It’s tough being a teenager

The life of a teenager in modern Britain is not easy. There are many different problems young people are forced to deal with in this day and age. The problems of a teenager range from pressures of school exams and completion of tedious work, up to the rapidly increasingly problem of drug abuse. The pressures of exams and schoolwork are a noticeably smaller problem for teenagers in comparison to drug abuse or committing violent street crime. Never the less it is still a problem that makes many peoples lives an unpleasant and traumatic time. The pressure that teenagers are under is due to the climax of school attendance the final G. C. S. E examination which can be either a declaration of a pupil's intelligence and will lead to university placements and an exiting career, or a crippling blow that ends a person's dream of a certain job prospect or placement in further education. Either way the pressure is the same. The most drastic source of teenage problems originates from drug abuse. Due to the common use of drugs and the availability of a vast array of mind altering substances an increasingly social problem is arising. The problems caused from the use of drugs include street crime which is becoming ever more violent in a desperate attempt to evade capture due to the high tech protection systems of homes and shops. Another common outlet which addicts feed their habit with is car theft. The most commonly used people to carry out jobs such as violent killings and car crime a part of a gang which is dependent on drug use. The problems of teenagers are widely publicised in the media and often over exaggerate things and often overlooked as well as things being overlooked. The media has a very important role in a teenagers life, it tells people what is acceptable with regards to fashion and Forces boundaries to be forged within society such as people who skate and listen to heavy metal and the people that listen to trance music and take drugs. The teenage years are also a time where many people feel they must rebel against society through dressing a certain way and acting against a typical stereotype which is in its self a contradictory term when a lot of people rebel and seek individuality by doing the same thing as the previous generations and no doubt the future generations will too feel a need to rebel against their stereotypical role in society. The teenage years are not all bad though the only reason teenagers have a negative reputation for drugs and alcohol abuse and the like is because the people who commit crime are the only ones paid attention to by the media. A Persons teen years are about discovery and freedom with the only real responsibility being school work and the need to find out what they want to do with their lives. Whatever the attitude of teen age years good or bad they are only lived through once and when they have gone they will only ever be looked back on with envois memories. A time where people can enjoy there lives before being thrust into the very difficult and serious world of war and politics and being dependant on working for a living and becoming an adult.

Hunger Games power of appearance Essay

In the novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the main character Katniss, is influenced not only be her personal wants and needs but also by the emotions of the people watching her. By carefully controlling the things she says and does, Katniss aims to present herself to the audience the way she wants them to percieve her. She aims to appear in love with Peeta in order to capture the hearts of the audience and the capital. She shows that she is smart and skilled in hopes of gaining sponsors. Lastly, she acts innocent to deceive President Snow. Strategically, she appears each of these ways at different times all in hopes of staying alive, wining the games and hopefully returning home to her family. While it may seem as if Katniss’ act to win over the audience began when she volunteered in place of her sister Prim at the reaping, this action came more out of love and protection for her sister than out of a desire to earn fans. Her real act starts during the opening ceremonies. Throughout this time, she begins to realize that if she is going survive she will have to hide her often hostile and unfriendly demeanor and appear likable to the audience who is ultimately responsible for keeping her alive. Her mentor, Haymitch, tells her that she has â€Å"as much charm as a dead slug† (117) which will get her nowhere with her new audience. When she appears during the opening ceremonies in the gown of fire holding Peetas’ hand, they stun the people of the capital with their beauty and togetherness and win their hearts for the first time. After this outing she must keep her appearance of togetherness strong if she has any desire to go far. Following the ceremonies, Peeta gave her a sweet smile, which she responds to with a kiss on the cheek all the while thinking to herself, â€Å"two can play that game† (72). This forced reaction is the start of her appearance and act of love. This desire to act in love with Peeta is the driving desire throughout the novel. This love is what really gives Katniss a chance in winning the games because not only does it make Katniss appear desirable, but also their togetherness makes the audience want them to survive. When Peeta first tells the audience during his interview with Caesar Flickerman that there is â€Å"one girl†(138) he has had a crush on forever and follows this by saying â€Å"she came here with me†(138) the audience immediately knows it must be Katniss and their relationship as star crossed lovers becomes a genuine thing for the audience to follow. While in the arena, Katniss is initially on her own, but without her knowledge, Peeta is continuing their romantic appearance by making choices that help keep Katniss alive. The popularity of their romance is what Katniss believes led to the rule change allowing two tributes from the same district to win. This rule change acted as the turning point in Katniss’ presentation of herself. Up until this point, all she has done is â€Å"managed not to kill him† (247) but when the rule changes she realizes it is time to fall in love again. She starts right away with a smile towards the camera in hopes of displaying to the capital her thrill that she no longer has to kill her one true love. Now it becomes Katniss’ turn to play into the â€Å"star crossed lover† theme by finding Peeta and saving his life. When caring for Peeta, she kisses him for the first time and is rewarded with a pot of hot broth and the connection between affection and rewards is cemented in place. If she wants to keep Peeta and herself alive she is going to have to give the audience something to really care about. â€Å"Star crossed lovers desperate to get home together. Two hearts beating as one. Romance,† (261) she thinks to herself, understanding that this is her ticket to win. The appearance of love is very difficult for Katniss to portray because not only is she not in love with Peeta, but she has never been in love. She turns the cave that they take refuge in into a love nest to help develop their love story. They spend many nights curled up together with kisses strategically timed to strengthen their romance for the audience. â€Å" I lean over and give Peeta a long, lingering kiss. I imagine the teary sighs emanating from the Capitol and pretend to brush away a tear of my own.†(281) Her believability is crucial to maintain fans and with time she hones her skills, knowing that the more in love she acts the better her chances of survival. When it comes down to saving Peeta’s life, Katniss must go to the feast and get him the medicine. While she knows this is risking her life, she also knows that just sitting there and watching him die is not an option and â€Å"the audience would hate (her)†(275) for that. The audience support is crucial so late in the games and having them hate her is no way to receive any help. Again, as a result of her good acting the audience follows through by sending her sleep syrup for Peeta, which allows her to go to the feast and get what will hopefully be medicine. This medicine saved Peetas’ life, subsequently saving her lover act. When they are on the verge of starvation, she knows she must improve her appearance of love to the audience in order to get help from a sponsor. She does this expertly, when talking to Peeta about having her attention. She tells him he doesn’t, â€Å"have much competition anywhere† (302) followed by a meaningful kiss. This does the trick and within a minute they are receiving a parachute filled with a feast and in her head she can hear Haymitches’ words saying, â€Å"Yes, that’s what I’m looking for sweetheart.†(302) If she had not played up their love in this situation they may have both starved to death ruining any chance of making it home. Her presentation of love continues until the very end, when they are the last two left and the rule changes to only allow one victor. How could Katniss possibly kill her â€Å"lover†? As an answer to this, they hold poisonous berries in their hands, kiss goodbye, and put them to their lips. In the nick of time, the trumpets blare announcing both as victors. Their love, which Katniss played up throughout the games, allowed them both to survive and the audience to have their happy ending. The necessity to keep the appearance of love alive does not end after the games are over. Because of her stint with the berries in the arena, Katniss is in trouble with the capital for showing them up. Haymitch warns her that her only defense is that, â€Å"you were so madly in love you weren’t responsible for your actions† (357). Now appearing in love is not only directed towards the audience but specifically towards the Gamemakers and President Snow. Love kept her alive in the arena and she needs it again to stay alive now that she is out. The girl-driven- crazy-by-love must now be coupled with an air of innocence if she wants to survive. As soon as she is in front of the audience and reunited with Peeta the desperation to look in love hits her, and she is practically on top of him kissing him all over. During the closing interview, her look of love is crucial and she follows through talking about how she first knew she was in love with him when there was the rule change and the â€Å"chance she could keep him†(368). She adds to this saying she is going to put him somewhere where he cannot get hurt, which is met with a sigh from the audience. When defending her decision with the berries she keeps the appearance going explaining what was going on in her mind, â€Å"I don’t know, I just.. Couldn’t bear the though of †¦being without him.†(369) This seals the deal of love and innocence, which keeps her and Peeta alive†¦for now. While appearing in love with Peeta was the major way Katniss was able to get sponsors and survive, it was not the only way she aimed to present herself. Showing the audience that she was skilled, strong and smart was also an important part of her survival in the games. Not only were these attributes a literal part of her survival but by presenting herself strategically in these ways, coupled with her loveable side she was able to really win over her fan base. The first time the audience learns she is skilled is by her extremely high training room score of 11. She earns this score with her jaw dropping performance with the bow and arrow, but no one outside the game makers knows how she received it. After starting out with such a bang, once in the arena she must hold the audience’s attention if she wants to be noticed. She first thinks about her camera performance when she says, â€Å"I need to look one step ahead of the game,†(164) cocking her head slightly and giving th e camera a knowing smile. This occurs when faced with the surprise that Peeta has grouped up with the careers. She figures this way she can appear to the capital to be on top of things rather than show the perplexity she truly feels. When she senses that she has the screen of the capital, she is careful to hide her emotions and consider the reaction each of her behaviors might have. By hiding her emotions and showing her mental strength she shows the audience that she will be able to make it far in the games and that she is a deserving tribute for them to bet on and sponsor. She shows her physical strength after being attacked by the fire and contracting serious burns, â€Å"pity does not get you aid. Admirations at your refusal to give in do†(179) she thinks to herself as a response to her pain. Her perseverance shows that she is deserving of help when she really needs it. The burn cream she receives that enables her to be productive again is a gift from sponsors that see her potential because the way she has presented herself. Katniss understands that the events in the arena are all for show and her ability to portray herself in certain fashions allow her to be partially in control of this show. Her ability to hone her appearance to be one of love, strength, skill and smarts is what in the end enables her to win the Hunger Games. If she had approached the games as a normal competition rather than a televised event, her success would have been arguably different.

