Marketing Management The WritePass Journal

Marketing Management Marketing Management 1. Marketing Plan Outline1.1 Corporate Mission:1.2 Corporate Objectives:1.3 Market Overview:1.3.1 Market:1.3.2 Product:1.3.3 Customer Target:1.3.4 Competition:1.4 .Marketing Mission:1.5 Marketing Objectives 2011-2012:1.6   IMC Campaign 2011-2012:1.7   Budget 2011:1.8   Controls:2. Critical Evaluation of the Marketing Plan2.1  Ã‚   Saudi Political Situation:2.2 Saudi Economical Situation:2.3 Saudi Social Environment:2.4 Saudi Technological advancements:2.5 Saudi Legislative Scenario:2.6 Environmental Awareness in Saudi:2.7   The Jeddah Gate Customer:2.7.1 Liberal Elite:2.7.2 Investors:2.8 Competitor Threats:2.9 Jeddah Gate SWOT: 3.   Impact of Technology and New Media3.1 The rise of technology and new media in Saudi:3.2 Growth of the internet in Saudi:3.3 Impact of technology and new media on Emaar’s future marketing plans:4. Sustainability:  BibliographyRelated 1. Marketing Plan Outline 1.1 Corporate Mission: To transform Emaar into a one-stop, global solution provider for lifestyle, including homes, work, play, leisure, retail, health, education, finance, industry and more. (www.emaar.com.ae) 1.2 Corporate Objectives: To become one of the most valuable lifestyle real estate developers in the world beyond real estate development. Adopt a strategy of business segmentation to create different business clusters functioning as different growth engines. (www.emaar.com.ae) 1.3 Market Overview: 1.3.1 Market: Saudi Arabia’s real estate market is relatively underdeveloped and its expanding population, a lack of affordable housing and few home financing options has seen significant demand build up. The Kingdom faces housing demands of over 1.3mn housing units by 2015 (National Commercial Bank Capital Research Department 2008, p11). The markets relative infancy has also shielded it from the worst of the global financial crisis leaving it economically stable compared to its neighbors in the Gulf (The PRS Group, Inc. 2010. P4) In the midst of all the political upheaval in the Arab world; the Kingdom has taken a pre-emptive approach and recently announced further benefits for its people, such as interest free housing loans and a bigger budget for infrastructural development amongst many others (us-sabc.org). So far the Kingdom has not seen any major uprising from the population; however the situation is unpredictable and can change without warning (www.ft.com). 1.3.2 Product: Jeddah Gate (JG) project establishes a new and innovative way of thinking about urban cities and living. The layout of the project deviates from the traditional concepts of residential complexes and introduces a community residence aspect for the first time in Saudi Arabia; where people can live, work and play in one location (www.emaarme.com.sa). Main features of the JG community: 550, 000 sq. m. total area, 6000 residential units, 75000 sq. m of retail space, 230,000sq.m†¦ commercial space and Schools Public Facilities (www.emaarme.com.sa). 1.3.3 Customer Target: 1.3.4 Competition: 1.4 .Marketing Mission: In 2011-2012 Jeddah Gate will focus on communicating the USP of work, live and play within the community; to increase customer awareness, increase traffic at sales center and help in generating sales. (Jeddah Gate Marketing Plan 2011) 1.5 Marketing Objectives 2011-2012: Leverage the concept of live, work and play and growth of Jeddah Gate as a project, as a community and as a symbol of success in all aspects of ATL BTL communications. To generate 240+ in target market registered traffic every month and increase sales conversion ratio above 2% (Registered traffic is: sales center walk in, calls to call center, online registration, event attendance). Coordinate with Sales team to achieve the 2011-2012 sales revenue targets:    1.6   IMC Campaign 2011-2012: 1.7   Budget 2011: 1.8   Controls: Closely monitor the effects of the marketing campaigns through keeping track of the rate of traffic at the JG sales center, incoming calls for information in the call center and conduct professional research to evaluate the level of awareness created. 2. Critical Evaluation of the Marketing Plan 2.1  Ã‚   Saudi Political Situation: The political environment in Saudi has been quite stable over the years, being a purely monarchical government no serious political unrest has occurred (The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2010 p3). A stable political environment has helped the country prosper; according to The Global Competitive report (2010-2011 p37) conducted by the World Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia has risen to the second highest place in the MENA (Middle East Africa) region in terms of global competitive advantage due to several economic initiatives undertaken by the regime such as improvements to the institutional framework, a stronger corporate governance framework, investing in the private sector and reforming legal issues (Mohamed A Ramady 2010 p3) . The current political upheaval in the MENA region cannot be ignored; so far Saudi Arabia has witnessed very minor protests by a minority of the population, however the risk of serious political unrest in Saudi is not highly probable due to the strict anti-protest laws in place by the government (ft.com ) Keeping the above in mind it can be assumed that the current Saudi political environment is the optimum situation in which a real estate development company such as Emaar Middle East can grow and be successful. The planned development projects of Emaar such as Jeddah Gate will receive full governmental support and backing making it easier to operate i.e. getting quicker building permits than usual, land deeds and financial backing which will help in generating revenue. 