Ad-Comm Group “Whitebook”: Cross-Marketing Platform for Luxury Brands in Japan Essay

1. What is a Whitebook? What role(s) does it play in the Marketing strategy of Ad-comm’s client companies? Answers 15 lines maximum. Whitebook is a cross marketing platform, a magazine that is published in Japan every 4 months and which displays nine luxury brands in nine diverse types of product. The magazine is customized for each luxury sponsors. The Whitebook plays an important role in terms of marketing strategy as it is a brand ambassador and CRM tool. As the Whitebook is mainly distributed through sponsors, the Whitebook targets a prequalified small group of costumers but right ones, right at the beginning. Being displayed in the magazine can be seen a recognition of being a top luxury brand and be therefore an award. The Magazine creates a strong relationship between the brands and the costumers, as the costumers feel privileged to receive special attention from the brand. Moreover the Whitebook organizes event as well, which gathers customers and one brand. Those events gives the opportunity for luxury brands to create a personal relationship (â€Å"face-to-face† relationship) with its customers, by telling its heritage and answering questions. 2. Take the perspective of the general manager of Porsche Japan. See more: Old Age Problem essay How would you assess the cost effectiveness or ROI of investing 20 million Yen a year to sponsor Whitbook? Would you be willing to be a sponsor? Why or why not? Answer by using a break-even analysis, and by calculating the expected customer lifetime value (i. e. today’s expected value of a customer’s purchases over the course of his/her life as a Porsche customer). 1 to 2 pages. a. You must know what a break-even analysis is: this is when your return/revenue covers your investment – in other words: how many cars to sell to repay for the investment in Whitebook? b. Customer Lifetime value: refer to the last class definition – expected value of a customer over the course of his/her life as a customer = selling price of a Porsche x number of Porsches purchased in a lifetime. Be creative by using the data of the case and common sense. There is no magic formula. I will take your assumptions into consideration. c. Then the cost effectiveness can be assessed by comparing to competitive offerings Porsche sales increased by 4. 55 ( 3000/658= 4. 55 – p. 8) in 6 years. For a luxury brand, democratization of the product also means loss of prestige and exclusivity. Whitebook is a way to keep the luxury image of the brand by creating a special relationship with the best costumers. 20 million Yen represents 2. 4% of the total marketing budget (p. 8). Assuming that an average price of Porsche is 75 000$ USD , in 6 years they have sold for 175 650 000$ (75 000 x 2320) . 20 million Yen is equal to 214 241. 04$ USD which corresponds to 1 285 446. 24$ USD in 6 years. In terms of break-even analysis and still assuming the average price of 75 000 $, they need to sell 3 cars (2. 86) (214 241. 04 / 75 000) per year to repay their investment in Whitebook. However, the case mentions that â€Å"10% of the VIP customers own 8-9 Porsches† (p. 8), therefore we can assume that Porsche company sells at least 3 cars per year and therefore sponsoring Whitebook is profitable. In terms of Costumer Lifetime value, we shall still assume the average price of 75 000$ USD per car and the number of Porsches purchased in a lifetime of 8. 5 (â€Å"8-9 Porsches† own over lifetime – p. 8). The Costumer Lifetime Value is therefore equal to 637 500 (75 000 x 8.5). Finally, in terms of cost effectiveness, if we look at exhibit 9, we see that the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of Whitebook is best advantageous compared to other selected print media in Japan. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is relatively low (5 000 000 Yen) compared to the number of pages and the location. Let’s take 25ans’. The MSRP is 4 200 000 Yen for 2 pages on the back cover; compared to 800 000Yen more for Whitebook (therefore 1. 19 more expensive (5 000 000 / 4 200 000 = 1. 19) ) for 3 times more pages inside the magazine for Whitebook. It is then clear that Whitebook is more profitable compared to less expensive magazines in terms of cost effectiveness. Moreover 25ans’ targets women’s luxury, however Porsche and fast cars are commonly known to be of mainly great interest for men. Concerning Esquire, the MSRP is 3 200 000 Yen of 2 pages on the back cover, Whitebook is 1 800 000 more (therefore 1. 5626 more expensive (5 000 000 / 32 000 000)) for 3 times more pages inside the magazine. Thus, Whitebook magazine is more profitable than Esquire. Moreover Esquire targets Men’s fashion/lifestyle only, however purchasing a Porsche can also involve women (Porsche Cayenne for example). Concerning Nikkei Business, the MSRP is 5 680 000 Yen of 2 pages on the back cover which target business customers. Compare to Whitebook, Nikkei Business is 1. 136 more expensive than Whitebook for less pages. Moreover the Nikkei Business target only business Concerning Asahi Newspaper, the MSRP is 22 500 000 Yen for full page. Compare toe Whitebook, Asahi Newspaper is 4. 5 more expensive. Moreover, Asahi Newspaper targets general public, however Porsche wants to keep the luxury prestige and exclusive image of the brand by investing in a magazine, the target readers doesn’t therefore correspond to the main aim of Porsche. In conclusion, Whitebook is the best investment in terms of cost effectiveness compared to competitive offerings. 3. Put yourself in the shoes of Andreas Dannenberg. Whitebook exploits opportunities (and leverages strength, addresses weaknesses, and counter threats) in the luxury market and advertising industry, and it helps Ad-comm stay ahead of potential capability improvements by Japanese and multinational competitors. What is Whitebook to you? What role(s) does it play in the marketing strategy of Ad-comm itself? Answer by using a SWOT analysis (for Ad-comm) to understand internal and external strategic position. 1 to 2 pages. In terms of Strengths: * Whitebook enables to be independent from Japanese Players * Doesn’t have to be subcontracted by Japanese agencies * Target the right costumers. * Plays a role of CRM tool * Create privilege relationships between the brands and the costumers * Maintain the luxury and exclusive image of the sponsors * Create events to build a face to face relationship and build a trust relationship in the long run with VIP costumers -> the brand tells stories and heritage to the customer and the Japanese consumption, customers are choosing a brand mainly because of its heritage, recommendations of experts and experiences of family and friends. * Plays a role of brand ambassador * Enable luxury companies to display the corporate portfolio * Enable luxury brands to make their cash flows easier. In terms of Weaknesses: * Limited to Japanese market * Limited to the Japanese market * Implementation on international market requires global corporate decision In terms of Opportunities: * Cross-marketing platform * Select prequalified targeted and top-tier customer * Create a unique virtual experience for privilege guests as well trough its website and entry key * Track behaviors of target customers * The website tracks behaviors of target customers * Create events which can be an opportunity to launch a new product to a right target costumer * Enable luxury companies to get new costumers. * Work as a CRM tool In terms of Threats: * No competitors at the moment because is very selective and the nurture the relationship with the brand. * However, competitors can come in the market, target also luxury clientele with more luxury brands or more subcategories * New competitors can come and create other type of cross-marketing platform like a privilege club which enables the brands to meet * New competitors can come an create the same magazine suited for the global market or USA market which number of customers are greater. 4. What would you do with the expansion opportunities described at the end of the case (pp. 10-13)? Would you pursue: (a) increasing the number of sponsors I the current Whitebook? (b) replicating the current Whitebook in overseas market; or (c) developing an alternative Whitebook focused on the new â€Å"edgy† brand market? Why? Answer with Pros and Cons in 1 to 2 pages. (a) Increasing the number of sponsors I the current Whitebook Pros: * Increase flexibility when planning events * Increase quantity of events (number of events) * Increase quality of events, as more VIP customers and sponsor companies are available * Increase the use of CRM tool * Make the relationship between brand and consumer more visible Cons: * Additional cost could offset the fixed costs of production * Losing credibility * Losing trust with the brands * Losing luxury appeal because luxury is based on scarcity and exclusivity (b) Replicating the current Whitebook in overseas market (the best option because:) Pros: * Minimize additional effort and attention required to Whitebook * Provide learning opportunity for the account managers. * Can introduce new categories in the book * Multinational sponsor already present in the Japanese version can be included in the overseas version * Already implemented in US, Singapore Cons: * There’s a small budget required by sponsors * The decisions so fare are regional and not on corporate level * Changing the marketing strategy at a global level will be uncontrollable for Whitebook unless they change the whole corporate structure, which possible (c) Developing an alternative Whitebook focused on the new â€Å"edgy† brand market Pros: * Maintain most loyal costumers * Help to acquire innovative customers. * Guarantee of 50 000 targeted customers * Involves high-margin brand segments * Developing new relationships with new companies Cons: * Should redirect the target customers on young customers * Being part of a community takes out their own personality and uniqueness * Because edgy brands target young customers and customers prefer interactive marketing tools so edgy brand prefer to invest their marketing budget and events or promotions rather that printing marketing * Change the value of luxury image of the book * Because luxury is based on exclusivity and scarcity, including edgy brands will damage this luxury image.

