Response to Coments on DQ1 Hunt and DQ2 SmithW11 Essay

Response to Coments on DQ1 Hunt and DQ2 SmithW11 - Essay Example Another great attribute about learning about accounting is that that knowledge can be used to improve a person’s ability to analyze investment opportunities. By analyzing the four basic financial statements a person can perform a good assessment of whether a company is doing well or not. DQ2 I want to congratulate you on your career aspirations of pursuing an MBA to become a manager in the hospitality industry. The use of accounting is very important to effectively run a hotel operation. Accounting can help the manager determine what are the fixed and variable costs of the operation. Based on that information the manager can determine the needed occupancy rate for the hotel to exceed the breakeven point in order to make a financial profit. Having knowledge about GAAP is very important and has lot of practical uses. A few years my brother who is an accountant learned about an accounting change that drastically affected the financial results of some companies including VTSS. Due to the accounting change the value of the stock went up for $0.35 to over $4 in less than 6 months. Accounting knowledge is very useful to make investment decisions. References Luc.edu. Accounting Trivia. Retrieved June 14, 2011 from http://www.luc.edu/sba/accounting_trivia.shtml

Ontology in Anselm, Descartes and Kant Essay Example for Free

Ontology in Anselm, Descartes and Kant Essay Ontology is a purported proof that God exists. The ontology provided by St. Anselm in the eleventh century set the standard in Western thought, and on which all subsequent ontology attempted to measure itself. Before the renaissance and the age of reason it was generally agreed that only a fool would deny the existence of God. Accordingly the ontology of St. Anselm employs the attitude of a fool – meaning some one without any of the higher concepts of philosophy – as the crux of the argument. The argument commences with a definition of God: â€Å"Now we believe that [the Lord] is something than which nothing greater can be thought† (81). The association made is to perfection, for only in perfection can we conceive nothing beyond. In traditional attempts at ontology the strategy was to find God amongst the splendor of his creation. Anselm, however, eschewed the evidence of experience and tried to affect a proof from pure thought. It is placed in the head of a simpleton, and in this way is made to appear as stemming from the innate mind, and not clouded by the errors of perceptual understanding. Anselm’s fool wants to cling to the idea that â€Å"God is not!† But such atheism does not strangle the thought processes inside the head. It necessarily searches for perfection, that being the natural inclination of man, which is to seek happiness, comfort, order, and so on. Can the fool imagine perfection, asks Anselm. The answer is that he cannot. For whatever ideal it fixes on, the mind surges past it for something even better. However, this relentless ascendancy within the mind presages the existence of perfection therein, for otherwise the mind chases after nothing. Now, since we have already identified perfection with God, the mind imagines God, and indeed strives towards it. Existence in the mind will not suffice as ontology. Therefore, as the next step in the argument, Anselm attempts to measure the idea with reality. We must next consider whether that which has been imagined as perfect has a corresponding reality beyond the mind. If it does not then we have a contradiction. For being in the mind alone we are then able to imagine something even greater than it. That which was imagined as perfect now turns out have something that is more perfect than it. Anselm is sure that he has found a contradiction here. So he proceeds to conclude:   â€Å"Therefore, there is no doubt that something than which a greater cannot be thought exists both in the understanding and in reality† (82). Descartes, though largely accepting this ontology, doesn’t accept the contradiction derived in the final step. He argues that reality has not been introduced at all, but only an idea if reality. In the final analysis the entire ontology is taking place in the head. It is an imagined God that Anselm proves, says, Descartes, not a real one. His correction, therefore, was to consider the phenomenal world after all. In this manner he laid out what has famously come to be known as â€Å"Cartesian doubt†. The world of sensory experience, when examined philosophically, naturally induces doubt, for all perspectives are subjective. It is impossible to construe an objective form subjective sensory experience. But instead of holding back doubt Descartes allows it full reign. He starts to explore what else can be doubted. Soon it is found that not only material reality, but also all the perceptions and ideas of the mind must also be doubted, for they all stem from the same faculty of understanding. But his doubting reach must come to and end eventually, when he comes to consider consciousness itself. Descartes discovers that he is unable to doubt the â€Å"I†, for it is the â€Å"I† itself that is doubting, i.e. thinking. Thus his famous conclusion, â€Å"Cogito, ergo sum† – I think, therefore I am (68). From the proof of self-existence to the proof of God is a simple step. A self that is subject to doubt is imperfect, and therefore implies the existence of Creator who is perfect. Kant, in turn, comes to dismiss both these attempts at ontology on the simple premise that existence is not a predicate. In other words, it is meaningless to say simply â€Å"God is.† Our concepts of understanding allow us to apply reason in the form of sentences that contain both subject and predicate. So that we can say that ‘God is good’, or that ‘God is merciful’. But simply ‘God is’ is not meaningful, and human understanding does not allow such speculation. In effect, Kant is saying that ontology is not possible. This is in concord with the rest of Kant’s philosophy, which emphasizes that we are not able to pronounce on the noumenal world, i.e. on â€Å"things in themselves†. He describes three categories of noumena – the soul, the material world, and God, the last being the source of the first two. Therefore God is definitely part of Kant’s philosophical scheme, only that he remains beyond human understanding, and we cannot even pronounce on God is the simplest form – ‘God is.† Just as we cannot know anything about the soul, or the material world, as things in themselves, but only come to know the consequences of them. Our understanding is limited to the phenomenal world, where practical reason applies. Kant also speculates on the existence of a transcendental â€Å"pure reason†, that which overcomes the anomalies of practical reason. Pure reason is identified as an end in itself, and is thus identified with perfection. He stipulates it as a moral imperative that we pursue â€Å"pure reason† as the highest goal. Yet he refuses to identify this perfection with God, and differs with Anselm on this point. He also differs with Descartes’ ‘cogito, ego sum’, and complains that logic is being applied to derive existence, the rationale being that the part cannot be used to explain the whole. The least objectionable ontology, in my opinion, is that of St. Anselm’s. To make this point I will show that the refutations put forward by Descartes and Kant are not appropriate. Descartes’ complaint was that the proof given by Anselm is wholly ideal, without reference to the phenomenal world to give it substance. But Anselm does indeed refer to the phenomenal world, when he introduces the postulate that the ideal of perfection has no corresponding existence in the real world. In fact on this postulate the entire argument hinges, for it is used to derive the contradiction, from whence the ontology ensues. â€Å"Cartesian doubt† a merely a long-winded way of coming to the same conclusion. Kant’s complaint, on the other hand, is not really an argument at all, but rather a boast that he has not has to use the words â€Å"God exists† anywhere in his philosophy. For to pick on the grammar of â€Å"God exists† on the justification that the noumenal world is unknowable is taking matters too strictly. Even accepting Kant’s theory, it is not right that we desist from pronouncing the existence of God. He may not have done so explicitly, but Kant does indeed pronounce of the existence of God in the implicit sense. As a moral precept to action he gives us the categorical imperative: â€Å"I am never to act otherwise than so that I could also will that my maxim should become a universal law† (13). The universal law is pertaining to the moral law, which is described as an end itself, and therefore is no different from the idea of perfection. An imperative is only categorical when it works universally, without contingency. To paraphrase Kant, the rationale of human existence is to pursue the moral life in order to attain to perfection, in other words, God. Other than the fastidious insistence of grammar, Kant does not really object to Anselm’s ontology. With both Descartes’ and Kant’s objections discredited, Anselm’s ontology must stand as the best, being the simplest and most intuitive. Works Cited Anselm. Basic Writings. Translated by Thomas Williams. Boston: Hackett Publishing, 2007. Descartes, Rene. Meditations on First Philosophy: With Selections from the Objections and Replies. Translated by John Cottingham. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Kant, Immanuel. Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2004.

Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay -- Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay

Race. It is a word that is associated with many thoughts, words, and emotions. The color of peoples' skin is the first thing that is noticed. Throughout history people have judged and mistreated because they were of the wrong   race. A prime example of this is the racial tension between blacks and whites. The driving force behind this tension is the past. For many years blacks were mistreated and abused based solely on the color of the skin. In Martin Luther King J.R.'s "Letter from Birmingham   Jail", he uses references to the past and people of the past to strengthen his point. The actions in the past and present can affect the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚   In "Letter from Birmingham Jail", King uses references to Saints, philosophers of the past, and theologians to get into the minds of the clergymen to whom he is writing the letter. By using the words of white people of the past, King can use the clergyman's own beliefs to his benefit. He uses the quote, "sin is separation" (WoI pg. 158) to show that segregating people because of color is morally and religiously wrong.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Though King began ...

