Mathematics in the Preschool Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Mathematics in the Preschool - Dissertation Example That is why early childhood programs are increasingly expected to implement mathematics instruction in classrooms because of young children’s early mathematical knowledge. Development of early math skills provides the foundation for later learning (Clements & Sarama, 2008; NAEYC & NCTM, 2008; Lee & Ginsburg, 2008). The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 2000) emphasizes the need to provide high quality early childhood mathematics programs in preschools because a solid mathematical foundation in early childhood is essential. At this age, young children are building their own perceptions of what math is – what it means to know and do math and even about themselves as math learners. â€Å"These beliefs influence their thinking about, performance in, and attitudes toward mathematics and decisions related to studying mathematics in later years† (p. 98) According to the NCTM, the quality of mathematical education in early childhood plays an important pa rt in the child’s understanding of possibly difficult math concepts (Loop, 2009). Although there have been many studies pertaining to patterns of mathematical teaching in preschool, there is a lack of research on how teachers of mathematics perceive how young children learn math concepts and even what to teach in accordance to the developmental level of young children. That is why enhancing early childhood education teachers’ confidence and competence in teaching math is considered a route to improvement of mathematics instruction in preschool. Sarama & DiBiase suggests that early childhood teacher training focus both on mathematics content and teachers’ dispositions towards math, reflecting the need for highly qualified professionals (2004). The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Code of Ethics states: â€Å"In decisions concerning children’s programs, we shall draw upon the education, experience, and expertise of staff mem bers† (Decker, Decker, Freeman, & Knorpf, 2009, p.359). This principle pertains to the ideal of professional training and development of early childhood educators, â€Å"To further the professional development of the field of early childhood care and education and to strengthen its commitment to realizing its core values† (Decker et al, 2009, p.361). Early childhood educators need training for all the tasks expected of them when they begin teach young children. Being an effective teacher encompasses a wide spectrum of responsibilities – from designing an environment conducive to learning, to planning appropriate lessons for young children and implementing them with effective educational strategies, to being able to manage the class well and instilling discipline in the children, to involving parents and coordinating with others regarding the provision of quality education for the children. It takes effort to be able to manage all these skills at the same time, he nce professional training with experience is required. The current study has taken inspiration and ideas from the work of Platas (2008) entitled â€Å"Measuring Teachers’ Knowledge of Early Mathematical Development and their Beliefs about Mathematics Teaching and Learning in the Preschool Classroom†. Platas was able to measure the knowledge of early mathematical development and beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning in the preschool classroom of preschool teachers through the use of developed and validated survey instruments and statistical analysis (2008). The study found a significant

Making Case Teaching Essay Example for Free

Making Case Teaching Essay Audrey Edwards’ essay â€Å"Making the Case for Teaching our Boys to†¦ ‘Bring Me Home a Black Girl’† explains the ideas and reasons behind the need to impress upon black men the importance of marrying within the race. It presents a strongly ethnocentric view of the marital situation, citing this as an important step in the preservation of the black race and culture. The essay considers the influence of the media over the minds of black people, identifying the dominance of its white images. It identifies areas in which this influence has led to the erosion of the black family and community through interracial marriages that dilute the black-content of the unions’ offspring. The essay also cites examples of successful and educated members of the African American community that adhere to the idea of marrying within the race as a method of fortifying it financially and ensuring its continued prosperity. In making these points, Edwards uses a number of discursive techniques to strengthen her argument and make her case more understandable and cogent to her audience. The subject of the essay is the marital choices of black men of this era. The author seeks to make a point that black men should choose marital partners from within the black race. Audrey Edwards begins by demonstrating with clarity how she has impressed it upon her step-son that marrying a black woman is the way to please her. She expresses the opinion that the training up of the black man should include lessons on how to marry just as much as it includes lessons on attitude. She writes that it is a â€Å"mothers role in imparting to male children whats expected when it comes to marriage† (Edwards, par. 3). Her idea is that active parenting should be able to combat the problem currently being faced of black men marrying outside of the race. With constant authoritative reminders of what is expected of them regarding marriage, it is the author’s opinion that parents can inculcate in black people’s minds how unthinkable it should be to engage in inter-racial marriage. The audience to which this essay is directed is a predominantly black one. It directly comprises black fathers and mothers as well as black sons, as Edwards considers that â€Å"the issue might be addressed by something as simple and basic as child rearing† (par. 4). The essay, therefore, speaks to these parents on how to go about letting their sons know precisely where to go to choose a mate. It also seeks to convince those black parents who need convincing that they should take a stand in promoting black marriage within their households and communities. Yet the essay’s audience is also indirectly made up of yet-to-be married black men and women who have the potential to be produce and rear the next generation of black children. These potential parents have the opportunity to make right and wrong choices concerning their mates. The author desires to focus their attention on black members of the opposite sex and to deter them from choosing outside their race. Finally, the author’s message is intended to be filtered down even to small children, as she seeks to promote the bombardment of these children with positive images of black persons within homes and other places where they spend their time. The persona of the essay is its author who, as a black woman, has witnessed the migration of black men from the black race and their gravitation toward white women as life partners. This she has considered to be an affront to black women in general and specifically to herself, who has no ammunition against an Anglo-centric media that promotes white women as beautiful and black women as the opposite. This persona takes the point of view also of a mother, who considers it her responsibility to contribute to the reversal of this problem by teaching her son values that would deter him from acting in the same way toward black women. The purpose of the essay is to provide cogent arguments to persons of authority that would induce them to promote the purity of the black race and dissuade black men from marrying outside of the race. Edwards’ describes the essay as one that seeks to promote the adage, â€Å"Bring me home a black girl,† as one that has become somewhat of a commandment in the black community. She writes, â€Å"Its one of those commandments Ugo has heard from me most of his life, right up there with ‘Dont do drugs,’ ‘Finish school’ and ‘Use a condom’ (Edwards, par. 2). The article is meant to convince parents and authority figures that they have to be clear to young black men regarding what is required of them. Edwards continues, â€Å"Oh, we may ask vague, cursory questions about the women they bring home: Can she cook? What work does she do? Who are her people? But rarely do we come right out and make the case for marrying Black† (par. 4). The author’s purpose is to change this by becoming open and vocal about the necessity to maintain the sanctity of the ethnocentric union. The ethos of this particular piece derives from the persona of the author as a mother and professional. However, the author also draws upon the testimonials of several other successful, educated, and well-respected persons within the Black community who share her views. She gains testimonies from such persons as professors, successful Black business owners, and media personnel. One such testimonial that increases the ethical appeal of the argument comes from a professor at Howard University (Maxwell Manning), who strengthens the ethos of Edwards’ case by citing academic and anthropological ideas that favor her case. The logos or logical appeal of the essay can be found in Edwards’ use of examples and credible statistics collected by the U. S. Census Bureau to demonstrate precisely how the marriage of black men to white women has been eroding the Black community. She records that â€Å"the number of Black men marrying White women has increased tenfold in the last 40 years, up from 25,000 in 1960 to 268,000 today. Thats more than double the number of Black women who marry White men† (Edwards, par. 5). The logos of this is to be found in the fact that any thinking person that reads this would be able to understand the precise implications of this phenomenon. More black women are left with no one to marry when higher levels of black men than women seek partners outside the race. Edwards also uses such data to indicate the early age at which black children start becoming affected by the media in such a way that is detrimental to their self image. She writes, â€Å"But according to experts, by age 7, Black children have already been bombarded by media images that can negatively shape how they view themselves and the partners youd think they would naturally be drawn to† (par. 12). Her reference to the testimony of experts lends logical credibility to her ideas and makes them more convincing. One authoritative testimony comes from the professor Maxwell Manning from Howard University. Edwards quotes him as saying, â€Å"If you look at strong cultures, like the Jews, youll find they have a high rate of marrying within their group. Thats how they remain strong† (Edwards, par. 9). This idea strengthens the ethos of the case for marrying within the Black community as a method of preserving its strength. Edwards also cites the magazine publisher and his wife who â€Å"made it clear to [their] boys that they were not to bring home any White girls† (par. 3). Another authoritative testimony comes from Valerie Williams, a marketing executive who thinks it undesirable for her son to marry someone who considers him inferior (par 16). The testimony above by Maxwell Manning also takes the form of an analogy. Here, a comparison is drawn between the effort to reduce intermarriage in the Black community and the efforts at keeping the Jewish community untainted and strong. This comparison is made for the sake of presenting the case for black ethnocentrism as having as much credibility as that which is enjoyed by the Jewish community. It also helps in pointing out the legitimacy, importance and non-racist aspect of lobbying for the preservation of the Black race. The essay by Audrey Edwards exists for the purpose of defending the promotion of black men marrying black women. The author identifies the problem that exists in which black women are denied marriage partners because black men frequently turn to white women. The impact of this, which the author presents, weighs heavily on the future of the black race. With racial intermarriage comes mixed-race children; and the more of these that take place, the fewer black children will be present to perpetuate the black race. The author uses several devices to make her point. She utilizes ethical components and logical arguments, as well as analogies and authoritative testimonials in order to make her case a cogent one. Work Cited Edwards, Audrey. â€Å"Making the Case for Teaching our Boys to†¦ ‘Bring Me Home a Black Girl. ’† Essence. November, 2002. Available: http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1264/is_7_33/ai_94384284/pg_1

Psychological Effect Of Technology (Technophobia) :: Internet Technology Cyberspace

Psychological Effect Of Technology (Technophobia) Technology is taking over all aspects of life. Education, work and leisure are all becoming increasingly dependent on being able to interact with technology. But what of the academic or career prospects of those who do not want to interact with this technology? Before taking this class, I tried to avoid computers as much as possible. I didnt have any interest in cyberspace such as chatting, email, and gender swapping. Through this class, I had a chance to contact others through cyberspace. However, I still have a fear of computers. I decided that I want to know more about computers and cyberspace. I will first discuss cyberspace, then I will discuss about technophobia. Its well known that people say and do things in cyberspace that they wouldnt ordinarily say or do in the face-to-face world. The virtual world is quite different from the real world. People cant see a person in cyberspace. People cant see a persons facial expressions and body language. The sensory experience of encountering others in cyberspace-seeing, hearing, and combining seeing and hearing is limited. For the most part, people communicate through typed language. In cyberspace, people will probably never be able to physically interact with each other. There are no handshakes, pats on the back, hugs, or kisses. The limited sensory experiences of cyberspace have some significant disadvantages- as well as some unique advantages - as compared to in-person encounters. Since communicating only with typed text, people have the option of being themselves, expressing only parts of their identity, assuming imaginative identities, or remaining completely anonymous. Anonymity has a disinhibiting effect that cuts two ways. Sometimes people use it to act out some unpleasant need or emotion, often by abusing other people. Anonymity also allows them to be honest and open about some personal issue that they could not discuss in a face-to-face encounter. Sitting quiet and staring at the computer monitor can bring a person to an altered state of consciousness. Some people experience a blending of their mind with that of the other person. Some people experience a state of consciousness that resembles dreams. These altered and dream-like states of consciousness in cyberspace may account for why the Internet is so attractive for some people. It might also help explain some forms of computer and cyberspace addiction. In cyberspace, birds of a feather easily can flock together.

