The Christian Understanding Of The Human Person Essay

The Christian understanding of the human person is the relationship man has with creation, man has with man and the dignity of the human person, as well as the relationship man has with God. These relationships interrelate and form who the human is and how they are in their life with God. The Laudato Si letter highlights that these are the bases for the human person. â€Å"Human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbour and with the earth itself.† Creation is humans, animals, and nature. It is the past, the future and now. All that has been made by God through love. The earth and all that inhabits it, the animals plants and between. Creation is the living plan of God. To Christians, this is the plan outline of life, it is the way God wants us to live, the way we should behave and treat others. Man needs to have a relationship with others. Gaudium Et Spes talks about the relationships man has with others, the relationship with women and with God. Genesis 2:22- 24 references the importance of these relationships; they are made of each other. They are one â€Å"The man said, â€Å"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.† Dignity is a major part of the human person to Christians. This dignity is part of the connection man has to God. Dignity of the human person is how they relate to others, how they relate to God and how they relate to themselves. LaudatoShow MoreRelatedThe Five Principle Beliefs Of Christianity1642 Words   |  7 PagesOUTLINE THE FIVE PRINCIPLE BELIEFS OF CHRISTIANITY The principle beliefs associated with Christianity exuberate the understanding of life for its adherents, whilst perpetrating an influence on society. This therefore allows for the comprehension of sacred texts and its cohesive meaning on an entity. 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I this paper I will point out important facts according to the Christian Religion and my points of view but with giving respect to the other religionsRead MoreSoul Friend : Spiritual Direction Essay1672 Words   |  7 PagesDirection in the Modern World, by Kenneth Leech, is a classic introduction among Christians to the subject of spiritual direction. Leech offers first a comprehensive historical overview of spiritual direction, then he reviews regarding the relationship between therapy, counselling and spiritual direction. Later he describes prayer in the Christian tradition, the practice of prayer, and the prophetic understanding of spiritual direction. In the following, I will provide a theological discussionRead MoreThe Human Race Essay1481 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"If you are a Christian, a Christian in the full sense of the word, then yo u are no peculiar, eccentric human being, but you are fully human. 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Asceticism in Hasidic Thought as a response to the Sabbatean Free Essays

Moodiness and the Hashish thinkers agreed to the concept of prohibiting a culture of unbridled licentiousness, reasoning that a life of excessive indulgence in the physical pleasures would not only serve to significantly detract from man’s physical productiveness but would also derogate his spiritual qualities, adversely affecting his ability to understand and properly worship his God. Therefore, both placed considerable constraints on man’s sexual life, ordinances extending far beyond the strict rabbinic decrees governing martial relations. Only with these guidelines in place did both Moodiness and the Hashish thinkers feel hat man could achieve the proper level of devotion to God and his Torah in the physical world, despite the seemingly ubiquitous pleasures of the flesh. We will write a custom essay sample on Asceticism in Hasidic Thought as a response to the Sabbatean or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, while both Moodiness and the Hashish thinkers offer different principles for differing levels of religiosity, they do not follow the same guidelines for determining the requisite levels of devotion to God. Appropriately, both Moodiness and the Hashish thinkers divide their restrictions, positing two distinct levels of prescribed action: one for a higher spiritual man and another for a lower spiritual man. It appears that the level promulgated by Moodiness for his higher spiritual man is in practice parallel to that of the Hashish lower spiritual man. Thus, while both agree in principle to the utilization of ascetic means in an effort to increase one’s religiosity, they diverge as to where the proper level of asceticism should be for their higher and lower spiritual men. What is to account for this difference in thought? I would like to posit that this change in thought came about, in part, due to the licentious sins of the Sabina movement and its inheritors. The ascetic lifestyle advocated by several Hashish leaders and thinkers, cumulating with Rabbi McCann of Burbles, may be viewed as a reactionary response to Sebastian movements, particularly Franking, and their well-known sexual misconduct. Moodiness Approach to Asceticism Moodiness presents a dual approach to asceticism’s interaction with spiritual man’s physical life. In his philosophical corpus More Invective, Moodiness writes: One should detach his thought from, and abolish his desire for bestial things†¦ The pleasures of eating, drinking, sexual intercourse and in general of the sense of touch†¦ We have it so far as we are animals like other beasts, and nothing that belongs o the notion of humanity pertains to it. 2 Further on in the More Invective he adds: (Eating, drinking, and copulation) should be reduced to the extent possible: one should do them in secret, should feel sorrowful because one does them†¦ A man should be in control of all these impulses, (and) restrict his efforts in relation to them. 3 Here Moodiness describes a paradigm for the ascetic lifestyle. He endorses a pleasure-free existence, advocating for not only â€Å"control† and â€Å"restriction,† but for â€Å"sorrow’ as well. Further, he stresses the inhumanity present within the annalistic shires of man, something which man should â€Å"detach his thought from, and abolish his desire for. † Yet, in his legal code Mishmash Torah, Moodiness adopts an entirely different perspective regarding man’s involvement with and enjoyment of the physical pleasures. There he states: Possibly a person may say: Since envy, cupids, and ambition are evil qualities to cultivate and lead to a man’s ruin, I will avoid them to the uttermost and seek their contraries. † A person following this principle, will not eat meat, or drink wine, or marry, or dwell in a descant home, or wear comely apparel, but will clothe himself in sackcloth and coarse wool like the idolaters priests. This too, is the wrong way, not to be followed†¦ Such have the sages said, â€Å"Do not the prohibitions of the Torah suffice you that you add other for yourself? And concerning this and similar excess Solomon exhorts us, â€Å"Be not over-righteous, nor excessively wise. Wherefore should you be desolate? 4 The passage from the Mishmash Torah contradicts the previously presented thoughts found in the More Invective. Moodiness writes not only about how one should participate in worldly pleasures, but also that whoever refrains from doing so is mimed a sinner. Th is suggests that an ideal exists to engage in the physical actions of the world, something which is reflected, no doubt, in the various Halation which demand pleasurable physical activity. Such an idea contrasts sharply with Moodiness’s statement in the More Invective that man should feel â€Å"sorrowful† and perform the physical actions of eating and cohabitation â€Å"in secret. † In the next section of Mishmash Torah, Moodiness continues with this formulation, explaining exactly what one should sense when engaged in the physical activities of life: Man would direct his heart and all his actions only for the aim of knowing God, and his sitting, arising, and speaking should all be considered in that light†¦ When he eats, drinks, and cohabits, he should not intend to do these things only for the sake of pleasure, to the extent that he eats and drinks only that which is sweet to the taste, or engages in sex for the purpose of pleasure. Rather, he should eat and drink only for the purpose of making his body and limbs healthy†¦ He should not engage in intercourse when he desires it, but only when he knows that he must for reasons of lath emit seed, or for the purpose of propagation. 6 â€Å"Man,† Moodiness says, â€Å"Must direct his heart and all his actions only for the aim of knowing God. Thus, according to Moodiness, when man has both the proper intentions as well as the bodily need, there exists no reason to abstain from the physical activities. In fact, it seems that engagement in such acts, when done within the proper religious context, serve to enhance and increase one’s religiosity. Further, in the next section, Moodiness elevates this idea of physical permissib ility, suggesting that man’s actions, when fused with the proper intentions, re not only acceptable but even inherently good, as they are intrinsically forms of divine service. Here he states: Whoever throughout his life follows this course of will be continually serving God, even while engaged in business and even during cohabitation, because his purpose in all that he does will be to satisfy his needs so as to have a sound body with which to serve God. Even when he sleeps and seeks repose, to calm his mind and rest his body, so as not to fall sick and be incapacitated from serving God, his sleep is service of the Almighty. In this sense our sages charges s, â€Å"Let all your deeds be for the sake of God† And Solomon in his wisdom, said, â€Å"In all your ways know him†¦ â€Å"7 The statement â€Å"Even when he sleeps†¦ His sleep is service of the Almighty’ stands in sharp contrast to the lowly position of religious value assigned to man’s physical needs by Moodiness in his More Invective. In this section, not only are man’s physical actions warranted and accepted as both natural and seemingly neutral facts of life, but rather they are also imbued with positive religious status. Man’s actions, when practiced with the proper intentions and requisite control, serve not only as ids to one’s strive for spiritual perfection, but even as genuine forms of serving God in and of themselves. For what reason does such a discrepancy between the thoughts of Moodiness in More Invective and Mishmash Torah exist? 8 Perhaps, the answer lies in the fundamental difference between More Invective and Mishmash Torah. Mishmash Torah was written for everyone; the intended audience includes both scholar and layman, and Moodiness therefore approached the topic of sexuality from the layman’s perspective. To be sure, Moodiness did not warrant limitless sexual activity to any degree, yet he did grant man the right to sexual activity when an both desired it (I. E. Bodily needs) and his intentions were properly rooted in the service of God. In More Invective however, Moodiness’s intended audience was of an entirely different nature. More Invective was written for the spiritually elite,9 the ones who engrossed themselves in the study of philosophy, what Moodiness himself termed â€Å"the zenith of all Torah study. 10 For these students of philosophy the level of asceticism presented in Mishmash Torah does not suffice. Indeed, they are held to a higher level of religious observance and hence must maintain a holier epistyle, one which includes more stringent ascetic practices than those required of the masses. Sebastian and Frankest Anti-Ascetic Practices Before discussing the particulars of the Sebastian and Frankest sexual practices, it is important to note that there are a number of corollaries between Sebastian and Hashish’s. I would argue that these similarities were a factor in pushing the Hashish thinkers towards a more ascetic approach. To begin, both movements are ones of renewal while concurrently claiming to be movements of restoration. While undoubtedly new religious sects, each claim that they’re teachings emanate for rotational Judaism. Second, Sabbaticals texts, which had not been central religious sources up to this era, take on a pivotal role in each movement. Third, both movements emerge not from the religious or intellectual elite, but rather from the plebian classes. This results in attitudes of skepticism and even contempt from the rabbinic authorities. Fourth, as popular movements, they are each shrouded in mystery, with neither program not platform in their nascent stages. Fifth, both movements share a doctrinal characteristic in their need for and reverence of a communal leader. This leader, a Attack for Hashish and Shabbiest Seven for the Sebastian (and later Jacob Frank and Eva Frank for the Franklins), is a key aspect in each movements thought, without whom the movement would collapse. Lastly, the two movements, particularly Franking and Hashish’s, share geographic-temporal similarities, with the action centering on the area of Podia, Ukraine in the mid- eighteenth century. 11 Claims of sexual libertarianism and anti-ascetic behavior against Shabbiest Seven are well known. Surgeons Schools, in his magna opus on the Sebastian movement, describes Shabbiness strange, paradoxical ascetic behavior saying: When he became master over a large number of enthusiastic followers he loud indulge his fondness of alternating semiotic and semantic rituals†¦ E can easily imagine him clad in phylacteries, singing psalms and surrounded by women and wine. The picture fits the twilight atmosphere of Subtask’s erotic mysticism. â€Å"12 Choler’s depiction of Shabbiest leaves us with a clear image of a cult-leader, whose frequently vacillating whims and fancies were indulged at will. Indeed, Shabbiest is known to have been â€Å"a lewd person,†13 and sev eral accounts speak of him confiscating betrothed and virgin women for short periods of time in what were allegedly platonic arrangements. When it comes to the Frankest movement, the claims of immorality grow ten-fold, making Shabbiest look like a celibate. Egregious sexual behavior was the norm, with instances of incest and other licentious acts commonplace. As described by Dad Rapport-Albert: There is evidence to suggest that the discipline of sexual abstinence was broken intermittently by orgiastic ceremonies conducted at precisely those times?the holiest days on the Jewish calendar?at which the Sebastian had traditionally engaged in antinomian activity. Ruches Frank, for example, is said to have summoned to his private chamber three nouns women whom he forced to carry out â€Å"shameful acts,† â€Å"abominations† and â€Å"wherefrom and other forbidden acts† on the Day of Atonement of 1800, and Jacob Frank himself was reported early in his career to have presided over a secret ceremony at which all the â€Å"brothers† and â€Å"sisters† were to Join him and his wife in a darkened room where partners were exchanged in a collective sex-act. The coexistence of sexual abstinence and profligate rites of illicit sexuality, which is by no means unusual in the history of sectarian religion, was a characteristic feature of Sebastian from the start†¦ 5 The Frankest approach to unbridled sexual ecstasy, whose rationale was based upon Sabbaticals scatological teachings of removing the yoke of Halvah in preparation for the redemption, found itself in these acts of extreme sexual perversion. Indeed, as Pale Emaciate describes, the Frankest truly believed that these acts were correct and sanctioned by God: Samuel of Buss states that â€Å"it is permissible to have children and to have sexual intercourse with someone else’s wife or one’s own sister, or even?though only in secret?with one’s own mother†¦ ‘ had carnal relations with the wife of my son†¦ And I believe that all this is permitted because God commanded us to do thus. Other testimonies described the breaking of the prohibition of incest, having sexual relations with menstruating women, masturbation (also in public) as well as the practice of sexual hospitality whereby a host offered his wife or daughter to a stranger coming as a guest to his house†¦ The women interrogated by the Station belt din reported that they slept with strangers â€Å"upon the wish of their husbands,† who â€Å"told them it was a positive commandment. â€Å"16 According to the above, Franke st Hashish Judaism Approach to Asceticism Regarding the interaction between man’s sexuality and his strive for spirituality, Hashish literature does not leave us wanting. The Maggie of Mechanize spoke of converting oneself into an â€Å"main† or â€Å"state of nothingness† during the act of intercourse. In an obviously physical act it is quite telling that the Maggie calls for the absolute negation of one’s physical self. Essentially, the Maggie states that sex, while both an important and necessary part of life, is not an act which should induce Joy or pleasure. 7 The Magic’s foremost pupil Rabbi Eliminate of Lichens (1717-1786) rived this teaching from a verse in Genesis 4:1 which states: â€Å"And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain, and said: ‘I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD. ’18 The question asked on this verse was why the Biblical author used the word ‘know for intercourse instead of a more descriptive word for the action. The a nswer given was that Adam did not act correctly during intercourse. Instead of directing all his thought to concentrate on God in heaven, he focused on his wife and her physicality, as well as his personal sexual enjoyment, thus â€Å"knowing† err. As David Bible explained, â€Å"Dam’s sin was not sexuality itself but the desire and physical enjoyment that was aroused in him while having intercourse. â€Å"19 Perhaps then, this is speaking of not only the prerequisite negation of one’s physical interaction and enjoyment, but also of the necessity to shun one’s mental involvement with the act of intercourse. This idea is quite analogous to Moodiness’s remarks in More Invective, namely that â€Å"one should detach his thought from, and abolish his desire for, bestial things. â€Å"20 Just as the Hashish thinkers discussed the actions and emotions associated with the act of intercourse, so too did they instruct regarding the proper times when the sexual act is permitted. Such an idea is found in the writing of Menace Mendel of Katz (1787-1859), who is considered to be one of the strongest advocates for asceticism among first generation Hashish’s. 1 He writes in his work Meet Vehemence about how the biblical infraction of illicit sexual relations may be applied to unnecessary relations with one’s wife, even those outside of the prohibited Indian period. 22 Such a view essentially prohibits one to engage in elation’s with his wife unless there exists a valid Halfback reason (such as the Matzoth of Noah or Pre Reeve) for doing so. This idea is quite similar to th e guidelines which Moodiness prescribes for the spiritually elite in More Invective, 23 that one should â€Å"reduce to the extent possible†24 engagement in the physical pleasures of the world. Rabbi McCann of Burbles (1772-1810) took ascetic practice a step further than others, to a level which has no parallel in Moodiness’s writings. Rabbi McCann is known for his famous claim of â€Å"for me men and woman are the name,†25 meaning that not only had he restrained his physical actions, but that he had also completely conquered his innate sexual drive. Yet, in the Hay Maharani, Rabbi McCann seems to vacillate between intense euphoria on his supposed overcoming of sexual desire and deep depression at the realization that such a desire had yet again returned to tempt him. 6 Perhaps such a state of mind drove Rabbi McCann to the extreme edge of the ascetic spectrum. Rabbi McCann, in several of the works ascribed to him, describes the idea of sexual lusts as the root of all human sin and desire. Thus, it may be said that Rabbi McCann strives to not only curb his sexual passions and avoid all forms of illicit sexuality (such as lascivious thoughts), but also to uproo t and eradicate the innate human sexual drive from his conscience. 7 Such an audacious endeavor was not intended for the masses; rather, it was reserved for the elite few, and quite possibly for Rabbi McCann alone, of whom it was said, â€Å"was keen on asserting that he, the true Addict,’ had achieved the supreme indifference to sexuality that the earlier masters had only preached. â€Å"28 The idea of guarding oneself to the extent of not attaining pleasure in the act of intercourse may be found in the ascetic practices of Rabbi McCann. True, Rabbi McCann recognized the significance of the act of intercourse in its role as facilitator of the fulfillment of Halfback obligations, yet he did not find anything attractive or pleasurable in the act itself. Rather, for him the act took on a feeling of actual physical pain: Copulation is difficult for the true Addict. Not only does he have no desire for it at all, but he experiences real suffering which is like that which the infant undergoes when he is circumcised. This very same suffering, to an even greater degree, is felt by the Addict during intercourse. The infant has no awareness; thus his suffering is not so great. But the Addict, because he is aware of the pain, suffers more greatly than does the infant. 29 Rabbi Manama’s concept of experiencing the pain of circumcision during the sexual act finds itself on the extreme outskirts of Hashish thought. While, as mentioned above, some advocate for a connection to God as opposed to one’s partner during intercourse, and some like Moodiness discuss denying oneself pleasure in the act itself, very few go so far as to assert that one should have negative, painful feelings during intercourse in an effort to facilitate a parietal, as opposed to a physical, nexus. Rabbi McCann however, stresses that only through the negation of physical pleasure could the Addict consecrate the act of intercourse; only with the physical pain of circumcision could the Addict raise the coarse annalistic nature of the sexual act to a sanctified performance, one which beholds divine partnership within the process of procreation. 30 Manama’s call for a prerequisite asceticism to facilitate a proper spiritual cleaving to God places him far beyond anything previously advocated by normative or Hashish Judaism. Yet, Rabbi McCann clearly states that this is the level of the Addict, and not that of the ordinary man. Several authors quote him as saying that â€Å"every man can be worthy of achieving this level,31† and indeed on a theoretical plane this may be true. Practically though, Rabbi McCann never demanded this of his followers, rather reserving these ascetic ideals for the true Addict, the elite core of the Hashish community, someone like Rabbi McCann himself. Conclusion Sexuality poses a unique challenge to the religious man: how can one synthesize the pleasures of the flesh with his spiritual beliefs? The answer, according to Moodiness and several Hashish thinkers, is found in individuals acts of asceticism, actions which go beyond the raw restrictions and requirements of Halvah, deeds which serve to redeem the religious man from his bestial and perhaps even sinful instincts. While the need for such actions is agreed upon by both Moodiness and the Hashish thinkers, the extent to which they must permeate man’s existence is a matter of controversy. Moodiness ‘s higher spiritual man is placed on par with the average spiritual man in Hashish thought, while the Hashish Addict, according to Rabbi McCann, takes upon himself ascetic measures far beyond those advocated for by Moodiness. As discussed above, I believe that this Hashish tendency towards asceticism came about, in part, due to its many shared factors with the Sebastian movement and desire to distance itself from the sexual immortality found among the Sebastian and Franklins. Whereas normative Maidenhead Judaism advanced two set forms of ascetic behavior, the Hashish movement saw it necessary to expand on these ascetic guidelines in an effort to distance itself from its wayward, licentious neighbors. How to cite Asceticism in Hasidic Thought as a response to the Sabbatean, Papers

