Toyota Management Planning Essay Example for Free

Toyota Management Planning Essay In order to keep an organization flowing and to achieve the goals that are set-forth the management teams have to continually watch their planning processes. To make sure that nothing is missed in any of the steps the planning teams such as change management taking charge to monitor the growth is able to happen. For Toyota there have been some large changes going on over the past few years with the difficulties from the over-seas suppliers due to the tsunami then in the auto world there is always troubles that lie ahead with design changes and technology changes. Although the company in whole is not performing all that poorly with such difficult times they have had along with all the struggles the other automakers have had in the market. Upon research for the Toyota Motor Company you will find that they are the largest automaker in the world followed by General Motors. Recently Toyota had made a very bold move on their planning side to be able to stay the largest automaker in the world. On March 6th 2013 the company appointed non-Japanese Executive to lead three out of its four global regions. It also appointed three outside members to its board of directors, including longtime former General Motors executive Mark Hogan (Snavely, 2013). This is the strategic and also tactical form of planning the short term being able to make the vehicles more intriguing along with making sure that Toyota stays in the eyes of the American consumers. Foreign auto makers tend to do this no matter where they come from because no matter what their mother-ship is in a different country not realizing what the true difference in design and passion is. Planning for growth such as theirs with long term customer retention is not always easily to be done with the poor quality from large and important recalls here in the United States. * Legal issues can stem from anything in the auto world, anything from large safety recalls to buy backs caused by not having parts in stock or taking too long to get from the supplier. The largest influence of the legal issues are the recalls in parts greatly increased if Toyota claims it to be a safety issue such as the breaks going out, or the Prius not shutting down and driving out of control. When the planning team starts to build ways to fix their issues it needs to be the fast way possible so that customers feel safe with what they have implemented to correct the issues. So when they find an issue with a vehicle tactically they need to develop the fix, then plan for what parts are needed ordered to ensure that the cars can be fixed when you tell the owners. * This is ethically important to the business knowing that there is a problem with the vehicles and it is still safe you are not setting up for angry customers. You have informed them that you have located the issue figured out the fix and also have everything ready for you when you come in for the repair, not sweeping it under the rug and hiding it. In order to make things flow together and showing everyone that Toyota works on being the top employer in the United States in order to do this they need to show the commitment on doing the right thing for the employees in the plants or parts distributions channels. Making everyone aware that Toyota’s management is working on fixing its past and will be a new richer company in no time as long as customers remove the old pasts they will be able to hit the next level. * Socially as the auto company works on the growth they have setup for you will always see more and more of what they have done and what they plan to do for you in the future as they grow. Seeing them display their new developments such as starting off with the original Prius then hearing what the consumers said they added the next line of Prius C smaller, Prius V larger and the plug in Prius. By hearing socially what the customers need and want management heard this used it to develop the next line of models. Social networking is a way to press conference to the customers or a fan so that they know and can hear what the management has planned; every business uses these forms to get across to the customers. Toyota in the United States has a hard win for getting new customers in the door. Their design of the vehicles is a little too Japanese for the American buyers. Over the next few years the new designs will need to be marketed to bring the new customers in the doors. Strategically they have changed a lot inside the walls of the business to make sure that it can sustain the goals set forth. Toyota has condensed its businesses into four main units, creating a structure that the company said should clarify operations and earnings responsibility as well as speed up decision-making. (Takahasha, 2013). All the movements that have been made were all done to make sure that the goals will be achieved in the time line that they have tasked themselves with. As we think on the directions that business are going you will realize that every aspect of the business Toyota has to be revamped in order to setup for their goals of not being so old fashioned in design. The largest factors for implementing these changes in the poor turn around on issues such as recalls from 2009-2010, this has halted their growth in continuing to be benchmark in the auto world. New managers to make quick and fast acting decisions in if the most important thing for Toyota to make the customers see when something is happening to the business. This also goes back to the social side of things, customers notice a flaw then it will be plastered for all social networks to be able to be seen by all. Proving the quality has changed with the new management and them being transparent so that a management should do is see them implementing their changes. Resources: Snavely, B. (2013). USA Today. Retrieved from http://www. usatoday. com/story/money/cars/2013/03/26/toyota-management-changes-bob-carter/2021639/ Takahasha, Y. (2013). The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10001424127887323628804578343552255704028. html.

