Benefits of the CalTex plant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benefits of the CalTex plant - Essay Example The utilitarian benefits are many for both CalTex and the people of South Africa. Many needed jobs would have been created for workers in South Africa. Native South African would have taken many of these jobs. A job at a CalTex plant might be their best means for improving their own economic situation. CalTex had a history of paying better than average wages and they were also known for promoting employees from within. I know that if I were a black South African, I would have been very upset about the unfair political situation in my own country. But I also know that I would love to have the sort of economic opportunity that would be provided to me by working for a good paying corporation like CalTex. I think I would understand that CalTex was not the reason behind the current political system. I do not believe I would even feel that their presence aided the current political system or helped to keep it in power. The utilitarian benefits I would see as a native South African would be great. I would have a dependable job, food on the table and a possibility for working my way up in a company. I would be living in an unjust society, but I would not blame CalTex for doing business in my country. It is true that the white controlled government would get a more stable supply of petroleum products if the CalTex expansion occurred, but that same expansion meant that all South Africans would have access to more abundant, cheaper petroleum products. The reality of the situation is, South Africa had enough of their own engineers to make their own petroleum refineries. If CalTex completely divested, the only loser would be the corporation. If I were a stockholder, voting on the first two resolutions would have been very easy decisions. I would not have voted to cease operations in South Africa. This would have resulted in a huge drop in the price of my stock. It would have been like taking money out of my pocket and throwing it away for no good reason. There is no way tha t ceasing operations in south Africa would have helped bring the government down or change the rights of the people there. I would have voted a strong no on the first resolution. The second resolution would have received a no vote from me as well. This is quite a ridiculous proposition when you think about it. The proposition required CalTex to withhold sales to the South African government and military. My reason for not voting for this crazy proposition is it creates a litmus test for buying CalTex oil. It basically says that if you are not conducting yourself in a moral manner then we will not sell oil products to you. The problem is simply this, who gets to decide how bad is too bad? A corporation needs to not split hairs determining if a customer is moral enough to buy their product. The American government has been beset by scandals and there is plenty of history of racism and repression. Does this mean CalTex will no longer sell to America? What about the Chinese? The Italian s? All nations have blemishes and inherent injustices built into their systems. It is not the job of a corporation to try to sort all of them out morally. If they have cash, then you sell. The third proposition would have gotten a yes vote from me. Looking at the Tutu principles, I think is would be in the best interest of the company to abide by them. Caring for the family unit and supporting it would have

Business Plan for AAA International Travel Services Ltd Essay

Business Plan for AAA International Travel Services Ltd - Essay Example The products and services that the business is going to launch differ from that of their competitors. All other travel firms offer different services to customers based on available budget and resources. AAA travel services will provide services based on customers’ preferences. Although all packages have been designed already in accordance with the schedules and available resources, but the firm can bring little changes in the packages in accordance with the needs and demands of the customers. For example, if a customer asks for a ten days trip to some Eastern country and the firm offers an eight days package, then the company will change the schedule and package accordingly but the customer will have to pay some extra amount to the firm because of modifications. The firm will also provide best available accommodation to its customers. â€Å"Comfortable hotels and accommodation facilities play a very important role in popularizing any tourist destination† (Ahliya 2008, p. 1).ii. Target MarketTarget market is the group of people that a company wants to target for the sale of products and services. For AAA Travel Services company, the target market for the firm will cover a large number of local and international customers. The company is located in an area where travel companies are also operating there business activities, so there is also a tough competition in place. Many external and internal factors can affect product innovations, business process innovations or their combination.... The international department will play the lead role. It will include branch office, ticketing services, business office, and direct sales stores. Following is the business structure of the firm: b) The Product Following are the products and services that the firm will provide to its customers: i. Gaps in Market The products and services that the business is going to launch differ from that of their competitors. All other travel firms offer different services to customers based on available budget and resources. AAA travel services will provide services based on customers’ preferences. Although all packages have been designed already in accordance with the schedules and available resources, but the firm can bring little changes in the packages in accordance with the needs and demands of the customers. For example, if a customer asks for a ten days trip to some Eastern country and the firm offers an eight days package, then the company will change the schedule and package accor dingly but the customer will have to pay some extra amount to the firm because of modifications. The firm will also provide best available accommodation to its customers. â€Å"Comfortable hotels and accommodation facilities play a very important role in popularizing any tourist destination† (Ahliya 2008, p. 1). ii. Target Market Target market is the group of people that a company wants to target for the sale of products and services (Tatum n.d.). For AAA Travel Services company, the target market for the firm will cover a large number of local and international customers. The company is located in an area where travel companies are also operating there business activities, so there is also a tough competition in place. However, the range of the

