9 Ways Content Marketing and SEO Can Work Together

While it’s important to use quality content in your online marketing campaigns, it’s equally important to supplement it with the right search engine optimization strategy. First, content has to be found by search engine crawlers in the first place, and the competition is fierce. Google processes more than 40,000 search queries every second, so if you want your content to perform well online, you have to actively optimize it for search engines. Let’s imagine that your website is penalized, or Google isn’t indexing your pages correctly. You’re going to need some SEO expertise, whether you have great content or not. Content has to work in harmony with SEO from the moment of publication. Here are nine ways you can make SEO and content marketing work together more effectively: Create More Original Content Search engines strive to give searchers the most relevant results, so if you create high-quality, original content, there’s more chance your content will get found by search engine crawlers. What’s more, search engines reward sites that consistently produce fresh content. However, this is only half the story. Content Must Be Relevant To reduce website bounce rates, which will damage your search rankings, your content has to match users’ search intentions. Keep people on your site for longer by creating more relevant, customer-focused content. This will encourage content sharing and generate more links, which in turn will boost SEO. Build Your Social Following Social media signals have an indirect impact on search rankings. Social shares increase the visibility of your content, which means it’s more likely to get shared again. And if more people post links to your content, it will rank higher in search engines. Likes, shares, +1s, tweets, and comments all indicate that people like your content. They give search engines a clue to content quality, and this can increase your rankings. Focus on Evergreen Content Evergreen content that contains valuable information is more likely to increase the engagement metrics that search engines are looking for. It’s like a snowball effect. As more and more people are exposed to your content over time, it gets more visits and more links, which will in turn improve its search rankings and long-term value to your brand. Build Quality Links Content marketing is one of the most effective methods for link building. Do you want more links? There’s no great mystery to this; just continue to create great content that people want to link to and distribute it across the most relevant online channels. Internal linking on your website is just as important for SEO. Make sure you’re directing search engine crawlers and users around your site with clear internal linking. Each page will rank higher for certain search terms and pass the â€Å"link-juice† onto other pages. Keyword Research To increase its exposure, content needs to match the search terms that people are using in search engines, and provide good answers to the queries. You can use search engine data to identify popular search terms and then tailor your content to match. It’s important to note that focusing on keywords doesn’t mean â€Å"keyword stuffing.† Write your content for humans first so it doesn’t affect content quality. Optimize Headlines There are several ways to optimize headline length and quality for SEO: Write compelling headlines that encourage users to click through to content. Google truncates long headlines in search results, so make sure the key message is visible. A headline posted on Twitter should be short enough to retweet without editing. Email headlines should be visible in the subject line to boost open rates, links, and shares. Have a Metadata Strategy Metadata makes your content more searchable on the Internet. It helps search engines categorize your content more efficiently and searchers find your content more quickly. Copy, title tags, headings, meta descriptions, and images should all have the appropriate metadata attached to make your content more searchable. Title tags and meta descriptions also show up in search results pages, so ensure these are written with users in mind to drive click-throughs. Analyze SEO and Content Marketing Data Together If only the SEO specialists on your team are reviewing analytics, important content marketing data can get sidelined. Bring the SEO experts and content marketers together to better identify when SEO has worked best, when the content has worked best, and when both worked well together. Smarter collaboration will give your marketing department a better balance between focusing on successful content and the technical side of SEO. Content Marketing and SEO Go Hand in Hand In the long term, delivering quality content to your audience without neglecting SEO will give you the best results. Encourage your team to take a more holistic approach to content marketing and SEO, because marketing campaigns are more successful when the two disciplines work together. Do you need unique, quality content to support your SEO goals? Constant Content connects you with thousands of professional writers able to create articles, ebooks, product descriptions and other assets that engage readers while increasing search rank.

white coller crime essays

white coller crime essays This is the age of the white-collar crime. A time when the words thief and businessmen go hand in hand. The recent events of Enron and their accounting firm Anderson Accounting has made this type of crime come to the forefront. White-collar criminals don't get their hands dirty in their work; they use their heads to get what they want instead of using muscle. These criminals are just as dangerous as the bank robbers and murderers in my opinion. In these times, even the most seemingly respectable people are being suspected of committing white-collar crimes. White-collar crimes can vary in the type and size of the crime. There are always new scams coming out. Embezzlement, false advertising, price fixing, and consumer fraud are some of the more popular kinds. Individuals that have the power of controlling money in a business are more likely to commit embezzlement. This is one of the fastest rising crimes in the nation. According to the FBI, embezzlement rose thirty eight percent from 1984 to 1993. Consumer fraud is another growing form of white-collar crime. This is defined as the use of deceit, lies, or misrepresentations to entice customers to buy goods or services. A Unites Sates senator stated thatnearly a quarter of all the money spent by American consumers was for nothing of value.? Bogus ads, job scams, and telemarketing fraud are all examples of consumer fraud. Basically these scams ask you to send money for something that is non-existent, or will never get to where you want the money to go. After September 11, 2001 these types of scams rose all over the country. The most obvious way these crimes differ from other crimes is that they don't require anydirty work.? When people think of crimes, they think of get-away cars and bank heists. The new weapons of choice for criminals are a computer or a telephone. They are just as deadly as a man with the gun. White-collar crimes are committed out of greed; the people who usually...

Capital Punishment in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Capital Punishment in the United States - Essay Example This basically translates into a government wherein the powers of the central (national) government are limited or restricted and in which the component states enjoy a certain degree of autonomy, sovereignty and self-government. In this form, the sovereign power rests with the people who elect their representatives. However, the component states that form the United States are bound by the Supreme law of the land, the Constitution. With that in mind, it would be necessary to state the degree of autonomy each state has in governing its respective territories and constituents. Each state has the three main branches of government, namely the executive, legislative and judiciary. The executive is headed by the Governor, while the legislative and judiciary are composed of State representatives similar to that of these branches at the national level. Each state has its own laws and each State Supreme Court has the power to create the judicial determination of issues of law on their own, subject only to the limitations imposed by the Constitution and the US Supreme Court. One of the limitations imposed by the U.S. Constitution on the issue of capital punishment is mainly enshrined in the Eighth Amendment, prescribing the use of cruel and unusual punishment. For around four decades now since 1976, the U.S. Supreme Court has held steadfast in its ruling that the death penalty does not violate the Eighth Amendment. Another key limitation is one wherein the U.S. Supreme Court overturned death penalty sentences in 19 states when it held that the death penalty could not be imposed on convicted murderers who were under the age of 18 at the time they committed their crimes. (Walker 2006) Thus, it can be seen that indeed each state has the right to determine whether or not a convicted felon should be executed, as long as the State law allows it, and the practice is in accordance with the limitations set on the National level. Therefore, various differences can be seen as to how State practice and legislation allows capital punishment.  Ã‚  

Peer review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Peer review - Essay Example Furthermore, the number of sources referred to is adequate, proof that a good level of research was conducted. The references contain all the necessary elements which means that the information provided can be easily traced to their sources. The paper is well formatted but not without a few lapses. The abstract for example is centered while it should have been left aligned. Yet another point of weakness is the lack of a title after the abstract. In any case, the body of the text should always begin on a new page, different from the abstract. As earlier stated, the language used is widely correct but a few minor errors occur. Grammatical errors mainly occur in cases where the sentences are longer than usual. In this sense, the writer can improve by focusing on breaking the long sentences into shorter ones. Each student in the course will have the opportunity to review another studentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s research paper. Review partners will be assigned based on students working on the various genocides. The peer review must be submitted through VSpace to me and bring in one copy for the paper writer on the day of the poster

