Computer Engineering personal statement Essay

My interest in computers came at a fairly age when I got my first computer. At that time, only few people knew how to use it and no one had time to teach me, so I had to learn by my own. When I was sixteen, I got into building my own p.c’s because of how overpriced everything was. Up to now I still build and repair several computers of friends, relatives and myself. Computers have been always been my hobby for me but now I want to turn this into a professional and rewarding career. I believe that I have the personal skills and motivation to be successful in computer engineering. Also I know that engineering is a discipline that will make a tangible difference in the world and I’m certain I will enjoy the opportunity to fully reach this potential. I hope to be able to develop new technologies and solutions which would benefit both the people and the planet. At college where I studied my O’Level ZGCE I achieved very good grades in all my subjects, which provided a real boost to my confidence levels. I also excelled at sport related activities in the field. I was a member of a football and cricket teams. I found sport to be perfect way to stay fit and keep healthy. My goal is to attain a career where I can express my talent and passion for computers as well as open my mind in ways that I could never do in any field. I am excited about starting the training for career which I have chosen at your institution. I hope my enthusiasm and dedication will be an asset to this profession. I have found that your institution has just the programs I’m looking for and just what I need to be successful at my goals.

Responsibility Cost Control System

Assignment: Cost Modules Essay Cost management in China has been evolving over the past ten years due to influence by the foreign concepts of management accounting. This can be traced back to year 2001 where increased market openness, reduced government interference, and increased management autonomy were mandatory for China’s accession to the World Trade Organization. This change in market condition has incentivized Chinese firms to improve their management accounting practices.Subsequently, the traditional costing method is also facing a sudden threat by the influx of ABC/M, Target Costing, Responsibility Accounting, etc. Presented with new ideas, this essay will discuss the popular cost management accounting trend in China, specifically the responsibility cost control system. I will also compare the changes in the Chinese management accounting practices and give opinions on the possible future outlook of the cost and management accounting landscape.According to the research on contemporary management accounting in China by Jason Zezhong Xiao and Rong-Ruey Duh, the most widely used techniques are, cost behavior analysis, cost allocation, responsibility accounting, and cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis. On the other hand, the lowest levels of adoption are techniques like the activity-based costing/management, kaizen costing, standard costing, and environmental accounting. This result is gathered by providing the firms with 25 management accounting practices and asking them to feedback the extent to which they applied each of the 25 practices in the running of their businesses.Results showed that the responsibility cost control system, together with CVP analysis, are among the most popular ‘new’ practices adopted by Chinese firms since market reformed. Specifically, I will discuss responsibility cost control system using the example of Han Dan Iron and Steel Company. Han Dan Iron and Steel Company was established in 1958 and was originally a state-owned iron and steel mill under the administration of government authority at provincial level. It introduced ‘responsibility cost control ystem’ in the beginnings of 1990s, and went public in the next half of that decade. There are four underlying principles for the responsibility cost control system. 1. Setting cost and profit targets that take into account market pressures 2. Assigning target costs to various levels of responsibility center 3. Evaluating performance based on fulfillment of the responsibility cost targets, and 4. Implementing a reward scheme with built-in inventive mechanisms.To explain the first principle of responsibility cost control system using Han Dan Company, all 60 units and subsidiaries were regrouped and decentralized in accordance to the Company’s operational goals into two main categories – producing divisions and servicing units. Han Dan Company has 13 primary producing divisions and within each is a design of multi-t ier responsibility centers. This is crucial in the cost setting and profit targeting of responsibility cost control system and they are designed to be dependent on sales and demand, incorporating market pressure.The assignment of target costs to the various levels of subdivisions is by a top-down approach. It is different from the traditional standard costing method and is in line with the above principle of taking into account market pressure. The market prices are first determined and subsequently, target costs and profits will be just moving averages of the fluctuating market price. The third principle cannot hold without a good design and implementation governed by the DFA, the department that is also responsible to the evaluation of individual responsibility centers.This principle focused mainly on the target costs and is the most important indicator of responsibility performance in the responsibility cost control system. All bonuses will be forfeited when a responsibility cent er fail to meet its cost targets, even if other targets are fulfilled. The reward system however, does acknowledge and encourage the achievement of other related responsibility standards such as production output, product quality, etc. beyond the cost targets even though it is a secondary subject to the ‘cost-veto’ mechanism illustrated above.Although the responsibility cost control system is often compared to target costing, I feel that it is actually better than target costing due to the fact that it focuses more on actual results than forecast. Target costing on the other hand focuses more on forecast and new product planning, and extends cost management beyond the firm to include supply chain partners. Moreover, responsibility cost control system has proven great success in the case of Han Dan Company. It is an exemplary model for the government and business community in China to consider in other state-owned enterprises.Looking forward, with China’s market c ontinuing to evolve and opening up to foreign ideas and companies, we can foresee it moving towards a market-oriented economic system where companies are more motivated to adopt management techniques to improve performance. However, the adoption does not guarantee efficiency and profitability if government forces it onto them without considering the unique business situation. Like Han Dan Company, Chinese firms should diffuse and develop innovative management techniques to suit their own needs and we will definitely see even better developments by Chinese firms in the future.References Duh, R. , & Xiao, J. Z. (2008). An overview and assessment of contemporary management accounting research in china. (Special Issue ed. , Vol. 20, pp. 129-164). Journal of Management Accounting Research. WU, J. , & BOATENG, A. (2010). Factors influencing changes in chinese management accounting practices. Journal of Change Management, 10(3), 315–329. Lin, Z. J. , & Yu, Z. (2002). Res ponsibility cost control system in china: A case of management accounting application. Management Accounting Research, 13(4), 447-467.

Paper on the Glass Castle, for communications class Essay

Paper on the Glass Castle, for communications class - Essay Example The author has made use of an autobiographical approach to reach out to the readers. As per my reading transition of the story, I noticed that the tone of the author is quiet straight, clear and less emotional. This means that it is entirely up to the reader to decide regarding the occurrence of the incidents that Walls family had undergone. The main purpose of the author to select such a tone in the book is to send out the message to readers regarding communication imperativeness in a family setting. It would not be incorrect to state that the author has been successful in this regard (Dunn). It should be noted that the author seemed to be a communication specialist as she has provided real-life instances and the experiences of the author with her family. As noted by Daniel Dunn in his book Communication that interpersonal communication often fails between the individuals because of the semantic errors (Dunn). Similar instances have been found in the book where author has experienced a closure to the communication with her parents because they did not understand her meanings behind subjects (Walls 129). Also to note is the fact that Danielle Dunn mentioned in his research that sometimes people have their perception settled in a firm manner which causes the communication gap. A person might talk convincingly but he will continue to fail to make a difference through his or her communication because of the perception being firm. The perception can be neutral, negative or positive with an effective, disconnected or balanced impact respectively. Similar instance can be noted in the book The Glass Castle where the author notes that sometimes she even felt helpless in elaborating her plans to the parents despite their increased level of education. This was merely because the perception that failed their interpersonal communication. In addition, non-verbal communication has a stronger impact on the receiver. In the case of Wall family it can be said that this was

STRATEGIC MARKETING MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

STRATEGIC MARKETING MANAGEMENT - Essay Example ........................................................................................... 3.0 Marketing plan......................................................................................................... 3.1 Marketing objectives.................................................................................... 3.2 Situational analysis....................................................................................... 4.0 The marketing strategy............................................................................................. 4.1 Psychographic research necessity................................................................. 4.2 Personalised service production – direct marketing...................................... 4.3 Enhanced promotional development............................................................. 4.4 Strategic alliances and partnerships............................................................... 4.5 Control systems.................. ............................................................................ 5.0 Recommendations..................................................................................................... 6.0 Conclusion.................................................................................................................. ... So much of what drive marketing strategy is driven by consumer attitudes and values associated with their own lifestyles and the museum brand, requiring the National Air and Space Museum to invest more in consumer research to gain valuable market information to develop integrated communications strategies that are relevant and attention-grabbing to consumers. This plan recommends a redesign and construction of a new and more modernised servicescape, the development of strategic alliances and sponsorships, procurement of new interactive technologies, a well-developed promotional campaign, and a new staffing model to improve customer interactivity and create an authentic customer experience. This plan will build a better brand reputation for the museum and change perceptions in disparate consumer markets about the nature of the 21st Century Smithsonian museum. The Smithsonian – National Air and Space Museum 1.0 Introduction Museum marketing is a dynamic and complicated task as m ost museums cater to mass market consumers with very disparate socio-economic backgrounds, educational level, resource availability, and lifestyles. Hence, it becomes difficult to create targeted advertising and other relevant promotional materials that will create interest and excitement for consumer segments. In the United States, the National Air and Space Museum, a part of the Smithsonian Institute, offers a variety of historical exhibits related to air and space travel which are relevant and stimulating for a variety wide variety of consumers. The National Air and Space Museum collects, displays and interprets objects related to the history of air and