Joseph Schumpeter

Initiative An individual or group takes the initiative. 2. Organization Resources are brought together in organization to accomplish some objective (or the resources in existing organization are reorganized) 3.Administration Those who took the initiative to take over the management of the operation 4. Relative Autonomy The initiators assume relative freedom to dispose of and distribute resources. 5. Risk taking The organization’s success or failure is shared by the initiator’s superiors and subordinates. Entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy. The Philippines is an entrepreneurial country.Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), including micro-enterprises, account for 99 ppercent of all business establishments and 60 ppercent of the exporting firms in the Philippines. According to the Department of Trade and Industry, SME's currently employ about 55 ppercent of the Philippine labor force and contribute 30 ppercent to total domestic sales volume. Current problem s that Filipino entrepreneurs encounter today in setting up and maintaining their competitiveness in their community are the * inadequate access to technology * financing capital * marketing advice * logistical problemsTo further emphasize the importance of developing entrepreneurship education, a recent study by the Center for Asia Pacific Studies reveals, â€Å"out of every 100 children enrolled every year, 66 will complete elementary education, 42 will finish high school and only 14 will earn a college degree. † A study by Smart Communications adds,† only 7. 7% of graduates get employed†. This mearns that out of 100 children that goes to school, only one will end up getting a job. The importance of developing an innovative and entrepreneurial culture is a crucial part of the Philippines developed state future.Entrepreneurship directly leads to more business, more job opportunities and better quality of life. Starting and running a business can be a real option for young people, offering an alternative mearns of achieving both financial and personal independence. Supporting youth entrepreneurship can benefit both the Filipino Youth and the economy. It can: 1. create employment opportunities, through self-employment and by providing additional employment opportunities; 2. give young people a sense of meaning and purpose; 3. premote innovation and resilience in young people; and 4. help young people develop life skills.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 19

Essay Example Learning the English language became essential to the natives to communicate with the invaders. The process of learning in these circumstances may not have been ideal, given the nature of the situation where learning happened in the backdrop of the conquerors and the vanquished (Gunaratne, Shelton A). However, it did introduce a new culture where the conquerors and the vanquished mixed for various compulsions that included trade and commerce. The grim situations arising from the conquerors-vanquished relationships continued to cast their shadows across the continents and societies that began learning the new language of the British. Military expeditions, business misunderstandings or plain local native skirmishes did see exchange of views, albeit impolite, that showed the level of mastery over the new language by the vanquished or the extent of the local languages learnt by the British soldiers or administrators. Such aggravating situations continue to smolder today at various places where English is spoken or is forced to be the spoken language. Today’s conditions are, however, not as complex as they were during the middle ages. The minority can seek legal justice at work places or in other situations if the nature of the enforcement is arbitrary or one-sided (Graddol, David). The situation is particularly difficult in places where English is frowned upon and not encouraged in the academics surprisingly in certain countries in Europe such as Romania and Bulgaria. However, even in these places English is being taught to educate the current generation since English is officially recognized throughout the world. The problems associated with the rise of English as a global language are not universal. They are mostly associated with cultural misunderstanding or local skirmishes. It may be in the form of an employer forcing the employees to speak only English, or

Managing strategic change Sainbury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing strategic change Sainbury - Essay Example The threat for Sainsbury was that the removal of physical barriers to trade and the new-found freedom of movement around the European market have served to catalyse European expansion and in so doing raise the degree of European trade. To respond to new environment, the company introduced changes in management style which was brought by new executive. The new style of leadership was â€Å"more consensual, less hierarchical – but not in strategy or in corporate beliefs about the company’s place in the market† (Owen, 2003). Another innovation made by Sainsbury was reorganization and restructuring aiming â€Å"to feature only supermarkets and convenience stores, with Central and Savacentre outlets joining the main estate† (Sainsbury's makes first ever loss, 2004). In spite of planned actions, these changes failed because of inability of staff to manage change and lack of resources to adapt organization to the changes. It is possible to say that the strategy was ineffective for world’s integration and for this reason it failed at the stage of implementation. Specification in Sainsbury was determined as a result of an organization's pol ¬icy, which in turn resulted from decisions on its market policy, which in turn resulted from its consideration of the market or customer needs, requirements, and the activ-ities of competitors. The main mistake was an attempt to reorganize and restructure several organizational levels at the same time.

The role of cell phone usage in the dialectic of autonomy vs Research Paper

The role of cell phone usage in the dialectic of autonomy vs connection within young adult romantic relationships - Research Paper Example Does a relationship exist between cell phone application and perceptions of the dialectical autonomy pressure versus connection among romantic relationships in young people? â€Å"What sources of autonomy-connection conflict pertain to cell phone use within romantic relationships do individuals report?† Does a difference on sources of phone-based conflicts exist between individuals who experience â€Å"high versus low levels of autonomy-connection dialectical tension†? Which strategies to the target population use to resolve autonomy-connection conflicts that relates to cell phone application? (Duran, Kelly and Rotaru, 2011, p. 23). The researchers do not offer research hypotheses but these can be inferred from the research questions. The authors explain their expected findings on the research questions from the literature review that established existing knowledge in the subject of study and the aim of expanding the existing knowledge and this means that the study†™s findings are supposed to be consistent with the already developed knowledge regarding the research questions. The authors relied on previously developed information and not specific theories (Duran, Kelly and Rotaru, 2011). Analysis of the methods section The researchers’ description of participants’ selection strategy identifies a stratified sampling approach, a techniques that classifies participants into categories with identifiable features before sampling from each category. Stratified sampling is recognized for generating representative samples. The categories, used by the researchers, are upper division courses and lower division courses. Two hundred and ten participants were used in the study, 145 of whom were women while 45 were men and the participants had an average age of... The role of cell phone usage in the dialectic of autonomy vs connection within young adult romantic relationships The statement of purpose is therefore clear and is expressly stated. The author’s offers many justifications for undertaking the study and one of the justifications is existence of information gap on the subtopic that remains unexplored within the wider topic of mobile phones usability. Background information into the study that identifies increasing trend in phone ownership among teenagers, previous studies on rates of phone applications and the role of phone in social initiatives, among friends, and within social networks with little focus on the role of phone usage in dialectic autonomy versus connection among adults is one of the offered reasons for the study. The need to obtain solutions for developed questions from the study’s background information is another justification that the authors offer for the study. The questions relate to partners’ perception of the role of mobile phones on â€Å"autonomy-connection dialectic† and potential conflict amon g partners regarding cell phone usage. The researchers’ description of participants’ selection strategy identifies a stratified sampling approach, a techniques that classifies participants into categories with identifiable features before sampling from each category. Stratified sampling is recognized for generating representative samples. The categories, used by the researchers, are upper division courses and lower division courses. Two hundred and ten participants were used in the study, 145 of whom were women while 45 were men and the participants had an average age of 20.62.

Scientific Management Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Scientific Management Theory - Essay Example While Taylor’s method is referred to as scientific management theory, it’s other names attest to a variety of divisions in this approach. In addition to scientific management theory, this approach has been referred to as Taylorism. While in practice the two terms of oftentimes used synonymously, in much of the prominent literature a distinction is made between the two concepts (Archibald 1999). The main distinction the literature makes between these two categories is that Taylorism is supposed to refer to the early incarnations of Taylor’s theory or the ‘first form’ classical perspective. Conversely, scientific management theory is the more developed of the managerial processes. One considers that while Taylorism had been articulated as early as 1895 with Taylor’s text ‘A Piece Rate System’, and in 1903 with his text ‘Shop Management,’ it wasn’t until 1910 that Louis Brandeis first coined the term ‘scient ific management’ (Kulliver 2001). Scientific management has emerged and evolved throughout the 20th century. While scientific management is a specific approach, it fits within the context of late 19th century and 20th-century economic efficiency movements. Broadly speaking the efficiency movements sought to increase human efficiency, decrease waste, and implement an empirical methodology in doing so. Termed the Efficiency Movement among the prominent organizational elements that emerged during this period were lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, Fordism, and operations management.

Internet-Driven IS Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Internet-Driven IS Development - Essay Example Information technology or information systems development in the organization relate to one such operational strategy that utilizes the organizational resources - physical and human - as also the processes for achieving the other strategies relating to a business or top-level corporate aims. Business-related IT initiatives are strategies that strive to achieve desired strategic objectives by applying the organization’s internal capabilities and external drivers in the immediate industry environment in which the organization operates. The organizational capabilities include competencies and resources that provide a competitive edge in countering competition from within the industry. In conjunction with external drivers in the industry environment, the strategy and operational decisions get integrated into a successful process delivery (Johnson, et al, 2008). The formulation of suitable strategy, choosing and acting upon available options for operational delivery and for attaining competitive position is a comprehensive approach most often sought to be driven by adopting the technology, particularly computer and internet technology. A strategic business information systems development is thus a critical necessity for an organization of repute and size to achieve in delivering on its competitive position. First, the firm has to understand where it stands with respect to the environment and its internal capabilities. The next step involves the actual choice of direction and method by which the strategy is affected. The analysis of the firm’s external macro-environment can help identify the key drivers in the industry that can determine the strategic choices made. In case of changes in the environment, such analysis can also be used to reframe the strategy. Among the external drivers, the state of technology and its adoption has a sig nificant effect in giving direction to the organizational strategies.