Time Capsule Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Time Capsule Assignment - Essay Example The Baroque time capsule, on the other hand, will contain objects of a far different type. The items in this time capsule will reflect an intellectual and an artistic time period in which classical forms were ignored or developed in important ways. The symmetry of the Renaissance, in many different fields, was supplanted by artistic endeavors characterized by a lack of symmetry, by an insertion of figurative rather than literal forms, and by a more emotional and colorful intellectual background (Wellek, 1946). Understanding the nature of the Renaissance is critical in this endeavor; it is critical because the Baroque, being a break from this intellectual tradition, cannot be understood in isolation. From a visual perspective, using art as an example, it would be wise to consider representative paintings such as The School of Athens by Raphael and the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo DaVinchi. These works are both illustrative and representative because they identify classical sources as inspirations and because they are used in such a way as to encourage future learning and development. This time period is hardly anti-learning; quite the contrary, the intellectuals simply chose to rely for political and social reasons on generally accepted classical forms and modes of inquiry. In the field of music, representative samples would include Ludwig Senfl's work, which maintained classical beats and patterns, and Johannes Lupi's work, which used repetition and imitation to distinguish his compositions rather than variations of style or structure. Representative drawings in the field of architecture, based on a revival of classical designs borrowed from classical Greek and Roman ideals, would be similar to those drawings and plans used to construct the Tempio de Visa in Rome and the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. Renaissance architecture is characterized by columns and pilasters, arches, and a very specific fitting together of pieces in a symmetrical and well-patterned way. The precision is apparent. Finally, in the fields of literature and philosophy, two representative samples would be The Divine Comedy by Dante and Utopia by Sir Thomas More. Classical sources, as with Dante, were used as foundations upon which to explore questions of religious faith, science, and philosophy more generally. In short, in all of these fields, the Renaissance is characterized by a heavy reliance upon classical sources, upon a preoccupation with symmetry and precision, and by repetitions rather than deviations. 1.2 Guidelines: Baroque Time Capsule As a preliminary matter, art provides a helpful introduction to the Baroque period; this is because art illustrates the departure from strict classical forms. Two highly representative paintings would be Adoration by Peter Paul and Aeneas Fleeing Burning Troy by Federico Barocci. Rather than employing the strict symmetry and compartmentalization of Renaissance painters such as Raphael, these paintings are characterized by overflowing colors, bodies and objects which merge rather than remaining separate, and which display a much