Why computer talents become computer hackers Article

Why computer talents become computer hackers - Article Example In addition, the lack of moral values plays a role in encouraging them to engage in destructive activities. Young people are rebellious in nature. For those with computer talents, hacking provides an effective channel for demonstrating their rebellion. However, an individual’s judgment determines if they will engage in hacking. Many students who have an inclination to use their computer skills for illegal activities tend to attack school systems. The failure of high schools and colleges to punish these activities appropriately misses a significant opportunity to correct this behavior (Xu, Hu & Zhang 69). As a result, the young men and women perceive themselves to be invisible. In conclusion, it is possible to prevent young people having computer skills from engaging in hacking. They are driven to the activity out of curiosity (Xu, Hu & Zhang 69). A few young hackers engage in the activity for material or financial gain. Consequently, any effort to combat the rise of hacking in the modern society must involve effective measures to channel the curiosity among young people into a productive

Alchol and beverages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alchol and beverages - Essay Example As far as it is within the limit, it is permitted. MADD is on the side of moderate alcohol consumption and does not insist on a ‘no’ to alcohol according to their philosophy. The organization bases its philosophy on statistical data in Traffic Safety Annual Assessment of alcohol impaired driving fatalities. Based on the fatality rates, it is clear that the philosophy of the organization as revealed in its mission statement is valid and inevitable. The organization highlights on the innocent victims of the crime, especially school children and attempts to support them. For instance, a statistical data highlighted to support their philosophy is â€Å"In 2007, an estimated 12,998 people died in alcohol-impaired traffic crashes†¦Three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lives† as put on their web site. I cannot neglect the fact that the organization’s philosophy on drunk driving has made me rethink my business philosophy. As an individual I sympathise with their philosophy and agree that things are to be put in their place when it comes to drunk driving. However, as a professional, I have a challenge to find a balance between doing justice to my business ethics and playing responsible to the

World trade and money Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

World trade and money - Essay Example National governments can often vary the levels of protection to reflect perceived national interests, and as a reflection of which countries they prefer to trade with. Protectionism is the restriction of trade through various means and measures. Protectionist measures such as import quotas tariff restrictions, and complete bans of imports of certain products or products from certain countries have been around for a long time. There can be less formal protectionist measures such as insisting that imported products have to meet certain quality or safety standards, and in the past some countries insisted that imports were only allowed through certain ports or airports that only limited storage capacity.1 Such measures have tended to be adopted by national governments to protect their own domestic producers and businesses from foreign competition. Tariffs and import quotas have been justified by arguments about protecting jobs, vital or sensitive sections of the economy, and of course bu siness profits. The criteria or justifications for adopting protectionist measures and policies will vary from country to country, sometimes those justifications can contradict each other leading to differing levels of protectionism for differing sectors of differing economies.2 Protectionist measures can be overtly restrictive such as the imposition of tariffs, custom, and excise duty charges, import quota levels or outright bans on the importing of specific products. The imposing of overt protectionist measures can have various responses.3 Protectionism can lead to trade wars between rival countries or increasingly between rival trading blocs. The adoption of protectionist measures can lead to trade discussions between those countries and trading blocs. Trade discussions can either involves direct talks or talks through trade organisations such

Incapacitation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Incapacitation - Term Paper Example In the cases that the criminal is not conditioned, by remaining in prison they remain unable to commit further crimes. Collective incapacitation is the implementation of crime-control effects of the present criminal justice system due to incapacitation. Collective incapacitation attempts to prevent crime by increasing the rate and length of time that a broad range of offenders spend in prison. This is done without taking into consideration possible future offenses. Selective incapacitation is an altered form of incapacitation that justifies the practice of giving more dangerous and indefatigable offenders long prison sentences, some of which can be indefinite or extend over numerous life terms. Selective incapacitation focuses more on criminals who are more likely to repeat their offenses in the future or else engage in more dangerous activity upon being released from their initial prison sentence (Auerhahn, 2003). Selective incapacitation is sometimes used on people who are less likely to commit further offenses, ensuring that their one sentence is going to be enough to rehabilitate them. Though collective and selective incapacitation both deal with the implementation of prison time to enable criminal offenders to avoid future offenses, there are differences between the two concepts. The greatest difference between collective and selective incapacitation is the purpose. Collective incapacitation is used for criminal defenders as a whole, though focuses especially on offenders that are not believed to commit further offenses in the future. Selective incapacitation is more picky, focusing on criminals that are at risk for being repeat offenders, or criminals that have no chance at repeating their mistakes after being imprisoned. The effect of incapacitation varies from criminal to criminal (Hawkins & Zimring, 1997). The majority of criminals that

A Quick Look at Castiglione and Cellini Life Essay Example for Free

A Quick Look at Castiglione and Cellini Life Essay Lawrence in his book Culture and Values A Survey of the Humanities, stated that Early sixteenth-century Renaissance culture was a study in contrasts. The period not only marked a time when some of the most refined artistic accomplishments were achieved, it was also a period of great social upheaval(332). In fact, there were many outstanding artists at that time, among them were Castiglione known for their philosophy of life and Cellini the first artist who really lived his own life. Castiglione was a well-rounded man with chivalry spirit as the author described He was a versatile man a person of profound leaning, equipped with physical and martial skills, and possessed of a noble and refined demeanor(332). The fact that he well-educated and aristocratic, he worked at the Urbino court from 1504 to 1506 and decided to write The Courtier that took him dozen years. According to the book he wrote, a true gentlemen should have brain and have adequate knowledge about history but the most important thing is do not rely in Christian. He also mentioned in his book about how to refined courtesy because when we redefined courtesy, we can clean the court. A cleaned court leads to a clean country. In addition, a well-rounded person according to Castiglione should do all thing sprezzatura means behavior in which every action is do not with effort and though about it. The influence of his book mainly impacted to the upper classes that taught what gentlemen should be. He imagined a courtiers world is a world very wealthy and aristocratic. Cellini was a talented Florentine goldsmith and sculptor whose life, frankly chronicled, was a seemingly never-ending panorama of violence, intrigue, quarrel, sexual excess, egotism, and political machination(333). He lived a period of religious, political, social and military. He was the first artist ever frankly tell about his personal life at this period. In contrast with Castiglione who wrote The Courtier, Cellinis life was very normal, he did whatever he want, he dared to love and do not care how public criticized him. In short, Cellini did not consider the most talented sculptors and nobody can deny his skill as a craftsman. An airy look of Castiglione and Cellini show us the contrast in humans way of life. In one hand, Castiglione was seemed to be perfect but in my point of view, his imaginary world was hard to be reach. In the other hand, I like Cellini who was a normal guy with his own talent. Life is short and maybe he knew it and he dated to do unusual thing despite of public opinion. Work cited:Lawrence Cunningham and John Reich, Culture and Values A Survey of the Humanities, Thomson Wadsworth, 2005.

