Managerial Economics Chapter 5 and 6 Homework Essay Example for Free

Managerial Economics Chapter 5 and 6 Homework Essay

General Information About Hydrilla And Photosynthesis Biology Essay

General Information About Hydrilla And Photosynthesis Biology Essay All green parts of a plant have chloroplasts in their cells and can carry out photosynthesis. In most plants, however, the leaves have the most chloroplasts (about half a million per square millimeter of leaf surface) and are the major sites of photosynthesis. Their green color is from chlorophyll, a light-absorbing pigment in the chloroplasts that plays a central role in converting solar energy to chemical energy. Pp 109 (Campbell, N.A. et. Al. 2009 Many aquatic weed scientists consider Hydrilla verticillata the most problematic aquatic plant in the United States. This plant, native to Africa, Australia, and parts of Asia, was introduced to Florida in 1960 via the aquarium trade. Hydrilla is now well established throughout water bodies in the southern states where control and management costs millions of dollars each year. From 1980 to 2005, Florida alone spent $174 million on hydrilla control. On the West Coast, California, Washington, and Idaho all have limited populations of hydrilla. Managers in all three states are serious about eradicating these infestations. Washingtons hydrilla infestation, discovered in 1995 in two interconnected lakes in King County, is the only known occurrence of hydrilla in Washington and eradication efforts are ongoing. Hydrilla is also increasingly being discovered in the northern tier states and in the Midwest.    Habitat Hydrilla forms dense mats of vegetation that interfere with recreation and destroy fish and wildlife habitat. Hydrilla has several advantages over other plants. It will grow with less light and is more efficient at taking up nutrients than native species. It also has extremely effective methods of propagation. Besides making seeds (seedlings are actually rarely seen in nature), it can sprout new plants from root fragments or stem fragments containing as few as two whorls of leaves. Recreational users can easily spread these small fragments from water body to water body.    However, hydrillas real secret to success is its ability to produce structures called turions and tubers. (Presence of these structures is also a characteristic that distinguishes this species from similar looking plants.) Turions are compact and produced along the leafy stems. They break free from the parent plant and drift or settle to the lake bottom to start new plants. They are generally about a quarter inch long, dark green, and appear spiny. Tubers are underground and form at the end of roots. They are small, potato-like or pea-like, and are usually white or yellowish. Hydrilla produces an abundance of tubers and turions in the fall and the tubers may remain dormant for several years in the sediment. The hydrilla variety found in Washington will also make tubers in the spring and will produce non-dormant turions throughout the growing season. Tubers and turions can withstand ice cover, drying, herbicides, and ingestion and regurgitation by waterfowl. One square meter of hydril la can produce 5,000 tubers!  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are two varieties of hydrilla in the United States. Many of the plants in the southern United States are all one sex (female) and are dioecious. Dioecious plants cannot produce seed. The plants in Washington are monoecious (having both male and female flowers on the same plant) and can produce seed. In New Zealand, where hydrilla is not native, the hydrilla plants are all male. Generally, the northern-most populations of hydrilla in the United States are monoecious. Although the hydrilla in Idaho is dioecious, all of Idahos dioecious hydrilla populations are associated with warmer geothermal-influenced waters. Monoecious hydrilla looks and grows somewhat differently than dioecious hydrilla. It tends to have a delicate appearance and sprawls along the lake bottom. The tubers from these monoecious plants are smaller than tubers produced by their southern female relatives. Management Hydrilla is a federally listed noxious weed, listed as a Class A weed on Washingtons Noxious Weed List, and is on the Washington State Department of Agricultures Quarantine list. Weed scientists suspect that some of the hydrilla infestations in California resulted from hydrilla tubers hitch hiking on mail order water lily rhizomes. Plant managers also speculate that Washingtons only hydrilla infestation in Pipe and Lucerne Lakes near Seattle also resulted from contaminated water lilies. Non-native water lilies were once common in these two lakes (before lake managers started herbicide treatments for hydrilla). Since the hydrilla discovery in 1995 in Pipe and Lucerne Lakes, there have been no other reports of hydrilla in Washington. State and local governments (King County and the cities of Covington and Maple Valley) are working together to eradicate the hydrilla infestation by using a combination of an aquatic herbicide called fluridone and diver and snorkeler hand removal. This is a multi-year ongoing effort because hydrilla tubers are long-lived and they do not all sprout at once. Prior to herbicide treatments (started in 1995) hydrilla densely covered the bottom of Pipe and Lucerne Lakes and had started to grow over the tops of Eurasian watermilfoil plants also in the lakes. As of 2009, surveyors have not detected any hydrilla plants in Lucerne Lake since 2004 and no hydrilla plants in Pipe Lake since 2006.    Identification Hydrilla closely resembles two other aquatic plants found in Washington: The non-native plant Brazilian elodea Egeria densa and the native plant American waterweed Elodea canadensis. You can distinguish hydrilla from these look-alike species by the presence of tubers (0.2 to 0.4 inch long, off-white to yellowish, pea-like structures buried in the sediment). Neither Brazilian elodea nor waterweed has tubers. Other characteristics to look for include:    Leaves in whorls around the stem (generally five leaves per whorl). Serrations or small spines along the leaf edges. The midrib of the leaf is often reddish when fresh. We are especially concerned about new introductions of hydrilla in the Pacific Northwest. If you think that you have seen hydrilla growing in Washington, please contact Kathy Hamel ([emailprotected]) or Jenifer Parsons ([emailprotected]) immediately.   The hydrilla line drawing is the copyright property of the University of   Florida Center for Aquatic Plants (Gainesville). Used with permission.   