Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Professional Essay Writing Service

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Friday, September 11, 2020

The Main Advantages Of The Essay Writing Service

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Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Work With A Top College Essay Writer At College

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Essay Help Writing A Paper Service 24

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Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Santas Revenge - Free Essay Example

I graduated from a really small, rural high school in Idaho. 14 people in my graduating class. It was the sort of school where they didnt offer foreign language, math beyond Algebra 2, or science classes with labs. But, they did have sports. The history teacher was primarily there to coach junior high football and high school basketball. Every single day for history class, he would tell us bring something to do. We never cracked the textbook at all. We should have been learning US History Revolutionary War, Lincoln, World War II, Civil Rights Movement, Cold War we didnt cover a single thing all year. Best of all, when it came time for an end-of-semester exam that would be reviewed by the superintendent, he would pass out a test and then write the answers on the board. If youre an A student, go ahead and get everything right. If youre a B, miss a couple. If youre a C student, get about 5 wrong. (This is the part that makes professional teachers rise up out of their chairs and offer to contact the state board of education to have his credentials revoked.) All that time, all that pay, when he was supposed to be doing his job, he took a break hour at the cost of our educations. Professionally, this is like a major fail on t he job like a doctor treating patients with sugar pills, a contractor pouring concrete but refusing to use rebar, or a cop spending the day watching Netflix in the patrol car. For 180 days he showed up and refused to do his job, then created fake evidence to make it look like he was acting like a licensed professional. He taught history classes to all students in grades 7-12, and he was pulling similar stunts in every single class. All other teachers in the school would get periodic audits teachers from other school districts in the state would come review lessons plans and observe classroom behavior. For some reason, the coach was excused from these reviews. Complaints to the administration fell on deaf ears. About 2.5 months later, I was hired as a mall Santa about 20 miles away. It is a harder job than you might imagine frisky teenage girls, idiot boys, crying children, and pure greed. Most kids would come sit on my lap and tell me about the 15-39 items they wanted for Christmas. Id pull out my deepest voice and stroke my beard, then look them in the eye and say Well, I dont know. Ive been keeping my eye on you, and I have some concerns. Your room needs some attention, you could keep the complaining down when its time to eat your vegetables, and (if siblings were present) you have been fighting with your brothers and/or sisters entirely too much. Kids look shocked , like theyve been caught doing something naughty. Ill tell you what you work on those things, and help Mom when she needs it, and well see what we can do. Parents would stand there nodding, saying You tellem, Santa! Give the kid a mini candy cane and send them on their way. No promises made, maintain the magic, and try to g et some good behavior out of the kids. Well, one Saturday afternoon, this old history teacher comes and gets in line with his 6-year old boy. They eventually get to the front of the line and the kid takes a seat on my lap. I want Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and a Nintendo, and a fire truck, and a bike, and, and, and, .. I looked at him and stroked the fake beard, then asked You really have been a good boy this year, havent you? Mmm-hmm. Tell me something do you have a pony? No! Well, I think Santa needs to bring you a pony. You can ride him to school and feed him apples and carrots. All your friends will want pony rides at recess. Tell me, what are you going to name him? Do you have a BB gun? Santa thinks you need a BB gun. How about a trampoline? The teacher/coach got wide-eyed and butted in Now, hold on a minute, Santa. You stay out of this, Tom. This is between me and your little boy here. Tom didnt recognize me with the beard, fake eyebrows, and padded jacket. I went back to the discussion with the little boy on my lap. Remote controlled car? Computer for your bedroom? Bow and arrows? Maybe a cart for your pony to pull? I promised the kid everything I could think of. Finished it up with You will see all of that under your Christmas tree on Christmas, okay? Just make sure your dad doesnt get up early and hide it all from you because he might get jealous of all your cool stuff. And figure out where you are going to build the stable, and where youre going to park your dirt bike. The little boy had the biggest grin on his face. I handed him five candy canes, told him to keep up the best behavior of all the kids in the world, and sent him on his way. The dad/coach/teacher kept looking at me, trying to figure out where he knew me from or what he could have ever done to incur my wrath. I waved with a friendly See you later, Tom! and took the next kids in line. I sometimes thought about stopping in at his summer job stocking shelves at K-Mart to explain why Id done what I did that it was payback for him screwing over the education of every student in the district, grades 7-12. But Id prefer to think of him just stumped for the rest of his life, wondering what hed done to earn Santas Revenge.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - 1764 Words

NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (NAFTA) Brief Overview: NAFTA, The North American Free Trade Agreement, came into existence on January 1, 1994. NAFTA is essentially a free-trade agreement between the 3 North American nations of the Unites States, Canada, and Mexico. The major thought behind this treaty was to give the citizens and the companies of the North American nations many incentives to trade between themselves. The duties on U.S goods exported to Mexico were slashed by fifty percent, and other restrictions were to be detached from a lot of categories, such as motor vehicles, computers, automotive parts, and agricultural goods. NAFTA was also put into action so to safeguard the intellectual property rights of the companies, such†¦show more content†¦In 1993, Maquiladoras accounted to just 2143. But 6 yrs hence, the total count of maquiladoras had risen 73 percent to 3703†. This illustrates that NAFTA has had a net positive influence on Mexico, more than any other country. NAFTA: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: As mentioned earlier, NAFTA to date continues to be controversial, much before its origin. The main quarrel that quite a few politicians have had against NAFTA is that they dread it would turn nations of the likes of Canada into full time branch plant economies. The farmers in Mexico have been resisting NAFTA since they are of the opinion that all the subsidies that the United States’ farmers get has a detrimental effect on the Mexican agricultural prices, which in turn is forcing a lot of the Mexican farmers out of business. A lot of sectors in Mexico have displayed a solid downward trend in the salaries. Quite a few revolutions have been born in Mexico, e.g. the Zapatista revolutionaries, and this has led to plenty socio-political issues for the Mexicans. â€Å"Furthermore, NAFTA was accompanied by a striking decline of the power of trade unions in Mexicos city areas. NAFTA has been accompanied by a remarkable rise of illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States; apparently, a noteworthy fraction of this group are farmers forced off their land by bankruptcy. Resistance to NAFTA also arises from social justice, environmental and other advocacy organizations that are ofShow MoreRelatedThe North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)1345 Words   |  6 Pages The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), came into effect on January 1, 1994, creating the largest free trade region in the world, generating economic growth and helping to raise the standard of living for the people of all three countries participating. By strengthening the rules and procedures governing trade and investment, the NAFTA has shown to be a great base for adding to Canada’s prosperity and has set a valuable example of the benefits of t rade liberalization for the rest of theRead MoreNorth American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta)2362 Words   |  10 PagesNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) I. Brief overview of NAFTA (mainly for in-class presentation) a. NAFTA Introduction b. Original Expectations II. NAFTA over the last 12 years a. Impact on the U.S. economy i. Jobs (Employment Growth) ii. Labor iii. Income iv. Imports vs. Exports (Trade Deficit) 1. Agriculture v. Economic growth b. Impact on Canadian economy c. Impact on Mexican economy d. Global Impact i. International Business ii. FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) Read MoreEssay on North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA1710 Words   |  7 PagesNAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) began on January 1, 1994, and is one of the United States’ most significant regional trade agreements. The final provisions of the NAFTA were fully implemented on January 1, 2008. With full implementation, the last remaining trade restriction on a handful of agricultural commodities such as U.S. exports to Mexico of corn, dry edible beans, nonfat dry milk and high fructose corn syrupRead MoreNafta And Theu.s. North American Free Trade Agreement1063 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction The formation of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) has brought many advantages among the nations of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Since its inception in 1994, it is difficult to see the great effect NAFTA has economically whether it is good or bad due to currency fluctuations, and economic growth (Villarreal Fergusson, 2014). This is why the paper will go into the advantages that NAFTA has brought to the countries mentioned above. The advantages that will be discussedRead MoreEssay about North American Free Trade Agreement: Nafta1764 Words   |  8 Pages North American Free Trade Agreement: NAFTA Introduction nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;I believe that the North American Free Trade Agreement was an inevitable step in the evolution of the United States economic policy. The globilization of the world economy due to technological advances in computers and communications have shrunk the world to the point where no single country acting alone can effectively compete on the foreign market. Even the United States, with its vast resources, can not haveRead MoreNorth American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta)2362 Words   |  10 PagesNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) I. Brief overview of NAFTA (mainly for in-class presentation) a. NAFTA Introduction b. Original Expectations II. NAFTA over the last 12 years a. Impact on the U.S. economy i. Jobs (Employment Growth) ii. Labor iii. Income iv. Imports vs. Exports (Trade Deficit) 1. Agriculture v. Economic growth b. Impact on Canadian economy c. Impact on Mexican economy d. Global Impact i. International Business ii. FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) Read MoreNafta, The North American Free Trade Agreement1253 Words   |  6 PagesNAFTA NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, is the largest free market agreement in the world. It includes the US, Canada, and Mexico, and was put in place on January 1, 1994 (Inc.com). The agreement was signed by US President Bill Clinton, Mexican President Carlos Salinas, and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrà ©tien (Sergie, 2014). Its purpose was to do away with tariff barriers between the three nations on goods and services, remove international investment restrictions, and protect intellectualRead MoreNafta ( North American Free Trade Agreement1449 Words   |  6 PagesNAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was formed in 1994 and created one of the world’s largest free trade zones which includes Mexico, United States and Canada. NAFTA is an example of a multilateral approach to free trade. The multilateral approach states that a country will bargain with its trading partners to remove trade restrictions while the other countries do the same. Another multilatera l approach is GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) which regulates international tradeRead MoreEvaluating Naft Was It Worth It?1229 Words   |  5 PagesEvaluating NAFTA: Was it worth it? In 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was enacted between two industrial countries and a yet still developing nation. This was an agreement that was the first of its kind due to the relationship that the countries had and the investment opportunities that it presented. The United States, Canada, and developing Mexico decided to work towards eliminating most tariffs and non-tariff barriers between the three in order to increase the flow of trade in goodsRead MoreThe North American Free Trade Agreement1711 Words   |  7 PagesThis paper will discuss four components of the North American Free Trade Agreement: Background, events, pros and cons. Upon the research, you will discover four online articles to provide more detail and examples. This research will indicate how it was developed and the reasoning on why it would benefit the nation. Also, it will provide events that occur after the agreement was signed by congress and the recession the countries experience d uring the early 2000s. There will be a chart located

