Case Study 8.1: His Team Gets the Best Assignments Essay

Case Summary: Jack’s team: †¢ Most creative †¢ Willing to go the extra mile †¢ Gets along well with Carly †¢ Often gets allocated extra resources †¢ Praised for a provocative ad campaign Terri’s team: †¢ Counseled out of an ad campaign †¢ Performs well for the agency †¢ Unhappy with how Carly treats the team †¢ Holds animosity toward Carly †¢ Feels Carly is unfair and favors Jack’s team Julie’s team: †¢ Notices Carly favors other teams †¢ Feels the other teams get the best writers and art directors †¢ Feels Carly doesn’t notice her team or help it with its work †¢ Feels undervalued Sarah’s team: †¢ Sarah has worked for 10 years †¢ Agrees with some of Terri’s & Julie’s observations, but it doesn’t seem to bother her †¢ Her team gets the job done †¢ Being in Carly’s ‘inner circle’ would require extra time and more headaches †¢ No interest in changing the way department works Carly Peters directs the creative department at Mills, Smith, & Peters, which has the reputation for being one of the best advertising and public relation agencies in the country. The department has four major account teams, each is led by an associate director, who report directly to Carly. These four teams are headed by Jack, Terri, Julie, and Sarah. Each of the associate directors have different relationship with Carly. Questions 1.Based on the principles of LMX theory, what observations would you make about Carly’s leadership at Mills, Smith and Peters? According to LMX theory and its research, subordinates become a part of the in-group or the  out-group based on how well they work with the leader and how well the leader works with them. Leaders should create a special relationship with all employees, similar to the in-group relationship. Leaders should also offer each employee the opportunity to take on new roles and responsibilities, and should look for ways to build trust and respect. It is clear from this case that Carly has different relationship with each associate directors. Jack’s team is the most creative and goes the extra mile. The result of these team members going the extra mile is that Carly, in turn, does more for them. Jack and Carly’s relationship is clearly in the phase three â€Å"partnership† of leadership making. Terri and Julie, claim that their teams perfo rm well for the agency and hence, it’s clearly unfair for Carly to be biased towards Jack’s team. Terri’s and Julie’s relationship with Carly appears to be in the Phase 2 â€Å"acquaintance† of the leadership making. The quality of leader member exchange matters most to employees who feel less empowered, and in this case it matters the most to Terri and Julie. It is the responsibility of the leader to make high quality exchanges will all the employees and make them feel as part of in-group to avoid negative implications and inequities. Sarah’s team gets the job done for the agency and Sarah clearly doesn’t want to be in Carly’s in-group, as it will mean more responsibilities for her and her team. Carly has low quality exchanges with Sarah, and their relationship appears to be in the phase 1 â€Å"stranger† of the leadership making. 2.Is there and in-group and an out-group, and if so, which are they? Jack’s team is clearly in the in-group and Sarah’s team is in the out-group. Julie’s and Terri’s team are also in the out-group but struggling to be a part of the in-group. 3.In what way is Carly’s relationship with the four groups productive or counterproductive to the overall goals of the agency? Leaders should have high quality exchanges and try to build effective dyads with all employees in the work unit, this would avoid inequities and negative implications of being in an out group. This in turn will also empower employees, and empowering them will have a positive implication on the job satisfaction, performance, turnover and the overall organizational goals. Carly’s  relationship with Jack’s team is clearly productive. I feel that her relationship with Sarah’s team is also somewhat productive from an organizational standpoint, as Sarah mentions that her team gets the job done and she clearly doesn’t want to be in the in-group. However, her relationship with Terri’s and Julie’s team seems to affect the team’s morale. It also has made them feel ignored and invaluable, which would certainly af fect the teams productivity in the future, and in turn would be counterproductive to the overall goals of the agency. 4.Do you think Carly should change her approach toward the associate directors? If so, what should she do differently? Definitely, organizations stand to gain much from having leaders who can create good working relationship. Carly should try to be an effective leader and build effective relationships with all her employees, the number one thing to do would be to communicate and listen to each of them about their roles and responsibilities. She should also support them in their tasks and motivate them to perform better. If she creates high quality exchanges, builds effective relationships and makes everyone feel a part of in-group, the team dynamics and attitudes will become more positive and this in turn will have positive effect on the overall goals of the organization.

Eleven by Sandra Cisneros Essay

The message that the short story Eleven by Sandra Cisneros tells is that even though you get older you’re still all the same ages you were before. Rather you be five and have to sit on you’re moms lap because you’re scared or when you’re 10 and you might say something stupid. Sandra uses the element imagery quite a bit in her short story. â€Å"†¦When I put one arm through one sleeve of the sweater that smells like cottage cheese, and then the other arm through the other and stand there with my arms apart like if the sweater hurts me and it does, all itchy and full of germs that aren’t even mine.   This particular sentence really describes how awful the sweater must be, she says that one arm of the sleeve smells like cottage cheese and the other is itchy and full of germs that aren’t even hers. The mental image I got from that was a sweater that was a big, ugly, and smelly heap of a very itchy red sweater. Another element of voice Sandra uses is diction. â€Å"Only today I wish I didn’t have only eleven years rattling inside me like pennies in a tin Band-Aid box.   This example of diction was one that would stick out the rest of the story. Instead of saying I wish I were older than 11, Sandra uses diction to emphasize how much she would love to be older than 11. All in all Sandra does an incredible job throughout the book in using elements of voice to portray Rachel, not only did she uses imagery and diction but she used detail, syntax, and tone. She very nicely described how all people will revert back to past ages. Overall, she uses many elements of voice to depict the message of this story.

Analysis And Appraisal Of Primark’s Performances

Analysis And Appraisal Of Primarks Performances Growth and survival are very often the majors’ objectives that guide businesses. Running a business is today and more than ever a risky venture because of the uncertainty of the environment and the strong competition that exist within markets. Organisations have to always come up with new strategies that will help them to achieve superior performances in order to stay in the competition or take competitive advantages. International organisations need therefore to strive more than the others to achieve high performances due to the globalisation effects. Last two years, achieving superior performances was not an easy task due to the economic crisis, leading businesses to be more concern about their survival rather than anything else. The retail sector in the UK was particularly affected by lower purchasing power of customers and many companies of the industry were fighting for their future. It was in this particular context of crisis that Primark one of the most recognise high street brand stand out, increasing their market share and achieving superior performance that made the headlines inside and outside the country. What were the strategies behind these outstanding performances? The present report will critically analyse and appraise Primark performances and the strategies used in order to achieve them. BACKGROUND Founded four decades ago in Ireland, Primark (also branded as Penneys in the Ireland Republic) is a clothing retailer operating in the European continent. The company which is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc (ABF) which also owns grocery brands such as Twinning and Silver spoon have an estimated total of 192 stores and operated in several European countries like the UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium. Since its creation, Primark come a long way to become as today one of the most favoured place to shop by women and men in the UK. The mission of the company quoted directly from ABF website can be extract ed from this statement â€Å"The mission of Primark is to supply quality clothing at prices perceived to offer real value†. Simply said, Primark mission is to make people look good at a lowest cost. This concept of value chain clothing has been one of the main drivers of Primark success over the decades. From its creation the company used a winning formula that is based on a competitive pricing model associated to a fast changing on the fashion pattern. The past decades saw an increase in number of high street brand that offer fashionable products adapted from the catwalk look at affordable prices and Primark was among those brands. A shift of the consumers behaviours toward value lead Primark to increase the number of its store over the decades in order to adapt with the shoppers pattern. A significant increase of this growth has also been an increase of the size of the stores with the average size rising from 16,000 sqft to 30,000 sqft. The opening of a 70,000 sqft store in a high profile place like Oxford Street boosted the Brand image as the UK leader of the value retailing. Also the significant amount invested by ABF in the opening of new stores and the extension of the existing ones helped Primark to achieve a massive transformation going from being a low price-brand with tertiary locations to become the leader of the value retailing in the UK. The recent downturn economic leading to consumers to be price conscious helped certainly the company to continue its growth and to report an increase of 20% in the 2009 profit. However the company was also the centre of a scandal in 2008 concerning the use of children as workers in its factories in Asia as well as the exploitation of overseas workers. Some critics even said Primark were able to achieve outstanding financial performance partially because of above factors that helped them to keep their production costs as low as possible.

What are the driving forces of globalization and what effects does Essay

What are the driving forces of globalization and what effects does globalization have on the policy-making capabilities of states - Essay Example 256-260), â€Å"globalization integrates many countries together.† It is an observation that after globalization, developed and developing countries have got an opportunity to interconnect themselves together (Frieden, pp. 256-260). Since the time when people began to travel and explore the world outside their limited boundaries, an era of development commenced. This development was in the form of advancements in the trade patterns and scientific discoveries (Boutaleb, p.1). However, now the notion of development has acquired a very different and diverse context. It now includes learning from diverse group of people, intermingling of cultures, and working for mutual success. Thus, â€Å"Globalization is the phenomenon, which can be stated as intermingling of nations and people culturally, and economically† (Smith, p.1). Transportation and media has shortened the distances between two nations, as well as the people. In today’s era of globalization, one can acquire information about anything, and can move from one continent to another in a matter of time, which otherwise would require years of constant traveling. Moreover, on one hand, people had to perform their work with their hands and had to rely on primitive methods of earning and livelihood in previous years; however, in the recent years, globalization has given access to a bountiful of virtual, natural, and artificial resources that offer their utilization to change the lifestyles completely. It means that people can learn from others experiences and build further on rather than learning by experiencing it themselves and starting any work from scratch. People are social animals, created by God to develop and learn with mutual interaction and contact with the natural surrounding. An individual living on a deserted island cannot rely totally on his own skill as a survivor, no matter how courageous and introvert he is. He needs certain assistance and other human beings to talk, learn,

