Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Task 1 - Essay Example In satisfaction of the National Training Framework’s purposes, Vocational Educational Training or VET currently comes in different structures gave by businesses, private preparing organizations, network based associations, optional schools and advanced education. These substances endeavor to serve understudies to set them up for work in reality. The â€Å"VET in Schools† program offers understudies to attempt one of three models of down to earth business related movement. One is for full time understudies to take an interest in a preparation program offered by the school or an open or private preparing supplier; another is for understudies to make sure about a learner boat or apprenticeship with an agreement and paid business while still an understudy in a school; or understudies may work low maintenance out of school hours with a formal, organized preparing segment. (ANTA, 1999) The move towards globalization incorporates the thought of multicultural elements influencing learning and advancement. In Australia, numerous indigenous understudies (for example Natives) drop out of formal school to move towards professionally situated school courses (Schwab, 2001) to empower them to make sure about employments not long after necessary training. This specific populace may look for choices that will enhance their learning possibilities, for example, courses that fittingly fit their way of life. Understand that issues related with indigenous instruction are special. Indigenous culture is downgraded and is inclined to separation. Indigenous kids, as a gathering, are thought to be inconsistent to the general school populace as far as insight, and thus, desires are significantly lower (Reynolds, 2005). Gutman (1992) with regards to investigate including understudies in two Brisbane school found that: â€Å"Teachers who have low desires for what Aboriginal understudies can accomplish scholastically are doing them a disservice† (p.

“the Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Self articulation is one of humanity’s most prominent endowments. It is significant that people communicate from numerous points of view, regardless of whether it is writing in a diary, painting, singing, or simply talking with somebody. Holding in one’s emotions can be unfortunate and it can prompt sadness, tension, or madness. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the storyteller, a high society lady defies her husband’s â€Å"cure† for her downturn, which prohibited her to practice her creative mind. She leaves well enough alone diary in which she records her contemplations and interest about the yellow backdrop. Because of the psychological limitations put upon her, she loses power over the real world. Writing in a diary can be utilized as a device to communicate. A diary can turn into a sheltered space to help discharge on edge considerations and negative emotions. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper, the storyteller writes in her diary, â€Å"I cry at nothing, and cry more often than not. Obviously I don’t when John is here, or any other person, however when I am separated from everyone else. Furthermore, I am separated from everyone else a decent arrangement a few seconds ago (Gilman 428). One may recommend that the storyteller is a forlorn individual who conceals her actual sentiments from her better half and every other person. Her better half shows no enthusiasm of her contemplations or worries for the conditions she is living under. So she keeps on concealing her downturn and utilizations a diary as her passionate outlet, however her creative mind defeats her. Not communicating can subsequently prompt wretchedness, nervousness, or madness. Therefore it is critical to practice one’s creative mind. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, the storyteller is prohibited to do anything dynamic and to not practice her brain at all. She guides her consideration towards the yellow backdrop and gets fanatical over it. â€Å"All night in any sort of light, in nightfall, candlelight, lamplight, and most exceedingly terrible of all by moonlight it becomes bars! The outside example I mean, and the ladies behind it is as plain as can be† (431). The storyteller feels encased in her room and thinks the examples in the backdrop are bars of a confine. She gazes at the backdrop for significant stretches of time and finds a lady behind the example. One may recommend that she is the ladies behind the examples attempting to break free. In her last diary passage, she expressed, â€Å"I pulled and she shook, I shook and she pulled, and before morning we had stripped yards of that paper† (433). Stripping off â€Å"that paper† on could recommend that she is unwinding the example of her tamed life. Moreover, all together for the storyteller to get herself, she loses her mental stability.

Side Effects of Zoloft (Sertraline)

Side Effects of Zoloft (Sertraline) Depression Treatment Medication Print Side Effects of Zoloft (Sertraline) Knowing What to Expect and When to Act By Nancy Schimelpfening Nancy Schimelpfening, MS is the administrator for the non-profit depression support group Depression Sanctuary. Nancy has a lifetime of experience with depression, experiencing firsthand how devastating this illness can be. Learn about our editorial policy Nancy Schimelpfening Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on January 25, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on February 04, 2020 Depression Overview Types Symptoms Causes & Risk Factors Diagnosis Treatment Coping ADA & Your Rights Depression in Kids Zoloft (sertraline) is a type of antidepressant medication commonly used to treat depression and anxiety. It belongs to a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which work by preventing the reabsorption of serotonin (the feel good hormone) so that more is available in the system. Zoloft the most prescribed antidepressant and the seventh most prescribed psychiatric drug in the U.S. Illustration by JR Bee, Verywell Most Common Zoloft Side Effects As with all medications, Zoloft may cause certain unwanted side effects. ??The most commonly experienced in those taking Zoloft include: DiarrheaNauseaIndigestionDecreased appetiteFatigueSleepinessInsomniaTremorsAgitationIncreased sweatingFeeling emotionally numbSexual problems, including loss of libido and inability to ejaculate Gastrointestinal problems can occur in as many as one in four people taking Zoloft.?? Others are far less common but, in some ways, far more distressing. While the loss of libido can affect both men and women, men are especially impacted by physical symptoms of erectile dysfunction (occurring in four percent of men) and ejaculation problems (occurring in eight percent of men). People can often minimize these symptoms by taking Zoloft immediately after sex or adjusting treatment with the advice of their doctor. Uncommon but Serious Side Effects While far less common (occurring in less than two percent of patients), there are some serious side effects associated with Zoloft use. In some cases, Zoloft may trigger or exacerbate psychiatric symptoms.?? Call your doctor if you experience any new or worsening psychiatric symptoms such as panic attacks, hallucinations, agitation, memory loss, impulsiveness, anxiety, or any symptom associated with psychosis, major depression, or bipolar mania. People who take Zoloft also risk having an overdose. On the other hand, you should seek immediate medical assistance if you experience any of the following: Black or bloody stoolsChest painFaintingFast or irregular heartbeatA severe or a persistent headacheFever over 100o FSeizureSuicidal thoughtsStevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), a rare but potentially fatal allergic reaction While all of these symptoms should be considered serious, SJS is particularly alarming due to the speed by which it can occur. SJS typically begins with fatigue, fever, and sore throat, followed by the emergence of angry eruptive blisters on the face, trunk, arms, legs, and soles of the feet. If left untreated, SJS can quickly lead to sepsis, organ damage, blindness, shock, and even death.?? Side Effects in Children and Adolescents When prescribed in children or adolescents, Zoloft can cause a slightly different range of symptoms, some of which are less common in adults. Advise your pediatrician if your child experiences any of the following: NosebleedsFrequent urinationUrinary incontinenceHeavy menstrual periodAbnormal or agitated muscle movementsSlowed growthWeight changes A Word From Verywell The type and severity of Zoloft side effects will vary from person to person. For most, the symptoms tend to be minimal and generally improve over time. If you find you are unable to cope with the side effects, call your doctor immediately. There may be strategies your doctor can offer (including dose adjustment or adjunctive therapies) to help you better adjust to the prescribed treatment. The important thing to avoid is stopping or changing treatment without input from your doctor. Not only might you undermine the goals of treatment, you may experience a condition known as antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS) which can manifest with symptoms of withdrawal (including muscle aches, nausea, dizziness, insomnia, and abnormal sensations). ADS can occur as early as six weeks after starting therapy.

Is Homeschooling A Viable Alternative For Traditional...

Is homeschooling a viable alternative to traditional classroom-based education? According to the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), â€Å"Homeschooling †¦ is an age-old traditional education practice that a decade ago appeared to be cutting-edge and ‘alternative’ but is now bordering on ‘mainstream’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ray). There are about two million home educated students in the United States, an increase of two to eight percent over the past few years (Ray). Yet with this steady rise, there are many families who disregard homeschooling as a schooling alternative simply because they are oblivious to the fundamentals of it. If parents were knowledgeable of the benefits associated with homeschooling, most would embrace it rather than question the social aspect and academic credibility of a homeschooled student. Socialization is a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position. The development of social skills is a frequent question directed towards parents of homeschoolers. Contrary to the belief that homeschoolers are incompetent to socialize, a study conducted by Thomas Smedley, M.S. proves otherwise. Thomas C. Smedley is a graduate of Redford University with a Masters degree in Corporate and Professional communications. In his master’s thesis titled â€Å"The Richards 2 Socialization of Homeschool Children,† he uses the VinelandShow MoreRelatedHomeschooling: On the Rise in America1869 Words   |  8 PagesHomeschooling is on the rise in America. According to a 2007 NHES study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education there are an estimated 1.5 million students actively being homeschooled up from the 850,000 estimated in previous study conducted in 1999 (NCES, 1). Once seen as a fringe activity usually associated with the religious right, homeschooling now encompasses many mainstream families looking for educational alternatives in the face of such issues as violence, peer pressure, and poor academicRead MoreBenefits of Homeschooling2307 Words   |  10 Pageswhen it came to his or her education. Although Freeport, Illinois, does not have a significant amount of schools from which to choose, we certainly looked at them all. After we had spent numerous hours talking to teachers and touring classrooms, we were not impressed by any of the lo cal schools. Basically, every school offered the same general subjects served in a cookie cutter fashion. We, however, wanted our children to have a more diverse and individualized education. Therefore, we decided to look

