Exploring Online Consumer Behaviors Essay

The overall objective of this research was to document people’s reactions, attitudes, motivations, and behaviors that have affected online purchasing behaviors. The World Wide Web has been accessible to the public now for over twenty years. It came upon the world and exploded in popularity like few things have done in the history of the world. The purpose of this research is to understand how individual behaviors affect online consumerism. According to Hawkins and Mothersbaugh (2010) online consumer behavior can be defined as â€Å"the study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the process they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideals to satisfy needs† and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society†. There are many variables to consider when outlining behaviors of internet consumerism. Three main factors are affected by behaviors of online consumers, â€Å"attitudes towards online shopping, motivations, such as price, convenience and hedonic motivations, and online information search† (Vazquez & Xu, 2009). If a person has a positive experience of shopping on the internet, then their attitude will affect the outcome of purchasing online. Online consumers feel more in control when they can search with relative ease of low prices and special offers. A great motivation of online shopping is the comparison of prices, more information is available online concerning the products, which allows the consumer to make better decisions. The problem of online consumers is important and requires further research, because online shopping could become the way of shopping for most of the world. In contrast to this scenario, is the fact that we are losing our ability to maintain a high level of customer service on- site. The employees many shoppers encounter seem more to be filling a spot than actively engaging in helping consumers with purchases or becoming knowledgeable about what they sell. Online consumerism is not however without its apprehensions. Research conducted by Janda, stated in her article that there were, â€Å"four consumer online concerns identified, privacy, security, credibility, and virtual experience† all having negative effects on consumer purchasing (2008, p. 339). Online consumers are worried about their personal information being collected when purchasing on the internet. The transference of information makes some consumers nervous and they do not want to take the risk. Shipping and return policies is also a major concern along with the credibility of the online retailers when looking into the merchandise descriptions. Consumers that had more experience with navigating the internet felt safer and comfortable while using the internet at their residence or on the job, rather than using community computers (Koyuncu & Lien, 2003, p. 721). Another negative behavioral pattern documented is that of compulsive buying tendencies. These tendencies to over buy can have detrimental effects on the consumer, notably affecting monies, feelings, and relationships. According to â€Å"The Relationships Between Consumers’ Tendencies to Buy Compulsively and Their Motivation to Shop and Buy on the Internet,† Somewhere between five and nine percent of America’s population could be identified as people who have a propensity to compulsively buy (Kukar-Kinney, Ridgeway, & Monroe, 2009). Motivators of this type of behavior include the very key ingredients of online shopping. These motivations are the following items that may be purchased at any time, shopping can be done frequently, a broader variety ex ist, and also purchases may be brought in private. According to this research the following results show that, â€Å"search costs were the most important motivation, followed by product assortment/price, brand equity, transaction costs, customer orientation, and perceived quality. The least important motivation associated with online auction behaviors was social interaction. (Jeon, Crustsinger, & Kim, 2008, p. 36). To determine which factors and variables are associated with online consumer behaviors, several questionnaires will be emailed to a random chosen amount of email participants. The questionnaire will explore which factors and variables have an impact on online behaviors. 1. What factors and variables identify the behaviors of online consumers? 2. What strategies can be formulated to control online behaviors and purchasing? References Hawkins, D., & Mothersbaugh, D. (2010). Consumer behavior and marketing Strategy. In Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy (11thED.) Columbus, Ohio: McGraw- Hill. Janda, S. (2008). Does gender moderate the effect of online concerns on purchase likelihood? Journal of Internet Commerce, 7(3), 339-358. doi: 10.1080/15332860802250401 Jeon, S., Crustsinger, C., & Kim, H. (2008). Exploring online auction behaviors and motivations. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 100(2), 31-40. doi: 1082-1651 Koyuncu, C., & Lien, D. (2003). E-commerce and consumer’s purchasing behavior. Journal of Applied Economics, 35(6), 721. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA102272684&v=2.1&u=vic_liberty&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w Kukar-Kinney, M., Ridgway, N., & Monroe, K. (2009). The relationship between consumers’ tendencies to buy compulsively and their motivations to shop and buy on the internet: Consumer Behavior and Retailing. Journal of Retailing, 85(3), 298-307. doi: 10.1016/j.jretai.2009.05.002 Vazquez, D., & Xu, X. (2009). Investigating linkages between online purchase behaviour variables. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 37(5), 408. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/10.1108/09590550910954900 References Janda, S. (2008). Does gender moderate the effect of online concerns on purchase? likelihood? Journal of Internet Commerce, 7(3), 339-358. Jeon, S., Crustsinger, C., & Kim, H. (2008). Exploring online auction behaviors and motivations. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 100(2), 31-40. Koyuncu, C., & Lien, D. (2003). E-commerce and consumer’s purchasing behavior. Journal of Applied Economics, 35(6), 721. Kukar-Kinney, M., Ridgway, N., & Monroe, K. (2009). The relationship between consumers’ tendencies to buy compulsively and their motivations to

Morality in Copying CD’s Essay

Morality is an issue that will forever encompass debates from thousands of sectors around the world. There are no definite set of rules of what is moral and what is not; as such, it will infinitely be hard to define. Judging someone’s morality is going to be difficult given this lack of definitive structure of the subject itself. This paper will be discussing piracy (which is what copying cd’s may lead to) in the context of morality. As difficult as the task may sound, this paper shall try to be as objective as it can be given the infinite boundary of the context. Piracy Piracy has been the thorn on the side of the music industry since the early 1990’s. Piracy is not even hard to do, given that one must simply stick a CD to a computer then transfer its entire contents to another and from there, numerous other copies can be made. The cycle does not and will not stop because most people prefer things for free. College students who must be the most frequent computer users will not be averse to copying CDs and distributing it to others. They sure enjoy their music and they normally are under strict budget due to their educational financial needs. The music industry is not the only field that piracy has wrecked. Almost anything that is being distributed on a CD or uploaded online has been endangered by piracy. Software is easily pirated, the newest Microsoft products are easily found on bootleg shops, finding its way easily in the third world black market. Aside from software, there are videogames and movies that can easily be copied and sold for much less than the producer originally retailed it, all illegally, of course. With piracy, the artists, software developers, producers, actors, programmers suffer as they are not paid the royalties they deserve for working hard on their respective projects but the consumers win, as they get the media they want/need for free or at a considerably lower price. The Utilitarian Approach According to Velasquez, et al. (1989), â€Å"utilitarianism is a moral principle that holds that the morally right course of action in any situation is the one that produces the greatest balance of benefits over harms for everyone affected.† The utilitarian approach can certainly be used by those who copy the CD’s and distribute it to a wider span of users. When a person purchases a CD and uploads its entire content online on a file sharing site, his reasoning is that, such upload can share the music to a wider variety of people. These people can get it for free thanks to that one person who uploaded it for sharing out of the goodness of his heart. When a person buys a CD, he has paid for rights to use the content of that music. No matter how he abuses the content of that CD by repeated usage is something he is entitled to do. However, copying the entire contents of the CD and giving the copy to another person is another story as herein, he has breached some legal boundaries of his usage. Morality may be a subject that is infinite but legality has very strict confines and stepping beyond its boundaries is punishable by a hefty sum, long hours of community service or jail time. The utilitarian reasoning is not a defense against illegal acts and as such, one cannot escape punishment by reiterating that he committed piracy for the benefit of the world, out of the goodness of his heart. In addition, the utilitarian approach does not consider the minority who will be affected by such act. For instance, the loss of income to those people who have labored to bring the media out on the market is not something utilitarianism will consider. Deontological Ethics According to the Encyclopedia Britannica (n.d.), â€Å"in deontological ethics an action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of the action is good.† Given this definition, copying CDs onto another computer, given today’s anti-piracy campaign, is not going to be considered moral even though the intentions maybe good and the act may be easy to do. Music, movie, software, videogame industries have lost billions of dollars because of piracy, they are trying to fight it as best they can and as such, there are piracy warnings/threats on almost every media distributed. Doing it anyway will certainly question one’s morality over it. To circumvent this, one does not usually copy CD’s. He goes to websites where he can share files. However, in the UK, such file sharing can now be considered illegal (Solanki 2010). Such is the campaign against piracy that in the US, every digital media sold in the market is protected by DRM, a software that limits the number of devices the content can be played in to typically, 5 machines (Grossman 2007). Exceeding this limit can raise questions on one’s morality via Deontological Ethics. Conclusion Copying the contents of a CD is piracy. Piracy nowadays is a criminal offense that is punishable by law. One can hardly find anything moral over something that is illegal. Even though piracy may be the most tolerated crime in the world, it will be best for the person to stay on the conservative side and not commit it, for his personal welfare. References: Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.) Deontological ethics. Retrieved 19 July 2010 from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/158162/deontological-ethics Grossman, L. (2007). The Battle Over Music Piracy. Time.   Retrieved 19 July 2010 from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1625209,00.html Solanki, M. (2010). File sharing becomes illegal as Government pushes through Digital Economy Bill. SeekBroadband. Retrieved 19 July 2010 from http://seekbroadband.com/focus/2010/04/09/internet-technology-news/file-sharing-becomes-illegal-as-government-pushes-through-digital-economy-bill/ Velasquez, M. et al. (1989). Calculating Consequences: The Utilitarian Approach to Ethics. Issues in Ethics V2 N1. Retrieved 19 July 2010 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/calculating.html