Managing employee relations Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing employee relations - Coursework Example The change in employee relations over the last 30 years and its effect on the different stakeholders of the organization has been considered based on the UK point of view. The strategies developed by them have been studied in order to understand the issue in a more proper fashion. Employee relations: The term employee relations may be defined as the employer and the employee relationship which aims at creation of trust, harmony and commitment within the organization so that the aims and the objectives of the organization are reached and to make the workplace a secure and a productive place. The employee relation in an organization is determined by the relationship which exists between managers and the individual workers and also on the overall relationship between them. (Employee relations, n. d)The government and the trade Unions take a crucial role in maintaining the regulation of the relationship which exists between the employee and the employer. Over the last few decades various environmental factors had their influence over the change in employee relations. The concept of globalization and the emergence of the multinational corporations and their vast geographic presence have affected the changing pattern of the relationship. ... (Blyton & Turnbull, 2004) Political context: The political context includes the factors which are in support for the new economic policies incorporated by the government and its effects. The inclusion of mergers, acquisition and the entry of the foreign sectors in the market raises key concern for the economy. The trade unions raise against such government initiatives and such an environment raises insecurity among the employees regarding their jobs. (Singh, n. d, p.129) The political system involves the process of managing the conflicts and the disagreements between the societies but often it creates disturbance within the framework. In the context of the British political system, it primarily deals with framing and implementing public policies for governing the society. The British political system has faced major political change over the years and the election of the conservative government in 1979 marked the beginning of policy which started the change in the British labor marke t. The activities of the trade union were curtailed and the government aimed to enhance the flexibility of the market. The government thought that such measures will help in the promotion of the growth in the employment. The government promoted entrepreneurship and the concept of individualism emerged within the market. The market was characterized by a sufficient number of competitive products and managerial authority was established. As a result the workings of the management of the organizations also changed considerably. Proper human resource management was in effect which was marked by the concept of individualism. There was a direct communication with the employees and appraisal system was introduced. The support in favor of the trade unions and collective

Culture and Event Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Culture and Event Management - Essay Example All these goals have been fulfilled through professionally well organized events. These are very worthwhile and attract considerable expressions of support. Events are also held to encourage donations for charities and causes of all kinds. May field and Crompton (1995) observed the generic reasons for staging festivals were recreation/socialization, culture/ education, tourism, internal revenue generation, natural resources, agriculture, external revenue generation, and community pride/spirit. The cultural events not only provided a sense of belonging to people, these also created more jobs and provided employment in wholly new field. The management perspective of an event are organizational management which includes marketing, human resources, finance, controls and evaluation, organization and co-ordination. Hospitality management presenting events as service encounters, quality assurance), tourism destination management comprising competitiveness, image enhancement and marketing (Getz, 2000). The cultural event management involves community participation. A psychological understanding about people is useful to plan event activities. But Are Events An Industry There has been a lot of debate, earlier, about whether to term tourism as industry or not. Similar arguments may be raised regarding events. There is no doubt that events have economic impact, these create jobs and generate income. The sector is also encouraging a new expertise in management. The professionals in this field need to work in close association with the stakeholders besides having usual management qualifications. It is already viewed as a new division of tourism industry. Thus they might be called an industry. As well, many events clearly provide services to industries, such as the use of trade shows or exhibitions in marketing products (Getz 2000). The event management has risen in recent years. It is the part of hospitality, tourism, communication and marketing industry. The demand by consumers seeking professionally managed, technically sound good quality management of their events has given boost to this industry. Moreover, the technology has changed the way artists look at their work and present it. Art is every form of creative and interpretive actions viz. Dance, music, writing, films, visual art, ceramics, sculptures, food preparations, Fashion etc. all reflecting influence of culture and traditions requiring various approaches and specialization in event planning (Yeoman et al., 2004). Thus event management is a multidisciplinary field. A figure adapted from Getz and Frisby (1988 as cited in Getz, 2000) shows effect of these components. External environmental forces include policies, resource availability, and demand/supply factors. Venues and physical settings have to be addressed. The internal event management provides, goal attainment and efficient operations. While business management theories and techniques will prove useful, especially given the necessity for most events to become financially self-reliant (Getz 2000) (Fig. 1). Planning and Management of Events: Prior to planning an event a feasibility study preferably with the need assessment is necessary. It should take the stakeholders into account. The first assessment to be done is cost and benefit after considering the duration, location, key program events.

Should General Electric Appliances Customer Relations use Total Research Paper

Should General Electric Appliances Customer Relations use Total Quality Management Instead of Six Sigma Management - Research Paper Example This definition implies that TQM focuses on continuous improvement by involving people at all levels and looks at all processes at organizational level. It does not focus on just one part of the organization but the entire organization as a whole. It involves integrating the technical systems of an organization with the social systems (Barnes and Pike, 1996). The idea is to achieve total customer, employee and stake holder satisfaction. It follows various principals for leading an organization to ensure continuous improvement. These include Involving employees at all level - This is because a TQM effort cannot be successful if it is propagated from the leadership team without the employees at executive level understanding its implications and working towards executing it. Focus on customer satisfaction Ownership at the lowest levels – Employees at the lowest levels need to take ownership of the TQM initiatives and work as self managed teams (Charantimath, 2003). Team work â₠¬â€œ Success of TQM initiative depends on how well the various teams can coordinate and collaborate with each other as well as within themselves. Competitive benchmarking helps in continuous improvement. Thus, it is vital for a company to measure itself against the best performers of the industry in which it is operating. Company culture is an important element of TQM. Hence, the culture should be developed to instill the quality way of working in all employees (Murray, n. d). TQM uses various tools and models to achieve continuous improvement. Some of the quality improvement tools it uses are – check-sheets, histograms, Pareto charts, Control charts, scatter diagrams, process capability studies and so on (Charantimath, 2003). All these tools help the managers to find opportunities for improvement. Some of these tools are also used to monitor the performance of the process on a continuous basis so that any deviations from expected levels are detected and sorted at the earlies t. Such monitoring also helps managers to analyze the performance and find ways of improvement. Six Sigma Six Sigma approach came far later than the TQM concept. In fact, Six Sigma is an outcome of TQM but its focus area is slightly different. It focuses mainly of defect reduction by reducing variation within a process (Shiba and Walden, 2001). Any reduction in variation of a production or service related process leads to standardized output which means reduction in errors or defects. It provides project focus for people to work on. For this, it uses the DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) approach to work on a task in a structured way. These are the various stages of a project and help the project leader and other stake holders focus on all aspects of a process which are relevant at the particular stage of a project. Six Sigma provides explicit tools for every stage of the project. Some of the tools are – histograms, fishbone diagrams, paretos, run charts, process control charts and so on. All these tools help the project team in analysis of the data at various stages of the project. Six Sigma verses TQM Just like TQM Six Sigma uses various tools to analyze process performance. It also requires top leadership support for successful implementation just like TQM. A cultural change is required to be brought about within the organization for both the approaches to work. Many of the tools used by

Rights Under the Employment Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Rights Under the Employment Law - Case Study Example In addition to a decrease in sales work on the road, Andy was told he must take a course in electronics in order to make after-sales repairs. His hours were increased: he would no longer have a half day on Fridays and would be on call one weekend in six. Andy wants to know if he must agree to the changes made by his employer. He has been with the company for two and a half years. Several issues have been presented here, but it would be necessary to know what Andy's terms of employment were when he took this job. Because of the length of his employment, he does have specific options. Will these changes affect his salary Is he on commission only What financial losses will he incur with these changes Will the company pay for his electronics course Is he willing to increase his knowledge in the area of electronics The answers to these questions will begin to determine whether the changes would be mandatory or might be adjusted in Andy's favor. As soon as an employee accepts a job offer, he is considered under contract, even if he has no written contract (Advice Leaflet 2005; "Contracts of employment," DTI, 2005). Terms of employment, however, can be changed by mutual agreement. The terms under a contract of employment that might be affected by changes in Andy's case are pay, hours of work, fringe benefits, and job duties and responsibilities ("Changes to employment contracts," 2004). Andy and his employer might be able to agree on a compromise. If there is a written statement in the form of an employee handbook that describes his duties and responsibilities as they existed when he was hired, it might help Andy's case (Rights at work, 2005). When an employer makes any changes to Andy's duties and responsibilities, the employer must give him a written statement, not just verbal, within a month, stating planned changes to his original duties (Advice Leaflet 2004). In the case where Secure It gives Andy no option but to accept the changes, he can object and end his employment which is called "constructive dismissal". He would then have the right to make an employment tribunal complaint which would give him the same rights as if his employer had dismissed him (Contracts of Employment 2005, DTI, sec. 8). This would not have to be done if Andy was willing to accept some changes and make an effort to reach a compromise with his employer. Breach of Contract Since Andy does not expect any compromise from his employer, he would like to know what his next step should be. He says he thinks his employer wants him to leave the firm. Andy said he was told by his employer that he had better be good at electronics because his sales figures showed what a rubbish salesman he was. Andy would prefer to leave the company and wants to set up a rival security firm with his friend Lou. He wants to know if he can do that since there is no actual written contract. Advice Andy should understand that he can start planning a rival company, but until his issues with the company are resolved, he cannot do anything about it. As noted before, he is under contract even if it is not in writing. The question here would be does he want to leave, or would it be possible for him to accept changes through mutual

Storm Drainage Design Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Storm Drainage Design Project - Essay Example The height of rainfall and the river discharge in terms of the river level were shown on the vertical axis using two different scales. Height of rainfall is plotted in terms of millimetres, while river level (river height) is plotted in terms of 1 x 10-1 meter. For example, the river height observed at 00:00:00 of October 12 is 0.283 meters, but in plotting the hydrograph, 0.283 was multiplied 10 and plotted as 2.83, instead. This scheme was utilised for aesthetic purposes in the desired hydrograph. Data were, however, analyzed using the original value and unit of the river level per hour of observation. As illustrated in Figure 4, river started to rise in the river at 11:00:00 hours on October 13 when rainfall reached its first peak at 1.20 mm. Interestingly, the second rain peak (also at 1.20 mm.) occurred after 10 hours at 21:00:00 of the same day (October 13). It may be observed from the hydrograph that as the second peak of the rainfall approached, river flow also reached a mini-peak. From hereon, the rising limb of the river flow was very clearly defined. From the first peak of rainfall, the basin lag time was calculated to be 22 hours. This means that it took 22 hours after the first peak of rainfall for the river flow to reach its peak. From the second peak of rainfall, the basin lag time was 12 hours. The average discharge for the rising limb (Q1) of the river flow is calculated as follows: The duration for the peak flow to return back to base flow is 46 hours. Several factors which affect the characteristics of storm or rainfall hydrographs have been described from existing literature. Each of these factors were analysed with respect to the River Cynon hydrograph. The catchment area of 160 sq. km. (Environment Agency – Wales, 2005) is considerably large, which should explain the long lag time of 22 hours before the river flow reached its peak. A large catchment area also tends to receive more precipitation, and subsequently

