Defining and Assessing Modern CSR Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Defining and Assessing Modern CSR - Coursework Example Mike Duke, the company’s CEO, states that this demonstrates the new social and environmental facets Wal-Mart has added to its efforts. The company believes that accountability and transparency are part of the good and responsibility element of all companies across the world. Wal-Mart’s yearly report shows its constant and evolving work in social responsibility matters. Since 2011, the reports have been divided into three main reporting areas: social, environmental and goals. The 2011 report covers all aspects of CSR issues (Simpson & Taylor, 2013). It shows how its effective sustainability 360 framework has helped it become the retail leader in the industry. It also conveys the major progress made by the company and the reduction objectives of greenhouse gas emissions of its supply chain by, latest, 2015. The company’s financial contributions in kind, including investments in health, commitments to preventing hunger, education, funding for local farmers and facilitating access to healthier and cheaper food, are also part of the report. The company has faced numerous challenges over the years. It appears that legal and social obstacles have acted as vital reasons for the creation of its code of conduct and yearly reporting. This claim can be illustrated in two relevant situations: Wal-Mart Stores Inc. v. Dukes et al. and the media reports accusing the company of using child labor (Simpson & Taylor, 2013). Despite starting over a decade ago, this case is still being heard by the US Courts. It started as a national class action against the company. The plaintiffs alleged that female workers in Wal-Mart and its affiliate stores suffered discrimination based on their gender (Simpson & Taylor, 2013). They claimed that they were discriminated upon in terms of pay and promotion to senior management roles, hence violating for Civil

Speech - The Meaning of Life Essay Example for Free

Speech The Meaning of Life Essay Is human life just a dream, from which we never really awake, as some great thinkers claim? Are we submerged by our feelings, by our loves and hates, by our ideas of good, bad, beautiful, and awful? Are we incapable of knowing beyond those ideas and feelings? Is the reality we know a reality imposed to us by nature? Are the reality and the meaning of life a creation of men, such as music, or love or colors? When I consider the short duration of my life, swallowed up in the eternity that lies before and after it, when I consider the little space I fill and I see, engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces of which I am unaware, I rest frightened, and astonished, for there is no reason why I should be here rather than there. Who has put me here? By whose order and direction have this place and time have been ascribed to me? Love gives meaning to our lives as do friendship, or art or faith in God. These are factors of true happiness, of inner peace, of feelings of harmony, allowing meaning to our existence. But there is the other side. There is the cruelty of life, the pain, the evil, not to talk of death. When the Tsimtsum sank, not only was Pi shoved face to face with the unknown, but he also lost his family, the core of his human context. Instead, he had to try to survive. Life of Pi is a story about struggling to survive through seemingly insurmountable odds. Throughout the novel, characters are seeking the meaning of life. Pi abandons his lifelong vegetarianism and eats fish to sustain himself. Orange Juice, the peaceful orangutan, fights ferociously against the hyena. Even the severely wounded zebra battles to stay alive; his slow, painful struggle vividly illustrates the sheer strength of his life force. As Martel makes clear in his novel, living creatures will often do extraordinary, unexpected, and sometimes heroic things to survive. However, they will also do shameful and barbaric things if pressed. Exactly like humans. It is between these pendulums the positive, the one that gives happiness and meaning, and the negative that our lives are lived. And when we meditate about all that, we arrive at a diverse and disagreeing set of thoughts about the meaning and purpose of life. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your time and attention. I hope I have clarified the thoughts of some, to be aware of the vast world we live in and the astounding beings we truly are. Speak to others of your thoughts and knowledge; I am sure they will be willing to listen.