Marketing Strategy of Ethiad Airways

Table of Contents 1. 0 Introduction 3 2. 0 External Environment Analysis3 2. 1 Porter’s Five Forces Analysis 3 2. 2 SWOT Analysis 5 3. 0 Marketing Strategy Analysis 6 3. 1 Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning 6 3. 1. 1 Segmentation 6 3. 1. 2 Targeting 6 3. 1. 3 Positioning 7 4. 0 Strategic Alliances 8 5. 0 Sponsorship 9 6. 0 Contribution to the Competitive Advantage and its Sustainability10 6. 1 Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning 10 6. 2 Strategic Alliances and Sponsorship 10 7. 0 Conclusion11 8. 0 References12 Word Count: 3282 1. 0 IntroductionEtihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has in just eight years established itself as the world’s leading airline. Set up by Royal Decree in July 2003, Etihad commenced commercial operations in November 2003 and became the fastest growing airline in the history of commercial aviation (Etihad, 2012). Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is the airline’s hub. The airline seeks to reflect the best of Arabian hospitality – cultured, considerate, warm and generous – as well as enhance the prestige of Abu Dhabi as a centre of hospitality between East and West.However, nowadays it is very hard to maintain the business in such a competitive market in times of recovery from the recent recession. Therefore, it is crucial to understand that just providing a service is not enough. Firstly, this report overviews the external environment in which Etihad has to survive and compete, evaluating its main challenges and opportunities. Secondly, Etihad’s main marketing strategies will be identified and critically discussed. Thirdly, the extent to which adopted marketing strategies help to achieve and sustain the competitive advantage will be analysed.Finally, the conclusion will be drawn based on achieved knowledge and personal assumptions. 2. 0 External Environment Analysis For better understanding of the marketing strategy that Etihad uses, it is cr ucial to analyse the external environment in which the company operates. 2. 1 Porter’s Five Forces Analysis In order to examine the positioning strategy and forces of the external environment that may potentially affect the Etihad’s performance, it has been decided to adopt the classical Porter’s Five Forces model.By using this model, it is possible to judge the extent to which an external environment is able to shape the costs, the prices and the profits of the organisation (Porter, 1980). * Competitive rivalry in the industry – high In terms of competitors, Etihad Airlines’ main competitors are the companies operating in Middle East, which are Emirates Airlines, Quatar Airways and Gulf Air. These airlines operate in a higher price and quality spectrum than, for example, Air Arabia and are being direct competitors for each other (McKechnie et al. , 2008).Rivalry between these companies is very intensive, as there are a small number of competitors on the market. * Bargaining power of customers – low In order to have a significant amount of power in the industry, there should be a few customers who can dictate their rules to the organisations, as for example in some B2B cases. However, there are millions of customers, who are willing to fly to and from Middle East, where Etihad operates, therefore, customers have a very limited power. * Bargaining power of suppliers – high For the airlines organisations the main suppliers are the aircraft manufacturers and the oil companies.In both cases there are a very few of them. Therefore, airline industry companies have a very limited power over their suppliers. Additionally, as it has been announced by the International Air Transport Association (2008), the global airline industry possesses losses due to the increased oil prices which also decrease the industry’s profitability. * Threat of new entrants – low The threat of new entrants depends on the number an d complexity of the barriers to entry. The barrier of the starting capital or investment is extremely high in the airline industry.Also, there are a lot of legal or patents issues with opening and maintaining of the airline organisation, which also is a barrier to entry. The brand loyalty is another very important barrier to entry. When choosing the airlines, customers, especially â€Å"the high profile† ones, are being very careful about health and safety, comfort and other details, therefore tend to choose companies with the brand they trust. Overall, the threat of new entrants is low, because there is a number of very hard to overcome barriers to entry, and if the small company appears on the market, it tends to be absorbed by one of the major players in the industry. Threat of substitutes – low Airlines industry – being an important sector of travel and tourism industry will have such potential substitutes as the sea, railway and road types of transportation . However, as Etihad is operating in an upper-class prices level, the threat of substitutes would be fairly low. In terms of potential business travellers, the time would be more important than money for them. In terms of leisure tourists, the prices may matter, however, cruise ships’ tickets tend to be more expensive than the planes’ ones.Therefore, if the experience of cruising is not extremely important for the customers, they would prefer travelling by air. 2. 2 SWOT Analysis After looking at the overall external environment, it is important to evaluate Etihad’s main strengths and weaknesses, suggesting what opportunities and threats are there, by using a classical SWOT model. 1. Strengths: * Well settled airlines company, by February 2012, operating a fleet of 63 Airbus and Boeing aircraft (Etihad, 2012) * Over seven million travellers per year with 1000 flights a week, 84 destinations in 52 countries. * Global sponsorship of events and sports clubs. Freque nt-flyer program â€Å"Etihad Guest Programme†, considered being innovative, offering greater flexibility to its customers (McKechnie et al. , 2008). * Global Awards received in 2009 and 2010, as the world’s leading airline. * More than 30 awards received for service by the World Travel Awards (WTA) (Etihad, 2012). 2. Weaknesses: * Failure of the bid to sponsor Manchester United team. * Still fairly underdeveloped in comparison with company’s main competitors Emirates Airline (170 aircraft, 115 destinations) and Quatar Airways (132 aircraft, 100 destinations) (Emirates, 2012; Quatar, 2012). . Opportunities: * 100 aircraft on order, including 10 Airbus A380s, the world’s largest passenger aircraft (Etihad, 2012). * The location gives higher opportunities for growth and developments. United Arabic Emirates is a very rich country with extremely quickly growing business and tourism sectors, additionally UAE is a member of OPEC, which also may help with oil pr ices negotiations. 4. Threats: * Global rise of fuel prices. * Terrorists’ threats to airlines’ industry in general. 3. 0 Marketing Strategy AnalysisThe main component of the firm’s marketing strategy and the rationale for this strategy in light of the environmental conditions in which it operates; 3. 1 Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning In marketing, segmentation, targeting and positioning are inseparable as they all related to each other. Segmentation is dividing the market into different groups with similar needs. Targeting is determining which offerings to make to each market segment and then the final step is to position the brand within the target market (Hooley and Saunders, 1993).Traditionally, airlines segment their customers in order to align their product strategy according to the different segments (Teichert et al, 2008). 3. 1. 1 Segmentation Market Segmentation was defined by Baines et al (2008, p. 217) as the division of a market into differen t groups of customers with distinctly similar needs. Alternatively, Kotler et al (2005, p. 391) add that these groups of customers have different needs, characteristics and behaviours and they require different marketing or product mixes. Customers can be segmented according to geographic, demographic, psychographic and behaviour variables.Etihad segment their customers according to three different boarding classes, which are: Diamond First Class, Pearl Business Class and Coral Economy. Each class is aimed at a different customer segment. Diamond First Class is aimed at wealthy individuals and business people who are willing to maintain their luxurious lifestyle in the air. Pearl Business is targeted at business and leisure travellers who are willing to pay more to enjoy a better flying experience. Coral Economy is aimed at customers who are on a budget but willing to enjoy a comfortable flying experience with the highest level of service.It is worth noting that Etihad is a five sta r airline and provides the highest level of service. According to Milne (2009) Etihad segment their customers according to business, religious, personal and tourist purposes. The rationale behind Etihad’s segmentation is to appeal to all types of customers with different income levels. Based on the prices that Etihad charge, it is clear to see that they aim for the middle and upper class social sector customers who command high standards of hospitality and luxury. 3. 1. 2 TargetingOnce a company has segmented their customers into different groups based on their characteristics, the next step is to target their customers with products and services that might appeal to that particular customer segment. Etihad airlines follow a differentiated marketing approach which involves targeting several market segments and designing separate offers for each (Kotler et al, 2005, p. 419). Etihad is different from their rivals because they are smaller airline but they are a luxury brand and offer personalised services to all their customers in spite of what class they are travelling in.By differentiating the market, this might lead to higher sales volumes for Etihad because they are able to exploit the segments with their offerings. The benefits of the strategy are its difficulty for competitors to copy and the level of service cannot be obtained anywhere else by the customer. A disadvantage of the strategy is the high volume of resources required to meet the needs of different customers, resulting in a loss of economies of scales and increased operating costs for the company. 3. 1. Positioning A positioning strategy determines where the business competes, how it competes and the choice of differential advantage which dictates how it competes (Doyle and Stern, 2006, p. 84). Positioning is important for an organisation because it is a way for a business to stand out from its rivals and let the customers to identify the brand easily (Baines, 2008, p. 251). Etihad positio ns itself within the airline industry as a luxury brand which offers 5 star hospitality and luxury personalised service.Etihad’s on-board services are hospitality orientated and are similar to those of 5 star hotels. The airline industry is very competitive and it is hard to differentiate between the quality of services because they almost the same and there is not much of a distinctive difference between them. Etihad has a competitive advantage in this market by starting out as a luxury brand form the outset. Other airlines are now trying to raise their standards but this will take a long time to achieve. Etihad is positioned at the high end of the airline industry.In comparison to RyanAir and Easyjet, these airlines are at two extremes of the scale and it is clear that Etihad does have a strategy that makes it different from all the airlines on the market. Because Etihad has positioned itself well within the industry, it has capitalised on its uniqueness. The company achiev ed a huge success in the short time of operating and established a strong sustainable market position. Looking at the STP of Etihad in the light of the environmental conditions in which it operates, it is clear to see that the conditions are a little bit tough due to competition from cheaper airlines and the gloomy economic outlook.Due to the recession, people are tightening their belts and spending less, therefore most people would prefer to pay less to fly to their chosen destinations. This is where Etihad stand to lose out to cheaper airline companies. 40% of their revenue comes from economy class seats, therefore if they price themselves too high in these current economic conditions, they risk losing a huge chunk of their revenue to other airlines because customers will always go for the cheaper airline ticket. In terms of competition, Emirates & Qatar Airways are Etihad’s biggest competitors, fighting for the same customers.Also these two companies are more established a nd have a bigger customer base than Etihad. Etihad is still a very young company being vulnerable to competition. However, it seems they are doing very well and recently broke even, planning to expand, while maintaining their current market position. All this can be accredited to their solid marketing strategy which they are using to maximise their benefit and strengthen their position within this market. 4. 0 Strategic Alliances Strategic alliances reduce the boundaries between firms and enable easier flow of knowledge across those boundaries.This process creates the possibility for organisations to share administrative authority, form social links and joint ventures (Badaracso, 1991). One of the reasons why firms engage in strategic alliances includes sufficient resources, low pace of innovation, low technology, high manufacturing cost and market access (Doz, 1996). Another reason to collaborate in strategic alliances is to create a competitive advantage over competitors in the ma rket (Lei and Slocum, 2005). Also, strategic alliance help companies to bring their products on to the new innovation level (Zhang, 2010).The advantage of strategic alliances is to share the risk and cost of products. Firms join strategic alliances for compiling technologies and assets, enhancing easier access to resources and technologies (Ohmae, 1989). Firms could assure the sufficiency of their resources, that the new technologies to maintain their advantages with the strategic alliances (Ireland, et al. , 2002). The disadvantages of strategic alliances is that organisations might give their partners more than they gain, the exchange of resources, benefits and knowledge should be reciprocated between the firms.Organizations could stand the chance of losing their competitive advantages if they provide benefits such as resources, knowledge and technology. Most strategic alliances don’t maintain their cooperative relationships for a long term as most strategic alliances are b ased on the current benefits rather than future competitive advantages. Also, in strategic alliances, the effect of competition can lead to aggressive knowledge acquisition from partner firms (Kaplan, et al. , 2010). Notably, many alliances fail as a result of inter firm rivalry (Park and Ungson, 2001).When firms merely pursue self-interests (competition) but neglect common benefits (derived from cooperation), partner firms may lose motivation to continue the alliance. Implementing any organisational alliance successfully depends upon a firm’s knowledge and ability to manage interdependencies with a partner through on-going coordination with that partner, to credibly convey relevant information and knowledge to the partner, and to develop social bonds with the partner (Ireland, et al. , 2002).Strategic alliance between airlines, as defined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is â€Å"a merging of resources, operations, of financial interests between [one] entity an d [another] entity (Vander-Kraats, 1993). This entity could be an air carrier or a repair station and could involve the sharing of parts or the utilization of mechanics, pilots, and flight attendants†. Some of the strategic alliance adopted by Etihad can include code-sharing agreements, marketing arrangements, procurement policies, system commonality, and interchanges of flight-crew personnel and sponsorship with other major organisation (Vander-Kraats, 1993).Etihad pursuit of code sharing agreement has become a key part of its marketing strategy. A  codeshare agreement, sometimes simply  codeshare, is an aviation business arrangement where two or more airlines share the same flight. A seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a cooperating airline under a different  flight number or code. Etihad has a major partnership with Virgin Blue’s group of airlines which enables Virgin Blue’s international brand â€Å"V Australia† to op erate joint services with Etihad. Combined, these two airlines offer joint networks of more than 100 destinations (Etihad, 2012).To succeed, alliance partners must encourage true collaboration beyond the formal governance structure and learn how to adapt and integrate knowledge acquired from the alliance to serve the specific needs of their own innovative efforts (Hughes and Weiss, 2007). Through these alliances Etihad strengthen their core-competence such as stronger brand name, and capture a stronger client base. 5. 