Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics - Essay Example Examples of such emotions can be lust, greed, anger, jealousy, hatred, joy, and-in some cases- even love. However a â€Å"continent† person is able to resist the pressure of such emotions. He is able to dutifully abide by the path that reason prescribes, even if in reality he has no desire for doing so. This dutiful adherence to goodness is not just applicable to cases where the ‘good’ course of action has been determined by a person’s own intellectual and rational faculties. It can also apply to cases where ‘good’ has been determined and prescribed by society. Dutiful, albeit passive and thoughtless, adherence to ethical norms can also be called â€Å"continence†. An â€Å"incontinent† person (the Greek word is akratà ªs), on the other hand, is one who succumbs to the pressures of his desires and emotions and violates what in his own opinion is the demand of reason. The incontinent person lacks mastery of feelings. However, Aristotle maintained that â€Å"incontinence† is quite distinct from â€Å"evil†. The â€Å"evil† are those who believe that virtues (such as justice, temperance and truthfulness) are useless, and are not to be pursued at all. While the â€Å"incontinent† person fails to pursue ‘good’ out of a ‘weakness of will’, the evil do not even attempt to be virtuous. In other words the evil do not reach the conclusion that the virtuous course of action is rational; which seems, more or less, like a defect in their intelligence, or their rational faculties. He refers to the evil as kakos or as phaulos. It is important to note that even though the â€Å"incontinent† a re removed from acting in a virtuous manner, they do acknowledge a duty of doing so. Hence, according to Aristotle, their situation is not hopeless (incontinence isn’t vicious). Here one might raise the concern that if the â€Å"incontinent† succumb to the inexorable counter-pressure of their desires and their emotions; then their actions are involuntary. And since, as the well known dictum suggests, ‘ought’ implies ‘can’, we can safely assume that the â€Å"incontinent† aren’t morally responsible for their seemingly reprehensible actions. However, Aristotle’s notion of â€Å"voluntary† (Book 3, Chapter 1) is entirely negative. An action is voluntary in two conditions. The first condition is the absence of any sort of ‘compulsion’ toward the performance of the action, and the second condition is the absence of ‘ignorance’ about the harmful consequences of the action. Note that ‘compul sion’ in used here only in the sense of being compelled by an external force (a force that lies outside the agent). And since desires and emotions lie within a person, therefore when an â€Å"incontinent† person succumbs to the pressure of his desires he can not be said to be acting involuntarily. It is clear that a person will act in ways that are ‘good’ if he is â€Å"continent†, and resists the irrational appetites that haunt him. However, according to Aristotle, the life of such a person is not virtuous. Aristotle believes that true ‘virtue’ and goodness are quite distinct from both continence and incontinence. In fact, Aristotle regards ‘continence’, ‘incontinence’ and ‘

Jack Welshs Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jack Welshs Leadership - Essay Example He set up a priority of getting GE to occupy the #1 or #2 spot. Hence, he worked on massive changes to be implemented. Firstly, he sold almost 200 businesses of GE. He disposed off, the non-working, plagued businesses and acquired 370 acquisitions. He made the staffing 'lean and agile'. He also scrapped the strategic planning system and made it much simpler and focused. Besides this, he also took down massive downsizing, by removing employees who did not play an important role or contribution. He thus, retained only those employees who added value to the company. He also deleted the eight-level hierarchal system, reducing it to just half of it. 2. What is Welch's objective in the series of initiatives he launches in the late 1980's and early 1990s What is he trying to achieve in the round of changes he put in motion in that period Is there a logic or rationale supporting the change process Welsh clearly defined his objectives in the second phase of changes initiated. All the changes and activities he undertook had the underlying goal of creating a specific workplace culture. His intention was to create a culture that would be reflective of the company's brand image. More than this, the culture would give every employee the freedom to voice his opinion. His aim was to motivate a close-knit culture, where everyone could interact and work in cooperation and coordination for the best interest of the company. He also steered clear of the unnecessary bureaucratic pressure, in order to bring about a more focused work approach. He aimed at a decentralized method of work, with the building of small teams. However, he also believed in accountability. Welsh also took up the aspect of building a global business, as against a global company, in the wake of globalisation. This he did by strengthening and base and then moving across . Strenthening the quality of leadership in the organization was important, since teams had to function properly, for a collective overall work procedure. Every team was the micro unit of the whole macro company. In addition to this, a boundaryless functioning across the globe, with a collective and unified work culture was his vision. Hence, evidently, Welsh's strategies were aimed at changing with the changing times, especially in the wake of globalisation, without compromising on the company's culture and policies. 3. How does such a large, complex diversified conglomerate, defy the critics and continue to grow so profitably Have Welch's various initiatives added value If so, how GE has been a surprise spinner for many an on-looker. The critics continue to be surprised by its progress and innovation. Welsh's initiatives have always been towards

