Behavioural learning theory Essays

Behavioural learning theory Essays Behavioural learning theory Essay Behavioural learning theory Essay Behavioural learning theories consist of two main forms of learning, classical conditioning and instrumental conditioning. I will briefly be looking at both types of learning and then talk about phobias and the exposure techniques used to eliminate them. Ivan Petrovich Pavlov demonstrated classical conditioning in his experiments with dogs. Pavlov rung a bell every time he gave the dogs food and the sight of the food would make them salivate. Eventually the dogs associated the bell ringing with food, so that the bell alone would make them salivate. He explained that there are two types of reflexes, conditioned and unconditioned. Unconditioned reflexes are those that are innate whereas conditioned reflexes were acquired through conditioning. Unconditioned reflexes are based on a connection between unconditioned stimulus (US) and unconditioned response (UR). In Pavlovs experiments, the unconditioned stimulus was the dogs sight of food and the unconditioned response was the dogs salivating. Similarly, condition reflexes are based on a connection between conditioned stimulus (CS) and conditioned response (CR). In the experiments, the conditioned stimulus was the sound of a bell ringing while the conditioned response was salivation (Gleitman, 1995). Therefore classical conditioning is concerned with the learning of the relationship between the conditioned stimuli and the unconditioned stimuli. Pavlov also showed that the more often the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus are paired together, the more the strength of the conditioned response increases. The pairing reinforces the connection and such trials are called reinforced trials. Likewise, if the unconditioned stimulus is presented without the conditioned stimulus then the conditioned response gradually weakens. This is known an unreinforced trial. This will eventually lead to extinction whereby the conditioned reaction is undone and therefore the conditioned response disappears (Gleitman, 1995). However, the conditioned response can be resurrected through reconditioning. This typically needs fewer reinforced trials to bring the conditioned response to its previous strength because there is a spontaneous recovery (i. e. he conditioned response was masked rather than abolished during extinction). Conditioned responses can be suppressed through fear, which is known as response suppression. This may be one cause of why phobias develop. For example, someone who gets bitten by a snake may develop a very intense fear (or phobia) of snakes. Instrumental conditioning (also known as operant conditioning) is a form of learning whereby a reinforcer (reward) is only given once the correct instrumental response has been performed. Edward L. Thorndike proposed a theory known as the Law of Effect. In this he explained that responses that are followed by a reward (positive reinforcement) are strengthened and responses that are followed by no reward or punishment (negative reinforcement) are weakened. This is supported by the theory of evolution. Those that choose the best responses will have a better chance of survival (Gleitman, 1995). Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder which are characterised by an intense and irrational fear of an object or situation. The sufferer is usually aware of this irrationality, but continues to be afraid. Phobic people are always preoccupied with their phobia and avoiding the particular objects or situations that frighten them. Avoiding those particular objects or situations does not always help minimise the problem. This is because most of the time, the phobia tends to extend to other similar stimulus. For example, a person who fears leopards may also fear cats, spotted objects or even parts of the city where the zoo is located (Gleitman, 1995). One mechanism which explains why phobias develop is that chance association of ideas lead to fears. For example, a child that is told that goblins come by at night may develop a fear of the dark (Locke, 1690 in Gleitman, 1995). Many modern theorists explain that phobias derive from classical conditioning, where the feared object is the conditioned stimulus. An example would be a fear of snakes after a snake bite (Wolpe, 1958 in Gleitman, 1995). This theory also explains why phobias tend to expand. If a person who is conditioned to fear a particular stimulus encounters the stimulus in a different context, then that person will be conditioned to fear the new stimuli. There are two main types of phobias, specific and social. Social phobias are a fear of embarrassment or humiliation. Examples of sufferers avoiding situations include public speaking in case they falter or eating in restaurants in case they choke on their food. These sufferers may turn to alcohol or drugs in order to give themselves more confidence. Specific phobias, on the other hand, are a fear of particular objects or events. The classical conditioning explanation doesnt explain why patients tend to be afraid of only a limited number of stimuli. Phobias of snakes, spiders and heights are particularly common whereas phobias of knives, cars and electrical equipment are rare. If classical conditioning was the cause of phobias, then fear of knives and fire would be much more common as most people have been hurt by them. An explanation for this may come from the Preparedness Theory of Phobias, which is based on evolution. The theory explains that our ancestors had a built-in predisposition to fear stimuli that were dangerous to them (like spiders and snakes). Natural selection, therefore, favoured those that were innately predisposed to learn to fear these stimuli very quickly (Seligman, 1971 in Gleitman, 1995). To support this theory, experiments have been carried out in which nonphobic subjects were shown pictures of various objects. The pictures were paired with electric shocks. It was found that the subjects more often feared the pictures of snakes and spiders than the pictures of flowers and mushrooms (i hman, Eriksson and Olofsson, 1975; i hman, Dimberg and i st, 1985 in Gleitman, 1995). However, these studies have been criticised because it is not known what prior fears the subjects had before they participated in the experiment. Some investigators have used laboratory-reared monkeys to get around this problem. Experiments showed that the monkeys who had never seen snakes before become much more easily frightened by toy snakes than by flowers. As monkeys are our simian cousins, humans come to fear some stimuli much more readily than others (Cook and Mineka, 1989 in Gleitman, 1995). Behavioural therapy is a technique used to treat mental disorders. Behavioural therapists use classical and instrumental conditioning to re-educate patients. The treatment does not look at the causes of the disorder but aims to modify the sufferers behaviour. The more specific methods used to treat phobias are known as exposure techniques, so called because the patient is exposed to the