International Financial Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Financial Reporting - Essay Example Before January 2013, IAS 19 under GAAP set off bookkeeping requirements for diverse kinds of benefits offered by an employer, often a company, to its staff members. These benefits extended to employment termination and retirement contexts. These benefits significantly affected employer’s fiscal positions and output because they attract the distinct attention of the users of fiscal statements. This paper further discusses the similarities and differences between IFRS and American GAAP for revising IAS 19 to analyze this issue extensively. The IAS 19 Standard Revision The rationale surrounding the revision of IAS 19 by the IASB is its main requirements. First, IAS 19 acknowledges both legal and positive commitments made to workers by their employers. The logic for amending this requirement is the delayed acknowledgement of profits and losses by the above acknowledgement. A revision of IAS 19 made sure the funded position of a given company will never be similar to the one reflected on its IASB balance sheet requirement (Price Water House Coopers, 2013). Second, IAS 19 requires the practice of Projected Unit Credit as just an actuarial costing technique. Adopting a change in IAS 19 resulted in the company acknowledging an asset for unfinanced packages and an obligation for excessively financed packages. Third, IAS 19 needed demographic and fiscal actuarial presumptions to be objective and mutually matched. A revision of IAS 19 assured the decrease of the comparability of options available today, as well as the limitation of their effectiveness to fiscal reports. Fourth, IAS 19 based fiscal presumptions on market anticipations. Revising this requirement made it hard to compare the impacts of the DB packages of various organizations.

Do you consider Venezuela under Hugo Chavez (1998-2012) a democratic Essay

Do you consider Venezuela under Hugo Chavez (1998-2012) a democratic country - Essay Example He directed the movement in an unproductive coup overthrow against the Democratic Action government of Carlos Andrà ©s Pà ©rez, who was the president in 1992. This led to the imprisonment of Hugo Rafael Chà ¡vez Frà ­as (Feinberg, 1). Later on, after he was released, he formed a socialist political party two years later, it was called the Fifth Republic Movement, and he was voted president of Venezuela in 1998. In 2000, he was re-elected and during this second term, he presented the system of communal groups, Bolivarian Missions, and employee-managed companies, along with a land reform program, which was municipalizing main industries. In 2006, he was re-elected again with more than 60% of the votes. After emerging victorious in his fourth tenure as president in October 2012, defeating Henrique Capriles, Hugo Rafael Chà ¡vez Frà ­as was sworn on 10 January 2013. However, the Venezuela National Assembly decided to postpone the inaugural ceremony to give him time to enable him recuperate from medical treatment in Cuba, which resulted from a cancer return that was initially identified in June 2011. On 5 March 2013, Hugo Rafael Chà ¡vez Frà ­as passed away in Caracas at 58 years. During the duration Venezuela was under Hugo Chà ¡vez, it was not a democratic country, though Chà ¡vez was not a dictator, he crushed the democracy of the Venezuelan nation. In a period when South America was swiftly moving towards the far-left demagoguery from its ancient binaries of far right, Chà ¡vez was still holding Venezuela back in the past, both politically and economically. Under the decade of Chà ¡vez, while other nations like Peru and Brazil became representations of equality and success, Venezuela appeared to go back to the bad ancient days. It is true that the polls were usually well conducted and fair under his regime. He even freely accepted defeat in one

A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki - Essay Example Essentially, Takaki uses this article to explicitly show how the southern plantation owners were determined to replace the â€Å"black† farmers and labourers with the Chinese. This is because they believed that the Chinese were more hardworking and industrious and thus they could teach the â€Å"black† labourers to become equally hardworking and industrious. Comparatively, Takaki uses this article to complicate the commonly held perceptions regarding interracial competition by pointing out that the immigrants from different backgrounds attempted to get along with one another. To explicate, Takaki presents how both the Japanese, Mexican and Asian workers worked unanimously, ignoring their racial problems and differences. In addition, by stating that the Japanese immigrants thought that in America â€Å"money grows in trees,† (Takaki, 1993), Takaki aims to clarify how indeed the immigrants saw America as a land of many opportunities. Bharati Mukherjee, the author of the article â€Å"Jasmine† argues that like the character Jasmine, many immigrant Americans, including her, have tended to present themselves as Americans, cutting off their association with the traditional world which surprisingly predetermines their fate. Generally speaking, after the main character Jasmine losses her husband at a tender age of only seventeen years through a bomb attack (Mkherjee, 1989, p. 12), she is depressed and seems destined to live a solitude and lonely life, in a rural Indian village which is also her birthplace. However, Jasmine has burning desires to explore a more dangerous and larger world. Originally, Jasmine and her husband were planning to move to Florida. Nonetheless, after her husband’s death, Jasmine decides to single-handedly take the long journey.  Notably important, as she travels, Jasmine is faced with many challenges and obstacles thus transforming her into a more adventurous and stressful life.

Religion and Ecology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Religion and Ecology - Essay Example This book guides its reader through everyday life with an eco-friendly and animal -friendly outlook. It advises its readers on how to raise children in an environmentally sound way of life as well. The application of religion could potentially be applied to this type of lifestyle but the conflict arises in the arena of commitment to God. Particularly in Christianity, one’s devotion to God is of the utmost importance. This means that one should be concerned about one’s spiritual life and the promise of the eternal afterlife more so than the physical realm of this earth and its inhabitants and recourses. In the Old Testament, routine sacrificing of animals was imperative in keeping one’s God happy. This was a ritual that rid an individual of sin and evil deeds, before the eyes of God. Certainly, this made for a good disciple of God but was not an animal friendly approach to life by any means. One of the key aspects to environmentally friendly living, is respecting the creatures that live on this planet. That means humans as well as all animals. Through a religious perspective, God gave Adam and Eve dominion over all of the animals. This is often interpreted by Christians to mean that humans should feel free to eat animals, wear their skin and sacrifice them as burnt offerings if need be. There is a more eco-friendly interpretation of this that states that having dominion over animals just means that humans are to watch out for and care for the animals of the earth. But, as the Bible goes from Old Testament to New Testament, readers of the Bible are told that Jesus was the ult imate sacrifice and that animal sacrifices were no longer necessary. Most Christians though today, will freely eat meat and concern themselves with spirituality as opposed to the physical condition of the earth. The concept of Christianity is ultimately that one

Managing Global Hospitality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Global Hospitality - Essay Example Global hospitality industry is growing at a good pace. The increase in holiday trends is one of the reasons of the growth. People now try to visit to different tourist destinations in their leisure time. Globalization has also contributed towards this trend and people all over the world get to see more and more beautiful destinations on television and internet. But with growth hospitality industry globally is also encountering many issues like regulations, natural disasters, high cost of service and greater competition. This has caused many global giants in the industry to look for new avenues of investment. Background of the Company Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is one of the largest hotel chains of the world. The company started its operations in 1971from Singapore but currently it has hotels and resorts in around 17 countries all over the world. The company grew in Asia at a very fast pace and right now has a significant market share in Asia. Overall the company has presence in all continents of the world except Africa. Company is also planning to open a new hotel in London in 2012 (Shangri-La Hotels Website, 2011). The company has wonderful customer service and has won many awards for of excellence. The diversity at the Shangri-La Hotels is very well known all over the world (Clark & Chen, 2007). Shangri-La Hotels are high class hotel and are catered towards the rich class and for this reason a high quality of service is maintained. The company is also planning to expand in China, Canada and India in years to come. The brand name of the company is prestigious and known all over the world. The expansion of the company is based upon the innovative practices of the company.

Monopolies - Gas and Electric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Monopolies - Gas and Electric - Essay Example Government’s intervention leading to monopolization of the gas and electric sectors of the given country will have positive and negative implication to the general economy. Government’s intervention in such businesses will ensure that consumers receive better services from the traders of the particular product (Tucker, 2011). Government will also help consumers exercise maximum sovereignty without any form of manipulation by the individual traders. In addition, government’s intervention in monopoly of gas and electricity will help in ensuring that consumers get quality products and that traders comply with the safety standards. According to Rittenberg, et al (2008), the negative experience that will occur when government intervenes, forming monopolies in gas and electricity sectors will include high cost of production as the producer will be unable to pass the costs to consumers. When costs of production rises, producers will strive to limit the use of raw materials and this may compromise innovation. Furthermore, government’s intervention in monopoly of gas and electricity may lead to skyrocketing of prices of the products due to the raised standards of services, which will have adverse effects to the lower economic class (Rittenberg, 2008). Moreover, government’s intervention in monopoly trade of gas and electricity will also derail research process and spirit that a company may have to develop other ways of producing the particular

The instructions are given below Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The instructions are given below - Assignment Example However, most of the citizens in the European counties were not happy about what their governments were doing. In connection to this, the relationship between the states worsened. It was at this time that the, France began to experience revolutions. The main cause of the revolution was that, the French government had introduced a lot of tax on most of the commodities. This move was seen by the people as being unfair (Schroeder 5). It was also at this time that most European countries started importing slaves to their countries. Most of these slaves were drawn from Africa. However, the rate of unemployment had started to increase. Therefore, most citizens were not happy with their government because they felt that the government did not have their interest at heart (Schroeder 12). In addition to this, most of the people felt that the slaves could be a security threat to them. This is because at that particular time, Africans were seen as being uncivilised (Schroeder 4). Question two. How were Luther, Equiano, and either Engels or Dickens trying to create change in their worlds through their writings? What arguments did they utilize and who were their intended audiences? Make a historical argument about how their approaches differed and what those differences tell us about changes in Europe in the 16th-19th centuries. In the mid-19th century, Luther become increasingly concerned about how the catholic church was treating Christians. It was at this time that he started writing books why Christians should leave Catholic church and form another church. On the other hand Equiano writing was based on the English slave trade (Schroeder 5). He was more concerned about how the English was not respecting human rights. Finally, Engels main intention was to create awareness on the importance of the government to continue practising socialism. This was because at that particular time, most of the governments in Europe were trying