Effect of the Selfie on Society and the Individual

Effect of the Selfie on Society and the Individual â€Å"Selfie†: A Study on How It Changes Everything INTRODUCTION Selfie has been all over the newsfeeds and home pages in social networking websites. In fact, it has been a part of other people’s daily routine. For them, to take a selfie is completely necessary. Every second there is a selfie that is updated with a unique caption and tons of hash tags that are not really related to the whole picture. The question is why are people so hooked with taking selfies? Right now, there are more than 80 million photos in Instagram that falls under #selfie. According to Lev Manovich, a computer science professor at the Graduate Center, 61.6% of selfies came from women while 36.7% came from men (Stinson, 2014). Selfie has become a big hit and a world phenomenon. Not surprisingly, it has been added to the Oxford Dictionaries and it was even their word of the year. Social Media has been responsible for making selfie popular especially among teenagers. Since famous celebrities and other TV personalities have social media accounts, other teenagers tend to see how they strike a pose and get million likes. Teenagers would probably be interested in taking selfies too because they’re idols are doing it. But for some, it is their way of expressing their self and to test how they really look. Unfortunately, some use it to seek attention and to show off what they have and what they’re doing. Selfie is sometimes meant to attract other users to follow you or add you as a friend. There are many things to unravel behind every selfie that people took. It is imperative to know these things since everyone is all affected by it. Physically and psychologically, there is a need for people to know the effects and the reasons why everybody are all into taking â€Å"Selfie†. Duck face, peace sign, wacky poses, mirror and candid shots, all of these are associated with the word â€Å"Selfie†. As it goes viral, People’s social lives and the way they perceive things are now different unlike before. They tend to draw too much attention on what people will say than what they think of their selves. Having a selfie is important. From what you see in a single photo taken from your camera will actually determine your views about yourself and how you will construct your social being. The problem is that everybody takes this thing seriously. People spend most of our time taking photos of their selves, thinking for the right pose, filters to be used and caption to be put. Sometimes, they do this not for them but for the people who are going to l0ook in the photo. It might be simple but not everyone can see the effects of it in people’s lives. The Psychological effects of selfie have been very serious especially for the teenagers. Now, they don’t just base their looks on what is reflected on the mirror but also what is captured in the camera. Their self-esteem is just developed when they see likes and positive feedbacks from their online friends and followers. Values and social ethics are completely affected. In some case, people go beyond their limit and do things that are improper to get the attention of other users. There are some selfies that unpleasant, malicious and irrelevant and it has a great impact on people who would probably see it. What the researcher wants to stress in this paper is the positive and negative impacts of selfie in our society, economy and to everyone’s life. It will reveal the invisible ideas and realizations about selfie. The development of technology and how it strengthened the popularity of selfie will also be discussed. This may also help on finding the real answer why people result to selfie addiction that can still be prevented with a very helpful solution. In our present time, when everything is modern and innovated, how a person takes a selfie really matters. Everyone is very eager to cultivate their time and effort to maintain their online image to the public. As people change their attitude towards selfie, more problems arise not only in their personal lives but also in the whole society. In this paper, there are three major objectives, and these are: To identify the positive and negative impacts of selfie to society, economy and to personal lives. To determine how the advancement of modern technology contributed to the popularity of selfie. To distinguish the advantage and disadvantages of selfie in viewing yourself and other people’s opinion. BODY The Good, Bad, and the Unforeseen Consequences of Selfie Obsession Activate your front camera in your smart phone, choose for the best angle that will make your cheekbones more defined, eyes look bigger and skin whiter, and then click. That’s how easy you can take a selfie. Now, there are 80 million photos on Instagram that has been hash tagged as selfie. 91% of it came from the teenagers. Not surprisingly, celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Rihanna and Demi Lovato are total selfie addicts. You are not alone. According to Pamela Rutledge, Ph.D.,faculty director of the media psychology program at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, the reason why selfie is popular is that it celebrates normal and average people. There are many more photographs available now of real people than models(Rutledge, 2013). Posting selfies is an empowering act for another reason. Basically, it allows you to control your image online. Let us all be real, the most common selfie is the one where you look cute, partially because its a quick way to get positive comments about your appearance. That could be one explanation for total selfie overload, when you upload 10 selfies at a time. According to Dr. Weber, theres more to it than that. She says: In my experience, girls who repeatedly post selfies struggle with low self-esteem† (Weber, 2013). Overall, opinions vary on whether selfie culture is lame or legitimate, which means its up to you to shape the future of the habit. Better ask yourself: Are my selfies for fun, or do I need the comments? If you fall under category two, Dr. Rutledge recommends shifting your perspective. That could mean cutting selfies out entirely or just scaling back and making them more fun. Everything you share on social media reveals something about you, and you are in control. Its Not You, Its Me: The Science behind the Selfie Why is selfie so popular? The advancement of social media has led to the rise of selfies. Of course, the development and innovation of modern technology has a great impact in building the popularity of selfie. However, the ease of use is not the only reason millions of people are very much into selfie and why they give so much of their time updating random post of their face. According to some theorists, selfies are popular because they allow us to actively control the image we project. They are a way to communicate that both the selfie-taker and his or her life is awesome, sexy, thoughtful, interesting, social and many more. We take selfies when we are feeling glamorous and well-dressed, or when we want to show off what we’re doing. Sometimes, a selfie is meant to attract the attention of a certain someone whom the selfie-taker knows to be following them on social media accounts. WHY IT MATTERS In today’s modern world, it is indeed natural to eagerly want some control over our online performance. But are prolific selfie creatures going beyond their limitations? In this paper, the researcher intends to use several communication theories that will support information from the whole study. These theories will vividly define some concepts related to the study. . Symbolic Interactionism has a strong relation with Selfie. With Symbolic interactionism, reality is seen as social, developed interaction with others. Like Symbolic interactionism, people’s social life is the center of Selfie. You take selfie to interact with other users and to know more about their personal lives. Both the theory and selfie believed thatphysical reality does indeed exist by an individuals social definitions, and that social definitions do develop in part or relation to something â€Å"real.† If you take a Selfie and it has a great outcome, you will easily believe that is the â€Å"real† you even if you have completely enhanced the photo with filters and stuff. Thus, what you believe is real will be strengthened due to positive comments and feedbacks of social media users. Once you have seen that there are more than 100 likes in your selfie, you will adopt the idea you have got in social interaction with people and eventually relate it in your real life. In connection with Symbolic interactionism, the concept of the Looking-glass self by Charles Horton Colley is also related to selfie. The term refers to people determining their self-concepts based on their knowledge of how others perceive them. Looking back at the impact of selfie in gaining self-esteem and confidence, people who are into selfie will pretty much value what other people will say about them than what they think of themselves. Comments pertaining on how good you look in your selfie truly matters. In the contrary, once you have received negative feedbacks, you will start to hesitate on posting another one and cultivate so much of your time to take a selfie that will definitely please the people who will see it. Turning to the negative side of it, when people receive either good or bad comments, the term â€Å"selfie-syndrome† comes out. A person becomes narcissistic and starts to update photos every single minute to give themselves assurance and satisfaction. Seeing popular celebrities post selfies in social networiking websites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram has a great impact on other user’s way of thinking. Like Magic Bullet Theory, Selfie is like a bullet fired into the user’s head. Recently, everyone saw the viral Oscar selfie of Ellen DeGeneres with the top actors and actresses of Hollywood including Angelina Jolie, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep and others. Because of that, other social media users started to imitate and use the photo for memes. The said photo garnered 2 million retweets and beat the photo of President Obama and first lady, Michelle Obama Honestly, when a photo gets really popular and hits the trending spot, people will overreact and they will also have their selfies taken like the photo they have seen. Especially for Filipinos, they always want to have their own version for them to be recognized on the internet too. See, the impact of a single photo will make everyone crazy. Since the social media also supply us information, people tend to believe on messages when everyone is talking about it in the social media. Without knowing the real story behind it, the message keeps on going to another person until it reaches the whole social media community. That also happened before selfie gets viral. The Magic Bullet Theory has an important relevance to this study because this explains how selfie become popular and a world-wide hit. Because of their relation, people will easily understand the impact of a single selfie post. Because Western countries are ahead in innovating and developing their technology, there is a huge difference on the way they look and react to things. Their civilization is completely different that they are the ones who influence and open other countries to new and modern technology. Thus, this results to oppression of the workers due to mass production from different countries, without the end-users having the idea that this kind of thing is already happening. The rise of smartphones has something to do with both the theory and the study. It has significance for both of them that generalize the impacts of this it to the users. As you can see, smartphones has everything you need and one of the most used smartphone feature is the front camera. For buyers, it is one of the reasons why you buy a smartphone especially if its front camera is 2 megapixel and higher. In that case, users become more interested of it and they will take photos of themselves and develop techniques that will make their social appearance pleasing and attractive. Furthermore, applications like Facebook and Instagram are technology’s gift for social media enthusiasts. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware that Facebook bought Instagram for 1 billion dollars and that only means that it is for â€Å"big business and â€Å"money† only. As the features continually change and improved, more and more users are very fond of taking selfies knowing that they will easily garner likes and comments from other users. The more people use social networking sites, more and more money are going to the capitalist and we end up getting controlled by them. Not only Facebook and Instagram has great influence on selfie-takers but also Photography Applications like Camera 360, VSCO Cam and the like. These applications are so popular because it let users to control and enhance their image. There are over 100 filters available that you can put in your selfie photo and it will transform into a model. But, there is more. You can also put your pictures in frames and collages to add several selfies at a single photo. Truly, the advancement in modern technology has affected our way of life. Technology will never be inevitable due to its purpose and use. But, is it really the use of technology that matters the most? Technology should help improve human being’s skills, values and way of living not by tolerating their laziness and controlling things in their life. However, it only depends on them whether to be controlled and manipulated by technology or technology to be controlled and manipulated by people. CONCLUSION The advancement of modern technology contributed a lot to the rise and popularity of selfie. Because of the innovation of smartphones, there are many key features that attracted the user’s interest. In selfie, the most commonly used smartphone feature is the front camera for it enables you to strike a pose freely because you see yourself in the screen. That’s why, people were able to achieve the angle and position they want. Another thing is you can edit your selfie with photography applications like Camera 360 and the like. Now, you can control and digitally enhance the photo on the way you want it to be. Also, do not forget that social networking websites like Instagram and Facebook contributed a lot on the â€Å"selfie phenomenon† because it is where you post your selfie and gain comments and likes from the other users. The problem with selfie is that users cultivate so much of their time, effort and even money to maintain their pleasing and attractive online image. It has a big impact on both the society and the economy. The economy might rise due to this but the society will have a radical change. On viewing one’s self, selfie can make a huge change. You may possibly develop your self-esteem and confidence through likes and positive comments. The problem is, what you think of yourself does not matter and you start doing things that other people will like. It might lead to selfie addiction and narcissism. One should be able to be satisfied on what he/she looks inside and out. You should not base your whole personality on your social media image. Determine the real you in the real world not in your Facebook profile. Selfies are a way to document things about yourself, in that case you should be able to depict what is real about you. Selfie enables you to express yourself and to update other people on what is happening in your life. It is not about how people recognize you and how you impress them, it is more on telling what you really feel in just a single photo. Don’t let this thing control you, instead, use it to develop yourself and your personality. References Feenberg, A. (1991). Critical theory of technology . California: Oxford University Press. Flusser, V. (2000).Towards a philosophy of photography. Minnesota: Reaktion Books. Lowery, S. DeFleur, M. (1995). Milestones in mass communication research: Media effects. (3rd edition). White Plains, NY: Longman. Rogers, M. (2013, December 6). Its not you, its me: The science behind the selfie. Retrieved from http://greatist.com/happiness/the-psychology-behind-selfies Rutledge, P. (2013). The influence of media. Los Angeles : ProQuest, UMI Dissertation Publishing. Slavin , L. (2014, December 4). The evolution of selfie culture: Self-expression, narcissism, or objectification?. Retrieved from http://feminspire.com/the-evolution-of-selfie-culture-self-expression-narcissism-or-objectification/ Weber , J. (2013). Psychology today. New York: Rowman Littlefield Publishers. Zanders, J. (2013, November 27). Towards a philosophy of the selfie. Retrieved from http://philoselfie.tumblr.com/

Genetic Diversity In Agriculture :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Genetic variation is the raw material for the plant breeder, who must often select from primitive and wild plants, including wild species, in search of new genes. The appearance of new diseases, new pests, or new virulent forms of disease causing organisms makes it imperative that the plant be preserved, because it offers a potential for the presence of disease resistant genes not present in cultivated varieties. Also, there are demands for new characters-- for example, high protein, improved nutritional factors, and fertility restoration. As a result, plant breeders require a large and diverse gene pool to meet ever changing needs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A gene bank is a popular term that is used to describe repositories for genes of living organisms. It is commonly used in the context of plant breeding as I described above, but it also applies to the freezing and the storage of animal sperm and embryos for use in animal husbandry or artificial insemination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An understanding of crop origins and variations is necessary in assembling genetic diversity in plant crops. In certain geographical areas there has existed a rich source of variability in crop plants but the encroachment of civilization has reduced the natural variability inherent in primitive plant forms and related species of crop plants. Agricultural process, as a result of new breeding programs, has reduced rather than increased crop variability as improved cultivars, or varieties, are planted in wider and wider areas and old cultivars, which may contain valuable genes, are lost. Crop failures, which result in a smaller gene pool, have led to an increased awareness of the need to preserve genetic diversity in plants. Efforts are under way to increase collections of plant materials in various forms. Usually these are preserved as seeds, but living plants, pollen, and cell cultures are also used. In most gene banks, seeds are usually preserved under conditions of low temperature and humidity. These collections must be periodically renewed by growing the plants and producing new seeds. Increasing emphasis is also being placed on preserving living collections of asexually propagated crops such as species of fruits and nuts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the united states, germ plasm banks are handled in a state-federal cooperative program. Internationally, a consortium of international, government, and private organizations called the consultative group in in International Agricultural research, (established in 1974), the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) to promote the activities of international plant research centers that collect and preserve plant germ plasm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crop improvement is continuous. Professional plant breeders are constantly working, through genetics, on the improvement of plants to meet changing needs and standards. For example, with the introduction of mechanical

Price for education Essay

The observation of the university official is incomplete. While she might be correct in her assertion that demand for admission may be completely price inelastic, basing such a conclusion on the fact that the number or quality of the students applying over the last 15 years has not decreased despite the doubling of the tuition fees over the same period of time is not the only consideration that should be examined. In finding out if the demand for admission is completely price inelastic, it is important to not only examine the figures from a single university but also the figures from other universities. Education and therefore admission is a good that is not easy to quantify. The continued influx of students despite the doubling of tuition fees could merely be a function of the improved performance of the university over the same period of time. Given that this is the case, it cannot be said that the demand for admission is completely price inelastic. Another factor that must be examined is the number of students who are applying for all universities. According to the law of supply and demand, the price of a good can continually increase without a noticeable change in demand if the supply is limited. Applying this theory to the case at hand, it can safely be argued that the demand for admission is not completely price inelastic but is rather explained by the fact that there is a lack of universities to begin with. Given the limited supply, students will still enroll at the said university despite the doubling of the tuition rates because of a lack of universities. Price elasticity or lack thereof can be explained by many factors. The presence of alternatives or lack thereof would be one possible explanation. Another perspective would be to consider the fact that even if the price for education has increased, there has also been a corresponding increase in the wages/income of people and improvement in the standard of living. Basing the assumption on a single observation is not enough such as the assertion of the university official in this case.

