Curriculum Guides for Academic Interventions

Running head: CURRICULUMCurriculum Guides for Academic Interventions Meghan Powell Grand Canyon University March 27, 2013 Strategies used: Student Engagement & Peer-Assisted Learning (Center for Innovations in Education, 2006) Educational Purpose: Student Engagement: To keep the student actively engaged will keep them away from having time to behave inappropriately (CISE, 2006). . It will also keep them from wanting to veer away from the educational activity. The key word here is actively. The goal or objective here is to engage the student actively, meaning we aren’t just keeping him/her busy, we are talking to them, asking questions, getting them to participate in the educational activity, as well as getting them to want to participate in the activity. Keeping the student with EBD actively engaged throughout an entire activity can be done. It’s not easy, but can be done. Peer-Assisted Learning: With peer-assisted Learning, the student with EBD proves to be showing high levels of engagement. The goal or objective here is to use peer-assisted learning strategies (PALS) to put together a reader and a coach to practice skills needed to complete the tasks. In many cases, positive effects were shown when using PALS but in some cases, the results were mixed (CISE, 2006). Mixed results were found when PALS was used with reading and students with EBD demonstrated that there were only moderate gains in reading achievement, slight improvements for some in time spent attending, and no improvement in inappropriate behavior during instruction CISE, 2006). Task Analysis: Survival sign matching with flashcards: The students will come into class and see their orange folders out on the main tables. They know their orange folders have their indoor, outdoor, and workplace survival signs in them. We will start with the outdoor signs. The game we usually play is where the students first lay out all of their cards on the table; keeping them separate from other student’s cards. The next thing we do is the teacher holds up one card at a time. The students have to say which sign it is and then find the corresponding sign in their pile of flashcards. Whoever is the first one to find the card gets to put a tally mark up by their name on the board. Whoever has the most tally marks gets to pick out of the treasure box after the game is over. We will do this with the indoor and workplace signs too. The tally marks start over with each change in signs; indoor-outdoor-workplace. This task is great because you get the students interacting with their movements, their words, and it keeps them from thinking about inappropriate behaviors. This is also great for when a student can’t find the sign, another student helps them locate it. Sign language with flashcards: We will do this with all of the students sitting around the large table. The teacher has a big pile of laminated pictures with a picture of someone signing the picture. The teacher will hold one up at a time while the students sign what it is. Some students are taking a little bit longer to learn them than other students are so there is a lot of peer-assistance going on in this activity. The teacher will go through the whole pile and keep the ones where most students showed difficulty, to the side so those will be the focus for next time. This engaging activity again, gets the students moving, and checking with each other to make sure they are doing the right sign. The kinesthetic learning keeps students with EBD too occupied to think about inappropriate behavior. With the teacher responding correctly to the students actions is key (Yell, Meadows, Drasgow, & Shriner pg. 325, 2009). Possible Interventions: We try to stay away from a reactive management style but sometimes things don’t go as planned. Rules need to be set right away in order for students to follow them and stay actively engaged. If there are ground rules set in place in the beginning and students are held to high expectations of following those rules, there should be no problem. But sometimes, there still is. If you have to change or stop the behavior after it has already started, make sure you and the other students stay safe. Get the other students out of the room or in nother area where they cannot be harmed if this is the case. Talk calmly with the student who is acting inappropriately and ask them what they are feeling and how we can make it better. Once the student has calmed down and the environment is safe again, the other students may come back in. Giving them space and time to cool down is a great idea. Student Assessment Procedures: To assess the students with the two flashcard t asks, keep a little notepad with you and mark down who seems to be getting all of the survival signs and sign language movements and which ones are struggling with what. This would be a great thing for a paraprofessional to do. Data collection is key information on what to teach the students next and who can move on or not. For the students who are having a harder time, with the survival signs especially, they may need to have a little bit of one on one time either with the teacher or with a paraprofessional to get a more focused work session in. sometimes the struggling student does better in a one on one setting and sometimes students prosper in a group setting. Without trying both, we will never know how they like to learn. References Center for Innovations in Education (CISE) (2006). Teaching Reading to Students with Emotional Behavioral Disorders. Students with Reading and Behavioral Needs. Retrieved on March 26, 2013 from http://www. studentprogress. org/doc/ReadingandEmotionalBehavioralDisorders. pdf Yell, Mitchell L. , Meadows, Nancy B. , Drasgow, Erik, Shriner, James G. (2009). Evidenced-Based Practices for Educating Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Chapters 14 & 16. Pearson Education, Inc.

Paper and Pencil Tests

â€Å"We cannot do other that accommodate the needs of each individual learner† (Marsh 2008). This statement from Marsh outlines that children are all different and absorb content differently and at their own pace. A paper and pencil test does not fully assess their knowledge of a particular unit or subject but alternatively as Tomlinson states it â€Å"catalogues their mistakes†, which to my understanding will have a negative influence on self-esteem and demotivate the student to be proactive in the classroom. A Paper and pencil test is a â€Å"Traditional† way of assessing students and this type of structure limits the awareness for individualized learning and the level of knowledge with students being taught only what they need to know to pass the test therefor â€Å"Dumbing the Curriculum†. A student is not more intelligent because they are able to transfer their learning’s onto paper. Some students may not be able to express themselves in this manner as it only reflects one type of learning style, it does not mean they did not understand or GET what was taught. On the other hand a minority of students will shine through this type of assessment. Tomlinson argues the commitment to cater for individual differences, In A differentiated classroom multiple ongoing assessments are used, yet in a traditional classroom assessment is used to see â€Å"who got it† (Marsh 2004). A differentiated classroom gives the teacher an individual understanding of each student taking into account factors including their ability, culture, learning preferences and their level of readiness to allow the teacher to modify and/or improve the next lesson. After reading Tomlinson and Marsh’s views on a differentiated classroom I would have to disagree with the statement ‘Unless you test all students with ‘paper and pencil tests' to check their learning you are ‘dumbing down the curriculum'. I found as the teaching world is evolving so must the method in which we teach and assess students, a paper and pencil test does not fully capture the knowledge of a student or the capacity they have learnt.

