Advertising and Mass Production Essay

Advertising and mass production both helped shaped American national culture in the 1920’s, this era began an entirely new outlook amongst the citizens of the county, and brought a new and more fast-paced style of life, in which has only grown faster. The 1920’s in itself birthed the nation with brand new culture by shifting small local economics to the large scale mass production by mega corporations and the influence of their advertising campaigns. The 1920’s saw a shift in culture no other era had experienced thus far due to the growth and dominance of advertising. Technological inventions of this century, such as the radio, the billboard, and the magazine, brought ideas and information to people in new ways, impacting the entire social lifestyle of the time. Peoples live were suddenly filled with voices and signs telling them exactly what to buy and what they should. The happy-go-lucky and ‘nothing to lose’ persona encompassing the citizens of the time only fueled their decisions to go ahead and buy these offered products. Items were being offered that had never been on the market before such as refrigerators, telephone sets, cookers, the Model T by Henry Ford, and an endless amount of domestic hardware and commodities. An increase in jobs and a flourishing economic boom allowed people to feel comfortable in buying products at a much higher rate. However, many people did not actually possess the money they thought themselves to enjoy. Margin buying and installment buying became widely used practices and in effect concentrated the focus of American life around consumerism and materialism. The creation of the magazine, such as Time by Henry Luce, encourage people continue in their direction of booming buying, and the people listened. This new American dream caused citizens to want, want, want! The term mass production was defined in a 1926, meaning the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines. Advertising was used to make people want to buy, and mass production was used so everyone could buy what they wanted or what they thought they needed. With the high demand of products, business progressed into large corporations, and more investment opportunities. Standardized Mass production led to more efficient machines, and higher production and wages, hich led to increase demand of consumer goods, which perpetuated more standardized mass production; this cycle created a business boom in the 1920’s. After the war we looked forward to a brighter future for America‘s economy, we established this future by using advertising and mass production which are still used today. America has faced many up’s and down’s, whether we like to admit it or not, everything serves a purpose in this world, advertising a nd mass production has its pros and cons, but whichever we choose to look at, it will always be apart of our national culture.

