Female Nudity or Male Nudity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Female Nudity or Male Nudity - Research Paper Example Regulations against nudity have primarily gone a notch higher with the FCC and the MPA putting much emphasis on what cannot be said or seen on television. The rules have become tighter with every television programme forced to adhere to these rules. The FCC generally controls the airwaves making sure that what is aired is consumer friendly and has a positive impact on the loyal viewers. The FCC has laid down concrete rules against the use of profane language that might be seen to be a nuisance to the viewers. On what can be aired on television, the FCC has strong rules against pornography and sexual scenes and any other scenes with even brief traces of nudity suggesting that such thing can lead to viewer boycotts and other media controversies (Eisenach & Randolph 145). The need for a rating system is to work hand-in-hand with the parents and informing them what the movies are really about so that the parents can make informed decisions on whether to allow their children access to such movies or not. The MPAA has significantly failed in its role and has just made decisions, which have sometimes been seen as politically manipulated. The principal role of the MPA should be to simply uphold a genuine rating system. The MPA has always rated films according to the themes that they portray, violence, drug abuse and language have been some of the themes that the MPA has emphasized on but, one theme that has had the most attention is nudity with the MPA treating films with this theme more severely compared to other themes (History of Cinema 21). It is evident from the regulations of both the FCC and the MPA that nudity has been given no chance. Both organizations have a strong stand against it and they generally cannot stand nudity. This, however, is unfair, as we have witnessed a rather biased approach towards nudity as compared to other themes on television and in the motion pictures. Male nudity has

Micro case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Micro - Case Study Example Monopolies are given the rights to be the only firms in operation as a result of various barriers to entry into the industry. The major barriers are permits or licenses, ownership of key resources, copyrights and patents, high start up cost and being offered subsidies. Monopolies may also come across barriers in going out of the market, whereby they are restricted from exit from the market if they are responsible for producing an important product. (Musgrave et al, 41). If a government concludes that products manufactured or provided by such firms are indispensable for the benefit of citizens then such monopoly could be halted from exiting because it improves the living standards of people. Monopolies are also characterized by being in charge of technological knowhow used in production or information, which is not available to potential competitors. In addition to this, monopolistic enterprises might have some information or technology, which is not known to others. The technology or information may or may not be solely owned and it could even be a secret formula, which could be a unique way of producing the distinctive product, which will leave other firms in no position to produce the same The key source of a monopoly are the hurdles to entry, which originate from sources such as ownership of key resources and patents, whereby the government may give individual firms the exclusive rights to produce some products. Therefore, production costs will make the only producer more proficient compared to a large group of producers, which will be forced to go out of the market (Musgrave et al, 21). The government can regulate a monopoly so as to prevent heightened prices in a market, and this is achieved by setting the average price of products. The main drawback is that at times the regulated prices are below average the total costs incurred, which means that prices are lower than the producer’s average total costs, and in such cases, a firm

Business Responses to the Global Economic Crisis

Business Responses to the Global Economic Crisis Global Economic crisis began in 2008 and has drawn a great amount of blood from the financial sector of both developed and developing economy. Under usual circumstances the fall of one will result in rise of another economy. But with GFC the mighty economies has fallen and the developing economies has reached stagnation stage in their growth. UK is one of the economies that are affected by the crisis above the moderate level but not as serious as USA. Economic recovery is taking place all around the world and UK is one among them. Beginning of British economy slowdown was marked when the Northern Rock bank was forced to apply to the Bank of England for emergency financial support on 13thSeptember 2007. The British economy went to serious slowdown in 2008 3rd quarter (Authers, 2012). The economy temporarily exited it in the 4thquarter of 2009, only to enter a double dip recession in the first quarter of 2012 (Office for National Statistics, 2012). The present statement from Bank of England regarding the robust recovery is positive news for the market. The present president of bank Mr Mark Carney has devised a good plan to bring the economy out of recession. As a result of the concentrated efforts from Bank of England the growth has shown a steady rise. The present policies taken by the policy determining panel are being analysed through the viewpoint of the banks new forward guidance† policy. This new policy has given the markets, business and individuals a control over the interest rates of coming months . The rate of interest is now kept at an all-time low in order to pump more money into the market. Another sign of recovery is the revival of housing industry, thanks to the â€Å"help to buy† policy of government. The increase found in number of mortgage approvals for house purchase is a testimony of this fact. Bank of England strongly believes that monetary stimulus is found to be considerable and the investors have started showing confidence in market and overall sentiment is confident and positive. Growth will be stable and economy will be recovering just simply with this stimulus if the economy of Britain is an isolated one. But this is not so as the economy is linked with various economies of world. The stability of trading partners is an essential prerequisite for staging a sustained growth. The imbalance between export and domestic usage of production also point towards the greater risk of a double dip as similar to one that happened in 2009-10. The present growth rate of 3% is not a high figure under normal circumstances. But considering the slow growth of allied economies tis could be viewed as a robust growth According to Mark Carney new policy unemployment reduction is target of the current policy. The interest rates will be kept low till the unemployment drops from 7.7 to 7%. The recovery of economy is greatly dependent on the financial stability of both workers and companies. HRM policies have a significant role to play in this resurrection of economy. Studies show that half of the working population are into the job not because they love doing the present job but because they do not have another job to pursue. Hence when the economy is recovering they will move out in search for better job. This leaves their primary employer stranded. Good HR Management strategy is to be kept in place to ensure that the best are retained and worst are laid off as the economy recovers. This is a critical role of HRM in recovery period of economy. The productivity of employee determines the profitability of a company. The salary paid to an employee during recession time was above the contribution made by him in monetary terms. This could hamper the growth prospects of economy because with such a structure of pay he will be spending more than what he produce giving rise to economic instability. It is the function of HRM to bring out parity between the productivity and income so that growth of economy will not be affected. Similarly another factor that determines the production level of every employee is the motivation levels. Prior to recession time companies have spent well on employee engagement programme. During the recession time they had to cut down the cost and this was an area that became scapegoat of cut down. In the recovery period it is essential to keep employees from different cultures motivated. This can provide sufficient propulsion for growth programme. HR team has to look for cost cutting but viable option like flexible working time for its employees so that operational cost can be brought down significantly. Research shows that during the recession time the stress level of employees were very high. The permanency of their job was a concern for all of them. The stress levels need to be brought down to normal level in order to get the best output from each of them. This will help a lot in improving recovery rate of economy. Another contribution needed from HR team for a recovering economy would be to manage the sudden demand from employees for salary hike. A company based out of UK will find it difficult to hike the salary of their employees in another country which is not it by recession as the parent company lies in a recession hit economy. The pay of many employees was frozen for a long period. The employees who shared the pain of recession expect that they will be rewarded for their sufferings with a serious hike. But the growth rate of 3 % is not that robust enough to facilitate a pay hike for all of them. This will result in elevated level of grievance. Negative sentiment created in the mind of work force can create reduction in productivity which ultimately affect growth rate. It is the role of IHRM team to contain the angst of these people, in UK and abroad, and make them realise the situation and bring them to the main stream of production without any angst. Skill shortage among employees is a serious area of concern in this period of economic recovery. But no significant investment is, made on training front as measure of cost cutting. The concentration on skill development needs to be improved to stage good performance in recover period. Britain’s economy as well as world economy is on a recovery mode and the new policy implemented by new president of bank of England is taking the economy in the right direction. The HRM activities have a significant role to play in improving the economic conditions. The productivity is directly related to man power and their mind set. Keeping them ready and fit for growth is the task in the hands of HRM teams all around the globe. Reduction in human capital cost without compromising on motivation level would be the target of HRM teams all around the world. Inflation and interest rates are closely related and determine the health of economy. Too high levels of both the factors portray the poor health of economy. Inflation always follows good economic growth. Theoretical speaking inflation is caused when too much money is chasing too few goods in market. The money inflow into the market takes place when the population of a country is paid well. Inflation rate will be low in an economy where employment levels are low. The new policy of bank of England to keep a control over the hike of interest rates has shown good sentiments in market. The bank is planning to keep the interest rate on borrowings fixed at all-time low of 0.5 % till the level of unemployment fall to 7%. This ensures that sufficient money is available for entrepreneurs to invest and there by generating more employment. If things goes as expected more employment will produce more salaried person and hence more spending. This will set up the ideal stage for inflation to enter the economy. Under usual circumstances the enhanced money flow into the market will create a condition where domestic production is low but expenditure is high. All this boils down to too much money chasing few goods. The vicious circle of inflation is kicked off by these events. Increased money flow in the market will force the controlling financial institution to hike interest rate. The hike in interest rate will dampen economic growth .as the above mentioned e vents unfold the economy gets crippled and falls back to period of under growth. The bank of England’s feels that the possibility of an inflation-induced, economy-crippling rise in interest rates over the next couple of years is not in line of sight. According to them there are plenty of gaps it the economy and this will prevent setting up of the vicious circle of inflation. By definition, output falls in a recession. At the same time, it is common for some people to lose their jobs or to reduce their hours of work. The path of labor productivity in a recession is determined by the relative sizes of the falls in output and total hours worked. The bank strongly believes that the productivity and efficiency of workers will improve and the extra demand for goods and services could be met by the same working population producing more in for same salary. The data of Britain’s productivity do not justify bank of England’s claim. Off late in Q2 and Q3 0f 2013 productivity failed to touch 100%. This is a point of concern. Many reasons are there for the fall in productivity. Usually under periods of recession employees are supposed to work more in fear of termination. But the companies have preferred to hold on to nonperforming employees in order to avoid rehiring and retaining them once recession ends. This is presently creating a class of lazy work force. The real wages of employees are falling and this prompts the employer to move forward with more labor intensive methods of production and hence affecting the productivity. Data from Office of National statistics reveals an alarming picture of Britain’s working population. It shows that British workers are less productive than before the recession. In 2012 the countrys output per worker was 19% below the average for the rest of the major industrialized economies, while output per hour was 16% lower. The present policy of increasing the rate of interest rate when unemployment falls under 7% needs to be scanned properly. If the percentage of unemployment is the driving force for deciding interest rates the there is a serious problem at hand. With the present system economy is relying on falling real wages rather than improved productivity. The percentage of unemployment is falling and this is not by virtue of growth of economy but due to falling real wages. The reduced cost of hiring has led the employers to hire more thereby reducing unemployment percentage. According to above discussed data the number of employed person are increasing without productivity improvement. This will result in inflation as consumption is increased due to more umber of salaried person at the same time no improvement is achieved in the productivity. The reduced level of unemployment along with inflation will prompt bank to increase interest rate. Data shows that in 2013 the indebtness of British people is 140% of their salary and the debt is not distributed evenly among working population. Any hike in interest rate will result in many of the borrowers defaulting their payments on mortgages. Finally this will result in dampening of economic growth as the hike in interest rate is based out of unrealistic assumption of reduced unemployment. The HRM has a great deal to do in order to direct the scenario to the one expected by Bank of England. The wages and productivity of working class are the contrasting factors that influence the inflation. More salary along with low productivity will result in supply demand imbalance and will trigger inflation. If the wages are at par with the productivity levels then the economy will be able to stage growth. Working class will not acknowledge the fact that economy is growing unless it reflects in their pay pack. So to create a sentiment of growth the pay package need to be improved. This improvement should be accompanied by parallel improvement in productivity standards. The HR system in any firm has to devise clear steps to facilitate tis symbiotic activities of rise in wages and improved productivity. The HRM system has a significant role to play in economic growth of Britain. The trend of hiring while the real wage falls is giving a wrong feedback to policy makers. The unemployment falls without contributing to productivity. This result in the chain reaction of increased inflation which further leads to increase in interest rate that ultimately result in weakening of economic growth. The focus of HRM should be reducing unemployment at the same time improving productivity proportionately with the increase given in wages. Economic growth could be defined as an increase in value of goods and services provided or produced by a country over a period of time. Long term expansion of productive potential of an economy results in economic growth. It is measured using GDP and per capita income. Growth of an economy will not happen in isolation. As the economy is globalized events happening in one country will have detrimental effect on growth prospects of another country. For e.g. ban on import of agricultural product into a developed country will have serious impact on economy of developing country whose main source of income would be the agricultural exports. The drivers of economic growth of any economy whether developed or developing are the same. The contribution of each driver may differ depending on the type of country at hand. The drivers could be listed as a) Growth in physical capital stock b) growth in size of labor population c) Growth in quality of human d) technological growth that improves productivity e) Institutions of state f) Demand for goods and services (both domestic and eternal trade). Growth is in brief adding more value to your activities. Off late developed countries have moved out of concept of growth and started to focus on sustainability and stability. Developing countries are still after growth as small investment in capital could produce greater returns. This is in line with the â€Å"neo classical† theory of growth. For developed countries like UK major driver of growth is growth in quality of labor population and technological growth that improves productivity. The level of capital stock of developed country is high and has reached a stagnation state. The source of improvement for these countries comes from the technology development and improved quality of labor population. Technology improvement will demand for employees with enhanced skill. The employment level in a developed country will research a saturation level and the number of opportunities could not be further improved. There is a limit to how far the employment rate can be improved in the long term in developed countries.in such economy the growth for long term is driven primarily by productivity. Further the two improved productivity the growth will be pushed by increased employee participation and engagement in the business. Employee engagement is a critical part of growth and productivity in developed economy. The employee is les s motivated by the monetary benefit and looks for motivation in the role they handle. The involvement of the employee to the job makes him to deliver more which in turn results in improved productivity. In UK Tesco has realized this and incorporated employee engagement as a part of their HRM strategy. The GDP of developed countries rose during early periods as the demand existed for consumable products. With improved productivity of these products the growth rate was high. But once the product demand reached stagnation further improvement in productivity will not add to GDP. Hence new product segments need to be identified. For UK the prospects will thus be stronger in more knowledge-intensive manufacturing and services. The UK’s relative specialization in Publishing, Finance, Business Services, Communications, and Computer and Information Services is likely to persist for some time, supported by the increasing exportability of services and increasing demand for services as global incomes continue to rise. However, these are likely to continue to become more specialized, with some lower value added activities outsourced or offshored. Hence HR should focus on improving specialized kills and Innovative mindset of their work force. In developing countries focus is more on improving the quantity of employable population. The set of skilled labor is very low and hence the primary target of HRM system was to improve the number of employable population. Many IT companies in India have hired people with basic qualification and imparted training to them in order to induct them to their work force. This improved the human resource base of the firm and helped them in executing big foreign orders. These activities eventually pumped n more of foreign currency into Indian market and hence aided ion economic growth. The opening yup of Indian economy to the world in 1992 forced many of the companies to change the way they managed their human resources. HR functionality in developing countries like China and India is still evolving. Till a few years back the HR function was just limited to administrative functionalities like recruiting and dismissal, paying taxes and benefits. Talent acquisition, training, skill improvement were new concepts. . They had to make a way around the redundant work culture that prevailed in the country. Focus had to be shifted to more productivity than more employment. Another major HR intervention required in developing economy is regarding the wage and incentive. It includes remuneration system and also the system of appraisal, promotion and career advancement. The incentive factor implemented as part of the new system motivated employee to produce more resulting in improved productivity. The implementation of incentive system on base of quantity propelled the production and hence improved the GDP of these economies. The quality was compromised in this policy and China and India succeeded in capturing the price conscious market around the world. Sustainability of this mode of growth is being questioned and the concept of quality has to be introduced to the scheme. There is a need for a paradigm shift in mind set of working population for this transition. The HRM system in these developing countries has to come forward and contribute in this front to facilitate easy transition. The growth of every economy is determined by the influence of various driving forces in the economy. Human capital is a significant part in it no matter it is a developed or developing economy. The role of HR function is to improve the quality of human capital. Method deployed for this is different in these two types of economy. In the developed economy more focus is given to enhanced kill development and employee engagement where as in developing economy the focus is on production based incentives and expanding the employable population base.