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Essay Understanding Islamic Religion and Culture - 1221 Words

What is your view on the Islamic religion and culture? Did you know they are the fastest growing religion in the world today, with eighty-percent now developing outside the Arab world(Belt, Don) Today’s generation does not show much interest or knowledge of their own religion; let alone the Islamic people. Most people only expose themselves to information that matches their own opinions and beliefs. Instead of learning and exploring new things about the world they stick to what they know because it is easier and comfortable for them. The Islamic people live in different culture, have different beliefs, and live in a part of the globe that has turmoil in the world surrounding the Middle East and the Islamic faith; however it is†¦show more content†¦If each person took consideration for their life they were given, then maybe this world would be of less crime. There are five pillars of practice in that the Islam partakes in their religion. These practices must be assu med in order to be considered a true Muslim in the Islamic tradition. The first is Shahadah: declaration of faith in the oneness of God and that Muhammad is the last prophet of God. The second is: Formal prayer five times a day. The third is: Fasting during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan. The next is the fourth: the Islamic people pay a tax of two and a half percent of one’s savings to be given to the needy at the end of each year. And the final pillar: Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once, if physically and financially able (Burrell, David). Christianity is based off the Bible, while the Islamic study the Qur’an. The Qur’an is explained as a sacred text of Islam, divided into 114 chapters, or suras. It is seen as the word of God, dictated to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel, and accepted as the foundation of Islamic law, religion, culture, and politics. So, the similarities do not different much from each other. The faiths are based upon a book, the belief of a higher power, and also Christianity might not pray five times day like the Islamic, but we both spend times out of our day praying. Islamic Faith has a lot to do with the turmoil in the Middle East and the surrounding areas. Islamic people deal with muchShow MoreRelatedIslam Studies Jahiliyyah1539 Words   |  7 Pagesan influence after the advent of Islam. Elements of the jahiliyyah such as the geographical location; the political, social and religious life; pre-islamic literature, rituals of the Ka ba and the role of Women have shaped the understanding of Islam. The term Jahiliyyah means the period of ignorance or barbarism; reflecting the Arabian culture before the birth of Muhammad(Mvumbi, 2010). The concept reflects the period in which Arabia had no dispensation, no knowledge of Allah or one God andRead MoreThe Media, Oppression, And The Islam915 Words   |  4 Pagesflattering picture? Perhaps it is the image of a dirty, turban wearing, dark skinned man. Or a culture that is often described as psychopathic, radical, and only consisting of terrorists. This cruel image has affected the treatment of Arabic people and religion by forcing Muslims to endure stereotypes that cause discrimination and hostility. The main source that upholds the harsh view of Islamic culture is the strong media bias. However, the media would not hold such a strong influence over the generalRead MoreCulture Within The Islamic Religion1290 Words   |  6 Pages Culture within the Islamic Religion Culture is the common uniting factors that a community shares. It includes values, customs, habits, thoughts that guide members of the society. Culture can also be defined as practices and knowledge that is transmitted to the generation by social interactions between members of a social community (Pohlong 1). It differs from community to community. The purpose of the essay is to relate and differentiate culture from religion, especially theRead MoreIslamic Reform Since 9/111184 Words   |  5 Pages The religion of Islam garners large amounts attention. Many believe it is a violent and backwards religion. Since 9/11, Islamic reform has become an all-purpose phrase: equally a western impulse to protect itself from Muslim violence and a humanist notion aimed at assisting voiceless Muslims (Eteraz1). Extreme displays of Islamic faith such as the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11 have generated negative stereotypes about Islam as a religion. These stereotypes of violence a nd backwardsRead MoreThe Encounter Between War And Religion932 Words   |  4 PagesEncounter between War and Religion Religion has always been the central worldview of traditional civilizations. For most of these civilizations, religion explains existence and ethical thinking for governments. Each religion mentioned wages war according to their principals and beliefs in order to gain power over another. Also, they each have their own view for when war is considered just or unjust. Focusing on Christianity, Islamic, and Buddhism religions and their understanding of warfare will helpRead MoreUnderstanding Islam1309 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"Understanding Islam† by Kenneth Jost, pg. 172 – 176 Islam is an ill-perceived religion throughout most of the Western world. Once known as a quiet and peaceful religion, the general perception of people from other religions and most of the world upon Islam is quite distorted. Ever since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, an influx of discrimination and prejudice towards Islam and Muslims has spread throughout the world. In â€Å"Understanding Islam,† by Kenneth Jost, an article aboutRead MoreSpiritual, Religion, And Culture Essay1492 Words   |  6 PagesSpiritual, Religion, and Culture: ISLAM The religion of Islam is described in a way that, â€Å"provides humankind with a unified view about the purpose of our creation and existence, our ultimate destiny and our place among other creatures. It is a way of life that is in complete conformance with nature, and with reason, logic and science† (Islam Explained, n.d.). â€Å"Islam† is the Arabic word which means voluntary surrender to the will of Allah (God) and obedience to His commands. It is the religion of overRead MoreThe Horror Of X And 11 : The Black Skin Of The Boston Bombers915 Words   |  4 Pagesday-to-day reality of Islamic followers in America. The horror of 9/11, the native skin of the Boston bombers, and the endless horrific news from the Islamic State (IS) continue to regurgitate in the media year after year, month after month, week after week, and night after night leaving a listener with negative feelings toward the Islam religion and its followers, Muslims. Muslims bear the brunt of social construction because the United States continues to identify the Islamic religion as a whole versesRead MoreThe Horror Of 9 / 11883 Words   |  4 Pagesis a day-to-day reality for Islamic followers in America. The horror of 9/11, the native skin of the Boston bombers, and the endless horrific news from the Islamic State (IS) continue to regurgitate in the media year after year, month after month, week after week, and night after night never leaving a listener short of a negative taste for Islam followers, Muslims. Muslims bear the brunt of social construction because the U.S. continues to identify the Islam religion as a whole verses exceptingRead MoreLeadership in Islam1593 Words   |  7 PagesSTEPPING OUTSIDE THE CULTURE: THE ISLAMIC WAY OF LEADERSHIP By Rohaniza M. Sumndad Leadership is defined in many ways. Richards and Engle define it as articulating visions, embodying values, and creating the environment within which things can be accomplished. Schein refer it as the ability to step outside the culture, while Drath and Plus say that it is a process of making sense of what people are doing together for people to understand and be committed. There have been several studies and concepts

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Downsizing And Organizational Culture Essay Example For Students