My first date

I can vividly recall my first date but not for the reasons one would usually suppose. Actually, in my opinion this ‘momentous’ event hardly meant anything to me at the time and this was reflected in the triviality with which I treated the occasion. My focus at age thirteen wasn’t primarily at chasing girls though it should have been. My focus was on impressing my older brother and getting his attention. I admired him in so many ways. He isn’t the kind of brother many other boys my age would dote over. He was a ‘study-aholic’ and dedicated himself primarily to his school work and the work he did after school. He hardly had time for anyone else, and that included me. I longed so much for those days when he would mess around with me or punch me or beat me and deny it to my parents when I complained. We had both grown up from those days and somehow I feel as I grew older I began to lose my older brother. My first date was, in actuality, to be a movie and dinner with an extraordinarily intelligent and mildly beautiful young girl with whom I went to school. This date, however, also represented a chance for me to spend some needed time with my brother, even if it was to be only a few hours. I feigned annoyance when my parents insisted he had to accompany. Being the kind of son that he is he, of course, did not complain. He was all too willing to do as my parents requested and I was all to happy that he didn’t have better things to do that evening than spend some time chaperoning his younger brother. I hadn’t spent more than an hour with my brother since he started on his new part-time job with the same company my dad worked. He also did odd jobs around the neighborhood. I hadn’t heard the full conversation but I caught on that he and my parents had discussed his college education and they had stressed how difficult it would be to finance his studies immediately after he completes high school. He, however, was insistent that he needs to get into pre-med right away and thus took on the challenge to earn as much as he could to allay the cost burden on my parents. I’ve always admired his diligence and this in addition to the fact that he was MY big brother and no one else’s, set him apart from all other older brothers. Francis left early that morning to go to work. My dad always joked that he would soon take over his position because he was always so eager and on the ball. I had wanted his opinion on what to wear but it was too late when I got up and I felt a bit disappointed. Nevertheless this didn’t throw me off at all because I knew that at five o’clock he would be home with enough time to change and get dressed and then we would be on our way to meet the two sisters a short walking distance from our own home. That walk, with my brother, at six-thirty that evening, on that cloudless Saturday evening, was the highlight of my evening and is the memory I most treasure in my reflections of that evening. While we were walking towards the house he ruffled my hair with his fingers, the way he usually did and almost threw me off the sidewalk with a slap on my back. We romped, just like in the old days, for the full fifteen minutes it took us to arrive at their front door and at that time I found the brother I hadn’t seen in a long while. We didn’t have a particularly spectacular time with the girls. It was just like a normal date I guess. Susan was alright and so was her sister. They both seemed quite enthused to be out of the dreariness of their home for a change. We chatted about any and everything. Of course some times I brought up some silly ideas and my brother would hunch me in the side with his elbows, or rub my forehead till it burned. It was in those moments that my mind would flash back to our younger days, when he, in his mischief, would do just the same. It felt like magic finally having my brother back and knowing that I was not in danger of losing him to the rest of the world. My first date, the date with my brother with whom I now share a peculiarly close friendship was indeed, a marvelous experience.

Intertextuality in Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intertextuality in Films - Essay Example Intertextuality occurs in popular media such as television shows, movies and even interactive video games. Intertextuality is often used to provide depth to the fictional reality portrayed in the medium, such as characters in one television show mentioning characters from another.intertextuality was first proposed by Julia Kristeva . According to her a single text that can consists of many texts or it is act of changing one set of the sign into another. the use of intertextuality is perhaps the most useful and essential method of ensuring a successful show or film in today’s marketplace. as there are many sources of entertainment available in today’s life apart from films, it is very useful for modern directors to attract a particular audience. many directors and filmmakers refer to previous and old books, novels, songs, history or remake many popular films because the audience get familiar with the next story they see hear or read will remind them of something they hav e already experienced. it is the tool available to the filmmakers to take advantage of intertextuality.it is the collection of text, people, ideas, new inventions, that interact with each other to form a framework or community in which to relate the thoughts and influence each other. It is the relationship, influence and conversation between the texts. One of the example is The O.C. is the best example of television using intertextuality, with its frequent references to movie characters and comic books such Spider-Man, and Star Wars protagonist Luke Skywalker. ... films on superhero Superman are also inspired by his herioc actins and stunts in comics and stories and series on television. Drama series Lost has a huge number of interextual tie-ins, including websites, broadcasts, and even a novel written by a character, which purport elements from the series to be real.Not only does the concept reveal the author's sources, it also aids in understanding the text at hand. Through intertexuality the reader may recognize concepts that possess similar qualities of a previously read work. Since the reader is familiar with texts that a work may or may not have built from, the reader him/herself has found an avenue into the text through the work's relationship to other texts. The discovery of a relationship provides the reader with a starting point which aids to unfold the meaning of the piece. The reader will find it easier to uncover the avenues that exist into the piece if he/she has read a wide range of books. For example within a film(one frame) an advertisement (other frame) of a product can be shown, such as billboard in a scene. The film in turn is a part of genre movies or film. On television, advertisement, often allude to other advertisement of the same product such as series of advertisement of the same products or television personalities or programmes.it is the standards of textuality in discourse analysis but is also relevant.Intertextuality is closely related to media and film industry. for example many films begin with the credits rolling as a car, a train or stage travels across a landscape and arrives at a town. It may refer far more than influences of the writers to each other. On television, advertisement, often allude to

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Marketing - Essay Example Question # 1- Target Market Initially facebook has its membership restrained to college students only so the target market covered only the youngster till 2006 after which it was opened for all after two years in 2006. The users comprising the target market fell under the psychographic segmentation. The target market includes those youngsters who wish to keep connected with their folks and friends all over the world. Their attributes relating to values, attitudes, interests, personality, or lifestyles matter to them. Facebook new exciting offers target markets users who want to download everything they have posted from Fb to computers. Any sort of information would definitely be updated at personal computer including social status, profile, wall post etc. Whereas the dashboard helps provide more flexibility for users wishing to control better their applications. The new grouping feature targets those groups who wish to share comments, pictures and other links with acquaintances based on ones relationships and interests. For instance, one can now group Facebook friends by college, family, work, sports teams. Question # 2 - Facebook Competitors Facebook has already achieved competitive edge as social networking sites. It does not have strong competitors. ... Tumblr It provides blogging platform with many kids sharing content with each others however, still the tumbir cannot surpass the area coverage by facebook. Twitter It is a micro blogging platform with features of Facebook except 140 assymetric follow patterns and character messages which is a new feature however, this is not such a big threat to Facebook. LinkedIn This is specifically for the business gentry and is therefore covers only certain individuals while Facebook is for everyone else. Path Path works against the principle of Facebook as it talks about smaller groups of friends. Path let you share pictures and information with close circle of friend. Still social networks matter today so facebook still out do. Question # 3 – Product’s Position Facebook is the world's largest social networking online web. On average there are 700 billions minutes spent in a month by facebook current users. The company has been increasing at a meteoric pace, doubling size since af ter 2009 and pushing competitors like Orkut and Twitter aside. Through it is social networking world wide still it has wider customer acceptance due to set define standards of privacy like no other websites provide. There are defined privacy laws governing facebook actions due to which at times it has even been sued. But, so far it has the greater sale’s popularity with over 500 million users in the year 2010. The largest social network worldwide has been rapidly increasing its membership at a steady pace for over the so many years gone by, however even Facebook is almost touching saturation level for several of its age demographics. The good news that remains for Facebook is that it has still future potential to increase and retain its market share. E Marketer statistics

Predatory Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Predatory Crime - Essay Example First, all the situations in which burglary or theft is raised by supplies, services or money. All the situations in which the individuals are motivated to become criminals. Secondly, all the circumstances which makes the use of crime ethical and legitimate to the individuals. Like unemployment, poverty etc. The third context refers to all those individuals who are now leading a successful life by transforming into thriving criminals and taking 'any form' of predatory crime as a profession. These expert thieves are sometimes affiliated with musclemen or organizers in a fourth context of rational crimes, the context in which crime becomes an economic enterprise fulfilling the demands of a market (Ferrington, 1991). It may seem odd, but it is true that majority of the offenders' contentment lies in the fact that their crimes are seen as a part of escalating crime. For any particular offender, a predatory crime might be more easily accomplished if the victim believes that the offender is one of the frightening new variety to which the media have been paying so much attention lately. An example of this phenomenon can be found in the Black Hand crime wave that terrorized residents of New York in the first few years of the 20th century. Black Hand extortion was successful because victims believed that their offenders were part of a large and powerful criminal conspiracy, which suggests that the victims were somehow related to psychological issues. This attitude of the victims encouraged Black Hand operations to expand in small groups or even sole operators; they used the threat of the powerful organization to accomplish their criminal ends. Thus, the snowball effect of newspaper coverage created a kind of momentum that made it much easier to be an extortionist. Unsceptically, victims are the most vocal claimants who claim of the crime. It is through the claims of the victims that attention is drawn to the dilemma of increasing crime and now people are tending more towards the measures and precautions necessary to control the consequences responsible to the advent of these crimes, atleast to some extent. Several victim advocates have become familiar figures in the American popular cultural landscape. John Walsh, for instance, the father of murdered child Adam Walsh, became an early spokesperson in the movement to protect missing and exploited children. Subsequently, he became the host of the very popular Fox television program America's Most Wanted and later host of his own daytime television talk show. Less visible, but perhaps not less influential is Candy Lightener, founder of MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. In May 1980 her 13-year-old daughter was killed by a hit-and-run driver in a Sacramento suburb. It was later discovered that the intoxicated driver was on probation for a previous DUI ("driving under the influence") conviction and the leniency with which the driver was treated by the justice system prompted her to take action to