Quantitative finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Quantitative finance - Essay Example More investment capital has been attracted by different countries following significant growth in the capital markets, which has also encouraged sharing of international risks (Ahmed and Gooptu, 1993). Also, deregulation and liberalization of capital and foreign exchange markets has been practiced by many countries in the recent decades. This has been achieved through relaxing and withdrawal of statutory barriers on capital account transactions hence boosting many emerging market economies. Furthermore, many countries have realized the benefits of capital inflows through liberalization of domestic financial markets. In the recent years, investment is no longer tied on the sum of domestic savings. In addition, developments in technological innovation and capital accumulation have contributed to economy’s growth, which is spurred by foreign capital inflows. Other important developments that have led to a major reduction in information and transaction costs related to international investments include computer and telecommunication technologies (Tara, 2005). Products such as country funds and American Depository Receipts (ADRs) have been introduced by investment and commercial banks, hence facilitating international investments. Furthermore, the potential gains from international investments must have become more visible amongst many investors and hence the surge in international portfolio investment (New features of the stock market surge, 2005). The security returns amongst different countries differ because different countries differ in terms of resource endowment, industry structure and macroeconomic policies. This difference also results from the fact that different countries have business cycles that do not occur simultaneously, meaning that a particular country could be experiencing a boom while another one experiences recession at the same time. As such, securities from the same country undergo similar macroeconomic policies, and business cycles thus

English as the Official Language Essay Example for Free

English as the Official Language Essay For so many years in the world, it is undeniable that the English language has been used as a medium of communication. Many countries are using the English language for its people to understand each other. Today, the American English is peculiarly influential, due to the fact that the United States has become the center of excellence in terms of popular music, television programs, business and technology, film making and many others (â€Å"History of the English Language†). Although there are myriad kinds of English language spoken around the world like Australian English, Indian English and Canadian English, the dominance of the English language is the primary reason that its utilization as an official language in the United States of America should be pushed through. Therefore, it is claimed in this paper that it is proper and tenable for the American English to be considered and approved by the government as the official language of the United States of America. There are three major reasons why it is proper for the American English to be approved as the official language of the United States of America. First, American English is widely used in many countries in the world that makes the United States of America as a melting pot of many races. Second, the American English is the best communicative tool for the understanding of individuals in terms of political, economic, spiritual, physical and educational development. Third, it has been proven for so many years that the use of America English has caused improvement of the country in general. With that, it cannot be denied that the most influential and dominant language in the world is American English. The Dominance of the American English Language American English is widely used in many countries in the world that makes the United States of America as a melting pot of many races. There are many people around the world who have chosen to migrate in the United States of America. The reasons of their migration are to find a greener pasture or to enjoy the freedom and affluence that they can get in the country by chance or opportunity. The country is known for its democratic and representative governance, such that many races are confident enough that America can make their dreams come true. In connection with that, speaking the American English language is an indispensable tool to become a successful immigrant in the country. Therefore, majority of immigrants are also speaking the same language as used by the Americans, making the language the most widely used communicative tool in the land. A study was conducted by the U. S. Census Bureau and released findings that literacy and fluency in English is necessary to achieve economic self-sufficiency (Burt 1). Immigrants who can speak well in American English language are most likely profitable in their jobs and business while staying in the United States. Since almost 22% who held jobs in the United States are foreign-born, their ability to speak English has a great impact on the economic improvement of the country (Burt 1). That is the main reason why immigrants wanted to learn English as a second language, which adds to the dominance of the same language in the United States of America. Is it not a sign of additional resources for the economic and political progress of the country? Yes, it is. The numerous foreign-born workers in the country contribute to the economic development in one way or another. The native-born workers and businessmen can communicate well with immigrants adding more chances for economic improvements.  Ã‚     Hence, making the American English Language as official in the United States is proper. American English Language: The Best Communicative Tool The American English is the best communicative tool for the understanding of individuals in terms of political, economic, cultural, spiritual, physical and educational development. It has been said that a language is a systematic medium of communication through the use of sounds or conventional symbols (Manivannan 1). For so many years, the American English has been considered as one of the principal assets of the country for political, economic, cultural, spiritual, physical and educational development. There are myriad reasons why American English language is the best communicative tool in the whole world. In order to conduct political activities such as elections, foreign affairs, decision-making and policy-making, the use of the American English language is necessary. Journals and books on business matters and other economic conditions are generally printed in American English language, which makes all the people to learn the language. Tourists are enthusiastic to learn the same language because it could help them in enjoying the wonderful sites of the country. The enjoyment of American literature depicted in films and television programs reached across many nations which is the means for other races to learn the richness of the American culture. The American invasion is still effective by the dominance of our language which makes our products and services appealing to the whole world. Aside from that, there are many students in other countries who wanted to study in the United States of America. Their contribution in the academe is very important as well as their willingness to learn the language. Hence, all the people who live in America become united due to the influence and dominance of the American English language. Do we need to prevent the approval in making the American English language the official one, knowing that it is useful to us? No, we cannot afford to do so. Therefore, the arguments to support the approval of making the American English language as official are meritorious. The Advantages of the American English Language It is not denied that the American language is a principal asset for political and economic development of the country. The English language is also used as a preferred language for the conveyance of international business and scientific studies (Lian 1). In addition, it is easy to sell American products for American English language is widely used in advertisements and promotions worldwide. A foreign-born individual mentioned that, being fluent in American English is a ladder to successful business and other carrier endeavors (â€Å"The Importance of English in Modern World†). We were able to attract many intelligent individuals through the English language and everything we have is a standard for other countries. In all aspects in life, the said language is useful and also pervasive that it reaches in all parts of the world. Conclusion We are all fortunate to have a language that makes our country a center of commerce, excellence in education and culture and influential in politics. Our country is a strategic place because the American English is widely used in many countries in the world that makes the United States of America as a melting pot of many races. Since the American English is the best communicative tool for the understanding of individuals in terms of political, economic, spiritual, physical and educational development, we are confident that we remain in power all over the world. Finally, the use of America English has caused improvement of our country in general. As conclusion, there is still no doubt that making the English American language as official in the United States of America is proper and meritorious.   Works Cited Burt, Miriam. â€Å"Issues in Improving Immigrant Worker’s English Language Skills†. December 2003. 2 February 2009 http://www.cal.org/Caela/esl_ resources/digests/Workplaceissues.html â€Å"History of the English Language†. 2009. English Club. 2 February 2009 http://www. englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm . Lian Li, Khaw. 2008. Khawlilian. 2 February 2009 http://www.khawlilian.com/. Manivannan, G. 2006. Using English Website. 2 February 2009 http://www. usingenglish.com/teachers/articles/importance-english-language.html. â€Å"The Importance of English in Modern World†. 17 November 2007. MSN Content Website. 2 February 2009 http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx? PageID=396ac8e2-aa06-47b2-8176-32ef043284f1.

Climate Change Biodiversity And Ecosystem Loss Environmental Sciences Essay

Climate Change Biodiversity And Ecosystem Loss Environmental Sciences Essay Climate change is a problem that is having a big impact in biodiversity and ecosystem loss, this is a problem that comes from decades and it is getting bigger and bigger and unstoppable, climate change is having a big impact in some parts of the ecosystem, like arctic zones, oceans, and other parts of the ecosystem, but climate change is now by the humans as Global Warming. Global Warming have a simple meaning, the climate is changing, the earth is warming up, the habitats of some species are changing this causes their extinction, the temperatures around the world are increasing causing that the glacier-melt, the oceans level increase. The climate change occurs because the increase of greenhouse gases that are Carbon Dioxide (CO2), this gases are produces by the humans and globalization, the greenhouse effect is when the energy from the sun drives the earths, In turn, the earth radiates energy back into space; Some atmospheric gases trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse. The Humans are the reason why the biodiversity and the ecosystem is loss, we are the ones that produces this gases, and we are the only ones that can stop the Global Warming, this is a problem with the past of the years is getting every time bigger and its time to the humans stop this problem, a 39% of species around the world all in danger of extinction, and the ecosystem in which the animals and we (Humans), are leaving is in danger, the increase in temperatures in the last years, are melting the poles, and increasing the level of the ocean, the effect of the increase of the temperature, causes natural disaster, that affects the environment and killing many peoples, but this have many solutions. Chapter 1: Why biodiversity is important? Why is important dont lose it? Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example: A larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms Healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters. And so, while we dominate this planet, we still need to preserve the diversity in wildlife. While there might be survival of the fittest within a given species, each species depends on the services provided by other species to ensure survival. It is a type of cooperation based on mutual survival and is often what a balanced ecosystem refers to. Chapter 2: Climate change impact on arctic an oceans biodiversity: The link between climate change and biodiversity has long been established. Although throughout Earths history the climate has always changed with ecosystems and species coming and going, rapid climate change affects ecosystems and species ability to adapt and so biodiversity loss increases. The climate change have more impact in some areas likes the arctic and the oceans. The Arctic, Antarctic and high latitudes have had the highest rates of warming, and this trend is projected to continue, as the above-mentioned Global Biodiversity Outlook 3 notes, In the Arctic, it is not just a reduction in the extent of sea ice, but its thickness and age. Less ice means less reflective surface meaning more rapid melting. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010) Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, May 2010 The extent of floating sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, as measured at its annual minimum in September, showed a steady decline between 1980 and 2009 according to National Snow and Ice Data Center, graph compiled by Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010) Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, May 2010. They are some species that need this sea ice like the polar bears. Other problem is the increasing of ocean acidification, Although it has gained less mainstream media attention the effects of increasing greenhouse emissions, in particular carbon dioxide, on the oceans may well be significant. Scientists are finding that on the one hand oceans have been able to absorb some of the excess CO2 released by human activity. This has helped keep the planet cooler than it otherwise could have been had these gases remained in the atmosphere. However, the additional CO2 being absorbed is also resulting in the acidification of the oceans: When CO2 reacts with water it produces a weak acid called carbonic acid, changing the sea water chemistry. As the Global Biodiversity Outlook report explains, the water is some 30% more acidic than pre-industrial times, depleting carbonate ions the building blocks for many marine organisms. In addition, concentrations of carbonate ions are now lower than at any time during the last 800,000 years. The impacts on ocean biological diversity and ecosystem functioning will likely be severe, though the precise timing and distribution of these impacts are uncertain. (See p. 58 of the report.) This change is also occurring rapidly, so some marine life may not have the chance to adapt. Some marine creatures are growing thinner shells or skeletons, for example. Some of these creatures play a crucial role in the food chain, and in ecosystem biodiversity. Chapter 3: Human impact in biodiversity. 3.1 Massive extinction. For a long time , human activities has been causing massive extinctions, A major report, released in March 2005 highlighted a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth, with some 10-30% of the mammal, bird and amphibian species threatened with extinction, due to human actions. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), notes that many species are threatened with extinction. In addition, 75% of genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost 75% of the worlds fisheries are fully or over exploited Up to 70% of the worlds known species risk extinction if the global temperatures rise by more than 3.5 °C 1/3rd of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction Every second a parcel of rainforest the size of a football field disappears Over 350 million people suffer from severe water scarcity Extinction risks out pace any conservation successes. Amphibians are the most at risk, while corals have had a dramatic increase in risk of extinction in recent years. 3.2 Declining ocean biodiversity: In the past century, commercial whaling has decimated numerous whale populations, many of which have struggled to recover. Commercial whaling in the past was for whale oil. With no reason to use whale oil today, commercial whaling is mainly for food, while there is also some hunting for scientific research purposes. Japan is the prime example of hunting whales for the stated aim of scientific research while a lot of skepticism says it is for food. Greenpeace and other organizations often release findings that argue Japans whaling to be excessive or primarily for food, other example is almost in japan the trap the white shark only for get his tail. 3.3 Loss of forest. A 20-year study has shown that deforestation and introduction of non-native species has led to about 12.5% of the worlds plant species to become critically rare (An example is the Amazon damage), A report from the World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development suggests that the forests of the world have been exploited to the point of crisis and that major changes in global forest management strategies would be needed to avoid the devastation. There are somes species that haven been discover, if this problem continues, the habitat of this species would be loss and they would been extend. Brazil, which is estimated to have around 55,000 species of flora, amounting to some 22% of the worlds total and India for example, which has about 46,000 and some 81,000 animal species (amounting to some 8% of the worlds biodiversity), are also under various pressures, from corporate globalization, deforrestation, etc. So too are many other biodiverse regions, such as Indonesia, parts of Africa, and other tropical regions. Graphic 2. Comparing actual area of Brazilian portion of the Amazon deforested each year between 1990 and 2009. Source: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010) Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, May 2010, p.33 The significant decline noted in the Brazilian Amazon is not enough to prevent the World Bank worrying about the future. The Global Biodiversity Outlook report notes that According to a recent study co-ordinated by the World Bank, 20% Amazon deforestation would be sufficient to trigger significant dieback of forest in some parts of the biome by 2025, when coupled with other pressures such as climate change and forest fires. Furthermore, some of the reversals in deforestation is because of reforestation, but the report raises the same concerns as also noted further below. Namely, Since newly-planted forests often have low biodiversity value and may only include a single tree species, a slowing of net forest loss does not necessarily imply a slowing in the loss of global forest biodiversity. Between 2000 and 2010, the global extent of primary forest (that is, substantially undisturbed) declined by more than 400,000 square km, an area larger than Zimbabwe. Conclusion The animals habitat are disappearing because human, nature give all to humans but humans never gave him back, this is why the biodiversity is disappearing, climate change is altering all the habitat, the temperature are increasing, the pollution on is increasing every day, but the reason why all of this is happening is because humans, the environment is increasing in a 100%, and the humans dont take care about the forest or the animals. This would affect the humans in a future, an example is the water, without forest, no water, and if humans dont have water, it would be a several problem, like conflicts by countries looking for water, this is why I take climate change and biodiversity loose, Because this is a problem that affects humans all the days. Sources Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, May 2010 Our choise, Al Gore, 2010 An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore, 2006 Human Impact Triggers Massive Extinctions, ST. LOUIS, Missouri, August 2, 1999 (ENS) Jaan Suurkula, World-wide cooperation required to prevent global crisis; Part one- the problem, Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and Technology, February 6, 2004 [Emphasis is original] Index Chapter 1: Why biodiversity is important? Why is important dont lose it?PG3 Chapter2: Climate change impact on arctic an oceans biodiversity:à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦PG3-5 Chapter3: Human impact in biodiversityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦PG5-9

