Kfc Versus Mcdonald’s

INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background KFC According to the information, â€Å"Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is a chain of fast food restaurant based in Louisville, Kentucky, United States that selling Kentucky Fried Chicken around the world. † It had been rated at number 60 as the world most famous brand by BusinessWeek. For KFC, fried chickens was the food they primary focus to sells. â€Å"Their basic products included chicken pieces, salads, sandwiches, desserts and some roasted and grilled chicken cuisines too. † Besides that, the beef and pork based products also offered by KFC outside the USA.The first idea of KFC’s fried chicken actually is in 1930 but it was only founded in 1952 by Colonel Harland Sanders, who was born on September 9, 1980 in Indiana, America and he was the man who developed the secret recipe which blends of 11 herbs and spices for making Kentucky Fried Chicken and this secret recipe still used today. Nowadays, KFC has more than 15,000 outlets in 1 05 countries around the world. In 1973, the first KFC restaurant in Malaysia was opened at Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur. In overall, KFC currently has 445 outlets in Malaysia and it had become the largest fast food chain in Malaysia.McDonald’s According to the information, McDonald’s is the world’s largest chain of fast food restaurant based in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1955 to today that selling hamburgers around the world and it had been rated at number 9 as the world most famous brand by BusinessWeek. â€Å"For McDonald’s, foods that primarily sells by them are hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, shakes and desserts. † But nowadays, due to the changing of customers’ tastes, the restaurant menu which are included salads, smoothies and fruits have been expanded by McDonald’s company.The founder of McDonald’s is Ray Kroc although the first concept of McDonald’s was act ually introduced by sibling Dick and Mac McDonald and they built the first McDonald’s restaurant in 1940 in San Bernardino, California. In 1954, Mr. Ray Kroc acquired franchising rights from Dick and Mac McDonald and a McDonald’s franchise was opened on 15 April, 1955 and later bought out the McDonald’s share of the McDonald brothers. The McDonald’s Corporation was then founded in 1955 and it was expanded by Ray Kroc. Nowadays, McDonald’s has more than 31,000 outlets in 109 countries around the world.In 29 April 1982, the first McDonald’s restaurant in Malaysia was opened at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. In overall, McDonald’s currently has 200 outlets and about 20 to 25 outlets are being expanded annually. 1. 2 Problem This report has been written to compare the customer service of fast food restaurants in Malaysia: KFC versus McDonald’s. Nowadays, increasing competitive challenges have been faced by the fast food restaur ants in Malaysia such as restaurants KFC and McDonald’s. In order to satisfy the customers at a fast food restaurant, excellent customer service should be provided to customers by the management and the staff.Because beside the food quality, the standardize customer service that provided by fast food restaurants is expected by the customers. Currently, customer service is one of the factors that determine the customer satisfaction and it will directly affect the business of their fast food restaurants. However, recently the fast food restaurants are lack of customer service. The standardization in franchising business format does not ensure the standardization of customer service within the fast food restaurants due to some outlets are not able to follow up the same standards for customer service in franchise system. . 3 Purposes The purposes of this report are firstly to investigate the customer satisfaction with the customer service that is provided by KFC versus McDonaldâ €™s and secondly, to find out why students from Tar College prefer McDonald’s than KFC. Lastly, is to find out what aspects of customer service that provided by KFC and McDonald’s affect their business. 1. 4 Methods 1. 4. 1 The Sample The sample size of 30 was randomly selected, between the age of 18 to 22 from different gender. They are all students from School of Business Studies (Banking and Finance), Tar College KL Main Campus. 1. 4. 2 Data Collection ) Survey 30 sets of questionnaires were distributed as a source of primary data at Tar College KL Main Campus. These questionnaires consisted of 8 questions which focused on the customer satisfaction with the customer service that is provided by KFC versus McDonald’s, the reasons why students from Tar College prefer McDonald’s than KFC and what aspects of customer service that provided by KFC and McDonald’s affect their business. A clean copy of the questionnaire can be found in Appendix A. b) Internet Search The source of secondary data is the information obtained from the internet research.Information was gathered on the customer service that is provided by KFC and McDonald’s from the Internet. Various websites of KFC and McDonald’s were browsed through for this research. 1. 5 Scope This report investigates the customer service that provided by KFC and McDonald’s only. Other fast food restaurants are not included in this report. It focuses on the customer satisfaction with the customer service that was provided by KFC versus McDonald’s, the reasons why students from Tar College preferred McDonald’s than KFC and what aspects of customer service that provided by KFC and McDonald’s affect their business.The survey questions were distributed on 28 May 2012 at Tar College and collected back after the respondents finished their survey and only had 30 Tar College KL Main Campus students of School of Business Studies (Banking and Finan ce) were surveyed for this report. 2. FINDINGS 2. 1 Findings from Survey / Questionnaire Pie Chart 1. 1 The chart shows the frequency of TARC students go to fast food restaurant. 30 respondents were surveyed. As shown in the pie chart 1. , there is a total of 12 respondents who were going to the fast food restaurant once every two weeks, which occupied 40% of the 30 respondents. There are also 8 respondents which equal to 27% of the 30 respondents are going to the fast food restaurant once a month. Besides this, there are 6 respondents, 20% of the 30 respondents go to fast food restaurant once a week. For the remaining 4 respondents, there are 3 respondents go to fast food restaurant less than once a month and only 1 respondent go to fast food restaurant for two or three times a week.This pie chart shows that, most of the TARC students are going to fast food restaurant once every two weeks as it occupied 40% of the 30 respondents and the least of the TARC students are going to fast food restaurant for two or three times a week as it only occupied 3% of the 30 respondents. Pie Chart 1. 2 The chart shows the fast food restaurants that TARC students prefer to go. 30 respondents are being selected for a survey of either KFC or McDonald’s they will prefer to go. As shown in the pie chart 1. 2, there are 26 respondents which occupied a large portion of 87% among the 30 respondents are prefer to go to McDonald’s.Whereas the remaining of 4 respondents which only occupied a small portion of 13% among the 30 respondents is prefer to go to KFC. There are large portions of TARC students prefer to go to McDonald’s rather than KFC. These may be affected by the customer services, prices and the set menu provided by the McDonald’s are better than KFC. Bar Chart 1. 1 The chart shows the customer satisfaction with the customer service that is provided by KFC versus McDonald’s. 30 respondents were surveyed. As shown in the bar chart 1. 1, there is a total of 17 respondents who satisfied with the customer service that is provided by KFC.Whereas there is a total of 13 respondents who are not satisfed with the customer that is provided by KFC. On the other hand, there is a total of 26 respondents who are satisfied with customer service that is provided by McDonald’s and the other 4 respondents are not satisfied with customer service that is provided by McDonald’s. This bar chart shows that, customer service provided by McDonald’s are more satisfied by the respondents. KFCMcDonald’s Poor AverageGoodPoorAverageGood My food order was correct and complete1161311316 Waiting time after ordering food12631209 Staff are patient when taking orders32431254Communication skills421511910 Telephone services skills72032226 Staff are friendly and polite520531710 Sauces.. untenils.. 714931710 Table 1. 1 Bar Chart 1. 2 Bar Chart 1. 3 Bar chart 1. 2 and 1. 3 shows that, for KFC and McDonald’s, we focus on seve n interesting customer services which were responded well from our 30 respondents in TAR College through the questionnaire survey which included whether the food was correct and complete, waiting time after ordering food, staffs are patient when taking food, communication skills, telephone service skills, staff are friendly and polite, and availability of sauces, tissues, and utensils.According to the survey, the questions were focused on the customer services for both KFC and McDonald’s. From the respondents view, we found that the consumers are more satisfied with the ordering service in McDonald’s compared to KFC. Ordering service is important to maintain the business because if the food order was wrong and incomplete, this may cause consumer resentful with the service that provide by the fast food restaurant.Next, the waiting time after service play an important role in the fast food restaurant and this is the reason why consumers like to have their meal in fast fo od restaurant because usually most of them are students or workers who are in the hurry so they need to get their meal in the shortest time. Based on the respondent view, the waiting time after ordering food in McDonald’s is faster and shorter than KFC, this show that respondents are more preferred to have their meal in McDonald’s.Moreover, the attitude of the staff when taking order from the consumer will affect the reputation of the restaurant. Due to the survey, staff from McDonald’s are more patient when taking order than staff from KFC. In addition, Malaysia was a multi-racial country, so the communication skills are important when communicate with their customer. The respondents from survey feel that communication skills of McDonald’s are better than KFC since the McDonald’s can speaks in multiple languages. Nowadays, apart from drive hrough and having meal in restaurant, most of the fast food restaurants are provided telephone service for co nsumer to ordering food. For the staff who responsible to the telephone service, they need to answering the phone with the polite attitude and the speed of the staff speaking was important to ensure that the customer can listen clearly and understand. According the result of survey, respondents are more likely to use the telephone service of McDonald’s compared to KFC. Furthermore, friendly and polite staffs are according to the staffs who work in a fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s and KFC.This refers to their respond on how to serve their customer, a staff should be able to respond well such as the way they welcome their customers, taking order and answer customer question. When a staff from a particular fast food restaurant such as McDonald’s and KFC performs nicely and in a courteous behavior, this leads to frequent visit of the customers to the particular fast food restaurant. As a result from survey, we found that respondents are more preffered to M cDonald’s customer service compared to KFC.Lastly, the avaibility of sauces, tissue and utensils also act an important role in a fast food restaurants because some of the customer would like to have some sauces to favor their food and they may need some tissue after taking meal. Refer to the survey, most of the respondents are more satisfied with the facilities of the McDonald’s compared to KFC. In short, the customer services of the McDonalds are more prefered by customers if compared to KFC. Bar Chart 1. 4 The chart shows the methods that are suitable for KFC and McDonald’s to improve their customer services. 0 respondents were based on their opinion and preferences to respond how to improve the customer services for KFC and McDonald’s. Based on the survey, 17 out of 30 respondents had been choose to train the staff to be polite always for KFC and 8 respondents for McDonald’s. On the other hand, 15 of respondents had responded to train their staf f to use language to promote a good customer services and 16 respondents had choose it for McDonald’s. 9 respondents had responded to train their staff to deal with customers complaints for KFC and 8 respondents for McDonald’s.There are 20 respondents had choose to increase the speed of services for both KFC and McDonald’s. 8 respondents responded that communicate more with customer are suitable in to improve customer services for KFC and 9 respondents for McDonalds. KFC and McDonald’s both have 11 respondents respond on upgrade the staff appearance and image. Upgrade of delivery services for KFC have 12 respondents and for McDonald’s have 13 respondents. 8 respondents had responded that KFC need to upgrade their telephone services and 15 respondents responded that McDonald’s need to do so to improve their customer services.It is highly likely most of the respondents responded that the KFC and McDonald’s need to increase the speed of services because it was probably due to the staff served the staff slowly and the waiting time is long. For KFC, there are very least respondents unsatisfied with the telephone services skills and for McDonald’s there are only 8 respondents unsatisfied with the staff manners and attitude. As a conclusion, KFC and McDonald’s and should focus more on the speed of their services and the staff appearance and image so that it can help to improve their services. . 2 Findings from the internet From our secondary research, we found that the customer service provided by McDonald’s is better than KFC. Due to the good customer service provided by McDonald’s, many customers prefer McDonald’s to KFC. For KFC, we found that there is a declining service standards. A lots of complaint about KFC. Our research shows that, many customers end up with disappointed with the customer service provided by KFC after they visit it. Many customers complainted that the staff a re impatient when taking their orders and poor manners.One of the examples is â€Å"on 6 February, 2012 an serious incident was happened at KFC i-city, Shah Alam Malaysia. The KFC’s staff was fighting and hitting their customer. † Customers are paid to eat at KFC, no one deserve to be treated like that. Besides that, the food that customers orders was not correct. For example, â€Å"a customer ordered a bucket meal: 5 grilled and 5 original but when he opened the bucket, his half-grilled half-original recipe order was replaced by an all-grilled bucket. † These all indicated the bad customer service from KFC so customers less prefers go to KFC than McDonald’s.In contrast, McDonald’s less likely to have these kinds of problems. McDonald’s always provide good service based on standardization in franchising business format to their customers. So customers will prefers go to McDonald’s than KFC. 3. CONCLUSION In conclusion, most of the res pondents are prefer McDonald’s instead of KFC. As mentioned above, the reasons that respondents prefer McDonald’s from a brief view are the customer services provided such as staff attitude, communication skills, telephone service skills, availability of utensils is better than KFC as McDonald’s is compare with KFC.Based on our research, it is shown that both McDonald’s and KFC have their own customer services such as Drive-Thru services, delivery services, telephone services, staff attitude and others which can attracting customers. Both fast food restaurants are always maintained and improve their quality and services provided which can make sure their services are preferred and satisfied by everyone. This can maintain their old customers and also attracted some new customers. Most of the TARC students are prefer to go McDonald’s by referring the questionnaires.According to our research, KFC should improve their customer services until they can a chieve the similar popularity level just like McDonald’s, so that they could be the preferable fast food restaurant. Furthermore, customers can always give some opinion, suggestions or comments on their homepage or through the comment box to make sure that both McDonald’s and KFC understand the needs of the customers. Both McDonald’s and KFC also can improve their quality of products and customer services so that customers can satisfy with the services provided. 4. RECOMMENDATIONSAccording to the conclusion, we are recommend that the customer services for both fast food restaurants, McDonald’s and KFC which were not satisfied by customers should be improved to achieve a higher level or more preferable and satisfied by customers. For McDonald’s, we are recommend that the communication skill of the staff should improve by training their staff to use language that promotes good customer services based on the respondents view. The McDonald’s sta ff should not talk too fast or too slow to the customers so that the customers can hear clearly what they talking about.Moreover, McDonald’s should communicate more with their customers such as distribute a survey and request a feedback. Through this method, McDonald’s can know the needs and the satisfaction of their customers about their products and services so that they can improve their products and services. Furthermore, McDonald’s can upgrade their delivery services such as delivery within 15minutes and maintain the food freshness. The delivery staff must drive carefully to avoid accident so that the customers can trust on them.Lastly, McDonald’s also can upgrade their telephone service skills. When the customers call for the delivery, the staff must explain clearly to the customers about their menu and double confirm with the menu order by the customers. McDonald’s also can provide more type of language for the customers so that they can cho ose the language they know. Besides that, for KFC, the respondents have gives some opinions and comments which the KFC’s staff needs to increase the speed of services to ensure that the customers no need to wait and queue for a long time to get the food.The KFC’s staff also needs to be polite when serving their customers. The KFC can conduct a programme which the main objective is to train their staff to be polite when serving customers to avoid their staff argue with the customers. This can decrease the complaints from the customers. When they receive complaint from customers, they need to know how to deal with the customers promptly. So, KFC may give the empowerment to their staff and give training to their staff how to make decision when dealing the complaint from customers.Lastly, KFC need to upgrade their staff’s appearance and image. For example, KFC can set up guidelines for their staff how to improve their image and appearance. If the staff looks tidy an d clean, customers will be more confident to buy their products. On the other hand, the customers will never buy their products if their staff looks messy and dirty. Therefore, we suggest that the recommendations mentioned above might be encouraged more customers to buy their products and be more satisfy when buying their products as well as both McDonald’s and KFC improved their customer services.

