Question Assess The Main Achievements Of The First Four Caliphs (632

Question: Assess the main achievements of the first four caliphs (632 to 661 AD). How powerful and united was the Arab Empire at the death of Ali? {1996} Question: Assess the main achievements of the first four caliphs (632 to 661 AD). How powerful and united was the Arab Empire at the death of Ali? {1996} Abu Bakr,, was the father-in-law of Mohammed and was the first converts to Islam. After the demise of Mohammed, Abu Bakar's main objective was to maintain the heritage of the prophet. However, distance tribes refused to recognize Abu Bakr's authority as their treaty relation was with the late Mohammed only. Thus after learning about the death of Mohammed, their nomadic instincts recoiled at the prospect of being subordinate to the men at Medina. These tribes refused allegience to Abu Bakr, Mohammed's successor as they felt that they had no part in electing him. This *repudiation is known as The Ridda or Apostasy. In fact, many of the tribes involved had never formally adopted Islam and thus they reverted to paganism soon after the death of Mohammed. In order to reassert control over Medina, Abu Bakr sent Khalid, one of the pagan Korayish military leaders Mohammed converted on entering Mecca, to reconvert these tribes. He succeeded and the Arabs members, who were now convinced of the power of the Medina, expanded his Moslem army. Khalid also launched a surprise invasion eastward across the Euphrates and surrounded the provincial capital of Hira. Being a Ummayad, Abu Bakr had political and military powers to complement his religious authority and at the start of Abu Bakr's reign, the Arabs were able to conquer the whole of the Middle East. In less than a century, the mobile Moslems were able to successfully defeat the Byzantine and in the entire fertile cresent. At about 634, when Khalid was marching into Damascus, Omar another Ummayad, succeeded Abu Bakr as the next Caliph. Omar being more worldly and ambitious, asserted control over the raiding armies and gain control over the independent and far flung army commanders who were left to make their own decisions during Abu Bakr's reign. Omar issued military orders to Khalid but instead of attacking Damascus, Khalid was to gain control of the surrounding territories and eventually, the Arabs plunderes as far south as Gaza in Palestine. The battles in Palestine ended in Arab victories and with the weakening of Damascus' power, it was conquered together with other major cities of the northern region by 636 AD. After the Persians' failed attempt to launch an offensive to regain control over the Western Mesopotamia. The Moslem army under the orders of Omar, counterattacked from the direction of Syria and destroyed the Persian army. They then proceeded to capture the entire Mesopotamia. Thus by 637, both Mesopotamia and Syria came under the Medina's control. In 639, a Bedouin General named Amr was sent to the frontier of Egypt with 4000 men and plundered across Eastern Egypt to the Nile Valley. Thus in 642, Amr captured the Byzantine Capital at Alexandria, but there was a brief recapture by the Byzantines in 645 but a Moslem counterattack drove the Byzantines out of Egypt by 646. Caliph Omar also organised Syria and Mesopotamia into a single province, while Egypt was to exist as another. Governors appointed to rule the respective regions were Ummayads. In 640, Omar appointed Muawiya as the governor of Syria-Mesopotamia and in 642, he appointed his foster brother to administer Egypt. Although these governors owed their loyalty to Caliph Omar but in reality, they had absolute powers therefore they soon overtook Medina in importance. In 644, a member of the small but growing "Shites" sect murdered Omar. Caliph Othman reigned from 644-655 A.D. Although Othman like the earlier two caliphs, was an Ummayad, he was not as competent as them. In terms of character, Othman was uninspiring as he was cowardly, weak and guilty of Nepotism hence causing even more resentment. During his reign, the resentment for the Ummayad clans by the other clans intensified but the Ummayads continued to prosper at the expense of other clans. Lesser wealth was now coming back to Medina as the areas of conquests got smaller. Arab Expansion began to slow down during Othman's reign as firstly there were no longer pressures on land among the Arabs. The Arabs now have sufficient land and thus had little need to expand their territories. Secondly, expansion was beginning to reach the natural boundaries such as the high plateau and unfriendly populations of Persia and Anatolia i.e. Eastern Turkey. Thus this gave the non-Ummayad Arabs more opportunities to channel

Social Theories in Conflict and Examples of Application

Social Theories in Conflict and Examples of Application Introduction Conflict is part of human existence. Theories expounded by scholars and theorists state that conflicts are the result of human needs not being met, or as a result of competition. When these needs are addressed to, conflicts lose significance. There are a number of theories discussed in this essay and most delve on the interconnectivity of society and the individual members.