Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Final - Essay Example Enlightenment presented us with an independent human being with free will and the reason he is provided with by nature. Some ideas of the philosophers of the Enlightenment are used today. Their philosophy differs much from the medieval one. For example, for Aristotle people are animals, which are immoral by nature. The opinion of the philosophers of the Enlightenment is quite the opposite. According to Jean Jacques Rousseau, people are on the contrary good by nature, but then our reality changes them. John Locke supports this idea stating that people have a reason by nature. Philosophy of the Enlightenment presents humans as creatures with free will and masters of their own life. â€Å"New† people were intelligent and had the ability to think and develop independently. The philosophic views of John Locke were supported by Voltaire. He was an active opponent of the church and religion as it imposed multiple ungrounded restrictions on people. The period of the Enlightenment is v ery important for the European history as it is characterized by break of the religious prejudices and the revival of human soul. Numerous masterpieces in various fields of art were created during this period. The Enlightenment changed the history of Europe having reduced the influence of church by affecting people’s minds. ... â€Å""In eighteenth-century France throne and altar were commonly spoken of as in close alliance; their simultaneous collapse ... would one day provide the final proof of their interdependence† (McManners). Napoleon created the terms â€Å"nationalism†, â€Å"nation of welfare†, which influenced the actions of many leaders. Some scholars state that Napoleon is a founder of dictatorship, however, they just do not pay attention to the significance of the French Revolution, while it played a very important role in the development of the modern democracy. It is essential to mention that the Revolution changed the position of women greatly. In pre-Revolutionary France women were considered to be â€Å"failed men† with no rights and influence. â€Å"Women’s testimony is in general light and subject to variation; this is why it is taken less seriously than that of men" as opposed to men, upon whom "Nature seems to have conferred†¦ the right to gover n." In general, "men are more capable than women of ably governing particular matters" ("Women"). The revolution and the example of Napoleon’s beloved Josephine made women re-think their position and provide them with the opportunities to penetrate political sphere. The Industrial Revolution and its impact on Europe The Industrial Revolution is the transition from manual labor to machine labor, from agrarian economy to industrial manufacturing. As a result agrarian society was transformed into industrial society. The Industrial Revolution is characterized by the rapid development of manufacturing on the basis of large-scale machine industry as well as the establishment of capitalism as a main economic system in the world. The industrial Revolution

Atmospheric and Water Quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Atmospheric and Water Quality - Essay Example Moreover, it also included the effects of ground reflection on the plume. (Sutton, 1947) The basis for this model and various other models is the Generalized Dispersion Equation for A Continuous Point Source Plume. (Beychok, 2005) This equation is: Where: is the cross wind dispersion parameter given as: is the vertical dispersion parameter given as: Where is the vertical dispersion with no reflection, is the vertical dispersion for reflection from the ground, is the vertical dispersion for reflection from an inversion aloft and are given as: is the concentration of emissions given in g/m3 at any given receptor that is located at meters downwind of the emission source, meters crosswind from the emission plume centreline and meters above the level of the ground. is the emission rate of the source pollutant given in g/s is the horizontal wind velocity along the plume’s centreline given in m/s is the height of the emission plume’s centreline above the ground given in m is t he vertical standard deviation of the emission’s distribution given in m is the horizontal standard deviation of the emission’s distribution given in m is the height of the inversion aloft’s bottom from the ground The equation presented above compensates for upward reflection from ground as well as for downward reflection from the bottom of any inversion lids present within the atmosphere. The exponential terms in g3 converge rapidly and in most circumstances assuming m as 1, 2 and 3 provide acceptable solutions. as well as are representative functions of atmospheric stability and delineate the turbulence of the ambient atmosphere and of the downwind distance to the particular receptor. Within this arrangement, the most important variables are the degree of atmospheric turbulence and the height of the emission source. Generally dispersion is directly related to the turbulence. Q2. a. Describe the natural chemical reactions by which stratospheric ozone is created and destroyed. [10 marks] Ozone is produced in the atmosphere as the photochemical decomposition of oxygen molecules occurs. (Science Fun, 2011) As diatomic oxygen absorbs ultra violet radiation with wavelengths of less than 240 nm it tends to disintegrate as: O2 ? 