Downsizing And Organizational Culture Essay Downsizing and Organizational CultureBy Joe GonzalezSociology 100Dr. Mario RedaTable of ContentsChapter 11Chapter 22Organizational Culture Defined2Downsizing Defined..3Culture Change..4Connecting the Literature.7Organizational Level Analysis7Organizational/ Individual Level Analysis10Downsizings Impact on Culture12Chapter 3.13Downsizing And Organizational Culture IntroductionA noted scholar recently assessed downsizing as probably the most pervasive yet understudied phenomenon in the business world 1. While we have become numbed by the near daily accounts of new layoffs, a New York Times national survey finding is perhaps more telling: since 1980, a family member in one-third of all U.S. households has been laid off 2. By some measures, downsizing has failed abjectly as a tool to achieve the main raison detre, reduced costs. According to a Wyatt Company survey covering the period between 1985 and 1990, 89 percent of organizations which engaged in downsizing reported expense reduction as their primary goal, while only 42 percent actually reduced expenses. Downsizing for the sake of cost reduction alone has been castigated intellectually as short-sighted and neglectful of what resources will be needed to increase the revenue stream of the future 3. A truer and fuller understanding of the forces shaping and thrusting downsizing forward today comes from an appreciation of increased global competition; changing technologies, which in turn are profoundly impacting the nature of work; increasing availability of a contingent work force 4; and shifting balance of power among organizational constituents away from rank and file employees and in the direction of shareholders and the chief executives who serve as their proxy. When we conceptualize downsizing within these broader frameworks, it becomes clear that we are speaking of downsizing both as a response to and as a catalyst of organizational culture change. This article will later provide a formal definition of organizational culture. For the moment, it is suggested that culture is to an organization what personality is to an individual. As with personality, change takes time and may be hard to discern, especially for persons inside the organization. This article will argue that, ultimately, the most prominent effects of downsizing will be in relation to culture change, not in relation to saved costs or short-term productivity gains. Key drivers of organizational culture will tend to shape an organizations approach to downsizing. For whose benefit does the organization exist? What are the basic assumptions among people who work in the organization? What are the basic assumptions the organization and the employee make in relation to each other? Establishing a direct link between downsizing and organizational culture is not an easy matter, however, as the following example will demonstrate. The Chief Executive Officer of Apple Computer re cently bought himself more time with disgruntled shareholders by promising to take forceful action on a number of fronts, including downsizing. The executive cited five crises: lack of cash; declining quality; a failed operating system development project; Apples chaotic culture; and a fragmented strategy . How do you connect downsizing, which is one of a number of actions being taken, with corporate culture, which is only one of a number of crises being solved in a manner and to a level that establishes a positive relationship?Another reason that it is difficult to draw a specific link between downsizing and organizational culture is that there are many different variations and approaches to downsizing. A distinction has been made between proactive downsizing, which is planned in advance and usually integrated with a larger set of objectives, and reactive downsizing, which would be typified by cost-cutting as a last resort after a prolonged period of inattention to looming problems by management5. Work force reductions can range from forceful in nature, i.e., involuntary reductions, to the milder approaches, such as resignation incentives and job sharing 6. There are different ways of deciding who stays, who goes from the outwardly arbitrary to criterion-based 7. There are different modes of planning, ranging from secretive sessions to open discussions and solicitation of ideas from employees. There are different standards of notice of terminations, including relatively harsh same day terminations as well as more generous 90 day or longer notices. There are even differences in intentionality, i.e., reductions can be planned to present employees with as little a break as possible from what they have known in the past or they can be designed to be deliberately disruptive to the status quo 8. Organizational Culture DefinedIt has been observed with respect to the concept of power that its omnipresence makes it difficult to usefully apply in specific situations 9. The same may be said of culture. If it is everywhere, and pervades every aspect of our existence, then how can it be subject to analysis. Schein (1992) offers at least a partial solution. He divides organizational culture into three levels: 1) at the surface are artifacts, those aspects (such as dress) which can be easily discerned, yet are hard to understand; 2) beneath artifacts are espoused values which are conscious strategies, goals and philosophies; 3) the core, or essence, of culture is represented by the basic underlying assumptions and values, which are difficult to discern because they exist at a largely unconscious level, yet provide the key to understanding why things happen the way they do. These basic assumptions form around deeper dimensions of human existence such as the nature of humans; human rel ationships and activity; reality; and truth. Schein (1992) himself acknowledges that, even with rigorous study, we can only make statements about elements of culture, not culture in its entirety. The approach which Schein recommends for inquiring about culture is an iterative, clinical approach, similar to a therapeutic relationship between a psychologist and a patient. Scheins disciplined approach to culture stands in contrast to the almost flippant way in which culture is referred to in some of the popular management literature. Downsizing DefinedLike culture, downsizing is problematic in its usefulness. Because it is popularly associated with giving people the axe in organizations, it is not a term that many management consultants go out of their way to use. On the other side of the spectrum, there are researchers who are concerned that downsizing has become too closely associated with the process of organizational decline and its naturally negative effects. Cameron, for example, defines downsizing as a positive and purposive strategy: a set of organizational activities undertaken on the part of management of an organization and designed to improve organizational efficiency, productivity, and/or competitiveness 10. Downsizing thus defined falls into the category of management tools for achieving desired change, much like rightsizing and reengineering. Clearly, the Cameron definition is overly expansive. Downsizing may and very likely will impact or impinge on systemic change efforts such as the introduction of total quality management, reengineering, or reinventing initiatives. They are not one and the same, however, as the Cameron definition would imply. This is significant, because Camerons connection of downsizing with a larger, purposive strategy allows him to conclude unabashedly that downsizing is a good and positive thing and that organizations should seek to do it on a regular and continuing basis . This cheery conclusion flies in the face of Camerons own four year study of thirty firms in the automotive industry, data from which revealed that very few of the organizations in the study implemented downsizing in a way that improved their effectiveness. Most deteriorated in terms of pre-downsizing levels of quality, productivity, effectiveness, and the dirty dozen, e.g., conflict, low morale, loss of trust, rigidity, scapego ating) 11. Downsizing is defined in this effort simply as a reduction in the size of the work force. This definition provides some analytical clarity, because it does not imply a value, either positive or negative, and encompasses a wide range of possible approaches. Thus defined, downsizing does not necessarily imply a reduction in the assets of the organization; for example, an organization may contract out a function that was previously done by permanent employees. The elimination of the jobs of the employees constitutes downsizing. Culture ChangeChanging an organization is messy, complicated business. A study by Kotter and Heskett (1992) indicated that culture change becomes tougher as organizations become more established and successful. The very bases for a companys earlier success can be hindrances to needed changes under new and different scenarios from those which existed previously. Prevailing models provide uncertain guideposts. For example, it is standard fare within the leadership literature12 to depict the need for a vision of a desired future state of the enterprise. What if elements of a vision clash with each other? What if a leader, for example, decides to embrace a total quality management culture built upon trust among all parties and, at the same time, embarks upon a series of layoffs which are likely to engender distrust among those same parties? The conventional wisdom in response is to acknowledge that there will be sadness and losses and a murky period which goes under the heading of the neutral zone; but, in the end, there will be new beginnings13. How long does the neutral zone last? Existing research provides no solid answers. How long will a leader with a vision wait for the culture to change in positive ways? Research supports the idea that culture change is a multi-year effort 14. If we broaden our conceptualization of culture change to include both intended consequences (planned change) and unintended consequences (unplanned change), then it is at least possible to be confident that downsizing is a catalyst for culture change. Organizational theorists from Lewin (1951) forward, including Argyris (1992) have insisted upon the need for a destabilizing element in any change process. The existing status quo is conceptualized as a dynamic in which forces resisting change and forces pushing for change have found a balance. In order to shift the balance (in the favor of change), the situation needs to be unfrozen. In other words, people have to be rocked out of their comfortable existence, so they will be alerted to the need for change. Downsizing qualifies as a destabilizer of status quo ante even under circumstances where departures are voluntary. Hickok (1995), for example, documented symptoms of survivor illness at an Air force installation that had, up to the point of the research, experienced only voluntary departures. The literature is replete with examples of burnout, depression, anger, and betrayal as common responses by survivors of layoffs. Not all responses are negative: there are reports of people getting charged up, finding new excitement in their work, being challenged by the prospect of doing more with less or saving the organization15 found that implementers of layoffs (i.e, those pulling the strings) had more positive reactions than did implementees (i.e., those who were having the layoffs done to them). In any event, it should be acknowledged that downsizing has altered the rule of the employment game. The way these changes have tended to be theoretically euphemized is by indicating that the psychological contract between employers and employees has been violated16. No longer can the employer offer job security. The new psychological contract being marketed is conditional employment, with the availability of training and development opportunities to help keep employees employable, even if not at this particular company17. Minimum Wage and Why we Should Leave It EssayBrockner and colleagues have studied the fairness of layoffs from