B.Sc Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, English, Pak.Study, Islamiate.

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A Study of Brand Image towards Customers Satisfaction

In the recent competitive world, brand image of any company is important such as products or service offerings. Business organization mostly considers brand image as one of the powerful tool and asset for their success. In this particular research proposal, Sainsbury organization is selected which is a retail organization in United Kingdom. This study deals with understanding the key underlying factors of brand image and perceived value on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in Sainsbury retail organization. Customer loyalty as well as customer satisfaction is a widely accepted issues prevailing in the business organization. This is mainly applicable as marketing benchmark in case of checking over the performance of Sainsbury retail organization. It is imperative to demonstrate that if a consumer is satisfied with the products and services of the corporation then the customer can display loyal attitude towards the particular brand. This loyalty of the consumers towards the bra nd is reflected through the willingness of the customer to pay more, offer positive word of mouth and display of loyal attitudes and behaviors. As rightly put forward by (), success of organizations can be regarded as a direct consequence of the brand image and can be enumerated as an important characteristic of the present marketing strategy. Sainsbury's is a nationwide commercial corporation that offers financial services and is primarily a supermarket retailer; marketing food, clothing in addition to different home products. Sainsbury’s, the superstore is a part of the multi-national corporation J Sainsbury that serves the markets of both UK and USA. The Sainsbury’s superstore was first founded during the year 1869 by John James and Mary Ann Sainsbury and is considered as one of the longest standing major food retailing chain having 788 stores (Sainsburys.co.uk. 2016). Sainsbury’s, one of the largest operators of the supermarket chains in the United Kingdom, has more than 440 stores that stock more than 23000 products with more than 40% of the items carrying the Sainsbury’s brand. Again, the company Sainsbury has diverse chains that include the Sainsbury's Superstore, Sainsbury's Property Company and Sainsbury's Bank. In addition to this, there are JS Developments that operate in the markets of UK, while Star Market and Shaw's are located in the USA (Sainsburys.co.uk. 2016). The problem issues in the present research include assessment of the attitudes of the consumers within the limited period of 7 weeks and limited resources. Again, the present study includes a small sized sample of 100 participants; therefore, the current study might fail to represent the real vision of all the customers of the UK. Again, the sample selected through the non-probabilistic sampling might not adequately represent the customers of the Sainsbury and might also include the sampling errors that might prevent the learner from obtaining the real vision of the customers regarding the effect of the brand name on the customer satisfaction as well as loyalty. The present study intends to scrutinize the   loyalty of consumers to different brands and analyses and identifies different problems along with viable solutions that can be used by corporate units as strategic moves The rationale of the present research is to investigate the impact of brand image on the satisfaction of the customers as well as intention of customer loyalty. The present study can help in understanding the nature and characteristics of association between brand image and customer satisfaction and loyalty intention in the context of the operations of the supermarket chain of Sainsbury. The current study can assist the potential financiers, academic researchers, government units in gaining important insights into the nature of the association between the customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. As claimed by (Zameer et al. 2015), â€Å"a successful brand image enables customers in identifying needs that mainly satisfies and differentiate brand from its nearest competitors†. This is a term, name as well as symbol and any other features used for distinguishing from one company product to others. Branding procedures mainly adopts differentiation one individual cattle from applied marketing strategies. It is the exclusive set of relations especially present in the mind of clients concerning any brand situates and implied promises. Brand image is mainly developed with the help of advertising campaigns for consistent time and direct pricing of product. Moreover, Gurhan and Kandampully (2013) asserted that customer desires in purchasing products from supposed brand name and drawing concentration to their behaviors in certain situational perspective. Brand loyalty is the ideal measurement from the health of organization. Researcher’s reports that 5% increment in custo mer satisfaction produces profitability ranging from 25 to 95% in more than 14 industries. Competition takes place among the major key retailers like Tesco, Sainsbury as well as ASDA and Morrison. Competition is highly increasing for way to increase in attracting clientele. Diverse organization contain own individuality in popular brand in the UK marketplace. In this particular study, Sainsbury retail organization is taken into consideration who aims at adopting strategies for capturing elevated market share and enhancing buyer satisfaction level (Aaker 2012). Effects of brand representation on buyer satisfaction as well as faithfulness purpose in Sainsbury retail organization. This mainly refers to place of property as well as liability in association with brand name and symbol. According to Wirtz et al. (2013), brand fairness refers to exclusive cost of advertising compulsory by a particular product. It refers to the optimistic influence over product equity and occurs when customers are willing to spend more due to attractiveness in connection with products and services. One of the instance about brand as an equity type considers as law obligations for preservation of intellectual property. Brand equity can even be destroyed due to inappropriate management. For instance, poor client service inversely affects brand image leads towards decrease in the sales volume (Gurhan and Kandampully 2013). Brand values recognize producers as well as consumers with the help of deep-rooted legal organization. Most of the countries set up legal system for copyright and tackling through piracy. As opined by TuÃ… ¡kej, Golob and Podnar 2013), product is a tradable creation having reliable quantifiable monetary worth. Sainsbury is scheduled in the index of FTSE 100. Customers having positive image will not be focusing mainly on temporary promotional offer but over the overall brand. There are major classifications of product equity named as brand alertness, professed quality as well as brand faithfulness and brand relations. Brand Awareness - It is single of the major determinants of product equity. It mainly indicates the ability of the possible clientele in recognizing as well as recalling other brand. It is important for the clientele that they should be conscious regarding the product worth and their buying choice at the same time. Brand with high awareness has higher level of probability in purchasing items at retail chain organization (Gurhan and Kandampully 2013). â€Å"Brand Loyalty† - It is solitary of the major solution factor of product equity having direct positive influences. It indicates that a personality purchases goods as well as services from same brand in comparison with other brands. Brand Associations - It is distinct as cordial connection between brand as well as memory. It is a composite thought, which mainly connections with one an additional like several episodes, facts as well as ideas and examples. It aims at generating knowledge of brand network. Perceived Quality - It mainly refers to the perception of clientele of advantage on largely quality of products and services. It is one of the types of tangible product in towards brand recognition. Particular brand perceived quality aims at generating values with the help of offering from purchase, charging premium prices as well as motivating members to the channels of distribution. As opined by Tu, Li and Chih (2013), â€Å"satisfaction is the consumers fulfillment response†. It is that judgment of merchandise and examination features having agreeable level of consumption-related satisfaction involving level of under-fulfillment. Similarly, So et al. (2013) stated that earlier studies on customer satisfaction emphasized on effects of prospect as well as performance and disconfirmation of potential. As mentioned by Severi and Ling (2013), customer expectations are mostly pre-trial beliefs in regard with product working through orientation position or contrast normal on the product appearance. There are different literatures present on customer satisfaction focusing on expectations as well as needs of customers. Some of the researchers emphasizes mainly on the capabilities of using innovation as well as advanced technology in enhancing customer services. Some others indicate in understanding the significance of companies for focusing on customer services. Company mostly adopt unique instrument for measuring the client approval. As per Selnes (2013), customer satisfaction assessment is one of the key mechanisms used by successful organizations in current financial system in and around the globe. Customer satisfaction measurement helps in holding the existing customer as well as providing directions on attracting the new customers in the competitive trade surroundings. As opined by Ryu, Lee and Gon (2012), dimension of customer satisfaction understand the extent of helping organization for bringing improvement in their customer services. It is noticed that content customers mostly advocate products and services to family and friends. Nguyen, Leclerc and LeBlanc (2013) summary their earlier ten scope of examine quality to five scopes mentioned below: Tangibles- Tangibles relates with various physical equipments like counters, lights as well as physical environments and computers. Reliability- Reliability concerns mainly with capability for performing the promised services on accurate form. Addition to that, it relates with ability of trouble solving as well as time limits and service rights of the clientele (Severi and Ling 2013). â€Å"Responsiveness†- Responsiveness relates with enthusiasm to help customer, easily achievable in sequence as well as prompt services and responding demand of the clientele. â€Å"Assurance†- Assurance regards mainly to politeness, employee understandings as well as knowledge and their capability in stimulating confidence and trust especially to the customers (Muth, Ismail and Langfeldt 2012). â€Å"Empathy† - Empathy connects with kind individual attention as well as individual repair and sympathetic of specified desires of the clientele (Severi and Ling 2013). Scholars enclose their own set of disagreement regarding the significance as well as significance of SERVQUAL model. On the contrary, Muth, Ismail and Langfeldt (2012) assert that SERVQUAL dimension applies by lot of scholars for assessing customer satisfaction in institutions like banking, hospitals, educations, hotels as well as telecommunications and restaurants. In this particular context, researcher mainly adopts SERVQUAL model for evaluating customer satisfaction level at the retailers in the countries. Due to elevated competition and other related environmental issues, customer satisfaction as well as examine quality becomes on one of the fundamental marketing strategy for business companies. It requires enough enhancing service quality for long-term sustainability as well as growth for dealing with the threats and challenges in the competitive environment (Severi and Ling 2013). Service quality is the extent that mainly concerns with service offered by Sainsbury organization in meeting or exceeding customer expectations. Service quality is complicated in nature for measuring the customer service providers from different backgrounds for equivalent services and products. The first model mainly examines in the quality of services as proposed by Martà ­nez and del Bosque (2013) focusing on three major factors like technical quality as well as useful quality and representation quality. In this particular representation, scientific quality refers as what is being delivered as well as functional quality indicates process of service delivery at the same time. One of the famous models for customer satisfaction measurement is known as SERVQUAL as future by Lee et al. (2015). It mainly focuses on examine quality as well as difference between customer expectations and their perceptions regarding purchase products or services. Examination quality assessment based upon evaluation on the examiner deliverance as well as service outcomes. It mainly asserts good scale of usage as well as assessment for quality services in Sainsbury retail organization. It is one of the selected meaningful tools for association of assessed specific services for confirming valid as w ell as reliable outcomes (Muth, Ismail and Langfeldt 2012). Researchers adopt this model for evaluating level of customer satisfaction at Sainsbury retail organization. In this regard, Kapferer (2012) have asserted that more than fifty prepared definition of product loyalty divided as behavioral as well as composite approach. In this study, researchers found more that 60% loyalty measures in behavioral terms. According to He, Li and Harris (2012), customer loyalty defines that â€Å"a deep held commitment to repurchase or re-patronize a preferred products or services consistently in the near future†. It constantly causes recurring product set purchase depending upon the situational influence as well as making efforts in having potential causes for switching behaviors. Few scholars suggest that adopting behavioral as well as attitudinal approach for providing influential meaning towards brand loyalty. Behavioral assessment corresponds with static result from dynamic decision procedures. It makes no particular attempt in recognizing the elements for essential brand loyalty buying as well as causal factors (Muth, Ismail and Langfeldt 2012). On t he contrary, attitudinal assessment relates feelings of customers for definite intentions such as willingness for recommending and repurchasing services or products. Addition to that, they added that Sainsbury retail organization obtains in order of repurchase intention at measuring client approval in the most appropriate way. It is important to understand the fact that optimistic product image contribute towards enhancing client loyalty and building strong brand image for the company. Brand representation is considered necessary for companies for gaining life customer loyalty leading to gear up organizational efficiency. According to Hameed (2013), store image associates relates directly with store satisfactions. Some of the other factors include social motives as well as relationship with clientele has contrary belongings especially