Follow This Link for Technical Information About Hydrilla Trouble in Paradise: Factors that Impact Coral Health Part C: Impact of Climate Change on Coral Reefs Scientists monitor coral health in a variety of ways. Sometimes they are able to take direct measurements, but at other times they must rely on remote measurements taken by satellites or on indicators such as ocean temperature or the presence of algal blooms algal blooms: the rapid excessive growth of algae, generally caused by high nutrient levels. Algal blooms can result in decreased oxygen in a body of water when the algae die, threatening the health of local marine life.. The rise of global temperatures due to increased levels of greenhouse gases-namely carbon dioxide- in the atmosphere is a major concern around the world. But did you know that as the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere increases, the amount of CO2 in the oceans rises as well? In fact, estimates indicate that the oceans have absorbed as much as 50% of all CO2 released into the atmosphere by human activity since 1750. What does this mean for ocean life and coral reefs in particular? Explore what happens to the ocean when CO2 content increases. Show me materials needed for this experiment Hide 300 mL bromothymol blue (a dye used as an acid-base indicator) aqueous solution 500 mL beaker drinking straw Pour the bromothymol blue solution into the beaker. Observe the color of the solution. Show me more information about bromothymol blue solution Hide When a bromothymol blue solution is neutral (like pure distilled water) it will appear green. If the solution is slightly basic, the solution will appear blue. If the solution is acidic, it will appear yellow. Bromothymol Blue pH indicator dye in an acidic, neutral, and alkaline solution (left to right). Take a drinking straw and place it into the solution. Exhale through the straw into the solution. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INHALE ANY OF THE SOLUTION! Keep blowing into the solution until you see a change in color. Checking In What happened to the bromothymol blue solution when you added carbon dioxide? Stop and Think 1: Based on what you observed in the experiment, what do you think the effect of increased carbon dioxide levels has on the ocean? What consequences might this have for coral reefs? Look at the image below showing the oceans involvement in Earths carbon cycle. http://serc.carleton.edu/eslabs/corals/5c.html Hydrilla From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Hydrilla Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Monocots Order: Alismatales Family: Hydrocharitaceae Genus: Hydrilla Rich. Species: H. verticillata Binomial name Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle in Lotus Pond, Hyderabad, India. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hydrilla verticillata Hydrilla (Esthwaite Waterweed or Hydrilla) is an aquatic plant genus, usually treated as containing just one species, Hydrilla verticillata, though some botanists divide it into several species. Synonyms include H. asiatica, H. japonica, H. lithuanica, and H. ovalifolica. It is native to the cool and warm waters of the Old World in Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia, with a sparse, scattered distribution; in Europe, it is reported from Ireland, Great Britain, Germany, and the Baltic States, and in Australia from Northern Territory, Queensland, and New South Wales.[1][2][3] Foliage detail It has off-white to yellowish rhizomes growing in sediments at the water bottom at up to 2 m depth. The stems grow up to 1-2 m long. The leaves are arranged in whorls of two to eight around the stem, each leaf 5-20  mm long and 0.7-2  mm broad, with serrations or small spines along the leaf margins; the leaf midrib is often reddish when fresh. It is monoecious (sometimes dioecious), with male and female flowers produced separately on a single plant; the flowers are small, with three sepals and three petals, the petals 3-5  mm long, transparent with red streaks. It reproduces primarily vegetatively by fragmentation and by rhizomes and turions (overwintering buds), and flowers are rarely seen.[2][4][5][6] Hydrilla has a high resistance to salinity (>9-10ppt) compared to many other freshwater associated aquatic plants. The name Esthwaite Waterweed derives from its occurrence in Esthwaite Water in northwestern England, the only English site where it is native, but now presumed extinct, having not been seen since 1941.[7] Hydrilla closely resembles some other related aquatic plants, including Egeria and Elodea. [edit] Status as an invasive plant Hydrilla is naturalised and invasive in the United States following release in the 1960s from aquariums into waterways in Florida. It is now established in the southeast from Connecticut to Texas, and also in California.[8] By the 1990s control and management were costing millions of dollars each year. Hydrilla can be controlled by the application of aquatic herbicides and it is also eaten by grass carp, itself an invasive species in North America. Insects used as biological pest control for this plant include weevils of genus Bagous and the Asian hydrilla leaf-mining fly (Hydrellia pakistanae). Tubers pose a problem to control as they can lay dormant for a number of years. This has made it even more difficult to remove from waterways and estuaries. As an invasive species in Florida, Hydrilla has become the most serious aquatic weed problem for Florida and most of the U.S. Because it was such a threat as an invasive species, restrictions were placed, only allowing a single type of chemical, fluridone, to be used as an herbicide. This was done to prevent the evolution of multiple mutants. The result is fluridone resistant Hyrdilla. As hydrilla spread rapidly to lakes across the southern United States in the past, the expansion of resistant biotypes is likely to pose significant environmental challenges in the future. [9] This abundant source of biomas is a known hyperaccumulator of Mercury, Cadmium, Chromium and Lead, and asuch can be used in phytoremediation.[10] shttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrilla  · This page was last modified on 12 February 2010 at 10:35.  · Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Bromothymol blue From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Bromothymol blue IUPAC name[hide] 4,4-(1,1-dioxido-3H-2,1-benzoxathiole-3,3-diyl)bis(2-bromo-6-isopropyl-3-methylphenol) Identifiers CAS number 76-59-5  Y PubChem 6450 SMILES   [show] CC1=C(C(=C(C=C1C2(C3=CC=CC=C3S(=O)(=O)O2)C4=CC(=C(C(=C4C)Br)O)C(C)C)C(C)C)O)Br Properties Molecular formula C27H28Br2O5S Molar mass 624.38 g molà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 Density 1.25 g/cm3 Melting point 202  Ã‚ °C, 475  K, 396  Ã‚ °F Acidity (pKa) 7.10 Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, ÃŽÂ µr, etc. Thermodynamic data Phase behaviour Solid, liquid, gas Spectral data UV, IR, NMR, MS   Y  (what is this?)  Ã‚  (verify) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25  Ã‚ °C, 100  kPa) Infobox references Bromothymol blue (also known as bromothymol sulfone phthalein, Bromthymol Blue, and BTB) is a chemical indicator for weak acids and bases. The chemical is also used for observing photosynthetic activities or respiratory indicators (turns yellow as CO2 is added). Bromothymol blue acts as a weak acid in solution. It can thus be in protonated or deprotonated form, appearing yellow and blue respectively. It is bluish green in neutral solution. It is typically sold in solid form as the sodium salt of the acid indicator. It also finds occasional use in the laboratory as a biological slide stain. At this point it is already blue, and a drop or two is used on a water slide. The cover slip is placed on top of the water droplet and the specimen in it, with the blue coloring mixed in. It is sometimes used to define cell walls or nuclei under the microscope. Bromothymol blue is mostly used in measuring substances that would have relatively low acidic or basic levels (near a neutral pH). It is often used in managing the pH of pools and fish tanks, and for measuring the presence of carbonic acid in a liquid. A common demonstration of BTBs pH indicator properties involves exhaling through a tube into a neutral solution of BTB. As carbon dioxide is absorbed from the breath into the solution, forming carbonic acid, the solution changes color from green to yellow. Thus, BTB is commonly used in middle school science classes to demonstrate that the more that muscles are used, the greater the CO2 output. Bromothymol is also used in obstetrics for detecting premature rupture of membranes. Amniotic fluid typically has a pH > 7.2, bromothymol will therefore turn blue when brought in contact with fluid leaking from the amnion. As vaginal pH normally is acidic, the blue color indicates the presence of amniotic fluid. The test may be false-positive in the presence of other alkaline substances such as blood, semen, or in the presence of bacterial vaginosis. The pKa for bromothymol blue is 7.10. [edit] Indicator colors BTB indicator in pH acidic, neutral, and alkaline solutions (left to right). Bromothymol Blue (pH indicator) below pH 6.0 above pH 7.6 6.0 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬  7.6

Differing Views On Reconstruction :: American America History

Differing Views On Reconstruction By 1866, several distinct positions on Reconstruction emerged. These were divided into three opposing camps: Conservatives (democrats), Moderates, and Radicals. The Conservatives believed the South should be readmitted into the Union as soon as possible, but the Radicals and Moderates believed there should be consequences for succeeding. The question of what those consequences should be separated Radical from Moderate. The answer to this question was as related to how important each side believed it was to enfranchise African Americans into this country (socially, politically, economically, and culturally) as it was in exacting an appropriate punishment for the treasonous South. Although the two Republican factions disagreed on several aspects of Reconstruction policy, they both understood that the Conservative approach to Reconstruction could never be enacted. The Conservatives lead by President Johnson, believed in a rapid readmission, into the Union, for the defeated Southern states. Johnson's stipulations were solely that the states ratify the 13th Amendment, and repudiate Confederate war debt (thus making it null and void). A second more controversial measure to the democrat's plan for rapid reconstruction was the issuing of pardons to former Confederate officials, landowners, and generals. As a direct result of these pardons, former plantation owners' land was returned. The goal of the Conservatives during Reconstruction was obviously to return the South to the social, political, and economic structure of the antebellum period. The Conservative plans for reconstruction allowed the former Confederate leadership, which led the South to war to regain high ranking political positions. This made the Republicans fearful that the South would eventually move down the path of war with the Union. Furthermore, it also proved to the South that there were no consequences for succession. This was unacceptable to both Moderates and Radicals. In their eyes the South had committed treason and should have to suffer the consequences. However, Johnson never tried any of the Confederate leaders on charges of treason. The obvious answer to why the Conservatives wanted to enact this policy were because they were the ones guilty of succession. This was their way of protecting their self-interests. Before the war, Conservatives dominated Southern politics. After Southern succession they made up the majority of the Confederate government. However, the less than obvious answer was that they saw preserving the status quo antebellum as the only way to allow the Southern economy to one-day flourish. Considering that many conservatives were former slaveholders they enjoyed some vested interest in preserving the system. Differing Views On Reconstruction :: American America History Differing Views On Reconstruction By 1866, several distinct positions on Reconstruction emerged. These were divided into three opposing camps: Conservatives (democrats), Moderates, and Radicals. The Conservatives believed the South should be readmitted into the Union as soon as possible, but the Radicals and Moderates believed there should be consequences for succeeding. The question of what those consequences should be separated Radical from Moderate. The answer to this question was as related to how important each side believed it was to enfranchise African Americans into this country (socially, politically, economically, and culturally) as it was in exacting an appropriate punishment for the treasonous South. Although the two Republican factions disagreed on several aspects of Reconstruction policy, they both understood that the Conservative approach to