Save Our Planet

Are we aware that we are slowly destroying our planet? We should think about our earth’s condition day by day because our planet is in great danger. We are very lucky that we can enjoy everything on earth like water, air, natural resource and others to be enjoyed. Nowadays we all know and realize how important it is to protect our planet, but we are mostly too busy or too lazy to make a big change that would improve our lifestyle and save the environment.Many simple ways we can do to take part to conserve our planet such as recycle, reuse and reduce all the things that we have. For example, if we have tons of clothes or things we want to get rid of but they are still usable, give them to someone who needs them so you will protect the environment. Many people do not know we can save energy when we turn off the household devices. Turn off the light when we leave a room, even if we intend to return. It is an easy habit to take up which will save a lot of moneyNo matter how busy w e are, we also can be one of the environment activists or volunteers in an association to increase the public and media awareness to protect our lovely planet such as running a zoo, overseeing conservation projects and caring for pets. We also need to change our lifestyle and practice a simple life like eating wisely and healthily, reduce wastage and make a pledge to be more earth friendly. Quit smoking and do not ever start if you are a non-smoker. In addition, driving is one of the biggest causes of pollution.Walk or use a bike if the journey is a short one because if we drive every day, it will contribute to air pollution. At least with this action, it would minimize the traffic jams, so use public transport like buses or train. In a nutshell, generally all of us know that earth’s ozone layer is decreasing. There is nothing new here but if we follow at least some of these tips, we can be proud of ourselves by participating in the protection of the environment. Save the ear th for our next future generation because our planet gives back to us what we have put in it! FARIZAIn addition, driving is one of the biggest causes of pollution. Walk or use bike if the journey is a short one because if we drive every day, it will contributed to air pollution. At least with this action would be minimized the traffic jammed so started from now go to anywhere by walking, cycling or use public transport like buses or train. In a nutshell, generally all of us know that earth ozone layer getting decrease. There is nothing new here but if we follow at least some of these tips, we can be proud of ourselves participating in the protection of the environment.Save the earth for our next future generation because our planet gives back to us what we have put in it! Many simple ways we can do to take part to conserve our planet such as recycle, reuse and reduce all the things that we have. We could donate our goods. For example, if we have tons of clothes or things we want to get rid of but they are still usable, give them to someone who needs them. We may also choose to give them to associations and they may sell them and collect a little money. Not only will you protect the environment, but you will also contribute to a good cause.Many people do not know we can save energy when we do not use a house device, turn it off. If we do not watch television, turn it off. Turn off the light when we leave a room, even if we intend to return. It is an easy habit to take up which will save a lot of money. No matter how busy we are, we also can be one of the volunteer in an association to increase the public and media awareness to protect our lovely planet. We also need to change our lifestyle and practice a simple life like eat wisely and healthy, reduce wastage and make a pledge to be more earth friendly.Quit smoking and do not ever start if you are a non- smoker. Do we aware that we are slowly destroying our planet? We should think about our earth condition day by day because our planet is in great danger. We are very lucky can enjoy everything on earth likes water, air, natural resource and others to be enjoyed. Nowadays we all know and realize how importance to protect our planet, but we are mostly too busy or too lazy to put up big change that would improve our lifestyle and save the environment. LET’S SAVE OUR LOVELY PLANET!! Save Our Planet Numerous environmental concerns impact our planet on a global level. Our mother earth is the only planet in the solar system known to sustain life forms of all kinds and we the intellectual sophisticated beings with opposing thumbs were chosen to rule over her. It is evident today that we have managed to begin to deplete the vast natural resources she has provided to us. Gross misuse, greed, and carelessness have all contributed to this situation. Ensuring the survival of our species and our planet requires that we realize globally our moral and ethical obligations to protect our planet. The first issue that we must look at is the fact that we are overpopulating our planet and this has serious repercussions. Repercussions such as limited resources like food and water due to overuse and overpopulation. For instance, in the days of Lewis and Clark one was able to dispose of waste in the waters and good old mother earth would filter the waste naturally. Now however, due to overpopulation the earth is no longer able to naturally filter the waste we are asking her to filter. The rational person realizes that if there are not enough resources to support the current population we must curtail and change this behavior. We live on a planet with a limited amount of space and resources. Thus one would naturally conclude, eventually you will run out of both. We cannot ethically put restrictions on pro-creating and there are no easy answers in this arena. However, in light of today’s technology explosion some considerations that come to mind are providing global education in population management and removing the option of children born to people who are drug addicts, alcoholics, and who have psychological disorders like insanity. Removing the right of such people to procreate and education will not be the ultimate solution but will undoubtedly produce a more responsible society. Since this is not an option currently, we are left to ponder how can this most essential matter be addressed seriously without judgment to sustain our natural order for survival? We must look at what we are doing to our planet and take responsible action as a species to at least reduce the overuse of land and pollution we are causing. A variety of pollutants are affecting our planet. We see pollutants everywhere. To name just a few, there is garbage on the streets, in rivers and oceans. The less obvious pollutants to the human eye are burning coal and fuel. It is said that burning coal and fuel can increase the level of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. We the intellectual human species have done this massive but reversible damage to our planet that threatens to endanger the possibility of survival for every species in the world. To begin with, our oceans and rivers have been polluted with toxic waste, garbage, medical waste, plastics, and even large oil spills. Toxic waste, garbage, medical waste, and oil spills cause destruction to marine and wildlife by infecting them with PCB’s, mercury, and diseases from medical and toxic waste. Toxic waste gets into our oceans and rivers from leaking landfills, dumps, mines and farms. It is then digested by the organisms in the ocean and rivers which are then eaten by other larger animals in the food chain. This affects the human population by infecting and contaminating the food source within the waters and possibly eventually ending up on dinner tables around the world. Consuming contaminated food can cause diseases that can spread throughout the world. Some of the diseases that can be spread by a polluted ocean and polluted sea life to humans are hepatitis, HIV, aids, and viruses such as pneumonia. If seals and dolphins are washing up dead on beaches, what then could happen to the human population? According to the website www. library. thinkquest. org Ocean Pollution, lead and other toxic waste can cause birth defects, low IQ, slow growth and hearing problems for small children (School, 2002). Isn’t it then the human species responsibility to restrict this kind of pollution? Plastics on the other hand do not contaminate our food sources, plastics simply kill them. For instance in Australia a veterinarian tried to save a baby whale that was sick. The baby whale did not survive. The veterinarian performed an autopsy on the baby whale and found a plastic bag of corn, a plastic bait bag, and some heavy pieces of plastic sheeting that were blocking the bowels of the baby whale (Brower, 1989). Killing animals is not the only problem with plastics; there are numerous others that require mention as well. For one thing plastic is considered a non-degradable substance. To be more precise, it can take centuries to decompose. So where does all of the plastic waste go? In landfills, the ocean, and to some extent it is recycled and reused. Recycling and reusing are good measures for managing the plastic waste that is filling our planet. However, it requires the human species as a whole to be involved and committed to the general idea of recycling and reusing. Some measures that have been taken are using biodegradable bags instead of plastic bags, melting down the plastics and using them in different applications. For example, they can make things like combs, fencing, and trash cans out of the number 2 plastics. Continuing to find ways to moderate the abuse of products such as plastics is an important endeavor we must strive to perfect. Using new technologies and working globally as a species is one way in which we will be able to bring about positive change and aid in the recuperation of our environment. Another issue of concern is air pollution. Air pollution damages the ozone and causes acid rain. Acid rain is caused by smoke and gases that come from factories and cars that run on fossil fuels (Acid Rain, 2000). According to the U. S. nvironmental agency acid rain causes stunted growth in forests and the leaves to turn yellow and even fall off of trees completely in some cases. In some cases trees have died out completely with no apparent cause other than acid rain (Effects of acid rain, 2007). Acid rain also erodes the paint on our vehicles. Erosion of the paint on our vehicles is an obvio us form of tangible evidence that acid rain is harmful to our environment and our species. Worse, imagine what damage it causes to our soil, plants, and water. If it erodes the paint on our cars, what erosion then is