Balancing the Budget

American Government Balance the Budget When it came to the budget simulator I went in there with a general idea of what I wanted to do, and the results were surprising. I was able to cut the deficit by $256 billion leaving a deficit of only $144 billion. I was not able to completely balance the budget which is disappointing but I made a significant difference. It was very difficult to make a balanced budget which I felt was fair but I’m sure many people would feel my cuts and increases were unfair or unwarranted. My biggest area for budget cuts was that of military spending, although it still makes up a large portion of the budget. I cut $208 billion from the military spending mainly because if we were to pull out from the war it would largely lower our deficit. I left the spending for military personnel unchanged because I do not deny that the military is necessary, I do however, doubt that we need all the research at the time simply because the war being fought was no relevant to us and we shouldn’t have been involved. Which brings me to the $80 billion cut from the Iraq and Afghanistan operations. I cut $105 billion from our military operations there and severely debated eliminating it completely, but we do need funding in order to bring our troops home. I eliminated our reconstruction aid there simply because with our country in such a huge problem area we need to focus on fixing our country first. On the topic of military personnel I chose to actually increase the spending towards military retirement simply because they have done a lot for our country and we need to show them support for all they have done. In retrospect I nearly eliminated the budget for foreign affairs, due to the fact that we have our own problems to fix. I completely eliminated the international development and humanitarian assistance, and international military aid budgets. My reasoning behind this is that our development is hurt in terms of economy and yes it is bad that the other countries aren’t as privileged as us but when more money is going into their development than fixing our country it is a serious problem. I won’t go into detail about every field but the last field I want to outline my reasoning behind for cutting spending in is the tax breaks for large corporations and the benefits for the richest 20% of the taxpayers. My main reason for doing this is because we need to stop placating the â€Å"rich† in our country and stop giving them so many ways to continually make obscene amounts of money which many of them will spend on frivolous things and very few give to charity. Giving the rich many tax write- offs and benefits did nothing but hurt this country. This is why I actually increased the benefits given to the bottom 60% of taxpayers by 20%. I cut all corporate tax breaks by 20% simply because the corporations are just as much at fault as the rich for hoarding the money and not returning their wealth. Moving on to the areas where I did actually increase the budget one of the bigger increases and also one of the most important was in the education department; Increasing elementary, secondary, and vocational education budget by 50% and higher education by 20%. The education department has taken severe budget cuts and it is having an adverse effect on our students who will one day bring out a leader to run this country. I would rather not elect a poorly educated person as president thus our system needs as much budget as can be spared. Another area which received a large amount of an increase was Medicare and Non-Medicare health benefits because I personally know how much trouble this industry is in. Having a pre-existing condition and a severe one at that I know how difficult it is to get health insurance and the aid which comes with it can be less than stellar. Hopefully this increase would help promote better health in the citizens of the country. Playing off the medical benefits I also increased the aid to low income families because they are a large backbone to the society. With how the economy is you have families working three jobs and still struggling to make ends meet. This is very unhealthy and actually leads to more cost needed for medical benefits because when people get sick they have to go to the hospital. It was my hope that increasing both budgets would actually balance ut. The final increase I wish to cover is also slightly more of a controversial one and it may not be a modest increase but it is still important. I increased the border security and immigration budget by 50% in hopes that it would help lower the rate of illegal immigrants coming into the country and not becoming citizens. While at first it may be viewed as a heartless thought the truth is that while we allow the immigrants who come to the country and donâ€⠄¢t get citizenship to stay we increase our own expenses. By not being citizens they themselves do not actually pay federal taxes, especially if they work under the table. However, despite not being citizens they are still eligible for our low income aid, and medical benefit programs and this is actually taking away from the citizens and taxpayers who need it. There is also the unspoken fact that without a large amount of illegal immigrants who don’t speak English we could actually cut the spending for production of many products in Spanish and other languages since those who require them wouldn’t be living in the country. While balancing the budget it occurred to me why congress would have so many problems balancing the actual budget; it is difficult to keep everyone happy while maintaining a balanced budget. My cuts were largely from the foreign affairs, the rich and corporate America. The problem is those areas in this current day and age hold a lot of influence and it runs the risk of making a whole lot of people very angry. Congress has to try its’ hardest to create a balanced budget while remaining as politically correct as it possibly can. In short balancing this budget wasn’t as hard on me as it could have been simply because I have thought about this exact topic for a long time. While my budget may not be the most politically correct budget and it may not be completely balanced it did get results, and very significant ones at that. There were probably areas which I could have not increased the budget for or areas which could have been cut a little less but I feel strongly about my decisions and I would stand by them if ever they were questioned. Balancing the Budget American Government Balance the Budget When it came to the budget simulator I went in there with a general idea of what I wanted to do, and the results were surprising. I was able to cut the deficit by $256 billion leaving a deficit of only $144 billion. I was not able to completely balance the budget which is disappointing but I made a significant difference. It was very difficult to make a balanced budget which I felt was fair but I’m sure many people would feel my cuts and increases were unfair or unwarranted. My biggest area for budget cuts was that of military spending, although it still makes up a large portion of the budget. I cut $208 billion from the military spending mainly because if we were to pull out from the war it would largely lower our deficit. I left the spending for military personnel unchanged because I do not deny that the military is necessary, I do however, doubt that we need all the research at the time simply because the war being fought was no relevant to us and we shouldn’t have been involved. Which brings me to the $80 billion cut from the Iraq and Afghanistan operations. I cut $105 billion from our military operations there and severely debated eliminating it completely, but we do need funding in order to bring our troops home. I eliminated our reconstruction aid there simply because with our country in such a huge problem area we need to focus on fixing our country first. On the topic of military personnel I chose to actually increase the spending towards military retirement simply because they have done a lot for our country and we need to show them support for all they have done. In retrospect I nearly eliminated the budget for foreign affairs, due to the fact that we have our own problems to fix. I completely eliminated the international development and humanitarian assistance, and international military aid budgets. My reasoning behind this is that our development is hurt in terms of economy and yes it is bad that the other countries aren’t as privileged as us but when more money is going into their development than fixing our country it is a serious problem. I won’t go into detail about every field but the last field I want to outline my reasoning behind for cutting spending in is the tax breaks for large corporations and the benefits for the richest 20% of the taxpayers. My main reason for doing this is because we need to stop placating the â€Å"rich† in our country and stop giving them so many ways to continually make obscene amounts of money which many of them will spend on frivolous things and very few give to charity. Giving the rich many tax write- offs and benefits did nothing but hurt this country. This is why I actually increased the benefits given to the bottom 60% of taxpayers by 20%. I cut all corporate tax breaks by 20% simply because the corporations are just as much at fault as the rich for hoarding the money and not returning their wealth. Moving on to the areas where I did actually increase the budget one of the bigger increases and also one of the most important was in the education department; Increasing elementary, secondary, and vocational education budget by 50% and higher education by 20%. The education department has taken severe budget cuts and it is having an adverse effect on our students who will one day bring out a leader to run this country. I would rather not elect a poorly educated person as president thus our system needs as much budget as can be spared. Another area which received a large amount of an increase was Medicare and Non-Medicare health benefits because I personally know how much trouble this industry is in. Having a pre-existing condition and a severe one at that I know how difficult it is to get health insurance and the aid which comes with it can be less than stellar. Hopefully this increase would help promote better health in the citizens of the country. Playing off the medical benefits I also increased the aid to low income families because they are a large backbone to the society. With how the economy is you have families working three jobs and still struggling to make ends meet. This is very unhealthy and actually leads to more cost needed for medical benefits because when people get sick they have to go to the hospital. It was my hope that increasing both budgets would actually balance ut. The final increase I wish to cover is also slightly more of a controversial one and it may not be a modest increase but it is still important. I increased the border security and immigration budget by 50% in hopes that it would help lower the rate of illegal immigrants coming into the country and not becoming citizens. While at first it may be viewed as a heartless thought the truth is that while we allow the immigrants who come to the country and donâ€⠄¢t get citizenship to stay we increase our own expenses. By not being citizens they themselves do not actually pay federal taxes, especially if they work under the table. However, despite not being citizens they are still eligible for our low income aid, and medical benefit programs and this is actually taking away from the citizens and taxpayers who need it. There is also the unspoken fact that without a large amount of illegal immigrants who don’t speak English we could actually cut the spending for production of many products in Spanish and other languages since those who require them wouldn’t be living in the country. While balancing the budget it occurred to me why congress would have so many problems balancing the actual budget; it is difficult to keep everyone happy while maintaining a balanced budget. My cuts were largely from the foreign affairs, the rich and corporate America. The problem is those areas in this current day and age hold a lot of influence and it runs the risk of making a whole lot of people very angry. Congress has to try its’ hardest to create a balanced budget while remaining as politically correct as it possibly can. In short balancing this budget wasn’t as hard on me as it could have been simply because I have thought about this exact topic for a long time. While my budget may not be the most politically correct budget and it may not be completely balanced it did get results, and very significant ones at that. There were probably areas which I could have not increased the budget for or areas which could have been cut a little less but I feel strongly about my decisions and I would stand by them if ever they were questioned.

