The Psychological Effects Cults Have on People

This paper will address the meaning of the word cult. While also touching briefly on why its difficult to describe what a cult is and how it could be compared to Christianity and Jews. I also give some examples of people who started groups/cults with the art of persuasion; Leading some of their member to even commit murders and suicide. Finally by the end paper one would fully understand the roles cults play in the physiological process of a person. For many years, cult leaders always had a psychological hold on their followers' minds. Whether it was to kill other people or to kill themselves, they did it without question. Some cult leaders used fear, violence and guilt as a means of a weapon to control the minds of their followers. Other cult leaders used persuasive and spiritual speeches that made their followers believe they were doing good and fulfilling God's plan. Because cult leaders are powerful through psychological offenses, the people that belong to their cults are brainwashed into doing things they wouldn't normally do in their right state of mind. For years, there have been problems surrounding the definition of the term ‘cult'. The literal and traditional meanings of the word cult, which are more fully explored at the entry Cult (religion), come from the Latin cultus, meaning â€Å"care† or â€Å"adoration,† as â€Å"a system of religious belief or ritual; or: the body of adherents to same. † In French or Spanish, culte or culto simply means â€Å"worship† or â€Å"religious attendance†; therefore an association cultuelle is an association whose goal is to organize religious worship and practices. The word for â€Å"cult† in the popular English meaning is secte (French) or ecta (Spanish). In formal English use, and in non-English European terms, the cognates of the English word â€Å"cult† are neutral, and refer mainly to divisions within a single faith, a case where English speakers might use the word â€Å"sect†. Hence Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Pro testantism are cults within Christianity. However, in common usage, â€Å"cult† has a very negative connotation, and is generally applied to a group in order to criticize it. Understandably, most groups, if not all, that are called â€Å"cults† deny this term. Some groups called â€Å"cults† by some critics may consider themselves not to be â€Å"cults†, but may consider some other groups to be â€Å"cults†. Although anti-cult activists and scholars did not agree on precise criteria that new religions should meet to be considered â€Å"cults,† two of the definitions formulated by anti-cult activists are: Cults are groups that often exploit members psychologically and/or financially, typically by making members comply with leadership's demands through certain types of psychological manipulation, popularly called mind control, and through the inculcation of deep-seated anxious dependency on the group and its leaders. Cult: A group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea, or thing and employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control designed to advance the goals of the group's leaders to the actual or possible detriment of members, their families, or the community. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines cult as: â€Å"a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also: its body of adherents. Indeed, any religion involving unconditional worship and unquestioning obedience to God could be labeled as a cult (using the derogatory suggestion of the word), since such a religion would have that high level of dependency, obedience, and unwavering compliance ascribed to cults by definition. Many mainstream religions still require their members to believe in God unquestioningly, to have faith that he is good and that what he does is good, to consider one's own wants and needs as unimportant while accepting the will of God as par amount. All of these are certainly characteristics commonly attributed to cults, but while it would not be unreasonable to apply this definition of a cult to any dogmatic religion that requires strict compliance with God's word and will as a condition of membership, the notion of applying the word â€Å"cult† to Christianity, Islam, Judaism, or any other major world religion today is considered absurd. There are those who make this very claim: that those who worship God fit the classic depiction of cult members in their dogmatism, unswerving obedience, and denial of self. This highlights the problematic nature of defining what is and is not a cult. The problem with defining the word cult is that purported cult members generally resist being called a cult, and the word cult is often used to marginalize religious groups with which one does not agree or sympathize. Some serious researchers of religion and sociology prefer to use terms such as new religious movement (NRM) in their research on cults. Such usage may lead to confusion because some religious movements are â€Å"new† but not necessarily cults, and some purported cults are not religious or overtly religious. Where a cult practices physical or mental abuse, some psychologists and other mental health professionals use the terms cult, abusive cult, or destructive cult. The popular press also commonly uses these terms. However, not all cults function abusively or destructively, and among those that psychologists believe are abusive, few members would agree that they suffer abuse. Other researchers hold the view that classifying a religious movement as a cult is generally used as a subjective and negative label and has no added value; instead, they argue that one should investigate the beliefs and practices of the religious movement. The field of cults and new religious movements is studied by sociologists, religious scholars, and psychologists and psychiatrists. The debates about a certain purported cult and cults in general are often polarized with widely divergent opinions, not only among current followers of a purported cult and disaffected former members, but sometimes even among scholars and social scientists. Psychologists, among them those specialized in group psychology, studied what cognitive and emotional traits make people accept to join a cult and to stay loyal to it. Some groups, particularly those labeled by others as cults, view the designation as insensitive, and feel persecuted by their opponents whom they often believe to be part of the â€Å"anti-cult movement†. Such groups often defend their position by comparing themselves to more established, mainstream religious groups such as Catholicism and Judaism. The argument offered in this case can usually be simplified as, â€Å"Christianity and Judaism can also be defined as cults under some definitions of the term, and therefore the term cult is superfluous and useless. Members of groups referred to as cults have been known to engage in long discussions over the definition of the word â€Å"cult. † Critics of alleged cult groups state that by doing so, these persons have been known to waste large amounts of time and effort that would be better spent examining the actions of the groups in question, in order to reveal why these groups are referred to as cults. Another problem with writing about cults comes about because they generally hold belief systems that give answers to questions about the meaning of life and morality. This makes it difficult not to write in biased terms about a certain cult, because writers are rarely neutral about these questions. Some writers who deal with the subject choose to explicitly state their ethical values and belief systems to deal with this difficulty. For many scholars and professional commentators, the usage of the word â€Å"cult† applies to abusive behavior, and not to a belief system. For members of competing religions, use of the word remains pejorative and applies primarily to rival beliefs, and only incidentally to behavior. In the sociology of religion, the term cult is a part of the subdivision of religious groups into sects, cults, and denominations. In these terms, it is a neutral term, referring to a religious movement with novel beliefs and a high degree of tension with the surrounding society. Cults, in this sense, may or may not be dangerous, abusive, etc. By this definition, most of the groups which have been popularly labeled cults are indeed cults. In some cults people don't join them, they are recruited by the cults. Philip Zimbardo explains, â€Å"People join interesting groups that promise to fulfill their pressing needs. They become cults when they are seen as deceptive, defective, dangerous, or as opposing basic values of their society† (Zimbardo 212). The fact is, the recruitment techniques that cults employ are quite effective. Cults obviously want to be successful, so they seek to recruit the most capable people who can effectively serve them. Many cult members are doctors, lawyers, professors, and high profile celebrities responsible citizens. This is why some cults have survived for decades and functioned efficiently despite a high turnover rate, public disapproval and angry parents. People often believe cult members must have been neglected by their families. But this conclusion is in sharp contrast to the actions taken by many concerned families who will devote their money and time in intervention efforts to bring their children out of such groups and home again. Zimbardo urges people not to stereotype cult members. Rather than asking â€Å"What kind of people join cults? he suggests we should instead ask, â€Å"What was so appealing about this group that so many people were recruited/seduced into joining it voluntarily? What needs did the group fulfill that were not met by ‘traditional society? ‘† (Zimbardo 126). It is also important to note that cults make many promises to potential recruits in the initial phases of induction–it is often not until months or years later that the recruit reali zes that these promises were ploys to gain their compliance. However, by that time, the member is already submerged in the group and likely in submission to and under the undue influence of its leadership. Since at least the 1940s, the approach of orthodox or conservative or fundamentalist Christians was to apply the meaning of cult such that it included those religious groups who used (possibly exclusively) non-standard translations of the Bible, put additional revelation on a similar or higher level than the Bible or had practices deviant from those of traditional Christianity. These unorthodox groups can be rather large or small. Understandably, these groups deny that they are cults. By 1967, Charles Manson had spent most of his adult life in jail, mostly for such offenses as car theft and credit card fraud. He also worked some time as a pimp. He gathered a group of followers, which he referred to as the Family, a group bound together by fanatical loyalty to Manson, and an abolishment of all moral precepts. He soon afterwards moved to Los Angeles, at first basing himself and the Family in Pacific Palisades and then taking over an unused ranch in the western San Fernando Valley formerly used to make western movies, the Spahn Ranch. Inspired by the Beatles song â€Å"Helter Skelter† and other songs off the White Album he became convinced of an impending race war and nuclear attack, based on Biblical prophecy in the Book of Revelation. He implied to his followers that he was Jesus Christ, saying he had died before, some 2000 years ago. However when asked directly in court he said, â€Å"I may have implied on several occasions to several different people that I may have been Jesus Christ, but I haven't decided yet what I am or who I am. (Bugliosi 341) Around the time the family was formed, he is said to have begun calling himself by a slightly different name, Charles Milles Manson (his real name was â€Å"Charles Willis Manson†), allegedly because it could be read symbolically as â€Å"Charles Will Is Man's Son†. Although only a few members of the Family came to national attention, the Family itself seems to have been quite a significant size, estimates of up to 100 people (of varying degrees of involvement) associated with the Family have been quoted beyond the â€Å"hard core† of around 30. On the night of August 9, 1969, Manson directed some members of the Family to commit murder. These were Charles â€Å"Tex† Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Susan Atkins, at or around midnight entered the home of actress Sharon Tate, wife