Banner advertising on the internet

The growth of cyberspace and the internet has not only created a new marketplace for vendors of all sorts where they can sell their items but has also created another area where advertising agencies can market goods.   Cyberspace is an infinite space and for advertisers, this provides infinite â€Å"advertising space† as well.   The only constraints on any person seeking to advertise on the internet are money and well, literally, page space (although some argue that a single page can be expanded into Herculean proportions. Banner advertisements are currently one of the most dominant forms of advertising online.   While banner advertisements were a very effective and useful advertising tool when it first started out due to the high click-through rate (CTR) which was the basis for banner advertisements, these banner advertisements have experienced a decline in popularity because of the loss of its novelty and because of other forms of internet advertising.   This has resulted in the decrease in the banner rates that websites and advertisers charge. It is this decrease in the cost of utilizing banner advertisements which has prompted this study on the effectiveness of banner advertising on the internet.   Before discussing the effectiveness of banners, a brief discussion on the pros and cons of banner advertising is necessary to be able to proper analyze its effectiveness cost-wise and also the market range that it is able to target and the demographics of the captured market. The greatest criticisms against banner advertising arise from the fact that there is no accurate way to measure the effectiveness of the banners in measuring the actual impact on the market or on the web page visitors.   There has been no study which has sufficiently shown the relationship between the advertising exposure and the actual purchasing in relation to the banner advertisements. While there have been proposals to use exposure based metrics or â€Å"impressions†, â€Å"difficulties in measuring online impressions precisely have caused much dissatisfaction among managers, resulting in a reluctance to commit funds to banner advertising (Hoffman and Novak 2000). â€Å"   The current method being employed is the â€Å"click through† method but this has also been discounted as ineffectual because â€Å"click through† merely measures the number of visits one makes and does not really reflect the proportion of visits which translate into final purchases. Another negative aspect of banner advertising is the recent â€Å"banner blindness† which is a usability phenomenon in which a website visitor completely overlooks and ignores any banner styled information (Benway and Lane 1998).   While there are studies to support the fact that this has been caused by the over exposure of website visitors to banners during its peak and thus the unconscious reaction to completely ignore them, this can also be caused by differences between connection speeds and overloaded servers that fail to load the graphics on websites properly. These two aspects are the main arguments against the effectiveness of banner advertising on the internet.   Now that the negative side of this argument has been considered, it is now important to asses the other aspect which are the positive arguments for banner advertising. The positive arguments for banner advertising fall mainly under two categories: cost-effectiveness and access to a larger consumer base.   The cost-effectiveness of banner advertising is based on the recent decrease in the cost of launching a banner campaign on the internet.   Banner advertising presents a relatively acceptable return on investments given the below-average ad rates and above-average response rates of website viewers. Because the internet has huge potential for building customer relationships, measurability and speed, the proposition of paying an adequate fee in return for a great potential benefit and increase in market visibility and profitability means that banner campaigns on the internet present a viable alternative for any company looking to cut down on costs while not necessarily resulting to losses in profit margins. The last factor that must be considered is the overall effectiveness of banners in reaching markets and creating awareness for the particular product or brand that is being advertised.   Recent studies have shown that the more interactivity that is created by the banners, the higher the â€Å"click-through† rates and the deeper the involvement consumers will have with the brand.   Cryptic messages have also been shown to increase click-through by 18% while offering of free goods or services improves click-through significantly.   What these figures and studies show is that banner advertising can be an effective means (cost and market reach) of conducting a successful marketing campaign. In conclusion, while it remains true that there is no efficient method by which to accurately correlate the number of visits or â€Å"click throughs† that a website visitor may have to the increase in sales or market exposure of a certain product, the recent decrease in costs of implementing a banner ad campaign on the internet definitely make it a very interesting alternative to consider.   It must be remembered that there are other methods by which to increase the visibility and appeal of banners to conform to the tastes of website viewers despite the emergence of the â€Å"banner blindness† phenomenon. Given the relatively low cost of launching a banner campaign on the internet, the wide consumer market base that becomes accessible through such medium and the potential benefits of a successful banner campaign, it is therefore highly advisable for any company to engage in banner advertising. References: Benway, P. and Lane, D. â€Å"Banner Blindness: Web Searchers Often Miss Obvious Links,†1998 Hoffman, D. and T. Novak (2000), â€Å"When Exposure-Based Advertising Stops Making Sense (and What CDNOW Did about It),† working paper, Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University.   

8ps of Services Marketing

Assignment Of Services Marketing Topic Develop 8Ps of Services marketing for any new service Submitted To Mr. Selman Rabbani Submitted By Syeda Sahar Fatima Kanza Khurshid MBA 6(A) Registration # 20381 and 20351 Bahria University Karachi Campus Dated 24-10-2012 THE FLAGENCE JEWEL INN (BRIDAL JEWELLERY ON RENT) Following are the 8Ps of services marketing for this new Service. In which we provide service of all types of Silver and Imitation Bridal jewellery including necklaces, ear rings, Bengals, bracelets, anklets, rings, chains, tika, jhomer and nath. Our target market is upper middle, middle and lower middle class of society. . PRODUCT ELEMENT: * Matching & designer bridal jewellery according to latest fashion. * Matching bridal jewellery according to traditional and cultural taste & demand. * We also have jewellery looking very comprehensive but have very light feeling after wearing it, as it made up of very delicate material. * Also cause no side effects for allergic peoples. 2. PLACE & TIME: * We have our outlets in all major cities of Pakistan. * Bookings can also be done on phone calls. * Our outlets are open from 12:00 noon to midnight. * Safely home deliveries. 3. PRICE: We are using penetrating pricing strategies, 4000 per day function without any further alteration and 4500 with alteration. * Tasty refreshments for our customers. * Individual attention for each customer by sales representatives to reduce their time cost. * Availability of baby chairs. * Special discounted packages for all three days of wedding. 4. PROMOTION AND EDUCATION: * We mostly use the print advertisements in weekly & monthly fashion and general magazines. * Pena-flexes in Shopping Malls and bill boards on busy roads of major cities of Pakistan. * Page on social media and have websites too. Private Cable T. V ads. * For our brand strengthening we establish some business partnering relationships with THE DEVAAS (the bridal dresses on rent outlet) and leading bridal boutiques. 5. PROCESSES: * We make sure that evaluation or feedback card must be filled by each customer while they are leaving the outlet. * We have well trained sales representatives to excellently deal with customers. * Our rent paying system is like this: we ask Rs. 1000 on without alteration jewellery and Rs. 2000 on altered jewellery more, which is refundable when customers return back the jewellery. While on home deliveries this amount is increased by 10% on each type. 6. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: * The glass walls appearance with decent bright lightening enhance the name and outlook of outlets. * Air fresheners and hanging T. Vs are placed on walls to make the inner atmosphere fresh, pleasant and enjoying. * Outlets are centrally air-conditioned. * Proper clean and shiny glass counters are available. * Maximum space is available in outlets to at-least deal with 08 to 10 customers at a time. * Comfortable & smart looking form chairs and besides lying sofas are placed to sit. . PEOPLE: * We ha ve representatives, who are very active, hardworking and friendly also welcoming & dealing customers with very positive gestures and postures. 8. PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY: * We keep quality by purchasing that kind of jewellery for rent which is according to accurate demand of customers and made up of material which is totally un-harming and delicate in nature. * We have customer oriented environment and have completely helping sales peoples. * We provide memorable, enjoying & pleasant experience of shopping and of visiting our outlets.

Modern American Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Modern American Culture - Essay Example According to the studies of Cunningham (2005, Pg 110) as the service form becomes an inner part of culture, so culture and society becomes obtainable for use in the awareness of co-modification as special cultural substances, as a foundation of commercial influences, and as representational legitimation for the complete structure. Culture and the service form turn out to be dialectically entwined. Americans live in an over-commodified world, with requirements that are created in the well being of the marketplace and that can be met only in the course of the advertisement or marketing. Calthorpe (1994, Pg 3-4) explains the New Modernism emerged in America as a potential remedy for decades of inadequately planned sub urbanization. The period in which this sub urbanization actually began raises debate. Many researchers cite the latter half of the nineteenth century as the advent of suburbia, when development in major metropolitan areas began to move into circles outside the city limits. Some researchers, on the other hand, claims that although the subordinate urbanization of the United States began in the 1920s, it was not until the postwar era that the process gave way the collusion of public policy and private practice'. And up till now Fjellman (1992, ... reveals that, as the subsequent 50 years would illustrate, the promises of the American borders brought their individual distribution of special troubles. Long travels, traffic squeeze, effluence, not careful city planning, disparaging ignorance for built heritage, environmental unawareness, lack of sufficient leisure space, and mind-numbing community and confidential architecture all donated to the all-purpose depression and sarcasm of uptown life in the delayed twentieth century. In numerous ways, postwar suburbanites fundamentally switched one set of troubles for another. (Kunstler, Pg 36) Whereas they may have runaway the rising 'black fright' of the internal city, these perpetrators in the course, shaped for their grandchildren a heritage of predictability, boredom, civilizing homogeneity, and domestic/personal dysfunctionality. Disney, City Of Celebration And Modern American Culture Katz (1994, Pg 13-14) explains what does culture have to do with Walt Disney World The 'Disney City Of Celebration's environment of the New Modernism faces yet again as one of the mainly widespread criticisms of neo traditional values. Criticism that New Modernist societies look 'false' or seem too 'intentionally wistful' usually outside, though many of these same opponents cannot help but esteem the wealthy colors, pleasant views, and sparkling streets such towns present. Places like Disneyland's Main Street, USA motivates many of the same manners one understands in a New Modernist society. 'Americans love Disney City since the daily places where they survive and go about their business are so miserable that Disney City seems superb in contrast'. Without a hesitation, the New Modernism and Disney's 'architecture of reassurance' contribute to a number of general objectives: Both

Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address - Coursework Example In his inaugural address, Roosevelt directly blamed businessmen and bankers for being greedy and short-termed (Allswang, p. 89). Roosevelt believed that they were the villains that caused economic crunches and its moral dimensions.The first phase (1933-34) tried to deliver recuperation from the Great Depression. This was through programs that regulated business and agriculture, price stabilization, inflation, and public works. Getting-together in (1933) in special session, the Congress established several emergency organizations, remarkably the National Recovery Administration (NRA), the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Public Works Administration and Civilian Conservation Corporation among others (Allswang, 1978). The Congress also instituted farm relief, stiffened finance and banking regulations, and established the Tennessee Valley Authority. Afterward, Democratic Congresses dedicated themselves to intensifying and modifying these laws. In 1934, Congress established the Federal Communications Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission and passed the National Housing Act, Trade Agreements Act and currency acts business (Allswang, p. 17).The second phase of the New Deal (1935-41), continued with relief and recovery measures, providing for economic and social legislation to help the mass of working people. In 1935, the social security system was set up. In the same year, the Work Projects Administration and National Youth Administration were established (Allswang, 1978). The Fair Labor Standards Act was approved in 1938. The Revenue Acts of 1935, 1936, and 1937 provided techniques to democratize the federal tax structure. In 1935, a number of New Deal methods were overturned by the Supreme Court, however; the National Recovery Administration was struck down and the subsequent year the Agricultural Adjustment Administration was annulled. President fruitlessly sought to reorganize the Su preme Court. Meanwhile, other laws were replaced for legislation that had been affirmed unconstitutional (Allswang, 1978).

American Airlines Bankruptcy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Airlines Bankruptcy - Essay Example The airline company which was known to be the worlds largest carrier five years ago was forced into bankruptcy on account of various reasons including mergers and acquisitions which significantly affected its business in terms of reduction in number of customers. The company’s position declined steadily from number one to number 3, over the years behind United Continental and Delta Airlines. Source: CBS News (2011a) Furthermore the profits of the company were steadily declining since a long time now. It reported profits in only one quarter during the entire year in 2007 and recorded losses amounting to approximately $4.8 billion over a period of 3-3.5 years. Various airline analysts and experts estimated these losses to either shoot up or continue throughout 2012 (CNN Money, 2011). The American Airlines have filed for Chapter 11 Reorganization for Industry Competitiveness, bankruptcy protection. This type of bankruptcy is usually used by companies which are struggling financially and have large public debts, in order to reorganize their business. Unlike the other types of bankruptcies the Chapter 11 Reorganization bankruptcy allows the company to seek help in reorganizing its business, by restructuring its debts; prevents the creditors from suing or selling off the debtors assets to pay off the debts; and have the opportunity to resume business and emerge from bankruptcy. (Elias, 2011). The board of Directors at AMR decided to file for bankruptcy under this category considering the best interests of its stakeholders and at the same time gain time to restructure its debts, costs and obligations (American Airlines, 2011). The American Airlines will continue to operate according to its normal flight schedules and no changes will be made in the customer reservations. The operations will resume as usual. The company is likely to honor tickets and

Battle of Antietam in Maryland-1862(bloodiest day in all of recorded Essay

Battle of Antietam in Maryland-1862(bloodiest day in all of recorded American History. 23,000 American deaths...even more than D-Day invasion in World War II) - Essay Example The lesson learnt from the Battle of Antietam has been vivid through the following lines and it is for one and all to comprehend what actually went into the actual battle that took place between the United States of America and the Confederates. The Battle of Antietam is also known by the name of The Battle of Sharpsburg. This battle was fought on the 17th day of September in the year 1862 near Maryland in Sharpsburg which is close to the Maryland Campaign. This indeed marked the initial basis for any kind of war to have taken place on the North American soils after the American Civil War had started. Nearly 23,000 casualties speaks volumes about the war being the bloodiest day in the history of America as it played an indirect yet tactical role in giving President Abraham Lincoln the much needed power to have his ‘Emancipation Proclamation’. Each year, the battle is commemorated at the Antietam National Battlefield. The result of the war without any shadow of a doubt was that it was tactically full of loopholes and it entailed a strategic victory for the union. The main combatants in the war were the USA and the Confederate States of America. The commanders at both ends were George B. McClellan for USA and Robert E. Lee for the Confederates. The USA outnumbered the Confederates by double the men, where the former had 87,000 while the Confederates had only 45,000 to contend with. There were around 12,401 casualties at US end, which included 2,108 men killed and another 9,540 wounded badly. 753 were either captured or missing in the whole scenario. At the end of the Confederates, there were 10,318 casualties which included 1,546 as killed and another 7,752 injured. 1,018 men were either captured or missing. Coming to the original topic at hand and finding out as to why this battle began in the first place, we find out quite a few things

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 33

Management - Essay Example The future direction of the firm and the decisions that the human resources make relies on the human resource planning policy adopted, meaning that it enhances the direction that the firm follows in the future. Further, the human resource department manages to allocate its resources appropriately as well as budget its expenses, such as recruitment cost of new staff members, training costs and the department’s operational costs. Human resource planning helps in the attainment of the firm’s objectives, employee demands and ways employees’ motivation and productivity can be improved. For the human resource planning to be effective, the firm needs to have a well-structured organizational chart, which demonstrates how the firm operates, the departments and the individuals working in the departments and who they report to; that is the managers (Gatewood, Feild & Barrick, 2010). In other words, the organizational chart is an outlay of the roles, obligations and relationships amid individuals within the firm. Job description helps employees comprehend their roles and accountabilities in the firm, but specific decisions must be made by the individuals in authority (Ketola, 2010). Therefore, the job description and responsibility matrix helps determine the individual working on a give task at what

Week #8 Learning Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week #8 Learning Activity - Essay Example Small businesses can use innovation to develop competitive advantages by being open to changes in HR practices and policies and by developing new ways of customer engagement. Whether there is a recession or not, small businesses grapple with the usual problems of limited capital and high demand for dedicated and talented employees. In order to attract or maintain talent, small businesses can offer alternative work arrangements, such as reduced work hours or flexible work schedules (Woods). Such arrangements are appealing to employees with children or who simply want more work-life balance. These are considered innovations when compared to traditional companies’ fixed office hours and 5-day work schedules. Apart from these HRM changes, small businesses can also use innovations in customer engagement for purposes of attaining social responsibility and brand promotion. Participating in social events, including contests, are good ways of improving brand awareness (Branson; Saylor Foundations 29). Moreover, promoting social awareness through discussing the social benefits of the product in community events is also an innovation that is less expensive than TV and print advertisements (Branson). These are innovations because they are not limited to traditional marketing promotions and communications. Small businesses have the advantage of introducing simple, but equally effective and efficient, innovations because they directly communicate with consumers more frequently than the decision-making executives of multinational corporations. As a result, small business owners can easily determine what customers want and develop what they can start (or stop doing, if applicable) to satisfy changing consumer needs. Woods, David. â€Å"Small Businesses Introduce Innovative HR Practices in Response to the Recession.† HR Magazine, 24 Sept. 2009. Web. 2 July 2014.

DQ1_WK7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DQ1_WK7 - Essay Example The product selected for analysis is BMW cars. BMW is company dedicated to the manufacturer and distribution of luxury automobiles across the world. The German based corporation has its corporate headquarters in Munich, Germany. Their vehicles are recognized for their quality, great aesthetic look, performance, and luxurious interiors, and reliability. BMW owners are very loyal to their vehicles and the company. For them owning a BMW automobile is an unmatchable experience. The cars produced by BMW go for a hefty price. The cheaper models retail for around $35,000, while the more upscale models cost more than $150,000. The overall quality of the vehicles and support the company gets from its enthusiastic customer base allows for high retention in value of used BMW vehicles. The strategy that is most aligned with the product produced by BMW is a focus differentiation strategy. The reason BMW should follow a focus differentiation strategy instead of regular differentiation strategy is that the company concentrates on narrow segment of the market. In essence BMW cars are niche marketplace in the auto industry. A niche marketplace is focused, targetable portion of the market that addresses a need for a product or service that is not being address by other mainstream providers (Ward, 2008). Due to the fact that companies who adapt a focus strategy product their products on a smaller scale their bargaining power with supplier is lower that other firms within the industry. For example a automobile producer such as Honda which produces millions of units yearly of many different models can achieve greater economies of scale than what BMW can realize. Despite this constraint the fact that BMW effectively utilizes a differentiation focus strategy allows the firm to pass higher costs on to customers since close substitute products do not exist (Quickmba, 2008). BMW due to the uniqueness of their vehicles has been able to build up

