Othello Essay †Character’s and Their Obesessions Essay

Many characters in Shakespeare’s Othello become obsessed with the current state of a relationship. These obsessions then eventually lead the characters to failure when the obsessions become a goal, instead of something that occupies their mind. The transitions from an obsession to a goal can be seen through the actions of Othello, Iago, and Desdemona. Othello’s path to obsession begins with Iago planting seeds of doubt into his mind, which convinces Othello that Desdemona is being unfaithful. He says to himself, â€Å"She is gone. I am abused, and my relief/Must be to loathe her† (3.3.283-84), and later claims that he â€Å"will withdraw/To furnish [him] with some swift means of death/For [Desdemona]† (3.3.492-94). These lines reveal that although there has not been any solid proof, Othello’s mind is already constantly occupied by the mere possibility of Desdemona being unfaithful to him. His obsession finally becomes clear when he says â€Å"In th e due reverence of a sacred vow/I here engage my words,† (3.3.470-71). This line reveals that he is set on getting revenge for being betrayed and thus, has become a goal. It is his goal to get revenge so even when Desdemona after insists that she has done nothing wrong, Othello tells her to â€Å"confess thee freely of thy sin† (5.2.61) and that even if she denies it all, it will not change his mind, as he makes clear by telling her â€Å"Thou art to die† (5.2.65). Othello’s refusal to listen to Desdemona is what leads to his failure, for it was his goal to kill her no matter what she said and only after she is dead does he learn that she was actually innocent. Ironically, it is primarily how Desdemona behave towards Othello that makes him doubt her. After Cassio lost his position as lieutenant, Desdemona accepted the task of trying to convince Othello to forgive Cassio. The start of her obsession of getting Cassio’s job back is when Desdemona says herself that â€Å"My lord shall never rest,/I’ll watch him tame and t alk him out of patience† (3.3.23-24). As a result, she would bring up Cassio quite often and became obsessed with getting his job back. Her obsession and insistence of helping Cassio is presented well when she asks Othello if he can talk to Cassio â€Å"tomorrow night, or Tuesday morn. /On Tuesday noon, or night†¦but let it not/Exceed three days† (3.3.60-64). Her insistence is only elevated when she continues to talk about how good a person Cassio and how Othello should â€Å"let Cassio be received again† (3.4.91), even though Othello was demanding to see her handkerchief and was noticeably getting angry. As Desdemona said earlier  on in the play, â€Å"[she] shall rather die/Than give thy cause away,† (3.3.27-28), which presents this obsession as goal that she wants to achieve no matter what, even if it means ignoring Othello’s demands for a moment. She insisting too much on reaching her goal and as a result, ended up dying because of it. Iago’s obsession is similar to Othelloâ €™s in the sense that they both sought out revenge and similar to Desdemona’s in the sense that they both take it too far, but Iago sought revenge on nearly everybody he came into contact with. His want to make Cassio fall is apparent in the first scene of the play, when he says â€Å"Mere prattle without practice/Is all his soldiership† (1.1.12) in regards to Cassio being made lieutenant. It is evident that Iago is not satisfied with this outcome and plots to do something about it, as shown when he says â€Å"I follow [Othello] to serve my turn upon him† (1.1.44). It is established that Iago wishes to hurt Othello and Cassio in some way, which is only the beginning of his obsession of wronging others who he believes have wronged him. As the play progresses, we see that Iago has successfully gotten Cassio to lose his job and have Othello want to kill Desdemona. Othello even gives Iago the position of lieutenant, but Iago continues to use those around him as pawns. After being told by Othello that he must go kill Cassio, Iago talks Roderigo into killing Cassio instead, tell him â€Å"I will show you such a necessity in his death that you shall think yourself b ound to put it on him† (4.2.247-49). Later on, Iago says that â€Å"whether [Roderigo] kill Cassio/Or Cassio kill him, or each do kill each other,/Every way makes my gain† (5.1.12-14), which reveals that he only wishes to see his victims fall. This is finalized several lines afterwards with Iago says â€Å"No, [Cassio] must die† (5.1.24). He could have stopped after becoming lieutenant, but he decided instead to use Roderigo as a pawn once more and continued with his schemes. He tried to use anybody he could as pawn in his schemes, and this included Emilia as well. However, he did not account for Emilia to go against him in the end by admitting that â€Å"[Iago] begged of me to steal [the handkerchief]† (5.2.243). This goal to continue wronging others until the end eventually brings Iago to his failure, as he bit off more than he could chew. As presented in Othello, there were many cases in which one’s obsession led to their failure. Othello was set on killing Desdemona no matter what, Desdemona was set on getting Cassio’s job back no matter what, and Iago was set on  exacting revenge on those he feels have wronged him no matter what, but the result was that things did not turn for the better. The idea that a character’ failure is brought upon them when their obsession becomes a goal is evident in the three cases that were presented.

