Separate Spheres for Men and Women

The ideology of separate spheres dominated thought about gender roles from the late 18th century through the 19th century in the United States. Similar ideas influenced gender roles in other parts of the world as well. The concept of separate spheres continues to influence thinking about proper gender roles today. In the division of gender roles into separate spheres, a womans place was in the private sphere, which included family life and the home. A mans place was in the public sphere, whether in politics, in the economic world which was becoming increasingly separate from home life as the Industrial Revolution progressed, or in public social and cultural activity. Natural Gender Division Many experts of the time wrote about how this division was naturally rooted in each gender. Women who sought roles or visibility in the public sphere often found themselves identified as unnatural and as unwelcome challenges to cultural assumptions. Legally, women were considered dependents until marriage and under coverture after marriage, with no separate identity and few or no personal rights including economic and property rights. This status  was in accord with the idea that a womans place was in the home and a mans place was in the public world. Although experts at the time believed these gender divisions were rooted in nature, the ideology of separate spheres is now considered an example of the social construction of gender: that cultural and social attitudes built ideas of womanhood and manhood (proper womanhood and proper  manhood) that empowered and/or constrained women and men. Historians on Separate Spheres Nancy Cotts 1977 book, The Bonds of Womanhood: Womens Sphere in New England, 1780-1835, is a classic study that examines the concept of separate spheres. Cott focuses on the experiences of women and shows how within their sphere, women wielded considerable power and influence. Critics of Nancy Cotts portrayal of separate spheres include Carroll Smith-Rosenberg, who published Disorderly Conduct: Visions of Gender in Victorian America in 1982. She showed not only how women, in their separate sphere, created a womens culture, but how women were at a disadvantage socially, educationally, politically, economically, and even medically. Rosalind Rosenberg also takes on the separate spheres ideology in her 1982 book, Beyond Separate Spheres: Intellectual Roots of Modern Feminism. Rosenberg details the legal and social disadvantages of women under the separate spheres ideology. Her work documents  how some women began to challenge the relegation of women to the home. Elizabeth Fox-Genovese  challenges the idea of how separate spheres created solidarity among women in her 1988 book Within the Plantation Household: Black and White Women in the Old South. She writes about the different experiences of women: those who were part of the slave-holding class as wives and daughters, those who were enslaved, those free women who lived on farms where there were no enslaved people, and other poor white women. Within a general disempowerment of women in a patriarchal system, there was no singular womens culture, she argues.  Friendships among women, documented in studies of northern bourgeois or well-off women, were not characteristic of the Old South. In common among all these books, and others on the topic, is documentation of a general cultural ideology of separate spheres, grounded in  the idea that women belong in the private sphere, and are strangers in the public sphere, and that the reverse was true of men. Widening Womens Sphere In the late 19th century, some reformers like Frances Willard with her temperance work and Jane Addams with her settlement house work relied on a separate spheres ideology to justify their public reform efforts—thus both using and undermining the ideology. Each author saw her work as public housekeeping, an outward expression of caring for the family and home, and both took that work into the realms of politics and the public social and cultural realm.  This idea was later termed social feminism.

Communication, Leadership, And Leadership - 1936 Words

Communication in Leadership Contents Introduction 1 Transformational Leadership 3 Transactional Leadership 3 Laissez-Faire Leadership 4 Servant Leadership 5 Level 5 Leadership 6 Conclusion 7 References 8 Introduction Effective communication can be considered an art as much as a science. There are of course many best practices that one can study to improve their ability to communicate. However, it can be difficult to distinguish different success factors responsible for effective communication various individual scenarios. For example, it is often hard to determine what went right or wrong in any given conversation. However, at the same time, effective communication is generally cited as one of the most important critical†¦show more content†¦The number of different theories serves as evidence of the level of complexity that is inherent in the concept of leadership. Despite this complexity, virtually every leadership model states that effective communication is among the most important success factors. This analysis will select different leadership models and compare and contrast how these models view effective communications. Competing theories include such perspectives as trait theory, situational theory, behavioral theory, competencies theory, network theory of leadership and many more. This analysis will consider transformational leadership, transactional leadership, servant leadership, and â€Å"Level 5† leadership to attempt to identify any differences and similarities in the ways these theories include effective communication in their theories. Transformational Leadership Transformational leadership has been called one of the most effective among the various theories of leadership (Judge Bono, 2000). Transformational leaders are able to encourage their teams to reach their full potential by setting challenging expectations which into turn leads to the team achieve higher performances (Bass, 1999). Transformational leaders are also commonly associated with change and change management because they are able to inspire people to overcome their

FDI and its Effects

Question: Write about the FDI and Its Effects. Answer: Introduction Types of Foreign Direct Investment Foreign Direct investment is an activity where a company situated in one country invests their money in another foreign company. According to Saini (2012), Foreign Direct Investment is mainly of two types. They are horizontal investment and vertical investment. In horizontal investment, the foreign companies establish their plant in the domestic country. The companies take help of raw materials, labor and other materials of the domestic country and produce their products. The foreign countries sell the product in the domestic country and are in direct competition with the local manufacturers. On the other hand, vertical investment is a procedure in which the foreign enterprise exports the raw materials and labor from the foreign country to their domestic country. Even the foreign enterprises export the raw materials to other countries. Strategic Goals of Multinational Enterprises Undertaking FDI The main goal of the multinational organization in undertaking FDI is to have a competitive advantage. With the help of FDI, the companies can have access to cheap raw material and cheap labors. This will help the organizations to reduce their cost of production and increase their profit levels (Labes 2015). Along with these, the multinational companies will also be able to spread their business in remote places and can expand their business. Many untapped regions will also help the Multinational companies to grow their business volume. Another significant goal of the Multinational enterprises is to develop the economic condition of the society and country as a whole. FDI Distribution Pattern In the recent century, globalization is the process which helps Foreign Direct investment to develop at a rapid pace. Globalization also plays a major role in multilateralism. According to Krautheim (2013), economic reforms are also done through Globalization. Most efficient sources are exported to various destinations with the help of FDI. Capital transfer is also a two-way process which helps both the home country and the host country to develop quickly. Moreover, people now have greater exposure to different products which have been available through Globalization. Advantage and Disadvantage of FDI Foreign Direct investment helps the organizations to have a skilled labor at a lower price. The training and sharing experiences will help both the human resource and the organizations to develop as a whole (Estrin and Uvalic 2014). New technologies are also used with the help of FDI. For example, new manufacturing machines with latest technologies are being transferred from one country to another. FDI has created new job opportunities for the young generation. This will increase the economic growth of the region. The local producers will face a stiff challenge from the foreign companies. The level of competition will be high. Unrest in political conditions will also affect the progress of FDI. FDI will also have a negative influence on the exchange rate of currencies (Labes 2015). It has often been found that while exporting goods to foreign countries economically backward countries face losses. Thus these are the advantages and disadvantages of the foreign direct investment. References Estrin, S. and Uvalic, M. 2014, "FDI into transition economies: Are the Balkans different?",Economics of Transition,vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 281-312. Krautheim, S. 2013, "Export supporting FDI",Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'conomique,vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 1571-1605. Labes, S. 2015, "FDI DETERMINANTS IN BRICS",CES Working Papers,vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 296-308. Saini, M. 2012, "India FDI Clears Final Hurdle",WWD,vol. 204, no. 119, pp. 6.