0 Sponsorship Etihad’s sponsorships portfolio includes sports and major tourism events in the U. A. E and different regions in the world.Commercial sponsorships is defined as a cash investment in an activity, person or event, while in return gaining the access to the exploitable commercial potential associated with that activity or person by the investor (Meenagham, 1991). Sponsorships provide the mechanism for changing, adjusting or reinforcing brand equity sup ported on updated processing of attributes, benefits and attitudes (Keller, 1998). Corporate sponsorships are used to enhance the brand equity by raising awareness and creating positive brand associations in the mind of consumers (Gwinner and Eaton, 1999; Meenagham, 1991).This highlights the effects and significance of strong brands as it possesses the ability to attract a wide audience. The advantages of sponsorships include the promotion of caring attitude and goodwill. The good example of successful sponsorship is Etihad’s stadium and Etihad’s association with Manchester city and a football team which attracts a wide audience (Etihad, 2012). The disadvantage of sponsorships is that the investments made by the sponsors do not always guarantee that the objectives will be achieved.In the case of Etihad, investing in sport teams can backfire if they don’t meet the expectations the firm had for their performance. The final disadvantage of sponsorships involves any bad publicity derived from the benefactor will inevitably affect the brand name associated. 6. 0 Contribution to the Competitive Advantage and its Sustainability After analysing Etihad’s main marketing strategies, the discussion below will be about how each of the components of these strategies contributes to the firm’s competitive advantage. 6. Segmentation, Positioning and Targeting Segmentation gives Etihad a competitive advantage because it helps them differentiate and understand their customers’ needs more and helps improve their offering to the different types of customers. By understanding their customers’ needs better, they can gain an advantage over their rivals. On the other hand, every airline segments their customers according to the different classes therefore there is not much of an advantage since they all have a similar system of segmenting their customers.Etihad’s positioning gives them a competitive advantage because they positio n themselves as a 5 star airline offering 5 star hotel quality services on board. Their service on board is what sets them apart from their competitors. This advantage is sustainable in the long run provided they maintain their high standards throughout. Also, in terms of positioning, Etihad found a â€Å"gap† in the market by using Abu Dhabi Airport as their base rather than Dubai airport because of the cheaper airport fees and taxes which gives them a cost saving competitive advantage.By targeting a specific demographic, Etihad’s marketing campaigns are likely to be more cost and time efficient as it will be highly relevant to the target market’s needs and it enables them to stand out from their competitors. 6. 2 Strategic Alliances and Sponsorships Strategic alliances have enabled Etihad to create a competitive advantage in their industry and make this advantage sustainable. Etihad engage in strategic alliances as a way of seeking to reduce competition in the ir quest to raise profits (Badaracco, 1991). These alliances have nabled the company to share the risks associated with the ventures because some projects are too complicated for Etihad to handle on their own. (Badaracco, 1991). By collaborating with other firms worldwide, Etihad are overcoming barriers to entry in new geographical markets since they are a growing company looking to expand globally. Organizations expanding overseas find that they require a local partner due to unfamiliarity with the local conditions (Badaracco, 1991). Strategic alliances enable firms to exchange favours such as improving product quality, technologies and factors related to products.Sustainable competitive advantage indicates that companies could maintain their completive advantage for a long term (Culpan, 2008). Through their strategic alliance with Sabre in December 2011, Etihad gained access to integrated software across its reservations, inventory marketing and e-commerce, distribution and depart ure control operations. The benefits from this alliance included improved joint market share which has the potential to generate over $25 million dollars per annum for both companies (Etihad, 2012). . 0 Conclusion This report attempts to analyse the environment in which Etihad Airways Company has to maintain its business profitable and prosperous. The report covers main marketing strategies and tools Etihad uses for the purpose of identifying and understanding its customers’ base and keeping a relationship with it. Finally, the extent to which these marketing strategies help to keep the business and its competitive advantages sustainable is evaluated and critically accessed. 8. 0 References Abecassis-Moedas, C. nd c-Jouini, S. (2008), â€Å"Absorptive Capacity and Source-Recipient Complementarity in Designing New Products: An Empirically Derived Framework,†Ã‚  Journal of Product Innovation Management,  25(5), pp. 473–90. Badaracco, J. (1991), The Knowledge Lin k: How Firms Compete through Strategic Alliances, Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Baines, P. , Fill, C. and Page, K. (2008), Marketing, 1st ed. , New York: Oxford Press. Bucyk, C. (2012), â€Å"James Hogan Etihad Airways CEO Interview†, Air Transport World, Jan. , p 50-51. Culpan, R. 2008), â€Å"The role of strategic alliances in gaining sustainable  competitive advantage  for firms†, Management Revue, 19(1/2), pp. 94-105. Doyle, P. and  Stern, P. (2006), Marketing Management and Strategy. 4th Ed. , Pearson: Prentice Hall. Doz, Y. L. (1996), â€Å"The Evolution of Cooperation in Strategic Alliances: Initial Conditions or Learning Processes? † Strategic Management Journal, 17(Summer), pp. 55-83. Emirates Airways (2012), [Online] Available at: www. emirates. com (Accessed on: 22 March 2012). Etihad Airways (2009), Corporate Facts and Figures, [Online] Available at: www. tihadairways. com (Accessed on: 22 March 2012). Etihad Airways (2012), [Online] A vailable at: www. etihadairways. com (Accessed on: 22 March 2012). Gwinner, K. P. , and Eaton, J. (1999), â€Å"Building Brand Image Through Event Sponsorship: The Role of Image Transfer†, Journal of Advertising, 28 (4), pp. 47-57. Hooley, G. J. and Saunders, J. (1993), Competitive Positioning: A Key To Market Positioning, Pearson: Prentice Hall. Hughes, J and  Weiss, J. (2007), â€Å"Simple Rules for Making Alliances Work,†Ã‚  Harvard Business Review, 85 (November), pp. 122–31. Ireland, R. ,  Michael,  D.Hitt, A. , and Vaidyanath, D. (2002), â€Å"Alliance Management as a Source of Competitive Advantage,†Ã‚  Journal of Management, 28(3), pp. 413–46. Kaplan, R. S. , David P. Norton, and Rugelsjoen, B. (2010), â€Å"Managing Alliances with the Balanced Scorecard†, Harvard Business Review, 88 (January–February), pp. 114–120. Kotler, P. , Wong, V. , Saunders, J. and Armstrong, G (2005), Principles of Marketing. 4th ed. Londo n: Prentice Hall. Kotler, W. K. (2009), â€Å"Advantage competition of inter-partner learning in International Strategic Alliance†, The Journal of Global Business, 3(2), pp. 23-128. Lei, D. and Slocum, J. W. Jr (2005), â€Å"Strategic and organizational requirements for competitive advantage†, Academy of Management Executive, 19(1), pp. 31-45. McKechnie, D. S. , Grant, J. , and Katsioloudes, M. (2008), â€Å"Positions and positioning: strategy simply stated†, Business Strategy Series, 9(5), pp. 224 – 230, [Online] Available at: http://www. emeraldinsight. com (Accessed on: 20 March 2010). Meenagham, T. (1991). â€Å"Sponsorship-Legitimising the Medium†, European Journal of Marketing, 25(11), pp. 5-10 Milne, D. 2009), â€Å"King of the Skies†, [Online] Available at: http://www. businessmanagementme. com (Accessed on: 20 March 2010). Ohmae, K. (1989), â€Å"The Global Logic of Strategic Alliances,†Ã‚  Harvard Business Review, 67 (Marchà ¢â‚¬â€œApril), pp. 143-154. Park, S. H. and Ungson, G. R. (2001). ‘Interfirm rivalry and managerial complexity: A conceptual framework of alliance failure’, Organization Science, 12, pp. 37 – 53. Porter, M. E. (1980), Competitive Strategy, New York: Free Press. Quatar Airways (2012), [Online] Available at: www. quatarairways. om (Accessed on: 22 March 2012). Teichert, T. , Shehu, E. and Von Wartburg, I. (2008), â€Å"Customer Segmentation Revisited: A Case Study of the Airline Industry†. Transportation Research, A(42), pp. 227-242. Vander Kraats, S. A. , (1993), â€Å"Gaining a Competitive Edge through Airline Alliances†, Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, incorporating Journal of Global Competitiveness, 10(2), pp. 56 – 64. [Online] Available at: http://www. emeraldinsight. com (Accessed on: 23 March 2010). Zhang, H. Shu, c. Jiang, Malta, A. 2010), â€Å"Managing  Ã‚  Knowledge for Innovation  Ã‚  the Role of Co-o peration, Competition, and Alliance  Ã‚  Nationality†, Journal of International  Ã‚  Marketing  Ã‚  Association, 18, pp. 74-94. 1. Presentation and Style (10 marks) | Mark range| Mark| The work is well structured and has a logical and well ordered flow between issues. Language used is sophisticated and articulate. Referencing is consistent and uses the Harvard method. | 8-10| | There is a clear underlying structure to the work which makes it easy to read and understand. Referencing is consistent. 6-7| | The work is acceptably presented and has a clear structure. The arguments are clearly expressed although the language and terminology used lacks sophistication. Referencing is consistent. | 5| | The work lacks a central narrative which links the issues discussed together in a coherent way. Referencing is haphazard. | 4| | The work has no real structure and is more a collection of loosely related issues than anything. Referencing is haphazard and weak. There are errors of spelling, grammar and punctuation. | 0-3| | 2. Use of Appropriate Models and Concepts (25 marks) | Mark range| Mark|A clear and sensible choice of models and concepts has been made with which to carry out analysis. The models are used well and develop clear and robust analysis which shows an excellent understanding of the model and how it can be applied. | 18-25| | A good choice of models and concepts is made and these models and concepts are used appropriately and correctly. Conclusions may be drawn from the use of models but these conclusions lack a little in terms of sophistication. | 15-17| | Models chosen are appropriate to the example under discussion but the analysis derived from them is weak or superficial.The use of models does little more than rearrange or repackage information about the company. | 12-14| | The use of models is haphazard and there is no clear rationale for why they have been chosen. The models deliver limited analysis and offer few if any insights into the example under discussion. | 10-11| | Limited or no use of models is demonstrated. Information about the company and its environment is simply described and there is nothing to guide or focus the analysis| 0-9| | 3. Evidence of Research about the Company and its Business Environment (25 marks) | Mark range| Mark|The assignment uses a variety of sources, all of them reliable, to provide an excellent level of detail. A systematic approach is taken to the gathering of evidence and information about the company and its environment. Discussions are supported by robust evidence throughout. | 18-25| | A good selection of sources are used to provide information about the company and its environment and these are used to reach sound conclusions| 15-17| | Different sources may be used to gather information but there is no real attempt made to distinguish between the quality of information presented.The use of information is unstructured and haphazard and provides a limited base for conclusion s and discussion. | 12-14| | Whilst there is some information provided about the company, it will tend to be anecdotal and lacking in robustness. There is no real evidence of a systematic approach to gathering information. Conclusions reached do not reflect the quality of evidence provided. | 10-11| | The assignment is too reliant on just one or two sources of information about the company and no attempt is made to examine the reliability and quality of those sources.Material presented is accepted uncritically and without question. | 0-9| | 4. Discussion and Analysis (25 marks) | Mark range| Mark| The assignment has a clear focus on the question posed and answers it using sophisticated analysis and discussion which combines theory, models and robust data. There is a clear structure and line of argument throughout the assignment. | 18-25| | The assignment contains some good discussion and analysis. There is an attempt to integrate theory, models and evidence. There is some structure to the assignment and a focus on the assignment requirements. 15-17| | There is a blend of analysis and description but the assignment overall leans towards the descriptive rather than the analytical. Models may be used but there is no real attention paid to how theory can develop analysis and insights. At times, the assignment fails to focus on the question posed. | 12-14| | The assignment lacks a clear structure which focuses on the question posed and is mainly descriptive with no real analytical content. The assignment focuses on what has happened and makes no real attempt to use theory, models or evidence to explain why it may have happened and the implications of such things.The work is mainly descriptive. | 10-11| | The assignment is little more than a collection of loosely related points about a company and the environment in which it operates. There is no integration between theory, models and evidence at all. | 0-9| | 5. Conclusions (15 marks) | Mark range| Mark| Conclusion s reached are robust, clear and an accurate reflection of the preceding sections of the report. Conclusions draw together the different strands of theory and practice developed in the assignment. The conclusions show a high level of understanding of marketing strategy. 10-15| | Conclusions are a good reflection of the assignment overall and round things off in a clear and competent manner. An understanding of marketing strategy is demonstrated but differentiating between important and less important issues needed development. | 8-9| | Reflections are a reasonable reflection of the work in the main body of the assignment. No real distinction is shown between important and less important issues but there is an adequate understanding of marketing strategy demonstrated. 6-7| | Conclusions do little more than restate what was in the main body of the assignment and so lack impact. No distinction is made between important and less important issues and limited understanding of the subject m atter is demonstrated. | 4-5| | Conclusions are weak, underdeveloped and have no real relationship with the work which preceded them. Conclusions do not suggest an understanding of either the theory or practice of marketing strategy. | 0-3| | Overall Comments: Key Strengths Key Weaknesses and areas of improvement| | Final Assignment Grade (including Mark Contribution)| |