Ciulla free essay sample

The first attempt for the new chief executive officer of Stratton Oil Company is to address some of the issues and complaints received for different difficulties with Stratton’s offshore oil drilling rigs. On his first excursion, he visited a rig off the coast of Africa, dubbed the Voyager 7, and what he discovered is the oil rig is really a small society, separate and distinct from the rest of the world. There are many facts for us to apply in this specific case, there is a very unfair treat between the two different employees in the Voyager 7, the first group are expatriates and the second group are African workers. The condition of living for both groups totally different. The expatriates are treated with many advantages in difference with the African workers. We can make different questions in this case, how an international organization is obligated to treat employees from different countries, what kind of policies are applicable to this case. We will write a custom essay sample on Ciulla or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I would like to say that there is nothing more important than treating everyone equally, this class of Ethical Consideration, is focus on teach us about ethic and moral principles that are applied at any place or organization. Human being is loosing the values, but we have to be ruled by the Word of God and there are principles to use to work according the mercy and love for others, Jesus called us for the sake of others, this is our first mission and I have to consider that we can work at any place in the market but I can’t forget that first I am a Christian and I have to do everything for the sake of others. This is the only way we can transform a society and transform what is around us.

What is the relationship between happiness and meaning an Example of the Topic Psychology Essays by

What is the relationship between happiness and meaning It is important to have the virtue of wisdom primarily because it will lead one to a better path. I have better understanding of wisdom today because of the information I have learned form the past. Wisdom is the blessing that one have to grow as an individual. Many people are intelligent but being wise is a gift. One can learn many things from books, internet or from the experiences of other people but wisdom is the knowledge of an information and a better understanding to it. One becomes wiser and wiser from all the experiences that he has and from all the challenge that life throws him. It is becoming of an individual to get wiser through his journey in life. My understanding of wisdom grew wiser as the course progresses. Ones capacity to understanding things is evidence that one is also wiser of all the things that surrounds us. It is a challenge for a better discernment in life as one go to a process of learning and understanding. Thus, the wisdom one acquires from all his exper iences is one way for acquiring wisdom. The depth of my understanding of wisdom has indeed become wider as my knowledge also grew wider. It is important to gain knowledge on the things we study and from the things, we learn from other people. We get knowledgeable from others experiences and most especially from our own experiences. We gain wisdom from it and the ability to make good judgment. It is also important to use our wisdom in good use and as well as to share it to other people. The gift of wisdom enables us to have a perspective that leads us to a good discernment of good and bad. From time to time, we get the chance to learn many things, things that influence us in one way or another and that contributes to the development of out character and attitudes toward life. Probably, wisdom also defines the ability of an individual to handle situation that are new or difficult to handle. Life itself is offering us wisdom and it is our own ability to embrace it and treasure. I understand that wisdom is our shield to harsh reality of life and definitely, create a bridge of understanding from all things. Better judgment concludes to better understanding hence wisdom. Need essay sample on "What is the relationship between happiness and meaning" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Part II. In the same way that we acquire wisdom from our learnings is also the ability to acquire happiness and meaning. The relationship between happiness and meaning is their correlation to life. One becomes happy through his search of the meaning of life. One lifes has purpose and this purpose is the meaning of life. You become happy through your purpose or meaning of life. As said in Mans Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, we can discover the meaning of life in three different ways: by doing good deed, by experiencing a value, and by suffering. It is true then that we discover the meaning of life as we do good deeds for the people around us as we realize there value and importance. Our experience of value of our own self is our discovery to the meaning of our own life. If people treat us good, we then realize or value as a person. From another authors point of view of happiness, Aldous Huxley derives happiness from consuming mass-produced goods, sports such as obstacle golf and centrifugal bumble-puppy, promiscuous sex Thus, Huxley gave examples of other sources of happiness and finding meaning in life. There are individual or group of people who may find happiness in these material things. While Socrates view on happiness depends on one self as he has the choice to be evil or to be virtuous. In addition, Socrates correlates happiness to virtue for one can be happy by being virtuous as well. Socrates believes that wisdom is an important component of happiness. He believes that it is important t go through life reflectively as to understand the life that we are living and the life that we need to go through. It is also important that we discuss out virtue to other people as to remind us of the meaning of our life. An American philosopher, Henry David Thoreau was a poor man. His views about happiness and meaning of life are questionable because of his status in life as a poor man. Many would correlate happiness in how rich they become and Thoreau is one of the best example of happiness, for Thoreau lived his life as a poor man yet he knows what happiness is and what the meaning of life is. While Josef Pieper, a Thomist defends his view of happiness only to be found in contemplation. Among all the views, Socrates has explained well the meaning of happiness, how one will find happiness as well as to find the meaning of life. Being happy is also being contented of what you have. Material things is part of our life and many would relate their selves to material things however the true essence of happiness is in our own view of life and how we understand the meaning of it. Life may throw us hardships and difficulties but our beliefs and/or virtue will help us to find meaning in life. Socrates believed that in order to be happy one should be righteous. He also believes that one cannot be virtuous, if one is not wise. In that sense, we learn that in order to be happy, we should understand first our value as a person. We understand it through our discernment hence wisdom. As we go through life, we find also find the meaning of it and understand that happiness is found within us. Our acceptance of the things around us also helps us for better understanding to life and leads, us to happiness the each one of us needs. Material things are part of ones life bit it may not necessarily be the root of our happiness. Indeed, it is our own wisdom that we realize the connection of happiness to the meaning of life. Part III. Huxley views about happiness correlates with the material things. This I guess mislead our understanding to the real essence of happiness and might lead us to the conclusion that happiness is only found in the material things that we have. As the saying goes, money is the root of all evil things. Yes, we need things in order to survive in life but it should not be a basis or the only basis of our happiness. Happiness can also be found from the people around us and from all the experiences that we had and will have eventually. Temptation is just around the corner, our wisdom will help us get through this temptation, and the virtues that we have will lead us to understanding of happiness. My perception of happiness is that an individual should reflect on his life and all the things around us. Simple things leads to greater things and as we realize the value of simple things, we being to understand the value of life and our own life. It is important to appreciate the things around us the favors the people do for us for it will give us the judgment of how wonderful life can be if we are righteous and wise. We relate happiness and meaning differently depending on our understanding but our own life will help us understand that happiness is found in the meaning of our own life. As we search for our meaning, we also pass the road to happiness and appreciation of life. We go through lifes journey for happiness and for our purpose and meaning. References Beebe, J. R. (2003). Socrates on Prozac and Happiness. Huxley, A. (1932). Brand New World. Penguin Modern Classics. Frankl, V. E., (1946). Man search for meaning. Washington Press Square.

Dubai - Ten Geographic Facts

Dubai - Ten Geographic Facts Dubai is the largest emirate based on the population of the United Arab Emirates. As of 2008, Dubai had a population of 2,262,000. It is also the second largest emirate (behind Abu Dhabi) based on land area. Dubai is located along the Persian Gulf and it is considered to be within the Arabian Desert. The emirate is known around the world as a global city as well as a business center and financial center. Dubai is also a tourist destination due to its unique architecture and construction projects like the Palm Jumeirah, an artificial collection of islands constructed in the Persian Gulf to resemble a palm tree. The following is a list of ten more geographic facts to know about Dubai: The first mention of the Dubai region dates back to 1095 in the Andalusian-Arab geographer Abu Abdullah al Bakris Book of Geography. By the late 1500s, Dubai was known by traders and merchants for its pearl industry.In the early 19th century, Dubai was officially established but it was a dependent of Abu Dhabi until 1833. On January 8, 1820, the sheikh of Dubai signed the General Maritime Peace Treaty with the United Kingdom. The treaty gave Dubai and the other Trucial Sheikhdoms as they were known protection by the British military.In 1968, the U.K. decided to end the treaty with the Trucial Sheikhdoms. As a result, six of them Dubai included formed the United Arab Emirates on December 2, 1971. Throughout the rest of the 1970s, Dubai began to grow considerably as it gained revenue from oil and trading.Today Dubai and Abu Dhabi are two of the strongest emirates in the United Arab Emirates and as such, they are the only two that have veto power in the countrys federal legislature. Dubai has a strong economy that was built on the oil industry. Today however only a small portion of Dubais economy is based on oil, while the majority is focused on real estate and construction, trade and financial services. India is one of Dubais largest trading partners. In addition, tourism and the related service-sector are other large industries in Dubai.As mentioned, real estate is one of the major industries in Dubai, and it is also a part of the reason why tourism is growing there. For example, the worlds fourth tallest and one of the most expensive hotels, the Burj al Arab, was built on an artificial island off the coast of Dubai in 1999. In addition, luxury residential structures, including the tallest man-made structure the Burj Khalifa or Burj Dubai, are located throughout Dubai.Dubai is located on the Persian Gulf and it shares a border with Abu Dhabi to the south, Sharjah to the north and Oman to the southeast. Dubai also has an exclave called Hatta which is located ab out 71 miles (115 km) east of Dubai in the Hajjar Mountains. Dubai originally had an area of 1,500 square miles (3,900 sq km) but due to land reclamation and the construction of the artificial islands, it now has a total area of 1,588 square miles (4,114 sq km).Dubais topography mainly consists of fine, white sandy deserts and a flat coastline. East of the city, however, there are sand dunes that are made up of darker reddish sand. Farther east from Dubai is the Hajjar Mountains which are rugged and undeveloped.The climate of Dubai is considered hot and arid. Most of the year is sunny and summers are extremely hot, dry and sometimes windy. Winters are mild and do not last long. The average August high temperature for Dubai is 106ËšF (41ËšC). Average temperatures are over 100ËšF (37ËšC) from June through September however, and the average January low temperature is 58ËšF (14ËšC).

