Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Reality of Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry...

The Reality of Huckleberry Finn nbsp; Huckleberry Finn is a book that contains elements of romantic and realistic fiction; even though it contains both these elements, it is a book on realistic fiction, and that is how it was written to be. Mark Twain used historical facts and data to make this story realistic, it used situations that would normally happen in the time the novel takes place in. Huckleberry Finns father is a vagrant and a despicable person; his actions are written to how a man of that characteristic would act. Two more characters in this novel also act accordingly; the Duke and the Dauphin. A couple of crooks and frauds who are ill at heart and produce no good at all. A kind man Jim, a black slave at the beginning†¦show more content†¦I heard about it away down the river, too. Thats why I come. You git me that money to-morrow -- I want it.(Twain, pg. 27) nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;But Hucks father isnt the only greedy character in this play, there are two men that pose as the Duke and the Dauphin (who are obviously not really who they claim to be). These were two men that were frauds, they would scam people out of their money and move along to the next town as swiftly as possible. Occasionally they were, caught, which is quite realistic. Well, Id been selling an article to take the tartar off the teeth -- and it does take it off, too, and generly the enamel along with it -- but I stayed about one night longer than I ought to, and was just in the act of sliding out when I ran across you on the trail this side of town, and you told me they were coming, and begged me to help you to get off. So I told you I was expecting trouble myself, and would scatter out with you. One example of how these men are nobody but a couple of petty thieves. Well, Id ben a-running a little temperance revival thar bout a week, and was the pet of the women folks, big and little, f or I was makin it mighty warm for the rummies, I tell you, and takin as much as five or six dollars a night -- ten cents a head, children and niggers free -- and business a-growin all the time, when somehow orShow MoreRelated Escaping Reality in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn1306 Words   |  6 PagesRunning From Reality in Huckleberry Finn        Ã‚  Ã‚   In Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a main target of satire is the romantic view of life. Though the characters and symbols, it is evident that the idyllic views are being disparaged. Some of the people in this book are simply deluded, while others cause major tribulations during their lives. Literary romanticism can be pleasant, but it is not real and can confuse those not sage enough to distinguish the difference between a writersRead MoreHuckleberry Finn Persuasive Essay1571 Words   |  7 Pagesalmost-right word and the right word is really a large matter- ‘tis the difference between the lightning bug and lightning.†(Mark Twain). Mark Twain, the author of an extraordinary yet controversial novel; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn had a great way of capturing moments in time and bringing them to life through the use of meaningful and direct diction. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been a vexed novel for it s a use of the â€Å"N-wo rd†. However, many scholars and associations have devised a â€Å"solution†Read MoreHuckleberry Finn Should Be Banned Essay1603 Words   |  7 Pageshad problems with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn shortly after being published. Huckleberry Finn was first published in January of 1885 and only two months later in March of 1885 the book was banned. The problem first with the book was it was too friendly toward African Americans and believed to lead children astray from certain values. Now over 100 years later â€Å"Huckleberry Finn is still making news† (Pitts). Now in the 21th century we have a problem with Huckleberry Finn not because of kindnessRead MoreHuckleberry Finn and the use of Satire Essay1109 Words   |  5 Pages Huck Finn and the use of Satire Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been controversial ever since its release in 1884. It has been called everything from the root of modern American literature to a piece of racist trash. Many scholars have argued about Huck Finn being prejudiced. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses satire to mock many different aspects of the modern world. Despite the fact that many critics have accused Mark Twain’s novel of promoting racismRead MoreAnalysis Of Mark Twain s Works Made A Huge Impact On Readers And Literary Critics1288 Words   |  6 Pages2/26/17 P:2 Outline Mark Twain’s works made a huge impact on readers and literary critics. His writing occurred during both the romantic and realist time eras in American Literature. He has simple, seemingly artless narrators and an understated style leads readers to arrive at the social commentary of his narratives on their own. Mark Twain’s writing influenced society because he created a new perspective on life with the views pointed out in his books. The distinctive trait of Twain s was hisRead MoreMark Twain s The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn2015 Words   |  9 Pagesfamous author Mark Twain, less commonly known as Samuel Clemens, produced The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A few years prior to the publishing of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain released possibly his most famous book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which is very much an adventure novel. In the early chapters of Twain’s sequel, it appears that ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬ The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is another adventure novel, and that it is just following a different character from Twain’s earlier worldRead MoreHuckleberry Finn - Thesis1521 Words   |  7 Pagesemulate. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Twain shows us two Sides of the coin by putting good role models for huck such as: Judge Thatcher, Widow Douglas, And many more. On the other side he shows us also bad examples of role models, characters like Pap, the king, and the duke. Throughout the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain Shows us through Huck the importance of a role model in ones life. Throughout the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn we meet manyRead MoreMark Twain s Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn1755 Words   |  8 PagesMark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a masterpiece and an American classic according to Alex Brink Effgen, a PhD student working on the impact of Twain’s writing (Effgen). Twain expresses the problems that faced America during the 1830s to 1870s through the point of a view of a boy that indirectly expresses his hate for the accepted societal rules that are placed on ideas such as racism. Twain’s use of dialect, language and symbolism express the Realism era and creates a powerful masterpieceRead MoreEssay on Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn576 Words   |  3 PagesMark Twain has always been one of the most controversial authors of all time. Though in recent years, there has been increasing controversy over the ideas expressed in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In some extreme cases the novel has even been banned by public school systems and censored by public libraries. The basis for this censorship is the argument that Mark Twains book is racist, but in reality Twain was against racism and used this book to make people aware of what wasRead MoreSamuel Clemens : The Father Of American Literature1614 Words   |  7 PagesCrucible, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer are all popular examples of American Literature. Many of the most well-known written works of American Literature can be funneled back to one person, Samuel Clemens. Many people might say, who is Samuel Clemens? However, if they are informed of his â€Å"pen† name, they may form connections. Clemens wrote under the â€Å"pen† name, Mark Twain. According to the Oxford University Press, it was in 1863 in which Samuel Clemens starting signing as Mark Twain. Clemens derived

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Development Of Greek Philosophy Free Essays

Greek Philosophy emerged because of the following thinkers: Thales, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Socrates, Plato, and last but not least, Aristotle (Bennagen, 2000). This paper entitled, â€Å"Development of Greek Philosophy† intends to describe the thinkers involved, key schools, as well as their ideas. First stop is Thales, who emerged in 610 to 546 BC (Bennagen, 2000). We will write a custom essay sample on Development Of Greek Philosophy or any similar topic only for you Order Now He is said to be the first philosopher because of the fact that he motivated people to think that the world in all made up of water (Bennagen, 2000). Second is Pythagoras, who came about in 582 to 507 BC (Bennagen, 2000). For Pythagoras, number is the most essential thing in life (Bennagen, 2000). It was him who established the relationship between angles and sides of the right triangle which he later technically referred to as the Pythagorean Theorem (Bennagen, 2000). Third is Heraclitus, who presented itself from 535 to 475 BC (Bennagen, 2000). For him, everything continuously changes and that stability does not exist (Bennagen, 2000). True enough because even those stable things, as they appear to be, are not (Bennagen, 2000). Examples include neutrons, electrons, and quarks (Bennagen, 2000). Fourth is Parmenides, who made himself known from 610 to 547 BC (Bennagen, 2000). He was the founder of the school known as â€Å"Eleatics† (Bennagen, 2000). For him, change is unreal, it is merely an illusion (Bennagen, 2000). In addition to that, for him, reality or â€Å"being† is everlasting, fixed, and undivided (Bennagen, 2000). He warns us that we should not always trust our senses when it comes to what reality is (Bennagen, 2000). Fifth is Socrates, who emerged in 469 to 399 BC (Bennagen, 2000). Socrates focused on the health of the soul and thus, he motivated people to look further into ethics or morality instead of nature as the first four philosophers were deeply interested in (Bennagen, 2000). Sixth is Plato (427 to 347 BC) who believes that reality is divided into two the perfect and imperfect (Bennagen, 2000). He also presented his ideal state and ideal leader to show his definition of reality (Bennagen, 2000). Last but not least is Aristotle who went to study things further using his senses, consequently discovering science itself (Bennagen, 2000). Reference Bennagen, P. (2000). Social, Economic, and Political Thought. Quezon City: UPOU. How to cite Development Of Greek Philosophy, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