a procedural justice perspective and have shown a link between perceived fairness of the layoffs and survivor commitment to the organization32. Among the fairness factors which Brockner examines is the connection with existing corporate culture. Organizations such as IBM and Digital Equipment which have traditionally had a policy of averting layoffs are likely to be perceived by employees as violating the psychological contract and therefore as more unfair when they do resort to layoffs. Noer (1993) sees letting go of the old employment contract as tough but necessary. His view is that implicit lifetime employment guarantees are unhealthy both for individuals and organizations. They result in a sort of organizational codependency in which individuals invest enormous energy in trying to control the system and at the same time have much of their self-worth tied up in trying to live up to the organizations, not their own, values. In a similar vein, Hecksher (1995) concludes that management loyalty to the organization is no longer needed; what is needed is more professionalism, evidenced by creative contributions to the organization. Bridges (1994) goes even further; he sees a secular trend away from the traditional job, with security, job description, etc. Like Noer, he sees greater possibility for individuals to achieve autonomy and satisfaction by taking responsibility for their own futures. Work relationships can become much more testy during periods of organizational decline. That can take the form of backstabbing, placing of blame, and overt failure to cooperate33. Hickok (1995) analyzed interview responses at two downsizing military bases and found that mentions of increased conflict in the workplace were significantly greater than the more positive mentions of pulling together. Downsizings Impact on CultureFor organizations, particularly the IBMs and Digital Equipments of the world which long resisted layoffs, it is hard to image that the organizations or their cultures have remained anything close to intact. Getting back to the questions posed earlier: For whose benefit does the organization exist? It seems clear that organizations exist less today for the well-being of rank-and file employees than they once did. With the Dow shattering all records, it seems clear that the shareholders have the upper hand in making critical corporate decisions. They are partnered with CEOs who received an average pay raise in 1995 of 23% 34. Just look at who is prospering and who is not. What are the basic assumptions among people about working relationships in the organization? The basic assumptions about working relationships have changed, in ways that can not yet be well assessed. It appears, at least, that relationships tend to be less familial and more competitive tha n in the past. What is the worth of what have traditionally been termed commitment and loyalty? We just do not know? What is the impact of the feeling that the organization is a community even a family with relatively stable long-term working relationships? And how will that play out in terms of cooperation given to others as opposed to backstabbing in the intense competition for scarce resources? We can only be sure that things have changed, not how. What are the basic assumptions the organization and the employee make in relation to each other? The basic assumptions by employees and organizations about their employment relationship have changed from long-term and stable, with organizations expected to make accommodations to avoid laying people off to more short-term and contingent. Researchers such as Bridges and Noer forecast a more happy future for those who adapt to the changing times in the new scenario, but that is a difficult forecast to test. Organizations usually have some degree of flexibility about how they reduce personnel expenses. Decisions to inflict pain upon employees as part of the process may very well reflect an effort to bust the existing culture. Decisions to minimize pain may reflect an effort to reinforce the existing culture. Table 1 sorts several downsizing practices by whether they tend to reinforce (or leave alone) existing culture or to intentionally destabilize the culture. For these purposes, methods which are less disruptive and/or give members more of a sense of control are labeled as reinforcing and those practices which are particularly likely to induce pain among members of the work force (particularly those who are asked to leave) are labeled as destabilizing:ConclusionIt is difficult to write with authority about the relationship of downsizing to organizational culture, in part because these are both subject areas in need of clarification and empirical research. It is intuitively evident, eve n definitional, that a leaders cultural mind set will have a great deal to do with whether and how downsizing is implemented in an organization. It also seems, beyond question, that downsizing acts as an organizational destabilizer and thus as a catalyst for culture change. Whether resultant cultural change is beneficial to the organization as a whole is open to speculation. Because downsizing is a relatively recent phenomenon at the white-collar level, time will have to differentiate between short-term effects and reactions and the longer-term consequences. Perhaps less bloated bureaucracies will free people to get more work done and to interact more positively. Perhaps a whole generation of management thinkers overstated the value of loyalty and commitment that accrues over a long and stable employment tenure. That, again, will be for time to judge. This article has noted three observations in relation to the impact of downsizing on organizational culture. First, it clearly appears that power has shifted away from rank-and-file employees in the direction of top management/ownership. Accompanying this change is a shift in emphasis away from the well-being of individuals in the direction of the pre-eminence and predominance of the organization as a whole. Second, it appears working relationships have changed away from being familial in the direction of being more competitive. Third, the employer-employee relationship has moved away from long-term and stable in the direction of short-term and contingent. It was argued in this article that decisions associated with a downsizing action may tend either to be culturally reinforcing (i.e., less disruptive, more individual control) or culturally destabilizing (i.e., likely to induce pain). Key downsizing practices were categorized by which of these they were more generally associated. Finally, the author suggested five simple question areas that organizational leaders who are interested in probing the moral and spiritual dimensions of downsizing might usefully consider. These include ensuring the fundamental decency of the approach being considered, engaging in appropriate dialogue, thinking through the consequences for those who may be adversely affected, having ready explanations for multiple constituencies, and offering a realistic opportunity for a better future for the organization and the organizations stakeholders. Works Cited1. American Management Association (1994). 1994 survey on downsizing. 2. Armstrong-Stassen, M. (1993). Survivors reactions to a workforce reduction: A comparison of blue-collar workers and their supervisors, Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences 10 (4), pp. 334-343. 3. Argyris, C. (1992). Knowledge for action: A guide to overcoming barriers to organizational change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 4. Bennis, W. (1989). On becoming a leader. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. 5. Bridges, W. (1987). Managing transitions. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. 6. Bridges, W. (1988). Surviving the survivor syndrome. 7. William Bridges and Associates (pamphlet, 14 pages). (1994). Job shift: How to prosper in a world without jobs. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. 8. Brockner, J. (Winter,1992). Managing the effects of layoffs on others, California Management Review, pp. 9-27. 9. Brockner, J., Konovsky, M, Cooper-Schneider, R., Folger, R., Martin, C., and Bies, R. (1994). 10. Interactive effects of procedural justice and outcome negativity on victims and survivors of job loss, Academy of Management Journal 37(2), pp. 397-409. 11. 12. Cameron, K.S., Freeman, S.J., and Mishra, A.K. (1991). Best practices in white-collar downsizing: Managing contradictions, Academy of Management Executive 5(3), pp. 57-72. 13. Cascio, W. (1993). Downsizing: What do we know? What have we learned? Academy of Management Executive 7(1), pp. 95-104. 14. Downs, A. (1995). Corporate executions. NY: AMACOM (225 pages). 15. Fierman, J. (January 24 1994). The contingency work force, Fortune, pp. 30-36. 16. Greengard, S. (November 1993). Dont rush downsizing: Plan, plan, plan, Personnel Journal 72(11), 64-76. 17. Hamel, G., and Prahalad, C.K. (July-August 1994). Competing for the future, Harvard Business Review, pp. 122-128. 18. Handy, C. (December 5 1990). What is a company for? Michael Shanks Memorial Lecture reprint (13 pages). 19. Hecksher, C. (1995). White-collar blues: Managem ent loyalties in an age of restructuring. New York: Basic Books. 20. Hickok, T. (1995). The impact of work force reductions on those who remain: A study of civilian workers at two Department of Defense bases. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. 21. Kearns, D. and Nadler, D. (1992). Prophets in the dark: How Xerox reinvented itself and beat back the Japanese. New York: HarperCollins (334 pages). 22. Kotter, J. And Heskett, J. (1992). Corporate culture and performance. New York: The Free Press. 23. Kozlowski, S., Chao, G., Smith, E., and Hedlund, V. (1993). Organizational downsizing: Strategies, interventions, and research implications, International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology 8, pp. 263-332. 24. Leana, C. and Feldman, D.C. (1992). Coping with job loss: How individuals, organizations, and communities respond to layoffs. New York: Lexington Books. 25. Lewin, K. (1951). General field theory. New York. 26. McGrego r, D. (1960). The human side of enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill. 27. Mohrman, S.A., and Mohrman, A.M., Jr. (1983). Employee involvement in declining organizations, Human Resources Management 22(4), pp. 445-465. 28. New York Times (1996). The downsizing of America. New York: Times Books. 29. Noer, D. (1993). Healing the wounds: Overcoming the trauma of layoffs and revitalizing downsized organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 30. Pfeffer, J. (1981). Power in organizations. Marshfield, Mass: Pitman Publishing. 31. Petruno, T. (December 19 1996). Has greed supplanted shareholder value? Los Angeles Times. 32. Rousseau, D. (1995). Psychological contracts in organizations: Understanding written and unwritten agreements. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 33. Schein, E. (1992). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 34. Schumpeter, J. (1950). Capitalism, socialism, and democracy. New York: Harper and Row. 35. Sloan, Allan (February 26 1996). The hit men, Newsweek, pp . 44-48. 36. Sutton, R.I. and DAunno, T. (1989). Decreasing organizational size: Untangling the effects of money and people, Academy of Management Review 14(2), pp. 194-212. 37. Tichy, N. and Sherman, S. (1994). Control your destiny or someone else will. New York: HarperCollins. 38. Tomasko, R.M. (1990). Downsizing: Reshaping the corporation for the future. New York: AMACOM. 39. Washington Post (March 5 1996). CEOs at major corporations got 23 percent raise in 95, p. c1. 40. Washington Post (May 5 1997). DIGEST, p. c1. 41. Waterman, R., Waterman, J., and Collard, B. (July-August 1994). Toward a more career-resilient workforce Harvard Business Review, pp. 87-95. 42. The Wyatt Company (1993). Best practices in corporate restructuring: Wyatts 1993 survey of corporate restructuring. 43. Vroom, V. (1964). Work and motivation. New York: Wiley.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Puff Daddy free essay sample