2O* (reaction 1) The resulting free oxygen atoms combine with more oxygen molecules to generate ozone as below: O + O2 ? O3 Another mechanism is when ozone molecules decompose when treated with ultraviolet radiation with a wavelength of less than 290 nm. The reaction is as under: O3 ? O2 + O* (reaction 2) b. Explain the link that is believed to exist between pollution and ozone layer depletion. [10 marks] Myriad chemicals released into the air are known to react with ozone causing its depletion. The greatest danger stems from chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are disintegrated by the action of ultraviolet light as below: CFCl3 + hv ? CFCl2 + Cl* (reaction 1) The activated chlorine atom now reacts with an ozone molecule to give off oxygen and chlorine oxide as under: Cl + O3 ? ClO + O2 (reaction 2) The chlorine oxide further promotes disintegration of ozone as under: ClO + O3 ? Cl* + 2O2 (reaction 3) This reaction tends to persist as reactions 2 and 3 proliferate and cause further ozone molecules to disintegrate into oxygen molecules. The net reaction for reactions 1, 2 and 3 becomes:

Medical Tourism Industry In India

Medical Tourism Industry In India Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Medical tourism 2.1.1 Introduction to Medical tourism The word Medical means treatment of illness, disorder or injuries. In general, Tourism means traveling for pleasure. According to World Tourism Organization(WTO), the word Tourism compromises of the activities of persons traveling to and staying in place outside their usual environment for leisure, business and other purposes. Understanding of word medical and tourism individually is not sufficient to define Medical Tourism. Medical Tourism is combination of various and definite activities and clear understanding of such activities is essential. (Dr Prem, medical tourism) Considering the above sets of definitions, the following can be observed: When a person travels across the border and outside their usual environment, to seek medical service, the travel portion of the trip travel is called medical travel, and upon arrival, such person is called medical tourist, and such activities which includes utilization of medical services by the medical tourist, be it direct or indirect hospitality, cultural exposure or site-seeing, is called Medical Tourism. Hence, Medical Tourism could be defined as The Medical Tourism is the set of activities in which a person travels often long distance or across the border, to avail medical services with direct or indirect engagement in leisure, business or other purposes. Medical travel refers to the international phenomenon of individuals traveling, often great distances, to access health care services that are otherwise not available due to high costs, long waiting lists or limited health care capacity in the country of origin. (UNESCAP, 2007) Five key driving the increased popularity of medical tourism: Technology Technological improvements drive medical tourism, like more efficient global transportation and communication systems. The flattening of the world through the Internet and technology in medical industry are improving the quality of services. Patient access to health information on the Internet has increased knowledge and choices. Electronic communications and exchange of health information are faster and easier. Cost When patients dont have health insurance or their health insurance does not pay for all the care they need, the cost of the care is shifted to those patients with health insurance. This is known as Cost Shifting. The competition in industry is not operating on the proper objectives. The focus should be on providing care to patients, not to gain economy of other countries or build the tourism sector from needy to sick patients. Moreover, the cost of medical treatment in developed countries is extremely high. Hence, private, social and corporate health schemes are very costly. The above pay model is shifting to individuals. Therefore, Cost is another driving factor. Need The emergence of the new consumer needs, like avoiding waiting queues to get medical treatment or the possibility to have the latest medical treatment, requires new solutions which are not available in consumers home country. So, Need is another driving factor. Change Hospitals are adopting the more luxury hotel concept rather than a traditional unexciting general wards. After the surgical procedure, there is the opportunity to engage in attractive tourism, which is certainly a better change for patient. For example, a patient may take a safari trip in South Africa after an orthopedic surgery, a Taj Mahal trip after eye surgery in India, and a Mayan cultural experience after cosmetic surgery in Mexico. Hence, Change is another key factor. Demographics Demographic drivers such as an aging population due to baby boomers causing significant strain on national healthcare system are a driving factor. 2.1.2 Why choose India? Medical tourism or health tourism is on a rise in India. It is starting to be considered as one of the most attractive locations for medical tourism. As per a research report Booming Medical Tourism in India Indias medical tourism industry is going to grow by 27% in the time period 2009-2012. In 2007 alone, India received 450,000 medical tourists and is expected to receive close to 1.1 million medical tourists in 2012. Currently India has 16 JCI Accredited Hospitals across the country. Some of the most sought after procedures by medical tourists in India are alternative medicine, bone-marrow transplant, cardiac bypass surgery, eye surgery, orthopedic surgery, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Infertility Treatment and dental procedures (such as dental implants, veneers etc.) commonly known an Dental tourism. Cosmetic surgery or