The First World War Essay Example for Free

The First World War Essay This article will discuss the First World War how it happened and its impact on the United States, both at home as well as on their foreign policy. According to the book American history by Henretta, the Second World War took place in 1939 and involved European powers this war lasted 6 years, this article addresses how the United States got into the war and the impact it had on them both at home as well as on their foreign policy It talks about the economic prosperity of the 1920 with America achieving this through business both to the Europe allies and Europe itself, new inventions, manufacture of goods and creation of employment. The great depression in 1930 is discussed here with the causes and why it was so severe. (Henretta 2007) The First World War James Henretta In his book American history notes that the First World War took place in 1914 and there were a number of reasons for these. The European countries had scrambled for many colonies from Africa and hence creating many conflicts all around the world and this led to the major European powers lack of friendship towards each other thereby forming allies in readiness for war. (Henretta 2007) According to the book American history by Henretta One major reason of the World War 1 was the assassination of the imminent heir at the time of the Austrian throne that was known as Franz Ferdinand. The archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serbian nationalist. James Henretta In his book American history There was formation of alliances which were power alliances in order to establish a position incase the war broke out this was done in order to ensure that the alliances supported each other and hence major disputes led to major conflicts. (Henretta 2007) Many Europeans lived in empires and were thirsty for independence since there countries were part of empires hence the conflicts which eventually led to war as they hated the way they were being ruled and the conflicts also involved other nations. Nationalism was a major factor in this war as nations wished to show their power to the rest of the world and there was no better way of showing this that getting into war and winning. (Henretta 2007) James Henretta In his book American history, there was a European region called Balkans which was claimed by Austria and Russia who were eager to demonstrate their force over control of this region and this led to the war. Impact of the War on the United States of America According to the book American history by Henretta The United States practiced neutrality in this war and by doing this they benefited economically as it did business with the allies in the way as well as Europe. The Americans sold more of their manufactured goods as well as their agricultural goods. Also advancing loans to those that required it with an interest. The United States became at this time a major creditor nation. How the Unites States Got Into the War The united got into this war in 1917. This was because Germany was a land power and Britain was a naval power and hence it used this power to isolate other nations including German ships going to America. This was a blockade which was prevention of entrance and exit of commerce as well as traffic. (Henretta 2007) James Henretta In his book American history states that they blockaded the whole continent. The Germans warned Americans against using British ships or else they would sink them. They also attempted to break the blockade and this caused a submarine war which let to the sinking of ships which had passengers who were citizens of the United States. The united states were not pleased with this and sharply critisizegermany and that is how they got involved in the first world war. (Henretta 2007) Impact on the U. S Foreign Policy According to the book American history by Henretta The United States gained an internationalist foreign policy. By its intervention in major international conflicts and also extending to the European, economic assistance for the post war reconstruction. They never looked at themselves as an individual but they realizes that whatever is happening in other nations could have an impact on them and they could also involve themselves with what is happening in other nations as their concern. They sought to become a great power more than any other nation. (Henretta 2007) Causes of the Second World War According to the book American history by Henretta This war took place between 1939 and ended in 1945. One of the causes this war was the desire for revenge as well as resentment left in the First World War. The great powers that had taken part in this war has all millions of casualties particularly Germany being viewed as the sole responsible for the war. America, France and Britain had signed a treaty known as Versailles treaty since they all held Germany responsible for the war and this had left Germany humiliated and also suffering economically. (Henretta 2007) James Henretta In his book American history, states that, the United States wanted to remain isolated from the war where as other nations wanted it to participate in it. They wished to benefit economically from the war instead other than participate in it. The international community was not able to enforce the Versailles treaty’s demands notably the reduction of Germany military to 100,000 and without tanks and air force. (Henretta 2007) According to the book American history by Henretta, the Germans also lost industrial territory prompting them to lose financially. Throughout the world there was an eruption of emotions to the devastation caused by the First World War so there was bitterness and wish for revenge. Adolph Hitler wished to prove to other European nations that Germany was more superior to them and also he wanted to acquire territories which at one time belonged to Germany and this prompted him to get into the war. (Henretta 2007) Why and How the U. S Got Into the Second World War According to the book American history by Henretta, they got into this war in 1940 after their government broke the Japanese war- time code known as the â€Å" purple† where they gained the ability to read and understand all the Japanese messages sent all over the world. James Henretta In his book American history states that, Japan, Germany and Italy signed a tripartite treaty that either of them had to respond should any of them be attacked and they should respond with declaring war on any nation that attacked either of them. The president of the United States at the time Roosevelt got into the way of Japan in 1940 after asking his commander-in- chief to establish a patrol of the pacific by stretching a wall of the American naval across the pacific and to make it impossible for Japan to reach any of their goods supply sources. (Henretta 2007) James Henretta In his book American history states that, by doing this he had miscalculated the ability of the japans and due to he pressure by America the Japanese attacked the Pearl Harbor which was an American territory hence prompting America to get into war. Impact on the United States At Home This war accelerated the American life transformation in the form of various programs. The war industries had demand for workers and this created a good opportunity for millions of Americans. (Henretta 2007) According to the book American history by Henretta, due to the large number of men who has d been drafted into the second world war there was creation of jobs for the American woman and hence transforming the domestic life. The women performed the jobs abandoned by the men when they went into war. James Henretta In his book American history, states that, previously in America, jobs reserved for men for wages could not be performed by women. Due to economic demand there was recognition of women of what is appropriate for them in the American economy. The war brought about innovations and technology. There was a massive growth of the airline industry with aerial war on a global scale. America recognized itself as the most powerful nation in the world and to think of them as part of the world. It also put America’s presidency in the public life of Americans and to lead in issues f diplomacy, peace and war. (Henretta 2007) Reasons for the Economic Prosperity in The 1920s According to the book American history by Henretta This prosperity was accelerated by the World War 1. America isolated itself in the war and opted to do business. They sold goods to the countries that were not able to buy goods from Europe as well as Europe itself. This ensured that America benefited throughout the war. (Henretta 2007) According to the book American history by Henretta, America also lent money to be paid with interest to their European allies. By the end of the war there had been an increase in the production of goods such as coal, petrol together with an advance in technology. America by isolation itself for the problems of Europe concentrated on personal growth in wealth by doing business with an aim to make the most profit. (Henretta 2007) Technology an inventions led to employment of the unemployed hence ensuring workers in industries has a steady income. This led to a steady output. The stocks and shares were also active leading to the expansion of businesses alongside positive economic independence of the American women and also low unemployment led to economic prosperity. (Henretta 2007) Causes of the Great Depression Conditions of Drought This had occurred in Mississippi valley in the United States in 1930, affecting people thus making them not able to pay taxes which are essential in running a nation. They were not even able to settle other of their debts and this led them to sell their farms at a loss. Stock Market Crash In 1929, there was a stock market crash because stock holders had lost a total of 40 billion dollars in only two months after this crash. It was not easy for America to regain even by the end of 1930 leading to the great depression. (Henretta 2007) Bank Failures In the year 1930 there was a failure of 9000 banks in America this happened at a time when cash deposits were not insured hence this led to loss of savings prompting other banks failure to extend loans due to fear of failing like their counterparts. This led to less expenditure and consequently the great depression. (Henretta 2007) Reduced Purchasing Power Peoples purchasing power was reduced leading to a reduction in manufacture of goods and also a reduction in workforce by loss of jobs. (Henretta 2007) Unemployment There was a rise in unemployment up to 25% and there was less spending and the American people were not able to pay for goods they had initially taken on installments and this led to the great depression as there continued to e less and less spending to alleviate the situation of the economy. (Henretta 2007) Conclusion According to the book American history by Henretta, the First World War took place in the 1914 in Europe and the United States wished to be a neutral party in the war in order to benefit economically through business. They sold manufactured goods to Europe and other nations in the war. In 1929 during the 2nd world war the united states prospered economically due to new inventions, technology and also manufacture goods , business as well as creating of jobs due to demand of their manufactured goods. (Henretta 2007) The great depression happened in 1930 and was caused by bank failure, unemployment, and stock market crash and also reduced purchase power of the people also leading to low manufacture of goods and consequently unemployment. (Henretta 2007) References:- James Henretta (2007), America’s History, Bedford/ St Martin’s Publishers. New York