2.2 Saudi Economical Situation: By virtue of its size and available resources, Saudi Arabia is the largest economy in the GCC that is still relatively untapped. The main source of the Saudi economy is oil, however in the current years, one of the key economic objectives of the government is to diversify the economy and reduce dependency on revenue generated by only oil (Datamonitor 2008 p15). With the economy going strong; the government has injected the revenues generated by oil back into the country, with public spending focusing on education, housing and social measures (Global Investment House 2011 p1-6). Keeping in mind the growing population, changing demographics, larger personal disposable income and growing housing demand of over 190,000 units per year (National Commercial Bank Capital Research Department 2008, p11), the funding allocation for housing has been given a higher priority. In August 2010 the government announced a five year $385bn budget to strengthen the country’s infrastructure and real estate projects (www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com). A new pending mortgage law will enable Saudis to obtain mortgages long term loans with very low interest rates. When this law is passed it is believed that the demand for housing will further increase and open the market to a wider section of the population in the Kingdom (http://arabnews.com). The Jeddah Gate project will greatly benefit from the current and future demand in housing, the economic boom and the upcoming new mortgage law; especially since it offers a product that is unique to the market and more people will be financially able to purchase a home. 2.3 Saudi Social Environment: The Saudi society is conservative and very traditional. However, considering that nearly 70% of the Saudi population is below the age of 30, the trend is slowly changing towards a more modern outlook without losing sight of religion and culture (Colliers International 2009 p6) The Saudi people tend to be very private; because of this they prefer living in villas rather than apartments. Nevertheless, the younger generation is more open to purchasing an apartment to live in than the older generation (Colliers International 2009 p28). The Jeddah Gate project needs to clearly understand the needs and wants of this young generation and ensure that the marketing strategy undertaken is in line with those needs and wants, because by fulfilling the needs of the consumers, the Jeddah Gate project will be able to create trust and loyalty amongst the Saudi consumers as well as generating revenues. 2.4 Saudi Technological advancements: Since 2000 the Saudi government has started giving importance to the science and technological advancements in the country. A new science and technology policy has been placed for 2001-2020 which helps in the growth of technology in Saudi. (Datamonitor 2008 p21). The government’s financial position provides it with the advantage to invest in the required technological advancement, a good example would be the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology which was established in 2009 and has the vision of becoming the icon of aiding the advancement of technology not only in Saudi Arabia but in the world.   (kaust.edu.sa) Real estate sector is also indulging in technological advancements and Emaar is the pioneer of high tech projects such as Jeddah gate. The JG project provides its customers â€Å"Smart Homes† which are technologically advanced and allow the residents to use the Building Automation System where they can set the ambience of their residential or business units including curtains, intercom, surrounding sound system and other features, with the click of a remote (ameinfo.com). The marketing team needs to incorporate this advanced technological feature in the communication section of their marketing plan to attract potential tech-savvy customers. 2.5 Saudi Legislative Scenario: The legal system in Saudi is Shair’ah based i.e. Islamic Law. However, in the recent years the Saudi government has taken steps to reform certain aspects of the legal system, especially related to the business world and foreign investment. Even though certain laws are reformed the execution process is slow in comparison to other countries in the GCC, making it hard for companies to obtain the required licenses on time, causing delay and financial loss in some cases (Mohamed A Ramady 2010 p34). The Jeddah Gate project can be affected by some legal delays such as obtaining land deeds and or building permissions. These delays should be preempted by the team working on the strategy and be taken into consideration when communicating with the customer to ensure that all customer expectations are met without creating any dissatisfaction. 2.6 Environmental Awareness in Saudi: Saudi Arabia started addressing environmental issues seriously after the 1980, when the country’s industry had started to grow.   Most of the environmental concerns addressed were related to the conservation of biodiversity and protection of wildlife (Datamonitor 2008 p26). The proper implementation of environmental plans, along with the proposed education and awareness-raising programs, will encourage the growth of sustainability conciseness in the Kingdom (Datamonitor 2008 p26) As for the real estate sector, the green building concept is fairly new. The Green Building Council has been set up in 2009 to promote and facilitate the green building practice in Saudi Arabia (saudigbc). However, currently most of the mega projects in Saudi, including Jeddah Gate are not practicing green building concepts. 2.7   The Jeddah Gate Customer: 2.7.1 Liberal Elite: Groups of wealthy Saudi families connected through interactive social networks. Western educated and influenced, this group share experiences and follow the same purchasing trends. They are well traveled, cultured and sophisticated and part of the see and be seen crowed (Colliers International 2009 p35). This group can be considered the trend setters, opinion leaders and early adopters (rogerclarke.com) in the market .This is the primary target for the Jeddah Gate project, since the liberal elite will be able to relate better to the community living concept of freedom and modernity. 