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Monday, September 30, 2019

Position of the Music Industry Prior to Introduction of Internet Essay

In the music industry prior to the introduction of internet marketing there were different roles being played by different actors of the market. The usual way a product is prepared for market is to contract the artists. The artists who were the content providers record materials which are either their own or provided to them by other writers. This is clearly depicted in the figure below. Traditional Value Chain in the Music Industry Source: John B. Meisel and Timothy S. Sullivan The recordings will be done on the basis of the contracts entered into with the recording companies. Hence the power and control over the supply of the product remained with the record company. The recording company thus would be regarded as the holder of the major item of value in the supply chain being the exclusive rights over the recorded artists’ content. (Hardaker and Graham, 2001) Most of the part of the distribution is in the hands of the record companies and they also retain the rights to select the suppliers. The distribution and supplier selection is based on the record companies’ perception about the quality of the recording and the music, past reputation of the suppliers and the contract price for the recording. In return for the content in the form of recording, the artist is compensated by the provision of promotions for the recording and its merchandising in connection with the sales there of and the distribution of the content as a saleable commodity – CD for example. It was usual in the traditional music industry that the major record companies have their own distribution channels and businesses. Hence it would become necessary for a retailer to source his music products from different sources. Sometimes the retailer may have to place orders with major record companies and up to 20 other firms from the independent sector. The new releases of music albums or other sales of the record companies are usually handled by the wholesalers. If the retailer would like to follow the wholesaler route then he might have to order through only one wholesaler. The main wholesalers also offer another service called ‘rack jobbing’ which is a different method of supply being adopted by them. The function of a rack jobber includes the supply of complete package that contains records and other promotional and display materials. It is also the duty of the wholesaler to keep a regular stock usually on a sale or exchange basis. Just as the advancement in the telecommunication had its effect on all the other sectors from airline reservations to banking and related financial services the music recording industry has also been severely impacted both positively and negatively observes Eric de Fontenay. In fact the impact of internet on the music industry is much more profound than on any other industries. Despite the fact that the entertainment related products and services have taken their own time to develop and take advantage of the improvements in digital technology over the decades, during the intervening period the overall structure of the industry has remained dormant. The reasons for the industry to remain without major changes can be traced to the following reasons: 1. The cost of creation of content has always remained higher and this prohibited any new entrants in to the industry. 2. The structure of content ownership and rights of licensing system remained unaltered thereby keeping the structure of the industry in tact. 3. There has been a continuous necessity for the presence of a distribution network almost everywhere in the world irrespective of the geographical barriers. This has restricted the existing firms to make any changes in the structure. There was no possibility of new firms entering the market in view of the high capital intensive nature. 4. Similarly there had always been a constant scarcity for the distribution networks which also prevented any new forms of distribution or change in the structure of the distribution networks. (Eric de Fontenay) The internet has affected the music industry in so many ways. It has made the industry incur additional costs in completely restructuring itself. Further the internet has reduced the entry barriers. This was possible by a considerable increase in the number of downstream outlets having varied nature. At the same time the internet has provided the actors in the upstream end to enjoy greater control over the aspects of content ownership, production and distribution. This has created a distinct fear in the record labels that they cannot eliminate the possibility of getting bypassed by both the markets in the downstream and upstream. This impact has created the following reaction on the part of the traditional industry actors. They tried to impose the existing rules and procedures to the new medium so that they could exercise the same leverage and control over the market. The process by which they attempted to do it involves a twin aspects strategic approach. At one end they used legal channels to restrict the availability and use of the new technology in the Industry. On the other end they adopted new technologies to tackle the potential legal threats that would affect the control derived by them from the traditional systems. This strategy backfired and left them high and dry in the market while new information technology players like AOL, Microsoft, E Music and MP3 took advantage of the stalemate. They reacted aggressively by building their infrastructure and systems for the online marketing and distribution of music. They also involved themselves in the retailing of music over internet. The distribution of revenues in the music industry involves the portion of the performer. As per the contract terms the performer is to be paid a portion of the revenue each time there is a sale of the record. Before the money is paid to the performer the revenue is to be apportioned towards the expenses incurred by the company for marketing and distribution. This gives an opportunity for the artists to earn considerable amounts from the sale of products. For gaining maximum revenue the artists should control the publishing rights to their songs or they have the capacity to negotiate contracts with terms that are favourable to the artists. In the case of revenue distribution Internet has its impact on the industry in the following respects.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Romanticism Report

The definition of romanticism is noted as a romantic spirit, outlook, tendency, etc. or the spirit, styles, and attitudes of, or adherence to the Romantic Movement or a similar movement contrasted with classicism and realism. Now, to complete this definition we must define the Romantic Movement. The Romantic Movement was the revolt in the late eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries against the artistic, political, and philosophical principles that had become associated with neoclassicism: characterized in literature, music, paintings, etc. freedom of form, emphasis on feeling, originality, and creative imagination. Also on the artists own personality and sympathetic interests in nature, medevilism, the common man and so forth. This basically explains the content of this essay. The essay will be a deeper explanation of these things related to four of the main themes in romanticism. Specific examples of revolution, individuality, nature, and love will be included. The leading item in romanticism was passion. Almost everything, whether it be art, music, or literature, was shown with extreme passion. This could very well be the reason for calling it the Romantic Period. Love has a somewhat difficult definition, due to the fact that it is a feeling. Love had an immense role in romanticism. Love in art was mainly shown in ballet. It gave great importance to women not only as artists but mythical figures as well. The ballet showed men and women in an equality of roles, but also gave men a chance to show that they too could accomplish extravagant dance steps. Ballet also stressed exoticism, fantasy, nature and most importantly love. An example of common love theme in ballet would be the unrealizable love for an fleeting lady or fatal love for a temptress. Paris was the center of romantic ballet. A poet by the name of Theophile Gautier wrote the story for twhat is considered the greatest ballet of all time called â€Å"Giselle†. This ballet is still popular with modern audiences. This particular ballet was based upon a German legend of a girl who loves to dance and falls in love with a shepherd boy. Her mother warns her of her fate by saying â€Å"Unhappy child! You will dance forever, you will kill yourself, and when you are dead, you will become a Wili (dancing spirit). Her prophecy eventually becomes truth when Giselle kills herself after finding that her beloved is a duke in disguise and is already engaged to a noble lady. The woman who danced the lead (Carlotta Grisi), as told by Gautier himself, danced the role â€Å"With perfection, lightness, boldness, and a chaste refinement and refined seductiveness, which placed her in first rank.. .she was nature and artlessness personified. † In literature Madame de Stael’s novel â€Å"Corinne† is about a poetic genius who suffers and eventually dies of unrequited love, a very passionate and common theme in the Romantic Era. Madame de Stael’s statement on poetic inspiration is chiefly known for its portrayal of women and for its romantic glorification of inspired genius. Here is a portion of that statement: â€Å"Sometimes my impassioned excitement carries me beyond myself; teaches me to find in nature and in my own heart such daring truths and forcible expressions as solitary mediation could never have engendered. † This is a excellent example of so many of the themes in romanticism. It tells of passion, nature, love, and also individualism. These are all necessary components of romanticism. The roles of women in the Romantic Period were quite contradictory. They were liberated and independent, predatory and dangerous, domestic and subservient, and even ethereal and mystical. These are all ways that women were portrayed at this time, mostly the oppinions of men. Women, as writers, often went under male pen names due to the controversy of women writing. Some archetypes of women writers in romanticism were: Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelly (the woman who married the poet Shelly and wrote the story of â€Å"Frankenstien†). There were the Bronte sisters and Mary Ann Evans (under the name George Elliot) in England, Germaine Necker (Madame de Stael)and Aurore Dupin (George Sand) in France, and in the United States the extraordinary writers Margaret Fuller and Emily Dickenson. These are only a few of the many female writers in romanticism. These women were courageous and as passionate, if not more so than men, in their writing. They faced restrictions and struggled to be recognized as respectable writers in their time, they eventually did, but did not live to see this happen. The revolutions of both Europe and the United States greatly impacted romanticism. Romanticism is occasionally known as a revolutionary movement due to the extreme changes in politics, taste, feeling, behavior, thought and social and domestic relations. There are many examples of revolutionary and romantic ideas mixed. In Spaniard Francisco de Goya’s painting â€Å"The Third of May† (1808) there are obvious romantic qualities. The eloquent way that the figures are posed in motion and with the intensely contrasting and dramatic colors. All of these elements were typical in romanticism. This painting was also a political statement of the injustices and the slaughter of innocent citizens after an uprising against a French invasion. This painting was painted in 1814 after king Ferdinand was restored to the Spanish throne. In literature Schiller’s famous poem â€Å"Ode to Joy† written on the eve of the French Revolution showed his firm beliefs in human rights to dignity and freedom plus his hopes for universal brotherhood. He is placed in the transition between the Enlightenment and The Romantic Era. His poem is eternally recognized and was the inspiration for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony written almost thirty years later. This poem and the symphony have become one of the great statements of romanticism. As for politics and society, Jean Jacques Rousseau had a very considerable impact in this area at the time. He is the single most important figure for understanding the transition between the Enlightenment and romanticism. He was revered as a forefather of the revolution due to his analysis of social injustices and beliefs in human dignity and freedom. He raised individuality to a state of â€Å"prime importance†. His thoughts on individualism seem to be the philosophical foundation for the American republic (the largest territory having a government proclaiming people to be free and equal). During the Enlightenment, nature meant human nature, but in the Romantic Period nature meant unspoiled natural scenery such as forests, lakes, mountains, the ocean, etc. There came a desire for these objects in romanticism. Rousseau was yet again greatly influential. He questioned the value of civilized society. His followers believed that the natural and free life of the Natives in America were superior to that of the Europeans who settled in America. Another thought of his became a romantic view. It was that the black African was a noble and proud individual who had faced the tyranny and oppression of old Europe. In Rousseau’s â€Å"Reveries of the Solitary Walker†, he describes the beauty of the Swiss landscape and his feeling of communion with it. He relates his feelings of the joy of â€Å"pure sensation†, an abandonment of oneself. His notion of â€Å"the abandonment of thought and feeling oneself in unison with nature† shows a true romantic ideal. Romantic artists tended to depict nature as a reflection of sensations on their own souls. An example of romantic â€Å"natural† art would be John Constable’s â€Å"The White Horse†. This painting has great emphasis on nature, even in the title. It hows a small white horse and an enormous amount of scenery. The accent on the natural world is extraordinary. His style was the forerunner of the modern approach to painting. Another very naturalistic painting would be Francisco de Goya’s â€Å"The Dog†, which shows only a dog’s head and almost no definite scenery, but very natural colors and content. The body of the dog is hidden behind something that almost resembles sandstone. This painting is also quite modern, Goya was similarly on the brink of the Modern Era of art. In Literature Keats, Dickenson, and Wordsworth were all very naturalistic in their approaches to writing. In a poem named â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud†, natural objects are used to express a feeling of loneliness. Here is an excerpt from that poem to help prove this point. â€Å"I wandered lonely as a cloud-That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; beside the lake, beneath the tree, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. † Simple, yet so lovely, a perfect example of how much nature was used in romantic literature. No matter if the writing was about life altering experiences or an ordinary day, many times the romantic poet expressed feelings through nature and with profound passion. The significance of individualism in the Romantic Era was astonishing. There are countless songs, poems, and paintings featuring this point in romanticism. Rousseau wrote, â€Å"If I am not better than other men, at least I am different! †. This is a terrific example of the individualistic thought at this time. The painting â€Å"The Dog† by Goya (used once before in this essay) is an almost disturbing example of individualism. The dog’s head is there all alone surrounded by an almost nothingness. The significance of the individual was ever present in art, but this painting shows almost a sadness about it, a sense of loneliness in its creativity. Literature was also full of individualistic thought. Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Song of Myself† shows this very boldly, the title alone gives that away. The way that he talks about the fashion in which his body naturally works made many people uncomfortable and shocked many as well. Whitman writes: â€Å"Divine am I inside and out, and I make holy Whatever I touch or am touched from The scent of these armpits aroma finer than prayer This head more than churches, bibles and all the Creeds. † This is obviously the extent of what people felt at this time, but this writing even shocks us today, probably because we have become more modest. In conclusion then, the Romantic Era was a period filled with love, passion revolution, individualism, nature, and many more themes like these. This period of time had spawned great literary works, paintings, plays, ballet, and much, much more. Passion and feeling are the most important elements in romanticism, practically everything was done passionately and with intense feeling, much like todays soap operas, which makes the Romantic Period one of the most impressive, most beautiful, and most extraordinary eras of all time.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary - Essay Example Of these, advertisers have more or less concentrated on appealing to the fifteen basic human needs as defined and agreed by several theorists. These include need for sex, affiliation, nurture, guidance, to aggress, to achieve, as well as physical needs such as food and drink, among others. Due to the primitiveness of these factors, ad men see â€Å"emotional appeal† as an effective move to increase marketability of the products endorsed by triggering the inner urges and motives of its consumers. In a way, this, too, affect the second aspect mentioned above. However, aside from emotional appeals, advertisers have also employed the concepts of humor, and other unique styles of presentation, and even utilized models in the image of a celebrity to leave an impression upon the viewers, readers or listeners, that will get them to buy a certain product or use a certain service. Although there are many ways to advertise a product, whether in television, print, and even in radio, it is believed that visual advertisements, such as those seen on televisions before or after a favorite show, have been found to be more effective than the rest.