of director Roman Polanski, who was eight months pregnant, and murdered her along with friend, Hollywood hairstylist Jay Sebring, and house guests Abigail Folger, the coffee heiress, and her lover Voytek Frykowski. Before entering the house, they had shot to death Steven Parent, an 18 year old youth who was leaving the property and had unwittingly seen the intruders. Linda Kasabian was the look-out and driver, and later received immunity for submitting evidence against the group. She told Manson, â€Å"I'm not like you, I can't kill anybody†(Bugliosi 312) and evinced shock and horror at finally seeing the pictures of the killings in court. The victims had been stabbed ferociously many dozens of times, and words were left on the walls in their blood. The following night in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles, California, businessman Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary LaBianca were also murdered in their home, once again by members of the Family. On this occasion, Manson apparently went along to â€Å"show them how to do it† with less tumult, and pacified the victims, tying them up before returning to the car to tell his followers to commit the murders. There was no apparent connection between the victims of the murders, but the crimes were prosecuted by Los Angeles assistant district attorney Vincent Bugliosi in a single trial. Members of the Manson Family had previously been responsible for the murder of Gary Hinman, a music teacher, in Topanga and were suspected of other murders. They claimed a total of some 35 killings, not counting those after the trial, of which several were considered likely or plausible, but were not tried on most of these either for lack of evidence, or because the perpetrators were already sentenced to life for the Tate/La Bianca killings. It begins with the Beatles, and with the Beatles' celebrated White Album that came out in 1968. In it, while tripping on acid, Manson heard the message that put it all together for him. There would be a war between blacks and whites; whites would lose. Manson and his followers would hide out in the desert when the slaughter took place. When it was over they would emerge from their hiding places and somehow convince the blacks that they should be made the leaders of this new world. He got all this not just from the Beatles but also from the Bible. Perhaps his most fascinating connection was to put side by side the Beatles song â€Å"Revolution 9† with Revelations 9 from the Bible. Revelations, the final book of the New Testament, has always been the favorite of mystics because its wild apocalyptic imagery is so bluntly addressed not to the literal but to symbolic consciousness. For those who read scripture not as a moral code of social behavior nor as a literal history book but as a symbolic rendering of a reality out of time and out of mind, the book of Revelations is the proof text. In the book Helter Skelter, Susan Atkins is quoted in saying â€Å"The whole thing was done to instill fear in the establishment and cause paranoia. Also to show the black man how to takeover the white man. † When asked to describe the start of Helter Skelter, she defined it as â€Å"The last war on the face of the earth. It would be all the wars that have ever been fought built one on top of the other†(293). To Manson, Judgment Day, Armageddon, and Helter Skelter were one and the same, a racial holocaust which would see the black man emerge triumphant. David Berkowitz became known as the ‘Son of Sam' after taunting letters from him to police investigating the case were published in newspapers. At a court in Brooklyn, New York, Berkowitz admitted all the killings which in 1977 had residents of three New York boroughs living in fear. He also admitted wounding seven people before he was arrested in August 1977. Berkowitz, who acquired his proficiency with guns through a three-year stint in the US army, said he had no motive other than â€Å"excitement† for carrying out the shootings. However, the Son of Sam nickname was adopted after Berkowitz used the term to describe himself in an anonymous letter to police in April 1977. The first killing attributed to Son of Sam occurred in July 1976 when 18-year-old Donna Lauria was shot as she sat in a car with a friend in the Bronx district of New York. However police did not realize there was a serial killer on the loose until another two people had been murdered and several more injured. The link was not made until March 1977 when it was found the gun used to kill Ms Lauria had also been used in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Virginia Voskerichian. The press initially dubbed Berkowitz â€Å"the . 44 Killer† after the calibre of gun he used. â€Å"Unlike a number of other high profile criminals, Berkowitz kept to him self†(Terry xiv) He was eventually captured after being linked to the scene of the final killing through a parking ticket issued when he left his car parked illegally. Berkowitz quickly confessed and claimed he was ordered to kill by a neighbor's dog. He also admitted to being behind the unsolved stabbings of several women, all of whom survived. In June 1978 David Berkowitz was sentenced to 365 years in jail. Over the years Berkowitz has hinted he did not work alone. Conspiracy theorists believe Berkowitz was part of a satanic cult and that others were involved in the shootings. â€Å"The group's main goals were power, greed and terrorism. It is the embodiment of organized evil†(Terry xii). They also believe that the members in this satanic cult did not also work with Berkowitz, but also worked with Charles Manson and had been part of ‘the Family. The Peoples Temple was a cult that is best known for a mass suicide at Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978. The Temple was founded in 1953, at Indianapolis, Indiana, by Reverend Jim Jones. In Indianapolis, and at the California cities of Ukiah, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, where Jones extended new branches of his church, they earned a good reputation for aiding the ci ties' poorest citizens, especially racial minorities, drug addicts, and the homeless. Soup kitchens, daycare centers, and medical clinics for elderly people were set up, along with counseling programs for prostitutes and drug addicts who wanted to change their lives. Then disturbing accounts began to spring up, told by a few people who had succeeded in leaving the cult. â€Å"Jones has a power that operates on fear, guilt and extreme fatigue. While we were in it we did many strange things. We signed over all of our property. We wrote and signed false, self-incriminating statements. We had to admit that we were homosexuals and that we molested our children. We had to participate in painful punishments for such minor things as forgetting to call Jones â€Å"Father,† forgetting to pay a bill, or for giving a piece of candy to a child. Some of the punishments were beatings, humiliations and medications that made people appear to die (later to be resurrected by Jones). The beatings were intensely brutal. Many times the beatings would be done on children four and five years old. The board they used was three-quarter of an inch thick and about two and a half feet long. Children were beaten the number of times decided by Pastor Jones, often as many as 150 times. During the beating, Jim Jones would demand that a microphone be held to the child's mouth so that the audience could hear the groans of pain. The microphone was unnecessary as the screams could be heard throughout the whole building. After the beating the child or adult would be held up and forced to say, â€Å"Thank You, Father. † If they didn't say this, they would be beaten again. We were so frightened of him and his power that we would have sworn to anything he asked. We believed that he would always take care of us and would never harm us, even though we witnessed daily atrocities that should have convinced us otherwise. It is impossible to explain the effect of his brainwashing. We do know that it took months after we left to be able to think and act as normal, reasonable people†(Mills 13). Jones was stealing from his followers, faked the miracle healings, was punishing the members severely, practicing sodomy with male members, and now considered himself the new Messiah. By now, journalists, law enforcement officials, and politicians were showing interest in Jones' group. Jim Jones reacted with frequent long and angry speeches, where he claimed that the defectors lied, and the outside world was trying to destroy them. At the time, more former members told of beatings and abuse within the People's Temple, and relatives of members insisted that members were being forced to remain there against their will. Jones reacted by moving his church, over 800 followers, to Guyana. The followers were promised a tropical paradise, free from the wickedness of the outside world, but when they arrived, they were forced to work by Jones' orders, and together they built Jonestown. In November 1978, the cult was visited by Leo Ryan, a United States Congressman, who was investigating claims of abuse. A number of Temple members expressed a desire to leave along with the Congressman, and the entire group went to the local airstrip. Temple security guards fired on the group, killing Congressman Ryan, three journalists, and a Temple member who wanted to leave. The shootings were captured on film by one of the journalists who died in the attack. Later that day, Jones ordered his congregation to drink a cyanide-laced soft drink in the Jonestown mass suicide. Those who resisted were shot, strangled or injected with cyanide. Jones was found with a shot wound in his head. Upon investigation his body contained high doses of drugs. In all, 914 people died. Mind control theories are based on the premise that an outside source can control an individual's thinking, behavior or consciousness. Such theories have ethical and legal implications. The mind control theories as applied to membership in new religious movents assumes that no one would join such a group if he knew what he was getting into. In Helter Skelter, Bugliosi states about Manson's control over his ‘family' â€Å"A domination so complete, that they would do anything he told them to do. Including murder. Getting this evidence was especially difficult because Manson rarely gave direct orders. Usually, he'd suggest, rather than command, though his suggestions had the force of commands†(287). The recruit is not to be held responsible for his actions, since he was â€Å"under control†. Neither scientists nor sociologists generally consider this model a viable theory. Theories vary as to the degree of control attained and the methods used to attain it (either direct or more subtle). When these methods are used forcibly on captives, most sources refer to it as â€Å"brainwashing† Although to their followers, Reverend Jim Jones and Charles Manson were all messianic and each possessed the uncommon ability to totally control and dominate the lives of those who believed in them. Clearly, many influences from the outside world influence people's minds, such as advertising, media manipulation, and propaganda. Politics plays a role in the forming of cults. Charles Manson had a hatred towards police. In Helter Skelter, Manson states â€Å"I have x'd myself from your world. You have created the monster. I am not of you, from you, nor do I condone your unjust attitude toward things, animals, and people that you do not try to understand. I stand opposed to what you do and have done in the past. You make fun of God and have murdered the world in the name of Jesus Christ. My faith in me is stronger than all of your armies, governments, gas chambers or anything you may want to do to me. I know what I have done. Your courtroom is man's game. Love is my judge†(Bugliosi 412). His hatred was directed towards them because he believed that they were the ones that created him into a monster. Therefore, cult leaders are powerful through psychological offenses, the people that belong to their cults are brainwashed into doing things they wouldn't normally do in their right state of mind. Cult leaders used various ways of molding a follower's mind and brainwashing them to do things for them. Some cult leaders used punishments as a way of breaking the follower's that were resistant to their demands. Others used and perfected the art of persuasion. Either way, the mind of their followers or ‘family' are in total control of the leader.