How to Write a Comparison and Contrast Paper †Pro-Academic-Writers.com

How to Write a Comparison and Contrast Paper We often hear phrases that begin with â€Å"In contrast to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Moreover, students often face assignments where they have to compare two or more things based on some reasoned criteria. Since elementary school where kids are asked to compare apple with the orange, we face the question of contrast and choice almost every day. Thus, this type of task is relevant for all ages. We’re going to discuss how to write comparison and contrast essay based on the most relevant academic materials and internet sources. When you write an introduction with thesis, you have to stress what you’re going to compare and contrast. In fact, words â€Å"compare† and â€Å"contrast† are synonyms. You should choose a specific topic in order not to waste time on many other subjects that can be compared. To begin your paper, search for good examples which you can download or view for free on the web. A compare and contrast essay example makes the majority of students wonder whether they need just to compare, just to contrast, or mix those two processes. Some people do not see the difference between these two. So, before you write different essays of this type, you must understand whether there any difference between comparison and contrast. Anyway, you should write about: General information on two topics Similarities Differences Arguments That is why it is recommended to take no more than 2 subjects at a time to write about. Well, some teachers prefer reading short summaries instead of detailed analysis, so they would love to see a comparison essay only. Others make the assignment more complex by asking to point to the similar features in a separate paragraph as well. After all, your essay would be too short with different points mentioned only. How to Write a Compare Essay Introduction and Other Parts? Because it is hard to find two 100% opposite things to compare, you will find at least one similarity for sure. No matter what you are asked to write about, your thesis statement must reflect your professor's expectations. Thus, if I had a desire to write about Social Networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, I'd have to come up with different thesis sentences according to my compare/contrast assignment. The final organization of your essay should look like: Introduction with powerful thesis 3-5 body paragraphs Discussion (if needed) Conclusion Compare and contrast essay is that type of task that do not require massive research and a lot of sources. Of course, if you write about something you know better than others. However, there are some exceptions. Comparing basketball and football, dancing and playing guitar, dogs and beavers  is an easy deal as you basically know the differences and similarities of these pairs. Besides, they are all coming from the same groups (sports, creative activities, and animals respectively). It is recommended to choose your subjects from one field before you write a compare essay. Using research is crucial when the time comes to write compare and contrast essay on things you know worse. I.e., when you are asked to compare more complicated things like balance sheets of company A and company B, you might want more specific information for your further paper. Pick Comparison Contrast Essay Topics We are often asked this question by students and even professionals of all ages. Marketing specialists often need to write about differences between various marketing analysis in order to discover and discuss what works better for company’s profitability. Anyway, how you write your contrast essay depends on how well you understand tutor’s instructions and whether you make a decision to start working for his or her improved academic performance. Does it seem too difficult to write comparison paper all alone? Sometimes it is better to leave the job to someone else, especially when you are not sure in own competence. Under â€Å"someone† students usually mean professional and trusted online academic companies. Today, every student can turn to creative academic writers that are eager to compare and contrast everything at the highest level in just one essay: from two, three to ten subjects at a time. You just need to mention whether you require a more artistic or offi cial approach. The example of a good comparison or contrast essay may be (in case you have to choose topic on your own): Hitler vs. Stalin World War I and World War II Harry Potter vs. Lord of the Rings Russian Literature and American Literature McDonald’s vs. Burger King You need to make your contrast essay related to your course readings, of course. If we deal with philosophy, most probably students would write about different concepts of freedom, equality, and justice in civic life. It also makes sense to find out what is the same and what is different between legal and ethical aspects of human life. Pay attention to the syllabus when you have to write a compare and contrast essay. It is full of great ideas for your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. This paper usually has a list of good sources as well. By using them, you increase your chances of getting the highest grade. Let’s look at the structure of your future compare essay once again before you write: The title page should have â€Å"Running Head:† and an abbreviated Title flush left and the Page Number flush right. It works for APA and Chicago style only. Write your title at the bottom of your page and repeat it in the middle before your introduction. Your introduction should have a specific thesis. Compare and contrast things in the body paragraphs. Your conclusion should include a brief discussion of the main points. Don’t forget to cite every source properly and recall all sources in bibliography! Coming back to the question of online services, it is worth mentioning that all of the customers who order those essays from talented academic writers received their â€Å"A’s† as well as valuable experience in composing a contrast paper. Now they know how to write a paper on similarities and differences of several things better than anyone else. Who knows where they would need those valuable skills in their life? As we have told already, comparing and contrasting are those two necessary processes that assist us in making serious steps and decisions. While we write your compare and contrast essays to increase your academic performance, we are assisting you in your decision-making too. Solve your academic problems thanks to our certified English speaking writers – order comparison essay now!

Drug Development Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Drug Development Process - Essay Example Each step should follow the guidelines provided by the Food and Drug Administration. Product for development which has been marketed or studied previously will undergo the same steps. According to the February 1993 report by the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, one company costs $359 million in U.S. To be able to get one new medicine from the laboratory testing to the pharmacist's shelf, the process usually takes 12 years on the average and only 5 in 5,000 will make it to human testing. And only one of the 5 will be approved.(FDAreview.org).. The first step is to analyze the target to be developed. Before developing a drug, you must identify first the state of the disease and the symptoms to which the development of drug will be base to. It is important to identify the target. The key decision if whether the target for therapeutic intervention is one that will have a positive effect on managing the disease in question. There are some companies who want to further develop their product. For example, a drug for diabetes will be developed; the company should specify what would be the added pharmacological action on their drug. This will be the basis for the clinical testing that the new product should undergo. Metabolic pathway is a new approach in addressing and developing enhanced disease, understanding platforms with the potential to design significantly more effective drugs against many human diseases, including cancer. (Schimdt , 2004). There are several factors that controls the level of drug in the individual patients, including environment, patient compliance and genetic differences. . The metabolic pathway will give insight on the possible kinetic problems that may occur by providing which specific enzyme the drug is metabolized. In this step the drug manufacturer will be able to identify the isozymes responsible for the metabolism in humans. Nowadays, there is several computer aided system in testing the metabolic pathways of a drug. 3) Molecular Specificity In this step the molecules to be added in the drug should be specified for further analysis. Added molecules in a drug can alter the potency and efficacy of a drug. To be able to identify the molecules to be added, there are several new technology which can be of help to be able to shorten the period of this test. One molecule can affect the phamacological action of a drug, for example one molecule added to morphine can increase its painkilling effect. 4) Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR) The Quantitative Structure - Activity Relationship or QSAR predict and analyze the drug activity. The QSAR represent an attempt to correlate structural or property descriptors of compound with activities. In QSAR the hydrophobicity, topology, electronic properties, and steric effects, are determined empirically, or more recently by computational methods. Activities used in QSAR include chemical measurements and

Dont You Think Its Time to Start Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dont You Think Its Time to Start Thinking - Essay Example 3. Thesis: Society forces the literary deterioration deliberately by wrong applications.  3. Thesis: Society forces the literary deterioration deliberately by wrong applications.  4. Tone: Uses an intellectual tone.  5. Purpose: Emphasizes the responsibility of teachers to help the students to think independently by articulating their ideas clearly.  6. Content: How education is explored and how the educational system functions.7. Clever use of allusions with the example from literature and media to explain social and political awareness.8. Form: Essay; critical writing9. Style: Direct and microscopic examination of the issues confronting the education system. Cultural Betrayal1. Arguments supplemented by rhetorical devices: Examples from media and radio.  2. Point of view: Highlights the turmoil and the churning process going on in the cultural world.  3. Thesis: The importance of culture in building an ethical society that values traditions.  4. Tone: Uses an intellec tual tone, highlighting concern about the fall in moral standards of society.  5. Purpose: Sets the politicians and sociologists thinking to take suitable measures and adverse effects of popular culture on the society.  Ã‚  6. Content: Problems of cultural diversity and how it affects the social institutions like marriage.  7. Clever use of allusions with the example from literature and media to explain social and political awareness.8. Form: Essay; Informal writing.  9. Style: Direct and critical examination of the social and cultural issues.  

My Personal Aspirations Essay Example for Free

My Personal Aspirations Essay When you aspire for your future career, one must consider the important factors that lead to that. Each of these is an important component towards the achievement of success and the necessary foundation towards competence. With all of these mentioned, I believe that a course in Microbiology is an important determinant towards my future profession as a pharmacist. In the end, with this subject I can obtain the necessary skills needed towards addressing the challenges of my future major. Looking closely at the subject, there are many facets in microbiology that I can extract and use in my pharmacy major. One important contribution of such subject is its relative contribution in the overall development of my profession. Since the course deals with the study of organisms, it is an important benchmark towards creating an understanding of how dispensing of medicines can be made – one of the responsibilities of a pharmacist. In addition, the course can serve as an avenue for learning the importance of organisms in the overall development of life. Bio News mentions that microbiology is â€Å"concerned with the welfare of humankind, concentrating not only on aspects of host-microbial interactions influencing disease and immunity, but also on ecological concerns impacting food production and the environment† (p. 1). By establishing a good foundation of this subject, I believe that I can efficiently cater and tackle the needs of pharmacy. Now, I wish to point out what I wish to absorb and develop at the end of the course. The first thing that I want to accomplish in this is to create an understanding of how microorganisms develop and its relative characteristics. By establishing on these precepts, I can then branch out on its other subfields. By studying the form, physiology, and its other facets, I can adequately explore its other branches such as mycology, bacteriology and other (Bio News, p. 1). Also, I want to determine how an understanding in microbiology can lead towards the creation of new and improved ways of delivering cure to diseases. With the constant enhancement of today’s technology, better avenues for cure are becoming more available. In time, there has been an increased understanding among microbiologists of how to create and diagnose bacteria and viruses accordingly (Bio News, p. 1). Due to this, by better appreciating the conditions of how a particular bacterium operates, necessary adjustments can be made. Moreover, I want to personally grow under this course. By the end of this, I wish that I can be able to have the necessary skills to determine what bacteria create diseases and what others contribute to bodily functions. In addition, I want to have at least a familiarization as to what particular organism or bacteria affect a particular part of the body. Bio News furthers that â€Å"Microbiology is responsible for identifying infectious agents in blood, urine, sputum, feces, cerebrospinal fluid, and other body fluids† (p. 1) By familiarizing myself with these concepts and how they affect each processes, only then can I pursue the skills to cope with my pharmacy degree. Lastly, I aspire to learn how to cultivate bacteria to suit my needs as a pharmacist in the future. By taking up microbiology, I can differentiate different types of bacterium and how it affects every organism in the environment. Moreover, I can actively point out the relevant catalysts and how each one can contribute to the creation or degradation of various organisms within a particular ecosystem. Bio News mentions that â€Å"these bacteria are important to humans because they play a role in the ecology of life, by decomposing wastes, both natural and man-made, for example and created nitrogen fertilizer at the root zones of certain crops† (p. 1). Surely, can greatly impact on how I practice my major. After putting my expectations in the subject, I wish to correlate it on my future major which is pharmacy. By having a background in microbiology, I can better exhaust the capabilities and horizons of the pharmaceutical profession. Since the overall goal of such profession is to provide adequate levels of dosage in medicine, having a firm and solid background about the subject can help pave the way for cure among patients in the health care system. By appreciating the two subjects relationship, only then can students taking up a pharmacy major fully comprehend and use all these relevant skills. Also, having knowledge about microbiology can cultivate better relationships among patients. It must be understood that the role of such profession does not only revolve on issues surrounding facilitating cure via compounding medicines. On the other hand, pharmacists play a more active role towards creating betterment for patients. PILLS argues that â€Å"pharmacists not only educate consumers on medication use, but also monitor their patients health to ensure that the patient is getting the full benefits of the drug† (p. 1). To conclude, the microbiology subject can greatly influence and serve as a catalyst for my major in pharmacy. It serves as a tool and a foundation towards better understanding of the scientific explanation for the occurrence of things. Having this background in mind, I can better compound medicine and be a better pharmacist for patients. As PILLS argue, â€Å"from direct patient care and guidance to the forefront of pharmaceutical research, pharmacy caters to many fields† (p. 1). With all of these, having the adequate background and skills can catapult me towards attaining my dreams and fulfilling my role towards patients. Thus, the course in microbiology is an important stepping stone towards a successful career as a pharmacist.

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijns Self-Portraits Essay -- Painter Painting

The old man sits. His hands are folded nicely in his lap and his facial features stay composed. He wears an overcoat that seems to be a soft velvet, shaded in a reddish-violet hue. Curls peep through the cap on his head, which is pushed slightly back and to the side. His eyes gaze unto those of the observer, telling of his life; the lack of fulfillment, the need for restoration. The color of his face and the cap’s white brim are lit up against a background that nearly engulfs the outline of his body, giving an impression of incompleteness. Although the man’s garment can be seen, it is somewhat hidden amongst the dark colors surrounding. The lines and colors that are so considerably apparent in the creation of the stark whiskers, the distinguished nose and brow, and even the rounded cheeks, disappear in the detail of the body. Although this painting will marvel some, pulling them in as they observe; others will just pass by, thinking, he’s just a man on the wall. Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn painted many self-portraits throughout his career, and about forty have survived. In studying these paintings, one will find that a certain growth and development of his style happened throughout his life. For example, in his earlier self-portraits, he used a technique that is called chiaroscuro, which is the use of deep variations of light and shade. In these early paintings, it is hard to tell what Rembrandt looked like because of the shadows covering his face. The later portraits, however, have a softer, more emotional tone. These paintings are the most moving portraits that Rembrandt did. The one described above was done the same year that he died, 1669. The emotions that come with the painting are incredible and as... ...elf-expression. In looking at these different pieces, one can see that the life of this man and where he was, acts as an important reference to his paintings. So the next time you think, oh, he’s just a man on the wall, take time to look, what do you see? Works Cited Bockermuhl, Micheal. Rembrandt. Germany: Taschen, 2000. Koehler, Wilhelm. Rembrandt. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1953. Krent, Emily, and Danie Mary. Paintings by Rembrant.Web Gallery of Art. Web. 12 May 2015. http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/html/r/rembran/painting/index.html Pescio, Claudio. Masters of Art: Rembrandt and 17th Century Holland. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1995. Pioch, Nicolas. Rembrandt. Web Museum, Paris. Web. 12 May 2015. http://www.ibiblio.org/wn/paint/auth/rembrandt Mjdehaan. "Virtual Exhibition" Novemeber 2014. Web. 12 May 2015. https://mjdehaan1.wordpress.com/