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Social Theories in Conflict and Examples of Application specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Paramount is the study of Lewis Coser which states that conflicts have a positive effect on society. Historical events relate that social groups are strengthened by conflict. Conflict and social upheaval are common in history. Oppression characterizes historical events. If there was no conflict, it would have been very difficult to write history because history is filled with conflicts of tribes and peoples , kings and their dominions, and nation states against nation states. People and organizations deal with conflict day in and day out. Human nature is complicated; it is filled with emotions and feelings which can be the cause of conflicts. In an organization, there are complexities, errors, and successes, because organizations are manned by humans. We are not governed by theories but we formulate these theories out of our experiences and continued socialization. In the course of time, these theories seem to rule over our behavior and activities. In our socializing activities, we commit errors which are a part of our behavior in making judgments, interpretations, assumptions, and beliefs about our social world, the people within it, and our place in it. This essay will try to delve on the many aspects of conflict, but most especially on the theories of conflict, and on the why and the how of conflicts encountered by man. The Theories Human Needs Theory – John Burton (1990) The theory states that conflicts are caused by human needs that are not met. These needs can be psychological, social, economic, political, etc. The needs and problems of the people involved in conflicts have to be understood and addressed so that the issues that preoccupy the groups and people lose significance and therefore conflict can be resolved. Another argument by Burton and Dukes (1990 as cited in Anyanwu, 2009, p. 58) states that satisfying human needs seems to be present in all conflicts although there are many kinds of conflicts.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Common to the Human Needs theory are selfs of Application specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Muzafer Sherif (1961, as cited in Goldstein, 1994, p. 98) and his research team conducted studies on the causes of intergroup competition. The research was known a s the summer camp studies. They recruited 24 12-year-old boys who came from middle-class families. The boys were not informed of the experiment; instead they were told that it was just a summer camp. The Researchers planned the experiment to be in three stages including group formation, conflict between the groups, and reduction of the conflict. The first stage involved transporting the boys into two separate groups and classifying them according to their psychological and physical characteristics, and separating those who were friends. Inside the camp, the two groups were separated from each other in two distant locations, avoiding possible contact with each other. Activities for the boys involved athletics, hiking, camping, swimming, and developing group structure. Toward the end of the first week, the two groups realized that they were sharing the same facilities and were beginning to exhibit a different kind of behaviour against the rival group. The two groups were now aiming fo r competition. The Researchers staged the games of baseball, tug-of-war and other contests, increasing the tension among the boys, until it escalated into verbal insults and other hostilities. Throughout the period, the attitudes of the two groups became more hostile but were cohesive towards their own team. More activities or experiments, disguised as games, were conducted by the Researchers, and each time the boys showed bias toward their own group. When they were asked to indicate their best friends, they chose their co-members of the group when in reality their best friends before they were brought to the camp were those from the opposite group. The experimenters created instances where the two groups could cooperate with each other and this was when they had to pool their money for a movie that they all wanted to see. Another was for all to help in rescuing the water truck when it got stuck. All other activities involved interdependency for the two groups. The result was that t here was a reduction in hostility. (Goldstein, 1994, pp. 98-9) Team development is designed to improve the effectiveness of team members with interdependent jobs, where effectiveness refers to managing problems and accomplishing group goals. The experiment proved that behaviour of groups could escalate conflict and how easily hostilities can form. The experimenters designed tasks wherein the two groups had no other recourse except to help each other.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Functionalism – Emily Durkheim and Talcott Parsons (1902-1979) This is sometimes known as ‘the society perspective’ or the ‘social-system perspective’. The original work of the French sociologist Emile Durkheim links this theory to the existing system at the time, but it was provided further study by the American sociologist Talcott Parsons. This theory was dominant in the United States during the period 1940s to the 1960s. It gained wide prominence but soon waned down although insights for this theory are linked to the existing social issues. According to this theory, human nature is irrational and self-centred. (Willis, 1996, p. 117) Society has a great influence to the order of things and can prevent the escalation of conflict and war. Willis (1996, p. 117) describes the tension between society and the individual members: ‘ the civilizing influence of society keeps irrationality in check, and individuals do not actively create social lives b ut are products of the external society. Individuals can be free and happy only within the confines set up by society.’ In this theory, society has a great influence on the individual members. It can be said that society comes first and the interest of the majority is ahead of the interest of the individual members. The studies of Frederick Taylor are somehow linked to the society-individual interaction in the functionalism theory. He defined work in terms of the specified tasks designed for the workers to follow, and with no chance of freedom or judgment left on the part of the workers. There is no motivation during those early years of industrialization, which is the basis of Taylor’s theory. (Luecke Hall, 2006, p. 18) Another is that of the social scientist Douglas McGregor who formulated the Theory X and Theory Y approach to management. Managers who embrace Theory X have two motivational tools: the carrot and stick – greed and fear. Theory X sees the boss a s prodding the employees, exerting too much control in the workplace. Theory Y assumes that when people are motivated, they accomplish goals. Workers become productive when they are motivated: to be a part of the team, or to be a part-owner of the organisation, and to be creative in their work. (Fournies, 1999, p. 34) Social Conflict Theory – Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels An important figure in conflict theory is Karl Marx whose work remains important to the understanding of how capitalist and modern society works. Marx’s ideas were revolutionary and a source of great change in a rapidly changing social order. It was known as a revolution within a revolution. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels focused their theory of the social conflict on the worker and the owner of production, and the so-called class struggle. They both popularized their theory at the height of the industrial revolution. During this time, there were two groups emerging in society – the moneyed cl ass or the bourgeoisie and the workers or the proletariat. (Sociology Guide, 2010) Karl Marx wrote that the worker was used for production, to make goods or commodities and profits. But as his production increased, his being and humanity were disregarded. He became poorer and also was transformed into a commodity, a cheap commodity. As this commodity increased in value, he became devalued in the process. The worker worked for the goods which had more value than him. As the worker continued to struggle, society broke up into classes which were hostile to one another, and the creation of the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. (Randall, 1964) Marx’s focus on class struggles states that the worker has become ‘objectified’. He is made a tool to produce more goods or commodities, and the more he produces commodities, the more he is reduced or lowered. He becomes an instrument for profit; the capitalist rejoices over his job. The worker is reduced to the lowest serf, only being used for the advancement of money, capital, and more profits. (Marx and Engels Internet Archive, n.d.) On the other hand, the powerful and the moneyed class impose their will on the proletariat purposely to preserve everything they have – their power, wealth and even their culture. But Marx says the workers can make themselves powerful if they unite. Marx’s theory is still applicable today. The rich and powerful use their money and power to impose their will upon the poverty-stricken majority, and to preserve their wealth. In the modern world, society is always in a state of conflict because various groups or nation states keep on imposing their will on other groups or states. The powers that be impose their will on the majority, purposely to preserve their wealth and power. (Siegel Welsh, 2009, pp. 164-5) Nevertheless, conflict can offer a positive experience. This was explained by Lewis Coser (cited in Melchin Picard, p. 29) who linked his arguments to the w orks of Hegel and Marx. Coser was interested in the change that society was undergoing and how conflict affected the change. He had broader ideas on social health; he explained that conflict had a lot to do with social change and indeed it had a positive effect on society, i.e. social groups were strengthened by conflict. Conflict balanced the equilibrium. Hegel and Marx developed the theories on conflict as it affects society. Conflict and upheaval are common in history and they are not destructive but the source of strength or vitality. The positive thing about conflict is that history is not all about harmony but about oppression and the forces and activities to counter oppression. (Melchin Picard, 2008, pp. 29-30) Social Darwinism – Charles Darwin It is said that when psychology was still at its early stage, three theorists dominated the scene of debates and discussion – Darwin, Marx, and Freud. These three intelligent personalities influenced the thinking and wri tings of the early social psychologists. Darwin popularized the concept of â€Å"survival of the fittest†: that living things and everything in nature is at war, organisms fight against each other or against the rest of nature and the strongest can survive. (Deutsch, 2006, p. 13) Darwin’s theory focuses on the evolution of the species but the term evolution itself connotes conflict: there is a continuing conflict in living organisms that it seems evolution is all about conflict. Social Darwinism, on the other hand, is more of a vulgarization of the original theory of Darwin’s because it provided reason for other terms to evolve, such as racism, sexism, superiority of another group or class, and conflicts. The ideas of â€Å"survival of the fittest† and those of evolution are now misapplied to social groups which explain the vulgarization part. (Deutsch, 2006, p. 14) Imperialism has been rationalized with this concept. The powerful continue to oppress the less fortunate, or perhaps the working class. But Marx says that the working class can always unite and become powerful. This is the reason why he formulated the concept of communism – to