2.7.2 Investors: Groups of wealthy individuals who understand the benefits of investing in Saudi real estate, they would want to be a part of the upward trend of Saudi real estate market. Western educated and influenced, this group is very business savvy (Colliers International 2009 p36). This target audience should be approached for the Jeddah Gate project; however the marketing communication and sales pitch should be business focused with facts and figures explaining the return on investment. 2.8 Competitor Threats: Ironically, the only direct competition a project like Jeddah Gate faces is from other projects being constructed by Emaar in other cities of Saudi Arabia such as the Khobar Lakes project in the Eastern province of Saudi (Jeddah Gate Marketing Plan). Nevertheless, Emaar should never lose sight of the indirect competitions i.e. singular residential towers etc†¦ and always monitor the growth of these projects so that they are able to counter any decrease in sales due to competition. As the housing demand grows Emaar has to make themselves aware of any new projects that may come up in the future, in order to able to take preemptive action to remain the first property developer in the mind of the customers. 2.9 Jeddah Gate SWOT: 3.   Impact of Technology and New Media 3.1 The rise of technology and new media in Saudi: Compared to its neighbors in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia accepted the advent of new media much later. Internet was officially introduced in 1999 and had limited usage (internet.gov.sa). This was mainly due to the overall cultural restrictions of the society where the conservatives in the country felt that the easy access of all sorts of information may be a source of corruption for the young generation (http://opennet.net). Nevertheless, when internet with restrictions i.e. blocked adult websites, online casinos etc†¦ was finally introduced to the Saudi market the usage grew at a very rapid pace (businessweek.com). 3.2 Growth of the internet in Saudi: The usage of internet is rapidly growing in Saudi Arabia. In 2010 38.1% of the population was using the internet and still growing. (internetworldstats.com). Considering the young population of Saudi, it’s no surprise that social communities such as Facebook and Twitter are highly popular. In August 2010 there were 2,575,740 Facebook users in the Kingdom and growing rapidly. (internetworldstats.com) Also a new trend of online shopping has been emerging in the recent years. Many Saudis go to websites such as Amazon to fulfill their retail needs; they book hotels, buy their tickets online (ameinfo.com). The internet is also used for entertainment purposes i.e. websites such as YouTube, gaming websites, music downloads etc†¦ are quite popular. In addition, Saudis use the internet to seek information through sites such as Google, yahoo etc. †¦ (ameinfo.com ) 3.3 Impact of technology and new media on Emaar’s future marketing plans: Keeping the above in mind, it can be assumed that the future of internet and social media will be very bright and be one of the primary ways to interact with young Saudi consumers. Emaar must consider this rising trend in their future marketing strategies. Emaar will have to incorporate on a larger scale the use of web related marketing campaigns, in addition they would need to revamp their website to allow customers to view the product/project online and have the option of booking an apartment or villa online by making an initial web payment. Since the access of both positive and negative information on the web is easily available, Emaar must also in the future, look into web PR campaigns e.g. set up an Emaar blog which would counter any negative information pertaining to the project or company and promote positive news about the project and company. Using web related marketing tools will help Emaar in communicating with the customers quicker and to a larger audience. In addition if sales are conducted through web marketing which is much cheaper than above the line marketing campaigns, the return on investment would be significantly higher. It can be assumed that the internet is the future and if Emaar fails to utilize this growing phenomenon and communicate with the customers through the medium they relate too then Emaar will be losing potential customer and revenue. 4. Sustainability: Since the 1992 Earth Summit, there has been a rapid growth in awareness towards the need to address issues of sustainability (www.developmenteducationreview.com). In developed countries sustainability consciousness is on a constant growth trend, where more and more companies have to adhere to the demands of the society and be more active when it comes to sustainability (Ali M. Al-Yamiand A.D.F. Price. 2009, p109). Keeping in mind global sustainability consciousness and the spread of awareness throughout the world, it can be assumed that it is only a matter of time when sustainability will take an important role in the Middle East as a whole and in Saudi Arabia in particular. In fact, the Saudi government has created a preliminary guide for building standards that they intend to circulate over the next two years. The objective of the proposed standards guide is to reduce the cost of construction, power, and water consumptions and extend the age of current buildings (Jesse Lapierre. 