cosmetic procedures and dental tourism are on a rise in India as well. So what are the reasons to choose India as your medical tourism destination? Country No. of Foreigners treated in (2002) From Strength Thailand 6,00,000 USA, UK Cosmetic surgery, organ transplant, dental treatments, Joint Replacement Jordhan 1,26,000 Middle East Organ Transplants, Fertility treatments, cardiac care India 1,00,000 Middle East, UK, USA Cardiac care, Joint replacement Malaysia 85,000 USA, Develop countries Cosmetic Surgery South Africa 50,000 USA Cosmetic Surgery, Dental Treatment First and foremost is the cost factor. The cost savings are immense. As per the report by Booming Medical Tourism in India, medical tourist can save up to 60%-95% on their treatment cost by getting their treatment done in India. The second most important factor according to me is the technology and international standards. Top Hospitals and healthcare facilities in India have the latest equipment and technology, which is at par with the medical facilities in the developed world. With the rise in medical tourism, more and more hospitals are investing in the latest equipments and getting internationally recognized certifications, such as JCI. As per Deloitte report, India has 10 JCI certified hospitals in 2007, and in 3 years India has added 6 more to the list. The doctors in India have the expertise, which again is at par with the doctors in the developed countries. Today Indian doctors in every field are recognized in the world community for their work and contributions. Most of the doctors working in the big name hospitals have degrees and certifications from US and Europe. Medical tourist get priority treatment in Indian hospitals as opposed to waiting for weeks or even months in their own country. This is a huge advantage as patients wanting to undergo say a hip or a knee replacement will have to bare the pain till they are not scheduled for treatment, which sometimes can take up to 3 months. No language barrier. As English is one of the most used languages in India, medical tourists dont feel lost in this country. Also, if you are from a non-English speaking country, translators are provided to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Due to its beautiful culture, history and increased reorganization and popularization of yoga, Ayurveda and meditation more and more people are flocking to India for mental and physical peace. Andhra Pradesh is one of the most prominent state in India for medical tourism as many of the big name medical centers have opened their facilities in this city. Other cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Ahmedabad are quickly catching up to attract international patients. Andhra Pradesh is considered to be the 5th largest state in India and the largest State in South India. It has a population of 76, 210, 007 and a literacy rate of 45.11% (Andhra Pradesh tourism, 2010). It has become a major IT hub. However its growth with respect to the medical tourism is very slow. Andhra Pradesh is very popular for many non-invasive therapies like Yoga and Ayurveda. Apart from these tow alternative therapy, naturopathy, traditional healing systems also play major role in developing medical tourism in the state. Recently it is competing with other states as some world class hospitals are established in the state. Some of the examples for these are Apollo hospitals, L V Prasad eye hospital, Nizamia general Hospital etc (India line, 2010). It is stressed that the medical tourism is not achieving prospects in Andhra Pradesh when compared to departments, IT and biotechnology. The failure in the medical tourism in Andhra Pradesh is attributed to the lack of synergy betwe en the health and tourist department. It is further noticed that, the number of foreign patients coming to Andhra Pradesh is just not even 1% to that of Bangkok (Hindu, 2010). It is clearly stated by many hospitals directors that the Government has to take necessary strategic approach in order to improve medical tourism in Andhra Pradesh. Apollo, Wockhardt, Fortis Healthcare, Max India, The Global Hospitals Group, MIOT Hospitals and some of the prominent hospitals catering to medical tourists. Apart from this, there are a large number of small clinics such as eye clinics, dental clinics, hair loss clinics, IVF clinics, message and spa clinics that exist across the country that are catering to medical tourist who are interested in elective surgery. (Nikhil Lamba, ClinicsOfWorld) 2.3 Collaboration and Partnership Medical tourism operators can be divided into two groups. First, there are medical  centers such as hospitals and clinics. Medical centers that actively attract international patients are not involved only in the medical procedure itself, but are, in many cases, also responsible for all patient logistics from arrival to departure. Often the hospitals involvement already starts before arrival with the processing of the visa requirements and only ends after departure with patient follow up. The second group consists of medical tourism facilitators who function like agents  and associated service providers. These are often smaller companies with just a few  people on their payroll and most of them have spread their risk by dealing with hospitals and clinics in a number of different countries. Those medical tourist agents which are dealing exclusively with hospitals of only one country or region are exposed to the same risks as the hospitals with whom they work. These facilitators offer global health care options that will enable international  patients, primarily from the United States of America and Europe, to access world  health care at a fraction of the cost of domestic care. By selling a type of medical value travel, they focus particularly on the self-insured patient. Some companies charge clients a flat rate commission or a percentage of the total cost of care. Others do not directly charge customers, but are paid by the hospitals to which their clients travel for care. Health care travel packages can include all costs associated with medical care, air and ground transportation, hotel accommodation, use of a cell phone in the destination country, practical assistance from a local company representative at the health care facility, travel arrangements for a companion, stays in nearby resorts during the post-operative recovery period and side trips to tourist destinations. 