The Act of Kindness in the Society Essay Example

Essays on The Act of Kindness in the Society Essay The paper "The Act of Kindness in the Society" is a great example of an essay on sociology. Human behaviors are responses generated from the environmental stimuli. In as much as there are intrinsic traits that people are born with which unconsciously predispose them to the certain fashion of action, values, beliefs and thought patterns among others, they are all products of environmental influences that are acquired during socialization. Virtues such as kindness, humility, patience, self-control, obedience, and loyalty can all be acquired and practiced if one wishes. Religious teachings and socialization have shown immense contributions in inculcating these spirits in individual members of the society. Talking from my personal experience, kindness is a significant spiritual element that has a far-reaching impact on interaction and relationship building amongst people.From the Christian teachings which I have now embraced for about four months, I learned that kindness is a virtue that precedes any moral action that one anticipates. The motto of the church I attend is ‘Know Jesus, Love like Him’ which basically sends the message of ‘Jesus-like’ love to its members. These teachings have laid a strong foundation for me to build the spirit of love, courtesy, kindness and care to fellow humans. The Christian teachings that promote peaceful co-existence and justice in the society have rooted in me a set of positive values making most of my actions sanctified.The three-day kindness activity exposed a number of issues that are a real eye-opener in relationships and interactions. It was unbelievable to note the reactions and responses of people when they were showed love and affection. When I surprised the people who were close to me with items I knew they really needed at that moment, the response was marvelous. It could be seen from their faces how much their hearts jollied and sparkled with appreciation. How they treated me instantly changed and the environment positively changed. Those that I had lost interconnectedness with responded more positively and their attitudes, judgments, and perception toward me became positive; an indication that people react to how you treat them and to get the best out of them means you have to treat them pretty well. Those who least expected me to act in kindness were much more surprised and reacted more actively responded to my kindness than those who were close to me.As much as the Christian principles have mainstreamed me into having a positive outlook and exhibiting morally good behaviors, the manner in which I was brought up and the myriad challenging experiences have restricted my full exhibition of kindness. Deep within me, I struggle with my thoughts to scrap away the negativity towards people so that I can show people kindness that is both internally and externally generated. This experience has further identified this struggle and exposed various nuances in which I find myself prejudiced.ConclusionIt is true that the act of kindness can have an extensive transformation in the society and it only takes one to act a little different; abandon their routine uncourteous behaviors and show love, care, and kindness to people. The response that is likely to be received is splendid. People respond positively to positive actions and vice versa, therefore, to inspire the world one has to choose positive behaviors. From my experience, I have committed to progressively continue working on restructuring my thought patterns so that they may bring out kind behaviors having observed what kindness bears. This plan is based on the fact that kindness is right and not because I am challenging myself.

IKEA Case Analysis Free Essays

IKEA has a distinct market segment in the home furnishing arena. It has created a niche market with innovative designs, quality, and low price structure. IKEA has employed the cost leadership and product differentiation strategies through low price structure and innovative designs, respectively. We will write a custom essay sample on IKEA Case Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Additionally, the uniqueness of the disposable furniture concept allowed IKEA to capitalize on the first mover advantage (Harrison Enz, 2005). Behavioral Customer Segmentation for IKEA The behavioral consumer segmentation data provided by Bartlett and Nanda (1996) indicates the demographic profile of IKEA customers and buyer behavior. IKEA’s strategy post World War II, was to target young couples and new families in the low to middle income range by providing inexpensive furniture with durable construction and contemporary lines. The demographic profile presented by Bartlett and Nanda (1996) suggests that the archetypal IKEA buyer is young; middle-class; married; either has no children or one child; and lives in a rental. This new target market’s primary determinants to purchase were based predominantly on price (44%); followed by large assortment (16%); and design (14%). Quality; design; and price were the three most important criteria for store choice. Similarly, price; distance; and design were the significant factors leading to consumer attitude toward IKEA. This target market based their decision purchases on information gathered from the IKEA catalog; visits to other stores; and prior visits to IKEA. Contrary to the traditional IKEA consumers’ determinants to purchase and buyer behavior, sustainability is now playing a larger role in consumer spending habits (Datamonitor, 2010). In a recent Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) analysis IKEA was ranked ninth overall for customer satisfaction, which is largely due to IKEA’s commitment to sustainable initiatives. Of IKEA’s products, 71% are recyclable, made from recycled products, or both. IKEA also recycles 84% of the waste the stores generate (Datamonitor, 2010). Comparison of Traditional and U. S. Customers Before entering the U. S. market in 1985, IKEA did not conduct thorough market research on U. S. consumers or U. S. buyer behavior. IKEA assumed that U. S. customers would embrace its way of doing business and the products offered. That was not the case, as IKEA’s furniture; metric measurements; and kitchenwares did not meet