Generational Shifts in the Workplace Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Generational Shifts in the Workplace - Article Example Moreover, as people from the different generations spend more time with one another, they are in a position to remove their differences and build good rapport which is conducive for more work and lesser fuss. Managers should tend to make employees from different generations benefit from one another’s expertise. For example, old employees have more experience and are aware of the traps. They know how to deal with intricate situations and companies benefit from their strategic planning. Likewise, young employees are more skilled in technology, unlike the old employees. They have great knowledge of computer and can operate difficult software with extreme comfort. In order to progress in the contemporary age with so many competitors in the market, companies are in need of both the strategic planning of the elderly and the technological expertise of the young employees. Nevertheless, it is essential to inculcate the skills of decision making in young employees and make the old empl oyees competent enough in the use of technology.

Animals Right Essay Example for Free

Animals Right Essay Some people believe that animals are humans’ friends. The other people might do not think so. Because people have different values of animals, the arguments are commenced. Since 1977, all of three philosophers, Peter Singer, Tom Regan and Carl Cohen have respectively written their work to declare the status of animals. On the one hand, according to Peter Singer’s â€Å"All Animals Are Equal(1977) ,† and Tom Regan’s â€Å"The Case for Animal Rights(1989),† they claim that people should give equal rights to animals as the way do for human beings, and treat all the animals in certain way no matter how the consequences are; On the other hand, in â€Å"The Case for the Use of Animals in Biomedical Research(1986),† Carl Cohen believes that animals have no rights because they are not a part of a group whose typical members are moral agents and able to respond to moral claims. Only human can be the top one of the living beings in the world. Then the other two consider this is a form of speciesism. To see how this long debate’s process, animals’ equal rights and speciesism are the focus. First of all, animals should have equal rights. Peter Singer starts to call for the equal rights for animals. A similarity can be found by Tom Regan. Regan presents the principle, â€Å"subject-of-a-life† as the basis of his case for the fundamental rights of animals. Once any being has complicated spiritual life, like desire, belief, memory, intention and a sense of the future, which is a subject of a life. Due to the fact that each subject of a life is an individual who worries and thinks about his or her life, that life is defined with inherent value. Indeed, Regan identifies that being is not important as the state, and concludes that all who have inherent value equally. Therefore, all animals’ equal right should be treated with respect. However, Cohen replies that animals are not morally self-legislative, cannot possibly be members of a truly moral community (Cohen2. Para. 6), and â€Å"not being of a kind capable of exercising or responding to moral claims† (Cohen 2. Para. 5), so they do not allow to gain rights. But as human infants, severely retarded humans are members of a group whose typical members are moral agents, so they do have rights. Regarding to Cohen’s idea that animals have no rights, Peter Singer analyzes the idea of speciesism to ground his case for the basic rights of animals. Speciesism is a prejudice or partiality that prevents objective consideration of one’s own species and against those of members of other species. Singer goes to explain three claims against speciesism. First, he thinks equal consideration is the basis of equality, so it is unfair to argue an animal since they do not have extending rights. He cites the claim of dogs that are unequal because they do not know what voting is so that cause them not allow to vote. Secondly equality is a moral idea not an actual one. He points out the problems of claims came from defense of racism, sexism, and arguments against the equality of human beings to illustrate his thinking. The aim of this is to put forward the point that, â€Å"equality does not depend on intelligence, moral capacity, physical strength, or similar matters of fact†(Singer3. Para. 12). Thirdly the capacity for suffering is the basic support structure of rights. Therefore he concludes that equality cannot pursue with speciesism. Finally, Carl Cohen argues that speciesism is not at all like the cases of racism or sexism, it can defense morally. Racism has no rational ground whatever†¦the same is true of the sexes, neither sex being entitled by right to greater respect or concern than other† (Cohen3. Para. 21). Unlike the differences between the sexes and races, there are much morally relevant differences between humans and animals. â€Å"Theirs is a moral status very different from that of cats or rats† (Cohen 3. Para. 22). For example, Animals cannot make moral judgments. Also, Cohen describes that the benefits of an adequate utilitarian calculus of animal experimentation which are much more valuable than its costs. As a result, the idea to oppose animal experimentation is inconsistent because this is by far a better use of animals than are other uses of animals the opponents accept, like the use of animals for food, clothing, and shelter. On the other hand, but Cohen applies the idea that it is human beings’ responsibilities to help animals to stop meaningless suffering. Carl Cohen’s arguments against animal rights are shown to be unsound. Cohen’s strategy entails that animals have rights, that humans do not, the negations of those conclusions, and other false and inconsistent implications. Singer’s view is not so very radical, and does not lead to hugely counterintuitive conclusions, because he thinks there are lots or differences between the interests of humans and the interests of other animals. So in practice, treating animals and humans as equals allows for a fair amount of different treatment. However, â€Å"the Case for Animal Rights† is beyond question the most important philosophical contribution to animal rights and is a major work in moral philosophy. Should animals have more rights? The answer we need to wait until the next declaration to go on the animal rights.

