Effects of gambling Essay Example for Free

Effects of gambling Essay What are the Odds? With flashy lights, cheap buffets, and free hotel rooms; owners of casinos use these things as a ruse to pull people in. In a study by Dr. Weinstock, it was found that when gambling, the odds are stacked against the player. The odds of a college athlete becoming a pro football player are 3,000 to 1, the odds of being struck by lightning are 280,000 to 1, the odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are 140,000,000 to 1 (Weinstock). Gambling is a complex and intriguing human activity. It has been in existence for several thousand years. Casinos are now located everywhere and gambling has become a recreational activity for all kinds of people. Gambling can be destructive to people and communities; however gambling can be a positive pastime because it provides entertainment and relaxation. It is a popular activity because people find it so pleasurable. The United States History of Gambling board did a study shows that thirty-eight percent of Americans will go to Las Vegas in their lifetime (History of Gambling in the United States). People go on vacations to places like Las Vegas or Reno Nevada, which are two major cities for gambling, to gamble for fun. It’s an enjoyable activity. People can participate in many different types of gambling; those with instantaneous prizes or scratch cards, slot machines, betting on sporting events, betting on special events, televised lotteries and traditional lotteries. Gambling can be positive and negative for these reasons: economy, addiction, harmful to the youth, and scholarships. Gambling preys on people who are poor, luring them with the promise of a life free from financial worries and burdens. In a physiological study, sixty percent of casino revenue comes from gamblers making less than $25,000 per year (Nance-Nash). As a result, bankruptcy rates are 100 percent higher in counties with casinos than in counties without casinos. While casinos may bring in tax revenue, this is perhaps the worst form of regressive taxation imaginable (Nance-Nash). The poorest of the population are the ones funding this tax revenue. On a more positive note, the regulation of the economy is a positive in favor of gambling. Wherever there is a casino, there is people spending money. When people win money, they use it to purchase items, thus putting the money back into the economy. Through regulation of the economy, new schools and hospitals can be constructed because of the increased funds caused by gambling taxes. With the creation of new casinos, other businesses in the area are often forced to shut down. Although gambling establishments may give tourism a boost, there may also be an increase in crime rates, which clearly isn’t a positive change. With more people passing through a town or city, there are more opportunities to commit crimes without getting caught. Gambling addicts can turn to thefts, robbery, fraud and embezzlement just to get more gambling money. The benefits to local businesses may be overstated, since many tourists will confine their activities to casinos and may not even spend their money elsewhere. Casinos are bad, because when people become addicted, it takes away from the economy by providing rehab, food, and housing assistance. As some people view gambling establishments as providing jobs, the activity also takes jobs away. People who become problematic gamblers become so addicted that they feel like that can’t do anything else besides betting. In turn, this causes people to lose their job in result of this addiction. 50% of college students were either problem or probable pathological gamblers (Weinstock). Looking at gambling from a different angle; when these establishments are built, other real estate such as hotels and restaurants are added to the community. These businesses provide more jobs. . Casinos are a positive because of the jobs they provide. Such jobs include: dealers, security staff, janitors, and entertainers. By providing more jobs, casinos help increase the population in an area. Jobs in the casino industry are often well paid jobs. Casinos make a great addition to a city with rundown areas because they encourage visitors and tourists. Gambling addicts not only do damage to themselves but to their families. Gambling addicts take a whole lot of time away from their families and friends. Whats worse is that they may even be spending not just their money but money for their familys daily expenses or for their kids education. Addicted gamblers fail to recognize this and are only focused in getting more cash when in reality, theyre just losing more. Gambling badly affects family life. Divorce, child neglect and suicides are products of gambling addictions. The legalization of gambling is not a problem, people who become addicted bring the problems and suffering upon themselves. A lack of self-discipline can lead to financial problems. Americas gambling addiction isn’t too far behind the nation’s drug problem, and it’s growing (Nance-Nash). In the United States there are 15 million Americans addicted to gambling and 23 million addicted to drugs or alcohol so the problem of people being addicted to gambling is not as bad as it may look. Also, there is a simple cure to gambling and that is to just stop going to casinos. Drugs have harmful effects and are much harder to break that addiction. The key for society is to find the right balance of it. Furthermore, people should be aware of the downsides of gambling so they participate in moderation. Gambling is fun and rewarding but destructive too, if one doesnt know how to handle it. As a youth, the rates of being at-risk for problem gambling can be two to three times higher than an adult. Gambling has become a problem because young kids, not yet old enough to gamble are now participating in this harmful activity, illegally. Huang found through research that students who gamble are at risk of obtaining other addictions such as binge drinking, marijuana use, cigarette use, and unsafe sex. (Huang) Living in the constantly changing times of today, technology has made placing bets easier than ever before. Students are liable to take part in gambling because it is deemed socially acceptable. As is it glamorized by advertising, and promoted as a sport, more and more people have found it okay to throw their money away on a nonsense game of luck. Although, for students gambling creates money for scholarships like the Arkansas Lottery scholarship. The Arkansas Lottery Commission is responsible for providing entertainment to the public and maximizing the revenue generated. Though gambling is looked at both negatively and positively everyone has their own opinion. They are all opinions; by giving supporting facts for both looks I have shown that gambling does have its ups and downs. Neither out ways is the other gambling something that will more than likely always be around. The gambling industry only exists because there are people willing to risk their money on a game of chance in the hope that they will make a profit. Usually, the only people who profit are the owners of casinos and other gambling establishments, but there are some people who are convinced that their day will come. Is it worth the risk to gamble your life away? While doing research supporting gambling it was found that gambling is beneficial because it stimulates the brain and strengthens decision making skills. (Campbell) People gamble, whether it is legal or not, because it helps them face the world more successfully than they could without the spark which it gives. Gambling is just an extension of entertainment like going to the movies or out to a sporting event. Casinos and gambling are harmless in moderation. They are beneficial to the community and the people who live there. Legalized gambling is a national sensation. The gaming industry is prosperous and should continue expanding.