happening in our bodies that consume the food grown in the soil? Damage to the ozone can contribute to global warming and can bring about change in what is known as the greenhouse gas effect (Global Warming). The greenhouse gas effect is a natural process that regulates the earth’s temperature. â€Å"The sun heats the earth and some of this heat is trapped in the atmosphere by clouds and greenhouse gases, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide† (Global Warming). The disappearance of greenhouse gases would cause our planet to be 60 degrees cooler than it is and would no longer be able to sustain life (Global Warming). As the suns energy passes through the earth’s atmosphere it is reflected or sent back to space with the help of clouds and other atmospheric particles. Clouds, gases (ozone), and atmospheric particles absorb some energy. The remaining energy is then reflected back to space. â€Å"On average 51% of the suns radiation reaches the surface of the earth† (Pidwirny, 2009). This energy is used to heat the ground, melt ice, and snow, and to evaporate water and in photosynthesis of plants. The heated debate about global warming continues to carry on. For instance, I was in Mt. Rushmore with my family on vacation and we took a trip up to the monument. We were surprised to see a person on top of President Lincoln’s head. We asked the Park ranger if that was normal she indicated that at that moment we were in the most secure monument in the nation. They were on high alert because a group of green peace protestors had decided to hang a global warming sign right next to President Lincolns head. We asked what the penalties for such an act was and she indicated that it was a federal offense and the activists would definitely receive a huge monetary fine and serve some prison time. I wondered if in the end that type of protest was worth the penalties the green peace group will pay. Ethically and morally speaking the green peace group broke the law. The point the green peace group was trying to make could have been made just as easily if the group would have held the sign up at the main entrance. On the other side of the debate of global warming it is said that our planet undergoes cyclical changes and there is scientific evidence indicating as such dating back 3. 3 to 3 million years ago in what was known as the mid-pliocene period (Anonymous, 2008). Fossils that were examined by scientists indicated that the planet was 4. 5 F degrees warmer than today. That begs an answer to the question is pollution really the only culprit for global warming? That being said, the human species has the responsibility to make every attempt to try and preserve our planet. Addressing these issues is of utmost importance. The consequences of leaving them unaddressed could be severe for generations to come. We must come to the collective conclusion that as a collective whole we are the dominant species and it is up to us to preserve and protect our planet. This is where moral and ethical considerations must be made in order to understand what we are doing to destroy our planet. By understanding how we are destroying our planet we can make ethical and moral considerations to help preserve our planet. In doing so, we can help to ensure our existence and the survival of our species as well as all other species on the planet. The basic view throughout history has been anthropocentric or human centeredness (Environmental Ethics, 2008). This position in its simplest form deems all things revolve around the use of the human species. Therefore, we are encouraged to take care of our environment for our continued survival and use. In order to continue to survive and thrive in the manner we are accustomed to, we require many of the things that are said to be polluting the environment. For example, technology used in our day to day lives such as cell phones, computers, household appliances, and televisions have components such as plastics and batteries that are not biodegradable, recyclable, or environmentally friendly. Though many environmentalists do not like to admit it, we require many of these things to survive in today’s day and age. Thus different ideas need to be shared in order for our species to evolve in a less destructive manner. Can we do things differently to clean up our planet? The answer is yes. It is not the job of large corporations or the government to clean up our collective mess. It is the human species job as a whole to do what is right in order to ensure our species survival. Starting small individually will help promote a consciousness regarding our current situation. If we as a people decide to clean up our act on a small level then corporations and big business will follow suit. Change cannot happen overnight. Many of the problems we face relate to the economics of our society. Change has to happen slowly in order to ensure the survival of our species. For example, we are accustomed to driving our cars whenever we need to. Cars use gas, and gas pollutes the environment so we need cleaner cars. Producing clean cars costs an enormous amount of money to the current manufacturers because they are not tooled to do such a thing. Therefore, there is a death required within the old manufacturers and old ideas in order for a rebirth to commence and bring about positive responsible change. Our ethical obligation is to ourselves, the human race. By ensuring our survival as a species we ensure the survival of the rest of the planet. As Aristotle maintained â€Å"nature has made all things specifically for the sake of man† (Environmental Ethics, 2007). With this quote in mind it is imperative that we act upon the things we can change and move in a direction that ensures the survival of our planet. After all we were given the intellect and a strong sense to survive. In conclusion, it is not too late to address these issues ethically. New ways of thinking need to be established regarding our ethical and moral obligations to our planet. As professor Alasdair states â€Å"ethicists need not only respond to those they criticize for failure but to issue alternative means to figuring out the problems we face. † New ideas and solutions to old problems will bring about change. We the human species have the capacity to learn from our mistakes and correct them. In the end it is about survival of the fittest and I believe the human race is all about survival. Save Our Planet Are we aware that we are slowly destroying our planet? We should think about our earth’s condition day by day because our planet is in great danger. We are very lucky that we can enjoy everything on earth like water, air, natural resource and others to be enjoyed. Nowadays we all know and realize how important it is to protect our planet, but we are mostly too busy or too lazy to make a big change that would improve our lifestyle and save the environment.Many simple ways we can do to take part to conserve our planet such as recycle, reuse and reduce all the things that we have. For example, if we have tons of clothes or things we want to get rid of but they are still usable, give them to someone who needs them so you will protect the environment. Many people do not know we can save energy when we turn off the household devices. Turn off the light when we leave a room, even if we intend to return. It is an easy habit to take up which will save a lot of moneyNo matter how busy w e are, we also can be one of the environment activists or volunteers in an association to increase the public and media awareness to protect our lovely planet such as running a zoo, overseeing conservation projects and caring for pets. We also need to change our lifestyle and practice a simple life like eating wisely and healthily, reduce wastage and make a pledge to be more earth friendly. Quit smoking and do not ever start if you are a non-smoker. In addition, driving is one of the biggest causes of pollution.Walk or use a bike if the journey is a short one because if we drive every day, it will contribute to air pollution. At least with this action, it would minimize the traffic jams, so use public transport like buses or train. In a nutshell, generally all of us know that earth’s ozone layer is decreasing. There is nothing new here but if we follow at least some of these tips, we can be proud of ourselves by participating in the protection of the environment. Save the ear th for our next future generation because our planet gives back to us what we have put in it! FARIZAIn addition, driving is one of the biggest causes of pollution. Walk or use bike if the journey is a short one because if we drive every day, it will contributed to air pollution. At least with this action would be minimized the traffic jammed so started from now go to anywhere by walking, cycling or use public transport like buses or train. In a nutshell, generally all of us know that earth ozone layer getting decrease. There is nothing new here but if we follow at least some of these tips, we can be proud of ourselves participating in the protection of the environment.Save the earth for our next future generation because our planet gives back to us what we have put in it! Many simple ways we can do to take part to conserve our planet such as recycle, reuse and reduce all the things that we have. We could donate our goods. For example, if we have tons of clothes or things we want to get rid of but they are still usable, give them to someone who needs them. We may also choose to give them to associations and they may sell them and collect a little money. Not only will you protect the environment, but you will also contribute to a good cause.Many people do not know we can save energy when we do not use a house device, turn it off. If we do not watch television, turn it off. Turn off the light when we leave a room, even if we intend to return. It is an easy habit to take up which will save a lot of money. No matter how busy we are, we also can be one of the volunteer in an association to increase the public and media awareness to protect our lovely planet. We also need to change our lifestyle and practice a simple life like eat wisely and healthy, reduce wastage and make a pledge to be more earth friendly.Quit smoking and do not ever start if you are a non- smoker. Do we aware that we are slowly destroying our planet? We should think about our earth condition day by day because our planet is in great danger. We are very lucky can enjoy everything on earth likes water, air, natural resource and others to be enjoyed. Nowadays we all know and realize how importance to protect our planet, but we are mostly too busy or too lazy to put up big change that would improve our lifestyle and save the environment. LET’S SAVE OUR LOVELY PLANET!!