Political Analysis Of Immigration Reform - 1433 Words

Lijun Huang Professor Josh Sapotichne PLS 313 April 26, 2015 Political analysis of immigration reform U.S. as an immigration country, has a long history of immigration. It is a complex demographic phenomenon that has been a major source of population growth and cultural change of the United States. People came here because of varies reason, the major reason among them are fleeing crop failure, land and job shortage, rising taxes, and famine. Nearly 12 million people immigrate to the United States between 1870 and 1900, making it the world largest immigrate country. As an old saying goes: â€Å"Everything is a two-edged sword!† although the U.S. has been benefits a lot form the upcoming immigrant, there are a lot of social and political problem associate with it. As politician often put when they made the speech: â€Å"current immigration system in the United States is broken.† There are several reasons why the immigration system in the U.S. needed to be reformed: families are separated, immigrant workers are exploited, people died when they try to across the border, and the discrimination against immigrants. Here are some stunning facts about immigration in the U.S.: 10-20 million illegal aliens presently roam the U.S. and the illegal alien’s population doubled in the 1990’s. They counted about 5.1% of the U.S. labor force, which is a huge amount. There are 72000 aliens arrested each year for drug use offenses and they counted about 25% of the federal prison population. TheShow MoreRelatedImmigration And The United States1464 Words   |  6 Pages Immigration has always been a complex issue in the United States. Previous and current administrations have had great difficulties in setting policies and programs in place to address this problem. During the course of American history, laws were enacted to address such issues. There were numerous legislative milestones in regards to immigration in the United States. In order to understand the current issues regarding immigration, we have to look back at the policies that were in placeRead MoreThe Issue Of Immigration Reform Essay1401 Words   |  6 Pages Immigration Reform Tony Smith HSE 430 November 17, 2016 Nick R. North Immigration Reform Introduction Public Opinion The American public seems to be aware of the issue in general, but is short of the details. There has certainly been a healthy amount of media coverage of immigration reform, but as the coverage itself is unclear as to how best to frame the problems, it mostly informs about the existence of the issue rather than informing about the issue itself. As such, there is conflictingRead MoreThe Globalization Of The United States959 Words   |  4 Pagesbecause it play a central role. The main solution for this to happen is to modernizing America system will grow the economy and that will create jobs for America. This is because the modernization of America legal immigration system wills a benefit for America. American will make reforms on a more merit-based that will make America attract more innovators, investor, entrepreneurs, people engaged by the desire to make a better life for themselves. In of this it will create jobs for American workersRead MoreImmigration Reform And Control Act Of 1986 Essay1452 Words   |  6 PagesMay Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986; 100Stat. 3359 Biblical guidelines. All persons are welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven. Immigration reform and control is found throughout the scriptures. 1 Samuel 17:25, Saul decreed that â€Å"whoever slew the Philistine May receive fame, wealth, naturalization, and his daughter’s hand in marriage.† David eventually took the challenge, slew the giant and went to the King to gains his fame, wealth, and naturalization. 1 Samuel 18:1, says, â€Å"after David hadRead MoreThe Side Of Getting Comprehensive Immigration Reform1135 Words   |  5 PagesComposition II 3/9/16 Toulmin Argument Immigration is a major topic in the Immigration presidential Race right now. I am on the side of getting comprehensive immigration reform. Reform is the term used in political discussion regarding changes to the current immigration policy. In the political sense of the word, immigration reform may include promoted, expanded, or open immigration, as well as reduced or eliminated immigration. Comprehensive immigration reform has eluded Congress for years, movingRead MoreThe Effects Of Mexican Immigration On The United States1252 Words   |  6 PagesRUNNING HEAD: IMMIGRATION POLICY Immigration Policy in the United States: The Effects of Immigration on the Legal, Native Workforce Christopher R. Surfus, MBA, MPA Western Michigan University School of Public Affairs and Administration PADM-6840 Management of Public Financial Resources Professor Robert Peters, Ph.D. December 3, 2015 Immigration Policy in the United States: The Effects of Mexican Immigration on the Legal Workforce ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION ImmigrationRead MoreAmerican Immigration Policy, Citizenship, And The Relationship Between Foreign Policy And Constitutional Law1477 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract This research describes the legal ins and outs of American immigration policy, citizenship, ‘border control’, and the relationship between foreign policy and constitutional law, regarding refugees. Since the birth of the United States in 1776, citizens, from countries all around the world have considered making the trek to America, in hopes of pursuing a different, more prosperous life. Yet, many of history’s hopeful travellers have learned- legally entering America is potentially theRead MoreEssay The Chicano View on Mexican Immigration1048 Words   |  5 Pagesa pride for their culture as well as their ethnicity to fuel their political campaign. Left out of this campaign initially though were Mexican immigrants. As is made clear in the writings of David Gutierrez, since the beginning of large amounts of Mexican immigration, Mexican Americans have opposed supporting Mexican immigrants. In fact, Mexican Americans had predominantly been some of the main supporters of immigration reform and sanction. Historically, much of this concern has been based uponRead MoreShould the Illegal Immigrants in the U.S Be Deported?1092 Words   |  5 Pageshumanistic country in the world, gives immigration a very crucial role due to its function forming the diverse culture of America. Every year, thousands of immigrants move to the United States, seeking superior living conditions such as employment, welfare and education. However, that movement inevitably raises a bunch of social issues, of which the most apparent and controversial one is illegal immigration. Based on this situation, debates about immigration reform were fiercely triggered in public recentlyRead MoreThe Immigration Problem Of Immigration173 5 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween criminal law and immigration law has become increasingly blurred. In many jurisdictions around the world, undocumented immigration was long considered a civil offence in which violation resulted in fines and deportation. Now, however, illegal crossings are often treated as criminal violations carrying overly punitive consequences such as incarceration in harsh detention centers. The ever-evolving assortment of laws and enforcement measures concerning immigration, as well as negative rhetoric

Civil rights law provides for employee Free Essays

Civil rights law provides for employee protections against discrimination in many situations. The legal criteria must be strictly adhered to in order to qualify for the protections afforded under the law. What happens to civil rights if a part of the workforce is unprotected by civil rights laws? Will the public policy exception to the employment-at-will doctrine expand to fill gaps in public policy to the point where exclusions will be rendered meaningless? Civil Rights laws do not take into consideration all aspect of the workforce. We will write a custom essay sample on Civil rights law provides for employee or any similar topic only for you Order Now As a result, there is a certain class of people who were not considered when this law was first enacted. In most cases it will be up to the courts to decide if an employee rights were violated. I do not believe that the public policy exception to the employment-at-will doctrine will expand to fill all the gaps in public policy. There are states where public policy is treated as a cumulative remedy also taking into consideration the remedy provided by the statute. Other states limit the reach of public policy exception to statues that contains no remedy for an employee injured by the employer’s violation. Until all states have the same clear distinction on how public policy exceptions should be handled I think the possibility is slim at this point. Some states treat public policy exception claims as providing a cumulative remedy in addition to the remedy provided by the statute. Those states allow the employee to obtain the remedy provided by the statute, plus the lost wages, benefits or other remedies available under a public policy exception claim. Other states limit the reach of public policy exception claims to statutes that contain no remedy for an employee injured by the employer’s violation of the statute. Under this test, the availability of some remedy, even though incomplete will bar a more expansive claim for a public policy exception. For example, even though the Family and Medical Leave Act has no compensatory or punitive damages available for a violation, the Ohio Supreme court barred a public policy claim because the of the availability of at least some remedy. In a related vein, if a state’s supreme court concludes that the legislature intended the remedy provisions in the statute to be an essential part of it, and those remedies adequately protect society’s interest, it will not recognize a public policy exception based on such statute. Because Congress has not explicitly granted protection from gender discrimination under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act1 to welfare recipients in workfare programs, these workfare participants are often forced to work in positions where they are subjected to repeated sexual harassment in order to preserve their welfare benefits. In order to protect these vulnerable workers, Congress should enact legislation to provide explicit Title VII protection for workfare participants. As a result of the welfare reforms of 1996, federal law now requires many welfare recipients to work in public or private sector jobs in order to receive their welfare benefits. 2 If these workfare participants do not perform their jobs satisfactorily, their job placement will be terminated, and they will no longer receive their welfare benefits. Unfortunately, these workfare participants often experience gender and race discrimination in their job placements. 4 Because they will lose their welfare benefits if they do not continue their job placements, these workers are often forced to remain in positions where they are consistently harassed. 5 The Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act (PRWORA),6 which implements the workfare requirements, does not explicitly state that workfare participants are entitled to protection from e mployment discrimination under Title VII. Congress enacted Title VII to protect employees from discrimination based upon gender, race or religion in the workplace. 7 In Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, the United States Supreme Court held that sexual harassment was a form of gender discrimination, and therefore, it was prohibited under Title VII. 8 Since Title VII only protects employees from discrimination, however, in order to bring a successful lawsuit under Title VII, a worker must convince the court that she is an employee as defined by Title VII. This can be complicated because Title VII does not provide a clear definition of the term â€Å"employee. â€Å"9 In order to determine if a worker is an employee under Title VII, a court will likely examine the specific facts of the employment situation. First, the court will determine if an employment relationship exists. If so, the court will apply one of three tests to determine if the worker is an employee or an independent contractor. Following the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. v. Darden,10 it appears that the common-law agency test is the correct one to apply in Title VII situations. 11 Because Congress has not explicitly stated that Title VII protects workfare participants, it is up to a court’s interpretation of Title VII to determine if workfare participants are employees and therefore covered under the Act. The second Circuit Court of Appeals found that workfare participants are employees in the specific situation when the workfare participants’ welfare benefits are paid by the agencies where they work. 2 However, other courts may not follow the second Circuit or may find that workfare participants are not employees in other situations, such as when the agency paying the welfare benefits is not the same agency where employees are working. Despite the fact that the legislative history of the PRWORA and the agency regulations that implement the PRWORA suggest that Title VII should apply to workfare participants, there is enough ambiguity surro unding Title VII’s application to workfare participants that courts may determine that workfare participants would not be protected. In light of this ambiguity, Congress must enact or amend legislation that clearly provides that workfare participants are employees for purposes of Title VII. 13 Without explicit Title VII protection, workfare participants are required to work side-by-side with non-workfare workers without a guarantee of the same protections from sexual harassment and other forms of gender†¦ See the full content of this document How to cite Civil rights law provides for employee, Essay examples