Gambling and Public Policies

A public policy is a deliberate preparation of action created and expected to direct and assist decision making in able to attain rational outcomes. The word â€Å"public policy† applies to different sectors of the society. This includes: government, the private sector, non-government organizations, groups and other individuals. Examples of public policies are taken from presidential executive orders, corporate privacy policies, and parliamentary rules of order and other similar laws. Public policies are different from rules or laws.Laws can induce or prohibit behaviors while a policy merely guides actions on the way to those that are most likely to accomplish their desired outcomes. Public policies can be viewed and seen as political, management, financial, and administrative mechanisms that are created and arranged to reach specific goals. Gambling Casting lots and playing board games have moved to online casinos, peer to peer gambling and sports gambling. What does a casino , a roulette wheel and other forms of gambling have in common? They all provide a huge chance of winning loads of money.This is because they are based on the principle of greed and sloth. Presently, our casino’s today marks a lot in history. The very idea that makes people gamble has been going on since the creation of men. (Higgins, 2006) This paper will focus on positive and negative effects of gambling, other forms of gambling like gambling on sports and finally after providing enough information about the different aspects of gambling as a whole and how public policies affect this. This paper will give a statement of whether gambling o sports in the USA should be legalized or not.Just like everything in this wretched world, I believe that gambling has its good side and bad side. There are a lot of positive benefits of gambling that a lot of persons are not even being aware of. It is always important to look at both this sides of the story before deciding whether or not ga mbling is a good idea or not. There will always be many negative effects of gambling on people and society. One of the most common positive features of gambling in sports is that many people enjoy the gambling as a sport and hobby. These people don’t have any problems with gambling at all. These are the positive sides of gambling issue.Gambling on sports provides a lot of money for community raising activities The argument clearly tells us that people who are having fun with gambling shouldn’t suffer just because other people are having a hard times controlling themselves. In my opinion, there are many positive and negative sides of gambling. All these effects include the effects of gambling on families. Spending all your money on gambling is one of the problems of gambling. This act will affect your family. They will have nothing to spend, nothing to eat, nothing drink, and nothing to pay bills and other stuff.Internet gambling only made the situation much worse. Gamb ling on the internet made a lot of people lose huge amounts of money because of its easy accessibility. However, all of the money which is spent on gambling is used to help a lot of people so this gives us another aspect about the story of gambling. Public Policies and Gambling Public policies greatly affect the gambling scene because they either promote or prohibit the gambling scene. Most of the time, state policies regarding gambling are in favor of the act. Most of them are having this â€Å"legalized gambling† policy.Discussing about legalized gambling will bring us to a point which we should evaluate our own knowledge on this matter. Doing legalized gambling is a very confusing act. One of the things that get often overlooked in the idea that gambling is wrong is the benefits of legalized gambling in sports. So many people say that gambling is wrong and they fail to notice that there are benefits of legalized gambling. (Ahlberg et al. , 2004) The benefits of legalized c asino gambling are that sometimes people are gambling for fun and for entertainment, and the money that they spend is then being used for good.People fail to notice these legalized gambling benefits, because sometimes the cost of legal gambling vs. benefits is something that is really hard for some people to discover. . Even though there are lots of people with gambling problems in sports, there are also lots of benefits of legalized gambling in sports. (Ghanimian et al. , 2006) If people with problems can seek help, then the benefits of legalized gambling can be shared by everyone. It is simply too hard for some people to see that there might be benefits to legalized gambling in sports, because it is true that lots of people’s lives have been destroyed by gambling.However, gambling in sports makes lots of money for the state, and this money goes to many different programs, some of which even help people who have gambling problems. There are simply a lot of benefits to weight before a decision is made. Conclusion Gambling in sports, obviously presents strong proof and confirmation that humans still possess the greed and sloth in their mind and body. Without thinking a lot about the consequences, many of today’s citizens still do a lot of gambling and spend a lot of money in â€Å"chance† games whether it is gambling related in sports, cockfighting, card games, or just a simple guessing game.Advertisements and attractive promos give way to the impending financial crisis of people and families who are affected by snakes of the gambling syndrome. No matter how many laws we the government creates to control or suppress it. It will always come out on top. Why? This is because it is human nature to desire for more and do it the risky way. Legalized gambling will make people realize that if they already lost everything then they only have themselves to blame. It is always the responsibility of each individual to take care of his/her own self.If y ou gamble a lot then you must be ready for the consequences. Everything in this world has its own limits. People who do not control themselves in gambling will really destroy their lives and families. Knowing when to stop and how to stop should always be in the minds of gamblers. Laws that ban gambling in certain areas only fuel the desires of gamblers to do more gambling. It is better to legalize gambling because it helps the economy. Individual problems of people who are addicted to gambling should not be the point of interest. We are responsible for ourselves and for own actions.Legalizing gambling around the world will generate a lot of money to help the needy and the poor people. It should be our principle that everything in excess is BAD. Self control is the answer to all gambling related problems, not laws or even bans stop the desire for gambling. It is SELF-CONTROL. Works Cited Ahlberg, P. E. and Clack, J. A. â€Å"Anti Gambling. † Natural ,410 (2004): 737–759 . Carroll, R. L. ,. Effects of Gambling, NY: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1988. Daeschler, E. B. , and Shubin, Neil.. Casino Madness Chance Games, 391(1998):133. Daeschler, E. B. , Shubin, N. H. , and Jenkins, F. A. , Jr. â€Å"Double Digits.† Femme Royale, 410 (2002): 717–793. Shiraz Ghanimian and David Saryan. Money Talks. Summary. California State Convention 2006. Higgins, P.. â€Å"Casino Man: Case of the Relentless† 2006. 1 Mar 2006 Muller, G. B. â€Å"Economic Crisis† J. evol. biol. 10 (1997): 821-828. Patterson, R. Gamling Exposed. NY: Macmillan, 2007. Poctja and Springer. History of Gambling. The American Geographical Institute and The Paleontological Society, 2002. Poctja and Springer. Evolution of Men and their Crimes. The American Geographical Institute and The Paleontological Society, 2004. Lolo and Lola. Game On. The Journal of the American Casino, 2005.

Controversies in Organ Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Controversies in Organ Trade - Essay Example The author of the paper states that since health and money are two of the major considerations in life, the rich but sickly individual may be willing to buy an organ being sold in order to survive, while the poor having normal health would be willing to sell his body organ in return for a reasonable amount of money also for survival, given that either’s lives will not be put into high risk of harm. This argument may be viewed as a win-win situation by the proponents of organ trade while the oppositions, in contrast, may view this as a form of human exploitation. While commercialization of human organ is still illegal, the number of individuals waiting for organ transplant will continue to rise due to shortage of donors. To begin with, the legality of organ donation was honored in 1984 when the U.S. Congress passed the National Organ Transplant Act or NOTA in an effort to strengthen the nation’s ability to provide organs for transplant (Greussner and Benedetti 16). The N OTA strictly prohibits the commercial enterprise (buying/selling) in organ transplantation and provides protection and safety for the living donors (Greussner and Benedetti 17). In the U.S., as well as in all other countries, organ trafficking for profit is illegal, except in Iran (Cholia). With the ethical aspect, the net positive balance between recipient risk/benefit and donor risk/benefit justifies the use of living donors for organ transplantation (Greussner and Benedetti 17). Furthermore, the importance of organ donation is no longer debatable as it has already been proven that organ transplantation saves life. The need for solid organ transplantation has rapidly expanded beyond the supply of available organ donors and the most of which are in need of kidney transplant (Gruessner and Benedetti 16). The Organ Procurement Transplantation Network or OPTN showed 26,218 successful transplants and 13,252 donors from January to November 2010. Base on the above figures, it can be noti ced that the number of donors is just slightly above 10% of the total number of individuals waiting for donated organ transplants. In spite of the various promotional efforts by the authorities in-charged in organ donation, the reluctance of the people to voluntarily donate their body organs still remains. Could it be the lack of compensatory return that is worthy for the risk the donors will be taking? Because of this imbalance issues in the scheme of voluntarism for organ donation, some people in great need resorted to opt in the black market where there is greater access for organs from persons who are willing to provide healthy organs in exchange for money. Suddath and A. Altman presented the existence of organ black market when Levy Izhak Rosenbaum, a New York City resident, was accused to orchestrate the sale of a human kidney for $160,000. They added that most sales take place in developing countries, where a kidney can often be purchased for the price of a high-end TV. The W orld Health Organization also stated that through the purchase and sale of transplant organs from live donors are prohibited in many countries, the shortage of an indigenous supply of organs has led to the development of the international organ trade, where potential recipients travel abroad to obtain organs through commercial transactions (Shimazono).  