International Marketing Substitutes World Market

Question: Describe about the International Marketing for Substitutes World Market. Answer: Introduction The report is about internalization of the product Almas Caviar. The company wants to expand their market from Iran to Japan. Almas Caviar is considered as the most expensive Caviar among other caviars in the world. The report will describe various aspects such as features of Japanese market in terms of Almas Caviar, SWOT Analysis, strategic planning, competitive advantage, segmentation and internalization of the product will be described in details in the perspectives of Japanese market. The study also focuses on the description of the product and its importance and demand in Japanese market. Brief of Almas Caviar Caviar is considered as another name of diamond. On the other hand, Almas Caviar is considered as the most expensive caviar in the world. The price of one kilogram of Almas Caviar is $25,000. There is a special thing about Almas Caviar that makes it special and very expensive. Almas Caviar is a type of Caviar that comes from beluga fish. Beluga fish is available only in the unpolluted waters of Caspian Sea in Iran (Wilson et al., 2015). The pristine waters of the Caspian Sea are responsible for making the Almas Caviar so special. Usually Caviar is grayish black in color. It is healthy diet and is very nutritious. However, Almas Caviar is pearly white in color. It is the specialty of this type of caviar, that is responsible for pushing up the price of this caviar (Fopp?Bayat Ocalewicz, 2015). Apart from that, the silky texture of Almas Caviar is also considered as the factor of price hike of this Caviar in the market. Almas Caviar is known as sieved and salted fish eggs. Almas Caviar has the unique personality that is very complex in nature. It is destined for palates and is very richly nuanced. Almas Caviar is the authentic flavor that is a traditional unique food i.e. a perfect hint of the Iranian Caviar. The eggs have an intense creamy and nutty taste. The rich flavor of the Caviar is formed due to the delicate process of salting. The presentation of the Almas Caviar is unique and is very unique. The container of Almas Caviar comes in a 24 karat gold plate. However, it is not available everywhere (Peraza, 2013). Reasons of entering Japanese market Japan is a country that is surrounded by water from its all sides. The product Almas Caviar wants to enter into Japanese market because Japanese people are fond of different types of seafoods. There are various types of sea fishes are available in the Japanese market and they are consumed by them in a relished way (Bronzi Rosenthal, 2014). Apart from other staple foods, sea foods in Japan play an important role in the dietary nutrition of people. Caviar is a different kind of seafood that is consumed in all parts of the world. Japanese market has a demand of Caviar in different parts of the country. Japan also cultivates different types of caviars from different kinds of fishes that are present deep under the sea. There are many types of agricultural practices that enhance the cultivation of caviar from the sea (Ye et al., 2014). Japanese government is now exporting different kinds of caviars to other countries in order to earn revenue from them. Japanese market is now considered as the world second luxury market in terms of Caviar production. However, Japan specializes in different types of Caviars that has no similarities with the Almas Caviar of Iran (Gerlach et al., 2012). Economy of Japan is very stable. GDP of Japan as of 2016 is $4.41 trillion. GDP per capita is 34,870. Japan is a developed country. It is the technological hub of Asia with different kinds of IT sectors and other technological sectors. People of Japan have high income. It represents that they can afford Almas Caviar that has Iranian royal touch (Zabyelina, 2014). SWOT Analysis Strengths: Almas Caviar is a unique form of caviar that is available only in Iran from Beluga fish that is available in the unpolluted waters of the Caspian Sea. Almas Caviar is considered as the most expensive caviar in the world due to its uniqueness and textures. It costs around $25,000 per kilogram. People are ready to pay for this caviar due to the unique attributes (Duarte Alonso, 2016). It is a type of organic caviar that is not only known for its pearl textured white jelly like caviar but also for its organic and nutritional benefits. As it is available only in Beluga fish, hence it is charged high from the customers. There is uniqueness in terms of packaging also. Almas Caviars are packed in a 24karat container (Di Zhu, 2015). Weaknesses: Japanese market already produces caviars and exports them into different countries. Hence, there will be a risk to enter Japanese market with a same genre of products. The domestic caviar market of Japan is highly developed. The location of the company can create problem in the process of foreign expansion. In recent times, Iran is not politically sound country; hence Japanese government can create any barrier while spreading their business in Japanese market (Adeli Namdar, 2015). It is seen that Japanese people are very rigid about their origin. There is a possibility that Japanese people will support their domestic caviars rather than this Iranian caviar. However, Iran does not have any good image from political aspects. It has a negative image on media that will create a negative image in the minds of customers. The taste and flavor of Almas Caviar may not be liked by Japanese people (Wang et al., 2013). Opportunities: The company can charge premium price for the product. It has almost no competitor regarding the type of caviar. It can create a new market altogether in Japan. It can create a positive image about Iranian foods in Japanese market (Hosein et al., 2013). Threats: Governmental regulations can cause a threat for the company. People may not like the taste and flavor of the new type of caviar. Barriers related to taxation are occurred in the expansion. Distribution channel of the existing domestic caviar producers can be a severe threat for this new entrant (Jinjarak Zheng, 2014). Strategic Planning Strategic planning of entering into a foreign market consists of two sectors such as short-term plan and long-term plan. Strategic planning of Almas Caviar will be done after conducting an extensive market research regarding the different factors of Caviar market in Japan along with the data regarding different companies that are into selling caviars in Japan. However, a proper planning is required for entering into Japanese market (Hosein et al., 2013). The two types of planning are described in the following. Short term plan Almas Caviar at the beginning of the foreign entry in Japan will try to establish their brand among the minds of the customers and consumers of Almas Caviar. The product is a new genre of product in Japan. Japanese people are accustomed with different kinds of caviar. Almas Caviar is a royal form of Caviar that is specialized only in Iran. It is a rare species of Caviar. Japan will now have the opportunity of having Almas Caviar. The short term planning of the product, include adopting different types of traditional legacy media and digital media for reinforcing the idea of Almas Caviar among Japanese for increase of sales (Gerlach et al., 2012). Long term plan Long-term plan of Almas Caviar consists of different types of strategies that include capturing market share, and a well position in the market. Almas Caviar in the end will achieve the number one position in the royal and luxury caviar market in Japan. It a niche category of Caviar, that is not available in many parts of the world. Hence, by keeping premium price of the product, it can achieve higher revenue with a higher brand image (Duarte Alonso, 2016). Source of competitive advantage Differentiation From Porters generic strategies, it can be said that Almas Caviar has adopted the differentiation strategy in the aspect of competitive advantage. Differentiation is described as the nature and type of the product i.e. Almas Caviar. It is a niche product that will provide a tough competition to the other domestic Caviar production companies. Since, Almas Caviar is a niche product and is targeted to a niche segment of customers in Japan; it adopts the differentiation strategy in order to provide a cutting edge to the existing companies of Japan. Cost of the product will be high (Jinjarak Zheng, 2014). For maintaining the high quality and a good position in the Japanese market, Almas Caviar will be packed in a 24 karat gold tin package. Apart from this, the product differentiation of Almas Caviar is unique. Japanese companies will not be able to copy the features of the product because Almas Caviar is an Iranian product that has the taste and flavor of Iran. Apart from that, Beluga fi sh is available only in the unpolluted waters of Caspian Sea. It is the specialty of the Almas Caviar (Di Zhu, 2015). Despite of this, the pearl textured silky structures of Almas Caviar is not found in any other types of caviar. The company that will be selling Almas Caviar will provide Japanese customers a hint of the authentic Iranian flavor with royalty and luxury. Hence, it can be said that to enter Japanese market, differentiation strategy is appropriate for Almas Caviar for market penetration. Segmentation Segmentation is an important aspect of expansion of a product in a new market. As it is a premium niche product, hence segmentation of Almas Caviar will be done accordingly. The company can adopt geographic and psychographic segmentation. Almas Caviar can be sold at various luxury hotels and restaurants of Tokyo that are specialized in selling sea foods. Expensive clubs of Tokyo can also be targeted as they serve sea foods to the customers. The segment of people that will go to these clubs and restaurants belong to the higher income group people (Jinjarak Zheng, 2014). They will not be bothered about spending money on foods. Guests of these restaurants and clubs will be eager to taste this Iranian flavor of Caviar. It is a form of Caviar that is not previously available in Japanese market. Hence, it can be said that Almas Caviar must target different types of customers that can be categorized in the group of higher income group. In the aspect of psychographic segmentation, people wi th higher class and have spending habits on new products are targeted by the company. Usually youth segment and families of higher class are targeted. The main motto of the company is elite product for super rich elite customers (Allen et al., 2013). This is the perfect strategy adopted by the company in terms of segmenting their target market. Initially Tokyo is targeted, gradually the other metropolitan cities of Japan will also be targeted. Going International In the phase of internalization strategy, the company will adopt licensing as a form of entry mode in its short term strategy. On the other hand, after the success of the short term strategy, foreign direct investment will be chosen as the long term investment. However, the decision is made on certain assumptions and proper research. There are advantages of choosing licensing as an initial mode of entry than foreign direct investment at the initial phases. There are certain reasons that are responsible for making this decision by the strategic management department of the company. The advantages of licensing for Almas Caviar are described below. The company will provide license to well reputed and established licensee in Tokyo or other parts of Japan that will allow the company while testing in the Japanese market. Apart from this, the licensing system will help the company for further exploration without much investment of capital and management of time (Allen et al., 2014). The company of Almas Caviar will make profit from this approach. This is because, the licensee will have their own market reputation and market knowledge regarding caviar in Japan. The Iranian company can use their marketing tactics and their strengths in penetrating the market (Fain et al., 2013). The company will provide Almas Caviar to the licensee. It will sell them in the market. Since, it will be charged premium from the premium customers, the licensee will be able to earn huge amount of money from the market. In return, the Iranian company selling Almas Caviar will be earning royalty from the licensee. Besides this, the company will also have a share of profit from the amount of Almas Caviar sold in the market (Mims, 2015). The royalty income along with the share of profit from the licensee will help in earning additional return on investments on the investments that was previously done in research and development. It will reduce the risk in terms of failures of the research and development department of the Iranian company. There are huge investments required in terms of designing the patents that are using by different licensees of Caviar in Japan. If any mistakes occur, the Japanese government may throw case in the aspect of patent infringement litigation. Investment in this sector of industry is huge, as the product is a niche product and is very costly as it is a rare product in the market. Maintenance of Almas Caviar and its transportation requires huge investment that should be incurred by the company itself. Licensing will prevent the company to incur other forms of investments in the field of failures in research and development while penetrating Japanese market (Rejeb Arfaoui, 2016). On the other hand, after choosing Licensing in the initial stage, FDI will be chosen by the company as a preferred entry mode for exploring Japanese caviar market. Full form of FDI is Foreign Direct Investment. The company will invest in Japanese market after earning revenue in the initial stage during adopting licensing as preferred foreign market entry modes. During this period of time, the Iranian company will be able to earn both reputation and revenue from the Japanese Caviar market. It is very important for the company to earn trust and loyalty from the premium customers of Almas Caviar in the market of Japan. Apart from that, before investing in the market, the company must have a proper detailed knowledge about the consumers preference and other aspects of caviar market in Japan (Sielen, 2013). As the company is new in terms of caviar in Japanese markets, there are many risks that are related to the company at initial phase. Choosing licensing will help in solving many issues that are initially occurred in penetrating Japanese caviar market. However, in the long term plan of the company, foreign direct investment in the different sectors and aspects of caviar market in Japan will help them in gaining a substantial market share along with much reputation from the targeted customers in Japan. It will also help in providing a cutting edge to the domestic cheap caviar producer in Japan (Gaio et al., 2015). Conclusion The report illustrates the foreign entry of the Iranian company that will be selling Almas Caviar in the Japanese market. It also provides an idea about the nature and type of the product along with its demand in the Japanese market. Apart from that, the study also describe different attributes of Japanese caviar market that will help the company in choosing appropriate foreign entry modes for exploring Japanese market. Licensing is the first preference of the company while entering Japanese market. The advantages are described above in the report in terms of choosing licensing over foreign direct investment in their initial short term planning of the company. References Adeli, A., Namdar, M. (2015). The Iranian Caviar and its Substitutes in the World Market.Ecopersia,3(1), 933-944. Allen, D. E., Amram, R., McAleer, M. (2013). Volatility spillovers from the Chinese stock market to economic neighbours.Mathematics and Computers in Simulation,94, 238-257. Allen, D. E., McAleer, M., Singh, A. K. (2014). Volatility Spillovers from Australia's major trading partners across the GFC.Documentos de Trabajo (ICAE), (26), 1-26. Bronzi, P., Rosenthal, H. (2014). Present and future sturgeon and caviar production and marketing: a global market overview.Journal of Applied Ichthyology,30(6), 1536-1546. Di, J., Zhu, P. (2015). A method for evaluating the extreme risk sources of financial markets: The case of stock markets in China.Global Finance Journal,26, 18-28. Duarte Alonso, A. (2016). The entrepreneurial role within a global firm operating in a niche market.European Business Review,28(2), 118-136. Fain, S. R., Straughan, D. J., Hamlin, B. C., Hoesch, R. M., LeMay, J. P. (2013). Forensic genetic identification of sturgeon caviars traveling in world trade.Conservation Genetics,14(4), 855-874. Fopp?Bayat, D., Ocalewicz, K. (2015). Activation of the Albino Sterlet Acipenser ruthenus Eggs by UV?Irradiated Bester Hybrid Spermatozoa to Provide Gynogenetic Progeny.Reproduction in Domestic Animals,50(4), 554-559. Gaio, L. E., Junior, T. P., Lima, F. G., Bonacim, C. A. G. (2015). Value-at-risk in times of crisis: An analysis in the Brazilian market.African Journal of Business Management,9(5), 223. Gerlach, R. H., Chen, C. W., Chan, N. Y. (2012). Bayesian time-varying quantile forecasting for value-at-risk in financial markets.Journal of Business Economic Statistics. Hosein, Z. Z., Mehrizi, S. M. T., Hanoomarvar, A. Y. (2013). Investigating Effective Factors on Development of Iran's Caviar Exports.International Business Research,6(3), 117. Jinjarak, Y., Zheng, H. (2014). Granular institutional investors and global market interdependence.Journal of International Money and Finance,46, 61-81. Mims, S. D. (2015). Paddlefish: International Status.Paddlefish Aquaculture, 153. Peraza, J. C. A. (2013). El pecado del escndalo:: Dandismo y modernidad en Fernando Vallejo.Revista de Estudios Hispnicos,47(2), 291-312. Rejeb, A. B., Arfaoui, M. (2016). Financial market interdependencies: A quantile regression analysis of volatility spillover.Research in International Business and Finance,36, 140-157. Sielen, A. B. (2013). Devolution of the Seas: The Consequences of Oceanic Destruction, The.Foreign Aff.,92, 124. WANG, X. Y., WU, Z. W., SONG, X. F. (2013). The change point CAViaR model for measuring market risk with an application to Growth Enterprise Market.Journal of China University of Mining Technology,3, 029. Wilson, J., Eckhardt, G., Belk, R. (2015). Luxury branding below the radar.Harvard Business Review, 26-27. Ye, W., Luo, K., Du, S. (2014). Measuring Contagion of Subprime Crisis Based on MVMQ-CAViaR Method.Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society,2014. Zabyelina, Y. G. (2014). The fishy business: a qualitative analysis of the illicit market in black caviar.Trends in Organized Crime,17(3), 181-198.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

The play An Inspector Calls Persuasive Essay Example For Students

The play An Inspector Calls Persuasive Essay How does Priestley make a drama out of the theme of social responsibility in the play An Inspector Calls?  The play tells the story of a middle class family and how they have all contributed to a young working class womans suicide. Priestley has set the play in 1912 as a way of making the audience of 1946 look back on their past. The consequence of setting the play 30 years or so earlier is that the audience can know more about events than the characters. He is also making people realise how social values have changed, for the better. In a way, the audience can relate to the Birling family, which brings across the message of the play far more intimately. The audience feel like they could be in the same position as the Birlings, bringing the theme of the play closer to home. We will write a custom essay on The play An Inspector Calls Persuasive specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The dramatic irony relating to the audiences knowledge is particularly apparent in Mr Birlings speech to Gerald and Eric. Priestley is revealing aspects of the character to the audience; in this progress speech there are numerous examples of this device. He paints a very rosy picture of life for them, going on at length about how safe and prosperous the world is. Mr Birling says there isnt a chance of war, the worlds developing so fast itll make war impossible. The audience will immediately pick up on this irony, as the audience will know, the First World War began in 1914 and didnt end until 1918. Millions died. Birling denies there will be any trouble with industrial workers, Dont worry. Weve passed the worst of it. He even pronounces the Titanic unsinkable, Titanicunsinkable, absolutely unsinkable. The Titanic sank on her maiden voyage; she hit an iceberg on the 15th of April 1912, killing 1513 people. In 1921 there was a General Strike affecting most industries. This is dramatic irony. Priestley uses it to make the audience realise what a shock all of these events must have been to the nation. The country had its moral and social values set, a war can change values dramatically, bring the classes closer together. Such naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve remarks make Mr Birling look like a pompous, unreliable fool. He puts such emphasis on class divisions, with statements such as youd think everybody has to look after everybody else, community and all that nonsense. His feelings are a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own He is always eager to lecture the younger generation about his views and give them advice. This advice always revolves around his belief that it is each for their own. The theme of the whole play is social responsibility, equality, morals and sharing wealth. Inspector Goole takes the opposing view to Mr Birling, We dont live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. He is trying to teach the Birlings that they, as the higher class should have a sense of responsibility for the lower, poorer classes. After the war people had begun to realise the importance of everyone looking after each other. Many men died in the war, the sorrow and rationing of food can only have bought the classes on to a similar level; each family had the same amount of rations, so no longer did the upper classes have money as a way of being better than the lower classes. The whole play could be very dull. There is no change of scene and only six main characters and a maid. The entire play is performed in the dining room of the Birling family. There are no flashbacks, special effects and very few lighting techniques as we, the modern generation would expect. Unlike most plays there is only one plot line and no subplot. However, this brings a naturalistic feel to the play. The audience are present throughout the interrogations. The scandal of the play provides the interest. Priestley knows people love scandal and the way to keep their attention is to make the results of the investigation as scandalous as possible. .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe , .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe .postImageUrl , .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe , .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe:hover , .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe:visited , .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe:active { border:0!important; } .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe:active , .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u79c458be3a7f86e280c22d808227edbe:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Ralph (609 words) EssayThe inspector enters at an ironic point in the play, just as Mr Birling is making his speech to Gerald and Eric, wrongly advising them on morals, ethics and social values. At the entrance of the Inspector, Mr Birling asks for more light. This gives the scene a new stark, harsh feel, anticipating a change in atmosphere, setting the scene on edge. Mr Birling presumes, because of his position that he is required to sign a warrant of some sort. In fact, he himself is under investigation. The name Goole may be intentional or coincidental, to give the audience a clue that he may be a ghost, Goole sounds strangely like ghoul, and this may be of some significance. Priestley could be implying that the Inspector could be a ghost, brought to teach the family a lesson. It may not be a coincidence that the Inspector arrived when he did, if he is some sort of ghost or messenger sent to teach the Birlings values he may have entered at that point because of what Mr Birling had just said. The Inspector really brings the play together; he reveals the characters secrets, their thoughtlessness and lack of consideration for others, especially those of a lower class. He will only interrogate one character at a time, more or less in the order of events in the life of Eva. Sheila realises nothing can be hidden from the Inspector early on and decides everyone may as well confess. The Inspector, calmly begins to expose the Birlings flaws, he shows them for what they really are, with no regard for their position in society. The Inspector can always find fault with the Birlings. He twists their words, makes them realise what theyve done. For example, at Mr Birlings remark about how the Inspector has made a mess of their nice little family celebration, the Inspector retorts that when he saw what was left of Eva Smith he thought a nice little promising life there and a nasty mess somebodys made of it. He has thrown Mr Birlings anger back in his face, making him realise how petty he seems. Furthermore, the Inspector can always outwit the Birlings, especially Mr Birling. The Inspector will always take the opposing view to Mr Birling and get the last word, pointing out to Mr Birling that its better to ask for the world than to take it. Eva is cleverly and symbolically named. Priestley has set her up as the archetypal lower class woman. The name Eva is a form of Eve, i.e. Adam and Eve, representing the first and only woman, so she represents the entire female sex. Smith is a common name; therefore she belongs to the lower classes. Eva is the key of the play, the topic of conversation and the reason for the investigation. Most importantly, she is used to evoke emotion from the audience and characters. She binds everything and everyone together.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Professional annotated bibliography help