Letter of intent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Letter of intent - Essay Example These acts motivate me to venture in public administration, so as to participate in streamlining order in the society. I hope to engage actively in forums that formulate policies, which aim at making the society a safe place for humanity to live. My minor in human rights law strengthens my desire to take this course. Having worked in the immigration and refugee board exposed me to the various sentiments that immigrants and refugees experience when they seek help from authorities. Given the universality, and paramount nature of human rights, I hope to influence the governance of such matters, and promote positive experiences among such groups (Mandal, 2007). Public administration relates to serving the public, without discriminating on any individual. Being an African Canadian promotes my impartiality in various areas of life. I intend to serve the public in the best way possible, and ensure that the public gets the services they expect from their government. The aspirations that I have for public administration guarantee my commitment to this course. I shall pursue the course to completion, within the required time of study, as I want to serve my nation as a competent administrator. I shall comply with the course requirements, and ensure that I achieve exceptionally as I am a top performer, given my undergraduate scores. Public administration helps me accomplish my career aspirations. It equips me with the necessary knowledge required to understand how I can contribute positively to society. It also gives me adequate skills that I can use to promote the dignity of humankind. I can assist victims of crime in society by ensuring that criminals face the appropriate consequences for their actions. Additionally, I can participate in the formulation of policies that enhance the livelihoods of humankind. More to this, being in a public administration office shall

Gender bias in mathematic achievement Research Paper

Gender bias in mathematic achievement - Research Paper Example In a study conducted by Arnot (134), it is difficult to separate the adoption of these attitudes from the powerful and diverse forces, which dictate the expectations of students. The third theme is drawn from a recent research study conducted by Bevan (4), which established that gender differences in Mathematics achievement essentially arise through variations in learning styles, organization of learning, and teaching styles. Based on such underpinning tenets, it is necessary to examine and account for causes of gender bias in Mathematics achievement. In his study, Becker (221) identifies that boys are best, relative to girls, in both practical and applied areas while girls do best relative to boys in computation involving decimals, whole numbers, and some algebra related aspects. Attitude towards Mathematics also played a significant role in creating the existing gender bias in Mathematics. Boys have a significantly greater tendency towards judging topics in Mathematics a s easy and significantly, more girls than boys believed that they had difficulties in remembering formulae, understanding Mathematics concepts, and in applying the work that had studied in class (Bevan 4). The perception of learners about Mathematics has a greater contribution towards gender bias. Three factors constitute learner perception towards Mathematics: learner expectations of Mathematics, types of activity that entail their Mathematics education, and prevailing stereotypes about Mathematics. As affirmed by Becker (223), the greater the agreement exists in these strands, the less the digression between Mathematics achievement and gender. Even though the variations in attainment are considered relatively insignificant, variations in the attitudes of both girls, and boys towards Mathematics is striking. Moreover, the uncertainty exhibited by girls’ and confidence in boys, both extend beyond individual

Nursing Leading Change in Practice and Alterations in Child Health Essay

Nursing Leading Change in Practice and Alterations in Child Health - Essay Example There were assessments of the current reality in practice and of the benefits of the desired state of practice, and these seemed to have motivated them (Maslow, A.H., 1970). This conceptualization of the vision and efficiently communicating them others were of particular importance, and these would have provided the staff with a clear visualization of a better and more ideal future state of practice. This would have provided the staff with a sense of direction and of common purpose where trust and respect to the person would have motivated them. A positive work environment was created successfully that empowered team building (Carlopio, J., Andrewartha, G., and Armstrong, H., 2005). Likewise, there was resistance to such changes. Analyzing these, I can say that resistance developed from technical concerns, psychosocial needs, and a threat to position and power (Tappen, R.M., 2001). The technical concerns were actually valid in some cases. Some raised the issue of time factors to spend time in researching in a busy work area. Lack of confidence in the staff's ability to critically evaluate empirical research and a work environment that did not support evidence based practice were also common. Inadequate research resources and limited authority or power to change practices were the reasons of the third category (Kotter, J.P., 1999). 1. Evidence-based practice must be an institutional guideline. Hospital authority should assume leadership. 2. The staff should spend more time in critical thinking exercises and finding evidence for practice. Should such a change come as a suggestion from the staff, the leader should not discard it. 3. Extracting evidence from research must be an important curricular activity, and the nursing education authority must initiate. 4. Resources must be provided, and hospital authority would initiate and implement the process. Reference List Carlopio, J., Andrewartha, G., and Armstrong, H., (2005). Developing Management Skills: A comprehensive Guide to Leaders. Australia. Pearson Education. 406-411. Kotter, J.P. (1999). Leading change: The eight steps to transformation. In Conger, J.A., Spreitzer, G.M., & Lawler, E.E. (Eds.). The Leader's Change Handbook. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Maslow, A.H. (1970). Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper & Row. Tappen, R.M. (2001). Nursing Leadership and Management: Concept and Practice. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis. Activity2: Change Situation and Stakeholder Analysis Sentence: Nurse-administered analgesia is often inadequate and dissatisfying due to nurses' ignorance about pain management and reluctance to change practice based on evidence. When changing practice based on the findings of research, it is very natural that the person who is leading this change would face resistance from the stakeholders. Change management strategies and a change plan would facilitate successful implementation of the research findings. Reflecting on this, I conclude that the implementation of change plan that I made as a leader, was one of the most difficult tasks in my career, and although initially felt apparently easy, as things went on, I could have a better