Engineering Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Engineering Strategy - Essay Example New product introduction strategies play a vital role in the success or failure of a new product in the market (Schneider & Yocum, 2004: 15). The Rover 75 was produced by the British automobile manufacturers, the Rover Group and the MG Rover. This model of vehicles was produced from 1998 to 2005. The compact executive car was introduced to the public in 1998 Birmingham Motor Show and the sales began in February 1999. Notably, it was the first rover to be sold in North America. As the vehicle was being introduced to the public, the manufacturers aimed at establishing a larger and more profitable market compared to the existing BMW series that were already a favorite to many. They had this factor in mind even during production and they had to make a car that was far much better than the BMW series. During the launch of the Rover 75, there was a speech that was meant at demeaning to financial standing of the British government to support the production of the Rover 75. The public took this to mean that the vehicle was substandard and would not match up to the BMW series. This thought definitely scared off many potential buyers and the manufacturers had to come up with better strategies to market their product (Jex, 2006: 98). The first introduction strategy they devised was introducing the model to the staff of the manufacturing company. These would be the immediate people who would get first-hand experience in what the car had to offer. From there, the staff and members of their family would extend information on the experience to those around them. This strategy worked as the car was soon embraced by the staff, their families and friends who created a good base for the market. The embrace that the Rover 75 got from this people eventually spilled over to the rest of the country and British as well. As early as 2000, the company recorded tremendous increase in sales

English Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English - Research Paper Example Seeking happiness means setting achievable standards mentally and striving to reach such position regardless of the situation one is. Therefore, I believe that the achievement of happiness is independent of one’s health or wealth, but these can act to impede or make it hard for one to achieve happiness. At the point of starting to be happy, a decision has to be made albeit mentally that the person wishes to achieve happiness. The happiness to be achieved can be attached to the achievement of something else such as a degree or it can be attached to nothing. At times when the happiness is attached to something, the thing that happiness is attached is usually something that a person seeking happiness knows or feels that it will give him contentment. When the achievement of happiness is not attached to the achievement of something else, the person still has to fight emotional battles in order to reach a position of happiness. The standard that one has set to cause happiness depends on the upbringing of the person and also the experiences that a person has to pass through to where he is. Inexperienced persons, and those who did not lack anything in life have a high expectation on happiness and are usually unhappy and discouraged when they do not achieve the standards they have set. Thos e people who have had stricter experiences in life, or those who have had a chance to interact with challenged people in society usually have lesser standards of happiness, and value those things which cannot be bought in life such as good health. A person who has ever been admitted or who has fallen sick because of chronic conditions will appreciate the concept of good health and will be happier when in good health than other people at similar health. It is entirely upon someone to decide that they want to be happy, and happiness is a very subjective matter, and what

Why patient satisfaction is important economically Essay

Why patient satisfaction is important economically - Essay Example The first objective is to come up with data of patient’s perspective of care that will help obtain what is important to the customers. The second objective is to create report that will help hospitals improve their service care. The third objective is to come up with public report to enhance accountability, transparency and quality of care out of the public investment made. It is therefore clear that there is indeed an attempt to improve or achieve patient satisfaction in health care. It is therefore essential to understand that in health care, it is not just important to consider generation of profit, but from an economic perspective patient satisfaction should be above all. Patients: Sources of health care providers’ income Patients are the ones who are served by various health care providers. Patients help the latter to generate their income. Thus, there are various economic incentives that help to achieve or generate user satisfaction. One of these incentives is on quality of professional life that tries to encourage physicians to realize their burden for their patients. However, this move is said to only increase the expectations of health care professionals to long for strong structure of management support that may only end up giving negative impact on the user’s satisfaction (Badia et al., 2007).

Public Relations Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Public Relations Plan - Essay Example The College height is to create a competitive private sector, which accommodates the diverse academic fields that the world can offer. Our institution boasts of lodging seven schools in its park. The present faculties are growing to put up with the blissful near future our college is set to thrive in it. As an institution, we believe we are growing from the nugget of a small private college that was to a multi-national academic footprint. The history of this park, where the vast buildings of this college sit; have an olden times of a long tradition of education, and magnificent achievement. The institution will grow from the well re-known London Zoo it harbors to a better academic institution with distinction (Duhe, 2007:21). The presidential visit provides us with a ripe time to highlight what the institution boasts of and what it can offer. Like every other Educational Institution, this possibility of a stately visit lays our grounds to grow in the eyes of the world. The few minute s of grace and honor presented to us by the president calls for proper channeling for the benefit of the entire Regent College. It is an opportunity that opens us to the international focus. Regent’s College, which has grown into a multi-disciplinary campus community, will rise up to the pinnacle of the seven world-renowned schools if we utilize the president’s visit amicably. This public relation plan efforts divines the event goals: the presidential visit to serve as a friendraiser for the institution. As an academic community, we would like to harvest as many beneficiaries globally to our institution as possible. This in return will increase the scholars’ attendance, inform new global audience, in better way educate, and inform our public. Planning and programming Audience Having drawn seven successful colleges in its Villa Park grounds, the presidential visit should attract not only the internal scholars but also the international community. The president wi ll address a range of audience who will substantially benefit. Regent’s fraternity is bound to witness a tumult of internal audience. From this view, we will have full attendance of the internal scholars, parents and guardians, kids and teaching staff (Watson, 2007:12). Every faculty will also parade its staff and the personnel’s owing to its success. The speech is destined to address the uncommon path of its success and the possible reason for its unmatched itinerary. The internal audience will keenly want to hear their stake in comparison to the other international academic community. The College has preserved enough space as well for the external audience. The presidential speech will be a reason for the general public, volunteer groups and charity organizations. All this, being put into place; is to highlight the expansiveness of the historical park and its viability to develop still further. The potential and existing founders and commissioners, service users, pol itical and professional stakeholders expected to gather at Regent’s College will form part of the multitude the president will address. They will be all in not to listen to eloquent American president, but also to listen a powerful person speak of their own Regent College. Key messages The presidents speak will be key to the public. His messages must communicate in order to reach the

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology - Book Review Literature

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology - Book - Literature review Example Yet Barley doesn’t think that the anthropologists who are so respected for having lived among exotic cultures contribute very much to the body of knowledge of anthropological study. Barley comes off as being against the idea of fieldwork from the start, and paints it as something that is unduly revered and not tremendously useful for modern anthropological study. He then explains that despite these misgivings, he did what was expected of him and went into the field to do his own direct observation of a little known culture. He gives a harrowing and often hilarious account of his trials and tribulations, first of his attempts to get his course of study approved, then his attempts to get into Cameroon and deal with the odd practices of African bureaucracy, and then of his time living with the Dowayo people. This book gives the anthropological account of the Dowayo people that Barley was expected to collect during his stay with them in Cameroon, but it also serves as a cautionary tale about giving undue reverence to anthropological fieldwork. Most importantly, it gives a realistic and funny look at what anthropologists who are just starting out in the field can expect, or rather a warning about all the things that they can never expect. It is especially of interest to anthropology students and working anthropologists, but it is also a great read for practically anyone, whether they are people who are interested in anthropology, people who want to learn about tribal cultures from around the world, or just people who enjoy a good comedy. The best part of The Innocent Anthropologist is the sharp and witty writing style. It serves as both a contribution to academic knowledge and as a biting satire of certain academic practices at the same time. Barley draws the readers in and brings us along for the ride. Through his sharp eyes we see the hilarious absurdities and strange ironies he encounters in his quest to become a ‘real’ anthropologist. The boo k also paints a fascinating picture of the Dowayo people. Through Barley’s eyes we get to take a look at a unique culture, with very different ideas about the most basic parts of language and life. It practically boggles the mind to see how differently the Dowayo think about things our culture takes for granted, like hypothetical questions. It serves to teach us that our way of thinking is not the only way of thinking, and that even ideas that we think are so simple as to be a given are not necessarily universal. The only weaknesses I could see in the book were that Barley didn’t only joke about not liking fieldwork; he genuinely seemed to detest it, and always seemed somewhat contemptuous of the people he lived with and observed for so long. While the picture he painted of the Dowayo was fascinating, the author’s tone always hinted at condescension and superiority. I was expecting a revelation at some point that he saw redeeming qualities in the people, but tha t moment never really came to any satisfactory degree. As a reader I was more interested in the Dowayo people than the writer ever seemed to be. He tells of times when hearing their explanations for things like illnesses â€Å"annoyed [him] beyond all measure† (Barley 1980:114). The author does his best to paint a picture of a love/hate relationship, and wants to do his best to get into the work the way that he is supposed to, but it is clear that