help the class struggle of the working class. Social Darwinism started to emerge in the mid 1920s. But it declined during the popularity of the concepts of Marx’s class struggle. From the waning of the concept of Social Darwinism, emerged the phenomena of war and inter-group hostility. Postmodern Social Theory – George Ritzer and Douglas Goodman The heart of the modern theory is the belief that society can become a better group of people through a revelation of the hidden processes of the past. According to this theory society is a product of past events which can be said as historical accidents and not intentioned activities by personalities or heroes. This theory has two approaches, the modern and the postmodern. (Turner, 2006, p. 151) Postmodern focuses on contingency, for i nstance, scepticism or rejection of universality; rhetoric and a focus on what is irrational. These are emphasized so that it can lead to something which is the contrary, or to lead to some alternatives, and not the usual or traditional methods. Game Theory and Economic Behavior – Von Neumann and Morgenstern (1944, as cited in Deutsch, 2006, p. 16) The Game Theory, as explained by von Neumann and Morgenstern, emphasized on the interdependence of interests of the opposing parties. The theory also formulated mathematical solutions to conflicts through the zero-sum games, but it also emphasized that cooperative and competitive interests are interwoven in conflict. Deutsch (2006) states that conflicts were a mix of cooperative and competitive processes. The cooperative factors were opposed to the common idea at that time that conflicts were purely competitive struggle. Symbolic Interactionism – Sheldon Stryker Symbolic Interactionism is important in sociology as it connote s functions and roles of individuals in society. The theory was developed in the 18th to mid-20th century and its emphasis is on the role theory. This is somehow linked to Functionalism as individual roles are linked to society. (Stryker, 2006, p. 211) Individual members of society have particular roles or functions and if something goes wrong, conflict occurs and can be interpreted as poor role performance. Stryker (2006, p. 211) correlates the traditional symbolic interactionism to the role theory where everyone in society has a filling role to play, for instance as child, parent, teacher, politician, etc. Functionalism and symbolic interactionism have synonymous meanings. Conclusion Conflict theories link society and individual members. As stated in the introduction, conflict is a part of human existence, and history could not have been written without conflicts. There are conflicts within us or inside us, our relations and interactions with others and the society as a whole, and , above all, war or conflicts between nation states, ethnic or tribal wars, etc. Conflict is a human phenomenon. This is how we are made – our innate personality and, to speak religiously, the seeming ‘restlessness’ of the human soul. Conflict begins inside us because of our unique personalities. It springs to our early relationship with family members, the basic unit of society, then onto society. But conflict is not at all ‘bad’ for us and our interaction with society. Since conflict and social upheaval are a part of history, history could not have been written without conflict. Our conclusion goes back to Lewis Coser (in the introduction) who states that conflicts have a positive effect on society. Laws and policies of groups, tribes, nation states and governments have been written and imposed because of conflicts – and to avoid conflicts. . Functions and roles of individuals in society are emphasized in some theoretical perspective, for ex ample in functionalism. We are linked to the community where we assume different roles. At home or at school, in the office or organization, we play different roles. Some are children, others are parents, some play the role of teachers, supervisors, employers or managers. Conflict occurs if we don’t play our roles accordingly. Conflicts help individuals find solutions. Managers realize the importance of conflict and competition; it helps them find ways to improve their business, although in a larger sense they tend to avoid conflict and competition. When the level of conflict is too low, which means the people in an organization tend to avoid conflict – they are content with how things are going on and how they appear to be. This should not be so because conflicts lead people to finding new ways and be creative. References Anyanwu, C. N. (2009). Creative strategies for conflict management community building. Indiana, U.S.A.: Authorhouse. P. 58. Armstrong, M. (1998). M anaging people: a practical guide for line managers. London: Kogan Page Limited. Deutsch, M. (2006). Introduction. In M. Deutsch, P. T. Coleman, E. C. Marcus (Eds.). The handbook of conflict resolution: theory and practice, second edition. San Francisco, California: John Wiley Sons, Inc. pp. 1-4. Firth, D. (2002). Life and work express. United Kingdom: Capstone Publishing. pp. 85-6. Fournies, F. (1999). Coaching for improved work performance. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 34. Goldstein, A. P. (1994). The ecology of aggression. New York: Plenum Press. pp. 97-9. Kopelman, R. E., Prottas, D. J., Thompson, C. A., Jahn, E. W. (2006). A Multilevel Examination of Work-Life Practices: Is More Always Better? Journal of Managerial Issues, 18(2), p. 233. Luecke, R. Hall, B. (2006). Performance management: measure and improve the effectiveness of your employees. United States of America: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. p. 18. Marx and Engels Internet Archive (n.d.). Economic and philosophical manuscripts of 1844, Karl Marx: Estranged Labour XXII. Web. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. In G. Goble, The third force: the psychology of Abraham Maslow, pp. 233-6. USA: Zorba Press. Melchin, K. R. Picard, C. (2008). Transforming conflict through insight. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated. pp. 29-30. Randall, F. B. (1964). The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. New York: Simon Schuster Inc. Siegel, L. J. Welsh, B. C. (2009). Juvenile delinquency: theory, practice and law. Belmont, California: Cengage Learning. pp. 164-5. Sociology Guide (2010). Conflict theories. Web. Stryker, S. (2006). Traditional symbolic interactionism, role theory, and structural symbolic interactionism: the road to identity theory. In: J. H. Turner (Ed.), Handbook of sociological theory, p. 211. United States of America: Springer. Turner, J. H. (2006). Handbook of sociological theory. United States of America: Springer. p. 151. Webster, R. E. (2006). CLEP introduction to educational psychology. New Jersey, United States of America: Research Education Association. p. 84. Willis, E. (1996). The sociological quest: an introduction to the study of social life. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. p. 117.

Week 3 team assignment outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 3 team assignment outline - Essay Example ICQ, or an internal control questionnaire, has been filled out by the auditors, based on information provided by the internal audit department of Apollo Shoes. That information was pertaining to Revenue Cycle and processing of sales transactions. However, the information was not capable of assessment as a part of Revenue Cycle of Apollos shoes, and the applicability of internal control procedures designed for sales transactions processing, on those transactions, could not be identified. It was necessary for that all Sales transactions would be identified accurately and processed according to the established procedure in order to be capable of going through the process of risk assessment of internal controls. There was another risk of understated revenue and fraud. It is very important that number of sequences should be present on all invoices, shipping documents and processing checks. There was missing information as to the number sequence used for invoices, processing checks and shipping documents in order to ensure completeness. In case of missing invoices, shipping documents and processing checks, it will be difficult to identify and may lead to financial loss, inappropriate quality of relation with suppliers/customers and even Fraud. The above two issues can materially misstate the amount of revenue and receivables, and the quality of work will be affected. These two issues can possibly be an indication of Fraud, and auditors may need to be withdrawn from the audit altogether. It is very necessary for the management to pay close attention to our audit finding and investigate the reasons of any deviations from established control procedures. In case of absence of any related control procedure, management should consult auditors on establishing new internal controls or finding any substitute methods to mitigate the identified

The future of online television Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The future of online television - Essay Example Definitely the television culture has been transforming rapidly to match the preferences of the consumer for very long. There have been tremendous changes in how they now look, function and the quality that they deliver. But will its era of victory over the radio last forever? Recently television industry is now almost paralleled with a major competitor- â€Å"internet†. A lot of surveys lately have shown how the number of people going online to watch television is increasing with a good percentage each year. But does this mean that the viewership of television in the conventional mode is going down? There are many reasons for why the trend of watching online media has shot-up but one of the major factors for it is the increasing awareness among people about the various utilities of the internet. Since the time when the internet was first invented its definition and purpose has transformed tremendously. Not only that the broad scope of internet is still unfolding by each passing day. The awareness among the people to use internet is picking up pace with every tick of the time. Not long back it meant only- sending and receiving of e-mail and chatting. But now there is whole virtual world out there where one can find everything possible as there are no boundaries to it. One can easily go on the internet and look for any episode, soap, movie, music, video and other kinds of media. It is as simple as a click in today’s world. The media consumers can watch anything that they want within seconds. The main advantage and why the culture of going online and watching television is rising because of the fact that almost everything is available on demand. Not only that such a provision has now become portable, there are mobile phones that support online applications like â€Å"yoututbe.com, hulu.com,† where it is possible to find anything that one is looking for at any time. Another option is â€Å"Laptop† which makes it very easy for the consumer to view