In November, 1997, three of my cousins and I attended a Puff Daddy and the Family concert. It was held at Gund Arena in Downtown Cleveland. The Family tour has performed all over the United States in major cities. The show includes the majority of their current songs. To me Puff Daddy (Sean Combs) is the ultimate musician he composes, he dances, he raps, he produces, and he even has his own record label Bad Boy Entertainment. All this success for someone under thirty! Puff Daddy definitely wont stop. My main purpose in going was to see Mason Betha (Mase), one of the many members of the family. Throughout the entire concert there were a number of impressive tributes to the late Notorious B.I.G., former member of the Bad Boy family. The show also played one of Tupacs hit songs Hail Mary in tribute. The dancers, performers, audio and lighting effects in fact the whole concert was so complex it was nothing less than audiences have come to expect from this artist. We will write a custom essay sample on Puff Daddy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page .

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Amazon Marketing Services 20 Creative Unique Ways to Use AMS Ads

Amazon Marketing Services 20 Creative Unique Ways to Use AMS Ads Amazon Marketing Services: 20 Creative Unique Ways to Use AMS Ads â€Å"AMS Ads are dead, said the not-so-savvy self-published author.Don’t believe this lie. AMS Ads, or Amazon Marketing Services ads, are stronger than ever, and whether we like it or not they are here to stay. As a matter of fact, Amazon just rolled out a brand-new, improved UI for AMS; they have added new features, and are constantly creating training material to help authors better understand the platform.Would they do that if AMS were on the way out? Not likely.Sure, not every book is a good fit for Amazon ads: that’s why many Amazon published authors grow bitter and blame the platform for not being able to sell a book that would not be marketable anyways.Don’t be discouraged. Now is the time to jump onto the AMS wagon if you want to actually get paid to write. Those who don’t read the Self-Publishing School Blog and believe that Amazon advertising is dying will gradually move away from it, making the space less crowded and much more profitable for all of us. Here are our tips for using Amazon marketing services effectively:Target famous authors with Amazon marketing servicesTarget Amazon published booksTarget books featured on BookBubTarget books that are recent moviesTarget paperback booksTarget audiobooks with Amazon Marketing ServicesThink about Amazon ads for your book seriesGrow your email listAdvertise your backlistUse The Greatest Hits methodThe Amazon Ad puzzleThe Ad stackerPre-populate with pre-ordersUse AMS for reviewsUse Amazons Bid+ systemUse negative keywordsTarget your own bookStay put, don’t give up. When others zig, just zag 🙂What is Amazon Marketing Services?Amazon marketing services (AMS), now called Advertising Console is a collection of effective tools to help vendors drive traffic to their products and sell more.For authors, this means AMS is a hub for increasing low book sales and maintaining a steady income with their books.NOTE: We cover everything in this blog post and much more about how to build a platform and maintain consistent book sales in our Sell More Books Program. Learn more about it hereAmazon Marketing Services for Authors Made EasyI get it, click bids have gotten more expensive, finding profitable keywords is more difficult and winning is harder than ever. But this is only a byproduct of the space getting more crowded. However, let me assure you: those CPC prices are nowhere near what our friends in the physical product markets are paying. Strange as it may seem, AMS is still a happy place for authors. The key is to get more creative, thinking out of the box. Find new ways of using AMS, test and tweak, and you’ll be way ahead of the (still relatively small) competition. How? Here are 20 ways in which you can use Amazon Marketing Services Ads for your book marketing ventures. Each tactic is coupled with a brief explanation of how to implement it in a practical way. Enjoy the list and remember: now is the time for Amazon advertising!#1 Targe t a famous author in your genreYoull do this in order to try to get into his or her also-boughts. You know, the little section in this screenshot that shows you what other people who bought an item havealso bought↓It’s no secret that ‘also-boughts’ are the main source Amazon uses when they recommend new books to readers. And if your book is in one of your competitor’s ‘also-boughts’, then there’s a good chance it will get shown, recommended and ‘pushed’ to the exact audience you’re after. Happy days. Try bidding heavily on one of your competitors as a target so that your book shows up everywhere on their book’s page and ‘steals the show’ in your reader’s eyes.#2 Target books published by AmazonAmazon has various imprints through which it publishes books, the most famous being Thomas Mercer. Targeting authors and books by these subsidiary companies is a great idea. Amazon (and their algorithm) love when people buy their stuff, which they continuously promote left and right. Try to get your book next to one of Amazon’s own babies, and you’ll be a happy writer indeed. #3 Target books that are featured on BookBubOnce a book is featured in BookBub’s daily email (aka their ‘Featured Deals’), it’s likely to get thousands of downloads and a load of traffic on all the retailers. Which of course means more eyeballs on the said book. By keeping an eye on the books that appear daily on BookBub’s email blast and targeting them with your Amazon ads, you’ll be the first to place your book next to the day’s hottest title, thus piggybacking on its visibility and hopefully sales.#4 Target books that have recently been turned into moviesA hot new release (just as explained in point 3) is always going to garner bigger attention, at least for a few days. Keep an eye on new movie releases in your genre, especially b ig blockbuster films that have been inspired by bestselling books. Again, the trick here is to target those hot new titles so that your book shows next to them, thus collecting some love from all those hungry readers.#5 Use Product Display Ads to target paperbacksAmazons Product Display ads give you a unique chance to specifically target paperback versions of your competitor’s titles (unlike Sponsored Product ads). The first benefit of doing thisis that you’ll undoubtedly broaden the reach of your ads. But most important perk is that you’ll also likely increase the sales of your own paperback copies.As it were, ‘physical book lovers’ have a preference for physical books, which are more expensive and thus will likely result in higher royalties for you to pocket!#6 Use Product Display Amazon Ads to target audiobooksSee point 5 above, but this time use PD ads to target audiobooks! Don’t have an audiobook version of your title? You’re de finitely missing out on one of the hottest and fastest-growing trends in the indie publishing industry. You can find a step-by-step guide on creating an audiobook right here.#7 Lose money on the first book in your seriesYour first in series is likely to be free on Amazon(or at least it should be). But don’t fret, pure ROI seekers! Sure, by going a bit ‘heavier’ on Amazon ads pointing to that book, you’ll likely lose money. But you’ll make it back when readers go on to purchase book 2, 3, 4, etc. in your series. Make sure you have a good idea of how to calculate your audience’s ‘read-through rates’, and adjust your CPC bid and daily budget accordingly.#8 Lose money (again) to grow your email listBe sure to display an opt-in form in the free book you’re running ads on (pro tip: also place it in the first pages of the book, so that readers don’t have to ‘wait’ until they’ve read the whole thing be fore parting with their email address). This will inevitably result in more signups to your email list. Again, this isn’t stellar for pure ROI, and you might be losing money now, but in the long term, this will be super-beneficial.#9 Advertise Your BacklistDon’t put all your eggs in one basket (aka, don’t point all your ads and spend all your budget on one book). Running Amazon ads for other titles in your backlist is always beneficial in keeping the books ‘sticky’ in the rankings, often also providing a load of read-throughs to the other titles in the same series (see point 7).#10 The Greatest Hits methodStart your ads by bidding low-ish on keywords and competing authors/book-titles. Once you have a good idea of what is actually performing well, take those successful phrases and compile them in a ‘Greatest Hits’ ad, with higher CPC bids and daily budget.#11 The Amazon Ad PuzzleTry using your own book as a target keyword, but this ti me to advertise your higher-priced titles or box sets. The ‘Sponsored’ results on the latter’s book page will likely populate with all your other titles, just like the pieces of a puzzle. If a reader lands on your one book and sees your other stuff in the Amazon ads, they might buy a higher-priced title in your collection (and go on to become an aficionado fan of yours)!#12 The Ad StackerDon’t limit yourself to Amazon Marketing Services ads. Ad ‘stacking’ is often the best way to get a gazillion eyeballs on a new release (especially if you’re aiming at hitting bestsellers’ lists when running a hard launch). Try your hands at BookBub ads, Facebook Ads, and others. You don’t need to spend thousands on them: a small budget will be more than enough to Discover where your readers are hanging out, so that you can place your books right under their eyes.#13 Pre-populate with pre-orders!Start running AMS ads well in advance, eve n when your book is still in the pre-order phase. If you get your targeting right, this will help add your book to the ‘also-boughts’ of other books in your genre, thus igniting the sacred ‘recommendation loop’ from Amazon.You can do this one week to a few months in advance. The bigger your author platform is, the longer you can get away with putting your book up for pre-order before the actual publication date.Plus, people will be exposed to your book, will pre-order it, and when the book is live, the instant truckload of downloads will shoot it into the stratosphere!#14 Use AMS for reviewsSpend a bit more on AMS during a free promo you have scheduled. This might sound counterintuitive when it comes to pure ROI, but you’ll be amazed at the number of downloads you’ll get. Be sure to add a ‘call for reviews’ to the end of your book. Some readers won’t, but many will actually leave an honest (and verified) review.#15 Bid+Wi th their recent ‘upgrade’ of the Amazon Marketing Services platform, Amazon has given authors the chance to use their ‘Bid+’ system (an old acquaintance of those using Vendor’s Accounts). This new feature basically lets Amazon know you’re willing to spend up to 50% more on CPC for the terms that are performing well.Its really simple to use, as you can see in the example below so dont be afraid to use this! Think about it: if Amazon has given us this new tool, why not take advantage of it? You definitely won’t go broke (the daily budget still being the highest cap on spend): rather, you’ll likely outbid all of your competitors on your most prized keywords and phrases!#16 Use negative keywordsAs you surely know by now, hyper-relevant laser-focused targeting is the name of the game with AMS, but sometimes, this is much easier said than done. Have an epic fantasy novel that appeals to teens, but that YA readers would absolutely hate ? Don’t risk getting one-star reviews by unsatisfied vampire-hungry audiences. Another new feature that Amazon has just implemented into their new AMS platform is the ‘negative keywords’ field. Use it wisely to list all of the keywords you absolutely DO NOT want to associate your ads to through Amazon Marketing Services. The sniper approach has never been easier.#17 Target your own bookWhy on earth would you want to spend money targeting your own book? After all, it already shows up ‘organically’ in the search results for your key terms, no? Well, not exactly. Amazon is putting a lot of emphasis on advertising (another reason why you should use AMS ads), so it sometimes favors paid results over organic something other platforms (e.g. Facebook) have been doing for a while now. Crazy, right? Try punching one of your keywords in the search box and see if your book appears. It doesn’t?Then you might want to give it a nice little push with a coup le super-targeted ads. Bonus: 3 more advanced Amazon Marketing Services tacticsIf yourereally ready to make some money, you can try to tackle some of these more advanced Amazon Marketing Services methods to increase your book sales.These might be tricky for you at first, butwith enough practice, theyll prove to be more than effective.#18 Use a Vendors Account (part 1)An Amazon Vendor’s Express account will let you advertise your ebooks, but also audiobooks or paperbacks. Use this incredibly powerful tool to advertise your physical or audio copies on relevant pages by your target authors. As seen above (point 5), this will often result in sales of your own audios and paperbacks, yielding a lot more royalties!#19 Use a Vendor’s Account (part 2)A Vendor’s Express account through Amazon Marketing Services will also let you advertise titles that you didn’t publish yourself. Why would you want to do that, you say? For multi-author box sets you’re a par t of, for example! This will bring more eyeballs to your stuff and†¦ don’t forget to include an email-optin in your portion of the text!#20 Use a Vendor’s Account (part 3)As seen above, why not use a Vendor’s Account to also promote a traditionally-published book you wrote before going indie? Your publisher will likely not be using AMS, so show them who the savvy author is and get some sales rolling!Hope you enjoyed some of these tactics for Amazon Marketing Services ads. As I mentioned in the introduction to this post, don’t listen to those who want to attract you to the ‘next best thing’.Think out of the box, test, test, and test again. And you will succeed!Ready to Sell More Books?Your books sales can mean the difference between helping a few and helping the many.We have exactly what you need to sell more books- and change more lives.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Is Intelligent design a scientific theory Essay

Is Intelligent design a scientific theory - Essay Example However, some individuals say that intelligence action is related with the origin of different characteristics of biological life. It is evident that intelligent design begins with forms of information, which are commonly observed to produce agents of intelligence in the real world. Atheist such as zoologist Dawkins argues that if biology is a study of complicated things, then the complications are as a result of appearance and purpose. Dawkins also argues that natural selection is what led to the intelligent design; this is as a result of the challenges met in meeting the demands in the environment. To add on this, theorists such as Stephen Meyer notes that intelligent design plays a substantial role in casual activities. From theories of the above philosophers, we can conclude that intelligent design is a scientific theory, which has a basis on empirical studies on the natural environment. Structures created through the promulgation of a Discovery Institute are intelligent designs products. The institute explains that structures occur from human intelligence and not natural processes. An ideal example is the existence of God, which is a teleological argument from the traditional contemporary adaptation. It defines the origin of life as a scientific theory other than an idea based on religion. Most arguments relate to the intelligent design which refers to God as the designer. The Discovery Institute is conservatively a political institution. The intelligent design uses the view point of theistic science, whose objective is to explain science e in a different way invoking supernatural structures. In supporting its belief, ID has put forward two arguments: the specified and the irreducible complexity. Scientific community prefers the methodological naturalism to the scientific extension in explaining the supernatural structures. The scientific community has further opposed the specified and the

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Scenario planning for the future of Energy Essay

Scenario planning for the future of Energy - Essay Example After decades of thought and consideration, countries have mutually consented to get rid of cars altogether. Now, in 2030, roads are crowded with bicycles. People are generally happy to use bicycles because they have not only obviated the need to use oil, but has also rapidly decreased the number of road accidents. The bicycle-bicycle collision is far less as deadly and dangerous as a car-car collision used to be few years ago. Besides, regular peddling has been a good source of exercise and has helped people burn their calories. In the midst of Shanghai lives Chen with his family in a condominium. Today is Chen’s final exam, and he needs to get into the school within fifteen minutes. He lives one and a half miles away from the school. He catches his bicycle, but the tire is punctured. He can not wave to a taxi because there are no taxies, no bus, no car whatsoever! Mum and dad have gone to work over their respective bicycles. Chen has only two options to reach the school, eit her walk his way up to the school, or else, seek lift from somebody else. But most bicycles are overloaded because that is the only thing people have as a means of travel. Normally, if a person does not have a bicycle of his own, he/she has to suffer, though Chen is lucky enough to find a cyclist, Koto, with no one sitting on the back seat. Chen asks Koto the favor to drop him to school. Koto agrees to do the job provided that Chen purchases him a tin of cooking oil since he comes from a very poor family and can not afford to buy the cooking oil. Chen agrees and the two set off. Second Story: Saudi Arabia is suffering from a financial crisis as a result of her inability to meet the global demands of oil. Saudi Arabia’s predictions of her oil reserves have turned out to be overstatements which had no concern with reality. In reality, Saudi oil reserves had been depleting at a dangerous rate and much of the oil has been drawn out of the known reserves till 2025. For the last fi ve years, Saudi Arabia has reduced the supply of oil and is now suffering from a financial crisis. Ted, a teenager, turns the TV on to hear the news. Newscaster: Saudi Arabia’s attitude is being criticized for the turmoil in oil supply. For the past twenty years, Saudi Ministers have been making unnecessarily optimistic statements about their ability to make uninterrupted and sustained supply of oil to the world for a long period of time. Saudi Ministers have always been reluctant to get their oil reserves audited nor have they ever revealed accurate information about the volume of oil reserves. Much of the disparity in the demand and supply of oil in the contemporary age is attributed to the non-serious and inconsiderate attitude and short-term vision of the oil producing companies in Saudi Arabia. Experts are of the view that had Saudi Arabia allowed the auditing of her oil reserves and generate correct information about the oil reserves, it would have been possible for the world to take precautionary measures in time. The economy of Saudi Arabia has declined as a result of the reduced oil supply. Third Story: The New York City in 2030 looks totally different from the way it looked in 2010. On the roof of every house, there is a solar panel that faces the sun and revolves according to it in order to keep its surface exposed to the sunlight throughout the day. On every garage, there is a car that is driven by biofuel or electricity. Every individual

