Multicultural counselling issues

Gender plays role in racial discrimination because males and females of a different ethnicity are treated in different ways.   In particular instance, females of a specific ethnic group experience at least two forms of discrimination based of her race, gender, religious belief, age and social status.   The term racism is strongly associated with hatred and prejudice of an individual’s identity including any aspects of his identity and sexual orientation hence females experience a different manner of discrimination. International groups such as the United Nations have regarded racial and gender discrimination as two independent issues resulting in females continuing to suffer from numerous types of injustices.   It is thus essential that the gender component of racial discrimination be well understood in order to draw actions towards racial discrimination that are helpful to both males and females. There are several instances when the issues of gender and racial discrimination interconnect (Crenshaw KW, 2000).   The interplay of these two concepts may take different modes and arise in different circumstances.   One situation involves gender-based violence.   In this situation, females are more likely to experience more cases of violence because discrimination that is influenced by gender depicts females as the most defenseless elements of society. Inclusion of the concept of racial discrimination thus generates violence on females, making them twice at risk of violence.   These kinds of circumstances tend to be more difficult because certain women from remote areas may be hesitant in reporting any violent incidents that they have experienced because they are concerned that no action will be performed with regards to their report or that their statement will be received with indifference or hostility. Another situation wherein gender is interconnected with racial discrimination can be observed among impoverished women.   It has been estimated that approximately 1.3 billion individuals who are living in extreme need are women (UNDP, 2000).   Such condition is strongly related to their inability to receive any form of education as well as training courses hence rendering them under-qualified for most of the available employment. Simultaneously, the trends of globalization and alteration in governmental laws have resulted in more problems for women because gender inequalities were exposed.   One example can be observed among governments that do not provide unemployment insurance of single mothers or female heads of households. The merged effect of gender and racial discrimination may also hinder the retrieval of women to economic resources, including loans, credit and real estate property and can also affect the treatment they receive when they request for social services from the government.   Such hardship thus endangers women to poverty and financial hardship. Gender is also intertwined with the issue of racial discrimination in terms of education.   It has been discovered that the global literacy rate for women is significantly lower than that among men.   The discrepancy in literacy rate between men and women is even greater in developing countries.   More than half of out-of-school children are girls and that among illiterate adults, two-thirds are comprised by women.   These gender-based illiteracy reports show that females have less access to educational resources which in turn results in a lower rate of participation in training programs. Such decrease in education restrains females in their full understanding and awareness of their legal rights, including the right to be employed and to own real estate properties.   The access of females to education through attendance in school is also affected by circumstances of early pregnancy, childrearing and domestic family responsibilities.   The lack or insufficiency of knowledge on reproductive health among women due to poor access to educational resources further hampers the living conditions of women.   It is well-known that education is strongly correlated with employment options and financial stability, hence women are at a disadvantage with regards to availing such opportunities. 2.   Due to the increasing diverse population in our society, it is imperative for mental health practitioners to increase their cultural awareness and cultural competence in the process of psychotherapy.   A culturally competent therapist is one who has moved from ignorance to being educated with his/her own cultural heritage and to respecting differences.   In addition, he/she is cognizant of how his/her values and biases affect minority clients. A culturally competent therapist must acquire specific knowledge related to the history of cultural standards and lifestyles about the minority group with which he/she is working.   It is also important to have a thorough knowledge of socio-political factors and how they affect these marginalized groups in relation to the majority culture.   In addition, a culturally competent therapist should understand value assumptions (abnormality and normality) that are fundamental in the major schools of therapy and how they may influence the values of the culturally different. Some major models may limit the abilities of the culturally different client due to the generic characteristics of therapy including language issues; culture bound values and class-bound values. At the skills level, a culturally competent therapist should be able to tap into a wide variety of verbal and nonverbal responses. The focus should be to practice with a multitude of response modalities rather than relying on narrow set of skills in therapy. The application of psychology is largely a product of individualistic cultures and may be questionable when applied to collectivist cultures.   Individualistic and collectivist cultures are exact opposites on a continuum of how people interact with others and the collectivist values may often clash with the individualistic values inherent in the counseling and psychotherapy process. The psychoanalytic approach emphasizes achieving insight through the discovery of unconscious thoughts, feelings and motivations, which is similar to other ethnic cultural concepts such as striving for self-development through the process of introspection.   Although insight-oriented approach is appealing to most clients of different ethncities, they practice the process of self-examination privately and not revealed to others.   Hence, clinicians should attend to the possible uneasiness of the client while exploring the most intimate thoughts and feelings in their inner world. For example, most Asian clients anticipate quick symptom relief when they actually do seek mental health services.   Rather than mere reliance of free association, the clinician could instill structure in the therapy session by asking questions and giving directions to the client.  Ã‚   This would not only maximize the effectiveness of therapy outcome but also meet the client’s expectations in treatment.   One way of addressing of this problem is for the clinician to educate the client at the onset therapy the nature and rationale of psychoanalytic approach to ease the client into the process. Some of the more commonly complaints made by Asian clients is their impatience in the process of psychoanalytic therapy with the clinician’s pace in addressing the client’s symptoms; focus of the past rather than the present and lack of structure in the session.  Ã‚   Exploration of the client’s life events that are relevant to them such as migration experiences would inadvertently elicit important information such as past memories of childhood and or parental influences.   Clinicians should be aware of other culture’s worldviews and values and the similarities and differences that exist with the host culture. These values and beliefs are inherent in tales, fables and myths in a culture.   For example, hierarchical transference is common in Asian cultures where the client brings the Asian values of filial piety (children’s obligation to care for elderly parents) and respect to authority.   In addition, authority figures are idealized as benevolent in Asian cultures hence the client experiences a positive relationship with the therapist similar to that of a parent and child, in which the client will obey and respect the therapist.   Clinicians can work through this transference by offering a positive interpretation of this type of hierarchical transference as well as respecting the client’s cultural values. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The refusal to work with a homosexual client is an ethical violation because counseling should be provided to any individual regardless of culture, gender, sexual orientation and ethnicity.  Ã‚   The Rehabilitation Act Amendment of 1992 discretely describes that actions of inequitable treatment of minorities or members of an ethnic group or gender have been observed in majority of rehabilitation operations.   Research has indicated that cultural diversity is a common factor that a counselor has to deal with during his routine operations and that positive results have increased when personal information with regards to the patient are disclosed to the counselor prior to treatment or consultation. Disclosure provides ample time for the counselor to prepare himself for the encounter with the patient, together with the patient’s background, including sexual orientation, religious belief, cultural background and ethnicity.   The refusal of a counselor to work with a homosexual client thus is an ethical violation because the counselor restricts himself from providing his services to any individual who requests his service.   Every individual should have an equal opportunity to request and receive services from a counselor and any other healthcare practitioner, regards of the details of his background. For my future counseling practice, I will also employ the self-disclosure strategy in order to accommodate the multicultural setting of my practice.   I think the if I start to self-disclose my information to the client before counseling, the client will feel more relaxed and comfortable to interact with me during counseling sessions because my client will feel that he is not alone in terms of self-disclosure choices. References Crenshaw KW (2000):   Gender-related aspects of race discrimination, background paper for Expert Meeting on Gender and Racial Discrimination, 21-24 Novem-ber 2000, Zagreb, Croatia (EM/GRD/ 2000/WP.1). United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (2000): Poverty Report 2000: Overcoming Human Poverty.         