Discussing the character of Charles Darke Essay

Charles Darke is a character of huge importance in the novel because he embodies so many of the novels themes and is key to Stephen’s recovery after his loss of Kate and future journey. Events involving Charles Darke are not only significant to the plot but also teach the reader a lot about the movement of time and the confusion and issues surrounding childhood. The readers introduction to Darke shows him as a successful man in his publishing firm who has managed to acquire respect and power (â€Å"New York and Frankfurt were on the line†) however as the introduction continues the reader begins to see that under the surface he has a more childish side to him as he relishes receiving attention: â€Å"making expansive remarks to a young writer was one of the more desirable perquisites to his profession†. Even before his breakdown his youthful nature is evident for example choosing his political career is described as a â€Å"parlour game†. Darke is one of the characters that McEwan uses to present the major theme of childhood and adulthood, there is a constant conflict present within Darke of being a child and of being an adult. His successful political career shows that he must have debating skill and great intellect however at the same time his juvenile personality also breaks through. Having acted as a parental figure after the loss of Kate it is tragic that he should regress so rapidly away from reality. It is not only Darke’s contrasting personality which warns the reader of what may occur later, he is obviously unsettled as shown by his rapid career moves and house move from Eaton Square to the countryside. Thelma also describes to Stephen how he lost his mother and had a cold upbringing with his father suggesting that Darke did not experience childhood at all. Charles Darke also jumped straight into being a successful and married businessman therefore missing out on important lessons that many adults learn through their mistakes. Just before the reader is introduced to Darke there is even a subtle echo of what will happen later as Stephen describes a picture: â€Å"a grim-faced crow with a stethoscope round its neck taking the pulse of a pale young boy who appeared to have fallen out of a tree†. Darke shows the reader a disquieting reaction to time because instead of moving forwards he moves backwards, the reader sees personal and sometimes eerie moments involving Darke, these help McEwan to show the reader what a precious state childhood is and how time cannot be manipulated. Darke also embodies the theme of politics. Not only does he move the political plot forward by getting Stephen onto the committee but he is also the reason that Stephen meets the Prime Minister. The novel was written during the Thatcherite era of the 80’s and this is clearly reflected in the tone of the book and McEwan’s opposition to this right-wing rule. Stephen Lewis is cynical about the Conservative views that Darke has decided to take on and the short, abrupt syntax that McEwan uses emphasizes his suspicions of the government in power. It is a cruel irony that, like the Beggar Girl, Charles’ eventual death is a result of his political career and the harsh culture surrounding him. Different opinions can be taken on what Darke’s specific role is within the novel. He clearly is important for McEwan to carve in the political aspect of the novel and McEwan’s own political views however his regression back into childhood carries a much more complicated message. The title of the book â€Å"The Child in Time† at first may seem to describe simply Stephen’s loss of Kate however one can go much deeper and find that perhaps what McEwan is trying to show the reader is Stephen and Darke’s search for their own child in time. While Stephen searches constantly for the physical Kate he also looks for her in time through memories and visions of her growing up. Darke’s search for the child in time is different, he has had no childhood of his own so he searches for it and eventually finds it by regressing into boyhood. On the surface McEwan presents this as a natural step but it is actually quite disturbing and this is shown by the smile on his face at death. The conflicts within Darke show the reader the bitter sweet nature of childhood, while Darke is happy and carefree he also believes himself invincible and this eventually causes his death. Charles Darke is also important for the reader’s understanding of Stephen Lewis. It is because of Darke that Stephen meets Thelma who is important as she looks after both of the characters and gives the reader another way to look at time. The reason that Thelma chooses Stephen as the one person who she allows to see Charles after his breakdown is because she knows that he will not judge or condemn and it is important for the reader to know this feature of his character. Stephen has experienced loss and thought endlessly about childhood and is therefore understanding about Darke’s regression. The reader also learns about Stephen through the contrast of the characters. Darke becomes part of the right wing government while Stephen is saddened by the two â€Å"tribes† in the Supermarket. Stephen sees Charles Darke’s death first hand and this may help him reach an understanding about his loss of Kate because he has to come face to face with the reality that she too maybe dead. The fact that Darke dies with a smile on his face may remind Stephen that if Kate is dead then she has at least died in a happy part of her life and has not yet lost her innocence. Darke’s relationship with Thelma can also be contrasted with Stephen’s relationship with Julie. As the novel progresses Thelma becomes more and more of a mother figure to Darke and her older age implies that it has never been a marriage of passion and deep love but one of a mutual understanding, acceptance and care. In contrast to Darke’s seemingly sexless marriage Julie and Stephen have a much more real and natural relationship where there high points and low points are kept private and by the end their genuine love for one another is clear. Darke offers McEwan the means to show the reader his themes of time, childhood and politics but he also has deeper significance. Darke shows the reader how childhood, or the lack of it, effects ones whole life and how reaching adulthood is a continuous process that may never end. The search for â€Å"The Child in Time† by Darke is an emotional and metaphorical journey that eventually liberates him from the stresses and pressures of his hectic work life even if it does ultimately cause his death.