Overview Of Mitsui OSK Lines Commerce Essay

Overview Of Mitsui OSK Lines Commerce Essay Introduction to Mitsui OSK lines Mitsui OSK lines (MOL) are a Japanese transport company which has wide range of business. OSK lines were a shipping company which was formed in 1884 and Mitsui was formed in 1942. During the major consolidation in Japanese shipping markets Mitsui OSK lines was formed in 1964, following the mergers of two companies OSK lines and Mitsui. (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010). After the formation in 1964 they launched specialised car carrier in 1965 and then full container ships in 1968. Later on they also entered the LNG market and also launched the double hull VLCC in 1995. As a strategy to expand their container services covering North America, Asia and Europe MOL joined a global merger know as The New world alliance (TNWA) with American president lines and Hyundai Merchant Marine. (Panama Canal authority, 2009). In one of the biggest mergers in Japan Mitsui OSK lines (2nd largest in Japan) merged with Navix lines (4th largest in Japan) in 1999. After the merger with Navix lines, MOL became one o f the biggest maritime carriers in the world (Japanese Times, 1998). The groups headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan. The company has in total 533 subsidiaries and affiliated companies in 66 countries with a consolidated work force of 39,864 employees (Annual report, 2009). Its main areas of operations are shipping and shipping related activities. Source: Mitsui OSK lines, 2010. As seen from the above chart MOL has a wide range of ships such as containers, pure car carriers, Bulk carriers, Tankers, LNG carriers, and others. MOLs core business segments are its bulk ships, container ships. (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010). In addition to ships they are in logistics services such as distribution and inventory control, air cargo transport, construction and engineering, real estate, trading and R D. (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010). MOL has 861 ships as of 31st March 2009 with a carrying capacity of 59,643 thousand tons. In terms of number of ships and deadweight MOL ranks the worlds largest shipping company in the world ahead of NYK and COSCO (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010). Source: Mitsui OSK lines, 2010. It has the largest Dry bulk fleet in the world with fleet size of 356 ships with a combined deadweight of 31026 million tons (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010). MOL is ranked first in terms of operation of LNG ships. Even after the financial crisis, the bunker prices at sky high rates and a strong yen in FY 2008 MOL posted their second highest annual income till date. This was more due to the strong performance in first half of 2008. Their revenue for FY 2008 was 18,994,218 thousand dollars with net income of 1292752 thousand dollars. Source: Mitsui OSK lines, 2010. Source: Mitsui OSK lines, 2010. Innovations and other activities In 2001 MOL launched its corporate principles to promote and protect our environment by maintaining strict, safe operation and navigation standards (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010, p.1). As per their principles they launched the 24hour manned (SOSC) Safety Operation Supporting Centre in the Head Office which monitors all MOL vessels position all around the world. MOL is also heavily involved in research and development. In December 2009 it displayed its concept of new generation vessels. The car carrier which is environment friendly they call it a HBRID car carrier, i.e. it uses renewable energy for ships electricity supply. The current president of MOL is Akimitsu says he want to create an excellent and resilient MOL group that contributes to sustainable worldwide growth (Ashida, 2009, p.1) HYBRID CAR CARRIER Source: Mitsui OSK lines, 2010. Theory of SWOT analysis W = WEAKNESS S = STRENGTH T = THREATS O = OPPORTUNITIY Source: Author generated The central purpose of SWOT analysis is to identify strategies that align, fit or match a companys resources and capabilities to the demands of the environment in which the company operates (Hill Jones, 2001). The true sense of SWOT analysis lies in its efficient use of rendering the company with its true picture of internal and external threats to the organisation. The predominant usage of SWOT is by bifurcating it into external and internal factors. Internal factor comprises of strengths and weakness of an organisation and the people who set the organisation standards. External factors are its opportunity and threats that are from its competitors and fellow companies. (Wang, 2008). True analysis helps the company set its agenda and helps excel to sustain in the competitive market. It is the model that helps it restructure the organisation to be able to sustain the competition. SWOT matrix can be used by managers to create various kinds of growth strategies. In the matrix there are four set of combinations which can be used. (Wang, 2008). SWOT MATRIX Opportunities EXTERNAL FACTORS WO SO ST WT Threats Strengths Weakness INTERNAL FACTORS SOURCE: Wang, 2008 SO: It is a combination of using strength of an organisation to grab the opportunities. ST: Using the strength of a company and company members to fight threats. Threats can be internal or external WO: This combination helps fight weakness to open up new opportunities. WT: Weakness and threats; these strategies are defensive in nature and helps to act in the positive direction to accomplish the set targets of the organisation. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Strong revenue growth: Its core shipping business is its bulk shipping. These are primary responsible for the growth of the company. It contributed to 86% of the revenue for the group. This increase in its major divisions will fuel the companys growth and will also help it in expanding its market share (Mitsui OSK lines, 2009). Diversified business portfolio: MOL has a diversified fleet ranging from ship operations to logistics. The logistics division of the fleet supports its shipping division. Due to its diversified fleet it can cope up with short term market fluctuations and also it can influence them. It also helps the group to enter into a market with wider customer base. (Mitsui OSK lines, 2009). Large fleet size: With respect to number of ships MOL has one of the largest fleet sizes. The group has the largest fleet of ships for Bulk and LNG. With this large fleet size it can service its customers better and also it improves the bargaining power in the market (Mitsui OSK lines, 2009). Weaknesses: Geographic concentration: MOLs main trade area is near the Japan coast and it is mainly catering to the Japanese market. For the FY 2007-2008 95% of its revenue was earned from the Japanese market. Over dependence on Japanese market makes its business risky as it is completely depend upon the economy of that country. It faces a competitive disadvantage over other companies due to its absence from the emerging markets in Asia. (Mitsui OSK lines, 2009). Economic downturn will affect the company as it is solely dependent upon Japanese markets. Slow growth and minimum profit margins in container market will affect the companys net income, due to the presence of container market drivers such as Maersk and MSC. High debt burden: MOL suffers from substantial Debt for the year ending 31st March 2009. As MOL has such a high debt it will affect on the groups capacity to obtain funds for future working capital, acquisitions etc. which will hamper the growth of the group (Mitsui OSK lines, 2009). Opportunities Growing volumes of container market: Due to globalisation container market will keep on growing at high rate. Hence they can enter into new trade routes in emerging markets such as Asia and Middle East (Mitsui OSK lines, 2009). Growing demand for natural gas transportation: The demand of natural gas will keep on increasing over the years as industrial, commercial and residential consumption will increase. MOL is already into natural gas transportation, they can benefit themselves with the growth in demand (Mitsui OSK lines, 2009). Well-timed fleet expansion: New regulations in Bulk shipping are coming, which are setting an upper limit on the age of the ships. MOL has got new fleet of carriers and also it can expand its current fleet and make the most of the situation. (Mitsui OSK lines, 2009). Threats Volatile oil prices: As MOL operates such a large fleet size fluctuation in the crude oil prices seriously affects the company. As the market is very competitive increased fuel prices burden cannot be passed on to the customer. This affects the companies operating expenses. (Mitsui OSK lines, 2009). Economic crisis is also a major concern due to major concentration of its trading in Japan. Competitive industry: There is a price war in between companies such as Maersk, NYK lines, MSC, Hanjin etc. Companies are coming up strategies such as low prices and faster delivery of goods. Hence the company has to make long term sustainability strategies which can help them stay in the market. (Mitsui OSK lines, 2009). MOL has a large fleet and in-spite of having policies, proper training and adequate precautions accidents are bound to happen. Oil spill accident can affect the companys image and can wipe out its business (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010). Global strategy Global strategy is a strategy which focuses on the world market and considers it to be a single market. This strategy is mainly adopted by companies which can compete on a global basis and their products are mainly standardized and offer services on a worldwide basis (Laudon Laudon, 2007). Global strategy is adopted mainly because of globalisation and liberalisation of trade all over the world. Some of the key drivers of globalisation are: There is a significant amount of reduction of barriers for trade in-between countries. The markets are liberalised and adoption of free market strategy. Industrialisation in developing nations such as India, China. Integration of world markets and cross border transactions have resulted in easy flow of capital. Technological advances are facilitating cross border trade and investments. The key participants in the global business are multinational enterprise (MNEs). MNE is a large company which have offices and subsidiary companies all over the world. Normally MNEs have inter-dependent members located all over the world, and all members work for a single system. MNEs normally carry out RD, manufacturing, procurement and marketing activities in whichever part of the world is economical for their business. Development of Information technology is giving the firms more flexibility to plan their global strategy. (Laudon and Laudon, 2007). Implementation of global strategy in a MNE is not easy at it seems. There is diversity in behaviour of people within countries. Companies when implementing their global strategies have to modify their strategies depending upon the regional markets. (Baird, 2003) Companies should also take into consideration regional differences, different life styles of people, cultures, and values. (Baird, 2003) In under-developed countries there may be other factors such as relation with government officials, language barriers lack of well trained people (Quickmba, 2007). Shipping by its nature is a globalised industry. Most of the large shipping companies operate on a global scale, and the above theory of global strategy fits perfectly for shipping lines. In terms of shipping global strategy means development of business through growth, acquisitions, alliances, creation of new capacity or a mix of all these things (Baird, 2003). The benefits to ship owners from a global strategy should be low cost and high efficiency. To gain the benefits of this strategy the key is to have a central decision making process which can handle such complex organisations (Baird, 2003). To gain competitive and comparative advantage over its rivals buying large vessels in the fleet such as containers or cape size bulk carriers is important. Mergers and alliance with companies is also a good option to increase the size of fleet and to share the risk (Baird, 2003). In container customer satisfaction is an important part of the business. (Baird, 2003) Hence companies tend to add value to their value chain by use of technology such as giving door-to-door service or by giving them faster service. MOL global strategy MOL is a shipping and transport company trading its ships all over the world. MOL has different types of ships and has offices and subsidiaries all over the world. MOL can be termed as a multinational enterprise. MOL launched its Mid-term management plan in 2007 known as MOL ADVANCE Action and Direction at the vanguard of creating excellence (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010).Their main theme is growth with enhance quality- Becoming the biggest and the best (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010,p.1). There are five overall strategies in the plan. One of the strategies in the plan is global strategy Their global strategy is to accelerate globalisation and enhance sales capabilities in emerging markets Develop business on a global scale to meet diversification of trade. To expand the business in emerging markets such as India, Middle east, Russia and Vietnam. To ensure that the fleet expansion is exceeding the growth of sea-borne trade. (Mitsui OSK lines, 2007, p.2). MOL in line with their global strategy has overcome their weakness by entering emerging markets in Asia and also has used their opportunities by investing in many projects such as the LNG market. Below are the detailed points mentioned how MOL has used their strengths, have tried to overcome their weakness, taken their opportunities and minimised threats. MOL expanded their fleet of ships from 2007 to 2009 by adding 196 ships, out of which 22 were container and 172 were bulkships. MOL is targeting the China markets which are importing iron ore from Brazil, Australia and India. Hence they are increasing their cape size bulk carrier fleet. With cape size ships such as Brasil Maru which are largest in the world, they get a competitive advantage in the cape size market. MOL will be building 53 iron ore carriers in future out of which 14 ships will be above 200 000 mt. (Nakanishi, 2008) MOL is also targeting the growth in the domestic coast trade in China and India which is expected to grow by 15% volume. (Open sea 2007) About 50% of small handy max and 20% of handy max fleet all over the world are 20 years and over. With strict regulations in force for old ships, joining of new ships in their fleet will add value to their fleet (Open sea 2007).This well timed expansion of new fleet will help the company to expand more in the bulk carrier market in the developing countries. Source: (Mitsui OSK lines, 2009). MOL will also launch their new class bulk carrier called Handy-Cape type which will be as per the specifications of the new widened Panama Canal. This will give them the versatility to serve ports all over the world (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010). In the container market they are expecting a steady rise in future, in-spite of the worse current market conditions. As a long term strategy they are ordering new container vessels as trade is going to increase because of globalisation and increase in population (Mitsui OSK lines, 2007). In order to increase its bulk fleet they are planning to take over few of the bulk shipping lines which went into bankruptcy because of recession. MOL recons that in-spite of having a high debt ratio funding will not be a problem due to its past record. MOL was one of the few companies which avoided the recession and posted profits in the FY ending 31st March 2009 (Seatrade Asia, 2009). To target the growing container market in India, MOL has just opened 6 new offices in India which will serve the container and car carrier business in India. These offices can respond faster to the needs of the customer and also provide them high service quality (Open Sea, 2007 Mitsui OSK lines, 2007). Global demand for LNG is going to increase many folds in the coming years. LNG will be used as alternative source of fuel as it emits less carbon dioxide than heavy oils. On basis of this future market MOL has grabbed the opportunity and placed order for 6 LNG carriers with an investment of 150 billion yen. (iStockAnalyst, 2010). MOL has launched its new LNG carriers which have a re-gasification system fitted on board. This system will give an advantage over conventional LNG ships as these ships can discharge cargo at off shore terminals. Hence when these ships will join the MOL fleet they will give a competitive advantage over other companies is terms of safety. (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010) MOL car carrier division is suffered losses because of the global recession. Hence in order to sustain in the market, MOL initiated downsizing plan, in which they scrapped 21 ships, sold 4 ships and sent 11 ships in cold layup. While they are scrapping ships they have launched a concept car carrier Hybrid carrier which uses renewable energy. (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010). As a strategy to boost up the market for car carriers MOL are going to transport machinery by dismantling them, and loading onto car carriers using Mafi-load trailers. Hence they are targeting heavy lift market by using car carriers and becoming Niche player. (Mitsui OSK lines, 2010) MOL will restructure its ship management companies so that they can meet the need of expanding fleet and global network. Six ship management companies will be restructured and they will be given individual responsibility as per the type of ship. The headquarters will stay in Tokyo. (MOL Inc, 2010). Source: (MOL Inc, 2010). Conclusion MOL launched its ADVANCE mid-term management strategy which covers the entire operations of MOL. Its global strategy for the next 5 years was to overcome its weakness and to make use of the new opportunities in the emerging markets. MOL has managed to sustain and make profits in the FY 2008 in-spite of economic downturn. This is mainly because of its diversified fleet and its core business which are its bulkships. It has success fully used its strengths to sustain in recession time. Its bulkships revenue has compensated for the loss making container and the car carrier divisions. To keep a strong hold on its bulkships, MOL is continuously striving hard by buying large new ships and phasing out the old ones. MOLs core business is secured and profit making, hence they can venture into other markets and overcome its weakness. MOL main weakness is its over reliance on the Japanese markets. It has overcome the weakness by marking its presence in the emerging markets in India and China. MOL is also increasing its LNG fleet to cope up with the rapid expanding LNG market and now it is the market leader in LNG transportation. MOL is also in the process of restructuring its ship-management offices, so as to keep up with the demands of growing company. With innovative designs for its car carriers and targeting heavy machinery market MOL is trying to gain a competitive advantage.

