A Room of One’s Own Critical Analysis

Many intelligent and creative women can make great contributions to the society if they are given space and time. However, for many years women have been viewed as less intelligent, merely mothers, and objects of ownership.In A Room of One’s Own, a novel by Virginia Woolf, the author argues that Shakespeare’s sister is as talented as her brother and that she can make great contributions to her society.In chapter, six Woolf clearly demonstrates her opinion and attitude towards patriarchal society. She portrays her judgment through use of language, narrative, style and other viewpoints about man, their dominance and female subservience.She uses sarcasm and irony combined with a lot humor to emphasize her argument as she contradicts the general opinions of men. She reminds women that what they want depends on them and that they should leave exhortations to men. She however criticizes women for lack of motivation and spirit by referring to them as â€Å"disgraceful ignoran t.†Through this the extract, the author gives hope to others but she is also realistic about the society developing a culture of equality. She tells women that it is very important to be their selves than to be anything else, a statement which contradicts men’s belief that women are objects of ownership and are merely mothers.Woolf seeks revenge against the society which is patriarchal through the characters of Mr. John Davies and Professor X. For example, Professor X is not given a name or identity (Davis).The author sarcastically calls men â€Å"great minds†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.are androgynous,† meaning that the part of the male’s mind should work together with women to create something that is original (Davis). She tells the writers that they should not think about their sex but should focus on the story that they are about to write.In conclusion, it is ironic that, in this book she does not talk about a matriarchal society but only talks about the society whe re women and men are equal.Works CitedDavis, C.   A Room of One's Own: Critical Response.   July 9 2010.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.dadooda.com/index.cfm/fa/library.detail/Library_ID/8016  

Are We Free Within Society Essay

For me, I find that there are two different answers to the question: â€Å"Are we free within Society? † – and that there are many variations, with thanks to culture, socialization, social interaction and social structure. For the most part I find freedom all around. I’ll give some examples of that and show some areas where I see other’s struggle with finding a sense of freedom, whether it be external or within. First, what is freedom? It’s an ambiguous term that can hold many different meanings to different people. Where a person comes from, their socio-economic status, their race, age, gender and other factors play a role in defining what freedom is. It’s used in many different senses, for example: is freedom being able to do as you like within society or is it free-will? Is it something you do or a way you feel? For me, it holds many different meanings pertaining to many different things. It isn’t the same for all matters and some hold-fast ideas I have on freedom, have or can quickly change or slide into a different meaning with new discoveries. Reading the news paper can be profound enough to shine a new light on something that changes me as a person. Isn’t education liberating?! Some people say we are free†¦ if we say we are. Some believe we are not free in society because we willingly give it power over us, thus we are not free. What about the laws that govern us? As a law abiding citizen, I don’t find any issues with the laws that are in place to protect us. Some people who smoke pot think it should be legalized and that it is just â€Å"The Man† infringing upon their freedom. Some think it should be legalized for other reasons such as medical purposes (in some states it is legal for those said, medicinal purposes. ). See the variation of reasons!! Culturally is one free†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ say, to change ones sex? Yes, but the individual should be comfortable enough to go forward knowing that for some, it causes fear, because changing one’s sex is seen as a threat to the â€Å"normal† way of life. I certainly don’t and never have had a problem with anyone’s sexuality or sex characteristics, being different from my own. I think in today’s society we are more open to change and difference. How much freedom does a homosexual person have when it comes to their sexuality? Certainly as much as anyone else but for the individual this varies drastically per their own learned ideals, their culture, their families outlook on it and the experiences they have had. For those that are homosexual, the risk of â€Å"coming out†, can either be very easy or one they hide all their lives. I see much younger generations now, unafraid of what people may think about their sexuality. Conversely I know families that have a homosexual father or mother, who didn’t make it known that they were gay, until the kids were much older. My childhood best friend has five brothers and sisters. They had the biggest house on the block. They were wealthy beyond all recognition and the parents seemed happy. When I was twenty, so about ten years ago, I heard her parents were divorcing. Dad moved out. The next thing I know, when she had her first child three years ago, was that Dad came with a male friend. Okay, I for some reason immediately knew it was his boyfriend. Never the less, I had questions of how life was for him living with a beautiful family, I’m positive he loved every moment of, but really wanting that family with a man, instead of a woman? Did he not feel free to choose a man thirty-five years ago? If not, what enabled him to feel free to be with the man he loves now? Did he impose certain restrictions on his own life at the time and eventually shake the feeling of being limited or fearful of what negative impact his lifestyle would have? I imagine the political and social strides, plus the acceptance homosexuals have present day, made quite a difference. It is possible that he was never bound by fear, but that his family life was full and homosexuality came to him later in life. I’m not positive as to when he knew he was homosexual but this is a random analysis. Oh yes, the family also had a strong faith in Christianity and the bible condemns homosexuality. His religious belief could have surely left him feeling as though he had no choice but to marry a woman. The bible says a lot against homosexuality. Back when we were children, homosexuals were not as widely accepted as they are now. Thankfully, our society as a whole dose not look to the bible for answers. In several states there are now laws giving marriage rights to same sex couples, just as a men and women can marry. There was a huge social calling for it. Also, homosexuals exists in all cultures across the world, including in nature. So sure, we are free in society but in some cases have cultural obstacles to overcome in order to get there. What does socialization have to do with freedom? I think if anything it allows us to understand what freedom is, it shapes how we feel about it. Without socialization we aren’t human. Socialization is essential for learning how to think, feel, reason AND how to interact with others. In an isolated environment where you have no grasp of self or society, there is no understanding of what boundaries are. There is no need. Through socialization we have social encounters that show us different ways of life and encourage us to find alternate ways of thinking. We meet with individuals that have other views of the world and so we too, are exposed to new ideas, feelings and can form our own thoughts and behaviors. Our formal socialization or ideas that have been imposed upon us, can be changed and discarded as we see fit. Some people are not as emotionally strong or too afraid to change things about themselves let alone confront social injustices. This could be a fear one blames on society. I mean where does one’s own fears and or learned behaviors come from? Who and or what is really standing as a hindrance to their freedom. It’s important for people to feel some sort of freedom within social structures. Is society a prison? NO! Imagine having the type of upbringing where it was ingrained in you that you are a slave. Imagine always feeling trapped, searching for a way to get out, but get out of what? I guess real freedom isn’t about that, real freedom is freedom from the past: from your own conditioning, from fixed sets of ideas inherited from others or yourself, from behavioral habits which turn you into a â€Å"machine† instead of a fully alive human. There are all sorts of discussions on morality going on in Japan right now, and that the nation is slave to materialism and climbing the socio-economic latter. That’s seemingly a norm here in the US. What really makes me think, is the polar opposite -the kind of freedom you can have anywhere, even in jail. Inmates being completely free in their minds. Imagining they can travel the world and learn different cultures from the confines of their physical space -a four foot by six foot cell. Social structures may limit you, to what you want to do anyway but most importantly, certain structures are in place to protect society as a whole. We are not free to kill or harm people! Sociology says individuals are actively involved in the construction of self -reasoning, personality, morality, emotion, gender. You are free to think whatever you want, follow whatever religion you want, vote for political candidates of your choice, wear you pants backwards, have expectations of the people around you etc. For some, that is not enough. Defining what freedom means to you will determine whether you are free within society or not. Some will find limits and other’s will find that freedom falls within a matter of degree that can vary. Culture, socialization, social interactions and social structures all play their role in the individuals creative definition of freedom. They say, free your mind and the rest will follow!

Commentary- Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker Essay

Imtiaz Dharker’s poem describes rain as its blessing to a dry place, as the short direct sentences in the first stanza suggests there was no hope on that land: â€Å"There never is enough water.† The line shows the desperateness of rain as it sets a negative tone to start the poem. However, as the poem progress, there was an increase in hope and energy, seen from the energetic and positive language such as, â€Å"rush†, â€Å"bursts†, â€Å"crashes† and â€Å"roar†. These are used to associate with the action and the liveliness brought by the rain. The poet is trying to compare rain to a god-like blessing as it says from the title, and also from the word â€Å"congregation† as the word is related to religious. It described rain as a god-gifted blessing to the land without hope, describing the echo of rain to: â€Å"the voice of a kindly god.† We can see the importance of water to the people from the land as water is described as precious items such as â€Å"silver†, â€Å"fortune† and â€Å"liquid sun†, suggesting it’s importance to these people. We can see further illustration of this idea through the celebration as children celebrates and â€Å"sings† after being given water. The excitement of people can also be seen from the structure of the poem, seen from the enjambment which ran from the third stanza until the end of the poem, we can see the tone being very exciting that there wasn’t a pause, contrasting with the first stanza where the short and slow lines reflects the lack of energy. The most noticeable example is: â€Å"every man woman child for streets around butts in† We would expect commas being used between man woman child, but there isn’t, showing the excitement and the hurry. The poet also cleverly uses the stanza length to reflect the amount of water and excitement, with the 3rd stanza being the pinnacle of the event, there are and it differs from the short 1st stanza which suggests The use of onomatopoeia and oxymoron also highlights the importance of water: â€Å"Imagine the drip of it, the small splash, echo† The poet describes a small drip of water having a echo, which is usually associated with large items, and it gives us an idea of how a small amount of water can be seen as a huge importance to these people.

