In the past 15 years, the United Kingdom & the European Union have Essay

In the past 15 years, the United Kingdom & the European Union have created a legal and regulatory system that encourages the ad - Essay Example For the first time in history, contracts can be routinely entered by parties who have never met, who have had no prior relationship, who do not know each other and who may often be located in different legal jurisdictions. When internet shopping was first introduced in the mid-90’s, these facts represented major hurdles to consumer confidence towards online retailers. Indeed, in a traditional shopping experience, the consumer is located on the premises of the retailer, can see the goods and services provided to others and can interact with staff and other shoppers during the process of making a shopping decision. Moreover, in the event of a problem with the goods or services purchased, the consumer can return to the premises and interact with the service desk, or even alert friends, family, the local authorities or perhaps the media in the event of unresolved issues. This level of extensive horizontal interaction and recourses is not only required to make the retailer more per sonable to the shopper and thereby secure, establish and propagate the business’s goodwill, it was also the key ingredient missing from online shopping in it’s early years, some of which is addressed by the United Kingdom’s e-commerce laws. The requirement for online businesses to provide their geographical address, contact information, business registration information and supervising regulatory or professional bodies (Business Link, n.d.) addresses many of these concerns, but above all gives the consumer i) the possibility to recognize, report and avoid recidivist fraudulent businesses, ii) the peace of mind that not only are the regulatory authorities watching, but iii) fraudulent businesses can be found out and prosecuted if needed. All these benefits synergize to bolster consumer confidence. As rapid technological advancements over the past decade have made powerful and versatile electronic devices accessible to the general public, the computer and electron ic gadget culture has secured a foothold in all spheres of society. An extensive online culture has developed with social media, virtual friends, digital media and electronic hobbies of all kinds, and every single one of these phenomena has almost completely replaced their offline counterpart (CBC, 2011), especially in the younger generations that have grown-up with ready access to this culture. It was inevitable that this cultural shift would also transform other aspects of daily life, from becoming one of the leading causes of motor vehicle collisions to being able to do all banking, shopping and business meetings in the palm of one’s hand, wherever a wireless internet connection is available. As a direct result of consumer confidence bolstered by the regulatory framework, the United Kingdom has become one of the leading electronic economies of the world, both in terms of proportion of retail sales and amount spent per capita (Robinson, 2010). Just as the younger generation in the 80’s was a force pushing home entertainment systems and gaming consoles into every home and the younger generation in the 90’s pushed personal computers, high-speed internet and digital media into every household, the current

Personal Development Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal Development Plan - Essay Example It contains details recommendations with regard to introduction that should be made in order to make the positive changes come true. This is particularly important since it shows that the two ethical theories that are being discussed can be effectively applied in practice making a person a better leader. For example, the call for not treating people as means, but only as end urges a leader to respect each of the followers and never allow one to become a faceless unit that is used to achieve a certain purpose. The idea of good will is linked to the idea of perspective and the ability of a leader to outline the development of the group and facilitate it. The text also features an outline for discussion regarding integration of the two theories in question into a personal leadership plan in order to achieve a stronger presence. Thus, the Categorical imperative will contribute to the ability of a leader to choose the right option all the time and Justice as Fairness approach will ensure the appreciation of the followers. It may be particularly important to explore the values and standards that reflect the meaning of each ethical theory. The first aspect that should be remembered with regard to Categorical imperative is the need treat people as ends and never as means (Cornman & Lehrer, 1968, p. 336). This reflects the universal appreciation of one’s significance and dignity and should be maintained by all the people. Another point that should be mentioned is the notion of good will (Paton, 1971, p. 201). This means that the consequences of the action may not fully define the nature of the action, but it is good will of the subject that also should be taken into account. Indeed, if a person performs action that is largely considered to be a moral one because of the reasons that are not considered to be moral, it is obvious that on the whole the action will not be recognized as a good one. Finally, one of

