Case Study of the Life of Bill Viola

DrumheadBill Viola is populating fable of media and engineering particularly in video production. Viola Born on January 25, 1951 in Queens, New York, United States of America. Viola spent his early old ages of life in his place town Queens and subsequently on shifted to Westbury, New York. Viola had funny nature that ever triggered him to travel in front to fear. Once he was on a hilly country trip with his household, where he about drowned in lake but he mentions the incident as one of the most bewitching experiences of his life. Viola earned university grade from Syracuse University, Syracuse New York in 1973 in all right art and started his professional calling as a picture technician at Everson Museum of Arts in Syracuse, New York. Subsequently on two old ages he worked as proficient manager in Art/Tapes/22. And in 1976 and 1977 he traveled across the universe to enter cultural humanistic disciplines public presentations. In 1977 Viola was invited by WNET 13 channel Television re search lab New York to work as an creative person in abode where he directed a noteworthy series of work and they were on aired. 1977 proved to be lucky for Viola in footings of personal life, he was invited to La Trobe University, Melbourne Australia by their cultural humanistic disciplines manager, Kira Parov as in the really following twelvemonth Ms. Parov became Mrs. Viola. In 1979 Viola along with his partner Parov, traveled to Sahara desert, Tunisia to enter mirages. In 1980 Viola achieved a cultural family between US and Japan for one and half twelvemonth at Japan. In Japan, Parov and Viola acquired cognition in Zen Buddhism and Viola became the first creative person in abode at Sony Corporation’s Atsugi research research labs. At the terminal of 1981 Parov and Viola came back to USA but this clip in California where Viola joined California Institute of Arts as an teacher and taught Advanced Video Technology. Viola besides continued his art work with a alone subject wi th Parov. They created art work based on human organic structure medical images retrieved from a local infirmary, carnal consciousness in a menagerie at San Diego and fire walking rites of Hindu community at Fiji. Parov had great involvement and experience in picture taking. In 1987 both travel to south west of USA and captured stone sites and recorded pictures of desert landscapes. Viola’s art work is intriguing, the manner he relates everything behind the camera to sole religious thoughts. His picture demo his great and alone love for nature. In 2005 he went to Dharamshala, India with his boies to enter a supplication with Dalai Lama. Viola has great passion for music excessively. From 1973 to 1980, seven old ages he had worked, performed and learned with a composer David Tudor, being attached to a music group â€Å"Rainforest† . Viola’s arts work got planetary acknowledgment and assessment back in 1970’s. Numerous exhibitions of humanistic disciplines in all over the universe exhibited Viola’s originative humanistic disciplines work. For case in 1987 at Museum of Modern Art, New York â€Å"Installations and Videotapes† . In 1995, Viola represented USA exhibiting one his celebrated piece of art work â€Å"Buried Secrets† at the 46th Venice Biennale. In 1997, Whitney Museum of American Arts paid a testimonial to Viola’s art work by showing Viola’s 25 old ages of art work that had around 35 installings and picture tapes. Viola has a alone personality and thought. In an interview he revealed that he don’t like to populate in crowded topographic points, he prefers to populate in the corner side of metropolis therefore he’s populating from last 25 old ages in a corner of long beach, California with his partner and two boies. His studio is nearby to his house and he has rented another house, where he has maintained a resource library. In that house, he goes and stays to believe and be after thoughts, without any communicating beginning non even phone. Harmonizing to Bill Viola, he thinks more creatively when he his near to nature and off from people and day-to-day everyday tensenesss. He merely goes to his studio after explicating an thought to work else he doesn’t travel. He takes things and events positively, like he has no fright that life will stop. In fact the chief subject behind most of his work, we all life in this universe for a short continuance and we have to return into ageless life, that’s stableness. His art works began to exhibit when he was at school at the age of, normally displayed on wall. During his academic life, his pictures were ever fixed on walls and they are still at that place. This fact convinces that he has in born endowment of going an creative person, much like a passion that subsequently on became his profession ( Viola, 1990 ) . His thoughts are profoundly rooted in spiritualism, Mysticism, shamanism, Buddhism. Taoism, Sufism, and philosophical ideas ( Ross, Sellars, & A ; Hyde, 1997 ) . Viola has received legion awards for his outstanding parts to media and picture engineering. In 1984 he received a national award: Polaroid Video Art Award for his exceeding accomplishment. Again in 1987, he received Maya Deren Award from American Film Institute, USA. In 1989, his work was honored with John D. and C atherine T. MacArthur Foundation Award, USA. In 1993, he was awarded Skowhegan Medal for his contributions’ in Video Installation, USA. Viola has immense part to art in footings of ancient civilization, his services were acknowledged and awarded in 2003 by American Federal of Arts that presented him Cultural leading Award. Viola non merely received prestigiousness and awards from his place state but across worldwide. In 2006, he received NORD/LB Art award in Bremen, Germany. In 2009, he was honored by an award from Cambridge MA. In 2009 he won International Prize at Barcelona, Spain. In 2011 Viola’s university, Syracuse University felt great pride and award in his pupil parts to field of humanistic disciplines and awarded him Arent Award for Distinguished Alumni. Recently in 2013 he received two awards, one from Anderson Ranch, Snowmass Village, CO the â€Å"National Artist Award† and the other from Aurora Picture Show, Houston, TX the â€Å"Aurora Award† . Along with a long list of awards, Viola has besides received nine ( 9 ) honorary doctorial grades in Fine Arts from assorted universities and institutes worldwide.DiscussionIn media engineering legion creative person are working on picture engineering and installings, what makes Viola’s art unique is usage of slow gesture with intensive computing machine based redaction. He has contributed a batch in this field, in this paper we will discourse some of his plants. In 2007 Viola represented US in 52neodymiumVenice Biennale where he presented his picture installing, â€Å"ocean without shore† . It’s one the major and greatly influential picture installings by Viola. The construct behind â€Å"Ocean Without Shore† is about the passage between life and decease with utilizing H2O. A spectator faces three big picture proctors which are placed in a dark room. About 20 four people get downing looking from an unseeable H2O wall. Flow of H2O is dynamic. Every individual walks entirely and get down nearing the spectator. Those 20 four people are all same, brumous and skin tone is gray. As the semen closer to the spectator, at a certain distance that is a threshold between them and viewer, they touch the unobserved threshold. When they touch it, it clearly seeable as a powerful heat lightening. Afterwards they turn back and travel once more to the unseeable H2O wall. Whole picture installing last for one and half hr. Every individual looking from the unseeable H2O wall is soundless, unagitated, and inactive. They are pass oning with deep emotions. Their emotions can be written into 1000s of words. Each of the individual returns, as if decease is strike harding at his door. They are in a unusual peaceable province as reaching of decease is welcomed by them. Ocean Without shore is a deep emotional illustration of homo. It depicts the events which lie at concurrence point of decease and life. Bill Viola says, â€Å"The picture sequence paperss a sequence of persons easy nearing out of darkness and traveling into the visible radiation in order to go through into the physical universe. Once bodied, nevertheless, all existences realize that their presence is finite and so they must finally turn away from stuff being to return from where they came. The rhythm repeats without end.† Idea of Ocean Without Shore was taken from the poesy of Birago Diop. Birago was inspired from a Sufi mysterious Ibn Arabi who said â €Å"The Self is an ocean without a shore. Gazing upon it has no beginning or terminal, in this universe and the next.† This work shows Viola is influenced by mysticism and Sufism. Viola’s work allows viewer to comprehend all signifiers of life, in a ways he persuades the spectator to see his ain contemplation in the basic thoughts of hope, desire, love, decease, regeneration and above all stableness ( Robson, 2011 ) . Another great piece of art was subsequently on presented by Viola that portions concept and subject with Ocean without shores. Bodies of visible radiation is a distinct series of Transfigurations that focus on the clip when a individual or object follows the rule of transmutation due to internal forces of high witting non external. Viola shows the transmutation of ego is normally called by an interior realisation. A individual gets clear thought of his psyche, his filthy, unfiltered set of emotions and so he overcomes all such emotions and gets transformed into a new being, an ideal being. In this piece of art Viola used black and white images of apparitional organic structures, that appear easy from darkness, and pass through a certain threshold of H2O and enter enlighten colourful universe. That new reaching of self-encounters with diverse set of human emotions from joy to fury, and all are occupied with some desires, and eventually these apparitional organic structures disappear i n darkness from where the appeared. In this installing Viola used images shootings from an old camera along with shootings with a High definition camera ( Viola, Bodies of Light ) . In this artistic picture Viola conveys a message of life to his spectator that their comes a point in life, when a individual changes itself for his interior peace and satisfaction. Runing with this universe may gain money and luxury to a individual but the cost is an individual’s internal peace. Internal forces become stronger to external forces and therefore a man’s life become calm.DecisionBill Viola is a large name in the picture engineering and installings, and has achieved many awards and awards due to his parts. One can non state viola came into this field by opportunity or by pick. He is an congenital creative person. Harmonizing to him life without art is non a life. Despite great sum of celebrity and acknowledgment, Viola’s life is simple and he looks for simpleness in ever y facet of life. The chief thought of Bill Viola’s work is about basic human life, demands and procedures. The manner he tries to associate the being of adult male with decease is singular. He shows both sides of positions in his work. Exemplifying the phenomenon of decease so much is normally considered as pessimism. It may devoid the viewer’s involvement from life and he may believe that life will stop so why he has to do attempts for endurance. But Viola on the same clip attempts to convert the spectator that he can non get away from cosmopolitan worlds. A dead being is really undead. He persuades the viewing audiences to believe at high degree of consciousness. This attack provokes the spectator to understand the importance of basic human needs that are love, hope, heartache and a desire to populate. Viola uses H2O and visible radiation along with high dimensional camera’s to picture his subjects. His hallmark is usage of slow gesture, organic structures ( c haracters ) appear and disappear in proctors of picture screen really easy and swimmingly. His picture enhances the sum of repose in the spectator. Viola uses latest engineering and works on old age construct and thoughts peculiarly Sufism and Mysticism. Viola’s piece of work are unagitated, calm and smooth that adds repose in spectator. Viola’s work is more about to chew over than to praise the high dimension camera. His subjects are cosmopolitan and influence all sort of people. One can non claim that he makes art pieces and picture installings for a peculiar category of people. Viola has deep involvement in ancient saints and their history.MentionsRobson, J. ( 2011, November 19 ) .Bill Viola: Ocean Without a Shore.Retrieved from Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.pafa.org/billviola/Bill-Viola-Ocean-Without-a-Shore/1184/ Ross, D. A. , Sellars, P. , & A ; Hyde, L. ( 1997 ) .Bill Viola.New York: Whitney Museum of American Art. Viola, B. ( 1990, June 30 ) . Contemporay Arts. ( M. Nash, Interviewer ) Viola, B. ( n.d. ) . Bodies of Light.Bodies of Light.James Cohan Gallery, New York.