U. S. customer’s expectations. The furniture was uncomfortable, as it was designed for the European preference of being hard and rigid. The unit of measure was in centimeters, whereas the U. S. has never adopted the metric system. The U. S. serving sizes are generally larger than the European portions, making the kitchenwares too small for U. S. servings. Likewise, the cabinetry was too small for U. S. appliances. The traditional IKEA customer subscribed to the value proposition that furniture was a soft good versus a hard good. This value proposition was in contradiction with the mindset of the U. S. onsumer, making it necessary for IKEA to rethink its marketing strategy. IKEA launched an advertising campaign targeting U. S. customers at the same time it entered the U. S. market. Its tagline for U. S. consumers was, â€Å"†¦to take a more commitment-free approach to furniture† (Moon, 1996, p. 8). IKEA’s intention was to convey to the U. S. population that it was not necessary to hang on to furn iture for decades. The simplicity and low price point IKEA offers affords consumers the opportunity to replace furniture and opt for a new look at a significantly lower price point than at conventional furniture, appliance, or kitchenware stores. IKEA was essentially making fun of U. S. consumers and the desire to keep furniture for decades. Traditional consumers understood that the value proposition offered by IKEA meant no in-store sales assistance; limited variety; unassembled furniture; and no delivery. This did not meet any of the expectations of the U. S. consumer. Hence, the revenues at IKEA in the U. S. were flat, taking almost ten years before increasing. IKEA has since focused on organic slow growth and low risk in the U. S. as it was a new market (Module 2, Lecture 1, n. d. ). This allowed IKEA time to do more market research on U. S. ustomers and expand manufacturing facilities. IKEA has done a great job in leading customers to pull its products into U. S. homes (Module 2, Lecture 2, n. d. ). IKEA has learned to meet U. S. customer needs by studying consumer preferences and behaviors based on interactions (Module 2, Lecture 1, n. d. ). This information provided demographic and consumer behavior data by store locat ion and region of the United States, allowing IKEA to meet or exceed the loyal customer expectations. Given that, IKEA has built a U. S. cult following and state of mind that is centered on low prices, zany promotions, and contemporary designs (Capell, 2005). U. S. Strategic Growth Opportunities for IKEA IKEA was making a huge push into four major geographic markets in the late 1980’s. They were Eastern Europe, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Any one of these large geographic locations would need exponential resources and one would have to wonder if IKEA was opening itself up to incredible risk. This hard line expansion poses a major strategic challenge. The major strategic concern was the changing target market segment. IKEA rode the post war baby boom wave to become successful. The target market segment of low-income married couples had shrunk and the original IKEA customers, the baby boomers, have become older and more comfortable. IKEA is continuously striving to differentiate its price, products, and services to keep them in line with a first mover competitive advantage and ahead of the market trends to the point that they may be setting the standards for furniture and related product expectations (Harrison Enz, 2005). However, the United States’ target market segment proved to be more difficult; as the U. S. consumers were used to having furniture delivered, and preassembled. Additionally, the U. S. consumers and IKEA’s other target markets all preferred traditional rather than modern furniture, with the exception of consumers in Denmark and Holland who buy modern design furniture. At IKEA, the furniture product mix is comprised of 70% modern with the remainder being traditional (Lee, 2005). For IKEA to be successful in the U. S. market it would need to tweak its product lines and strategic plans in an effort to achieve growth. In order for IKEA to achieve strategic growth in the U. S. it will need to get the buy-in of senior management to change its product line-up. The lack of senior management buy-in has been proven in many studies to be a leading factor in not attaining growth (McGrath MacMillan, 2009). IKEA will need to hire a consultant to perform a SWOT analysis to determine the internal strengths and weaknesses as well as the external opportunities and threats. In addition, utilizing a TOWS matrix derived from the SWOT analysis would prove beneficial (David, 2009). The TOWS Matrix is designed to assist managers with matching the attributes of IKEA with the various opportunities and threats that exist in the environment. It also allows for the development of corporate strategies than can be implemented, thus maximizing marketplace positioning. The four types of strategies that can be formed based on the TOWS Matrix are: SO, which use the firms internal strengths to maximize opportunities; WO, which looks at improving weaknesses by taking advantage of external opportunities; ST, utilizes the company’s strengths to avoid threats; and WT, which are strategies designed to assist in the development of defense tactics to help reduce internal weaknesses and avoid external threats (David, 2009). The crucial information obtained from the SWOT and TOWS Matrix will prove to be invaluable to IKEA if it wishes to grow in the United States as well as globally. The snap shot of information will help tell IKEA what it must become to U. S. and global consumers in order to grow strategically. Failure to capture and understand this information could keep IKEA from growing in a large geographic market. 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Harrison and Treagust Essay Example For Students