Market Entry Strategy.Contemporary International Marketing Issue Assignment

Market Entry Strategy.Contemporary International Marketing Issue. Wal-Mart Stores Inc - Assignment Example Critical evaluation of market entry strategy used by Wal-Mart at the time of entering India The retail market of India is one of the largest growing sectors and it contributes to about 15%, towards the GDP of the country. Retailing sector is the most organized sector with large amount of target customers of annual income of more than Rs 45 lacks. Keeping such scenario in mind, Wal-Mart, one of the largest retailers of US decided to enter into the market of India (Onkvisit & Shaw, 2004, pp. 456-470). However, Wal-Mart entered the market of India through the strategy of franchising in order to capture it. It is the procedure in which, the franchisor presents a chain of stores to distribute varied types of products to its target customers. This strategy proved quite effective for Wal-Mart as it helped in fulfilment of the vision of presenting best quality of products at lowest possible prices. Due to which, the level of customers started increasing at a considerable level, thereby creating a stable position in the market among other retail owners. Along with this, its market share also enhanced from 5% at initial sages to about 35% in the year 2011-2012. Apart from this, the total sales increased from US $ 412.112 billion to US $ 435.127 billion in 2012, among other retailers in the market. Due to which, the level of reputation and brand image of Wal-Mart increased to a considerable extent that proved quite effective for the entrant to dominate other retailers. ... Not only this, the strategy of presenting worth mentioning services to the customers also acted as a strength for the organization of Wal-Mart thereby enhancing its brand value considerably. Moreover, it also helped in creating a strongest brand image within the minds of the customers that enhanced its level of sustainability in the market among other contenders. Other than this, due to wide range of products of varying qualities, Wal-Mart became able to attract numerous customers of diverse economic standards. Due to which, it attained a hike in its total sales by almost 65% as compared to other retailers in this competitive market. Therefore, due to such above mentioned activities, Wal-Mart attained the brand name of, ‘World Largest Retailer’, that continued to fulfil the demands of its low-income group customers. Therefore such type of strategy acted as a boon for the new entrant in Indian market, thereby enhancing its profit margin from US $ 311.23 billion to 342.121 billion (Kotabe & Helson, 2011, pp. 376-389). Hence, it might be depicted from the above mentioned points that the strategy of franchising proved extremely effective in generating a strong brand image in the segment of retailing. The factors that influenced Wal-Mart’s decision to enter Indian market In order to understand the retail market scenario of India, Porter’s five forces is used. Threat of new entrants- the threat of new entrants is extremely low as it requires high rate of investment at the initial levels. This fact acted as a boon for the retailer like Wal-Mart as it comprises of huge amount of cash required for investment at the time of entering

Business Financial Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Financial Analysis - Research Paper Example There are currently 1,396 IHOP restaurants in competition with restaurants like Denny's offering children menus and discounts for senior citizens serving low to moderate prices. Dine Equity Mission and core value is to become the number one franchiser in the restaurant industry while providing and exceptional customer service by committing to reducing overheads and optimizing on Applebee's and IHOP business. According to their last annual report their 1st quarter stock showed the highest closing price for 2008 and the 4th quarter stock showed the lowest closing price of 2008 compared to 2007 fiscal year highest closing price shown in the 3rd quarter and lowest closing price for 2007 shown in the 1st quarter. Also according to their 2008 annual report there are 5,300 registered holders as of February 17, 2009. In analyzing this company's profitability we will look at the company's return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), Gross profit margin, price earning ratio (PE), divided yield and divided payout ratio. The gross profit margin has declined from a high of 0.403636 in 2006 to 0.26885 in 2008, this indicates that the profitability of the company is declining over the years, this shows that in the next period the gross profit margin may decline. From the above table it is evident that the return on assets has been declining over the years, the value is negative for the year 2007 and ... cost of sales 1179811 303891 208465 gross profit 433817 180668 141095 gross profit margin 0.268845731 0.37285 0.403636 The gross profit margin has declined from a high of 0.403636 in 2006 to 0.26885 in 2008, this indicates that the profitability of the company is declining over the years, this shows that in the next period the gross profit margin may decline. b. Return on assets: Return on assets indicates the amount of profit generated for each dollar of assets. It is calculated by dividing net income by total assets: Return on assets = net income / total assets The following table summarizes the results: return on assets 2008 2007 2006 total income -154459 -480 44553 assets 3361217 3831162 768870 return on assets -0.045953296 -0.00013 0.057946 From the above table it is evident that the return on assets has been declining over the years, the value is negative for the year 2007 and 2008 meaning that the firm's profitability has declined and therefore expected to decline in the future. c. Return on equity: The return on equity ratio indicates the rate of return on shareholders equity. It is calculated by dividing net income by the value of share holder's equity. Return on equity= net income / equity The table below summarizes the results: return on equity 2008 2007 2006 total income -154459 -480 44553 equity 42767 209373 289213 return on equity -3.611639816 -0.00229 0.154049 From the above table it is evident that the return on equity has been declining over the years, the value is negative for the year 2007 and 2008 meaning that the returns on shareholders equity has declined and is expected to decline in future. d. Price earning ratio: This is another ratio that indicates the profitability of a company, it is a ratio that indicates the price paid by

Taha Computer Network Security Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Taha Computer Network Security Services - Essay Example Taha Company will also be concerned with the collective mechanisms and processes that will be involved in safeguarding the sensitive and valuable information from publication. This will help safeguard the information and the computers of the individuals and companies from physical damage.There are measures and plans in the future to offer other computer services to the clients. These other services include offering both the software and hardware maintenance and providing computer training to the individuals and the companies who are our clients.Taha Computer Security Service Company has a competitive advantage over any other business since there is none other company that offers computer security services in the region. The owners of computers and vital information have been exposed to both physical damages and other damages caused by malfunctions and Trojans, which have led to the loss of income of the individuals and companies.The company’s mission is to be an information te chnology ally to its clients and to provide computer security and protection to its clients in a wider market. This will only be achievable by an increment in the company’s returns, which will be used in expansion to other markets to provide these services. Our support services to help in the market capture and expansion include training, offers, and network services. The company will also seek for other new opportunities to be able to be competitive enough once other businesses invade the industry.

Essay about a movie Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

About a movie - Essay Example Her family expects her to marry a Greek man and raise children. His father is over-patronising, according to Toula, as he refuses to let her pursue further education in a computer academy. She manages to achieve it with the help of her mother and eventually takes up an office job and stops working at her family restaurant. Toulaa, played by Nia Vardolas, undergoes sea change in terms of her looks, grooming and fashion in the mean time. At the same time, she falls in love with a young Anglo-Saxon Protestant, Ian Miller, who is a school teacher, played by John Corbett. Toula’s patriarchal Greek family, especially her overbearing father, refuse to accept their relationship and Ian agrees to be baptised as a Greek Orthodox Christian, which earns the family’s approval. The families get introduced and the couple get married eventually. The movie is a portrayal of ethnic-identity, romance and interaction between cultures. For example, while almost everyone in Toula’s large extended family interferes in wedding planning, Ian is surprised at just the size of her family and the number of cousins she has. Especially when the two families come together and interact, the differences are more evident. For instance, Ian’s nuclear family is surprised to see that every single person from Toula’s extended family being present at the introduction and make it a big party. The movie was very interesting to watch and it was pleasant and funny. It was also insightful into inter-cultural marriages. The range of characters and their vastly different characteristics made the movie a great

A critical evaluation of the role of leadership in managing people in Essay

A critical evaluation of the role of leadership in managing people in sport and leisure organisations - Essay Example To expand the competitive market it is needed to apply the effective management principles for the management of people. The reasons behind the success of football clubs in India are the worldwide fans and the advance technology in broadcasting the football game all over India. To increase the awareness among the customers and meeting their expectations, funds should be available to run the industry and attract the commercial sector investors. Human resource managers are facing the challenges to meet the rising expectation of the customers and providing them services in order to exist in the competitive market. The sport and leisure industry will enjoy the competitive advantage only when it is the only one, which can meet the customer expectations, improving the quality, and creating awareness on consumer rights (Robinson, 2005, p.1-2). As the trends are changing, Human Resource Management processes the changes in the organisation structure, systems and cost reduction programs. Manag ing the people in the sport organisation helps the manager to acquire the skills and to be a good leader to help the new talents face the challenges in sport and leisure sectors. The sport and leisure industry will enjoy the competitive advantage only when it is the only one, which can meet the customer expectations, improving the quality, and creating awareness on consumer rights (Wolsey, Minten & Abrams, 2011). The leaders in the sports industry have to face lot of challenges in leading his team to reach the goal. A good leader is needed, who is confident enough to lead his team and encourage them to achieve the goal. In sports industry, a leader will be the one who is providing direction, encouragement and authority to evoke desired behaviours. For example, in the Minnesota Timberwolves organisation, like many sports organisations, the leader will play his role in catalysing the learning process among the followers, as well as creating environment

DNA sequence analysis, primer design, protein expression and Essay

DNA sequence analysis, primer design, protein expression and mutagenesis assessment - Essay Example RecA is a recombinant gene and when in the presence of single stranded DNA, can behave as a catalyst in the hydrolysis process of ATP. It can also function in ATP dependant reactions such as Duplex DNA’s uptake of single stranded DNA and homologous single stranded DNA’s ATP propelled hybridization. (NCBI, 2008). Its function is likened to the mechanism and composition of copper amine oxidase, in that it acts in microbes to make use of amine substrates considered to be unusual such as carbon or nitrogen. As mentioned previously, recA resides in the presence of single stranded DNA. Protein secretion can be said to have taken place in the presence of single sequencing. The protein recA is unique due to its function as a copper ligase and its modification which takes place after the translation process. Post translation, a residue of tyrosine 412 will yield cofactor TPQ. Lysine 83 is also a residue of the reaction. In the event that it is decided to undertake mutagenesis in order to mutate lysine 83 into alanine; we would quickly see that reaction outcomes would be quite different. When mutation (genetic alterations) take place, the chemistry involved with the organisms and molecules become different even if the change is slight. With quick-change mutagenesis, we are able to target site changes which act to alter specific protein outcomes due to changing amino acid sequences. Changing lysine 83 through mutagenesis to alanine may be desirable for more than one reason. In many instances, changing out lysine for alanine can in fact, delay certain entropic effects such as crystallization, such as in the case of e. Coli where crystallization formation can be essential for post mutation testing. Lysine production in genetically engineered bacteria, will tend to promote fermentative production of other amino acids. Replacing residue lysine 83 with alanine 83 however, may be a wise alteration as many organisms can’t survive in the absence of

