Marketing Mix (Research Paper) Essay

Business magazines and websites are abuzz with news about the value of marketing mix modeling as a way to help companies maximize returns on their marketing investments (ROMI). Despite the currency of this topic in the media, the concepts and tools of marketing mix modeling date back at least 30 to 40 years. The topic is of growing interest partly because of the corporate world’s interest in growing topline revenue. The last couple of decades have witnessed unparalleled cost cutting and staff reductions among the Fortune 500 in the U.S. The opportunities for further cost reductions are diminishing in number and scale, so the pressure for long-term financial performance from public markets can only be met by renewed emphasis on new products and revenue growth. A second reason for the growing interest in marketing mix modeling is the proliferation of new media (i.e., new ways to spend the marketing budget), including the Internet, online communities, search engines, event marketing, sports marketing, viral marketing, cell phones, and text messaging, etc. No one knows how to accurately measure the potential value of these many new ways to spend one’s marketing dollars. To grow revenue and profits, corporate executives need to understand the types of marketing investments that are most likely to produce viable, long-term revenue growth. That is, what combination of marketing and advertising investments will generate the greatest sales growth and/or maximize profits? Eureka! Marketing mix modeling might provide some answers to these challenging problems. What exactly is marketing mix modeling? The term is widely used and applied indiscriminately to a broad range of marketing models used to evaluate different components of marketing plans, such as advertising, promotion, packaging, media weight levels, sales force numbers, etc. These models can be of many types, but multiple regression is the workhorse of most marketing mix modeling. Regression is based on a number of inputs (or independent variables) and how these relate to an outcome (or dependent variable) such as sales or profits or both. Once the model is built and validated, the input variables (advertising, promotion, etc.) can be manipulated to determine the net effect on a company’s sales or profits. If the president of a company knows that sales will go up $10 million for every $1 million he spends on a particular advertising campaign, he can quickly determine if additional advertising investment makes economic sense. But, in a broader sense, a deep understanding of the variables that drive sales and profits upwards is essential to determining an optimal strategy for the corporation. So, marketing mix modeling can assist in making specific marketing decisions and tradeoffs, but it can also create a broad platform of knowledge to guide strategic planning. From a conceptual perspective, there are two main strategies to pursue in marketing mix modeling. One is longitudinal; the other is cross-sectional or side-by-side analysis. In longitudinal analyses, the corporation looks at sales and profits over a number of time periods (months, quarters, years), compared to the marketing inputs in each of those time periods. In the cross-sectional approach, the corporation’s various sales territories each receive different marketing inputs at the same time, or these inputs are systematically varied across the sales territories, and are compared to the sales and profit outcomes. Both methods are sound, and both have their place. Often, some combination of the two methods is the most efficient. .

Description of a Tramp Essay

A tramp, also known as a hobo, is the term used to describe a person, who lives a vagrant lifestyle and who usually itinerant and redundant. Many tramps travel from place to place, also looking for some form of shelter or a short-term job to earn money to survive, on the other hand some other tramps depend on begging for money to survive, some even resort to scavenging. Many tramps have traveled to seek work or to find more pleasant and welcoming communities where they might obtain assistance from charitable organizations, churches, or individuals. Tramps became very high-profile throughout the Great Depression, when many people were forced into transient lifestyles by the disturbed American economy. The image of a tramp is usually recognized as dirty, dishevelled and disgusting. Tramps are generally seen residing on streets; on top of that they can be seen drunk, asleep and oblivious to their surroundings. A tramp lives on very few clothes and hardly any money (sometimes even none at all). Many are very unclean; they do not shave, shower or have any change of clothes as they can not afford any of these resources. In addition to that, they become even more dirty as they resort to sleeping on the streets as they do not have any other shelter, the dirt on the streets does not help their hygiene or health. Also it adds to their extremely unpleasant smell, as most live outside everyday in the busy, polluted cities, this also impacts their hygiene and most importantly health. As they have no change of clothes, the different seasons in the year can be very hard for them, as in the summer, when it is incredibly hot they suffer also in the deep winter, which again disturbs their health. Many people become tramps and homeless for various number of reasons, the most common include becoming addicted to drugs, therefore loosing money, job, friends and family and being left alone with nothing, this is also a similar case with alcohol and gambling. On some occasions it is not necessarily that persons fault, it could be that the persons family have been homeless before, or because someone else has cheated the person causing them to lose everything and ending up on the streets or they have been made redundant by the government. It could also be they are uneducated as they did not have the opportunity to go to school. It could be economic circumstances, mental illness and many other factors that they have ended up in such a bad state. To survive, tramps usually resort to begging in the streets or in busy areas such as shopping centres. Some also work hard to try and find temporary jobs, usually jobs that come with shelter. Many tramps also seek charitable organization which help homeless people and provide food and comfort. Others even scavenge for food and clothes in dumps and bins, most only do this if they are exceedingly desperate. However, when tramps beg on the streets many people do not really wish to donate money or food to the tramps as their unpleasant appearance prevents them, also they believe the tramps will misuse the money on alcohol and drugs as opposed to spending it on material they need.

Human and New Surgical Tools

Countless inventions have improved the quality of human life and made previously inconceivable notions possible. In some cases (such as the washing machine), they reduce the drudgery of day-to-day tasks. In others (such as the motion picture), they allow people to engage in new forms of artistic expression. Many inventions actually save human lives, such as new surgical tools and medical vaccines.With the science scientist invented the computer now everywhere we need and we are using computers, computers become a friendly in our nature that we can do anything from echnologies so I want to conclude that science is a boon not a bane if we use in a proper way. Science has invented marvellous machines and discovered energies that run these machines to take the drudgery out of man's work. By doing much of his work and doing it fast, machines have provided man with a lot of leisure. The rosy dream of an easy and luxurious life has come true for him. Distance has been conquered.Modern means of transport and communication have made the Modern means of transport and communication has made the world a global village. Men nd things and news and views can go around the globe today with lightening speed. Internet has brought people of the world together and brought about a revolution in the fields of information and communication. Man has already landed on the moon and man- made satellites have made voyages through the solar system. Our life has become healthier and longer. Modern hygiene, sanitation, medicine and surgery are conquering more and more physical and mental illness with each passing day.We now know and experience the Joys of good health and longevity. Through the inema, the radio, the tape recorder, the TV and the video, science has worked wonders in the fields of education and entertainment. Though we welcome these blessings of science, we have to consider the other side of the picture also. Man has not been able to face the problems created by the inventions of science and to stop the misuse or harmful consequences of scientific inventions. Factories have polluted the water and the atmosphere. They have caused noise pollution.Industrialization has led to slums in which human beings live a degraded life in the midst of filth and qualor. We have allowed science to master us instead of keeping it our servant. Medical inventions have, led to the pollution explosion and the consequent miseries. Again, science has put in our hands terrible weapons such as the nuclear bombs, the guided missiles and the means of chemicals and biological warfare. We are in danger of destroying ourselves with these monstrous means that ironically are our own creations. Rightly used science can bring heaven on earth. Wrongly used, it can turn this earth into hell.

Facebook Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Facebook - Research Paper Example ing Facebook scored a grade point lower with their weekly period of study ranging between 1 and 5 hours as compared to 11 to 15 hours by the non-users of Facebook (23). This paper looks at the arguments by these researchers, analysing the implications of networking sites on learning and compares them to counterarguments by various researchers. Indeed, Facebook does not make us dumb but rather imparts important learning skills that prevent dumbness among its users. The evaluation of the effects of social media on learning which determine dumbness in an individual has been cited by Ahn (1436) as a complex undertaking. According to this researcher, the media effects paradigm provides appropriate explanation to the dynamics involved in influencing learning. This postulates that any media or technological form would have causal relationship on some outcome, though it remains elusive to conclude on a direct causal relationship existing between technology and social outcome like learning. But the media effect paradigm has helped researchers conclude that a media tool in itself would not influence learning but rather, the learning behaviours associated with the software used or the educational program (Ractham, Kaewkitipong and Firpo 173). According to Ahn (1437), it is the features of a technology and not a technology in itself that that constrains or propagates the usage of the tool. Furthermore, behavioural practices and cultural norms influence one’s usage of technology. This offers insights in studies seeking to determine the effects of social media. This social informatics perspective implies that the social platform media would not cause outcomes like learning; the cultural and communication behaviours exhibited by its users would. Therefore, it would be important to consider the user populations involved in these social communities, the features of the social media sites and behaviours that could be likely associated with the social outcomes (Rouis, Limayem and