Professional annotated bibliography help Annotated bibliography Certainly all students possess great skills and are good at something. Nevertheless, the majority of them encounter considerable difficulties with writing academic works. Producing an original annotated bibliography causes a lot of problems in particular. It is very complicated to find reputable sources to gather useful material for the work. Students want to know how to write an annotated bibliography in the most efficient way. First, you need to conduct thorough research to collect valuable information about the issue. However, it is not as easy as it seems. Surely, there are a lot of sites on the web containing information about different subjects. The problem is that you cannot be sure that all of them are reliable. Thus, you should go to the library and find suitable books, journals, and other sources providing accurate data about the analyzed matter. After you have found authoritative sources, you need to start analyzing them. You will know how to make an annotated bibliography properly. The next thing is to evaluate collected information and make a comprehensive summary. It is necessary to present facts logically. However, it is not always easy. Students find it hard to format their works properly. Moreover, they are not always able to write their papers in formal style and good language. For this reason, it is very useful to find a clear annotated bibliography definition. Thus, you will find out the key features of this paper. If producing an annotated bibliography is a real challenge for you, contact without hesitation. We will provide you with great assistance. You can be sure that your work will be formatted appropriately. Our experts are well-aware of different reference styles such as MLA, Chicago, APA, etc. If you use our superior writing services, you will face no problems with doing this assignment. Valuable Help What is an annotated bibliography? This question bothers students most of all. Now, you should not worry about it as you can always get real help from our company. We offer students authentic papers at attractive prices. Your work will be completed by qualified writers who know how to make a proper annotated bibliography format. Moreover, we produce only plagiarism free papers. When working on customers orders, our experts always use reputable sources only.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Art History Midterm Essay Example for Free

Art History Midterm Essay The tomb painters were more of artisans than they were artists in ancient Egypt. The reason for this is they didn’t typically come up with the ideas for what they were painting in the tombs; they were told what to paint and painted it. Artists would have had free range on what to paint rather than being told what to paint exactly. Artisans are more the people who can actually paint someone’s idea who might not be able to design or paint the idea given. One rationale reason for cave paintings in prehistoric times, that I have heard and agree with is that they painted these things on the walls in hope that the creatures would come so they would have food among other things. One particular example would be all the paintings in the Las Caux cave in France; it is a cave entirely full of images of bulls. Bulls or bison were a source of not only food but probably clothing and they could use other parts of the body for various things. These animals were extremely important for their culture to survive. I believe they painted them on the walls not only to honor the creatures for all they did to help their people but also as wishful thinking. It’s the whole â€Å"if you build it they will come† idea, if the people painted these animals maybe something miraculously would help their hunting season better. This theory helps show how they believed in gods and looked for help from a higher being just like we do now. 3. During ancient times goddess statues were extremely popular all over the then world. One of the most famous goddess statues is the Venus of Willendorf. She is the very first goddess statue that has been found and dates back to 24,000 bce. She is a very small pudgy statue with and large female areas; her face is not there and is replaces with grooves. The statue has no feet and cannot stand on its own. The way that the statue was created shows the importance of fertility and women by not only the enlarged breast but the wide hips that would be of assistance when it comes to giving birth. They most likely used this little statue to wish new couples luck when it comes to reproducing and it was a fertility statue. Modern day has a much different view on our â€Å"goddess† culture. People nowadays look up to Barbie dolls and stick thin models and celebrities. So much has changed since then. The prehistoric times and even up until more recent times believed that fuller women were beautiful and even that it showed wealth. I think that our culture looks up to the wrong people when it comes to our versions of a â€Å"goddess culture†. One Mesopotamian civilization that I like is Babylon. It was a land in the Fertile Crescent between the rivers like most civilizations in that time period. They had one of the most influential and important leaders, Hammurabi, who came up with one of the most well known set of laws or Hammurabi’s code. Babylon also was the home of one of the Seven Wonders of the World the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Babylon was a very well set up society and really changed the way people governed their civilizations. They were one of the first cultures to write down their set of rules and stick by them through thick and thin and that was entirely new. Question 1: When it comes to restoring artwork it is a tricky subject. I think that they should restore art but not add anything to it because it makes it a different then it was originally portrayed. I think restoring the art so it is in full form is ideally good because we want future generations to see the pieces of art the way they were meant to be viewed. I mean yes, it is using a lot of time and a lot of hours to be fixing something that is broken and old, but it’s our history. If these artifacts were not there we would have no look into our past and how people lived. People should fix up old paintings, statues and buildings because not only is it part of history but it’s incredible to see how people could build such magnificent things without the technology we have today. It makes people appreciate what they have now and all the advances we have gone through. When it is 300,000 years from now and out pictures and buildings are slowly falling apart we would want someone to take their time and interest to fix up something that we once held as a huge part of our lives and our society. If the paintings, statues and buildings were built and built so beautifully they were made that way for a reason. Art is art and I think we should do everything humanly possible to keep this world as beautiful through the decades as it was meant to be when they first were displayed. Art History Midterm. (2018, Oct 30).

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Critically Evaluate Project Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critically Evaluate Project Plan - Essay Example The main difference between leadership and management is how they motivate people as managers motivate their subordinates through communicating while leaders persuade their followers to remain committed to the shared vision (Northouse 2010). The managers react to changes in the built environment while leaders create change. Accordingly, managers exercise their control and power while leaders develop power within their people (Alizor 2011). The managers will try to maintain status quo through organizing and directing project tasks while leaders set new directions and perspectives that challenge the existing status quo in housing projects (Lussier and Achua 2010). Autocratic leadership style involves making decisions without consulting the subordinates and project managers often use this leadership style in emergency situations. Autocratic leadership may lead to team hostility and high dependence on the leader thus it is ineffective in the delegation of tasks (Burke and Barron 2014). Harrell (2008) outlines that the approach requires close supervision, but it is appropriate in making faster decisions. Transactional leadership style will involve the use of formal job descriptions, authority and formal job output expectations to implement a dwelling project. The approach to leadership leads to less job satisfaction. Laissez-faire leadership style is a hands-off approach to leadership whereby the leader provides the required resources and tools for the successful completion of the dwelling project (Lussier and Achua 2010). The subordinates are free to make their own decisions and it is effective when the subordinates are highly experienced and mo tivated. The approach is not ideal where the team members have not prior experience in executing successful dwelling projects.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Rasing minimun wage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rasing minimun wage - Essay Example Whereas it is true that minimum wage workers are our Lady constrained with respect to the degree and extent to which they can afford consumer goods, raising the minimum wage and negatively impacting upon inflation is not solution towards maximizing the success of these individuals and improving the overall level of integration consumer markets (MEJEUR 15). Another issue that is oftentimes misunderstood with regard to raising the minimum wage has to do with the overall ability that employers will have to pay the higher wages. Whereas it is true that minimum wage increases lead to inflation, this inflation is not felt within the broader economy are certain periods (Willis and Linneker 182). Accordingly, employers face an extraordinarily difficult time meeting profitability goals, affording inputs, while at the same time paying their workers. As anyone with a certain level of business understanding can indicate, human resource expenses are invariably the highest expenses that a company responsible for either product or service representation is responsible. Because of this, increasing these costs to a measurable extent places unnecessary hardship on businesses that are already operating margins. This concern, perhaps more than any other is the single biggest reason for why increasing the minimum wage would be effectively harmful to the w ay in which businesses operate within the United States and seek to develop their own needs based upon the extant environment that exists around them. Furthermore, due to the fact that more and more companies are seeking to promote profitability and business success by hiring their minimum of employees, increasing the minimum wage is potentially something that could cause many of these â€Å"operation at the margin† companies to close another valid concern that is oftentimes not considered has to do with the fact that increasing the minimum wage would also encourage employers

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Gattaca Film Study Essay Example for Free

Gattaca Film Study Essay Gattaca is often portrayed as a quest film. A quest film is defined as â€Å"a character that is on a journey or adventure with an ultimate goal in mind of completing a task or to obtain an object of significance.† (Merriam-Webster, 2012) The quest often involves overcoming challenges and to do this the character learn something about him/her-self and this then aids them on their â€Å"quest†. Being a quest film, Gattaca shares many characteristics that are often found in other movies of a similar genre. Examples of these include – Pirates of the Caribbean and In Time. Pirates of the Caribbean, is told with the protagonist as Captain Jack Sparrow on a quest to help him obtain immortality. The characters in both Pirates of the Caribbean and Gattaca share many similar traits; they are both after a strongly desired goal and will take the necessary risks to succeed. Gattaca, being produced in 1997, had many cutting edge ideas with such vision leading directors of the time. It was set in what was though the not so distant future of today would look like. It gives us an insight into a world based around the genetically superior, where genes are all that matter. The main character Vincent Freeman has dreamt of becoming an astronaut his whole life but, due to being conceived naturally and receiving a life expectancy of 30 years. He is cast aside in society, labelled a â€Å"Degenerate† and â€Å"Invalid†. Vincent soon learns he will never be able to move ahead in life; to fulfil his dream Vincent uses a â€Å"Borrowed ladder† from a genius named Jerome Eugene Morrow, who is a paraplegic due to an accident overseas. The term a â€Å"Borrowed Ladder† comes as the protagonist Vincent impersonates the life of Jerome thus using his identity. After months of special care, training and changes to his looks, Vincent enters the Aerospace Corporation known as â€Å"Gattaca†. Impersonating Jerome, Freeman becomes the company’s top navigator with a perfect record and clean slate by working hard and working hard to keep his real identity a secret; he is chosen to go on a manned spaceflight to Saturn’s moon Titus, but complications arise. One week before departure, when one of the managing directors is bludgeoned to death. An â€Å"Invalids† profile; Vincent’s old identity, is uncovered by investigators and this threatens to jeopardise his chances of going to Titan. After managing to avoid being caught by using precautions such as placing samples of DNA supplied by Jerome around Gattaca and even receiving help from a young lady, Irene; with whom Vincent develops feelings for. He ends up finally leaving Earth on due course for Titan. Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides (2011) Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides (2011) The Pirates of the Caribbean series are another group of quest movies opened by introducing the goal of the main character, Captain Jack Sparrow. He is always on a quest in search for personal well fortune and benefits. He uses his friends throughout these many adventures, and alike Gattaca, the Protagonist is able to achieve his own desires. During Gattaca, Vincent is aided on several occasions, one being when Irene hides his true identity from the authorities to help him complete his goal/mission. Irene does this; I think because she can understand where he is coming from as she has personal experience suffering in a world where genes are everything. The movie ends with Vincent successfully making it onto the space craft headed to Titan; the ending adds a sense of success but subtly hints to deep sadness with two lines, â€Å"They say every atom in our bodies was once part of a star† and â€Å"Maybe I’m not leaving, maybe I’m going home†. The movie reaches a climax when Vincent is almost discovered by his brother (the leading detective on the case), but manages to get past this by telling his brother that â€Å"he always gave 110 percent†. The quest is completed, as shown in Pirates of the Caribbean, when Captain Jack Sparrow finally manages to overcome a final obstacle and regain ownership of his beloved ship, the Black Pearl. This is exactly the same in Gattaca with Vincent overcoming the final problem of his identity getting potentially exposed by a medical examiner giving him one last routine urine test. It is shown through a simple line that the examiner has known his real identity all along. He achieves his goal and boards the spacecraft without any further problems Vincent achieving this goal shows to us that no matter what ones, goal or dreams are, overcoming the problems you are faced with will ultimately help you in achieve it. Gattaca is a good example of a quest movie because it clearly explains what the goal of the protagonist is and once it has established this, it shows how he overcame his many problems to achieve an ultimate goal. There are many attractions for the audience with many special filming techniques and suspenseful moments utilizing a constant beat to add effect and drama. There is a specific scene in the movie where Vincent is meant to be at home sick but instead is unable to be there so he tells Jerome to impersonate him. There is a problem with this, as to open the door and greet the detective, Jerome must climb a stair case. Without the use of his legs Jerome finds this a challenge because he is a paraplegic. The suspense builds as Jerome struggles up the stairs, racing to get to the top before the detectives reach the door. As you would expect, one last moment effort from Jerome manages to keep the detectives from discovering who he really is. Irene plays a vital role in this scene by acting as if Jerome is Vincent, when she herself is only just finding out the truth. Overall, Gattaca is an excellent example of what a quest film should include. It has a strong story and the director utilizes many techniques with the music, lighting and even camera angles to top it off. The protagonist overcomes challenges; his genes as a place marker for him in society, almost becoming discovered as an â€Å"Invalid† and a brother who is close to exposing his secret. I think that the quest, his personal dream of travelling into space is worthwhile as he learns about himself while doing it.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Computer Science as a Career :: Computer Programming, Coding