Levi Strauss free essay sample

As one attempts to assess the business ethics of Levi Strauss and Nike in this writing assignment, we are again compelled to revisit the critical distinction of conduct that is legal, yet still unethical. In both instances, Levi Strauss and Nike behaved with the parameters of legal conduct, yet few would argue that profiting from exploitive work conditions is an ethical behavior of any socially responsible organization (broad view social responsibility). Obviously, it’s very tempting to just condense this argument to the point of â€Å"bad companies boosting profits from lower labor costs via exploiting foreign workers in sweatshops†. I am going to take a much broader approach here in my assessment, as complete fairness to the two corporations here requires a bit of an indictment of the legal, regulatory, political, and socioeconomic environment that they operate in. So, let’s start there †¦ how is it that both of these large corporations are permitted (and driven) to outsource (with relative impunity) labor to countries with poor labor laws? In order to fairly assess their conduct, one must first examine the system under which they operate. We will write a custom essay sample on Levi Strauss or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page How has corporate America gone down this path? Why do so many large U. S. corporations outsource labor en masse, which costs the U. S. economy so many jobs domestically? Let’s start by looking in the mirror and by that I mean you and I †¦ the U. S. consumer. Our thirst for cheap merchandise made overseas knows no limits. Do any of us look at the country of origin for goods, and if it’s non-U. S. do we even pause for a second to consider boycotting said goods due to loss of American jobs? Or boycott due to the nation of origin’s reputation for worker abuse? Of course we don’t. We want that Japanese high definition television from Wal-Mart that costs $100 less. We want the clothing from China or Indonesia that is 30% cheaper than similar brands made here. So, my first premise in this entire argument is that American consumers are NOT socially responsible in their purchasing habits. This lack of social responsibility on the demand side is a catalyst for Levi Strauss and Nike to seek cheaper labor overseas – for if they do not, their competitors assuredly will and they will be at a competitive disadvantage. Now, let’s assess the legal and regulatory environment under which both entities operate in the United States. Has Congress made it illegal to outsource labor to countries that they know are abusing their labor forces? In general, of course not. Congress maintains a blind eye to the problem, debating it over the years here and there in a politically motivated, half-hearted effort to occasionally placate certain voting segments (labor unions; displaced workers). Do they tougher their stance? Do they for one minute say to themselves, â€Å"this is really wrong, and socially irresponsible†? By inaction Congress is tacitly approving this practice, which of course is what powerful corporate lobbyists want. The profit motive has large U. S. corporations addicted to cheap labor now; Pandora’s Box has been opened and no one has the political will to attempt to close it. So let’s recap so far: we’ve indicted the U. S. consumer and our lawmakers in the legislative branch of the U. S. government (Congress) as major cultivators of the pro-outsourcing environment for which Levi Strauss and Nike must successfully operate under. Next on our list of socially irresponsible contributing parties – the judicial branch of the U.S. government. When the U. S. Supreme Court found in 2010 that the formation of so called â€Å"Super PACs† for campaign donations was legal, this gave corporations new powers under the law to, in effect, buy our government via opulent and obscene campaign spend funneled to candidates. The end result of this ruling is that corporations that profit greatly from outsourced labor are now able to pay for the elections of our Congressmen – and gee, wonder how this economic â€Å"favor† will be repaid when attempts to rein in outsourcing come up in Congress? Let’s move on to our two protagonists in this debate: Levi Strauss and Nike. Now that we’ve got the backdrop well in hand, and a reasonable person would agree that a massive systemic failure in the U. S. has allowed and promoted unchecked outsourcing of jobs, it’s time to discuss these two corporate giants and their respective behaviors here. Do these two corporations have a responsibility to monitor the conduct of the companies they do business within particular, their contractors and suppliers? As a personal believer in the broader view of corporate social  responsibility, I believe that they do. Notwithstanding the fact that all of this outsourcing is legal, and despite the mitigating factors that I’ve argued above that do alleviate these two companies of all of the blame – I still believe that they need to take the higher moral ground. Levi Strauss overall has conducted itself with far greater corporate social responsibility than Nike has, in my judgment. Strauss for many years withdrew from China due to their notoriety as a non-democratic country with abusive labor conditions. Regrettably, it had to re-enter China eventually to keep pace with competitors. Also, witness the way that Strauss treated its displaced U. S. workers as it (with some remorse) eventually had to close all its U. S. plants due to competition from outsourcers. Strauss gave generous severance and retraining dollars to the affected workers. In my estimation, Strauss has had to compromise its socially responsible corporate culture due to pressures from the warped competitive environment that was designed around them. It became a matter of survival for their corporation; their management had to adapt or risk failure and loss of the shareholders’ investments in the company. That is why I authored the overview above – I think it’s highly relevant to assessing Strauss’s conduct here. The system failed Levi Strauss – they wanted to behave under the broad definition of corporate social responsibility, but the demand for cheaper outsourced goods by consumers and the legality of outsourcing jobs (Congressional oversight failure) forced an adaptive change against their moral grain. Nike, however, is no apologist when it comes to their outsourcing. In fact, they are proud of it – even boasting that they pay outsourced workers higher than average wages for their region. To me, this is tantamount to bragging that â€Å"we don’t abuse those workers as badly as others do†. Frankly, that attitude offends my sensibilities and my personal set of ethical standards. I also deem it to be in direct conflict with the broader definition of corporate social responsibility. Lastly, I think that corporations have the obligation to take the ethical high ground and behave in a socially responsible manner (broad definition). That said, however, I do not believe that it’s a fair expectation to demand that high standard if adhering to same places the company’s very existence at risk due to systemic failures beyond their control. Levi Strauss attempted to â€Å"do the right thing†, but poor rules and oversight make competing in a broad ethical manner quite dangerous to its ultimate survival. Strauss’s example should serve as a wakeup call to U. S. consumers and our Congress: systemic change is needed, and it’s needed NOW. Levi Strauss free essay sample CUSTOMERS’ SATISFACTION LEVEL OF LEVI’S JEANS SEC-F Submitted To: Prof. Suptarishi Purkaystha Submitted by: Akanksha Gupta Komal Shanjan Sinha Tuhina Mandowara Shweta Puri Sujata Barua Akshay Sharma 09BSHYD1012 09BSHYD0386 09BSHYD0765 09BSHYD1032 09BSHYD0807 09BSHYD0866 09BSHYD0060 1 INDEX CONTENTS INTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW HYPOTHESIS FORMATION DATA SAMPLE SIZE CONSOLIDATION RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ANALYSIS CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES ANNEXURES PAGE 3 5 8 9 11 12 20 22 24 2 INTRODUCTION The modern age is known as the â€Å"Age of Consumers†. In today? s