Optic Flow Essay Example for Free

Optic Flow Essay The study of optic flow becomes much more complicated when the movement of an observer towards a surface or object is not straight on. In fact, even in the more straightforward condition of straight ahead condition, Gibsons mathematical analysis was wrong. In situations when, for example, we are walking or driving, it is commonly necessary to estimate the chances of collision with an object or surface towards which we are moving obliquely. Similarly, we dont always look straight ahead when moving. The resulting oblique relationships between angle of gaze, direction of movement, and converging paths are much more difficult to analyze. Cutting (1996; Cutting et al. , 1999), has made major contributions to the study of perception during motion by enriching knowledge of the complexities of optic flow. Sensory stimulation is a chemical process which occurs between the human body and brain. When we experience sensation, body is exposed to some type of sensory stimulation. The sensory receptors then receive this information, and transmit it to the brain using neural impulses, or neurotransmitters. There it is interpreted into the correct sensation. Sensations are the basic building blocks of perception. Perception is the process of organizing and making sense of sensory input. Perception allows us to better interpret the information sensory receptors receive, and form images of the world around us. Transduction is what happens when the receptors transform the energies they receive into a form that can be interpreted and utilized by the nervous system. Human beings are able to experience various sensations because the nervous system encodes the messages we are receiving and interpreting. In his doctrine of specific nerve energies, Johannes Muller theorizes that different sensory modes exist because the information received by sensory receptors stimulates different synapses when traveling back to the brain. This is known as anatomical encoding. This type of encoding determines which sensory organ is activated by a certain type of stimulation, according to which specific neural pathway it travels. (Wade, Tavris, 2006). Anatomical Encoding and Sensory Modalities Anatomical encoding does not totally explain how or why different sensory modalities exist independently. Scientists found it difficult to link specific skin senses to individual neural pathways; neither does the doctrine of specific nerve energies explain variations of stimulus within a certain sensory experience, i. . the softness of an animals fur versus the coarseness of sandpaper, or the distinction between the colors light blue and dark blue. A second type of encoding, called functional encoding, is therefore required to make sense of these differentials in sensory perception. According to Wade and Tavris, functional codes rely on the fact that sensory receptors and neurons fire, or are inhibited from firing, only in the presence of specific sorts of stimuli (2006). This means that any given time, some neurons are firing, and some are not. The information regarding the rate of, number of, and patterning of each cells firing is what forms a particular functional code. Sensory adaptation occurs when continual exposure to the same sensory stimulus results in decreased sensitivity to the presented stimulus. Basically this means that given enough time, senses learn to become accustomed to the stimulation receptors gather. The sensory system brings information regarding environment to brains. They help us to interact with environment. The sensory system is made up of five senses, which correspond to five sense organs. The five senses are vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. These correspond with the eyes, ears, tongue, skin, and nose. Each of these contains sensory neurons, which transmit impulses to the central nervous system. The information is processed and from that we receive a perception which we interpret and which may change behavior accordingly. This is called Transduction which is the process of the receptors changed the information they receive into a form which the nervous system can utilize. Spatial Projection and The Surface Of The Body Up To The Cortex The visual, auditory, and somatic systemsindeed, all the sensesseem to maintain a spatial projection from the surface of the body up to the cortex. Moreover, connections in each system must be very precise for the signals from the various receptors to be kept straight as they pass up the system. The precision of arrangement is remarkable. (Lappe, M. 2000) It should be in order to ask how such an arrangement came about. What factors are at work as the organism develops to make all the connections come out right? To this question we now have an answer. First, Weiss, then L. S. Stone, and more recently Sperry have gone through a series of ingenious experiments to pin down the factors that control how connections are formed in the nervous system. Sperry, for example, has crossed the sensory and motor nerves in the legs of the rat, and from that has picked up some clues. He has also cut the optic nerve, rotated the eyeballs in various degrees, allowed the nerves to regenerate and then tested animals for the return of spatial vision. There are many details to his experiments, and they prove somewhat confusing, but the upshot of them all is this: Nerve fibers grow back to make the same connections that they made in the first place. To put the matter in another way, the nerve cells along the sensory pathways have some sort of biochemical tags that keep them straight when connections are being laid down. One might say that each nerve cell has a name and that other nerve cells know what that name is. It is still a mystery what these names are and how the cells know each others names and that will be a subject for future research. At any rate, nerves can be badly cut, mangled, and twisted, but somehow or other nerve fibers get back where they belong. For us, it is interesting to know that biochemical factors are at work in laying out the spatial arrangements of the nervous pathways. Lateral dominance has also been a serious problem in getting at the anatomical basis of cognition. That one of hands or feet or eyes is the major one and the other the minor one is a fact not easily disputed. We know, too, that in some affairs one side of the brain is dominant; that is to say, it plays a major role in perception or action, while the other side is minor. Although people have often argued about how important lateral dominance is and how many of the worlds ills it accounts for, few deny altogether that it exists. We must, in fact, believe that some parts of the brain, like the speech area, show very strong one-sidedness and that, in the case of others, the sides share about equally in the functions that concern them. If that be true, how can we tell where to look for a particular function? If one kind of cognition belongs to one side of the brain and we make a lesion in the other side, we will completely miss the point. Or if a type of cognition shares equally corresponding areas on both sides, it takes a perfect bilateral lesion in the areas to make the localization known. We ought to consider, too, the matter of individual differences. We find it natural to say that people are different in the measurements of personality, intelligence, or some other aspect of behavior, but we often seem to assume that brains are standard products turned out on an assembly line so that they look as much alike as new cars. The fact is that brains vary a lot in their size and shape. Lashley has been going into that matter lately, and he assures us that there are individual differences in brain anatomy. It appears that any speculation in this respect is restricted by conditions which are inherent in research experiments. According to observations, only objects or patterns cause any demonstrable satiation. Hence, we must find a process which accompanies object or pattern vision rather than the perception of homogeneous surfaces. The alpha rhythm of the human brain is much more seriously disturbed by visual objects or patterns than it is by a bright homogeneous field. Adrian suggests that it is attention to which the alpha rhythm is so sensitive. But there remains the other possibility that, quite apart from this factor, the rhythm is strongly disturbed by a visual process which accompanies the perception of objects or patterns. Vision Optic Flow and Perception It seems safe to say that, in terms of stimulation, an object is an area (or a volume) which differs from its environment either as a whole or along its boundary. We see things of any kind only when a relation of inequality obtains between the stimulation in one area and that in another, surrounding, and area. Thus it seems plausible to assume that the process which goes with object or pattern vision is a relationally determined process, and that satiation is established in regions in which this process takes place for some time. Relational determination is not a familiar term. Relationally determined processes are extremely common in physics. For instance, if temperatures differ in two parts of a system, a current of heat energy is established which tends to equalize the temperatures. The direction of the flow depends upon the direction of the difference, and in the absence of any difference there is no flow. Merchant, H. , Battaglia-Mayer, A. , Georgopoulos, A. P. 2001) Similarly, if a solution which contains certain molecules is surrounded by a second solution which contains these molecules in a different concentration, a current of diffusion will be observed, unless the solutions are separated by an impermeable barrier. The current flows as long as the concentrations differ. Thus, it is again a relation of inequality between the two parts of the system which maintains the process. Incidentally, examples exhibit relational determination in more than one sense. As the currents of heat or diffusion spread, their distribution in space depends upon the shape of the boundary at which the parts of the systems are in contact. This shape is defined in terms of geometrical relations among parts rather than of merely local conditions, and the distribution of the flow adapts itself to such relations. Therefore, not only the flow as such is relationally determined, but the same holds also for its pattern in space. Some such processes cause obstructions in the medium in which they occur, and that in this fashion after-effects are established when later further processes spread in the same medium. The relationally determined process which underlies pattern vision is a direct electric current and that such a current flow when conditions of excitation in one part of the visual cortex differ from those in an adjacent part. An attempt was also made to explain how the electromotive forces originate which drive the current from one part to the other, and back again to the former. The explanation involved no hypothesis which is at odds with available knowledge of nerve impulses and their influence upon cortical tissue. Vaina, L. M. , Rushton, S. K. 2000) Rather, those forces were derived from concepts which play a great role in present neurophysiological discussions. Nevertheless, this particular part of the theory need not now be described, because there may be various ways of deriving electromotive forces which would drive a direct current through the tissue. It seems that, whatever choice may be, the distribution of the flow as such would always be about the same. It is this flow which we will now consider. The flow would spread through the tissue as a volume conductor, which is to say that, in this connection, the brain must be regarded as a continuous medium to which principles of continuity physics apply. In this respect, there is a possibility which is implicit in present neurophysiology, even though its consequences have, until recently, not been explicitly considered. Surely, if the potentials of the alpha rhythm as well as those of on and off effects can spread through the skull, there is nothing in the brain to prevent such potentials from spreading through this medium as a continuum. As a result, it can hardly be a disturbing thesis that a steadier flow would do the same. (Sherk, H. , Fowler, G. A. 2001) In flowing through a continuum, a direct current assumes a distribution which is relationally determined by the shape of given boundaries. In object or pattern vision, the boundaries in question would be those between cortical areas in which retinal stimulation establishes different kinds or degrees of excitation. It will suffice if we consider a fact which concerns only the distribution of the current as such, and is quite independent of further theorizing. If excitation within a circumscribed cortical area differs from that in its environment, the resulting current must circle around the boundary at which the two areas are in contact. Moreover, unless the surrounded area is very large, the current must be denser in this area than it is in the environment in which it can spread widely. This is true whether or not local excitation is higher in the circumscribed area. Thus, if a black object is shown on a white background, the density of the flow must be maximal within the area of the black object, just as it is maximal within the area of a white object surrounded by black. Satiation and Proximal Energy We can now turn to the problem of satiation. The present theory has no difficulty in solving this problem. Any direct currents which flow through the nervous system polarize the surfaces of cells, and also change their polarizability. Generally speaking, this effect, the so-called electrotonus, has the character of an obstruction. Further currents which afterwards flow through the same medium are weakened. At the same time, they suffer changes of their distribution in space. We are not introducing a special hypothesis if we assume that the currents of theory are also electrotonically active, and that the resulting obstructions follow the same rules as hold for electrotonus in general. For instance, the degree to which the various parts of the medium are electrotonically affected is directly related to the density of the current in those parts. Now we know that the density of the currents postulated in theory must be maximal within the area of a circumscribed object, still great in adjacent parts, and progressively lower at greater distances. Perception is treated throughout as the representation to the individual of real, physical states of affairs of both the external environment and of the self. The former include objects, persons, scenery events, and extended terrain and spaces. States of the self include postures, movements, and activities such as reaching, standing, running, and speaking. Although it is obvious that own physical states are represented to uswe readily and immediately perceive what we are doingthis aspect of perception is usually overlooked in the theoretical treatments, with notable exceptions (Gibson, 1979) Physical states of both the environment and the individual give rise to patterns of energy at the sensory receptors. These patterns, which usually vary over time as well as space, are the proximal stimuli that initiate the chain of neural activity and culminate in a perceptual representation. Certain features of these proximal energy patterns correlate with particular properties or attributes of a physical state of affairs. For example, both the size of the retinal image and the degree of convergence of the eyes correlate with the size of an external object. Likewise, a pattern of stimulation in the joints, tendons, and muscles of an arm correlates with its position. A point to be emphasized is that the features of the proximal stimulus pattern are not simply replicas or necessarily even rough copies of the physical properties that give rise to them. Rather they correlate with them. For example, binocular disparity is in no sense a replica of observer-object distance; it is a correlate of it. This view was first adumbrated clearly by Gibson (1950, 1959) and is emphasized here.

