Monday, September 30, 2019

Essay About Multitasking

Multitasking – â€Å"the ability to do several different things at once† Nowadays, people prefer to divide people in two groups; people who masters to multitask, and those who can’t. Almost everyone place themselves in the former group, thereafter they put the rest of the people in the latter. But of course most people are lying. I personally take advantage of multitasking daily to a certain extent, yes, practically all the time – in a certain level. And my perception of multitasking is the same as http://www. google. no/ ‘s perception on what multitasking is; it’s simply to have the ability to do several different things at once.But something that should be mentioned here is that no one can really multitask. It's when we think we're multitasking; we're only jumping from one thing to another. This way of doing things is addictive and can of course eventually cause us difficulties among our ability to concentrate. With other word; it is physica lly impossible for a human to do two things at the same time. Then, I don’t mean that it is completely impossible to do two things at the same time; such as talking while walking, or smiling while dancing.No, I mean that it is impossible to multitask – to do two things at the same time – as long as the two things that should be done at the same time, requires a lot of concentration and attention to be done correct. I guess you yourself are able to distinguish between which tasks that requires a lot of concentration, and which requires less. Whether you're driving a car while talking on the phone, or if you write e-mails during meetings, it is not true that you do both at once – it's impossible. Unlike the other examples I’ve already mentioned.What you actually do when you’re doing the concentration demanding-tasks is to focus on the first one and then the other, a so-called â€Å"switch-tasking†. Because if you’re doing two con centration demanding things at once , of course your concentration is divided between to tasks at the same time – therefore the result of your actions won’t be as good as they could’ve been – if the tasks were done separately and thoroughly. It's been proven time after time over the last years: multitasking is something only computers can do.What we humans do, when we think that we’re â€Å"multitasking†, is to jump from doing one thing to another, as mentioned earlier. But let us not forget that there's one more group; those who need to multitask. I'd most probably put myself in that group – the group of people who can't concentrate and focus on one specific thing unless she or he is doing at least one more thing at the exact same time. Now, you may call it ADHD, while I would rather call it being efficient.Of course there’s possible to listen to music while you’re doing your homework – to exclude the other actio ns around you, and to increase your concentration, like I personally do. But also here, the perceptions are different. Some people find hearing music while doing homework as disturbing. I think that the perception and the results of multitasking are different from person to person, depending on whom the person concerned is and what tasks there is to be done. A day should absolutely have more hours so all tasks on the to-do-list could’ve been done!But that isn’t something we can change†¦ so I think that the only thing we can do is to make the best out of it and remember to relax now and then. Sources: http://m. theglobeandmail. com/report-on-business/careers/careers-leadership/the-lunch/eileen-mercier-its-all-about-multitasking/article2021801/? service=mobile http://www. klikk. no/kvinneguiden/helse/article761396. ece http://www. universityessays. com/example-essays/business/the-ethics-of-multitasking. php http://www. webopedia. com/TERM/M/multitasking. html http:/ /www. tinbergen. nl/discussionpapers/11044. pdf

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Preparing to Conduct Business Research Essay

Develop or select the instruments your team will use to collect data. Describe how you will sample the population:  · What is the appropriate sampling method?  · What sampling frame will be used?  · What is the appropriate sampling size?  · How will the sample size be determined? Discuss the overall data analysis approach and result reporting:  · Which statistical test will be used and why?  · How will the results be displayed? Combine the three parts of the Preparing to Conduct Business Research assignment to develop a cohesive research proposal of no more than 2,450 words.   Include the following elements:  · Research problem and purpose  · Significance, scope, magnitude, and feasibility of finding a solution to the issue, opportunity, or problem  · Research question, hypothesis, and variables  · Research design  · Instrument you developed or selected  · Sampling method  · Overall data analysis approach  · Result reporting  · Ethical considerations

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Attitude of Young People of India Towards Luxury Brands Essay Example for Free

Attitude of Young People of India Towards Luxury Brands Essay Brand (555) , Gucci (27) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints Introduction: A couple of generations ago, a typical purchase decision for the average Indian would be choosing between, say, clothes and electronic goods whenever they had a little cash to spare. Today, the customers’ dilemma involves making up their mind between Prada and Gucci, Merc and Lamborghini. Marie Antoinette would say, â€Å"If they can’t have bread, give them brands instead! † In a relatively short time span of 20 years, India has moved from pavement markets to swanky malls, from frugal minded consumer to who want it all and from a population largely obessed with celebrity gossip to one which yearns to gain knowledge. India is taking wing. It is not simple because India is set to become the fastest growing major economy in the world. The combination of a large young working population, rising income levels, overwhelming consumer optimism and increasingly urbanized lifestyle is driving consumption growth in India. The market potential of world’s second largest population has not gone unnoticed. International Luxury brands have India on the radar. As developed market continue to battle economic turmoil. India offers luxury brand owners unrivalled growth opportunities. The Indian luxury market is projected to reach USD 14. 72 billion in 2015(CII and A. T. Kearny, 2011). It may represents only 1-2 percent of the global luxury market, but its market growth rate of more than 20 percent per annum, promise positive returns for luxury players. A flow of international brands from Giorgio Armani to Ferrari to Sofitel Hotel have entered the Indian market to claim a share of the luxury rupee. Many others are waiting, watching and preparing. This is not just about today’s market but a key strategic market of the future. Problem Definition: * Young consumer attitudes are essential for the marketers to plan their strategy in reaching the target consumers. So in our study we have focused to segment young consumers according to attitude variables. Objectives: * The aim of the study is to segment young consumers based on their three important beliefs parameters (confidence, trust, optimism) as we know beliefs is an important attitudes of consumer Literature review: 1. THE ROLE OF CONFIDENCE IN UNDERSTANDING AND PREDICTING BUYERS’ ATTITUDES AND PURCHASE INTENTIONS * Peter D. Bennett and Gilbert D. Harrell * Journal of Consumer Research * Vol. 2, No. 2 (Sep. , 1975), pp. 110-117 * Published by: The University of Chicago Press * Article Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/2488752 This research examines the role of buyers confidence in the formation of attitudes and purchase intention. It supports current buyer behavior theory which postulates a positive relationship between overall confidence in a brand and intention to purchase the brand. It also examine buyers confidence in their own ability to judge attributes of brands. 2. NEED FOR UNIQUENESS AND CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOUR FOR LUXURY BRANDS AMONGST INDIAN YOUTH * Authors: Meenakshi Handa, Arpita Khare * JournalInternational Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management * Publisher : Inderscience Publishers * ISSN:1753-0806 (Print),1753-0814 (Online) * IssueVolume 3, Number 5/2010 * Pages489-502 The purpose of this research was to examine the Indian youth’s need for uniqueness (NFU) and their attitudes towards luxury brand as an expression of individuality. A primary research was conducted amongst Indian University students to ascertain their NFU and perception of luxury brands. It was apparent that while the NFU is not very high amongst the Indian youth, luxury brands do symbolize status and individuality to them and serve a value-expressive function. As the Indian social system is witnessing a transition from traditional family driven values to more of western and individual-centric values, NFU and expression of self-identity amongst Indian youth may also become more marked. While marketing global luxury brands in India, advertising may be focused towards conveying a new identity to the consumers yet maintaining a balance with traditional norms and value systems. 3. LUXURY’S NEW DESTINATION – CHANGING PARADIGMS OF THE INDIAN CONSUMERS – AN EMPIRICAL STUDY * DR. BUSHAN D. SUDHAKAR*; ARUN KUMAR. PARISE * International Journal of Multidisciplinary Management Studies * Vol. 2 Issue 1, January 2012, ISSN 2249 8834 * Online available at http://zenithresearch. org. in/ In this study the researcher investigate, Indian consumer migration towards Luxury brands form value middle tier brands. The findings suggest that there is significant difference with the gender difference, social status, price, quality to purchase a luxury good. There is a higher association between the annual household income and Purchase of luxury goods It clearly says that affordability, quality, availability, celebrity, self-satisfaction, image and social status are the key drivers to the migration of consumers to Luxury brands from value middle tier branded goods. It confirms the view that brand perception and purchase value is, apart from socially oriented motives of buying to impress others also affected by financial, functional, and individual aspects. It would seem that the dimensions presented in this paper are appropriate variables for segmenting the market for branded items. 4. ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE CONCEPT OF LUXURY: AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS * Bernard Dubois, Groupe H. E. C & Gilles Laurent, Groupe H. E. C. * Asia Pacific Advances in Consumer Research Volume 1, 1994 * Pages 273-278 In this paper is the author did an exploratory analysis of the perceptions and attitudes attached to the word (and underlying concept of) â€Å"luxury†. It is hoped that the results presented below will stimulate further research in the area and eventually contribute to the development of a theory of luxury acquisition and consumption behavior. Research Gap: The literature available on topics such as Need for uniqueness and consumption behavior for luxury brands amongst Indian youth, luxury’s new destination – changing paradigms of the Indian consumers – an empirical study, There is no study on attitude (belief like confidence, trust and optimism) of Young people of India towards Luxury brands, which will help in marketers to plan their strategy in reaching these new and promising target consumers. It is essential for the marketer to understand how consumers think and value a product. There has been a vast increase in the luxury market and attempts are being made to attract the youth through different marketing strategies. This research will identify the different belief parameter which is an important attitude of young people of India which influence them towards luxury brands and provide information for better understanding of young customer. Research Design:. Sample Design: Sample size: is hundred (100). Sample techniques: it is judgmental sampling these samples/ respondents will be selected from both NIFT students and young working professional’s i.e. young people’s working in companies like TCS, Infosys and Wipro. Observational Design: This research based on primary & secondary data. The primary data are collected through structured questionnaire. Primary data generally means those raw data which are handled first handedly and haven’t any previous meaningful interpretation. Secondary data collected from different journals, book and internet on topic of people’s attitudes and luxury brands. Statistical design: we are going to segment young consumers based on their three important beliefs parameters (confidence, trust, optimism) as we know consumer belief is an important factor of consumer attitude. Our proposed segmentation tool is Cluster analysis. We will be using Hierarchical cluster with between groups linkage as the clustering method based on squared Euclidian distance. Ward’s Hierarchical Clustering Method: Ward considered hierarchical clustering procedures basedon minimizing the ‘loss of information’ from joining two groups. This method is usually implemented with loss of information taken to be an increase in an error sum of squares criterion. ESS. First, for a given cluster k, let ESSk be the sum of the squared deviations of very item in the cluster from the cluster mean (centroid). If there are currently K clusters, define ESS as the sum of the ESSk or ESS = ESS1 + ESS2 + †¦ + ESS K At each step in the analysis, the union of every possible pair of clusters is considered, and the two clusters whose combination results in the smallest increase in ESS (minimum loss of information) are joined. Initially, each cluster consists of a single item, and, if there are N items, ESSk = 0, k = 1,2, †¦ , N, so ESS = O. At the other extreme, when all the clusters are combined in a single group of N items, the value of ESS is given by N ESS =j=1nxj-x†(xj-x’) where Xj is the multivariate measurement associated with the jth item and i is the mean of all the items. The results of Ward’s method can be displayed as a dendrogram. The vertical axis gives the values of ESS at which the mergers occur. Ward’s method is based on the notion that the clusters of multivariate observations are expected to be roughly elliptically shaped. It is a hierarchical precursor to nonhierarchical clustering methods that optimize some criterion for dividing data into a given number of elliptical groups. We discuss nonhierarchical clustering procedures in the next section Proposed Questionnaire: 1=strongly agree 2=agree 3=neither agree or disagree 4=disagree 5=completely disagree Please do tick which option you feel most†¦ Statement no 1: 3. 3. 2. 2. 5. 5. 4. 4. 1. 1. â€Å"I buy luxury products because good quality of product† Statement no 2: 3. 3. 2. 2. 5. 5. 4. 4. 1. 1. â€Å"Luxury means some extra things which is adding more value than the regular brands have† Statement no 3: 3. 3. 2. 2. 5. 5. 4. 4. 1. 1. â€Å"I buy luxury products whatever I can afford & whatever I want† Statement no 4: 3. 3. 2. 2. 5. 5. 4. 4. 1. 1. â€Å"I preferred luxury products what I like, if I like it a lot and feel like it’s worth my money† Statement no 5: 3. 3. 2. 2. 5. 5. 4. 4. 1. 1. â€Å"I preferred luxury brands because it brings higher aspiration in my life† Statement no 6: 3. 3. 2. 2. 5. 5. 4. 4. 1. 1. â€Å"I like to have BMW or Ferrari in future†. Attitude of Young People of India Towards Luxury Brands. (2017, Feb 17). ng-people-of-india-towards-luxury-brands-essay We will write a custom sample essay on Attitude of Young People of India Towards Luxury Brands specifically for you We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Friday, September 27, 2019