Reconstruction could never be enacted. The Conservatives lead by President Johnson, believed in a rapid readmission, into the Union, for the defeated Southern states. Johnson's stipulations were solely that the states ratify the 13th Amendment, and repudiate Confederate war debt (thus making it null and void). A second more controversial measure to the democrat's plan for rapid reconstruction was the issuing of pardons to former Confederate officials, landowners, and generals. As a direct result of these pardons, former plantation owners' land was returned. The goal of the Conservatives during Reconstruction was obviously to return the South to the social, political, and economic structure of the antebellum period. The Conservative plans for reconstruction allowed the former Confederate leadership, which led the South to war to regain high ranking political positions. This made the Republicans fearful that the South would eventually move down the path of war with the Union. Furthermore, it also proved to the South that there were no consequences for succession. This was unacceptable to both Moderates and Radicals. In their eyes the South had committed treason and should have to suffer the consequences. However, Johnson never tried any of the Confederate leaders on charges of treason. The obvious answer to why the Conservatives wanted to enact this policy were because they were the ones guilty of succession. This was their way of protecting their self-interests. Before the war, Conservatives dominated Southern politics. After Southern succession they made up the majority of the Confederate government. However, the less than obvious answer was that they saw preserving the status quo antebellum as the only way to allow the Southern economy to one-day flourish. Considering that many conservatives were former slaveholders they enjoyed some vested interest in preserving the system.

Han vs Rome Ap World

Comparative Essay The massively extensive classical empires of Imperial Rome (31BCE-476CE) and Han China (206BCE-220CE) were extremely influential when it came to the world around them. In essence, the two empires were virtually the same in terms of political structure and military protocols, yet greatly different in the area of religious tolerance. Both Han China and Imperial Rome had a political system structure consisting of a sovereign emperor who made executive, almost dictator-like, decisions and directed the affairs of the empire.However, in both empires, emperors relied on regional governors to regulated affairs in their respective regions due to the fact that both empires were so massive and consisted of an enormous population. These leaders would also collect a tax that was imposed on free peasants of the empire. In both empires, the emperor was seen as a god-like figure, for example the Mandate of Heaven in Han China was used to persuade the citizens that the emperor was a direct link to the gods.Both Han China and Imperial Rome used religion as a helper in political culture. Confucianism was enforced by the government and promoted obedience, loyalty, and reverence to one’s social superiors. In Rome, Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 312CE, and used the church as a sort of guidance/advisor. Both civilizations established a type of â€Å"civil service† based on educated members of the middle class. As far as military protocols go, both militaries worked extensively on projects for the empire such as roads to expedite troop movement.Late in the histories of both empires, foreign soldiers were enlisted in the military due to a drop in population of plagues hit the society. The Roman’s enlisted the help of the Germanic tribes while the Hans enlisted the help of the Mongols. These â€Å"mercenary† soldiers lacked greatly in motivation and pride. Both civilizations enlisted the help of soldiers of the people who w ere invading them. The military prowess of both civilizations was used to hold and maintain peace once expansion was accomplished.While both civilizations consisted of one sovereign emperor, the methods in which emperors imposed their authorities differed between each. In Rome, the emperors resorted to threats and promises, where as in Han China, the emperors relied mostly on the Mandate of Heaven institution and tributes/gifts from the citizens. Both rulers had a slightly different role as well. The Emperor of China was judge, jury, and executioner, whereas the Emperor of Rome could not act without the senate's approval.With military expedition and empire expansion, the methods were quite different. When the Romans conquered a new region, they would enforce soldiers in that region until the tax was collected. After the tax was paid, the Romans allowed the conquered peoples to keep their cultural ways. This also applied to religion. Conquered peoples could remain with their religion as long as they followed the system. In fact, in 212CE, Rome offered citizenship to conquered peoples in exchange for adopting Roman culture.This offer was extended to all free people of the conquered region, and citizenship for them meant they had the right to hold office, serve in legions, and others. However, becoming a citizen did not erase their other identities like religious views. Rome also collected many foreign religions, making the entire empire a college of religious views. Unlike Rome, Han China forced Confucian beliefs upon their conquered areas. When the Han invaded and conquered Korea and Vietnam, they established a Chinese-style rule upon the people and forced Confucian beliefs upon them.Han did not collect foreign religions with the exception of Buddhism. Han China and Imperial Roman political structure, military protocols, and religious tolerance share various similarities in political structure and military protocols, and are more different in the area of religi ous tolerance. While both political structures involved a sovereign emperor who used regional leaders as a way to extend his control to the outskirts of the empire, they differed in the ways the emperor imposed his authority.With military protocols, both militaries were involved in the construction of roads that expanded all over the empire. However, the militaries differed in how they treated their conquered peoples with religion and culture. Both empires had some form of religious tolerance. Han Chinese citizens were allowed to practice Buddhism while the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. However, Romans had more tolerance for foreign religions in the empire than Han China did.