Whys is the issue of accounting for leases problematic and would a Dissertation

Whys is the issue of accounting for leases problematic and would a move to principle based accounting standard improve the situation - Dissertation Example L. 2005). Leases are very common in the economic turnover of enterprises, organizations and individuals. Leases are found in the activity of virtually every entity and individual entrepreneurs. The lease gives up and taken it all: property and land, vehicles and equipment, and even entire businesses. On the one hand, in the absence of sufficient resources for the purchase of labour organizations take them out. This will save considerable money by directing them into circulation, if the leased property is no longer needed, simply to terminate the contract of lease. On the other hand, the landlord is not used in the production of the property is not idle, not transferred to the conservation and rent, resulting in additional income. Such a situation is beneficial to both sides of the transaction. Study of economic relations that arise in various forms of lease, and based on this improvement in the organization of accounting are becoming especially important. When lease accounting as on International and international standards for financial services companies have many questions. Is it classified? Who should reflect the assets on its balance sheet - the proprietor or the tenets? How to distribute income and expenses between reporting periods? In this paper, we consider the differences in approaches to solving these problems, which offer IFRS and RAS. (Nagy, A. L. 2005). Often, organizations and businesses renting property from private individuals and, in most cases, these individuals are employees of the organization. Consider the accounting treatment of costs for renting the property at the following example. Assume that the company rented from an employee... At the conclusion of the lease of a vehicle, the employee passes his own vehicle of his project to a temporary hold on a chargeable basis and he does not use it during the lease term. The company has the right to assume the management of the leased vehicle as the owner, which is the lesser or any other person having the necessary qualifications. Lease agreement is compensated, and the company must pay the tenant rent the cost, size and terms of payment, which is determined by the contract. Enterprise The firm must be legally independent in relation to his (her) to the owner. Current accounts of the owner and the firm are separate, and the responsibilities for the obligations of each other do not intersect. We recognized this principle, but not emphasized. In practice, administrators often confuse his and other people. Accounting system effects Effect of IFRS on the accounting systems of the developed capitalist countries is less significant. This is mainly due to the fact that in most industrialized countries have developed their own well-established principles and traditions of accounting, which satisfy the specific requirements of the national market models. (Nagy, A. L. 2005). For example, in Western Europe and Japan, the main financial flows and investment of the economy are made through banking institutions, and not through the stock exchanges. Therefore, a priority, both legislative and proper accounting regulation is to protect the interests of creditors, rather than meet the information needs of shareholders.

Outer Banks, North Carolina Essay Example for Free

Outer Banks, North Carolina Essay Outer Banks is located in North Carolina. It is a narrow chain of barrier stretching 175 miles long. The area is frequented by high winds and storms. It is basically made up of sand dunes. Sand dunes are formed due to the prevailing winds. The winds come from opposite direction, northeast and southwest. Because of the natural occurrence, sand dunes were formed. The tallest active sand dune in Outer Banks is Jockeys Ridge. Some interesting features about the Outer Banks is that it housed the talled lighthouse. It also has the tallest san dune, Jockeys Ridge. Duck Beach is named one of the top beaches in America. Animals especially birds and horses are actively seen the area. Outer Banks 3 Outer Banks, North Carolina Outer Banks in North Carolina is a narrow chain of barrier islands. It is one mile wide or 1. 6 km. It stretches more than 175 miles along the coast. Main islands are Bodie, Roanoke, Hatteras, Ocracoke, Portsmounth and Core Banks. The area is prone to severe storms and high winds (Outer Banks, 2007). Outer Banks natural processes evolved from a predetermined conditions. Outer Banks can be well describe by its sand dunes. Migration of sand dunes is an important process on the Outer Banks. It is basically formed by two prevailing winds, northeast and southwest. Due to the different directions of the wind, volume of sand build up. With its sand dunes, Nags Head Woods were developed. It was inherited from what used to be sand dune and swale or a depression found between dunes and beach ridges more than 100,000 years ago. In some areas, the swales were internally drained and now contain freshwater ponds (Frankenberg Tormey, 2000). The Jockey Ridge is the most tallest active sand dune in Outer Banks. The sand is mostly quartz rock which comes from the mountains million of years ago (Ecology, 2006). Some very interesting features can be provided by the Outer Banks (Interesting Facts about the Outer Banks, 2006) ? Wild Ponies, descendants of Spanish Mustangs, still travel the coast. As per record, they run wild North Carolina since 1523 until present time. Tallest lighthouse in America, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is located in Outer Banks. It Outer Banks 4 is 198 feet tall. It has 257 steps. Beacon light can be seen as far as 20 miles out the to sea. ? Duck Beach is one of the Top Beaches in America. This was named because of the number of waterfowls that flocked during migration. ? Jockeys Ridge is the largest active sand dune in East Coast. Outer Banks 4 References Frankenberg, Dirk Tormey, Blair. (2000). The Northern Outer Banks. Carolina Environmental Diversity Explorations pp. 3. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from http://www. learnnc. org/lp/editions/cede_nobx/3 Infoplease. (2005). Outer Banks. Retrieved January 22, 2008, from http://www. infoplease. com/ce6/us/A0921656. html Jockeys Ridge Sate Park. (2006). Ecology. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from http://www. jockeysridgestatepark. com/ecology. html Outer Banks Vacation Guide. (2006). Interesting Facts About the Outer Banks. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from http://www. visitob. com/outer_banks/trip/facts. htm