Human Resources - Needs Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resources - Needs Assessment - Essay Example Organizational analysis becomes necessary in some cases such as technology changes, environmental shift or when leadership changes For example in GameStop technology changes are frequent. Most important task in improving an organization’s efficiency is performance management which is basically clarifying job responsibilities and priorities to employees and indicating the performance expectations that are required from the employees. To improve the performance the best scenario is appropriate training for the employees in their own fields of work but before that any organization goes through the performance needs assessment in which the desired outcome that is required from the employees and the actual outcome are compared and analyzed. For this first of all the current situation of the present and future employee’s skills, knowledge, talents, capabilities are assessed including the organization’s internal climate provided to the employee (Rossetti,2009). Then the required state is analyzed and this includes the status of the work responsibilities and the skills, potential, efforts and knowledge required to achieve the desired position. In an efficient organization it is very necessary to focus on critical tasks to achieve the long range production goals and not just on current practices. Long range production goals are the desired destination point in future for a company which requires long range strategic interventions. This analysis will produce a list for training and career development but we must first confirm that are needs are actually real and there is a chance for proper and possible intervention. For example we will first asses that whether the problem is costing more then its solution. HR will follow the law during the possible solution and also the influence of this whole effort is analyzed. Now comes the part when we search for the reasons of the low or below desired income and the question faced is whether the employees are w orking hard enough or are they trained properly to do their jobs.(Goldstein,2005). If there are issues indicating and causing the low income then they may be unhappy people(customer, employee, investor) and their complaints are evident when customer satisfaction surveys, annual morale surveys are done ,poor productivity reports(too little work to be done using too many resources) show missed production schedule, poor financial report( cost of sales is too high and there is inadequate cash flow), insufficient communication( lack of feedback system, lack of coordination), lack of compliance having too many violations taking place within the system. Human resource department surveys the employee turn over rate, talent management, complaints etc. If all of this is not satisfactory then the cause are analyzed and then comes the solution part all of which cannot be mended by simple training. GameStop or any company hires already experienced employees so that the issue of training is less frequent but it is not possible all the time plus job requirements change with designation or nature of the job. Needs assessment saves time ensuring that time is not wasted in teaching which is already known. Needs does not refer to the things that are desired, it refers to the difference between the things that are â€Å"present† and those which are â€Å"

Ethical and Social Responsibility at Hyundai Motor Company Essay

Ethical and Social Responsibility at Hyundai Motor Company - Essay Example By being ethically and socially responsible, the company ensures that it maximizes positive impact on the society, while reducing negative societal impact. Accordingly, a company is supposed to ensure legal, economic and charitable humanitarian responsibilities (Ihlen, Bartlett & May, 2011). The Hyundai motor company is an automobiles manufacturing and distribution company, of South Korean origin. This company has dealings in many other world regions including; Europe, America as well as the Middle East. According to Lansbury et al. (2007), among the company’s main concerns is, corporate social responsibility via corporate citizenship, through which, the company makes its contribution to the global society. For Hyundai motor company, ethical responsibility encompasses social contribution, environmental management and trust-based administration. As far as social contribution is concerned, the company has enlarged its capacity and obtained expertise for effective global projects (Kaslow, 2006). Hyundai also participates in charitable initiatives that contribute to the improvement of the lives of the local population. Trust-based administration focuses on the improvement of labor dealings, mutual benefit between them and their suppliers, as well as transparent management. Lastly, environmental management deals with responding to global tendencies, as well as environmentally related laws. It recognizes that the environment is an essential element in any business, therefore, promotes the manufacturing and supply of environmentally safe goods. The Hyundai Company also ensures the reduction of pollutants, while preserving sources of energy, from product manufacture to its disposal. Needle (2010) states that, this is achieved through training programs offered to all employees on international laws and regulations concerning the environment. Generally, the company aims at gaining trust from both the public and the government and pursuing qualitative and quantitat ive growth. In addition, Hyundai seeks to lead the industry in sustainable management, improve corporate competitiveness and grow as a revered company. Hyundai concerns itself with communities suffering the aftermaths of natural disasters, by providing quick and effective assistance. In the summer of 2005, Austria was hit by unusual floods on the Alps. In response, the Hyundai Motor Company sent financial help and provided vehicular support to help in the evacuation efforts. According to Hyundai worldwide (2010), this gesture was well received by Austria and served to solidify the Hyundai presence in that region. Through its subsidiary company in America, Hyundai has positively impacted on the society, especially through its â€Å"hope on wheels† foundation that has funded the field of pediatric cancer study and treatment. Hyundai is also an ardent supporter of the American society against cancer, to whose end; it has given financial aid since 2001. Hyundai is also a corporat e sponsor of the association that calls for equal rights for all Americans, thus ensuring political, social, educational and economic rights of the minority in the American system. These activities have helped Hyundai gain many accolades globally. The Hyundai Motor

Argumentative Essay Essay Example for Free

Argumentative Essay Essay Ever since the war on terror our government continues the abuse of human rights by, always tracking individuals and labeling them, practicing lock downs of cities for when they really need it, and always adding to the list of freedoms there taking away from us. Most people don’t see it as that many people see it still as a war against people that terrorized America. Soon after 9-11 the United States best computers where hard at work beginning a process to find and label terrorist in America and by doing so they invaded everyone’s privacy by constantly scanning emails and texts, voice recognition software on all our phones, Facebook is primarily used to profile people and find more about their personal mind sets and likes. Our cell phones can trigger words that start voice recording software so anyone can listen in on our calls. Right after the Boston bombing the government exercised martial law by having everyone clear the streets and clearing house by house, no one could be outside without being considered a threat, that’s putting people on lockdown and testing out how well it works on big American city’s or towns and to see how well the people listened. One by one our freedoms are being taken away and no one can stop it, it’s part of the new technology and life we will have to grow and live into and our children. Ever since the terrorist act most of our freedoms where taken away right there, and as time goes on and we continue to let our government control us pretty soon we will have no freedoms what so ever and will be under full control as a people. Everyday new and better technology comes out that can help control America one way at a time. The war on terror has contributed to the growing abuse of human rights and no one will do anything to stop it. If we don’t come together as a hole to stop it people will soon be robots living under the control of one ruler or a group of people that decide everything about us.