Myth of Niobe free essay sample

Whereas in plain text, that is what the myths suggests, the underlying meaning that Achilles is trying to convey is that he is able to regain his composure and humanity and that while it is important to grieve for the death of your love ones, its most important to stay sane and live life. The story that Achilles tells is after a small conflict that emerges between King Priam and himself once the king arrives in his tent. Once the king had made it safely to Achilless tent with the guidance of Hermes, he is instantly angered and flustered by Achilless tone and beating around the bush. He believes that since the great warrior had taken [the] first step and allowed [him]/To live and see the light of day (The Iliad, Book XXIV, 602-603), he was going to just hand over the body of Hector and let him leave. We will write a custom essay sample on Myth of Niobe or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Achilles then replies with a rageful comment implying that he is doing this not because he wants to but because A messenger came to [him]/ From Zeus my own natural mother, (The Iliad, Book XXIV, 606-607). The real first step in Achilless mind is not letting Priam live but instead opening his ears to the gods and following through with their will. This shows that he is once again living in fear of the gods and regaining his humanity and right state of mind like all other mortals do on a daily basis. The burning of offerings and construction of temples are not because mortals enjoy praising the gods, but because of their fear for them. Achilles, while born with godlike attributes, is still a mortal and as a result should be living in fear, and not act independent of his superiors on Mt. Olympus. In the story of Niobe, Achilles convinces King Priam that eating is important, even in the face of his beloved sons death. While on the surface, eating, a simple everyday task that is looked over by everyone, seems to be second nature; it is simple everyday tasks that keep us sane and living. Achilles knows this and is giving the king a simple yet important lesson. Priam as he later reveals that [he] had eaten nothing till now. (The Iliad, Book XXIV, Line 692) as well as his eyes have not closed since [his] son lost his life (The Iliad, Book XXIV line 686) implying that he has also hasnt slept. Sleep is another simple yet easily overlooked task that keeps all living beings alive and energetic and is a simple necessity of life, same with eating. In the story, Niobe remembers to eat even in the face of the death of her 12 children, and it shows that she has given up on what she had been holding on to and is able to focus on her life and what she wants to do with it. In Priams case, even though his favorite and most important son is dead, he must regain his composure and fill the role as the King and ready his city for war as he can grieve for his son after his own death. Priam must become himself again, put his city first for the next days as he has the rest of eternity to grieve for his son similar to how Niobe broods on [her] sorrows (The Iliad, Boox XXIV 668).. Achilles is fully aware of Priams situation know[s] Priam, inside out (The Iliad, Book XXIV, line 608-609) ,and knows the exact emotional state that Priam is in. He realizes that he himself is the killer of the Kings son and the mere presence of Priam shows that he has to have overcome a huge part of himself to bring the fortune he has to the Greek camp in offer for his sons body. With that being said, the way Achilles tells this story is very strategic and clever. He starts off with a relaxing comment, assuring Priam of his sons bodys safety and that he has let him go and the continues with the myth. At the end of his myth, he leaves Priam with Well, so should we, old sir,/ Remember to eat. You can mourn your son later/ When you bring him to Troy. You owe him many tears. (The Iliad, Book XXIV, Line 668-671). In addition to the regaining of humanity that is completely necessary in Priams situation, Achilles is telling him to be calm, and not do anything he will regret. This is because Priam is currently in the middle of Greek camp and he understands the hate and the anger he has stored up for Achilles and his army and any sign of aggression will surely result in him losing his life. He assures Priam that his army, along with him will have [an] armistice (The Iliad, Book XXIV, Line 719) until the twelfth day [when they] fight, if [they] must (The Iliad, Book XXIV, Line 717). Achilles shows through his choice and placement of words that he acknowledges Priams pain and tries to advise him against any regretful decisions that he may have. In the morning after, Hermes comes to Priam and reminds him of the situation he is in, the king of Troy sleeping in the middle of the Greek camp. The fact that King Priam suddenly feels afraid shows that Achilles has instilled the instinct of fear, a common trait of mortals back into his life which shows that he is regaining his humanity. Just before the funeral of Hector, Priam speaks to his people and tells them a similar message to what Achilles told him which was to have no fear of an Argive ambush. (The Iliad, Book XXIV, line 834) and ready themselves for a feast and the funeral of his beloved son. He attempts to calm his people, and tell them that even though the end is near, and the war is the number one priority, the people of Troy must come together and [assemble] for a glorious feast (The Iliad, Book XXIV, line 858). At the end of the day, Achilless act of kindness and compassion helps him regain his humanity in more then one way as he gives an enemy of his what he would never have done. He has given up his anger and grief for Patrocluss death and not let anger cloud his judgement. By giving up Hectors body because the gods told him so,he has regained his fear for the gods and acknowledged their strength and ultimately regained his own humanity as a mortal.

Silas Marner Essays

Silas Marner Essays Silas Marner Essay Silas Marner Essay Essay Topic: Literature The novel Silas Marner is a story of old fashioned village life in a remote place called Raveloe, showing how the community responds to the old weaver, Silas Marner, who was once a respected member of a narrower evangelical congregation. The story, set in Raveloe in 1805, was written by Mary Ann (Marian) Evans under her pen name George Eliot. The tale soon flashes back to events that took place before 1805, to the late 18th century, and reflects times past, even for the readers of George Eliots time. The author uses an omniscient narrator, but her own preaching judgements and summaries can often be seen coming through as can some of William Wordsworths ideas and views on the value of what can be learned from the natural world and the innocence of childhood. This preaching demonstrates many of her own opinions, formed largely through her own experience of the religious outlook of the evangelical churches that sprung up in larger towns and cities and to which she had briefly belonged. William Wordsworth ideas, of the importance of childrens influences on adults rather than the adults influence on children, shine through as we read, for example: . . . for the little child had come to link him once more with the whole world. These words suggest that Eppie has brought Silas back to life (having lost everything at Lantern Yard, when he was framed for stealing and for a second time when his gold was stolen.) She opens him up and introduces him into the community of Raveloe. Her true fathers rejection of her has the opposite effect. He ends up in a childless marriage and only then does he want her back. But he is too late 16 years too late. If Silas story had never intersected with another characters, that of Godfrey Cass, then Godfrey would have carried on living a lie and we would never have been shown the different views of each character about what a fathers duty is, and which is wrong and which is right. It is this crossing of stories that exposes Godfreys dark secret and provides us with obvious similarities of circumstances, though each has a different background, and quite obvious differences of character. The differences of character allow us to examine moral problems in their social context, which is one of Eliots great interests she always wrote with moral purpose. Through her narrative, George Eliot creates a sympathetic background for Silas Marner in the opening two chapters so that we like him more even though he totally excludes himself from the community. Lack of detailed background information for Godfrey has the opposite effect. The setting plays a part in evoking this sympathy Raveloe is an isolated and old-fashioned community where newcomers are not welcome: And Raveloe was a village where many of the old echoes lingered, undrowned by new voices. (Pg. 11.) This suggests that old echoes or old fashioned ways still remain in the village and new people cannot change them. The secluded village also escapes the effects of industrialisation. The country folk are described as mostly not clever and we find out that anyone with a skill in handicraft or anyone who is clever is an object of suspicion because the people of Raveloe are so simple-minded they fear the unknown and dont want to venture into it. Emigrants from other towns were to the last regarded as aliens by their fellow neighbours, as was Silas (even after 15 years of living there.) Silas knowledge of herbs and his suffering of cataleptic fits also adds to the villagers suspicion (being so narrow-minded they couldnt accept anything different to their backward way of life.) Using flashback the author creates sympathy for Marner, providing detail of how he was betrayed by his best friend William Dane who framed him for theft whilst he was in one of his fits. Of course this elicts sympathy as his best friend betrayed him in a community where he was well respected and was of a high status. After the drawing of the lots (which wrongly pointed to his guilt,) he was forced out of his hometown and lost everything his friends, his respect, his status, his home, his faith in God and his fiance (who married William.) This technique tends to make us like Silas more and Godfrey less so that when he ends up in deep regret over Eppie we feel he deserves it. During Silas solitude in Raveloe, his money builds up and Marner drew less and less for his own wants. His money was not there to spend any more, but to be his only companions in the lonely life he now lived. when his work was done, that he drew them out to enjoy their companionship. He didnt want to spend them because they were something to live for more money. His days became repetitive working for more guineas, never to be spent. In relation to this, Marners life is compared to that of an insect meaningless, not cared about by anyone, a nobody. all these immediate promptings helped to reduce his life to the unquesting activity of a spinning insect. The quote also refers to the repetitiveness of his weaving and gives a visualisation of his life being small (insect size.) Eliot, however, decides not to create sympathy like this for Godfrey. She does not describe Godfreys past how he grew up without a mother. This has a different effect on the reader : we dont like him and we dont feel sorry for him either. We also wrongly assume that because he is rich, he has everything he wants and is simply being ungrateful and selfish. This contributes to us feeling that Godfrey deserves the childless marriage he ends up with and that Silas Marner deserves to keep Eppie when Godfrey comes to take her back 16 years after he deserted her. This leaves Godfrey regretting what he has done and leaves Silas never happier, with his daughter, Eppie. The habits of the squirearchy are described as a feverish way of annulling vacancy, which could be compared to Silas Marners weaving because this habit is also repetitive and is also a way of hiding from the emptiness of his lone life. In absence of all Silas used to have (faith, friends, an important position in the community,) Silas moves to an isolated village named Raveloe and retreats to anull vacancy in a way that we can understand. Although there is a parallel between the squirearchys habits (gambling) and Silas weaving, Silas weaving is fair, hard work for money, whereas Godfreys gambling is frowned upon. George Eliot makes us feel sorry for Silas but not Godfrey. She does this through flashing back to Silas background and how he lost everything at Lantern Yard that fateful day. She does not do this for Godfrey though. At first, Godfrey Cass seems to be a good, open man but thanks to the narrator we find out that he does, in fact, have a dark secret he is already a husband and a father. But in chapter 3 Godfrey is said to be the eldest, a fine, open-faced, good natured, young man (Pg. 33.) This isnt true. It is ironic because he certainly isnt open-faced because he already has a secret wife and child he has deserted. In this respect he is even worse than his brother, Dunstan, although in most other ways he is much more respectable. At least he isnt proud of what he does like Dunstan, who takes pride in gambling and dealing. Godfrey does regret and is sorry for the mistakes he has made. He is, however, weak as a person. The villagers like him because he keeps his secret so they dont even know what kind of person he is. They described Dunsey though, as a spiteful, jeering fellow, who seemed to enjoy the drink the more when other people went dry Dunstan got Godfrey into this mess about selling Wildf ire by stealing the  £100.00 in return for his silence. In Godfreys attempt to find  £100 rather than tell people about his marriage, he entrustes his horse Wildfire to Dunstan to sell, however, Dunstan takes the horse and decides to race it before selling it. It jumps badly over a fence and is staked. So Dunstan leaves the horse lying in its blood, and chooses to go by Silas Marners cottage to persuade him to lend the money. When he arrives, the door is open and Silas has gone out. Dunstan, seeing the give away fingerprints in the sand, sweeps it across and opens the trapdoor, beneath which he finds all Silas savings. He takes it and leaves into the fog and darkness. This is the second time that Silas has lost everything but this time it is different because it is the first time Silas seeks help from the village and the people. As the loss of the gold gradually becomes less topical in Raveloe, Christmas approaches. Christmas in the weavers cottage is very different to the Christmas at the Red House. He spends it in loneliness, eating his meat in sadness of heart The evening is described as lifelong and Silas spent it pressing his head between his hands and moaning. He was very unhappy and very lonely. Christmas at the Red House was very different: there was a buzz of voices The people there were much happier and far from alone, like Silas. This contrasts with how unhappy Silas was, even at the happiest time of year, but all this changes when Eppie arrives; Eppie warmed him into joy because she had joy. The annual New Years ball at the Red House was also very well prepared there was hardly a bedroom in the house where feminine compliments werent passing, as ladies from far and wide arrived and made themselves ready for the grand event. The enormous gap between the two lifestyles is shown here. But while the Squire continues to make comments about marriage and roses blooming this winter who else is on her way to the ball? Godfreys wife, and she has his child with her. She is planning to expose him. However, the journey has been long and cold and she craves the last phial of opium she is carrying. Unable to resist her addiction, she swallows it and lies down to rest in the snow, oblivious of the danger. She freezes, so she wasnt able to confront Godfrey in front of Nancy or anyone else. The child in her arms crawls towards the only light visible and enters Silas cottage. At this time Silas had been staring dreamily out of his front door wandering if his money could ever return when his catalepsy took over. He did not notice the little girl go right past him into the warm. When his sensibility returns he continues his action of shutting the door and turned to the hearth. His blurred vision told him that his gold was right there on the floor! He reached forward to feel the familiar hard outline of the gold but instead, he felt soft warm curls. It was a sleeping child. These curls felt better than coins because they were indeed, part of a better treasure. Silas got all the pleasure from bringing Eppie up, Godfrey got all the regret. This was because Silas knew the real duty of a father. Godfrey thought proving materially was enough. This is the moral in this book a fathers duty is more than making sure your child has money. Eppie proves this to us when she rejects the offer to go and live with him just because he could provide better for her. She made this decision to stay with Silas alone, despite his telling her to choose as she wished. Deep down though, Silas was desperate to keep her, he loved her so much. He was the one whod been there for her all of her life. Godfrey only wanted her because he knew now he couldnt have his own child with Nancy. Godfrey and Silas do have similarities; their own ways of nulling vacancy is one, but they also have very important differences: particularly their different ideas of fatherhood. It turns out Silas is right and Godfreys rejection of his child brings him only deep regret, which Eliots creation of sympathy for Silas and not Godfrey, makes us feel he deserved.