Range Brands General Target Market Description

Range Brands General Target Market Description Firstly, a brief situational analysis will be given. A short background of the company and a description of the current performance of the enterprise will be provided, before considering the performance of the company ¿Ã‚ ½s closest competitors, current trends and emerging segments in the market followed by a description of the current and desired positioning of Tissot. The poor relative performance and stagnant market share of the company provides the main rational for developing a new marketing strategy for Tissot, aimed at creating a stronger differentiation and more distinctive image for the brand. Secondly, the marketing and communication objectives of the campaign will be stated, before outlining the strategy for the campaign. The aim is to reposition Tissot as  ¿Ã‚ ½sporty, elegant and feminine ¿Ã‚ ½ through a re-launch campaign, using an integrated advertising, direct mail, point-of-sale, PR and sponsorship strategy focusing on the themes social responsibility and creativity. The target markets for the campaign will be 22-35 year old AB working women, as well as the company ¿Ã‚ ½s current and potential new distributors. Finally the report conclude with, details of the campaign outlining the control measures that will be used in the evaluation-phase of the campaign. Contents 1.0 Introduction 4 2.0 Company/ Group History and products. 5 2.1 History 5 2.2 Swatch Group Product range 5 3.0 Investigation and analysis 9 3.1 Overview of the UK Market 9 3.2 PESTLE Analysis. 10 3.3 Situational analysis (SWOT) 11 3.4 Differential advantage/ Competitive edge (USP) 12 3.5 Current product range of Tissot 12 4.0 Recommendations 14 4.1 Segmentation Targeting Positioning (STP) 14 4.1.1 Market Segmentation 14 4.2 Marketing objectives and goals (SMART) 16 4.2.1 Marketing Objectives 17 4.2.2 Strategy 17 4.2.3 Target market 17 4.3 Desired Positioning 17 18 4.4 Marketing strategies and programmes (4P ¿Ã‚ ½s) 18 5.0 Conclusion 21 5.1 Evaluation 21 6.0 Reference and Bibliography 21 1.0 Introduction The watches and jewellery market has not been immune to the economic climate and the whole industry suffered in late 2008 and in 2009 as consumer confidence fell and people became more cautious about their spending (Europa Star October, 2010). But on the other hand according to Europa Star report market dynamics such as shifting consumer attitudes has led to a substantial increase in demand, and this trend is expected to continue also in the coming years. According to Europa Star (2010) strong watch groups such as Swatch group, LVMH and Richemont have weathered the storm and have become even stronger. This is evident from the triumphant profit announcements from the Swatch Group, LVMH, and Richemont. In a growing and crowded market, luxury watch manufacturer Swatch group has experienced stagnant sales and a stable market share. The focus of this report will therefore to be outline the current market dynamics and recommend a viable new marketing strategy for Swatch group especially emphasizing on its Tisot Brand. Primarily, a brief situational analysis will be given. A short background of the company and a description of its brands and the current performance of the group will be provided, followed by the analysis of company ¿Ã‚ ½s closest competitors. Further, investigation of company ¿Ã‚ ½s external and internal environment will be followed. After investigating its environment, a detail recommendation for its marketing strategy highlighting key current trends and emerging segments in the market, followed by a description of the current and desired positioning of the brand will be provided. Finally the report will conclude with a summary of the key findings and recommendations. 2.0 Company/ Group History and products. 2.1 History The Swatch Group Ltd. is the number one manufacturer of finished watches in the world. The Group is active in the manufacture of finished watches, jewelry, and watch movements and components. It produces nearly all of the components necessary to manufacture the watches sold under its 19 watch brands and the multi-brand Tourbillon retail label, as well as the entire Swiss watchmaking industry. In addition, it operates its own worldwide network of distribution organizations. The Swatch Group is also a key player in the electronic systems sector. Tissot Brand. Founded in 1853 at Le Locle, the birthplace of Swiss watch making, the Tissot brand is proud to have developed a strong tradition of quality and innovative Swiss watches. The brand is available in over 150 countries. 2.2 Swatch Group Product range Table 1.1 Swatch Group Product Range Range Brands General Target Market Description Prestige and Luxury Range Breguet, Blancpain, Glash ¿Ã‚ ½tte Original, Jaquet Droz, L ¿Ã‚ ½on Hatot, Omega and Tiffany Each of them originates strength and prestige from its own exclusive history, and reinvents components ¿Ã‚ ½ with high-end and supreme excellence targeting for the very highest end of the market. High Range Longines, Rado and Union Glash ¿Ã‚ ½tte Wide series of sophisticated watches placed at the top end of the market. They are characterized by their pioneering spirit, their technological revolution and their considerable involvement in sport and design. Middle Range Tissot, ck watch jewelry, Balmain, Certina, Mido and Hamilton Their extremely keen intelligence of current events  ¿Ã‚ ½ fashion, sport and culture  ¿Ã‚ ½ which is reflected in the definition of their high-quality products, gives them a very high profile in the mid-range market. They practically always occupy the leadership position in their different market niches. The unique characteristics of each brand are reflected in the models that make up its range. Basic Range Swatch and Flik Flak. Two extremes. Swatch on one hand, the most visible of the Swatch Group ¿Ã‚ ½s 19 brands and the most famous plastic watch in the world; and Flik Flak on the other, exclusively reserved for children. Stood in the lowest price segment. The range is consequently immense and aimed at everyone. Private Label Endura Group makes all its expertise available to third-party clients who are not active in the watch making industry, manufacture exclusive for special events, sports etc. providing them with watches that perfectly capture and replicate their image. Source:www.swatchgroup.com Based on the above table the main focus of this report will be the mid-range market, where Tissot brand is positioned. Thus it is important firstly to identify it ¿Ã‚ ½s direct or in this case its internal competitors. The following table describes its internal competitors. Table 1.2 Internal competitors Position: Innovators by tradition the first anti-magnetic watch in 1930; Astrolon, the first watch with a plastic casing in 1971; Rock watch, the first watch with a casing made of alpine granite in 1985, followed by Pearl watch, the first watch with a mother-of-pearl casing in 1986, then Wood watch, the first watch with a casing made of wood in 1987. In 1996, Tissot launched its first autoquartz models with 6-day autonomy and then, in 2001, its famous T-Touch models with seven additional functions activated by touching the watch ¿Ã‚ ½s crystal. Tissot has also built its reputation on an incomparable style and elegance. People the world over recognize the dynamic that has presided over the brand ¿Ã‚ ½s destiny for more than 150 years. Its deep involvement in sport, its role as Official Chronometer at top-level national, trans-national and global events Position: Absolute, contemporary The US designer Calvin Klein and the Swatch Group pooled their formidable talent in 1997 to create cK watch, a watch brand with graphic lines that are striking, refined and contemporary. A new and inimitable type of watch, a fashion accessory watch. Today, over 200 different Swiss-made models designed for men as well as women adorn storefronts in more than 60 countries. Characterized by its essential sexy image that translates refined lines and numerous metal surfaces into sensual curves. Position: A world of elegance From 1987 to 1995, Balmain watches were manufactured under exclusive license by the Swatch Group, which supplied its immense expertise and state-of-the-art watchmaking technology to the brand and the Parisian fashion house founded in 1945. In December 1995, the Swatch Group acquired the exclusive rights to manufacture market and distribute the brand ¿Ã‚ ½s watches throughout the entire world. One of the brand ¿Ã‚ ½s distinctive features is the famous  ¿Ã‚ ½arabesques ¿Ã‚ ½ dial, the stunning design They are synonymous with elegance and refinement, and meet the quality and esthetic criteria demanded by discerning women and men alike. Position: Reliability, precision and innovation The spirit of the famous Certina brand is brought to life by a tradition of uncompromising excellence and the guaranteed use of the finest components and materials  ¿Ã‚ ½ titanium, 316L stainless steel, sapphire glass, and the renowned ETA Swiss Made movements. The company has built its reputation on the quality of the watch movements made by the Kurth brothers. As the Swiss leader in mid-range sporting watches, Certina has become the champion of outstanding quality at an affordable price. The introduction in 1959 of the concept of double security is a significant example of this, raising water and shock resistance to previously unattained levels. Position: A mark of true design Mido ¿Ã‚ ½s ambition is to produce watches that possess characteristics typical of the quality and careful craftsmanship of a Swiss watch, namely timepieces endowed with mechanical movements that are wound either by hand or automatically. Timelessness is the hallmark of its image, which aims to be clean-cut and refined. As a specialist in mechanical watches, Mido offers a variety of models with designs ranging from retro to contemporary, and from classic to innovative. They all meet the brand ¿Ã‚ ½s five strategic criteria: the Swiss-made label; a distinctive identity; a high-precision, high-quality mechanical movement; superior water-resistance, and excellent value for money. Position: A passion for the sky and the movies Launch of the worlds first battery-powered watch, the Ventura. In 1972, Hamilton again amazed the world by creating the first watch with a digital display. The wide range and varied styles of Hamilton watches have provided a valuable resource for Hollywood stylists and costume designers. As well as being worn by numerous actors during filming, the brand is also famous today for its  ¿Ã‚ ½Behind the Camera Awards ¿Ã‚ ½, which honors backstage artists on film sets in Los Angeles. Source:www.swatchgroup.com 3.0 Investigation and analysis 3.1 Overview of the UK Market The UK jewellery and watches market, with the jewellery sector being segmented into the categories of real jewellery (gold, silver and platinum) and fashion/costume jewellery. Total sales of jewellery and watches in the UK fluctuated between 2004 and 2008, and fell by 2.8% in the latter year to finish the review period at  ¿Ã‚ ½4.33bn. (Jewellery Watches Market Report, 2009). Furthermore, as consumers have cut back on spending during the recession, there has been pressure in the market to reduce prices which, combined with lower volumes, has meant an overall downturn in sales. Initially, the luxury end of the market was relatively unaffected by the downturn, but by the end of 2008 and early 2009, it had begun to take effect. (Jewellery Watches Market Report, 2009). The market share in UK is dominated by fashion brands such as Rolex, Omega and Gucci (please refer figure 1.1 below). Please note due to lack of market data the below figure describes data up to year 2005.Figure 1.1: Brand shares in the UK luxury watch market, 2002 and 2005. Source: Mintel report, 2005 3.2 PESTLE Analysis. Political  ¿Ã‚ ½ Removal of quantitative restrictions on import watches lead to a threat in UK. Economic  ¿Ã‚ ½ More people are concerned about their jobs and employment prospects than last year.  ¿Ã‚ ½ 11% growth for the jewellery and watches market over the next five years globally (Mintel, 2010).  ¿Ã‚ ½ Rising gold prices and the recession have led many consumers to buy silver jewellery instead of gold.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Currency volatility means the end of savage price-cutting. Sociological  ¿Ã‚ ½ Importance of the gifting market for retailers, with four in ten adults enjoying receiving precious metal jewellery as a birthday or Christmas present.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Young men aged under-35 are more open to paying higher amounts for a watch as they typically do not wear jewellery to express their individuality or consumer spending power.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Costume jewellery is the smallest sector of the watches and jewellery market, but has grown at the fastest rate. Technology  ¿Ã‚ ½ Watch brands are taking advantage of new technologies such as robots and hi-tech coatings.  ¿Ã‚ ½ A notable trend is the use of unconventional materials in luxury watches such as titanium and ceramics.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Another notable trend is retailers asking fashion brands to design special watches exclusively for their stores. (Innovation Driving Luxury Watch Market ,2007)  ¿Ã‚ ½ Developments in online retailing have contributed to it becoming increasingly transparent for information on pricing and availability. Legal  ¿Ã‚ ½ Regulations fair pricing and health and safety Environmental  ¿Ã‚ ½ Converging the watch ¿Ã‚ ½s main function with health benefits would be one way of helping to create new reasons for purchase. 3.3 Situational analysis (SWOT) Strengths  ¿Ã‚ ½ Brand Image  ¿Ã‚ ½ as an Innovators by tradition,  ¿Ã‚ ½Swiss Made ¿Ã‚ ½.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Unique and Exclusive products  ¿Ã‚ ½ e.g. T-Touch, touch-sensitive sapphire, barometers, altimeters and thermometers.  ¿Ã‚ ½ After sale service Tissot International Warranty and after-sales services  ¿Ã‚ ½ Premier event sponsor and Brand Ambassadors  ¿Ã‚ ½ Strong established Distribution network  ¿Ã‚ ½ Swatch Group has a growing Market share  ¿Ã‚ ½ The Swatch Group occupies a major position in the production and supply of watches, movements and components.  ¿Ã‚ ½ This ensures the integrity of the vertical manufacturing structure; it also guarantees the strength and credibility Weaknesses  ¿Ã‚ ½ Pricing for mid-range market  ¿Ã‚ ½ Small Presence in key market segment  ¿Ã‚ ½ Competitors successfully exploited the lifestyle segmentation which Tissort failed to accomplish. Opportunities  ¿Ã‚ ½ Gifting concept and Seasonality: associating with gifting and relations  ¿Ã‚ ½ Company can expand in to a niche market by launching products suitable for customers in a particular market segment like the youth, gift fashion, sports etc.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Enlarge network of the sales outlets.  ¿Ã‚ ½ World trend for highly fashionable products.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Increase in internet capabilities and increase in online buyers especially in the UK. Threats  ¿Ã‚ ½ World and Local Competition: 25 key luxury brands in the world, with their own branded watches.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Direct internal and external competitors in the mid-range market.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Cheap Counterfeits products.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Decreasing Trends in market. E.g. Use of Mobiles to get the time and the other features.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Worldwide decline in the production and demand of mechanical watches. 3.4 Differential advantage/ Competitive edge (USP)  ¿Ã‚ ½  ¿Ã‚ ½Swiss Made ¿Ã‚ ½ and 100% Market share for Swiss watches  ¿Ã‚ ½ Swatch Group Logistics Unit The Swatch Group Logistics Unit continues to work toward an integrated global Supply Chain Management system. A logistics information platform initially linking virtually all Group brands to the various international subsidiaries has been expanded to reach over 200 agents, providing them with up-to-date information on sales, inventories, and open orders.  ¿Ã‚ ½ European Distribution Centre Swatch Group Distribution has established regional service centers, among them the European Distribution Centre (EDC), enabling the replacement of countless local warehouses and information systems with a common distribution platform.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Swatch Group accords great importance to customer satisfaction, by creating a division dedicated entirely to Customer Service activities. such as the European platform for repairs of high-end products and the implementation of the Groups watch making schools in Shanghai (China), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Glash ¿Ã‚ ½tte and Pforzheim (Germany) and Miami (USA).  ¿Ã‚ ½ Tissot recently introduced a web application called 3D Augmented Reality that will allow to try watches on in front of the computer screen Focusing on the Tissot Touch collection, you will be able to virtually  ¿Ã‚ ½try on ¿Ã‚ ½ a selection of styles and colours. In addition, all the watches will tell the correct time in digital and analogue. (Europa Star, 2010) 3.5 Current product range of Tissot Table 1.3 Tissot Product Line  ¿Ã‚ ½ Global The Tissot T Collection Watch (model T50.1.185.60) is varied. This model is an elegant, womens watch featuring a solid stainless steel case and bracelet with butterfly clasp. With Swiss quartz movement and water resistance to 100 feet, this watch has suggested price of $375. The Tissot Seastar II Automatic Watch (T55.0.483.11) is an elegant mens watch with a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal: set on a bi-color bracelet. Water resistant to100 feet, it has a list price of $200. The Tissot PRS200 Chrono Diver Watch (model T17.1.486.34) features: chronograph with ADD and SPLIT functions, 30-minute and 1/10 second displays and 60-second chronograph hand. Its also water resistant to 650 feet. With many other features, this lists for $450. The Tissot Oval-T Watch (model T47.5.385.31) is an elegant womens watch with PVD bracelet and a sapphire glass with quartz movement. Water resistant to 100 feet, it lists for $390. Other Tissot Series Tissot makes dozens of models and series. These include the V8 watch, PRS 200 watch, Heritage watch, Powermatic watch, TXL watch, T Lord watch, Quickster watch, the Atollo watch, the Bellflower watch and many others. Source: www.luxurywatches101.com Table 1.3 Product Range of TISSOT UK Brand Range Number of designs and watches TOUCH COLLECTION 12 T-SPORT 5 T-TREND 4/7 T-CLASSIC 4 T-GOLD 3 T-POCKET 23/44 HERITAGE 4 Each of these brands range offers a wide range of very strongly characterized watches. The attractiveness of the models, their multiple variations, and the combination of multiple specialties, their precision and their quality form an integral part of their fashion appeal, and meet the consumer ¿Ã‚ ½s many and varied needs. The unique characteristics of each brand are reflected in the models that make up its range. Summary of Key Facts Based on the above investigation it is evident that Tissot brand which cater to the mid-range market, has a strong support from the swatch group especially with its distribution network. But also it should be highlighted that esspacially the Tissot brand is not up to date with the current trends, for example catering to the youth, women segment especially in UK. 4.0 Recommendations 4.1 Segmentation Targeting Positioning (STP) 4.1.1 Market Segmentation The consumer luxury watches market can be segmented by: o Gender o Type of watch o Age o Socio-economic group o Life stage of the consumer o Marital status o Working status o Geographical region. The table 1 below lists the key aspects of each type of segmentation in the luxury watches market. Table 1.3: Types of segmentation in the luxury watch market Gender Type of watch Age Socio-economic Life stage Marital Status Working Status Region Men Mechanical 15-24 AB Pre-/no family Married Working London Women Quartz 25-34 C1 Families Not married Not working South 35-44 C2 Third age East/ Midlands 45-54 D Retired Wales / West / South West 55-64 E Yorkshire/ North East 65+ North West 65+ Scotland It has not been possible to obtain information on all the segmentation variables listed above. However, figures relating to gender and type of watch are available. The figures show that the overall market size of men ¿Ã‚ ½s luxury watches is larger than that of women, however this differential is narrowing as the women ¿Ã‚ ½s market is experiencing a more rapid growth than the men ¿Ã‚ ½s market. In terms of type of watch, mechanical watches dominate the luxury watch market. This represents a pronounced difference to the mass market where the quarts-variety is more important. The tables 1.4 and 1.5 below demonstrate these figures, Table 1.4: Luxury watch sales, by gender, by volume, 2001-05, Source: Mintel report, 2005 Gender 2001 2003 2005 (est) % change 000 units % 000 units % 000 units % 2001-03 2003-05 Men ¿Ã‚ ½s 294 56.5 312 56.2 317 56.1 +6.1 +1.6 Women ¿Ã‚ ½s 226 43.5 243 43.8 248 43.9 +7.5 +2.1 Table 1.5: Luxury watch sales, by Type of watches, by volume, 2001-05, Source: Mintel report, 2005 Type of watches 2001 2003 2005 (est) % change 000 units % 000 units % 000 units % 2001-03 2003-05 Mechanical 343 66 367 66.1 375 66.4 + 7 + 2.2 Quartz 177 34 188 33.9 190 33.6 + 6.2 + 1.1 4.1.2 Current Market Position Based on the market information, Tissot was perceived to be: o Elegant and Luxurious o Masculine and sporty o  ¿Ã‚ ½Established in the market ¿Ã‚ ½ and stylish o Innovativeness by tradition The graphs 1-2 below illustrate Tissot current positioning in relation to its competitors. 4.2 Marketing objectives and goals (SMART) The emerging segments in the market reflect where future potential demand might be strongest, and hence which segments the company should be focusing its efforts towards in order to build a profitable customer base. As highlighted in the analysis section, the female market for luxury watches is experiencing a stronger growth than the male market, making this an interesting segment for luxury watch producers. Also the younger market (in particular the 15-24 year olds and the 25-34 year olds) is considered to have great potential because of the importance of style and appearance to this segment, and also their generally higher awareness and knowledge of branding. 4.2.1 Marketing Objectives  ¿Ã‚ ½ Increase the market share of Tissot from 1 % to 5 % over the next 12 months.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Increase the number of distributors in the UK from 33 to 100, over the next 12 months. 4.2.2 Strategy The overall strategy for the Tissot re-launch campaign can be summed up in the following points:  ¿Ã‚ ½ To reposition Tissot as  ¿Ã‚ ½sporty, elegant and feminine ¿Ã‚ ½ through a re-launch campaign of the T-TREND, TOUCH COLLECTIONS  ¿Ã‚ ½ To generate an integrated advertising, direct mail, point-of-sale, PR and sponsorship campaign focusing on the themes: social responsibility and creativity.  ¿Ã‚ ½ To communicate the social responsibility and creativity themes to current and potential new distributors and 22-35 year old AB working women to increase distribution of Tissot watches and increase awareness of the brand. 4.2.3 Target market The Tissot re-launch campaign will be focused towards two distinct target markets:  ¿Ã‚ ½ In order to capture the emerging trends in the market, the consumer segment targeted for the re-launch campaign will be 22-35 year old AB working women.  ¿Ã‚ ½ In addition, a selected group of fine, up-market jewellers and watch specialists will be targeted in order to strengthen Tissot distribution system and thereby support the marketing activities of the company. 4.3 Desired Positioning On the basis of previous investigations it was decided that the desired positioning of Tissot should be  ¿Ã‚ ½sporty, elegant and feminine ¿Ã‚ ½ using Tissot ¿Ã‚ ½s reputation on an incomparable style and elegance. The aim of the repositioning exercise is to create a more distinctive image for Tissot, building on the fundamentals of the brand. Graph 3: Desired position of Tissot 4.4 Marketing strategies and programmes (4P ¿Ã‚ ½s) Product A watch can be describing considering it as three different products the core product, the actual product, and finally the augmented product. Based on the below figure Tissot should focus on its actual product offering especially on branding, style and fashion components. Place Swatch Group Distribution was formed in 2001 with the objective of providing worldwide support to Swatch Group companies in their efforts to stream customers with products in a more speedy, reliable and cost-effective way. Swatch Group products are distributed mainly via a global distribution network that has been carefully selected by Group subsidiaries, or by agents who have been authorized either by a Group subsidiary or directly by the Groups head office. Following methods are used by Tissot.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Monobrand stores  ¿Ã‚ ½ Network of multibrand prestige watch and jewelry boutiques.  ¿Ã‚ ½ airports, notably by running watch and jewelry boutiques As outlined in the strategy section, current and potential new distributors will be approached slightly differently for the new re positioning and re launch.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Current retailers will be contacted by telephone to inform about the forthcoming re-launch campaign.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Large, potential retailers will be contacted by the Tissot sales-force to explain the benefit of stocking Tissot products and inform about the up-coming campaign.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Small, potential retailers will be contacted through a direct mail campaign. Advertising strategy In order to increase awareness of Tissot and to induce demand for the products, a black-and-white print advertising campaign directed towards the target market of 22-35 year old AB working women will be conducted. The slogan underpinning the re-launch campaign will be  ¿Ã‚ ½Create a difference  ¿Ã‚ ½ take the opposite view ¿Ã‚ ½, and this catch-phrase will be featured on all the print adverts as well as other promotional material directed towards retailers and point-of-sale displays. The campaign will be based around celebrity-endorsement, featuring Tissots current ambassadors chosen of the re-launch campaign, reflecting the re positioning strategy, Sporty strong, independent and assertive women with a very distinctive style. The campaign will include a total of 66 inserts of varying sizes in the following publications:  ¿Ã‚ ½ The Financial Times  ¿Ã‚ ½ The Economist  ¿Ã‚ ½ Vogue  ¿Ã‚ ½ Harper ¿Ã‚ ½s Bazaar. The publications were chosen for its up-market readership and high quality print and colour reproduction. It is therefore assumed that the target market of 22-35 AB working women should be well reached through these publications. The frequency of the inserts will change over time to reflect the headway and general build-up of the campaign Sponsorship In the latter part of the re-launch campaign Tissot will sponsor two trade events directed towards professional women. The purpose of this is to promote continued awareness of Tissot, and to function as an additional reminder of the re-launch campaign as the intensity of above-the-line communication will be reduced in the Spring/Summer period. It is hoped that the sponsorship-strategy will enhance corporate identification with the target audience of 22-35 year old working women, thus creating a positive image of Tissot amongst this population. Pricing The pricing structure will reflect its target audience of 22-35 year old working women, creating a positive image as a stylish affordable watch. Also the pricing structure should reflect Tissot ¿Ã‚ ½s essential market position, the Mid range market. 5.0 Conclusion 5.1 Evaluation In order to estimate the relative success of the campaign in terms of its ability to achieve the stated marketing and communication objectives, a number of control measures will be carried out during and towards the end of the campaign. Increase in market share will be evaluated through tracking of unit-sales, using inventory data. The level of sales will be measured in 3 stages: before the launch of the campaign, six months into the campaign and finally after completion of the campaign. Increase in the number of distributors will be assessed by measuring the number of retailers before the launch and after completion of the campaign. Recognition tests will be carried out in order to determine the effectiveness of the advertisement in terms of increasing awareness of Tissot, and also if the media used were effective in reaching the target audience. Correspondingly, the achievement of the campaign in terms of re-positioning Tissot be evaluated using qualitative research obtained during focus-group discussions.

