Real Time Road Sign Recognition System

Real Time Road Sign Recognition System Using Artificial Neural Networks For Bengali Textual Information Box An Automated Road Sign Recognition system using Artificial Neural Network for the Textual Information box inscribing in Bengali is presented on the paper. Signs are visual languages that represent some special circumstantial information of environment. Road signs, being among the most important around us primarily for safety reasons, are designed, and manufactured and installed according to tight regulations. The system captures real time images every two seconds and saves them as JPG format files. Firstly some road sign are already stored in the memory. Like: Warning Sign, Prohibition Sign, Obligation Sign and Informative Sign. Car Driver concentration and illiterateness isn’t always focused on what it should be and not always notice the road signs. For these reasons, automation of Bangla Road Sign Recognition system is highly essential. Previously several works are done by Mueller, Piccioli, Novovicova, Yuille, Escalera and others. But those are not in Bengali. Real Time Road Sign Recognition System Using Artificial Neural Networks for Bengali Textual Information Box which is done by Mohammad Osiur Rahman, Fouzia Asharf Mousumi, Edgar Scavino, Aini Hussain, Hassan Basri whose are from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh, Faculty of Engineering, University Kebangsaan Malaysia. For doing this they divide the total Concept in Steps: 1. Image Acquisition: From several video sequences from a moving vehicle for a certain period are consecutive frames recorded within 2 seconds are similar. For this they have used Application Programming Interface functions of VB 6. 0. Every 2-second a frame is collected and stored in JPG format. 2. Preprocessing: Median filter is used to reduce impulsive or salt-and-pepper type noise from captured images and then normalized into 320 X 240 pixels. 3. Text Detection and Extraction: An algorithm was developed for textual information detection and extraction from Bangla Road Signs on the basis of the Sobel Edge Detection technique. Like the following: I. Read input image in . jpg format II. Convert colored image into gray scale image III. Apply 3Ãâ€"3 median filter convolution masks on gray scale image IV. Calculated edges by applying Sobel convolutions mask V. Thicken the calculated edges by dilation VI. Apply vertical Sobel projection filter on dimmed image VII. Create a histogram by computing projection values VIII. Find the threshold value of the image IX. Loop on the possible positive identifications based on the histogram values X. Extract the possible positive identifications based on the histogram values XI. Apply Sobel horizontal edge-emphasis for other possible text area searches XII. Convert detected text region into binary image XIII. Calculate height and width of detected region of text XIV. Crop the image 4. Bangla OCR using MLP: An ANN based approach is used for Bangla OCR of road signs’ text. It has 3 sub modules – Character segmentation, Feature Extraction and Character Recognition by MLP NN. 5. Confirmation of Textual Road Signs and Conversion 6. Speech synthesis The Proposed system works like the following: 1. From video sequences capture a single frame in JPG format in each 2 seconds. 2. Preprocess the captured image each time . Detect the Text and Extract that and then Extracted Text will recognize by Bengali Optical Character Recognition System. 4. Recognized characters of textual information compared with the stored knowledge and then give decision valid or invalid. 5. If Valid then recognize and according to users choice it provide Bengali or it convert to English and provide audio stream. The system processes the images to find out whe ther they contain images of road signs or not. The textual information of the road signs is detected and extracted from the images. The Bengali OCR system takes the textual information as an input to recognize individual Bengali characters. The Bengali OCR is implemented using Multi-layer Perceptron. The output of the Bengali OCR system is compared with the previously enrolled standard Bengali textual road signs. The throughput which comes from the matching process is used as input for the speech synthesizer and finally the system delivers the audio stream to the driver, either in Bengali or in English based on the user settings. After testing this system, the obtained accuracy rate was evaluated at 91. 48%. Our Idea by using Hopfield Associative Memory Our work to done this thesis by using Associative Memory. Which are two types – Hetero Associative Memory & Auto Associative Memory. We will use the Auto-associative / Autocorrelators Memory for our purposes. It’s now most easily recognized by the title of HAM(Hopfield Associative Memory), were introduced as a theoretical notation by Donald Hebb. To do this we need to first generate Matrices (Row or Column Matrix) in the Bipolar Boolean format (-1 and +1) from the Image. Then the matrices need to transpose of each of the matrices and then create the encoding process (The Connection Matrix) by [pic] And then need to Recognized of the stored patterns or feed each of the matrix by [pic] Introducing the Bipolar Function to [pic]. If [pic] >= 0 set the value +1 otherwise set the value -1 for each of the Element of the Matrix of [pic]. Now Recognition of Noisy Patterns by finding the Hamming Distance (HD) with the Given Noisy Pattern N by [pic] Which Hamming Distance of noisy and stored pattern are less the probability of matching to noisy pattern with the stored pattern are most. And then need to Recognized of the Noisy patterns or feed each of the matrix with Encoding Process by [pic] By using Bipolar Function to [pic]. If [pic] > 0 set the value +1 otherwise set the value -1 for each of the Element of the Matrix of [pic]. In this method we need to store all road sign text segmented by each blank will generate Matrices. And by the above method generate correlation matrix. If the Bipolar Noisy Matrix matched with the Transposed Matrix of the stored Image Transpose Matrix, in the case of partial vectors, an Auto-Correlator results in the refinement of the pattern or removal of noise to retrieve the closest matching stored pattern. Our Idea by using WANG et al. ’s Multiple training encoding strategy (WANG MTES): The algorithm of the WANG MTES is like the following: Step-1:Initialize the correlation matrix M to null matrix M ( [0]. Step-2:Compute the M as, For I ( 1 to N M ( M ( [qi * (Transpose Xi’) ( Yi’] [where Xi’ and Yi bipolar patterns] End Step-3:Read input bipolar Pattern A’ Step-4:Compute A_M where A_M ( A’ ( M Step-5:Apply threshold function ( to A_M to get B’ [(=bipolar of Matrices] Step-6:Output B’ which is the associated Pattern Pair. In this method, as like the HOPFIELD ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY we need to store all road sign text segmented by each character will generate Matrices Associated with the equivalent ASCII of Bengali Character Matrix. And by the above method generate correlation matrix of the stored Pattern. Now from the input image text need to generate matrix of called noisy pattern will must in bipolar form. And Feed with the Correlation Matrix. Equation like the following: [pic] qi’s are positive real number called generalized correlation matrix, will be change according to the improving feeding necessity. Figure: Schematic view of Bangla Road Sign Recognition System ———————– Speech Language Choose? Speech synthesis Convert into equivalent English text English Bengali Audio stream Valid Bangla road Sign Recognized Unrecognized Yes Prememorized Knowledge (Bangla Sign Textual info Database) Image (JPG format) Processing Text detection& extraction Matching Bangla OCR using WANG MTES Extracted Text Recognized Characters of Texture Information Single Frame Video Sequences No

Legalizing Abortion

Topic: Abortion Question: Should abortion be legalized in East Africa? Claim: Yes, abortion should be legalized in East Africa. Outline: I. Introduction A. Definition of the term B. Historical background II. Reasons A. Abortion helps in stability and minimizing the effects of poverty in a family. B. It helps in controlling the population of a country. C. It helps in preventing the deaths of women caused by illegal abortion. III. Unstated assumption: It is good to have a decrease in population because when population of a country increases, it may lead to decrease in the national income and economic growth, and increase in unemployment.IV. Opposing views A. Choosing adoption as an alternative to abortion. B. Abortion can lead to a decrease in population which may endanger the economy of a country. C. Legalizing abortion does not guarantee the survival of the woman after abortion. V. Responding to opposing view A. In Kenya, adoption in Kenya has a long process and restrictions. B. A de crease in population is also a positive impact to the country. C. Legalizing abortion reduces the unsafe abortions hence, gives hope to the woman aborting. VI. Conclusion A. Summary of pointsB. Recommendations Abortion Abortion can be defined as ending of pregnancy or termination of pregnancy by choice or one that happens accidentally in case of miscarriage. The pregnancy is removed from the womb, either by taking pills which involves taking medicines to cause miscarriage or by surgery. In East Africa abortion is common and is almost always illegal and unsafe. Even though induced abortion is highly restricted in most of Eastern Africa, an estimated 2. 4 million unsafe induced abortion occurred in the region in 2008.Nearly one in five maternal deaths can be attributed to unsafe abortion and more than 500 women die per 100,000 unsafe abortions. If compared with United State, where abortion is legal and safe the case fatality ratio is 0. 6 deaths per 100,000 abortions (Hussain, 2012). Hence, legalizing abortion will reduce unsafe abortions and the expense of the procedure. Abortion helps in stability and minimizing the effects of poverty in a family. Most of these abortions results from unwanted pregnancy, hence the family or the woman is unable to support the child decides to do abortion.Because a child needs a lot of care and support therefore money is involved. And this will help in minimizing the effect of poverty that would have likely occur if the fetus was kept. Abortion helps in controlling the population of a country. Kenya is among the under developed countries. This means there are fewer resources compared to the number people in the country. There abortions help in decreasing the population of the country which reduces the dependency ratio in the country and increase employment.It is good to have a decrease in population because when population of a country increases, it may lead to decrease in the national income and economic growth, and increase in unemployment. Abortion helps in preventing the deaths of women caused by illegal abortion. Most of the abortions performed in Kenya are unsafe due to lack of proper professional performing the abortion or lack of proper environment including equipments and surrounding where the abortion is being performed. Hence, endangers the health of the mother. I agree that women should choose adoption as an alternative to abortion.The woman should give the child away to a needy family which lacks children instead of aborting. But that is not likely to happen in a country like Kenya. It’s because childless families most of the time takes the children of their relatives to take care of. And also Kenya adoption process is very long and the court is the only legal body that approves the adoption. I concede that abortion can lead to a decrease in population which may endanger the economy of a country. A country like Kenya is still growing hence needs human labor. Decrease in population may le ad to decrease of the countries performance.However, a decrease in population is also a positive impact to the country. Because it will lead to increase in employment which will lead to an increase in the country’s Gross domestic product (GDP) and also leads to an increase in living standard of people. While it is true that legalizing abortion does not guarantee the survival of the woman after abortion. This is because the chances of surviving the abortion is 0. 6 per 100,000 people but legalizing abortion reduces the unsafe abortions hence, gives hope to the woman aborting.When abortion is legalized even the big hospitals will offer the services which are better compared to these illegal and dirty places where most of the abortions are performed. Abortion therefore helps in stability and minimizing the effects of poverty in a family, it helps in controlling the population of a country, and it helps in preventing the deaths of women caused by illegal abortion. However, the go vernment of Kenya should limit the number of abortion to be done per woman and this should not imply in miscarriages.