The Movie Roots essays

The Movie Roots essays In the history of the United States nothing has brought more shame to the face of America than the cold, premeditated years of keeping black people in captivity, which is known as slavery. Accordingly, slavery can be defined as an inhumane action done to an individual or group of people that causes either physical or mental harm. Slavery, at its very core was a cruel and heartless institution; from the idea behind it to the way it was enforced. It degraded the lives of human beings (particularly blacks) and forbade the basic freedom that every man and woman deserves, according to the Constitution. One example of how cruel and inhumane slavery actually was is the historical film Roots. In the movie Roots, the life of an enslaved African male named Kunta Kinta is followed, beginning with his abduction from his eighteenth century home in Africa. During this time, the Middle Passage was almost unbelievable, being that hundreds upon hundreds of Africans were abducted from their homes to go on boats to America. Consequently, Europeans traveled to Africa and captured Africans such as Kunta Kinta using guns in which many Africans had never seen before. This would later help develop their land and satisfy their need for power in the New World. The conditions on the boats were dreadful. The Africans soon to be slaves were packed like sardines and chained tightly together. Also, the temperature in the disease-infested rooms was unbearable and there was literally no fresh air for slaves to breathe. This particular part of the movie, I thought was one of the most significant parts, because it allowed the viewer to actually see the conditions on these boats. They seemed much like a slaughterhouse and I cant imagine how anyone could have survived in such a detrimental environment. In fact, Olaudah Equiano a former slave and loyal British subject said that, sleep was the only refuge. Consequently, the...

Effects of Apples Marketing Strategy on Customers Behaviour in Chinese Market

Effects of Apples Marketing Strategy on Customers Behaviour in Chinese Market Introduction In a retrospect, Apple, Inc. is one of those companies that were destined to become the world leaders. Launched into the global market with its innovative concept of Apple III, a personal computer that turned out to be quite competitive in the environment dominated by IBM and Microsoft, the organisation has been increasingly successful ever since (Hagedoorn, Carayannis Alexander 2001).Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Effects of Apple’s Marketing Strategy on Customers’ Behaviour in Chinese Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, with the creation of the global market, the company has faced a range of challenges, particularly, the need to promote its products with an account of the cultural specifics of the target population (Schiavenza 2013). Despite impressive differences between the Americana and the Chinese cultures, Apple managed to adjust its marketing campaign to the cultu ral specifics of the above-mentioned market by putting a very strong emphasis on the significance of the technological advance (Minakhmetova Savchenko 2015). As a result, Apple may have spurred the creation of a new type of consumer behaviour in China and even launched an irreversible process of change in the Chinese society (Apple’s foray into China - and the mind of the new Chinese consumer 2013). Literature Review and Research Background Apple, Inc. has been known as the key innovator in the It market for a while (Chapman, Hoskinson Christian 2013) due to the integration of the so-called Quantum strategy into its design; specifically, the mixture of technological advances and efficacy in the company’s overall performance (Heracleous 2013) deserves to be mentioned. Entering into the global market, the company, however, had to bend its strategy so that Apple’s products could appeal to the target demographics; notably, the cultural specifics of the states, wh ich Apple has chosen to expand in, have been identified carefully by the organisation. As a result, the entrance into the Chinese market planned previously by Apple was carried out rather smoothly with the introduction of the new consumer philosophy to the Chinese customers (Better days ahead; Apple in China 2013). The specified tendency can be explained by the fact that, as a worldwide brand, Apple, Inc. already has a very active community of customers and followers (Montgomerie Roscoe 2013), who, in their turn, have created a range of traditions and values related to the company and its vision (Apple plans Apple University in China, bringing Jobs’ vision to Asia 2013). Therefore, when rethinking the possible effects, which Apple, Inc. is going to have on the Chinese community after the adoption of the specified marketing approach, one must admit that opening the Chinese population to new opportunities in terms of education and the use of technology in their daily life can be deemed as a fairly positive change (Apple in China: big country, big company 2015).Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More After all, the fact that â€Å"Apple currently has 12 stores in China and corporate offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai† (Apple plans Apple University in China, bringing Jobs’ vision to Asia 2014, par. 5) means that the company has a range of employment options for the local residents. In the light of the fact that the Chinese society is currently facing significant challenges in meeting the needs of farmers and workers and that a strong effort is required in order to steer the state economy and politics in the right direction, the creation of a new type of society members, which Apple along with other several companies contributes to, is clearly a big step in the right direction: â€Å"A new generation of workers, above al l rural migrant workers, is standing up to defend their dignity and rights† (Chan, Pun Selden 2013, p. 112). Seeing that â€Å"Apple and Foxconn now find themselves in a limelight that challenges their corporate images and symbolic capital, hence requiring at least lip service in support of progressive labour policy reforms† (Chan, Pun Selden 2013, p. 112), it can be assumed that the marketing strategy chosen by Apple is bound to affect not only the