Writer's choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 38

Writer's choice - Essay Example LVHM also has retail stores all over the world. This international supply chain system is similar to Sushi: The Global Catch (2012), directed by Mark Hall, which Theodore C. Bestor (2000) further describes in â€Å"How Sushi Went Global.† Clearly, the modern-day multinational company no longer relies on local workers and local natural resources to create, deliver, and sell its products, but on an extensive, interconnected worldwide sourcing, production, distribution, and marketing systems. As for labor practices, it cannot be easily verified if the company has fair labor practices, although in France and other developed nations, LVHM is inferred to have fair labor practices. Because LVHM uses traditional methods in making its products as part of its prestige, it has skilled workers who perform several tasks. These workers in these developed nations are considered highly-skilled and well-paid because they are making handmade bags for a luxury firm like LVHM. In addition, I read before that the company only made some changes in its production system in 2005, in alignment with its new kaizen philosophy, which means constant improvement. An example of a change in the production floor is when one person did the gluing and stitching instead of two to three people. The increase in production efficiency from kaizen reduced the workforce demand of the company, which raised concerns about job security for some employees. Those who feel this may think that there is a form of inj ustice because they cannot have the same job security they used to have in the past. I think that these production changes that have labor effects can be connected to the experiences of Malay factory workers in Aihwa Ong’s â€Å"Japanese Factories, Malay Workers: Class and Sexual Metaphors in West Malaysia.† Ong (1990: 400) talks about the â€Å"structure of the industrial system†

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Poverty in the U.S Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Poverty in the U.S - Research Paper Example First of all, let us understand how poverty has risen in the U.S. and how it affects the poor. Seccombe (384-393) asserts that poverty can be defined as having an inadequate income that can make a family stay â€Å"below the poverty line†. In the United States, poverty is concretely defined in dollar figures by the Social Security Administration. By determining the amount of money needed to survive on food, and then multiplying that number by three, the Social Security Administration sets the poverty line. For example, if the SSA decided that the amount of money needed to sustain a survivable diet during a year was $4,000, then it would set the poverty line at $12,000. Thus, any individuals whose income was less than this amount for a year would be considered to be living in poverty. According to Flik and Praag (311-330), poverty line is essential for determining who receives welfare benefits in U.S. Poverty does not seem to be an evenly distributed social problem. In America, African Americans and Latinos have, by far, the largest poverty rate. Many factors such as poor wages for women and the increase of single-woman parented families have caused an increase in the percentage of women among the poor. elderly, however, fill a much smaller percentage as they receive benefits as social security. Macionis (216) concluded that in 2003, the government classified 12.5 percent of the U.S. population as poor, which makes 35.9 million of men, women and children. Research suggests that the home environment adds to poverty because most homes that look in disrepair mean that the family living inside might not have the income to fix things. When a family is in the poverty zone they feel bad and inadequate, which can make them unwilling to ask for help (Brooks-Gunn & Duncan). This can be harmful to children because they do not have a say when the adults need help. Poverty is an unkind and brutal way for children to live. It manifests in physical, emotional and social ways. Impoverished children have social, emotional and behavioral problems due to poor health and serious mental health problems stemming from the persistent poverty level in which they live. Serious health problems come with poverty, such as preventable diseases like Influenza, Measles, malnutrition and AIDS due to lack of proper health care. Public assistance offered in most states does not cover all that the poor children need to live a normal lifestyle. Now, we describe how poverty is beneficial for the rich of the society despite its negative outcomes related to the poor. According to the sociologist, Herbert Gans (20-24), occupations and professions like criminology, social work, journalism, and public health exist with the help of existence of poverty. Gans has listed manifold functions of poverty that are beneficial to the rich of the society. The dirty work in the society gets done with the help of the poor who work at low wages and indecent salaries. The poor help in subs idizing the economy because they pay taxes, buy cheap products and go for low-cost services that are just ignored by the wealthy community. The existence of poverty acts as a guarantee for the rich people’s status, because if there would be no poor, there would be no identification left for the rich. The rich people give charity to the poor

How People Accept Second Hand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How People Accept Second Hand - Essay Example Robinson laments that schools stifle creativity by undervaluing â€Å"mistakes† and promoting certain intellectual norms. Lightman wants people to stop being lazy in consuming second-hand information, because this is a medieval way of learning, and to start becoming active and creative producers of primary information, which can be the only true source of knowledge. People lazily consume second-hand information and treat them usually as knowledge often automatically and blindly, as if by faith. Scientists and educators tend to go out and test their theories, but people in general, sit back, receive information, and rarely test the latter's veracity. Lightman asks if people have â€Å"personally verified† (17) if the earth is flat or round. He discounts the existence of the â€Å"globe† and â€Å"Apollo pictures† as proof that the earth is round (17). These are not enough evidence that the world is round, because someone else has made them or collected them , and this does not mean that their proof is immediately true. Lightman does not also hold what geodesists say as true, though their whole profession may lie on understanding the â€Å"detailed shape of the earth† (17). Lightman does not easily believe them, because they have their own â€Å"measurements,† which may be wrong too. ... Ariely investigates why people seldom change what they do and how they think. He conducts several experiments and comes up with his theory, the â€Å"personal fudge factor,† where people accept a certain form of irrationality, which they believe is enough to help them still believe that they are â€Å"correct.† The problem with the â€Å"personal fudge factor† is that people no longer test their â€Å"intuitions,† says Ariely. Being incorrect to some degree may be enough to make an intuition entirely incorrect. When people just accept intuitions and never test them, that is plain laziness. That laziness, nevertheless, sacrifices the pursuit and attainment of tested information that may be the only basis for correct information. This laziness brings people back to the medieval-period approach to learning, when the masses accept what people in power say is right. Philosophers once dominated the production of knowledge because of their influence, but the prob lem with them is that they rarely apply the â€Å"scientific method† in their practice (Lightman 19). As a result, they have theoretical conceptions on the shape of the earth. People then believed for centuries that the earth was flat without even testing its validity. People in power also use history to tell their own versions of the story. For instance, it is only until recently that people learn how Columbus and other European settlers in the Americas had killed millions of Native Americans, because of the former's colonization goals. Before, people live in comfortable knowledge that the European invaders brought â€Å"civilization† to the native â€Å"heathens.† The same promotion of ignorance can be said with schools. Schools had also

