be informed that they their information will be kept in strict confidentiality and that the session will be recorded for analysis. Participants will then be asked to complete a consent form before the focus group will begin. Measures For the study to produce meaningful parameter estimates for modelling the data will be captured in 3 waves of fortnightly assessments. The participants will complete a self-report questionnaires providing panel data Friendship network. Students will be asked to identify up to 5 close friends within the group. Only friendships in which nominations are shown to reciprocate will be retained for analysis. Homophily. Students will be asked four indicators of homophily on socio-demographic characteristics: gender, race, university year and age. Perceived Social Support. Students will be asked a chosen number of indicators which reflect their perceived social support and make up a scale where internal consistency will be tested. The scores will then be divided up into meaningful ranges where by the participants can be catergorised. Analysis The analysis of the data will be consistent with the longigtudinal actor-based stochastic method as described by Snijders et al (2010). The analyses will be implemented with the Simulation Investigation for Empirical Network Analysis software program (Snijders et al. 2007). All changes in friendship ties and perceived social support scores observed between the final 2 measurements are modelled as the most probabilistic sequence of events that explain the total amount of observed changes. In this scenario there are two dependent variables, one describes perceived social support and one describes changes in friendship ties, and are modelled simultaneously with each other as dependent variables with each other. Within subjects effects can be measured with ANOVA where appropriate and parameter estimates for the actor-based model deemed to be statistically significant with a t-ratio obtained by dividing the unstandardised estimate by the standard error.  ­