Analysis of Singapore Airlines Limited

Analysis of Singapore Airlines Limited Air travel remains a large and rapidly growing industry. It promotes the world trade, enhances economic growth, international investment, tourism and this perhaps makes it key to the globalisation process in other industries. The airline industry has been weighed down by numerous macro-level socio-economic factors which include rise in oil price, the Tsunami case, increase in terrorism, SARS epidemic and these have been of negative influence to the profit level of the industry (Journal of Air Transport management, 2010). Singapore Airline Limited which is the worlds second biggest airline by market capitalization with its headquarters in Singapore was formed in 1947 by British interests as the Malayan Airways but became SIA in 1972 after it split from the Malaysian airline. The company along with its subsidiaries is engaged in airlines operations, airport terminal services, engineering services and other related activities with more than 30,088 employees as at March 31, 2010. The group operates in East Asia, south west pacific, Europe, the Americas, west Asia and Africa, with 66 destinations in 36 countries on 726 weekly flights with about 106 fleets (DATAMONITOR, 2010). The group which is owned by the Singapore Government through its parent company Temasek Group owns 54.5% of the company shares. The group recorded revenues of S$12,707.3 million during the financial year ended, as on march 31, 2010 with a 20.56% decrease from the previous year. Its operating profit was S$63.2 million during the 2010 fiscal year ended which was represents a 93.0% change from the previous year also. Profit attributable to equity share holders of the company was at S$216 million with a 79.7% decrease from the 2009 financial year ended.(Singapore airlines, 2010). The decrease was as a result of low demand for airline and cargo operations as a result of the economic crisis. The primary objective of this report is to analyse the airline industry, its major market players, and alliances, examine the key driving forces of change and assess the present state of the sector in relation with Singapore airline limited. Finally this report will also concentrate on the analysis of Singapore airline limited financial statements and compare its records with one of its main competitors. 1. BACKGROUND TO THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY The airline industry had total revenue of $1380.5 in 2009 which represents an annual growth rate of 2.5% between 2005 and 2009. The airline industry volume also increased its growth between 2005 and 2009 by 2.56% to get a total of $2,002.9 million passengers in 2009(DATAMONITOR, online). The global airline industry reduced in 2009 due to the global recession but from forecasts it will develop strong growth by 5% before 2014(DATAMONITOR, online). Some of the major passenger airlines include Cathay pacific, the emirates, U.S airways, Japan airlines; air France-Klm and south west airlines e.t.c. Cathay pacific won the 2009 airline of the year title in the famous world awards replacing Singapore airlines. 1.1 AIRLINE INDUSTRY MERGERS AND ALLIANCES Deresky (2006), defined strategic alliances as partnership between two or more firms that decide they can better pursue their mutual goals by combining their resources as well as their existing distinctive competitive advantages. Airline industry mergers are formed in response to the dynamic economic conditions of the aviation industry and determine cooperate aims of competitive ratios (ECONOMIC WATCH, online). This involves leasing of airplanes and purchasing airplanes as well. For instance the case of Air France takeover of Klm in 2004 by acquiring 89% of its shares has enhanced the number of flights and offers various flight options to select from. In addition to mergers, airlines are forming alliances with one another in order to achieve network size economies through code sharing as well as scale economies in the purchase of fuel and aircraft, combining forces to make purchases serves to increase the industry players bargaining power and therefore reduce supplier power. There are 3 major passenger alliances in the airline industry which are SKY TEAM founded in 2000, ONE WORLD founded in 1999 and STAR ALLIANCE founded in 1997 with 27 members and a market share of 29.3% of whom Singapore airlines joined the group in 2000 in order to broaden its flights network and to increase its competitive advantage. Thus, this has increased SIAs global presence through code sharing as their star alliance network covers 1,160 destinations in 181 countries. 2. DRIVING FORCES FOR CHANGE/ LIMITATION Key driving forces for change within an industry are external factors which cause change to the system of interest to stakeholders in that they are considered to be beyond the control of these stakeholders. Driving forces can include changes in social, technological, environmental, economic and political factors. An examination of the factors influencing an industry is a general way to begin the industry analysis and such a study is used to develop the competitive advantage of the organization to enable it defeat its rivals. (lynch, 2006:93). This is always done by the porters five forces framework analysis. The external environment has an enormous impact on the airline industry. There has been unstable time for the airline industry. It has been confronted with a market decline in international tourism in the aftermath of September 2011 terrorist attack in the united states and more recently traffic loss attributable to the war in Iraq and several terrorist activities. 2.1 Porters 5 Forces frame work on Airline industry Threat of New Entrants. Youll need to look at whether there are substantial costs to access bank loans and credit. If borrowing is cheap, then the likelihood of more airliners entering the industry is higher. The more new airlines that enter the market, the more saturated it becomes for everyone. Brand name recognition and frequent fliers point also play a role in the airline industry. An airline with a strong brand name and incentives can often lure a customer even if its prices are higher. Distribution is not easy for new entrants as there is need for establishment of online booking system, and relationships with the sales intermediaries. Power of Suppliers. The airline supply business is mainly dominated by Boeing and Airbus which has high power. Supplier power in this industry is so much that airlines have to go into contract with the suppliers of the aircraft. Constant increase in oil price also tends to boost the supplier power of the industry. In 2010 year ended, Singapore airlines reported that 33% of its cost was fuel (DATAMONITOR 2010). Another factor that boosts the supplier power has to do with the maintenance of the aircraft as a result of cost of funding staffs, mechanics for routine check on aircraft. Power of Buyers. The bargaining power of buyers in the airline industry is on the high side. There are over a hundred of airlines companies which operate in the Asian region and as a result of this, there are numerous choices for the individual to choose from and at most times would go for the low carriers. Availability of Substitutes. For regional airlines, the threat might be a little higher than international carriers. When determining this you should consider time, money, personal preference and convenience in the air travel industry. Competitive Rivalry. Highly competitive industries generally earn low returns because the cost of competition is high. This can spell disaster when times get tough in the economy. 3. SINGAPORE AIRLINES STRATEGIC POSITION. As Porter (1986, cited in Philips and Fox, 2003) stressed that, Competing internationally is a necessity rather than a matter of discretion for many firms, this states that the success of almost every international company will depend on how effectively they can compete on an international scale. This section aims to identify the current strategic posture used by Singapore airlines limited successfully, within the era of globalisation. In the airline environment, Singapore airline has always outperformed its competitors. It has never posted a loss on annual basis, has achieved substantial and superior returns compared to its industry and has received hundreds of achievements awards for its service quality. This success has been achieved by the company through the dual process of differentiation through service excellence and innovation coupled with cost leadership among its peers. Singapore airline has achieved sustainable competitive advantage and has consistently out performed its competitors through out its three and half decade history. The key success to this may be said to be the fact that it manages to navigate through two poles which most companies think are distinct. At cooperate level, Singapore airlines works with diversification. The airline group has 36 direct subsidiaries and associated companies which includes Singapore airline terminal, Singapore engineering company and Singapore airlines cargo.(Singapore airlines,2008). Its airline subsidiaries which include 100% ownership of Silk air, 49% of Tiger airways and 49% of Virgin Atlantic is said to cover the customer areas within the industry in terms of domestic and international distance. As part of its international strategy, SIA in 2000 joined the star alliance which has been noted earlier in the report. Strategies of differentiation and cost leadership have necessitated different and incompatible investments and organizational models. A strategy of differentiation implies high quality offering and significant investment in innovation, staff development and branding which results to high cost. SIA achieves these but with a low cost. The table below outlines many of elements in relation to the dual strategy of integrating elements of differentiation and cost leadership in SIA. Table 1 Elements of differentiation and cost leadership strategies at SIA Differentiation Positioning of service excellence and superior quality, brad equity(marketing strategy) Developing the Singapore girl( hr development policies) In-flight experience(young fleet, entertainment system, gourmet cuisine-operations strategy) Cultural values and practice of constant innovation and learning. Changi airport one of the worlds best(related infrastructure) Premium pricing in Singapore and in business/first class and higher load factor as differentiation indicators. Cost Leadership Young fleet (fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs, effective fuel hedging, paying cash for planes. Labour costs compared to major competitors (16.6% vs. 30%); continuous drive for productivity, cost reduction programmes. Related diversification through efficient subsidiaries that contribute to bottom line. Cultural values; cost consciousness, obsession with reducing wastage. Innovations not only to increase differentiation but also efficiency. Changi airport as one of the most efficient(related infrastructure) L.heracleous, J.Witz. Journal of air transport management (2009) Singapore Airlines Ltd maintained its leading position in air through stellar marketing campaigns, cutting capacity while increasing passenger load and by constantly innovating in offering the latest technology for its new products and services in-flight 4. SINGAPORE AIRLINES FINANCIAL ANALYSIS IN THE LAST 5 YEARS. Singapore airline over the past 5 years has experienced growth until the 2008 economic crisis which decreased its revenue growth by 20.56%. In terms of return on assets, the airline company experienced a downturn last year. Despite this they still show a decent ability to generate profit from each asset controlled. The 2010 ROA figure which is 1.13 is lower due to the previous years economic crisis. This is also the case of ROIC which stood at 1.71 at the end of the FY 2010(Thomson one banker), showing that the allocation of resources and investments has justified Singapore airlines. From the view point of last five years; the company has experienced growth. From the gross profit margin point-of-view the company has experienced a slight increase to 14.75 over last years 12.83. 4.1 QUICK AND CURRENT RATIO OF SIA OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS SIA over the past 5 years has made an increase in its acid ration other than in 2009 when it dropped due to the global economic crisis. in the year ended march 2010, they were able to operate a ration of 1:33 which makes it able to meet current obligations using liquid assets. on the other hand, the current ratio of 1.45 as at march 2010, is acceptable. From the financial analysis it is clear to see that even though the Singapore airlines enjoyed constant growth almost in every aspect in the analysis, the year 2009 was very difficult as earlier noted due to the financial crisis but records from the FY ended march 2010 shows its on the recovery. 4.2 COMPARISON OF SIA FINANCIALS TO CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS Following the financial analysis of Singapore airlines highlighted above, a brief comparison of its finances with Cathay pacific Airways with regards to Sales, Return on Assets and Return on invested capital. SIA recorded a net sale increase of 0.15% in 2009 and 20.56% decline in 2010 where as Cathay Pacific Airways recorded a net sales decline of 22.63% in 2009 financial year. On Returns on Invested Capital, SIA recorded a 1.71% growth rate in 2010 over the 6.69% growth rate in 2009 whereas Cathay Pacific recorded 7.31% growth on Return on Invested Capital. (Thomson One Banker, 2010). This record perhaps shows the effect of SIAs business strategy and its effects on competitive advantage in the airline industry. 5 SINGAPORE AIRLINES AND ITS SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY This is concerned with company ethics and social responsibility. Singapore airlines took many activities to maintain company ethics. For instance it is the first airline in the world to fly the new Airbus A380 which is preparing for the first commercial flight of the double Decker jumbo jet from Singapore to Sidney and return. It took place in October 2007 and in a first time move, all proceeds from the sale of tickets on the first flight was donated to charity organisations. Singapore Airlines Ltd considers environmental awareness to be very important, and in 2009 introduced initiatives to reduce 550, 000 tons of carbon emissions (Singapore Airlines,2010) The companys efforts included studies on the effectiveness of carbon offsets, the maintenance of a young and modern fleet of aircraft which was environmentally efficient and the establishment of a Fuel Conservation Committee that looked into fuel efficiency, waste management and water-saving devices. SIA also took delivery of 12 new aircraft which are quieter and boast substantially lower fuel burn per-seat-kilometre and lower carbon emissions. CONCLUSION In response to the adverse business conditions within airlines, SIA planned to reduce capacity by 11% to match demand, translating to suspensions of flights on a range of routes such as to Amritsar, and use of smaller aircraft on others. Secondly, it reduced fuel surcharges on short and medium-haul segments by around 5% to 21%, with highest reduction for short haul segments in economy class, which was the most active segment in the downturn. Thirdly, it negotiated a delay of delivery for eight A380 aircraft on firm order with Airbus. Fourthly, it drastically reduced airfares and engaged in various promotional activities. This has continually kept it in top priority among its peers in the airline industry and perhaps there has been a positive forecast of the companys growth in few years time.