Weekly Activity 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Weekly Activity 9 - Essay Example There are many unfortunate institutional barriers which impede the process of protection delivery to women on campus despite good policies enacted by the government like the Jeanne Clery Act. This act requires all colleges and universities to provide emotional support to victims of harassment and sexual assault. However, women still lack safety on campus because in addition to this fact that many attacks go unreported, college administrators themselves demonstrate great disbelief when complaints are delivered to them by victims. This attitude discourages students who need reassurance in times of distress (Zeisler, 2014). In order to turn around the situation of women’s safety for good at my campus, I intend to remove all those institutional barriers which impede delivery of protection to women on time. For this purpose, weekly instructional meetings will be organized after study hours on campus to make students feel more motivated and determined about reporting bad things when they happen to them. It is the silence of women which has made sexual assault a silent epidemic. These meetings will bring together women’s groups and campus safety agents in one place to put a stop to this growing epidemic. Zeisler, A. (2014, 30 Apr). College Campus Safety: What Parents and Students Should Know. HUFF POST. Retrieved from

Asian American Arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Asian American Arts - Essay Example Before one can analyze Jang's contribution, it is necessary to understand his background; this facilitates an appreciation of his influences. Jang began his musical journey one year before he turned twenty. At that time, he was trying to familiarize himself with basic piano skills. Shortly after, he joined a Music School called Oberlin Conservatory where he sharpened his piano skills and learnt how to compose songs. This artist completed his studies after three years and received a degree in music. It is also worth noting that the artist was born in America; specifically in Los Angeles and was subsequently raised in California. However, Jang still stayed in touch with his Chinese roots. He draws from his experiences as an immigrant Asian American but at the same time acknowledges the issues addressed in other forms of music such as social injustice in African American musical expressions. (Jon Jang, 2002) During his performances in San Francisco, Jang highlights some of the hidden facts about China town. This was especially because the Festival had been organized as a way of paying homage to the efforts made by Alice Yu in China town. Jang has an amazing way of showing his appreciation and respect for historical times that may have been forgotten or those ones which had never been mentioned before. This is because he unearthed some songs like Reparations now and Tiananmen at a Jazz Orchestra. (Jon Jang, 2002) Despite intensive tu... Some enthusiasts have called Jang's music 'two flowers on a stem' because they believe he has stayed true to his traditions yet at the same time has encouraged creativity through improvising his dual cultural identities. (Jon Jang, 2002) Jang's creativity has been employed by numerous entities in the world of classical music. For instance he did some work for The Library Congress, thereafter; he did some compositions for Chanticleer and Kronos quartet. Some of his compositions have also been presented in theatres; he wrote a composition for 'The Woman Warrior'. (Jon Jang, 2002) In an effort to complement his contributions to the Asian American musical scene, Jang has received an award from his former conservatory. He has also received a Golden ring award and has also been nominated severally by Cal Arts. Furthermore, Jang has been appreciated by the Ford Foundation for the immense contributions he made to American music. One cannot cover all the events that Jang has participated; in his capacity as a pianist, Jang has been to; -Europe -Canada -South Africa -The US One of the major highlights of these tours was his performance at the Arts Alive Festival in South Africa. While performing, Jang collaborated with Max Roach. Jang has also had the pleasure of performing in the London Royal Festival. Additionally, he has been to Berlin, Zurich and Milan in his capacity as an artist. Paul Robeson has appreciated Jang's work and so did the president of the Republic of China. There are also numerous collaborations done by this highly versatile artist. The major artist he has worked with is Max Roach. He has also joined forces with David Murray, James Newton and Maxine Hong. (Jon Jang, 2002) Not only has Jang done some

Inventory management in The Tate and Lyle Sugar Company Essay

Inventory management in The Tate and Lyle Sugar Company - Essay Example There are also inventories for goods that are yet to be completely processed or semi-finished goods by different departments of the firm. In addition, Tate and Lyle hold finished good inventories at distribution centers, plant sites and stores to avoid process stoppages. The other important components of inventory for Tate and Lyle are raw materials and finished goods in transit in different locations, away from the firm’s premises. However, whether these inventories are under the jurisdiction of Tate and Lyle depends on the ownership of an inventory at a given time. That is, Tate and Lyle or its dealers/partners may own a finished goods inventory before it reaches the market and end consumers. The other type of inventory important for Tate and Lyle is a spare part inventory, for spare parts used in servicing its sugar production processes. Generally, Tate and Lyle categorises its inventories based on their functions as input, process and output inventories. Under its input in ventories are raw materials, consumables for processing such as fuel, stationary, bolts, and nuts. Others are maintenance items/consumables, packing materials and local purchased items required for production (Twede, 2005). Among process inventories are semi finished production in various stages in different departments such as production, marketing, quality assurance, packing and packaging. In addition, production wastes and scrap, rejections and defectives also form part of the firm’s process inventories (Napolitano, 2003). Tate and Lyle’s output inventories cover finished goods, finished goods in transit, spare parts stocks and bought out items, repaired stock and parts, finished goods with dealers, defectives, rejects and sales returns, sales promotion and sample... This paper aims to establish the economic reasons, for which manufacturing and production firms such as Tate and Lyle and Silvertown still use various types of warehouses, despite the assertion by many theorists that inventory holding is a practice that should be minimised. it is imperative that every business ensures that its inventory is performing optimally at all times, cognizant of the fact that such practices ensure it avoids over or under inventory, which would affect the financial standings of any firm. Because inventory is a dynamic business aspect, it is essential that firms constantly evaluate, monitor, review and plan the internal and external factors of inventory management. In many businesses, inventory management functions are assigned to separate and specific departments made up of personnel competent in inventory control, monitoring, and reviewing inventories. Importantly inventory departments ensure healthy relationship and interface between inventory and procurement, production and finance departments For processing firms such as Tate and Lyle Sugar Company, Inventories refer to all the physical stock that is idle but has economic value. These stocks may be in various forms waiting processing, packing, transformation, use or future sale Inventory management and practices are thus necessary for Tate and Lyle, which is involved in sugar production, trading, sale and service of products. Tate and Lyle hold inventories for speculative purposes, functional purposes and for physical necessities.