Alcohol and Drinking - Treatments for Alcoholism Essay -- Exploratory

Treatments for Alcoholism      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Where can alcoholics receive help? â€Å"Hospitals, psychiatric agencies, public-welfare departments, and social agencies, among others are often reluctant to provide care and treatment for problem drinkers† (Plaut, 53). Although it is difficult to help these problems drinkers, many people will give all they can to help these problem drinkers. â€Å"The provision of treatment to problem drinkers is complicated because they differ from one to another in so many ways† (Plaut, 33). Many different factors vary within problem drinkers. â€Å"Not only do their drinking patterns vary greatly, but also their physical health, psychological condition, and economic circumstances† (Plaut, 34). Problem drinkers have problems associated with alcohol and also many other difficulties in life not necessarily dealing with alcohol. â€Å"Therefore, in planning treatment services for problem drinkers, or in developing a treatment plan for an individual, it is n ecessary to take into account more than just the drinking; in fact, it may even be impossible to deal with the drinking behavior unless other problems are also tackled† (Plaut, 34). Since drinking can be related to other problems it is important to take everything into account when helping a problem drinker.    It is difficult to help problem drinkers with their alcohol problems and also their personal problems. â€Å"The goals of treatment for most conditions are the relief of symptoms and the restoration of health† (Plaut, 34). A complicated situation to understand is â€Å"the fact that few, if, any, problem drinkers will be able to return to â€Å"normal† social drinking† (Plaut, 34). Thus, â€Å"the term â€Å"cure† is usually avoided. Abstinence, or at least altering the patients drink... ...n the other hand,    the major weaknesses are the failure to provide real treatment for substantial proportion of patients having at least an initial contact with the clinic; the lack of experimentation to develop new approaches for working with the less verbal, lower-class patient; the continouing isolation from other agencies- particularly general psychiatric services, mental hospitals, and medical detoxification facilities; and the lack of relationships with basic professional training institutions (Plaut, 79).    Outpatient care, such as alcoholism clinics can help problem drinkers with their problems and help them to live a new lifestyle.       Works Cited: Plaut, Thomas, Alcohol Problems 1967, Oxford University Press Mendelson, Jack and Mello, Nancy, Alcohol Use and Abuse in America 1985 by Bio-Behavioral Reaserch Corporation