Women and the Fight for Reform :: essays papers

Women and the Fight for Reform Women in the late 19th century, except in the few western states where they could vote, were denied much of a role in the governing process. Nonetheless, educated the middle-class women saw themselves as a morally uplifting force and went on to be reformers. Jane Addams opened the social settlement of Hull House in 1889. It offered an array of services to help the poor deal with slum housing, disease, crowding, jobless, infant mortality, and environmental hazards. For women who held jobs, Hull House ran a day-car center and a boardinghouse. Addams was only one of many early reformers to take up social work. Jane Porter Barrett, an African American, founded the Locust Street Social Settlement in Hampton, Virginia, in 1890. Her settlement offered black women vital instruction in child care and in skills of a being a homemaker. Lillian Wald, a daughter of Jewish immigrants from New York City, began a visiting- nurse service to reach those too poor to pay for doctors and hospitals. Her Henry Street Settlement offered a host of vital services for immigrants and the poor. Wald suggested the formation of a Federal Children's Bureau. By the end of the 19th century, many women reformers focused on the need for state laws to restrict child labor. Young children from poor families had to work late hours in mines and mills and were exploited by plant managers. No state laws prevented the children from being overworked or abused. One of the first to challenge the exploitation of orphaned or dependent children was Sophie Loeb, a Jewish immigrant from Russia Once her father was deceased, she watched the desperation of her mother as the family slipped into poverty. As a journalist, Loeb campaigned for window's pensions when this was still a new idea. Helen Stuart Campbell, born in 1839 in New York, began her public career as an author of children's books. Then she used novels to expose slim life's damaging effect on women. In 1859 she wrote a novel about two women who break from their dependence on men and chart new lives. Campbell also wrote how easy it was fir women's lives to be ruined by poverty and despair. Some women went beyond advocating reform to promoting revolution. There are many other famous women who helped lead the fight to reform. Like Florence Kelley. In 1891 Kelley worked with Addams at Hull House and became an investigator for the Illinois Bureau of Labor, and then was appointed the U.

Biography of Dr. Jose Rizal Essay

Jose Rizal’s full name is Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Merchado Y Alonzo. He is the 7th out of 11 children he is born in June 19 1861 His birth place was calamba, laguna his nationality is Filipino he has 10 or more languages known his contributions are El Filibustirismo , Noli Metangere and the last that he wrote is Mi Ultimo Adios he is the founder of Laliga Filipina and the their news paper la solidaridad he did because of faithfully defending for our nation. Why Dr. Jose Rizal became our National Hero? Dr. Jose P. Rizal became our national Hero because he was able to defend and fought the Spaniards for our country through his books like NOLI ME TANGERE (March, 1877), EL FILIBUSTERISMO (Sept. 18, 1891) AND MI ULTIMO ADIOS (1986) Why we study Rizal? As a Filipino we need to study the life of Rizal not just because he is our National Hero but because his life has great things to share to each and everyone. And as a student who took up the course of Education, studying Rizal will help us to teach our future students who will need the same knowledge and learning that we are looking forward today. How many bachelor courses or degrees of Rizal finish before he become national heroes? Dr. Jose Rizal was able to study 5 bachelor courses in his college life, namely 1. Bachelor of Arts-Ateneo Municipal de Manila (1877 2. Bachelor of Philosophy in Letters- University of Santo Tomas Difference of Noli metangere and El Filibusterismo 1. rizal dedicated noli to the philippines while el fili was dedicated to the GOMBURZA. 2. noli is a novel about society. it discusses the different diseases that the philippines experienced during the spanish era like colonial mentality and the unjust treatment of friars to the indios. el fili is a political novel which discusses the reign of the greed. Noli Me Tangere †¢ Influenced by Eugene Sue’s The Wandering Jew †¢ Uncle Tom’s Cabin – Harriet Beecher Stowe †¢ Bible †¢ Describing the Philippines under the Spanish Government and Church †¢ Jose Rizal was a student in Univiersidad Central de Madrid †¢ House of Paterno – every propagandist will give a chapter as theircontribution †¢ But the propagandist wants to write about women in Europe and aboutgambling †¢ Rizal wrote it by himself †¢ â€Å"Don’t touch me†, Huwag mo kong salingin †¢ It should be in the gospel of John instead of Luke â€Å"Araw ng Pagkabuhay† /Resurrection with St. Mary of Magdalene †¢ It was made in Madrid, Paris and Germany †¢ Lost chapter in Elias at Salome †¢ Finished in 1887 Berlin †¢ 2000 copies for P300 borrowed from Maximo Viola †¢ Copies were given to Ferdinand Blumentritt, Graciano Lopez, Mariano Ponceand Felix Hidalgo †¢ The galley proof was given to Mr. Viola as sense of gratitude †¢ Dedicated to the Philippines †¢ Social Cancer †¢ Chapter 1 – House of Kapitan Tiyago †¢ Characters: Crisostomo Ibara son of Don Rafael Ibarra – friend of Kapitan Tiyago (owner of the house) †¢ Ma. Clara – lover of the main character †¢ Padre Damaso-fat Franciscan curate of San Diego †¢ Padre Sibyla – Dominican friar of Binondo †¢ Senyor Guevarra – Tenyente †¢ Don Tiburcio de Espadana and Donya Victorina †¢ Easy reading, more of action and motion (Voltairian EL FILIBUSTERISMO †¢ Motivated by the Calamba affair and not by his experience in his studentyears †¢ Both Noli and El Fili shows strong anti-Clerical and even anti-Catholic color †¢ It discredit the colonial government and religious institutes †¢ A weapon used by a rationalist liberal of the 19 †¢ century would use †¢ Made in Brussels Belgium in Ghent with Jose Alejandrino and EdilbertoEvangelista †¢ With the help of Valintin Ventura †¢ Dedicated to Gomburza †¢ Noli – love story, El Fili – revenge and anger †¢ Both show situation of the Philippines during the Spanish Period †¢ Idea of liberalism, Freedom and Revolution †¢ Thoughtful, discursive and dialectical †¢ Effects of Leonor Rivera, Calamba Controversy, M.H del Pilar †¢ El Fili students – humorous, critical, serious, optimist, frivolous, pessimists,industrious, indifferent, noisy, silent, leaders and followers †¢ Students discussing and debating – defeat of their cause †¢ Plans of students – revolution Meaning of El Filibusterismo and Noli Metangere El Filibusterismo, also known by its English alternate title The Reign of Greed, is the second novel written by Philippine national hero Josà © Rizal. It is the sequel to Noli Me Tangere and like the first book, was written in Spanish. Nilo Metangere That came from the Bible. Jesus said that to Mary Magdalene, when she tried to touch Him when He rised from the dead. Jose Rizal used that phrase as a title because first, he read the bible himself. Second is he used it as a figure of speech. The title simply meant, â€Å"If you touch me, I will fight back†. Our teacher in Philippine literature said in our class once that he compared the Philippines at the time of the Spaniards as a cancer patient. And that cancer patients are pretty hostile. When touched (which oftentimes feel very painful for them) would be mad at the one who touched him. Jose Rizal used this as a message to the Filipino people. He was encouraging Filipinos to stand up and fight back..

Water Shortage essays

Water Shortage essays Water shortage and degradation is a growing concern for many countries including the United States. Drinking water protection is a big responsibility that involves government, business and individuals. Everyone has an important role in trying to protect the supply of water. Water is a vital necessity that all people need in order to survive. Without water, people could only go a few days to a few months before having serious health problems or even death. One of the major concerns regarding water is if there will be enough water for the demand within the next 25 to 50 years. With the help of agencies, scientists and experts, we as people may see that there will be a shortage of water in the years to come. Today in the world the leading cause of the water shortage is the rising demand for water for the industries and agriculture (George, 1). On the earth today there is no more freshwater than there was 2,000 years ago. Then the population was 3% of what it is today (Knight, 1). In 31 countries around the world that contains near a half a billion people face water shortage with the most severe being in the Middle East and Africa. By the year 2025 it is estimated that another 17 countries will be added to that list. Some researchers believe that also be the year 2025, 35% or 2.8 billion people will face shortage. There are different reasons and causes of what continues to cause a shortage of water. Some of the water is being contaminated with pollutants. Agriculture is the biggest polluter in which the pollutants come from the fertilizers and pesticides used on the crops. The industries and municipal pollutions are also a factor. In some countries 90 to 95% of all domestic and 15% of all industrial waste goes into the water without any treatment (Knight, 1) Water shortage is also caused by the large amounts of water that is used in homes across the world. The United States uses mo ...

