Zimmermann Telegram in World War I

Zimmermann Telegram in World War I The Zimmermann Telegram was a diplomatic note sent by the German Foreign Office to Mexico in January 1917 which proposed a military alliance between the two nations should the United States enter World War I (1914-1918) on the side of the Allies. In return for the alliance, Mexico would receive financial assistance from Germany as well as could reclaim territory lost during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) (1846-1848). The Zimmermann Telegram was intercepted and decoded by the British who in turn shared it with the United States. The release of the telegram in March further inflamed the American public and contributed to the American declaration of war the following month. Background In 1917, As World War I ground on, Germany began assessing options for striking a decisive blow. Unable to break the British blockade of the North Sea with its surface fleet, the German leadership elected to return to a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. This approach, whereby German U-boats would attack merchant shipping without warning, had been briefly used in 1916 but was abandoned after strong protests by the United States. Believing that Britain could be quickly crippled if its supply lines to North America were severed, Germany prepared to re-implement this approach effective February 1, 1917. Concerned that the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare could bring the United States into the war on the side of the Allies, Germany began making contingency plans for this possibility. To this end, German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann was instructed to seek a military alliance with Mexico in the event of war with the United States. In return for attacking the United States, Mexico was promised the return of territory lost during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), including Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, as well as substantial financial assistance. German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann. Public Domain Transmission As Germany lacked a direct telegraph line to North America, the Zimmermann Telegram was transmitted over American and British lines. This was permitted as President Woodrow Wilson allowed the Germans to transmit under the cover of U.S. diplomatic traffic in hopes that he could remain in touch with Berlin and broker a lasting peace. Zimmermann sent the original coded message to Ambassador Johann von Bernstorff on January 16, 1917. Receiving the telegram, he forwarded it on to Ambassador Heinrich von Eckardt in Mexico City via commercial telegraph three days later. Mexican Response After reading the message, von Eckardt approached the government of President Venustiano Carranza with the terms. He also asked Carranza to aid in forming an alliance between Germany and Japan. Listening to the German proposal, Carranza instructed his military to determine the feasibility of the offer. In assessing a possible war with the United States, the military determined that it largely lacked the capability to re-take the lost territories and that German financial assistance would be useless as the United States was the only significant arms producer in the Western Hemisphere. President Venustiano Carranza of Mexico. Public Domain Furthermore, additional arms could not be imported as the British controlled the sea lanes from Europe. As Mexico was emerging from a recent civil war, Carranza sought to improve relations with the United States as well as other nations in the region such as Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. As a result, it was determined to decline the German offer. An official response was issued to Berlin on April 14, 1917, stating that Mexico had no interest in allying with the German cause. British Interception As the ciphertext of the telegram was transmitted through Britain, it was immediately intercepted by British code breakers who were monitoring traffic originating in Germany. Sent to the Admiraltys Room 40, code breakers found that it was encrypted in cipher 0075, which they had partially broken. Decoding parts of the message, they were able to develop an outline of its content. Realizing that they possessed a document that could compel the United State to join the Allies, the British set about developing a plan that would allow them to unveil the telegram without giving away that they were reading neutral diplomatic traffic or that they had broken German codes. To deal with the first issue, they were able to correctly guess that the telegram was sent over commercial wires from Washington to Mexico City. In Mexico, British agents were able to obtain a copy of the ciphertext from the telegraph office. This was encrypted in cipher 13040, which the British had captured a copy of in the Middle East. As a result, by mid-February, British authorities had the complete text of the telegram. To deal with the code breaking issue, the British publicly lied and claimed they had been able to steal a decoded copy of the telegram in Mexico. They ultimately alerted the Americans to their code breaking efforts and Washington elected to back the British cover story. On February 19, 1917, Admiral Sir William Hall, the head of Room 40, presented a copy of the telegram to the secretary of the U.S. Embassy, Edward Bell.​​ Stunned, Hall initially believed the telegram to be a forgery but passed it on to Ambassador Walter Hines Page the next day. On February 23, Page met with Foreign Minister Arthur Balfour and was shown the original ciphertext as well as the message in both German and English. The next day, the telegram and verifying details were presented to Wilson. Ambassador Walter Hines Page. Library of Congress American Response News of the Zimmermann Telegram was quickly released and stories about its contents appeared in the American press on March 1. While pro-German and anti-war groups claimed that it was a forgery, Zimmermann confirmed the telegrams contents on March 3 and March 29. Further inflaming the American public, which was angered over the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare (Wilson broke diplomatic relations with Germany on February 3 over this issue) and the sinking SS Houstonic (February 3) and SS California (February 7), the telegram further pushed the nation towards war. On April 2, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. This was granted four days later and the United States entered the conflict. Zimmermann Telegram in World War I The Zimmermann Telegram was a note sent in 1917 from the German Foreign Minister Zimmermann to his ambassador in Mexico, containing details of a proposed alliance against America; it was intercepted and published, strengthening US public support for war against Germany as part of World War One. The Background By 1917 the conflict we call The First World War had been raging for over two years, drawing in troops from Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, and Australasia, although the main battles were in Europe. The main belligerents were, on one side, the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires (the Central Powers) and, on the other, the British, French and Russian Empires (the Entente or Allies). The war had been expected to last just a few months in 1914, but the conflict had dragged on in a stalemate of trenches and massive death tolls, and all sides in the war were looking for any advantage they could gain. The Zimmermann Telegram Sent through a supposedly secure channel devoted to peace negotiations (a transatlantic cable belonging to Scandinavia) on January 19th, 1917, the Zimmermann Telegram – often called the Zimmermann Note - was a memo sent from the German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to the German Ambassador to Mexico. It informed the ambassador that Germany would be resuming its policy of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare (USW) and, crucially, ordered him to propose an alliance. If Mexico would join in a war against the US, they would be rewarded with financial support and re-conquered land in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The ambassador was also to ask the Mexican President to propose his own alliance to Japan, a member of the Allies. Why Did Germany Send the Zimmermann Telegram? Germany had already stopped and started USW - a program of sinking any shipping coming near their enemies in an attempt to starve them of food and materials - because of fierce US opposition. Americas official neutrality involved trading with all belligerents, but in practice, this meant the Allies and their Atlantic coastlines rather than Germany, who suffered from a British blockade. Consequently, US shipping was frequently a victim. In practice, the US was giving the UK aid which had prolonged the war. The German high command knew renewed USW would probably cause the US to declare war on them, but they gambled on shutting Britain down before an American army could arrive in force. The alliance with Mexico and Japan, as proposed in the Zimmermann Telegram, was intended to create a new Pacific and Central American Front, greatly distracting the US and aiding the German war effort. Indeed, after USW resumed the US severed diplomatic relations with Germany and began debating an entry into the war. The Leak However, the secure channel wasnt secure at all: British intelligence intercepted the telegram and, recognizing the effect it would have on US public opinion, released it to America on February 24th, 1917. Some accounts claim the US State Department was also illegally monitoring the channel; either way, US President Wilson saw the note on the 24th. It was released to the world press on March 1st. Reactions to the Zimmermann Telegram Mexico and Japan immediately denied having anything to do with the proposals (indeed, the Mexican President was content at a recent American withdrawal from his country and Germany could offer little beyond moral support), while Zimmermann admitted the Telegrams authenticity on March 3rd. It had often been asked why Zimmermann came right out and fully admitted things instead of pretending otherwise. Despite Germanys complaint that the Allies had been wiretapping secure peace networks, the US public - still concerned at Mexicos intentions following trouble between the two - was aghast. A vast majority reacted to both the Note, and weeks of growing anger at USW, by backing war against Germany. However, the note itself did not provoke the US into joining the war. Things might have stayed as they were, but then Germany made the mistake which cost them the war and restarted Unrestricted Submarine Warfare again. When the American Congress approved Wilsons decision to declare war on April 6th in reaction to this, there was just 1 vote against. Full Text of The Zimmermann Telegram On the first of February, we intend to begin submarine warfare unrestricted. In spite of this, it is our intention to endeavor to keep neutral the United States of America. If this attempt is not successful, we propose an alliance on the following basis with Mexico: That we shall make war together and together make peace. We shall give general financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The details are left to you for settlement. You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of the above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak of war with the United States and suggest that the President of Mexico, on his own initiative, should communicate with Japan suggesting adherence at once to this plan; at the same time, offer to mediate between Germany and Japan. Please call to the attention of the President of Mexico that the employment of ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make peace in a few months. Zimmerman (Sent January 19, 1917)

Your Complete Crash Course to Romantic Poetry

Your Complete Crash Course to Romantic Poetry SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The Romantic Era is famous for its poetryin fact, Romanticism is one of the most influential periods in the history of English poetry. It’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll have to tackle Romantic poetry at some point, whether it’s in your English classes or on the AP Literature and Language exam. That’s why we’ve whipped up a crash course on the Romantic Era for you! We’ll explain the following in our crash course: Answer the question, â€Å"What is Romanticism?† by providing a Romanticism definition and describing the historical context of the era Explain Romanticism characteristics that are unique to the period’s philosophy and literature Give an overview of the key traits of Romanticism literature and poetry, including Romanticism examples List the six most important Romantic poets you need to know List five books for further reading if you want to learn more about the Romantic Era! There’s a lot to cover about Romanticism, so let’s get started!