The Marketing Of Movies Film Studies Essay

The Marketing Of Movies Film Studies Essay In 1910s, the era commonly known as the birth of movie marketing, the big focus was on the movie stars. As motion picture audiences grew, so too did the importance of the actors. It was producer Carl Laemmle who originated the publicity stunt, an orchestrated media event where something dangerous or spectacular related to the movie is performed in order to draw further attention to its opening. After asking Florence Lawrence, a famous movie star, to join his IMP production company, he announced to the press that Lawrence had died in the car accident. After news of her death had created a sufficient stir, he placed a full-page advertisement in papers to deny the story. That was one of the first deliberate marketing strategies in the industry and it changed the movie marketing system dramatically. (Block and Wilson, 2010:19). As the stars of movies became more and more identifiable, the publics curiosity about them grew to be insatiable. This then started an era of using movie stars to promote movies and ultimately, it opened a whole new field of movie marketing. From 1920s, film distributors had started to employ marketing teams to create and produce publicity materials like press books, which were intended to encourage cinema managers in the exploitation of the film product. Film historians tend to look at early press books in order to study the history of movie marketing itself. Each press book would carry information about the film and its production, such as the plot synopses, the cast, background information and all the details of the availability of posters or other promotional aids such as lobby cards or standees life-size cardboard cut-outs of characters from the film (Moat, 2003-2010) to be put in cinema foyers. Press books were also used to promote ideas like recipes, competitions, quizzes and tie-ins with the local shops, as well as suggested text for local newspapers. The peak of the press books popularity lasted from the 1920s until the beginning of 1950s, when film distributors started to have more money to spend on promotiona l strategies, and film going was at its height. By the mid 1950s, theatre attendance had dropped to only 50 percent of what it had been in 1946. (Lees and Berkovitz, 1981) To make things worse, the U.S Department of Justice had launched an antitrust suit against the Big Five film companies Paramount, RKO, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros. and MGM. After eight years of negotiations, these studios and three minor studios of that time Columbia, Universal, and United Artists agreed to what became known as the Paramount Consent Descree. (Pomerance, 2005:12) From now on, studios could no longer marshal under their own vertical structures the entire movie-making process, from acquisition of script material through pre-production, filming, editing, marketing, distributing, and exhibiting and therefore could no longer predict in advance what the profit range would be for the films they systematically produced. As the audience were less likely to visit the theatre, films had to have a more profound contact through the plot or use of vi sual effects. As a result, exhibition practises were modified in many ways after 1950 to lure the audience back: widescreen processes like CinemaScope and Cinerama, advance reservation road show bookings for major features, more intensive use of cinematic colour, the use of more exotic locations and lushly scored, quasi-symphonic or jazzy music. (Pomerance, 2005) However, what makes a hit? is the big question that has been on the minds of everyone involved in the movie business since its early days. (Lees, 1981:142) The uncertainty engendered by this shaky state of affairs causes, quite naturally, a parallel state of anxiety about decision making. There are no guidelines to consult that will indicate anything other than approximate probability. Film marketing has therefore two definitions. One is giving the public what they want. The other is making the public want what you have got. In the eyes of many movie marketers, this amounts to a very clear distinction between bad and good. (E.Squire, 2006:67) The problem is that there is usually no sure way to tell what the public wants. In late 1960s, film makers had started to use marketing research as a method of predicting the audience acceptance. Its goals were clear: determine a statistical picture of the kinds of people who go to movies, find out if certain projects will meet with public favour and learn how to market films that have already been made. (Marich, 2009:29) However, producers could watch the results of market research, trade paper reports of grosses, but the numbers for one film could never predict how the next one would do. In the 1970s, for example, there were three kinds of films one did not make: science fiction, sports and Vietnam. The films in those subject categories had all bombed, so it was assumed the public was turned off by the subject matter. (Stringer, 2003) Vietnam was depressing, science fiction was for buffs, and who wanted to see movies about boxing when they could see real sports at home, for free? Star Wars (Lucas, 1977), Coming Home (Ashby, 1978) and Rocky (Avildsen, 1976) buried these arguments forever, although the same thinking persists. For example, the presence of stars in the cast was said to be insurance that a film would be successful, but in Star Wars, for example, there were no famous names. Interestingly, the American film industry changed more between 1969 and 1980 than at any other period in its history, except perhaps for the introduction of sound. During that time, profits for the most successful motion pictures rose from the hundreds of thousands to the hundreds of millions of dollars. (Curran, 1998) The sixties were also highly marked by the rise of television. Although still too expensive, it opened a new window for film marketers. The film that is often credited with changing how movies are distributed and marketed was Jaws (Spielberg,1975), the first film to open at a thousand theatres and to use network television to support it. Made by Universal Pictures, the studio liked the complete film so much that it began a TV advertising campaign that cost an unprecedented $700,000 (Block, 2010:506) The film opened on 490 screens, setting the standard for subsequent wide openings for Hollywood films. Universal was looking to ramp up the marketing for Jaws to levels never seen before. Three nights before the film was scheduled to open nationwide, the studio saturated the networks during peak prime time hours with a barrage of thirty-second trailers. When it opened on June 20, Jaws become a national sensation. After the Jaws experience in 1975, multi-disciplined marketing departments were created, which included specific divisions for publicity, creating advertising, media buying, and promotion. (Cook, 2000). The follo wing chart depicts Jaws franchise films all-release worldwide box office revenues versus their production costs. (Block, 2010:507) Equivalent 2005 $s Against the rule of films one should not make in 1970s, George Lucas began developing his concept of a mythical science-fiction action adventure film named The Star Wars, set in the distant future and featuring a cast of characters. Universal and United Artists passed on it, but 20th Century Foxs Alan Ladd Jr. offered Lucas $10.000 to develop the screenplay. (Bakker, 2008:101) The head of Foxs advertising department, David Weitzner, began working on the film in February of 1977 and hired the successful advertising agency of Smolen, Smith and Connoly, which had previously created campaigns for such movies as Carrie (De Palma,1976) and The Omen (Donner, 1976). Donald Smolen began his task by examining the initial marketing research that had been conducted. The reports from the early screenings were not very encouraging said Smolen. We were told not to spend too much money, because the research showed it was just another science-fiction movie. (French, 1997:32) They certainly were not too excited about it, with the exception of Ashley Boone, the vice president of distribution at Fox, who kept touting the film, saying it is going to be a hit. When Fox screened the film for Smolen and his partners, they were not impressed. At this point, there were so much missing from the film it was not fair to judge it, although we did. However, my job was to make sure the f ilm was sold. In that regard it did not make any difference what the research showed or what anybody thought about the film. We were just trying to sell the film in the best possible way. (French,1997:32) To pump up pre-release interest, Lucas inventively tapped science fiction conventions, released a comic book and a novelization. The film opened to long lines at 10.00 am on May 25,1977 in a mere 43 locations across the United States. (Lucasfilm Ltd, 2004) No one knew it was going to be a big hit remembers David Prowse, actor playing Lord Vader. Nowadays, we take for granted that a big blockbuster will go out with thousands of prints and open in May. But back then the summer special effects blockbuster did not exist. (Prowse,2010) Although there were certainly fewer movie theatres in operation during the 1970s compared with today, a wide release of a mainstream, non-specialised film at that time typically meant a few hundreds engagements. Lippincott, former Lucasfilm Ltd. Vice President for Advertising admits that if the film was redone today, on the basis of the way movies are released with a couple of thousands prints, it probably would have been unsuccessful. Theatres did not want the movie. We were lucky to get forty theatres to open it (Gross, 1999:55) What is more, until the mid 1970s, movies were poor cousins of television when it came to merchandising. Sound tracks and books had always brought income to producers and studios, but the manufacturers who bought licenses to make other kinds of products such as toys or t-shirts figured that regular weekly exposure on television was the key to selling their goods. In comparison, movies seemed to be quick, one-shot affairs, not around long enough to sustain a product in the marketplace. (Curran, 1998) All that changed with Star Wars. The phenomenal success of most of the scores of Star Wars items showed that all sorts of products could ride on the coattails of a hit film. It also showed that through shrewd merchandising, a studio could make millions of dollars above and beyond income from movie theatres. The studios tend to define merchandising as any instance of an outside company using a film title or an image from a film on a product or as part of an advertising campaign. (Smith, 20 02:34) The latter case is called a tie-in, and as its name suggests, it is a partnership of two different companies in a unified advertising strategy. George Lucas agreed to reduce his salary as a film maker, reportedly $100.000, in exchange for Fox agreeing to let him have the films merchandising rights and other, lesser non-cash considerations. At the time Star Wars hit theatres, it had just ten licensees, but that mushroomed when the science fiction movie exploded in the box office. According to The Licensing Letter, the original merchandisers were Kenner for toys, games and crafts, Factors and Image Factory for t-shirts and posters, Ben Cooper for childrens costumes, Twentieth Century Records for soundtracks, Ballantine for paperbacks, Marvel for comics, Don Post Studios for various masks, Ken Films for edited home movies, and George Fenmore Associates for souvenir programs. (Marich, 2009:144) Star Wars was the real birth of the modern movie licensing business and it caught a lot of people by surprise. Six months after the release of Star Wars the much anticipated range of toys still was not ready. Puzzles, jigsaws and other items that could be produced with relatively short lead times begin to dominate toy shops across America, but Kenner had simply not had enough time to create its product. It became apparent to everyone at the company that they were going to miss the all-important Christmas toy purchasing period. Worried that by the time its products were available, the Star Wars obsession of Americas children would be over, the company devised the Star Wars Early Bird Certificate Package. (Lucasfilm Ltd, 2004) This was a large envelope available in toy stores. It included a certificate which the recipient would have to post to Kenner, remembering to include his or her name and address. The recipients would then, as soon as the toys were produced and before they were av ailable in shops, receive the first four of Kenners Star Wars action figures: Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, R2-D2 and Chewbacca. Kenner, which is now owned by Hasbro, still to this day has a Star Wars license for different merchandise. To compare, in 1997, by adding just four-and-a-half minutes of new footage to the original film, at a cost of $10m, roughly the cost of the entire original movie, George Lucas has managed to recycle Star Wars back to the top of the box office and make it the most successful picture of all time in the US. When it opened on May 25, 1977, Star Wars took $2.6 million in six days from a timid 32-screen release. On January 31, 1997, the re-release exceeded all expectations with $35.9m from 2,104 screens. (Duncan, 1997: 16) When George