Curves - Situation Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Situation Analysis: Client Analysis Curves International is a world-renowned women’s only fitness center, a pioneer in the â€Å"express workouts†. Curves target client base consists of all types of women; from the busy executive to the ultra busy soccer mom, and most importantly, Curves caters to women who overall want to be healthy. Curves makes exercise fun and beneficial for women regardless of fitness goals. Curves clients perceive it more than a â€Å"gym†, but as a support group and a social outing for some. It’s a place that for an hour a woman can feel good about herself and the goal she’s working towards. Customers like the â€Å"no frill†, â€Å"no hassle† workouts. It’s a place where women could feel comfortable. Curves offers a haven where women can feel comfortable to let their guard down and have a good sweat. Women are also drawn to Curves because Curves has strong brand equity. Their quality of service, revolutionary design to the â€Å"express workout† is number one in the women’s fitness industry. In today’s day and age, there are more women in the workforce, along with more working mothers, all which lead to a fast paced life style trying to juggle career, family, and home, which represent a very similar lifestyle for women in National City. The market for women’s fitness services and products has never been greater and continues to grow. Women represent 50.8% of the US population. National City has a population of 56,472, with 50% of the population being female. Of the ...

Extreme Sports Essay

The X Games is one of the more popular sporting events, where people gather to watch athletes compete in extreme sports. Some of these sports include skateboarding, mountain biking and motorcycle racing. The community around extreme sports can sometimes be seen as exclusive and particular when it comes to defining what an extreme sport is and who is a true extremist. Originally, I believe the extreme sport community created this division of athletics because they thought their sports did not fit in at a standard sporting event. Part of the reason some the extreme athletes participate in their sport is because they see it as a way of defying the boundaries of what is seen as a typical sport. Most extreme sports are about pushing limits. Extreme sports are not conventional in the sense that practicing isn’t really necessary, a coach isn’t necessary, and the sports are very individualistic. Some of the extreme sport athletes do it for the adrenaline rush. They do it purely for themselves. Their reasoning contrasts to some of the other sports where lots of practice and coaching is essential for success. A lot of the athletes that compete in non extreme sports are focused on getting sponsors or when you’re younger, getting recruited for college. For the extreme sport community this is considered to be feeding into the capitalist society/culture. Part of extreme sports is about taking risks and not having anything to fall back on. The X games have put a strain on the extreme sports community because some seem to think that the event has altered the true goal of the sport, which is to take risks and to go against the mainstream culture. Some people seem to believe that it has become like the other sporting events, in the sense that there are now big sponsors and judges. They argue that the extreme athletes are no longer taking risks because they want to make sure they can land the trick. The goal is no longer to try new tricks and push the bar, but its more about doing what you know will please the judges. This goes against what extremist originally wanted for the sport. It takes the risk  out of it and you no longer do it for yourself but for the judges. The fact that there are sponsors is also a cause for controversy because some people see it as the athletes being sellouts. For example, Tony Hawk is famous skate boarder. He has a lot of sponsors, video games, and ads. Some say he is no longer a true extremist because of it. At the same time, what makes the sports in the X games more extreme than say diving or gymnastics? Both sports are very individualistic and there is a lot of a risk, yet they are not seen as extreme sports. I think the extreme sports community has tried to make their community too exclusive and extreme sports benefit from the X games and the sponsors and judges it brings. The event does bring aspects that were not originally a part of the sport, but the extreme sports community will grow now. Extremist can still continue to push limits and do the sport for themselves despite what others may think.