Ethical Issues in the Professions and Business Essay

Professionals and other business personalities all share a common ground of responsibility towards that people that they particularly aim to serve. As individuals handling several procedures of servicing the society, it is undeniable that professionals follow a certain line of responsibilities that lead them towards the procedures of being able to complete the said tasks that they have towards the society that they are serving. To make the discussion concise, there are three major sets of responsibilities that each professional should give attention to. A) The Journalists Each member of the society has his or her own values in life that must be served by journalists. As for a fact, people are rightfully given the chance to know what is happening in the society around them. However, when they are involved in the issues presented by the media, whether they are from the local sectors of the society or that of the well-known personalities, they are entitled to having their own privacy and this too should be well guarded by journalists in their process of presenting the truth to the public. On the contrary, the aim of the institutions that journalists are serving such as media networks is to present as many credible facts as possible. To make the ends meet, it is important for the journalists to measure the impact of the society and their company as well towards their professional being. B) The Teachers Teachers are primarily expected to render service that is connected to sharing knowledge. It lies in their hands the wide possibilities of coming up with effective procedures of handling the needs of their students. The institutions that they are serving however aim for enrolling as many students that the institution could cater to. It is then in the discretion of the teacher on how he or she could be able to give the students the education that they need though applying a process that could cater to a huge number of students in an effective manner. C) The Lawyers It is the service of providing justice to all, that lawyers are particularly expected to render to the society.   Undeniably, the values of the society in this manner are to be highly considered. Serving the truth to those who need to know it and to those who need to be free is the key role that lawyers portray in the arena of justice provision. Once the lawyers are faced with a case that needs to be solved, whether they are in the defendants or the accused side, they must recognize the fact that they are there to render the truth to whoever is entitled to receive it.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck Essay

Published in 1952, East of Eden is a novel written by John Steinbeck, a Nobel winner). It tells the story of the intertwined lives of two families- the Trasks and the Hamiltons amidst a backdrop of California’s Salinas Valley (Steinbeck, 2003). The novel follows the stories of these two American families from the Civil War to World War I (2003). It is said that the novel, which was published ten years before Steinbeck received a Novel, drew inspiration from the Bible and was dedicated to Steinbeck’s sons- Thom and John IV (Pearson, 1995). The title itself was culled from a Biblical verse, depicting Cain as he set out in the land of Nod, east of Eden (Genesis 4: 16 New International Version). Told in third-person point of view by a narrator who sometimes offers annotations, swings among characters’ vantage points and even suspends the story with snippets of human history, East of Eden tackles the universal theme of good vs. evil, the fall of Adam and Eve and the bitter enmity of Abel and Cain. Dramatizing the societal sins of Salinas Valley and the individual members of the Trask and Hamilton clans, the novel aims to resolve the dilemma on how evil may be overcome by choice. Spanning the period between the American Civil War and the end of the First World War, it dovetails the lives of two brothers- the gentle Adam and the rough Charles. Adam marries the scheming Cathy who deceives him and ran off with Charles on the night of their wedding (Steinbeck, 2003). After giving birth to twin boys, Aron and Cal, Cathy leaves her children to Adam and returns to a life of debauchery. The rivalry between the siblings reignites as they vie for their father’s attention and approval (2003). The story is beautiful and revolting as it unravels the universal problem man has to face: choose to be good or remain on the dark side. The tone is somber, philosophical and perhaps even propitious. Showing how illustrious as a writer should be, Steinbeck is able to create characters with various tempers, contrasting them realistically as possible, polar opposites as one may say. There is Adam, who may very well be the archetype of good intentions and Cathy, the scheming prostitute whom Adam fell in love with. It is also Adam who has been deceived the most, reminiscent of the betrayal of the serpent in the biblical Eden. The novel is peppered with shades of Cain and Abel. In the same vein, the agony of parental rejection, an issue touched with the story of the biblical brothers, is again explored in the novel, like the acceptance of Adam’s puppy gift and the rejection of Charles’ knife gift, reminiscent of Abel’s accepted gift and the rejection of Cain. Cyrus Trask favored Adam over Charles, for no distinct reason. Later on, Adam repeats the cycle with his own sons, favoring Aron over Cal. Throughout the novel, the tension is palpable, giving the reader the proper stimulus to continue reading. It also helps that the setting, Salinas Valley is actually a real place, giving a pragmatic voice to the novel. The words used by Steinbeck are easy to read and understand , and is not loaded with so many symbols that would make the reader spend 98% figuring out what the symbols stood for rather than letting the words flow and grasping its essence. There are no flowery words, either. This is a good sign on the part of Steinbeck, allowing the readers to comprehend the gist without resulting in a head ache. The flow of the story is also commendable, especially as it expands from 1860 to 1918. The incorporation of â€Å"timshel† is also appropriate, fortifying the theme of good winning over evil, of human making the power to decide. East of Eden is grounded in pragmatism and the handling of good and evil may be simple but it speaks one universal truth: that there is good and there is evil and that human beings are flawed, perhaps influenced by their genes or shaped by circumstances, but they have the choice whether to follow that footstep and repeat the mistake or make their own paths and break the cycle. References Pearson, P. (1995). East of Eden. Retrieved February 17, 2009, from National Steinbeck Center Website: http://www. steinbeck. org .html Steinbeck, J. (2003). East of Eden. New York: Penguin Books.

Biography of Adolf Loos, Architect and Rebel

Biography of Adolf Loos, Architect and Rebel Adolf Loos (December 10, 1870–August 23, 1933) was a European architect who became more famous for his ideas and writings than for his buildings. He believed that reason should determine the way we build, and he opposed the decorative Art Nouveau movement, or, as it was known in Europe, Jugendstil. His notions about design influenced 20th-century modern architecture and its variations. Fast Facts: Adolf Loos Known For: Architect, critic of Art NouveauBorn: December 10, 1870, Brno, Czech RepublicParents: Adolf and Marie LoosDied: August 23, 1933, Kalksburg, AustriaEducation: Royal and Imperial State Technical College in Rechenberg, Bohemia, College of Technology in Dresden; Academy of Beaux Arts at ViennaFamous Writings: Ornament Crime; ArchitectureFamous Building: Looshaus (1910)  Spouse(s): Claire Beck (m. 1929–1931), Elsie Altmann (1919–1926) Carolina Obertimpfler (m. 1902–1905)Notable Quote: The evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornamentation from objects of everyday use. Early Life Adolf Franz Karl Viktor Maria Loos was born December 10, 1870 in Brno (then Brà ¼nn), which is the South Moravian Region of what was then part of the Austria-Hungary Empire and is now the Czech Republic. He was one of four children born to Adolf and Marie Loos, but he was nine when his sculptor/stonemason father died. Although Loos refused to continue the family business, much to his mothers sorrow, he remained an admirer of the craftsmans design. He was not a good student, and it is said that by the age of 21 Loos was ravaged by syphilis- his mother disowned him by the time he was 23. Loos began studies at the Royal and Imperial State Technical College in Rechenberg, Bohemia and then spent a year in the military. He attended the College of Technology in Dresden for three years and the Academy of Beaux Arts in Vienna; but was a mediocre student and finished none of his degrees. Instead, he traveled, making his way to the United States, where he worked as a mason, a floor-layer, and a dishwasher. While in the U.S. to experience the Worlds Columbian Exposition of 1893, he became impressed by the efficiency of American architecture, and he came to admire the work of Louis Sullivan. American architect Louis Sullivan is most famous for being part of the Chicago School and for his influential 1896 essay that suggested form follows function.  In 1892, however, Sullivan wrote about the application of ornamentation on the new architecture of the day. I take it as self-evident that a building, quite devoid of ornament, may convey a noble and dignified sentiment by virtue of mass and proportion, Sullivan begins his essay Ornament in Architecture. He then makes the modest proposal to refrain entirely from the use of ornament for a period of years and concentrate acutely upon the production of buildings well formed and comely in the nude. The idea of organic naturalness, with a concentration on architectural mass and volume, influenced not only Sullivans protege, Frank Lloyd Wright, but also the young architect from Vienna, Adolf Loos. Professional Years In 1896, Loos returned to Vienna and worked for the Austrian architect Karl Mayreder. By 1898, Loos had opened his own practice in Vienna and became friends with free-thinkers such as philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, expressionist composer Arnold Schà ¶nberg, and satirist Karl Kraus. The intellectual community of Vienna at the time of the Belle Epoque was made up of many artists, painters and sculptors and architects, as well as political thinkers and psychologists including Sigmund Freud: all were seeking in some way to rewrite the way society and morality functioned. Like many of his colleagues in Vienna, Loos beliefs extended to all areas of life, including architecture. He argued that the buildings we design reflect our morality as a society. The new steel frame techniques of the Chicago School demanded a new aesthetic- were cast iron facades cheap imitations of past architectural ornamentation? Loos believed that what hung on that framework should be as modern as the framework itself. Loos started his own school of architecture. His students included Richard Neutra and R. M. Schindler, both becoming famous after emigrating to the West Coast of the United States. Personal Life While Loos architecture was explicitly clean in line and structure, his personal life was a shambles. In 1902, he married 19-year-old drama student Carolina Catharina Obertimpfler, a drama student. The marriage ended in 1905 in disaster amidst a public scandal: he and Lina were close friends of Theodor Beer, an accused child pornographer and Loos tampered with the evidence, removing pornographic evidence from Beers apartment. In 1919, he married 20-year-old dancer and operetta star Elsie Altmann; they divorced in 1926. In 1928 he faced a pedophilia scandal–he was accused of having his young, poor models (aged 8–10) perform sex acts, and the main evidence against him was a collection of over 2,300 pornographic images of young girls. Elsie believed they were the same images removed from Theodor Beers apartment in 1905. Loos last marriage was at the age of 60 and his wife was 24-year-old Claire Beck, which also ended in divorce two years later. Loos was also quite ill through much of his creative life: he slowly became deaf as a result of the syphilis he contracted in his early twenties, and he was diagnosed with cancer in 1918 and lost his stomach, appendix and part of his intestines. He was exhibiting signs of dementia during his 1928 court case, and he had a stroke a few months before his death.   Architectural Style Loos-designed homes featured straight lines, clear and uncomplicated walls and windows, and clean curves. His architecture became physical manifestations of his theories, especially raumplan (plan of volumes), a system of contiguous, merging spaces. He designed exteriors without ornamentation, but interiors were rich in functionality and volume. Each room might be on a different level, with floors and ceilings set at different heights. Loos architecture was in stark contrast with the architecture of his Austrian contemporary, Otto Wagner. Representative buildings designed by Loos include many houses in Vienna, Austria - notably the Steiner House, (1910),  Haus Strasser (1918),  Horner House (1921),  Rufer House (1922), and the Moller House (1928).  However, Villa  Mà ¼ller (1930) in Prague, Czechoslovakia is one of his most studied designs, for its seemingly simple exterior and complex interior. Other designs outside Vienna include a house in Paris, France for the Dada artist Tristan Tzara (1926) and the  Khuner Villa (1929) in  Kreuzberg, Austria.   Loos was one of the first modern architects to use mirrors to expand interior spaces. The interior entry to the 1910 Goldman Salatsch Building, often called the Looshaus, is made into a surreal, endless foyer with two opposing mirrors. The construction of Looshaus created quite a scandal for pushing Vienna into modernity. Famous Quotes: Ornament and Crime Adolf Loos is best-known for his 1908 essay Ornament and Verbrechen, translated as Ornament Crime. This and other essays by Loos describe the suppression of decoration as necessary for modern culture to exist and evolve beyond past cultures. Ornamentation, even body art like tattoos, is best left for primitive people, like the natives of Papua.  The modern man who tattoos himself is either a criminal or a degenerate, Loos writes. There are prisons in which eighty per cent of the inmates show tattoos. The tattooed who are not in prison are latent criminals or degenerate aristocrats. The urge to ornament ones face and everything within reach is the start of plastic art. Ornament does not heighten my joy in life or the joy in life of any cultivated person. If I want to eat a piece of gingerbread I choose one that is quite smooth and not a piece representing a heart or a baby or a rider, which is covered all over with ornaments. The man of the fifteenth century wont understand me. But all modern people will. Freedom from ornament is a sign of spiritual strength. Death Nearly deaf from syphilis and cancer by age 62, Adolf Loos died in Kalksburg near Vienna, Austria on August 23, 1933. His self-designed gravestone in Central Cemetery (Zentralfriedhof) in Vienna is a simple block of stone with only his name engraved- no ornamentation. Legacy Adolf Loos extended his architectural theories in his 1910 essay Architektur, translated as Architecture. Decrying that architecture had become a graphic art, Loos argues that a well-made building cannot be honestly represented on paper, that plans do not appreciate the beauty of bare stone, and that only the architecture of monuments should be classified as art- other architecture, everything that serves some practical purpose, should be ejected from the realm of art. Loos wrote that modern dress is that which draws least attention to itself, which is Loos legacy to modernism. This idea that anything beyond the functional should be omitted was a modern idea worldwide. The same year Loos first published his essay on ornamentation, the French artist Henri Matisse (1869–1954) issued a similar proclamation about the composition of a painting. In the 1908 statement Notes of a Painter, Matisse wrote that everything not useful in a painting is harmful. Although Loos has been dead for decades, his theories about architectural complexity are often studied today, especially to begin a discussion about ornamentation. In a high-tech, computerized world where anything is possible, the modern student of architecture must be reminded that just because you are able do something, should you? Sources Andrews, Brian. Ornament and Materiality in the Work of Adolf Loos. Material Making: The Process of Precedent, 2010. Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, p. 438Colomina, Beatriz. Sex, Lies and Decoration: Adolf Loos and Gustav Klimt. Thresholds.37 (2010): 70–81. PrintLoos, Adolf. Architecture. 1910. Loos, Adolf. Ornament and Crime. 1908. Rukschcio, Burkhardt, Schachel, Roland L. (Roland Leopold), 1939- and Graphische Sammlung Albertina Adolf Loos, Leben und Werk. Residenz Verlag, Salzburg, 1982.Schwartz, Frederic J. Architecture and Crime: Adolf Loos and the Culture of the Case. The Art Bulletin 94.3 (2012): 437-57. Print.Sullivan, Louis. Ornament in Architecture. The Engineering Magazine, 1892, Svendsen, Christina. Hiding in Plain Sight: Problems of Modernist Self-Representation in the Encounter between Adolf Loos and Josephine Baker. Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal 46.2 (2013): 19–37. Print.Tournikiotis,  Panayotis. Adolf Loos. Princeton Architectural Press, 2002

