Knights Versus Romanticism - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1883 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/05/31 Category Art Essay Level High school Tags: Romanticism Essay Did you like this example? Knights are often hailed from the medieval era as heroes and legends, especially with fantasy reincarnations of these military romantics. In the beginning of the 20th century, British painter Edmund Leighton specialized in many idealized medieval subjects. One of his most famous paintings being The Accolade (Oil on canvas, 1901, 57 in ?— 39 in). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Knights Versus Romanticism" essay for you Create order This painting depicts an Accolade, a ceremony that bestows knighthood. This painting is quite fantastical. There is a heavy focus on the two figures closest to the viewer, the Queen and the soon-to-be knight. There is a crowd of figures bearing witness to this event congested in the mid-right corner, but they are not treated as important as the two central figures, based on the washout of light painted on top of them. Both the knight-to-be and especially the queen are extremely beautiful looking. This painting, along with many of Leightonrs and others at this time, feed into the romantic ideal of what being a knight was like. When in actuality, being a knight was simply a way of life, and was not always so great. Beginning as young as age seven, boys would start their work to become a knight by becoming a page in a castle , an attendant to a nobleman. Alongside their work, they would also learn about archery, sword skills, and horsemanship. Around the ages of ten to fourteen, a page would become a squire. A squire was essentially a knight internship. Squires continued to lengthen their knowledge about fighting skills and the code of chivalry, whilst assisting the knight they were working under with weapon polishing, armor polishing, stable keeping, etc. If the boy made it to the age of 21, then he would be able to vow his allegiance to his lord and become a knight. After all, according to Thomas Hobbes, life in the later middle ages was nasty, brutish, and short . The daily activities of knights would start at dawn with a mass, being that knights and Europe were in general mostly catholic during this period, this was the first prayer of the day, where there would also be one mid-morni ng, evening, and once more before sleep. Knights were the military of the middle ages. To simply put, they were soldiers. Why knights seem so influential and heroic, falls back onto the idea of chivalry. Chivalry coming from the French word chevalier, or knight. Arguably, many of the chivalry rules were put in place to keep knights from becoming power hungry tier one noblemen, and to regulate violence in general. Yet, it would be foolish to believe that all knights followed all rules of chivalry all the time. It was likely that there were bad knights who abused their power. Albeit, smaller power than we think that they had. The basis of chivalry can be summarized as such: maintain god, serve your lord/lady with your all, fight for the wellbeing of all but do not get into unnecessary battles, honor fellow knights, respect women, and to fight for the good and not for the money. Knights were not supposed to kill or get involved in unnecessary battles, but the loophole to this was claiming someone of being a heretic. They could easily twist these rules. Jousting would, in theory, be frowned upon based on the rules of chivalry. A knight should not be killing another knight, but it happened anyway due to these loopholes. Many knights did not have their own castles, many did not even get paid well. Often times, knights stayed at the castle of the head monarch, to serve in an instant if needed. The ceremony of being knighted is symbolic, the iconic tapping of the sword on the shoulders and head symbolizes that the monarch can easily dispose of the knight if they displease them. Chivalry in itself died out after the middle ages, but was reborn again during the Victorian era. This could be why there is such a heavy romantic view on knights and their chivalry, as it seems to be confused with newer Victorian chivalry. Sarah Douglas writes in a review of Chivalry in Medieval England, As such, our impression that knights roamed the countryside in highly stylized accoutrements battling evil and selflessly saving those in need is the product of art or literature generated long after chivalry ceased to be a factor on the battlefield. Romanticism boomed once again in the Victorian era. These works of art made during said era, have left a heavy imprint on us to believe in these ideals of what knights were. When in fact, it was due to the more modern chivalry rules being places upon subjects who had older chivalry rules. The story of King Arthur also heavily romanticizes the idea of being a knight. Lancelot is the most famous knight of the Round Table. Hetta Elizabeth Howes writes on this romanticism, stating: Lancelot is, according to some versions of the story, born to a fairy mother, or, according to others, born to the Lady of the Lake. He is one of Arthurrs best knights, skilled with a sword and a lance, and in almost all versions in which he appears he is absolutely dedicated in his love for and service to Queen Guinevere. He rescues her from death countless times, and cuts open his hands prying open iron bars to rescue her. Their love is one of the enduring features of Arthurian romance; however, it also contributes to the destruction of the Round Table and the fall of Arthurrs utopian kingdom. Lancelot is an example of romanticism being done both in a genuine love-romantic way, and glorification of both his character and his role as a knight. He was born to a supernatural being, immediately this is unrealistic, unfortunately. Having been born to a divine being, this makes him an important character, in a way being related to that of Achilles: A character who also had a divine mother, and known for being a great warrior. Lancelot is both bold and brave, proving to be a great and skilled soldier. But also having a softer side of being a lover. Even if that love is for someone elsers wife. These stories are of fiction. Lancelot is almost the perfect knight in regards to following the rules of chivalry, ignoring the fact that his affairs ruined the Round Table. As stated previously, it was highly unlikely that most knights followed all codes of chivalry, and that these codes were in place to keep knights in line. Not to make them legendary dreamboats. So how romantic is The Accolade? Firstly, this painting is pleasing to oners eye, as there is a golden ratio between the Queen, Knight-to-be, and witnesses. All of these figures are placed strategically in a way to bring the eye around the painting as a whole. The queen is dressed all in white, which is symbolic of innocence and purity. She is extremely beautiful, young, and has a powerful role of being the queen. Her dress and self are embellished in golden jewelry, with gemstones accentuating each piece. Being that this piece was crafted in the 20th centenary, it is not a Victorian piece, but is influenced heavily by the Victorian romance. The knight is knelt submissively below his queen, we do not see much of his features other than a slice of his profile. This anonymity makes it easy to self-insert oners own ideal of who the knight is. This caters to the viewer greatly. Hers dressed boldly in a red tunic, which immediately draws the eye in onto him. As stated in the begin ning, the witnesses are not so important to this piece, as they are washed out with light. There is some importance, though, in recognizing that there is a squire looking on, who can be identified as the boy holding the knightrs shield. He looks at the scene unfolding in front of him in an almost dreamy manner, as that could be him one day. A priest is holding onto his shoulders reassuringly. Edmund Leighton was not the only medieval romantic painter of his time, Sir John Everett Millais made paintings in a similar fashion of idealization a few years prior. His nearly life size painting, Knight Errant (Oil on canvas, 1870, 72in ?— 53in), depicts a chivalrous act of a knight rescuing a recently robbed woman tied to a tree. When displayed in the royal academy in 1870, Millais accompanied his own text next to the work, stating The order of Knights errant was instituted to protect widows and orphans, and to succour maidens in distress. This goes back to the summarization of chivalry. This painting is a night scene, with a crescent moon visible in the upper left hand corner. The female figure is nude, her clothes are seen disheveled on the forest floor to the lower left of her. The tree shers tied to is a Silver Birch, which was commonly identified with femininity in the 19th century. You can see two figures fleeing the scene from the upper right corner. The k nightrs sword has blood on it and when you look towards his feet, there is a bloodied torso of a dead man. This painting is a prime example of the idealization of a knight. This knight featured in this painting is extremely heroic and chivalrous in all aspects. Not only is he saving a damsel in distress, but he also took down and scared off her attackers, while he is completely unharmed. His facial expression is stern, yet calm. X-rays of this painting show that originally, Millais had the nude female figure making eye contact with her savior. But poor reviews of this edition of the painting coaxed Millais to change her stance, and make her take a more modest approach. Unfortunately, like many female nude figures in this era, Millais was also criticized for this nude appearing too real. Knowing that chivalry was revived and endorsed via the Victorian era, and that knights where just simple soldiers of their time, this painting leaves a sort of kitsch taste. It is extravagant and pl ayed on through the mistaken ideals that have been setup for us. Knight Errant has a blunter, in-your-face approach of heroism compared to The Accolade. Both of these paintings are idealized, glorified, and have a strong sense of heroism. The era these paintings were created in, after Victorian times, strongly correlate with the idea that the Victorian era imprinted onto our ideals of what a knight was. The art made after the rebirth of chivalry has confused and infected our views as to what chivalry was like during the medieval ages. When in actuality, it was a military job one began training for during childhood, and if made to the age of 21, granted the most minimal nobility status. Chivalry was created to dispel and frown upon violence. And, as typical human nature works, did not make every knight the heroic romantic we think that they were today. At most, they were a pawn for their monarch in charge. Symbolized when taking their vows that said monarch could cut them off easily. When not battling for said monarch, they were constantly trainin g and keeping up with prayer. It was a job that was better than being a merchant or a farmer, but still seemed to be just another job.