Skepticism Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Skepticism Philosophy Essay Skepticism: †¢ It comes from the Greek word skeptikoi which means â€Å"seekers† or â€Å"inquirers. † †¢ It refers to the critical attitude wherein a man questions different things including the well-known absolute truth or knowledge. †¢ Note that skepticism (philosophical that is) should be contrasted with philosophical dogmatism wherein the latter is the direct opposite of the former. Philosophical dogmatism refers to an attitude wherein a man believes to have absolute truth/knowledge (dogma,† meaning strict rules). Short History of Skepticism Classical Skepticism. Gorgias †¢ A Sophist who believed that nothing really exists. †¢ He lived from 483-376 B. C. (Leontini, Italy). He went to Athens to fulfill his mission as an ambassador. He was a student of Empedocles. †¢ In Greece, he was the mentor of Thucydides (author of the Peloponnesian War) and Isocrates. †¢ His issue with regard to the philosophy of existence can be understood by having a full grip on the logical contradiction. †¢ His whole idea of existence commences from the premise that nothing exists. Or, if something exists, it must come from another beginning. The origin of the existence of â€Å"something† is said to be unknowable. †¢ Also, Gorgias postulated that a â€Å"being† should come from another being. It is impossible for this being to come from nothing. †¢ We can regard Gorgias as a Sophist rather than a skeptic. It should be noted, however, that early skepticism came from the early perceived philosophy, and that is Stoicism. Philosophical Skepticism The following are the philosophical inquiries of the skeptics: 1. Epistemology †¢ Can man attain absolute knowledge? †¢ Where does the absolute knowledge come from? †¢ How does sense perception operate in the service of achieving knowledge? 2. Metaphysics †¢ What is/are the composition/s of the universe? †¢ What are the distinguishing features of human nature? †¢ Does God exist? 3. Ethics †¢ What should be the qualifying factors to assess human conduct? †¢ Is it possible for man to determine whether an action is morally right or wrong? 4. Metaphilosophy †¢ Is Philosophy significant to human life? †¢ What are the proper aims and goals of philosophical inquiry? Phyrro and Stoicism †¢ He is considered as the earliest philosophical skeptic in Western philosophy. He lived from 360 to 270 B. C. †¢ Some scholars find a political origin of Phyrro’s skepticism in this: on the theory that traumatic periods produce disillusionment and resignation, the souring and obsolescence of traditional beliefs, a tenacious relativism of beliefs, virtues, and habits that will not assign absolute superiority to any, and a need for new methods of coping in a hectic world. †¢ Taught that peace of mind was the highest end of life and that knowledge of truth was required to attain and maintain it. †¢ Phyrro accordingly sought truth, however for every philosophical question that the Stoic philosophy answers; it is being contradicted by several other schools of thought. †¢ What was worse was that each position had reasons and evidence to support itself and to subvert and refute its opponents. †¢ He gave up in despair and admitted to himself that he could not decide among them and did not know what was true. The Stoics were accused by the Greeks as proponents of dogmatism: †¢ It is the direct opposite of skepticism. †¢ A dogmatist is certain that knowledge is possible, because he is certain that he have some. †¢ A person is still a dogmatist even if he is not certain, but still asserts something to be true, whether on a hunch, an intuition, and a perceived plenitude of evidence, mystical impulses, blatant prejudice, or idiotic repetition. A. Academic Skepticism †¢ Asserts that at least some truths are completely unknowable. †¢ Cicero postulated that: â€Å"Nothing could be known except the position that nothing else could be known. † B. Empirical Skepticism †¢ An empirical skeptic is someone who refuses to accept certain kinds of claims without first subjecting them to a series of scientific investigation. †¢ Difference between an empirical skeptic and philosophical skeptic: a philosophical skeptic denies the very existence of knowledge while an empirical skeptic merely seeks for proof before accepting a claim. C. Scientific Skepticism †¢ A branch of empirical skepticism that addresses scientific claims. †¢ It uses scientific techniques in order to validate the acquired knowledge. D. Religious Skepticism †¢ It refers to incredulity towards faith. †¢ Religious skeptics based their claims according to immortality, providence and revelation. †¢ A religious skeptic is not necessarily an atheist or an agnostic. David Hume: †¢ He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. David was only two years old when his father died. †¢ He was fond of studying Mathematics, History, Ancient and Modern Philosophy and Science. †¢ His major philosophical works are: o A Treatise of Human Nature (which he completed from 1739-1740) o Enquiries Concerning Human Understanding (1748) o Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751) o Dialogues Concerning Religion (1779) †¢ He is also considered as one of the best British empiricists along with George Berkeley and John Locke. †¢ His philosophy was partially influenced by Adam Smith (his close friend) and Cicero (ancient philosopher). David Hume’s Skeptic View on Reality and Human Belief †¢ David Hume is one of the greatest skeptics in the history of Philosophy. He also influenced the development of the two philosophical schools of thought: empiricism and skepticism. Hume’s View on Reality †¢ According to Hume, there are two distinctions of mental concept, to wit, impressions and ideas. Impression refers to the direct, vivid, and forceful products of immediate experience. Ideas these are merely feeble copies of these original expressions. †¢ It should be emphasized that these two distinctions should be treated separately with each other. †¢ Hume’s View on Human Belief †¢ Relations of Ideas/Priori beliefs grounded on associations formed within the mind. †¢ Matters of Fact/Posteriori beliefs that claim to report the nature of existing things. _____________________________________________________________________________ GROUP FOUR: UTILITARIAN PHILOSOPHY Basic Concepts (Formal Definitions) †¢ Etymologically speaking, the word â€Å"utilitarianism† comes from the Latin word utilis, which means â€Å"useful. † †¢ In Ethics, utilitarianism is a doctrine that what is useful is good, and consequently, that the ethical value of conduct is determined by the utility of the result. †¢ Utilitarian philosophers believe that it is normal for human beings to perform activities which lead towards happiness (that is, to maximize happiness and to avoid pain). †¢ This theory is under the normative political theory. Normative Political Theory this theory asks a particular question as â€Å"what is ought to be† as compared to the question â€Å"what is† in political life. It is not confined on the setting or constructing moral theories, however, it analyzes the effects of the constructed moral theories in the political life of an individual and how it is being applied/practiced in the actual political arena. This approach of the normative political theory is spearheaded by Jeremy Bentham. He is a radical 19th century social reformer, who is apparently a utilitarian. †¢ Bentham argues that the nature of human beings is to obtain happiness (self-satisfaction) and to avoid pain. In this regard, the morally correct political decisions are based on the collective happiness of the society. †¢ This collective happiness may be characterized in the form of utility. This utility could be of any kind that would bring happiness to the society (i. e. property, advantage, opportunity, goods, services etc. ). †¢ Bentham did not provide theories or methods on how to attain social utility or maximization of happiness. According to him, the attainment of happiness depends on how an individual defines his/her happiness. In connection to this, every member of the society which comprises the whole society should consolidate their definition of happiness in order to obtain social utility. †¢ It should be emphasized that Bentham was focused on the interest of community/group. †¢ The supreme objective of moral action and the foundation on which all morality should be grounded is the achievement of the greatest happiness/satisfaction of the greater number. †¢ Nature of Utilitarianism †¢ Because this philosophy is greatly focused on the achievement (or maximization) of happiness, it doesn’t matter whether the result of the consequence is good or bad. Recall the famous maxim of Niccolo Machiavelli: â€Å"the end justifies the means. †  · Hedonism †¢ It refers to an ideology wherein happiness can be found between pleasure and pain. †¢ Utilitarian philosophers also use â€Å"hedonistic calculus† wherein they believe that a moralist could easily determine the unit of pleasure and of pain. O Bentham’s â€Å"hedonistic calculus† has similar concept with the theory of Epicurus. O The hedonistic calculus is used to determine the total amount of pleasure and pain of an individual. O Moral agent –person who conducts hedonistic calculus. Historical Traces of Utilitarian Philosophy †¢ It is believed that Utilitarian philosophy flourished in England. We can presuppose the fact that utilitarianism came from English philosophy. †¢ Some historians argued that Richard Cumberland originally perceived the idea of utilitarianism. He was an English philosopher and theologian (bishop of Peterborough). †¢ Afterwards, a British â€Å"moral sense† philosopher clearly defined the utilitarian philosophy. Francis Hutcheson did not only explain the philosophical perspective of utilitarianism which is â€Å"the greatest happiness for the greatest numbers† but he also provided for a mechanism for calculating the appropriate consequences of the activities to attain such happiness. This mechanism is called â€Å"moral arithmetic. † †¢ Jeremy Bentham, a prominent figure in utilitarian philosophy, admitted that he found the principle of utility from the writings of the following 18th century thinkers: o Joseph Priestly a priest who was known for his discovery of â€Å"oxygen. † o Cesaria Beccaria an expert in legal matters (Italian legal theorist). o Claude-Adrien Helvetius author of a philosophy of â€Å"mere sensation. † †¢ John Gay (biblical scholar and philosopher) he considered God’s will as the greatest qualifying factor for virtue. Furthermore, he argued that God’s goodness is the source of human happiness. Utilitarian Philosophers 1. Jeremy Bentham (Developer of Utilitarian Philosophy) Life: †¢ Bentham was a legal theorist, linguist, social philosopher and political activist. †¢ He came from a wealthy family from England. †¢ Bentham was sent to Westminster School (one of the prestigious school in England) and Queen’s College Oxford. He was also a practicing lawyer; however, he showed an unwavering interest in philosophy. o He examined the philosophical works of David Hume, Helvetius and Beccaria. Eventually, he started to form his own idea of utilitarianism. o Bentham argued that the avoidance of pain and the pursuit of pleasure are the natural drives of human activity, as recognized by the â€Å"principle of utility. † 2. William Paley Life: †¢ Paley was born in July, 1743 (Peterborough, England). He attained his religious degree (Anglican priesthood) at Christ’ College in Cambridge. †¢ He became a tutor of Christ College three years after he graduated from the stated school. †¢ According to Paley, utilitarianism is a combination ofindividualistic hedonism (mean between pleasure and pain) and theological authoritarianism. 