The Function And Principle Of A Circuit Breaker Engineering Essay

The Function And Principle Of A Circuit Breaker Engineering Essay The main of a circuit breaker is to control electrical power in a system by switching circuits ON, by carrying load and by switching circuits OFF under manual or automatic supervision. Circuit breakers are usually in a closed position while carrying load, or in an open position which provides electrical isolation. They are summoned on to change from one condition to the other only occasionally, and to perform the special function of closing on to a faulty circuit or blocking short circuit current only on very rare occasions. Therefore the main property of a circuit breaker is that they must be reliable and work instantaneously to operate any switching operation when called upon after long period of time without movement. During the past 50 years as a result of growth in network size, the severity of duties such as interruption of short circuits has immensely increased. Due to the growing technology in the world, network voltages have risen from 132 to 750kv now in this period experimental network systems of 1000kV are being built. SC ratings have risen from the order of 1106 kVA on networks with low circuit severity factors and associated with ill- defined proof testing techniques, to 50x 106 kVA on networks that involve very high circuit severity factors, also these are associated with elaborate proof testing. Earlier plain break oil circuit breaker designs required a rather variable time of 10-20 cycles to operate their switching functions. But the introduction of arc controlled systems quickly reduced it to 6-8 cycles, improving this technology further many designs have been now made that can operate within 2 cycles. 2) Development of circuit breakers: Oil The most successful of the arc interrupting systems in history was undoubtedly the oil CB which is still used in its principle nature in present day practice. The oil CB uses the properties of the arc by using its energy to crack the oil molecules and generate gas, principally hydrogen, which with properly designed control systems can be used to sweep, cool and compress arc plasma and so de-ionise itself with a self-extinguishing process. But this system was unstable and it became evident that there was a need for circuit breakers which possessed a more positive system of interruption than the forticious de-ionisation associated with uncontrolled gas and oil flow. An early and notable step up was the general electric (USA) H Type CB introduced in 1920s, which employed two metal explosion pots per phase, oil filled and with insulation nozzels through which the moving contacts were withdrawn vertically upwards, the explosion pot had been mounted on ceramic insulators within an air- ins ulated cubicle structure. Later, Slepian (Westinghouse) proposed a deion grid in which the arc was fored to be submerged in the OCB tank, which increased effectiveness of the means of preventing the escape of gases generated in the vicinity of the arc without passing through the arc steam (Baker and Wilcox, 1930). Another approach was to use the arc to generate high pressures within a small insulating chamber immersed in the oil, such as that developed by GE(Prince and Skeats, 1931) in USA, which restricted oil and gas escape to an axial flow surrounding the arc plasma in the throuat of the interrupter; and later in the cross flow interrupter developed by the British Electrical Research Association (Whitney and Wedmore, 1930), which forms the basis of many present day designs. The controlled turbulence and high pressure and resultant rapid de-ionisation in these systems eliminated the erratic operation of the plain break by virtually eliminating the leakage current, but with this it also eliminated the useful voltage damping and voltage control function this current had performed in previous designs, voltage division then reverting to the capacitance controlled distribution. A desirable compromise would be to retain the advantages that leakage current can afford but eliminating the erratic nature of this control. No means of achieving this have as yet been suggested and this may remain in soluble, because of the difficulties of the control problem it creates. For this to take place in a surrounding in which dielectric stress imposed by the network is changing at several thousand volts per microsecond and in which arc plasma conductivity changes approximately a billion times as fast as temperature in the critical range of 1000-3000 K associated with thermal ionization. The idea of a single break carrying out the whole duty however extended too high in voltage in some designs in terms of contemporary techniques at this period, some difficulty was observed in situations such as switching long open ended transmission lines. These limitations were associated with the electrical and mechanical strength of the insulation materials then available, which neither permitted the CN to be designed with the acceleration necessary to ensure restrike free switching, nor to have their jet assemblies restricted sufficiently to prevent the arc, in unfavorable situations, from from flashing through the jets and along the outside of the interrupter, thus by-passing the interrupting mechanism provided. The advances in performance of present day e.h.v. dead tank oil and low oil CB construction have been brought about by using the multibreak designs, but with the added complication of positive voltage control; by reducing the inertia of the moving parts through the use of new high tensile materials or eliminating mechanical linkages by the use of high preassure oil drives; by improved containment of the arc with the interrupter as the result of the grater pressures that can be sustained through the use of materials such as thread wound fiberglass; and by working on techniques for arc control, which include limited forced oil flow pressurizing of the interrupter. The overall complication of low oil circuit isolation switches, made possible by the improved internal dielectric parameters following shorter arc time. The multibreak (Prince, 1935) impulse CB already referred to was a special case as it relied entirely on oil flow produced by a piston driven by external energy. The best known example of this type is the 8-break 287 kV 2500 MVA General Electric Boulder Dam installation commissioned in 1935, which afforded a 3-cycle interruption under all conditions of switching. These CB were also the first to be proved by means of realistic high power synthetic testing using current and voltage supplied from different circuits and synchronized within a few  µSec at current zero, using a system devised by Skeats(1936). These tests were carried out without any sort of failure to an equivalent SC level in excess of 4000 MVA, and it is of historic interest to the world of synthetic testing, on which modern high power breakers rely largely for proof of rating, to note that these CB were still operating successfully, after 35years of service, in a network with a fault capacity of the order of 7000 MVA. The high price of powerful equipment needed to drive the oil in both American and British models of this system discouraged future projects in this area, thus hampering development in this field, at a time when the modular construction of the air blast CB made possible began to be apparent. This together with a change away from oil and it should be considered that even engineering is not free from the influence of fashion encouraged a swing to airblast construction. Nevertheless the difficulties ingerent in deciding on such long term development policies in switchgear are exemplified by the decade or more which passed before the HV irblast CB matched the best oil CB practice in both their performance and reliability. Miniature Circuit Breakers: Miniature CB are only used at LV, mainly in domestic or light industrial or commercial operations. In general they are used in the same applications as semi-enclosed or cartridge fuses and offers an alternative for protecting radial or ring circuits. They are usually only single phase devices and have a typical rated load current range of up to 100A with a maximum SC rating of 16kA at 240V. Manually operated over center spring operating mechanisms are used. MCBs usually employ a series overload coil for rapid SC tripping and bimettalic element for tripping on overloads. All miniature CB operate on the air- break principle where an arc formed between the main contacts is forced, by means of an arc runner, and the magnetic effects of the SC currents, into metallic arc splitter plates. These cause a no. of series acrc to be formed and at the same time extract energy from the arc and cool it to achieve a state called arc extinction. With some design modifications of the MCB this arc interruption process can be so rapid that current cut-off can be achieved in much the same way as described for a current-limiting fuse. MCBs do not provide rapid operation for very low values of earth leakage current. In todays world wiring regulations require that a very rapid operation is achieved in the occasion of an earth fault to subsidize the harms of electrocution. This requires operation for earth fault currents as low as 30mA in a time of 2-3ms. C:UsersMohmed TalhaDesktopdoosanproject report (mid sem)MCB working.jpg Fig 3.1 Working principle of a MCB To achieve this requirement on MCB a variation on the basic construction is done. Such a modified device is known as earth leakage CB. Tripping at such low values of earth leakage current is done by using an internal current transformer to pass feed and return conductors. Resultant flux of the CT core is zero. Under