What Is Colour And Light Philosophy Essay

What Is Colour And Light Philosophy Essay It is light, the source of of life; it touches and expresses the soul of mankind. There is nowhere that colour does not exist; we are constantly under its influence, wether we knowit or not, and we do not need our eyes open to experience it. The body prosesses colour through the eyes, we often make the mistake of imaging that it is only a matter of appearance. Colour is all about feelings, and is far, far more than a mere visual delight. It is a paradox, in that the scientific definition of colour relates entirely to light-but we see it in the dark, with our eyes closed. We dream in colour, we visualize in colour and imagine in colour. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.12) Physists explain colour in coldly scientific terms vibrations of light, the only visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, occupying a narrow band between microwaves and X-rays. Sir Isaac Newton demonstrated this when he shone a light through a triangular prism, the different wavelengths refreacted at different angles, showing light separated into its component parts i.e the spectrum, or rainbow. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.12) All life on earth is determined by the radiation of the sun. A section of this electromagnetic energy is visible light, which is measured by light waves of certain frequencies called a nanometer; a nanometer is a billionth of a meter. We perceive visible light in the wavelength region from approximately 380 nanometers, which is comparable to the colour violet, to 780 nanometers, which is perceived as red. This means that light is colour, because if we pass white light through a prism and break it down into the individual wavelengths that visible light consists of, we have violet (380-436 nm); blue (436-495 nm); green (495-566 nm); yellow (566-589 nm); orange (589-627 nm) and red (627-780 nm). Mahnke, Frank H., (1947). Color, environment, and human response. New York ; Chichester : Wiley, (c1996). (pp6 pp7) For the physicist, red, for example, equals an external stimulus of a light wave that has a frequency of 627-780 nanometers. For psychologist, red suggests internal process that may or may not be associated with a physical event. Mahnke, Frank H., (1947). Color, environment, and human response. New York ; Chichester : Wiley, (c1996). (pp7) Close your eyes momentarily, picture in your mind a ripe tomato. Was the tomato red? Probably so. But the input that cuased you to see red was not a light wave between 627-780 nanometers. In other words, no external object, either generating or reflecting colour, was stimulus cuased you to see the tomato as being red. This testifies to the fact that colour is in the brain; it is within us. How we see Colour and Light The basic hues of the spectrum are as follows: Hue the attribute of colour which enables an observer to classify it as red, blue etc (Collins dictionary) Tint a hue with white added Shade a hue with black added Tone a hue with grey added Value the lightness or darkness of a colour. Light colours are high value and dark colours are low value Chroma the presence of colour Chromatic intensity the percentage of colour present also known as saturation Monochromatic containing shades, tones and tints of only one colour Achromatic Containing no colour i,e black, white or pure grey Complementary Colours Colours opposite each other on the colour wheel Complementary colours are: Red and Green Blue and Orange Yellow and violet In colour psychology the importance of this becomes clearer when we realize that complementary colours, when put together, present perfect balance, as all the pigment primaries are then present: Red and (blue + Yellow) Blue and (Red + Yellow) Yellow and (Red + Blue) One of the difficulties of working with colour derives from the way the human brian is strtuctured. It is divided into two hemispheres, separated by a strong connection cable, called the CORPUS CALLOUSUM. The right hemisphere governs the left side of the body, and vice versa. Linear skills, language, rationalising and logic are driven by the left brain, while intuition, non-verbal communication art, music, creativity and visual information are processed by the right brain. In order to learn and appreciate colour fully the right side of the brain does most of the work, but to establish credibility and communicate it widely one must find a way of translating the knowledge into predominantly left-brain terms. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.23) The Color Wheel A color circle, based on red, yellow and blue, is traditional in the field of art. Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1666. Since then scientists and artists have studied and designed numerous variations of this concept. Differences of opinion about the validity of one format over another continue to provoke debate. In reality, any color circle or color wheel which presents a logically arranged sequence of pure hues has merit. PRIMARY COLORS Red, yellow and blue In traditional color theory, these are the 3 pigment colors that can not be mixed or formed by any combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 hues SECONDARY COLORS Green, orange and purple These are the colors formed by mixing the primary colors. TERTIARY COLORS Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green and yellow-green. These are the colors formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color. Thats why the hue is a two word name, such as blue-green, red-violet, and yellow-orange.     