PTC PROPOSAL Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PTC - Thesis Proposal Example As compared to males, the study that was presented by Bartoshuk, Duffy and Miller (1994) strongly suggest that there is a higher taste sensitivity for PTC/PROP among the females. In line with this, Fareed, Shah and Hussain (2012) made a confirmation that there are literally more female PTC tasters as compared to male. Women in general can be classified as taster or non-taster of PTC. Specifically the main purpose of this laboratory proposal is to analyse the PTC threshold of my female classmates. As such, this study aims to answer the question as to whether or not ethnic or racial considerations could somehow affect the ability of women to taste PTC. Likewise, it will also answer whether or not PTC concentration affects the tasters’ and non-tasters’ ability to taste PTC. In other words, the proposed laboratory test will seek to address the following research hypothesis: The laboratory test is composed of two rounds. The first round will require each participant to taste each of the six (6) tasting solution at a lower concentration. The second round will require each participant to taste each of the six (6) tasting solution at a higher concentration. Regardless of age, a total of 20 female students will be invited to participate in the laboratory tests. To learn more about the health status of each participant, each one of them will be requested to check their history of illnesses (i.e. diabetes, COPD, sinusitis, etc.). Prior to test, each of the research participants will be instructed not to smoke, eat, or drink for at least an hour (Hong et al., 2005). In relation to age and ethnic or race, the PTC taster status, taste threshold, and taste recognition threshold will be measured in each participant. As such, participants who are able to recognize the bitterness of PTC solution at a concentration of < 1.80 x 10-4 M will be classified as PTC tasters (Hong et al., 2005). Prior to tasting each sample, each participant will be

FOOD MICROBIOLOGY Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

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SEC 10-K Analysis - Essay Example The company has successfully extended its business operations all across America (1649 outlets) and Canada (11 outlets). Lowe’s, after considering the statistics provided by different relevant institutions estimated that US home improvement retailing market is worth more than $695 billion including both product demand and installed labor opportunity. However, due to the economic downturn within USA, the market size reduced by 7% in 2008. It is also estimated that the market will show some improvement in upcoming 2009 and demand will rebound in late 2010 or early 2011 once the recession is completely over. Lowe’s faces competition with other plumbing, electrical, hardware and electrical manufacturers plus suppliers and with merchandise stores, warehouses and e-businesses. Taking this into account as well tough economic conditions, Lowe’s paid special attention to adopting innovation centered approach to update its machinery by employing modernized and sophisticated technology, improving the store-outlook, productivity and efficiency within the stores by including information system s and store expansion so that it could cater customers all across USA. It must be pinpointed that better employment opportunities and subsequent increase in real personal income, growing housing sector and property ownership are the major determinants that contribute to higher sales. Unemployment rate of 5.7% and negative growth in property sector did affect the sales but the expansion policy (115 new stores in 2008 117,000-square-foot (117K) and 103,000-square-foot (103K) stores for large markets and a 94,000-square-foot (94K) store to serve smaller markets) of top management saved Lowe’s from the negative consequences because of the contribution from new stores in sales revenue that dropped by 7.2%. This reduction would have easily crossed 10-12% if this expansion policy had not been adopted. Expenses were

