Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Unit 1 Unit 1 From Baroque to Romantic Example For Students

Unit 1 : Unit 1: From Baroque to Romantic How does David, by Italian Baroque artist Gianlorenzo Bernini, demonstrate a departure from Renaissance conventions? The figure breaks into the viewers space and engages the viewer. How does Gianlorenzo Berninis Fountain of the Four Rivers exhibit Italian Baroque characteristics? The fountain was a combination of artistic disciplines that created a dramatic experience. How did Caravaggio depart from Renaissance traditions to create paintings that reflect the Italian Baroque style? The artist focused on naturalism and created drama through an intense use of light and dark. What convention did Italian Baroque artist Caravaggio use in The Conversion of Saint Paul? The artist used foreshortening to bring the figure to the front of the painting and project him into the viewers space. How did the Spanish Baroque artist Diego Velà ¡zquez organize the figures in Las Meninas? Velà ¡zquez placed figures in a pyramid configuration. Which of the following is a characteristic of Landscape with the Burial of Phocion by French Baroque artist Nicolas Poussin? It depicts an idealized landscape with all of the elements carefully constructed. Which of the following is a characteristic of Elevation of the Cross by Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens of the Netherlands? The figures poses and arrangement emphasize a sense of movement and drama. Which statement best describes an approach used by Baroque artist Rembrandt of the Netherlands in his later years? He used the impasto technique to create expressive brushstrokes with thick paint. How did Antoine Watteau demonstrate characteristics of Rococo art in his paintings? He used delicate, lively brushwork and subtle variations of color. How did French artist Jean-Baptiste-Simà ©on Chardin exhibit Naturalist characteristics in his paintings? He used limited colors to depict objects with a sense of realism. Which statement describes a difference between these paintings by Dutch Baroque artists Vermeer and Rembrandt? Vermeer used natural light to create convincing space; Rembrandt used tenebrism to depict a figure emerging from the shadows. What is one similarity between Caravaggios The Conversion of Saint Paul and Rubenss Elevation of the Cross? They use foreshortening to depict the figures projecting into the viewers space. Which of the following statements describes how French artist Jacques-Louis David used a Neoclassical characteristic in Oath of the Horatii? He used a background of simple Classical columns and arches that dont detract from the figures. What is a similarity between Thomas Jeffersons Monticello and the ancient Roman Pantheon? They feature a portico, pediment, columns, and dome. How did French artist Eugà ¨ne Delacroix incorporate Romantic conventions in Liberty Leading the People? Delacroix used rich colors and placed touches of pure pigment throughout the painting. What characteristic describes The Third of May, 1808 by Spanish Romantic artist Francisco Goya? The dramatic light and shadow draw attention to the central figure. What is one difference between the Neoclassical artist Davids Oath of the Horatii and the Romantic artist Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People? David used smooth brushstrokes to enhance the lifelike quality of the figures; Delacroix used expressive brushstrokes to create drama. How are Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David and Pilgrimage to Cythera by Antoine Watteau similar? The paintings have a carefully planned background that resembles a stage set.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Essay on Wireless technology

Essay on Wireless technology Essay on Wireless technology Essay on Wireless technologyWireless technologies and the growth of popularity of portable devices such as smartphones and tablets have created a variety of opportunities in the modern world. Wireless communications are changing the world because wireless devices are convenient, easy to use and can provide interconnectivity in virtually any place. Among the segments which are assumed to change dramatically due to the use of wireless technology one can name environmental protection, entertainment, business communications, sales, news reporting and healthcare.The purpose of this paper is to discuss current and emerging wireless medical technologies, to describe wireless components in healthcare that are required for creating added business value, assess the changes to staffing and training in healthcare associated with the increasing use of wireless technologies, analyze potential challenges pertaining to wireless networks in healthcare institutions and methods of addressing these chal lenges.Current and emerging wireless medical technologiesThe use of wireless technologies in healthcare has numerous advantages: medical information can be delivered and shared in any setting, medical information and guidelines can be quickly distributed; wireless devices create space for such interconnectivity that could never be provided by wired devices. Wireless healthcare devices can be used for more advanced diagnostics, can deliver information between the patient and the healthcare institution in a continuous way, etc. One wireless device can implement several functions (e.g. providing medical information, gathering healthcare records, delivering physicians recommendations, collecting statistics, etc.).The integration of wireless technologies in healthcare is a very promising trend which might lead to a healthcare revolution. A notable invention are the Medical Body Area Network (MBAN) devices special wearable sensors that collect various information about the patient, start ing with respiratory functions and pulse and ending with ECG data (Information Week, 2012). Such novel approach to monitoring health will help to collect accurate medical information, diagnose patients in a better way, provide timely help in critical situations, etc.Wireless technologies might be used to develop in-house wireless devices that have the potential to enhance performance inside healthcare organizations; for example, wireless connections can help to synchronize actions and information for anesthesiologists, surgeons, etc. Along with sharing information and tracking the patients state, wireless devices can be used to track provider care activities and data, to report the status of equipment and other devices, to integrate data from other devices into a global network, to perform drug tracking and other analytical functions (Cooper Fuchs, 2013). Furthermore, wide use of smartphones and other WiFi enabled devices allows to create healthcare apps for exchanging healthcare i nformation into one system. According to Terry (2012), the major growth of healthcare wireless industry is expected when healthcare providers fully adopt this technology and master processing of patient data and acting instantly basing on these data. Such interactivity might transform the whole approach to healthcare and turn it into a continuous process guided by healthcare institutions.Wireless components needed for added business valueThe technologies used for wireless healthcare devices include WiFi (IEEE 802.11x), Bluetooth, RFID et al. As a minimum, the components needed for added business value of healthcare wireless devices include wireless hardware, means of connecting this hardware to WLAN or WAN and software for handling the connections, measurements and data exchange. Additional components might include various sensors, assistive devices, wearable components, extensions, etc (Going wireless: five perspectives on the challenges in healthcare technology, 2013). In the case of data collection and processing   on the providers side, there is a need for access points for wireless connections and a server authenticating and/or processing wireless requests.Additional staffing and support requirementsThe integration of wireless technologies in healthcare is likely to change the requirements to staffing and training of healthcare professionals. Medical professionals will have to be able to connect wireless devices, to use them, to collect data and send these data to the server. Professionals in data processing and data analysis will be in need. Furthermore, the changes of healthcare infrastructure will require hiring more IT professionals who will manage the wireless network, maintain network security, establish proper controls to secure the delivery of patient care, etc.The need for software developers with healthcare expertise is increasing as the evolving set of wireless technologies should be made live with the relevant software. Regular healthcare pr ofessions will have to receive additional training on wireless devices; healthcare professionals should also be prepared to explain the new methods to the patients and show the basics of working with wireless devices to them.Potential technical and regulatory problems and methods of their mitigationActive and prolonged use of wireless technologies might also create risks for the patients health due to the novelty of wireless technologies and the lack of longitudinal research showing the impact of waves of the target spectrum on human beings. It is recommended to conduct studies on volunteers and/or laboratory animals in order to assess the long-term impact of radio frequencies.According to Cooper and Fuchs (2013), the dependence of care delivery on wireless systems represents a significant threat to the healthcare itself as the errors or breaches in a wireless system might create an additional health risk for patients. In order to mitigate this risk, it is necessary to establish add itional controls for wireless systems and include verification activities in the software handling data from wireless healthcare devices (Going wireless: five perspectives on the challenges in healthcare technology, 2013).One of the potential problems is the regulation and use of different spectrum bands by wireless healthcare devices. Devices working on the same frequency might crowd out each other from the channel, while the devices working on too different frequencies might be unable to exchange information. One of the possible methods of addressing this challenge is the introduction of standards for the spectrum band use by healthcare wireless devices.There exist several consensus groups which unite the manufacturers of medical devices, healthcare professionals and users is Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (Witters, 2006). Another consensus group is FCC that proposed rules for dedicating a specific band of frequency spectrum to wireless devices in healthc are (Information Week, 2012). Due to these regulations, it will be possible to enhance the reliability of such devices and their interconnectivity.The risks of wireless network failure can be addressed with the help of quality of service (QoS) technology use, with the help of data integrity maintenance, using various means of reducing electromagnetic emission and its effects and enhancing wireless network security with the help of secure authentication, encryption and accountability policies (Witters, 2011). Overall, the field of wireless healthcare technology is rapidly evolving and it is likely that wireless devices will change the whole approach to care delivery in the future.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The use of managerial accounting in any industry Essay