on client faithfulness. This mainly considers committed relationships between organizations as well as customers for keeping well-built link between brand picture and client loyalty. A investigates by Chung, Yu and Shin (2015) establish that there is no significant link between satisfaction as well as loyalty. Corporate representation associates with other elements such as approval has no significant belongings on faithfulness. Reputation leads towards customer loyalty due to high level of trust in getting public relation. Researchers confirm that client satisfaction positively influences on customer loyalty. When a particular customer is happy with the brand, then customer will recommend it to others and will not switch to other brands. From most of the empirical researches, retail image verifies that customer satisfaction strongly affects loyalty intention like intention for repurchasing particular product (Muth, Ismail and Langfeldt 2012). It demonstrates that customers claims towards high-satisfied customers for becoming loyal for the business organization. The development of the conceptual structure illustrates the association between the benefits of the brand image, customer satisfaction, satisfaction of the customers and the loyalty of consumers (Muth, Ismail and Langfeldt 2012). The careful facets of the product image are essentially the useful, representative, communal, and empirical and emergence augments. The development of the hypotheses primarily based on the empirical evidences and the literature are as follows: â€Å"H1: There exists a positive association between the advantages of the brand image and customer satisfaction† â€Å"H2: There is a positive relationship between the brand image and the customer loyalty intention† â€Å"H3: There exists a positive association between satisfaction of the customer and the loyalty intention† From the above reviewed literatures on product image, customer loyalty as well as client approval and any other relationships following the conceptual framework (Amin, Isa and Fontaine 2013). The above conceptual framework develops relationship among brand image benefits as well as customer approval and faithfulness meaning. Some of the careful factor of product image involves useful, symbolical and manifestation. As rightly put forward by John Kuada (2012), researches are essentially based on different underlying philosophical assumptions and valid research methods that are appropriate for the development of the knowledge in a particular study. The present segment on research methodology refers to different research procedures and the design that the learner can utilize in the current study. The research design refers to different strategies, instruments, tools and techniques for data collection and interpretation. In addition to this, the research methodologies and the design also explain different stages along with the processes involved in the study. As rightly put forward by Anderson and Shattuck (2012), the research philosophy can be categorized as positivism, interpretivism and realism that help in understanding the results as well as interpretations. The learner can adopt positivism that can help in introducing different subjects with the topic under consideration. The research of positivism refers to the study of the outcomes of the research with detailed research based on statistical techniques on matters related to the effects of the brand image and customer’s perceived quality on the overall satisfaction of the customers (Maxwell 2012). In this case, the researcher can select the research philosophy of positivism as the study involves future analysis of the impact of the brand image on the satisfaction of the customers with special orientation to the operations of Sainsbury. As rightly indicated by Miller   et al.   (2012), the research approach helps in providing an edge in the course of the discussion on effect of the brand image on the satisfaction of the customers and loyalty intention. The research approach essentially involves the inductive as well as the deductive approach for conduction of the research work. As opined by Pickard (2012), the deductive research approach stresses on the causality, whereas the inductive research approach refers to the process of investigation of new phenomena from diverse perspectives. The learner intends to adopt the inductive research approach for the purpose of testing the hypothesis and investigating the new phenomena based on research questions. The learner can consider the samples from more number of stores from different parts of the UK in order to validate different findings. Furthermore, the learner can consider a sample of 100 customers selected from six different retail outlets founded in London. A small sample of 100 customers can be taken into account owing to the time constraints as well as limited resources of the learner. In addition to this, diverse retailing brands are taken into consideration in the survey in a bid to ensure that the participants of the survey are from diverse backgrounds. However, the learner can take into consideration the non-probabilistic sampling that essentially involves the process of random selection. Furthermore, the leaner can also take into account the purposive sampling in the process of non-probability sampling that can help learner to select a predefined group with a specific purpose in mind (Fahy and Jobber 2012). As rightly put forward by Glanz et al. (2012), the primary and secondary data are two different types of data that require different types of skills as well as resources. Researchers in the social field can acquire data by getting it directly from subjects of their interest. The data hereby collected directly from the subject of interest from the field is known as the primary data. Researchers can acquire data on their own by way of surveys, interviews as well as direct observations. In addition to this, the researchers can also make use of the data that has been gathered by someone else. This is known as the secondary data. The secondary data can be collected from the official websites, published reports, journals and newspaper among many others. Therefore, for the purpose of the present study, the learner can also make use of both the primary as well as the secondary data (Jara and Cliquet 2012).   As rightly indicated by Oh   et al.   (2012), it is important to know the sources of the data to know the methods of collection of the data. The learner can take into account the process of sample survey for the purpose of the collection of the primary data required for the present research. The learner can frame the questionnaire containing the pertinent questions for the study and distribute the same to the target respondents of the survey with a request for reply. The responses to the participants gathered from the questionnaire can help the learner in acquiring the requisite data for the study. Again, the official websites, published reports, journals, books and newspapers can also become the sources of the secondary data for the present study (John Kuada 2012). The research work needs to be carried out in an appropriate manner by taking into consideration different ethical issues in mind. A research work needs to be conducted honestly and proper data needs to be used to accomplish the present research. The researcher can acquire primary as well as the secondary data and use it in the research work in an ethical manner. In addition to this, the learner can also take into account other ethical considerations that include objectivity that refers to the need of aversion of the bias in process of the experimental design, data evaluation, data interpretation, peer review along with the other important areas of research that have the need for   objectivity (Jara and Cliquet 2012). Furthermore, the learner also needs to incorporate the integrity in the research that refers to keeping promises as well as agreements, ensure conduction of the activities with sincerity, striving for consistency of actions as well as thoughts. The learner also needs to avoid errors and at the same time negligence and critically scrutinize their own work. In addition to this, the researcher also needs to keep good records of different research actions that include data collection, research design as well as correspondence with diverse agencies and journals. In addition to this, the learner needs to be open to criticisms from different quarters as well as innovative ideas. Moreover, the learner also needs to ensure the non-utilization of different unpublished data, procedures and results without prior permission. The learner also needs to acquire appropriate acknowledgement and credit for different contributions to the research and need to respect the patents, copyrights as well as other forms of intellectual property. Besides this, the learner also needs to be socially responsible and endeavor to promote both social good through the research that can prevent different social damages through research, public education as well as advocacy. The learner also needs to avoid discrimination among different respondents of the survey based on the race, ethnicity as well as other factors. Again, the learner also needs to be aware of the pertinent laws as well as institutional and governmental procedures that are applicable for the present research work. Nevertheless, the learner also needs to make it certain that the present work is used for academic purposes o nly and not for any commercial purposes.   The present research can direct the ways for the further research on the present topic. The areas for future research includes the procedures of handing the brand issues by different academic as well as market researchers, company and marketers. In addition to this, there remains scope for investigating the ways that can enhance the satisfaction of the consumers with the enhancement of the brand image and increase in loyalty of the consumers. Analysis of the strategies, empirical evidences and literature review Assessment of the Research methodology Data collection method- primary and secondary data Assessment and interpretation of data Aaker, D.A., 2012.  Building strong brands. Simon and Schuster. Amin, M., Isa, Z. and Fontaine, R., 2013. Islamic banks: Contrasting the drivers of customer satisfaction on image, trust, and loyalty of Muslim and non-Muslim customers in Malaysia.  International Journal of Bank Marketing,  31(2), pp.79-97. Anderson, T. and Shattuck, J., 2012. Design-based research a decade of progress in education research?.  Educational researcher,  41(1), pp.16-25. Brodie, R.J., Ilic, A., Juric, B. and Hollebeek, L., 2013. Consumer engagement in a virtual brand community: An exploratory analysis.  Journal of Business Research,  66(1), pp.105-114. Chung, K.H., Yu, J.E. and Shin, J.L., 2015, February. The relationship among perceived value, brand image, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty: The moderating effect of gender. In  Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress on Interdisciplinary Behavior and Social Sciences  (pp. 145-148). Fahy, J. and Jobber, D., 2012.  Foundations of marketing. McGraw-Hill Education. Glanz, K., Bader, M.D. and Iyer, S., 2012. Retail grocery store marketing strategies and obesity: an integrative review.  American journal of preventive medicine,  42(5), pp.503-512. Hameed, F., 2013. The effect of advertising spending on brand loyalty mediated by store image, perceived quality and customer satisfaction: A case of hypermarkets.  Asian Journal of Business Management,  5(1), pp.181-192. He, H., Li, Y. and Harris, L., 2012. Social identity perspective on brand loyalty.  Journal of Business Research,  65(5), pp.648-657. Jara, M. and Cliquet, G., 2012. Retail brand equity: Conceptualization and measurement.  Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,  19(1), pp.140-149. John Kuada, 2012.  Research methodology: A project guide for university students. Samfundslitteratur. Kapferer, J.N., 2012.  The new strategic brand management: Advanced insights and strategic thinking. Kogan page publishers. Lee, D., Moon, J., Kim, Y.J. and Mun, Y.Y., 2015. Antecedents and consequences of mobile phone usability: Linking simplicity and interactivity to satisfaction, trust, and brand loyalty.  Information & Management,52(3), pp.295-304. Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015.  Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge. Martà ­nez, P. and del Bosque, I.R., 2013. CSR and customer loyalty: The roles of trust, customer identification with the company and satisfaction.  International Journal of Hospitality Management,  35, pp.89-99. Maxwell, J.A., 2012.  Qualitative research design: An interactive approach: An interactive approach. Sage. Miller, T., Birch, M., Mauthner, M. and Jessop, J. eds., 2012.  Ethics in qualitative research. Sage. Muth, A., Ismail, R. and Langfeldt Boye, C., 2012. Customer Brand Relationship: An empirical study of customers’ perception of brand experience, brand satisfaction, brand trust and how they affect brand loyalty. Nguyen, N., Leclerc, A. and LeBlanc, G., 2013. The mediating role of customer trust on customer loyalty.Journal of service science and management,  6(1), p.96. Oh, L.B., Teo, H.H. and Sambamurthy, V., 2012. The effects of retail channel integration through the use of information technologies on firm performance.  Journal of Operations Management,  30(5), pp.368-381. Pickard, A., 2012.  Research methods in information. Facet publishing. Ryu, K., Lee, H.R. and Gon Kim, W., 2012. The influence of the quality of the physical environment, food, and service on restaurant image, customer perceived value, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,  24(2), pp.200-223. Sainsburys.co.uk. (2016). [online] Available at: https://www.sainsburys.co.uk [Accessed 17 Aug. 2016]. Selnes, F., 2013. An examination of the effect of product performance on brand reputation, satisfaction and loyalty.  Journal of Product & Brand Management. Severi, E. and Ling, K.C., 2013. The mediating effects of brand association, brand loyalty, brand image and perceived quality on brand equity.  Asian Social Science,  9(3), p.125. So, K.K.F., King, C., Sparks, B.A. and Wang, Y., 2013. The influence of customer brand identification on hotel brand evaluation and loyalty development.  International journal of hospitality management,  34, pp.31-41. Tu, Y.T., Li, M.L. and Chih, H.C., 2013. An empirical study of corporate brand image, customer perceived value and satisfaction on loyalty in shoe industry.  Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies,  5(7), p.469. TuÃ… ¡kej, U., Golob, U. and Podnar, K., 2013. The role of consumer–brand identification in building brand relationships.  Journal of business research,  66(1), pp.53-59. Wirtz, J., den Ambtman, A., Bloemer, J., Horvà ¡th, C., Ramaseshan, B., van de Klundert, J., Gurhan Canli, Z. and Kandampully, J., 2013. Managing brands and customer engagement in online brand communities.Journal of Service Management,  24(3), pp.223-244. Zameer, H., Tara, A., Kausar, U. and Mohsin, A., 2015. Impact of service quality, corporate image and customer satisfaction towards customers’ perceived value in the banking sector in Pakistan.  International Journal of Bank Marketing,  33(4), pp.442-456.