Harrison and Treagust Essay Galileo (1564- 1642), was the one who set the foundations for studying real-world systems indirectly through reduced and idealised models, from where we can gather valid descriptions, explanations and predictions about the systems (Halloun, 1996). Furthermore, models are considered important since we humans cannot understand many aspects of the world, because there might be some things going on that we do not know. So, we choose to construct simplified models in order to represent anything we do know from our experiments (Ogborn, 1994). Still models are thought as human constructs, used to provide a representation for the mechanism of the natural phenomena in a coherent way (Louca and Constantinou, 2002). Whats more, models are used because the physical and natural world that we try to study in science is a complex world and to understand it better we break it down into manageable parts and represent it with models (Frost, 2003). As Giere (1988, p. 64) indicates, the model-reality adjustment is not overall, but rather relative to those aspects of the world that the models attempt to capture. Consequently, models are considered to be representations of a real-world process or thing, used to simplify the phenomenon and make it more understandable (Glynn and Duit, 1995, p. 3). Modeling in Science Education Considering all the above and having in mind the powerful potential of models and modeling process, many educators and researchers present their use in science education as essential and core (e. g Louca and Zacharia, 2008, Louca et. al. , 2003, Papaevripidou et al, 2006, Schwartz White, 2005), since they can facilitate and promote science learning and teaching (Grosslight et al, 1991). Therefore, they are identified as vehicles for learning the world (Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, 2006). Gilbert (1993), recognises models as one of the main products of science, important element in scientific methodology, and major learning tools in science education (pp. 9-10). Specifically, Hudson (No date) emphasizes the importance of modeling in science by indicating that without modeling practices it is not possible to visualise effective teaching. Moreover, investigators (e. g. , Snir et al., 1988) who have talked with students about the nature of models assumed that the enrichment of students conceptions about the nature of models could support students learning from models (cited in Grosslight et al. , 1991). Also, models in science are thought to be the way we construct understanding about the physical world and therefore are an anticipated result of teaching about science (Louca and Constantinou, 2002). Consequently, lot of researches were conducted in the field of models and modeling in science education and several reasons that make the use of models in science education vital were revealed. In order to understand the need for using models in science teaching it is useful to define what model-based teaching is and as Gobert and Buckley (2000) points out model based teaching is any implementation that brings together information resources, learning activities, and instructional strategies intended to facilitate mental model-building both in individuals and among groups of learners (p. 892). Moreover, Popper (1982) indicates that if science is the art of oversimplification, then models are the tools for organizing and simplifying things (cited in Sizmur and Ashby, 1997). Likewise, models in science are considered to be scientists and teachers attempts to represent every day phenomena that are difficult and complex to understand in order to support their students learning (Harrison and Treagust, 1998). The various models that can be generated in early school years are conditional representations of phenomena, explaining aspects of reality that are organised progressively, thereby leading to the development of these models (Acher et al. , 2006). .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d , .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d .postImageUrl , .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d , .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d:hover , .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d:visited , .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d:active { border:0!important; } .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d:active , .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2101b3270b27af8dffd480ee1b5d0f2d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: In Africa Ebola killed numerous people leaving beh EssayAs Osborne and Hennessy (2003) add, models can be very supportive, in order to understand the complex and confusing real world, since they give the opportunity to students to focus on specific concept and isolate variables they want to examine. In addition, modeling is recognised as part of a scientists daily life (Zhang et al, 2005) and it is quite vital for students to be able to work and think like scientists (Wilensky and Reisman, 2006). Consequently, there is a growing interest in developing pedagogic models in science education, that help students understand how scientists conceptual physical phenomena (Louca, 2 004). When children are learning science the task is similar with scientists: to progress from a directly experienced realm of things and events toward more theoretical explanations that help students understand objects and processes that cannot observe by themselves (Sizmur and Ashby, 1997, p. 7). So, by engaging students with similar practices with those of scientists such as modeling, helps them to construct knowledge and achieve epistemological understanding (Gobert and Buckley, 2000). Pollak (1994) argues that unless students are introduced to the game that professional scientists play called creating and shooting down models let them in on the game of being a scientist (p. 91). Additionally, the National Science Education Standards emphasizes this by stating that all students should develop an understanding of the nature of science and that this understanding includes knowledge that scientists formulate and test their explanations of nature using observation, experiments, and theoretical and mathematical models (National Research Council, 1996, p.171). However there is difference between scientists and students perceptions about models, since scientists think of a model as a set of assumptions that include theoretical entities and relations among them, that are designed to help them think about how to explain some aspect of reality (Snir et al. , 2000, p. 797), while students assume that models are exact representations or pictures of reality (Grosslight et al. , 1991). Whats more, modeling-based teaching