Hierarchy Of Effects Model

Hierarchy Of Effects Model Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. The desired result is usually to drive consumer behavior with respect to an organizational goal commonly to increase awareness or sales. Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed via various media; including traditional media such as newspapers, magazines, television, radio, outdoor or direct mail; or new media such as websites and text messages. In shorter terms, advertising is the non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media. However not all advertising are successful and those that fail are mainly due to the lack of communication or failure to establish the desired messages to the audiences. In order for an advertising campaign to be successful, there are several implementations based on advertising theories which can help communication to occur effectively with the audience. Hierarchy-of-Effects Model Among advertising theories, the hierarchy-of-effects model is predominant. It shows clear steps of how advertising works.Hierarchy of effects Model can be explained with the help of a pyramid. First the lower level objectives such as awareness, knowledge or comprehension are accomplished. Subsequent objectives may focus on moving prospects to higher levels in the pyramid to elicit desired behavioral responses such as associating feelings with the brand, trial, or regular use etc. it is easier to accomplish ad objectives located at the base of the pyramid than the ones towards the top. The percentage of prospective customers will decline as they move up the pyramid towards more action oriented objectives, such as regular brand use. Awareness: If most of the target audience is unaware of the object, the communicators task is to build awareness, perhaps just name recognition, with simple messages repeating the product name. Consumers must become aware of the brand. This isnt as straightforward as it seems. Capturing someones attention doesnt mean they will notice the brand name. Thus, the brand name needs to be made focal to get consumers to become aware. Magazines are full of ads that will capture your attention, but youll have trouble easily seeing the brand name. Knowledge: The target audience might have product awareness but not know much more; hence this stage involves creating brand knowledge. This is where comprehension of the brand name and what it stands for become important. What are the brands specific appeals, its benefits? In what way is it different than competitors brands? Who is the target market? These are the types of questions that must be answered if consumers are to achieve the step of brand knowledge. Liking: If target members know the product, how do they feel about it? If the audience looks unfavourably towards the product to communicator has to find out why. If the unfavorable view is based on real problems, a communication campaigns alone cannot do the job. For product problem it is necessary to first fix the problem and only then can you communicate its renewed quality. Preference: The target audience might like the product but not prefer it to others. In this case, the communicator must try to build consumer preference by promoting quality, value, performance and other features. The communicator can check the campaigns success by measuring audience preference before and after the campaign. Conviction: A target audience might prefer a particular product but not develop a conviction about buying it. The communicators job is to build conviction among the target audience. Purchase: Finally, some members of the target audience might have conviction but not quite get around to making the purchase. They may wait for more information or plan to act later. The communicator must need these consumers to take the final step, perhaps by offering the product at a low price, offering a premium, or letting consumers tried out. This is where consumers make a move to actually search out information or purchase. Thus advertising is thought to work and follow a certain sequence whereby the prospect is moved through a series of stages in succession from unawareness to the purchase of the product. Advertising cannot induce immediate behavioural response, rather a series of mental effects must occur with the fulfillment at each stage before progress to the next stage is possible. 3ALIENCE IN OUR SENSE IS ABOUT THE BRAND COMING TO MIND IN PERSONALLY RELEVANT CHOICE SITUATIONS 2OMANIUK AND 3HARP B 4HE BRAND HAS BECOME PART OF ONE S BROAD CONSIDERATION SET A BRAND THAT ONE MIGHT BUY OR USE n EITHER NOW OR IN YEARS AHEAD 4HIS GOES WELL BEYOND TRADITIONAL AWARENESS OR EVEN THE strength OF SUCH AWARENESS E G lRST RECALL 3ALIENCE CONCERNS THE @SIZE OF THE BRAND IN ONE S MIND 2OMANIUK AND 3HARP B I E ALL THE MEMORY STRUC TURES WHICH CAN ALLOW THE BRAND TO COME FORWARD FOR THE WIDE RANGE OF RECALL CUES THAT CAN OCCUR IN PURCHASE OCCASIONS 7ITH THIS @SHARE OF MIND COME FEELINGS OF BEING FAMILIAR AND FEELINGS OF ASSUR ANCE h9ES ) VE HEARD OF IT )T SHOULD BE ALL RIGHT v 4HAT IS OUR BROAD DESIGNATION OF h3ALIENCEv n AWARENESS AND MEMORY TRACES PLUS FAMILIARITY PLUS ASSURANCE -ORAN IN HIS SEMINAL PAPER AL READY STRESSED THE ROLE OF A BRAND S h0RES ENCEv 3IMILARLY BULLMORES fAME(2002) IS A COLOURFUL WAY OF REmECTING SA LIENCE UT IT OVERSTATES THE ROLE OF BIG BRANDS n SUCCESSFUL SMALL BRANDS CAN STILL BE SALIENT FOR THOSE WHO USE OR CONSIDER THEM BUT HARDLY famous Digital advertising Television advertising / Music in advertising The TV commercial is generally considered the most effective mass-market advertising format, as is reflected by the high prices TV networks charge for commercial airtime during popular TV events. The annual Super Bowl football game in the United States is known as the most prominent advertising event on television. The average cost of a single thirty-second TV spot during this game has reached US$3 million (as of 2009). The majority of television commercials feature a song or jingle that listeners soon relate to the product. Virtual advertisements may be inserted into regular television programming through computer graphics. It is typically inserted into otherwise blank backdrops[9] or used to replace local billboards that are not relevant to the remote broadcast audience.[10] More controversially, virtual billboards may be inserted into the background[11] where none exist in real-life. This technique is especially used in televised sporting events.[12][13] Virtual product placement is also possible.