Marketing creating hedonistic consumers

Marketing creating hedonistic consumers Within the academic and the marketing world it is recognised that there is debate on what role the discipline of marketing plays in the creation of hedonistic consumers. The most extreme debates come from those who hold opposing views. This paper will look at some of these polarised views and perspectives in regard to consumer behaviour and will argue that marketing has not created hedonistic consumers that such a stance does not allow for the complexities of human behaviour and motivations and does not take account of the dynamic nature of consumer society. We agree there are associations and parallels in the development of both consumerism and marketing but there is no evidence to prove cause and effect. According to Armstrong et al (2009, p8), wants are the form human needs take as they are shaped by culture and individual personality. Wants are shaped by ones society. Therefore, consumer wants are not shaped solely by marketers. Conversely, Solomon et al (2006, p21) highlight that marketing is often criticised for employing techniques that convince consumers that they need many material goods and that they will be unhappy and inferior if they do not have these necessities. Do marketers give people what they want, or do they tell us what we ought to want? Marketing is often assumed to be responsible for our consumer society and its hedonistic approach to consumption, and as a consequence undermines other cultural values by promoting a materialistic stance. For many commentators it is the dark side of marketing and worthy of review as it diminishes the marketing professions reputation. 1.1 Definitions Before defining hedonistic consumption, it is useful to define the philosophy of hedonism. This is a school of thought that says the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing in life, that views man as being motivated by the desire for sensual pleasures therefore this quest for the good life becomes mans driving force. The hedonistic consumer can be viewed as pleasure loving or self indulgent person with a high level of consumption, more preoccupied with their own material goals than thinking of the wider view of society. Hedonistic consumption is the multi-sensory, fantasy and emotional aspects of consumers interactions with products. (Soloman, 2006, p39). This element of fantasy is crucial to this theory as it is the imagined pleasure that attracts the consumer. OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy describe this as the general agreement that consumer pleasure lies not so much in the physical sense as in the total emotional experience. So the pleasure and happiness is real even though the experience can be imagined in the consumers brain. From a negative point of view Migone, 2006 views it as a highly wasteful and discrimatory pattern of consumption that predominates in current capitalist models. Hedonism and Fantasy The role of fantasy in hedonic consumption is key and whilst academics view it from different perspectives they do agree that it plays a pivotal role in pleasure seeking. Gabriel and Lang (2006) are of the view that Western consumption many agree is a realm of seduction alluring and glamour. As goods leave the world of production to enter the sphere of display, circulation and consumption, they become objects of fantasy and instruments of pleasure. Whilst Abercrombie states that lives are organised around fantasies and daydreams about consuming; they are hedonists, primarily interested in pleasure, and sensual pleasure at that they are individualists, largely pursuing their own ends and uncaring about others.(Abercrombie, 1994, 44). Campbell (1987) in The Romantic Ethic and the Spirit of Modern Consumerism described the key aspect in the creation of the hedonistic consumer as being one concerned with the power of the imagination, he highlights the differences between what was regarded as the traditional view of hedonism and the modern view. He suggested that traditional version was a hedonism of a multitude of pleasures, of the senses whilst modern hedonism seeks pleasure not in sensation but in emotion accompanying all kinds of experiences. The pleasure lies in the meaning of the experience to the individual. This is the form we are dealing with in postmodern culture. Campbell suggested that the consumer as hedonist must be able to derive pleasure from every item they come into contact with and everything must be orientated to that end. That consumers are in a constant state of unsatisfaction, an ongoing state where we are dreaming about something new however this is linked to the other defining factor of modern hedonism that disillusionment comes from the disappointment when the imagined pleasure are always greater than the actual. When anticipate the enjoyment and pleasure that we will gain when we finally purchase and wear the new phone/watch/car we have been day dreaming about buying, our pleasure is often not as we imagined and is fleeting. We have moved on to dreaming about the next better version and start to feel bad about not having it. Consumerism good or bad? Underpinning the debate on whether marketing has created hedonistic consumers is the view on whether consumerism is a positive or negative force. Some celebrate the rise of the consumer, taking the view that consumerism is the essence of the good life, that a consumer society allows us personal freedom, power and happiness through our ability to choose, acquire, use and enjoy our material objects and experiences. Seen as a sophisticated, mature individual who seeks enjoyment in life: by making choices and exercising freedom. (Gabriel and Lang, 2006, p8). Others are concerned that consumerism is associated with reduced consumer well being, partly in terms of quality of human relationships and levels of happiness. That those focused on materialistic values have lower personal well being and psychological health. (Kasser,2002). Abela (2006) furthers this argument indicating that hedonistic consumerism shows an association between marketing practice and the harms of consumerism may be greater than it is generally believed to be by marketing academics. 3. Claims against Marketing Too much interest in material possessions is the responsibility of marketing? Critics have argued that the marketing system encourages too much interest in material possessions. people are judged by what they own not who they are. (Armstrong et al, 2009 p.552). Critics dont view this as a natural state of mind but one created by marketing. In answer to this claim many marketers would argue that this alleged ability of marketing to create needs is wishful thinking and is overstating marketings scope. In support of this it follows that marketers are most successful when they appeal to existing wants rather than when they attempt to create new ones. Also that people seek information when making important purchases and mostly do not rely on a single source (Gabriel and Lang, 2006). However, todays mania for goods is learnt not instinctive according to Naish, 2002. On a deeper level our wants and values are influenced by many factors including family, peer group, religion, ethnic background and education. If modern society is highly materialistic, these values arise out of socialisation processes that go much deeper than business and mass media could produce alone (Gabriel and Lang, 2006). OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy (2002) argue that accumulation of material possessions is a consequence of