can be beneficial since the development and refinement of models can have qualitative outcomes of understanding different concepts and the nature of science as well as gaining procedural and reasoning skills (Grosslight et al, 1991; Harrison and Treagust, 1998). Additionally, previous research showed that by engaging students modeling skills the achievement of science process skills is also accomplished (Rubin and Norman, 1992). Also, by using models students can gain scientific knowledge meaningfully, something that supports the development of scientific skills, especially critical thinking (White, 1993). Also, it is considered that learning in science can be supported through the construction of models for physical phenomena and knowledge about those models, will permit learners to further use, test and revise their models in the light of new evidence (Louca and Constatntinou, 2002, p. 15), something vital in the filed of science. Various studies in the area of modeling-based learning revealed that the use of models as tools for observing, exploring, synthesizing and predicting, provides a learning environment where students can build, test, revise and apply models (Papaevripidou et al. , 2006, Schwartz White, 2005). Moreover, the experience of any modeling-based learning gives the opportunity to students to think and talk scientifically about natural phenomena (Penner, 2001), to share, discuss and criticize (Devi et al. , 1996; Rowette et al. , 2000) their ideas as well as reflect upon their understandings (Gilbert et al., 1998). Additionally, there has always been a challenge in science education for teaching students complex systems and unobservable phenomena. Therefore, models can facilitate the representation of this kind of phenomena and support students conceptual understanding. Specifically, exploratory modeling activities, which allow students to interact with already constructed models, can explore phenomena that are not accessible to direct observation and the outcome can be a qualitative understanding of complex processes [(Feurzeig Roberts, 1999) cited in Stylianidou et al.

Name Essays (931 words) - Rhetoric, Communication Studies

Name Course Professor Johnson Date Ad Intervention Visual rhetoric is an efficient tool when it comes to addressing a certain issue. Since time, many studies have been able to prove that the brain can relate more to visual aid as opposed to verbal aids or text. The use of visual rhetoric has the capability of making a lasting impression the intended audience when compared to arguments that are dominated by verbal communication (Van Eemeren et al. 39). The use of visual rhetoric has been used to draw the deepest emotional connection with the audience as opposed to another form of rhetoric. Visual rhetoric helps to drive the point home easily and dramatically. From the image presented, the advertisers have used clear and distinctive strategies to draw the audience to the product on display. They have used persuasive strategies such as logos, ethos, and pathos. Through the use of pathos in the image, the advertisers have managed to bring out response that will be based on emotions rather than words when one looks at the pictures. They have been able to show the children seeking attention and love. The children look lonely where they do not show a smile. This is a perfect way of creating a connection with the audience primarily parents. No parent wants to see unaccompanied children who fail to show smiles. This is an emotional attachment where human beings are obliged to keep their offspring safe by making them happy. From the look of the pictures, the presentation immediately captures the emotions of the children. This is a negative form of connection between the children and the rest of the audience. Another kind of feeling that is bein g displayed is guilt or fear. This immediately triggers our feeling of providing guidance and direction to the children since it is our responsibility. The visual representation can talk through the aspects of creating an emotional connection and journey. The pictures have been able to establish presence of the children and what they are wearing. Another possible emotional connection is drawn on the aspects of fashion and elegance for the children. This advert may be targeting the affluent or those who would like their children to swim in style. Elegance has been used to portray being comfortable with life. The elegance being also characterized tries to capture the link between confidence and elegance. Emotional connection has been established where one can interpret the fact that style can be used as a tool for nurturing faith in children. Elegance can also be seen as an instrument that has been used to portray self-expression by the children. Adults or parents are connected emotionally to children who have the ability to express themselves in their terms by creating their unique identity. Every guardian would like to have a child who is trying to capture that image of self-identity and expression. The statement in this advertisement is a method where the makers seek to introduce a new concept of elegance with children. They strive to link the two together and encourage the consumers to adapt to it. It is an emotional connection that builds healthy relationships between parents and children. Through the use of logos in the images presented, the advertisers of the product have been able to give evidence and statistics that is needed when it comes to understanding the function of the clothes on the children. Through statistics, the image has been able to portray that the jeans can be worn by any child, whether they are boys or girls. Perhaps the advertisement was coming at a time when wearing jeans by children was an idea that had not established a strong connection with the consumers. The different colors being worn by the boys and girl use as a code to show that each gender can differentiate what they are supposed to wear. Boys have been coded to wear black while the girls have been coded to wear grey. The other possible strategy is the use of ethos where the advertisers have been able to create credibility of the clothes being advertised for children. It is a strategy which acts as the final assurance to the parents to buy the clothes for their kids. Although this