Amanda Cross and the Female Sleuth

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sleuth as a slang word for sleuthhound or detective who follows a trail to uncover a mystery, crime or unknown variable. In literature mystery is defined as a distinct subgenre of detective fiction in which an unknown event, often a disappearance or murder, causes the stories protagonist, or main character in the story, to solve the crime or mystery. Mysteries do not require crimes or the assistance of law enforcement as the common detective fiction or whodunit but they do depend on an unknown variable that the protagonist must determine, (NationMaster, 2003).Mystery fiction is not a new genre of story telling. Throughout time man has been interested in solving the riddles of life. So much so that there is significant evidence to indicate that civilization has enjoyed a good mystery as far back as Ancient Egypt and Greece. However, it was Edgar Allan Poe and his first published story The Murders in the Rue Morgue published in the mid-nineteenth cent ury that made mystery fiction the popular brand of novel it is today. The Murder in the Rue Morgue first appeared in Graham’s Magazine, (Mystery Network, n. d. ).After Poe there have been a number of influential mystery writers including Wilkie Collins, also known as the father of the mystery, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the Scottish author of the Sherlock Holmes series. Sherlock Holmes is not only one of the most widely known mystery series but is also considered to be the most famous literary figures in history, (Mystery Network). Holmes was first introduced to readers in The Strand Magazine when they published the story â€Å"A Study in Scarlet. † Edward Stratemeyer, the author of both the Hardy Boy’s and Nancy Drew series of juvenile mysteries, Carolyn Keene and Agatha Christie.Amanda Cross is a twentieth century mystery writer who contributed much to the genre. Her semi-feminist voice transformed the common sleuth from a run-of-mill private detective into a strong willed female literature professor. Cross, who was struggling with gender equality issues at the University of New York, was tired of the tried and true mystery novels that were being produced a-dime-a-dozen. She set out to produce mysteries are intelligent and contain a role model worthy protagonist. Cross is the pen name of Carolyn Heilbrun.Her first novel, In the Last Analysis, features Kate Fansler, the female sleuth featured in a 14 book series. Fansler is a witty and highly educated literature professor at the prestigious New York University and the majority of her adventures are set against an academic background. Fansler, as opposed to traditional detectives, solves the crime through interviews and conversations with those involved. Most of the mysteries involve the death of either a student or professor and it is up to Fansler to solve the crime. In The Last Analysis, Fansler recommends Janet Harrison see psychoanalyst Dr. Emmanuel Bauer.Bauer is a friend and former lover of Fansler’s. However, shortly after starting sessions with Bauer, Harrison is found shot to death on his couch. Fansler is on the case to prove that her friend is innocent. However, Harrison has led an elusive life in which she has very few friends or acquaintances, making it hard for Fansler to track down a possible killer. However, Fansler’s knowledge of Freudian concepts and her personal integrity helps her to catch the killer. Although Heilbrun strays from the norm her first novel is typical of an amateur-detective mystery. Fansler knows a crime has been committed.She seeks information pertinent to the case by following leads and seeking information from those involved. Fansler then comes up with a theory about what happens, which proves to be correct. Also typical is the fact that the protagonist is a strong female character. Throughout Heilbrun’s novels Fansler is portrayed as strong independent woman, much like Heilbrun. She enjoys eating and drin king and marries later in life. Fansler differs from a majority of female protagonists in mystery fictions because she solves the mystery through Freudian analysis and personal interviews.This is a mystery of the mind in which Fansler does not have physical clues that lead her to find the real killer. Other mystery writers have used female protagonists as well. Contemporary author Nevada Barr features the female protagonist Anna Pigeon, a national park ranger who leads the reader through various adventures in the backcountry solving mysterious deaths. Pigeon is similar to Fansler in the sense that they are both independent modern women. They are both professionals who solve mysteries within the backdrop of their chosen profession.Pigeon and Fansler both represent strong female characters. Yet, Pigeon represents a more traditional character in modern mystery fiction since she follows a trail of clues left behind by the murders as opposed to using literary and psychoanalytical clues t o solve the mystery. Similarly well known mystery writer Sue Grafton began her alphabetical mystery series with A is for Alibi. In her mystery fiction protagonist Kinsey Malone represents a courageous and sassy female private eye. Grafton too takes a more traditional approach by utilizing a private investigator as the main character.Others authors such as Sandra de Helen utilize logic and facts to solve mysteries as opposed to following physical clues. De Helen’s novel The Hounding features two female detectives Shirley Combs and Mrs. Mary Watson. De Helen has a series planned surrounding the two who is in some way related to Sherlock Holms and his assistant Watkins and they solve crimes similarly. These characters all follow typical mystery genre traditions. But not all mystery writers follow tradition. Sue Grafton, a well known mystery writer, started an alphabetical mystery series in which murders are solved by a female feline and a small dog.Grafton strays away far from t radition with characters but stays within the realm with the practices that her characters use to unravel the crimes. Different writers use different methods of crime solving as well as types of characters. However, there is a pattern of female mystery writers creating professional and strong female protagonists. Most of the main characters in modern mystery writers today have had to overcome obstacles in a male-dominated world. They often face gender discrimination or stereotypical peers that create obstacles that must be overcome.For example, Ellen Godfrey's protagonist Jane Tregar is tough and feisty. Tregar, a professional working in a search firm, has had to battle her way up the corporate ladder to a senior position in an executive firm. She utilizes technical know-how to uncover information and corporate savvy to survive her male peers and their scrutiny as well as solve mysteries and be successful in the male-dominated business world. Another modern author Sara Paretsky, cur rently extremely popular with mystery readers, has created the protagonist V. I. Warshawski.Warshawski broke ground as the first female in an all male dominated world of the dangerous back streets of Chicago. Warshawski proves that women can be tough and sensitive and that physical difference between men and women do not mean that women are not capable of performing well in dangerous situations. In the Last Analysis, Fansler fully understands the plight of women within the world of academia. â€Å"Kate was startled by Professor Anderson, who was an eighteenth-century man with a strong distaste for all female writers since Jane Austen (Cross, 2001, p. 3).† This is a common war in the literary department. Literature has been male dominated for a number of years. This is caused in large by the fact that women were not taught to read or write for centuries. However, as women have begun to take their seat at the head of English departments across the nation male peers may scoff. T here is a large portion of male literary enthusiast who tries to minimize the female impact on literature today. Heilbrun later retired early from her post at the University of New York to avoid dealing with this same type of professional peer.But gender discrimination and differences are not the only ones that haunt Heilbrun. Age also seems to be a factor. Heilbrun laments that her students are young and full of life and the longing for their own futures. However, as a professor years goes by and nothing changes. â€Å"Spring on an American campus, even an Urban a campus as this one, inevitably drove the faculty into a mood of lassitude, irritation and fastidiousness. Perhaps it is because we are getting old, while the students, like the Caesar’s crowds on Appian Way, are always the same age.Gazing at the students who sprawled or made love on every patch of available grass, Kate longed, as she did every spring for a statelier, less untidy era, (Cross, 2001, p. 3). † H eilbrun used Fansler to express her own apprehensions about aging as well as the endless cycle of youth that professors endure each college enrollment period. Heilbrun did not reveal her herself as the author of the Amanda Heilbrun mysteries until she was offered tenure at the University due to her fear of criticism from her peers and having her literary work interfere with her academic work.However, age criticism may have also been a concern. The idea of age is transcendent in Heilbrun’s mysteries. Fansler is already in her forties at the start of In the Last Analysis and has never been married nor does she have children. Although latter in the series she does marry she has no concerns about being a â€Å"homemaker† or playing into any other typical stereotypes of women. In fact Fansler, although discreet, has a number of lovers. The idea of the woman as a non-maternal figure breaks social traditions. But the primary social concern of In the Last Analysis surrounds pr ofessional ethics and human integrity.Throughout Heilbrun’s series there are two main characters, Fansler and her friend and future husband Reed Amhearst. Fansler is old-fashion yet she has a penchant for martinis and she comes from a background of wealthy parents to supplement her teacher’s salary. This is convenient since she does not seem to work much as she uncovers her friend’s innocence. As she tries to prove her friends innocence she solicits the help of Amhearst, an attorney, who goes out of his way to help Fansler and repay her a favor. Amhearst is portrayed as Fansler’s love interest and a protect figure.Throughout the book, In the Last Analysis, Amhearst tries to caution the headstrong Fansler who gets involved despite his warnings. Fansler even goes so far as to put her reputation and career on the line to prove that Bauer, her friend, is innocent. Her old-fashion sensibilities coupled with a reckless and courageous manner makes Fansler a grea t candidate to become an amateur sleuth and enforce the idea of human integrity. There are several other examples of human integrity in the book as characters assist Fansler in solving the case. Heilbrun’s novels have been successful overall.However, she was criticized. Especially for her first book, In the Last Analysis, in which it is obvious that Heilbrun has yet to fine tune her technique. Although professional news agencies such as The New York Times had positive reviews a number of readers felt Heilbrun tried to hard to present Fansler as smart and independent. Thus she came across as being pretentious. However, after her first novel the series gained in popularity in part due to the fact that her subsequent novels take place within the world of academia and Fansler’s character can put her intellect to better use.In conclusion, Heilbrun has made a significant contribution to the mystery fiction genre. She is the first mystery writer to create a mystery in which t he crime must be solved using conversations and analytical skills as opposed to physical clues and traditional evidence. Heilbrun also sets the stage for female authors who create strong and independent protagonists that break the mold of female stereotypes. In keeping with many other female authors Heilbrun’s female protagonists are working in a professional field despite gender inequalities.Throughout In the Last Analysis and other Heilbrun novels there are overtones of age related issues as well as gender differences within the world of academics. Both may reflect challenges that Heilbrun has faced as a Professor at the University of New York. Heilbrun utilizes a common amateur-detective mystery technique yet she strays from the norm by implementing psychoanalytical methods of solving the crime as opposed to relying entirely on physical clues.In addition to concerns about professional ethics, specifically within the medical field in which patient-client relationships come into question, there is a predominant theme of personal integrity. Integrity is often displayed throughout the novel in the form of personal favors and character’s taking risks for each other. Fansler is able to solve the crime using intelligence, Freudian analysis and a little help from her friends. Variations from the common mystery novel include the use of wit and analytical strategies to solve the case as well as the protagonist being an older woman without cause to seek out marriage or family life.Heilbrun and many of her peers have chosen to expand the image of â€Å"detective† to include smart and professional women who are employed outside of the law enforcement or private investigation fields. Although Heilbrun’s protagonist is similar to the main characters in other mysteries by her peers, Heilbrun deviates by choosing to make Fansler an example of a non-traditional woman. She is neither interested in marriage or children and has taken a number of love rs to prove her modern values despite an old-fashion background. Heilbrun paved the way for female mystery writers as well as the female protagonist.Through her popular series and the popularity of Kate Fansler a whole new genre of mystery books has evolved. These new series feature witty story lines and fast paced plots while featuring strong protagonists and often feminist views. After Heilbrun’s success there have been a number of other mystery writers following similar strategies including Nevada Barr, Rita Mae Brown and Sue Grafton. References Cross, A. (2001). In the Last Analysis. : Fawcett. Mystery Network (n. d. ). Evolution of the mystery genre. Retrieved Dec. 27, 2008, from www. mysterynet. com NationMaster (2003). : Rapid Intelligence.

Disadvantages of Using Cell Phone in School Essay

The initial intention (for giving the handphone) is to provide facilities for us to know where our kids are but we must think twice before doing so. I advice parents to know how to adopt the technology before giving a mobile phone to their child. For instance, you must know if the phone given to your child only has the basics or if it’s more than that. But I still oppose just giving a basic phone. For me, not giving a phone is the best solution. Having a phone opens up the opportunity for others to do bad things. We want to minimise the risk factors. Problems in school with not doing the homework because of the handphone. I believed that using cell phones during class will cause distraction. It doesn’t matter to students that they are not allowed to use their cell phones while they are in class, they do it anyway. They often send text messages to each other and this can distract them from their education, as well as distract the person they are texting, which is likely to be another student. Many people call this the new way of passing notes. Besides that, Another drawback of allowing cell phones is that they can be used to cheat during quizzes and exams. A student could receive silent text messages from a friend that has already taken a certain exam during a test. It is obviously that when students use their cell phones at school, it makes rumors spread faster. This is because, everyone has access to a cell phone and when somebody hears a rumor, they send a text message to their friend to tell them about it, and their friend sends a text message to another friend, and so on. Some also think that the fast spreading of rumors makes it more likely that the rumors will worsen as it is being spread, and that the quicker it spreads, the worse it gets. In some reasons, I felt that cell phones do not improve school safety. For example when there is an emergency, cell phone signals become jammed if everyone attempts to contact people at once. This can make it difficult for teachers to contact the authorities. If students do successfully contact their parents, parents may all rush to the scene, which can conflict with evacuations or other responses. If students contact their parents, parents will all rush to the scene, which brings conflict or other responses. We are more concerned about the bigger consequences of having a handphone like social problems such as bully and harrashment via mobile phones. Student tends to misused the mobile phone, by recording video of students bullying other students. If there are risks involved and you have calculated and you know that the risks won’t benefit you, why take the risk? Better not to have the risk at all by not giving them a handphone.