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Appearances Can Be Deceiving Free Online Research Papers Everyone has experiences that prove to be defining moments in their lives- moments that cause us to look at the world or ourselves and what we can accomplish differently, moments that affect a change of opinion on a particular subject. In Mark Jarman’s poem Ground Swell, published in 1997, there is a very clear example of this; but in Sherman Alexie’s short story, â€Å"Class,† published in 2000, six years ago, this moment is elusive, perhaps even nonexistent. Appearances can be deceiving, but sometimes accurate, and in these two literary works, I will argue that one is true for each- the particular moment in actuality did change the person; and that the moment only superficially changed the character, and even then only for a short while (perhaps even not at all). In the first piece I will talk about, Mark Jarman’s poem Ground Swell, the defining moment for the main character, who is fifteen in the time he’s recalling- who I’m arbitrarily assuming to be Mark himself, though I think inaccurately- is when ¬ he is out in the early morning, surfing, and is noticed by someone who has just graduated and â€Å"grown a great blonde mustache† (p.808, line31), which prompts him to â€Å"reconsider [his worldly] worth† (p.808, line 37). The first couple lines of this story reminded me a lot of the movie Dazed and Confused- â€Å"Is nothing real but when I was fifteen / going on sixteen, like a corny song?† (p.808, line 1-2). There’s no real connection between them, but they do share a theme of teen . . . angst is the only word I can think of. This, in conjunction with the poem’s generally melancholy and blue tone, kind of gives me the impression that his mindset at the time was â€Å"if these are the best years of my life, kill me now,† which is a line said in Dazed and Confused. The second literary piece is a short story by Sherman Alexie and is entitled â€Å"Class.† It’s a fairly straight-forward story, and by the end, after what we’ve read of what he’s gone through, some of us (desperately) want for him to have changed. The â€Å"defining† moment for this main character, a native-American named Edgar Eagle Runner- and an argument cold be made for two defining moments- occurs when Edgar discovers the love notes between his wife and her lover (not Edgar); and possibly when he decides to fight Junior near the end. But I said I would argue that neither of these are defining moments. Part of this stems from the cold, emotional detachment of the story; and another part stems from the fact that he was writing- probably thinking, now that I think about it- about what happened with 20/20 hindsight, and that put an inflection to his voice, which I think came through, however subtly; and yet another part comes from the matter-of-fact, just-the-facts-and-nothing-else prose: we never get inside his head to read what he’s thinking and why he reacted they way he did, and therefore never really connect with him, though we think we have. Personally, I think it could have been a bit more loquacious. I’ve yet to talk in detail about the actual events and how they changed the character in Ground Swell. To refresh your memory, the character being written about is fifteen, going on sixteen, and while out surfing one early morning (we’re led to presume after the school year has ended), he’s noticed by a now graduated former fellow student, with some surprise. Up until that point, like I said earlier, I think he has a very â€Å"if these are the best years of my life, kill me now† attitude at the moment. And based on this, after this moment, I think he got the will to live again- really live, and do something in life, not just listlessly loiter around. If Jarman, the author, is describing a real, past event of his- which earlier I said I was beginning to question- it is a very surreal event: a now-graduated senior noticed him, an innocuous, newly enrolled freshman (perhaps now a sophomore), among huge, more noticeable waves- peers. The passage reads:  "There was a day or two when [. . .] / an older boy [. . .] / skimmed past me [. . .] / and said my name. I was so much younger, / to be identified by one like him [. . .] / made me / reconsider my worth. I had been noticed. / [. . .] He had said my name / without scorn, just a bit surprised / to notice me among those trying the big waves / of the morning break.† (page 808, lines 29-43). I get a hint that this kid didn’t have very many friends, probably because he didn’t care enough one way or the other, I think mainly because he was so innocuous, and therefore he never had the best self-esteem. After this moment, having been noticed, a new door opened inside and a new person emerged. Though I don’t think this is even hinted at, I get the feeling the older boy was a more popular boy. If so, that would make being noticed even more significant to this person because that would mean he’s not as worthless as he thought, in any sense- looks, popularity, grades, etc. Near the end of the poem, a few lines make me think of what his future will be: â€Å"He came home in a bag / that may have mixed in pieces of his squad. / Yes, I can write about a lot of things / besides the summer that I turned sixteen. / But that’s my ground swell.† (page 809, lines 48-52). Having been noticed by what I have deemed a popular boy- for him a life-changing event- and then seeing him come home in a bag, the possibility of other people mixed in on the table, I sense a strong, yet ever so subtle hint that he became some sort of political activist, or maybe a politician (though I kind of doubt this one). The other story I will talk about is â€Å"Class,† by Sherman Alexie. The story here is also very straight-forward; however, it doesn’t start at the beginning of where the author started it. It starts around the time he enters the bar- everything else is just back-story information so it seems the last line has more weight than it really does. I said there are two events some might call life-changing for Edgar: when he finds his wife’s lover’s letters, and when he decides to fight Junior. I also said I would argue that neither of these are life-changing, and in fact, nothing in this story is. We first find out about the affair in this line: â€Å"[. . .] while Susan kept he Friday lunches free so she could carry on an / affair with an architect named Harry[,]† (p.588, line 80.1-2) and goes on to say he â€Å"discovered his love letters hidden in a shoe box at the bottom of her walk-in / closet.† (P.588, line 80.5-6) This blunt, mater-of-fact prose is very stripped- stripped of emotion, of excess words, excess anything really- and as such, I don’t think we can really sympathize with him- it’s out of the blue, with no foreshadowing, and, for me at least, actually kind of awkward. A 20/20 hindsight inflection can be heard, and I think it hurts the story deeply. Later in the story, Edgar decides to fight Junior (he â€Å"looked like Chief Broom in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.† (p592, line175.11)). But this also isn’t a life-changing event because nothing really comes of it. We neither see the change prompting it, nor the aftereffects. At the very least, Alexie could have had a closing paragraph, style- and prose-consistent, detailing how the fight effected him. Instead, he just has the line â€Å"I was gone. But now I’m back.† (p.596, line 310.2). Personally, in and of itself, I like this line, it’s a very cool line. But I don’t think such a superficial sto ry deserved such a (possibly) deep and meaning-filled ending. I know I’ve heard this ending before, but if this is where we got it, I can only think that someone was drawn into the false emotion of this story. Here, the ending just reeks of pretension and emotional manipulation- making you care about something that through no evidence from the story you should care about. In conclusion, moments are experienced by all which prove to be great and important moments in a person’s life- sometimes these are moments which make us look at the world and/or ourselves in a new light, and sometimes these moments cause us to change our attitude or outlook on a particular subject. In the poem Ground Swell, by Mark Jarman, published in 1997, there is a very great, and very clear example of this; however, in a short story by Sherman Alexie published in 2000 entitled â€Å"Class,† the example we want to be there actually isn’t, but in fact is lost (if ever it was there) in a prose that screams superficial and false. I have argued, successfully I hope, my stance on each of these literary works regarding these moments, or lack thereof. Research Papers on Appearances Can Be DeceivingMind TravelThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionHip-Hop is ArtThe Hockey GameComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoWhere Wild and West Meet19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThree Concepts of Psychodynamic

TV and Reality Different but OKay essays

TV and Reality Different but OKay essays Sex, luxury, and drama sells. But by watching television shows are we putting fantasy thoughts of reality in our head? Isnt that why we watch television in the first place? No one wants to turn on the television and see chubby, middle class citizens go to a cubicle for 10 hours a day, sit in rush hour traffic, get drunk every Friday night with the boys, and spend the rest of the time on the John. I think they had a few movies like that in the last few years, what were they called? Oh yes, Box Office Flops! The media distorts the real life to make a profit. Watching the television shows: E.R, Dawsons Creek, The real world Frasier, and Ally Mcbeel, Ive come to the realization that people like to watch sex, money, and action drama, and to have a hit television show, you have to cover all of these aspects. SEX. Sex sells. On every show, there was some reference, or act of sex. Mainly casual, often, and between single adults, these acts were repeated at least twice in a episode. Ally Mcbeel wears tight shirts, and skinny shirts to attract the opposite, and in one occasion, the same sex. Billy and his secretary (in Ally Mcbeel) hit the sac twice in one episode. In the same episode, two male lawyers discussed how they each wanted a 3-some with two lesbians, and to attract a client Billy rented 6 escorts to make him appear powerful, and pimp like. On E.R, A woman attracted to one of the doctors dropped her pencil, only so she could bend over and showoff her ass. On Frasier, Frasier plays slow music, dims down the lights, and opens a bottle of wine in hopes of getting lucky for the evening. On The Real World things heat up in a hot tub for two, and on Dawsons Creek, most of the episode took place in the evening, or in a poorly lighted area so they could...