COLOR HARMONY Harmony can be defined as a pleasing arrangement of parts, whether it be music, poetry, color, or even an ice cream sundae. In visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience. When something is not harmonious, its either boring or chaotic. At one extreme is a visual experience that is so bland that the viewer is not engaged. The human brain will reject under-stimulating information. At the other extreme is a visual experience that is so overdone, so chaotic that the viewer cant stand to look at it. The human brain rejects what it can not organize, what it can not understand. The visual task requires that we present a logical structure. Color harmony delivers visual interest and a sense of order. Some Formulas for Color Harmony There are many theories for harmony. The following illustrations and descriptions present some basic formulas . A color scheme based on analogous colors Analogous colors are any three colors which are side by side on a 12 part color wheel, such as yellow-green, yellow, and yellow-orange. Usually one of the three colors predominates. A color scheme based on complementary colors Complementary colors are any two colors which are directly opposite each other, such as red and green and red-purple and yellow-green. In the illustration above, there are several variations of yellow-green in the leaves and several variations of red-purple in the orchid. These opposing colors create maximum contrast and maximum stability. A color scheme based on nature Nature provides a perfect departure point for color harmony. In the illustration above, red yellow and green create a harmonious design, regardless of whether this combination fits into a technical formula for color harmony. http://www.colormatters.com/colortheory.html While we often take our perception of colour for granted, it takes a highly complex visual mechanism to make it possible. The system is still not fully understood and as yet there exists no single scientific theory to account for all of it. Richard Gregory observed as recently as 2005 that over 50 theories were put forward by 50 scientists at a meeting on the subject We do know certain basic facts, however, which are the result of decades of scientific investigation by physicists, biochemists, psychologists and physiologists. Colour is a subjective sensation caused by light and is not properly a quality inherent in the object itself. In General terms, Colour does not exist without light, which is a radiant energy that manifests itself in the form of the visible spectrum of sunlight. Without the eye and brain of an observer, these rays do not in themselves constitute colour. As Sir Issac Newton explained in his Optics (1704) In them there is nothing else than a power to stir up a sensation of this or that colour The perception of colour is governed by three essential factors the spectral energy distribution of the light (including the conditions under which the colour is perceived) the spectral characteristics of the object, with respect to absorption, reflection and transmission of light the activity and sensitivity of the eye and brain In physical terms, light is simply the name given to a narrow band of the energy constantly radiating from the sun. Newton, by placing a glass prism in the path of a beam of sunlight, observed how the beam divided itself into the band of colours he called the spectrum. We know that the colours of the spectrum vary in wavelength (the distance between the crest of one energy wave and the next) and that the visible range of wavelengths extends from about 400 to 750 nanometres (billionth of a meter) Using a second prism, in 1665, Newton had demonstrated that white light is obtained when all the colours of the spectrum are recombined into a single beam. Observers such as Thomas Young (1807) later that white light could be obtained by mixing red, green and blue beams only, and that all other colours could be obtained by mixing these three lights in different proportions. This became the basis of the theory of vision proposed by Young and later developed by Helmholtz (1856) that there are only three kinds of colour receptors in the human eye, corresponding to the dominant wavelengths of red, green and blue, and that all other colours can be sensed by them; the sensation of yellow, for example, occurs when both red and green sets of retinal cells are stimulated. This is the celebrated Trichomatic theory of colour vision. Porter. T, Mikellides, B. (2009). Colour for Architecture Today. Taylor and Francis Ltd. (oxon). (pp. 13) In a strict sense, objects have no intrinsic colour because we only see them if they rflect light; only light sources are able to emit their own light. We do, however, take into consideration changes in natural and artificial illumination during daytime and seasonal cycles and have learnt to compensate for these changes through what pstchologists call colour constancy Porter. T, Mikellides, B. (2009). Colour for Architecture Today. Taylor and Francis Ltd. (oxon). (pp. 15) When we take changing light for granted, we generally consider colour as a property as a property of objects in so far as it is the physical and chemical composition of the objects which determaine how much light they absorb, reflect or transmit. Most of the colours we see around us in our daily lives occur by a process of selective absorption. A red object looks red because it has the property of absorbing or subtracting from the white light it receives everything exept primarily for the colour component it refelects. In sunlight a bright red table wil absorb most wavelebngths except for those in the 650 nm region of the spectrum, for example. A white object will reflect roughly the same amounts of all wavelengths which our visual system ingenously mixes together to give a single sensation of white. A black object, on the other hand, will absorb all wavelengths and hence appear black Porter. T, Mikellides, B. (2009). Colour for Architecture Today. Taylor and Francis Ltd. (oxon). (pp. 13) The eye and brian The retina posses two sets of sensing cells, the rods and cones. Whereas the cones sense full colour in daylight, the rods operate only at low levels of illumination and are effectively colour blind. Hence, no colour appears by moonlight, as there is a threshold of illumination below which colour cannot be seen, though there may there maybe enough light to allow the perception of shape, movement and the size of objects. This can be demonstrated if we imagine red lettering painted on a black building. The lettering is ellegiable by moonlight but, as night turns into day, we are gradually able to read the letters, though the daylight has to increase considerably before the letters are fully perceived as red. Correct colour rendering requires the right balance of light-preferably daylight, which contains the full solar spectrum. Porter. T, Mikellides, B. (2009). Colour for Architecture Today. Taylor and Francis Ltd. (oxon). (pp. 13) We may well experience colour in our dreams and it can even be induced conciosly with our eyes closed by pressing on the eyeball. Colour responses can also be induced from black-and-white patterns, as