Study of Dosso Dossis Jupiter, Mercury and Virtue Essay

Study of Dosso Dossi’s Jupiter, Mercury and Virtue Dosso Dossi (c.1486-1542) was a Renaissance painter from the city of Ferrara in Northern Italy. Collaborating with his brother Battista, Dosso created some of the most groundbreaking yet baffling works for the dukes of Ferrara. Dosso’s paintings, however, remained largely unheard of apart from occasional appearances in academic journals, until a series of traveling exhibitions in 1999 brought the artist back in attention. Heavily influenced by High Renaissance masters Leonardo and Michelangelo, as well as by Venetian painters, Dosso adopted a rich yet still subtle colour palette. What set him apart from his peers, on the other hand, were his atmospheric and â€Å"impressionistic† landscape†¦show more content†¦The effect is particularly striking on Virtue’s shortened right arm, which alludes to the space beyond the principal plane. Above all, the most distinctive feature in Dosso’s painting is its imaginative treatment of mythological subjects. As indicated by a good number of art historians, Virtue, here personified as a goddess, turns out to have been mistreated and abused by Fortune and her companions. Virtue’s friends, who were unable to protect her and thus fled, left her to be â€Å"beaten, stripped bare, and dragged through the mud† (Fiorenza, 152) by Fortune and her fellow bullies. Immediately following Virtue’s mistreatment is the scene depicted on canvas: Virtue comes to Jupiter to inform him of Fortune’s crime, when she is given the trivial excuse that the gods are busy making sure that the butterflies have beautifully painted wings. Amusingly, this brief background story is practically the only part that the art historians agreed upon. Early interpretations include a complicated love story between Mercury and Virtue, as well as the possible allusion that Jupiter is in fact a portrait of Duke Alfonso I d’Este, the commissioner of the painting. (Fiorenza, 29) Some even suggested the painting was created to celebrate the artist’s

Business Plan Analysis of Adidas Company †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Business Plan Analysis of Adidas Company. Answer: Introduction The start-up of the business calls for an entrepreneur to have in place a well-established business plan that will guide him to get together necessary resources needed for the start-up of the business.(Nunn McGuire, 2010, p. 23) Therefore, an entrepreneur should ensure that business plan is detailed enough and has covered all the key details that will help the business stabilize once started. Key aspects that should be included in the business plan comprises of the business overview, the market opportunity, the market,management team, financial analysis, environmental impact analysis and funding request. This report will consider Adidas Company business plan and discuss its applicability in the business environment of Sydney. Adidas History, Mission and Goals Adidas Company finds it roots in Bavaria, a small town in Germany. Adi Dassler was the founder of the company with the mission of providing athletes with sport products(Adidas Group, 2012). Currently, the company mission is focused on making Adidas a global leader in the sporting industry through continuous provision of high quality products. Adidas Company major goals are adapting to the new trends through continuous expansion(Allocca, 2015). Sydney Business Environment Overview The World Bank Group report points out that doing business in Sydney is easier than in most other parts of the country(Regional Dvelopment Australia Sydney , 2017). The Group goes further to note that Sydney has the well-regulated business environment. For example, the overall Australia political stability is extended to Sydney, and the regulatory framework in the region provides entrepreneurs with business protection assurance and confidence. Besides, Sydney is region endowed with economic prowess because of its strategic position that attracts tourists from all over the world. Similarly, Sydney has been found to be one of the most influential cities in the world(Regional Development Australia Sydney, 2017).Therefore, Adidas Company business plan is suitable to the Sydney business environment because of the favorable business condition in this region. Positive Business Environmental Factors in Sydney The Sydney economy has proved to be stable by overcoming the continuous global financial crisis. Findings show that businesses in the city have expanded to more than 3000 between 2012 and 2012(cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au, 2016). The continued growth of the business in the region it is an indication that new business can thrive in the city. Apart from the favorable business environment, Adidas Company enjoys the choice of setting different types of business entities. For example, the region has been found suitable for companies, trusts, partnerships, sole traders and joint ventures. Therefore, Adidas Company can business plan be based on any business entity that he finds applicable and suitable in the Sydney business environment. Thirdly, Sydney region enjoys political stability as exhibited by high government support on business and low levels of corruption. This makes it easy for Adidas Company to operate in Sydney. Fourth, Sydney enjoys favorable tax system. This means that Adidas Comp any profits are not be diluted to meet the costs associated with the tax payment. Lastly, the region enjoys robust infrastructure and communication network that will support the success of Adidas business. Negative Business Environmental Factors in Sydney Despite Sydney City and region experiencing favorable business environment, it faces some challenges that may hamper the success of the business especially the small ones. It is important for the entrepreneur to mention this in the business plan to avoid conflicts with the investors in future. According to Nicholas, (2016) no business is immune to the global forces irrespective of the size. This is problem attributable to the small businesses operating in Sydney region. Nicholas notes that finance is a worldwide game and therefore the financial decisions by the major developed economies of the world are likely to affect business activities in Sydney. For example, lending practices and funds that an entrepreneur should borrow from the financial institutions is highly affected by the global financial crisis. Secondly, the poor business location has proved to be a negative business factor that can hamper the success of business in Sydney (Regional Development Australia Sydney, 2017). Therefore, an entrepreneur should mention the location of the anticipated business in the business plan and analyze how the location of the business will ensure its success. The appropriate business location will require to carry out extensive market research on the numbers of the competitors in the market. Thirdly, the entrepreneur should include in the business plan the changes in sales during the year because of the changes of the number of people visiting Sydney city. Sydney being a tourist site, its population vary within the different seasons of the year. Market Opportunity Sydney is a huge city comprising of the huge population that forms a target market for a variety of business products. Besides, the city of Sydney comprises of people from different nations making easy for Adidas to target international tourists visiting the city. (Nicholas, 2016). The Adidas business plan suits in the Sydney City because of the existing target market. However, the company business plan fails to serve the large market share based on the target characteristics and the preferences. Market problem scope is another area that Adidas business plan appears to address (Hytti, 2015, p. 3). This area requires the companies business plan to address three key issues. First, consumer problem which calls entrepreneur to understand the unsatisfied consumer needs in the market. Adidas has realized the need to serve sport product consumers in Sydney region. Secondly, existing product problem that has hampered the satisfaction of the consumer needs. Thirdly, a technological problem that has hindered the manufacturers in the market to meet the customer needs satisfactorily. Finally, under market opportunity, the company business plan must quantify the market opportunity(Yu Wiklund, 2012, p. 6). Adidas business plan has quantified the financial benefits that will be realized if the business succeeds in resolving the existing market problem. This has help the company topmanagement to determine whether it is worth to invest in the identified business opportunity. The Adidas business plan also analyzes the sustainability of the competitive business advantage. This because the market opportunity can be viable for only limited time and disappear when competitors invest in the same opportunity(Awwad, et al., 2013, p. 70). If the entrepreneur finds out that the opportunity is worth according to the market quantification data and benefits, then the entrepreneur should use this to influence the investors to finance the idea. Market Management Team The Adidas Company business plan extensively explains the laid down plans of having an effective marketing team that will help the company achieve its major goals and objectives. There is a stiff business competition in Sidney, and therefore, the company will be forced to come up with well-elaboratedmarket management team(Crow Goldstein, 2013, p. 8). For example, the company must in its business plan indicate in the business plan the number of the marketing staff required, their skills, experience, and qualification. This will help the stakeholders assess whether the business will have in place a robust market system. Putting into consideration the cultural diversity in the city of Sidney, the Adidas business plan put across the suitable market management team strategies. This because the cultural diversity in Sydney calls for the application of various marketing strategies(Denniss, 2016). The company business plan illustrates differentmarket management team approaches it has set in place to manage marketing team playing different roles in different fields within the marketing department. This helps the business to meet the important aspects of marketing and continue building on the same to maintain the desired competitive advantage. Financial Analysis Financial analysis is the most important area for the financiers of the business plan(Bewayo, 2015, p. 3). This is because the investors want to know the returns on their investment. Additionally, they will like to know the how long it will take before they start enjoying profits from the investment. The Adidas business plan has an extensive and understandable financial plan and analysis that create assurance to the investors that their funds are being used in the best way and they are not investing on an idea that is likely to fail. In the financial plan, the company has to mention the financing combinations that are deemed suitable for the business(Baliga Rodrigues, 2015, p. 212). For example, for the Adidas case debt financing, equity financing and ploughed back financing have been considered. Bearing in mind that companies require huge capital both debt financing and equity financing are most applicable for Adidas. The financial plan and analysis of Adidas Company has been accompanied by the anticipated period when the company will be able to clear the debt. Adidas Company financial analysis also identifies the underlying assumptions that an in the business plan. For example, for Sydney business plan case, the company can assume that there will be stable economic growth without any recession interruptions. Secondly, another assumption can be that there are no unforeseen uncertainties that can affect the operations and growth of the business. Finally, the third assumption can be based on the notion that the financing methods used will be sufficient to sustain all the financial needs of the business. Finally, Adidas business plan has illustrated the key financial indicators that pinpoints out that the idea is worth investing. This has involved the analysis of the key financial aspects such as sales, gross margin, inventory turnover and operating expenses. The projection of this financial indicators appear real and is accompanied by the profit and loss forecast for the next five years. Environmental Impact Analysis Business extract resources to operate from the environment. The raw materials obtained from the environment undergo through transformation process into finished products or output. The extraction of the raw materials, transformation process, and outputs affect the environment in one way or the other(Hilary Jesse, 2012, p. 7). Therefore, it is very vital for the entrepreneur to indicate in the business plan how the operations of the business are likely to affect the surrounding environment. The entrepreneur should identify the environmental management plans that will ensure prevention and mitigation of the harmful effects associated with the business operations. It is evident that Sydney is a tourist attraction city. Therefore, Adidas runs by avoiding operations that can contribute to negative environmental impact. To address the problem of environmental impact, the company business plan has identified business operation factors that can negatively impact the surrounding environment. The company has proven that its operations do not have negative effects on the environment by providing the analysis of the environmental audit in the business plan. Secondly, the company has identified the impact of business on the surrounding community. To address this problem, Adidas Company business plans has laid down practices to engage the local community in the business to help in reducing the foreseeable impacts. Thirdly, an entrepreneur the company has listed constraints and risks that will accrue the business as result of environmental impacts. Fourth, the company has highlighted the strategies available to minimize the environmental impact as well risk that may hinder the progress of the business. Finally, the company listed the action plan that is deemed to arise from the implementation of strategies meant to reduce environmental impact. Business Plan Financing From the analysis of the business environment in Sydney City, it has come out clear that the city enjoys stable economy. It is also proven that some companies are likely to fail within the first three years in business. This challenge has been linked to poor financial planning and lack of enough funding that is caused by the global financial crisis. However, for the business with good financial plans like Adidas it can take advantage of the stable economy to obtain business plan financing from the potential investors. Conclusion A business plan is a crucial document that requires the entrepreneur to assess the planned location of the business to come up with several guidelines that should be considered. Sydney City is one of the best locations in Australia to start a business. The region seems to enjoy, economic and political stability, the huge market provided by the large population and geographical serene that attracts customers from all over the world. Therefore, Adidas Company should use features associated with the Sidney region to prepare an attractive business plan that will influence the financial support of the investors. References Adidas Group, 2012. History. [Online] Available at: https://www.adidas-group.com/en/group/history/ [Accessed 15 Agust 2017]. Allocca, B., 2015. Five Goals of Adidas New CEO. [Online] Available at: https://gazettereview.com/2015/03/five-goals-of-adidas-new-ceo/ [Accessed 15 August 2017]. Awwad, A. S., Al Khattab, A. A. Anchor, J. R., 2013. Competitive Priorities and Competitive Advantage in. Journal of Service Science and Management, 6(2), pp. 69-79 . Baliga, A. J. Rodrigues , L. L., 2015. Business Plan- The Secret to Success. The International Journal of Business Management , 3(4), pp. 2010-214. Bewayo, E. D., 2015. The Overemphasis on Business Plans in Entrepreneurship Education: Why does it persist?. Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development , 3( 1), pp. 1-7 . cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au, 2016. Business and Economy. [Online] Available at: https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/vision/towards-2030/business-and-economy [Accessed 13 August 2017]. Crow , R. Goldstein, H., 2013. Model Business Plan: A Supplemental Guide for Open Access. Journal Developers Publishers, 1(1), pp. 1-43. Denniss, R., 2016. Sydney's cultural and ethnic diversity a chance to lift economy, arts, communities. [Online] Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/comment/sydneys-cultural-and-ethnic-diversity-a-chance-to-lift-economy-arts-communities-20160316-gnl4da.html [Accessed 15 August 2017]. Hilary , S. Jesse , S., 2012. Writing a business plan: reference tools to assist budding entrepreneurs. Reference Reviews, 26(8), pp. 7-9. Hytti, U., 2015. Business planning and beyond? Qualitative approaches in entrepreneurship. 8th Edition ed. Turku, Finland: European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship . NICHOLAS, J., 2016. Australia's Business Challenges: What small business should know about the global economy. [Online] Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/what-small-business-should-know-about-the-global-economy-2016-6 [Accessed 30 June 2017]. Nunn, L. McGuire, B., 2010. The Importance Of A Good Business Plan. Journal of Business Economics Research (JBER), 8(2), pp. 22-36. Regional Dvelopment Australia Sydney , 2017. Economic Profile. [Online] Available at: https://www.rdasydney.org.au/the-sydney-region~1/economic-profile/ [Accessed 13 August 2017]. Yu , W. Wiklund , J., 2012. Business Planning in Entrepreneurial Teams: An Information Processing Perspective, s.l.: Syracuse University .