Hypnosis. Psychological and Physical Aspects of Hypnosis

| Hypnosis. Psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis. Hypnosis is a natural state of mind that can be used for many purposes, in different settings. Nowadays research in the field of hypnosis and associated areas has blossomed and there are valuable evidence that hypnosis has real and measurable affects on both body and mind. During this essay I will be describing what is hypnosis including what the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis are, further I will be discussing the role of relaxation in hypnotherapy. We experience the â€Å"hypnotic state† in everyday life and it often occurs without recognition as such. It is believed that our mind can drift from alert state into different level of consciousness whenever we do activities in automatic mode, like driving, jogging, taking a shower, walking, etc. These are hypnotic-like trances. The main differences between these sorts of trance and clinical hypnosis are specific motivation and suggestions to achieve some desired results. Therapist may use hypnosis to explore patient’s unconsciousness, to identity whether past events or experiences are associated with causing a problem. One of the most accepted axioms of hypnotherapy that nothing can be done with hypnosis that cannot be done without. Barber (1969) offered considerable experimental evidence for â€Å"Anything you can do I can do†¦ † At the same time, since hypnosis occurs spontaneously in therapy as well as in ordinary life it is impossible to ignore the part played by hypnosis in the service of the patient. It is important to understand that no two individuals will have identical experience as they progress from the state of alertness to a deep trance. The impact of hypnosis on a person's subsequent actions is dependent upon how suggestible that particular individual happens to be, a quality that can differ from one person to the next. Each person experiences the hypnotic phenomenon in his or her own way. However, it has been recognized that suggestions during the hypnosis could influence the physical processes in the body and in the brain. The earliest references of hypnosis date back to ancient Egypt and Greece. Both cultures had religious centres where people came for help with their problems. Hypnosis was used to induce dreams, which were then analysed to get to the root of the trouble. The man who most people associate with the beginning of hypnosis is an Austrian doctor Franz Anton Mesmer (1733-1815). Mesmer believed that a â€Å"cosmic fluid† could be stored in inanimate objects, such as magnets, and transferred to patients and cure them of illness. Eventually Mesmer discarded the magnets and regarded himself as a magnet through which a fluid life force could be conducted and transmitted to others as a healing force. He incorporated that into the theory of â€Å"animal magnetism†. Despite the fact that no evidence supports the existence of that theory, he had tremendous success. Mesmerism became the forerunner of hypnotic suggestion. Meanwhile, the marquise de Puysegur, believed that the â€Å"cosmic fluids† was not magnetic, but electric, that generated in plants and animals. Puysegur used the natural environment to fill his patients with healing electric fluid. During that activity some of the patients entered a somnambulistic state (a deep trance). The marquis had discovered the hypnotic trance, but had not identified it as such. Another forward thinker in the mid 1800 was a professor at London University, John Elliotson (1791-1868), who use the hypnotic state to relieve pain during the surgical operations. In India, a British surgeon, James Esdaile (1808-1859) recognised the enormous benefits of hypnosis for pain relief and performed hundreds of major operations using hypnosis as his only anaesthetic. This was accomplished by inducing the trance state to the patient weeks before the surgery and offering posthypnotic suggestions to numb the part of the body on which the operation was to be performed. The next real pioneer of hypnosis in Britain in the late 1800s was James Braid (1795-1860), who gave mesmerism a scientific explanation. He believed mesmerism to be a â€Å"nervous sleep† and coined the word hypnosis, from Greek word Hypnos, meaning sleep. He discovered that getting a patient to fixate upon something was one of the most important components of putting them into a trance. The French scientists were also taking the interest in the subject of hypnosis, and many breakthroughs were made by Ambroise Leibeault (1823-1904), a neurologist Jean Martin Charcot (1825-1893) and Charles Richet (1850-1935). Ambroise Leibeault and Hippolyte Bernheim (1837-1919) were the first who asserted that expectation is a most important factor in the induction of hypnosis and suggestibility is its essential symptom. The work of another Frenchman, Emile Coue (1857 – 1926), was very interesting. He is most famous for the phrase ‘Day by day in every way I am getting better and better'. His technique was one of affirmation and his idea was that the imagination is always more powerful than the will. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was also interested in hypnosis at this time. He was using it in his work, but eventually abandoned it in favour of psychoanalysis. With the rise of psychoanalysis in the first half of this century, hypnosis declined in popularity. Milton Erickson (1901-1980) is considered the leading authority of clinical hypnosis. Nowadays Erickson approach to hypnosis without question is the most effective. There are many physical and psychological problems can be effectively controlled by the use of hypnosis. Patients suffering with chronic illnesses such as cancer, arthritis, stroke and multiple sclerosis can benefits from hypnosis in many ways. In all this entire spectrum of diseases, pain is one of the most common symptoms. The most distressing an aspect of pain is the loss of control the patient feels. Through hypnosis is possible to show patients how they can use their own mind to change the subjective feeling of pain, restoring that sense of control and make patient feel empowered. Increased self-esteem, developing more positive attitude may even decrease the use of pharmacological agents. When done properly, hypnosis holds several advantages over drugs. It has no side effects, while drugs can leave a sense of dependence for the patient. Hypnosis not only gives the ability to relieve the pain, but removes the ever-present fear of pain’s return. For certain types of breast and thyroid surgery, a combination of hypnosis and local anaesthesia can aid in the healing process, and can reduce drug use and time spent in the hospital, according to studies reported at Euroanaesthesia 2011 in Amsterdam. According to the researchers, women who were hypnotized spent a few minutes more in the operating room (122 vs. 116  min), perioperative drug use was reduced, as was time in the recovery room and in the hospital. No patient in the hypnosis group converted to general anaesthesia during surgery. The major benefit is that hypnosis is modifying the cognitive response to sensation points, changing the expectations and reducing stress. Hypnosis can be especially helpful when dealing with diseases that have psychosomatic aspects, such as psoriasis, eczema, asthma. Study reviled that using hypnotherapy can improve those conditions. It concluded that the greater the depth of hypnosis the patient achieved the greater the improvement in patient’s condition. Using the relaxation techniques and post-hypnotic suggestion to discharge anxiety can significantly reduce the stress, which is a well known trigger for psychosomatic disorders. Hypnotherapy deals with psychological and physical disorders in variety of way. There are countless types of suggestion that can be given to patients while there in trance. Patients can even be age-regressed back to a time before they have been ill, injured or distressed and then received comfort and reassurance followed by relief. Imaginary, visualisation, metaphors are also the key factors in hypnosis. Through training the mind to imagine the desired outcome can help bring the desired result. This technique has great success in sport and help to achieve the peak performance. Relaxation is the first resource in hypnotherapy intervention that enhances the process of healing and recovery. Researchers have shown that being to tense or living with too much stress has a significant negative impact on our life. It can lead to physical illnesses and many psychological issues. The effect from relaxation on our body and mind is enormous. Relaxation in hypnotherapy helps in 3 ways; its completely turning off the sympathetic nervous system, changing our reaction to stressful events and build up our parasympathetic nervous system. The first goal in hypnosis is to achieve a very deep state of relaxation where our mind is more focused and the connections between our thoughts, emotions and behaviour are clearer. This type of therapy is very helpful to reduce anxiety, distress and fear. This is can be done in a trance state by guiding the patient through imaginary and visualisation. Once a patient is able to get into that state, the goal becomes lengthening the period of relaxation and teaching the patient how to control these internal images on his own. Most people will feel certain degree of anxiety in everyday life. Such feeling are generally reasonable and appropriate and it is only if that anxiety is exaggerated in intensity or duration, prevents to perform a required task or interfere with person’s life to a significant degree, than it is begins to regard as pathological reaction. Not surprisingly, using relaxation techniques can be very effective when patient get the rising heart and panic attack. This is another category of pathological anxiety reactions that includes phobic attacks to spiders, mice, rats, snakes, lizards and other creatures. Patients with such phobic reaction may be taught to rehearse so that every time they begin to get the racing heart signifying panic to that person, they begin to use their learned techniques of imagery to put their mind in a more relaxed place. The relaxation techniques can be used along with biofeedback instrument to increase the effectiveness of relaxation. Biofeedback is a tool which gives immediate and objective evidence to the patient of his ability to control such processes as heart rate, breathing rate, skin temperature, skin resistance and blood pressure. To those patients who are able to response moderately well to hypnosis, it offers a means of achieving some degree of voluntary or self-mediated control over these pathological reactions. It is important to ensure that anxiety is not the expression of underlying depression or major psychiatric disorder that is not yet manifest. Hypnosis has both a diagnostic and therapeutic role in eating disorders. For example, during hypnosis patients can uncover their past traumas or feeling of deserving self-punishment. Dr. Moshe S. Torem describes introducing hypnosis to eating disorders patient initially in the form of self-hypnosis, framed as a technique to improve calmness and relaxation. It appears that hypnotherapy is quite popular and sufficient way that could help you to illuminate negative behaviour patterns or bad habits. Focused relaxation techniques are used to modifier person behaviour and change the way one thinks about addictions and habits that affect the quality of life. Hypnosis connects modern practice with practices that have been used by ancient Egyptian and enlightened Zen masters. It informs our understanding of how the mind connects with the body, as well as how conscious mind connect with the unconscious. Hypnosis can be applied in physical and psychosomatic disorders in many ways. First, it can be effective in reducing pain and discomfort. Secondly, hypnotic techniques can contribute substantially to the reduction of distress, anxiety and fears. Thirdly, it can be employed to influence the psychological processes that can give the power and the ability to patients to improve their life in an infinite number of ways. Hellmut W. A. Karle and Jennifer H. Boys 2010. Hypnotherapy. A Practical Handbook Journals online. Journal of Health Psychology. The physical, Psychological and Social Impact of Psoriasis. Josie Hadley and Carol Staudacher 2002. Hypnosis for Change. Michael Heap and Windy Dryden. Hypnotherapy. A Handbook Medscape CME Nursing. Journal online. Euroanaesthesia 2011. , Combination of hypnosis and local anaesthesia for certain types of breast and thyroid surgery. www. ibshypnosis. com Clinical hypnosis: Something for you? By Olafur S. Palsson, Psy. D. www. hypnosisexpert. co. uk Top 5 Most Effective Uses for Hypnotherapy. By Anna Aengel 2010 www. systemthinker. com Hypnosis Past, Present and Future: Its Medical and Psychiatric Applications by Howard Ditkoff M. D. www. innerhealhstudio. com Relaxation Therapy For Body and Mind. By Candi Raudebaugh.

From an economic perspective, why is Microsoft so successful Term Paper

From an economic perspective, why is Microsoft so successful - Term Paper Example ough, people might find themselves cursing the â€Å"evil empire† when they use a lot of cash on another upgrade or when their system crashes, the company is unrivaled or unmatched when it comes to powering information technology. Whether through innovation, cunning or a blend of these and other considerable qualities, the company and its owner have defined how the world uses computers ever since PCs, IBMs in particular, started being rolled out, in 1981, with their Microsoft Disc Operating System (MS-DOS), in its bowels (Wallace & Erickson, 2010). Therefore, the company rules the globe, but just what makes it reach that level? This article will discuss, from an economic perspective, why Microsoft is so successful. In order to achieve this, it is significant to look into their history and discover how they compete in the marketplace. It is also important to look at how the company’s corporate culture influences its success and finally look at some of their world famous products to discover how they rip from these core advantages. Microsoft was founded on 1975 by Bill Gates and his colleague, Paul Allen, as a simple â€Å"garage start-up† (Inamizu, 2014). The two were basically part of an initial leap towards personal computing with a major different. Whereas competitors such as Apple, inc. began straight away developing both machines and software, Microsoft only dealt with software. The key difference among these two, economists argue is that Steve Jobs and his acquaintance, Steve Wozniak, were running a hobby endeavor, unlike Gates and Allen who were running a business world. IBM was developing their initial PC and wanted an OS to run it. They approached Gates and Allen thinking that they had one available, but at that time, they were only writers of computer language not developers of OS. Microsoft decided to buy a $50,000 OS that they leased to IBM for $80,000, but still, during this era, $80,000 was not that much of a fortune (Inamizu, 2014). Gates discerned

Corporate accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Corporate accounting - Assignment Example CSL Behring has its operations spread over several countries like Australia, US, Germany and Switzerland. The company has around 10000 employees spread across 27 countries all over the world. BioCSL carries out operation from Melbourne and caters medical solutions to customers all over the world. The group accounts also reveal that CSL Limited carries out research and development to support its global operations. CSL Behring carries out activities of developing and marketing blood plasma derivative and recombined medical solution, bio-therapies for its customers all over the globe. The bio-therapies of the company provides solutions in developing immune systems against diseases like haemophilia, hereditary syndromes, von Willebrand, angioedema etc. The therapy solution developed by the companies also used for treating heart diseases, burns and shocks, transplantation of organs and also for treatment of newly born babies. BioCSL is another subsidiary that carries out the function of developing anti-influenza vaccines, anti-venom and diagnostic reagents to the global markets like Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Asia-Pacific, etc. The research and development wing of the company is dedicated to support the bio-pharmaceutical business by developing protein-based medicines which are sold in licensed versions. The company is focussed on developing the existing products as well as developing break-t hrough solutions through use of DNA technologies. The research and development wing is also looking at improving their capabilities in the area of haemophilia, blood coagulation, etc. The non-controlling interests of CSL Limited could be understood from the following table as given below. The percentage of shareholding of the company by the various shareholders has been given in the following table. The percentage of shareholdings of the shareholders has been depicted in descending form. Since CSL