Ida Jean Orlando Nursing Theory Essay

Ida Jean Orlando, an American of Italian descent was born in 1926. She received her nursing diploma from New York Medical College, Lower Fifth Avenue Hospital, School of Nursing, her BS in nursing from St. John’s University, Brooklyn, NY, and her MA in mental health nursing from Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. Orlando was an Associate Professor at Yale School of Nursing where she was Director of the Graduate Program in Mental Health Psychiatric Nursing. While at Yale she was project investigator of a National Institute of Mental Health grant entitled: Integration of Mental Health Concepts in a Basic Nursing Curriculum. It was from this research that Orlando developed her concept which was published in her 1961 book, The Dynamic Nurse-Patient Relationship. She furthered the development of her theoretical concept when at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA as Director of a Research Project: Two Systems of Nursing in a Psychiatric Hospital. The results of this research are contained in her 1972 book titled: The Discipline and Teaching of Nursing System. Orlando held various positions in the Boston area, was a board member of Harvard Community Health Plan, and served as both a national and worldwide consultant. She is a frequent lecturer and conducted numerous seminars on nursing mechanisms. Orlando’s theory was developed in the late 1950s from observations she recorded between a nurse and patient. Despite her efforts, she was only able to categorize the records as â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad† nursing. It then dawned on her that both the formulations for â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† nursing were contained in the records. The role of the nurse is to find out and meet the patient’s immediate need for help. From these observations she formulated the deliberative nursing process. The Metaparadigm Concepts include: Human/Person – An individual in need Health – No restricted definition Society/Environment – No restricted definition Nursing – A distinctive profession â€Å"Providing direct assistance to individuals in whatever setting they are found for he purpose of avoiding, relieving, diminishing, or curing the individual’s sense of helplessness† The patient’s presenting behavior may be a plea for help, however, the help needed may not be what it shows to be. Therefore, nurses need to use their perception, thoughts about the perception, or the feeling engendered from their perceptions to explore with patients the meaning of their behavior. This process helps the nurse find out the nature of the distress and what help the patient requirements. Orlando’s theory remains one the of the most effective practice theories available. The use of her theory helps keeps the nurse’s focus on the patient. The strength of the theory is that it is clear, concise, and easier to use. While providing the overall framework for nursing, the use of her theory does not exclude nurses from making use of other theories while caring for the patient. When using Orlando’s theory, the nurse identifies her own perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about the patient’s behaviors, then confirms them with the patient. She then formulates deliberative nursing actions to meet direct patient needs. As a final step, the nurse verifies whether or not she met the patient’s needs and decreased his distress, and determines if further action is required. The theory merges competent nursing practice and customer satisfaction. A question such as how can one be helped? This clarifies the nurse’s assumptions about patient needs and minimizes resource maltreatment. The nurse concentrates on relieving patient distress. Interventions address the patient’s requirements from the patient’s perspective. Orlando’s patient-focused theory gives nurses a lucid, consistent approach. It’s interpersonal, straightforward, and applicable to both simple and complex situations. Nurses can apply the theory independently or as an entire department. When nurse leaders initiate the theory’s use in their departments, nurses are given a tool to satisfy patients and themselves. This, in turn, satisfies organizational and staff by providing retention goals. Because nurses can use the method even with time, energy, and financial constraints, they can minimize frustration associated with â€Å"doing more with less. † Also, nurses feel rewarded when they can rediscover their unique contribution to patient care-meeting the patient’s immediate needs. Cost-effective interventions like using this theory add value to nursing assistance at a time when it’s difficult to increase time with patients. Nurses can maximize their time, creating â€Å"magic moments† with patients and providing the best intercession. They can meet immediate patient needs, reduce patient distress, and feel empowered and contended. In all, these concepts by Orlando form the basis for providing nurses an opportunity to understand their relationship with their patients in a better way, so as to give patient care a new and whole hearted meaning.