Depression: The Deadly Illness Essay -- Depression Mental Health

Imagine the feeling of emptiness in life, and the feeling of nothing matters anymore. Countless people feel this way every day. A 21- year- old male felt this way and wondered if there was ever â€Å"victory over depression† (â€Å"Depression Stories† 1). At the beginning of his story, he talks about spending four years attempting to find joy. He felt like happiness was hiding from him, and as long as he kept searching it would keep on hiding. As quoted, â€Å"Like a tiger trying to catch his tail, I felt my search was not going to end well† (â€Å"Depression Stories† 1). Pleasure was what he was pursuing. His lifestyle completely changed, and he had only one rule. As quoted, â€Å"If it brought me pleasure, go for it; if it was not pleasurable, forget it† (â€Å"Depression Stories†). Eventually, he came to a place where he had an empty, meaningless life. Finally, he came to the conclusion about joy not being able to be obtained. H e eventually was drained because his realization of lasting happiness not being possible brought him despair. His desire of his life became fainter while the monster, misery, had grown larger. As said, â€Å"Depression starts out seemingly harmless; a feeling of discontent -- a sense that something was lacking† (â€Å"Depression Stories†). Depression eventually became stronger, and it took on some dangerous qualities. He was not aware of where he was going, but the deeper depression took him the more dangerous it became. Death was the only way he felt he could get out because he was way in over his head. As quoted, â€Å"It’s like the Venus flytrap plant that draws the insect into its lethal caress. The poor insect goes willingly, unaware that the plant is more than it appears to be† (â€Å"Depression Stories†). He compares the Venus ... ...., n.d. Web. 7 Dec 2010. "Antidepressants: What You Need to Know About Depression Medicines." HelpGuide.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec 2010. "Depression ." NIMH. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec 2010. "Depression Stories - Is victory possible?." Life Challenges. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec 2010. "Depression Treatment: Therapy. Medication, and Lifestyle Changes that Can Help." HelpGuide.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec 2010. "Depression: Treatment With Electroconvulsive Therapy." FamilyDoctor.org. American Academy of Family Physicians, May 2010. Web. 7 Dec 2010. "Psychotherapy for Depression." The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 1995. Web. 7 Dec 2010. "St. John's Wort and Depression." National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec 2010. "Understanding Depression: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Help." HelpGuide.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec 2010.