Concepts of Communication in Parent Child Relationships Essay -- Commu

â€Å"Communication is the key† is a quote that is often repeated. In every single relationship communication is essential. Especially among parents and children. Communication between parent and child has always been important. Today, however, there is an even greater focus, especially in light of all the things children face at school and in everyday life. Without a parent knowing what is going on in the life and mind of their child, it is hard to really understand what they are going through. Communication is the starting point of understanding. Children learn communication from their parents. Communication is not something that can be studied; it is something that people have to learn by doing. As a parent, good communication needs to be emphasized as they are talking and listening to the child. A child can tell when a parent is not really listening to them, and this can create a big problem in the relationship. Children who feel misunderstood or feel like they aren’t being listened to will start to hold their feelings inside. This is the exact opposite of what good communication should be. Good communication is not merely talking; it is being with someone and relating that nothing else is more important at that time. So many times parents are doing three or four tasks while their child is trying to communicate something to them. They may not even look up from the recipe or newspaper they are trying to read, as the child is desperately trying to get their attention. This displays a lack of interest in the child or what they are trying to convey to the parent. Lack of interest is one thing that will keep families from communicating. When someone doesn’t feel worthy enough of attention, they will stop sharing all together. When children stop sharing with their parents, they go to places and people that will show them attention. This can lead to trouble. The child may look for other avenues of acceptance, which could be negative influences. This could easily be avoided if only the parent had shown an interest in the child’s life. Part of effective commun ication with your children is being aware of their whereabouts. A child who is unsupervised or who has a parent that doesn’t show an interest in her activities, is likely to shut down and internalize her feelings (Beers, 1987). Parents also need to be aware of what is going on in a child’s life. Th... ...hout their lives. in order to have a society of good communicators, it needs to start in the home. Parents need to start communicating with their children and need to show them how to communicate with others. This is a skill that will be valued all throughout life and is something that shouldn’t be ignored. The skill of communication will be valued in every relationship throughout life. It is a necessity. References Beers, V.G. (1987). Parents and Children: Increasing Family Communication. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. Cushman, D.P. & Cahn, D.D. (1985). Communication in Interpersonal Relationships. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Foxhall, K. (2000). Parent and Child Communication. Monitor on Psychology. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on February 18, 2005: http://www.apa.org/monitor/may00/communication.html Gurman, A. & Kniskern, D. (1991). Handbook of Family Therapy Vol. II. Bristol PA: Brunner/Mazel. Author's name omitted by request. (2001). Parent child communication: how to communicate effectively. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on February 19, 2005: http://www.allsands.com/Kids/Teenagers/parentchildco_stj_gn.htm

Das Projekt einer globalen Ethik und die afrikanische Philosophie :: German Essays

Das Projekt einer globalen Ethik und die afrikanische Philosophie ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Die Frage nach einer globalen Ethik stellt sich heute verschà ¤rft unfgrund der neuen Qualità ¤t gegenseitiger Abhà ¤ngigkeit der einzelnen Staaten und Regionen beruhend auf einer eng verknà ¼pften Weltwirtschaft und dem weltumspannenden Netz modernen Kommunikationssysteme. Diese Verknà ¼pfung zeigt sich am deutlichsten in der Vernetzung transnationaler Konzerne, deren Produktionsstà ¤tten nicht mehr an nationale Territorien gebunden sind. Die Entstehung einer globalen Interdependenz hà ¤ngt jedoch nicht nur mit à ¶konomischen Entwicklungen oder der neuen Effizienz der Kommunikationstechniken zusammen, sondern auch mit der in diesem Jahrhundert entstandenen Mà ¶glichkeit einer à ¶kologischen oder milità ¤rischen Selbstzerstà ¶rung der Erde durch den Menschen. I. Einleitung Die Frage nach einer globalen Ethik stellt sich heute verschà ¤rft aufgrund der neuen Qualità ¤t gegenseitiger Abhà ¤ngigkeit der einzelnen Staaten und Regionen beruhend auf einer eng verknà ¼pften Weltwirtschaft und dem weltumspannenden Netz moderner Kommunikationssysteme. Diese Verknà ¼pfung zeigt sich am deutlichsten in der Vernetzung transnationaler Konzerne, deren Produktionsstà ¤tten nicht mehr an nationale Territorien gebunden sind. Die Entstehung einer globalen Interdependenz hà ¤ngt jedoch nicht nur mit à ¶konomischen Entwicklungen oder der neuen Effizienz der Kommunikationstechniken zusammen, sondern auch mit der in diesem Jahrhundert entstandenen Mà ¶glichkeit einer à ¶kologischen oder milità ¤rischen Selbstzerstà ¶rung der Erde durch den Menschen. Oder wie der deutsche Philosoph Karl-Otto Apel es ausdrà ¼ckt: „... das Bedà ¼rfnis nach einer universalen, d.h. fà ¼r die menschliche Gesellschaft insgesamt verbindlichen Ethik [war] noch nie so dringend, wie in unserem Zeitalter einer durch die technologischen Konsequenzen der Wissenschaft hergestellten planetaren Einheitszivilisation."(1) Aus der Notwendigkeit einer solchen Ethik kann aber noch nicht auf deren Mà ¶glichkeit geschlossen werden. Deshalb scheint mir die Frage nach der Mà ¶glichkeit einer globalen Ethik zu den wichtigsten unserer Zeit zu gehà ¶ren. Verschiedene Ethikprojekte, wie die Diskursethik in Deutschland oder die Befreiungsethik in Lateinamerika, haben nun den Versuch unternommen, eine Ethik mit Anspruch auf universale Gà ¼ltigkeit zu begrà ¼nden, die kulturelle, religià ¶se, politische etc. Unterschiede transzendiert. Solche Projekte mà ¼ssen einer grà ¼ndlichen Prà ¼fung unterzogen werden, wozu vor allem auch eine intersubjektive ÃÅ"berprà ¼fung von Vertretern unterschiedlicher kultureller Kontexte gehà ¶rt. Meine These ist, daß eine Ethik solange keinen Anspruch auf universale Gà ¼ltigkeit erheben kann, solange sie nicht einer interkulturellen Prà ¼fung unterzogen wurde, oder wie der à ¶sterreichische Philosoph Franz Wimmer es formuliert:„... halte keine philosophische These fà ¼r gut begrà ¼ndet, an deren Zustandekommen nur Menschen einer einzigen kulturellen Tradition beteiligt waren."(2) Dieser „kategorische Imperativ" der interkulturellen Philosophie ist natà ¼rlich kein ausreichendes Kriterium zur Bestimmung des Wahrheitscharakters einer Theorie, aber wohl ein unverzichtbares. In einer solchen „interkulturellen Prà ¼fung" sollen Theorien auf ihre Relevanz fà ¼r verschiedene Kontexte und Orientierungssysteme hin geprà ¼ft und mit anderen Theorien aus anderen Kontexten konfrontiert werden.

The Road to Success

Success is a quite easy attempt; however, only for the most determined ones, those who comprehensively believe in themselves. Those whom I believe can withstand any kind of restraint to make their dreams reality. What do you think they follow that makes them persistent, a life manual, or a road map? It's more than that, a body organ that we tend to neglect when ever we are down and despaired, the heart. The heart that is the building block of the road we are to hit, the road to success.The eminent book writer, Paulo Cello once said, â€Å"Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because It came from the soul of the world, It will always guide you on the right track†. Now allow me to introduce to your knowledge a new well-guaranteed strategy that will surely take you on the safe road of success.. First, I would like you to: Learn from the bare bones of our history Gandhi, Aristotle, Martin Luther King, Dry. Aimed Joel, and many other eminent figures have shaped a very success ful history of humankind.All of each recall a time In their lives when they were considered a failure at one pursuit or another: that dad many of them feel that their previous failures taught them valuable lessons and led to their successes. Those whom I certainly believe sought the safest road to success. Now it is time to visualize: 2) When you imagine the ‘road to success', what sort of picture do you see in your mind? Do you imagine a long road that eventually leads you to your desired destination? I would like to share with you a slightly different picture of the road to success.When you understand this picture, you will be much better prepared for your journey. When you first set out on the road to success, it looks something like this: You can see your goal glistening In the distance and It almost seems within your reach. You are excited about heading down the road and making your dream a reality. However, a strange thing napes as soon as you take your TLS step clown te n road to success. A brick wall appears out of nowhere and blocks your progress. Where these brick walls come from nobody knows, but for some reason they always appear.One of the main reasons people fail to reach their goals in life is that no one has ever old them about the brick walls! Many people are so surprised by the appearance of the wall that they simply stop and give up on their dream. When you are faced with a brick wall on the road to success, you have two options: either to sit down and give up on your dreams, or get up and find a way over, under, or through the wall. No matter what your goal is, it is important to realize that as soon as you begin your Journey down the road to success, you will encounter a series of brick walls.Bricks are Just temporary objects that you can get over as soon as you legalize their presence. Consequently, you reach your objectives. Always know that obstacles will always conquer your way to reach success and your ability to overcome them is the rudiment to success. This reminds me of a famous saying by John Heresy: â€Å"success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm†. Failure is the backbone of success, without failure, you can never reach success. It can be your mischievous nemesis; however, it eventually becomes your favorite enemy.Life has taught me many lessons, and most importantly is the ability to overcome my fears and defeat failure by bravely persisting on my goal and striving to achieve it. In addition to that, is applying the above-mentioned life changing strategy that was started by Dry. Anthony Fernando, the author of the book Dare to Dream. Apply it and know the bare bones to success and goal achievement. Today, I can open my eyes to a life with all my goals crystal clear set before my blistering eyes. Ala Tare [email  protected] Com