cut-throat competition the consumer is considered as the â€Å"KING† and the main objective of the various organizations are aimed at keeping the consumer happy and satisfied. It is very important for each and every organization to keep its consumers satisfied in order to maintain its competitiveness in the market. However when we take a closer look, we find that the consumers satisfaction level towards a company and its leading products vary on one aspect or the other based on a variety of attributes (Kotler, 2009). We will write a custom essay sample on Levi Strauss or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Fashion is a highly customer oriented industry with innovative products, where there are large number of competitors giving you a intense competition. Thus companies have to come up with something different and unique keeping the target buyer group and the time factor in mind since in the fashion industry the product life cycle is very short. LEVI’S STRAUSS CO. : Statistics show that every day millions of customers go for shopping worldwide. Hence every company wants to attract customers and increase their customer base. To ensure this companies have to keep up with the latest fads for satisfying customer requirements. For those of us that want to wear jeans with style and make a fashion statement about who we are, then finding the right pair(s) of designer jeans is crucial to our social standing. Levis offers a great range of jeans for both men and women, but variety is not the only factor influencing Levi? s customer? s purchasing behavior. There may be other factors because of which customers are more or less satisfied which influences their repurchasing decision of Levis Jeans. Invented in 1873, Levis ® jeans are the original, authentic jeans. Levis ® brand is one of the most widely recognized brands in the history of the apparel industry. From updating classics with the latest finishes, fabrications and colors, to reinventing five-pocket jeans, they are always creating new and innovative products The company has also been worldwide appreciated for the perfect fit. The specialty of Levis lies in the fact that it is very empathetic towards people. A good pair of jeans can bring dignity and honor to everyone from common man to the high profile business men, across both the sex and irrespective of income groups. The search for decent jeans is a kind quest, with moments of translucent success alternating with tragedy failures. From its foundation in 1853 and patenting of riveted pants 20 years later, Levi Strauss has become an instantly recognizable global brand. With sales in more than 100 countries, the company employs 12,500 people worldwide. Nonetheless, the last six years have seen the company struggling to come out of a slide in sales. Traditional customers have started buying 3 cheaper or more fashionable clothes. Prices have come under pressure from clothing competitors and from retailers like Tesco buying Levis product on the â€Å"grey market†. Levis response involved product diversification and brutal trimming. Thus in this age of global trading for establishing one as a leading brand in different regions it is necessary to analyze the satisfaction level of customers in that region and cater to their needs by improving on attributes on which customer is not satisfied. Jeans are the nondurable goods, Nondurable goods are goods that are used up quickly or purchased frequently, as food and apparel. Jeans are now a very popular form of casual dress around the world, and have been so for decades. However, there are certain factors that affect their sales, in addition to increase in customer specific needs in recent time there are other factors which affect sales of apparel industry (in particular jeans) like recession, inflation and shortening of fashion products life cycle.. Consumer satisfaction is a desirable outcome for apparel manufacturers and retailers, since satisfied customers can lead to increased store patronage, repeat purchase and brand loyalty. Thus we seek to ascertain the factors for which Levis jeans users are satisfied to ensure that identifying these factors will result in the company implementing policies to increase the satisfaction level of its users thereby assuring increased sales in future. 4 LITERATURE REVIEW Consumer satisfaction is a desirable outcome for apparel manufacturers and retailers, since satisfied customers can lead to increased store patronage, repeat purchase and brand loyalty (Otieno, 2000). Many people have worked on relationship between satisfaction level of customer towards a particular brand and buying behavior of customers. Satisfaction is often used as a predictor of future consumer purchases (Newman and Werbel, 1973; Kasper, 1988). Satisfied customers have a higher likelihood of repeating purchases in time (Zeithaml et al. , 1996), of recommending others to try the source of satisfaction (Reynolds and Arnold, 2000; Reynolds and Beatty, 1999), and of becoming less receptive to the competitors offerings (Fitzell, 1998). Prior research on the economic impact of defecting customers suggests that service companies can boost profits by almost 100 per cent by retaining only five per cent of their customers (Reichheld and Sasser, 1990). Retaining existing customers is generally more profitable to companies than attracting new customers (Hawkins et al. , 1995; Sirohi et al. , 1998). Therefore, it is critically important for apparel industry in particular LEVI? S to identify customers desired service levels in relation to their patronage intentions. The expectations of nondurable goods such as jeans should become strong, stable and generally consistent with a product? s perceived performance (Johnson 1991). â€Å"Levi Strauss: an international marketing investigation†: by Demetris Vrontis and Peri Vronti talks of the Levis jeans business and investigates whether LEVI? S should choose global standardization or adaptation to local market conditions. The authors propose the Levis approach which combines aspects of both solutions as the best way to secure competitive advantage and satisfy its customers ensuring retention as well as increase of its customer base. The understanding of consumer behavior appeals to a set of different areas of knowledge/factors like psychological, cultural, social, genetics, anthropological (POLSA et. al 2002). On the basis of previous studies and research paper and literary articles from PROQUEST and EBESCO a number of variables were found to be responsible for influencing consumers to opt for a branded apparel, of which a 33 variables have been taken up in our study to understand whether they have any implication on the consumers? preference for a branded apparel or not. BRAND IMAGE (PREFERENCE FOR A PARTICULAR BRAND): Customers orientations towards shopping are considered to be important predictors of patronage behaviors, such as preference for brands as well as for certain stores (Darden and Howell, 1987; Gutman and Mills, 1982; Shim and Kotsiopulous, 1992b). Research on brand personality acknowledges that consumers often â€Å"humanize† brands. Respondents typically describe a brand using human personality traits such as extroversion, agreeableness, and dependability (Aaker, 1996; Aaker and Fournier, 1995). o their decision of buying a particular brand is highly influenced by brand image of that product. 