Advertising Disrupts the Objective of Rational Choice Essay

Advertising Disrupts the Objective of Rational Choice - Essay Example But repeated exposure to such ads ends up affecting the thinking cycle of the consumers and influences their buying habits. (Levinson, n.d.) On an average, an American views about 1500 advertisements every day (Butler, 2001). Most of these advertisements promote materialism. They introduce a product in a way that makes the customers feel as if they need it. This results in building dissatisfaction in the mind of the customer and makes him want to buy that product. These advertisements aim to eliminate the difference between needs and want and use the very influential source, media, to make the customers feel the need for those products, even when they do not really need it at all. By portraying that through the use of a certain product, a fancy lifestyle, or an ideal life could be achieved, they give a false perception of happiness and tricks the customers into buying the wrong products. (Butler, 2001) There are various examples of such manipulation present in our society. Consider for example a brand new BMW car being advertised. There is no logical justification of the car being priced at more than ten times the price of an ordinary sedan. Nonetheless, the ideal, happy life depicted through the advertisements convinces the consumers that the car really is worth the price tag, and forces them to make the illogical decision of buying the car. (ScienceDaily, 2007) As already discussed, advertisers use tactics like subliminal messages and promoting ideal lifestyles in the advertisements to manipulate consumers into buying what they do not need. The tools that are used by advertisers to promote such lifestyles are as follows: There are numerous examples of advertisements using

Impact of Isolation in Death of a Salesman :: Death Salesman essays

Impact of Isolation in Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman is the story of a man, Willy Loman, gone deaf to the outside world. Though many try to help him, he shuts them out and creates his own reality in which he is successful and loved by everyone. In Death of a Salesman, Willy has many influences both good and bad attempting to direct his life; it is his refusal to choose the helpful advice that will ultimately lead to his downfall. One negative influence in Willy's life is the inability of his friends to confront him about his problems. It is Willy's wife that causes him the most harm. In her vain attempt to protect Willy, she actually allows his eventual death. The first sign of her negligence comes in one of Willy's flashbacks. Willy brags, "I did five hundred gross in Providence and seven hundred gross in Boston"(35). But as Linda begins calculating his commission, the value rapidly diminishes to "roughly two hundred gross on the whole trip"(35). Linda sees what is going on but does not confront him. A very similar situation occurs later in their life when she finds out that Willy is no longer on salary, but borrows money every week from Charley. Again she will not confront him. By not confronting Willy in either of these instances, Linda allows him to sink further into his false reality. But Linda makes an even worse mistake that allows for Willy's suicide. She acknowledges his suicidal t endencies when she says, "He's been trying to kill himself"(58). She tells the boys that she has found the rubber hose in the basement, but she still will not confront Willy. Another character who is unable to be straight with Willy is Willy's boss Howard Wagner. Howard allows Willy to keep his job, but does not pay him. If he had just fired him right out it would of forced Willy to find a new job. By stringing him along, Howard allows Willy to maintain his fantasy world unchallenged. These are examples of the most negative influences in Willy's life simply because they have the ability to help but choose not to.