The Spanish Armada Essays - Anti-Protestantism,

The Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada On May 30, 1588, they left the Port of Lisbon confident and assured of victory. If they would succeed in victory and conquer the enemy, then they would be the sole world power. If they win they will be victors of the biggest battle the world has ever seen. The Spanish Armada, the biggest invading fleet Spain had ever launched, left Lisbon toward England and headed for the unknown. During the 16th century Spain and England were colonizing the world and gaining power. In the 1560's England was jealous of Spain, because the Spaniards were taking gold and silver from the Americas and the English wanted some of that wealth. Queen Elizabeth I encouraged some of her commanders to raid Spanish towns and ships, even though the two countries were still at peace. Some religious differences were also causing conflict between the two countries. England was a protestant country, who had just broke away from the Roman Catholic church, and Spain followed the Roman Catholic church. The English government also supported the Dutch Protestants, who were rebelling against Spanish rule. Spain and England also competed over trade routes and control of trade throughout Europe and the world. In the early 1580's King Philip II of Spain started to assemble his fleet. His plan was to have a two pronged attack. His fleet would meet with the Duke of Parma, in the Spanish Netherlands at Calais. The Armada would then ferry the Duke's troops across the English Channel allowing them to march on London, capturing the city and the Queen. Soon after the entire country would fall to Spanish rule. Once the fleet of 125 ships had been assembled, King Philip II ordered the Duke of Medina Sedonia, the Spanish commander of the fleet, to sail to Calias. In May 1588, the armada left Lisbon traveled up the coast toward England. The English were informed of the Spanish movements and quickly assembled a fleet of mostly merchant ships. They left England to intercept the advancing armada. Once the Spaniards had reached the South West coast of England on July 19, 1588, the 197 vessels of the English navy attacked the flanks of the great armada. The English avoided close-in combat, much to the Spanish dismay. The Spaniards continued attacking, yet the English fleet harassed the Spaniards doing much damage. The Spanish fleet continued on their path to Calais, with the English in tow. Once the Spanish fleet reached the port of Calais they found out that the Duke of Parma failed to show up with his men. This was devastating to the Kings plan. At this time the English saw an opportunity to attack and did. They sent fire ships into the Spanish formations, thus scattering them. The next day the English attacked the confused armada. The Battle of Gravelines, an eight hour struggle, left many Spanish ships damaged or lost. The Spanish realized that their invincible armada was in danger of total annihilation, so the Spanish commander, the Duke of Media Sedonia ordered a retreat. The Spanish fleet was to forgo the invasion and head back home. He chose the route that went north of Scotland and Ireland. For three days the English ships followed the Spaniards, before they ran out of ammunitions, then they returned to England to restock. The Spanish fleet was battered by North Sea storms and finally the weakly defeated armada limped back to Spain. After the defeat of the Armada, Spain dropped from world domination. After that the British rose to international supremacy. The defeat of the Spanish Armada brought change to the world scene in which England became the dominate leader in world trade and colonization. Spain lost most of it's world control because of the loss of it's navy. With out the navy they couldn't control their colonies, thus lossing them to other world powers. England thrived and spread it's power all over the world, becoming an influential and dominate world power.

The Odyssey and Lysistrata Lust Essay Example For Students

The Odyssey and Lysistrata Lust Essay Lust is defined as an intense longing or a sexual desire. It is a common theme in literature; particularly in classic Greek literature. The reason it is so prevalent in literature is that is prevalent in our daily lives. Everyone lusts after something or someone. It is an interesting topic to examine closely, and classic literature is an excellent medium for such an investigation. Two works I have studied, in which lust is a theme, are an epic, Homers The Odyssey, and a play, Aristophanes Lysistrata. In both The Odyssey and Lysistrata, lust is a theme that plays a major role in the course of the story, making the stories similar, but very different. We will write a custom essay on The Odyssey and Lysistrata Lust specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The Odyssey is an epic that tells story of Odysseus as he returns to his home and his wife after fighting in the Trojan War. He is faced with many perils, trials, and tribulations along the way. One such trail is lust. It shows up in two instances in The Odyssey. One such instance occurs in Book X on the island of Circe, and the other notable instance occurs in Book XII on Calypsos island of Ogygia. In Book X, Odysseus and his men find themselves on the island of the sorceress, Circe. The men hear her singing and are overcome with lust for her. They say, There is some one inside working at a loom and singing most beautifully. The whole place resounds with it. Let us call her and see whether she is woman or goddess, (The Odyssey). Circe transforms Odysseuss men into swine. and when they had drunk she turned them into pigs by a stroke of her wand, and shut them up in her pigsties. They were like pigshead, hair, and all, and they grunted just as pigs do; but their senses were the same as before, and they remembered everything, (The Odyssey). It is up to Odysseus to save them. He does this with the help of the god Hermes, but is tricked into remaining on the island for a number of years without even realizing it. Circe says to him, so be it then; sheathe your sword and let us go to bed, that we may make friends and learn to trust each other, (The Odyssey). He is reluctant, but finally consents. He thinks he is only there overnight. However, he does not realize how long he is actually on the island until the time has passed. Then, it is too late. Odysseus stays on the island because of a mutual lust between him and Circe. Odysseus loves his wife, Penelope, deeply, but is overcome by his lust for Circe. The reason Circe holds Odysseus captive on her island for so long is her lust for him. She is certainly not in love with him, but she wants him. Thus, she makes the time pass very quickly so that Odysseus will stay with her. The second instance of lust occurs in Book XII when Odysseus is washed up on the island of Ogygia, after just barely surviving the perils of Scylla and Charybdis. His whole crew has perished, and he is alone. He is found by Calypsos handmaidens. At first Calypso treats Odysseus well. However, when Odysseus asks for a boat to leave the island, Calypso tells him that he may never leave the island. Calypso lusts for Odysseus so much that she holds him captive for many years. Odysseus, however, does not feel this lust for her. At this point in the epic, he wants nothing more than to reach his home and his wife, whom he loves very much. Finally, the gods tell Calypso that is time to release Odysseus, and she obeys. .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80 , .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80 .postImageUrl , .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80 , .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80:hover , .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80:visited , .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80:active { border:0!important; } .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80:active , .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80 .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u795efa4dc31751dafed1890aab7b5a80:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Cay EssayThe Odyssey is a tale of growth and development. Odysseus was, in a sense, defeated by the power of Circe. However, later in the story, as he continued to grow and change, he was able to be strong when faced with Calypso. He did not forget his goal of getting home as he had previously done. The comedy, Lysistrata, is based almost entirely around the theme of lust. The story tells of a war among the Greeks. Lysistrata, whose name means she who dissolves armies, is the wife of one of the soldiers. She, along with the other wives, is sick and tired of her husband always being away doing battle. In fact, she says to the women, Its your husbands. Fathers of your ch ildren. Doesnt it bother you that theyre always off with the Army? Ill stake my life, not one of you has a man in the house this morning, (Lysistrata). So, she comes up with a plan to end the war and have all the men return home. Her plan is to convince all the wives to withhold sex from their husbands until a treaty can be reached. She believes that the men will be so overcome with lust for their wives that they will come to an agreement and end the war. When Lysistrata first introduces her idea to the wives, she tells them, Only we women can save Greece! (Lysistrata). They are all very glad and excited to hear her plan. They claim they are willing to do anything that will bring the war to a close. However, when she tells them her plan, their tone changes. The women want their men just as much as the men want them. One womans response is, I couldnt. No. Let the war go on, (Lysistrata). Another woman says, Lysistrata, no! Id walk through fire for youyou know I would!, but dont ask u s to give up that! Why, theres nothing like it! (Lysistrata). But, eventually, Lysistrata manages to convince the women that this is the only way to end the war, and they reluctantly agree. Many of the women are weakened by their lust for their husbands. They try to make excuses in order to go home. One woman says, Ive got to get home! Ive a lot of Milesian wool, and the worms are spoiling it, (Lysistrata). Another woman goes so far as to put a helmet under her cloak and pretend she is about to have a child. However, Lysistrata responds to them by saying, You useless girls, thats enough: Lets have no more lying. Of course you want your men. But dont you imagine that they want you just as much? Ill give you my word; their nights must be pretty hard. Just stick it out! A little patience, thats all, and our battles won, (Lysistrata). And, Lysistrata is right; the men are weakening with their lust for their wives. They all echo the sentiments of this statement. Were at a standstill. Cant seem to think of anything but women, (Lysistrata). Eventually the men can no longer stand it, and they agree to make peace. Lysistrata and the women have won because of the power lust had over the men. When compared, The Odyssey and Lysistrata have one apparent similarity. That similarity is the power of lust. However, when the theme of lust in the two works is compared, one major difference can be seen. In The Odyssey, lust is conquered by Odysseus. In Lysistrata, lust is the conqueror. The Odyssey is an epic that shows Odysseus growth and development, as well as his strength to resist temptation. Lysistrata is a comedy that shows how weak men are when it comes to lust. Therefore, the two works have one basic similarity, but it is that very similarity that makes them very different. .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c , .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c .postImageUrl , .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c , .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c:hover , .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c:visited , .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c:active { border:0!important; } .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c:active , .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u720146d7945efb0c6a69b950ffe24f2c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Hsc Visual Arts: Artists Who Use Bodily Fluids EssayIn conclusion, both Homers The Odyssey and Aristophanes Lysistrata contain the theme of lust. In The Odyssey, lust is overcome, and in Lysistrata, lust overcomes. The stories are linked by the idea of lust, but they are very different. I enjoyed reading both of these works, and I found it fascinating to examine them in regards to a topic that is so prevalent in todays society. It was interesting to take a look at these two tremendously different representations of the emotion of lust. These stories represented the extremes of this emotion, and I believe that most humans fall somewhere in the middle, sometimes giving into lust, and sometimes remaining strong. And let us all hope that, Never againshall we lose our way in such madness, (Lysistrata).