The behaviour of organisations and the market environment Essay

The behaviour of organisations and the market environment - Essay Example Sony being one of the leaders in the music, movies, gaming and electronic industry is competing with many players in the electronic market. Several players like Samsung, hp, LG are already in a steady position in the market with around same market share. The industry of electronics grew at a very fast pace over the year and with the emergence of many new companies from South Korea like Samsung and LG many existing players of the market like Sony are suffering to maintain their market share. Samsung maintained a huge profit of $3 billion profit while Sony suffered in earning during the same period (LedTV, 2011). To maintain the market share the company need to develop a strong base to compete with the global market (Market Research News, 2011). Though these players are entering into the market but threats from new entrants are relatively low in electronics industry as compared to other industry. The capital requirement for the entry is huge for the new players which is not possible fo r many to enter the market. The switching cost of the new entrants is also high in electronic industry. For new players it’s difficult for them to know the new technologies and invest in research and development process. The diversified product line from the existing players like Sony is a great advantage for them. Economies of scale are another issue which keeps the competition low from the new players. Define the meaning of perfect competition. To what extent does your chosen industry’s structure fit with your definition? In a perfect competition scenario all the players of the market are approximately equally sharing the market share. None of the companies in the market are large enough to set the price for the industry. Most of the firms in the same industry produce same kind of products and follow the expected price for the product which other players are using. In a perfect competition market no single company leads the race for the industry. Everyone in the mark et possesses same kind of small market share. The customers in a perfect competition market are aware of the products from all the players and they have an expected price of the different products from the companies the new entrants can enter with ease in this market situation and they also don’

Management Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Management Information Systems - Essay Example It can also be stated that multitasking functionality of information systems helps in saving valuable time. The multifold data operations are enabled through the multiprocessing capabilities of the information systems. The other major positive impact is that information system enhances the level of accuracy in data processing. The accuracy level is very important in handling huge volumes of data and the automated systems helps to maintain this accuracy in data handling and even facilitates faster processing. The third positive impact is that it reduces the risk in terms of losing data that was previously a big challenge as people used to have important data written on papers. The information system provides a scope through which large volumes of data can be stored in small space in the electronic devices which can be easily accessed as and when required. The negative impacts of the information systems are even widespread across different sectors. The first major negative impact is that the factor of piracy that gained its importance at a large scale after the evolution of information systems. The information systems comprise of certain methods through which the data stored in the systems can be misused by an individual. The other negative impact is that the speed and accuracy that is maintained by information systems leads to increase in rate of unemployment. The systems are capable enough to perform all the manual work making it advantageous for organizations but limit the scope for employment. The third negative impact is that of data security and data integrity. The information systems enables risk factor as volumes of data can be lost which would increase the cost and time. The malfunction that is caused by information systems often leads to loss of information and huge volumes of data. The information systems can be considered as a production factor that is easily substituted for labor and capital. In an organization the entire

DOES FUTURE OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING LIE IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Essay

DOES FUTURE OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING LIE IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING - Essay Example In the early days when people started conducting trade they learned to arrange financial information in a systematic manner. As time progressed further the concept of accounting gained popularity and people introduced several changes to make it more effective and useful for maintaining financial records. Management accounting is a branch of the traditional accounting system that is used by the managers to obtain the valuable information about the business. Management accounting plays a vital role in the decision making process. Managers use management accounting to derive information while making business decisions. With time the international business environment has undergone several changes. Due to the effect of globalisation, businesses have lost their geographical boundaries; therefore there has been a requirement of an accounting system that assists in understanding global business environments. The governments of the different nations are also more concerned in making the business activities more transparent by making the accounting standards stringent. Therefore, the management has to maintain an effective accounting system so that information regarding the external environment can be used to make the business policies proactive. Requirement of an effective and advanced accounting system has resulted in the development of a strategic accounting system. In the given project a thorough comparison will be made between management accounting system and strategic accounting system. The main aim is to analyse how far strategic accounting system is effective in overcoming the drawbacks of management accounting system and to assist managers in developing a sustainable business environment. Management accounting provides the information required by the managers for planning, controlling and decision making (Jiambalvo, 2007, p.2). In the process of decision making related to resources allocation, making

Are Actors and Professional Athletes Paid Too Much Essay

Are Actors and Professional Athletes Paid Too Much - Essay Example However, when these payments are compared to other classes of labor in the American labor market, it becomes evident that celebrities are paid far more than other classes of labor. This phenomenon has resulted in an active debate that seems unbridgeable – are actors and professional athletes paid too much? One extreme end of the debate believes that actors and professional athletes are paid too much compared to the services they offer while the other extreme end holds that such compensation is fair because it is based on market principles. This text will deconstruct the debate from either end in order to find a more manageable stance on the issue. 2. Background The compensation provided to actors, professional athletes and other celebrities exceeds average payment figures for the top CEOs in corporate America. Not only this, these celebrities continue to receive large sums of money after their retirement from professional careers using means such as branding, advertising and p romotion of goods and services. It could therefore be surmised that these celebrities continue to be paid exuberantly throughout the course of their lives. In contrasts to these celebrities, the average American professional worker is paid far less by a large order of magnitude. Increasing economic pressure in the wake of the global economic crunch has forced many professional workers to consider their income levels as low. Critics argue that professionals who are more critical to the functioning of society such as law enforcement professionals, doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers etc. should be paid more for their services. 3. Body One of the primary causes for high payments doled out to celebrities is disparity between demand and supply of professionally excellent celebrities. Hundreds of thousands of actors and professional athletes dot the United States but only a few are able to achieve demigod status based on their performance. The structure of the sports and entertainment mark ets also favors the more competent celebrities (Rosen and Sanderson). A common observation in the entertainment and sports industry is that celebrities are able to develop a personal following that allows them to bring in crowds of spectators to movie theaters and sports stadiums (Hausman and Leonard). Based on this â€Å"cult† following of celebrities their value addition to business processes becomes critical. This reason mandates for different teams to buy the most glamorous athletes and for movie producers to cast the most glamorous of actors. When overall business evaluation is carried out, it becomes obvious that the share of these celebrities in improving business revenues is undeniable (Fort and Quirk) and so it is common for them to be paid highly. The more affluent celebrities can be thought of as business partners – the investor provides the requisite fiscal liquidity while the celebrities provide the requisite market in the form of fans and followers. Hence , celebrities are a critical part of the equation that determines returns in the entertainment and sports industries so they are compensated highly in order to hold their interests in place. In contrast, others argue that paying celebrities highly is not rational and tends to distort the society and labor market structures badly. The glorification of celebrities as well as their glamorous ways tends to attract a lot of attention which is their selling point. This selling point means that many young

The degree of poverty in individual countries Essay

The degree of poverty in individual countries - Essay Example The United Nations World Summit on Social Development passed a declaration, â€Å"Copenhagen Declaration† which defines poverty as â€Å"a state characterized by harsh deficiency of essential human needs, including safe drinking water, food, health, education, sanitation facilities, and information.† When people do not have anything to eat, have access to health facilities- they are considered poor regardless of their level of income. This is the social definition of poverty and does is problematic at times as in this regard, most people living in developing and underdeveloped countries of the world will judged as poor. The Statistical definition yields more relevant results on how poverty should be measured. Using statistical measures, two methods are mostly used to describe poverty. These are Relative Measurement of poverty and Absolute Measurement of Poverty. Both of these measures rely on consumption or income values getting information to accumulate statistics on i mpoverishment much enhanced. The simplest way of measuring the degree of poverty in individual countries is Relative property measure. By using this method, the whole population is classified in order of their per capita income. Then the bottom 10% is believed to be ‘impoverished’ or ‘indigent’. This method is well for country-wide measurements, but it has some great drawbacks in worldwide use. If, for instance a 10% relative poverty extent was applied in a universal setting.