Guide to Designing Qualitative Research

Guide to Designing Qualitative Research When you are asked to design a qualitative research and write your dissertation or research study using this method, you might be confused where to start. Many students simply assume that qualitative research is based on interviews or observation, and does not need to include literature research, or theses. This is the first misconception of qualitative research methods, and there are many more to come. If you would like to be confident that your qualitative research study will be suitable for submission, and you will get great grades, you will need to understand all the requirements of research, studies, structure, and design. Read the below guide to help you understand what qualitative methods entail and how to make the most out of your research. The Role of Qualitative Research Qualitative research is usually carried out to understand the different perspectives of issues and phenomena. It is concerned about human behaviour and experiences. In many cases, it measures attitudes, therefore, the information gained cannot be quantified. Qualitative methods are usually applied in the following fields of study: Health and social care Social studies Humanities Marketing Psychology Teaching Qualitative research, in short, is a research method that focuses on findings that reflect on the complexity of a problem or issue and do not provide statistical or quantifiable information, but – instead – answer the initial research questions of the study. Qualitative research attempts to answer the questions: â€Å"what?† and â€Å"why?†, while quantitative methods focus on â€Å"how many?†. Methods of Qualitative Research There are different methods that researchers can apply to conduct qualitative studies and answer the research questions. Some of them are listed below. Direct observation This method takes into consideration the environment and setting, however, the researcher’s bias might affect the reliability of the information gained. Participant observation This approach requires the researcher to take part in the activities of the group researched and participate in their routines. This method allows a deeper understanding of the issues faced by the group, but can be costly and lengthy. Qualitative interviews There are three main types of interviews used by researchers: Informal Semi-structured Open-ended This approach allows the researcher to take into consideration the individual differences of participants and tailor the questions to their profile. The main disadvantage of qualitative interviews is that the results are hard to analyse. Focus groups This data collection method is often used to predict attitudes of groups towards an issue or product Action research This collaborative method allows the author of the study to manipulate the situation and measure the outcomes, while designing interventions for improvement. Case studies This method is usually applied when a researcher is focusing on one organisation, group, or institution and provides an in-depth analysis of phenomena based on the research question. When to Apply Qualitative Research Qualitiative research can be used when the author would like to test a hypothesis, understand the attitude of individuals or groups towards a service or product, try to develop interventions, meet the needs of a certain consumer or peer group, or capture the language used by the participants. Presenting the Results of Qualitative Research The main goal of presenting the results of the qualitative study is to answer the research questions. Therefore, the interview questions observation strategies need to be built around the research aims and objectives. When presenting the qualitative research results, the author needs to focus on answering the questions and identifying trends. As an example, when researching people’s attitudes towards a new health care service interviewed, the most important emerging themes that were mentioned by participants need to be listed and discussed in the context of the literature. To successfully present the results of the study in qualitative research, you need to: Read the answers or transcripts closely Use sequential text interpretation Take into consideration individual differences and the impact of the setting To identify trends, you might need to use coding that captures the essence of the content Structure of a Qualitative Study The best way of designing a qualitative research method is to use a research protocol. This will help create a methodology that is fit for the purpose of the study. The main parts of the research protocol are: Aims and objectives Background of the study Methods Ethical issues Resources needed to conduct the research Timescale for the research Dissemination plan / output Once the qualitative research protocol is drawn up, you need to get it approved by the supervisor before the study can take place. When structuring the final research paper, you need to have the following sections: Title Using the keywords that represent the purpose of the study, you need to create a title that sums up the content. Abstract Write the abstract after the paper is finished, to summarise the content Background and Context List the information on the topic available through theories and recent research studies, and signify the importance of carrying out the research Design and Methodology Provide the research questions, setting, research methods, epistemological commitments, and the data analysis methods Findings Present the results of the study in a structured, logical format, focusing on the research questions Discussion and Conclusion Reflect back to the research questions and literature research, to present how the results can be interpreted and used to make improvements in your field. Do You Need Help Conducting Qualitative Research? If you already have an idea of what you would like to research, and need help with developing your research questions, protocol, timeline, or choose the right research methodology for your study, you can get in touch with our friendly team at our site who will assist you with your research or dissertation. Alternatively, you can submit your question online and our professional writers will discuss your options and provide personalised answers based on your research topic and field of study.Related Articles:Different Research Methods Used in the Aviation Industry A Critical Discussion of research methods and approaches Dissertation – Different Research Strategies you can use in your dissertation Summary Reviewer Dissertation Ideas – Qualitative Review Date 2017-08-26 Reviewed Item our site – Admin Author Rating 5

Of Mice and Men Questions for Discussion

Of Mice and Men Questions for Discussion Of Mice and Men is a famous and controversial novel by John Steinbeck. There have been many cases in which the novel was asked to be removed, sometimes successfully, from school curriculums due to profane language and dark themes such as murder, mental illness, and euthanasia. Given its controversial nature, there are many opinions and interpretations of Of Mice and Men, which makes it a fun novel to discuss and debate. Here are some questions that will get the conversation rolling. Starting From the Top: Where did Steinbeck get the title from? What is he referencing?   Themes and Symbols: What is the central purpose of the story?What are other themes in the story? How do they relate to the plot and characters?  Can you think of any symbols that represent one of the themes you just discussed?  How does the setting add to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?What types of conflict occur in Of Mice and Men? Are the conflicts  physical, intellectual, or emotional? Lets Talk About The Characters: Are George and Lenny consistent in their actions? Are they fully developed characters?  From the women in the velvet dress to Curleys wife, female characters have played a large part in changing Lennie and Georges life. What is the role of women in the text? And why does Steinbeck not give them names?How does John Steinbeck reveal character in  Of Mice and Men? What Are Your Opinions? Would you recommend this novel to a friend?  Do you think the book should be censored or banned?  Do you find the characters likable?  Does the story end the way you expected? How? Why?