Effects Of Globalization On Cultures Cultural Studies Essay

Effects Of Globalization On Cultures Cultural Studies Essay With the economic, cultural and scientific development, globalization has also been greatly affected in these areas. The impact of globalization, peoples life and spiritual have great changes. Globalization process is irreversible, it is a necessary progress of human civilization and has important meaning, which is largely positive. However, there are also many negative effects that cannot be ignored. More evident in the culture, so we cannot allow free development of globalization, we need to retain our own national cultural characteristics, and cannot blindly follow. Design should preserve and promote cultural identity, because this is not only an economic issue, but more of a psychological impact to interior design. For example, we can use the design elements of their characteristics, to make these things integrate into society and more easily be accepted, to better meet peoples spiritual needs. Introduction Globalization is evidence since 1980s, with increasingly prominent in the world, a new phenomenon and that is the basic feature of the present era,. Globalization is our one of the most current topic of discussion, whether you are willing or not, it will affect you on your daily life or you jobs. Under the influence of globalization, we will find that the world is really getting smaller, information about people, economy, and cultural aspects are moving toward globalization. How can we not chase it and shares with the crowd? It has brought us too much influence, which of course has its good and bad aspects in it, we cannot follow or duplicate, it must have its own characteristics, especially in the design, should kept in their original culture and finding a goal to move forward to. 1 Analysis 2.1 The globalization effects in the culture Globalization is an objective development of human civilization process which result from the development of human society and civilization development. The process of globalization has greatly driven the development of global social productive forces, promoted the progress of human civilization. People need to calm down and think about the process of globalization on human civilization that is positive and negative effects arising. Strength of Western civilization led to globalization, many developing countries and regions to enjoy the civilization of Western science and technology while faced with the loss of the local cultural characteristics, as well as the risk of national culture. In addition to the positive effects of globalization, beyond the negative effects cannot be ignored, especially on the impact of Asian culture. Especially the impact on China even cannot be ignored. Globalization has accelerated Chinas economic development, but behind the development, the problems are evident. For example, the rapid development of rural areas have become urbanized, traditional architecture and culture under the influence of globalization because they have been making extensive damage instead of protecting them. A lot of traditional architecture has not been repaired due to their inexistence, those traditional cultural festivals have become very isolate is one example. In China there are many cultural festivals, with the involvement of Western culture, festivals, more and more Chinese people enjoy Western holidays, such as Christmas, Valentines Day, while the traditional Chinese festivals such as the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, etc.. are increasingly be ing left out. With less and less festive atmosphere, if it continues this way is bound to let go of traditional culture, it will be disappeared. Different Cultural in the worlds current characteristics of as exchange and dialogue, if under the influence of globalization with all the same culture, this world would be impossible to develop, and cultural needs of a variety of colors, guiding peoples lives in interior design course, we should keep this point of view, design changes out life, orientation of people, therefore I think that maintaining our own cultural characteristics, in the interior design is also very important. Many people have realized that globalization has brought in many unfavorable factors, and they have already begun to protect those cultural heritages. But as a major power, the Eastern China were lagging behind to many Western. They have long been protecting those old buildings. In 2 addition to those countries we can also see the Russian countryside, and in many rural areas, we do not see a lot of modern architecture being preserved, many places are not very much affected by globalization. This is what many countries would need to learn. The historical cultures and traditions that is being left behind by the ancestors, our future generations should understand and respect those certain awe, the same reasons for as in why we had the Dragon Boat Festival to commemorate Qu Yuan. Traditional culture is the valuable legacy of our Chinese ancestors, those who recorded the history of the text, which reveals the tolerance of the protocol, those who disseminated the teachings of truth, each is worth the same pride of China. It is often questioned whether everyone had inherited and carry forward the lineage of ancestors? When fashion trends spread, we are not paying homage to the Western custom of vulgar cultural fascination with madness, but we should learn to inherit Chinese tradition and absorb its teachings and philosophy. Many people now consider only the immediate economic interests of the various types of construction are operating together for commercial purposes, and they did not take it into considerations of the cultural impact. Nowadays, a growing number of urban people yearning for a more quiet and comfortable life, and often make use of holidays as break time and to relax. The sake of our future in this increasingly urban life can find solace in a spiritual place, we cannot be take into the economic interests at the same time on our cultural life. 2.2 communicate with culture into design With the acceleration of human civilization, human productivity, modern design is very active in all aspects of human life. Materials are relatively abundant, the quality of life people are increasingly high in demands, so design has to meet the peoples material needs and emotional needs, should the heavy responsibility to improve the quality of human life. Prominent feature of modern design is people-centered, attention to human needs and meet functionality, people may enjoy modern design with happiness and relaxation. Building and construction technology have constantly been improving very quickly over the years, new building is being constantly rising. The beauty of public space needs to reflect the cultural connotation, because today people have to spend most of the time to the use of public spaces. The beauty of public space, we need a complete plan, rich in content, aesthetic and noble Chinese 3 elements into the planning and design of public spaces which are a surging trend. Public space is an architectural core. For the movement of people the public space is a hub; for the use function that is a distribution point; for the spatial form that is an expression of architectural character. Eating space as a kind of public space, it occupied a very large place. Take restaurants interior design as an example, under the influence in a globalized economy, there has been a variety of fast-food restaurants such as McDonalds, KFC, etc.., in these restaurants all over the world interior design are the same, I do not want to say that kind of restaurant is bad, but in such a large environment, people tend to feel less comfortable and cozy in the place. The design of a good restaurant should provide enjoyment in the pursuit of economic interests, but also can reflect the colorful side, so the design of my restaurant, I will focus on peoples senses integrated into some of the traditional Chinese elements. Because in the context of Chinas history, it has deeper understanding of cultural life, but also a very good expression in interior design, the use of these things combined with traditional Chinese culture course, to achieve a balance which is moderation between culture and spaces. With the faster and faster of the modern life, western simple style impact on clothing, food, and other aspects. Also in the interior design, it has become a popular trend, but a kind of Chinese elements as part of our culture and tradition should be inherited. In the design of domestic and foreign, Chinese elements began to more and popular in the design concept. We can see many things used of Chinese element as usually in our daily life. The catering industry is an important part of public areas, it has very close connection to peoples lives, Eating food environment have a direct impact on peoples mood if it bad or good and, so I think why not joining the elements of national and the culture together in to the eating environment, so that it will be more grand. Because diet is also a culture, different countries have their own different food culture, under the influence of globalization, various fast food become very popular, We cannot deny that the various business opportunities brought by economic globalization, as the restaurants is moving forward for the purpose of commercial competition, if they can combine their own national characteristics, to create a dining environment more suitable to modern life, and which is most conducive to the long-term future development. Here are two examples to illustrate the traditional culture and environment, the combination of eating produce a better situation. The first case is a restaurant in Hong Kong, named OVOlogue.To restaurant, preserve and reuse the ground floor of the Cantonese verandah shop house built in 19th century,OVO endeavors to convert it into a chic and contemporary looking estery. OVOlogue, a fusion of OVO and dialogue, is a traditional Chinese restaurant filling the air with taste, art and heritage. Through interior design and selective artworks with unique characters, it successfully blends in history and modern Asian art into dining experience. OVOlogue coincides perfectly with the east-meets-west, tradition-meets-modern flavor. Another restaurant called shi shan xuan. East-meet-West is the design concept of this project. The space contains reception area, dining area and balcony etc. The design seeks to preserve and renovate the traditional Chinese style. Grey is the colour of Chinese characteristics and it dominates the dining area. The austere texture of hewn stone and the feminine quality of dining table create vivid contrasts. Interactive layers make for a unique and intimate spatial relationship. Natural lights are introduced in to the dining area and with austere and understated decorations, the interior and the exterior are perfectly integrated. The design represents peopleà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s willing of returning to nature and simplicity, as well as the peaceful and elegant lifestyle. 2.3 relating to design concept Recently, people abandon the illusion of fanaticism, longing for a comfortable life. Especially when people want to get away from the spinning of the world that only brings anxiety and fear, the ancient elements have a mysterious power that gives us the tranquility and calmness, and Sometimes it may not be recognized that the culture of the external forces have so powerful and deep to ones heart.The doctrine of the mean was the most faithful vision along the years in Chinas philosophy of life. The new generation try to achieve a balance between modern and classic that is also an art. Now I will combine the arts of this balance to my restaurants design concept, the use of cultural and natural to achieve this balance and coordination. This balance into the design is not only for aesthetics, but more importantly is to make the dining environment that changes peoples state of mind to be relaxed and enjoyable mood. 3. Conclusion Interior design development to a variety of styles has been the coexistence of diverse age, the 21st century interior design will be in the context of globalization, with a variety of styles. Many new ideas will come in at the same time, consumers are able to accept the different style, people will accept a variety of angles comprehensive design of various forms and styles, not just understand the simple meaning of a simplification. To truly comprehend the fine traditional culture of their own, only through the fusion of globalization, culture and design to compare the essence of the approach to international action, to give the design with a true national significance and quality. We will truly grasp the so-called The more national, the more global that we all know the profound meaning of the design concept. From the international point of view, understanding again, emphasized the concept of nation in the impact of globalization, but also to seek common ground while reserving differ ences, develop and retain something of national culture