Backwood Mail Order Case Essay

Backwoods is a mail order company that is into camping supplies and outdoor clothing. Gerald Banks, the operations manager of the customer service division, is interested in training his 40 employees in the customer orders group to be more effective in handling customer complaints and problems. The organizational structure is as follows: The customer orders division has 40 employees and four supervisors whereas the shipping division has 32 employees and 3 supervisors. The employees are evenly divided into two shifts – A day shift and a night shift. The customer orders division is responsible for recording customer orders and check availability of each item ordered. The orders are then transferred to the shipping division which is in charge of ensuring the product is shipped to the customers. The constraint to be kept in mind before designing the training program is that service should not stop to their customers. The problems as identifies by a needs assessment specify that majority of the errors resulting in merchandise return is because of incorrect entry of size in the computer. Based on this the goals of the training program include reducing merchandize returns and creating a positive image of backwoods in the minds of its customers and employees. Questions 1. Write several clear, measurable objectives for the training to be delivered to the employees in the customer order group. The needs assessment output indicates problems to be addressed according to the organizational and task analysis. Before setting measurable outputs, the company first needs to perform person analysis as well to identify whether there are some employees who are excellent with certain attributes but lack at certain different aspect. Since the customer order group is the main point of contact for the customers, it is imperative that the quality of customer interaction should improve. Apart from telephone etiquette training, the customer order group should also have deep knowledge about the product portfolio. Keeping this in mind, we suggest the following objectives for the training. a. Development of in depth knowledge about the product portfolio: This objective should make sure that every customer service representative is abreast on the products and the different SKU’s of that product. This will need interaction with the products team, and periodical evaluation will be required for the same. b. Ensuring better data entry by rechecking customer knowledge of sizes: Because 78% of the merchandise returns are due to problems with size, features, and/or color selections, representatives must be trained in data entry, as well as order verification. Most of the problems can be eliminated by order verification and probably a sample, or description of the product. Also a habit of being inquisitive needs to be inculcated amongst the employees so that they ensure that the customer is aware about the different sizes in the different products. c. Being polite and prompt in handling customer complaints: A polite and prompt response from the employee will help in improving customer experience and would thus aid in creating a better image of the company. Also this will reduce the clutter that is caused in the workplace which will  further increase productivity and improve order time. d. Improving the company image and boosting employee morale The company branding has to be improved among the customers so that there can be many more repeat orders. To this extent, representatives have to be trained on the discount/promotional offers, product superiority etc. Career opportunities have to be explained and performance reviews should be setup so that employees are content as well. 2. Develop a recommendation for the training plan that includes the training techniques that should be used and the length of training Since customer orders department interacts with customers on a daily basis, the training technique will primarily consist of an off the job training program conducted in batches so that customer orders can be simultaneously fulfilled. Off the Job training phase in batches: a. Simulation and Virtual Reality techniques are recommended with every employee getting a chance to face a simulated customer complaint call and on the basis of their performance, feedback would be given. b. The training program should have classroom instructions and role plays. This will be helpful in customer interactions, and telephone etiquette. The classroom training session should include representatives from the product department, wherein the participants have an opportunity to clarify real life questions. Role play would include dealing with difficult customers, call forwarding etc. Since each hour of classroom training would require 6 hours of designing, this is an ideal combination. c. It should have an e-learning component. This will include information on the product portfolio and product usage. This component can also include data entry techniques to facilitate timely feed and retrieval of data. d. There should be a peer training component too, wherein star performers in the job would be asked to train newcomers and freshers. e. Cross functional training should be offered to the order processing as well as shipping department, since each department should be aware of the processes in the  other. f. Rewards should be planned for in the training program for the most improved employee. This would help incentivizing the process. A batch plan is recommended, since at any point of time, we cannot have all the customer representatives busy in training. Identification of time slots with lesser load should be done, and batches of 5 would be ideal so that the floor wouldn’t be completely empty at any point in time. Given an 8 hour window, a training of 1 hour every day for two weeks would be ideal to cover the required objectives. This will then be followed up with the on the job component. On the job training phase: This is essentially a follow up phase wherein some of the calls of the employees would be recorded and feedback will be provided on the same. There will also be occasional surprise calls from HR posing as customers. Lastly cards with learning of the training program should be placed on the desk of each employee. This will also act as an effective way to evaluate the training program. 3. Offer a plan for evaluating the training program. Describe the criteria that will be used and the design you will employ. We propose the widely accepted four-level framework for evaluation of the training program. Phase 1: Reaction of trainees: A simple questionnaire can be used to record the response of the trainee with his ratings on the training program. A few sample questions could be: a. What were your expectations out of the program? Were they met? b. How would you rate the time allotted to the training program? c. How would you rate the instructor? d. How would rate the design of the program? Phase 2: Learning of the trainees: The performance of the trainees can be gauged and recorded before the training program. The evaluation criteria would be the average number of errors in the past month and knowledge about product. These scores can then be compared with post training scores to evaluate the effectiveness of the training program. Phase 3: Observation of trained employees: This can be done by recording some of the calls of the employees and occasional surprise calls from HR posing as customers. The improvement in their performance with respect to promptness and politeness of response can help in evaluating the training program. Customer interaction and communication effectiveness should also be evaluated by supervisors. Also feedback can be taken from customers as well. Phase 4: Return on investment: The return on investment can be measured by calculating the savings in cost due to reduction in the number of returns. Also increased number of orders due to better customer satisfaction can be considered in considering the payoff from the training program. This can then be compared with the cost of the training program to measure effectiveness.