Let The punishment Fit the Crime essays

Let The punishment Fit the Crime essays Sir William Schwenk Gilbert stated in the first act of The Mikado Let the punishment fit the crime. In society punishments are given to make people suffer for their wrong doings. Is it fair that when man breaks rules but only in the name of righteousness that he be punished? In the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey, the author skillfully portrays man as one who suffers for breaking the rules, while trying to stand up for his beliefs and inspire others. One may suffer as a consequence of breaking the rules, but he will suffer unfairly if he were only breaking them to stand up for his beliefs. In One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Nurse Ratched constantly caused the inmates to endure unfair suffering when they broke the rules, even if they were breaking them to stand up for their beliefs. On the evening of the world series game, the inmates led by McMurphy held a vote so they could watch the game. The deciding vote was not submitted in time because the meeting was closed according to the Nurse. McMurphy rebelled against this unfair decision by skipping his chores and sitting there with his hands crossed behind his head and his feet stuck out in a chair, a smoking cigarette sticking out from under his hatbrim - watching the blank TV screen.(p. 127). The Nurse believed this showed unspeakable behavior concerning [his] house duties and she felt that her punishment of taking away a privilege (p. 171) had therapeutic value (p. 171). What the Nurse was really doing was punishing this man for standing up for himself. McMurphy suffers as a result of his courage to take a stand against the Nurses unfair ruling. McMurphy rebels against the system by breaking Nurse Ratcheds rules and laying down his own. To me this sounds like a leader trying to make a difference not a man who deserves punishment. In like manner, the Jews ...

Assignment DECISION CASE ANALYSIS Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Assignment DECISION CASE ANALYSIS - Coursework Example Later in 193 AD, the whole of Roman Empire was put for auction by the Praetorian Guard. In 18th century, there was an auction that was carried out in Taverns and coffeehouses where it was used to sell art. In around 1990s, there emerged the first internet- based auction materials and in the mid-1995, Glen Meakem, who was McKinsey consultant, started Free Markets. In the year 2004, Ariba did the purchase of Free Market and by today very many companies offer various types of bids including a reverse auction (Cogswell, 2004). He procurement process follows a cycle that begins with preparation, negotiation, and lastly implementation process. The development process in e- auction is longer than it is in face to face negotiation. Here, there are tight conditions, and everything is restricted on the supplier who only negotiates on the price. Furthermore, e- auction involves negotiation of several suppliers; therefore there are a lot of energies invested at the preparation level. However, on es the supplier has gotten into the system, the subsequent years do not require a lot of time for preparation. The second process requires negotiation, at such a point there is extreme talk, and many suppliers negotiate within a given timescales. As they negotiate the price of the good or the serviced decrease such that by the time are done the price is favorable to the buyers who will be willing to choose the price that fits them. The last process that is implementation is based on the company; it should be done in a straightforward and transparent way that favors both the supplier and the buyer (Cogswell, 2004). The Market Dojo finds it so challenging entering into an e- sourcing space where there are bigger companies such as Oracle, SAP and Ariba already offering excellent services to the customers (Testa, 2009). Market Dojo strives to have a share of the market with these well- established companies by taking advantage of the

Audit framework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Audit framework - Essay Example Operational audit a review of any part of an organization’s operating procedures and methods for the purpose of evaluating efficiency and effectiveness. And compliance audit – Auditing process is considerably broader than the definition of an audit of historical financial statements and encompasses many attestation and assurance service activities. Definition of auditing is also includes several key words and phrases. In auditing accounting data, the concern is with determining whether recorded information properly reflects the economic events that occurred during the accounting period. Because accounting rules are the criteria for evaluating whether the accounting information is properly recorded, any auditor involved with these data must also thoroughly understand those rules. To do an audit, there must be information in a verifiable form and some standards (criteria) by which the auditor can evaluate the information. Information can and does take many forms. Auditors routinely perform audits of quantifiable information, including companies’ financial statements and individuals’ federal income tax returns. Auditors also perform audits lf more subjective information, such as the effectiveness of computer systems and the efficiency of manufacturing operations. This is a case study for auditing Southern Rock, a high street UK Bank, registered in Southampton. Here audit partner in the firm is â€Å"APMC Auditors† has provided some questions to answer. Answers of the given questions are answered as bellow respectively: The â€Å"going concern† perception is one of the regulatory foundation stone of the financial accounting arena. The spirit of going concern express that the Balance Sheet of a company must be an echo the weight of that company as if it would stay in existence for and beyond the predictable future. In other words, the going concern concept also states that the company would