Lucas decided to digitally revamp the Star Wars trilogy for re-issue, Lucasfilm and 20th century Fox were left with a marketing conundrum. How do you build awareness for a film that is possibly the best known picture ever made? We went into re-release without a marketing template explains Gordon Radley, president of Lucasfilm. (Lucasfilm Ltd, 2004) Star Wars is more than a cultural phenomenon, it has such an impact on the hearts and minds of cinema-goers and no trilogy has ever been re-released on such a large scale. Lucas himself had strict guidelines for the worldwide re-release: it was to emphasise the in-theatre experience- the big screen as the best possible way to see Star Wars as well as stressing the unique chance to see all three films in a relatively short scape of time. Less than a year before the Star Wars relaunch, the new trio was titled The Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition and given the tag line Join the Celebration! Back on The Big Screen! (Lucasfilm Ltd , 2004). Although the average American has seen the film many times, US posters used the phrase See It For The First Time. (Duncan, 1997:16) Working with Lucasfilm, Fox marketers have approached Star Wars in terms of raising the consciousness of an existing, long-lasting brand name. The important thing was that we were not bringing a new film out says Jim Gianopulos, president of 20th Century Fox International. We didnt have to raise awareness. In 1996, before the release, Star Wars merchandising held the number two sales spot. (Smith, 2002:35) Star Wars action figures were the biggest selling toy after Barbie and has made more than $3 billion since the release of the film in 1977 twice the amount the franchise itself has earned. The unprecedented $2 billion tie-in with PepsiCo that was struck in May 1996, became the cornerstone to promoting Star Wars as a brand name again. (Duncan, 1997:16) During the latter part of the decade, intoxicated by the success of Jaws and Star Wars, Hollywood developed a blockbuster complex. The following table depicts franchise films originating in the 1970s. (Block and Wilson, 2010:533) Equivalent 2005 $s in Millions of $s Rank Franchise Number of Films in Franchise All-Release Worldwide Box Office 1 Star Wars 6 $6,872.9 2 Jaws 4 $2,238.9 3 Rocky 6 $2,060.6 4 Superman 5 $1,797.0 5 The Godfather 5 $1,139.2 The event movies, franchise films, and instant blockbusters that drove the box office of the 1980s became more expensive, more high-tech, and more international in the 1990s, although the profits became even harder to realise. By the early 1990s, sophisticated marketing techniques such as advertising testing, the use of the internet and product placement in films, became firmly rooted in the business. As production and marketing costs soared, more and more movies opened with huge grosses only to fade after the first weekend, replaced by another movie the following weekend. Nobody could predict that in a summer packed with big-budget mainstream studio fare like Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Lucas, 1999) and Wild Wild West (Sonnenfeld, 1999), Artisan studio would score the most stunning coup in recent times by propelling Blair Witch Project, a grainy, low-tech documentary, to $250 million at the box office worldwide. (Marich,2009:96) Interestingly, the writers of the film spent less than $100,000 to make and present it in documentary style. As a result, with sequels, videos and licensed merchandise, it became the most profitable low-budget films in cinema history, as depicted in the following table. (Block, 2010:520) Top 5 Blockbuster Movies Lowest Production Cost versus Highest Revenue All-Release Domestic Box Office, 1960-2009 Equivalent 2005 $s in Millions of $s Rank Film Initial Release Domestic Box Office Production Cost 1 The Blair Witch Project 1999 $177.3 $.04 2 Easy Rider 1969 $191.7 $1.9 3 American Graffiti 1973 $402.0 $3.30 4 Psycho 1960 $209.9 $5.3 5 My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2002 $266.4 $5.4 Thanks to a revolutionary use of the internet and word-of-mouth, the movie stood out amongst the onslaught of $200 million movies with corporate tie-in partners and $50 million advertising budgets. Bound by a small marketing budget, the internet proved to be the one outlet where the money spent paid off in spades. The Web completely levels the playing field; you cant out-spend somebody on the Web the Artisans studio marketing head, John Hegeman said. Its against the grain of every other media; you create a message and give it time to breathe. If the environment is interesting, you can hold onto the fan base longer, as opposed to a 30-second ad thats here and gone. For us, it was the most important and impactful delivery mechanism (Hegeman, cited in Stanley, 1999) Co-director of the movie, Eduardo Sanchez, created the Blair Witch Project website to outline the story of the Blair Witch and lure potential investors- before the screenplay had even been written. He also planted a false information that the murders shown on-screen were real, not staged by film makers. Of course the events depicted in the movies were not real, but the controversy they caused helped boost interest and ticket sales. Rather than posting a typical promotional movie site with Shockwave presentations, cute screen savers, a few trailers, and an opening date, Sanchez created a Web site that is an extension of the movie rather than just an online advertisement. In addition, just before the general release of the film, The Science-Fiction Channel aired a mockumentary, Curse of the Blair Witch (Sanchez, 1999b), which, supposedly, investigated the legend behind the movie. The program contains actual interviews of relatives and friends of the three main characters. (Sanchez, 1999b) Since the whole legend was fictional, including the myth of the missing students, the program can be treated as another marketing mechanism for the film. Despite this, it gives more background information on the legend that is hinted at in the film. Then, at the Cannes Film Festival, the producers distribute flyers containing information about the cast. The missing posters of the actors of the film were also put up. These marketing strategies and also the authentic feel of the movie made many viewers believe that the whole documentary was real, even though the film was listed in the fiction category. This decade also saw industry consolidation accelerate. By the end of the 1990s, bigger companies dominated the entertainment industry and companies such as News Corporation (20th Century-Fox and Fox Broadcasting), Time Warner (Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema), and Viacom (Paramount, Blockbuster Video, and CBS) were changing the dynamics of ownership. (Bakker, 2008:122) Studios were no longer part of companies focused primarily on movies and TV shows. These companies ushered in an era of more intense research, which was conducted at a higher cost. Everything was tested, from story concepts to TV commercials. These companies were also able to raise vast pools of funds from investors both in United States and around the world. Movies were still shown on film, but there were signs that the end of the celluloid era was upon us as movies entered the electronic age. Digital technology was used first to store information, then to edit movies and TV shows, and later as a tool in special effects, leading ultimately to the beginning of digital cinema, which would transform production, distribution, and exhibition. At the same time the internet gave easy access to an abundance of information and fast communication. When in 1993 only 1.3 million people used the Internet, by the year 2000, over 300 million people had access. (Bordwell, 2003:274) Soon after, the DVD was introduced as a digital consumer entertainment format and seemed likely to replace videotape. However, mainly due to evolving technology, the U.S film industry faced many new difficulties as a new century dawned. Film piracy exploded, thanks to digital copying and internet access. Also box-office revenues swelled due to increased ticket prices as supposed to larger audiences. In real terms, theatres were earning less from tickets sales that they had in the 1980s. (Stringer, 2003) In the meantime, the costs of film making and marketing were rising faster than the income. Nonetheless, theatrical motion pictures remained central ingredients in the media mix. Films spawned television series, video games, comic books and other merchandise material. The press tracked top-grossing films as if they were a sports team. The industry might have been riddled with economic problems, but film was securely at the centre of Americas and the worlds popular culture. Bibliography draft: Bakker, George (2008) Entertainment Industrialised. The Emergence of the International Film Industry, 1890-1940, University Press, Cambridge. Bassom, David (1999) Star Maker, StarBust, May 1999, pp. 40-45. Bhuvaneshwari (2005) Star Wars: A Star Brand, IBSCDC, May 2005, pp. 1-8. Block, Alex Ben and Lucy Autrey Wilson (2010) Blockbusting, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., New York. Cook, David (2000) History of the American Cinema. 9 Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970-1979, MacMillan, New York. Curran, David (1998) Guide to American Cinema 1965-1995, Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport. Dale, Martin (1997) The Movie Game. The Film Business in Britain, Europe and America, Cassell, London. Duncan, Celia (1997) Marketing Focus: Star Wars Trilogy, Screen International, March 1997, p. 16. Endicott, Robert (2000) Studios Soar to New Box-Office Nirvana Advertising Age, July 2000, p. 10 E.Squire, Jason (2006) The Movie Business Book, McGraw-Hill Education, England. French, Lawrence (1997) Selling the Force, Cinefantastique, February 1997, pp. 32-37. Hayward, Susan (1996) Key concepts in Cinema Studies, Routledge, New York. Izod, John (1988) Hollywood and the box office, 1985-1986, MacMillan Press, Hampshire. Kempster, Grant (2005) Star Wars, Film Review, August 2005, pp. 12-16. Lehu, Jean-Marc (2007) Branded Entertainment: Product placement and brand strategy in the entertainment business, Kogan Page, London. Lees, David and Stan Berkowitz (1981) The Movie Business, Random House, New York. Marich, Robert (2009) Marketing to Moviegoers: A Handbook of Strategies and Tactics, second edition, Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale. Pham,Andrew and Neil Watson (1993) The Film Marketing Handbook, BAS Printers Limited, Hampshire. Pomerance, Murray (2005) American Cinema of the 1950s. Themes and Variations, Oxford International Publishers Ltd, Oxford. Prowse, David, actor playing Lord Vader in Star Wars trilogy. Face-to-face interview (notes), 20 September, 2009, Glasgow. Smith, Jim (2002) The Star Wars Story- Part One, StarBust, May 2002a, pp. 34-41. Smith, Jim (2002) The Star Wars Story- Part Two, StarBust, June 2002b, pp. 26-33. Smith, Jim (2002) The Star Wars Story- Part Three, StarBust, July 2002c, pp. 28-34. Stringer, Julian (2003) Movie Blockbuster, Routledge, New York. Wasko, Janet (2003) How Hollywood Works, SAGE Publications, London. Miller, Neil The Ultimate Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Photo Gallery, http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/the-ultimate-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-photo-HYPERLINK http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/the-ultimate-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-photo-gallery.phpgallery.php (accessed 22.02.2010) Royal Albert Hall Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix http://www.royalalberthall.com/about/history-and-archives/timeline-detail.aspx?search=20030626 (accessed 18.02.2010) Granville, Williams Bestriding the World http://www.mediachannel.org/ownership/granville.shtml (accessed 22.03.2010) Entertainment Marketing Letter Product Placement On The Rise In Broadcast Network Primetime Shows, http://www.epmcom.com/products/entertainment/eml (accessed 10.03.2010) Koster, Olinka Harry Potter and the not-so-wizard Coca-Cola wheeze http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-79086/Harry-Potter-wizard-Coca-Cola-wheeze.html (accessed 23.03.2010) Moat, Janet Selling the Movies, http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tours/marketing/marketingtour1.html (accessed 24.10.2009) Grover, Ronald Twilight, the Movie: This Seasons Harry Potter? http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2008/tc20081114_235548.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_companies (accessed 22.03.2010) MPAA Marketing budget 2007, http://www.mpaa.org/researchStatistics.asp (accessed 10.01.2010) Box Office Mojo Proud American, http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=proudamerican.htm (accessed 21.01.2010) Thilk, Chris Harry Potter series http://www.moviemarketingmadness.com/blog/2004/06/03/7005/ (accessed 5.09.2009) Filmprofit, Producers Marketing Package http://www.filmprofit.com/samples/ProdMarkSample.pdf (accessed 01.01.2010) Stanley, Tim, High-Tech Throwback marketing of Blair Witch Project, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BDW/is_36_40/ai_56023086/ (accessed 10.11.2009) Star Wars:Bonus Material, prod: Lucasfilm Ltd., USA, 2004. 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Males, Females, and Science Careers Essay -- Career Issues