Pizza USA Term Paper Essay

Abstract This case involves Pizza USA, a small independent chain restaurant operation that offers both dine-in and carry-out services for customers that has received feedback for a potential change that will require the implementation of design process to add services. Currently, customers have indicated that they are pleased with the food offered by the restaurant but they would increase pizza purchases if a delivery service was available. This dilemma ties into two separate issues. First, in order to remain competitive within the industry, customer wants and preferences need to be heard. After all, if you cannot please your customer base, you will lose them. Secondly, the changes required must be done in a manner that combines data gathering and analysis and implementation of a plan that best suites this particular type of business in order to maximize success. Customer service has been a recurring theme in many discussions regarding business operations and management in recent weeks. The prevailing thought is that in order for your business to grow and be successful, you must identify what your customers want and find a way to deliver it. This paper will analyze and discuss how process design can be implemented to assist this business to achieve its goals. Within the process design analysis and discussion, several factors will be reviewed to include: identification of what customer satisfaction means to the business and how we can identify the things that are most valuable to customers, the potential net yield of achieving a high level of customer satisfaction and efficiency, and the characteristic of developing an efficient pizza delivery (from stove to door) system. The paper will also assess creation of market â€Å"advantages† to not only maintain but grow the customer base. Pizza USA: An Exercise in Translating Customer Requirements into Process Design In the last five years leading up to 2012, the Pizza Restaurants industry has experienced the results of a downturn in economy. Restaurants have been directly affected by changing market conditions such as changes in intense competition, decreasing consumer spending and an increase in overall health consciousness (Kalnins, A., & Mayer, K. , 2004). However, despite such overwhelming odds and challenges, businesses were able to overcome economic hard times by reinventing themselves through creative marketing and adjusting their menu’s to adapt to customers preferences (Kelso, 2012). This allowed the industry to recover effectively and consumer spending and market growth returned in 2010. As more consumers returned to the restaurants, overall demand increased. The U. S. Pizza industry averages about 410 million pizzas per year (Kelso, 2012). In 2012 alone, pizza sales are expected to reach an incredible $36. 1 billion in revenue which is a 3. 8 percent increase from the previous year (Kelso, 2012). This growth is expected to continue at a rate of 2. 9 percent per year through 2017. Based on gathered data, 97 percent of U. S. consumers have ordered food from a pizza restaurant or establishment within the past 12 months (Kelso, 2012). No matter how you look at it, pizza consumption is on the rise and creates an exceptional opportunity for success in this industry. According to Gregory Badishkanian, a CITI Analyst, the big three of the pizza industry: Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Papa Johns are currently in position to increase market share. (Bloomberg, 2012). Although the big three comprise of 30% of the total pizza market, the remaining 70% comprise largely of other large chains with less market coverage and of course the smaller independent chains (Kelso, 2012). While the larger chains are improving profits independent chains are struggling to stay afloat amidst the fierce competition among the larger more established companies such as the big three (Kelso, 2012). Understanding this dilemma, it would be most prudent for any independent restaurant operator to maximize operations by insuring that internal process design enables not only efficient productivity but generates a process that is customer friendly and focused on customer’s needs and preferences (Kalnins, A. , & Mayer, K. , 2004). This would be critical in the business’ ability to survive in such a monopolistic type market. Successful operation within a smaller independent chain restaurant faces challenges that may not be as apparent to a larger and more established national chains. Pizza USA is a small chain operation that currently provides two services: dine-in and carry-out options. Customers have commented that if delivery services were added to the restaurant offerings, they would potentially buy more pizzas (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Based on this information, it is apparent that the owner needs to assess his business operations and consider a process design that would include adding this service to current operations. The addition of delivery services would potentially require additional capital to finance changes and may involve the hiring of additional staff. However, revenue increases as a result of the added service would off-set the costs associated with these additions. Near and long-term implications would include survivability within such a competitive market. As a customer, the primary focus of my satisfaction with this type of business relates primarily to efficiency and the level of customer service provided. If delivery service was provided, the two areas that would be most prevalent in my mind would be the delivery time and the state of the pizza once received. Far too often, I’ve received delivered food that was warm and in some cases cold. Needless to say, I never contacted that restaurant again. The thing that would create a unique experience would be the restaurant’s ability to not only deliver within an exceptional time period but also to provide a pizza that is piping hot as it would be while dining in. Another aspect would be an incentive to order delivery by way of discounting or some type of rewards service. These are experiences that have not been typical in my experience with pizza deliveries. Method. The perceived situational analysis are as follows: Strengths-Due to the smaller nature of the business, It could potentially create a more personal experience for the customers thus increasing customer satisfaction; Weaknesses-As a smaller business entity, they have less resources and limited options in implementing changes to meet customer demands. Also, the business would be less tolerant of negative impacts that may result from changes compared to larger established chains with additional resources available; Opportunities-A stronger customer relationship tends to allow more flexibility due to stronger loyalty among satisfied customers. Loyal customers are willing to wait changes out rather than making an initial determination and moving on to another business; Threats-The primary threats are of course the larger and more established chains such as the big three. Again, due to resourcing issues, these smaller and independent operations have less flexibility and opportunity if changes become less than desirable. The primary causes and effects are business survivability and customer satisfaction. Although these two areas are mentioned separately, they are in fact one. If changes are not made to meet customer needs and preferences, the business risks losing clientele and eventual closure. The term customer loyalty has been described as a process of capturing how well an organization is performing in three critical market measures: customer retention, share of wallet, and price sensitivity relative to competitors (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Studies have shown that customer loyalty relates directly to business success and survivability. There exists a major distinction between product design from the user’s standpoint from what may have been intended by the manufacturer (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). The main difference deals primarily with the intended versus perceived usefulness of a given product. In short, if the customer’s input is not considered, product or process design could potentially be a major waste of time on