Copying Morality? Essay

Software piracy and illegal file shares is becoming a bigger issue in modern day society, more likely with the youth of society. All computers now come with burn-ware technologies in which the user can take a product and create copies of that software. Originally, this process was created in order to provide methods of backing up a person’s computer files, in case of hardware crashing and system reboots. However, the situation has changed. People are now able to copy any type of media file (DVDs, CDs, operation systems, etc) and give out these products, free of charge. Do you like that CD that your friend bought the other day? Ask him to burn you a copy, then you can have it too. Did your latest version of Microsoft Windows crash on you and you don’t have the recovery discs? No problem. Get a friend to burn you a copy of their recovery discs. And what’s the best thing about these transactions? You don’t have to pay for anything! Broke college students rejoice! In Bernard Gert’s essay, Is it Moral to Make Copies of Software for my Friends? ,the ethics of this trend are discussed. What are the ethical guidelines when it comes to computers? Is it acceptable to copy software? Gert’s conclusion is that it is not morally acceptable to copy software, no matter who the software is for and regardless if it is free of charge. It is an illegal action, as there are laws against such activity, and therefore it is unacceptable to partake in such action. Although still possible to perform while still illegal, this doesn’t mean that it is acceptable. A law cannot be broken just because someone has the means of doing so. Gert first explains the ethics of breaking the law. He states that â€Å"one cannot limit the subject matter of the law to a particular law one dislikes. † He uses the example of smoking by minors to back up this argument. The law is that you must be 18 years old in order to buy cigarettes. However, minors cannot just go out and buy cigarettes and smoke because they dislike the law. It’s still a law; not liking the law isn’t a justifiable reason to try and break it. The only time that it is acceptable to break a law is in the situation in which the law is unjust. If a law is unjust and has a negative effect on society, then it should not be a law in the first place, thus making it acceptable if the law is to be broken because eventually, this will cause the law to be overturned. However, current software copying laws are not unjust, and if they are to be considered unjust, there is no clear and valid reason of why they are unjust. Copying laws are not morally unacceptable, making it unacceptable to break these laws. Gerts compares this issue to speed limits. Speed limits are the accepted law of whatever state they are set in. These speed limits are not hurting society and are morally acceptable within the community. Because of this, it is looked down upon when a driver breaks the speed limit, becoming so unacceptable that legal action can take place. Speed limits are not suggestions, they are laws. These laws are in no violation of morality and therefore they must be followed. Gert also believes that it is not acceptable to break a law in the event that one thinks that some other law would be better. If society allows violation of the current law due to the fact the society is in favor of other laws that are not passed, then it becomes acceptable for everyone to break every law. If everyone has this mentality, then law becomes obsolete. Why even bother having any laws if everyone feels that they can break them because they don’t agree with them? Gert believes that this mentality will lead into anarchy. As for software laws, Gert believes that because these laws are not unjust and are not causing any harm, it is not morally acceptable for anyone to be breaking the law. He claims that he does not know enough about the current laws to admit that there may be other more suitable and better laws that for this issue. However, that does not mean that software copying shouldn’t be illegal or have penalties. Gert states that illegally copying software cannot be described solely based on the â€Å"morally relevant issues, as it brings in one’s biases with regard to software†. People may only see it as doing a favor for a friend when they copy software. How can an act with good intentions possibly be immoral? According to Gert, it doesn’t matter of what the intentions were; motives don’t determine the morality of an action. In conclusion, for these reasons, Gert determines that copying software is not morally acceptable. II. Evaluation According to Gert, it doesn’t matter of what the intentions were; motives don’t determine the morality of an action. Here, I find myself agreeing with Gert. Just because you have good intentions, it doesn’t mean that it’s acceptable to violate the law. Hitler had good intentions, didn’t he? He wanted to cleanse his country and make his country better for the people he deemed valuable. Sure, he killed millions of people, but the good intent was there, right? Wrong. His intentions do not justify anything that he did. A person could justify burning software by saying that he is doing it to help out his friend, but his good intentions mean nothing. He still did something that was against the law, and therefore it is wrong. The second and last thing that I agree with Gert about is that it normally should not be acceptable for a person to break the law. The only time it is permissible is when the law is an unjust one that brings more harm than good to society. In America’s early years, did the settlers not eventually find King George’s rule to be unjust? Did we not find his laws and policies unbearable? Did we not oppose them and fight them? America was born by breaking the law! And this is acceptable! Why? Because it was against injustice. The only time a law can be broken is when it is unjust. We, as Americans, cannot argue with this. However, are piracy laws unjust? Gert certainly doesn’t think so. I’m not sure if I agree with him. A weakness that Gert has is that he admits that he does not know much about the piracy laws. He knows that there are laws making copying illegal, however, he does not explain them because he does not know enough about them to do so. It makes me wonder â€Å"if you don’t know everything about your subject, then why are making such an effort to persaude me to believe your opinion? † He loses credibility and this hurts him. If you are going to argue a viewpoint, I would prefer that the person pleading his case knows a lot about the subject matter. To be honest, I don’t think Gert knows a lot about the situation. He rarely actually talks about the core subject: copying software. Instead, he talks about the morality of breaking the law in general. He just happens to throw software piracy in there to add another example of the morality of breaking the law. This severely hurts his thesis and essay in general. Another weakness in this paper is the ‘slippery slope’ argument that he makes about breaking laws in favor for other laws. He claims that this will lead to anarachy. If people don’t want to obey the law because they think some other law would be better, how will this lead to anarchy? Couldn’t it be possible that it will just lead to the replacement of laws? If there is such replacement, how will it lead to chaotic anarachy? He does not explain why such a process will lead to anarachy; he just states that it will lead to it. Not only is his argument flawed, there is a flaw within the flaw. He can’t even explain his wrong reasoning. But then again, maybe that is the whole point of illogical reasoning: there is no logical reasoning! A final weakness that I found a couple of times in Gert’s essay is that he uses some faulty analogies. He compares software laws to speeding laws and drinking laws, among other breif examples. He uses these examples in his arguments about the morality of breaking the law. If one does not agree with the speed limits, he is not obligated to break them simply because he does not like them. If an 18 year old wants to drink when the legal drinking age is 21, he cannot do so just because he doesn’t agree with the law. Thus, if a person wants to copy a CD for their friend and it is illegal, he cannot do so. I don’t believe that piracy laws fall in the same field as speed limits and underage drinking. I think those problems impact society much more than a burned copy of Blue Oyster Cult’s â€Å"Don’t Fear the Reaper†. These are just different situations and they shouldn’t be compared on the same level. So it is morally acceptable to copy software for my friends? I personally believe so for a couple of reasons. I am guilty of illegally copying music and movies, and I see nothing wrong with anything that I have done. I’m a criminal justice major and I understand the piracy laws. I still see nothing wrong with it. If burning a CD or a DVD is so morally wrong, then why do stores provide the means of doing so? Stores sell burnable discs in which you can copy anything onto them. How can anyone be expected NOT to burn software or a CD? These discs aren’t illegal, but the act of copying is illegal. Yes, I understand that the original purpose of these rewritable CDs and DVDs were to be storage devices for personal work, but the times have changes as the technology has evolved. Do not provide the means of a crime if you do not want the crime to happen. I’m positive that the main reason why people burn software is because of the money involved. Downloading something is free. If I have a free option, then why should I bother buying something? If I only like one song on a CD, why should I have to shell out twenty-five dollars to buy the whole thing? CDs only cost companies ten cents to burn, and an additional two dollars for the packaging. I understand that there are labor fees to be paid as well, but why does the media industry have to charge their consumers, their lifeblood, these ridiculous prices? My laptop crashed recently. Nowadays, laptops are being sold with the software already installed onto the hard drive. This has added a hidden cost to the overall cost of the laptop. Along with this, no discs are provided. You’re paying for software that you have no legal copy for. When your laptop crashes, you no longer have the software. So when my laptop crashed, resulting in me buying a new hard drive, what did the technical support people tell me to do? They told me that I had to buy the operating system separately. It was an annoyance to do so, but it was an option. Do you know how much Windows Vista goes for? Two hundred fifty dollars. Well, there goes that option for this poor college student. My solution to my problem? I found a friend with Vista and I got him to copy the software for me. If the legal copy did not cost so much, I would have purchased it. I think that’s the root problem of this issue. If companies didn’t sell their software at such an absurd price, more people would turn away from illegal means of obtaining said software and actually acquire it legally. I see no problem with downloading software because of this key reason. Illegal copying and downloading of software, music, and movies is just something that isn’t possible to monitor. There are millions of people all over the world doing this. How can officials possible prosecute these people? How can they possibly track them down? Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as email tracking and there is no such thing as download tracking. There is no such technology to know exactly what illegal site someone has been on and downloaded something from. If you take my mp3 player, there is no way that you would be able to tell which songs I purchased and which ones I have illegally downloaded. It is the same situation if you took a look on my computer. Which files were obtained illegally? You’ll never know.