2009, p2). Hence we can gather that the future of green buildings in the Kingdom is promising and should be taken into consideration for all upcoming projects. In relation to sustainability in real estate sector, throughout the world a number of countries now practice the principles of sustainable construction. The reason for this is that Green Buildings can provide financial benefits such as energy savings, water savings, reduced waste etc†¦ (Gregory H. Kats. 2003, p3). In addition, for the real estate developers Green Buildings can generate revenues through higher selling price/rents and lower operation costs (http://sustainablecitiescollective.com). Even though Emaar has been a part of some charity related programs and follows very strict ethics standards. However, currently corporate social responsibility (CSR) does not play a significant role in Emaar’s marketing strategies especially for the projects in Saudi. If we look at the current triple bottom line (Andrew W. Savitz, Karl Weber 2006) plan for Emaar in Saudi, it can be noted that, the main focus is on the profit and then the people, whereas the planet is not as seriously considered. Emaar being the largest real estate developer in the GCC should aim to be the pioneer in creating awareness about CSR and striving towards green building for all future projects in Saudi. Being the first developer to be CSR conscious would provide Emaar with an edge over future competitors, because they can use this opportunity for PR, use it as a unique selling point, and show the Saudi consumer that Emaar is a company that cares about the planet.   Bibliography 1   Ali M. Al-Yamiand A.D.F. Price. (2009). An Overview of Sustainability in Saudi Arabia. An Overview of Sustainability in Saudi Arabia, p109-118 2  Ã‚   Andrew W. Savitz, Karl Weber (2006). The Triple Bottom Line: How Todays Best-Run Companies Are Achieving Economic, Social, and Environmental Success and How You Can Too. United States of America: Jossey-Bass- A Wiley Imprint. p3-6. 3   Chris Cheatham . (2010). The Profit Motives for Green Building. Available: http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/chrischeatham/16637/profit-motives-green-building . Last accessed 23rd March 2011. 4  Ã‚   Colliers International. (2009). Jeddah Real Estate Market Report. Jeddah Real Estate Market Report. 0 (0), p6-150. 5   Communications and Information Technology Commission CITC. (2011). Internet in Saudi Arabia . Available: internet.gov.sa/learn-the-web/guides/internet-in-saudi-arabia/view?set_language=en. Last accessed 24th March 2011. 6   Datamonitor. (2008). In-Depth PESTLE insights. Saudi Arabia Country Analysis Report, p11-28. 7   Emaar. (2010). Mission, Vision, Strategy, Values. Available: emaar.com/index.aspx?page=about-mission. Last accessed 7th March 2011 8   EmaarME. (2008). Overview. Available: emaarme.com.sa/ProjectsPages/p1/index.htm. Last accessed 8th March 2011 9   EmaarME Jeddah Gate Marketing Plan (2010), p1-26. 10   Global Investment House. (2011). Saudi Arabia Unveils Expansionary Budget for 2011. Saudi Arabian Budget 2011. 0 (0), p1-6. 11 Gregory H. Kats. (2003). Green Building Costs and Financial Benefits. Green Building Costs and Financial Benefits, p2-10. 12 Internet World Stats. (2010). Saudi Arabia Internet Usage and Marketing Report. Available: internetworldstats.com/me/sa.htm. Last accessed 22nd March 2011 13   Jesse Lapierre. (2009). Saudi Arabia: Green Building. Saudi Arabia: Green Buildings p1-5 14   King Abdullah University of Science Technology. (2011). Vision Mission. Available: kaust.edu.sa/about/vision_mission.html. Last accessed 20th March 2011. 15 MD Rasooldeen. (2011). Shoura to pass mortgage law without delay: Al-Asheikh. Available: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article304339.ece. Last accessed 11th March 2011. 16 Mohamed A Ramady (Springer). (2010). Policies, Achievements and Challenges. The Saudi Arabian Economy. 2 (7), p2-41. 17   Nadeen El Ajou. (2009). Emaar Middle East showcases Smart Community living at Jeddah Gate and Al Khobar Lakes . Available: ameinfo.com/193088.html. Last accessed 11th March 2011. 18   National Commercial Bank Capital Research Department. (2008). Kingdom Under Construction. Real Estate Sector. 0 (0), p6-8. 19   OBG. (2011). Saudi Arabia: Spending gets a boost. Available: oxfordbusinessgroup.com/economic_updates/saudi-arabia-spending-gets-boost. Last accessed 13th March 2011. 20   OpenNet Initiative. (2004). Internet Filtering in Saudi Arabia. Available: http://opennet.net/studies/saudi. Last accessed 24th March 2011. 21   Peter Burrows . (2008). Internet Censorship, Saudi Style. Available: businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_47/b4109068380136.htm. Last accessed 24th March 2011. 22 Richard Milne. (2011). SP says turmoil could still spread. Available: ft.com/cms/s/0/bd50b568-45c0-11e0-acd8-00144feab49a.html#axzz1HRU1fpkX . Last accessed 11th March 2011 23 Ros Wade . (2008). Education for sustainability: Challenges and opportunities. Available: developmenteducationreview.com/issue6-focus3.   Last accessed 19th March 2011. 24   Roger Clarke . (2009). A Primer in Diffusion of Innovations Theory . Available: rogerclarke.com/SOS/InnDiff.html. Last accessed 28th March 2011 25   SGBC. (2010). About Saudi Green Building Council. Available: saudigbc.com/about.htm .   Last accessed 22nd March 2011. 26 Siba Sami Ammari. (2011). Saudi Arabias internet users spend around $3bn in 2010 on buying products and services through e-commerce. Available: ameinfo.com/256866.html. Last accessed 23rd March 2011 27  Ã‚   Siba Sami Ammari. (2009). Survey shows 97.5% of Saudi Arabia and UAE internet users use Google . Available: ameinfo.com/200706.html. Last accessed 24th March 2011 28  Ã‚   The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited. (2010). Saudi Arabia. Country report (0), p3-27. 29  Ã‚   The PRS Group, Inc. (2010). Saudi Arabia Country Forecast. Saudi Arabia Country Report. 1 (1), p2-70. 30  Ã‚  Ã‚   U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council. (2011). King Abdullah Returns to Kingdom, Enacts Measures to Boost the Economy . Available: us-sabc.org/custom/news/details.cfm?id=957 . Last accessed 12th March 2011 31  Ã‚  Ã‚   World Economic Forum. (2010). The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011. The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011. 1 (1), p37.