wealth. Marketers create artificial needs? According to Solomon et al (2006), some conservative traditionalists are of the view that advertising in particular, contributes to the moral breakdown of society by presenting images of hedonistic pleasure. Conversely, leftists argue that they same misleading promises of material pleasure function to buy off people who would otherwise be revolutionaries working to change the system. OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy (2002) note that wants must be created and that there must be an underlying appetite for the product in the first place. Solomon at al conclude that while marketers do not create artificial needs, they do contribute heavily to the socialization of people in contemporary society and thus to the establishment of the social system of needs. Consequently marketers must take a share of responsibility for the development of society. Marketers promise miracles? Consumers are led to believe that via advertising that products have special properties; they will so special things for them that will transform their lives. Soloman et al argues that the manipulative effect of advertising is often overstated, however does concede that there is little doubt that advertising creates and changes patterns of consumption. They offer the view that the main affect may be that the idea that we are defined by our consumer choices is perpetuated by the advertising medium. The impact of fantasy and imagery in influencing buying OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy (2002) cite Baudrillard (1981) who suggested that due to the new technology of electronic media we now have a world where the distinction between real and images has become blurred and consumers are viewed as non-rational who gravitate to instant gratification. The claim is that the consumer thinks that this is the reality, however according to OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy there is no proof to substantiate the claim. Image saturated environment pressing consumers to buy The sheer insistence and multiplication of marketing messages is evidence to critics of marketing. The sum of the mass effect on consumers pushes them in a hedonistic direction. However consumers are sophisticated and selective, they take notice of the products that attend to them. (OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy,2002). Consumerism and Identity Many cultural forces have been accused of having a role in the creation of hedonistic consumers the marketing of Hollywood and Celebrity culture are named often in the debate. Its is recognised by psychology that our ability to weigh desirability and value is knocked awry if the item is endorsed by a well known face. The part of the brain involved in trust and learning is activated and as a result we feel like we are their acquaintances and we want to be like them. (Naish, 2008). We chose carefully who we copy and why and have evolved to emulate the most successful, maybe why many of us feel compelled to keep up materially with celebrities. Consumption, is it addictive? Lasch (1991) takes a pessimistic view believing that western consumerism, sustained by mass production and celebrated in the mass media, amounts to a mechanism of addiction. Though Migone (2007) concedes that rather than marketing being at the root of this addiction: it is due to technological advances which facilitated large scale production which in turn leads to large scale consumption. Consumerism and loss of Community Naish notes that only modern capitalist countries concentrate on material greed. In pre capitalist societies the highest worths was ascribed to things like family, clan, religion, honour not shiny new objects. This he says relates to our most base instincts which are the need to relate to others and feel part of a community. According to Naish, man has lost his moral framework, sense of community and lifes higher meaning, so that now all that remains is our thirst for possessions and pleasure. That being a hedonistic consumer does not make us happy and has a detrimental effect on our human relationships. Critics have linked this loss to marketings lack of focus on these types of human values. In defence of Marketing Consumerism and Wealth The 80s recognised a triumph for consumerism old moral restraints on consumption (frugality, thrift and guilt) swept aside by an extraordinary, credit lead consumerist boost (Lee, 1997). Gabriel and Lang recall that greed lost some of its pejorative and puritanical connotations, in reference to the 1980s. Consumption and Identity It has been said that consumers take identity from their possessions. Consumption has expanded to fill the vacuum left by the decline of the work ethic. Bauman (1988) also argues that consumption is the new pioneer frontier in which individuals may successfully assert themselves, with no insecurity and not harming others. Shopping is not merely the acquisition of things: it is the buying of identity. (Clammer,1992). This is another view that consumer consumption comes from within. Also the general rise in disrupted families has been linked to new ways of forming identities through goods how negative the effects are depends on the underlying motives. Human Nature Naish believes we are genetically programmed to always want more. In prehistoric times its been discovered that cave dwellers had collections of axe handles, that these were the Jimmy Choos and Ferraris of their time. Important to note that OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy argue that marketing materialism are interdependent and that marketing helps precipitate materialism and materialism in society advances the development of marketing. According to Bauman, (1999) the major contributing factors to hedonistic lifestyle are pervasive insecurity and uncertainty fear of the future and the ecology of the planet; danger- threat of terrorism and wars; decline of family breakdown of traditional institutes such as family as one of the main cultural reference points. It has been argued that marketing creates hedonism by creating wants. This begs the question can wants be created? According to Moore (1994) materialism and hedonism were not invented by consumer marketing; they were there before its advent. Although, it has been widely acknowledged that consumers have latent wants that can be activated, but recognise that they have a great ability to filter information. Marketers often chose hedonistic appeals, but marketing in itself is simply an orientation and a set of tools that are value neutral and can be used to proselytise any perspective. (Cook, 1992). Social commentators have noted that that pursuit of pleasure is mans natural position and it goes against human nature to deprive oneself and that accumulation of material possessions is due to the fact we have the means to indulge our wants. However they agree there is an acknowledged link but no proven cause and effect but this is viewed as marketing being in the role of facilitator not creator. Marketing and Economy Marketers have accused critics of taking the hyper real world of marketing, advertising and dreams too literally. Arguing that freedom of choice is better for consumers and is a fundamental underpinning of our economic system. Stimulus-response model of buyer behaviour This widely accepted model of consumer behaviour illustrates that whilst marketing stimuli are important so are as are culture, politics, economics and technology. These come merge with consumer psychology and the individual consumer characteristics. These