3. James Mill Life: †¢ Mill was born in April 6, 1773 (Forfarshire). †¢ He was a son of shoemaker in Montrose. He was sent to the University of Edinburgh in 1790 and his education was financed by Sir John Stuart. †¢ James Mill received his M. A. degree in Edinburgh. He was a full pledged preacher. However, Mill gradually lost his faith and decided to transfer in Scotland until John Stuart invited him to live in London. †¢ He became a writer of the Literary Journal in London. It can be said that the closure of the Literary Journal had made him write various essays, articles and other literary works such as his review on the history of Corn Laws and etc. †¢ He was the father of John Stuart Mill, another utilitarian philosopher. †¢ According to Mill, the avoidance of pain and the pursuit of pleasure are the two primary motivating forces behind human actions. †¢ He also justified the existence of the government in the society. He stated that the institution of the government exists to ensure these twin aims (maximization of pleasure and avoidance of pain) are fulfilled for the greatest number of people possible. Effects of Utilitarianism in Other Disciplines †¢ Utilitarian philosophy has been so important to the fields of politics, law and economics. †¢ Its theories are still relevant in the contemporary times especially in rendering important political decisions, maintenance of social stability (pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain) and etc. A. Law †¢ For instance, some viewed punishment as tantamount to â€Å"retributive theory. † This theory simply states that a criminal (i. e. convicted rapist, murderer or robber) should be punished to pay for his crime. †¢ According to the utilitarian philosophy, punishment is served not to facilitate retribution/retaliation but to reform the criminal and insulate the society from him. B. Politics †¢ v According to the utilitarian philosophers, the best form of government is democracy. Social contract, natural rights and natural law are the bases of government authority and importance of individual rights. †¢ v â€Å"Democracy† comes from the Greek word demos which means â€Å"people. † It coincides with the philosophical aim of utilitarian philosophy wherein the general interest of the people (and maximization of their happiness) should be the basis of the government’s political decisions. †¢ v Utilitarian philosophy is also known for its relative views on socio-political issues. †¢ According to this philosophy, a strong government should be needed to restrain the selfish interests of its subjects. As mentioned before, one of the main responsibilities of the government is to maintain the stability of political order. Based on this principle, the utilitarian argument is on the side of conservative/authoritarian position.  § Nazi Germany (Adolf Hitler)  § Soviet Union (Joseph Stalin)  § Cuba (Fidel Castro) †¢ On the other hand, William Godwin (founder of philosophical anarchism) had an optimistic view of human nature (parallel to the philosophical theory of John Locke with regard to human nature). According to him, the pursuit of greatest happiness may lead into â€Å"philosophical anarchism. † †¢ Philosophical anarchism Godwin emphasized that values must be deeply imbibed in every individual. Furthermore, he argued that sufficient supply of goods (economic resources) should be equally distributed to ensure that the economic needs of the society are properly fulfilled. He hoped that government authorities must formulate laws to equalize the unfair distribution of wealth. Furthermore, Godwin stated that the government should minimize its involvement to promote academic freedom. C. Economics. †¢ Early utilitarian philosophers argued that the government should not meddle on economic affairs of the society. †¢ Later on, they admitted that the government has a significant role in the economy. Jeremy Bentham’s Mode of Thinking Theory of Psychological Hedonism †¢ According to Bentham, human behavior can be explained by reference to the primary motives of pleasure and pain. †¢ Pleasure and pain it is believed that nature has placed mankind under the governance of these two motives. †¢ Utilitarian philosophers always ask questions involving â€Å"what we ought to do† and â€Å"what we shall do. † †¢ Bentham argued that the human individual is the basic unit of social sphere. An individual’s relation with others is unnecessary of being what he is. †¢ He defined â€Å"relation† as a fictitious reality. Community, on the other hand, refers to the sum of the interests of the individuals who composed it. †¢ However, there are some instances that the interests tend to clash with each other. Such occurrence diminishes the main concept of â€Å"community† (sum of the interests of the individuals). Bentham argued that the government and legislation should work together to harmonize the aforementioned conflict. †¢ Bentham’s Moral Theory The following are the characteristics of Bentham’s moral philosophy:  · Principle of utility †¢ It is synonymous to the â€Å"greatest happiness principle. † †¢ It concerns the interests of the people who are in question; it can be the whole community, an individual or a small portion of the group. †¢ Bentham enumerated the advantages of the principle, to wit: †¢ O The principle should not be consulted to metaphysics philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. Thus, the main essence of the principle can be easily grasped. †¢ O The utilitarian principle offers objective criterion of right and wrong – application of hedonistic calculus  · Universal egoism or altruism †¢ Assuming that the said institutions (government and legislation) successfully harmonized the interests of every individual in the community, the people may tend to work altruistically to pursue the common good. †¢ O Altruism it refers to the unselfish concern to the general welfare of others. †¢ Determination of common interest †¢ Hedonistic Ethics †¢ Utilitarian ethics can be defined as an art in which man’s action is geared towards maximum quantity of happiness. Bentham’s Political Theory According to Jeremy Bentham, one can understand law and politics if he/she has a good grasp of human nature. On Liberty †¢ Bentham defined liberty as a freedom from any external control. A person can be considered as â€Å"free† if he/she is not under the influence of another person. †¢ In his theory on liberty, Bentham argued that there is no such thing as a â€Å"state of nature† and social contract. He postulated that the latter is only historical and novel literature. On Law †¢ Bentham viewed law as a restriction/limitation of liberty. It can be  considered as pain (a prima facie evil) to those whose freedom is restricted. †¢ The governing law within the society cannot be considered as a â€Å"natural law† because it is according to the will of the Sovereign (ruler). †¢ Bentham proposed that the law should be in accordance with the natural law, that is, it should be paralleled with the common interest of the people. †¢ The following are the positive functions of good laws (although Bentham still regarded laws as restriction to liberty):  § Good laws are essential to good government.  § Good laws are necessary to maintain social stability.  § Good laws develop and protect the people’s personal and material resources. On Rights †¢ Bentham’s view on rights can be rooted on his philosophy about natural law. According to Bentham, rights are produced by laws, and as affirmed before, laws can be attributed to the will of the Sovereign. †¢ Socio-political organization must be formed in order for these two to exist. †¢ Bentham related his view on the social contract theory with the existence and use of rights. According to him, it is impossible that rights exist before the establishment of the government. †¢ According to Jeremy Bentham, the theory of social contract is impossible (if not historical) because in order for the said contract to bind, there must be an established government to enforce such contract. †¢  § In reverse, the government must exist before the definition of different rights. This would again, lead into the issue with regard to law and liberty (where the Sovereign dictates the amount of liberty and rights that should be given to the people). John Stuart Mill’s Mode of Thinking Moral Theory †¢ J. S.  Mill’s two distinct approaches to moral theory: †¢ Intuitive Approach knowledge is attained without having an appeal to experience. †¢ Inductive Approach knowledge is gained through observation and experience. J. S. Mill’s Utilitarian Philosophy †¢ Mill believed that actions are right if they tend to promote happiness and wrong if they tend to deliver the opposite of it. †¢ For him, happiness can be associated with intellectual and sensual pleasure. He also stated that everything we desire can be considered as happiness. The following are some of the examples of happiness: †¢ Virtue  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Love of money †¢ Power †¢ Fame †¢ He also enumerated two kinds of motivation: †¢ External Motivation this arises from hope of pleasing or fear of displeasing God and other humans. †¢ Internal Motivation this arises from duty. †¢ Duty it refers to the subjective feeling which develops through experience. Furthermore, humans have an instinctive feeling of unity which guides the development of duty towards greater happiness. Mill’s Proof of the Principle of Utility:  · The only way to prove that general happiness is desirable is to show that people actually desire it.  § For instance, if X is the only thing desired, then X is the only thing that ought to be desired. General happiness is the thing desired. On Justice †¢ Apparently, J. S. Mill’s concept of justice is paralleled to the utilitarian philosophy. †¢ There are two essential elements on justice, to wit: †¢ Punishment it is a combination of social sympathy and vengeance †¢ Violation of someone’s rights infringement of rights. †¢ There are disputes in the notion of justice when examining theories of punishments, fair distribution of wealth and etc.  ¦ Political and Social Philosophy †¢ On Individuality J. S. Mill prescribed two criteria to determine the best kind of individual, to wit: †¢ Someone who is individually responsible for his own beliefs and actions. †¢ Someone who will not only be happy in his own case but will be concerned with and contribute to the happiness of others. †¢ Social Institutions that Contribute to Individuality: †¢ Free and uncensored debate. †¢ J. S. Mill regarded liberty as a fundamental human right. †¢ Democracy and representative governments encourage freedom and speech.