Through various appropriate and contemporary literatures, this assignment will discuss a universal issue in science. It will evaluate the contributing factors and consequences of the issue and propose suitable resolutions to overcome it. This issue is the differentiation in males and females pursuing science linked careers. Attention should be drawn to the detail that the majority of existing literature on the issue originates from female sources. This is undoubtedly because it is females that are essentially affected by the issue, thus more interest being directed to addressing the issue by females. Although it cannot be proven, this leaves room for potentially bias statements and for this reason all the sources within the assignment are from published sources and organisational bodies to make attempts for a fair, critical look at the issue. Nationally and internationally, the proportion of females entering science careers, although increasing through the years, remains lesser to their male counterparts (Sikora and Proporek, 2012). It is imperative that an attempt for equilibrium in the numbers of males and females electing science as a career is reached; â€Å"men and women may bring different perspectives and interests to scientific research† (Sikora and Proporek, 2012, p. 235), resulting in a wide range of angles and dedication being placed into all areas of science. Investigations and statistics reveal that this is not currently the case and that males are predominantly interested in the Chemical and Physical elements of science compared to women who take more interest in the Biological sciences (Poulson, 2009; UCAS, 2011). Further reasons for the need to eradicate inequalities include a demand for an increase in female ro... ...e/article/gender-bias-in-teaching/ (Accessed 25: March 2012). Sevo, R. (2008) The case for Title IX compliance in science and engineering [Online]. Available at: http://momox.org/TitleIXCase.pdf (Accessed: 23 March 2012). Sikora, J. and Pokropek, A. (2012) ‘Gender Segregation of Adolescent Science Career Plans in 50 Countries’, Science Education, 96 (2), pp. 234-264. Soard, L. (2012) Textbooks vs Computer Teaching. Available at: http://home-school.lovetoknow.com/Textbooks_Versus_Computer_Teaching (Accessed: 25 April 2012). UCAS (2010) UCAS statistics [Online]. Available at: http://search1.ucas.co.uk/fandf00/index6.html. (Accessed: 20 March 2012). Zittleman, K. (2010) Gender Bias is Alive and Well and is Affecting Our Children [Online]. Available at: http://www.pta.org/Gender_Bias_Is_Alive_and_Well_and_Affecting_Our_Children.pdf (Accessed: 25 March 2012).

The Problems of Illegal Immigration :: Cons of Illegal Immigration, Immigrants

Abstract Engraved in the Statue of Liberty are these words: â€Å"Give me your tired, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore, send these, the homeless, tempest tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door†(Cooper). When the United States was created, it encouraged people of all backgrounds to immigrate. America is known as â€Å"a land of hope and opportunity†. Today, immigrating legally to the United States is a life experience that few are fortunate to experience. Many are forced to immigrate illegally. The United States has created many precautions to stop people from immigrating to the United States, but thousands of people still continue to move to the US illegally. As a result, millions of dollars are spent from tax payers’ money on illegal immigrants. While illegal immigration is beneficial to the United States, it comes with costs and therefore has become an issue that has grown out of control. The amount of illegal residents that now reside in the United States has grown rapidly over the last few years. Two million illegal immigrants have entered the United States since 2000 and there are a reported 10 million illegal immigrants living in the United States today. There are those who believe that illegals are a burden to the United States’ society. Many believe that illegal immigrants take necessary tax payers’ money. â€Å"Illegal immigration costs U.S. taxpayers about $113 billion a year at the federal, state and local level. The bulk of the costs — some $84 billion — are absorbed by state and local governments.†(Fiscal Burden). Legal US citizens are angered that people come to the United States and â€Å"leech off† of the economy without paying taxes. In opposition is the belief that illegal immigrants are not only beneficial to the United States, but necessary. â€Å"Contrary to most popular conceptions, most experts say illegals are probably not a net drain on the economy† (Nadadur). In fact, illegals do more good than otherwise known. As well, illegal immigrants continue to keep the economy running by working at a minimum wage and doing a majority of the work that otherwise would not want to be done. Immigrating illegally is a risk of a person’s life, but, at times, retreating to the United States is sometimes a last option In turn, if we did not have illegal immigrants working in the US, the United States might not be as accomplished as it is today.

The Black Panther Party Essay -- essays research papers

The Black Panthers aren’t talked about much. The Panthers had made a huge difference in the civil rights movement. They were not just a Black KKK. They helped revolutionize the thought of African Americans in the U.S.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Black Panther had a huge background of history, goals, and beliefs. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in Oakland, Ca 1966, founded the Panthers. They were originally as an African American self defense force and were highly influenced by Malcolm X’s ideas. They were named after Lowndes County Freedom Organization or LCFO. The Panthers had many goals like; giving back to the ghetto, protecting blacks from police brutality, and to help blacks get freedom and jobs. They also had many beliefs like; Malcolm X was a great person, and they believed that gun use was ok if necessary, or if people were oppressing the poor. The Panthers had many accomplishments while they were around, these were some of them. The Panthers gave to the need many times. They did stuff like opened food shelters, health clinics, elementary schools, patrolled urban ghettos to stop police brutality, created offices to teach young black kids, and they said that they were going to start stressing services. The Panthers had many great people join them, but one man had made a huge accomplishment that will never be forgotten. In November of 68’ the Chicago chapter of The B.P.P. was founded by Fred Hampton, he was a strong leader. The accomplishment he had made was that...