when viewing Benhams top-a white disc pattern with irregular black shapes which, when spun fast, elcits sensation of colour. Porter. T, Mikellides, B. (2009). Colour for Architecture Today. Taylor and Francis Ltd. (oxon). (pp. 13) Colour psychology The psychology of colours works as follow: When light strikes the eye, each wavelength does so slightly different, Red, the longest wavelength, requires, the most adjustment to look at it, and therefore appears to be nearer than it is, while green requires no adjustment whatever, and is therefore restful. In the retina, these vibrations of light are converted into electrical impulses which pass to the brain eventually to the HYPOTHALAMUS , which governs ENDROCINE GLANDS, which in turn produce and secret our HORMONES. In simple terms each colour (wavelength) focuses on a particular part of the body, EVOKING A PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE, which in turn produces a psychological reaction. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.23) Another difficulty with applying colour psychology has always been that, like everything else in the universe, there are no absolutes, only relative perceptions there is no such thing asa a good colour or bad colour. You may understand exactly which is the hue for a particular proposition, but its all to easy to communicate its negative its negative perceptions. For example, red may be stimulating and exciting or it could come across stressfull and aggressive; blue can be perceived as cold and aloof, yellow might be emotionally demanding and green may make you feel physically ill. The key to protecting positive perceptions and effective influence of any colour lies in the way it is used. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.27) Research on the psychological aspects of colour is difficult for the mere reason that human emotions are none to srable and the psychic make up of human beings varies from person to person. 1950, Faber Birren Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.28) Recognizable patterns in the psychic make up of human beings have been identified, and it is not true that they vary totally from person to person ; more recently , recongizable patterns of colour have also been identified. It is therefore now possible to establish a precise relationship between the subject and the stimulus, which enables us to predict specific response, and answer the eternal question: why does one variation of a hue have such a different effect from another? Zelnski and Fisher referred to this in their book colour as recently as 1989: Lest we hasten to repent everything in attemps at behaviour modification, we should note that physiological colour responses are complex. The precise variation of a hue has a major impact, but one that is rarely addressed by psychological research. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.28) Colour Association Orange is associated with secondary survival consideration, warmth, shelter, food. Yellow (which eastern philosophy associates with the pancreas) is about emotions, self esteem and creativity. Green Refelects the concept of love, in the universal rather than the sexual sense; being at the centre of the spectrum, it also provides perfect balance. Blue encourages intellectual activity sweet reason and calm, logical thought. Indigo has similar properties to blue but is deeper and more introverting, Violet takes the mind to a higher level, towards spiritual awarness Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.24) There are only eleven basic coilour terms in the English language. A computer of colours will show us up to sixteen million colours, but we only have names for eleven Black, White, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, Brown and Grey. Confusingly, we borrow terms from many walks of life from nature, from food and drink and so on to describe colours such as peacock blue, burgundy, peach, cream, tan. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.24) Colour is natures own form of pure communication a much more reliable form, a language which every single one of us was born understanding clearly, and we all use every day, with varying degrees of conscious awareness, regardless of cultural division and conditioning. In order to start developing this wonderful language, we must first revert to basic scientific thinking Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.25) Science recognizes four psychological primary colours Red, Green, Blue and Yellow. Red and its derivatives relate to the phisycal; its often said that it has been proved that sourrounding people with red will raise blood pressure, but there is little academic record of any experiments confirming this; the only one I have found is described by Faber Birren, the great twentieth century American colourist, in his book color psychology and color therapy, in which he referes to Robert Gerards thesis for the university of California at Los Angeles. Birren describes experiments where Gereard used Red, Blue and White lights, Transmitted on a diffusing screen. It seems to make sense; Red certainly seems to be physically stimulating. Because it requires such an adjustment in the eye, it appears to be nearer than it is, whicvh is why it is often used when visual impacts is important. The most obvious example of our recognition that red catches the eye is its use the world over for traffic signals. Mqany football teams have red in there colours and thus creates the impression of physical strength, even aggression other of the same coin. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.25 26) Blue is the colour ofr the intellect. In the same evidence about raising blood pressure with red, so blue is deemed to lower the blood pressure. Certainly it is a soothing, calming colour, encouraging reflection. Nature uses it lavishly in the sky and sea but this is in a reflective sense, as neither air nor water contains any colour. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.26) Yellow focuses on the emotions. Having learned that the third chakra relates to the pancreas, I could not at first understand the link, but then I realized if we are nervous, where do we feel it? We have butterflies in our stomach. Green is at the centre of the spectrum and represents perfect balance. It strikes the eye at the point requiring no adjustment, thereby presenting no strain. The pigment which reflects green chlorophyll is vital to life, and when our environment contains plenty of green we are reassured. Wright.A, (1998). The Beginners Guide to Colour Psychology. Colour Affects LTD (London) (pp.27) Colour Psychology FOOD Of all the colors in the spectrum, blue is an appetite suppressant. Weight loss plans suggest putting your food on a blue plate. Or even better than that, put a blue light in your refrigerator and watch your munchies disappear. Or heres another tip: Dye your food blue! A little black will make it a double whammy. What you see above is a delicacy prepared for the annual food party held at the end of the authors color course at the University of Hawaii. Its musubi, consisting of rice, a filling and nori a seaweed wrapper. Traditionally its Japanese but very popular in Hawaii in its natural state. In case youre wondering what the pink stuff is, its spam. If you want to create your own dyed food, use only natural food coloring purchased in a grocery store. Other coloring agents are toxic. Dramatic results can also be achieved by using a blue light bulb for your dining area. Blue food is a rare occurrence in nature. There are no leafy blue vegetables (blue lettuce?), no blue meats (blueburger, well-done please), and aside from blueberries and a few blue-purple potatoes from remote spots on the globe, blue just doesnt exist in any significant quantity as a natural food color. http://www.colormatters.com/appmatters.html A food professional has this to say: Color and the appeal of various foods is also closely related. Just the sight of food fires neurons in the hypothalamus. Subjects presented food to eat in the dark reported a critically missing element for enjoying any cuisine: the appearance of food. For the sighted, the eyes are the first place that must be convinced before a food is even tried. This means that some food products fail in the marketplace not because of bad taste, texture, or smell but because the consumer never got that far. Colors are significant and almost universally it is difficult to get a consumer to try a blue-colored food though more are being marketed for children these days. Greens, browns, reds, and several other colors are more generally acceptable, though they can vary by culture. The Japanese are renowned for their elaborate use of food colorings, some that would have difficulty getting approval by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States. Gary Blumenthal International Food Strategies http://www.colormatters.com/appmatters.html Why Is McDonalds Yellow? The Role Of Environment On Eating Behavior November 4th, 2008 by drval in Health Tips, True Stories Im grateful to the Happy Hospitalist for pointing out that color matters when it comes to food consumption. As it turns out, blue light can be an appetite suppressant. And I actually know about this first hand. I helped to design a research study in connection with Architectural Digest and the Parsons School of Design several years ago. I was a volunteer instructor for a hospital design course in NYC, and wanted to show the students that lighting could influence eating patterns. As it happened, there was a big gala event at a local convention center, and so I worked with my friend Shashi Caan to set up three identical rooms bathed in three different colored lights (yellow, blue, and red). We had all the gala attendees dress up in white bunny suits (you know, the kind you let patients wear in the OR) and shuttled them through the 3 rooms at regular intervals. The rooms could each hold about 40 guests and copious identical hors doeurves were offered. Guess what we found? The most food was consumed in the yellow room, followed by red, and then a distant third was blue. About 33% fewer snacks were consumed in the blue room during the event (and yes we controlled the number of people in each room so theyd be equal). I found this quite fascinating, but unfortunately never published the results. You see, I didnt receive IRB approval for any of it. But the experiment did leave an indelible impression on my mind. As I thought about it, I realized that most fast food restaurants have yellowish interiors. From the golden arches to the lighting companies like McDonalds probably recognized (long before I did) that color influences purchasing and eating behavior. Yep, Im late to this party and Im not painting my kitchen yellow. http://www.getbetterhealth.com/tag/appetite-suppressant Colour Marketing and Branding Color and Marketing 1. Research conducted by the secretariat of the Seoul International Color Expo 2004 documented the following relationships between color and marketing: 92.6 percent said that they put most importance on visual factors when purchasing products. Only 5.6 percent said that the physical feel via the sense of touch was most important. Hearing and smell each drew 0.9 percent.   When asked to approximate the importance of color when buying products, 84.7 percent of the total respondents think that color accounts for more than half among the various factors important for choosing products. Source   2. Research reveals people make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing and that between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on color alone. Source: CCICOLOR Institute for Color Research 3. Research by the Henley Centre suggests 73% of purchasing decisions are now made in-store. Consequently, catching the shoppers eye and conveying information effectively are critical to successful sales. Color and Brand Identity 1. Color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent University of Loyola, Maryland study 2. Heinz Color influences brand identity in a variety of ways. Consider the phenomenal success Heinz EZ Squirt Blastin Green ketchup has had in the marketplace. More than 10 million bottles were sold in the first seven months following its introduction, with Heinz factories working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to keep up with demand. The result: $23 million in sales attributable to Heinz green ketchup [the highest sales increase in the brands history]. All because of a simple color change. 