EF condition the feeding and return currents will be of different values, this current difference cause flux to generate with the CT core which produces an output voltage at its secondary terminals. The tripping circuit of the residual current device is energized from the secondary winding terminals. The contacts of the MCB and residual current devices are not maintainable and have to be replaced after a limited number of operations is necessary. This problem is seldom and eroded contacts can be usually detected by overheating which causes unnecessary tripping of the device. Air Circuit Breakers: Atmospheric air is used as an interrupting medium in an ACB. The arc is drawn between its contacts and extended via arc runners on to an arc chute where it is presented with a large cooling surface of arc splitter plates. These break the arc into a number of series arcs. The running principle of an ACB is the same as that of an MCB. Free air circuit breakers are often used in LV and MV applications up to approximately 20KV. A rated current of typically 4000A and also work perfectly in case of a SC current of up to 90kA at 12kV. Fault level, number of operations and types of load are applications of LV switchgears where tireless operation is required. Also due to economic considerations molded case CB have replaced many LV applications where previously ACBs were used. But, ACB still dominate in areas where high performance, long term reliability and maintainability are basic requirements. A very typical application to support this statement is in generating stations LV auxiliary suppl y. The main application of HV ACBs has been in applications where the exclusion of flammable materials is a fundamental requirement. Again a typical application being in a generating stations HV auxiliary supplies, mainly 11kV. But such high rated ACBs are very expensive and are not recommended, thus this is diminishing and the scales are tipping over to the more favorable SF6 circuit breakers. A further application of the ACB is for use with DC supplies, this method of interruption still being the most suitable for d.c. circuits. DC circuit breakers are widely used where ratings of up to 3 kV exist. AIR BLAST CIRCUIT BREAKERS: These use a blast of compressed air at a pressure of 25-75 bar which is derected across the arc patch to cool and remove ionized gas. Only when arc lengths are short and at first or zero current the air blast circuit breakers perform fast in interruption. Also in the receiver of the CB compressed air has to be stored locally. This local reserve has to be replenished from a local air compressor. Usually a suitable ring main network is used as a central system to feed the circuit breakers. 2 types of Air Blast Circuit Breaker exist: Sequentially isolated circuit breaker recloses after air blast Pressurised head circuit breaker- remains open after air blast SF6 circuit breakers A circuit breaker in which the current carrying contacts operate in Sulphur Hexafluoride or SF6 gas is known as an  SF6 Circuit Breaker. SF6 has an excellent insulating property. SF6 has high electro-negativity. That means it has high affinity of absorbing free electron. Whenever a free electron collides with the SF6 gas molecule, it is absorbed by that gas molecule and forms a negative ion. C:UsersMohmed TalhaDesktopdoosanproject report (mid sem)SF6 CB.jpg Fig 3. Working of an SF6 CB Disadvantages of SF6 breakers SF6 is considered as a greenhouse gas and though it is very efficient in some circuit breakers, laws are being passed which restrict the emission of this gas into the atmosphere in some countries. Also the energy requirement of an SF6 breaker is 5 times that of an oil circuit breaker which is not very economical Fig 3. One type of SF6 rotating arc principle Types of SF6 circuit breakers: Single interrupter- 220kV system Double interrupter- 400kV system Four interrupter- 715kV system Working of the SF6 CB (ref. http://www.electrical4u.com/electrical-switchgear/sf6-circuit-breaker.php) The working of SF6 CB of first generation was quite simple, it is some extent similar to air blast circuit breaker. Here SF6 gas was compressed and stored in a high pressure reservoir. During  operation of SF6 circuit breaker  this highly compressed gas is released through the arc and collected to relatively low pressure reservoir and then it pumped back to the high pressure reservoir for reutilize, Innovation of puffer type design makes operation of SF6 CB much easier. In buffer type design, the arc energy is utilized to develop pressure in the arcing chamber for arc quenching.  Here the breaker is filled with SF6 gas at rated pressure. There are two fixed contact fitted with a specific contact gap. A sliding cylinder bridges these to fixed contacts. The cylinder can axially slide upward and downward along the contacts. There is one stationary piston inside the cylinder which is fixed with other stationary parts of the SF6 circuit breaker, in such a way that it cannot change i ts position during the movement of the cylinder. As the piston is fixed and cylinder is movable or sliding, the internal volume of the cylinder changes when the cylinder slides. During opening of the breaker the cylinder moves downwards against position of the fixed piston hence the volume inside the cylinder is reduced which produces compressed SF6 gas inside the cylinder. The cylinder has numbers of side vents which were blocked by upper fixed contact body during closed position. As the cylinder move further downwards, these vent openings cross the upper fixed contact, and become unblocked and then compressed SF6 gas inside the cylinder will come out through this vents in high speed towards the arc and passes through the axial hole of the both fixed contacts. The arc is quenched during this flow of SF6 gas. During closing of the SF6 circuit breaker, the sliding cylinder moves upwards and as the position of piston remains at fixed height, the volume of the cylinder increases which introduces low pressure inside the cylinder compared to the surrounding. Due to this pressure difference SF6 gas from surrounding will try to enter in the cylinder. The higher pressure gas will come through the axial hole of both fixed contact and enters into cylinder via vent and during this flow; the gas will quench the arc. Vacuum Circuit Breakers: Vacuum CBs do not require an interrupting medium or an insulation medium. The interrupters do not contain ionizable material During the separation of current-carrying contacts, contact pressure reduces real contact surface reduces and the temperature of contacts increases to melting temperature, this produces metal vapors which initiates the vacuum arc, maintaining until the next current zero. Due to the special geometry of spiral contacts, the arc column is kept rotating by the radial magnetic field produced in order to involve a wider surface than that of a fixed contracted arc. Thus, overheating and erosion of the contacts are prevented. So the lifespan of the CB is increased. Since there is no interruption or insulation material in the medium there is definitely no decomposition of gases or particles. Advantages of vacuum circuit breakers: Very long lifetime of the contacts Less maintenance required Less moving parts in mechanism Less force needed to separate the contacts Environment friendly. Since interruption takes place in a vacuum medium, VCBs do not require gas or liquid addition. This reduces the possibility of leakage of gas that can be harmful to the environment. Requirements of a circuit breaker: The power dealt by the circuit breakers is quite large and serves as an important link between the consumers and suppliers. The following are the necessary requirements for a circuit breaker or switchgear It must safely interrupt the normal working current as well as the short circuit current After occurrence of fault the switchgear must isolate the faulty circuit as quickly as possible i.e. keeping the delay to minimum It must have a high sense of discrimination i.e. in systems where an alternate arrangements have been made for continuity of supply it should isolate the only faulty circuit without affecting any of the healthy ones. It should not operate when an over current flows under healthy conditions Circuit breaker Tripping schemes Relay with make contact type Relay with break contact type The make type contact necessities auxiliary DC supply for operation, while the break type contact relays derive their tripping energy from main supply source, they are discussed as follows; Relay with make contact type: The relays are connected in star, while their three contacts are connected in parallel and this parallel unit of contacts is connected in series with breaker auxiliary switch and trip coil to battery supply. When a fault occurs on any of the phase the relay will close the contact this energizes the respective trip coil which opens the CB and along with it auxiliary switch is opened and the trip coil De energized, the supply of current to fault path is stopped and the relay contact comes to normal position. The advantage of the auxiliary switch is that breaking of the tripping circuit takes place only across this switch and arcing, etc. which is harmful to contacts over the relay contacts is avoided. Relay with break type contact: The tripping circuit derives its energy from the main supply source through CTs or PT. The relay elements and the trip coil of each phase are connected in series and are so connected as to form a star connection. Under the normal working conditions the relay contacts are closed and at the same time the trip coils energized. When a fault occurs, the relay contacts open and CB trip coils are energized to open the CB.