Grant Writing - sources and tips for writing grants part 1

Grant Writing - sources and tips for writing grants part 1 One of the greatest challenges for educators is finding sources of money to allow for innovation and technology in the classroom. Funding is barely available to pay salaries and buy basic supplies. Therefore, teachers and administrators who truly wish to try new ideas that require additional funds have to personally find sources for this money. Grants can be a godsend to solve financial shortcomings. However, two major stumbling blocks are associated with attaining grants: locating them and writing them. Locating Grants Assessing Needs Before your search even begins, you must have a project that you wish to fund. What is it that you want to accomplish? Any project you support must align with the needs of your school or community. Grant providers want to clearly see the necessity of your program. To make sure that your project fulfills a need, compare what your school or community has now to what you feel it should have. Use this information to create possible solutions. The upfront time spent investigating this chasm between your schools reality and your vision for it will pay off when it comes time to write your grant proposal. Do some preliminary research to find a solid educational basis for your idea. Map out the steps necessary to complete your project including necessary funding at each step. Remember throughout your design phase to keep in mind how you will evaluate your project using measurable outcomes. Make a Project Worksheet Make a preliminary worksheet concerning what you believe you will need for your project. By doing this, you can get a clear picture of what the grant you are searching for must look like. Some items your chart could include are: Project Overview Need for Project Research Sources Amount Needed Special School/Community Circumstance Evaluation Methods Searching for Options The most important piece of advice you can get when beginning your grant search is to carefully match your project with the grantors award requirements. For example, if the desired grant is only given to schools in inner cities, only apply if you meet that criterion. Otherwise, youll be wasting your time. With that in mind, three major sources for grant money exist: Federal and State Governments, Private Foundations, and Corporations. Each has its own agenda and differing levels of requirements concerning who can apply, the application process itself, how the money must be spent, and the methods of evaluation. So where can you search for each type? Luckily there are some awesomesites on the internet. You are welcome to modify and use this basic grant match rubric to determine how well the grant fits your project. Writing grant proposals is a complicated and time-consuming process. Here are some great tips to help make grant writing easier. I would like to acknowledge Jennifer Smith of Pasco County Schools for generously sharing many of these tips. Start with outcomes. Be specific in what you wish to achieve and design your project back from these outcomes.Carefully match your goals and outcomes with those required by the grant advertisement. You can use the Grant Match Rubric to help make your decision.Talk to the grant contact person to receive specific information about the purpose and goals of the grant.Find research to support your project idea. Programs that have been previously validated have more merit because they have shown success in the past.Find a district sponsor. Get them to help with any red tape or information you might need to complete your grant proposal.Make your grant proposal interesting to read through good formatting. Remember that people are going to judge your ideas against others and a pleasing and well-organized presentation will get you further. Include pie charts. Set off your information with appropriate indentations.Use language to your advantage. Quote from notable sources.Make a column to accen t exactly where in your grant proposal each component of the grants grading rubric is met. As you write your strategies for the grant proposal, keep assessment methods in mind. Think about how you are going to measurably show what you will accomplish.Look closely at any funding rules to make sure you do not ask for items that the grant will not fund. For example, Florida state grants do not allow food items to be bought with grant money.Check out the grant to see if matching funds are required. Many school districts will not have the money to match even if you are awarded the grant. However, professional volunteers can count as in-kind contributions.Check with your School District to find out the rules concerning salaries for any individuals working on the project. Many districts require you to account for benefits in your funding model.Find out whether the grant requires outside evaluators. If so, you might have to pay for them out of your funding.Make sure your budget narrative and your budget summary match exactly.Grants are stamped when they are received. Try to send i n your grants a few days early so that it appears you are on the ball. Because school districts are limited in the number of Federal and State grants they can apply for, many districts must approve of your grant proposal before it can be sent out. Because of the time constraints on many of these grants, you must plan ahead. Also, make sure you are not competing with others at your own school or district for the same money.Make a database if one is not currently available in your district of important demographic numbers and statistics. Place this information in your grant proposals as requested highlighting special needs.Get to know your states grant contact personnel. If they see your name cross their desk and they can place you, you have a better shot.If you plan to write numerous grants, create templates for commonly needed forms. This is especially useful for state and federal grant that repeat a lot of the same information.Be honest both in the grant proposal itself and with yourself concerning what you can actually accomplish. Remember, you have t o follow through with whatever plans you make.Other Articles

Justify and explain how the complexities associated with the Web minimizes competitive business advantage essays

Justify and explain how the complexities associated with the Web minimizes competitive business advantage essays One of the most essential results of corporate strategy is for a business to create competitive advantages. This allows a business to differentiate from its competitors. The advantage can be a process, resource, copyright or an intangible asset. Furthermore, these competitive advantages should be sustainable for the company to have lasting success. The web has minimized competitive business advantages by limiting barriers to entry, while improving the flow of communication, and often simplifying The web has greatly changed the environments for many industries. It has increased communication, made information more accessible and has become a viable platform for commerce and trade. The Internet has affected business in many different ways. Relationships with suppliers and customers, information exchange with competitors and business processes are all altered by the Internet. As the web, and its users, continues to grow the capabilities of the web will expand and further change the landscapes In many industries the web has greatly limited the barriers to entry for new participants. The first mover advantage that many companies had uses as their competitive advantage lost some significance. Since start up costs to new businesses was often lower, companies' market shares were more easily challenged. For Instance, the publication Industry was dominated by a few huge conglomerates that held power and influence. The web gave rise to smaller news companies that could easily start their business for low costs and not fear the major players. Traditionally, many competitive advantages were successful and sustained because competitors were unsure of how to copy a process or strategy. The web brings down barriers and exposes more of company's processes. A challenging company can view the customers, product offering ...

Project Time and Quality Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Project Time and Quality - Coursework Example Also, a project has a definite product or service that it creates at a given point in time. This defines the uniqueness of projects in the world of business. Projects come with inherent issues and problems. First of all, a project is temporary and due to that, the team members and project stakeholders are not used to working with each other. In practical terms, most projects entail the collaboration between complete strangers who are unified by the need to work together to attain certain defined objectives. Secondly, a project aims at creating a specified deliverable and measurable end and this demands specified processes and activities that must be completed to attain this specific end. Also, projects involve resource constraints. This means that the time, budget and resources for the execution of the project are not infinite but limited. To ensure that these three issues are controlled and optimum results are attained from the project, there is the need for proper planning, co-ordi nation and monitoring (Woodward, 2009). In other words, there should be a plan that will ensure that all team members, irrespective of their diverse backgrounds can work together and attain the objectives of the project. Secondly, there is the need to use planning to ensure that the specific deliverable is created and created according to specification. Finally, there is the need to plan to ensure that resources are judiciously and optimally used for the attainment of the objectives of the research. Thus from the onset of a project, there is the need for the project plan to draw the bottom line or yardsticks and define the scope of the project. This should be spelt out clearly in unambiguous terms and preferably in writing. Personally, I identify three main planning stages in projects. There is the initial planning phase, the contingent planning stage and the monitoring/corrective planning phase. These three planning stages are important in the proper management of projects in organ isations. Initial Planning Phase Project Management is about initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and control and closing processes (Portny, 2010). However, for the attainment of all these stages of project management, there is the need for good planning and monitoring of the project. â€Å"Project Management Plan is a document used to co-ordinate all the project planning documents and help guide the project's execution and control† (Schwalbe, 2010). This means that the Project Management Plan is an integrated set of documents that accommodates all the sub-plans of the project (Knutson, & Bitz, 2006). It is a centralised plan that includes all the various plans for the handling of issues pertaining to the project at hand. Aside being an integrated document, it contains certain centralised matters like the identification of project planning assumptions, decisions on choices and the definitions of resources and constraints (Schwalbe, 2010). So the Project Management plan sets the benchmarks for operations and activities in a project. It identifies the yardsticks and defines 'Where We Are† (WWR) and â€Å"Where We Want to Get† (WW2G). It creates the standard measures for the various activities related to the project at hand. As it sets the standards for what must be achieved through the project, it spells out and clarifies stakeholder rights and responsibilities. In other words, the Project Manag

Western Art History Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Western Art History - Coursework Example There is also a hint of red pigment on the statue that leads us to believe that it is representative of childbirth.1 The women of this culture were, most likely, revered for their ability to have children. While the Two Worshippers, which were carved to represent the local citizens, were left inside the temple to keep continual prayer vigilance to the god Abu.2 In the end, whether the statue represents a fertility goddess or a person, religion has been prevalent in some form throughout time. Though the various cultures may change, as well as the religious beliefs and rituals, time shows us that religion will always be there. Khafra Enthroned and the Seated Scribe come from two different periods of time in Egyptian Art. Both Kafra and the scribe seem to be seated in different positions. King, or pharaoh, Khafra is wearing similar style clothing to the scribe however it seems that Khafra’s clothing is more elegant than the scribe’s clothing. Clothing is one way of social position. The higher class citizens and royalty wore finer more elegant garments while the other social classes wore clothing that was of much less refinement. Like the clothing upon the statues of King Menkaure and Queen and Ni-ka-re, his wife, and their daughter, Khafra Enthroned shows that kings reveled in power and luxury. All the Egyptian works of art showed great detail when it came to the human form. From the placement of the eyes on the head to the curves on a woman’s body, these sculptures show the importance of the craft taken by the Egyptian sculptors.3 The two works I chose for case studies are from the Hellenistic Greek era of art, Aphrodite from Melos and Battle of Issus (Alexander Mosaic). I chose these works since I like the Ancient Greek works of art. For the sculpture Aphrodite from Melos (More famously known as Venus of Milo), I used the online book

Writing a memoir Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing a memoir - Essay Example I once came face to face with my own feelings toward a bully that made me reassess my own ability to feel empathy toward someone who had never done anything but expressed profound hatred toward me and others. This bully's name was Fidel and he had a habit of picking on people. One day a kid fought back and Fidel was on the receiving end of a good old-fashioned whooping. My sympathy went toward Fidel who had been such a perfect model of a bully rather than the little kid who had avenged us all. Why Why on earth did I suddenly feel this compassion toward a person for whom I had never felt anything but contempt I realized that day that the mind is far more than a mystery; it is a comic mystery, forever capable of upending expectations. What I learned from feeling an unexpected depth of emotion toward someone that I normally feared and despised was that placing some kind of expectation upon emotions is senseless. Whenever I hear someone say something like "nobody would ever react in such and such a way" what they are really saying is everybody reacts the same way to every circumstance. My compassion for a brutal bully allows me to laugh at people expressing such remarkably unimaginative beliefs. The experience with Fidel and the intrusio