Unnecessary commas - Emphasis

Unnecessary commas Unnecessary commas Write Away reader Bill Friar got in touch to air one of his professional writing bugbears: I would dearly love to see an item on the creeping trend of putting commas between peoples names and their titles or descriptive terms. For example: Prime Minister, David Cameron, spoke outside Downing Street. or action star, Tom Cruise, went on a rampage I dont remember seeing this kind of thing very often even five years ago. Now its everywhere. The madness must stop. Thanks, Bill. You make an excellent point those double commas hugging Tom Cruise and David Cameron shouldnt be there. But why is this punctuation wrong? Appositives Its wrong because Tom and David, in the above examples, are restrictive appositives. Say what? An appositive is a word, phrase or clause that renames, explains or identifies another noun in the same sentence. They can be restrictive or nonrestrictive. For example: Emphasis Training, the business-writing trainers, are based in Brighton. Youll notice that the appositive above is tucked away between commas. This is because the business-writing trainers is a nonrestrictive appositive: if you remove it from the sentence youd still know who the subject (Emphasis) is, and it would still make sense. However, some appositives are restrictive they cant be left out of the sentence without changing the meaning or leaving people confused. Restrictive appositives should not have commas round them. In Bills examples, the names cant be removed because it would leave the sentences incomplete, as they dont start with a determiner (eg the, a, our etc): Prime Minister spoke outside Downing Street Action star went on a rampage And even if they did, we might still need more information to properly identify the subjects in question, and not leave the reader guessing. For all we know, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina was speaking outside Downing Street about Bruce Williss recent rampage. Now thats how rumours get started.

Marketing and Distribution Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing and Distribution Management - Essay Example This is because it will be easier to determine price floors and ceiling so that adjustments are done within this range depending on the competition trend. The main disadvantage of the pricing policy is that it ignores the public image and the market position of the company. Value-based pricing policy can prove to be very profitable if the company is sure that what they charge is consistent with the value offered to the clients (Mohr, Sanjit, and Stanley 34-45). The disadvantage of this technique is that it can scare off potential customers who are price driven, and it can equally attract more competitors. Microsoft has adopted value-based pricing due to the outstanding performance of its new product Windows 8 on various gadgets including mobile phones, tablets, and other portable electronics. This is the best technique for this company since it has to manage its public image by offering quality products for sustained competitive advantage. Skimming is one of the traditional pricing c oncepts applied to a new innovative product that has just been launched in the market (Ferrell and Michael 56-61). It is suitable when the clients are price-insensitive and simply driven by the value of the product. On the other hand, penetration price is able to attract customers and gain market share and rise steadily after capturing clients. Customers tend to be very responsive to the price. In respect to Microsoft’s new innovation of Windows 8, it is imperative to underline that at its introduction what mattered was its value to the people and, hence, skimming technique application by the company. It is important to note that Microsoft operates in an oligopolistic market structure, and its survival, therefore, hangs on its ability to employ power-pricing model due to the uncertainty of the long-term price dynamics. Vertical marketing system involves mechanisms through which firms that supply a given product or service chain work in co-operation with the goal of all of the m maximizing benefit.

Marketing Strategy Final Case Study P&G Term Paper

Marketing Strategy Final Case Study P&G - Term Paper Example The most important concern is the deliberation about utilizing the new opportunity of an emerging market for pre-brushing rinse, which other Scope’s rivals are touting to their customers (P & G 258). Other basic problems include but are not restricted to what appropriate marketing strategy to adopt—should Scope be positioned as a â€Å"better tasting pre-brushing dental rinse† against its previous recognitions as a â€Å"better tasting and breath freshener† (P& G 259); manufacturing issue concerning how to produce product that will match the standardizations required by 2 Canadian Health Protection Branch, The Canadian Dental Association and Saccharin/Cyclamate Sweeteners requirements (P& G 257-258); finding alternatives to funding the marketing of Scope since the product has so far received its highest finances in years, and that funding another line of product might be helpful to reduce cost competitively (P& G 260); recognizing the significance of spend ing more on advertising another line of product to shore up customers’ interest in Scope (P & G 260); and discovering the best approach as far as Procter and Gamble’s operations and purchasing are concerned ( & G 260). Step 2: Justification for Problem Definition & Analyzing the Case Data: The cause of this important analysis of Procter and Gamble’s operations in Canada is based on the fact that other rivals in the same niche of health care product like Plax, Colgate, Listerine, Listermint and Cepacol which brandish their comparative quality of pre-brushing rinse has captured the market from Scope. This is because these other products offer consumers the opportunity to fight their plaque—â€Å"which is the soft, sticky film that coats teeth hours after brushing them† (P& G 253; P& G 262). The Canadian Mouthwash Market Shares below justifies the fact that Plax has made significant gain against Scope, having started with a mere 1% of the market share in 1988 to commanding an appreciable 10% of the same market in 1990; while Scope’s grasp of the market slipped considerably from 33% to 32.3% within the same periods. 3 Figure 1: The Canadian Mouthwash Market Shares 1988 (Units) 1989 (Units) 1990 (Units) Scope 33.0% 33.0% 32.3% Listerine 15.2 16.1 16.6 Listermint 15.2 9.8 10.6 Cepacol 13.6 10.6 10.3 Colgate Oral Rinse 1.4 1.2 0.5 Plax 1.0 10.0 10.0 Store Brands 16.0 15.4 16.0 Miscellaneous Others 4.6 15.4 16.0 Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% The data demonstrates that other mouthwash products like Plax, Listerine and Store Brands make significant improvements against Scope, which sales began to dwindle towards its sales peak in 1990 (P & G 250). It is believable that strategic marketing may have helped other brands to outperform Scope in the amount of market size they command; their marketing proposition has largely 4 concentrated on the abilities of their brands to help users fight their plaque, a slogan that Procter and Gamble has not adopted because of its current product which lacks the plaque-fighting ingredients (P & G 253). What Procter and Gamble thinks appropriate is to re-position Scope in a way that it would keep the product’s loyal consumers and cut back the lead Plax is currently enjoying in the market (P & G 260). This plan is achievable within the three-year period the company hopes to revamp its operational activities. Comparing the expenditures