Abraham Lincoln And Emancipation

Abraham Lincoln And Emancipation Introduction One of the speckles which President Abraham Lincoln had during his tenure as the president of the United States was the issuance of the executive order which stalled the rampant slavery in America. This proclamation was named as Proclamation 95 which targeted the enslaved over 3.5 million African American. As a result of this proclamation, these slaves were emancipated and thus their civil rights were immediately elevated to the status of their former masters. This executive order was issued on January 1, 1863. This executive order retired the retrogressive Fugitive Slave Act which was passed in the year 1850 and provided a mechanism over which errant slaves were to be handled. Prior to the emancipation, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 allowed for the immediate return of runaway slaves or be branded as contraband and thus kept in reserved slave prisons. In the year 1861 during the month of December, President Lincoln expressed his delight with the free labor systems in his message. In addition, he also indicated his desire to see universal human rights to all American citizens. This came amidst pressure from various concerned citizens who directly confronted the president to halt the slavery given that it brought more harm than good to the union. The persistent rallies and direct letters addressed to the president pushed him to proclaim emancipation after the Congress passed a law barring any form of slavery in all the states. The returning of slaves, as well as reconviction of former slaves, was abolished and thus those who were considered as un-free citizens obtained their full freedom just like their former masters. They were incorporated in the army as w ell as other state organization which enabled them to begin fending for themselves contrary to the past where they fully relied on their masters for basic requirements Implementation On 22 September the year 1862, the preliminary announcement concerning the official endorsement of emancipation was availed to the Congress members. The official documentation and proclamation came 100 days later. This declaration demanded that all the slaves were to be freed by any means possible even in those states which had yet been reinstated under the federal government. These states included North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and South Carolina. This executive order was to be implemented immediately even though some slave masters fiercely opposed this move by the president. However, the wave of change was so immense that no hardline slave master could dare face it. Consequences The consequences that accompanied the emancipation proclamation were numerous. However, Paradis (2012) records that the emancipation proclamation did not manage to afford freedom to any single slave. In his own analysis, emancipation was a hoax which rather was meant to tighten the grip on the slave trade. On the flip, the executive order which saw the inception of emancipation proclamation had massive impacts on the journey to realizing full freedom to the African American slaves. As a result, there are numerous accounts which support the fact that freedom to the slaves was witnessed even on the same day when the president signed the emancipation proclamation. Nonetheless, this does not mean that all the slaves got their freedom immediately. Some were informed about their full freedom after a while. In as much as there was verbal opposition by the slave masters concerning the emancipation proclamation, no physical struggle was reported between the slaves and their former masters. In fact, this proclamation set the foundation over which the long-awaited American freedom was to be built. The abolition of the slave trade was very fundamental towards the plight of unity and peace in the United States. During this time, foundational facilities such as schools, shelters, and medical facilities were developed for the former slaves as a quick way of normalizing them into the American society. Previously, the slaves were mercilessly utilized by the authorities as well as private owner to accomplish various activities such social works among others. When the news of emancipation came about, word of mouth was the main medium of propagation. This in effect gave rise to further confusion in slave camps given that many did not believe such a thing could happen. Political Influence The emancipation proclamation was fiercely opposed by Democrats who cited the negative impacts that the proclamation was bound to yield instead of promoting unity and equality among the Americans. Weber in her book published in the year 2008 records that most Democrats predicted increased violence and other forms of civil disobedience that would follow such proclamation. In their own view, the union would remain stronger only if the slavery was further improved. Some Democrats even went to the extreme and thus indicated that the president abused his power by the issuance of such illegal executive order. The aspect of imminent racism further complicated the whole situation and thus varied opinions were generated concerning this executive order. Open disagreements were witnessed from both sides of the party and thus everybody came up with his or her view concerning the emancipation proclamation. This in effect led to multiple splits within both the Democrats and the Republican parties. Not long after the signing of the emancipation proclamation, the president suspended two of his highly ranked party members. In effect, some voters who were strongly affiliated to these two officials, as well as those Democrats who voted for Lincoln, rebelled against him citing fears over the president’s behavior which they perceived as irrational. More effect was witnessed during the 1862 general election where the Democratic Party gained additional 28 seats and also won the governor seat of New York. During this time, Lincoln himself did not see these encroachments into his backyards as a major issue because he regarded them as meager. Confederate Response Given the mixed atmosphere around the emancipation proclamation, the Confederates were not left out in this tussle. Immediately after the inception of the emancipation proclamation, many African Americans were incorporated into the army ranks, a move which profusely angered the Confederates. To prove their disappointment, they enacted a law which targeted African American in the battlefield. This law provided that any African American who was caught fighting against the Confederacy was to be held and charged in court with slave insurrectionist. This civil wrong warranted any guilty party a lifetime imprisonment. Even though some confederates supported this emancipation of the African Americans hoping that it would allow them to be fixed in the army, some could not stomach it and thus they proceeded and murdered African American soldiers as a swift retaliation. As a reiteration of their deep commitment to promoting slavery through any means possible, the confederates collectively agre ed to hike the prices of slaves. Indeed, the Confederates considered the emancipation proclamation as a slap on their faces. International Influence At the moment when Lincoln decided to emancipate the African American slaves, most countries over the world had already abolished the slave trade. This gave him a boost in his quest to create an equal America given that the foreign support was overwhelming. Consequentially, the Confederates lost any glimpse of hope which they had concerning their official recognition from other nations. Even though Britain officially opposed the slave trade in the southern confederate, most of her companies continued to indulge in development activities within the Confederate region. The emancipation proclamation also enabled Lincoln to attract international leaders who previously opposed the ongoing civil war. Above all, the African Americans received a victory that they cannot compare to any. Building bridges and even forgetting about the slavery was massively achieved given the full support that the president threw behind the emancipation proclamation. By the time the civil war was ending, most pe ople were afraid that the traditional slavery laws would be reinstated given that they considered emancipation proclamation as a tool which Lincoln used to win the civil war. However, Lincoln expressed his ambition to abolish in totality any element of the slave trade and thus he managed to secure a second term in office. This is because most citizens pledged to support the former slaves in any way possible that would prevent them from accessing their full freedom.

Consumer Rights and Protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consumer Rights and Protection - Essay Example Moreover, the US Federal Trade Commission helps in the passage of the bill by creating the software â€Å"Do Not Track,† which prevents advertisers from monitoring the online activity of web users. The US Consumer privacy bill of rights was formulated after several alleged sharing of consumer information among companies that sell video games and gadgets. This information was randomly solicited and was even just casually asked from visitors who would occasionally visit the sites. The privacy bill will therefore strictly enforce companies to make sure that collected data should not be used for another company, and that disclosures must be presented t consumers at all times. Moreover, the efforts of the United States government in executing the privacy bill of rights is somehow also based on the fact that European governments have done the same with their web companies, email providers and social networking sites. Summary #2 Based on the article, big US banks have been increasing their rates when it comes to the handling of checking accounts. Among these banks include Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase. Changes involve the introduction of fees ranging from $7 to $25 a month, which translates to around $300 a year. Aside from these, the big banks have their own way of charging hidden fees and interchange fees anytime their services are used by their clients, such as in the use of debit cards while making purchases. In fact, consumers have reacted to these changes with anger and resentment especially because they knew how expensively these banks would normally pay their top executives, like Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase who received a salary of $20 million in 2011. The aforementioned big US banks used to charge only small fees for their checking account maintenance. However, there have been amendments in the bank regulations that caused banks to maximize the number of overdrafts, increasing the number of charges and manipulating purchas e sequences so that the customer will have to pay higher fees. The higher fees were in fact viewed by the public as a part of a â€Å"regressive and unfair system† and was something that these banks would strategically employ in order to prey on human weaknesses. However, although consumers will surely suffer from having to handle these charges, there is a solution – resorting to credit unions and smaller banks that are friendlier when it comes to fees. This explains the jolly but somewhat paradoxical nature of the article’s title: â€Å"Higher Fees? Let’s Celebrate!† The jolly tone means that the author seems to be telling consumers that had the big banks not overly abused them, they would not have found better options on where to put their money. Now, since bank clients have been transferring their money from the big banks to the small ones, the greedy and inefficient big banks have to suffer as a consequence. This natural effect is explained by the idea that American capitalism usually does not favor the companies who are greedy and inefficient. Nevertheless, last year only 1 out of 14 Americans were able to make a decision to transfer their checking accounts from the big banks to the smaller banks and credit unions. Thanks to the formulation and passage of many regulations that benefited the consumer: the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act as well as the Consumer Protection Act,

ELISA ASSAY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ELISA ASSAY - Essay Example In this graph various dilution of mouse anti rabbit Ig G antibodies were used to determined concentration of rabbit Ig G. the most effective dilution will be between 1/4000 to 1/8000, as in rest of the cases, at lower concentration of Ig G there is no linearity with increasing concentration of rabbit IgG (like in case of 1/2000). At1/2000 dilution concentration of mouse anti-rabbit Ig G is too high compared to rabbit IgG and hence there is no linier relation. Similarly at more than 1/8000 dilution concentration of anti rabbit IgG becomes to less compared to concentration of rabbit Ig G. hence there will not be any anti rabbit Ig G available to bind with rabbit Ig G at higher concentration. In given scenario the optimum dilution for mouse anti- rabbit IgG will be 1/6000 which gives linear correlation with increase in concentration of rabbit IgG. Here in case of goat anti rabbit Ig G the over all binding and absorption profiles restricts it use for estimation of rabbit IgG. There are two different scenario 1) In case of lower dilution (1/2000) there is lots of non specific binding resulted in to very high absorption at lower concentration of rabbit Ig G and get saturated at slightly higher concentrations of rabbit Ig G. 2) In case of higher dilution (1/4000 and above) there is very less binding due to non specificity of polyclonal anti body.

Implementation of a Professional Development Plan to Address Assignment

Implementation of a Professional Development Plan to Address Differentiated Instruction - Assignment Example Differentiated instruction depicts a teaching theory reliant on the notion that instructional methods should differ and be assimilated with regards individual and variant students in classrooms. The approach of differentiated instruction demands the teachers to be variable with reference to their approaches to teaching and regulate the curriculum and giving the information to the students instead of anticipating the learners to adjust themselves for the course. Most of the teachers as well as their tutors have recently realized differentiated instruction as a criterion of assisting more learners in a varied classroom situation to attain success (Gregory 2013). This research evaluates the research the objectives, assessments, strategies, and the need for professional development for differentiated instruction at a school as a worksite. The differentiated instruction operates on the fact stipulating that the students can learn maximally when they are allowed to incorporate their own un derstanding in the curriculum and that the best learning can take place amongst the students when they are compelled to operate beyond the point of assistance (Levy 2008). This point varies amidst the students performing below the grade and those performing above the average limits. Differentiated instructions assist the teachers to attain the desired diversity instead of restricting their teachings to the middle levels that do not address either the higher or the lower extremities. This research intends to elucidate the fact that the students’ performance under differentiated instruction depends greatly on teachers’ operations on the learners. However, other parties such as parent groups, teacher leaders as well as the school staff are also crucial in the determination of learning outcomes (Lawrence-Brown 2010). Assessments Teachers have known their mandates and especially what to do to foster best teaching practices amongst the learners. Nonetheless, they have failed to incorporate some aspects regarding the differentiated instructions that would ensure outstanding learning outcomes amongst the students (Gregory 2013). Teachers avail numerous learning choices or variant directions to learning that enable the learners to assimilate the knowledge and make sense of ideas and techniques. However, they do not formulate a different lesson plan for the individual learners in the classroom. The teachers provide suitable assessments for all learners of all academic capabilities fairly. However, they do not moderate the syllabus to some learners. Strategies The differentiation of instructions can assume three different forms and areas such as the content of the instruction, processes employed in making sure that a particular topic becomes sensible and the products of students who manifest their learning (Gregory 2008). Based on content In this case the main focus is on the content delivered and that received. Use the pre tests in case the learners need t o begin to learn on a particular topic or unit. Promote thinking at different levels of the Bloom's taxonomy amongst the students to encourage openness of the mind (Gregory 2008). Use different instructional delivery techniques to elaborate on various styles of learning. In order to embrace content acquisition by the learners, there is need