Amsterdam Tourism Marketing Condition Tourism Essay

Amsterdam Tourism Marketing Condition Tourism Essay Amsterdam has long been regarded as diversified, international city. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, in 2008, 4.5 million visitors stayed over in Amsterdam. The city break markets significance and economic value is increasingly being acknowledged by city managers and administrators (Dunne, 2007). Domestic tourists constantly account for about 20% of Amsterdam tourist arrivals, followed by 18% of U.K tourists and 11% U.S tourists  [1]  . In 2009, due to the economic recession, during the first six months of 2009 the number of bed nights of international guests continued to decrease, with the UK (-23%), Spain (-20%) and the US (-9%)  [2]  . The significant change in 2009 tourism was the increase of Spain tourists and tourists from BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China). This indicated that no matter within or outside Europe, even during economic recession, the market potential would be worth exploring in the future. What makes a potential tourist come to Amsterdam? Before they start the trip, they have a perception of this city, which refers to destination image. The importance of the tourist destinations image is universally acknowledged, since it affects the individuals subjective perception and consequent behaviour and destination choice (Chon, 1990; Echtner Ritchie, 1991). That is to say, destination image motivates people travelling. Hall and OSullivan (1996) proposed that the creation of a destination image is based on three elements: (a) Returning tourists through word-of-mouth reporting, (b) Media reporting and image-making and (c) Government policies and interests. Supported by Seddighi et al. (2001), stated that perceptions about country image are formed through advertising and promotion, news accounts, conversation with friends and relatives, travel agents and past experiences (2001, p.182), suggesting that the attractiveness of destination needs an informative city image. In the three elements mentioned above, returning tourists reporting and media reporting are important factors in motivating people visiting Amsterdam. Amsterdam has various types of recreational areas that serve different types of tourists. Comparing with Berlin, Paris and Rome, Amsterdam has its language advantage. Amsterdam inhabitants speak fluent Nederlands and sufficient English. This creates an accommodating and friendly tourist environment. Whats more, the general hygiene of Amsterdam is well maintained. This city is relaxing and has no specific religion restrains. As a result, word-of-mouth would be generally good. The second factor, media reporting and image-making, is the part that can be improved. And the improvement will make significant difference in motivating more people coming to Amsterdam. It has a lot to do with target marketing. The city image of Amsterdam is diversified. On one hand, it could be a good thing: any types of tourists will find that this city fit them. However, it makes Amsterdam an optional place to visit. If potential tourists are not fully motivated to come to Amsterdam, they can easily change their destination to Paris or Madrid. It is important for Amsterdam to have specific image to target tourist groups. As to government policies, Amsterdam has a stable and safe social environment. Despite marijuana and prostitution are legal in this city, the crime rate holds medium to low comparing with other EU cities. And these two factors are attracting a lot of curious tourists and generating money from them. The local government of Amsterdam is making an effort to promote tourism. It is obvious this city welcomes tourist, for instance, the spread of tourist information office and tickets centres, English introductions in major tram lines to entertainment area. So this element can be regarded as accomplished. 2. Tourist Segmentation and Motivation 2.1 Demographic Breakdowns Collectively, previous studies have demonstrated that tourists with different cultural backgrounds may show differences in their motivations, preferred tourism resources, and behavioural characteristics (Chen et al. 2000). According to the factsheet 2009 of Amsterdam, the main travellers are from EU countries (76%). The geographic category is: The Netherlands, U.K, U.S, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, rest of Europe, Asia, rest of America, Africa and Oceania. Since tourism is a price sensitive industry, the demographic should include income. Educational background and age are also parts of tourist profile. 2.2 Subjective Culture Groups Hofstede (1980) found that people from different societies varied in terms of four subjective cultural aspects, including power distance, masculinity-femininity, individualism-collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance. Power distance refers to the degree to which cultures encourage or maintain status differences between power holders. Masculinity-femininity refers to the relative emphasis on achievement which characterizes gender distinctions in some national cultures. Individualism means ones identity is by determined by personal choices and achievement. Collectivism has to do with ones identity is determined by the character of the collective groups to which one is attached. Uncertainty avoidance has to do with the degree to which societies and cultures develop ways to deal with the anxiety and stress of uncertainty (Kim, 1999). Previous research showed that western and Asian culture has distinctive difference with respect to four subjective cultural aspects (Enright, 1994; Dann, 1981). Power distance is bigger in Asian countries than in western countries. This implies the way people wanted to be accommodated differs when the culture background changes. Gender and religion issue could arise by travellers from Middle Eastern countries, for example, gender-separated prayer room would be appreciated by Muslims, while people from Japan and China probably would not pay much attention to it. Whats more, individualism is more appreciated in western countries while collectivism is an idea that commonly shared by Asian countries. The implication would be different focus when advertising Amsterdam. In western countries, DIY booklet of city tour would be more popular. In Asian countries, group easy access would satisfy potential travellers. People from different subjective cultural groups tend to link themselves with preferred city image of Amsterdam. So the city image of Amsterdam should have a different focus on media in different countries. 2.3 Motivation Factors Motivation has been referred to as psychological/biological/social needs and wants, including internal (or emotional) and external forces (Dann, 1981). In the context of tourist motivation, internal force is the desire to go travelling; external forces could be public holiday, attractive city experience, budget,etc. Motivation based segmentation helps marketers determine why visitors are consuming a product or service, and suggests the means by which visitors desires can be met (Oh et al., 1995). Therefore, tourist motivation studies are useful in developing product, promotion, and segmentation strategies. Analysis of tourist motivation attempts to extend the theoretical and empirical evidence on the causal relationship among the push and pull motivations, satisfaction, and destination loyalty (Yoon and Uysal, 2005). According to Uysal Hagan (1993), these forces describe how individuals are pushed by 6 motivation variables into making travel decisions and how they are pulled or attracted by destination attributes. Push factors are defined as origin-related and refer the intangible, intrinsic desires of the individual traveler, such as desire to escape, rest and relaxation, adventure, health and prestige. Pull factors are defined mainly related to the attractiveness of a given destination and tangible characteristics such as beaches, accommodation and recreation facilities and cultural and historical resources (Uysal Hagan, 1993). Goossens (2000) describes push and pull factors of tourist behavior as, two sides of the same motivational coin (2000, p. 302) and further posits that the psychological concept, emotion, connects both sides with needs functioning as a pushing motivation and benefits as a pulling motivation. More specifically, Kozak (2002) has categorized motivation push and pull factors into four subcategories: culture, pleasure-seeking/fantasy, relaxation, physical (2002, p.226). These four factors can be used in measuring tourist motivation. While Kay (2009) categorized motives as: social consumption, novelty, learn local culture and relaxation. These two categories shared similarity and have differences. 3. Marketing implication The travel market is often divided into four types of markets: personal business travel, government or corporate business travel, visiting friends and family, and leisure travel. Market segmentation is based on the profiles of target groups and measuring the attractiveness of the market (Zhang et al. 2007). In this paper, the main focus will be on leisure travel, because three types mentioned above are not sensitive to marketing strategies. They can be regarded as more fixed travel pattern on a fixed schedule and destination. 4. Theoretical Framework Motivations: 1. Relaxation 2. Social consumption 3. Pleasure-seeking/Novelty 4. Local culture Marketing implication of leisure travel to Amsterdam Subjective Culture Groups

Reflexivity Essay -- Renato Resaldo Ethnographer Anthropology Essays

Reflexivity When an ethnographer examines a group of people, she is influenced by her position and understanding of her own culture. Before an ethnographer even begins her research, her opinion is effecting the process of selecting a topic. For instance, Anthropology’s most commonly known researcher Bronslow Malinowsky wrote the Argonauts of the Western Pacific. He did not choose to study a culture similar to his own because of the interest he had in the ‘exotic’. His preferences told him to pick a more remote group of people, the Trobriand Islanders. There has been a history of choosing the opposite of the Anthropologists own culture. Reflexivity is the use of one’s experiences to examine a culture. It is my argument that this reflexivity is necessary in the process of writing Ethnographies. In Renato Resaldo’s introduction chapter to Culture And Truth: The Remaking of Social Analysis, Resaldo comes to grips with his misinterpretation of the â€Å"Grief and a Headhunter’s rage (Resaldo: p.1).† Whist studying the Ilongots of the Philippines, Resaldo examined the use of headhunting as an outlet for rage. However, his true understanding did not come until he had experienced the grief [and subsequent rage] of losing his wife. His use of his wife’s death to understand the Ilongot’s bereavement was imperative to his comprehension of an aspect of their culture. Without the admittance of his misunderstanding, the culture would be misrepresented forever[1]. Anthropologists and Ethnographers have a responsibility to themselves to be truthful, but more importantly they have a responsibility to the cultures they study. By including the tragic death of his wife, Resaldo is able to understand what the ritual of headhunting me... ...t’s photograph. Fortunately, his ability to gather information and organize it [through hours of dictation from his tape recorder] was successful in giving the reader a comprehensive [slightly glamorized] result. Reflexivity, as with any tool, can be overused. The writer must realize that the ethnography is the result of studying a culture and the recording of their culture is the most important aspect of the writing. When a personal experience can bring a better understanding to the reader then it should be used. The establishment of authority is necessary so that the reader can relate to the ethnographer, however too much emphasis on that aspect can give discredit the ethnography. [1] Resaldo had misunderstood the Ilongot’s ritual of headhunting for many years and his new introduction to his book addresses the revelation that came after his wife’s death.

Edgar Allan Poe?s ?The Philosophy of Composition? :: essays research papers

Shortly after Edgar Allan Poe had completed his masterpiece, â€Å"The Raven† and sold it for $15 in 1845, he composed an essay entitled â€Å"The Philosophy of Composition†. In the essay, he claims that writing a poem was a methodical process, much like solving a mathematical problem. Poe emphasized that a poem should be read and enjoyed in one sitting, thus concluding that a poem should be around 100 lines long (The Raven was 108 lines long). Poe also states that his method of writing a poem consists of writing it backwards. Each section of the poem relies heavily upon alliteration and alternating interior rhythms. Poe used a method to appeal to both popular and critical tastes by hitting upon the most melancholic of all subjects: the death of a beautiful woman. "The death†¦of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetic topic in the world – and equally is it beyond the doubt that the lips best suited for such topic are those of a bereaved lover". Of all the themes, he chose death, because it was an emotion that everyone can relate to. Poe believed that the most poetic use of the theme death was the death of a beautiful woman. Having the theme and subject planned out, he composed his poem backwards, adding uses of the word â€Å"nevermore†. The alliteration of â€Å"nevermore† builds tension, stanza by stanza. Poe wanted to create poetry of feeling, to be able to relate the reader with the narrator. However, it has been suggested that â€Å"The Philosophy of Composition† was a hoax, and it is unlikely that it is an account of his poem, â€Å"The Raven†. Scholars are skeptical because he enjoys revealing his secrets a little too much in that he loved to explain and analyze his writing skills.

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"Butterfly Effect† was perhaps one of the best films I have ever seen. I found it mysterious, interesting and fascinating. I wanted to write my reaction paper about â€Å"Butterfly Effect† because of the similarity to the film we saw in class called â€Å"Donnie Darko†. Both films investigate the issue of destiny thoroughly. Both film had a male character that has memories, dreams or black outs which make them at first confused. But later on, they realized the power they have in order to change their destiny. The main difference between those two films is their endings. While Donnie Darko has a bad ending, Butterfly effect ends more optimistic. We can say the end of the film in â€Å"butterfly effect† is left to the audience to interpret. Also Donnie Darko had the time travel once but the main character Evan had the time travel several times. Both films impressed me much and changed my view about destiny. But the reason I write about ‘’ B utterfly Effect† is that it was more realistic than â€Å"Donnie Darko†. (Rabbit) While watching the film my suspense level was always at the top. Some points were kept mystical and contradictory till the end of the film. At the first scenes in Film, it is a little bit hard to understand what is happening, but later on, the story can be understand easily. At the beginning we know just that the main character Evan is living with his mom and has a bad childhood with full of missing memories and black outs. He started to get psychological treatment right a... THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT Essay -- essays research papers â€Å"Butterfly Effect† was perhaps one of the best films I have ever seen. I found it mysterious, interesting and fascinating. I wanted to write my reaction paper about â€Å"Butterfly Effect† because of the similarity to the film we saw in class called â€Å"Donnie Darko†. Both films investigate the issue of destiny thoroughly. Both film had a male character that has memories, dreams or black outs which make them at first confused. But later on, they realized the power they have in order to change their destiny. The main difference between those two films is their endings. While Donnie Darko has a bad ending, Butterfly effect ends more optimistic. We can say the end of the film in â€Å"butterfly effect† is left to the audience to interpret. Also Donnie Darko had the time travel once but the main character Evan had the time travel several times. Both films impressed me much and changed my view about destiny. But the reason I write about ‘’ B utterfly Effect† is that it was more realistic than â€Å"Donnie Darko†. (Rabbit) While watching the film my suspense level was always at the top. Some points were kept mystical and contradictory till the end of the film. At the first scenes in Film, it is a little bit hard to understand what is happening, but later on, the story can be understand easily. At the beginning we know just that the main character Evan is living with his mom and has a bad childhood with full of missing memories and black outs. He started to get psychological treatment right a...