Airasia Berhad Strategy Analysis

Airasia Berhad Strategy Analysis Introduction AirAsia Berhad (AirAsia) is the leading low cost airlines in South East Asia, which has expanded rapidly since 2001. The company is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and has successfully positioned itself in customers mind through the simple slogan â€Å"Now Everyone Can Fly†. The company is currently valued at approximately RM2.7 billion and has a total of 60 aircrafts that fly to over 50 domestic and international destinations with over 400 domestic and international flights daily (Euromonitor International, 2009). The operation for the short and long haul are handled by AirAsia and its sister company, AirAsia X Sdn Bhd (AirAsia X) respectively (AirAsia, 2009). AirAsia aims to establish itself as a leading low cost carrier in market by valuing its customers through cost advantages created by operational effectiveness and efficiency. More customers are able to fly taking into consideration the low fare charges as AirAsia capture segments of customers that previously could not afford the airlines fare. Whether the strategy exploits the companys key resources Each organisation is unique in terms of it resources and capabilities and the key to success merely depend on its ability to find or create a competence that is distinctive (Teece, Pisano and Shuen, 1997). The Resource Based View (RBV) combines two perspectives, the internal analysis of phenomena within an organisation and an external analysis of the industry and its competitive environment (Eisenhardt and Martin, 2000) and (Collis and Montgomery, 1995). It goes beyond the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis by integrating internal and external perspectives. The ability of an organisations resources to present competitive advantages could not be determine without taking into considerations the broader competitive concept. Barney (1995) indicated that organisations resources and capabilities must be evaluated in terms of value, rarity, inimitability and organisation. Furthermore, Carpenter and Sanders (2009) suggested that in order for a company to gain co mpetitive advantage, they should possess resources and capabilities that are valuable, rare, inimitable, nonsubstitutable and exploitable (VRINE model). The value of the resources and capabilities interacts with the market sources and will differ based on time and industry. The three fundamental market forces; scarcity, demand and appropriability determines the value of a resources and capabilities (Collis and Montgomery, 1995). In order to answer the question of value, organisation could identify whether the resources and capabilities are able to meet market demand. As for AirAsia, the organisation relies on its human resources and management capabilities wherein these two components have satisfied the value requirement, as it has been able to meet the demand for the Low Cost Carrier (LCC) market. Resources and capabilities owned by AirAsia are homogenous in the market but aspect such as work culture and innovative routes make it difference from the competitors. For example, any ideas to improve the operations are welcome from all level of employees and in terms of route, AirAsia try penetrate new routes and will go to locations that others given up. In RBV concept, AirAsia can be characterised as a competitive parity company based on its valuable but not rare resources and capabilities. In airline industry, things like aircraft and fast turnaround time are easily imitated by others. Nevertheless, one of AirAsias distinct characteristic is path dependency wherein a characteristic of capabilities is developed and accumulated through a series of time (Dess, Lumpkin and Eisner, 2008). AirAsias work culture of openness between employees as well as the leadership from its Chief Executive Officer is something have been built up over a period of time which is difficult to duplicate. Moreover, the high capital requirement for market entry is another factor that leads to difficulty to imitate the resources and capabilities. It is undeniable that competitors can imitate the said resources and capability, however, it will take time and in the meantime, AirAsia will gain the competitive advantages. Controlling and exploiting the resources and capabilities provides competitive advantages to the organisations (Carpenter and Sanders, 2009). AirAsia has exploited it resources and capabilities, which is reflected in their financial performance. AirAsia has gradually increased its performance throughout the years. AirAsias s net profit for the 3rd quarter of 2009 totalled RM130 million ($38.4 million) which is sustained by rising passenger numbers and income from add-on services. The profit achieved was a turnaround from a RM466 million ($137 million) net loss in the same period last year (www.airasia.com). The fit of the strategy to current industry conditions The competitive environment consists of many factors that are particularly relevant to an organisations strategy. Analysing the external environment particularly the industry is a starting point for firms to develop a strategy. Porters five forces include the overall structure rather than focusing to any one element. However, the forces are not stagnant which tendency to change may occur. AirAsia operates within the airline industry and forces that are driven in the industry would identify the strength and weaknesses of the organisation. Rivalry among established companies Risk of entry by potential competitors Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Substitute Products High Due to market growth High Full service airline might want to consider going low cost Low Price is at the cheapest. Low Limited provider in the market. Low There is competition train, bus, car travel etc There is potential market in the Asia for LCC due to the rapid economic and disposable incomes growth. This seems to be a profitable opportunity to tap. Infrastructure such as high-speed trains and highways has yet to meet the high standard level and therefore customers tend to choose the air as mode of transportation. Hence, threats of substitutes are low as the geographical structure of Asia has made air travel the viable, efficient and convenient mode of transportation. Looking into this scenario, AirAsia entered the airline industry concentrating on the LCC and noted that at the initial stage there were less rivalry but as the industry grows, the rivalry among established firms become higher partly due to price issues. AirAsias main competitors are Firefly, Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia. Knowing the increase of competition in the market, AirAsia applied the adaptation process (Hanan Freeman, 1984) by expanding its operation to long haul services to various destinations. Moreove r, AirAsia realise the price is destructive and try to avoid direct price competition and try to create a friendly competition environment. As there is positive trend in the airline industry, full service airline carriers have refocused its operation related to costs and yields as it is seen as a requirement to maintain profitability (Graham and Vowles, 2006). There is possibility of new entrance of LCC, which creates further competition in the industry.For example, Firefly was set up by Malaysia Airline System Berhad (MAS) is a part of LCC industry in Malaysia that has adapted AirAsias low cost concept. However, it would not be a threat to AirAsia as Hanan Freeman (1984) highlighted it is difficult to imitate as tacit amount of knowledge is required on the targeted firm. The government barriers air service agreement and high capital requirement could act as barriers to entry. Due to significant growth within the industry, demand for additional aircraft has increased and suppliers will be in a powerful position. It was reported that Asia accounts for 40% of new aircraft orders for Boeing and Airbus and seat capacity on LCC worldwide has more than doubled in the past four years (Shameem, 2006). Due to few players, Boeing and Airbus, and lack of competition in the market, the bargaining power of suppliers are low. Consequently, there is not much competition in terms of pricing occurring between the two companies so an airline carrier will have to accept an offer from one of the suppliers. The bargaining power for buyers is low as there is no room to bargain for cheaper tickets as AirAsia provides the lowest price compared to other carriers. The biggest threats for AirAsia are the rivalry and risk of entry with the existing and potential competitors. LCC business is viable and there is healthy profitability provided AirAsia continuously improves itself and is flexible in the challenging market. The sustainability of the differentiators Porter (1996) indicated that to outperform rivals, an organisation need to deliver greater value to customers and build comparative value at a lower cost. The airline industry is at the growing stage and therefore stiff competition from existing and new LCC is expected in the future. In order to sustain its competitive advantage, AirAsia needs to leverage its competency in creating cost advantages. At present, AirAsia differentiates by providing substantially low fares with no frills concept and by offering innovative routes. Murray (1988) indicated that there is uncertainty for sustainable differentiation to be achieved through product innovation and suggested that the area that could be concentrated for the said differentiation is quality and service. While,Porter (1996) highlighted that positioning are successful based on activity system and simple consistency between each activity aligning with the organisation strategy. AirAsia builds it brand name by providing a good quality service at a low price. Furthermore, AirAsia focuses on branding through campaign and advertisement such as recent sponsorship deal with an American football team, Oakland Riders. During inception, AirAsia focused on internal destinations and have further entered the international destinations. AirAsia X is differentiated by its long haul LCC as customers would not need to look at different carriers to reach different destinations at a lowest price. It is based on the same no frills service model wherein the price is 80% lower than its competitor together with additional services that requires customer to pay additional payment such as food, entertainment and others. AirAsia also seek to create excitement amongst their customers with the range of innovative and personalized service such as self check-in. Customer loyalty is build by the differentiation, which could act as a defence against rivalry (Eng, 1994). Due to AirAsias success in the industry, competitor might want to adapt the companys business model. However, AirAsia had some advantages over its competitors by the advantage of experience and its brand enjoyed good recognition. AirAsia gain from the first mover advantage in South East Asia which allows it to establish itself before competition perceive further in this low cost segment, apart from competition that already exists across segments (low cost vs. full service carriers). AirAsia has the strength to lay down the rules and framework in the industry for business and operational suitability. Whether the elements of the strategy are consistent and aligned with the strategic position Strategy works as a driver in a firm in achieving goals and objectives (Carpenter and Sanders, 2009). AirAsias five strategy elements are as follows: Arenas (where will be active and with how much emphasis) * Low cost airline.  · specific markets-price sensitive customers (including first-time fliers) * Main base is located at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Its affiliate airlines, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia fly from Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia, respectively. Vehicles (How to get there?) * Internal development via new routes. * Strategic partnership. Differentiators (How to win?) * Low cost short and long haul with no-frills. Customers have the choice of customizing services without compromising on quality and services. * Create new segment in airline travel based on value and service. Staging and Pacing (what will the speed and sequence of moves?) * AirAsia flies to over 60 domestic and international destinations with 50 routes, and operates over 400 flights daily from hubs located in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. * AirAsia has flown over 55 million guests across the region and continues to spread its wings to create more extensive route network through its associate companies, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia. Economic Logic (How do returns be obtained?) * Low operation cost through flying with one type of aircraft, uses secondary airport locations etc. * Low cost incentive with various choices of destinations. Porter (1996) presented three generic strategies that an organisation could use to overcome the five forces and achieve competitive advantage. Adopting a suitable strategy depends on the organisations industry, customer characteristics and capabilities (Murray ,1988) and (Eng ,1993). However. In the LCC segment, cost is the competitive priority and it determines market position. In lieu of this, AirAsia has applied the focused cost leadership strategy wherein it targets on specific markets; price sensitive customers as well as lowering its overall costs (Flouris and Walker, 2005). Murray (1988) disagrees that cost structure is vital in relation to the output performance compared to the price sensitivity. Factors such as economy of scale and quality of management teams within the organization could be the benchmark for cost leadership. Under the cost leadership strategy, level of operation efficiency is vital as it assist in achieving cost advantages than the rivals by searching continuous areas for cost reduction along its value chain that leads to economies of scale (Eng, 1993). AirAsia increases its efficiency through increased route network and its operating activities by adapting cost optimising techniques such as quick turnaround times and maximizing of flight utilisation for its aircrafts (Shari, 2003). AirAsia took advantage from the existence of e-commerce which is easier technique in providing information. The cost related to web is very low compared to other methods like advertisement on television. AirAsia has taken advantage from this method to reduce the cost of operations. Malaysia government has supported AirAsia through the opening of the LCC terminal in Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which enhanced its competitive edge by reducing costs and better logistic planning (Euromonitor International, 2009). Competitors tend to know how big the market is and how good the opportunity is in Asia. Therefore, there is threat by competitors, which could imitate AirAsias low cost base. Most of the competitors have the same concept of no frills and low price strategy and will continuously try to reduce its costs than AirAsia in order to gain sustainability in the market. The challenge for AirAsia is to reduce cost effectively which is difficult for the competitors to copy. Possible issues associated with implementation Strategy formulation and implementation are interdependent with the objectives being a coherent set of strategy elements and implement levers (Carpenter and Sanders, 2009). In order to succeed in the LCC segment, AirAsia will need to maintain its low cost elements in their business design, as it is critical to the long-term success. The main reason is because the more gaps arise between the competiting airlines, the more flexibility will be available to offer lower price and gain market share. An extended route system will most certainly be a key differentiator and to sustain its competitive advantages, resources and capabilities need to be analysed further. With the growth in the LCC, it will create opportunity to others to enter the market. Competition between carriers using the same business model will inevitably be intense. There were studies resulting that adapting one or more forms of generic strategy will enable organisation to outperform better (Murray, 1988). However, Eng (1993) indicated that Porter discouraged organisations to combine the said strategies as it is inconsistent as for example differentiation is related to cost. One of the major pitfalls against attempting to differentiate is by trying to combine low cost and differentiation strategy by starting to add frills in its business model. By applying this strategy, carriers have lost their source of competitive advantage by narrowing the strategic cost gap. Every frill or service adds to cost and reduced the strategic cost gap, thus curbing the flexibility to offer innovative price deals. Around the world, it has been observed that low cost airlines pursuing a generic b usiness design have emerged as the most successful. Conclusion AirAsias success is based on the no-frills, low fare, simple and convenient option air travel. The company has managed to deliver low fares by consistently keeping cost low through high efficiency in every art of the business and maintaining simplicity. The company has indicated that synergies between the internal and external factors could develop a competitive advantage. This has allowed AirAsia to position and be the market leader for LCC in South East Asia. The brand name is a major strength to AirAsia wherein a lot of effort is being done. For example, initially when considering to enter the UK market, the company has collaborated with Manchester United and later with referees of Football Association of England. At the moment, they also collaborated with a giant American football club, Oakland Riders to create brand awareness for the local public in order for them to enter the USA market in the future. Bibliography AirAsia offers a new take on the long haul, low cost airline sector (February 2009) Euromonitor International. (assessed on December 2, 2009) Barney J.B. (1995) Looking Inside for Competitive Advantage Academy of Management Executive. 9(4): pp. 49-61 Carpenter, M.A., Sanders W.G. (2009) Strategic Management: A Dynamic Perspective Concepts and Cases Edition. 2nd Edition. New Jersey: Pearson International Edition Collis, D. J.,Montgomery, C. A. (1995) Competing on Resources Harvard Business Review. pp. 118-128 Dess, G.G., Lumpkin, G.T., Alan, B.E. (2008) Strategic Management. 4th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Eisenthardt, K., Martin, J.A. (2000) Dynamic Capabilities: What Are They? Strategic Management Journal. 21: pp. 1105-1121 Eng, L.G. (2003) Using Generic Strategies: Some Caveats Singapore Management Review. 15(2) : pp. 43-48 Flouris T., Walker T.J., (2005) The Financial Performance of Low Cost and Full Service Airlines in Times of Crisis Canadian Journal Administrative Sciences. 22(1) : pp. 3-20 Hanan M.T., Freeman J. (1984) Structural Inertia and Organisational Change American Sociology Review. 49(2): pp. 149-164 Local Company Profile: AirAsia Sdn Bhd-Travel and Tourism-Malaysia (October 2009) Euromonitor International. (assessed on December 1, 2009) Murray A.I. (1988) A Contingency View of Porters â€Å"Generic Strategies† The Academy of Management Review. 13(3) : pp. 390-400 Graham B., Vowles T.M. (2006) Carriers within Carriers: A Strategic Response to Low-Cost Airline Competition Transport Reviews.: pp. 105-126 Porter M.E. (1996), What is Strategy Harvard Business School. pp. 61-78 Shameem A. (September 26, 2006), AirAsia Taked Flights on Low Cost Carriers Business Week (Online) Available from http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/sep2006/gb20060929_437421.html (assess on December 2, 2009) Shari M. (September 1, 2003) A Discount Carrier Spread its Wings Business Week (Online), Available from: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_35/b3847132_mz033.htm (assessed on December 2, 2009) Teece, D.J., Pisano G., Shuen, Amy (1997) Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic Management Strategic Management Journal. 18(7): pp. 509-533 www.airasia.com (assess on November 12, 2009)

