Thursday, December 26, 2019

Penny Press - One Cent Newspapers

The Penny Press was the term used to describe the revolutionary business tactic of producing newspapers which sold for one cent. The Penny Press is generally considered to have started in 1833, when Benjamin Day founded The Sun, a New York City newspaper. Day, who had been working in the printing business, started a newspaper as a way to salvage his business. He had nearly gone broke after losing much of his business during a  local financial panic caused by the cholera epidemic of 1832. His idea of selling a newspaper for a penny seemed radical at a time when most newspapers sold for six cents. And though Day merely saw it as a business strategy to salvage his business, his analysis touched upon a class divide in society. Newspapers that sold for six cents were simply beyond the reach of many readers. Day reasoned that many working class people were literate, but were not newspaper customers simply because no one had published a newspaper targeted to them. By launching The Sun, Day was taking a gamble. But it proved successful. Besides making the newspaper very affordable, Day instituted another innovation, the newsboy. By hiring boys to hawk copies on street corners, The Sun was both affordable and readily available. People wouldn’t even have to step into a shop to buy it. Influence of The Sun Day did not have much of a background in journalism, and The Sun had fairly loose journalistic standards. In 1834 it published the notorious â€Å"Moon Hoax,† in which the newspaper claimed scientists had found life on the moon. The story was outrageous and proven to be utterly false. But instead of the ridiculous stunt discrediting The Sun, the reading public found it entertaining. The Sun became even more popular. The success of The Sun encouraged James Gordon Bennett, who had serious journalistic experience, to found The Herald, another newspaper priced at one cent. Bennett was quickly successful and before long he could charge two cents for a single copy of his paper. Subsequent newspapers, including the New York Tribune of Horace Greeley and the New York Times of Henry J. Raymond, also began publication as penny papers. But by the time of the Civil War, the standard price of a New York City newspaper was two cents. By marketing a newspaper to the widest possible public, Benjamin Day inadvertently kicked off a very competitive era in American journalism. As new immigrants came to America, the penny press provided very economical reading material. And the case could be made that by coming up with a scheme to save his failing printing business, Benjamin Day had a lasting impact on American society.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Standardized Testing Is An Important Part Of Our Modern...

Standardized tests are part of every student’s life but not for a good reason. These tests haunt students in their sleep and give them a nightmare. To understand what I am writing just study your kid on the week of standardized tests. One can see the fear, anxiety and helpless in their eyes. Standardized testing has become an important part of our modern education. There is not an American student who doesn’t sit down these test many times a year in their educational journey. These tested are heavily monitored, they are supposed to measure students’ knowledge and performance. However, there are may problems with standardized tests, including bais, anxiety and not inclusive. Nevertheless, how effective are these tests? Do they really measure knowledge? Many scholars have talked about the role of standardized tests in students performance. The answer is no. Standardized tests do not measure student s education or knowledge. The topic of standardized testing is comp lex in that it provokes a system that has been established for a long time and that is used by every college and school in United States. Many people believe that standardized tests are biased and aren’t inclusive while others argue that they are effective in testing student’s knowledge. This topic also proposes a big change to our educational system. Even Though standardized tests make competition among students and schools possible and may be evident of what they learned, these testing organizations makingShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Standardized Testing In Education1140 Words   |  5 PagesThe standardized test has become the staple of the United States K12 education system. Students at all levels are routinely tested, and schools evaluated based on the scores. It’s easy to look at this as a necessary part of the system, a needed way of assessing both school and individual student performance to ensure quality across all schools. These tests are regarded as a tried-and true way of doing this, when in reality they are neither old nor accurate in assessment. I move in this essay thatRead MoreStandardized Testing : A Gateway Of Opportunities And Successes For Many Scholarship Bound Students821 Words   |  4 Pages Ogechi Nwokonko Mr. Marshall English 1301 11/12/2014 Researched Argument Although standardized testing was a gateway of opportunities and successes for many scholarship bound students, it was also the downfall in the educational system today. How can we define standardized testing? According to the