The use of managerial accounting in any industry - Essay Example This accounting branch embraces accounting systems, methods, and techniques that can help the organization maximize its profits or minimize losses. Scholars opine that management accounting is the presentation of accounting information in a way that would assist the top management to create potential policies for managing its daily operations. Management accounting is not confined to financial management information, but it is about comprehensive information about overall organizational activities. It is evident that financial management alone is not capable of providing necessary information for performing managerial functions effectively. In contrast, management accounting is able to provide key information about cost, profits, and factors which are useful for the management to discharge their functions effectively. Management accounting can be considered as an extension of the management aspects of the cost accounting, and it is based on the principles of both cost accounting and financial accounting. It seems that management accounting is relevant to fast growing sectors like automotive industry because those sectors need an uninterrupted flow of various information to ensure improved value chain efficiency. This paper will explore the uses of managerial accounting tools in the automotive industry with particular reference given to management accounting practices in Toyota Motor Corporation. ... ute of Management Accountants (IMA), â€Å"management accounting is a profession that involves partnering in management decision making, devising planning and performance management systems, and providing expertise in financial reporting and control to assist management in the formulation and implementation of an organization’ strategy† (â€Å"definition of..†). The management accounting information is different from financial accounting information in several aspects. The management accounting information is basically forward-looking whereas financial accounting information is primarily historical. In addition, managerial accounting information is model based and is particularly intended to support decision making. This type of information is generally intended for the use by business managers but not by stockholders, creditors, or the general public. Therefore, managerial accounting information is highly confidential in nature. According to the American Institu te of Certified Public Accountants, the practice of management accounting is spread to other three areas such as strategic management, performance management, and risk management. Strategic management is about promoting the management accountant’s role as a strategic partner in the organization whereas performance management deals with improving the performance efficiency of the organization constantly. The risk management is vital to identify and manage risks that constitute a potential obstacle to the achievement of the organization’s long term objectives. A management accountant uses his professional knowledge, experience, and expertise to assist the company management to frame strategic policies and to improve operational efficiency and thereby promote value creation. Therefore, management accountants

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Different Proportion of M&M Candies in Each Colour between Two Sample Research Paper

Different Proportion of M&M Candies in Each Colour between Two Sample Proportions - Research Paper Example There were 1535 blue candies in the bag out of 7356 candies and the proportion of blue candies is 0.2087. The 95% Confidence Interval is (0.1994, 0.218). There were 1587 orange candies in the bag out of 7356 candies and the proportion of orange candies is 0.2157. The 95% Confidence Interval is (0.2063,0.2251). There were 1320 green candies in the bag out of 7356 candies and the proportion of green candies is 0.1794. The 95% Confidence Interval is (0.1707, 0.1882). There were 925 yellow candies in the bag out of 7356 candies and the proportion of yellow candies is 0.1257. The 95% Confidence Interval is (0.1182, 0.1333). There were 990 red candies in the bag out of 7356 candies and the proportion of red candies is 0.1346. The 95% Confidence Interval is (0.1268, 0.1424). There were 999 brown candies in the bag out of 7356 candies and the proportion of brown candies is 0.1358. The 95% Confidence Interval is (0.128, 0.1436).The sample size in estimating the proportion is 438. In testing w hether the given sample proportion of blue candies (0.2087) matches with the population proportion 0.24 of blue candies. The hypothesis is rejected (Z=-6.291) since the observed value is less than the expected value -1.96. Hence there is a significant difference between the sample proportion and population proportion. In testing whether the given sample proportion of orange candies (0.2157) matches with the population proportion 0.2 of orange candies, the hypothesis is rejected (Z=3.3754) since an observed value is greater than the expected value 1.96. Hence there is a significant difference between the sample proportion of orange candies and population proportion of orange candies. In testing whether the given sample proportion of green candies (0.1794) matches with the population proportion 0.16 of green candies, the hypothesis is rejected (Z=4.5492) since the observed value is greater than the expected value 1.96.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Should there be a Ministry of Justice for England and Wales What are Essay