phobic stimulus as part of the therapeutic process. Exposure treatments involve extinction, in which the classically conditioned connection is removed. One technique is flooding whereby the person is immersed in the fear reflex until the fear itself fades away. A person who suffers from ophidiophobia (snake phobia) may be placed in a room full of harmless snakes until the fear is extinguished. Some phobic reactions are so strong that the flooding is done in the patients mind rather than in real life. This is known as implosion therapy. Some patients cannot handle flooding so an alternative technique that is used is systematic desensitisation (Wolpe, 1958 in Gleitman, 1995). This tries to remove any anxiety connected to various stimuli by a gradual process of counter-conditioning (Watson, 1924 in phobialist. com/treat. html) to a response incompatible with fear, usually muscular relaxation. The first stage of the therapy involves getting the patient relaxed through meditation and untensing exercises. The explanation for this is that relaxation is incompatible with feeling fearful or having anxiety and therefore the relaxation response counters the fear response. In the second stage, the patient constructs an anxiety hierarchy. Fear situations are arranged from least to most threatening. In the final step, known as desensitisation, the patient imagines each situation on the hierarchy while practising relaxation techniques, until all the situations have been dealt with successfully. Biofeedback instrumentation is often used to ensure that the patient is truly well-relaxed before going to the next higher situation in the anxiety hierarchy. Several indexes have been used in this approach including pulse rate, respiration rate and electro-dermal responses. An example of a hierarchy would be when treating snake phobias. First, the patient may imagine a ball of string and then imagine a worm and handling a worm. They will then progress to visualising a snake and finally handling a snake. When this is done and the patient is relaxed with this, the patient may then attempt to actually handle a snake in real life (Gleitman, 1995). Sometimes, this process is paired with modelling. In modelling, the patient observes others in the presence of the phobic stimulus. The models would be responding with relaxation rather than fear. This encourages the patient to imitate the models and thereby relieve their phobia. In conclusion, the behavioural learning theory uses conditioning to explain why people develop mental disorders. Therefore, behaviourists try to treat phobias by reconditioning a patient so that their conditioned response (phobic response) is changed or removed. The types of methods used to do this include flooding, implosion therapy and systematic desensitisation. There are different views as to why people develop phobias. One view is that people become conditioned to fear certain stimuli due to past experiences or hearing stories. However, this does not explain why people tend to be prone to certain kinds of phobias more than others. The biological view for phobias may give a better explanation in that due to evolution, humans have inherited fear of certain stimuli that were dangerous to our ancestors (e. g. snakes).

Art and Human Values Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Art and Human Values - Essay Example This is portrayed in the different ways in which different cultures manage to mingle using art and how they manage to communicate or bring out messages and their feelings, as well as, beliefs using art (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh). According to the (Sayre, 3), different cultures understand and use the value of landscape differently and thus the differences in the way through which various cultures make use of landscape in the art can be used to bring out the differences between these cultures. If four different approaches to landscape are considered the differences between the American, Australian, Chinese and African cultures can be seen in the kind of art that these different cultures used to produce. These works of art not only present the differences in the times that they were produced but they also show the differences in lifestyles, and use of the available space in making the works of art. The Slovene Ethnographic Museum shows an example of the way different cultures use different works of art. It is endowed with various collections of Slovene art in a single museum where people can go and find out more about the Slovene culture, and the way they used to live back in the ancient days. This doe not only apply to the Slovene, but many other Museums in the world are specialized in presenting or show casing the art of different cultures. These museums of cultural identities were not established for any particular reason, but they bring out the true identity of different people and show the differences in different people, in the world. Some of the characteristics and traits of people that can be discovered from art includes their wisdom, knowledge, skills, creativity, values and their heritage (ASEMUS). From the regions of British Columbia, it is established that the Kwakiutl, a Native American Ethnic group, used to paint their masks for various occasions in their communities. They were, however, not the only

Islam Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Islam Today - Essay Example With the destruction and chaos that came with the end of the colonial rule after World War 2, much of the Islamic world became the victim of corrupt regimes, religious extremism, and foreign intervention. As Edward Said put it: â€Å"In part, of course, that is because the Middle East, the Arabs, and Islam have continued to fuel enormous change, struggle, controversy, and, as I write these lines, war†. The political instability so much a part of much of the Islamic world stems from the instable atmosphere of many of these countries (especially the Arab ones) and the fact that they are home to most of the world’s oil supply. The oil brings the interest of many Western governments to do things that, if the oil was not there, they would probably not do. To that of course must be added that most people have the negative image of Muslims as terrorists and extremists largely due to their negative depiction in the media. There is â€Å"a striking lack of clarity and an atmosphere of incomprehension that can only generate suspicion and fear† (Ramadan 2007, p. 23). This situation is not helped by the fact that so many scholars in the West believe that Muslims are by nature â€Å"radical† and that Islam in general is incompatible with the West and/or globalization. In order combat these images and the potential conflict there is a lot people in Muslim countries could do. First and foremost Muslim governments should attempt to have their voice heard more clearly and more often in Western media. It is clear that Muslims have an image problem in the world’s media. There should be an organized effort to reach out to people to show them that Islam has much more to it than radicals and terrorists.