Human Resource Issues in Setting up Projects in France Essay

Human Resource Issues in Setting up Projects in France - Essay Example Managers must screen the external environment before entering the market. If these factors are neglected before going to the country, organization may end up in loosing huge amount of money and resources (Human Resource Management, pg 1, 2008). That is why HR managers should consider all the aspects very carefully as the availability of the required labor force also depend upon these factors. Other than that a company has to answer the question that why they want to go to that country, who will be the workers, what will be the structure, from where will the finances come and what are the legal requirements to consider. As a HR manager ones job is to find out about the labor force availability and the legal requirements. Both the areas are the most important areas for the company to enter in a new country, as workers are the one who are responsible for running the business, where as legal laws keeps a check on your activities and business (Globalization and Environment, pg 2, 2009). The final decision is highly based on the report submitted by the HR manager. It is not a surprising thing that a company wants to do business in France, the simplest reason is that the company wants to enter into the worlds 6th economic power, which is open to all and has been a center of innovation, lifestyle and creativity. There are many reason... As there are benefits for setting up a business in France, there are drawbacks as well, and to minimize those drawbacks Human Resource manager has to use different approaches to analyze the environment of the country (Rose, pg 123, 2006). One such approach is PEST (Political, economical, social and technological) analysis. It is a very useful tool to screen the environment of any country. The analysis helps the company to set the directions, predict the growth and decline and environment for operations (Mathis & Jackson, pg 132, 2006). PEST Analysis of France Political environment: The political environment is stable in the country for the new investors from abroad. Government has formed policies to support such business and at the same time safeguarding the interest of the employees by giving flexible working hours and good retirement packages. There is no political uncertainty in the country, thus it is safe to invest as far as political factors are concerned (Mathis & Jackson, pg 110, 2006). Environmental conditions: 80% of the countries electricity is generated through nuclear plants, where are the main source of increase in temperature, where as, being the industrial country it is now facing environmental challenges. Thus any new business will have to deal with new environmental policies in order to set up the business (Daft, pg 123, 2001). Social environment: France is one of the most liberal countries in the world, but still face some social issues such as the diversity of among its residents and their life style conflicts. There is a huge % of child born with out a married couple and increase

Teacher professional development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Teacher professional development - Assignment Example Without a doubt, this is a great program to harness learning. As of now, no other educational institutions are taking a proactive approach towards this active learning. Hence, any foundation to cultivate learning is a good one. Moreover, it stimulates a social environment in which children have the appropriate environment to nurture themselves. Therefore, this program is necessary to continue and improve the system in the long-run. One of the main challenges of this program is that it is very dynamic, and does not possess a straight forward curriculum. Since there is no standardization of the curriculum, it becomes a challenge to embed these programs holistically. Additionally, many teachers and students lack the correct resources to train their students. This creates an ambiguity of a mutual symbiotic relationship in which students do not fully comprehend teachers. Another element towards the weakness of the program is culture. Culture forbids asking questions, which in essence creates a barrier for students to challenge thinking and grow their intellect. In order to rectify this, it is crucial to have an open dialogue between students and teachers that creates an aura of symbiotic

Nothing Works Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nothing Works - Essay Example It was subsequently recognized both by Maretinson himself and others who reviewed his original conclusion that this inferences were academically flawed since they did not accurately reflect the evaluation studies or the reality of specific circumstances (Lipton 1998). The reasons were varied, but essentially only part of the available data was used in the report and some successful programs were not included in the analysis. Whatever the reasons, it was clear the conclusions Martinson memorialized in 1974 assumed essentially that nothing in the way of rehabilitation programs worked. In evaluating male and female prisoners, the same conclusion was reached for both, mainly that most correction programs did not work and lacked both short term and long term effectiveness. In later studies however, it was recognized that the root cause of the initial incarceration needed to be addressed as well as the learning style of male and female inmates, in order to reduce the likelihood that treatment programs were not effective (Dowden & Andrews 1999). For example, effective programs for female inmates needed to address such areas as victimization, abuse, parenting, and other issues that are primarily associated with females and their specific needs.

Insanity Defense Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Insanity Defense - Essay Example Following a brief comparative definition and discussion of each, this essay will argue in favour of ALI as the better of the three models. The M'Naughten standard came into being in 1843 and derives from the case of Daniel M'Naughten. M'Naughten, in a failed attempt to assassinate the British Prime Minister, killed his secretary (Huckabee, 2000). His reason for doing so was his belief that the Prime Minister was responsible for all of his personal misfortunes. Several witnesses testified to M'Naughten's apparent insanity and a jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity. In their review of the verdict, the House of Lords reversed it and established the M'Naughten standard which specified that a person was not guilty by reason of insanity if he/she could not distinguish between right and wrong. This rule was subsequently adopted in the United States, in some states without modification and others with modification. It is important to note that one of the primary weaknesses with the M'Naughten standard lies in its failure to account for control. Some may know that their actions are wrong but, nevertheless, are unable to control themselves. As such, some states added an "irresistible impulse" modification to the M'Naughten standard (Huckabee, 2000). The Durham test was adopted as a direct outcome of

The Radio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The Radio - Research Paper Example It came with immense power because only a single speaker had the ability to sow the seeds of entertainment, information, propaganda, political and religious fervor, culture, and even negativity everywhere (Lewis 26).This paper briefly studies the formation, evolution, and impact of radio on human life and concludes that radio is not doomed by its fleshier competitors, but it has evolved. Radio refers to the signaling or audio communication by using electromagnetic radiations. In its early days, it was developed as a "wireless telegraph", for one point to the other point links. The wireless telegraph made it possible to send messages to multiple locations at the same time, by using dots-and-dashes of telegraphic code in early days, while in full audio during later periods (White). The historical Background James Clerk Maxwell, a Scottish physicist was influenced by Michael Faraday's ideas and work on electromagnetism. Faraday's work described that electric and magnetic effects arise f rom the lines of force around conductors and magnets. Maxwell developed an analogy about the way lines of force behave and the liquid flow; he derived equations that represented the electric and magnetic field. Based on Faraday's ideas, Maxwell produced a paper in 1855. Moreover, he developed the model for a hypothetical medium with some fluid that could carry electric and magnetic effects. He considered hypothetical situations when fluid becomes elastic and charge is applied to it. He concluded that it would initiate disturbance in the fluid and the resulting waves would travel through the medium (Parker). Two Germans Friedrich Kohlrausch and Wilhelm Weber identified that these have the capability to travel at the speed of light. In 1873, Maxwell made these findings public in his "Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism" (qtd. in Parker). Heinrich Hertz confirmed Maxwell's ideas by discovering radio waves, a form of electromagnetic radiation which has too long wavelength for human ey es to see. He came up with a transmitting oscillator that radiated radio waves and detected them by using a metal loop with a gap at one side. Sparks are generated across this gap when the loop was positioned within transmitter's electromagnetic field. It implied that electromagnetic waves could be sent in the space and could be detected remotely. These waves are named after Hertz as 'Hertzian Waves' he detected them across the length of his laboratory (Parker). Hertz's discovery inspired Guglielmo Marconi, he realized that the if radio waves could be transmitted and detected over long distances, then wireless telegraphy can be developed. He started experimenting in 1894 by placing rough antennas in his family garden. Initially, he managed to received singles from 100 meters, by the end of 1895; he managed to extend the distance to over a mile. He shared his experimentation with Italian Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs. Knowing that Ministry was not interested in his work, he gave a demonstration in London at General Post Office in 1896.His transmission was detected from1.5 miles which was extended to 8 miles in few months. In 1897, Marconi got the patent for wireless telegraphy, and established the Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company at Chelmsford. There, they established the world's first radio factory in 1898. In May 1897, they successfully tested that the contacts were possible over the water. A

Marketing and consultancy for food trucks Lab Report

Marketing and consultancy for food trucks - Lab Report Example The consulting services for concepts, menu, and the graphics are availed (Festa, 2012). There are five key stages of the management consultancy process that are quite essential for a food truck industry. Once apparently followed the chances of the project failing are minimal. This stage is a major determinant of the food truck consultants, which provides they provide value that relies on the people that are served. The expectation from the team is frequently set at this point. When the roles are set, the parties involved are aware of what they are supposed to do to attain the goal of the business (Food company consultancy, 2009). The staffs are very flexible, and the choice of who to head the business is never a big deal. The flexibility offers a chance to select the most competent and the profitable personnel from the crew. The food truck consultants echo the cry of the crucial steps while signing the clients should be the establishment of the well-defined expectations to have defined roles. Once that is done, there is no likelihood of the friction while on the road since everyone knows his or her roles. This step is quite imperative in the food truck industry. The overall expectations on the touch points and the derivable set the project and let the clients know what their expectations and what they cannot expect. It is always important to take care not to be too ambitious at this stage. The next step to undertake while after this is to make sure that all that is set can be attained or if possible exceed the objective. At this point, it is imperative to get the team and gear to the customers to survey the field and have a clear expertise of the ground (Magazine, 2012). After getting the food truck industry, the consultants will spend their precious time with the customers in this phase. At this stage, problems may occur, so it is always the high time to figure out the probable source and act appropriately (Magazine, 2012).

Mandatory Military Service in the United States Research Paper

Mandatory Military Service in the United States - Research Paper Example Conclusion III. References Abstract A mediocre interpretation of the word â€Å"mandatory† will be obligatory or compulsory. The Mandatory Military Service of America carries out compulsory enrollment and induction into its services as part of its functions. With reference to the Legal Dictionary, enrollment is done through conscription also known as â€Å"draft†. However, draft and conscription are two different concepts. Conscription is the compulsory induction of individuals into the armed forces, as compared to draft which is the procedure by which people are conscripted. Men within a certain age group must register with the Selective Service for possible conscription, but this concept was suspended by 1973. According to this said source, conscription typically involves individuals who are deemed fit for military service. At times governments have instituted universal military service in which all men or people of a certain age are conscripted. Some American colonie s employed conscription. During the Revolutionary War, the American government used selective, temporary conscription to fill the ranks of its military. Congress passed the Selective Draft Act (40 Stat. 76). The act created a government office to oversee conscription. It also authorized local draft boards to select eligible individuals for conscription. The following year, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of conscription, noting that Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the power to "raise and support Armies". Presidential authority to conscript individuals into the U.S. armed forces ended in 1973. No individual has been conscripted into the military since then. Inception of the draft The idea that members of a community have a duty to defend it is as old as civilization itself. In a free society like ours, forcing citizens to fight involves conflicting notions of civic duty, individual freedom and equality. Although America has relied on an all-volunteer milit ary for most of its history, it was forced to draft men to fight the civil war and the wars of the 20th century. (Cited from Paul Ruschmann, Mandatory Military Service) George Washington was the first of a number of presidents to propose compulsory military training for all men. â€Å"Every citizen who enjoys the protection of a free government, not only owes a proportion of his property but also some of his personal services for the defense of it, and consequently that the citizens of America†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦should be borne on militia rolls†. Despite his proposal, his advice was overlooked and the all-volunteer militia remained. However, at the time of the civil war, there was enough man power to go to battle. The Confederacy which had a much smaller population than the Union authorized a draft. The next year, lawmakers followed suit. Despite attractive bonus packages, the Military was not attracting enough persons to raise an army strong enough to win the war. With the draft l aws conceived by the Union and the Confederacy, they allowed a man to hire a substitute to fight for him. During that era, that was the most intelligent means of exempting men engaged in essential civilian occupations. The law also exempted a man from serving by paying a $300 commutation fee to the government. Many Northerners complained that the civil was a â€Å"rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight† and anti-draft violence broke out in a number of cities. The worst unrest occurred in New York City, where anti-draft protests