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Romeo and Juliet Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Romeo and Juliet - Coursework Example Dramatic Devices in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Formal patterning is the meticulous arrangements of events, characters and scenes that help shape and form a play’s storyline. This is an important dramatic device because it allows the audience to discern and anticipate the flow of the story enough to gain interest and pay close attention to it. To achieve this in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare constructed parallel scenes where characters that are about to play important roles in the tragic end are constantly present and developed, helping build the momentum and anticipation of the tragic end. Formal patterning is also employed to build a close synergy between opposing ideas such as â€Å"comedy and tragedy, triviality and seriousness, laughter and tears, minuteness and vastness, youth and age, and of course, love and death.†2 The use of this device keeps the audience’s interest from straying away because of the conflicting nuances of the play. Dramatic ir ony, on the other hand, is another device that keeps the audience’s attention because it grants important knowledge to the former that is not shared by some of the important characters. The tension that this knowledge creates, especially when the characters’ lack of knowledge threatens the turn of events, necessarily gets the involvement of the audience, and hence, keeps it focused on the play. The employment of dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet does not only happen in the course of the later scenes, but is strewn throughout the play in small doses so as not to detract its impact in the last act. Foreshadowing is another dramatic device and it means the employment of suggestive words or images that indicate to the audience what will happen next in the course of the play.3 The purpose of foreshadowing is to build suspense because it allows the audience to anticipate the next scenes, engage in guesswork and validate them by closely following the story. This motivates th em not to keep their attention off the play. Shakespeare employs this technique abundantly in Romeo and Juliet, largely through the chorus and the dialogues of various characters. The prologue, for example, speaks of a â€Å"pair of star-crossed lovers take their life† that hints to the audience a tragedy about to happen in the course of the play. Two Scenes as Concrete Examples: Formal Patterning In Act 1, Scene 1, the characters of Tybalt, Mercutio and Paris, among others, are introduced. Tybalt plays a pivotal role as his death serves as a catalyst in Capulet’s decision to marry off Juliet to Paris and Romeo’s banishment from Verona. He is introduced early on in Act 1, scene 1 as a vain, proud and aggressive cousin of Juliet. He is likewise made to appear in subsequent scenes where his aggressiveness and hatred for the Montagues become more and more evident. The early introduction of such characters as Tybalt, Mercutio and Paris, among others, and their recur ring presence in subsequent acts and scenes allow their respective

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Mandatory Mediation in Common and Civil Law Countries Essay

Mandatory Mediation in Common and Civil Law Countries - Essay Example Common law system countries use mandatory mediation more prevalently than civil law countries who proceed with considerable caution. The process of litigation is a complex process, which is usually avoided by many people. The civil justice system in the UK is already exhausted of cases, which have not been resolved because of various legal justifications. This negatively impacts on the involved parties because of the increase in the cost of the various court cases as time elapses. Mediation can reform the civil justice system of the UK because it ensures there is efficiency in the dispensation of justice. Consequently, savings are made and time management is upheld.In this respect, the aggrieved parties are satisfied with the mediation dispute resolutions. The mutual satisfaction of the concerned parties is never achieved in a trial setting. The introduction of mandatory mediation in civil cases aims at reducing the backlog of unresolved cases in courts of law. Mandatory mediation is a demonized element in many legal jurisdictions, although it does not affect the delivery of justice to the parties in the civil cases. Darbas (2010) asserts that the cost of mandatory intervention justifies the use of this method in the resolution of many cases. It is a better method compared to the trial because in the trial of a case, the judges can give a subjective ruling, which must be accepted. In mandatory mediation cases are resolved in an amicable manner without favor.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management Duerr's Jam Essay

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management Duerr's Jam - Essay Example The best time to evaluate environmental conditions is prior to making a location commitment. Many states offer company location incentives. One strategy is to establish enterprise zones in order to bring jobs to economically deprived areas. Sponsored by local city/country governments, these zones lure businesses by offering regulatory and tax relief. In exchange for locating or expanding in these areas, eligible business firms receive total exemption from the property taxes normally assessed on a new plant and equipment for three to five years. Locating in an enterprise zone will not solve problems created by poor management or make up for an ill-conceived idea. However, enterprise zones can be used as catalyst to help, jump-start a small firm. Personal Preference of the Entrepreneur: As a practical matter, many entrepreneurs tend to discount customer accessibility, business environment conditions, and resource availability and consider only their personal preference in locating a business. Often, their personal preference is their home community; the possibility of locating elsewhere never enters their mind. Background: Fred and Mary Duerr founded their jam- and marmalade- making business in Heywood, Lancashire, in 1881. Mary prepared the preserves in her kitchen and using her own family recipes, while Fred delivered the filled jars by handcart to the local Co-operative Society and other shops. In 1884 production was moved into a factory building at Guide Bridge, North Manchester; but the business expanded so rapidly that in 1890 Fred commissioned a new model jam and marmalade factory at Old Trafford. ... expanded so rapidly that in 1890 Fred commissioned a new model jam and marmalade factory at Old Trafford. The site there is still occupied by Duerr's, now under the direction of Fred and Mary's great-grandsons and his two sons. Business Description:F Duerr & Sons was established in 1881. It deals in food conservatives which include products like jams including reduced sugar jams; conserves; fruit spreads; marmalades and reduced sugar marmalades; peanut butter and fruit curds as well as condiments such as apple sauce. The brand is most prominent within the marmalade sector, with almost 6% market share, and 3.2 million in sales. However, its share has declined from almost 9% in the year 2000 to 5.5% in 2004, representing a decline in sales of 42% over the four year period. This is at a much faster rate than the category as a whole of 6.5%. In April 2003, Duerr's introduced Half Sugar marmalade which contains half the sugar but 50% more fruit, which is suitable for diabetics and can be used as part of a calorie controlled diet. In December 2004, Duerr's launched a range of premium marmalades under the name Mary Berry, a well-known cookery writer. The range comprises three flavors: orange & apricot, ruby red grapefruit, and thick cut marmalade with muscovado sugar. The company is attempting to attract new users with new product launches within the marmalade category. Within the jam sector, Duerr's accounts for just 1% of jam sales, less than 1 million in sales. The company is also represented within the peanut butter sector with the Kernel King brand which accounts for just 1% of sales. It is the only other branded lemon curd within

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Consumers’ Perception of Quality Essay Example for Free