Jaguar brand equity charter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Jaguar brand equity charter - Assignment Example This in turn has led to an increase in company’s sales revenues (LMS International, paras.2-5). Therefore, it is important to understand the identity of Jaguar brand equity because as well as acts as an important tool for determining the most appropriate marketing strategies to be applied. Further, it helps to track the positive benefits associated with Jaguar brand and its customers so that the company can be in a position to know the areas that need improvements (Kotler, Philip, Waldemar, and Ines, p.15). The resources used to complete the section on the charter include; use of comparison resources such as cartoon and photos. In addition, task completion resources were utilized whereby, customers views may be obtained by providing them with some bubble games to feel in and interpretation were made thereafter (Kotler, Philip, Waldemar and Ines, p.15). The purpose of brand charter is to determine the long term marketing strategies that may be adopted by Jaguar Company to reinforce its brand equity in the automobile industry. The charter may be used by marketing executives to determine the most appropriate marketing strategies that may be employed (Kotler, Philip, Waldemar and Ines, p.15). LMS International. Jaguar: Engineering a Brand that combines Luxurious Sound with First-ClassHandling.Web.23.04.2014.

Two Reports about Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Two Reports about Research - Essay Example The objective of any research is pursuit for the truth, not popular conceptions. In fact, the whole idea and sole objective of a research is to penetrate the layers of myths and disintegrated notions scattered around about a particular subject and discover reality in the light of worked through well-researched content with due respect to data protection issue and other ethical practices. For a brief period, let us go ahead with a key assumption that one is free to take up a research assignment, bearing in mind that there is no data protection concepts involved in the exercise and all laws related to data privacy is temporarily abolished. Can we identify the steps in the pyramid above where research activity will be accelerated or hindered due to that relaxation While the readers are allowed some time to contemplate on that possibility, let us dwell on other relevant sources and strategies to gather data and briefly understand the impact of data protection, right from the bottom level in the pyramid. While most researchers are aware of the thin difference between methods and methodologies, reliability and validity of information, appropriate analysis and evaluation of data, data protection and ethical practices, results and conclusion - it is the their responsibility to ensure that the broader objective is not diluted in the multiple steps involved in research nor there is any compromise in the entire cycle. A general awareness of data protection needs in all spheres of life - beyond Universities, Corporate, Financial Institutions or wherever - will not only lead a researcher to have a better understanding about the hazards of not protecting data but also prepare him to value that aspect outside the premises of the current project. Once a researcher learns to appreciate data protection principles beyond definition, Act and Law, implementing good practice will be just as important as the authenticity of the report generated, by the end of the research. Identifying Scope of Research/ Problem Quoting an old proverb by Aristotle - "Well begun is half done". It is potentially important to acknowledge, that to obtain desired and realistic results of a research assignment, there is a definite need to have a defined framework. This might not necessarily be a tested or proven approach, however considering the complexity and magnitude of a research, the initial framework to drive all steps in an innovative manner has to be efficiently designed. It is the design that determines the strength of an analysis. There is one thing the researcher needs to have prior to working on the design - A problem. While some researchers are very clear about their needs for information when working towards their thesis or study project, some are quite confused and require information on what studies, topics and papers are available, on specific work in their particular zone of interest. They also might need advice on their proposal and an idea of how effective their findings would be. Some might even need an elaborate discussion on the overall framework and data sourcing. The

GBST300 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

GBST300 - Essay Example s relevant nuclear technology in manufacturing atomic energy and fundamental information to states that are not known as Nuclear Weapon countries by the conformity on the Reduction of Nuclear Weapons, is one of the major ways in which non-nuclear powers and terrorists build nuclear weapons. The upkeep of global stability and security is an essential part of the United Nations’ mission. Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) chemical, biological, nuclear, or radiological weapons that can bring harm to large figures of people and infrastructure have been at the forefront of worldwide security concerns since the advent of the UN. The production of viable nuclear weapons means of delivery, threatens incalculable consequences for global stability and prosperity especially from countries, which part of the NPT possess important unsafeguarded nuclear activities. Countries such as India, Israel and Pakistan are normally categorize as states that are not part of the NPT. The growth of international terrorism has added a new dimension to an old problem, as global and regional tensions rise, technology improves, and security falters in critical areas, giving rise to an international black market for WMD.Dr. Khan, a metallurgist and the architect of Pakistan bomb is considered the mastermind of the largest illicit nuclear proliferation network in history who had begun selling nuclear technology to Iran in the late 1980’s. This signaled the opening of business for an enterprise that eventually spread to North Korea, Libya and beyond to