Critical Incident Analysis Essay Example for Free

Critical Incident Analysis Essay Throughout this assessment I will analyse a critical incident of an interaction between a worker and a service user or carer during my statutory observation experience. I will conclude my own assessment of the situation and demonstrate my understanding of the use of self, context in which social work takes place and the knowledge and methods of practice. I will not use any of the service users, carers or agencies names in this essay due to the data protection act 1998. I will also adhere to the GSCC codes of conduct that respect and relate to the service users confidentiality and safety. This include respecting confidential information and clearly explaining agency policies about confidentiality to service users and carers, being reliable and dependable, declaring issues that might create conflicts of interest and making sure that they do not influence your judgement or practice; and adhering to policies and procedures about accepting gifts and money from service users and carers. (GSCC, codes of practice for social care workers. ) My statutory observation placement is at a clinic for substance misuse, mainly being heroin, crack cocaine and alcohol. During one of my days there I was given the opportunity to shadow one of the clinics general practitioners for the day. The general practitioners main role is to work alongside the service user in order to help the break the cycle of drug or alcohol dependency and also to live a healthier lifestyle and offer them a better standard of living. The general practitioner meets with the service users on a monthly basis in which gives him the opportunity to gain as much information about the service user as he can in order for him to work with them as effectively and efficiently as possible. The general practitioner greeted the service user in the service room, and he also asked the service user’s permission for me to be present in the room, which then he further explained me being a student social worker. The service user agreed to this. Before actually meeting the service user I had the chance to read through their notes with the doctor so I could get a better understanding of what the meeting would entail, Furthermore to gain a better understanding of the service user’s background and their main reasons for being there. I introduced myself to the service user as a student social worker. We all sat down and the GP went through the notes with the service user and asked them about any other incidents that may have occurred since the last meeting. Prior to the meeting with the service user the GP had revived the service users latest drug test results which were indicating that the service user still had very high traces of heroin in his system even though he was on a methadone script. Furthermore the drug test did not correspond with the amount of methadone that should have been visible in the service users system. Therefore the GP explained what the test results indicated and queried the service user of why the test results have come back with these conclusions. The service user then went on to explain that these indications are showing on the results because the service user has been selling his methadone prescriptions to feed his heroin addiction as he is unemployed and was not receiving the same feeling off the methadone that he would get when he would take heroin. The GP then called one of the clinics social workers as he could only advise the service user on the effects that it will have on their health, but could not help them with the mental and social strain that comes with drug addiction which a social worker could. A social worker then come in and spoke to the service user, to find out about his social background and other emotional issues that are present in the service user’s life that may influence the taking of heroin. ‘A critical incident analysis is a solution, either positive or negative that made a particular impression on a student (Clamp 1984 cited in Reed and Procter 1993) (p. 69). Richard and Parker (1995) argue that reflecting and analysing the incident the practitioner is able to consider how the incident may have been managed differently by applying other knowledge and consequently enable the practitioner to move forward and consider a future situation differently. For the purposes of this piece of work I will be analysing an observation of a meeting between a male and a GP. When I learnt that I was going to be shadowing at a clinic for service users with drug and alcohol problems I was quite worried and intrigued as to what would take place. Then I realised I had to be holistic and also realistic, and although I am not close to anyone that has a heroin, crack cocaine or even an alcohol addiction I have been surrounded by people that have used certain drugs such as cannabis or cocaine. I also feel that I will not always know that this is the case as not everyone demonstrates through their behaviour that this is an issue for them, also some individuals feel ashamed as drug and alcohol use is frowned upon and individuals will deny using drugs. Some individuals explain that they use drugs as a way of numbing their problems or to gain confidence and self esteem. Beliefs about oneself and about the role of drugs or alcohol in ones life are sometimes called existential models (Greaves, 1980). Khantzian (1985) has proposed that addicts use drugs to offset or address specific problems they believe they have, such as a lack of confidence in social-sexual dealings, a view sometimes referred to as the adaptive model of addiction. According to Peele (1985), the individual becomes addicted to a substance because it fulfils essential intrapsychic, interpersonal, and environmental needs. I have always been swayed, and my views have always been clouded by what is written in the media. Substance misuse is always given a negative image and the people that use drugs or alcohol are looked upon in a very negative way, and seen as less important and problematic in society. When looking in on various conversations at this placement I have noticed the band wagon effect- Brown and Rutter (2009) come into play, as it seems to me that family members were scared to be disowned or frowned upon if they were to help the drug user, or even offer advice and support. Throughout my upbringing I have always been warned about the effects of drugs and alcohol misuse, however I feel that my parents didn’t really carry a lot of knowledge about the subject. The misuse of drugs act 1971 intends to prevent the use of non medical use of certain drugs for this reason it controls not just medicinal drugs (which will also be in the Medicines Act) but also drugs with no current medical uses. Offences under this Act overwhelmingly involve the general public, and even when the same drug and a similar offence are involved, penalties are far tougher. Drugs subject to this Act are known as controlled drugs. The law defines a series of offences, including unlawful supply, intent to supply, import or export (all these are collectively known as trafficking offences), and unlawful production. I was able to relate the misuse of drugs act 1971 to the conversation in which I shadowed as the service user was selling drugs that were only supposed to be taken as a controlled medicine that is prescribed. Therefore the service user is committing an offence. The medicines act 1968 clearly states that Prescription only medicines are the most restricted. They can only be sold or supplied by a pharmacist if supplied by a doctor. Pharmacy medicines can be sold without a prescription but only by a pharmacist. General Sales List medicines can be sold by any shop, not just a pharmacy. However, even here advertising, labelling and production restrictions apply. drugscope. org. uk Interviews were carried out with 68 people who were involved in selling in the four markets. Three-quarters of them were men. Their average age at the time of interview was 31, and just under a third had lived in the areas all their lives. Many had experienced unsettled early lives: over half had lived with a foster family, in a childrens home or in secure accommodation. Interviewees had typically used alcohol and illicit drugs from an early age. Many had had a disrupted education, over half being excluded from school or leaving with no educational qualifications. Nearly all had been in contact with the criminal justice system, and over two-thirds had served a prison sentence. Throughout the interaction between the GP the social worker and the service user, and also having conjured up these images of substance miss use I was worried I was going to find it extremely hard to relate to the service user, and also find it difficult to hold in my emotions. I felt as though the individual did not value his own life and other around him, this then made me reconsider my own values and belief systems. I believe that my â€Å"use of self came into context as I strived for genuineness with the service user and I truly wanted to believe that they were on the road to recovery. However I still honoured the values and ethics I strongly value in social work. I could not imagine myself, what it must be like to be addicted to a drug or alcohol, and I have had this stereotypical image of what it would be like and how a person would live their life. I imagined them to be without a lot of money, and living in very poor housing conditions. But also imagined them to hang around with the wrong crowd which may be a big influence on how they go about things. Some of these perceived ideas were backed up by research or what I have seen in the media. It is also very much a stereotypical image. Rogers (cited in Thompson 1988) says that making a judgement about people can be a barrier to effectiveness and is something I need to be aware of if I am to become a reflective and reflexive practitioner. When I first met the service user, I was surprised as to how well he looked considering the circumstances, He seemed very outgoing, friendly and generally happy. I order to gain the facts around the service user’s current situation this meeting had been arranged between the GP and the service user. The conversation began with open questions from the GP to the service user in an effort to gather information about his behaviour and addiction to heroin. He asked the service user about any events that had happened since the last meeting, he explained that he had used heroin since even though he has been assigned to a methadone script, and the way he has been fuelling his heroin addiction is by selling his methadone to other users that can not get any substances top feed their addiction. According to Lawson (cited in Davies 2008) even if their is a key worker system in place the whole team still need to be aware of the intervention and support that the service user is getting. I felt that this was not happening as their should of been a closer supervision in place for the service user to take his methadone script which would therefore prevent the service user being able to sell the drug for money and other purposes. This to me proved that there was a lack in communication; therefore I would be worried that this could potentially