Comparison of French and German Cinema, 1930-1945

Comparison of French and German Cinema, 1930-1945 Introduction The dissertation aims to analyse the effects of totalitarian politics on the cinematic tradition of two of Europes most cultured nations, Germany and France. The study of cinema during the time period, 19301945 is a highly relevant discussion; one which is infrequently dissected by serious academic debate largely due to the lack of literature on the subject in comparison to studies pertaining to the effects of fascism upon other implements of the state, in particular religion and the military. Perhaps film students of the West still find it difficult to comprehend the fact that the Nazis were such a long way in front of their competitors when it came to the influence of National Socialist propaganda on the German people. As early as 1928 Hitler had come to understand the fundamental power of utilising modern forms of propaganda in paving the way for tyrannical rule, as he outlines in a speech dated 28 November (1999:151). The more one addresses only one social class, the easier it becomes to make promises. One knows from the beginning what each class wants If you are always only addressing yourself to one category, then political propaganda becomes infinitely easy. Certainly, in tandem with pervasive fascist symbolism and the dissolution of democratic political debate, the saturation of all forms of contemporary media was the key factor in Hitlers total seduction of the German nation. As such, the topic is relevant for the twenty first century where dictators still maintain power over illeducated people whose information is pumped into them via state propaganda machines that feed off insecurity, prejudice and paranoia, as modernday Zimbabwe currently illustrates. The study will be split into chapters as cited on the title page with the aim of creating an advanced understanding of how the Nazis used cinema as a tool of tricking the German people into believing concepts such as Lebensraum and the Jewish Question were issues of national urgency. The study will likewise examine the role of the Vichy collaborators in the seduction of French people, citing the essential similarities and differences of the two in terms of filmic content and production techniques. Clearly, as the instigator of right wing cinema as a political tool of mass hysteria, the German model will be first to be discussed, though the point should be made straight away that the Vichy Regime was not merely coerced into collaboration: there was active and passionate interest in France in fascist ideology with plenty of Vichy statesmen wishing to follow the path set about by the Hitler State. At no point should it be believed that Vichy cinema was a symptom of the occupation; it wa s, and remains, a marker for French sociopolitical beliefs at the time. Famous and infamous films such as Jean Renoirs La Grande Illusion, Bertolt Brechts Kuhle Wampe and Marcel Carnes Les Enfants du Paradis will be featured within the dissertation, citing specific examples from the movies to highlight how dissenters managed to voice their disapproval in highly subtle fashions that were unique to the extreme fear experienced in fascist Europe at the time. Comparisons between movie production under the influence of occupation, dictatorship, peacetime and war will provide fuel for the debate within. A conclusion will be sought as to the overall features that appear uniform within right wing film making, in addition to citing the subtle differences in the experience of movie production under the spectre of totalitarianism, as witnessed in Germany and France between 1930 and 1945. Chapter One: The effect of fascism on German Culture, 19301945 The short lived Weimar Republic is a source of great fascination for students not only of history but also of art, culture and society. Its relevance is in its oddity: the strange timeframe it fits into either side of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the Nazi State, two of the most suffocating and frustrating regimes in European history in terms of creative and artistic achievement. The Weimar Republic was responsible for a brief burgeoning of liberal German film making, art, sculpture, music, theatre and culture that was the envy of the western world at the time. Perversely, the strict socioeconomic conditions of the day appeared to ensure that the Republic would be as frivolous as it was unfortunate; as daring as it was politically unstable. Yet, as Elssaesser (2000:151) suggests, Weimar cinema may also have made it easier for Hitler to cast his cinematic spell on the German people. What has become abundantly clear is that the cinema permeated Weimar society as a very contradictory cultural force, at once part of oppositional Modernist avantgardes and in the forefront of capitalisms own modernising tendencies (as technology, industry and fashion) and for this very reason, invested with the hopes of revolutionary changes while susceptible to being used as the instrument for their containment (in the form of specular seduction, nostalgia, propaganda.) Diversity was the key to Weimar Cinema; it was an expression of multicultural Europe that was unfortunately located in the wrong place and time. With the Prussian aristocracy, disillusioned exmilitary personnel and marginalised masses of unemployed, the Weimar Republic was insufficiently prepared to withstand a structured coup from within when it inevitably came. Furthermore, the liberalism of the Republic gave added ammunition to the nascent Nazi State, giving Hitler and his propaganda minister, Josef Goebbels a readymade scapegoat for the deplorable state of German infrastructure during the early part of the 1930s. Indeed, it was Goebbels (1993:159) who highlighted the condition of the German nation before the National Socialists came to power in 1933 the state of the nation according to fascist eyes. Had it not been for the National Revolution, Germany would have been completely swissified, a nation of hotel porters and waiters, a nation having no political sense whatsoever that had lost any idea of its own historical significance. The effect of a onedimensional, intensely political approach to cultural affairs meant a surgical shift in the prism through which German society charted its progress between 1918 and 1933, and 1933 to 1945. Most art and film historians see the change that occurred in German culture after 1933, with the infamous burning of the books (May 1933) and mass emigration of a wealth of indigenous creative talent, as symptomatic of authoritarianism throughout the world. Bland, repetitive instances of film making and culture took the place of innovation and the first seedlings of avantgarde technique. Aesthetics and the human form took on added significance. Heavy handed plot lines guided the viewer of both art and cinema along a straightforward journey to the ideological heart of work without trusting the audience with the even the slightest semblance of individual reasoning. These are the popular images of authoritarian art forms promulgated after the defeat of fascism in Europe. Yet it would be incorrect to assume that German film making after 1933 was merely an exercise in retrospective propaganda studies; as shall be discussed in following chapters, Goebbels was fond of puncturing all genres of movies with National Socialist ideals with the result that a kaleidoscope of imagery is available to the twenty first century film student, each portraying a different vision of the fascist dream. It should come as little surprise to students of history to see a broad similarity between movies made in Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia: both countries relied upon eradicating the opposition and portraying the leader in an invincible light. Censorship at home and at the national borders also meant that fewer foreign films were being shown; those very few that made it past the German borders having to be screened first by the Nazis in order to gain an audience inside of Germany. Furthermore, the considerable risk that a film maker ran of being arrested, taken to concentration camp or even killed because of making a statement that the Nazi hierarchy did not favour was too great for all but the most ideologically driven of artists to bear. The result was an exodus of talent from Germany and a narrowing of vision to the extent that diversity, as a description of German cinema, became a complete misnomer. Art and cinema in the Third Reich were thus reduced to an entity in support of the regime; the hand over of the baton of creativity to autocracy was assisted by the state overhaul of existing cultural ministries. As part of the broader policy of Gleischaltung (coordination) the Reich Chamber of Culture (established in November 1933) oversaw this new breed of politicised movie making and art that presented a ludicrously perfect form of the Aryan man, engaged in the typical German pursuits of sport, work and family, as Seligmann et al (2003:50) detail. Images depicted Germans not just as modern day heroes but also as the heirs to Europes greatest cultural and imperial tradition, that of Alexander the Great and Caesar. As Aryans and National Socialists were elevated to the status of hero, so the Nazis used cinema and indeed every tool of popular culture at its disposal to reenforce the slide of the enemy into the sociological abyss. Over a short period of time, the Jews took over from the Weimar Republic and the Communists as the central target of Nazi abuse as one by one the political enemies of the state were made obsolete, leaving the racial enemies of the state as the sole carriers of the burden of national pariahs. Propaganda and film would play a disconcertingly influential role in the social facilitation of the Holocaust the essential psychological background whereby a nation might be made complicit in mass, statesponsored murder. As the violence and oppression against the Jews (and against gypsies, the handicapped and homosexuals) was increased, so the state began to use film and culture as a means to making the population complicit in their racial crimes. Reichskristallnacht (89 November 1938), for example, was a stateignited campaign of hatred against Jewry that was completed by the ordinary German people, a spontaneous orgy of destruction that would have been unimaginable were it not for the driptap effect of incessant fascist film making and media saturation, as Kershaw (2000:1412) underscores. The scale and nature of the savagery, and the apparent aim of maximising degradation and humiliation, reflected the success of propaganda in demonising the figure of the Jew certainly within the organisations of the Party itself and massively enhanced the process, underway since Hitlers takeover of power, of dehumanising Jews and excluding them from German society a vital step on the way to genocide. Der Erwige Jude (The Eternal Jew), the most extreme example of film utilised as a weapon of war, was a blatant and extreme vision of the life of common Jewry; the degradation of the living condition in the Warsaw Ghettoes providing the inspiration for the movies creator, Josef Goebbels who visited the area in 1940. The film portrayed Jews as vermin, cementing the belief in the viewer (coupled with state newspaper and radio) that the Jews were not only the enemy of the state but, more importantly, subhuman. As with all aspects of Nazi Germany, the murderous end effect can only be understood by taking the gradual desensitisation of the nation into account, a phenomenon that propaganda and film were instrumental in helping to bring about. Chapter Two: Occupied France: Vichy Collaboration in Moulding the Image of Fascist Europe The French experience of film was, until the continentwide rise of fascism, much the same as in Germany even if there were also fundamental differences between the two countries that made the transition from democracy to authoritarianism a more traumatic experience for the French, one that the nation has still not fully come to terms with. To start with, France, more than any other European nation, is synonymous with high culture, art and vision, characterised as the trend setting nation for creativity throughout the western world. Via Marcel Duchamp, for example, France was home to the origination of abstract art, his sculpture, Fountain (1917) often cited as a watershed in art and visual intention in the history of the West. In addition, France had dictatorship thrust upon it in a different way to the Germans. Clearly, autocracy can only arise from it being forcibly imposed on a population, yet in Germany it was Germans taking control of their own people, whereas, after the symbolic signing of the armistice on 22 June 1940, the French were dictated to by Germany from the vantage point of a vanquished nation. Therefore, there was more a sense of cultural partition between France in the 1930s and France in the 1940s that was not the case over the Alsace border into Germany. This starting point of a nation being defeated in war has been, ultimately, the greatest stumbling block regarding a better historical comprehension of the excesses of Vichy both from within and outside of French borders: for as long as the French were willing to rewrite history to paint the picture of a demoralised people who were fundamentally opposed to the right wing ideology of National Socialism, the country would be unable to see its true reflection. However, after the accumulation of two generations of historiography, Vichy was gradually deemed to be an active collaborator in the extremism that was witnessed in French culture and politics between 1940 and 1945 rather than a government coerced into cooperation. Marshall Pà ©tain may have been little more than a puppet figurehead, but he represented a large sector of conservative France that wished to eradicate the achievements of the artistic and philosophical endeavour of the early twentieth century so as to reembrace outmod ed notions of colonial France. Indeed, the right wing bloc who made up the core of the Vichy government were sympathetic to the anti-Semitic views of the Nazis the botched military trial of Captain Alfred Dreyfus for spying in 1894 highlighting a chequered history of a country that had barely bothered to even notice its own deeply resentful views concerning the Jews. The official separation of Church and State by law in 1905 merely paid lip service to a deepseated problem of prejudice in France. Although France had changed geographically, ethnically, politically and culturally between the two decades, a certain sense of continuity is detectable in French cinema of the period, which was certainly not the case in Germany. This was due to a combination of German censorship and genuine Vichy desire to ignore the shameful effect of the Occupation. As JeanPierre Jeancolas attests in his essay on the 1945 Vichy sponsored picture, Les Enfants du Paradis (2000:78), the realism that French cinema was so famous for showed no signs of cracking after 1940. The occupation of France in 1940, the control direct or indirect of its cinema by the German forces, condemned use of the present tense. Fiction films were allowed, at best, to portray a kind of vague present day, a period which had the appearance of the present, but not its singular hardships: the cars or the costumes are of 1943, but the French are depicted in light-hearted romantic entanglements, stories that never show the daily problems of finding food, or the presence of Nazi uniforms. Mention must be made of the division in France after her capitulation in 1940. Put simply, the country was split into half via north and south, whereby Paris, Brittany and the northern shores were deemed to be part of a territory called Free France, while the southern part of the