Preparing for Death While Embracing Life Essay -- essays research pape

The process of dying begins at birth. Each of us know that someday we will die, but we don't generally like to think or talk about it. The topic of death is often taboo in our society. Because of this, we are often unprepared when we are faced with the final stages of the dying process with someone we love. Attitudes and concepts about death and dying vary greatly. Death refers to the actual physical ending of life, while dying refers to the process of coming to that end. Most people do not simply stop breathing. It is often a slow, lingering, unwinding process that can take days, weeks, or months. Even the actively dying process can occur over a period of hours or days. Observing this process can be extremely difficult for loved ones. Some people experience the symptoms of being close to death and then, for some unexplained reason their condition may begin to improve a little. The family's hopes soar, only to be dashed again, as the loved one's condition deteriorates. These roller-coaster changes can be emotionally and physically exhausting for caregivers. Most of the fear of death is really fear of the unknown. Education and open discussion about the events that will occur can relieve much of the fear patients and families experience. Each death is different, a touching and special drama, just as each birth is. And usually the act of dying requires some assistance, just as the act of giving birth does. Because each person's death is unique, it is difficult to state exactly what will happen in each situation. This particular period of time is one of the most difficult times you and your family will experience. Some people believe that preparing for a death is the most difficult part of losing a loved one. Friends and family members may feel helpless as their loved one comes closer to death. Fear of the inevitable, sorrow, and anticipating the grief to come are common and can be completely exhausting. Many people who have a serious illness may anticipate their own passing and experience a range of emotions as well. A grief counselor can help an ill person work to resolve issues and, perhaps, achieve a level of peace with the inevitable. On a more practical note, there are issues that can be resolved during the period of physical decline that may lead to greater peace of mind. The person's will should be drawn up or updated and any other personal matter... ...son whom you have named as "successor Trustee" takes over your Trust. This person is in charge of taking care of the property under the Trust or of distributing the property to the beneficiaries you specified within the Trust. Remember, before you take the legal action of creating a trust, it is almost always in your best interest to consult a lawyer for more information and guidance. So as you can see, there are many ways to deal with death while one is still alive. It is important that one realizes that these means are not there to â€Å"rattle Death’s cage† as some people have put it, but for more practical means, such as taking care of the one’s left behind. Bibliography Ø Mannino, Davis J. Grieving Days, Healing Days. Allyn and Bacon Ø Kubler-Ross, E. On Death and Dying. Simon and Schuster Ø http://www2.seniorcareweb.com/senior/legal/guardianship/default.htm Ø http://www2.seniorcareweb.com/senior/legal/living_wills/default.htm Ø http://www2.seniorcareweb.com/senior/legal/power_of_attor/default.htm Ø http://www2.seniorcareweb.com/senior/legal/wills/default.htm Ø http://www2.seniorcareweb.com/senior/legal/assets_and_tru/default.htm

How Mercantilism Helped to Shape the American Nation :: American America History

How Mercantilism Helped to Shape the American Nation In the Middle Ages, the definition of wealth was based on the amount of productive land. According to this definition, France was the wealthiest and therefore the most powerful of the European nations. During the sixteenth century the definition of wealth began to change. As the ability to conduct profitable foreign trade increased, so did the amount of cash. Thus, the new definition of wealth came to mean the gain of cash or specie. Specie included gold, silver, or bullion. The wealthiest nation became the one with the most cash, and therefore, the most powerful nation. As the redefining of wealth took hold, there was an increased desire and ability to conduct foreign trade on a larger scale as cash became the new medium of exchange in contrast to bartering. Mercantilism began to take hold of the countries of Europe. Mercantilism was characterized by the governmental regulation of industries, trade, and commerce. This was especially true with foreign trade, and was determined more b y national aims rather than individual or local interests. This new quest for trade began the Age of Expansion in the early fourteen hundreds. This era ushered in a search for new sources of revenues, and focus turned toward the colonization of the New World. The Portuguese, Spanish, and English directed many efforts of colonization and development toward this new land in an attempt to establish themselves as the economic leaders of the world. As mercantilism began to change, so did the power flux of the European countries. Thus began the shaping of North America as we know it. The Age of Expansion brought many changes to medieval Europe. During this period, the countries of Europe began to look beyond their borders. In Europe, there was nowhere to grow. This being the case, the only place to turn was west. Portugal came into existence in the early 1400's. It is a small country bordered on one side by the sea, and by Spain on the other. Out of necessity the Portuguese became the masters of the sea. They began to acquire a great knowledge of the sea and advanced in navigation, sailing, and map-making. They also founded an academy of navigation in Lisbon. In the early 1400's, the Portuguese began exploratory voyages. The Portuguese wanted to establish themselves in large-scale international trade. The four things most desired by the people of Europe were spices, sugar, precious metals, and silk.

Medea Greek Mythology Essay

When Medea decides to take matters in to her own hands, about punishing the people who have done wrong to her, she is accused of wanting not justice—vengeance. Because I am not a native of neither Corinth nor Colchis, I have my own view about her motives. However, I would agree with the Corinthian Women, Medea is seeking vengeance; not justice. Some people might argue that Medea is seeking justice. When in actuality, Medea wants vengeance. The opposition would say justice took place because the Gods allowed Medea the time to perform her various acts. Although these things happened Medea turned to vengeance when she took it upon herself to kill Creon and his daughter Creusa. Even the chorus, the â€Å"ideal spectators†, implies that Creon is a poor king when, after he banishes Medea, the First Corinthian Woman sympathizes, â€Å"I am of Corinth and I say that Corinth is not well ruled. †(1. 214-216). This quote gives us proof that Medea has some sort of reason to seek revenge on Creon. However she lets her hatred exceed its boundaries and allows herself to take the lives of the King of Corinth and its Princess all because they chose Jason over her. In addition, her actions all prove that she wants Jason to do more than pay for hurting her. She wants him to suffer at the fate of her own children. Her revenge was selfish. Medea involved the two things she knew would hurt Jason the most—her own children. According to the First Corinthian Woman, â€Å"It would be better for you, Medea if the earth opened her jaws and took you down into darkness. But one thing you will not do, for you cannot, you will not hurt your own children, though wrath like plague-boils aches, your mind in a fire-haze bites the purple apples of pain. No blood-lapping beast of the field, she-bear nor lioness, nor the lean wolf-bitch, hurts her own tender whelps; nor the yellow-eyed, seythe-beaked, and storm shouldered eagle that tears the lambs has ever made prey of the fruit of her own tree. †(2. 115-126). Keep in mind that the Corinthian Women are the conscious of Corinth. Through this quote the First Corinthian Women has stated that Medea could not harm her own children. She even gives examples of the most dangerous predators that don’t even harm their own young. This is evidence that Medea went beyond the state of justice; but she went well into the state of vengeance. Medea knew what she was doing and quite frankly she could care less about anything other than what she thought of what was seeking revenge on Jason. In conclusion, vengeance was sought by Medea. She went above the fact of teaching Jason a lesson; she even stated she hated Jason more than she loved her children. Answer this question is what Medea has done entertaining or morally instructive?

Essay on Assam Essay

Assam has been aptly described by some as ‘the Shangrila of the North-Eastern India’ – a state having breathtaking scenic beauty, rarest floras and faunas, lofty hills, lush tea gardens, undulating plains, mighty waterways, dense forests, fertile valleys, etc. It lies as a jewel of exquisite beauty and charm on the Northeastern horizon of India. Since the days of Hiuen-Tsang it has fascinated the rest of the world with her aura of myth and mysteries, history and folklore, music and dance. Known as Pragjyotishpura (land of Eastern lights) in ancient time and Kamrupa in medieval times, Assam is the anglicised name for the state. The name of the state may have come from the word ‘Ahom the people who migrated to the Brahmaputra valley in the early 13th century and gave shape to the Assamese of today. The state lies between 89 °. 50†² to 96 °, 10†² E. longitude and 24 °. 30†² to 28 °, 40†² N. latitude. Seven Indian states and two foreign countries touch its boundary. Spread over an area of 78, 438 sq. km. State has a total population of 26, 638, 407 according to Census, 2001. We have a clear picture of Assam only from the early 13th cent, when the country was conquered by Ahoms. Later they were ousted by the Burmese, who handed over the area to the British by the treaty of Yandaboo in 1826. All the major races of the world such as, Austro-Asiatic, the Indo- Aryans, Indo-Tibetans, Indo-Burmese, Mongolians, etc. have combined to make the great Assamese people of today. Assam, however, has remained practically a land of Tibeto- Burmese people. Assamiya or Assamese is the lingua franca of the state. Assam can be divided into three natural regions, namely the Brahmaputra valley, the Barak valley and the Hilly regions. These regions are quite distinct from one another with regard to the composition of people, manner of living and culture. The mighty Brahmaputra along with Barak has nourished the state from time immemorial and has been a source of solace as well as a source of sorrow for the people of the state. The economy of the state is overwhelmingly agricultural and about 75% of the population directly or indirectly depends on this sector for their livelihood. Rice, fruits, aracanut, jute, sugar cane, and tea are the chief agricultural produce of the state. The state also produces nearly half of the country’s total output of tea. he state is rich in natural resources such as oil, gas, coal, and limestone. The perfect fusion of heritage, tradition, faiths, and beliefs of  numerous races has resulted in many festivals in the state. The main festivals of Assam are the ‘Bihus’ which are celebrated all over the state by every one with great pomp and grandeur. The most colourful amongst the three ‘Bihus’ is the spring festival known as Rongali Bihu. Nature has abundantly blessed Assam with charming sights and exciting natural scenery. Kaziranga National Park and Manas Sanctuary are the chief tourist centres famous for Royal Bengal tiger, one-horned rhinos and golden langur. The other attractions of the state are the famous Kamakhya temple near Guwahati, Umananda temple, Navagraha temple, Kareng Ghar, Rang ghar, Talatal Ghar, Majuli island, Jatinga, etc. Nestling in the Himalayan foothills the state is rich in cultural heritage, natural beauty, and mineral resources. There is no denying the fact that the state of Assam during the last fifty years has made great strides in many fields. But a lot more remains to be done to bring the state to the forefront of development and progress. Given better political stability, adequate stress on industrialisation, proper utilisation of resources available and less militancy, the state can leap forward to an era of prosperity and all-round development.