are interlinked and conclude with a final selection of a product. This model is illustrative of the fact that marketing stimulus is only part of the consumer behaviour process. (Please refer to appendix 1). The Future Western style consumerism is facing and creating serious threats ecological crisis, climate change, resources shortages and financial uncertainties. There is an increased awareness among academics and consumers of the ecological limits of consumerism and current debate is focused on its sustainability. Consumers are said to dictate production, they fuel innovation, create new social systems, drive modern politics to have the power to save the environment and protect the future of the planet and yet at the same time are seen as weak and malleable creatures, easily manipulated, dependant, passive and foolish. (Gabriel Lang, 2006). It is recognised that there is a need to engage in debate on the containment of the negative aspects of consumerism. At the centre of the debate is the question of social consequences and the role of marketing in creating the consumption culture.. If we suspect that marketing is contributing to the harmful effects of consumerism what are the courses of action marketers should review? Abela (2006) cites Csikszentmihalyis (2000) suggestion that greater transparency about the effects of materialism would help. Recommends marketers undertake studies for emerging groups the non consumerist consumer, anti consumerism groups and should monitor general consumer awareness. So if the consumer is more aware of the consequences they might not choose the path of consumption especially if it leads to unhappiness and dissatisfaction. Increased efforts at consumer education maybe able to correct this and lead to changes in consumer behaviour. One possible area of study is to look at regions not affected yet possibly in eastern cultures. Some believe we are at the point of a fundamental structural change in the nature of consumerism. Others keeping the faith in the market to right itself. Optimists believe technology will provide an answer (cleaner cars, recycling, energy conservation). The outcome will be a complex dynamic between politics, production, international trade, economics cultural and moral values. (Abela, 2006, Gabriel Lang, 2006, Kasser 2002). In summary, the main culprit behind hedonism would be the development of strong value orientation that puts unrestrained freedom to the forefront. Marketing does not invent or creates wants; it merely surfaces them. Man has always been, in all societies materialistic. In older days poverty didnt allow him/her to indulge into hedonistic lifestyle. The role of marketing in creation of hedonism, is more of a facilitator than of an inventor. (OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy, 2002). Conclusion This paper has recognised that there is debate on what role the discipline of marketing plays in the creation of hedonistic consumers and outlined the argument that marketing has not created hedonistic consumers, that such a stance does not allow for the complexities of human behaviour and motivations and does not take account of the dynamic nature of consumer society. We agree there are associations and parallels in the development of both consumerism and marketing, but there is no evidence to prove cause and effect. However neither is there evidence to disprove. When deciding what marketing strategy an organisation should follow the primary aim is building profitable relationships with the target consumer however, the organisation has many choices in guiding their marketing strategy in terms of which philosophy should underpin the strategy. Many of todays large corporations employ the marketing concept by knowing the needs/wants of the target market and delivering satisfaction better than the competition. (Armstrong et al,2009). Based on the theory that there is a parallel in the patterns between the rise of the hedonistic consumer and the sophistication and intensity of marketing efforts (Abela, 2006) ethical marketers would be advised to consider a move toward the Societal marketing concept a concept that holds that marketing strategy should deliver value in a way that maintains or improves both the consumer and the societys well-being (Armstrong et al, 2009, p14-15). Executed correctly this strategy would provide long term profits and protect both society and the consumer within this framework. sReferences Abela, A.V. (2006) Marketing and consumerism European Journal of Marketing Vol. 40 Number 1/ 2 pp 5-16 Abercrombie, N. (1994)The Authority of the Consumer, Routledge, London,UK Armstrong, G et al (2009) Marketing an Introduction, Prentice Hall, UK Baudrillard, J. (1981), The Critique of the Political Economy of the Sign, tr. Levin, C., Telos Press, St Louis, MO in OShaughnessy,J. OShaughnessy, N.J. (2002) marketing, the consumer society and hedonism European Journal of Marketing, Vol.36 Number 5/6 pp 524-547 Bauman, Z. (1988) Freedom, Open University Press, UK Campbell, C (1987) The Romantic Ethic and the Spirit of Modern Consumerism, Basil Blackwell, UK Csikzentmihalyi, M. (2000) The cost and benefits of consuming, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol.27,September, pp 267-272 in Abela, A.V. (2006) Marketing and consumerism European Journal of Marketing Vol. 40 Number 1/ 2 pp 5-16 Douglas, M and Isherwood, B. (1979) The World of Goods, Basic Books, US Firat, A.F and Schultz, C.J. (1997) From Segmentation to Fragmentation: Markets and Marketing Strategy in the postmodern era, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 31, No 3 /4 Hirsch, F. (1977), Social Limits to Growth, Routledge Kegan Paul, London, UK Jantzen, C., Ostergaard, P. and Fitchett, J.A. (2004) A History of Mentality based Analysis of Hedonic and Experiential Comsumption, Advances in Consumer Research, Vol.31 pp 328 340 Gabriel, Y. and Lang, T (2006), The Unmanageable Consumer, 2nd Edition, Sage, UK Kagan, J. (1999) Three Seductive Ideas, Harvard University Press, US Kasser, T. (2002),The High Price of Materialism, MIT Press, Cambridge, US Kotler, P and Keller K.L. (2006) Marketing Management 12th Edition, Prentice Hall, UK Lasch, C. (1991) The True and Only Heaven; Progress and Its Critics, Norton New York Lee, M.J. (1997) Consumer Culture Reborn, Routledge, London Mick, D.G (2008) Degrees of Freedom of will: An essential endless question in consumer behaviour, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Vol.18, pp17-21 Migone, A. (2006) Hedonistic Consumerism: Patterns of Consumption in Contemporary Capitalism, Review of Radical Political Economics, Vol. 39, No 2, pp 173-200 Moore, R.L. (1994), Selling God, Oxford University Press, New York, NY Naish, J. (2008) Enough Breaking free from the world of more, Hodder and Stoughton, UK OShaughnessy,J. OShaughnessy, N.J. (2002) marketing, the consumer society and hedonism European Journal of Marketing, Vol.36 Number 5/6 pp 524-547 OShaughnessy,J. OShaughnessy, N.J. (2007) Reply to criticisms of marketing, the consumer society and hedonism, European Journal of Marketing Vol. 41, Number 1 /2 pp7-16 Richins, M.L. and Dawson, S. (1992) A Consumer Values Orientation for Materialism, Journal of Consumer Research, December 1992 Salzer-Morling, M. and Strannegard, L. (2007) Aint misbehavin consumption in a moralized brandscape, Marketing Theory, Vol.7(4) pp 408-425 Simmons (2008) Marketing to post modern consumers: introducing the Internet Chameleon, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 42, No  ¾, pp 299-310 Solomon, M., Bamossy, G. Askegaard, S. and Hogg, M.K. (2006) Consumer Behaviour A European Perspective, Third Edition, Prentice Hall, UK. Further Reading: Arnould, M.J. and Reynolds, K.E (2003), Hedonic Shopping Motivations, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 79 Dittmar, H. (2004) Are you what you have? The Psychologist, Vol.17, No 4 pp 206-210 Dholakia (1999) Going Shopping: Key determinants of shopping behaviour and motivations, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Vol. 27,No 4 pp 154-165 Mick, D.G. (1996) Are studies of Dark Side Variables Confounded by Socially Desirable Responding? The Case of Materialism, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol.23 pp106-119 Naish, J (2008) Enough is Enough: Learn to want less, http://women.timesonline.co.uk/to/life, Date accessed 04/10/09