Celebrity Endorser Influence Essay Example for Free

Celebrity Endorser Influence Essay Celebrity Endorser Influence on Attitude Toward Advertisements and Brands Bahram Ranjbarian Associate Professor of management, Department of Management The University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran E-mail: Bahram1 [emailprotected] Zahra Shekarchizade Master Student of Business Management, Department of Management University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran E-mail: [emailprotected] Zahra Momeni Master Student of Business Management, Department of Management University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran E-mail: [emailprotected] Abstract Purpose- This study aims to analyze the celebrity endorser influence on attitude toward advertisements and brands. Design/methodology/approach – A theoretical model is developed and tested with a sample of 193 students in University of Isfahan in 2009. Structural equation modeling was used with LISREL 8.50 and the maximum likelihood (ML) method. Findings – The findings show that attitude toward celebrity endorser can influence on attitude toward brand directly or indirectly. In indirectly approach, attitude toward advertisement is as a mediator between attitude toward celebrity endorser and attitude toward brand. On the other hand, attitude toward celebrity endorser has not significant effect on purchase intention. Originality/value – This paper provides a model connecting attitude toward celebrity endorser, attitude toward advertisement and attitude toward brand that has been examined and validated using a sample of students in University of Isfahan. Paper type- Research paper Keywords: Endorsement, Celebrities, Brand, Attitude, Advertisement Introduction Today one of the most prevalent forms of retail advertising is through using of celebrity endorsement (White et al, 2007). In fact celebrity endorsers are being used in about 25 percent of all television advertisements in order to promote brands (Erdogan et al, 2001).These endorsers are being paid by about 10 percent of advertisers budgets (Agrawal and Kamakura, 1995). Marketers invest huge amounts of money in contracts with celebrity endorsers each year, since they believe that celebrities affect the process of selling of their brands or products (Katyal, 2007). A celebrity endorser is a wellknown person (e.g., actors, sports figures and artists) because of his successes in a special field other than the endorsed product class (James, 2004). Celebrity endorsers are used by firms who want to 399 European Journal of Social Sciences – Volume 13, Number 3 (2010) support a product or service (Amos et al, 2008). Since presence of celebrity endorsers affects purchase decisions of consumers positively, producers and retailers have always preferred to use celebrity endorsements in order to sell their products (Stafford et al, 2003; Erdogan, 1999; Kamins, 1990). Kaikati (1987) believes that using of celebrities in advertisements could have many benefits and advantages including: 1) facilitating of brand identification 2) changing or impressing the negative attitude towards a brand 3) repositioning an existing brand 4) global marketing or positioning of a brand or product 5) affecting purchase intentions of consumers. Although using of celebrity endorsers as brand messengers is impressive, but it could have some risks. For instance, celebrities who are known to be guilty because of negative events (e.g., accident) may have harmful effects on the products that they endorse (Lou ie and Obermiller, 2002). Studies reveal that using of attractive celebrity causes to increase attitude towards advertisements. Such attitude towards advertisements is defined as mental states which are used by individuals to organize the way they perceive their environment and control the way they respond to it (Haghirian, 2004). There is a considerable correlation between desirable attitudes with regard to advertising and rating of certain advertisements by respondents as being likeable, irritating, delightful, etc (Bauer and Greyser, 1968). Celebrity endorsers enhance awareness of a companys advertising, create positive feelings towards brands and are perceived by consumers as more amusing (Solomon, 2002). Thus using of a celebrity in advertising causes to influence brand attitude and purchase intentions of consumers in a positive way. Celebrity endorsement has a strong effect on consumers memory and learning approach too. Most consumers are not in a purchasing situation when they are encounter with message of the brand. Marketers use celebrity endorsement in order to help better storage of information in consumers minds which they can easily remember in purchasing situations (Schultz and Brens, 1995). However, there are many studies about celebrity endorser, but it seems that there are limited researches about the relationship between celebrity endorser and attitudes. The purpose of this study is to specify the impact of using celebrity endorsers in Iranian advertisements on attitudes of students in University of Isfahan toward those ads and brands. Literature Review Some properties such as likeability, expertise, trustworthiness and similarity cause a celebrity endorser to become a source of persuasive information and this creates a sense of certainty which has been revealed in many studies (Suranaa, 2008). Also physical attractiveness of the endorser is considerable in effectiveness of a message (Khatri, 2006). Acceptance of a message by a receiver could be influenced by celebrity endorsers as believable sources of information about a product or a firm (Amos et al, 2008). Using of celebrity endorsers to support products is explained by balance theory principles too. According to this theory, successful companies establish an emotional relation between the observer and endorser and a relation between endorser and brand too (Mowen, 2000). Before proceeding conceptual model, we describe the main constructs of this study. Celebrity Endorser McCracken (1998) has defined celebrity endorser as any individual who enjoys public cognition and who uses this cognition on behalf of a consumer by appearing wit in an advertisement. Moreover, celebrity is used as testimonial, endorsement, actor or spokesperson by the firm. Research has demonstrated that celebrity endorsement affects consumers feelings in general and it could affect the attitude of consumers towards the advertisement and brands too. This could result in enhancing of purchase intentions and as a result enhancing of sales. Some properties like credibility, physical attractiveness and likeability of celebrity endorser influence the ability of one person to impact other person (Amos et al, 2008). Source credibility is referred to identifying of communicators positive properties which influences acceptance of a message by the receiver (Ohanian, 1990). This consists of two main dimensions of expertise and 400 European Journal of Social Sciences – Volume 13, Number 3 (2010) trustworthiness. Source expertise refers to the degree which a communicator is perceived to be a source of valid assertion (Roozen, 2008). Source trustworthiness refers to faithfulness and reliability of the spokesperson (Khatri, 2006). Source attractiveness is the personality, likeability and similarity of endorsers to the receiver, thus to the perceived social values of the source (Solomon, 2002). Physical attractiveness of the source include being attractive, beautiful, elegant and charming. According to the studies in this ground, expertise dimension is more significant than physical attractiveness for matching of a brand with a suitable endorser (Brian and Michael, 1998). Likeability is referred to the positive or negative feelings that consumers have towards a source of information. We can define likeability as affection for the source because of its physical appearance and behavior (Erdogan, 1999). Though some research results reveal effectiveness of celebrities as endorsers (Freiden, 1984), but other researches suggest that celebrity endorsement may have different degrees of effectiveness depending on other factors like the fit between the celebrity and the advertised product (Till and Shimp, 1998). Celebrity Endorsers Effect on Aad and Ao Marketers are especially interested in consumers attitudes towards advertisements and brands. Essentially, attitudes are our predispositions with regard to things. An attitude shows whether we like something or not. Attitudes have three basic components: affective, cognitive and behavioral. Affective is related to our liking or feelings about an object. Cognitive is referred to beliefs about an object and behavioral component regards actions we take about that object (Severin and Tankard, 2001). Attitude towards advertisement is defined as a learned tendency to respond in a consistently desirable or undesirable approach toward advertising in general (Haghirian, 2004). On the other side, attitude towards the advertisement (Aad) is whether the consumer likes an advertisement (Ad) or hates it. Determinants of Aad consist of attitude towards the advertiser, assessment of the Ad execution itself, the mood evoked by Ad, and the extent to which the Ad affect viewers encouragement. Assessment of brands could be influenced by attitudes towards Ads. Of course what causes an advertisement to be impressive will change noticeably cross-culturally (Arnold et al, 2004). In performed studies, Aad is focused on as a mediator of advertisers effects on brand attitudes and purchase intentions (Suhere and Ispir, 2009). In recent studies, this issue has been proved that using of celebrity endorsement has a positive impact on attitudes of the consumer towards products and brands with which they are associated brand (Seno and Lukas, 2005). Agarwal and Malhotra (2005) have defined brand attitude as consumers general evaluative judgment of a brand based on brand beliefs. Such beliefs concern product-related attributes, like practical and experimental benefits. A successful endorser is able to enhance intentions and preferences towards brands directly or indirectly. An endorser who has major source factors of credibility (like expertise, trustworthiness and effectiveness) is able to impress purchase intentions of the consumer considerably (Liu et al, 2007). Information from a credible source can impress ideas, attitudes and behavior through a process called internalization (Belch and Belch, 1993). Internalization occurs when the receiver is motivated to have an issue. The receiver learns and accepts the idea of the credible spokesperson, since he supposes that information of this person represents an accurate position on the issue. Therefore, if such spokesperson who is known to be an expert endorses a product, consumers will more probably have a desirable idea about that advertisement and brand and they will consider it in their shopping list the next time they go shopping. Researchers have used the identification process of social influence in order to explain the effectiveness of celebrity endorsers (Basil, 1996). This theory suggests that if an individual identifies with another individual, then he is more likely to accept an attitude or behavior of that individual or a group. The internalization process of social influence is occurred when an individual accepts influence because the induced behavior is congruent with his value system†. An individual accepts the influence, since it provides a solution to a problem (Daneshvary and Schwer, 2000). In the elaboration likelihood model (ELM), individuals level of motivation to process central message arguments is represented which is one of its key factors that affects the relative impact of 401 European Journal of Social Sciences – Volume 13, Number 3 (2010) central and peripheral processing (Petty and Cacioppo, 1986). When applied to an adverting context, ELM suggests that consumers motivation to centrally process brand-relevant aspects of an advertisement is enhanced, the impact of central processing on brand attitudes should be enhanced, the effect of peripheral processing on brand attitudes should be reduced and the effect of brand attitudes on purchase intentions should be enhanced (Lafferty and Goldsmith, 1999). In this theoretical model, the endorser serves as cue just during peripheral processing. Therefore, the effect of the endorser should be reduced while central processing is enhanced. Mackenzie and Lutz (1989) have stated that advertiser credibility is a central processing cue more than any other thing. Credibility of the source is considered important in influence acceptance. A consumer will accept the accurate influence (information) and apply it if t here the source is perceived to be credible. It is accepted because it is demand by ones own values. Therefore, a products endorsement by a credible source may impress purchase behavior (Danwshvary and Schwer, 2000). As a result, celebrity endorsement can increase the process of recalling and consume assessment of products (Khatri, 2006). On the other hand, celebrity endorsement has a severe effect on learning approach and memory. Researchers in the field of marketing and social psychology have studied the manner of impressing of purchase decision by celebrity endorsements. Various hypotheses have been proposed including having recall of the product by celebrity endorsement, celebrities have credibility on expertise that makes the product more desirable or increases perceptions of quality; the celebrity endorsers image is transferred to the product so that those who use the product are associated with the image. Experiments suggest that celebrity endorsement can increase recall and consume assessment of the products in certain situations (Clark