Effects of Inflation Essay Example for Free

Effects of Inflation Essay Keeping Inflation under control is a primary concern for the Australian Government as it affects so many different parts of the Economy, including Economic growth, standard of living and unemployment. There are three types of inflation, depending on their causes. Firstly, demand pull inflation occurs when there is an excessive aggregate demand at or near full employment. If aggregate demand exceeds aggregate supply, prices of g’n’s rise as a rationing mechanism. This form of inflation is usually associated with periods of high economic activity. Secondly is cost-push inflation. If business costs such as the cost of wages or materials rise, businesses may aim to maintain profit levels by passing these costs onto consumers. This will result in higher prices and therefore inflation. The final type of inflation is imported inflation. Imported inflation occurs when the price of imports rises, and either adds to business costs (resulting in cost-push inflation) or feeds into the CPI as the price of final goods. Furthermore, a depreciation in the Au$ will raise import prices, also adding to imported inflation. There are a number of factors which may cause inflation in the Australian economy. A major cause of demand-pull inflation is excessive growth in aggregate demand. If aggregate demand increases from AD to AD1, aggregate supply which is the equivalent of real GDP will rise to GDP2 and the price level will rise from P to P2. This results in the inflationary gap of cd. This increase in aggregate demand may be the result of a number of factors, including increases in consumption expenditure, investment spending, net government expenditure, the money supply, or export incomes. Another major cause of inflation, this time cost-push inflation, is a decrease in aggregate supply. If aggregate supply decreases from AS to AS1, real GDP will decrease to GDP2 and the price level will rise to P1. This results in both a contraction in real GDP and a rise in inflation. The main causes of this decrease in aggregate supply is excessive wage growth not accompanied by productivity increase, a rise in the cost of raw materials, and other inputs, or a rise in government taxes or other charges that raise costs for firms. Cost-push inflation may also be the result of imported inflation it there is a rise in world prices of imported goods used in the production process (such as raw materials and intermediate goods) firms are likely to pass these costs onto consumers, resulting in inflation on the other hand if there is a rise in world prices of consumer goods, increased import prices will feed directly into the CPI, also resulting in inflation. Furthermore a depreciation in the Au$ in foreign exchange markets will result in a rise in the prices of imported raw materials, intermediate goods, and consumer goods, again contributing to Australia’s inflation. This is demonstrated in the stimulus when the RBA credits the decrease in inflation to the fading impact of 2000s exchange rate depreciation. A less common cause of inflation is the existence of monopolies or oligopolies. If a monopoly or oligopoly exists in an industry, the lack of competition allows producers to push up prices. This again results in inflation. The final cause of inflation in Australia is inflationary expectations. Inflationary expectations refer to the behaviour of individuals and businesses who seek to compensate for the current inflation, as well as expected future price rises. This may be the result of either firms pushing up prices, or wage earners seeking higher nominal wages. Also, if consumers expect future prices to rise, they rather buy g’n’s now, which leads to increases in spending. This results in demand-pull inflation. Inflation can impact the economy in 3 ways. 1)By encouraging investment in speculative and unproductive activities and discouraging investment in ventures considered productive. Inflation encourages investment in real assets such as gold and real estate because they are considered ‘good shelters’ for inflation. This is because the scarcity of them often outpaces or at least keeps pace with the rate of inflation. If inflation occurs, people will seek to own such assets, shifting resources to these speculative and unproductive assets. Similarly this discourages investment in other assets. This is because entrepreneurs will not think it is financially viable to invest and pursue a project that will only result in less profit, due to the higher costs of inflation. Similarly inflation increases the cost of production thus also discouraging entrepreneurs. For example, if inflation is high, people will invest in gold and real estate. Otherwise known as the opportunity cost, because people will allocate their resources into such ventures (gold and real estate) they must then forego investing into other ventures that are considered productive such as a new business, that may be producing capital goods or normal goods and services. Also by discouraging entrepreneurs is the rise in the costs of production that occur due to inflation, for example the raw materials. Similarly interest rates will rise, making it more expensive to borrow funds for investment purposes, making investment projects less profitable. Either way, inflation can cause a loss in production of capital goods, leading to lower living standards in the future, or a loss in the production of normal goods and services, leading to lowering current living conditions, as current needs and wants go unsatisfied. Since returns from productive capital take longer to materialise, it means that entrepreneurs are also faced with a lesser return. This means that if the rate of inflation is greater than the return offered by the investment, then the project will not be considered economically viable, nor worthwhile. Similarly the risk of loss from any investment project will grow with inflation. Many small businesses take a couple of years before they start to make a profit, so if inflation is high, and is was not taken into account when the business was first planned, then the cost of production may rise, and the resulting price for the commodity will be too high for consumers. ) If inflation is present and is greater than that overseas, it reduces the overseas competitiveness of the Australian economy. This is because inflation is not only associated with a rise in prices, but also an increase to the costs of production. Therefore making overseas exports cheaper to the domestic market. Similarly the overseas firms do not have to put up with the rises in the costs of production. This provides a leakage in the circular flow (p urchase of exports) and thus dampening demand in the domestic market, which if severe enough could lead to a recession, bringing with it many economic problems. An example of how inflation can lead to a recession, would be the 1970s, when high inflation averaged at 10. 4%. Which due to the high oil prices and strong domestic demand led to high inflation in the 1980s (8. 1%). This period of high inflation led to a dampening in spending and a recession in the 1990s (1990-1992) causing many problems such as unemployment. 3) It also creates many winners and losers in the economy. Those that benefit are the owners of real assets (real assets and gold), because their assets are worth more. As well as those belonging to well-organized groups who can demand wage increases (eg, strong trade unions. ) This can lead to rapidly rising wages, increasing the costs of production, and also discouraging investment in productive capital as mentioned above. In addition to this inflation can benefit people who have already borrowed funds because the cost of repayment, represent less as inflation rises. This is because inflation is defined by a loss in the real value of money, therefore the repayment will diminish over time. Conversely inflation disadvantages those on fixed incomes because they lose the real value of income as their money represents less purchasing power. Similarly for the same reasons it disadvantages those that keep their money in liquid form (ie, bank deposits). Also those that lend money receive less back in terms of repayment, due to the loss in value (eg, A mortgage repayment in 1960 was worth more than in 1980, where high inflation had occurred). Also since it reduces international competitiveness, inflation can disadvantage exporters who find themselves with less business opportunities. This can effect the economy, as overseas markets will not purchase Australian goods and services. Therefore the economy will not receive the injection into the circular flow that it would usually, without inflation. Without the strong domestic support that is present in Australia’s economy, the economy could have the effect of dampening economic activity, and aggregate demand. When inflation occurs in the Australian economy it usually had a number of causes. The main causes are excess aggregate demand, cost-push inflation, inflationary expectations and imported inflation. inflation disadvantages many groups in the economy, who in turn benefit other groups. This is because inflation can influence the allocation of resources in regards to encouraging and discouraging investment, the overseas competitiveness of the Australian market, as well as effecting individuals and firms, who often benefit at the expense of others.