Wild Ride Summary and Opinion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wild Ride Summary and Opinion - Essay Example However, the article warns that the action may just be a temporary diversion from an inevitable bear market. The bear market may be just around the corner. Many international markets are already in the bear market range and others are within a few percentage points of being off by 20 percent from their peaks last fall. The stop gap interest rate reduction may be too little too late in the face of other looming economic woes. The article reports that the credit market is in a risky position and could eventually seriously impede the banking systems ability to extend credit. The tight credit situation will eventually affect the markets and continue to pull them downward. The article reports that the sub-prime mortgage problem is still having negative effects as housing prices are still plummeting and investment banks are looking at significant write-offs in the coming months. In addition, the global economy is showing signs of slowing and investors can no longer take advantage of de-coupling in foreign markets. These forces are working in concert with the falling confidence in the US dollar on the world market to loom as a growing threat to the markets.

Hong Kong and the Impact of Cyber Crimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hong Kong and the Impact of Cyber Crimes - Essay Example Nonetheless, no process is without a flaw; and many take advantage of this fact to steal from individuals and organizations that engage in e-payments. Despite all efforts of the government to restrain cyber crimes, and of information technology specialists to fortify domain firewalls, anxieties related to online transactions are mounting, and in a way, adversely affect international marketing endeavors. I. E-payment and Cybercrimes Electronic payments â€Å"refer to the systems and strategies required to enable the actual disbursement of funds electronically. It is concerned not only with the electronic transactions themselves, but also with the infrastructure required for billing and buyer authentication† (Botha and Geldenhuys, 2004, p. 67). The funds may be in the form of electronic checks, credit cards, purchasing cards, and electronic cash (Rainer and Cegielski, 2007). Authentication typically involves the username and password tandem, although other institutions support e xtended verification systems. For instance, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) provide internet bankers with security device, while Emirates NBD incorporate the CHIP and PIN technology in all debit accounts. A team of researchers from Indiana University and Microsoft Corporation reported that major e-payment systems, e-retailers and e-commerce platforms have system security software glitches that can be abused by illicit websites to divert payments, or obtain goods for free or at reduced prices (Demery, 2011). Meanwhile, the Internet Fraud Complaint Center in the United States receives 200,000 consumer complaints per year, with securities and commodities fraud encompassing 16 percent (Miller and Jentz, 2009). Banks that rely heavily on online operations are at risk of losing profits as consumers also lose confidence on the security of online banking, specifically electronic payment of bills. Yet, although perpetrators of cyber crimes generally victimize financial serv ice companies, the Anti-Phishing Working Group has recorded cases of attempts to exploit â€Å"social networking and gambling sites† as well (CIO, 2007, p.36) II. Cyber Crimes in Hong Kong The Census and Statistics Department reveals that 76 percent of households in Hong Kong have computers, 73 percent of which maintains broadband connection; and about 63 percent of firms use personal computers, 98 percent of which do regular emails (Cagape, 2010). The figures clearly indicate that majority of the population in Hong Kong engage in online pursuits, and a significant portion of businesses are conducted via the internet. This alone leaves the country a viable target for cybercrimes. Speakers at the Information Security Summit 2008 reported an increase of 44 percent in hacking attacks in Hong Kong between January and October 2008, while the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) stated that during the same period, they have already dealt with 483 incidents of cyber crimes (Spam Fighter, 2008). Unfortunately, Hong Kong is also deficient in internet laws and certain websites are criticized for mediocre security features. Michelle Chan of Herbert Smith law firm observes that existing internet laws in Hong Kong are appropriate for misconducts in the early 1990s, but no further amendments were effected since then. On the other hand, this does not mean

Canada's Immigration Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Canada's Immigration Policy - Essay Example There is also apparent shift in the profile of immigrant source countries in the past several years. Added to this is the fact that more and more people are moving from one place to another worldwide and the perceptible competition in the international economy to attract skilled workers. Movement of people across continents has been a global trend during the advent of long distance travel. Reasons behind this phenomenon are various. These include escaping political, economic, environmental persecution and problems. For some families, the more pressing reasons can be search for better opportunities and safer, more secure living conditions. Given the availability of manpower resources in the different parts of the world and the surplus of families applying immigrant status in Canada, the problem of sustaining the country's economy seems to be solved. However, the process of immigration is not as simple. There must be appropriate and efficient governmental and provincial policies to facilitate this process. This is the function of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada: to draft a structural framework and policies for handling immigration issues of the country. This paper aims to assess these immigration policies and their i... Section 7 (2) of Canada's Immigration Act of 1978 provides an estimate of the total number of immigrants, refugees and other non-immigrants status who will be given permission to settle in Canada. The responsibility of selecting immigrants and refugees and their number for every province, except for Quebec which has the only selection powers, lies on this annual immigration plan (CIC "Laws and Policies"). The proposed Immigration and Refugee Protection Act called Bill C-11 will provide the Citizenship and Immigration Canada the needed implements to ensure public safety and security in relation to the admission of immigrants in the country. This can be achieved by setting new admission criteria and delegating authority to arrest law-breakers and security threats (CIC "The Immigration System"). The other side of the above provisions is the important delivery of the following commitments of facilitating entry to legitimate immigrants and refugees. First is the change of selection priority using the assessment of skills and experience of workers over their current occupations. Second is the focus on reunification of families and protection of refugees. Third is the improved Temporary Foreign Worker Program for the simplification and efficiency of processing of skilled workers and permission of spouses to work. Last is efficient transition of qualified temporary workers from temporary to permanent residents (CIC "Laws and Policies"). The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada or IRPA was established in 2001. The act has a provision for a consultation between the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the provincial governments regarding refugee protection policies and programs to include the determination of the number of foreign nationals

Operant Conditioning PS240 WK4 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operant Conditioning PS240 WK4 - Term Paper Example Negative reinforcement occurs when a specific behavior is encouraged by the ceasing of a negative condition. Something negative is removed to entice the prevalence of a wanted behavior. Therefore, negative reinforcement seeks to encourage an individual by taking away something that they do not like. Like reinforcement, punishment is also viewed in terms of positive and negative. Positive punishment requires the presentation of a displeasing and unwanted stimulus. When an individual displays a negative behavior, they are presented with the displeasing stimulus immediately after, which helps to discourage the repetition of that behavior (Stangor, 2010). The purpose of positive punishment is to avoid being presented with the negative stimulus, which can only be done by ceasing the behavior. Negative punishment occurs when something that the individual finds enjoyable is taken away in response to unacceptable or unapproved behavior. This aspect of the punishment system is to avoid having that good thing removed, therefore prompting the individual to cease with their unwanted behavior. Operant conditioning has proven to be a very beneficial system in the daily lives of many individuals who wish to increase or cease entirely certain behaviors. In my personal life, operant conditioning has been useful in regard to my schoolwork and my need to put an end to detrimental procrastination habits. By implementing positive reinforcement into my study habits, I treat myself to a reward, which is primarily in the form of a break, after I have studied worked for a predetermined amount of time. I apply negative reinforcement by removing all distractions from around my work area. Anything that can aid in my procrastination is moved out of my grasp and line of vision. Positive punishment comes in the form of increased study time if I slack off. The more that I procrastinate, the more that I have to work. As for a negative

Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder and different teaching methods in Research Proposal

Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder and different teaching methods in the classroom - Research Proposal Example It is said great scientists Newton and Einstein too had Autism in some form or other. Only it has been recognized of late and meriting the attention of the social scientists to ease the ASD affected individuals out of the so-called disorder so that they can scale newer heights. Autism is a developmental problem found early in childhood that results in verbal, non-verbal communication or social interaction disability. Usually this disability becomes evident before the age of three and has a bearing upon educational performance when the child grows older. Autism is also known as autism spectrum disorder, pervasive development disorder (PDD), PDD- not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), atypical autism, and Asperger’s Syndrome. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) occurring early in life will last for the rest of one’s life. It is not a single disorder but a syndrome of collection of characteristics in growing children. Though ASD is found in both males and females, the incidence is more in males. It is severe and pervasive when it affects almost all the faculties of the individual even though he may be very intelligent or high functioning. ASD also occurs when the individual has cognitive impairment also known as mental retardation or mental impairment. ASD can also occur due to neurobiological reasons affecting the physical brain or chemistry of the brain. When the individual is not able to communicate by using speech or language or when his speech is delayed or quality of communication or verbal skills are affected, he is deeme d to have ASD. In some cases, the individual cannot display unspoken language such as gestures, facial expressions. ASD also makes the individual unable to understand what others say and respond to them or their non-verbal movements. The individual will have difficulty maintaining friendship and social contact regardless of age even though he may want to keep the relationships. He will be sensitive to touch,