How To Improve Your Concentration English Language Essay

How To Improve Your Concentration English Language Essay If you wish to improve your memory skills, i.e. your ability to remember information and recollect it when you so desire, it is imperative that you improve your concentration. Concentration requires you to focus intently on whatever you are trying to remember. Concentration enables you to: learn new facts recall information that you have already memorised It is obvious that you need to focus on the information to be learnt if you want to remember it. So you must improve your concentration to improve your memory. You cannot claim that your powers of concentration are weak and hence you suffer from a weak memory. Concentration is a mental skill. It can be developed by you, just like any other skill. There are several exciting ways in which you can boost your concentration power. Step 1: Power Your Brain If you really wish to improve your concentration, try the following tips and you will find a marked improvement in a relatively short time period. There have been several books that have been written on the subject of how the brain works and how you can use this knowledge to improve its functioning. In Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain, Sharon Begley explains that the structure and function of the adult brain is not set in stone. The connections between the neurons in your brain grow and change all the time. When you learn to play the guitar, study the human anatomy, read a book, practise the Chinese style of cutting vegetables, or develop a new habit, you are increasing the networking in the brain. As with any other muscle in the body, the more you use the brain, the better it becomes. You need to exercise a muscle regularly to develop it. In the same manner, you must exercise your brain regularly to develop and keep it in good shape. Your brain has the ability to change and grow all the time. This is a continuous process and does not happen overnight. With continuous and consistent effort, you can improve your brains ability to concentrate. Build into your daily regime the following habits: Mindfulness meditation: Begin by meditating for five minutes in the morning and for five minutes again at night before going to bed. If you do this everyday, you will notice that your power of concentration is improving. Mindfulness means to be aware or conscious. Meditation sharpens your focus and memory. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have proved that regular meditation creates changes in the physical structure of the brain by thickening the cortex. Then thickening of the cortex happens because of increased blood flow to that area. The cortex is that area of the brain that deals with the higher mental functions. So, meditation and memory are inextricably linked to each other. By meditating regularly, you improve your brains power to focus. It also helps bring clarity in your thinking. I found mindfulness meditation is the best way to meditate. In this way you have to do the reverse of other meditation methods commonly used. Here you will not try to empty your mind but you will try to fill your mind with as much as information you can. But it should be from the present only not from the past and the future. E.g. sit comfortably and try to focus on your breathing sound, listen the sound of it. Feel it, try to imagine that air going in and out. I mean make your all the senses/ perception busy enough in receiving information from the present moment. It will make busy your mind in the present passing movement and you will l not get the time to wonder in past and future. And concentration is all about staying in present. You can do the same thing which eating, bathing, walking by making your senses busy in receiving the information in the present movement. Like what is the temperature of water you are using for bath or what are the ingredients of the food your are eating also try to analyse their quantity. Proper sleep: It is a well known fact that sleep contributes to the long-term consolidation of new memories (Nature journal, November 2006). Going by this, any new memories that are formed require enough sleep to enable the brain to organize and retain them. If a night has been slept in tossing and turning (if its due to an old mattress, throw it out and get a new one), the brain is not fresh and ready to face a new day of work. It is foggy and sleepy, and it will not function with clarity and sharpness. Its ability to retain anything will be reduced. Both concentration and memory will suffer because of poor sleep. To improve the quality of your sleep have a hot cup of milk before going to bed, remove stressful thoughts from your mind, darken the room, have warm shower, put on some light music and read a boring book. All these things are aimed at ensuring that you get a good nights rest. It will help your brain boost its energy levels. This in turn will lead to improved concentration. Eat healthier: There is a direct correlation between your diet and your concentration and memory. The nutrients and energy needed by your brain are supplied by the food you eat. The brain uses glucose, a sugar, as fuel, so your blood sugar needs to be regulated. To help improve your memory, cut back on fast foods which are high in saturated fats and salt, both of which block your carotid arteries. Such blockages reduce the supply of oxygenated blood to the brain. The focusing power of the brain is then diminished. Reduce your weight to the normal levels, for being overweight makes your physical body and your mental capacities sluggish. Eat foods that enrich your brain to help in improving its functionality. Brain foods include apples, bananas, dark green vegetables such as spinach, eggs, flaxseed, and fish, and some essential fatty acids like Omega -3. Drinking at least one liter of water a day per 23 24 kg of body weight will also help. To keep your blood sugar steady, take five or six small meals throughout