the from end of the planning cycle with even a worse outcome once in the market. Table-1 below indicates quick-serve satisfaction rates among the top companies in the market to include the big three (Verma, R. , & Thompson, G. , 1999). As you can see, each of the larger chains has high overall scores in customer satisfaction. Albeit, this is only one of many areas that could potentially be assessed. The independent chains can learn something from this data. The large chains didn’t survive the market and become who they are today without success in this particular area (Verma, R. , & Thompson, G. , 1999). Table-1 Although the case situation described is consistent with most other business operations, â€Å"what can be done to be more profitable? † it is unique in itself due the detail andlevel of changes discussed. There are probably 100 areas that could be looked at that deals with efficiency and customer satisfaction. However, for the purpose of this paper we will only analyze the above mentioned areas. If assessing profitability and customer satisfaction is an everyday occurrence, which is the case in most businesses, then this case could most certainly be considered as a preexisting situation. However, this paper has little to do with assessing a documented loss in profits or revenue streams so the evolution is unknown at best. There are many course concepts that can be applied to understand this situation. However the two most prevalent areas of operations philosophy that comes to mind are: Chapter 3-Product and Service Design and Chapter 5-Process Analysis. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) in chapter 3 discusses the process of getting the customer’s â€Å"voice† involved in design specifications (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). This concept and application relates to any and all industries and organizations. It is directly related a process of studying and listening to customers to improve upon a product or service (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Measuring Process Performance in Chapter 5 primarily deals with how well a particular process is performing. This is accomplished by assessing many different types of metrics such as: productivity, efficiency, flow time, throughput, and value added time to name a few (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). In order to adequately analyze whether your operation is running efficiently, a system of measurement is required to assess the performance. Results/Discussion The problem of addressing the customers’ needs and preferences are easily solved. Immediately implement planning to accommodate your customers’ request for the added feature of delivery service. Consider the most efficient manner of transition to minimize disruption to current business operations while planning the change. Insure that additional feedback is solicited and gathered from customers to re-validate the need to add the additional service and proceed with design process reviews and analysis to achieve goals. This satisfies the earlier discussion regarding identification of what the customer really wants and prefers. The task of developing and implementing the plan is what is the most difficult. Recommend that the owner begins with data gathering methods such as GAP Analysis. This method is used to assess the business’ performance relative to the expectations of its customers (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). An additional form of Gap Analysis includes the benchmarking of certain industry standards and measures the business ‘performance against established standards within the industry (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Questions to be asked would be: What are other smaller independent chains offering? Is delivery service a value added service or just a waste of money? What are the industry standards in regards to delivery times and what is considered acceptable to customers? Do have the resources to provide that type of service or will it require additional equipment, supplies, vehicles and staff? This will allow the owner to see where his restaurant is versus where he wants to be. Moreover, this would be an ideal tool to gather additional information from Customers to obtain additional feedback. It can be accomplished in many ways such as through paper or email mailers and in store surveys. The method selected would primarily depend on the owner’s available resources and preferences and of course size of targeted population. The follow-on recommendation is to conduct a cost impact and payoff analysis using a decision tree or what some would call a consequence diagram. This process allows the planner to map out several alternatives with different end results to assess risk (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). In essence it is a risk matrix. When planning or considering restaurant equipment purchases or even additional staff hires, this process could be beneficial in assessing the risks involved with each decision (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Table-2 is a representation of a typical decision tree used to make informed decisions. As you can see, it is a process of identifying the problem (or situation) and working through several COA’s to determine what works best for you. Table-2 Implementation is the next step. I would recommend the utilization of responsibility charts to organize and manage tasks. Again, this particular tool is a type of matrix that lists all the projects and tasks to be completed while identifying certain responsible parties or stakeholders (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). In such a small business environment, it would probably be most beneficial for the owner to get all staff involved with the design process to obtain full buy-in.this can be accomplished through the use of this tool. Of all the steps involved with planning and execution, this is probably the most labor intensive due to the potential resourcing required. After plans are implemented, the owner needs to assess the customer reactions to the added service. Anticipating a given response and getting the actual response are sometimes two different things. Again, the same process used during the Gap Analysis can be used to capture post-implementation feedback from customers (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). The bottom line is that as a small business, you more reliant on customer loyalty than larger chains and operations. As a result, you must pay attention to any feedback received regarding your products and services, In this case we’re talking about pizzas but it applies in many other situations and industries as well. Once the feedback id obtained develop a smart and affordable plan and implement the plan. Once you have transitioned fully into your new plan, solicit additional feedback from customers to see how things are going. You may find other areas of your business operations that require attention. Customer feedback has to be a part of your daily operations. Without it, your business is at serious risk. References Kalnins, A. , & Mayer, K. , (Dec 2004), Franchising, ownership, and experience: A study of pizza restaurant survival. Management Science Journal, Vol. 50 Issue 12, p1716-1728, 13p, 3 Charts. doi: 10. 1287/mnsc. 1040. 0220 Kohli, A. , & Gupta, M. , (Apr 2010), Improving operations strategy: Application of TOC principles in a small business. Journal of Business & Economics Research, Vol. 8 Issue 4, p37-45, 9p Verma, R. , & Thompson, G. , (1999), Managing service operations based on customer preferences. International Journal of Operations and Production Management. Vol. 19 Issue 9/10, p891-908, 18p, 6 Charts Jacobs, F. R. , & Chase, R. B. (2011), Operations and supply chain management. (13th ed. ), New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Kelso, A. , (Sep 2012), Survey: U. S. pizza market tops $40 billion, pizzamarketplace. com, Retrieved: 1 Mar 2013 http://www. pizzamarketplace. com/article/200667/Survey-U-S-pizza-market-tops-40-billion AP News, (Sep 2012), Analyst: Big pizza chains could take bigger slice, Bloomberg Business Week News, Retrieved: 1 Mar 2013 http://www. businessweek. com/ap/2012-09-18/analyst-big-pizza-chains-could-take-bigger-slice.