3. Apple Computer Apple brought color into a marketplace where color had not been seen before. By introducing the colorful iMacs, Apple was the first to say, It doesnt have to be beige. The iMacs reinvigorated a brand that had suffered $1.8 billion of losses in two years. (And now we have the colorful iPods.) Color Increases Memory If a picture is worth a thousand words, a picture with natural colors may be worth a million, memory-wise. Psychologists have documented that living color does more than appeal to the senses. It also boosts memory for scenes in the natural world. By hanging an extra tag of data on visual scenes, color helps us to process and store images more efficiently than colorless (black and white) scenes, and as a result to remember them better, too. Source: The findings were reported in the May 2002 issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, published by the American Psychological Association (APA) http://www.colormatters.com/market_whycolor.html The Contributions of Color to Recognition Memory for Natural Scenes, Felix A. Wichmann, Max-Planck Institut fà ¼r Biologische Kybernetik and Oxford University; Lindsay T. Sharpe, Università ¤t Tà ¼bingen and University of Newcastle; and Karl R. Gegenfurtner, Max-Plank Institut fà ¼r Biologische Kybernetik and Justus-Liebig-Università ¤t Giessen; Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning, Memory and Cognition, Vol 28. No.3., 5-May-2002 Color Engages and Increases participation Ads in color are read up to 42% more often than the same ads in black and white (as shown in study on phone directory ads). Source: White, Jan V., Color for Impact, Strathmoor Press, April, 1997 Color Informs Color can improve readership by 40 percent 1, learning from 55 to 78 percent 2, and comprehension by 73 percent 3. (1)Business Papers in Color. Just a Shade Better, Modern Office Technology, July 1989, Vol. 34, No. 7, pp. 98-102   (2) Embry, David, The Persuasive Properties of Color, Marketing Communications, October 1984. (3) Johnson, Virginia, The Power of Color, Successful Meetings, June 1992, Vol 41, No. 7, pp. 87, 90. Color Attracts Attention Frequently Cited Facts   Tests indicate that a black and white image may sustain interest for less than two-thirds a second, whereas a colored image may hold the attention for two seconds or more. (A product has one-twentieth of a second to halt the customers attention on a shelf or display.) People cannot process every object within view at one time. Therefore, color can be used as a tool to emphasize or de-emphasize areas.   A Midwestern insurance company used color to highlight key information on their invoices. As a result, they began receiving customer payments an average of 14 days earlier. Other Research 92% Believe color presents an image of impressive quality 90% Feel color can assist in attracting new customers 90% Believe customers remember presentations and documents better when color is used 83% Believe color makes them appear more successful 81% Think color gives them a competitive edge 76% Believe that the use of color makes their business appear larger to clients Source: Conducted by Xerox Corporation and International Communications Research from February 19, 2003 to March 7, 2003, margin of error of +/- 3.1%. http://www.colormatters.com/market_whycolor.html Color and the Senses General facts about sensory input and human beings: Although the olfactory sense was a human beings most important source of input in the pre-historic era, sight became our most important means of survival. Furthermore, as hunters and gatherers in the early days of our evolution, we experienced a variety of colors and forms in the landscape. This has become part of our genetic code. In our current state of evolution, vision is the primary source for all our experiences. (Current marketing research has reported that approximately 80% of what we assimilate through the senses, is visual.) Our nervous system requires input and stimulation. (Consider the effects of solitary confinement in jails.) With respect to visual input, we become bored in the absence of a variety of colors and shapes. Consequently, color addresses one of our basic neurological needs for stimulation. Color and Visual Experiences   It is probably the expressive qualities (primarily of color but also of shape) that spontaneously affect the passively receiving mind, whereas the tectonic structure of pattern (characteristic of shape, but found also in color) engages the actively organizing mi

Judgment Time :: Personal Narrative Essay

Judgment Time "Congratulations, you have a new baby boy!" my child-development teacher said as she handed over the 10-pound bundle. Last year in my high school child-development class, each student had to take the "Think-It-Over" baby home for a night to get a taste of parenthood. Even before I received the baby, I knew I was not ready to be a parent as a senior in high school. I could still remember when my brother and sister were little and I would have to take care of them all the time. At least the doll had no dirty diapers I would have to change. It was a Friday night when my turn came to take the 10-pound plastic doll home. The doll really did look like a live baby from a distance. It even had a pleasant baby powder smell. After I took the baby home in his car seat, I changed him into some really cute clothes because my friends and I were going out that night. I then decided to name him Tyler. Inside the body of this doll was a computer that was programmed to make periodic crying sounds. I was the only person who could stop the crying because I had the key. This key, tied to my wrist, could be inserted in the doll's back to stop the crying. So far, so good. The doll had not cried, yet. My friends came over, and we all piled into the car. It was kind of squished because we had the baby's seat in there, too. I had to treat the doll like a real baby because the computer inside also measured any abuse to the doll, such as shaking or neglect. The hour-long drive to the restaurant was uneventful. It was rather chilly, so I decided to wrap Tyler in a blanket and carry him in that way. I also had a diaper bag with diapers, a bottle, and an extra set of clothes hanging on my arm. Because it was Friday night, there were a lot of people waiting in line to get a table. When I walked into that crowded entryway, I got some very weird looks and quite a few raised eyebrows. My friends also noticed the glares and stares, so we decided to make a game out of the whole situation. I stood in the corner pretending to rock Tyler to sleep.