creation of an entirely new type of customers in the Chinese market but also reinvent the very concept of economic relationships within the specified environment. It should be noted, though, that the implications of the approach adopted by Apple can be viewed as a double-sided sword, as it may turn out to have rather drastic effects on the Chinese society. Though clearly providing the Chinese population with a range of benefits, including the opportunity for the Chinese people to enter the environment of international comm unication, Apple affects the very core of the Chinese consumer culture by shifting the emphasis in the set of cultural values from appreciation of time honoured traditions to the pursuit of the ephemeral fades. On a more practical level, the specified change makes Chinese consumers are likely to be driven away from some of the current issues in the Chinese economy with the introduction of a new fad (Fitzsimons, Chartrand Fitzsimons 2008). Specifically, the fact that the local afflicted landowners and workers will no longer have the support of the rest of the Chinese population with the new concept of wellbeing engulfing the local population: â€Å"The Chinese state is also seeking to raise domestic consumption and hence living standards, in part in major response to the struggle of aggrieved workers and farmers† (Chan, Pun Selden. 2013, p. 112). More importantly, some of the studies related to the ethics of the company and the approaches, which Apple used as the means of wi nning Chinese customers’ trust, reported about â€Å"a powerful indictment of Apple, supply chains, consumer fantasy about technology, and the ethics of consumption† (Litzinger 2013, p. 175). Therefore, the alterations, which the Apple Company’s strategy is going to have on the economic and social life of the Chinese population, are far from being stellar. Research Objectives The principal goal of the study, therefore, is to investigate the effects that the current strategy undertaken by the Apple, Inc. has on the consumer behaviour patterns in China. Specifically, the research will consider the effects, which the current marketing approach has on the Chinese people’s mindset and their concept of the social elite.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Effects of Apple’s Marketing Strategy on Customers’ Behaviour in Chinese Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In other words, the study is aimed at determining whether Apple’s concept of innovative products as the means of being singled out contributes to the creation of a new stratum of the Chinese society, i.e., the so-called technology related elite (Huang, Hu Zhang 2013).  Additionally, the study incorporates several key objectives. It is essential to identify the specifics of the marketing strategy that Apple, Inc. has adopted in China. Moreover, the characteristics of the Chinese consumers’ culture will have to be identified to locate the changes, which Apple’s strategy has triggered in the Chinese society. Finally, the key factors, which have contributed to the change, including both the internal (i.e., the intrinsic factors that are related directly to the mindset of Chinese people) and the external (i.e., the global market, Apple’s vision (Mission statement of Apple 2015), etc.) ones will have to be identified in order to retrieve the necessary information. The key research question is, therefore, whether the approach adopted by the Apple, Inc. may possibly spawn a societal change in China.  The negative effects, which the Apple strategy is going to have on the concept of a Chinese customer and the ethics thereof, however, are not restricted to the societal effects. Apart from the concern for the working class in China, the issue regarding environmental awareness rates among the Chinese people deserves to be mentioned (Apple announces new environmental initiatives in China 2015). It is feared that the concept of technological advances as the measure of a social status may have a rather negative impact on the Chinese environment: â€Å"Apples success in the Chinese mainlands market is achieved at the expense of the local environment† (Jilong 2012, p. 45). By stressing the significance of innovative technology as an attribute of being rich and socially popular, Apple, inc. may make the target denizens of the Chinese population forget ab out the need to be environmentally friendly. Finally, the fact that Apple products have never enjoyed wide popularity in China to begin with deserves to be brought up (Reeve 2013). Seeing that the target market is dominated by Samsung, Apple will have to work especially hard in order to attract Chinese customers; therefore, it can be assumed that the tools to be used by the company are going to leave an especially persistent strategy. Therefore, the study is aimed at answering the following questions: What alterations has the Apple Company done to its marketing approach in order to promote its products to the Chinese population? What consumer behaviour is considered traditionally acceptable in China? In what way does the marketing strategy adopted by Apple alter the behavioural patterns of Chinese buyers? What effects will these changes have on the Chinese society in the nearest future? Methodologies and Methods Seeing that the relationships, which are going to be identified, are primarily qualitative, there is no obvious need to quantify the research outcomes (Gunter, Zhu Murphy 2011). Indeed, a closer look at the nature of the study will show that the key variables, i.e., the marketing strategy adopted by Apple, Inc. (the independent variable) and the changes in the consumer behaviour of the Chinese population (the dependent one) do not need to be quantified in order to define the link between them.