Año fiscal en EE.UU. y efectos migratorios

Aà ±o fiscal en EE.UU. y efectos migratorios En Estados Unidos, el aà ±o fiscal del gobierno federal son los 12 meses comprendidos entre el 1 de octubre de un aà ±o y el 30 de septiembre del siguiente. Se le denomina FY por sus siglas en inglà ©s. Las fechas de inicio y final del aà ±o fiscal federal se fijaron en 1976 con el objeto de que el gobierno tuviese tiempo suficiente para presentar su presupuesto para el aà ±o siguiente y obtener su aprobacià ³n. Puntos Clave: Aà ±o fiscal Aà ±o fiscal federal : 1 de octubre al 30 de septiembre del aà ±o siguiente.Los estados establecen las fechas de sus aà ±os fiscalesLas empresas pueden decidir cules son los 12 meses de su aà ±o fiscal.El aà ±o fiscal federal afecta a visas, loterà ­as y green card. Aà ±o fiscal de los estados en EE.UU. Los 50 estados y los territorios de Estados Unidos pueden fijar las fechas de sus propios aà ±os fiscales para los asuntos dentro de sus competencias. En la actualidad, solo en el aà ±o fiscal Alabama y Michigan coincide con el federal de 1 de octubre a 31 de septiembre del aà ±o siguiente. Por otro lado, 46 estados inician su aà ±o fiscal el 1 de julio y lo finalizan el 30 de junio del aà ±o siguiente al igual que el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico. Finalmente, en Nueva York el aà ±o fiscal corre del 1 de abril al 31 de marzo y en Texas del 1 de septiembre al 1 de agosto. Aà ±o fiscal (fiscal year) y aà ±o impositivo (tax year) Para los negocios, el Servicio de Ingresos Internos (IRS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) distingue entre aà ±o fiscal y aà ±o impositivo. El aà ±o fiscal para las empresas son 12 meses consecutivos cuyo dà ­a final coincide con el fin de un trimestre, es decir, 31 de marzo, 30 de junio, 30 de septiembre o 31 de diciembre. En la mayorà ­a de los casos es la propia empresa la que decide cundo empieza y finaliza su aà ±o fiscal y lo utiliza en su propia contabilidad. El aà ±o impositivo o de pago de impuestos (tax year) de una empresa puede coincidir con su aà ±o fiscal o con el aà ±o de calendario, es decir, del 1 al 31 de diciembre. Por otro lado, las fechas para presentar las planillas de impuestos (IRS filing) son las que fija el gobierno para todas las empresas, segà ºn su tipologà ­a. Aà ±o fiscal y estadà ­sticas migratorias Inmigracià ³n es una competencia del gobierno federal de Estados Unidos, por esta razà ³n todas las estadà ­sticas se computan teniendo en cuenta su aà ±o fiscal. Por ejemplo, en el FY18 se aprobaron 236.526 visas de inmigrante en la categorà ­a de familiares inmediatos. Esto quiere decir que entre el 1 de octubre de 2017 y el 30 de septiembre de 2018 la cantidad citada de cà ³nyuges, padres, madres e hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os de ciudadanos estadounidenses obtuvieron la tarjeta de residente permanente por peticià ³n del ciudadano. El aà ±o fiscal se puede dividir en trimestres (Q, por su sigla en inglà ©s). El primer trimestre (Q1) comprende desde el 1 de octubre al 31 de diciembre y asà ­ sucesivamente hasta llegar al cuarto (Q4) de 1 de julio a 30 de septiembre. Por ejemplo en Q1FY18 las autoridades migratorias aprobaron 140.467 ajustes de estatus. Eso quiere decir que de 1 de octubre a 31 de diciembre de 2017 ese nà ºmero de extranjeros obtuvieron la tarjeta de residencia permanente por ese trmite. Aà ±o fiscal: là ­mites y retrasos en categorà ­as de visas El aà ±o fiscal tiene un gran impacto en los casos en los que se concede un nà ºmero fijo de una determinada categorà ­a de visas por aà ±o fiscal. Es lo que se conoce en inglà ©s como annual cap. Este problema del annual cap afecta tanto a algunas visas no inmigrantes como a algunos tipos de visas inmigrantes, por ejemplo: Visa H-1B para profesionales y modelos. Si bien hay importantes excepcionesVisas U para và ­ctimas de la violenciaVisado T para và ­ctimas de trfico humanoH-2A y H-2B para trabajos en agricultura y no cualificadosPeticiones de green card de ciudadanos para hijos solteros mayores de 21 aà ±os, hijos casados y hermanos y de residentes permanentes para sus cà ³nyuges e hijos solterosVisa EB-5 para inversionistasConcesià ³n de estatus de asilado o refugiado polà ­ticoLoterà ­a de visas de diversidad En los casos en los que el nà ºmero de solicitudes en una determinada categorà ­a de visa es superior al là ­mite fijado por aà ±o fiscal se pueden producir dos situaciones diferentes. En primer lugar, se producen retrasos, que pueden llegar a ser enormes por acumularse aà ±o tras aà ±o ms peticiones que visas disponibles, como es el caso de la visa U que tiene asignado un mximo de 10.000 visas por aà ±o fiscal y que lleva en estos momentos un retraso superior a tres aà ±os y medio para que USCIS decida sobre los primeros pasos de si aprueba el permiso de trabajo. Otro ejemplo de retrasos por esta causa se da en las peticiones familiares en las categorà ­as con là ­mites anuales. Las demoras pueden verificarse mes a mes en el boletà ­n de visas. En segundo lugar, se celebra una loterà ­a entre las solicitudes y se procesa la visa para quien gana. Es el caso, por ejemplo, de la visa H-1B para profesionales. En general funciona de la siguiente manera: Existe un là ­mite anual por aà ±o fiscal de 20.000 visas para los profesionales que estudiaron la maestrà ­a en EE.UU., otra de 65.000 visas para profesionales en general y, finalmente un cupo de 6.500 visas para à ºnicamente ciudadanos de Chile y Singapur. El 1 de abril se abre el plazo de presentacià ³n de solicitudes. Los seis aà ±os anteriores, a los cinco dà ­as ya habà ­a ms peticiones que visas disponibles y se cerrà ³ el plazo. A los pocos dà ­as se celebrà ³ la loterà ­a y quienes no la ganaron deben presentar de nuevo la solicitud, si asà ­ lo desean, al aà ±o siguiente. Cabe destacar que no todas las H-1B estn sujetas a là ­mites. Por ejemplo, cuando el patrocinador es un instituto investigador o educativo puede pedir las que necesite a lo largo del aà ±o. Adems, la administracià ³n del presidente Donald Trump est elaborando nuevas directrices y es posible que se anuncie la obligatoriedad de pre-registrarse. Aà ±o fiscal y fechas para presentarse a H1-B y loterà ­a de visas Con respecto a la visa H1-B la normativa vigente dice que las solicitudes pueden presentarse seis meses antes del inicio del aà ±o fiscal para el que se aplica. Excepto en los casos ya nombrados de excepciones en los que los solicitantes no estn sujetos al là ­mite anual, est ocurriendo que hay ms solicitantes de visa que nà ºmero de visas y asà ­ durante meses no se puede emitir ninguna nueva, hay que esperar al nuevo cupo con el nuevo aà ±o fiscal. Esto quiere decir que si un extranjero que aspira a una visa H-1B que no est exenta del là ­mite anual debe esperar al 1 de octubre, es decir, al inicio del aà ±o fiscal. Sin embargo, para obtenerla la empresa patrocinadora debe presentar los papeles 6 meses antes. Por ejemplo, para una visa del FY20 debe presentarse la solicitud el 1 de abril de 2019. Con respecto a la loterà ­a de visas para obtener la tarjeta de residencia, tambià ©n conocida como green card, el plazo para registrarse gratuitamente se inicia al comienzo del aà ±o fiscal, generalmente en torno al 3 o 4 de octubre, y finaliza un mes despuà ©s. Por ejemplo, para participar en la loterà ­a de visas (DV por sus siglas en inglà ©s) del aà ±o fiscal 2021 (DV21), el solicitante debe registrarse en la pgina oficial en octubre de 2019 hasta principios de noviembre de ese mismo aà ±o. Todo el proceso se demora para los ganadores hasta el 30 de septiembre de 2020 y ya podrà ­an disfrutar de su green card a partir del 1 de octubre de 2020, esto es, el aà ±o fiscal 2021. Este artà ­culo es meramente informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal para ningà ºn caso concreto.

Business report explaining a certain topic Essay

Business report explaining a certain topic - Essay Example Another motivating factor can be where people will be motivated to reach their target. This will lead to their success and recognition. The need for recognition and job satisfaction which is that emotional payoff can also be a motivator (Madura, Jeff 35). This topic also looks at the importance of motivation. This helps in appreciating this topic. Some of the benefits it provided by motivation include improving the level of efficiency of people. It helps to appreciate that in order to get quality output from employees, the gap between ability and that willingness has to be filled. This in turn also helps in the achievement of the organizational goals. Employees who feel appreciated are most likely to work efficiently as they feel as being part of the organization. Goals may be achieved where co-ordination and co-operation takes place simultaneously. This can be done effectively through motivation. Motivation is important to understand as these leads to retention and stability of staff. This is because they will feel as being part of the organization. By looking at the importance of motivation, the topic also looks at the causes of de-motivation. A drop in staff motivation can become damaging to the business if the cause of de-motivation is not identified and addressed. Some of these de-motivating factors include: Inadequate job skills due to lack of training of staff. This affects the confidence of employees and frustrates the employees that affect their motivation. This is because of lack of the knowledge to perform what is expected from them. It can also be caused by goal flaws where company goals may not be inclusive of the interests of the employees. This in turn makes employees not to feel as part of the organization leading to their de-motivation. Overwork is another de-motivating factor. Employees who are overworked often loose there motivation even if they receive payment for overtime worked. The topic also

Assemble a Patchwork Text (Accounting and Information System) Essay

Assemble a Patchwork Text (Accounting and Information System) - Essay Example The dynamic nature of the modern markets means that organisations and their operating principles will always be on the change. Unless the modern working individual can change just as fast or faster, there is little relevance of his work to the organisation anymore. These personal changes have their wider impact on the organisational culture as well since people working in one organisation are deeply interlinked. These issues gain greater momentum when put under the light of dealing with a large number of staff members with varying socio economic and ethnic backgrounds. The multicultural environment in the modern workplace necessitates the individual to be accommodating, tolerant and ready for change as required. When viewed closely, these issues relating to change in the modern workplace all point to the same direction – the individual. As organisations change in one way or the other, the individual employed in these situations has to mould himself or herself accordingly. This indicates that the individual working for these establishments has to be quick and responsive to change by being accustomed to changes in leadership styles, management of change and their impact on others around them. These needs and requirements of change in the modern workplace mean that the individual has to be equipped with knowledge of psychodynamics to change. However, since psychodynamics is not a part of essential learning and training in most organisations, a large number of employees find it hard to change. It is only recently that psychodynamics has been employed in organisations to explain change on an individual level. This paper will employ the psychodynamic concepts elucidated by Vries (2004) in order to explain organisational change and its relevance to personal change. The facets of personal change and organisational change experienced by the author in an organisational work environment will be explored in detail in different sections. The first section will concen trate on the primary issue that caused a personal change in an organisational environment to occur. Both the core issues and their deeper context will be explored with reference to the organisation. The second section will focus on the causes that caused recognition of change and its corresponding management. The third section will expound how the author dealt with such changes and ensured its sustainability. The fourth section will deal with how this change affected the greater organisational culture and particularly the people around the author. Focal Event A focal event in terms of personal change can represent a decisive event that forces a person to change. It must also be mentioned that the focal event does not precipitate without past events that are gradually moving a person to a change. The focal event that is being referred to in this paper has been likened to the â€Å"last straw on the camel’s back† (Vries & Balazs, 1999). Therefore, the focal event can be treated as a minor or major event that triggers a person to pursue change that had been developing over a period of time for any number of factors. My focal event was when I was transferred from an existing unit to a new unit that was just being set up. The management had asked me if I intended to shift to the new unit. I was appraised that the setting up of a new unit would allow me to experience many things for the first time