Dementia ,sexaula relationships in restidental care homes for the Essay

Dementia ,sexaula relationships in restidental care homes for the eldery - Essay Example The role of social and ethical expectations laid down by the society is a safety net in many instances, but can also be akin to thinking in the box. Various issues in the society have been so marred by negative thinking and opinionated views that now merely discussing them is considered taboo. This may have helped keep some negative issues at bay, but it does not eliminate them, and the importance of looking into the various issues that are affected negatively by such â€Å"norms† is an essential need in any civilized society (Sewell, 2001, p. 1). Issues such as sexuality are considered a very private and personal issue, which is frowned upon should it be discussed more openly. While ethical approach and mannerisms may be an adequate explanation to avoid discussion in these topics, it on the other hand has led to many myths, confusions, and negative ideas about the various issues that pertain to sexuality. This approach towards sexuality and its various issues is very limiting and negative in its effect, for sexuality is among the four primary drives of the human. This drive remains through out life, and the negative reaction displayed against an elder person showing these emotions is another social stigma that has complicated matters greatly (Sewell, 2001, p. 1). More than 90% cases of dementia exhibit behavior problems including sexual inappropriate behavior in the course of their illnesses. Dementia has become more prevalent in the recent years (Srinivasan and Weinberg, 2001, p. 20). Almost 5% of the patients develop dementia in the ages 65-69 years of age, where as 20% of the patients develop dementia in ages above 85 (Srinivasan and Weinberg, 2001, p. 20). Despite the growing prevalence of dementia, there is still very little awareness in the general population about its challenges and issues, and how to respond to them. Even if dementia is not present, the population is anaware

Leadership Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership Theory - Essay Example This means that Schultz had a preconceived idea that in the nature of his business, those people with the opportunity to lead others in their organization should have got people skills in order to become effective leaders. In its broader sense, Schultz was combining the basic principles of leadership from the point of view of trait and behavioral theories. The very proof is the thought that this can also be explained using the contingency point of view of leadership particularly the Fiedler model which particularly highlights the match between the leader’s style of interacting with subordinates on certain situation in order to achieve high group performance (Arrmandi, Oppedisano & Sherman 2003). This may also fall on implicit theories of leadership where there is emphasis on mental models that substantially includes the combined idea of traits and behaviors of a person (Schyns 2006). Starbucks’s nature of business requires effective group performance, which can only be obtained if there is a leader who according to Schultz has the potential for people skills. At Starbucks, it is about combination of different talents or skills in order to come up with product or service offerings that would place high value for customers. It requires manager in this case who is a leader that at some point could influence the people to maximize their creativity or potential to do well in performing their respective role in the organization. This must be achieved not because of the power of that manager to hire or fire people, but because of his or her people skills that would influence the subordinates. A strong will and loud voice may be integral parts of a boss, but an effective leader requires people skills (Williams & Denney 2010). Modern organizations applied the concept of team-based principle, where leaders’ leadership is assumed to be assigned (Appelbaum, Audet & Miller 2003). In fact, this is another reality at Starbucks. Leadership is assigned to those with

Dementia ,sexaula relationships in restidental care homes for the Essay

Dementia ,sexaula relationships in restidental care homes for the eldery - Essay Example The role of social and ethical expectations laid down by the society is a safety net in many instances, but can also be akin to thinking in the box. Various issues in the society have been so marred by negative thinking and opinionated views that now merely discussing them is considered taboo. This may have helped keep some negative issues at bay, but it does not eliminate them, and the importance of looking into the various issues that are affected negatively by such â€Å"norms† is an essential need in any civilized society (Sewell, 2001, p. 1). Issues such as sexuality are considered a very private and personal issue, which is frowned upon should it be discussed more openly. While ethical approach and mannerisms may be an adequate explanation to avoid discussion in these topics, it on the other hand has led to many myths, confusions, and negative ideas about the various issues that pertain to sexuality. This approach towards sexuality and its various issues is very limiting and negative in its effect, for sexuality is among the four primary drives of the human. This drive remains through out life, and the negative reaction displayed against an elder person showing these emotions is another social stigma that has complicated matters greatly (Sewell, 2001, p. 1). More than 90% cases of dementia exhibit behavior problems including sexual inappropriate behavior in the course of their illnesses. Dementia has become more prevalent in the recent years (Srinivasan and Weinberg, 2001, p. 20). Almost 5% of the patients develop dementia in the ages 65-69 years of age, where as 20% of the patients develop dementia in ages above 85 (Srinivasan and Weinberg, 2001, p. 20). Despite the growing prevalence of dementia, there is still very little awareness in the general population about its challenges and issues, and how to respond to them. Even if dementia is not present, the population is anaware

Christianity's success and Atheism's failure in explaining the origin Research Paper

Christianity's success and Atheism's failure in explaining the origin of life - Research Paper Example For example, primeval people believed they were originated from a particular animal or a plant (depending on a tribe). These â€Å"origins† were associated with an under human power. Ancient polytheistic religions also had their explanations formulated in myth, tales etc. The belief in single God (monotheism) came later when the polytheistic worldview could no longer satisfy human curiosity and religious needs. Monotheistic religions (such as Christianity) had come to propose a new answer on a subject. The main word here is â€Å"belief†. To be a religious person means to have a particular system of believes which are determined by the religion. Christians believe in a specific number of theses which make their world picture. Those theses can be argued or accepted. It’s different with the atheistic world view. Firstly, it should be mentioned, that atheists do not deny the whole idea of believing. On the other side, one of the biggest myths about atheism is to consider it a religious system. â€Å"Atheism is not a belief system nor is it a religion† (American Atheists, n.d.). It’s a common delusion that atheists believe in â€Å"no God†. They really don’t. Atheists do not practice belief in Gods; they are disbelievers (Cline n.d.). Atheists say theists usually are responsible for these disillusions. â€Å"Where these preconceived ideas come from varies, but they tend to evolve from theistic influences or other sources† (American Atheists, n.d.). Indeed, theists tend to contrapose atheism and theism as these things are equal. But atheists are skeptical about all supernatural things’ existence (like ghosts and spirits), and the God who has created humankind from nothing (as Christianity puts it) is just one of those things. For their way of thinking atheists in West civilization are commonly considered to be Christians’ antagonists. Meanwhile, â€Å"the only common thread that ties all atheists together is a lack of