Employee Involvement Essay

The direct participation of staff to help an organization fulfill its mission and meet its objectives by applying their own ideas, expertise, and efforts towards solving problems and making decisions. From this definition, participation can include representative participation, direct communication, and upward problem solving. We will focus on the latter two categories because this article is more about understanding outcomes, tools, and methods. The direct participation of staff to help an organization fulfill its mission and meet its objectives by applying their own ideas, expertise, and efforts towards solving problems and making decisions. Based on the thinking that people involved in a process know it best, regular participation of employees in several planning and execution areas occur. Major areas are: (1) deciding how work gets done, (2) suggesting improvements, (3) setting goals, (4) planning, and (5) performance monitoring. That employees will improve their performance if t hey are more motivated by being more involved, is an observed trait. Borders on empowerment. Employee involvement means that every employee is regarded as a unique human being, not just a cog in a machine, and each employee is involved in helping the organization meet its goals. Each employee’s input is solicited and valued by his/her management. Employees and management recognize that each employee is involved in running the business. Employee empowerment is a somewhat different concept. It means that in addition to involving employees in running the business, employees and management recognize that many problems or obstacles to achieving organizational goals can be identified and solved by employees. Employee empowerment means that management recognizes this ability, and provides employees with the tools and authority required to continuously improve their performance. The management states its expectations about employees recognizing and solving problems, and empowers them to do so. Employee Motivation  is the â€Å"psychological forces that determine the direction of a person’s behavior in an organization, a person’s level of effort and a person’s level of persistence Using rewards as motivators divides employee motivation into two categories: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic rewards are internal, psychological rewards such as a sense of accomplishment or doing  something because it makes one feel good.[7] Extrinsic rewards are rewards that other people give to you such as a money, compliments, bonuses, or trophies. â€Å"the willingness to exert high levels of effort toward organizational goals, conditioned by the effort’s ability to satisfy some individual need.† Theory XTheory x states that people are generally lazy. Since people are lazy they will try at all costs to avoid work. They will do what they can to waste time and find other things to do. Sigmund Freud the creator of this theory believed that the only way to get people to do work was to threaten them with punishment if they didn’t do their work. This idea is important because if it holds true, motivation becomes extremely important. If people don’t want to do any work it is necessary to motivation Theory X MIT Professor Douglas McGregor Theory X—assumes that people are basically lazy and will avoid working if they can. To make sure that employees work, Theory X managers impose strict rules and make sure that all important decisions are made only by them. Theory Y Theory Y assumes that people find satisfaction in their work. Theory Y managers believe that people are creative and will come up with good ideas if encouraged to do so. They tend to give their employees much more freedom and let them make mistakes. Theory Z is a business management theory that integrates Japanese and American business practices. The Japanese business emphasis is on collective decision making, whereas the American emphasis is on individual responsibility. McGregor’s Theories Theory X- Autocratic Dislike Work Avoid Responsibility Little Ambition Force/Control/ Direct/Threaten Motivated by Fear & Money Theory Y- Democratic Like Work Naturally Works Toward Goals Seeks Responsibility Imaginative, Creative, Clever Motivated by Empowerment

1.) What Principles Do Franklin And Thoreau Propose For

1.) What principles do Franklin and Thoreau propose for the conduct of life? To what extent do their principles agree? Benjamin Franklin and Ralph Waldo Emerson propose certain principles for the conduct of life. Franklin is very clear in his proposed principles for life, as he clearly states them in his â€Å"The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin†. One of his main principles is the concept of hard work. Franklin believes that the best way to succeed in life is to work hard. Hard work is a key element in how to conduct one’s life. Franklin also touches on the idea that religion allows people to live in good conduct in their lives, as it gives people good values they must uphold. This also contributes to the principle that he believes in, which†¦show more content†¦Fredrick Douglass and Henry Melville both critique Christianity as it was practiced in 19th-century America. Douglass illuminates the aspect of Christianity in relation to the way Christians also uphold the institution of slavery. He views it has ironic that those who claim the Christian faith also believe that there is nothing wrong in the practice of slavery. Douglass questions how one can be a true Christian and still not see that slavery in morally and religiously wrong. He ultimately critiques the way people practice the faith and still uphold slavery. Douglass goes as far to say that the slave master’s even become crueler when they find religion, because then they feel as if they can do no wrong. As Douglass states in relation to slavery and religion, â€Å"Here we have religion and robbery the allies of each other – devils dressed in angels’ robes, and hell presenting the semblance of paradise.† Henry Melville also critique’s the practice of Christianity in the 19th century America in his work â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener†. Melville illustrates the idea of a higher spiritual purpose in relation to societal standards. It also questions what makes a person good ideally in the eyes of society, which relates to how society views a religious person. As religion, such as Christianity, defines how people interacted with others and what actions were associated with a Christian person in 19th century American Society. Melville questions the idea thatShow MoreRelatedWalts Whitmans Vision of America in Leaves of Grass17685 Words   |  71 PagesWhile†©analyzing†©Walt†©Whitman’s†©poetry†©and†©reading†©his†©verses,†©it†©is†©important†©to†© keep†©in†©mind†©that†©he†©was†©not†©a†©politician,†©nor†©a†©philospher†©or†©essayist†©and†©therefore†© could†©afford†©to†©disclose†©his†©human†©side.†©He†©wrote†©in†©Ã‚ «Song†©of†©Myself »:†©Ã‚ «Do†©I†©contradict†© myself?†©Very†©well†©then†©I†©contradict†©myself,†©(I†©am†©large,†©I†©contain†©multitudes.) » †©Ã¢â‚¬ ©Thus†©some†© 1 of†©his†©ideas†©might†©be†©confusing†©for†©someone†©trying†©to†©read†©or†©interpret†©his†©poetry†©in†©one†© particular†©way†©or†©another.†©This†©statement†©proves†©the†©poet’s†©sincerity†©and†©acceptance†© that†©people,†©while†©remaining†©themselves