Food science. Upon rehydrating dried apples slices, you found that the Essay

Food science. Upon rehydrating dried apples slices, you found that the slices did return to the original water content. What phenomenon was responsible - Essay Example Rehydration can be considered as a measure of the injury to the material caused by drying and treatments preceding dehydration (Okos et al., 1992; McMinn & Magee, 1997a). Rehydration of dried plant tissues is composed of three simultaneous processes: the imbibition of water into dried material, the swelling and the leaching of solubles (McMinn & Magee, 1997b; Lewicki, 1998). It has been shown that (Steffe & Singh, 1980) the volume changes (swelling) of biological materials are often proportional to the amount of absorbed water. Fan et al. (1962) found that the gain in volume caused by water sorption equalled the volume of imbibed water. On the other hand, the moisture-induced swelling of soybean and pigeon pea grains was always less than the volume of sorbed water (Singh & Kulshrestha, 1987). Studies of the volume increase of semolina (Bhattacharya, 1995) and soybean showed that rehydration temperature markedly affected volume increase. It is generally accepted that the degree of rehydration is dependent on the degree of cellular and structural disruption. During drying, Jayaraman et al. (1990) observed irreversible cellular rupture and dislocation, resulting in loss of integrity and hence, a dense structure of collapsed, greatly shrunken capillaries with reduced hydrophilic properties, as reflected by the inability to imbibe sufficient water to rehydrate fully. The objectives of this investigation were to test the hypothesis that a generalized model to describe the following structural properties during rehydration could be generated. The properties were true density, apparent density, porosity and specific volume of dehydrated apple, banana, potato and carrot during

Rights of Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rights of Management - Essay Example own as The Labor Management Relation Act Of 1947 is law that marked a radical change in the federal regulation of industrial relations (Carper et al, 2008). This change was created after a vast number of large scale strikes were held to an extent of nearly disabling the steel, automobile and packing industries among others in the United States. These work mayhems severely affected the economy leading to panic from public. This act, which was an adjustment to the Wagner Act of 1935, was made to benefit all the parties that were involved in the labor agreement as the employees, employers and the labor union (Beik, 2005). Its passage of 1947 added new necessities to the former ‘which meant that its actual meaning would now depend upon the interpretation by the National Labor Relations Board, as well as, the courts’. Taft –Hartley Act placed restrictions on unions that were already imposed on the employer which dictated that it was unlawful to contain workers who wanted to exercise their rights for self organization. (Dubinsky, 1994). Moreover, secondary strikes, boycotts and sympathy strikes especially those that were intended to influence employers, as opposed to those that the Union had contract with. Its first amendment entailed right to free speech that had been severely limited by the former laws, giving chances to employers to air their ideas on unionization only if the ideas are not incisive with threats or promises to employees. It also restricted the liability of employers based on managers’ actions to those who would be considered as a section of supervisors’ official duty. Additionally, the Act allowed states to enact right to work laws which illegalized the setting of union membership as employment condition although some states chose it while others bargained f or changes to avoid conflict of interest. According to Carper, et al. 2008, the Act made recommendation for the contract of labor to on either sides to bargain in good faith on the

The impact of human activities on sharks in the northwest atlantic Essay Example for Free

The impact of human activities on sharks in the northwest atlantic Essay The earth is a finite space. Everyone and everything on it must share its vast yet limited resources, and the actions of one species effects many, if not all, others. Over time, we have come to realize that human activities are having disproportionately negative effects on the global environment. An excellent example of this within the marine biome can be seen in analyzing shark populations of the Northwest Atlantic. In their study, â€Å"Collapse and Conservation of Shark Populations in the Northwest Atlantic† (2003), Julia K. Baum, et al. traced the changes in the populations of eight shark species from 1986 to 2000 (two species were only recorded from 1992 onward). They looked at the areas comprised of the â€Å"Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida East Coast, South Atlantic Bight, Mid Atlantic Bight, Northeast Coastal, Northeast Distant, Sargasso/North Central Atlantic, Tuna North/Tuna South. † In this region, they noted an 89% decline in the hammerhead shark population over a period of 14 years. Similarly, white sharks declined 79%, tiger sharks 65%, and thresher shark populations declined by 80% between 1986 and 2000. In fact, each of the eight species saw a population decline over the course of the study. The study concludes that â€Å"The magnitude of the declines estimated†¦suggests that several sharks may also now be at risk of large-scale extirpation. † The study goes on analyse the causes of such drastic decline over such a short period of time. Citing overfishing as a significant culprit it claims, â€Å"In the past half century, as fishing fleets expanded rapidly in the open ocean, have large marine predators been subject to this intense exploitation. † Overfishing however is not a new phenomenon, and has indeed been a factor in depleting populations of marine species historically as well. In his 2001 colloquium paper, â€Å"What was natural in the coastal oceans? † Jeremy B. Jackson cites 19th century overfishing in cause â€Å"live coral abundance declined to 1-2% cover from values of 50% or more† in the 1908s. He claims that while this was noted in the 1980s it is the result of historical trends by determining, â€Å"Coral communities did not change noticeably until the epidemic mortality of Diadema antillarum in the 1980s because ecological redundancy of herbivores obscured the potential effects of the loss of large herbivorous fishes for well over a century. Macroalgae were not able to overgrow corals until the last major herbivore was lost from the system. † The ramifications for sharks and other carnivorous species as is significant because declining herbivore populations means there is a food scarcity and thus will result in a decline in predator populations as well. The Baum study notes that their finding of â€Å"large and rapid declines†¦are in addition to substantial historical reductions. Overexploitation of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays) is known to have already nearly eliminated two skate species from much of their ranges. † They then engage in a discussion of appropriate measures that could be adopted to counteract the declines their study revealed. They particularly examine marine reserves an â€Å"increasingly popular tool for marine conservation and resource management worldwide† (2002). Using â€Å"simple models to analyze the implications of large-scale marine reserves for shark conservation. They ran each of these models with two likely scenarios â€Å"(i) after the closure, fishing effort is displaced and changes such that the same total swordfish quota is caught (constant-quota scenario); or (ii) fishing effort is displaced but remains constant overall (constant-effort scenario). † Surprisingly, the study found that â€Å"marine reserves can indirectly cause harm if fishing effort is merely displaced. † They found that while closing one region of the study area benefited some species of that region, it had the potential to harm other species both within the closed region and in other regions of the Northwest Atlantic. Their findings suggest that â€Å"if marine reserves are to be effective, their placement is of critical importance, and conservation initiatives must explicitly consider impacts on the whole community of species. † They concluded that â€Å"emphasis on single-species conservation, without controlling effort, simply shifts pressure from one threatened species to another and may actually jeopardize biodiversity. † This scenario would be much like that of 19th century overfishing in that its results would be indirect and thus their effects might immediately be masked but could show up to be catastrophic in the long-term. A more recent study further indicated that ensuring species survival would require a 40-80% reduction in fishing mortality, and that â€Å"rapid recovery of community bio-mass and diversity usually occurs when fishing mortality is reduced. † This recovery was noted to be â€Å"more variable for single species, often because of the influence of species interactions. † Thus, the study concluded that multi-species management must be targeted toward the needs of the most sensitive rather than the most robust species in the system. Finally, in order to most effectively aid in the recovery of predator species of the Northwest Atlantic, the effort must include â€Å"reductions in fishing effort, reduction in bycatch mortality and protection of key areas to initiate recovery of severely depleted communities† (Myers Worm, 2005). Analysis the potential outcomes of any activity is significant because all human activity, not just actions determined to have a negative effect such as fishing, affects the environment. Even activities whose goal is to benefit another species can have unforeseen ramifications, some of these could even result in further harm to the species or environment they are seeking to aid. Rather than merely rushing to the conclusion that marine regions should be designated as reserves, it is important to examine not only the effects on one species, but look to the larger biome and scrutinize the impact that one variable is likely to have on countless other factors with which it interacts directly and indirectly. Within the finite space of the earth, any one action regardless of its intent is likely to reverberate throughout the environment and especially be felt within a specific region or biome. Thus, humans must consider all of there actions when working with the marine biome so as to ensure the least possible harm to its species and the larger world in general. References Baum, J. K. , Myers, R. A. , Kehler, D. G. , Worm, B. , Harley, S. J. , Doherty P. A. (2003).Collapse and Conservation of Shark Populations in the Northwest Atlantic, Science, 299 (5605), 389-392. Halpern, B. S. and Warner R. S. (2002). Marine Reserves Have Rapid and Lasting Effects, Ecology Letters, 5, 361-366. Jackson, J. B. C. (2001). What Was Natural in the Coastal Oceans? , Procedures of the National Academy of Science U. S. A. 98, 5411-5418. Myers, R. A. , Worm, B. (2005). Extinction, Survival or Recovery of Large Predatory Fishes, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 360 (1453), 13-20.