Bad Cafeteria FoodFinal

However, this only my opinion bout how feel about public school nutrition, but I will get more in-depth with this issue later in this research. The History Poor nutrition has been a problem for years in the public school system and contributing to childhood obesity. Before childhood obesity became an issue and what kind of nutrition a child was receiving from outside the home, people would come home from school/work to have lunch with their family. However, the concept of cafeteria school lunch choice did not exist in the early years (1930-1960).While time continued to move forward, the ideal of installing vending machines begin to emerge in a few public schools. Cafeteria's today lean more towards federal nutritional recommendations, regional culinary preferences, and portion sizes to cut down on food cost for that particular school district. The question often comes up â€Å"how health is cafeteria food in public schools? † There are numerous factors that points to the fact there is unhealthy eating in school. However when the food is prepared, the cafeteria has a large crowd to feed, therefore; nutrition is their least worries.I think that the school system wouldn't spend the extra money on better nutrition foods for the students. In recent surrey, taste cost and convenience were the main factors in why students choose to eat this unhealthy food. Environmental Stance From an environmental prospective, most public school systems are reaching out to local farmers and producers for their products. By getting their products from local farmers and producers, this will cut down on cost and slow down global warming through transportation.The public schools that continue to outsource their products, it has a high chance of bringing in parasites and other insects. I think school food environment plays a huge role in society and contributes to childhood obesity. There a many health risks that is associated with childhood obesity. The school cafeterias allow the students to purchase junk food and extras doing lunch hours. Although the students make a big transition from grade level to a higher grade level, their appetite gets bigger and requires more food consumptions.As the student gets older, they will become more particular on what they want to put in their body, and without the practice of eating healthy, this could promote health risks. This exemplifies that practicing eating healthy can contribute to an ongoing healthy lifestyle. What Can Be Done? I think that I have concluded that cafeteria food is unhealthy for students in public schools. However, think this could be change with the correct steps and strong support from the parents and staff. Once the correct changes have been put into place, I think the public school system could also promote a healthy eating lifestyle.So now the question is â€Å"what is the solution to this problem? † Finding a Solution We know that cafeteria food is bad for the students in the public sch ool systems and the contribution to childhood obesity. The Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, set nutrition standards for all food served in schools (school Nutrition†) to promote an early healthy lifestyle. However, since the problem has been revealed, the next thing to do is to put in a solution and advantages. There are a few options that I will discuss later during this research on different solutions that may prevent this ongoing problem.Hunger-Free The Hunger-Free Act of 201 0 improved the health of 32 million children that ate school lunches the whole time during their enrollment. (school Nutrition†) A lot of these improvements came from shrinking the meal size that the students were receiving. For example, some schools offered the students fruits instead of extra meats. The government released new changes in the duration such as, low calories meals and whole grain breads. Because of the government stepping in, a campaign was put in place to reduce the number of overwe ight students through exercise and a healthier lifestyle.Advantages From a political stand point, the government has organized programs to help the growing problem of childhood obesity as I stated earlier. The program will add more fruits and green vegetables to breakfast and lunches with less salt usage. (school Nutrition†) Therefore, the government also added to reduced starchy foods like rice and potatoes. The government estimates that the rules will add about 33. Billion in costs to the program for an efficient use. (â€Å"Cafeteria Food and Economic†) think that the improvements that the government is doing will decrease the rapid rate of childhood obesity. From our perspective, the new rules improve school nutrition, but at the same time give schools flexibility to serve a variety of foods to meet the standards,† said Carrey Henry. Some school districts are turning to their local farmers and producers to cut down on global warming. This is an advantage becau se, by getting the products locally the gas usage that is use doing shipping and which toxic chemicals are been release into the atmosphere. Another advantage is that there will be fewer chemicals used to preserve the produce as it's been shipped to the school.An estimated 25 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by people in industrialized nations can be traced to the food they eat Cafeteria Food and Global Warming' 2008). I think that this is a reasonable solution to help the environment while food is being disbursed throughout the school system. School meal programs across the country are run somewhat like restaurants, relying on federal and state subsidies that often make decisions for them. â€Å"Cafeteria Food and Economic†) However, when the federal government is involved more money can be moved around quickly and put to its proper use or plans. The federal government provides $2. 7 per meal for students eligible for a reduced-price lunch and 23 cents for st udents who pay full-price for their lunch. By lowering the price for meals, I think that will the student more money to eat a reimbursable lunch and breakfast during enrollment in school. The federal government helps the school system by providing funds and brightens up the economic side of things. Finding a Weakness There are many things that could be done to improve the food that's being served of the public school cafeterias. However, there are only so many ideals that can be brought up to a discussion about ways to make the food healthier.The federal government tends to oversee these things in the public systems, but its up to the student parents to enforce these rules and make sure their kids are getting the proper nutrition. Therefore, if there are some advantages, I am quite sure that there are some disadvantages among these solutions. The Disadvantage When you hear the word â€Å"disadvantage† what is the first thing that comes to our mind? However, school cafeteria f ood line may contain a number of unhealthy choices, most school cafeterias do include nutritious foods as well. I think most of the unhealthy food that is provided by the school, operates of the government budget which equals poor quality food for the students that attend that particular school district. Earlier in this research, I stated a few advantages that I feel may guide this situation in the correct direction. I hope that the disadvantages that I will state later in this research will not change your thoughts on the advantages. Stated Disadvantages Obesity is rising in the school system because of the poor nutrition that the students are receiving.Economy sits and psychologists are developing a new set of tools that promise to help relax the tension between these two competing views of school lunches. (â€Å"Cafeteria Food and Disadvantages†) However, one economic disadvantage is limited budgets for purchasing ingredients that go into a meal. Public schools are in the direst shape with only $1 per plate available for actual food costs. (â€Å"Cafeteria Food and Disadvantages†) By the school being limited on what ingredients to by, that old be a disadvantage to supplying poor nutrition to students.