Bad habits

â€Å"There are a thousand excuses for failure, but never a good reason†, I agree. Some psychologists think that bad and good habits people get through lifetime period. If so, then people can get rid of undesirable habits, but how? Some people would say that to get rid of bad habits is easy when person has a desire. Also, some will say that who love God can rely on his help and blessing. However, a lot of people would say that it is not that easy to kick a bad habit.In fact, bad habits affect our lives actively, but when person follow these steps, she can easily overcome a problem. First of all, people should find a motivation to stop a bad habit. A person who has a motivation is always looking for solutions while others are looking for reasons and excuses. Before person makes any bad move in her life, she should ask herself one question: â€Å"For what or for whom I should stop doing a bad habit? † A lot of people would say that it is not worth it. However, some people would stop their bad habit for the loved ones.For example, there is could be internal reason for solving this robber. People often break bad habits because they do not want to spoil their children. Moreover, children usually pick up bad habits from parents and peers. To prevent that unlikable situation, parents would do their best for break a habit. Also, smoking is a cause of heart and lung diseases. Moreover, smoking can cause a cancer. 90% of lung cancer patients developed their disease because of smoking. There is, also, external reason for motivation. For example, smoking is a cause of yellow teeth, super dry skin and breaking hair.Smokers often are nervous, irritable, old not focus their thoughts, and could not sleep well. These causes affect peoples social life in many ways. Therefore, smokers have difficulties in Job interviews and relationships because they have low self-esteem and self-confidence. All in all, West Virginia University about the bad habits say:† if yo u want to quit smoking, you should focus on decreasing your risk of lung cancer and heart disease. If you are driven by positive motivation, think of how much whiter your teeth will be and how much more breath you will have when you climb stairs.Also, you will save some money by not eying cigarettes. † Second, create conditions and be away from people who have bad addictions. People learn the features of behavior in their environment. It is very difficult to deny alcohol in the cheerful company of friends. In Russia, for instance, when people are visiting each other at home, they should drink three shots of vodka before they enter the house. However, even when person is not drinking at all, householder finds it unrepeatable and would not ask that person to come to his house again.Another example, at the party there are two groups: in-group and out- roof. In-group people are those who run the party. Of course, alcohol is included for this group. However, people from out-group d o not have bad addictions. In-group can make bad Jokes and encourage drinking, and out-group does not feel themselves such as all, so they Just can give up. Nevertheless, not only alcohol can make people in-group. Furthermore, if person is attractive, interesting and outgoing, he do not need alcohol to be in-group. Briefly, to be separated from those who have bad habits, does not mean to be away from them.It is mean, that people should put a task in heir head, for do not give up on the goal to break a habit.. That is how people separate themselves at parties. Briefly, people should follow some quote in life, for pushing themselves for something valuable. Third, people should never give up, but go to their target to the end. People should not be disappointed after the first obstacle. This is not the end of the world. Nothing comes easy, especially when people are trying to get rid of bad habits that exist in their lives. For instance, I knew the girl Katherine. She was drinking beer every single night.Katherine wasn't aware of her problem until she got an addiction to alcohol. Moreover, she lost communication with her friends. For them, she was simply alcoholic. She was like a blind Capitan who can not notice a leak in the vessel until it finally sinking. Soon, Katherine understood that she needs to get rid of her addiction. For this purpose, Katherine started looking for a solution. After a lot of tries, she finally found a solution. Instead of bottle of beer, she was drinking a glass of orange Juice. There were a lot of doubts from her friends that she not going to cake it.They Just did not believe in her. Although, she did not give herself up, but was fighting with her bad habit till it gone. Indeed, Katherine throws away a bad habit of her because she believed in herself. Fourth, do not make any exceptions. When people decide to kick bad habits, in any case or situations do not give concessions. Once people start thinking: â€Å"Oh, today is a nervous day, so I can smoke one cigarette†, or â€Å"l would not gain weight if I will have some ice-cream. † Our bad habits begin to fight for a place in people's life. When people make exceptions, it s an illusion to break a bad habit.The number of exceptions will increase every day until the bad habit will not take his place again. For example, humans can imagine that our good and bad habits like two wolves that always are fighting with each other. Who will win? Answer is the wolf whom you feed will win. Nevertheless, stop feed and give support to a bad habit. â€Å"If you do not pour water on your plant, what will happen? It will slowly wither and die. Our habits will also slowly wither and die away if we do not give them an opportunity to manifest. You need not fight to stop a habit.Just don't give it an opportunity to repeat itself. (67)† ? Swami Statisticians, The Yoga Sutras. Last step is to imagine you without a bad habit. Just turn an imagination, and you will see yourself succeed. The people are very likable to a person without a bad habit. People don't like see you hiding your hands because of bitten nails or smell the cigarette smoke from someone's mouth. Let it all go! Imagine, when you are going to give a speech in front of many people, you would not stammer in front of audience, but behave discreetly and fluently. Imagination acts as hypnosis.If a person presents himself without bad habits, he subconsciously is hypnotize himself to quit one. As a result, a person could get rid of the bad habit. For instance, I was biting my nails. I wanted to quit hundreds of times, but couldn't. Then I started imagine myself as a bride, but how bride would have bitten nails in the ceremony? How the groom would put the ring on the bride hand? Consequently, I quit biting my nails. In short, imagination helped me to get rid of nail biting problem. Imagination set a desire to be better person, and to increase in someone's eyes.TO conclude, bad addictions c ause an unpleasant influence in our life. Bad habits have negative impact on people's health and social life. However, people can overcome them by find a motivation, create conditions and be away from people with bad habits, never give up, do not make any exceptions, and turn imagination in which there is no place for a bad habit. â€Å"Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of. † ?Unknown. If people would follow these steps, they can kick bad habits very willingly. Bad habits â€Å"There are a thousand excuses for failure, but never a good reason†, I agree. Some psychologists think that bad and good habits people get through lifetime period. If so, then people can get rid of undesirable habits, but how? Some people would say that to get rid of bad habits is easy when person has a desire. Also, some will say that who love God can rely on his help and blessing. However, a lot of people would say that it is not that easy to kick a bad habit.In fact, bad habits affect our lives actively, but when person follow these steps, she can easily overcome a problem. First of all, people should find a motivation to stop a bad habit. A person who has a motivation is always looking for solutions while others are looking for reasons and excuses. Before person makes any bad move in her life, she should ask herself one question: â€Å"For what or for whom I should stop doing a bad habit? † A lot of people would say that it is not worth it. However, some people would stop their bad habit for the loved ones.For example, there is could be internal reason for solving this robber. People often break bad habits because they do not want to spoil their children. Moreover, children usually pick up bad habits from parents and peers. To prevent that unlikable situation, parents would do their best for break a habit. Also, smoking is a cause of heart and lung diseases. Moreover, smoking can cause a cancer. 90% of lung cancer patients developed their disease because of smoking. There is, also, external reason for motivation. For example, smoking is a cause of yellow teeth, super dry skin and breaking hair.Smokers often are nervous, irritable, old not focus their thoughts, and could not sleep well. These causes affect peoples social life in many ways. Therefore, smokers have difficulties in Job interviews and relationships because they have low self-esteem and self-confidence. All in all, West Virginia University about the bad habits say:† if yo u want to quit smoking, you should focus on decreasing your risk of lung cancer and heart disease. If you are driven by positive motivation, think of how much whiter your teeth will be and how much more breath you will have when you climb stairs.Also, you will save some money by not eying cigarettes. † Second, create conditions and be away from people who have bad addictions. People learn the features of behavior in their environment. It is very difficult to deny alcohol in the cheerful company of friends. In Russia, for instance, when people are visiting each other at home, they should drink three shots of vodka before they enter the house. However, even when person is not drinking at all, householder finds it unrepeatable and would not ask that person to come to his house again.Another example, at the party there are two groups: in-group and out- roof. In-group people are those who run the party. Of course, alcohol is included for this group. However, people from out-group d o not have bad addictions. In-group can make bad Jokes and encourage drinking, and out-group does not feel themselves such as all, so they Just can give up. Nevertheless, not only alcohol can make people in-group. Furthermore, if person is attractive, interesting and outgoing, he do not need alcohol to be in-group. Briefly, to be separated from those who have bad habits, does not mean to be away from them.It is mean, that people should put a task in heir head, for do not give up on the goal to break a habit.. That is how people separate themselves at parties. Briefly, people should follow some quote in life, for pushing themselves for something valuable. Third, people should never give up, but go to their target to the end. People should not be disappointed after the first obstacle. This is not the end of the world. Nothing comes easy, especially when people are trying to get rid of bad habits that exist in their lives. For instance, I knew the girl Katherine. She was drinking beer every single night.Katherine wasn't aware of her problem until she got an addiction to alcohol. Moreover, she lost communication with her friends. For them, she was simply alcoholic. She was like a blind Capitan who can not notice a leak in the vessel until it finally sinking. Soon, Katherine understood that she needs to get rid of her addiction. For this purpose, Katherine started looking for a solution. After a lot of tries, she finally found a solution. Instead of bottle of beer, she was drinking a glass of orange Juice. There were a lot of doubts from her friends that she not going to cake it.They Just did not believe in her. Although, she did not give herself up, but was fighting with her bad habit till it gone. Indeed, Katherine throws away a bad habit of her because she believed in herself. Fourth, do not make any exceptions. When people decide to kick bad habits, in any case or situations do not give concessions. Once people start thinking: â€Å"Oh, today is a nervous day, so I can smoke one cigarette†, or â€Å"l would not gain weight if I will have some ice-cream. † Our bad habits begin to fight for a place in people's life. When people make exceptions, it s an illusion to break a bad habit.The number of exceptions will increase every day until the bad habit will not take his place again. For example, humans can imagine that our good and bad habits like two wolves that always are fighting with each other. Who will win? Answer is the wolf whom you feed will win. Nevertheless, stop feed and give support to a bad habit. â€Å"If you do not pour water on your plant, what will happen? It will slowly wither and die. Our habits will also slowly wither and die away if we do not give them an opportunity to manifest. You need not fight to stop a habit.Just don't give it an opportunity to repeat itself. (67)† ? Swami Statisticians, The Yoga Sutras. Last step is to imagine you without a bad habit. Just turn an imagination, and you will see yourself succeed. The people are very likable to a person without a bad habit. People don't like see you hiding your hands because of bitten nails or smell the cigarette smoke from someone's mouth. Let it all go! Imagine, when you are going to give a speech in front of many people, you would not stammer in front of audience, but behave discreetly and fluently. Imagination acts as hypnosis.If a person presents himself without bad habits, he subconsciously is hypnotize himself to quit one. As a result, a person could get rid of the bad habit. For instance, I was biting my nails. I wanted to quit hundreds of times, but couldn't. Then I started imagine myself as a bride, but how bride would have bitten nails in the ceremony? How the groom would put the ring on the bride hand? Consequently, I quit biting my nails. In short, imagination helped me to get rid of nail biting problem. Imagination set a desire to be better person, and to increase in someone's eyes.TO conclude, bad addictions c ause an unpleasant influence in our life. Bad habits have negative impact on people's health and social life. However, people can overcome them by find a motivation, create conditions and be away from people with bad habits, never give up, do not make any exceptions, and turn imagination in which there is no place for a bad habit. â€Å"Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of. † ?Unknown. If people would follow these steps, they can kick bad habits very willingly.