Personal life Essay

Quote I chose the quote â€Å"You also have to take time to think about why it is the right thing† this quote with the context of the text is certainly true. Just because all the people including your parents act in certain ways for specific situations, it doesn ´t mean that it ´s the right thing to do. And if you act like you have always seen just to follow everybody else, in my opinion is worst, because you don ´t even know if that actions are the right thing to do, you are just doing what â€Å"everybody does† and for me that is worst than thinking about the situation, taking your own decision, and then if you made it wrong, that helps you learning about good and bad decisions by your own, then you can judge another people decisions, because you have already analyze different situations by your own. Personal Case In the part of the text that shows some examples of ethical dilemmas, the one that says â€Å"should I extend the life of my beloved pet, or should I put an end to its increasing suffering by having it put to sleep?† This reminds me of a pet my dad loved, its name was Toby, it was a little Fox Terrier my dad bought like 10 years ago, it was a very healthy dog, but then when he started getting older, a ball started growing in his throat, so he started having eating and breathing problems, we took him to the vet, and he told us that he had a type of cancer, so he recommended us to put it to sleep, but my father refused. Toby started being skinner, and one day we found him dead in the garden. Maybe I would preferred having it put to sleep, that make him and my dad suffer, because every time my dad saw Toby, he was very sad because of its condition. Main Points This article wants us to understand what ethics is, the main point of it is realize that ethics is present everyday in every activity we do during the day. Also its purpose is to show us some ethic dilemmas to identify whether we have been part of something similar. At the end this article what’s us to realize that we have to take control of our lives, and our ethic decisions, because doing the things just because always he have done it like this, it doesn ´t mean it is the right thing to do.

Free Essays on Blink 182 Speech

Sci: Blink 182 is a punk band with very expolsive history. Introduction: I'm sure you all have heard that song "Whats My Age Again" by Blink 182. But there is more to Blink 182 than most people know. You may think, "How is this possible? They're on MTV and played on the radio." Well, they have 6 CDs, over 10 music videos and more music that you can imagine. I'd bet you will find that this band has made good music from the beginning, even before they where famous. I. The Band A.Mark Hoppus 1.Mark Huppos is the bass guitar player and vocals for Blink 182. 2. Mark was born on March 15, 1972 in California 3. When Mark was 15, he recevied his first bass guitar and amp from his dad for helping paint his house. 4.He met 14 year old Tom Delong in 1991. 5. Mark started college to become an english teacher but once the band was making enough money to support him he dropped out and became a full time musician. B.Tom Delong 1. Tom Delong is the guitar player and other vocalist for Blink 182 2. Tom was born December 17, 1975 in San Diego, California 3. He started playing guitar at a very young age. C. Scott Rayner 1. Scott Rayner was the original drummer for Blink 182 2. In 1997 Scott left the band under pressure from his family to gain his high school diploma. D. Travis Barker 1.Travis Barker was born on November 14, 1975 2. He started playing drums before he can even remember 3. Travis was in a band called the Aquabats previous to being in Blink 182. 4. Travis Barker joined the band in 1997 after Scott Rayner quit. II. The Band History A. Blink started in 1992 when Mark Hoppus, Tom Delong, and Scott Rayner came togather to form "Blink" B. At the first the band was just called "Blink" and was an ordinary high school band. C. Originally Blink played local shows in the San Deigo Punk scene. D. Blink was known for their power packed shows and livley performances. E. In 1994 with t... Free Essays on Blink 182 Speech Free Essays on Blink 182 Speech Sci: Blink 182 is a punk band with very expolsive history. Introduction: I'm sure you all have heard that song "Whats My Age Again" by Blink 182. But there is more to Blink 182 than most people know. You may think, "How is this possible? They're on MTV and played on the radio." Well, they have 6 CDs, over 10 music videos and more music that you can imagine. I'd bet you will find that this band has made good music from the beginning, even before they where famous. I. The Band A.Mark Hoppus 1.Mark Huppos is the bass guitar player and vocals for Blink 182. 2. Mark was born on March 15, 1972 in California 3. When Mark was 15, he recevied his first bass guitar and amp from his dad for helping paint his house. 4.He met 14 year old Tom Delong in 1991. 5. Mark started college to become an english teacher but once the band was making enough money to support him he dropped out and became a full time musician. B.Tom Delong 1. Tom Delong is the guitar player and other vocalist for Blink 182 2. Tom was born December 17, 1975 in San Diego, California 3. He started playing guitar at a very young age. C. Scott Rayner 1. Scott Rayner was the original drummer for Blink 182 2. In 1997 Scott left the band under pressure from his family to gain his high school diploma. D. Travis Barker 1.Travis Barker was born on November 14, 1975 2. He started playing drums before he can even remember 3. Travis was in a band called the Aquabats previous to being in Blink 182. 4. Travis Barker joined the band in 1997 after Scott Rayner quit. II. The Band History A. Blink started in 1992 when Mark Hoppus, Tom Delong, and Scott Rayner came togather to form "Blink" B. At the first the band was just called "Blink" and was an ordinary high school band. C. Originally Blink played local shows in the San Deigo Punk scene. D. Blink was known for their power packed shows and livley performances. E. In 1994 with t...

How To Increase Reach With Video Marketing [Podcast]

How To Increase Reach With Video Marketing [Podcast] Video marketing: When you use it to grow your audience, it’s as much a science as it is an art. There are so many platforms, strategies, and networks how do you know where to focus your time, money, and energy for the biggest return? Today we’re talking to Mark Robertson, the co-founder of Little Monster Media, the founder of ReelSEO, and a digital video veteran. He’s going to talk to us about increasing your reach and growing your audience through video marketing. Some of the highlights of the show include: Information about Little Monster Media and what Mark does there. What platforms to focus on for people who are new to video marketing. How brands can build their audiences using YouTube and Facebook Video. How brands can follow the practices of publishers to see success when it comes to advertising and content marketing. Mark gives examples of brands that create compelling content without being â€Å"in your face.† How to know whether video is a medium you should use and harness, as well as stats on how video affects the brain in comparison to how text affects the brain. The importance of testing and measurement when it comes to getting your material in front of the right people. What measurements and technical details to pay attention to in order to succeed with video marketing. Powered by PodcastMotor Actionable Content Marketing powered by By 00:00/00:00 1x 100 > Download file Subscribe on iTunes Leave Review Share Links: Little Monster Media If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Mark: â€Å"I truly believe that every brand should be involved in video marketing or content marketing one way or another.† â€Å"What publishers do really well is understand how to tell a story they understand that engaging with the audience is important.† â€Å"Every brand should try video and it all comes down to strategy, audience, measurement and reiteration.†