Analysis of the Effect of the Recession on Hypermarket Retailing Essay

Analysis of the Effect of the Recession on Hypermarket Retailing Industry in Brazil - Essay Example The economic reviews of Brazil’s retail industry out that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rates are cumulatively increasing year by year. The practice of consolidation of the hypermarket retail industry has been continuing but in general, the hypermarket remains comparatively fragmented, representing substantial span for the big players to develop their market strength in future. The leading 3 market players are controlling the hypermarket retail industry in Brazil; they are Pao de Acucar, Carrefour, and Wal-Mart. Other players are leading through acquisition. The recession affects the revenue of sales and the decline of the profit in the retail industry, Recession is defined as "a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real gross domestic product (GDP), real income, employment, industrial production and wholesale-retail sales" (What causes a recession? 2012). In this study, the recession affects the business of hypermarket retailing industry. Recession affects various aspects of business such as the purchasing power of consumers, buying behavior, and the income disposable level of people has increased significantly. There are many other factors that contribute to the fall in economy's into a recession, but inflation is the major reason for recession. â€Å"Inflation is defined as a sustained increase in the general level of prices for goods and services† (All about Inflation 2012). Inflation indicates the general increase in the price of products and services over time period. The rate of inflation is higher; the consumers purchase lower percentage goods and services with the same price. The time of recession affects the hypermarket industry in Brazil; the major players of hypermarket industry in Brazil are Pao de Acucar, Carrefour and Wal-Mart. Recession mainly affects these companies because they are retail stores. â€Å"The ec onomic crisis makes low-price concepts particularly adapted, and all three international retailers can potentially benefit from this trend. Expansion in Brazil is still ongoing and a strategic focus for all three groups† (Carrefour, Casino and Wal-Mart’s Expansion Strategies in Latin America 2012). Hypermarkets provide durable and non-durable goods. The retail industry of Brazil is segmented in three parts, they are Grocery Retail Non-Grocery Retail Non-Store retail These three categories are the main drivers of Brazil’s retail industry. The retailing of grocery is at a constant growth, and has gained its sustainability to the growing people who belong to low income group. The hypermarkets and large retailers are focusing on grocery, and also investing on the non-grocery items such as foot wears, fashion clothing, and sundries. The retailer’s Wallmart and Carrefour focus on developing personal labels for their own clothing brands and footwear. The Recessio n Impact of Retail Industry: â€Å"A recession normally takes place when consumers lose confidence in the growth of the economy and spend less, this leads to a decreased demand for goods and services, which in turn leads to a decrease in production, lay-offs and a sharp rise in unemployment† (Malik & Pandit 2012). The impact of recession in retail industry will decrease the proper demand and also enforces stress on the prices, and leads to the absence of price-war in the retail market. To keep the consumers, the

Great Depression Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Great Depression - Thesis Example It led to lower production of staple and cash crop food like wheat, which led to low income2. Misuse of land by farmers caused soil erosion by wind storms; plagues of grasshoppers invaded their wheat and caused massive losses. It caused migration of civilians in other parts of the country, which had not been hit hard (Atlantic and southern parts). Production industries and companies: they had to reduce production, especially farm inputs, this led to dropping off of employees hence rising unemployment, few people considered luxury items therefore affecting industries producing such appliances for example cars3. Other parts of Ontario and Quebec went through unemployment since mining and forest tourists had dropped. For British Columbia province, which majors in horticulture encountered an economic downfall due to low demand hence workers were laid off. The Newfoundland province had to ask for government help for the crisis (Wiegand, 254). Very few wealthy citizens benefited from the depression since they acquired property due to the low value and cheap prices and later sold it at higher rates. In addition, few big industries capitalized on the chance of depression since they didn’t have to pay wages as many workers were dismissed. Political instability: A lot of pressure from the economy and citizens, the whole country faced to politics to try to save the situation, they overthrew the past political parties and brought in liberals lawyer Richard Bennett hoping to bring a

The role of the secretariat of the United Nations Research Paper

The role of the secretariat of the United Nations - Research Paper Example 1-3). The secretariat is the backbone of the UN structure, which performs numerous, diverse and wide-ranging tasks, and duties that include supervision and management of international operations, carrying out surveys regarding the economic and social trends of different nations. Additionally, the secretariat oversees and governs the activities and policies designed by the G.A. It also acts as a communicator that clarifies the communication media concerning the activities of the UN, and thus it is divided up into various offices and departments (Myint-U,  Scott  & International Peace Academy, 2007, pp. 1-6). In this regard, it becomes important to carry out research to discover the vast responsibilities and impact of secretariat of the United Nations. Hence, the purpose of the research proposal is to study "The Role of Secretariat of the United Nations", as the role of secretariat in the United Nations is one of the considerable aspects that need to be measured. The study aims to analyze, explore, and investigate the functions and responsibilities of the secretariat of the United Nations. Therefore, with this fundamental objective, an empirical study would be carried out that would incorporate the primary and key features with respect to the secretariat’s role: The research methodology is the systematic approach that would come under performance in order to collect and accumulate the widespread data and then convert into valuable information with reference to the aims and objectives of the study. Therefore, considering the question of the secretariat of the United Nations, the researcher would implement the secondary research methodology as the fundamental source to collect information (Kothari, 2008, pp. 1-5). The secondary research methodology helps the researcher to gather a wide range of information that is available through a number of sources that include publications, reports, databases, and historical evidences. The

Consideration and Intention to Create Legal Relation Essay

Consideration and Intention to Create Legal Relation - Essay Example This is a case of acceptance by conduct. Acceptance need not necessarily be in writing. In the case of Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball1, Miss Carlill demonstrated her acceptance of the offer by purchasing the smoke ball Another issue for determination is whether there was the intention by the parties to create a legally binding relationship. We will access the issue of promissory estoppels to access the existence of legal relationship between the parties. In England and Wales, Lord Denning interpreted promissory estoppels to be a promise that had been made by one party to another with the intention of creating legal relations2. The promise should be made with knowledge that it is going to be relied on by the other party. In the instance case, the bank approached Bubba with a promise to change the terms in the contract on how the loan was to be repaid following Bubba’s financial crisis. This promise was relied on by Bubba. The bank will therefore not be allowed to go back from it s promise. This is primarily owing to the fact that it had been acted upon by the recipient. After realizing that Bubba’s fortune had turned, the proposal to Bubba to revert to the old system of payment constituted an offer to Bubba which he was entitled to accept or reject. The bank now demands that Bubba should pay the lump sum for eight months as well as repay the loan within a period of three years as per the earlier agreement. The earlier agreement had been revoked upon the establishment of new terms by the bank that was accepted by Bubba. The facts in the high trees case, involved a situation at the beginning of Second World War where High Trees House had leased some flat in London from Central property. As a result of the war, occupancy rates drastically went down. The parties therefore made an agreement to cut down the rent that was payable by half. When the situation turned around after the war, Central London property sued for the full rent. The court held that they were entitled to full payment of rent. However, they could not recover the amount that they had agreed to cut down the rent by during the period of war Lord Denning based his decision in the previous case3 which held that if a party to a contract leads another person to believe that they will not enforce their legal rights, they cannot go back from this promise, especially if the other party had accepted the promise and altered his position in reliance on the promise. In the case of Smith v. Hughes4, the court held that for there to be a valid contract, there must be a meeting of the minds of two parties who intend to be legally bound. For there to be meeting of the minds, offeree must communicate his acceptance of the offer to the offeror. It is not necessary that acceptance should be communicated verbally. It can in some situations be inferred from the conduct of the parties. The court in the case of Brodgen v. Metropolitan Railway Company5 held that acceptance can be inferred fr om the conduct. In this case the plaintiff had been supplying the company with coals for some of years. The plaintiff thereafter came up with a suggestion that they needed to enter into a formal contract. Their respective agents met and engaged in some negotiations on the best agreement that they wanted to enter into. The company’s agent then drew up the contract which he sent to the plaintiff for approval. The court held that the company’s acceptance could be inferred from its conduct. By

Families Coping with a Deaf Child Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Families Coping with a Deaf Child - Essay Example Children may be either deaf, Deaf, hard of hearing, or have acquired deafness. The deaf are those who are unable to hear speech without the use of a hearing aid. Deaf (i.e. with a capital D) refers to users of sign language who also share a common â€Å"heritage, social afflilation, educational background, experience of oppression and culture† (NCTSN, 2004). In other words, whereas the ‘deaf’ are an audiologically distinguished group, the ‘Deaf’ also indicates a sociolinguistic and cultural affiliation. Although the deaf cannot hear, many tend to have sharper visual skills instead (CHS, 1998). Those who are ‘hard of hearing’ have a mild to moderate loss of hearing (or reduced hearing acuity) so can communicate without amplification to some degree. And, the loss may be either permanent or fluctuating. Acquired deafness occurs when the hearing loss begins at a later stage of the child’s development or in adulthood. Permanent loss of hearing affects is known as ‘sensorineural hearing loss’. It is caused by damage to the inner ear, or the auditory nerve as a result of infections, medications, being exposed to loud noise, head injuries, or due to defective genes. (Chandler, 2001) Infections to the middle or outer ear are more common, especially in children, but the accompanying hearing loss, known as ‘conductive hearing loss’ is treatable and therefore not permanent. Middle ear infections (otitis media) are caused by bacterial/viral infections and are actually common in young children. These parts of the ear can also be affected by excessive wax, presence of foreign bodies or auditory canal swelling. A combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss can also occur. There are two complications in providing accurate statistics of the number of deaf children. Firstly, there are varying definitions, and degrees of