Marketing Professional Practice Essay

Executive Summary This report aims to develop some feasible strategies for a non-profit making organization – Care For Your Heart to achieve objectives in certain areas: 1. Enhancing the public awareness of the organization’s profile and service; 2. Reaching the youngsters and working group segments; 3. Gaining more donations for future development; and 4. Strengthening the network with medical doctors or nurses as part of voluntary work. These objectives can be carried out by the three main recommended strategies, include rebranding, sponsorship campaigns, and volunteer programs. Before launching other programs, rebranding is recommended to refine the image of Care For Your Heart by designing a new logo and name, which is more professional and appealing to the target market. The rebranding is also related to the strategies for achieving the organization’s new direction. The sponsorship campaigns aim at attracting companies for sponsorship, enhancing public awareness, and attract donations. The prospective sponsors include Nestle, Hung Fuk Tong, Watson, and HKHC. The respective strategies are Nestle milk powder lid design, Turn in Your Can; Hung Fuk Tong Care For Your Heart soup series; Watson Heart Caring Bottle Label Competition and launch of water bottle, carboy bottle design and poster distribution at offices; Cardiac Health Care Bus, Health Care Charity Fund, professional health talks, and Charity Health Check Day. Furthermore, volunteers for current and future events and campaigns are sourced from IVE, medical colleges, doctors, and HKHC. These strategies provide substantial benefits to Care For Your Heart. By successfully striving sponsorship and donations, Care For Your Heart can enhance its visibility, awareness and credibility via appearance of logo on sponsor’s products and websites. Donation is easier to attract when the organization is more credible, and more funds can be used to offer more activities for its members and the public. The campaigns and volunteer programs allow the organization to reach its young and business target markets when products and events are exposed at heavy traffic spots and offices. The sponsorship programs will last for two years, and the volunteer program is on a continuous basis, which the details are shown in the timeline in the later part of this report. And the estimated budget is set. Background of Organization Care For Your Heart is a registered non-profit charitable organization formed by a group of cardiac patients together with their families since 1995. Its services mainly target cardiac patients and their families. In 1998, Care For Your Heart set up the first cardiac mutual help and resource center, and is committed to patients and the public health (Organization Introduction 2010). Up until 2011, Care For Your Heart has more than 2600 members, and over 180 volunteers (Number of Members 2010). Members mostly age around 51 to 80 (Age of Members 2010), and geographically concentrated in Hong Kong Island (Residence of Members 2010). The sources of funds is attracted from multiple channels; include donations, Community Chest, Social Welfare Department and other activities (Sources of Funds 2010). Logo of the Organization The flower-liked logo represents that the organization is concerned about heart related issues. Vision and mission of Organization Care For Your Heart aims to encourage mutual support spirit among cardiac patients and family support, so that the patients can positively face their illness (Organization Introduction 2010). It strives to enhance cardiac patients knowledge towards cardiac diseases, boost recovery, and prevent the opportunity of relapse; to act as a bridge between patients and medical institutions in order to provide all-round services; gather patients, protect and strive for rights and welfares; promoting social knowledge about cardiac disease, prevention, caring and accepting cardiac patients and enhance public awareness towards heart healthiness (Organization Introduction 2010). Care For Your Heart aims to increase the number of members; encourage members nd others to volunteer in charitable events and supporting activities; to attract more stable funding, such as monthly donation; to enhance awareness and educate public about the increasing trend of youngsters suffering from coronary heart disease; to motivate general public changing their lifestyle to improve health; to attract business groups’ awareness about cardiac disease; to establish a stronger network with doctors for f acilitating volunteer work, and other events and activities. (Future Prospect 2010). . Introduction The chairman of Care For Your Heart has illustrated the current issues faced by the organization and proposed several questions. This report is to develop feasible strategies for the organization to overcome its situation and further development in certain area. 1. Develop relevant strategies in order to enhance the public awareness of the organisation’s profile and service; 2. Attract more younger and working groups to join the organization; 3. Gain more donations for further development and 4. Strengthen a network of medical doctors or nurses as part of voluntary work. 2. Target Market 3. 1. Target Group The target market is defined by Care For Your Heart, basing on its current situation and problem. Based on research, heart disease has a rejuvenating trend and threatening working group aged 20 years old or above. These groups are targeted as they are constantly under high pressure and heavy workload. Business class with quick life rhythm typically lack of resting time. In addition, they always overlook the importance of keeping their heart healthy. 3. 2. Medical Doctor Another target group is the medical doctors. Medical doctors play an important role for these kinds of organization because of their professional medical knowledge. Other than that, Care For Your Heart inviting medical doctors for volunteering can expand their network in medical field and increase its credibility to the public . 3. 3. Partnership The following are some suggested partners for Care For Your Heart to cooperate with: * Nestle Hung Fook Tong * Watson * Hong Kong Health Check & Medical Diagnostic Group Limited Details will be illustrated in the following part of the report. 3. 4. Other Stakeholder Stakeholders| Details| Donors| * Existing donors (Social Welfare Department, The Community Chest, Food and Health Bureau) * Potential donors at all ages in global * It is important for a non-profit organization to have positive and enough reputation, which will influence donation . Policy from donation also affect the operation of the organization| University| * Helps to disseminate cardiac information * Helps to enhance the awareness of the organisation * Eg: Hong Kong College of Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong etc| Hospital| * Reach more cardiac patients * Helps to enhance the reputation of the organisation| General Public| * Opinions leaders who can influence the peers * cardiac patients and families| Media| * Global newspapers and magazines * TV stations, radio stations, newspapers and magazines publishers, leaflets, seminar| Potential Investors| * Corporations or individuals that are interested to invest in â€Å"Care For Your Heart† (Children’s Heart Foundation and The Hong Kong Tuberculosis, Chest and Heart Diseases Association: can enhance the awareness of â€Å"Care For Your Heart† and donation| 3. Campaign Strategy 3. 1. Rebranding As brand is a valuable asset, it allows organization to communicate a clear set of v alues toward its stakeholders. Non-profit organization is a kind of concept-brand which is associated with an abstract concept, such as cancer awareness, environmentalism or cardiac disease (Daly and Moloney 2004, 30). The current logo of Care For Your Heart is too old-fashion and poorly deliver the meaning about cardiac care issues. To best meet the target group, suggestion is given for the organization to redesign its logo and name. Rebranding  is the creation of a new name, term, symbol, design, or a combination of them for an established brand with the intention of developing a new position in the mind of stakeholders (Daly and Moloney 2004, 30). The change in the name and logo of the organization may enhance public awareness and reputation. Furthermore, the newly established brand elements can also better related to the current situation that the organization is facing (Muzellec and Lambkin 2008, 284). The new logo and name designed for the organization aims to better suit the target group, and will be illustrate in the following: 3. 1. 1 New logo: The new logo echoes with the name â€Å"Care For Your Heart†, containing a hand showing a gesture of holding a heart. Hand represents human; gesture represents caring; heart represent cardiac and compassion. The new logo is simple, more eye-catching, and the meaning is more obvious at a glance than the old version, thus the target market can easily understand the role of Care For Your Heart. Furthermore, the logo shows the commitment of Care For Your Heart to embark on a new direction and coordinate with our proposed strategies. 3. 1. 2 New name: Care For Your Heart can rename its Chinese name from to. The new name provides formality, thus projecting a more professional image. Moreover, it can better represent the mission of Care For Your Heart, which is to gather cardiac patients for mutual help and enhance public’s concern of cardiac disease. 3. 2. Seek For Partnership To achieve the goals proposed by the client, it is necessary for the organization to engage some partnership in order to support its daily operation and further activities. There are four potential companies for partnering with Care For Your Heart to enhance awareness, funding supply and voluntary work, including: Nestle, Hung Fong Tong, Watson and Hong Kong Health Check & Medical Diagnostic Group Limited. These potential partners have similar vision and mission within Care For Your Heart in terms of concerning the health of people. The cooperation between â€Å"for profit† business and non-profit organization is called cause-related marketing (CRM), which both parties are involved to create mutual benefits. â€Å"For profit† business implemented CRM to build brands, revitalize corporate, carrying out corporate social responsibilities, and make community involvement visible (Papasolomou, and Kitchen 2011, 63). Non-profit organization can be benefited due to the contributions from the â€Å"for profit† business in order to meet its needs and objectives. CRM is proved to be an important marketing tool which demonstrates a firm’s commitment in addressing a social issue (Papasolomou, and Kitchen 2011, 63). The following are the strategies proposed to cooperate with the partners. 3. 3. 1. Nestle – Carnation Omega High Calcium Milk Powder Reason for partnership with Nestle Nestle is a well-known nutrition, health and wellness company which founded in Switzerland in 1866. The company’s mission is â€Å"Good Food, Good Life†, which is to provide great tasting, nutritionally superior food and beverage, and great services to consumers around the world (Nestle 2011). Creating shared value is a fundamental part of Nestle’s way of doing business to create long-term value for shareholders and society, which is beyond compliance and sustainability (Creating Shared Value 2011). One of its products, the Carnation Omega High Calcium Milk Powder is chosen as a health product for the World Heart Day in 2010 and 2011. This low-fat milk power can strengthen the heart and reduces cardiac related diseases. The ingredients and functions of this mike powder are the followings (Milk Powder 2008). i. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acid: Regulate body’s cholesterol level and benefit to the cardiovascular system. ii. Low-fat: Reduce fat absorption which benefit to the heart. iii. High in calcium: Benefit to the bones and prevent osteoporosis. iv. Vitamin A, B and E: Assist in metabolism and health function. This milk powder was sold in different channels as well as supermarket and drugstore in Hong Kong, such as PARKnSHOP, Welcome and Watson. Each of them operates more than 200 stores and has different customer segments. It is believed that Care For Your Heart can gain benefits through enhanced awareness, and obtaining stable and long-term based donation. Proposed Strategy I. Cardiac information inside the lid, and logo on the package. Cardiac information as well as â€Å"7 ways to protect your heart†, â€Å"Make your heart healthier†, etc. is suggested to print on the internal side of the lid. Every time when consumer opens the lid, they can read the information provided by Care For Your Heart. A colorful background can be used in order to attract their attention and increase the visibility of such information. Moreover, the logo of the organization is also printed on the package of the milk powder to gain awareness (Refer to Appendix 1 and 2). The followings are the suggested cardiac information. 7 ways to protect your heart: * Maintain appropriate cholesterol level by having low-fat diet * Maintain appropriate weight and balanced diets. * Eat 2 fruits every day * At least 30 minutes aerobic exercise per day * No smoking and alcohol * Remain a cheerful mood * Regular Body check II. â€Å"Turn in Your cans† Yoplait Yogurt, a France originated brand founded in 1964, had launched a campaign called â€Å"Save Lids to Save Lives† for 10 years. The main concept of this campaign was to raise money for charity organization and activities, such as Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation,  Race for the Cure, etc. Every lid that the customer reserved, Yoplait will donate US$0. 1 after they registered the code number on the lid online (Save Lids to Save Lives 2011). A loyalty program called â€Å"Turn in Your Cans† is proposed to achieve long-term relationship among three parties: the customer, Care For Your Heart, and Nestle. When customer finished one can of milk powder, they could turn in the can to a supermarket or drugstore, then Nestle could collect those cans for recycling. A stamp would be awarded per one returned can. When customer collected 3, 5 and 10 stamps, they can enjoy discount of 10%, 30% and 50% respectively for the next purchase. This campaign could increase customers’ loyalty towards this milk powder, and attract purchases from new customers. As a result, Nestle can gain an increase in sales, and Care For Your Heart can receive donations. III. 5% donation from the total sales of the milk powder To obtain long-term donation, Care For Your Heart could receive 5% of total sales from this milk powder. The milk powder is selling at the price around HKD$104. 6, which means Care For Your Heart can receive approximately HKD$5 from each can of milk powder sold. 3. 3. 2. Hung Fook Tong Reason for partnership with Hung Fook Tong Hung Fook Tong is the biggest herbal tea group in Hong Kong founded in 1980s. With more than 700 staff members, and over 100 stores among Hong Kong (Milestone 2011), it is persistent in using genuine ingredients with no added preservatives in the product. Producing and developing quality products are the philosophy of â€Å"making naturally† (Mission 2011). In 2011, Hung Fook Tong acquired the prime awards for corporate social responsibility 2011 from Prime magazine (Company news 2011), which shows that Hung Fook Tong continuously strive to fulfill corporate social responsibility. Hung Fook Tong has introduced a series of Chinese soup and individually packed soup into the market under its brand name. Those series of soup is nourishing, which helps to maintain good body condition and is good for health. As individually packed soup could reduce the time of making soup at home, it is typically popular among working class. Thus Hung Fook Tong is another suggested source to cooperate with for gaining long-term donation and enhancing public awareness. Proposed Strategy I. â€Å"Care For Your Heart† soup series There are several soup recipes shared by some Chinese medical doctors on Care For Your Heart website. Those soups are beneficial to the heart and can prevent heart attack. Care For Your Heart could cooperate with Hung Fook Tong to introduce these series of soup or invest in new soups for the target market. Such as: * Mushroom  soup with bamboo fungus and  lotus root. * Black hen soup with lily and cloud ear fungus. * Black hen soup with chestnut. These series of soup can sold at a cheaper price HKD$40 for increasing sales volume, which others series are sold at HKD$48 and HKD$63. II. Logo on the package front and cardiac information at the package back The logo of Care For Your Heart is suggested to put on the front side of the individually packaged soup, and some cardiac information at the back. This increases the visibility of the organization, as well as disseminating cardiac information when customer turns the package to look at the ingredient list of the soup. During the selection process, consumers make decisions base on the soup’s functions, thus the â€Å"Care For Your Heart series† can impress those that concern about heart health, and attract those customers that are previously not aware of the heart health series. The logo of Care For your Heart can also be placed on the menu to increase visibility (Refer to Appendix 3 and 4). III. 5 % donation from the total sales of â€Å"Care For Your Heart† series Care For Your Heart could receive 5% total sales of individually packed soup in order to obtain long-term donation. Each individually packed soup is sold at the price around HKD$40, which means Care For Your Heart can received approximate HKD$2 from each sold of the soup. IV. Coupon Hung Fook Tong can also sponsor 500 packs of coupons, which contains 10 pieces within one pack with a total value of HKD$398, to Care For Your Heart for voluntary reward purpose. 3. 3. 3. Watson Reason for partnership with Watson Firstly, Watsons Water under A. S. Watson Group is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hutchison Whampoa Limited, and is a world-renowned brand for supplying purest quality water. Moreover, the A. S. Watson Group has obtained a number of awards, such as â€Å"Asia’s Best Brand Award – for excellence in Branding and Marketing† in 2010 and 2011, â€Å"Caring Company† by the Hong Kong Council of Social Services from 2002 to 2011, and â€Å"Top Ten Brand names Award† by Chinese Manufacturer’ Association of Hong Kong in 2003 (Our Achievements 2011). Furthermore, A. S. Watson Group is positive related to healthiness, as it owns the Watsons Athletic Club which is committed in sponsoring and supporting local athletic events. This healthy association links with Care For Your Heart’s mission to improve public’s health issues. Secondly, the A. S. Watson Group is committed in performing corporate social responsibilities, and view CSR as opportunities. From A. S. Watson official website: â€Å"We encourage our business unites to develop programmes with organizations that are relevant to local community needs, and we support our employees’ effort in getting involved and contributing to society (Lai 2011). † This provides a favorable circumstance for Care For Your Heart to persuade Watson’s participation. Thirdly, Watsons Water has wide distribution channels, from street stores to big chained supermarkets. With the various availability of channels, it allows Care For Your Heart to increase exposure to the public and enhance the recognition of the company name. Proposed Strategy There are 3 main activities in this campaign: including Watsons bottled water label design competition, donation from the designed bottle, and cardiac slogan labels on Watsons Water carboy series and posters distributed to offices I. Watsons bottled water label design competition The first stage of this campaign starts with organizing a Watsons bottled water (both distilled and mineral water) label competition hosts by Watson and cooperates by Care For Your Heart. The theme of this competition is called â€Å" † – â€Å"Watsons Heart Caring Bottle Design Competition†, which encourage a submission of bottle label design aiming at enhancing public’s awareness towards cardiac disease. The competition will open for one to two months and targets youngsters age 15 to 25, whom are interested in drawing or design, and would seek for self-esteem through competition. The opening of this competition will be announced via newspapers (both paid and free), Watsons Water’s official website, and Facebook page. For motivation, awards will be given to the top three winners. The tentative prizes include: Champion: HK$5000 with certificate First runner up: HK$3000 with certificate Second runner up: HK$1500 with certificate All participants will also obtain a certificate as encouragement. After collecting all designs, both Watson and Care For Your Heart will have representatives appraising the designs and select the winners. A press conference will be held for the announcement and award ceremony of the top three winners. And their work will be launched on the bottle, which will be further discussed below. II. Launch of the specially designed bottle for donation to Care For Your Heart After the end of competition, the second stage of the campaign is the launch of this specially designed Watsons Water. The top three winners’ designs will be launched for 280ML to 800ML bottled water, both distilled and mineral. The distribution channels include all major types of supermarkets (Welcome, Parkn’ Shop, City’super etc. ), convenient stores (7-11, Circle K etc. ). The preparation for the label design will be around one month, and the tentative distribution period is set to be 2 to 4 months. Care For Your Heart can negotiate the percentage of total sales for donation with Watson. The recommended percentage is 5 to 15%. Furthermore, the label will contain information about the donation. For example: â€Å"Every bottle of water you purchase, Watson will donate $1 for Care For Your Heart on cardiac disease funding. † III. Cardiac info/ slogan on the Watson’s water carboy series in offices and posters distribution The third stage of the campaign is the launch of promotional label on Watsons Water carboy together with the distribution of posters to offices. The objectives of this event are to create opportunity for Care For Your Heart to reach the business sectors and to increase their awareness towards cardiac disease and provide some tips on prevention. This campaign will last for one to one and a half year. i. Poster Posters will be distributed together with the water bottles, and encourages offices to post it in the pantry or places near the water dispenser. The poster will contain some brief tips on preventing the formation of cardiac disease due to stress and imbalanced lifestyle. The information on the poster is the same as the information on the lids of the Nestle milk powder (Refer to Appendix 5). ii. Label A label is designed for 4. 5L, 12L and 18L bottles which fit most types of water dispenser, containing Care For Your Heart’s logo, slogans about heart protection. Appendix 6 shows an example of the label design. IV. 5% donation from the sales of designed Watsons Water bottle Watsons bottle water sold at the price HKD$6. 5, which Care For Your Heart can receive an approximate donation of HKD$0. 3 per bottle of the water sold. 3. 3. 4. Hong Kong Health Check ; Medical Diagnostic Group Limited (HKHC) Reason for partnership with HKHC Hong Kong Health Check ; Medical Diagnostic Group Limited (HKHC) is a company providing a variety of body check service to the community and has developed 15 health checking center in Hong Kong. The mission of the company is to provide  excellent  and  high standards of  imaging and  diagnostic services in order to improve  community  health under the concept of  preventive medicine. (About Us, 2011) It is chosen to work with Care For Your Heart as the two organizations are sharing similar missions of improving community health and health care awareness. Proposed Strategy I. Cardiac Health Care Bus The main functions of the Cardiac Health Care Bus are to provide free basic heart disease related health checks, for example, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol; and educate public about heart disease preventions. If patients are diagnosed to have a possibility of getting cardiac disease, they will be refered to HKHC for a comprehensive health check. A medical professional and two volunteers from Care For Your Heart will be on duty in the bus. There will be 6 buses available, 3 for New Territories, 2 for Kowloon and 1 for Hong Kong Island. The buses will serve everyday in two spots with two time periods, from 11a. m. to 3p. m, and 4p. m. to 8p. m. , which can serve around 50 to 70 people every day. This idea is feasible as it has been successfully adopted by other organizations, such as the Pok Oi Hospital. II. Health Care Charity Fund (HCCF) HCCF is a working partner of HKHC, who aims to implant the concept of â€Å"Health†¦ we care you care† to the community through educational and medical healthcare service (Vision and Mission. 