Biology Essay Research Paper Term paperPrinciples of

Biology Essay, Research Paper Term paper: Principles of Ecology 310L New Ecological Penetrations: The Application of Fractal Geometry to Ecology Victoria Levin 7 December 1995 Abstraction New penetrations into the natural universe are merely a few of the consequences from the usage of fractal geometry. Examples from population and landscape ecology are used to exemplify the utility of fractal geometry to the field of ecology. The coming of the computing machine age played an of import function in the development and credence of fractal geometry as a valid new subject. New penetrations gained from the application of fractal geometry to ecology include: understanding the importance of spacial and temporal graduated tables ; the relationship between landscape construction and motion tracts ; an increased apprehension of landscape constructions ; and the ability to more accurately exemplary landscapes and ecosystems. Using fractal dimensions allows ecologists to map carnal tracts without making an unwieldy flood of information. Computer simulations of landscapes provide utile theoretical accounts for deriving new penetrations into the coexistence of species. Although many ecologists have found fractal geometry to be an highly utile tool, non all concur. With all the new penetrations gained through the appropriate application of fractal geometry to natural scientific disciplines, it is clear that fractal geometry a utile and valid tool. New penetration into the natural universe is merely one of the consequences of the increasing popularity and usage of fractal geometry in the last decennary. What are fractals and what are they good for? Scientists in a assortment of subjects have been seeking to reply this inquiry for the last two decennaries. Physicists, chemists, mathematicians, life scientists, computing machine scientists, and medical research workers are merely a few of the scientists that have found utilizations for fractals and fractal geometry. Ecologists have found fractal geometry to be an highly utile tool for depicting ecological systems. Many population, community, ecosystem, and landscape ecologists use fractal geometry as a tool to assist specify and explicate the systems in the universe around us. As with any scientific field, there has been some discord in ecology about the appropriate degree of survey. For illustration, some being ecologists think that anything larger than a individual being obscures the world with excessively much item. On the other manus, some ecosystem ecologists believe that looking at anything less than an full ecosystem will non give meaningful consequences. In world, both positions are right. Ecologists must take all degrees of organisation into history to acquire the most out of a survey. Fractal geometry is a tool that bridges the # 8220 ; spread # 8221 ; between different Fieldss of ecology and provides a common linguistic communication. Fractal geometry has provided new penetration into many Fieldss of ecology. Examples from population and landscape ecology will be used to exemplify the utility of fractal geometry to the field of ecology. Some population ecologists use fractal geometry to correlate the landscape construction with motion tracts of populations or beings, which greatly influences population and community ecology. Landscape ecologists tend to utilize fractal geometry to specify, depict, and theoretical account the scale-dependent heterogeneousness of the landscape construction. Before researching applications of fractal geometry in ecology, we must foremost specify fractal geometry. The exact definition of a fractal is hard to trap down. Even the adult male who conceived of and developed fractals had a difficult clip specifying them ( Voss 1988 ) . Mandelbrot # 8217 ; s foremost published definition of a fractal was in 1977, when he wrote, # 8220 ; A fractal is a set for which the Hausdorff-Besicovitch dimension purely exceeds the topographical dimension # 8221 ; ( Mandelbrot 1977 ) . He subsequently expressed sorrow for holding defined the word at all ( Mandelbrot 1982 ) . Other efforts to gaining control the kernel of a fractal include the undermentioned quotation marks:# 8220 ; Different people use the word fractal in different ways, but all agree that fractal objects contain constructions nested within one another like Chinese boxes or Russian dolls. # 8221 ; ( Kadanoff 1986 )# 8220 ; A fractal is a form made of parts similar to the whole in some way. # 8221 ; ( Mandelbrot 1982 ) Fractals are # 8230 ; # 8221 ; geometric signifiers whose irregular inside informations recur at different scales. # 8221 ; ( Horgan 1988 ) Fractals are # 8230 ; # 8221 ; curves and surfaces that live in an unusual kingdom between the first and 2nd, or between the 2nd and 3rd dimensions. # 8221 ; ( Thomsen 1982 ) One manner to specify the elusive fractal is to look at its features. A cardinal feature of fractals is that they are statistically self-similar ; it will look like itself at any graduated table. A statistically self-similar graduated table does non hold to look precisely like the original, but must look similar. An illustration of self-similarity is a caput of Brassica oleracea italica. Imagine keeping a caput of Brassica oleracea italica. Now break off a big floweret ; it looks similar to the whole caput. If you continue interrupting off smaller and smaller flowerets, you # 8217 ; ll see that each floweret is similar to the larger 1s and to the original. There is, nevertheless, a bound to how little you can travel before you lose the self- similarity. Another placing feature of fractals is they normally have a non- whole number dimension. The fractal dimension of an object is a step of space-filling ability and allows one to compare and categorise fractals ( Garcia 1991 ) . A consecutive line, for illustration, has the Euclidean dimension of 1 ; a plane has the dimension of 2. A really jaggy line, nevertheless, takes up more infinite than a consecutive line but less infinite so a solid plane, so it has a dimension between 1 and 2. For illustration, 1.56 is a fractal dimension. Most fractal dimensions in nature are about 0.2 to 0.3 greater than the Euclidian dimension ( Voss 1988 ) . Euclidian geometry and Newtonian natural philosophies have been profoundly frozen traditions in the scientific universe for 100s of old ages. Even though mathematicians every bit early as 1875 were puting the foundations that Mandelbrot used in his work, early mathematicians resisted the constructs of fractal geometry ( Garcia 1991 ) . If a construct did non suit within the boundaries of the recognized theories, it was dismissed as an exclusion. Much of the early work in fractal geometry by mathematicians met this destiny. Even though early scientists could see the abnormality of natural objects in the universe around them, they resisted the construct of fractals as a tool to depict the natural universe. They tried to coerce the natural universe to suit the theoretical account presented by Euclidean geometry and Newtonian natural philosophies. Yet we all know that # 8220 ; clouds are non domains, mountains are non cones, coastlines are non circles, and bark is non smooth, nor does lightning go in a consecutive line # 8221 ; ( Mandelbrot 1982 ) . The coming of the computing machine age, with its sophisticated artworks, played an of import function in the development and credence of fractal geometry as a valid new subject in the last two decennaries. Computer-generated images clearly show the relevancy of fractal geometry to nature ( Scheuring and Riedi 1994 ) . A computer- generated coastline or mountain scope demonstrates this relevancy. Once mathematicians and scientists were able to see graphical representations of fractal objects, they could see that the mathematical theory behind them was non capricious but really describes natural objects reasonably good. When explained and illustrated to most scientists and non-scientists likewise, fractal geometry and fractals make sense on an intuitive degree. Examples of fractal geometry in nature are coastlines, clouds, works roots, snowflakes, lightning, and mountain scopes. Fractal geometry has been used by many scientific disciplines in the last two decennaries ; natural philosophies, chemical science, weather forecasting, geology, mathematics, medical specialty, and biological science are merely a few. Understanding how landscape ecology influences population ecology has allowed population ecologists to derive new penetrations into their field. A dominant subject of landscape ecology is that the constellation of spacial mosaics influences a broad array of ecological phenomena ( Turner 1989 ) . Fractal geometry can be used to explicate connexions between populations and the landscape construction. Interpreting spacial and temporal graduated tables and motion tracts are two countries of population ecology that have benefited from the application of fractal geometry. Different tools are required in population ecology because the declaration or graduated table with which field informations should be gathered is attuned to the survey being ( Wiens et al. 1993 ) . Insect motions, like works root growing, follow a uninterrupted way that may be punctuated by Michigans but the tools required to mensurate this uninterrupted tract are really different. Plant motion is measured by detecting root growing through exposure, insect motion by tracking insects with flag arrangement, and carnal motion by utilizing tracking devices on larger animate beings ( Gautestad and Mysterud 1993, Shibusawa 1994, Wiens et Al. 1993 ) . Spatial and temporal graduated table are of import when mensurating the place scope of a population and when tracking carnal motion ( Gautestad and Mysterud 1993, Wiens et Al. 1993 ) . Animal waies have local, temporal, and scale-specific fluctuations in tortuousness ( Gautestad and Mysterud 1993 ) that are best described by fractal geometry. The function of insect motion besides required usage of the proper spacial or temporal graduated table. If excessively long of a clip interval is used to map the insect # 8217 ; s advancement, the sections will be excessively long and the elaboratenesss of the insect # 8217 ; s motions will be lost. The usage of really short intervals may make unreal interruptions in behavioural moves and might increase the sampling attempt required until it is unwieldy ( Wiens et al. 1993 ) . Movement tracts are one of the chief features influenced by the landscape. Motion tracts are influenced by the flora spots and spot boundaries ( Wiens et al. 1993 ) . Root warp in a growth works is similar to an carnal tract being changed by the landscape construction. Waies of carnal motion have fractal facets. In a continuously changing landscape, it is hard to specify the country of a coinage # 8217 ; s home ground ( Palmer 1992 ) . Application of fractal geometry has given new penetrations into carnal motion tracts. For illustration, carnal motion determines the place scope. Because carnal motion is greatly influenced by the fractal facet of the landscape, place scope is straight influenced by the landscape construction ( Gautestad and Mysterud 1993 ) . Animal motion is non random but greatly influenced by the landscape of the place scope of the animate being ( Gautestad and Mysterud 1993 ) . Structural complexness of the environment consequences in Byzantine animate being tracts ( Gautestad and Mysterud 1993 ) , which in bend lead to ragged place scope boundaries. Gautestad and Mysterud ( 1993 ) found that place scope can be more accurately described by its fractal belongingss than by the traditional area-related estimates. Since limit of place scope is a hard undertaking and place scope can # 8217 ; t be described in traditional units like square metres or square kilometres, they used fractal belongingss to better depict the place scope country as a composite country use form ( Gautestad and Mysterud 1993 ) . Fractals work good to depict place scope because as the sample of location observation additions, the overall form of Thursday e place secret plans takes the signifier of a statistical fractal ( Gautestad and Mysterud 1993 ) . Fractal dimensions are used to stand for the tracts of beetling motion because the fractal dimension of insect motion tracts may supply penetrations non available from absolute steps of pathway constellations ( Wiens et al. 1993 ) . Using fractal dimensions allowed ecologists to map the tract without making an unwieldy flood of information ( Wiens et al. 1993 ) . Insect behaviour such as forage, coupling, population distribution, predator- quarry interactions or community composing may be mechanisticly determined by the nature of the landscape. The spacial heterogeneousness in environmental characteristics or patchiness of a landscape will find how organisms can travel about ( Wiens et al. 1993 ) . As a beetle or an other insect walks along the land, it does non travel in a consecutive line. The beetle might walk along in a peculiar way looking for something to eat. It might go on in one way until it comes across a shrub or bush. It might travel around the shrub, or it might turn around and head back the manner it came. Its way seems to be random but is truly dictated by the construction of the landscape ( Wiens et al. 1993 ) . Another betterment in population ecology through the usage of fractal geometry is the mold of works root growing. Roots, which besides may look random, do non turn indiscriminately. Reproducing the fractal forms of root systems has greatly improved root growing theoretical accounts ( Shibusawa 1994 ) . Landscape ecologists have used fractal geometry extensively to derive new penetrations into their field. Landscape ecology explores the effects of the constellation of different sorts of environments on the distribution and motion of beings ( Palmer 1992 ) . Emphasis is on the flow or motion of being, cistrons, energy, and resources within complex agreements of ecosystems ( Milne 1988 ) . Landscapes exhibit non-Euclidean denseness and perimeter-to-area relationships and are therefore suitably described by fractals ( Milne 1988 ) . New penetrations on graduated table, increased apprehension of landscape constructions, and better landscape construction patterning are merely some of the additions from using fractal geometry. Troubles in describing and patterning spatially distributed ecosystems and landscapes include the natural spacial variableness of ecologically of import parametric quantities such as biomass, productiveness, dirt and hydrological features. Natural variableness is non changeless and depends to a great extent on spacial graduated table. Spatial heterogeneousness of a system at any graduated table will forestall the usage of simple point theoretical accounts ( Vedyushkin 1993 ) . Most landscapes exhibit forms intermediate between complete spacial independency and complete spacial dependance. Until the reaching of fractal geometry it was hard to pattern this intermediate degree of spacial dependance ( Palmer 1992, Milne 1988 ) . Landscapes present beings with heterogeneousness happening at a myriad of length graduated tables. Understanding and foretelling the effects of heterogeneousness may be enhanced when scale-dependent heterogeneousness is quantified utilizing fractal geometry ( Milne 1988 ) . Landscape ecologists normally assume that environmental heterogeneousness can be described by the form, figure, and distribution on homogenous landscape elements or spots. Heterogeneity can change as a map of spacial graduated table in landscapes. An illustration of this is a checker board. At a really little graduated table, a checker board is homogenous because one would remain in one square. At a somewhat larger graduated table, the checker board would look to be heterogenous since one would traverse the boundaries of the ruddy and black squares. At an even larger graduated table, one would return to homogeneousness because of the form of ruddy and black squares ( Palmer 1992 ) . An increased apprehension of the landscape structures consequences from utilizing the fractal attack in the field of distant detection of forest flora. Specific advantages include the ability to pull out information about spacial construction from remotely sensed informations and to utilize it in favoritism of these informations ; the compaction of this information to few values ; the ability to construe fractal dimension values in footings of factors, which determine concrete spacial construction ; and sufficient hardiness of fractal features ( Vedyushkin 1993 ) . Computer simulations of landscapes provide utile theoretical accounts for deriving new penetrations into the coexistence of species. Fake landscapes allow ecologists to research some of the effects of the geometrical constellation of environmental variableness for species coexistence and profusion ( Palmer 1992 ) . A statistically self-similar landscape is an abstraction but it allows an ecologist to theoretical account fluctuation in spacial dependance ( Palmer 1992 ) . Spatial variableness in the environment is an of import determiner of coexistence of rivals ( Palmer 1992 ) . Spatial variableness can be modeled by changing the landscape # 8217 ; s fractal dimension. The consequences of this computing machine simulation of species in a landscape show that an addition in the fractal dimension increases the figure of species per microsite and increases species habitat comprehensiveness. Other consequences show that environmental variableness allows the coexistence of species, lessenings beta diverseness, and increases landscape undersaturation ( Palmer 1992 ) . Increasing the fractal dimension of the landscape allows more species to be in a peculiar country and in the landscape as a whole ; nevertheless, highly high fractal dimensions cause fewer species to coexist on the landscape graduated table ( Palmer 1992 ) . Although many ecologists have found fractal geometry to be an highly utile tool, non all concur. Even scientists who have used fractal geometry in their research point out some of its defects. For illustration, Scheuring and Riedi ( 1994 ) province that # 8220 ; the failing of fractal and multifractal methods in ecological surveies is the fact that existent objects or their abstract projections ( e.g. , flora maps ) contain many different sorts of points, while fractal theory assumes that the natural ( or abstract ) objects are represented by points of the same kind. # 8221 ; Many scientists agree with Mandelbrot when he said that fractal geometry is the geometry of nature ( Voss 1988 ) , while other scientists think fractal geometry has no topographic point outside a computing machine simulation ( Shenker 1994 ) . In 1987, Simberloff et Al. argued that fractal geometry is useless for ecology because ecological forms are non fractals. In a paper called # 8220 ; Fractal Geometry Is Not the Geometry of Nature, # 8221 ; Shenker says that Mandelbrot # 8217 ; s theory of fractal geometry is invalid in the spacial kingdom because natural objects are non self-similar ( 1994 ) . Further, Shenker states that Mandelbrot # 8217 ; s theory is based on want and has no scientific footing at all. He conceded nevertheless that fractal geometry may work in the temporal part ( Shenker 1994 ) . The unfavorable judgment that fractal geometry is merely applicable to precisely self-similar objects is addressed by Palmer ( 1982 ) . Palmer ( 1982 ) points out that Mandelbrot # 8217 ; s early definition ( Mandelbrot 1977 ) does non advert self-similarity and therefore allows objects that exhibit any kind of fluctuation or abnormality on all spacial graduated tables of involvement to be considered fractals. Harmonizing to Shenker, fractals are eternal geometric procedures, and non geometrical signifiers ( 1994 ) , and are hence useless in depicting natural objects. This position is kindred to stating that we can # 8217 ; T usage Newtonian natural philosophies to pattern the way of a missile because the missile # 8217 ; s exact mass and speed are impossible to cognize at the same clip. Mass and speed, like fractals, are abstractions that allow us to understand and pull strings the natural and physical universe. Even though they are # 8220 ; merely # 8221 ; abstractions, they work rather good. The value of critics such as Shenker and Simberloff is that they force scientists to clearly understand their thoughts and premises about fractal geometry, but the critics go excessively far in demanding preciseness in an imprecise universe. With all the new penetrations and new cognition that have been gained through the appropriate application of fractal geometry to natural scientific disciplines, it is clear that is a utile and valid tool. The new penetrations gained from the application of fractal geometry to ecology include: understanding the importance of spacial and temporal graduated tables ; the relationship between landscape construction and motion tracts ; an increased apprehension of landscape constructions ; and the ability to more accurately theoretical account landscapes and ecosystems. One of the most valuable facets of fractal geometry, nevertheless, is the manner that it bridges the spread between ecologists of differing Fieldss. By supplying a common linguistic communication, fractal geometry allows ecologists to pass on and portion thoughts and constructs. As the information and computing machine age advancement, with better and faster computing machines, fractal geometry will go an even more of import tool for ecologists and life scientists. Some future applications of fractal geometry to ecology include clime mold, conditions anticipation, land direction, and the creative activity of unreal home grounds. Literature Cited Garcia, L. 1991. The Fractal Explorer. Dynamic Press. Santa Cruz. Gautestad, A. O. , Mysterud, I. 1993. Physical and biological mechanisms in animate being motion processes. Journal of Applied Ecology. 30:523-535. Horgan, J. 1988. Fractal Shorthand. Scientific American. 258 ( 2 ) :28. Kadanoff, L. P. 1986. Fractals: Where # 8217 ; s the natural philosophies? Physicss Today. 39:6-7. Mandelbrot, B. B. 1982. The Fractal Geometry of Nature. W. H. Freeman and Company. San Francisco. Mandelbrot, B. B. 1977. Fractals: Form, Chance, and Dimension. W. H. Freeman. New York. Milne, B. 1988. Measuring the Fractal Geometry of Landscapes. Applied mathematics and Computation. 27: 67-79. Palmer, M.W. 1992. The coexistence of species in fractal landscapes. Am. Nat. 139:375-397. Scheuring, I. and Riedi, R.H. 1994. Application of multifractals to the analysis of flora form. Journal of Vegetation Science. 5: 489-496. Shenker, O.R. 1994. Fractal Geometry is non the geometry of nature. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science. 25:6:967-981. Shibusawa, S. 1994. Modeling the ramification growing fractal form of the corn root system. Plant and Soil. 165: 339-347. Simberloff, D. , P. Betthet, V. Boy, S. H. Cousins, M.-J. Fortin, R. Goldburg, L. P. Lefkovitch, B. Ripley, B. Scherrer, and D. Tonkyn. 1987. Novel statistical analyses in tellurian carnal ecology: dirty informations and clean inquiries. pp. 559-572 in Developments in Numeric Ecology. P. Legendre and L. Legendre, eds. NATO ASI Series. Vol. G14. Springer, Berlin. Turner, M. G. 1989. Landscape ecology ; the consequence of form on procedure. Annual Rev. Ecological Syst. 20:171-197. Vedyushkin, M. A. 1993. Fractal belongingss of forest spacial construction. Vegetatio. 113: 65-70. Voss, R. F. 1988. Fractals in Nature: From Characterization to Simulation. pp. 21- 70. in The Science of Fractal Images. H.-O. Peitgen and D. Saupe, eds. Springer- Verlag, New York. Wiens, J. A. , Crist, T. O. , Milne, B. 1993. On quantifying insect motions. Environmental Entomology. 22 ( 4 ) : 709-715. Thomsen, D. E. 1980. Making music # 8211 ; Fractally. Science News. 117:187-190.