The Processes of Globalization and Culture in Cape Town Essay

The Processes of Globalization and Culture in Cape Town - Essay Example Many other people take globalization as a bargain to their culture and heritage, which is not acceptable to them. These people say that globalization is destroying their roots and their identity i.e. culture (Barlow, n.p). The globalization of products and commodities is considered to be a good thing; however this also has its own negative points. It not only declines the sales of locally made products but also disrupts the local economy. Hence it can be noted that globalization has both positive and negative outcomes. This report will discuss the processes and effects of globalization in Cape Town, South Africa. The first part of the report will discuss the culture of the place and how it is organized. Moreover, how the place runs, will also be discussed. In the second part the effect of globalization on the culture of the place will be discussed. The conclusion will give an overview of what the future holds for the people in Cape Town. Cape Town is the provincial capital of the Western Cape and is probably one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Due to its beautiful beaches and scenery it attracts more tourists than any other place in South Africa. The total population of the city is almost 3.5 million (Statistics of South Africa, n.p). Even though this is a big number, but due to a larger area, the population density of the city is still low. Almost 80% of the households in Cape Town use electricity. Cape Town consists of almost 31% local black Africans. The rest are whites and Asians. This demography clearly states that there are more people from other nations, and hence they have their cultural influence in the area. Moreover, female population in the city is more than male population. Almost 58% of the native blacks are unemployed (Statistics of South Africa, n.p; City of Cape Town, 3-7). Almost 41% of the people in Cape Town speak Afrikaans. The rest speak Xhosa and English. Majority of the population is Christian with almost 10% having no religion at all. Cape Town can be called as the oldest city of South Africa, and it really is. Its oldest building Posthuys is oldest in whole of South Africa. If you want to see the real culture of Cape Town, you can visit Nyanga, Langa or Gugulethu. Its rich culture can be noticed in various kiosks alongside the road. Sangoma or a healer can heal all your illnesses and worries and the visits in these cultural places can relax a person. Cape Town has the most beautiful beaches of the World and this attracts a lot of tourists. The tourism and hotel industry contributes a lot to its economy. The oldest community of Cape Town is Bo-Kaap. People of this community are Muslims. Their colorful cottages and mosques, with the muezzin sound echoing in Bo-Kaaps streets is a new thing for people visiting the place (Safari Now, n.p). Since 1980, Cape Town had an above average growth rate of Gross Domestic Product. This average is even higher then the entire nations average. The main reason for this is the fact hat Cape Town has competitive advantage in many areas. In electronic, electrical and certain manufacturing areas, Cape Town is considered to be one of the best. The Annual GDP growth of Cape Town is almost 2.6%, whereas of Durban it is 0.4% and Johannesburg it is 2.0%. After 1999 there was a small dip in the growth of Cape Tow