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The field of Computer Science is based primarily on computer programing. Programming is the writing of computer programs using letters and numbers to make "code". The average computer programer will write at least a million lines of code in his or her lifetime. But even more important than writting code, a good programer must be able to solve problems and think logicaly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The working conditions for a programer very greatly. Most banks require their programers to wear a suit and attend an office during normal work hours. On the other side of the buisness, many game company's and Dot-Com-start-up's allow and incurage a fun work environment. Often including toys, cubicle sleep-in's and cold pizza haphazardly laying accross many a desk. Yet nomatter what the company they all involve the employe to stare at a monitor for endless hours and write the applications of tomorrow on a standard keyboard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many programers devote themselves to their craft and thus are compeled to sleep little and acomplish the work in front of them. After leaving the office, (if at all) it is not unusual to spend 8 more hours on the same project at home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The starting salary for a collage grad or someone of equal ability is about 50-60 a year. High positions requiring people with rare intelect and skill pay up to $300,000.00 per year plus benefits. A rare few achiev millions of dollars on independant/self-employed ventures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some things can not be taught and must be present in the prospective programer. For example: the ability to aproach problems methodicaly and solve them with logic. However, Other skills can be tought. Comp. Sci. is becoming widely available in collages and even Highschools. Some technical schools now claim to teach an entire programing language in months.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Opportunities in the field are extremely available to qualified personel. I have heard first-hand accounts of people being yanked out of collage for a programming position at $80,000 a year. With the expanding of the market for technology, comes the need for programers of all backgrounds. Job-security is pretty good as long as you dont kill somebody(wich recently happened at a dot-com-start-up). And the outlook for promotions is good considering the shortage of programers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are disadvanges to being a programer. One being that you must risk eye damage with a computer screen every day.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Decision making on workplace Essay

In my workplace I look after a gentleman who likes to go to the shops on his own. He is deemed too have mental capacity to make this decision. On making this decision it was discussed with him what certain protocols we needed to put in place to support him and to make this happen safely. This man is very much involved in his care plan and he has read, and reviews his care plan when changes are needed. Firstly it was explained to this man that we needed to put a risk assessment in place which says if anything was to happen to him when he was out and about that he took full responsibility of what might happen, for example if this man was to fall when out by himself that the workplace would take no responsibility for this, this man was very happy with this statement and was willing to sign and agree to this risk assessment. The family were also made aware of this decision and were happy for this to be put in place. Family suggested that maybe before he goes out that he was to tell a member of staff where and when he was going, just so that someone is aware. All parties agreed to this. Letting this man go out to the shops by himself really helps with his self-esteem because it makes him feel important, respected and makes him feel like he is as independent as possible and that he doesn’t have to ask all the time about what he wants to do. Also if any changes have been made to his care plan for whatever reason he is always consulted first and asked if he is happy with the decisions that are being made. If he isn’t happy for whatever reason he is more than capable to speak up and say what he would like or prefer. On the other hand if this man didn’t have the mental capacity to make any of these decision or had no family to make decisions on behalf of him and advocate would be brought in and they would be able to make best interest decisions on behalf of him.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Marginal Population Of Mumbai Health And Social Care Essay

The paper tries to give an penetration about the exclusion of the unseeable population in Mumbai by a peculiar wellness strategy implemented in the province of Maharashtra. The paper besides highlights some of the issues faced by this peculiar group from the experience of the field as a pupil societal worker The chief statement of this paper is the usage of specific standards in placing donees for the strategy which is already debatable and has been contested by many intellectuals in India thereby excepting meriting donees which is beyond the purpose a public assistance province.Introductionâ€Å" Welfare province is a construct of authorities in which the province plays a cardinal function in the protection and publicity of the economic and societal wellbeing of its citizens. It is based on the rules of equality of chance, just distribution of wealth, and public duty for those unable to avail themselves of the minimum commissariats for a good life † ( Beginnings: hypertext tr ansfer protocol: //www.britannica.com ) . â€Å" The Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences describes a public assistance province as a province which takes up the duty to supply a minimal criterion of subsistence to its citizens. Therefore, in a public assistance province, the disposal enters into economic, political, societal and educational life of persons. And it provides services to persons, right from an person ‘s birth to decease † ( Social Welfare Administration: Concept, Nature and Scope, moodle.tiss.edu ) . In a public assistance province, the province takes the duty to function the aged, ill, orphans, widows, helpless, oppressed and the handicapped people whenever they are in demand of services. As a public assistance province the province implements assorted public assistance strategies for the citizens at big. The public assistance province typically includes proviso of wellness services, basic instruction, and lodging ( in some instances at low cost or free of c harge ) etc. for the populace at big. When we talk about a public assistance province, the policies are inclusive of Torahs, directive, and planning in the Fieldss of employment, revenue enhancement, societal insurance and societal aid and population policy etc. The modern usage of the term public assistance province is coupled with the wide-ranging steps of societal insurance adopted in 1948 by Britain on the footing of the study on Social Insurance and Allied ServicesA ( 1942 ) . In the twentieth century, as the earlier construct of the inert individualistic province was steadily abandoned, about all provinces ( in the western states ) sought to supply at least some of the steps of societal insurance associated with the rules of public assistance province. Therefore, in the United States came up with theA † New Deal † A of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and theA † Fair Deal † A of President Harry S. Truman, and a big portion of the domestic plans of ulterior presidents were based on the rules of the public assistance province ( Beginnings: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.britannica.com ) . During the clip of British regulation in India, from the early nineteenth century till India ‘s independency, the welfare-political sphere of India has witnessed the formation of a great trade of societal motions, rooted from distinguishable, and aggressively divided societal categories like the dramatis personae and, subsequently on, spiritual communities of that clip who resentfully opposed the active badgering province of societal personal businesss ( Aspalter 2003 ) . Though it was excessively early to believe about societal security programs and other meaningful societal policy steps, during the British regulation in India, the Government did establish a series of societal policy statute law which focused chiefly on the decrease of societal diswelfare instead than the construct of new signifiers of public assistance plans and ordinances ( Aspalter 2003 ) . During that clip Social statute law, aimed at the stoping of harmful societal patterns and societal inequalities, patt erns like kid matrimony, limitation on widow rhenium matrimony, cast based favoritism etc. By presenting the first societal security statute law of modern India, Workmen ‘s Compensation Act 1923 the Indian societal security system made the first of import measure in way of a notable public assistance system. The act has proviso for compensation for accidents taking to decease, or entire or partial disability for more than three yearss, if the accident occurred in the class of employment, compensation for occupational disease etc ( Chowdhry 1985, Cited in Aspalter 2003, pp. 156-157 ) . The period following the divider, the Indian authorities passed a series of new Torahs with respect to labour and societal public assistance, even before the operation of the new fundamental law in 1950 ( Goel and Jain 1988, Cited in Aspalter 2003, pp 169-160 ) . After 1950, the Indian authorities of India undertook many attempts in the field of societal security ( Aspalter 2003 ) , â€Å" Over the old ages the authorities established, in add-on, illness insurance, a pension program, p regnancy benefits, particular disablement benefits, infirmary leave, a productivity-linked fillip strategy, assorted decreases of lodging, electricity, and H2O rates, a deposit-linked insurance strategy ( which functions similar to a life insurance ) , and death-cum-retirement tip for Cardinal Government employees. Employees of public sector projects and other independent organisations may gain from Employees State Insurance, Employees Family Pension Scheme, lodging benefits, particular societal aid strategies for handicapped individuals, widows, dependent kids, etc † ( Aspalter 2003 ) . Till now India has witnessed assorted strategies, policies, ordinances and statute laws etc aimed at the public assistance of its citizens, the lone inquiry remains is that how the province has been able to turn this policies into world, inclusive of all citizens of the state particularly the marginal ‘s. The ulterior portion of this paper will seek to critically see a wellness strategy launched in the State of Maharashtra meant of the poorer subdivision of the society which aims at supplying free wellness strategies to BPL households. It will be chiefly based on unrecorded experience from the Fieldss as a pupil Social Worker.Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana ( RGJAY )The Maharashtra authorities launched the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Arogya Yojana on 18th December 2011 with the purpose to enable households with one-year income of less than Rs. 1 million rupees to avail free medical installations deserving Rs. 1.5 million. The Maharashtra province Health Minister Suresh Shett y announced that said strategy, when to the full implemented, would profit close to 2.5 billion households ( The Hindu, 19 Dec. 2011 ) . The strategy will be implemented throughout the province of Maharashtra in phased mode for a period of 3 old ages. The strategy covers eight territory of the province boulder clay now ( Gadchiroli, Amravati, Nanded, Sholapur, Dhule, Raigad, Mumbai and Suburbs ) . The strategy is aimed at bettering medical entree installation for both BPL and APL households which will in bend enhance the quality of medical attention to BPL and APL households. The donees will each acquire a wellness insurance policy and the EMIs of which will be paid by the State authorities. The strategy will widen quality medical attention for identified forte services, necessitating hospitalization for surgeries and therapies or audiences, through an identified web of wellness attention suppliers. The Scheme will supply coverage for run intoing all disbursals associating to hospitalization of the beneficiary up to Rs. 1, 50,000/- per household per twelvemonth in any of the Empanelled Hospital topic to Box Ratess on cashless footing through Health cards or valid Orange/Yellow Ration Card. The benefit shall be available to each and every member of the household on floater footing i.e. the entire one-year coverage of 1.5 million rupees can be availed by one person or jointly by all members of the household. The Scheme will cover the full cost of intervention of the patient from day of the month of describing to his discharge from infirmary including complications if any, doing the dealing genuinely cashless to the patient. In case of decease, the passenger car of dead organic structure from web infirmary to the village/township would besides be portion of bundle. The Network Hospitals will besides supply free follow-up audience, nosologies, and medical specialties under the strategy up to 10 yearss from the day of the month of discharge. A When the beneficiary visits the selected web infirmary and services of selected web infirmary, harmonizing to the strategy shall be made available ( Capable to handiness of beds ) . In case of non- handiness of beds at web infirmary, the installation of cross referral to nearest another Network infirmary is to be made available and Arogyamitra ( the staff covering with the said strategy in a web infirmary ) will besides supply the donee with the list of nearby web infirmaries. All eligible households in the enforced territories will be provided with Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana Health Cards though this has non implemented wholly till now. For the clip being till the issue of wellness cards, the valid Orange/Yellow Ration Card with Aadhaar figure or, any Photo ID card of beneficiary ( if Aadhaar figure is non available ) issued by Government bureaus ( Driving License, Election ID, ) to correlate the patient name and exposure is accepted in stead of wellness card to avail the benefits by a donee. The Health Cards to be issued will be used for the intent of placing beneficiary households in the household under the said Scheme. The Family Health Cards will be issued by utilizing informations from valid Yellow or Orange ration cards coupled with Aadhaar Numberss issued by UID governments. Till now from July 2nd 2012 there is 78919 households have been registered under this strategy and 154571 patients have been benefited. Total of 43503 surgeries/therapies has been performed including both authorities and private infirmaries. ( Beginnings: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jeevandayee.gov.in )The fringy population of Mumbai and the RGJAYOne-half of the population in Mumbai is either homeless or lives in informal or semi lasting lodging. Harmonizing to the 2001 nose count of India, out of 11.9 million people populating in the metropolis, 5.8 million people lives in shanty towns or slums or on pavings ( Levinson, 2004 ) . A turning figure ofA migrantsA looking for employment and better life criterions are rapidly fall ining Mumbai ‘s stateless population. NGO'sA are assisting to alleviate the homelessness crisis in Mumbai, but these organisations are non plenty to work out the full job. And there are less figure of NGO ‘s working with this population with respect to wellness issues of this peculiar population. As I have been working with this population since the beginning of the MA class in TISS, I have some basic apprehension of this peculiar population and their issues with wellness and entr ee to wellness attention. Health attention for stateless people or people in destitution is a major public wellness challenge in Mumbai. They are more likely to endure hurts and medical jobs because their life style on the street, which besides includes hapless nutrition, exposure to extreme conditions conditions, and a higher opportunity of indulging in force and dependence to chemical substance and alcohol addiction. Yet at the same clip, they have small or no entree to public medical services. Many a times working as a pupil societal worker at the bureau where I have been placed, had to reason with hospital governments to acquire a street patient admitted. Unless they are non accompanied by any 3rd party ( NGO or the Police ) the infirmaries barely admits them. They are denied of basic installations of wellness attention. This peculiar population frequently finds troubles in keeping their paperss like individuality cogent evidence paperss, Because stateless people normally have no topographic point at all to hive away their ownerships, they often lose their ownerships, including their designation and other paperss, or happen them destroyed by constabulary or BMC which is really common in Mumbai. One a young person from Murti Galli, Khar route narrated me how he lost his paperss in Mumbai inundations, 2006. Many times they are chased off from the railroad platforms, foot waies etc. Without an ID cogent evidence, they are denied to entree many societal services schemes. Many do non possess basic citizenship cards, like elector ‘s ID, ration cards etc. Sing at the scope of exposures that this peculiar population faces and their issues with wellness, I have the sentiment that they should be the precedence as a mark group in any public assistance strategies. As a typical societal public assistance strategy RGJAY has neglected this peculiar unseeable population by utilizing a debatable standard to aim population ‘Within India, there has been turning controversy around the appraisal of poorness, peculiarly in the period of economic reforms. First, there are relentless dissensions among economic experts on whether the rate of poorness diminution after economic reforms was slower than in the preceding period. Second, the displacement to targeted, instead than universal, public assistance strategies has witnessed the usage of poorness estimations to make up one's mind on the figure of families eligible to entree these strategies ‘ ( Ramakumar 2010 ) . The appraisal of poorness in India is controversial, with many committees coming up with different poorness lines. ‘Errors of â€Å" incorrect exclusion † in targeted programmes in India are due to the separation of the procedures of ( a ) the appraisal of the figure of hapless and ( B ) the designation of the hapless. It is for the absence of a dependable and executable method of uniting appraisal and designation that political and societal motions have been demanding the universalisation of public assistance strategies like the PDS ‘ ( Ramakumar 2010 ) . The RGJAY has besides used the undependable BPL/APL cards to place the donees excepting many of the population who needs such strategy the most. It ‘s high clip the authorities as a public assistance province device new aiming system for public assistance strategies which is inclusive of all the fringy and unseeable population, they are the 1 who needs such intercession the most, or universalise basic public assistance strategies with respect to wellness, nutrients and support etc.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Free Essays on Copyright Infringement