Direct and Relationship Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Direct and Relationship Marketing - Case Study Example In the light of the preceding nuances this report presents an explanation and exploration of the principles and application of relationship marketing and retention planning in relation to the case scenario presented on the Dwyers Bathrooms Company. The relationship marketing model holds that service providers can capitalise on offering a broad ranging list of services and products. The model can be well applied when there are alternatives for clients to choose from. Dwyers Bathrooms have created a feasible range of services and products that provide a working foundation for the more intensive implementation and enhancements of the relationship marketing stratagem. Upon providing the core services comprising the supplying and installing of mid-range bathroom suites, Dwyers have also developed a new make-over service which focuses on repairs on bathroom fixtures, tiles, seals and grouting. Dwyers can cash in on this development by enlightening their clients on the new services and products that they are now offering. The application of relationship marketing in various services and product provision domains has been characterised by the development and use of various customer relationship management schemes that allow the observation and assessment of each customer's preferences and dislikes. Dwyers still has a long way to go in tapping the merits of this relationship marketing dynamics. The only element of this kind that Dwyers have implemented has been the customer satisfaction surveys carried out after an installation. The company has to develop and broaden the satisfaction assessment scope of the satisfaction assessment instrument. Also the company has to find means of soliciting information from clients their specific needs that Dwyers can supply upon the range of the products and services they are already offering. The company may consider applying a company tracking service schedules and contacting customers directly on product or service recalls. Dwyers has also not tapped the merits of the other effective element of relationship marketing, personalized marketing. In personalized marketing the main preference is given to the customer. This dimension entails building customer shopping or service purchasing profiles. Information obtained and compiled on customer shopping trends preferences and dislikes, etc, is used to compute and deduce the likelihood of the customer interest and/or preferences in other product/service categories. The likely preferences are conveyed to the clients through various communication channels that a company has in lace for contacting its clients. Although this is typically an internet tailored relationship marketing model, Dwyers is well suited to customize this model and cash in on the huge customer listings they already have. Dwyers must adopt means of conveying computed likely customer references through a way of making recommendations to the clients in via customers email listings, mail postages and any feasible communicative avenues that the company may devise. "Personalized market

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Deterrence and containment during Cold War Essay

Deterrence and containment during Cold War - Essay Example It should be noted that in the beginning of the 15th century, there were limited number of pigments that were allowing the painters to capture the inner beliefs as stated in the religious guidance. Therefore that was an avid need of pigments that can create fixtures of paintings as well as the texture surface. This need was felt by Tibetans as well as Kashmiri. However, the fact remains that these painters were not able to understand as to what changes were important to be added initially. In order to fully practice Menri style (with sharp streaks of textures, and swirl form of drawing paint) Tibetans developed new philosophy and image building for deities as explained by Indian Pundits3. Exemplary Thangka Paintings: The most profound innovation or development within the Thangka painting was noted during the era of 1500s. Choying Gysto is said to be the master of pigments that redefined the religious figures in a completely new manner. It was much needed because a lot of contribution was not able to make a specific change in the style of painting4. Figure 2 Menri style painting (Gerd-Wolfgang 1989) The core style, which is evident from the painting of Gysto is Menri. Other famous names of the era include Namka Tashi who actually able to bring a new thought in the painting of Thangka. However, he was very strict in the context of making fixed proportions. It has often been said that Namka was able to bring innovation in the style of painting because he actually saw the revelation of Dorjey’s (Chinese emperor) in the full moon. That is why he drew him with strong faith. Specifically, the three obvious styles which can be noted in the painting of Namka were Karma Gadri, Chinese... The most profound innovation or development within the Thangka painting was noted during the era of 1500s. Choying Gysto is said to be the master of pigments that redefined the religious figures in a completely new manner. It was much needed because a lot of contribution was not able to make a specific change in the style of painting . The core style, which is evident from the painting of Gysto is Menri. Other famous names of the era include Namka Tashi who actually able to bring a new thought in the painting of Thangka. However, he was very strict in the context of making fixed proportions. It has often been said that Namka was able to bring innovation in the style of painting because he actually saw the revelation of Dorjey’s (Chinese emperor) in the full moon. That is why he drew him with strong faith. Specifically, the three obvious styles which can be noted in the painting of Namka were Karma Gadri, Chinese form with rich texture and Indian form of strokes. It will not be incorrect to state that he made use of Mensar style in his paintings as well . Following painting can help us understanding the style of Namka.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Electronic patient records (EPR) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Electronic patient records (EPR) - Essay Example It presents novel techniques of storing, controlling and conversing medical information of all kinds; those are more influential and flexible than paper base recording methods. It is the strategy of governments that seems to support a national healthcare infrastructure with a longitudinal patient record comprising a patients whole medical history from the birth to the death. At the same time, these advances increase a number of moral concerns. EPR may easily build a doctor-patient rapport through use of computerised notes, which the doctor and patient share. On the other hand, EPRs can damage the relationship and weaken faith. For instance, in the some developed countries there are medical data clearinghouses that trade medical patient information to insurance companies, police departments, employers, drug companies, and so on. As a result, patients are becoming unwilling to tell their doctors all about their medical conditions and the origin of them. Because of this doctor-patient r apport gets damaged and most crucially threatens to damage quality of care. Obviously, there is an anxiety and trade-off amid the need-to-know and the right to confidentiality that must be dealt with. Breach of medical confidentiality may seem to be easy for the reason that the competence of computerised systems. The harm to the patient whose confidentiality is dishonoured may be proportionately bigger as the quantity of information held within the EPR. But the merits comparing to the demerits are greater. The intention of this article is to trace the history of the efforts made by a Western industrialised nation to implement EPR, (b) to identify the benefits and issues arising, and (c) to reflect on the extent to which such an initiative is transferable to a developing country (Rogerson, 2000). The development in medical science is in step with the growth in various other fields, mainly the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 67