Analysis Of British Petroleum And Its Competitive Environment Management Essay

Analysis Of British Petroleum And Its Competitive Environment Management Essay This report highlights three aspects of business development and market growth for British Petroleum considering the competitive environment of BP, the key business strategies of BP for five years and the resources and capabilities that are available to BP for the last five years. The competitive environment point towards new capabilities that BP has developed for years to maintain competitive advantage. Competitive advantage has been analyzed using Porters model and it is suggested that differentiation and focus could be a response to changing market conditions. The competitive environment is also affected by factors such as brand image and reputation as related to social responsibility and environmental awareness. BPs strategies have focused on IT outsourcing to energy efficiency, leadership building and stakeholder management, application of resources and technologies, safety as well as climate change concerns. BPs investments have led to sustained production and volume growth and this is expected beyond 2010. BPs capabilities and financial resources received a boost with the rise of oil prices and growing demands worldwide with BP main businesses being in petrochemicals, petroleum refining, and oil and gas exploration and production. 1. Competitive Environment of BP BP is a diversified energy products company engaged in oil and gas explorations and development or production and transportation of crude oil and natural gas. BP is responsible for refining, marketing, transportation, sale of gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and other petroleum products; and the production, marketing and sale of petrochemicals. The global oil and gas industry being high competitive show that with expanse and success of a company, capabilities are stronger and competitors could have problems understanding or imitating these. So developing new capabilities would be essential in maintaining competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is attained when capabilities are neither simple and highly imitable nor too complex that defies internal steering and control. Capabilities that grow through use are considered critical to success and BP and other similar companies will have to develop such capabilities (Kay, 1993). A resource based view suggests that sustainable competitive advantage could help in developing existing and new resources and capabilities in response to changing market conditions. Knowledge and knowledge management are related to value creating assets and helps in competitive advantage. As far as the competitive environment is concerned, there could be sufficient competition in the main markets of BP although world energy markets are unaffected by government policies and changes. The global economy and globalization could be some of the factors that have triggered competition in the world market and more so for the oil and gas industry (Bowman and Faulkner, 1997). The oil industry has been dominated by a few major international oil companies, including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron along with companies of the gulf states. Seven major oil companies produced, transported and refined as well as marketed two thirds of the oil supply around the world for several years. State owned oil companies as in Saudi Arabia, Gulf and OPEDC countries are the largest suppliers of crude oil even today. Aramco has produced more than four times as much oil as ExxonMobil which is the largest private sector oil company and ExxonMobil produces twice as much oil and gas. Gazprom is anot her such company which is majority-controlled by the Russian government but also privatized and is responsible for more than 20% of world production and of exports of natural gas. The oil industry and companies in the OPEC states have diversified into refining, marketing and petrochemicals, but these may be of secondary importance when considered on a global basis although the contributions of such companies are important in certain regional markets. There are also problems of environmental awareness and corporate responsibility and BPs strategies have been framed by these considerations. Sarkis and Tamarkin (2005) addressed the ways of reducing greenhouse gases and organizations involved in reducing emissions and with emergent markets. Investment in equipment could help reduce emissions and could boost sales. However there could be a faster price rise and projects may not be economically feasible leading to the need for more stringent regulations. Real options analysis is considered an important tool for the energy industry and the energy industry is still completely influenced by greenhouse gas policies drawing attention to emissions and the role of controlling greenhouse gas emissions within the industry. 2. Key business strategies of BP over the past five years. Analysis using Porters generic strategies to discuss why this strategy was pursued or changed. Some of the key directions towards strategy included energy efficiency with BP operations such as considering the price of carbon in investment decisions and promoting low cost energy pathways through gas or power generation. The company also plans to make continued investments in alternative energy with bio fuels, wind and solar or carbon sequestration and investments in research and technology. Companies focus on safe and reliable operations with continued journey in personal safety and implements operating management system with compliance. The people efforts are on building capabilities and leadership behaviors and performances help in restoring revenues or reducing complexity and costs. Apart from the culture of leadership and restructuring, building skills and capability and diversity or reward for performance are important elements of company strategy. BP already identified new regions of access for its operations including Iraq, Indonesia, Jordan, and new acreage in Gulf of Mexico and Egypt. The reserves and resource replacement are at 12%-250% and production growth was at 4% (Hayward et al, 2010). The success story of the company has been projected as governance and shareholder alignment, safer operations and volume growth as well as steady financial performance. 2010 expected performance has been projected at $4 billion investment, production growth of 1-2%, focus on cost efficiency and development of projects with an average 1-2% volume growth until 2015 with increased potential and sustained growth to 2020. Resource bases and sources of growth beyond 2015 has been marked through expanding deepwater, leveraging expertise in gas and managing the giant oil fields of the world and enabling application of technology. The focus of the company has been on cost and capital efficiency and profit growth and diversifying the portfolio with a growing resource base. A momentum on costs and strategies and operations and an average 1-2% volume growth was expected until 2015 (Hayward et al, 2010). BP is also shown as having increased potential to sustain growth to 2020 and changes in the process could drive capital and cost efficiency. Fuel value chains through quality and integration could mean right markets and right locations for logistics and refineries and quality products and brands through marketing and channel management. BP has also highlighted supply optimization and trading and common processes at the back office. Among its infrastructural changes, BP has undergone major rebuilds of CDU to process heavy crude and for the manufacture of crude oil and also new world scale sulphur removal and gas oil hydro treating units. Refinery infrastructure upgrade shows location advantage. The market share possibilities discussed showed 40% capital employed in growth markets with leading technologies and strong customer relationships with margin share growth and premium brands. The company also gives importance to safety and efficiency, quality and integration and application of resources and technology and the emphasis provided is on safe and reliable operations. In the next 2-3 years over $2billion of pre tax performance opportunity was also identified. Costs were at 2004 levels with their refinery modification in 2012 (Hayward et al, 2010). The strategy of the company was given as a focus on the growth of profits as well as cost and capital efficiency through upstream production and downstream strategies are higher turnaround and cost efficiency. Alternative energy is seen as focused and disciplined with higher corporate efficiency and strategic growth. The focus on strategy is based on profit growth and use of alternative energy, as also a focus on corporate performance and efficiency and on cost and capital efficiency. BP was among the first multinational companies that joined in the merging consensus to address climate change (Kolk and Levy, 2001). BP has focused on a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and along with solar energy, BPs other lines of business are seen as exploration, oil and chemicals. However as far as BPs position towards climate change is concerned, analysts have tried to examine Is BP reacting to inevitable environmental pressures, but conducting business as usual, or is BP seizing the moment and opportunity and using global climate change as a doorway to a new business model for the 21st century? This seems an important analysis as it marks whether BP is projecting a new business model through the climate change focus or simply responding to the global environmental pressures and challenges and whether the climate change focus within its strategy would be positive or negative for BP (Lowe et al, 1998). As far as the analysis of BPs strategies are concerned, Porter has argued that any firms strength would ultimately depend on cost advantages and differentiation. The generic strategies that should be followed by any firm for success have been given as cost leadership, differentiation and focus (Porter, 1998). Cost leadership is attained through low cost of materials and integration decisions and differentiation strategy offers unique products and attributes to clients giving a competitive edge, and focus provides a narrow market focus so that specific needs of segments are met. Porters general strategies could explain the key business strategies adopted by BP in the last five years and these were related to climate change as well as cost and capital efficiency and profits. Juris (1998) suggested that in the UK it is possible to move from a monopoly of one company dominating the market to a competitive environment with many players and this is true even in the natural oil and gas industry without significant structural reforms within the business environment, although this could be expensive. Structural reforms and innovation brings about differentiation and launch of products and services that the consumer perceives to be different, Any form of change or deregulation must be accompanied by regulatory and institutional frameworks and all entrants to the market should be given equal rights. With cooperation between the government and industry participants, there has to be mechanisms for appropriate balancing and operating. BP will also have to follow these regulations towards market balance despite being a major player. Industry participants have tried to reach a consensus on how to enhance the existing framework that could make markets more efficient. British oil and gas industry will have to effectively give more time and resources to developing a tariff structure for pipeline capacity and transportation services in tariff markets (Juris, 1998). BP has a role to play in stabilizing tariffs that could make the markets efficient. Cross (1995) highlighted outsourcing as a BP strategy and explained how the BP Exploration Operating Company, $13 billion division of British Petroleum Company explores and produces oil and gas and outsourcers all IT operations in efforts to cut costs and get more flexible higher quality IT resources to improve business. At BP exploration it was decided that the company no longer needed technologies that provided business information to employees and this could be outsourced. There were problems encountered with internal IT departments and the old and new machines as well as the need to focus on technological details rather than wider more important business issues led to the need for outsourcing these to technicians. As far as BPs technology strategy is concerned, BP diverted its IT support through outsourcing. Outsourcing helped in the reshaping of the IT department. At BP information technology was used as utility for operations to develop application and supply processing power as also to provide technology support. This is now given to outsourcing providers and the company buys generic applications or contracts the work. The IT department is expected to improve business rather than be an internal group that simply meets supply of the company. The company however has a different IT strategy and does not rely on a single supplier for all IT needs although this could make BP to escalate its fees and become more rigid in its services. At the same time selective outsourcing and division of IT operations led to strain on management resources. BPs IT strategy focused on buying IT services from multiple suppliers although these could be delivered in a way as if by single supplier. Contractors delivered services to 42 BP businesses worldwide. The subcontracts were also performed effectively and the cornerstone of the BP outsourcing strategy was to use services from multiple suppliers and yet project them as one. The IT department is kept separate from Operations so that the IT managers could independently work on the business rather than get involved in technicalities. Several IT services including large and small providers were used for outsourcing which was however a difficult task but had the benefits of reduced fixed costs, im proved service, and access to new ideas and technologies (Cross, 1995). However the downsides were the technical issues and the danger of operations and management getting loaded with IT problems. 3. Resources and capabilities of BP over the five years, and analysis of the extent to which the company has aligned its resources and capabilities to its business strategies The alignment or use of resources and capabilities to shape business strategies of the company shows that BP placed a great emphasis on infrastructure and profit growth by building its resources and through partnering and strategic alliances. BP has built its larger base by organizing around the smaller business units and the company has several smaller business units that work together and the resources are available easily and quickly. The company follows a decentralization strategy with its various units having independent operations although there are differing views on whether this has been particularly helpful or led to original thinking. New approaches to BP business showed how the BP business could successfully steer through crises although the recent focus has been on BPs strategy towards climate change (Kolk and Levy, 2001). Considering the changes in BP strategy, it has been noted that BP had a politicized bureaucracy managed matrix structure and with the complexity performance declined and the company faced financial crisis. In recent years however BP has reported highest profits $4 billion in the third quarter of 2004 alone. The high prices of crude oil added to the profits although the companys cost efficient operations were key to strong performance. The company also absorbed two oil companies Amoco and Arco and other companies and the acquisitions helped in the expanse and scope and several strategic and organizational changes added to the remarkable turnaround in the companys performance (Roberts, 2005). BPs transformation came as it divested unrelated lines of business and divided business into units with three basic businesses with upstream oil and gas exploration and production, downstream petroleum refining and marketing and petrochemicals. There were different functioning markets and the unit s were run independently adding to the strategic advantage of the company. The company presentations showed that the US refining portfolio was fully operational and US convenience retail helped in reducing marketing footprint with cash costs down by 15% in 2008. $4billion was invested by the company for alternative energy since 2006 and employee count was reduced to 7500 and cash costs were also reduced by billions in 2009, bringing down the overall expenses of the company (Hayward et al, 2010). Among other strategic directions of the company are using solar energy as alternative energy and fuel and BP has been successfully developing the solar energy potential as one of the greener sustainable sources of energy. BP corporate strategy has also been focused on issues of climate change (Kolk and Levy, 2001) and there are two directions to this strategy. One is the potential advantage in corporate reputation and image if BP is projected as green and clean company which controls its business units and functions according to global climate conditions, and the other is the possibility of a new business model within which BP could work and using of solar energy as green energy is already a step towards this motive. In the last five years BP resources and capabilities have changed drastically. Along with addition of BP solar energy, there has been increased investments and increased profits with higher oil prices. BP has also potentially expanded its reach and operations across many new regions and continued to add new resources and capabilities including material and financial to fulfil its strategic directions. The business strategies of BP have been primarily geared towards profitability and corporate responsibility so along with cost leadership, focus, innovation, differentiation and climate change, BP had diversified and categorized its business units along with mergers and acquisitions.

The Role of Instructional Technology in Change Management Essay

The Role of Instructional Technology in Change Management Businesses change processes and personnel to remain competitive. Essentially their bottom line is profit and efficiency. Change management can be described as implementing new ideas and processes by maximizing the positive components and minimizing the negative to management, employees, and customers (Anonymous, 1999, p. 76). There are many variables to consider when implementing a new process to an organization. This paper will focus on successful change management strategies and its significance to instructional technology. A majority of all change management projects are systems driven. "Aggressive companies are accelerating deployment of strategic business applications to achieve market dominance" (Fournier, 1999, p. a10). For example, an organization develops a new computer interface in order to help serve customers more effectively and efficiently. With the new system, employees have access to more account information that, in turn, requires less follow up time, and the customers’ request is handled faster. Furthermore, this new system will support new business initiatives that are scheduled in the near future. Change and configuration management strategies are necessary "†¦to ensure system reliability" (Fournier, 1999, p. a10). Configuration management is defined as "†¦the IT process concerned with identifying, documenting, controlling, and tracking the configuration of interrelated IT components, at discrete points in time, throughout the development or maintenance life cycles" (F ournier, 1999, p. a10). Moreover IT components are also known as configuration items, comprise "†¦a variety of interdependent software, hardware, and networking components" (Fournier, ... ...way’(Laabs, 1999, p. 48). References Anonymous. (1999, February). Zambia seminar on change management. ManagementAccounting-London, 77 (2), 76. Buchanan, D., Claydon, T., & Doyle, M. (1999). Organisation development and change: The legacy of the nineties. Human Resource Management Journal, 9 (2), 20-36. Elam, D., & Meyland, S. (1998, November). You play like you practice. Inform, 12 (10), 42-43. Ettore, B. (1999, May). Change management. Management Review, 88 (5), 8. Fournier, R. (1999, March 22). Keep your apps in top shape. Informationweek, 726, a10-a22. Hibbard, J. (1998, March 9). The learning revolution. Informationweek, 672, 44-60. Laabs, J. (1998, November). Show them where you’re headed. Workforce, 77 (11), 45-48. Wilbur, R., A. (1999, March). Making changes the right way. Workforce, (Workforce Extra Supplement), 12-13.