Discipleship Essay -- essays research papers

Discipleship At the mention of the word "disciple", the image most people conjure up is that of a faithful pupil, a person more than willing to follow the teachings of their leader without question. However, the early disciples didn’t always conform to this stereotype. In fact, they sometimes showed a complete lack of faith, finding it extremely hard to accept Jesus’ word in their hearts. Jesus appointed twelve disciples to symbolize each of the twelve tribes of Israel. In doing so, it were as if he were replacing the Old Judaism with his new covenant. This symbolized a new, more personal relationship with God through his Son Jesus Christ. In choosing his apostles, Jesus showed us that the call is open to all of us, as his chosen twelve all had a different trade, and led varying ways of life. With such a mixed group, it is no wonder there were a few differences of opinion. A good example is the relationship between Simon the Zealot, and Matthew the tax collector. While Zealots were political freedom fighters, tax collectors were the hated collaborates of the Romans. Therefore you can imagine that tax collectors and zealots, if left to their own devices, were normally sworn enemies. However, Matthew and Simon still managed to live relatively peaceful lives together, putting into practice the commandment "love thy neighbor as thyself". They were called, and rose to the challenge of that call by their commitment to respond. It was not necessary to posses any special quality to be a disciple of Jesus, and they were all of them far from perfect. Take Peter for example. He wasn’t particularly quick-witted. In fact, he often had trouble grasping the message Jesus was trying to get across, as shown in the Parables, where in the Parable of the Sower, (Mk 4:1-9), he found it no easier then the rest of the disciples to understand God’s message. Neither did he have unquestionable faith. He demonstrates this (as did the other disciples) when they were all in a boat together with Jesus in the middle of Lake Galilee on a particularly stormy night. He and the other disciples became so frantic with worry that they decided to wake Jesus (who was sleeping peacefully with his head on a pillow) (Mk 4:35-41) . Surely, if you cannot feel safe when you have the Son of Go... ...as possible is enabled. It may also be said by some that far fewer people are as devoted to Christianity as they were in the past, as we no longer have prophets, or the Son of God Jesus to guide us. However, there are still many people who are choosing to enter the Holy Orders, and all these people can serve as an inspiration to us all. People such as these are still choosing to leave their loved ones in order to devote their lives to God. Also, when Jesus preached his Good News almost 2000 years ago, there were no fewer people then there are now who opposed to his teachings. However, the one thing that the Christians of the past had that none of us will probably have the opportunity to see in our life times are miracles performed first hand. While it is true that humans have a tendency to believe only what they see, the Bible has, and will continue to be a great source of inspiration for many. It is true that the Bible is the closest thing we will ever get to an understanding of Jesus’ way of life and Christianity, so the Christian faith will remain to be, for us, an unraveled mystery.

The Effects of Advertising Media on Sales of Insurance Products: a Developing-Country Case