The Cyclops: An Unusual People :: essays research papers fc

The Cyclops: An Unusual People   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cyclopes were unique and unusual mythical people. They had very interesting lives. They had an unusual beginning and they had an unusual lifestyle. Also, the Cyclopes appeared to be completely different when described by opposing viewpoints. Overalll, the Cyclopes were an unconventional race in mythical legends.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cyclopes had an intriguing origin. They were the eldest sons of Mother Earth, Gaia, and Father Heaven, Uranus (Evslin 1). While the Cyclopes were still in the womb of Gaia, Uranus got jealous of the babies. He sent a bat to eat one eye out of each baby to make them hideous and thus make everybody hate them (Evslin). Because of what Uranus executed, the baby Cyclopes were born with one eye. They grew to be of gigantic size (Hamilton 65). This beginning of the era of the Cyclopes proved to be a unique situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the Cyclopes were born disfigured they led attracting lives. The Cyclopes had a brother named Cronos who killed his father Uranus (Evslin 13). Since everyone was afraid of the Cyclopes (2), Cronos punished them by tricking them into imprisonment. Zeus, the son of Cronos and the new god king, freed them after Cronos had imprisoned them (31). The Cyclopes were very good smiths (12). They forged thunderbolts for Zeus because he freed them (Schmidt 74). A war was in the midst so the Cyclopes made armor and weapons for the gods of Olympus (Evslin 39). Even though the Cyclopes performed all of these good deeds the people still disliked them so much that they were forced to return to their smithy in the middle of a volcano for eternity (71). The Cyclopes lives were filled with helpfulness to others, but they were still shunned and hated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cyclopes were basically good people, but there were other Cyclopes. Homer wrote of Cyclopes that were extremely bad. They were downright savage shepherds (Schmidt 74). They were so savage that they did not give a thought before they devoured humans. They almost ate Odysseus, the main character of

The Scarlet Letter 9 :: essays research papers

The Scarlet Letter   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, had many various turning points. The most interesting to me were the  ³scaffold scenes. ² Each had its own exciting moments. It kept the story moving. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the  ³scenes ² as major turning points.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In chronological order, the first  ³scaffold scene ² was what started the novel. The book opened right where Hester and Pearl were on the scaffold. In this scene, Hester and her baby are standing on the scaffold in front of the entire village. Everyone one is staring and whispering. She is bearing a strange symbol on her bosom. This symbol is a large letter  ³A. ² It is quite fancy. But the letter is not something to be proud of. As Hester is standing there holding her baby, Pearl, she spots a very strange man moving through the crowd of people. The man stares at her. Hester acts like she has some connection with this strange man. Hester and the man look at each other as if they have known each other before. They are more than acquaintances.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This scene is a turning point because it introduces you to the scarlet letter. The letter is what the entire book revolves around. All of the events are based on the letter and what it symbolizes in the story. Hester is bearing it for the first time. The letter means adultery. The scene is also a turning point because it shows the connection with the strange man (Roger Chillingworth.) Roger Chillingworth is a new character being introduced. The hidden relationship between Hester and Chillingworth will lead to many events and turn the story in a different direction that is not just about the scarlet letter, but about Hester ¹s past.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second  ³scaffold scene ² is also a very big turning point. This is where Hester, Pearl (who has matured over the amount of time), and Dimmesdale (the village ¹s minister) are holding each other ¹s hands on the town ¹s scaffold at night with no one seeing them. Dimmesdale is the man who has had the affair with Hester. No one in the story knows this yet. As the three stand there on the scaffold, Pearl asks Dimmesdale to stand with them on the scaffold the next day in front of the village. Dimmesdale refuses to do so. He does not want anyone to know about his affair with Hester. He is trying to keep his reputation intact.

Prospero in William Shakespeares The Tempest Essay -- Shakespeare T

Prospero in William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" Prospero has long been read as one of Shakespeare’s most cherished and provocative protagonists. His timeless role in â€Å"The Tempest† has provided readers and critics with insights into many attributes of Shakespeare as a man, his works, and the political views that are personified in his play. The historical context of â€Å"The Tempest† is one that convincingly conveys the political views of the English people of his time, relating to the colonization of the New World, the expansion of British powers, and the domination of the indigenous peoples that was necessary for the British to thrive in the Americas. Of course, many people from the 1600’s would argue that domination of these natives would have been completely justified, from this view, Prospero conversely did nothing truly evil in taking rule of the Island from Caliban. However, a modern critic reading or watching a performance of â€Å"The Tempest† may find that Prospero is not very dif ferent from Antonio when standing the play and the colonial era next to each other. The reader will see through basic observation that these two men have more in common than they do in disparity, and more so that he closely resembles the attitude of European colonists settling in the New World. Prospero is simply a ruler, bent for power, and to him, the end justifies the means. The only true difference between Prospero and Antonio may be that that Prospero is not quite as willing to kill as Antonio is, and that he may not be addicted to gaining power and fratricide as Antonio may be. Prospero is capable of forgiveness, as seen in the end of the play. He does not of course carry all the attributes of an evil villain. If Shakespeare wrote an evil p... ...true difference between himself and Antonio. It reinforces the benevolence that is one of Prospero’s characteristics, and also conveys the kindness and grace set upon the native peoples of the English colonies by it’s European rulers: that since they are ignorant and need constant guidance, they are worth forgiving. Works Cited: Brown, Paul/Deborah Willis. William Shakespeare, The Tempest: A Case Study in Critical Controversy. Bedford/St. Martin’s, Boston-New York 2000 Hunter, Heidi. Colonial Women: Race and Culture in Stuart Drama. Oxford University Press. New York, New York. 2001 Merrell, James H. Into the American Woods. W&W Norton and Co. Inc. New York, New York. 1999 Shakespeare, William. The Tempest Washington Square Press. New York, New York. Folger Shakespeare Library edition. 1994

Extreme Sports Essay

The X Games is one of the more popular sporting events, where people gather to watch athletes compete in extreme sports. Some of these sports include skateboarding, mountain biking and motorcycle racing. The community around extreme sports can sometimes be seen as exclusive and particular when it comes to defining what an extreme sport is and who is a true extremist. Originally, I believe the extreme sport community created this division of athletics because they thought their sports did not fit in at a standard sporting event. Part of the reason some the extreme athletes participate in their sport is because they see it as a way of defying the boundaries of what is seen as a typical sport. Most extreme sports are about pushing limits. Extreme sports are not conventional in the sense that practicing isn’t really necessary, a coach isn’t necessary, and the sports are very individualistic. Some of the extreme sport athletes do it for the adrenaline rush. They do it purely for themselves. Their reasoning contrasts to some of the other sports where lots of practice and coaching is essential for success. A lot of the athletes that compete in non extreme sports are focused on getting sponsors or when you’re younger, getting recruited for college. For the extreme sport community this is considered to be feeding into the capitalist society/culture. Part of extreme sports is about taking risks and not having anything to fall back on. The X games have put a strain on the extreme sports community because some seem to think that the event has altered the true goal of the sport, which is to take risks and to go against the mainstream culture. Some people seem to believe that it has become like the other sporting events, in the sense that there are now big sponsors and judges. They argue that the extreme athletes are no longer taking risks because they want to make sure they can land the trick. The goal is no longer to try new tricks and push the bar, but its more about doing what you know will please the judges. This goes against what extremist originally wanted for the sport. It takes the risk  out of it and you no longer do it for yourself but for the judges. The fact that there are sponsors is also a cause for controversy because some people see it as the athletes being sellouts. For example, Tony Hawk is famous skate boarder. He has a lot of sponsors, video games, and ads. Some say he is no longer a true extremist because of it. At the same time, what makes the sports in the X games more extreme than say diving or gymnastics? Both sports are very individualistic and there is a lot of a risk, yet they are not seen as extreme sports. I think the extreme sports community has tried to make their community too exclusive and extreme sports benefit from the X games and the sponsors and judges it brings. The event does bring aspects that were not originally a part of the sport, but the extreme sports community will grow now. Extremist can still continue to push limits and do the sport for themselves despite what others may think.