Friday, January 31, 2020

African Americans health disparities Essay Example for Free

African Americans health disparities Essay In 2011, the diagnosis rate for HIV cases in the United States was 15. 8 per 100,000 population and 60. 4 among Blacks. Of 197,090 diagnoses of HIV-infection from 2008- 2011, Blacks/African Americans accounted for: ?47% OF THE TOTAL ?64% OF WOMEN ?66% OF INFECTIONS ATTRIBUTED TO HETEROSEXUAL CONTACT ?67% OF CHILDREN, AGES 13 In 2010, the death rate for blacks was higher (25. 0 per 100,000) compared with any other racial ethnicity group (3. 0 whites). Blacks represented 49% of all deaths with HIV in 2010. A recent study showed that blacks diagnosed with HIV are less likely than other groups to be linked to care, retained in care, receive antiretroviral treatment and achieve adequate viral suppression. African American Males African American men accounted for 42% of HIV cases diagnosed among men in 2011. A majority (72%) of African American men with HIV contracted the disease by male to male contact while 19% contracted HIV through heterosexual exposure. African American Females Among African American women, high risk heterosexual contact was the most frequently cited mode of transmission, accounting for 89% of cases diagnosed in 2011. More Information: ?HIV/AIDS TOPIC SITE ?HIV/AIDS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS ?HIV/AIDS STATISTICS AND SURVEILLANCE Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Gonorrhea In 2010, 69% of all reported cases of gonorrhea occurred among blacks. The rate of gonorrhea among blacks in 2010 was 432. 5 cases per 100,000 population, which was 18. 7 times the rate among whites (23. 1). This disparity has changed little in recent years. This disparity was larger for black men (22.2 times) than for black women (16. 2 times). Chlamydia In 2010, the overall rate among blacks in the United States was 1,167. 5 cases per 100,000, a 4. 0% increase from the 2009 rate of 1,122. 2 cases per 100,000. The rate of chlamydia among black women was over seven times the rate among white women (1,536. 5 and 205. 1 per 100,000 women, respectively). The chlamydia rate among black men was almost 11 times the rate among white men (761. 8 and 69. 9 cases per 100,000 men, respectively). Syphilis.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Pigs Role in Animal Farm by George Orwell Essays -- Animal Farm Georg

Pigs' Role in Animal Farm by George Orwell At the start of the novel Orwell describes the pigs to be the "cleverest of the animals." This is clearly an advantage and so leads to the pigs taking over the farm. There is a sense of leadership very soon after Old Major's death as the three pigs, Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer arrange meetings with the other animals and already begin to give orders. "You do not need sugar," says Snowball. It is evident here that Snowball believes that he has power over the other animals already. Further on during the second chapter Snowball and Napoleon send for a ladder, proving that they think they can use the animals to do jobs and progresses more in chapter 3 when they believe that they can direct and supervise the other animals and not actually do the work themselves. In chapter two Napoleon says, "Comrade Napoleon will lead the way." Using the word "lead" shows that the pigs think of themselves as more than just teachers and even have their own headquarters soon after. It is clear to us that the pigs are using their intelligence to trick the other animals and play mind games with them. Orwell describes Snowball as a "more vivacious pig than Napoleon." We can see this whilst he is still on the farm, as he is always doing things to benefit the whole of the farm, not just himself whereas Napoleon is. "Snowball made a little speech, emphasizing the need for all animals to be ready to die for Animal farm if need be." It is evident from this quote that Snowball is very passionate about the farm and will do anything to improve it. His passion for the farm is very much shown at the battle of the cowshed where he is in charge of the attack against Jones and other farmers. ... ...oleon-we have won every inch of it back again!" Squealer is making it out to be a good thing maybe because Napoleon wants the animals to still think of him as a great leader. The animals soon believe that what they have done is great and so join in with the celebrations. Another use of Squealer by Napoleon is to increase the belief that Snowball is a menace so they think of Napoleon as a better leader and Snowball as a traitor. Napoleon is always maintaining his power throughout the novel and also uses Squealer to do this by giving credit to Napoleon for everything and reminding the animals that he is a great leader even if what he is doing is wrong. This way the pigs are able to benefit greatly from communism which is what they wanted from the rebellion. They show no interest in improving the farm itself but only in the strength of their power over it.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Spa – Cr. to the Rightful Owner