The effects of advertising media on sales of insurance products: a developing-country case S. A. Aduloju Department of Insurance and Actuarial Science, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria A. O. Odugbesan Formerly of Department of Business Administration, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria, and S. A. Oke Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria Abstract Purpose – Characterized by declining goodwill and exemplified sharp drop in gross premium, the Nigerian insurance industry, in recent times, has experienced turbulent economic challenges that necessitated re-engineering of its core activities.However, advertising and sales are core activities, which are important predictors of stability and growth in the insurance industry. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of advertising on sales of insurance products. Design/methodology/approach – An empirical investigation is carried out using a survey that utilizes quest ionnaires, interviews, and field observation as major research instruments. A total of 71 insurance companies in Nigeria, which represent the total operating insurance companies in Nigeria at the time of study, were surveyed.With 100 scientifically selected subjects sampled, descriptive analysis was employed to understand the relationship and the strength of such relationships. Findings – It was found that advertising had effects on sales volume and improved public image. However, the choice of advertising medium, the message, and the format are critical ingredients of a successful advertising program in the insurance industry. Research limitations/implications – The insurance industry in Nigeria was studied from a holistic viewpoint due to the need to present reliable and detailed information for decision makers.However, limitation in achieving this relates to the reluctance of respondents to release information for the study. Practical implications – The impli cation of this research is that proper control of advertisement budget vis-a` -vis the expected sales volume could be made. Thus, organizations could spend budgets more effectively on growth enhancing projects instead of excessive wastage of funds on advertisement. Originality/value – This paper seems to be the first original work that concerns the impact of advertising on sales in the Nigerian insurance industry.As such, it bridges a gap that is opened for investigations. It may be of great value to decision making seeking for control tools. Keywords Insurance, Nigeria, Advertising media, Sales management Paper type Research paper 1. Introduction Over the years, there has been tremendous decline in the goodwill of the Nigerian insurance industry as a result of poor performance in the payment of insurance claims. The sharp drop in gross premium exemplifies this problem. Randle (2003) estimated a decline of more than 89. 4 percent in the 1999/2000 comparative periods.This decl ine may have worsened as a result of the global economic crisis. There is therefore the need to advertise insurance products in order to increase sales. Unfortunately, no reliable records exist on the impact of advertising on sales of insurance products, thus suggesting its strong need. The need to examine the impacts of advertising on sales volume is further strengthened by the significant value of the total premiums generated in Africa, which originated in South Africa (84 percent) while only an insignificant value (16 percent) is partly contributed by Nigeria.Thus, with the enormous advertising expenditures, it becomes necessary to know if such expenditures justify sales volume obtainable from the advertisement efforts. Luo and Donthu (2005) identified advertising media and spending inefficiencies in generating sales, and concluded that top 100 marketers’ advertising spending in print, broadcast, and outdoor media are not efficient and could bring in 20 percent more sales. Sadly, the case relating to insurance products was not treated. Also, there is a strong need for understanding the impacts of advertising on sales volume.Furthermore, although empirical evidence in major markets of the world shares a significant relationship between advertisement and sales volume, there is no reliable data and information on the subject in developing countries such as Nigeria. The absence of this information provides a wide gap and poor understanding on the effectiveness of advertisement on sales. The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of advertising on the sales of insurance products. Advertising ranks among the major tools of promotion in general and awareness in particular.The study investigates if there are good advertising opportunities insurance industry can make use of, and examine the various advertising media commonly used by the insurers with particular reference to Nigeria. How would the customers know that a particular product will satisf y some needs unless such is communicated to them? As a pivot of economic development, insurance certainly has a major role to play. The issue now is that the sector performance is far below expectation. An important question is why?Is there any inherent difficulty in growing and promoting this business in developing world? Very many factors have been put forward for this performance, and it should be mentioned that it is not the intention of this study to discuss them. It is important, however, to find out the effectiveness of the choice of advertising media on the sales volume of insurance organizations. A study of this nature may prove to be of immense benefit to industry managers on how to make positive impression about their business and product given the dynamic nature of our socio economic environment.Past studies reveal a fairly strong relationship between advertising investments and sales. Twedt and Knitter (1964) observed some relationships between larger investments in pri nt media and profits. Sturgess and Young (1981) identified the direct relationship between sales and advertising expenditures as more relevant to a company’s performance variables than any other test of communication effectiveness of advertising. Perreault and McCarthy (2000) admit that one of the methods of measuring advertising effects is to evaluate sales.Schultz and Wittink (1976) revealed that although some studies have reported a positive influence of primary advertising on primary demand, no conclusive empirical evidence has been brought to bear on the major premise. It is therefore the goal of the current work to bridge this important gap. The effects of advertising media JRF 10,3 The paper is sectioned into the following: introduction, methodology, data analysis, and conclusion. The introduction provides an insight into the significance of the problem and the need to bridge the knowledge gap.Section 2 presents the methodology, which provides the framework for the pre sented study. In Section 3, data analysis is presented based on the results of the survey instruments. Section 4, the final section, provides concluding remarks. 2. Methodology The aim of this research is to carry out an empirical investigation of the extent to which advertising affects sales. This is a survey research whose objectives are to find answers to the following research questions, and test the relevant hypotheses. This section presents the methodological approach adopted to gather relevant data necessary for this study. . 1 Study population, sampling design, and research instrument The Nigerian Insurance Digest, 2006 indicates that there were 96 insurance companies operating in Nigeria as at December 31, 2006. No available records confirm that new companies have been formed since, except for the issues of mergers and acquisitions that characterized the recapitalization/consolidation exercise. A total of 71 companies have since emerged from this exercise. The study populat ion embraced all the staff engaging in marketing, public relations, and advertising in these 71 insurance companies.Most of these companies are direct insurers since they deal directly with the members of the public. Reinsurance companies, though, also engage in advertising activities, were excluded from this study because their impact or contact with the members of the public is indirect. Since it would not be feasible to contact all the staff that represents the population for the study, sampling method was used, and the study was limited to Lagos state, the commercial center of Nigeria. A sample of 100 subjects selected from some insurance companies in Lagos was used.The sampling method was used to avoid bias in the selection procedure, and to achieve maximum precision for a given outlay of resources. Essentially, two research instruments were used: questionnaire and interview. For the questionnaire, 100 copies were distributed to respondents selected from various insurance compa nies in Lagos, Nigeria. In order to ensure high response ratio, the questionnaires were administered personally. To achieve this a number of contacts have been made to the management of those companies soliciting for their cooperation.Also, diligent care was exercised to avoid ambiguity in drafting the questionnaire. Personal interview was conducted with selected executives in the insurance companies (Dillion et al. , 1994). The face-to-face contact with respondents assisted in obtaining high quality data since more information is communicated between human beings communicating directly with each other than using other means. 2. 2 Method of data analysis The research proposed to use such descriptive statistics as simple percentages to compute the data obtained.For hypothesis testing, coefficient of correlation would be employed. Lucey (2002) highlights the benefits of using correlation coefficient when trying to analyze independent and dependent variables in order to understand the relationship between them. The correlation coefficient reveals the strength of such The effects of relationships. advertising media 2. 3 Restatement of research questions The research questions are as follows: RQ1. Is a company’s failure to use advertising a result of lack of good advertising opportunities?RQ2. Do the results of other promotional tools affect the use of advertising? RQ3. Is the use of advertising dependent on the measurability of its results? RQ4. Is there any relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure? 2. 4 Research hypotheses The hypotheses stated will be used to test the relationship between sales figures and advertising figures (Asika, 2006). The statistical procedure is to state the null hypothesis (H0), which is to be followed by the alternative hypothesis (H1).While a H0 is a statement that no change has occurred from the condition specified, the H1 is a reversal of a H0. Thus, if in hypothesis testing, a H0 is rejected, then, the H1 will be accepted: H0. There is no relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure. H1. There is a relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure. 2. 5 Research design The research uses explorative research design in order to gain insights into the subject studied. The research design is that of descriptive survey.It is meant to assess the importance attached to advertisement by insurance organizations. Specifically, the research design would reveal availability of good advertising opportunities for insurance firms, factors affecting a firm’s decision to use advertising, relationship between advertising and company’s performance in terms of sales volume, and justification of advertising expenditure, using profit as the bottom line. 3. Data analysis In Section 2, it was mentioned that empirical investigation would be carried out on the extent to which the choice of advertising medium affects sales.The summaries of the results of the survey q uestions, and how these answer the stated research questions are presented in this Section 3. In fact, we will like to find out whether a company’s failure to use advertising is a result of lack of advertising opportunities, whether the use of advertising is dependent on the measurability of its results, and whether there is any relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure. These results also attempt to seek support for the hypothesis stated. 3. 1 Response rate and respondents’ characteristicsA total of 100 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to respondents. The challenges of recapitalization in the insurance industry, and subsequent rearrangements including the necessary formalities made the task of getting JRF 10,3 audience difficult. A total of 84 questionnaires were collected out of which two were found unusable for the purpose of analysis. The response rate of 48 percent was thus achieved. The results were analyzed with the use of the fol lowing statistical procedures: (1) the frequency distribution of some parameters; (2) the percentages of the parameters studied; and 3) bar charts were also used for further illustration of some of the results obtained. The first five questions of the questionnaire deal with the characteristics of the respondents, specifically their bio data. These are presented in Table I. Out of the 82 respondents analyzed, 50 are males while 32 are females. The sample members were conveniently selected at random, rather than based on quota. Since 61 percent of the respondents are males and 39 percent are females, should one conclude that 61 percent of the workforce in the insurance industry is male and 39 percent female?This is an interesting possibility due to the fact that a good number of females prefer to be self-employed in order to care for their home responsibilities. From Table II, majority of the respondents are 40 years and below, an overwhelming 89 percent (i. e. 44 percent for below 3 0 years, and 45 percent for age bracket 31-40). About 11 percent of the respondents are above the age 41, while none of the respondents is over 60 years. This analysis suggests that productive and dynamic personnel marketing and public relations functions of these insurance companies.The analysis shows 43 single and 39 married persons indicating 52 and 48 percent respondents, respectively (Table III). This is a fair distribution. From Table IV, 46 of the 82 respondents possess higher national diploma and degrees, 14 respondents possess higher degrees in form of MSc/MBA, and 16 respondents possess professional qualifications. Sex Number Percentage Table I. Male 50 61 Sex distribution Female 32 39 of respondents Total 82 100 Age Number Percentage Table II. Age distribution of respondents Below 30 years 31-40 years 41-50 years 51-60 years Total 36 37 6 3 82 44 45 7 4 100Marital status Number Percentage Table III. Marital status of respondents Single Married Total 43 39 82 52 48 100 The fact that only six respondents (a mere 8 percent) possess national diploma and below shows that marketing and public relations job in the insurance industry is taken over by professionally and academically qualified personnel. From Table V, 71 respondents (which is 87 percent) have not more than ten years working experience, while those having more than 16 years working experience constitute only 4 percent. None of the respondents however, have worked more than 25 years. 