Hybrid electric vehicle Essay Example for Free

Hybrid electric vehicle Essay Product: The #1 selling hybrid is the Toyota Prius Hybrid. Toyota is already on its third generation of the Prius. The gas/electric Prius hybrid retains its lock on this category for the fifth straight year. Despite lots of new hybrid models, the Toyota Prius 44 mpg (overall) is still the best in any five-passenger car. The interior is roomy and versatile, and the Prius has proven to be very reliable. Other Hybrid cars include the Honda Insight Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid; SUV’s include the Ford Escape Hybrid and the Chevrolet Equinox Hybrid. Luxury SUV’s included the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid and Lexus RX 400h. Current hybrid cars can get up to 60 miles to the gallon on the highway. In addition to fuel economy, they boast lower emissions and depreciation than gasoline-powered cars. Environmentalists embrace hybrid cars as a solution to todays pollution problems. Despite tough economic times and a shrinking US vehicle market, demand for hybrids continues to outpace the overall market. Price: The 2010 Toyota Hybrid price ranges from $22,800 $28,070. Toyota sold 271 of its $US38, 000 Prius cars in China last year. Overall passenger-car sales in the nation totaled 10. 3 million. Hybrid sales; as a percentage of all new car sales—are likely to remain flat from 2008 levels at about 2. 5 percent. But considering the overall car market is shrinking in 2009, the total number of hybrid sales will drop to about 250,000. The Toyota Prius the third-generation version that debuted in January; will continue to be the biggest seller. Compared to the Prius, the Honda Insight Hybrid price is $19,800 $23,100. And the Toyota Camry hybrid sells for $26,400. Demand for good is elastic: The Toyota Prius Hybrid would be very elastic because we dont have to buy that brand of car we have lots of substitutes such as the Honda Insight Hybrid or Ford Escape Hybrid. Determinants of Demand: 1. Substitutes (814,173 Toyota Prius units registered by December 2009) †¢Conventional cars, public transportation, trains †¢Only 7 percent of Americans take public transportation to work †¢Higher gas prices will help hybrid car sales †¢The 2009 Honda Insight, a compact which emphasizes affordability. The Honda Insight, billed as the cheapest gasoline-electric hybrid on the market, ranked as the top-selling vehicle in Japan for April 2009 2. Overseas Markets: The Prius first went on sale in Japan in 1997, making it the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle. It was subsequently introduced worldwide in 2001. The Prius is sold in more than 40 countries and regions, with its largest markets being those of Japan and North America. In May 2008, global cumulative Prius sales reached the milestone 1 million vehicle mark, and by early 2010, the Prius reached worldwide cumulative sales of 1. 6 million units. As the global top seller market, the U. S. made up more than half the Prius sold worldwide, with 814,173 units registered by December 2009. In Japan, it is reported that Toyota cut the price of Prius from 2. 331 million yen to 2. 05 million yen to compete with Honda Insight. Toyotas goal is to sell about 400,000 units annually around the globe and 180,000 units in the U. S. by 2010. 3. Income: Hybrid drivers have higher income, much higher than the average car buyer. In 2004, J. D. Power reported that hybrid owner incomes are $100,000 a year versus $85,000 a year for the average buyer. In a 2007 survey of 118 Prius drivers by Topline Strategy Group, 71 percent of respondents earned more than $100,000 per year. 4. Demographics: Hybrid drivers are a few years older than the average car buyer—closer to 50 rather than the average age of 40. J. D. Power’s 2007 review of auto industry marketing showed that only 2 percent of hybrid owners are 24 or younger; while 29 percent are between 45 and 54; and 33 percent are 55 and older. The 2007 Scarborough Research pegged the number of age 50+ hybrid drivers at 23 percent. 5. Consumer Preference: demand and gas prices for the most popular hybrid and best-known fuel-efficient compact car, the only U. S. model to exclusively offer every trim as a hybrid: the Toyota Prius. Prius leads the compact car segment in share of segment interest. The compact car segment has grown from 26% of the market in July of 2007 (peak summer gas prices) to over 33% today. 6. Convenience: Efficiency Hybrid cars are electrically operated and are thus able to function well and consistently at any motor speed. This is in contrast to conventional gas-powered engines, which tend to produce less power in low revolutions per minute episodes. Hybrid cars do not need to use transmissions to make their engines run at full capacity even at reduced speeds. Economy One of the advantages of hybrid cars is that the feature called regenerative braking. Since a hybrid car works using both electric power and fuel power, each can function by itself or conjunction, depending on which is stronger at the time of use. This means that both engines complement each other and do not simply bog one when one of them becomes weaker. Convenience Because hybrid cars are part battery powered, they do not create huge holes on the pocket, compares to users of traditional cars who feel the pain of the continuing oil price increases. Determinants of Supply: 1. Resource Prices: In 2008, when oil hit $147 a barrel and the price of gasoline exceeded $4 a gallon, US buyers made a massive shift away from large SUVs to small fuel-efficient cars and hybrids. But US consumers returned to larger vehicles, and driving more miles, when prices dropped. The return of triple-digit oil prices is expected to bring renewed interest in the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the market, such as hybrids and plug-in vehicles expected in late 2010. The percentage of hybrids COMPARED to auto sales is seen in the graph below. 2. Technological Changes: The varieties of hybrid electric designs can be differentiated by the structure of the hybrid vehicle drivetrain, the fuel type, and the mode of operation. In 2007, several automobile manufacturers announced that future vehicles will use aspects of hybrid electric technology to reduce fuel consumption without the use of the hybrid drivetrain. Regenerative braking can be used to recapture energy and stored to power electrical accessories, such as air conditioning. Shutting down the engine at idle can also be used to reduce fuel consumption and reduce emissions without the addition of a hybrid drivetrain. In both cases, some of the advantages of hybrid electric technology are gained while additional cost and weight may be limited to the addition of larger batteries and starter motors. 3. Labor Costs: Most experts agree a replacement hybrid car battery can range anywhere from $1,000 to more than $6,000, depending on the year and model of car, and without including dealership or independent labor costs. While this may seem like a big expense, car makers are set on reducing prices. Basically, car manufacturers want their products to succeed. Failures in performance hinder that success, so most hybrid car batteries are designed to last the lifetime of the automobile. The state of charge, temperature and longevity in each battery are carefully managed by automakers who know full well that any setback could throw a wrench into the growth of the still relatively nascent hybrid market. 4. Producer Expectations: Toyota Motor Corp. will invest in two U. S. plants to keep up with the growing demand for its eco-friendly stalwart. This is a major step for Toyota’s overall goal to reach 1 million hybrid vehicles annually for the global marketplace. It aims to hit this number within the next five to seven years. Honda has also ramped up its green car plans with an affordable small hybrid expected for next year. The carmaker forecasts annual global sales in the 200,000 unit range, with half of those sales coming from the United States. Honda is striving to elevate its total global hybrid output number to 500,000, a significant boost over the 55,000 cars it produced in 2007. If-Then 1. If the price of gasoline increases then the demand of hybrid cars will increase 2. If the Toyota Prius Hybrid remains at #1, then other Hybrid automakers like Honda and Ford will have a decrease in Hybrid sales. 3. If the price of Hybrid cars increases, the demand will decrease. 4. If U. S income increases, Hybrid sales may increase for better fuel efficiency. Elasticity Estimates: 1. As demand increases for hybrid cars, the technology should become more affordable, especially for subsequent model years. While it is unlikely that prices will decrease dramatically, prices probably will not increase either, as the cars will become more efficient to build. This will, in the long run, lead to more affordable hybrid cars. In the end, affordable hybrid vehicles could provide a big boost to the ailing automobile industry. 2. Higher production volumes may lead to lower hybrid vehicle costs and prices. Every little bit of supply will be needed with hybrids becoming hot sellers. In the past automakers had limited supply with the increase of demand, but since there are so many automakers who make hybrids, supply is no longer an issue. It is much easier now to find the Toyota Prius versus in 2007. Supply and Demand Curves Incomes increase The price of gasoline decreases The graph below demonstrates the Hybrid market, car market, petrol market and the oil market. Market Structure: The automobile industry in the United States is an oligopoly because only six firms (General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, and Nissan) account for almost 90% of U. S. Automobile sales. Barriers to Entry: The recent economic crisis has provided an impetus to a massive structural change in the auto industry, setting the stage for growth over the next decade. Given the high barriers to entry and the need for scale economies, the global auto industry landscape is expected to be ruled by global automakers and suppliers based in the six major auto markets – China, India, Japan, Korea, Western Europe and the U. S. Foreign Competition: In the world of hybrid cars, there is Toyota and everybody else when it comes to sales. Toyota sold 195,545 hybrids in the US in 2009, largely led by 139,682 Prius hybrid sales. Still, even without the Prius, Toyota still sold significantly more hybrids than did either Ford or Honda. The Toyota Prius II hybrid has the highest fuel economy of any comparable hybrid model. The Toyota Prius II hybrid gets 51 miles per gallon in the city and 48 miles per gallon on the highway. This far exceeds its competition, the Honda Insight, which gets 40/43 miles per gallon city and highway, and the Honda Civic hybrid, which gets 40/45 city and highway. The MSRP for the Toyota Prius II is $23,150, which is about a little more than $2,000 higher than the Honda Insight but about $1,000 lower than the Honda Civic hybrid. Government: The purchase of hybrid electric cars qualifies for a federal income tax credit up to $3,150 on the purchasers Federal income taxes. The tax credit is to be phased out two calendar quarters after the manufacturer reaches 60,000 new cars sold in the following manner: it will be reduced to 50% ($1700) if delivered in either the third or fourth quarter after the threshold is reached, to 25% ($850) in the fifth and sixth quarters, and 0% thereafter. Hybrid Tax Credit (bill): AB 174/SB 90 would create an income and franchise tax credit of up to $1,000 for the amount of sales and use tax paid on the purchase or lease of a hybrid vehicle that has an EPA rating of at least 40 mpg or an EPA rating that is at least 15 percent greater than the same non-hybrid model. The credit may be claimed for sales and use tax paid during the 2007 to 2011 taxable years. The senate bill would extend the credit to the purchase or lease of flex-fuel vehicles that are E85 capable. Introduced and referred to committee 03/12/07. Failed to pass before the end of the legislative session. Sources: http://online. wsj. com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales. html#autosalesD http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Toyota_Prius http://www. hybridcars. com/hybrid-drivers/profile-of-hybrid-drivers. html http://www. hybridcars. com/frontpage http://www. hybrid-car. org/ http://go. ucsusa. org/hybridcenter/incentives. cfm#WI http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Hybrid_tax_credit http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Hybrid_electric_vehicle.