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Marketing and Sales - Essay Example It is for this reason that marketers and salespeople alike, focus on integration and alignment of the two functions and a greater focus on the ultimate objective, rather than departmental goals. The American Marketing Association defines marketing as â€Å"Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.†(American Marketing Association 2008) Sales is largely a subset of marketing and focuses on the delivering and exchanging part of the paradigm. It also involves maintaining cordial working relationships with clients, partners and customers all across the society. Marketing is broad context that also encompasses sales and merchandizing. In context of a small business, there are stark differences between the two concepts. The core focus of the marketing process includes: Discovering the products, services or ideas to be implemente d. Producing products with the ideal features and quality that cater to the target market. Correctly pricing the product. Promoting the product through several techniques to allow the message to spread to maximum people. Selling and delivering the product to willing customers. It is clear that selling is just one of the activities of the entire marketing process. It essentially involves effort to implement the plan and make the actual sale. All marketing activities support the eventual objective of magnifying sales. It must be noted that it is extremely important that marketing and sales activities are aligned in ways that complement rather than ways that contradict (Atkins & MBA 2009). Some of the key differences in the way marketing and sales are done are: A marketer looks at the decision making aspect of the spectrum. He empathizes with the customer by identifying needs, wants, deciding on the target market, positioning the brand, promoting and taking other steps that communicate to the customer that the product is designed specifically for him and that he should consider its purchase. A seller, by contrast, focuses on the execution state after the work has been done by the marketer. His main focus is on reaching targets, achieving goals and focusing on numbers. He also needs to ensure the timely availability of products for customers. Importance of Aligning Marketing and Sales: In many companies and small business, the personnel and actions of sales and marketing contradict each other significantly. Sales people accuse marketers of being unaware of the actual needs of customers or overestimating the buying power of customers resulting in overpriced or unneeded products. They argue that marketers then expect them to generate sales revenue with such redundant and overpriced products. Such decision making leads to deviation from the ultimate objective of maximizing profits and hinders growth in sales numbers. Marketers, in contrast, suggest that salesmen have a very shortsighted focus on individuals and short term sells rather than looking at the bigger picture. This alienates the firms from prospective long run profitability and stable revenue. Furthermore, the limited knowledge they have about the strategic decision making involved in coming about the final product makes them vulnerable to misinterpreting the essence of the product and its