3. Descriptive statistics of the sample responses In presenting the data obtained in response to section B of the questionnaire, we will use tables of percentages as well as bar charts. A cumulative of 91 percent agree that insurance is necessary for socio-economic development while a mere 4 percent disagree (Table VI). One may conclude that majority of the respondents believe that insurance has a vital role to play in an economy. Here, again, Table VII shows that 91 percent agree that the Nigerian public is apathe tic toward insurance purchase, while a mere 5 percent could not agree. A total of 69 respondents (20 ? 9) agree that the level of insurance sales in the country is not encouraging, which is 84 percent of the respondents (Table VIII). On the other hand, 10 percent of the respondents disagree. This naturally confirms the response presented in Table VII indicating that the Nigerian public is apathetic toward insurance purchase. Academic qualification Number Percentage WAEC/NECO/GCE National diploma HND/BSc MSc/MBA Professional qualification Total 3 3 46 14 16 82 4 4 56 17 19 100 Table IV. Academic qualifications of respondents The effects of advertising media Length of service Number Percentage Below 5 years -10 years 11-15 years 16-20 years 21-25 years Total 48 23 7 2 2 82 59 28 9 2 2 100 Table V. Length of service/working experience of respondents Response Number Percentage Strongly agree Agree Undecided Strongly disagree Total 37 38 4 3 82 45 46 5 4 100 Table VI. Insurance necessary for socio-economic development JRF 10,3 About 49 percent believe that insurance performance follows the fortunes of the other sectors while 27 percent disagree (Table IX). The interesting thing is that 24 percent could not state whether or not the insurance industry performance depends on the performance of the other sectors.Here, respondents were allowed to choose more than one factor they considered as responsible for the low sales of insurance products. In order of frequency, low level of awareness, poor industry image, high level of illiteracy, and low per capital income top the list with 73, 57, 45, and 45 percent, respectively (Table X). These factors are represented on the bar chart (Figure 1). About 67 percent of the respondents agree that the principles involved in marketing tangible products apply with equal force to marketing intangible products such as Response Number Percentage Table VII. Whether public is pathetic toward insurance Strongly agree Agree Undecided Strong ly disagree Total 12 63 3 1 82 14 77 4 1 100 Response Number Percentage Table VIII. Level of insurance sales in Nigeria not encouraging Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Total 20 49 5 8 82 24 60 6 10 100 Reponses Number Percentage Table IX. Performance of insurance Strongly agree Agree Undecided 7 33 20 9 40 24 industry dependent on the performance of other sectors Disagree Strongly disagree Total 17 5 82 21 6 100 Factor Number Percentage Low per capital income Low level of awareness 37 60 45 73 Table X. Factors responsible for ow sales of insurance High level of illiteracy Religious beliefs Poor industry image Availability of substitute 37 23 47 4 45 28 57 5 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 Poor image Substitute insurance while 33 percent disagree (Table XI). One may assert that while marketing principles are universal, their application to categories of products varies. All the respondents confirm that their companies have marketing or public relations department (Table XII). This shows that the issue of marketing or public relations is given adequate attention with staff assigned specific responsibilities.An overwhelming 93 percent of the respondents agree that their companies engage in one form of advertising or the other (Table XIII). It shows that companies could no longer be content with the provision of goods and services alone, they also see the need to inform the general public of their existence and the benefits they offer to the society. From Table XIII already discussed above, six respondents confirm that their companies do not engage in any form of advertising. In response question 9 on the questionnaire asking for the reasons, they pointed to the factors shown in Table XIV.Out of the six respondents, three chose â€Å"preference for other promotional tools,† four chose â€Å"high cost of advertising,† and two chose â€Å"difficulty in measuring advertising Low income Low awareness Illiteracy Religion Response Number Percentage Yes No Total 55 27 82 67 33 100 The effects of advertising media Figure 1. Chart showing factors responsible for low sales of insurance products Table XI. Can the principles involved in marketing tangible products be applied to insurance marketing? Response Number Percentage Table XII. Does your company have Yes 82 100 marketing or public Total 82 100 relations department? Response Number PercentageTable XIII. Yes 76 93 Whether respondents’ No 6 7 companies engage in Total 82 100 advertising activities JRF 10,3 effects on sales. † Interestingly, none chose â€Å"lack of good advertising opportunities† as a reason for not advertising. This means there may be good advertising opportunities, but measuring the effect of advertising on sales is a problem. In response to the question on advertising objectives, 72 percent of the respondents chose â€Å"inform the public about the company,† 55 percent chose â€Å"increase sales,† and 52 percent chose †Å"improve company’s image† among the major objectives of advertising (Table XV).From the above analysis, increase in sales is the leading advertising objective, apart from giving information about the company. Ranking in frequency, newspapers, radio, and magazines are the most favored advertising media with 79, 59, and 49 percent, respectively (Table XVI). These and other media used are presented on the bar chart (Figure 2). The analysis above indicates that 51 percent of the respondents reveal that developing advertising activities is a joint responsibility of the company’s staff and the advertising agencies (Table XVII).About 41 percent of the respondents show that it is entirely the work of advertising agencies while only 8 percent state that it is an internal responsibility. The report shows that insurance companies in developing their advertising program actively seek for the inputs of the advertising agencies. While only 5 percent of the respondents could n ot decide, a cumulative of 83 percent agree that the success of advertising activities depends on the integration of all marketing promotional tools. While no respondents strongly disagree, 12 percent disagree (Table XVIII).The 83 percent in agreement point to the fact that there is the need for integration of all marketing communications in order to achieve good result. Response Number Percentage Table XIV. Reasons why some Preference for other promotional tools 3 50 companies do no High cost of advertising 4 67 advertising Difficulty in measuring advertising effects 2 33 Response Number Percentage Table XV. Objectives of advertising Inform the public about the company Introduce new product Increase sales Improve profitability Improve company’s image 59 33 45 34 43 72 40 55 42 52 Response Number PercentageTable XVI. Advertising media used Radio Television Outdoor advertising Newspapers Magazines Journals 48 24 29 65 40 21 59 29 35 79 49 26 The effects of advertising media Fi gure 2. Bar chart showing the preferred advertising media Radio TV Outdoor Newspapers Magazine Journals 100 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Response Number Percentage (a) Advertising staff (b) Advertising agencies (c) Both (a) and (b) above Total 7 34 41 82 8 41 51 100 Table XVII. Those responsible for developing advertising activities Response Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Total Number 23 45 4 10 82 Percentage 8 55 5 12 100 Table XVIII. Whether advertising success is dependent on the integration of all marketing promotional tools From Table XIX, an overwhelming majority of the respondents agree that the choice of advertising medium is critical to the success of advertising activities. This is indicated by the sum of 20 percent for â€Å"strongly agree† and 70 percent for â€Å"agree† respondents making 90 percent. While 6 percent could not decide, a mere 4 percent disagree. Insurers therefore will have to pay attention to the medium selection if their advertising objectives are to be met.In Table XX, the respondents neither â€Å"disagree† nor â€Å"strongly disagree† with the notion that the choice of message can make a difference between success and failure of any advertising activity. While only 1 percent of the respondents could not decide, 99 percent agree with the notion that the choice of message is critical to any successful advertising program. Again, insurers need to pay attention to the message in endeavoring to reach the public. JRF 10,3 About 96 percent of the respondents support the notion that advertising has made positive impact on their company performance (Table XXI).This needs no further elaboration. Owing to the importance of this issue, question 16 in section B was reframed again as question 17 with the aim of testing the genuineness of the respondents’ answer. Interestingly, as in Table XXI (which analyzed responses to question 16), 96 percent of the respondents affirm that advertising has had posi tive effects on their company’s performance (Table XXII). Specifically, 73 percent of the respondents agree that advertising leads to increased sales, the figure which is marginally exceeded by 74 percent for â€Å"favorable public image† (Table XXIII).Also 61 percent of the respondents agree that advertising leads to increased number of prospects. This is presented in the bar chart shown in Figure 3. None of the respondents picked â€Å"no† for the answer, although it was included in the three options (Table XXIV). While 76 percent of the respondents believe that advertising expenditure is justified based on the results achieved, 24 percent could Response Number Percentage Table XIX. Strong agree Agree Undecided 16 57 5 20 70 6 The choice of advertising medium is critical to the success of advertising Disagree Strongly disagree Total 2 2 2 2 2 100 Response Number Percentage Table XX. The choice of message can make or mar advertising campaign Strongly agree Agre e Undecided Total 21 60 1 82 26 73 1 100 Table XXI. Whether advertising has impacted positively on company performance Response Yes No Total Number 79 3 82 Percentage 96 4 100 Response Number Percentage Table XXII. Description of advertising effects on company performance Positive effect No effect Negative effect Total 79 1 2 82 96 1 3 100 not decide. One may align with the fact that advertising expenditure, if properly done, is not a wasteful resource, after all.The fact that only 27 percent agree, and 37 percent could not decide in support of the notion shows that advertising agents have a long way to go in measuring up to international standard (Table XXV). About 36 percent (30 ? 6 percent) disagree that advertising professionals are performing at world standard. Response Number Percentage The effects of advertising media Increased number of calls received 10 Increased number of prospects visits 50 Increased number of orders received 21 Increased volume of sales 60 Increased quan tum of profits 31 Favorable public image 61 2 61 26 73 Table XXIII. 