The Statement Of The Research Problem English Language Essay

The Statement Of The Research Problem English Language Essay English is now considered as an important language, not only in the learning institutions but also within the society. Most employers seek employees who can communicate competently in English. Unfortunately the standard of English among todays graduates is disappointing. One may argue that emphasize should be put on the skill needed to do a particular job instead of focusing on being able to speak English well. However, in certain fields the ability to converse well in English is mandatory. It is especially important to graduates or students of the TESL course as they are suppose to teach English to others. If they could not do it well, how could they be expected to teach others? In my practicum teaching experience, I managed to observe that some of the students kept silent all the time during the teaching and learning session. And the main reason for this situation taking place is the fact that they do not want to speak English. Most of the time during classroom teaching, I am the only one explaining and trying to get the students to speak. Even when they know the answer to a simple question, they still hesitate to open their mouths, and to volunteer in answering the question orally. They are indifferent to conversing in English. Although some of them know clearly that they should be competent in the language so as to qualify themselves for the current competitive career seeking opportunities that they will face in the future. Besides, the ability to speak in English is required in the society and the Malaysian community since we are in a multicultural country. With this demographic background, one common language that we share besides Malay is English. Ther efore, having confidence to speak the language is considered necessary. 1.2 The Statement of the Research Problem Being able to make ourselves confident, and directing the self-confidence that we have to speak in English is a hard effort. To be able to have this confidence, individuals need to make sure that they are proficient in the language. Lack of proficiency in English is seen as a major contributor towards the student teachers oral contribution in the classroom and during English teaching and learning session. In light of this situation, many factors have been identified as the cause of such issue to occur among the student teachers. Thus, these contributing factors will be further investigated in this research in order to come up with means for effective change. The first problem that results in silence of the sample group during classroom interaction and instruction is due to the fact that the student teachers level of English proficiency, compared to their senior teachers and lecturers, are relatively different. The sample group has differences among them in terms of English proficiency. This means that their level of competency, especially in oral English, differs from one another. Therefore, with this problem, they become more afraid of making mistakes if they speak, thus resort to being silent and avoid any oral communication in the classroom with the senior teacher or lecturer. Does this problem apply to the focused group of the research? Based on the practicum teaching experience, I also found out that the same problem applies to my B.Ed TESL colleagues during lecture sessions. Even though we are already in our final semester of learning and the ability to converse in English should have been sharpened throughout the 7 semesters, many still hesitate to voice out opinions or provide individual answers voluntarily during lectures. Therefore, I decided to look into this problem and come up with necessary solutions for this issue. Based on the problems explained above, this topic best interests me since I will benefit from the findings of this research whereby I can use it to overcome any difficulties pertaining to this issue for the betterment of my teaching and instruction as a teacher in the classroom. 1.3 The Research Objectives The purpose of this research is to investigate trainee teachers perceptions, problems and experiences of speaking English in the classroom. By identifying these three components; students perception, difficulties, and ways to overcome this matter, this study generally focuses on how to help the B.Ed TESL Cohort Three students to overcome the barrier that exists. Therefore, I hope that this study will help them to be able to speak in English during their teaching periods and in the classroom. Specifically, the research is conducted to fulfill the following objectives: To find out about trainee teachers perception in speaking English while doing their practicum and during lecture hours in the classroom. To find out about trainee teachers difficulties in speaking English while doing their practicum and during lecture hours in the classroom. To propose suggestions on how barriers and difficulties of speaking English in the classroom can be minimized, or eliminated. 1.4 The Research Questions The following questions were designed to fulfill the needs of this research: How does B.Ed TESL trainee teachers teach English in class, and how do they act and react during lecture hours in the teachers training institute? What are the difficulties in speaking English while doing their practicum and during lecture hours in the classroom? What are the ways that can encourage B.Ed TESL trainee teachers to frequently speak in English in the classroom? 1.5 Limitation of the Study This study had been conducted to the Cohort Three, B.Ed TESL students of UiTM. The reason for selecting them as the respondents is due to the limitation of sources, age factors, and the time constraint. As we are studying in MARA University of Technology (UiTM), and the fact that it is hard for us to get respondents from other universities, we decided to study our own B.Ed TESL Cohort Three students. Besides that, this study is only limited to B.Ed TESL Cohort Three students due to the small age gap between each and every one of my respondents. In average, the respondents for my study are aged between 23 to 25 years old. This project is limited to only the respondents chosen because it is easier to distribute the questionnaire to them and recollect it back afterwards. Moreover, since we do not have ample time to distribute and analyze the questionnaire papers, choosing only B.Ed TESL Cohort Three students seemed to be the best solution not only because of the factors stated above, but also because the topic of my case study is closely related to the respondents chosen. 1.5 Significance of the study This study had been carried out with the purpose of knowing why students in higher educational institutions are less interested in speaking English. As an English language learner, I found out that most students studying in higher education institutions, especially Mara University of Technology (UiTM) lack the interest to speak English, especially outside the classroom. As English is an important language nowadays, it is also vital for teacher trainees like us to master the language. One best way of mastering this language is by using it in our daily conversations. By using English language in our daily communications, the B.Ed TESL students are able to improve their speaking skills during their practicum and also during lecture hours. Consequently this study can be used to help the students in their speaking of English and also to help them to be more confident to use the second language. Apart from that, this study also able to aid the lecturers to tackle this matter. Therefore, some measures will be taken by them in terms of the contents of the lesson and the pedagogy used in class. For example, the lesson carried out is more interesting which requires the students to talk and contribute more in the classroom. In addition, the UiTM administrator should organize workshops that focus on building students self-confidence to converse in English. This will encourage the students to use English as their medium of communication. Unfortunately, B.ED TESL Cohort Three students of UiTM seemed to be reluctant to speak English among their friends, colleagues, peers, and everyone around them. So, this study helps me to reflect on the reasons leading to this situation. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 English Subject English is an international language. It is widely used in many situations like business trade, communication, learning process and so on. Therefore, English has become a compulsory subject in Malaysian Educational System. It was first implemented in year 1979. All students starting from kindergarten until tertiary level have to learn English as one of their subjects. The major aim of this subject is to allow students to develop their level of proficiency in English. This will enable students to use English for their daily life, knowledge acquisition and to prepare them for future jobs. In KBSM, the learning outcome in learning English is based on the four skills which are reading, speaking, writing and listening. Those four skills are really needed to be mastered by the students before they go off the school. Speaking skill is useful for students to deliver their thoughts and ideas clearly in speech when they pronounce words correctly and observe correct stress and intonation (KEMENTERIAN PENDIDIKAN MALAYSIA SUKATAN PELAJARAN KURIKULUM BERSEPADU SEKOLAH MENENGAH) From Zhao B. (1998) in her article. 2.2 Motivation to Speak English How to motivate students to speak English (Golding, 2007), has provided several issues that need to be taken into consideration. The first factor is environment. There are several factors that hinder students from speaking English in class like afraid of making mistakes, and lack of confidence. Thus, it is the teachers role to provide good environment so that students will feel comfortable to converse in English. Secondly, encouragement is necessary. From time to time teachers should give moral support to the students so that they will increase their level of confidence in using the target language. Third is methods chosen by the teachers. The teachers should make sure that the approach for speaking skill is suitable for students to develop their speaking skill. Lastly is guidance from the teacher. Teachers should guide their students so that they will learn something from the lesson and will not repeat the same mistake again and again. Teachers should try to make their class lively and active through their guidance and ways of handling it. 2.3 Speaking English outside the Classroom In order to be fluent in speaking English, students must be encouraged to put into practice speaking English outside the classroom environment. From Pete Marchetto (2007), only the most motivated students will manage to speak it all the time. However, why students nowadays feel reluctant to use the language as one of their means of communication? Fluency is one of the factors that may hinder students to speak English outside the classroom. An article entitled English outside the Classroom stated that to develop fluency, we must generate a need to speak, to meet the learners want to speak. The learners themselves must be convinced of the need to relate to the subject and communicate about it to others. They need to feel that they are speaking not simply because the teacher expects them to, but because there is some strong reason to do so; not only inside the classroom but also outside the classroom. (Hawes, 1994) Thus, students need to force themselves to speak in English if they want to become fluent speakers. Fluency may not come without practice. Fluency may be a factor that hinders students from speaking English, but their personal interest can also be a contributor to this issue. In research done by Shimizu entitled Why Japanese Students Reluctant to express their Opinions in the Classroom suggests that, some students are not interested in English and it is natural that they cannot express their opinions during the class. So, it means that, students need to have high interest in learning the language. If they have little interest in the language, definitely they will not practice the language. Apart from that, students do not speak English because they feel afraid of making mistakes. The fear of losing face prevents the students from speaking English (Zhu, 2003). These students do not want to feel ashamed in front of their friends if they tend to speak English incorrectly. 2.4 Barriers in speaking English Feeling not confident to speak in English, or reluctance to speak, whether in the classroom, or outside can occur due to many factors. These factors hinder, or become the barrier in individuals to speak in English. From my experience, my colleagues rarely speak in English in informal situations especially outside the classroom. For me, this is the largest barrier that deters the speaking of English during lectures in class. Speaking in English outside the classroom is important. Interacting in the community is a vital part of their language learning because language acquisition takes place when learners have problems communicating and have to negotiate for meaning. (Ellis, 2005) Speaking in English outside the classroom is important, and has proved to facilitate individuals in becoming confident and able to improve speaking skills. A research done by Cathy Wright (2006) entitled SPEAKING ENGLISH BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: IDENTIFYING BARRIERS AND EFFECTING CHANGE, showed that speaking English outside class was very important (all instead of half) and more certain it could improve speaking, listening, vocabulary and understanding of life. Furthermore, participants had become more positive about their experiences of speaking English in the community. First language (L1) is also a barrier to individuals to speak in English in class. This is because in my opinion and observation, my colleagues prefer to speak among themselves in L1, whether inside the classroom, or outside. L1 effect on second language (L2) is also termed as interference. Quoted in Bhela (1999), When writing or speaking the target language (L2), second language learners tend to rely on their native language (L1) structures to produce a response. If the structures of the two languages are distinctly different, then one could expect a relatively high frequency of errors to occur in L2, thus indicating an interference of L1 on L2 (Dechert, 1983 and Ellis, 1997). Based on the quotation above, the structure of individuals L1 interfere in the production of sentences in L2, thus creating repeated errors in individuals speech and writing in L2. Therefore, the errors may instil lack of motivation and confidence to speak in L2, creating a situation that hinders my colleagues to practice speaking English in class and outside the classroom. CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Background One crucial phrase that can be applied in mastering the English language is practice makes perfect. In order to be competent in English, TESL students should speak the language every opportunity they get. Surprisingly, many TESL students do not use English outside the classroom. This is why I decided to conduct a survey to investigate this matter. I want to find out whether the reason they are not using English outside the classroom is innate or related to their surroundings. This is important because we need to recognize and eliminate the inhibitors that prevent TESL students from using English outside the classroom so that I may find ways to overcome this problem. This chapter looks into how the survey has been carried out. In this chapter, it is discussed in detail about the subjects of this study, the instruments used to carry out this study, how the data had been collected, and finally the way the data had been analyzed. From this chapter, the whole process, from distributing the instrument, conducting and collecting the data, to the way of analyzing all the data of the study is being described precisely. 