5 QUALITATIVE VARIABLES: Jeans attributes such as fabrics, comfort, fit, durability have been defined in previous research (Kaiser et. al. 2003, chowdhary 2002, Enoch 1993, young 1980) as an important factor that contributes towards customer satisfaction about the product. STATUS: Research also associate meaning of wearing jeans(Enoch? s 19 93; Delong et al. 1998), apparels are often associated with status symbol, hence people wear a particular brand which adds or suits their status in the society. For instance in the USA and Europe, jeans have connotations of casualness and rebelliousness where as in Russia, jeans denote sophistication and high status and in Spain the high price turns them into a high fashion item. COMFORT: Brand name and comfort are found to be really important (young 1980) to people though degree of importance of these factors is variable. Here we can take the example of Americans, for who comfort matters above brand name whereas for the Chinese brand name matters most (Minglue marketing shanghai co ltd. 1998). CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERINCE: There repurchase behavior of individuals are based on the company redressed their grievances in the past. Relationships of redress and repurchase have been examined with service retailing and with durable products but not with apparel products. Though limited research has been done on consumer complaint behavior and apparel purchases, but it is found that there is need to focus on complaints redressed time, response to enquiries and reliability of customer services(LaBarbera and Mazursky,1990) since these factors determines the satisfaction of customer towards the brand. DISCOUNTS: Discount outlets sell about one-fifth of all jeans in the $12. 4 billion U. S. market, according to research firm Mintel International Group Ltd. Hence Levi Strauss opts for the discount game at Wal-Mart? s. There has also been a strong growth in shopping at discount stores.. VALUE FOR MONEY: Fornell in his study found some interesting results about customer satisfaction and price. Price expectations are highly linked to quality and value. There was a direct relationship between expectations of the product and satisfaction (Fornell 1996). Thus we can say that the customer is satisfied if he gets quality in respect of the money he pay for the product. PRICE: Higher price seems to form high status feature along with affordability both of these factors are linked to the economic and demographic factors of the company (Rao 1989). Denim, formerly an affordable classic, has been changed into a product that is highly coveted and highly priced. Consumer? s satisfaction level depends on price as a measure of quality (Lichtenstein et al. , 1993, Veek Burns, 1995). The various studies conducted by Suri Monroe, 2002; Adaval Monroe, 2002; O? Cass Lim, 2002 lead to the conclusion that consumers in general on their market experience tend to decide on an acceptable price which they confirm with the quality of product and determine if it is too high or low . 6 ADVERTISING: There is large number of studies that focus on relationship between advertising, service quality and satisfaction issue of consumers (Lewis 1993). Advertisements are responsible for the creation of a brand image and brand loyalty among customers. Moreover the use of celebrity to endorse these brands has an impact on the brand image and brand loyalty (Aakar, 1991). It is found out that advertising can yield significant marketing advantages by increasing brand preference (Rajagopal, 2007) for a particular product. FASHION TRENDS: Just as the apparel industry is constantly changing, the denim industry is also struggling to keep a pace with it. Every year new cuts, colors, styles, stitching, etc. emerge (FORNELL 1996). So to keep pace with customer satisfaction level, fashion trend is an important variable. AVAILABILITY: Consumers want every design and style, color and shade offered by the company to be available in the company? store at all times thereby increasing customer satisfaction level towards the product. RANGE OF STYLE: Teenagers do not want to wear a brand that isn? t stylish enough. So in apparels range of styles offered by a company matters a lot adding to the customer satisfaction level towards a particular brand. RANGE OF SIZE: There should be a size that fits all. As people all over the world have different tastes as well as sizes , so a customer is satisfied more if the company offers him a design in many sizes so that one size fits him well. CONVENIENCE OF WASHING: Since convenience of washing of denim is an important factor towards adding customer satisfaction for buying a particular brand therefore in July of 2003, Levi Strauss Company finally decided to follow the successful example of others and launch a new casual clothing brand called Levi Strauss Signature targeted towards U. S. consumers for whom convenience of washing of denim is an important factor. PRODUCT PROPERTIES (DESIGN, COMFORT): The products? properties, like design, comfort, individuality, have a decisive role on apparel? buying behavior, which individually may vary depending on a set of factors, mainly on sex (Fischer and Arnold, 1994). DURABILITY OF CLOTHING: European markets are happy with standard weight denim but hotter climates require lighter weight denim and even brighter colors over lighter shades of denim. So the durability of clothing (DENIM) in various regions is an important factor regarding customer satisfaction about jeans So these are the variables we look for making our final questionnaire, comprising of 33 variables from the above mentioned parameters. HYPOTHESIS FORMULATION Null hypothesis, H0: Factors identified do not affect the level of satisfaction of the customer Alternate hypothesis, H1: Factors identified affect the level of satisfaction of the customer In this project we measured the levels to which the customers are satisfied with the product, Levi’s Jeans. This yielded the reasons for their buying preferences and the current level of satisfaction. By using the results of the analysis we will able to answer the problems: Are Levi’s Jeans Users Satisfied With What The Company Is Offering? And What Measures Need To Be Adopted To Increase Their Current Level Of Satisfaction? The rationale behind conducting this project is to recognize the extent to which Levi? s brand is satisfying the customers. Moreover we can gauge where the company lags in serving its customers so as to improve on measures on how we can retain them. The variables obtained would be helpful to understand the buying behavior of the customers . For example, the customers of the particular region want classic Levi? jeans instead of the new designs and those jeans are out of stock ,the satisfaction level of customers in that region is low, the company can improve on it by having an up to date stock of classic jeans. Retaining existing customers is generally more profitable to companies than attracting new customers (Hawkins et al. , 1995; Sirohi et al. , 1998. Therefore, it is critically important for apparel industry to identify customers desired service levels in relation to their patronage intentions. This is just an instance through which we are showing that how by recognizing the variables affecting the buying behavior of customer , the company can improve and work on to have more customer retention and brand loyalty. However, the real variables can only be determined after conducting the survey. 8 DATA SAMPLE SIZE CONSOLIDATIONS DATA The study was conducted to measure the satisfaction level of Levis jeans users. Data was collected through secondary as well as primary sources. Secondary sources included articles on jeans from internet, books, and journals. Primary data was obtained by conducting the survey on the sample size of 350 respondents. Relevant variables were generated and questionnaire was developed to obtain the same. Findings based on questionnaire filled were analyzed using SPSS software. QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN Preliminary Decisions Required information: The questionnaire was designed with the view of finding out how much each of the identified factors affects the respondents? level of satisfaction in his / her purchase of the Levi? s jeans. Target respondents: As the research aims at identifying factors affecting customer satisfaction, the survey has been conducted on 350 respondents consisting of IBS students who were the users of the brand. SAMPLE SIZE Primary data was collected for which the target populations were the students of Hyderabad. The target sample size was of 350 however the data for 330 were analyzed, 20 respondents discarded due to inconsistency SAMPLING: The non random sampling technique was chosen, i. e. , the population elements? selection to form the sample depends, partly, on the researcher? judgment as only the existing customers of Levi? s jeans were taken as respondents. There are no known conjectures that a random element in the population may have a share in the sample. MEASUREMENT SCALE Likert Scale Likert scale indicate the attitudes of the respondents by checking how strongly they agree or disagree with carefully constructed statements that range from very positive to very negative 9 towar d attitudinal object. In our questionnaire we have designed questions of variables with different levels of response each denoting a particular preference. 