Motivation Case Study

I found both case studies to be very interesting. In the Two Men and a Lot of Trucks case study, I could identify the expectancy theory and Maslow’s needs hierarchy theory. The text states that Mary Ellen quit her well-paying job with benefits to grow her business. What started as a part-time gig working from her dining room table quickly became a successful franchise operation. Mary Ellen’s hard work and dedication paid off as there are currently 152 franchise locations.Maslow’s needs hierarchy theory can also been found in this case study through Mary Ellen’s devotion to providing superior customer service and using her prior work experience. Mary Ellen was able to create high-performing teams by establishing Stick Men University. Offering this level of training has effectively helped Two Men grow. As Sheets says, â€Å"I want them to be successful as fast as they can. † (Jones, 2007) In the Siemen’s case study I could identify both the exp ectancy theory and the job enrichment theory. The study stated that Kleinfeld wanted employees to work more flexible hours and on weekends.With everyone’s job on the line, Kleinfeld put in the extra effort to motivate workers. He made himself available around the clock and it paid off. Even though Kleinfeld relies on the support of the management board he seems to have the freedom to do his job his way. He has held 10 positions within Siemens which has allowed him â€Å"to explore every corner of the far-flung Siemens empire. † I believe that Kleinfeld used the participative approach to creating high-performing teams within Siemens as he was involved with most aspects of this company’s growth. (Jones, 2007)

Admiral George Rodney in the American Revolution

Admiral George Rodney in the American Revolution George Rodney - Early Life Career: George Brydges Rodney was born in January 1718 and was baptized the following month in London. The son of Henry and Mary Rodney, George was born into a well-connected family. A veteran of the War of the Spanish Succession, Henry Rodney had served in the army and marine corps before losing much of the familys money in the South Sea Bubble. Though sent to the Harrow School, the younger Rodney left in 1732 to accept a warrant in the Royal Navy. Posted to HMS Sunderland (60 guns), he initially served as a volunteer before becoming a midshipman. Transferring to HMS Dreadnought two years later, Rodney was mentored by Captain Henry Medley. After a spending time in Lisbon, he saw service aboard several ships and voyaged to Newfoundland to aid in protecting the British fishing fleet. George Rodney - Rising Through the Ranks: Though a capable young officer, Rodney benefited from his connection to the Duke of Chandos and was promoted to lieutenant on February 15, 1739. Serving in the Mediterranean, he sailed aboard HMS Dolphin before switching to Admiral Sir Thomas Matthews flagship, HMS Namur. With the beginning of the War of the Austrian Succession, Rodney was dispatched to attack a Spanish supply base at Ventimiglia in 1742. Successful in this endeavor, he received a promotion to post-captain and took command of HMS Plymouth (60). After escorting British merchantmen home from Lisbon, Rodney was given HMS Ludlow Castle and directed to blockade the Scottish coast during the Jacobite Rebellion. During this time, one of his midshipmen was future admiral Samuel Hood. In 1746, Rodney took over HMS Eagle (60) and patrolled the Western Approaches. During this time, he captured his first prize, a 16-gun Spanish privateer. Fresh from this triumph, he received orders to join Admiral George Ansons Western Squadron in May. Operating in the Channel and off the French coast, Eagle and took part in the capture of sixteen French ships. In May 1747, Rodney missed the First Battle of Cape Finisterre when he was away delivering a prize to Kinsale. Leaving the fleet after the victory, Anson turned command over to Admiral Edward Hawke. Sailing with Hawke, Eagle took part in the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre on October 14. During the fighting, Rodney engaged two French ships of the line. While one pulled away, he continued to engage the other until Eagle became unmanageable after its wheel was shot away. George Rodney - Peace: With the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and the end of the war, Rodney took Eagle to Plymouth where it was decommissioned. His actions during the conflict earned him around  £15,000 in prize money and provided a degree of financial security. The following May, Rodney received an appointment as governor and commander-in-chief of Newfoundland. Sailing aboard HMS Rainbow (44), he held the temporary rank of commodore. Completing this duty in 1751, Rodney became increasingly interested in politics. Though his first bid for Parliament failed, he was elected as MP for Saltash in 1751. After purchasing an estate at Old Alresford, Rodney met and married Jane Compton, the sister of the Earl of Northampton. The couple had three children before Janes death in 1757. George Rodney - Seven Years War: In 1756, Britain formally entered the Seven Years War after a French attack on Minorca. Blame for the islands loss was