What Is Peer Pressure Health And Social Care Essay

What Is Peer Pressure Health And Social Care Essay Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that causes people to obsess with their weight gain. People with anorexia limit the amount of food they eat drastically and can become extremely thin. A person with anorexia sees themselves as an obese individual even if they are skinny. Anorexia nervosa is not about the food the person consumes, but it is a way for the individuals to cope with their emotional problems. Although anorexia can occur in both sexes, it is much more common in females rather than males. Anorexia usually affects the teenagers and young adults. If this disorder goes untreated it can lead to serious health problems such as osteoporosis, kidney damage, heart problems, and eventually death. Anorexia nervosa has the highest death rate of any mental illness with five to twenty percent of people who develop the disease die from it. The exact causes of anorexia, like all other eating disorders are unknown but there are factors that could impact it. These factors include; havin g an anxiety disorder as a child, having a negative self-image, having eating disorder as a child, and having certain social ideas about health and beauty. A patient with anorexia attends to maintain a strict control over food intake by counting calories exactly. Some may enjoy cooking and serving food but not eating it; they may hide the food and claim that they ate it. Anorexia nervosa can be very difficult to cope with, and early treatment could be effective. The longer this disease goes untreated, the harder it is to eventually overcome.Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that causes people lose more weight than is considered healthy for their age and height. Anorexia commonly affects women between the ages of 13 and 20. Anorexia causes serious health conditions such as osteoporosis, kidney damage, heart problems, and eventually death. About 10 through 15 percent of all people with anorexia will eventually die from physical or mental complications. Early detection is the best way to battle anorexia nervosa; approximately 60 percent of people with anorexia make a full recovery when detected early (Causes of Anorexia). Anorexia is caused by a fear of gaining weight, obesophobia, where the person has to practice unhealthy dieting habits to maintain this fear. A study found that adolescent girls were more fearful of gaining weight than getting cancer, nuclear war or losing their parents (Self Image/Media Influences). Although the causes of anorexia nervosa are unknown, there are many factors that can contribute to anorexia nervosa. An important factor that affects anorexia is social pressure, whether it is by peers or the media. Most female teenagers will develop anorexia nervosa because of body images portrayed by the media and peer pressure. Peer Pressure What is Peer Pressure? Peer pressure is influence from a members peer group. Whether it is by a boyfriend, peer, coworker, or sibling. When people receive criticism they are at increased risk of a number of mental health issues, including poor body image and eating disorders. Troubling behaviors range from a dirty look when taking a second helping of food at the dinner table to persistent weight-related bullying by ones peers (Ross, 2012). How does Peer Pressure affect anorexia? Peer pressure can also impact teens into becoming anorexic. Bullying is the most common type of peer pressure. Someone may make remarks about another persons body image or weight and that causes that person to feel dissatisfied with their body. This in turn causes the person to practice unhealthy dieting. This is very common among teens who are constantly being judge based on their looks. In movies, particularly, but also in television shows and the accompanying commercials, womens and girls appearance is frequently commented on: 58 percent of female characters in movies had comments made about their looks, as did 28 percent in television shows and 26 percent of the female models in the accompanying commercials (Body Image Nutrition). Peer pressure has a major impact on how we look at ourselves; it can alter our behavior and cause us to practice unhealthy ones. Media Portrayal What is Media? The media is an important aspect of our daily lives. Media is all around us: it includes Television sets, billboards, magazines, newspapers, and the Internet. Media also includes social networking sites which most teens nowadays are engaged in. About 95 percent of people own a TV set and watch for an average of 3-4 hours per day. By the end of the last century 50 percent of women read a newspaper each day and nearly half of all girls, from the age of 7 read a girls magazine each week (Jade, 2009). Media is also used to target certain age groups to buy a specific product. In this case media targets teen girls to sell beauty products. During shows that are watched mostly by teen girls 56 percent of commercials are about beauty as a product appeal. Also one in three articles in leading teen magazines contain 50 percent of advertisements focus on appearance. It is everywhere we turn and we face it every day of our lives. How does Media affect anorexia nervosa? Everywhere we turn we see models that are extremely underweight. These models are considered the ideal image of beauty. An average US woman is 54 tall weighing about 140 pounds while the average US model is 511 and weigh about 117 pounds (Health Wellness Article, 2000). When teens see these models they desperately want to be like them. According to a study in Pediatrics, about two-thirds of girls in the 5th to 12th grades said that magazine images influence their vision of an ideal body, and about half of the girls said the images made them want to lose weight. Teens become dissatisfied with their bodies; this can explain why 80 percent of US women do not like how they look (Ross, 2012). On a study done with thirteen year olds found that 53 percent of American girls are unhappy with their bodies, these increases to 78 percent by the time these girls reach the age of seventeen (Body Image Nutrition). This in turn causes them to become obsess with their weight to match that of the models they see each day. In a survey done by the National Heart, Lung and Blood institute found that 40 percent of girls 9 and 10 years old have tried to lose weight. According to statistics from the National Eating Disorders Association, by the time they reach college, 92 percent of young women have tried to control weight through dieting, and 22 percent often or always diet (Health Wellness Article, 2000). Gradually these teens develop a drastic fear of gaining weight. References A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. ( 2012, February 13). Retrieved from Pubmed Health: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001401/ Health Wellness Article. (2000, July 5). Retrieved from Tree: http://www.tree.com/health/eating-disorders-anorexia-causes.aspx Anorexia Nervosa Health center. (2011, August 25). Retrieved from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/anorexia-nervosa/anorexia-nervosa-topic-overview Body Image Nutrition. (n.d.). Retrieved 1 20, 2013, from Teen Health and the Media: http://depts.washington.edu/thmedia/view.cgi?section=bodyimagepage=fastfacts Causes of Anorexia. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2013, from Eating Disorders mirror mirror: http://www.mirror-mirror.org/causes-of-anorexia.htm Cemanovic, M. (2006, December 18). The Effects of Media on the Skinny Side of Eating Disorders. Retrieved from Ezine @rticles: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Effects-of-Media-on-the-Skinny-Side-of-Eating-Disordersid=390528 Gould, B. E., Dyer, R. M. (2011). Pathophysiology for the Health Professions. In B. E. Gould, R. M. Dyer, Pathophysiology for the Health Professions (pp. 420-421). Jeanne Olson. Inge, C. (2010, July 29). Peer Pressure: Eating Disorders. Retrieved from Examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/article/peer-pressure-eating-disorders Jade, D. (2009). THE MEDIA AND EATING DISORDERS. Retrieved from National Centre for Eating Disorders: http://www.eating-disorders.org.uk/media-and-eating-disorders.html Ross, C. C. (2012, June 1). World of Psychology. Retrieved from PsychCentral: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/06/02/why-do-women-hate-their-bodies/ Self Image/Media Influences. (n.d.). Retrieved from Just Say YES: http://www.justsayyes.org/topics/self-image-media-influences/ Staff, M. C. (2012, January 5). Anorexia nervosa. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anorexia/DS00606