Human Resource Management Project Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Management Project Essay Introduction Human Resource Management is defined as the policies, practices and systems that influence an employee’s behaviour, attitude, and performance in the attainment of organizational goals, and it is also a way of management that links people-related activities to the strategy of a business or organization. Now days, the human resource has an important function in the companies or organizations. The human resource provides significant support and advice to line management because many companies consider their human capital as their most important asset. The purpose of this report is to compare and contrast the human resource management between India and Canada. This report will describe the human rights, recruitment, selection, training and development, and health and safety of Indian companies, and research the role of human resource in the recruitment and selection processes of Indian companies, and finally compare and contrast them to Canadian human resources practices. Moreover, this report will also analyze the cultural differences between Canada and India. The report aims to find difference human resource management between Canada and India, and improve the human resource management system of Canada. Role of Human Resources in the Recruiting and Selection Human resource plays an instrumental role in helping their organization achieve its goals of becoming a socially and environmentally responsible firm. In India, there is large-scale unemployment with shortage of skilled labour, hence, the role of HR in recruiting will provide the necessary tools to maintain a positive competitive labour market. Clearly defined role of Human Resources in Recruitment process is very important for measuring the success of the whole Recruitment Process. The overall setting of the HR Role in Recruitment is directly linked to Recruitment Strategy and HR Strategy. [1] Human resource and hiring managers play a highly significant role for setting the correct measures and defining the potential gaps in the whole recruitment process. The role of Human Resources in India is increasing, from making the process working to the real management of HR Processes and the Recruitment Process was the first to manage. The Recruitment Strategy changed the efficiency and costs to the company were more important.[2] The role of HR in recruiting and selection process in India has following factors: 1) Decides about the design of the recruitment processes and to decide about the split of roles and responsibilities between Human Resources and Hiring Manager 2) Decides about the right profile of the candidate 3) Decides about the sources of candidates 4) Decides about the measures to be monitored to measure the success of the process The role of HR in Recruitment is very important to work on the development of the recruitment and selection process and to make the process very competitive on the market. Good recruitment and selection can make sure the organization has enough advantaged and appropriate employee and managers; in addition to that, it can lead to company work more efficiency. * Recruiting process has following steps: 1. Identify vacancy 2. Prepare job description and person specification 3. Advertising the vacancy 4. Managing the response 5. Short-listing 6. Arrange interviews 7. Conducting interview and decision making * Selection involves the following components: Reception, screening interview, application blank, selection test, selection interview, medical test, reference checks, and hiring decision. Chap: 3 Human Resource practice in India India is being widely recognised as one of the most exciting emerging economics in the world. Besides becoming a global hub of outsourcing, Indian firms are spreading their wings globally through mergers and acquisitions. During the first four months of 1997, Indian companies have bought 34 foreign companies for about U.S. $11 billion dollars. This impressive development has been due to a growth in inputs (capital and labour) as well as factor productivity. By the year 2020, India is expected to add about 250 million to its labour pool at the rate of about 18 million a year, which is more than the entire labour force of Germany. This so called ‘demographic dividend’ has drawn a new interest in the Human Resource concepts and practices in India.[6] In a general, if we look at the history of Human resource practice in recent years, we can see effect on the managerial history of India was to be provided by the British system of corporate organisation for 200 years. Clearly, the socio cultural roots of Indian heritage are diverse and have been drawn from multiple sources including ideas brought from other parts of the old world. In India, the Human resource management practice is in transition face it is learning new ideas from other parts of the world and also with growing population and growing multinational companies coming to India the work culture is continuously improving. One of the noteworthy features of the Indian workplace is demographic uniqueness. It is estimated that both China and India will have a population of 1.45 billion people by 2030; however, India will have a larger workforce than China. Indeed, it is likely India will have 986 million people of working age in 2030, which will probably be about 300 million more than in 2007. And by 2050, it is expected India will have 230 million more workers than China and about 500 million more than the United States of America (U.S.). It may be noted that half of India’s current population of 1.1 billion people are under of 25 years of age.[7] While this fact is a demographic dividend for the economy, it is also a danger sign for the country’s ability to create new jobs at an unprecedented rate. As he has been pointed out by Meredith. [8] Here are some key factors responsible for shift in HRM practice in India [9] Above figure presents the key drivers for contemporary Indian HRM trends. In Figure, there are four external spheres of intervention for HRM professionals and these spheres are integrated in a complex array within organisational settings. The intellectual sphere, which emphasises the mindset transaction in work organisations, has been significantly impacted by the forces of globalisation. The other three spheres, of figure, namely the emotional, the socio cultural and the managerial domains are undergoing, similar profound changes. Key HRM Practices in Indian Organisations: The above figure describes the general HRM practise in Public sector Organization. In private sector the HRM sector is not organized. In Private sector THE HRM practice depends on individual company basis. Company Profile: Infosys technology is a leading software company based in India which was established in 1981 and is listed in NASDAQ as a global consulting and IT services company with more than 122,000 employees. From a capital of US$ 250 they have grown to become a US$ 5.38 billion company with a market capitalization of approximately US$ 38 billion. In their journey of over 29 years they have catalyzed some of the major changes that have led to Indias emergence as the global destination for software services talent. [10] Recruitment Process: The Company uses different sources like Campus Interviews, advertisements in newspapers and applications received through the company website. Firstly, they do not have any distinction between any branch of Engineering, applicant from any branch can apply for the selection process but the only criteria is to meet the requirement of grades, the applicant should be very well qualified and should have high grades and the time gap which means if any of the applicant was rejected in the selection process then they can only apply after 9 months. The qualified candidates are shortlisted and are called for a written test. [11] Selection Process of choosing individuals with qualifications needed to fill jobs in an organization. The duration of the selection process in Infosys is 2.5 hours which includes filling in an application form, an Aptitude Test ( Analytical Thinking and Arithmetic Reasoning) and a test of Communicative English Language. The duration of the tests is 90 minutes and the Aptitude Test consists of puzzles type and the number of questions varies between 9 to 15. [12] Training and Development Infosys training, continuing education and career development programs are designed to ensure that the technology professional enhances their skill-sets in alignment to their respective goals. The following are the types of training provided by Infosys to their new recruits and employees. Technical Training by Education and Research Department Most of the new candidates that are hired complete 14 weeks of integrated on-the-job-training prior to being assigned to their business units. All these training are done in a total area of 1.44 million square feet in The Infosys Global Education Center in Mysore- India, which can train approximately 14,000 employees at a time. As of March 31, 2010 they employed 610 full-time employees as faculty which included 208 employees with doctorate or masters degrees. The faculty also conducts integrated training for the new employees. They also make employees to undergo certification programs each year to develop the skills relevant that are for their roles. [13] Personal Effectiveness and Managerial Programs The above program is to enhance the managerial capabilities and leadership abilities in order to have better customer satisfaction, achieve their organizational vision and to create high performing multicultural teams. [14] Performance Management Creating an equitable and inclusive work environment In 2008-09 Infosys were recognized for their efforts to promote a more inclusive work environment. They won the Corporate Award for Excellence in Gender Inclusivity instituted by the National Association for Software Companies (NASSCOM), India, for the second consecutive year. They also received the Helen Keller award which was instituted by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, for the third consecutive year and they also won the ASTD Excellence in Practice Award for diversity training. [15] The Head -HRD, is the custodian of equal employment opportunity. The Diversity Office and the HR department are responsible for coordinating efforts in implementing and disseminating information regarding the company’s diversity agenda. Being an IT services company they do not have any business identified as having risk for incidents of forced or compulsory or child labour, therefore they foresee risk of child labour in their supply chain in India, and therefore controls it through the vendor selection process. Compensation and Benefits Infosys compensates its human assets in three ways by adding learning value through training and development and appraisal practices. Infosys also adds emotional value through initiatives directed towards supporting employees with their work and personal needs and they also adds financial value through monetary compensation which is neither above nor below the market level. Infosys was one of the first Indian companies to offer stock option plans to their employees. Benefits Infosys work-life policies reflect local requirements and regulations. The employees in India are eligible for paid maternity leave and paternity leave under the law which is referred as the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 under which pregnant women can take paid leave up to 14 weeks, first seven weeks before delivery and other seven weeks after delivery and the maximum payment is $441.6 per week before tax. They also have satellite offices for new mothers, telecommuting for employees on need basis, adoption leave, flexible work hours, part-time work policy, one-year childcare sabbatical policy and near-site day care facilities. Employees can apply for scholarships for their children who have excelled in academics, arts and culture. Infoscions can also apply for extended family healthcare coverage. [16] In addition to that they are also provide benefits such as statutory benefits as pension, medical insurance under Employee State Insurance Scheme which is an integrated measure of Social Insurance embodied in the Employees’ State Insurance Act and is designed to accomplish the task of protecting ‘employees’ against the hazards of sickness, maternity, disablement and death due to employment injury and to provide medical care to insured persons and their families. An employee covered under the scheme has to contribute 1.75% of the wages whereas, an employer contributes 4.75% of the wages payable to an employee. The total contribution in respect of an employee comes out to 6.50% of the wages payable. They are also offered loan program which was found attractive to the employees. Loans were taken for pursuing a degree program such as MBA, or to meet personal needs such as purchasing a car or a house. [17] Health and Safety The Health Assessment and Lifestyle Enrichment (HALE) program supports their healthcare policies at a global level. In Australia they have a unique practice of having a specialist available on call for ergonomics assessment in the work area. They also provide annual health checkups for all employees at their India-based locations. [18] Chap-4 Comparison and Contrast between HR practice of India and china In comparison between India and Canada India’s ranks higher in Uncertainty Avoidance Index than Canada which means Indian wants clear cut responsibilities and job description. India’s Power Distance rank is also higher than Canada which means that in India there is unequal distribution of wealth and power in the society. India and Canada are at the opposite ends in terms of Individualism, with Canada displaying much greater Individualism than the collectivist society of India. Canadians are more autonomous and self-control in the ability to make decisions and wants to work without direct supervisions, than Indian employees. Indian employees like to work more in tandem with their managers when setting personal goals than did Canadian employees. Indians are more forward thinking when planning actions and goals which found significant correlations between these differences in perceptions and differences in cultural characteristics which include power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and paternalism. Canadians scored lower on these traits than Indians. [19] Chap – 5 About Cultural differences and Implications to Professional Practice India is a country in conversion. History, society, economic and cultural factors strongly influence Indian Human Resource Management (HRM) and mindset. The dynamic changes taking place in India, and their consequent influence and reflection in Indian HRM, the following factors provide essential background and context about key aspects of the Indian: language, geography and generational differences. Following the strong influence of the society cultural context in India does not always allow the applicability of Western management and organization theories. [3] Pawan S. Budhawar, the Indian management scholar, he emphasizes that â€Å"to a great extent, this is a core issue for Western firms operating in the Indian context and sends a clear message to researchers in the field. The intention of both HR practitioners and researchers should be to continuously develop, test and re-test constructs suitable for conducting research and develop relevant practice in the Indian context.† [4] With the challenge of mixing Western management practices with Eastern management traditions, we have to understand the Indian HRM context and its related influence on mindset is a necessity for both Indian and Western organizations. In a typical leadership development project, here is an assumption about: First, there are more qualified candidates than available leadership positions (could be internally or externally. Second, turnover of employees identified as ‘key talent† will not increase. Third, employees who are not identified as â€Å"k ey talent† will accept that the assessment process is fair. Indian human resource management will continue to evolve, and it will continue to be important characteristic of growth and sustainability. Chap – 6 Other relevant topics Generally speaking, In the process of recruiting, training management, the performance of India and Canada is similar. They use similar strategies for select right employees, like internal and external recruitment. Using skills tests and talent questions helping employers find a best person for the job. On the other hand, there are some obvious differences. Firstly, in Canada, there are a lots of policies (Provincial and territorial human rights legislation, Canada Human Rights Act) implemented by federal or national governments to protect the rights of employees, like policies about minimum wage employer must pay to workers, sexual orientation, marital status, and maximum work time. Besides that, when the rights of employees was ruined, employees can complain with some constitution including The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Citizenship Commission. On the other hand, the policies protecting employees are scary. Employees look for job by individual, and the salary and benefits paid to employees is determined by employers. Because India in a labour intensive country. The price is cheaper than Canada obviously. In addition, India do not have policies about minimum wage. The codes protecting the rights of women and young are in little quantities. Which is more, compared with Canada. It is harder for employees in India sue the company which exploits them. For instance Even though India is a labour intensive country, because of high growth of developing, it is not a big problem to find a job in their own country. A lot of jobs are created because of the increasing of market demands. Since Canada is multicultural country. You can find people from Australia, Asia and Europe. They are seeking jobs in Canada. Apart from this Canada is a secular Country. So Canada has a lot of policies about avoiding discrimination like religion, race and color. Conclusion: By analyzing and studying various reports and research paper we can say that there is vast difference between the HR practice between India and Canada. The rules and regulation regarding Human resource management are quite similar in both countries. The government of both Countries has made clear rules and regulations, but in India there is lack of implementation of the rules. Various research paper also indicates that the HRM is in transition phase, due to globalization the global practice becoming more and more familiar to Indian corporate groups. The study also suggests that there is socio-cultural influence on HRM practice in India. India has to go far to reach global HRM practice, but it is also showing good positive changes in terms of positive HRM policy guideline and support from government. Bibliography: 1. http://hrguide.applezoom.com/2007/09/hr-role-in-recruitment 2. (http://hrguide.applezoom.com/2007/09/hr-role-in-recruitment 3. http://www.shrm.org/Research/Articles/Articles/Documents/ 4. Budhwar, P. S. (2009). Challenges Facing Indian HRM And the Way Forward. In P. S. Budhwar J. Bhatnagar (Eds.), the Changing Faces of People Management in India (pp. 289-300). New York: Routledge. 5. Adapted from Towers Perrin. (2008). 2007-2008 Towers Perrin global workforce study. Retrieved August 26, 2009, www.towersperrin.com 6. http://rphrm.curtin.edu.au/2007/issue2/india.html 7. Chatterjee, S.R. (2006). Human resource management in India. In A. Nankervis, Chatterjee, S.R. J. Coffey (Eds.), Perspectives of human resource management in the Asia Pacific (41-62). Pearson Prentice Hall: Malaysia. 8. Meredith, R. (2007). The elephant and the dragon: The rise of India and China and what it means for all of us. New York: W.W.Norton Co. 9. http://rphrm.curtin.edu.au/2007/issue2/india.html 10. http://www.infosys.com/about/who-we-are/Pages/history.aspx 11. http://www.ittestpapers.com/articles/-infosys-selection-procedure.html 12. http://www.infosys.com/investors/reports-filings/annual-report/annual/Documents/Infosys-AR-08.pdf 13.