the day. Limit your calorie intake to what is essential. Vitamins and other supplements: Brain enhancement supplements do not do much and can be avoided. Taking a multi-vitamin tablet everyday as a supplement does help. It may fill in the lacuna created by any kind of vitamin deficiency in your diet. Cod liver oil capsules, Vitamin B and vitamin C tablets help in supplementing the vitamins that you get from your regular diet. Vitamins are essential for the proper functioning of your brain. Brain games: You need to play the games that ask for greater focus. These should be played often to improve your concentration levels. This is because the brain becomes better at whatever it exercises on a regular basis. By playing those games that require concentrated effort, the brains ability to focus increases. Step 2. Optimize your Environment: A proper environment, conducive to studies, also helps in improving your concentration. A Study Area: It is good to have a designated spot for studying. You will get in the habit of studying there. Make sure its not the bed that you use for studies, for the bed relates to sleep. Have a desk in a quiet and secluded place away from noise to enable you to concentrate. Try Different Coloured Lights: Recent studies indicate that the use of a green light bulb in the study lamp improves concentration. You could try this out to see if it works for you. Red light is also supposed to improve concentration and memory. You may also decorate your study area with artifacts and items which are red in colour and see whether this helps in improving your concentration. Remove Distractions: Radio, television, and telephone are all distractions. They should be switched off during your study time. This will help you focus. Make sure that when you study, you are not disturbed by friends who call or drop in unexpectedly. Your study time should be clear to you as well as others. By demarcating your study hours, you will prevent the distractions that otherwise eat into your time. Use Time Boxes: For a particular portion of study, set a reasonable time limit. If you wish to learn a new chapter, set forty minutes for reading it and another twenty minutes for learning it. You should be able to complete the chapter in one hour. By doing this, you ensure that there is a deadline to be met and this helps you to focus on the work. Stay Motivated: The trick to staying motivated is promise yourself a reward at the end of a certain period of focused studying. For example, you may tell yourself that after a couple of hours of study, you will have earned the reward of watching your favourite T.V. show at night. Take a Regular Break: Every hour, take a five minute break, to prevent your energy levels from lagging. You should get up from the chair, walk a bit and stretch your legs. Have a gilas of water or a light snack. Do some eye exercises to relax your eyes. Change your Breathing: Change your breathing to activate your alpha waves. Switch your breathing pattern to deeper and slower. This helps your brain to switch to alpha waves, which mentally prepare your brain to concentrate on new facts. The alpha waves bring your mind to readiness to learn new facts. This is the cool and relax state of mind. Any learning requires concentration. Without focusing on the information, the brain will not be able to learn or remember. If your brain wanders, it will not recall a lesson. So concentration is a must for learning and retaining. Improvement in concentration will lead to improvement in the memory since learning, remembering and recollecting are all inter- related. If you have not learnt, how will you remember? Hence, improve your concentration and this will lead to an improved memory. *****

Be Careful :: essays research papers

Liz looked at Sarah, regretting she had come along with them in the first place. â€Å"Relax, Liz.† she said. â€Å"I really shouldn’t be here, Sarah. Can’t I go home?† Liz said. John smiled. â€Å"He’s not gonna bite. He’s really nice. You know he is, he’s been at your place a billion times.† He said. Liz nodded, but looked pleadingly at Sarah. â€Å"We’ll be right back. Hold him here when he arrives.† Sarah said and John nodded. â€Å"Can do!† he said, and she smiled at him as she grabbed Liz’ arm and dragged her along into the toilets. â€Å"You are not going home.† Sarah said, turning to look at her. â€Å"But... I don’t belong here. Me and love... we’re incomparable.† Liz said. Sarah smiled at her. â€Å"You are not!† she said. Liz sighed and turned to the mirror to make sure the bruise wasn’t showing. She bit her lip, and Sarah placed her hand on her sh oulder. â€Å"Lizzy...† she said softly, and Liz turned to her with teary eyes. â€Å"Sorry.† She said quietly and smiled a little. Sarah smiled back as she hugged her. â€Å"Don’t be.† She said. â€Å"It wasn’t your fault. Besides, he was an idiot and you were far too good for him anyway.† Liz laughed a little and looked at her. â€Å"Yeah?† she said. â€Å"Yeah.† Sarah said smiling. â€Å"Now, will you stay? John is right, you know. Mark is really nice, and John should know. You know he is too. They’ve been best mates for ages. They moved here together like you and me.† Sarah said. â€Å"Really?† Liz asked. Sarah nodded. â€Å"Yeah. And you wanna know a little secret?† she asked. â€Å"Go on.† Liz said smiling. â€Å"He told John that he thinks you’re really nice.† Sarah said and grinned when Liz blushed. â€Å"He did not!† Liz said. â€Å"Did too! Will you stay?† she asked. Liz shrugged. â€Å"It’s just a movie, then we can go home ... with company.† Sarah said. â€Å"And it’s not like you’ll be alone. John and I are here.† Liz nodded. â€Å"All right.† She said. â€Å"I’ll stay.† Sarah cheered. â€Å"Yay!† she said, making Liz laugh. â€Å"Come on, bet they’re waiting.† They walked back out, finding Mark had showed up and he and John were stood talking when they walked over. â€Å"Hey babe. You okay?† John said, placing his arms around Sarah. â€Å"Hello. Yeah, fine. Hi Mark.† She said. Mark smiled at her.