Ebooks Are Inferior to Real Books

1. Good evening chairperson, ladies and gentleman. It is one thing to down load an eBooks and read it at your convenience but is this experience the same as lying out on the beach reading the latest publication from your favourite novelist with the worry of the device failing | 2. Your expensive device may be stolen while you’re in the surf or sand could enter your devices interface. Ladies and Gentlemen reading from an eBook is simply not the same as reading from a physical printed book as all electronic devices are subject to failures. 3. The topic before us this evening is that â€Å"eBooks are inferior to real books† Not one member of the affirmative team will deny that eBooks have been a great innovation however there are many disadvantages associated with the use of eBooks which would support our team’s argument that traditional books are superior and therefore by definition eBooks are inferior. | 4. We as the Affirmative team define eBooks as electronic co pies of books, usually read through an e-reader or computer and real books as physical printed paper copies of books.Tonight we will be discussing this on two key levels: I will discuss the social aspects and my second speaker Tom will address the disadvantages of eBooks from an economic perspective. | 5. Firstly I will address the inferior qualities of eBooks with regard to them denigrating the culture of reading and secondly the notion that print books promote a more holistic and equitable circumstance for people to have a greater access to literature both contemporary and traditional. | 6. Now to my first point, addressing print books and their significant contribution towards promoting a culture of reading.E-Readers are far less capable of presenting artistic illustrations in the same capacity as real books. | 7. Very complex, design-heavy books such as comics do not translate well into eBook format, and in many cases people in possession of older e-reader devices, fail to suppo rt all of the technologically advanced features that are included within newly released eBooks and e-readers. | 8. Ladies and Gentleman how are we to cultivate a love for books with future generations if all we have access to is unexciting and uninteresting, dull, black and white text.Think of the long held reading traditions which families employ when raising their children. | 9. Young children will always be interested in beautiful three dimensional illustrations adorned in colour and exciting imagery, not walls of text. The artistic value and interactivity of the children’s books we grew up with is something you certainly cannot replicate with an e-reader. | 10. This is a crucial part of the culture of reading that can and will engage our youth in reading from an early age. For centuries book lovers have enjoyed browsing the shelves in a book store, reading the blurbs and thumbing through the illustrations.This is an important part of the culture of reading, a culture prom oted by print books and a culture degraded by eBooks. | 11. This is further vindicated as statistics from over 250 000 surveys conducted by Amazon have revealed that 55% precent of e-books purchased from the kindle or amazon online catalogue have been planned purchases and only 5% of buyers have actually browsed the online catalogue like you would in a real bookstore. | 12. Print books are often utilised for decorative purposes in a home.They can define ones interests’ and even a person’s profession, for example doctors and lawyers often have large libraries of books in their homes. Furthermore print books are often culturally and historically significant for various reasons, can form part of collections, or represent sentimental significance. Ebooks do not have that same utility. | 13. According to Jan Noyes and Kate Garland’s scientific report released in 2008 addressing the cognitive advantages and disadvantages of eBooks; it was discovered that screen readin g was found to increase stress and exhaustion levels.Finally, the technology of an e-book can also prove to be a disincentive for prospective readers. | 14. Add to these, the health issues of eye strain, the anxiety of worrying about battery life, damaging the screen of a reading device, its lack of portability in extreme or remote environments, problems of viruses and software bugs and the incompatibility of formats across devices are not issues that the reader of traditional books encounter. | 15.RSI and long periods looking at a screen, plus the possibility that an e-book can be hacked and edited so that the original text could be censored or lack authenticity thus creating several more reasons why e-books can turn people off reading. | 16. All of these significant points refer to the culture of reading which is vital to society as we know it. This now brings me to my second argument that print books promote a more holistic and equitable circumstance for people to have a greater access to literature both contemporary and traditional. | 17.EBooks are often a non-inclusive medium as it is a significant financial investment for individuals to purchase an E-reader. It is difficult for people without substantial financial means to make that investment when their primary focus is directed at providing for their families and their needs. | 18. Traditional books are always more accessible to the general public, in many cases through a library. Libraries provide a free and easy way for people of all socio-economic backgrounds to access books of all varieties and in addition libraries can be accessed locally as there is one in most suburbs. 19. Also, opportunities to read are enhanced because books are a tangible asset that can be easily exchanged, passed on from generation to generation and discarded for other people to pick up cheaply at fetes, book fairs and second hand bookshops. | 20. They are also a valuable resource to be collected and donated to institutions, waiting rooms, schools and third world countries. In other words making them accessible to the general population. Ladies and Gentleman you cannot do this with an eBook! | 21.The reliance of e-books on technology conjures the frightening prospect of a world without literature, recorded historical data, in fact, all of the knowledge and entertainment that is currently held in the traditional manuscript of books and digital media. | 22. What happens if the gadgets and software we need to decode e-books malfunctions, there is a lack of electricity or our digital world collapses? We need traditional books to protect future access to reading for everyone. | 23. Tonight Ladies and gentleman I have argued the social aspects of why eBooks are most definitely inferior to real books. 24. My first point tonight detailed how print books significantly contribute towards promoting a culture of reading whereas eBooks damage that culture and my second point addressed how print books, through libra ries promote a more holistic and unified circumstance where it is much easier for people who have less, to gain a greater access to more. | 25. Ladies and gentleman when DVD’s came out people thought that would be the end of cinema. There will always be a place for real books and if eBooks are such remarkable products why are we still publishing books?Comparing e-readers to books is similar to comparing a modern contemporary rock song to a cover, which is never as good as the original. | 26. Every now and again you might get a cover version of a song that is perceived as better than the original but generally speaking more often than not the cover is never as good as the original. You can manipulate it and improve it but when it all comes down to the crunch it is the original that stands the test of time. The same is true for the traditional book which will pass the test of time. |

Discussion Board Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Discussion Board Questions - Essay Example Similarly, P-O fit is imperative in assessing the risk of hiring an employee. Despite the significance of person-organisation match, it is not desirable to ignore the person-job match. This implies that during the recruitment process, it is vital for the recruiters to provide adequate information regarding the job. These include the qualifications, duties and the skills required. It is imperative to note that employees should have the background and the appropriate training in order to effectively undertake the duties as defined by the organisation. Additionally, passion for the job is a major aspect that employers should look for during the hiring process. Employees who have passion for the duties allocated to them are not only motivated but also they are highly productive. Affirmative action entails the statistical information that depicts the relationship between the qualified potential employees and the actual number of the people employed. One of the key aspects of the affirmative action is to establish a goal that is focused at ensuring that the right number of qualified women and minorities is employed. On the other hand, quotas are imposed by government authorities especially for the organisations that depict employment discrimination over a period of time. One of the major ways of ensuring that knowledge, skills, abilities and other attributes (KSAQ) deficiencies do not occur in an organisation is use of lecturers to convey knowledge to the employees. For instance, managers should hold regular meetings with their employees in order to train them on how to use communication system as well use of computers as a way of saving and sending files. In the same way, organisations should allocate a reasonable discussion time when employees can ask questions on the topics covered during the lecturers. Taking into consideration the need of enhancing the

Answer quistion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer quistion - Essay Example An organization runs on the hardworking of the employees and if an employer cannot understand and study the needs and drive of a worker then the firm can result in utter failure. For example, My Dad was working as a marketing Executive of a well reputed organization and he was a very dedicated staff of the firm. He was performing averagely in his profession and his income was on commission basis. But he used to face problems when his sales were low which invariably resulted in lower income .He used to come up with serious problems in running the family and as a result demanded a basic salary from the company which was legible amount. The company refused for the same, even though dad was not the only one to come up with such a demand in the organisation.Ultimately his motivation to work reduced and he ended up resigning the job. Here we can see that, if employed needs and demands are not considered by an organization results can be devastating. Each employee is very crucial part of an organization, and their solely contribute to the success of an organization. The size of an organization is immaterial when it comes to the power of the employees. The case applies to both temporary and permanent employees of an organization.

The Effect of Alcohol Concentration on the Leakage of Pigment from Essay

The Effect of Alcohol Concentration on the Leakage of Pigment from Beetroot Cells - Essay Example The cell membrane is made up of phospholipids molecules and proteins. The phospholipids are present as a bilayer and that acts as the semi permeable membrane. The phospholipid bi-layer is formed because of the hydrophilic and the hydrophobic ends of the phospholipid molecule. The water loving hydrophilic head is present in the inner region of the membrane and the hydrophobic water hating tail region is present on the outer membrane region. This arrangement prevents the polar solutes from moving in and out of the membrane. This arrangement generally allows the passive diffusion of the hydrophobic molecules. The entire membrane is held intact because of the non-covalent interaction of the hydrophobic tails with a little fluidity.The betalains pigment of beet root is sequestered in the vacuole of the beet root cells. When the membrane condition is altered because of temperature variation, pH variations, the membrane becomes weak and loses its pigment content. The phospholipid bi-layer is soluble in an organic solvent. Ethanol is the most common organic s olvent. When ethanol is used for the extraction of the pigment from the beetroot, it dissolves the phosphor lipid bi layer and thus makes the membrane permeable. The betalains thus diffuses out of the membrane due to the concentration gradient. As this is a water soluble pigment, it results in the color of the solution. The intensity of the red-purple color in the solution will indicate the diffusivity level of the pigment. Hence the effect of concentration of ethanol may increase the color of the solution. This is a predictive hypothesis. The predictive hypothesis will give a tentative answer to the question that is under the investigation. (faculty.uca.edu). So the experiment was designed such that the independent variable ethanol is applied to the experimental group and it is controlled in the control group. According to our hypothesis, the control group had 0% ethanol and the experimental group had