Language Corrupts Thought Essay

Language Corrupts Thought Essay Speeches are given all the time, all around the world. Speeches are given to express thoughts and feelings by revealing the speaker’s qualities and opinions, which can impact business, politics, and world events. Politicians are constantly corrupting citizen’s thoughts. They do this in order to distort the truth, to gain your attention, and to go along and follow what they believe. In March 2008, Sally Kern stated her position in homosexuality.Looking through Kern’s speech, she is distorting the truth by telling biased statistics, information that is irrational, and that she is influencing others with her religion view. First, Kern use of statistics is completely biased. â€Å"Matter of fact, studies show no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, you know, a few decades. So it’s the death knell for this country. † This so called study is completely biased because she has no proof or evid ence that what she is stating is even a bit true.And she has no proof to prove to us that there have been societies that have died out because they embraced homosexuality. She is a bigot in such a way that she won’t tolerate those who hold different opinions from her own, which is not something we look for in a legislator or anyone who is a part of the government system. Throughout the speech, Kern demonstrates reasons to why she is against homosexuals. â€Å"I honestly think it’s the biggest threat even, that our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam, which I think is a big threat. OK? † Homosexuals are not a threat to our nation.The comparison between terrorism and homosexuals just cannot be made. Homosexuals do not cause a danger to our country or our universe, for that matter. There have been no Americans killed by LGBT citizens, if at all, there are more Americans killing LGBT citizens, not directly, but through suicidal acts. Terrorists have kil led thousands of people, posing a threat to our country, which are things that homosexuals have not done. â€Å"Homosexuals are already citizens who have equal rights. They want â€Å"special rights† for the acceptance of their deviant lifestyle.I'm thankful that Oklahoma is different than California and New York. I pray it stays that way. † Once again, Homosexuals do not want â€Å"special rights†, all they want is to be able to live their life, married with their significant other. What is so different between a man and woman marriage and 2 men or 2 women marriage? Throughout history, people have stood up for things that they did not agree with. African Americans were segregated for years. George Wallace, former governor of Alabama, said in his inaugural address, â€Å"I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever. judging African Americans based on the color of their skin. Or the Jewish people taken from their homes to concentration camps judging them based on their religion. Homosexuality is no different. Another thing Kern continuously states in this speech is her religious view, hinting that her religious view is superior to any other. â€Å"But if I were to ask you what is the one thing that has made America great, that makes us unique, what would it be?†¦ What made us great is that we were a nation founding on Christian principles†¦ I am not saying everyone has to be Christian; this is not a homogenous nation.What you have to be is someone who believes in a Judeo-Christian ethic, in other words, in knowing there's a right and wrong. † She asked the question, and then answered it herself. Instead of letting the American’s minds wander and to think for themselves, Kern just automatically answered for them without thought of a different opinion. Also, she contradicts herself in that last sentence. She’s telling us we can pick whatever religion we’d like, which is what should ha ppen, but telling us we need these requirements regardless of what religion we believe in or even if we believe in one.This is said simply to push more people towards Christianity and believe with what she believes in. Kern all the way through her speech, addressed the issue of homosexuality and why she thought it was inhumane and unjust for our country. However, Kern filled her speech with absurd ideas and invalid information. Kern’s speech about homosexuality evidently failed because Kern did not back up information with proof or evidence and tried using her religion to persuade people to side with her. Work Cited http://www. boxturtlebulletin. com/2008/03/20/1662

Burj Khalifa in Dubai Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Burj Khalifa in Dubai - Essay Example rtments range from residential, entertainment complex (comprising of 150 restaurants, Dubai fountains, ice-skating sink, and an aquarium), Dubai mall, Address hotel and palace (Christensen 17). Naming of this fascinating structure was after Abu Dhabi’s leader due to his immense contribution in bailing out Dubai from the then state’s debt (Christensen 17). The most intriguing aspects that have prompted Burj Khalifa surpass all other skyscrapers ever made by man up to date include historical account that led to its construction, the mall, the apartment and hotel as conveyed exhaustively in this study. Burj Khalifa, formerly known as Burj Dubai before its inauguration in 2010, was declared the tallest building in the world after defeating former record holder Taipei101. Burj Khalifa, which is named after the president of UAE who is also the emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, is located near Dubai central business district. It is part of Downtown Dubai, a 490 acre under development (â€Å"BBC News†). The tower was constructed by Samsung engineering & Construction Company, it is the same company that is behind some reputable skyscrapers such as Taipei 101 and PETRONAS twin tower. Since its completion, Burj Khalifa has received many awards and recognitions. Apart from going to records as the tallest building ever constructed by man, Burj Khalifa has also garnered many world records in a short period. Some of its records include the highest observation deck and largest number of floors not forgetting its high-speed elevators. (â€Å"New york Times†). In September 2010, it was named the best project of the year. It was also honoured as the best tall building in October 2010. Construction of the building began in 2004 and completed in 2009 before officially being opened in 2010 by non-other than Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum being opened officially by, the sheikh of Dubai. (â€Å"Burj Khalifa†) It was during the building’s grand opening that sheikh

Global management strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global management strategy - Essay Example This research has applied global marketing theories and frameworks supported by a well-structured bibliography of various international marketing components relating to market entry into a new market. This paper finally gives its findings and recommendations on the proposed venture. It is never anyones wish to feel unwell and be forced to seek medication. Nevertheless, individuals find themselves visiting pharmacies on various occasions to get the needed medical assistance. The usual ailments experienced by people have a broad selection of drugs that can be acquired over-the-counter in numerous pharmacies in the city of Prague. That notwithstanding, in as much of Czech Republic, an individual cannot purchase drugs from any drugstore like is in the case in the United States. A pharmacist can only do the sale of drugs in Czech Republic, and people find themselves making long queues await their turn to be served by a pharmacist at the counter. Conversely, eye products that include spectacles, contact lenses, and eye drops cannot be found in pharmacies in the country unless an individual visits an optician with a prescription. Toiletries and other products made to improve hygiene are also unavailable in Czech Republic pharmacies but can be purchased in stores elsewhere. Pharmacies in Czech Republic normally have queues for those who have prescriptions and those individuals without. "Na rezept" indicates the queue for people with prescriptions and people without prescriptions are made to stand on the "bezrezeptu" lines. Language barriers are often major impediments for individuals who do not speak the native Czech dialects. Primarily three companies namely; Leevia, which would later change its name to Zentiva, Lachema and Galena, which was purchased by the United Pharmaceutical Establishment (SPOFA) during the late 1980, built

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 45

Case Study Example A company that combines teamwork and motivation enjoys increased employee productivity that accrues from employee job satisfaction. Profit sharing is one of the motivational techniques that Semco uses. Semco gives one-quarter of the profits of its individual divisions to its employees. Also, Semco uses worker participation is an important element of employee motivation. Semco’s employees are involved in the processes of planning, decision-making, and implementation of business plans and ideas. Semco’s employee participation is captured in it policy manual that says, â€Å"Our philosophy is built on participation and involvement. Do not settle down. Give opinions, seek opportunities and advancement, always say what you think. Doesn’t be just one more person in the company† (Killian & Perez 1998). Semco’s use of shared profits and bonuses as a motivation technique is similar to that of SAP. SAP’s other monetary benefits to its employees are in terms of life assurance and pensions and Semco extends bonuses to its employees in terms of house allowances. The freedom allowed Semco’s employees resemble closely the freedom allowed SAP’s employees (BBC 2012). In both companies, there is flexibility in terms of working hours and employees are accorded the discretion to modify work to suit their convenience. A striking similarity between the two companies is the structure of their management. Their managements are not hierarchical and managers are not feared like in other organizations. A notable difference between Semco and SAP is that SAP extends its employee monetary benefits to their families. This way, SAP combines employees’ personal life and their work life (BBC 2012). On the other hand, Semco separates the two and any benefits that reach employees’ families are not purposively channelled. Semler believe that mixing employees’ work life with their family life is not good for business. Semler belief that combining the two can affect an

Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes - Essay Example This essay researches various medical studies and provides information on connections between obesity and second type diabetes in the UK. Although there is subjectivity about the exact causes of diabetes, yet there are certain factors that increase an individual’s tendency to develop different kinds of diabetes. This particularly includes being obese or overweight for the type 2 diabetes. This essay coveres 3 most commonly used theories on the topic and also suggests on "How can the Risk of Diabetes Type 2 be Reduced". The first theory, that is described in this essay is based on the assumption that metabolism is subject to great changes because of being overweight because more fat molecules are released into the blood. When these fat molecules find their way to the cells which react to insulin, fat cells interfere with the functioning of these cells and reduce their ability to respond to insulin. The second theory, that is used states that fat in the abdomen releases pro-inflammatory chemicals. The condition of having excess abdominal fat is called as abdominal obesity, and it is an especially high-risk obesity form. It is believed by the scientists that in prediabetes, the level of fatty acids in the blood increases. The third theory holds that obesity can lead to prediabetes. It is believed by the scientists that in prediabetes, the level of fatty acids in the blood increases. In conclusion to these theories in the essay, good news is that an individual’s tendency of developing type 2 diabetes can be reduced by losing weight.