Should there be a Ministry of Justice for England and Wales What are the advantages and disadvantages - Essay Example The role for these departments is to nab the accused and give them the appropriate punishments, so they will never commit the crime again, thereby saving others’ lives. This paper will discuss one such government department in United Kingdom, the Ministry of Justice for England and Wales by focusing on its advantages and disadvantages. The Ministry of Justice for England and Wales was formed in 2007, after the home office was bifurcated into two arms, one for security and the other for justice. This separate justice department of the United Kingdom government only takes care of the sentencing of the accused, probation, prisons and also prevention of re-offending. It has wide reach as it handles the affairs of the three devolved governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, with England. Its wide scope has some inbuilt advantages because certain legal aspects like extradition, conviction in multiple cases etc can be handled easily, due to interlinking. The next advantage with this separate Ministry of Justice is that, the slimmed down Home Office will be able to deal with terrorism related issues more efficiently. That is, with United Kingdom often being the target of terrorist related attacks including the tragic London bombing in 2005, concentration and prevention of terrorism is of utmost importance. So, this separate Ministry of Justice for England and Wales by looking at crimes other than terrorism will provide the home office a good source of personnel, man hours, intelligence inputs to counter terrorism effectively. Thus, the Ministry of Justice provides an indirect advantage. The other advantage with this separate Ministry of Justice is that, it helps to correct an unwanted ironical situation. That is, with the previous arrangement, the home department has to singularly take care of administering justice to the accused as well as sentencing and putting the convicts behind bars. This anomalous situation

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Behavioral Segmentation Examples Marketing Essay