be dangerous and cause problems if the service user was able to get away and carry out these sorts of actions. As Seden (2005:2) states â€Å"whether a communication is good depends on how it is received in the situation and what is conveyed to the other person. GP prescribed the service user with a higher methadone dosage that he was on before. This was never noted to his key worker or discussed before hand which therefore allowed the service user to sell his extra methadone and be unnoticed for so long. As Seden (2005:2) states â€Å"whether a communication is good depends on how it is received in the situation and what is conveyed to the other person. Throughout the meeting I made sure I paid particular attention to the way in which I was positioned using the Egan (2007) theory of Soler. I also made sure that I put the focus on the ther person and on what they were offering as they spoke, rather than keep asking them for additional information or going on to talk about other things, this is called paraphrasing and summarising. Eye contact or looking at the user of services is important in this kind of situation and context as it conveys that we are attending to the other, it is a way of saying â€Å"I am interested in what you say and f eel†. The Soler theory is an effective theory to undertake whilst being in this position when listening to a service user one on one. As you need to make the service user feel that you are genuinely interested in what they have to say, then only will the service user actually open up and truly tell you what his problems are as then they are confident that I am here to honestly try to help them. Egan (2007) (p. 99) argues that attentive listening to these experiences and feelings of users of services is critical for further work: these experiences help us to understand where they are starting from and their frame of reference. Attentive listening is very effective in these sorts of situations with service users, as every service user is different and has different problems. Therefore listening intricately is very important as this will then help you navigate in which is the most effective and efficient route to take in trying to help rehabilitate each individual. As the meeting went on social worker began to question the service user’s motives for selling his methadone script and continuing to take heroin. The service user then went on to explain that it is because he does not have a strong support network as his family have disowned him and the only companions he has are the other heroin users. This is why he is struggling to break the chain of causation as the only people he is surrounded by are the other users and dealers. After hearing this I was impressed with his capacity to cope with the situation that he was in. This meeting reinforced Schulman’s (2006) resilience theory. Here was a man who had been disowned by his own family for being a heroin user for many years and is currently undergoing a methadone script and does not have much support around him at all and is experiencing a lot of disruption in his life. In reference to the Ecological model I can see that the service user is struggling to stop continuing taking heroin. This is because the environment that he is present in is surrounded my other drug takers and drug dealers which therefore triggers his new drug fuelled instinct to relapse and take heroin again. Whereas if the service user had a different environment that he could go to where it was drug exempt, this could encourage the service user to stay off heroin and act as a barrier in which would break the chain of causation for relapsing and taking drugs again. (Social service review 1998) Being able to read the case notes enabled me to be better informed. Schulman (2006) talks about how ‘tuning in’ and how it involves the workers effort to get in touch with the potential feelings and concerns that the client may bring to the encounter. The purpose is to help the worker become a more sensitive receiver of the client’s indirect communication in the first sessions. I tried to put myself in a similar where I had questioned someone that had authority over me, the only example I could think of was when I had been in detention at school as a child and I was questioned as to why I was there, and why I did the incident. I felt powerless and frightened as they had more authority over me, and seemed so much more important. I could not seem to get my point across and I did not feel that he was listening to my point of view and taking it into consideration. This has made me realise how important it is to make the service user feel at ease as you are asking them to open up and asking them to let you in and explore their troubles. They will only allow this if they feel comfortable and not undermined. However at the same time establishing clear boundaries with the service user is very important. Throughout the meeting I realised just how hard it would be discussing your problems and the use of drug addiction to two complete strangers, furthermore having to open up about your life and all the problems you have encountered on the way to lead you to this state of life. As a result I tried to keep a low profile during the meeting, by not making eye contact with the service user and trying to make myself inconspicuous. By avoiding eye contact I was merely reinforcing the awkwardness I felt. Schulman (2006) believes that it is better to tackle difficult subjects head on. Then I was worried that the service user may think that my lack of ability to maintain sufficient eye contact could lead him to think that I was merely not interested in what he had to say or that I disapproved with some of the explanations that he was presenting. When it was just to do with me being uncomfortable. Lloyd (cited in Davies 2008) talks about the need for social workers to work on there own issues. This should involve self awareness and being comfortable around others. This will help me challenge my views but also help me become more self aware and, in turn, more open to others who are struggling to express their difficulties. While my own life was not trouble free neither was it associated with the emotional turmoil and psychic disturbance which Hall Stanley G (cited in Davies 2008) research showed. I have always had the support of a loving family and friends. I have always been influenced to do well at school, go on to university and make something of my life. I have also been lucky enough to always live in nice areas that have very low crime rates, however this was not the case for the service user. He has always grew up and lived in very run down, deprived areas and has mixed with the wrong social circles. He has also not have had the family and friend support network which I think a person strongly needs in their life. The service user also left school with no GCSE’S and went straight into work, which was bar work which lead him to a wrong crowd. Giddens, A (2001) refers to gender as the psychological, social and cultural differences between makes and females. Essentially sex is determined biologically and gender is culturally learnt. The functionalist sociologist would argue that boys and girls learn sex roles through socialisation while the feminist perspective would be that women do not share the same status as men in society. It can be argued that male socialisation infers that they are the stronger sex and not able to express their emotional feelings as females are able to. The service user’s lack of permanence and consistency with his own parents and friends will, according to Rushton (2000) impact on his emotional development. It is therefore important that the professionals in his life are not seen to perpetuate these feelings. The holistic approach builds on the social model of disability which is the theory of there being blocks such as environment disabling systems and social attitudes that are getting in the way of the service users independence. Therefore in this case going by the holistic approach, the service user that I was able to shadow, his environment acts like a block to his independence as the social attitudes to the people within his environment are drug related which is leading the service user to carry on using drugs. The holistic approach builds on the social model of disability that sees blocks to independence arising from social attitudes, disabling systems and environments. (Campbell and Oliver 1996; Oliver 1993). Further more this pproach stresses the need for attention to the service users ethnicity, culture and history because together they form their identity and influence life options open to them, and the attitudes of some people towards them and their abilities. Throughout this experience I have been able to learn about the importance of drawing on theoretical frameworks to understand a person’s current behaviour and the effects of his life experiences. According to Freud behaviours driven by th e id are largely unconscious and describe impulsive behaviours that can lead to all kind of difficulties. What this critical incident analysis has highlighted to me is that social workers and other professionals have a responsibility to reach decisions about intervention, protection and safeguarding in a series of situations where evidence may be unclear or contested. Baldwin, N. and Walker, L in Adams et al (2005) say that it is important to recognise that risk can be assessed through a process, which is a collaborative and undertaken within a legislative and organisational framework. From my experience at this particular placement I can draw upon a number of different things that have made me question my own learning and development. It had made me wonder weather I see things differently to others, and also whether my views and opinions would be appreciated. From this shadowing experience I have most definitely changed my views on substance misuse and the kind of stereotypes I had around it. I feel that it has made me value my life more however value the people that are in my life even greater. This experience enabled me to see the importance of ‘critical thinking’ to find a workable solution (Brown, K, pg 12). Throughout the conversation the GP and the social Worker ‘reached for feeling’ and put feeling into words. I feel that I was very judgemental before actually meeting the service user, and I realise that this is a very bad habit as a Social Worker, however this helped me in my development and learning. This also made me think about other factors that may affect how people ‘label’ others such as; discrimination and oppression. I was also able to observe how different agencies work together in order to provide better care for the service user. In this case the GP worked alongside the job centre, the pharmacy, the social worker and the key worker. ‘They can offer service users a more flexible approach and share expertise in order to give them a better outcome’. (Tennyson,1998). When the service user had left the GP had a ‘de briefing session’. This was also a time for me to ask any questions, this is something that I have practiced through reflection time and feedback time with my peers and tutors. The importance of ‘tuning in’ was explained to me. ‘Research informs practice’.