38 Specific effects of 74 advertising on companies Figure3. Bar chart showing effects of advertising 10 30 40 50 60 70 80 Calls Visits Orders Sales Profits Image Response Number Percentage Table XXIV. Yes 62 76 Going by the result, is Undecided 20 24 advertising expenditure Total 82 100 justified? Response Number Percentage Strongly agree 4 5 Agree 18 22 Table XXV. Undecided 30 37 Is performance of Disagree 25 30 advertising agencies in Strongly disagree 5 6 Nigeria is of international Total 82 100 standard? JRF 10,3 3. Analysis of research questions In Section 3, the research questions proposed in Section 1 were restated. These research questions, four in number, are analyzed as follows based on the information received from the respondents: RQ1. Is a company’s failure to use advertising a result of lack of good advertising opportunities? To answer this question, Table XIV (already analyzed somewhere above) is hereby represented in Table XXVI. In response to question 8 on the questionnaire, six out of the 82 respondents confirmed that their companies do no advertising at all.Question 9 asked for the reasons and four options were listed as follows: (1) company’s preference for other promotional tools; (2) high cost of advertising; (3) lack of good advertising opportunities; and (4) difficulty in measuring advertising effects. From Table XXVI, none of the respondents chose option (3), i. e. â€Å"lack of good advertising opportunities† as the reason for not advertising. One can therefore conclude that there are a number of advertising opportunities in the country for companies who care to advertise: RQ2. Do the results of other promotional tools affect the use of advertising?Again, this question would be answered using the response analysis presented in Table XIV. Out of the six respondents whose companies do no advertising, three stated that it was because their companies preferred the use of other promotional tools. When compared with the sample size, which is 82, the position of the three respondents is too insignificant to infer a generalization. One could thus conclude that the results of other promotional tools do not negatively affect the use of advertising: RQ3. Is the use of advertising dependent on the measurability of its result?Using Table XXVI, out of the six respondents who confirm that their companies do not advertise, two chose â€Å"difficulty in measuring advertising effects† as the reason. Again, this position of the two respondents is too insignificant when compared with that of the entire sample size of 82: RQ4. Is there any relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure? In answering this question, the response to question 17 in the questionnaire will be used. The response as analyzed using Table XXIII (already analyzed somewhere above) is hereby represented in Table XXVII.Response Number Percentage Table XX VI. (Repeated) Reasons why Preference for other promotional tools 3 50 some companies do not High cost of advertising 4 67 advertise? Difficulty in measuring advertising effect 2 33 From this table, advertising has a number of positive effects on the organization. Among others, 74 percent of the respondents believe it has improved public image, 73 percent believe it has increased sales volume and 61 percent believe it has increased the number of prospect visits. All these show a positive relationship between advertising and sales. 3. 4 Test of hypothesisThe hypothesis to be tested is termed the H0 – a statement that no change has occurred from the position specified for a hypothesis. If however we reject the H0, the H1 will be accepted. An H1 is a statement, which is a reversal of a H0. 3. 4. 1 Restatement of the hypothesis. H0. There is no relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure. H1. There is a relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figu re. In order to test for this hypothesis, data obtained from some insurance companies in respect of their sales figures (gross premium incomes) and their advertising expenditures for a five-year period was used. . 4. 2 Five-year figures of premium and advertising. These are shown in Table XXVIII. Our main objective is to test whether or not there is a relationship between advertising expenditure and sales volume. The statistical tool used here is Pearson’s product moment coefficient of correlation denoted by r. This coefficient gives an indication of the strength of the linear relationship between two variables. In our case, the two variables are: (1) Advertising expenditure, which is the independent variable represented by x. (2)Sales figures (gross premium income) which is the dependent variable denoted by y. Response Number Percentage The effects of advertising media Increased number of calls received 10 Increased number of prospects visits 50 Increased number of orders re ceived 21 Increased volume of sales 60 Increased quantum of profits 31 Favorable public image 61 12 61 26 Table XXVII. 73 (Repeated) Specific effects 38 of advertising on 74 companies Year Advert expenditure (N Premium income (N ?) ?) 2001 7,532,670 1,145,565,930 2002 8,980,422 1,456,227,292 2003 10,581,702 2,048,360,018 004 14,216,019 2,825,270,405 2005 16,186,851 3,485,046,944 Table XXVIII. JRF 10,3 For ease of computation, the figures for both advertising and sales (premium income) have been approximated as follows: XXXX X x ? 575; y ? 1; 096; x 2 ? 71; 369; y 2 ? 277; 194; and xy ? 139; 915: The formula for product moment correlation coefficient is: P PP n xy 2 x y r ? rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi ? :99: P P2 * P P2 n x2 2 x ny2 2 y According to Lucey (2002), r can range from ? 1, i. e. perfect p ositive correlation where the variables change value in the same direction as each other, to 21, i. e. perfect negative correlation where y decreases linearly as x increases. Lucey states further that a strong correlation between two variables would produce an r value in excess of ? 0. 9 or 20. 9. If the value were less than, say 0. 5 there would only be a very weak relationship between the variables. The value of our computed coefficient of correlation (r) is 0. 99.This indicates a very strong positive correlation between the two variables, i. e. advertising expenditure and sales figure denoted by x and y, respectively. The decision is that we reject the H0, which states that there is no relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure, and accept the H1, which states that there is a relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure. 4. Conclusions This study investigates how advertising could be used by the insurers to disseminate information on the vital role they play. The study concludes that: .The image problem and the poor sales of insurance products are not necessarily the result of the bad economy but the failure to engage in marketing communications. . Emphasizing other roles of insurance as financial intermediation and supplement to government’s efforts in providing social security will make it more attractive. . Greater benefits accrue when advertising is fully integrated into the whole mass of marketing communications. . There are good opportunities for the insurers to advertise their products, advertising practitioners have not measured up to international standards. .For good advertising output, the message and format are the joint responsibility of the insurance staff and advertising agencies. . The major advertising media used by the insurers are the newspapers and the radio. The use of the internet in Nigeria should be given due attention. . The choice of advertising medium is a critical success factor in any a dvertising activity. . The major effects of advertising on companies were found to include sales volume and improved public image. A number of obstacles militate against attainment of growth in the insurance subsector, notably, hostile economic environment.Relentless advertising campaign can take a company to the next level of growth. The research has also shown that advertising expenditure is justified going by the positive effects such expenditure has on a company’s performance. Furthermore, the message and the format have also been found to be critical ingredients of a successful advertising program. It is recommended that: . The insurance executives should realize that their activities do not end with producing good services. Passing information to the public about their services and benefits thereof must be vigorously pursued through advertising. For sustainable competitive advantage there is a need for integration of all marketing communications, as this will reduce con flicts in organizations. . A careful blend of print and electronic media is very essential in order to properly serve each market segment. . Sales persons are the ones on ground since they are always in the field. Their inputs must always be sought while designing advertising message and format. . The lack of records regarding advertising budget and actual expenses is a problem in many insurance organizations.There is a need to keep adequate records of advertising expenditure, as this is necessary for proper evaluation. . The practitioners must promote other important roles of insurance such as savings, financial intermediation and provision of social security. . In the area of image laundry there can still be mutually beneficial cooperation in the midst of competition among the insurers. . In this regard, the insurance industry as a whole should embark on an industry’s advertising in order to promote subjects of common interest.This will also reduce the overall cost of adver tising. In this work, a convenience sampling method is used. While the size of the sample is fairly large (100), a major limitation is that the sample is taken in Lagos: one state out of 36. The fact that some major towns in the country (i. e. Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Ibadan) were left out could limit the degree of representativeness of the sample. However, the fact that Lagos is home to almost 90 percent of the headquarters of insurance companies in Nigeria makes the findings of this study representative of the population.Consequently, these findings would form a platform on which companies can base some of their marketing decisions. Future research could focus on the effects of publicity and public relations on sales, and on the better methods of separating advertising effects from the total marketing effects. References Asika, N. (2006), Glossary of Terms and Concepts in Research and Statistics, 1st ed. , Maxwell, Lagos, pp. 50-8. Dillion, W. R. , Madden, T. J. and Firtle, N. H. (1994), Marketing Research in a Marketing Environment, 3rd ed. , Irwin, Chicago, IL, pp. 124-5. Lucey, T. 2002), Quantitative Techniques, 6th ed. , MPG, Bodmin, p. 96. Luo, X. and Donthu, N. (2005), â€Å"Assessing advertising media spending inefficiencies in generating sales†, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 58 No. 1, pp. 28-36. The effects of advertising media JRF 10,3 Nigeria Insurers Digest (2005), Statistical Journal of the Nigerian Insurers Association, p. 47. Nigeria Insurance Digest (2006), Statistical Journal of the Nigerian Insurers Association, pp. 23-4, 43. Perreault, W. and McCarthy, J. Jr (2000), Basic Marketing: A Global Managerial Approach, 14th ed. , McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, pp. 51-6. Randle, J. (2003), â€Å"Mergers and acquisition: a survival strategy for the insurance industry†, The Nigerian Insurer, November, pp. 14-18. Schultz, R. L. and Wittink, D. R. (1976), â€Å"The measurement of industry advertising effects†, Journal of Ma rketing Research, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 71-5. Sturgess, B. and Young, R. (1981), â€Å"The sales response to advertising: a reconsideration†, Management and Decision Economics, No. 3, pp. 133-8. Twedt and Knitter (1964), â€Å"What about the relationships among sales, advertising, and earnings†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 68-9.Further reading Achumba, I. C. (1985), Sales Management Concepts, Strategies and Cases, rev. ed. , Mukugamu and Brothers Enterprise, Lagos. Achumba, I. C. (1995), Sales and Management Concepts, Strategies and Cases, 1st ed. , Mukugamu and Brothers Enterprise, Lagos, p. 2. Asika, N. (2004), Research Methodology: A Process Approach, 1st ed. , Mukugamu and Brothers Enterprise, Lagos, pp. 20-3. Bickelhaupt, D. (1967), â€Å"Trends and innovations in the marketing of insurance†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 17-22. Connor-Linton, J. (2003), Chi-square Tutorial, updated by C.Ball, Georgetown University, Washington, DC. Coon ey, B. (1999), â€Å"Reuter XL capital announces web-based initiative to help manage organizational risk†, PR Newswire USA, April 12. Davidow, D. and Uttal, B. (1990), The Total Customer Service: The Ultimate Weapon, 1st ed. , Harper Collins, New York, NY. Dayton, D. (1999), Total Market Domination, 1st ed. , Adams Media Corporation, Halbrook, MA, pp. 37-41. Denny, R. (1988), Selling To Win, 1995 ed. , Kogan Page, London. Dibb, S. , Simkin, L. and Pride, W. (1991), Marketing, European ed. , Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA.Farmer, R. N. (1987), â€Å"Would you want your grand daughter to marry a Taiwanese marketing man? †, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51, pp. 111-6. Keith, R. (1960), â€Å"The marketing revolution†, Journal of Marketing, January, pp. 35-8. Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2006), Principles of Marketing, 11th ed. , Prentice-Hall, New York, NY, pp. 428-44. Kotler, P. and Connor, R. A. Jr (1977), â€Å"Marketing professional services†, Journal of Mar keting, Vol. 41 No. 1, pp. 71-6. Lancaster, G. and Massingham, L. (1988), â€Å"Essentials of Marketing†, McGraw-Hill, London. Le Boeuf, M. 1987), How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life, 1st ed. , Berkley Books, New York, NY. McWhorter, S. (1958), â€Å"Advertising and public relations activities of insurance companies with special emphasis on health insurance†, Journal of Insurance, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 8-20. Makki, S. and Somwaru, A. (2001), â€Å"Finance’ participation in crop insurance markets: creating the right incentives†, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 83 No. 3, pp. 662-7. Miner, R. B. (1961), â€Å"Application of the theory of marketing tangible goods to the marketing of insurance†, Journal of Insurance, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 41-4. Nigeria Insurers Association (2006), Where to Insure 2006, Nigeria Insurers Association, Lagos, pp. 28-43. Pappas, C. (2000), â€Å"AdNauseam†, Advertising Age, July, pp. 16-18. Polley, R . W. (1987), â€Å"On the value of reflection in the distorted mirror†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 27 No. 6, pp. 104-9. Prisca, S. (2004), â€Å"Developing public trust in insurance. A critical appraisal†, Journal of Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Vol. 5 No. 13, p. 17. Rejda, G. (2002), Principles of Risk Management and Insurance, 7th ed. , Pearson Education, Delhi. Rejda, G. 2003), Principles of Risk Management and Insurance, 7th ed. , Pearson Education, Singapore, p. 20. Ryan, L. (1985), â€Å"New distribution channels for microcomputer software†, Business, October/December, pp. 21-2. Wikipedia (2006), The Free Encyclopedia, available at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Advertising Corresponding author S. A. Aduloju can be contacted at: [email  protected] com To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail: [email  protected] com Or visit our web site for further details: www. emeraldinsight. com/reprints The effects of advertising media