Consumers’ Perception of Quality Essay This study primarily investigates the underlying factors that help to form consumer perception of quality toward private universities in Bangladesh. Five beliefs have been identified as salient to perceive the quality of private universities of Bangladesh. These are quality faculty members, university environment, campus facility, quality education and university image/reputation. Multi-item measures were used for data collection. Results revealed that three factors: campus facility, quality education and university image/reputation have positive and significant influence on perceived quality of private university in Bangladesh. Quality faculty members and university environment do not have significant influence on perceived quality of private university in Bangladesh. INTRODUCTION: Higher education in the university level has been imparted through two major types of institutions, namely: public university and private university. The concept of private university in Bangladesh is not a very ancient one. The emergence of private university in Bangladesh began with the enactment of a series of laws governing higher education in 1992. To fulfill the ever-growing demand of institutions of higher studies, at present there are 85 universities in Bangladesh where only 29 of those are public universities and remaining 56 are private (University Grants Commission Website). Establishment of private universities released the pressure of large-scale admission seekers for the limited number of seats available in public universities. The Private University Act 1992 mentions that the main objectives of private universities are to meet the growing demand of higher education and to create skilled manpower for the economic development of the country. The present study analyzes the perceived quality of private universities in Bangladesh focusing on some salient beliefs like quality faculty members, university environment, campus facility, quality education, image/reputation. Private universities in Bangladesh, no doubt, have contributed to responding to the social demand for higher education by absorbing a good number of students who otherwise could not have received university degree. The private universities are attracting a large number of students, while it seems that the reputation and teaching-learning process of the public universities are secularly on the decline, despite the fact that their worldwide reputation is higher than some of the private universities. The state has to form some sort of accreditation council and those private universities that satisfy certain critical minimum requirements of inputs, processes, and outputs will be given accreditation by the proposed council. RELATED CONSTRUCTS OF THIS STUDY: Faculty Members: Faculty members are one of the most important and crucial factors for any private universities. In order to evaluate perceived quality the key factor to be considered is the quality of the faculties as it has a significant influence on the perceived quality of private universities. Also to provide quality education the faculty members are also chosen from a pool of excellent academic background with national and foreign degrees. For ensuring the sound academic environment, now private universities are emphasizing research work of the faculty members. University Environment: The university environment is another factor for choosing university and perceiving the quality of a particular university. Therefore it is important that the university must have a congenial environment that will ensure friendly student-teacher relationship, politics free and no session jam or delay in achieving graduation, well organized authority, zero discrimination and good and healthy premis es. Campus Facility: The campus facility of any private university must have the basic facilities as well as some value added facilities as the students of private universities are paying some premium price in getting the education here. Quality Education: The students who get enrolled in private universities must have a minimum educational background to qualify for the admission test and finally enrolled in the university. The curriculum is designed to meet the international standard as well as the students should be able to take part in any competitive examination with full confidence as compared to those of public universities. The student-teacher ratio and the grading policy also have an impact on the quality education. Image / Reputation: The image or reputation of the university has an impact in the job market. The private universities like North South University, East West University, BRAC University, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), American International University, Bangladesh (AIUB) have been able to create an acceptance to the students and guardian community by their image and reputation. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: The objective of this study therefore is to identify, analyze, and explore how the students perceive quality of the private universities and what are the extrinsic factors (faculty strength, university environment, campus facility, brand image, and quality of education) influencing perception of quality to the students and guardians. Each of these extrinsic cues has positive or negative impact on the students evaluation of private universities in Bangladesh. Having identified all the cues we need to find out which cue/s has/have more influence on the students while evaluating the perceived quality of a particular private university. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE: Given the importance of the topic, it is not surprising that a great deal has been written about quality. Consistency limitation preclude a comprehensive review (Castleberry 1985), only the literature that is relevant to the objectives of this exploratory study will be discussed here. Unlike the approach taken in this paper, many authors have offered definitions of quality. For example, Crosby (1979) defined it as conformance to requirements, while Kotler (2006) defined it as the rated ability of the brand to perform its functions. Others have highlighted aesthetic considerations. Thus, Bohr (1980) notes that quality also means aesthetic and sensuous pleasure as wellit is timeless style, simple elegance and a sensation that makes people feel comfortable and satisfied to be near it. Garvin (1984), however, concedes that the definition of quality remains a source of confusion. He states that quality often is equated with conformance to tight manufacturing standards but that there are many other dimensions of quality as well, to wit: performance, durability, reliability, serviceability, the bells and whistles, and aesthetic elements. In a similar view, Gronroos (1984) acknowledges the need to define quality of services in terms of consumer perceptions and suggests that service quality may be a function of a number of variables, i.e., consumer expectations, technical and functional characteristics, and image. After classifying definitions of quality that have appeared in marketing and other disciplines, Holbrook and Corfman (1985) developed a definition of quality within the framework of value theory, specifically: quality is the extrinsic, self-oriented, passive value. An empirical test of their conceptual definition was only marginally successful and the authors concluded that they had provided only a partial answer to the question of the meaning of qualit y. Years ago Wittgenstein (1953) stated that to understand quality from the consumers standpoint, one must be concerned with the everyday use of the word. However, as evidenced by examples from the literature, researchers generally have not adopted this approach. Moreover, no study was found which explored the extent to which consumers definitions of quality depend upon the product or service being considered. Another line of inquiry in the current study is whether consumers evaluate quality before and/or after purchasing a product or service ant, if so, how. Economists, who probably have contributed most to this topic, are divided into two groups. Wilde (1981) represents those who feel quality is a search attribute (i.e., quality perceptions are formed before purchase). Others (e.g., Hey and McKenna 1981), however, feel that perceptions of quality are formed only after purchase and hence quality is an experience attribute. Of the many issues relating to quality, consumer researchers seem to be most interested in how consumers evaluate quality. Most work has explored the effects of various cues and cue combinations on perceptions and evaluation of quality (Olson 1972, Olson 1977, and Monroe and Krishnan 1985). Recently, Gronroos (1984) and Parasuramen, et al. (1984) have developed conceptual motels of service quality and have identified possible determinants of perceived service quality. The fact that these are service quality motels suggests that the evaluation, as well as the definition, of quality is likely to be context-bound. Gronroos, however, has only tested his model with a sample of service business executives, and the Parasuramen, et al. motel is now being tested empirically. Therefore, considerable work must be done before a better understanding of the meaning and role of quality from the consumers perspective is achieved. ATTITUDE TOWARDS PRIVATE UNIVERSITY: As a purpose of the study, we examine the information integration process by which consumers form Attitudes toward Private University (APU). As per cognitive process of consumer decision- making, consumers combine some of their knowledge, meanings, and beliefs for choosing private university to form an overall evaluation. These considered beliefs might be formed by interpretation processes or activated from memory. All Beliefs about Private University: The pretest is conducted to identify the salient beliefs towards private university. Convenience sample of 26 students from North South University and East West University have been provided a survey question asking the attributes they consider to perceive the quality of private university.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Understanding The Issues Of Information Overload

Understanding The Issues Of Information Overload In this paper we discussed about Understanding information overload and the common causes of information overload, the disadvantages of information overload for an organization, managing information flow in order to minimize the effect of information overload for the organization, the role of information professional to overcome the information overload extract the useful information. Hope the readers will benefited. Information Overload is an increasing problem both in the workplace and in life in general. It is a state in which the amount of available information is so overwhelming a person is unable to effectively process and utilize it. Information overload is intuitively noticeable in our daily lives. Walking any street, we can hardly measure the amount of information we are exposed to. Information hits us from all directions, newspapers, television, voice mail, cellular phones, email, electronic memos, and the World Wide Web, to name a few. This increase in information, combined with the factor of change in many aspects of our lives, can lead to an unhealthy effect. Information Overload is when you are trying to deal with more information than you are able to process to make sensible decisions. The result is either that you either delay making decisions, or that you make the wrong decisions. . Understanding Information overload The first recorded use of the phrase information overload was used by the futurologist Alvin Toffler in 1970, when he predicted that the rapidly increasing amounts of information being produced would eventually cause people problems. Heylighen (1999) noted, People exposed to the rapid changes of modern life may develop a state of helplessness and inadequacy. Nelson (2001) defines information overload as the incapability to obtain a form of knowledge from a massive amount of information for one reason or another. Information overload can take place for one of these reasons: 1. Not understanding the existing information 2. Feeling inundated by the need to absorb huge amounts of information 3. Not knowing if the needed information exists or not 4. Not knowing where to obtain the information 5. Knowing where the information is but have no access privilege Causes of Information overload Information overload was experienced long before the appearance of information technology and electronic gadgets. Complaints about too many books echo across the centuries, from when books were papyrus rolls, parchment manuscripts, or hand printed. After Printing innovation books were produced and accumulated in unprecedented numbers, and, given their drop in cost, many more readers than before had access to more books than they could read. In the Internet era where millions of smart phones and gadgets are sold every day, zillions of tons of data are being produced. Thus making people spoilt for choices. With a touch, one can easily get almost any data from any corner of the world. The rate of production of different kinds of data such as news, text, multimedia and graphs is breathtaking. For example: YouTube where 24 hours of video is being uploaded in every minute and the rate is increasing everyday. There are millions of sites are there and even the IP address is going to be exhausted. One could imagine the amount of electronic data that is available to digest. Organizations accumulate a huge amount of information about its internal operations and resources. Fifteen years ago only phone, fax and post mails were used for communication. There is a general increase in business communication by voice mail, e-mail, internet and online conferencing in addition to the above mentioned traditional methods which results information overload. Disadvantages of information overload for an organization Too little or too much information is not good for an individual and an organization. Too much reduces their ability to concentrate effectively on the most important messages. People facing information overload sometimes try to cope by ignoring some of the messages, by delaying responses to messages they deem unimportant, by answering only parts of some messages, by responding inaccurately to certain messages, by taking less time with each message, or by reacting only superficially to all messages. Persons exposed to excessive amounts of information are less productive, prone to make poor decisions, and risk suffering serious stress-related diseases. He becomes highly selective and ignore a large amount of information or give up and dont go beyond the first results in many cases, need more time to reach a decision, make mistakes, have difficulties in identifying the relationship between the details and the overall perspective and waste time. Information overload affects-and afflicts-both individual knowledge workers, struggling to perform their jobs while drowning in data, and entire office organizations, whose productivity and customer care suffer as a consequence. The abundance of information we enjoy today comes at a price. Less apparent is the tremendous hidden cost it imposes on the organization as a whole. In one study, for example, people took an average of nearly 25 minutes to return to a work task after an email interruption. Another study found that time lost to handling unnecessary e-mail and recovering from information interruptions cost Intel nearly $1 billion a year. An article in the October issue of HBR, found that forcing knowledge workers to take weekly breaks from email and other work distractions improved performance. Information Overload on an organization is to understand all the lost opportunities it causes and inefficiencies produced. The amount of information has increased for a number of reasons: there is a general increase in business communication, in-company and with customers and suppliers; trends such as globalisation and deregulation increase competition; companies are downsizing and fewer secretaries are employed to protect people from information; more outsourcing means a wider range of other companies with which it is necessary to communicate. There are also more ways to communicate: by fax, voice mail, e-mail, internet and online conferencing, in addition to the more traditional methods, telephone, meetings, post and telex. The cost to business Time is wasted. People spend too much time looking for information. 38% of managers surveyed waste substantial amounts of time just looking for information. Factors such as the holding of files in different software formats and the speed of the internet at critical times of day contribute to this. Decisions are often delayed: 43% of respondents though that decisions were delayed and otherwise adversely affected by analysis paralysis or the existence of too much information. 47% of respondents said that information collection distracts them from their main responsibilities. They find it difficult to develop strategies for dealing with the information they retrieve. It is interesting to imagine the potential increase in productivity if all distractions were removed. The human costs The study identified for the first time that information overload contributes to stress. Two out of three respondents associated information overload with tension with colleagues and loss of job satisfaction. 42% attributed ill-health to this stress. 61% said that they have to cancel social activities as a result of information overload and 60% that they are frequently too tired for leisure activities. National differences In general these were not considered to be of great significance. Managers in the USA and the United Kingdom get the most unsolicited information. Asian managers appear to need less information to make decisions: only 9% claimed to need enormous amounts of information compared with 31% in the United States. Their major decisions may be made through intuition to a greater extent. More United States managers (39%) agree that they suffer stress than those in the UK and Hong Kong. People can no longer develop effective personal strategies for managing information. Faced with an onslaught of information and information channels, they have become unable to develop simple routines for managing information. Technologies for managing information are often the problem, not the solution. They can create the M25 effect: more lanes just means more traffic. People create and distribute because they can, not because its useful. Intranets can become like the internet full of home-made home pages and dead links. Intelligent agents frequently do not live up to their name. Current research suggests that the surging volume of available information-and its interruption of peoples work-can adversely affect not only personal well-being but also decision making, innovation, and productivity. In one study, for example, people took an average of nearly 25 minutes to return to a work task after an e-mail interruption. Thats bad news for both individuals and their organizations. Theres hope, though. Innovative tools and techniques promise relief for those of us struggling with information inundation. Some are technological solutions-software that automatically sorts and prioritizes incoming e-mail, for instance-designed to regulate or divert the deluge. Others prevent people from drowning by getting them to change the way they behave and think. Who knows: Maybe someday even I will enjoy swimming in the powerful currents of information that now threaten to pull me under. Before we can take action / set the procedure to minimize the negative effect of information overload, we should do the analysis of information flows both individual and organisation. Not only for electronic information source such email, but also for spoken words, reading books and talking to friends and family. The analysis is started with identification what information we need based on our key information areas, when we need the information, to whom we should exchange the information with (information sharing), and why we need the information and how we turn the information into results. After understand the information flow, we will be able to set/construct the procedure of information handling which consists of filtering, information pruning, time management, to-do list and optimization the use of current technology as information organizing and distributing tool. There are two types of filtering information i.e. technical filter and daily communication filter. The technical filter is easier to manage as once we set our preference it will work accordingly. An example of technical filter is filter function that is available in e-mails. Filtering daily communication is more difficult because it depends much on the situation and current conversation at that time. Every reaction to another person is an indication of what you want to hear or not hear during the rest of the conversation. We often think that the information is important/useful for the recipient which actually not from recipient point of view. Filter prime our thinking and test whether the new information is important. However, the filter should not be too rigid, as it may exclude coincidences. We will no longer accidentally stumble across information, as is often part of searches on the internet. As regards of second information flow, we can decide more quickly to simply stop receiving it if the information is just nice to know instead of need to know. We will not miss anything as we dont use this information for making decision. Besides that, this less important information will leave us less time for really important information. There is a tool for technical pruning such as setting up the expiry date and which action should we take e.g. file, cancel, delete, etc. Time management is important as time is always in exceedingly short supply. We never enough with the time that we have. Therefore, attention and concentration are important aspect in time management. With full attention and concentration the time spent for managing information is more efficient. Because we need to remember increasingly more, we need an aid i.e. to do list of actions so that we can keep tracking what things we still need to do/settle. This practice alone will give us a lot of added value. Besides the to-do list, it is also good if we also make not-to-list so that when the time come, we are ready. Nowadays with high technology we can optimize the IT to help us to organize and distribute the information.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Stem Cell Research and a Ban on Human Cloning :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Stem Cell Research and a Ban on Human Cloning    Some biotechnology companies claim that a ban on producing human embryos through cloning would stall important research in generating "stem cells" to cure a variety of diseases [Cong. Record, 2/5/98, S425]. To put this claim in perspective:    1. Cloning is desired as a source of "customized stem cell lines" which would be an exact genetic match to each individual patient with a given disease. But this would require each individual patient to undergo somatic cell nuclear transfer to produce one or many living human embryos who genetically are the patient's identical twin sisters or brothers. These embryos would then be destroyed to provide embryonic stem cells.    Two methods of obtaining the cells have been described. In one, the embryo is allowed to develop normally for a week or two to the blastocyst stage, at or after the usual time of implantation in the mother's womb; then this embryo, consisting of hundreds of cells, is dissected for its stem cells. The other method is to introduce molecular signals into the embryo's environment to "trick" its cells into departing from normal development and instead producing "a mass of undifferentiated tissue," which can then be reprogrammed into various kinds of cells [Lee Silver, Remaking Eden: Cloning and Beyond in a Brave New World (Avon Books 1997), p. 128]. In either case, the living embryo is destroyed.    2. This avenue for providing medical benefits has been described even by supporters as "largely conjectural" (J. Kassirer and N. Rosenthal, in New England Journal of Medicine, March 26, 1998, p. 905). President Clinton's National Bioethics Advisory Commission called it "a rather expensive and far-fetched scenario." The Commission observed: "Because of ethical and moral concerns raised by the use of embryos for research purposes it would be far more desirable to explore the direct use of human cells of adult origin to produce specialized cells or tissues for transplantation into patients." The Commission outlined three alternative avenues for promising research using stem cells that do not involve human cloning, two of which do not use human embryos at all (Cloning Human Beings: Report and Recommendations of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, June 1997, pp. 30-31).    The Commission's Alternatives    The alternatives outlined by President Clinton's Commission are as follows:    1. Generating "a few, widely used and well characterized human embryonic stem cell lines, genetically altered to prevent graft rejection in all possible recipients.