The Behavioral Segmentation Examples Marketing Essay According to Philip Kotler Market segmentation is sub-dividing a market into distinct and homogeneous subgroups of customers, where any group can conceivably be selected as a target market to be met with distinct marketing mix. In other words, Market Segmentation is a method of dividing a market into smaller groupings of consumers or organizations in which each segment has a common characteristic such as needs or behavior. Finding the most revealing way to segment a market is more an art than a science Any useful segmentation scheme will be based around the needs of customers and should be effective in revealing new business opportunities. Peter Doyle All markets are heterogeneous. This is evident from observation and from the proliferation of popular books describing the heterogeneity of local and global markets. Consider, for example, The Nine Nations of North America (Garreau, 1982), Latitudes and Attitudes: An Atlas of American Tastes, Trends, Politics and Passions (Weiss, 1994) and Mastering Global Markets: Strategies for Todays Trade Globalist (Czinkotaet al., 2003). When reflecting on the nature of markets, consumer behavior and competitive activities, it is obvious that no product or service appeals to all consumers and even those who purchase the same product may do so for diverse reasons. Effective marketing and business strategy therefore requires a segmentation of the market into homogeneous segments, an understanding of the needs and wants of these segments, the design of products and services that meet those needs and development of marketing strategies, to effectively reach the target segments. Thus focusing on segments is at the core of organizations efforts to become customer driven; it is also the key to effective resource allocation and deployment. The level of segment aggregation is an increasingly important issue. In todays global economy, the ability to customize products and services often calls for the most micro of segments: the segment of one. Following and implementing a market segmentation strategy allows the firm to increase its profitability, as suggested by the classic price discrimination model, which provides the theoretical rationale for segmentation. The most common B2B segmentation techniques used by software companies are: SEGMENTING BY HORIZONTAL DISTINCTION A horizontal market is a market so diversified that its products and/or services are broad enough to meet the needs of multiple industries. The audience for horizontal markets shares characteristics across industries. Based on the scope of horizontal markets, the marketing efforts that support them must reach this spectrum of buyers and prospective buyers. Because horizontal markets are broad, marketers often segment them into subsets. These groups are typically based on demographic factors such as the prospects income, location or job title. Horizontal Segmentation Example To use telcos as an example they will even further segment their buyers and prospects to address specific needs. To increase sales of home Internet services, they can target a specific subgroup, such as senior citizens, low income users or parents with school-age children. SEGMENTING BY SIZE Because the demands of business-to-business customers are so polarized, a common tactic is to segment markets based on company size. Companies do this because the thinking and strategies behind a larger company is typically radically different from the approach of a smaller business. Larger businesses typically employ a more formal procurement process seeking the lowest bid possible. Small businesses tend to learn towards a more personal and inclusive type of business arrangement. Sometimes, leveraging basic information like the size of the company, its annual revenues, or the business own clientele roster will tell you how you may or may not work together. In some case you can be even more specific and count the number of installs of your software the company could potentially buy. Size Segmentation Examples   Targeting companies who see $500 million/year in revenue. Only targeting the largest companies in your region based on number of employees. I spent a long time in the contact center software space. We sold by number of agent seats. If a company had more than 500 agent seats they were enterprise and if they had less than 500 seats, they were mid-market. SEGMENTING BY VERTICAL If a product fulfills a common need thats widely seen across an industry then vertical segmenting is used. Ineffective for most consumer markets, vertical segmenting is an effective strategy when working with a niche product geared for a niche industry. Single industries like that and other industries commonly identified by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system are often identified as vertical segments. Determining the end function of business customer tells how and at what level in the supply chain a companys product will be used. And this knowledge drives how the company positions and marketsits product. Its a simple question how and by whom will my product be used? A hanger warehouse may only target companies in the retail industry, a graphic software firm may only target design departments or design houses, while a supply chain management developer may count freight companies among his prospects. Vertical Segmentation Examples   A navigation software vendor that only focus on the cruise or trucking industries. A gauge manufacturer that only services the automotive industry Selling exclusively to wholesalers in a vertical industry (combined segmenting) Identifying a department function within a larger corporation SEGMENTING BY GEOGRAPHY While geographic segmenting is often used to leverage characteristics shared by a population living in the same region, small businesses, those with capacity limitations, and consumer-driven companies often use geographic criteria to target prospects. As a Silicon Valley-based company, you may not be able to service prospects west of a designated time zone. Or even more specific, you may segment your prospects to a select number of surrounding zip codes. Very plainly, where are your customers concentrated? Once you understand this data, youll no longer want to focus on any other geographic information. These same criteria can (and should) be applied to other geographic factors including population growth rates, economic factors, and isolated spoken language. Geographical Segmentation Examples   Introducing a unique product for the same unique geographic segment. A promotional campaign targeting one region to increase sales. SEGMENTING BY BEHAVIOR Very simply, this segmenting targets prospect groups based on their buying behavior. How are your customers using your product, how often are they using it, and what is the challenge your prospects face? Those questions, coupled with the propensity of your prospect to actually pull the buy trigger, are the cornerstone of behavioral segmenting. Other behavioral segmenting rules may include brand loyalty, order sizes, and any purchase procedure requirements. Behavioral Segmentation Examples A software company that releases a product geared for early technology adopters. A travel agency targeting travelers who prefer vacationing during the Christmas holiday. Between 80 and 90% of software startups fail within the first three years, depending on how failure is defined. While they mostly run out of money, the root of the problem is often poor marketing, specifically poor segmenting and targeting. Most people think of marketing as promotion through events, advertising, social media, direct email, or viral methods. But those activities, correctly and collectively known as marketing communications, are the very last marketing activities that should be done. Marketing is better described as bringing the right product to the right market at the right price at the right place. If this function is executed poorly, nothing else matters and nothing else can be done to fix the problem. No amount of promotion or creative sales technique will save a company that practices poor segmenting and targeting. A common mistake, made by open source and proprietary software companies alike, is to create something and then look for a market that will buy it. The company that designs a product and then enters the market looking for a customer will struggle. The company that first asks potential customers about their most pressing problems and then designs a compelling product to solve one of these problems is far more likely to succeed, even more so if the problem is a priority to the customer. Unfortunately, software companies tend to have a technology bias rather than a market bias. Why do so many software companies get this wrong? And more importantly, what can they do to get it right, or at least as right as possible? There are a number of reasons why poor marketing is prevalent, including technology arrogance, lack of market information, indecision, and ignorance of segmenting and targeting. The latter is particularly common, and in open source and other software communities, it generally takes the form of creating differently priced product feature sets, licensing, and support packages for different target segments. That kind of segmenting only starts to be successful after a company becomes well established and has enough customers that meeting their differing needs becomes a priority. A new open source company trying to go to market for the first time should instead focus on developing a clear idea of who they are selling to, what their customers problems are and why the customers would use this product over any other. Pricing models should clearly serve t he needs and preferences of that single target. Ideally, a company should identify their target market and the value they bring to it before their product even enters the design stage. But that rarely happens. At a minimum, they should have a market in mind before they take the product to market. It is less important that the target market is the absolute right one than it is to have a target market that is more or less in the right direction. If there is no target to aim for, there is no way to measure progress or success. If there is no target market, it is impossible to build critical mass or penetration. And, trying to sell into multiple segments to see which one works the best usually fails as the company will run out of time and money before finding the answer. Segmentation Challenges In Business-To-Business Market Business-to-business markets are characterized in a number of ways that makes them very different to their consumer cousins. Below summarizedare the main differences between consumer and business-to-business markets, and set out the implications for segmentation: B2B markets have a more complex decision-making unit:  In most households, even the most complex and expensive of purchases are confined to the small family unit, while the purchase of items such as food, clothes and cigarettes usually involves just one person. Other than low-value, low-risk items such as paperclips, the decision-making unit in businesses is far more complicated. Segmenting a target audience that is at once multifaceted, complex, oblique and ephemeral is an extremely demanding task. Do we segment the companies in which these decision makers work, or do we segment the decision makers themselves? Do we identify one key decision maker per company, and segment the key decision makers. In short, who exactly is the target audience and whom should we be segmenting? B2B products are often more complex:  Just as the decision-making unit is often complex in business-to-business markets, so too are b2b products themselves. Even complex consumer purchases such as cars and stereos tend to be chosen on the basis of fairly simple criteria. Conversely, even the simplest of b2b products might have to be integrated into a larger system, making the involvement of a qualified expert necessary. Whereas consumer products are usually standardized, b2b purchases are frequently tailored. This raises the question as to whether segmentation is possible in such markets if every customer has complex and completely different needs, it could be argued that we have a separate segment for every single customer. In most business-to-business markets, a small number of key customers are so important that they rise above the segmentation and are regarded as segments in their own right, with a dedicated account manager. Beneath these key customers, however, lies an array of companies that have similar and modest enough requirements to be grouped into segments. B2B target audiences are smaller than consumer target audiences:  Almost all business-to-business markets exhibit a customer distribution that confirms the Pareto Principle or 80:20 rule. A small number of customers dominate the sales ledger. Nor are we talking thousands and millions of customers. It is not unusual, even in the largest business-to-business companies, to have 100 or fewer customers that really make a difference to sales. Personal relationships are more important in b2b markets:  A small customer base that buys regularly from the business-to-business supplier is relatively easy to talk to. Sales and technical representatives visit the customers. People are on first-name terms. Personal relationships and trust develop. It is not unusual for a business-to-business supplier to have customers that have been loyal and committed for many years. There are a number of segmentation implications here. First, while the degree of relationship focus may vary from one segmentation to another, most segments in most b2b markets demand a level of personal service. This raises an issue at the core of segmentation everyone may want a personal relationship, but who is willing to pay for it? This is where the supplier must make firm choices, deciding to offer a relationship only to those who will pay the appropriate premium for it. On a practical level, it also means that market research must be conducted to provide a full understanding of exactly what relationship comprises. To a premium segment, it may consist of regular face-to-face visits, whilst to a price-conscious segment a quarterly phone call may be adequate. B2B buyers are longer-term buyers:  Whilst consumers do buy items such as houses and cars, which are long-term purchases, these incidences are relatively rare. Long-term purchases or at least purchases, which are expected to be repeated over a long period of time are more common in business-to-business markets. In addition, the long-term products and services required by businesses are more likely to require service back up from the supplier than is the case in consumer markets. A computer network, a new item of machinery, a photocopier or a fleet of vehicles usually require far more extensive aftersales service than a house or the single vehicle purchased by a consumer. Businesses repeat purchases (machine parts, office consumables, for example) will also require ongoing expertise and services in terms of delivery, implementation/installation advice, etc that are less likely to be demanded by consumers. In one sense this makes life easier in terms of segmentation. Segments tend to be less subject to whim or rapid change, meaning that once an accurate segmentation has been established, it evolves relatively slowly and is therefore