3.2 The Subjects of the Study The subjects for my study are 45 persons. From all the subjects, I chose to distribute our instruments to 11 male students, and 34 female students. Furthermore, the subjects of my study are all from B.Ed TESL Cohort Three UiTM students. All the respondents are aged between twenty to twenty four years old. While choosing for the subjects for this study, I did not encounter any difficulties as my survey is not a comparison between males and females. So, the difference in the numbers of males and females respondents was not a barrier to me to continue the study. 3.3 The Instruments In doing this survey, the method chosen is survey questionnaire. The reason for choosing this method is that it is easier to analyze the data provided. The survey questionnaire will be distributed among 45 respondents in March 2010. In order to accumulate the data the instrument is divided into three sections which are; (a) Students Perception, (b) Difficulties, and (c) Ways to Help. The questionnaire consists of ten (10) survey questions pertaining to the survey topic. From those 10 questions, three questions had been asked in a form of YES/NO, one question as scale, and six multiple choice questions. The YES/NO question asks the respondents to tick either Yes or No. The optional choice question in the questionnaire needs all the respondents to choose the answers within the answers that had been provided for them. The scale question requires the respondent to grade according to their opinion about what the question asks. Meanwhile, the open-ended question asks the respondents to state their reason/s in answering the related question. 3.4 Data Collection As this survey had been conducted using survey questionnaire, the data provided is written in the questionnaire paper itself. Therefore, when this questionnaire had been distributed to all the respondents chosen, I had given them about 15 minutes to finish answering all the questions. The questionnaire set is collected as soon as all the respondents completed answering it. The questionnaire was handed to all the respondents while they were in class and waiting for the lecturer to come. So the data collection for this survey has been made at their respective classes 3.5 Data Analysis After all the data had been collected, an analysis of it has been carried out to conclude all the findings and assemblage the data into their percentage. This is done to come out with a list of figures and charts discussing each question. The data collected is first recounted to make sure all the respondents had handed in their questionnaire paper. After that, an analysis of each question is made by grouping the answers, and totaling them up in a form of percentage. Then, the percentage of each data is transmitted into the different charts provided by the computer. For the open-ended question, the data is tabulated into a table and followed by appropriate justifications on how the respondents reacted to the questions asked. CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION 4.0 Introduction The purpose of this research is to investigate trainee teachers perceptions, problems and experiences of speaking English in the classroom. This chapter looks into how the results of the findings of the study will be portrayed and discussed. 4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis This chapter contains information and the conclusion made pertaining to each question asked in the questionnaire paper. After the data had been analyze and transmitted into figures and tables, a conclusion for each question is made to relate the findings and the survey topic together. In this chapter also, the results of the survey is shown and discussed. 4.1.1 Students Perception 4.1.1.1 QUESTION 1: From your point of view, is English an interesting language? FIGURE 4.1 The first question is a general question which asks the respondents whether English is an interesting language or not. It is a Yes/No question, which require the respondents to tick in either one of the boxes provided. For this question, 45 respondents, or a total of 96 percent of the respondents say that English is an interesting language. While an outstanding total of respondents say that English is interesting. On the contrary, 2 respondents, who carry another 4 percent of the total percentage, say that English is not an interesting language. 4.1.1.2 QUESTION 2: Is English language difficult to be spoken? FIGURE 4.2 The second question is a Yes/No question, asking the respondents perceptions whether English language is difficult to be spoken or not. From the pie-chart chart above, it is shown that a high 80 percent of the respondents say that English is not difficult to be spoken. Another 20 percent stated that speaking English is hard. It clearly shows that majority of the respondents agree to the fact that English is not a hard language to be spoken. 4.1.2 Students difficulties 4.1.2.1 QUESTION 3: On the scale of 1 to 10, what is your level of proficiency in the English language? FIGURE 4.3 The third question required the respondents to rate their level of proficiency in the English language. The rational of asking this question is to know how well the respondents feel about themselves pertaining to the study of English. The scale of 1 to 10 has been provided to them in three different boxes. The first box is rated 1 to 3, the second rated 4 to 7, and the third box is rated 8 to 10. After analyzing the findings provided, 62 percent, with majority respondents rated their proficiency in English at 4 to 7 of the scale. The second highest percentage is 32 percent, where the respondents rate their English proficiency at 8 to 10 from the scale given. Meanwhile, the lowest percentage is 6 rate their proficiency at the point of 1 to 3 on the scale. 4.1.2.2 QUESTION 4: How often do you speak English with your friends / peers outside of the classroom? FIGURE 4.3 The fourth question for this survey is pertaining to the frequency of speaking English for each respondent. The answers provided for this question is seldom, once a week, everyday, or never spoken in English before. The respondents are asked to choose only ONE answer for this question. From the analyzed data, 50 percent of the respondents answered they seldom speak in English, 14 percent said that they speak English once a week, another 32 percent of respondents state that they speak English everyday, while another 6 percent of the remaining respondents stated that they never spoke in English. From this question, it can be concluded that the respondents spent less time using English to communicate in their daily lives. 4.1.2.3 QUESTION 5: Do your colleagues practice speaking English outside of the classroom? FIGURE 4.6 Question 6 is a Yes/No, asking the respondents whether their colleagues in the university practices speaking English outside the classroom or not. All the respondents are asked to chose either Yes or No for the answer. The highest percentage for this question is the answer Yes, with a total of 60 percent of the respondents stating that their colleagues do practice speaking English outside their classroom. Another 40 percent of the respondents say that their colleagues did not practice speaking the language outside classroom. 4.1.2.4 QUESTION 6: Do you speak English with your parents / family members at home? FIGURE 4.7 The above figure is a transmitted data of the seventh question in the survey questionnaire conducted to the B.Ed TESL teacher trainee of IPGM-KKB UiTM. This question is asked with the purpose of knowing whether the respondents do speak English language with their parents or family members at home. Related to the fifth question before, this is another way for me to gather more information about the topic of my study. To conclude the figure above, 60 percent or a total of 30 respondents do practice speaking the language with their parents or family members at home. 4.1.2.5 QUESTION 7: What do you think is the inhibitor for TESL students to use English in the classroom? TABLE 4.2 The question asked respondents to give their opinion on the inhibitor for TESL students to use English in the classroom. From the data collected, it shows that most of the respondents admit that lack of self-confidence is the biggest inhibitor for them to use English outside the classroom, with 57.7 percent. Besides, 19.7 percent respondents believe that they are lack of practice to use the language. While, 17 percent of our respondents say that their mother tongue (Malay Language) inhibits them to speak English in the classroom. Meanwhile, only 7 percent of the total percentage states that peers are the inhibitors for them to speak the language in class. 4.1.3 Ways to Overcome 4.1.3.1 QUESTION 8: Who influence you most in speaking English? FIGURE 4.5 This question is asking the respondents to reveal who influenced them most to speak in English in the classroom. The answers provided for this question is peers/friends, parents, their lecturers and their own self-willing. From the bar chart above, respondents agree that their peers/ friends, and their lecturers are the most influential factor for them to speak in English, with the percentage of 28.9. Meanwhile, a 26.8 percent out of the total percentage state that their own-willing to speak is the most pushing factor in influencing them to speak the language outside the classroom. Another 15.4 percent of the remaining respondents chose their parents as someone who influence them to speak in English out of class. From this question, it shows that peers or friends, and lecturers play an important part to make us speak in English, even outside of the classroom. 4.1.3.2 QUESTION 9: From your point of view, do a teacher / lecturer play a big role in encouraging students to speak English? FIGURE 4.8 Question 8 is a multiple choice form of question, which needs the respondents to choose only ONE answer from the list of answers provided to them. The respondents are required to give their views on whether a teacher or lecturer plays a big role in encouraging students to speak English. There is a huge difference in the amount of percentage between one answer to others. A majority of 44 respondents, with the percentage of 88 says that the teacher or lecturer plays a big role in encouraging them to speak English. From this question, I can make a conclusion that students depend on their lecturers in order to make them speak in English outside the classroom environment. 4.1.3.3 QUESTION 10: In your opinion, what are the factors that contribute to someone speaking English fluently? FIGURE 4.9 This question is asking for the respondents opinion on the factors that contribute to someone speaking English fluently. Just like the previous question, the respondents need to state their point of view by choosing from the list of answers already provided to them in the questionnaire paper. The opinions asked are the factors that contribute to someone speaking fluent English. The results in the figure above shows that 41 percent of the respondents think that lots of practice is the main key in speaking fluent English. Meanwhile, one quarter of the pie chart, with 25 percent of the respondents think that interest in the language contributes to someone speaking English fluently. 4.2 Summary of the findings Based on the findings of the study, there are few conclusions that can be made. Throughout the findings, I found out that more than half of the respondents have the rate of 4-7 on the English proficiency scale of 10. I also found out that half of the overall respondents seldom speak English with their friends or peers outside of the classroom. 60% from the total of respondents state that their colleague practices speaking English outside the classroom. However, that does not bring enough motivation to encourage them to speak in English. 88% of the respondents have a view that lecturers play a big role in encouraging students to converse in English in and outside the classroom. From the data collected, I found out that, most of the respondents with a total of 57.7%, state that lack of self-confidence is the greatest inhibitor to converse in English in the classroom. CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION 5.0 Introduction One crucial phrase that can be applied in mastering the English language is practice makes perfect. In order to be competent in English, TESL students should speak the language every opportunity they get. Surprisingly, many TESL students do not use English outside of the classroom. This is why we decided to conduct a survey to investigate this matter. We want to find out whether the reason they are not using English outside of the classroom is innate or related to their surroundings. This is important because we need to recognize and eliminate the inhibitors that prevent TESL students from using English outside of the classroom so that we may find ways to overcome this problem. 5.1 Implications to Language Learning The researcher really values the insights received from the B.Ed TESL Cohort 3 students on their opinion and perception about English language, which is our L2. By knowing what they have to say about the English language, it creates awareness of the researcher on the situation of speaking in English among colleagues inside and outside the classroom. The current situation of speaking English among colleagues shows that though English is the language that we are learning in order to become an English teacher in the near future, many inhibitors still hinder us from frequently speaking the language, either inside the classroom or outside in informal situation with friends. The importance of English is undeniable. Because the language is very important, B.Ed TESL Cohort 3 students should work very hard to try to overcome, or curd the inhibitors that stop them from being able to speak in English in any given situation. As future English teachers, urgency and inner instinct to proficiently improve self in the language should be buried inside us. In addition, due to the increasing demand on individuals proficiency in English for education and job prospect nowadays, to be able to speak English in many situations is considered very good. Therefore, B.Ed TESL students should have their own self-encouragement to become better speakers of English, and be a very good role model to the students when they start teaching in schools in the near future. By putting effort and finding our own means to speak English frequently and confidently, not only can we be proud of ourselves, but also a sense of proud and satisfaction sparks in the lecturers who had taught us the language for almost 6 years. This study also shed light to the fact that practicing English is a very good effort in order to become fluent and proficient speakers. The only problem that surrounds it is that, the feeling of shame to practice speaking and getting caught making errors. It creates embarrassment which led to unwillingness to continue the practice of speaking the language. Being afraid of making errors while speaking will only put individuals at the current state of their English proficiency. In order for them to move forward and become better, the feeling of shame should be put aside. This is because making errors are part