Company Law Course Wrap Up

MGMT3046 Company Law: Course Wrap Up November 2012 We have come to the end of formal instruction in Company Law, so it is useful at this point to review the main learnings from the course. This will be somewhat long! Unit1 Salomon v Salomon and the corporate veil. This is a foundational case in company law which enunciated the principle of the separateness of company and its members (shareholders and officers). The principle makes it quite clear that the separation of the company from its members will always hold; it is only in exceptional cases that the corporate veil will be lifted, such as in instances of fraud or other illegality.This means that a company may contract in its own name and, similarly, be held liable for breaches committed in its name. As mentioned before, shareholders and officers of the company will not usually be held liable for acts committed by the company. This leads directly to the concept of limited liability. Since a company is a separate legal entity, it f ollows that its members will not be liable for its debts. As a distinct legal entity, a company’s assets belong to it and not its members; its liabilities belong to it and are not the responsibility of the members.In the event of the company becoming insolvent or bankrupt, a shareholder’s loss would only be limited to the amount of unpaid shares he has outstanding in the company. In this way, a shareholder is afforded limited liability. Conversely, unlimited liability companies impose unlimited liability on its members. Ultra Vires. Ultra vires describes acts undertaken beyond (ultra) the legal powers (vires) of those who have purported to undertake them.The three main applications of ultra vires were: o whether the company acted outside is capacity; o whether the company’s agents acted in excess of authority; and o whether the company’s act was contrary to statutory provisions. This proved to create great difficulties for creditors as they might provide goods and services to companies which, when they refused or were unable to honour payment, were protected by the fact that contracts were deemed null and void and therefore unenforceable.Creditors had no recourse in the face of this issue. See Ashbury Railway Carriage & Iron Co Ltd v Riche. Ultra vires has since been abolished by statute such that, even though companies and its members may not be authorised to act in a particular way or to make certain decisions, they may still be liable for such unauthorised acts as against third parties. This concept will return again in other units. Unit 2 Lifting the Corporate Veil.The corporate veil does not provide blanket protection to the members and officers of a company. It will once they have acted carefully, honestly and in good faith. In cases of illegality and negligence, the veil may be lifted to expose the offending member to liability. Both statute and common law provide for the lifting of the corporate veil in such instances. This Session discussed the statutory exceptions to limited liability which include: 1 MGMT3046 Company Law: Course Wrap Up November 2012 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ eduction of number of members (it is to be noted that while a company may be operated with only one director under UK statute for up to six months, the same does not hold for Trinidad and Tobago); fraudulent and wrongful trading (these apply only during the winding up process [to be dealt with in further detail in Unit 8]; wrongful trading may be inferred from â€Å"reckless disregard† as found in s 447(1)(b) and (c)); disqualified directors (a director may be disqualified either during the course of normal operations of the company or during the winding up process); abuse of company names (this usually involves the transfer of company assets at an undervalue to the new company); and other named offences relating to documentation. While the veil of incorporation usually affords protection to a companyâ€⠄¢s members and officers, the Court will lift it in cases of statutory breaches where strict liability attaches to those found responsible for the breach.The Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine, which holds the decision-making officer liable, operates very similarly in other legislation but is held to be separate from lifting the veil. At common law, the court will be prepared to lift the corporate veil under very limited circumstances. While there are no clearly defined categories, the court will lift the veil where individuals are concerned in instances of using the corporation as an agent (based on the degree of control exercised by the shareholders over the operations of the company) or where there is fraud or impropriety. In the case of corporations as shareholders, the court will lift the veil in cases where it can find an implied agency relationship and a group of companies acting as a single entity.It is generally held that the court will lift the veil in parent-subsidiar y relationships where the evidence shows that the subsidiary is but an agent of the parent (based on the degree of control exercised by the latter over the former); statutory or contractual provisions dictate that it should be lifted; or the subsidiary is established as a sham. A company will be deemed to be acting fraudulently where it is established to avoid a court order or other legal obligations; this usually applies where the shareholders are individuals. In such cases, the court will lift the veil to expose the company’s members to liability. Unit 3 Directors of a Company. A director’s behaviour is governed largely by the Companies Act, specifically by section 99. A director’s responsibilities and liabilities are very clear and simple.He must exercise the powers of the company; direct the management of the company (s 60); declare any personal interests (s 93); act honestly and in good faith; and exercise care, diligence and skill a reasonable person would exercise under similar conditions. Any breach of these requirements will lead to personal liability on the director’s part. The company may choose to indemnify a director for any liabilities incurred where he acted honestly and in good faith and in the best interest of the company (s 101). Particular attention should be paid to the words used in section 99 and their meaning. 2 MGMT3046 Company Law: Course Wrap Up Unit 4 November 2012 Directors of a Company. A director’s behaviour is also governed by common law which reflects, in large part, section 99 of the Companies Act.They owe a fiduciary duty to the company to act in the best interest of the company, lawfully, honestly and in good faith, otherwise, they will be in breach of their fiduciary duties owed to the company. Pardy v Dobbin is an excellent case on point. Shareholders are able to indemnify a director’s acts or decisions if they so choose where there is disclosure by the director of his interest. Apa rt from the duties owed, a director may be held personally liable in tort or for criminal activity, especially in cases of fraud or negligence, and will not have the protection of the corporate veil. It is important to note that where the tortious conduct of a director is motivated by self-interest or personal benefit, then the director may be liable (Blacklaws v Morrow, 2000 ABCA 175 (CanLII), paragraph 137).Personal liability will only attach, therefore, where it can be proven that the acts of the director are separate from the interest of the company or where such acts have been expressly directed by him. Fraud is proved when it is shown that a fraudulent misrepresentation has been made (i) knowingly, or (ii) without belief in its truth, or (iii) recklessly, carelessly whether it be true or false. A director will be held liable where any of these is proved. With respect to criminal liability, a director will usually be held criminally and personally liable where he acted in fraud on the employer, for his own benefit, or contrary to instructions.In other cases of criminal liability, the company will be held to be vicariously liable, together with the officer in question. Under the directing mind or identification principle, a corporation may be held vicariously liable for the criminal acts of its â€Å"directing mind†. In mens rea [criminal intent] offences, if the Court finds the director to be a vital organ of the company and virtually its directing mind in the sphere of duty assigned him so that his actions and intent are deemed the action and intent of the company itself, the company can be held criminally liable even where the criminal act was performed not wholly for the benefit of the company. He must, however, have been acting within the scope of the area of the work assigned to him.In the case of fraud, where the benefit accrues only to the director and is not intended to be for the benefit of the company, the corporate entity may be able to escape liability. Other Officers of a Company. Their behaviour, too, is governed by section 99 of the Companies Act. Unit 5 Shareholders. A shareholder is a member of a company, usually someone who has invested in the company and is considered an owner or part-owner. At law, the shareholder is not the incorporated entity; they are distinct entities, where the company is deemed a separate, legal person with rights, privileges and liabilities, 3 MGMT3046 Company Law: Course Wrap Up November 2012 in like manner as a shareholder. Their rights, privileges, liabilities, immunities and procedures for holding meetings are all covered by the Companies Act.In addition to the Companies Act, shareholders’ relationship with each other and the company are further governed by the terms of the shareholders’ agreement, which may place restrictions on their behaviour. It should be noted that there are certain fundamental changes that may only be effected by the shareholders. Unit 6 Stat us of the Minority Shareholder. The majority rules. This is enshrined in law, both common and statutory law. This makes it very difficult for minority shareholders to protect the interest of the company. This principle has its roots in the foundational case of Foss v Harbottle [1843] 67 ER 189 which addresses the heavily circumscribed status of the minority shareholder.Section 37(c) of the Interpretation Act further compounds this issue as it also reinforces this principle. In addition to the majority rules principle, another important issue that arose is the proper plaintiff rule. The court held that if the majority is committing wrongs against the company, it is the company itself that should take action to protect itself. Nevertheless, the law has taken into consideration the underprivileged position of the minority shareholder and allows him to take actions as exceptions to the rule in Foss v Harbottle. As the company is an inanimate entity, it cannot take action on its own, hen ce the relaxation of the proper plaintiff rule to allow the minority to act on its behalf.Obviously, the majority would be the entity to allow or disallow any such action and they will not permit the minority