Biblical Accuracy

January 3, 2012/17 Rhetoric I Ask In Kennedy's inaugural address he pledges to help the people around the world who â€Å"struggle to break the bonds of misery. † He wishes to help these people because it is the right thing to do. This shows that there was much poverty around the world at the time. Even the rich needed help; Kennedy said, â€Å"If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, then it cannot save the few who are rich. † Kennedy also wanted to assure the survival and success of liberty. He wanted every nation to know that America would do anything to preserve and spread liberty. In his inaugural address, Kennedy uses the oxymoron â€Å"peaceful revolution. † He was referring to the peace he wanted to maintain with Mexico. Likewise Kennedy wanted to pursue and attain world peace. In his 1961 inaugural speech, Kennedy states numerous times the achievement of world peace. He understood that peace would be difficult to accomplish. Therefore he made a request to the enemy to begin anew a quest for peace. He states that the only way to achieve peace would be to have â€Å"arms sufficient beyond doubt† because only then will they be certain to never be used on each other. Yet peace is a distant dream because both sides are frantic to not be outdone by the opposing force. Which goes back to what Kennedy said, â€Å"let us begin anew. † A way to achieve harmony is to â€Å"let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate. † Another way to attain serenity according to Kennedy, is to have both sides explore what will unite them instead of dwelling on what separates them. Lastly, a way to unite the world would be to explore the endless wonders of science together. Kennedy explains this specific road to tranquility by using parallelism. Kennedy's words on obtaining peace suggest that a war, the cold war precisely, was occurring. John F. Kennedy is considered to be one of America's greatest presidents. It's not hard to see why with his elaborate, inspirational speeches. Kennedy loved America and wanted the best for her, peace, freedom, unity, and liberty. It was JFK that said these motivational words, â€Å"United, there is little we cannot do†¦ Divided there is little we can do. â€Å"