Efficiency Rationales For Vertical Restraints Economics Essay

Efficiency Rationales For Vertical Restraints Economics Essay INTRODUCTION Competition law history shows that since the early 70s, many economists have developed a more thorough theoretical and empirical knowledge into the workings of vertical restraints. The new theories are often rooted in principal-agent theory, where the supplier is the principal and the distributor is the agent, and vertical contracts are used to align incentives to resolve information asymmetries between the two. (Niels, G, Jenkins, H and Kavanagh, J, 2011). VERTICAL RESTRAINTS In nearly all markets across the world, products are made in different stages and manufacturers do not sell their products directly to the final consumer but via intermediaries, distributors, wholesalers, retailers etc. The treatment of vertical agreements under competition law is different when compared to horizontal agreements. When goods and services are complements, price cuts cause an opposite effect.  [1]  Price cuts by one company will tend to stimulate demand for complementary products. This effect is again an external effect, and the price-cutting company will normally not take it into account. Thus, each firm has an interest in seeing price cuts by suppliers of complementary products. A joint profit-maximizing agreement between complementary firms will then seek to internalize the price externalities and lead to price reduction. This is exactly in the interest of the consumers. As a result, an agreement entered into by providers of complementary products is unlikely to be bad for welfare.  [2]   According to M.Motta (2004) some of the most common examples of vertical restraints are: Non-linear pricing. Quantity discounts Resale Price Maintenance (RPM) Quantity fixing. Exclusivity clauses EFFICIENCY RATIONALES FOR VERTICAL RESTRAINTS It is recognized that vertical restraints promote non-price competition and improved quality of services. When a firm has no or limited market power it will try to increase its gains by optimizing its processes. According to the EU Commission Notice: Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (2000/ C 291/01) In a number of situations vertical restraints may be helpful in this respect since the usual arms length dealings between supplier and buyer, determining only price and quantity of a certain transaction, can lead to a sub-optimal level of investments and sales. In a business environment producers would usually benefit from strong competition among the retailers. Therefore any restrictions imposed must have as a rationale- efficiency motives. The most common pro-competitive explanations are: Elimination of double marginalization: If a product has to go through many intermediaries before reaching the final consumer, the mark-ups imposed by each on top of the costs may result in excessive pricing. Double marginalization problem can be overcome by vertical integration or through vertical agreements (a looser form) as well as by means of some clauses, such as RPM or two-part tariffs. Another important justification revolves around the free rider problem which is of two-types- rival suppliers and rival distributors. Retailers might have low incentive to invest in services, as these are difficult to fully appropriate. Others may free ride on a full-service retailers effort to increase demand. As a result, without restrictive clauses, there will be under-provision of services, to the detriment of consumers. Secondly, in order to increase the demand, producers may be willing to invest in the retailers services such as training etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. However, this incentive would be removed by the possibility that other producers enjoy the positive spillover from this investment. Exclusive dealing can counteract this concern. The hold-up problem. When there are client-specific investments to be made by either the supplier or the buyer, such as in special equipment or training. The investor may not commit the necessary investments before particular supply arrangements are fixed. European Commission. Commission Notice: Guidelines on Vertical Restraints. Brussels. SEC (2010) 411. Alleviation of commitment problem: when a manufacturer holds market power and can sell a specific input to more retailers, it cannot credibly commit not to renegotiate the contract once it has already been signed. Due to this, the manufacturer cannot fully enjoy the market power unless some contractual clauses make the commitment credible. Finally, other efficiency motives of vertical restraints exist such as economies of scale in distribution, reduction in transaction costs, capital market imperfections, increasing brand image, uniformity and quality standardization. In essence, the economically sound presumption is that vertical restraints are efficiency-enhancing, may enhance inter-brand competition or foster the relationship-specific investments and help the development of new markets. In addition, vertical restraints may thus result in a reduction in prices, increase in demand and higher consumer welfare effects. INTERBRAND VERSUS INTRABRAND COMPETITION Generally, when there is substantial market power at the level of the supplier or the buyer even if at both levels, vertical agreements will likely to raise competition concern. It is important at this juncture to make explicit the distinction between interbrand and intrabrand competition. Interbrand competition is between suppliers selling different brands of goods of similar kind. This means interbrand competition takes place within the relevant market. On the other hand, intrabrand competition (including price competition) is between retailers selling the same brand of a product. Interbrand competition, rather than intrabrand competition, is the primary focus of antitrust law  [3]  and the correlation between intrabrand and interbrand competition forms the basis for decisions in respect of the lessening of both. The protection of interbrand and intrabrand becomes vital when there is inadequate interbrand competition. In the Research Handbook on International Competition Law 2012, pg 431, (Dobson, Paul W. Waterson, Michael, 2007) stated that in cases where the interbrand competition in the market is not as strong, intrabrand competition might become more important because intrabrand competition can reintroduce the loss of competitive pressure from other brands. Taking into account intrabrand and interbrand competition is important to determine the impact of vertical restraints on competition. In certain scenario, introducing vertical restraints can be a means to dilute competition upstream between manufacturers that do not compete directly face to face but through their retailers. Furthermore, as interbrand and intrabrand rivalry intensifies, all prices (regardless of supply arrangements) fall towards marginal costs. POTENTIAL HARM TO COMPETITION Whish, R and Bailey, D (2012) outlines four possible negative effects arising from vertical restraints under EU law: Anti-competitive foreclosure of other suppliers or buyers by raising barriers to entry. Softening of competition between the supplier and its competitors and/or facilitation of both explicit and tacit collusion, often referred to as a reduction of interbrand competition. Softening of competition between the buyer and its competitors and/or facilitation of collusion, commonly referred to as a reduction of intra-brand competition between distributors of the same brand. The creation of obstacles to market integration. The above negative effects may result from various vertical restraints. The negative effects on competition will be analyzed mainly concentrating on two groups for the purpose of this assignment. Single branding are those agreements which have as their core the inducement of the buyer to concentrate orders for a particular type of product with one supplier. The four main negative effects on competition and interbrand competition are (1) other suppliers in that market cannot sell to the particular buyers and this may lead to foreclosure of the market or, in the case of tying, to foreclosure of the market for the tied product, (2) it makes market shares more rigid and this may help collusion when applied by several suppliers, (3) as far as the distribution of final goods is concerned, the particular retailers will only sell one brand and there will therefore be no interbrand competition on their shops (no in-store competition) (4) in the case of tying ,the buyer may pay a higher price for the tied product. EU Commission Notice: Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (2000/ C 291/01) Limited distribution is those agreements which have as their core that the manufacturer sells to one or a limited number of buyers. There are three main negative effects on competition: (1) certain buyers within that market can no longer buy from that particular supplier, and this may lead in particular in the case of exclusive supply, to foreclosure of the purchase market, (2) when most or all of the competing suppliers limit the number of retailers, this may facilitate collusion, either at the distributors level or at the suppliers level, and (3) since fewer distributors will offer the product it will also lead to a reduction of intra-brand competition. In the case instance of wide exclusive territories or exclusive customer allocation the result may be total elimination of intra-brand competition. This reduction of intra-brand competition can in turn lead to a weakening of interbrand competition. EU Commission Notice: Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (2000/ C 291/01) Entry deterrence: one of the most obvious concerns is represented by the possibility that vertical restrictions are strategically used to deter entry in either level of the chain, by foreclosing access to inputs or to customers and in the long run they can be used to raise significant barriers to entry if competition is not already substantial. Under Bertrand competition, downstream manufacturers can strategically use some vertical clauses to encourage retailers to behave in a less aggressive way and reap a higher profit. Exclusive arrangements are generally worse for competition than non-exclusive arrangements. In essence, the potential for anticompetitive outcomes depends upon factors such as the market power of the firms involved, the presence of a minimum scale to cover fixed costs, the share of downstream market covered by the restraints and the nature of competition downstream. CONCLUSION The fact that vertical agreements are agreements concluded between companies in a vertical relationship suggests that they can often be regarded as positive. However, economic literatures on vertical restraints have shown both pro and anti-competitive effects. Both price and non-price may either increase or decrease economic welfare: the crucial importance is not the restraints used but the context in which it is used and the goal that it is supposed to achieve. The EU Commission has observed that market structure plays an important role in determining the impact of vertical restraints: The fiercer is interbrand competition, the more likely are the pro-competitive and efficiency effects to outweigh any anti-competitive effects of vertical restraints. Anti-competitive effects are only likely where interbrand competition is weak and there are barriers to entry at either producer or distributor level. In addition it is recognised that contracts in the distribution chain reduce transaction costs, and allow the potential efficiencies in distribution to be realised. In contrast, there are cases where vertical restraints raise barriers to entry or further dampen horizontal competition in oligopolistic markets.  [4]   In addition, EU Regulation 2790/1999 recognized the importance of market power in establishing whether or not vertical restraints can have important anti-competitive effects. As per the OECD: Joint Group on Trade and Competition Paper, the efficiency enhancing effect and benefit to consumers from vertical restraints is likely to dominate with the exception of vertical restraints being used to facilitate collusion, it is highly improbable that such restraints will have net anti-competitive effects unless there is either: market power on at least one level in the market or the restraint, either on its own or in concert with other vertical restraints, has the power to exclude or disadvantage a significant number of competitors anti-competitive effects are only likely where interbrand competition is weak and there are barriers to entry, (d) causing foreclosure of competitors. Accordingly, the approach taken by many competition authorities on vertical restraints is a careful case by case analysis. . BIBLIOGRAPHIES/REFERENCES Niels, G, Jenkins, H and Kavanagh, J.: Economics for Competition Lawyers (Oxford University Press, 2011). Motta, M, Competition Policy: Theory and Practice (Cambridge University Press, 2004) Whish, R and Bailey, D (2012). Competition Law. 7th edn. Oxford University Press. Swedish Competition Authority. 2008. The pros and cons of vertical restraints. ISBN 978-91-88566-44-7 http://www.konkurrensverket.se/upload/Filer/Trycksaker/Rapporter/ProsCons/rap_pros_and_cons_vertical_restraints.pdf [Accessed 10/02/2013] D.Harbord and N-H von der Fehr. The Law and Economics of Vertical Restraints: An Overview. (December 10, 2007) http://www.market-analysis.co.uk/PDF/Reports/Vertical%20Restraints_%2010December07.pdf [Accessed 10/02/2013] V. Verouden, Vertical Agreements: Motivation and Impact, in 3 ISSUES IN COMPETITION LAW AND POLICY 1813 (ABA Section of Antitrust Law 2008). Chapter 72. http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/competition/economist/vertical_agreements.pdf [Accessed 07/02/2013] D. Geradin and C M da Silva Pereira Neto. FOR A RIGOROUS EFFECTS-BASED ANALYSIS OF VERTICAL RESTRAINTS ADOPTED BY DOMINANT FIRMS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE EU AND BRAZILIAN COMPETITION LAW. June 2012 http://www.cedes.org.br/inscricao/pdf/final-study-on-vertical-restraints-final-clean.pdf [Accessed on 05/02/2013] F Lafontaine and M Slade. Exclusive Contracts and Vertical Restraints: Empirical Evidence and Public Policy, (Journal of Economic Literature classification numbers: L42, L81), September 2005. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/staff/academic/slade/wp/ecsept2005.pdf [Accessed on 05/02/2013] C Berkouk and I Masiero. The evolution of the legal assessment of vertical restraints in European and US antitrust law. Master in Competition and Market Regulation 2010/11. http://www20.gencat.cat/docs/economia/80_ACCO/Documents/Arxius/Tesines%20BGSE/03.evolution_vertical_restraints_us_europe.pdf [Accessed on 05/02/2013] Competition Commission. GUIDELINES FOR MARKET INVESTIGATIONS. Their role, assessment, remedies and procedures, CC3 (Revised). June 2012 http://www.competitioncommission.org.uk/assets/competitioncommission/docs/2012/consultations/market_guidlines_main_text.pdf [Accessed on 02/02/2013] William F. Baxter. The Viability of Vertical Restraints Doctrine, 75 Cal. L. Rev. 933 (1987). http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1939context=californialawreviewsei-redir=1referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.sc%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Dvertical%2Brestraints%2Bcannot%2Bharm%2Bcompetition%2Bbecause%2Bthey%2Bare%2Bagreements%2Bbetween%2Bcomplementary%2Bproducts%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D39%26cad%3Drja%26ved%3D0CFUQFjAIOB4%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fscholarship.law.berkeley.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1939%2526context%253Dcalifornialawreview%26ei%3DgL8YUYMpgamEB9H2gYAG%26usg%3DAFQjCNFXuKgSEABvJvAEdfAFxvC0WBinGg%26bvm%3Dbv.42080656%2Cd.d2k#search=%22vertical%20restraints%20cannot%20harm%20competition%20because%20agreements%20between%20complementary%20products%22 [Accessed on 02/02/2013] Verouden, V. (2003), Vertical agreements and Article 81(1) EC: The evolving role of economic analysis, Antitrust Law Journal, 71: 525-75. http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/40843595?uid=3738968uid=2uid=4sid=21101826877577 [Accessed on 18/02/2013] P Dobson and M Waterson. Vertical restraints and competition policy. (Office of Fair Trading, Research Paper 12, 1996) http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/comp_policy/oft177.pdf [Accessed on 13/02/2013] Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Joint Group on Trade and Competition. COMPETITION AND TRADE EFFECTS OF VERTICAL RESTRAINTS. COM/DAFFE/CLP/TD(99)54 http://search.oecd.org/officialdocuments/displaydocumentpdf/?doclanguage=encote=com/daffe/clp/td(99)54 [Accessed on 13/02/2013] G Tan. The Economic Theory of Vertical Restraints. (Report prepared for the Competition Bureau, Canada). Department of Economics, University of British Columbia. October 9, 2001. http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~guofutan/research/vertical.pdf [Accessed on 13/02/2013] Ezrachi. A. Research Handbook on International Competition Law. (2012). Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. ISBN: 978 085793 4796. http://books.google.sc/books?id=mH5tU2g_-cgCpg=PA431lpg=PA431dq=the+importance+of+the+distinction+between+interbrand+and+intrabrand+competitionsource=blots=iaL78pSpGfsig=iEpLZdBweIkVyzI-GPvhRk-gpbQhl=crssa=Xei=6hFIUcq8F8T1sgajpIDIBAved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepageq=the%20importance%20of%20the%20distinction%20between%20interbrand%20and%20intrabrand%20competitionf=false [Accessed on 19/03/2012] Odie Strydom, Intrabrand competitive analysis in South Africa: Get the economics right http://www.compcom.co.za/assets/Uploads/events/10-year-review/parallel-4b/Odie-Strydom-Competition-Conference.pdf [Accessed on 19/03/2012] Glynn, D (2012). Vertical Restraints and Cartel. Postgraduate Diploma/Masters in Economics for Competition Law, 2012/13, Kings College London. Rey, P and Verge, T. The Economics of Vertical Restraints. (Paper prepared for the conference on Advances of the Economics of Competition Law in Rome). March 2005 http://www.economics.soton.ac.uk/staff/verge/Verticals.pdf. [Accessed on 13/02/2013] European Commission. Commission Notice: Guidelines on Vertical Restraints. Brussels. SEC (2010) 411. http://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/legislation/guidelines_vertical_en.pdf. [Accessed on 13/02/2013] Official Journal of the European Communities. (Information). COMMISSION. COMMISSION NOTICE. Guidelines on Vertical Restraints. (2000/C 291/01) http://www.hartpub.co.uk/updates/Korah/vert-restr.pdf [Accessed on 13/02/2013] Massey, P.COMPETITION AUTHORITY. DISCUSSION PAPER No. 4. The Treatment of Vertical Restraints under Competition Law. May 1998. http://www.tca.ie/images/uploaded/documents/Discussion_Paper_4.pdf [Accessed on 15/02/2013] Vertical Restraints and Vertical Mergers. Chapter 6. February 14, 2003. http://www.mef.gub.uy/competencia/documentos/cap6.pdf [Accessed on 15/02/2013] Green Paper on Vertical Restraints in EC Competition Policy. http://europa.eu/documents/comm/green_papers/pdf/com96_721_en.pdf [Accessed on 15/02/2013] Raychaudhuri, T. Vertical Restraints in Competition Law: The need to strike the right balance between regulation and competition. NUJS Law Review. 4 NUJS L. Rev.609 (2011). October December 2011. http://www.manupatra.co.in/newsline/articles/Upload/6097B1F7-1176-43FB-9769-431909913298.pdf [Accessed on 15/02/2013]