Dad The Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dad The - Movie Review Example For DAD we can say that the sender that is the director has been able to successfully transmit the message of family ties to the receiver that is the audience through an effective channel that is the movie. Along with the sensitive issue which has been handled by the movie very efficiently, the movie has also shown perfect physical appearance of actors through make-up and the artifacts which have been used were also of high quality. Thus the movie has achieved both technically as well as aesthetically. Dad was an old man who had retired from his blue collar job and his wife Bette (played by Olympia Dukakis) was constantly regulating and complementing his life. It is true that work is worship but work cannot go to such an extent that we start avoiding our near and dear ones especially our parents because it is for this bonding of love that we work hard so that we can make them happy. In the movie we see that John Tremont, son of Jake Tremont is a workaholic and his only goal in life is work more and more. Suddenly when his father fell sick John returns to his family and realizes that he was missing one of the best things of life that is family ties and in the process he rediscovers his emotional self which is very different from the cognitive self and the material self and he says after returning, â€Å"This place hasnt changed a bit†. The movie works as an intensifying instrument for family ties. As John returns a feeling of remorse is triggered in him and he decides to let go off the past and start anew. Jake is a man of high self-esteem and is not ready to take assistance from anybody but his pathetic physical condition pushes hi m towards a situation of acceptance. He is as if engulfed by a fallacy of helplessness. The movie was basically hinting on the symbiotic relationship of a family life and the trigger words of it which the director wants to portray is â€Å"identify your feelings† towards your close ties. During the

Your pick of this week's news week 11 Assignment

Your pick of this week's news week 11 - Assignment Example However, the author gives us sufficient evidence to believe so. In a news conference organized by the FBI, an envoy from Poland, Caria Tomczykowska says, â€Å"Their financial value is modest, perhaps $12,000 each, but they are priceless emotionally†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ . A ceremony of restoration will also be held on June 16 and will be presided over by U.S. and Polish officials. The paintings are set to arrive at the museum on 17 April, 2014. The reportage is true. The author has provided enough evidence to prove the validity of the issue at hand. For instance, the events that have been laid down to commemorate the return of the paintings to the museum show that the reportage has nothing but facts. It is also worth noting that during a press conference on April 11, 2014 at the Philip Burton Federal Buildings, the paintings were presented for all to see. The author has a photograph of one of Weynerowska’s paintings known as â€Å"Umbrellas†. This article is hard news. The author does not give his opinions, but rather concentrates on the life of Weynerowska and how she became an artist. The information highlighted by the author is profound. This is a great article. Even though the author talks about the events that led to FBI locating the missing paintings, he also tells as of the events that are to come next. The author also gives us a sneak peak of Weynerowska’s life and how she became an artist. Egelko, Bob. FBI finds ‘priceless’ Polish art in Bay Area storage facility. Apr. 12, 2014. Web. Apr. 14, 2014.

Religion and the Meaning of Life Essay Example for Free

Religion and the Meaning of Life Essay According to Frederich Nietzche, â€Å"A man who has a why to live can bear any how†. To me this statement provides massive insight into the human experience: all people need a purpose in life. As humans we need a constructive outlet through which we can invest our thoughts, emotions, efforts and energies. We need something to thrive for and strive toward. Religion, for many people provides this outlet in life in a most positive manner. It allows people to find themselves by losing themselves foremost. Religion encourages service to others, selflessness, forgiveness and ascetic values that allow people to displace personal prejudices and mental barriers that are roadblocks on the path toward self awareness and understanding. Religion teaches that human beings are direct creations of God. Due to this, the religious person places immense gravity into the definition of what it means to be human. To the religious person human life is sacred therefore all human beings are treated as if they are sacred entities. Dignity is vital to this experience and the religious person lives a decent life based largely on the fact that they find it a grave injustice to engage in dehumanizing acts. A dehumanizing act is any action that undermines the value of what it means to be human, and because human life to the religious person is sacred; treating other people and oneself with respect is part of the job description. Religious people also are heavily focused on remaining loyal to traditions and place heavy emphasis on the concept of togetherness through ceremonies, rituals and even celebrations. Religious people congregate and come together in a forum of mutual understanding of one another’s beliefs and values, and respect for the characteristics that make individuals unique. This is how religious institutions have survived throughout the ages. People of all sorts come together based on a mutual understanding of the same truths. The idea of coming together forms a family-like atmosphere that strengthens dynamics within individual households and strengthens interpersonal bonds among all people whom the religious person encounters. The religious person lives a life of kindness, simplicity and dignity highlighted by unity, loyalty and fairness. These concepts are vital to becoming a well integrated person which is the key component to finding one’s purpose and meaning in life. Once a person gains a sense of purpose, the other aspects of their lives fall into place based around what that person chooses to life for. When a person lives for their faith, their lives are based around morals that encourage reverence for all human beings and a genuine perceptive of righteousness. This is why religious people not only have a strong sense of self, but also have unshakable character based in a solid affection for mankind.

Regulation and Accreditation Essay -- Health Care, Nursing

Regulatory and accreditation agencies have participated in the nursing community for several years. Regulation in healthcare started as a registry process to protect patients and healthcare givers. Currently, regulation serves the purpose of protecting patients. It also helps in defining healthcare practices and nursing education. In order to understand the function of regulatory and accrediting agencies and practices one must understand their definitions (McWay, 2003). A regulatory agency has the responsibility of creating and enforcing rules or regulations of the law. Accreditation is a voluntary and self-regulatory process that non-governmental associations recognize programs put in place to meet or extend standards of quality healthcare. Accreditation also helps in the improvements of institutions or programs related to the use of resources, application of processes and achievement of results (Lundy & Janes, 2009). There are several regulatory and accreditation standards that exist in the case study. First, preventable measures have been used as a regulatory standard. For instance, professionals have increased malpractice lawsuits after falls. Patients and their families institute these lawsuits to suggest that better care would have prevented the fall and injuries. Malpractice suits serve as a preventive measure. They are used to prevent many patient falls from occurring. The jury awards for the perceived unnecessary complications. The methodological explanation of malpractice suits is that fall prevention is a nursing assessment issue (Miller, 2006). Secondly, healthcare organizations have developed preventive measures used for the prevention of patient falls. For example, healthcare agencies now collect data and use th... ... safety interventions. Therefore, no agency can successfully adopt potential improvements without cost-effectiveness. This calls for applying cost-effective changes before applying regulatory and accreditation standards. In conclusion, this case study shows that regulatory and accreditation standards exist. There are strategies that help in meeting these standards. However, the strategies do not function adequately to ensure that the standards are met because of several gaps that exist in practice. Therefore, regulatory and accreditation agencies should work closely with hospitals and other healthcare agencies, to close those gaps and develop a cost effective and appropriate way of meeting regulatory and accreditation standards. This will help healthcare agencies to provide adequate safety and care, for patients (Folland, Goodman, & Stano, 2007).