Scholarly Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Scholarly Project - Essay Example Such writings made it possible for future generation to know the culture of Native Americans as well as their contribution to American life. Therefore, it can be observed that the Native Americans made some significant contribution. The following are some of the most significant contributions of Native Americans to American life and culture namely; they made a significant role in maintaining the land by ensuring that the ecology was in good condition. For example, Native Americans could not destroy the land or kill an animal that they did not use instead they preserved it for the sake of future generation. Secondly, Native Americans made a significant contribution in agriculture; they grew food like potatoes, pepper, sunflower tomatoes, corns, sunflowers, to mention just but a few. It has been reported that Native Americans made a significant contribution prior the coming of European settlers in America. For example, they shared their food and farming method with the European settler s who came to settle in the Northern parts of America. Research indicates that most of the groups such as scouts and played in the present America were invented by the Native American. Example of those games includes; American soccer, tag of war-games to mention just but a few (Nabokov, 197-390). In above connection, Native Americans made a profound contribution in terms of the present administration system in America. It was reported that the idea of having a federal government in the United State was borrowed from the Native Americans where administrative power were distributed to the central government and states. Moreover, the Native American made a great contribution in the field of medicine, they used to each plants that are reached in Vitamin to prevent certain diseases like scurvy, they passed this idea to the Europeans who later passed it to the present American natives. Moreover,

The advantages and disadvantages of BACI design and its approaches Essay

The advantages and disadvantages of BACI design and its approaches - Essay Example 2009).The BACI design requires data from two sites namely the control site and the impact site. The sites are viewed as pairs and forming a block of time. The required data is collected a number of times before the impact begins as well as after. According to Anderson, et al. (2009), there are two treatments namely â€Å"Before-After† and â€Å"Control-Impact†. The first treatment is of primary interest during the second of secondary interest to the researcher. If there is an environmental disturbance that affects the given population, academics argue that the different interactions are prevailing in the statistical mean rest responsible for the abundance results seen in the sampled population. It is arguable that the differences impose control and potentially affected location before the disturbance and that difference after the disturbance (Lucas et al. 2013). The final problem is that there are certain environmental disturbances that cannot be detected by using the BACI design; these disturbances alter the temporal pattern of variance of abundance when statistical calculations are involved (Lucas et al. 2013). 2. Behavioral element developed by the birds such as avoiding the vicinity of the turbines. This can have an effect on the birds such as displacing them from their natural habitats and affecting their movement patterns This is a design made to analyze changes in means because of human activity. The simplest form involves collecting data on the activity and comparing it with the data from the event. The standard approach is to treat data as independent samples and to compare the samples using the two-sample test. Any differences found in the samples are associated with the given activity. However, it is difficult to make a causal inference as the data collected is observational and depends on several assumptions (Langston, Pullan & Council of Europe, 2010).The Disadvantages of this design is that

Reading Log and Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reading Log and Case Study - Essay Example The most important resource available to organisations is human resource and their conducive functioning is ensured by a suitable organisational culture and climate. 2. Key insights (200 words) The state of the economy mandates that various organisations have to merge with each other in order to forge their survival. On the other hand, certain other organisations are trying to go for a change in their business operations through business process innovation. In order to support both kinds of activities, it is essential that organisations enhance their operating organisational culture and climate by innovating within its framework. The transition from one organisational cultural state to another cultural state is not only cumbersome but requires dedicated effort on multiple fronts. In order to make organisational culture and climate change a success it has to be adapted well to the existing organisational culture and organisational climate. This ensures that the transition between cult ural states is smooth and does not affect business operations negatively. In order to make the transition as smooth as possible, it is advisable to study the various involved sub-cultures within organisations in detail to identify possible transition problems. The resistance to change in organisational cultures is a present reality and needs to be dealt with on realistic footing. How can you key insights be applied in practice (200 words) In order to deal with organisation change on a stronger footing, it is necessary to implement organisational cultural change with greater understanding of the underlying sub cultures that would provide resistance to change. It is necessary to provide employees with means of feedback to gauge their assessment of the organisation’s culture and climate in order to develop new changes. Employee feedback could be received using questionnaires, surveys, one on one meeting by senior management and other similar methods. Once employee perception of existing organisational culture and climate is established, this baseline can then be used to plot a new direction for movement. During any major or minor organisational culture or climate change resistance will be encountered. The senior management of the business has to find avenues that will invite resistance from employees and then deal with these problems accordingly. For example, senior employees may show reluctance to upgrade their IT skills so the management would need to provide them with more intuitive and easy to use IT systems. These gaps and deficits must be assessed as realistically as possible and the use of external experts should not be ruled out. Case Study 1. How would you characterise current staff behaviour at the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Bank? The current staff behaviour at Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Bank is characterised by a twofold description – the older staff is sticking to its old working values while the new staff is trying to innovate and incre ase competitiveness. Overall staff behaviour characterises the struggle between the old guard and the new innovators. 2. Do you feel that their behaviour is attributable to the changes that have taken place, and why? The behaviour of the staff is purely an outcome of the structural change at the bank given the merger. Instead of the staff being at loggerheads because of differentiated cultures from two organisations, the staff is in a struggle because change is being imposed and resisted. Older members

Pornography and Interpersonal Relationships Essay

Pornography and Interpersonal Relationships - Essay Example However, porn poses a problem that affects both the personal well-being and the cultural being of a people. In the modern days, porn surrounds all people in many arrays. Porn is not just watched by the sexually deprived, but also healthy individuals and couples are engaging in watching. Many platforms are attributable to the greater rise in porn watching activities among many individuals. Even so, watching porn is not an attribute of high cases of rape. Rather, porn is turning men off women. The discoveries of self-methods of sexual satisfaction are serious attributes of breaking the relationships that exist between men and women. The generation of internet has facilitated the disposal of porn at people’s homes making it easy to access and watch. As much as porn is not the main cause of the social evils that exist in the today world, it provides a great portion. The negative effects of porn outdo the positive impacts to men, women, and couples. Pornography has created a lot of impact in most of the industries especially the entertainment industry. It has invaded the media and accelerated to many platforms due to the changing and advancement of technology. Pornography affects people negatively whether they watch it often or not. It is noted that porn affects men in many ways. Categorically, the case of Sarah’s boyfriend indicates that young men who get addicted to watching porn result neglecting their life duties. Such life deities include neglecting their relationship responsibilities and misuse of money by investing a great amount on the purchase of pornography materials. Porn may also lead to isolation of young men from the rest of their kind (Hall 146). For instance, as much as Sarah is described as a real woman with a great figure and an appetite for adventure, her boyfriend waits until she is asleep so that he can isolate himself and watch porn.

Linear programing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Linear programing - Assignment Example The General Manager has also decided to produce 600 units for the current production period. Finally, an ongoing contract with the business distributors requires that at least 150 units have to be distributed through this distribution channel. The problem is to establish the distribution strategy for the radios that will maximize overall profitability of the new radio production. If a change in the marine distributors channel took place and the profit per unit fell to $80, the optimal solution changes and the total maximum profit is reduced. This can be attributed to the fact that $80 is an objective function and thus has an effect on the entire value of profit incurred. Producing two units for the mail order distribution channel results into an increase in the advertising, the sales effort also increases, the production units’ decreases and the business retail restriction increases. The non positive values will be eliminated and hence the scenario described above. If the marketing director changes the Business distributor’s restriction and increases it from 150 units to 300 units, this will increase the cost of advertisement and hence the cost of production but no major increases will result on the final sales. The resulting profits do not increase and in some scenarios losses may be incurred. g) There is a possibility about a new distribution channel. If it has the same personal sales effort and advertising cost of the Mail order, but a profit per unit of $110, would you recommend it? Would the optimal solution change? Why? It would not be recommended that a new distribution channel which has the same personal sales effort and advertising cost of the Mail order. The optimal solution would not change of the number of units’ personal sales per unit sold remains zero. The absence of any value on the personal sales per unit sold has an effect in the optimal solution

Impact of Tourism to Boracay Island Development Case Study

Impact of Tourism to Boracay Island Development - Case Study Example The question now lies on whether the advantages or the benefits afforded by tourism growth in Boracay outweigh the negative effects of having too many people on the island without adequate control measures. This paper will look into the social, economic, and environmental effects of tourism growth to the Boracay Island and its people. It will also deal with the Boracay preservation efforts by both private and government groups, and the applicable laws on environmental protection as implemented by Philippine government agencies. Social, Economic and Environmental Effects of Tourism on Boracay Island Tourism development in Boracay has generated both positive and negative effects on its environment, lifestyle, and people. The most obvious effect is the income generated not only by the island, but by the Philippines as a whole from the influx of foreign tourists and investments. The beauty of the island serves as the lighter or the positive side to the perceptions of other countries towards the Philippines. There are however adverse affects associated with tourism development in Boracay. In the social realm, the social experiences of the local people have changed in that they are now more exposed to frequent external visitors, both foreign and domestic. Their lifestyles including their social activities and livelihood have changed due to the modification of their environment from a sleepy rural town to a lively urbanized tourist destination. Conflicts are created within communities due to land being valuable. Property rights and land titles are being debated upon. There was clearly a lack of zoning or guidelines. Neighbors argue over their property limits. The poor become... Impact of Tourism to Boracay Island Development The island was placed under the management control of the Philippine Tourism Authority and land titles were forbidden. Active planning which was commenced in 1982 by the Philippine Tourism Authority utilized the services of a private company who developed a land use plan. This plan was called the Helberg plan which involved the establishment of control measures such as the 50 meter beach setback, use of native building materials, and height limitations (Trousdale, 1998). The Helberg plan up to this day was never implemented. This is just the beginning of the height of tourist or visitor traffic to the island. The succeeding years saw reorganizations, planning, forming of new regulations, implementations, and still a growing number of people visiting and settling in Boracay. The beauty of Boracay, its serenity, its culture, and its people need to be protected from environmental and health hazards because the island does not only generate revenue for both private individuals or companies and the Philippine government, but it provides a tranquil getaway and it is a source of pride for the Filipinos. Sustainable development is the key to preserving Boracay Island so it can be enjoyed and appreciated by future generations. No matter how big the revenue a resort or hotel owner gets, and how big the earnings of the government are, if Boracay becomes a health hazard and a major environmental concern, then businesses will collapse and the revenues earned will be useless.