to take action against them. The minority shareholder(s) will have a right of action against the majority shareholder(s) in specific situations. He may be allowed to take derivative action – an action brought by a shareholder (or director) of a company in the name and on behalf of that company – in very peculiar circumstances. This means that any benefit accrues to the company only and not to the benefit of the shareholder. There are certain acts that a majority may not legally undertake and for which the minority may initiate such action.The minority has a common law right of derivative action where the majority attempts to: o o o Confirm an act which is ultra vires or illegal; Confirm an act which constitutes a fraud against the minority where the wrongdoers are themselves in control of the company; Confirm an act which can only be validly done or sanctioned, not by a simple majority but by some special majority; otherwise, a company could de facto do by simple majority something which required a special majority; or Affect qualified minority rights. o Where his personal rights are affected, he may take action in his own name. Any benefit here accrues directly to the shareholder. The minority shareholder also has rights under the Companies Act to protect the interests of the company against the will of the majority. As in the common law, the act also allows for derivative action pursuant to section 240. The procedure in 4 MGMT3046 Company Law: Course Wrap Up November 2012 s 240 must be followed prior to making a claim based on any of the four common law rights of derivative action mentioned.With respect to personal rights of action, minority shareholders may dissent to shareholder resolutions seeking to make fundamental changes to the corp orate entity (s 227) or may seek to restrain oppressive behaviour on the part of the majority that is unfairly prejudicial to or unfairly dismissive of the interests of shareholders or other members or officers of the company (s 242). In this way, the minority shareholder is offered the right under law to protect his own interest or the interest of the company. Unit 7 Insider Trading. This relates to trading in public companies. An insider is someone who breaches a fiduciary duty owed to his employer to act honestly and uses unpublished, price-sensitive information to trade in securities or communicates such information to someone else who trades. The information he has will be considered material if it will help an investor determine whether or not to purchase or sell shares.Where an insider uses such information for his personal benefit to avoid a loss or make a profit, he will be in breach of the Companies Act, the Securities Industry Act and common law principles relating to: o Access to confidential information; o Breach of fiduciary duty or other relationship of trust; o Material confidential information; and o Using material confidential information for one’s benefit. Unit 8 Winding Up and Dissolution. Winding up is the process of liquidating a company and its assets and then distributing the proceeds while dissolution is the cessation of the company. The most important issue here is trading while insolvent. This is regulated by s 447(1) of the Companies Act.This section raises the issue of fraudulent trading, where it is discovered during the liquidation process that the company continued carrying on business, despite knowing or being unconcerned that it would have been unable to honour its debts and liabilities. Liability under this section is usually triggered when the court is satisfied that a person has not taken every possible step with a view to minimising the potential loss to the company’s creditors as he ought to have taken. Seve ral important words and phrases are used in this section: intent to defraud; reckless disregard; debts and liabilities; knowingly; and personally responsible. The Central Bank case provides an excellent exposition into s 447(1) and the eaning of these terms. The use of such words and phrases make it clear that anyone guilty of this offence must have purposely or carelessly undertaken these acts despite knowledge or care of the company’s inability to cover the debts and liabilities incurred by it. Any person so guilty will be held personally responsible without any limitation of liability. It should be noted that this is not restricted to directors and officers; anyone, such as an accountant who may have audited the accounts and been aware of the dire financial situation, for example, who was knowingly involved would be held liable as well. It also applies to past officers and directors. 5MGMT3046 Company Law: Course Wrap Up Unit 9 November 2012 Corporate Governance. Corporate governance has assumed great prominence within the last twenty years. There are many definitions, but they all revolve around good management practices which encompass accountability, transparency and honest. Several financial scandals, resulting from a lack of these traits, led to the promulgation of codes of conduct for companies. These codes focussed on remuneration for directors, the role of the non-executive director, reporting functions of the board, and the role of auditors and audit committees. An ultimate combined code was created that encompassed the main points of each individual code.While none of these codes have the force of law, they provide a moral barometer specifically for public companies to engage in good management practices. Private entities are welcomed and encouraged to follow these guidelines as well. The wide range of stakeholders just might ensure that these non-binding codes are adhered to, as companies, public and private, are required to act in the bes t interest of the company and society at large. The threat of damage to the company's reputation may also assist in this regard. Of course, where companies fail to do so, they will be subject statutory and common law sanctions, even where the codes lack the ability to penalise.Section 99 of the Companies Act, in particular, and common law fiduciary duties apply here. Unit 10 Partnerships. What is a partnership? They are unincorporated entities, known as firms, comprising any combination of two or more individuals, or one or more individuals and one or more corporations, or two or more corporations (s 4, Companies Act). The relation which subsists between persons carrying on a business in common with a view of profit (s 3(1), Partnership Act) How is a Partnership different to a Company? Unincorporated entities Based on the law of agency Partners bear equal benefits and liabilities Formal establishment not necessary Less statutory responsibilities What does not necessarily constitute a Partnership? oint ownership; sharing of gross returns [Cox v Coulson – no agency]; and sharing of profits [Stekel v Ellice – employment contract vs partnership agreement]. Creation of a Partnership Persons who invest monies to open a company prior to its incorporation or to commence a partnership will not be deemed to be partners during the period before the company or partnership comes into existence. This was the case in Spicer Ltd v Mansell. 6 MGMT3046 Company Law: Course Wrap Up November 2012 Partnership at Will Partnerships that are not subject to any formal agreement. No fixed duration. May be terminated with immediate effect by any partner at any time. Refers to continued partnerships as well.Relations of Partners to Persons Dealing with Them (Higgins v Beaucham [1914] 3 KB 1192; Mann v D’Arcy and Others [1968] 1 WLR 893) Partners are deemed to be agents of each other and, therefore, have the authority to take unilateral decisions which will bind the fi rm, save in cases of fraud or other illegality. Joint liability Liability may continue post retirement An agreement may discharge a retiree from liabilities Liability and Holding Out (Tower Cabinet Co Ld v Ingram [1949] 2 KB 397) Anyone who represents or allows himself to be represented as a partner of a firm will be held liable where the firm’s creditors seek payment. Liability of New and Retired Partners (Bilborough v Holmes (1877) 5 Ch D 255; Rolfe v Flower (1865-67) LR 1 PC 27) Partners’ liability begins upon admission to the firm and ceases upon demission under ordinary circumstances. An agreement may discharge him from any liabilities.A former partner may still be liable for any breaches even after he has left where no such agreement is made. Relations of Partners to One Another (In re Barber (1869-70) L. R. 5 Ch. App. 687) The terms of a partnership agreement may only be varied by the consent of all partners. Partnership Property (Davis v Davis [1894] 1 Ch 393) Partnership property is property that is utilised for the purposes of the partnership. Title to partnership assets may be in the names of all the partners, as in a co-ownership arrangement, or in the names of some partners or one partner. Rights and Duties among Partners (Tann v Herrington [2009] EWHC 445 (Ch)) 26. a) share equally in benefits and liabilities; (b) indemnify every partner for payments made and personal liabilities incurred by him in the ordinary and proper conduct of the business of the firm; or (ii) in or about anything necessarily done for the preservation of the business or property of the firm; (g) no person may be introduced as a partner without the consent of all existing partners; (h)†¦no change may be made in the nature of the partnership business without the consent of all existing partners; Any liability to a third party is recoverable against the partners jointly and severally. 7 MGMT3046 Company Law: Course Wrap Up November 2012Tann v Herrington â₠¬â€œ duty of care, duty to act in good faith, skill Where this is disproved and some element of culpability is also proved, the individual partner only may be held liable. Expulsion of a Partner (In Re A Solicitors’ Arbitration [1962] 1 All ER 772) The concept of majority rule is ordinarily alien to partnerships, especially where expulsion of a partner is the issue. How does expulsion work? All partners must have unanimously agreed at the creation of the partnership to expel the offending partner. Expulsion does not hold where there are only two partners; the partnership will be automatically dissolved should one leave. This power of expulsion is one that must be exercised bona fide and in the general interests of the partnership.Dissolution of Partnerships Ordinarily, a partnership is automatically dissolved: at the expiration of any fixed term, the completion of an undertaking which was the reason for the creation of the partnership, or the death or bankruptcy of a partner. An application may be made to the court for a decree of dissolution in the case of: insanity, incapacity, or misconduct of a partner; where the business is running at a loss; or where it is just and equitable for the partnership to be dissolved. Problems associated with dissolution Division and distribution of the firm’s assets and liability; Continuation of partnership: Pathirana v Pathirana General vs technical dissolution: Green v Harnum 8