London Olympics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

London Olympics - Essay Example Sustainability is not probable as long as the expansion of capital enlarges the ranks of the poor and impedes the access to the resources needed for mere survival (Adams. 1992). Capitalism no longer needs growing armies of unemployed to ensure low wages, nor need it control vast areas to secure regular access to the raw materials and primary products for its productive machine; these inputs are now assured by new institutional arrangements that modified social and productive structures to fit the needs of capital (Lewis. 1954). At present, however, great excesses are generated, excesses that impoverish people and ravage the regions. Profound changes are required to facilitate a strategy of sustainable development. Ecotourism development strategies may contribute to promoting a new form of dualism: a dual structure that permits people to rebuild the rural societies, produce goods and services in a sustainable fashion while expanding the environmental stewardship services they have alw ays provided (Sen. 1981). In the absolute analysis, it is rediscovered tha... J., C. J. M. Musters, et al. 1996). Even in the poorest of countries, social chasms not only prevent resources from being used to ameliorate the situation, but in fact compound the damage by forcing people from the communities and denying them the opportunities to develop their own solutions (Baker, S., M. Kousis, et al. 1997). For this reason, the search for sustainability involves a dual strategy: on the one hand, it must involve an unleashing of the bonds that restrain people from strengthening the organizations, or making new ones, to use the relatively meagre resources to search for an alternative and autonomous resolution to the problems. On the other hand, a sustainable development strategy must contribute to the forging of a new social pact, cemented in the recognition that the eradication of poverty and the democratic incorporation of the disenfranchised into a more diverse productive structure are essential. In an Olympic first, the new policy confirms London 2012's commitment to the innovative 'One Planet Olympics' theme, which links enhancement of the local environment and sustainable development initiatives to tackling global issues such as climate change. Sustainability, then, is about the struggle for diversity in all its dimensions (Barraclough. 1991). International campaigns to conserve germplasm, to protect endangered species, and to create reserves of the biosphere are multiplying in reaction to the mounting offensive, while communities and their hard pressed members struggle against powerful external forces to defend their individuality, their rights and ability to survive while trying to provide for their brethren. The concern for biodiversity, in its broadest sense, encompasses not only threatened flora and fauna, but also the

Breastfeeding moms college graduation by Lisa Flam Essay

Breastfeeding moms college graduation by Lisa Flam - Essay Example One hereby asserts that the display of information that the article exposed was inappropriate for the venue and situation. Initially, the author presented the point of view of Thurman who argued that she had no inclination that posting the photo would generate such a controversial stir. Thurman was acknowledged to have decided to post the photo in a Facebook page, Black Women Do Breastfeed, to holistically support another woman who was noted to be a recipient of dirty looks while she apparently breastfed in public. In her honest reaction, she was disclosed to indicate that she believed breastfeeding is natural and that there is nothing wrong, even if the nursing is done in public. In addition, some of her classmates, who attended the May 22 graduation ceremony was reported to have quipped that the act was cool and some even commended her for promoting breastfeeding. Flam indicated in the article that the public display came at an opportune time when the promotion was most needed. Cit ing a pediatrician, Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter, from Cooper University Hospital, black women were reported to have the lowest breastfeeding rates among women of ethnic origin (Flam). Concurrently, although there were comments relaying support for breastfeeding, subsequent reactions from those who encountered the post were noted to have signified negative comments. For those who had opposing views regarding breastfeeding in public. For those who had opposing views regarding breastfeeding in the public.

Osmosis and Potato Chips Essay Example for Free

Osmosis and Potato Chips Essay Osmosis is the movement of water from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration across a semi permeable membrane. An osmotic system is established when a semi-permeable membrane is placed between two solutions. In this biological systems context, osmosis is the exchange of water between the potato cell and the surrounding medium of varying sucrose concentrated solutions, with the plasma membrane being the semi- permeable membrane. Because water molecules have kinetic energy, they are constantly moving around in gaseous or liquid form, moving randomly from one place or another. The greater the concentration of water molecules in a system or solution, the greater the total kinetic energy, and the higher its water potential. This means, that as the concentration of glucose increases in a solution, the concentration of water decreases, lessening the solutions water potential, and lessening its ability to move between solutions by osmosis. Relating this to the potato chips: basically, as the concentration of glucose in each solution increases, the water in that solution is less able to move to the potato as there is a higher concentration of water in the potato chip than in the highly concentrated sucrose solution, causing water from the potato to move to the solution, thereby achieving a percentage loss in mass. At concentrations such as 0.0molL-1 and 0.9molL-1, the concentration gradient is steeper; therefore the rate of diffusion is quicker. For the potato chips in the hypertonic 0.9 sucrose solution, the concentration of water molecules in the potato chip cells is greater than the water molecules in the 0.9 sucrose solution. This means that through the process of osmosis, water molecules will move from the potato cell through its semi permeable membrane and into the sucrose solution, therefore resulting in a percentage loss in mass of the potato chips as depicted by my results (a loss of XXX%), thereby justifying w hy the potato chips in the 0.9 sucrose solution being plasmolyzed. In comparison, in the hypotonic tap water solution, the tap water with no sucrose solution (0.0) will have greater water concentration compared to the potato chip, forming a steeper concentration gradient. This means that through the process of osmosis, water molecules will move from the tap water solution through the potato chip cells semi permeable membrane and into the sucrose solution resulting in the rate of water movement from the tap water solution to the cells in the potato chips to be quicker, resulting in a net percentage gain of mass  as shown by my results (a gain of XXX%), therefore justifying why the potato chips in the tap water solution became turgid. As the potato chips are placed into sucrose solutions which concentrations of sucrose are closer to the approximate isotonic range (0.1-0.2), the concentration gradient between the semi permeable membrane of the potato chip cells and sucrose solutions decreases, thereby resulting in the potato chips in the 0.1 solution having only a slight percentage mass increase while the potato chips in the 0.3 sucrose solution having a lower percentage mass loss compared to the potato chips in the 0.9 sucrose solution over the approximate 24-hour period. In the living cell, both the cell wall and plasma membrane determine the permeability of the cell, but the latter of the two is the least permeable of the two. The ability of a substance to pass through these barriers is known as the permeation of the substance. Since not all substances may pass into or out of the cell, the cell surface is known as selectively permeable or as a semi permeable membrane. The semi permeability varies from cell to cell and under certain conditions. A solution in which the concentration of sucrose is greater than that inside the cell is called a Hypertonic solution and will cause a cell to become plasmolyzed. An example of this in my results is the test at 1 molar. In other words, it becomes dehydrated and loses water through plasmolysis. If the concentration of the sucrose solution outside the cell is less than that inside the cell, this means that the solution is Hypotonic to the cells of the potato chip. The water will diffuse into the cells, making it turgid. This would explain why potato chips put into a solution of 0 molar seemed very firm compared to the potato chip used for 1 molar, this was because the cells of the potato had lost their turgor, and had become flaccid. To conclude this, I can say that the movement of water through a selectively permeable membrane is affected by concentration of glucose solution, or by any other solution. The higher the concentration of glucose solution, the potato chip will have a net percentage loss in mass.