Titration of Calcium HydroxideG

We did this by titrating Hydrochloric Acid into 10 com of Calcium Hydroxide. As we titrated HCI into the Calcium Hydroxide solution, the phenolphthalein's pink shade given to the Calcium Hydroxide slowly became clearer until the complete lack of pink color in the solution of base and acid. My value of 1. 58 g/mol was close to the accepted value of . 59 g/mol with only a 0. 6 + 0. 007% error, which is almost identical to the theoretical value. Because of such a small percentage error, one can attribute the error to random error, and not systematic because of its small value.Limitation/weakness How much did it affect my result Human error exists even outside uncertainty, where the HCI solution was possibly not correctly stirred along with the Calcium Hydroxide. Because of the fact that this is a titration experiment, the stirring and conglomeration of hydrochloric acid and calcium hydroxide needed to be constant in order for the reaction and correct mount of hydrochloric acid was used to neutralize the basic aspect of calcium hydroxide. Because of the inconsistent stirring, there must have been a small amount of error attributed to this limitation, though it may not look as much.Possibility: The Calcium Hydroxide solid that did not dissolve into the water may have passed the filter into the actual solution used, causing discrepancies in the data. A second limitation/weakness that may have caused our error is because of the fact that we may not have been careful enough with the filtration of the saturated Calcium Hydroxide. Because the filters themselves may not have been perfect experiment might have taken a wrong turn with solid Calcium Hydroxide within the solution as well, needing a smidgen more Hydrochloric Acid to neutralize it.Evaluation of quality of the result: Although there is limitations to our measuring, since we were only able to measure to 2 decimals as a volume, this experiment is still a valid way to figure out the concentration of Calcium Hydroxi de with Just the amount and concentration of Hydrochloric Acid, and can be used by other scientists who would theoretically have no idea about how to go about the method of determining the concentration of Calcium Hydroxide. Limitation or weakness Improvement 1 . Human error exists even outside uncertainty, where the HCI solution was possibly not correctly stirred along with the Calcium Hydroxide.To lower this error and improve this limitation, we could have the same person stir the solution/titration constantly, with more precision and concentration over this mixture, as to get the correct amount of HCI needed to neutralize the solution without any disagreements over what neutralized means or not. With two people concentrated over specific tasks, the uncertainty would also become much smaller as well due to less error attributed to our mistakes. 2. Possibility: The Calcium Hydroxide old that did not dissolve into the water may have passed the filter into the actual solution used, c ausing discrepancies in the data.One of the biggest improvements we could make is that we could, this time around, not add such a large amount of Calcium Hydroxide powder into water blindly, as had been done before, so that we would be able to have more saturated water to work with, as opposed to what we had to work with at that moment when the experiment was done. By doing that, we would be able to reduce uncertainty that may have come along with the solid Calcium Hydroxide mixed in with the saturated solution.

God †Religion Essay

1. Metaphysics Metaphysics is the study of â€Å"reality. † More specifically it is the study of reality that is beyond the scientific or mathematical realms. The term â€Å"metaphysics† itself literally means â€Å"beyond the physical. † The metaphysical issues most discussed are the existence of God, the soul, and the afterlife. 2. Epistemology – This philosophy study concerns human knowledge: what knowledge is, what the conditions are which make human knowledge possible and the extent to which human knowledge can grasp or reach. 3. Morality is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are â€Å"good† and those that are â€Å"bad†. Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduct from a particular philosophy, religion, culture, etc. , or it can derive from a standard that a person believes should be universal. 4. Philosophy of God – God is characterized as the metaphysically ultimate being (the first, timeless, absolutely simple, and sovereign being, who is devoid of any anthropomorphic qualities), in distinction to other conceptions such as Theistic Personalism, Open Theism, and Process Theism. Despite extensive writing on the nature of God, these classical theists did not believe that God could be defined. They believed that it would contradict the transcendent nature of God for mere humans to define him. 5. Philosophy of Religion is the branch of philosophy that is concerned with the philosophical study of religion, including arguments over the nature and existence of God, religious language, miracles, prayer, the problem of evil, and the relationship between religion and other value-systems such as science and ethics. Philosophy of Religion is the branch of philosophy that is concerned with the philosophical study of religion, including arguments over the nature and existence of God, religious language, miracles, prayer, the problem of evil, and the relationship between religion and other value-systems such as science and ethics.

What causes recessions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

What causes recessions - Essay Example By definition, a recession refers to a two or more consecutive quarters of a general decline in economic activity [gross domestic product] (Gwartney, Stroup, Sobel and Macpherson 171). Generally a precursor of a depression, a recession is comparatively less severe but with almost similar dramatic economic effects.   While the numerous past recessions appear unique in terms of origin, all are preceded by the Greenspan’s irrational exuberance that unduly escalates asset values (5). To be sure, there is no one single cause of a recession (Simpson 12-13). Economists are in agreement that while a significant event in a particular sector with notable economic effects may be a trigger, a number of factors often come into play to magnify economic contraction into a visible catastrophe. Accordingly, the causes are categorized into two: the demand side shocks that hit one or various components of the aggregate demand [AD] and the supply-side shocks that affect the short-run aggregate supply, inflation [through cost push], investments and business profits. According to the demand side economics, a recession can be triggered by one or a combination of: an economic slump of a major trading partner, which may be a country or region/an economic block [such as the EU]; a credit crunch driven by the inab ility of the financial institutions to meet lending requirements of households and businesses or conscious cutting back of credit through abnormally raised interest rates on loans; a sharp fall or total collapse of crucial asset prices [such as property prices]; and a trade imbalance prompted by an abnormal appreciation of the exchange rate (Tatom 2). On the other hand, the supply recession-causing shocks include: increasing international oil prices that subsequently translate into increased cost of production [through the oil costs

CRISIS COMMUNICATION ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CRISIS COMMUNICATION ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example Pirates were armed with deadly weapons including AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and Anti-tank rocket launches at the time of the attack that could devastate the ship. The pirates are dressed in military fatigues. Furthermore, they use high tech satellites equipments to communicate with their mother ship. The high tech phones and GPS systems were used by terrorist pirates to coordinate attacks using small but very fast speed boats that are resupplied by mother ship. When the pirates fired on the ship, crew members gathered all the passengers in a central lounge away from decks and windows during the attack. Luckily, no serious hurts have been reported. However, a number of passengers and crew members are under shock and ship sustained minor damages. The pirates followed Smooth Magic ship and boarded it on Monday morning after four hour chase. The ship through its captain sent a distress call but no naval ship was near at that time to rescue it. Following fierce attack on the ship, the captain surrendered the ship to pirates to secure safety of all people on board as well as the entire ship. The Smooth Magic was then commandeered by the pirates to southern part of Somalia. This brings to ten the number of vessels that pirates are holding captive with passengers and crew in the lawless southern section of Somali. ... The hijacking incident is being monitored closely by the company in collaboration with relevant Maritime authorities to protect the lives of passengers and crew members on board and the ship at large. The Smooth Magic cruise ship has six hundred passengers and three hundred crew members on board. On board the cruise ship are American, Europeans, Asians and Africans. According to captain John Williams of the Smooth Magic, the number of pirates who hijacked Smooth Magic is estimated to be about forty eight. The company has been communicating with the Captain, who updates the company on the developments and he has assured the company that no single person has been hurt so far. Furthermore, there are no incidents of pirate’s ruthlessness because our crew members and passengers cooperated. The pirates have also not robbed passengers of their personal belongings because their leader categorically stated that they are only interested on ransom and have instructed his fellow armed pir ates not to rob passengers or crew members. Communication between the company and the pirates via satellite phone revealed that the pirates are demanding a ransom of $500,000. The leader of the pirates only known has Adan refused to divulge more information about themselves but promised to keep the passengers, crew members and entire ship safe if their demands are met. This unfortunate hijacking incident is the first to happen to our ships. However, the company is doing all it can to ensure that all passengers and crew on board as well as the entire ship are safe. The company is negotiating with the pirates on the best possible outcome. The company considers the hijacking incident serious. Hence, it has placed the incident on high dimension/high control crisis.

Ethics in Flatliners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethics in Flatliners - Essay Example Flatliners is one of the movies that depict the theme of ethics among other themes. Flatliners explores the issue of life and death in an articulate and ingenious way. The characters in the movie, led by Nelson seek to experience life after death by â€Å"flatlining.† The whole experience by Nelson and his medical students is centered on ethics. At one instance, Rachel Manus told Julia Roberts that she is doing much better. This paper briefly discusses why it was ethical for Rachel Manus to say that.The scenario happened when Manus was treating Julia as one of her patients. Manus, a medical student with Nelson, was mandated to oversee the recovery of patients. It happened that one of the patients, Julia, was struggling with recovery. In their conversation, Manus told Julia that she was doing much better in recovery. Although Julia was not on the best route to recovery, Manus encouraged her. This was an ethical approach. It is undeniable that telling the truth is one of the pri mary codes of ethics, especially in the professional field. However, there are times when the truth will do more harm than good. For instance, telling patients that they are not likely to recover from an illness will surely jeopardize their recovery. Therefore, it is ethical to give them encouraging words that would stimulate recovery even when there is little hope. In this context, Manus was ethically justified to tell Julia Roberts that she was doing much better. This is because she had good intentions when she was saying the words.