Louis Vuitton Expansion Strategy

Louis Vuitton Expansion Strategy Operating in 59 countries, Louis Vuitton is the largest global luxury brand in the world. It is a member of the Louis Vuitton Moà «t Hennessy Group and the main business unit of the conglomerate s fashion and leather goods segment. Louis Vuitton has been very successful in selling its famous handbags, shoes, suitcases and other luxury goods and generated revenues of about $ 4 billion in 2004. Louis Vuitton opened the first store in India in 2003 and one year later the second one in Mumbai, both located in luxury hotels. 2. Problem Statement One main goal for Louis Vuitton is to acquire a customer base of one million Indians by 2010. In order to achieve that it is not only important to serve high-net-worth consumers, but it is also crucial to target the so called cocooners. It is therefore a necessary objective to make the new elite aware of the brand and increase their perception of Louis Vuittons exclusivity. Furthermore, super rich are only willing to pay premium prices for those luxury products which clearly distinguish them from lower tiers of the population. In order to reach these the company can choose among three distinct strategies. 3. Alternatives 3.1. Louis Vuitton in Bollywood In this alternative, Louis Vuitton would have Indian movie actors endorsing its products and a product placement in Bollywood movies. The target segment would not only be the Indian super rich society who is already familiar with the brand, but as well the so called cocooners. Since the Bollywood movies are very popular in India, this strategy would result in general brand awareness in the society. For the celebrity endorsement LV could chose Aishwarya Rai and Shahrukh Khan to be the face of Louis Vuitton India. The campaign would comprise posters, billboards and TV commercials with both actors advertising LV products (Exhibit 1). Since Bollywood actors are perceived as role models and have a great influence in Indian society, it is expected that brand awareness will increase while reinforcing the image of Louis Vuitton as a luxury and lifestyle brand. In addition, Louis Vuitton will have its products placed in Indian movies, which depict wealthy and influential characters. This would include as well the characters shopping at the LV store in the new Emporio luxury mall in order to advertise the store itself. Another positive effect would be increasing LVs market share in the long run. Advertising through Bollywood could help develop the taste of luxury and lifestyle in the so called cocooner segment. 3.2. LV Exclusive Another alternative Louis Vuitton could approach would be to offer a special club card with mould-breaking exclusivity. This special club card would be divided into 3 different levels, the LV Exclusive Silver Card (Exhibit 2), LV Exclusive Gold Card (Exhibit 3) and LV Exclusive Platinum Card (Exhibit 4), based on the amount of money the customer spent. The LV Exclusive Club Card provides the customer with exclusive, high-end services and luxury rewards. After the first purchase of a Louis Vuitton item in one of its Indian stores, customers will receive a basic customer card in order to keep track of the sum of money they spent. The targeted segment for this strategy would be the super rich, who seek exclusivity and are already familiar with the brand. This strategy would certainly increase the brand loyalty of the high-class society because of the unique offers provided by the LV Exclusive Club Card. Additionally, Louis Vuitton will be able to track customer buying patterns and obtain key information about buying behavior through this special club card, which allows them to tailor their products to their customers needs. 3.3. Successful Indian Women Another alternative for the company could be that it focuses on a certain segment in particular the women, who represent a vital part of LV s customers. They are becoming more emancipated and as a powerful group have to be taken into consideration. Indian women need a role model to inspire them, so if Louis Vuitton shows them a successful woman wearing one of its products, the outcome would be inspired women, desiring to possess a LV item. Using such an approach they will target not only a segment consisting of individuals divided by their net income, but strong women that need to give utterance to their achievements. In order to increase the brand awareness among this certain segment, the company should invest in advertising its products. The best place would be an elite specified magazine, dealing with business and social issues, for example India Today, Entrepreneurs, The Business Enterprise and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Reading Hour . The emphasis should be laid on the one side on a picture of a well-known woman like Indira Nooyi (Exhibit 5), CFO and president of PepsiCo, depicting a typical role model. She will represent the thousands of women in the Indian society who have silently overcome the limitations and stood out for better terms. Billboards and ads in online issues of established feminine magazines would support the idea of women power and that in a world ruled by men, women still can be successful and exclusive. As a result, this strategy will help Louis Vuitton to increase brand awareness among all the Indian women and extend its customer database. 4. Issues 4.1. To what extent will Louis Vuittons marketing activities affect customer awareness in India? Louis Vuitton s targeted Indian customer segment requires a different strategy then the ones used by the company throughout the world. The three proposed alternatives provide different approaches as to how Louis Vuitton can service its new generation of customers. Louis Vuitton in Bollywood targets both high-net-worth individuals and the rising cocooners because of the popularity of the Bollywood industry in India. This strategy, however, implies high advertising resources in order to be able to reach the desired segment through product placement and celebrity endorsement. The LV Exclusive club card targets mainly the high net-worth individuals by offering high-end services which increase the shopping-experiences of the customers. While the number of high-net-worth individuals increases by 19.3% a year, according to the World Wealth Report, it is questionable if this customer segment only will be sufficient for Louis Vuitton to reach the target of a one-million customer base by 2010. The third alternative is about targeting successful women. Concentrating on this segment would target both women from the high-net-worth individuals and the cocooners segment. The main disadvantage is to define how many Indian women are ready to break the cultura l boundaries of the paternalistic family structures that still rule in this country. What is the impact of of Louis Vuittons marketing activities on their brand image in India? According to the purchasing behavior of India s high class, consumers are expecting a brand that stands for exclusivity and provides the owner of a Louis Vuitton product with a powerful status symbol. Working closely with the Bollywood industry through product placement and celebrity endorsement will have a high magnitude on increasing customer awareness. While Bollywood celebrities are seen as part of the high class, Louis Vuitton may need to maintain a close look in what movies they will place their products in order to minimize the risk of a brand association with a common product. The LV Exclusive club card system could increase loyalty among already existing customers, offering the brand image a crà ¨me de la crà ¨me status thus underlining the exclusivity of Louis Vuitton items. Last but not least, by tailoring their advertising on women only will associate the brand with a women s product, so Louis Vuitton products for men (i.e. dress shoes, suits, shirts) may suffer. Since India is a collectivist country, women usually buy clothes for the entire family, so the effect of the brand image being associated with a women s brand will be minimal. 4.3. Will LV face a social-status conflict (conflict of interest) by targeting two different customer segments (i.e. HNW individuals and cocooners)? Through the means of LV Exclusive Cards Louis Vuitton is trying to gain loyalty among super rich Indian customers. However, LV must consider the growing product awareness of the cocooners who are not the target group of the Exclusive Cards but will be of fast growing importance as customers. As positive as new customers are in general this also bears the risk of a conflict between the super rich and the cocooners who are much greater in numbers. HNW consumers may start to perceive LV as a rather common brand and switch to different luxury products as cocooners step up the social hierarchy. Furthermore, the second alternative Louis Vuitton in Bollywood could also result in a conflict between those two segments. If the products popularity increases this may have a negative impact on the buying behavior of the HNW consumers. This would go along with the above-mentioned decrease in exclusivity. Finally, women may be an interesting target group as stated in third alternative but conflict s may also occur between the HNW women who may be coming from rich families and the self-made emancipated cocooner woman. These very different types of women will require different endorsing role models which may are perceived negatively by each other group. How long will Louis Vuitton maintain a competitive advantage considering the proposed alternatives? Louis Vuittons advance on the Indian market will not remain unseen by the competition. Other luxury goods producers could benchmark Louis Vuittons approaches. Companies such as Gucci, Prada and Giorgio Armani could easily copy LVs Bollywood strategy as well as the alternative for attracting Indian women. It might be more challenging though to imitate LVs Exclusive Cards approach successfully because Indian high-net-worth costumers will already be loyal to Louis Vuitton in the ideal case and will not be looking for substitutes or additional luxury products in the same segment. 5. Conclusion All in all, while it may require more advertising resources than for example targeting emancipated women via print media, Louis Vuitton in Bollywood proves to reach the highest number of consumers, underlines the brand s exclusivity, and the company will be able to increase its market share in the long run. First, with the Bollywood industry booming in India, Louis Vuitton can reach a wide array of consumers and thus increase the overall customer awareness of Indians. Second, by using celebrity endorsement and selective product placement in movies, the company will be able to clearly communicate a brand image that advocates its exclusivity thus offering its potential customers a means to showcase their success. Last but not least, Louis Vuitton can educate the nouveau riche towards choosing their brand, which will considerably increase their market share in the long run. It is therefore highly recommended that Louis Vuitton in Bollywood is the most appropriate and effective promotion campaign to reach and nurture the emerging new generation of customers in India.