Diabetes :: essays research papers

Diabetes, a disease associated with serious complications and premature death, is known as a group of diseases characterized by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production and/or insulin action.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most that do not know much about the disease would suspect there was only one type when there are 3 forms of diabetes. Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational diabetes are the three most common cases the most diabetes patients are diagnosed with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Type 1 diabetes, which is usually known for striking children and young adults, develops when the body’s immune system destroys Pancreatic Beta cells. Pancreatic Beta cells are the only cells that regulate blood glucose. Patients with this type of diabetes usually need several insulin injections a day or and insulin pump to maintain or survive. Family history, Autoimmune disease, where the body mistakenly attacks the insulin producing cells, and environmental factors are risks factors of type 1 diabetes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, Type 2, which is the most common, accounts for 90-95% of all diagnosed cases. It begins with resistance to insulin. This is when cell do not use insulin properly. Risks of type 2 is anyone age 45 or older, obesity, family history of diabetes, diabetes during pregnancy, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and being of the Native American, Hispanic/ Latino American, Asian, or Pacific Islander race.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Last, Gestational diabetes, which is a form of glucose intolerance that is diagnosed with some women at pregnancy. It requires treatment to help normalize maternal blood glucose levels. These treatments are given to avoid complications in the infant during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is most common in African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Indian American Women, Obese women, and is common in family history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People with diabetes can follow many steps to control the disease and lower the risks of complications while living with it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Studies have shown medications to successful in preventing diabetes. Metformin is a common treatment drug to control all types of diabetes.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Malvolio in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night Essay -- Malvolio Will

Malvolio in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night The problem involving Malvolio in Twelfth Night has been known for a long time but still very difficult. The gist of it is this. A lot of modern readers or spectators feel that the way in which Malvolio is treated is extremely bad. We expect him to become the centre of humour; we know that in the business of comedy, a very puritanical and rather joyless figure is likely to receive comedic humiliation; but in this case the humiliation that Malvolio gets, seems protracted and harsh. The harshness of Malvolio's treatment seemed to also have a negative effect on the ending, his attitude seemed to cloud the joyful atmosphere. We could argue that Malvolio bought this mistreatment on himself and perhaps deserved it after his bad treatment of the other characters; In some way Malvolio thought that he had superiority over Feste and as a result treated him unsympathetically and intolerantly. He also put Feste down repeatedly. Malvolio was also a killjoy and during the play ...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Face Recognition Technology for Entrance Control Essay