Implementation of Data Protection Act in Childcare

Implementation of Data Protection Act in Childcare Unit 5 Choose and evaluate four of the 8 Data protection Act principles, providing examples of how these would be implemented in a child care setting. Data should be fairly and lawfully processed. This means data collected must be obtained legally and without any deceit. The child care setting will require written consent from each individual’s child’s parents/ guardian/ carer in order for personal data to be collected and processed. In this respect it will be taken that consent is implied through the following: Clients – by the parent/ carer who signs the registration forms and appropriate consent forms as a ‘contract for nursery care’ for their child/ children. Employees – by completing the job application form at onset of employment, and where the employee has not registered an objection to their data being used. Good explanation. Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed. This is the third data protection principle. In practice, it means you should ensure that: You hold personal data about an individual that is sufficient for the purpose you are holding it for in relation to that individual, and you do not hold more information than you need for that purpose. You should identify the minimum amount of personal data you need to properly fulfil your purpose. Child carer should identify the minimum amount for children of personal data they need to properly fulfil their purpose. They should hold that much information but no more. This is part of the practice known as â€Å"data minimisation†. Personal data shall be accurate and where necessary kept up to date. This is the fourth data protection principle. Although this principle sounds straightforward, the law recognises that it may not be practical to double check the accuracy of every item of personal data you receive. So the Act makes special provision about the accuracy of information that individuals provide about themselves or that is obtained from third parties In a child care setting, every child care provider shall keep current records of child and family information for each child enrolled during the period of enrolment and for a period of at least two years after discharge, which shall include All child information Parent information Telephone number of the parent or guardian while the child is attending the child care centre Name, address and telephone number of a person designated by the parent or guardian to be contacted in the event of an emergency if the parent or guardian is not available Records of any medical, physical, developmental or emotional conditions relevant to the care of the child Each childs Manitoba Health registration and personal health identification numbers and name of the childs physician Where applicable, copies of separation agreements, court orders or other documents setting out custody arrangements for each child. Parents to keep carer updated with any change of personal change i.e. change of address, divorce, separation, etc. Child care regulations require attendance reports to be kept and available for inspection for a period of two years. However, centres are advised to consider keeping attendance reports longer for other purposes, such as income tax To comply with these provisions child carer should: Take reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of any personal data they obtain. Ensure that the source of any personal data is clear carefully consider any challenges to the accuracy of information and consider whether it is necessary to update the information. You could also recognise here, the importance of accurate and up-to-date child information records. Data should be securely stored Personal data and records will be maintained under appropriate conditions of security to prevent any unauthorised or accidental disclosure. Records can be hard copy (paper) format and computer files. Particular attention is paid to the following aspects of the record storage. Hard copy file. Identification of storage; Identification of those employees authorised to have access. Computer file: Password- protection for access to sensitive data files: Who is authorised to have knowledge of these passwords Back up, control and management of what are essentially copies of personal data. In child care setting when personal data is being processed, staff will take reasonable precautions to prevent sighting of data by unauthorised persons: Record files are locked away when are not in use. Where practical computer screens should be tilted towards the user and away from the general office environment; Computers are not left on when not in use to secure the children delete the recording data or either the carer should put separate computer special for children. Good. Evaluate the need for accurate, legible and up to date record keeping, and identify the consequences of non-compliance. It is important to keep records which are up to date to provide accurate, current, comprehensive and concise information concerning the condition and the care required for all individuals. Accurate, legible and up to date record keeping provide the basic for planning and help to insure that children’s natural desire to discover, explore and learn are supported and encouraged. Keeping goods record help staff and carer to see a picture of the whole child over a period of time and understand children as part of a family and as member of the community, also will help other member to carry on if the key person is absent Record should be kept in a clear and logical manner, using clear language that can be understood. Accurate information needs to be recorded so that parents can pass this on to HMRC for the calculation of tax and benefits that they are entitled to. From a healthy and safety accurate records are necessary to insure that correct medication is administered when necessary for children and that allergy information and special requirements are adhered to. A good point. Legibility is also needed because is important from a financial perspective, to insure that correct information is submitted to the HMRC for tax purposes. All records which are produced weather written or electronic must be signed and dated, they must also be stored correctly in accordance with that data protection act 1998. It is vital that records are kept up to date, as this ensures that the individual’s needs are being met, and may also help to reduce the likelihood of abuse. Service users must be involved and informed about any changes made within their personal records and care plan files; this may also include medical or social service records Effective record keeping by health care workers can also ensure that a high standard of health and social care is being provided within the working environment; all information written in files must be clear and relevant and must never be discussed outside of a working environment as this would again breach the customer confidentiality law, the law also states that if it’s not written down, then it never happened, so this is yet another reason as to why it is so important to keep up to date records, regarding an individual’s general health and well-being. It is important to keep the record information clearly so everyone who will ever need to have an access to them will not struggle to understand them or read them. Accurate and up-to-date recording is important especially when there is an emergency and the staff-in-charge is not available due to illness, vacation, resignation, etc. Good records and documentation will facilitate communication between service providers to ensure coordinated, rather than fragmented service. Consequences of non-compliance The record will not be easily searchable. If records are not update in child care setting child carer might be getting the wrong tests and wrong treatments to a child, if they werent accurate, they might get wrong medication dosage and if the writing isnt legible, the child care nurses would not be able to read and carry out the doctors orders. May not have backup unless copied on routine basis or carbon-copied. Requires legible handwriting Pages may fall out – this can be remedied by the use of reinforced whole paper. In child care setting is very important to keep the dada accurate, legible and up to date in case of any absent of someone, anyone in the setting can know exactly what to do as the records shown. Good, an important point discussed. . Explain the difference ways of recording digital and paper records in the child care setting Digital recording is the translation and transcription of sound into an on-off format (binary). This binary transcription is called a digital recording, and is done by an analogy to digital converter (ADC). A digital recording can be translated back into sound by computers and other playback devices. (This is a definition of a digital sound recording and is not necessary for this question) Ways of recording digital and paper records in the child care setting are:- Portable hard drives: This is a piece of equipment that sits outside of a computer or laptop on its own enclosure, the easiest way in child care setting is to use it for backup as it can be plugged in the computer and data recorded or saved onto it, this can be done by saving each individual file or folder for the