Art - Essay Example The point of view of the visual art argument is to bring out the symmetrical structural balance as per the balanced colors used for painting. Therefore, this abstract composition piece is meant to bring out aesthetic balance of nature as per the colors that have been used through visual composition. Sensational effect is a factor to the aspect of the artistic abstract composition. This is due to the notion that, the colors and lines used bring out a sensational feel of any space that is a factor of the environment. My visual argument is based on the colors that have been used, the lines and patterns used for bringing out the balance as perceived of nature. This is based on the colors that have been used by the artist for this abstract piece. I used pattern, line, recurring patterns and proximity as my compositional interpretation of the abstract due to the emphasis that they bring out on aesthetics appeal. The most persuasive elements include balance brought in symmetrical from. This has been enhanced by the balance of use of colors. The balance brings out the feel of nature whereby, everything is aligned and proportional thus enhancing nature. The composition incorporated the use of line and color to form a pattern. The changes that are evident through the composition of abstr act are that, the colors have been manipulated to suit aesthetic appeal. The compositional choices are mainly based on color, line and form. This is because of the pattern that has been brought out through the line and colors used. Persuasive elements used include proximity in terms of softness of the painting and organizational structure. I believe that the pattern that has emerged gives the abstract painting a different view of aesthetics and appeal in nature most individuals’ perception is that, nature should always have specific colors

Monday, September 23, 2019

Tarim Documentary-Capital of Islamic Culture 2010 Essay

Tarim Documentary-Capital of Islamic Culture 2010 - Essay Example According to the movie, people come to Tarim from all over the world to learn about Islam (Tag archives). One thing I like about the movie is the light shed on women scholars especially those in Tarim. Most of these ladies are wives or mothers to male Islamic scholars. The ladies are depicted as knowledgeable and interesting people who outdo men. In the movie, women have been depicted as useful ingredients in the preservation of Islamic culture. Important things that I would like to apply to my own life to enhance my cultural knowledge is the creation of time to relax, connect with my creator and remind myself about my culture. Culture remembrance reminds one of her past and helps her to live the present in connection with the past. Nowadays people are busy in organizations working to an extent they forget to create time and connect with the spiritual world for spiritual nourishment and refresh the body for health

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

Arthur Miller Essay Arthur Miller was born in New York City on October 17th, 1915. His parents were both immigrants in the United States and lead a prosperous life because of the success of his fathers clothing manufacturing business. But the arrival of the disastrous Wall Street crash distorted his business along with the rest of the American economy. As the result, Miller worked as a warehouseman. A View from the Bridge was in a single act in its first version and was produced this way first in verse in 1955. This was then revised and was extended into a two-act play in 1956 when it was presented at the Comedy Theatre in London. In this assignment I will be discussing the role of the protagonist in A View from the Bridge, and I will look into his downfall and the part that he played in it. I will also be looking at the Aristotelian elements of a tragedy that Miller has used, and I will be highlighting and explaining the important dialogue and stagecraft. The play is set in a domestic area of New York called Red Hook and he describes it as the slum that faces the bay on the seaward side of Brooklyn Bridge. It has its roots in the late 1940s when Miller became interested in the everyday lives and work of the dockworkers of New Yorks Brooklyn harbour, where he had previously worked. He described it as a dangerous and mysterious world at the waters edge that drama and literature had never touched where many people worked and were poorly paid, exploited by their bosses, and importantly many were immigrants to the United States. This led to them being treated unequally and they faced racism as the whites were considered as a powerful race. Other factors that played a part in Miller writing this play was the Cold War, which occurred during the 1940s and which affected the economy and arose censorship and freedom. During this time a young lawyer friend of Millers also told him a story about a longshoreman who had ratted to the Immigration Bureau on two brothers, who were living illegally in his very own home. He also visited Sicily a few years later where he say huge levels of poverty that played a part in him including characters of Italian origin and keeping poverty as one of the main themes of this play. These above factors were the entire cultural context that led to Miller writing yet another very influential play A View from the Bridge. This play is a modern tragedy and Miller has followed the rules of a tragedy written by the famous Greek Philosopher Aristotle in a book called Poetics. This book stated that for a play to be a tragedy it should have certain characteristics. Miller has followed these Aristotelian features carefully and this can be seen in the play. Firstly, a prologue accompanies the play in order to make it easier for the audience to concentrate more on the actual lesson being taught by the play rather that getting confused. Alfieri acts as the chorus/narrator, the audiences interpreter of events; he is both commentator and participant in the play and punctuates the action. He introduces new themes and at the same time informs us about the present events and reminds us of past events. He creates interest in the audience by giving them clues and signs of future events, for example we know that the play will end in someones death as he mentions sat there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course. A sense of inevitability is also created in Aristotelian tragedies that can be seen in the above dialogue where Alfieri feels powerless and suggests that this has happened before and is therefore retrospective. Another device known as hubris is also used which is a point in the play of no return and creates immense inevitability. The audience is made to feel a purging of emotions, which is a device known as catharsis. This along with pauses between dialogue and dramatic irony, which is when the audience knows more than the characters, creates tension and heightens their sympathy for some characters or heightens hatred for others. Stage Directions have been used well and they build on dialogue and show how the characters are feeling. Miller has also used stagecraft to an extensive level, and he uses the stage and effects such as lighting to symbolise conflict and other things. For example, the stage consists of the Carbone household and Alfieris law office which represents a conflict between natural and constitutional law, a main theme of the play. This is also an effective use of unity of time and place as the main places of action have been put closely to avoid confusion. Tragedies are also meant to teach and are therefore didactic. For example, community bonds and effects of betrayal are highlighted when Eddie recites to Catherine a fable about former neighbour Vinny Bolzano who had snitched to the immigration about his uncle. He uses this as a warning to Catherine and to make it clear to her the consequences of telling anyone about the illegal entry of Beatrices cousins. They should also involve universal truths so that people can relate to the play with real life. This play teaches many universal truths such as how to love, natural and constitutional law and the community. There is also a unity of time and place which is a device used so that it is easier for the audience to understand the action and so that they can focus on the morals taught by the play. Miller has carefully set up the tragic heros role in this play, in a way so that he matches the description of Aristotles tragedy characteristics. The protagonist isnt famous or rich, but he is seen to have the potential to become great. He also has a fall, which in this case is his death and is caused by a flaw or an error of judgement that is also occurs here. The fall also inspires pity and terror in the audience and in the process teaches them. The other characters are also affected by this fall but in the end there is a restoration of order.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