Critique of Strategic Thinking for Information Technology Essay

Critique of Strategic Thinking for Information Technology - Essay Example line that requires study and preparation† as well as â€Å"a discipline that enables one to develop deep and far reaching conclusions about the information age and IT fighting.† Strategy is seen as an essential factor in the success of a business organization especially in an IT company where alignment is highly required. He also stressed that alignment is not a point-in-time concept and that IT must change in response to the changes that the organization faces. The chapter also presents the scenario of the information age where bits become source of value and where IT intensifies rivalry among industry players. In response to this, the traditional sustainable advantage is replaced with throwaway temporary advantage. Boar stresses that in order to keep up with the current competition, business organizations need not capitalize on long-term capacities but on short term competitive advantage. The main idea is to keep up with the competition by manoeuvring across time. An important point that Boar discuss is the importance of having a strategy in order to propel a business organization to its expected end (Boar 62-63). The author furthers his point by stating that business organizations can strategically position themselves by acquiring advantages both competitive and sustainable. In the end, his emphasis is on acquiring temporary competitive advantage that building on long-term sustainable advantage. This point is in direct contrast with what is taught by strategic management theorists Thomson and Strickland. In their book entitled Strategic Management, these thinkers recognize the importance of turning competitive advantage into sustainable advantage. They argue that business organizations should focus on the long-run and thus, find ways to sustain the competitive advantage that they have. The ideas presented by Boar contrasts that of Thomson and Strickland. While Boar favors competitive advantage, Thomson and Strickland are advocating sustainab le advantage. These

Interview 335 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interview 335 - Essay Example few Indians among other members from the European continent together making a total of about forty two tribes with the Kikuyu community being of the largest group occupying the central parts of the country and the El- mole people living around the shores of one of the great rift valley lakes, lake Turkana, are the smallest tribe. Kenya is among the few in the world which houses the Great Rift Valley, a broad natural feature which laterally transect the country into two on the eastern and the western sides of the rift valley. This paper will present the findings of an interview I carried out with one of the Kenyan citizens in America on how far they have gained the awareness and skills in dealing with global diversity and cultural variances as well as my development in understanding of technologys impact on the development of world societies and cultures based on the interviews. Kenya is among the developing countries of the world just emerging from the fierce throngs of economic dismay since independence. Most people in the country therefore have poor economic backgrounds with only a few rich families dotted amidst the poor majority. Like any other poor countries in Africa and the world, wealth in Kenya is contained just in the hands of a few people who are considered rich while the rest are languishing in abject poverty with a majority of the populations living under the wages which are below one dollar per day. The main economic activity carried out in the region and from which most families earn their daily wages is agriculture, mostly sedentary, which forms the backbone of the country’s economy. Most people therefore depend entirely on their farm produce as the sole source of their everyday food and which supplement their meager income sources. Most of the needs in most families are therefore met from the sales of agricultural produce. A few peo ple practice business as an alternative source of income, mainly among the Indians who depend entirely on business

Is empowerment a valuable tool for increasing efficiency and Essay - 5

Is empowerment a valuable tool for increasing efficiency and effectiveness in todays organisations - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that there is no denying the fact that most of the organizations use only a minuscule of their employees’ total potential and many times employees feel that their skills and abilities remain underutilized. In order to inculcate efficiency driven organizational attitude, the organizations need to give way to a setup that encourages employees to grow and learn and make an optimal use of their overall potential. It is only in such organizations that a space for innovation, efficiency and effectiveness could be created because the employees’ in such empowerment driven organizations do get a chance to make the best of their abilities and to develop new skills and attitudes that innovation requires Hence, in empowering organizations employees do feel an urge to go beyond their sphere of duty so as to put in an extra effort aimed at meeting the organizational goals. The employees in empowering organizations see their extra effort as an investment rather than being dissatisfied and wait for the highest bidder. In most of the successful organizations, it is the ability to encourage the untapped potential in the employees that enables them to compete in the markets and allows them to successfully retain the experienced and skilled talent. In that context, it is a myth to assume that the learning potential within organizations tends to be innate and once the employees are trained and introduced to their job responsibilities, they will learn new skills and behaviors on their own. That is why an empowering audit allows the organizations to learn about the immediate skill levels and motivation of their employees, and what could be done to inculcate new skills and behaviors. In that sense empowerment is a positive force that has immense relevance in varied processes and opportunities going on and available within organizations. Before understanding the role of empowerment in boosting organizational effectiveness and ef ficiency, it is a must to have an insight into how the organizations disempower employees and what are the significant traits of the disempowering organizations. The disempowering organizations do believe in fixing the blame rather than solving the key issues and problems.

Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Research Methods - Essay Example This would enable profiling the stress factor among the various groups. Since the impact of stress levels on family life and health is being studied, the employees with more than 3 years of work experience would ideally be considered for the interview. Those from both government and private organizations will be included in the interviews. This makes the sample representative (Ejaz et al., 2008). Since the respondents are busy, they would be approached after the office hours and their appointment would be obtained keeping their convenience in mind (The Wallace Foundation Knowledge Center, 2013). An orientation regarding the subject, time requirements and general outline of the questions will also be given to the respondent, prior to getting their consent for the interview. This drives away the fear of unknown from the respondent and also helps in establishing a rapport with the interviewee (Megafon, 2013). The purpose and idea will be explained and confidentiality of data would be assured to them. This step would ensure honesty of responses. Their permission would be sought to record the interview (Crawford, 1997). The topic of study is sensitive. So, the respondents will be interviewed individually, outside their office premises. 5. Have you ever experienced any of these problems recently: memory problems, anxiety, inability to concentrate, loneliness, depression, dizziness, mood swings, short-temper, insomnia, lack of interest in food, overeating, unexplained aches and pains? The Wallace Foundation- Knowledge Center (2013). In-depth Interviews. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/after-school/collecting-and-using-data/Documents/Workbook-E-Indepth-Interviews.pdf. [Last Accessed 26 February

The rate of reaction Essay Example for Free

The rate of reaction Essay The graph is below: The reason why I felt that the rate of reaction is proportional to the acid concentration is that from my understanding I feel the higher the acid concentration the faster the rate of reaction, which I have backed up with scientific evidence previously. Towards the end there is a slight bend, the reason why I have incorporated this is that I feel that it would begin to gradually level off to 0. 01 seconds as I feel it would be incorrect to suggest that with a acid concentration of fifty millilitres it will take 0. 01 seconds to react with the acid when at forty millilitres it takes 250 seconds. Now that I have a solid understanding of what I am going to do in the investigation and have a rather strong prediction with accompanying evidence I am now ready to begin. The results I have retrieved are below: Acid/Water (ml) Time 1 Now that I have retrieved the results successfully I am now going to display the results graphically in a graph to interpret, determine any patterns and anomalies etc. The graph is displayed below: Now that I have completed the practical aspect of the investigation I can now safely say that overall it has been successful and everything has gone according to plan. As you can see from my graph it is apparent that the results partially agree with my prediction as there is a positive correlation between the time and acid concentration and they increase at a relatively proportional rate. From this graph I have discovered that there is a relatively high possibility there is a few anomalies, or the test was not done correctly. This could be due to a multitude of reasons, from starting the stopwatch slightly later to not having the magnesium exactly 1cm. So to combat this problem I have drawn a line of best fit onto the graph which is an additional line that goes through the middle of all the results to give me an average. From my line of best fit it is now apparent that the more acid, the quicker the reaction time which means in scientific terms, the higher the acid concentration, the faster the reaction rate which is exactly what I predicted in my prediction. Towards the end of the normal-line there is a curve, this again could be due to the line levelling of to 0. 01 seconds as I suggested earlier. I felt that the experiment was quite accurate, but due to the nature of the investigation it is clear that it is almost impossible to get completely accurate results, for example when I attempt to time the reaction rate it is extremely probable that I will not begin the stopwatch at exactly the same time as the magnesium impacts with the acid and water. Due to the problems that could arise, I have insured that I have done numerous tests so that I can get an average, which is susceptible to be more accurate then the results from a few tests. To make the experiment more accurate I feel the only solution would be to dramatically increase the number of tests I undertake and get averages from them. I felt that it is possible, looking at the shape of the line that there may be one or two anomalies in the data, but they are not dramatically different in comparison with other results, therefore I feel it is solely due to human error and slight inaccuracies. I think that the methodology I used was suitable for the experiment as everything went well enough for me to retrieve quite accurate and reliable results, while also making sure the test is as fair as possible. I feel that the data was originally not entirely accurate and reliable as there are no repeated results, which is what you would expect to find in accurate data, but to solve this problem as best as possible I have used the averages in the graphs. To extend the original problem I am going to do another test where I will replace the magnesium with another element, which is going to be the highly reactive potassium (K) and see how that makes a difference to the reaction rate. After completing this, if the shape of the line followed a similar pattern to the previous tests then this would dramatically support my evidence and prediction. The chemical equation is below 2K + 2HCl - 2KCl + H2 The results I have retrieved from the tests are below: Acid/Water (ml) Time 1 (S)Â  To make the data easier to analyse and interpret, I am going to place the data into a graph which is located below: From the graph it is evident that there is a positive correlation and that the rate of reaction increases at a relatively proportional rate to the acid concentration which is exactly what occurred in the previous experiment. The only major difference is that the overall reaction time is significantly quicker, which is almost certainly due to the fact that potassium is higher then magnesium in the reactivity series. This helps me significantly prove the below statement. From this investigation I have found out that the higher the acid concentration the quicker the reaction rate as there is more acid particles to collide with the magnesium, which I have thoroughly backed up in numerous ways. This document was downloaded from Coursework. Info The UKs Coursework Database 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section.