Facial recognition technology refers to a computer driven application that automatically identifies an individual from his or her digital image by a comparison of particular facial features in a facial database and in a live image (Vacca, 2007, p. 95).   The technology creates a template of people’s facial configurations, such as the lengths of their noses and the angles of their jaws.   It thereby functions like other biometric technologies (e.g. iris scanning) that use biological features for the purposes of recognition. According to Visionics, a manufacturer of face recognition technology, the technology is capable of finding human faces â€Å"anywhere in the field of view and at any distance, and it can continuously track them and crop them out of the scene, matching the face against a watch list† (Kautzer, 2002).   What is more, facial recognition technology is nowadays used for entrance management.   Systems are being designed to automatically open doors to only those individuals whose facial features are recognizable because they have been fed into those systems (â€Å"Face Recognition Entrance Control System,† 2009). But, is there more to face recognition technology than meets the eye?   In other words, is it reasonable to rely on the effectiveness of face recognition technology for entrance control? Description and Uses of Facial Recognition Technology It is natural brain technology that allows humans to recognize fellow human beings.   According to Bruce & Young (1986), there are â€Å"face recognition units† in the brains of human beings (p. 361).   Face recognition involves matching â€Å"the products of structural encoding,† that is, facial features that are spotted by the eye with â€Å"previously stored structural codes† (Bruce & Young, p. 361). Vacca writes that there are three areas of the face that are â€Å"primary targets† in face recognition because they do not typically change (p. 95).   These parts of the face include upper sections of a person’s eye sockets, the part of the face surrounding one’s cheekbones, and the sides of the human mouth. Regardless of whether the human brain also considers these parts of the face most crucial to facial recognition, Vacca explains three different techniques used in man-made face recognition technology, namely, eigenface systems, eigenfeature systems, and thermal imaging.   Eigenface image systems capture facial images and change them to â€Å"light and dark areas† (Vacca, p. 95).   In eigenfeature systems, certain features of the face, for example, the eyes and the mouth, are picked out and distances are measured between these features.   Thermal imaging systems, on the other hand, take thermal images of the human face, focusing on the pattern of blood vessels (Vacca). Even though iris scanning and other kinds of biometric technologies are known to be far more accurate than face recognition technology, it is believed that the latter would be more widely accepted because it is least intrusive.   This technology does not require users to push, click, or insert anything into the system, despite the fact that it takes many experts to create eigenface, eigenfeature or thermal imaging systems. Moreover, organizations using the face recognition technology do not require the installation of anything except a new software application.   The cameras already in place as well as pictures of individuals on file are enough for organizations that use this technology. Hence, face recognition technology is cheaper than iris scanning, for instance, which requires reading setups (Rutherford, 2001).   According to Frances Zelazney, who works as the director of corporate communication at Visionics – a leading developer of biometrics – yet another advantage of facial recognition technology as compared to other biometric technologies is that â€Å"facial recognition provides for inherent human backup because we naturally recognize one another†¦Ã‚   If the system goes down, someone can pull out an ID with a picture as backup, something you can’t do with fingerprint devices† (Rutherford). Unsurprisingly, facial recognition technology is known as the fastest growing biometric technology in our day.   Law enforcement agencies and the military have been successfully using the technology for many years without the public being aware of it.   In the year 1988, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Lakewood Division, began using composite sketches of suspects, as well as video images, in order to conduct searches on a database of digital facial shots. The department also has a photo database of sex offenders and plans to find suspects on this database.   Then there is the Gang Reporting Evaluation Tracking system that can be searched with the use of photos of suspects in order for law enforcement to circumvent false identification cards as well as information that has been presented by gang members (Jarvis). Other applications of face recognition technology in the area of criminal investigation include the Integrated Law Enforcement Face-Identification System which incorporates a unique three dimensional composite technology to identify angled-view face shots more easily.   The system is meant to be very helpful in the correct identification of uncooperative suspects in addition to subjects that have been caught from a distance using video surveillance cameras. Britain is known to use at least two hundred thousand video cameras for surveillance.   Many of these cameras are being installed with the facial recognition technology today.   Typically these systems use computers to monitor cameras that are looking for recognized criminals.   As soon as the system is seen to identify a known criminal, the police are called (Jarvis). There are numerous United States embassies around the world that are using the face recognition technology to keep criminals from entering the country.   The Israel-Palestine border control is similarly using the technology to reduce crime (Jarvis).   IQ Biometrix, established in 2001, was a company providing help to thousands of law enforcement agencies around the world with the FACES â„ ¢, a groundbreaking software tool allowing users to create and recreate billions of face shots, as well as encode, catalogue and transmit them. The technology incorporated a facial composite tool that the FBI and the CIA also used.   The United States Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy, and various local as well as state police agencies had similarly opted for this groundbreaking system of facial recognition (â€Å"IQ Biometrix†). Given the importance of putting a name to a face in law enforcement, whether it is to solve crimes, protect the public, or to ensure security in jails, face recognition technology is proving itself to be of tremendous value.   Sheriff Everett Rice with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in Florida employs the Viisage face recognition technology to â€Å"positively identify and verify individuals† (â€Å"Facial Recognition in Action,† 2007).   Some of these individuals have been recently arrested while others are about to be released.   So far, application of the technology has been successful, and users of the technology believe that it would have a greater impact on crime control in the years to come (â€Å"Facial Recognition in Action†).   The following is a detailed account of the case being considered:   Application of face recognition technology by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is a model for other agencies involved in criminal investigation.   The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has applied the new technology in other ways as well.   As an example, the Sheriff’s Office has expanded use of the technology to its patrol cars to allow street deputies to identify those individuals that have been stopped and are unable to produce identification. There are workstations in the Pinellas Country where investigators may use face recognition technology to compare images that have been acquired in investigations.   This system allows for search of at least two million images within ten seconds.   What is more, this browser based system is available in the cars of deputies that patrol the streets of the Pinellas County (â€Å"Facial Recognition in Action†).   Report on the use of face recognition technology for law enforcement in the Pinellas County continues thus

Monday, September 16, 2019

E-commerce

Throughout my four years at the universe sits of Gullah, I have learned one very important thing: learning does not end once you graduate high school or university, it is a continuous facet of life that should never be ignored but embraced. I am sure that learn something new every day. It may not be life altering; It may be something so minute that I missed the fact that I learned it. For example, each day In my anatomy class I learn how the human body works. Monday, I didn't know that each vein doses' have corresponding arteries, but on Wednesday, I did.Just last week, I learn d how easy It Is to make tomato sauce. These little events led me to believe that learning never ends and I can use this new knowledge to better my life. The knowledge I gained in high school helped me to succeed in University, and the knowledge I gain In University will help me to succeed In the Job field. I know that over the past four years, I ha eve developed my skills and learned quite a lot. For instance , when I study for a test, it is not Just to memorize the material like I did in high school, but also to under stand the material presented to me.This method not only helps me get great mark s on tests, but now can utilize this knowledge in my every day life. My faith re was a big coffee drinker. He drank 6 cups of coffee a day. After my first year of university, I Lear Ned how to research a topic and present In a simple, effective e manner. I researched the disadvantages and side effects of drinking coffee and GA eve this information to him, in the hopes that he would cut back, which he did. I have also learned that there AR information.For instance, some people are better learners who n they are being lectured to: others learn better independent TTYL, I learn the best when it is hands- on. For instance, in my organic chemist ray class, I understood the concepts a lot better in the laboratory than in class. This as peck of learning also applies to my life as a peer helper. When I first became a peer, there were many procedures, and formats that I needed to learn. I found it very difficult to read a hand out, as my supervisor was lecturing me too. I decide deed that in order to understand these procedures, I need to physically go through h them.This hands- on approach allowed Bases of Competence Skills Portfolio Specifications Fred Veers page 26 of 34 September 2005 me to understand this new information the best and help me to be the most effective at my Job. The development of my ability to learn is also apparent in my social life. In many aspects of my life, I have to be professional, something I never thought I needed to be. In high school, I acted however I wanted, whenever I wanted, even if it left a poor impression of me. I can remember this one incident when I was being particularly rude to my mother at the bank. E-commerce Throughout my four years at the universe sits of Gullah, I have learned one very important thing: learning does not end once you graduate high school or university, it is a continuous facet of life that should never be ignored but embraced. I am sure that learn something new every day. It may not be life altering; It may be something so minute that I missed the fact that I learned it. For example, each day In my anatomy class I learn how the human body works. Monday, I didn't know that each vein doses' have corresponding arteries, but on Wednesday, I did.Just last week, I learn d how easy It Is to make tomato sauce. These little events led me to believe that learning never ends and I can use this new knowledge to better my life. The knowledge I gained in high school helped me to succeed in University, and the knowledge I gain In University will help me to succeed In the Job field. I know that over the past four years, I ha eve developed my skills and learned quite a lot. For instance , when I study for a test, it is not Just to memorize the material like I did in high school, but also to under stand the material presented to me.This method not only helps me get great mark s on tests, but now can utilize this knowledge in my every day life. My faith re was a big coffee drinker. He drank 6 cups of coffee a day. After my first year of university, I Lear Ned how to research a topic and present In a simple, effective e manner. I researched the disadvantages and side effects of drinking coffee and GA eve this information to him, in the hopes that he would cut back, which he did. I have also learned that there AR information.For instance, some people are better learners who n they are being lectured to: others learn better independent TTYL, I learn the best when it is hands- on. For instance, in my organic chemist ray class, I understood the concepts a lot better in the laboratory than in class. This as peck of learning also applies to my life as a peer helper. When I first became a peer, there were many procedures, and formats that I needed to learn. I found it very difficult to read a hand out, as my supervisor was lecturing me too. I decide deed that in order to understand these procedures, I need to physically go through h them.This hands- on approach allowed Bases of Competence Skills Portfolio Specifications Fred Veers page 26 of 34 September 2005 me to understand this new information the best and help me to be the most effective at my Job. The development of my ability to learn is also apparent in my social life. In many aspects of my life, I have to be professional, something I never thought I needed to be. In high school, I acted however I wanted, whenever I wanted, even if it left a poor impression of me. I can remember this one incident when I was being particularly rude to my mother at the bank. E-commerce Throughout my four years at the universe sits of Gullah, I have learned one very important thing: learning does not end once you graduate high school or university, it is a continuous facet of life that should never be ignored but embraced. I am sure that learn something new every day. It may not be life altering; It may be something so minute that I missed the fact that I learned it. For example, each day In my anatomy class I learn how the human body works. Monday, I didn't know that each vein doses' have corresponding arteries, but on Wednesday, I did.Just last week, I learn d how easy It Is to make tomato sauce. These little events led me to believe that learning never ends and I can use this new knowledge to better my life. The knowledge I gained in high school helped me to succeed in University, and the knowledge I gain In University will help me to succeed In the Job field. I know that over the past four years, I ha eve developed my skills and learned quite a lot. For instance , when I study for a test, it is not Just to memorize the material like I did in high school, but also to under stand the material presented to me.This method not only helps me get great mark s on tests, but now can utilize this knowledge in my every day life. My faith re was a big coffee drinker. He drank 6 cups of coffee a day. After my first year of university, I Lear Ned how to research a topic and present In a simple, effective e manner. I researched the disadvantages and side effects of drinking coffee and GA eve this information to him, in the hopes that he would cut back, which he did. I have also learned that there AR information.For instance, some people are better learners who n they are being lectured to: others learn better independent TTYL, I learn the best when it is hands- on. For instance, in my organic chemist ray class, I understood the concepts a lot better in the laboratory than in class. This as peck of learning also applies to my life as a peer helper. When I first became a peer, there were many procedures, and formats that I needed to learn. I found it very difficult to read a hand out, as my supervisor was lecturing me too. I decide deed that in order to understand these procedures, I need to physically go through h them.This hands- on approach allowed Bases of Competence Skills Portfolio Specifications Fred Veers page 26 of 34 September 2005 me to understand this new information the best and help me to be the most effective at my Job. The development of my ability to learn is also apparent in my social life. In many aspects of my life, I have to be professional, something I never thought I needed to be. In high school, I acted however I wanted, whenever I wanted, even if it left a poor impression of me. I can remember this one incident when I was being particularly rude to my mother at the bank.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Alternative fuel for cars – Research Proposal