2.4 Promotional Strategies Corporate hospitals in Andhra Pradesh brought in five-star facilities and hi-tech medicine. Both the state administration and the corporate sector see the benefits of synergy for profits and have hence evolved separate as well as combined promotional strategies (Qadeer 2009; Gupta 2006). The state is proposing Medical Tourism in its own institutions. It invests directly in infrastructure and tourism to push its policy support to the corporate sector in earning foreign exchange by treating Medical Tourism as a trade. This encourages all the players directly or indirectly involved in Medical Tourism to invest and expand their businesses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" corporate hospitals, the aviation industry, private tour services, travel operators, the hotel and hospitality industries (Qadeer 2009; Gupta 2006). The state has several interests behind its promotional strategies for Medical Tourism. One is medical diplomacy to strengthen international relationships and friendships with neighbouring countries. Behind this seeming altruism lies the motive of enhancing economic growth, by not only commodifying medical care and supporting the private medical industry but also promoting investments in sectors supportive of MT. These include the Indian Healthcare Federation, private and public insurers, policy institutions, and the industry players mentioned above (CII-McKinsey 2002). Tie-ups within the hospitals, hotels and tour operators are being promoted and are on the rise (CII-McKinsey 2002). Hyderabad, capital city of Andhra Pradesh has opened international airports and now offer direct flights from abroad to ease travel for patients. Yashoda hospital in Hyderabad has an airport kiosk and is planning a helipad on the terrace to airlift their patients (Shaffi et al 2007). Asia has become a prominent destination for global medical tourists. Within it, India has a relative advantage, and Andhra Pradesh is evident from the institutions involved and the services offered as well as the low cost of treatment (Qadeer 2009; Gupta 2006). Its so-called win-win situation however, is based on the assumption that services for the haves and have-nots are totally independent of each other and the disconnect is rational. It is this very assumption that is flawed. In its effort to fill its coffers through MT, the government has underplayed the obvious contradiction between a vast uncared à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" for majority and an unethical focus on profits through MT (Shaffi et al 2007). It has ignored many of the underlying negative implications of MT such as shift of subsidies to the private sector and extremely low inputs in public sector healthcare (Roy Choudhury and Dutta 2004). India has 16% of the worlds population, 18% of the worlds mortality and 20% of the worlds morbidity and our public expenditure on health is still 1% of gross domestic product (GDP). Budget 2010 is no different from the previous years (Bali 2010) (Qadeer 2009; Gupta 2006). Added to this is the incoming evidence of inequity and rising costs of medical care. The huge gap permitted between thesalary scales of public and private professionals has encouraged the movement of personnel from the former to the latter. This is particularly true of the shortage of nurses in the public sector, who are leaving for private and overseas jobs (Shaffi et al 2007). Attracted by the higher scales and an open system of consultancy, experienced specialists too are moving away from public sector. While experienced doctors in the public sector are allowed to work in private institutions that benefit from their experience and fame, the government has no innovative policy to retain competent professionals or to regulate salaries and employment conditions across sectors (Qadeer 2009; Gupta 2006). Marginalising the concept of comprehensive primary healthcare by limiting primary-level care to at best First Referral Units (FRUs) and district hospitals denies tertiary care to the less-privileged unless they are ready to sell off their assets. This is reflected in the burden of debt due to illness treatment, which has increased to 40% of the total debt as per the 52nd round National Sample Survey (2000). Another critical dimension of this growing industry is the probable impact it has on the countries it serves. Already there are concerns expressed in the US. Asian MT is seen differently by different stakeholders. The insurance companies and medical Organizations see its outsourcing potential for lowering their own costs and enhancing profits. The uninsured and those who cannot afford their own private services see it as an opportunity. The state sees it as a mechanism for savings and as a price control mechanism in its medical market (Qadeer 2009; Gupta 2006).