Satisfaction level of retailers and the visual merchandising

Satisfaction level of retailers and the visual merchandising This chapter is a review of the central theoretical literature of satisfaction level of retailers and the visual merchandising and its impact on consumers buying behaviour which ultimately leads to increase in the margin of the retailers. The first part of this chapter deals with the most popular brand of PepsiCo and the satisfaction level of retailers with respect to per product margin. The second chapter examine the planogram norms of the company and it tries to find out whether or not the retailers follow it properly. The third and last part of the chapter examines the effectiveness of Visual Merchandising and its effectiveness on consumers buying behaviour. All these objectives/problems have been examined in the light of academic literature and some of the facts have been supported by the data taken form the company i.e., Pepsico. To find out the most popular brand of PepsiCo the satisfaction level of its retailers Most of the manufacturers of consumer goods including PepsiCofrequently use intermediaries to sell their products to the final consumer. Intermediaries such as big and small retailers have substantialstimulus over the marketing of these goods and hence over the ultimate consumer choice (Laland Narasimhan, 1996). Even PepsiCo is one of the largest networks of retailers in India (PepsiCo, 2010). The consumer goods retail market is characterized by intensivecompetitionamong retailers competing for a share of the consumers money (Albion and Farris, 1982). Retailers, generally, carry so many products, and on any given purchase occasion a typical consumer buys a subset of the vast number of items a retailer has on its shelf. Generally consumers are ignorant or uninformed about the prices of all the products they want to buy and subsequently select a retailer to shop at based on the advertised prices of a subset of the products they desire to buy. Given this, retailers tend to compete more aggressively based on the prices of a selected set of items by advertising these prices to consumers (Agustin Singh, 2005). It means that these retailers will sell more products of only those company which tries to make them happy through more or heavy margin.The items that the retailers select to compete on are those that most consumers de-sire and value highly. Since the profit from any cust omer is the sum of profits from advertised and un-advertised items, the intensity of retail competition, as evident from the prices of these items, increases with the amount the consumer will expend on the unadvertised items once at the store. This aggressiveness therefore translates into lower retail mar-gins on these selected items since the retailers expect that consumers, once inside a store, will buy non-advertised products as well on which the retailers make money. Thus manufacturers, who are more adept at using pull strategies to enhance the popularity of their product, obtain a significant competitive advantage vis-a-vis others. The positioning of the product and the image conveyed through advertising act as drivers in creating this advantage which results in higher wholesale prices that these manufacturers can charge the retailers (Lal and Narasimhan, 1996). The cost of acquiring new customers usually far exceeds the cost of retaining an existing customer. As a result, customer retention has become a managerial strategy that has spurred interest in understanding and implementing store-loyalty programs (Agustin Singh, 2005; Carter, 2008; Pan Zinkhan, 2006; Reichheld, 1996; Reichheld Sasser, 1990; Sheth Parvatiyar, 1995). That is why retailers are the most important link between the company and the customers.Manufacturer advertising also affects prices and margins at both the retail and wholesale levels. The relationship between prices as well as margins at the retail and wholesale levels can be found in the economics literature (see, e.g., Ferguson 1982 or Pindyck and Rubinfeld 1989), where it has been argued, based on the theory of derived demand, that the movements of prices and margins at the retail and wholesale level are necessarily perfectly correlated. In other words, if advertising leads to increased market power through produ ct differentiation, both wholesale and retail prices in-crease, leaving both manufacturers and retailers with higher margins; or if advertising leads to increased price sensitivity through reduced perceived product differentiation, both wholesale and retail prices decrease, leaving both manufacturers and retailers with lower margins. In contrast, Steiner (1973, 1978, 1984) has argued that it is possible that a manufacturers advertising can have opposite effects on wholesale price elasticity and retail price elasticity, implying that margins can move in opposite directions. However, he does not offer a formal model of manufacturers and retailers to support his arguments. Source: (Lal and Narshimhan, 1996) There is scant empirical literature on the effects of advertising on margins. In Table 1, Lal and Narasimhan (1996) summarised the evidence presented in the literature on the negative association between manufacturer advertising and retail margins. Reekie (1979) shows that manufacturers advertising and retail margins are inversely related in a cross-sectional study of many categories. Farris and Albion (1987) find that in many nondurable consumer good categories, higher brand advertising is associated with lower retail margins, though there were a few categories where the opposite is true. They also find that the negative relationship between manufacturer advertising and retail margins is strongest in categories with high penetration, non-food, and large category advertising budgets. Steiner (1973) uses data from the toy industry to conclude that the more popular toys (i.e., the more heavily advertised) yield lower retail margins. Finally, using data at the four-digit SIC level, Nels on (1978) finds that there is a negative association between manufacturer advertising and retail margins. The reader is also referred to Steiner (1993) for some anecdotal evidence from different industries on the inverse association between manufacturers advertising and re-tail margins. Support for positive association between manufacturer advertising and wholesale margins is provided in Quelch et al. (1984) and Narasimhan (1989a). Note that all these studies are cross-sectional and all these studies have focused on either the whole-sale margin or the retail margin. The one exception is Steiner (1991), who documents, using data from the toy industry, that higher levels of manufacturer advertising are associated with higher wholesale margins while leading to lower retail margins. Taken as a whole, these studies demonstrate that in general, higher manufacturer advertising leads to higher wholesale margins and lower retail margins, though the effect at the retail level is less systemat ic. Thus we see that in contrast to the standard economic arguments, there is empirical evidence to suggest the possibility of an inverse relation-ship between wholesale and retail margins. The objective in this chapter is to revisit thisproblem and offer a formal model to explain how the margins at the retail and wholesale level can be negatively related. It shows that if a manufacturer can affect the intensity of retail competition, it can increase its wholesale price while at the same time exert downward pressure on retail margins. Furthermore, It demonstrates that if manufacturer advertising can enhance the attractive-ness of the brand as shown in Boulding et al. (1994) (resulting in a higher willingness to pay or increasing aggregate demand for its product), manufacturers brand advertising can increase the intensity of competition at the retail level. Finally, it is shown that even if there is competition at the wholesale level, a manufacturer with a more popular or well-positi oned brand can use advertising to increase profits. The intuition behind our result is the following. First, it should be noted that retailers selling a large assortment of goods cannot advertise the prices of all goods. Moreover, retailers need to advertise the prices of some goods in order to make it worthwhile for consumers to shop at the store. Hence consumers make store choice on the basis of advertised prices and expected prices for goods bought on a shopping trip. Given the fact that retailers charge and consumers expect to pay a higher price for the unadvertised goods, and consumers prefer one-stop shopping due to transportation costs, any effort by the manufacturer that affects the proportion of consumers who decide to shop at a retail store for any given difference in the retail price of the advertised good would lead to an increase in the intensity of retail competition. Such actions by the manufacturer would lead to lower retail margins. At the same time such actions can also increase the wholesale price and manufacturers margins since these actions allow the manufacturers to recover some of the rents derived by the retailer on the unadvertised good. In other words, since the retailers make a higher margin on the unadvertised good, any action by the manufacturer that affects the size of these profits to the retailers allows the manufacturer to wield more power and set higher wholesale prices. We show that if manufacturer advertising leads to lower price sensitivity or increase in aggregate demand, an increase in such advertising would result in lower margins for the retailers and higher margins for the manufacturers. It should also be noted that while our work is silent on the exact role of manufacturer advertising, Kaul and Wittink (1995) report that one empirical generalization from past studies is that an in-crease in non-price advertising leads to lower price sensitivity among consumers. Finally, it is important to recognize that our result is shown to exist in a context where retail advertising has no impact on the demand of the advertised brand, and that our result would not exist in the absence of the composite good. Moreover, the inverse relationship be-tween wholesale and retail margins can exist only for goods/brands where the retailer reveals price via advertising(Lal and Narasimhan, 1996). Previous research in the area of store loyalty focuses on customer satisfaction as a major predictor of loyalty (Bloemer Kasper, 1995; Brown, 2004; Cronin Taylor, 1992; Garbarino Johnson, 1999; Reichheld, 1996; Sawmong Omar, 2004; Taylor Baker, 1994). However, many companies rated high on customer satisfaction indexes showed poor financial performance (Buttle, 1999; Passikoff, 1997). There is evidence supporting high rates of defection among satisfied customers across many industries (Buttle, 1999; Jones Sasser, 1995). Thus, the ability of customer satisfaction reliably and accurately to predict loyalty has not been unambiguously established (Higgins, 1997). Clearly, the development and implementation of successful store-loyalty programs would benefit from a better understanding of loyalty, its antecedents and its consequences (Ray and Chiagouris, 2009). It is evident from the above discussion that satisfied and happy retailers would ultimately lead to increased sales. Higher m argin per product or total income of retailers from a particular product would to happy retailers. From the above discussion it is clearly evident that If the company spends heavily on advertisement of on its product, it will increase total sales, which means it will ultimately more margin on total sales and in this way the company can make happy its retailers.The PepsiCo spends heavily in India for its Pepsi Soft Drink, much more than its nearest rival Coca-Cola (PepsiCo, Annual Report,2010).These heavy advertisements have a significant positive impact on the total sale of its soft drink over last year. It is a clear sign of happy retailers who are gaining low margin per bottle of Pepsi but in total higher revenue from its total sales. To check the planogram (POG) norms, whether the retailers followed it properly or not There are many factors which are generally used to stimulate consumers purchases, including advertisement, product variety, layout of stores, merchandise appraising, services offered, and other marketing programs (Levy and Weitz, 1992) but space planning and store layout are one of the prime consideration (Yang, 2001). The layout of stores and proper space planning highlight the importance of improvement of the visual effect on the customers for shopping and the space productivity of retail stores (Yang, 2001). Planograms, typically,are used to display exactly where and how many items are physically placed onto which store shelves. Because of limited shelf space, planograms plays a vital role for the improvement of financial performance of the company in general and for retailer in particular (Yang, 2001; Yang and Chen, 1999). There are two ways for retailers to increase margin (Profit). They will have either increase sales or by reducing costs. Cost reduction is basically operational in nature. It heavily depends on technology, management of personnel and efficient inventory management. Generally increase in sales is market driven and can be categorised in to two different segments i.e., (i) in-store -tactics and; (ii) out-of-store tactics. Out of store tactics is used to attract more and more customers into the store while in-store tactics used to compel customers psychologically to buy as much as they can, when they enter into the stores (Dreze, Hoch and Purk, 1994). Previous Space Management Research In the field of Space Management, the impact on sales of space management is very limited because of high implementation cost. The existing work methods can be categorised into three different models- (i) Commercial Applications, (ii) Experimental Tests, and (iii) Optimization Model. In business literature, applications oriented approaches are preferred because of its simplicity and the easy operation. For example, PROGALY Model ((Dreze, Hoch and Purk, 1994). ) is generally preferred. In this model, space is allotted to a product in proportion of total sales. Cifrino (1963) and McKinsey (1963) argued for space with respect to Direct Product Profit (DPP). Rest of the models have concentrated on lowering the operating cost and minimising inventory and handling costs (Cifrino, 1963). Planogram Integrity: A serious Issue There are many retailers who have recognised the importance of proficiently exploit their customer services in times of intense competition. Confronted by the amplified pressure of fee discounters and the rise of a price war between supermarkets organisation on the one hand and the companies on the other hand since 2003, Indian Retailers want quality in their operations to endure large collection at reduced profit margins (PepsiCo 2009). Thus, balancing inventory and renewal costs, given a collection of wide range of products and the corresponding shelf space at the retail stores is rally an important task. Retailers aim at exploiting availability of the products in the collection at a marginal cost of operations. These objectives have to be attained on the shelves, where a particular product meets its customers. The amount of shelf space allocated to a product is thus primarily a consequence of marketing decisions: i.e., the merchandising category to which the product is assigned an d the allocated number of facings, which are the number of slots on the front of the retail shelf. This planogram on its turn govern the available shelf space for the operations. From both an operations as a marketing point of view, it is thought-provoking to scrutinise whether local managers are contrary from the planogram, to determine the grounds and to analyse the consequences (Woensel et al, 2008). Planogram integrity is the degree to which the planograms and its norms are followed in practice(Woensel et al, 2008). High planogram integrity stands for small/very