Place Of Buddhist Education Earliest and In Present Day in Vietnam

Buddhism has been present in Vietnam for almost two thousand years. Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism. It originated in Nepal in 530 B. C. A Hindu price, Gautama who did not like the idea of Hindu caste system, was the founder of Buddhism. Gautama did not believe that any man could be superior to the other and as Hinduism Brahmans are considered superior, he left this religion . Gautama had spent many years wandering and meditating. In the end he found answers to all his questions and hence found the path of enlightenment, â€Å"nirvana†. According to Buddhism, nirvana is the path to endless serenity.It is free from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Moreover, a person will achieve salvation if he believes in the four noble truths. These four noble truths are that a man suffers in all his consecutive lives; the reason for his sufferings is his wants for earthly things, when the person frees himself from all the wants of earthly things he then achieves deliverance. The la st noble truth says that a person can achieve deliverance by following the eightfold noble path . BUDDHIST SCHOOLS Buddhism spread in Vietnam through China in second century A. D. In third and sixth century it came from India.Buddhism came through Vietnam's Red River Delta region and Mekong Delta area. Mahayana Buddhism came from China and became more famous than Theravada (or Hinayana) Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism came from India and was accepted by people in the Southern delta region. Both of these have different views about Gautama Buddha. According to Mahayana Buddhism, Buddha was one of many enlightened people. They also believe that out of all these people Buddha was the divine one. Theravada Buddhism believes that Buddha was the only enlightened one and that there was no other than him.However they think that Buddha cannot be called as the divine one. The Mahayana school also believes that any person can achieve nirvana and that who ever follows the right path will be able to reach nirvana but Theravada school says that only monks and nuns can attain nirvana. These two schools of Buddhism are actually different interpretations of one basic belief. These are the earliest schools in Vietnam. Why did Mahayana become more accepted? It is because the Mahayana ritual and imagery attracted the Vietnamese. Its ceremonies were in conformity with original Vietnamese beliefs and rituals.This school of Buddhism also combined folklore with Taoist teachings. The enlightened ones in Buddhism were respected as animist spirits. In 7th century C. E, Mahayana school became a little more developed. It was then called Vajrayana. This had an influence of Hinduism also but had similar teachings as of Mahayana. The aim of Vajrayana is the same as that in Mahayana, that is to attain Buddhahood, but the tantric practices showed a quick way to achieve this end . BUDDHISM BEFORE UNIFICATION Before the country was unified, Buddhism was the state religion. When the communist gained power, Buddhism religion came under continuous hostility.Later, the Patriotic Buddhist Liaison Committee was formed. This committee tried to separate real collaborators from opponents. It promoted the idea that all Buddhist wanted to build a new society. This society was free from the feudal and neo-colonialist influences. This committee tried to prove that all Buddhist were involved in this committee and that they were trying to put a halt to independent Buddhist clergy’s activities to a halt. The communist in those times tried to pressure the monks and nuns to lead their life in such a way that they do not oppose their worldly desires.However the main aim of Buddhism is to lead a secular life, hence whoever disobeyed these communists was placed under house arrest or imprisoned. All their holdings were confiscated most of their religious places were turned in to public use. Trainings of monks and nuns were stopped. In 1981, a Buddhist church was formed in Vietnam which repre sented all Buddhists. Though Buddhists activities were taking place in some remote areas but each and every pagoda in the country had been destroyed. The main aim of these communists was to stop any religious growth of Buddhists.Whatever Buddhists remained were practicing their religion but no new monks and nuns were allowed to be ordained. When the Buddhist church was formed in 1981, it helped train a new generation of monks and nuns. Two Buddhists academy were formed one in Hanoi and another in Ho Chi Minh City. BUDDHIST EDUCATION The education system in Vietnam is of great importance as it declares the identity of a nation. This identity is also characterized by the culture and religion and is the core element in cooperation with other nations. The culture might makeup the identity of a nation.This culture is influenced by the education of the country and more importantly the higher education. From very early period Buddhists are concerned about education. In third century almost 9 Dhamma missionaries were sent to different areas of south East Asia in order to teach people about Buddhism . This is the oldest example telling Buddhists concern about Buddhist studies. These 9 Dhamma missionaries started a wave of missionaries. These were sent to Sri Lanka, Thailand and china etc. Today, due to these missionaries and Buddhist schools, Buddhists are present in very corner of the world.Vietnamese Buddhist education leaders are very much concerned about the global demands and needs of Buddhist education. In 1975, when the country got united, there already was a higher education institution in South; it was named Van Hanh University. This university was popular internationally and had close interaction with many other universities of the world. After 1980s two advanced schools were established in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City. These schools trained monks and nuns at B. A level. Due to