This chapter presents the discussion of reviewed related writing of authors that the researchers collected during the course of the study. Material reviewed came from different books, studies and other professional writings from both foreign and local books. Conceptual Literature The worldwide spa industry is worth in the region of US $40 billion and has grown at a phenomenal rate in the past ten years (Haden, 2007). The growth of health food, gyms and the investment in leisure facilities proves that consumers are looking for more than relaxation during a break or holiday; this is unsurprising given time is so precious to contemporary consumers (Lynch, 2002). Harmsworth (2004: p. 173) claims that â€Å"the spa market is one of the fastest growing leisure sectors, where societal trends and aspirations find instant reflection in the developments on both the demand and supply sides. The market is very fragmented, each segment catering for different customer needs, which continuously change in line with social and lifestyle changes. † According to Libosada Jr. C. and Bosangit C. (2007) stated that spa is a resort with mineral or thermal water used for drinking and bathing. The term is derived from the name of a town in Belgium and has been applied to similar resort worldwide. The Kentucky-based International Spa Association (ISPA), an organization which claims to set the standards for the spa industry makes no mention of water in its definition, arguing that â€Å"a spa serves as an educational and cultural institution that promotes and integrates individual wellness, health and fitness as well as social well-being, harmony and balance through wellness, prevention, therapy and rehabilitation of body, mind and soul† (Loverseed, 1998: p. 48). Later, the ISPA offered an all-encompassing, holistic definition, claiming that spas are entities â€Å"devoted to enhancing overall well-being through a variety of professional services that encourage the renewal of mind, body and spirit† (Mintel, 2005). It is claimed by Jenner and Smith (2000) that visiting spas is one of the earliest forms of tourism. Spas found their beginnings thousands of years ago, when ancient civilisations used them for their healing properties and as an important part of their social structure (Vierville, 2003; Spaa, 2002). The therapeutic use of baths was remarkably long-lived; such popularity was no doubt partly due to the fact that baths were both pleasant and, by the Roman imperial period at least, comparatively freely available (Jackson, 1990). It was after this time that public interest in baths began to peak (Spaa, 2002). Spa tourism has many varied definitions; there is no â€Å"officially† agreed upon definition of what a spa should or should not be – what makes it such? Many believe that the word ‘spa' is an acronym based on the Latin phrase â€Å"sanitas per aquas† – meaning ‘health through water', in fact the Oxford English dictionary’s definition of a spa is from the Latin â€Å"solus per aqua† or â€Å"health by water† defined as â€Å"a place with mineral springs considered to have health-giving properties† (Loverseed, 1998). Thornton and Brutscher (2003) maintain that the word and the concept of spa actually originated from the time of the Roman Empire when battle weary legionnaires tried to find a way to recover from their military wounds and ailments. Therefore suggesting that traditionally, water is not only inexplicably linked to the definition of spas, but that it is the water which defines it. The European Spas Association’s (ESPA) definition of a spa is also dependent upon the water element; they define a spa as „a mineral spring or a place or resort where such a spring is found? (Jenner and Smith, 2000). Unlike the ESPA, the British Spas Federation (BSF) reviewed its definition with regard to widening its membership, which at that time consisted only of the municipal authorities of spa towns. However, the BSF was later replaced by the Spa Business Association (SpaBa) who in turn redefined the spa, returning the centrality of the role of water by defining a spa as â€Å"an establishment providing a minimum of one approved water based treatment using water of known composition. The spa should be staffed by appropriately trained therapists and have minimum standards of furnishings. The water should be enhanced with minerals, either naturally or with an additive† (Mintel, 2005). Others, especially in the USA, hold a far less rigid view of what constitutes a spa. The Kentucky-based International Spa Association (ISPA), an organization which claims to set the standards for the spa industry makes no mention of water in its definition, arguing that â€Å"a spa serves as an educational and cultural institution that promotes and integrates individual wellness, health and fitness as well as social well-being, harmony and balance through wellness, prevention, therapy and rehabilitation of body, mind and soul (Loverseed, 1998: p. 8). Later, the ISPA offered an all-encompassing, holistic definition, claiming that spas are â€Å"devoted to enhancing overall well-being through a variety of professional services that encourage the renewal of mind, body and spirit† (Mintel, 2005). It is claimed by Jenner and Smith (2000) that visiting spas is one of the earliest forms of tourism. Spas found their beginnings thousands of years ago, when ancient civilisations used them for their healing properties and as an important part of their social structure (Vierville, 2003; Spaa, 2002). The therapeutic use of baths was remarkably long-lived; such popularity was no doubt partly due to the fact that baths were both pleasant and, by the Roman imperial period at least, comparatively freely available (Jackson, 1990). It was after this time that public interest in baths began to peak (Spaa, 2002). By the medieval period, the idea that thermal springs could have medicinal properties was firmly established. But in the 18th and 19th centuries, taking the waters? began being a fashionable pastime for Europe?s upper classes. In fact, the popularity of this habit is what established places in the UK, such as Bath, Brighton and Harrogate, as early tourism destinations (Jenner and Smith, 2000). Today’s spa is an interesting combination of ancient traditions and modern facilities; in recent years, the value of prevention, healthy lifestyles, and relaxation has been embraced by many and the spa is again finding its place in modern society as a place uniquely geared to address these needs (Register, 2005). In one of the major formative tradition for current pattern of health and well-ness spa tourism worldwide, the Roman Empire left behind a long list of spas all over Europe, which they built while they were occupying new territories. With the demise of the Western Roman Empire in 450 AD, so too came the demise of the Roman bath tradition in Europe, although Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East maintained a highly developed bathing culture. This was a result of the influence of the Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire and the subsequent Arab conquests and maintained the influence of Roman bathing tradition in those countries (The Spa Association, 2005). The City of bath in England provides an example of the fusion of Roman history with later trends in spa and wellness demand and supply in Europe (White, 2000). After the springs had been abandoned as a bathing resource in 1978 (although not touristically or respect of their mineral waters), the Bath spa project was launched by the City Council in 1997 in order to restore bath to the leading spa town of England, with the expectation that the project would stimulate the revival of spa culture in the UK. The hew spa facilities in Bath are just a short distance from the original Roman bath site and they used natural hot spring water drawn from the same springs that have served visitors for at least the last two thousand years. The new facilities are designed to offer relaxing and extended therapeutic treatments. Although they will not act as a cure for serious illness they will act as a cure for the human spirit, as outline in reference to the conservation statement for the adjacent Roman Baths (Clews, 2000). In countries such as Hungary the change from centuries of thermal bathing culture to modern wellness facilities has been slower than in countries without a history of hot or mineral hot springs. In Budapest the increase use of day spas builds on the ancient way of relieving stress and physical ailments through hot water treatment, and day spas and wellness facilities are now being established in a society that is becoming more conscious of the importance of healthy lifestyle (LaForest, 2004). In Budapest the locals congregate in public thermal baths such as the Szechenvi to relax, swim and take many of the cures and treatment on offer. They are also known for taking the national pastime of playing chess into thermal pools (The age, 2005). And further to the east in Russia the Soviet era thermal baths were an integral part of the national health system. In Europe Austria was one of the first countries to adopt the more recent concept of wellness and to act upon quickly. The country affectively appeals to key tourist target groups by positioning itself to offer wellness treatments that unite the body, spirit, personal desire, culture, and natural resources embodied by the spring (Nahrstedt, 2002). Australia has an unmatched infrastructure when it comes to wellness holidays and health-related tourism, and was ranked number one in the world for quality of life and its healthcare services in the early 2000s (Garalli, 2002). According to Nahrsetedt (2002) Austria boasts an intact natural environment in conjunction with its wellness spas, an association that is also very popular in the Japanese tourist market. In Japan itself though, with literally thousands of geothermal springs and the Japanese preference for authentic and unadulterated hot spring water, wellness centres are not yet developed to quite the same extent, leaving the European style wellness facility as a potential favorite for the Japanese while on holiday. In Japan, in tradition hot springs have been developed into days spas known as kuahausu derived from the German word kurhaus, providing separates bathing areas for men and women with thermal mineral pools at different temperatures, a cold pool area with fountains and waterslides, bowling alleys, gyms, saunas and steam rooms, massage services, restaurants and bars, relaxation rooms, music rooms, and video games (Altman, 2000: 07). But the main bathing attractions are the traditional hot springs called Onsen. Often used by groups of people who enjoy sharing a bath after leaving the world of corporate work behind? As well as families and couples, a trip to an Onsen is classed as the ultimate bonding experience because all are equal once they shed their designer clothes and other status symbols. The captain of Iceland, Reykjavik, has been designated on official spa city by the European Spa Association (Iceland Express, 2006). This seems well deserved a quite logical, because the Icelanders have many facilities where they can take care of their health, well-being and leisure. Several active Volcanoes and high temperature geothermal field provide natural hot springs all over Iceland and most towns have at least one public geothermal swimming pool. The Health and Wellness Spa Industry Having said that, rising customer expectations concerning health and wellness are the foundation in which the modern health and wellness spa industry is building an ever-increasing supply of facilities for the medical and general (wellness) visitor, to the extent that this form of tourism is now worth in excess of 250 billion US dollars per year and attract some 150 billion active spa-goers world-wide (ISPA, 2007). Caution is needed here though, because for example these figures are said to include 19. 1 million Japanese spa-goers. Japanese data (Beppu International Tourism Office, 2007) suggest that there are over 150 million Onsen users alone in that country (Chapter 9). This discrepancy would appear to relate to the varying definitions of wellness and spa use that were discussed earlier, where the Japanese tradition is more about simply bathing in hot water than about the American tradition of beauty spa that underlies the research undertaken by the International Spa Association. As a result of this, many Japanese users may not be counted if the data are concentrating on analyzing the spa experience rather than the totality of health and wellness tourism based on the use of hot and mineral springs. The trend toward indulgence in a relaxing environment, which began after World War II (Foster & Keller, 2008), has thus turned into a global movement but one that is a significant departure from the original concept of health spa that mainly specialized in rehabilitation of recovering from illness and injury. The new emphasis lies in prevention of disease and maintenance of good health more that cure, with high expectations regarding health improvement even if there are no particular health problems. Along with the body, mind and soul are also catered for in many spas in a holistic approach of creating harmony for those in need. This often includes new-age treatments as well as the more traditional water-based therapy. The key element in all such facilities is water. Be it apart of the natural landscape surrounding a facility (ocean, rivers, lake and waterfalls), decoration in the background (pools, fountains) or an active treatment component, water is a very important element in the world of spas and wellness. More and more spas without a natural hot springs are investigating the possibility if tapping into mineral geothermal water resources to enhance their business. The trend towards natural looking environments or setting is also evident in many spa hotels and resorts where swimming pools and thermal bathing facilities are designed and built to looks are natural as possible, with rock pools the most typical and widespread design. The development of these spa and wellness water resources can be divided into two broad types: Hot spring: These are usually well known and general appreciated for their curative value and their therapeutic benefits based on both water temperature and mineral content; Mineral springs: These can be cold or warm water from a nature spring, with curative value based on the type and concentration of minerals in the water. Often, the water can be taken internally too and is bottled and distributed (Cooper, P. nd Cooper, M. , 2009). Current International Trends in Spa and Wellness Tourism The trends of indulging in a relaxing environment has turned into a global movement but one with a significant difference from the original concept of health and natural hot and mineral spring spas, which mainly specialized in rehabilitation. The new emphasis lies in the prevention of disease and in the maintenance of good health instead of cures, with high expectation regarding health improvements even i f there are no specific problems. Mind and soul are usually catered for long with the body in many spas using holistic approach of creating harmony for those in need, including new-age treatments as well as the more traditional rehabilitative therapies. The main center of attention at present appears to be a natural healing method incorporating Asian treatments accompanied by the esthetic appeal of Eastern lifestyles and culture, which are in great demand. Therapies of Asia origin are often combined with European balneotherapy and hydrotherapy as well as sport and fitness facilities to offer diversity of options in order to attract as many customers and client as possible. Nearly all spas cater for aspects with special signature treatments to ensure that there are no missed opportunities (Cooper, P. and Cooper, M. , 2009). Characteristics of Spa Tourists Traditionally it has been women who have primarily used spas. However, a consumer research conducted by ISPA in 2003 determined that 29% of spa tourists around the world are men; this figure rose to 30% in 2004. As men continue to represent a significant proportion of the spa market, more spas are offering special treatments for them and men-only spas continue to open in cities around the world (Grihault, 2007; Mintel, 2005; Messerli and Oyama, 2004). The Baby Boomer generation (45-60 years old) continues to be the core consumer base for the global spa tourism industry. According to Haden (2007) industry analysts have long known that health conscious Baby Boomers have been the main driving force behind the worldwide boom in the spa industry. However, some argue the appeal of the industry reaches a larger age-range; Swarbrooke (2000: p 78-79) claims that most visitors to spa sites are in the social classes A, B and C1 and are between 30 and 65 years of age. Mintel (2005) have a similar view, claiming it is the 25-64 year old market who dominate the customer base for spas; this group tends not to be at the family life stage, and their members are as likely to be male as female. The average age of visitors to spas is currently 49 years (ETC, 2002). Yet Hudson (2003) argues that by 2050, 20 percent of the world’s population will be sixty years or older; and by 2150, this figure will increase to over 30percent. These claims seem dramatic; however it is clear from all the statistics available that the population is aging and that this trend is set to continue. Latest research by International Database, US Census in 2007 confirms these figures and shows the number of people aged over 55 years is projected to reach 2. 