little difference between planogram and the authentic situation in a store (Woensel et al, 2008). A planogram encompasses significant information for the accomplishment of operations. Generally, when creating planograms the retailers decides the collection composition, the location of products in the store and the amount of space apportioned to each product (Levy and Weitz, 1992). Figure of Planogram Woensel et al, (2008) have completed empirical research on the planogram and data collected for ten stores in India. During this collection period, the stores were not allowed to change their mode/style operations. Moreover, the days were carefully selected such that the period of measurement did not include any periods of expected demand peaks/drops (e.g. no holidays). The data were gathered for Pepsi soft drink only. Woensel et al, (2008) observed that collection in the stores seems to be reasonably different from the one identified in the planograms. The main driver for this was identified to be the possibility to locally add or drop items from the collection. Also, categories with a larger collection seem to be more prone for abnormalities than one with smaller collections. This designates the drawbacks of managing these huge collections with composite swap relationships. On the locational level, it seemed that the abnormality is small (for the common collection in both actual situations versus planogram). The common of abnormalities could be linked back to facing differences. The foremost cause is due to the different shelving in practice than the one used in the planogram. Finally, also considerable differences between the stores exist; some store managers follow the norms provided by the company for the planograms very closely; other store managers do not take it seriously. The Root causes for erroneousness were typically associated to the local store management. Another vital issue is the acceptance time required for updating the shelves following the changes in the planograms(Woensel et al, 2008). Over and above these is no proper processes for controlling these messages was available to all stores, leading thus to a serious issue with planogram integrity. Furthermore high levels of inaccuracy in the real realizations are also ascribed to the lack of incentives from the headquarters for enforcing the planograms. Generally, it is witnessed that the inaccuracy of the planograms is correlated to the regularity, the timing and/or the type of changes in the planograms. Of course, one should not overlook the strain in the following the planogram closely. Because of repeated introductions or de-listing of products and changes in style and pack size or the turnover of a product, frequent changes in the planograms are needed(Woensel et al, 2008). Without a detailed plan to implement the changes in the planograms, they might be postponed, not implemented in full or the local management already anticipated the changes before the company conversed with them(Woensel et al, 2008). It can be concluded that planogram integrity is a vital issue that requires a retailers management consideration. Woensel et al, (2008) shown clearly that common of differences relate back to facing differences. The second important issue is collection and display of products and third issue locational differences. From the above discussion, one can find four main drives for these differences, (i) Local Store Management, (ii) a substantial acceptance time for changes, (iii) diverse local situations that presumed in the planogram and (iv) lack of incentive from the company. The foremost consequence of a lack of planogram integrity proved to be a significant loss of effectiveness both in marketing strategy as in the operational executions, as such indicating that planogram integrity is a serious issue The Impact of Visual Merchandising on the Consumer Decision Process Introduction McGolddrick (1990, 2002) argued that Visual Stimulation and communication are very important facets of retailing. This interest in the visual has combined to form the exercise of visual merchandising. This is demarcated as the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ activity which coordinates effective merchandise selection with effective merchandise display (Walters and White, 1987, p. 238). Consequently, Visual merchandising is apprehensive with both how the product and/or brand is visually communicated to the customer and also whether this message is decoded appropriately in this context affecting a positive psychological or behavioural outcome, ultimately leading to purchase (Kerfoot, Davies and Ward, 2003). The significance of accomplishing such a consequence has meant that within the retail environment, various procedures have been used to exhibit, merchandise and communicate products. This diversity in visual merchandising procedures has conceivably also stemmed from the vast collection of goods and services that are sold by retailers. The progress of merchandising procedures and the proliferation of these methodologies among retailers have been well-established history. Baum (1987) accepted the significance of window display long back in 1897. Baum who was the founding editor of  The Show Window  ,where he offered strategies for effective window displays where he provided an early mechanism for the dissemination of visual merchandising best practice. This early publication evolved to examine display across the store and continued to offer advice for some considerable time (Law and Yip, 2004). The potential of display and visual merchandising is so strong that a publication solely addicted for visual merchandising and display stated in 1922 with the title Visual Merchandise and Store Display.   Nevertheless, the prominence of visual merchandising has been not acknowledgedmuch consideration in the academic world and in literature (Lea-Greenwood, 1998). The most notable exception has been within the US fashion-based literature, where a number of texts have been devoted to the subject. These though are primarily practitioner-based, highlighting again a deficiency of attention from retail academics. This study represents a small step towards addressing this lack. It investigates the influence of visual merchandising stimuli within the retail store environment on customer perceptions and responses. In doing this, the research is focused on the potential psychological and behaviour outcomes that result from customer interaction with visual merchandising, rather than directly trying to establish what constitutes best practice  per se  or manipulating visual merchandising techniques themselves. This soft drink and FMCG retail sector has been chosen as it has recently elevated visual merchandising to an issue of board level concern (Lea-Greenwood, 1998). The sector offers an ideal background in which examination of the impact of product display and visual merchandising can be conducted on customers, as the degree of retailer complexity in this area is likely to be higher than that demonstrated by companies in other sectors. Sproles (1979) has focused on the procedure, such as the effects of communication channels in current society, the characteristics and the functional purpose of soft drinks. However, Hart and Dewsnap (2001) also established a decision-making model to explain the behaviour of consumers through visual merchandising and store display. It was revealed form their study that there were interweaved a complicated set of interlinked aspects to affect decision making on intimate soft drink, and amount the factors, brand loyalty tended to be the repeatedly adopted factor to curtail the decision-making process and the degree of apparent risk while shopping intimate soft drink. Speaking from the View-points of marketing and consumer behaviour, the two models are adequate to explain the corresponding phenomenon (Kerfoot, Davies and Ward, 2003). However, viewing from the retailing aspect, the environment of stores can increase consumers response (it may be positive of may be negative) to a brand of the product being sold in the store. To achieve a positive store environment, visual merchandising has been widely adopted by retailers (Kerfoot, Davies and Ward, 2003). Likewise, intimate soft drink has been going through a series of Soft drink treatments in recent years. Examples can be found in contemporary intimate soft drink brands, such as Coca Cola and Pepsi, Sprite and so on. Instead of targeting different customer segments by adding advanced functions to products, intimate soft drink brands try to establish a distinctive image in consumers mind. In this study, focus is put on the influence of visual merchandising on store atmosphere and its corresponding impact on consumer decision making process for intimate soft drink (Law and Yip, 2002). Dimensions of visual merchandising and display Omar (1999) advocates that there are three types of interior display- (i) architectural display (ii) merchandise display and (iii) point-of-sale display. This study efforts on merchandise display; the choice of a singular store to deliver the stimulus photographs minimises the architectural elements; additionally, point-of-sale areas were omitted from the photographs to guarantee only merchandise display was considered(Kerfoot, Davies and Ward, 2003). The most important aspects within merchandise display have been acknowledged within the academic literature as: packaging (Bruce and Cooper, 1997; Da Costa, 1995), layout, (Levy and Weitz, 1996; Berman and Evans, 1995), colour (e.g. Koelemeijer and Oppewal, 1999), fixturing (Levy and Weitz, 1996; Donnellan, 1996), merchandise (Davies and Ward, 2002), presentation techniques (Buchanan  et al., 1999), and so on. These areas have received varying degrees of attention as separate elements. Nevertheless, in fact, there is tiny work has been done that makes these aspects composed as merchandise display(Kerfoot, Davies and Ward, 2003). The examination of Influences, that such display creates on consumers, especially in term of brand communication and purchase intention, are lacking in terms of literature. Though, several of the elements of merchandise display have been scrutinised from an environmental psychology approach, as well as from a service environment perspective. These two relat ed literatures provide potential starting points as each considers the physicality of the in-store environment and its influence on customers (Kerfoot, Davies and Ward, 2003).. Literature Review Visual Merchandising is one of the most significant constituents in atmospheric management(Kerfoot, Davies and Ward, 2003). It embraces the interior of stores as well as the exterior of stores.The exterior of store comprises retail premises, window display, and facade while the interior of store embraces fixtures and fittings, store layout, and store highlights as well as wall display(Kerfoot, Davies and Ward, 2003).There are many constituents who governtogether store exterior and interior and it embraceslighting design, colour co-ordination, selection of mannequin and the application of design principles(Park et.al., 1986). A good assortment of visual merchandising with comprehensive consideration of proper cooperative expressions is very important, if retailers really want to project the best side of their company/store (Kerfoot, Davies and Ward, 2003). Consequently, customers could receive the envisioned message of stores or retailers through several different types of themes sty les designed especially from suitable visual merchandising strategy and for influencing buying decisions and behaviours in a positive sense. Conclusively, visual merchandising helps to establish the complete image of a retail store in the mind of consumers(Park et.al., 1986). Kerfoot, Davies and Ward (2003) acknowledged that visual merchandising has many objectives, (i) Retail Identity Building in the mind of customers, (ii) influencing customers final decision to buy as many products as he/she can afford inside a store (iii) last but not the least, to increase overall sales. Visual merchandising pays its attention on numerous facets of customers, which include affective pleasure, sensory pleasure and cognitive pleasure (Fiore, Yah and Yoh, 2000). Sensory part contains personal feeling of customers, such as response to temperature and noise, feeling crowded in a store (Ko Rhee, 1994; Hornik, 1992 and Grossbart et. al 1990). Store-related and product associated information can also be assimilated from storeenvironment (Baker et. al 1994), for example, searching a product that enhances ones self-concept (Kleine III et al., 1993). Also, window display plays a critical role in affecting store entry decisions as it is a very important information cue for consumers (Bettman et. al, 1998) There are many schools of thoughts regarding consumer decision process. The process of diffusion can affect consumptions response to different product attributes (Mitchell and Creatorex, 1990). The selection of promotional channels and the format of transition are the best examples. Similarly, there were other thoughts regarding general consumers decision making process. For Rogers model (1962), decision making was not longitudinal but rather cross-sectional. Following Rogers thought, Robertson (1971) developed a conceptual model with eight procedures (awareness, comprehension,problem perception, attitude, trail, adoption, legitimation, and dissonance). Nevertheless, Sproles (1979) established a specific framework for visual merchandising with ten procedures. The key focus of Sproles model was the relationship between the influences of communication channels in current society and the functional purpose of soft drink objects. Hart and Dewsnap (2001) conducted a specific study on deci sion process of purchasing intimate soft drink. His findings revealed that consumers had to go through a set of interlinked factors or relied on brand loyalty. In the light of the criteria, self-concept, perceived risk and consumer involvement were also critical in shaping the final decision (Law and Yip, 2004). While reviewing the current trend of intimate soft drink brands, being functional is the fundamental requirement of consumers, adding extra value to products is regarding as the selling point. In terms of functional aspect, mint flavour or Diet Pepsi using consumer care can be found in triumph brand. In times of readymade food and soft drink, almost every brand is using the same stuff. For example Pepsi introduced the Diet Pepsi, in the same year Coca cola introduced the diet version (PepsiCo, 2010). They introduced in the name of consumer health and family sentiments. Though, there is very few research about the inter- relationship between the importance of store aesthetics and consumer decision process, as a result, the purpose of this study is to look into this precise affiliation (Law and Yip, 2004). The study is beneficial to retailers who are newly established or re-position in the intimate soft drink market. As mentioned, for consumers who have a high degree of brand loyalty, external factors such as store atmosphere, may not has a great impact on decision process. But, if consumers rely on peer influence, advertising or have no idea about a brand, visiting the store is the first contact with the brand. Having attractive human-like mannequins of film starts or popular sportsman/woman and matching with style and appeal can break the decision process (Law Yip, 2004). Customers attention can be provoked at the stage of responsiveness but in a negative way due to the social and cultural constraint. Therefore, it is difficult to continue the decision process from awareness to interest. Hart and Dewsnaps (2001) study on consumer decision process for visual merchandising delivers a critical direction for pre-purchase evaluation. Paying a close attention to the interaction of cultural or societal difference and visual merchandising elements causes a great impact on final purchase decision. To find out the influence made by Pr