This research proposal is written for proposing further research on the suitable and economically sustainable alternative fuel for cars. This study was taken as need of hour to reduce the cost towards oil imports and control pollution, which if not controlled now, will lead to worst Global Warming. Basically this proposal is based on the current and projected car population. To be sustainable and economical, the researcher has taken the study envisaging on the car market. The cars are major attributors to emission. Since car population density is directly proportional to the human population density, there will be more harm to the people.Car population and projections Number of cars in the developing world will increase 300% between 1995 and 2020. The growth in automobile population is growing at slightly less than twice the rate of the human population in North America and Western Europe. The growth of cars in developing countries is proliferating due to economic boom. There have be en no oil field discoveries since 1988 and there will be a global decline in oil production within 15 to 20 years. It is projected that by 2020 there will be well over 1. 1 billion motor vehicles (cars) in the world. Riley, R (2006).World car population. Retrieved April 7, 2008, Web site: http://www. rqriley. com/sld002. htm There were 200 million cars in 1970 and 500 million cars in 1990. During 1997 there were 600 million cars and by 2027 the projection is double the figure of 1997 data. Elert, G (2003). Number of cars. Retrieved April 7, 2008, Web site: http://hypertextbook. com/facts/2001/MarinaStasenko. shtml Current Global warming and its effect and projection CO2 had varied only about 5 percent from the last ice age (10,000 years ago) to the industrial revolution year in the last century.The CO2 level in atmosphere from the industrial revolution year to 2030 is estimated to be doubled. That means within 150 years, the CO2 level in atmosphere will be doubled. Main reason and o ne of the biggest single contributors for this change is emission from the burning of fossil fuels. We were able to control emissions by 95% in the last 20 years by the state of art emission control systems and research on fuel ingredients which resulted to lesser emissions. But looking at the projected car population the advantage gained through the emission control will be wiped off in a decade. Riley, R (2006).World car population. Retrieved April 7, 2008, Web site: http:// www. rqriley. com/moma2. htm Different alternative fuels –Merits and Demerits Ethanol –Produced from starch crops like corn and other crops like sugar beets, cane or cellulose materials, fast growing trees and grasses. It produces less green house gas emissions than conventional fuel. One third of US gasoline contains ethanol in a low level blend to reduce air pollution. The disadvantage is, it gives lesser mileage because of its lower energy content than straight petrol. Bio diesel – Prod uced from vegetable oils and animal fats.It produces less air pollution than petroleum based diesel. Production is expensive. Cost can be brought done by doing research. No need to modify the engines. Good lubricant to the engine. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-Fossil fuel, generates less air pollutants. It is expensive. Compressed natural gas (CNG) – It produces very low level of pollution. Available refuelling station is still a problem. The storage place in the car occupies more space. Not able to go long distance because of refuelling station availability problem. Hydrogen-It can be produced from fossil fuels, nuclear power or from renewable resources like hydropower.Fuel cell vehicles powered by pure hydrogen emit no harmful air pollutants. Methanol – It is also known as wood alcohol. Methanol is produced by a process using natural gas as a feedstock. It will contaminate ground water. It gives very less mileage. Electricity-It is very silent and no pollution at all . The cost of Vehicle fitted with electric motor is in higher side, the battery charging time is too long. It takes even 8-10 hours to fully charge. The cost of running the car is very cheap. It is only good for city riding with lesser kilometre. For a long distance, it cannot be used because recharging is required for every 150 km.Hybrid cars- It uses combination of small internal combustion engine and an electric motor. It switches between IC engine and electric motors depending on the terrains and speeds. The cars with this type of arrangement are getting popular. The good example for this is Toyota Prius Ron giles (2006), Web extension to Babyboomers, Retrieved April 7, 2008 from the World Wide Web:http://www. babyboomersguide. co. nz/Articles/Alternative+Fuels. html Methodology The above said alternate fuels are under continuous research and until now no breakthrough outcomes has been implementation.The problems with the above fuels are the cost of production of fuel itself. It is costlier than petrol and diesel, the performance does not match with the existing petrol and diesel engines, engine modification cost is too high to accommodate the alternative fuel, refilling, recharging and distribution problem exists. Hence there is no practical breakthrough yet. Already all car manufacturers have invested huge money, time and effort in developing engines for performance and getting succeeded in terms of better torque, noise level, better pickup and mileage.To cope up with this, the research should be practicable and down to earth without any major investment. My proposal My proposal is for Bio Diesel. The reason for selecting for further research is, it is viable, practicable and affordable alternative fuel with no major research cost comparing with research cost of other alternative fuels. By using Bio Diesel there is no pollution problem, no modification of existing car engines for using the same. Only slight adjustments required. It lubricates the engines thus gives longer life to it. The existing distribution system of petrol pumps can be used.It performs better at par with petrol and diesel. It is very safe in transportation better than petrol and diesel because of high flash point. Bio Diesel works well with new technologies such as catalysts. The areas where the research is required is only on ensuring abundant economical availability of the inputs and reducing cost of production by looking into the process . This researcher strongly recommends research on Bio Diesel as future alternative fuel for cars to control the petrol, diesel prices and reduce emission which threatens in the form of Global Warming.References Web extension to National Biodiesel Board, Retrieved April 7, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. biodiesel. org/ Web extension to Bio Diesel Now, Retrieved April 7, 2008 from the World Wide Web:http://www. biodieselnow. com/ Ron giles. (2006). Web extension to Babyboomers, Retrieved April 7, 2008 from the World Wide Web:http://www. babyboomersguide. co. nz/Articles/Alternative+Fuels. html Web extension to Car Stuff, Retrived April 7,2008 from the World Wide Web:http://www. car-stuff. com/carlinks/future. htm About. Inc. (2008). Web extension to About.com:cars, Retrieved April,7 2008 from world web http://cars. about. com/od/alternativetransport/ US Department of Energy. (2007, November,20), Web extension to Alternative and Advanced fuels , Retrived April 7, 2008 from the World wide web: http://www. eere. energy. gov/afdc/fuels/ Edumands Inc. (2007). Web extension to China’s car boom:Privately owned car, Retrived April 7, 2008 from World Wide Web: http://www. edmunds. com/insideline/do/News/articleId=121598 Fuel Economy (2007),Web extension to Alternative fuels, Retrieved April 7, 2008 from World Wide Web: http://www. fueleconomy.gov/Feg/current. shtml Hydrogen boost. (2007). Web extension to What is the Hydrogen-Boost Mileage Enhancement System? Retrieved April 7, 2008 from World Wi de Web: www. hydrogen-boost. com/ About. Com (2008). Web extension to Alternative fulesyou’re your car and gasoline saving, Retrived April 7,2008 from World Wide Web,http://saveenergy. about. com/od/fuelingyourautomobile/Alternative_Fuels_for_your_Car_and_Gasoline_Savings. htm About. Com (2008). Web extension to Bio Diesel, Retrived April 7,2008 from http://saveenergy. about. com/od/fuelingyourautomobile/g/biodiesel. htm

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Is Macbeth a true tragic hero? Essay