Customer Value Management: Advantages and Disadvantages

Customer Value Management: Advantages and Disadvantages Executive Summary What is this report about? This report aims to identify the importance and long term benefits from adopting a customer value management (CVM) strategy for a life insurance company (â€Å"insurer†) in Singapore. It highlights the reasons why insurers need to adopt a CVM strategy and showcases the various means by which the strategies facilitate customer satisfaction which in turn results in profitability for the insurer. By following a well planned CVM Framework, an insurer will be able to analyze customer data, calculate profitability per customer, identify key customer drivers, and segment customers, thus targeting the right customer with the right product at the right time using the right channel of distribution. The report will benefit an insurer already based in Singapore as it highlights best practices and case studies of existing players in Asia and what they are doing to acquire and retain new customers in this region. The insurer can also focus on the key drivers and specific needs of the insurance customer in Singapore and position itself accordingly. Along with the CVM Framework, the analysis and recommendations from our research will benefit a life insurer in determining whether or not it is aptly positioned to penetrate the life insurance industry in Singapore and to a large extent the Asia Pacific market. Research Methodology For the purpose of this report we performed both primary and secondary research which assisted us in refining our objectives as described in Figure 1: Customer Value Management (CVM) Framework Based on our secondary research we described the process flow for a CVM framework for a life insurance company. The successful implementation of a CVM based strategy involved understanding and performing the following key processes: Best Practices of CVM in the Life Insurance Industry Highlights of the best practices followed by insurers, brokers and advisors in the Asia Pacific region are depicted. Introduction What is CVM? In industries where products, marketing promotions and channels are transitory, organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of customer relationships. Today customer relationships play a very important role in increasing the profits of any organization. There are reports which suggest that customer retention of 5% may increase the profits of a company by 25% or more[1]. An organization experiences increase in profits primarily when the customer makes more purchases thereby offsetting the acquisition cost. Efficient customers over a period of time tend to be more cost effective to service as they are well versed to dealing with the organization. Loyal customers are a source of value for an organization but are scarce in nature and managers must maximize customer value and formulate strategies to successfully measure and align it with the organizations goals. As we evolve from product centric to customer centric marketing, a set of best practices are emerging to measure and increase the lifetime of the customer. These practices are defined as Customer Value Management[2]. CVM in the Life Insurance Industry The life insurance industry, long considered a pillar of stability, is now facing major challenges stemming from various internal and external factors: With increased competition as a result of globalization and the de-regulation of markets worldwide, several new entrants have entered the playing field making customer acquisition and retention all the more challenging. These new entrants include financial institutions such as banks and security firms. Advent of new technologies is challenging the effectiveness of previously established product distribution channels and has given the customer access to shop for life insurance products from multiple web based platforms such as www.policybazaar.com in India and www.compuquotes.com in the United States, with each offering different quotes for the same product offered by various organizations (life insurance companies)[3]. Rising costs as a result of high number of fraudulent activities is declining the life insurance industrys profitability. The strategies deployed by organizations to tackle these challenges will have a profound effect on both short and long term profitability. One such strategy that can make a positive impact on the profitability of an organization is Customer Value Management. Customer Value Management (CVM) from a life insurers perspective revolves around the identification of each profitable customer. Upon identifying this customer, CVM techniques can be used to measure the return on investment made by the organization in acquisition, growth and retention of the profitable customer. If the return on investment from the profitable customer is positive then the insurer should further implement strategies to maximize the lifetime value of its relationship. At the same time CVM solutions also facilitate an organization in: Segmenting customers by similar risk profiles Improving cross selling and up-selling programs Improving the effectiveness of the marketing campaign Maximizing profitability The successful implementation of a CVM strategy also involves the identification of the following: Right Customer Objective Identifying profitable customers and reducing customer acquisition costs. Traditional Practice Acquire competitors customers irrespective of profitability from each customer. Current Practice Acquisition of only profitable customers likely to generate repeat business. Example Consider two life insurance companies, one that focuses on providing life insurance products to â€Å"safe customers† and the other serves customers that fall in the high risk category; individuals engaged in adventure sports and activities such as mountaineering, cliff diving, cave exploration etc. The â€Å"safe customer† company would be acquiring the wrong customers by advertising in adventure sports magazines. Advantages Lower customer acquisition costs Higher profitability per customer Right Product Objective Providing the right customer with the right product thereby increasing customer retention and reducing costs. Traditional Practice Providing an array of life products irrespective of the customers preference and need resulting in customer dissatisfaction and attrition. Current Practice Providing only those products as desired by the right customer by segregating them on the basis of demographics, purchasing habits, lifestyle and risk factors. Example In Europe, life and health insurance companies determined that majority of their customers wanted to be fit and live a healthier lifestyle. Insurers provided their customers with a product which included incentives such as discounts on health club memberships and seminars on nutrition and healthy eating. Advantages Increase in customer retention Increase in cross and up selling opportunities Decrease in the number of claims filed Right Channel Objective Having identified the right customer and the right product for that customer, approaching the customer using a preferred channel of distribution. Traditional Practice Direct-response[4] marketing such as direct-mail and telemarketing targeted towards all customer segments including those that preferred a face-to-face meeting. Before the advent of Web 2.0 organizations relied on marketing intermediaries such as agents and brokers. Current Practice Besides using traditional direct-response marketing media and intermediaries, organizations have also launched web portals, comparison websites, and formed distribution alliances with financial institutions to sell products. Examples A study conducted by a British firm, Datamonitor in 2007, revealed that aggregators and comparison websites account for instigating 22% of individuals seeking motor insurance[5]. Likewise websites such as www.policybazar.com in India target price conscious customers seeking better deals online. Another study by Datamonitor revealed that in 2007, 37% of those individuals that purchased insurance online changed their provider upon renewal as compared to 17% that purchased through call centers[6]. The recent bank assurance alliance between Prudential Corporation Asia and UOB Life Insurance Limited will give Prudential the opportunity to sell its products to UOB customers in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. Advantages Offer more comprehensive life insurance products through direct-response marketing methods. High response rates from personalized direct-response methods Well informed customers and higher customer retention Right Timing Objective To make the sale and to win a customer for life by marketing the right product at the right time. Traditional Practice Organizations either marketed the right product at the wrong time or were unable to identify the right time to promote a product. In either case the customer was not acquired and/or retained. Current Practice With the use of sophisticated data analytic tools, organizations are able to predict customers future purchasing habits with the passing of each life stage. They then target the customer whose life insurance needs change due to: Marriage Birth of child Schooling of child Marriage of child Retirement Example Customer A bought a life insurance policy a couple of years ago and declined coverage for her immediate family citing lack of disposable income. However, Customer As preferences may have changed now and assuming her experience with the product, customer service, and the insurer has been satisfactory thus far and she has a higher disposable income than she did earlier, she can be contacted again for buying life insurance for her family. Advantages Increased cross and up selling opportunities Increased customer retention Decreased customer defection Customer Perception of the Life Insurance Industry Life insurance products are considered by many as complex yet much needed to minimize risk. Organizations have come up with products that meet the needs of the individual customer, however because the insurance contracts are fraught with complex legal terms, the customer ends up perceiving the life insurance industry as one that is not transparent and â€Å"user-friendly†. Furthermore, customers consider insurers as organizations that are only interested in ensuring that their customers pay their policy premiums on time; however when its time for the insurer to resolve a claim or a dispute the turnaround time is slow resulting in frustration and anxiety for the customer. To cite an example of customer perception towards the insurance industry, an insurance survey by IBM and University of St. Gallen in Switzerland revealed that roughly 60% of the participants[7] did not completely trust their insurance company. Because of such negative perceptions the insurer faces a high rate of customer defection. As the cost of acquiring a new customer are much more than the cost involved in retaining an existing one, insurers are coming up with innovative methods to build and foster a long term relationship with their valuable customers: Creating trust and reliability: More than 80% of the participants in the IBM and University of St. Gallen insurance survey placed a high value to honesty and trustworthiness and building a solid reputation in the market has become ever so more important for an insurer. Organizations are taking actions to build trust and credibility by: Modifying the legal jargon in insurance contracts to simple, brief and layman terms. Remodeling the direct selling agents compensation package to include commissions based on parameters such as repeat sales and customer retention, thereby encouraging them to act more customer oriented. Establishing social communities such as interactive web portals, blogs and chat forums, thereby fostering communication with the customer. This strategy has also given insurers with invaluable information about the customers evolving needs. Creating an ensemble of touch-points: This strategy involves personalizing the approach to customers and making meaningful touch points available to generate a positive and rewarding experience for customers and the organization. For instance, price sensitive customers rely on the Internet when shopping for a life insurance policy, whereas relationship oriented customers seek advice from insurance agents / brokers and banks. Various touch-points available for customers of a life insurer can be bucketed as depicted in Figure 6. Therefore, it is essential for an organization to plan carefully before deploying or cutting back on any of the above touch points. For instance, in the first quarter of 2009 tied agency channels contributed to 59%[8] of total new business generated in Singapore. If an insurer were to downsize its tied agency channel it could result in a high rate of customer defection for a customer segment that seeks a personal relationship based on reliability, sound advice, and competence. Being flexible to the customers needs: The insurer should make room to tailor the offerings to the specific requirement of the profitable customer. Furthermore, in the life insurance industry, multiple insurers offer similar products but the ones that offer flexibility are the ones that are able to hold their market position as well as attract the competitors customers. In North America and Europe, customers have identified various aspects of flexibility from their insurance providers. These aspects are covered in Figure 7. As customers in the Asia Pacific region become more and more sophisticated for their life insurance needs they will require similar levels of flexibility (as noted above). Need for CVM in the Life Insurance Industry Based on the challenges faced by players in the global life insurance industry, we have identified the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) typical to the industry and the impact of such on the insurer as well as the customer. The objective of the exercise is three-fold: Firstly, identify the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the life insurance industry. Secondly, identify the impact of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats on the insurers and their customers. Thirdly, to justify how an insurer can implement strategies and solutions to mitigate the weaknesses and threats and capitalize on strengths and opportunities. STRENGTH KEY STRENGTHS IMPACT ON INSURER IMPACT ON CUSTOMER STRATEGY Consolidated customer and marketing databases. More accurate prediction of changing customer needs Faster turnaround time in resolving claims and disputes. Customer has products that meet insurance/investment needs. The systems and customer