Marketing Plan for Book Publisher Essay Example for Free

Marketing Plan for Book Publisher Essay ‘Knowledge Hub’Publishers is a provider of latest academic and research material, the best literary material in Urdu and English by quality writers both local and international. Our customers rest assured that when they purchase a publication of Knowledge Hub they receive the optimum value for their money or as we call it ‘your money well spent’. Our publications are free of plagiarism and we endeavor to stay a step ahead in providing academic material which is the most recently proven by researchers instead of re-publishing the same material in a different manner. We are a sole proprietorship and our office is located at Urdu Bazar, Lahore. Being a startup in an industry already being served by a huge number of brands, we shall initially target the Lahore market with intent to move into other cities throughout Punjab within 5 years time. Our focus shall remain to continually research and analyze customer needs, wants, reading trends and preferences to ensure that we provide only the most needed and sought after books with the latest content. Knowledge Hub shall provide its client authors with editing, proofreading, layout and design, promotion and authentication services. Whereas, we shall be outsourcing the printing and distribution of our books. Our long term focus is to motivate the culture of e-books and printing on demand in order to safeguard our natural resources for our future generations. Print on demand (POD) is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book (or other document) are not printed until an order has been received, which means books can be printed one at a time. Rationale of this Product: Books are priceless source of knowledge, wisdom and education the best company in times if solitude. Our affiliation with books and knowledge is further promoted by our religion which encourages us to gain knowledge and preaches us to respect books. In today’s fast paced world, where information and knowledge is continually increasing and modifying, the need for books containing the latest of information are always required. As soon as a book or article is publishes a chain of evaluation, testing and research on the published material starts which eventually leads to modified material ready to be published and the cycle continues. This causes a never ending need for high quality books available at easy to access touch points and at affordable prices. And this is exactly what we offer our customers as our product. Strategic Focus and Plan Mission: Knowledge Hub is the premium publisher of academic and illustrated books, novels, best sellers and e-books in Pakistan. We at Knowledge Hub believe that knowledge is a service to be provided to our nation so that we may progress in this fast paced world. The purpose of our affordable and easy to access products is to ensure availability of knowledge to all Pakistanis who seek for it. Goals: Non Financial Goals: Knowledge Hub seeks ensure availability of knowledge to all Pakistanis who seek for it. We at Knowledge Hub believe in a cleaner, safer tomorrow and in a ‘Paper Free World’ in which our natural resources are savored for our future generations to enjoy. Knowledge Hub’s comprehensive website holds the key to a better tomorrow. Our online e-books, research articles, audio and visual resources provide you easy and instant access along with it being environmentally beneficial. Financial Goals: We have targeted to publish 70 books by authors within a year’s time. Moreover, to a customer base of at least 200,000 readers at the end of year one which is approximately 10 percent Market Analysis: International Book Publishing Market: The worldwide book industry has been forecast to exceed revenue of $90 billion. The industry recorded yearly growth of 1% over the past four preceding years, and is expected to accelerate to a yearly rate of almost 4% between 2011 and 2016. Sales by music, video,books and stationery retailers represented the leading segment of the global book market in 2011, generating more than $50 billion and representing 56% of the overall market. Pakistan Book Publishing Market: Book publication is a business very closely related to the literary scenario since books are nothing if they don’t get a publisher or a printer. Like every other thing in Pakistan,the printing industry is with its own sets of problems the initial ones being the unfavorable socio-economic conditions, lack of mass education and the development of local languages. Constraints: Low Literacy Rate: The publishing industry in Pakistan is hampered both by a low literacy rate (48%) and the fact that the national language, Urdu, is written in the right-to-left Arabic script unlike the official language, English, which is written left-to-right. Pakistan has had its share of poetry and prose writers in Urdu, English and other regional languages. Incentives for Writers: Those who don’t reproduce work and are genuinely interested are hardly encouraged. The government, the NGOs and the intellectuals hardly ever take the initiative to encourage young and budding  writers of the country. These results in most of the young authors getting their works published under foreign publishers. At least they get the recognition they warrant in foreign waters. Yet, there are a few committed souls who work tirelessly to make a place for themselves in the literature-deprived country. Market Growth: The publishing industry has been steadily growing despite the many hurdles like the low purchasing power of the masses and the lack of facilities. The principle centers of publishing are Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. Lahore stands out with its numerous publishing houses and has been the hub of the industry from the pre-independence era. Even now, getting a book published from Lahore is much easier than elsewhere. Pakistan’s publishing industry has a lucrative market for Urdu and religious books abroad. A considerable number of books and periodicals are exported to countries like Malaysia, East Africa and the Middle East. Also, a very large number of books is imported in Pakistan mainly from UK and USA. The Inter-Media Growth program of Pakistan and USA have signed an agreement whereby Pakistan can import books and still pay for them in its local currency. Market needs: In the Pakistan scenario, there is need for up-to-date information available at affordable prices and easily accessible via easy to access retail outlets and via e-books. Trends: The following trends are emerging in the publishing industry: E-books Online book stores Reading clubs Book fairs Mobile bookshops Print on Demand These trends are discussed in detail in the ‘Opportunities’section. Customers Analysis: Following is a detailed description of Knowledge Hub’s client authors, intermediate customers and ultimate customers: Client Authors: Our client authors shall include all local authors who have quality material to offer and who fall within in our product range. Intermediate Customer: Our Intermediate or trade customers include: Wholesaler Book Stores Ultimate Customer: Out ultimate customers include: 25534400 school/ college going children in Pakistan 1,349,000 university going individuals in Pakistan 57. 7 % of our adult population which is literate in Pakistan Needs of the Target Customers: Knowledge Hub endeavors to cater to these basic needs of the target consumers: Academic needs Literary/ information needs Entertainment needs Consumer Touch Points: Our target consumer shall purchase our product via the following channels: Book Stores: Knowledge Hub shall have its products available at book stores including academic and literary book stores book shops in schools, colleges and universities. Gift Shops: Our books shall also be made available on gift shops. Libraries: One of the major sources of contact with the target market are libraries. We shall endeavor to establish relations with the local libraries to allow the usage of our products there. Website: Our comprehensive website will also serve as a major source of interaction with our customers. Our website will display our catalogue of books and shall provide the viewers with an option to get access to our products in the form of both paper editions and electronic versions on-line. Customers would be able to be directed to bookstores for the paper version and they may send an order directly to us. They would also be able to unlock and access an on-line edition instantly by making an online payment. Our website viewers would also be able to opt to receive periodic catalogs of our products online via e-mail. Customer Value Proposition: Like they say â€Å"A book is man’s best friend†, Knowledge Hub shall serve to provide its target consumers with books that serve as their best friends in all their walks of life. Knowledge Hub is a provider of latest academic and research material, the best literary material in Urdu and English by quality writers both local and international. Our customers rest assured that when they purchase a publication of Knowledge Hub they receive the optimum value for their money or as we call it ‘your money well spent’. Our publications are free of plagiarism and we endeavor to stay a step ahead in providing academic material which is the most recently proven by researchers instead of re-publishing the same material in a different manner. Knowledge Hub believes in a cleaner, safer tomorrow. We believe in a ‘Paper Free World’ in which our natural resources are savored for our future generations to enjoy. Knowledge Hub’s comprehensive website holds the key to a better tomorrow. Our online e-books, research articles, audio and visual resources provide you easy and instant access along with it being environmentally beneficial. Constraint: The long term vision of Knowledge Hub is to provide all of its resources online so that the environment and our natural resources can be saved. However, due to low levels of computer literacy in Pakistan, this is not possible immediately and shall take efforts from our end to promote education and reading so that our country can move forward past its literacy barriers. Competitor Analysis: Our competitors include: Local Competitors: Sang-e-Meel Publications Ferozsons Awesome Publishers Association for Academic Quality AFAQ Fact Publications Idara-e-Islamiat Kiran Publications Azeem Academy Publishers Book Sellers Hassan Publishers 2 The Point Publishers 7th Sky Publications A to Z Publishers A-One Publishers Adara Talifat Khatm-e-Naboat Adara-Ul-Tahreer Adara-e Saadad Advanced Publishers A. H. Publishers Affaf Publishers Al Raza Publishers Al Quraish Publications Al Mashriq Publishers A. S. Publishers Adabistan Publishers Adan Publications A. N. Publishers Al-Asad Publications Al-Badar Publications Al-Bilal Publishing House Al-Hamd Publications Al-Madina Publications Al-Mezaan Publishers Book Sellers National Competitors: Iqbal Sons Educational Publishers Karachi, Pakistan New Century Education Karachi, Pakistan Baitul Qalam Karachi, Pakistan Electronic Journals of Academic Research and Reviews(EJARR Publishing) Islamabad, Pakistan Library Promotion Bureau Karachi, Pakistan World Trade Publishers Karachi, Pakistan U. S. Publishers (pvt) Ltd. Karachi, Pakistan Children Publications Karachi, Pakistan Jumbo Publishing Karachi, Pakistan 3KBioXML Publishers Pakistan Haripur,Pakistan Strengths of Competitors: Our competitors have the following strengths: Well established brand names. Extensive market experience. Widely available and accepted products. Strong relations with distributors. Huge chains of retail outlets. Weaknesses of Competitors: Our competitors have the following weaknesses: Most of them are obtaining very high profit margins. They provide less incentive for local authors. Re-publishing of material similar to the one already in the market. Low on-line presence. Most of them do not have their own websites. Well established chain throughout Pakistan. Some competitors are also exporting books. Mahwish: SWOT Analysis: Strengths: Well established relations with authors,editors and media personnel Comprehensive website Up-to-date content of book Our mission is in itself a strength Weaknesses: New brand name thus requiring massive promotion Yet to establish credibility with the target customers Initial focus which is only on the Punjab market Opportunities: The emerging trends are opportunities which Knowledge Hub seeks to take advantage of: Time and Technological Advancements: Time and technological advancements play a pivotal role in shaping the trends over the passage of time. As Pakistan is also entering the digital age, traditional distinctions in media become blurred. It can be seen as furthering the book culture. E-books: The biggest contribution of the internet in the book industry would be to digitize books and grant them a wider readership. A number of online websites have sprung up in the last few decades. Quite a lot of these sites are free and others charge a very nominal fee and provide unlimited access to e-books. They can either be downloaded or read on screen. These obviously have become popular because of easy accessibility and the low cost. In Pakistan,a huge majority of people cannot afford the expensive original foreign titles. Hence,these customers can download the electronic versions at much cheapers rates. Some Urdu websites have started to offer online versions of books for foreign readers. This helps in promoting one’s culture as well as to help the expatriate Pakistanis and is a viable opportunity that Knowledge Hub can take advantage of. Online Book Stores: Closely related to e-books are the online book stores, another wonder of the internet and an opportunity for Knowledge Hub. An extension of the traditional book stores, online book stores give the option to search and read reviews of books, browse through categories, view the covers, author information, reader ratings and then order these books online. Although they are not free and even charge a shipping fee, it’s very convenient to search and order books online saving the hassle. Reading Clubs: Reading clubs are a breath of fresh air into the dying book culture. There are a number of book clubs/reading clubs online and offline. People sit and discuss their favorite books or simply talk about what they are reading these days. Readers Club is an exemplary example is of a Readersclub at the University of Karachi, which is moderated by a teacher who is Lecturer at the Department of the International Relations. This is also an opportunity that Knowledge Hub seeks to avail in the future. We plan of starting our own reading club in different cities throughout Pakistan to encourage the reading culture amongst the people of Pakistan. Book Fairs: The first International Book Fair was held in Karachi and Lahore last year at the expo centre and it was well received by the public at large despite the fact that all the books were originals and were highly priced. Knowledge Hub also seeks to participate in such book fairs at both national and international level in the future. Mobile Bookshops: The concept of a Mobile Bookshop was first used by the Welcome Book port some years back. Recently, Oxford started its own mobile book shop and it has been touring the city for quite some time now. Set on a truck, with the back converted into a small book shop with shelves and a counter set snugly at the end, the book shop attracted people outside various schools and universities. Threats: Threat of New Entrants: The threat of new entrant is always present in our industry and Knowledge Hub shall endeavor to keep track of the latest practices and customer trends and preference in order to stay ahead of our game ahead of competition. Plagiarism Another threat is the problem of plagiarism. That is, either simply copying out whole extracts or stealing the idea or characters. Plagiarism is an old problem and a big worry for authors who spend time and money on writing a piece of good writing and then