Amongst all of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Macbeth is the most inconsistent and fragmented. Like the mental state of the protagonist, the tragic structure of the play is in disarray from the very onset. According to Aristotle, all tragedies must follow a certain set of characteristics, and the most important of these is the presence of a tragic hero. This tragic hero must possess a tragic flaw, or hamartia, which is a good quality taken to such an extreme that it now exhibits immoral behaviour from the hero. He must also draw sympathy of his plight from the audience. Macbeth, although the protagonist, is not a tragic hero because he does not possess this hamartia. This significant absence of a flaw leads to his actions being without justification, drawing no sympathy from the audience. Because Lady Macbeth’s love for Macbeth acts as a tragic flaw by ultimately bringing about her downfall and extracting a great amount of sympathy from the audience, she exhibits attributes m ore tragically heroic than Macbeth. Macbeth is the protagonist of Macbeth because the play is inexorably tied to his actions. A protagonist is defined as â€Å"the leading character of a literary work†. In Shakespearean tragedies, the protagonist must also be from the nobility and possess exceptional character and vitality. One need not look farther than the title to determine Macbeth’s importance in the play. While the title does not necessarily provide fair judgement of content, Shakespeare has an uncanny habit of titling his tragedies with the name of the protagonist: Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Julius Caesar and Othello are examples. As the play commences, farther evidence of Macbeth’s importance is apparent through the witches’ subject in the very first scene: â€Å"There to meet with Macbeth† (I.i.7). It is for Macbeth that they will gather upon the heath, and he upon whom their efforts will be focused. In the next scene, Macbeth’s nobility is confirmed through Duncan’s heartfelt â€Å"O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!† (I.ii.24). The exclamatory nature of this sentence testifies Duncan’s affiliation with, and high regard for, Macbeth. After the victorious battle, Ross describes Macbeth as â€Å"Bellona’s bridegroom† (I.ii.54), an allusion meaning the husband of the Goddess of War, thus establishing him to be of exceptional character and vitality. Macbeth’s role as the protagonist is therefore legitimized through other’s perception of him and his own noble character. While Macbeth is the protagonist and therefore meant to be the tragic hero, the glaring absence of a tragic flaw in his character prevents his recognition as thus. A tragic flaw must be a good quality taken to such an extreme that it now exhibits immoral behaviour. Macbeth has many flaws, a hunger for power and a belief of superiority among them, yet none of these are tragic flaws because they do not have the ability to be virtuous qualities. This leaves ambition and imagination as the main competitors. Ambition cannot be Macbeth’s tragic flaw because he recognizes it in his confusion soliloquy even before he kills Duncan:I have no spurTo prick the sides of my intent, but onlyVaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself,And falls on the other. (I.vii.25-28)When Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s intentions right after the deliverance of this soliloquy, the recognition of his ambition leads him to a decisive â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business† (I. vii.31). The reason he later kills Duncan is because Lady Macbeth appeals not to his ambitious nature, but to his pride. She accuses him of being â€Å"a coward in [his] own esteem† (I.vii.43) and weak in manliness: â€Å"†¦you would/Be so much more the man† (I.vii.50-51). It is not ambition, but a wounded pride and an inbred impulse to unquestioningly follow his wife that leads Macbeth to finally commit the deed that ultimately brings about his downfall. Yet pride is also not his tragic flaw because it does not spur any of his other great crimes. While pride triggers, but is not the cause of, Macbeth’s downfall, an active imagination is not the tragic flaw because it merely serves as an instrument to illustrate that a character is in a confused state of mind. Macbeth is self-doubting all through the first three acts of the play; in his lines following the witches’ initial prophecies, he states â€Å"Come what come may† (I.iii.146), portraying his lack of wilful decisiveness. Yet after the witches’ second set of prophecies, he takes decisive measures to â€Å"crown [his] thoughts with acts† (IV.i.149), and his imagination vanishes. Similarly, Lady Macbeth’s first statement of â€Å"Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be/What thou art promis’d† (I.v.15-16) establishes her steely resolve. She is practical and untroubled by any visions. When she realizes the extent of the damage she has caused, however, her imagination takes full reign. In the sleepwalking scene, she is depicted as a broken figure,  tormented by imaginative hallucinations. In both cases, imagination comes along when the character is in a disorderly state of mind; therefore, imagination, like ambition, is not Macbeth’s tragic flaw, testifying that Macbeth does not possess one and therefore is unrecognizable as a tragic hero. Macbeth’s lack of such a flaw deems all his heinous actions without justification, and as a result, draws no sympathy from the audience. The blame for his lapse in character can be placed upon nothing but his own non-tragic flaws. He is depicted as a cowardly man: he kills Duncan because of his inability to make decisions for himself; Banquo out of paranoia: â€Å"our fears in Banquo/stick deep† (III.i.49-50) he says, before ordering the murderers to kill his former friend; and Lady Macduff and her son out of spite: his true quarrel is with Macduff, however as he realizes that the nobleman has escaped his clutches, he proceeds to â€Å"give to the edge o’ the sword/[Macduff’s] wife [and] his babes† (IV.i.151-152). Macbeth’s central desire, the want to safely be king, is born of nothing more than despicable cowardice. The audience gets a sense of this despicability in Macbeth’s character firstly through the witches’ mention of hi m: â€Å"There to meet with Macbeth† (I.i.7). By associating him with the witches so early, Shakespeare foreshadows Macbeth’s later affiliation with them. Lady Macbeth recognizes cowardice and ineptitude in Macbeth: she calls him â€Å"Infirm of purpose!† when he is unable to carry out the plan of killing Duncan to her perfection. It seems that Shakespeare attempts a sympathy-inducing endeavour through Macbeth’s â€Å"Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/Clean from my hand?† (II.ii.60-61). This attempt backfires however, because instead of showing Macbeth in a remorseful light, the irrepressible imagery of blood only serves to farther exemplify the wrongs he has wrought and how disastrous they are to his moral being. As the plot furthers, Macbeth’s crimes pile up, from belittlement, to hypocrisy, to bare-faced lying, and finally to treacherous murders. Even in catharsis he is despicable; his first words upon realizing the truth about the witches are â€Å"Accursed be that tongue that tells me so† (V.viii.17), cursing others instead of himself for the dreadful deeds he has committed. This is not pitiful, but repulsive. These crimes all sprout from the regicide at the beginning, and since this  first terrible crime lacked purpose, the others do so too. From the very onset, Lady Macbeth is sharply contrasted with Macbeth because she possesses this purpose, driven forward by her love for Macbeth. This love is her tragic flaw because it leads to her ultimate downfall. She does not want Macbeth to be king because of some ulterior motive; she wants it for his benefit. Nowhere in her first soliloquy, in which she speaks to herself and need not hide her true thoughts, does she mention the want of greatness for herself; instead, she refers to Macbeth and says, â€Å"Thou wouldst be great† (I.v.18) and â€Å"Thou ‘ldst have [the crown]† (I.v.22), proving her loyalty to Macbeth’s cause for his sake. She proceeds then to call upon â€Å"spirits/That tend on mortal thoughts† (I.v.40-41) to rid her of all kindness, gentleness, sensitivity, sweetness, and pity that accompanies her womanly nature, all the better to kill Duncan. This is not a small sacrifice on her part, as seen later through the repercussions it has on her conscience. After Macbeth becomes king and begins isolating Lady Macbeth, the once resolute woman is portrayed as a powerless being, unable to survive without the husband that once loved but now alienates her: â€Å"why do you keep alone?† (III.ii.8) she asks him after having to request a meeting to speak with him. During the banquet, she is seen to jeopardize her reputation as a graceful hostess to protect Macbeth: â€Å"Stand not upon the order of your going,/But go at once† (III.iv.85), she says to the noblemen. It is Lady Macbeth’s tragedy that she sacrifices so much for the love of a husband that will not confide in her anymore, and this love is much more sorrowful than the alleged tragedy of Macbeth, which is born from his cowardice. Because her tragic flaw is something pure and good, her demise is so heartbreaking, so utterly tragic, that it draws an unequalled amount of audience sympathy. The infamous Sleepwalking Scene, the last presence of Lady Macbeth in the play, shows that she has reached the very bottom of the pit of tragic downfall that she started falling down at the beginning of Act III. It is a reflection of her mental and emotional state that she speaks in prose instead of iambic pentameter in this entire scene. While Macbeth, previously occupied by horrible hallucinations, has now dulled his ability for feeling horror, Lady Macbeth has done the opposite. This role-reversal  leaves her in a state of severe trauma, exposing her inner thoughts and feelings. The gentlewoman’s words of â€Å"This is [Lady Macbeth’s] very guise, and, upon my life, fast asleep† (V.i.20-21) depict Lady Macbeth’s trauma as being so great that she cannot escape it even in sleep. This is decidedly more sympathy-inducing than Macbeth, who, the last we saw of him, had ordered the brutal murders of an innocent lady and her unguarded son (IV.i.150-154). While Macbeth seems intent upon bloodying his hands remorselessly at every opportunity, it is ironic that Lady Macbeth vigorously rubs her hand to get them rid of Duncan’s blood: â€Å"It is an accustomed action with [Lady Macbeth], to be seen thus washing her hands† (V.i.29-30). This irony excites audience pity for Lady Macbeth as she is clearly disillusioned and has reached her tragic recognition much earlier and more genuinely than Macbeth does. The imagery of blood that is present throughout the play now reaches a climax as well: Lady Macbeth’s obsession with her figuratively blood-stained hand is revealed through her anguished cry of â€Å"Out damned spot!† (V.i.35); she rhetorically asks, â€Å"Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?† (V.i.39-40), then notes that â€Å"the smell of the blood† (V.i.50) is still rampant. This blood symbolizes the guilt that she is burdened with, even years after the murder she helped orchestrate, contrasted with the remorselessness of Macbeth. The gentlewoman, innocent of the crime her lady has committed, still says, â€Å"I would not have such a heart in my bosom for the dignity of the whole body† (V.i.54-55). It can be deduced that the status-deprived gentlewoman does not wish to have the status of a queen if it means feeling the sorrow of Lady Macbeth. This clearly illustrates that our heroine, the true tragic character of the play, is very broken, only because of the great love she has for her husband. Love is not a crime, and this makes her predicament all the more sympathetic. Macbeth is clearly a tragedy, yet it is tragic more because of the role of Lady Macbeth than that of Macbeth himself. The love that propels her change from a strong, sensible character to one overwrought with guilt is much more tragic than Macbeth’s character change, propagated by his cowardice and incompetence. In a play about disorder and ambiguity, where â€Å"fair is foul and foul is fair† (I.i.11), it is only fitting that the role of the tragic  hero is also clearly ambiguous. It seems that Shakespeare involved himself so much in creating perfect ambiguity that he let the tragic structure of the play become quite ambiguous as well. Bibliography Agnes, Michael, ed. Webster’s New World College Dictionary. 4th ed. Foster City: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 2001. Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Mississauga: Canadian School Book Exchange, 1996.