The Effects of Social Media in Todays Society Annotated Bibliography

The Effects of Social Media in Todays Society - Annotated Bibliography Example The author refers to usability as how well a system supports the needs of users and the ability of the system to accomplish a task. Greiter acknowledges that, even though usability testing is a common practice, the software of usability of security requires more consideration. My team could use this article to examine why computer users often circumvent the security mechanisms in places or why common users of computer may lack confidence in the security system that they use. This book explores the events surrounding the scandal of WikiLeaks and the issues concerning security. Brenner examines the legal challenges that were presented by the incident. My team could use this source in our report on security issues associated with collaborative online tools. Some of the recommendations made in this paper may be used for our conclusion. This paper examines privacy as a key aspect of the experience of computer user when online as well as on computing devices by reviewing the perspective that the users of computers have on computer system in order to aid in improving privacy through Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). My team could use this source to explain privacy as a process through which computer users can control personal data effectively. This article reports a survey of 115 information technology companies that was conducted in India and the United States jointly by the US trade association ITAA and the Indian trade association NASSCOM. The paper reports that companies are more concerned with security than ever before. 75% of the companies showed that information security is a vital differentiator in the provided services. My team could use this paper to cite background information on security case that involved Geometric Software Solutions, which included virus and spam problems. This article addresses security risk concerns to clients from the vendor workers from who

Analysis of the 6th Chapter of The Aesthetics of the Natural Essay

Analysis of the 6th Chapter of The Aesthetics of the Natural Environments - Essay Example Appreciating landscapes may involve purely sensory layers such as sight, sound and smell. Rely do this layers exist alone. Whenever we look at a landscape we seek out formal relationships which include conceptualizing and recognizing and adding context and background including many more. Metaphysical imagination is a concept used to explain the aspects of nature for which there are no clear concepts and exact words to use. This in essence means that landscapes reveal and conceal much more beauty than what we see, meaning it has much more to offer. The aesthetic experience of nature includes a diverse range of components from the basic ones like rocks and stones, to the bigger components which ultimately is the world as whole. This chapter aims at clarifying five principal components that deal with landscape and metaphysics namely; 1) Brings out the concept of metaphysical imagination and its relation to aesthetic experience of nature Metaphysical imagination essentially relates to ho w we interpret a scene in nature in relation to the whole world experience .It fuses present experience from landscapes and sensory components, but not mediation that a landscape arouses. Nature presents itself more for sustainability than for enjoyment. Hepburn argues that we should experience nature as it is rather than how we want to perceive it. According to him we respond to features to which nature presents. The author differentiates between human attitudes and appreciation towards art and towards appreciation of the aesthetic value of nature. Artists have a tendency of including technological advancements to their work, even the ones that deal with nature and we appreciate it. However when we interfere with nature using technology we tend to appreciate it less, compared to if less invasion of technology. He therefore argues that the way we appreciate nature is the way we should appreciate the beauty of art. 2) The author argues that philosophers sometimes undervalue metaphysi cal imagination. This he argues happens because of several reasons, one of them being the fact that they want to maintain how they engage aesthetically with nature free from expenses which lack rational support for example religious experiences, which cannot be determined and whose description fails on distinct reference. Philosophers who undervalue metaphysical imagination do not want metaphysics to be used in experiencing metaphysics. The other reason why metaphysical imagination can be undervalued is because the experiences derived from landscapes can only be eluded by the person who experienced them. He encourages recognition of the endless variety of aesthetic experiences for example if pantheists or atheist view is replaced by metaphysics view, then metaphysical ideologies such as materialism will increase. On the other hand scientific evidence should not surplus all other aesthetic appreciation of nature. Science cannot oust metaphysics. This is despite the fact that metaphys ics mainly works on speculative and incomplete evidence. Science on the other hand works with evidence; hence it ends up looking at the world selectively and therefore ends up eliminating human concerns, which form part of nature. Human perspective in appreciating of aesthetic component of nature cannot be downplayed. Science or any other method alone cannot be used to value metaphysical imagination. 3) On the other hand we tend to over value or exaggerate metaphysical

Importance Of Agriculture Policy For European Union Essay

Importance Of Agriculture Policy For European Union - Essay Example European Union region possesses a large export market for agricultural goods. Its exports value for 2010 amounted to more than 90 billion Euros (European commission 2011). European Union has become the leading exporter of agri-products. Its agricultural exports superseded that of US in 2003. In 2003 the EU exports of agricultural products amounted to $66 billion and that of US amounted to $64billion (European commission 2007). European Union also imports agricultural products that worth many billion Euros. However its exports have been significantly higher than its import of agri-goods in the past decade. The balance of trade of EU in agricultural product has also been improved in the past decade. The following table shows the European Union Exports and Imports from 2000 to 2006. The balance of trade was negative in 2000 through 2004. It, however, improved in 2005 and amounted to $6 billion in 2006. EU exports of agricultural products amounted to $135 billion in 2010 (Wall street jou rnal 2011). European Union has Common agricultural policy (CAP). CAP came into existence in 1950’s after the destruction of World War II. CAP was formulated with the vision of avoiding any possible food shortage that EU countries might face due to the massive destruction in World War II. A budget was decided to support, invest and regulate agricultural market in EU region. Initially CAP claimed around 50% of European Union Budget (Visegrad 2010). CAP aims at such regulations and action plans that ensure the safe, healthy and competitive agri-products to be consumed inside the region and exported as well. Primarily, the CAP’s focus has been on the subsidies given to farmers to ensure high production but now due to several factors the CAP’s focus, in its new proposed policy, has been on the policies for agriculture that ensure a farming that meet the standards of environmental security as well as provide competitive products to the EU region and International comm unity. Common agricultural policy takes a very high bite of the EU budget. In 2009 its budget amounted to 55 billion EUR which is about 44% of the total budget of European Union (European commission 2010). This paper will discuss the agricultural policy of European Union, its inception and primary objectives at the time of its formulation. The paper will discuss the importance of agricultural policy of European Union by referring to the important agricultural policies and discussing therein the importance of such policies. Moreover the paper will also discuss the new proposed policies for agriculture and their importance in the changing world scenario for European Union specifically and International community at large. Initial CAP and its importance In its early years, CAP adopted a policy where it provided the subsidies and had a system where the farmers were assured of high prices for their commodities. It also provided a policy for substantial financial assistance to improve and restructure farms and to implement new technological developments in the agricultural production. The underlying objective of CAP at the time of its establishment was to take such measures so as to avoid a possible food shortage in the region, to increase productivity of agricultural sector, to stabilize markets and to ensure price competitiveness of products (Stead 2010). These policies played a very important role. These helped EU region to get out of the fear

The economic impact of Rosie the Riviter during ww2 Essay

The economic impact of Rosie the Riviter during ww2 - Essay Example When US entered in the war, much of human resources that served auto industry earlier were now picking up the tasks of serving the nation as soldiers. United States was already struggling from great depression before the Word War-2. The unemployment rates were higher. In such a crisis time, World War-2 opened a big requirement for soldiers on the front, and the jobs were emptied in industrial city Detroit. Resultantly, a large sum of American population entered in the arsenal jobs (as well as some emptied factory jobs). Notably, most jobs were fulfilled by American Woman. According to the historical records, a big percentage came from African- American woman who shifted out from their traditional tasks to fulfill the emptied position of arsenal factory works. Immediate Economic support Before the World War, United States was mired in the great depression. Unemployment which had been as high as 24.9 in 1933 still averaged 14.6 in 1944. During the World War unemployment dropped rapidly . In 1942 it averaged 4.7 and in 1944 it reaches wartime 1.2. As a result the image of Rosie the riveter and America as the arsenal of democracy stayed with Americans long after the Second World War was over.3 This historical event soon came out in form of a cult figure Rosie the Riveter, who represents the woman working on traditionally considered man’s job such as welding and riveting. As mention above, Rosie the Riveter came up as a cult figure of that movement named over her. United States’ economy was highly pressured earlier of World War. However, during the World War Rosie the Riveters somehow balanced the production unit of socio-economical context, which had some long lasting effects over State’s economy. Sudden drop in unemployment helped United States to balance the social environment which could otherwise collapse due to high defense budget and comparatively lower number of human resources for supporting industries and home conditions. Many reports i ndicate that rarely any industrial sources had been shut down.4 However, most of the industries had to compromise from their regular tasks and were on a hold during the World War. Comparable to the earlier times, Industries were not in wore conditions than the great depression. Depression had caused many industries to shut down while World War had put them on halt. Suddenly after the Rosie the riveter phenomenon came out as a moment among woman of United States, African-American woman participated in it in a larger number than white women. States reached out to a balanced situation as compared to earlier years of World War. However, Rosie the Riveter moment is often taken as a matter of criticism when it comes to the payment of woman which was still lower than payments of men.5 The Socio-economical change Before 1942, World War had engaged much of lower class human resources. Emptied places were filled by ‘Rosies’ who had a large number of African American women. Neil a Wynn made an analysis which asserts that around 1,000,000 African-Americans were employed, and 600,000 of them were women.6 Noticeable fact is that U.S. had not overcome from the racist troubles till the time. African-Americans had it harder to get into many jobs and mostly it were men who were making money for the family. In such a situation, when ‘