Edglossary, state testing can be defined as a test that: â€Å"requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from common bank of questions, in the same way, and thatRead MoreNo Child Left Behind and Standardized Testing Is Not Working810 Words   |  4 Pages Standardized testing has become something of a norm under the No Child Left Behind Act. It has left the student and teacher responsible in having high test scores and has forced teachers to teach directly by the curriculum. What standardized testing does do is help develop memory, but at the cost of creativity (Emanuel 9-10). This is the problem behind standardized testing is that it has become linear and obsolete (Emanuel 9-10). It has been noticed by many for example Sir Ken Robinson said,† TestingRead MoreAnti Intellectualism By Richard Hofstadter1716 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is Anti-Intellectualism? According to Dictionar y.com, Anti-Intellectualism is defined as being hostile toward intellectuals and the modern academic, artistic, social, religious worlds as well as other theories that are associated with them. Although Richard Hofstadter’s Anti-Intellectualism in American Life won the 1964 Pulitzer Prize, it is now almost fifty-fives out of date. Not to mention the ideas within the book are seen as suggesting a type of self-defensive justification rather than anRead MoreAnalysis Of Montaigne s On The Education Of Children 909 Words   |  4 PagesMontaigne’s essay â€Å"On the Education of Children† brings to light a new way at looking at the way one would educate a child. Yet, the question still stands; has today’s modern style of educating children changed for the better since Montaigne was alive? During Montaigne’s day education focused heavily on rhetoric, on learning to speak a certain or remember a fact only to be able to show off that you remembered it. F or example Montaigne says â€Å"not in the fashion of our French nobles, simply to reportRead MoreArgument Essay: Standardized Testing925 Words   |  4 PagesStandardized Testing: Good or Bad? If someone was to ask you â€Å"how do you define student achievement?† what would your answer be? Would you say student achievement is measured by state achievement tests? Or would you say that student achievement is too complex a subject to be objectively measured? There are many important skills students must be taught, and we need a way to effectively measure if they are in fact learning those skills. However, standardized tests cannot effectively show the learningRead MoreI Are Not Special By David Mccullough Jr., An English Teacher And Son Of A Pulitzer Prize1466 Words   |  6 Pagesnear the end of Spring 2012. His words, â€Å"You are not special. You are not exceptional,† went viral across the country (Tugend). McCullough’s words spark question to the common goals that older generations and America’s educational system insist upon our country’s youth. In other words, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, playing three high school sports, and excelling in music or drama does not make an individual extraordinary anymore. Individuality is defined as the quality or character of a particular personRead MoreEssay on Standardized Tests Are Ineffective1578 Words   |  7 PagesStandardized tests are unnecessary because they are excruciating to the minds of many innocent students. Each year, the tests get tougher and stricter until the students cannot process their own thoughts. The tests become torturous to the minds of those only starting in the world of tests. The students already battling in the war are continuing to fall deeper and deeper into the world of uncreativity and narrowness. As the walls narrow in on them, they are lost and unable to become innovative thinkersRead MoreEssay On College Admissions989 Words   |  4 Pagesbecause test scores can be inaccurate due to digital systems and databases, humans express themselves in actions, not numbers, and grades are more so a scale of compliance. Often, test scores can be glitchy and inaccurate. In our modern age, students take standardized testing through computers and other technology to get grading done faster. Commonly, technology can be very glitchy and can also be hacked. Technology is becoming easier to hack into and altered to someone’s advantage. Applications inRead MoreEducation And The World Of Physical Education1402 Words   |  6 Pagesbeen a disconnect in the world of Physical Education. The stigma that physical educators bare has brought misunderstanding to parents and kids alike. The importance of health and even the education of basic motor skills has been substituted for standardized testing, and PE classes are further cut away in school budgets due to a lack of awareness. Studies have proven on multiple occasions that there is a very strong correlation between more physical education and higher test scores. Giving children the

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Business Strategy of Aurecon Porter-Free-Samples for Students