The Joys Of Motherhood, Buchi Emecheta

The Joys Of Motherhood, Buchi Emecheta During the colonization process, many changes have occurred in Africa and the indigenous populations were forced to adopt and adhere to the western values and lifestyle. The effects were felt on all levels of society and in her novel The Joys of Motherhood; Buchi Emecheta highlights the consequences of this confrontation on a traditional Igbo woman, Nnu Ego. It is show at the very beginning of the novel that fertility is a determinant factor of a womans status and reputation. This standard established by this patriarchal society is anchored in Nnu Ego and she does not know how to be self-fulfilled other than the cult domesticity. However, with the changes that occurred in her society, the joys and rewards of motherhood that she desired for a longtime have been compromised. This extended essay thus investigates the impact of the clash of cultures on Nnu Ego. To do so, I first examined the situation of women during the pre-colonial Nigeria in order to underline the differences during the colonial time. Then, I analyzed the two main conflicts of the novel which are the protagonists struggle for self-fulfillment and her dilemma between assimilating the colonial lifestyle and clinging to her traditional values. After this investigation, I came to the conclusion that the tragedy in the story of Nnu Ego is that her imprisonment in tradition prevented her to recognize and embrace the changes that occurred before her. Emechetas novel is thus both a critique of colonization and the conservative nature of the Igbo tradition that prevents women to emancipate and build a better future. Introduction European colonization in Africa has had both favorable and unfavorable consequences as far as it has destabilized and controlled the indigenous ruling systems while bringing modernization to the continent. This notion of modernity is however just as problematic because it represents an antagonism to the traditional African values which resulted in an inevitable clash opposing tradition to modernity. The confusions and struggles raised from this conflict are dealt in different ways and as regards African women; they are confronted, until now, to obstacles in the cultural, economical as well as the political side. Indeed, in most of African cultures, women are victims of subordination within their society because the opposite gender overpowers and retrains them in their development by dictating their thoughts, behavior and decisions. Buchi Emecheta is one of the first African women novelists to address the issue of the conditions of women and their battle for self-fulfillment and emancipation. In her novel, The Joys of Motherhood, she explores the positive and negative effects of modernization on women as well as their imprisonment between tradition and change. Through the story of Nnu Ego, the protagonist, she also shows how the strict traditions discriminate women who are regarded as mens property, producers of children and are placed in second position on the social pyramid. In order to understand the impact of Nigerias confrontation with western world on women, the following essay will first take a look at the situation of women during the pre-colonial and colonial Nigeria. Then, it will examine the struggles of Nnu Ego for self-fulfillment and emancipation and finally, her dilemma between assimilating the colonial lifestyle and clinging to her tradition. The clash of cultures in The joys of Motherhood and its impact on Nnu Ego The downfall of African women from a position of power happened during the process of colonization. Prior that, societal roles were equal and there was a complementarity between the roles played by each gender. For instance, they even switched roles and women were allowed to work in the agricultural field. In addition to that, women did not only work in pairs with their male counterparts but they were also respected and sometimes worshiped. Most men like Agbadi, a renowned chief and the father of the protagonist, preferred a woman who: was troublesome and impetuous, who had the audacity to fight with her man before letting him have her (p.21). Ona, the mother of Ngu Ego represented that type of women and was depicted as a strong, stubborn and highly respected character. She functioned as queen sister, a chief and was an inspiration to the young women in her village because showed the men that she was just as powerful as them. However, during the colonial era, the traditional rules concerning women were rigidified, which led to the devaluation of female roles and status. Indeed, by introducing capitalism as a new economic system and Christianity as a new spiritual doctrine, the English colonizers have indirectly modified the roles and status of the genders in Nigeria. In modern and capitalist societies, money is a determinant factor of ones status and women have gradually been excluded from trading or any paid work. This resulted in uplifting the status of men and diminishing the status of women whose only roles now were to maintain the household and carry children. As shown in the book, these changes have also affected the vision men had of women because: in [Agbadis] young days, a woman who gave in to a man without first fighting for her honor was never respected. To regard a woman who is quiet and timid as desirable was something that came after his time, with Christianity and other changes (p.10). Thus , considering the fact that men married women: who could claim to be helpless without them (p.36), women were forced to comply with the new standards. Strong minded women like Ona gradually disappeared and women who used to be equally treated in her time were now considered as more vulnerable and weaker than men. By introducing her novel with a short description of Onas life, Buchi Emechetas purpose was to show that the subordination of women is a result of a change in beliefs which gradually anchored in the Igbo tradition. It moreover helps the reader to understand the contrast between Ona and Nnu Ego and gives an insight on Nnu Egos struggles. Buchi Emecheta evokes in her novel two elements which represent an obstacle to Nnu Egos self-fulfillment which are the relationship between men and women and children. The protagonist lives in a mans world in which women must prove that there are good daughters and then good wives in order to gain respect. As an example, when her father arranged a second marriage for her, Nnu Ego did not approve of her new husband, Nnaife, because he was physically different to the men in her village, Ibuza. However, she wanted to prove to herself, to Agbadi and to her society that she wasnt barren but a complete woman. She would [have] rather [died] in this town called Lagos than go back home and say Father, I just do not like the man you have chosen for me' (p.44). She gradually learned to respect this man and put up with his crude ways and ugly appearance (p.44) because he fulfilled her dream which was to have a child. Yet, with the other pregnancies, their relationship degraded because Nnu Ego lo st all respect for her husband. She was not given enough housekeeping money because her husband, Nnaife, spent most of the money on his drink and the children were starving. She then realized that: she was a prisoner, imprisoned by her love for her children, imprisoned in her role as the senior wife. She was not even expected to demand more money for her family; that was considered below the standard expected of a woman in her position. It was not fair, she felt the way men cleverly used a womans sense of responsibility to actually enslave her (p.137). It is shown trough this excerpt that in a couple, the woman must be worthy and accept her fate without complaining. If she fails in doing so, not only will she be branded as a bad and not respectful wife but she would also bring the shame over her family. As Nnu Ego said it, she is imprisoned in a code of conduct established by her patriarchal society which preaches submission. As a result, the man takes all the decisions and as regards the protagonists husband, he is depicted as a selfish man who spends his money without taking into consideration the needs of his family. She was consequently powerless and when Nnaife returned from war with a big fortune he gained the fear and respect of Nnu Ego. He could even afford to beat her up if she went beyond the limits he could stand (p117). This demonstrates on one hand that money and violence are the primary sources of power for men. On the other hand it testifies that the submissive image of women to which Nnu Ego must comply represents a n obstacle for her emancipation and self-fulfillment. This code of conduct imposed on women is also responsible for the fact that a womans voice was rarely taken into consideration as regards the important decisions. For an example, when her husband was at war, Nnu Ego gave birth to a child to whom she did not attribute a name before the return of her husband. She was scared of being regarded as overcivilised woman who chose the names her children by herself, just because her husband was fighting in the war(p.155). Stated differently, endemic sexism, patriarchal attitudes, and the force of blinding tradition bond African men in a hegemonic system that nourishes and protects their interest . This can also be seen through the two polygamous marriages undergone by Nnu Ego. In the first one, she was unable to produce a child and lost her position as a senior wife. Yet, the major function of a wife in her culture is to bear children. Women just like men, grant much importance to the fert ility of a woman because it is the only way to gain respect from the community. The marriage is only truly strengthened with the birth of a child, particularly a boy who will be the heir and the support of the family. The Igbo woman is thus subjected to a lot of pressure during the first years of the marriage because her reputation is concerned. Childless marriages are rarely recognized because: when a woman is virtuous, it is easy for her to conceive (p.31). Nnu Ego is a very emotional character and her barrenness only accentuated her unstable state of mind which manifested through endless tears of frustration and hopelessness (p.32). This situation drove her husband to become polygamous which also undermined her self-confidence. Few had noticed that it was bad for her morale to hear her husband give pleasure to another woman in the same courtyard where she slept (p. 21). In the end, the fact that she remained childless for two years led to the disintegration of her marriage. In the second marriage, she succeeded in having eight children but it did not prevent her husband from looking for a second woman. Nnu Ego and her co-wife were complete opposite and she hated this type of woman, who would flatter a man, depend on him, need him (p.118). Nnu Ego was compared to a jealous cat because she could not understand why her husband bought a new wife especially when they were living in such terrible conditions. She tried to control her feelings, to be sophisticated just like she had been taught but the unfairness of the situation revolted her. She withdrew in herself but was forced to behave properly. She [had] to be careful if she did not want her sons future wives