Globalisation And Regionalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Globalisation And Regionalisation - Essay Example Consequent to the implementation of the neo-liberal economic agenda upon the global economy, implying the removal of barriers to trade and most forms of protectionism, 90% of the global GDP was owned and controlled by just under 20% of the North's citizens, while 20% of the South's citizens controlled and owned under 1% of the global GDP ('Why the World,' 2005). In addition to that, and as Longsworth (1999) reports, the combined wealth of Microsoft's three top executives exceeds the combined wealth of fifty LDCs. Indeed, globalisation has substantially and dangerously expanded the gap between the haves and the have-nots, as evidenced through the fact that the income gap between the fifth of the world's people living in the richest countries and the fifth in the poorest was 30:1 in 1960, 60:1 in 1990,and jumped to 74:1 in 1997 (Indonesia's despair,'2000). Economic statistics establish globalisation as an instrument for the transference of wealth and resources from the South to the nor th, from the poor to the rich and not, as its proponents have claimed a strategy for the elimination of poverty and underdevelopment. The means by which globalisation transfers wealth and resources from the have-nots to the haves are, within the context of any discussion on regionalization versus globalisation, extremely informative. Globalisation, as earlier stated, has imposed neo-liberal economic agendas upon national economies, dictating the virtual withdrawal of states from their domestic economies and constraining their powers to exercise protectionism, if only to allow their infant industries the space and time to grow and stabilize. As Schwam-Baird (2003) writes, insofar as both developing and single national economies are concerned, the consequences are potentially... The United States, both fuelled and fortified by its multinationals has emerged, not only as the world's only superpower but as an unequaled and unmatched force. More importantly, it is a force which is determined to overwhelm and consume other nations. Single economies, irrespective of their individual strength, cannot resist this power/force alone but can as a collectivity. Indeed, they can should they respond through the formation of their own `empire,' a union of nations which, besides being capable of surviving globalization, possibly thriving under it, can emerge as a counterforce to the American empire. Consequently, from this interpretive perspective, not only is regionalization a strategy for survival under, and resistance to, globalization but it is, potentially, a project for the resistance of the American Empire through the recreation of the bipolar world order. In the final analysis, regionalization is, quite incontrovertibly, a counterforce to globalization, with it bei ng quite valid to argue that, as a phenomenon, it rose in direct response to globalization. This should hardly be surprising considering the fact that globalization functions as a very real threat, not only to the economic survival, political independence and national sovereignty of the nations of the South but, to the countries of the North. Regionalisation, as such, emerges as a strategy for the pooling of national resources and unifying for the maximisation of strength and, hence, capacity to resist and survive.

FacBook IPO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FacBook IPO - Essay Example The main task of this paper was to calculate the so-called fair price of the company’s shares in the moment of IPO. Two different approaches are going to be used to reach the goal of the task – DCF and comparative valuation. Taking into account this goal, the paper has the following structure: introduction (brief background information about the company), theoretical concepts and methodology, financial analysis, conclusions. As it has been already mentioned, Facebook Inc. is one of the most successful companies in the modern business world. It is among the leaders not only in the IT industry, but in the global business environment, in general. The company was founded in 2004 as a website for the local Harvard community. The company has become successful quite soon. Nowadays it employs almost 2000 employees, has offices in the different countries around the whole world, and has almost 1 billion of users. Its current market capitalization is $56.8 billion. Some additional information about the company under consideration can be got from the following quote. â€Å"Facebook, Inc. operates as a social networking company worldwide. The company builds tools that enable users to connect, share, discover, and communicate with each other; enables developers to build social applications on Facebook or to integrate their Websites with Facebook; and offers products that enable advertisers and marketers to engage with its users. As of February 2, 2012, it had 845 million monthly users and 443 million daily users. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Menlo Park, California† (Facebook Inc. Company Profile). Probably the biggest question is what the factors of the company’s success are. The company has provided for people around the world an opportunity to communicate without any barriers. We believe that it is the main driver of the company’s success. Communication is among the greatest need of people and Facebook provides such

All quite on Western front-Enrich Maria Remarque Essay Example for Free

All quite on Western front-Enrich Maria Remarque Essay Remarque, being a veteran German of the World War 1, could depict the physical and psychological duress, the government soldiers had to tolerate. He narrates the mental tug of war the soldiers had to bear on being detached from civic life comprising of family and friends. This mental war was allying with the field fight. Remarque in his book does not articulate heroism, but he gives a vivid description of the mental agitation the soldier goes through . having once sailed in the same ship, Remarque could feel the monotony and constant fight for life. This story relates to the kind of trauma and loneliness, the foot soldiers went through. The war had snatched their peace of mind there by causing a situation of alert all the while around them. There was an air of struggle flowing throughout, struggle for piece, struggle for victory, struggle for food and struggle for existence. Remarque remarks, the life of soldiers are always at a jolt and yet they appear old and dead being thoroughly, emotionally drained. The soldiers are here merely escaping from their own self. At this jovial age, the world of love that they had once created is brutally shattered to pieces by their own hands. The author depicts a poignant description by narrating the awe and feeling of being abandoned makes the mental state of the foot soldiers all the more morose. The protagonist of the story, Paul Baumer who was moved by his mentor, joined the German army and entangled himself into an unsigned bond of serving the country at the price of leaving behind the personal life which had just started showing the colors of youth brimming with high spirits. He had also left behind his ailing mother. But now avenues of repentance are lost. Many others like Paul had been a false prey to the futile war. This amusing anecdote throws light on the life in the trenches of the German camp. The outcome of the war brought nothing but destruction, death and needless waste of mankind. The youth directly, though bravely, encountered brutality, soiled dead bodies and evident death which might be their awaiting future. The story highlights the psychological insight resulting out of the pathetic incidences in the trenches. Though being part of the war, the protagonist and his co-mates realized the futility of the war which had brought with it a needless waste of human life in form of mass death. The trenches had a miserable and pitiable sight. The priceless human life turned valueless. Even a stone heart would surely melt at such a terrible death game. The very sight traumatizes people, but the soldiers were facing them boldly. Though trained to be tough, the soldiers break down at the loss and sufferings of the fellow beings. The cooks of the army cooks for hundred soldiers but ends up in serving eighty of them. They often show their frustration by declaring not to serve unless all hundred are present. But they realize the fact that this figure would always be a diminishing trend and complains fatality to none other than fate. The author depicts the character of Tjadesa as a carefree, apathetic person grinning over the cook’s reaction. Though it seemed that there were no trace of repercussions on Tjadesa, but it was his unnatural behavior which depicted his concern and fear. He showed joyous expressions despite the losing his comates for ever, this were out of gratitude of still being alive. Though tjedas’s behavior seemed weird, but his discrete way of accepting the inevitable losses. The ideas ejaculating out of the soldiers mind were often weird, like they felt the war should have been fought by the leaders within a ring rather than such merciless slaughtering and cruel blood shed. The futility of war has given rise to restraint traits of human like selfishness, jealousy, envy, violence and being opportunist. Eventually the brutal results of the war some how dries up the sense of morality, dignity, empathy and many such emotions in the soldiers and life becomes like an unfertile land yielding nothing grow more unfertile for days to come. Similarly wars too yield nothing but destruction, emptiness and ruined humanity. The war may end in victory but the society is held back by the rudderless youth detached from social and moral life and lives with frustrations of shattered dreams. The rumbustious youth turns into old folk. The author relates the feelings of Paula’s, â€Å"Youth! We are none of us more than twenty years old. But young? Youth? That is long ago. We are old folk. † BIBLIOGRAPHY: Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front. Wikipedia- All Quiet on the Western Front. www. docshare. com.