Copyright Infringement As technology advances, people search for quicker and easier ways to do everything. The Compact Disc (CD) digitalized music in the early 1980s, and with the discovery of the MP3 file in 1992, people were able to share music files on the Internet at high-speeds. MP3 stands for motion picture expert group 1 (MPEG), audio layer 3. An MP3 file compresses the music without decreasing the audio quality substantially. Compressing the file allows it to be transferred quickly over the World Wide Web. A 19-year-old college drop out named Shawn Fanning created computer software that would, along with the MP3, change the digital music industry. Napster allowed people registered to a file sharing community to share files from their computers over the Internet with other people also registered in the community. Napster essentially eliminated a middle person between a request and a source. This free software allowed people to connect directly to each other and share MP3 files from their computers’ hard drive. Soon, Fanning saw himself facing a lawsuit for copyright infringement. Napster had no authorized use of the MP3 files from artists or record companies to allow the public to transfer the music files. The litigations were not aimed at specific, individual people violating copyright laws by downloading music. They targeted companies, such as Napster, that sought a profit. Software such as Napster has aided in costing the music industry approximately $300 million per year. In 2000, downloading music from the Internet was one of the fastest growing activities, but soon, Napster would be shut down for copyright infringement violations. The purpose of this paper is to explore legal and practical issues concerning the rise of Internet copyright infringement. The first section of this paper will focus on what experts have said about the Napster controversy. Then this paper will look at the basic princi... Free Essays on Copyright Infringement Free Essays on Copyright Infringement Copyright Infringement As technology advances, people search for quicker and easier ways to do everything. The Compact Disc (CD) digitalized music in the early 1980s, and with the discovery of the MP3 file in 1992, people were able to share music files on the Internet at high-speeds. MP3 stands for motion picture expert group 1 (MPEG), audio layer 3. An MP3 file compresses the music without decreasing the audio quality substantially. Compressing the file allows it to be transferred quickly over the World Wide Web. A 19-year-old college drop out named Shawn Fanning created computer software that would, along with the MP3, change the digital music industry. Napster allowed people registered to a file sharing community to share files from their computers over the Internet with other people also registered in the community. Napster essentially eliminated a middle person between a request and a source. This free software allowed people to connect directly to each other and share MP3 files from their computers’ hard drive. Soon, Fanning saw himself facing a lawsuit for copyright infringement. Napster had no authorized use of the MP3 files from artists or record companies to allow the public to transfer the music files. The litigations were not aimed at specific, individual people violating copyright laws by downloading music. They targeted companies, such as Napster, that sought a profit. Software such as Napster has aided in costing the music industry approximately $300 million per year. In 2000, downloading music from the Internet was one of the fastest growing activities, but soon, Napster would be shut down for copyright infringement violations. The purpose of this paper is to explore legal and practical issues concerning the rise of Internet copyright infringement. The first section of this paper will focus on what experts have said about the Napster controversy. Then this paper will look at the basic princi...

Monday, November 4, 2019

An individual pre market entry report. Japan Assignment

An individual pre market entry report. Japan - Assignment Example It is assumed that the company is recently on the plan to make its mark on the Japanese market. The company needs to have knowledge regarding the opportunities the market offers, a sustainable and consistent strategy that will drive the entrant. It is easier to taste success in the market of Japan if the assumptions are not made on false grounds. It is of utmost necessity to analyze the strategies of the already existing competitors effectively. The process of sales and the revenue model should be in line with the Japanese culture and the market. In order to make successful entry into the Japanese market the potential entrants will have to cut out a clear budget control policies and a diversified growth strategy for at least for half a decade. Some brands achieved great success just by making little changes in brand identity and applying some marketing techniques. The consumers of the country likes detailing and so detailed printed materials are essential while setting up the busines s in the country (UK Trade and Investment. 2012). Therefore analysis of brand equity and setting up a corporate image is important to enter the Japanese market as well. Scope of the research The research mainly centres on the parameter of internationalization of Small and Medium Sized enterprises like the Highland Herbs. In evaluating the ability of the firm to gain an international stand in the global market the project tends to focus on a specific country like Japan. Considerable amount of research is rendered in understanding the Japanese market for the products of Highland Herbs through the incorporation of strategic tools like PESTEL and SWOT. Use of such strategic tools helps in enriching the scope of researching whether the Japanese region would amount to become a profitable and revenue generating market for the concern. Aims & Objectives The aim of the research is to identify whether entry into a new foreign market would be viable for a SME. If viable, what conditions will lay down the way towards successful entry and if not then what the constraints are. Limitations The project only considers the company under consideration. In order to enter into a new market a nd avail the opportunities of the market regime it is necessary to analyze the strategies of the competitors. It is certain that the existing competitors enjoy a certain proportion of market share. Therefore to make an entry successful it is necessary to divert the customers towards the new shop. The project does not make any analysis on the competitor’s strategy and this can be a limitation. Methodology Secondary Research The research project in endeavouring to understand the potential of the Japanese region in being an effective market for the Herbal Products produced

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Project management DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project management DB - Essay Example This conflict though may be avoided by specifying the role of each person in the team even before the project has begun. It should be clear for both Katy and the first person that their cooperation is of utmost importance in the success of the project. Management must decide who among the two individuals will be the person in-charge of the design so that there will be no duplication of jobs. Even if Katy has the expertise in designing products, management must detail to her what task she has to perform in the team. It is to the best interest of the company to assign Katy to a marketing task since the design task may be handled by the first person already. It is the responsibility of management to set the goals and ground rules before the start of the project (Cooper, n.d.). This will prevent potential conflicts and ambiguities later on. Another problem that might confront the team is the schedule of Katy. Since she can only work for approximately 10 hours a week, she should make sure that she is able to cover all her duties given the amount of time that she will be spending on the project. The first person must also be informed of the number of hours that Katy will put in on the project so that he will not expect Katy to work the same number of hours as he does. One other point of difficulty is the issue on compensation. Since the first person will be working for 15 to 20 hours a week, while Katy will work for only 10 hours, management must come up with a fair compensation package for both. It is however management’s responsibility to observe whether the hours put in by both persons are quality time. The first person may be working more hours but the quality of work is below standards while Katy may be working less hours but the work put in is above par. This aspect should be closely monitored by

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Social Enterprise And Increasing The Overall Well-being Research Paper

Social Enterprise And Increasing The Overall Well-being - Research Paper Example From the point of view of asset management, a social enterprise can increase the overall diversification of the portfolio while at the same time add more ethical trading and investing philosophy into the overall portfolio management also. It is generally believed that portfolio managers may have to only invest in the commercial entities to generate more value for their clients. Overall risk diversification and return strategies are therefore often tailored according to the dynamics of how a for-profit business actually operates and generate more value for the portfolio managers. Non-Profit wealth creation through social enterprise is viable and sustainable activity and can increase the overall well-being of the society while at the same time allowing asset managers to actually diversify their risks and also add more ethical investing and portfolio management orientation to the whole process of asset management. (Field, 2014) This paper will be focusing on understanding the impact of non-profit wealth creation on the overall portfolio risk and return. This paper will further add on to whether the non-profit wealth creation will actually add more ethical orientation to the portfolio management or not. The overall concept and idea of a social enterprise existed for long, however, it has recently gained more momentum with large organizations such as Dannon entering into joint ventures to form social enterprises. A social enterprise’s focus is on the use of commercial strategies and tactics to achieve more value and improvement in the human and environmental well-being. A social enterprise’s main objective, therefore, is not the maximization of the shareholders’ value or wealth but to help improve the environment and the human life.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Sports Hunting is inhuman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Sports Hunting is inhuman - Essay Example t is often done as a sport and too many, sport hunting is an acceptable pastime, despite the glaring immorality that it represents in that human take the lives of living creatures for the sake of entertainment. Bearing in mind that modern humans consider themselves civilized because of their â€Å"humanness† among other things, sport hunting is the epitome of inhumanity and reflects badly on the civilization of humankind. Sport hunting does not only strip animals of their right to leave free in the wild but also contributes to the depletion of some of the already endangered species. Wild animals like elephants and tigers have a right to live out their natural lifespan no matter how long or short they are so when hunters kill these animals they reduce their lifespan considerably (Ford). This is immoral because humans strive to ensure that their lives  are  as long as possible; taking care of their health and having hospitals and other health care institutions to promote longevity. Considering that, humans have a right to live out their natural life, they should not engage in reducing the lifespan of other creature just so they may experience a rush of adrenaline to collect a few game trophies (Simmons 4). In the same way, it is not permissible to kill, and skin fellow humans for sports or use them for experimental purposes such as medical research, one should not be allowed to treat the animals in a manner, which they know they would never want to be treated, or treat other human beings. It is also worth noting that in sports, hunting does not always die, as result an animal may be hit by a hunter’s bullet and this might remain in its body. With no way of getting it out, the animal will likely live the rest of life maimed or in pain until it dies of from injury or inability to feed acquire food due to the same injury. For example, wolf hunting in North America often involves the use of traps,  these can hold the animal in agony for hours and even day before the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Analysis of E-commerce in Kuwait