someone else copies it and sells it at a lower cost. Then there are one-time authors who just reproduce material from some international author and make money by claiming it as their own. Incentives for Writers: The government, the NGOs and the intellectuals hardly ever take the initiative to encourage young and budding writers of the country. This has resulted in most of the young authors getting their works published under foreign publishers. Decline in Reading Habits: There has been a visible decline in reading habits in last few decades. This can be attributed to a number of factors like television, internet and other means of entertainment. Product Market Strategy: Segmentation: Our initial target market for the first five years of operations includes: 10623380 school/ college going children in Punjab 3,683,920 college going individuals in Punjab 3034350 individuals going to universities or acquiring diploma in Punjab Literate individuals above the age of 25 in Punjab This overall customer base has been divided into segments on the following bases: Step No. 1- Geographic Segmentation: As of now we are catering to the consumer base in Lahore. Step No. 2 Segmentation on the Basis of Consumer Age and Needs: From within this customer base our market is further divided into the segments on the basis of the ages and needs of the different customers. Books needs of consumer vary with age and needs such as academic, literary, entertainment or information, etc. Hence we have divided our Lahore consumer base into the following segments: Children below the ages of 10 for their academic, literary and entertainment needs. Children between the ages of 10 – 18 who seek to cater to their academic, literary/ information or entertainment needs. Individuals between the ages of 18 – 25 who seek to cater to their academic, literary/ information and entertainment needs and for research purposes. Individuals and professional from the ages of 25 and above for their academic, literary/ information and entertainment needs and for research purposes. Targeting: Knowledge Hub is provider of books to all the mentioned segments. The reason being that the market is already filled with book publishing brands that have had their names recognized and sought after. If we chose to cater to a narrow segment, chances would have been that our brand would not have attained quick popularity in the overall Lahore Market. Hence, Knowledge Hub is catering to all these segments. We shall target the abovementioned segments with the following products: Academic books for primary level Academic books for secondary level Academic books for university level Illustrated books Novels Best Sellers Our focus shall remain on the publishing of quality and up-to-date material. Positioning: Knowledge Hub will position itself as provider of latest academic and research material, the best literary material and best sellers in Urdu and English by quality writers i. e. both local and international. Knowledge Hub endeavors to position itself as a provider of high quality material at affordable prices. Brand Name: ‘Knowledge Hub’ represents the firm as being a provider of various different sources of knowledge, be it academic or in the form of beautiful pieces of writing to enrich our minds and groom our personalities. Marketing Mix: Product: Our products include: Academic Books for Primary Level: These further include English and Urdu language, mathematics, science, general knowledge, geography, national and international history, Islamiat,social studies and arts and crafts. Academic Books for Secondary Level: These further include English and Urdu language, advanced mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, geography, national and international history, Islamiat, social studies, sociology, business studies and arts and crafts. Academic Books for University Level: These further include books for business studies, information technology, social sciences, media studies, engineering, commerce, law, pharmacy and medicine. Illustrated Books: These books include books on history, local and international cultures, wildlife, politics, etc. Novels: These include prices of writing by local, national and international writers. Our focus always remains to ensure that only quality material which does in fact impart some type of knowledge or provides quality entertainment and grooming to the readers. Best Sellers: This category includes the best selling stories and novels of today’s age and over the decades. E-Books: All of our publications shall be available online in the form of e-books. Price: High Value but Varying Purchasing Power of Consumers: Books are of tremendous value to readers. Readers of the same types of book belong to drastically varying income levels. Competitors’ Pricing: The prices that prevail in the market are not rigid. It an original book is priced high; its copy is prices at very low prices. Our competitors vary in terms of their size, market shares and prices. Consequently their prices also vary. Some competitors are charging premium pricing with tremendous profit margins due to attractive designing, book cover and page and printing quality. Penetration Pricing Strategy: Since the purpose of the creation of Knowledge Hub is to ensure availability of knowledge to all Pakistanis who seek for it, we use penetration pricing strategy. Knowledge Hub believes that knowledge is not a product to be sold but a service to be provided to our nation so that we may progress in this fast paced world. Knowledge Hub has priced its products so that they are easily purchased by the masses. Knowledge Hub will use penetration strategy to penetrate in the market which is already filled with numerous providers. Knowledge Hub has made a point to publish original books at affordable prices and only attain profits sufficient to achieve our vision of making knowledge accessible to all. The attainment of our vision requires periodic expansions first with in Punjab then throughout the country. Since, Knowledge Hub is a sole proprietorship; the profits shall be retained and reinvested in the expansion of the business. Knowledge Hub has priced its products a bit cheaper and more affordable as opposed to its competitors while maintaining high quality in terms of designing, book covers, page material and printing. We strive to position ourselves as the provider of high-quality material at reasonable prices. The prices of our products shall fall in the following ranges: Sr. No. Product Line Price Range (Rs). 1 Academic Books for Primary Level 200   500 2 Academic Books for Secondary Level 250 –800 3 Academic Books for University Level 300 –1200 4 Illustrated Books Up till 1500 5 Novels 200 –1500 6 Best Sellers 300 1800 7 Primary Level Academic E- Books 150 400 8 Secondary Level E- Books 150- 650 9 University Level E- Books 200 –850 10 Illustrated E- Books Up till 850 11 E- Novels 150 900 12 Best Seller E- Books 200 –1000 Price Sensitivity of Customers: In the Lahore market, the customers are highly price sensitive. The customers shall most willingly opt for a provider of quality books at low prices. Distribution Strategy: Our office shall be located near Urdu bazaar, Lahore. Our products shall move from us to our distributor who will supply our books to retailers and from these retailers our books shall reach our consumers. Our distribution network is as follows: Distributors: Since book stores no longer order directly from most publishers and prefer fewer vendors and quicker service. We shall enter into a contract with our distributor and allow us to reach the book trade (independent bookstores, chain bookstores, wholesalers and libraries) is with a distributor. Our Distributor will have sales reps who visit book stores and libraries, show your book catalogs and take orders. We shall use the following touch points to provide our products to the target market: Book Stores: Our products shall be made available in book stores throughout Lahore. Initially our books shall be available at the following book stores: Defence Book Store Readings Classic Book Store Ferozsons Kitabistan Liberty Books Readings The Last Word Variety Books Books Bank and Gift Shop Ravi Book Store Mavra Books. Libraries: We shall also have our books placed in the following libraries throughout Lahore: Quaid-e-Azam Library Environment Data Resource Centre (EDRC) Defence Public Library Complex Punjab Public Library Atomic Energy Minerals Centre Library Islamia College Library, Islamia College Government College Library, Government College University Lahore University of Management Sciences Library, Lahore University of Management Sciences National Library of Engineering Sciences Dyal Singh Trust Library Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Library, Lahore Peoples Bank Library, Lahore Pakistan Administrative Staff College Library, Lahore The Ewing Memorial Library Babar Ali Library Atchison College, Lahore Punjab University Library, Lahore Dr Baqirs Library, Lahore Gift Stores: Gift stores will also be a touch point of Knowledge Hub. It is often noticed that people gift good illustrated books, novels and best sellers as gifts on various occasions. Hence placing our products in gift stores shall cause an increase in the number of sales and the popularity of our brand name. Places like Illusions will serve as an ideal place for placing our products. Gift Baskets: We shall also enter into mutual agreements with gift shop owners to form ‘gift baskets’ which will include different items to be placed in the form of a gift basket and including one of our books. An example of this can be a pen/ a diary or note pad along with a small teddy bear and a novel or best seller placed in a beautiful gift basket and covered with a net and tassels. Fiction and Poetry Books: Fiction and poetry can be sold better in gift stores as opposed to book stores. Website: Knowledge Hub shall maintain a comprehensive website containing electronic versions of all its books. We will use this website to display our catalogs of books and to sell those books in both paper editions and in electronic versions on-line. Customers would be able to be directed to bookstores for the paper version and they may send an order directly to us. They would also be able to unlock and access an on-line edition instantly by making a online payment. Our website viewers would also be able to opt to receive periodic catalogs of our products online via e-mail. Retail Outlet: By 2014, we plan to open our own retail outlet in H Block Defence with the name of Knowledge Hub. Our outlet shall contain all of our publications. Tahira: Promotion Strategy: Knowledge Hub will use the following promotional techniques to promote its products: Newspaper and Magazine Advertisement: Knowledge Hub shall have the following print advertisement placed in the newspapers and magazines including Sunday Times, Zarnigar, Weekly Pulse,Pakistan Textile Journal Magazine ,Herald ,Defence Journal Magazine (DJ),etc. Book Promotion: Knowledge Hub will use tools like book reviews, news releases and a limited amount of highly targeted direct mail advertising. Book reviews and news releases result in free (editorial) publicity while direct mail (Postal and email) delivers your sales message directly to potential customers. Book Reviews: Book reviews are editorial copy that is far less expensive and much more credible than space advertising. The huge number of magazines, newsletters and newspapers columns that are in the market will receive review packages. These reviews will be published for the trade wholesalers and bookstores and libraries. These reviews tell the trade what is coming so they can order the books before the public reads the post-publication reviews in the popular magazines and newspapers. News Releases: We shall follow the review copies with news releases and articles every month to the very same magazines, newsletters and newspapers. These news releases allow opinion-molding editors know what you are doing and why your book has the information their readers need. Direct Mail Advertising: Direct mail advertising of our catalog and books will provide us with the opportunity to get our complete sales message to a specific potential buyer. Our mailing list for direct mails shall remain selective and include only our main buyers. Broadcast E-mail to Main Buyers: This method will is even better than direct postal mail and eliminates printing, stuffing and postage while getting a quick response. Knowledge Hub will assemble email addresses from customers and potential customers and alert them pertaining to our books. Radio TV Interviews: Radio/TV interviews are an easy way to have the masses asking and searching for an upcoming book. Knowledge Hub shall arrange radio and television interviews of authors hose books are about to be published with us. If the book gains popularity so do we. Radio and television talk shows need interesting guests to attract listeners and viewers. Most people feel that authors are experts and celebrities, so most of the guests booked on such shows are authors. While advertising products on the air is expensive interviews are an editorial matter. People listen to editorial matter. Interviews are more effective than advertising and they are free. Hence, they will serve as an inexpensive way to sell our books. Autograph Parties: Knowledge Hub will arrange autograph parties or book signings in our client bookstores, both chain and independent to draw potential customers into their stores. Best Sellers: Knowledge Hub will endeavor so that its books are labeled as bestsellers. This would drastically improve our brand image. Book fairs: Knowledge Hub will organize book fairs are where publishers traditionally show their books but there are several different kinds. There fairs will be for bookstore buyers, libraries, the general public and so on. Initially these book fairs will be local but they will be replaced with book fairs in other cities as our business expands. Specific Category Promoting: From time to time Knowledge Hub shall also indulge in specific category book promotion. Where we shall promote our different products like children’s books, illustrated books, etc in schools, universities, etc. Audible Books: Some of our potential customers may commute or travel a lot and hence will not have time to read our book. This constraint can be overcome by forming audible books. E-Books: One of the very rapidly emerging trends in the book publishing industry is that –f electronic books. Knowledge Hub shall take complete advantage of this means of reaching to the targeted audience. Public Relations: Knowledge Hub will endeavor to maintain good relations with the distributor, retailing chains,gift stores, editors who write book reviews and leading authors. Sales Promotions: Knowledge Hub will provide sales promotions to retailers and libraries such as books at discount prices when purchased in huge bulks to motivate them to purchase our products and help the company penetrate into the target market. Implementation Strategy: Our primary function as book publishers is to procure books and make them available for sale. Procurement of books will involve soliciting and accepting marketable manuscripts, contracting with the author for selling rights, and getting them copies printed and distributed. The selling of our books will involve making contacts with industry retailers and distributors, and selling directly through your own website. We shall make a percentage of each sale and pay the balance to the author. Operational Plan: For works written independently of the publisher, writers shall first submit a query letter or proposal directly to a literary agent or to a publisher. Submissions sent directly to a publisher are referred to as unsolicited submissions, and the majority come from previously unpublished authors. We shall accept these unsolicited manuscripts, and place it in the slush pile, which our readers will sift through to identify manuscripts of sufficient quality or revenue potential to be referred.