Needle Exchange Program (Bad Idea) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Needle Exchange Program (Bad Idea) - Essay Example and sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), as well as overdosing and having higher mortality rates.† (O’Neill, et al, p.3) Needle exchange program is a program which provides the drug users an opportunity to exchange their used needles with sterilized fresh needle for free or at a reduced price in order to prevent the spreading of diseases. In Canada like countries the used needle is not at all required It is a controversial subject because of the ethical issues involved in it. Everybody knows that drug usage is a social evil which needs to be removed from the society. Drug users create lot of problems in the society like violence, theft, rape and abuses and hence the authorities must find ways for removing it from the society. The article â€Å"Aids action, Policy facts† published in June 2001, argues that the needle exchange programs (NEPs) can prevent the transmission of HIV. (Aids action, Policy facts) Drug users often share the drugs and the needle in order to reduce the expenses. They will utilize the same needle for injecting many. If one of them in the group has HIV, the entire group members will get the HIV through the usage of the same needle. The article again explains the savings a country can make through the needle exchange programs (NEPs). It says; the mathematical models predict that NEPs prevent HIV infections among injecting drug users, their partners, and family members at a cost of approximately $9,400 per avoided HIV infection. Considering the lifetime cost of treating a person living with HIV/AIDS is approximately $200,000, this represents a 95.3 percent savings per life. (Aids action, Policy facts) The Guardian news paper dated December 12, 2008 says that â€Å"For every infe ction like HIV or hepatitis C that we prevent, we are saving the province $100,000 to $150,000. We think that it’s certainly worth investing in.† (The Guardian 18/12/08)  Ã‚   Nowadays everybody thinks about the business or profit part of a topic. Each and

Indian Ocean Region Essay Example for Free

Indian Ocean Region Essay Change and Continuity of Commerce in the Indian Ocean Region from 650 CE to 1750 CE. The Indian Ocean has always been a powerful trading region, between East Africa and China, that has caused religion, crops, languages, and people to spread. Through the rise and fall of powerful land and sea empires, trade routes shifted and control switched hands numerous times over history. The goods have remained fairly constant, compared to the traders and the powers behind them that changed from 650 C.E. to 1750 C.E. Spices, textiles, manufactured goods, and raw goods were staples on the many of the routes that led from the coast of Zimbabwe all the way to the ports of China. Early traders from Polynesia even traveled to Madagascar. With the rise of Islam and of the Mongol Empire, overseas trade slowed slightly because of the importance of the Silk Road as the main connection between China and Europe. However, as the Mongols declined, the Indian Ocean trade became more important to the empires o r kingdoms of China and the regional powers of India. The Chinese Ming Dynasty engaged heavily in foreign trade and they displayed their wealth with giant treasure ships and junks that sailed the day from China through the port of Malacca to the east coast of India. The ships carried silk and porcelain, goods that were in high demand in Europe and Arabia. The ships also picked up spices and hardwoods from Southeast Asian islands. In India, the majority of these goods were sent on dhows to the Arabian Peninsula, stopping at major important ports like Aden, and then continuing on to East Africa and the Swahili Coast states of Mogadishu, Kilwa, and Sofala. The ships sailed according to the monsoons, they then returned loaded with gold and ivory from Africa, to China where the cycle would restart. Eventually states like Gujurat and Calicut grew in importance in manufacturing and the textile production of cotton. The powers around the Indian Ocean remained in control, until the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century. While Silk Road trade with Europe was thriving, Europeans wanted to cut out the Arab middlemen and get direct access to Asian goods. As the tools of navigation developed and new nation-states sought after trade and exploration, Portugal led the continent in the race to Asia. When Vasco da Gama reached India in 1498 by sailing around the tip of Africa, he was greeted with a mocking laughter of people he needed to trade with and was turned down most of the goods he had to trade. The powerful merchants of Gujarat and neighboring states were used to the highest quality goods so they did not want to trade with Gama’s poor quality goods. However, before long, Portugal took over almost all trade in the Indian Ocean, establishing ports like Goa in India and controlling strategic areas with their imperialistic manner. Around the same time, Britain also began its expansion and joined with joint-stock companies like the Dutch East India Company. They proceeded to dominate the region as well, taking land they thought suited their purposes. The sea empires and the cut off of foreign trade by the Ming dynasty did not greatly change the products traded, but did affect the overall trade system. Goods were now produced for the success of mercantilist people in European countries, not for the enrichment of local powers. While the trade routes and the goods that passed through them may not have been greatly changed, the impact of the European trading empires and the decline of nations like India and China changed who benefited from Indian Ocean trade and who were mostly involved.