I'm not sure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

I'm not sure - Essay Example In addition to honoring elders, the path to virtue is found through restraint. This means that the individual must not indulge for personal satisfaction in order to stay on the path that will bring him/her to higher levels of achievement. When the individual behaves in a manner that expresses his/her position on the path as he/she is following the Way, the development of the community is achieved through right and moral good which in turn contributes to social betterment. Finding the Way is the path to finding virtue. The term virtue refers to moral worthiness, specifically and is referring to the power within the individual to act along the path. As Kong and Slingerland suggest, during the Shang period virtue was about the personal power within someone. This referred to charisma and the way in which the individual attracted people to them so that they would follow (242). This does not always mean that someone is good, however. A good example is that of Fidel Castro. One of the comme nts made by Barbara Walters when she had interviewed him was that she was wildly attracted to him and sexually compelled by his personal power (Ratcliff 130). In some interpretations of the Shang period of virtue, this would make Fidel Castro virtuous. The mark of this power was envisioned as a part of the divine right that was given to a leader as a blessing. The intention was to make the ruler seem that they were not to be questioned. The ruling position was deserved. The Zhou shifted this to mean that the observance of ritual was recognized by Heaven through which a ruler was then given divine blessing. What Confucius did was then place this not only within the power of the ruler, but into the power of the individual. This can almost be seen as the action that Martin Luther took when he opened up the path to God through the individual with the intervention of the priests no longer necessary. The sense of Heaven could be felt through the Way, and the way was accessible by the indi vidual (Kong and Slingerland 242). Dao is a reference to the Way. The Way refers to a path, which Confucius defines as a literal way of doing things in order to meet certain expectations of what it means to be a good and wholesome person. The Way is distinctly defined by a means to morality, the path through which the individual must go in order to move towards living a moral life. Kong and Songerland write that â€Å"this Way is manifested in the ritual practices, music and literature passed down from the Golden Age of the Western Zhou† (243). This means that culture is highly important in fulfilling the path of the Way. Culture is of high importance to the practice of morality. In passage 1.6, the â€Å"Master said, ‘A young person should be filial when at home and respectful of his elders when in public. Conscientious and trustworthy, he should display a general care for the masses, but feel a particular affection for those who are Good. If he has any strength left over after manifesting theses virtues in practice, let him devote it to learning the cultural arts† (Kong and Slingerland 3). This task is both difficult and easy, the mandate depending on the nature of the individual and their position within the world. The individual who is inclined to have respect for their elders and is consistent in showing respect for the people in his or her environment and who has a desire to seek the learning about the cultural arts can accomplish this goal. The

Marketing and Sales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing and Sales - Essay Example It is for this reason that marketers and salespeople alike, focus on integration and alignment of the two functions and a greater focus on the ultimate objective, rather than departmental goals. The American Marketing Association defines marketing as â€Å"Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.†(American Marketing Association 2008) Sales is largely a subset of marketing and focuses on the delivering and exchanging part of the paradigm. It also involves maintaining cordial working relationships with clients, partners and customers all across the society. Marketing is broad context that also encompasses sales and merchandizing. In context of a small business, there are stark differences between the two concepts. The core focus of the marketing process includes: Discovering the products, services or ideas to be implemente d. Producing products with the ideal features and quality that cater to the target market. Correctly pricing the product. Promoting the product through several techniques to allow the message to spread to maximum people. Selling and delivering the product to willing customers. It is clear that selling is just one of the activities of the entire marketing process. It essentially involves effort to implement the plan and make the actual sale. All marketing activities support the eventual objective of magnifying sales. It must be noted that it is extremely important that marketing and sales activities are aligned in ways that complement rather than ways that contradict (Atkins & MBA 2009). Some of the key differences in the way marketing and sales are done are: A marketer looks at the decision making aspect of the spectrum. He empathizes with the customer by identifying needs, wants, deciding on the target market, positioning the brand, promoting and taking other steps that communicate to the customer that the product is designed specifically for him and that he should consider its purchase. A seller, by contrast, focuses on the execution state after the work has been done by the marketer. His main focus is on reaching targets, achieving goals and focusing on numbers. He also needs to ensure the timely availability of products for customers. Importance of Aligning Marketing and Sales: In many companies and small business, the personnel and actions of sales and marketing contradict each other significantly. Sales people accuse marketers of being unaware of the actual needs of customers or overestimating the buying power of customers resulting in overpriced or unneeded products. They argue that marketers then expect them to generate sales revenue with such redundant and overpriced products. Such decision making leads to deviation from the ultimate objective of maximizing profits and hinders growth in sales numbers. Marketers, in contrast, suggest that salesmen have a very shortsighted focus on individuals and short term sells rather than looking at the bigger picture. This alienates the firms from prospective long run profitability and stable revenue. Furthermore, the limited knowledge they have about the strategic decision making involved in coming about the final product makes them vulnerable to misinterpreting the essence of the product and its