Importance of Brand Management in SMEs

Importance of Brand Management in SMEs Study on Fast Food Takeaways of West London Executive Summary Many remarkable studies and literatures have been produced which discusses critical activities of the Brand management in LOs (Large organizations) while research on the importance of the brand management this in SME (Small Business Enterprises) has been neglected. I have tried to emphasis in my dissertation that what were those important factors of brand management which can be applied in small business so that these businesses can develop a better brand image in the market. I have tried to limit my research on the fast food takeaways of west London area. My dissertation is based on primary and secondary research to support the literature and authenticity. It has been highlighted in the previous studies that two major research streams have been emerged in this field first focuses on providing an overarching brand management framework to guide managerial decision making (Keller, 1998; Macrae, 1996; Aaker, 1991; Park, Jaworski, and MacInnis, 1986) while the other concentrates on various discrete aspects of the process (Aaker and Joachimsthaler 2000; Berthon, Hulbert, and Pitt 1999a; de Chernatony and Riley 1998). Two gaps in the literature have been identified; 1) It has been identified that developed organizations are involved in numerous courses at once, 2) the brand management researches had been focusing utterly on large organizations, while the small and medium enterprises have been overlooked (Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008) To manage a brand image requires a number of activities which shows that importance of brand management in SME are different than large organizations. On this basis an important question has been raised by the authors that how brands are in fact controlled in SME. Though I am not been able to find any study specifically focusing on brand management in SMEs but I have tried to explore the areas mentioned by previous authors. Visual identifications, exhibiting business in food exhibitions and magazine and keeping customer records are some of the important factors mentioned by the respondents. Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Background Following Blankson, C. and Omar, O.E. (2002), SME is explained as a small to medium firm having employees less then 250, having a relatively small share of the market in economic terms, and managed by its owner(s) in a personalized way. Brands may have been there for more than a 1,000 years; but never has any society come across the influence of branding as is witnessed nowadays. Brands are prevailing in all portions of human life like food and clothing, production and consumption, personality and lifestyle and pop culture to politics. Branding themselves has become a kind of culture because it promotes represents brands and like yesterday, it is no longer just about adding value to a product. In the eyes of Carson, D. (1990) (quoted in Hall, 1999); brands are currently gunning for a share of inner lives, their values, their beliefs, their politics, and their souls of consumers. The effect of brands and branding is far away from the field of marketing and advertising. Branding is an economic construct as it has been considered from both marketing and financial perspectives and is a social construct as brands hasnt been completely understood owing to the lack of academic research in this area. Advertising in all probability is the most visible factor of marketing but branding in all probability is at the centre of any marketing communications. The roots of most problems of advertising lies in branding strategy. In 1990s Benettons shocking advertising tactic is an infamous example. Majority people would relate to a big business brand with large advertising expenditures, trying to reinforce the mindset that big businesses can be brands unlike the small businesses. Small business branding is frequently referred to as an oxymoron, so might the term entrepreneurial branding (Blankson, C. and Stokes. D, 2002). In small business branding, there is very less research. The research is mainly concerned with brand management of an existing venture. There seems to be very less academic research of branding in small business new ventures. In SME marketing management it has been recognised that management style; operations and functions of SMEs are different from LOs (Knight, 2000; Cohn and Lindberg, 1972). The use of advertising or recruitment agencies is rare. Definition of survival mentality has been mentioned as ‘when a business meets resources and time constraints SME managers adapt a habit called Survival Mentality. Marketing, human resource, management and general business planning are the major problems quoted by the authors in an SME (Huang and Brown, 1999). Corporate image and corporate reputations have been differentiated under the umbrella of brand management. Corporate image has been defined as the â€Å"publics latest beliefs about the company† (Balmer, 1998 cited in Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008, p. 29) while corporate reputations has been defined as â€Å"value judgments about an organizations qualities, trustworthiness and reliability built up over time† (Balmer, 1998; Fombrun and Van Riel, 1997 cited in Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008, p.29). It has been mentioned that there is a consistency between an organizations and stakeholders belief about a brand though unfortunately SME and stakeholder relation hasnt been discussed yet in detail. The importance of the building a positive brand image in the market has been emphasized in order to create a niche in the market place. â€Å"Regardless of whether an organization is comprised of a singular or multiple brands, it is necessary that marketing efforts be directed tow ard establishing and maintaining a positive brand image in the minds of key stakeholders. Ultimately, this can contribute to the development of a favorable corporate reputation† (de Chernatony, 1999, cited in Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008, p. 30). â€Å"Few small businesses follow a reputation building strategy and when a need for â€Å"image management† is recognized, it is often limited to implementing a public relations campaign† (Goldberg, Cohen, and Fiegenbaum, 2003 cited in Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008, p. 30). However, a brand can be best considered as a psychological phenomenon. Formally, a brand can be defined as a â€Å"name, sign, symbol, logo, etc. that identifies the goods and services of one selling the goods and differentiates the goods from others† (Deshpande, R., Farley, J.U. and Webster, F.E. Jr, 2003). A brand takes on meaning with customers through commercial messages, personal experiences, interpersonal communications and other means. The power of a brand resides in the minds of customers through countless brand interactions like thoughts, feelings, perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, behavior. The brand protects a product or service with meaning that differentiates the product from other product or services proposed to fulfill the same need. A brand is much more than a name. Branding is not a naming problem but a strategy problem (Deshpande, R., Farley, J.U. and Webster, F.E. Jr, 2003). A brand is a precious asset which must be managed carefully to preserve and enhance t he meaning so that customers form strong relations as a result. Several essential principles of brand management applicable to industrial branding are highlighted here (Fuller, P.B. 2004). Brand awareness and brand image are two components of the psychological meaning of a brand. Customers should be aware of what products or services are associated with a brand (brand awareness) and should be aware of what attributes and benefits the brand offers and what makes it superior and unique (brand image) (Gadenne, D. 2004). Industrial brands can distinguish themselves on the basis of a complete host of characteristics and benefits that range in tangibility and their association to the product. Some relationship will be associated to the brands functional performance such as products value proposition and promised benefits and more intangible considerations will be indicated from further associations like corporate image dimensions embodying such characteristics as trust, ethics, credibility, reliability and corporate social responsibility (Gilmore, A., Carson, D. and Grant, K. 2001). Branding is a central part of marketing activity. To brand or not to brand? isnt the question. Moreover, every company has a name which will function as a brand for it. For many industrial marketers, the company name is the brand. The question is What you want your name stand for and what it is to mean in the mind of the customer(Gray, B., Matear, S., Boshoff, C. and Matheson, P. 2007) every contact involving the company and the customer becomes an input. The brand must be managed as a strategic asset otherwise it will be managed by customers there or thereabouts at random. An industrial brand managed properly can realize the same reward as a consumer brand like price premiums, greater loyalty, and ability to extend into other categories, and so on. Brand positioning brings in the heart of the brand (Hogarth-Scott, S., Watson, K. and Wilson, L, 1996). They should have both points-of-parity and points-of-difference with regard to competitors product offerings. Those associations where the brand â€Å"breaks even† with competitors and negates their intended points-of-difference are called as Points-of-parity while those associations where the customer behavior is driven by strong, favorable, and unique brand associations are called points-of-difference (Hill, J. 2001a). The core brand promise or brand mantra is an internal marketing expression that captures key points-of-difference that are the essence and spirit of the brand in a three-to-five word phrase. The brand slogan is based on the brand mantra which is used in advertising and other communications where a translation of the mantra is done in consumer friendly language. For instance, Nikes internal brand mantra is â€Å"authentic athletic performance† while th e external brand slogan is â€Å"Just Do it† which is used as signature to many of their ads (Hill, J. 2001b). Examples for industrial brands slogan which reflect principal brand mantras are Agilent Technologies Dreams Made Real, Emersons Consider It Solved, GEs Imagination at Work, Hewlett Packards Invent, Novells The Power to Change, United Technologies Next Things First, and Xerox The Document Company. The Brand Charter summarizes the development, history, and positioning of a brand. All marketing action must be consistent and be evaluated against the Brand Charter. Strong brands have a uniform brand image for every individual customer and across the customer population. Strength of a brand reflects the quality and uniformity of the firms marketing efforts and the concern with which the brand has been managed in due course. For a brand to be successful, it has to be consistent with the firms strategy and the strategic marketing management (Hurmerinta-Peltomaki, L. and Numm ela, N.1998). 1.2 Research Aims and Objectives AIM: * To recognize the forces of brand Management which generates a brand image for a little fast food restaurant/takeaway in the market? Objectives: * To recognize the suitable literature produced on brand management in SMEs. * To get hold a few of the key fast food restaurants/takeaways. * To discover and take into account a methodological approach which will assist in finding primary (qualitative or quantitative have to be determined yet) * To vitally analysis and evaluate results with the preceding findings and provide the significance of brand management in the SMEs. 1.3 Value and contribution In the intellectual perspective, this research will try to highlight the importance of branding in small businesses investigating the concept in fast food and takeaways of London. Though the research and literature done in Branding in small businesses is very less. In the industrial context, the study will provide a strategic understanding of the potential application of Branding at the early stage of business development and how it can be used as a strategic tool for building a brand image. 1.4 structure of the dissertation The report is structured in the following format: Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter provides the background to the research topic discusses the aims and objectives of the study. It also illustrates the academic and industrial value the research seeks to address. Chapter 2: Literature Review Literature review highlights the literature the research is based upon and concludes with the research done into the effectiveness of brand management in small business enterprises and different concepts of branding like product branding and corporate branding and their differences. It also discusses new theory of branding for small businesses which is of importance to the dissertation at hand. Chapter 3: Methodology This chapter includes the methodology adapted by for this research paper. Sample data of the research is being discussed in this chapter. It will also highlight the research philosophy, research question, research design, data collection and analysis methods and reliability and validity of the data. Chapter 4: Findings This chapter discusses the finding of the questionnaires in graphical representation followed by descriptive description. It also presents the important factors highlighted by the respondents during the survey. Chapter 5: Discussions and Limitations You will be able to find the comparative analysis of the findings and recommendations in this chapter. This chapter also highlights the limitations of the research and future research possibilities in this area. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction The strategic importance of the effective brand management has been recognised and been highlighted by many researchers (Kirby, D., 2003). Two major streams which have emerged in the brand management field includes; â€Å"providing an overarching brand management framework to guide managerial decision-making† (Keller, 1998; Macrae, 1996; Aaker, 1991; Park, Jaworski, and MacInnis, 1986 cited in Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008, p. 27); whereas â€Å"the second concentrates on various discrete aspects of the process† (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000; Berthon, Hulbert and Pitt, 1999a; de Chernatony and Riley, 1998 cited in Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008, p. 27). Authors have identified two gaps in the literature, 1) It has been becoming common that developed organizations are involved in multiple directions which probably means that they have enhanced their business operations or they have probably entered into different product lines which normally most of the small medium s ized business do to increase their profits and sales (Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008) it is also been quoted by the authors, as ‘Organizational Ambidexterity (Berthon, Hulbert and Pitt 1999). The second major gap which is identified is that previously empirical studies have focused brand management concept only on the large organizations which normally includes top 100 companies of the world. The suggested reasons for this gap are given by some of the other authors which are also quoted in this article; it may be because SMEs typically lack the capabilities, marketing power and other resources of large organizations (Knight, 2000; Cohn and Lindberg, 1972) or it may be because SMEs are failed to realize brand can also be built with the help of relatively reserved budgets (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 1999) Authors do contend that SMEs can build a brand image with limited budget but the major question is what management principles they should follow to build it? An initial precise study on SME brandings is Abimbola (2001) who has tried to explore how branding can be a competitive strategy. Other studies have also explored this theme like Cravens (2000), but not in an SME context. According to Abimbola, new brands are like new products, and there is a particular need to draw on inventiveness, innovation and imaginative flair in brand extensions. For instance, the imaginative flair of the owner, like Virgin or Easy Jet, help deliver creative applications of branding programs. Though, similar principles pertain to SME in comparison to large-scale branding, Abimbola (2001) advises SMEs, having fewer resources, need better focus and effectiveness. For example, an SMEs center of attention be corporate brand or just a handful brands and run very closely specified and targeted campaigns. Utilizisation of the entrepreneur in public relations was also encouraged. For instance, a study of Dyson appliance company (Doyle, 2003), a firm used an entreprene urial approach to create its brand. Attention was paid as to how Dyson built a brand personality as part of its marketing. A useful typology of branding among SMEs based on case research of eight smalls- to medium sized firms have been provided by Wong and Merrilees (2005). Three different types of small businesses were identified, At the bottom was the minimalist branding approach, where firms have minimalist marketing across the board, in the middle was an embryonic branding archetype, these firms are stronger than the first archetype with respect to marketing, but their understanding of branding isnt well developed and at the top was the integrated branding archetype. Branding is very informal, optional, and a narrow range of promotional tools. Wong and Merrilees (2005) initiate that SMEs at the top were the integrated branding archetype and possibly the least familiar. â€Å"Small business branding is not a good logo, a rhyming name, or special font. Small business branding is the owner. Its what the owner does, says and how the owners traits come through in every aspect of the business. Its the way relationships are built and maintained, the way a person does business and treats other people. Its how rapport is established at an individual level, where trust and comfort exist as human characteristics, not from theme music, models or slogans.† Yaro Starak, 2005 Marketing as well as branding were stronger; informal approaches and formal approaches were taken to branding; branding was essential to the business; branding was not merely a choice; and a wider assortment of promotional tools were used. A clearer understanding of customer needs was there among the integrated branding small businesses: The letter Z was included in a firms name to appear close to the top of any industry list while another firm to remind its employees posted a laminated description of its brand on the back-office door to remind employees of it. One more substantive outlook on SME branding is offered by Krake (2005), who agreed with the deficit of earlier literature on the subject, compared to SME marketing research and uses a qualitative case study of ten medium-sized firms. A varied set of approaches to branding was seen but little at a conscious level. However, the cases did not propose a common tack or brand success route. Krake (2005), drawing partially from the cases and particularly the common branding literature, built-up a â€Å"funnel† model of brand management in SMEs. The SMEs special features incorporated: the most important role of the entrepreneur/owner in terms of their obsession of the brand and this may widen to their epitome of the brand. The entrepreneur will have a particularly controlling authority on the company structure; and there may be more imagination used in marketing promotions. In other words, there is a more personal character to the brand. In addition, the owner appreciates the significance of branding; there may be extra room to take the brand throughout the firm. The most current documents on small business branding inspect the role of corporate branding for start-ups (Rode and Vallaster, 2005). This study is flanking to the realm of the current paper. Start-up companies refer to pre-launch as well as early start-up activity, while the nine cases in Rode and Vallaster (2005) look to focus on the first fe w years of operation. Their work suitably sums up the connection among corporate identity and corporate image and they point out its significance to new ventures. Their experiential evidence of nine cases shows a miserable picture of how well small businesses have incorporated corporate identity ideas. The majority of the interviewed entrepreneurs had only an imprecise idea of their business concept, market positioning core values and the business concept was seldom documented (Inskip, 2004). Submissions to banks were to a little extent contrived in order to secure financing. Philosophies and basic values and seemed fluid, answers brand names, and consistency not at all times was achieved. Selection and training of staff was disorganized. Corporate communication and sharing of information proved difficult. All in all, the corporate identity and cultural developments looked unstructured, encouraging Rode and Vallaster (2005) to build up three propositions that potentially could start to move this observed near to ground performance. Fascinatingly, four out of five most important studies have alluded to the essential role of the founder in the b randing process; therefore it would seem that any new theory of small business branding should do the similar. 