Branding Cities for Tourism

Branding Cities for Tourism INTRODUCTION In the times that we live in, everything from products, services, people, to places are branded. This is no more an interesting marketing technique, instead the need of the hour today. While there are some critiques of the concept, Place Branding is becoming a well accepted theoretical development by marketing gurus in the world. The days where the big cities used to compete with one another for placing headquarters of multi-national companies are gone. To a great extent, this paradigm shift can be attributed to technological advances and lowering of regulations across the world. Therefore, cities can now carve their own niche for a separate value proposition they have on offer. A great deal of research has been conducted on the concept of city branding; some of the identified requirements for city branding are leadership, strategy and creativity. It is important to admit that a city is widely different from a product, yet has its set of similarities. The greatest point of distinction is that a city is a single product, which can be multi-sold. Therefore, it is imperative that a city defines its target segments clearly. In broad terms, the customers for a city are people who live there, i.e. a citys inhabitants, people who create job there (the creative class) and people who stay there (contribute to the city through tourism). A city cannot function without its people, who form the stakeholders for the city. A city branding exercise to a great deal is driven by the concept of leadership. Leadership includes a citys citizens, government authorities, private and public companies, institutions, etc. The key to city branding is that there is no hierarchy in the organizational structure for a citys leadership board. They all are equal partners, who take strategic decisions together, implement it as a group and therefore, enjoy the benefits or bear the risks equally. In order for a city to be a good brand, the city should have distinctive, differentiated characteristics, which can be easily identified by the target group. A city branding exercise requires a city to have certain basic characteristics, without which branding cannot be successful (Winfield-Pfefferkorn, August 2005): The city must offer attractive employment opportunities The purchasing power of the citizens should be reasonable It should provide reasonable living conditions The public transport system should be in place Education and recreational facilities should be present Branding, if executed well has the capability to infuse life into the city. It has a direct bearing on the work of urban and economic planners for the city. The key is to identify the promise of a value that a city has, i.e. what is it that the city offers which can keep the businesses, institutions and residents attracted and interested in the city (Gelder Roberts, Branding Bring Life to a City, 2006). In case of city branding, the role of branding is not just strategic or visionary in nature. The value of the brand is built at every point of contact with the consumer through the experiences that the consumer has at that point. Therefore, relying only on the physical characteristics of the place is not enough. It is each experience which defines the image of the city in the consumers mind (Baker, 2007) Therefore, the process of city branding is interesting albeit very complex in nature. There are no one-size-fits-all phenomena for city branding. Each citys stakeholders need to think individually about their city and identify the differentiating characteristics, the strengths and weaknesses and the areas which need work to execute a meaningful, strategic city branding process. LITERATURE REVIEW DECIPHERING: CITY BRANDING In the competitive age today, almost nothing has a strategic competitive advantage. Therefore, the cities as well are competing with one another for attention, tourism, talent, events, investment etc. (Sicco van Gelder, June, 2008). The author points out the days where the big cities used to compete with one another for placing headquarters of multi-national companies are gone. To a great extent, this paradigm shift can be attributed to technological advances and lowering of regulations across the world. Therefore, cities can now carve their own niche for a separate value proposition they have on offer. At this point, the author points out that the traditional methods of advertising with CNN or pepping up the proposal in terms of commercial, industrial or cultural spaces is no more enough to lure consumers onshore. This is the onset of requirement of a ‘branding strategy for a city. He urges the reader to think about how a value proposition needs to be devised from analyzing which aspect of the city can be used to differentiate itself. He further explains, the three main heads with are required for branding of cities: Leadership Strategy Creativity Leadership The author has identified ‘Leadership as the most crucial component of any city branding exercise and how if leadership is taken into consideration, strategy and creativity can be built around it. The first step to leadership is identifying who are the stakeholders of the city, who would work as partners in the a combined unified goal of re-structuring the city, because unless all the stake holders are on the same page, a restructuring, branding or any such activity can be successfully implemented. In addition to this, it is important to realize that unlike a company, in case of a city all the shareholders are equally responsible for a city branding exercise forming a hybrid type of organization. â€Å"What is required is a partnership where all of the key stakeholders regard each other as equals, regardless of their power or resources, where their individual contributions are valued because, without them, the city will not realize its full potential.† Another important characteristic of leadership is that the leadership should be shared in nature, because a partnership can be created but an effective execution requires the participants to take care of their own agendas along with a collective decision making. â€Å"Shared leadership in a brand partnership requires a far greater degree of common understanding and joint thinking than traditional forms of leadership in the public and private sectors.† All the partners should be keen, eager and willing to work together. A city branding exercise is a collective wisdom which is driven by team work. The author points out that there may be various conflicts of interest, opinions, timing issues, etc. However, the stakeholders need to work together irrespective. At this point the author introduces the concept of a ‘Brand Management Organization, where he illustrates that the role of a Brand Organization is to devise a clear cut branding strategy for the city, i.e. policy changes, re-look at the concerned areas, investment, city attraction strategies, etc. Thus, in the area of brand management as a whole, a city branding provides the following lessons, according to the author: The partnership of the stakeholders is an on-going process. Their work cannot be skewed towards anyone and it doesnt end once a strategy formulation is over. The partnership is not an elitist society; newer members need to be added from time to time. The partnership needs to evolve as time changes. The partnership needs to take timely reviews of the brand strategy and be fluid in making the necessary amendments from time to time. The partnership cannot work in a silo. It needs to motivate the citizens of the city to work together with the brand strategy Strategy There are three forms of strategy which exist: Business Strategy, Brand Strategy and Marketing Strategy (Gelder, The new imperatives for global branding: Strategy, Creativity and Leadership, January, 2005). The author further illustrates that the business strategy is an overall phenomenon, which further dictates the branding strategy. The branding strategy further dictates what differentiates the brand (in this case, a city) from others, what is its unique value proposition, believable, and likeable. Based on these strategies, the promotion design, pricing, delivery, etc. can be decided. To execute the branding strategies, the marketing strategy is devised. The marketing strategy according to the author is translating the brand proposition as value for the stakeholders. As Illustrated earlier all of it revolves around leadership. The author insists that leadership is the key to the three types of strategy, which has direct implications on a successful implementation on the workforce. Creativity Creativity as the name suggests is about ideas (Gelder, The new imperatives for global branding: Strategy, Creativity and Leadership, January, 2005). Creativity according to the author can be of two types: Thinking of existing scenarios in a different manner or coming up with completely new ideas. Creativity forms an inherent component of the entire strategy design. The author explains through the ideas of Jeff Mauzy and Richard A. Harriman, who introduce the concept of systemic creativity, which is further argued by Nicholas Ind and Cameron Watt that creativity is the fluidity within the organization which breaks down barriers. The author illustrates that creativity is not restricted to the mere ideation process, but should be embedded in every aspect of a strategy. â€Å"Creativity is not the same as innovation, which may be termed ‘applied creativity. Creativity is also not the same as improvement, which may be termed ‘routine creativity. However, both innovation and improvement require pure creativity to function† To conclude, the author insists that one without the other is pointless. For a successful execution of a branding process, they all need to work in tandem with one another. WHY BRAND PLACES? Kotler explains how place branding and marketing results in the overall growth of the place and value for the involved stake holders. The equation is quite simple actually, branding a place leads to attraction for the place, which leads to varied benefits as described by the flow chart below: However, it isnt a completely upward graph. In fact, its a growth and decline cycle (Kotler, Place Growth Dynamics, 1999). While the attractiveness of a place brings new industries, job opportunities and betters quality of life, it has its own set of implications. When more and more external industries and people come into a city it leads to increase in usage of a citys resource, which further leads to depletion, increase in costs, etc. which in turn leads to increase in taxes for the community. In addition to this, the author states that there are external damaging effects as well which are defined as ‘process coincidences. Some examples of process coincidences are air pollution, increased crime rate, etc. Therefore, the learning from this is that a city should be branded to gain attractiveness, which is seen directly proportional to a citys prosperity. However, the implications of such a step should be taken into account and contingency plans should be devised by the involved stakeholders and authorities in the citys branding exercise. WHAT IS A BRAND? An Oxford dictionary definition: Brand (noun): a trade mark, goods of a particular make: a mark of identification made with a hot iron, the iron used for this: a piece of burning or charred wood, (verb): to mark with a hot iron, or to label with a trade mark. Varied definitions of brand exist across definitions and disciplines. However, there lies a common line of thought which implies that in its passive form a brand is an object by which an impression is formed, and hence branding is the process of forming this impression (Blackett, April 2004). This book attempts to illustrate how branding has evolved in both active and passive manner. â€Å"The word brand comes from the Old Norse brandr, meaning to burn, and from these origins made its way into Anglo-Saxon.† This process was undertaken to differentiate ones cattle from another. It was also realized that the farmers who took care of their cattle, hence provided much better quality were preferred and came to be identified with the marks on the cattle. The author goes on to explain how brands have come a long way since that era. He provides examples of the Mediterranean age, Ancient Rome, the British Museum, such as: potters marks, roman eagle, flags, to explain the concept further. The true arriving of brands took place during the industrial revolution, when the trading between countries became possible. In fact some of the brands during that time are some of the biggest brands even today: Singer sewing-machines, Coca-Cola soft drinks, Bass beer, American Express, Prudential Insurance, etc. Ever since, the 2nd world war, the world has seen real explosion in the world of brands (Blackett, April 2004). Elements of a Brand Brands are supposed to have some inherent features which are distinctive. Brands are intrinsically striking and that their role is to create an indelible impression (Blackett, April 2004). Intrinsically Striking: According to the author a brand is distinctive through a combination of factors such as, name, letters, numbers, a symbol, a signature, a shape, a slogan, a color, a particular typeface. He also adds that the name is the most important part of a brand, as it provides a universal language interface. However, the name can never be enough; it has to be complemented by other symbols, signs, logo, tagline, etc. which then derive the brands overall philosophy. It is the repetition of these across consumers senses which make a brand what it is. There are obviously exceptions to this rule. However, the exceptions usually only work when a brand enjoys a cult status and has a huge following of loyalists that the changes in the logo, tagline, or even the name do not affect a consumers perceptions about the brand and they continue to relate to it Creating an Indelible Impression: This is the age of high competition and high variety, the author notes. Therefore, the need to differentiate oneself from another becomes of primary importance. Since the consumer is flooded with choice, the brand needs to create an impression which is long lasting and captivating for a consumer to sit up and notice. The brand needs to function in a manner such that it creates a route map in the consumers mind making it an obvious choice amongst the clutter. This loosely translated implies that the consumer neednt be aware about the industry, i.e. the brand just needs to offer a value proposition interesting enough for the consumer to pick it above others. The author also adds that the successful brands are those, which create equity for the consumer, meets the expectations of the consumer and keep the promise they have made (Blackett, April 2004). Brands as Business Assets and Explosion of Branding Blackett further explains that this age expects brands to be assets to a company. Brands, with their ability to secure income, can be classed as productive assets (Blackett, April 2004) in exactly the same way as any other, more traditional assets of a business (plant, equipment, cash, investments and so on). Needless to say that the brands which result in high earnings for the business have direct implications on the overall performance of the business and also results in positive shareholder value for the stakeholders. As the world is moving further, more and more corporations are fighting for the same space. Also, it has moved beyond products. In this age, products are branded, corporations are branded, and literally everything