Episodic Dystonia and Hallucinations Due to DLAT Genes

Episodic Dystonia and Hallucinations Due to DLAT Genes Title: Carbamazepine responsive Episodic Dystonia and Hallucination due to Pyruvate Dehydrogenase E2 (DLAT) gene mutation Fatema J Serajee1, Salman Rashid2, and AHM M Huq1 ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutations is a very rare condition with only 4 reported cases to date. METHODS: We describe a 15-year-old girl with mild intellectual disability, paroxysmal dystonia and bilateral basal ganglia signal abnormalities on brain MRI. Additional neurophysiological, imaging, metabolic and exome sequencing studies were performed. RESULTS: Routine metabolite testing, and GLUT1 and PRRT2 mutation analysis were negative. A repeat brain MRI revealed Eye-of-the-tiger-sign. Exome sequencing identified homozygous valine to glycine alteration at amino acid position 157 in the DLAT gene. Bioinformatic and family analyses indicated that the alteration was likely pathogenic. Patients s dystonia was responsive to low dose carbamazepine. On weaning carbamazepine, patient developed hallucinations which resolved after carbamazepine was restarted. CONCLUSIONS: PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutation has a more benign course compared to common forms of PDH E1 deficiency due to X-linked PDHA1 mutations. All known cases of PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutations share the features of episodic dystonia and intellectual disability. Our patients dystonia and hallucinations responded well to low dose carbamazepine. Introduction: Pyruvate Dehydrogenase (PDH) E2 deficiency is a rare pediatric neurometabolic disease due to mutation in DLAT gene (Head et al., 2005; McWilliam et al., 2010). Only 4 cases with DLAT gene mutations have previously been reported (Head et al., 2005; McWilliam et al., 2010). All share the features of dystonia and some degree of developmental delay and characteristic globus pallidus signal abnormalities on brain MRI. This disease tends to have more benign course as compared to PDH E1 deficiency (Head et al., 2005; Huq et al., 1991; McWilliam et al., 2010; Patel et al., 2012). We report an additional case with DLAT mutation with new phenotype and treatment information. Case Report A 15-year-old girl presented with paroxysmal episodes of left lower extremity weakness and stiffening for the last 8 years. These episodes were triggered by exercise but no exacerbating or relieving factors were noted. There was no associated aura, alteration of consciousness, incontinence or other associated neurological symptoms. Her parents were second cousins, but family history was negative for known genetic disorders. Birth and past medical histories were also unremarkable. Patient had a speech delay but met her other childhood milestones appropriately. Later, she developed academic difficulties and at 15 years of age she was performing at a 4th grade level. At presentation, the patient had a normal examination except for some cognitive and reading difficulties. At the time of initial presentation to a pediatric neurologist at 7 years of age, an MRI of the brain revealed bilateral T2 hyperintensities in the basal ganglia. In addition, she was found to have decreased NAA peak an d the suggestion of a lactate peak on MR spectroscopy. EEG, EMG and nerve conductions studies were unremarkable. Over the years the patient was considered to have paroxysmal kinesiogenic dyskinesia and was treated with carbamazepine (100 mg daily). The patient was initially evaluated by us at age of 14 years. Metabolic work up for serum lactate, serum amino acids, acyl carnitine profile, serum copper and ceruluplasmin and GLUT1 or PRRT2 mutation analysis were unremarkable. Repeat MRI revealed basal ganglia signal changes including Eye of the tiger sign (Figure 1). MR spectroscopy studies were suboptimal. Exome sequencing was performed through Ambry laboratory as previously described (Serajee and Huq, 2015). The patient had homozygous c.470T>G (p.V157G) alteration in the DLAT (Dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (PDHC E2) gene suggesting the diagnosis of pyruvate dehydrogenase E2 deficiency, a rare cause of pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency. Both parents and one brother were heterozygous carriers and another brother was homozygous normal. The p.V157G alteration (c.470T>G), is in coding exon 3 of the DLAT gene, results from a T to G substitution at nucleotide position 470. The valine at codon 157 is replaced by glycine, an amino acid with dissimilar properties. The V157 amino acid position is highly conserved in all available vertebrate species. The p.V157G alteration is predicted to be probably damaging by Polyphen and deleterious by SIFT in silico analyses. The V157 amino acid is located within the biotin/lipoyl attachment domain of the DHAT protein. The DLAT c.470T>G alteration was n ot observed in healthy cohort databases such as NHLBI Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) or the 1000 Genomes Project or the Database of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (dbSNP). Based on data from the HGMD, only the four alterations reported by Head et al. (2005) and McWilliam et al. (2010) have been observed within the DLAT gene to date (Head et al., 2005;McWilliam et al., 2010). These include one missense alteration, two splice alterations, and one small in-frame deletion. Based on the above evidence, the homozygous c.470T>G (p.V157G) alteration was considered pathogenic. Her parents refused treatment with the ketogenic diet. When carbamazepine was weaned off due to parental concerns of side effects, within few weeks, patient developed hallucinations. Parents reported resolution of symptoms after carbamazepine was restarted. Discussion: The Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex functions in the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate to acetyl coenzyme A. The complex contains three subunits: E1, E2 and E3 (Patel and Roche, 1990). The most common form of pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency is due to mutations affecting the E1 subunit, and results in a variety of clinical manifestations depending upon the residual function of the enzyme (Huq et al., 1991;Patel et al., 2012). E1 subunit is encoded by PDHA1 gene of X chromosome. Most patients present in infancy with lactic acidosis, ataxia and hypotonia, either chronically or episodically (Huq et al., 1991;Patel et al., 2012). The mutation in our patient is in the E2 subunit (dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase), which forms the structural core of the enzyme and functions in accepting the acetyl groups and transferring them to coenzyme A, an essential step preceding the entrance of glucose into the TCA cycle (Head et al., 2005;Patel and Roche, 1990). E2 subunit is encoded by DLAT g ene located on chromosome 11q23.1. To date, however, there are only four reported cases of pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency caused by alterations in the DLAT gene, making it a very rare cause of the condition (Head et al., 2005;McWilliam et al., 2010). In addition, Robinson et al reported an additional patient with reduced E2 dihydrolipoyl transacetylase enzyme activity (32% of the control and undetectable E2 immunoreactive protein (Robinson et al., 1990). For this patient, no gene mutation data is available (Robinson et al., 1990). The patient reported by Robinson et al. had a different phenotype compared to our patient and four other genetically confirmed DLAT mutation cases and had profound retardation and microcephaly (Robinson et al., 1990). Head et al. (2005) first described two unrelated individuals with PDH deficiency caused by homozygous non-protein truncating mutations in the DLAT gene (Head et al., 2005). One patient demonstrated a deletion of glutamic acid in the outer lipoyl domain of the protein, whereas the second expressed a missense mutation in the catalytic site, leading to a substitution of leucine for phenylalanine. Both patients were male children born of first-cousin parents. These patients presented with a less severe phenotype compared to individuals with the more common type of PDH caused by alterations in the PDHA1 gene encoding the E1 subunit, and their common features included episodic dystonia, hypotonia, ataxia, and developmental delay(Head et al., 2005). Episodes of dystonia were often triggered by stress or fever, and developmental progress appeared to slow after the episodes as well. Additional reported features included inconsolable crying, nystagmus and abnormal eye movements, ptosis, drooli ng, jerky head movements, arching of the body, bottom shuffling, stiffening of the limbs, episodic clenching of the hands, head lag