A critical reflection essay on Islam Essay

Islam being the fastest growing religion, has adhered a lot of positive as well as negative attention from the media. Due to this vast media influence stereotypes in Islam have increased from terrorism, Muslims have been discriminated merely due to the negative outlook that North America has portrayed upon them. The media tends to entwine the truth and to make Muslims seem perilous. Having that simple coherence of one another will be the start to making a difference. Islam is one of the most inspiring religions in the world. It is practiced in many countries, including Northern Africa, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and Iraq. Due to it being such a large religion, us people of the west tend to have a little understanding and knowledge about the religion. The very bitter truth is that not many people outside the religion can fully grasp their principles. With so many stereotypes being constantly circulated, it is very hard to get an evident picture about Islam both as a religion and as way of living. The first stereotype has to do with the jihad. Jihad literally means â€Å"The struggle in the path of God†, or â€Å"holy war†. This term unfortunately has been totally misunderstood and made to make it appear as though the Muslim people fight their way through all their problems. Jihad could mean ones spiritual struggle against infidels and does not always refer to actual violence. This pillar of faith has been completely turned around in order to portray Islam in a negative manner, which is surly something that we’ve adapted to through the media. Another stereotype is that women in the Muslim society are not treated equally or with respect. People feel this way because the women often wear a hijab which consists of a veil covering the head. This is actually a personal choice of the women, not a requirement. It was said in the Qu’ran that women and men were to be treated equally. By judging people too quickly we tend to forget to look inside rather then to make assumptions due to an appearance. Stereotypes such as the ones mentioned are absolutely biased and extremely unfair to the Muslim people. Many times, the media does not catch the side of the story where real people are being affected and influenced by what the society thinks and says about them. We seem to act as though we are more superior and that we are perfect and do not make mistakes. Just because some  people from a certain religion make a poor choice does not mean that everyone else is that religion is bound to as well. It is the same with the Muslim people. Just because there are terrorists who hurt themselves and those around them for selfish reasons, does not mean that every other Muslim is just as destructive. I feel that people need to be more open minded and try to do research and become more educated before judging and discriminating. If for once all religions saw eye to eye and did not try to put one another down then we would live in a much peaceful world. By not becoming educated, we basically take someone else’s opinion, or the medias and make it our own without looking deeper into the situation. If we just stop being selfish for just a moment, perhaps we can start again and try to live in harmony with our fellow human beings. During the past two weeks I have learned a lot about Islam, although I did know the basis of the religion people my family practices it. Although some of the thinks that I thought I knew turned out to be totally false I always thought the women never played a role in society and that the Muslim people really did have extremist views. After taking a closer look, I came to realize that I was not even close. It was so interesting and almost relieving to come to that realization that these people are simply misunderstood and are the victims of brutal discriminatory attacks. The biggest thing I learned from all this was not to judge a book by its cover. We can’t really have an opinion or pass judgment on a situation that we know nothing of. I realized now that people twist things in order to get a good story but as soon as people are educated about these matters, the media can no longer fool us into believing it all. Acting upon new knowledge, and most importantly correct knowledge is the way to see through the discrimination and look deep inside. Misconceptions and stereotypes about Islam and the Muslim community have increases majorly in the past couple of years. People have become too quick to judge and believe everything that the media tells them. Through knowledge and coherence about Islam and the Muslim people we would come to understand that it is all a simple misunderstanding and that really the Muslims are victims in this manifesto. We should not let others form opinions in our  head and to stay ignorant to the reality of the world. By doing this we save ourselves from becoming something that is not really human, but more so a robot that’s being controlled by the media, if we just stop and think for ourselves, we could live in harmony, and achieve world peace, a feeling that’s everlasting.