Different Perspectives in Psychology Coexist Rather Than Conflict

This paper approaches the topic from a consideration of psychological research in the fields of sex and gender and language. It does so in general terms and avoids discussion at levels of detail. Therefore where a reference is made to specific research the intention is to do no more than exemplify a general principle. The paper will conclude that different perspectives in psychology do at times co-exist, though complement and conflict are frequent.It will suggest the lack of a decisive answer is a result of the relative immaturity of Psychology as a discipline and a concomitant lack of adequately powerful theories that might serve to unite otherwise disparate perspectives. A consideration of how psychology approaches the study of sex and gender reveals, amongst others, four significant theoretical perspectives that are for the most part quite distinct in terms of their objects of knowledge and consequent methods of analysis.Biological psychology is concerned with explaining the diffe rences between male and female in terms of hormones, genes and brain structure. It is mechanistic, with a strong empirical tradition. Evolutionary psychology attempts to explain differences between sexes in terms of behavioural selection for reproductive fitness. Whilst in large part necessarily theoretical, it embraces empirical methods as a means of testing theories. Social constructionist psychology approaches sex and gender through the study of discourse in various historical, cultural and social contexts and so is hermeneutic.Finally psychoanalytic psychology primarily uses clinical observation and the study of infants to gather evidence of how humans acquire and develop a sense of sex and gender (cited in Holloway et al, 2007, pp. 127ff). (6) The immediate impression from the above is that the scope for complement, conflict or co-existence is not clear-cut. Given that they do not share common objects of knowledge, the hope might be for complementary theories that together cont ribute to a broad understanding. Certainly the biological and evolutionary perspectives appear complementary at the theoretical level n that both regard biological sex as the determinant of gender and view differences between sexes as biological features that have been selected for during evolution. However, biological psychology attempts to explain differences in male-female psychology in terms of selected physiological characteristics, for example dimorphism in brain structures (cf. Hofman and Swaab, 1991, cited in Holloway et al, 2007, p. 139). On the other hand the evolutionary psychologist would principally argue in favour of selected behavioural characteristics such as differences between male and female sexual attitudes (cf. Clark and Hatfield, 1989, cited in Holloway et al, 2007, p. 146).There is thus an apparent conflict at the level of analysis. It is therefore ironic that evolutionary psychology must perforce co-exist with biological psychology since, given the understand able constraints on its ability to conduct the sorts of empirical investigations that might be wished for (cf. Herrnstein-Smith, 2000, cited in Holloway et al, 2007, p. 173), it is dependent on a certain amount of corroboration from the biological perspective, amongst others (cited in Holloway et al, 2007, pp. 84). (22) Whereas the biological and evolutionary perspectives agree that biological sex lies at the heart of explaining gender, the social constructionist perspective explicitly rejects that view; sometimes for political reasons (cited in Holloway et al, 2007, pp. 185; see Spence, 1984 and Spender, 1980). Social constructionism regards both sex and gender as characteristics that are revealed only through discourse and action. They are a consequence of the individual's behaviour and experience in a given cultural, social and historical context (ibid).The depth of the conflict is exemplified by a comparison of evolutionary studies that emphasise cross-cultural stability in part icular sexual preferences (cf. Singh 1995, p. 148; Buss and Schmitt, 1993, p. 148, cited in Holloway et al, 2007) and social constructionist ideas such as Bem's (1994, cited in Holloway et al, 2007, p. 153) Gender Schema Theory. Crucially, for the social constructionist gender is something that is continually re-established throughout the lifetime of the individual (cited in Holloway et al, 2007, pp. 153). From the biological and evolutionary perspectives, it is predetermined. 33) Whilst the psychodynamic perspective largely complements the social constructionist, in terms of its interpretive or hermeneutic methodology, its explanations largely focus on the unconscious given that its objects of study entail â€Å"the meaning of the biological differences between men and women and how these become internalised in the child's mind† (cited in Holloway et al, 2007, pp. 184).Thus both the social constructionist and psychoanalytic perspectives conflict with the biological and evolu tionary approaches at the methodological level. Uniquely however (ibid, p. 86) the psychodynamic perspective recognises both biological and cultural contributions to it's theorising. It is not without its share of conflict however. Within the perspective, Freudian notions of the opposite sexed p arent as ‘sexual object of choice' and ‘penis envy' (ibid, p. 161f) quickly came under scrutiny of female and feminist psychologists (cf. Horney, 1926, cited in Holloway et al, 2007, p. 163). There is also conflict with evolutionary explanations of rape as an adaptive strategy (compare Thornhill and Palmer, 2000 and Rose and Rose, 2000 cited in Holloway et al, 2007, p. 71, p. 172). (26) Turning to a consideration of the study of language and meaning, one finds an equally intriguing mix of potential co-existence, complement and conflict when comparing the three principal perspectives. The evolutionary perspective sets out to explore the origins of language and its implications for the human species; the cognitive perspective adopts an information processing approach to the transmission of meaning; and the social constructionist perspective focuses on â€Å"meaning making† as a dynamic between interlocutors (cited in Cooper and Kaye, 2007, p. 119).It is possible therefore to view the three perspectives as at least co-existent. Their objects of knowledge are different and one might expect their cumulative product to contribute to some sort of unified theory. Indeed, from the evolutionary perspective Deacon (1997, Cooper and Kaye, 2007, p. 115) suggests that language is a social phenomenon that defies explanation only in psychological, or only in neuro-biological terms. (9) However, the potential for conflict between the cognitive and social constructionist perspectives is revealed in how they view meaning as the object of knowledge.For the former it is something that is constructed internally by the individual prior to transmission, and subsequently rec onstructed by the audience. For the latter it is negotiated as a result of discourse between individuals – meaning emerges as the result of a complex interplay of intentions, interpretations and power-relations. Thus, there is cause for disagreement as to what â€Å"meaning† is and where it comes from (cited in Cooper and Kaye, 2007, p. 102). That this is adequate to justify a claim of conflict seems weak since the types of â€Å"meaning† espoused by the two perspectives are themselves different.Further, at the level of common sense they are mutually sustaining. The very notion of discourse requires at least two participants seeking, though perhaps not achieving, a consensus of meaning. This demands that at some level each participant is cognising about their intended meaning and how the other is construing it. The implication is that the two perspectives ought to complement the other, or at least co-exist. (6) A key social constructionist argument against a pur ist cognitive perspective is that linguistic (and other cognitive) processes cannot be â€Å"transparently reported† (cited in Cooper and Kaye, 2007, p. 11). This argument is one that cognitive researchers have long acknowledged.Commenting on early research into the cognitive modelling of language Boden (1977, pp. 113ff, et passim) notes that a person's understanding of language in a given instance is dependent, not simply on their knowledge of the world around them, but crucially on their understanding of their relationship with their interlocutors. Other researchers emphasise the point (cf. Sperber and Wilson, 1986, cited in Cooper and Kaye, 2007, p. 99). For their part, social constructionists such as Edwards et al (1992, p. 42, cited in Cooper and Kaye, 2007, p. 112) recognise the importance of the cognitive perspective and suggest only that theirs is a new perspective that offers different insights. Therefore, unless a researcher is determined to hold to one or the other perspective as a matter of purist dogma, it seems more reasonable given the disparate loci of the respective objects of knowledge and the statements that each perspective favourably acknowledges the other, then the cognitive and social constructionist perspectives are thus far co-existent. (32)Within the evolutionary perspective there is a debate as to whether language evolved as an adaptational advantage and was the foundation for other cognitive abilities (Pinker, 2000 cited in Cooper and Kaye, 2007, p. 121), or as a consequence of selection for an ability to form and manipulate predictive metarepresentations (Sperber, 2000 cited in Cooper and Kaye, 2007, p. 121). These are polarised and conflicting views. Pinker's would complement the cognitive perspective with its emphasis on information processing, whilst Sperber would complement the social constructionist.However, Deacon (1997) offers evidence that both capacities evolved in parallel. If he is correct, then there are substant ial grounds for seeking a complementary accommodation between the cognitive and social constructionist paradigms. (6) Even from this scant evaluation, one is struck by the disparate objects of knowledge, types of theory and methodologies. The inevitable conclusion is that psychology is characterised by perspectives that at one or more of these levels conflict, co-exist or complement.One might wish for a parallel to the cosmologist's search for a Unified Theory of Matter; where although theories might diverge cosmology has one over-arching object of study and one comprehensive methodology in computational empiricism. Psychologists do not stand on such substantial bedrock. The questions they pose are often difficult to formulate computationally without reducing the predictive power of any solution, or indeed are abstractions that cannot be treated computationally without trivialising them (see Sundem, 2006 for amusing examples).Whereas the history of physics can be measured in thousan ds of years, psychology as a recognisable discipline has existed for just over a century. A sense of internal conflict muted by convenient co-existence and fortunate complement should not therefore come as a disappointment. It is merely an acknowledgement that psychology is still an emerging and diverse field, and that whatever conflict exists can reasonably be attributed to a lack of sufficiently powerful theories with which to reconcile the different perspectives. This essay focuses on the social perspective of psychology referring Language nd Meaning and Gender and Sex. It deals with the relationship between psychological theory and method in a range of material in both chapters, with particular attention to how social influences shape human development and behaviour. Language and Meaning ‘Language and meaning’, is used to describe a social constructionist approach to language. There are several ways in which the social perspective has promoted understanding in this area. There are primarily two different psychological perspectives on language: cognitive and social.These approaches take evidence from different research bodies, each of which have a different focus As social beings, we continuously interact with other people, thinking about our use of language and how it may best serve us. The social constructionist perspective sees language as a way of creating meaning between individuals as they interact. The social psychological perspective defines the human world as being created through language, making it one of its most powerful and important features. This approach to language sees people using language to take action and achieve objectives.Language is seen as a means by which goals might be achieved. The social psychological approaches to language therefore focuses on understanding language and its meanings as a social process. It sees language as an interactive process between people. It is seen as social because it involves this very i nteraction, and it is through this social interaction that meaning is created. Social psychology argues that there is more to language than the knowledge of syntax, semantics, phonics and coding and other rules of language, even if these are described as being interactive within a cognitive approach.This argument helps define the contrast between social psychological and cognitive approaches to language. In social psychological perspectives, the purpose of language is not to reflect thoughts and emotions and convey them neutrally to someone else. Instead, the motivation for language is defined by the desired action brought about by the use of language. Social psychological approaches to language do not place meaning inherently in the constructions of language such as lexicon, grammar or semantics in the same way as cognitive approaches do.One of the methodological complexities involved in researching language is that we must use language itself as the means by which we research it a s a subject in its own right. This issue is at the centre of the tension that exists between cognitive and social approaches to language. The paradox here is that the necessity of responding in language may predetermine what is said about language. The cognitive perspective assumes that there are separate cognitive processes that language can represent in communication to others, or in dialogue with the self.The accuracy of this depends upon how closely language communicates the cognition behind it. Cognitive psychologists believe that the thinking that underlies language can be studied accurately and in social isolation. However, discursive psychology argues that, when people use language, they do so in a social context, with an audience and for a reason. The social constructionist approach views language as the means for the socially produced meaning. It is the means by which people construct their world, interact with others and set out to achieve their objectives.The cognitive a pproach sees language as the part of the cerebral information processing. It can be argued that meaning is generated by people as they communicate. There is therefore a tension between the social constructionist and cognitive perspectives with respect to meaning and whether it is communicated between people or constructed between them. The social constructionist perspective on language is that it is a tool for social interaction. These different views of language have different implications – the cognitive perspective is that language underpins human thought.The social constructionist approach has no particular implication for the relationship of language to thought as it places language firmly within a socially constructed context. Sex and Gender ‘The psychology of sex and gender’, is used to refer to the social constructionist approach to sex and gender. There are several ways in which the social perspective has promoted understanding this area. With respect to the two terms (sex and gender), there is a distinction between the biological and the social.However, biological sex may also be expressed in behaviour that is influenced by social factors and psychological meanings. Therefore, as labels, sex and gender may only be useful as theoretical constructs. However, gender is usually taken to refer to social constructs that pertain to biological differences. These sex differences can be the result of interactions between biological, psychological and social processes. Social constructionist psychology looks at how sex and gender have been constructed within particular social contexts.It examines these social constructions and their influences. The social constructionist perspective is based upon the theory that the construction of meaning through language and social practices as discussed in the section above has produced patterns of behaviour, cognition and emotions that are gender-differentiated. Social constructionism argues that behavio ur cannot be directly explained solely by biological, reproductive sex. It also argues that the world is constructed to have two biological types (male and female) who have many diverse social and behavioural manifestations.This suggests that the many discourses of masculinity and femininity are socially produced. Social constructionism sees reproductive sex as being the visible difference between the sexes that provides the basis for a range of socially constructed gender differences. According to this perspective, biological sex is not central to explaining gender identity, but is a visible indicator to which a range of socially constructed gender differences are attached. Discourses about masculinity and femininity are therefore used by individuals to create their own gendered positionality.Gender is seen as being constructed throughout life, as behaviour and experience is defined through cultural manifestations of gender. Evolutionary psychologists also acknowledge social influe nces on sexual behaviour. However, they provide no systematic way explaining this in their experimental approach. The strength of the social constructionist approach to gender is its ability to take into account the social and cultural contexts of individuals. Evolutionary psychology however does offer some explanation of the origins of gender difference.The social constructionist perspective argues that sex is not central to explaining gender differences. Evolutionary and social constructionist perspectives have contrasting ideas about the relationship between sex and gender. Psychoanalytic psychology takes a different approach to social constructionism’s emphasis on external influences in determining people’s behaviour. However, both social constructionism and psychoanalysis are based upon the interpretation of meaning.Unlike evolutionary psychology, psychoanalysis, in common with social constructionist psychology, believe that the researcher’s positionality a nd subjectivity is inevitably involved in research. The onset of puberty is an example of the convergence of biological, psychoanalytic and social constructionist perspectives. The psychoanalytic and social constructionist approaches use methods that consider people’s beliefs and experiences, and focus on the interpretation of meaning by relying on the interpretation of symbolic data.The social constructionist perspective examines the importance of culture in the construction of gender. The psychoanalytic perspective acknowledges both the importance of biological difference and the social and cultural meanings inherent in this difference. The social constructionist and psychodynamic perspectives may be seen as complementary to each other in terms of methodology, as both use approaches are based on a hermeneutic theory to understand the meanings of gender.Conclusion The social constructionist perspective underpins discursive psychological theories of meaning as emerging from c ontext and interaction. Although the social perspective goes some way to addressing the influences of language and gender issues, there are some aspects which are also given a different perspective by other approaches. This can be seen in the sometimes useful linguistics frameworks of syntax, phonics, semantics etc. which is adopted by cognitive psychologists.In some instances the social perspective complements other perspectives. Such an example is psychoanalysis in the area of sex and gender. However, in other instances it more commonly just co-exists, for example in the case of social constructivism and evolutionary psychology. Social constructivism is in clear conflict with the cognitive perspective in the area of language as illustrated and argued above. Cognitive and social constructionist perspectives make conflicting assumptions about communication.

What Are the Intended Effects of the Opening of Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator’ and How Effective Are They?