Role of Blog Marketing in Consumer Decision Making Process

Role of Blog Marketing in Consumer Decision Making Process A FUTURE MARKETING PERSPECTIVE The phenomenon of blogs is growing rapidly and is expected to increase even in a more rapid pace (Technorati, 2006, November 6). As Wright (2006) discuss; blogs provides a new way of communicating with customers, as customers want to be talked with, not to. Companies have newly started to pay attention to this and as a result, the concept of Blog marketing has been born. The use of blogs as a communication tool has the huge importance for companies to understand how consumers use blogs in their decision making. The purpose of this paper is to understand and explore how and why consumers use blogs in their decision making process. Interview technique was used on young adults, as research suggests that this population use blogs the most (Tremayne, 2007). It was identified that consumers use blogs throughout their decision making. Within the consumers decision making, collaborative blogs was mostly used as the consumers because it cover specific topic of interest for the consumers. Consumers were found mainly writing in the blogs when they had knowledge to contribute with or when they needed information that they could not otherwise find in the blogs. It was identified that consumers turned to groups they belonged to, so called normative group, or they turned to groups that they did not belong to, so called comparative groups. These groups influenced the consumer by providing them with knowledge and by giving them positive and negative confirmation on their choice of purchase. However normative groups also persuaded the consumer to buy products in order to belong to the group. Besides this, a pattern of characteristics of the individuals that the consumer blogged with were noticed. Consumers wanted user experiences and thus the vast majority of these individuals they turned to, seemed to be consumers themselves, with relevant product experiences. The consumers also seem to blog more with certain individuals, whose opinions were valued more. These individuals often shared the latest information on products. Lastly it was also identified that consumers seemed to be selective when reading blog posts. The blog posts needed to contain detailed- and up-to-date information. Moreover, consumers wanted blog post to be written by other consumers because they saw them as more credible then companies. The consumers also chose to read blog posts that show similarities between the consumer and the blogger in terms of either usage pattern of product or preference for product choices. INTRODUCTION Ever since the internet was introduced for the general public during the 1990s, people have used it as a source of information. Majority of the population in India use internet in order to get information regarding products and services. However most statistics available does not tell how the consumers use the internet and what kind of information they search for. There are many different sources of information online, for example company web pages, communities, blogs etc. The concept of blogs and blogging is a relatively new phenomenon in todays society and it has not really been explored before. Nevertheless, magazines are today filled with articles on the importance for companies to start blogging and join the communication of the future, if they do not want to loose ground to their competitors (Lindstedt, 2005, November). The major blog search engine, Technorati, shows some interesting facts on the number of blogs and its growth. In October, 2006, Technorati counted 57 million blogs and a growth rate of one hundred thousand new blogs per day. This number is expected to keep growing and double every eight month (Technorati, 2006, November 6). However, when it comes to the number of blogs in India, there is uncertainty. Different articles talk about a wide interval of blogs, starting at around 18,000 (Lindstedt, 2005, August) and counting up to more then hundred thousands (Johansson, 2007). The reason to this wide span is due to the lack of a clear definition on what a blog is and also the fact that the figures are 18 months apart from each other. But the fact is that the tremendous growth of blogs worldwide also is true for India. India contains actors like Twitter, Facebook and MSN spaces whom all contain blogs and allow for a creation of your own blog. As a result of this growth, blog marketing has emerged as a new innovative way to create closer relationship with customers. It has also given the consumers the possibility to discuss amongst each other. Blog marketing allows marketers to establish closer relationships with its segment. Today limited research has been made within the concept of blog marketing. Furthermore, all research that has been conducted has had the focus on how companies can use blogs in order to interact with consumers. Something that has not been considered, and has been taken for granted, is the issue of how consumers use blogs in their decision making. Moreover, how consumers consider the information that is being transmitted on the blog has not yet been explored. The truth could be that consumers use blogs in a way that companies have not thought about. The existing use of blog marketing could thus miss its objectives if companies do not know how their audience perceives it. PROBLEM DISCUSSION The paper focuses on consumer decision making process and tried to explore how consumers use blogs in this process. As there is not so much work done on the area, this increases the importance to conduct such study. Blogs provides a new way of communicating with customers (Wright, 2006). In order to use this communication tool, it is of big importance for companies to understand how consumers use blogs in their decision making. The focus on the consumer decision making process in the context of blog is of importance for several reasons. It is today unclear how and in what stages consumers use blogs in their decision making process. An overview of the literature shows that not much research has been done within this subject. Traditional marketing tools such as advertising, sales promotion etc have different impact in the different stages of the consumer decision making process. But it is unclear what impact blogging has in those stages. By mapping out this information, companies can learn how to use their marketing in a new and innovative way to appeal consumers. Moreover, whatever research is conducted is from company perspective. To be successful in blog marketing, activities needs to be shaped in accordance to consumers blog usage. If companies learn how blogs are used, they can benefit in several ways like they can engage in the viral marketing on the blogs to create knowledge of their products, or can listen on why consumers prefer competitors products. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK What is Blog? A blog is a web page that contains regularly posted inlays that are archived and arranged in reversed chronological order (Wright 2006). They are user-friendly, inexpensive, self-publication of content for a potentially vast audience on the web. The entries in the blogs are called blog posts. Blogs are more flexible and interactive than previous publication print and digital formats. They contain numerous hyperlinks that are often accompanied by comments regarding the destination of the link. Blogs are designed to be a part of a network where they are connected to each other through links, which are generally related to the content. The readers then have the possibility to comment on the blog posts. Blogosphere is the term used to describe the global network of blog postings. Blogs can be thought of as a gateway to vast sources of information where users may respond to a blogger by sending comments and links to additional information. In this sense, it is fulfilling many needs (Trema yne, 2007). Type of Blogs Diary blog A diary blog is a web based tool that gives the author the possibility to post information for consumption for others. Also, diary blogs gives the reader the possibility to add comments regarding its content; however, this is not applicable for all diary blogs. The authors that are writing on a diary blog all have different opinions regarding things and express their view of whatever they are writing about. This is a demonstration to the personal and dynamic capacity of a diary blog according to Searles and Sifry (2002). Pomerantz and Stutzman, (2006) describes diary blogs as web pages that arranges discrete posts that contains chunks of information that may contain images, multimedia and text. According to Lamshed, Berry and Armstrong (2002) diary blogs are very personal and if the reader does not like the author and his/her opinion, it may not interest them enough to return. The blogger can use the diary blog for personal enjoyment and archive the happenings in their li ves. Collaborative blog It contains information that is posted by several individuals not just one author. In collaborative blogs, readers have the possibility to contribute with links or posts comments, in order to participate with their opinions, answers and questions. Most collaborative blogs focus on a specific topic, and the authors can be both regular people as well as experts within the topic (Holtz and Demopoulos, 2006). The collaborative blogs are an online group created by the bloggers in the blogosphere. These groups have focus on certain topics in order to encourage readers to correspond to each other, which is similar to a normal discussion group. The purpose, according to Lamshed et al. (2002), is to break down the barriers between people and to extend the blog to more than just one author, in order to create a discussion among its members. Collaborative blogs have standard rules about participation in order to avoid development of poor quality content, which do not encoura ge new and current readers to come back on a regular basis. Company blog It include two types of blogs, product and customer service blog. Product blogs can consist of different approaches. One approach is to provide updates about the product so customers can receive the latest information. A second approach is to provide customers with insights and information directly from those who are responsible for the products. A product blog that keeps customers updated can build loyalty to the product and the brand/company. The customer service blog is rather similar to product blogs, but customer service blogs focus completely on issues on the already purchased products. The customer service blogs is a channel in order to address the issues on the products to the customers that have purchased the product (Holtz and Demopoulos, 2006). When the first blogs appeared in the late 1990s, they were primary web pages that contained many links, offering mostly â€Å"personal information† and easy to update. The blogosphere has been expanding rapidly over the last few years. According to the New York Times and Pew Research, nearly one blog per second is created (Tremayne, 2007). The Current Scenario People have blogged long before the term was coined, but the trend gained force with the introduction of automated published systems, especially Blogger at blogger.com. Thousands of people use services such as Blogger to simplify and increase the publishing process. People started using the blogs because they wanted to express themselves about mentioned events. Blogging about events has attracted the attention of the mainstream news media, further contributing to the popularisation and adoption of this new phenomenon of computer mediated communication. Today the blogging in the blogosphere concerns business, for example about markets, customer service, product etc. (Tremayne, 2007). According to the search engine Technorati (2006, November 6) there were more than 57 million blogs available on the internet as of the end of October 2006. Approximately 12% of those blogs had posted comments or links. Research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project presented by Tremayne (2007) also indicates that blog readers today are similar to the early adopters of the internet and other new communication technologies. The bloggers are young, well-educated and more likely to be males. According to Tremayne (2007) the development of blogs seems to follow the traditionally diffusion path of successful new communication technologies and users with great interest in technology. The final step to become a part of the broader public of the internet community is then to shift to the general internet users. The new stage of the development of blogs is the business sector. Business has become a new phase of the communications that appears on the blogosphere today. Bloggers communicate and share information to each other since blogs are the new ways for customers to reach out to the companies. This scenario has made the companies more alert to listen to their customers demands through the blogosphere. Enterprises now have the opportunity to gain new knowledge from the customer and to gain an idea about what the customers are saying about them (Tremayne, 2007). Observations have been done on why internet users connect to blogs. Blogs seem to encourage a sense of community, especially for those who seek more in-depth information than what is available through traditional media. Blog content generally reflects the bias of the blogger, who tends to take one side of an issue. Furthermore it contains a sense of belonging to a group of like-minded individuals. Information seeking is also a reason for accessing blogs. Bloggers provide the latest news and analysis by experts and other with inside knowledge, some of which is glossed over or omitted by the traditional channels. Blog users can also frequently use one certain blog due to they follow a story for a longer period of time than that they would be able to do if the story came from traditional media (Tremayne, 2007). Blog as mode of Communication In business, companies are required to communicate with their customer and have a strategy for the implementation of the chosen approach (Kotler et al. 2005). Communication with customer can take many forms, such as advertising, mailed brochures, sales promotion and personal selling etc. The marketers are often those who conduct this communication. They are often perceived as people with something to sell; they express what is good, great and irresistible with the product/service (Varey 2002). Blog enjoys characteristics of different types of flow of communication like: It enjoys characteristics of One-step flow of communication as: Flow of information from company to the target audience (Fill 1999, Harrell et al 1999, Ottesen 2001). It is non-personal communication since the message is carried without personal involvement by Kotler et al. (2005). All consumers are exposed to the same message at the very same time. It follows the principle of Mass Communication (Fill 1999). It enjoys characteristics of Two-step flow of communication as: In this information goes from the sender to certain receivers, that in turn reach the target audience through interpersonal networks (Fill 1999). Mass communication reaches the target audience, opinion leaders and opinion formers are there to strengthen the influence of the message (Blackwell 2001). Blogs helps the opinion formers and leaders in reaching targets that were missed by the traditional mass communication. It enjoys characteristics of Multiple-step flow of communication as: It overcomes the problem of two-step flow of information that neither allow the information to flow between individuals in the target audience, nor it includes the communication between the original senders, via a consumer, to the opinion leader and then passed on to other consumers. It adds the function of gatekeepers, who