How Professional Advertising Agencies Contribute to the Success of a Ma

How Professional Advertising Agencies Contribute to the Success of a Marketing Campaign Professional advertising agencies can contribute to the success of a marketing campaign in many ways. If a new company is just starting out and wish to make the most of their money for advertising, then it is probably best for them to hire someone from an advertising agency to help them along the way, as they know they are doing, and know how to use their money to their advantage. Professional advertising agencies know what they are doing. It is their job to help companies to have a successful marketing campaign. The agencies can guide the company in the right direction to help them advertise to the best of their abilities. They can give expert advice to the company and guide them in the right direction, so that at the end of it they can have a successful campaign. They are able to help the business by creating the catchy slogan, one which people will remember, and remember the company that had it. Businesses using professional advertising agencies would probably result in a more successful campaign. Businesses which have been around for a while, and have already made a name for themselves, who know what there doing and who there target audience is etc, then they might try to design the advertisements themselves, which would save them a bit of money, but they may not be making the most of their budget. It is not just new companies who may decide to use an advertising agent. Businesses already established could hire an advertising agent who could design their promotional campaign which may not save them money, but it would also save them time if they were under pressure. By hiring an advertising agent, the business can concentrate on things more focal to the business itself, and think about how to improve it. Advertising agents can offer a business all their knowledge and advice to help the company get a successful campaign. Agents can carry out market research for the business to get more insight into the campaign. They have specialist skills, they know about the public and what the public want to see in advertisements. The advertising agents can do the account management for the company, such as looking after the advertising budget, because they know how far they can stretch it to have at the end of it, the most successful campaign. Overall professional advertis... ...that amount of money to spend on promotional campaigns. Part of this could be an advantage, as although they are costing a lot of money, they could attract a lot more customers, than if they designed the promotional campaign themselves. Might not turn out how expected There is always a risk involved in getting someone else to design a promotional campaign for you, and it might not turn out how you wanted it to. Might not get a full understanding of what goes on inside the business as they are external to the business. You might not get what you want out of the promotional campaign. The advertising agents could change something to the way they want, but it turns out wrong, so the company do not get what they ask for, and the agents messed up. EXPLAIN! Might provide the same service to competitors The agency might give two companies the same information and this would result in two competitive companies having very similar advertisements, which would not help with competition, as the public would not know what was going on with the promotions. Vital information may be given away The advertising agent might accidentally give away important information to a competitive company.