Speedo Marketing Strategy

Speedo Marketing Strategy To being with our organisational orientation lets look at some of the definition about Marketing and Marketing concept. Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. (Approved October 2007 American Marketing Association Board of Directors) The right product, in the right place, at the right time, at the right price (Adcock) The achievement of corporate goals through meeting and exceeding customer needs better than the competition. (Jobber) Speedo is one of the leading brands in swim wear. Founded in 1910, in Australia by a young Scottish entrepreneur Alexander MacRae. Initially known as MacRae Knitting mills, the company was into undergarment business and due to the mounting response from Australian beach comers, MacRae integrated swimwear in his business. In 1920 swimwear popularity rose quickly because of the inclusion of swimming as a sport and mixed bathing. In 1928 they introduced a new model swimwear called Racerback outfit, which made the swimmers to swim faster. A new slogan was generated Speed on in your Speedos and the catchword became fashionable and finally a new name Speedo was coined. In 1951 Speedo Knitting Mills (Holdings) Ltd was integrated and turned into a public company (Sydney Stock exchange). Speedo started its operation in USA in 1959 and made into other international markets. It also moved into Europe by purchasing 30% share of Robert Shaw and Company Ltd. in Nottingham, England. The Japan and South Africa corporations approved licenses to Speedo to set up manufacture and division delivery in 1960. It made a significant deal with China in 1980. Many European Union provided license to the Speedo manufacturing and delivering. In 1980 it became official sponsor for Australia Institute of Sport. The Pentland Group took possession of Speedo in 1990 and finally the modern Speedo was born with new strategies and products. Today the Speedo trademark is protected in 175 countries with an annual turnover of $550 million. Since its inception, Speedo had been innovative in the competitive swimsuit market to design suits with the latest technology aimed at enhancing the swimmers performance. The technology and design of its suits brought Speedo to the forefront in performance swimming as more Olympic medals were won in Speedo than in any other athletic apparel brand. In 1928, the celebrated Swedish swimmer Arne Borg set a world record by wearing the Speedo swimwear and the brand won hearts of millions. The Speedos major success story in innovation starts way back in the 1950s when they were the first company to introduce normal wool into their fabric. They created roars in the 1950 Olympics by sponsoring the Australian swimming team in the new Speedo suit which broke records. Speedo had no turn back and was acknowledged as a market leader ever since in performance swimwear till the 2008 Olympics. They are successful to the extent that they command more than 70% of the market share in the US$200 million performance swimwear market globally. The 60s and 70s witnessed the unrivalled reign of Speedo in the performance segment. 49 medals were won in Mexico Olympics held in 1968, in which 22 set a world record by wearing Speedo. Speedo was the first to introduce nylon/elastane into the fabric in 1970 and even today the fabric is famous among the swimmers. More than 50 countries were sporting Speedo in Munich Olympics held in 1972. In 1976 Speedo became the official swimwear brand for the Montreal Olympics. In 1992, 1994 and 1996 Speedo came up with S2000, Endurance and Aquablade which were worn by most record breaking swimmers in Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics. Speedo launched Fast-skin swimsuit in 2000 Sydney Olympics which is made up of smooth crisp fabric and broke 13 world records. 2003 is a remarkable year for Speedo, as it turned to 75th year. Speedo launched Fast-skin series in 2004, which was worn by Michael Phelps and set a history in Athens Olympics by winning 8 medals. The LZR Racer the most advanced swimsuit launched by Speedo in his 80th year created history as 92% medals in swimming were won in the Speedo suit. In 1990 Speedo was bought by The Pentland Group and the new Speedo International LTD was born with new strategies and approach. Speedo an established name in the competitive swimwear segment was getting into the wider segment by focusing on commercial products with a sports attitude. Speedo implemented new marketing strategies through AD campaigns which was completely new to the company. Today Speedo is a Multi National Company operating in 175 countries with an annual turnover of $550 million. Speedo products are sold directly and through brand franchising and are available in departmental stores, speciality stores and sports goods stores. Speedo owned brand accelerate specially focused commercial wear for men and women sells pants, shirts, bags, caps, footwear etc. Speedo co branded AVP apparels sells beach volley products and accessories. Speedo sports water designed for athletes was launched in 2004 in collaboration with Fuze Beveraged Ltd. Speedo. Competitive advantage is fundamentally about the value that the customers put on the product assessed by how much they are willing to pay, and the organization that better serves the customers has the differential attribute or dimension to create better customer value (Jobber, D. 2006:p.53) Competitive Advantage of Speedo Speedo has been unique in the market since its inception a century ago. Speedo has a well earned reputation for excellence in quality, efficient in design and unique in its technology. Speedo has evolved themselves to both categories by introducing unique performance products at a higher price and commercial wear products at a normal price. The success of Speedo can be summarised as its competitive edge over other competitors over the last few decades. Speedo had faced fierce competition from multi-national companies known for its smart marketing activities like Nike, Adidas, TYR, Arena, Diana, Mizuno etc but was always in the top in competitive segment with more than 70% share in the $200 million industry. Speedo has evolved themselves into the competitive swimwear market and the commercial wear market, but it commands a competitive advantage only in the former. When it comes to Research and Development Speedo has gained a matchless competitive advantage with respect to its competitors. The main reason for this is Speedos commitment towards Research and Development. Speedo has always in the forefront in bringing out the best products with newest of technologies in the competitive swimwear market. Speedo started this in the 1950s by introducing wool into its fabric and the competitive advantage era of Speedo began. Since then till the year 2008 it had this competitive edge by bringing out the latest technology suit available in the market. They have worked with the best names in technology like the National aeronautics and space administration (NASA), reputed universities and private research agencies to develop its product. Introduction of the fast skin series, the fastest swimwear in the world in the 2008 Olympics When it comes to sponsored athletes Speedo has again gained the upper hand among its competitors. Speedo has sponsored most of the top ranking athletes in swimming like Michel Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, Ryan Lochte, Katie Hoff, Libby Trickett, Eamon Sullivan, Rebecca Adlington etc. No other has companies such an elite list of sponsored swimmers. Threat of entry in a swimming firms industry: A new sports company that enters into the industry brings in the potential to gain a new market share. The existing competitors pose a threat to the new comers, but in the case of Speedo it has been dominant in the market since its inception. It is big hurdle for the upcoming companies to gain a considerable market share against the existing company as they are highly popular in the customers mind with their smart proven strategies. Access of distribution channels- The distribution channel is well connected and diversified globally. The products are reaching all parts of the world with the highly competitive supply chain management. Sometime this barrier is so high that to surmount it, a new contestant must create its own distribution channels. Cost disadvantage independent of size- Unless the competitors reduce the price but consistent with the product quality. They might record low sale rate, if they dont upgrade the quality of the product to sustain in the market. Capital requirements- The net worth of the company is vital for the capital requirement. The capital can be mobilised from various asset produces to bank official. The budget has to be distrusted for the growth of the company in various sectors like inventories, R D, advertising budget etc. Recession could be an advantage or demerit to an economy and other firms. Some organisations might see recession as an advantage because it motivates the market to run effectively mostly during long-term. Taking Speedo as an example, the organisation seen recession as an advantage to them because, during recession competition within the swimming industry is less, it causes brings down the cost of swimming. If there is high number of swimming industry, the lesser the information they get about each other performance being an advantage to the firms, and more likely output and prices will be at a competitive level. Speedo looks at competitive advantage which lies not only in activities but in the way they do relate to each other, to supplier activities, customer relationship and to customer activities. That the phrases competitive advantage and sustainable competitive advantage have become commonplace is testimony to the power of individual belief ideas. The foremost part in the Marketing Mix is the Companys product, since such provides the handy needs to customer past near they looked for in the market. The product widens by the marketing managers into brands is to make a unique position in the market as well as in the customers needs. The Four Ps of marketing mix is the key factor in the market. Most of the organisations depend on the marketing mix elements. They are Product, Price, Promotion and Place. Product Definition simply refers to anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use which may satisfy a want or need of an individual. Product base approach Quality is viewed as a precise and measurement variable. Speedo has ranked its product according to the price among of the desired attributed they posses. Because quality reflects the quantity of attributes that a product contains, and because attributes are considered costly to produce, higher quality goods will be more expensive. i. Conformance- It relates to reliability, as conformance stresses the extent to which ours products are designed and match pre-established standards. Conformance quality is meaningless if its not satisfactory to the customers. ii. Durability- how much use does one get from the Speedo product before it wears down and needs to be replaced. iii. Feature- secondary marketing mix that augment the basic function. iv. Reliability- the probability of a product breaking down applies particularly to customer durables, such as washing machine and to industry machinery. There are many verities in performance especially concentrated on swimming which is their major marketing product. After various transformations in the technology they have refined the product in aspect of performance in the sporty game swimming. Initially they started manufacturing with normal wool to silk to nylon and the latest is the Pulse fabric composed with lightweight woven fabric polyurethane panels to reduce drag. Based on the changes in the material used by Speedo, they have developed a new design for challenging swimmers which is the one that covers most part of the body. Speedo makes a full body suit (showing head, hands, and feet open), jumpers and endurances. The new suits manufactured has advantage, the material is used to reduce the drag which the performer can speed the strokes in the activities. This is approved by FINA and this is a popular product which it beating the new trend. There are various designs in the performance aspect such as Fastskin LZR Racer, Fastskin LZR Racer Tri-Pro, Fastskin FS Pro, Fastskin FSII, Endurance+ and 2010 FINA Approved suit. After three years of research and developed by Aqualab (Speedos global research and development facility) they came with a new product LZR Fast Racer suit specially for swimmers. As a part of their research Aqualab worked with a number of global partners including NASA, ANSYS, Otago University, and Australian Institute of sport to fabricate an Ultra lightweight, powerful and water repellent material to reduce muscle oscillation, skin vibration through powerful compression and to lower skin friction drag. The fabric is fast material and is a unique 3D three-piece pattern designed to optimize the shape of the swimmer. Scanning more than 400 bodies the pattern was from 30 to 3 piece pattern. The swimsuit is fully bonded and ultrasonically welded bonded seams to create a perfectly smooth and flexible streamlined surface finish. The Hydro form compression scheme is to compress fabric as per body shape with complete flexibility and optimum economy. The skin friction drag seams are bonded to lower sewn by 6% and the drag in LZR pulse is 8% lower than Fast Skin. This is approved by FINA 2010 especially for swimming, which is major marketing product. The LZR Racer Tri-Pro is Speedo Aqualabs RD expertise in understanding human activities and they have designed this product which is multi usage product used for swimming, biking and running which is a Triathlon product. The material used in LZR Racer the same is used in LZR Racer Tri-Pro which suits human body with respective to the environment. This suit dries up twice faster than a normal suit, which easily optimizes the body shape with good flexibility and with a fine smooth finish. This suit cover the body from shoulders to the laps, leaving the other parts like shoulders, arms and legs from laps to expose. The next advancement in swimwear technology was the FASTSKIN FS-Pro; made from the same material as the LZR Racer, it dried twice a s fast and lightweight. World class swimmers were consulted in developing this suit which again turned out to be a huge success. This was AQUALAB one of the most sophisticated product. The material for this suit was developed through biomimetrics (design based on nature) imitating the skin of certain aquatic animals especially shark. The material was highly stretchy with a colour and design similar to aquatic conditions and was imitating the shark, the fastest aquatic creature. The suit allows more oxygen to the swimmer adsorbs vibrations from the body and gives rigid support with less drag. The material used is super stretchy fabric, which allows moving freely with great comfort. This is an old product which every swimmer has to use in the early stages of learning which helps to retain a correct posture in swim. Endurance+ is 100% chlorine resistant, designed to last longer, dries more quickly and is 20 times more fade resistance than the commercial swimwear. The completer LZR Range of products is FINA approved as per 2010 rules. The products had created good demand due to the advanced, light weight, powerful material designed to opt shape of body flexible with a smooth finish by absorbing the body vibrations generated from the body and strengthens swimming