Salvation In Islam As Against Salvation In Christianity Research Paper

Salvation In Islam As Against Salvation In Christianity - Research Paper Example The Answering Islam Organization for instance puts forward the argument that â€Å"Christianity and Islam share much common ground. Both trace their roots to Abraham. Both believe in prophecy, God's messengers (apostles), revelation, scripture, the resurrection of dead, and the centrality of religious community.† It is also interesting to note that regarding a doctrine like salvation, the two religions have both contrasts and similarities. Three Perspectives of Salvation The comparison and contraction of salvation as it pertains to the two religions thus Christianity and Islam shall be viewed from three major perspectives. These are the origin of sin, the way to salvation and the consequences of salvation. A detailed discussion of the three perspectives would give a pre-salvation conceptualization, salvation conceptualization and post-salvation conceptualization. On the issue of origin of sin, which eventually brings to the need for salvation, both Christianity and Islam belie ve that the first family (Adam and Eve) sinned against God. The difference with the two religions however is the fact that whereas in Christianity is it believed that the sin of Adam and Eve lives on and makes all humankind sinful, thus the need for salvation, Islam believes that the sin of Adam and Eve were forgiven and that generations thereafter bears no condemnation of the first sin. The Answering Islam Organization terms this situation as the originality of sin. According to the organization, â€Å"Christianity teaches that the effects of original sin have corrupted the world and the human beings who exist in it.† â€Å"In Islam, however, there is no such a thing as original sin. The Qur'an does indeed state that Adam and Eve sinned, but according to Islamic belief, they repented and were fully forgiven so that their sin had no repercussions for the rest of human race.† From the above discussion, it can be said that in Islam, the need for salvation arises because various individuals sin against God and therefore need His forgiveness, which is also termed salvation. The reason why salvation is needed is however different with Christianity because with the Christian believe, everyone born of a woman needs salvation right from birth because we each inherit the sins of Adam and Eve. It is therefore not surprising that in Christianity, good deeds are separated from being saved. In the Christian setting, because each person comes to the world with some sins, no matter how generous or morally upright a person may be; if the person does not get saved (salvation), his or her good deeds are not justified by God. Conclusively, both religions believe that humankind need salvation but the reason or need for salvation is different. After establishing that in Christianity people need salvation because they inherit sin but in Islam people need salvation because of their personal sin, the question then becomes, for whatever reason that a person may need salv ation, how is salvation granted in the sight of the two religions? On how to attain salvation, there is a clear similarity among the two religions. From the Epistle of James chapter two, we read; â€Å"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him (Verse 14)? In the same way, faith by

Cost Drivers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cost Drivers - Essay Example Finally, cost drivers includes hours of time, number of employees, number of setups, number of wheel, number of enquiries, number of products produced, number of machines maintained, and number of hours of supervision. Cost behaviour normally relate to various activities as well as the consumption of resources ((Hansen et al. 2009). Such resources have costs which are either fixed and do not vary directly with resource usage in the short run or variable and varies in direct proportion to the resource consumption. Activities usually consume resources and the costs of such resources often follow various behavioural patterns (Needles et al. 2010). Since, the supervisors spend an equal amount of time with each employee they supervise, the costs associated with it are fixed, and they do not vary directly with resource usage. Since the building is allocated based on square footage, the costs are variable. There is a direct correlation between amount of space used and the rent. There is also a direct correlation between the Energy or electric power consumed and the number of units produced (Needles et al. 2010). In terms of labour, the costs are variable as they change in direct proportion to the number of units produced. The cost of equipment is fixed and does not vary directly to the units produced. The cost of materials varies in direct proportion to the number of units produced. There is an indirect relationship between amount of supplies and production time. The costs therefore vary in direct proportion to the resource consumption ((Hansen et al.