6 billion or approximately 27. 7% of the world?s population by 2050. Thus, the number of individuals aged 55 and over is forecast to grow at a rate of about 4% per year over the next 43 years (Haden, 2007). According to a survey carried out by the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB), 70. 8% of those aged over 45 years had been on holiday in 2006, compared to 64. 9% of the general UK population. A Mintel study of US travellers in 2005 revealed that those over 55 years are more inclined to take holidays lasting five days or longer. Maintaining health in retirement has become a top priority. In a 2006 study of US health and fitness clubs in May 2006, Mintel found that those aged over 55 years were far more likely to participate in some form of strenuous exercise five or more times a week than other segments of the population (Haden, 2007). If such predictions are dealt with wisely, the outlook for the industry appears to be positive; it will help to drive tourism’s growth in general and health-related travel in particular. Taking this into consideration, such a shift will clearly have substantial implications for the international health and spa tourism industry. Research Literature Health spas had their origin in Europe and many resorts had name that were associated with spas. The popularity of mineral springs carried over to Northern America and the springs were the location of some of the earlier resort. It is important to differentiate between spa hotels and resort spas. Spas hotels cater only to spa clientele and all guests must participate in the meals, treatment and exercises. On the other hand, resorts spas are amenities that are available to the guest, and charges are made for the various usage of spa (Liguori, S. and Gray, W. ). Administration of spa hotels heavily involves people with a medical background, whereas resort spas are merely operating departments of the resorts. Exercises-oriented facilities are swimming pools, tennis court, handball and racquetball courts, jogging trails, hiking and weight and aerobic training. Spa program include dietary program, massage, herbal wraps, exfoliation, that also therapy, facial and hydrotherapy. Under both scenarios, staffing involves people experienced in the program and administrative personnel. Ways for boosting revenue The method presented in the previous section illustrated the overall contribution of resort spas to resort revenue, in order to offer more insight into how spa managers can increase their spa revenue, the author of this study conducted to an interview with a spa director of one of the leading resorts spa in Southwest Florida. The director state that resorts should first focus on guest experience to increase their sales. In that director’s case, she mentioned that her resort was able to increase the incremental spending from $658 to $985 per night by packaging spa and other activities together. The director also stated that pre-arrival process is a critical component for revenue maximization. She offered a case as an example where she use a system called â€Å"power booking† in which a spa front desk agent was calling guest two to three days to prior to the spa reservation date and providing the opportunity for upgrades and additional bookings base on availability (Rutherford, D. and O’Fallon, M. 2011). According to O’Fallon M. and Rutherford D. (2011) stated that spas are booming such a significant component of the service menu for resorts and full service hotels that their absence, especially in amenity- rich resort environment, is glaring obvious. Within the leisure industries in 2003, revenues related to spas ranked number four behind golf fees and dues ($19. 7 million0, cruise lines revenues ($14. 7 million), and health club revenues ($14. 1 million). At $11. 2 million, spa revenues outpaced amusement park revenues ($10. 3 million), box office receipts ($9. million), and vacation ownership sales ($5. 5 million (Thacker, 2004; Audi and Wright, 2004). In this section, we first examine trends that support a sea change in North Americans’ attitude toward spa demand demographics; we discuss the type of spas currently popular in the industry, development and operational considerations, the components of a spa experience, compensation issues, and trends in the spa industry. Spa demand According to the International SPA Associations research, between 2002 and 2003, 11% of the national population over the age of 16 made one or more spa visits. This statistics shows that in xten Americans visited a spa during that period. Additionally, of these, 41% were visiting spas for the first time, indicating a larger population embracing spa usage. Age demographics show that 145% of clients are between the ages of 16 and 24, and over 50% are in the 24 to 44 age bracket. An emerging national statistics is the number of male visits to spas. 23% of spa visits and 29% of spa goers were men in 2003, trending toward special gender oriented treatments and male- only spas being opened worldwide. Spa selection criteria are determined by a number of factors. An established and known environment for instance, as part of an established resort, club or destination spa often influences the decision, and does atmosphere, quality of treatment, and friendliness of staff. Additionally, among spa goers nine out of ten respondents report they would return for a similar experience. Most spa customers believe they receive good value for their spa dollar. On a 10 point scale, services were given an average of 8 for value; with massage generating 8. 8 on the value such as Canyon Ranch are opening in the day spa market, adding new competitive pressure on the independents. Non-traditional players are also adding product supply. For example, corporations are creating in house spa environments, hospitals are adding wellness as part of their repertoire, and medi-spas, with a primary focus on cosmetic surgery, are adding spa business as an additional profit center. Health club are also trying to capture a piece of the pie by adding spa practices. The rationale in this market is that time-crunched patrons can benefit from the one-stop-shopping approached to fitness and wellness but the health club operator also uses the spa as an enticement to join the fitness centre. As the day and destination spa markets become saturated, it will become imperative for survival that each operator differentiate itself from the competition. The necessity for market segmentation to ensure clear communication with consumers will be a key to success in the maturing spa market. Another component of success will be a branding strategy that the consumer can immediately identify with respect to spa performance and the consumers personal comfort travel (Rutherford & O’Fallon 2011). Health Issues and Spa Demand. Increasingly, spa goers are looking to create prolonged wellness that integrates and renews body, mind and spirit. To that end, Eastern and Western lifestyle issues related to medicine, philosophy, and spiritual are becoming a mainstay of many spa/wellness experiences. To best deliver this, the wellness spa (located at day, destination, or resort environment) supports guest’ needs by creating an experience, not just a series of treatments. All the guest amenities, treatments, and programs must be seamlessly integrated into a personally tailored guest experience. This experience should be targeted toward couples, parents with children, and teenagers. In the early 1990, spa were considered a natural outgrowth of fitness facilities and focused primarily on treatments related to body wellness. As market sophistication evolved, the body mind connection attracted consumer focus. In the beginning of the twenty- first century, spas and marketers are overtly addressing body, mind, and spirit connections in order to respond to emerging market sensibilities (Rutherford & O’Fallon 2011). Spas as an Operating Department. Historically, spa operations were treated by management similarly to other revenue departments, like catering and restaurants. These departments were simply perceived as an amenity needed to attract guest to the hotel. As long as the department broke even, or didn’t lose too much money, their ability to increase occupancy was deemed sufficient justification for their existence. However, in the late 1990’s, hotel spa followed the path of other operating departments and were transformed from support to profit centres. This trend is strong and continues today (Rutherford & O’Fallon 2011). Spa Trends: On site industry trends Anti-aging treatments and products are driving much of spa menu and retail development. This calls for devoting a treatments room to outpatient medical procedures. Programming and spa menu items include sun damage treatments, chemical skin for renewals, and other rejuvenation techniques that build on repeat procedures. Commensurately, spas are developing retail product lines so that clients can take the spa experience home and continue the wellness regime. Global Industry trends Trends in day, destinations and amenity spas influence each other. According to Susan Ellis (2004), president of Spa Finder, a spa marketing company, after the rise of the medical spa and broadening spa participations by men and teens, spa use is expected to become more popular in the future. Spa Finder’s trends to watch for are: those personal elements that make the spa experience special will find their way into the design of personal living spaces in private homes; private, gated living communities will develop around central spa facilities, much like golf and sly-in communities. Managing visitor’s expectation and experience. Visitor’s expectation of a wellness centre or spa will differ greatly according to which country they come from, their language and their experience of wellness facilities generally. For example, the British or Americans would have a very different understanding of what they would expect to find in spa (i. e. luxury, pampering, and beauty) from a Central or Eastern European (i. e. healing waters, physical health checks, and medical treatments). Information provision and marketing is therefore extremely important in managing visitor expectation. In some cultures, nudity in spa is the norm or even a requirement in some areas (e. g. suanas and steam rooms). This is true of Austria, Germany and some spas in CEE and Scandinavia. However, for some visitors (e. g. American, British, Asians, and Southern Europeans) this can be unexpected and even embarrassing. In some cultures (e. g. Finland and Japan) men are separate from women when using sauna or spa facilities. In other cultures, mixed nudity is accepted. Some nationalities are used to doing activities in groups and are not used to enforced silence (e. . Southern European). This can create a certain amount of tension in countries, where spas and wellness centers are seen as quiet, restful, sometimes even spiritual spaces (especially in sauna and steam rooms) Help may also be needed to guide visitors around spas, as it could be their first visit or rituals and traditions may differ from those in their home country. Language may be a barrier where there is little or no translatio n, especially in countries where language can seem completely unfamiliar (e. g. Finland, Japan, and China). Visitors sometimes have problems knowing which entrance to use if there is more than one, which ticket to buy when there are many options, and might not understand the cloakroom system (e. g. in Hungary, where a cloakroom attendant usually has to be approached for a locker and key) or the new technology (e. g. in Austria when the locker system can be operate using a wristband). Knowing just how long to stay in medical, mineral or thermal waters is not clear to the inexperienced. Even if 20min is the recommended time, bathers need to know how long to rest or whether they should go to a cool shower after. Just a small information panel outside a bath, sauna or steam room can be enough to inform visitors, what the recommended length of time should be. (Smith & Puczko 2009). Atmosphere Creating a relaxing, clean, and pleasant environment is a paramount importance for all wellness facilities, but most especially for spas and spa or wellness hotels, which may also need a touch of luxury (spiritual or holistic tourist may accept more basic facilities). The use of design, colour, lightning, and location of furniture, degree of natural light, greenery, views, music or scents can all contribute to creating a harmonious atmosphere. Certainly, most of these qualities are determined during the planning process. The management may face difficulties when the services and/ or the surrounding environment do not support or accompany each other. These mismatches certainly result in sub-optimal satisfaction and consequently lower the optimal revenue level 9 (Puczko & Smith 2009). Spa Tourism Spa tourism is arguably the best known form of wellness tourism and is sometimes treated as being synonymous with wellness tourism. ISPA (2007) defines spa as ‘places devoted to enhancing overall well-being through a variety of professional services that encourage the renewal of mind, body and spirit’. ISPA also defines the key elements of the spa experience: relax; reflect; revitalize; and rejoice. It is difficult to distinguish between spas and more general forms of wellness (e. g. holistic retreats); however, it also shows clearly the diversity of the spa sector. There are now numerous sub-sectors within spa tourism and it is no longer enough simply to use the label ‘spa’ and assume that tourist will know what to expect. Perceptions differ greatly, for example, tourist in Central and Eastern Europe are very similar with the concept of historic medical spas, whereas other visitors (e. g. from the United States or United Kingdom) with expect something similar to a beauty salon. Spa are now of a highly complex and diverse nature. This diverse nature starts with the name and its likely meanings. Bath, bano, bad, therme/ terme, grotto, spa, kupele, furdo – all mean a thermal water-based spa, in various languages. The translation of the name from the original language often uses the term ‘spa’, but these establishments are not really always spa. Spas may differ widely in terms of what they offer, that is their services or treatment supply, and however, they have one thing in common, which is the aspiration to improve health and well-being. Most spas have some form of water-based treatments; however there is a difference between mineral, thermal, and healing waters: mineral waters; it has at least the set amount of dissolved mineral content which is minimum 500mg/1 or 1000mg/1; thermal waters: natural waters that are at least 30 C or 32 C at source (this can vary country by country); healing waters; the healing affects have to be proven, that is evidence-based. The International Spa Association (ISPA, 2007) has defined the ‘ten domains of SPA’ or segments of the industry as: the waters; food, nourishment, diet, and nutrition; movement, exercise, and fitness; touch, massage, and body work; mind/body/spirit; aesthetics, skin care, natural beauty agents; physical space, climatology, global ecology; social/cultural arts and values, spa culture; management, marketing and operations; time, rhythm, and cycles. Not every spa contains every domain. The rejuvenation of the spa concept has generated several attempts to categorize spas. Since the modern concept of spas were established in the United States, one of the most comprehensive categorizations comes from the International Spa Associations (ISPA, 2007 and the Spafinder Magazine, 2007): club spa; day spa; spa hotel; holistic spa; medical spa; bath; resort spa; sport spa and structured spa.