Question: How can Aurecon improve its stakeholder management Specifically customer needs in order to ultimately increase market share? Answer: Aurecon Singapore Aurecon Singapore has been offering its services to the high-end market. however, it is now considering ways in which it can increase its market share for its services. This section seeks to analyze Aurecon Singapore in relation to its business-level strategy, corporate level strategy and innovation while concentrating its service industry. In order to gain a bigger market share, Aurecon Singapore has to change or improve its strategies. This is achievable through an analysis of the present current market strategies and align them with the desired goal that is, to increase its market share for its services. Business level strategy The analysis is done using the porters generic strategy diagram which is as shown below: - Aurecon porters generic strategy diagram Competitive advantage Lower cost Differentiation Competitive scope Broad target Cost leadership Differentiation Narrow target Cost focus Differentiation focus Currently, Aurecon Singapores business strategy focusses on two levels of strategy for its services products. First is differentiation through high cost and high value while the second is broad market through provision of a wide range of services. Aurecon Singapore, provides a wide range of services for example advisory, design, delivery and asset management services (Schatz, 2014). All this is done through the help of their highly trained and experience staff. The two strategies have enabled Aurecon Singapore compete well in a competitive environment. Through its richness of expertise, it has been able to provide services to the high-end market through its high-value product which attracts a high cost. The excellence of Aurecon Singapore has also been achieved through engaging in a wide market range hence fetching profits from different channels (Bird, 2017). The two strategies are perfect although sometimes a very wide range of products and markets may lead to confusion. Instead of further diversifying or increasing its product range, the next best move can be to adopt another strategy which does not collide with its current one. The adopted strategy must be in line with its vision which is Innovative provides high-quality services. Having this in mind the suggestion is maintaining its differentiation strategy but now focus on lower cost. Since the organization has been concentrating on high cost previously, it can now strive to also gain the low-end market share but maintain quality on its broad market as its competitive scope (Powell et al, 2015). This can be achieved by engaging in providing its services to small projects for example homes, infrastructure, renovations et cetera. Although the profit per product is less, the market size is big. There is a rising demand for better homes in nowadays on which Aurecon Singapore can take advantage of. Corporate Level Strategy Ansoff Matrix diagram can be used to explain Aerocon Singapores corporate level strategy for its services and is as shown below. Products/ Services Existing New Markets Existing Market penetration New products And services New Cost focus Conglomerate diversification The focus here is on its existing market. Having this in mind, the analysis from the above diagram shows that it can either improve through market penetration or through innovation directed towards developing new products or services. Market penetration can be enabled by executing initiatives that lead to increasing the market share. As suggested earlier, differentiation through low cost but quality business strategy can help in enhancing the market penetration strategy. If Aurecon Singapore changes its focus from corporate markets only but focus also on individuals and low-end investors, then it is possible to increase the market share (Foreign Aff, 2015). The main advantage of the combination of the two strategies is that they do not require much research and capitalization. This is because Aurecon Singapore has been in this market for a long time and has the capitalization required hence do not require to invest more towards this. Penetrating on an existing market is much easier than penetrating in a new market. Some of the favoring conditions are that there is no need for much marketing and promotion which proves to be costly and time-consuming are less. Aurecon can also take advantage of the contacts with the existing customers. Some of the contacts which are the employees of their existing clients can provide a new market since they are already aware of the quality of Aurecon products. Since residential houses market is increasing, these clients employee may be in need of building their homes and can be easier to approach when implementing this strategy. This is because individuals do not have much money to spend although they still demand quality (Davis, 2017). The increased demand for Engineering consulting services gives confidence for this strategy. Aurecon should, therefore, be consolidating all the service and allocate resources to meet this demand. Innovation In its to increase its market share in its existing market, Aerocon Singapore needs to engage in innovation of new services. To acquire the desired outcome which is to acquire more market share, Aurecon must decide on how to implement this strategy (market penetration supported by differentiation on the low market but maintaining the high quality) effectively. This can be determined by analyzing the current organization position and design the path to achieve the desired outcome. Market analysis