Agricultural pollution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Agricultural pollution - Research Paper Example Agricultural pollution is often thought of as something that affects only the rural areas or the crops on the farm and the people who grow them.However,agricultural pollution is the one reason why large tracts of land become unusable after some time,why certain groups of organisms die from lack of plant food Agricultural pollution is usually caused by monoculture of plants as well as other wasteful and faulty farming methods that usually lead to the destruction of the soil, the excessive use of insecticides and the exposure of humans to any of the chemicals used on the farm. Agricultural pollution damages not only the ecosystem but also human health, and the solution to this problem is a combination of methods from the joint efforts of individuals, social organizations and the government. Problems There has been much evidence which shows that the problems in the United States concerning agricultural pollution are actually brought about by the very nature of the structure of American farms as well as the nature of the prevailing government policies concerning agricultural lands and farming. Such policies actually favor large farm size and, more importantly, crop monocultures. It is there monocultures, especially corn monocultures, which cause the greatest harm to agricultural lands. As imperatives to diversify crops disappear from the context of American agriculture, what is slowly replacing this is the reward for monoculture, resulting in a lack of rotation and eventually leading to a high degree of vulnerability of the agroecosystem to high inputs of harmful chemicals (Altieri, 2000). The chemicals used in very large farms where monoculture is practiced are actually the ones that become pollutants to the agricultural lands (Altieri, 2000). The explanation is pretty simple. If there is only one type or two types of crops used on a farm, then it is inevitable that pests would easily build up on this type of crops because it would be easy for them to adapt to the m. Moreover, considering that the farms on which a single type of crop is planted are large farms, then the attack of pests is also on a wide scale basis. Thus, a large number of pests would also require a large amount of pesticide. The nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus contents of these pesticides are actually the ones responsible for the pollution of the farm itself, of its soil and of the nearby water reserve systems. Moreover, one variety of corn, the genetically engineered Bt corn, may have reduced the number of pests that infest it thus reducing the amount of pesticide as well, but the treatment of the Bt corn seed using neonicotinoid insecticides has become the issue instead. According to a 2012 report from the Union of Concerned Scientists, these neonicotinoid insecticides are responsible for the collapse of honeybee colonies and other cases of mortality concerning other species of bees. The real problem with this is that â€Å"35 percent of U.S. crops rely on bees and oth er pollinators to be productive† (Expanding Monoculture, 2012). Thus, even if such a genetically modified crop such as Bt corn is planted to offset the usual pests that bother traditional corn crops, there will still be problems concerning the type of chemical used to treat this genetically modified crop. As always, it is clearly evident that there is always a problem with monoculture. As implied from the previously stated information, the planting of Bt corn can eventually even prove to be extremely harmful to the planting of all other agricultural crops (Expanding Monoculture, 2012). Another problem concerning agricultural pollution is the use of new types of herbicides. Some large-scale farmers decide to use genetically engineered crops that are herbicide-tolerant, especially those that are resistant to 2,4-D and dicamba, which are two of the oldest known herbicides. Thus, considering the resistance of crops to these

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication in Retail

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication in Retail Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication All around the various environments/ settings that man lives in, there is always some form of communication that takes place, whether verbal or non-verbal communication. Most of the communication that happens with man is often conveyed through non-verbal means. The non-verbal communication may happen both consciously and non-consciously. This paper seeks to give an analysis of a social setting – in this case, a shopping mall – and give an application of the various communication concepts in relation to this setting. There are many reasons as to why people decide to take trips down to the shopping malls. Perhaps they could be going to do some actual shopping or window-shopping, to relax/ meet someone, watch a movie, access the internet, and have a cup of coffee or a meal, among other reasons. At times people walk into the shopping malls as individuals or in groups. As they go about doing their own businesses, they communicate in various ways. For example, an individual may walk into the goods bay and begin walking around the shelves. The pace of walking in itself communicates a certain message. For instance, based on the kinesics theory, if the person is walking hurriedly and pacing back and forth among the shelves, especially in the same area, one may easily conclude that the person is either confused or in a hurry to escape from something or someone. At this point, if there are shopping attendants in the goods bay, they may approach the person and try conversing. In relation to the adjacency pa irs concept, the shopping attendant may begin a conversation with words like, â€Å"Sir, may I help you?† The response the individual is expected to give may be similar to, â€Å"Yes, please. Could you please show me where I can find product X?