Analysis of E-commerce in Kuwait Chapter one: Introduction 1.1 Introduction This chapter provides general background information regarding online purchasing behavior with an insight into the advantages and disadvantages of e-commerce in general and then specifically in Kuwait. The history of online shopping and internet retailers is presented to better understand e-purchasing behavior alongside a description of general theories of consumer online purchaser behavior and online shopping in Kuwait. The problem definition, research questions and methodology and limitations of the study are then presented, concluding with an outline of the thesis structure. With advances in technology, specifically in the field of electronics and telecommunications, direct business and commerce with new retail approaches have emerged in recent decades to transform the business world. Due to the increase in the number of internet users and developing network technology, new forms of trade have grown from these advances particularly in Electronic Commerce (EC) a term introduced by Kalakota and Whinston in 1997. Electronic commerce has become one of the primary characteristics of the internet era and a significant method of doing business. According to Jelassi and Enders (2005) EC includes e-trading of digital and physical goods all trading steps: online marketing, online ordering, e-payment and distribution. Kalakota and Whinston (1997) pointed out that EC has two forms: business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B). According to Molla and Licker (2001) B2C retailers offer their products and services to their customers. In the last decade, Kha lifa and Liu (2003) stated that ‘we have witnessed a substantial growth of internet based on services, both from traditional companies and pure internet business that are developing online services. Despite apparent growth there are no reliable statistics concerning E-commerce in Kuwait. However there are indications that the volume of e-commerce in Kuwait is growing slowly as discussed by Al-Sabah (2009) Kuwait Financial Forum, the Central Bank Governor stating We expect growth but so far we have not found a proper to be estimated for 2010, it depends on so many variables. In research shown in Economist Information in 2006 involving over 100 countries regarding availability of e-commerce, Kuwait came 50th. As the business world recognised the advantages of such socioeconomic changes, Kuwait began to take note of the advantages of electronic trading and commerce including the set up and development of measurements of electronic trading facilities and venues across the country (Al-Shati, 2009). As e-commerce is newly introduced in Kuwait, in order for Kuwaiti firms to reach world standards there needs to be research in different contexts of e-commerce such as online retailing to utilize opportunities and avoid risk. As observed by Lin (2003) the key to success in e-commerce depends on knowing customers and studying a customers viewpoint. The internet has singlehandedly created a concept shift away from more traditional methods of shopping. Studies by Joines et al. (2003) indicate the number of internet users is constantly increasing which signifies online purchasing is also increasing. Oppenheim and Ward (2006) agreed with Joines et al. (2003) explaining rapid increase was due to the growth of use of broadband technology combined with a change in consumer behaviour. Hollensen (2004) added that the internet has developed into a new distribution channel and evolution of this channel and e-commerce. Constantinides (2004) pointed out that in the influence of the consumer the first step was to identify certain impact aspects when purchasing online regarded as dimensions. Numerous and varied studies have been conducted worldwide to identify the advantages and disadvantages of e-shopping. Bridges and Florsheim (2008) argue that online shopping has advantages for both consumers and retailers. From a consumers point of view they found e-shopping allows a lower price, different alternatives of products/services, and customized products. Additionally they established retailers benefited from online shopping as it allowed them to reach a maximum number of customers, reduce communication costs and rapid transportation. However, e-shopping has also been criticized as online shopping may be considered non-trust worthy due to concerns of security of privacy (personal and financial information), lack of examination of the products, lack of human interaction and a concern the quality of the products will not reach customer expectation. From a retailer perspective the disadvantages of online shopping are providing high quality and creating special services can be very costly for the firm and may not be a good incentive to make consumers purchase (Kim and Forsythe (2009) and Lee et al. (2006). Whether it is a traditional market or online market, Hollensen (2004) pointed out that the retailer should understand the online consumer purchasing behaviour and how individuals make decision and buying choices. Therefore, Kotler and Armstrong (2007) stated that the marketers have developed different theories that can explain why consumers interpret information provided by e-retailer in a certain way, and thereby understand certain behaviours. Several authors have set out different definitions of consumer behaviour. According to Dr. Perner â€Å"consumer behaviour is study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society†. Hollensen (2004) and Constantinides (2004) agreed that consumer online purchasing behaviour is a process of various factors and influences experienced by a consumer before fin ally purchasing products online. Online consumer behaviour researchers have therefore examined the adoption of technology for e-purchasing in different aspects. There appears to be no constant model of online purchasing adoption and behaviour as it depends on the nature of adoption as influenced by characteristics or social issues; Theory of Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Roger (1983). In order to investigate consumer online purchasing behaviour, Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) are considered dominant theories to measure online purchase intention and attitude behaviour, with Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB) (Taylor and Todd 1995) the extended TPB. On the other hand, one essential model for development technology usage perspective is the Theory of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) Davis et al. (1989), which developed into the Online Shopping Acceptance Model (OSAM) (Zhou et al. (2007). E-commerce researchers have measured different approaches for understanding online consumer behavior. Chen and Corkindale (2008) and Hernandez et al. (2009[a]) measured factors that influence consumers online purchasing behavior from the perspective of innovation adoption and accepting technology. Moreover, other authors examined trait attributes, situational factors, web site quality, and individual factors and influences on attitude and intention of consumer purchasing online (Monsuwe et al. (2004); Liao and Shi (2009); and Vazquez and Xu (2009)). Chen and Crokindale (2008) agreed attitude and intention have a strong relationship with acceptance of technology and the decision of purchasing online. In addition, innovation characteristics were considered significant factors that influence of technology adoption and purchasing behavior (Rogers, 1983). Therefore in order to understand online purchasing behavior it is important to measure different factors that may influence e-shoppers and determine online shopping based on insight from technology adoption innovation diffusion literature. This study will therefore present the Liu Model (2004) using it to identify factors that influence Kuwaiti consumer purchasing online. It will also measure the relationship between characteristics of internet retailers/consumers and characteristics of innovation, allowing the research to examine the impacts of these characteristics on consumer decision making and then purchasing behavior. 1.2 Online purchasing 1.2.1 History of Online Shopping In the 1990s online shopping emerged as a technological breakthrough and novelty in the business arena. Strengthening year on year in 1994 the first of its kind, an online bank was opened and Pizza Hut offered pizza ordering on their web page. Netscape then presented Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to secure transactions, an essential feature of e-shopping. In 1995 Bezos launched Amazon.com, one of the most successful online businesses worldwide, followed by ‘e-bay an online auction site. By 1997 an estimated 41 million people were shopping online. With advances in technology in 1998, electronic postage stamps were introduced, whereby individuals could download and print stamps after paying a fee. In 1999, with the first online shop in the UK, The Virtual Mall was also launched, considered the first UK graphical internet shopping mall. The online shopping market developed rapidly from this point as the consumer gained in confidence and knowledge. In 1991, Kuwait University connected all university campuses together with the internet using International Business Machine (IBM) then known as BITNET with the help of Ministry of Communication (MOC) university campuses together. This network was limited to e-mail and other minor services. The National Science Foundation (NSF) agreed to expand the internet services to Kuwait in 1992 (Hussain, 2003). 1.2.2 Kuwaiti Consumer Attitudes Towards Online Shopping Online shopping is a relatively recent phenomenon that has gradually expanded worldwide reaching Kuwait. Compared to traditional stores, e-shopping is far from the target customer in efficacy and provides significant advantages in time saving and low costs. Although developing online shopping in Kuwait advances slowly, it is establishing a solid base as it incorporates a certain lifestyle, is a convenient option and its adventurous nature is attractive to Kuwaiti youths. With these factors increasingly dominant in daily routine, purchasing online has become a natural option in countries such as the USA and economic areas of the EU and the GCC ( Maarafy et al. 2007). Common products selling in Kuwait online are from the USA, the UAE and Asia. According to Forrester research (2008), Global e-commerce spending in 2000 was 132 $ billion, and expected to spend more than 1 trillion by 2012. In GCC capitals, the usage of online shopping behavior is different in the USA compared with and European and Asia Pacific cities. In Kuwait the online shopping concept is relatively in its early stages, however the adoption of online purchasing is expected to grow continually in coming years. With a high level of penetration in neighboring countries online such as Saudi Arabia and UAE, Kuwait will not be far from this diffusion of web shopping. Among the GCC, Kuwait lies 3rd with 10.7% in terms of e-commerce penetration, against 25.1% UAE and 14.3% in Saudi Arabia (Field, (2008)). According to recent worldwide research, as shown in Table 1.1, Kuwaits internet user growth has jumped from 5.8% of the population in 2000 to over 34% in 2008 and five times more users in the same time period and with further growth expected. Table1.1: Growth Internet Users in Kuwait Year Users population % population 2000 150,000 2,424,422 5.8% 2003 567,000 2,530,012 22.4.% 2005 600,000 2,630,775 22.8% 2008 900,000 2,596,799 34.7% 2009 (estimated) Above 900,000 2,692,526 33.4% Source: world wide statistics.com According to Al-Bahar (2009), Kuwait Consumer Adaptors online shopping distinguishes between local and international websites when purchasing online for many reasons. Kuwaiti consumer purchasing online and local websites are still in their infancy and under development. Thus, consumers are oriented to external websites they have established reputations, are trustworthy and provide an assurance of quality of their products. Express delivery firms such as Aramex and DHL compete to provide their services for delivery products in efficacy and effectiveness to encourage customers to e-purchase (Al-Abdullah, 2009). However, according to Al-Awan, (2008) e-shopping in the Kuwait market is still in its development stage through lack of organization. In order to enlighten and educate consumers, huge effort needs to be made with responsibility on the retailer to reach their maximum number of potential customers in order to realize value. Recently online businesses have started to establish themselves as limited e-firms providing products and services for Kuwaiti customers. 1.3 Problem definition E-commerce penetration: With the adoption of Kuwaiti consumer online purchasing low, the penetration of e-commerce in Kuwait remains relatively slow with a lack of studies relating to Kuwaiti e-shopping adoption. Consumer e-purchasing awareness: Due to a lack of consumer awareness of online shopping it has not been used widely in Kuwait. E-retailer strategies: As online selling is different to offline selling, it is necessary to fully understand consumer behavior in order to set up business strategies for the long term. In addition the rapid development of technology related to the internet enhances the shopping experience and encourages potential customers to purchase online. It is therefore critical for e-retailers to identify what factors influence the consumer when e-shopping. 1.4 Research objectives The overall objective of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of online purchasing behavior in Kuwait and factors affecting their buying decision process. This study is therefore focusing on the following objectives: To investigate the key factors affecting online purchasing behavior of Kuwaiti consumers. To explore the impact of the decision making process on Kuwaiti consumers purchasing behavior. To determine the relationship between factors influencing purchasing behavior and the decision making process. 1.5 Research Questions To fulfill the purpose of this research and reach the stated objectives related to consumer purchase online behavior the following research questions need to be addressed: What are the main factors influencing Kuwaiti customers online purchasing? How do these factors affect online purchasing behavior? What is the impact of the decision making process on consumer online purchasing behavior? What is the relationship between factors influencing behavior and the decision making process for e-shopping? 1.6 Research methodology This studys approach is deductive, because it measures factors that affect online shopping to explain Kuwaiti consumer online behavior taken from previous studies in different countries. It is mainly explanatory, developing a deeper understanding of the online purchasing behavior of Kuwaiti consumers while investigating varied opinions related to local e-commerce, alongside which factors affect their purchasing behavior. To a certain extent it is exploratory because of a lack of previous research in the online purchase behavior in Kuwait and Gulf region. The study is also mildly descriptive due to previous research of online market phenomena conducted in different countries and extended to Kuwait. Moreover, this research is quantitative in nature using primary data for the survey questionnaire as the main tool of data collection in order to discuss online Kuwaiti consumer purchase behavior. The questionnaire was randomly distributed either in person or through email. The total sample size 500 was distributed in Kuwaiti firms, ministries, universities and public places with 360 respondents. The data collected from the questionnaire is then used to identify relationships and connections between these variables to achieve the studys objectives. 1.7 Limitations In the course of this research a number of limitations were identified as follows: As the research examines consumer online shopping behavior without specifying the type of product exchanged whether tangible or intangible, it is limited in its scope. This study is limited to selection factors covering aspects of Kuwaiti consumer online purchase behavior disregarding other variables of satisfaction, trust, social aspects and situational factors. As with all research using survey data the sample may not be fully representative of the actual behavior in the population, as it is impossible to directly compare our data with data collected on the State of Kuwait level on online purchasing behavior due to time factors. Investigation focuses on online consumer behavior mainly from the customers perspective rather than the retailers perspective. This study evaluates only the online adoption purchasing behavior without evaluation of service quality offered by distinct websites. With a lack of previous research in this topic in Kuwait and the Gulf region, there is little, if any, comparative literature review or use as a framework. 1.8 Thesis structure In the first chapter; an overview of the research area is given, introducing e-commerce in general, then in Kuwait. This is followed by a presentation of the country relevance, the problem definition, the research objectives and questions, the research methodology and the limitations of the study. Chapter Two provides a comprehensive review of relevant literature concerning the research to draw an understanding of dominant theories that explain online consumer behavior, followed by factors that influence consumer online purchase with an integrated consumer making decision process. Chapter Three covers the research design and methodology exploring the methodology of the strategy of collecting data and analysis of the survey questionnaire to achieve the objectives. In Chapter Four, data analysis presents the empirical data collected with analysis and a survey discussion of the results. Finally in Chapter Five conclusions drawn from the overall study are summarized with recommendations made for future research in the subject area. Chapter Two: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction In this chapter an overview and examination of theories of adoption and online technology acceptance behavior from a global perspective is presented, with a comprehensive review of relevant studies conducted on consumer behavior purchasing online with the decision making process. Interactivity is considered a primary principle for the World Wide Web (WWW) with Lee et al. (2006) arguing that â€Å"interactivity is the extent to which users can participate in modifying the form and content of a mediated environment in real time†. The WWW allows unprecedented access to information and markets which has impacted societies globally with people able to search for information and/or purchase product/service online. Factors influencing consumer online purchasing behavior have been explored between 2004/09. Ha and Stoel (2004), Lee et al. (2006) and Hernandez et al. (2009) [b] analyzed the online behavior from the perspective of innovation adoption and accepting technology by identifying the consumer acceptance of innovativeness and frequency of shopping online. Lin and Wang (2008) focused on the decision making process arguing that consumers depend on their experience with repeat shopping. Broekhuizen and Huizingh (2009) agreed adding experience will lead to a strong relationship between different variables (such as saving time/effort, enjoyment and price attractiveness) and intention to purchase. The research of Monsuwe et al. (2004) and Liao and Shi (2009) explored situational factors, trait attributes, individual factors and website quality and impact on attitude and intention of consumer purchasing online. This review will therefore cover wide-ranging theories considering the features and benefits of numerous models proposed by such authors studying online consumer behavior. 