The appeal of TV police drama Essay Example for Free

The appeal of TV police drama Essay Discuss the appeal of TV police drama with particular reference to The Bill and In Deep The Bill, shown on ITV1 at around 8.00, and In Deep shown on BBC1 at around 9.00, and after the news, are both police dramas. Therefore, they both are targeted to police drama fans. However, there are differences between two. In The Bill, there are lots of different codes and conventions found in typical police dramas. For example, there is a police station, panda cars, uniformed and plain clothed police, who carry out everyday tasks, such as dealing with burglary, assault, and racial abuse. In In Deep, there are also lots of codes and conventions of police drama, but they are different to that found in The Bill. For example, the policemen are plain clothed undercover policemen, there is a secret operation, cover stories, involvement in drugs, and 24 hour surveillance on a potential bad guy, which gives the program more of a gangster police drama feel about it. In The Bill, the narrative structure is very different to that in In Deep. It has very quick scene changes, and lots of intertwining storylines, very like a soap opera, in that there are many storylines going on throughout the episode. This is probably the reason that it is put onto our screens at a primetime slot, and therefore appeals to audiences who prefer the soap genre. Because the episodes are on every week, the budget is lower, so thats why the mainly the same locations are used, and thats why it develops more of a soap formula, as they cannot do really big scenes. In Deep has the narrative structure of a film, rather than a soap. The storyline is focused around one main storyline, with lots of twists coincided with it. It also shows a lot more violence, and more brutal scenes, because it is a series, therefore has a higher budget to film and construct these scenes. The Bill and In Deep has lots of enigma codes. For example, in The Bill, whether a beaten up man will tell on the police man that beat him up, and is a suspect off work with somebody, or is she, likes she says, ill, and in In Deep, will the coppers covering as drug dealers killer the supplys wife. These enigma codes keep up the audience interest in watching to the end of the episode. There is also a fair representation of policemen in both. In The Bill, you get to see more of the policemens personal life, and the question on how much personal life should be brought into the work place. In In Deep, the question is whether them acting as criminals is any better then the actually criminals themselves. All these points keep the watcher interested, and keeps audiences coming back to watch other episodes.

Bcg on Hul Essay Example for Free

Bcg on Hul Essay Once you know which businesses stand where in your business portfolio, you also come to know which businesses need investments, which needs harvesting (making money), which needs divesting (reducing investment) and which needs to be completely taken out of the business portfolio. For a major organization like HUL, ITC etc which have multiple categories and within the categories, they have multiple lines of products; the BCG analysis becomes very important. At a holistic level, they get to make a decision on which product to continue and which product to be divested. Which product can give new returns with good investment, and which products are reaching the apex of market share. BCG Growth Share Matrix –  The BCG growth share matrix was developed by Henderson of the BCG group in 1970? s. The matrix classifies businesses / SBU’s by 1) Relative Market Share –  The market share of the business / SBU / Product in the market as compared to its competitors and overall product / category. 2) Market growth rate –  The growth rate of the industry as a whole is taken into consideration from which the growth rate of the product is extrapolated. This growth rate is then pitched on the graph. Thus by having 2 basic but at the same time very important factors on X axis and Y axis, the BCG matrix makes sure that the classifications are concrete. Calculating the Market growth rate comprises of both industry growth and product growth rate thereby giving a fair knowledge of where the product / SBU stands in comparison to the Industry. The market share on the other hand comprises of the competition and the product potential in the market. Thus when we consider growth rate and market share together, it automatically gives us an overview of the competition and the industry standards as well as an idea of what the future might bring for the product. Once the businesses have been classified, they are placed into four different quadrants of the matrix. The quadrants of the matrix are divided into 1) Cash Cows –  High market share but low growth rate (most profitable). 2) Stars –  High market share and High growth rate (high competition) 3) Question marks –  Low market share and high growth rate (uncertainty) ) Dogs –  Low market share and low growth rate (less profitable or may even be negative profitability) On the basis of this classification, strategies are decided for each SBU / Product. Let’s discuss the characteristics and strategies of each quadrant in detail. Explanation: 1) Cash Cows –  The cornerstone of any multi product business, cash cows are products which a re having a high market share in  a low growing market. As the market is not growing, that cash cow gains the maximum advantage by generating maximum revenue due to its high market share. Thus for any company, the cash cows are the ones which require least investment but at the same time give higher returns. These higher returns enhance the overall profitability of the firm because this excess revenue can be used in other businesses which are Stars, Dogs or Question marks. In the case of HUL following are the Cash cows like Mass Soaps, Beverages, Oral care and Laundry which are running very well in the market today, Oral and Mass soap today is doing very good hence it is the cash cows for HUL today. Strategies for cash cow –  The cash cows are the most stable for any business and hence the strategy generally includes retention of the market share. As the market is not growing, acquisition is less and retention is high. Thus customer satisfaction programs, loyalty programs and other such promotional methods form the core of the marketing plan for a cash cow product / SBU. 2) Stars –  The best product which comes in mind when thinking of Stars is the telecom products. If you look at any top 5 telecom company, the market share is good but the growth rate too is good. Thus because these two factors are high, the telecom companies are always in competitive mode and they have to juggle between investment and harvesting vis investing money and taking out money time to time. Unlike cash cows, Stars cannot be complacent when they are top on because they can immediately be overtaken by another company which capitalizes on the market growth rate. However, if the strategies are successful, a Star can become a cash cow in the long run. Just like the products from HUL like Hair Care products, Skin Care products, Premium Soaps Laundry products, Deodorants and it’s lately release brand Water (PureIt) Strategies for Stars –  All types of marketing, sales promotion and advertising strategies are used for Stars. This is because in cash cow, already these strategies have been used and they have resulted in the formation of a cash cow. Similarly in Stars, because of the high competition and rising market share, the concentration and investment needs to be high in marketing  activities so as to increase and retain market share. ) Question Marks –  Several times, a company might come up with an innovative product which immediately gains good growth rate. However the market share of such a product is unknown. The product might lose customer interest and might not be bought anymore in which case it will not gain market share, the growth rate will go down and it will ultimately become a Dog. On the o ther hand, the product might increase customer interest and more and more people might buy the product thus making the product a high market share product. From here the product can move on to be a Cash Cow as it has lower competition and high market share. Thus Question marks are products which may give high returns but at the same time may also flop and may have to be taken out of the market. This uncertainty gives the quadrant the name â€Å"Question Mark†. The major problem associated with having Question marks is the amount of investment which it might need and whether the investment will give returns in the end or whether it will be completely wasted. Processed foods and Color Cosmetics are few of the Question Marks for HUL since it is very rare found in the market due to the reason that it is not giving results as much expected in the consumer market today. Strategies for Question marks –  As they are new entry products with high growth rate, the growth rate needs to be capitalized in such a manner that question marks turn into high market share products. New Customer acquisition strategies are the best strategies for converting Question marks to Stars or Cash cows. Furthermore, time to time market research also helps in determining consumer psychology for the product as well as the possible future of the product and a hard decision might have to be taken if the product goes into negative profitability. ) Dogs –  Products are classified as dogs when they have low market share and low growth rate. Thus these products neither generate high amount of cash nor require higher investments. However, they are considered as negative profitability products mainly because the money already invested in the product can be used somewhere else. Thus over here businesses have to take a decision whether they should divest these product s or they can revamp them and thereby make them saleable again which will subsequently increase the market share of the product. Dogs for HUL are its Sea Products which is definitely and alarm for HUL to kill it. Strategies for Dogs –  Depending on the amount of cash which is already invested in this quadrant, the company can either divest the product altogether or it can revamp the product through rebranding / innovation / adding features etc. However, moving a dog towards a star or a cash cow is very difficult. It can be moved only to the question mark region where again the future of the product is unknown. Thus in cases of Dog products, divestment strategy are used. Sequences in BCG Matrix [pic] Success Sequence in BCG Matrix – The Success sequence of BCG matrix happens when a question mark becomes a Star and finally it becomes a cash cow. This is the best sequence which really gives a boost to the company’s profits and growth. The success sequence unlike the disaster sequence is entirely dependent on the right decision making. Disaster sequence in BCG Matrix – Disaster sequence of BCG matrix happens when a product which is a cash cow, due to competitive pressure might be moved to a  star. It fails out from the competition and it is moved to a question mark and finally it may have to be divested because of its low market share and low growth rate. Thus the disaster sequence might happen because of wrong decision making. This sequence affects the company as a lot of investments are lost to the divested product. Along with this the money coming in from the cash cow which is used for other products too is lost. Results on the strategies for HUL based on the BCG Matrix. There are four strategies possible for any product / SBU and these are the strategies which are used after the BCG analysis. These strategies are 1) Build –  By increasing investment, the product is given an impetus such that the product increases its market share. Example  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Pushing a Question mark into a Star and finally a cash cow (Success sequence) ) Hold –  The company cannot invest or it has other investment commitments due to which it holds the product in the same quadrant. Example –  Holding a star there itself as higher investment to move a star into cash cow is currently not possible. 3) Harvest –  Best observed in the Cash cow scenario, wherein the company reduces the amount of i nvestment and tries to take out maximum cash flow from the said product which increases the overall profitability. 4) Divest –  Best observed in case of Dog quadrant products which are generally divested to release the amount of money already stuck in the business.