Cosmos Episode 6 Viewing Worksheet - Teacher Resources

Cosmos Episode 6 Viewing Worksheet - Teacher Resources   The most effective educators know they must vary their teaching style in order to accommodate all types of learners. One fun way to do this that students always seem to like is to show videos or have a movie day. A great science based Fox television series, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, will keep the students not only entertained but also learning as they follow along on the adventures of affable host Neil deGrasse Tyson. He makes the complicated science topics accessible for all learners. Below are questions that can be copy and pasted into a worksheet for use during or after the showing  of episode 6 of Cosmos, entitled Deeper Deeper Deeper Still,  to assess students learning. It can also be used by the students as a sort of guided note taking worksheet during the video to jot down the main ideas. You are free to copy and use this worksheet as you feel necessary to best fit your class. Cosmos Episode 6 Worksheet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Name:___________________    Directions: Answer the questions as you watch episode 6 of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey    1.   About how many atoms does Neil deGrasse Tyson say that he’s made up of?    2. How many hydrogen and oxygen atoms are in one molecule of water?    3.   Why do the water molecules move faster when the sun hit them?    4.   What has to happen to the water molecules before they can evaporate?    5. How long have tardigrades been living on Earth?    6. What are the â€Å"holes† in the moss called that take in carbon dioxide and â€Å"exhale† oxygen?    7. What does a plant need in order to break water into hydrogen and oxygen?    8. Why is photosynthesis the â€Å"ultimate green energy†?    9. How long can a tardigrade go without water?    10. When did the first flowering plants evolve?    11. What did Charles Darwin conclude about the orchid based on his idea of Natural Selection?    12. How much of Madagascar’s rain forests have been destroyed?    13. What is the name of the nerve that is stimulated when we smell something?    14. Why do certain scents trigger memories?    15. How does the number of atoms in every breath we take compare to all the stars in all the known galaxies?    16. What idea about nature was first expressed by Thales?    17.   What was the name of the ancient Greek philosopher who came up with the idea of atoms?    18. What is the only element that is flexible enough to create different structures necessary to sustain life?    19. How did Neil deGrasse Tyson explain that the boy did not really touch the girl?    20. How many protons and electrons does an atom of gold have?    21.   Why is the Sun so hot?    22. What is the â€Å"ash† in the Sun’s nuclear furnace?    23. How are heavier elements, like iron, made?    24. How much distilled water is in the neutrino trap?    25. Why did neutrinos reach the Earth 3 hours before anyone knew of the Supernova 1987A?    26. What law of Physics made it possible for Neil deGrasse Tyson not to flinch when the red ball came swinging back at his face?    27. How did Wolfgang Pauli explain the â€Å"breaking† of the law of conservation of energy in radioactive isotopes?    28.   Why can we not go further back than 15 minutes into January 1 on the â€Å"cosmic calendar†?    29. About what size was the universe when it was a trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second old?

French Food Idioms

French Food Idioms Food is a very important subject in France. We always discuss food, especially when we are eating! The French also commonly use some hilarious food-based idioms which would be quite difficult to guess if you didnt know them.   1 - French Food Idiom: Avoir un Coeur dArtichaut To Have an Artichoke Heart   To be Very Sensitive This means to be very sensitive. To cry easily. Maybe because when cooked, the artichoke heart becomes soft, although the artichoke itself has pricks. So the heart is well hidden under prickly leaves, just like someone hiding his sensitive side. This idiom goes well with another one: à ªtre un dur cuir - to be hard to cook to be a tough guy. Pierre a lair dà ªtre un dur cuir, mais en fait, il a un vrai coeur dartichaut.Pierre looks like a tough guy, but in reality he is really sensitive. 2 - French Food Idiom: Raconter des Salades To Tell Salads   To tell long tales, lies Arrà ªte de dire nimporte quoi : je sais bien que tu racontes des salades !Stop speaking nonsense: I know you are lying! 3 - French Food Idiom: Ramener sa Fraise To Bring Back Your Strawberry   To Impose When Not Wanted La fraise - strawberry is a long time synonym for face. So ramener sa fraise means to show up, to impose yourself when not expected / invited. Regarde ! Voil Jean ! Celui-l, il ramà ¨ne toujours sa fraise au moment du dà ®ner. Comme cest bizarre.Look! Here comes Jean! This guy, he always shows up at dinner time. How Strange... 4 - Avoir La frite / la pche / la banane / la patate To have the French-fry / the peach / the banana / the potato   To Feel Great We have many idioms to say to feel great. These four words are interchangeable and very commonly used in French. Je ne sais pas comment tu fais pour avoir la pà ªche le matin. Moi, je suis toujours creuvà ©e.I dont know how to do to be full of energy in the morning. Myself, Im always exhausted. 5 - En Faire Tout un Fromage To Make a Whole Cheese Out of It.   To Make a Mountain Out of a Molehill Ça suffit ! Je me suis dà ©j excusà ©e : arrà ªte den faire tout un fromage !Enough! I already said I was sorry: stop making a mountain out of a molehill! 6 - Les Carottes sont Cuites = Cest la fin des Haricots The carrots are cooked/its the end of the beans.   There is no More hope. This must be one of the most obscure French idioms. Even so that it is said that les carottes sont cuites was used as a code during the war. In any case, both these idioms may be explained by the fact that the food they refer to carrots and beans are cheap, and are the last resort food. If there is none left, its starvation. Thats why they are linked to lost hope. Cest fini, la France a perdu. Les carottes sont cuites.Its the end, France lost. There is no more hope. 7 - Mle-toi de Tes Oignons ! Mix with Your Own Onions   Mind Your Own Business Apparently, â€Å"les oignons† is a familiar term for â€Å"les fesses† (buttocks) due to their round shape. The expression â€Å"occupe-toi de tes fesses† being a bit vulgar, but very used as well. We also say mà ªle-toi / occupe-toi de tes affaires which is an exact translation of mind your own business. Alors, c’est vrai ce que j’ai entendu ? Tu sors avec Bà ©atrice maintenant ?Is it true what I’ve heard? You’re going out with Beatrice now? Mà ªle-toi de tes oignons !  Mind your own business! ​More About the French onion

Information System and Enterprise Systems Coursework

Information System and Enterprise Systems - Coursework Example Therefore, organizations will either buy or build their information systems depending on the respective costs weighed against the benefits. In addition, organizations may consider the level of expertise required before deciding whether to buy or build the information systems. Information systems require sophisticated expertise in information technology. It may be prudent to evaluate the level of expertise required before making the decision. Information systems are composed of both hardware and software that are integrated in a complex interplay. Organizations ought to consider the availability of resources required to build an information system. The decision on whether to buy or build the information systems may be based on the availability of the hardware and software required. Customer relationship management is a significant enterprise system responsible for enhancing productivity. However, organizations fail to focus on customer satisfaction and loyalty. In addition, organizations may have a hard time reaching out to customers for information. Customers are fundamental to organizations because the information they provide forms a major part of the input. Customer relationship management may be improved if organizations focus on service as a product rather than as an expense. It is important that organizations value their customers to ensure that customer loyalty is attained. It is argued that customer loyalty is directly proportional to productivity (OBrien et al., 2007). In addition, organizations need to establish platforms that make it easier for them to access the customers. Such platforms include social media and search engine optimization. In the contemporary world, customers prefer companies that have an online profile to the traditional system o f visiting the offices