nation, including major cities such Marseilles and Bordeaux (both of which had large ethnic and Jewish communities) was placed under the control of the Vichy Government. Vichy struggled to unite the two divisions until 1943 at the earliest, a time which signalled an increase in French resistance as, after the Battle of Stalingrad (February 1943) the sense of a slow protracted capitulation in the East led to a renewed sense of optimism in the West. It is important, therefore, to recognise the difficulty in defining a singular French brand of cinema after 1940. There were noticeable anomalies in how the Germans treated the two main zones. Newsreel propaganda, for instance, was different: in the Occupied Zone, cinemas screened antiBritish German newsreels, while in the Unoccupied Zone, Vichy largely steered clear of any mention of the war of the German presence in France at all. It is likewise important to recognise that the Vichy propaganda machine was not under the same level of autocratic control as was the case in Germany. There was no allpowerful figurehead to rival Goebbels in France. Pierre Laval was the clearest comparison to him but the Deputy Prime Minister spent much of his time in Paris negotiating with the Germans. In addition, Laval believed fervently in the power of broadcast media as the fundamental tool to seduce a weary population, neglecting largely the cinema and music. Furthermore, Laval delegated control of the propaganda machine to Paul Marion after 1942, which meant a discernible lack of leadership. A comparable model to Goebbels extensive communications system cannot be found in Vichy France. However, this does not mean to say that the Vichy Government was without persuasion or an ideology of its own. Although Occupied France was under the control of Germany, Vichy was given leeway in terms of national reeducation and, as the administration grew more secure in the southern part of the country (coinciding with entire divisions of German troops leaving France to fight on the increasingly demoralising Eastern Front), so a discernibly French model of fascism was seen in all walks of life, extending quickly to the national movie community. Continuity in all areas is the chief characteristic of Vichy cinema. As beforehand, Paris remained the creative hub of wartime France; many of the cast and directors of the films of the thirties remained to star in Vichy pictures. Jean Gabin and Michele Morgan were two big name stars who fled the country, but the rest mostly remained in France and continued to work. The Germans did not permit French films to cross the demarcation line until February 1941 when it became apparent that the same stifling effect of authoritarianism was prevalent in French as well as German cinema: there was no question of antiGerman films being shown because they were not being made. As a rule, movies produced during the Vichy years were unanimously nostalgic. As in the 1930s, many of the movies of the early 1940s were scripted around the French experience of World War One, characterising the recent experiences of the nation in the form of one actor or actress. The core Vichy values of family, la patrie and duty were cited in almost every film of the period, such as La Voile Bleue (1942), an anachronistic view of rural southern France that was the biggest commercial success of the forties in France. However, as Julian Jackson (2001:3201) details and contrary to popular belief, there was not a plethora of explicit right wing propaganda present in films made on the fascist side of the Vichy watershed. Paradoxically, many themes that one might expect to have figured more prominently after 1940, almost disappeared from the screen. Before 1940, many French films contained critical portrayals of British characters; after 1940 the British are absent. Before 1940 films had frequently depicted Germans sympathetically; after 1940, despite collaboration, Germans almost disappear from the screen. In the 1930s, antagonism to foreigners had been a frequent theme; after 1940 it was less present. Most surprisingly of all, whereas hostile depictions of Jews had proliferated in the 1930s, they are almost absent after 1940 As far as feature films are concerned, if they reflect anything different from the films of the 1930s it is Vichys desperate wish to believe the outside world did not exist. If a viewer was unaware of the historical subtext of the films produced during the 1930s and 1940s in France, they would not know occupation occurred at any point. But perhaps this was precisely the point: to cover over the huge dent in national pride at having to endure occupation by pretending that it did not exist. Learning from Goebbels, Vichy would also have been aware that, regarding propaganda, less can often mean more. Chapter Three: Josef Goebbels and the Intervention of Propaganda Cinema Unlike in France where a clear line of cinematic continuity can be traced, in Germany there is little doubt that movies made pre1933 would not be funded under Nazi rule. Kuhle Wampe (1932), for instance, was a decidedly Weimar production. The film was written and coproduced by Bertolt Brecht who was known within Germany to be a left wing film maker and sympathiser, yet one who did not favour the heavyhanded film making approach, as the following excerpt (1996:138) underscores. This way of subordinating everything to a single idea, this passion for propelling the spectator along a single track where he can look neither right nor left, up nor down, is something that the new school of play righting must reject. Betraying such antiauthoritarian views, it is no surprise that Kuhle Wampe turned out to be a socialist classic, an art house production made all the more poignant due to the cusp of the historical wave upon which contemporary Germany was riding. Brechts vision of a utopian community that rejects pricefixing and imperialism has been viewed as the last independent breathe of Weimar culture the final flourish before people such as the writer left Germany forever. Films such as Kuhle Wampe, as well as The Threepenny Opera, Kameradschaft and The Blue Angel all produced between 1930 and 1932 ensured that the shift, when it inevitably came, towards the right was all the more transparent because pictures such as these simply ceased to exist in Germany after 1933. Propaganda and cinema were married in the Third Reich like never before. Deconstruction of the pluralist approach of Weimars brief democratic tradition was the first step the Nazis took in reconfiguring the German nation in their own distorted image, followed inevitably by the edification of a new mythology, built exclusively around the twin pillars of the ubiquitous power of the Fuhrer and the antiGerman predilections of the communists and international Jewry. At first, of the two, the Fuhrer Myth was the most important solidifying effect in the Nazi consolidation of power. Hitler had learnt from Mussolini the herald of Fascism according to Hugh TrevorRoper (1995:174) that a tyrant could exert sole control over a modern, industrial European country but only via eliminating all competing iconography and elevating the leader to a quasireligious status, which could only be achieved by extensive propaganda exercises. As Ian Kershaw (1998:289) explains, the all encompassing image of Hitler portrayed in banners across German cities, in schools and in cinemas throughout the nation was vital not only in securing the stability of the Nazi State but also in making a subliminal connection between himself and the traditional heroes of German history within the broader national consciousness. For Hitler himself, the Fuhrer myth was both a propaganda weapon and a central tenet of belief. His own greatness could be implicitly but unmistakably underscored by repeated reference to Bismarck, Frederick the Great and Luther. Initially, even Goebbels was taken aback by the way in which the Nazis were able to instil their extremism throughout the country. A process that should have been osmotic took place with astonishing rapidity, as the Propaganda Minister (1996:41) himself explained in April 1933. What we are now experiencing is only the transfer of our own dynamism and legality to the state. This is taking place with such breathtaking speed that one scarcely has any time to call his own. Goebbels considered himself to be a man of culture and the filmmakers that he most admired did not come from the right wing stock that one would naturally associate with the Propaganda Minister. For example, Goebbels was a big fan of American cinema and he privately thought that the film making industry in the United States was far ahead of German production to that point. One of his favourite movies, although he denounced it in public, was Gone with the Wind, and he was likewise a great fan of the icon of Soviet propagandist cinema, Eisensteins Battleship Potemkin. Within the broader sphere of German film making during the period 1935 to 1945, Goebbels was the most important man in the country. All of the guidelines pertaining to film production in the postsilent era were rewritten after the Nazis seized power. As ever, culture and film became officially politicised and, as a by-product of Gleischaltung, the movie production apparatus fell into the hands of the Reich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda. Therefore, without Goebbels patronage a film would never make it past the level of script. His control was absolute, even extending to the question of financing production. Whereas under the Weimar Republic censorship and rating were separate bodies, the Nazis held onto both principles offering a tax rebate for positive film ratings, thus exerting considerable financial pressure on production companies that persisted in making unsatisfactory films. Reuth (1993:1945), in his rich biography of Goebbels, details the full extent of his control over movie making in Germany during this period, a description of a cultural power more potent than any available to the leader of each of the German Armed Forces. He had lists prepared of his favourite actors, as well as of Hitlers. He also kept close track of upandcoming talent, which he insisted on seeing for himself producers also depended on Goebbels favour, for he had created a comprehensive apparatus that allowed him to intervene in all phases of film production. The film department in the Propaganda Ministry, whose director Ernst Seeger served simultaneously as head of the office of film standards, oversaw production planning. All screenplays were examined for appropriate artistic and intellectual attitudes He [Goebbels] read film scripts almost every evening, and not infrequently revised them according to his own notions, using a green ministers pencil that became infamous among directors. Only after he had approved a project could the Film Credit Bank respond to a request for financing. Goebbels would even intervene in the shooting, often dropping in on studio, checking the rushes, and rating the finished product. From October 1935 on , he alone determined which films would be banned. Goebbels was the first head of communications anywhere in the autocratic world to understand the power of cinema in seducing a country; combined with his absolute control over all areas of broadcasting, films would see to it that Germans saw no other image of themselves apart from the vision in his mind for over ten years. However, this is not to state that films made in Germany during this period ought to be dismissed as wasteful propaganda, good for nothing but a lens through which to view National Socialist ideals. As will become apparent, a great many German productions of this time were goodhumoured, light hearted affairs that do not conform to the preconceived notion of a nation forced to watch endless versions of Der Erwige Jude and similarly dark depictions of dictatorship. Although many films were made that were instantly recognisable as party political broadcasts, such as Patrioten (1937), there were likewise others that provided a more panoramic view of Germanys splintered cultural psyche during the Third Reich. The following two chapters will examine two polar opposites of Third Reich cinema Heimatfilme and Exilfilme two bookends of the typically Nazi notion of home and abroad. As always when revisiting the ideology of National Socialism, there was very little room for any grey area in between extremes Chapter Four: Heimatfilme 47.8 per cent of the films produced during the Third Reich were comedies, 27 per cent were problem films, 11.2 per cent were adventure stories and only 14 per cent were considered outright propaganda films (Reuth, 1993:283). One of the most cherished German films of all time, Die Feuerzangenbowle (1944) was made during the darkest most desperate days of the war when all but the most closeted and narrow minded of Nazis could see that the war was never going to end in a German victory. The story, involving a mature student who never got to enjoy the hilarity of public school, could not have been, aesthetically and emotionally, further away from the politics of the time. But that was the point all along. By manipulating the mood of the audience, the Nazi propaganda state could change focus as and when external events demanded it. Die Feuerzangenbowle, for instance, might never have been produced if it was created during the honeymoon period of the early years of the dictatorship. Clearly, propaganda can be inserted into a storyline via more subtle camera and plot techniques and this is how Goebbels set about reenforcing core ideals into the German film loving audience. According to Reuth (1993:284), Goebbels and the Nazi propaganda machine preferred a more pervasive approach to political persuasion, especially concerning the most important issue of armed conflict on two fronts. Goebbels saw to it that the war, which became the main theme in films from 1939 on, was linked to the most varied genres, so as to make indoctrination of the audience imperceptible and keep the medium of film attractive. As he expected of all his propaganda ideally, so too in film, one and the same message was to be conveyed over and over again under constantly varied aspects. Of all the creative, cinematic options open to Goebbels, the most popular genre favoured by the Nazi hierarchy was the Heimatfilme, a uniquely German cinematic experience that played on the national obsession with the homeland. Apart from Austria, no other European country has the same nostalgic disposition towards artistic portrayal of the homeland quite like Germany. Because the nation was only unified after the FrancoPrussian War in 1871, successive generations of German film makers consistently looked back to the patriarchal preindustrial period inciting dreamy landscapes and a simple way of life to try to evoke the sense of longing the displaced German people of the countryside may have felt before unification. Manuala Von Papen (1999:12) highlights the reasons why Heimatfilme appealed to the Nazi leadership. This seems to be a genre virtually exclusive to the German-speaking countries and therefore untranslatable. Heimat means home, but also much more than that; it also stands for the entirety of ones cultural, social, ethical and historical heritage and provides an individual, a group of a whole nation with their identity, their Heimatgefà ¼hl. Clearly, the notions of volk (people) and heimat (home) were central concepts to the longevity of National Socialism. By combining the two, Heimatfilme leant the Nazis the opportunity to pander to the broader European taste for nostalgia as well as reenforcing the belief that Hitler was the true defender of German interests abroad. In a revolutionary move in light of the despotism of the regime, the Third Reich severed the equation of dictatorship with brainwashing propaga