2.2 Branding Branding can somehow be explained as a strategy, a process, an orientation and a instrument (Majumdar, 2006). Branding is defined as the method through which a marketer aims to build long term relationship with the consumers by evaluating their requirements and needs so that the product (brand) can fulfill their mutual desires. Branding can be looked as an instrument to locate a product or a service with a reliable of quality and also the value for money to make certain the development of a habitual liking by the consumer. It is a general knowledge that the costumers selection is inclined by many factors out of which the simplest one is a brand name (Kotler, et al, 2007). Even though there can be equally pleasing products available in the market, the customer once pleased with some brand will not want to make an additional endeavor to assess the other substitutes available. Initially if the customer is satisfied with a particular brand, than he or she is inclined to stick with it, unless and until there is a great increase in the price of the product or an evident superior quality of product comes to their knowledge, which force the customer to change the brand (Lancaster, Massingham, 1999). Branding may be generally applied as a segregation strategy when the products available cannot be differentiated easily in conditions of tangible traits or in products that are apparent as a commodity. In all these conditions marketers apply branding as a differentiation strategy and attempt to build up a relationship with consumer groups. That is, they attempt to expand and provide the customized products and auxiliary services with customized communications to tally with the self-image of the consumer. Such differentiation is a regular procedure and the beginning and on-going measures are explained (Majumdar, 2006). 2.3 Corporate Branding In coordinating the brand-building process, corporate brand architecture plays a vital role which is defined by core values shared by different products with a common and overall brand identity. The major part of the corporate brand is to give credibility in cases such as communications with government, the financial sector, the labor market, and society in general (Urde, 2003). Corporate Brand has different fundamentals like organizational values, core values and added values. The relation between these foundations helps to form the value-creating process of the corporate brand (Urde, 2003). Companies face different disputes and challenges of organizing their resources and internal procedures so that the core values for which the corporate brand stands can be strengthened, differentiated and expressed as added value for consumers. The firms brand equity and competitive position is significant for the linkage between core values and corporate brand. Management and organization-wide s upport is crucial in this process (Urde, 2003). A corporate brand is not necessarily limited to a single corporation. It can also apply to a variety of corporate entities, such as corporations, their subsidiaries, and groups of companies (Balmer and Gray, 2003). Balmer (1998) suggests that to differentiate the firm from its competitors, corporate identity is an important corporate asset which represents the firms ethics, goals and values. The reason being that the markets are becoming more complex and products and services are quickly imitated and homogenized which is rather difficult in maintaining a credible product differentiation, requiring the positioning of the whole corporation relatively than simply its products. Therefore, the corporate values and images appear as key elements of differentiation strategies (Hatch and Schultz, 2001). A corporate brand has an assumption that it will support all aspects of the firm and differentiate the firm from its competitors (Harris and de Chernatony, 2001; Ind, 1997; Balmer, 2001). Corporate branding allows the firms to use the vision and culture of the whole organization clearly as part of its distinctiveness (Balmer, 1995, 2001; de Chernatony, 1999). De Chernatony (2001) suggests for firms to incorporate their strategic vision with their brand building. In contrast with the product brand, the firms visibility, recognition and reputation to a greater extent can be increased with the corporate brand. Balmer and Gray (2003) propose that one of the benefits of strong corporate brands is that investors may seek them out deliberately. They furthermore play an imperative role in the recruitment and retention of valuable employees and offer more chances for strategic or brand associations. Alan (1996) illustrates the flow of corporate branding to the rising costs of advertising, retailer power, product fragmentation, new product development cost efficiencies, and consumers expectations of corporate credentials. 2.4 Product Branding Product branding yields different advantages for firms. McDonald et al. (2001) argue that, a firm using a product-brand strategy rather than corporate branding will experience less damage to its corporate image if one of its individual brands fails. When the Tylenol brand was under siege in the USA because of tainted batches, Procter Gambles name and reputation were somewhat shielded by the product-branding strategy, leaving Pampers and Tide undamaged by the Tylenol scare. A product brand allows firms to position and appeal to different segments in different markets which also makes it flexible. For instance, Budweiser beer is a quality beer that is solid value for money and which is sold in the USA as large temptation. In contrast, it is marketed in some overseas markets as a premium product, and its product image is linked to the American lifestyle. Although a challenge which is faced with product branding is to target different small segments through different brands that can res ult in high marketing costs and lower brand profitability. The main role of branding and brand management is to create differentiation and preference in the minds of customers. The development of product branding has been built around the core role that maintains differentiation in a particular market (Knox and Bickerton, 2003). Corporate branding builds on the tradition of product branding, seeking to create differentiation and preference. However, corporate branding is conducted at the level of the firm instead of the product or service, and furthermore to an extend on which its reaches beyond customers to stakeholders such as employees, customers, investors, suppliers, partners, regulators and local communities (Hatch and Schultz, 2001). 2.5 Corporate Branding Versus Product Branding To present a controlled representation of the corporations value system and identity, the corporate brand can be considered as the addition of the corporations marketing efforts (Ind, 1997; Balmer, 2001). It has been differentiated from a product brand in its strategic focus and its implementation, which combines corporate strategy, corporate communications and corporate culture (Balmer, 1995, 2001). Balmer and Gray (2003) and Hatch and Schultz (2003) argues that corporate branding differs from product branding in several other ways. First, the focus shifts from the product to the corporation. Corporate branding therefore represents the corporation and its members to a greater extent. Second, corporate brands generally involve strategic considerations at a higher executive level even though managerial responsibility for product brands usually rest in the middle-management marketing function. Third, corporate brands usually relate all of the firms stakeholders and products and service s to each other whereas product brands typically target specific consumers. Fourth, product-brand management is normally conducted within the marketing department, while corporate branding requires support across the corporation and cross-functional coordination. Fifth, product brands are reasonably short-term, compared to corporate brands along with their heritage and strategic vision. Hence, corporate branding is more strategic than the normally functional product branding. Hatch and Schultz (2003) further argues that to position the firm in its marketplace and to set up internal maintain arrangements appropriate to its strategic importance corporate branding engineers interactions among strategic vision, organizational culture and corporate image. Similarly, Ind (1997) classifies three key differences. First, corporate branding attains a certain degree of tangibility through the messages the firm delivers and the relationship it establishes with various stakeholders. Second, corp orate branding is more complex than product branding because of the variety of messages and relationships and also the potentially consequent confusion. Third, it is being inclined to demand greater attention to issues of ethical or social responsibility. The focus of a product brand is on customers while corporate brand has its focus on stakeholders. Therefore, corporate brands can provide a sense of trust and quality for the firm in extending a product line or diversifying into other product lines (Balmer and Gray, 2003). An effective corporate brand also has an intrinsic â€Å"excess capacity†, or â€Å"leverage†, which can possibly be translated to other markets (Peteraf, 1993). It is observed that corporate brands are extensively used to launch new products in new markets. Corporate branding usually exercises the total corporate communication mix to engage target audiences who perceive and judge the company and its products or services. The overall image of the fi rm at the corporate level is therefore expected to generate brand equity (Keller, 2000). The firm is expected to be largely influenced by the core company values and heritage. In addition, strategic vision also contributes to the image, in the sense that stakeholders normally seek and use information about the firm beyond what it provides. Hatch and Schultz (2003) concludes that those firms who are successful in creating a corporate brand are more competitive than firms relying only on product branding in the uneven markets created by globalization. On the other hand, corporate branding also requires immediate and effective interaction of strategic vision, organizational culture, which makes it more complex than product branding. de Chernatony (1999) embraces that it facilitates customers desire to look deeper into the brand and evaluate the nature of the firm. The firm offers liable customers to accept its claims about other products and services which is build through trust in the products and the brand.< Importance of Brand Management in SMEs Importance of Brand Management in SMEs Study on Fast Food Takeaways of West London Executive Summary Many remarkable studies and literatures have been produced which discusses critical activities of the Brand management in LOs (Large organizations) while research on the importance of the brand management this in SME (Small Business Enterprises) has been neglected. I have tried to emphasis in my dissertation that what were those important factors of brand management which can be applied in small business so that these businesses can develop a better brand image in the market. I have tried to limit my research on the fast food takeaways of west London area. My dissertation is based on primary and secondary research to support the literature and authenticity. It has been highlighted in the previous studies that two major research streams have been emerged in this field first focuses on providing an overarching brand management framework to guide managerial decision making (Keller, 1998; Macrae, 1996; Aaker, 1991; Park, Jaworski, and MacInnis, 1986) while the other concentrates on various discrete aspects of the process (Aaker and Joachimsthaler 2000; Berthon, Hulbert, and Pitt 1999a; de Chernatony and Riley 1998). Two gaps in the literature have been identified; 1) It has been identified that developed organizations are involved in numerous courses at once, 2) the brand management researches had been focusing utterly on large organizations, while the small and medium enterprises have been overlooked (Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008) To manage a brand image requires a number of activities which shows that importance of brand management in SME are different than large organizations. On this basis an important question has been raised by the authors that how brands are in fact controlled in SME. Though I am not been able to find any study specifically focusing on brand management in SMEs but I have tried to explore the areas mentioned by previous authors. Visual identifications, exhibiting business in food exhibitions and magazine and keeping customer records are some of the important factors mentioned by the respondents. Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Background Following Blankson, C. and Omar, O.E. (2002), SME is explained as a small to medium firm having employees less then 250, having a relatively small share of the market in economic terms, and managed by its owner(s) in a personalized way. Brands may have been there for more than a 1,000 years; but never has any society come across the influence of branding as is witnessed nowadays. Brands are prevailing in all portions of human life like food and clothing, production and consumption, personality and lifestyle and pop culture to politics. Branding themselves has become a kind of culture because it promotes represents brands and like yesterday, it is no longer just about adding value to a product. In the eyes of Carson, D. (1990) (quoted in Hall, 1999); brands are currently gunning for a share of inner lives, their values, their beliefs, their politics, and their souls of consumers. The effect of brands and branding is far away from the field of marketing and advertising. Branding is an economic construct as it has been considered from both marketing and financial perspectives and is a social construct as brands hasnt been completely understood owing to the lack of academic research in this area. Advertising in all probability is the most visible factor of marketing but branding in all probability is at the centre of any marketing communications. The roots of most problems of advertising lies in branding strategy. In 1990s Benettons shocking advertising tactic is an infamous example. Majority people would relate to a big business brand with large advertising expenditures, trying to reinforce the mindset that big businesses can be brands unlike the small businesses. Small business branding is frequently referred to as an oxymoron, so might the term entrepreneurial branding (Blankson, C. and Stokes. D, 2002). In small business branding, there is very less research. The research is mainly concerned with brand management of an existing venture. There seems to be very less academic research of branding in small business new ventures. In SME marketing management it has been recognised that management style; operations and functions of SMEs are different from LOs (Knight, 2000; Cohn and Lindberg, 1972). The use of advertising or recruitment agencies is rare. Definition of survival mentality has been mentioned as ‘when a business meets resources and time constraints SME managers adapt a habit called Survival Mentality. Marketing, human resource, management and general business planning are the major problems quoted by the authors in an SME (Huang and Brown, 1999). Corporate image and corporate reputations have been differentiated under the umbrella of brand management. Corporate image has been defined as the â€Å"publics latest beliefs about the company† (Balmer, 1998 cited in Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008, p. 29) while corporate reputations has been defined as â€Å"value judgments about an organizations qualities, trustworthiness and reliability built up over time† (Balmer, 1998; Fombrun and Van Riel, 1997 cited in Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008, p.29). It has been mentioned that there is a consistency between an organizations and stakeholders belief about a brand though unfortunately SME and stakeholder relation hasnt been discussed yet in detail. The importance of the building a positive brand image in the market has been emphasized in order to create a niche in the market place. â€Å"Regardless of whether an organization is comprised of a singular or multiple brands, it is necessary that marketing efforts be directed tow ard establishing and maintaining a positive brand image in the minds of key stakeholders. Ultimately, this can contribute to the development of a favorable corporate reputation† (de Chernatony, 1999, cited in Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008, p. 30). â€Å"Few small businesses follow a reputation building strategy and when a need for â€Å"image management† is recognized, it is often limited to implementing a public relations campaign† (Goldberg, Cohen, and Fiegenbaum, 2003 cited in Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008, p. 30). However, a brand can be best considered as a psychological phenomenon. Formally, a brand can be defined as a â€Å"name, sign, symbol, logo, etc. that identifies the goods and services of one selling the goods and differentiates the goods from others† (Deshpande, R., Farley, J.U. and Webster, F.E. Jr, 2003). A brand takes on meaning with customers through commercial messages, personal experiences, interpersonal communications and other means. The power of a brand resides in the minds of customers through countless brand interactions like thoughts, feelings, perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, behavior. The brand protects a product or service with meaning that differentiates the product from other product or services proposed to fulfill the same need. A brand is much more than a name. Branding is not a naming problem but a strategy problem (Deshpande, R., Farley, J.U. and Webster, F.E. Jr, 2003). A brand is a precious asset which must be managed carefully to preserve and enhance t he meaning so that customers form strong relations as a result. Several essential principles of brand management applicable to industrial branding are highlighted here (Fuller, P.B. 2004). Brand awareness and brand image are two components of the psychological meaning of a brand. Customers should be aware of what products or services are associated with a brand (brand awareness) and should be aware of what attributes and benefits the brand offers and what makes it superior and unique (brand image) (Gadenne, D. 2004). Industrial brands can distinguish themselves on the basis of a complete host of characteristics and benefits that range in tangibility and their association to the product. Some relationship will be associated to the brands functional performance such as products value proposition and promised benefits and more intangible considerations will be indicated from further associations like corporate image dimensions embodying such characteristics as trust, ethics, credibility, reliability and corporate social responsibility (Gilmore, A., Carson, D. and Grant, K. 2001). Branding is a central part of marketing activity. To brand or not to brand? isnt the question. Moreover, every company has a name which will function as a brand for it. For many industrial marketers, the company name is the brand. The question is What you want your name stand for and what it is to mean in the mind of the customer(Gray, B., Matear, S., Boshoff, C. and Matheson, P. 2007) every contact involving the company and the customer becomes an input. The brand must be managed as a strategic asset otherwise it will be managed by customers there or thereabouts at random. An industrial brand managed properly can realize the same reward as a consumer brand like price premiums, greater loyalty, and ability to extend into other categories, and so on. Brand positioning brings in the heart of the brand (Hogarth-Scott, S., Watson, K. and Wilson, L, 1996). They should have both points-of-parity and points-of-difference with regard to competitors product offerings. Those associations where the brand â€Å"breaks even† with competitors and negates their intended points-of-difference are called as Points-of-parity while those associations where the customer behavior is driven by strong, favorable, and unique brand associations are called points-of-difference (Hill, J. 2001a). The core brand promise or brand mantra is an internal marketing expression that captures key points-of-difference that are the essence and spirit of the brand in a three-to-five word phrase. The brand slogan is based on the brand mantra which is used in advertising and other communications where a translation of the mantra is done in consumer friendly language. For instance, Nikes internal brand mantra is â€Å"authentic athletic performance† while th e external brand slogan is â€Å"Just Do it† which is used as signature to many of their ads (Hill, J. 2001b). Examples for industrial brands slogan which reflect principal brand mantras are Agilent Technologies Dreams Made Real, Emersons Consider It Solved, GEs Imagination at Work, Hewlett Packards Invent, Novells The Power to Change, United Technologies Next Things First, and Xerox The Document Company. The Brand Charter summarizes the development, history, and positioning of a brand. All marketing action must be consistent and be evaluated against the Brand Charter. Strong brands have a uniform brand image for every individual customer and across the customer population. Strength of a brand reflects the quality and uniformity of the firms marketing efforts and the concern with which the brand has been managed in due course. For a brand to be successful, it has to be consistent with the firms strategy and the strategic marketing management (Hurmerinta-Peltomaki, L. and Numm ela, N.1998). 