and Horstman, 2003). Most of the times, making connection with the brand message is occurred when consumers are not in a purchasing situation. Marketers use celebrity endorsement so that information will be kept in consumers minds better and in the case of purchasing situation, they can easily retrieve it (Surana, 2008). A successful endorser strategy can enhance the level of consumers recalling towards product information, reinforces consumers recognition to endorsed brands, positively influences consumers attitude to low-involved products and even enhance consumers purchase intention and preference towards brands (Liu et al, 2007) Therefore, hypothesizes of the study are as follows. H1: Attitude toward ad is positively affected by attitude toward celebrity endorser. H2: Attitude toward brand is positively affected by attitude toward celebrity endorser H3: Attitude toward brand is positively affected by attitude toward advertisement. H4: Intention to buy is positively affected by attitude toward celebrity endorser Method Data Collection Information was obtained from randomly selected students from University of Isfahan through survey questionnaires during September- November 2009. University of Isfahan is one of the major universities in the fields of science, human science and engineering. A total sample of 193 participants was obtained. The sample was composed of 137 women (71 percent) and 56 men (21 percent). A cluster sampling procedure with age and degree as main control variables was applied. The age of the respondents ranged from 19 to 30 years, with a mean of 24. All questionnaires were self-administered by the participants without interference from researchers. Measures The study uses multi-item scales to measure the constructs in our model. All items in the questionnaire were measured on a five-point Likert-type scale anchored from â€Å"strongly disagree† (1) to â€Å"strongly agree† (5). Some of the measures were available in the literature, though most were adapted to suit this European Journal of Social Sciences – Volume 13, Number 3 (2010) particular context. To measure attitude toward celebrity endorser we used ten items. Attitude toward advertisement and attitude toward brand were measured with six items and five items, respectively. In order to measure reliability of questions in the questionnaire, 30 questionnaires have been pre-tested through pilot studies. Then, amount of confidence coefficient has been calculated by method of Cronbachs alpha for which 0.83 % is obtained. This number shows that the applied questionnaire enjoys confidentiality or in other words the necessary reliability. Results Measurement Model Measurement model Structural equation modeling with LISREL 8.54 and the maximum likelihood (ML) method was used to analyse the data.. LISREL is a structural equations modeling technique that traces structural relations in a set of data (Eriksson et al, 2004). Structural equation modelling was used because it allows to estimate multiple and interrelated dependence relationships and unobserved factors can be represented in these relationships. Additionally, measurement error in the estimation process is accounted for (Hair et al., 1998). The model is assessed with the comparative fit index (CFI), standardised root meanresidual (SRMR), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), and Akaike’s (1987) information criterion (AIC). The measurement model provided a good fit to the data: (CFI = 0:98, SRMR=0.058, RMSEA = 0.015 and AIC =396.22). All values of CFI, SRMR, and RMSEA meet the standards suggested by Hu and Bentler (1999): 0.95 for CFI, 0.08 for SRMR, and 0.06 for RMSEA.There are no Guidelines for the AIC but lower values indicate better fit. The fit of the structural model is good and is reported in Table I. In the following we will test our hypotheses and consequently report the standardised path coefficients. As shown in Table I, three of hypotheses are empirically supported and one of them is not confirmed. The effect of attitude toward celebrity endorser on attitude toward advertisement is significant (standardised path coefficient = 0:49). This shows that the higher the attitude toward endorser, the more the attitude toward advertisement. Attitude toward celebrity endorser also have significant effect on attitude toward brand (standardised path coefficient= 0.24), but this effect is comparatively weaker than its effect on attitude toward advertisement. On the other hand, the effect of attitude toward advertisement on attitude toward brand is significant (standardised path coefficient = 0:56). This clearly shows that attitude toward advertisement has the highest standardized path coefficient and therefore has the strongest influence on attitude toward brand. The results show that the effects of attitude celebrity endorser on Purchase intention is not significant (standardised path coefficient = 0.11). This means that attitud toward celebrities, does not necessarily always translates into purchase intentions. Discussion The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship among attitude toward celebrity endorser and attitude toward advertisement and brand. Effects of a celebrity endorser on respondents assessments about advertisements and products endorsed by celebrities have been studied previously. There are some interesting findings for using of celebrity endorsers in Iranian advertisements. Attitude towards a celebrity endorser has a direct positive effect on attitude towards advertisement. Attitude towards advertisement has important effects on attitude towards brands, too and its effect is comparatively stronger than the effect of celebrity endorser. But the effect of attitude toward celebrity endorser on purchase intention is not considerable. Results of this study demonstrate that attitude towards celebrity endorser has an indirect effect on attitude towards brand. This result confirms outcomes of the previous research by Agarwal and Kamakura (1995), Till and Busler (1998), and White et al (2008). When there is a fit between the   European Journal of Social Sciences – Volume 13, Number 3 (2010) endorser and the endorsed product, endorsers image helps construct the image of the brand in consumers minds. In fact, using of an attractive endorser has a positive impact on consumer attitudes towards a brand, because attractive endorsers have a tendency to get more attention than less attractive ones. On the other hand, experience of celebritys negative information can have an undesirable effect on the endorsed product. Transfer of negative information between the celebrity endorser and the endorsed product could be facilitated through cognitive relational pathway. We have considered social position of artists because people have more positive attitude towards artists. So, they distribute attitude towards artists to attitude towards endorsed brand. The association between attitude towards celebrity endorser and attitude towards advertisement has been shown in numerous studies, as the relationship between sports celebrity endorsements and retail products adverting are reported (White et al, 2008) and sports celebrity endorsements are being used in advertisements to impress brand selection. It is recognized in one study that attitude towards advertisement is considered as an interagent that influences attitude towards brand (Suhere and Ispir, 2009). Results of our study reveal that attitude towards advertisement is as an interagent between attitude towards celebrity and attitude towards brand. In our opinion, Iranians are interested in artists and know them as credible sources. So, ads makers use artists as celebrity to impress viewers attitudes towards advertisement and thereupon attitude towards brand. According to previous studies about the effect of the celebrity endorser on purchase intentions, such as Kamins (1990), Ohanian (1991), Liu et al (2007), we expected that positive attitude towards celebrities impressed purchase intentions. But results of this study confirm research outcomes of OMahony and Meenaghan (1997). According to this study, attitude towards celebrities does not necessarily always interpret in to purchase intentions. It seems that Iranians consumer tendency for buying is influenced by other various items such as age, gender, income and education too. Limitation This study has some limitations. The primary limitation of the present research relates to generalizability. The sample was restricted to students in University of Isfahan and this limits our results to be generalized, too. Another relevant consideration is that numerous girl students in university of Isfahan are more than its boy students. Also, this study relied exclusively on questionnaires to assess influence attitude toward celebrity endorser on attitude toward advertisements and brands, whereas this relationships need to be more investigated. On the other hand, this paper could not estimate effect of attitude toward celebrity endorser on purchase intention. In addition, our results are relational and not causal; therefore, it can not be concluded from this study whether attitude toward advertisement and brand is only cause or result of attitude toward celebrity endorser. Conclusion In this study the goal was to indicate the influence of using celebrity endorsers in Iranian advertisements on attitudes of students in University of Isfahan toward those advertisements and brands. The result of this study showed that the positive and significant relationship between attitude toward celebrity endorser and attitude toward advertisements and brands. By analyzing the output resulting from testing hypotheses, it can be concluded that attitude toward celebrity endorser has directly or indirectly influence on attitude toward brand. Consequences suggested that attitude toward advertisement was as a mediator between attitude toward celebrity endorser and attitude toward brand. On the other hand, attitude toward celebrity endorser hadn’t significant influence on purchase intention. So, future researches should put more effort into making strong believable explanations for how celebrity endorsers are able to have significant influence on consumer intention for purchase. References [1] [2] Agrawal, J. and Kamakura, W.A. (1995), â€Å"The economic worth of celebrity endorsers: an event study analysis†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 59 No. 3, pp. 56-62 Agarwal, J. and Malhotra, N.K. (2005), â€Å"An integrated model of attitude and affect: theoretical foundation and an empirical investigation†, Journal of usiness Research, Vol. 58 No. 4, pp. 483-93. Arnoulds, E., Price, L. and Zinkhan, G. (2004). â€Å"Consumers†. Boston: Mc Graw-Hill. Basil, M.D. (1996), â€Å"Identification as a mediator of celebrity effects†, Journal of Broadcasting Electronic Media, Vol. 40, fall, pp. 478-95. Bauer, R. A. and Greyser, S. A. (1968). â€Å"Advertising in America: The Consumer View†. Boston: Harvard University. Belch, G.E., and Belch, M.A. (1993), â€Å"Introduction to Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective†, Irwin, Homewood, IL. Clark, R.C. and Horstman, I.J. (2003), â€Å"Celebrity Endorsents† (www.bu.edu/ e.con/seminar/micro/pdffav) celebendorse.bu.pdf. Clinton, A., Gary, H. and David, S. (2008), â€Å"Exploring the relationship between celebrity endorser effects and advertising effectiveness, a quantitative synthesis of effect size†, International Journal of Advertising, Vol.27 No.2, pp. 209–234. Daneshvary, R. and Schwer R.K. (2000), â€Å"The association endorsement and consumers intention to purchase†, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 17 No. 3 2000, pp. 203-213. Erdogan, B.Z. (1999), â€Å"Celebrity endorsement: a literature review†, Journal of Marketing Management, 15(3), pp. 291–314. Erdogan, B.Z., Baker, M.J. and Tagg, S. (2001), â€Å"Selecting celebrity endorsers: the practitioner’s perspective†, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 41 No. 3, pp. 39-48. Eriksson,K., Kerem,K. and Nilsson,D. (2005), â€Å"Customer acceptance of internet banking in Estonia†, International Journal of Bank Marketing,Vol.23 No. 2, pp. 200-216. Freiden, J.B. (1984), â€Å"Advertising spokesperson effects: an examination of endorser type and gender on two audiences†, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 24 No. 5, pp. 33-41. Haghirian, P. and Madlberger, M. (2005), â€Å"Consumer attitude toward advertising via mobile devices an empirical investigation among Austrian users†, in Proceedings of the European Conference on Information Systems, Regensburg, Germany, May 2005, (accessed on 4/26/2006). Hair, J.F., Anderson, R.E., Tatham, R.L. and Black, W.C. (1998), â€Å"Multivariate Data Analysis†, 5th Ed., Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Hu, L.-T. and Bentler, P. (1999), â€Å"Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives†, Structural Equation Modeling, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 1-55. Kaikati.J.G. (1987),â€Å"Celebrity advertising, a review and synthesis†, International Journal of Advertising, 6.93-105. Kamins, M.A. (1990), â€Å"An investigation into the ‘match-up’ hypothesis in celebrity advertising: when beauty may be only skin deep†, Journal of Advertising, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 413. Lear,K.E, Runyan,R.C. and Whitaker,W.H. (2009), â€Å"Sports celebrity endorsements in retail products adver tising†, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol. 37 No. 4, pp. 308-321. Katyal, S. (2008), â€Å"Impact of Celebrity Endorsement on a Brand†, Chillibreeze writer, available at www.chillibreeze.com/articles/ accessed on 12th, July. Khatri, P. (2006), â€Å"Celebrity Endorsement: A Strategic Promotion Perspective†, Indian Media Studies Journal Vol.1 No.1. July-Dec. 405