a durable strategic tool. The risk of this is that business-to-business marketers can be complacent and pay inadequate attention to the changing needs and characteristics of customers over time. This can have grave consequences in terms of the profitability of a segment, as customers are faced with out-of-date messages or benefits that they are not paying for. B2B markets drive innovation less than consumer markets:  B2B companies that innovate usually do so as a response to an innovation that has happened further upstream. In contrast with FMCG companies, they have the comparative luxury of responding to trends rather than having to predict or even drive them. In other words, B2B companies have the time to continually re-evaluate their segments and CVPs and respond promptly to the evolving needs of their clients. B2B markets have fewer behavioral and needs-based segments:  The small number of segments typical to b2b markets is in itself a key distinguishing factor of business-to-business markets. A review of over 2,500 business-to-business studies shows that B2B markets typically have far fewer behavioral or needs-based segments than is the case with consumer markets. Whereas it is not uncommon for an FMCG market to boast 10, 12 or more segments, the average business-to-business study typically produces 3 or 4. Part of the reason for this is the smaller target audience in business-to-business markets. In a consumer market with tens of thousands of potential customers, it is practical and economical to divide the market into 10 or 12 distinguishable segments, even if several of the segments are only separated by small nuances of behavior or need. This is patently not the case when the target audience consists of a couple of hundred business buyers. The main reason for the smaller number of segments, however, is simply that a business audiences behavior or needs vary less than that of a (less rational) consumer audience. Whims, insecurities, indulgences and so on are far less likely to come to the buyers mind when the purchase is for a place of work rather than for oneself or a close family member. And the numerous colleagues who get involved in a B2B buying decision, and the workplace norms established over time, filter out many of the extremes of behavior that may otherwise manifest themselves if the decision were left to one person with no accountability to others. It is noticeable that the behavioral and needs-based segments that emerge in business-to-business markets are frequently similar across different industries. Needs-based segments in a typical business-to business market often resemble the following: A price-focused segment, which has a transactional outlook to doing business and does not seek any extras. Companies in this segment are often small, working to low margins and regard the product/service in question as of low strategic importance to their business. A quality and brand-focused segment, which wants the best possible product and is prepared to pay for it. Companies in this segment often work to high margins, are medium-sized or large, and regard the product/service as of high strategic importance. A service-focused segment, which has high requirements in terms of product quality and range, but also in terms of aftersales, delivery, etc. These companies tend to work in time-critical industries and can be small, medium or large. They are usually purchasing relatively high volumes. A partnership-focused segment usually consists of key accounts, which seeks trust and reliability and regards the supplier as a strategic partner. Such companies tend to be large, operate on relatively high margins, and regard the product or service in question as strategically important. Some Common Traps of Segmenting Customers Segmentation is the action not the objective Segmentation has to stem from clear objectives and strategy. All too many businesses are still picking through the leftovers of static, research-based segmentation projects based on little more than executive philosophy. With no financial modeling to back them up, no wonder these projects failed. The Smart Marketers Handbook (circa 1970) may well say segment or die but that doesnt mean segmentation works or that it has to be the same for every business. Too big to handle To make segmentation easy to grasp, its all too tempting to split the marketplace into a few simple customer segments. For instance, five to ten segments makes it all straightforward enough for a business to understand, and large enoughà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨to allow economies of scale in product development. However, its no help with customer management or value engineering. After all, for any large business, some of the segments could contain millions of consumers. Thats hardly getting close to the customer! The frozen state Another key requirement of most legacy segmentation approaches is stability. If an organization is going to create a few large segments and develop propositions for them, the last thing they want is a customer jumping from one segment to another. That means segments are designed to be static, or frozen. Businessesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨can then measure performance over time and be confident about returnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨on investment. But the awkward customers keep getting in the way. They will insist on changing: age, jobs, homes, marital status, parental status, consumption to name but a few. Fixed state segmentation fails to reflect the dynamic behavior of customers and becomes increasingly irrelevant in marketing campaigns. Problems with referencing Market research can be a wonderful thing, but when an individual focus is needed it becomes less helpful. Unfortunately, many companies rush into segmentation by starting with market research. Customers and prospective customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨are asked what they want, need and do, and the research project then builds segmentation models. However, once a company starts referencing these segments back to the existing and prospective customer databases it hits some serious problems: The only way to create references, within the rules of the Marketing Research Society on respondent anonymity, is to set up algorithms using common data and recreates the segments on the database. However, if you didnt start with the database itself, there will be very few common items to draw upon. The scoring process therefore becomes very unsophisticated and insensitive, and the chance of placing more than 50% of customers into the right segments with anything above 70% probability are quite slim. That means companies can spend years (and millions) picking up the pieces. The solution is to start with your own data, and any data from a third party, to build the segmentation upwards. Once youve identified the key variables, then you can do the market research. Differentiation or just different colored envelops? The best segmentation framework in the world will still not deliver a return if a business cannot conceive and execute worthwhile strategies. After all, whats the point in having segments if the customer experience is hardly different across each one? All too often organizations think the best use of segmentation is in creating different communications for different groups of people. Frankly, if thats the only reason for segmentation, its not worth the expense. It creates minimal difference, and wont justify the cost. At the end of the day segmentation can only pay for itself by delivering lower conversion costs, higher prices and improved margins. True segmentation means different propositions for different customer groups, not just different colored envelopes in their direct mail. Poor resource allocation and ROI assessment All too often organizations allocate resources by product or business function. Yet if you are serious about segmentation, you need to follow a scientific method to allocate resources and assess returns across different segments. One challenge to this is, of course, the fact that segments are not stable. How can you allocate suitable resources if customers shift segments? The answer for many organizations is to only segment at the macro level, for example: By geography By sector By consumer / B2B Segment bleed this sector is not for you Segmentation may look good on paper, but customers are forever breaking out of their segments. If someone from the Medium Size segment takes a shine to a proposition developed for Small Size Segment, you dont want to turn their business down. Yet this can ultimately damage a brand, particularly in a mature market. Segmentation isnt monotheism Segmentation is most powerful when it addresses a specific problem. Moreover, as most businesses face many problems, segmentation must be multi-dimensional. Value, needs, behavior, product, demographics, customer state, preference, credit segmentation can take any number of approaches, making your organization as flexible as possible to meet business challenges. One hurdle to overcome is the senior executives preference for simpler, easy to understand concepts. Todays marketer has to be able to explain and demonstrate the benefits of multi-dimensionality against seductively simpler segmentation. Some examples of failed products because of faulty segmentation: BPL Contributor Jim Lawless. The product BPL Batch Programming Language Interpreter. Why it was judged a commercial failure I sold about 10 copies. What went wrong I didnt really do enough research to find out if the target market was in existence. I was hoping that network admins and support staff members would find it easier to use than batch files and less complicated than any of the free scripting language options available. So, I just rushed to get the MVP  [1]  (Minimum Viable Product) out the door. I never did provide a compiler that would build a stand-alone EXE. I think that might have met with more success. I didnt do much as far as advertising the existence of the product. Time/money invested I only spent a few weeks coding and documenting it in my spare time. Support issues sometimes took a whole evening, but nothing major. It did not have any impact on my finances, as I had invested nothing but my time. Current product status I will still address support issues with this product for registered users, but I dont actively sell it. Ive open-sourced the program and it still really isnt seeing heavy use. Comments: Here the contributor does recognize that there was a need for a proper market analysis before investing time and efforts in developing the product. The product developed did not have a clear market to cater to and had some essential features missing which the segment to which it was marketed needed. Another reason for the failure of the product could be that it was focused on a very small niche. DRAMA Contributor Andy Brice. The product DRAMA (Design RAtionaleMAnagement) was a commercialization of a University prototype for recording the decision-making process during the design of complex and long-lived artifacts, for example nuclear reactors and chemical plants. By recording it in a structured database this information would still be available long after the original engineers had forgotten it, retired or been run over by buses. This information was believed to be incredibly valuable to later maintainers of the system, engineers creating similar designs and industry regulators. The development was part funded by 4 big process-engineering companies. Why it was judged a commercial failure Everyone told us what a great idea it was, but no one bought it. Despite some early funding from some big process engineering companies, none of them put it into use properly and we never sold any licenses to anyone else. What went wrong? Lack of support from the people who would actually have to use it. There are lots of social factors that work against engineers wanting to record their design rationale, including: The person taking the time to record the rationale probably isnt the person getting the benefit from it. Extra work for people who are already under a lot of time pressure. It might make it easier for others to question decisions and hold companies and engineers accountable for mistakes. Engineers may see giving away this knowledge as undermining their job security. Problems integrating with the other software tools that engineers spend most of their time in (e.g. CAD packages). This would probably be easier with modern web-based technology. It is difficult to capture the subtleties of the design process in a structured form. A bad hire. If you hire the wrong person, you should face up to it and get rid of them. Rather than keep moving them around in a vain attempt to find something they are good at. We took a phased approach, starting with a single-user proof of concept and then creating a client-server version. In hindsight it should have been obvious that not enough people were actively using the single-user system and we should have killed it then. Time/money invested At least 3 man-years of work went into this product, with me doing most of it. Thankfully I was a salaried employee. But the lack of success of this product contributed to the demise of the part of the company I was in. Current product status The product is long dead. Comments: In addition to what the entrepreneur mentioned about what went wrong with the product, we can see that the early adopters (4 companies) are not stable customers. From what the entrepreneur has mentioned, it does seem that the four big companies were approached without having a product. How do you measure the effectiveness of the segmentation process? Net Marketing Contribution Marketing profitability is based on an investment in marketing and sales required to achieve certain levels of sales and gross margins. Net marketing contribution is a financial measure of marketing profitability and is computed as shown below: Net Marketing Contribution = Segment Size x Market Share within Segment x Product Price x Product Margin Marketing Expenditure Net Marketing Contribution for Segment NMC for segment = Segment Size x Market Share within Segment x Product Price x Product Margin Marketing Expenditure Marketing Return on Sales for segment = NMC for segment/Sales for Segment Marketing ROI for Segment = NMC for Segment/ Marketing Expenditure for Segment How exactly are companies segmenting? The trends in the product development process of companies as per our survey results is shown below If we see the result according to the size of the respondent companies the small and medium companies show the below trend The large companies showed the below trend The two most important factors when deciding a segment for all the companies were the value proposition fit and then the revenue potential of the segment, the size of the segment in terms of importance came after the aforementioned factors. The general trend across companies shows that Vertical and Horizontal segmentation are the most important basis for targeting segments, the next most important basis is the size of the clients. However, there is a clear variation in this trend according to the size of the companies. For the large companies the most important basis for targeting segments is the business vertical, Horizontal distinction and size of the clients share the position of being sec