[14][15] Infomercials: An infomercial is a long-format television commercial, typically five minutes or longer. The word infomercial combining the words information commercial. The main objective in an infomercial is to create an impulse purchase, so that the consumer sees the presentation and then immediately buys the product through the advertised toll-free telephone number or website. Infomercials describe, display, and often demonstrate products and their features, and commonly have testimonials from consumers and industry professionals. Radio advertising Radio advertising is a form of advertising via the medium of radio. Radio advertisements are broadcast as radio waves to the air from a transmitter to an antenna and a thus to a receiving device. Airtime is purchased from a station or network in exchange for airing the commercials. While radio has the limitation of being restricted to sound, proponents of radio advertising often cite this as an advantage. Radio is an expanding medium that can be found not only on air, but also online. According to Arbitron, radio has approximately 241.6 million weekly listeners, or more than 93 percent of the U.S. population. Online advertising Online advertising is a form of promotion that uses the Internet and World Wide Web for the expressed purpose of delivering marketing messages to attract customers. Examples of online advertising include contextual ads that appear on search engine results pages, banner ads, in text ads, Rich Media Ads, Social network advertising, online classified advertising, advertising networks and e-mail marketing, including e-mail spam. Product placements Covert advertising, also known as guerrilla advertising, is when a product or brand is embedded in entertainment and media. For example, in a film, the main character can use an item or other of a definite brand, as in the movie Minority Report, where Tom Cruises character John Anderton owns a phone with the Nokia logo clearly written in the top corner, or his watch engraved with the Bulgari logo. Another example of advertising in film is in I, Robot, where main character played by Will Smith mentions his Converse shoes several times, calling them classics, because the film is set far in the future. I, Robot and Spaceballs also showcase futuristic cars with the Audi and Mercedes-Benz logos clearly displayed on the front of the vehicles. Cadillac chose to advertise in the movie The Matrix Reloaded, which as a result contained many scenes in which Cadillac cars were used. Similarly, product placement for Omega Watches, Ford, VAIO, BMW and Aston Martin cars are featured in recent James Bond films, most notably Casino Royale. In Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the main transport vehicle shows a large Dodge logo on the front. Blade Runner includes some of the most obvious product placement; the whole film stops to show a Coca-Cola billboard. Physical advertising Press advertising Press advertising describes advertising in a printed medium such as a newspaper, magazine, or trade journal. This encompasses everything from media with a very broad readership base, such as a major national newspaper or magazine, to more narrowly targeted media such as local newspapers and trade journals on very specialized topics. A form of press advertising is classified advertising, which allows private individuals or companies to purchase a small, narrowly targeted ad for a low fee advertising a product or service. Another form of press advertising is the Display Ad, which is a larger ad (can include art) that typically run in an article section of a newspaper. Billboard advertising: Billboards are large structures located in public places which display advertisements to passing pedestrians and motorists. Most often, they are located on main roads with a large amount of passing motor and pedestrian traffic; however, they can be placed in any location with large amounts of viewers, such as on mass transit vehicles and in stations, in shopping malls or office buildings, and in stadiums. The RedEye newspaper advertised to its target market at North Avenue Beach with a sailboat billboard on Lake Michigan. Mobile billboard advertising Mobile billboards are generally vehicle mounted billboards or digital screens. These can be on dedicated vehicles built solely for carrying advertisements along routes preselected by clients, they can also be specially equipped cargo trucks or, in some cases, large banners strewn from planes. The billboards are often lighted; some being backlit, and others employing spotlights. Some billboard displays are static, while others change; for example, continuously or periodically rotating among a set of advertisements. Mobile displays are used for various situations in metropolitan areas throughout the world, including: Target advertising, One-day, and long-term campaigns, Conventions, Sporting events, Store openings and similar promotional events, and Big advertisements from smaller companies. In-store advertising In-store advertising is any advertisement placed in a retail store. It includes placement of a product in visible locations in a store, such as at eye level, at the ends of aisles and near checkout counters, eye-catching displays promoting a specific product, and advertisements in such places as shopping carts and in-store video displays. Coffee cup advertising Coffee cup advertising is any advertisement placed upon a coffee cup that is distributed out of an office, cafà ©, or drive-through coffee shop. This form of advertising was first popularized in Australia, and has begun growing in popularity in the United States, India, and parts of the Middle East.[citation needed] Street advertising This type of advertising first came to prominence in the UK by Street Advertising Services to create outdoor advertising on street furniture and pavements. Working with products such as Reverse Graffiti and 3d pavement advertising, the media became an affordable and effective tool for getting brand messages out into public spaces. Celebrity branding This type of advertising focuses upon using celebrity power, fame, money, popularity to gain recognition for their products and promote specific stores or products. Advertisers often advertise their products, for example, when celebrities share their favorite products or wear clothes by specific brands or designers. Celebrities are often involved in advertising campaigns such as television or print adverts to advertise specific or general products. The use of celebrities to endorse a brand can have its downsides, however. One mistake by a celebrity can be detrimental to the public relations of a brand. For example, following his performance of eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, swimmer Michael Phelps contract with Kelloggs was terminated, as Kelloggs did not want to associate with him after he was photographed smoking marijuana.