Monitoring Meeting the Needs of Customers

Monitoring Meeting the Needs of Customers Task 1 a) Describe the different type of customers in your selected organisation, identify their needs and expectations External customers are those who purchase the product through the distributors and require after sales service either through the regular servicing of the cars or when the car does not meet their expectations through mechanical breakdown. The Mercedes-Benz product is targeted at the executive level and high standards are expected as the company has a â€Å"reputation for quality, value retention and prestige† (Mercedes-Benz 2004, p. 1). They have highlighted a desire to gain more of the fleet car market and have researched the needs and expectations of the fleet managers and found that the concept of depreciation is more important to them than the initial cost of the car (Mercedes-Benz 2004). Mercedes-Benz has introduced an incentive system for fleet managers to encourage them to purchase from the company. This includes offering a wide range of potential products and a choice in how the financial incentives are paid. In addition to the fleet managers, Mercedes-Benz also supplies individuals. In many ways, their needs will be similar to the fleet managers but, as they themselves will be the end user, their specific needs have to be identified and fulfilled. Mercedes-Benz fulfils this through the promotion of their brand as a status symbol. Mercedes-Benz also markets vans and offer a comprehensive package to allow customers to add additional features to their van during manufacture to ensure it will be able to meet their exact needs. Since 1992, they have also offered a database of used Mercedes-Benz vans for sale which assists the existing customers in selling their vehicle and attracts new ones into Mercedes-Benz ownership. The concept of internal customers includes the employees. Mercedes-Benz offers a comprehensive apprenticeship system to its technician and parts specialists which includes training programmes carried out at the new Mercedes-Benz National Apprentice Academy leading to nationally recognised qualifications. They believe their scheme is â€Å"one of the best apprenticeship training schemes in the UK† (Mercedes-Benz website). Mercedes-Benz sell their products through a series of dealerships as these can also be classed as internal customers. The dealerships need the support of the parent company to be able to provide what they have agreed with the customer. Mercedes-Benz must ensure it has a good, open relationship with it’s dealerships as the relationship is of mutual benefit. b) Give example of how this organisation ensure that their customer receive accurate and reliable information about their services? The Mercedes-Benz group market their product through a range of dealerships each of whom is allowed a large degree of autonomy in how they operate. They are supported by Mercedes-Benz through their website, probably the first port of call for an individual contemplating purchasing one of their cars. The parent company also offers advice and guidance to their distributors and provides practical support in terms of finance package options. On the main company website there is the facility to locate the nearest dealership to the potential customer. These dealerships also have their own websites where the customer can find the information they require or contact the dealership to make enquiries. The employees responsible to dealing with customer queries have extensive training on an ongoing basis to ensure their knowledge is current. c) How does this organisation measure how successful their customer services is? Each of the dealerships is able to introduce their own system of measuring customer satisfaction. A common method used is that of collecting feedback. The Inchcape dealership, for example, has â€Å"robust processes (to) ensure every customer is contacted following their visit, and the feedback is used daily to improve and enhance the quality of their service delivery where necessary† (Inchcape 2006, p. 1). Mercedes-Benz has a range of Key Performance Indicators which cover areas such as sales, customer satisfaction levels and service performance which each dealership is required to report on at regular intervals. Task 2 Sticking with the organisation that you are already familiar with, carry out further investigation and illustrate five things that are going well and three that are not going so well. to do this Successful techniques include monitoring sales levels, having people dedicated to the collection and collation of customer service data, incentives for individuals to provide outstanding customer service and a strategy of providing a consistent level of service through using a dedicated call centre. Improvements that could be made are offering a free call number for customer comments and the introduction of a nationwide customer satisfaction incentive. It would also be beneficial to obtain feedback from people who expressed an interest in buying the product but did not make a purchase to determine why they did not make a purchase and to identify how a sale could be secured in the future. a) Explain how monitoring and evaluating of customer services is carried out. Mercedes Benz express a high level of commitment to providing outstanding customer service and have introduced several initiatives and projects to encourage this. These include â€Å"regular staff CSI (Customer Satisfaction Indicators) meetings, introducing customer service objectives, CSI league tables, and reward and recognition schemes for all employees† (Inchape 2006). Data is also collected from the call centre. b) How has this improved the service for the customer, the organisations own prospects and for its employees? Customer service has improved as any issues can be identified and corrected at an early stage, thereby ensuring that future customers receive an ever-increasing service level. Trends can also be seen and proactively managed. The Mercedes-Benz organisation relies both keeping current customers and attracting new business. By developing a good reputation for their customers service levels, people are more likely to buy their product. This increases the sales and profitability for the business which benefit’s the employees as it gives them job security and provides a good benefits package. c) Make constructive comments or suggestions of what improvement that can be made for the future. As the Mercedes-Benz business operates through a series of dealerships, it would be of benefit for there to be more interaction between the dealerships. Whilst currently Mercedes-Benz itself consolidates the information and shares it between dealerships, it would be useful for the dealerships to be able to speak to each other more directly to discuss specific points as there may be different expectations in different geographical areas. Task 3 Now customer services is crucial to the survival of most organisation. Most organisations have invested a lot of money in making sure that they get this right. a) What strategies have been used by your organisation to display a confidential approach when delivering customer service to their customer? (Confidential)All customer information is kept confidential with access only being allowed to those who need it to be able to do their jobs. The information is held on a computer database which is password protected. (Confident) The employees of the business, especially those dealing directly with potential new customers must be confident and competent in their role. To ensure this happens, they are given extensive training in presentation and communication skills and are also made aware of the numerous benefits of the product to be able to answer any questions the potential customer may have. The employees are encouraged to have a belief in the product that it is a high quality, status symbol. b) Explain why presenting, interpersonal and communication skills are important in delivering effective service to customers The person dealing with the customer directly must be able to project the right image for the company. As the target market for Mercedes-Benz is at the executive level, they expect a professional approach from the company’s representatives. Their role may involve a mixture of providing factual information, advice and descriptions and must be done in a manner which promotes a sale. The individual needs to be able to present information clearly and in a manner appropriate to their audience. They also need to use interpersonal skills to assist them to develop a form of relationship with the customer to be able to ensure they can tailor their message to that specific person and to make the customer feel at ease. As well as being competent in providing the information the customer requires, they need to be able to do it in a way that is tailored to the person to whom they are speaking and have good listening skills to listen carefully to questions and comments from the customer. Th ey also need to have knowledge of non verbal communication such as body language and be able to use techniques to overcome barriers to communication. Task 4 a) Focusing on two groups of key external which is the customer and maybe distributors and the internal customer which is the employee and the organisation of this organisation, analyse and evaluate how the organisation anticipates and meets the needs of these customers in range of situations. The customer’s needs are fulfilled in several ways and Mercedes-Benz prides itself on being able to offer additional services beyond those offered by their competitors. One example of this is the efficient record keeping service they have for regular maintenance of the vehicle which enables reminders to be sent to customers and ensures the quick diagnosis of ongoing problems. This is known as the ASSYST (Active Service System) which advises the owner when a service is due. A further example is the provision of an â€Å"end of life† service. There are strict legal requirements as to how a motor vehicle can be disposed of and Mercedes-Benz offer a free service to their customers providing the â€Å"certificate of destruction† that is required by law. Mercedes-Benz constantly reviews the car market and is able to develop it’s range to ensure it meets the needs of the consumer. They also identify new markets which may be available to them. 80% of the Mercedes-Benz service centres operate for 24 hours a day Monday to Friday thus providing a better level of service for their customers (Mercedes-Benz website). The dealerships are given full support by Mercedes-Benz to allow them to be able to market the product successfully. Mercedes-Benz has a good relationship with their dealerships which allows them to be able to communicate openly and share any concerns or ideas. Mercedes-Benz ensures all it’s employees have the skills necessary to be proficient in their job by providing on-going training and development. Where possible these programmes lead to nationally recognised qualifications thereby allowing the individuals to develop their careers elsewhere should there be no opportunities for them within the organisation. Mercedes-Benz ensures it can provide a competitive benefits package to it’s employees helping not only to retain the high calibre employees but also to attract new ones. This strategy extends throughout the business rather than just being limited to those who have direct customer contact. b) Analyse using example, how effective customer service benefits the customers, the organisation and its employees The ASSYST system allows the customer to be able to plan the periods when their vehicle requires regular servicing and this allows them to make better use of their time. This also benefits Mercedes-Benz themselves as they can plan their workloads more efficiently if the customers plan and book their servicing in early. This further benefits the employees as their workload is more consistent and easier to manage. Through identifying the specific needs of the fleet managers, Mercedes-Benz believe that the fleet manager’s organisations will be able to attract and retain higher quality executives by offering them a Mercedes-Benz company car. This benefits Mercedes-Benz and their employees through higher sales and greater profitability. All the initiatives designed to improve customer service will additionally benefit the organisation and it’s employees as greater customer satisfaction will lead to more repeat business and new customers and this increases sales and profitability. A business that is growing and profitable is able to offer it’s employees a greater level of job security, better prospects in terms of career advancement and training and an attractive and competitive pay and benefits package. References. Inchcape. (2006). Inchcape Receive top Customer Service Awards Accolade. Accessed at: http://www.inchcape.co.uk/PressDetail.aspx?Documentid=98 on 22/02/07. Mercedes-Benz. (2004). Mercedes-Benz Not Just Executive Cars Anymore. In Business Briefing: Exploration and Production. The Oil and Gas Review 2004. Accessed at: http://www.touchbriefings.com/pdf/951/mercedes_tech.pdf on 22/02/07. Mercedes-Benz. (Date not given). Accessed at: http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk on 22/02/07