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

James Joyces Araby - Lack of Insight in Araby :: Joyce Dubliners Araby Essays

Araby – Lack of Insight  Ã‚   Readers of "Araby" often focus on the final scene as the key to the story. They assume the boy experi ­ences some profound insight about himself when he gazes "up into the darkness." I believe, however, that the boy sees nothing and learns nothing--either about himself or others. He's not self- reflective; he's merely self-absorbed. The evidence supporting this interpretation is the imagery of blindness and the ironic point of view of the narrator. There can seem to be a profound insight at the end of the story only if we empathize with the boy and adopt his point of view. In other words, we must assume that the young boy is narrating his own story. But if the real narrator is the grown man looking back at his early adolescence, then it becomes pos ­sible to read the narrative as ironic and to see the boy as confused and blind. The story opens and closes with images of blindness. The street is "blind" with an "uninhabited house†¦ at the blind end." As he spies on Mangan's sister, from his own house, the boy intentionally limits what he is able to see by lowering the "blind" until it is only an inch from the window sash. At the bazaar in the closing scene, the "light was out," and the upper part of the hall was "completely dark." The boy is left "gazing up into the darkness," seeing nothing but an inner torment that burns his eyes. This pattern of imagery includes images of reading, and reading stands for the boy's inability to understand what is before his eyes. When he tries to read at night, for exam ­ple, the girl's "image [comes] between him and the page," in effect blinding him. In fact, he seems blind to everything except this "image" of the "brown-clad figure cast by [his] imagination." The girl's "brown-clad figure" is also associated with the houses on "blind" North Richmond Street, with their "brown imperturbable faces." The houses stare back at the boy, unaffected by his presence and gaze. The most important face he tries and fails to read belongs to Mangan's sister. His description of her and interpretation of the few words she says to him can be seen as fur ­ther evidence of his blindness. He sees only what he wants to see, the "image" he has in his mind's eye.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Oracle