Online Environment Essay Example for Free

Online Environment Essay Normally, customers would have to call an associate from D D and find out when the next trade show, showcase, or large event D D will be featured in attendance so customers can make their way to the venue just to see the merchandise. One main focus that would have to be kept is the same local, hometown business feel. Although D D would be looking to expand out of the greater Indianapolis area, the focus that needs to be kept is the community. An online market would be extremely beneficial to the community and the business because the times are changing and more and more customers each day are transitioning to the online marketplace by shopping in the comfort of their own home. D D is a community based business who believes in taking care of all our customer’s needs whether it is live an in person, or 2:00 AM on a Sunday night. We can only offer this kind of service with an online presence. D D wants to be the company a customer can count on anytime. Being part of an online environment will be a large part in making that a reality. As a business, we must ask ourselves is this a venture that will be successful for us? Given the type of market that our company is tapping into, we have the ability to be very successful. The quality of products that we offer along with our competitive prices will give us the competitive advantage over other similar small companies as even over some larger companies as well. Establishing D D in an online environment against competition in the same type of business will force us to be aware of all that is going on with our competition. This way, we will able to compete with the larger companies like a JCPenny or Sears and the smaller businesses like D D that have been in the online environment for a long time. We will strive to keep the quality of our products high and be able to keep our prices low. The success of our business will lie on our quality, and providing the best quality products will help us in generating income and building a larger customer base. Current Online Competitor Assessment Being that D D is a very small local business; large competitors (Nordstrom. com, Macys. com, Sears. com, etc. ) offer more of a broad selection of merchandise while D D specializes in one specific area of sales at extremely competitive prices and unique craftsmanship quality. Most of these larger companies will hold sales that provide their merchandise at discounted prices in-store and online but customers will not always catch the â€Å"Great Deal† or clearance sale. D D wants to provide quality products that customers feel are always on sale. One competitive advantage that D D will have over these companies is the originality of products. A large portion of the merchandise sold is hand-made, developed from original designs and ideas. Larger companies will most likely buy their products in bulk from over-seas distributors that will mimic merchandise of their competitors while D D will offer quality products made right here in the United States. D D will be able to back all the hand-made merchandise with a ‘Made in The USA’ tag which is something that most of the larger competitors will not be able to do. There are some name brand designers that are sold through D D; however, prices for that particular merchandise will still be competitive. We understand that there are customers with a demand for name brand designers no matter what the item may be and we want to be the provider for that segment of customers as well. Larger companies in the retail industry will often sell merchandise seasonally in regards to the specific time of year or holiday. A huge advantage that D D will have will be the ability to purchase seasonal merchandise year round. For example, if a customer wanted to purchase a Christmas themed hat in July or another customer wanted to purchase a Valentine’s Day gift basket in October, these options would be available to them. A larger company will most likely not offer that option on their site and especially not in their store. D D’s goal is to be able to take care of each and every customer’s needs (and wants) to create customers for life. We know that we are not the only company in this market and we need to be aware of the disadvantages we face while competing against larger companies. One large disadvantage that we will face is the distribution of our products. D D does not have a warehouse where stock is kept in comparison to a Sears or Macy’s. Therefore, in order for us to be successful, we must be able to maintain our stock and make sure that we keep enough on hand at all times. Another disadvantage that we face is the production of our hand-made items. Although our items do not take extremely long to make, we can run into the problem of not having a specific item when it is needed. This could be a major issue in the success of that particular product, but one advantage that we do have is that everyone on the sales team is able to help us create products if we happen to be short on certain items. This gives us a slight advantage over competitors large and small because there is no need for a middle man in our product line. All handmade products are able to be created and ready for sale immediately. We will still be in a similar situation with our competitors when it comes to all of the name brand clothing as far as shipping, ordering, receiving, etc. but being able to have our custom products manufactured and ready to sell within a fraction of time it would take for shipping procedures will keep us ahead and generating income. Online Marketing Suggestions Strategies The strategy for D D will be one with attainable goals. The first objective of our strategy is to know where we are going and what we want to achieve. Our first goal will be to set the amount of cu stomers that we want to reach through our online presence. As long as we have an idea of how many customers we wish to gain through this method, we will stay focused and stay on the correct path to achieve our goal. The next step in our strategy is to dissect the final goal numbers and turn the results into action plans that we can use to repeat success. For instance, if D D sets the target number in a time period for customers gained through our online presence, because the goal was dissected prior and broken down; D D knows exactly what must be done to achieve that goal. The last step that D D will implement in the strategy is to make sure all success is reviewed and evaluated thoroughly. All information that we received must be evaluated so we are making sure we are getting the results that we expected and wanted. One of the major tasks that we plan to accomplish with D D’s online marketing efforts is to attain customers of a younger age group. Typically the D D customer base age ranges from 30 – 60 for women and 29 – 50 for men. With the addition of new products and the expansion to an online environment, the goal could be easily reached. Another marketing strategy that D D will use is advertising the current events and trade shows we will be featured in. By advertising and marketing D D online as well as the different venues, customers will be informed of different things to do around the city in addition to taking some time to shop. Marketing ourselves this way will not only help our business, but it will also help our community which is helping us keep our main two focuses; Service our community and sell quality products to our customers. Search Engine Considerations Optimization Strategies Taking into consideration that there has been a lot of cross-border selling, there is a growth that is happening with search marketers. This growth causes websites to be optimized for visitors from different regions and cultural backgrounds. There are constant attempts to develop techniques that attract visitors through search engines and search ads. One technique that D D will be able to do is use country specific domain names, and possibly change spelling variations (i. e. color v. colour). D D will also use keywords in other languages, which will target search engines such as Google AdWords and give us more search result hits. Expanding our name in search engines will be an excellent way to open the door to us being found by more people who are searching for similar items. Encouraging our customers to post regular reviews of our business on a variety of local search sites will not only let potential customers know we do a good job, but it will increase the number of search hits we receive. The more reviews we receive, the reviews will appear high within search results. The approach also will make it more likely for the next potential customer searching for a store like D D to possibly contact our business based on the information they are receiving in the search results. A strategy such as this will improve the amount of search hits simply by choosing the words we want to be associated with our business and as long as we are doing a great job for our customers, a large portion of those words will be positive. Social Media Integration D D is a small business that could benefit very well from using social media. The majority of D D’s name being spread around the community is by word of mouth; however being well known in a small community can only take you so far. Integrating a social media site like Facebook would be a wonderful opportunity to promote the business and inform potential customers about the site as well as allowing current customers to refer a friend to the page and even comment. Integrating Facebook with the site will allow customers in a matter of seconds to â€Å"like† the D D Facebook page and there will also be a link to click to directly go to the D D web site. The potential comments left on the page could end up helping D D by possibly providing suggestions that D D could use to improve the overall customer experience. Along with Facebook, Twitter can also be utilized in the social media are by â€Å"tweeting† pictures of merchandise as well as updating customers with current information regarding products and shows. For customers who are always on the go, D D will also reach customers by the use of Instagram. By using Instagram, customers who are following D D will be able to see recently received merchandise that will be uploaded onto the mobile page by the D D staff. With use of these sites, D D will able to keep the current customer base updated with information about the products as well as allowing potential customers to gain a little bit of knowledge about D D’s products and services by utilizing the online environment that is used in day-to-day life. Using these sites will also provide another medium of communication from customers so we can listen to their suggestions, wants, and needs. By listening to customers, we are able to receive first-hand feedback and a better understanding of how we can improve our service. In addition to using social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, D D will also incorporate a small blogging section on the company website. This will give customers additional medium to converse and blog about their experiences with our company. Online Customer Relationship Management When a customer makes the decision to do business with any company, the customer expects that they will receive a very high standard of customer service. As a company, D D will also hold a very high standard in providing customer service. A key component of customer service in any business is building a relationship with the customer. Communication between the customer and seller will have to be maintained in order to build that relationship. The best way to keep this channel of communication open with the customers would be through the exchange of email for any situation, problem, or question that may arise. Email would allow our customers to ask questions regarding our products, address a problem, or even inquire about making an order. Specific email templates, for whether there is a problem or a general question, will be made for any possible topic a customer may have and this will be integrated in the site. If there is any issue, a customer will be able to be as specific as they need to in asking their question. To be as efficient as we can with offering the email option to our customers, we will offer with all emails a ‘Within 24 hr. Guarantee Response Time. ’ Putting a guarantee on a service such as this will ensure to the customer that they will receive the most efficient and effective service available. We understand that all questions and issues may not be answered through email, so all escalated issues will be followed up with a phone call from a sales associate to help solve any issue that cannot be resolved in a timely manner. Within the website there will also be a FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) page provided to possibly help with several general questions. Our FAQs page will be updated accordingly if we seem to receive a large volume of questions for a topic that is not currently on our FAQs page. Updating this page will be very valuable to our customers’ time and it will show that we are very thorough in our process. E-Commerce Solutions E-Commerce for D D will be an extremely user-friendly process. Our plan is to utilize all E-commerce transactions through the Volusion software program. This program is very efficient and very effective on both sides of the E-commerce transaction from seller to customer. Volusion will provide multiple payment options to potential customers such as credit or debit card, using a checking account, E-check, and even PayPal. By giving our customers multiple ways to pay, we give ourselves more opportunity to make a sale. A â€Å"checkout† and â€Å"my cart† feature will also be integrated within the site so at any time customers can quickly add an item to their cart and check out or add a few items and then edit the cart if they are not satisfied with their selection or have selected too many of one item. A link to the â€Å"my cart† section will be available on every page so a customer will be able to easily navigate there. Volusion also offers customizable tax and shipping options which will be presented for each product depending on size and time frame for customers’ desired delivery time. Customers will also be given automatic email confirmations after all purchases to give reviews of purchases. The automatic email confirmations will also be followed up by a separate email that contains an additional e-receipt and shipping information. Customers also have the option to enroll in the D D newsletter that will be created to update customers with information regarding current and future events as well as updates for newly created merchandise. This option will be available upon checkout so customers will be able to click yes or no. Security will be a major concern with E-commerce in any company you are associating with. The Volusion software offers state-of-the art E-commerce security which is PCI/CISP (Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council /Cardholder Information Security Program) certified. Other security features include the â€Å"CAPTCHA† type image validation for all forms of submissions to prevent unauthorized use, as well as an integrated IP blocking security feature, and SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Encryption for encrypting customer information for additional security. International Considerations International business for D D would be an excellent addition to the business. What better way would there be to grow the business than to expand globally? The retail market for fashion and apparel is a market that is not just popular in just one geographic location. Fashion retail is an area where with the right merchandise and approach, a company like D D could go from servicing local customers to multi-national in a matter of months. Social media will play a large role in the international expansion of D D just as it will locally. All considerations must be viewed before the international ventures can take flight. One major concern would be how the currency from other countries would be handled. Our payment system will be an incredible asset to how our transactions are completed. Exchange rates are automatically calculated and shipping calculations are also included. Transactions will not be simple for every country. Certain payment options that D D accepts will not be available in all countries (i. e. Romania does not have PayPal), so all employees must be aware of situations like this if they were to arise. We will also have to make sure that we are complying with all government export regulations within each country. Using the Volusion software will also help with the language barrier of different countries. The Volusion software will make sure the website is friendly and ready for non-domestic and non-English-speaking visitors. All content on our website will be internationalized to cater to different areas of the globe. We believe that if we can customize our offering, service, and payment types to different areas, the business will enjoy huge success. Web Development Maintenance Cost The actual development for D D’s website would be fairly inexpensive compared to the amount of return the website would help generate. Base costs to start the development of the website would begin with the purchase of the domain name (i. e. www. DandDdesigns. com) that would range from $10 $30. Annual fees to keep the website up and running would range from $100 $150 in renewal fees. Most sites with under 2000 pages generally do not go over that threshold amount. There are a number of extra features that can be added to the site that could possibly increase the costs for running the webpage such as enabling Java for allowing motion images and small videos on the site (about $4. 5/month) and Restore Services that offer information recovery of any information deleted accidentally by any of the company’s associates (about $1. 50/month). Web hosting sites such as Lunarpages Hostgator offer all of these great services with no additional maintenance costs. These sites also offer 24/7 server monitoring and customer support so if anything were to go wrong, there is always someone to call on at anytime. This will also remove the expense of hiring a web developer because any and all problems with the site can be fixed by employees at anytime.