How Artists Act as Gentrifiers :: Artists Gentrification TriBeca Essays

How Artists Act as Gentrifiers From TriBeCa to SoHo to Dumbo, artists tend to agglomerate in well-publicized art centers rich in loft space. However, the paradox of artistic agglomeration is that artists are eventually priced out of the region of agglomeration as their presence attracts bourgeois residents and capital-rich businesses that together bid up rents. Art centers thus possess a dynamism that other regions of agglomeration, like Silicon Valley or Route 128, do not share. While the dynamic quality of art centers is well-known, artists’ crucial role in gentrification is not. Often, artists are considered victims of gentrification since they are often the ones being priced out of a region by more affluent businessmen. However, artists play a crucial role in the gentrifying process as they help revitalize areas of past stagnation and crime. That artists are eventually priced out of the regions they helped to revive is not necessarily inefficient as they move on to improve the next low-rent industrial area leaving the old art center with increased land value and more businesses. To understand how artists act as gentrifiers and fit into capitalist plans to raise land value, we must first establish a working definition of gentrification as: â€Å"A process by which dilapidated subdivided dwellings or slum neighborhoods are taken over by the wealthy or their agents through purchase, the non-renewal of leases or occasionally, the harassment of tenants, and then converted to expensive single-family housing. Gentrification is a reversal of the normal filtering process, for it involves old substantial dwellings that usually filter down the social hierarchy but in this case are recolonised and filtered back up.† (Yardley 3-4) Since identifying artists’ role in the gentrification process is the subject of this paper and since the process relies on the establishment of an arts center, we must first ascertain artists’ reasons for agglomerating. Artists agglomerate for four primary reasons: to efficiently coordinate complex and ordinary inputs, to facilitate training, to aid in gatekeeper filtering, and to gain the public exposure necessary to effect sales (Caves 26). Artists living in art centers enjoy low-cost access to specialized auxiliary service providers, like low-cost, high-variety suppliers of the art’s raw material, whether it consist of frames, paints, musical instruments, etc. While this cost advantage might play a small role in agglomeration, an art center’s ability to employ critical writers and important industry publications, which are necessary to legitimize and popularize the artists, provides increasing returns to an art market’s scale.