Scott Miracle Grow Speader; Make or Buy

Scott’s Miracle-Gro has a plant in Temecula, CA that produces seed spreaders. Management is deciding if it should keep the Temecula plant open or if it should outsource manufacturing either to mainland China or offshore China. Before Miracle-Gro became Scott’s Miracle-Gro, they outsourced to contract manufacturers for production. Scotts manufactured their spreaders since it acquired Republic Tool and Manufacturing. Scott’s Miracle-Gro manufacturing facilities have a plant in Temecula, CA. The Temecula plant improved productivity, efficiencies, and also different innovations including a new assembly process for their hand spreader.Also, they invented an in-mold labeling process that produced a label that did not fade, scratch, or peel off. Despite what the Temecula plant had done, management was looking to see if they could save money by outsourcing the full operation. The plant manager wanted to keep the Temecula plant open and felt that if the production was mov ed to China that there would be quality problems along with high shipping costs, and extra administrative costs could erase any economic benefit from outsourcing to China. Another alternative to outsourcing to China was building a Scotts-owned facility plant in China.This option would help keep the proprietary processes in the hands of Scott’s Miracle-G ro. However, the disadvantages associated with moving to China stated above (poorer quality, high shipping costs), would still be a negative. The problem is what should Scott’s Miracle-Gro do. We did a NPV analysis focusing on the 4 Cost drivers for the Temecula plants which are raw materials, labor costs, electricity costs, and overhead costs and compared them to what it would cost in China. The NPV for the Temecula plant is $94,826,678 (screenshot of spreadsheet in appendix).The NPV for China mainland (offshore NPV would be close to mainland China except for initial start-up costs, etc.. ) is $90,070,804 (screenshot o f spreadsheet in appendix). We analyzed the data by using the numbers provided in the case. For example, for analyzing the Temecula plant, we used the information in Exhibit 4. However, some of the data (number of employees in China) we based the information on what the Temecula plant was using. Based just on the NPV, it seems that closing the Temecula plant and moving to China would be the best option.However, important the potential cost savings (in labor and energy costs) might be, it is also necessary to look at other factors. Some of the other factors would include the production quality, control over their own products, proprietary rights, longer lead times, having to carry safety stock, and their image to stakeholders and employees. Also, management needs to look at problems that might arise if China’s government changes laws, problems in cases of ports closing, and the training and productivity of new employees. Next, we will analyze the 4 cost drivers more in depth.C ost Drivers There were four main cost drivers examined in this case: Raw Materials, Labor, Electricity (Energy), and Overhead. Scott’s must evaluate these cost drivers to determine whether outsourcing the manufacturing of their spreader will improve the company’s profitability and/or operational efficiency. Although, in some instances the decision to outsource can be very clear based on the numbers alone, there are also other not so quantitative risks such as loss of control, loss of inventory flexibility, and loss of one’s competitive advantage. Raw MaterialsPlastic resin is the main component in the manufacturing of the spreader bucket, and the costs are comparable whether it’s purchased in China or in the US. However, the Temecula plant did invest in a re-grind process which saves them an additional $100,000 per year. However, this savings has little impact on the overall operating expenses at the Temecula plant. Labor Costs Labor rates are one of the main driving forces in whether or not a company should make or buy a product or service. For s Scotts labor costs associated with manufacturing the spreader in the US is initially $6M vs. 350K in China, see attached appendix , which is 17X more costly to produce the spreader at the Temecula plant. Even if the plant can improve their operational efficiency in the out years and reduce labor costs it would still be difficult to compete with China during this 10 year period. Electricity (Energy) Costs Energy costs are still cheaper in China, by more than half the cost. However, the majority of energy which China uses is from coal plants and not environmentally friendly, more and more companies and US consumers are becoming sensitive to the issue of reducing one’s carbon footprint.Outsourcing based on energy costs is typically not the sole driver. However, if energy cost between China and the US become more competitive, such as in the case of the US using natural gas (i. e. fracki ng) to supply electricity to their plants the argument to bring manufacturing back to the US may become more compelling. Overhead The cost of overhead or Governance at the Temecula Plant is approximately $5M annually vs. China $500K (excluding $1M in year one for start-up costs) these are costs associated with Scott’s management to monitor, track and visit China to oversee operations. Sensitivity AnalysisDue to the uncertainty in the future economic trends, there are three uncertain factors playing important roles in the decision making. They are labor cost in China, electricity price in China and exchange rate between Yuan and Dollars. The NPV model is sensitive to the how those three factors change over the next decade. A careful analysis on the sensitivity is necessary in order to make sound business decisions. 1. Labor Cost According to the case we know that labor costs in china may have a big increase in the next 10 years, from 40% totally to 10% annual increase to even 40% annual increase.If the labor cost will increase 40% in the next 10 years, that means it’ll increase 3. 4% annually, so the NPV of costs will be $73,751,039. If the labor cost will increase 10% annually in the next 10 years, the NPV of costs will be $74,998,037. If the labor cost will increase 40% annually in the next 10 years, the NPV of costs will be $91,424,835. We can see from previous analysis, NPV of Temecula is $94,826,678. So if labor cost will increase differently, we’ll get different NVP. But no matter how big increase it’ll be, our decision will still be outsourcing to china. 2. Electricity Price The current electricity cost in China is 0. 65USD per kilo-watt hour. It is estimated to increase by 20% over the next 10 years. Assuming the electricity cost increase at a certain rate each year, we get the annual increase rate 1. 8% (1. 8% =(1+20%)^(1/10)-1). This estimated rate is probably lower than the actually annual increase because of increasing pr essure on environmental records and fuel costs. Thus how much does electricity cost may increase is important and the NPV model output is sensitive to it. However, since the electricity cost in China is so low when converted into USDs, the growth rate doesn’t influence the NPV that much.For example, experimenting with 5% annual growth, since 5% is significantly larger than 1. 8%, we get NPV = 74,968,548 USDs, whereas 74,376,968 USDs with 1. 8% annual growth. The difference would be 591,580 USDs, which isn’t that significant when putting it in a bigger scope. Also, 5% is an unlikely assumption given the fact that the Chinese is heavily investing in infrastructure to generate more energy. Thus, we think NPV model is not very sensitive to the electricity price. 3. Exchange Rate According to the case, we know that the market expectation was the yuan would appreciate by 20% in next five years.Since this datum is just an expectation, which means it is inaccurate and uncertai n, so that we need to analyze the sensitivity of it. We assume that the annual increase in value of Yuan is 3. 6%, we can get the NPV of costs is $74,376,968. However, if we decrease the rate, say 2%, the NPV of costs turns to be $69,099,021, which means the cost decreases; on the other hand, if we change the rate to 6%, the NPV of costs increases to $81,500,203. So we can conclude that the lower the annual increase in value of Yuan, the lower the NPV of costs. ConclusionAs we stated in the beginning we feel Scotts Miracle Gro should outsource the manufacturing of their to spreaders to China, this is based on the data and sensitivity analysis the group conducted. In addition, one of the questions that we had to examine was whether or not the technology to have â€Å"in-mold labeling† was a competitive advantage, and should it be a considered a core capability. Although, Scotts Miracle Gro manufactures spreaders, the brand name is about the quality of seed and fertilizers for the do-it-yourself lawn and garden consumer, and not the spreader.The consumers primarily purchases those products which enhance the look of the garden and lawn, selling spreaders which can disburse their product is ancillary, Scotts wants consumers to buy their seed and fertilizers every season (repeat customer) where as the purchase of a spreader is a one-time purchase every 10 years or more. Therefore, if Scotts can outsource the production of approximately 3 million spreaders to China at a significant cost savings then the company should do so. Cost savings realized should be re-invested into research and development so Scott’s can maintain their competitive edge is this home and garden market.

Fractional-reserve Banking and Reserves Loans Loan

BU204/02 Unit 8 June 14, 2011 ? Question: In Westlandia, the public holds 50% of M1 in the form of currency, and the required reserve ratio is 20%. 1. Estimate how much the money supply will increase in response to a new cash deposit of $500 by completing the accompanying table. (Hint: The first row shows that the bank must hold $100 in minimum reserves—20% of the $500 deposit—against this deposit, leaving $400 in excess reserves that can be loaned out. However, since the public wants to hold 50% of the loan in currency, only $400 ? 0. = $200 of the loan will be deposited in round 2 from the loan granted in round 1. ) RoundDepositsRequired reservesExcess reservesLoansLoan proceeds held as currencyLoan proceeds deposited 1$500. 00$100. 00$400. 00$400. 00$200. 00$200. 00 2$200. 00$40. 00 $160. 00 $160. 00 $80. 00$80. 00 3$580. 00 $116. 00$464. 00$464. 00 $232. 00 $232. 00 4$232. 00 totals$1512. 00 $256. 00 $1024. 00 $1024. 00 $512. 00 $512. 00 2. How does your answer comp are to an economy in which the total amount of the loan is deposited in the banking system and the public doesn’t hold any of the loans in currency? Hint: Do another table with none of the loan proceeds held in currency. ) RoundDepositsRequired reservesExcess reservesLoansLoan proceeds held as currencyLoan proceeds deposited 1$500. 00$100. 00$400. 00$400. 00 2$200. 00$40. 00 $160. 00 $160. 00 3 $660. 00$132. 00 $528. 00 $528. 00 totals $1360. 00$272. 00 $1088. 00 $1088. 00 3. What does this imply about the relationship between the public’s desire for holding currency and the money multiplier? It implies that if the public holds on to their money there would be more money in circulation and less in banks reverse and then the multiplier would be less.

Dont Text and Drive Essay

â€Å"Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field.† (2009, VTTI). While texting and driving has always been an issue since people were able to text on phones, it has not gained much media attention until recently. People may have sent an occasional text while driving ten years ago, but because the keyboard was harder to use, people were not doing it as often. Today’s phones allow you to text with one hand, making it easier to text while driving. With that being said there have been more accidents related to texting and driving. Those that have been injured or almost injured in an accident may no longer text and drive, but the vast majority of people that have yet to injure themselves or others while doing this will continue to text and drive because they feel safe. There are many ads, commercials and even organizations that are against texting and driving but the number of people that have actually stopped texting while driving is at a bare minimum. â€Å"60% of drivers use cell phones while driving.† (2011, Harris Poll). It seems as if all the advertisements have not paid off like planned. The reason behind so many ads is to cut back on texting and driving and I believe the media helps get the idea of texting and driving into people’s heads. People will participate in this dangerous action to prove that they will not get hurt. Others will see this and think it is okay for them to text and drive as well. It is like a deadly chain reaction. The ads need to capture the attention of the audience and show how serious texting and driving really is. I believe this ad has a very powerful meaning. Obviously the main message is do not text and drive but it does have a deeper meaning. The car is driving through a neighborhood and a ball is rolling across the street. It is a typical day in just about everyone’s neighborhood. The phone takes the place of a child running to get the ball. I believe the photographer uses a child rather than an adult because it shows how serious texting and driving is: how one message can take an innocent life. The text under the picture says â€Å"You can’t count on text message to reveal what’s happening on the road in front of you.† I see it as the phone, something so worthless is taking the place of a child, who means the world to someone. This ad is from BMW and the only reason I am pointing this out is because there is a reason BMW is advertising the â€Å"Don’t text and drive† slogan. The iDrive system that was in the cars was very intricate and forced drivers to scroll through menus just to do basic tasks. This gave BMW a bad reputation so to make up for the lost cause they made ads against texting and driving and also updated the iDrive system to make it straightforward. Texting and driving is a serious and fatal problem that many drivers take part in. I think it should be illegal because of how many accidents and deaths are related to texting and driving. Next time you read or reply to a message while driving, think about the danger you put yourself and everyone around you in. Works Cited â€Å"Facts.† Stop the texts. Stop the Wrecks.. NHTSA. Web. 23 Jan 2013.