1. 2. 3. . 5. Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree (SA) (A) (N) (D) (SD) Desired pair of Levi? s jeans is easily available? SA A N D SD If the respondent answers as SA meaning 1, this means that he strongly agrees to the fact that the he is fully satisfied with the Levi? s jeans. This scale was selected by us as it is suitable for calculation purposes like arithmetic mean, standard deviation and co-relation coefficient etc. because the research we are conducting requires us to analyze the correlation between the variables, responses and also for factor analysis. GENERALIZABILITY Generalizability refers to the amount of flexibility in interpreting the data and ability to collect data from a wide variety of respondents. Also we consider flexibility to interpret data gathered from variety of respondents. In our survey, we have considered all close ended questions. So, the respondents just have to select their choices from the given options. Close ended questions in our survey helped us to collect and analyze the data because it provides us luxury to collect data in the identical format from wide variety of respondents. 10 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PRELIMINARY INTRODUCTION We have taken the help of reports from various websites and databases including EBSCO and ProQuest in order to identify important secondary factors which influence the decision of users of Levi? s jeans. These databases feature highly-respected, diversified mix of scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and newspapers enabling us to identify variables for our study and design our questionnaire. Reliability Statistics Cronbachs Alpha . 828 N of Items 21 SAMPLING Primary data was collected for which the target populations were the students of Hyderabad. The target sample size was of 350 however the data for 330 were analyzed, 20 respondents discarded due to inconsistency 11 ANALYSIS Descriptive statistics is run and the output obtained shows the mean, standard deviation and variance, the sample size and missing values, if any. Mean These are the means of the variables used in the factor analysis. Std. Deviation These are the standard deviations of the variables used in the factor analysis. Analysis N This is the number of cases used in the factor analysis. 12 FACTOR ANALYSIS IN SPSS Factor Analysis is a technique for analyzing complex, multidimensional problems. It is used to Examine the underlying patterns or relationships for a large number of variables and condense the information to a smaller set of factors or components. Purpose of factor analysis Identify a set of dimensions that are latent Combine large number of objects into distinctly different groups or factors Create an entirely new set of factors for further analysis. For example, use the orthogonal factors to remove multi-collinearity in a regression analysis. The method used for running the factor analysis is Principal Component. In our case, we will continue with the default method keep Eigen value =1. The maximum number of iteration is kept at 25. KMO Bartlett’s Test The first table that we will get in the SPSS output is the „KMO and Bartlett? s Test?. The KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy) tests whether the partial correlations among variables are small. In other words, it tells us whether the data that we have for factor analysis is good enough. A general guideline is KMO ; or = 0. 90 : Excellent 0. 80 to 0. 0 : Very Good 0. 70 0. 80 : Good 0. 60 to 0. 70: Fair 0. 50 0. 60: Bad ; or = 0. 5: Forget Normally KMO below 0. 60 is unacceptable. The Bartletts test of sphericity tests whether the correlation matrix is an identity matrix, which would indicate that the factor model is inappropriate. The significance level of this test should be lower than 0. 05 in order to proceed further. KMO and Bartletts T est Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. Bartletts Test of Sphericity Approx. Chi-Square df Sig. .891 2356. 530 210 . 000 13 Interpretation In this case the KMO value is 89. % which according to the standards is considered VERY GOOD also the model is significant @ 5%. Hence the data seems to be acceptable for the study. COMMUNALITIES Communality of a variable is the proportion of the variance accounted by the factors included in the solution. The method used is Principle Component Analysis and the communalities are well above 0. 5 which indicates that all these factors can be considered for the Factor Analysis. However, if we feel that the variables that have low communality are important to our study, we may keep them and run the full factor solution (i. . the rotated component matrix) and see if the results obtained are meaningful. Interpretation The communality of Affordability- Price of the product variable is 0. 733 and the number of factors in the solution is 10, it implies that these 10 factors explain 73. 3 % of the variance of that particular variable. It is always good to remove those variables that have communality less than 0. 50. In our result there is only one variable „Convenience in washing’ (0. 467) whose values is 14 very are marginally less than 0. 5 so we do not remove them from our analysis. All the other variables have reasonably high communalities. The next table is the „Total Variance Explained? table. Eigen values are the variance explained by each factor. It is called the „initial Eigen value? because the factor solution that we have obtained is not rotated and thus may not be optimum. The percentage of variance is the proportion of variance explained by that factor to the total variance. Also notice that the number of factors that are shown in the output is restricted by the condition of Eigen value greater than 1. Interpretation For example, if the Eigen value is 6. 795, then the factor corresponding to this Eigen value i. e in this case FACTOR 1 explains 6. 795variance. The percentage of variance is the proportion of variance explained by the factor to the total variance. Also the number of factors that are shown in the output is restricted by the condition of Eigen value greater than 1. In this case, the first 6 factors have the Eigen values greater than 1 and they cumulatively explain 62. 67% of the variance, therefore we take into account only the first 6 factors to continue. 5 SCREE PLOT The next plot is the Scree Plot which is graph between Component (read factor, in your case) and Eigen value. This plot is a visual inspection as to how many factors explain your data suitably. Normally, the number of factors is chosen where the scree plots flatten out. The scree plot also gives you an idea as to whether you can relax your Eigen value greater than 1 criterion. Interpretation The Scree Plo t which is graph between factor and Eigen value. This plot is a visual inspection as to how many factors explain your data suitably. Normally, the number of factors is chosen where the scree plots flatten out. In this case the plot starts to flatten at 10. So we are considering the first 10 factors only. It also gives an idea as to whether we can relax the Eigen value greater than 1 criterion. Here we are not relaxing this condition. Rotated Component Matrix Like the „Component matrix? , the „Rotated Component Matrix? specifies the correlation between Rotated factors and the variables. Normally, a rotated factor loading of more than 0. 5 is considered to be high. The variable that has at least a factor loading of 0. is said to have highly loaded on to that factor. All variables that have high loadings are loaded on to that factor. 