† In this case, product X could be a particular detergent, shaving cream, electronic equipment, and so on. If a response that may sound to be rude, disrespectful, or harsh is given, then the shopping attendant may try to want to know more in order to identify the problem or seek assistance from somewhere else. In this scenario, customer service and public relations may be necessary. The two techniques may come in handy to resolve the situation. At times, a person may walk into the shopping mall and may just take their time moving around the shelves. They may seem to pick up things off the shelves but then return them. At times, they may be seen to compare two items as they talk to themselves. In such instances, in relation to kinesics concept, the person may appear to be undecided and does not know the choice to make. Perhaps, the person could be doing a mental budget by comparing the products picked, or they may just not know what to pick. Sometimes, people go to purchase products that they are not familiar with at all. In such cases, the person doing the shopping may befriend another shopper and solicit for advice. In the process, they may actually converse and show curtsies and smiles. Different people may actually interpret this act differently. Some may see it to be a friendly and relaxed looking environment. As the people who have just met continue to talk and laugh, it may signify socializing and friendly society. Ot her people may think that the two people may have known one another for ages and are just catching up. To some, they may think that the two people are just drawing unnecessary attention. Some buyers as they do their shopping some go picking anything from the shelves and in large quantities. Some pick a variety of one product, e.g. different types of a particular brand of soap or lotion. Some do not even care to look at the product prices. However, others have to compare the prices carefully before making up their minds on what to buy. These contrasting behaviors show that different buyers have different purchasing capabilities. For instance, when a parent walks into the shopping mall with their child, the child may want something that was outside the budget. Some parents may choose to buy the child what they have asked without thinking twice while others will have to convince their children that it is not possible to buy them what they want. According to the proxemics concept, this behavior shows that different people have different purchasing power. When a shopper buys a variety of things, they are even treated differently by the shopping attendants and cashiers as well. For instance, they may be offered a mall attendant to help them carry the goods to their car, they may be given discounts, or they may be offered some preferential treatment like being offered extra items at no extra cost. There are also people who purchase goods without having to come to the shopping mall and have the goods delivered at their doorstep at an extra cost. Some people do not have trouble paying for the extra cost of transport delivery while others have to consider their options. Regular customers are also treated in a special way that seems to appreciate them. However, those who exhibit high purchasing power and do not necessarily fall to the category of regular customers are always treated in a nice way compared to others. They may even be taken to the front line, skipping other shoppers waiting to be served. This underscores the fact that the elite in society will always have their way as they please. The inequalities that exist in society are also evident thro ugh such gestures. At the cashier counters, there are those who pay cash while others pay using credit or debit cards. Those who have electronic payment cards may at times be in possession of more than one card. The communication here is that in society, there are the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’. There are those with plenty and spend with ease as they can afford whatever they want. Others have even to negotiate at the counter as they pay and may even end up not paying for everything that they picked from the shelves. All these help in explaining the concept of proxemics. In addition, some clients may experience problems with their credit cards. This scenario at times may lead to the involvement of the managers. In such cases, the customer may converse with the manager and want to find out why they cannot purchase anything yet they may have the funds. In such instances, the transmission model of communication is applicable. This is because the manager may involve the bank of the cl ient or access the personal details of the client under authorization from relevant authorities. However, encoding and decoding of the messages may lead to too much bureaucracy that wastes time for the client even when there is no major issue. Shopping malls are at times social meeting points. People who know each may bump into one another in the malls or may arrange to meet there. When they meet, there may be the excitement of meeting as they greet one another. In the process of greetings, they may either hug or shake hands. This scenario best explains the speech act concept. The two parties express their greetings in action form through hugging or shaking hands. When they are even saying goodbyes in the shopping malls, they may kiss or show some signal to the public. However, the danger with sign language is that not all symbols/ signs are standard across various localities. One friendly gesture in a certain locality may be an offense in another locality. The same case applies to certain words used in the public. There are words in certain cultures that are not offensive while in other cultures they are highly offensive. For this reason, extra caution should be taken when