Digital Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Digital Marketing - Assignment Example Radio advertisement has two advantages. One is that the turnaround time on getting an advertisement on air is exceptionally short (Buckingham, 2008). A basic time period of a radio advertisement is three weeks generation and two weeks to create an aggregate media purchase. This is to process an advertisement of solid quality and to purchase noteworthy broadcast appointment. Little organizations can frequently transform and put on notice in simply a couple of days. Both the Capital FM and Magic FM could be moderate enough to permit redundancy of Gap 360 offer. Capital FM and Magic FM are selected accurately due to their demographics which is Manchester and home in target group which are adults within the age 18 to 35 years. You can select a station pretty correctly by its demographics and home in on your intended interest group. Commercial processing expenses are low. Its a prompt medium along these lines works well for advertising occasions, for example, an uncommon deal, on the day. By taking into consideration of the daily papers audience figures and demographics the Manchester, Metro and Guardian papers were picked. The higher the number of audience of a newspaper in given location of interest should be considered. Production expenses might be low however one requires a smarts design that can attract and hold attention of the intended target. In case of Manchester evening news: the circulation, reach, and cost of promotion are higher compared with Metro. From the table 2 we can deduce that the rate of response in the same for both local and national press. At the point when considering the types of advertisement, two elements to keep in mind are frequency and reach. Gap 360 needs advertisement that will reach the maximum possible number of individuals, and also want individuals to see their advertisement often with the goal that they remember Gap 360 and its product. The newspaper ads will enable Gap 360 to advertise to certain

James Thurber and Humor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

James Thurber and Humor - Essay Example Quality of humor is necessary for the best efficacy of comforting interactions, as humor allows for reframing of the problem in ways in which distressed individuals are unable to perceive thus aiming to make humor not only a comfort provider but also a healing promoter as well. Thurber has been a predominant literary figure in the genre of humor, satire and wit (Gottlieb, Robert). His letters have the remarkable natural style of easy flowing conversation, "They're the overflow of a professional writer" (Gottlieb). Thurber's professional background in journalism gave him the requisite training to turn out copious amounts of work for "The New Yorker", where he made his initial mark. His works besides talk pieces included several pieces of humor, however what came to dominate his works was a wistful look at his past, writing about whom were closer to him and memories associated with them. One of his noted achievements were his cartoons and drawings, and not to forget "Walter Mitty" - Walter Mitty is as well known as any other literary creation, so much so according to Gootlieb, Walter Mitty's character gives a name to an important human trait which we all posess. Thurber's letters cover the range of human emotions, he is outspoken as well as gentle - the letters give an unabashed look at Thurber's self. Thurber's letters, unfortunately are repetitive at times and at times lack the emphasis on important aspects of Thurber's life(Gottlieb). Although Thurber has been compared to Mark Twain (Pritchard, William H. October 2003), his published letters for want of editing fail to sparkle appropriately. He was driven by the "satirist's itch", (Pritchard) which made his writing from exhibiting dry humor to being biting and bitter as he come party to host of health issues, including a brain tumor. Laura Carroll has interpreted James Thurber's "My Life in Hard Times" using the vehicles of Freudian theory (Carroll, Laura, 101-103). Laura has presented the usage of humor to be analogous to Freud theory of ego and psychic other self, the instances of offering humorous offerings to the reader are taken apart and dissected whereas other instances of gaiety are treated as looking on one part of the self to the other. The treatment critiques the structure of James Thurber's work and gives insight for researcher or critical reader. Thurber successfully employs nostalgic reflection on his younger self, being bemused as if another entity is being watched, acting out the duo relationship between the Freudian ego and superego (Laura). Another aspect of humor is presented as a contrast to Thurber's by Rebecca Mead (Mead, Rebecca, Jan 2005). She traces the development of an online magazine "collegehumor.com" exploring the lives of four friends who moved to New York City and started this venture. This magazine was started in 1999 and it focused on being a repository of jokes, emails and photographs that college graduates liked to share. This magazine became the focal point of college life, added on with and bits and pieces of multimedia dormitory content, rowdy images (like girls kissing or without their tops) and basically anything of what college kids think would Thurber 3 be funny. Student's attraction to "loud" humor has been prevalent since middle ages and this was exploited in this site famously. Rebecca compares Thurber's era of twenties and that contribution

Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Education - Research Paper Example Twenty-one questions answered on a scale apply as the measurement tool to measure job satisfaction. In addition, factor analysis in the nature of varimax rotation facilitates the grouping of the survey questions on six major factors. These are opportunity for autonomy and growth, quality of supervision, career advancement opportunities, pay benefits, physical and job stress and job security. Questions used in the National Health and Retirement Survey serve to find out in this survey of intentions to quit or leave current positions. A panel of experts reviews the survey to gauge content, format, readability and usability. Finally, a test on the project involving nurses from different environments occurs. Data collection is takes place through a descriptive questionnaire of twenty one questions measured on a scale out of seven. The overall response rate is one thousand, five hundred and seventy four respondents. There is the use of descriptive statistics to compares BS and AD educates Registered Nurses. Variables measured include job satisfaction and duration of career. All the nursing variables finally get comparison by application of age cohorts. 91.5% of the one thousand, five hundred and seventy four respondents are working nurses and complete the remaining survey questions (McIntosh et al., 2005). There is exclusion of some nurses from the survey leaving a total of one thousand and thirty nine nurses whose responses contribute to the findings. Four hundred and ninety three nurses list AD as their highest level of education. On the other hand, five hundred and forty six list BS as their highest education level. AD and BS nurses work in different environments with BS nurses working in hospitals while AD nurses work in private care. BS educated nurses cite more job satisfaction in terms of career growth and longevity. BS nurses

Qualitative Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Qualitative Article Analysis - Essay Example The grounded approach employed in this study by McAdam was that of Social Constructionist workshops. In order to animate the study, groups of managers from enterprises involved in knowledge management were selected as participants. These workshops were then run by asking the managers to discuss the four generic areas of knowledge management. The four areas of knowledge management in relation to innovation discussed were knowledge construction, knowledge embodiment, knowledge dissemination and knowledge use. Cumulatively, five workshops were done with twenty five different organizations from all sectors represented. The quantitative realm of the study involved the use of questionnaires to survey the scope of knowledge management in relative to key trends (McAdam, 2000). The findings of the study were documented as per the four facets of knowledge management as a driver of innovation. Firstly, on the role of knowledge construction on innovation, it was established that the area of knowledge construction was a key driver of innovation as new knowledge developed was incorporated back into the organization. In addition it was explicitly verified that knowledge construction which lead to elevated innovation was contingent upon both scientifically constructed, as well as, socially constructed knowledge. Secondly, on the role of knowledge embodiment on innovation, it was discovered that for new knowledge to lead to innovation then it must be incorporated within the organization. Not only did participants consider innovation resulting knowledge embodiment as being reflected in the organization’s structure, but also an essential part of organizational culture. In addition, the participants recognized that the role of a knowledge worker was essential to embodiment of knowledge and consequently innovation. Thirdly, on the role of knowledge dissemination on innovation, it was realized that it

Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Education - Research Paper Example Twenty-one questions answered on a scale apply as the measurement tool to measure job satisfaction. In addition, factor analysis in the nature of varimax rotation facilitates the grouping of the survey questions on six major factors. These are opportunity for autonomy and growth, quality of supervision, career advancement opportunities, pay benefits, physical and job stress and job security. Questions used in the National Health and Retirement Survey serve to find out in this survey of intentions to quit or leave current positions. A panel of experts reviews the survey to gauge content, format, readability and usability. Finally, a test on the project involving nurses from different environments occurs. Data collection is takes place through a descriptive questionnaire of twenty one questions measured on a scale out of seven. The overall response rate is one thousand, five hundred and seventy four respondents. There is the use of descriptive statistics to compares BS and AD educates Registered Nurses. Variables measured include job satisfaction and duration of career. All the nursing variables finally get comparison by application of age cohorts. 91.5% of the one thousand, five hundred and seventy four respondents are working nurses and complete the remaining survey questions (McIntosh et al., 2005). There is exclusion of some nurses from the survey leaving a total of one thousand and thirty nine nurses whose responses contribute to the findings. Four hundred and ninety three nurses list AD as their highest level of education. On the other hand, five hundred and forty six list BS as their highest education level. AD and BS nurses work in different environments with BS nurses working in hospitals while AD nurses work in private care. BS educated nurses cite more job satisfaction in terms of career growth and longevity. BS nurses

Case study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Case study - Assignment Example In the evaluation and morale case, a number of problems emerge. According to the staff nurse, the nurse manager made some untrue against her in the report. In this respect, the problem of unfair evaluation emerges. Another problem also stems out of this context. The staff nurse’s morale is negatively affected by the report. The underlying adverse effect is directed towards the actual practice as much as it remains an issue with the staff nurse. This personal-practice-based implication of the report is a critical problem in the case. Over and above this, the staff nurse’s evaluation seems to have been directed towards one key event. In this respect, the progressive factor that should be captured in the report is not observed. Moreover, poor, inefficient, and ineffective communication between stakeholders (Phillips & Morris, 2011) is characteristic in the case. Finally, personal growth and development of the staff nurse is on the verge of being negated by the unfolding ev ents in the case. The above mentioned problems can be analyzed by employing a number of principles. An administrative problem that befalls any health care organization is critical (Burnard, et al. 2004). In the light of the case, it is important to understand the administrative standpoint of the nurse manager in executing her performance appraisal mandate. This is because the principle of dialogue is seemingly downplayed in relation to the manner in which the nurse manager executed the evaluation. Over and above that, issues to do with morality and ethics emerge. Moral and ethical principles are vital in analyzing problems related to nursing or any other health care practice (Walker & Avant, 2011). At the same time, it would be essential to account for professional platforms that are designed to promote personal and professional growth and development. In order to solve the problems described in the evaluation and morale case, a number of recommendations are