History and description of Coca Cola

History and description of Coca Cola Coca Colas history can be traced back to a man called Asa Candler, who bought a specific formula from a pharmacist named Smith Pemberton. Two years later, Asa founded his business and started production of soft drinks based on the formula he had bought. From then, the company grew to become the biggest producers of soft drinks with more than five hundred brands sold and consumed in more than two hundred nations worldwide. Although the company is said to be the biggest bottler of soft drinks, they do not bottle much. Instead, Coca Cola Company manufactures a syrup concentrate, which is bought by bottlers all over the world. This distribution system ensures the soft drink is bottled by these smaller firms according to the companys standards and guidelines. Although this franchised method of distribution is the primary method of distribution, the mother company has a key bottler in America, Coca Cola Refreshments. In addition to soft drinks, which are Coca Colas main products, the company also produces diet soft drinks. These are variations of the original soft drinks with improvements in nutritional value, and reductions in sugar content. Saccharin replaced industrial sugar in 1963 so that the drinks could appeal to health-conscious consumers. A major cause for concern was the inter product competition which saw some sales dwindle in some products in favor of others. Coca Cola started diversifying its products during the First World War when Fanta was introduced. During World War 1, the heads of Coca Cola in Nazi Germany decided to establish a new soft drink into the market. During the ongoing war, Americas promotion in Germany was not acceptable. Therefore, he decided to use a new name and Fanta was born. The creation was successful and production continued even after the war. Sprite followed soon after. In the 1990s, health concerns among consumers of soft drinks forced their manufactures to consider altering the energy content of these products. Minute Maid Juices, PowerAde sports drinks, and a few flavored teas variants were Coca Colas initial reactions to this new interest. Although most of these new products were well received, some did not perform as well. An example of such was Coca Cola classic, dubbed C2. Coca Cola Company has been a successful company for more than a century. This can be attributed partly to the nature of its products since soft drinks will always appeal to people. In addition to this, Coca Cola has one of the best commercial and public relations programs in the world. The companys products can be found on adverts in virtually every corner of the globe. This success has led to its support for a wide range of sporting activities. Soccer, baseball, ice hockey, athletics and basketball are some of these sports, where Coca Cola is involved (Bell, 2004). The company is listed in the New York Stock Exchange, the SP 500 index and the Russell 1000 Growth Stock Index. As of 2010, company had an operating income of more than 8 billion US dollars with an asset base worth more than 72 billion US dollars. The current chair and chief executive is Muhtar Kent. This is particularly impressive for a company, which spends millions annually on lobbying and related expenses. Competition between Coca Cola and its rival, PepsiCo has always been an exciting affair. In 2008, PepsiCo acquired the majority share of a leading Russian juice company called Lebedyansky, securing a firm foothold in the vast region. A year later, Coca Cola responded by purchasing Russias largest juice maker, Nidan Soki, a move which reduced PepsiCos influence in the region. While some saw Coca Colas action as retaliation, analysts viewed it as a way to compete (Ilya Plakhinas). Russia being a vast country with many people, presents a potentially lucrative market to anyone who secures the firmest foothold, which is essentially what both companies attempt to do. President of the region, Ahmet Bozer, summarized his companys actions as a commitment to direct more investment in Russia. Bozers comments are reflected by the fact that Coca Colas investment in Russia exceeds 2 billion US dollars, distributed over two decades of commitment to this lucrative market. One billion US dollars was earmarked for the same market as Coca Cola strives to introduce more investment in Russia and the Eurasian market. Before the transaction was finalized, Nidans projected earnings before taxation and amortization was about 45 million US dollars. For a company as large as Coca Cola to invest in a company this size, the net benefits must have been identified as essential. This is the case since the small business represents Coca Colas entry into the Russian market. So faithful was Coca Cola in the potential of Russia that, they even to choose to pay off Nidans debts. 1.2 Problems facing Coca Cola It being a producer of soft brinks and associated beverages, Coca Cola has always had the issue of environmental pollution and sustainability through recycling as areas of concern. This prompted it to take the unusual initiative of requesting retailers to return the unique recyclable racks provided along with stocks. Earlier on, the company had started a program where retailers were provided with unique cardboard racks for use exclusively with Coca Cola products. The company identified the need to create such a program in order to establish synergy between Coca Cola and its distributors. The issue of environmental degradation has been one of considerable concern for the Coca Cola Company for a long time. This is due to nature of its main products, which require attractive yet disposable packaging. While the company deviated from using glass as its original packaging material in favor of aluminum and plastics, these present the problem of pollution. The concern for preserving our environment has become a significant factor even among potential customers considering buying or not. The Hartman Group in the United States researched on this and concluded 70 percent of potential buyers consider sustainability. With this in mind, companies like Coca Cola have come up with initiatives to ensure they portray this concern for our environment as they go about their business activities (Foust 2006). While Coca Cola works with retailers in United States, consumers have not been left out. The company started a recycling program for their soda can which saw the companies recycle over 700million kilograms of aluminum cans in 2010. In addition to the tremendous savings incurred, the company is recognized for its concern for the environment. This boosts a companys image since concerns about pollution are wide spread among consumers of these products manufactured by companies like Coca Cola. While companies like Coca Cola are always associated with positive results and things, sometimes they face scandals and libels, which undermine their name and alter their representation in society. Coca Cola has had its fair share of these, and although most have been fought off and settled amicably, it is difficult to pin point the culprit in any of them. It is however worth noting that Coca Cola Company is a large multinational, and will usually do anything possible to survive as has been demonstrated many a times. In 2006 and 2007, Coca Cola faced harsh action in the form of demonstrations in some university campuses due to allegations that it had facilitated the murder of eight employees in Colombia, and the unjust jailing of scores more on nonexistent charges. Trade union legend Ray Rogers started this wave of campus boycotts with a view to calling for justice. His actions led to the banning of Coca Cola products in some universities and demonstrations in others. While these actions seem to have noble intentions, the company suffered unfavorable publicity, and a tarnished reputation, which though negligible in fiscal terms, have a long-lasting effect on image. 1.3 Coca Colas PR Strategy In terms of public relations, Coca Cola has several opportunities. The first, and perhaps most notable, is global warming and environmental degradation. Bottled products account for a big portion of the effects of pollution since they are products, which require heavy industrial involvement in production. The recent moves by this great company to reduce its contribution to global warming have been received with admiration. This is because one cannot help but appreciate the concern for our environment from a company that operates more than two hundred thousand diesel vehicles in America alone. Rapid response to inquiries and public concern are an opportunity for Coca Cola to improve its public relations strategy. Since the company will always face scandalous investigations and accusations, handling these issues in a timely fashion, and prudently will assist in their amicable settlement. Two such cases in which the company handled things in this fashion are that of poison Coke in Belgium, and the Indian bottling plant that polluted water in Plachimada, Kerali. Sustainability presents another avenue in which Coca Cola can improve its public relations strategy. Since most consumers have been found to consider the sustainability of a products manufacturer in their production processes, Coca Cola has taken advantage of this and started numerous programs aimed at increasing recycling. The fact that most of these organizations derive their raw materials from our planet is a cause for concern. With this in mind, Coca Cola should adopt even more measures to reduce their reliance on natural resources. Coca Cola Companys overall public strategy is based on creating a source of enjoyable yet safe, distinct and pleasant tasting drinks which appeal to all people regardless of age, gender, locality and affiliation. They have been successful in some respects at achieving this, but more needs to be done to address the issues of consumer perception of Coca Cola products and their impact on health. This has somewhat remained a gray area in its strife to remain significant to the health conscious who make up most of todays consumer market. Coca Colas strategy in news media relations is geared towards the adoption of more friendly relations so that in times of crisis, these media houses take time to assess the credibility of any information they might come across before announcement. Since this is a successful company, many are the times that scandals will be presented to news media organizations for announcement and dissemination. It would be in the companys best interest to create a favorable rapport with media houses. In addition, they are the same people Coca Cola uses in advertisement. The target audiences are all potential consumers and existing ones with the channels used being television, videos, pictures and the Internet. Coca Cola Companys strategy for community relations is directed at creating a lasting relationship with the people who also form the consumer base of the company. The company aspires to ensure these communities feel cared for in all relevant aspects in this relationship, starting from quality of products, their integrity and safety and their overall impact on the nature as outlined in its mission to conserve the environment. In doing this, media has been used since there is no specific target in matters concerning our environment. Concerning the companys public relations strategy on government relations, Coca Cola strives to work more closely with the existing authorities of all markets and their governments in order to ensure there is beneficial coexistence. The implementation of such entails advertisements tailor made to lubricate relations between Coca Cola and the governments of these specific areas. In crisis management, Coca Cola needs to do a lot more since there are many instances where the company has handled these badly. The manner in which you handle a crisis determines its outcome. In Indias case of contaminated drinks, the company acted in a terribly ignorant manner from the very start. Instead, they should have reassured the government, stakeholders and especially consumers by carrying out an open inquiry and investigating the matter openly. Indias perception of Coca Cola and its products would have been different had the management chosen to use the media to reassure all stakeholders. Coca Colas employee communication strategy is aimed at ensuring the companys most valuable assets are well catered for. This is being done by clearing all communication lines between them and management so they do not feel left out or ignored. To achieve this, company has adopted social media and other similar communication avenues. They come in the form of company forums and websites. Coca Cola can benefit immensely from forming another crisis management strategy since the current one is not working. Its effectiveness has not been identified in any of the crisis Coca Cola has found itself facing. Using an example of the incident in India, where contaminated products were discovered, the companys image would have suffered less damage had those responsible for that crisis handled it better. Instead of implementing damage control measures, they cultivated doubt in the findings and its evidence. Concerning its strategy on government relations, Coca Cola should strengthen, existing ties by avoiding the embarrassment of denial incase of any scandal. The companys relationship with the Belgian government suffered slightly as compared to that with the Indians since, in the former case, no denial was done, as was the case in the later. Instead, Coca Cola focused with reassuring its stakeholder while carrying out independent investigations and liaising with local authorities. This led to contempt between those involved and Coca Colas loss of the Indian market. In respect of what happened in Colombia, this company needs to address the issue of employee communication. When an organization has poor communication lines, external influence from extremists and rogue trade unions becomes a real threat. Although the country was undergoing civil wars, had the company invested more in ensuring proper communication, maybe no employee would have died. 1.4 PR Strategy vs. Advertising In advertising, Coca Cola uses a range of methods all designed to ensure potential customers are informed of the existence of this great product. The most widely used of these is television adverts. Since this is one of the most widely available forms of leisure, the company has invested a lot of resources to ensure that any country with a television network runs its advertisement. This is consistent with its public relations policy of educating as many of the masses as possible about its products. Print media follows television as the second most popular means of accessing information for potential consumers. With this in mind, Coca Cola has dedicated a lot of resources in ensuring its full range of products is advertised in news papers, magazines and books. This is in line with its public relations policies of availing information to as many as possible and obtaining feedback in the form of complaints and complements. The Internet is penetrating society extremely fast. This is why Coca Cola has recently resulted to using adverts within websites so that as people navigate through them, they should across these adverts. Although the Internet is yet to reach many parts of Africa, this does not mean people cannot see these advertisements. Many cell phone service providers have incorporated Internet services into their package. While this works well for the company, it can be used maliciously against the same. Here, anti-Coca Cola propagandists use this resource to spread their myths. Billboards and other forms of signage play a vital role in Coca Colas advertisement campaigns. They are a principal form of advertisement especially within towns, meaning that their message reaches many people since they are usually large and are placed at strategic positions. Their use is consistent with the companys public relations policy of reaching out to as many of its consumers using the most effective means (Kotler, 2006). Point of sale advertisements in the form of stickers and stamps are another means through which the company seeks to advertise itself. Within most stores, supermarkets and shops, Coca Cola products are visible in the distinct red color that has come to be synonymous with the drink. Other Coca Cola products are also represented in their respective colors, such as green standing for Sprite and Orange for Fanta. Promotions are another method the company utilizes to advertise itself. The most common of these is in restaurants where Coca Cola drinks are offered free with other food products the eatery serves. McDonalds offer of a free coke for every burger is an excellent example of this. In addition, it should be noted that in choosing which product to partner with, compatibility of the products involved is crucial. This is the reason why such promotions are only carried out with products of a similar nature. 1.5 Effectiveness of Coca Colas PR compared to PepsiCo. A comparison between Coca Cola Company and its greatest rival PepsiCo reveals fascinating facts about how both treat marketing. From a web-marketing standpoint, both companies obviously have decent websites but they are different in their content. While competitors copy their rivals, the two choose to do this differently. Coca Cola Companys website directs one straight to other informative links and websites. PepsiCos websites on the other hand, opens with an animation of a glass being filled with the drink. The Coca Cola website does not offer a prospective customer chances to win gifts like the PepsiCo one where one has the chance to win tickets to an American football game or a car. The two websites treat one differently since one assumes a person is looking for information while the other assumes you would be seeking information and the chance to win a gift. These differences might assist the respective companies boost their images. If one was looking for information about PepsiCo products, their search would be a bit problematic since it is biased to displaying promotional information. This is however not the case in the Coca Cola one where emphasis is given to product information as opposed to promotional services and opportunities. This clearly demonstrates a difference in the opinion between the two soft drink giants concerning information-seeking habits of consumers. While the above are differences in the two companies marketing policies focused on web marketing, similarities are also present. One is quick to notice how both have chosen bright colors in their websites. Seemingly, both companies know the importance of using catchy color schemes on websites adverts in order to attract attention and effectively advertise ones products. PepsiCo uses blue while Coca Cola chooses to stick with red. Websites can be used as information-gathering tools, and both websites exhibit knowledge of this due to the information they have on their footers relating to the total number of visitors to their websites. This also means that feedback is collected in both websites since there are contact boxes where this is collected. In addition, the companies might use these figures to plan marketing strategies. Customer relations and their management is a vital aspect to consider when advertising or marketing your products. Both PepsiCo and Coca Cola Company exhibit knowledge of this since contact aids such as email address, physical address and telephone contacts are provided. The presence of these details means both companies value their consumers and would like to hear from them, or assist in case it is necessary. Forging lasting relations is crucial in boosting corporate image and boosting profitability. According to Kotler, consumers categorize products and internalize them in their minds. This is what both companies have used to their advantage by clarifying them and terming them as superiorities. When a consumer notices a company which puts their categories into consideration, they opt for that. These differences might be a small as size or coloring but they can be the deciding factor for a consumer. Physically, Coca Cola has remained the same for a long time. The company chose to stick with the original style in styling the logo since they believe change might not work for them. PepsiCo on the other hand are a dynamic lot with their product having undergone many changes over the years. This shows a belief in the changes that society itself undergoes and the dynamic nature associated with such goods. Another distinct difference between the two is the choice of icon in marketing. Coca Cola Company uses a bottle, which has been the icon of the company for a long time. This dates back from the late 1800s, when the first symbols were forwarded for use as the company icon. PepsiCo has no distinct icon that can be termed as its marketing symbol. Coca Cola Company bought Columbia pictures, a motion picture company, to bolster its advertising campaigns making them more personalized and cheaper to produce. This advertising strategy worked quite well until Columbia pictures stated incurring losses prompting its parent company to sell it off. PepsiCo never bought a film Company to better its marketing efforts but still went on to become a stiff competitor to Coca Cola. In their advertising activities and public relations, PepsiCo have found themselves in positions where under hand activities were the only solution. They used such in the form of ridiculing advertisements and tasting competitions. Coca Cola on the other hand have always relied on the full name their brand enjoys and popularity of their soft drinks, never on shadow tactics. This ensures their continued success in this industry. In running their Coke side of life advertisement campaign, Coca Cola came across as an original as was reported in a survey that followed its launch. PepsiCo failed in their use of an attractive woman, which came across as being a bit common. Had they chosen another plot in their Max your life campaign, maybe revenues would have soared over Coca Colas. This strategy of Coca Cola, where they use catchy yet original advertisements, has seen them surpass their rival often. During occasions where significant sports are taking place, both countries usually choose different strategies to market themselves. During the 2006 soccer world cup, for example, PepsiCo chose to use a soccer star in their campaign. On the other hand, Coca Cola, decided to utilize a new bottle design in order to boost consumption of their soft drinks during this important affair. While both companies have a strong presence in sponsoring sports and games, PepsiCo exhibits some sought of bias in their sponsorship deals. Coca Cola on the other hand have thoroughly diversified their deals to incorporate both genders in many parts of the world participating in various disciplines. A few notable examples that come to mind with respect to Coca Cola are the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, the FIFA Womens World Cups in 1993 and 2003 and the FIFA U-17 Championships in 2005. In conclusion, Coca Cola has identified China as the focus of its future expansion and growth plans. With a population exceeding 1 billion, and the fact that it is one of the fastest rising economies in the world, mean that many international companies have intentions of permeating this potentially lucrative market. Coca Cola already has three plants and has earmarked additional 2billion US dollars for investment in China.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Trends in Graduate Employment Opportunities