children and stored securely in a closed cabinet or safe. Computer or laptop is also a digital recording means which used in almost every child care settings. Child carers are using computer program as record keeping devices to keep the record of children’s friendship groups, spontaneous play experiences, attendance records, and children academic progress records. These records can be used in mind mapping exercises to plan for children’s long term learning and development. Child care providers also using digital cameras to assist children to record their own activities or learning experiences when there in the setting. Other devices like USB flash drive and CDs are also used to record digital data in child care settings. These devices can be put together with child’s folder. USB Flash. CDs and DVDs Some centres still favour paper-based methods of recording information. This includes day-to-day snapshot recording done on Post-its. At the end of the session these are transferred into the child’s individual record or on to the planning sheet as a way of planning the following day’s activities, and to take account of individual children’s interests. Some centres adopt a ‘Plan do and review’ approach, and the children are encouraged to record their own interests or what they have done that morning on a large sheet of paper or on a whiteboard. This recording can be done on their behalf by an adult or they can draw their own picture. Child home book. A home book is a book that the child brings from nursery to home and then back again, and is a way of encouraging two-way dialogue. This is helpful for the staff and alerts them on how to prepare the child for whatever changes that are happening at home. For example, in Great ones Nursery the children go to their key worker at the end of the morning to review what they have enjoyed that day. Kylie tells her key worker that she really liked shining the torch through some coloured glass. The key worker writes this down. Timmy says he liked playing with the cars best and he draws a picture of a car to illustrate this point Identify the primary types of data storage for digital and paper records, and evaluate the best option for a home child care setting. Digital storage, would be stored on any normal computer hard drive, as well as backed up at least twice on external hard drives which are stored at various locations Media doesnt truly exist unless there are 3 copies You store these at different locations, stops the loss of data through theft and fire as its spread over locations. Encryption for digital files is also recommended, as it would then be far harder for any thief or unknown person to gain access to any saved data and media Source(s). Paper storage would obviously be in Ring binders or folders in plastic wallets and envelops marked with sticky labels for dates and times etc. sorted numerically. Files should be stored on their spine with the file pin at the bottom of the box. Where a file only consists of individual documents or items and they can be stored flat on the bottom of a box – take care not to stack too many items on top of one another or retrieval may be difficult and damage items at the bottom In a Home child care Settings a dedicated space must be appointed for storage of both digital and paper data storage. The folders or ring binders must be kept in a secured drawer or cabinet which is locker able and easily accessible. The computer and all other files are perfect in child care setting but should be in a specific room (Home Office) that not everybody can access them that is not required or associated with the childcare business this includes members of the family. Ether all are perfect for child care setting but paper records should not be stored on the top of shelving units. Files may be too close to ceiling lights and exposed to dust and in the event of fire, water damage from fire sprinklers. Aisles between shelving should allow easy access to, and transport of records. Suitably sized tables should be located near storage cabinets, so that staff can safely check the contents and retrieve items from boxes and drawers. Storage drawers should be clearly labelled with their contents so that items may be retrieved with a minimum of handling.

Execution as an Appropriate Deterrent to Crime :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Execution as an Appropriate Deterrent to Crime Execution is an appropriate punishment for people convicted of premeditated murder, rape, treason or child molestation. By allowing these people to live in prisons for their whole lives, taxpayers' money is being wasted. More money is spent on providing for convicts than is spent on disadvantaged children in the United States. New prisons also have to be built, using taxpayers' money, to house convicts. Those prisoners who are there for life should be executed, creating more room for other criminals without having to build more prisons. Execution would also lessen the level of violent crime because felons would not want to die. By making and example of people who are executed for murder, child molestation or rape, other people considering committing these crimes might be deterred. One needs to consider that it costs a lot to execute people. Also, a person executed might be innocent. Once someone is killed, there is no way to bring him back. There is also really no way to compensate the family for the mistake. By letting people live and not executing them, there is no risk that they execute an innocent person. There are other, more meaningful ways to punish people without killing them. By having a murderer make restitution to the surviving family members, he will have to consider what he did every day of his life. If the murderer is executed, it is over and the family will not be compensated. Also, working in jails and building new ones creates jobs for other people. Others also look at the moral issues. A constant truth everyone is taught is that two wrongs don't make it right. By executing people, some interpret it as saying that two wrongs do make it right. The executioner is also a murderer though he does it legally. The executioner must be a medical doctor , but by executing people., he is violating the Hippocratic Oath, that all doctors take, which says that he will preserve life, not destroy it. People who argue that execution is immoral have to realize that the law is above morals. Overall, it would cost less to execute someone than it would to feed, clothe, house and entertain a person for twenty years. The money saved by not having to provide for people in jails could be used to create other jobs for people.

Connection of European Trials Essays -- Witch Witches Hunting Essays

Connection of European Trials The witch hunting trials that took place in Early Modern Period occurred across the expanse of Europe, including in its believers groups of people ranging from kings and popes to peasants and servants. Some historians argue that the witch trials of the Early Modern Period where not connected; that the trials where not related to each other and are not part of one large witch-hunt. Other historians argue that the witch hunting trials are related to each other by there similar characteristics. The Early-Modern witch trails where both related and separate entities that where born with the help of elite and common people’s belief in Catholic as well as Protestant locations including Geneva, Trier, Scotland, England, Bamberg, and Runchain. One thing that both the Catholics and the Protestants did have in common was the belief that the Bible was the word of God. Partly because of this belief both Protestant and Catholics participated in the practice of witch hunting. John Calvin began the Calvinist movement that began in Geneva Switzerland. Calvin lived from AD 1509-1564 during the Early Modern Period. During the Protestant Reformation Calvin wrote about witches stating, â€Å"And Paul, after he has warned us that our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but with the princes of the air, with the powers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness [Eph. 6:12].†1 This passage that Calvin took from the Bible helps to illustrate the feelings of the new Protestant church toward witches and witchcraft. The passage also shows that the Protestant church, like the Catholics, believe that witches are a threat and that something must be done to dispose of their demonic and wicked presence. The demonic ... ...ty of Pennsylvania Press, 1972. â€Å"The Confessions of the Chelmsford Witches of England.† In Witchcraft in Europe 1100- 1700, edited by Alan Kors and Edward Peters. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1972. â€Å"The Persecution in Scotland.† In Witchcraft in Europe 1100-1700, edited by Alan Kors and Edward Peters. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1972. â€Å"The Persecutions at Bamberg.† In Witchcraft in Europe 1100-1700, edited by Alan Kors and Edward Peters. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1972. â€Å"The Persecutions at Trier.† In Witchcraft in Europe 1100-1700, edited by Alan Kors and Edward Peters. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1972. â€Å"The Trial of Suzanne Gaudry.† In Witchcraft in Europe 1100-1700, edited by Alan Kors and Edward Peters. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1972.