Byzantine Empire :: essays research papers

After the Western Empire ‘fell’ in 476 CE, a new empire rose in its place. The new empire, the Byzantine Empire, was based on the cultures and traditions of the Western Empire, but also contained many distinctive features. The two empires were very similar since they existed in the same area and carried some of the same cultral roots. But the Byzantie Empire came into existence after the Roman Empire divided into two sections and the Western Roman Empire collapsed. One reason for the decline of the Western Roman Empire was that the move of the capital city to Constantinople in 330 C.E. Emperor Constantine moved the capital to a better location for trade and defense purposes. As the Byzantine Empire grew and prospered, it carried on traditions, culture and the way of life of the Western Roman Empire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In both the Byzantine and Western Roman Empire’s the complex and well thought out systems of government contributed to the success of the empires. Since the Roman system of government was devoloped 400 years before the Byzantine government, Byzantine officals borrowed some of the Roman Laws. These Roman laws were called the Justinian Code, which was a legal system that helped the Byzantine Empire survive for many years. This code, created by emperor Justinian, consisted of four main parts. The Code,5000 working laws, the Digest, explains why they exist, the Institues, text book for lawyers, and the Novellae, room for new laws. Another part of the government that both the Byzantine and thr Western Roman Empire had in common was a civil service. Augustus first established a civil service in the Roman Empire in 27 C.E. It was a system that pays workers who are skilled at their jobs to work for the government. This idea was carried to the Byzantine Empire where a bureacury, exactly like a civil service, was set up. Another major part of both empires was their strong and loyal army. The army was used for defending the vast empires as well as expanding it by conquering new teritories.

Shakespeares Macbeth is a Tragic Hero Essay examples -- essays resear

In the late 16th century and early 17th century, no playwright was better known than William Shakespeare. He was especially known for many famous tragedies. When Shakespeare wrote these plays he took many key aspects into account to create as much of an impact as possible on the reader or the audience. Macbeth, for example, is about one man, Macbeth who does what he thinks is necessary to become king but dies tragically due to his judgement. In this play, Shakespeare communicates how Macbeth's destiny can be changed depending on how he deals with his predicted future, in other words, his fate versus his free will. Macbeth makes many foolish decisions throughout his life like believing evil and supernatural powers will help him, allowing the endless verbal assault by Lady Macbeth to control him, and allowing his own ignorance in his decisions to overtake him. These are the main contributing factors that lead to his eventual breakdown and death. There are several instances in the story which suggest that the Weird Sisters are to blame for Macbeth?s downfall. At the very beginning of the book, the witches meet Macbeth and right away fill his mind with desire for the throne by telling him he will be king. The witches state ?All hail Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter!? (1.3.53). Since the witches are telling this to Macbeth, they are giving him a false sense of security by predicting what the future holds for him. After Macbeth converses with the witches, Banquo gets the feeling that the witches are bad news. ?The instruments of darkness tell us truths / Win us with honest trifles to betray?s/In deepest consequence? (1.3.136-138). This means that the ... ...and supernatural powers to control him, allowing his own ignorance in his decisions to overtake him and allowing the endless verbal assault by Lady Macbeth to control him, Macbeth is indeed a tragic hero. He has a fatal flaw that combined with fate, brings on a tragedy of all sorts. The Weird Sisters, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself play key roles in the downfall of Macbeth and each of them is to blame for the deaths of many people in the play. Shakespeare therefore allows them to set other people up for their crimes, especially Macbeth who gives a sense of vulnerability to many obvious culprits to the crime, making the play more enjoyable to watch and listen to. Along these lines, Shakespeare?s plays and books are the guidelines to many other tragic plays and books recorded through centuries and centuries of great literature.