The Traps of the If-Then-Else Statement in Delphi Code

The Traps of the If-Then-Else Statement in Delphi Code In Delphi, the if statement is used to test for a condition and then execute sections of code based on whether that condition is True or False. A general if-then-else statement looks like this: if condition then true block else false block; Both the true block and the false block can either be a simple statement or a structured statement (surrounded with a begin-end pair). Example of a Nested If-Then-Else Statement Lets consider one example using nested if statements: j : 50; if j 0 then   Ã‚  if j 100 then Caption : Number is 100!else   Ã‚  Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!;v What will be the value of Cation? Answer: Number is NEGATIVE! Did not expect that? Note that the compiler does not take your formatting into account, you could have written the above as: j : 50; if j 0 thenif j 100 then Caption : Number is 100!else Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!;v or even as (all in one line): j : 50; if j 0 then if j 100 then Caption : Number is 100!else Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!;v The ; marks the end of a statement. The compiler will read the above statement as: j : 50; if j 0 then   Ã‚  if j 100 then   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caption : Number is 100!   Ã‚  else   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!; or to be more precise: j : 50; if j 0 thenbegin   Ã‚  if j 100 then   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caption : Number is 100!   Ã‚  else   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!; end; Our ELSE statement will be interpreted as a part of the inner IF statement. The inner statement is a closed statement and doesnt need a BEGIN..ELSE. How to Fix To make sure you know how your nested if statements are treated by the compiler, and to fix the above problem, you can write the initial version as: j : 50; if j 0 then   Ã‚  if j 100 then Caption : Number is 100! elseelse   Ã‚  Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!; Uh! The ugly else ends the nested if line!? Does compile, does work! The best solution is: always use begin-end pairs with nested if statements: j : 50; if j 0 thenbegin   Ã‚  if j 100 then Caption : Number is 100!;endelsebegin   Ã‚  Caption : Number is NEGATIVE!; end Too much begin-end pairs for you? Better safe than sorry. Anyway, Code Templates are designed to add commonly used skeleton structures to your source code and then fill in. Article submitted by Marcus Junglas

Reflective journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reflective journal - Essay Example When joining Construction and engineering, the majority of students come with varying opinions regarding the course but what matters at the end is how each is able to transform the ideas into realistic arguments that can revolutionize the world. Reflective writing in this course equips one with an opportunity to evaluate not only the concepts learned but also on the intensity of intellectual growth and come up with sources of supplementary information. Engineering is course that actively engages the students and challenges them to be imaginative, and have numerous outlooks. Engineering is among the greatest powers of civilization. This journal focuses on the reflecting on aspects of construction and engineering. Course Content and Relevance Competency Element Claimed Introduction to Engineering The first topic â€Å"Introduction to Engineering† was on the basic concepts relating to engineering. Engineering cuts across several subjects and is therefore a mixture of art, science , math, social work. Concepts such as definition of Engineering, its significance, a historic background, achievement that have been made in the field of engineering, disasters in the field, and other basic but fundamental aspects of engineering are covered. The definition to engineering varies, the traditional one focuses on harnessing of forces of nature to enhance human lives (Moaveni& Sharma, 2011). Engineering has passed through several generations with several modifications and refinements evolving at every stage. The strong foundation Engineering has lies in the impressive way in which technological concepts were preserved, developed, and passed from generation to the next. The splendor of it all is that the contributions made by engineers stand out to be seen and celebrated or at times condemned by the world. Accomplishments of the early engineers include construction of the admired Egyptian pyramids, irrigation schemes in Mesopotamia, building of the Great Wall of China as well as a number of structures in the Roman empires. Throughout history, Engineering has played a major role in entirely all fields by providing, operating, supervising and maintaining both infrastructure and technological progressions (Moaveni& Sharma, 2011). Activities of engineers include construction of wastewater treatment and sewerage systems, manufacture and running of factories, power plants as well as the machineries used, building weapons, computers, robots, refining of resources such as metal as well as in the telecommunication. These are just a few of the activities carried out or maintained by engineers, however, the list is extensive as they are in almost every field. Engineering is a broad subject, and can be categorized into civil, environmental, chemical, aeronautical, biomedical, aeronautical, and electronic and software engineering. The field of engineering is ever growing and areas such as mining and mechatronic engineering are categorized on their own, or incorp orated in other categories. Breathtaking breakthroughs such as the launching of space rocket, unraveling of universe anonymity, designing and construction of structure never foreseen instills a sense of delight and yearning in a student aspiring to be an engineer. Professional engineer works in a society characterized by complex ethical and environmental issues, which cannot be overlooked even when adopting a

Blank Activities in English Language Teaching Article

Blank Activities in English Language Teaching - Article Example The teachers can make students read the complete context. This activity makes students increase students reading ability, as they need to go to the material thoroughly. In this way, students get to know about the important and keywords used in the context. The more the students read, the more they improve their vocabulary. The teachers get to know about the student's that they take reading seriously or not. The Fill in the blanks activity is also used in psyche testing. Psyche testing is commonly used when recruiting military persons. Fill in the blanks is used in psyche testing in such a way that the sentence is incomplete and the portion of the sentence has to complete by the student. This technique can easily be evaluated by psychiatrists as they can figure out the person personality and aptitude by looking at the complete meaning which student has tried to deliver. This psychiatrist can judge whether the person has positive or negative thinking. Fill in the blanks technique is friendly for both students and the teachers. The students do not need to answer the questions in paragraphs i.e. lengthy answers are avoided. For teachers, it is easy for grading of the exam, as there are mostly absolute answers to be filled in the blanks, so they do not need to read long answers and grade them on a relative basis.