A Typical American Wedding Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

A Typical American Wedding Marriage. Are there any specifications to when someone gets married? When is it the appropriate time to get married? All these questions swarm my mind day after day as I envision my wedding. I don't believe those questions have a correct answer, but can only be answered by that person who is considering marriage. I on the other hand seem to answer those questions every day and develop a new answer everyday. As of right now I have been with my boyfriend, Forrest, for 3 years and two months. According to my stipulations of when to become engaged, I believe it should have already happened. We have each discussed it numerous times. My mom has subscriptions of wedding magazines that seem to arrive just as I walk into the door to visit, and my niece already refers to him as her uncle, yet I do not have a ring! I have thrown out every hint to him, from brochures of ring settings, to bringing up subjects of other friends who are engaged, but still no proposal. As the holidays and my graduati on approach, I anticipate the idea of an engagement. Although it may seem that I am eager to expedite this memorable event, it is also obvious to point out that there are many arrangements and a lot of stress that is tacked on to planning a wedding. First, I will have to acknowledge that I will have to deal with my family who has been sitting on pins and needles waiting for this day, possibly more so than myself, and of course there is the strategic plans. Since I have been waiting for this day, I have talked with my cousin's fiancà ©e, Lyssa, who has gone through this very similar delay of a proposal. I had to listen to her gripes and now she gets to listen to mine. But fortunately her time has come and she has gone from ... ... Two words of advice for brides-to-be. First, Be shacked up for at least a year because living with Kevin makes it so easy to marry him. I know what I am in for and I am marrying him with no doubts! Second, Have a lengthy engagement to make sure your wedding includes every detail you want. You'll have time to save needed money for all the extras and you'll have time to make everything happen. Last, I am adding a word for the grooms. If you are shacked up don't even think about surprising your girl with a ring, just do it within a year or your engagement will be an ultimatum." Personally I believe weddings are beautiful, but after witnessing many conflictions that Lyssa has gone through, I have learned that there are other aspects to planning a wedding. But in the end it is all worth it, and I anticipate watching the actual wedding of Kevin and Lisa on February 2nd.