Short Answer Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Short Answer Questions - Essay Example When one is able to clarify the values it gives an opportunity to identify the strength needed in displaying ones profession of nursing. One is able to give services with the help of both personal and profession values. Values are classified according to profession, for example the nursing profession requires patience ,love and honesty. Therefore is it important for to clarify the values in order to execute services in a more diligent way. Public figures are the people entitled to serve the public and most of them do the opposite with their value requirements. This is not the same with the those of professional figures because profession requires direct application of those values in discharging of services .Doctors are professional figures and they execute duties according to their personal and professional values. Public figures have odds in terms of value application because they do things that don’t result from the values they are expected from them. Politicians for instance have odds in terms of their values. They engage in corruption, bribery and tribalism during giving services to the public. This is totally wrong since they are leaders and they should exercise leadership values. The term professional refers to a description of an individual who is competent or skilled in a particular activity. It can also mean a person who is involved in a particular activity as an occupation. Abortion and voluntary euthanasia are important but critical issues related to life and death. They involve use of ethical issues that require legal decisions . Personal interventions are also required before making a decision on abortion and voluntary euthanasia. Abortion is a service that should be offered only under certain conditions of the patient. Legal procedure may follow where the attorney is involved. A person’s will or decision to undergo may be approved after consideration of several valid

Health inequalities in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Health inequalities in Britain - Essay Example Britain’s Office for National Statistics mentions that the country’s subject were more well-off in almost all aspects, but these trends in lifestyles are not constant and are not distributed equally. It is shown that through time Britain’s subjects are healthier than in any point in their history. But some statistics also show that the life expectancy, risks of pregnancy and other aspects of British lifestyles are slowly being improved over time but the dilemma of unequal distribution of health benefits is still a problem. Also as the middle and upper class subjects have improved their health lifestyles, the health conditions of the poor slowly decrease. Although the British government has meant to eradicate the problem of health inequalities, it is often not up to the task . In a report by the British Department of Health, people on the lower brackets of society have lower life expectancies in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. It is estimated that the difference between the life expectancies of wealthy individuals are 7 to 8 years longer than lower class subjects. Also the ONS reported that development between privileged and underprivileged areas are significantly different. For example, while the less privileged has had higher employment rates in the recent years, the unequal distribution of wealth and other benefits has increased. Male professionals working on less laborious jobs have longer life expectancies than manual workers. In a survey made by the ONS, tit showed that the difference between the life expectancies of these two classes is 7 years apart in favour of professionals. It has been found that the gap between life expectancies grew to 2 years.

HIV in Nursing Issue according to Different Research Works Annotated Bibliography

HIV in Nursing Issue according to Different Research Works - Annotated Bibliography Example Even if the study of Taher and Abdelhai (2011) refers to a specific part of the population, the nurses, it could be effectively used for controlling the expansion of HIV in various social and professional groups. The research conducted by Taher and Abdelhai (2011) was divided into three phases: in the first phase, the two nursing groups were asked to complete a questionnaire (p.145). During the ‘health education intervention’ (p.145) that followed, nurses were given material related to HIV. After the completion of the above program, nurses were asked to complete another questionnaire (p.145). The comparison of the pre-session and after-session questionnaires helped the researchers to identify the role of IEC programs in controlling the expansion of HIV among nurses. It was proved that the intervention led to the increase of awareness of nurses in regard to HIV. An important increase of the general knowledge score was reported: From 7.29 before the intervention to 8.01 after the intervention (p.146). Also, undergraduates seemed to be more benefited by the intervention than the postgraduate nurses (p.146). The IEC programs can be effective in controlling the expansion of HIV within various social groups. The perceptions of nurses on caring and communicating with people that suffer from HIV can influence the performance of nurses in regard to the above activities. It is probably for this reason that Stavropoulou et al. (2011) have decided to focus on the particular subject. A key issue, also explored in the study mentioned above, is a potential effect on education on caring for people with HIV. The research has been conducted through a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to nurses of the Technological Educational Institution of Crete, Greece. In total, 100 questionnaires were completed (p.291). A high percentage of the participants, about 40%, stated concerns for caring people with HIV (p.291).