2011). Its missions are to help the needy of the community by offering free health check services and organizing professional health talks; to increase the healthcare awareness of the community by promoting the concept of preventive healthcare through comprehensive periodic health check at the highest standard; and to serve the community through supporting volunteering services which organized by non-profit making organizations or collaborated with local communities (Vision and Mission. 2011). The nature of this organization fits with Care For Your Heart’s vision as both organizations achieve their missions by organizing talks, fund raising and voluntary work. Two programs are designed for corporation of CFYH and HCCF. i. Professional Health Talks Health talks will operate once each year at each community center in 18 districts by Care For Your Heart. The talks emphasize on heart care related topics, such as prevention, types of heart disease etc. Professional speakers are the volunteers from HKHC and talks are sponsored by HCCF. Each talk is opened for 100 to 200 audiences (depends on the population of the district) and is free of charge. The target of this campaign is to reach citizens in 18 districts within one year and four months for 6 districts. For the first four months, talks will operate in North, Tai Po, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun and Yeun Long; the next four months will operate in Kwai Tsing, Kowloon City Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po, Wong Tai Sin and Yau Tsim Mong; and the last four months will operate in Island, Sai Kung, Central and Western, Eastern, Southern and Wan Chai. ii. Charity Health Check Day The date of Charity Health Check Day is set on the World Heart Day in every year. 5 to 10% of body checks income from HKHC will donate to Care For Your Heart through HCCF. HCCF used this format previously with HKHC and the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) on mother’s and father’s day in 2011. Part of the body check income on that day was donated to HCCF, and the donations are used to provide personal emergency link for the elderly people (Tuesday Charity Health Check Day, 2011. ). 3. 3. Potential benefits receive by Care For Your Heart By the partnership with the above sponsors, Care For Your Heart can be benefited in various ways. I. Enhance awareness Firstly, as concerned by Care For Your Heart, it is currently facing low recognition by the public. To reverse this situation, its visibility, awareness and credibility can be increased by having Care For Your Heart’s name and logo appearing on sponsor’s events, and product packaging, which the product is well-recognized, easily found and consumed. Care For Your Heart can also leverage Nestle, Hung Fook Tong, Watson and HKHC’s goodwill on being healthy. Moreover, those sponsors enhance Care For Your Heart’s publicity by placing the organization name as the beneficiary organization at the end of the TV commercial. II. Reach the target segments Those proposed strategies allow Care For Your Hear to reach its desired target segments – the youngsters and businesses. Different channels were used for the distribution of the product by Nestle and Hung Fook Tong, such as supermarket, drugstore and MTR shop as well, which helps in increase exposure and visibility of its name and logo to different segment. Moreover, the Watson bottle water competition provides an opportunity for youngsters to demonstrate their stills in art, and act as a channel to educate them about cardiac diseases through participation. On the other hand, labels on carboy bottles and posters in office pantry can be an attention getting tool. By placing these at prominent spot, it can firstly get their attention. When they are continuously exposed to the information, they will be able to remember and recall the message. Furthermore, if the Cardiac Health Care Bus is successfully introduced, the mobility of those buses can further help Care For Your Heart in reaching more people in Hong Kong. III. Donation Donations can be gained through the sales of each product and the money can be used for funding daily operations or future activities. Furthermore, if the sponsors are willing to renew the contracts with Care For Your Heart, it will be able to obtain donations in a long-term basis. 3. 4. Potential benefits receive by sponsors I. Perform Corporate Social Responsibility The main benefit that Nestle, Hung Fook Tong, Watson and HKHC could gain is to accomplish its role in performing corporate social responsibility. Each company is committed to invest on creating shared value for society, as well as social welfare, environmental protection and other aspects regarding to the global compact. Companies could achieve its goals when cooperating with Care For Your Heart. II. Improved brand image Furthermore, the ultimate objective of performing CSR is to improve consumers’ perception towards the brand, which is being a contributor to the society thus enhancing goodwill. III. Boost Sales Each sponsor can boost its sales or expands market share due to its contribution to the society. Customers are more likely to choose a product when they realize that they can engaging in the contribution process (Stanalan, Lwin, and Murphy 2011, 51). IV. Benefits distributed by Care For Your Heart Care For Your Heart will provide the following benefits to all sponsors: * Have a one page free advertisement in the organisation magazine and annual report. Brief profile of the sponsors and the detail of ongoing campaigns on Care For You Heart website * Acknowledge the name and logo at the bottom of Care For Your Heart official website with hyperlinks to sponsors’ homepages * Acknowledge the name and logo on all promotion materials including newsletters, organisation magazines, broch ure covers or free gift bags etc. * Acknowledge the name and logo of sponsors on volunteers’ shirts * Provide at least one banner during any events * Announcement of sponsorships in all events or public speech * Guaranteed to be the only sponsor in the same category of industry * Allow to display company’s materials or products on the table for any events 3. 5. Volunteers’ recruitment The recruitment of volunteers for Care For Your Heart targets three groups: students from IVE, trainees of medical colleges, retired doctors, and the Hong Kong Health Check ; Medical Diagnostic Group. The details of the recruitment program are the followings. IVE On recruiting volunteers for Care For Your Heart, firstly, a non-academic volunteer program can be opened for the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education students majoring in Applied Nutritional Science, Pharmaceutical, Medical and Health Care, or Social services. Students are encouraged to apply the campaign throughout their study. This volunteer campaign requires students to participate in volunteer work for Care For Your Heart once in two weeks for four to six hours. The working time will be recorded and accumulated until they graduate or withdraw from the program. A quota on working time is set for students as a goal, for example, participating volunteer work for 72 hours in half a year. Students who have achieved the goal of this program will be rewarded with a non-academic award by Care For Your Heart, which is beneficial to their future career. Medical colleges’ trainees Secondly, trainees in medical colleges of the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong are a considerable group for voluntary works. They obtain the required health care knowledge and elementary first aid skills. Moreover, this voluntary program can be included as part of the intern training. Similar with the program for IVE, a certificate will be given to participants as a reward, which helps their future career. Moreover, participants can enrich their practical experience before they enter the society. Medical professional Thirdly, doctors are another great source to attract as volunteers. They obtain the expertise in the cardiac field thus able to provide professional consultation for patients. Care For Your Heart can target this group by inviting those doctors that are seeking self-actualization, and appeal to them through mental motivation. For example, suggesting them to offer one or two days of voluntary consultation. By acquiring a sufficient number of voluntary doctors, members of Care For Your Heart can be benefited as it has more human resources to organize thorough functions and events for its members and the public, thus achieving the goals of increasing public awareness towards cardiac disease. Moreover, doctors can enhance their reputation and image by showing their sincerity in contributing to the society. Hong Kong Health Check ; Medical Diagnostic Group Lastly, referring to the event of the Cardiac Health Care Bus campaign, doctors from the Hong Kong Health Check ; Medical Diagnostic Group will volunteer for conducting simple tests and explain the health report to patients. Moreover, regarding this event, additional helpers are needed for showing information and assisting the doctor. These helpers can be chosen from IVE and medical college volunteers mentioned above. 3. 6. 5. Motivations to volunteers Besides, by analyzing their profile, Care For Your Heart can obtain data on the number of medical professionals and young volunteers the organization has attracted . ii. Amount of Donation Two sources of donations are needed to be evaluated: the public and partnership programs. By measuring the amount of donation from public and sponsoring partners, it can reflect Care For Your Heart’s reputation and credibility in public’s mindset. It can also show the benefits gain by both parties when the campaigns are launched (increased sales, product awareness and reputation). iii. Awareness Public opinion research will be conducted 3 times after 4, 12 and 24 months. The survey aims to collect data including: awareness and image of the organization; frequency and amount of donation; and awareness of activities and partnership program. The result will demonstrate whether the new strategies and rebranding are successful in enhancing the public awareness, especially within the working class. Regulate evaluation acts as a monitory function and can state the weaknesses of each program. Therefore, the organization can reinforce certain areas in order to achieve the ultimate goals. 6. Conclusion To conclude, Care For Your Heart could reach its target groups and deliver cardiac related information to the public by adopting the strategies mentioned above. Rebranding and those cooperative strategies can meet its goals effectively and efficiently. By performing cause-related marketing, all participating parties will receive benefits from the campaigns, as well as enhancing public awareness and improving brand image. The sales volume of the newly introduced products and the current product will also be increased, due to the change of customers’ perception towards the brand. The corporate partners will provide funding supply from the donations gained from product sales, and hence increase the cash flow of Care For Your Heart. Moreover, the reputation of Care For Your Heart will also be enhanced by the well-known partners. http://www. pokoi. org. hk/tc/services_cmedical. aspx http://www. hungfooktong. com/news/n017/index. html http://www.nestle.com/ http://www.aswatson.com/our-customers/ http://www.hungfooktong.com/tc/ http://www.yoplait.com http://www.hkhealthcheck.com/corp/tc/ http://www.hungfooktong.com/overseas_about.php http://www.aswatson.com/innovation/ http://www.hccf.org.hk/en/about_us.htm ;