placed on Admiral John Byng. Court-martialed, Byng was sentenced to death. Having escaped from serving on the court-martial, Rodney lobbied for the sentence to be commuted, but to no avail. In 1757, Rodney sailed aboard HMS Dublin (74) as part of Hawkes raid on Rochefort. The following year, he was directed to carry Major General Jeffery Amherst across the Atlantic to oversee the Siege of Louisbourg. Capturing a French East Indiaman en route, Rodney was later criticized for putting prize money ahead of his orders. Joining Admiral Edward Boscawens fleet off Louisbourg, Rodney delivered the general and operated against the city through June and July. In August, Rodney sailed in command of a small fleet that transported Louisbourgs defeated garrison into captivity in Britain. Promoted to rear admiral on May 19, 1759, he began operations against French invasion forces at Le Havre. Employing bomb vessels he attacked the French port in early July. Inflicting significant damage, Rodney struck again in August. The French invasion plans were cancelled later that year after major naval defeats at Lagos and Quiberon Bay. Detailed to blockade the French coast until 1761, Rodney was then given command of a British expedition tasked with capturing the rich island of Martinique. George Rodney - Caribbean Peace: Crossing to the Caribbean, Rodneys fleet, in conjunction with Major General Robert Moncktons ground forces, conducted a successful campaign against the island as well as captured St. Lucia and Grenada. Completing operations in the Leeward Islands, Rodney moved northwest and joined with Vice Admiral George Pococks fleet for an expedition against Cuba. Returning to Britain at the end of the war in 1763, he learned that he had been promoted to vice admiral. Made a baronet in 1764, he elected to remarry and wed Henrietta Clies later that year. Serving as the governor of Greenwich Hospital, Rodney again ran for Parliament in 1768. Though he won, the victory cost him a large part of his fortune. After three more years in London, Rodney accepted the post of commander-in-chief at Jamaica as well as the honorary office of Rear Admiral of Great Britain. Arriving on the island, he worked diligently to improve its naval facilities and the quality of the fleet. Remaining until 1774, Rodney was forced to relocate to Paris as his financial situation had collapsed a result of the 1768 election and general overspending. In 1778, a friend, Marshal Biron, fronted him the money to clear his debts. Returning to London, Rodney was able to secure back pay from his ceremonial offices to repay Biron. That same year, he was promoted to admiral. With the American Revolution already underway, Rodney was made commander-in-chief of the Leeward Islands in late 1779. Putting to sea, he encountered Admiral Don Juan de Lngara off Cape St. Vincent on January 16, 1780. George Rodney - American Revolution: In the resulting Battle of Cape St. Vincent, Rodney captured or destroyed seven Spanish ships before proceeding on to re-supply Gibraltar. Reaching the Caribbean, his fleet met a French squadron, led by the Comte de Guichen, on April 17. Engaging off Martinique, a misinterpretation of Rodneys signals led to his battle plan being poorly executed. As a result, the battle proved inconclusive though Guichen elected to call off his campaign against British holdings in the region. With hurricane season approaching, Rodney sailed north to New York. Sailing back to the Caribbean the following year, Rodney and General John Vaughan captured the Dutch island of St. Eustatius in February 1781. In the wake of the capture, the two officers were accused of lingering on the island to collect its wealth rather than continuing to pursue military objectives. Arriving back in Britain later that year, Rodney defended his actions. As he was a supporter of Lord Norths government, his conduct at St. Eustatius received Parliaments blessing. Resuming his post in the Caribbean in February 1782, Rodney moved to engage a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse two months later. After a skirmish on April 9, the two fleets met at the Battle of the Saintes on the 12th. In the course of the fighting, the British fleet managed to break through the French battle line in two places. One of the first times this tactic had been used, it resulted in Rodney capturing seven French ships of the line, including De Grasses flagship Ville de Paris (104). Though hailed as a hero, several of Rodneys subordinates, including Samuel Hood, felt that admiral did not pursue the beaten enemy with sufficient vigor. George Rodney - Later Life: Rodneys victory provided a much needed boost to British morale following key defeats at the Battles of the Chesapeake and Yorktown the year before. Sailing for Britain, he arrived in August to find that he had been elevated to Baron Rodney of Rodney Stoke and that Parliament had voted him an annual pension of  £2,000. Electing to retire from the service, Rodney also withdrew from public life. He later suddenly died on May 23, 1792 at his home on Hanover Square in London. Selected Sources George Rodney: Tactical PioneerRoyal Naval Museum: George Rodney Government House: George Rodney