Women In Heart Of Darkness Analysis English Literature Essay

Women In Heart Of Darkness Analysis English Literature Essay Another example of this fantasy world that women live in occurs when Marlow tells the Intended of Kurtzs last words. Like Marlows aunt, the Intended represents women of Victorian England in that her reality was based on the faith that was in herthat great and saving illusion that shone with an unearthly glow in the darkness (133). To Marlow, women must live in a perfect world: They-the women I mean-are out of it-should be out of it. We must help them to stay in that beautiful world of their own, lest ours get worse (97). Again, women are shown to be ignorant of reality and are treated in view of that, such as when Kurtz describes the Intended as one item in a list of his property: My intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my- (97). Note, however, that only Marlow and Kurtz make these comments on the ignorance of women, and it is because of this view that Marlow lies to the Intended. In contrast to the Intended, the native mistress first appearance gives readers an image of a bold and courageous woman. She alone stands on the shore as men fire guns at the natives and is described as a wild and gorgeous apparition of a womansavage and superb, wild-eyed and magnificent (113). The image she radiates seems unlike that of Marlows aunt or the Intended, in that the native woman has a commanding presence within her tribe. In actuality, despite the appearance of importance, she is regarded by men as expendable. The Russian says, If she had offered to come aboard I really think I would have tried to shoot her (114). Marlow and his men are allowed to help Kurtz, but the native woman is not even allowed to suggest helping. This inferiority of the native mistress in the Congo parallels the same role of the Intended in European civilization: women are helpless without men. This is evident when the barbarous and superb womanstretched tragically her bare arms after us over the somber and glittering river (122), identical to when the Intended put out her arms as if after a retreating figure, stretching them back and with clasped pale handsresembling in this gesture another one, tragic also, and bedecked with powerless charms, stretching bare brown arms over the glitter of the infernal stream, the stream of darkness (134). Symbolically, this motion signifies the inexplicable female dependence on men in that both women reached out for Kurtz. Furthermore, the gesture demonstrates a side of women cultured by men, a refusal to accept reality. This is also shown by the native womans apparent unawareness of Kurtzs atrocities. When taking into consideration all the male influences on women in the novel, it is impossible to support the notion that women were in any sense important. In the entire Heart of Darkness, few women are mentioned. Those that are have minor roles and are either regarded as inferior to men or detached from reality, despite having an artificial sense of value. This view of women is representative of the Victorian era in that women were male property. The importance of this notion, however, is that it is blatantly exemplified in the novel, raising the question of whether Conrad also held the same view as the men in the story. This is not only prevalent in Heart of Darkness, but it can be seen everywhere in history, even today.

Feminism: A Constant Stride Towards Equality Essay -- Gender Studies

â€Å"Women are the only oppressed group in our society that lives in intimate association with their oppressors.† -Evelyn Cunningham Feminism is an idea based on the assumption that women have the same human, political and social rights as men, furthermore, that women should have the same opportunities as men in their personal choices regarding careers, politics and expression (Reference.com). A feminist text states the author’s agenda for women in society as they relate to oppression by a patriarchal power structure and the subsequent formation of social ‘standards’ and ‘protocols’. It points out deficiencies in society regarding equal opportunity, and the author will make certain the reader will be aware of this motive (Bahar). In a work of fiction, the main character, or heroine, personifies the social struggle against male domination. Unfortunately, feminism is said to have too many negative connotations and thus it seems the term, and therefore the movement, is restricted by the glass ceiling, of which it aims to fight (Ferguson). Numerous works which we explored throughout t he semester possess characteristics of feminist works, in particular, the short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†, written by Flannery O’Connor. These are both considered feminist texts because they aim to portray women as stronger, more independent subjects, and to defy the norms that have been created by men in the past. The feministic ideas that are touched upon help to strengthen the works as well as critique modern society. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† tells a story about a woman’s struggles against male-centric thinking and societal ‘norms’. Feminist allusions are abundant throughout this s... ...y 36.3 (2011): 733-757. Literary Reference Center. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† 1912. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology For Readers and Writers. 5th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 954-968. Print. Hinely, Susan. â€Å"Charlotte Wilson, the â€Å"Woman Question†, and the Meanings of Anarchist Socialism in Late Victorian Radicalism.† International Review of Social History 57.1 (2012): 3-36. ProQuest Military Collection; ProQuest Research Library; ProQuest Social Science Journals. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. O’Connor, Flannery. â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find.† 1955. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology For Readers and Writers. 5th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 1283-1296. Print. â€Å"Reference.com - A Free Online Encyclopedia & Information Reference.† Reference.com. Web. 8 Apr. 2012. .

A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee Proposal Essay -- delicate balance,

My proposal to the class is the play A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee. It is a psychologically based drama dealing with the issues and complexities of upper-middle-class suburb dwellers. There are six characters, including two men and four women. All of the characters are in an adult age range. The plot of the play takes place in the living room of Agnes and Tobias, a middle-aged married couple as their life is disrupted by the coming and going of friends and family with many problems to face. The story opens with Agnes and her husband discussing madness and how easy it would be to go insane. Agnes suddenly finds the notion silly, remembering that she has her husband to take care of, so she cannot go mad. Agnes’ younger sister, Claire, lives with the couple permanently. She is an alcoholic. Drinking serves as a motif throughout the play, many of the characters holding drinks most of the time. In conversation, Claire predicts the ending of Agnes and Tobias’ troubled daughter, Julia’s fourth marriage. Soon Agnes announces that Julia will be coming home because her marriage, in fact, has ended. Tobias then tells the story of a cat he once had that he had to put down because it no longer liked him. Following this, Harry and Edna arrive. They are Tobias and Agnes’ best friends. They ask if they can stay in the house for a while to escape some unnamed fear. In act two, the scene begins with Agnes and Tobias discussing the fact that Harry and Edna will be occupying Julia’s old room. This upsets Julia, and she makes this known to Tobias. Tobias brings up all of Julia’s failed marriages. Julia’s brother, who died at a young age, is brought to light. Claire enters and nags Julia about her disordered life. Julia retorts about Cla... ...t are relevant to everyone. They are universal— existing throughout humanity and throughout the ages. People could be touched, moved, and changed by this piece. I’m a total advocate for that. â€Å"Theatre is to disturb the comfort and comfort the disturbed,† right? I love that quote. This, I think, would cause a few comfortable people to call their own lives and sanity into question. It would also remind the insane that they are indeed not alone or really crazy at all. We all have issues. They are just not as good at hiding it as the rest of society. It may be a challenge, but I say we go for it. Maybe we’ll even be surprised. The awards A Delicate Balance has won are as follows: 1967 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 1996 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play, 1996 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, and a nomination for the 1967 Tony Award for Best Play.

The Cold War 1980’s-1990’s Essay -- World History

Upon hearing the mention of â€Å"The Cold War† most people begin to imagine and think of a time focused on political and military tensions between two main powers, the United States of the Western world and The Soviet Union of the Communist world. The context of the Cold War has traditionally been seen this way, as a nontraditional war without any engagement of battle, as a nuclear arms race between to profoundly different political and economic ideologies. Though being accurate this view of the Cold War is not complete. The Cold War was not just a nonviolent war between the United States and the Soviet Union but one affecting the entire planet in different fashions and on multiple plains. It is for these reasons that while events during the 1980’s-1990’s seemingly led to the conventional end of conflict, they ironically only facilitated the existence and continuance of the Cold War even until today. Probably one of the most recognized events of the 1980’s is the collapse of communism but first it is important to look at events that leading up to this collapse to provide a better context of events post collapse. One very significant period of time was the mid 1980’s when it seemed all eyes were on Africa in its entirety. The release of the song â€Å"We are the World† in 1985, the â€Å"Break the Chains† campaign of 1987, and the focus on the influential figure, Desmond Tutu, during 1986 are all examples of how the United States and other countries were focused on providing aid to africa. In her book, Enlightened Aid: U.S. Development as Foreign Policy in Ethiopia, Amanda McVety explains this aid and how United Sates foreign aid was a cold war project, â€Å"It offered a Cold War weapon that was not a weapon and promised peace through peaceful me... ... 8.4 (2006): 29-56. Print. McVety, Amanda Kay. Enlightened Aid: U.S. Development as Foreign Aid Policy in Ethiopia. New York: Oxford UP, 2012. Print. "Suppression of Communism Act, No. 44 of 1950 Approved in Parliament | South African History Online." South African History Online. Web. 03 May 2012. no-44-1950-approved-parliament>. Totten, Samuel, and Rifiki Ubaldo. We Cannot Forget. ; Interviews with Survivors of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. Rutgers UP, 2011. Print. "TED KENNEDY’S AFRICAN LEGACY." Africa Is a Country. Web. 03 May 2012. . Ye, Weili, and Xiaodong Ma. Growing up in the People's Republic: Conversations between Two Daughters of China's Revolution. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. Print.