to say but your mother was always jealous whenever her husband brought a young wife' (p.185). Polygamy is in the book another mean for men to control women. Nnu Ego had the feeling she was given more power as a senior wife but in fact, she was imprisoned in her role and her love for her children forb ad her from reacting indecently. Moreover, as a senior wife, Nnu Ego was force to follow some standards which restrain her in self-expression. Indeed, when her husband was enlisted against his will to fight with the English during the Second World War, she and her co-wife were terrified. However: her culture did not permit her to give in to her fears. She was supposed to be strong, being the senior wife, to behave more like a man than a woman. As men were not permitted open grief, she had to learn to hide hers as well. She heard Adaku crying, and she envied her freedom (p.140). The effect achieve by Emecheta was to show that a traditional woman like Nnu Ego is forced to abide to traditional customs, values or beliefs in order to feel fulfilled. If she doesnt she runs the risk of being denied by her husband, classified among bad women and at the same time, compromising her childrens reputation and future. Children thus play an important role in the sense of womens achievement and represent another element which empowers Nnu Ego. Her only goal throughout the novel was to have children and raise them properly since she had been brought up to believe that children made a woman. (p.219) A child is part of a womans identity and the only symbol of hope, success and self-fulfillment for women. This vision of femininity and motherhood established by her culture was the main cause of Nnu Egos failed suicide attempt. When her first child died, Nnu Ego was desperate, in grief and fell into depression. All women agreed that a woman without a child for her husband was a failed woman (p.62). She was brought to perceive herself as a failure and even her closest friends where comforting her husband rather than her. They said to Nnaife who felt guilty: you are to give her children and food, she is to cook and bear the children and look them. A woman may be ugly and grow old, but a man is never ugly an d never old. He matures with age and is dignified (p.71). This disparaging declaration clearly illustrates the image of women and men in the Igbo society. In all cases, the woman is to blame and this has a negative impact on emotional and unstable characters such as Nnu Ego. It could have been fatal but she was determined to refute the fact that she was a failed woman. She lastly gave birth to several children and it is from this moment that she drastically evolved. The financial situation of the couple did not allow them to feed correctly the children and her vision of motherhood began to change. She compared her life to her colleagues who worked and had few children and she regretted having so many children. Her children suffered from malnutrition yet all because she was the mother of three sons, she was supposed to be happy in her poverty, in her cramped room (p.167). She became self-aware that being a mother did not only revolve around having many children but also about raising them properly. She wasnt able to put all the eight of them in good conditions so she put all her hope into her eldest son. Before, her refrain used to be: All will be well when Nnaife returns from war. Now it was: All will be well when Oshia returns from college(p.190). She believed that with rewards of motherhood, she will acquire a higher social status and that he will feed her in her old age and will wipe the tears of shame. In addition to struggling for self-fulfillment, Nnu Ego also struggled between assimilating the colonial lifestyle and sticking to her tradition when she made the transition from a rural world to a modern life. This constitutes another major external conflict of the novel because Nnu Ego was living in a society whose mode of thought and behavior were evolving while she remained firmly attached in traditions. For example, Buchi Emecheta painted a vivid picture of the strict gender division among the Igbo society in her novel. The father instructs his son about how to manage a house, protect the women and introduces him to the rites and traditional meetings. In contrast, the young girls duty is only to help in the house holding. She is firmly taught that her life strictly concentrates on the marriage, having children and cook for her husband. Through this informal education, the young boys are influenced to perceive themselves as higher, better and more important than women whereas the young girls are educated to see themselves as a complement of men. They are also taught to be submissive by bending to the mens requests and desires. As a result, men along with women accept their gender roles as a matter of fact. However, since Lagos is rapidly evolving and tending towards modernization, the daughter of Nnu Ego, Kehinde doesnt understand why she and her sisters have to stay home while her brothers get the chance to study. But you are girls! They are boys. You have to sell to put them in a good position in life, so that they will be able to look after the family. When you husbands are nasty to you, they will defend you (p.176) is the answer given to Kehinde from her mother. This shows that Nnu Ego is still hampered in her tradition while her daughters mentality is changing. This difference of opinion between Nnu Ego and her daughter foreshadowed another major conflict at the novel opposing Kehinde to her parents. However, Nnu Ego eventually rebelled and decided to break the chains of tradition because she could not see her children suffer anymore. In fact, there is an old and Igbo sacred saying which stipulates that women and money are incompatible and if you spent all your time making money and getting rich, the gods wouldnt give you any children ; if you wanted children, you had to forget about money, and be content to be poor. (p.80). Ngu Ego decided during her second pregnancy to abandon her trading works because she firmly believed that it was because she didnt follow the rules that she lost her first child. However, two years later, the family was very poor because Nnaifes incomes were not enough to satisfy their needs. Nnu Egos internal conflict plunged her during a long period of self-doubt and dilemma because she wanted to put her two children in better conditions but was afraid to lose the other child she was carrying. She eventually decided to cross the line which made her benefit from a certain control over the household expenses. The effect achieve by Buchi Emecheta was to show that to be independent, women must initially have some financial freedom. Contrary to her counterparts in Ibuza, Ngu Ego did not completely depend on her husband anymore. It represented on one hand the first sign of revolt and rejection of traditional beliefs. On the other hand, it was a major step for her emancipation and self-fulfillment because she was able to raise her voice. She discovered her power as mother, a woman and a worker. Nevertheless, the fact that Nnu Ego was being more independent did not help her to reach her goal. On the opposite, even if she sacrificed all her money, time and energy on the education of her children, her love and duty for her children were like her chain of slavery (p.186). Emecheta compares Nnu Egos life to a slave in order to emphasize the fact her success will be determined by the success of her children. She strove throughout the whole story to send her boys to school so that they will be member of the new Nigerian elite and tried to raise her daughter according to the traditional model. Such devotion should have helped her to reach her goals but it was not the case because by the time her children grew up the values of her people have changed considerably while she stood firm to her tradition. Nnu Ego refused to adapt to the new mentalities and beliefs and this resulted in a series of disagreements with her children and a series of failure. In the first place, when her eldes t son won a scholarship to study in Canada, her husband was firmly opposed to this idea. In the Igbo culture, when the father reaches a certain age, the eldest son must take over the whole family. However, Oshias dream was to get a higher level of education and this resulted in an irrevocable quarrel. In the end, Oshia was denied by his father and Nnu Ego was blamed for not bringing well her children. From this moment, Nnaife started to refer to the children as Nnu Egos and she was becoming fed up of this two-way standard. When the children were good, the belonged to the father; when they were bad, they belonged to the mother (p.206). It is the same with her daughter who married a man from another tribe. This is considered as the worst act of betrayal and Nnu Ego plunged into despair. She did not understand where she failed and Emechata thus symbolizes Nnu Ego as the danger of resisting change. The heroine was so hampered by tradition which make it looks like women must aspire for c hildren or die(p.187). The conservative side of tradition prevented her from seeing the change around her and its impact on her childrens education. This means that the title of the book, The Joys of Motherhood, is thus ironic and a double-edged sword. On one hand, Nnu Egos cup of happiness was almost full because she was pleased to see her children happy. She was very proud of the fact that she brought up her children even if the road was strewed with difficulties. Her reward was also in the fact that those same children might rub shoulders one day with the great men of Nigeria (p.202). On the other hand, she died alone with a husband who denied her, no child to hold her hand and no friend to talk to her(p.224). Throughout this journey, Nnu Ego has matured and realized that until women keep subscribing to the laws imposed by men, they will be powerless, dominated and unfulfilled. She finally understands that if she failed to live according to the standards expected of her it is because she was a prisoner of traditional values and customs in a modern world. Conclusion As shown in this essay, the patriarchal society in which Nnu Ego lived has established the standards for female valorization. A woman has no identity of her own as far as it is the status and the position of their husbands that defines them. Through the journey of Nnu Ego, Buchi Emecheta shows that the influence of the tradition is highly responsible of the Igbo womens situation because it has on one hand, determined the boundaries between the genders and one the other hand, established standards to which women must follow in order to gain respect and to feel fulfilled. However, colonization has eroded the Igbo traditions which made Nnu Egos life a journey of endless struggles. As a result, the novel is not only a criticism of tradition as regards womens emancipation and self-realization. It is also about a warning of resisting change and it encourages women to fight for gender equality. Nnu Egos self-examination over her successes and failures conveys a powerful message. Indeed, women subscribe to the traditional customs and laws more than men and until they revolutionize this, they will not be able to build a better future for the upcoming generations.