Brand Management Sara Lee: The Unno Launch Essay

1. What were Grupo Sans’ brands and what brand identity did they have? Grupo Sans, a leader in Spanish underwear market in 1970s and 1980s, was founded in 1960 in Matarà ³. Becoming a part of Sara Lee Corporation, the multinational company with the biggest at that time textile division in the world, in 1991, contributed to the growth and development of the company, and has led to the fact that 9 years later(in 2000) Grupo Sans’ income accounted for more than one-fourth of Sara Lee’ income in Spain. Source: Google Images Name Year Target Group Values Name Year Target Group Values Name Year Target Group Values Abanderado 1963. 1st underwear brand of Grupo Sans. Men and young boys. Was the market leader for men’s underwear in Spain by the year 2000. Traditional, solid, masculine, attractive price, best materials. Princesa 1969. 2nd underwear brand of Grupo Sans. Young girls and grown-up women. Traditional, feminine, attractive price, best materials. Princesa 1969. 2nd underwear brand of Grupo Sans. Men and young boys. Comfortable, sophisticated, attractive price, best materials. Love at first sight! As we can see, all 3 underwear brands of Grupo Sans shared the same values: to provide their customers with the highest quality product at an affordable price. A distinctive feature of the underwear of the group was conventionality of products, which was important for the main target audience: adults and the elderly. This led to the fact that although with existing brands Grupo 1 Sans managed to become the market leader in Spain with market shares of 35% in slips and boxer shorts, 45% in men’s T-shirts, 23% in women’s T-shirts, 15% in panties, and 37% in baby’s romper suits, there was a gap in target audience between 15 and 35, who perceived the underwear as too traditional and nonfashionable, and thus didn’t want to buy it. That, and several other factors, have led the management of the company to the decision to create a new, non-traditional and modern brand of underwear – Unno. 2. When and why was the Unno brand launched? The year 1994: Here comes digital era with cell phone and Internet businesses. A new generation of brands had appeared in Spain, all attacking the youth segment and bombarding it with new concepts, new technologies, and new brands. Suddenly the understanding comes that youth is the segment that consumes most and, with the advent of social networks and other modern means of Source: Google Images communication, represents opinion leaders. Meanwhile, Grupo Sans faced difficulties in achieving further growth due to static situation on domestic market, at which 90% of sales were made. Spain had the lowest birth rate in Europe and there was zero population growth. Moreover, underwear quality was constantly improving and it took longer for garments to wear out. That is why Group Sans had to target teens in underwear industry in order to increase profit and achieve further growth. It could be made by means of line extension of the group’s traditional brand (such as Abanderado, for example) or by creating a new brand, which would specially address young people aged 15 to 35. The problem with first choice was described by Josep Maria Sans: â€Å"Boys growing up wanted their own brand once they became teenagers. Abanderado couldn’t satisfy that need because the kids had worn the same brand as children and it was also what their parents wore. The same was true of the Princesa brand in the case of girls†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That is why in 1999 the company decided to adopt a new concept, and establish a new brand Unno which became successful due to several reasons: 1) Employing the seamless garments now possible with the new technology 2) Simple and understandable for teenagers brand name â€Å"Unno†, which communicated that the product was the first, the best and unique. 3) you?† 3. Was it really preferable to laungh the Unno brand than to ext end one of the existing brands (Abanderado and/or Princesa)? The marketing campaign, with slogan â€Å"Are you wearing it, or aren’t At the moment of the launch of the new line of underwear that used the new technology, Grupo Sans was facing a dilemma: should the new line be launched as an extension of one of the group’s existing brands (Abanderado, Princesa and Ocean) or should it be launched under an entirely new brand that the company would create from scratch? 3 Given the fact that Grupo Sans’ brands have a big share of the underwear market and both are well-known brands by the consumer, the initial thought would be to extend either of these brands to launch the new solution. However, as strong as these brands were at the moment of the launch, they were targeting very specific segments: while Abanderado targeted adult men and boys, Princesa targeted adult women and girls. This meant that, even if these brands were very successful in these segments, it could be hard to extend them onto other target segments such as the one Grupo Sans identified: young adults between 15 and 35 years old. This new segment didn’t want to wear any of the other brands because they saw them as â€Å"something their parents wear†, something uncool and boring. As the following positioning map shows, none of the existing brands could easily be extended to cover the targeted segment. Moreover, if one of the brands was to be repositioned in order to fit the new segmentation, its sales from existing customers could drop significantly. In addition to this, Grupo Sans wanted the new line to be perceived as something innovative and cool and decided to give the new line the highest priority in the company. Therefore, it made more sense for them to launch the new product and new technology under an entirely new brand: Unno. That way, they could focus on building the brand from scratch and making sure it was perceived the way they wanted. 4. How would you assess Unno as a brand name? Makes think of leader Brand â€Å"the first to do something† Unifies brands for women and men Short, â€Å"cool† name – just what teenagers want May lead to confusins â€Å"Unno† or â€Å"You no† in English, for example Unno – one piece Sounds Italian – this is good for fashion industry The goal of launching the Unno brand was to create a new product line that was perceived as something modern and innovative. We believe that the name Unno fits perfectly with this goal because of several reasons. First of all the word â€Å"Unno† is an alteration of the word Uno, which means one in Spanish. This is perfectly in line with Grupo Sans’ strategy for the new brand: to be the leader in the new technology and in the new segment they target. Moreover, it can be associated with being the first to get into this market, being the first mover. In addition to this, the brand â€Å"Unno† also signifies the unification of Grupo Sans’ male and female brands. As a name, Unno sounds cool and is short enough for people to remember easily. Young adults, Unno’s main target, will feel identified with the brand and the name will help them perceive the brand’s image. Moreover, the name sounds very Italian, which can be beneficial thanks to the positive perception of Italian fashion. Finally, the name â€Å"Unno† perfectly portrays the new technology Unno represents. A one-piece garment that feels like you are not wearing anything. It becomes one with your body. 5. What were Unno’s main communication objectives in 1999 and 2000? Why? Even though there were specific communication objectives in 1999 and 2000, the main objective of Unno’s advertising was to sell the concept of a one-piece garment that moulded to the body’s shape, didn’t leave marks, and stretched to fit. The brand was communicating the idea that comfort was the main product benefit, and that it was like not wearing anything at all. Unno’s communication was also aimed at achieving brand awareness for being the first and only brand selling this kind of product at that moment. But, advertising and commercials were not exactly the same in 1999 and 2000. In 1999, the year of the new product and brand launch, the main communication objectives were to inform about the benefits of the new technology used in the new product. The company focused on letting people know what were the benefits and the garment qualities of the Unno innovative underwear. These garment qualities were mainly that it was seamless and hugged well the body, so it was pretty well related to the idea of 6 â€Å"selling comfort† to people. In order to communicate all these features and create brand awareness, most commercials had a very long audio which exposed the main benefits of the new technology. Moreover, advertising was made using provocative images as to attract people’s attention and make them know the brand and the product. The year after, in 2000, something changed. The fact that they had ran out of stock, made the company feel that not as much communication efforts were needed, so they decided not to allocate as many resources as they did while the brand’s launch and to shorten the length of the audio in commercials. So, in general terms, communication changed in the sense that less was spent on it and adverts got short, but the slogan was kept the same as the company wanted to keep on communicating what were the productâ₠¬â„¢s benefits and to generate brand awareness. The reason why the company was communicating such things was mainly to educate customers about the new technology and its benefits, in order to make them first try the product and then wanting to change from the traditional underwear to the seamless and hugging one. They decided to communicate it in an innovative differentiated way, with the half-naked models in ads, to attract people’s minds in order to recognize the product and create brand awareness. This kind of advertising was done due to the fact that they were targeting the young people segment and had to find a non-traditional way to advert non-traditional underwear. On the pictures below we can see the kind of provocative advertising that the company was doing, as well as the slogans: â€Å"Are you wearing it or not?† â€Å"You’ll feel as if you’re wearing nothing†