The Age of Criminal Responsibility

The Age of Criminal Responsibility In recent years the attitude and mood towards young offenders is more server, due to a wide spread public perception of mounting youth crime, and the killing of toddler James Bulger by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, who were only 10 years old at the time. Over the past years we are seeing more and more youths engaging in criminal behaviour, some not so serious, and a few striking cases for example, the Jamie Bulger case, and the Doncaster attacks. However only 17 percent of known offenders are aged between 10 and 17, which is surprising considering how much the media report on youth crime (Elliott, Quinn, 2009). Over the past year juvenile crime rates across the continent have remained more or less stable. However, this does not mean that the problem of youth crime is insignificant. Several countries have reported a worrying trend that more young offenders are committing more violent and serious crimes. Young people, who commit crimes at a young age start with an early criminal ca reer, are harder to reintegrate back into a normal life. This is one reason why it is necessary to discuss the problem of juvenile justice in depth (Hammarberg, 2008). There are two different trends in Europe at the current time. One is to reduce the age of criminal responsibility and to lock up more children at younger ages and for more offences. The other trend is in the spirit of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to avoid criminalization and to seek family-based or other social alternatives to imprisonment. However in the UK theres a debate on whether or not the age of criminal responsibility should be higher, in which I argue it should. However, the age of criminal responsibility varies greatly across the world. It ranges from 6 in North Carolina or 7 in India, South Africa, Singapore and most of the United States of America, to 13 in France 16 in Portugal and 18 in Belgium. There has recently been much talk in England and Wales, where the age is now 10, about whether this should be raised. Britain and other countries set minimum ages at which a child or young person are allowed to make decisions without a adult or guardians consent for good reason. It is related to judgments about a childs intellectual, emotional and mental maturity. The position where a child has to make far-reaching decisions about their future should never be choice, children need appropriate adult support, guidance and, in some cases, veto. Adults take responsibility for children in decision making as it is seen that children cannot make informed choices and do not have the capacity to do it themselves. The United Nations believe that the same principles should be applied to the age of criminal responsibility (Guardian). The age of criminal responsibility is the age at which it is possible to be charged with a crime and put on trial. (REFERENCE) The UN Committee suggested that twelve is a too low number on the rights of a child and has recommended that serious consideration to be given to rising th e age of criminal responsibility throughout the areas in the UK It is difficult to understand and defend the UK and prevailing practices in Europe for being so out on line. Other methods needs to be thoroughly explored when it comes to ensuring that children take responsibility for their own actions, by drawing what the UN Committee have commended by the positive lessons from reparation, referral orders and other restorative justice schemes for offenders. It might also be an area where listening to children could pay dividends (Broadbridge, 2009). In 1985 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Beijing Rules of juvenile justice, which go further than the UN Committee on the rights of the child. The rules state that the age of criminal responsibility shall not be fixed at too low an age level, bearing in mind the facts of emotional, mental and intellectual maturity. It then goes on to argue that countries should consider whether a child can live up to the moral and psychological components of criminal responsibility and details that if the age of criminal responsibility is set too low the notion of responsibility would become meaningless. On this basis the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the UK should be 16 (guardian). It is also important to know and understand that some countries have a rule called doli incapax. It is held with an assumption that over a certain age that children can be criminally responsible, however, sufficiently mature enough for such a responsibility. If the defence team are successful then that child cannot be found guilty (Muncie, 2009). Generally speaking, there are two major issues to this debate. Firstly, at what age can you call a child grown- up enough to understand right from wrong, and the consequences of those actions? Secondly, at what age can a child comprehend and understand the criminal justice system and trail process enough to take part in it? (REFERENCE). Most European countries have a welfare based system in place to deal with young offenders as their age of criminal responsibility is mostly higher than England and Wales. The Criminal Justice Act 1998 abolished the doli incapax increased the tendency to treat children as if they were adults. Which can be seen in the James Bulger case as John Venables and Robert Thompson were tried in an adult court. Although a ten year old may understand what is right and what is wrong, they do not understand the implications of what they have done and what has to be as a consequence of those actions. Capacity and competence relate to age, understanding and maturity should be considered in any trial in which a child is a defendant (MaMahon, Payne, 2001). England has one of the highest conviction rates for young offenders; this may be due to the low age of criminal responsibility or the fact that we have a punitive state. Whereas in contrast Belgium on the other hand have a high criminal responsibilit y age with only a faction on youth offenders in custody. (NACRO, 2002) Offenders who are under the age of 18 years old are delt with differently from adults, as it is believed that children are less responsible for their actions than adults, a wish to steer children away from further involvement in crime. Sentencing young people has always posed a dilemma: should such offenders be seen as a product of their upbringing and have their problems treated, or are they to be regarded as bad, and have their actions punished? Over the past couple of decades sentencing policy has swung between two views. In 1969, the Labour Government took the approach that delinquency was a result of deprivation, which could be treated, and one of the aims of the Children and Young Persons act of that year was to decriminalise the offending of young people. The opposite approach was introduced by the conservatives which led to the UK having a high number of young people locked up than any other west European country, but reconviction rates of 75-80percent suggested that this was not benefiting the young offenders or the country as a whole. Since 1982, the philosophy behind legislation has been that the sentencing of young people should be based on the offence committed and not on the offenders personal or social circumstances, or the consequent chances of reform. (Elliott, Quinn, 2009) In law many children do not possess the emotional maturity to be held responsible for their actions. Everyone knows that children cannot always make informed choices. It is for this reason that children are not allowed to vote in many countries and cannot consent to sex or drink alcohol. It is seen that children do not have enough life experience and more importantly they do not have the same mental and emotional abilities as adults. Children are often not aware of the consequences of their actions. It is unfair to hold children accountable for these actions as even though children know the difference between right and wrong, they often do not understand the difference between various levels of wrongdoing. However you could argue that children do know right from wrong, for example. In the abduction of Jamie Bulger in 1993, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson must have known to some degree that what they did was wrong, or they would not have lied about it and tried to cover it up. Moreov er, It is important that the criminal law underlines the difference between right and wrong by punishing children and adults who commit crimes. By criminalising children it harms their development and makes the situation even worse. Labelling a child as criminal at a very young age is less likely to lead to a better understanding of what is right and what is wrong. If the child does not understand the wrongfulness of what they have done, they may feel unjustly treated by society and rebel against them accepting the label in which society has given them, and also feel bitter towards society as a whole. The people who surround the child are more likely to be treated worse such as parents and teachers which inevitably separate them from society.In addition to this, those who are sent to prison or young offender institutes get cut off from their family and friends and can develop friendships with other criminals, they can also learn more knowledge about committing crimes before they went into prison, therefore, never really breaking free from the life of crime. All of these reactions are likely to make the childs situation worse and increase the chance of future criminal behaviour. However criminalising children is a necessary step to show the child that those actions were wrong. Children that have committed crimes have often grown up in communities without a structure or control in their lives. The child may see drug-taking, domestic violence and criminal activity in their homes, and they may have often skipped school. These children need to be punished as without punishment the children will never know the cost of their own actions. The children are then less likely to commit crimes in the future as they now know that if they do something wrong a punishment will follow. In addition to this, other children will be are less likely to commit crimes if they know a punishment will follow their actions. We are not persuaded by the argument that criminalising children is the best route to rehabilitation. As the Childrens Rights Alliance for England put it, responding directly to the Ministers comment- The UK has a well-developed child welfare system that is more than capable of assessing and meeting the needs of children without them having to be charged or treated as criminals. The [JCHR] will be aware of the recent very critical joint report from eight Inspectorate and regulatory bodies into how well children are being safeguarded. Of the youth offending teams work with children in prison, the report concludes, the focus was almost exclusively upon the offending behaviour of the young people, and there was little evidence of welfare needs being considered and addressed. This should give a red signal to a government so intent on responding to children in trouble-especially the youngest ones -through the criminal justice system rather than through our child welfare system (Broadbridge, 2009). It is often said that children who commit crimes are victims of circumstance, and instead of punishing children we need to address those circumstances. Studies such as (REFERENCE) show that more often than not the most vulnerable children have grown up in poverty, and have been uncared for by their parents, often skipped school, and even abused. By sending these children to young offenders institutions, their education is harmed, and the possibility of the University of Crime, other measures should be considered. For example, in Norway, social authorities need to take action to secure a childs development through counselling or time spent in a special care unit. The measures that are take should depend on the childs circumstances, rather than how bad the crime was. This is more than likely to reduce the criminal behaviour of young people in the future. There could be issues to do with class in the mix here. Rich children are less likely to be criminalised as their parents will be abl e to afford better lawyers which will be able to deal with the situation better. However people argue that a child is more at risk if they do not receive a criminal punishment. Not all punishments are retributive; rehabilitation can be combined with the education and training that the child will receive in prison in order to integrate the child back into society. If these sanctions were not in place, it would be more difficulty for younger children to resist the temptation of assisting older criminals. It is seen that children cannot have a fair trial. Many children often struggle to understand the trial process, which can be stressful and also have technical problems. Given the seriousness of being found guilty, it is only fair and important that people do have a fair trial and punishment is given if found guilty. It is more than likely that children do not have the concentration to follow evidence properly, therefore they may not be able to give fluent instructions to their lawyers and are misunderstood. This is a considerable injustice to the child/ children that are on trial, as if they do not understand, or potentially intimidated by the foreign surroundings and language they are not familiar with, then a grave injustice can occur. For example, in the Jamie Bulger case, thoroughout the trail process it was noted that the John Venables and Robert Thompson looked bored and bewildered by the whole process. It is argued that it is possible to make the system work for children. Aus tralia, Singapore and the USA and many other countries have special courts for offenders under the age of 18.The design of the courts are simpler and designed to be less intimidating for a child, which allows them to be able to follow the criminal process more clearly. As long as the safeguards are in place to protect young people, it is possible for a child to have a fair trial, as long as that child is not tried in an adult court. Societies understanding of childhood do not arise because of some innate nature of children childs rights. In particular, childrens competence, to what extent a child a child can assert their legal rights and to what extent do adults interpret a childs competence, with this political question proves the rights and policies for the child. The history of juvenile history reflects the influential portrayals of perceived child competence. The origins of juvenile justice along the welfare approach are based upon the belief that childrens incompetence and lack of criminal responsibility. This foundation lends itself to broad state authority to intervene in childrens lives, which in reality has often proven disastrous for children. In response to these problems, a shift in juvenile justice occurred towards the justice approach, which inevitably constructed a childhood based around the notion that children did have the mental capacity and competence to understand and have criminal responsibility The MACR notes the tipping point among tipping notions about childhood; competencies; liberty and protection rights; and the welfare justice continuum. However in the justice approach the notion of responsibility often, if not always, serves as a trap door rather than a safeguard, in which it was originally intended. Instead of ensuring freedom for the state intrusion, its meaning can become distorted and may legitimise social control over children whose true responsibility is questionable. The effects of moral condemnation and punishment follow even where underlying moral responsibility is missing. At the cost of individual liberly, moral legitimacy, and justice, the publics conscience is relieved and authorities effective social control is consolidated. Paradoxically, the welfare approach may appeal to different concepts of childrens rights, but neither communicates a clear role for society at large, and bother bring the weight of problems down upon individual children and families. Such inherent flaws leave both the justice approach and the welfare approach as problematic models. We also note, as did the UN Committee, that the Government has abolished the common law principle of doli incapax (the rebuttable presumption that children aged 10-13 years are incapable of criminal intent). The effect of this has been described as follows.This means that a 10 year old child, till in primary school is presumed to be as criminally responsible as a fully mature adult. This surely cannot be right. In the light of the removal of this safeguard, we recommend that the government review the effects of the low age of criminal responsibility on children and on crime. The criminalisation of young children has to be justified by very convincing evidence- it is not sufficient to assert that it is the best, or the only way to diverting them from a future of crime.