is branded. Guideline for good brand management The author explains that if a brand wants to be truly successful, there are certain guru mantras which need to be incorporated in all brands across categories: Protection of the Brand: This essentially means patenting or trade-marking a brand and its complementing characteristics, such as, logo, name, colors, etc. Honoring the Stakeholders: Each brand should identify who are the stakeholders and work in an efficient manner for all of them, whether its the employees, the consumers, the shareholders or partners. Treating the Brand as an Investment Tool and not Cost: Brand owners need to realize that unless branding is viewed as an investment which brings results, appropriate actions will never be taken and true profitability will never be achieved. Hence, the school of thought which treats branding activities as cost needs to be discarded. Exploiting the Financial Potential of a Brand: Branding these days goes beyond a companys premise. Therefore, it is important for the brand owners to look for and tap opportunities where a brands equity can be maximized. Some examples which the author provides are co-branding, licensing, franchising, training, etc. APPLYING BRAND SCIENCE TO CITIES: BRANDS VS. CONCEPT Brands have sometimes been subjected to a lot of criticism from an array of industries (Gelder, Brand versus Concept in Area Development, July, 2008). Due to association of brands with advertising and marketing phenomenon various industries and professionals find it difficult to accept ‘branding, while are willing to apply ‘concept to their line of thinking. The author attempts to compare and contrast ‘Concept and ‘Brands. According to him, while the two are often used interchangeably, the key difference between the two is the applicability period. He says that while a ‘concept is a unique idea for a specific target group, it usually has an end date. A brand on the other hand, is a promise of value that must be kept for different audiences simultaneously, such as residents, visitors, businesses, investors and institutions. Essentially, brands are not short term; they form the underlying philosophy which is applicable across segments and time periods. Also, while a concepts value proposition decreases with time, in case of a brand, it increases with time. However, he suggests that there is no reason why the two should not complement each other. Particularly, in the area development, place branding process, the two should truly work in tandem with one another. If used in conjunction, the two result in benefits for both. The author further illustrates with an example: A concept such as a designer hotel, a slow food restaurant, an organic market, shared facilities for creative start-ups, an ecological district, a culture institution or a factory outlet centre, etc. can help realize the brand. BRANDING OF CITIES SENSE OR NONSENSE? With Nations, Cities, Places and Areas realizing the perils of branding themselves, branding of places is becoming a popular phenomenon, particularly in European areas. The question is whether the laws and rules of branding can be imitated for places, especially with the restricted flexibility a place offers in comparison to a product or service (Riezebos, 2007). The author attempts to solve this issue by focusing on Brand Architecture, Positioning and Organizational Structure of a City Brand. Place branding as defined by the author is a concept of umbrella branding which a term used for branding different geographical locations. He also distinguishes between city branding and city marketing, the principle difference being that marketing uses the consumer preferences as a guiding principle, while branding defines the vision which the company plans to achieve (Riezebos, 2007). In this journal, the author focuses on the term ‘city branding to disseminate the applicability of the concept as a genuine principle. Using examples of New York, Barcelona and Rotterdam, the author derives Brand Architecture, Positioning and Organization Structure in the following ways (Riezebos, 2007): Brand Architecture: From which level, i.e. country, region, city, borough or area of operations should one communicate from and for which target group? He adds that the first step to create brand architecture is identifying the target group, which in the case of a city is living, working and staying. o People who come under the ‘living category constitute of people who live there currently and people who might live there. o People who come under the ‘working category are not the people who come to a city to work, instead constitute of entrepreneurs who create new employment opportunities. o People, who come under the ‘staying category, are essentially the spin off effect it has for the inhabitants by tourists who visit, when they pay for things for their stay food, accommodation, etc. In terms of relevance for devising a brand plan for a city, the idea is to keep in mind the relevance of the offerings and value proposition for each of the target groups. He also adds that while devising the proposition for each target group, the brand architecture needs to be kept in mind. Failing to do so, will result in each level of the city (neighborhood, borough, etc.) provide their own set of offerings to the target group, which may not be in synch with the citys overall value proposition. As a result, the consumer will be confused and hence, inconsistency will not be able to form a brand for the city. Positioning: How should the brand of a city stand out? o Unlike in the case of products, service, etc. a city usually holds their own set of experiences for the consumer. Therefore, the positioning needs to be in sync with the delivery capabilities of the city, otherwise, the citys value proposition will fall flat. He also adds that positioning need not be of a positive tone, i.e. a negative city cannot present itself as a positive city. However, this does not imply that negative cities cannot brand themselves. A city can use its negative properties to brand itself as well. An example is the way Texas used its mosquitoes plague problem by starting the annual mosquitos festival. The author adds that a city should include the two key aspects in its branding: 1. Distinct positioning and differentiating factors 2. Targeted institution of sales activities such that sales activities are tied to certain activities with the city Organization Structure: What is a good structure for the management of a city? o Since there are a number of parties which influence the management of a city, all the involved parties need to work in the below defined structure: According to this structure, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) occupies the most central position (Riezebos, 2007). CMO or the Project Organization takes care of all the marketing, sales and promotional activities of all the target groups. The CMO then reports its activities to the relevant authorities or the City Brand Board (CBB). Usually the CBB consists of researchers, experts on branding and communication, appointed on a revolving term basis. The CBB then reports to the Supervisory Board, which usually includes the Mayor, certain CEOs or heads of companies and institutions. According to the author, this type of an organization structure has the following advantages: 1. Centralization of Brand Related Activities 2. Clear Separation of Execution, Strategy and Top Ranking Ambassadors He insists that these three points should be the guiding principle for drafting a branding plan for any city. COMMUNICATION MODEL FOR CITY BRANDING In a city branding exercise, there are certain types of communications which drive the image of a city (Kavaratizis, 2004). The author implies through this model that the primary target of a city is its inhabitants, and that the beginning and the end point of a city branding is the same, i.e. a citys image. Needless to say that a city always has an image, irrespective of any marketing/branding efforts dedicated to it. He identifies three main methods of communication, in terms of primary, secondary and tertiary: Primary Communication for City Branding: The primary communication revolves around the communicative effects taken by the city, which are defined by 4 types of actions: o Landscape: Essentially the outer appearance of the city, its design, architectural pieces, places of art, etc. o Infrastructure: Essentially the accessibility of the city, i.e. roads, transport facilities, conference halls, etc. o Organization: Essentially the marketing efforts of the citys authorities and how they involve the inhabitants in the decision making process o Behavior: Essentially the services available and provided in the city, events and investment patterns of the city Secondary Communication for City Branding: The secondary communication is the planned and intended communication by the city authorities, in forms of both ATL[1] and BTL[2]. It revolves around what content is being communicated and what is the communication capability of the city authorities Tertiary Communication for City Branding: The tertiary communication is derived from word-of-mouth advertising usually created by media, competing cities, visitors, etc. The author reflects that while the first two forms of communications are largely positive in nature as they are controlled and are of top-down structure. However, it is the third form of communication (Kavaratizis, 2004), which leads to maximum brand salience, making the inhabitants of the city as the chief marketers for the city. LEVELS OF PLACE MARKETING According to Philip Kotler, there are various levels to place marketing, which is a combination of target markets, marketing factors and planning groups. Target markets comprise of the certain chosen segments and the customers to whom the marketing messages are directed at. Marketing factors are essentially the attraction of the place, its infrastructure, the people, its perceived image the quality of life enjoyed by the inhabitants. The planning group is the number of stakeholders who decide and implement the process of place marketing (Kotler, Levels of Place Marketing, 2002). The author further adds that creation of a marketing process creates certain value for the consumer which involves creation of appropriate infrastructure for satisfaction of citizens and visitors, constant need for existing and new attractions which keep businesses and visitors interested, clear communication of its benefits and distinction, generation of support from citizens, government authorities, companies, and institutions. ELEMENTS OF A PLACE MARKETING PROCESS The process of place marketing usually begins with the strategic analysis of a place, which involves its strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats (Ashworth Voogd, 1994). The author points out that in case of place marketing, the elements involved need to be treated differently than marketing of products and services. He explains that each element can be sold separately or as a bundled product in case of place marketing. In addition to this a place is a single entity; however, it can be sold over and over again. The producers of a place product can be many, and the consumers are free to choose the products use for varied purposes. The price of a place product is indirect and non-monetary. The marketing of a place is not restricted to traditional advertising and promotion. A place can improve its liveability, visibility and investibility to market itself (Ashworth Voogd, 1994). There are four main characteristics of a place, which differentiate it from others; place as a character, as a fixed environment, as a service provider and as entertainment and recreation (Rainisto, Success Factors of Place Marketing: A study of place marketing practices in Nor thern Europe and the United States, 2003/2004). It is important to understand that the process of place marketing is a cyclical process, which goes on to infinity (MatloviÄ ovà ¡, 2007) as explained in the model below: According to the author, the process of place marketing begins with acceptance of the marketing concept for the city, which is developed into a vision and a long term plan, at this stage of the process the greatest driving factor is ‘Motivation. â€Å"The initiator must be able to persuade the relevant place opinion leaders about the importance of marketing for the place in question and have them as participants-multiplicators in the suggested process†. The next step is creation of a Marketing information system, where the information available in secondary sources and primary sources is analyzed, which helps develop the profile of the place based on Identity, brand and image of place (MatloviÄ ovà ¡, 2007), as the author explains through the diagram below: The author explains that creation of a place profile is dependent on the semantic differential between the current image and derived image of the city, which can be concluded through a ‘public perceptions survey. Once the profile of a place a created, one needs to conduct a detailed SWOT analysis of the place. The author explains that the SWOT analysis of a place needs to focus on three main areas, which are delimitation of the place, analysis of internal factors of the place (natural environment, demography, economy, infrastructure and business environment) and analysis of external factors (microenvironment and macroenvironment). The combination of a marketing information system, the difference between the current image of the place and the desired image of the place and finally a detailed SWOT analysis helps in formation of a strategy for further marketing of the place. Once, these three steps are covered, a key enabler for further progess is the segmentation of the market, which completes the sub-process called ‘Situation Analysis. At this point, the ‘Goals are decided for the process of place marketing, targeting also takes place at this stage. Based on the goals, a ‘Strategy is Designed, which involves positioning of the city, devising the marketing mix, scheduling inspections, zeroing in on the marketing budget, and inking the overall marketing plan. The author has developed a model for a clear segmentation of a city, as explained below: The author explains through Kotlers suggested methodology for segmentation, and points out that there is not unique way to segment, which becomes even more difficult in the case of a city due to the heterogeneity attached to the single product. He uses the classification of segmentation criterion and applies it to the city: Geographic, Demographics, Psychographics, and Behavioral. â€Å"A successful strategy will result from a detailed and systematic analysis that will respond the two fundamental questions: where is the place situated? and how did it get there? The following comparison of the whole spectrum of data and information will reveal the trends that have to be taken into account in setting the marketing goal. The essence of the conception and strategic stage could be summarized in the two questions: where does the place want to get in future? and how can it be achieved?† (MatloviÄ ovà ¡, 2007) After a clear segmentation, this can be of two types, concentrated and differentiated. The key is that a city needs to decide which of the two segmentation strategies it goes with. In plain terms, this means that if the city chooses a concentrated segmentation strategy, it focuses on a micro segment and devises a value proposition for that segment. However, since a city has the capability to be multi-sold, the city can be marketed to a bunch of segments wi