Trends in Graduate Employment Opportunities INTRODUCTION To be employed is to be at risk, to be employable is to be secure (Hawkins 1999). Today employment is no longer a form of security because of the ever changing nature of the economy, the workplace and the changing needs of employers. If graduates are to attain employment, retain their positions in the work place and move up the career ladder, they need to continuously develop themselves professionally and build on their employability skills: they need to have a plan. This report researches graduate opportunities in the Business administration/Management sector. Business administration is used as a synonym for management. Administration is often seen as paperwork and form-filing, but it reaches more widely than that to encompass the coordination of all procedures that enable a product or service to be delivered, together with keeping of records that can be checked to identify errors or opportunities for improvement. (Business Administration 2009). This sector was chosen because the researcher is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and aspires to know exactly what is needed to become employable. The researcher plans to fulfill this aspiration by first identifying key information regarding this sector in terms of: general employment trends and graduate opportunities, the employability skills organizations expect from graduates and the recruitment and selection methods used by organisations. The research methods used to accomplish the former is explained in detail in the methodology section of this report. Second, the findings of the research in terms of the employability skills are then matched against a personal analysis of the researcher and a gap analysis and career action plan formulated. Finally the report concludes with the researcher reflecting on what was learnt from the research experience and the usefulness of the career action plan for the future. OCCUPATIONAL RESEARCH This section of the report provides a factual reflection of the findings from the research conducted on graduate opportunities in the Business administration/management sector. Terms of Reference This report researches graduate opportunities in the Business administration/management sector. Through a process of factual and personal reflection it provides information on how can graduates in this field can increase their employability and marketability through personal and professional development. The report is required to show evidence of the research used for reflection. Methodology This report is based on secondary research carried out between February and March 2011. The researcher aims to gather factual up-to-date information on graduate opportunities in the Business administration/management sector in the following areas: General employment trends. Opportunities for recent graduates. The skills knowledge and experience required from graduates by employers. How graduates are recruited and selected. The researcher set out to use the case study method for research as this method allows the researcher to investigate a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident, and in which multiple sources of evidence are used (Yin, 1989). However due to difficulties faced in completing interviews with companies chosen for the case studies and the large number of incomplete questionnaires returned, the researcher had no choice but to complete the report with the use of secondary research only. Using the limited information attained would have compromised the accuracy, reliability and validity of the report. Time constraints prevented the researcher from setting up interviews with other companies and it would have been unethical for the researcher to force respondents to complete the questionnaire or to fabricate information. Thus a wide range of secondary research from academic sources were used such as journal articles, books, business databases, newspapers, jobs and career websites and general job and specialist websites. For general employment trends in this sector not only articles were used but up to date statistics as well from reliable sources (The United States Depart of Labor, Bureau of Statistics) to maintain accuracy. Information for employment opportunities were found mainly in job and career websites. The summary provided on the skills, knowledge and experience required from graduates and the recruitment and selection methods was based on online research from six organisations in different sectors ranging from large enterprises to not for profit organisations. Although company websites provided the majority of information for this section they were not the only source used. The researcher is aware of the limitations of secondary research such as inaccuracy and out of date information, however the researcher attempted to counteract this by using reliable sources such as journals and databases and sites that provided up to date information and national statistics. Main Findings This section of the report provides key information regarding the Business administration/management sector. Whether the industry is expanding or contracting is vital information for graduates as this directly affects the demand for jobs in fields within the sector. With this knowledge graduates will be able to make informed decisions, for example, to choose a career in a field that is growing and not declining. In addition, graduates will be able to reflect on their knowledge, skills and experience after gaining information on the employability skills employers are seeking, thereby providing them the opportunity for professional development in areas needed. Furthermore, being aware of the recruitment and selection practices employed by organisations allows graduates to prepare themselves to get the job they desire. General employment trends in this sector Administration and Management are extremely broad areas and graduates seeking employment in this sector can get jobs in the goods-producing industries such as manufacturing and construction or the service-providing industries such as health care, education and administrative and support services. See section 2.2.2 page 9, figure 3 for a list of graduate jobs in this sector. According to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in goods-producing industries has declined since the 1990s. Although overall employment is expected to change little, projected growth among goods-producing industries varies considerably. See Figure 1.This is in contrast to service producing industries; the shift in the U.S. economy away from goods-producing in favor of service-providing is expected to continue. Service-providing industries are anticipated to generate approximately 14.5 million new wage and salary jobs. (United States Department of Labor 2010). See Figure 2. According to these industry trends, graduates who choose jobs in the growing service industry are expected to have a long-term career as opposed to those in goods- producing industry. Industry growth or decline will affect the demand for occupations. Thus if an industry is growing for example the health and services industry then graduates who gain employment in this industry will be able to move up the career ladder from perhaps a junior health administrator to a senior health administrator. However if the manufacturing sector is on the decline then entering this industry as a junior production manager may not be wise as the post may be short lived through retrenchment or layoffs. Statistics reveal that employment in management occupations project to grow slowly over the projection period 2008-18, increasing by 5 percent, an addition of 454,300 new jobs and office and administrative support occupations expect to grow by 8 percent, adding 1.8 million new jobs by 2018. (United states Department of Labor 2010). Another recent trend is the demand for graduates from Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). There are an estimated 4.8 million SMEs in the United Kingdom (UK) employing 23.1 million people with a combined annual turnover of  £3000 billion. (Kewin et al 2010). Thus, graduates who do not wish to work in large corporate have an option and opportunity to work in a different atmosphere as compared to the past. Also in recent years, there has been an increased interest in employability skills by employers. A degree alone is not enough. Employers are looking for more than just technical skills and knowledge of a degree discipline. They particularly value skills such as communication, team working and problem-solving.'(Jones, D 2005). In addition, the methods used to advertise jobs are also changing. In the past, it was common for advertisements to be in newspapers, career magazines, career services under universities and spread by word of mouth. However, due to increased technology organisations are putting advertisements on employment websites and using online recruitment agencies. By the click of a button, graduates can access and explore a range on different job opportunities and career information locally and globally as well as apply online for jobs instead of the traditional way by post or hand delivery. Furthermore, there are changes in the methods used for graduate recruitment and selection. Socio economic and political changes as well as developments in information technology have all led to the introduction of new and more sophisticated methods of recruitment and selection. (Sackett Lievens 2008 cited in Brianne, M 2008). The roles employers expect graduates to perform are also changing. For example, earlier, the role of the secretary was limited to taking notes from their heads, typing and storing information. However, with the advent of technology in companies and offices, the secretary duties have extended to things that are for the professional and managerial staff. (Kartha, D 2010). Additionally, because the world is now becoming a global market place some occupations require graduates to have a second language as they will be communicating with clients worldwide, for example a sales manager or executive administrative assistants and secretaries. Graduates may have certain skills, interests and objectives, however, they need to take into consideration these industries and employment trends so they can make informed decisions regarding their career choice. The following section will now uncover the range of opportunities available to graduates. 2.3.2 Opportunities for recent graduates All organisations, large or small and across all sectors need administrators, managers and administrative support staff. Thus, graduates can get jobs in the public, private and not for profit sectors, in large corporate and in SMEs. In fact, if graduates do not want to choose the traditional graduate management route self-employment, franchising or branch management could be what they are looking for. Fig 3 shows a list of careers available in this sector. Figure 3. Source:University Career Center. KUCareerHawk.com The role graduates perform would depend on the organization they are working for in terms of the sector, the organization structure and culture and the leadership styles within the organization. For example in large organisations graduates may perform routine structured roles in a specific area of the job example finance as compared to Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SMEs) who duties may be unstructured and graduates will be involved in all aspects of the organisations work. Employers advertise graduate employment opportunities in newspapers, career magazines and through university career services. However, the most popular form of advertising today is on company and university websites, online recruitment agencies and graduate jobs and career services websites such as targetjobs.com. The next section provides information about the employability skills employers seek from graduates. 2.3.3 The skills, knowledge and experience required Leaving university with a Bachelor Arts degree in Business administration is important in attaining a job in the graduate employment market, however it is not enough. According to Carl Gilleard Chief Executive, Association of Graduate Recruiters 21st century graduates need to demonstrate to employers that they can hit the ground running. In addition to working hard to gain a good degree, students should engage in extracurricular activities and obtain work experience in order to develop skills that will make them better prepared for the world of work. It is also important for students to become self- aware and develop the confidence to market themselves effectively when the time comes to apply for jobs. (target jobs.com) Apart from the formal qualifications of a degree which was strongly desired by five of the six organisations researched employers required graduates to have at least one year experience in the field. In terms of skills, commercial awareness skills, people skills, enthusiasm and motivation and communication skills were deemed to be the most important. The section that follows provide information on recruitment and selection processes used by organisations. 2.3.4 How graduates are selected Graduate recruitment and selection is a process of searching for and obtaining potential job applicants from graduates in sufficient quantity and quality so that employers can select the most suitable candidates to fill in their job vacancies .'(Beardwell et al., 2004). In practice there is no one best way or commonly agreed procedure on how to recruit and select graduates because different employers have different recruitment and selection methods depending on their operations, size and needs. (Sackett and Lievens, 2008). According to the employers in the organisations researched they preferred to recruit graduates through online methods, example via milkround. Other methods sometimes used are recruitment brochures, recruitment fairs; this method was very popular, recruitment agencies, and to a lesser extent newspapers and magazines. The selection process has changed as organisations are not only using interviews as a means of selecting individuals. In order for individuals to display their knowledge, skills and abilities the use of assessment centers was most popular in large organisations. The smaller organisations that do not have assessment centers set up used aptitude and psychometric tests. PERSONAL REFLECTION This section of the report is based on a personal analysis which is matched against the findings of the research. A career action plan is then developed to for future use. Personal Analysis Drew and Bingham (2001) define reflection as looking back on experience and making sense of it to identify what to do in the future. The following skills were indentified after I did a personal reflection. Communication skills I enjoy working with people of all ages and backgrounds. At work I have experience in training On the Job Trainees( OJTs) via workshops and in my second year at the University of the West Indies I coached students on a weekly basis for two modules for a period of six months. I communicate with the public on a daily basis and this has enabled me to strengthen my skill in this area. Presentation Skills I have experience in giving presentations to small groups in the first two years at university as some of the modules were partly presentation based. Assignment based presentations has allowed me to develop the use of clear and concise language, good planning and organisation and good interaction with the audience. Other Skills My work experience throughout the years enabled me to gain extensive experience in the area of customer service. My first part time job in a fast food restaurant as a customer service worker has developed my team building skills. I was promoted to team leader in one year time and I was awarded for having outstanding enthusiausm and motivation skills. As a Secretary I was involved in the preparation of correspondence, reports, plans and budgets. Multitasking was a skill I learnt as a telephone operator whereby I handled six incoming lines with 40 extensions transferring calls to department heads. The position I currently hold requires me to work in a fast paced, hectic environment so I am capable of handling multiple tasks at once. I know how to prioritize job assignments, work independently and interdependently and resolve problems on my own as well as part of a team. I am very organized and detailed oriented. I am the project leader for all incoming projects because I possess good m otivation skills and organizational skills CV Covering Letter Appendix is a cover letter and CV prepared in response to a job vacancy recently advertised in the Public service sector as a Business Operations Assistant. Gap Analysis After conducting research and conducting a personal analysis I have matched all the skills needed excepting commercial awareness skills. I have plenty experience in the Administration field and I am in the process of obtaining my degree. Apart from theses knowledge skills and experience, I have hands on experience in typing but lack a formal certificate, which are often requested by organisations. Lack of education in terms of possessing a foreign language has always restricted me from taking advantage of opportunities I would like to apply for. Many times I see a job advertised and I have all the qualification and experience except the ability to speak a foreign language Career Action Plan The definition most often used for Commercial Awareness is by Christopher Stoakes in his excellent book All You Need to Know about Commercial Awareness. He states At heart, commercial awareness is about being able to talk to clients, finding out what they want, why they want it, what they will do with it and what they are prepared to pay, and then delivering it in the way they want. To do that you need to understand how organisations work, the issues they face and the role of people within them. To increase my commercial awareness skills I intend to read not only the newspaper articles but also published business magazines as well. When applying for jobs I also intend to research the company and even prepare a SWOT analysis of the company for two reasons. First to let the interviewer know that I have extensive knowledge of the company enabling me a better chance of getting the job and second, to know if the company is one I would really like to work for. Furthermore, I intend to buy the book All You Need to Know about Commercial Awareness by Christopher Stoakes it is selling on Amazon for just $24.27. I have located a business school that offers a short course on typing. The duration is 3 months part time. I intend to take this course as a next step to developing my skills. Having achieved this will better position me to apply for those jobs that require the certificate in typing. Spanish and French are two popular foreign languages, however because I live in the Caribbean Spanish is more often requested by employers. A local university offers introductory intermediate and advanced levels in Spanish courses. The total duration for all three parts is one year part time. As a part of the course the university in the final stage takes a trip to a Spanish speaking country to give students practical experience in the field in real live settings. I also intend to take this course. Appendix 3 is a summary of a career action plan I developed. CONCLUSION Having completed this exercise has made me aware of available opportunities I never knew existed in this sector. Having knowledge of the recent trends and developments and future trends in this sector will now enable me to make more informed decisions when applying for positions in the job market. Also I was not aware of commercial awareness skills until I did this report, I never even knew that a skill like this existed. Furthermore identifying my strong and weak areas gave me a sense of self fulfillment and now I know exactly what steps I had to take to develop them. Drawing up a career action plan allows me to see exactly how long it will take me to achieve my career goals and I am enthusiastic to start. I intend to continuously keep up to date with trends in the sector and always keep updating my career action plan. I am extremely happy that I did this module. It really helped me personally and professionally. REFERENCES Beardwell, I., Holden, L. and Claydon, T. (2004), Human Resource Management, 4th ed., Prentice Hall, Harlow. Business Administration (2009). Business: The Ultimate Resource [Online] Available at:http://www.credoreference.com/entry/ultimatebusiness/business_administration [Accessed: 25th March, 2011] Drew, S Bingham, R. (2001). The Student Skills Guide. Academic Skills Unit.Workshop Slides. Reflective Thinking and Writing. [Online] Available at: http://www.studynet1.herts.ac.uk/ptl/common/asu.nsf/Teaching+Documents?Openviewcount=9999restricttocategory=Workshop+Information/Workshop+Slides. [Accessed: 25th March, 2011] Hawkins, P. (1999). The Art of Building Windmills: Career Tactics for the 21st Century. Graduate into Employment Unit. Jones, D (2005). Employability uncovered. Prospects Directory. [Online] Available at: http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/What_do_graduates_do__2005/Employability_uncovered_/p!epmjFbc . [Accessed: 25th March, 2011]. Kartha, D (2010). Secretary Duties: Responsibilities of a Secretary. [Online] Available at: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/secretary-duties-responsibilities-of-a-secretary.html. [Accessed: 24th March, 2011]. Kewin, J, Hughes, T Fletcher, T (2010). Generation Crunch: The demand for recent graduates from SMEs. Available online at: http://www.studynet1.herts.ac.uk/ptl/common/myfuture.nsf/Teaching+Documents?Openviewcount=9999restricttocategory=Exploring+career+options/SMEs. [Accessed: 15th March, 2011]. Sackett, P.R. and Lievens, F. (2008). Personnel selection. Annual Review of Psychology, Vol. 59. In Branine, M (2008).Career Development International, Vol. 13 Iss: 6, pp.497 513. [Online] Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1362-0436volume=13issue=6articleid=1747607. [Accessed: 24th March, 2011]. Target Jobs.com (2011). Employability Uncovered. [Online] Available at: http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/What_do_graduates_do__2005/Employability_uncovered_/p!epmjFbc [Accessed: 24th March, 2011]. United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (2010). Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition. [Online] Available at: http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco2003.htm. [Accessed: 25th March, 2011]. University Career Center (2010). What I can do with a bachelor Of Business Administration. [Online] Available at: http://www.KUCareerHawk.. [Accessed: 24th March, 2011]. Yin, R.K. (1989), Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 2nd edition, Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA. Yorke, M (2006) Employability in higher education: what it is-whatit is not. Learning and Employability Series One. Enhancing Students Employability Coordination Team. Higher Education Academy. [Online] Available at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/resource_database/id336_employability_in_higher_education. . [Accessed: 24th March, 2011]. Bibliography. Moon, J. A. (2007) Learning journals: A handbook for reflective practice and professional development. 2nd Ed. Routledge.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Celebrities and Gossip Essay -- Media Tabloids Journalism Essays