Mass Media Audience in Malaysia Essay

In the mass media perspective, have two types of audience which is the passive audience and the active audience. But sometimes, they maybe act both of these types. So, in discuss this both type of the audience, I have pick up the difference theory to explained how their style can give the powerful effects to mass media or by their attitudes make the mass media have the limited impact on them. Lots of theory that has been discussed on passive audience, and state that people are easily influenced by the media. While active audience concept can be viewed as a theory that focuses on accessing what people do with media. This concept said that the people make more active decisions about how to use the media (Stephen W. Littlejohn and Karen A. Foss, 2008). For that reason, this concept can be referred to as audience-centered rather than source dominated. Baran and Davis (2006) suggested that this concept should be looked under micro level perspective rather than macro level perspective. These ideas of audience are associated with various theories of media effects. The powerful effects theories tend to be based on passive audience, whereas the minimal effect theories are based more on an active audience. During the 1970s and 1980s, more researchers became increasingly focused on media audience. Most of them focus to gain more useful understanding of what people do with the media in their daily lives. As this research develop, new and less pessimistic conceptualization of audience began to develop. Empirical researcher start to reexamined limited-effect assumption about audience and argued that people were not as passive as these effects theory assumed (Baran and Davis, 2006). Media audience is a group of people who participate in an experience or encounter a work of art, literature, theatre, music or academics in any medium. Audience members participate in different ways in different kinds of art; some events invite overt audience participation and others allowing only modest clapping and criticism and reception. Media audiences are studied by academics in media audience studies. Audience theory also offers scholarly insight into audiences in general. Early research into media audiences was dominated by the debate about ‘media effects’, in particular the link between screen violence and real-life aggression. Several moral panics fuelled the claims, such as the incorrect presumptions that Rambo had influenced Michael Robert Ryan to commit the Hungerford massacre, and that Child’s Play 3 had motivated the killers of James Bulger In the 1990s, David Gauntlett published critiques on media ‘effects’, most notably the â€Å"Ten things wrong with the media effects model† article (George Rodman, 2009) . Active audience was define as the audience for a media product, seen not as accepting a product as it is presented to them, but as interpreting, interacting with and using it for their own agenda. Frank Biocca (in Littlejohn, 1999) (in George Rodman, 2009) discussed five characteristic of the active audience implied by the theorist. The first is selectivity. Active audiences are considered to be selective in the media they choose to use. The second characteristic is utilitarianism. Active audience are said to use media to meet particular need and goals. The third is intentionality, which implies the purposeful use of media content. The fourth characteristic is involvement, or effort. Here audiences are actively attending, thinking about, and using the media. The last characteristic is impervious to influence, or not very easily persuaded by the media alone. According to uses and gratification media effects assumed the audience brought their own needs and desires to the process of making sense of media messages. Needs and desires structured how messages are received and understood by the audience. Theory uses and gratification was the first to champion the cause of â€Å"the active audience†. It shifted the emphasis from what the media do to people and placed the issue of what people do with the media. U and G state the audience as more active in the decision to watch television and what to watch. Kartz, Blumler, and Gurevitch (1974)(in Saodah Wok, Narimah Ismail and Mohd. Yusof Hussain, 2005) described five elements of the U and G. First, the audience is conceived of as active, an important part of mass media use is assumed to be goal directed. Second, in the mass communication process much initiative in linking need gratification and media choice lies with the audience member. Third, the media compete with other sources of need satisfaction. Fourth, many goals of mass media use be derived from data supplied by individuals themselves, they can report their interest and movies. Lastly, value judgments about the cultural significance of mass communication should be suspended while audience orientations are explored. Besides that, information Processing Theory also used to describe and interpret how each of us take in and makes sense of the flood of information our senses encounter every moment of each day. It assumes that individuals are active in operate with certain built-in information-handling capacities and strategies. Each day we are exposed to cast quantities of sensory information. We filter this information so only a small portion of it ever reaches our conscious mind. Only a tiny fraction of this information is singled out for attention and processing, and we finally store a tiny amount of this in long-term memory. We are not so much information handlers as information avoiders-we have developed sophisticated mechanisms for screening out irrelevant or useless information. Passive audiences usually had received information with little or no effort on their part. The audience is passive in the receiving and interpretation of media. Based on that statement, Noelle-Neumann (1981) (Shirley Biagi, 1999) introduced her spiral of silence concept to support the powerful of media. She argued that her perspective involves a â€Å"return to the concept of powerful mass media†. She wrote, â€Å"as regards the connection between selective perception and the effect of the mass media, one can put forward the hypothesis that the more restricted the selection the less the reinforcement principle applies, in other words the greater the possibility of mass media changing attitudes†. She contends people who feel they are a minority opinion remain silent, thereby reinforcing or enlarging the majority position. These people take a silent stance on an issue. Their silence result in a kind of contagion of silence among others who share the minority view; and this ever-spiraling or enlarging silence plays into the hands of the vocal majority. The mass media exert great influence and have powerful effects because publicize which opinion they consider important and give clues to the public about opinion people can talk about or advocate without becoming isolated. The media, because of a variety of factors, tend to present one sides of an issue to the exclusion of others, which further encourages those people to keep quiet and makes it even tougher for the media to uncover and register that opposing viewpoint. Once a spiral of silence is initiated, the magnitude of media influence will increase to higher levels over time. Spiral of silence theory argues that media can have a powerful influence on everyday talk; this was linked with the concept passive audience. Media can literally silence public discourse on certain topics by declaring them to be settled in favor of one or another. Besides that, Habermas (1962) (in John C. Merrill, John lee and Edward Jay Friendlander, 1994), gave a unique explanation of the social structure and the audience in it. Within his concepts of the â€Å"public sphere†, the residents consume the culture and information and the audience is portrayed as a member of the society, who participates in the exchange of ideas. Even though this audience participation was interpreted as bringing â€Å"degeneration in the quality of discourse† (Calhoun, 1993) (in John C. Merrill, John lee and Edward Jay Friendlander, 1994), his glimpse of the â€Å"audience activeness in participation† plays a role in connecting critical theory, which focuses more on the passive audience under fundamental economic determinism, to cultural studies, which regard the audience as more active within the extensive structure of the society. Critical theory’s main focus is on economic determinism, in which capitalistic power controls the mass media ownership and its messages, and in turn, controls the audience’s perception and activity. The audience is not regarded as being as important as the mass communicator, but is treated as a side issue in the mass communication process. In Malaysian, the issues about media violence especially on the television programs and the impacts on children’s behaviour it’s always being discuss among the society and academician. The study about these issues was started from 1950’s until now. It’s become more critical when a lot of improvement have on media technology, especially on the content. This is because, the technology is always developed. Most people do not believe that media violence has had any a negative effect on them. In public opinion polls, typically 88% of people say that the media have not affected them personally (Whiteman, 1996; in W. James Potter, 2003). But, in reality the media continually and profoundly affect everyone, and when the messages are violent, people are at risk for a variety of negative effects. Basically people do not perceive these negative effects happening to them in their everyday lives, not because those effects don’t exist, but because people do not know what to look for as evidence of the effects. Schramm and his associates reported that children were exposed to television more than to any other mass medium (Shirley Biagi, 1999). In Malaysian context media violent bring the huge impact to our society development. According to Orestes (2002), media violent is a major problem threatens the harmony of family life. According to him, many media spread the mistaken notion that sex, pornography, porno-actions, violence, terrorism extreme and wild life, all of these aside from culture and religion. He also found, reflecting the influence of irresponsible media lead to moral standards in the Asian youth is declining, 20% of teenagers involved with adultery, 24% were involved with pornography and porno-actions, 21% sex before marriage and 35% of juvenile cases. All this will lead to teen more problematic and involves the breach of discipline problems at school very significant. According to Amir Hassan Dawi (2002), films, newspapers, magazines, novels, books, internet, interactive media and television to highlight the culture of yellow has been a problem in changing the behaviour of physical, verbal, nonverbal, antisocial and crime among students. He reported that the sex scenes and violent action seen in the media that will make young minds hard and greedy. He also stated that this matter cannot be denied because their average age between 12 to 20 years of age is a stage is still considered raw. At this stage, students easily stimulated because they are in the process of change to natural puberty. Thus they will aggression that was adapted to use information to media practiced in their daily behaviour. Violent programs in the media as well as imitation of behaviour problemspersistent to the teenagers (Ralph, 1999). According to him, when many violent and behaviour that aired in the media with easily influenced and imitated by the children and adolescents. These issues become even worse what if the parents knowingly make a media a place to escape from educating children as fatigue factor, career and finding sources of income (Rogers, 1980) (in Rosly kayar, 2007). Thus, character building children depend on viewing and simple materials found in the media. This will cause teenagers to make the material as a medium for viewing learn something and then practiced in life. Consequently, violent treatment of pleasure and in accordance with the instinct of youth will be the main mechanisms of adolescent attitudes and behaviour. Thus, the adolescent will be more wild and vulnerable violent activities (Baron, 1973) (in Rosly Kayar, 2007). This entire technological advance occurred simultaneously with profound alterations in Malaysian society. Stanley J. Baran and Dennis K. Davis (2009) state, the new social landscape took shape at precisely the same time that the new mass medium arrived. So, after the rapid social change in the Malaysia especially, the serious social problem also had the rapid rise. Based on that situation, in my opinion audiences in Malaysia was an active audience. To relate these ssues with my statement, I have chosen the Uses and Gratification Theory by Bumler dan Katz in 1974 to understand more how the communication technology advancement will be effect the children’s, and also its will answer why I said the audience perspective in Malaysia is active audience. In the Uses and Gratification Theory, active audience from the violent media site, can be described as how the teenagers us ed the variety way to achieved their satisfaction by using television. This theory emphasizes the willingness of consumers and not the content of the message. Media is considered as a way to meet the needs of the audience and the audience is assumed to be active. While Saodah Wok, Narimah Ismail and Mohd Yusof Hussain (2005) states this theory can explain why some of the contents of television are not watched by the audience. Maybe it does not interest them or do not have the required information. This theory also explains how the individual characteristics of the different character of the television media channels to satisfy the requirements and to solve problems. Certain individuals, especially teenagers have different goals to support treatment. According to Rice and Williams (1984) (in Sobhi Mohd Ishak, 2003), the emergence of new media is the best field to test the various theories and models. One of the theories that the media are often used to analyze new media Uses and Gratification theory is the requirement. Other than Rice and Williams, several other researchers are also using this theory as a reference for research on mass media such as Williams, Strover and Grant (1996) (in Sobhi Mohd Ishak, 2003). As the theory relating to â€Å"active audience†, Uses and Gratification Theory of the Will provides perspective on how audiences respond to new media-rich information resources. The active audience can be seen in this issues when the audience watch the violent content on the media like television, they have the tendency to behave or talk like what they watch without realizing what they had follow is negative or positive. So this action can be considered as active audience. This because, they watch the media content, then they practices on their live. From their act they would change the perspective of media in terms of carrying the message to give the information. For example, the results of the present widespread television exposure, exposure to sex is also becoming more numerous and easier to achieve.