are people in a position able to decide whether or not the target audience will be able to take part of the message. Relationship between Blog and Word of mouth (WOM) WOM is defined by (Blackwell et al 2001 p.404) as â€Å"the informal transmission of ideas, comments, opinions, and information between two people, neither one of which is a marketer†. According to them, both the sender and the receiver gains from WOM, which is supported by Fill (1999), who also argues for the above. The benefits for the receiver are rather straight-forward; as they gain lots of information they would not be able to obtain otherwise. The benefits for the sender can be a little vaguer at first glance, but according to both Blackwell et al (2001) and Fill (1999) people like to talk about the purchases for a number of reasons, such as confirmation, satisfaction, status etc; which is what the purpose of blogs. According to Blackwell et al (2001) the affect of WOM has increased rapidly due to Internet. Consumers of today are able to spread the word of something faster and further than ever before. Schindler and Bickart (2005) discuss that the traditional WOM and online WOM differs in the strength of ties between consumers when they are exchanging information between each other. Granovetter (1973) previously argued that the strength of ties between two individuals is a function of the amount of time spent together, the emotional intensity and degree of intimacy in the relationship. Following this discussion, online WOM is characterized by weak ties. Weak ties then provide three possible benefits for the consumer. Friedkin (1982) argues that it first provides a potential input for a decision. Second, consumer information should be more diverse then that coming from stronger ties. Thirdly, it also gives consumers the opportunity to gain access to expertise which they normally would not get access to (Constant, Sproull and Kiesler, 1997). One downside is however, that consumers do not know the motives of the person that provides the online WOM. It can be difficult to access the in formants background and expertise in the topic (Schindler and Bickart, 2005). Consumer Decision Making Process The consumer decision making process provides a general description on how a purchase decision is made. Consumers does not necessarily go through all the stages for all the kinds of decisions they make, and neither do they always go through the stages in the very specific order that is presented below (Blackwell et al 2001). The process consists of mainly five steps (need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and the post-purchase process) according to most researchers within the field (Blackwell et al. 2001, Statt 1997, Kotler et al. 2005), but there are number of factors that affects the consumer in their purchasing process. Consumer are affected by individual determinants (Blackwell et al., 2001) and physical factors (Harell Frazier, 1999) because they are different, have different experiences and motivations, therefore, they will interpret things differently. Also consumers differ in available resources and knowledge which will further affect thei r decision. Another aspect that affects the consumers is the environmental influences (Blackwell et al., 2001) and societal and social factors (Harell et al., 1999). Here the authors talk about external factors that affect consumer, such as culture, social class and reference groups, but also the influence of the family and other individuals by whom the consumer is affected because every individual strive to some extent â€Å"fit in† heavily affect consumers. Also the information provided by these groups tend to have high credibility, depending on the consumers need to belong. Lastly, consumers are also affected by their degree of involvement (Harell et al. 1999). Involvement is the degree to which the consumers perceive the purchase to be of importance to them, and how complex they find the purchase situation (Blackwell et al 2001). The more complex the purchase, the more effort will be needed from the consumer in order to make a good decision. The involvement in turn affects the way in which consumes will learn about the products. Since a low involvement purchase is fairly routine consumers do not engage in a very extensive information search on the product, they mainly gather their information passively. A high-involvement purchase will demand more from the consumer and they will be more motivated to actively search for information. LITERATURE REVIEW Bickart Schindler (2001) investigated the WOM in online forums on the Internet. They assigned students to look at either corporate web pages or consumer forums about specific products. They found that after one semester, there was a higher interest in the product category for those who used the online discussion forum. They then suggested that a reason for this was because the content posts in the online discussion forums are thought to be more credible and more relevant but also having more empathy among its readers. In another study, Bickart Schindler (2005) tried to explore the consumer use of online WOM. They found three motives for using online WOM a) To gain information on purchase decisions, in which consumer reviews and negative information was of most interest; b) To get support from decision already made in which positive was used most for confirmation of that the right choice have been made; and c) Whether information was searched for fun or not. Another theme they discovered was the evaluation of the content of information in online WOM. They identified, corporate web pages are more biased and untrustworthy. Independent web pages free from corporate marketing, in which detailed information and authentic first person experience was viewed more credible and reliable. A consensus of agreement among consumers in the online WOM also tended to increase the credibility. Finally, they found online WOM disperse more information in all stages of consumer decision-making process. During the nee d recognition, when product was mentioned, it sometimes stimulated interest or problem recognition for the consumer. Other consumers sometimes provide ideas that lead for alternative product to be included, or removed, in the consumer consideration set. Online WOM also suggested important attributes that could influence the criteria of which alternatives are compared. Information from consumers on how alternative rate on those criteria was also of importance when comparing alternatives. After purchase was done, online WOM information could increase the consumers satisfaction of the purchase through positive information. They also discovered that their informants were selective in their information gathering process. This was done to simplify the information but also to help them absorb the information with amount of consumer information about a large area of different products. They continue and suggest that future research should look deeper into what characterise the content in those online WOM consumers choose to read. Bernhad, Bjurling and Ã…hrà ©n (2006) did another study on un-addressed consumer complaints through blogs. They found that the blog is used as a way to express dissatisfaction on companies and their products and services. It is used when the consumer do not get enough amendments from the companies. Blogs then works as a complement to complaints through friends and family, and it is an easy way to ease the consumers experiences and reduce the stress of a distasteful treatment from companies. The consumers have then used blog to warn other consumers on products and companies but also to tell their own story regarding the complaint. Bernhad et al. (2006) discuss that the technical development has reduced the barriers to complain and this had led to increased likelihood to present complains for products of less value. Wallstà ©n (2005) then comes to the conclusion that the collaborative blogs increase the learning process in which people can learn from each other by reading blog pos t. It also gives a shared knowledge base for the participants. In another study by Constant, et al. (1997) weak-tie sources were found to make it harder for consumers to assess the quality of the WOM information they received. Schindler and Bickart (2005) then discuss that the reason for this may be that the consumer do not know the motives of the informant and it may also sometimes be hard to assess the background and expertise in the topic of the informant. RESEARCH METHOD Research approach As the purpose of study is to understand how consumers perceive their own experiences and behaviour which can be best analysed through inductive approach. As this approach allows researcher to have more flexible structure that will permit alternative explanations of the phenomena. This approach is qualitative in nature that begins with data. It develops an empirical generalisation that describes patterns of that data and it seeks to identify or develop a theoretical proposition that is consistent with those patterns (Schutt, 1996). Research Strategy Putting emphasis on the inductive approach, research strategy of the paper is built on an exploratory study, though it also includes a cross-sectional study as interviews were held over a short period of time (Saunders et al. 2003). As the paper does not allow for sufficient time for conducting a longitudinal study and it is not intended to study the effects of change and development of the blogging phenomena on the consumers decision making process, a cross-sectional study is more appropriate. As the purpose of paper is from the consumers perspective, qualitative research method will enable us to get information from the informants and will allow us to understand the meaning that the informants attach to their experiences of blogging. Description is based on the meanings that informants express through words. A qualitative approach will allow getting this non-standardised data without being locked into a standardised set of questions. This is because the nature of the questions will need to be flexible and open-ended in order to explore what emerges during the interview. Furthermore, to get a rich description of this non-standardised data and to get into the thoughts of our informants, the interviews will need to allow a long length of time. Sample selection The sample selection consists of young educated adults; as previous research suggests they use blogs the most. The sample size consisted of nine people within the ages of 21 to 28. Of those nine people, three are females and six are males. Judgement sampling technique was used for identifying the informants who had rich experiences of blogging. The low number of informants can be justified by this as it allows getting a richer description of the phenomena studied. Data collection This primary data has been collected through interviews which are qualitative (semi-structured and in-depth) in nature. Limited research that exists and relates to our study has been used as secondary data. To check the effectiveness of semi-structured interview, two pilot studies were conducted. First semi-structured interview uses too much theoretical jargons that fail in retrieving the information. The second test then avoided the theoretical jargon and explanations. To get a rich description, informants were briefed two days prior on the themes to be covered in the interview. It was ensured that each informant had read the information letter before the interview took place. The informants were interviewed in two different ways -a) 6 informants were interviewed face-to-face in quiet rooms and conversations were recorded; and b) remaining 3 informants were interviewed through Skype because of distance and conversations were again recorded. However, attempt was made to conduct all interviews face-to-face as it enables to establish personal contact which is also important as Saunders et al (2003) argue; qualitative data favours the establishment of personal contact. It was also judged that the face-to-face contact would increase the likelihood of describing and identifying our informants accurately. In all cases, focus was on recording the findings from the interview as the findings emerged naturally. To really understand the informants meanings to their experiences and actions, flexible approach was used within the semi-structured interview. Although questions were bound to the themes, questions were flexible to allow an understanding of the participant. DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS Data is presented through sectioning each interview individually. Collected raw data was put into categories and themes that emerged from the interview as need is to have a close understanding to our informants. Information collected and compiled under each category will be compared with other categories. This helps in identifying relationships; in discovering key themes, and recognising patterns and trends. Later on, theoretical framework will be applied on those patterns in order to understand it in a new way. Quotes will be made to simplify the meaning and in drawing conclusions. Empirical Findings a) Interview with Reema Sharma: Reema, 25 years old, was interviewed at her office in Jammu and studying at Jammu University. She uses blogs when she wants to buy something new or wants to find out different type of products available. She also uses blogs for reading travel diaries for fun and to be in touch with people she knows. When it comes to blogging about a future purchase, she reads blogs by people who are in the same situation as her and that have experience from the things she is interested in. She blogs travels but sometimes for electronics products and hiking. She has never used blogs actively, she only reads them. The kind of blogs she uses is mainly product blogs, and collaborative blogs, where she can read and learn more. She does not really read the blogs from companies. Rarely she reads a blog and completely changes her mind. The blog can instead make her choose a different brand. Relationship with bloggers: For her, the blogger is just someone whose blog she happens to find. Reema trusts all the information that is written in the blogs, but she explains that the more detailed description on how the product has been used, the more she relies on the inlay. People whose blogs she reads most often posses greater knowledge then her, within the subject. Need and awareness discovered with blogs:Reema agrees that she discovers a lot of new kinds of products, but this has never actually evolved to a need. This has occurred, for example, when she has blogged about hiking gear, she has learned about many new products and the advantaged with those products, but as she is not very experienced in the area, many of those products are just too complicated. However, the blogs she reads regarding travels could actually create a need sometimes. From these blogs she learns more about possible places to travel to which she might visit later in her life she explains. Blogging for information and evaluation of potential purchase: Reema searches for information about experience from others consumers and their opinions. She looks for new things and assesses which of the product will give most value for her money. For her, price is often one of the most important factors affecting her decision. The reason to why she chooses to collect the information from blogs is because she feels that this is the only place where she can learn about peoples experiences and opinions, and also since this information is more neutral then if it would be from a company. When it comes to evaluating products, she mainly uses collaborative blogs in where many people can express their opinions on things. While evaluating the products she mainly stick within one price category that will offer her maximum value of her money. Bloggi