Improvement Of The College Library Education Essay

Improvement Of The College Library Education Essay INTRODUCTION Library is one of the most important parts of the school system. In the library, students continue to undertake learning and self-instruction during their free time. They also use library facilities, books, online and offline collections to do their assignments, reports, researches and other activities. However, with the advent of Internet resources, students now tend to use the Internet rather than library resources. Hence, there is a need to improve the college library based on the needs, preferences, and convenience of the students. This paper aimed to gather opinions and suggestions of the students to improve the college library. The objectives of the study were: To identify what do the students more frequently use for searching information; To determine how often do the students visit or use the library facilities; To check if students get the information they need from the college library; To find out if students believe that the college library needs improvement; and To gather students opinions and suggestion on the improvement of the school library? The opinions and suggestions of the students were very useful for updating the contents and improving the system of the library. The results of this research also served as an appeal to the school administration to improve the college library. Specifically, this study answered the following questions: What do the students more frequently use for searching information: Internet or Library? How often do the students visit or use the library facilities? Do they get the information they need from the college library? Do they believe that the college library needs improvement? What are their opinions and suggestion on the improvement of the school library? Literature Review Libraries play important roles in the learning experience of students. It is the library where students obtain continuous learning and self-instruction. The library is expected to give extensive learning experience to the students. This section provides argument for the importance of traditional libraries. Traditional library can be defined as a confined place with a finite collection of tangible information bearing primary and resources such as books, journals, and alternative forms such as images, films, and tapes. It also contains secondary or meta-information like card catalog, various thesauri and references, and other searching tools which reference the librarys primary content (Low, 1996).There are the material resources of the library. These are the available sources of information for the students, faculty and staff. The main roles of libraries include teaching, learning, and research responsibilities. In terms of teaching, library staff has the responsibility to improve and facilitate teaching and instructions of the teaching staff. Libraries also facilitate learning and self-instruction of students. Likewise, this is also true in terms of researching needs of the students and the teaching staff as well (Stover, 2001). Libraries can fulfill teaching, learning, and research responsibilities through reference service, developing an extensive collection, and updating and maintaining this collection. Moreover, the libraries may also seek collaboration with the teaching faculty and other parts of campus community in the process of curriculum development. The library staff also has the responsibility to anticipate and be prepared with intellectual and technological developments that may affect the library in the future (Stover, 2001). Because of these important roles, libraries should be continuously improved. METHODOLOGY This study utilized a qualitative research design to determine the opinions and suggestions of the students concerning the improvement of the college library. The method was survey and suggestion box. Survey method is the appropriate method to be used when gathering opinions of the subjects when high response rate is needed at a short research time. This was necessary for the conduct of this research. The participants of this study were the college students of Bluefiled State College. They were asked to participate in the survey while they were in the library, canteen, or school grounds during their free time. On the other hand, a separate suggestion box especially designed for this study was placed in each section of the library. There was no sampling method implemented and multiple responses were not restricted because this study focused on the content of responses and not on the number of responses. In terms of data analysis and presentation, complete enumeration of responses was done. The scope of the responses covered library use, belief or non-belief of the need to improve the college library, and others based on solely on the perception of the students. The limitation of this study was that the population of the school was not appropriately represented because no sampling was done. However, the study assured voluntary participation which resulted high response rate. The instruments used in this study were suggestion box and self-administered questionnaire. The answer sheet for the suggestion box and the questionnaire were attached as appendix A and appendix B respectively. Analysis A total of 300 responses were gathered from the survey. The participants were gathered from the library, school grounds and other areas within the school where students gather during their free time. In terms of the school level, the breaks down of the respondents were the following: 1st year- 70; 2nd year- 50; 3rd year- 70; 4th year- 80; 5th year- 30. Majority of the respondents expressed more use of Internet rather than library resources in making their assignments and searching for information. Figure 1 shows the break down of responses. Hence, there is a need to improve library resources to encourage them to rely on the college library for their information needs. In spite of using the Internet more often to search for information, many of the respondents still go to the library everyday. Hence, there is still willingness on the part of the students to visit the library and search for information. Figure 2 shows the break down of the responses. However, when asked if they get the information that they need, majority of the respondents answered no. Out of 300 respondents, 170 said that they frequently do not get the information they need from the college library and only 130 said they get useful information from the library. Figure 3 shows the break down of responses. Therefore, failure the undertake the number one role of the college library- to deliver relevant information to the students means that this is a very significant reason to improve the facilities