Effects Of The Economic Crunch On Hospitality Industry Tourism Essay

Effects Of The Economic Crunch On Hospitality Industry Tourism Essay Introduction The hospitality industry is one of the most important industries globally since it generates billions of dollars across the world. This industry is large and it indirectly and directly employs staff in different professions including hotel industry, tourism industry, air travel industry and other industries. The hospitality industry mainly relies on disposable income of clients and presence of leisure time since many services in this industry are enjoyed during leisure time (Beaver, 2002). This industry is an important revenue earner in different economies especially those which rely on tourism as a major source of government revenue. However, the hospitality industry is a very sensitive industry which thrives on economic and political stability of various destinations and economies. Political and economic instability has a direct adverse effect on this industry and may lead to drastic revenue losses by such economies (Clifford, 2008). It is therefore important to analyze this industry in relation to available opportunities and present threats in order to predict future trends. This paper will assess the future trends in the hospitality industry. The available opportunities and present threats will be used to ascertain these trends. The paper will focus on both a global approach and an approach from the United States business environment. Recommendations on what should be done to improve the future of the hospitality industry will also be given. The discussed issues will be summarized at the end. Future trends Short term decline of industry due to economic crunch The hospitality industry is one of the most affected industries as far as the global economic crunch is involved. This industry relies on disposable incomes of families and due to the effects of the crunch; people are no longer able to afford holidays and leisure activities. Almost all countries experienced adverse effects of the crunch and the tourism industry was one of the most affected. For instance, tourism in Europe declined by over 5% over the past three years, due to effects of the financial crisis (Theobald, 2008). In the US, the industry declined by 3% in terms tourist arrivals. Worldwide, the tourism industry declined by an average of 4% over a similar period, which translated to 880 million tourists (John, 2010). Although many economies are struggling to reduce the effects of the crisis, the hospitality industry will be among the last to enjoy the benefits of massive financial injections to economies by governments. This is because services in the hospitality industry are considered luxuries by many households and luxuries are the final needs satisfied by rational beings after all other needs are exhausted. Long term growth due to massive investments In the long run, the hospitality industry is expected to grow largely due to the massive investments which are being undertaken around the world. One of the destinations where there is heavy investment in the industry is the Middle East and specifically Dubai. Billions of dollars have been invested in Dubai with the purpose of developing infrastructure needed to make it a world class destination. Investment in hotels, properties, golf courses, transport, buildings, cultural museums and other tourist attractions have been realized in recent years. This includes the worldà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s tallest building and a seven star hotel (Conrad Alison, 2009). Other governments which rely on tourism as an industry for revenue collection have also made massive investments. This shows that in the long run, consumers will have a larger variety of leisure activities to choose from, which will encourage the growth of the hospitality industry. Implementation of total quality management There has been a gradual improvement of service provision in the hospitality industry due to the implementation of total quality management. This strategy involves improvement of the quality of services provided to increase efficiency, reduce costs and meet the needs of all stakeholders in the industry. The Malcolm Baldridge Awards introduced in recent years has helped improve quality of service in this industry since it targets total quality management of firms in the industry (Christine, 2006). The Ritz Carlton hotel was one of the first to win the award, and to set new standards in provision of service in the hotel industry. Many firms in the hospitality industry have recognized the importance of improving service provision due to intense competition and market awareness of products offered. The improvement of service provision is likely to encourage the growth of the industry in the long run. Potential threats and opportunities There are various opportunities which can be exploited in the hospitality industry. There are also various threats to this industry and these should be mitigated to ensure the industry is successful in the long run. These opportunities and threats will be discussed below; Opportunities The major opportunity in the hospitality industry is investment in infrastructure needed to fuel the growth of the industry and target new and emerging markets. It has been discussed that many governments and private firm are investing in the industry especially in the Middle East. It is important to encourage consumers to demand such services if the effects of the global economic crunch are to be mitigated. This can be done through providing markets with unique services which were previously not offered and reduction of product prices to encourage local tourism in different countries (Jacques, 2000). Local tourism has a very large potential in many destinations, although it is underexploited in most cases. Packages which encourage local tourism should be developed and services which meet local needs made available in order to enable long term growth of the industry. Threats Global economic crisis One of the greatest threats to the future of the hospitality industry is the global economic crunch. The global economic crisis has led to reduction of the growth and development levels of most economies. This crisis has also led to massive unemployment and reduction of the disposable income of many families (Lennon Malcolm, 2008). It was previously discussed that the hospitality industry thrives on disposable income of clients and presence of leisure time. The global economic crunch has reduced the disposable income of families. It has also led to reduction in leisure time since many employees strive to work for longer hours in order to earn higher salaries which can mitigate effects of the crisis. The reduction of incomes and leisure time has led to a decrease in purchase of services in the hospitality industry by consumers. Fewer people are able to travel for leisure or have meals at restaurants and hotels since they consider these services to be luxuries. Unless adequate steps a re taken to reduce the effects of the global crunch, many firms in the hospitality industry may face losses in the long run. Implications of the trends on hospitality industry The implication of these trends in the hospitality industry is a short term decline and a long term growth of the industry. Although the industry has declined recently due to the effects of the financial crunch, there is potential for growth in the future due to massive investments and consumer awareness of products offered. However, the private sector and government have a responsibility of cooperating of this growth is to be achieved. Massive investments, innovation of unique services and consumer awareness of products offered is key to achieving this growth. It is important to make the following recommendations if long term growth of the hospitality industry is to be achieved in future. Recommendations Government interventions There are various government interventions which should be implemented if the hospitality industry is to grow and develop in future. Government interventions should mostly involve measures which stimulate economic growth and development as well as the creation of an environment which encourages the growth of the hospitality industry (Cooper, 2005). This includes a financial package which is geared towards encouraging more public investment and economic stability of firms especially during the current global economic crisis. It should also involve development of infrastructure which will ensure that the hospitality industry is able to meet the diverse needs of clients. Product differentiation Product differentiation is important in meeting unique market needs across different environments. It involves developing unique products to meet diverse needs in different environments. Firms in the hospitality industry should undertake research on market needs and develop products which meet unique needs across different environments (Wilkerson, 2003). This will ensure that customersà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ needs are satisfied and they remain loyal to providers of such services. In turn, the hospitality industry will enjoy long term profitability.

Creating a Professional Development Plan for advancement in the Industry

Creating a Professional Development Plan for advancement in the Industry Without setting goals an individual will not be able to measure his or her level of success. Late last year, as I reflected on my career path I began to feel unaccomplished and unfulfilled. I have been a nurse for over eighteen years and worked in long-term care nursing homes, acute care hospitals, and home care settings. My experiences working in medical surgical, telemetry, and critical care doing bedside nursing challenged me to further my career by obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). My decision to go back to school was carefully thought about as I took into consideration my work schedule, family commitments, and the length of time needed to complete my degree. When I decided to become a nurse, I did not fully understand the different aspects of nursing as I was only ten years old. At that age, however, I knew that nursing was about taking care of people. As a result, I developed short-term and long-term professional goals which embraced my philosophy of nursing. Philosophy of Nursing My philosophy of treating people as I would like to be treated was instilled in me from my grandmother from an early age. With this in mind, I strive to provide the best care to my patients as I seek to connect and identify with their experience. According to Watson (2008), the human-to-human connection expands our compassion and caring and keeps alive our common humanity. Patients are depending on the nurse to give them the care that will enhance and improve their health physically, emotionally, and spiritually. As nurses, we do not only care for the sick but we also reach out to the families of individuals because they play a big role in helping to maintain their dignity and integrity. Role of the Baccalaureate Nurse The baccalaureate prepared nurse will have a more advanced education in leadership and management therefore will be better able to make more independent clinical decisions (Sara Ellis). After completing my nursing degree I will have a better opportunity in moving up the clinical ladder. Although I will not get an increase in pay for obtaining my BSN it will be self fulfilling and gratifying as this has always been one of the goals in my nursing career. With a degree, I will be more marketable and flexible as I broaden my horizons. This will allow me to seek employment in many health care settings such as community health, case management, and supervisory positions (Blais, Hayes, Kozier, Erb, 2006, p. 3). With the rising challenges of the health care needs in todays society, more and more nurses are graduating with a BSN as the minimum level education. Therefore, it is important to have a higher level of education to be competitive and stay abreast with the latest technologies in nur sing. Professional Role Transition Nurses are governed by a code of ethics as set forth by the American Nurses Association (ANA), which holds nurses accountable and obligated to protect patients rights and privacy. They are morally obligated to provide quality care that will maintain the patients optimal level of functioning. Nurses play a vital role in helping patients to improve their quality of life. Each decision the nurse makes contribute to the overall welfare of the patient. Thus, it is best if the nurse view each decision as a life changing decision, no matter how small it may seem. As a nurse, I must acknowledge each of my patients as having their own cultural backgrounds, needs, values, and beliefs (American Nurses Association, 2001). Therefore, I should treat them the way I would like to be treated, with the best care and respect. My patients family is a great source of support and influence in their well-being. Therefore, it is imperative to treat the patients family with extreme respect as well. Families are important in providing valuable information that will assist the nurse in giving quality care and improve patients level of functioning (Potter Perry, 1985, p. 441). Role of the Baccalaureate Having a BSN is not only rewarding but it prepares the nurse to advance from bedside nursing and to explore new opportunities as it pertains to management positions. It also allows me to use the knowledge, capability and skills that I have acquired to help others achieve quality lifestyles, health and well-being. The feeling that comes with knowing that I am making a positive difference in someone elses life is more than money can buy. Short-term Professional Goals The twenty-first century is without a doubt, a time period in which computer literacy is vital. Once upon a time, the use of computers was not an integral part of a nurses day to day activity. However, that is not the case today. Thus my short-term goals are to increase my computer literacy and become a nurse preceptor within the next six months. Currently my level of knowledge in regards to computers is on a beginners stage. I plan to reach the intermediate stage within the next six months by attending various computer classes and constantly practicing the different techniques that I learn. Mastering the basics of computer technology will enable me to research more efficiently, whether it is to complete an assignment or keep up-to-date with the changes in the health care arena. Furthermore, developing my computer skills will assist me in being an effective nursing preceptor. The use of technology is incorporated in various aspects of a nurses duties. Therefore, adequate computer knowledge will empower me to effectively mentor new nurses. In addition, I would need to attend training classes and demonstrate that I am a good communicator to be promoted to a nursing preceptor. Not having immediate access to a computer and my family commitments are several barriers that may prevent me from reaching my short-term goals. My commitment as a wife and a mother does not provide me with the flexibility to attend all the computer classes which are available. In addition, my family commitments may also prevent me from attending the necessary training classes to become a nursing preceptor. However, having my family as one of my biggest support system will assist me in overcoming these barriers. I will implore my children to teach me as much as they can when we are home. In addition, I will purchase a laptop so I can practice and develop my computer skills at my convenience. Furthermore, I will allocate different chores to the members of my family so that I will have free time to attend the various training classes. Long-term Professional Goals My long-term professional goals are to successfully complete the BSN program in a year and a half and become a Clinical Instructor in the next five years. Having a BSN is not only rewarding but it prepares the nurse to advance from bedside nursing and to explore new opportunities as it pertains to leadership and management. After completing my BSN I plan to continue my studies and pursue a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. In doing so, I will achieve my ultimate long-term goal which is to become a clinical nurse instructor. A Clinical Instructor is required to have a vast amount of knowledge of nursing skills and techniques. Thus, my present experience as a Registered nurse and my enrollment in the BSN program is the stepping stone to achieving my ultimate long-term goal of becoming a clinical instructor. Even though my role as a Clinical Instructor takes me away from personally fulfilling my philosophy of nursing, I belief it will still be just as rewarding since Im empowering others to fulfill their philosophy of nursing. As with my short-term goals, my family commitments are barriers to achieving my long-term goals. My family commitments may force me to extend the time frame in which I hope to accomplish my goals. To get over these barriers, I will have to compromise some of my family activities such as vacation time and family time. In addition, my family is my biggest support system in achieving my long-term goals; their desire to see me succeed motivates me to do my best. Also, being a role model to my children motivates me to do well. In addition, having to work while Im enrolled in the BSN program is a challenge. However, the encouragement of graduates of the BSN program is a constant reminder that I too can successfully complete the BSN program. Thus, I requested the necessary days off from my job so I can attend classes. Conclusion In conclusion, providing quality care to patients is my personal philosophy of nursing. As a result, my short-term and long-term professional goals are centered on this philosophy. Therefore, I continuously seek to obtain higher education, skills and techniques to empower me to assist my patients in possessing optimal health. This will enhance my professional development and fulfillment as a nurse.