is of great importance in this area. SWOT analysis done shows that there is an opportunity presented by increased demand for engineering consulting services while the key threat is lack of engineering talents (Johnson, 2016). This means that we need to devise ways to increase staff output without stretching the human power a fact that calls for a technology upgrade. In todays world, innovation is at its highest in the sense that better and more efficient equipment and machinery are being made every now and then. There is also a demand for better designs and high quality which are enabled by improved technologies. For Aurecon Singapore, to be able to implement this strategy effectively, they have to take advantage of his technology-push market. This shall help in compensating for few engineers and also help them come up with better products at a low cost. The increased demand for consulting services which is a market pull calls for high output. With this knowledge Aurecon Singapore can meet the increased demand for better products whose production cost is low through innovation. When the organization has advanced technology, they can design products which are unique and push them to the market which is the market pull. The increased demand shall quicken the achievement of increased market share objective (Tomczak T., 2018). Since Aurecon Singapor es vision is Innovative provide high-quality services better equipment shall help the staff to be more creative and which shall lead to innovating for better, unique and high-quality products. Such products shall always attract client and also help improve an entitys image. References Aff, F., 2015. focus on corporate markets alone but also on individuals and low-end investors, then it is possible to increase the market share. Heinonlin, p. 69. Bird, S., 2017. Knowledge Transfer Between RD Projects and Commercial Projects: A Conceptual Framework. Singapore: Springer. Davis, G. F., 2017. Can an Economy Survive Without Corporations? Technology and Robust Organizational Alternatives. Academy of Management Perspectives, Vol. 30(No. 2), p. 30. Johnson, G., 2016. Exploring Strategy: Text and Cases. Chicago: Pearson Education . Powell et al, 2015. A refined compilation of implementation strategies: results from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) project. Implementation Science, Volume 2015, pp. 10-21. Schatz, F., 2014. Goodwood Residence. Architecture Australia , Volume 103(Issue 3), pp. 92-99. Tomczak T., Reinecke S., Kuss A., 2018. Introduction. In: Strategic Marketing. Wiesbaden: Springer Gabler

Monday, December 2, 2019

Progressive Era Reformers free essay sample

The Progressive Era, a period in United States history between the 1890s and 1920s, was a period of â€Å"social activism and political reform† that flourished in many ways. The purpose of the Progressive Era was to purify the corrupt government, invoke social change, and improve the economic state of the lower and middle classes and immigrants. The Progressive Era reformers were generally very effective in addressing the problems of the late nineteenth, early twentieth century in America. With advancements in media development and innovation, groups such as muckrakers were able to expose corruption in the government and scandals in public health. Social reformers such as Margaret Sanger and Alice Paul were very influential in inciting change to social equality. With the help of institutions such as the Hull House and people like Charles Evan Hughes, immigrants and members of the lower and middle classes were relieved of the corruption and poverty put upon them by big businesses and the corrupt government. We will write a custom essay sample on Progressive Era Reformers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Progressive Era reformers were very successful in addressing the problems at the turn of the century and beyond. Prior to the Progressive Era, life was very difficult for lower and middle class citizens, as well as the majority of the immigrant population. Constantly at the mercy of the powerful bosses and corrupt companies, these citizens could not earn a steady income, and some could not even provide for their families. Many people were attracted to the new Progressive Party due to the fact that it helped to give more power to the workers and promoted economic equality. Much of the attractiveness to the progressive party was as a result of the muckrakers. These were investigative journalists who propelled Progressivism by exposing corruption, economic monopoly, and moral decay in the American society. Through magazines such as The Crisis and McClure’s, muckrakers successfully exposed the problems of American Society with the new innovation of the photograph. Photography lead to so much exposure, acts such as The Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act were put in place to end the corrupt public health system. The Pure Food and Drug Act required that companies accurately label their foods and the Meat Inspection Act required that meat processing plants be inspected to ensure healthy practices. Muckrakers made such a significant impact on the American society, they sparked a new way of thinking as well, realism. Realism was a way of thinking that prized detachment, objectivity, and skepticism. This new