Ridley Scott's ‘Gladiator' was released in 2000 and won five Oscars (Academy Awards); including â€Å"Best Film,† â€Å"Best Visual Effects† and â€Å"Best Director.† Scott cast some well known actors such as Russel Crowe and Richard Harris. Some reports suggest it cost an amazing à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½145 million. The casting of Crowe as Maximus was significant because he is able to portray a very well built, physically strong, battle-hardened leader. The character of Maximus contrasts with the casting of Harris as the ageing Emperor with his gaunt and tired looking features. From the very outset of the film, the director employs a sepia effect coupled with a dark, overcast almost monochrome effect. These combine to give the impression of imminent tragedy as well as conveying that the events are set in the distant past. The director has even asked the production companies ‘Universal' and ‘DreamWorks' to make their logos' sepia to show continuity. The historical information provided helps the audience to place the film in a historical context. The use of old Roman font for the text further reinforces the context and genre. The information is factual, gives names and information of real people. It is clear that this is going a historical, action film but with a central theme about power, control and one man's fight for his freedom from the killing and slaughter. The first shot is an extreme close up, when you would normally expect an extreme long shot to see the scene. The extreme close up is focusing on the actor's hand floating through the grass. The slow quiet music helps to make the shot dreamlike. The main character seems calm because he is stroking the grass and he is wearing a wedding ring to show he is a family man. After the slow close up shot the director shows the character alone on the battlefield which makes the previous scene a definite dream. To establish that it was a dream the director jumps from a slow calm shot to a medium close up on the character in a more dark and gloomy shot. The character's armour and wolf-skin shows that he is an important man. The cut to a robin (a bird usually seen in winter) with a dark background tells the audience that it is winter. After seeing the robin a small smile fights its way on to his face, which shows he is not just a gory, ruthless fighter and that he does have a gentle side. The extreme long shot is good to set the scene of the battlefield, which is a dark and gloomy forest. The name of the location ‘Germania' is Roman for Germany, by using the Roman language it helps to establish the fact that it is an old, Roman film. This shot is more dramatic because it contrasts heavily with the previous dreamlike shot of the hand floating through a calm cornfield. The slow music (adagio) starts off the extreme long shot making the atmosphere calm and gentle, it also makes it ominous because the adagio music is playing in the battlefield shot. When the shot begins to zoom in the music becomes more lively and action packed just as the army starts coming into view so you know that they are going to war. The music includes trumpets and a few drums which makes the shot more martial. The sudden change in atmosphere and music starts to build up the tension and expectation that a great deal of action is imminent. As the shot moves to Marcus Aurelius, the audience can see that he is an important character. He is wearing gold along with a purple cape. The purple cape shows he is royalty because to make the colour purple a tiny sea creature called a Murex Mollusc was required. This creature was very rare and large quantities were required to make a small amount of dye. Therefore, purple garments were highly prized status symbols. Whilst zooming inward the camera shot used is a low angle which makes Marcus Aurelius seem very high on his horse. He is also just watching the war not doing anything and he has got a stern looking bodyguard. The director emphasises General Maximus' authority by using a medium close up as he walks along all of his troops. Everyone is focused on him; they move out of the way, bow down and are always calling him sir to show complete respect. The costume he wears defines his authority, he wears more armour than the rest of his army and he is also wearing wolf-skin. The director stresses Maximus' authority and respect by making his word final, the director shows this in the following quote, â€Å"The range is good† this is the sentence where Maximus cuts off the other soldier, also â€Å"†¦is acceptable†, then, â€Å"agreed†, Maximus speaks in a very low, quiet, considered tone of voice but the soldiers still listen with no question which shows their respect for him. In the pre-battle motivational speech to his men, Maximus uses the type of language that his men can understand to encourage and motivate them. â€Å"Three weeks from now I will be harvesting my crops. Think were you want to be and it will be so.† Here he is making them think positive about the future and set a goal for themselves. He then jokes that if they find themselves all alone they are already in Elysium (Roman afterlife). But then he uses a phrase that seems quite out of character for a tough, brutal general of an aggressive, imperial Roman army, â€Å"What we do in life echoes in eternity.† This line instantly marks out Maximus as having a spiritual and sentimental aspect to his character. There are many differences between the Romans and the German Tribesmen, for instance when Maximus is giving his speech all of his troops are in formation quietly listening and fully concentrating, by contrast the German Tribesmen are shouting and not giving any attention. The fighting style of the Romans is orderly, synchronised and they are in a perfect battle formation, the Tribesmen are in disorganised running around like a rabble. The Romans are equipped with matching armour and similar weapons whilst the Tribesmen have animal skins and rough individual weapons. The Romans appear to have a complete strategy and are disciplined, the Tribesmen just rely on their brute strength, and even their appearance is barbaric. The director helps to establish the difference between the two sides by taking the shots of each side one after the other. Toward the end of the battle the director employs a technique that seems completely unexpected. As the battle is raging, there is loud martial music with lots of trumpets, drums and war cries. However as the battle is coming to a conclusion and the Roman army is on the verge of victory, the director switches to slow motion shots and an adagio score. Instead of seeing triumphant Romans celebrating their victory and listening to triumphant music, the audience is left in a slightly confused state. It is almost as if the director is trying to communicate the futility of the death and destruction. As the last of the Germans are being slaughtered and fires are raging in the background the only human sound is the sound of heavy tired exhalation of breath, Even blood splattered, exhausted Maximus' triumphant cry, â€Å"Roma Victor!† and his soldiers' cheers are almost lost in the adagio. Then in a scene that seals the futility of war, the camera focuses a tired, old, weary Emperor as he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes in an expression that reveals his sad resignation that another battle has been won. At first glance, I just thought â€Å"Gladiator† was simply going to be a â€Å"blood and guts film,† But having watched it with greater attention, I believe it is a truly great film. Ridley Scott has carefully constructed an opening scene that brings out the futility of war and one mans struggle to be free. Scott had used many different effects such as; slow motion photography, quick change in atmosphere and an almost monochrome set with the orange of burning fires and sepia tones. The musical score has switched between triumphant martial music and a slow adagio hinting of imminent tragedy and sadness. Even the minimal dialogue between the characters complements the director's intended effect. Overall this is a magnificent opening scene.

The Importance of Logistics in Providing

Logistics involves controlling and managing the movement of goods and services, information and products from the point where they are produced up to the market place.   In other words, it deals with the information and physical flows of the raw materials to the final distribution of finished products.   Logistics also involves the management of information and storage of materials, parts of the finished goods in the chains of supply, through procurement stages, work-in-progress to the final distribution. According to cooper (1994), the goal of logistics is to maximize future and current profitability in order to acquire customer satisfaction and also satisfying their orders through the cost effective analysis (Rushton, Oxley & Croucher, 2000). Customer service and Logistics Majority of today’s companies consider customer service as a very crucial phenomenon in their businesses.   In the past customer service was mainly based on the needs of the customer without taking in consideration what real requirements or even the perceptions of these customers.   It is therefore necessary to comprehend the customer requirements and service will always differ not only between industries and companies but also between the market segments that a business might seem to have (Rushton, Oxley & Croucher, 2000). Complexity of the provision of customer service is also another important requirement that needs to be noted and understood clearly.   This is because customer service links the processes of logistics and distribution and many influences relevant to customer service may evolve within these processes; such as the range from ease of ordering stock that is available to the reliability of delivery. It is also important to balance the cost of provision with the level of service provided.   High costs of providing customer service that is even greater than what a customer actually requires has resulted in the downfall of many service offerings in companies. Therefore, the key to attaining quality and successful customer service policy is through the development of appropriate policies and objectives which involves liaison with these customers.   It is also important to monitor, control and measure all the set up procedures (Rushton, Oxley & Croucher, 2000). The components of the logistics customer service may be identified as a transaction –related elements with emphasis being placed on specific service that is provided for instance on time delivery.   It may also be viewed as functional attributes related to the entire aspects consisting of the order fulfillment such as taking of orders. In order to reflect the timing and nature of particular service requirements transaction elements are usually put into three categories: Pre-transaction elements, transaction elements and post-transaction elements. Pre-transaction elements consist of customer service factors brought about as a result of the actual transaction that takes place. They involve: accessibility of order personnel, method of ordering, system flexibility, written customer service policy single order contact point, transaction elements organizational structure and order size constraints. Transaction elements on the other hand are the elements that are related to those other elements mostly concerned with logistics and distribution.   These elements include: delivery of complete order, delivery time, order preparation, delivery reliability, order cycle time, availability of inventory, condition of goods, order status information and delivery alternatives. The post-transaction elements consist of those elements that arise after the process of delivery has been fulfilled.   These elements include: call-out time, returns policy, availability of spares, product tracing, involving procedures, customer complaints and procedures, claims procedures and involving accuracy. Another classification of customer service elements is that one of multifunctional dimensions.   This classification has the objective of assessing the various components of customer service available across a range of the whole functions of the company so as to strive to gain a seamless service provision.   For instance, time is made up of a single requirement which covers the whole range of span from the placement of order to the delivery of the order – the order cycle. This approach has the impact of enabling the delivery of some very relevant measures of logistics.   The multifunctional dimensions include: dependability which means the guaranteed accurate and fixed delivery time, flexibility which is the logistics customer services ability to identify and respond to the changing needs of customers’ time that is usually order cycle time and communication which helps in the easy of order taking processes (Rushton, Oxley & Croucher, 2000). There elements of customer service differ and their significance will also vary according to the company, concerned market and the product.   Therefore, it is important that a customer service policy exists which will help in the undertaking of the various segments of the market that exists. The customer service policy also involve the awareness of the needs of customers or those of the segmentation; identification of clearly defined quantifiable standards available for customer service, understanding any trade – off that may exist between the levels of customer service and that of the costs, measuring the service that is provided and lastly liaison with customers so as to enhance an appreciated and understanding of the provided service (Rushton, Oxley & Croucher, 2000). How logistics customer service affect a company’s sales and customer loyalty Customer service involves ways in which an organization deals with its customers and it is mostly seen in sales and after-sale service.   Customer service in logistics should also include all the processes that are involved in the value chain.   To acquire customer focus, there is need to obtain a good customer service.   Poor customer relations on the other hand are as a result of the availability of poor customer service (Peck & Christopher, 2003). Increasing levels of competitive pressure and difficulty with the aim of maintaining and increasing profitability is what most of today’s companies face.   The management of these companies are being faced with the challenges of innovating and seeking strategies that could help in the advancement of the competitive advantage and profitability of their awareness of the significance of logistics in their organizations hence the need for a specialist. Logistics customer service plays a very crucial role in the overall outcome of a company’s sales and customer loyalty.   The outcome could be negative or positive depending on the quality of the customer service that is being provided by an organization.   Poor customer service in logistics could result in poor customer loyal.   The poor services include high costs, poor delivery time, and poor goods that the company could be offering, lack of enough inventory among other things.   This not only affects customer relations and loyalty but also the sales of the company (Peck & Christopher, 2003). The earlier on discussed elements of logistics customer service play a very crucial role to the buyers of the products in the company.   Lack of adherence to these elements by an organization often leads to the fall in the overall company’s sales and customer loyalty.   Profitability of the firm depends on how a company handles carriers out these elements. An organization is bound to gain loyalty from its customers when it strives to strengthen the relationship between them as this will enhance the company’s sales hence profitability is increased.   This relationship involves good communication and honesty from the logistics customer care service loyalty can only be enhanced through good customer service provision.   Customer loyalty is bound to deteriorate if they are offered with poor services or the company’s sales are such that they are too high as compared to their expectations of the goods and services that a company provides (Peck & Christopher, 2003). Customer service plays a vital role in logistics hence its major concern.   The level and quality of logistic customer service provided will directly impact on the company’s cost and implication, its profitability and the market share.   Poor logistic customer service will result in the company’s lose of customer hence losing their loyalty as well.   The end result therefore means that the company will have to incur high costs in trying to shape its image and also in the recruitment of other personnel. The company has also got to strive in order to increase its market share.   On the other hand effective logistic customer care will result in the improved market share, profitability and low cost incurred by an organization (Peck & Christopher, 2003). Customer service in logistics and be viewed as an activity which means what a company actually provides for its customer service department that mostly handles special orders, billing, complaints among other things.   Similarly the provision of customer service can also be viewed as a measure of a company’s performance.   For instance if a company can deliver completed orders at least 24 hours of the receipt and 95% on time, this means that this company provides good customer service. It is therefore, important that the logistics customer service provides quality service in the manner in which they handle customer’s complaints, handling their orders and the speed of delivery.   This will have a positive impact on the company’s sale and customer loyalty (Gourdin, 2006). In addition, if the logistics customer service system is managed in a way that it can provide the customers the level and standard of services that they require, this will   result into customer satisfaction hence accompany is able to reap maximum benefits and at the same time retain the loyalty of its customers. Another factor that determines how logistic customer service impacts on company’s sales and customer loyalty is honesty.   Honesty means that an organization should be able to fulfill its promises to its customers.   If a company pledges more than what it can guarantee, it means that the customers will get dissatisfied.   This as a result, will lead to the fall of the number of customers that a company has hence, losing the customer’s loyalty and this eventually leads to a fall in the company’s sales.   It is therefore important that manager do not overstate the services they intend to offer their customers (Gourdin, 2006) To conclude, in today’s market, competition is stiff and customers are more demanding with regards to goods and services that are offered by companies.   The expectations concerning service provisions and this therefore calls for the understanding of what is valued by the customers and also a company needs to focus on the processes so that this value is delivery consistently. References Gourdin, K., (2006) Glogal Logistics Management: A Competitive Advantage for the 21st Century. Blackwell Publishing, ISBN 1405127139. Peak, H. & Christopher, M. (2003) Marketing Logistics. Elsevier. ISBN 0750652241. Rushton, A., Oxley, J., & Croucher, P., (2000).   The Handbook of Logistics and Distribution Manage.   Kogan Page. ISBN 0749433655.