Effects Packaging Materials on Shelf Life

EXPERIMENT 1: THE EFFECTS OF PACKAGING MATEIAL ON SHELF LIFE OF CRACKERS Introduction The type of food, chemical composition, size, storage conditions, expected shelf life, moisture content, aroma and appearance are just a few of the characteristics that must be taken into consideration when selecting the right material for a food product. A continuing trend in food packaging is the design of packages to extend the shelf life of foods while maintaining fresh-like quality.This places a high demand on selecting materials that not only provide the needed properties to maintain the quality of the food but it must be done at a cost effective price. The permeability of the packaging material is one of the most critical features of the package for affecting the quality of the food product. Objectives: I) To calculate the moisture uptake of different packaging materials II) To assess the texture hardness of the products by sensory analysis and texture analyzer III) To determine the estimated shelf-life of the products Materials:Crackers, packaging materials- HDPE, PP, Paper bag, aluminium foil, etc: plastic sealer: weighing balance, texture analyzer . Procedure: Two bags (duplicate) of crackers for each packaging materials was provided. The bags were filled with crackers, and then was weighed and stored at 25? C for 2 weeks. Two packets of crackers from the commercial packaging materials was weighed and stored at 25? C for 2 weeks as control. Each of the packets was reweighed after a week and the mean moisture uptake was determined after a week.After 1 week, for the commercial products, the packet was kept empty by removing all traces of the contents and the weight of the empty packages was weighed. The original mass of the contents was calculated according to the calculation given. From the results, the time (in weeks) before packages allow to uptake of 1% moisture (based on the mass of the content) was calculated. At this point (1% moisture uptake) was assumed, the p roduct had reached the end of its shelf life, and the result of the estimated shelf life was reported. Assessment of Crispiness: A) The means of ‘crispiness’ was decided in group. Sensory AnalysisThe commercial crackers as ‘standard’ was taken and each one of the crackers was bite down by using the incisor teeth only. The degree of crispiness was noted and this crispiness of the rating was given of 100. The crispiness of crackers was rated from different types of packet in the same manner by comparing each to the ‘standard’. As example, if you feel a biscuit is half as crispy as the standard, give it a rating of 50: if it twice as crispy gives it a rating of 200. A mean rating and SD of crackers of each type of packaging was calculated. B) Texture Analysis This method is using texture analyser TA-XT2 with the 3 point bending rigThe operating parameters of the analyzer was set and followed as below: TA setting Force in compression Return to star t Approach speed : 1. 0 mm/s Test speed : 0. 1 mm/s Post test speed : 2mm / s Distance : 10 mm (this may be made smaller if the crackers easily break Units : Newtons and millimeters Rig distance 40. 0 mm apart At least two crackers were prepared. the width and thickness of the crackers was measured, in the plane of the probe by vernier caliper. The crackers were placed on the right side up on the rig supports. The test was run.The Young’s Modulus was calculated from point 1. The breaking force from point 2 was recorded. With the cursor, from the graph that had been illustrated after the test run, the point 1 at d = 0. 1 mm was identified. The force and distance was recorded (chown on top left of screen). The force was converted from grams to Newtons and distances to metres. With the cursor, the point 2, the breaking point was identified. The force and distance was recorded. The force was converted from grams to Newtons and distance to metres. Identified whether Young’s modulus or breaking force are more reproducible parameter on the biscuits.Discussion: Moisture sensitive foods are susceptible to change in their environment and if it left opened will first become stale. Water migration and diffusion is considered to be one of the most important factors for the moisture sensitive foods. Moisture content analysis allows for a quantitative measure of the total amount of water present in a food item which can influence the texture, taste, and appearance of food products. According to military specification PCR-C-037, â€Å"Crackers, Fortified, Packaged in a Flexible Pouch, Shelf Stable†, moisture content shall be not less than 1. 5 percent and not greater than 4. percent. From the result obtained in this experiment, we discovered that the percentage of moisture content after 1 week for crackers in commercial packaging for mean for both sample was 0. 48% and 0. 48% after 2 week. Next for the HDPE packaging the moisture content for week 1 for sa mple 1 and 2 was 0. 95% and increased to 2. 14 % at week 2. The same situation happened for the PP packaging, the mean moisture content of crackers for week 1 for sample 1 and 2 1. 19 % then decreased to 0. 95 % at week 2. For the paper bag, the mean moisture content of the crackers for sample 1 and 2 at week 1 was 3. 2 % but increased to 4. 54% after 2 week. From the result, we observed that the commercial packaging material had lowest moisture loss followed with PP, HDPE and paper bag had the highest lost of moisture content of the crackers. It is because the paper bag had a high porosity to allow the moisture absorb on the paper. Sensory analysis allows for evaluation of food items with respect to appearance and palatability. Acceptability of the crackers was determined by a trained sensory evaluation panel, which assessed and rated the cracker for flavor, taste, odor, and texture.Ratings were based on a 9-point qualitative scale for each cracker attribute, along with an overall quality score for the cracker. According to military specification PCR-C-0372, â€Å"Crackers, Fortified, Packaged in a Flexible Pouch, Shelf Stable†, the cracker must receive an overall score of 5. 0 or higher based on the 9-point scale to be considered acceptable. From the evaluation of the crackers in different types of packaging materials, we observed the texture for both sample was ranked as 8 means it have a very good texture and do not stale, the color of the commercial packaging was very bright gold and ranked as 8.For the odor and taste, the commercial packaging was ranked as 7 which mean the aroma of the crackers was retained and retain the freshness of the taste of the crackers. The appearance of the crackers was ranked as 8 because the condition and shape of the crackers was still retained in original shape. The overall acceptability of the commercial packaging crackers was ranked as 7 and the crackers with commercial packaging have the highest ranked among the ot her packaging materials.In short, we can concluded from the sensory evaluation the texture of the crackers was well preserved by using commercial packaging followed by PP, HDPE and lastly paper bag. For the color of the crackers, the commercial packaging obtained the highest ranked followed by PP, HDPE and lastly paper bag. The color of the crackers in the paper bag packaging was very light yellow indicates the staling of the crackers. For the odor evaluation, as the same expected, the commercial packaging had the better odor, followed with HDPE, PP and lastly paper bag.Nest the evaluation of appearance, the commercial crackers packaging had better appearance followed with PP, HDPE and lastly crackers in paper bag packaging had poor appearance because the crackers had not retain the original crackers shape. The taste of the crackers was difficult to evaluate but the crackers from commercial packaging had the better taste and the freshness of crackers was retained, while the crackers from HDPE and PP packaging had the same crackers taste but the crackers from paper bag packaging had a very poor taste, the taste of the crackers was lost because of the moisture uptake of the crackers.The overall acceptability of the crackers from commercial packaging was 7 which means acceptable followed by PP and HDPE packaging but the crackers from paper bag packaging was assumed had a very poor acceptability due to the moisture uptake. The texture analysis was conducted because the presence of moisture is known to affect the hardness of food items like the crackers, as they absorb moisture from the environment around them. The crispiness means the force at which is the significant break in curve (not always present) or force at which material fracture.From the texture analysis, the result had showed that the crispiness of the crackers from the commercial packaging for sample 1 was 923. 45 and 773. 2 for sample 2, with overall mean for these two samples was 848. 32. Nest for th e HDPE packaging the crispiness of the texture were lowest compared to commercial packaging which result 632. 7 for sample 1 and 990. 2 for sample 2 with overall mean for two samples was 811. 45. The PP packaging showed for the sample the crispiness of the crackers was 858. 85 for sample 1 and 993. 45 for sample 2. Lastly for the paper bag packaging, the sample 1 had 1093. 25 and 793. forsample 2 and the mean for crispiness for both sample was 943. 53. For the determination of crispiness of the crackers in different type of packaging, we observed that crackers from commercial packaging had the highest crispiness rating which was 100 0 followed with PP packaging with reading obtained 75 0, HDPE 50 0 and lastly the crackers from the paper bag packaging with rating 25 0. Food packages made with plastic are permeable at different degrees to small molecules as example gases, water vapour, and organic vapour and to other low molecular weight compounds like aromas, flavour, and additives p resent into food.As a consequence of the barrier properties of the material, the transfer of this molecules ranges from high to low. The information of the solution/diffusion/permeation behaviors of these molecules through the polymer film has become important for polymers used in the food packaging. Many factors that can influence the polymer packages performance must be taken into consideration to design the correct package market solution.The use of different polymers in food packaging industry depends on the properties of the food product and also in manufacturing, handling, and packaging engineering procedures can influence the final properties of packaging material, especially in terms of barrier properties which are related to the intrinsic structure of the polymer such as degree of crystallinity, crystalline, nature of polymer, thermal and mechanical treatment before and after food contact, chemical groups present into the polymer, degree of cross-linking, and glass transiti on temperature.High density polyethylene (HDPE) was first developed for packaging as a film before being introduced as a bottle for milk in 1964. Its use for packaging has increased because of its low cost, flexibility, durability, ability to withstand the sterilizing process, and resistance to many chemicals. Polyethylene plastics have the generally advantageous properties of toughness, high tensile strength, and good barrier properties to moisture.A particularly important property of polyethylene plastics, which is due to their relatively low melting point ranges, is the ease with which packaging can be heat-sealed. The barrier properties of polyethylene plastics to oxygen andorganic substances are only moderate. These characteristics, along with properties such as clarity and stiffness, vary with the basic polyethylene parameters of density/crystallinity, molecular weight, and molecular weight distribution As food packaging, HDPE is most commonly associated with milk, oil, and ju ice bottles.Non-food packaging uses include supermarket bags, cleaning product containers, motor oil containers, agricultural films and chemical containers, paper bag liners, bags, crates, drums, and pails. Different grades of HDPE are used for different purposes. For example, there is a blow mould grade (used for milk bottles, and detergent bottles) and an injection grade material (ice cream containers). Disadvantages of HDPE as a packaging material include its low resistance to UV light and gas permeability.New technologies, such as barrier coatings and multi-layer materials, are being introduced to improve these characteristics. Conclusion: From the result from moisture content, sensory evaluation and texture analysis we can conclude that the packaging that had the highest moisture uptake which was 3. 82% for week 1 and 4. 54% for week 2 while the lowest moisture uptake was crackers with commercial packaging which was 0. 48% for first and second week. This is also supported by th e texture analysis which obtained that crackers for commercial packaging had 0. 48 kg, for PP packaging was 0. 811 kg followed with 0. 926 for HDPE packaging and 0. 943 kg for paper bag. The crispiness ratings obtained described that crackers from commercial packaging had the highest crispiness rating which was 1000, PP 750, PP 500 and paper bag was 250. From this evaluation, we conclude that the commercial packaging was the most preferred way in preserving the crackers quality, followed with HDPE packaging, PP packaging and the paper bag was the less preferred packaging for crackers due to highest moisture ptake. References: Philip T. , (2003). Packaging Materials Polyethylene for Food, Packaging Applications, 1-68 Nagi. H. P. S. , Kaur. J. , Dar. B. N. and S. Sharma (2012). Effect of Storage Period and Packaging on the Shelf Life of Cereal Bran Incorporated Biscuits. American Journal of Food Technology, 7: 301-310. Valentina. S. (2012). Food Packaging Permeability Behaviour: A Rep ort, International Journal of Polymer Science, Volume  2012, 1- 11.

A Literature Analysis Essay

Joyce Carol Oates attributes the creation of â€Å"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? † to Bob Dylan’s â€Å"It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue† and the article she read â€Å"about a killer in the American Southwest†, she also considered â€Å"the legends and folk songs connected with the subject of â€Å"Death and the Maiden†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ when creating this story (Latta 1). Oates was well known for writing about â€Å"the spiritual, sexual, and intellectual decline of modern American society† writing about such issues as suicide, rape and murder (eNotes. com, sect.2). Oates was also interested in exploring the various aspects of adolescence through her writing (Schwartz, 1). Critics have widely argued over the influences of â€Å"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? † and the true identity of Arnold Friend. Little attention has been given to the music incorporated into the story and the obvious similarities of the antagonist, Arnold Friend to legendary singer, Bob Dylan. This essay will explore Bob Dylan’s musical influence on â€Å"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? † by interpreting the song, â€Å"It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue† and the similarities between the two as well as identifying physical characteristic similarities between Dylan and Friend. Oates dedicated this story to Bob Dylan; which gives interpreters of this story just cause to assume Dylan’s music during the 1960s greatly influenced the characters and scenes of â€Å"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? † Critics however do not agree as to who Arnold Friend represents. Most critics feel that Arnold represents the devil and evil, such as Joyce Wegs’ and Marie Urbanski who argue that Arnold is evil and his outward appearance represents the devil. Some critics however feel that Arnold represents a religious or cultural savior (Jordan). It is unrealistic to think that Arnold Friend is any savior such as Mike Tierce and John Michael Crafton suggest in â€Å"Connie’s Tambourine Man: A New Reading of Arnold Friend† (Jordan). It seems most likely that Arnold is a creation of Oates which had the appearance of Bob Dylan because she was inspired by him which many critics have already noted. Another argument made by a small portion of critics is that Arnold didn’t really exist but was rather a figment of Connie’s imagination such as McConnell states in â€Å"Connie’s Tambourine Man: A New Reading of Arnold Friend† where he writes, â€Å"Connie is the framer, the story creator—and the diabolic traces in her fiction frighten her not because they are the manifestations of an outside evil but because they are the symbolic extrapolations of her own psyche† (1). There is no reason to think that Connie, a fifteen year old girl would imagine such a threatening older person. When Connie daydreams, she thinks of â€Å"the caresses of love† and boys such as the one she met the night before Arnold Friend showed up at the door. Connie daydreamed about â€Å"how nice [the boy] had been†, and Connie continues thinking of how sweet being with this boy had been. She related her experience to be like the movies and the way it was â€Å"promised in songs† (339). Connie was a young girl living her life according to the music, and she would not have daydreamed something as threatening and terrifying as Arnold Friend. While critics may disagree to what Arnold represents; there is significant evidence that Arnold was created to look, but not necessarily be, Bob Dylan. Arnold Friend’s physical description is that of Bob Dylan’s appearance in the 1960s. Oates makes reference to the radio DJ, Bobby King, which is in â€Å"reference to â€Å"Bobby† Dylan, the â€Å"king† of rock-and-roll† (McConnell, 1). McConnell also supports the theory that Arnold looks like Bob Dylan, with his â€Å"shaggy, shabby black hair that looked crazy as a wig,† (Oates, 340) his â€Å"long and hawk-like nose,† (Oates, 342) and his unshaven face. Arnold also had â€Å"big and white† teeth, his lashes, â€Å"thick and black as if painted with a black tar-like material† (Oates, 344) and his size, â€Å"only an inch or so taller† (Oates, 341) than Connie are all characteristic of Bob Dylan. Arnold â€Å"spoke in a fast, bright monotone† voice which â€Å"is also ‘suggestive of Dylan, especially since he speaks’ â€Å"in a simple lilting voice, exactly as if he were reciting the words to a song†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Oates, 342) (McConnell, 1). When Connie became suspicious of his age, before she realized the danger she was in, small clues confirmed her feelings that he was indeed an older man. He used a mix of slang â€Å"as if he were running through all the expressions he’d learned but was no longer sure which of them was in style†. Arnold used his lyrical voice and pieces of lyrics from songs to confuse, comfort and then scare Connie. Connie recognized many of the lyrics used. Michael Kapper accurately portrays the influence of music in Connie’s life. Kapper writes, Rock’n’roll music is a constant presence in Connie’s life. At the drive-in, the background music is â€Å"something to depend on† (Oates, 337), and on Sunday afternoon, with no drive-in and no boys around, the music itself gives Connie joy. This omnipresence is even noteworthy in the music’s absence (1). It is important to decipher the similarities between â€Å"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? † and Bob Dylan’s â€Å"It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue†. While there are several other songs that are similar to the overall theme of Oates’ story, â€Å"It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue† has substantial similarities and support from several critics. The reoccurring lyric in â€Å"It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue† (Dylan) is â€Å"†¦it’s all over now†. Arnold Friend spends the majority of the time at Connie’s house explaining to her that her life as she knows it is over; at the end he says â€Å"it’s all over for you here, so come out† (349). Connie and her friend were very trusting and unaware of the consequences of their actions. Connie and friend risked crossing the highway to be able to act like adults, and â€Å"†¦listen to the music that made everything so good† (337). Dylan sings of the risks of living on the edge in â€Å"It’s all Over Now, Baby Blue†, warning that â€Å"the highway is for gamblers, better use your sense† (7). Connie gambles with her life both by crossing a busy highway and by trusting people she does not know. Arnold tells Connie that her time in her home was over, telling Connie, â€Å"†¦they don’t know anything about you and never did and honey you’re better than them because not a one of them would have done this for you† (Oates, 350). Arnold also makes himself look as if he is a saint saving Connie from her family who does not understand her. This is also present in â€Å"It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue†, where Dylan sings â€Å"look out the saints are comin’ through† (5). Dylan sings that â€Å"The carpet, too, is moving under you† (17), this must be what Connie felt when she realized Arnold was a â€Å"forty-year-old baby† (Oates, 344) and when she realized that she would not see her mother or sleep in her bed again. In the final few verses of Dylan’s song it states; â€Å"leave your stepping stones behind, something calls for you. Forget the dead you’ve left, they will not follow you† (19. 20). Oates’ story echoes Dylan’s song. Connie is leaving her home where she has learned and grown such as stepping stones and she will never see her family again; whether she dies or must stay with Arnold Friend against her will is personal interpretation. Arnold Friend however made it clear that she would not return. It is evident from the wealth of literary analyses that Joyce Carol Oates’ story â€Å"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? † will continue to have mixed interpretations of its characters, influence and overall theme. It is undeniable however, from Oates’ dedication of the story to Bob Dylan and the overwhelming similarities of â€Å"It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue† to Oates’ story that both the story and Oates was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan visible in both the antagonist’s characteristics, the choice of words and the overall importance of music to the characters and theme of the story. References â€Å"It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue†. Lyrics. Sony NY BMG Music Entertainment. (2007). 31 August 2007 Jordan, Tonia. â€Å"Who Is Arnold Friend? † Ezinearticles. com. (2006). 1 September 2007 Kapper, Michael, C. â€Å"A Virgin in the Backseat Smoking Hash: Joyce Carol Oates’s â€Å"Where are You Going, Where Have You Been? † The Joyce Carol Oates Papers. (1996). 1 September 2007 Latta, Alan, D. â€Å"Spinell and Connie: Joyce Carol Oates Re-Imagining Thomas Mann? † Connotations 9. 3 (1999/2000): 316-29. 31 August 2007. < ht tp://www. uni-tuebingen. de/uni/nec/latta93. htm> McConnell, Leigh. â€Å"Connie’s Tambourine Man†. Blog. (2007). 31 August 2007. http://conniestambourineman. blogspot. com/2007/07/connies-tambourine-man. html â€Å"Oates, Joyce Carol: INTRODUCTION. † Short Story Criticism. Ed. Joseph Palmisano Project Editor. Vol. 70. Gale Group, Inc. , 2004. eNotes. com. 2006. 30 Aug, 2007 oates-joyce-carol> Schwartz, Aaron. The Story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? † by Joyce Carol Oates. Ezinearticles. com. (2007). 30 August 2007 http://ezinearticles. com/? The-Story-Where-Are-You-Going,-Where-Have-You-Been? -by-Joyce-Carol-Oates&id=324443 Showalter, Elaine. â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? â€Å". Rutgers UP: New Jersey. (1994). 30 August 2007 http://jco. usfca. edu/where. html