Feasibility Study Essay

2.1 FEASIBILITY STUDY The feasibility of the project is analyzed in this phase and business proposal is put forth with a very general plan for the project and some cost estimates. During system analysis the feasibility study of the proposed system is to be carried out. This is to ensure that the proposed system is not a burden to the company. For feasibility analysis, some understanding of the major requirements for the system is essential. Three key considerations involved in the feasibility analysis are ECONOMICAL FEASIBILITY TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY SOCIAL FEASIBILITY ECONOMICAL FEASIBILITY This study is carried out to check the economic impact that the system will have on the organization. The amount of fund that the company can pour into the research and development of the system is limited. The expenditures must be justified. Thus the developed system as well within the budget and this was achieved because most of the technologies used are freely available. Only the customized products had to be purchased. TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY This study is carried out to check the technical feasibility, that is, the technical requirements of the system. Any system developed must not have a high demand on the available technical resources. This will lead to high demands on the available technical resources. This will lead to high demands being placed on the client. The developed system must have a modest requirement, as only minimal or null changes are required for implementing this system. SOCIAL FEASIBILITY The aspect of study is to check the level of acceptance of the system by the user. This includes the process of training the user to use the system efficiently. The user must not feel threatened by the system, instead must accept it as a necessity. The level of acceptance by the users solely depends on the methods that are employed to educate the user about the system and to make him familiar with it. His level of confidence must be raised so that he is also able to make some constructive criticism, which is welcomed, as he is the final user of the system.

How Starbucks Uses Pricing Strategy Essay

Last Thursday Starbucks raised their beverage prices by an average of 1% across the U.S, a move that represented the company’s first significant price increase in 18 months. I failed to notice because the price change didn’t affect grande or venti (medium and large) brewed coffees and I don’t mess with smaller sizes, but anyone who purchases tall size (small) brews saw as much as a 10 cent increase. The company’s third quarter net income rose 25% to $417.8 million from $333.1 million a year earlier, and green coffee prices have plummeted, so what gives? Starbucks claims the price increase is due to rising labor and non-coffee commodity costs, but with the significantly lower coffee costs already improving their profit margins, it seems unlikely this justification is the true reason for the hike in prices. In addition, the price hike was applied to less than a third of their beverages and only targets certain regions. Implementing such a specific and minor price increase when the bottom line is already in great shape might seem like a greedy tactic, but the Starbucks approach to pricing is one we can all use to improve our margins. As we’ve said before, it only takes a 1% increase in prices to raise profits by an average of 11%. Value Based Pricing Can Boost Margins For the most part, Starbucks is a master of employing value based pricing to maximize profits, and they use research and customer analysis to formulate targeted price increases that capture the greatest amount consumers are willing to pay without driving them off. Profit maximization is the process by which a company determines the price and product output level that generates the most profit. While that may seem obvious to anyone involved in running a business, it’s rare to see companies using a value based pricing approach to effectively uncover the maximum amount a customer base is willing to spend on their products. As such, let’s take a look at how Starbucks introduces price hikes and see how you can use their approach to  generate higher profits. While cutting prices is widely accepted as the best way to keep customers during tough times, the practice is rarely based on a deeper analysis or testing of an actual customer base. In Starbucks’ case, price increases throughout the company’s history have already deterred the most price sensitive customers, leaving a loyal, higher-income consumer base that perceives these coffee beverages as an affordable luxury. In order to compensate for the customers lost to cheaper alternatives like Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks raises prices to maximize profits from these price insensitive customers who now depend on their strong gourmet coffee. Rather than trying to compete with cheaper chains like Dunkin, Starbucks uses price hikes to separate itself from the pack and reinforce the premium image of their brand and products. Since their loyal following isn’t especially price sensitive, Starbucks coffee maintains a fairly inelastic demand curve, and a small price increase can have a huge positive impact on their margins without decreasing demand for beverages. In addition, only certain regions are targeted for each price increase, and prices vary across the U.S. depending on the current markets in those areas (the most recent hike affects the Northeast and Sunbelt regions, but Florida and California prices remain the same). They also apply price increases to specific drinks and sizes rather than the whole lot. By raising the price of the tall size brewed coffee exclusively, Starbucks is able to capture consumer surplus from the customers who more value in upgrading to grande after witnessing the price of a small drip with tax climb over the $2 mark. By versioning the product in this way, the company can enjoy a slightly higher margin from these customers who were persuaded by the price hike to purchase larger sizes. Starbucks also expertly communicates their price increases to manipulate consumer perception. The price hike might be based on an analysis of the customer’s willingness to pay, but they associate the increase with what appears to be a fair reason. Using increased commodity costs to justify the price as well as statements that aim to make the hike look insignificant (less than a third of beverages will be affected, for example) help foster an attitude of acceptance. What can Your Business Learn From Starbucks? The profit maximizing tactics Starbucks implements in their pricing strategy are vital components of a process anyone can use. Here are some of the takeaways you can apply to your own business: 1. Study your customer personas. Starbucks understands that the majority of their customer base is fairly insensitive to price, and uses small price increases that everyday consumers barely notice to boost margins. Quantify your buyer personas and the demand for your product or service will help you choose a price that captures the maximum amount your customers are willing to pay. 2. Justify the exchange rate for your product. Communicating price increases effectively is crucial to a successful price hike, and managing customer perception is a key part of the Starbucks strategy. Support your price increases using changes in the market such as higher commodity costs and ease the pain on the consumer by finding an attractive way to publicize the new prices. Starbucks said their beverage prices were increasing by an average of 1%, but that low average probably stemmed from including all of their beverages in the equation, including ones that remained at the same prices. 3. Use product differentiation to put your company in the lead. You can justify maximizing your profits using the fairest of reasons, but if the customers don’t value your service the way they value a delicious cup of coffee, then a decrease in demand is inevitable. Build a service or product that consumers can’t live without, and you’ll be able to implement price hikes without turning off your customers. 4. Don’t increase the prices of the products with the highest margins. Raise the prices of the products surrounding them. As mentioned earlier, Starbucks raised the price of the tall size brew exclusively in order to persuade customers to purchase larger sizes (with slightly higher margins). Price hikes for your lower margin products can entice customers to upgrade to more expensive options, especially with respect to products and services that are tiered based on time usage and features. The goal is to use the price increases to guide the customer towards your most profitable product.