Nelson Mandela Essay

The world leader I have chosen to write about is Nelson Mandela:  Nelson Mandela’s rise in the political arena can be traced back to his years as one of the leading members of the African National Congress, otherwise known as the ANC, beginning in 1944 (Mandela, 2009). The ANC was one of the oldest South African civil rights unions. The union’s primary purpose, the freedom and equal rights of all black citizens from the practice of apartheid–South Africa’s then legalized form of racism–was a natural draw for Mandela.Mr. Mandela describes in his own words the deciding moment when he joined the ANC: I had no epiphany, no singular revelation, no moment of truth, but a steady accumulation of a thousand slights, a thousand indignities, a thousand unremembered moments, [that] produced in me an anger, a rebelliousness, a desire to fight the system that imprisoned my people (Mandela, 2009). Mandela’s desire and drive helped sustain him in the diffi cult years ahead. After joining the ANC and creating its first youth league (Mandela, 2009). Mandela went on to organize many nonviolent protests and civil disobedience demonstrations throughout much of the country.Growing in popularity, these campaigns were eventually deemed illegal by the National Party–the white supremacist government in power at the time–and ultimately led to the imprisonment of Mandela in 1962 (Mandela, 2009). Although many people advocated for his release throughout the years, it was from his own prison cell twenty years later when Nelson Mandela finally negotiated his own freedom and began the long, tedious, yet peaceful process of creating a new government for the South African people. Working together with South Africa’s new president, F.W. de Klerk, Mandela negotiated heroically in the creation of a new and non-discriminatory government.The two men made history on September 26, 1992 when they signed the Record of Understanding, a docum ent formalizing their agreement to create a new, non-racial, democratic government freely elected by the people (Mandela, 2009). Nelson Mandela went on to become the first freely elected President of South Africa and continued the hard work of rebuilding his country. He served his presidency for five years, stepping down from politics in 1999. Although removed from public office, Mandela continued to  advocate for issues important to his country; issues such as AIDS, poverty, and human rights. Again, Nelson Mandela worked tirelessly on behalf of his people, receiving numerous rewards throughout the years, until he formally retired from public life in 2004 (Mandela, 2009).As a result of his life’s work, Nelson Mandela forever changed the social view and practice of apartheid in his country. Politically, his efforts resulted in the first non-discriminatory, democratic (majority rule) government for South Africa. Therefore, I find these to be the two most significant social an d political changes that occurred as a result of Nelson Mandela. Task B.The individual I have chosen to write about is Martin Luther King, Jr.:  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was known as a religious reformer and civil rights activist who rose to greatness during the civil rights movements of the United States.Dr. King began his career as a civil rights activist in 1956 (About Dr. King, n.d.) when he was hired as a spokesman for the Montgomery Bus Boycott; a campaign organized and fully supported by the black community of Montgomery in protest of the segregation of the city bus lines. This boycott, which lasted for 381 days, ended successfully with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring racial segregation in public transportation unconstitutional (About Dr. King, n.d.). This landmark protest would prove to be but one of the many successful campaigns Dr. King would lead throughout his lifetime.In 1958, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) elected Dr. Martin Luther Kin g, Jr. as their president (About Dr. King, n.d.). The SCLC’s mission of providing guidance to the growing civil rights movement (occurring throughout much of the south) served as the perfect platform for Dr. King’s message. From here, Dr. King would go on to organize many campaigns, most of them occurring in Birmingham, Alabama, then described â€Å"as the most segregated city in America† (About Dr. King, n.d.).Drawing from the nonviolent teachings of Mohandas Gandhi, Dr. King’s peaceful protests and civil disobedience demonstrations were televised in stark contrast to the brutality of Birmingham’s police force. The televised beatings of young black protesters proved too much for the nation to bear, prompting congress  to begin legislation on behalf of the civil rights movement in 1962 (About Dr. King, n.d.).Although the Birmingham demonstrations led to the writing of his open and now famous â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail;† an articulat e, well written manifesto of Dr. King’s beliefs and actions (About Dr. King, n.d.), time would show that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s greatest moments were still to come. In 1963 Dr. King gathered more than a quarter-million people to Washington D.C.’s National Mall for the â€Å"March for Jobs and Freedom,† now commonly referred to as the â€Å"March on Washington† (About Dr. King, n.d.)It was here that Dr. King delivered his legendary â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, firmly placing himself on the world stage as a social and political leader, as well as becoming the youngest man–30 years of age– to receive the Nobel Peace. As a result of all the publicity Dr. King drew to the civil rights movement, congress soon passed the historical 1964 Civil Rights Act, and soon after the 1965 Voting Rights Act (About Dr. King, n.d.); sweeping legislation declaring it illegal to discriminate against blacks or any other minority people, and removi ng any obstacles obscuring blacks of their right to vote.After the passage of the Civil Rights Act, Dr. King carried on with his work, choosing to focus on economic justice and international peace. Tragically, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated while visiting a motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968 (About Dr. King, n.d.).Through his work, Dr. King introduced our country to the practice of â€Å"nonviolent† demonstrations, socially changing the way many people participate in protests even today. Due in part to his nonviolent campaigns, Dr. King’s efforts resulted in the passing of the Civil Rights Acts, one of the most significant political changes occurring in the history of our country. Therefore, I find these to be the two most significant social and political changes resulting from the actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Jade Peony

Thesis: one’s personal culture and sense of tradition will always be a strong part of the self, regardless of external factors which can have a profound influence on one’s life. Subtopic 1: one’s value, habits and loyalty to his culture and tradition are not easily changed. Example:â€Å" But we collect for the heart, Kiam-Kim,† Father said. â€Å"We help all the people of China. † I was puzzled. â€Å"Even those who kill other Chinese? † â€Å"Yes,† Father said. â€Å"Of course. † â€Å"But never help the Japanese? † â€Å"Never. †(Page 208) Explanation: This discussion is between Kiam-Kim and his father, which is a Chinese family in Canada for a long time. At that time, there is just a war between China and Japanese, and Kiam-Kim, who is the main character in the novel, is collecting money for the donation of Chinese soldiers. Kiam-Kim thinks this money is for blankets, medical supplies, food for orphans but not for bullets or guns. Because at that time, Kiam-Kim just 9 years old, his child’s mind wants everyone in peace but not in war. But in fact, there are so many wars in China. Not only between Chinese people but also between China and Japan. When he asks his father about what these denotation is for, his father tells him that is for all Chinese people including the people who is fighting with another Chinese people. Because of the hatred of Japan, his father never wants to give anything to Japan. That proves that he will never help his country’s enemy because of his loyalty of China . Subtopic 2: One’s culture can have a profound hold on one’s personality, gravity influencing a course of behavior. Example: â€Å"Teach Jung-sum how to kick and pass the ball,† Father said to me. â€Å"Canada never need soldiers. † â€Å"Need soldiers in China,† Poh-Poh said, slapping the last bandage on my arm. She poured her stinging homemade lotion on one of Jung’s battle wounds. â€Å"Fight the warlords!Fight the Japanese! †(Page 230 ) Explanation: Poh-Poh is an old lady from old China; she used to be in China for such a long time so the impression of China’s culture has a important part in her life. Although she is in Canada, but she still memorizes the Old China and cares about the things happening here. When the war between China and Japan is broken out, she is always worried about the Old China’s situation although there is not any war in Canada, so no soldiers are needed. But Kiam-Kim’s father said â€Å"Canada never needs soldiers†. Poh-Poh thinks about her country, the old China, which needs so many soldiers to attend to the war. So she said â€Å" Need soldiers in China! † because the culture of China has such a influence to her. Subtopic 3: We are all placed in a category and perceived in a certain way become of our background’s culture, and the human aspect of prejudgment will probably never changed. Example: Overnight, the news ran through Chinatown. Perfect Meiying had given herself to a Japanese boy. She had to do something and failed terribly. She had bled to death. Two ambulance arrived, and a crowd gathered to watch them take away the bundled body. Explanation: When the war between China and Japan becomes more and more intensely, every Chinese people including the aboard hate Japan because Japan invade their land and attack their compatriots. But Meiying, who is a wonderful girl in Chinatown, has a boyfriend as a Japanese people. In that time, it is such a terrible thing because the Chinese people believe that people who has communication with Japanese is a traitor. Meiying keeps the secret for such a long time but finally it is exposed so she can not be under this hard pressure and also don't want to Implicate her parents so she decides to kill herself. So at that time, people think all Japanese people are bad and harmful and attribute them into a category which is bad. So whether the people is good or bad, if he is a Japanese, he will be judged into a harmful people.

Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign Speech in Berlin Essay

The current president of the United States, Barack Obama, once gave a speech during his electoral campaign to a massive crowd in Berlin. Of course, while such a campaign speech is evidently associated with political endeavors, it would still be appropriate to point out that the speech supposedly serves a purpose to unify nations and to rebuild past alliances for a single cause which is to prevent as well as resolve emerging worldwide concerns. Given such context though, it is still evident that a number of propaganda techniques have been employed so as to gain and strengthen public support. One of the most apparent propaganda techniques which Obama utilized was the plain folk appeal. To further explain, throughout his speech, Obama noted and highlighted that he presents himself not as an electoral candidate but rather as a concerned citizen of the world just like the individuals before him (The Huffington Post, 2008). Furthermore, the bandwagon approach has also been applied. While addressing the public he delineated goals which are supposedly the goals of the entire world, such as banishing terrorist threats and even providing justice in other nations (The Huffington Post, 2008). If other individuals or nations would detract from such aims it seems that they would be branded as adversary even though not necessarily so. It is irrefutable that Obama’s speech was indeed effective in persuading its audience judging from the ovation. The propaganda techniques are designed to appeal to the emotions of the public in Berlin. It provides a sense of oneness, taking advantage of the historic representation of the site. Questioning the relevance and validity of Obama’s points during the event must have been unlikely as the majority, which attended the event, have already assumed the same perspective. Possibly, others, being influenced, took a similar stance as it seems to be the nationalistic and responsible decision. Hence, Obama’s electoral success is testament to the use of propaganda techniques in politics, regardless of its biased and group-oriented nature. Reference The Huffington Post. (2008). Obama Berlin Speech. Retrieved http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2008/07/24/obama-in-berlin-video- of_n_114771. html.