Competitive Strategies Employed by Retail Supermarkets in the Uk: a Comparative Study.

1. Proposed working title: Competitive strategies employed by Retail Supermarkets in the UK: A comparative study. 2. Research Background: This research background focuses on competitive strategies employed by retail supermarkets in the UK. This background will give a general idea as what to anticipate in the report on strategies approach of leading retail supermarkets of the UK. Retail strategy is an overall plan or the agenda of action that has to follow by the retailer to get the success in the retail supermarket competition. (Barmen, B. & Evans, J. 2006). The retail supermarkets environment has become tremendous competitive in recent years . Top supermarkets like Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury and Morrison are heavily investing in infrastructure to bring higher quality product then their rivals. Retail supermarkets industry in UK has high development in their service by using advance technology, increasing product range, speed and quality. (Harvey, 2000). (Source: BBC news, 9 March 2006) Above diagram shows the market shares occupied by top retail supermarkets and other grocery markets in the UK on 9 march 2006. According to above diagram top four retail supermarkets of the UK hold 74. 4% shares of total grocery market on 9th march 2006. Tesco is the number one retail supermarket by griping 30. 4% market shares in the UK. Asda, Sainsbury and Morrisons are the main competitor of Tesco by holding 16. 6%, 16. 2 % and 11. 2% shares respectively. We can see very tough competition between retail supermarket in UK and Tesco looks more successful to overcome its competitor. Today these top retail supermarkets dominates grocery retailing in the UK. The industry construction is characterized by many attributes such as greater store size, lowering prices of goods and adopting different formats to satisfy the consumers’ expectation. (Andrew Holingworth, 2004) According to me retail supermarkets in UK are highly competitive which is good for consumers because aim of some organisations is to increase sales so they need to keep low price and in this competitive environment all organizations must be alert about changing needs of consumers and strategies of rivals. 3. Oraganisation Background: Tesco PLC: Tasco is number one retail supermarket in the UK now, which is founded by Jack Cohenin 1919. The first store-brand product sold by founder was Tesco-Tea. Tesco has spread its business all over the world of which 2,184 retail supermarkets are in the UK. Tesco’s UK supermarkets are divided into various formats differentiated by size and the range of product such as Tesco extra, Tesco superstore, Tesco metro, Tesco express and one stop where it offers fresh food and non food product like DVDs, books, clothing, health, garden furniture, electrical, home entertainment and also pharmacies. Tesco also has its other businesses like garden centres, Tesco personal finance which offers credit cards, loans, mortgages, saving accounts and insurance of car, home, life and travel. It also operates ISP, mobile phone, home phone and VoIp businesses. Tesco has its petrol pump at many places in UK. It offers lot of facilities like online shopping from its web site i. e. www. tesco. com at low price and club card scheme to its customers. (Tesco, 2008) J Sainsbury plc: J Sainsbury is UK’s longest retail supermarket chain of 509 supermarkets, 276 convenient stores and Sainsbury’s bank. It was founded by John James and Mary Ann Sainsbury in 1869. Bacon was the first own-labeled product of Sainsbury. That time it has department of dairy, bacon, hams, Poultry and games, cooked meats and fresh meats. Now it has around 30000 fresh food and non-food products. Apart from this Sainsbury also has its Sainsbury’s bank which offers car, life, home, pet and travel insurance also offers loans, credit cards and saving accounts. (J Sainsbury, 2008). J Sainsbury was the UK’s leading retail supermarkets up to mid-1990s until it was overtaken by Tesco. (EL-Amir, A. nd Burt, S. 2008) 4. Rationale for the chosen topic: It is decides to select this research proposal topic competitive strategies employed by retail supermarkets in UK. This is first time I came to UK for my study. It was the big challenge for me to adjust and understand the circumstances over here because no one from my family and relative were with me and I have to manage everything like shopping, cooking, etc myself. On the first day I have to do shopping to get some goods & services so I was thinking from where can I get cheap, qualities and varieties of it? Many people gave me different suggestions but most of them were telling me to do the shopping from Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury, and Morrison which are the famous retail supermarkets in UK where I can get lot of commodities. This motivates me a lot and on a personal note I would like to do my personal experience which drove me to choose this as my research topic. 5. RESEARCH QUESTIONS: Following question came in my mind during my research: ? What combination of competitive strategies makes retail supermarkets of the UK like Tesco and Sainsbury so successful? What are the impacts of strategies of Tesco and Sainsbury on retail supermarket of the UK? ? How are retail supermarkets in the UK evolving to meet changing customer needs? ? How can they stand out in a highly competitive environment where consumers have so many choices? 6. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE Main objective of my research will be: ? To recognize and compare the competitive strategies employed by the Tesco and Sainsbury. ? To classify t he impact of strategies employed by the Tesco and Sainsbury on consumers and share market. ? To identify profit margin strategies of Tesco and Sainsbury. An attempt to identify which of them are most beneficial for the consumer. 7. LITERATURE REVIEW: My research is on competitive strategies employed by the retail supermarkets in the UK. The information on this topic has been published all over the books, news papers, online journals and web reports. I would like to review some of the most striking opinions given by some authors and my views on it. â€Å"We do not vary our retail offer in line with levels of local competition. We and all the other major grocery multiples have national strategies on pricing, branding, advertising, quality, range and services. Commented by Tesco (Press association, 2007) I also agree with the author’s view above. Tesco which is number one retail supermarket in the UK decides their strategies by comparing their strong rival’s strategies. Now day’s customers have lot of choice to do shopping because of the competition between retail supermarkets in the UK. Most of the people choose to do shopping on the criteria of pricing, looking at brand and quality of goods and also service provided by the retail supermarkets. I also use same criteria to do my shopping. â€Å"Tosco’s attack on Sainsbury’s southern stronghold reflected a more aggressive store opening programmer. But he also said that Sainsbury, which will this week release interim results, could begin to feel the effects of the credit crunch if consumer worries about weekly shopping bills push them into the arms of cheaper rival such as Aldi, Lidl or Asda. † Commented by Paul Langston associated director for location strategy at CACI. (Elizabeth Rigby, 2008) I completely have the same opinion with the author’s view stated above. Tesco observes strong areas of Sainsbury and opened its aggressive stores it that area to overcome its strong rival and to attracts the customers by giving better service and choice for shopping. This is also the part of the competitive strategy employed by Tesco to capture the powerful areas of competitor Sainsbury. This is period of credit crunch in the UK. It becomes extremely necessary for the people to cut redundant expenses so it is very tough time for all retail supermarkets to think about it and keep their customers constancy. According to some authors the increased competition between retail supermarkets in UK has led them to expand their product categories and extend their retail format to get profit. (Hackney, Grant, & Birtwistle, 2006). It is obvious that as competitor enhance every organization must think to raise their sales and consumers loyalty by using different strategies if all are in homogeneous business. Many supermarkets offers consumer to do online shopping at low prices. This is also part of strategies of the retail supermarkets to stick consumer with them. And authors view is that Tesco is the more successful retail supermarket which gets huge profit by implementing internet strategy. Such a way every retailer try to act in accordance with their consumer by using new technology , reducing ransaction cost or extending their business to different formats. 8. METHODOLOGY: My research topic on competitive strategies employed by the retail supermarkets in UK is an always on going topic. Retail supermarkets have to decide their strategies depending on the market situation and studying their rivals’ strategies. In my proposed research I have to identify strategies of Tesco, Sainsbury and it impact. It c an be recognized by understanding, observing and in-depth study of each retail supermarket. Hence this proposed research is descriptive in nature. This will give clear thought and understanding. Descriptive research means the research which serves a variety of research objective to understand its phenomena or characteristics connected with it. For further in-depth study and to participate in the observation and to know what is happening I have chosen this method. (Donald, R. & Pamela, S. 2006). 8. 1. DATA COLLECTION: In this proposed is always ongoing topic and lot of articles and information published everyday in news papers, magazines, journals and books and research of other authors which can be collected from library and internet. The information about Tesco and Sainsbury can be collected from their own web side. It will give lots of analysis of other authors, writers and researcher . I will get lot of option to understand and obtain objective of my topic. (Kothari, C. 2005) 8. 2. DATA ANALYSIS: Most of the data will be analyse predominantly from the internet. My personal observation, understanding and input will be integrated. The data will be gathered by the supermarket as part of internal organizational project relating paper and internet. The data analysis will be based on the performance of two retail supermarkets over the past years. Time series analysis will be use to get the objective of research. Quantitative data will be supplement with qualitative data obtain from all possible sources. (Kothari, C. 2005) 8. 