Computer Crimes :: essays research papers

Computer Crimes Computer crimes are on the rise 1 in 10 Americans experience some form of a malicious attack on their computer system. If you pay attention to the rest of this speech you will understand how a Hackers mind works and how to defend yourself from them. In this speech I will tell you why and how people break into computers, what sorts of trouble they cause, and what kind of punishment lie ahead for them if caught. Hackers and Crackers break into computer systems for any of a wide variety of reasons. Many groups break into computers for capital gain while still others do it as a means to pass time at work or at school. For most it's a thrill to figure out how to break into a computer. Most people never have any intention of causing harm. I believe that for the vast majority of people it's merely the thrill of the "hunt" at pushes them to such great lengths. Many employees that work in large corporations feel that they don't get paid as much as they should. Therefore if they have high security clearance they are able to capitalize from that by selling the data they have access to on the black-market. Whether it be Ford Motor companies plan for the 1999 F-150 or spec sheets for the military's new bomber it happens everyday. Too by left is a drawing that illustrates the method that most Hackers use to take over your computer. Ever since the dial-up connection was invented anyone with a modem had the ability to wreck any one of thousands of computers. One of the most talked about forms of computer crime is computer viruses. A computer virus is a small but highly destructive program written by an unscrupulous computer Hacker. Back in 1984 a 17 year old computer Hacker single handedly brought down four hundred thousand computers in a matter of hours. Too my left is a graph depicting the # of computer crimes comited from 1988 till now. Some Hackers create a program called a worm. A worm is a piece of malicious software and is part of the virus family. People write worms to transfer money from bank accounts into their own personal checking account. Another way that Hackers cause trouble is by altering the telephone switching networks at MCI, AT&T, and Sprint. By doing this they are able to listen to any conversation they choose. Often-times they will listen in on the Police and FBI communicating with each-other. This allows them to move to a new location

The Tragedy of War :: history

The Tragedy of War West Russia, World War II One winter day at dark down the artillery opened hurricane fire on the enemy’s positions. Soon came the squadron and geysers of soil and curls of smoke erupted from the earth. The front enemy’s dugouts were razed to the ground for the first ten minutes. White rockets occurred on the sky as though they were artificial constellations. Then the infantry began to shoot in order to destroy that which had been missed by the shells. The battle was won owing to one soldier – a slender, thin eighteen-year-old boy, named Sasha. There was an enormous machine-gun, skillfully hidden behind a stack of big stones. It starfed the whole road round a little bridge which was the only way to reach the fortification. No one was able to come closer and â€Å"dismantle† the private behind the cannon. If Sasha had not helped, enemy’s crafts would have come an hour later and would have killed all the soldiers on the battlefield. The commanders saw him among the cracks of the rocks. Then he disappeared. A few minutes later a bomb explosion was heard and the machine-gun ceased shooting. And there were no holdbacks for invasion. In the evening the chief commander of the companies called Sasha in his room. â€Å"You ignored my explicit instructions!† he cried. â€Å"That was the worst and recklessest thing to do!† The boy felt himself as the biggest traitor in the world. â€Å"But nevermind†, continued the commander. â€Å"I’ve decided to reward you with a seen-day-furlough for being so devoted to your country.† The boy smiled with satisfaction. â€Å"Where do you want to go?† asked the commander. â€Å"I’d like to visit my mother and father in Karanga.† â€Å"OK. I’ve provided you with a lorry to Petropavlovsk and from there you’ll have to catch up the train.† â€Å"Thank you, sir, thank you very much!† He went into the sleeping-hall and began to gather the things he needed. Then he called in at the field hospital to say â€Å"Goodbye† to his best friend Volodya. And Volodya gave him a little purse with money and asked him to deliver it to his wife in Petropavlovsk where Sasha was expected to catch up the train. At sunrise the next morning the young boy was already travelling with the lorry. In the cabin there were also two men – a driver and an ex-soldier – now an invalid because a shell had deprived him of his right leg.

Reliving the Nightmare: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay examples -

Reliving the Nightmare: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After the terrorist attacks on September 11th, horrific images of the towers collapsing, survivors fleeing, and the rescue and recovery efforts inundated television viewers. In the weeks following the attacks, numerous news accounts reported increasing general anxiety among Americans, with many individuals reporting sleep difficulties and trouble concentrating. Additionally, much attention focused on the effects on those who directly witnessed and/or were injured the attacks, and whether they would suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD (4). I will give a brief overview of the definition of PTSD, the neurobiology behind it, and what environmental factors may put certain people at heightened risk for developing the disorder. Post traumatic stress-disorder is an anxiety disorder which results from exposure to an event which threatens the physical safety of an individual (1). PTSD originated as a mental illness category after the Vietnam War, when veterans exhibited sets of symptoms that did not fit into any current illness categories. However, in previous wars soldiers had complained of "shell shock" or "combat fatigue," which researchers now believe were essentially the same conditions as PTSD (2). As many as thirty percent of Vietnam veterans and eight percent of Persian Gulf War veterans exhibited symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (1). Today the definition of PTSD has broadened to include not just those in combat, but people who have experienced any man-made or natural disasters, accidents, violent crime such as rape, and abuse. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, emotional detachment, ... ...ic events, as well as the co-occurrence of PTSD with other mental illnesses. WWW Sources 1)National Institute of Mental Health information sheet on PTSD. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/reliving.cfm 2)About.com website , On PTSD, with definitions and links to other web resources. http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/traumaptsd/a/trauma.htm 3) Surgeon General's Report: "Mental Health- Culture, Race, Ethnicity" . A supplement to "Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General 1999." http://www.mentalhealth.org/cre/default.asp 4) Scientific American . Article on September 11th and PTSD. http://www.sciam.com/missing.cfm 5) Cal State-Chico website on serotonin. http://www.csuchico.edu/psy/BioPsych/serotonin.htm 6)Anxiety Disorders Treatment Target: Amygdala Circuitry" from the ADAA 18th annual meeting. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/events/pranxst.htm