1.2 Research Aims and Objectives AIM: * To recognize the forces of brand Management which generates a brand image for a little fast food restaurant/takeaway in the market? Objectives: * To recognize the suitable literature produced on brand management in SMEs. * To get hold a few of the key fast food restaurants/takeaways. * To discover and take into account a methodological approach which will assist in finding primary (qualitative or quantitative have to be determined yet) * To vitally analysis and evaluate results with the preceding findings and provide the significance of brand management in the SMEs. 1.3 Value and contribution In the intellectual perspective, this research will try to highlight the importance of branding in small businesses investigating the concept in fast food and takeaways of London. Though the research and literature done in Branding in small businesses is very less. In the industrial context, the study will provide a strategic understanding of the potential application of Branding at the early stage of business development and how it can be used as a strategic tool for building a brand image. 1.4 structure of the dissertation The report is structured in the following format: Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter provides the background to the research topic discusses the aims and objectives of the study. It also illustrates the academic and industrial value the research seeks to address. Chapter 2: Literature Review Literature review highlights the literature the research is based upon and concludes with the research done into the effectiveness of brand management in small business enterprises and different concepts of branding like product branding and corporate branding and their differences. It also discusses new theory of branding for small businesses which is of importance to the dissertation at hand. Chapter 3: Methodology This chapter includes the methodology adapted by for this research paper. Sample data of the research is being discussed in this chapter. It will also highlight the research philosophy, research question, research design, data collection and analysis methods and reliability and validity of the data. Chapter 4: Findings This chapter discusses the finding of the questionnaires in graphical representation followed by descriptive description. It also presents the important factors highlighted by the respondents during the survey. Chapter 5: Discussions and Limitations You will be able to find the comparative analysis of the findings and recommendations in this chapter. This chapter also highlights the limitations of the research and future research possibilities in this area. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction The strategic importance of the effective brand management has been recognised and been highlighted by many researchers (Kirby, D., 2003). Two major streams which have emerged in the brand management field includes; â€Å"providing an overarching brand management framework to guide managerial decision-making† (Keller, 1998; Macrae, 1996; Aaker, 1991; Park, Jaworski, and MacInnis, 1986 cited in Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008, p. 27); whereas â€Å"the second concentrates on various discrete aspects of the process† (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2000; Berthon, Hulbert and Pitt, 1999a; de Chernatony and Riley, 1998 cited in Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008, p. 27). Authors have identified two gaps in the literature, 1) It has been becoming common that developed organizations are involved in multiple directions which probably means that they have enhanced their business operations or they have probably entered into different product lines which normally most of the small medium s ized business do to increase their profits and sales (Berrthon, Ewing, Napoli, 2008) it is also been quoted by the authors, as ‘Organizational Ambidexterity (Berthon, Hulbert and Pitt 1999). The second major gap which is identified is that previously empirical studies have focused brand management concept only on the large organizations which normally includes top 100 companies of the world. The suggested reasons for this gap are given by some of the other authors which are also quoted in this article; it may be because SMEs typically lack the capabilities, marketing power and other resources of large organizations (Knight, 2000; Cohn and Lindberg, 1972) or it may be because SMEs are failed to realize brand can also be built with the help of relatively reserved budgets (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 1999) Authors do contend that SMEs can build a brand image with limited budget but the major question is what management principles they should follow to build it? An initial precise study on SME brandings is Abimbola (2001) who has tried to explore how branding can be a competitive strategy. Other studies have also explored this theme like Cravens (2000), but not in an SME context. According to Abimbola, new brands are like new products, and there is a particular need to draw on inventiveness, innovation and imaginative flair in brand extensions. For instance, the imaginative flair of the owner, like Virgin or Easy Jet, help deliver creative applications of branding programs. Though, similar principles pertain to SME in comparison to large-scale branding, Abimbola (2001) advises SMEs, having fewer resources, need better focus and effectiveness. For example, an SMEs center of attention be corporate brand or just a handful brands and run very closely specified and targeted campaigns. Utilizisation of the entrepreneur in public relations was also encouraged. For instance, a study of Dyson appliance company (Doyle, 2003), a firm used an entreprene urial approach to create its brand. Attention was paid as to how Dyson built a brand personality as part of its marketing. A useful typology of branding among SMEs based on case research of eight smalls- to medium sized firms have been provided by Wong and Merrilees (2005). Three different types of small businesses were identified, At the bottom was the minimalist branding approach, where firms have minimalist marketing across the board, in the middle was an embryonic branding archetype, these firms are stronger than the first archetype with respect to marketing, but their understanding of branding isnt well developed and at the top was the integrated branding archetype. Branding is very informal, optional, and a narrow range of promotional tools. Wong and Merrilees (2005) initiate that SMEs at the top were the integrated branding archetype and possibly the least familiar. â€Å"Small business branding is not a good logo, a rhyming name, or special font. Small business branding is the owner. Its what the owner does, says and how the owners traits come through in every aspect of the business. Its the way relationships are built and maintained, the way a person does business and treats other people. Its how rapport is established at an individual level, where trust and comfort exist as human characteristics, not from theme music, models or slogans.† Yaro Starak, 2005 Marketing as well as branding were stronger; informal approaches and formal approaches were taken to branding; branding was essential to the business; branding was not merely a choice; and a wider assortment of promotional tools were used. A clearer understanding of customer needs was there among the integrated branding small businesses: The letter Z was included in a firms name to appear close to the top of any industry list while another firm to remind its employees posted a laminated description of its brand on the back-office door to remind employees of it. One more substantive outlook on SME branding is offered by Krake (2005), who agreed with the deficit of earlier literature on the subject, compared to SME marketing research and uses a qualitative case study of ten medium-sized firms. A varied set of approaches to branding was seen but little at a conscious level. However, the cases did not propose a common tack or brand success route. Krake (2005), drawing partially from the cases and particularly the common branding literature, built-up a â€Å"funnel† model of brand management in SMEs. The SMEs special features incorporated: the most important role of the entrepreneur/owner in terms of their obsession of the brand and this may widen to their epitome of the brand. The entrepreneur will have a particularly controlling authority on the company structure; and there may be more imagination used in marketing promotions. In other words, there is a more personal character to the brand. In addition, the owner appreciates the significance of branding; there may be extra room to take the brand throughout the firm. The most current documents on small business branding inspect the role of corporate branding for start-ups (Rode and Vallaster, 2005). This study is flanking to the realm of the current paper. Start-up companies refer to pre-launch as well as early start-up activity, while the nine cases in Rode and Vallaster (2005) look to focus on the first fe w years of operation. Their work suitably sums up the connection among corporate identity and corporate image and they point out its significance to new ventures. Their experiential evidence of nine cases shows a miserable picture of how well small businesses have incorporated corporate identity ideas. The majority of the interviewed entrepreneurs had only an imprecise idea of their business concept, market positioning core values and the business concept was seldom documented (Inskip, 2004). Submissions to banks were to a little extent contrived in order to secure financing. Philosophies and basic values and seemed fluid, answers brand names, and consistency not at all times was achieved. Selection and training of staff was disorganized. Corporate communication and sharing of information proved difficult. All in all, the corporate identity and cultural developments looked unstructured, encouraging Rode and Vallaster (2005) to build up three propositions that potentially could start to move this observed near to ground performance. Fascinatingly, four out of five most important studies have alluded to the essential role of the founder in the b randing process; therefore it would seem that any new theory of small business branding should do the similar. 2.2 Branding Branding can somehow be explained as a strategy, a process, an orientation and a instrument (Majumdar, 2006). Branding is defined as the method through which a marketer aims to build long term relationship with the consumers by evaluating their requirements and needs so that the product (brand) can fulfill their mutual desires. Branding can be looked as an instrument to locate a product or a service with a reliable of quality and also the value for money to make certain the development of a habitual liking by the consumer. It is a general knowledge that the costumers selection is inclined by many factors out of which the simplest one is a brand name (Kotler, et al, 2007). Even though there can be equally pleasing products available in the market, the customer once pleased with some brand will not want to make an additional endeavor to assess the other substitutes available. Initially if the customer is satisfied with a particular brand, than he or she is inclined to stick with it, unless and until there is a great increase in the price of the product or an evident superior quality of product comes to their knowledge, which force the customer to change the brand (Lancaster, Massingham, 1999). Branding may be generally applied as a segregation strategy when the products available cannot be differentiated easily in conditions of tangible traits or in products that are apparent as a commodity. In all these conditions marketers apply branding as a differentiation strategy and attempt to build up a relationship with consumer groups. That is, they attempt to expand and provide the customized products and auxiliary services with customized communications to tally with the self-image of the consumer. Such differentiation is a regular procedure and the beginning and on-going measures are explained (Majumdar, 2006). 2.3 Corporate Branding In coordinating the brand-building process, corporate brand architecture plays a vital role which is defined by core values shared by different products with a common and overall brand identity. The major part of the corporate brand is to give credibility in cases such as communications with government, the financial sector, the labor market, and society in general (Urde, 2003). Corporate Brand has different fundamentals like organizational values, core values and added values. The relation between these foundations helps to form the value-creating process of the corporate brand (Urde, 2003). Companies face different disputes and challenges of organizing their resources and internal procedures so that the core values for which the corporate brand stands can be strengthened, differentiated and expressed as added value for consumers. The firms brand equity and competitive position is significant for the linkage between core values and corporate brand. Management and organization-wide s upport is crucial in this process (Urde, 2003). A corporate brand is not necessarily limited to a single corporation. It can also apply to a variety of corporate entities, such as corporations, their subsidiaries, and groups of companies (Balmer and Gray, 2003). Balmer (1998) suggests that to differentiate the firm from its competitors, corporate identity is an important corporate asset which represents the firms ethics, goals and values. The reason being that the markets are becoming more complex and products and services are quickly imitated and homogenized which is rather difficult in maintaining a credible product differentiation, requiring the positioning of the whole corporation relatively than simply its products. Therefore, the corporate values and images appear as key elements of differentiation strategies (Hatch and Schultz, 2001). A corporate brand has an assumption that it will support all aspects of the firm and differentiate the firm from its competitors (Harris and de Chernatony, 2001; Ind, 1997; Balmer, 2001). Corporate branding allows the firms to use the vision and culture of the whole organization clearly as part of its distinctiveness (Balmer, 1995, 2001; de Chernatony, 1999). De Chernatony (2001) suggests for firms to incorporate their strategic vision with their brand building. In contrast with the product brand, the firms visibility, recognition and reputation to a greater extent can be increased with the corporate brand. Balmer and Gray (2003) propose that one of the benefits of strong corporate brands is that investors may seek them out deliberately. They furthermore play an imperative role in the recruitment and retention of valuable employees and offer more chances for strategic or brand associations. Alan (1996) illustrates the flow of corporate branding to the rising costs of advertising, retailer power, product fragmentation, new product development cost efficiencies, and consumers expectations of corporate credentials. 2.4 Product Branding Product branding yields different advantages for firms. McDonald et al. (2001) argue that, a firm using a product-brand strategy rather than corporate branding will experience less damage to its corporate image if one of its individual brands fails. When the Tylenol brand was under siege in the USA because of tainted batches, Procter Gambles name and reputation were somewhat shielded by the product-branding strategy, leaving Pampers and Tide undamaged by the Tylenol scare. A product brand allows firms to position and appeal to different segments in different markets which also makes it flexible. For instance, Budweiser beer is a quality beer that is solid value for money and which is sold in the USA as large temptation. In contrast, it is marketed in some overseas markets as a premium product, and its product image is linked to the American lifestyle. Although a challenge which is faced with product branding is to target different small segments through different brands that can res ult in high marketing costs and lower brand profitability. The main role of branding and brand management is to create differentiation and preference in the minds of customers. The development of product branding has been built around the core role that maintains differentiation in a particular market (Knox and Bickerton, 2003). Corporate branding builds on the tradition of product branding, seeking to create differentiation and preference. However, corporate branding is conducted at the level of the firm instead of the product or service, and furthermore to an extend on which its reaches beyond customers to stakeholders such as employees, customers, investors, suppliers, partners, regulators and local communities (Hatch and Schultz, 2001). 2.5 Corporate Branding Versus Product Branding To present a controlled representation of the corporations value system and identity, the corporate brand can be considered as the addition of the corporations marketing efforts (Ind, 1997; Balmer, 2001). It has been differentiated from a product brand in its strategic focus and its implementation, which combines corporate strategy, corporate communications and corporate culture (Balmer, 1995, 2001). Balmer and Gray (2003) and Hatch and Schultz (2003) argues that corporate branding differs from product branding in several other ways. First, the focus shifts from the product to the corporation. Corporate branding therefore represents the corporation and its members to a greater extent. Second, corporate brands generally involve strategic considerations at a higher executive level even though managerial responsibility for product brands usually rest in the middle-management marketing function. Third, corporate brands usually relate all of the firms stakeholders and products and service s to each other whereas product brands typically target specific consumers. Fourth, product-brand management is normally conducted within the marketing department, while corporate branding requires support across the corporation and cross-functional coordination. Fifth, product brands are reasonably short-term, compared to corporate brands along with their heritage and strategic vision. Hence, corporate branding is more strategic than the normally functional product branding. Hatch and Schultz (2003) further argues that to position the firm in its marketplace and to set up internal maintain arrangements appropriate to its strategic importance corporate branding engineers interactions among strategic vision, organizational culture and corporate image. Similarly, Ind (1997) classifies three key differences. First, corporate branding attains a certain degree of tangibility through the messages the firm delivers and the relationship it establishes with various stakeholders. Second, corp orate branding is more complex than product branding because of the variety of messages and relationships and also the potentially consequent confusion. Third, it is being inclined to demand greater attention to issues of ethical or social responsibility. The focus of a product brand is on customers while corporate brand has its focus on stakeholders. Therefore, corporate brands can provide a sense of trust and quality for the firm in extending a product line or diversifying into other product lines (Balmer and Gray, 2003). An effective corporate brand also has an intrinsic â€Å"excess capacity†, or â€Å"leverage†, which can possibly be translated to other markets (Peteraf, 1993). It is observed that corporate brands are extensively used to launch new products in new markets. Corporate branding usually exercises the total corporate communication mix to engage target audiences who perceive and judge the company and its products or services. The overall image of the fi rm at the corporate level is therefore expected to generate brand equity (Keller, 2000). The firm is expected to be largely influenced by the core company values and heritage. In addition, strategic vision also contributes to the image, in the sense that stakeholders normally seek and use information about the firm beyond what it provides. Hatch and Schultz (2003) concludes that those firms who are successful in creating a corporate brand are more competitive than firms relying only on product branding in the uneven markets created by globalization. On the other hand, corporate branding also requires immediate and effective interaction of strategic vision, organizational culture, which makes it more complex than product branding. de Chernatony (1999) embraces that it facilitates customers desire to look deeper into the brand and evaluate the nature of the firm. The firm offers liable customers to accept its claims about other products and services which is build through trust in the products and the brand.<