Marketing Visual Merchandising Essay

How visual merchandising helps improving sales and its effects on retailing? ABSTRACT Visual Merchandising is the way or art of displaying goods and products in a manner that is appealing to the eyes of the customer. It sets the context of the merchandise in an aesthetically pleasing fashion, presenting them in a way that would attract the attention and convert the window shoppers into prospects and ultimately buyers of the product. A creative and talented retailer can use visual merchandising to breathe in new life into his store products. Passion for design and creativity are essential and the key to be a good visual merchandiser. A perfect design process and the ability to create ideas that are different are required. Awareness of happenings in fashion world is needed so as to keep up-to-date with the dynamics of the market constantly to ensure whatever merchandise displayed make a good comeback to attract shoppers. Keyword: visual merchandising, window displays, signs, interior displays, cosmetic promotions. 1. Introduction Visual Merchandising has been gaining more importance and attention from retailer of late as part of the emerging marketing industry. Research shows most of the people who went to shopping centre did not have an idea of what to buy or which shop to go, most of them get attracted by the display inside or outside the retailer. â€Å"Seventy percent of consumers in-store purchases are unplanned, which means they came to the store to buy something else,† says Greg Smith, director of communications for the Chicago-based Point Of Purchase Advertising Institute (POPAI). The main goal of display is to showcase the products within the overall display area to attract customers to give in three to five seconds of their attention to the window display The retailer visual message should be conveyed to the customer in that short period of time. It should not be like an unsuccessful TV advertisement, where the product is forgotten altogether and only the concept of the commercial remains in the mind of the viewer. The arrangement of window display should go with the product and should not suppress them to make it discernible to the eye. According to Dolan and Thomas G (2012), It’s important to realize that no matter how much advertising you do on a particular product or brand, most shoppers can be swayed by the in-store display. It is why nowadays it had become a popular trend among retailer to apply visual merchandising in their stores and retailer outlet. 2. Consumer Emotion and Affective Response Emotion is the core factors in affective perspective. It affects an individual’s luminal and subconscious level, and serves as the internal motivator that attracts us to the things that makes us feel good or positively associate with our minds (Williamson, 2002). Individuals tend to focus on information selectively, which is consistent with one’s mood state and later, recall the information that is mood-consistent (Mattila and Wirtz, 2000). Mood-based evaluations are common in individual judgment of products or services (Schwarz, 1997). Russell and Geraldine (1980) assumed that affect is an individual’s internal state comprising of both pleasure and arousal. 3. Visual Merchandising and Consumption Visual merchandising enhances the attractiveness of a store and its perceived image from the viewpoint of customers. A positive mood serves as a contextual cue for evaluating the perceived quality, image of a product and store, and purchase intention (Bakamitsos, 2000). The impact of a pleasant store atmosphere is also positively related to customer satisfaction (Spies et al., 1997). Atmospheric stimuli which please the actual and emotional needs of consumers enhance the degree of consumer participation in a store, leading to favourable purchasing behaviours (Wright et al., 2006). In general, the store exterior and interior are the two major areas covered in Visual Merchandising and a variety of components (colour combination, product placement, lighting arrangement, layout and highlight design, mannequin and props selection, fixtures and fittings selection) are involved in creating a favourable shopping atmosphere. For instance, Babin et al. (2003) found that the combination of colours and lighting plays a critical role in influencing the purchase intention of consumers and store patronage. Intangible store elements, such as sprayed fragrance, can stimulate one’s affective state and help boost mental imagination (Fiore et al., 2000). Chebat et al. (2001) found that appropriate music can affect the cognitive activity of consumers. A positive imagery also helps in associating a better cognitive experience between consumers and products, and intensifying purchase intentions (Macinnis and Price, 1987). However, consumers’ responses can be affected by cultural difference. Chan and Tai (2001) found that Chinese Hong Kong people rely on culture values (e.g. practical realism) to evaluate store displays and less susceptible to environmental cues than American consumers. Also, Chinese cultural values had a direct relationship with store atmosphere evaluation in apparel consumption (Fok and Chong, 1996). For Vietnamese consumers, hedonic shopping motivations were directly related to store atmosphere evaluation in supermarkets (Nguyen et al., 2007). For Korean consumers, different cultural expectations were found in store environment expectations in discount stores (Park, 2005). Therefore, cultural difference is important to influence store atmosphere evaluation. 