Florence Nightingale

Abstract On her death in 1910, Florence Nightingale left a vast collection of reports, letters, notes and other written material. There are numerous publications that make use of this material, often highlighting Florence’s attitude to a particular issue. In this paper we gather a set of quotations and construct a dialogue with Florence Nightingale on the subject of statistics. Our dialogue draws attention to strong points of connection between Florence Nightingale’s use of statistics and modern evidence-based approaches to medicine and public health.We offer our dialogue as a memorable way to draw the attention of students to the key role of data-based evidence in medicine and in the conduct of public affairs. 1. Introduction 1. 1 Who Was Florence Nightingale? Florence Nightingale (1820 – 1910), hereafter referred to as FN, made remarkable use of her ninety years of life. She was the second of two daughters, born in England to wealthy and well-connected parents. There were varied religious influences. Her parents both came from a Unitarian religious tradition that emphasized â€Å"deeds, not creeds†.The family associated with the Church of England (Baly 1997b) when property that FN's father had inherited brought with it parochial duties. A further religious influence was her friendship with the Irish Sister Mary Clare Moore, the founding superior of the Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy in Bermondsey, London. Her father supervised and took the major responsibility for his daughters’ education, which included classical and modern languages, history, and philosophy. When she was 20 he arranged, at FN’s insistence, tutoring in mathematics.These and other influences inculcated a strong sense of public duty, independence of mind, a fierce intellectual honesty, a radical and unconventional religious mysticism from which she found succour in her varied endeavours, and an unforgiving attitude both toward her own faults and towar d those of others. At the age of 32, frustrated by her life as a gentlewoman, she found herself a position as Superintendent of a hospital for sick governesses. Additionally she cooperated with Sidney Herbert, a family friend who was by now a Cabinet minister, in several surveys of hospitals, examining defects in the working conditions of nurses.On the basis of this and related experience she was chosen, in 1854, to head up a party of nurses who would work in the hospital in Scutari, nursing wounded soldiers from the newly declared Crimean war. Her energy and enthusiasm for her task, the publicity which the Times gave to her work, the high regard in which she was held by the soldiers, and a national appeal for a Nightingale fund that would be used to help establish training for nurses, all contributed to make FN a heroine.There was a huge drop in mortality, from 43% of the patients three months after she arrived in Scutari to 2% fourteen months later, that biographers have often att ributed to her work. Upon her return to England at the end of July 1856 FN become involved in a series of investigations that sought to establish the reason for the huge death rate during the first winter of the war in the Crimea. Theories on the immediate cause abounded; was it inadequate food, overwork, lack of shelter, or bad hygiene?In preparation for a promised Royal Commission, she worked over the relevant data with Dr William Farr, who had the title â€Å"Superintendent of the Statistical Department in the Registrar-General’s Office†. Farr’s analysis persuaded her that the worst affects had been in Scutari, where overcrowding had added to the effect of poor sanitation. Sewers had been blocked, and the camp around had been fouled with corpses and excrement, matters that were fixed before the following winter. The major problem had been specific to Scutari.FN did not have this information while she was in the Crimea. The data do however seem to have been re adily available; they were included in a report prepared by McNeill and Tulloch (1855). The strain of FN’svarious involvements, and perhaps residual effects from an illness that she had suffered while in the Crimea, in due course took their toll. A year after her return to England, she suffered a nervous breakdown, emerging from this personal crisis with views that were often remarkably different from those that she had held earlier.Of particular interest is a change from her demand that nurses should follow to the letter instructions from doctors, to her view that nurses ought, within their proper area of responsibility, to make their own autonomous judgments. Small (1998, pp. 119 – 127, 178) has extensive and perhaps overly speculative comment on the reasons for the nervous breakdown, and an interesting analysis of ways in which her views changed. The data that showed that the high mortality was specific to Scutari were included in FN’s 1858 report, but omitte d from the 1857-1858 Royal Commission report.It was feared that continuing and acrimonious attempts to assign blame would jeopardise ongoing efforts at army reform. FN, unhappy at this suppression of her evidence, sent copies of her report to a number of carefully chosen recipients, each time with instructions to keep it confidential. One of the recipients was the freethinking popular journalist Harriet Martineau. With FN’s help, she wrote a book (Martinueau 1859), ostensibly based on information from public documents but using FN’s confidential report for additional background information, that gave the facts as FN understood them.FN’s biographers, perhaps relying too much on official documents, have not until recently been mindful of these nuances. See Small (1998, p. 198 – 200) for further discussion is one of the first to recognise them. A comprehensive biography of FN, that will do justice to the wide-ranging sympathies and interests of this remarkab le woman and show how her views changed and developed over time, has yet to be written. Small (see the note on his web site) and Baly (1997b, pp. 1-19) both draw attention to inaccuracies in earlier biographical accounts.Vicinus and Nergaard (1989) have much carefully documented biographical information. Among the numerous web sites that have material on FN note C. J. McDonald (2001) who emphasises connections between Nightingale and the experiences of soldiers in the Vietnam War; L. McDonald (2002) who is leading a project to publish all Nightingale’s writings; and Small (1998). Small’s web site has the data (from Nightingale 1858) that the Royal Commission suppressed. 1. 2 Hospitals and Hospital Nursing FN had remarkably radical views on hospitals and on hospital nursing. Both in 860 and in 1876, she describes hospitals (Baly 1997b, p. 25; Nightingale 1876) â€Å"as an intermediate stage of civilisation. † In 1867 she wrote (Baly 1997b, p. 21) â€Å"my view y ou know is that the ultimate destination is the nursing of the sick in their own homes. †¦ I look to the abolition of all hospitals and workhouse infirmaries. But it is no use to talk about the year 2000. † Consistent with these views, FN’s Notes on Nursing (1859) are not intended â€Å"as a manual to teach nurses to nurse†, but are â€Å"meant simply to give hints for thought to women who have personal charge of the health of others. It may thus seem ironic that, in her work with the Nightingale fund, FN was deeply involved in the development of hospital nursing training. She opposed the British Nurses’ Association’s 1890 proposals to make nursing into an accredited profession (Baly 1997b, pp. 184-196). She noted that there was no widespread agreement on what constituted an adequate training or what the minimum qualification should be, and argued that a much longer experience was needed before a register could be contemplated. The qualities t hat were required in nurses were not amenable to test by public examination.FN did however see an important role for women medical professionals. She wanted women to take leading roles in midwifery and in the diseases of women and children, and to be as well or better trained for these tasks as the men who at that time had a professional monopoly. It was her view that â€Å"There is a better thing than making women into medical men, and that is making them into medical women† (Nightingale 1871). She looked to a time when, as had happened in France, women would be professors of midwifery.She set out the immediate steps that she thought would best achieve that end. FN worked relentlessly for reform, in the army, in the hospitals, and in public health. She was meticulous in researching the reforms that she proposed. Where, as often, data were unavailable or inadequate, she pressed for their collection. Data inadequacies are strong themes in her Notes on Hospitals and in her Intr oductory Notes on Lying-In Institutions, i. e. , on maternity institutions. She made strong, consistent and carefully argued cases for enlightened and data-based public decision-making.This is not to say that FN was always correct in her judgments. In her next to final contribution to the dialogue, FN comments on a controversy that erupted following the publication of the third edition of her Notes on Hospitals. Her use of the term mortality percent for deaths per hundred beds per day, which she copied from Farr's report as Registrar-General, was unfortunate. As she seems to admit a page later in the Notes, these figures were not a good basis for comparing the sanitary states of different hospitals. Florence Nightingale I was really moved when Dr. Howe advised Florence that â€Å"If you have a passion, the only way to satisfy it is to pursue it. † Yes, you will only be satisfied in your life when you pursue your passion on something because if not, you will only regret it and in the end you weren’t able to help other people as well as yourself. Florence really did not neglect God’s call to her and this really demonstrated the passionate side of her. Thanks to Dr. Howe, she found out that nursing is really her calling. I also admired Florence’s determination when she rejected Mr. Milnes and preferred to concentrate on her career. For me, to have a passion the same as her, marriage would really interfere with her ability to follow her calling. This is because it would really be difficult for Florence to manage a family when she is definitely drawn into helping other people. Florence is a good leader because she is understanding to the other nurses and all of them will really follow her orders. She is smart and knowledgeable in the proper health care. Florence has that â€Å"magic† in healing and also she has a strong persona when she is dealing with dying patients. Furthermore, who knew how much prejudice there was against nurses before? It was really a terrible prejudice, considering nurses as little more than â€Å"hangers-on† and the prejudice in the army was shocking. The head doctors would prefer to see soldiers die than let the nurses trained by Florence work in the military hospitals. Compared to nowadays, nurses are really respected and honoured because of the love and care they give to their patients. It is good to be reminded of the damages prejudice can cause and just how powerful it is as a social force The film was outstanding for me. The portrayal and the flow of the story were good. Jaclyn Smith was very good as Florence Nightingale. And the film really showed the complete detail of Florence Nightingale’s works in the field of nursing.

Relationship of a Father and Son Essay

The moment where everything changed was the day Manning finally won his first arm wrestling match, his father gained some respect towards him and they both learned valuable lessons. One was manning learned that his father was a great parent in his own way and his father learned that being rough isn’t the only way you can show affection to your son. On the other hand, in â€Å"Shooting Dad†, Sarah Vowell describes the political differences her and he father have. In the house she states that one was a republican and the other was a democratic (171). Every time they would try to start a normal conversation they would end up arguing, and having discussions of who beat who. In the end she matures and realizes that they both are actually very alike. Communication is not as easy as it seems but if you take the time to listen and pay attention to details in life you’ll find that your parents’ views aren’t so far off of yours. The fathers’ competitive side was his way of showing his communicative relationship with his son. Manning used to be able to enjoy a relaxed game of arm wrestling with his father before but as time passed everything became more real and competitive. He states, â€Å"I always had to lose ‘ Want to try it again? ‘ he would ask, grinning†¦. and with squinting eyes he would laugh at me, a high laugh, through his perfect white teeth† (163). The relationship between the father and son was a physical rough relationship. The attitude of the father impedes the communication to surpass the bond of strength that they have now. The father was seen as the protector of the family. He was the tough guy, who wouldn’t show emotions. The son realized that his father has been the person he was for them. He guided them and helped them in the toughest situations in life. The age difference impeded the positive communication between them. This all started when he was a teen. The mental state of a son differs from the mental state of a father. The awareness, attitude, and strength all change as he matures over the years. As he grew he started working out more and became stronger while the dad was aging. The moment he realized he had matured and now viewed life different was when his dad challenged him to what was his last arm wrestling challenge between them. He felt sorry but the power that he was gaining was too exciting to let go of. When he was small the dad was the one with the power, he was the man of the house but now that he won he has now taken the responsibility to take that next challenge and soon be the adult, the head of household the one to take care of the family. He learned a lesson that changed the communication between him and his father. In my life as I’ve grown I’ve noticed a difference between the communication of my father and I. Before we would talk about dolls and makeup and now we communicate by being rough. We have competitions about the smallest things like what’s that color to who will win the wrestling match or soccer game. At first to me all that was boring and bland, but as he started to get older he distanced himself from me. What stopped us from being able to communicate was the fact that we both had different views in life. I was focused on school and focused on achieving my goal to graduate and his focus was on his work and sports. We would spend limited time together that we had so much to talk about yet we would stay quiet for hours. He slowly became more involved in my school and studies and I would get pointers from him on how to play the sport correctly. Now during weekends we go to baseball games, basketball games, or to the library. Our bond has grown to be a strong relationship. The love between families is always there, it’s just that people choose to show their affection in many different ways. Manning and Vowell explain how they struggled to communicate with their father’s but overall they ended up figuring out that they are similar in many way to their father’s. The form that Manning was able to communicate or interact with his father was through a physical tough relation and the Vowell was through nature as she took photos and as he killed it. Learning to communicate can be the key to life; it’s just the matter of finding happiness between the people.