2.2 Technology readiness and Self-Services Technologies While customer innovation adoption behavior and diffusion of innovations have been investigated for decades, recent interest has turned toward Self-Service Technologies (SSTs). SSTs involves new service access provided via new channels to meet customer demand in an effective and efficient way. Many technological innovations face resistance from customers, due to a lack of experience and uncertainty. Therefore research involves varied measurements such as: innovation characteristics, service quality, individual differences, ease of use and usefulness. Liljander et al. (2006) agreed personal traits suggest influence on customer adoption of SSTs. A study by Parasurman (2000), presented the attitudinal measurement â€Å"Technology Readiness (TR), peoples propensity to embrace and use new technologies for accomplishing goals in home life and at work† stating TR is considered a factor influencing SSTs. The same author explained an individuals positive or negative feeling toward tech nology is dominant identifying TR consists of multi-measurements of: Insecurity, Discomfort, Innovativeness and Optimism. The latter, Optimism refers to the positive view of technology and beliefs of control that enable users to increase convenience, efficiency and flexibility, while, Innovativeness is peoples tendency to open up to technology. Discomfort is an individuals perceived lack of control of technology and has a strong negative influence on SSTs. Insecurity refers to lack of trust in technology and its ability to work effectively. Notably, optimism and innovativeness are considered highly TR individual contributors, with discomfort and flexibility considered to have high level inhibitor attributes decreasing TR. Liljander et al. (2006) proved in their research a positive effect of TR on customers attitude towards using SSTs and their website evaluation, finding technology linked with convenience, freedom and control as vital when building positive attitudes towards using S STs. 2.3 Original theories of consumer online behavior Having reviewed numerous forms of literature no singular constant model has been identified for innovation diffusion and adoption. Innovation technology depends on the nature of adoption influenced by social theory or characteristics of innovation such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) devised by Davis et al. (1989).Therefore diffusion theory and other factors have been widely used to guide consumer behavior research. Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) are dominant theories examining consumers online purchase intention and behavior. TAM is considered an initial model for technology usage development, as it is customized to understand the adoption of computer-based technology in the workplace and is used in many studies. Conversely other researchers criticized TAM, because it explores simply the technology side. TRA has evolved from TAM, determining individual attitude toward and behavioral intention to use this new technology. TPB is considered another update from TRA. Theory of Planned Behavior identifies the behavioral intention of purchase online influence with its attitude to technology. Rogers (1983) created a Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI) that illustrates adoption of innovation dominant over time in social systems. This theory depends on critical elements, the time of adoption and characteristics of innovation. 2.3.1 Technology acceptance model By using Theory of Reasoned Action as a theoretical base Davis et al. (1989) created a Technology Acceptance Model. TAM is identified a viable paradigm for examining consumer adoption for the new technology and information technology. The genuine TAM determined the actual use of technology, attitude toward using this technology connected with beliefs to define behavioral intention to use new technology as explained by Liu (2004) and illustrated in 2.1. TAM focused on beliefs about the usefulness and ease of use to be a main role in technology adoption behavior. Perceived Usefulness (PU) refers to the degree of potential individual perception that use of new technology will enhance improving performance Davis et al. (1989). Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) is identified as an individual perception of using technology not requiring extra effort. Perceived Enjoyment was added later by Davis et al. (1992) and considered â€Å"essential motivation in adoption of new technology, the extent to which the activity of using computer is perceived to be enjoyable in its own right, apart from any performance consequences that may be anticipated†. In TAM, behavioral intention to new technology usage was determined by a persons attitude toward using this technology. In addition TAM evolved with an updated version proposed in 2000 by Venkatesh and Davis called TAM2. This new model was influenced by subjective norms, image and output quality. Having examined PU, PEOU and enjoyment in different shopping experiences, Lee et al. (2006) and Bridges and Florsheim (2008) found that seeking hedonic benefit depends on perceived enjoyment through online experience. Hedonic elements may encourage internet use, but not necessarily online buying. Furthermore, an individual consumer may be oriented to seek experiential value through enjoyable browsing or shopping online or for their own fun experience. Seeking utilitarian benefits also relies on perceived ease of use and satisfactory outcomes, in addition to influencing the purchase directly. Utilitarian orientation defined by Bellenger and Korgaonker (1980), Babin et al. (1994) and To et al. (2007) observes orientation or motivation seeking instrumental value to minimize time and effort shopping and cost saving or seeking convenience. Acquired benefit depends on whether the mission of shopping is completed or not. The e-retailers focus providing utilitarian benefits more than hedonic benefits will increase or be completed efficiently during the process of online buying and future intention. 2.3.2 online shopping acceptance model Zhou et al. (2007) proposed an extension model of TAM called â€Å"Online Shopping Acceptance Model† (OSAM). This model considers a general view of online purchasing acceptance from the consumers perspective. These authors also pointed out that in spite of TAM Davis et al. (1989) being broadly used to examine online purchasing environment, it does not analyze specific online shopping characteristics. Therefore OSAM integrated consumer factors in traditional markets and theories may be added to TAM factors to re-examine the issue in the context of online shopping as showed in 2.2. Moreover, OSAM have been developed to predict and explore consumer acceptance e-purchasing by incorporating the beliefs, intention, and attitude behavior relationship into the perspective of perceived usefulness which was replaced by perceived outcomes to cover potential benefits and e-shopping risks. Shopping orientation and motivation have been added from traditional market factors considered antece dents of online purchasing intention and online experience as factors that construct during navigation of e-shopping sites. Also, satisfaction as mediators between behavior and intention has been added. OSAM considers a strong predictor of continue intention to purchasing more than perceived usefulness. Furthermore, this model includes consumer demographics and normative beliefs with their influence on e-purchasing intention. Exploring the development of TAM by introducing OSAM will enhance our understanding of different factors that affect consumer behavior intention. 2.3.3 Theory of reasoned action Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) formulated a â€Å"Theory of Reasoned Action† (TRA), which illustrates behaviors expressed by individual intention to perform a behavior from psychological social factors and aims to examine measurements of that behavior. Based on Marshall et al. (2009) and Lee and Park (2009), they pointed out correlations between beliefs, subjective norms and attitude affects on formation of behavioral individual intention. This intention is influenced by subjective norms referring to the individuals perception with outside influences to perform (or not) a specific behavior to purchase as illustrated in 2.3. While attitude refers to an individual attitude behavior, negative or positive, toward adoption of innovation and brand overall which creates their beliefs about the consequences of adopting and the brands attributes (Jobber, 2004). Beliefs are defined by the persons subjective probability that performing a particular behavior will produce specific results. Four types of belief attitude towards to e-shopping were identified by Vijayasarathy (2002); shopping experience, product perception, customer services and customer risk. This model therefore suggests that external stimuli influence attitudes by modifying the structure of the persons beliefs (Ajzan and Fishbein, 1980 and Ajzen, 1991). Further, TRA provides a strong theoretical basis for studying motivation related decision-making. Using this theory is expected to enhance our understanding toward attitudes and behavioral intention of online shoppers. 2.3.4 Theory of planned behavior The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) can be appraised as an extension of TRA according to Ajzen (1985) used to predict buying behavior based on Bagozzi and Kimmel (1995) and De Cannià ¨re et al. (2009). A central element of this theory is the individual intention to perform a given behavior as shown in 2.4. Ajzen (1991) identified intention as ‘how individuals are willing to try and how much effort they are planning to exert, in order to perform the behavior. The same author and Chen and Corkindale (2008) state this theory includes an additional element which is an individual perceived behavioral control (PBC). Compeau and Higgins (1995) cited by Dennis et al. (2009) defined it as a judgment of ones ability to use a computer. PBC is compatible with Banduras (1977, 1982) concept of â€Å"perceived self-efficacy which is concerned with judgments of how well an individual can execute courses of action required to deal with prospective situations†. In PBC attitude and subje ctive norms factors can predict intention and behavior. According to TPB, PBC together with intention can be used directly to predict behavioral achievement. This model proposes the intention impact and mediates among these factors: 1) intentions are the immediate antecedent of behavior, 2) fully mediate on impact of attitude towards behavior and 3) intentions partially mediate the impact of perceived behavioral control (Ajzen, 1985, 1991; Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975) as illustrated in 2.4. Furthermore, Ajzen stated that the relative importance of predictors in the TPB would be different among behaviors and situations. On the other hand, TPB components can be used according to De Cannià ¨re et al. (2009) to form the experience after purchasing. 2.3.5 Decomposed Theory of planned behavior In 1995, Taylor and Todd demonstrated that better comprehension of the relationship between beliefs and antecedent of intention need to be combined as attitudinal beliefs as DTPB as shown in 2.5. They argued that DTPB is a strong model, more advanced and purer than the TRA and the TPB model. It was identified that, due to diffusion innovation theory, attitudinal beliefs contained three characteristics of an innovation that affect the adopt Analysis of E-commerce in Kuwait Analysis of E-commerce in Kuwait Chapter one: Introduction 1.1 Introduction This chapter provides general background information regarding online purchasing behavior with an insight into the advantages and disadvantages of e-commerce in general and then specifically in Kuwait. The history of online shopping and internet retailers is presented to better understand e-purchasing behavior alongside a description of general theories of consumer online purchaser behavior and online shopping in Kuwait. The problem definition, research questions and methodology and limitations of the study are then presented, concluding with an outline of the thesis structure. With advances in technology, specifically in the field of electronics and telecommunications, direct business and commerce with new retail approaches have emerged in recent decades to transform the business world. Due to the increase in the number of internet users and developing network technology, new forms of trade have grown from these advances particularly in Electronic Commerce (EC) a term introduced by Kalakota and Whinston in 1997. Electronic commerce has become one of the primary characteristics of the internet era and a significant method of doing business. According to Jelassi and Enders (2005) EC includes e-trading of digital and physical goods all trading steps: online marketing, online ordering, e-payment and distribution. Kalakota and Whinston (1997) pointed out that EC has two forms: business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B). According to Molla and Licker (2001) B2C retailers offer their products and services to their customers. In the last decade, Kha lifa and Liu (2003) stated that ‘we have witnessed a substantial growth of internet based on services, both from traditional companies and pure internet business that are developing online services. Despite apparent growth there are no reliable statistics concerning E-commerce in Kuwait. However there are indications that the volume of e-commerce in Kuwait is growing slowly as discussed by Al-Sabah (2009) Kuwait Financial Forum, the Central Bank Governor stating We expect growth but so far we have not found a proper to be estimated for 2010, it depends on so many variables. In research shown in Economist Information in 2006 involving over 100 countries regarding availability of e-commerce, Kuwait came 50th. As the business world recognised the advantages of such socioeconomic changes, Kuwait began to take note of the advantages of electronic trading and commerce including the set up and development of measurements of electronic trading facilities and venues across the country (Al-Shati, 2009). As e-commerce is newly introduced in Kuwait, in order for Kuwaiti firms to reach world standards there needs to be research in different contexts of e-commerce such as online retailing to utilize opportunities and avoid risk. As observed by Lin (2003) the key to success in e-commerce depends on knowing customers and studying a customers viewpoint. The internet has singlehandedly created a concept shift away from more traditional methods of shopping. Studies by Joines et al. (2003) indicate the number of internet users is constantly increasing which signifies online purchasing is also increasing. Oppenheim and Ward (2006) agreed with Joines et al. (2003) explaining rapid increase was due to the growth of use of broadband technology combined with a change in consumer behaviour. Hollensen (2004) added that the internet has developed into a new distribution channel and evolution of this channel and e-commerce. Constantinides (2004) pointed out that in the influence of the consumer the first step was to identify certain impact aspects when purchasing online regarded as dimensions. Numerous and varied studies have been conducted worldwide to identify the advantages and disadvantages of e-shopping. Bridges and Florsheim (2008) argue that online shopping has advantages for both consumers and retailers. From a consumers point of view they found e-shopping allows a lower price, different alternatives of products/services, and customized products. Additionally they established retailers benefited from online shopping as it allowed them to reach a maximum number of customers, reduce communication costs and rapid transportation. However, e-shopping has also been criticized as online shopping may be considered non-trust worthy due to concerns of security of privacy (personal and financial information), lack of examination of the products, lack of human interaction and a concern the quality of the products will not reach customer expectation. From a retailer perspective the disadvantages of online shopping are providing high quality and creating special services can be very costly for the firm and may not be a good incentive to make consumers purchase (Kim and Forsythe (2009) and Lee et al. (2006). Whether it is a traditional market or online market, Hollensen (2004) pointed out that the retailer should understand the online consumer purchasing behaviour and how individuals make decision and buying choices. Therefore, Kotler and Armstrong (2007) stated that the marketers have developed different theories that can explain why consumers interpret information provided by e-retailer in a certain way, and thereby understand certain behaviours. Several authors have set out different definitions of consumer behaviour. According to Dr. Perner â€Å"consumer behaviour is study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society†. Hollensen (2004) and Constantinides (2004) agreed that consumer online purchasing behaviour is a process of various factors and influences experienced by a consumer before fin ally purchasing products online. Online consumer behaviour researchers have therefore examined the adoption of technology for e-purchasing in different aspects. There appears to be no constant model of online purchasing adoption and behaviour as it depends on the nature of adoption as influenced by characteristics or social issues; Theory of Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Roger (1983). In order to investigate consumer online purchasing behaviour, Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) are considered dominant theories to measure online purchase intention and attitude behaviour, with Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB) (Taylor and Todd 1995) the extended TPB. On the other hand, one essential model for development technology usage perspective is the Theory of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) Davis et al. (1989), which developed into the Online Shopping Acceptance Model (OSAM) (Zhou et al. (2007). E-commerce researchers have measured different approaches for understanding online consumer behavior. Chen and Corkindale (2008) and Hernandez et al. (2009[a]) measured factors that influence consumers online purchasing behavior from the perspective of innovation adoption and accepting technology. Moreover, other authors examined trait attributes, situational factors, web site quality, and individual factors and influences on attitude and intention of consumer purchasing online (Monsuwe et al. (2004); Liao and Shi (2009); and Vazquez and Xu (2009)). Chen and Crokindale (2008) agreed attitude and intention have a strong relationship with acceptance of technology and the decision of purchasing online. In addition, innovation characteristics were considered significant factors that influence of technology adoption and purchasing behavior (Rogers, 1983). Therefore in order to understand online purchasing behavior it is important to measure different factors that may influence e-shoppers and determine online shopping based on insight from technology adoption innovation diffusion literature. This study will therefore present the Liu Model (2004) using it to identify factors that influence Kuwaiti consumer purchasing online. It will also measure the relationship between characteristics of internet retailers/consumers and characteristics of innovation, allowing the research to examine the impacts of these characteristics on consumer decision making and then purchasing behavior. 1.2 Online purchasing 1.2.1 History of Online Shopping In the 1990s online shopping emerged as a technological breakthrough and novelty in the business arena. Strengthening year on year in 1994 the first of its kind, an online bank was opened and Pizza Hut offered pizza ordering on their web page. Netscape then presented Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to secure transactions, an essential feature of e-shopping. In 1995 Bezos launched Amazon.com, one of the most successful online businesses worldwide, followed by ‘e-bay an online auction site. By 1997 an estimated 41 million people were shopping online. With advances in technology in 1998, electronic postage stamps were introduced, whereby individuals could download and print stamps after paying a fee. In 1999, with the first online shop in the UK, The Virtual Mall was also launched, considered the first UK graphical internet shopping mall. The online shopping market developed rapidly from this point as the consumer gained in confidence and knowledge. In 1991, Kuwait University connected all university campuses together with the internet using International Business Machine (IBM) then known as BITNET with the help of Ministry of Communication (MOC) university campuses together. This network was limited to e-mail and other minor services. The National Science Foundation (NSF) agreed to expand the internet services to Kuwait in 1992 (Hussain, 2003). 