growing demand these two higher education schools were later turned in to universit ies.These now trained monks and nuns at not only undergraduate level but also postgraduate level. In 1997, one more Buddhist university was formed, this time in Hue city. Today, there are almost 40, 000 monks and nuns. There are almost six colleges and 31 high schools teaching Buddhism . In past few years many Buddhist colleges have been made. These Buddhist colleges give Buddhist education at B. A level. Many monks and nuns have been sent to other countries like India, China, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and United States, in order to have higher education. These students come back with PhDs and master degrees.This will help improve the quality of education and increase the number of teaching staff in the country. These students not only spread the good name of Buddhism but also help impart their knowledge to other Buddhist students in Vietnam. Though Buddhism is present in every corner of the world and is considered on of the global religions, it has never tried to alter or threaten th e cultures and traditions of any place. The main reason for this is that Buddha’s original teachings never tried to alter anyone’s culture. It was with the doctrine of dependent origin (Paticcasamuppada).They have a general formula which says that nothing exists independently. Moreover, the Chinese Hua Yen school believes in the theory of totalism. This theory says that all the things in the universe have their own qualities. These are fully present within or without Dhamma. Hence, we can say that Buddhists studies believe that all existence in the world is interdependent regardless of their faith, nation or religion. This attitude of Buddhist studies has helped Buddhism spread throughout the world. Education can be called a tool which helps a human being grow, transform and learn.Education in many areas of the world is a social liability, but never can we see that it illuminates the light of truth and goodness like Buddhist education. The prime responsibility of Dhamm a schools is to transform a character. A person has values which are responsible for his character. These values come from ideals. Buddhist educators determine these ideals and teach students about a proper Buddhist life. There are five qualities that Buddhism education brings from the teachings of Buddha. The first one is concerned with emotions of a human. Second is related to education and wisdom.Others relate to better living styles like avoid killing, stealing, sexual abuse and drinking. The Buddhist education transforms a character in real terms. The character and intelligence, both are tried to be balanced. The entire Buddhist education comes from the studies of Buddha, who is the supreme teacher. All of the studies root from saddha, which is the faith in triple Gem. Depdnding upon these studies the students are taught according to the five rules. The students should know the rules, their reason and their appliance in daily lives. Most importantly, they should appreciate all these rules and believe in them.The students should know what is generosity and self sacrifice. These are essential elements that help the students overcome their worldly desires, their selfishness and greed. These five moral rules are dependent on each other. A student can gain by suta, which is by extensive reading of Buddhism texts. According to Buddhist studies the knowledge of a person is dependent on his inside belief of truth i. e. Dhamma. Calm and insight are the two main elements of any Buddhist teaching. In Buddhist education tasks and wisdom are dependent on each other. A student can attain wisdom by deep investigation, discussion and intelligence.This wisdom was the basic instruments which lead Buddha to salvation. This wisdom is the crown of all educations of Buddhism. Without wisdom, education is incomplete. Before French, people were chosen based on their education. These were officials known as â€Å"mandarins†. Learning was very important in those times. It w as not just education but it lead a person to intellectual understanding, social standing, wealth and power. According to Buddha himself, â€Å"There arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and light . † Today, Buddhist monasteries still give Buddhist education to scholars.Buddhist relics are found all over Vietnam. These relics indicate that there were Buddhists present there in one time or the other. Religious education was provided to masses, and every nook and corner of Vietnam had places for Buddhist education. During rainy seasons the monks rested in viharas, which was also their place of meditating. The Stupa is also a place where Buddhist education can be taught. Usually in a stupa there is a large place which can hold the teacher student class. Sometimes there are stone benches and a place on the wall used as a writing board.Sometimes there are cubicles which are all around the hall. In olden days Buddhist scholars were taught in stupas. The academic da y in a Buddhist school starts with paying of obeisance to Buddha. â€Å"Siddham namah† is recited till today and it means â€Å"I bow to Buddha †. Older Buddhists usually write these words when starting to write any text. Vietnamese Buddhists are trying hard to encourage people to learn Buddhism. They are conveying the message of peace as Buddhism is a religion of peace and mental development. Buddhism has contributed a lot to Vietnam’s development.Buddhists monks are brought together from inside and outside the country. VBS, also known as Vietnam Buddhist Sangha is the only representative of Buddhism in Vietnam . They have worked very hard in order to spread and teach Buddhism. Today there are almost 15,000 worship places in Vietnam and 10 million Buddhist followers. Almost 40,000 monks and nuns have studies Buddhism. Though there were a few schools in the country and only one Buddhist institute names Van Hanh in Ho Chi Minh City. Today there are four institute