Defining Autism from a Clinical Standpoint.

Defining Autism from a Clinical Standpoint. Free Online Research Papers Autism is a disorder of perplexing nature that enivitably has impairments that last into adulthood for the afflicted and lifelong implications for their families. (`Asgeirsd`ottir et al, 2006, p.1361) Autism is not only difficult to understand clinically and behaviorally in relation to the person with the disability but also diagnostically, in terms of inconsistency of classification. This paper intends to investigate the history of autism, explain the currently accepted clinical definition and description of the disorder and the recognized related condition along the autism spectrum disorder or ASD, Asperger’s disorder, and finally to attempt to explore the changeability of terms associated with autism. (Volkmar et al, 2005, p.2) Autism has an interesting and varied history, reaching farther back, as some researchers have theorized than the pioneers who first published accounts of the disorder; Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger. (Frith, 2003, p.5) The inquiry into the history of autism leads one to believe that the disorder has been around undiagnosed for centuries before. Uta Frith (2003) reflects on cases of people with the probability of having some degree of the disorder, throughout history. She discusses, among others a Franciscan monk, Brother Juniper whom in his various encounters with fellow brethren and community, proved to be a person that lacked the ability to be aware that others had their own thoughts about things and occurances. This is indicative of the essence of autism as claimed by Baron-Cohen et al (2006). They assert that children with autism â€Å"have delays in the development of theory of mind†, (p.716) which is what Frith is drawing attention to above. Namely, the inability to comprehend the idea that people have their own thoughts and emotions outside of oneself. Further exploration into the historical roots of autism is cited by Happe (1999). She reviews folktales of young men who are of an innocent nature and misinterpret advice given to them by literally comprehending it. One example given is from a traditional Malta story about a boy named Gahan. As the story goes, Gahan was late getting up on a Sunday morning and was not able to accompany his mother to church. Before she left she reminded Gahan to â€Å"pull the door behind [him]†. Gahan understood this statement literally, not figuratively. Poor Gahan subsequently then pulled the entire door by the door handle all the distance to church to meet his mother and the congregation, aghast at his action. (p.8) Though there are possible historical accounts, autism was not thoroughly conceptualized until Leo Kanner and then a year later, Hans Asperger published their initial papers. In 1943, Leo Kanner offered clinical insight in his published work of 11 children who shared common threads of behavior. These attributes support the development of his concept of â€Å"early infantile autism†. (Fitzgerald and Lyons, 2007, p.2022) Included here are the features of his findings through his research: extreme autisitc aloneness, anxiously obsessive desire for the preservation of sameness, excellant rote memory, delayed echolalia, oversensitivity to stimuli, limitation on the variety of spontaneous activity, good cognitive potentialities, and highly intelligent families. (Happe, 1999, pp.9-10) A year later, Hans Asperger unaware of Kanner’s work published a dissertation concerning autism. Amazingly, the two clinicians individually, came up with the term â€Å"autistic†. (Happe, 1999, p.10) Originally, the word came from Eugen Bleuler who coined the term to describe the social extraction in adults with schizophrenia. Both Kanner and Asperger also believed that the nature of this affliction was inborn. They both noted finding the children not flexible with changes, socially detached, having strange idiosyncratic interests, and generally highly enjoyed routines. (Happe, 1999, p.11) In 1979, Wing and Gould (Dodd, 2005) suggest there was a way to explain autism in a more broad and social fashion. They named this framework the â€Å"triad of impairments†. (p.2) They claim there are three areas of deficits as documented by their research; the impairment of social interaction, of social communication, and of social imagination. Later, they introduced a broader term of â€Å"autistic spectrum† (p.2) which is meant to represent a linking or continuum of autism that serves to describe mild to severe cases including Asperger’s disorder. This shift signifies a progressive move in the direction of the currently accepted definition of autism, also known as ASD. The spectrum construct includes cases today that would not have met Leo Kanner’s criteria. Autism now, has the basis to form the clinical diagnostic criteria used by the American Psychiatric Association in the DSM-IV (1994) and the World Health Organization in the ICD-10 (1992) to aid medical practioners in the diagnosis process with much gratitude for Kanner and Asperger as well as for Wing and Gould. The diagnostic term â€Å"pervasive developmental disorder† or PDD was introduced into the DSM-III in 1980 along with a specifically designed example of autism, autistic disorder. In 1992 the ICD-10 was published and included a broader range of categories of autism. Finally, in 1994, the DSM-IV redefined criteria for autism and added three new classes of PDD, including Asperger’s disorder. (Volkmar et al, 2005, p.2) Asperger’s disorder, as defined in the DSM-IV is juxtaposed with autistic disorder and the areas of lesser deficits in Asperger’s disorder are in â€Å"language aquisition† and â€Å"cognitive development†. (1994, p.8 0) Though the DSM-IV and the ICD-10 are the universally recognized manuals for diagnosing autism being partially based off the â€Å"triad of impairments†, they individually contain different classifications under the umbrella of PDD. The ICD-10 classifies what is known traditionally as classical autism, as â€Å"childhood autism† and the DSM-IV with the same criteria, names it â€Å"autistic disorder†. This trend of inconsistency is continued throughout both manuals. (Volkmar et al, 2005, p. 6) There is a growing body of evidence that suggests the current trend of classification for both autistic disorder and Asperger’s disorder is more likely to be considered ASD versus PDD. The works include Berckelaer-Onnes and Noens (2005), Shattock (2005), and Bolt et al (2006). To add to the confusion, there are also terms used by professionals and lay people alike within the spectrum to designate varying levels of cognitive and adaptive ability of persons with A SD, chiefly high-functioning and low-funtioning autism. (University of Cambridge, 2007) In addition, there is evidence of controversy of clarity of the definition of high-functioning autism. Dissanayake and Macintosh (2004) state there is â€Å"insufficient evidence to establish the validity of Asperger’s disorder as a syndrome distinct from high-functioning autism†. (p.421) These issues of variability of terms associated with autism allows for possibly a too flexible framework of labels. The evidence seems to point in the direction that due to the varying display of classifications within autism after the â€Å"triad of impairments† was accepted, the trend affected the varying display of classification within both the DSM-IV and the ICD-10. Using the evidence of the irregularity of presentation, a point can be made of the continual enigmatic nature of autism in this respect. If the two authoratative authors of the DSM-IV and the ICD-10 are not in agreeance of the classification of autism, one may speculate equal puzzlement among professionals in the field diagnosing the disorder. Extrapilating further, recounting the history of the definition of autism, one may say fairly the confusion surrounding autism may be the impetus for yet another more singular and universal set of classifications and descriptions. What is known is further research and collaboration in this area will be needed. Reference List AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION. 1994. Diagnistic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th edn (DSM-IV). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. A ´SGEIRSDO ´TTIR, B. B., A ´SMUNDSDO ´TTIR, G., HJARTARDO ´TTIR S., JO ´NSDO ´TTIR, S. L., SAEMUNDSEN, E., SIGURDARDO ´TTIR, S., SMA ´RADO ´TTIR, H. H., SMA ´RI, J. 2006. Follow-up of Children Diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Stability and Change During the Preschool Years. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders [Online journal], 37 (7), pp. 1361–1374, Available from SpringerLink at http://springerlink.metapress.com ( October 13 2007). BARON-COHEN, S., COLLE, L., and HILL, J. 2006. Do Children with Autism have a Theory of Mind? A Non-verbal Test of Autism vs. Specific Language Impairment. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders [Online Journal] 37 (4), pp.716-723. Available from SpringerLink at http://springerlink.metapress.com (October 10 2007). BERCKELAER-ONNES, I. V. and NOENS, I. 2005. Captured by Details: Sense-Making, Language and Communication in Autism, [WWW] awares.org/conferences/home.asp?conferenceCode=00020001 (October 10 2007). BOLT, D., GREENBERG, J. S., KRING, S., LORD, C., LOUNDS, ORSMOND, G. I., SELTZER, M. M., SHATTUCK, P. T. 2006. Change of Autism Symptoms and Maladaptive Behaviors in Adolescents and Adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders [Online journal], 37 (9), pp. 1735-1747, Available from SpringerLink at http://springerlink.metapress.com (October 10 2007). DISSANAYAKE, C. AND MACINTOSH, K. E. 2004. Annotation: The Similarities and Differences between Autistic Disorder and Asperger’s Disorder: A Review of the Empirical Evidence. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry [Online journal] 45 (3), pp. 421-434. Available from EBSCO host at http://search.ebscohost.com (October 16 2007). DODD, S. 2005. (Lorna Wing and Judy Gould as cited in) Understanding Autism. Marrickville, Australia: Vaughn Curtis. FITZGERALD, M. and LYONS, V. 2007. Asperger (1906–1980) and Kanner (1894–1981), the Two Pioneers of Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. [Online Journal] 37 (10), pp. 2022-2023. Available from SpringerLink at http://springerlink.metapress.com. (October 16 2007). FRITH, UTA. 2003. (Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger as cited in) Autism Explaining the Enigma. 2nd edn. New York: Blackwell Publishing. HAPPE, FRANCESCA. 1999. (Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger as cited in) Autism: An Introduction to Psychological Theory. London, England: Psychological Theory Press, Ltd. SHATTOCK, P. 2005. The Role of Biomedical Interventions for People with Autism. [WWW] awares.org/conferences/home.asp?conferenceCode =00020001 (October 10 2007). UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE. 2007. Autism Research Centre. [WWW] autismresearchcentre.com/autism/as_hfa.asp (October 15 2007). VOLKMAR, FRED., PAUL, RHEA., KLIN, AMI., and COHEN, DONALD. 2005. Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. 3rd edn. 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History Of Chemistry Essays - Chemistry, Science, Free Essays

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