and hypotonia. Brain MRI findings in each patient included focal signal abnormality in the basal ganglia with high T2 signal and low T1 signal in the globus pallidus which was compatible with an abnormality of energy metabolism (Head et al., 2005). The authors concluded that mutations in the DLAT gene are an extremely rare cause of PDH deficiency and that patients with this type of PDH may be more likely to respond to a ketogenic diet (Head et al., 2005). McWilliam et al. (2010) also described two sisters born of non-consanguineous parents affected with pyruvate dehydrogenase E2 deficiency caused by compound heterozygous splice mutations in the DLAT gene (McWilliam et al., 2010). Clinical features were like those described in Head et al. (2005), including progressive episodic dystonia, cognitive impairment, and globus pallidus hyperintensity on brain MR I. Both patients were treated with a modified ketogenic diet and the parents reported improvements in concentration, fine motor control, and decreased fatigue (McWilliam et al., 2010). Previous reports noted the phenotypic overlap to patients with PKAN, and suggested investigation for PDH E2 deficiency in patients suspected to have atypical PKAN with negative genetic testing (Head et al., 2005;McWilliam et al., 2010). PKAN is one of several diseases classified under the umbrella of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA). It is caused by a mutation in the pentothenate kinase 2 gene, an abnormality of coenzyme A metabolism (Zhou et al., 2001). CoPAN (Coenzyme A synthetase protein-associated neurodegeneration) is another NBIA that affects the synthesis of coenzyme A. It is caused by a mutation in coenzyme A synthetase (COASY) gene (Schneider, 2016;Tonekaboni and Mollamohammadi, 2014). Clinical features of PKAN and CoPAN also include ataxia, dystonia, chorea and Parkinsonism, cognitive decline and psychiatric manifestations (Schneider, 2016;Tonekaboni and Mollamohammadi, 2014). In NBIA, whether iron accumulation is a cause or an effect of the disease pro cess is still not known (Schneider, 2016;Tonekaboni and Mollamohammadi, 2014). In our patient, the pattern of MRI changes in the bilateral globus pallidus is remarkably like that seen in PKAN and CoPAN, revealing the eye-of-the-tiger sign . On brain MRIs of patients with PKAN and CoPAN, the central hyperintensity of the eye-of-the-tiger sign is thought to be due to the tissue necrosis, while the surrounding hypointensity is attributed to the iron accumulation (Dusi et al., 2014;Kumar et al., 2006). Other diseases including cortical basal degeneration, multisystem atrophy, multiple sclerosis and neurofibromatosis may have similar neuro-radiological findings. However, these diseases differ from PKAN in their clinical behavior and pattern of MR abnormalities (Kruer et al., 2012). PKAN and CoPAN also affect the substantia nigra (Kruer et al., 2012); however, the involvement of the substantia nigra has not yet been reported in cases of PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutations. Out of the four previously reported cases of PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutation, only t wo patients had serial MRI scans. In one patient, the brain MRI was normal at one year of age but follow up at 6 years-old showed an abnormal hyperintense T2 signal in the bilateral globus pallidus. In the other patient, similar lesions were noticed at 15 months-old that remained unchanged on follow up at 2 and 6 years of age (Head et al., 2005). As opposed to the eye-of-the-tiger sign seen in our patient, all the previously reported cases showed homogenous basal ganglia hyperintensities (Head et al., 2005;McWilliam et al., 2010). As discussed above, PKAN and CoPAN result from a defect in coenzyme A synthesis (Schneider, 2016;Tonekaboni and Mollamohammadi, 2014). PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutations, on the other hand, affects the transfer of acetyl group formed by decarboxylation of pyruvate to coenzyme A (Kumar et al., 2006;McWilliam et al., 2010;Patel and Roche, 1990). It is possible that the clinical and radiological similarities of PKAN, CoPAN and PDH E2 deficiency are due t o shared abnormalities in the acetyl-CoA metabolism. Like our patient, the 4 previously reported DLAT mutation cases presented with dystonia and intellectual disability, with a more benign course than those affected with the PDH E1 subunit deficiency (Head et al., 2005;McWilliam et al., 2010) . In this regard, PDH E2 deficiency due to DLAT mutation is like PDH deficiency due E3 binding protein deficiency (Head et al., 2005). Serum and CSF lactate were elevated in only one patient, but all demonstrated characteristic hyperintense T2 and hypointense T1 signal in the bilateral globus pallidi on brain MRI. In 3 out of the 4 patients, ketogenic diet was helpful in alleviation of the disease symptomology(Head et al., 2005;McWilliam et al., 2010). Our patients had hallucination, which was not described in other 4 reported patients. Her dystonia and hallucinations responded to low dose carbamazepine. Our case thus expands upon the phenotype for PDH E2 deficiency associated with the DLAT gene mutation. Reference List Dusi, S., Valletta, L., Haack, T.B., Tsuchiya, Y., Venco, P., Pasqualato, S., Goffrini, P., Tigano, M., Demchenko, N., Wieland, T., Schwarzmayr, T., Strom, T.M., Invernizzi, F., Garavaglia, B., Gregory, A., Sanford, L., Hamada, J., Bettencourt, C., Houlden, H., Chiapparini, L., Zorzi, G., Kurian, M.A., Nardocci, N., Prokisch, H., Hayflick, S., Gout, I., and Tiranti, V. (2014). Exome sequence reveals mutations in CoA synthase as a cause of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 94, 11-22. Head, R.A., Brown, R.M., Zolkipli, Z., Shahdadpuri, R., King, M.D., Clayton, P.T., and Brown, G.K. (2005). Clinical and genetic spectrum of pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency: dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (E2) deficiency. Ann. Neurol. 58, 234-241. Huq, A.H., Ito, M., Naito, E., Saijo, T., Takeda, E., and Kuroda, Y. (1991). Demonstration of an unstable variant of pyruvate dehydrogenase protein (E1) in cultured fibroblasts from a patient with congenital lactic acidemia. Pediatr. Res. 30, 11-14. Kruer, M.C., Boddaert, N., Schneider, S.A., Houlden, H., Bhatia, K.P., Gregory, A., Anderson, J.C., Rooney, W.D., Hogarth, P., and Hayflick, S.J. (2012). Neuroimaging features of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation. AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol. 33, 407-414. Kumar, N., Boes, C.J., Babovic-Vuksanovic, D., and Boeve, B.F. (2006). The eye-of-the-tiger sign is not pathognomonic of the PANK2 mutation. Arch. Neurol. 63, 292-293. McWilliam, C.A., Ridout, C.K., Brown, R.M., McWilliam, R.C., Tolmie, J., and Brown, G.K. (2010). Pyruvate dehydrogenase E2 deficiency: a potentially treatable cause of episodic dystonia. Eur. J. Paediatr. Neurol. 14, 349-353. Patel, K.P., OBrien, T.W., Subramony, S.H., Shuster, J., and Stacpoole, P.W. (2012). The spectrum of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency: clinical, biochemical and genetic features in 371 patients. Mol. Genet. Metab 105, 34-43. Patel, M.S., and Roche, T.E. (1990). Molecular biology and biochemistry of pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes. FASEB J. 4, 3224-3233. Robinson, B.H., MacKay, N., Petrova-Benedict, R., Ozalp, I., Coskun, T., and Stacpoole, P.W. (1990). Defects in the E2 lipoyl transacetylase and the X-lipoyl containing component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in patients with lactic acidemia. J. Clin. Invest 85, 1821-1824. Schneider, S.A. (2016). Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation. Curr. Neurol. Neurosci. Rep. 16, 9. Serajee, F.J., and Huq, A.M. (2015). Homozygous Mutation in Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A Gene Results in Intractable Epilepsy, Involuntary Movements, Microcephaly, and Developmental and Growth Retardation. Pediatr. Neurol. 52, 642-646. Tonekaboni, S.H., and Mollamohammadi, M. (2014). Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation: an overview. Iran J. Child Neurol. 8, 1-8. Zhou, B., Westaway, S.K., Levinson, B., Johnson, M.A., Gitschier, J., and Hayflick, S.J. (2001). A novel pantothenate kinase gene (PANK2) is defective in Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome. Nat. Genet. 28, 345-349. Figure 1 Legend:   Ã‚   MRI of the brain: A. Axial T2 image showing hyperintensity in bilateral globus pallidus, which is surrounded by a hypointense signal B. Axial T1 image showing hypointensity in bilateral globus pallidus C. Coronal T2 FLAIR image showing hyperintensity in bilateral globus pallidus, which is surrounded by a ring of hypointense signal (eye-of-the-tiger sign)