and service of the college library. In accordance to this, almost all of the respondents said that they believe that their college library needs to be improved. Only 40 expressed confidence to their college library and did not believe that rehabilitation of the college library should be done. On the other hand, 260 respondents said that the college library should be rehabilitated to improve performance of the college library. Table 1 shows the suggestions of the respondents for college library improvement from suggestion box and survey questionnaires. The suggestions of the respondents can be classified into four groups: human resources, facilities/services, books, and management. Table 1 Suggestion for College Library Improvement (From Suggestion box and Survey Questionnaire) Human Resources Facilities/Services More librarians more tables and chairs to accommodate more students Trained Librarians library tour for those who need assistance Guards/Guides subscription of online and offline journals Books Management More books better library management Updated books better borrowing and return system More on fiction section Human Resources. Many of the respondents suggested that they need more and trained librarians and guides to assist them in their library experience. They also suggested having guards within the vicinity of the library to provide security. Facilities/services. The students also suggested that they need more tables and chair for increased accommodation facilities of the libraries. They also requested for library tours for those who need it, especially for the freshmen students and subscription of online and offline journals which can be very useful for graduating students for their final research. Books. The students requested for more books of more recent editions on diverse range of topics. Moreover, they also suggested more recent collection for the fictions sections. This suggests that the students still need and are still willing to read books. Library Management. Aside from the material resources and human resources, students also suggested some improvement of the college library based on library management. This concerned book borrowing and return system, and better over all library management. This is in accordance to their request for more trained librarians. Conclusion and Recommendations From the results of the survey, it can be concluded that the students rely more frequently to Internet resources for their information and scholastic needs. The advent of technologies and the rapid development of new ones, especially the Internet have changed the learning and researching behavior of the students- from the traditional library resources to digital or Internet resources. Nevertheless, the students still visit the library on a daily basis to search for the information that they need for scholastic performance and personal knowledge gain. However, most of them do not get the information that they need. Thus, they believe that the college library should be improved. These scenarios should be a calling for the administration and the library management to improve the librarys facilities and services. The students have also stated in this research their suggestions through the survey and suggestion box. Accordingly, this research has the following suggestion for the library management, school administration, and the students. Library Administration Consider the point of view of students because they are the primary users and intended audience of the library and programs to improve it. The effectives of improvement programs will solely depend on the acceptability of the project to the students. Implement comprehensive and effective library management procedures. This will trickle down to better library service from library staff and relevant library experience for the students. School Administration Devote significant part of the school budget for improvement of the school library because library has important roles to teaching, learning, and research which are tantamount to the roles of the school as a whole. Support initiatives of the school library to improve. Students Avail and maximize the use of librarys resources. This can encourage school authorities to improve the college library facilities. Be active in giving suggestions for the improvement of scholastic performance of the school and the college library for that matter.

The Occult in A Tale of the Ragged Mountains Essay -- Ragged

The Occult in A Tale of the Ragged Mountains In his collection of criticism on Poe's stories, Thompson discusses the use of the occult in "A Tale of the Ragged Mountains." He begins the article by explaining that this story might be the product of Poe's "fascination with, but detached attitudes toward, the pseudoscientific occultism of his age." He gives us some technical terms for the techniques that Poe uses in this story: "metempsychosis" is the transmigration of souls, and is the word that surfaces frequently throughout this discussion of "Ragged Mountains." First Thompson discusses the idea that Poe set up the tale in a very specific way; as he puts it, "Poe himself wove a web for the purpose of unraveling." He believes that Poe set up a series of clues to guide the reader through the story. So, first the reader gets a "scientific" explanation of the events that seem supernatural, which is then followed by a "psychological" explanation (which is the opposite of the scientific facts). The final clue is the reader discoverin g that this tale is very similar ...

Groves and the Atomic Bomb :: Essays Papers

Groves and the Atomic Bomb â€Å"Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek,† said Mario Andretti, a famous racecar driver (FamousQuotes.com). When taking on a project or job, people must have a strong mind and heart to achieve their goal. People may face many obstacles, but leaders can find ways to rise above them with determination. In the end, those dedicated will succeed and accomplish their goals. With determination, General Groves managed to greatly aid the development of the atomic bomb. Leslie R. Groves was in charge of the Manhattan Project and authorized sites to be found for the production of the atomic bomb, which had to match his criteria. A site had to reach certain criteria in order for it to be made into a facility in helping to produce the atomic bomb. Part of Groves’ criteria was that a site had to be twenty miles from any town made up of a thousand people or more (Goldberg, Atomic 50). The reason a site had to be away from a large town was in case of an accident at the facility. Groves also said, â€Å"No main highway or railroad should be closer than 10 miles to the nearest pile or separation plant† (Groves 71). This criterion was important because no one should be able to get close to the site and wonder why it was being built. Altogether, specific criteria had to be met to protect the security of the atomic bomb project and to protect the people that lived around the area. Even though finding a perfect location site seemed dif ficult, Groves knew that it was possible to find a site that matched the specifications for an atomic bomb production site. Groves and his administration found land in Tennessee that matched the specific criteria. Groves acquired Oak Ridge, â€Å"59000 acres of Appalachian semiwilderness along the Clinch River in eastern Tennessee [†¦] for the Manhattan Engineer District as one of his first official acts† (Rhodes 486). This land was large enough to house a facility and was an acceptable distance away from other towns.