Virtual keyboard

There is a wide range of innovative input device selections available in the market today. Most of these input devices are designed for ease of use. Previous devices are usually developed and improved to devise new inventions fitting for the pressing needs of the computer client. In some cases, these brand new gadgets are dispensable, simply for plain entertainment. Browsing through the internet has provided the writer with information about the latest input devices that have swamped the market for gadget finds. I have chosen three different keyboard innovations, putting them side by side, to identify their functionality and efficiency. Through a simple analysis of product descriptions, the value and marketability of each is also identified. The virtual keyboard is a laser technology that takes input through keyboard to a new level. The virtual keyboard is an I-Tech innovation that is merely a projection of the standard keyboard interface. Practically speaking, the virtual keyboard can be cast on any type of surface. This is a perfect companion for laptop, PDA, Pocket PC, and Smart Phones users, accustomed to traveling around. The virtual keyboard works in a complex manner as it processes movements of the hand and the fingers to identify and carry out various keystrokes. Each keystroke is coupled with a tapping sound for a realistic feel.   It does not use up much power because when it is not in use, it vanishes automatically from sight. The virtual keyboard can be connected to any device through USB or Bluetooth connection. The FrogPad mini keyboard is another interesting keyboard device because of its size. Its dimensions are smaller than the regular keyboard dimensions and it has only around 20 functional keys. Like the virtual keyboard, it is also designed for traveling and outdoor use. An interesting fact about the FrogPad mini keyboard is that it is one-handed. Inputting only requires the use of one hand allowing you to do other things while typing. It can be connected to any type of device such as PDA, Laptop, Pocket PC’s, Smart Phones, and other varieties of mobile devices through USB. The FrogPad mini keyboard is widely used in computers installed in vehicles because of its functionality and simply because it saves much space. Its newest development is the FrogPad Bluetooth wireless keyboard. The Step On It keyboard control pedals by Bilbo Innovation, Inc. is a plug and play   keyboard peripheral that makes use of a three electronic pedals in replacement of some keyboard keys, such as the Ctrl, Alt and Shift keys. However, designating other keys to each pedal is allowed, as desired by the user. The objective of the keyboard control pedal is to reduce wrist strains that may have caused by prolonged typing activity. Among the three keyboard innovations listed above, I think the device having the most market potential is the FrogPad mini keyboard. A lot people nowadays are looking for ways to maximize their time and be able to do multiple tasks at the same. The FrogPad mini keyboard enables you to this. As it saves much space, it is also easy to bring anywhere you want to go, through the use of handheld devices and other computers. It also offers a one-handed feature where it permits multi-tasking. It also comes with features like switching left hand and the right hand, and its interface allows users for easy input. The I-tech virtual keyboard comes next with regards to market potential. Aside from its attractive and hi-tech design, it is also practical and functional for people on the go. It is best to use it with handheld devices to save space. The most interesting thing about it is that it each keystroke is accompanied by a real tapping noise similar to the tapping sound in regular keyboard devices. It was creatively designed and well thought of, producing an innovation that captures the attention of the computer client. The Step On It keyboard control pedals are impractical. It results to confusion as it changes the way the keyboard is used. It complicates things because you have to mix the use of your fingers and your feet. I would have to say it has not proved its potential for consumer consumption. References Bilbo, (2007) Step On It! Keyboard Pedals. Retrieved December 4, 2007 from Bilbo Innovations Inc. Website: http://www.bilbo.com/ Fogg, M. (2006) Virtual Laser Keyboard Now Available. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from Overclocl3d Ltd. Website: http://www.overclock3d.net/news.php?type=3&id=491&desc=virtual_laser_keyboard_now_available HackerStickers, (2006). FrogPad Mini Keyboard USB. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from HackerStickers.com. Website: http://www.hackerstickers.com/products/frogpad-mini-keyboard-usb.shtml   

Electrolux Case Summary Essay

As the largest domestic products manufacturer in the world, Electrolux has about 70000 employees all around the world in about 150 countries, making 14 billion euros in sales in 2005. However, an acquisition case from its main competitor, Whirlpool, is challenging the ? rst place of Electrolux, at the time Electrolux has just decided to divest its outdoor division. A huge decrease in sales in the following years is expected. Starting from 1920s, Electrolux has been famous for its expertise in industrial design on products such as vacuum cleaner and refrigeration. The products quickly got popular not only in its home country in Sweden, but in other western countries such as Germany, France, USA and UK, due to the homogeneous culture of these countries. A major growth in demand after World War II contributed a lot to its growth. With a large amount of accumulated cash of the past decades, Electrolux decided to expand quickly through a number of acquisitions for more market share and diversi? cation. In late 20th century, Electrolux discovered new markets in developing countries when the market in western countries was already very mature and was even showing a sign of going down. It also went through a phase of restructuring the segmentations of products as well as abandoned some less important activities. Up until 2006, the company has addressed its new strategies mainly on functional level to correspond to the challenges. To maximize the pro? t, the production would be outsourced to developing countries with lower labor costs. More ef? ient logistics has made the globalization more feasible and cost-saving. On the product market level, due to the market polarization, a more distinguishing product segmentation would be applied. While keeping the basic low-price products, Electrolux is launching a series of products with higher prices to satisfy the high-end market. On the other hand, 2% of sales would be put in R&D to keep a high rate of new products launches. The supply chain management has always been vital when it comes to consumer goods industry. When Electrolux is outsourcing more of the productions, it is also hifting the strategy of distribution channels. Instead of traditional dealers, big chains with large volume and high geographical coverage are brought up front because of lower serving cost. Above all these, the company keeps making efforts on brand-building by investing at least 2% of the sales every year. With more products are sold under Electrolux’s name, the company is also improving its brand image by stressing more on their culture through internal and external relations among employees, suppliers and retailers, etc.