Enron Corporate Culture Essay

Bench was founded in the Philippines by Ben Chan in 1987 originally selling men’s t-shirt in small retail stores. The brand is registered under the trademark of Suyen Corporation. The brand also grew on providing ladies’ line, underwear, fragrances, house wares, snacks, and a wide array of other lifestyle products, Kyle Marco P. de Vera, Justin Andrew Lawrence L. Rigor and Jolo Marco R. Tayag are junior students from the Department of Marketing and Corporate Communications in San Beda College AY: 2012-2013. The researchers have equally contributed to the fulfillment of the research with the help and advice of Dr. Jennifer T. Ramos. with the distinction of being present in virtually every retail space in the Philippines, and with a worldwide network of stores and outlets, reaching as far as the United States, the Middle East, and China. It has also been a pioneer to the use of celebrity endorsers, television, and giant billboards to push for a fashion brand that offers premium quality products at affordable prices in the market. By multiple product line and brand extensions, Bench was able to go through demographic divisions such as age, gender, socioeconomic status having â€Å"Bench is forever† as the company’s article of faith. Emerging as a global brand, Bench has 610 stores worldwide, 67 internationally & 543 locally. (Adapted from Bench’s Website) Growing globally resulted to creating new product lines and extensions of the Brand; known for being an apparel brand, Bench as a product-oriented company have evolved into being a market oriented brand not only selling clothes but also extending to the market’s needs in terms of lifestyle such as food and personal care. One of Bench’s promising extensions is Bench Fix, aside from the Fix salon, hair wax is also one of the commonly sought product today in their offerings. Many companies or brand today have been adapting to the trends and needs of the society, by utilizing the brand that they have established in the market, they make their offerings relevant at the fast changing time. Product-line and brand extensions do not only create new markets but it is also one of the strategies in maximizing brand equity to survive in the competitive industry. The intention of the study is to know whether Bench is a strong Brand, by assessing its brand equity, brand positioning and competitiveness in the market and eventually make realizations for other pioneered and extending brand entities. The researchers got interested with this particular study because they want to discover whether a local brand of apparel like Bench, can be a strong brand and if it can be as appealing as those of the foreign brands that Filipinos patronize. Operational Framework Input Process Output Figure 1. 1 showed the three variables that have been assessed to know whether Bench is a strong brand, it can be measured through the independent variables, and these are the brand equity, the brand positioning and how Bench deals with the competition. The dependent variable is Bench being a strong brand because it has been the variable subject for result. The figure also displayed the process that the researchers have worked on. The research is a descriptive type of study. Survey was used to gather quantitative data which had been interpreted by its corresponding verbal interpretations. The person triangulation was intended to check and balance the consumers’ evaluation and be able to supplement qualitative data. Conceptual Framework This concept was adapted from , which suggested that a strong brand is manifested through the following indicators; Strong Brand Equity, Strong and Clear Brand Positioning, and Competitiveness. The main problem of the study is to know whether Bench is a strong brand. It specifically seeks to answer these following questions: 1. What is the assessment of the consumers to Bench’s brand equity? a. Brand Awareness b. Perceived Quality c. Brand Loyalty d. Brand Association 2. What is the consumers’ assessment on Bench’s brand positioning level? a. Attribute b. Benefits c. Beliefs and Values 3. How does Bench deal with the competition? a. The relative strengths and weaknesses of competition. b. The marketing strategies of their competition. Assumptions were used in this study. The researchers assumed that the product line and brand extensions of Bench are only categorized into accessories, apparel, personal care, footwear and food that the consumers have assessed in the questionnaire. They also assumed the determinants used in assessing the brand positioning. The researchers presumed that the close competitors of Bench are Folded & Hung, Mint, Penshoppe, and People are People. The researchers assumed that Bench is not a strong brand. The study will benefit local competitive company brands to push for a more valuable product and service to create stronger brands enabling them to prepare for product and brand extensions so that they can survive long in the competitive market, not only that they will focus on their current products and services but they can also focus on the other needs and interests of the market. This study will also be able to provide companies and researchers a basis for assessing whether a brand is strong or not. The study will also benefit Bench, because the study will be able to provide an insight with regards to the brand’s current standing and be able to help them identify their existing constraints that inhibit their full brand development. To the researchers, the study will serve as ground for development, as future marketers. This research will be a good foundation for their career. In this study they will be able to assess, select, and apply carefully theories and concepts that they have learned and to the future researchers, the study will be a good source of information if ever it will relate to their topic well. The researchers are expecting that this will be available to the public since the current researchers also had a hard time finding local studies, this will be a good reference for them. Hopefully, the future researchers will be able to improve on this study and also be aspired to help other local researchers as well. It will also benefit the consumers, with the study conducted they will be able to learn and explore more of a brand’s offerings in the market. With more choices, variation in the brand, it will likely improve their buying behavior as to how they manage their lifestyle of selection and consumption. The scope of this study was limited on the assessment of the indicators of a strong brand, which was adopted from Armstrong and Kotler, namely; brand equity, brand positioning, and how a brand deals with competition in the market. The researchers were only focused on Bench as subject. With regards to the quantitative data, there is an ideal number of one hundred (100) respondents composed of buyers and nonusers of the brand to avoid conditional sampling; For the qualitative data, one (1) of Bench’s brand manager and one (1) brand manager of Bench’s competitor has been interviewed, particularly Folded & Hung. Because the study is only good for duration of five (5) months, it has to meet with the researchers’ convenience. The researchers are bounded by time financial difficulty, respondents and lack of expertise. Review of Related Literature Building a Brand, a Strong One Brands play an important role in the purchasing decision of the product or service . Companies establish a brand primarily because they want to be considered a reference for customers when purchasing or availing products and services. Like what have said in their study, brands act as shorthand in the consumer’s minds so that they do not have to think much about their purchase decision. Being a reference provider, the brands are the interface between consumers and the company; on the other hand consumers are subject to commit to brands. Since brand is a cluster of functional and emotional values that promises a unique welcome experience (Chang & Liu, 2009) and are fundamentally about relationships, these should form the main source of any company’s connection to the customers so that a brand may be able to avoid negative perception and aim for positive feedbacks. Brand’s influence is not imposed by the company or the business; rather their relevance depends on the needs and wants of the people because â€Å"the power of the brand lies in the minds of consumers† . â€Å"Brand name alone does not make a brand† one has to be strong enough to develop a market-leading brand capacity that is essential for long-term competitiveness. What is a strong brand anyway? In identifying a strong brand, we have to take in consideration some key indicators of such; high brand equity, brand positioning and competitiveness. The Brand’s Labor: Brand Equity Aaker defines brand equity as a set