Social Ostracism in Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay

Social Ostracism in Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn In the words of Pap, â€Å"You think you’re better’n your father, now, don’t you, because he can’t [read and write]?† (2). In Mark Twain’s adventure novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn escapes from civilized society to traverse the Mississippi River. Throughout the book, Twain uses various themes such as social ostracism to comment on human nature and its role in shaping society. Sometimes mainstream society is not as right and moral as it believes, and when individuals try to justify it they push away their own humanity. Twain demonstrates this through the various lifestyles, comparing the intellects and beliefs of different social classes, and Huck’s conforming to each facet of society. One of the first instances Twain uses to portray sociological exclusion reveals itself in the contrast of lifestyles. Throughout his life both prior to and after his â€Å"murder,† circumstances expose Huck to opposing ways of life including but not limited to rich vs. poor and simple vs. complex. Personifying middle-class society, Widow Douglass acts as a mother figure for Huck, deeming it her duty to â€Å"sivilize† (1) her adopted son, dressing him well and sending him to school. On the contrary, Pap observes that â€Å"You’ve [Huck] put on [†¦] frills† and swears to take him â€Å"down a peg† (14). The two family icons pull Huck in opposite directions, but as influential as they may be, Huck knows he does not have a place in either world. If anything, Huck identifies more with the simplicity of Pap’s natural way of life than with the materialism of the middle-class of society. Willfully shunning both Pap and Widow Douglas, Huck finds a way to â€Å"keep Pap and the widow from following† him instead of moving â€Å"far enough off before they missed [Huck]† (31). Furthermore, a contrast of the characteristics of men and women presents itself when Huck attempts a reconnaissance mission as a girl in St. Petersburg. Huck cannot go as himself because society would catch him and return him to what he escapes from, but the way men and women live is different enough that they cannot impersonate each other. Although he practices and thinks he manages, Jim’s comment that Huck does not â€Å"walk like a girl† (41) does not do it justice. Almost instantly the woman Huck chooses to question sees through his disguise, explaining that Hi... ...inds a way to fit in only to find that he doesn’t belong—belonging to all societies, yet none of them. The only place where he finds relative peace is on the river. It is the only place where there is nothing to struggle against. Huck is a misfit wherever he goes, rejecting and rejected by mainstream society and every other accepted society that he finds along the river. Throughout his journey, Huck finds different ways of separating himself from society while being a part of it. He sees how quickly life changes and how lifestyles can affect a person. Further set apart by his views, Huck forsakes traditional beliefs for superstition and the balance of luck. Through his journey along the Mississippi River, Huck also understands how much intelligence changes. Feeling no affinity for any aspect of mainstream society he experiences, Huck willingly spurns what he knows as humanity for the society that suits him. At the close of his journey when Aunt Sally makes plans to â€Å"adopt [Huck] and sivilize [Huck],† Huck informs the reader that he has no desire to join high society—â€Å"[he] been there before† (220). *The paranthetical documentation is for the Dover Thrift edition of the book.