Culture and Health Promotion Essay

Madeline Leininger is the nurse and anthropologist who first developed the theory of addressing the needs of the whole person within their culture, heritage and traditions. Her book, Transcultural Nursing: Concepts, Theories, and Practice (1978), gave rise to an area of nursing practice that has become known as transcultural care. Nurses continue to develop tools to assess the nature of an individual’s culture, traditions and heritage. The Heritage Assessment Tool, developed by Rachel Spector (2000, figure 6-1), identifies language preference, family dynamic, religious practices, educational background, and social standing. The information gathered from the heritage assessment combined with further dialog will allow the nurse to implement an indivualized, culturally competent plan of care. The heritage assessment tool was utilized as part of a series of interviews comparing the health traditions of subjects from three different cultures. The focus of the interview was health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration. Subject one is a 46 year old Hispanic female. Her paternal great-grandmother was born in a small village in Spain. Her maternal great-grand father’s was born in Mexico. It is interesting to note that while she has both Mexican and Spanish lineage, she most strongly identified with the Spanish side of her heritage. She clearly indicated she and her family spoke Castilian Spanish, not Mexican Spanish. Both sets of her grandparents and parents were born in the United States of America (U.S.A.). Her father and grandparents are bilingual, and come from a large family of 16 children. Her grandparents had very little formal education; her father attended school. Her mother was from a family of 4 children and speaks  Spanish as a second language. She received formal education and was a college graduate. Twenty years ago, both sides of this family lived in rural areas and in close proximity but have since dispersed across the country for employment opportunities. This subject’s family has a strong tradition of beliefs and non-traditional methods for health protection. They did not routinely seek out a physician but rather relied on herbalists and folk remedies. There was a strong spiritual component to this family’s traditions. Prayers, lighting candles during church services and saying novenas or the rosary were all considered to be important to health protection .With regards to health restoration; the subject’s paternal grandmother had a firm belief in â€Å"mal ojo† or the evil eye. When sickness occurred, it was due to â€Å"mal ojo† transmitting sickness through jealousy either consciously or unconsciously. Her grandmother believed many illnesses were the result of â€Å"mal ojo† and could be reversed through prayer and placing a bowl of hard boiled eggs near the sick person to â€Å"pull out the mal ojo†. In addition to prayer, teas were consumed for nausea or upset stomach; eucalyptus salve was applied to the chest for colds or respiratory infections, and mercurochrome was applied to any scrapes, b ruises, insect bites or reddened areas on the skin. Food was an important part of health maintenance for this family. The subject’s mother and grandmother both provided all the family meals which consisted primarily of fish, wild game and steamed vegetables. Food was never fried, and wheat germ was added to most foods, including desserts. The subject relayed that in recent years her family has moved into a suburban setting. Her grandparents now seek regular care from a physician. They also have mostly abandoned the folk remedies previously preferred and now use pharmaceuticals for health restoration. Prayer remains a large part of this family culture (P. Sanchez, personal communication, January 28, 2012). Subject two is a 46 year old Asian-American female of Chinese heritage. She has no knowledge of her grandparents who are deceased. The entire family migrated to the USA when the subject was three years of age. She is the youngest of three siblings, all of whom live within the same city. It is of interest that all the girls in this family have traded their Chinese names for western names and have married outside their race to men of Caucasian, non-Hispanic origin. In spite of this, the family maintains a strong culture of family unity and  respect for their ancestors. Neither her mother nor father read or write English; therefore, Chinese is the language spoken when communicating at home. All the children and grandchildren are bilingual. The subject shares caretaking responsibility for her parents with her sisters. To protect health, they practice healthy eating habits and engage in regular exercise. The subject’s parents walk daily, and practice tai chi. They drink warm water after each meal to ensure good digestion. In the event of illness, several cures are used to restore health. To reduce a fever, drinking cool water is believed to be effective. To alleviate a sore throat or cough, a vinegar and warm water gargle; for headache, cold compresses on the forehead and back of neck with massage; for body aches or pain, rest with meditation is the preferred remedy. To maintain health, this family again relies on exercise, meditation, and the use of herbal supplements and teas. Mint is used for digestion, ginger is used for energy. The subject shares that her parents are now receiving Medicare benefits and they engage in primary health prevention by receiving the influenza vaccine and yearly physical examinations (C. C. Lu, personal communication, January 31, 2012). This student was the third subject. She is a 55 year old Caucasian of Scottish heritage. Her mother’s side of the family is of German Descent and her father’s side is of Scottish descent. She is strongly identified with her heritage and culture as all of her family on both sides were born and lived in West Virginia. Her mother was one of six siblings; her father an only child. This subject was the oldest of three siblings. The extended family unit was active in the same church and participated in many of the same social activities. They took family vacations and were together for most holidays and birthdays. Her father and grandfather were both professionals; her grandfather worked as a teacher, her father as an engineer. Both her grandmother and mother were homemakers. English is the only language spoken in this family. To protect health, this family used a combination of folk remedies and primary physician care. Both she and her siblings were immunized as babies and r eceived yearly physical and dental exams. However, prior to seeking medical care for health restoration, her grandmother and mother would utilize herbal and folk remedies to include warm salt water gargle for sore throat, cool compresses to reduce fever, or eucalyptus salve combined with inhaling steam for upper respiratory infections. Mineral oil  was used to relieve ear aches and baking soda was dissolved mixed with warm water and then drank to cure indigestion. Hot chicken soup was a cure all for any type of sickness. Food was also an important part of health maintenance for this family. Her grandmother maintained a large garden and several fruit trees. She preserved every variety of vegetable and fruit and taught this skill to the subject. The family also would join together to purchase a whole cow and have it butchered. Meals were simple and wholesome. Exercise in this family was not structured but every member participated in some type of physical activity through school, work or church. In conclusion, all three families interviewed have similar health traditions. Two of the three have strong religious traditions. All three use herbal and folk remedies in much the same way. The interviews revealed a pattern of change in tradition that appears to be based on education, and access to western based medicine. As the family units evolved through marriage, immigration, or education, their reliance on western medicine increased. However, the use of folk remedies were not completely abandoned and continued to be viewed as an important component in achieving and maintaining wellness. By including the health traditions in the nursing plan of care and teaching, the needs of the whole person can be addressed: Culturally competent nursing is achieved. References Leininger, M. (1978). Transcultural nursing: Concepts, theories and practice. New York: Wiley. Spector, R. E. (2000). CultureCare: Guide to heritage assessment and health traditions (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education/PH College.