Immigration :: essays research papers

For many immigration to the United States would be a new beginning during 19th to early 20th century. There were many acts and laws to limit the number immigrating to the United States. Many of these acts were due to prejudice and misunderstanding of a culture. One such act was the Chinese Exclusion Act. Form this one act many immigration laws and acts were made against foreigners. They hoped to control the number of immigrants arriving on the American shores. The Chinese Exclusion Act of May 6, 1882 was just the beginning. This act was the turning point of the U.S. immigration policies, although it only directly affected a small group of people. Prior to the Chinese Exclusion Act there was no significant number of free immigrants that had been barred from the country. Once the Chinese Exclusion Act had been in acted, further limitations on the immigration of ethnic groups became standard procedure for more than eight decades. Irish catholic, Mexican, and other races were not allowed the same freedoms that others were allowed. Even after a family had been here for generations there were not given the same freedoms. Since the arrival of the first Chinese Immigrants, racist hostility towards the Chinese always existed. They were predominantly male laborers, concentrated in California. They were vital to the development of western mining, transportation, and agriculture. Other races were also discriminated against, the Irish were not allowed to get jobs or live in certain areas of the cities. By 1880, the great fear of German-speaking and Irish-Catholic immigrants was over. Employers, who still sought worker-immigrants, and not just temporary workers, looked increasingly to southern and eastern Europe. When Italians, Greeks, Turks, Russians, Slavs, and Jews arrived in the United States in numbers, however, new anxieties arose about making Americans of so many different kinds of strangers. An 1880 this act gave the United States the one sided right to mandate to li mit or even stop the immigration of Chinese laborers. In effect canceling the right of the Chinese to enter the country. Congress quickly complied and made a ten-year bill that the President signed on May 6, 1882. While exempting teachers, students, merchants, and tourists the Act suspended immigration of Chinese laborers for ten years. The law was renewed for a second ten-year period in 1892 and then made "permanent" in 1902. Chinese Exclusion Act had set a pattern for many other immigration laws and acts to come.

Writing Persuasive or Argumentative Essays :: Writing an Essay

In persuasive or argumentative writing, we try to convince others to agree with our facts, share our values, accept our argument and conclusions, and adopt our way of thinking. Elements toward building a good persuasive essay include * establishing facts to support an argument * clarifying relevant values for your audience (perspective) * prioritizing, editing, and/or sequencing the facts and values in importance to build the argument * forming and stating conclusions * "persuading" your audience that your conclusions are based upon the agreed-upon facts and shared values * having the confidence to communicate your "persuasion" in writing Here are some strategies to complete a persuasive writing assignment: Write out the questions in your own words. * Think of the questions posed in the assignment while you are reading and researching. Determine o facts o any sources that will help you determine their reliability (as well as for further reference) o what

Light and Dark in Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness Essays -- Movie

Light and Dark in Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness    In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Marlow chooses a brighter path than his counterpart in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, Capt. Willard. The two share in the duty of searching for and discovering Kurtz, as well as taking care of his memory, but their beliefs before encountering him place the characters at opposing ends of a theme. These opposing ends are light and dark, representing good and evil. In the opening pages of Heart of Darkness, Marlow begins telling a tale of himself as nothing more than a sailor, who had a taste for adventure and saw the navigation of a river in such a distant and mysterious place as the Congo as a chance to find it. Capt. Willard however, had "prayed for a mission, and for [his] sins they gave [him] one"(AP). Marlow's disposition at the beginning of this journey is that of a bored young man, trying to fill his time: a noble and societally acceptable existence. Capt. Willard is beyond the bounds of normal society as he begins narrating Apocalypse Now from his hotel room in Saigon. He explains: "When I was here [at the war] I wanted to be there [back home]. When I was there all I could think of was getting back into the jungle"(AP). Willard is outside of society but is hanging on slightly by his connection to the Army. This connection is a weak one, because of the nature of war and the fact that in war the laws of normal society are not applicable. Kurtz though, has taken the final step by breaking away from the army; "he broke from them, and then he broke from himself. I'd never seen a man so broken up and ripped apart"(AP). Willard doesn't even know if he will oppose Kurtz when he meets him, because he sees Kurtz in himself... ...v099B/fa/n022/a-e-apocalypse-fortmeyer.html created 1994 (accessed 23 Jan. 2000). Heart of Darkness. Dir. Nicolas Roeg. Turner Network Television (TNT) Pictures, 1994. Heart of Darkness: Theme/Symbol/Allusion/Foreshadow http://164.116.90.3/public/jarvinen/hod.html (accessed 21 Jan. 2000). Nash, Jay Robert, and Stanley Ralph Ross. "Apocalypse Now" The Motion Picture Guide. Chicago: Cinebooks, 1985. Raskin, Jonah. The Mythology of Imperialism. New York: Random, 1971. Urch, Martin. Apocalypse Now: A film review by Martin Urch http://us.imdb.com/Reviews/30/3030 created 1994 (accessed 29 Jan. 2000). Virtanen, Panu S. Plot summary of 'Apocalypse Now' http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/9067/plot.html (accessed 16 Jan. 2000). Watts, Cedric. Conrad's Heart of Darkness: A Critical and Contextual Discussion. Milan: Mursia International, 1977.

Murder in missouri: celia’s story

Slavery in America is one of the most intriguing yet controversial episodes in modern history.   Essentially an economic system, its tentacles reached north, south, east, and west.  The culture of slavery, particularly as it developed in the south, was a complex web of social and labor arrangements ranging from gang to task labor, skilled and unskilled workers, field and domestic servants.   Perpetual servitude found legitimacy in the construction of local and state laws designed to undermine the ability of black men, women, and their children to negotiate the conditions of labor and leisure.Although ubiquitous, the character of slavery was unique to each region and the extent of its acceptance determined by local politics and profitability.In the north, where the soil was unsuitable for an agricultural based economy, the factory system developed allowing for the rapid conversion of southern grown raw materials to finished goods.   In the south the plantation system emerged d ue, in large part, to the richness of the soil, numerous waterways, and the widespread of slave laborers both domestic and imported.In the west, where virgin land was most plentiful during the early nineteenth-century, young men like Robert Newsom left the depleted regions of Virginia, oftentimes with their families and slaves, to seek fortune and a better life.It was this â€Å"promise and its fulfillment,† argues Melton A. McLaurin in his true story, Celia, A Slave, that inspired people like Newsom to emigrate to Missouri. [1]   Ã‚  A decisive region in pro and anti-slavery debates, the Missouri Compromise of 1821 insured that there would be slavery in the old Louisiana Territory.   By 1850 Newsom was well respected and considered â€Å"comfortably well off.† [2]In antebellum Missouri, plantations were more the exception than the rule as the economic profitability determined the number of slaves owned by a small farmer.   Still slaves were considered property a nd enslaved women were always subject to the sexual advances of the master.These coerced and morally questionable encounters oftentimes produced children who were the object of the mistress’s hate and a reminder of her husband’s promiscuity.   Ã‚  Enslaved women in Callaway County, Missouri, much like those in other slaveholding regions, were without legal or community protection and, all too often, their suppressed anger erupted in violence and, in some cases, the brutal murder of their master and sexual abuser.[3]Consider the case of Celia, a slave.   Celia was purchased by Robert Newsom when she just fourteen years old.     Convinced that she should be his continuous sex partner and not simply a cook, he raped her on the return trip to Callaway County.   After repeated unwelcome sexual encounters, she bore two children and, at some point, Newsom provided her with a â€Å"luxurious† cabin adjacent to his home near a â€Å"beat down path.†[4]  As it turns out, Celia fell in love with George, a slave owned by Newsom who was aware of his [Newsom’s] sexual assaults.     George gave Celia an ultimatum demanding that if she did not â€Å"force Newsom to stop having sexual relations with her† their relationship would be over. [5]   Celia confronted Newsom who ignored her warnings.   She even turned to his daughters for help.   It was then that Celia decided she would â€Å"resort to a physical attack to repel his advances.†[6]When Newsom arrived on the night of June 23, 1855 as promised, Celia hit him with a stick.   When he reached for her again, Celia â€Å"raised the club with both hands and once again brought it crashing down on Newsom’s skull.†[7]   Celia disposed of the body by burning it in the fireplace.   On the following morning she asked Newsom’s grandson, Coffee Waynescott, to â€Å"clean out her fireplace† and â€Å"carry the ashes out† in a container and, after which, he â€Å"spilled the remains in the grass.† [8][1] Melton A, McLaurin, Celia, A Slave: A True Story of Violence and Retribution in Antebellum Missouri (Athens: University of Georgia Press), 3; 4-8, (hereinafter cited as Celia, A Slave).[2] Under the terms of the Compromise, Missouri was to be admitted to the Union as a slave state; Ibid, 8. [3] McLaurin, Celia A Slave, 14-16; 95-101.