speech acting. The challenge however is that most of the time, people speech act at times unconsciously. They may not even consider to have made an offense. One important communication concept that marketers in shopping malls use is the looking-glass self. Whenever a customer goes to buy or just wants to try a product, the marketers may give pleasant comments to the potential buyer in a bid to sell the product. For example, when one wants to buy clothes, they may go window-shopping and in the process try them out to see how they look in them. The marketers often take advantage of these situations to give compliments to the potential buyer. The nice or positive compliments regarding the cloth in relation to the potential buyer play around with the psychology of the potential buyer. As a result, the potential buyer’s self-esteem may be boosted and the compliments may play a major role in influencing the decision to buy. Even if the potential buyer may not have money now to buy the product, they may go and come back later to purchase the item after a while. When clients are made to look good and are motivated to buy, they will buy ev en if they did not intend to buy a given product. The sales promotion personnel should learn to utilize the looking-glass self concept in ensuring that they sell their products/ services. The provision of demos goes a long way in further convincing the potential buyer and influences their decision to buy greatly. Well-presented demos or promotions capture the attention of potential buyers. At the same time, the promotions and demos influence the perceptions of how the potential buyer thinks the sales promoter views them, consequently affecting decision to buy in a number of potential buyers. In conclusion, verbal and non-verbal communication often takes place concurrently. However, the majority of the communication is what happens non-verbally. Learning how to interpret different messages as they are communicated is the most important thing in interpersonal communications. The person who learns to decode messages, especially non-verbal messages, always knows how to relate with other people in society effectively. Clarity especially in verbal is important. This is because if the message is not properly encoded for the intended recipient to decode appropriately as intended, then meaning will have been lost. Hence, elaborations in verbal communications are extremely importance for clarity purposes and ease of understanding.

Beer Industry Marketing Analysis :: Beer Marketing Business Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Beer makes up most of the alcoholic beverage industry, with a 74% volume in 2002 (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). The production of beer around the world has increased from 36.85 billions gallons in 2000 to 38.78 billion gallons in 2003 (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). Beer production has been a part of society close to the beginning of civilization. A Mesopotamian tablet dating back to 7000 B.C. contains a beer recipe named  ¡Ã‚ §wine of the grain ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). In 1292, a Czech Republic town produced its first pilsner beer. A prominent beer brand, Pilsner Urquell, brewing dates back to the early thirteenth century. Beer is produced with a mixture of mashed barley, malt, and rice or corn. U.S. brewers use filtration systems as well as add additives to stabilize the foam and allow long lasting freshness. Bottled or canned beer is almost always pasteurized in the container in prevent the yeast from further fermentation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After 1996, the U.S. beer industry had consistent growth with about 3,500 brands on the market in 2002 (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). The U.S. exported beer to almost one hundred countries worldwide. The beer industry peaked production with 6.2 billion gallons in 2003 (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). The U.S. beer industry haws over 300 breweries. However, this industry is dominated by three companies: Anheuser Bush (45% of the industry), Miller Brewing (23% of the industry), and Adolph Coors (10% of the industry) (Overview of the U.S. Beer Industry, 2005). MARKETS BASIC PRODUCT/SERVICE OFFERINGS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several different types of commercial beer, consisting of pilsner, lager, ale, stout, light, low-carb, malt liquor, dry, ice-brewed, bottled, draft, and non-alcoholic. Further, the U.S. market has been divided in to three categories: super premium, premium, and popular-priced (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). In 2002, the U.S. Market Share Reporter stated that light beer consumed 40.1% of the beer market, premium held 25.9% of the market, and popular-priced beer held the remainder. Here is a brief description of the most popular types of commercial beers: ? «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lager: a high carbonated beer, containing a low alcohol content, with a pale, medium-hop flavor ? «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stout: a thick, dark beer, almost like syrup ? «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Porter: a sweet, malty flavored brew with a farley high alcohol content ? «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Malt Liquor: a mostly malt based containing high amounts of fermentable sugars ? «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Light: a reduced calorie brew made by decreasing the grain amount used when brewing or by adding enzymes to break down the starch content in the beer (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005).