Academic Performance of College Students Essay Example for Free

Academic Performance of College Students Essay The lack of adequate background and/or preparation, among other things, causes many students to withdraw from college or to graduate with low grades, which often makes it difficult for them to obtain suitable jobs. This paper examines the academic performance and efforts to seek assistance for academic and related problems of undergraduate students at North Carolina AT State University. To that effect, the grade reports of business and economics majors and responses to a survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses were qualitatively analyzed. See more: Foot Binding In China essay The results of the analyses indicated that many students experienced academic deficiency and did not seek assistance when faced with problems. The results also revealed that many of the students who sought assistance rated the services they received as ineffective and indicated their preference for school-level advisement services. The development of a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement center would alleviate these problems. Such a center, with a comprehensive and extended advisement and counseling program, will be more effective than university-wide services in improving student academic performance and marketability upon graduation. ********** Teaching, research and service are usually used as a yardstick to measure faculty contributions to higher education institutions. Major universities have long stressed the importance of research activities relative to teaching. Over the last two decades, many of smaller teaching institutions, including the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) where research activities were recognized only to the extent that they would keep educators and the knowledge they transmit to students current, have been under pressure to acquire external funds for scholarships, faculty development, and meeting accreditation standards (Fielding 1985). As these institutions, particularly the HBCUs, placed more emphasis on faculty research productivity, they are faced with the challenge of striking a balance between teaching and research activities. Nevertheless, most colleges and universities recognize that teaching is the ultimate goal of their institutions (Wiley 1993). The main factors considered for improving teaching effectiveness among other things, include teaching approaches and techniques and faculty availability for student assistance and advisement. However, students in higher education institutions must be motivated and committed to make reasonable efforts toward handling various activities, such as reading, written assignments, class discussion, presentation and examinations, effectively. Accordingly, the students commitment to attain a good education, their study habits and cooperation, their motivation and efforts to seek assistance, when needed, are equally critical for learning. Thus, since the provision and consumption of education service occur simultaneously, the students active participation in the process is a necessary condition to transform teaching to effective learning (Norales and Addus 2003). This paper assesses the academic performance and efforts of undergraduate students to seek assistance for academic and related problems at North Carolina AT State. The paper (1) examines the academic performance and deficiencies of the students in terms of their overall grade point averages; (2) identifies the relative magnitude of student academic and related problems from freshman to senior classifications; (3) presents student evaluation of the effectiveness of advisement and counseling services available to students; and (4) recommends the development of a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement center to improve student academic performance and marketability upon graduation. Methods and Instrumentation The 1998 grade point averages (GPAs) of undergraduate business and economics majors were used to determine the levels of student academic performance and deficiencies, with the application of chi-square statistic test to the relevant data. The student grade reports (the most recent data available) were obtained from the North Carolina AT State Universitys School of Business and Economics. In addition, data from students were collected through a student survey of 2002. The sample for the student advisement and counseling effectiveness questionnaire consisted of students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina AT State University. The questionnaire items were designed to elicit responses from students to determine the magnitude of student academic and related problems, efforts to seek assistance to solve their problems, evaluation of effectiveness assistance they received, and preference for the location of advising and monitoring services within the University. The results of this study can be used as a source of data that can provide information on the curriculum effectiveness at North Carolina AT State and other universities. Such data can assist educators in curriculum planning and development so that they can better meet the needs of students. Student Academic Performance and Survey Results The results of this study are based on the examination of the School of Business and Economics student GPAs and the student advisement and counseling survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina AT State University. The results are centered around (1) the student academic performance levels and deficiencies; (2) the magnitude of student academic and related problems; (3) the students efforts to seek assistance to solve problems; (4) the student evaluation of effectiveness assistance received; and (5) the student preference for the location of advising and monitoring services. The following are the findings of the study based on student grade point averages and student advisement and counseling services questionnaire responses. Student Academic performance. The school of Business and Economics at North Carolina AT State University consists of accounting, business administration, business education and economics and transportation/logistics departments. The distributions of grade point average of students enrolled in the School during the 1998 fall semester are presented in Table 1. For the data in the Table, the chi-square test statistic is significant. This indicates that grade distributions by classification are statistically different. Generally, the number of students with low grade point averages decreased from freshman to senior classifications. In other words, more freshmen maintained lower grades relative to seniors, and more seniors maintained higher grade point averages than freshmen. More specifically, the data indicates that, in the School of Business and Economics, 55% of freshman, 14% of sophomore, 16% of junior, and 6% of senior students maintained below 2. 00 grade point averages. The decline in the proportion of students with lower grades from the freshman to senior levels is an indication of either grade improvements, transfer from one program to another or withdrawal and/or suspension/dismissal from the university. In their senior year, 41% of students maintained a GPA of below 2. 50, 23% below 2. 25, and 6% below 2. 00. For all classifications, 53% of students maintained a GPA of below 2. 50, 39% below 2. 25, and 26% below 2. 00. The School of Business and Economics cannot afford to ignore 23% students who may graduate with a GPA of lower than 2. 25 and 41% below 2. 50, only to find it difficult to find professional jobs of their choice in their respective fields. Apparently, students need to be monitored, encouraged and assisted to play an active role in their pursuit to achieve their education and career objectives. Student Survey Results Of some 206 students who responded to the survey, 52% were female and 48% were male students. By classification, 10% were freshmen, 30% sophomore, 37% junior and 23% senior students. In terms of general fields of study, 68% majored in business and economics and 32% in other areas, including arts and sciences, education and engineering (Table 2). These figures suggest that the survey represents a balanced coverage on gender, student classification, and various fields of study. Magnitude of Student Academic and Related Problems: Of 154 who sought assistance, 52% were female and 48% were male students. By classification, 9% were freshmen, 30% sophomore, 37% junior and 25% were senior students (Table 3). The data in the Table is indicative of the fact that the number of problems faced by students generally declined from freshman to senior year of their study. Of 52 students who did not seek assistance, 52% were female and 48% were male students. By classification, 17% were freshmen, 30% junior, 37% sophomore and 19% senior students. A total of 56% who did not seek help were junior and senior students. The reasons indicated for not seeking assistance are that 19% did not have any problems, 17% did not have time to seek assistance, 19% did not know the availability of assistance, 14% did not believe such assistance would be useful, and 15% indicated a combination of the above factors (Table 4). Student Efforts to Seek Assistance: Out of 206 students who sought assistance, 60% consulted with their academic advisors and 30% with course instructors or respective departments. Only 4% indicated to have sought assistance with the University Center for Success (Table 5). Student Evaluation of Assistance Effectiveness: Of 154 students who sought help, 72% indicated that the assistance they were offered was effective resulting in grade improvements, enhanced self-confidence, remaining in major for the better, and changing major for the better. However, 28% indicated that the assistance they received was not effective at all (Table 6). Student Preference for Advising and Monitoring Services: Of 206 survey respondents, 147 (71%) indicated their preference for student monitoring and counseling services at school/college level (as opposed to counseling at the university level); and 92% indicated that they would seek assistance more often if such services were available at school/college level (Table 7). The Case for Academic Monitoring and Advising Center The findings of this study reveal that relatively low grades and high failure rates were maintained by upper level undergraduate students with the possibility of marketability problems. The findings further show that 28% of survey respondents said the assistance services they received were not effective. Another 28% of the respondents, of which 56% were juniors and seniors, did not seek help to resolve their academic and related problems. In addition, 71% of respondents indicated their preference for a school-level assistance services, and the overwhelming majority (92%) said they would seek help more often if such services were available at the school level. It follows that a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement center (AMAC), with a comprehensive agenda for student advisement and counseling, will be effective in improving student academic performance and marketability. The need for the AMAC is underscored by other studies. The main problems affecting student academic performance include inadequate background, working long hours, lack of time to study and seek advice, lack of time management skills, bad study habits and skills, and lack of self-confidence. Many students are also faced with various impediments in their pursuit of higher education and career objectives, including financial problems, family responsibilities, and social and extracurricular activities. Some of these activities do not only take away from the time needed for sleeping, attending class and studying, but they also cause considerable stress resulting in negative effects on academic performance as measured in terms of GPA (Womble 2001). The results of a survey of 239 university students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina AT State University indicated that most students did not have sufficient time to read the textbook and study, and that their absence from class was work related. The majority (56 %) of the students stated that they could not take lecture notes while listening, and 29 % said they could not understand the lecture (Norales and Addus 2003). Kelly et al (2001) classified college students into short sleepers (individuals who slept six or fewer hours a day), average sleepers (individuals with seven or hours of sleep a day), and long sleepers (individuals sleeping nine or more hours a day). They found that the individuals who represented long sleepers reported higher GPAs than the first two groups. Many students are admitted to a university as a result of their performance in examinations that do not demand the same preparation levels required to succeed in higher education. Thus, one of the main factors affecting the academic performance of college and university students is the lack of adequate preparation skills (Beswick and Ramsden 1987). Entwistle et al (1989) studied the academic performance of electrical engineering students and found that low course grades were associated with inadequate study skills, and that many students had not established adequate independent study strategies required to succeed in higher education. Eikeland Manger (1992) looked into factors affecting student achievement, especially those factors related to high failure and dropout rates. The findings showed that organized study habits had a positive impact on self confidence during the students first semester, but such study habits did not have a direct effect on grades until as late as their fourth semester in college. In a survey of close to 350,000 students attending four-year public and private colleges, over 70 items related to the students educational experiences on the survey instrument were grouped into 12 factors. (1) The survey results indicated that out of these factors, public college/university students rated academic advising as the most important aspect of their educational experiences. Private college/university students rated academic advising second to only instructional effectiveness in importance. When students were asked to rate five items (2) comprised academic advising, both public and private college/university students rated the academic advisors approachability and the academic advisors knowledge about major requirements as strengthsmeaning most important and most satisfying (Noel-Levitz 2003). In general, the success or failure in higher education are not explained by the student attributes or faculty teaching efficiency in isolation, but by the complex interactions between students and the learning environments they experience (Entwistle 1990). Thus, students are in need of comprehensive advisement, counseling and support services including time management, stress management, efficient study style, habits and skills, reading, writing, and lecture note taking skills, and other support services. These must help students enhance their capacity to master the relevant subject, self confidence, verbal and written communication, academic performance, and to be competitive and productive members of the community. Academic Monitoring and Advising Center The findings of this study, along with the discussion of relevant literature, suggest that a school-specific AMAC, with a comprehensive agenda for student advisement and counseling, will be effective in improving student academic performance and marketability. The primary purpose of the AMAC is to enhance student academic performance and produce marketable graduates by providing extended assistance and guidance to students in academic activities and related areas. At North Carolina AT State University there are university-wide student support services, including the Center for Student Success (which is focused on student retention) and school-level academic assistant services. In addition, there are programs which are designed to mentor students with high academic standing, in collaboration with potential employers, to prepare them for the real world work environment upon graduation. However, many students who for various reasons fail to perform to their potential levels deserve to be uplifted through a similar program provided by the AMAC. Compared with university-wide academic counseling services available for students, the AMAC will be more effective for needy students can be given individual and unique attention suited to their specific needs by their respective schools. In addition to regular advisement provided by academic advisors, the AMAC will provide counseling services for students who fail to reach a minimum GPA of 2. 