How is the IKEA operations design different from that of most furniture retail operations? IKEA is known as one of the world’s largest furniture retailer that focuses highly on cost control, operational process and product development. IKEA differentiates itself from most furniture retailers by offering a wide range of well designed array of home furniture at very attractive prices that remain affordable to a large group of diverse customers. There are some unique features of IKEA as compared to most furniture retail stores (IKEA, 2012) Self – Service’ (minimal service or influence from sales person) Details of all products are made ubiquitous in the showroom thus making sales assistance unnecessary which this in return helps to reduce the hiring cost of labor. Layout of Products (product exposure) Ikea stores are designed in a one-way ‘walk-through layout’ that requires customers to be exposed to the entire products which is unlike from most furnitu re retail stores where by customers may choose to go directly to the section they preferred.Hence, the flow allows increased efficiency from entering the showroom, selecting of products to lastly making payments. Furniture Most of Ikea products are self – assembled products, this helps to reduce the costs of shipping as higher volume of bulk packaging can be done. Unlike most furniture retail stores where free delivery and assembly is given, additional charges apply if fixing of product is required by the customers. Lastly, four dimensions of operations (Volume, Variety, Variation and Visibility) will be used to determine the differences between IKEA operations to that of most furniture retail stores.High Volume – IKEA’s operations are of very large scale, major land space and huge car parks are developed to cater to all customers, everything about the design of IKEA’s operations encourages high volume of throughput as compared to most furniture retail st ores (IKEA, 2012). High Variety of product but Low Variety of service – The variety of products showcase in IKEA is much more than most furniture retail stores, from small items such as kitchen appliances to large items such as tables.However, as far as the variety of service is concerned it is relatively narrow. Most products are self – assembled and there is no sales person to provide any service to the customers, leaving themselves to figure out and make their own decision for the purchase. High Variation on demand – Public holidays and weekends usually attracts more crowded as compared to normal week days, hence result in high variation.However, there will not be any difficulty of getting part-time staff into IKEA during the peak period as the operations in IKEA are well designed. Unlike most retail store which require staff with specific expertise that requires time to hire. Low Visibility – Customer contact is high in certain extend, but overall it is lower than most furniture retail stores considering most of the things are done (‘self-service’) solely by the customers from the start till it reaches the point of payment where it is also a standardized process by IKEA.This ultimately reduces the costs of the transaction as far as IKEA is concerned. What do you think might be the major problems in running an operation like IKEA? Having such huge variety and high volume of product being transacted, it may be tough for them to manage the inventory for all items. Shipping of high volume bulk items may take time and IKEA may face stock-out period, hence their operations planning has to be done and calculated accurately.As all sales are done on ‘self-serviced’ manner, it may not create a great shopping experience as compared to most retail stores where sales person are able to cater a more specific and unique first-hand experience to all customers to create loyalty. Lastly, IKEA being the largest furniture retailer require a lot of natural material such as wood, which may harm the global environment (IKEA, 2012). Reference IKEA (2012) Our Vision and Business Idea. Available at: http://www. ikea. com/ms/en_SG/about_ikea/the_ikea_way/our_business_idea/index. html (Accessed 29 January 2013)

Friday, November 8, 2019

Senior Americans - Living Past 90 in the U.S.A.

Senior Americans - Living Past 90 in the U.S.A. Americas population of persons aged 90-and-older has almost tripled since 1980, reaching 1.9 million in 2010 and will continue to increase to more than 7.6 million over the next 40 years, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau. If you think government benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare are financially strained now, just wait. In August 2011, the Centers for Disease Control reported that Americans are now living longer and dying less than ever before. As a result, people 90 and over now make up 4.7% of all people 65 and older, as compared with only 2.8% in 1980. By 2050, projects the Census Bureau, the 90 and over share will reach 10 percent. Traditionally, the cutoff age for what is considered the oldest old has been age 85, said Census Bureau demographer Wan He in a press release, but increasingly people are living longer and the older population itself is getting older. Given its rapid growth, the 90-and-older population merits a closer look. The Threat to Social Security A closer look to say the least. The great threat to the long-term survival of Social Security - the Baby Boomers drew their very first Social Security check on February 12, 2008. Over the next 20 years, more than 10,000 Americans a day will become eligible for Social Security benefits. Millions of these Boomers will retire, begin collecting monthly social security checks and go on Medicare. For decades before the Baby Boomers, about 2.5 million babies a year were born in the United States. Starting in 1946, that figure jumped to 3.4 million. New births peaked from 1957 to 1961 with 4.3 million births a year. It was that spurt that produced the 76 million Baby Boomers. In December 2011, the Census Bureau reported that the Baby Boomers had become the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. The inconvenient and unavoidable truth is that the longer Americans live, the faster the Social Security system runs out of money. That sad day, unless Congress changes the way Social Security works, is now estimated to come in 2042. The minimum age to begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits is 62. Medicare coverage, which covers about 80 percent of basic healthcare, begins automatically at age 65. Persons who wait until age 67 to apply for Social Security currently receive about 30 percent higher benefits than those who retire at 62. It pays to wait. 90 Not Necessarily the New 60 According to findings in the Census American Community Survey report, 90 in the United States: 2006-2008, living well into ones 90s may not necessarily be a decade at the beach.A majority of people 90 and over live alone or in nursing homes and reported having at least one physical or mental disability. In keeping with long-standing trends, more women than men are living into their 90s, but tend to have higher rates of widowhood, poverty, and disability than women in their eighties. Older Americans chances of requiring nursing home care also increase rapidly with advancing age. While only about 1% of people in their upper 60s and 3% in their upper 70s live in nursing homes, the proportion jumps to about 20% for those in their lower 90s, more than 30% for people in their upper 90s, and nearly 40% for persons 100 and over. Sadly, old age and disability still go hand-in-hand. According to census data, 98.2% of all people in their 90s who lived in a nursing home had a disability and 80.8% of people in their 90s who did not live in a nursing home also had one or more disabilities. Overall, the proportion of people age 90 to 94 having disabilities is more than 13 percentage points higher than that of 85- to 89-year-olds. The most common types of disabilities reported to the Census Bureau included difficulty doing errands alone and performing general mobility-related activities like walking or climbing stairs. Money Over 90? During 2006-2008, the inflation-adjusted median income of people 90 and over was $14,760, almost half (47.9%) of which came from Social Security. Income from retirement pension plans accounted for another 18.3% of income for persons in their 90s. Overall, 92.3% of people 90 and older received Social Security benefit income. In 2206-2008, 14.5% of people 90 and older reported living in poverty, compared to only 9.6% of people 65-89 years old. Almost all (99.5%) of all people 90 and older had health insurance coverage, mainly Medicare. Far More Surviving Women Over 90 than Men According to 90 in the United States: 2006-2008, women surviving into their 90s outnumber men by a ratio of almost three to one. For every 100 women between ages 90 to 94, there were only 38 men. For every 100 women ages 95 to 99, the number of men dropped to 26, and for every 100 women 100 and older, only 24 men. In 2006-2008, half of men 90 and older lived in a household with family members and/or unrelated individuals, less than one-third lived alone, and about 15 percent were in an institutionalized living arrangement such as a nursing home. In contrast, less than one-third of women in this age group lived in a household with family members and/or unrelated individuals, four in 10 lived alone, and another 25% were in institutionalized living arrangements.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Participles Fused and Otherwise