16 Rotated Component Matrix Component 1 Affordability- Price of the product Desired pair of levis jeans is easily available? Durability of clothing (Levis Denim) Durability of Stitching of Levis Jeans Comfortability of Levis jeans Variety/ Designs offered by Levis Strauss Ra nge of shades offered by the brand Range of fitting styles offered Range of sizes Convenience in washing Discounts/schemes offered by Levi Strauss Value for money w. r. product Levi’s responsiveness towards the latest fashion trends Reliability of customer services offered at Levis stores Response to enquiries regarding the porduct from the company Complaints redressed time Advertisements promotions of the product Location of Levis Stores Proximity of Levis Stores Layout of Levis stores Salesmens Promptness in service . 818 . 802 . 728 . 494 . 649 . 657 . 939 . 530 . 725 . 654 . 705 . 767 . 743 . 632 2 3 4 5 . 791 . 464 6 .631 .636 .767 Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. A Rotation converged in 8 iterations. 17 Interpretation Absolute values less than 0. 45 have been suppressed. This was done to make the Rotated Component matrix look less cluttered as all factor loadings below 0. 45 would be suppressed but not deleted. From the final rotated Component matrix, all the variables have been loaded into the factors according to the value of their Loadings. And it can be observed that related variables have been collated under one factor. For example, variables like durability, affordability, comfortability, value for money latest styles have been collated under factor1 named QUALITY. Likewise all the other related variables are also combined into one factor whose names have been mentioned. Component Transformation Matrix The final table that is to be looked into is the „Component Transformation Matrix? is the correlation between your rotated and un-rotated factors. Model Summary a Predictors: (Constant), REGR factor score 6 for analysis 4, REGR factor score 5 for analysis 4, REGR factor score 4 for analysis 4, REGR factor score 3 for analysis 4, REGR factor score 2 for analysis 4, REGR factor score 1 for analysis 4 b Dependent Variable: How satisfied are you with the product? Interpretation 18 In regression, the validity of the factors is tested by comparing them with the dependant variable. For this purpose, the significance values at 95% significance level are tested. For a particular factor to be significant, the significance should be lesser than 0. 05. The adjusted R2 (coefficient of determination) shows the percentage of variance in the dependant variable that is explained by the independent variable. In this, the adjusted R2 value is 0. 418 which is good. Since the P value is less than 0. 05(0. 03 in this case) the model holds well. We can see from the normal PP Plot that the regression line is a fairly good estimation of the expected values. The F statistic value is high this shows that the explained variance is 5. 945 times the unexplained variance which again reiterates the validity of the regression model. Interpretation The model is significant at 5% significance level. 19 CONCLUSION The sample is a representative of the target population. The conclusion we can draw from the above statistical research is that the major factors are: Quality of Levi? s Jeans Levi? Store Designs Offered Customer Service Experience Price Discounts offered The above factors are the major indicators of the satisfaction level of the customers. We reject the null hypothesis that Factors identified do not affect the level of satisfaction of the customer as the model is significant at 5%. Hence we conclude that the identified factors significantly affect the level of satisfaction. 20 The variables the factors summary is given below : FACTORS Factor 1 OLD VARIABLES Durability of clothing, durability of stitching, comfort, range of sizes, NEW FACTORS Quality of Levi’s Jeans Levi? s responsiveness towards the latest fashion trends Factor 2 Factor 3 Location, Proximity, Layout Designs, range of fitting style, range of size offered by Levi? s Levi’s Store Designs Offered Factor 4 Reliability of customer services, Response to enquiries regarding the product from the company, Complaints redressed time, Salesmens Promptness in service Affordability, Desired pair of Levi? s jeans is easily available, Value for money Discounts/ Schemes offered Customer Service Experience Factor 5 Price Factor 6 Discounts offered Thus we seek to ascertain the factors for which Levis jeans users are satisfied to ensure that identifying these factors will result in the company implementing policies to increase the satisfaction level of its users thereby assuring increased sales in future. 21 REFERENCES Aaker, D. (1996). Building Strong Brands. New York: Free Press. Aaker, J. L. (1997). Dimensions of Brand Personality. Journal of Marketing Research, 34: 47-356. Ailing Levi Strauss refits U. S. strategy. By: Cuneo, Alice Z. , Advertising Age, 00018899, 7/15/2002, Vol. 73, Issue 28 Anderson, Brian. â€Å"Levi? s are out, khakis are in. 1999. http://www. wearablesbusiness. com (16 Sept. 2004). Anderson, E. W. , Fornell, C. , Lehman, D. R. (1994). Customer Satisfaction, Market Share and Profitability: Findings from Sweden. Journal of Marketing, 58, 3, 53-66 Bolton R and Drew J H (1991) A multistage model of customer? s assessments of service quality and value. J Consumer Res 17: 375-84 Boulding W, Kalra A, Staelin R and Zeithmal VA (1993) A dynamic process model of service quality: from expectations to behavioral intentions. J Mktg 30: 7-27. David K and Wilton P C (1988) Models of consumer satisfaction formation: An extension. J Mktg Res 25: 204-10 Dodds, William B. , Kent B. Monroe, and Dhruv Grewal. â€Å"Effects of Price, Brand, and Store Information on Buyers? Product Evaluations. † Journal of Marketing Research 28, no. 3 (1991): 307-319 Durable Goods. Dictionary. com. Dictionary. com Unabridged (v 1. 1) Random House, Inc. http://dictionary. reference. com/search? q=durable%20goods (accessed: April 23, 2007). Fornell, C. (1992). A National Customer Satisfaction Barometer: The Swedish Experience,Journal of Marketing, 56, 1, 6-21. Fornell, Claes, Michael D. Johnson, Eugene W. Anderson, Jaesung Cha, Barbara Everitt Bryant. The American Customer Satisfaction Index: Nature, Purpose, and Findings. † Journal of Marketing 60, no. 4 (1996): 7-1 Fournier, S. (1998): Consumers and their Brands: Developing Relationship Theory in Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research, 24: 25-50 Gardyn, Rebecca. â€Å"The Shape of Things to Come. † 1 July 2003. http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/m i_m4021/is_6_25/ai_105777516 (23 Nov. 2004 Grewal D, Monroe K B and Krishnan R (1998) The effects of price-comparison advertising on buyers, perceptions of acquisition value, transaction value, and behavioral intentions. J Mktg 62: 46-59 Garbarino E and Johnson M S (1999) The different roles of satisfaction, trust and commitment in customer relationships. J Mktg 63: 70-87 Gilly, M. C. , Postcomplaint Processes: From Organizational Response to Repurchase Behavior, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Vol. 21 No. 2, 1987, pp 293-313 Gilley, M. C. and Gelb, B. D. , Post-purchase Consumer Processes and the Complaining Consumer, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol 9 No. 12, 1982, pp. 323-8. 22 Jean Therapy, $23 a Pop. By: Lee, Louise, BusinessWeek, 00077135, 6/28/2004, Issue 3889 Levis struggles to peddle Signature to men. By: Cuneo, Alice Z. , Advertising Age, 00018899, 12/1/2003, Vol. 74, Issue 48 Lessons From a Faded Levi Strauss. By: Zellner, Wendy, BusinessWeek, 00077135, 12/15/2003, Issue 3862 McDonell, Meghann. â€Å"Denim Dilemma. † 2003. http://www. journalism. ryerson. ca/online/downlo/selfhelp/denimdileme2. htm (24 Nov. 2004). Morganosky, M. A. and Postlewait, D. S. , Consumers Evaluations of Apparel Form, Expression, and Aesthetic Quality, Clothing Textiles Research Journal, Vol. 7 No. 2, 1989, pp. 11-15. Morganosky, M. A. and Buckley, H. M. Complaint Behavior: Analysis by Demographics, Lifestyle, and Consumer Values, in Wallendorf, W. and Anderson, P. (Eds), Advances in Consumer Research, Association for Consumer Research, Provo, UT, Vol. 14, 1987, pp. 223-6 Oliver, R. L. (1980), â€Å"A cognitive model for the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction†, Journal ofMarketing Research, 17, 460-469. Rao, Akshay R. and Kent B. Monroe. â€Å"The Effect of Price, Brand Name, a nd Store Name on Buyers? Perceptions of Product Quality: An Integrative Review. † Journal of Marketing Research. 