Chang Yu-i’s Struggle With Identity Essay -- Chinese Culture China Ess

Chang Yu-i’s Struggle With Identity Are you are confused as to where you are going in life? Do you sometimes feel like you just do not know who you are, or who you want to be? Do not worry, this is not uncommon. In fact, according to psychoanalyst Erik Erickson (1902-1994), most young people ages fifteen to twenty years of age feel the same way. Erickson, a psychoanalytic theorist, took the human life cycle and categorized it into eight stages. One such stage would be identity versus role-confusion. During this stage, adolescents begin to truly form who they are in life. They form their present off of the good and bad experiences of their past. Erickson believes that the stages in the life cycle apply to nearly everyone. It does not matter where or what era you are from. Take, for example, a character from Bound Feet & Western Dress by Pang-Mei Natasha Chang. Chang writes a dual memoir of her and her great-aunt’s lives. In her novel, Chang tells the story of her great aunt, Chang Yu-i, growing up in a chang ing world. Even though Yu-i is born and raised in China during the early 1900s, she still faces the conflicts of trying to find herself. The psycho social crisis called ‘identity versus role-confusion’ occurs mainly during adolescence, although it is not restricted to this period in life. It is usually the fifth stage in the life cycle, although it may overlap with the stages before and after it. Major circumstances can also later change the outcome of this stage. Throughout this stage, a person finds himself bringing together parts of his life and combining them to form who he wants to be in life. Outside factors, such as the community or family, tend to play an indirect, but important role in forming an identity. This is true in any culture, although family plays an even more significant role in a collectivist culture, such as Yu-i’s. Chang Yu-i grows up in a family of twelve children in a small county outside Shanghai, China. Born into changing times, the struggle for finding herself is perhaps even harder and more confusing than it would be for people born today. Yu-i is born into a time when China is torn between holding on to the old traditions and adopting the ways of the western world. Throughout the early 1900s, China was in political turmoil. China had to deal with the Boxer Rebellion, the revolution against the Manchu dyna... ..., Yu-i’s family decides she will marry Hsu Chi-mo at age fifteen. Yu-i does not want to get married yet, but instead wants to continue her education at the Academy. However, she does not have a say in who or when she will marry. Because it is time for her to get married, her education is discontinued. She is pulled from her schooling before she is finished with it, neither her parents nor her in-laws feel that this is important. Although the fact that her education was cut short is not something she is pleased with, it is still something she has to accept, and it still a part of who she is. It is a difficult and long process to find yourself. Erickson tells us that is is a natural stage in life to question who you are. Everyone goes through it, regardless of age, sex, race, or time. Take Chang Yu-i for example. She pulled good experiences in her life, such as having unbound feet and getting some education, and used them to help form who she was becoming But she also took the experiences she did not like, such as discontinuing her education as such a young age to get married, and accepted them as part of who she was. She grew up strong, and eventually became her own person.

Bop Music in the 1950s Essay -- Music

The Bop Beat The bebop revolution coincided with the birth of the Beat Generation. In a slightly unbalanced relationship, Beat writers often molded their poetics and style after the playing of such jazz music. "Jazz writers," such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, upheld their poetic ideals to the techniques of jazz musicians, such as rhythm, improvisation, and call and response. The structure of creative writing underwent a change, as the importance of form equaled that of theme. Swing, the predecessor of bop, was big, sweet, and hot. The performers were big bands, fronted by a charismatic bandleader, yet the success of a piece depended mostly on the unity of the ensemble as a whole, rather than on the showcasing of prodigious individuals. The requisite instrument was the saxophone, which was often smooth and mellifluous. Songs were old favorites, or simple jazz standards, that had been arranged to suit a large ensemble. Swing bands played in large venues, such as ballrooms, and to large audiences, who seized the opportunity to not just tap their toes, but to "jump, jive, and wail." The swing era became the most popular form of jazz, as it catered to audiences as a form of social and interactive entertainment. So, bop can be seen as a reaction to the eventual sterilization and ubiquity of swing music. The first bop records were made by in 1944 by Coleman Hawkins experimenting with his swing band. Several individuals were instrumental in the propagation of this new form, such as Charlie "Bird" Parker (alto sax), Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Thelonious Monk (piano), Bud Powell (piano), Miles Davis (trumpet), and Charles Mingus (bass). The standard ensemble became a quintet, consisting of piano, bass, drums, reed instrument... ...ndiana University Press, 1991. Ginsberg, Allen. Howl and other poems. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1997. _____________. Composed on the Tongue. Bolinas, Cal: Grey Fox Press, 1980. Jones, Morley. Jazz. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1980. Kerouac, Jack. Book of Blues. New York: Penguin Books, 1995. ___________. On the Road. New York: Penguin Books, 1975. ___________. "The Essentials of Spontaneous Prose." Casebook on the Beat. Thomas Parkinson, ed. New York: Thomas Y. Cromwell Company, 1961. 65-67. Podhoretz, Norman. "The Know-Nothing Bohemians." Casebook on the Beat. Thomas Parkinson, ed. New York: Thomas Y. Cromwell Company, 1961. 204. Tallman, Warren. "Kerouac's Sound." Casebook on the Beat. Thomas Parkinson, ed. New York: Thomas Y. Cromwell Company, 1961. 220-221. Waters, Kristen. "Pandering to Publishers." Sequel. Vol. 10 (1998): 61.

Realistic Writing Cormier :: Essays Paper

Realistic Writing Cormier Realistic Writing Every day across the world people are put in situations where their morals are questioned. It isn’t easy for one to say no to something when there is peer pressure or a reward coming, even if what they are going to do is against their morals. I have been in situations where I had to choose to either go along with my friends, in an illegal act, or try to talk them out of it. I chose to try to talk with them and it worked, but this won’t always be the case. When I read novels by Robert Cormier they talk about the society we live in. Most of the topics Cormier writes about deal with what my friends and I are going through. These topics or problems deal with a wide range of subjects, the most common are sibling’s death or illness, teen drinking, and parental divorce. When Robert Cormier writes a novel he doesn’t pretend that humans are perfect. Instead Cormier confronts the evil in our society and world. He shows this style of writing in most of his books. Throughout Cormier’s novels he writes with a very strong sense of realism. Cormier’s realistic style of writing ranges from evil events to family problems. The following four novels by Robert Cormier show this realistic style of writing best: The Chocolate War, We all Fall Down, and Tunes for Bears to Dance to. The Chocolate War is full of evil actions that occur in our world. In this novel there is a gang that bosses other students around. Although our school might not have a gang with a lot of control we do have clicks that perform some of the same acts. Archie’s gang, the Vigils, singles people out just because they aren’t cool enough or because they aren’t in the gang and don’t have high status among the students. One of Archie’s members had a notebook full of everyone who attended Trinity; it contained information on their parents, birth dates, and other personal information that the Vigils use to single out who they want. After some of the members of the gang looked at Jerry’s file Archie said, â€Å"He’s just a skinny kid†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (16). Some don’t want to pick on him because he is skinny and others just want to more.