Some people have the view that British generals like Haig were incompetent leaders Essay Example

Some people have the view that British generals like Haig were incompetent leaders Essay Example Some people have the view that British generals like Haig were incompetent leaders Essay Some people have the view that British generals like Haig were incompetent leaders Essay Essay Topic: History The First World War was a horrific war that started on the 28 July 1914 and lasted until the 11 November 1918. The two sides who fought in the War were The Triple Entente and The Triple Alliance. France and Belgium was the meeting point of these sides. And so most of the fighting that Britain was involved in took place in these two countries – across the Western Front. In order to protect them and have some private planning time, both sides dug trenches; however the trenches were overcrowded, wet and muddy, they also became the final resting place for millions of young men. These once simple shelters had transformed into complex defensive systems by 1915. Trench-foot was a common disease due to the muddy conditions; feet turned gangrenous and in many cases led to amputation. The soldiers were never alone in the trenches; many creatures also made the trenches their home. These creatures were to play a big role in the health of the fighting soldiers as they were all carriers of disease and infections and they ate the dead human bodies. Creatures include rats, mice and lice. Infantry charged replaced the cavalry charge; the main tactic used was going ‘over the top’ however defenders swept the advancing attackers with machine gun fire, and even when the attackers captured forward positions it was impossible for them to keep them. Also, artillery became more powerful compared to the old inaccurate guns that were once used. Weapons included the Bayonet, Lee Enfield rifle, hand grenades and the eight bullets a second machine gun. Tanks were another weapon used to crush barbed wire and spray the enemy with machine gunfire. However the tanks were still not developed enough; they moved very slowly and they were not most broke before reaching the German’s trenches. The Battle of the Somme was the biggest disaster in the whole of the First World War. The initial plan was an attack on the enemy by the French with British support, however the tables turned and Germany attacked Verdun. An offensive was launched around the River Somme to divert attention away from Verdun where the French were close to surrender. Sir Douglas Haig was appointed leader of this offensive. Haig was born in Edinburgh on 19 June 1861 into a wealthy family who owned a whisky business. He studied at Oxford University and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He then served as a cavalry officer for nine years, mainly in India. He also took part in the Sudan campaign (1897 1898) and the Boer War (1899 1902). The objective of the offensive was to gain territory, to ease the violence of the French and to kill as many German people as possible. The initial plan was a twelve hour bombardment which meant that thousands of Germans would be killed; barbed wire and machine gun positions would also be destroyed. On the first day of July 1916 at 7:28 am the offensive started with the explosion of 5 mines placed under German territory. At 7:30 am, thousands of soldiers were ordered b Haig and other leaders to walk up to the German frontline. The place that the infantry walked enable the German time to set up their machine guns and within hours around 60,000 soldiers were hit – a third of them killed. However Haig and the leaders did not change their tactics until the end of the war. An historical interpretation is when an event id described from different points of view. Evidence (e. g. secondary research), personal interpretation of an event and opinion all play a big role of a historical interpretation. A historical interpretation can also change with the time because new evidence always comes to light. The Battle of the Somme is one of the events that have been interpreted. Many historians argue that the Battle of the Somme was a disaster because leaders like Haig used the wrong tactics and out-of-date methods like the infantry charge which resulted in many casualties. These leaders believed that if they did it often enough and with enough men then they would wear the Germans down and eventually break through, which did happen but it cost too many lives. However other historians will interpret the event differently and say that so many lives were lost due to the weaponry used(the shells that were intended at the German lines were made by inexperienced munitions workers and only a third of them went off. ), the German tactics and inexperienced soldiers and leaders like Haig were not to blame. Interpretations about leaders like Haig have unsurprisingly changed overtime. Criticisms of leaders like Haig began to appear during the war. In July 1916, Haig was criticised by many including Winston Churchill and resentment was apparent between Prime Minister Lloyd George and Haig. At the same time everyone wanted to portray an image of leaders like Haig as an inspiring, and good commander who was a good role model for his troops. By the 1920s people wanted to forget all that happened and move on. For ten years, all the evidence seemed to support leaders like Haig, after the British did win the war. However historians began to claim that there was a government cover-up in favour of generals like Haig and by the end of the 1920s attitudes began to drastically change. Books were beginning to criticise leaders like Haig and blaming them for the horror and pointlessness of the war. By 1930s people began to realise that the First World War was not the ‘war end all wars’ as promised. The first interpretation â€Å"leaders like Haig are incompetent† is shown in source B1. This is a source written by John Laffin, a military historian that researched the war from soldiers’ viewpoint. This source clearly expresses that generals like Haig are to be blamed for large amount of soldiers that died and that these leaders should never be forgiven for the disaster. Laffin earned his living by taking people on tours around the battlefield this makes him trustworthy because he would have to teach people the right information in order to make the tour successful. The source was written in 2003 which makes the source reliable because there was a lot of evidence that Laffin could have used to produce the source. However the fact that information given to the people on tour was based on soldiers’ viewpoints makes the source unreliable because the majority of soldiers would probably have a negative viewpoint of the war because of the amount of soldiers that died. Also, in the period between the end of the war and 2003, interpretations of what happened in the Battle of the Somme significantly changed and Laffin seems to ignore them all and use the negative viewpoints of the soldiers. The source is also limited because the source, an extract from a book, could have been intended for a certain audience and will inevitably have Laffin’s opinion which is based on the negative feedback he researched. Also, the title of the book that Laffin wrote â€Å"British Bunglers and Bunglers of World War One† automatically alludes us to the opinion of Laffin, that leaders like Haig were the reason why so many men were killed. Laffin suggests that leader’s like Haig were responsible for the slaughter of many soldiers. In summary the source is useful because it helps us understand, whether true or not, why people think that these leaders were incompetent because â€Å"they knew what they were doing†, for example the leaders used out-of date methods, General Douglas Haig had insisted in using cavalry like he did on the dry African Plains. One way in which people interpret leaders like Haig are incompetent is because of his tactics; this is seen in Source B2 which describes leaders like Haig as murderers, and this source could’ve been used by Laffin to generate his interpretation in the previous source. The source is a diary written by a Private who fought in the Battle of the Somme. Diaries are not intended for public use, therefore the writer will write his true opinions in the diary entry, however the opinion will obviously biased, and his opinion is clear in the source that leaders like Haig should be â€Å"hung, drawn and quartered†. The fact that he was a solider fighting in the Somme makes the source reliable because he witnessed what had happened on July 1916; he had to witness the people he had fought alongside being killed because of the instructions that were given by leaders like Haig therefore he would have an instant negative opinion of leaders like Haig. The date that the source was written, 1916, makes the source reliable because it was at the exact time that the battle of the Somme happened therefore it would be accurate portrayal of what was happening at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme. In conclusion the source is useful and reliable because it is from a soldier who actually fought in the devastating battle therefore the opinion would be a valid one; he actually witnessed all the killing and was probably instructed to follow the same fate as the rest of the men. Laffin would have used Smith’s opinion to his advantage in order to come up with his own interpretation because it supports his opinion. Next, it’s not just historians that criticise Haig’s competence as shown in source B4 where British Prime Minister David Lloyd George says that General Douglas Haig was a â€Å"second-rate commander†. The source is reliable because the Prime Minister wrote the source during World War One – he would have been given information about the vast numbers of those who died especially on the first day of the battle of the Somme; thus, the negative attitude towards leaders like Haig is not surprising. According to some research I have undertaken, Lloyd George was a successful political journalist and the information in the book was well-researched; one of his sources being the Cabinet Minutes in which he looked over the military details. However the fact that the Prime Minister David Lloyd George was talking about his war-time experiences is very ironic because he didn’t fight during the war and didn’t know about the other conditions that the soldiers had to live through e. g. trench foot. The source is also limited because it is evident that the source was intended to portray a certain message; the book seems to establish Lloyd George’s reputation as a war leader and at the same time destroy the reputation of Haig and leaders like Haig. In conclusion the source is reliable and useful because Lloyd George’s interpretation of events, whether true or not, seems to come from a good source i. e. the Cabinet Minutes. This source could have been used by Laffin as the source is the opinion of one of the most important men at the time of the war and this opinion supports the interpretation generate by Laffin. Next, leaders like Haig were known to stay in the communication trenches, which were miles away from the front line, whilst the soldiers lived in trenches near the front line. Also, it is obvious that these commanders did not fight in the battle but just gave the orders. This is shown in source B6, a cartoon about World War One leadership published in 1917 by a satirical magazine. The source clearly explains that leaders like Haig were absent during â€Å"the real thing†. The source is reliable because it was written during the war and by 1917 criticisms of leaders like Haig were beginning to surface. The source is also reliable because a lot of research would have been undertaken in order to confidentially publish this article especially because leaders like Haig were still seen as inspiring awe-commanders. However, the magazine will have to be sold and therefore have to entertain the audience; the purpose of the source makes the source unreliable because the source is inevitably exaggerated. The date in which the source is written also limits the source because February 1917 was only 6 months into the battle and therefore the whole picture is not given in this illustration. Overall the source is reliable and useful because it helps us understand that some people thought that the absence of the leaders could have been one of the most important factors which led to so many deaths; a lot of people blamed it on inexperienced soldiers yet the experienced generals were kept hidden. Laffin could have used this source to come up with his own interpretation because this viewpoint because it shows that leaders like Haig were not as inspiring and awe commanding as they were perceived to be but people who didn’t follow their own old tactics. In conclusion, source B1, B2, B4, and B6 are all useful and reliable in helping me understand why leaders like Haig were labelled as incompetent. Firstly, source B1 is a direct interpretation itself which blatantly expresses that leaders like Haig were incompetent. Secondly, source B2 tells me that leaders like Haig were viewed as incompetent because of the tactics he used. This backs up my knowledge; leaders like Haig used old tactics. On the 1st of July 1916 leaders like Haig enforced the tactic that led many to their deaths: infantry. This made sure that the men slowly walked across to the German trenches after heavy bombardment, which itself was a failure, this slow pace allowed the Germans to re-establish themselves and launch their defence. Source B4 also alludes to the opinion that leaders like Haig’s tactics were not good and were useless on such an â€Å"immense battlefield†. Source B6 suggests that the inexperienced soldiers had a part to play in the disaster but it was not their fault but of the fault of the experienced leaders like Haig who were not willing to join in the fighting. These sources increase my understanding as to why so many historians argue that leaders like Haig were incompetent. From the sources I have chosen, I am able to understand that historians believe that if leaders like Haig tried other tactics and participated more in the battle then it wouldn’t have ended in such a disaster. I think based on the amount of people who died just on the first day that this interpretation is a valid one. However, other historians have interpreted that leaders like Haig are competent and believe that leaders were not to blame for the Battle of the Somme. This interpretation is shown in source B9, it explains that leaders like Haig were not incompetent and the reason why so much people died was due to other factors. This source is reliable because of the date in which it was written; this allowed the author, John Terraine, to use enough evidence that had been researched throughout the years up until 1980. Terrain is a historian which means he is able to analyse and assess sources well, this makes the source reliable because Terrain would have analysed each source and I assume that Terraine used reliable and most useful ones to come up with his interpretation. The source is also unreliable because it is intended for people to buy the book and therefore a certain level of exaggeration and entertainment will be present. In the source Terraine says that leaders like Haig â€Å"rose to challenge after challenge† however leaders like Haig remained in the communication trenches whilst the privates fought the blood stained war, thus they didn’t rise to any challenge. Also between the war and 1980 many different interpretations have arisen yet Terraine seems to ignore all of these new interpretations, he has focused on the interpretation that these so called war heroes were not to blame and the fault was due to the other contributing factors which worsened life for the soldiers in the trenches like trench foot. Source B1 is an example of an interpretation which supports the interpretation that leaders like Haig are incompetent. The author of this source, John Laffin, researched the war from soldier’s viewpoints and has been able to come with a negative interpretation. However, source B11 is written by a former soldier who was gassed during the Battle of the Somme and brought to Britain because of it. Liddell Hart, writing to the Daily Express, says that the leadership was excellent and â€Å"flawless†. The source is reliable because Liddell Hart was actually present during the Battle therefore his opinion should be based on what he witnessed and leadership skills of leaders like Haig. The source is also useful because it helps us think of the other factors that caused the soldiers to die if it wasn’t because of the leadership. Both sides did not know how to use the new weaponry correctly, for example gas. Gas was a new form of defence, it was a very deadly weapon and it killed alot of people; mustard gas ensured that the lungs had dissolved in a matter of hours causing a slow and painful death. On the other hand, the source is limited because Liddell Hart was invalided back to Britain in December which means he did not witness the whole war therefore we are not getting the whole picture of how leadership was. We can infer the source and say that the purpose of the source can somewhat make the source unreliable. In more depth, the Daily Express would publish this letter and in order to keep the British morale high nothing negative would have to be published. The British public want to know that their loved ones are in the safe hands of good leaders and therefore this source helps achieve this for them. Overall, the source is useful and reliable because it helps us understand why others do not blame leaders like Haig for the vast amount of deaths. Terraine could use this source to create his own interpretation because it clearly states that leaders like Haig were great therefore alluding to the opinion that the leaders like Haig were not to blame for the disaster. Some historians believe that the inexperienced soldiers should be blamed for the vast majority of deaths. Source B13 are diary entries that belonged to Haig himself which he used as the bass for his reports to the War Cabinet. The diary entries are dated the 31st of June and 1st of July 1916 which makes the source the source reliable because it is a day before and the actual date of the first day of the Somme. Haig says that on the men are in â€Å"splendid spirits† which suggests that the soldiers were unprepared the soldiers were for the disaster that was going to happen and how much they underestimated the German army. Perhaps these soldiers are the inexperienced ones; a lot of soldiers at the time were inexperienced due to conscription and propaganda; people just wanted to fight for their country. Haig also says that the soldiers â€Å"have never before been so instructed and informed† which suggests that the leadership was so good that no-one was in doubt of the upcoming task. The source is also reliable because a diary contains someone’s inner thoughts and feelings that aren’t really revealed to anyone, assuming that these diary entries are Haig’s real thoughts and feelings (a leader wouldn’t want to send many to their slaughter without feeling bad even if it was for the right reasons). According to research, Haig was a brilliant self-publicist that was recognised throughout the nation, if we infer the source we can say that the diary entry was just another means of propaganda. The source is also limited because Haig says that the attack on the 1st of July 1916 was a â€Å"very successful attack† however he does not mention the reasons as to why it was such a success. Overall, the source is not very useful or reliable because the person behind the source is the actual person who different historians argue for and against. Haig would obviously want to perceive himself as a great leader therefore making this source unreliable. Historians who share the same interpretation as Terraine could use this source to form their interpretation that support leaders like Haig because this source shows that the leadership was good enough and the men seemed happy with the instructions they were given, therefore it is not the fault of the leaders. Terraine could have also used this source because it suggests that the German defences lost more men than the British because they were â€Å"short of men† whereas the British troops were â€Å"full of confidence†. Many historians argue that if leaders like Haig were to blame for the disasters, why were there so much people welcoming them home. This is shown in source B15, a photograph which shows the welcoming of Haig home in 1919. The fact that it is a photograph makes the source reliable because it is a still image of time that cannot be changed, and they did not have the technology at the time to edit the photo to such detail. The source is also useful because it shows that alot of people did not think that leaders like Haig were incompetent hence the large amount of people that were there to welcome home their so called ‘hero. However, the provenance of source is unknown therefore this makes the source unreliable – for all we know this photograph could have been taken by the government for propaganda purposes. The source is also limited because it does show any other interpretations after 1919; by the 1930s people began to question the competence of leaders like Haig but by the 1960s balanced arguments had formed. In summary the source is reliable and useful because it outlines the interpretations from straight after the war even if they did begin to change. Terrain could of used this source to aid him create his own interpretation because the source clearly illustrates that leaders like Haig were generally respected and were seen as war heroes, and as a result of them adaptingâ€Å" themselves to constant change with astonishing success† so many people turned up to welcome them home. In conclusion source B9, B11 and B15 are all useful and reliable in helping me understand why historians believe that leaders like Haig were good leaders. Source B9 suggests that leaders like Haig fought their part of the war just as much as all the other soldiers, however all other evidence argues against this idea. Although leaders like Hag might not have fought the war physically, I think that the job of trying to come up with a good enough plan in order to win the battle and then instructing the men to do it would have been hard itself, and to be fair to leaders like Haig, the British people did eventually win the war – just like Haig had promised. Source B11 suggests that the leaders like Haig were good leaders and that they could not be faulted. Source B15 is reliable because it is a photograph that clearly illustrates that leaders like Haig were not seen as the fault of the losses. Maybe this is due to the lack of evidence that was published at the time (against Haig) or people simply sympathised with Haig because with the decisions he was faced with. However the same cannot be said about source B13. In my opinion source B13 is unreliable because the provenance of source is untrustworthy. I can assume that Haig would obviously try to show himself as a good leader therefore anything he says could just be exaggerated and untrue. All of these sources help me understand that there were other factors that caused the vast number of deaths and the fault wasn’t only in the hands of leaders like Haig. It makes me think about the other factors that made war life difficult for the soldiers. For example, the rats and lice which carried disease around the trenches or the trench foot which disabled alot of soldiers from fighting. Other contributing factors could be the underage, inexperienced soldiers or the misuse of the new weaponry. I also think that this interpretation is valid based on the sources that I have evaluated because each source gives a reason as to why leaders like Haig were not incompetent.