6, no. 3 (1989): 351-357 Semon Thomas T. Marketing News. Chicago: May 9, 1994. Customer satisfaction is relative Vol. 28, Iss. 10; pg. 15, 1 pgs Steven T. Goldber (April 2006)consumers will pay for jeans: Kiplinger? s p-66 Swan, J. E. and Oliver, R. L. , Postpurchase Communications by Consumers, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 65 No. 4, 1989, pp. 516-33 . (Vrontis, D. , Vronti, P. (2004), Levi Strauss: an international marketing investigation, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, ISSN: 1361-2026, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 38998) â€Å"Why Levi? still looks faded. † 2002. http://www. businessweek. com (19 Sept. 2004) Walton, Scott. â€Å"Low-cost, high-fashion. † 2004. http://www. azcentral. com (20 Sept. 2004). Youn, Soo. â€Å"Levi? s jeans going discount. † 2004. http://www. nydailynews. com (19 Sept. 2004). â€Å"Levi Strauss Company. † 2 004. http://www. levistrauss. com (20 Sept. 2004) http://www. ucimc. org (18 Sept. 2004) http://www. responsibleshopper. org (18 Sept. 2004) 23 ANNEXURES QUESTIONNAIRE Consumer Satisfaction level of Levi’s Jeans users * Required Do you possess a pair of Levi? Jeans? * Yes No How many pairs of Levi? s jeans do you have? * 1 2 3 More than 3 Gender Male Female Age How often do you purchase a pair of jeans? Occasionally Once every three months Once every 6 months Once a year In which of the following family income group? * Below 200, 000 200, 000 400, 000 400, 000 – 600, 000 above 600, 000 Your decision of buying towards THE BRAND Levi? s, depends upon: 24 Brand linked status Authenticity of products Publicity Versatility Are You satisfied with the product, Levi’s jeans on the following parameters. Tick appropriate satisfaction level. Affordability- Price of the product * 1 Strongly Agree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree Desired pair of Levi? s jeans is easily available? * 1 Strongly Agree Durability of clothing (Levi? s Denim) * 1 Strongle Agree Durability of Stitching of Levi? s Jeans * 1 Strongly Agree Comfortability of Levi? s jeans * 1 Strongly Agree Variety/ Designs offered by Levis Strauss * 1 Strongly Agree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 25 Range of shades offered by the brand * 1 Strongly Agree Range of fitting styles offered * 1 Strongly Agree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree Range of sizes * 1 Strongly Agree Convenience in washing * 1 Strongly Agree Discounts/schemes offered by Levi Strauss * 1 Strongly Agree Value for money w. r. t product * 1 Strongly Agree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree Levi? s responsiveness towards the latest fashion trends 1 Strongly Agree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree Reliability of customer services offered at Levi? s stores * 26 Strongly Agree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree Response to enquiries regarding the porduct from the company * 1 Strongly Agree Complaints redressed time * 1 Strongly Agree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree Advertisements promotions of the product * 1 Strongly Agree Location of Levi? s Stores * 1 Strongly Agree Proximity of Levi? s Stores * 1 Strongly Agree Layout of Levi? s stores * 1 Strongly Agree Salesmens Promptness in service * 1 Strongly Agree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree 7 How satisfied are you with the product? 1 Satisfied 2 3 4 5 Dissatisfied CATEGORICAL DATA: PAIR OF JEANS 1: 1pair 2: 2pairs 3:3 pairs 4: More than 3 pairs GENDER 0: Male 1: Female AGE 1: 18-22yrs 2: 23-26yrs 3: 27above FREQUENCY OF BUYING JEANS 1: occasionally 2: once in three months 3: once in six months 4: once a year INCOME 1: less than 200,000 2: 200,000-400,000 3: 400,000-600,000 4. 600,000 above DECISION IS RELATED TO: 1: Brand Linked status 2: Authenticity of products 3: Publicity 4: Versatality 28 29

The Pearl Essay Example

The Pearl Essay Example The Pearl Essay The Pearl Essay Essay Topic: The Pearl In The Pearl, the author, John Steinbeck, uses the pearl to express what human nature is. At the beginning of the novel, the pearl that Kino finds is described as large as being incandescent and as perfect as the moon; by the end of the novel, Kino looks at the pearl it is ugly, gray, like a malignant growth. In general, mankind’s are greedy, deceptive and evil. In the novel, Steinbeck tries to say that human nature tendency toward greed, deception and evil, which can cause something good and beautiful to become something bad and evil in both physical and mental ways. First of all, Steinbeck shows human beings are instinctively greedy. Steinbeck uses the scene to show humans are gluttonous is where the doctor comes to Kinos house and heals Coyotes after Kino has found a pearl. When Coyotes is bitten by the scorpion, Kino takes him to the doctor to get treatment. But the doctor refuses to heal Coyotes because Kino is indigent. Later On, after Kino owns the pearl, the doctor automatically comes to Kinos house and offers a treatment for Coyotes. After he treats Coyotes, he pretends that he does not know Kino has a pearl and asks Kino about the medical expenses. You have a pearl? A good pearl? The doctor asks with interest (35). The reality is that he wants Kinos pearl more than giving people treatments. Although the doctor has a lot of money and his life is very plentiful, he still wants more and his is discontented. Obviously, the greed had already controlled the doctors mind and the way he acts. Another example that humans are greedy is the scene where Kino does not want to give up the pearl and keeps all his dreams also demonstrates peoples avarice. Juana, who is smart enough to figure out the reality of the pearl trouble, advises Kino to throw the pearl away. Juana says, This pearl is evil. This pearl is like a sin. It will destroy us all! (38). Even though Juana warns Kino that the pearl will bring misfortunes to the family and advises him to throw the pearl away, Kino neither takes the advice nor listens to what his wife says because Kinos mind is already overtaken by his dreams. He is only thinking of being Juana and Coyotes and himself standing and kneeling at the high alter (24), [dress] in the new white clothes (24), holding a Winchester carbine (25), and Coyotes sitting at a little desk in a school (25). Clearly, the greed is surpassed his mind and controls his actions and what he says. After Kino has found ofthe pearl of the world, everyone is willing to own it and they begin to start think of their own dreams, Every men suddenly [becomes] related to Kino, and Kinos pearl [goes] into the dreams, the schemes mans enemy (23). And so, the narrator says, For it is said humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more (25). In the scene where people try to steal Kinos pearl after the pearl is found (37-38), they do whatever that is possible in order to steal the pearl. Jealousy has grown in the heart of these people and jealousy has turned into greed. People are hurting each other and it is like a dog-eat-dog world. From greediness comes deception, which is another humans characteristic. In the scene where Kino sells his pearl, the pearl dealers try to deceive Kino since he is ignorant (48-52). They all act in collusion with each other because they want to buy the pearl at a very cheap price. In order to do that, all dealers tell lies, saying that the pearl was not valuable and it was a monstrosity because they are willing to deceive to get what they want. And, the doctor is also deceptive when he comes to Kinos house and heals Coyotes; the doctor reveals his characters of deception (30-33). The doctor makes Coyotes sick for a while by giving him a potion, which is in reality a dangerous substance. First, he overstates Coyotitos state of his illness, saying that he might die