Behaviour Self Management Essay

Behaviour Self-Management Project to Increase Studying Behaviour Behaviour Modification is a technique or approach used by behavioural psychologists to modify a particular behaviour and is largely used in a clinical or educational setting, particularly with those with learning disabilities (Atherton, 2011). Moreover, it also considered to be a treatment approach, as it substitutes undesirable behaviours with desired ones through the process of positive or negative reinforcement (Gary, 1988). Furthermore, behaviour modification has been used to treat numerous mental problems such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), phobias, enuresis, generalised anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder and many more. Subsequently, this technique has also been used to correct maladaptive behaviours by changing undesirable behaviours such as smoking, overeating, nail biting and others, as it aims to encourage the substitution of good behaviours such as studying, weight loss and etc (O’Donohue and Ferguson, 2006). The principles of behaviour modification were first developed by B. F Skinner, who had formulated the concept of operant conditioning. Skinner, had developed the concept of positive reinforcement or punishment, whereby behaviours are changed or encouraged through a reward system. Furthermore, the operant conditioning theory also states that for learning to occur, it is important that the subject is an active participant (Sheldon, 1982). In addition, behaviour modification was also formulated by Ivan Pavlov and is famously known as classical conditioning, as it is merely based on a stimuli-response formula. Besides that, Albert Bandura also contributed to behaviour modification principles, through his theory of social modelling (Baldwin & Baldwin, 1981). The theory states that learning occurs as a result of copying or imitating other people, and is termed as vicarious learning. Additionally, the theory also states that external reinforcers are important because it enables learning to occur independently of the reinforcements. Consequently, behaviour modification underlies a number of theoretical positions such that human behaviour can easily be influenced by the presentation of consequences and could be strengthened if the behaviour is followed by rewards, as well as substandard if followed by negative consequences (Guez & Allen, 2000). Moreover, human behaviour is not only controlled by internal factors, but is also driven by external factors such as social rewards like praises or gifts. Thus, the principles of behaviour modification is different compared to other techniques in changing behaviours, because it addresses the surrounding factors as well as individual factors that can promote or derail behaviour change. Additionally, behaviour modification has also proved its effectiveness in increasing student’s appropriate classroom behaviours. A study had employed behaviour modification in two second grade Negro girls in a demonstration school for the culturally deprived (Wasik, Senn, Welch, & Cooper, 1969). Data collected in the study was based on type, duration, and frequency of teacher’s verbal interactions with the student. The study also had implemented an ABAB design, whereas treatment included positive social reinforcement when appropriate behaviours occurred. Punishment had included the use of timeout from social reinforcements, as these behaviours were contingent on inappropriate attention getting behaviours. It was observed that after 25 days, desirable behaviour in the classroom had increased remarkably from 80. % in baseline to 99. 20% in treatment and continued to remain high even after three months. Therefore, this shows that behaviour modification is an effective method to increase desirable behaviours. Target Behaviour It is essential and important that the target behaviour an individual wants to change is operationally defined. The particular behaviour would also require assessment, through collection of the baseline data. Furthermore, the behaviour that I want to change is to increase my studying behaviour, which is a behavioural deficit. Ever since I was in school, I was always known to study towards the end of the semester and could generally be considered as last minute studying. Subsequently, I would tend to be easily distracted by external stimuli such as watching movies or series on the computer, calling up friends and talking for hours as well as easily persuaded to go out. I have been known since young to be very outgoing, thus whenever friends call and ask me to meet up with them, I am bound to go. Therefore, it usually delays my ability to follow my studying schedule that I have created before the semester starts. Moreover, my main antecedent that unable me to complete my suggested two hours studying per night every weekday is also because I have a tendency to download movies or series on the computer and wasting 4 hours or more watching it. There are also consequences that I face because of my procrastination to study, because after watching these series, I would only tend to study less than an hour or not at all if I am tired. Consequently, I would cram all the materials during study week and end up being exhausted. This also is a reason as to why I tend to get ill during exam week, because it causes me to have high level of stress and in turn would affect my health. Hence, these are valid reasons as to why I feel like I need to change my behaviour and start studying more hours as I should so that I would not be stressed out during exams. Besides that, stress could also cause ulcers and the common cold, which in turn could be a setback to me during exam week as I am prone to get ulcers. Additionally, it would also allow me to focus more to improve my grade ratings to my expectations as I will soon complete my undergraduate program. Other than that, increasing my studying behaviour would also allow me to get sufficient sleep and rest for the upcoming exam and it would also benefit me in terms of managing my time efficiently. Method Design The design that I have chosen for this particular self management project is the ABAB reversal design. This design represents the attempt to first measure the baseline, the treatment that follows the initial baseline, the introduction of the second baseline as well as the reintroduction of the treatment again. Additionally, this method of application helps identify the effects of treatment and measure what happens when treatment is removed. Hence, this research design would help establish whether functional relationship exists between the target behaviour and intervention. Materials The materials used in this project include a structured diary that is recorded in the computer, behaviour contract, handphone, post-it notes, playing cards and reminders. Procedure Additionally, for this particular behaviour modification project, the operational definition is first defined as reading pages from the textbook and underlining as well as understanding sentences in the text and reading notes from the lectures for two hours. Furthermore, the behaviour would be recorded through self monitoring during baseline and treatment period as the behaviour does not occur frequently throughout the day and it only occurs during the period when no one else is around to observe. The observational period is recorded in the natural setting, which is in the study room at my home, and it is where studying behaviour typically occurs. The type of behavioural recording used is the duration recording, whereby studying behaviour is observed for two hours, between 8. 30p. m to 10. 0p. m on weekdays only. Next, in order to increase studying behaviour during weekdays, a generalised conditioned reinforcer, which is the token economy system is used because it reinforces the behaviour and minimises the need to use reactive strategies to deal with setbacks as well as it enables the ability to pair up with a variety of other reinforcers. In addition, the token economy is a playing card with my housemate’s signature on it, and one card would be given each day, whenever the desired behaviour occurred at least 2 hours a day. Furthermore, the acquired tokens would be eligible to trade with certain privileges and would be forfeited if the behaviour does not meet the expected requirements. Hence, a variety of backup reinforces are used in exchange with the accumulated playing cards on every Friday to determine the type of privileges that would be given and further information is provided in the behavioural contract (Appendix A). Besides that, punishment would be provided if I fail to meet the expected requirement. Additionally, the schedule of reinforcement chosen for this particular project is fixed interval, whereby studying behaviour is reinforced only if it occurs for at least two hours. The behaviour occurrence would also be recorded in the computer, as the behaviour occurs at home in the study room. Besides that, during the treatment period, my friends and housemate have also promised to give me social support and reinforcements. In addition, various types of response and stimulus prompts are also used in this project. Verbal prompts such as reminders to study are used by friends and housemates to evoke the desired behaviour in myself. They will do this by not persuading me to go out with them and reminding me to study instead. Furthermore, environmental prompts are also used in this project such as post its on the mirror, computer in the study room and class file that I carry to class every day, as well as using the hand phone to set alarm to study. In addition, within prompt fading was used in the second treatment period, for response prompts, whereby friends and boyfriend provided fewer verbal prompts as the week progressed during treatment period. Next, stimulus fading was also used in the second treatment period for environmental prompts, whereby on the first day, removal of alarm clock would be used and for subsequent days, one post its would be removed from either the mirror, computer or class file until the last day of treatment. Results The baseline and treatment data was collected for a period of four weeks and intervention was applied during treatment 1 and treatment 2. Figure 1: Studying behaviour in baseline and treatment weeks. Figure 1 shows that during the first baseline, studying behaviour did not occur at all for the first two days, one hour for the third, again none on the fourth and two hours on the fifth day. Hence, the average studying hours for the first baseline week is 0. 4 hours or 24 minutes. Furthermore, this could be clearly seen in the structured diary attached for the first baseline (Appendix B). Next, intervention took place in the second week, whereby various strategies were used to increase studying behaviour. Results showed that studying behaviour had occurred for two hours for the first and second day, one hour for the third day, two hours for the fourth day, and none on the fifth day. This shows that studying behaviour had increased to an average of 1. 4 hours a day and that there was an increase of 50% from the initial baseline to the treatment period. Moreover, the self management project had returned to baseline on the third week and results showed that studying behaviour had occurred for 2. hours on the first day, one hour on the second, none on the third and fourth and two hours on the fifth day. Thus, the average studying behaviour was 1. 1 hours a day for the second baseline period. Although the average hours were less compared to the treatment period, however, there was definitely an increase compared to the first baseline period, whereby average hours were only 0. 4 hours. Next, intervention was again applied and the second treatment results showed that studying behaviour occurred for one hour on the first day, 2. hours on the second, two hours on the third, one hour on the fourth, and two hours on the fifth day. Hence, the average studying hours is approximately 1. 7 hours a day. Thus, this also shows that there is an increase of studying behaviour between the second baseline and second treatment period. Besides that, there is also a staggering increase from the initial baseline and second treatment period, that precedes to fluctuate in the second baseline, when intervention was removed. Discussion  The behaviour modification project to increase studying behaviour was definitely a success because the graphs showed an increase in hours of studying as compared to the baseline data, thus indicating that there us a functional relationship between the target behaviour and the procedure. Furthermore, it is clear that the token economy system was a contributor to the success of increasing studying behaviour because once token economy was removed in the second baseline; the target behaviour had decreased tremendously. In addition, the target behaviour had increased when the second intervention was applied in the fourth week. Moreover, the use of reinforcements and punishment also helped me to keep myself motivated and determined to achieve the weekly goal that was set. Besides that, the use of within stimulus fading helped me generalise my behaviour to the subsequent weeks ahead, hence I had gradually adjusted myself with getting used to having less and less prompts throughout the week. However, there were also some limitations in this project, whereby, the duration of treatment intervention is too short to allow the behaviour to fully adjust and be generalised without the use of prompts. In addition, self monitoring was used during observation of behaviour for the baseline data. Observer may not be trained enough to record her own behaviour, hence data may not be as reliable as compared to having an inter rater observation. Moreover, the implementation of reinforcement contingency was my housemate, and sometimes the reinforcements were given a day later because she is not around. This has affected the effectiveness of the token as a reinforcing consequence as some deliveries of the token did not occur immediately after the response occurred according to the expected schedule. Furthermore, due to the delay between the response and token, it could have also affected the connection strength of the behaviour. In conclusion, behaviour modification is definitely an effective treatment method to help increase, decrease or develop new behaviours and it is applicable to use in a variety of problematic behaviours.