The Eye And Laser Eye Surgery Essay -- essays research papers

A Functioning Eye (Emmetropia) The eye is the organ of sight. It is used in almost everything we do, from playing sport to reading. A normal and well functioning eye can focus objects and images, both near and far, perceive depth and adapt to changes in light. The perception of depth is due to having two separate eyes creating two separate images, while the ability to adapt to light change is attributed to the iris and the dilator muscles. However these two aspects of the eye are not involved in laser eye surgery and will not be discussed in reference. The focusing of objects and images is very much part of laser eye surgery. In order for a clear visual image to be formed the image must come to a point on the retina. Light rays do not normally travel toward each other, usually the light rays either travel outwards or almost parallel, for this reason the light rays must be refracted. The cornea is the primary place of refraction, the â€Å"bent† light rays then travel through the aqueous humor and the pupil to the lens. Here the light is one again refracted even closer together, the light then goes through the vitreous humor and is projected onto the retina. The focus of the lens should be aimed at the fovea centralis (a tiny pit in the middle of the macula). It is in this region that vision is most sharp. For this reason, instead of simply staring at one point the eye must constantly â€Å"scan† the area to focus the whole object or image. In order to accommodate the changing distances of the object or image the lens in the eye has to adjust, becoming thinner to focus distant objects and fatter to focus near by objects. This process, of changing the lens thickness is known as accommodation. In order for this to occur the ciliary muscles contract and relax. The contraction fattens the lens and the relaxation stretches the lens. The eye functions on much the same principle as a camera. The iris, or coloured portion of the eye, acts as a shutter to regulate the amount of light admitted to the eye. The cornea (the clear window at the front of the eye) and the lens (located behind the pupil) serve to focus light rays from the object viewed onto the retina at the back of the eye. The retina then transmits the "picture" of the object viewed to the brain where the object is "seen". Clear vision is the result of light rays passing through the cornea,... ...ubstantially reduced. 3) Post-operative visual acuity is restored within a few days rather than weeks. 4) Less corneal scarring in the long term, less change due to healing (regression) and thus greater stability of the correction. When comparing only the benefits of Lasik over PRK the first impression is that Lasik has the potential to be a superior procedure. There is however, a very significant list of potential complications or risks and these include: 1) Failure of automated instrument to leave a hinge on the corneal flap, with the first incision. 2) Loss of the corneal flap during the operation. 3) Loss of the corneal flap after the operation. 4) Slipping of the flap and healing off center. 5) First incision too deep (perforation of the eye) or too shallow, causing a hole in the flap. 6) Invasion of the surface tissue into the central tissue of the cornea. 7) Infection of the cornea. 8) Loss of visual acuity - from scarring or from decentration of the PRK. 9) Technical problems with complex and finicky automated diamond-cutting devices. 10) The procedure is much more dependent upon surgeon's operating skills, than the computerized precision of the PRK procedure.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Psalm 25:9: "The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way." Good evening ladies and gentlemen, faculty and staff, family, honored guests, and fellow students. Thank you for coming to our graduation services this evening. My name is Rebekah Hoad and I am the Valedictorian for the graduating class of 2006. I am honored and blessed to be the messenger of years gone by and the inspiration of years to come. This is not only a time to receive a diploma but it is an opportunity to celebrate our lives. A time that represents our past childhood and passage into adulthood. As we embark on life's journey, remember to build on the foundation laid by our parents and teachers. Apply what we have learned and embrace God's love to strive for spiritual maturity. For me, the years have gone by faster than I could ever have imagined. I can still remember walking into my first grade classroom, my very first day at Caleb Christian School. Mrs. Cusic was my teacher and I recall her telling me several times that I was not the teacher. Over the years our school has changed. Teach...

Skills and Learning Statement Acca

Skills and Learning Statement Here, I will be discussing my experience, which I have gained while working on the project: ? Things learnt during the meetings with Project Mentor – Mr Raj My meetings with project mentor became a key success factor for my project. He showed me the direction from where I could start my project and reach to conclusion. Most of the meetings were held personally, which proved more effective than other sources of communication. I also managed to secure his personal contact number, which enabled me to contact him from time to time helping me solve my confusion relating to research. First meeting On our first meet I did not have a clear idea with what am I going to discuss with him. I was confused, rather lost with a couple of options/ideas in terms of the project, but my mentor immediately caught my uneasiness and he himself initiated the discussion. He asked me some questions regarding my interest and objectives for choosing the particular project an d spotted the ideal topic on which I should research and write a report on. This was the time when he gave me basic outlines on how should I approach the subject, the ways I should analyze it and so on. It was quite basic, but it was our first meeting, he didn’t want to put pressure on the first day. From above, I learnt that planning should be the initial stage of any topic or subject. Even before the meeting, if I had only planned everything in advance, it would have been more productive. †¢ Second meeting On this occasion I was much more organized and had a clearer idea of what I was going to talk about with him. I was more confident, which helped me initiate the discussion and ask more questions that further helped securing his trust in me. But, during the meeting, he realized that I was deviating from my subject area. Therefore he gave me certain suggestions through which I was able to draft a report structure, so that I do not go off topic yet again. Some other recommendations include approach to report, critical evaluation and conclusion. From this meeting, I learnt how to design a project structure and how to approach the subject area, concentration being the key. †¢ Third meeting This is the time when I made my first presentation, when I showed first draft through a slide show to my mentor and a group of people (mentor’s colleagues). My familiarity was limited to my mentor, which made me nervous and gradually affected my presentation in front of unfamiliar