The Impact of Nazi Policies on the Position and Role of Women in German

The Impact of Nazi Policies on the Position and Role of Women in Germany, 1933-39 The Nazi regime aimed to utilize the family for its own needs. Women were obligated to marry and have children, instead of having their own personal decisions. The functions of the family were reduced to the single task of reproduction. They aimed to break the family, and to place it as a breeding and rearing institution completely in the service of the totalitarian state. The main objective of Hitler and the Nazis was to increase population to help with 'Volksgemeinschaft'. Germany had a declining birth rate, so they wanted to promote higher birth rates among the Aryan race. This was another key element of the policies adopted. Women were encouraged to have as many children as possible, however this was not acceptable with 'undesirables' like Jews and Black people, only 'Aryans'. The policies used like financial incentives-marriage loans and birth grants, meant that women were placed better when having children. Their role was to maintain high birth rates, and their position and situation was desirable for this role. However all women did not accept this and many did not gain from the measures taken. Underpinned in the policy was the fact that it would restrict women to the home and reduce employment with women, which is what the Nazis wanted. However this was not the case as there was actually a growth in female employment from 1933-39. This was very ironic, the Nazis set out their policies for women to be able to gain from them in having children, however by having less children and getting jobs, women still gained as employment levels rose. Not all... ... for with Nazi beliefs, but were actually disagreeing with the traditional, rural beliefs. From this a mixed picture emerges, some women gained as a result of the personalised and individualised nature of the evidence. Even though the Nazi theory and policy were clear, there were significant contradictions and conflicting issues in practise. The roles issued to women were self-undermining and had logistical inconsistencies, for example, they could not have all the men out fighting and women home, who runs factories etc? These contradictions show some of the irony of Nazism. Some women felt more valued and appreciate and felt more stable, whereas others were sterilised, outlawed, and divorced on spurious grounds. The role and position of women varied between different groups because of the impact of Nazi Policies.

socity in todays world :: essays research papers

In today’s society, a job is necessary. Many people get up every morning hating what they do, but as the working class people we have to learn to live with it. Not everything we do we will like. Fenton is a worker for Seaboard World Airlines. He’s an everyday person that wakes up every morning to go to work. The difference between other people and Fenton is the fact he hates his job. I say he hates his job because of the way he talks about it. For example he says â€Å"Tuesday is always the worst day-it’s the day the drudgery, boredom, and fatigue starts all over again†(255). Fenton also goes on to say that the company owners don’t see them as important. To them the cargo loaders are brainless animals that are useless for anything else. As Fenton says, â€Å"The worst things a man can do is to make suggestion about building a better airlines†(255). I guess he says that, because people earning 7 dollars an hour can outsmart people that are earning 40,000 a year. In some cases that would scare the head office, and make them look stupid. We can even see the lack of respect in the working environment; Fenton describes the area as a hellhole. The windows aren’t clean and the sun doesn’t even come in. If I were in his shoes, I would also despise waking up everyday for work. People can only take so much before they start to lose hope. With this type of work also comes a loss of respect. The tasks the men are forced to do make them lose all hope for life. The only thing that keeps these men going, are their families. Without their families, half the men would just keep on driving, on there way to work and not stop. Work is a big part of life, so hopefully we will enjoy our job; however, We just have to learn to like what we do, but for Fenton his work is torture. While reading about Fenton’s experience, I started to see he has no hope. He makes it seem there will never be anything but loading cargo planes for him. That is not true take his co-worker Kevin .

Learning Disabilities Essay

Children that are dealing with learning disabilities have a difficult road ahead of them. If the disability is neglected or overlooked for too long, the probability of the child falling behind in school as well as social aspects in their life is very high. However, properly identifying the problem and determining the best steps to assist in managing the disability will be vital in their young lives in helping them to achieve their goals. Life can be difficult and sometimes cruel for children, let alone children that are dealing with learning disabilities. A learning disability is a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to process and respond to information. Cognitive theory and children with learning disabilities have a close relationship. When talking about children who have learning disabilities, it is safe to say that they are not always identified in its earliest stage, which then can lead to long term problems in an individual’s life. From physical, emotional, and social obstacles, all of which they will encounter at some point in their lives if the necessary measures are not taken to help these children. Not having the organizational abilities to acquire the knowledge as it may be taught, limits the ability to properly learn. From the articles I have selected, Children With and Without Learning Disabilities: A Comparison of Processes and Outcomes Following Group Counseling, Analogical Problem Solving in Children With Verbal and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, Working memory functioning in children with learning disabilities: does intelligence make a difference?, The Inhibition of Exogenous Distracting Information in Children with Learning Disabilities, and Cognitive functioning as measured by the WISC-R: Do children with learning disabilities have distinctive patterns of performance?, I will provide insight on how, why, and what the resolutions  are for these children. My chosen theory is relevant to my topic because a learning disability is a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to process and respond to information. A child with a learning disability may not have any major sensory problems yet they may still struggle to keep up with people of their age in functions of learning and regular daily activities. Through our development process, we become equipped with skills in order to grow, succeed, and evolve into our adult life. When a development stage, cognitive development stage, shows that the basic listening, comprehension, writing, reading, speaking, and the ability to reason are not present, someone needs to identify and address the situation as early on as possible in order for the child to have a chance to grow in all other stages of development. â€Å"Children With and Without Learning Disabilities: A Comparison of Processes and Outcomes Following Group Counseling† article will help to shed some light on the events that occur during the counseling process. â€Å"Analogical Problem Solving in Children With Verbal and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities† will help me explain how the children struggle with problem solving when dealing with a learning disability. In the article â€Å"Working memory functioning in children with learning disabilities: does intelligence make a difference?† will identify the importance of having a good, functioning ability to memorize and how children that have learning disabilities usually lack this ability. Cognitive Theory and Learning Disabilities Cognitive theory and children with learning disabilities have a close relationship. When talking about children who have learning disabilities, it is safe to say that they are not always identified in its earliest stage, which then can lead to long term problems in an individual’s life. From physical, emotional, and social obstacles, all of which they will encounter at some point in their lives if the necessary measures are not taken to help these children. Not having the organizational abilities to acquire the knowledge as it may be taught, limits the ability to properly  learn. A learning disability is a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to process and respond to information. A child with a learning disability may not have any major sensory problems yet they may still struggle to keep up with people of their age in functions of learning and regular daily activities. Through our development process, we become equipped with skills in order to grow, succeed, and evolve into our adult life. When a development stage, cognitive development stage, shows that the basic listening, comprehension, writing, reading, speaking, and the ability to reason are not present, someone needs to identify and address the situation as early on as possible in order for the child to have a chance to grow in all other stages of development. An example of the theory and condition where the two are intertwined would be when a child is in school and could be having difficulties with what other children take for granted as being simple skills that have been learned through development and interaction with parents, teachers, etc. In this child’s situation, he/she does not have the ability to understand the story that he had just read, and now has the task of answering questions about the story in writing. His cognitive development stage for some reason has not evolved the way it should have, which now has left him battling a learning disability that may have gone unnoticed by his parents. In this situation, it is now up to the teacher to be able to identify what is taking place and to make sure that the child receives the necessary attention and evaluation in order to help him/her overcome and cope with what they are struggling with. The difficult part in the whole process is identifying learning disabilities early on and being able to treat them appropriately and in a timely manner. With children, unless significant signs are present, the struggles early on could be attributed to just being a child if one isn’t familiar with the signs of a disability. Once the disability is diagnosed, many options and opportunities are present to help assist in the overcoming of the problems. However, if the disability goes undetected or ignored for too long, a life  of challenges lies ahead for the individual. Literature Review -Children With and Without Learning Disabilities: A Comparison of Processes and Outcomes Following Group Counseling. Authors name: Leichtentritt, Judith; Shechtman, Zipora. Publication date: Mar/Apr 2010 Title of publication: Journal of Learning Disabilities Summary: This study compared outcomes and processes in counseling groups of an expressive-supportive modality for children with learning disabilities (LD) and without them (NLD). Article relevance: This article provides and inside look and results into determining what the best form of counseling is for children with learning disabilities. -Analogical Problem Solving in Children With Verbal and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities. Authors name: Schiff, Rachel; Bauminger, Nirit Publication date: Jan 2009 Title of publication: Journal of Learning Disabilities Summary: In this study, they investigated the analogical problem-solving differences between children with verbal learning disabilities (VLD), nonverbal learning disabilities (NLD), or non-LD. Article relevance: This reference will help to show the struggles that LD children have in problem solving and the great disadvantage that they must overcome with this disability. Working memory functioning in children with learning disabilities: does intelligence make a difference? Authors name: Maehler, C; Schuchardt, K. Publication date: Jan 2009 Title of publication: Journal of Intellectual Disability Research Summary: The present study explored several functions of working memory. A working memory battery with tasks for the phonological loop, the visual-spatial sketchpad and central executive skills was presented in individual sessions to 27 children with learning disabilities and normal IQ (ICD-10: mixed disorders of scholastic skills), 27 children with learning disabilities and low IQ (intellectual disabilities), and a control group of 27 typically  developing children with regular school achievement levels and normal IQ. Article relevance: To show a comparison on how the functions of the brain are affected when dealing with a child with a learning disability. -The Inhibition of Exogenous Distracting Information in Children with Learning Disabilities. Authors name: Censabella, Sandrine; Marie-Pascale Noà «l Publication date: Sept/Oct 2005 Title of publication: Journal of Learning Disabilities Summary: This article reports on an experiment examining the capacities of children with LD to inhibit exogenous interference, such as automatic, prepotent responses and distractor interference. Article relevance: To support the fact that children with LD have interference with there working memory and to explain the possible solutions. -Cognitive functioning as measured by the WISC-R: Do children with learning disabilities have distinctive patterns of performance? Authors name: Amedeo D’ Angiulli; Siegel,Linda S. Publication date: Jan/Feb 2003 Title of publication: Journal of Learning Disabilities Summary: Patterns of performance on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) have been proposed as useful tools for the identification of children with learning disabilities (LD Article relevance: Support in the findings that children with an LD show a pattern in performance that can be determined in early stages in order to counteract the disability. Conclusion The reality of the situation is that learning disabilities in children will always be around. The hope is that someday, with improving knowledge and experimentation, we will have a solution in the process of treating the disability that will allow for the children that have the issues to not feel isolated. The fear alone of a child falling behind in school and in their social life is a stressful situation for that child. Identifying the  disability early and treating it properly is the key to a life without handcuffs.