data should be shared across the organization to promote innovation in business solutions. Multiple products offerings Targeting and acquiring various customer segments Increases customer retention by cross selling and up selling Customers have multiple products to meet their changing needs and circumstances. Identify the most profitable customer segment and retain them by offering innovative products and quality service. Multiple distribution channels. Increased profitability. Multiple distribution channels have given access to a wider customer base. Customers obtain product knowledge from their preferred touch points. Increases brand perception and product knowledge. Target specific customer segments through cost effective and customer preferred distribution channels. Flexible payment options (ex. payment in installments, cash, cheques, and credit/debit cards). Increases revenue generation, customer acquisition, and retention. Customer values flexibility and convenience and remains loyal. Marketing strategy to showcase the differentiating factors not provided by competitors. WEAKNESS KEY WEAKNESSES IMPACT ON INSURER IMPACT ON CUSTOMER STRATEGY Important customer data resides in silos resulting in poorly defined customer segments. Customer information resides with different departments preventing a holistic view of the customer. Wrong products sold to the wrong customers resulting in customer dissatisfaction. Consolidate and analyze customer data residing in various systems to identify profitable customer segments likely to do repeat purchases. Lack of information sharing across departments marked with territoriality and fierce internal competition. Results in weak product orientation and ineffective cross selling and up selling opportunities. Results in defection to competitor as insurance needs are not satisfied. Develop a common repository of customer data to provide various departments with the ability to develop products and provide quick response to changing needs. Lack of trust and reliability on the insurer. Negative reputation leads to mass customer defection. Un-satisfied customers pass on the poor experience to prospective customers Promote social computing communities such as blogs, chat forums. Also provides value add information about the customer. Snail paced claims and dispute resolution. Higher costs and time to serve the customer as multiple follow ups are required. Increased customer frustration due to lengthy dispute resolution period. Implement analytical models to predict and quantify the likelihood of claims. Measure and reward employees on time taken to resolve customer disputes. Insurance contracts are loaded with complicated insurance jargon. Increases in cost per customer Customer dissatisfaction and defection Simplify insurance contracts Recruit knowledgeable agents to assist customers. Insurance agents are primarily commission driven and are not customer oriented. Results in tarnishing the insurers reputation. Customer perceives a negative image of the insurer when faced with agents that are solely motivated by profits. Remodel agent compensation to include commissions based on parameters such as repeat sales and customer satisfaction surveys. Make customer centric training programs mandatory for all agents. OPPORTUNITY KEY OPPORTUNITIES IMPACT ON INSURER IMPACT ON CUSTOMER STRATEGY Tie-ups with banks and other FIs will give access to a wider customer base. Lower cost of acquisition of new clients. Lower operational costs. Financial and protection needs are met by a single channel. Develop bancassurance agreements to target a banks customer base. Un-tapped markets such as HNWI and Takaful (Islamic insurance). Access to a wider client base resulting in increase in profitability. Positive brand building exercise.  · Ability to provide protection for themselves and family.  · Diversification of investment strategy for HNWI.  · Launch products to non-mass market segments.  · Organize brand awareness campaigns in locations that are frequented by such segments. Deregulation has opened new markets. Insurers have access to a wider customer base. Competitive premium to the customers. Market entry strategy for de-regulated countries. Since the 3rd quarter of 2009, new business premiums in Singapore have been consistently increasing[9]. Opportunity to re-acquire customers. Multiple product and service offerings at competitive prices. Acquire customers that defaulted during the financial crisis by providing coverage at the same premium or payment in installments. Increased competition from the Internet. High costs involved in changing and/or updating technology platforms. Customers have a clearer idea of product offering and higher bargaining power over insurers. Provide high quality service to convert a one-time online sale by cross selling and up selling. THREAT KEY THREATS IMPACT ON INSURER IMPACT ON CUSTOMER STRATEGY Deregulation of the insurance industry has increased competition from new entrants. Lower profit margins and increased customer acquisition and retention costs. Financial and protection needs are met by a single channel. Joint venture, merger or acquisition with/of a bank and other financial institutions. Increased competition from the Internet. High costs involved in changing and/or updating technology platforms. Customers have a clearer idea of product offering and higher bargaining power over insurers. Provide high quality service to convert a one-time online sale by cross selling and up selling. Develop a powerful and customer friendly web platform. Rising costs due to increase in fraudulent activities. Lower profit margin and increased operational cost. Customer dissatisfaction with high turnaround time for claim resolution. Implement CDI tools to reduce duplication of records and redundant customer data. New government regulations may result in lowering profit margins for the insurer. Inability to serve customer segments resulting in declining profit margins. Customer has limited option of products to choose from or has to pay higher premiums. Develop products that abide by government regulations but at the same time are able to meet customer needs. Implementing a CVM Framework for a Life Insurer Customer Value Management (CVM) provides a systematic methodology of modeling the value proposition relative to competition by putting process improvements into operation and communicating these improvements back to the customer in terms of better service and value add. From a life insurance organizations point of view, customer value management can be structured into the following three components[10]: Analysis Planning Continuous Improvement The three components interact with each other to drive the value proposition of the customer. The components align business operations with the value proposition and create specific action plans to help realize the customer value over a lifetime. CVM components can be further broken down in to a structured process as shown in Figure 8. This is done to deliver the specified objective of implementing a customer value management strategy for a life insurance company (insurer) The phases explained in Figure 8 are summarized in the below section. Analysis The Analysis Phase consists of analyzing data and formulating strategies using data mining techniques to improve the customer profitability. The key processes which are included in this phase are: Data Quality and Single Customer View[11]: To improve profitability from the customers, analysis of the customer data stored in various systems is performed. Thus life insurance companies need to integrate them to understand the customer trends and purchase patterns. Life-time Value Model: Once the data is integrated, it is used to calculate the life time value of existing customers using various available methods. Discounted Cash Flows (DCF) method is one such model. Key Drivers: Key value drivers for a life insurer are determined by analyzing the data from the single customer view and the life time value model. Identifying key drivers that affect the purchasing decisions of a customer and the method by which an organization delivers on those drivers forms an important part of the Analysis Phase. Segmentation: Based on the customer values generated by lifetime value model, the customer segments are segregated into current and future low to high value customers. Further these customers are also segmented based on demographics, customer behavior etc. to capitalize on the current and future trends in the life insurance industry Planning The Planning phase ensures that the information collected after analyzing the data is valid and relevant for improving the customer value. Strategies at product and market level are formulated and implemented in planning phase. The tasks associated with planning phase are: Planning at the Business and Product/Market Level: Campaign planning based on customer segment is associated with planning at product and market level to implement the overall strategy of the organization. Campaign planning may include marketing plans, product development, cross-selling or up-selling of products to existing customers. After the completion of campaign planning, campaigns actions are implemented with intend to improve the customer profitability. [12] Key performance indicators: Based on the overall strategy, key performance indicators are identified based on financials, marketing performance, customer satisfaction, customer retention. These indicators allow insurers to measure the outcome of various actions on a periodic basis. Continuous Improvement Continuous improvement phase includes updating of action plans and strategies to make it more efficient and effective to achieve the organizational objectives. Objectives of continuous improvement are achieved by: Continuous performance measurement: The performance indicators established in the planning phase should be reviewed on a periodic basis to avoid any deviations from the stated objectives of each business unit. Process Improvement: Based on the outputs generated from the actions plans and performance indicators implemented in the planning phase, associated processes and action plans are updated to make it more efficient in achieving the stated objectives. Each phase will be dealt separately and in more detail in the following sections of the report. Analysis The Analysis Phase consists of analyzing data to identify the key drivers which affect the value of a customer and segment customers to improve the profitability of the insurer. The analysis of data establishes a relationship and a trend between the internal information and the market value of customers. This phase includes an analysis of the following processes: Data Quality and Single Customer View Over the past decade, insurance companies have gradually started shifting their focus from policy sales, pricing, and claims to understand the needs of the customers and the possibility of repeat purchases of additional products from these customers. Insurance companies have now started servicing and understanding the customers needs from a holistic perspective and further the insurers efficiency to service their customers is dependent on the information provided by the customers on the use of specific products and services. The information solicited from customers is used by insurance companies in developing new and re-modeling old products, by call customer representatives in providing quality service, and by marketing departments in selling new products to segmented customers. To achieve the above, insurance companies have started stressing on the need for customer data integration (CDI). A typical data integration solution (Figure 9) should encompass the following subsystem in the life insurance organization. An insurer needs to integrate various components of an insurance policy management solution into one and use data mining techniques to recognize the current customer trends, purchase patterns and fraudulent activities. Customer data integration in the insurance industry creates growth in the companys top line by: Improving the design of insurance products and pricing; Increasing the success rate of marketing campaigns; and Improving the overall customer experience resulting in maximization of the customers life time value Similarly, customer data integration also makes a positive impact on the bottom line of a life insurance company by: Streamlining the service centers and leading to shorter call times, resulting in increased customer profitability; and Savings in several operational areas such as claims Figure 10 displays the benefits of customer data integration as it applied to the organization. To further elaborate on how insurers can leverage from customer data integration let us demonstrate its effect on the following areas of the company: Product and Service Offerings: A typical product development process at an insurer is described in Figure 11. The figure highlights the data required from various sub-systems for product development. Data integration reduces the time required for product development using improved analytics. In short the insurer can have the first mover advantage by reducing the product development lifecycle. Insurers also spend a significant amount of time in customizing enrolment materials, benefit summaries, and claim submission forms and reports for a major customer. These activities have a high cost as they require the services of sales, underwriting, compliance, and legal and can wipe out the entire cash flows and profit expectations of the insurer. Here, data integration plays a significant role in formally defining, marketing and tracking these services and developing them. Data integration allows the insurer to integrate information about its target customers and their use of high cost services and bundles these services with the product to improve the pricing model. This enables an insurer to recover its costs incurred in designing the product and services while providing high end customers with value added services at the same time. For example, Eurovida[15], a Portuguese life insurer and part of Grupo Banco Popular faced a challenge of providing its customers with the right products in the most cost effective ways while driving growth, profitability and shareholder value. It was only after they deployed an activity-based management system were they able to consolidate customer and product data thereby determining the profitability of products and the costs incurred in delivering the product and service to the target customers. Marketing and Sales: An immediate advantage of customer data integration in the life insurance industry is the ability to detect and consol