Celebrities and Gossip Have you seen the pictures of Madonna and her baby yet? Have you ever surfed the web and stumbled onto a site about celebrities? Probably so. There are thousands of sites on the web about celebrities; their official web sites, pictorials and biographical information. You can’t even go into a supermarket without being bombarded by tabloids.You can’t listen to the radio in the car. TV shows and whole networks rely on entertainment and celebrities in the news. VH1, MTV and E! are excellent examples of this. Many people make their living off celebrities and their personal lives. But why does this need to be explored? Producers and journalists say they are only making and reporting on what the people want. The general public say they only watch and read this â€Å"news† because it is so readily available. Lets face it, it would be easier to find matches for â€Å"Madonna and her baby â€Å" on the web than it would be to find â€Å"biological engineering†. First, lets define the â€Å"news† which we will be exploring. Sensationalism is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as â€Å"subject matter that is calculated to excite and please vulgar tastes. Also, as the journalistic use of subject matter that appears to vulgar tastes. This can be applied to a variety of news-gathering media. Print: be it newspapers, tabloids, or magazines, audio and visual: be it TV specials, daily and weekly shows, or through the radio with shows such as Howard Stern, or even electronic: through the World Wide Web, can all involve â€Å"the journalistic use of vulgar subject matter†. It is nearly impossible to avoid â€Å"journalistic sensationalism†. But lets focus on a more specific facet of sensationalism. Where do the children of celebrities stand in this issue... ... an anchor for WMAQ, NBC’s news affiliate in Chicago. Marin recently resigned her post after questioning the station’s approach to news coverage. WMAQ took a step toward sensationalism and away from news when it hired tabloid talk show host Jerry Springer to give a nightly commentary on the local news program. Sensational news has no place in today’s media. Her actions are both honorable and understandable. If all journalistics held their values higher and took common decency into account when reporting, then sensational news could be drastically cut back. We as journalists must stand up for what we believe in. The news needs to reamin just that--news. George Clooney said at a press conference supermarket tabloids and television shows have made â€Å"bounty hunters† out of the photographers. He challenged editors to clean up their act or have others do it for them.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Does raising the light intensity increase the rate of photosynthesis? :: Biology