Tips on How to Save College Relationships After Graduation

Tips on How to Save College Relationships After Graduation There was a time when one of the only reasons women attended educational institutions, was to find themselves a husband! Of Course, times have changed, and female students are there to learn and attain the qualifications needed for their chosen career. However, that doesn’t mean college romances are a thing of the past. In fact, according to USA Today 28% of married graduates met their spouse at college! That statistic is even higher for religious institutions where as many as 60% of such romances end in marriage. Looks like those people knew some hacks on how to save college relationships after graduation. Dating in college is not like dating in the real world. It is not always plain sailing. Relationships and indeed day to day life play out within a campus bubble and this can spell trouble after graduation. Many alumni struggle to make it once they are out in the adult world and facing the stress of a career and other responsibilities the cracks begin to show. However, if you are determined to stay with your current partner, the following tips might help you. Tips on How to Save College Relationships After Graduation Talk About the Future Preemptively – One of the best tips on how to save college relationships is to talk about your future plans as early as possible. Don’t wait until the last day of studying to discuss where you see the relationship going. Discuss the situation a few months before graduation rolls around and make sure you both see the same future. It might be a tough conversation but be open and honest with each other. Do you plan to move close to each other? If not, are you prepared to have a long-distance relationship? These are questions which need to be asked. Is Exclusivity Important to You? – One of the biggest reasons why college relationships fail is because one or both partners cheat. This can be an especially big temptation if you go to different towns or states after graduation. What if we took cheating out of the equation? Is exclusivity important to you? A growing number of young people are experimenting with open or polyamorous relationships. It’s not for everyone, but for some it is a great way to stay together after studying ends. Be Prepared to Embrace Change – Another of our favourite tips on how to save college relationships is to be ready to embrace change. College is totally different from the every day grind and sometimes the change can be overwhelming. You and your partner may find yourselves developing different interests and veering off on your own path. That’s okay and it is no cause for alarm. However, you do need to be prepared for this change. Give each other time to grow and find the right path. Be supportive and you can find your way together as a couple. Always Communicate – Graduation is a huge transitional period in our lives, so we must make an effort to communicate our plans and expectations. Its a bad idea to ignore each other only because you are afraid to face your problems. Try to be sincere with each other about your feelings and plans. Never Sacrifice Your Dreams – Sometimes after diplomas are handed out, you and your partner will be headed home to different cities. Long-distance doesn’t work for everyone, so it may seem like one of you has to make the move if your romance is to have any hope of lasting. However, one of the biggest tips on how to save college relationships after graduation is to not make this mean you are sacrificing your dreams. If one partner has to be the one to leave their dreams behind to be with the other, then eventually resentment will bubble up to the surface and that can be the kiss of death for any affair. Compromise is key to a successful relationship, so make sure you both have equal importance and priority when it comes to making your dreams come to life. Sometimes It Is Right to Say Goodbye Although there are plenty of tips on how to save college relationships after graduation, it is important to decide if it is really the right thing to do. Some relationships are not meant to last beyond college and that is perfectly okay. Sometimes the right thing to do is say goodbye after graduation. Here are three common indicators that your college romance may not be long lasting: You Have Different Goals – Have you started to think about life after college. What is the next step? Will you head out of state? Are you planning on getting into your chosen career immediately? Are you considering a year out to travel the world? Whatever your plans involve it is important that your partner shares those goals. If one of you is dedicated to building a career at home while the other is intent on backpacking across Australia, then your relationship is not on track for survival. Something Doesn’t Feel Right – Usually when a relationship is coming to its natural end, something starts to feel a little off. It could be that some of your partner’s quirks that were once cute now get on your nerves, or maybe you just don’t communicate the way you used to. Whatever it is, if you don’t feel right it usually indicates that its game over. Once you realise this, it might be the perfect time to make the break. You Can’t Imagine the Future Together – Once finishing college most of us start to think more seriously about settling down. That often means imaging the kind of life your future holds. Marriage. Kids. A home in the suburbs. Who do you see standing by your side? If it is not your current sweetheart, then alarm bells should be ringing. If you can’t picture yourself married to that person then it is unlikely that your relationship is going to flourish after you graduate. Keeping a college romance alive is not always easy, but hopefully with these tips on how to save college relationships you can enjoy the next stage of your lives together. Good Luck!

10 Ways to Sabotage Your Italian Progress

10 Ways to Sabotage Your Italian Progress There are ways to speak Italian quickly, and there are tips and tricks they dont teach in Italian language school. Conversely, there are methods and approaches that will slow down your progress and only prove frustrating and demotivating. You might have the best intentions, but here are ten sure-fire ways how not to learn Italian (or any foreign language, for that matter). 1. Think in English Perform the mental gymnastics that requires a lot of time and effort when conversing in Italian: think in English, then translate into Italian, then retranslate into English after hearing the speakers response. Now watch the listeners eyes glaze over as your brain painstakingly hashes out this unnecessarily complex process. At this rate, youll never learn Italian- unless you forget your native tongue. Think like an Italian if you want to speak like an Italian. 2. Cram Stay up late, drink plenty of espressos, and try to learn a semesters worth in one night. It worked in college, so it should work with a foreign language, right? Well, you cannot get into shape in just a few days at the gym, and you cannot learn Italian by studying just before a test. It takes repeated effort, over an extended period of time, to get results. Rome wasnt built in a day, and no one can become proficient in the Italian present subjunctive tense in an evening. 3. Get the Dubbed Version The Italian movie that was critically acclaimed and that everyones raving about? Its now available on DVD, in English no less. So sit back, microwave some popcorn, and watch the actors lips flap out of synch for two hours. Worse, miss the various nuances of the Italian language during conversations as well as the original voices. (In fact, many viewers believe that English-dubbed films bastardize the original.) Yes, its difficult to listen to a foreign movie in the original version, but no one ever said learning Italian was going to be easy. If the movie is that good, watch it twice- first in Italian, and then with subtitles. It will improve your comprehension, and more than likely the original dialogue will have shades of meaning that could never be conveyed by translation. 4. Avoid Native Italian Speakers Stick with English speakers when studying Italian, because after all, you can communicate with them at will without having to exert any extra effort to making yourself understood. You might not ever learn any of the nuances of Italian grammar, but then, at least you wont embarrass yourself. 5. Stick to Only One Method Theres only one way to learn Italian- your way! Cyclists in the Giro dItalia have bulging quadriceps and huge calf muscles, but their upper body is underdeveloped. Use the same muscles and youll get the same results. Youll never build up the proper lingual techniques required to sound like a native Italian (or at least close to it) if you dont cross-train. Avoid the linguistic equivalent (memorizing the lines in every Fellini movie, or knowing every verb thats related to cooking) and try a balanced approach, whether its reading an Italian textbook, completing workbook exercises, listening to a tape or CD, or conversing with a native Italian speaker. 6. Speak as if Youre Speaking English The Italian alphabet resembles the Latin alphabet used in English. So who needs to roll their rs? Why is it important to know the difference between open and closed es? Although certain Italian dialects might have pronunciation idiosyncrasies relative to standard Italian, that doesnt mean non-native speakers get to make up new rules regarding pronunciation. Get yourself to the linguistic gym and give that tongue a workout! 7. Attend a Learn Italian in 48 Hours Class Granted, there are benefits to learning Italian survival phrases when traveling to Italy, but your short term memory will fail you within days. And then what?! Instead, adopt a more deliberate approach, and learn the basics of the Italian language before traveling to Italy with an Italian for travelers e-mail course over several weeks time. Think of it as preparation for what a vacation in Italy should be: leisurely, with plenty of time for watching the world go by. 8. Dont Listen to Italian Radio or TV Since you cant understand the conversation anyway, dont bother tuning in (via cable or Internet) to Italian radio or TV broadcasts. The announcers speak too quickly, and without any context, your comprehension will approach zero. On the other hand, you might not be able to play a musical instrument, yet regardless if its classical, rap, hip-hop, or metal, you can easily pick up the rhythm, cadences, and tempo of any song. Keep that in mind, and it may be easier to incorporate the distinct intonation of Italian when speaking the language even if you dont understand the words themselves (many opera singers have near-perfect diction when performing Italian works, yet have only a rudimentary understanding of the language). 9. Remain Silently Foolish As the adage goes, It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. So sit there and say nothing in Italian, because otherwise, it will become evident rather quickly if you are unable to distinguish among false cognates in Italian. 10. Travel to Italy Only if Necessary Given the logistics of air travel nowadays, who in their right mind would want to travel to the country of the target language? Theres schlepping luggage everywhere, interminable waits in the airport and on the security line, and leg room sufficient only for children. Then, three times a day at meals, there will be a struggle trying to read menus and ordering food. Imagine, too, if you have certain food allergies or are a vegetarian and have to explain that to the cameriere (waiter)! In fact, if you make the effort, youll discover that traveling to Italy is the best way to learn Italian. While there will be challenges, being immersed in the language is guaranteed to improve your Italian language skills quicker than any other method. Consider it a linguistic adventure, and start planning your itinerary now.