There are many qualities that are needed to be a good leader or Essay - 1

There are many qualities that are needed to be a good leader or manager. To what extent can these be learnt through study and tr - Essay Example It, therefore, follows that a good leader must be able to impart inspiration, optimism, integrity, confidence and unity among those they lead. Of equal importance is the fact that these qualities may be inborn (although this must only be viewed as the partiality to develop competencies better than the rest) among some individuals, but must be acquired via study and training among others (Doh 2003, 243). This paper will research the extent to which such qualities can be learnt through study and training and give supporting examples. It is an agreeable argument that leadership can, and has been learnt. However, it is equally agreeable that book knowledge, or taught knowledge in the field of leadership, is very limited in terms of its effectiveness. In this sense, leadership must be viewed as a â€Å"performance activity†. The focus then needs to move away from whether leaders are made or born to what they have made of their learning. The extent of what is taught to leaders as be st practice is only applicable to the two extremes of either specific or generalized audiences, and the possibility of the learner never encountering either of them cannot be understated (Kickul & Neuman 2000, 33). To be useful, what is taught must further be learned in more intuitive, applicable and personal circumstances and environments. This serves to emphasize the significance of flexibility. For example, a leader can be taught the art of being persuasive and inspirational in the way they present their ideas and communicate. On the other hand, when some attributes are perceived as dispositions, they cannot be learned. This can best be viewed in the sense that a leader cannot be taught to readily accept risk-taking or be ambitious because these are the possible products of genes, family or life. It is only through immersion into their fields that leaders can learn their way around strategic thinking and develop a capacity of conceptual thinking. Once learning leadership starts, the process never really stops, and no single study or training module can produce a leader who will effectively exhibit the same qualities under all circumstances (Kickul & Neuman 2000, 29). Therefore, leadership cannot be studied or trained as an enduring individual feature. This is made more complex because most leadership strategies require that a leader unlearns default responses, assumptions and old habits related to human nature and implement new behaviors and choices. Further, most lessons in leadership education are inclined towards conveying technique and style. Therefore, much of what is taught ends up being more of management and not leadership. In such situations, it is possible for effective learning to take place and even for the taught notions to be put into practice, but one will still fail at being an effective leader. While inspiration, intelligence, optimism, integrity and vision still remain constant as some of leadership’s essential principles and can be studies over, the ability to amalgamate principles and practice does not imply that one has learned leadership (Kickul & Neuman 2000, 32). The limiting factor is that what studies teach does not necessarily make aspiring leaders learn the prerequisites; knowing and practicing are distinguished. Contemporary leaders confuse their

Investment analysis and portfolio management Assignment

Investment analysis and portfolio management - Assignment Example The risks attributed to the investment done in both the Wall Street and Dubai Financial Market depends on a number of factors, which include overall volatility of the financial market. In these cases, the selling price of shares across various sectors appears to be stable due to the big number of big investment companies such as Google and Amazon among others that have heavily invested. This aspect stabilizes the market pricing and thus reduces the risks involved. In addition, the portfolios invested in are not risky and this leaves a leeway of accepting to take the risks that may occur. The investment of 1,500,000AUD in diverse sectors in both the Wall Street and Dubai Financial Market is substantive and the fact that tow different markets are invested in, it implies that, the risk is diversified. In essence, risk diversification is a critical component of that an investor considers before investing in a financial market. In this case, the investor is well prepared to face a situation where a risk would occur in one Investment Company, whereas the other one makes profits. This explains the essence of risk diversification. With this implication, then the investor’s ability to take risk qualifies to be average. However, the investments on the stock type F reduce the investor’s ability to take the risk. Considering the selling price of $ 15.71 on Monday, February 02, 2015 and $16.13 on Sunday February 15, 2015 respectively, we can conclude that, the this type of stock did not sell at a reasonable profit margin, when comparing g it with GOOG or AMZN, whic h was sold at $ 493. 72 and $ 293.95 on Monday, January 12, 2015 respectively. The point of focus attributed to the profit margin is on the number of shares invested in the profitable stocks. In the case of the non-profitable stock F in Wall Street, the number of shares traded is 1500, whereas the number of the shares

Journals Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Journals - Coursework Example ould consider transferring part of share premium to profits for the company to comply with the law and be able to utilize the available finances to pay dividends and as such be able to acquire further finances from shareholders. Lack of debentures and loan notes means that the company is entirely financed through share capital. Gearing ratio= (Long term debt short term debt+ bank overdrafts / shareholders equity). A high gearing ratio means the company is mainly financed through debt capital. However, low gearing ratio indicates that a company is financed mostly by share capital. The problem of financing a company mostly by share capital is that in the event of poor performance whereby a company continuously makes losses, the shareholder may decline to commit their monies further in such a business (Ariff and Hassan, 2008). Nevertheless, the company can acquire finances from other providers of capital if it has a mixed debt structure. Profitability ratios determine the ability of a business to generate profits after netting all the expenses incurred during the year. A high ratio is indicative of good performance whereas lower rate shows the business is performing poorly. These ratios include: Gross profit is difference obtained between sales turnover and cost of goods or services. The higher the gross margin, the more profit a company charges for its goods. The ratio of 0.31 is quite small in relation to sales made. This means the company is charging very low margins. This ratio captures gives the figure of how much a company makes or loses from its sales. Primarily, it indicates company’s level of performance as it accounts other components of operating income other than cost of sales. The ratio of 0.09 indicates the profits are relatively low compared to sales made. This ratio is also commonly known as quick ratio. It measures the current liquidity position of a company. This is achieved by weighing the current assets against current liabilities (Kaminski