of assets and liabilities inked to a brand’s name and symbol that adds to or subtracts from the value perceived by a product or service to a firm and or the firm’s customer however Keller defines brand equity as the differential effect of the brand knowledge on consumer response to the marketing of the brand . Aaker’s definition on brand equity is centered on the consumer’s negative or positive perception attached to the brand while Keller described it as the difference between the business’ projection of the brand on the consumer’s interpretation and perception of the brand. Taking it from a study’s perspective, have suggested that brand equity is the outcome that accrues to a product with its brand name compared with those that would accrue if the same product did not have a brand name, simply put it is the outcome of the overall marketing effort of the brand. Since there is already an evaluation of the product and service, brand equity plays a role in how information is learned and then retrieved and used in making choice . That is why brand equity has emerged as a key strategic asset that needs to be monitored and nurtured for maximum long-term performance . Not only that it serves as an important signal to reduce perceived risk but it is also why considers brand equity as the value of a brand to the firm. According to brands with higher equity have an established strength in the market for they are able to generate higher immediate returns from their marketing mix efforts and higher loyalty brands generate greater stockpiling from promotions. Also have mentioned that buyers respond to branding by purchasing the same products or brands or by showing preference toward a particular brand, bringing firms higher in the market share, higher profits or share value. To sum it all up, brands which have higher equity can get the customer’s preference and tendencies and result in higher level of sale . The concept of brand equity has remained a complex phenomenon for many researchers because of the many associated concepts applicable under it. To understand it fully, the researchers would have to identify its key components. Aaker approaches brand equity as a set of fundamental dimensions grouped into a complex system comprising mainly: brand awareness, brand perceived quality, brand loyalty and brand association. The Impression, Brand Awareness For a brand to sustain a presence in the marketplace, people must be aware of it. As such, at its most basic level, knowledge encompasses brand awareness and the extent to which customers recall and recognize the brand. . To define brand awareness, it is the consumer’s ability to identify the brand and can be measured with the help of brand recall and brand recognition. Brand recall is the ability of consumers to retrieve the brand from memory, when the product category, the needs fulfilled by the category, or some other type of probe, is given as a cue. Brand recognition reflects the ability of consumers to confirm prior exposure to the brand . It is also the extent to which a person able to recognize a particular brand given a set of brands according to . According to the role of brand awareness in building brand equity depends on the strength of the brand’s presence in the consumers’ mind and with that brand awareness had become a vital factor to influence the buying decisions and purchase intentions . It also enhances the prospects of being considered in the future purchase situations. . But awareness alone is not enough according to for the initial work was found that awareness alone was not adequate to build brand understanding. It will also need help of the other brand equity’s dimensions. Perceived Quality: The Judgment To sustain one’s presence in the market, awareness had been the founding principle to perform such but is the image just right to deliver positive quality perception that may even push more knowledgeable consumers to buy or purchase products. Perceived Quality is defined as the customer’s judgment of performance of a performance excellence of a product or service relative to the expectations of quality (Balaji, 2011). In other words perceived brand quality represents consumers’ view of how well a brand meets their requirement and expectations . According to , he stated that â€Å"perceived quality also represent consumers’ judgments regarding a brand’s overall superiority†. To add on Huang’s study, said that consumers’ apparel purchase decisions may be more likely to be influenced by their perceptions of apparel attributes such as price, quality, and style than by their concerns about the ethnical conditions under which apparel is or was produced. Perceived quality is a consumer’s subjective judgment about products or services . It is personal and irrational, quality may only equate to a certain features and benefits that are unique or different from others and these qualities may not be of standard or preference of one prospect, meaning a brand may only be able to be successful if they impress the right people or the target market per se. Brand Association: The Synapse Associations represent what the brand stands for and imply a promise to customers from the organization members. This means that brand association is something that provides meaning to a brand . In other words, brand association are ideas or descriptions consumers can relate with the product or service offered by the brand. Other definition of brand association stated by and is that it is anything linked in the memory of the consumers to the brand and the thoughts that come up to mind after brand or offering is recalled. Brand associations help consumers retrieve and process information and evoke a positive effect and cognitive considerations of the benefits . By convenience, brand association can actually make the product information more accessible that it can influence faster purchase decisions of consumers. Brand Loyalty: The Corner Stone Another dimension of brand equity is brand loyalty. To define brand loyalty on understanding, it is â€Å"a deeply commitment to rebuy or repatronize a preferred product or service consistently in the future, causing repetitive same brand or same brand set purchasing, despite situational influences and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching behavior†. In relation to the study, mentioned that loyalty is understood to be a long term attachment to a firm and it is considered to be intimately linked to consumer based brand equity. Now how can brand loyalty be of use, brand loyalty is of strategic importance for companies to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage because it is considered as one of the most important factors affecting consumer choice according to and. In identifying loyalty, satisfaction strength is a vital determinant because it plays a crucial role in the translation of stated satisfaction into customer loyalty and research of indicates that though satisfaction is link to some aspects of loyalty, its impact may depend on facets of the prior relational experience. In addition, the authors anticipate that satisfaction strength will influence both loyalty and the translation of satisfaction into loyalty, also suggested that the willingness of individual consumers, employees, friends the investor personal sacrifices in order to strengthen the relationship may help. One of brand loyalty’s substance is, Brand self-connection wherein according to is the idea that attachment involves a bond with the brand included as part of the self; it suggests that a critical aspect of attachment involves the cognitive and emotional connection between the brand and the self. That’s why trust in a brand is important and is a key factor in the development of brand loyalty according to because it can result to customer retention. In metaphor, brand loyalty is the cornerstone of brand equity and brand itself. Brand Positioning According to marketers need to position their brands clearly to target costumer’s minds at the lowest level; they can position the brand on product attributes. However attributes are the least desirable level for brand positioning. A brand can be better positioned by associating its name with a desirable benefit. The strongest brands go beyond attribute or benefit positioning. They are positioned on a strong beliefs and values. They explained the concept of brand positioning in terms of its three levels. The brand must be aligned to its goals and prospect consumers in order to be positioned well in the market. Like what have mentioned in their study, consistency in value delivered helps brand providers understand the value targets and helps customers understand the brand positioning. In the study of , they stated that it is important for businesses to create attraction in their brand to be better positioned than their competitors. In return, when a brand has a relative advantage in consumers’ mind, its market share should increase or at least not decrease . The study of mentioned that positioning is a very left brained phenomenon, where brands are narrowly defined by either personality or benefits. When one defines brands so rigidly, the advertising gets predictable, and there’s no margin for creativity or expansion. Fluid nature and flexibility is one of the ways for brands to survive. Brand belief works by tracking a particular brand also by trying to see it in the context of other brands of the same category, the comparison creates a distinct positioning. Advantages to Competition