Role of Blog Marketing in Consumer Decision Making Process Role of Blog Marketing in Consumer Decision Making Process A FUTURE MARKETING PERSPECTIVE The phenomenon of blogs is growing rapidly and is expected to increase even in a more rapid pace (Technorati, 2006, November 6). As Wright (2006) discuss; blogs provides a new way of communicating with customers, as customers want to be talked with, not to. Companies have newly started to pay attention to this and as a result, the concept of Blog marketing has been born. The use of blogs as a communication tool has the huge importance for companies to understand how consumers use blogs in their decision making. The purpose of this paper is to understand and explore how and why consumers use blogs in their decision making process. Interview technique was used on young adults, as research suggests that this population use blogs the most (Tremayne, 2007). It was identified that consumers use blogs throughout their decision making. Within the consumers decision making, collaborative blogs was mostly used as the consumers because it cover specific topic of interest for the consumers. Consumers were found mainly writing in the blogs when they had knowledge to contribute with or when they needed information that they could not otherwise find in the blogs. It was identified that consumers turned to groups they belonged to, so called normative group, or they turned to groups that they did not belong to, so called comparative groups. These groups influenced the consumer by providing them with knowledge and by giving them positive and negative confirmation on their choice of purchase. However normative groups also persuaded the consumer to buy products in order to belong to the group. Besides this, a pattern of characteristics of the individuals that the consumer blogged with were noticed. Consumers wanted user experiences and thus the vast majority of these individuals they turned to, seemed to be consumers themselves, with relevant product experiences. The consumers also seem to blog more with certain individuals, whose opinions were valued more. These individuals often shared the latest information on products. Lastly it was also identified that consumers seemed to be selective when reading blog posts. The blog posts needed to contain detailed- and up-to-date information. Moreover, consumers wanted blog post to be written by other consumers because they saw them as more credible then companies. The consumers also chose to read blog posts that show similarities between the consumer and the blogger in terms of either usage pattern of product or preference for product choices. INTRODUCTION Ever since the internet was introduced for the general public during the 1990s, people have used it as a source of information. Majority of the population in India use internet in order to get information regarding products and services. However most statistics available does not tell how the consumers use the internet and what kind of information they search for. There are many different sources of information online, for example company web pages, communities, blogs etc. The concept of blogs and blogging is a relatively new phenomenon in todays society and it has not really been explored before. Nevertheless, magazines are today filled with articles on the importance for companies to start blogging and join the communication of the future, if they do not want to loose ground to their competitors (Lindstedt, 2005, November). The major blog search engine, Technorati, shows some interesting facts on the number of blogs and its growth. In October, 2006, Technorati counted 57 million blogs and a growth rate of one hundred thousand new blogs per day. This number is expected to keep growing and double every eight month (Technorati, 2006, November 6). However, when it comes to the number of blogs in India, there is uncertainty. Different articles talk about a wide interval of blogs, starting at around 18,000 (Lindstedt, 2005, August) and counting up to more then hundred thousands (Johansson, 2007). The reason to this wide span is due to the lack of a clear definition on what a blog is and also the fact that the figures are 18 months apart from each other. But the fact is that the tremendous growth of blogs worldwide also is true for India. India contains actors like Twitter, Facebook and MSN spaces whom all contain blogs and allow for a creation of your own blog. As a result of this growth, blog marketing has emerged as a new innovative way to create closer relationship with customers. It has also given the consumers the possibility to discuss amongst each other. Blog marketing allows marketers to establish closer relationships with its segment. Today limited research has been made within the concept of blog marketing. Furthermore, all research that has been conducted has had the focus on how companies can use blogs in order to interact with consumers. Something that has not been considered, and has been taken for granted, is the issue of how consumers use blogs in their decision making. Moreover, how consumers consider the information that is being transmitted on the blog has not yet been explored. The truth could be that consumers use blogs in a way that companies have not thought about. The existing use of blog marketing could thus miss its objectives if companies do not know how their audience perceives it. PROBLEM DISCUSSION The paper focuses on consumer decision making process and tried to explore how consumers use blogs in this process. As there is not so much work done on the area, this increases the importance to conduct such study. Blogs provides a new way of communicating with customers (Wright, 2006). In order to use this communication tool, it is of big importance for companies to understand how consumers use blogs in their decision making. The focus on the consumer decision making process in the context of blog is of importance for several reasons. It is today unclear how and in what stages consumers use blogs in their decision making process. An overview of the literature shows that not much research has been done within this subject. Traditional marketing tools such as advertising, sales promotion etc have different impact in the different stages of the consumer decision making process. But it is unclear what impact blogging has in those stages. By mapping out this information, companies can learn how to use their marketing in a new and innovative way to appeal consumers. Moreover, whatever research is conducted is from company perspective. To be successful in blog marketing, activities needs to be shaped in accordance to consumers blog usage. If companies learn how blogs are used, they can benefit in several ways like they can engage in the viral marketing on the blogs to create knowledge of their products, or can listen on why consumers prefer competitors products. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK What is Blog? A blog is a web page that contains regularly posted inlays that are archived and arranged in reversed chronological order (Wright 2006). They are user-friendly, inexpensive, self-publication of content for a potentially vast audience on the web. The entries in the blogs are called blog posts. Blogs are more flexible and interactive than previous publication print and digital formats. They contain numerous hyperlinks that are often accompanied by comments regarding the destination of the link. Blogs are designed to be a part of a network where they are connected to each other through links, which are generally related to the content. The readers then have the possibility to comment on the blog posts. Blogosphere is the term used to describe the global network of blog postings. Blogs can be thought of as a gateway to vast sources of information where users may respond to a blogger by sending comments and links to additional information. In this sense, it is fulfilling many needs (Trema yne, 2007). Type of Blogs Diary blog A diary blog is a web based tool that gives the author the possibility to post information for consumption for others. Also, diary blogs gives the reader the possibility to add comments regarding its content; however, this is not applicable for all diary blogs. The authors that are writing on a diary blog all have different opinions regarding things and express their view of whatever they are writing about. This is a demonstration to the personal and dynamic capacity of a diary blog according to Searles and Sifry (2002). Pomerantz and Stutzman, (2006) describes diary blogs as web pages that arranges discrete posts that contains chunks of information that may contain images, multimedia and text. According to Lamshed, Berry and Armstrong (2002) diary blogs are very personal and if the reader does not like the author and his/her opinion, it may not interest them enough to return. The blogger can use the diary blog for personal enjoyment and archive the happenings in their li ves. Collaborative blog It contains information that is posted by several individuals not just one author. In collaborative blogs, readers have the possibility to contribute with links or posts comments, in order to participate with their opinions, answers and questions. Most collaborative blogs focus on a specific topic, and the authors can be both regular people as well as experts within the topic (Holtz and Demopoulos, 2006). The collaborative blogs are an online group created by the bloggers in the blogosphere. These groups have focus on certain topics in order to encourage readers to correspond to each other, which is similar to a normal discussion group. The purpose, according to Lamshed et al. (2002), is to break down the barriers between people and to extend the blog to more than just one author, in order to create a discussion among its members. Collaborative blogs have standard rules about participation in order to avoid development of poor quality content, which do not encoura ge new and current readers to come back on a regular basis. Company blog It include two types of blogs, product and customer service blog. Product blogs can consist of different approaches. One approach is to provide updates about the product so customers can receive the latest information. A second approach is to provide customers with insights and information directly from those who are responsible for the products. A product blog that keeps customers updated can build loyalty to the product and the brand/company. The customer service blog is rather similar to product blogs, but customer service blogs focus completely on issues on the already purchased products. The customer service blogs is a channel in order to address the issues on the products to the customers that have purchased the product (Holtz and Demopoulos, 2006). When the first blogs appeared in the late 1990s, they were primary web pages that contained many links, offering mostly â€Å"personal information† and easy to update. The blogosphere has been expanding rapidly over the last few years. According to the New York Times and Pew Research, nearly one blog per second is created (Tremayne, 2007). The Current Scenario People have blogged long before the term was coined, but the trend gained force with the introduction of automated published systems, especially Blogger at blogger.com. Thousands of people use services such as Blogger to simplify and increase the publishing process. People started using the blogs because they wanted to express themselves about mentioned events. Blogging about events has attracted the attention of the mainstream news media, further contributing to the popularisation and adoption of this new phenomenon of computer mediated communication. Today the blogging in the blogosphere concerns business, for example about markets, customer service, product etc. (Tremayne, 2007). According to the search engine Technorati (2006, November 6) there were more than 57 million blogs available on the internet as of the end of October 2006. Approximately 12% of those blogs had posted comments or links. Research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project presented by Tremayne (2007) also indicates that blog readers today are similar to the early adopters of the internet and other new communication technologies. The bloggers are young, well-educated and more likely to be males. According to Tremayne (2007) the development of blogs seems to follow the traditionally diffusion path of successful new communication technologies and users with great interest in technology. The final step to become a part of the broader public of the internet community is then to shift to the general internet users. The new stage of the development of blogs is the business sector. Business has become a new phase of the communications that appears on the blogosphere today. Bloggers communicate and share information to each other since blogs are the new ways for customers to reach out to the companies. This scenario has made the companies more alert to listen to their customers demands through the blogosphere. Enterprises now have the opportunity to gain new knowledge from the customer and to gain an idea about what the customers are saying about them (Tremayne, 2007). Observations have been done on why internet users connect to blogs. Blogs seem to encourage a sense of community, especially for those who seek more in-depth information than what is available through traditional media. Blog content generally reflects the bias of the blogger, who tends to take one side of an issue. Furthermore it contains a sense of belonging to a group of like-minded individuals. Information seeking is also a reason for accessing blogs. Bloggers provide the latest news and analysis by experts and other with inside knowledge, some of which is glossed over or omitted by the traditional channels. Blog users can also frequently use one certain blog due to they follow a story for a longer period of time than that they would be able to do if the story came from traditional media (Tremayne, 2007). Blog as mode of Communication In business, companies are required to communicate with their customer and have a strategy for the implementation of the chosen approach (Kotler et al. 2005). Communication with customer can take many forms, such as advertising, mailed brochures, sales promotion and personal selling etc. The marketers are often those who conduct this communication. They are often perceived as people with something to sell; they express what is good, great and irresistible with the product/service (Varey 2002). Blog enjoys characteristics of different types of flow of communication like: It enjoys characteristics of One-step flow of communication as: Flow of information from company to the target audience (Fill 1999, Harrell et al 1999, Ottesen 2001). It is non-personal communication since the message is carried without personal involvement by Kotler et al. (2005). All consumers are exposed to the same message at the very same time. It follows the principle of Mass Communication (Fill 1999). It enjoys characteristics of Two-step flow of communication as: In this information goes from the sender to certain receivers, that in turn reach the target audience through interpersonal networks (Fill 1999). Mass communication reaches the target audience, opinion leaders and opinion formers are there to strengthen the influence of the message (Blackwell 2001). Blogs helps the opinion formers and leaders in reaching targets that were missed by the traditional mass communication. It enjoys characteristics of Multiple-step flow of communication as: It overcomes the problem of two-step flow of information that neither allow the information to flow between individuals in the target audience, nor it includes the communication between the original senders, via a consumer, to the opinion leader and then passed on to other consumers. It adds the function of gatekeepers, who