Air Asia: Asia’s Leading Airline Essay

Company Background Asia’s leading airline was established with the dream of making flying possible for everyone. Since 2001, AirAsia has swiftly broken travel norms around the globe and has risen to become the world’s best. With a route network that spans through to over 20 countries, AirAsia continues to pave the way for low-cost aviation through our innovative solutions, efficient processes and a passionate approach to business. Together with our associate companies, AirAsia X, Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, Philippines’ AirAsia Inc and AirAsia Japan , AirAsia is set to take low-cost flying to an all new high with our belief, â€Å"Now Everyone Can Fly†. (2005, AirAsia) Establishment AirAsia was established in 1993 and began operations on 18 November 1996. It was originally founded by a government-owned conglomerate, DRB-Hicom. On 2 December 2001 the heavily-indebted airline was bought by former Time Warner executive Tony Fernandes’s company Tune Air Sdn Bhd for the token sum of one ringgit (about USD 0.26 at the time) with USD 11 million (MYR 40 million) worth of debts. Fernandes the CEO, turned the company around, producing a profit in 2002 and launching new routes from its hub in Kuala Lumpur, undercutting former monopoly operator Malaysia Airlines with promotional fares as low as MYR 1 (USD 0.27). International flights In 2003, AirAsia opened a second hub at Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru near Singapore and launched its first international flight toBangkok. AirAsia has since started a Thai subsidiary, added Singapore itself to the destination list, and started flights to Indonesia. Flights to Macaubegan in June 2004, and flights to mainland China (Xiamen) and the Philippines (Manila) in April 2025. Flights to Vietnam and Cambodia followed later in 2005 and to Brunei and Myanmar in 2006, the latter by Thai AirAsia. On August 2006, AirAsia took over Malaysia Airlines’s Rural Air Service routes in Sabah and Sarawak, operating under the FlyAsianXpress brand. The routes were subsequently returned to MASwings a year later, citing commercial reasons. AirAsia’s CEO Tony Fernandes subsequently unveiled a five-year plan to further enhance its presence in Asia. Under the plan, AirAsia proposes to strengthen and enhance its route network by connecting all the existing cities in the region and expanding further into Vietnam, Indonesia, Southern China (Kun Ming, Xiamen, Shenzen) and India. The airline will focus on developing its hubs in Bangkok and Jakarta through its sister companies, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia. With increase frequency and the addition of new routes, AirAsia expects passenger volume to reach 18 million by the end of 2007. Route expansion On 27 September 2008, the company had on its list 106 new routes to be added to its then-current list of 60. The number of old routes discontinued has not been publicly disclosed. On 2nd of April 2012 Air Asia had their first flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur. Sebastian Tegan-Anderson was one of the lucky few to be on this historical flight. AirAsia-Malaysian Airlines Alliance In August 2011, AirAsia agreed to forge an alliance with Malaysian Airlines by means of a share swap. The alliance was struck down by the Malaysian government, in effect voiding the agreement of both airlines. AirAsia’s vision To be the largest low cost airline in Asia and serving the 3 billion people who are currently underserved with poor connectivity and high fares. Information Technology Management (Maintenance & Operation) Information Technology management is the discipline whereby all of the technology resources of a firm are managed in accordance with its needs and priorities. These resources may include tangible investments like computer hardware, software, data, networks and data centre facilities, as well as the staffs who are hired to maintain them. Managing this responsibility within a company entails many of the basic management functions, like budgeting, staffing, and organizing and controlling, along with other aspects that are unique to technology, like change management, software design, network planning, tech support etc. (2009, McNurlin) According to Bird, a primary focus of IT management is the value creation made possible by technology. This requires the alignment of technology and business strategies. While the value creation for an organization involves a network of relationships between internal and external environments, technology plays an important role in improving the overall value chain of an organization. However, this increase requires business and technology management to work as a creative, synergistic, and collaborative team instead of a purely mechanistic span of control. Technology Management is just the same as any other management disciplines that are out there. It is basically employing the following traits. †¢Planning †¢Organizing †¢Staffing †¢Implementing †¢Monitoring †¢Evaluation However, for Technology Management to be effectively implemented, the Technology Factor has to be added to all the traits mentioned above. We all know that technology makes life much easier or more complicated based on how it is used or implemented, but technology will form into everyone’s life. But technology was made and developed primarily because there is a need to be fulfilled and you want to make things much easier. Technology thereby becomes an imperative factor that you need to incorporate in the daily carrying on of your professional lives. It is a very important tool, together with the values that go along with it; innovation, creativity, efficiency; in the conduct of your business. Technology applies to all, from the marketing to communications, product development to process innovations and so on. Throughout information technology management, it will be able to show one the way to harness the technology developed and innovated in order to create value for the company, giving AirAsia the edge to compete, providing the company with the competitive advantage. A person who would be in charge of this department in an organization would be the Chief Information Officer or CIO. Chief information Officer (CIO) is a position commonly given to the person in an enterprise who supports the enterprise goals which are responsible for the computer systems and information technology (IT) applications. The importance of information technology has created a trend whereby the position of the CIO has come to be viewed in many organizations as a key contributor in formulating strategic goals (Qais International, n.d). According to a cited Meta Group study, leading CIOs are playing dramatically more influential business roles than they have at any time in past (Bernard.A, 2005). Besides that, Graham Waller, senior vice president with Meta’s Executive Directions advisory service is quoted as saying, â€Å"Savvy CIOs have demonstrated their transformational value to senior management during the past three years, even while operating during a down economy.† In recent years, an increasingly significant business role has developed from being a purely technical support functions toward a more commercially-focused part of the business. Currently CIOs are expected to create innovative solutions which could affect the success of the organization such as increase profits, reduce costs, and to contribute in important managerial decisions (Hooshmand.A, 2008). In the past, CIOs were only responsible for the computer systems and information technology applications that supported enterprise objectives. In this case the Regional Head for Innovation Commercial & Technology for AirAsia would be Mr. Lau Kin Choy. In order to transform the vision into reality for an organization such as AirAsia, requires more than a great strategy. It is essential that the organization make the strategy an integral part of its operation (Bradford, 2002). This statement, although made with reference to the business strategy and operations, also holds true for business strategy and IT initiative. When the business strategy and IT are aligned, the IT infrastructure can continuously sense the changing business needs and respond by provisioning or redeploying resources to match the demands of the business. (Pultorak, 2004). AirAsia being a Lower Cost Carrier or ,LCC, business strategy is that of focused leadership that requires continuous cost reductions in order to stay ahead of its competition all along the value chain. The various Information Technology implementations that have been made by AirAsia and its benefit are as follows. The few system implementations that AirAsia have done in its marketing and sales activities (Yield Management System and Computer Reservation System) as well as operation activity (Enterprise Resource Planning System), The Computer Reservation System (CRS), a Wireless Delivery System (WDS), and the Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) AirAsia has realized then increased revenue from up to 3 to 4 percent for the same number of aircrafts by taking advantage of the forecast of the high/low demand patterns, and effectively shifting the demand from low period to high period and by charging a premium for late bookings. Over the past couple of years, AirAsia have actually lowered prices (essential for LCC) as the YMS has given them the window to increase their revenue by offering higher discounts, more frequently during off-peak times while raising prices only marginally for peak times. (Voneche, n.d). Computer Reservation System (CRS) AirAsia’s CRS (Open Skies by Navitaire) has helped it to grow at a dramatic pace in the past couple of years â€Å"Navitaire’s Open Skies technology has truly enabled Airasia’s growth from 2 million passengers to 7.7 million passengers in less than two years. Open Skies scaled easily to accommodate our growth.† – Tony Fernandes – Source: Navitaire (http://www.navitaire.com/res_and_dist/openskies.asp) It is an integrated web-based reservation and inventory system. It includes Internet, call center, airport departure control and more. It is a direct sales engine that effectively eliminates the middleman (travel agents) and the sales commissions that need to be paid to them. Centralized customer data is also maintained by Open Skies and this helps AirAsia to track booking and schedule flight activities with real-time, on-demand reporting feature. The vast booking information that is provided online to the customers acts as a force that brings more customers to use the website thus reducing the customer support costs. An important feature is that Open Skies seamlessly integrates with the already implemented YMS so that the systems can be used in unison for pricing and revenue maximization (by providing information on bookings, schedules and driving down the costs of operation at the same time. This CRS enabled AirAsia to introduce the first ticket less travel option and also provides features such as advanced boarding passes in addition to online booking that enabled the growth of AirAsia as these features attracted customers that did not have the time for purchasing tickets from counters and coming in 1 hour early for securing a seat on the aircraft. AirAsia have proposed to implement a Wireless Delivery System (WDS) to expand it reach via mobile phones. With this, potential customers will be able to book tickets via their mobile phones. This is a strategic move for growth as the Asia-Pacific region has a larger population of mobile phone users rather than internet users. Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) AirAsia has, as in of May 2005, opted for a full fledged ERP system implemented by Avanade consultants. By implementing this package AirAsia is looking to successfully maintain process integrity, reduce financial month-end closing processing times, and speed up reporting and data retrieval processes. (Microsoft Malaysia) APS (Advanced planning and scheduling system) AirAsia has now implemented the Aps system, where it works as a decision support software application. This Advances Planning and Scheduling system aare usually implemented as an add-on software that complements a company’s transaction software system by providing advances analyticl andd optimization functionality focusid on improving supply chain planning. There are different modules that come into play with the APS such as Demand Planning, Network Optimization, Supply Planning, and Factory Schedule software that all work together to provide the APS’s core functionality. IT Implementations and Strategic Alignment With the above implementations, it is clear that the business strategy and the IT strategy are aligned to for AirAsia to operate on a low-cost model. There are four models to Strategic Alignment Perspective (Henderson and Venkatraman, 1993). Namely: Strategic Execution, Technology Transformation, Competitive Potential and Service Level. All the systems implemented act as enablers in achieving the business strategy of AirAsia by reducing the costs of operation (CRS, ERP) and maximizing revenue (YMS). These cost savings are directly transferred to the customer with reduced prices of traveling, discounts etc. The business strategy acts as the driver in this perspective (Technology Transformation). Figure 2 – Technology Transformation Source: Henderson and Venkatraman, IBM Systems Journal 1993 With expansion as one of the main future direction as well as increased competition, APS system is recommended as a new way to improve processes and therefore achieving cost reductions along the value chain. The main difference of APS system compared to the previous system implementations is that APS system focuses on internal operational processes perspective while the other systems such as YMS and CRS more focus on customer perspective. All systems provide cost advantages in different domains in the value chain. In relation to strategic alignment, APS system like other previous systems fits smoothly in Technology Transformation perspective. Reduced costs in inbound logistics and operation activities will be the direct result of implementing APS enabling AirAsia in achieving its low cost business strategy. The operational environment of an airline industry is complex. Large network in the supply chain, continuous daily operation, and several external uncontrollable variables such as weather condition and government regulations become factors affecting airlines’ performance. Given these complexities, operational planning and scheduling across the supply chain are important factors determining the success of any airline. In order to increase the efficiency of operational performance and manage its supply chain, AirAsia had implemented the ERP system. It is a system focusing on capturing transactions in daily operations and helping AirAsia to save its operational costs as well as to increase the efficiency and integrity in its operation (Microsoft Press Pass, 2005). However, conventional ERP system implemented by AirAsia does not provide flexibility and intelligence required to analyze data for better supply chain management. APS system optimizes AirAsia’s supply chain management. It works as the brain of supply chain activities (Ahmed, 2004) by gearing activities in relation with customers and suppliers requirements. APS system clusters and classifies customer orders, forecasts future fulfilment requirements, checks resources availability and sets order priorities. Moreover, APS system helps AirAsia in gaining competitive advantage as it provides visibility across supply chain. APS system will improve AirAsia’s strategic and operational performances particularly in the inbound and operational activities. Potential Ideas in the Information Technology Aspect In order to gain market share and sustain its competitive advantages to be the low cost carrier in the high demanding environment, AirAsia must develop new ways to manage both customer relationships and suppliers or partners to optimize customer loyalty, supplier relationships, and revenue. The following diagram shows the strategic forces of value proposition of the airline industry, showing that the focus on Supplier and Alliances and customers will drive positive values to AirAsia can achieve. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application will be one of the area of strategic IT implementation that AirAsia can focus to achieve high values to both shareholders and customers. In long term, customer relationships should be fostered for AirAsia to maintain competitive advantage and profitability. When planning and implementing CRM application, management is recommended the following approaches: Customer segmentation is where mileage-based segmentation is inadequate, rather should focused on value-based and needs-based approaches can guide investment decisions and drive greater insight into the needs of high value customers. Whereas CRM initiative development – to differentiate from other competitors, AirAsia should not adopt the â€Å"fast follower† approach to CRM initiative development, i.e. learning from other competitors’ approach (e.g.installing kiosks for fast check-in). AirAsia should implement CRM program in favor of investing in initiatives with a high return, which respond to the needs and desires of their own customers and Organizational design and management is where AirAsia needs to train the employees, empowering them with a complete view of the customer and clearly articulating the employee’s role in the CRM strategy. Conclusion AirAsia as I thought was just a company that provided a low cost carrying airline company. Well that is true but after studying the information and technological aspect of the company, i have come to realize that there is so much more to the company than I realized. The systems in place are simple and efficient and wouldn’t look that impressive but the key of it was the collaboration of all these systems put together is what makes AirAsia what it is. The position of managing the technology in AirAsia is gaining importance in today’s world where technology is making a larger impact in organizations. Having the right person filling the role of the head of technology management can either make or break the company. In the case of Airasia, it is even more important and more difficult to find the right man. This is because Airasia has a set of policies and a vision that sets itself apart from other large corporations or organizations. At times, this flies in the face of conventional wisdom that is adopted at most other places, exemplified by Google’s strict insistence on maintaining employee’s freedom of choice. An organization like AirAsia which considers itself to be ‘special’ and ‘outstanding’, needs a CIO or CTO who is even more special and outstanding. The researchers have outlined some qualities that are needed, and by using examples of situations that have and are continuing to occur in AirAsia, make suggestions on how using these qualities, a CIO or CTO can address those issues.Service Level Agreements are basically agreements between those offering a service and those who are receiving or using that service. Basically it is a form of protection against the unexpected. In the business world, guarantees are very important, not only from the business and operational sense, but also in the sense of upholding a reputation. AirAsia have a fairly solid SLA in place, however it is not without shortcomings. A close examination reveals that there are a multitude of improvements that can be made. Better drafting of SLAs can help simplify work for the company and also allow it to focus more on the core operational issues. SLAs can also be advantageous in driving down costs and creating beneficial partnerships. With the importance of SLAs well established, the researchers have pointed out some areas that AirAsia would do well to consider to help improve its standing in this regard, and suggested some ways in which it could do so.All in all this has been a learning experience for the researchers, who have been able to link the theories learned in class to real world cases and scenarios which have helped create a better understanding of the issues that have been discussed during class. References: McNurlin, Barbara, et. al. (2009). â€Å"Information Systems Management in Practice (8th ed.)†. Prentice Hall Bird, M. (2010). Modern Management Guide to Information Technology. Create Space Anon, 2004, About Us, AirAsia, http://www.airasia.com/my/en/corporate/corporateprofile.page, Accessed on the 6th of July 2012 B.K. Sidhu, 2012, Tony fernandes speask to Star Biz on Airasia’s future plans, Available from http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/6/15/business/11484860&sec=business, Accessed on the 10th of July 2012. Margaret Rouse, 2009, Advanced planning and scheduling http://searchmanufacturingerp.techtarget.com/definition/advanced-planning-and-scheduling-APS, Accessed on the 5th of July 2012. Charles Kho, 2005, Strategic IT Initiative, Available from, http://sandygarink.tripod.com/papers/AA_SITA.pdf, Accessed on the 7th of July 2012. Anon, 2002, Management in Technology, Available from, http://www.unido.org/fileadmin/user_media/Publications/Pub_free/Management_of_technology_selected_papers_at_Vienna_Global_Forum.pdf Accessed on the 7th of July 2012. WIT, 2011, Technology enhances AirAsia’s product and service delivery http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_nshw.php?mwi=9119, Accessed on the 7th of July 2012. Bernard.A, 2005, New Roles, New Responsibilities: Today’s CIO [online],