Analysis of film poster

The white In the centre makes you look at the tree just in front of the light, using it to draw attention. Although this image is strongly rooted, black is still used in the design a lot, which takes away a bit from the image of it as a death color, yet keeps its air of elegance and sophistication. In movies in particular, the dark color is used a lot in movies with horror or gothic themes, using our fear of the unknown and unexplored – the dark spaces we know nothing about – to promote their themes. So, these three mall color showing that the poster a sense of darkness and mystery, as well as a Mathew sickening feel to it.It's quite obviously a fantasy color palette, and it matches the genre of the movie and makes people focus on the intriguing picture in the middle. Key Image: The main image in the picture is of the back of the girl. The small girl is walking towards and standing In front of what look like an old time portal. The shadows and the shapes of lurching tre es surrounding on her. The girl looks as If she is wandering off into the unknown, showing that there's going to be some suspense and possibly scary parts in the movie. The large dark arches with the goblin face on hem also give off the essence of creepiness.She may be stepping into the unknown. Background: The poster as it includes a lot of the clear blue color of laser rays that are something of a staple of the genre. It Is a support by the environment the characters are In, space, adding the darkness and unknown element to the design. The edges of the picture are pitch dark, which means people are supposed to focus on the central image. Behind the title of the film can see that was a brazen, this may indicate that there is something on the other side. Realism: There is nothing realistic about the image on the poster except for a small RL standing at the bottom.Everything else in the poster looks to be pure fantasy. It does not look Like a photograph or picture. Therefore, It does n't have much realism Text Color: White provides a good contrast to strong colors, such as black and blue. It can be used in small amounts or large amounts without becoming too overpowering or overwhelming, a positive aspect of the color. The negative point is that it is the color associated with surrender and cowardliness as the symbol of surrender is a white flag. We can see that the main title, Pan's Labyrinth, is printed in dark brown with gold-rimmed lettering.The dark brown of the lettering contrasts with the bright white background, attracting the viewer to read it. The font is a classic looking, sophisticated lettering style, possibly showing that this labyrinth or story is timeworn. The ‘R' in the word ‘Labyrinth' carries on at the bottom into a branch, showing that the little girl could be entering the labyrinth, as it all entwines. It draws our eyes to it. Tagging: The tagging at the bottom of the poster says â€Å"Innocence has a power evil cannot imagine. à ¢â‚¬  The tagging tells you that this girl is walking into danger and that it's a film all about an innocent young girl facing evil.At the top of the poster, there is a quote saying â€Å"Beautiful and exhilarating†¦ A fairy tale for grown-ups† Because it is at the top of the poster, but smaller than the title, it should be the second thing that the viewer reads. Positive reviews and laurels on the posters will intrigue customers as they know that they can trust the professionals. Text Font: The font is a classic looking, sophisticated lettering style, possibly showing that this labyrinth or story is timeworn. The ‘R' in the word ‘Labyrinth' carries on at the OTTOMH into a branch, showing that the little girl could be entering the labyrinth, as it all entwines.The letter â€Å"R† has been Joined with the trees around the border of the poster, showing that the tree and the letter â€Å"R† were inseparably intertwined. Target Audience: The target audience of the movie poster for this movie would be fantasy lovers. Even though it looks pitch dark, perhaps many children as it has an element of mysterious adventure about the movie. There are three laurels from film festivals, including Cannes Film Festival and the New York Film Festival, which are tot immense festivals in the film business.It shows that the film has been the love by the harshest of critics and film experts. Reaction: In my opinion, I think this is a great poster, and it matches the film itself, its genre and its look very mystery. The cinematography and magic-realism is a visual treat, and the movie will leave people thinking of it for a long time. It is one of those films that only get better when it reattached again. It shows to people there will be an adventure, and although people don't know the significance of the small girl, people will assume she will be part of it.There ‘re lots to look at, but it's not overly busy. Layout: I like the layout of t his poster. It is very clever how the edges blackened around the poster. So people will only see the central image. When the people look in the centre, then gradually look further out, it notices the giant moon above what looks like a portal, people can see the trees and the gremlin or goblin type sculpture in the arch. It is very detailed, even the small print at the bottom has the details of everything, but the main focus of the layout is a small girl who standing on the bottom.

Job Design and Work Diversity Essay

Introduction In the current business environment, human resource management (HRM) has become an important role for an organisation. HRM refers to the policies, practices, and systems that influence employees’ behaviour, attitudes, and performance (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2010). It is important because HRM helps the company to achieve the goals and improve employee’s performance. One of the HRM roles is to have an impact on the management performance of job design and work force diversity. Due to the definition of job design, it helps to defining how work will be performed and what impact will be given in performance. On the other hand, work force diversity also has impact on HRM to managing people’s similarities and differences. The aim of this paper is to conduct a literature review on what role job design and work force diversity play in attempts to improve individual and organisational performance. Job Design In terms of job design, many aspects of HRM formulation address how the work gets done. As said by Garg and Rastogi (2006), HRM has become one of the internal factors of the organisation that play a vital role in motivating the performance of employees. It is an essential part of every manager’s  responsibility to make sure the employee has the right knowledge, skills and abilities to perform their job. The purpose of job design is to discuss what is needed from the job and the employee. There are four types of approaches that can be used in job design. They are the mechanistic approach, the motivational approach, the biological approach, and the perceptual approach (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2010). Studies from Hackman & Lawler (1971) and Hackman & Oldham (1976,1980) has indicated one of the model of how job design affects employee reactions is the individual-job design model, also known as the Job Characteristics Model-JCM (cited in Goris, 2007). Torraco (2005) also has recognized that â€Å"the JCM has had a persistent influence on work design practices and has accumulated an impressive amount of related research† (cited ini Goris, 2007, p.738). Another aspect that has been discussed is ergonomics, which also plays a vital role in job design and influencing the motivational level of employees. Designing job ergonomically will help employee to avoid musculoskeletal injuries and awkward postures, also has a safe working condition (Garg & Rastogi, 2006). Based on research by Lantz and Brav (2007), job design and work routines have been shown strong effects on reflexivity, learning processes, and outcomes such as effectiveness, productivity, and job satisfaction. Job design has made positive impact for group processes and individual performances. Earlier studies (Brayfield and Rothe, 1951) said that global satisfaction has reflected a generalized or an overall evaluation of an employee toward his/her job (cited in Frimpong & Wilson, 2013). Evans (1969), Fisher (1980), Ironson et al. (1989) and Brown & Peterson (1993) have indicated three ways to measure job satisfaction. They are global, narrow and multidimensional measurements (cited in Frimpong & Wilson, 2013). Although job design sounds as a common problem in every company, it holds key to developing and maintaining a compe titive advantage. Manager has the important role to know and understand the entire workflow process in their work unit to ensure that the process going effectiveness and efficiency. Halachmi (2005) pointed out that the basic premise of the concept of performance management is great performance, whether by an individual or by a group is very unlikely to happen on its own. Workforce Diversity Stockdale and Crosby (2004) have defined diversity management as â€Å"a voluntary and planned program designed to make differences between employees a source of creativity, complementarity and greater effectiveness† (cited in Alcazar et al. 2012, p.512). Diversity is viewed as a key to strengthen the human and intellectual capital of business through effective communication and negotiation (Okoro & Washington, 2012). Moreover, diversity has becoming a great factor for recruitment, productivity, relationship, and competitiveness of the organisations. There are many advantages that come up from workforce diversity. Friedman (2005) and Gupta (2008) concurred that a diverse workforce can provide a fabulous advantage by employing new idea and communication skills, thus providing diversity thoughts from employee that will give better result in solutions and decision-making (cited in Okoro & Washington, 2012). Education and communication has become the key to transform the behaviour of the employees in terms of embracing and accepting diversity. According to Kundu (2003), he has categorised the benefits that organisation can achieve for creating a diverse workforce, such as organisation can provide better service because they understand customer’s needs (Wentling & Palma-Rivas, 2000); diversity will help organisation to enter the international area (Cascio, 1998); can enhances creativity and innovation (Adler, 1997; Jackson et al., 1992); produces competitive advantages (Coleman, 2002; Jackson et al., 1992); organization can suc ceed at diversity if they have initiative to create, manage and value the diverse workforce has the full support of the management (Hayes, 1999; Jackson et al.,1992). On the other hand, the literature also has explained that the perception of differences thought among employees could produce negative impact within the group (Alcazar, 2013). William and O’Reilly (1998) pointed out that mismanaged diversity initiatives and implementations could negatively affect organization’s performance and processes (cited in Bergen, 2005). In addition, Devoe (1999) and Esty et al. (1995) argued that managers might be faced the losses due to personnel and work productivity and negative attitudes and behaviours from the employee. Therefore, before designing an  idea for managing diversity, it is necessary to define and analyse clearly all of the kinds of differences that the organisation needs to manage (Alcazar, 2013). Manager should be aware of the values of understanding, appreciating, and respecting human and cultural differences to be effective in interacting across cultural organisations (Okoro & Washington, 2012). Furthermore, it is critically important for managers to understand the importance of workforce diversity and effective communication in achieving the objectives of organisations and academic institutions. Conclusion Both of job design and workforce diversity have equal impact in attempt of HRM. Job design helps managers to developing and maintaining a competitive advantage in organisation. Beside that, managers need to know and understand clearly the entire workflow process in their unit. The other advantages of job design can identify employee’s knowledge and skills. It will help managers to determine employee’s position and job precisely. On the other hand, diversity also has important role in HRM. Organisation can have many advantages from implementing diversity into their business. For example to enhance creativity and innovation in the organisation and have better idea for decision-making. As a manager, it is necessary to analyse and define the differences in the organisation that needs to manage.