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, the qualitative research design is suggested as the basis for the study (Khan 2014). As far as the research method is concerned, it can be suggested that a combination of a general research and a phenomenology should be used as a primary design for carrying out the study. The choice of two methods simultaneously can be justified by the fact that the issue to be considered in the course of the study is twofold. On the one hand, the specifics of Apple’s marketing have to be considered; on the other hand, the analysis will have to be carried out in the context of the Chinese culture. Therefore, a thorough study of the phenomenon in question placed in the specified setting needs to be conducted (Wertz 2014). As far as the general research is concerned, the specified step is crucial for identifying the basic characteristics of Chinese consumers, as well as the Chinese culture in general (Sincovics Alfoldi 2012). By reviewing several major works on Chinese consumerism, as well as Chinese traditions in general, one will be capable of predicting the effects, which the Apple strategies are going to have on the target denizens of the population. In fact, the general research mentioned above is going to incorporate an overview of the information regarding the Apple strategies as well. Thus, a full overview of the conflict to be considered can be obtained. The data regarding Apple’s marketing strategy and the effects that it has on the Chinese consumers, therefore, will be collected with the help of an overview of the existing literature on the subject. Particularly, articles in peer-reviewed journals, which were released after 2011, will be considered as the key secondary source of information for the research. Moreover, the reports released by Apple, Inc. and the Chinese government, which reflect the alterations in the Chinese people’s consumer behaviour, will be studied thoroughly. In addition, observations of the customer behaviour cha nges among Chinese people will be conducted based on the reports published by the trustworthy sources. As a result, the latest alterations in the consumer behaviour patterns will be identified and included into the study, which will make the analysis richer and more objective (Onwuegbuzie, Leech Collins 2010). The analysis of the information retrieved in the course of the above-mentioned observations and the study of the related literature will be conducted with the help of the constant comparison analysis. Being one of by far the most widely used tools for understanding and interpreting qualitative data, the specified device will allow for a careful evaluation of every significant factor affecting buyers’ behaviour in China. The data required for the research will be sampled with the help of the tool known as snowball sampling (Heckathorn 2011). The method in question will help split the research into several key stages based on the severity of the factors that affect the k ey dependent variable (e.g., the customer’s behaviour). Consequently, the tool under consideration can be deemed as an adequate choice for the specified study design and research setting. In fact, the method of snowball sampling will be updated by using social networks, such as Facebook (Baltar Brunet 2012). Thus, the options for data retrieval will be increased greatly.  In addition to the above-mentioned research tools, interviews will be administered to the participants. The interviews will be aimed at determining the shift in values among the Chinese population after the introduction of Apple products into the target market; specifically, the issue regarding the change in people’s perception of their social status after the purchase of Apple products will be considered.  The interview will consist of ten open-ended questions. Although the information retrieved in the course of interviewing is likely to come in the form of an unstructured text, classifying the data based on a specific taxonomy will allow for identifying the key factors that affect the buyers’ behaviour. The questions included in the interview will help identify the recent trends in the Chinese society, the rates of enthusiasm regarding acquiring new gadgets among Chinese people, the attitude towards the people possessing the specified devices, etc. It is assumed that the tools listed above will help attain a high level of academic objectivity and contribute to the understanding of the effects that the marketing approach adopted by Apple, Inc. has on the Chinese population in terms of their customer behaviour. However, in order to gain a deep insight on the alterations in the above-mentioned behavioural patterns, the changes in question will have to be considered from the perspectives of both the social and economic specifics of China. The case in point is a graphic example of a clash of cultures (i.e., the American and the Chinese ones); therefore, it must be viewe d from the cultural perspective as well. By identifying the essential changes, which the Chinese people have to undergo under the pressure of Apple’s obtrusive marketing campaign, one will be able to locate a reasonable compromise for the company to make between the need to attract more customers and the necessity to prevent any possible harm to the Chinese society. Reference List Apple announces new environmental initiatives in China 2015, https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2015/05/11Apple-Announces-New-Environmental-Initiatives-in-China.html. Apple in China: big country, big company 2015, msn.com/en-gb/money/other/apple-in-china-big-country-big-company/ar-AA8GHuj. Apple plans Apple University in China, bringing Jobs’ vision to Asia 2013, http://9to5mac.com/2014/11/03/apple-plans-apple-university-in-china-bringing-jobs-vision-to-asia/. Apple’s foray into China - and the mind of the new Chinese consumer 2013, http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/apples-fora y-into-china-and-the-mind-of-the-new-chinese-consumer-2/. Baltar, F Brunet, I 2012, ‘Social research 2.0: virtual snowball sampling method using Facebook,’ Internet research, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 57–74. Better days ahead; Apple in China. 2013, economist.com/news/business/21591229-tech-giant-can-rebound-its-recent-misfortunes-china-better-days-ahead. Chan, J, Pun, N Selden, M 2013, ‘The politics of global production: Apple, Foxconn and China’s new working class,’ New Technology, Work and Employment, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 100–115. Chapman, R, Hoskinson, R E Christian, G 2013, Apple Inc.: Keeping the â€Å"I† in innovation, cengagebrain.com.mx/content/9781133516491.pdf. Fitzsimons, G M, Chartrand, T L Fitzsimons, G J 2008, ‘Automatic effects of brand exposure on motivated behaviour: how Apple makes you â€Å"think different.’ Source: Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 21–35. Gunter, L, Zhu, J Mu rphy, S A 2011, ‘Variable selection for qualitative interactions,’ Statistical Methodology, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 42–55. Hagedoorn, J, Carayannis, E Alexander, J 2001, ‘Strange bedfellows in the personal computer industry: Technology alliances between IBM and Apple,’ Research Policy, vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 837–849. Heckathorn, D D 2011, ‘Comment: snowball versus respondent-driven sampling,’ Sociological Methodology, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 355–365. Heracleous, L 2013, ‘Quantum Strategy at Apple Inc.,’ Organisational Dynamics, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 92–99. Huang, C, Hu, L Zhang, X 2013, Consumer experience analysis, diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:624813/FULLTEXT01.pdf. Jilong, W 2012, ‘Multinationals’ environmental colonialism: A case study of Apple Inc. and China’s countermeasures,’ China Economist, vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 44–54. Khan, S N 2014, ‘Qualitative research method †“ phenomenology,’ Asian Social Science, vol. 10, no. 21, pp. 298–310. Litzinger, R 2013, ‘Labor in China: A new politics of struggle,’ The South Atlantic Quarterly, vol. 112, no. 1, pp. 172–178. Minakhmetova, A Savchenko, D 2015, Mobile marketing strategy development in China, Japan and South Korea, diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:822708/FULLTEXT01.pdf. Mission statement of Apple. 2015, strategicmanagementinsight.com/mission-statements/apple-mission-statement.html. Montgomerie, J Roscoe, S 2013, ‘Owning the consumer – getting to the core of the Apple business model,’ Accounting Forum, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 290–299. Onwuegbuzie, L J, Leech, A L Collins, K M T 2010, ‘Innovative data collection strategies in qualitative research,’ The Qualitative Report, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 696–726. Reeve, N 2013, RCM demotes Apple, ftadviser.com/2013/02/15/investments/investment-trusts/rcm-demotes-apple-e6IacpYBNnVhxAk razz1kM/article.html. Schiavenza, M 2013, ‘The logic behind Apples strategy in China,’ The Atlantic, theatlantic.com/china/archive/2013/09/the-logic-behind-apples-strategy-in-china/279569/. 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The One Thing Needful Essays

The One Thing Needful Essays The One Thing Needful Paper The One Thing Needful Paper Hard Times is a poignant novel, published in 1854, by Charles Dickens and set in the bleak and dreary workhouses of the Victorian era. Hard Times is in many ways an autobiographical novel. It is based on Dickens own experiences as part of a poor family whose father was in prison for debt. All of the family except for Charles were sent to a workhouse while he worked in a blacking factory in appalling conditions. Although his was a story of rags to riches following the publications of his bestselling novels, he continued to voice his concerns for social problems in Victorian British society. Hard Times is one of the several novels that explore the lives of the poor and working class, who, despite making up the majority of the population, had little or no say in improving their lives. As Britain wound through the Industrial Revolution, producing machinery that had no need for manual labour resulted in hundreds of thousands migrating to the cities in the hope of finding a job- a source of livelihood. These migrants usually ended up in the workhouses, again in manual labour and almost always living in abject poverty. Their children ended up going to school with an education described in detail in the first few chapters of Hard Times. In brief, the children were forced to learn facts by rote the only principle that the Utilitarian masters considered of value. It was their belief that for children who were destined to live lives of misery in poverty, the only thing useful for them would be to become efficient workers. As a result, the childrens education followed the same monotonous, formal and mechanical process like their work in the factories. In Hard Times, Dickens criticises the educational system fiercely, and illustrates his dislike through a wide range of linguistic and other devices. The first chapter named The One Thing Needful has little narrative content but it paints an intense dramatic picture of the harsh teaching system and the mechanical figure of the Speaker who is more of an object than a person. Hard Times is divided into three parts; the first part is named Sowing, the second Reaping and the third Garnering. This extended metaphor is used by Dickens to introduce the sowing of facts as seeds into the fertile innocent minds of the children even though the hard facts seem to yield nothing. However, the Speaker is forceful as he insists on, plant nothing else, and root out everything else, to mould the childrens minds. The image of rooting out illustrates a forceful and painful action in the readers mind. Despite the motif of nature and plants, Dickens paints an austere and insensitive atmosphere as the scene comes into view: a plain, bare, monotonous vault of a schoolroom. The visual imagery emphasizes Dickens belief that no creativity could flourish in a place so dreary. In this scene the Speaker is instructing the school teacher how to teach which adds to the irony and confusion. The description of the Speaker, whose character is summed up as, inflexible, dry and dictatorial, verges on the comical as Dickens uses repetition to emphasize the rigidity (squareness) of the Speaker and therefore the educational system. As the Speaker is depersonalized, the objects around him become animate including his tie, trained to take him by the throat with an unaccommodating grasp. From sowing to strangling, hard times are literally foreshadowed ahead through this unsuitable education. Moreover, Dickens uses exaggeration to the point of making his characters into caricatures. The emphasis was helped by the speakers square wall of a forehead, which had his eyebrows for its base, while his eyes found commodious cellarage in two dark caves, overshadowed by the wall. The Speaker, to the reader looks more like a dull piece of architecture than a person. In fact, the way in which Dickens makes caricatures is an argument in itself against the facts of Utilitarianism.