3. RESOURCE REQUIREMENT: All the resources will be available from internet and the review of literature will be obtained from college’s library and private library. Internet is the most genuine source which is easily available today where I can search out e-books, Journal published by other authors and also information about Tesco and Sainsbury on their own web site which can save my time and cost of research. Updates of newspapers, Journals, articles, others research reports are also available on the internet. 9. TIME SCALE: | |October 2008 |November2008 |December2008 |January2008 | |Activity | | | | | W1 |W2 |W3 |W1 |W2 |W3 |W4 |W1 |W2 |W3 |W4 |W1 | |W/K Commencing |X | | | | | | | | | | | | |Search information | |X |X |X |X | | | | | | | | |Read & understand information | | | |X |X | | | | | | | | |Finalized Objectives | | | | |X | | | | | | | | |Prepare & Submit proposal | | | | | |X | | | | | | | |Compile necessary data | | | | | | |X |X | | | | | |Device Research strategy & method | | | | | | | |X | | | | | |Get Feedback | | | | | | | |X | | | | | |Gather Data | | | | | | | |X |X | | | | |Analyses Data | | | | | | | | |X | | | | |Update literature Read | | | | | | | | |X | | | | |Prepare rough draft | | | | | | | | | |X | | | |Draft to supervisor for feed back | | | | | | | | | |X | | | |Edit unwanted information | | | | | | | | | |X |X | | |Make final draft | | | | | | | | | | |X | | |Print | | | | | | | | | | |X | | |Submission | | | | | | | | | | | |X | | 10. BIBILIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES: 1) Berman, B. and Evans, J. (2006), Retail Management a strategic approach, 10th edition, New Delhi, Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited. 2) Holingworth, A. (2004), â€Å"Increasing retail concentration: Evidence from UK food retail sector†, British Food journal, [online], vol. 206, issue 4/5, Pp. 629-638, Available from URL:http://www. emeraldinsight. com/Insight/viewContentItem. do;jsessionid=2D1F750288725BD25CCEDCE906588E78? contentType=Article&contentId=870774, [Accessed 7 November 2008] 3) Donald, C. & Pamela, S. (2006), Business Research methods, 9th edition, New Delhi (India), Tata McGraw-hill Publication. 4) Kothari, C. 1996), Research Methods and Techniques, 2nd edition, New Delhi, Age International publisher. 5) El-Amir, A. and Burt, S. (2008), â€Å"Sainsbury’s in Egypt the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? † International Journal of retail and distribution management, [online], vol. 36, Pp. 300-322, Available from UR L: http://www. emeraldinsight. com/Insight/viewContentItem. do? contentId=1714594&contentType=Article, [Accessed 8 November 2008] 6) Harvey, M. (2000), â€Å"Innovation and competition in UK supermarkets†, Supply chain management: An international study, [online], vol. 5, Pp. 15-21, Available from URL: http://www. emeraldinsight. com/Insight/viewPDF. jsp? Filename=html/Output/Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Pdf/1770050102. pdf. Accessed 10 November 2008] 7) BBC news, 6 March 2006, â€Å"Q&A: supermarket competition concerns†, [online], Available from URL: http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/business/4785544. stm. [Accessed 11 November 2008] 8) Press association, (2007), â€Å"Tesco fights monopoly accusations†, [online], The Guardian, Available from: URL:http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2007/apr/02/supermarkets. tesco. [Accessed 11 November. 2008] 9) Elizabeth Rigby, (2008), â€Å"Sainsbury losses strongholds to Tesco†, [online] Financial times, Available from URL: http://www. ft. com/cms/s/0/74abaa68-af75-11dd-a4df-000077b07658. html. [Accessed 12 November 2008] 10) Hackney, Grant & Birtwistle, (2006), â€Å"UK grocery

Bureaucracy An Invisible Empire - 717 Words

Hannah Bozzini Mr, Zinchuck Government February 9, 2016 Bureaucracy â€Å"The government, which was designed for the people, has got into the hands of the bosses and their employers, the special interests. An invisible empire has been set up above the forms of democracy.† This quote by Woodrow Wilson fits perfectly with the topics that will be discussed. The major theme of this paper is bureaucracy. Bureaucracy refers to an administrative system in which agencies staffed largely by non elected officials perform specific tasks in accordance with standard procedures. The work of the bureaucracy involves implementing laws and procedures. Does this sound familiar? That is because most bureaucrats work for the executive branch of the government. The executive branch is the one that enforces the laws. Some of these law enforcing jobs include mail clerk, police officer, fireman, and first responder. These jobs are essential to our lives as Americans and are greatly appreciated. This paper will expound on the history, usage, and the Cabinet The history of the bureaucracy dates back to when our country was first founded. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson set the bar for civil service. Washington knew that the people he appointed would be in important governmental positions, so he had to choose wisely. As time passed the system became more corrupted. Andrew Jackson gave government jobs to those who supported his campaign. After Andrew Jackson, the civil war was fought, thereforeShow MoreRelatedEssay on Nicholas Is Foreign Policy1474 Words   |  6 Pagessubjects (Rias, 324).† From that day froward the Emperor would put down a law by the name of â€Å"Official Nationality (Rias, 324).