Does raising the light intensity increase the rate of photosynthesis? Aim: To see if raising the light intensity increases the rate of photosynthesis. Prediction:I predict that raising the light intensity will increase the rate of photosynthesis. I think this because light is the most important thing needed for photosynthesis. I then think that the rate of photosynthesis will stay the same when it reaches a certain point. I think this because the plant may use up all of the carbon dioxide (Sodium hydro carbonate) and the plant can have as much light as it needs but if it does not have any carbon dioxide it will not be able to photosynthesise. The temperature also has to be right. If it is too hot the enzymes will be destroyed and the plant will not be able to photosynthesise. The temperature and the amount of carbon dioxide are called the limiting factors. I think a graph of the results would look like this: Apparatus list: * Piece of weed * Paperclip * Sodium hydro carbonate * Water * Test tube * Beaker * Lamp * Stopwatch * Scissors * Spatula * Meter Rule * Glass Rod * Measuring Cylinder Diagram: Method: 1. Collect the equipment on the equipment list. 2. Darken the room, so that the plant cannot use light for photosynthesising from other places. 3. Cut a piece of weed that is about 5 cm long. 4. Put a spatula measure of sodium hydro carbonate in a test tube with 40ml cold tap water and stir. This provides the plant with enough CO2 to photosynthesise. 5. Fill a 1000ml beaker with 700ml water and put the test tube into it. This will act as heat shield from the lamp, so that the temperature will not affect the experiment. 6. Put the weed in the test tube with the cut end facing upwards. 7. Put the lamp 10cm away form the beaker and switch on. 8. Leave the weed to adjust to the conditions for 1 minute. 9. Time one minute and count the bubbles coming out of the cut end of the leaf for 1 minute. 10. Record the results in a table. 11. Then do the whole experiment 3 times for accuracy, then find the average and record in your table. 12. Do the whole experiment 6 times for 20cm, 30cm, 40cm, 50cm, and 60cm away from the lamp. Fair Test: To make this a fair test I will not let any of the variables change apart from the light intensity because this is part

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Immigration at Ellis Island Essay