Attractions And Culture Of Southall Cultural Studies Essay

Attractions And Culture Of Southall Cultural Studies Essay I have selected Southall as my case study. It is situated in London borough of Ealing, near Heathrow airport. It is well connected with major London stations via London over ground rail service. Southall is an area where more than 50% of population is from India and Pakistan or other Asian communities and it is commonly called as little India among the local people. This is a perfect example of diverse cultures, where local community from different religions and cultures live together. Some of the major attractions it offer to the visitors such as Southall Broadway, which is the main shopping street, where almost every range of products from Asian community can be found very easily. Variety of restaurants with multi- cuisines; magnetically attracts visitors, as original Indian curries and country taste is the speciality. Visitors can feel the colourful culture of Asia in very first visit to Southall. Many Gurudwaras (Religious temples of Sikh community) are located here and they attract many visitors from different parts of London and local people as well. One of Gurudwara named Sri Guru Singh Sabha (Largest Sikh temple situated outside India) called proud of Southall. Not only Gurudwaras but many Hindu temples, churches and mosques are also situated here and this whole atmosphere gives impression of a multi-religion community. During many festivals Southall has its own charm. As India is a country of festivals and colours, multiple religions have their own ideas of celebrations and Punjabi culture is the most famous and celebrating among all. Diwali, Holi, Dussera, Vaisakhi, Guru-Purab etc. are some of the celebration days. In Southall people celebrate these days similarly Christmas or New Year eve. There are hundreds of videos and pictures available online to get a feel of atmosphere around these special days. This place is famous among all Punjabi peoples around the globe due to its exceptionality. Many Hindi, Punjabi movies and various folk music artists has contributed much for this hype. While my own personal visits, I can rarely see English faces. Usually shopkeepers deals in their native language Punjabi. Influence of Punjabi in this area can be judged from Southall over ground station where English and Punjabi signposts are installed for convenience to locals. Picture below is of one of the signposts installed outside Southall over ground train station: Courtesy: www.thelangarhall.comwp-contentuploads200808SouthallLRsign.jpg No doubt about the diversified culture and landmarks located in Southall; still there is some lacking in its touristic popularity among non-Asian visitors. While this place has many attractions and interests, some techniques and marketing theories can be used to make it a well established destination. Through this case study and my personal observation, I would like to present some arguments regarding the limited popularity and suggestions for creativeness of this potential tourist destination (which can be a major attraction for all types of London visitors in coming future; if worked wisely upon market strategies). Also I would like to present market segmentation and market research tools for the future prospects of this place. Required parameters, appropriate communication mix and distribution channels are mentioned in the later part of this study. Distinctiveness, Segmentation, Target Market, Market Research Southall is unique and several benefits it can offer to the visitors. Little India would be used to provide various attractions to communities not only Asians but from other race as well. I want to provide you a glimpse of varieties and cultural experiences, which Southall is offering to current visitors and tourists: Distinctiveness: Southall became a residential community area in early 50s when the primary group of Asians arrived here, who was recruited to work in a local factory which was owned by an ex-British Indian Army officer. These South Asian inhabitants grew rapidly, due to the convenience of employment opportunities. Today Southall has a lot to offer to its people, I am providing few distinctive characteristics of this place which make it exceptional in terms of visitors experience: Religious Places: There are ten Sikh Gurdwaras in Southall, one of these Gurdwaras Sri Guru Singh Sabha (opened in 2003) is one of the biggest Sikh temples outside India as I have mentioned earlier in introduction part. There are two large Hindu temples, the Vishnu Hindu temple on Lady Margaret Road and the Ram temple in Old Southall. Number of churches like Roman Catholic, Methodist Anglican, Baptist etc. and three Muslim community mosques, one located on Southall Broadway and other located in Old Southall. These places provide a multi-cultural and religiously divine experience together at one destination. Shopping and Food: Main road in Southall is called the Broadway. Southall has major Asian shopping centre in London. Southall is also the site of the famous Glassy Junction public house, which serve a number of Indian draught beers and interesting fact to mention that it gives facility to accept payment in Indian currency. Southall has many famous restaurants e.g. Mirch Masala, Giftos Madhus, Chaudhrys TKC, TKC are well-known for the Chaudhrys Tiara which has a unique Pakistani bus for their business marketing. A large gas tower is also located in Southall, which is a well known landmark and visible from a long distance. Southall has its own local football club named as Southall F.C. and has a long history, having been formed more than hundred years ago. Courtesy: http://www.visitsouthall.co.uk/Local_Info/southall_tourist_map.php (Mentioned map give an idea of the famous landmark locations of Southall and visible that a diverse range of option is available to enjoy and experience here) Music and Films: Media played a well versed role for the popularity of Southall, Many Indo-British movies were setup here as shooting and script locations; some of them are Hindi film Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, internationally applauded movies Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice. Couple of years back a famous Hindi movie has been made on Southall football club named as Goal. Not only movies but number of Punjabi music videos has been shot here and a lot of famous personalities from Indian cinema and Indian music industry accommodate themselves here. A local community radio station is serving Southall named Westside 89.6 FM and licensed by OfCom towards community-based radio services. Film Studio: One of the earliest British film studios Southall Studios played a historic role in British film-making from its creation in 1924 to its closure in 1959. In 1936 a fire destroyed the studio but it was rebuilt and enlarged. Several movies featuring well-known actors, plus an early TV series (Colonel March of Scotland Yard) were made at the studios together with TV and cinema adverts. (Web resources) Industrial Establishments: During the research, it has been found that there were many persons who made their impact as population of Southall. Otto Monsted, a Danish margarine producer, built a large factory at Southall in 1894. The factory also had its own railway sidings and branch canal. The Maypole Dairy Company was later acquired by Lever Brothers who, as part of the international Unilever Company, changed the site to a Walls Sausages factory which produced sausages and other meat products until the late 1970s. Business Factor: Quaker Oats (later part of Pepsi co) built a factory in Southall in 1936. Which later on taken by Spillers and Big Gear group. Engineering goods, paint, sugar puffs and food process factories are the main business developed here. (Web resources) These were some of the examples from its brief history which made an impact for their large businesses, till this date Southall provide a positive atmosphere for the businesses to grow, one of them is due to availability of the workforce form eastern countries. Mentioned are some of the major sources of attraction and brief historical events related to this place. Southall can simply provide an astonishing experience to the visitors. Diverse range of activities and people; makes it apart from Londons main stream tourism. Southall provides a strong example for Creative Tourism as it offers many valuable and unique experiences to the visitors. Market Segmentation Target Market As we have discussed that Southall provides a religiously enrich experience especially to Hindu and Sikh community and number of visitors are from this market segmentation (Based on special community services). Some visitors are from London region who wants to have a glimpse of Little India due to their special interests or eagerness. Shopping for some Indian items e.g. clothes, food items, entertainment sources, food and grocery products etc. also attract people from around as they are not easily available in other parts of city. Market segmentation is a essential part of any tourism destination study as: Segmentation groups tourists into segments based on similar characteristics. Targeting chooses from among these segments the one or more that are most likely to respond positively to a promotional messageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Kolb, 2006: 103) Target Market and Market Research: Above definition from Kolb describe the need of classification of the different target markets according to their characteristics and I observed from couple of visits about the market segments who comes to this place, mainly they are; Families- Parents with their children for shopping and leisure and to enjoy an atmosphere which relates them to their native hood. Individual Youngsters- who are involve in some part of industries and Southall Broadway (as part of work or to meet friends). Old age people from Asian (Indian Pakistani) ethnicity- for the purpose of their regular or timely visit to religious places. Societies of specialist interests- mainly these societies are from cultural perspectives who visit for their special interests. Shoppers- Mainly females who are interested in Asian ethnic clothing or fashion. Domestic tourists- from Asian ethnicity, who are travelling to UK or London have their interest to visit this famous (among them) place or to meet family or friends or due to publicity created by media (Films and music) These are some of the major categories of visitors who choose