Henry David Thoreau`s concept of government Essay

Thoreau is one of the most influential thinkers of the world. His Civil Disobedience theory has inspired many leaders who employed it to acquire freedom for their colonized countries. Mahatma Gandhi was inspired by this essay and put it to practice in his Civil Disobedience movement during Indian freedom struggle. This method proved to be stronger than war with weapons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thoreau’s motto is, ‘That government is best which governs least’. To him government is the ‘mode which the people have chosen to execute their will’. So people holding posts in the government need to reflect the choice of the people.   He hereby does not say that there is no need for a government but demands a better one which can reflect the needs of the people. He derides the kind of government that treats men like ‘movable forts and magazines at the service of some unscrupulous man in power’. Herein he is referring to soldiers at war who risk their lives against their conscience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thoreau describes the situation of the countries invaded by America   where ‘a sixth of the population of a nation which has undertaken to be the refuge of liberty are slaves’ and under the subjugation of foreign army. He speaks against invasion of foreign lands. Million are against this kind of war and acquisition but no one raises their voice against this. Some times he says that people petition or give up their ’cheap vote’. He questions the citizen giving up their conscience to the legislator. Thoreau ridicules parliamentary elections and proclaims that only those who vote for the abolishment of slavery are real voters. Thoreau finds fault with those who are not able to tolerate unjust laws but at the same time are contended with mere petitioning. A common citizen meets government in the form of tax collectors once in a year. Thoreau does not support taxation which is created without any subjectivity. He does not mind paying tax for essential utilities but he does not find logic in poll tax. He refuses to pay for those that his conscience does not permit. Consequently he is put in jail later to be released on account of someone else paying for him. Thoreau upholds freedom of every individual and criticizes the government for treating individual citizens as a herd. He adds that every individual should be allowed his choice in the welfare activities he wishes to do. He blames the State of collecting tax in the name of welfare activities and using it to invade other nations putting thousands of lives in danger. How can a government that is closing its eyes on the evil of slave trade be trusted in welfare activities? His solution to tackle this issue is Civil Disobedience movement. Instead of waiting for others to start a movement or stop with petitions, every individual should rise up to the occasion with resistance towards the Government. He says, ‘There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly.’ Thoreau admits that to this kind of government he will willingly submit himself and cheerfully obey. There has been a good change from monarchy to democracy. Now the change needs to be extended to progress towards true respect for the individual. The Government needs to find ways to recognize and organize the rights of man. He also recommends that the legislators could take instruction from the New Testament to make his governance better. This thought from Thoreau has had great impact in the world history. Many nations were made and strengthened by following Civil Disobedience. He recommends what is called as Bloodless war and this war is more powerful than that which is fought with arm and ammunitions.

Myth vs. Reality

The Holy Bible has been dubbed as the all-time bestseller and most widely read book, with 2 billion printed copies around the world. It is composed of a collection of ancient manuscripts that served as basis for some of the world’s religions. The Old Testament (OT) of the Bible has twenty-four books written in Hebrew (except for a few passages in Aramaic) and is often called the Masoretic text. At the time of Reformation, the Hebrew books were rearranged and some were divided and so became thirty-nine in all. Roman Catholics, like Protestants, divide the Bible into an Old and a New Testament.The Roman Catholic Old Testament (OT) contains 46 books (most of them from the Hebrew Bible). Some are called canonical or authoritative; others deuterocanonical, secondary, but nonetheless authoritative. Protestants term the deuterocanonical books â€Å"The Apocrypha† and consider them to be outside the Canon of Scripture. For its Old Testament, Catholics follow the list of books i ncluded in the Septuagint, a Greek version that was the source of the Latin Vulgate translation. The following chart lists the agreements and differences between the order and content of the books of the Hebrew Scripture among Jews, Catholics, and Protestants.Some Eastern Orthodox communities include 1 Esdras, the Prayer of Manasseh, Psalm 151, and 3 Maccabees as part of their Old Testament canon. Catholics and Protestants are in virtual agreement on the 27 books of the New Testament (Flinn, 2007). No doubt, the Holy Bible is the foundation many religious doctrines. In fact, the Bible is constantly studied to provide clerics not just with the basis of his doctrine but also with an infinite repertoire of examples which served to illustrate their positions. Since the Bible contains both historical and literary texts, many people have their own interpretation of what they read in the Bible.Not to mention, the Bible has been translated many times from Hebrew and Aramaic to Latin to pres ent-day languages. In view of the discrepancies in interpretation and translation, the veracity of what has been written is constantly debated by many religious pundits. Are words written in the Bible truth or is just a collection of ancient myths? How can people detect truth in the Bible? In this paper, we will try to delve deep into the veracity and authority of the Bible as a factual source of historical and religious events. Baring the Truth in the BibleIn an article, Bob George (2005) proclaimed that the Bible is the â€Å"only source of truth about Jesus Christ and God†. He argued that Christianity is rooted in historical truth because the Bible presents objective, concrete facts—not fanciful tales or mythical legends. George (2005) proved that persons, places, and times has factual basis. For example, he said that when Caesar Augustus â€Å"was governor of Syria† (Luke 2:2) he ordered a census of the empire, â€Å"so Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem† (Luke 2:4).John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, began his ministry â€Å"in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar† (Luke 3:1). All these events can be traced back with historical data available. Trembath (1987) agreed by citing theologian John Warwick Montgomery as he presented a â€Å"deductivist historiography according to which the truth of the Bible can be inferred from the historical accuracy of the gospel authors in recording the life of Jesus†. Another theologian Edward John Carnell understood that the inspiration of Bible is what accounts for its â€Å"systematic consistency† of the Bible.For Carnell, the truth of the Bible rests on the fact that it is God's rendition of both logic and history (Trembath 1987, p. 9). The Bible is a miscellany of genres: story, history, law, prophecy, song, poetry, and letters, making up a sacred ‘encyclopedia’ which has for centuries been a prime source of reading