Specific Purpose: to inform my audience about the immigration process at Ellis Island Central Idea: The immigration process at Ellis Island had four main steps: arriving at Ellis Island, the medical examination, interrogation, and actually leaving the island Method of Organization: chronological Introduction Have you ever wondered where your family history lies and how your ancestors ended up in America? Well, chances are that your ancestors traveled to America and entered through Ellis Island in New York City. Ellis Island opened on January 1, 1892 and became our nation’s most popular immigration station. Up until its closing in 1954, the station processed over 12 million immigrants. In order to become a citizen, though, there were four main steps in the process of immigration at Ellis Island: arriving to America, a medical examination, interrogation, and actually leaving the island. Transition: First I will tell you about the first step of immigration. Body I. The first step in the immigration process at Ellis Island is actually arriving to Amrtica. a. Once the ship arrived in New York Harbor, inspectors came on board to inspect the first and second class passengers. i. The inspectors checked for any contagious diseases plague, measles, and typhoid fever, as well as others. ii. If any passenger was suspected of having a disease, they were sent further on to Ellis Island, which happened very rarely. iii. According to ellisisland.org, the theory was that if a person could afford to purchase a first or second class ticket, they were less likely to become a public charge in America due to medical or legal reasons. b. This first step was far different for â€Å"steerage† or third class passengers. i. After the first and second class passengers disembarked in the harbor of New York, the third class passengers were then sent to Ellis  Island for a thorough inspection. ii. They were transported to Ellis Island by a ferry that could tak e only 30 passengers at a time. iii. Before boarding the ferry, each emigrant received a nametag with their individual manifest number that was then stuck to their clothes. Transition: Next I will tell you about the second step of immigration. II. The second step in the immigration process at Ellis Island is the medical examination. a. Once on the island, the immigrants were viewed quickly by doctors to look for weakness, heavy breathing, which was an indication of heart problems, and signs of mental illness. b. After every immigrant passed, a doctor with the help of an interpreter examined the hair, face, neck, and hands of every person. i. If the doctor noticed something abnormal, he would write a letter on the immigrant’s clothing as a sign that an area needed to be checked more thoroughly. ii. About 2 of 10 immigrants got a letter on their clothing. iii. This check was known as the â€Å"six second physical.† c. Next was the eye exam.  i. The eye doctors searched for a disease of the eyes called trachoma, which is an eye disease that can cause blindness and can lead to death. ii. According to the Ellis Island information website, the nearly 50% of those who had to be examined further before registration was due to this eye disease. d. If an immigrant had other diseases or was too sick or weak to manage work, they were not allowed to enter the United States. i. Sick children 12 years of age and older were sent back by themselves to their home country. ii. Children under 12 years of age that were not allowed to stay in the United States were forced to go back with one parent. Transition: Now I will tell you about the third step of immigration. III. The third step in the immigration process at Ellis Island is interrogation. a. After the check-up with the doctors, the immigrants were sent to the registry room to stand in lines to wait for the interrogation. i. Here the inspectors would double check the name, age, religion, last  residence, sex, civil stats and if the immigrant should meet up with some other relative. ii. Every inspector had only approximately two minutes with each immigrant to determine that the information was correct and that the person could take care of himself and fulfil the demands to be able to stay in the United States. iii. Due to the time with each immigrant being short, this is where the spelling of some immigrant’s names would end up being spelled wrong. Transition: Lastly, I will tell you about the fourth and final step of immigration. IV. The fourth step in the immigration process at Ellis Island is getting to leave the island. a. After approval and receiving their â€Å"landing card†, it was time to prepare to leave the island and continue to their final destination. b. Before leaving the island, immigrants were able to exchange money, buy travel tickets, and claim their luggage. i. Immigrants were able to exchange gold, silver, and foreign currency for American dollars. ii. For those immigrants who wanted to travel to further cities outside of New York would buy train tickets to get to their destination. iii. After everything was said and done, immigrants were able to claim their luggage and leave the island. Conclusion With their landing card, American money, train ticket, and luggage in hand, the immigrants were ready to leave Ellis Island and embark on their journey in America. If you are ever bored some Sunday afternoon I suggest going to Ellis Island’s website where you can enter your ancestor’s name and do a passenger search. According to thestatueofliberty.com, today, over 40% of America’s population can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island. I found all of my great-great grandparents’ names and their information on the manifest sheets, and it truly is amazing to see.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Romance & Revolution

The Enlightenment was the foundation of the questioning the hierarchy of aristocracy and the Church. It took place in the eighteenth century throughout Germany, France and Britain. The impact of the Enlightenment on these different countries focused on different aspects of their societies. During this time of Western Philosophy, Reason was highly valued. This posed a threat to the established sources of power in the government. The expressed thought that the common people were still lower in the social hierarchy because of their birth rank was beginning to be resisted, along with the belief that the Church was the central truth. The background to this new way of thinking began in the late seventeenth century when the bourgeoisie began to realize the fact that they were paying taxes to the aristocracy that was not contributing to the improvement of society. Not only were the taxes not improving the state of the society, it was only being distributed to the group of rich citizens who truly had no use for it. The indignation of the middle class led to their encouragement of the working class to unite and oppose the foundation of their world such as they have known it to be for centuries. French Romanticism took part in the latter part of the eighteenth century. It was the outcome of the Age of Enlightenment and also the effect of the scientific questioning toward nature and human body. The notion of strong emotion was strongly encouraged, rather opposite from the Age of Enlightenment where the focus was intellectual and philosophical. Romanticism was mostly captured in art, theatrical performances, and music. Though these mediums conveyed the change of thought and understanding during this time, the best medium that embodies French Romanticism is literature. Most the themes in the literature of this time period were of the human psyche and supernatural occurrences. With these themes still being prevalent through out history, French Romanticism transcended time periods and countries. Jean-Jacques Rousseau greatly influenced this time period. His belief that through the abandonment of natural right, people could work in society with no true conflict. Rousseau believed that the people should directly make the laws, that way there would be no way to revolt against it. Some contirbute him wholely to sparking the French Revolution. The French Revolution was a time of political and social mayhem. The concept of natural rights and aristocracy were being challenged not only intellectually but also violently. During this period of time the king was excuted, the Napoleonic Wars took place, and the French Reformation took hold. The events that led up to the Revolution had many economic contributions. The major national debt caused by the continuous warring with the surrounding countires caused by King Louis XV made it hard for the working class to maintian the rise of taxes. This injustice might have been bale to be over looked, if the unemployment rate was not at an all time high. This frustrated the French citizens, having the demand of high taxes and no jobs, left several families with malnutrition. This being the plight of the lower and working class, the bourgeoisie had their own issues to face. The Roman Catholic owned largest landowner in France at the time. Trying to work up the social ladder, the middle class felt oppress that their efforts were being denied and ignored. The resistance of internal trade stifled the rise of capitalistic beliefs by the bourgeoisie also brought about extreme hatred. The Catholic Church became one of the central targets of the Revolution. One of the close followers to Rousseau, Robespierre, was one of the major figureheads to the French Revolution. He orchestrated the Reign of the Terror, the time of execution for those against the Revolution. Robespierre killed countless people believed to be spies, symbols of the Age of Oppression, and Catholic Church supporters. He became so obsessed with purging the French society of their oppressors; he turned on his own supporters. One of the supporters that Robespierre turned on was Georges Danton. Danton was a leader of the Revolution, but not very supportive of the Terror. Believing that change could be done with as little violence as possible, he was viewed as being lenient of the former government. These unfortunate facts lead to his execution. Another leader of the Revolution was Jean-Paul Marat. He was the editor and founder of the paper The Friend of the People. Through this paper he attacked not only the factions of the Revolution, but questioned their over all loyalty to the cause. This caused several disputes and targeted hatred toward Marat. This caused him to have to continually flee to London to resist arrest and persecution. Cult of Sensibility is the focus of strong emotions. It was believed a person who was considerably moved by a work of art or literature could be moved to cry, faint, or have a fit. The idea was a born as a British literary movement. However, the movement died because of the accusation that it was narcissistic. Parody is a different work used to mock an original piece. The origin of parody was found in Greek literature. The writers in the ancient Greek times used to switch around the words of a poem to give a humorous take on an epic. Parody is closely linked to satire. Satire is the method used to poke fun at a theory or philosophy that the writer disagrees with. Usually satire has elements of sarcasm, which makes the audience feel ridiculous. The use of satire is rarely used for just humor, but instead has a sense of ridicule. Irony is when the actual happening in a work in completely different then the expected happening. There are various types of irony, including but not limited to, verbal, situational, tragic, and dramatic irony. Verbal irony is when the speaker says something, but it is meant in a completely different way. This type of irony is interchangeable with sarcasm. Situational irony is the most common form of irony. This type of irony is when the expected or understood meaning of a situation turns out to be completely different. Some of the outcomes of these ironic situations are comical, but it is not the norm. With dramatic irony, this tool is used when the audience has a piece of information that one or all the actors does not know about. Tragic irony is when the true situation is misinterpreted and the characters act on the wrong information. Realism is the appreciation for how things appear in the monotony of everyday life. It was believed that one would benefit more out of life if they took it just as it is, and not add embellishments or unnecessary emotions. The movement began in France around the eighteenth century and was strongly against romanticism. The belief is that lie is founded on basic truths. When one adds emotion or philosophical meaning to a simplistic world, they lose the entire meaning of life. One of the most prominent Realist writers in France was Gustave Flaubert. Flaubert wrote the novel Madame Bovary, one of the first books of its time that portrayed life just as it was. Coming off Romanticism, the book was highly criticized for being dark and menacing. Realism was portrayed in France through artwork. Artists such as Jean-Franiois Millet, Honori Daumier, and Rosa Bonheur portrayed rural scenes and helped the common people be represented in high art. The depiction of everyday life was revolutionary to the time period and was mostly embraced by the poor and middle class.