power. The suit absorbs oxygen to the body by giving additional energy to the body; with a fast dry technology which is all applicable to FINA 2010 new rules. This is a whole range of safety precaution products from Speedo. Concentrated mainly on beginers, which includes swim vests, armbands, kickboards etc. Swim vest and arm bands allows the beginners to float above water without sinking. Kickboard is a product made of undrownable material which is held to stay above water and start peddling. Designed especially for women by women to identify the comfort in fitting by compress the stomach region and lifts up the breast which gives a good female structure. Speedo has a variety of equipments ranging from goggles, caps, MP3, Scuba gear, training aids, footwear etc each specially designed for aquatic activities. Goggles provide clarity vision in water and are UV protective, anti-fog, mirror lens witha rubber double head strap to fit in head perfectly and also safeguards eyes in chlorine water. Underwater MP3 can be used upto 3 metres under water, easy to operate, easy to charge via laptops which last for nine hours. Bio fuse footwear is designed to keep the surface wet by immediate exit of water from pores with good grip on wet floors and is ideal choose in beaches and pools. Speedo uses a tool called economic value to increase perception of value. It is regarded as an appropriate pricing method for this particular market. The terms used in this approach are defined as follows. a. Incremental or improvement value- This will represent the potential incremental satisfaction or profit that Speedo customer can expect from a product over other reference product. b. Reference product- It refers to any product that is accomplishing the same function as the product whose economic value is looked into by the customer. In Speedo, sensitivity pricing is regarded as a key element in the conceptualization of price. It not only assists in developing a marketing strategy but also helps to identify segments with different price sensitivity and the range within which price should be set. i. Price quality effect: Buyers are less sensitive to product price to the extent that higher price signals better quality. ii. Unique value effect: Buyers are more or less sensitive to product price; the more they value any unique attributes that differentiate from the competitors products. iii. Difficult comparison effect: Buyers may seek loyalty with approved supplies or established brand names. Pricing a product in a company has many formulas and strategies in order to come out with the best price. Pricing imitate the supply and demand bond. To understand the pricing strategies in simple, lets us look at the pricing strategies matrix. Premium pricing is about the goods or service where there is uniqueness in high price. This method is used when significant competitive reward exists. In Speedo the LZR Racer, Fast Skin FS Pro, Fast Skin FSII is positioned as their premium priced brand due to its uniqueness in the market. It is uncompromisingly priced around  £210- £550. Economy Pricing: The selling price of the product is kept low, targeting a specific range of low and middle class customers in the market. This strategy is also used in penetration pricing also in order to gain market share in the first place. Speedo fits in some of there products like goggles and caps at economy price to widen its customer base. Goggles range from  £3- £22 and caps from  £5- £17. Charging a higher rate for a product at its initial stage due its uniqueness or demand and then reducing the price once the demand is over or a similar product is been launched in the market. Speedo introduced LZR Racer swimwear and charged a higher rate due to the uniqueness and demand in the market. After a few months, competitors like TYR and Arena replicated the same product and produced at a low cost. Speedo skimmed their price to get in pace with the competition. Product Line Pricing: Bundling different products to sell it in a profitable rate to the customer is known as product line pricing. Speedo bundles caps, goggles, and jammer. For example the cap could be  £5, goggles  £3 and jammer  £60, but the whole package only costs  £68. Promotional Pricing: Promotional Pricing is where the commodities are marked below margin price in the shop for the time being to attract the customer, anticipating that they will buy more products. Speedo has a lot of special offers to make the customer buy more goods. For example Speedo offers direct online the Mens Skitty T-shirt is  £15, but the margin price for the T-shirt  £20. These are the wide range of products displayed in the quadrant manner. For example product such as FASTSKIN LZR Racer, LZR PRO, FS PRO, FS II are grouped into one phase. Geographical Pricing: Companies adapt to different pricing strategies according to the geography. Operating in 175 countries having customers with various outlook and economic structure, geographical pricing is very important for Speedo. For example Speedo introduces a product with a high price in developed countries, whereas it will introduce low price or medium products in underdeveloped countries. Another example of international pricing of Speedo is LZR Racer Elite Jammer which cost  £130 in Europe, where as it cost $260 in USA. Factors affecting price decisions: Promotions: Promotion is the third factor in marketing mix. It caters elements such as advertising, direct marketing, digital marketing, public relations and sales promotion. Speedo has been in the forefront in advertising and branding strategy. One of the important criterions in promotional mix is to influence end users to buy the product by integrating marketing communications. The message should reach the customers in such a way that it covers all aspects of distribution in the market. Speedo, marketing has worked with an aim of favouring the end users with reliability and contentment of the product. Speedos initiated there first promotional event in branding by sponsoring the Australian team in Speedo swimwear during the 1956 Olympics held in Melbourne. It turned out to be a tremendous success when the team won 8 gold medals boosting the brand value of Speedo. Speedos global market growth took place in the 60s where it witnessed stunning performances by athletes gaining 27 gold medals sporting Speedo suits. The campaigns done during the 1970s and 80s were more focussed in establishing fresh ventures by signing deals with Canada and China. By then Speedo gained the market in Europe and parts of Asia. Target Market: Speedo focuses more in Research Development where it produces advanced high performance designs for targeting right from the child who wants to learn swimming till the Olympic Gold Medallists. Their motto is to satisfy the goals of the swimmer with speed, contentment and flexibility. Communication Objectives: In business being a well established brand means it has to maintain its reputation by coming out with best of products in the market. These objectives are channelled to the consumers through media and other communication channels like websites, outdoor campaigns, online media, television, pamphlets, sponsorships etc. Promotional Methods: This includes various strategies to generate sales by getting into the public through various activities like: Sales Promotions: Discount offers, Price slashes, sales vouchers, clubbed offers with other products, combo offers like the purchase of Caps and goggles with a discount in price. Digital marketing Digital marketing has turned out to be the next big thing of the new millennium. It utilizes the digital mediums like internet, mobile, televisions and other interactive channels. Speedo has recently evolved to global online presence and digital marketing through social media space, fan pages, blogs and social media applications. Schemes like Free delivery with orders over 40 £, options like standard delivery and express delivery, sales are generated in volumes. Special offers like price discounts with Speedo coupons and online vouchers are also available. Advertising has been a key strategy of Speedo but with high selectivity. The million dollar campaign before the 2008 Olympics was the recent one which created a brand image that no brand has gained in the Olympics. The brand image is to such an extent that in India when you ask for a branded swimsuit then you will end up in getting Speedo. This is the effectiveness of Speedos advertising campaign even though done rarely. The Olympic Games are so integral to our brand strength, said Craig Brommers, VP-marketing. We want to use the Olympics as a springboard to talk about other parts of our business that are increasingly important. Speedo owns more than 70% market share of the performance and sport swimwear category, but that is a smaller part of our business as we expand. Publication:Brandweek, Date:Monday, March 8 2004 Effectiveness of advertising depends mainly on timing, trustworthiness, performance play, branding etc. Speedo has perfectly designed all these elements with perfect balance and that makes Speedo once again unique in the market. Speedo has famous athletes like Michael Phelps, Hannah Stockbauer and Kosuke Kitajima in their ad campaigns which increases there brand image further in the market Public Relation The PR department of Speedo works out rigorously as there are a number of product launches from Speedo international. It ensures that the company is maintaining the decorum of the products, media buzz, word of mouth and new product launches. The PR department well managed the crisis during the controversy about the swimsuit LZR Racer which took place during the Beijing Olympics held in 2008. Negativity sprouted up when some people want it banned during the competitions, since the levels of buoyancy are at unprecedented levels which they felt an unfair advantage for swimmers in the form of technological doping. But FINA (International Swimming Federation) disproved the false aspects imposed on Speedo and approved the LZR racer swimsuit. The PR department was at its best as they coordinated well with the media in solving the issues. ENDORSEMENTS SPONSORSHIPS: Olympic Games hes been an integral part of Speedos endorsements and sponsorships. 2008 was the most remarkable year as the Speedo sponsored athlete Phelps created waves in the Olympics when he bagged 8 gold medals with world record which is the best by any athlete in Olympic history. Speedo recently announced the extension of the sponsorship deal with the swimming legend Michael Phelps till 2013. Place is a key factor in marketing mix, as the produced goods has to be stored in suitable locations so that it can be channelled into proper distributions. Satisfying customer needs is not only the sole criterion for a manufacturer, but the calculation of the exact product requirement should also be met through proper channel intermediaries. In the case of Speedo, the key strategy remains focused in most of the Olympic event sponsorships. So, that the brand reaches the mass face value thereby gaining customer loyalty. The trading system for Speedo is more focused on marketing mix. The shelving of products in stores portrays a clean appearance, so that the sales would improve and traders would be benefited. The gap between the manufacturer and end user is filled by the marketing intermediaries such as (brokers, commission agents, retailers). The main function of the channel intermediaries is to resolve the difference between the buyer and seller where the seller produces large volumes with a limited goods range, whereas the buyer will require only limited goods with diversified range of products. In the case of Speedo the breaking bulk factor seems to work out well in the retailing sector where there is wide buying range of options for the customers to chose from. For example in goggles the Speedo brand has its products lined up for each purpose such as Racing, Training, Optical, Essential and Children. Minimising the number of transactions during the distribution will improve the efficiency of the business performance. By creating the hub the manufacturers will optimize the transactions which ultimately reduce the selling cost of the product. For Speedo the entry of digital marketing has reduced the distribution through commission agent which proves to be more efficient. The location and time are vital for any global business. In the case of Speedo it has diversified in the international markets and acquired a large clientele base irrespective of the geographic locations. Online purchases and free home delivery offers by the Speedo eases the customers purchase by saving their time gap. Channel Scheme factors: The channel decisions grip selection of the most efficient allocation channel. There are channel factors which influence the marketing channel integration. 1. Market factors 2. Producer factors 3. Product factors 4. Competitive factors 1. Market factors: The buying behaviour proves to be a challenge while considering the consumer expectation relating to the product. The customer tends to buy through direct outlets or retailer depending on their convenience. As in the case of Speedo majority of the customer either purchase online or through outlets. The strength of Speedos marketing lay with the proper distribution channel and network. 2. Producer factors: The deficient factor that the producer faces is the lacking of enough resources to coordinate its channel functions. The strategy of the channel might have its effects during the product mix that the producer initiates. In the case of Speedo the direct distribution proves to be price effective as it has different range of products. 3. Product factors: Speedo has a mix of intermediaries which ranges from direct online sales, agent, direct outlet, and direct distribution to the retailers. Since the life of the Speedo product is subject to long-term the direct distribution by the distributors will deny storing the products in large volume if the existing goods have not been sold. 4. Competitive factors: Speedo not only utilises the traditional distribution channels to sell its products but also has evolved themselves to the newly emerging distribution techniques like digital marketing which involves online sales etc. For example Speedo has spent millions Sheffield based agency; Quba has delivered a banner campaign for Speedo, following its success in the Olympics with swimmers Michael Phelps and Stephanie Rice. This is the first digital campaign for Speedo which was targeting young adults and teenagers. The agency also produced an interactive rich media banner featuring video of the athletes and the opportunity to enter the competition by submitting details into a form embedded into the banner itself. 34 variants of the banners were produced by the agency for oversees market in a very tight turnaround time. SWOT Analysis: SWOT analysis is the main instrument for the company to audit the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT). The strengths and weakness are internal factors. Opportunities and threats are the external factors. SWOT analysis is very helpful for the managers to plan at the first stage, since it shows the key factors of the organisation. SWOT Analysis The Marketing managers should know the SWOT analysis, so that they know the company mances and chance. The analysis is to make an impact in the growth of the organisation. 1. (S)trengths: The main strength for Speedo is the innovative of new product in the market. The latest new product of Speedo Shapeline Swimwear. The RD of Speedo resea