Beowulf’s Defining Characteristic

Beowulf Essay Beowulf, like so many other heroes, is described as a great fghter and a man of tremendous strength. He has self-confidence bordering on insanity. He is willing to do whatever it takes to earn trust and protect his people. He chooses to fght Grendel, an invincible monster unarmed and unprotected because he is very confident in his own strength. Despite his many qualities that make him who he is, bravery is the defining characteristic of heroism in Beowulf.Beowulf has a strong desire to demonstrate his bravery to others. He travelled to the Land of the Danes in large part to prove his courage by destroying Grendel. Just as he was about to kill Grendel, he offered a prayer to God. After the battle, Beowulf knew that he did not kill Grendel alone. He says that God allowed him to kill the monster and gave him all of the credit. Beowulf then fearlessly goes to Grendel's mother's underground lair after she attacks the mead-hall Heorot to avenge his eath.Beowulf became ruler o f the Kingdom of the Geats. His first task as he ruler was protecting the Geats from a fearsome dragon. The dragon was angered because a servant stole an ornamented cup from him. Before engaging in his biggest battle thus far, he remains brave and confident. Beowulf remembered all of his past victories and knew he had to stay loyal to his people, no matter what the challenge was. Through Beowulf's bravery, strength, and loyalty, he earned the respect of many people.His actions resemble one of America's most important Political fgures, Martin Luther King, Jr. MLK and Beowulf both have the intentions freeing and protecting their people. Beowulf saved his people from giant, invincible monsters, while MLK saved his people from the monster of racism. The two of them showed an amazing amount of bravery while doing this. Although their hardships and battles were completely different from each other, their motives and intentions to save their people were nearly identical.

Cultural Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Introduction to managerial accounting Case Study

Introduction to managerial accounting - Case Study Example Fixed expenses divided by the CM ratio calculates breakeven in terms of dollars. The profit of a company at the breakeven point is cero dollars (Peavler). Hacker Gulf has variable costs of $40 ($28 + $12) per unit. The monthly fixed expenses of the company are $24,000 per month. The fixed expenses of the company yearly are $288,000. The current sales price of the company is $70 per gulf club. The calculations below show the current breakeven point of the company in units and dollars. Fixed costs = 288000 Sales = 70 Variable cost = 40 Contribution margin = (70 – 40) = 30 Breakeven in units = 288000 / 30 = 9600 units CM ratio = 30/ 70 = 0.428 Breakeven in dollars = 288000 / 0.428 = $672,000 The breakeven point of Hacker Gulf is 9,600 units or $672,000. Based on the assumption that the company raises its sales price to $80 instead of $70 the breakeven point of the firm would change. A higher sales price will lower the breakeven point due to the fact that the contribution margin i s larger. The calculation below shows the breakeven point of the firm under the assumption of a sales price at $80. ... rget profit = (fixed expenses + target profit) / unit contribution margin Dollar sales to attain target profit = (fixed expenses + target profit) / CM ratio The company has the target of obtaining $50,000 in profit selling its gulf clubs at $80. The calculations below show the units and dollars needed to obtain a target profit of $50,000. Fixed costs = 288000 Sales = 80 Variable cost = 40 Contribution margin = (80 – 40) = 40 Sales to target profit = (288000+50000) / 40 = 8450 units CM ratio = 40/ 80 = 0.50 Sales to target in dollars = (288000+50000) / 0.50 = $676,000 The sales needed to obtain a target profit of $50,000 are 8,450 units or $676,000. The data used to obtain a target profit of $50,000 can be used to create an income statement for the company. An income statement using the contribution margin approach is illustrated below. Sales 676000 Variable costs 338000 Gross margin 338000 Fixed costs 288000 Net income 50000 The income statement shows that the company obtained a net income of $50,000. The purpose of the income statement is to show the profitability of a company. The net margin of the company is 7.40%. The variable expenses of the firm account for 54% of its costs, while the fixed expenses cover the other 46% of the costs. A way to increase the profitability of the firm is by sourcing its materials from cheaper suppliers located in China or another developing nation. Increasing the sales price to $80 is the correct strategy for the company. The increase in the price of the gulf clubs to $80 helped the company reduce its breakeven point from 9,600 units to 7,200. A higher sales price also improved the overall profitability of the company as illustrated by the increase in contribution margin of the firm. The managers have to take an in-depth look at the

Marketing Plan for a Fair Trade Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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Positioning and social responsibility - Essay Example Moreover, the strategic decisions may be aimed towards the customers of the business organization or the employees of the organizations. Strategic decisions aimed at the employees of the organization attempt to improve the productivity of the employees and hence lead to an increase in quantity or quality of the products produced. However, most of the strategic decisions that are aimed at the customers are usually aimed at increasing the sales of the products of the company, which the customer makes. Several strategies may be employed to help increase the sales by the customers. In addition, the company may undertake measures aimed at improving its image, which will therefore lead to improved sales and customer loyalty to the company. The company may base improved image of the company on the quality of the products, which they offer, a wide range of products or corporate social responsibility of the company. One of the strategic planning decisions, which business organizations make, i s the positioning strategy of the company. Positioning strategy Positioning strategy is a strategy that different companies make to improve their perception. Thus, it can be said to be a psychological approach to marketing. Positioning strategy is mainly aimed at making the customers prefer the products of a certain company as opposed to those from its main competitors (Hiam, 2009, p. 36). The positioning strategies of the company may be directed either towards the customer or towards the competitor. However, brand-positioning strategies can generally be classified into the following categories: Using product characteristics or customer benefits Price- quality approach Use or application of the product Product-user strategies Products class strategies Cultural symbol of the product Strategies aimed at competitor (Batra, p. 205) Using product characteristics or customer benefits This is the most used positioning strategy; it links a certain product with a certain characteristic, whic h is generally of great importance to the customer. The company may stress the durability, safety, or reliability of its products. However, a company may also use two or more different characteristics to build the brand image of the product. Companies that use two or more product characteristics to build the image of the brand risk confusing the image of the brand, which affects the customers’ perception of the brand (Batra, p. 208). Yo sushi helps in attracting customers to its restaurants using the claim that its food is fresh (company website – Yo! Sushi). Emphasis on the quality of food that is served in the restaurants portrays the image that the food is of higher quality and safe to the customers who may it. In addition, Yo sushi emphasizes on the speed in which the restaurant is able to serve its customers. The restaurant serves the food from conveyor belt. Yo sushi claims that its food is fast, fun and fresh (company website – Yo! Sushi). Due to the fact that a belt would definitely move at a fast speed the company in effect portrays to its customers that its services are very fast and hence the customers would not waste time waiting for the food to be served. This therefore helps in attracti

Burger King and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 12000 words

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