Philosophy Plato Essay

For Plato, just like for Socrates, Philosophy was ; A way of life not just a specialised and technical activity in about 387 BC, he attended The Academy  ­ lasted for a 1000 yrs. Socrates was only interested in  ­ ethics. While Plato was interested in  ­ ethics, metaphysics, politics, aesthetics, Mathematics Plato’s Allegory (story in which there is a fact & a true story) of the Cave Plato asks ; â€Å"What would happen if one of these prisoners were released from his chains, were forced to stand up, turn around (conversion) and walk with his eyes lifted up towards the light? † Eventually, he would be able to see the real object for and in itself ;  ­Lifting his eyes upward, he would find it easier to look at the stars at night Finally, he would look right at the SUN in its Natural position in the sky and ;  ­ Not at its Reflections from or through anything else How would the liberated prisoner feel about his previous life in the cave?  ­ He would recall what his fellow prisoners and himself took to be Wisdom.  ­ He would recall how they used to give prizes to the one who had the sharpest eye for assign shadows and the best memory for the order in which the shadows followed each other. â€Å"If they could lay hands on the man who was trying to set them free and lead them up, they would kill him†. The implications of the Allegory ; Many people dwell in the Darkness of the cave †¦ They have oriented their thoughts around the blurred world of Shadows †¦ Education  ­ leads people out of the cave of Darkness into the world of light. (Education means  ­ to bring out. (of the cave) ). Just as the prisoner had to turn his Whole Body around so that his eyes could see the light instead of the darkness. It is also necessary for the entire should to turn away from the deceptive world of change and appetite that causes blindness in the should. Education according to Plato is ; A matter of Conversion  ­ A complete turning around from the world of Appearance to the world of reality. † The conversion of the soul is not to put the power of sight in the soul’s eye, which already has it, but to insure that, instead of looking in the wrong direction, it is turned the way it ought to be†. Plato’s rejection for the sophist’ skepticism ; The dark world of the cave ( particular  ­ many  ­ change  ­ finite) , Vs the bright world of light ( light is knowledge for plato  ­ sun  ­ absolute  ­ one  ­ permanent / changeless  ­ infinity). Dramatic contrast between; 1) shadows > 2) reflections > 3) The actual objects (ultimate knowledge) (process of education ^). With the Sophists, Plato and Socrates agree that knowledge derived from Sense experience is Relative, but he maintains that ; Not all knowledge is relative  ­ therefore, Absolutism Plato’s Divided Line ; (top 2  ­ The world of thought  ­ changeless) (bottom 2  ­ The world of Opinion  ­ change) (The line that divides every stage is not equal, meaning that it is more difficult to reach from level 3 to level 4 than from level 1 to level 2). (Outside the Cave) (Objects of knowledge).