Electrical Current Definition

Electrical Current Definition Electrical current is a measure of the amount of electrical charge transferred per unit of time. It represents the flow of electrons through a conductive material, such as a metal wire. It is measured in amperes. Units and Notation for Electrical Current The SI unit of electrical current is the ampere, defined as 1 coulomb/second.  Current is a  quantity, meaning it is the same number regardless of the  direction of the flow, without a positive or negative number. However, in circuit analysis, the direction of current is relevant. The conventional symbol for current is  I, which originates from the French phrase  intensità © de courant, meaning  current intensity.  Current intensity is often referred to simply as  current. The  I  symbol was used by  Andrà ©-Marie Ampà ¨re, after whom the unit of electric current is named. He used the I symbol in formulating  Ampà ¨res force law in 1820.  The notation traveled from France to Great Britain, where it became standard, although at least one journal did not change from using  C  to  I  until 1896. Ohms Law Governing Electrical Current Ohms law states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly  proportional  to the  potential difference  across the two points. Introducing the constant of proportionality, the  resistance, one arrives at the usual mathematical equation that describes this relationship: IV/R In this relationship,  I  is the current through the conductor in units of  amperes,  V  is the potential difference measured  across  the conductor in units of  volts, and  R  is the  resistance  of the conductor in units of  ohms. More specifically, Ohms law states that the  R  in this relation is constant and is independent of the current. Ohms law is used in electrical engineering for solving circuits. The abbreviations  AC  and  DC  are often used to mean simply  alternating  and  direct, as when they modify  current  or  voltage. These are the two main types of electrical current. Direct Current Direct current (DC) is the unidirectional flow of  electric charge. The  electric charge  flows in a constant direction, distinguishing it from  alternating current  (AC). A  term formerly used  for  direct current  was galvanic current. Direct current is produced by sources such as  batteries,  thermocouples,  solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the  dynamo  type. Direct current may flow in a  conductor  such as a wire  but can also flow through  semiconductors,  insulators, or even through a  vacuum  as in  electron or ion beams. Alternating Current In alternating current (AC, also ac), the movement of  electric charge  periodically reverses direction. In  direct current, the flow of electric charge is only in one direction. AC is the form of  electric power  delivered to businesses and residences. The usual  waveform  of an  AC power  circuit is a  sine wave. Certain applications use different waveforms, such as  triangular  or  square waves. Audio  and  radio  signals carried on electrical wires are also examples of alternating current. An important goal in these applications is the  recovery of information encoded (or  modulated) onto the AC signal.

How to Live Every Day Like Youre on Vacation

How to Live Every Day Like Youre on Vacation Vacation Mind â€Å"We’re on vacation!† my father would shout, whenever he made a choice to spend money on a normally extravagant purchase. Whether or not we were actually on vacation, his pronouncement would signify that financial caution was being thrown to the wind in service of whimsy and pure fun. Doors opened wide and anything seemed possible in those moments. I inherited my father’s sense of vacation-induced freedom. On a recent trip to Portland, I watched myself not only making unusual purchases, but also engaging in activities that I might not otherwise entertain. I got up early my first day to go hiking by myself in the rain. I bought food from food carts. I drove 2 hours to spend one night at Breitenbush Hot Springs. I bought a chocolate blackberry tart at a famous bakery. I chased sunsets. Although I also kept up with my work schedule, my mindset was definitely one of being on vacation. Beginner’s Mind When I returned home to Madison, I kept my sense of adventure with me. While I certainly won’t do this every day, I bought a treat from a well-known bakery a few blocks from my house that I had never before patronized. I tried out a restaurant I’ve been wanting to go to for many months, and that I have passed by literally hundreds of times in the last 7 years. It’s like I came back home with a â€Å"beginner’s mind,† ready to discover the new in the familiar of my life. Wherever You Go One of the items welcoming me home was a children’s book by Pat Zietlow Miller, Wherever You Go. The story, wondrously illustrated by Eliza Wheeler, is replete with metaphor as it examines the comings and goings of roads. Literal roads, like the roads we follow in life, can take us pretty much anywhere, allowing us to explore and connect in adventurous ways. They allow us to take a vacation from the routines we fall into in our daily lives. And then, for those of us lucky to have one, roads take us home. I find myself wondering: Why should coming back to â€Å"where the heart is,† mean we no longer take opportunities to zig and zag? To cross bridges, climb mountains, and chase clouds? Yet this is often how we experience home. Adventures at Home As I was showing pictures of my Portland trip to some of my yoga friends, while quietly drinking tea at my favorite studio in Madison, they marveled at the beautiful sunsets I had captured on my smartphone. They were oohing and aahing over the last sunset image when I pointed out the caption: â€Å"Sunset over Lake Mendota.† That picture was from before my trip. Lake Mendota is right here where I started, in Madison, Wisconsin. To be sure, I don’t have to go far to create life adventures. And the next time I see the colors of the sunset brimming, I will gleefully shout â€Å"I’m on vacation!† and go chase after them.

All that glitters isnt gold

We be a nation of immigrants. in-migration has evermore been a fundamental part of the Statesn account statement because immigrants substantiate been coming in to America ever since it was discovered. This counter became unfeignedly big generator in the twentieth ascorbic acid when a huge influx of immigrants came from Ireland , Italy , Germany , and many other European countries at the same time. Fleeing cut down failure, land and job shortages, go up taxes, and famine, they came to the join States because they believed it was the land of economical opportunity. Others came seeking somebodyal liberty or relief from semipolitical and religious persecution. My own family migrated from Germany approximately flipper generations ago on 1844. Recently I plant a letter scripted by my great-great grandfather closely 4 generations ago, dated revered 20th, 1882, during the first big swing of immigration. His letter was addressed to family in Ohio and detailed his voyage to America and explained what he experiences  is a professional essay writing service at which you can buy essays on any topics and disciplines! All custom essays are written by professional writers! His letter was alter with details about his jobs and culture practices in Minnesota where he settled. Times were hard and he had to pop off during the daytime at a brand name mill and self-employed person as a work whenever he could. Life was unreactive for every immigrant looking for success, exhausting to settle down in areas where their previous countrymen had settled. Many go about discrimination because they were different and employers didnt pay them as oft as the native innate(p) in America hitherto though immigrants were looked down upon, they machinate significant contributions to the development of America . Many have let the cat out of the bag that thanks to the immigrants, our economy has self-aggrandising tremendously, U. S. demographics have changed, and a new increase in ball-shaped development and international communication theory has made earth.

Introduction to Accounting and Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Introduction to Accounting and Finance - Essay Example Based on the forecasted data assessed with ratios and capital budgeting techniques, the project has been found highly feasible with attractive returns. For details view of the financials; forecasting sheets have also been provided. Moreover, there are some assumptions made while forecasting the financials of the project and these assumptions have also been discussed. ASSUMPTIONS ABC DRINK Following set of assumptions have been followed to prepare the following financials for the data: 1. External environment has been analysed and the market has been found conducive of conducting the energy drink business. 2. ABC drink has been evaluated for the offering size of 250 ml. 3. Costing of the material has been used the cost of item listed. 4. All the expenses are based in fictional figures. 5. Price of the product has been set according to competitive prices available on the Amazon grocery offering 6. It is assumed the changing season would not affect the demand. 7. Production and will fol low the given pattern. 8. The closing stock of each month is utilised in next month. 9. Frequent receipts do not affect the payments as even in the months when the cash position is running negative. 10. For business valuation, the forecasting for the net income has been done for 5 years with NI increasing with 2.5% with first two years, 5% in third-year, 8% in fourth-year and 10% in fifth-year. 11. Required rate of return for business valuation has been taken as 15%. It has been selected so high to incorporate any effect of unlikely event that negatively affects business operations mainly cost and revenues. MARGINAL COSTING COST STATEMENT    TOTAL EXP. CATEGORY FIXED AMT VAR AMT    (Monthly) (PROD OR SELLING) (%) In (%)    LABOR                Factory Manager ? 7,083 Production 100% ? 7,083 0% ? - Accountant ? 4,500 Selling 100% ? 4,500 0% ? - supervisor ? 2,500 Production 50% ? 1,250 50% ? 1,250 Marketing team of 3 people ? 3,600 Selling 35% ? 1,260 65% ? 2,340 SCM team ? 5,000 Selling 25% ? 1,250 75% ? 3,750 Sales Force (10 people) ? 8,000 Selling 20% ? 1,600 80% ? 6,400 Technician (2) ? 6,400 Production 50% ? 3,200 50% ? 3,200 On Floor Labor ? 14,000 Production 10% ? 1,400 90% ? 12,600 watchman (Prod dept) ? 980 Production 100% ? 980 0% ? - watchman warehouse ? 980 Selling 100% ? 980 0% ? - Transporter ? 1,300 Production 65% ? 845 35% ? 455 Transporter    ? 1,800 Selling 40% ? 720 60% ? 1,080 BREAK-EVEN ANALYSIS Break even analysis is the point where the total cost of the company is equal to the total revenues (Levy, & Brooks, 1986) and at this point the profit of the company is 0 (Anand, 2004). Breakeven analysis is used to determine the minimum quantity that should be produced in order to achieve no loss (Arnold, 2008; Besley, & Brigham, 2007). Breakeven point for the discussed project has been identified and it is 42,304 units. This means that the company needs to sell 42,034 units of drink in order to achieve zero profitability. BREAK EVEN ANALYSIS T. FIXED COST ? 38,954.33 VC ? 1.18 SALES PRICE ? 2.10 CONTRIBUTION MARGIN ? 0.92 BREAK EVEN ANALYSIS 42,304.70 Break even has also been calculated using graph. The following graph shows break even and it is almost the same point as calculated above. Cash budget Cash budget shows

International Business Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Business Strategy - Case Study Example To survive, it is vital that a firm can do something better than its competitors (Wonglimpiyarat 2004:1). Globalisation has not only altered the nature and the intensity of competition but has had to dictate and shape organisations in terms of what consumers wants, how and when they want it and what they are prepared to pay for it (Hagan 1996:1). Kanter (1995:71) on his work of "Mastering Change" argues that success in the present day business is not for those companies that re-engineer the way they do things, or for those fixing the past. According to Kanter (1995) such an action will not constitute an adequate response. This is so because success is based on an organisation's ability to create, rather than predict the future by developing those products that will literally transform the way the world thinks and view it self and the needs (Kanter 1995:71). Within the context of today's global competition, businesses and firms no-longer compete as individual companies but try to corporate with other businesses in their activities (Wu & Chien 2007:2). These researchers went further to argue that, this strategy has become quite common in many businesses including the electronic chain. The conventional vertical integrated company based business model is gradually being replaced by collaborative relationship between many fragmented, but complementary and specialized value stars and constellation (Wu & Chien:1). An alternative approach towards organisational success, one which is becoming increasing prominent and has attracted the sustained attention of both domestic and international business scholars are core competences, capabilities and resources (e.g. Madhok 1998, Prahalad & Hamel 1990, Hamel & Prahalad1994 ). In today's global business environment it is no longer sufficient simply to meet customers demand as time quality and cost have become increasingly important in the phase of increasing competition (Petts 1997:551). According to Higgins (1998:2), "customers don't always know what they need or even that there is a problem to be solved." Success awaits those companies that recognize the fact that, to be successful and satisfy customers, it is often necessary to lead customers into recognizing these needs (Higgins 1998:2-3). In the light of this, the aim of this paper is to examine how Philips lost its leadership position in the light of globalization and why the company's had difficulties in changing the strategy. 1.1.2 The Rise of Philip as the Leading Consumer's Electronics in the World Philips is an electronic company that began in Holland specializing in the production of light bulbs. The company was founded by Gerard Philips and the father

The Luxury Passenger Carrier Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Luxury Passenger Carrier - Case Study Example The company has decided to raise the average fare to $ 205. If the tax rate is 30 percent, how many passengers per month are needed to generate an after-tax profit of $ 750,000? Â  f. (Use original data). Springfield Express is considering offering a discounted fare of $ 120, which the company believes would increase the load factor to 80 percent. Only the additional seats would be sold at the discounted fare. Additional monthly advertising cost would be $ 180,000. How much pre-tax income would the discounted fare provide Springfield Express if the company has 50 passenger train cars per day, 30 days per month? Â  g. Springfield Express has an opportunity to obtain a new route that would be traveled 20 times per month. The company believes it can sell seats at $ 175 on the route, but the load factor would be only 60 percent. Fixed cost would increase by $ 250,000 per month for additional personnel, additional passenger train cars, maintenance, and so on. Variable cost per passenger would remain at $ 70. Â  Springfield Express should be sure that its forecasts are correct.