throughout the world. The different genres of the Bible tended to make it into a historical, human document whose truths might be relative rather than absolute. This is why some enlightened scholars began to interpret biblical language as symbol or allegory.They assumed that although the literal meaning of biblical stories might be rooted in historical context, these stories nevertheless conveyed deeper universal truths. However, biblical inspiration has sometimes been misunderstood as simply synonymous with ‘inerrancy’ or immunity from error—a view that creates impossible difficulties for those who cherish the Bible. One should prefer to discuss truth rather than immunity from error and, even more importantly, appreciate that truth is a result or consequence of inspiration.Despite a mechanical view of inspiration that highlighted the role of the Holy Spirit as â€Å"principal author† and hardly allowed for the sacred writers being genuine human authors. This is why, Pope Leo XIII in his 1893 encyclical Providentissimus Deus clarified the distinction between biblical inspiration and truth: the Bible is inspired, and therefore it is true (O’Collins & Farrugia 2005, p. 111). Defending Inconsistencies It cannot be denied that errors and inconsistencies can be found in the Bible. Like for instance, the account of the world’s creation being completed in a week (Gen.1: 1-2; 3) looks incompatible with the findings of cosmology and the theory of evolution. The Psalms and other OT books reflect in places the view that the earth is a flat disc and the sky above is a solid vault supported by columns at the ends of the earth. Add too the fact the Bible gives us conflicting accounts of the same episode. How did the Israelites elude their Egyptian pursuers? In describing the escape through the Red Sea, Exodus 14-15 offers three versions. Moses stretched out his hand and — as in the Cecil B. de Mille mo vie depicted — the waters piled up like walls to let the Israelites pass through.Then the waters flooded back over the Egyptians (Exod. 14: 16, 21, 22, 27, 28). In a second version, an east wind proved decisive. It dried up the sea for the Israelites, while the Egyptian chariots got stuck. Then God stopped the Egyptians with a glance and threw them into the sea (Exod. 14: 21, 25-6). Finally, an angel of the Lord and the column of cloud no longer went in front of the Israelites, but behind them. As a result the pursuing Egyptians could no longer see their quarry, who thus happily escaped (Exod. 14: 19-20). Then who killed Goliath—David or Elhanan (1 Sam.17; 2 Sam. 21: 19)? Did the site of the Jerusalem Temple cost David 50 shekels of silver or 600 shekels of gold (2 Sam. 24: 24; 1 Chr. 21: 25)? In short, factual inconsistencies and errors of a historical, geographical, and scientific nature turn up frequently in the scriptures. Faced with such evident factual, moral, an d religious errors, O’Collins and Farrugia (2005) explained the biblical truth in recalling three interconnected points: the intentions of the sacred authors, their presuppositions, and their modes of expression.Thus, the authors of the opening chapters of Genesis could be defended. They intended to teach a number of religious truths about the power and goodness of the Creator God, about the sinfulness of human beings, and so forth; they did not intend to teach some doctrine of cosmogony and cosmology. They simply did not aim to describe coherently and in â€Å"scientific† detail the origins of the universe, our earth, and the human race. In recalling the second coming of Jesus, Paul did not intend to communicate a timetable of its arrival but to encourage a full and urgent commitment to Christian life.In sum, it is unfair to accuse biblical or any other writers of falling into error by ignoring the difference between the points they really wished to communicate and th ose that lay outside any such intentions. Second, O’Collins and Farrugia (2005) justified that some biblical authors show that they shared with their contemporaries certain false notions about cosmology and astronomy. But, their acceptance of a flat earth, for instance, remained at the level of their presuppositions; it was not the theme of their direct teaching.The Bible was not artificially protected against geographical, cosmological, and astronomical errors to be found in the presuppositions of the sacred authors. Similarly the view that genuine human life ends at death formed a presupposition for the drama of Job and not the direct teaching of that book. At a time when death was believed to end all, how could an innocent person interpret and cope with massive suffering? Job did not debate with his friends whether or not there is life after death, but whether undeserved suffering can be reconciled with the existence of an all-good and all-powerful God.Third, O’Coll ins and Farrugia (2005) cited Pope Pius XII’s1943 encyclical letter that pointed out how alleged errors are often simply no more than legitimate modes of expression used by biblical writers: In many cases in which the sacred authors are accused of some historical inaccuracy or some inexact recording of certain events, on examination it turns out to be nothing else than those customary forms of expression or narrative style which were current among people of that time, and were in fact quite legitimately and commonly used (O’Collins and Farrugia 2005, p.113). Conclusion Bishop J. W. Colenso wrote that â€Å"he did not see any conflict between divine revelation and human reason, and the Bible had to be approached scientifically and logically†. Colenso assumed that â€Å"scientific reasoning is privileged, not in opposition to God’s revelation but as itself a gift of God†. Thus, it depends on the â€Å"reader of the Bible is encouraged to employ what ever resources are available — mathematical skills, history, philosophy and comparative religious texts, in the firm belief that truth is one and belongs to God† (Sugirtharajah 2001, p.144). In detecting the truth in the Bible, we should take into consideration context in which biblical language had been spoken. It was recognized that the meaning of words or stories might depend on the broader cultural environment in which a given text had been produced. Furthermore, it was supposed that meanings might have been lost or blurred in the course of history as cultures changed to make them less apparent. Finally, we should all remember that truth is subjective.When semantic, systemic, logical or empirical truths come into conflict, theorists urge that we believe that truth as such has no cognitive value—that we literally should not care whether our beliefs are true or false, but only whether they enable us to achieve more substantive goals such as happiness and well-b eing. Thus, we should believe that the Bible speaks the truth because it can serve as our moral and spiritual guide to attain a spiritually sound and happy life. References Flinn, F. K. (2007). The Bible. Encyclopedia of Catholicism, Encyclopedia of World Religions. New York: Facts On File, Inc.George, B. (2005). Conservative Christianity Is a Biblical Relationship with God. In M. E. Williams (Ed. ), Opposing Viewpoints: Constructing a Life Philosophy. San Diego: Greenhaven Press. O’Collins, G. & Farrugia, M. (2003). Catholicism – The Story of Catholic Christianity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Sugirtharajah, R. S. (2001). Bible in the Third World : Precolonial, Colonial, Postcolonial Encounters. Port Chester, NY: Cambridge University Press. Trembath, K. R. (1987). Evangelical Theories of Biblical Inspiration : A Review and Proposal. Cary, NC: Oxford University Press, Inc.