The role of originality and creativity in setting out a good marketing communication strategy

Introduction The paper panda tour of introducing 1600 paper pandas in Hong Kong has demonstrated the use of quite original and creative elements, which are important aspects in setting out a good marketing communication strategy (Ng, 2014). It has been indicated that marketing managers have tried their best to use original methods of attracting customers to particular products and services. The dimension of creativity implies one’s talent in presenting projects that not only keep the attention of the audience but also make them realise that creativity is an indicator of long-term success (Thun, 2010). The objective of this paper is to explore the impact of originality and creativity on the process of developing a positive marketing communication strategy. Originality and creativity are major elements in setting out a relevant marketing communication strategy. These aspects allow marketers to send reliable brand messaging across numerous marketing channels, including social media which is associated with adequate creativity (Porcu, del Barrio-Garcia, & Kitchen, 2012). The paper panda tour serves as a proper example of how business should provide customers with more than the standard form of advertising (Thun, 2010). For instance, the idea of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) makes a clear sense in this context by emphasising the originality and creativity dimensions of the strategy behind the paper panda tour. Researchers suggest that marketing teams should focus initially on the customer, which is the case with the paper pandas (Porcu, del Barrio-Garcia, & Kitchen, 2012). Customers are exposed to the original and creative project of paper pandas through a mix of integrated communication methods, which are considered by people eye-catching and trustworthy. According to marketing researchers, IMC is an innovative and creative step because the complete culture of marketing agencies, in-house marketing departments, and marketing consultants had expanded the idea of separating advertisement, direct marketing, sales promotion, and public relations, rather than the pleasant, customer-centred development process that IMC requires (Duncan & Mulhern, 2004). Integrated Marketing Communication has become an important part in marketing because the technological system has the integration of business stakeholders (Kalamas, Mitchell, & Lester, 2009). According to experts, planning and implementation of all marketing communications are required to be done in an original and creative manner in order to meet the marketing objectives and attract more customers (Vance, Howe, & Dellavalle, 2009). The process of building and applying different communication programs reflects in the possibility to have a solid impact in the future over time (Kitchen & Schultz, 1999). The general IMC method focuses on customers and functions to establish and classify the methods to extend the influential communications programs. For the creators of the paper panda tour, it has become important to plan, develop, implement and assess the coordinated and measurable influential marketing communication programs applicable to external and internal viewers over time (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). It is a policy in which different marketing communication tools like promotion, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing and personal selling operate together to strengthen the communication process to target consumers. Such holistic and creative approach has led to the popularity of paper pandas. Media has experienced a wide phase of development in the last decade, implying that the creators of this original project have considered the importance of applying essential marketing strategies to reach out an optimal number of customers (Duncan & Mulhern, 2004). Marketing managers were formerly focused on advertising their product/service through traditional marketing forms like TV, radio and newspapers (Gronroos, 2004). However, now the current marketing trend appears to be digital as Information Technology has become an important element of daily lives (Reid, 2005). The digital aspects of originality along with the physical dimensions of creativity evident in the massive project of paper pandas have indicated the use of proper communication strategies. A concept shift has been presented, or in other words, the creators of the project have focused on demonstrating a move from traditional marketing towards digital content that flows across various integrated media channels. As a r esult, more people can be informed about the project of the paper pandas and thus would prefer to see it (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). The theory definitely suggests about building the marketing communication mix which is considered being interdependent and bringing more incorporation and moving towards having several methods of accessing media, i.e. bringing in more flexibility in the marketing mix by using a combination of traditional and new digital media. Furthermore, it refers to the actions of media audience as being migrant, i.e. changing the marketing form that can provide them with the required experience. In such marketing environment, customers are dynamically involved and looking for new, original and creative content to make proper connections. Transition has played a relevant role in shifting the marketing trends, which is obvious in the formation of the paper panda project. The concept of transition indicates that the traditional media is not being displaced; rather its operations and significance are being shifted with new media options (Reid, 2005). This reflects in providing detailed online information about the project, such as in social media platforms and blogs. For instance, in a blog by Ng (2014), the focus is on describing the paper panda project in detail, with an emphasis on the substantial number (1600) of paper pandas exhibited to the audience in Hong Kong. In this way, media transition is more than merely a technological shift changing the relationship between existing technologies, sectors, markets and supporters (Kelm, 2011). Transition has brought remarkable changes in the media rights and has improved marketing media concentration. The elements of originality and creativity have played an important role in forming a good strategy that involves a combination of different IMC elements (Michaelidou, Siamagka, & Christodoulides, 2011). According to marketing experts, there are five established IMC elements known as Advertising, Promotion, Direct marketing, Personal selling and PR (Public Relations). It has been indicated that the paper panda project in Hong Kong has been successful in covering all these elements and achieving substantial customer interest (Porcu, del Barrio-Garcia, & Kitchen, 2012). A good marketing strategy normally focuses on building original and creative content that creates attention as well as motivational encouragement for users to share it with their friends and families (Kelm, 2011). For instance, the paper panda project can be adequately popularised through different social media platforms because it is a relevant step to rely on the contribution of different users to talk about the exciting project. The keys to social media success are user contribution, user brand loyalty, user enthusiasm, and the communication between people (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). The introduction of an original and creative design related to the paper pandas, and the creation of opportunities for social interaction, are some of the features making this project quite appealing to the general audience. Many marketing experts long before have recognised synergism and originality as important concepts behind the introduction of a good marketing strategy; the incorporated effect of each effort would force the marketing communication to become more effective (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). In this way, originality and creativity can enhance the brand image and popularity of companies that consider the importance of endorsing those concepts (Kelm, 2011). Communication, especially if it is done in an original manner, also represents a significant driver of marketing communication activities. Communication, as seen in the paper panda project, is a fundamental element which allows the creators of the project to connect with the audience (Duncan & Mulhern, 2004). This simply occurs through communicating of ideas and seeking to establish particular perceptions of these original paper pandas introduced in a quite creative way. With the rapid development of technology, modern organizations can utilise different communication channels to attract a significant number of customers. As mentioned, the role of social media platforms is important in the process of facilitating organisational communication (Kelm, 2011). The creators of the paper panda project have obviously ensured the creative application of a relevant marketing planning platform in a direction of expanding the positive impact of communication on all stakeholders (Ng, 2014). Commu nication has a strategic role in contemporary organisations. It is important to emphasise its priority of expanding particular marketing activities through the development of diverse communication channels. The emphasis is to deliver a consistent and properly structured message about the original project. Creativity is basically the application of better ways of solving organisational problems. The ability of an organisation to change in the environment provides the degree of elasticity and adaptability in all kinds of situations through creativity (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). Originality means that a company has promising financial prospects that will ensure increase in profits. It means that whatever changes occur in the market, the company will continue to grow by providing the required services, hence increasing its market share and in the end have high revenues. Thus, originality and creativity can be used as adequate measures of performance as related to the paper panda project (Ng, 2014). It is important to mention that this project is quite flexible and has produced the necessary positive effects that original and creative projects usually produce in the audience. This paper discussed the role of originality and creativity, which have been indicated as essential principles of a good marketing strategy (Duncan & Mulhern, 2004). Details about the paper panda project have been provided, as this information was closely related to the dimensions of originality and creativity (Kelm, 2011). The paper focused on explaining how the paper panda project ensured the use of originality and creativity in the sense that no one has ever done a similar project. In conclusion, the success of this project points out that marketing managers have demonstrated the implementation of a proper marketing strategy combining the dimensions of originality and creativity. References Duncan, T. & Mulhern, F. (2004). A white paper on the status, scope and future of IMC. New York: McGraw-Hill. Gronroos, C. (2004). The relationship marketing process: Communication, interaction, dialogue, value. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 19(2), 99-113. 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