1.2.2 Kuwaiti Consumer Attitudes Towards Online Shopping Online shopping is a relatively recent phenomenon that has gradually expanded worldwide reaching Kuwait. Compared to traditional stores, e-shopping is far from the target customer in efficacy and provides significant advantages in time saving and low costs. Although developing online shopping in Kuwait advances slowly, it is establishing a solid base as it incorporates a certain lifestyle, is a convenient option and its adventurous nature is attractive to Kuwaiti youths. With these factors increasingly dominant in daily routine, purchasing online has become a natural option in countries such as the USA and economic areas of the EU and the GCC ( Maarafy et al. 2007). Common products selling in Kuwait online are from the USA, the UAE and Asia. According to Forrester research (2008), Global e-commerce spending in 2000 was 132 $ billion, and expected to spend more than 1 trillion by 2012. In GCC capitals, the usage of online shopping behavior is different in the USA compared with and European and Asia Pacific cities. In Kuwait the online shopping concept is relatively in its early stages, however the adoption of online purchasing is expected to grow continually in coming years. With a high level of penetration in neighboring countries online such as Saudi Arabia and UAE, Kuwait will not be far from this diffusion of web shopping. Among the GCC, Kuwait lies 3rd with 10.7% in terms of e-commerce penetration, against 25.1% UAE and 14.3% in Saudi Arabia (Field, (2008)). According to recent worldwide research, as shown in Table 1.1, Kuwaits internet user growth has jumped from 5.8% of the population in 2000 to over 34% in 2008 and five times more users in the same time period and with further growth expected. Table1.1: Growth Internet Users in Kuwait Year Users population % population 2000 150,000 2,424,422 5.8% 2003 567,000 2,530,012 22.4.% 2005 600,000 2,630,775 22.8% 2008 900,000 2,596,799 34.7% 2009 (estimated) Above 900,000 2,692,526 33.4% Source: world wide statistics.com According to Al-Bahar (2009), Kuwait Consumer Adaptors online shopping distinguishes between local and international websites when purchasing online for many reasons. Kuwaiti consumer purchasing online and local websites are still in their infancy and under development. Thus, consumers are oriented to external websites they have established reputations, are trustworthy and provide an assurance of quality of their products. Express delivery firms such as Aramex and DHL compete to provide their services for delivery products in efficacy and effectiveness to encourage customers to e-purchase (Al-Abdullah, 2009). However, according to Al-Awan, (2008) e-shopping in the Kuwait market is still in its development stage through lack of organization. In order to enlighten and educate consumers, huge effort needs to be made with responsibility on the retailer to reach their maximum number of potential customers in order to realize value. Recently online businesses have started to establish themselves as limited e-firms providing products and services for Kuwaiti customers. 1.3 Problem definition E-commerce penetration: With the adoption of Kuwaiti consumer online purchasing low, the penetration of e-commerce in Kuwait remains relatively slow with a lack of studies relating to Kuwaiti e-shopping adoption. Consumer e-purchasing awareness: Due to a lack of consumer awareness of online shopping it has not been used widely in Kuwait. E-retailer strategies: As online selling is different to offline selling, it is necessary to fully understand consumer behavior in order to set up business strategies for the long term. In addition the rapid development of technology related to the internet enhances the shopping experience and encourages potential customers to purchase online. It is therefore critical for e-retailers to identify what factors influence the consumer when e-shopping. 1.4 Research objectives The overall objective of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of online purchasing behavior in Kuwait and factors affecting their buying decision process. This study is therefore focusing on the following objectives: To investigate the key factors affecting online purchasing behavior of Kuwaiti consumers. To explore the impact of the decision making process on Kuwaiti consumers purchasing behavior. To determine the relationship between factors influencing purchasing behavior and the decision making process. 1.5 Research Questions To fulfill the purpose of this research and reach the stated objectives related to consumer purchase online behavior the following research questions need to be addressed: What are the main factors influencing Kuwaiti customers online purchasing? How do these factors affect online purchasing behavior? What is the impact of the decision making process on consumer online purchasing behavior? What is the relationship between factors influencing behavior and the decision making process for e-shopping? 1.6 Research methodology This studys approach is deductive, because it measures factors that affect online shopping to explain Kuwaiti consumer online behavior taken from previous studies in different countries. It is mainly explanatory, developing a deeper understanding of the online purchasing behavior of Kuwaiti consumers while investigating varied opinions related to local e-commerce, alongside which factors affect their purchasing behavior. To a certain extent it is exploratory because of a lack of previous research in the online purchase behavior in Kuwait and Gulf region. The study is also mildly descriptive due to previous research of online market phenomena conducted in different countries and extended to Kuwait. Moreover, this research is quantitative in nature using primary data for the survey questionnaire as the main tool of data collection in order to discuss online Kuwaiti consumer purchase behavior. The questionnaire was randomly distributed either in person or through email. The total sample size 500 was distributed in Kuwaiti firms, ministries, universities and public places with 360 respondents. The data collected from the questionnaire is then used to identify relationships and connections between these variables to achieve the studys objectives. 1.7 Limitations In the course of this research a number of limitations were identified as follows: As the research examines consumer online shopping behavior without specifying the type of product exchanged whether tangible or intangible, it is limited in its scope. This study is limited to selection factors covering aspects of Kuwaiti consumer online purchase behavior disregarding other variables of satisfaction, trust, social aspects and situational factors. As with all research using survey data the sample may not be fully representative of the actual behavior in the population, as it is impossible to directly compare our data with data collected on the State of Kuwait level on online purchasing behavior due to time factors. Investigation focuses on online consumer behavior mainly from the customers perspective rather than the retailers perspective. This study evaluates only the online adoption purchasing behavior without evaluation of service quality offered by distinct websites. With a lack of previous research in this topic in Kuwait and the Gulf region, there is little, if any, comparative literature review or use as a framework. 1.8 Thesis structure In the first chapter; an overview of the research area is given, introducing e-commerce in general, then in Kuwait. This is followed by a presentation of the country relevance, the problem definition, the research objectives and questions, the research methodology and the limitations of the study. Chapter Two provides a comprehensive review of relevant literature concerning the research to draw an understanding of dominant theories that explain online consumer behavior, followed by factors that influence consumer online purchase with an integrated consumer making decision process. Chapter Three covers the research design and methodology exploring the methodology of the strategy of collecting data and analysis of the survey questionnaire to achieve the objectives. In Chapter Four, data analysis presents the empirical data collected with analysis and a survey discussion of the results. Finally in Chapter Five conclusions drawn from the overall study are summarized with recommendations made for future research in the subject area. Chapter Two: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction In this chapter an overview and examination of theories of adoption and online technology acceptance behavior from a global perspective is presented, with a comprehensive review of relevant studies conducted on consumer behavior purchasing online with the decision making process. Interactivity is considered a primary principle for the World Wide Web (WWW) with Lee et al. (2006) arguing that â€Å"interactivity is the extent to which users can participate in modifying the form and content of a mediated environment in real time†. The WWW allows unprecedented access to information and markets which has impacted societies globally with people able to search for information and/or purchase product/service online. Factors influencing consumer online purchasing behavior have been explored between 2004/09. Ha and Stoel (2004), Lee et al. (2006) and Hernandez et al. (2009) [b] analyzed the online behavior from the perspective of innovation adoption and accepting technology by identifying the consumer acceptance of innovativeness and frequency of shopping online. Lin and Wang (2008) focused on the decision making process arguing that consumers depend on their experience with repeat shopping. Broekhuizen and Huizingh (2009) agreed adding experience will lead to a strong relationship between different variables (such as saving time/effort, enjoyment and price attractiveness) and intention to purchase. The research of Monsuwe et al. (2004) and Liao and Shi (2009) explored situational factors, trait attributes, individual factors and website quality and impact on attitude and intention of consumer purchasing online. This review will therefore cover wide-ranging theories considering the features and benefits of numerous models proposed by such authors studying online consumer behavior. 2.2 Technology readiness and Self-Services Technologies While customer innovation adoption behavior and diffusion of innovations have been investigated for decades, recent interest has turned toward Self-Service Technologies (SSTs). SSTs involves new service access provided via new channels to meet customer demand in an effective and efficient way. Many technological innovations face resistance from customers, due to a lack of experience and uncertainty. Therefore research involves varied measurements such as: innovation characteristics, service quality, individual differences, ease of use and usefulness. Liljander et al. (2006) agreed personal traits suggest influence on customer adoption of SSTs. A study by Parasurman (2000), presented the attitudinal measurement â€Å"Technology Readiness (TR), peoples propensity to embrace and use new technologies for accomplishing goals in home life and at work† stating TR is considered a factor influencing SSTs. The same author explained an individuals positive or negative feeling toward tech nology is dominant identifying TR consists of multi-measurements of: Insecurity, Discomfort, Innovativeness and Optimism. The latter, Optimism refers to the positive view of technology and beliefs of control that enable users to increase convenience, efficiency and flexibility, while, Innovativeness is peoples tendency to open up to technology. Discomfort is an individuals perceived lack of control of technology and has a strong negative influence on SSTs. Insecurity refers to lack of trust in technology and its ability to work effectively. Notably, optimism and innovativeness are considered highly TR individual contributors, with discomfort and flexibility considered to have high level inhibitor attributes decreasing TR. Liljander et al. (2006) proved in their research a positive effect of TR on customers attitude towards using SSTs and their website evaluation, finding technology linked with convenience, freedom and control as vital when building positive attitudes towards using S STs. 2.3 Original theories of consumer online behavior Having reviewed numerous forms of literature no singular constant model has been identified for innovation diffusion and adoption. Innovation technology depends on the nature of adoption influenced by social theory or characteristics of innovation such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) devised by Davis et al. (1989).Therefore diffusion theory and other factors have been widely used to guide consumer behavior research. Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) are dominant theories examining consumers online purchase intention and behavior. TAM is considered an initial model for technology usage development, as it is customized to understand the adoption of computer-based technology in the workplace and is used in many studies. Conversely other researchers criticized TAM, because it explores simply the technology side. TRA has evolved from TAM, determining individual attitude toward and behavioral intention to use this new technology. TPB is considered another update from TRA. Theory of Planned Behavior identifies the behavioral intention of purchase online influence with its attitude to technology. Rogers (1983) created a Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI) that illustrates adoption of innovation dominant over time in social systems. This theory depends on critical elements, the time of adoption and characteristics of innovation. 2.3.1 Technology acceptance model By using Theory of Reasoned Action as a theoretical base Davis et al. (1989) created a Technology Acceptance Model. TAM is identified a viable paradigm for examining consumer adoption for the new technology and information technology. The genuine TAM determined the actual use of technology, attitude toward using this technology connected with beliefs to define behavioral intention to use new technology as explained by Liu (2004) and illustrated in 2.1. TAM focused on beliefs about the usefulness and ease of use to be a main role in technology adoption behavior. Perceived Usefulness (PU) refers to the degree of potential individual perception that use of new technology will enhance improving performance Davis et al. (1989). Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) is identified as an individual perception of using technology not requiring extra effort. Perceived Enjoyment was added later by Davis et al. (1992) and considered â€Å"essential motivation in adoption of new technology, the extent to which the activity of using computer is perceived to be enjoyable in its own right, apart from any performance consequences that may be anticipated†. In TAM, behavioral intention to new technology usage was determined by a persons attitude toward using this technology. In addition TAM evolved with an updated version proposed in 2000 by Venkatesh and Davis called TAM2. This new model was influenced by subjective norms, image and output quality. Having examined PU, PEOU and enjoyment in different shopping experiences, Lee et al. (2006) and Bridges and Florsheim (2008) found that seeking hedonic benefit depends on perceived enjoyment through online experience. Hedonic elements may encourage internet use, but not necessarily online buying. Furthermore, an individual consumer may be oriented to seek experiential value through enjoyable browsing or shopping online or for their own fun experience. Seeking utilitarian benefits also relies on perceived ease of use and satisfactory outcomes, in addition to influencing the purchase directly. Utilitarian orientation defined by Bellenger and Korgaonker (1980), Babin et al. (1994) and To et al. (2007) observes orientation or motivation seeking instrumental value to minimize time and effort shopping and cost saving or seeking convenience. Acquired benefit depends on whether the mission of shopping is completed or not. The e-retailers focus providing utilitarian benefits more than hedonic benefits will increase or be completed efficiently during the process of online buying and future intention. 2.3.2 online shopping acceptance model Zhou et al. (2007) proposed an extension model of TAM called â€Å"Online Shopping Acceptance Model† (OSAM). This model considers a general view of online purchasing acceptance from the consumers perspective. These authors also pointed out that in spite of TAM Davis et al. (1989) being broadly used to examine online purchasing environment, it does not analyze specific online shopping characteristics. Therefore OSAM integrated consumer factors in traditional markets and theories may be added to TAM factors to re-examine the issue in the context of online shopping as showed in 2.2. Moreover, OSAM have been developed to predict and explore consumer acceptance e-purchasing by incorporating the beliefs, intention, and attitude behavior relationship into the perspective of perceived usefulness which was replaced by perceived outcomes to cover potential benefits and e-shopping risks. Shopping orientation and motivation have been added from traditional market factors considered antece dents of online purchasing intention and online experience as factors that construct during navigation of e-shopping sites. Also, satisfaction as mediators between behavior and intention has been added. OSAM considers a strong predictor of continue intention to purchasing more than perceived usefulness. Furthermore, this model includes consumer demographics and normative beliefs with their influence on e-purchasing intention. Exploring the development of TAM by introducing OSAM will enhance our understanding of different factors that affect consumer behavior intention. 2.3.3 Theory of reasoned action Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) formulated a â€Å"Theory of Reasoned Action† (TRA), which illustrates behaviors expressed by individual intention to perform a behavior from psychological social factors and aims to examine measurements of that behavior. Based on Marshall et al. (2009) and Lee and Park (2009), they pointed out correlations between beliefs, subjective norms and attitude affects on formation of behavioral individual intention. This intention is influenced by subjective norms referring to the individuals perception with outside influences to perform (or not) a specific behavior to purchase as illustrated in 2.3. While attitude refers to an individual attitude behavior, negative or positive, toward adoption of innovation and brand overall which creates their beliefs about the consequences of adopting and the brands attributes (Jobber, 2004). Beliefs are defined by the persons subjective probability that performing a particular behavior will produce specific results. Four types of belief attitude towards to e-shopping were identified by Vijayasarathy (2002); shopping experience, product perception, customer services and customer risk. This model therefore suggests that external stimuli influence attitudes by modifying the structure of the persons beliefs (Ajzan and Fishbein, 1980 and Ajzen, 1991). Further, TRA provides a strong theoretical basis for studying motivation related decision-making. Using this theory is expected to enhance our understanding toward attitudes and behavioral intention of online shoppers. 2.3.4 Theory of planned behavior The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) can be appraised as an extension of TRA according to Ajzen (1985) used to predict buying behavior based on Bagozzi and Kimmel (1995) and De Cannià ¨re et al. (2009). A central element of this theory is the individual intention to perform a given behavior as shown in 2.4. Ajzen (1991) identified intention as ‘how individuals are willing to try and how much effort they are planning to exert, in order to perform the behavior. The same author and Chen and Corkindale (2008) state this theory includes an additional element which is an individual perceived behavioral control (PBC). Compeau and Higgins (1995) cited by Dennis et al. (2009) defined it as a judgment of ones ability to use a computer. PBC is compatible with Banduras (1977, 1982) concept of â€Å"perceived self-efficacy which is concerned with judgments of how well an individual can execute courses of action required to deal with prospective situations†. In PBC attitude and subje ctive norms factors can predict intention and behavior. According to TPB, PBC together with intention can be used directly to predict behavioral achievement. This model proposes the intention impact and mediates among these factors: 1) intentions are the immediate antecedent of behavior, 2) fully mediate on impact of attitude towards behavior and 3) intentions partially mediate the impact of perceived behavioral control (Ajzen, 1985, 1991; Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975) as illustrated in 2.4. Furthermore, Ajzen stated that the relative importance of predictors in the TPB would be different among behaviors and situations. On the other hand, TPB components can be used according to De Cannià ¨re et al. (2009) to form the experience after purchasing. 2.3.5 Decomposed Theory of planned behavior In 1995, Taylor and Todd demonstrated that better comprehension of the relationship between beliefs and antecedent of intention need to be combined as attitudinal beliefs as DTPB as shown in 2.5. They argued that DTPB is a strong model, more advanced and purer than the TRA and the TPB model. It was identified that, due to diffusion innovation theory, attitudinal beliefs contained three characteristics of an innovation that affect the adopt