The Competitive Sport Of Nba Basketball Sports Essay

The Competitive Sport Of Nba Basketball Sports Essay 1. Introduction: I would to start by introducing one of the most famous sports around the world; furthermore, it is currently one of the most played sports around the world. This sport is called Basketball, and it is team sportin which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or shooting† aballthrough the top of a basketball hoop while following a set ofrules. While competitive basketball is carefully managed, basketballhad been developed for casual play. Competitive basketball is primarily an indoor sport played on carefully marked and maintainedbasketball courts, but less regulated variations are often played outdoors in both inner city and rural areas TheNational Basketball Association(NBA) is an exciting mens professionalbasketballleague inNorth Americawhich consists of thirty different teams, where twenty-nine are located in theUnited Statesand only one inCanada. The NBA is one of the fourmajor North American professional sports leagues, which includeMajor League Baseball(MLB), theNational Football League(NFL), and theNational Hockey League(NHL). The league was created inNew York Cityo n June 6 ,1946 as theBasketball Association of America(BAA).The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rivalNational Basketball League(NBL). The leagues several managements are directed out of its head offices located in theOlympic Towerat 645Fifth Avenuein New York City. Section 2: NBA Regular seasons After the summer Holiday, teams organize training camps in late September. Training camps are opportunities for players to practice , locate the teams strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the challenging regular seasons, and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list) with which they will begin the regular season. After training camp, a series of preseason games are held. The NBA regular season starts on the last week of October. During the regular season, each team plays 82 games, 41 home and 41 away. A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year (16 games), teams from the other two divisions in its conference either three or four times (36 games), and teams in the other conference twice (30 games). The NBA is also the only league that regularly schedules games onChristmasDay.The league has been playing games regularly on the holiday since 1947,though the first Christmas Day games were not aired on television until1983.Games played on this day have featured some of the best teams and players. In February, the regular season comes to a short stop to celebrate the annualNBA All-Star Game. Fans vote throughout the United States, Canada, and even on theInternet, and the players with the top votes at each position in each conference are given a starting spot on their conferences All-Star team. Coaches vote to choose the remaining 14 All-Stars. Afterwards, Eastern conference players face the Western conference players in the All-Star game. The player with the best performance during the game is rewarded with aMVP (Most valuable player) award. Other events during the   All-Star stop include the Rookie Challenge, where the top rookies and second-year players in the NBA play against each other in a 5-on-5 basketball game; furthermore theSkills Challenge, where players compete to finish an obstacle course including shooting, passing and dribbling in the fastest time. There is also the Three Point Contest, where players compete to score the most amounts of three-point field g oals in a given time, and theNBA Slam Dunk Contest, where players compete to dunk the ball in the most entertaining and exciting way according to the judges. Around the middle of April, the regular season ends. As soon as the season ends, votes for individual and team awardswell begin. TheSixth Man of the Year Awardis given to the best player that was not in the startup line but was later substituted in the game. TheRookie of the Year Awardis awarded to the best first-year player. TheMost Improved Player Awardis awarded to the player who had shown the most improvement from the previous season. TheDefensive Player of the Year Awardis awarded to the leagues best defender. TheCoach of the Year Awardis awarded to the coach that has made the most positive influence into a team. TheMost Valuable Player Awardis given to player who had proved the most valuable for (his team) that season. Section 3: NBA Playoffs NBA Playoffs begin in late April, with eight teams in each conference going for the Championship. The three division winners, along with the team with the next best record from the conference are given the top four Positions. The next lower four teams in terms of record in the season are given the lower four position. This is how they organize it: There are 30 teams divided into two conferences, the east and west. Each conference has a division of 5 teams each. The top team from each division and the next 5 teams from each conference regardless of division make the top 8 teams from each conference. Then they get positioned   much like most other sports, the top team gets the worst qualifying team (1st versus 8th) and the second best gets the second worst, and so on. They play a round of best-of-seven, meaning technically they will play seven games against each other and whoever ends up with the most wins advances to the next round. Of course, after one team wins 4 games, theres no use to play out the entire 7-game series so it is the first team to win 4 games that get to move to the next round. Furthermore, the team with the best regular season record in the league is guaranteed home court advantage in every game it plays in the playoffs. The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals, and is held every year in June. The victor in the NBA Finals wins the Larry OBrien Championship Trophy. Each player and major contributor to the NBA season, including coaches and the general manager on the winning team, receive a championship ring. In addition, the league awards aBill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awardto the best performing player of the Season. Section 4: conclusion As a conclusion, Basketball is an outstanding game where people all around the world can enjoy regardless of whether they are poor or rich, young or old, or even with different skin color. It is a wonderful game that knows no boundaries towards evolution in which any person could come up with new styles and skills that could be played in the friendly games and tournaments. The NBAs style of playing the game has changed dramatically through the years and it was all thanks to the people who have passion for the game.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Many critics and fans around the world call theNBAgreatest show on earth. No other league around the world brings what the NBAs game has brought every season. The greatest plays, games, dunks, players and passion for the basketball are the reasons why the fans keep watching the games. The NBA is the basketball league which helped in the evolution of the sport. It had created many chances and opportunities for skilled and determined players around the globe to prove themselves in front of crowd and the whole world. It also gave them the dream that they would pursue in order to achieve greatness. For me it is the best sport I ever played.

Physics of a Fire :: physics fire

Fire is a chemical reaction whcih needs three things to be present so it can happen: Oxygen, Fuel, and Heat. If one of these is not present, the fire cannot start. If one of these is taken from a fire it will go out. But how does this all work? Oxygen We all breathe Oxygen (OÂ ²) everyday - in fact, without it we would suffocate. But did you know that fire breathes Oxygen too? And, like us, without Oxygen a fire will also suffocate. When Oxygen in the air combines with flammable vapours given off by Fuels - heat is produced and then ignition can occur. Without enough Oxygen, ignition cannot happen. In the opposite way, if there is too much Oxygen then the vapours won't be concentrated enough to ignite. The ratio of vapour to Oxygen is known as the 'explosive' or 'flammable' limit and is different for each gas or vapour. Heat Combustion occurs when flammable vapours mix with air (Oxygen) and are ignited by a spark or flame. Solids give off flammable vapours by being heated. Certain solids such as paper or flour appear to ignite almost instantly. This is because they give off vapours and reach a flammable temperature almost immediately. In fact, fine dusts dispersed in the air can explode because they give off vapours and ignite so quickly it appear to happen instantly. Other solids like timber take longer to ignite because they are more dense and so don't give off flammable vapours so easily. Fuel So, in our fire triangle we've got Oxygen and Heat, but we also need something that will burn - this is our Fuel. Fuels can take almost any form: Solids like wood, fabric, rubber and plastic. Liquids such as petrol, oil, cooking oil or even nail varnish remover. Gases like propane, butane and 'natural' gas. If a fire broke out in your home today, would you automatically know which fire extinguisher to use? What would happen if you used a Class A fire extinguisher on a fire in the electrical service panel in your basement? Answer: you'd possibly be electrocuted if the extinguishing agent is a liquid! A long time ago, the fire protection industry recognized the need to classify extinguishers according to the many kinds of burning materials encountered in a fire. For example, Class A, water-type fire extinguishers cannot be used on the electrical fires because the extinguisher operator could be seriously injured by the conduction of electricity by the stream of water from their extinguisher.

Role of US Military Action in President Bushs War Essay -- September

Role of US Military Action in President Bush's War      Ã‚  Ã‚   An observant 12 year old told the New York Times Magazine not long ago that, "War is not like one attack; it's a big deal." On September 11, 2001, America was the target of an attack that left over five thousand people dead and many more wounded. President Bush has since declared a war on terrorism, but unlike conventional wars, this one has no discrete enemy and must be fought on a number of different "fronts." Fighting a war on terrorism cannot be fought in the traditional sense, by the very definition of terrorism. Various fronts are necessary in America's fight against terrorism, taking the form of economic, political, and military actions. Worldwide cooperation against terrorism has proven to be unreliable, and it will be shown here, that America's insistence on military action, in light of faltering international cooperation, makes the use of force the most important front in President Bush's war on terrorism.    (2) President George W. Bush has said that the "war" against global terrorism is a matter of "good and evil." Evil is presumably to be characterized by "those who conduct terrorist acts against the United States, those who sponsor them, those who harbor them, and those who challenge freedom wherever it may exist." Terrorism however, is not war. War is a confrontation on clear lines between identified parties, where there is sustained and concerted military action by military personnel who use the material, weaponry and military tactics of war. According to President Bush's executive order, number 13224, the term terrorism is defined as:    (3) An activity that involves a violent act or an act dangerous to human life, property, or infrastru... ...k Times Magazines." New York Times 23 Sept. 2001: 77. 2. US Embassy Website. http://www.usembassy.bg/asset.html 3. Yahoo News. http://us.news2.yimg.com/f/42/31/7m/dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010912/wl/attack_usa_pakistan_dc_4.html 4. Israeli Government Site. http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0k4q0 5. Terrorism. Executive Order 13224 Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions with Persons who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or support Terrorism 23. Sept. 2001: 2. 6. Terrorism Website. http://www.terrorism.com/terrorism/sloan.shtml 7. White House Website. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html 8. Lexis Nexis. "Zambia; Abdullah Justifies India's Support of US Action against Afghanistan." Africa News Service, Inc. October 25, 2001. 9. Yahoo News (2). http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20011029/wl/attacks_saudi_1.html