Marketing strategies of Apple Inc Essay

A study on the marketing strategies of Apple Inc (Dissertation)Document 1. †A study on marketing strategy of Apple† December 2012 I †Critical Analysis of using marketing strategies of branding Apple Inc† Maha H 2. †A study on marketing strategy of Apple† December 2012 II Declaration I hereby declare that this dissertation is my own original work and is the result of my own investigations. This dissertation research was conducted to fulfill the requirements of BA (Hons) in Business Administration (Marketing) associated with University of Wales. XYZ December, 2012 3. †A study on marketing strategy of Apple† December 2012 III Acknowledgement I would like to thank a bunch of people who helped me in completion of my dissertation like: My facilitator for guidance and support throughout the dissertation. All respondents and friends for filling in the questionnaires. My family for constant support and motivation. 4. †A study on marketing strategy of Apple† December 2012 IV Abstract , computernicsconsumer electroApple Incorporation is a multinational company that creates and sells The.billionabout US$16363 stores worldwide, with global sales of, insoftware, and personal computers are mainlyiPadand theiPhone,iPodline of computers,Macintoshlikeknown products-company’s well e due to high brand awareness related to these products. Applerecognized as a source of competitive edg ,Final Cut Studio,Aperture,iWork,iLife,iTunes,Mac OS Xalso sells other branded products like, .iOSbrowser andSafari,Logic Studio The main objective of this study is to analyze the importance of using marketing strategies of branding in Apple Inc. The study will help to find out about the related benefits of branding mainly. The details of the study will help us to learn about the consumer’s awareness about the brand and how their loyalty can be increased in order to gain a competitive edge. Also, analyzing the importance of branding can help us to find out about the Apple brand’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, by using SWOT analysis tool and by using STP process, we can know how to segment the market, target the customers and position the products/services. Whereas, by using 4 Ps of marketing mix, we can find out about the branded product, its price, promotion and placement. Therefore, since the competition in the technology industry is increasing, ‘A study on using marketing strategy of branding in Apple’ will help the company in staying at the top of consumer’s mind, to cope up with the changes, to gain competitive edge, to attain goals  set by the company, to make improvements for the future related to products, its pricing strategy, communications used to promote and the placement of the product. Therefore, it will help us to evaluate whether branding will affect Apple Inc’s success rate or not. 5. †A study on marketing strategy of Apple† December 2012   Introduction 1.1 Technology Industry Wiki invest (2012) Technology states, the technology industry provides foundation for activities such as, chip production, information and communication systems, and computer systems. The companies belon ging to this industry serves as developers and manufacturers of the products which increase efficiency and production of cell phones, computers, televisions, and other communication and information systems. It is a huge industry with a high growth potential, but it is sometimes go through volatile cycles, like the semiconductor industry. As chips are getting smaller and globalization is increasing, demand for faster and efficient technology, demand for technological industry in increasing. 1.2 Introduction to Apple Incorporation Apple Incorporation is a multinational company that createst,tha,statesApple store(2012)Wikipedia 363 stores, computer software, and personal computers, selling inconsumer electronicsand sells oncompany was first foundedThe.billion in merchandiseabout US$16ide, with global sales ofworldw and thenRonald Wayne, andSteve Wozniak,Steve Jobsby, CaliforniaCupertinoApril 1, 1976 in he company was named as Apple Computer, Inc before for the first 30Ted on January 3, 1977.incorporat The company’syears. The word â€Å"Computer† was then removed from its name on January 9, 2007. Now the company’s.consumer electronicson personal computers shifted towardswastraditional focus , along with theiriPadand theiPhone,iPodline of computers,Macintoshknown products are the-best suite ofiLifemed ia browser,iTunes,)operating system(Mac OS Xother line of products including, (professionalAperture(suite of productivity software),iWorkmultimedia/creativity software, , aLogic Studioindustry),-(suite of professional audio and filmFinal Cut Studiophotography package), (mobile operating system).iOSweb browser andSafarisuite of music production tools; 1.2.1 Mission statement of Apple Inc According to Apple Inc (2012), †Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is  defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.† Another mission statement is:†Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and internet offerings.† 8. To find out about the branded product and its related price, promotion and placement and to find out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats the company may be facing.ï‚ · To find out about the benefits of branding for the company and to find o ut how branding helps to gain a competitive edge by differentiating themselves and how it increases customer loyalty and increases brand awareness. To analyze the importance of using a marketing strategies of branding for Apple Inc and to find out how STP strategies helps Apple’s brand. Toinnovateonaregularbasis. 1.2.4 Major competitors of Apple Inc Samsung, Microsoft, Dell, HP, Blackberry, Nokia 1.3 Motivations of research: As the competition in the technology industry has increased, it has become mandatory to make a study on the importance of using a marketing strategies of branding for Apple, to stay at the top of consumer’s mind, to cope up with the changing environment, to gain competitive edge, to make improvements in future and to attain goals set by the company. 1.4 Research Objectives: Toopenmorestoresevenoninternationallocationsto increase sales and dominate world market. ï‚ · Tokeepcreatingandreleasingcomputersandconsumerelectronics those are user-friendly. ï‚ · To obtain products and services within tight timeframe, at a cost providing the best value to the customers and shareholders. ï‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬ A study on marketing strategy of Apple† December 2012 2 1.2.2 Vision Statement of Apple Inc â€Å"We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great productsAccording to Apple Inc (2012), and that’s not changing. We are constantly focusing on innovating. We believe in the simple not the t we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products thatcomplex. We believe tha we make, and participate only in markets where we can make a significant contribution. We believe in hat are truly important andsaying no to thousands of projects, so that we can really focus on the few t pollination of our groups , which allow us to-meaningful to us. We believe in deep collaboration and cross innovate in a way that others cannot. And frankly, we don’t settle for anything less than excellence in honesty to admit when we’re wrong and the courage to-company,  and we have the selfevery group in the change. And I think regardless of who is in what job those values are so embedded in this company that Apple will do extremely well.† 1.2.3 Objectives of Apple Inc As stated on the website Apple Inc (2012) are: 9. †A study on marketing strategy of Apple† December Does branding really contribute in making a difference in Apple Inc’s success? 1.6 Organization of Study: Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Literature Review Chapter 3: Methodology Chapter 4: Research findings, data presentation and data analysis Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendationsï‚ · How will using STP strategies, 4 Ps of marketing mix and SWOT Analysis help to enhance Apple’s brand? ï‚ · Does branding allow Apple Inc to charge premium for its products and yet maintain customer loyalty? ï‚ · Does branding allow Apple’s customer to easily recognize and recall the company and its products? ï‚ · Does branding helps Apple to differentiate its products from its competitors, by gaining competitive edge? ï‚ · Does branding allow Apple Inc to communicate company’s objectives, mission and vision clearl y to their customers? 2012 3 1.5 Research question: 1.5.1 Leading question: What benefits will Apple and its customers benefit from after using branding marketing strategy? 1.5.2 Subsidiary questions: 10. Brand recognition- is when the consumers have good knowledge of brand when they are asked questions related to a specific brand and they are able to differentiate a brand on the basis of having noticed or heard about earlier. E.g. Is I-phone related to Apple or Samsung?ï‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬ A study on marketing strategy of Apple† December 2012 4 CHAPTER 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This section will provide the details about the qualitative data, providing a foundation for all the details to follow. 2.2 What is branding? According to Kotler (1999), branding is a †name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of all these that identifies the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.† Branding does not only allow your targ et market to choose your company over the competitor’s, but it helps in getting your prospects to see you as the only company that provides a solution to the consumer’s problems. It provides a company’s with a recognizable and trustworthy badge of originality, an intangible guarantee, i.e. a promise of performance that the product will meet with desired consumers’ expectations. 2.2.1 Apple’s Branding Strategy According to Marketing minds (2012), Apple Inc. uses the Apple brand to  compete across several highly competitive markets, including the personal computer industry with its Macintosh line of computers/laptops and related software, the consumer electronics industry with products such as the iPod, digital music distribution through iTunes Music Store, the smart phone market with the Apple iPhone, magazine, book, games and applications publishing via the AppsStore for iPhone and the iPad tablet computing device, and movie and TV content distribution with Apple TV. The company is also establishing a very strong marketing presence relative to the rival (Google) in the advertising market, via its business Apps and iAd network. Steve Job s, the co-Founder of Apple, described the company as being a â€Å"mobile devices company†, largest in the world as their revenues are bigger than Nokia, Samsung, or Sony’s mobile devices business. 2 .2.2 Brand Awareness It is when the consumers are familiar about the life or availability of the product. It is the degree to which consumers associate your brand with a specific product/service. As indicated by Management study guide (2012) in their article † What is brand awareness?†, Brand awareness may include of: 11. It strengthens user loyalty Apple has a branding strategy that focuses on the emotions. Apple brand’s personality is about lifestyle, imagination, liberty regained, innovation, passion, hopes, dreams and aspirations, and power-to-the-people through technology. The Apple brand personality is also about simplicity, making life easier for people as they have people-driven product design, and is a humanistic company with a heartfelt connection with its customers. 2.2.4 Apple’s Brand equity According to Investopedia, it is the premium value that the company realizes from a product with a recognizable name as compared to its generic equivalent fi rm. Companies can create brand equity for their products by making them memorable, easily recognizable and superior in quality and reliability. Also, mass marketing campaigns may help to create brand equity. Brand equity is said to be positive if the consumers are willing to pay more for a branded product than for a generic one. Brand awareness plays a key role in building brand equity. Create reliable brand image, slogans and taglines, helps to strengthen brand awareness which therefore improves brand equity. Marketing minds (2012) also states, Since Apple has strong brand awareness, it has high sales and high market share, and the consumers are well acquainted and familiar with the brand and its products. They are also  willing to pay premium price for their products, relative to the competitor’s brand due to Apple’s positive brand equity. Apple is not just intimate with their consumers but there is a real sense of community among users of its main product lines. Therefore, this also helps to create consumer’s brand loyalty (where brand loyalty is when the consumers become committed to your brand, ch oosing it over competitors and making repeat purchases over time.)ï‚ · It motivates the buyer ï‚ · It connects your target prospects emotionally ï‚ · It confirms your company’s credibility ï‚ · Helps to deliver the message clearly ï‚ · Brand recall- It allows a customer to recover a brand from his memory when given the product class/category, needs satisfied by that category or buying scenario as a signal, i.e. if they are able to recall the brand from their memory. E.g. Showing a logo of Apple’s brand, and asking which brand does this logo belongs to. 2.2.3 Apple’s brand personality As stated by About.com (2012), †What is branding and how important is it to your marketing strategy?†, a good brand helps a company to achieve these objectives: ï‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬ A study on marketing strategy of Apple† December 2012 5 12. †A study on marketing strategy of Apple† December 2012 6 2.3 Benefits of branding a company (Apple) 2.3.1 Emotional Appeal – As stated by Clarity marketing LTD (2005), emotional appeal helps a great deal in targeting customer’s emotions with product names. A strong, recognizable brand will acts like a ‘short cut’ in decision making process, as the customers don’t dither over alternatives or compare options where there is no clear point of difference, and instantly chooses your brand as they know what it stands for. For instance, as Apple manufactures technological items, the name of each product clearly reflects technological aspects like iPod touch, which indicates that it is a product that allows you to play and choose music through touch properties. It therefore, helps in creating an integrated appeal to specific emotions promoting the product recognition and sales. 2.3.2 Memorability and Familiarity – According to Marcia Yudkin (2012), brand helps to create a reputation and good will for a company. It is very hard for customers to refer to a company as â€Å"that whatsitsname store† or to refer business as â€Å"the shop from the Yellow Pages.† In addition to the company name, it gives people to give constant reminders reinforcing the identity of companies they will want to buy from. Memorability can come from the logo, its design, color, style etc which  helps to nail your company’s name in the minds of the public. Similarly, after your brand is nailed in the minds of your customers, that’s when your customers have become familiar and aware of your company’s existence in the market. Branding allows having huge effects on non-customers too. Psychologists’ studies have proved that familiarity develops liking for it. Also, the customers who have never bought from your company, may many tomes be willing to recommend your company to others even without having any personal knowledge of your products or services. Therefore, the half bitten Apple logo and the brand name ‘Apple’ help a great deal to help customers remember, be familiar and recommend the brand to others. 2.3.3 Premium image and Premium price – Branding allows a company to differentiate themselves from competitors existing in the market, because of which instead of dealing with price-shoppers the customers become eager to pay a higher price for your company’s goods and services. A strong brand let the customers associate themselves as being a company that offers premium quality, trendy products and is offering unique products that other companies are not offering. 2.3.4 Extensions – When your company’s brand is well-established, you can spread the respect you’ve earned to a related new product, service or location and win acceptance easily of the newcomer. For instance, when Apple introduced a new product extension line of Ipad, the customers trusted the brand so they didn’t feel reluctant and bought Ipads anyway, making these tablets quite popular of its kind in the market. 2.3.5 Loyalty – When customers have a positive experience with your company’s brand, they are more likely to buy your products and services again in future rather than the competitors. Customers that are closely bonded with your brand’s identity may not only repurchase what they bought earlier, but may also buy related items of the same brand, and recommend your brand to others and resist the lure of a competitor’s price cut. The brand identity helps to create and anchor such loyalty.