group of people. But, I managed to give my best and eventually ended up answering most of the questions asked by audience. Since beginning, I found it too hard to make judgements and reach to conclusions from the information I gathered. As a result, project was redrafted so many times that it became very frustrating for me. Further, my mentor kept stressing on a point that is to be critical to what I wrote from the beginning to the end. He believed by being critical one can improve one’s own work, which I later realized was true. This was a good learning part of my project, from which I learnt: -How to present yourself in front of others. -How to be confident when we are dealing with questions asked by audience at the time of a presentation. -How to attract other people’s attention and make them more interested in one’s topic. ? Personal performance on project objectives: In the event of data collection process, I was hoping that I have answers to all questions, but from actual analysis I realized that sometimes reality is different than what you think it is. The preliminary source of data was the company’s annual report. The information presented in financial statements is only a summary of company's operations and financial performance, which is normally related to events, which took place in the past. Ratio analysis was used to analyse the information contained in financial statements. Both of the companies being public ltd. companies, the research question was answered in greater depth as I got access to required information on non financial indicators, corporate governance structures and the likes. While some best practices are only included in company’s internal documents such as internal audit reports, I did not have access for the same, which I believe was one of the drawbacks I faced while working on this project. What I got was external and past information of the companies and on those bases I did the assessment of their decision. But, I am sure that internal information may have been more helpful. I believe that the quality of RAP would have been much better, if only the data collection was successful i. e. if I could get precise information, e. g. I could not manage to secure data for overall airline industry i. e. the overall financial ratios, which could be used to compare with the chosen companies. Attempts were made to gather data through calling and e-mailing, BA and Iberia, but all in vain. Also initially, I didn’t take referencing concept seriously. But through out my research review by different people especially by my mentor I found out how important referencing of data was. Now, I understand the necessity of referencing, corresponding to data gathered. Finally, as per the information availability, the amount of research I elieve was reasonably enough to cover whole aspect of the project. I constantly strived to get the best answers, making my project worthwhile. This was the best practice for my research to make it more objective than subjective. ? Demonstration of my interpersonal and communication skill: As suggested by my mentor I gathered my thoughts together before I started writing my report or even a to pic. It helped me enhance my skills from structuring my report to keeping it in a flow, which I feel I acquired through my ACCA papers. During the initial stages, the most prominent problem I faced was the mis-communication, may be due to the communication gap between me and the people with whom I worked till the finalisation of report, especially with my mentor. This I feel is very natural, when you are not meeting your mentor everyday and if there are some doubts, one has to email the other, leading to mis-communication. Also, every person has a different thought process, viewpoint and lookout. Some agree to it, while others don’t. To be honest even I didn’t like some of the comments and suggestions given by my mentor. This led to some complications in my project, i. e. basing on different opinions. But, to solve the problem, adequate steps and efforts were put in to reduce the communication gap. Presentation stage – This was the most dreaded part of my project as I have never made a presentation in my life in front of a group of people. I had to practise hard to improve my presentation skills, for which I made some presentations from a mirror to my family and friends. I tried to learn from negative feedback, while positive comments were taken well into consideration basing it as my strengths for presentation. Overall from each meeting, Mentor suggested that things could be better if I work on my verbal communication skills, which he said could be improved by interaction with more people. Mentor also suggested me to stick to one point to reduce any confusion. Interpersonal skills, which I developed with time, helped me in a manner where I communicated with different people in regards to my project. I learnt how to respect other’s opinions and views but at the same time how to exchange my views in an appropriate manner. As I mentioned earlier, my mentor was very critical, which helped me learn a lot from him. I realised that if I control my ego, then I can probably interpret in more efficient way. I learnt that the change in my attitude will help me enhance myself and my skills for my further professional career. ? Impact of project in my accountancy studies and employment career From this project report I found other sources of gaining knowledge other than lectures in college. This project was a learning curve for me, which improved my adaptable learning skills, which I feel will definitely help me in my future professional encounters, where I will have to be flexible at every stage. The techniques to study and analyze the project are all related to my past and current studies and future career. In my past education system, I often relied on understanding the techniques and models to solve case studies, but the current project report improved my critical thinking skills, which I believe will not only be supportive to my further ACCA papers but also to my career. The project provided me the knowledge i. e. what does each and every model I used meant and how was it implemented, in the real world? Furthermore, improvement in my writing style would help me score good marks in my exams. Since, there was a word limit for RAP, through this project I enhanced my writing skills i. e. to write to the point and not beat around the bush. The project did help me to consider time limit, which improved my organisational skills that should be helpful for my future career. Time management is important to meet deadline for any project. By this time I feel I have became more capable to plan and organize my further ACCA papers. My research work also improved my reading skills, which I believe would lead me to finish my exam in a limited period of time provided. The project work made me interested into reading newspapers, different kinds of articles, business pod casts and magazines, from which I will gain more knowledge and it may also be helpful for my future career. Through out this research I identified my strengths and weaknesses along with my personality, which will lead me to beat my drawbacks and enhance my skills in my accountancy profession.