Healthcare Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Healthcare Insurance - Essay Example They believe that healthcare insurance would assist them to minimize future health expenses to a great extent. As Cameron and McCallum (1995) point out, ‘income’ is the major potential element determining the demand for health insurance. It seems that low and high income groups are less likely to purchase health insurance. Low income groups may not have potential financial background to purchase health insurance whereas high income groups are reluctant to buy insurance due to increased tariffs. Price of the insurance and tax treatment of insurance are the other important factors affecting demand for health insurance (Avitabile, 2009). When the price of the insurance increases, the demand decreases, and once the price of the insurance drops the demand increases. The same trend is observed in case of tax treatment also. If the government or other competitive organizations adopt a strict approach towards tax treatment, the demand for insurance falls. In contrast, if the hea lthcare insurance is offered at concessional tax rates, more people will be ready to purchase it. This is a clear illustration of law of demand. It is also identified that healthcare expenditure may be a crucial element influencing the demand for insurance. Middle income groups may consider their past health expenditure data before making an insurance purchase decision. Finally, age also affects the demand for healthcare insurance. As compared to old aged people, youngsters are less likely to purchase healthcare insurance as they believe that they are less vulnerable to diseases. In the late XIX century, health insurance began to be available in the form of accident insurance in the United States (Obringer & Jeffries, n.d.). The trend continued until the end of the XIX century, and regulators considered health insurance as disability insurance. Before the US federal

Db5 1 employment and labor law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Db5 1 employment and labor law - Research Paper Example The followings are some of the federal law prohibiting job discrimination according to federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws; According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, and sex or nationality. Equal Pay Act protects women and workers who perform substantially similar work in the same establishment from sex based wage discrimination. Sections 501 and 505 of the rehabilitation work act of 1973, prohibits discrimination against qualified individual with disabilities who work in the federal government. Discriminatory practices under these laws include: Harassment on the basis of race, religion, color, genetic information and disability, employment decision based on stereotypes or assumption about the abilities, denying employment opportunities to person because of marriage to a particular race or religions. Look at a scenario where a big and well known company like Coca-Cola being sued for allegedly violating a number of Californian labor laws. According to (www.bestattorney.com) they have filed a class action lawsuit against Coca-Cola and its affiliate for allegedly violating multiple California labor laws, such as failing to pay overtime wages for hours worked in excess of eight hours per day. From this real life scenario the lesson learnt is that, labor laws should actually need to be obeyed because they are aimed are protecting both parties; the employer and employee. This scenario in some aspect has set precedent to managers who have not taken labor laws seriously. In summary, this paper has clearly helped in defining the meaning of labor laws, some of the labor laws and an example of a real life situation whereby a Coca-Cola company violated some of the labor law in California. Therefore, it is upon managers and directors of companies to treat their employees with regard

The Luxury Passenger Carrier Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Luxury Passenger Carrier - Case Study Example The company has decided to raise the average fare to $ 205. If the tax rate is 30 percent, how many passengers per month are needed to generate an after-tax profit of $ 750,000? Â  f. (Use original data). Springfield Express is considering offering a discounted fare of $ 120, which the company believes would increase the load factor to 80 percent. Only the additional seats would be sold at the discounted fare. Additional monthly advertising cost would be $ 180,000. How much pre-tax income would the discounted fare provide Springfield Express if the company has 50 passenger train cars per day, 30 days per month? Â  g. Springfield Express has an opportunity to obtain a new route that would be traveled 20 times per month. The company believes it can sell seats at $ 175 on the route, but the load factor would be only 60 percent. Fixed cost would increase by $ 250,000 per month for additional personnel, additional passenger train cars, maintenance, and so on. Variable cost per passenger would remain at $ 70. Â  Springfield Express should be sure that its forecasts are correct.

Db5 1 employment and labor law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Db5 1 employment and labor law - Research Paper Example The followings are some of the federal law prohibiting job discrimination according to federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws; According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, and sex or nationality. Equal Pay Act protects women and workers who perform substantially similar work in the same establishment from sex based wage discrimination. Sections 501 and 505 of the rehabilitation work act of 1973, prohibits discrimination against qualified individual with disabilities who work in the federal government. Discriminatory practices under these laws include: Harassment on the basis of race, religion, color, genetic information and disability, employment decision based on stereotypes or assumption about the abilities, denying employment opportunities to person because of marriage to a particular race or religions. Look at a scenario where a big and well known company like Coca-Cola being sued for allegedly violating a number of Californian labor laws. According to (www.bestattorney.com) they have filed a class action lawsuit against Coca-Cola and its affiliate for allegedly violating multiple California labor laws, such as failing to pay overtime wages for hours worked in excess of eight hours per day. From this real life scenario the lesson learnt is that, labor laws should actually need to be obeyed because they are aimed are protecting both parties; the employer and employee. This scenario in some aspect has set precedent to managers who have not taken labor laws seriously. In summary, this paper has clearly helped in defining the meaning of labor laws, some of the labor laws and an example of a real life situation whereby a Coca-Cola company violated some of the labor law in California. Therefore, it is upon managers and directors of companies to treat their employees with regard

Review of Michael vey Essay Example for Free

Review of Michael vey Essay The book I read was Michael Vey The Prisoner Of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans. This book was an action, adventure based young-adult fiction and it is based in modern day California. It revolves around a boy named Michael Vey and his two friends Ostin and Taylor. While Michael might seem like a loser to people because he is skinny and does not talk much he actually is the most powerful being on earth. He can transmit electricity through anything that can conduct it including humans! The book is mainly about how Michael has powers and has to hide them until his mother is abducted and he goes to find her but also finds out about other kids like him and there is this organization that uses them in a plan to control the world. The adventure is mostly told through the point of view of Michael but occasionally switches to a 3rd person view of the whole surrounding. I think that the author forges sentences that put you in the room and make you feel the pain and the frustration of the characters. The author perfectly mixes the real world with the abnormal events that happen to Michael Vey. The author starts out with a mysterious call between two men talking about blowing up a commercial airliner, which automatically sucks the reader into the book. It then transitions to the story of this boy named Michael Vey and while it all might seem perfectly normal the author then throws a curveball and introduce the powers that this boy possesses. The thing that I did not like is how he stalled the story after that. He introduced the fact that this skinny 14 year old kid can fry a person by simply touching them and then goes on to describe his boring day at school. Who does that? Although it annoyed me at first I was grateful that Richard Paul Evans (the author) did that with the story. If he did not we would have never met Taylor the crush in Michaels life. Who we later find out has the ability to reboot someones brain like a computer and can also read  someone’s mind. Then when he has introduced every-thing he takes a sharp turn into a different direction by having Michael’s mother and Taylor kidnapped by the Antagonist, and then begins the intense series of events. I like how the author controls the mood in this book. Initially the mood is very calm and it is unemotional eases you into the story. Then the mood changes rapidly for the rest of the story especially after Michael’s mother is kidnapped changes into an intense series of thrilling events kidnaps his mother. I would say that depending on the scene the author would either use a calm but sympathetic tone or and intense and aggressive tone He uses imagery a lot in his book when he describes different parts of the building structure that they are trapped in or he will depict an emotion that a character is feeling to an extent that you can relate to. For example when the antagonist puts Michael into a cell and manipulates his fears you really can see that play out in your mind. I think that in this book at least for me there were no boring slow parts. I just wanted to read more which is strange because usually all books have slow parts but this author mixes the right amount of suspense into each part that you want to find out what will happen next whether it is when the character and his mother are just talking or the character is in the rage of battle. This book reminded me of another amazing book with the same concepts. I can relate this to another book I read called Daniel X. I can relate because like Michael Vey prisoner of cell 25 Daniel X Keeps the world around the character normal while only making the events that happen to the character a sequence of abnormal events. Another book I can relate it to would be Max by James Patterson. I think that the author creates a perfect blend between past and present personal conflicts. He incorporates the setting by describing it vividly to the reader but also describes the characters reaction to the setting change so that the reader can relate to the characters feelings. I think that this work is a very well put together book. Even though In the earlier questions I make it sound like a ten on ten this book is not. I rate this book a 9/10 for the soul reason that it was on a very directed path and you could the events that were going to happen before they did by just reading the book. Even the twist that the author put in were not that book which made some of the book predictable and who really wants a book in which they know everything that is going to happen. In this book I had a lot of moments of truly being astonished by the characters views and what they would say. The line that meant the most to me in this book was when The Antagonist had given Michael Vey an ultimatum of either killing a innocent man or letting his mother die. Michael’s response to this was, â€Å"My mother would rather die then see me become a murderer† I liked this because it showed both the justice and willpower of Michael. I say this because I know for a fact that I would have killed that man because even if it would be the wrong thing to do I would take his life for my happiness. This was an amazing book and even though I did not want it to finish I enjoyed the ending greatly I think that I would give the ending of this book a 10/10 because it was an amazing way to finish of the book in such a way that there can be a sequel but it also did not end it happily. I say this because even though him. In conclusion I think that this book is a 10/10. Maybe I am being too kind but I really enjoyed it. Like all books it had its slow parts but even those were page-turners and they built up to the best parts of the book. I think that the character Michael Vey himself was very well made and even though he had superpowers he had his quirks, which made the book more relatable and fun to read.