† To fully comprehend how and why Nicholas I chose to run his foreign policy the way he did, one must delve into how his Empire was run at home. Nicholas I was influenced heavily by Christianity. Christianity drove him to believe that Official Nationality was the path towards Russian salvation, and only under this system could Russia maintain order. Official Nationality wasRead MoreThe Cult Of Mithras And The Roman Empire2310 Words   |  10 Pagesthat cult origin by the fact that was taken from relevant scholars, but the early development has remained consistently disputed. The Cult of Mithras began in the first century and it was invented by the Roman Empire. When we think about the first century AD, Christianity is almost very invisible during this time. The cult of Mithras’ development is mysterious. This religion is invented by the Italians. Mithras provides members with sense of salvation if they proceed through the seven stages of initiationRead More Modernist Myth in Suna no Onna’s The Woman in the Dunes Essay2019 Words   |  9 Pagescrushes us with efficiency, dehumanizes us. In nature, he realizes society’s deficiencies. This world we all know through personal experience, or by reading Kafka. The bureaucracy, which seems so rational, is brutal in its machine-like efficiency. Two decades later, George Lucas’ Star Wars would refer to this bureaucracy as the Empire. Where does one turn? Where is meaning, where is freedom? Nature, community, love? These are possibilities in the film, but each one has its dangers. Yet, to bringRead MoreSecret Intelligence Service and Espionage4647 Words   |  19 Pagesits creation of a complex and efficient means of communication between cities. Greek communications were so efficient that they remained unparalleled until the modern era. Middle East In the Middle East, and later Byzantium, the large government bureaucracy established one of the earliest civilian intelligence agencies. Civilian agents of espionage culled information about foreign militaries and economic practices from traders, merchants, sailors, and other businessmen. Outside of the MediterraneanRead MoreSocial Problems Associated with Street Gangs Essay1804 Words   |  8 Pageslacks a bureaucracy (i.e., an administrative staff that is hierarchically organized and separate from leadership)† (Sanchez-Jankowski 5). This definition encompasses the overall structure of the gang system. It also shows how membership into a gang can be enticing, as there is structure and a sense of belonging within the system. The presence of gangs may be seen or felt everywhere, from large urban cities to smaller rural communities. â€Å"Gang members do not represent an invisible empire. TheyRead MoreAdvancements in the Roman Empire Compared to that of the Han Dynasty2165 Words   |  9 Pages As one rises, another falls. Civilizations undulated in historic times more frequently than waves in an ocean; however, most of them are forgotten to this day because of their insignificant impact. The Roman and Chinese Empires were established like any other civilization, but rose to power through proper governing of the people. They later became so successful that they emulated one another in different fields of culture. The Han Dynasty was one of many dynasties in ancient China and it was ableRead MoreI m Being Interviewed On My Work On Christmas Island Essay1996 Words   |  8 Pageshumanitarian â€Å"everyone is beautiful† nonsense. He’s brave enough to call a spade a spade.† In Migrations in The Media, Kerry Moore claims that in the neoliberal world order, discourses on migration function as extensions of state power. â€Å"The bureaucracy of immigration systems,† she argues, â€Å"and the internalization of border controls which regulate the provision of legal, social and welfare services, have produced new regimes of control – criminalizing certain categories of migrant and presentingRead MoreThe World And Its Economic Systems Essay2422 Words   |  10 Pageslabor markets.   Under the constructs the market structure, capitalistic thought in mind, as two individuals take part in a commercial trade, the â€Å"natural price† at which these two players agree upon is set by the market.   This is the idea of the â€Å"invisible hand† Adam Smith popularized in the Wealth of Nations.   Hand in hand with market efficiency, individuals are able to act in their own accord, specifically personal ownership of goods and firms promotes the rational, efficient use of those very thingsRead MoreImpact of Globalisation on Folk Culture3776 Words   |  16 Pagesof life. The vigour of the renewed sense of self-awareness generated among the members of the local cultures and communities is such as to succeed in making adaptive reconciliation with the forces of globalization. The linkages both visible and invisible, defining the cultural interdependence among communities and regions in India which have existed historically, reinforce instead of threatening the national identity. These bonds seem to become stronger as India encounters the forces of modernizationRead MoreGlobalization: A Powerful Weapon of the United States3140 Words   |  13 Pagesbefore that was simple or at least clearly simple, a collection of European Governments dominated most of the world’s resources, struggling but sustaining through alliances, rivalries and sometimes wars. The global economy was spread out and the empires prospered through global trade, at times making their colonies a part of their economic expansions and others crippling them completely. Then after Hitler’s attempt at global dominance failed, the victorious allies were overwhelmed by the empowered