if he does not get immediate cure. Since Kino is ignorant, he does not know the doctor is telling the truth or not. The doctor gives Coyotes some potion and that makes him sick for a while and he says this potion would help Coyotes to get rid of the poison. In fact, Coyotes is getting better right before the doctor comes to heal him. The doctor smiles, but his eyes in their little lymph lined hammocks [do] not smile (30). As one reads this quote carefully, one can see what the purpose is when the doctor comes to Kinos house-either steals the pearl or forces Kino to pay for the treatment. Since the doctor knows he can retrieve power form Kino, he must want to do something to deceive Kino. The way that the doctor acts seems to be nice, helpful and kind; but what he does and thinks is unconcerned and deceptivemakes an illusion and lies to Kino. Lastly, evil is one of mankind’s instinctive qualities as well, which comes from peoples greed and deception. Steinbeck uses the doctor who refuses to treat Coyotes as a symbol of showing humans is evil. When Coyotesis bitten by the scorpion and Kino asked the doctor for treatments, he rejects to heal the Indian people who are not the same race as he is unless those people can prove that they have enough money to pay for his service, Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for little Indians? I am a doctor, not a veterinarian (11). Has he any money? No, they never have money. I, I alone in this world am supported to work for nothing and I am tired of it. See if he has any money! (11). Even though he might able to cure, he only cures those who can afford to pay for the treatment. On the other hand, the doctor might kills someone indirectly since the doctor refuses to heal those patients who do not get immediate cure. Also, in the scene where Kino hits Juana when she tries to throw the pearl away back in the sea without asking Kino, this reveals humans are naturally evil. He [strikes] her in the face and she [falls] among the boulders, and he [kicks] her in the side He [hisses] at her like a snake and she [stares] at him with wide unfrighten eyes, like a sheep before a butcher (59). Kino hits his wife and becomes more evil after he has found the pearl. Most important of all, he has lost his humanity and becomes like an animal. He will not consider his family anymore like he used to because he has turned evil and he is overtaken by his dreams. Also, Steinbeck uses the scene where people burn down Kinos house to show humans do evil acts to harm someone. Since the pearl dealers cannot think of a way that can deceive Kino, they burn down his house in revenge, which makes Kinos family become homeless. Kinos house has smokes of the first fires seeped out through the walls of the brush house (62) and is a tall edifice of fire lighted the pathway (63). Once again, human beings avarice and deception have turn into evil and make them do evil acts, which can harm people very easily. All in all, Steinbeck states the facts in The Pearl that humans are instinctively avaricious, deceptive and evil, which can cause something perfect and gorgeous into something bad and wicked in both physical and mental ways. At the beginning of the novel, the pearl is described as being lucent and perfect; later on, the pearl is described as having a curious dark on its surface; at the end, the pearl is ugly and gray. The doctor, townspeople and Kino, who are affected by greed, deception and evil of the humans characteristics, do something bad that makes the pearl becomes ugly and dark. We, human beings, do something bad and evil and our behavior will change the quality of an object. In other words, an objects quality depends on the way people look at it and how people treat it. If we try to get what we want and do not be concerned or examine our behaviors, something that is beautiful and perfect can turn into something bad and evil, just like the ending of this novel.

Critical thinking on research methodologies and methods used in the Essay

Critical thinking on research methodologies and methods used in the paper - Essay Example 3). The methodology that is chosen is based on our assumptions, interest and purposes (Taylor and Bogdan 1998). The methodology chosen is dependent on the theoretical perspective which the researcher seeks to follow. Taylor and Bogdan (1998) indicate that there are two major theoretical perspectives which have dominated social science – positivism and phenomenological or interpretive. Positivist seeks to obtain facts or to determine the causes of social phenomena which are outside of the subjective states of individuals. The interpretive approach seeks to understand social phenomena from the actor’s point of view – that is what individuals perceive the reality to be. Methodology represents the main ways in which researchers act on the environment in which they are interested – the methods (experiments, surveys, etc.) they use to gain information lead to ‘different characteristics of their reality; and it is through the methods they utilise that make their research public and reproducible by others. In addition to theoretical principles a methodology provides a framework which forms a guide to the way in which research is carried out. ... 3) advances three methodologies – Qualitative, quantitative and a mixed approach which incorporates elements of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The qualitative and quantitative approaches are differentiated by their basic philosophical assumptions that researchers bring to the study, the strategies they employ in their research – quantitative experiments or qualitative case studies, and the particular methods they employ in carrying out these strategies – collecting quantitative data versus collecting qualitative data by observing a situation or through participation. Denzin and Lincoln (2005, p. 3) qualitative research is a ‘situated activity that locates the observer in the world.’ It is a set of interpretive practices that makes the world visible to the researcher. Researchers make use of conversations, field notes, interviews, photographs, recordings, and memos which act as reminders. Qualitative research then becomes ‘an i nterpretive, naturalistic approach to the world.’ This implies that qualitative researchers’ take advantage of natural setting in their attempts to interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings constructed by the people involved in the situation that is being studied. Methods for collecting data such as interviews are capable of being used under different methodological presuppositions. This is also true for sampling methods. What's the relation between this to the journal content? In their paper, Owens et al (2005) uses the word method to indicate the methodology that they used in their research. In that they indicate the method they used to choose the participants for the study, the procedures they followed to collect data and how the data was analysed. In the section relating to the analysis of data the

Austerity Measures Summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Austerity Measures Summary - Assignment Example At first the author perceived that she can easily cope up with such a diet. The author stated that living on the food items provided and cooking them was very difficult for her as she had stopped cooking food on her own. She states that the food she was consuming never satisfied her or the other participants and only fulfilled the need of having food. Two days later the challenge required the participants to eat at St. Anthony’s where they were provided with food comprising of heavy quantity of calories. The author states that she was quite happy having that food. The author states that an official of the Hunger Challenge told her that poverty was a major issue in San Francisco and people were actually facing poverty due to expensive cost of living. The author states that the entire experience made her realized how difficult it was to live in poverty. She concludes that organizations that are out there to help the poor are very essential and they need to be heavily supported b y the common