Southall as their destination for various reasons as applicable. Doing a market research is necessary due to the vulnerability of tourism and; The more an organisation knows about its customers and prospective customers their needs and desires, their attitudes and behaviour- the better it will be able to design and is required to stimulate their purchasing decisions. (Middleton with Clarke, 2001) Same categories are the perspective Target Markets and it can be enhanced more by implementation of accurate market research and tourism marketing. Further in next part of this case study I would like to present the appropriate communications mix and distribution channels. Which are currently, used for promotions of Southall and to attract visitors. Communications Mix and Distribution Channels I have accessed a few websites available online for information on Southall and for current activities going on here but sad part is; this place is no where suitably accessed in detail on the web, whereas on the other hand I cant find appropriate printed materials (flyers or brochures) as well. This is the key point which strikes my mind that why this place is not so famous in other communities or London visitors and narrowed only to the local communities living here. Present Promotional Materials: I observed that word to mouth is the only active part of promotions happening for this place by local communities and this is the major reason why rest of the people are staying apart to access this unique destination. Why websites are not playing a valuable role. When searched in detail, I found that few websites which are available are not actually attracting any new breed of visitors and not many promotions are available on the air. WEBSITES- Few websites I have mentioned below are the only available sources to get information (which are also not satisfying the requirement of a visitor) and I tried to give a brief synopsis about what information they contain and what is lacking as an appropriate first source of knowledge: http://southallpride.wordpress.com/ This website is more like a blog site, where no information about the place is provided, although this site boasts of a community help provider but it focuses only on the events and news going on in the certain part. I observed about currently ongoing issues in Southall by this site and some of them were interesting e.g. Drug peddling in Southall, Protest from the local residents against councils support regarding excessive number of gambling and drinking places. I believe these types of websites are more informative to the local people or persons with specific interests, but to a tourist. This website can be used as a successful channel as it contains local community perspective and helps to inform residents regarding the hot-issues around. If publicised and regenerated with vast amount of information on positive qualities as well, it can play a major role in development of Southall as a tourist place to visitors from all communities. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southall Wikipedia is a well known website to access basic information about anything or place, but in my opinion this is also not of much interest towards visitors regeneration in Southall. Wikipedia is containing huge amount of information on history, basic culture or characteristics, but if a higher level of information is required, it might be an adversity as it is not a reliable or trusted source of information; the reason is anyone can update or edit the information; hence authenticity of the data is a question. My personal opinion towards this website is not very supportive but still when no other sources are available, at least this websites provides preliminary information. http://www.visitsouthall.co.uk/ Visit Southall is another website with less information. This website is more of an advertisement website than a visitors informative resource. On the opening home page there are number of small adverts from local businesses and a very short note describes Southall. Other relative links takes through the different options e.g. businesses, hotels, shopping, restaurants etc. some of them are useful and some not. This website is more like a local directory with address and phone numbers mentioned on it by various business links. This website, as the link says Visit Southall can be a medium for providing all sort of information and visual material to attract more visitors. But as this website is poorly made; it is of not much use. It requires a complete makeover and can be very successful if different contents like pictures, visual graphics, music or other attractive mediums added to it. Further it requires publicity upon various social networking website s or advertisement through various other media channels. Thereafter I tried to focus on the future prospective in terms of marketing elements to be used in promoting Southall as a distinctive place for visitors from all over. I believe that by now this report has justified the uniqueness of Southall and also provided a sense of experience one can get by visiting. Being diverse and such culturally enriched, still there are many factors and drawbacks which stopped it to grow and reach to the visitors checklist. In further portion of this report I would like to suggest few elements of communications mix to support from marketing point of view. Communication Mix: There are certain requirements for marketing. If Southall needs to improve and rise up as a tourism destination, it is necessary to implement mentioned elements: Branding: Its the process of communicating the visitor the image of the destination, along with features, benefits it has to offer (Kolb, 2006, 219) In my opinion every successful destination has its branding and it actually affect the number of visitors. Branding helps to clarify the destinations personality and more effectively branding works as a powerful tool on peoples mind and gives to its visitor a sense of speciality. But question arise what are the tools to be used as branding? In brief they consist of slogans, logos, icons and imagery. It is essential that these tools must represent a theme and relates to the destination. In case of Southall, it has number of events and festivals which can be easily used as a tool of branding events and can be helpful for its popularity. the key to creating a brandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is to be able to choose a name, logo, symbol, package design, or other attribute that identifies a product and distinguishes it from others (Hem and Iversen, 2004) Along with branding Southall requires excellent level of advertising, as after creating a brand it has to spread out to point of contact with future visitors or potential consumers. Advertising: is without a doubt a biggest tool for promotion, whether product is tangible or intangible. In terms of popularity, Southall definitely require an advertising policy in which diversified culture, colourful atmosphere, delicious food and many other specialities can be promoted as unique experiences. Advertising is a tool which contains perfect communications mix for promotion, and it can reach out to mass rather than personal selling or one to one relations. Although each tool have its own limitations and restrictions, but in my opinion Southall can become superior destination by the help of appropriate branding and advertising. Advertising has various characteristics and it can influence mentioned categories: Persuade new customers (Visitors) for product (Destination) Keep bonding with existing customers Spread awareness among mass population Keeps increasing the reputation for the product Can be used through various mediums at once (TV, Media, Posters, Web Adverts etc.) Influential and less time consuming in comparison to personal relations Further Advertising can be studied and distributed, as it should represent awareness, interest, goal or desire (outcome of advertising) must be decided and action to be made according to conditions demand. This theory is defined as AIDA: Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action. Employing Advertising with Southall: Mentioned are the few beneficial key points by advertising. I am not denying the use of other communications mix but according to the situation and positioning of Southall, I strongly believe that Advertising and Branding will help at major levels. Although some more techniques like; personal selling, public relations or sales support etc. can also be added and implement all together but feasibly these other techniques or tools can be employed by the success or failure of a single tool. Reflection/Conclusion: London is a vast city which accommodates numerous culture and people; by personal experience, I can say that this is one of the most diversified cities in the world. If we look at Londons own personal selling and destination marketing, London has made a mark and is a perfect example for the rest of the world. London has proven a tremendous success when it comes for branding a city. This must be a reason why London has got such diversified areas and destinations inside its own territory. London seems to be a small continent with such vast contrast and variety in between its own people and places. Southall, which grew up and categorised itself as a specific community location, needs special attention. Even if we apart Asian communitys colours, still it has got many other interests and attractions. When we add both; diverse cultural experience with its elegance; it creates a different level experience for its visitors. It consists of many characteristics and attractions, which is a perfect blend of enrich distinctiveness. Future target markets and research we have discussed to get an overview before implementation of any marketing planning. How websites or other media are helpful and in which areas they are lacking behind, we have observe from few examples. What attract people and how to reach out to distinctive and new consumers we argued in the later part. I believe that Southall is representing an important part of diverse London. Although it has been misinterpret by people and other communities but it has got a potential to be an iconic and one of the must visit places. By my observations and research I found that there is some lacking of appropriate marketing approach towards its popularity. If council, private organisations and communities of this place support each other, Southall can be added in undivided parts of Londons famous places.