s, six colleges and 31 high schools which teach Buddhist education.Almost 200 monks and nuns went abroad to study Buddhism. Each and every one of them either got a PhD or a master’s degree. Many thousand students are studying Buddhism in Vietnamese schools. VBS runs almost 1,000 classrooms for disadvantaged children. There are almost 36 Buddhist orphanages all across the country. Almost 10 vocational training schools have been built by VBS. These schools train people free of charge. Buddhist education system is indeed prospering and when a nation’s education system is that well it certainly has an impact on other walks of life also.Buddhists Monks and nuns organize a large number of humanitarian works. They have campaigns to raise funds for flood victims, build charity houses and provide medical care to the poor and disabled. Over past 5 years VBS has raised almost $25 million for charity works. Due to Buddhists scholars going abroad for learning, there has been a deep integration of Buddhist education in the international economies also. Many Buddhist students from all over the world come to Vietnam to study Buddhism. It ahs become an international arena and attracts Buddhist scholars from all over the world.Though Vietnam is a poor country with low per capita income yet it has one of the highest literacy rates. The literacy rate in Vietnam in 1997 was 92%. There are over 2 million pupils all over the country. In 2000, the budget share for education was almost 15%, out of which almost 80% was paid to the teachers . In 2008, Birth anniversary of Buddha will be held in Vietnam for the first time. Already almost 100 countries have registered so far. Indeed Buddhist education in Vietnam has opened the gates to the world’s community. People now from all over the world come to Vietnam to study religion.Vietnamese education system is one of the oldest and yet most advanced. Though there were no universities teaching Buddhism as a subject, today there are several universities which have Buddhist studies as their main subjects. CONCLUSION Buddhism is one of the most important religions of the World and has become one of the fastest spreading religions also. The materialistic nature of human is the root of all evil and as Buddhism shows human that there existence is not for these worldly pleasures but for the attainment of nirvana, it is becoming popular.More people are now turning to Buddhism. These people want to find the true spiritual reason for the existence of humans. These spiritual values are one major thing that all other western religions lack. An innovation and reformation is occurring in all the study areas of the world. Globalization is becoming a new trend. Buddhists students are also not confined to Vietnam alone, but they go to many other countries in order to educate themselves. These students then come back and teach many other students who are eager to learn Buddhism.Due to new trends, Vietnam has also refo rmed its educational structures and strategies in order to conform it to global changes. Buddhism as a whole has under gone structural changes in higher education so that Buddhist universities can reach international standards . Many scholars suggest that educational institutions teaching Buddhism in Vietnam should have and entrepreurial structure but others say that a heuristic approach would help more. Here is a list of some Vietnamese Universities giving Buddhist education . †¢ Ho Chi Minh City College for Buddhist Studies, Thien Minh Temple, Do Xuan Hop†¢ Hanoi College for Buddhist Studies , Non Nuoc Temple, Xa Phu Linh, Huyen Soc Son, Ha Noi. †¢ Hue College for Buddhist Studies, Bao Quoc Temple,Hue. †¢ Can Tho College for Buddhist Studies, Chua Buu An, Quan Ninh Kieu, Can Tho †¢ Lam Dong College for Buddhist Studies, Linh Son Temple, 120 Nguyen Van Troi. Da Lat †¢ Ba Ria – Vung Tau College for Buddhist Studies, Dai Tong Lam Monastery. Tan Th anh. Ba Ria Vung Tau †¢ Bac Lieu College for Buddhist Studies, 3/234 Tinh lo 38, P. 5, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau †¢ Advanced School for Dharma Dissemination, Hoa Khanh Temple, 215 Phan Van Tri, Binh Thanh, HCMC†¢ Khmer Theravada Academy for Buddhist Studies, Pothisomron Temple, O Mon, Can Thos References Asia Recipe. (2000). Vietnam Education. Retrieved January 2, 2008 from: http://asiarecipe. com/vieteducation. html Brough, John. (n. d). Gandhari Dharmapada. India (n. p). B. Seshagiri Rao. (n. d) Andhra Karnata Jainism, Madras Dan, Nhan. (2007). Vietnam Buddhist Sangha on journey with nation. The Buddhist Channel. International Association of Buddhist Universities (2007). List of universities and colleges. Retrived January 2, 2008 from: http://www. iabu. org/ListOfUniversity. aspxLang, Nguyen. (n. d. ). History Of Buddhism in Vietnam. Viet Nam Phat Giao Su Luan Marginson, S. and Rhoades, G. (2002). Beyond National States, Markets, and Systems of Higher Education: A Glonacal A gency Heuristic, Higher Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. The Buddhist society. (2007). Schools and Traditions; spread of Buddhism. Retrieved January 2, 2008 from: http://www. thebuddhistsociety. org/resources/index. html The Buddhist World. (2007) The Buddhist Schools. (n. p). Retrieved January 2, 2008 from: http://www. buddhanet. net/e-learning/buddhistworld/vietnam-txt.htm Truyen, Chanh Tri Mai Tho (n. d). Buddhism in Vietnam. Vietnam news agency (2007). Vietnam Buddhist sangha in journey with the nation. Retrived January 2, 2008 from: http://www. vnagency. com. vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/227191/Default. aspx Vietnam News (VNS). (2006). 2006 a significant year for Buddhists. Retrived January 2, 2008 from: http://vietnamnews. vnagency. com. vn/showarticle. php? num=01REL270106 Van Hein, Vietnam. (2001) Vietnamese culture. Education. .Retrieved January 2, 2008 from: http://www. saigoninfo. com/vanhoa/education. php

Analysis Of Hennepin County, A Non Profit Government...

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