How Charles Dickens’ Life Influenced Oliver Twist Essay -- essays pape

How Charles Dickens’ Life Influenced Oliver Twist â€Å"The range of his creative activity is, in the first place, limited to the world of his youth† (Cecil 169). This quote explains many people. What has previously happened to a person has a tremendous impact on them. It can affect their decisions, emotions, and life. The life of a person can sometimes be seen quite easily through what they do. Artists often reveal what their life has been like through the works that they create. The same can be said about writers. Events in authors past often show up in his works. The above quote is, in fact, made in regard to Charles Dickens. Dickens had several real life experiences of poverty and abandonment in his life that influenced his work, Oliver Twist. The times of poverty and abandonment in Charles Dickens’ life instilled a political belief in Dickens’ mind against the new poor laws of Great Britain. Dickens’ felt the new poor laws victimized the poor, failed to give the poor a voice, and were in need of change. These points are shown in Oliver Twist through the characters, scenes, and narration Dickens’ uses throughout the book. Dickens lived a life full of events that would later influence his novels. Dickens grew up during a time of change for Great Britain. By the time he was born in 1812, the Industrial Revolution was in full force. Dickens grew up as a normal middle-class child in Portsmouth, Great Britain. It was around the age of twelve that his life took a drastic turn. Dickens was still a child when his father was imprisoned for debt. Families, at this time, lived with the father in prison. Charles did not live in prison, though. Instead, he was sent to live alone and become a laborer at Warren’s Blacking Facto... ...r Twist† The Immortal Dickens. London, 1925. 63-87. Rpt in Oliver Twist. Ed. Fred Kaplan. New York: Norton & Company, 1993. Skim Greene, Graham. â€Å"The Young Dickens.† Collected Essays. 1969. Rpt. in Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism, Vol. 3. Ed. Laurie L. Harris. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1983. Pg. 176. MacKenzie, Jeanne. Dickens, A Life. USA: British Library Cataloguing in Publication, 1979. Skim. Murray, Brian. Charles Dickens. New York: Continuum, 1994. Skim Paroissien, David. Letter to Noah Laible, 15 Feb 2000. Taine, Hippolyte A. History of English Literature, Vol 4. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1965. Pg. 117-163. Wall, Stephan. â€Å"The Letters of Charles Dickens, 1856-1858.† Essays in Criticism 47.1 (1997): 78-87. Wills, Garry. â€Å"Love in the lower depths.† The New York Review of Books 26 Oct 1989: 60-68.

General Environmental Analysis Essay -- Essays Papers

General Environmental Analysis The airline industry is very stable and unlikely to change in the near future. There are many reasons for this. Air travel continues to grow and will continue in this fashion as long as the economy stays in an upward trend. US domestic air traffic grew 2.3% in 1998 and 3.5% in the first six months of 1999 according to Air Transportation Association. The percentage of flyers has increased an average of 2% each year and the percentage of people who have ever flown before increased from 73% in 1993 to 81% in 1997. (Airport Transport Association, Internet). The top three reasons that people fly are business trips (47%), visiting relatives (38%) and going on vacation (13%). Most airline revenues are gained from the fares they charge these passengers, but they also earn ancillary revenues from transporting mail, shipping freight, selling in-flight services and from serving alcoholic beverages (Airport Transportation Association, Internet). The primary target market of airline passengers today is the business traveler because business trips account for the majority (47% ) of airline flights. Though this percentage of business trips is slowly declining, the actual number of business travelers is increasing. The business traveler fits the description of the average airline passenger of being male, between the ages of 35 and 54, having a household of $60,000 or more and lives in the western region of the country (Airport Transportation Association, Internet). The business traveler tends to be very price inelastic in terms of plane fares and as a result, airlines provide benefits to them such as priority check-in, expedited baggage handling, frequent flier miles and in-flight cell phones to business people to entice them to fly with their carrier. The other segment of the airline market is that of leisure travelers. These passengers tend to be extremely price sensitive which is exactly opposite the business traveler. As a result, airlines must find ways to beat competitors in terms of prices. Because the leisure traveler is not loyal to any one carrier, price becomes the determining factor in deciding which carrier to fly on. Again just opposite of the business traveler, the number of leisure fliers has decreased while the number of trips has increased. While the industry seems to be doing extremely... ...y another airline and using it through a larger airline may be a smart move. Some amount of capital should be devoted to improving technology because it is, in a sense, the power of the future. Bibliography Air Transport Association. â€Å"Air travel Survey.† Online. MSN.com. Internet. 12 Nov. 2000. Available: www.londecon.co.uk/pubs/comp/crb8.htm. Carey, Susan et.al. â€Å"AMR, Northwest talks turn serious as pressure rises for decision on merger†. Wall Street Journal. July 12, 2000. Competition Bulletin 8. Online. MSN.com. Internet. 9 Nov.2000. Available: www.activemedia-guide.com/airindustry.htm. â€Å"Four leading airlines launch global alliance,†Transportation and Distribution, Cleveland, OH, August 2000. Mooreman, Robert W. â€Å"United turns to academics to show alliances aid consumers.† Aviation Week and Space Technology. New York. Oct.2,2000. Travel Agent. â€Å"Forecast for the Future: Airlines.† Online. Yahoo.com. Internet. 12 Nov.2000. Available: www.finarticles.com/cf_1/mOVOU/2-298/59013812/p2/article.jhtml. US Business Reporter. â€Å"Airline Industry Profile.† Online. Yahoo.com. Internet. 12 Nov. 2000. Available: www.air-transport.org/public/industry/23.asp.