4. Visual merchandising and Sales Today, customer walks through any mall or large stand-alone store where they moves through a continuos themes promotional mix of visual merchandising. The visual campaign starts with the outside window and continues through the use of end-aisle displays, layout, fixtures, and signage, continuing to the point of purchase displays where one final push is made ( Bell and Ternus, 2002). Once considered ‘’making the store pretty,’’ visual merchandising has become its own department in larger stores. The visual merchandising process promotes sales without the need for a sales associate ( Bell and Ternus, 2002). Research confirms the importance of visual merchandising (Janiszewski, 1998; Mckinly, 2003); it has been found effective in increasing sales (Edwards and Shackley, 1992) and imperative in enchancing store image. Visual merchandising that can be effective include exterior displays, window displays (Edward and Shackley, 1992; Gubernick, 1986), in-store display as well as the separate display components of signage ( Edward and Shackley, 1992) and lighting. Given the possilities of visual marketing, one might expect that all retailers would use it. For many small business owners, however, the need to create visual displays is just one more task (Yu and Muske, 2003). Successful visual merchandising and brand delivery is all about understanding and satisfying customer needs. So the more that a company understands its consumers, brand and competitors, the better it can define and refine its own visual merchandising practice to deliver better solutions instore to improve the customer experience (Mckeever, 2007). 5. Physical In-store Environment It has frequently been suggested that â€Å"good† interior design within a store can maintain customer interest, encourage customers to lower their psychological defences and make a purchase (Kotler, 1974). In examining this potential, the physical in-store environment has been examined in relation to various elements, for example, orienting factors, signage (Bitner, 1992); spatial factors (Bitner, 1992); and ambient conditions (Bitner, 1992), which Kotler (1974) termed â€Å"atmospherics†. These elements are in many ways redolent of the facets of merchandise display identified above. This high degree of congruence between merchandise display facets and the elements identified when concerning the physicality of the in-store environment would appear to add further weight to the use of such â€Å"borrowed† approaches in this research. The work regarding the physicality of the in-store environment focuses on the â€Å"communication† of elements through cues and stimuli that the customer digests through a number of sensory modalities (visual, aural, olfactory, haptic and taste). Within the research on in-store environments it has been suggested that some people are better at â€Å"digesting† environmental stimuli than others (Bitner, 1992). Given that up to 90 per cent of the cues provided by an environment are digested through sight (Edwards and Shackley, 1992) it follows that many environmental cues in the retail context are visually communicated. The twin threads of visual communication and legibility highlighted in the environmental literature echo the sentiments raised in the definition of visual merchandising above. This then further strengthens the links between the visual merchandising and considerations of the physicality of the in-store environment. Therefore, from either perspective, understanding how to communicate product and brand images to customers through individual visual stimuli is vital. 6. Aims of Visual Merchandising They are several aim of the usage of visual merchandising. Successful way of using visual merchandising will be able to send out quality message to potential and prospective customer and also enticing them to buy from the store(Kerfoot et al., 2003). Visual merchandising not only function as a configuration of space, layout and consumer flow, but visual merchandising itself is also a powerful communication and experience enhancer for the customer(Kotler, 1974). * Generate Experience Experience generation pertains to stimulation and management of the entire domain of the consumer’s senses and managing sensuality so as well as to be congruent with the consumer’s desires Visual merchandising able to manage the visual senses whereby affect experience generation in retailing. * Maximize Sales Effective visual merchandising helps in increasing sales through facilitation of consumer sampling and exposing the best of merchandise to the consumer . * Strengthen the Brand Visual merchandising can add brand strength to the retail store brand where the experience occurs if being properly managed. For example, Apple store who use visual merchandising have been a successful icon in the technology market and been known for their merchandise being visualized in their store. * Help Expansion of Product Categories Through Optimizing Display Effective visual merchandising also packs more through optimum display of merchandise. Thereby devouring empty spaces in the retailer where it is not necessary, making it feasible to display larger number of products and product categories, enhancing higher total spending and hence contributes to the profits of the retailer. 