Participles Fused and Otherwise Participles Fused and Otherwise Participles Fused and Otherwise By Maeve Maddox If you dont know what a fused participle is, read on. The present participle is the form of the English verb that ends in ing: walk walked walking To function as a verb, the present participle must be used with an auxiliary verb: Jack is repairing the roof. Used without an auxiliary verb, the participle retains some shadow of its verbal origin, but functions as other parts of speech. participle functioning as adjective: Mr. Jones is a loving husband. participle introducing participial phrase: Sitting by the window, I watched the parade. (The phrase is adjectival, describing I) participle functioning as a noun: The ing participle form can also be used as a noun. In that case it gets a new name and is called a gerund. Gerunds Gardening is my favorite hobby. (noun, subject of is) He likes shooting skeet. (noun, object of likes) He loves to talk about hunting. (noun, object of the preposition about) Do you mind my asking a question? (noun, object of mind) NOTE on Example 4: If I had written Do you mind me asking a question, many of my readers would be quick to scold me for having written a sentence containing a fused participle. Fused participles The term fused participle is credited to H.W. Fowler, who hated them. Heres the definition from the OED: fused participle a participle regarded as being joined grammatically with a preceding noun or pronoun, rather than as a gerund that requires the possessive, or as an ordinary participle qualifying the noun. The fused participle resides in the same category as the split infinitive: some writers abhor it and will avoid it any cost, while others recognize that, sometimes, defusing a fused participle is worse than leaving it alone. My practice is to use a possessive noun or pronoun before a gerund in a sentence like the one above. If the result is ugly or nonsensical, I figure out how to rewrite the sentence without using the -ing word. Speaking is another matter. In conversation I probably fuse participles all over the place. Some views regarding the fused participle: H. W. Fowler David Rusinoff (click on fused participle in the frame) American Heritage Book of English Usage Columbia Guide to Standard American English William Safire Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Passed vs PastCapitalization Rules for Names of Historical Periods and MovementsLetter Writing 101

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Choice of Accounting as a Career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

Choice of Accounting as a Career - Essay Example This essay declares that the role of accountants in the industries have changed significantly but the previous researches reveal that information about the same have not reached young career aspirants whereby the old perceptions about accounting profession as a non-innovative, non-technical and boring profession still prevails. These researches further add that while lucrative pay packets & job security have led to more aspirants choosing accounting majors, the gap in communication about the duties & responsibilities about accounting profession may lead to major surprises by students in the industry thus resulting in risks of drop outs & change of profession. This paper makes a conclusion that tThe modern industry requires large number of good quality accountants and the supply is still alarmingly inadequate. In this context, a short survey has been carried out to assess the level of awareness about accounting profession among young career aspirants and the factors that motivate them to choose accounting as their career. It was observed that unlike the outcome of some researches carried out in the early years of this millennium, the awareness about accounting profession among students is very high given that at very early stage of their education they are very clear about choosing accounting as their profession and also about the professional qualification that they aspire to achieve to nurture their respective careers in accounting.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Marriage and Sexuality by Saint Paul Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marriage and Sexuality by Saint Paul - Essay Example Somehow, St. Paul, in his Epistle, appears to be arguing against people’s entering into marital union, as marriage and sex, according to him, push humans away from spiritual uplift. It is therefore St. Paul supports the idea of refraining from sexual activities, including marriage, to remain committed to religious activities and the service of church only. Since hunger and sex serve as two basic human instincts, and it is hard for humans to completely avoid any of the two, the Lord has taught the manners to satisfy both the instincts according to His holy commandments. â€Å"The Bible presents marriage as a divine institution. If marriage were of human origin, then human beings would have a right to decide the kind of marital relationships to choose. Marriage, however, began with God. It was established by God at the beginning of human history when He "created the heavens and the earth†. It is therefore the Scripture declares marriage as a sacred association between man and woman due to the very reality that it not only satisfies the carnal desires of the humans in an adequate manner, but also gives birth to the concept of family and blood relationship in its wake. Marriage is actually a sacred way to carry on nature’s system of sending new generations to replace the old ones that has been the order of the day as well as law of nature since man’s arrival on the face of the earth. Further, marriage keeps the souls pious and save the individuals from going astray by getting indulged into lustful activities including adultery, fornication, sodomy, rape and other forms of immorality and indecency; as the Bible states that â€Å"having one’s own husband or wife should keep one from doing something immoral.† ... adultery, fornication, sodomy, rape and other forms of immorality and indecency; as the Bible states that â€Å"having one’s own husband or wife should keep one from doing something immoral.† (Corinthians, 7:2) Additionally, the children produced out of the wedlock also enjoy the status of legitimate offspring, where they maintain social position and respect, and share in the inheritance of their parents. Besides, children also carry on the mission and talent of their parents, which is equally beneficial for the humanity at large. Moreover, children are also recognized as belonging to some particular caste, clan, tribe, ethnicity, religion and family. Consequently, they are the responsibility of their parents, and society can force them to feed, clothe and protect them according to their income and resources. Somehow, St. Paul, through Corinthians 7, considers celibacy and maintenance of virginity as the most admirable thing. The Epistle views marriage as a burden on th e very back of the individuals, which drifts them far away from their spiritual duties and obligations. Hence, married people get involved into worldly pursuits and run amuck after pelf, property, power and possessions in order to feed their family and brought up the young ones in a better way. Since materialism and spirituality are absolutely two contradictory issues, pursuit of one creates and increases distance from the other. Corinthians 7:25-27 vehemently suggest the men and women to avoid marriage and sex, as it is superior to getting involved into sexual activity. Although, according to St. Paul, the Lord has not forbidden it, yet he himself recommends celibacy as it is (spiritually) better than marriage. Control of carnal desires is certainly more blissful than displaying them to one’s