Marketing concepts: Qatar airways

Marketing concepts: Qatar airways Advertising is an indirect way of communication which influences the target segment to consume their product or enjoy their services. The study of this advertisement will help us examine the concepts of consumer behaviour used in the promotion of the Premium Terminal of Qatar Airways. This will help us determine the reasons for requirement of a premium terminal and also study key elements used which attract the passengers. Most of the passengers travelling by first and business class could relate to this advertisement, hence resulting in its success. Qatar Airways is the national airline of Qatar and has its headquarters based in Doha. According to Mr Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Doha International Airport and Qatar Airways For a visitor, the first point of contact with Qatar is generally the airport and it is their driving priority to ensure that the best-ever facilities welcome first-time and return visitors. It gives all its first class passengers an access to the top end spa facilitie s and even body massages to relax themselves. The new Doha Airport will set a benchmark for all the future airports. It will be an international signature for the vision of Qatar, he declared in London during a ceremony to unveil the Master Plan of new Airport. This advertisement is a part of multi-million dollar global campaign designed to demonstrate the assets of the airlines and to increase its awareness among masses. Its one of the three advertisements which are a form of extensive brand campaign launched by the Qatar Airways for its extensive promotion which include the Lounge, the Appetizer and the Journey. However we are going to analyse the Lounge Commercial. We shall now look into background of the product which is Qatar Airways. Background The background is going to give us an insight about history of the airlines and an overview of its current position. Qatar airways is among the fastest growing airlines with an unmatched in-flight service based on what Porter (1985) would refer to as the competitive differentiation (Porter, 1985). Initially the airlines were privately owned by a royal family of Qatar. It became operational from 20th January 1994. But at present, this airline is partially owned by private investors, while the government holds 50% stake. Qatar Airways has managed to push the boundaries in aviation industry achieving what other airlines have been unable to do. The company follows a long term growth strategy, which includes addition of a new aircraft every month to their growing fleet size and inauguration of the New International Airport at Doha by 2011. Qatar airways have a unique Privilege Club which is one of the most generous loyalty clubs in the world. Its members have an access to a range of exclusive services and benefits designed to make their travelling experience comfortable and rewarding. Since we have a rough idea of the product, we will now study the association of this advertisement with different cultural dimensions used by Hofstede, as this will shape a path for the application of other relevant theories. Hoftedes dimensions :- Geert Hofstede introduced the five dimensions of culture which distinguish between different cultures across the world and help the marketers in the development of advertisements. This advert satisfies the Hofstedes dimensions of Culture. High Power Distance- Since the premium terminal at the Doha International Airport is exclusively for the first and business class passengers and not for the economy class, it relates to the Hofstedes high power distance. Its so because there is a lot of difference in the quality of services provided to different classes be it economy or first class. It even relates to the culture of Qatar. Masculinity- According to Hofstede, Masculinity stands for a society in which gender roles are clearly distinct: Men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on material success; women are supposed to be more modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life. The main elements portrayed in this advertisement are ego, high status and comfort. The high level positions are mostly held by men in Gulf countries like Qatar. Thus Qatar is a highly masculine country which is very well depicted here. The business class is still considered to be male dominated. Thus we see a man enjoying the premium services at the Qatar lounge. The people in such social cultures give a lot of importance to status and money and are ego-oriented. Thus this brand helps its customers to associate themselves with high status and power. Individualistic This term refers to a culture in which everyone is expected to look after themselves. As we can see, the man shown in advert is individualistic because hes independent. Further the use of a mobile phone and laptop enhance his individuality. As perceived, all the first and business class passengers have the privilege to enjoy unique services like spa, sauna, Jacuzzi etc. Thus as an individual, they like pampering themselves. Now since the idea of advert has become pretty clear after studying the Hofstedes dimensions, we can now focus on some more theories to explain the whole concept in depth. To start with, lets understand the purpose of using some specific objects and signs in this advert. Semiotic Analysis Semiotics can be defined as the study of the correspondence between signs and symbols and their roles in how we assign meanings (Solomon, 2007, p 103). Every advertisement demonstrates a symbolic meaning. Semiotics is an apt way of understanding an advertisement and is often used to analyse it. If we talk in terms of marketing, it is thus the study of how these marketing environments and advertisements of their products make efforts to re-create the meaning of acting on peoples sensual awareness of tastes, sounds, smells, images, and words. Rather, we would not exaggerate the point if we say that as humans, we are the meaning machines in that human beings tend to get through everything that is sensed with meaning (Desmond, 2003, p 183). It is interesting to know that meaning of an ad is based upon the interpretation of the viewer, as much as on the people creating it (Langrehr Caywood, 1995). As a result of this, the people will think at an individual perspective and therefore will interpret the advert in many ways based on their socio-cultural environment, personality and knowledge. However from the semiotic point of view, every marketing message has three components: an object (product), a sign (symbol), and an interpretant or meaning, and is commonly used for analysing different types of advertisements (Schiffman Kanuk, 2004) as a result of which it is selected for this purpose. Many symbols have been used as semiotics in this advertisement each of which defines something different. The object is Qatar Airways, the Iphone is the symbol. It can have different meanings based on the individual interpretations. It can be taken to represent the luxury and high social class of the passengers travelling through the Qatar Airways. Whereas on the other hand, it could be thought to help its passengers connect to their loved ones. While from another perspective it may represent a person as an individual as many scholars consider the use of cell phones as individualistic. They have shown the passenger, a porter and an air hostess in the advert. But if we analyse carefully, they have not shown the face of any of them. This is so because they dont want their target audience to deviate from the product, rather they want them to concentrate just on their product and amazing services they provide to their customers. There has been the use of various elements which can be interpreted to be associated with royalty and high class, like the laptop, iphone, comfortable chair, vintage items, porters carrying the suitcases of first and business class passengers. The market research measures are mostly based on the visual elements, and not verbal elements, used in the advert. The quality work and giving personal attention to each of their customers is their main objective and trademark. The premium terminal at Doha International Airport provides exclusive services to its first class and business class passengers. These services include fine dining and spa facilities and even massages. The passengers can unwind themselves by pampering themselves with a relaxing Jacuzzi, sauna or a soothing spa and even indulge in some rejuvenating treatments from facials to body massages given by strained therapists perfecting in the aromatherapy (See Appendix 1). The whole process of sauna or spa is depicted in a segment of this advertisement (See appendix 2). The use of objects like Gardenia flowers, bamboo, aqua marine stones for massage, steam, bath tub, and wind chimes relate to the exquisite royal services provided at the terminal. The wind chimes can be perceived as a symbol of relaxation and peace of mind while the other elements used relate to the materials used during a spa or sauna. This demonstrates the extra effortsl made by the authorities at the premium terminal to give the highest standard facilities to their current customers and to attract the potential customers. There has been an extensive use of the purple colour in the advert which leads us to give a thought to why they have used purple as the primary colour. Colours:- The colours convey meanings mainly in two primary ways which can be either the natural association or the psychological or cultural symbolism. The association of colours may arise from the political beliefs, superstitions, religious beliefs, historical reasons, cultural beliefs etc. The purple colour relates to the self knowledge. It is the union with your higher self (Colour Therapy). Qatar being a royal country associates well with the colour. The Qatar Royalty Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and his better half Sheika Moza bint NaseerAl-Missned have been seen supporting this colour many times. In a recent event, the Royalty wore a tie of purple colour while his wife wore a purple dress (See Appendix 3). Thus there has been the use of Purple colour in the logo of Qatar Airways as well as the uniform of the crew. One of the reasons can be that this colour is used in their country flag (See Appendix 4). The use of purple as the primary colour has its own significance (Color Wheel P ro) -The flowers like lilac, orchids are purple in colour and are very expensive and rare, thus signifying wisdom and extravagance. -The purple colour represents the royalty as this colour has been used by people of high rank or authority since ages. Thus implies visionary leadership. It symbolises luxury, comfort, power, wealth, respect and independence. This use of purple colour represents the royalty and high class passengers travelling by Qatar Airways. It also explains the luxurious and comfortable services provided by the airlines at their premium terminal at the Doha International Airport. It shows the passion and dedication towards their customers. The premium terminal of Qatar Airways in Doha is a luxurious brand in itself. It gives us a royal feel and demonstrates a life of luxury and comfort. We are now in a condition to associate the high class and luxurious social life with the behaviour of the consumers. Social class and Consumer Behaviour The behaviour of the consumers differs a lot across different social cultures. This depends highly on their socio-cultural values and their economy as well. Qatar is one of the fastest growing economies and continues to grow at an astonishing pace. It continues to deliver a wide range of high standard products to the International community. Its nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has averaged surprisingly 27.2 % over the time period of 5 years (2005-2009). The Qataris have second highest GDP per capita incomes in the world and hence Qatar is the second richest country in the World. According to the Qatar Economic Review 2010, the people in Qatar spend the second largest amount of money on transportation after their housing. Qatar is a premium brand. The consumption of such a prestigious brand is viewed as a status symbol and whose price, even when higher by the normal standards, is considered to further enhance the signal of wealth. It has been revealed by the researchers that perceived limited supply of products enhances the consumers value and preference for a brand (Verhallen 1982; Lynn 1991; Pantzalis 1995). Items that are in limited supply have high value, while those readily available are less desirable. Rare items command respect and prestige (Solomon 1994, 570). As we know that the number of seats in Business and First class is very less, therefore the rich people take pride in travelling by these classes as it makes them unique. Qatar is a country of royal and high class people. Thus the premium terminal is devoted to this higher and royal segment of the society where they are facilitated with all the desired comforts. We have analysed the product and its features by now. The next step involves the relevance of the product to consumer and how the consumer relates to the brand. Kapferer Brand Identity Prism The branding has now changed from just identifying the product to dealing with the meaning of different brands through expanded brand identity systems. The entry of new system of brand identity is considered to be a great advancement towards a much more sophisticated version of branding, which suggests that in order to be successful and to stand out, different brands need to be imbued with human characteristics and traits (Aaker 1996; Kapferer 2004). Brands are thought to have a personality that consumers use as an avenue for expressing themselves or to experience those emotional benefits which differentiate the brand from others. We will now discuss the role of a consumer in influencing how brand personality is perceived. This is formulated on the basis of the fact that as consumers using a brand tend to build trustworthy relationships with it, they reinforce the positive attitude towards that preferred brand (Phau, L. Lai, K.C. 2000). Now Kapferer has explained the brand identity prism in the form of a six sided prism shown below :- Physical Appearance :- Every brand contains an external specificity which is physical appearance. This is the core of the brand and its value. It is the first step towards the building up of a brand. It represents the product features and attributes. The logo of the Qatar Airways is the head of Oryx gazelle which is an African antelope which lives in herds consisting of dominant males. This goes with the masculine society of Qatar. Since most of the country of Qatar is made up of deserts, therefore they have used this animal to represent the geography of Qatar as well. Use of purple colour is another way of identifying the brand as a status symbol. As mentioned earlier, this colour is perceived as used by royal and high class. So the people travelling by first and business class are able to connect to it. Brand Personality :- This is a way in which the brand talks about the quality of services offered and at the same time, it indicates a human being. Thus it measures those characters of the consumers which relate to the brand. Some of the features as perceived in this advert are high class, status and superiority. Relationship :- Every brand has the aim of maintaining healthy and long term relations with their customers. Thus it stands on the trust and associations. This is achieved through the great ambience, royal and comfortable environment provided by Qatar Airways. As seen in this advert, the facilities like spa, dining facilities with world class wine, porters carrying your luggage, etc add to the ambience and make customer feel special by providing superior customer services. Culture :- This refers to the aim and values of brand. In this advert, the brand i.e. Qatar Airways possesses the culture of Qatar, country of its origin. Most of the brands possess not only personality but also culture. Thus we can see the elements of high standards in this advert. There is commitment to work and hospitality towards their customers. Reflection:- The reflection shows the customers view of product. The reflection has to be such which helps the consumer relate to that particular brand. The Qatar Airways have been awarded the status of 5 star airlines, thus associated with high social class and prestige. For e.g. the passengers travelling by first and business class will consider themselves to be from a rich background as they get all the special and unique services. Self image: The self image relates to the features of advertisement of the brand which the customer can relate to. It goes hand in hand with the personality of brand. It is very helpful when it comes to understanding the behaviour of consumers as they will buy or consume the product corresponding to their self image. Thus it is the internal reflection of customer. The premium terminal for first and business class passengers gives them a feeling of inner satisfaction and thus makes them feel special by providing them out of the world facilities both on and off the ground. Despite the advert being quite apt, there are still a few things that could make it somewhat better. Limitations The advertisement focuses on only the first and business class passengers leaving aside the economy class. This biased behaviour might receive some mixed reactions from the people travelling in the economy class. Then we have noticed that as perceived by the advertisement, the culture represents an individualistic side, whereas Arab countries like Qatar are collectivist countries. Therefore, it may happen that the people may not connect themselves to the individualistic man shown in the advert. Hence they wont interpret the advert as the marketers want them to. Moreover the word count prevented me from interpreting the advertisement on basis of Maslows Hierarchy of needs. Conclusion The advertisement is designed in such a way that helps the target audience to connect to it. The people interpret these adverts differently on the basis of their culture, knowledge and beliefs. We made use of the Hofstedes dimensions in order to get a clear idea of the cultural associations with the advert. Later we studied the semiotics used in it and how it relates to the consumer using the Qatar Airways. The colour theory was explained to emphasize on the importance of the purple colour used for the uniform of the crew and the logo. We can also analyse that how it gives an insight about the culture of Qatar and also associates with the passengers. Last but not the least; Kapferer Brand Identity Prism was used to judge the way a consumer perceives a particular brand as this model says that a consumer is what he consumes. REFERENCES Aaker, D.A. (1996) Building Strong Brands, New York. The Free Press. Bear, Jacci H. Purple Color Meaning Colors That Go with Purple and The Meaning of the Color Purple. Available at: http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/purple.htm. [Accessed 18 December 2010]. Brand Identity Prism | mba4you.net. Available at: http://www.mba4you.net/index.php/2009/04/11/brand-identity-prism/. [Accessed 9 December 2010]. Brand Identity Prism by Kapferer. Available at: http://ezinearticles.com/?Brand-Identity-Prism-by-Kapfererid=1215591. [Accessed 9 December 2010]. Color Wheel Pro: Color Meaning. Available at: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html. [Accessed 8 December 2010]. Color Matters Symbolism and Emotions. Available at: http://www.colormatters.com/symbolism.html. [Accessed 8 December 2010]. Corporate Travel a 5-star experience | Qatar Airways Qatar. Available at:http://www.qatarairways.com/qa/en/corporate.html. [Accessed 4 December 2010]. Desmond, J. 2003. Consuming Behaviour. 1st ed. Palgrave Macmillan. p 183. Fredric W. Rohm J. 2010. Inner Resources for Leaders. American and Arab Cultural Lenses. Available at: http://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/innerresources/vol2iss3/rohm.pdf. [Accessed 11 December 2010]. Hofstede (2001), Cultures Consequences, 2nd ed. p 297. Hofstede Masculinity / Femininity Traits. Available at: http://www.andrews.edu/~tidwell/HofstedeMasculinity.html. [Accessed 7 December 2010]. Hofstede, G. 1991. Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, London: McGraw-Hill Book Company. Kapferer, J.N. (2004) The New Strategic Brand Management, Creating and Sustaining Brand Equity Long Term, 2nd ed. London. Kogan Page. Langrehr, F. Caywood, C. (1995). A semiotic approach to determining the sins and virtues portrayed in advertising. 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Phau, L. Lau, K.C. (2000) Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing, Volume 9. Number 1. Palgrave Macmillan pp. 52-69(18). Qatar Airways Spends Over US$ 2 Billion To Create A First Impression Benchmark Airport | Qatar Airways Press Release. Available at: http://www1.qatarairways.com/global/en/newsroom/archive/aboutus_news_07dec03.html. [Accessed 8 December 2010]. QATAR Airways premium terminal ad wins top accolade. Doha Business, classified,, Travel, Advertising, B2B. Available at: http://doha.biz/2010/04/19/qatar-airways-premium-terminal-ad-wins-top-accolade/. [Accessed 4 December 2010]. Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Available at: http://www.qatarairways.com/privilegeclub/en/homepage.html. [Accessed 4 December 2010]. Qatar Airways rebrands 360east | design, media, technology. Available at: http://www.360east.com/?p=353. [Accessed 11 December 2010]. Qatar Economic review. July 2010. p 10-14 QNB Capital. 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[Accessed 4 December 2010]. Verhallen, Theo M. (1982), Scarcity and Consumer Choice Behavior, Journal of Economic Psychology, 2 (2), 299-321. Appendix 1:- Appendix 2- The narration of the advertisement- Its 36 to 38 degree Celsius No higher, no lower Its soft but not too soft Its just enough to smooth things out Its all of this Half way to anywhere With plenty of time to spare With Qatar Airways premium terminal in Doha Five star service for first and business class passengers Qatar Airways- The Worlds five star airlines. Appendix 3