7. Diccusion Visual Merchandising was conceptualised in the western countries around the 60s. The basic tenet was to â€Å"differentiate† the brand in question, build â€Å"tactile† attributes at the point-of-sale which will reinforce the product attributes (directly or subtly) & act as a â€Å"call for action†, for the favourably disposed customer to â€Å"touch & feel† the brand experience. By the 90s visual merchandising had scaled the status of â€Å"art† & spilled on to a scientific territory. Organised retail contributed a lot to this development, as they were open to experimenting and it was an adding to the consumer purchasing experience. Visual merchandising is the art and science of retailing. It’s the thoughtful design of the store. It’s the aisle layouts, product adjacencies and the product sets themselves. Visual merchandising understands the target customer’s needs/desires and delivering an environment that encourages spending and increases purchases. Visual Merchandising aids customers’ buying decisions by placing the product where customers expect to find it. VM provides information about the product where it can easily be seen. Seeing, Smelling, Tasting, Feeling, Selling and Merchandising is all tied together. Often time, about a 250% sales increase when retailer offer a â€Å"try before you buy† type sales process and in this condition where visual merchandising had fulfilled all the condition. In this case, visual merchandising definitely has an impact on sales and helping increasing the fortunes of retailer. 8. Conclusion This research investigates how visual merchandising plays an important role in upgrading the fortunes and sales of retailer and the relationship of it between visual merchandising and retailer. It is found that attention should be paid to the overall store displays which include in-store and out-store display to attract consumer and products should be displayed at area which could easily catch up potential and prospective consumer view. Visual merchandising is known as a very common strategies that be used in the trend nowadays as research shows that more than 70% of people who went to a mall haven’t decided what they want to buy so it is important how visual merchandising play a role in luring potential buyer to the retailer. Visual Merchandising is everything that customers sees, both interior and exterior, that creates a positive image of the business and results in attention, interest, desire and action on part of the customer. Creative and great visual merchandising attracts attention, creates interest and invites customer to the store, directly gives impact on the sales of the whole retailer. So it is important how a retailer present the interior and exterior of the store. Furthermore, a good display is also act as a silent salesperson. When salespeople are busy with other consumer or the shop is closed, a strong window display showcases spoke to the consumer itself. Visual merchandising should complement and enhance the image of your store. Combined with good lightning, strong signage and professional fixtures, visual merchandising generates excitement and of course, lead to an increasing in sales. Therefore, visual merchandising is definitely a major determinant for a customer to enter a store to spend as a consumer. REFERENCES [1] Babin, B., Hardesty, D. and Suter, T. (2003), â€Å"Color and shopping intentions: the intervening effect of price fairness and perceived effect†, Journal of Business Research, 56(7), 541-51 [2] Bakamitsos, G.A. (2000), â€Å"Mood effects on product evaluations: when and how does mood makes a difference†, doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University, Evanston and Chicago, IL. [3] Bell.J., and Ternus, K. (2002). Silent selling; Best practices and effective strategies in visual merchandising (2nd ed.), New York: Fairchild Publications. [4] Bellizzi, J.A. and Hite, R.E. 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Analysing Slyvia Plath’s “Mushroom” Poem Essay

The poem â€Å"Mushroom† discusses the persistent struggle as the central theme. The lines that depicts the struggle are â€Å"our hammers, our rams, earless and eyeless, perfectly voiceless† as personified by the mushrooms. Plath’s made use of allusions in the form of the last stanza â€Å"our foot’s in the door† The structure of the poem has 23 lines, with nursery rhyme quality along with many repetitions of phrasing and sounds to depict fertility. Plath used the style of poem for younger children. The persona of the poem is the author herself who had two failed suicidal attempts and re-evaluated by the persona in the poem either from a perspective of a rebellious present. The literary devices used in the poem are personification, metaphor and allusion. Plath personified mushrooms by giving them human characteristics, found in the lines of â€Å"earless and eyeless, perfectly voiceless†. The author also used metaphor of the mushrooms as tables, together with their meekness. The subject mushrooms, as a metaphor for people who are often underestimated people. The poem also showed the allusion of found in the last line â€Å"our foot’s in the door† based o the Beatitude â€Å"the meek shall inherit the earth. † It conveys the dilemma of the oppressed (or mushroom) wherein personification of the poor and voiceless are found as mushrooms. The overall meaning of the poem for contemporary reading audience is to know how to have a deep desire to gain power and control regardless of how oppressed, struggling these people are. Works Cited Plath, Sylvia, The Journals of Sylvia Plath, edited Karen V. Kukil, Faber and Faber, London, 2000.