Analyzing Enterprises Service Quality Survey

Analyzing Enterprises Service Quality Survey Enterprises Service Quality Survey is attempting to gather very precise information on the value and quality of its service throughout the whole process. The first few questions are very generic and are aiming to source information on the overall experience of dealing with the Enterprise Rent-A-Car. This includes information on customer satisfaction. Enterprise Rent-A-Car is trying to attain valuable information on how customers feel the service could improve and how customers would rate the telephone reservation process. These sorts of questions are unspecific and are the beginning to service quality surveys for any enterprise. As the survey progresses, customers are urged to articulate how long the process of picking up and returning the rental car took. Surely, by doing this, Enterprise Rent-A-Car are trying to attain approximate times so they can average the results out and seek to improve on the results in the coming months and years. Customers are asked to rate sundry questions based on five options: Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor and Non Applicable (N/A). Utilising this rating method the firm can obtain a definite level of customer fulfilment and find out where their strengths and weaknesses lie concerning each aspect of the service they provide. One interesting aspect to note about the information Enterprise Rent-A-Car are trying to source is that only one question requires the customer to write out an answer whereas every other option simply requires a ticking of the box in an option such as Good, Fair, Poor etc.. In my opinion, this means that Enterprise Rent-A-Car as a firm simply want polarised answers so to speak. By having to tick options such as Good, Fair and Poor, it becomes apparent straight away if the customer was satisfied with the service or not. If several questions required answers with full sentences, this could lead to numerous problems for Enterprise Rent-A-Car employees who are analysing the su rveys after. One problem is that customers could write out a half-hearted misleading answer with little or no meaning making it extremely difficult for Enterprise Rent-A-Car to attain valuable customer opinions and outlooks on the service. The Service Quality Surveys research objectives are quite simple. The objective of the research is to assess how well they are providing their service to customers. The most important aspect of the survey is that it is being answered by those who have used the service and whose opinion on the service is of huge strategic importance to the company. Question 3: In addition to or instead of the mail survey, what other means could Enterprise use to gather customer satisfaction information? There are numerous other means that Enterprise Rent-A-Car could utilise to gather customer satisfaction information. Observational research involves gathering primary data by observing appropriate people, actions, and situations to gather how satisfied the customer is. Ethnographic research involves sending trained observers to monitor and interact with consumers in their natural environment. Experimental research is best for gathering causal information, through the use of cause-and-effect relationships. Enterprise Rent-A-Car could change the contact method from the currently used mail survey to the other available contact methods: Telephone, Personal (Face to Face) or online (through the use of the Internet). Each one of these contact methods has both benefits and disadvantages with regard to gathering customer satisfaction. Concerning response rate which is of utmost importance, Online and Personal can be classified as good while telephone lags behind and is poor for response rate. If one was to look at cost as a means of differentiating the other contact methods, telephone is obviously the most expensive with also personal contact cost being very poor indeed. Online methods of gathering information seems to be a brilliant way of gathering customer satisfaction information. Firstly it is very cheap once the consumer has an Internet connection. The simplicity of this process is the best alternative to the means being used by Enterprise Rent-A-Car to gather customer satisfaction info rmation. Question 4: What Specific recommendations would you make to Enterprise to improve the response rate and timeliness of feedback from the process? The specific recommendations I would make to Enterprise Rent-A-Car to improve the response rate and timeliness of feedback from the process is to conduct the survey online on their website http://www.enterprise.ie/car_rental/home.do The response rate would be increased ten fold in comparison with the use of the mail survey. Once the survey is completed, the information will be available to Enterprise Rent-A-Car in their database instantaneously. This means busniess decisions can be made quicker, faster and more efficiently. In comparison, while the mail survey has a free postage stamp so it costs the customer nothing to complete, the Internet is such an easier process. There is no need to head down to the post office and send back the survey, once users click the submit button their part of the customer satisfaction process is complete and their feedback is available to Enterprise Rent-A-Car straight away. Enterprise Rent-A-Car could offer customers a discount on their next transaction if they complete the survey in a specific period of time online. They would then have up to date valuable information on the levels of customer satisfaction the users have had with their service. Thus they can use this information and feedback to adapt their business to suit customers. Therefore the timeliness of feedback is improved which improves Enterprise Rent-A-Cars performance and will keep their customers loyal to their service. Marketing Principles Assignment 2 Choose a recent purchase that involved not only yourself but other people in making the decision. What role(s) did you play in the process? What roles did other people play and how did they influence your choice? Recently, the home computer in the family house broke and so a new desktop computer was needed for everyone in the family to use. My father asked the whole family to do a bit of research into the best available computers and that we would agree between us on the best available option to suit everyone. We were given that we had a budget of 800 to spend replacing a home computer that had finally worn down after five years of constant use. Each one of the family scoured various magazines, catalogues as well as visiting stores such as Currys and PC World to check the computer market for the best suitable fit for us. I played a key role in the choosing of a computer for the family as I was viewed among the family as the most technically aware person with regards to the latest products being unveiled in the business market. My two sisters were quite proficient users of computers but my parents were looking more at the cost and simplicity side of purchasing and utilising the computer. I researched reviews online for each type of computer and noted the opinions of others in my college class who were adept computer users and had a broad knowledge of the market. My sisters played the role of reading over the reviews I had picked out to give a second opinion to me on what they thought of products I had earmarked as being a potential purchase for the family. This role influenced me as it gave me the confidence to follow on from the primary research I had carried out. My father played the role of making sure I was keeping within the budget allotted for the computer. His role influenced me as it was a constant reminder to keep within the money designated to purchase the computer. My mother kept an eye on me to make sure that I was looking out for the best needs of the family and not just my personal needs. Her role influenced me as it re-emphasised to me that the computer was for the whole family and not just my preferences. What type of buying decision behaviour process did you go through? At each stage (need recognition, information search, etc.), outline what activities took place Need Recognition: Directly after the breaking down of the home computer, a close family friend purchased a new desktop computer with all the state of the art specifications. I was aware of the quality of the product but my parents who were oblivious to the latest technologies were thoroughly impressed by the newest technologies such as Bluetooth, Built in Microphone and Webcam, huge Hard Drive space and the simplicity of the User Interface. My father decided that instead of paying to fix the worn down computer, a new computer with all these latest cutting edge technologies would be more suitable. Thus a need for the new computer was triggered in my father by external stimuli, in this case the family friends positive feedback. Information Search: Thus my father urged the family and primarily myself to scout the market for a computer with all the latest technologies. Other than the personal source (family friend) who had been the external stimuli in the first place, I consulted an extremely knowledgeable I.T whizzkid in my course to offer his opinions. As mentioned previously the mass media was used to provide us with information on the products i.e. technology websites, blogs etc. I paid a trip to the local Galway computer superstore PC World and I was given a test run on a few of the latest computers released by the leaders in the personal computer market such as Sony, Toshiba and Samsung. Evaluation of Alternatives: In the computer market there are so many alternatives so each alternative was scrutinised thoroughly. The first choice was to choose between either an Apple Mac or a Personal Computer (PC). I would regard myself as a huge fan of the Apple and very susceptible to their compelling marketing of their products. If I was to choose PC there are so many leading companies with high quality computers to choose from. I decided to categorise the PCs in terms of warranty, look, price and performance. I weighed up which company offered the best post sale support to consumers if problems were to arise. Look was based on the easiness on the eye of the product as well as weight, size etc. Performance was based on user reviews from reputable sources. Purchase Decision: The family had a brief meeting and we decided to all divulge what each of us wanted from the computer (software, applications etc.) My father asked me to inform him of my opinion bearing everything in mind. I informed him that I believed the Apple products were the market leaders in terms of computer performance but that their products would not be suitable for the family and the price budget wasnt enough to purchase one. We decide on a PC with a Microsoft Windows OS platform as it would contain all the MS Office tools which would be of utmost importance to the family. My sister and I concurred that Dell Desktop PCs were receiving outstanding feedback and each computer could be tailored to suit the needs of the family. A Dell Inspiron One 23 with the specifications my father liked was agreed on by the family and purchased over the Internet that day. Post Purchase Decision: The family was incredibly satisfied with the product and has lived up to our expectations. Dell delivered within 3 days and a warranty of a year was given to us to cover us in case of unintentional damage to the computer. What choice criteria did you use? Did they change between drawing up a shortlist and making the final choice? The choice criteria as outlined up above were that we divide the computer into three categories: Warranty: We wanted to review which companies were renowned for having an excellent post-sale service given the problematic nature of technology and in specific computers. Look: My mother wanted the computer to have a pleasant appearance so it would blend into the corner of the living rooms environment. We also wanted it to be very lightweight so it could be transported if it had to be moved. Price: The computer had to stick within the budget allotted of 800 euro; there was no flexibility on this rule. Performance: We wanted the computer to run quickly and efficiently and have plenty of storage for the familys photo albums and software applications. The choice criteria did not alter between originally drawing up a shortlist and when we made our final choice. Marketing Principles Assignment 3 Discuss three alternative price-increase strategies that address these concerns. Increasing prices can be a very sensitive issue and can easily upsets loyal customers so companies must carefully approach how they increase prices. When increasing prices, the company must avoid being alleged as being a price gouger( Kotler Armstrong ,2010). Customers have long and clear memories and they will desert companies that they believe are excessively pricing their products. Competitors will prey on the companys necessity to increase their prices and so can advertise a cheaper price in their persuasive marketing campaigns, simply informing the market that they charge lower. There are three price-increase strategies that can address the concerns of customers fleeing from the company due to excess pricing: Honest Approach: The first method of increasing prices that can address the concerns of customer loss is the honest approach. By maintaining a sense of fairness surrounding the price increases, customers will realise that there are legitimate reasons for the rise in prices and that these increases are because of a necessity not a profit hungry exercise from the upper echelons of the organisation. Company communications should tell the customers exactly why the prices are being raised and thus the customers are not left in the dark as to the reason behind the price increase. Honest is always the best policy is an overused phrase but this may just apply in a competitive business market if the firm wants to keep faithful to their loyal consumers. Low Visibility Price Moves: A good technique of increasing prices is by making low-visibility price moves first. Examples include reducing discounts, ever-increasing minimum order sizes and slowing down the production of low margin products. The company sales force should help business customers find ways to economize. By getting rid of offers such as 33% off etc. the firm will steadily increase the amount of revenue they are earning for each product without displeasing their loyal customers. If the removal of discounts is done subtly, then customers will not notice that the price has increased officially and firms can benefit from this method. Unbundling of Market Offering: By removing features, packaging, or services and separately pricing elements that were formerly part of the offer, firms can increase profits. By unbundling their product offering, they can gain more revenue for each sale of a product. By doing this firms are making consumers pay extra for the excess parts of a product such as packaging. This will not easily upset customers as much as say just increasing their product. Airlines such as Ryanair are using this method of increasing prices. For example, to keep flight fares down, Ryanair are charging separately for services that were once part of the price paid in the flight. Examples include a restriction on the weight of handheld luggage and food served on flights. Thus when you are paying for a flight, it is simply the transport you are paying for with no built in perks. Principles of Marketing Assignment 4 Q.1 ZARA SUPPLY CHAIN Q.3 Zara employs a corporate vertical marketing system. A corporate vertical marketing system can be defined as when a single owner runs organizations at each stage of the marketing channel(Kurtz, McKenzie Snow, 2010) Zara has such an efficient and effective supply chain that it has almost total control of every aspect from raw materials to the consumer purchasing the product at the end. This is directly mentioned in the case study his experience led him to design a system in which he could control every aspect of the supply chain (Kotler Armstrong, 2010). Zara benefits greatly from adopting this system. Firstly, the 300 creative staff that carry out the design, benefit from information sent to them by the shop assistants who can report on the latest fads that are trending as they are directly dealing with the customers on the frontline. With regards to sourcing, as mentioned in the case study by using this type of a VMS that while Zaras rivals outsource nearly all their product to che ap production facilities in Asia, Zara makes 40 percent of its own fabrics and produces more than half its own clothes. Therefore Zara which is located in Northern Spain needs not to rely on slow moving suppliers. This is of huge benefit and speeds up the process from raw materials to retailing meaning Zara can produce two or three times as many items as its competitors. Zara carries such business clout that it uses local co-operatives to complete some tasks such as sewing meaning that these materials are sent back quickly to the factory where they are moved onto the next stage in the supply chain. It has huge control of its packaging and distribution service by adopting this system. The huge warehouse which uses high quality machinery is so efficient that the packaging process which can be of concern to other firms in this sector of the market is completed seamlessly by Zara. Therefore Zara, by using a corporate vertical marketing system enjoys many benefits and is the dominant fig ure in its market. Q.4 In my opinion, Zara experiences very few disadvantages from employing its fast-fashion distribution system and the advantages of this distribution system easily outweigh and offset by its advantages. The advantages of fast fashion distribution system seem to be endless and this system generally pleases the end user as the variety of products available changes regularly while maintaining high quality. Firstly, personally I would imagine that through my study of microeconomics if because of the short production runs due to the amount of products being made from different raw materials each time with the change in the fashion trends is their cost of production very high. They certainly arent benefitting from economies of scale at the rate they change the type of products they are producing. While it is a huge advantage that they seem to have a change in product every few weeks in comparison with competitors who have shipments arriving at stores only 4-5 times a year, surely the distribu tion costs are exceedingly high. The cost of transporting new finished goods to the retailers every fortnight or so must put huge pressure on the sale of the stock because of the products short life cycle. However all that said, undoubtedly the advantage of this distribution offsets the disadvantages. For example, the figures mentioned in the case study paint a true portrayal of the massive success of this system. In some cases, Zara are launching as many as four times as many products as their competitors. Because, of the rapid nature of their products life cycle, obsolescence of inventory is never a problem. Thus the cost of storing inventories are never a problem nor is the loss of revenue due to having to cut down prices in end of season sales. Therefore, the advantages of fast fashion easily offset the disadvantages. Q.5 Zara adds value for the customer through major logistics functions in many ways. Major logistic functions include warehousing, inventory management, transportation and logistics information management. By barely having the need for warehousing due to the high turnover of stock quickly, customers are receiving the freshest new products without any chance of obsolescence. Also as a result of the efficient transportation system of Zara, it means that the overall price of the product should invariably cheaper for the customer to purchase. Zaras high quality packaging system done by efficient automate machinery means that the chances of products being damaged on arrival is very slim in comparison with some of the logistic functions of its rivals like Gap. Logistics Information Management which keeps tabs on the flow of information with regards to customer data adds value for the customer as there is documentation with the product and a manner of tracing back the product if there is ever a problem. Reference: Kurtz, McKenzie Snow, 2010 http://books.google.ie/books?id=lf7VKtZcJlgCpg=PA403dq=corporate+vertical+marketing+systemhl=enei=HWnlTOKxIsGwhQfYqoX0DAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=corporate%20vertical%20marketing%20systemf=false Principles of Marketing Assignment 5 There are three types of appeals used by marketing professionals when promoting a product or service: Rational Appeals, Emotional Appeals Moral Appeals. I intend to critically evaluate an advertisement that fits into each of these types of appeals using the A.I.D.A model. Rational Appeal: This type of appeal is concerned directly with the self interests of the audiences that are targeted by advertisers. This type of appeal tries to utilise a persons common sense to draw in their viewers. Rational Appeals use logic/reason to convince audiences (Chaudhari Gokhale, 2009). This type of appeal can also be used to try and elevate itself above its competitors by using its quality, performance or dominance over its main rivals. Through these appeals, the audience are made to think and believe that the advertisers product is the best in the market (Trehan Trehan, 2009). I believe an advertisement that expertly uses rational appeal to capture the audiences interest is that of Rolexs Commercial for Wimbledon 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1ECS3k9od0NR=1 Evaluation using A.I.D.A Model: Get Attention: From the offset my attention was fixated on the screen with the opening images presented in the advertisement. The nobility of the opening pictures showing the hallowed lawns of the Wimbledon tennis tournament and the image of the arrival of a sporting titan like Roger Federer instantly command the attention of the audience. Rolex cleverly have inserted their product within the first three seconds of the ad along with an up close illustration of Federer who is easily one of the sporting worlds most recognisable figures. Hold Interest: The audiences interest is held because of the slow build up of the advertisement with slow eerie music and the slow paced moving shots of Federer and their product. Suddenly, the advertisement burst into life and a plethora of fast paced action occurs which corresponds with a crescendo in powerful music. Arouse Desire: After a certain point in the advertisement, I became aware of the relationship between the number on the watch and how it directly communicates with the number of Wimbledon titles Federer is seen winning. I think they are trying to associate Federers unbelievable success with their product. I also noticed the Rolex advertisement on the scoreboard as Federer leaps in ecstasy having secured another victory. This almost subliminal style of interest showed me the power of the organisation and its lofty high class status in its market having such a strong connection with such a prestigious tournament. Obtain Action: The ending to the advertisement would certainly would certainly give me the impetus to purchase a Rolex watch. The closing image of Federer standing as a messiah like figure in front of the jubilant masses and the Rolex punch line A crown for every achievement made me assume that this successful relationship is going to continue and made me want to be part of this esteemed partnership. There is certain majesty to the connection between Rolex and Federer as both are viewed in the public eye to have an air of superiority to them. This is a great example of an advertisement that uses Rational Appeal. Emotional Appeal The Emotional Appeal theme of advertising is an advertising approach where the message seeks to evoke a positive or negative reaction in the consumer (Clemente, 2002). Thus this appeal has a direct connection with the heart and how the person is feeling or will feel after seeing the advertisement. An advertisement that uses Emotional Appeal to gain the audiences approval and loyalty to their product is used by Nokia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4Ek8i0ddSQ) Get Attention: The start of this advertisement shows a man and a woman in seemingly distant contrasting environments which captures the audiences concentration straight away. The woman seems to be entrapped within a desolate apartment alone with seemingly no way out due to the dark and persistent nature of the weather. In startling contrast, the man seems to be enjoying the freedom of life exploring a town with his trusty Nokia phone. Hold Interest: The music playing throughout the advertisement seems to have a quite emotional downtrodden tone to it and this is illustrated perfectly as the woman stares out the window of her apartment with sorrowfulness. The advertisement holds our interest as we are wondering what is the connection or relationship between the downtrodden woman and the joyful man. The man is getting his photos taken beside random billboards/signs and suspicion is aroused as to the meaning of this. Of course each of the photos is being taken by a clearly vivid Nokia phone and the random words being taken hold our interest as to whether the sundry words will have an outcome or a destination. Arouse desire: Desire is aroused to purchase the product when it is revealed the outcome of the various photos. The woman receives a multimedia message which maps out to reveal Will you mary me? tugs at the heart strings as the womans previous apparent depression like nature is suddenly cured as she views each of the pictures of the man and the sequence of words. The Nokia phone is of course used as the medium of communication between these distant lovers. Obtain Action: The final scene of this fifty four second commercial sees the man sitting on a park bench impatiently awaiting the outcome of his proposal. As we see him receiving the answer to his proposal and his sudden explosion of unadulterated joy, a bus in the background trundles off screen to reveal the monstrous Nokia logo. This is a brilliant advertisement as Nokia manages to involve itself within the heart warming relationship that has consumed the audience. This advertisement will particularly appeal to amorous women and might just sway them as they purchase their next mobile phone. Moral Appeal This type of appeal as one would imagine is based on morality. These appeals draw attention on what is right (Trehan Trehan, 2009(2). I think a perfect definition on what moral appeal is and what it aims to do is contained in the following quote Use of moral appeal includes attempts to gain compliance by convincing the target audience that it is morally wrong if it doesnt comply (Heath, 1994). Thus the organisations who use this type of appeal are aiming at a large target market considering that if the message is presented correctly in the advertisement itll have a profound effect on the audience. Environmental Defense uses moral appeal in its advertisement quite ably in its attempt to warn of the looming threat of Global Warming. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-_LBXWMCAM Get Attention: This advertisement automatically draws the attention of its audience as we see a dark, bleak looking environment beside a set of train tracks with the eerie sound on the environment to be heard in the background. Suddenly, the audience sees a close up shot of a worried looking man who simply utters the phrase Global Warming. Hold Interest: Directly after the utterance of the words Global Warming impending doom and tragedy in the form of a moving train hurtling towards the man who is now seen to be standing in the middle of the train tracks. This instantly worries and alerts the audience and is a perfect example of an advertisement using moral appeal as the audience is suddenly fraught with anxiety as to the mans imminent death. Arouse Desire: As the train trundles along at what seems like increasingly greater speed, the man informs us that the irreversible consequences of this global disaster are 30 years away. The fact that the middle aged man of the age bracket [40-50] enlightens us that he wont be affected as he will be on the cusp of death by the time the real effects are felt throughout the planet is an example of the ignorant view expressed by many throughout the world. This blatantly ignorant statement questions the audiences morals. Obtain Action: After his immoral statement, the man walks of the train tracks and a small child is seen to be split seconds away from taking the brunt force of the train. This a hard hitting advertisement as it calls on our morals in relation to what is going to be done to stop this imminent global disaster. I certainly was forced to think twice about the disastrous outcomes of this global problem being caused by the citizens of humanity.