The History of the Darling Theatre Company :: London Theatres Acting Drama Essays

The History of the Darling Theatre Company This theatre company came into being in 1979 when a famous old London theatre went bankrupt and the owners of the building attempted to sell it to property developers. George Darling, a well known stage actor, launched a campaign to save the theatre and, with the help of many famous friends in the acting world, created strong public support for retaining the building as a theatre. However no existing theatre company was in a position to take over the building and the owners suggested to George Darling that he use his connections to set up his own company. After a vigorous fund-raising campaign enough money was collected to save the theatre and set up the Darling Theatre Company. The actors and actresses who had helped in the campaign agreed to appear in Darling productions for a fraction of their normal fees – but were interested only in appearing in theatre classics rather than commercial productions so the policy of the company from the beginning was to stage classics for short runs of three to six weeks so that there would be ten or so new productions each year. In order to keep costs down the company had as few full-time staff as possible, hiring directors, designers, technical crews and actors for each production only, and, by subsidising less popular plays with successful runs, often of Chekhov (‘He’s the Monet of theatre,’ George would say, ‘ everybody loves him’) managed to break even for the first few years. However in the mid-eighties the company hit a bad patch and George was obliged to find extra funding to survive. When his application for an Arts Council subsidy was rejected he turned to sponsorship and discovered that he was good at persuading wealthy companies to back his productions. The key to this, he realised early on, was providing company executives with access to famous actors and actresses and while there were protests at these ‘extra performances’ George was usually successful in arguing that the company could not survive otherwise. BACKGROUND TO THE COMPUTER SYSTEM Throughout its twenty-five years the company’s administrative procedures were primitive and chaotic. George was interested only in the artistic side of the company and had little or no concern for practicalities but his personal charm was so great that staff were prepared to put up with the constant problems caused by poorly-defined procedures and non-existent communication. Then in the new century George’s health began to fail and he was frequently not around to resolve mix-ups and disputes. In addition the regulations governing theatres and public performances and the hiring of part-time workers