way of thinking encouraged the average citizen to ponder about corruption, and the changes that could be made. In the 1890’s, intellectuals and artists of all sorts set about creating truer, more realistic ways of representing and analyzing American society. With the rising popularity that Progressivism was gaining, soon came a sense of new nationalism. Unlike previous America, new nationalism was Roosevelts reform program that called for establishing a strong federal government to regulate corporations, stabilize the economy, protect the weak, and restore social harmony. Progressivism not only encouraged a change in politics, but in society as well, specifically, for women. Women encountered many problems in society between 1890 and 1920, the first, and most apparent being the outlawed use of contraceptives. Being that husbands chose when to engage in sex with their wives, women would often become impregnated, but could do nothing about it. Since birth control was completely illegal, women had two choices, either kill their baby with whatever means necessary, or follow through on their pregnancy and have another child. While in modern society, most families welcome in new life, but during the progressive era, another baby meant another mouth to feed, another child to care for, and another child to cloth. In extreme cases, families ended up with ten or thirteen children all living on the low income of one person, usually the husband. This all changed however, in 1916, when a woman named Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic. Margaret Sanger was a leading advocate for the legalization of birth control during the progressive era, and was very successful in the fight for her cause. Another problem that women faced during the progressive era was suffrage, or lack there of. By this point in time, women were the only citizens of America who were not allowed to vote. Neither race nor ethnicity determined whether one could vote, as it did previously in history. Now, it was solely based upon gender. Gender equality advocates like Alice Paul played a major role in the fight for equality for women. Their fight proved to be quite successful because, in the year 1920, the 19th amendment was passed, granting women the right to vote in America. The women of America made great strides towards equality and freedom during the progressive era, however, the economic state of the African Americans as well as the immigrants was quite poor The Progressive Era was a major financial struggle for African Americans as well as the immigrants. Both were, for the majority of the time, uneducated and unskilled. This meant that most of them could only find work in monopolis or other unskilled labor positions. With the help of W. E. B. DuBois, the situation soon changed, at least for the African Americans. W. E. B. DuBois was the first ever African American to graduate from Harvard University, and was the founder of the NAACP. The NAACP was an association the was dedicated to the advancement and liberal arts education of African Americans, for the purpose of equal treatment amongst whites and better job opportunities. Along with that came the Tuskegee Institute, founded by Booker T. Washington. The Tuskegee Institute was dedicated to teaching African Americans trade skills with which they could use to getter better, more lucrative jobs. The immigrants were experiencing similar problems, with respect to income and poor living conditions. Like the African Americans, the immigrants were unskilled and unfamiliar with the American workforce. This meant they were forced to take whatever job they could get, which were usually very low income and demanded long hours with poor conditions. This meant poor living conditions, low food supply, and little amounts of clothing. Reformers such as Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr saw this as a major problem, and decided to do something about it. These two reformers co-founded The Hull House. The Hull House was an institution developed for the purpose of helping financially troubled immigrants get on their feet. It offered a place to live, running water, and food. It was very successful in aiding the immigrants. The reformers of the Progressive Era, roughly 1890 through 1920, were quite successful in the fight for their cause. Corruption both in the government and big businesses was a huge problem. The muckrakers, however, were very successful in exposing the corruption and ending the corrupt practices. Eventually, the Clayton Anti-Trust was enacted which outlawed the the creation of a monopoly and ended all monopolistic practices. Women were also experiencing discrimination when it came to both control over themselves, their bodies, and the government, i. e.  voting rights, or lack there of. People like Margaret Sanger and Alice Paul were successful in ending both of these problems with the legalization of contraceptives and the passing of the 19th amendment, allowing women to vote. With the help of W. E. B. DuBois and The Hull House, the financially troubled African Americans and immigrants were able to sustain moderately lucrative jobs and become moderately financially stable. The Progressive Era reformers were very successful in addressing the problems of their time, and inciting positive change for all of them.