A COUNTRY BOY CAN SURVIVE :: essays research papers

When the question â€Å"what consitutes a redneck?† is asked the variety of answers is astonishing. People think of rednecks as drunkards, racist, trashy, or even Monticello people. I have lived in Monticello for sixteen years and even though most people are rednecks, not all. We chose Monticello to do our research because it was exactlly the atmosphere we were looking for. In order to be a redneck here, there are a few traits you must have, such as: a big truck, love the rebel flag, and dress the right way. A big truck doesn’t necessarily mean a nice truck. Most guys around here drive old, ragged, broke down trucks. The most common truck would be an older F-150’s, a Chevy Z-71, or a Toyota Tacoma. Most trucks will also have four wheel drive, this comes in handy when you go muddin and get stuck. Many of the newer nicer trucks have bigger tires, dual exhaust, a brush guard, and a lift kit. In Monticello, you are identified by your truck. Everyone knows who everybody else is by what they drive. Most rednecks are seen as racist and prejudice against african americans. People think this because rednecks are known for their love of the confederate flag. The confederate flag is a sign of heritage in the south. It stands for what we are and where we come from. On our survey of fiftty people 73 percent agreed that the confederate flag was a sign of heritage and not hate. Another trait that constitutes being a redneck would be the way that you dress. Rednecks can be identified by their tight wrangler jeans, Dixie Outfitter shirts usually sporting a hutin, fishin, muddin logo, boots and a cowboy hat. The majority of rednecks will drink, usually Natural (nasty) light or Bud Light. They also smoke or dip, usually Marlboro reds, or lights, and Copenhagen. Most people wonder what on earth is there to do in such a small town such as Monticello? Well, there are three main things: 1. Huntin’ 2. Fishin’ 3. Muddin’. Although the typical weekend would include Huntin in the morning, fishin in the afternoon and muddin at night we do manage to go to at least one movie every once in awhile. Most of the guys have just recently taken to shootin pool, I am terrible at the game therefore I sit and watch most of the time. Along about early November through late February every male above the age of 12 can be found in a deerstand at 5 a.m.. The idea of sitting on a wooden platform for

Freedom is the Cost of Stability in Brave New World Essay -- Brave New

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   David Grayson once said that "Commandment Number One of any truly civilized society is this: Let people be different". Difference, or individuality, however, may not be possible under a dictatorial government. Aldous Huxley's satirical novel Brave New World shows that a government-controlled society often places restraints upon its citizens, which results in a loss of social and mental freedom. These methods of limiting human behavior are carried out by the conditioning of the citizens, the categorical division of society, and the censorship of art and religion. Conditioning the citizens to like what they have and reject what they do not have is an authoritative government's ideal way of maximizing efficiency. The citizens will consume what they are told to, there will be no brawls or disagreements and the state will retain high profits from the earnings. People can be conditioned chemically and physically prior to birth and psychologically afterwards. The novel, Brave New World, takes place in the future, 632 A. F. (After Ford), where biological engineering reaches new heights. Babies are no longer born viviparously, they are now decanted in bottles passed through a 2136 metre assembly line. Pre-natal conditioning of embryos is an effective way of limiting human behaviour. Chemical additives can be used to control the population not only in Huxley's future society, but also in the real world today. This method of control can easily be exercised within a government-controlled society to limit population growth and to control the flaws in future citizens. In today's world, there are chemical drugs, which can help a pregnant mother conceive more easily or undergo an abortion. In the new world, since there is no need... ...rolled society appears to be a Utopia, where everyone is happy and lives in harmony, but the price paid is comparable to the superficial happiness that the citizens receive. Without the freedom of choice, the citizens do not actually realize the joy when a task is accomplished. Without having to work for a goal, the people do not appreciate the pleasure once the goal is achieved and do not actually understand the true meaning of happiness. The price for Utopia, in a word, is freedom.    Works Cited and Consulted Bedford, Sybill. Alodus Huxley. New York: Harper and Row, 1974. Berton, Pierre. The Great Depression. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1990. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. London: Flamingo, 1994. Rae, John. Henry Ford. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1969. Woodcock, George. Dawn and the Darkest Hour. London: Faber and Faber, 1972.

Frontier Expansion vs. the American Bison :: American America History

Frontier Expansion vs. the American Bison â€Å"The wilderness masters the colonist. It finds him a European in dress, industries, tools, modes of travel, and thought. It takes him from the railroad car and puts him in the birch canoe. It strips off the garments of civilization and arrays him in the hunting shirt and the moccasin. It puts him in the log cabin.... Before long he has gone to planting Indian corn and plowing with a sharp stick.... In short, at the frontier the environment is at first too strong for the man. He must accept the conditions which it furnishes, or perish, and so . . . little by little he transforms the wilderness, but the outcome is not the old Europe.... The fact is, that here is a new product that is American....† --Frederick Jackson Turner, 1893 The great westward expansion of European American pioneers is one of the most celebrated periods in our country’s history. We idealize its ruggedness, its characters, and the many sure dichotomies of the frontier: good versus evil, civilizations versus savagery, man versus the wilderness. The pioneers set out to create a new world, to push the boundaries of home, morality, and familiarity. In the process they irreversibly affected the established ecosystems and Native American dwellers. The challenges and harshness of the environment had their own effects upon the settlers, effects that have engrained themselves into our national consciousness. We celebrate â€Å"rugged individualism† while at the same time ignoring the price we pay for that stubbornness and strength of character. Westward expansion resulted in the extinction or endangerment of hundreds of native species of flora and fauna, altered entire ecosystems, such as the Great Plains, and impacted aquifers and w atersheds across the entire nation. One species famously affected by these pioneers and settlers was the American Bison, a relic of the last ice age. It is estimated that over 40 million of these great beasts roamed the American Plains in 1800. By 1883 the population was down to less than 6001. What happened? Why did those pioneers, so appreciative of the bounty that the â€Å"new† territory had given them, slaughter the bison throughout the 19th century? â€Å"They lived and moved as no other quadrupeds ever have, in great multitudes, like grand armies in review, covering scores of square miles at once. They were so numerous they frequently stopped boats in the rivers, threatened to overwhelm travelers on the plains, and in later years derailed locomotives and cars, until railway engineers learned by experience the wisdom of stopping their trains whenever there were buffaloes crossing the track.