50 during each semester. To start with, such students will be able to discuss issues regarding specific courses and their course loads with an advisor from the AMAC, and receive advice on how to successfully manage their time and handle their course loads. Also, the AMAC if necessary, can suggest changes in course, course loads and schedule to help the students balance their time between school and work. As mentioned above, one of the biggest problems that many students have is lack of time and time management skills. If this problem is solved early, students will be able to maintain a more marketable GPA. The AMAC will continuously monitor students and evaluate their grades throughout each semester to insure that these students continue to do well in the school, and graduate within a reasonable period of time. Students who need assistance must be identified at the appropriate time and be given intensive advice and counseling. It will maintain a data base for all students in the School of Business and Economics with an overall GPA of 2. 50 or less. The data can be collected from student applications, academic records, and surveys (Seidman, 1996). The AMAC will coordinate its activities with university programs designed to provide remedial services to students with deficient backgrounds. It will refer students to other departments and and University support services for problems outside its responsibilities. Such intensive intervention will likely help not only improve academic performance, but also retain students and enable them to graduate with decent grades. Student participation in the AMACs program shall enhance their capabilities to improve their academic standing through sound advice and counseling which will positively influence their attitude toward learning and grades, time management skills and study habits. The AMAC will further facilitate development of university policies and programs designed to overcome academic deficiencies and encourage students to stay in school and achieve their academic and career objectives. Conclusions Academic advising is a very important aspect of students educational experiences in higher education. In order to enhance teaching and learning effectiveness, higher education institutions must listen to their students unique needs and priorities by assessing assistance services available to students. The results of such assessments can be used to develop targeted action plans for serving specific student population. The results of the analyses of data obtained from the School of Business and Economics grade reports and a survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina AT State University, along with other relevant literature, imply that many college students need a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement services at an early stage of their college career. It is apparent that it becomes difficult, if not impossible, for junior and senior students to make meaningful grade improvements due to the short span of time available to them during their last years of study before graduation. This may pose a serious marketability problem for some of the graduates of these programs with low grades. In the real world of ever increasing globalization and more competitive job market environments, college students need to acquire higher skills and GPAs. The proposed AMAC is certainly a first step to guide needy students in this direction. References Beswick, D. and Ramsden, P, (1987). How to Promote Learning with Understanding. Working Paper 87:1. Melbourne: Center for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne. Eikeland, O. J. and Manger, T. (1992). Why Students Fail During Their First University Semesters. International Review of Education 38(5), 489-503. Entwistle, N. J. (1990). How Students Learn and Why They Fail. Paper Presented at Conference on Talent and Teaching, University of Bergen. Entwistle, N. J. , Hoursell, D. , Macaulay, C. , Situnayake, G. and Tait, H. (1989). Success and Failure in Electrical Engineering Courses in Scotland. Summary of a Report to the SED. Edinburgh: Department of Education and Center for Teaching, Learning and Assessment. University of Edinburgh. Fielding, G. J. (1985). Transportation Education, Part Two. Report of Joint Conference, Eno Foundation Board of Directors and Board of Consultants. Transportation Quarterly, 39(2), 207-233. Kelly, W. E. , Kelly, K. E. and Clanton, R. C. (others) (2001). The Relationship between Sleep length and Grade-Point-Average among College Students, College Student Journal. Noel-Levitz Research (2003). Academic Advising Highly Important to Students, www. noellevitz. com. Norales, Francisca O. and Addus, Abdussalam A. (2003). University Students Learning Efforts, Texas Business and Technology Educators Association Journal, Vol. VII, No. 1. Seidman, A. (1996). Retention revisited: R = E, ID + E In, Iv. Journal of College Student Retention. 71(4), 18-20. Wiley, III, Ed (1993). Re-Emphasizing Teaching. Black Issues in Higher Education. Womble, Laura P (2001). The Impact of Stress Factors on College Students Academic Performance, Working Paper, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, N. C. ABDUSSALAM A. ADDUS Associate Professor DAVID CHEN Associate Professor ANWAR S. KHAN Professor Emeritus Department of Economics and Transportation/Logistics North Carolina AT State University Notes. (1) the factors are: academic advising, campus climate, campus Life, campus Support Services, concern for the Individual, instructional Effectiveness, recruitment and financial aid effectiveness, registration effectiveness, responsiveness to diverse population, safety and security, service excellence, and student centeredness. (2) the items are: the academic advisors approachability, the academic advisors knowledge about major requirements, the academic advisors concern about the students success as an individual, the academic advisors assistance to set goals and work toward, and the clearness and reasonableness of major requirements. Table 1 Grade Distribution of Students in the School of Business and Economics by Classification, Fall 1998 Grade Range Classification Freshman Sophomore Junior No. % No. % No. % 3. 50-4. 00 20 6 46 19 20 10 3. 00-3. 49 26 7 44 18 32 16 2. 50-2. 99 45 13 62 25 45 23 2. 25-2. 49 33 9 33 13 33 17 2. 00-2. 24 37 10 28 11 34 18 Below 2. 00 200 55 35 14 31 16 Total 361 100 248 100 195 100 Chi-square: 278. 38 * Grade Range Classification Senior All No. % No. % 3. 50-4. 00 18 7 104 10 3. 00-3. 49 42 17 144 13 2. 50-2. 99 90 35 242 24 2. 25-2. 49 47 18 146 14 2. 00-2. 24 44 17 143 13 Below 2. 00 14 6 280 26 Total 255 100 1059 100 Chi-square: 278. 38 * Note: * Statistically significant at 5 percent probability level. Source: School of Business and Economics, NC AT State University. Table 2 Profile of Survey Respondents Item Frequency Percent Gender (n = 206): Male 99 48. 1 Female 107 51. 9 Classification (n = 206): Freshman 21 10. 2 Sophomore 61 29. 6 Junior 77 37. 4 Senior 47 22. 8 Major Area Unit (n = 206): Business and Economics 140 68. 0 Other Areas * 66 32. 0 * Include Arts and Science, Education, and Engineering. Table 3 Distribution of Number Problems for Students who Sought. Assistance * (n = 154) Classification Number of Problems and Gender One Two Three Four Five Six Total Plus Classification: Freshman 4 1 3 2 1 2 13 Sophomore 16 4 7 9 8 2 46 Junior 14 14 12 6 4 7 57 Senior 6 7 14 7 3 1 38 Total 40 26 36 24 16 12 154 Gender: Male 19 15 15 11 8 6 74 Female 21 13 19 13 8 6 80 Total 40 26 36 24 16 12 154 * Problems include adding/dropping courses, choosing major, changing major, improving grades, time management, internship opportunities, personal problems which affect academic performance. Table 4 Distribution of students who did not Seek Assistance (n = 52)  frequency Percent of Total Classification: Freshman 9 17. 3 Sophomore 14 29. 9 Junior 19 36. 5 Senior 10 19. 3 Total 52 100. 0 Gender: Male 25 48. 1 Female 27 51. 9 Total 52 100. 0 Reason for not Seeking: Did not have problems 10 19. 2 Did not have time 9 17. 3 Did not know availability of assistance 10 19. 2 Did not believe it is useful 7 13. 5 Combination of last three 8 15. 4 Other reasons 8 15. 4 Total 52 100. 0 Table 5 Student Efforts to Seek Assistance for Academic Problems (n = 154) Assistance sought from Frequency Percent Academic Advisor 89 59. 7 Department/Course instructor 44 29. 5. University Center for Success 6 4. 0 SOBE resource Lab 3 2. 0 University Counseling Service 3 2. 0 Career Counseling 2 1. 4 Financial Aid 2 1. 4 Table 6 Student evaluation of Effectiveness of Assistance Sought (n = 149) Item frequency Percent Grade improved 13 8. 7 Enhanced self-confidence 4 2. 7 Remained in major 15 10. 1 Changed major for better 16 10. 7 Two or more of above 60 40. 3 No effect 41 27. 5 Table 7 Student Preference for Counseling/Monitoring Services Location (n = 206) Item Frequency Percent Prefer student Counseling at school level Yes 147 71. 3 No 44 21. 4 Indifferent 15 7. 3. Would seek assistance more often if Available at school/college level) Yes 92 44. 7 No 15 7. 3 Not sure 45 21. 8 Indifferent 54 26. 2 Gale Copyright: Copyright 2007 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Economic Scene Colleges Are Failing in Graduation Rates Top of Form Bottom of Form †¢ Share By DAVID LEONHARDT Published: September 8, 2009 If you were going to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years, you’d probably have to start with the Wall Street firms and regulatory agencies that brought us the financial crisis. From there, you might move on to Wall Street’s fellow bailout recipients in Detroit, the once-Big Three. Multimedia [pic] From the Most Selective Colleges, More Graduates Related The College Dropout Boom Economix: Which Colleges Are Doing Their Job? Reader Responses: Failing Colleges Readers’ Comments Share your thoughts and read responses to readers comments from David Leonhardt on the Economix blog. †¢ Read All Comments (113)  » But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee: public universities. At its top levels, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world. Yet in terms of its core mission — turning teenagers into educated college graduates — much of the system is simply failing. Only 33 percent of the freshmen who enter the University of Massachusetts, Boston, graduate within six years. Less than 41 percent graduate from the University of Montana, and 44 percent from the University of New Mexico. The economist Mark Schneider refers to colleges with such dropout rates as â€Å"failure factories,† and they are the norm. The United States does a good job enrolling teenagers in college, but only half of students who enroll end up with a bachelor’s degree. Among rich countries, only Italy is worse. That’s a big reason inequality has soared, and productivity growth has slowed. Economic growth in this decade was on pace to be slower than in any decade since World War II — even before the financial crisis started. So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis matters enormously, and a new book tries to do precisely that. It is called â€Å"Crossing the Finish Line,† and its findings are based on the records of about 200,000 students at 68 colleges. The authors were able to get their hands on that data because two of them are pillars of the education establishment: William Bowen (an economist and former Princeton president) and Michael McPherson (an economist and former Macalester College president). For all the book’s alarming statistics, its message is ultimately uplifting — or at least invigorating. Yes, inadequate precollege education is a problem. But high schools still produce many students who have the skills to complete college and yet fail to do so. Turning them into college graduates should be a lot less difficult than fixing all of American education. â€Å"We could be doing a lot better with college completion just by working on our colleges,† as Robert Shireman, an Education Department official who has read an early version of the book, says. Congress and the Obama administration are now putting together an education bill that tries to deal with the problem. It would cancel about $9 billion in annual government subsidies for banks that lend to college students and use much of the money to increase financial aid. A small portion of the money would be set aside for promising pilot programs aimed at lifting the number of college graduates. All in all, the bill would help. But it won’t solve the system’s biggest problems — the focus on enrollment rather than completion, the fact that colleges are not held to account for their failures. â€Å"Crossing the Finish Line† makes it clear that we can do better. †¢ The first problem that Mr. Bowen, Mr. McPherson and the book’s third author, Matthew Chingos, a doctoral candidate, diagnose is something they call under-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into. They instead go to a less selective one, perhaps one that’s closer to home or, given the torturous financial aid process, less expensive. About half of low-income students with a high school grade-point average of at least 3. 5 and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. Many don’t even apply. Some apply but don’t enroll. â€Å"I was really astonished by the degree to which presumptively well-qualified students from poor families under-matched,† Mr. Bowen told me. They could have been admitted to Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus (graduation rate: 88 percent, according to College Results Online) or Michigan State (74 percent), but they went, say, to Eastern Michigan (39 percent) or Western Michigan (54 percent). If they graduate, it would be hard to get upset about their choice. But large numbers do not. You can see that in the chart with this column. In effect, well-off students — many of whom will graduate no matter where they go — attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates. These are the places where many students live on campus (which raises graduation rates) and graduation is the norm. Meanwhile, lower-income students — even when they are better qualified — often go to colleges that excel in producing dropouts. â€Å"It’s really a waste,† Mr. Bowen says, â€Å"and a big problem for the country. † As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working-class students. Instead, it appears to have fallen somewhat since the 1970s. What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer. Tellingly, net tuition has no impact on the graduation rates of high-income students. Yet it does affect low-income students. All else equal, they are less likely to make it through a more expensive state college than a less expensive one, the book shows. Conservatives are wrong to suggest affordability doesn’t matter. But they are right that more money isn’t the whole answer. Higher education today also suffers from a deep cultural problem. Failure has become acceptable. Students see no need to graduate in four years. Doing so, as one told the book’s authors, is â€Å"like leaving the party at 10:30 p. m. † Graduation delayed often becomes graduation denied. Administrators then make excuses for their graduation rates. And policy makers hand out money based on how many students a college enrolls rather than on what it does with those students. There is a real parallel here to health care.