Cognitive Consequences of Pediatric Sports-Related Concussions Essay

Results: The results of this research review provide the most current information in regards to pediatric concussion and neurological and cognitive consequences. These results support the working hypothesis that the cognitive consequences of pediatric sports-related concussions do not outweigh the benefits associated with childhood sports participation. In a cohort study (total n=200), investigators looked at return to cognitive baseline after concussion in younger versus older athletes. Participants were divided into two groups, a 13-16 year old group (n=100), and 18-22 year old group (n = 100). Each participant completed baseline and post concussion neurocognitive testing using the immediate Post-Concussion assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) test battery. Results showed that athletes 13-16 years old take longer to return to neurocognitive and symptom baselines than athletes 18-22 years old (22). In a prospective design study, 18 children with mTBI and 18 matched healthy controls (8-16 years of age) were used to compare sensitivity to simple and complex visual stimuli and to determine the evolution of visuo-perceptual performance over time. At 1, 4 and 12 weeks sensitivity to static and dynamic forms of simple (first order), complex (second order), orientation and direction identification thresholds, and radial optic flow stimuli were assessed. The results of this study demonstrate that all complex stimuli were significantly affected for the mTBI children, including at the 12 week interval. There was also no difference between groups across all testing conditions for simple, first order information (2). An observational study from 2008 looked at high school athletes and recovery patterns after concussion. Out o... ...lity following traumatic brain injury in childhood: impact of injury severity and age at injury. Pediatr Neurosurg.2000;32 :282– 290. http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/docview/224152197?accountid=14667 29. McCrory, P, AM Collie, V Anderson, and G Davis. "Can We Manage Sport Related Concussion in Children the Same as in Adults?." British Journal of Sports Medicine. 38.5 (2004): 516-519. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2004.014811 30. McCrory P, Meeuwisse W, Aubry M, et al. Consensus statement on concussion in sport - the third international conference on concussion in sport held in Zurich, November 2012. Phys Sportsmed. 2013; 47:250–258 . doi:10.1136/bjsports-2013-092313 31. Purcell, Lisa. "What are the most appropriate return-to-play guidelines for concussed child athletes?" British Journal of Sports Medicine. 43.1 (2009): i51-i55. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2009.058214

Message vs. Style in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe Essay

â€Å"The message is more important than the style†. I totally disagree with this statement in the context of Things Fall Apart as I believe that in this particular work, the message is of equivalent importance to the style; to have a particular writing style whose sole purpose is found in informing readers as to the purpose to the message, and then to NOT have a message, would be useless, whereas having a message to tell readers, WITHOUT such a writing style as is necessary to allow them to absorb the purpose, would again be useless- therefore the message and writing styles are equally important in this story, as one cannot do without the other. In this case, the central message of Things Fall Apart, that African culture is complex, can only be absorbed by readers if Achebe’s writing style, which incorporates the use of dialogue, conflict, proverbs, diction and setting, allows them to develop such recognition of cultural complexity- the author cannot merely instruct th e reader to believe that the culture is indeed complex, and still expect the reader to believe as such without question. Firstly, Achebe makes ample use of dialogue as a component of his writing style to carry forth the message of a culturally complex society. For example, Okonkwo’s conversation with Obierika as to the Oracle’s desires in Chapter Eight introduces significant cultural elements to the readers. Okonkwo argues that his participation in the murder of Ikemefuna was justified, but Obierika contends otherwise, declaring that Okonkwo’s actions are of the kind for which the earth goddess, Ani, â€Å"wipes out whole families†. In the conflict between their different views we see the strong influence exerted by their religion on each person, and also acquire recognition of significant religious elements, namely the Oracle and the earth goddess. That Okonkwo and Obierika should have differing opinions about the Oracle’s religious intentions indicates the presence of complex perceptions of the same religion. This complexity in religious perceptions then implicitly suggests to readers an inherent complexity in the religion itself, for without such complexity differing religious perceptions would not occur. Religion is a core component of culture, as clearly the culture of a society must not contradict the religious views held by that same society, and having a complex religion as a component of culture in turn suggests that the culture of the society must be complex as well. Dialogue thus serves to carry forth Achebe’s message that African culture is complex. At the same time, in the suggestions of complex culture found in dialogue, we see how Achebe’s style of writing encourages readers to gradually reach a perception of his central message on their own, which is important in that the readers must themselves perceive such cultural complexity through development of their own thoughts on the issue- exactly as Achebe intended. To have a dialogue without any inherent message would also make such dialogue purposeless, as Achebe could not possibly describe an overarching purpose to that conversation. This shows how dialogue as a component of the writing style gives such a writing style an importance equal to that of the message; without dialogue being employed as such, readers cannot acquire knowledge of the message, whereas if there was no message, then dialogue would have no purpose. Dialogue as a component of the writing style thus creates a situation where the style is of equal importance to the message. Secondly, traditional African proverbs, a significant element of Achebe’s writing style, are used to highlight cultural complexity. An example would be Okonkwo’s declaring that â€Å"a child’s fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which its mother puts into its palm† in defence of his participating in the murder of Ikemefuna. He argues that he did as such due to the Oracle declaring that Ikemefuna would have to be killed. That proverbs can be casually used in dialogue to illustrate various points, such as the above proverb serving as a defence for one’s actions, is an indication of a highly-developed language. A society’s culture is based upon its language, for language serves as the primary medium of communication between humans in a society, and as such readers recognize that language is an important component of culture, therefore having a highly-developed language would thus suggest that society is culturally complex. Proverbs being thus used in Achebe’s writing style have therefore led to the subtle formation of such a suggestion to readers, which in turn allows readers to follow through on that suggestion, and thereby reach the conclusion that African culture is complex is nature- this being the exact message which Achebe is trying to bring across to readers. Proverbs being a component of Achebe’s writing style, we can see how they contribute to the carrying the message of cultural complexity across. However, such a writing style also finds its primary purpose in carrying a message; therefore without such a message of cultural complexity, the proverbs would lose their meaning. In this sense, we can safely state that the writing style, through its encompassing the use of proverbs, is of equal importance to the message. Thirdly, Achebe’s choice of diction also plays a very large role in his writing style. Throughout the story, the narrator refers to the housing for Okonkwo’s wives as Obi, court messengers as Kotma, and characters use traditional welcomes such as Nno. That such traditional African words should appear throughout the story, interspersed with all the English words, gives readers the impression that such words cannot be simply translated into English. This then suggests to us that language in the society must be very highly developed, for such words do not have a counterpart in the English language, despite the vast vocabulary of the latter. Indeed, I had to refer to the glossary in the book for the English translations of such words. When readers make such inferences, they cannot help but come to the conclusion that the Africans cannot be culturally primitive- to have such a highly-developed language must in turn suggest a highly developed culture, which is exactly the message Achebe is trying to bring across. Thus Achebe’s choice of diction greatly aids his writing style in carrying the message across to readers, who realize from such implicit suggestions the central message of this work. Indeed, if Achebe did not wish to have a message of cultural complexity, it is plausible that such traditional African words would not appear. Thus we can see how the success in carrying the message across is highly dependent on the writing style, and the shaping of the writing style itself is highly dependent on the type of message being carried across; the message and the style are equally important. Lastly, Achebe’s description of the various settings in which events take place play a part in shaping his particular writing style. The setting of Ezeudu’s funeral in Chapter Thirteen is an example of how the setting as a component of Achebe’s writing style serves to carry forth the message of cultural complexity. Ezeudu’s funeral was a â€Å"warrior’s funeral†, and now and then an â€Å"ancestral spirit†, or â€Å"egwugwu†, would appear â€Å"from the underworld†. From the description of this setting, readers are able to more readily appreciate the complexities of traditional African culture; that their culture incorporates a strong, pagan belief in the existence of supernatural beings, the â€Å"egwugwu†, and a similar belief in the existence of an underworld. This places emphasis on a major religious component in their culture. Ezeudu’s funeral being considered as a â€Å"warrior’s funeral† also allows us to acquire insights into the importance of a particular social class, the warrior class, in their society. The setting has thus contributed to readers being able to recognize two major components in African culture, the former being religion, the latter being a social component. That these two different components should become so elaborately intertwined in this one ceremony is evidence of a complex culture. The reader, in reviewing the description of the setting, thereby acquires knowledge of the central message of cultural complexity which Achebe is trying to bring across, without Achebe having to explicitly declare as such; this clearly shows how Achebe’s writing style of placing information from which readers have to make their own inferences has led to our understanding the message of the novel. Without such a description of the setting, readers might not have been able to absorb this message. On the other hand, without a message, the description of the setting would be useless, as the purpose of such a writing style would be to enlighten readers as to a particular message the author wishes to convey. Therefore I believe that writing style and the message are of equal importance. In conclusion, I believe that the writing style and the message are of equal importance, as the former serves as the vehicle for the latter, whereas the latter exists to give the former purpose. Neither can do without the other, and therefore their interdependence lends them equal importance.