are people in a position able to decide whether or not the target audience will be able to take part of the message. Relationship between Blog and Word of mouth (WOM) WOM is defined by (Blackwell et al 2001 p.404) as â€Å"the informal transmission of ideas, comments, opinions, and information between two people, neither one of which is a marketer†. According to them, both the sender and the receiver gains from WOM, which is supported by Fill (1999), who also argues for the above. The benefits for the receiver are rather straight-forward; as they gain lots of information they would not be able to obtain otherwise. The benefits for the sender can be a little vaguer at first glance, but according to both Blackwell et al (2001) and Fill (1999) people like to talk about the purchases for a number of reasons, such as confirmation, satisfaction, status etc; which is what the purpose of blogs. According to Blackwell et al (2001) the affect of WOM has increased rapidly due to Internet. Consumers of today are able to spread the word of something faster and further than ever before. Schindler and Bickart (2005) discuss that the traditional WOM and online WOM differs in the strength of ties between consumers when they are exchanging information between each other. Granovetter (1973) previously argued that the strength of ties between two individuals is a function of the amount of time spent together, the emotional intensity and degree of intimacy in the relationship. Following this discussion, online WOM is characterized by weak ties. Weak ties then provide three possible benefits for the consumer. Friedkin (1982) argues that it first provides a potential input for a decision. Second, consumer information should be more diverse then that coming from stronger ties. Thirdly, it also gives consumers the opportunity to gain access to expertise which they normally would not get access to (Constant, Sproull and Kiesler, 1997). One downside is however, that consumers do not know the motives of the person that provides the online WOM. It can be difficult to access the in formants background and expertise in the topic (Schindler and Bickart, 2005). Consumer Decision Making Process The consumer decision making process provides a general description on how a purchase decision is made. Consumers does not necessarily go through all the stages for all the kinds of decisions they make, and neither do they always go through the stages in the very specific order that is presented below (Blackwell et al 2001). The process consists of mainly five steps (need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and the post-purchase process) according to most researchers within the field (Blackwell et al. 2001, Statt 1997, Kotler et al. 2005), but there are number of factors that affects the consumer in their purchasing process. Consumer are affected by individual determinants (Blackwell et al., 2001) and physical factors (Harell Frazier, 1999) because they are different, have different experiences and motivations, therefore, they will interpret things differently. Also consumers differ in available resources and knowledge which will further affect thei r decision. Another aspect that affects the consumers is the environmental influences (Blackwell et al., 2001) and societal and social factors (Harell et al., 1999). Here the authors talk about external factors that affect consumer, such as culture, social class and reference groups, but also the influence of the family and other individuals by whom the consumer is affected because every individual strive to some extent â€Å"fit in† heavily affect consumers. Also the information provided by these groups tend to have high credibility, depending on the consumers need to belong. Lastly, consumers are also affected by their degree of involvement (Harell et al. 1999). Involvement is the degree to which the consumers perceive the purchase to be of importance to them, and how complex they find the purchase situation (Blackwell et al 2001). The more complex the purchase, the more effort will be needed from the consumer in order to make a good decision. The involvement in turn affects the way in which consumes will learn about the products. Since a low involvement purchase is fairly routine consumers do not engage in a very extensive information search on the product, they mainly gather their information passively. A high-involvement purchase will demand more from the consumer and they will be more motivated to actively search for information. LITERATURE REVIEW Bickart Schindler (2001) investigated the WOM in online forums on the Internet. They assigned students to look at either corporate web pages or consumer forums about specific products. They found that after one semester, there was a higher interest in the product category for those who used the online discussion forum. They then suggested that a reason for this was because the content posts in the online discussion forums are thought to be more credible and more relevant but also having more empathy among its readers. In another study, Bickart Schindler (2005) tried to explore the consumer use of online WOM. They found three motives for using online WOM a) To gain information on purchase decisions, in which consumer reviews and negative information was of most interest; b) To get support from decision already made in which positive was used most for confirmation of that the right choice have been made; and c) Whether information was searched for fun or not. Another theme they discovered was the evaluation of the content of information in online WOM. They identified, corporate web pages are more biased and untrustworthy. Independent web pages free from corporate marketing, in which detailed information and authentic first person experience was viewed more credible and reliable. A consensus of agreement among consumers in the online WOM also tended to increase the credibility. Finally, they found online WOM disperse more information in all stages of consumer decision-making process. During the nee d recognition, when product was mentioned, it sometimes stimulated interest or problem recognition for the consumer. Other consumers sometimes provide ideas that lead for alternative product to be included, or removed, in the consumer consideration set. Online WOM also suggested important attributes that could influence the criteria of which alternatives are compared. Information from consumers on how alternative rate on those criteria was also of importance when comparing alternatives. After purchase was done, online WOM information could increase the consumers satisfaction of the purchase through positive information. They also discovered that their informants were selective in their information gathering process. This was done to simplify the information but also to help them absorb the information with amount of consumer information about a large area of different products. They continue and suggest that future research should look deeper into what characterise the content in those online WOM consumers choose to read. Bernhad, Bjurling and Ã…hrà ©n (2006) did another study on un-addressed consumer complaints through blogs. They found that the blog is used as a way to express dissatisfaction on companies and their products and services. It is used when the consumer do not get enough amendments from the companies. Blogs then works as a complement to complaints through friends and family, and it is an easy way to ease the consumers experiences and reduce the stress of a distasteful treatment from companies. The consumers have then used blog to warn other consumers on products and companies but also to tell their own story regarding the complaint. Bernhad et al. (2006) discuss that the technical development has reduced the barriers to complain and this had led to increased likelihood to present complains for products of less value. Wallstà ©n (2005) then comes to the conclusion that the collaborative blogs increase the learning process in which people can learn from each other by reading blog pos t. It also gives a shared knowledge base for the participants. In another study by Constant, et al. (1997) weak-tie sources were found to make it harder for consumers to assess the quality of the WOM information they received. Schindler and Bickart (2005) then discuss that the reason for this may be that the consumer do not know the motives of the informant and it may also sometimes be hard to assess the background and expertise in the topic of the informant. RESEARCH METHOD Research approach As the purpose of study is to understand how consumers perceive their own experiences and behaviour which can be best analysed through inductive approach. As this approach allows researcher to have more flexible structure that will permit alternative explanations of the phenomena. This approach is qualitative in nature that begins with data. It develops an empirical generalisation that describes patterns of that data and it seeks to identify or develop a theoretical proposition that is consistent with those patterns (Schutt, 1996). Research Strategy Putting emphasis on the inductive approach, research strategy of the paper is built on an exploratory study, though it also includes a cross-sectional study as interviews were held over a short period of time (Saunders et al. 2003). As the paper does not allow for sufficient time for conducting a longitudinal study and it is not intended to study the effects of change and development of the blogging phenomena on the consumers decision making process, a cross-sectional study is more appropriate. As the purpose of paper is from the consumers perspective, qualitative research method will enable us to get information from the informants and will allow us to understand the meaning that the informants attach to their experiences of blogging. Description is based on the meanings that informants express through words. A qualitative approach will allow getting this non-standardised data without being locked into a standardised set of questions. This is because the nature of the questions will need to be flexible and open-ended in order to explore what emerges during the interview. Furthermore, to get a rich description of this non-standardised data and to get into the thoughts of our informants, the interviews will need to allow a long length of time. Sample selection The sample selection consists of young educated adults; as previous research suggests they use blogs the most. The sample size consisted of nine people within the ages of 21 to 28. Of those nine people, three are females and six are males. Judgement sampling technique was used for identifying the informants who had rich experiences of blogging. The low number of informants can be justified by this as it allows getting a richer description of the phenomena studied. Data collection This primary data has been collected through interviews which are qualitative (semi-structured and in-depth) in nature. Limited research that exists and relates to our study has been used as secondary data. To check the effectiveness of semi-structured interview, two pilot studies were conducted. First semi-structured interview uses too much theoretical jargons that fail in retrieving the information. The second test then avoided the theoretical jargon and explanations. To get a rich description, informants were briefed two days prior on the themes to be covered in the interview. It was ensured that each informant had read the information letter before the interview took place. The informants were interviewed in two different ways -a) 6 informants were interviewed face-to-face in quiet rooms and conversations were recorded; and b) remaining 3 informants were interviewed through Skype because of distance and conversations were again recorded. However, attempt was made to conduct all interviews face-to-face as it enables to establish personal contact which is also important as Saunders et al (2003) argue; qualitative data favours the establishment of personal contact. It was also judged that the face-to-face contact would increase the likelihood of describing and identifying our informants accurately. In all cases, focus was on recording the findings from the interview as the findings emerged naturally. To really understand the informants meanings to their experiences and actions, flexible approach was used within the semi-structured interview. Although questions were bound to the themes, questions were flexible to allow an understanding of the participant. DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS Data is presented through sectioning each interview individually. Collected raw data was put into categories and themes that emerged from the interview as need is to have a close understanding to our informants. Information collected and compiled under each category will be compared with other categories. This helps in identifying relationships; in discovering key themes, and recognising patterns and trends. Later on, theoretical framework will be applied on those patterns in order to understand it in a new way. Quotes will be made to simplify the meaning and in drawing conclusions. Empirical Findings a) Interview with Reema Sharma: Reema, 25 years old, was interviewed at her office in Jammu and studying at Jammu University. She uses blogs when she wants to buy something new or wants to find out different type of products available. She also uses blogs for reading travel diaries for fun and to be in touch with people she knows. When it comes to blogging about a future purchase, she reads blogs by people who are in the same situation as her and that have experience from the things she is interested in. She blogs travels but sometimes for electronics products and hiking. She has never used blogs actively, she only reads them. The kind of blogs she uses is mainly product blogs, and collaborative blogs, where she can read and learn more. She does not really read the blogs from companies. Rarely she reads a blog and completely changes her mind. The blog can instead make her choose a different brand. Relationship with bloggers: For her, the blogger is just someone whose blog she happens to find. Reema trusts all the information that is written in the blogs, but she explains that the more detailed description on how the product has been used, the more she relies on the inlay. People whose blogs she reads most often posses greater knowledge then her, within the subject. Need and awareness discovered with blogs:Reema agrees that she discovers a lot of new kinds of products, but this has never actually evolved to a need. This has occurred, for example, when she has blogged about hiking gear, she has learned about many new products and the advantaged with those products, but as she is not very experienced in the area, many of those products are just too complicated. However, the blogs she reads regarding travels could actually create a need sometimes. From these blogs she learns more about possible places to travel to which she might visit later in her life she explains. Blogging for information and evaluation of potential purchase: Reema searches for information about experience from others consumers and their opinions. She looks for new things and assesses which of the product will give most value for her money. For her, price is often one of the most important factors affecting her decision. The reason to why she chooses to collect the information from blogs is because she feels that this is the only place where she can learn about peoples experiences and opinions, and also since this information is more neutral then if it would be from a company. When it comes to evaluating products, she mainly uses collaborative blogs in where many people can express their opinions on things. While evaluating the products she mainly stick within one price category that will offer her maximum value of her money. Bloggi