Social Media and Politics Essay Example for Free

Social Media and Politics Essay SAbstract a) Purpose The following research paper seeks to understand if social media can be used as an effective tool in politics b) Design/Methodology/Approach: The problem was structured by analyzing the behavior of the stakeholders using a systems approach. The analysis of the model revealed a set of feedback loops operating in the system identified as responsible for the complexity of the problem situation relating to political activism. The study employs various research methods such as systematic method that uses empirical model in analyzing if the political participation is due to causal relationship between online activity and result orientation. It also uses Qualitative case study method where cases of different countries are studied and the data gathered is checked against the theoretical framework in place c) Findings The research revealed that as the number of internet user increases with greater accessibility and usability of social media will facilitate political participation. d) Practical implications The research findings is however skeptical about these revolution was organized online using social media. Social media can be used as low cost medium for organizing but it can be used to transform individuals and cannot guarantee the political empowerment of individuals for future. From the analysis of the various country cases also reveals that social media helped in bringing down the dictatorship but could not help in forming strong political ties that can be used in the reconstruction of the nation in the path of democracy INTRODUCTION Social media are group of applications that runs on internet built using web 2.0 technologies. It allows users to generate content which can be exchanged. Social media applications include blogs, social networking, file and photo sharing. Example: Facebook, Orkut, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Slideshare, MySpace etc. Launched in 2004, Facebook has more than 900 million users worldwide while twitter has 500 million accounts Traditionally social capital was built based on strong ties and mutual trust between individuals. But now, social media has brought structural changes to the public sphere. It has become a main source of personal orientation, anonymous interactivities and social communities. With the emergence of IT, weak ties are formed online followed by profit, trust and experience sharing giving birth to online political communities and social media activists. We are in a smart phone era where everyone wants to be a field reporter. The reach of traditional media is on decline and increased use of internet provides cyberspace as a platform that facilitates political communication. Although this media was designed for personal communication, in recent times has been used as political tool. Political speeches, demonstrations are being uploaded on YouTube watched by millions. person with least technical skills can create political content online (blog, Twitter) and can have his share of fame with hundreds of users following his posts. Political demonstrations can be organized with people mobilized online through Facebook, twitter and by sending SMSes. As a testimony to the above said fact were the recent protests in North Africa and Middle East beginning with political upheavals in Tunisia, Egypt and spreading to other parts of the region including Libya, Yemen and Syria. In this paper, we try to explore if social media can be used as an effective tool in politics. Can it make a difference in natural politics and bring about social change? Can it be used as a long term tool to strengthen the civil society and politic sphere? Problem Structuring a) Stake Holder Analysis I. Stakeholder Map II. Specific Stakeholder Chart Government and Regulatory BodyFederal and state governmentsInternet service providersMinistry of information and broadcastingLegal framework for regulation IT Rules 2011| Political partiesBJPCongressRegional parties| Civil societyIndian think tankNon- profit organizationResearch and Education organization| Social media activistsAwareness creatorsAdvocatesOrganizersmobilizers| Foreign GovernmentsG8BRICG20| Consumers of social media contentSilent searchersContributorsConventionalist- focused on discussing informationHobbyists| Traditional mediaPrint mediaTVNews channels| Social media ownersGoogleYahooFacebookMySpace| III. Identification of Stakes b) BOT Graph Previously a wide network was needed to organize mass scale demonstrations against any public policy.. Most often comrades of a party, nonprofit organization or student community had possessed such an organization capability. People formed clusters based on the common ideology or the interest that they shared. Traditional media such as Newspaper, television channels were used to reach people incurring high Transaction cost. literate population is growing with increasing access to technologies like Internet at a cheaper cost makes Social media now a phenomena The following figure shows the intuitive relation between literacy, internet users, political activists and Dictators. It means that as more people are educated, they have the basic skills to user Internet. As the political turmoil increases in a country, people use social media to voice their opinion about political situation in their country. Therefore number of political activists increases. More and number of people join offline the protest which was conceptualized online bring down the dictatorship rule reducing number of dictators. LITERATURE REVIEW 1. Political unrest in Tunisia Research paper â€Å"Emerging role of social media in political and Regime change† by Rita safranek takes a deep insight into the various components of social media. The book takes a look into the issues in the following sections. i. Political unrest in Philippinesii. Political unrest in Iran iii. Political unrest in Tunisia iv. Criticism of Twitter Revolution In 1994, Facebook was created by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg as a way to connect with his friends on campus. It grew to be large social network with 850 million users in USA alone. Other micro blogging sites like Twitter have been growing steadily since its launch. YouTube provides a platform to share videos. These three big social media were a major Hit because an average person with no computer skills can use it with good success. Social media is a major attraction to the youth because Traditional social economic barrier are broken providing them a level playing field. Social media has been used to form activities of civil societies such as Mobs and civil movements and Several countries has been cited as examples: Philippines, Iran and Tunisia where activists used Facebook, LiveJournal and Twitter to organize protests followed by successful large demonstrations. Rulers in these countries tried to suppress the demonstrations by not allowing traditional media to cover the news and mislead the public by posting erroneous timings and cyber blocks. Though internet was censored cyber activists circulated protest videos among the closed circuit with greater reach. World took a look at these small countries and their political oppressions. Analysts claim success of social media has to do with the affordability (low cost) of technology and conditions of their use (Gender and economics) while critics argue that social media is that the social network is built around weak ties as political participation requires lesser motivation. Twitter has their inbuilt short comings such as word limit of 140 words. Statistics also shows the market penetration of internet in developing countries is minimal when compared to developed countries. Hence not sustainable. 2. Research paper â€Å"Social media and politics: Therortical and methodogical considerations in designing a study of political engagement † by Maja Tunrsek. This paper discusses about nation state polity and global state polity. Pre globalization the nation state regulated all public transactions. Post globalization, power has been transferred outside the nation to economic private powers which gave rise to sovereignty, democracy. As a result, they are facing a deficit in decision making. On an individual level, since they are no more controlled by state polity , they are moving towards individualistic politics such as lifestyle politic, consumerism. In order to convince people on global issues. People started mobilizing people cutting through boundaries by writing blogs, viral marketing, initiating petitions etc. There are several theories explains the impact of social media on democracy. â€Å"Techno optimists† of view that internet is lower the cost of participation. It is providing a platform where individuals can interact with other individuals who share same interest. Public scrutiny of political mandate made easier where the elites and influential people are also under the purview of scrutiny. Techno pessimists counter argue that Internet is a perceived only as legitimate way of democracy. If this trend is followed, politicians will see this as an opportunity to circumvent traditional journalist and reach their audience with tailored content. Now the onus lies on the consumers to evaluate the authenticity of the content they are presented with. Like any other technology, social media also has it pros and cons. Social media alone cannot be made responsible for good democracy and dispersion of neither power nor used tacitly will lead to concentration and abuse of power. These were created based on institutional needs so their impact will depend on the structure and rules of the institution. 3. Research paper â€Å"The impact of social media on Agenda setting in Elections campaign: Cross media and cross national comparisons † by Gunn Enli. This paper throws insight on how media has evolved and its implication on politics. In early 60’s media was dominated by television as medium for political communication and continued domineering for three decades. With the advent of digital technology, political communication took a different direction with more importance laid on mundane and populism. Politician have come of an age and have started using social media as a strategic tool say in election campaigning. Social media and traditional media have differed on various aspects such as reach, issues addressed, debating style and political impact.In past, television has placed a crucial role in setting up political agenda as it was the majority news provide. Media landscape is changed and replaced by cyber space where people spend most of their time and discuss the issues that matter to them the most. Sooner, citizens will comfortable in the liking the Facebook page of their leaders as it would provide and easy and direct way of communicating with him. In developed countries like USA, the scenario is more favorable as the majority of the population has access to internet and tech savvy. The trend of using of Social media for the brand management of leaders, election campaigning, political survey will continue. It also pose a potential threat of content posted online can go viral in a fraction of million second and can cause greater damage to the reputation. Hence should be handled with caution. Research Problem Can social media can be used as an effective tool in politics. Can it make a difference in natural politics and bring about social change? Can it be used as a long term tool to strengthen the civil society and politic sphere? Research Objective The research objective of this paper is to understand the effectiveness of social media in political sphere * role of social media in bringing political revolution in countries like Egypt * relationship between traditional and social media in setting up the political agenda * Using social media in politics of developed economies like USA Research Questions What level of political openness and trust between individuals online can be perceived as political participation? Are we seeing revolutions triggered by the social media because of low transaction cost involved in mobilizing people? Can social media have that impact of transforming individuals? Can it give them competencies that will empower them in politics? Why politicians in few countries have chosen to use social media in their political campaigns What is the dynamics between traditional and social media in setting agenda for election campaigns? Proposed Methodology Methods The proposed methodology is basically based on the research objective. a) The Input- Output Method This method uses a well-known truth that you cannot get something out of nothing. There has to be an input to produce an output. Using this method for research purpose makes the estimation really easy. Technology and inputs are far better defined.. b) Systematic study Factors affecting political participation are studied systematic ally by applying an empirical model O-S-O-R model. According to the O-S- O-R model, the activity of the political participation is a response result arising from a casual relationship between online activity and result orientation. To investigate the study subjects, a survey was conducted. The target population covered male and female adults above the age of 19. Questionnaire was created to capture the relationship between casual variable c) Qualitative case study method Cases of different countries are selected and are analyzed In detail about its features and impact. The data gathered through this method is rich as well as complementary with the theoretical framework such as shareholder’s analysis and casual loop diagram and also was helpful in answering research questions. Each case is taken In isolation analyzing the unique features that led to revolution followed by comparison with case of another country and a parallel is drawn CAUSAL- LOOP Diagram For drawing the causal loop diagram we need to identify the different variables that will impact the effectiveness of social media in politics. Following are the variables: 1) literates 2) internet users 3) Internet regulations 4) Political activists 5) Dictators 6) Social media 7) Traditional media 8) Online political activists 9) Political activism 10) Protests 11) Dictators 12) Tyranny 13) Democracy 14) Internet censorship From the causal loop we can see that there are 2 positive feedback loops(Reinforcing ) and one negative feedback loop(Balancing). Increase in literates will lead to increase in internet users will lead to increase in usage of internet applications such as Facebook, Twiiter. As people identify with likeminded people, they form clusters or communities and share views about common causes, agenda. When the government doesn’t reciprocate the grievances or mundane of the public will lead to more political activism online. These activism will be transformed into demonstrations and protest. If the government tries to suppress political activism through internet censorship will lead to people finding ways to circumvent censorship. Ultimately, state has to bow to the public leading to fall of unpopular regimes. As democracy flourishes, standard of living and thus literacy increases. Limitations of the Study There are few limitations to the study and the research methods adopted is empirical evidence to prove that people who protested in countries like Tunisia and Iran used social media for organizing mob. Few research papers available only suggested that during the revolution, social media played the role of traditional media reporting the events that took place. Similarly no empirical evidence to prove that brand value of a political leader was increased by efficient use of social media during election campaigning References http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/2010-10-e.htm http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/67038/clay-shirky/the-political-power-of-social-media http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-01-25/national/35440649_1_pipa-and-sopa-social-media-wikipedia http://overland.org.au/blogs/new-words/2012/10/beyond-twibbons-thinking-about-politics-and-social-media/