Research Prince Charles

Prince Charles Research Essay Frank Jimenez English IV Ms. Amy Morales November 6, 2004 Throughout the years there have been many great kings and queens of Great Britain. None should ever be overlooked, but one that stands out is Prince Charles Phillip Arthur George. Still currently the Prince of Great Britain; he’s been an amazing leader. The highlights of his life include his marriage to the late Princess Diana, his early life with the military, and of course his present life now. The Prince’s marriage to Diana wasn’t one of the best kept secrets in the world.Everyone in the world had their eyes glued on their TV for the extraordinarily special occasion (Barry, 1983). Charles and Diana had known each other since they were young, and were later introduced in the late 1970’s (Charles, 2011). One thing that people don’t really know about the two was that they were thirteen years apart in age. The two got engaged in February 1981, and the ceremony was on July 29, 1981. It was televised all over the world for millions to see this spectacular occasion (Charles, 2011).Their fairytale marriage together seemed almost perfect, but suddenly tragedy struck. They had felt strained over their years together with royal responsibilities, pressure from the media, and even some infidelities. Prince Charles had been accused of re-igniting an old flame with his ex-lover Camilla Park Bowles. Charles had admitted to the accusations and he officially separated with Diana in 1992, and divorced her in 1996 (Barry, 1983). Misfortune struck the Prince again when Princess Diana died in a car crash several years later in Paris (Charles, 2011).Prince Charles set aside both of their differences and traveled with Diana’s sisters to France to accompany her body back to England. Charles took the role of his grieving sons; Prince William and Prince Henry. He took this time of mourning seriously and asked the media to leave his children alone and let th em live as normal a life as possible. After years of quietly keeping their relationship a secret, Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles on April 9, 2005 (Charles, 2011). She became the Duchess of Cornwall.In addition to his rollercoaster of a love life, his early life was a bit different than most considering he was in line to take the throne. He was born on November 14, 1948, in London, England (House, 2009). His parents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip made him ascend the royal hierarchy at a very early age. It wasn’t much of a surprise to the country. His mother became queen when he was only three after the death of his grandfather, King George VI (Charles, 2011). Since he was the oldest child, Charles became the heir apparent to the British throne and received the title Duke of Cornwall.The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh decided that the Prince should go to school rather than have a tutor at the Palace (Martin, 1985). They did this in part by because they wanted him to have as normal a life as possible and they wanted him to be able to have a lot of interaction with other people. In 1956 he attended the Hill House School in West London before heading off to boarding school at the Cheam School the following year. One interesting fact about Prince Charles was that he was actually made Prince of Wales at the age of only nine (Charles, 2011).Charles also attended Gordonstoun in Scotland, and studied in Australia too during his time there. The Prince also went to Cambridge University in 1967 to study archaeology and anthropology (House, 2009). He attended the Trinity College part, a subdivision of Cambridge University. In addition to his studies, he was active in campus life. He involved himself in several activities, such as playing on the polo team. After receiving his degree in 1970, Charles began a military career. He spent six months of training The Royal Air Force (Barry, 1983).Prince Charles joined the Royal Navy in 1971. He did several thin gs while in the Navy. He served as a helicopter pilot and even commanded a ship before leaving the military in 1976. That same year, Charles established The Prince’s Trust, a charitable organization dedicated to helping improve the lives of Britain’s disadvantaged youth (House, 2009). The Prince had a very diverse education along with a variety of activities. It shaped him to become a great leader. Furthermore, Prince Charles has left a great number of legacies.Prince Charles has become the longest-serving heir apparent in British history. The previous record, of 59 years, two months and 13 days, was set by his great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII. Over the years The Prince of Wales has founded a number of initiatives in order to try and help communities locally and globally. The Prince has long been sensitive to the plight of sheep farmers in this country and abroad and through two particular initiatives, the Campaign for Wool and The Mutton Renaissance, has sough t to improve the prices of two of their main products.Both the Campaign for Wool and the Mutton Renaissance initiatives aimed to make popular again these two products:Â   wool as a natural fire-retardant and sustainable fabric; and mutton as a tasty alternative to lamb, in order to help sheep farmers gain a better profit and thus protect their way of life (House, 2009). The Prince’s Rainforests Project was set up in October 2007 by The Prince of Wales to find practical solutions to slow tropical deforestation and combat climate change.START is an initiative inspired by The Prince of Wales, which aims to provide people with simpler steps towards sustainable living (House, 2009). In 2010, The Prince conducted a tour to a number of projects across the country, where he saw first-hand a number of inspiring ways that people are making a start. The Prince visited projects in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bristol, Carmarthen, Manchester, Todmorden, Newcastle, Nottingham, Birmingham and culmi nating in London with A Garden Party to make a difference in the grounds of Clarence House, Lancaster House and Marlborough House (Martin, 1985).The Prince of Wales has homes in England, Scotland and Wales. Clarence House is the official London residence of The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry. The private pursuits and interests of The Prince of Wales are as varied as the concerns – like the welfare of young people and the disadvantaged, the quality of our built environment and sustainability – to which he devotes his public life. The Prince is a keen watercolorist and paints whenever his schedule allows.Lithographs of his paintings are sold and all proceeds go to The Prince of Wales's Charitable Foundation. His Royal Highness enjoys gardening, especially in his organic garden at Highgrove (Martin, 1985). A keen advocate of traditional rural skills, The Prince enjoys hedge laying and has hosted the National Hedgelaying Championships at Home Far m. He has also laid many of the hedges on Home Farm himself. In pursuing some of his interests, The Prince is able to give support to organizations in the worlds of art, music and theatre – as he oes in many other fields – through becoming Patron or President (House, 2009). In total, The Prince of Wales is Patron or President of around 400 organizations. For example, His Royal Highness is Patron or President of the English Chamber Orchestra and Music Society, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, The Welsh National Opera, Live Music Now! , The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Royal Ballet, to name but a few.The Prince and The Duchess regularly attend theatre and opera performances and symphony concerts, sometimes as part of a fundraising event and sometimes in a private capacity (Barry, 1983). Over the years His Royal Highness has taken part in many different sports including racing, scuba diving and sailing. Up until November 2005 The Prince raised money f or charity by playing polo. He decided to retire from the game after playing it for over 40 years. In conclusion, there is much to be said about the great Prince Charles.The almost perfect marriage to the late Princess Diana, his early life with the military, and his present life now can all be great examples of the way one person can have an impact on the world. Next time you’re making decisions, think of how Prince Charles would’ve handled it; with grace and dominance. Once you take a step back and look at all of the great Princes and Princesses of Great Britain; Prince Charles will always be on the top of the list as one of the most impacting human beings of his generation.

History of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Essay

The assignment was to select a significant event in the development of psychological testing, such as the Chinese use of essay exams for civil service selection, the use of alpha and beta testing in World War I, Wundt’s laboratory, or the development of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). This paper will discuss the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI); explain its significance and how it has affected the development of psychological testing in the 21st century. Significance The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory was published in 1940 and the second revised version was published in 1989 (MMPI-2). It is used to measure adult psychopathology and is the most commonly used measurement in the world (Drayton, 2009). The test was developed with a set of answers that healthy adults would answer and then provides indirect questions as to prevent individuals from being able to skew their answers to get a more favorable result. This allows clinicians to have an objective measure rather than basing a diagnosis off of their minimal assumptions. The test (MMPI-2) is a self-report measure of a person’s psychological state and includes 567 items of true/false questions. According to Drayton (2009), â€Å"It has nine validity scales (or ‘lie’ scales), assessing for lying, defensiveness, faking good and faking bad and among others. These scales make it very difficult to fake the MMPI-2 results. The measure has many clinical scales assessing mental health problems (i.e. depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder), personality characteristics (i.e. psychopathy) and general personality traits such as anger, somatization, hypochondriasis, ‘type A behavior’ addiction potential, poor ego strength and many others† (p. 135). The MMPI-2 can be used to assess major social and personal maladjustment, identify potential applicants for high-risk public safety positions as well as give the ability to support a clinician’s expert testimony. It can also assess clients in substance abuse programs and assist in selecting the most beneficial treatment methodology. With rising divorce rates, this assessment can provide valuable insight for marriage and family counseling. Lastly, this test has affected the college and career counseling sector by providing support for recommendations (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008) Conclusion This paper discussed the brief history of the MMPI and the MMPI-2, what it measures and what is included in the assessment as well as the significance it has in modern culture. Included was the intended use of the assessment, the basic principles that the test contains as well as the vast modern use of the MMPI-2.

Fashion Blogging †the Impact on Sales Essay

Thus, we first investigate whether blogging activity leads to (differential) market outcomes. We then examine whether managerial communication (magazines advertising) and blogging are synergistic. We assemble a unique data set from fashion containing market outcomes (sales), new media (blogs) and traditional media (magazines advertising) for a brand of clothing, and a brand of shoes. Each category has at least one product launch during the duration of our sample periods. We specify a simultaneous equation log-linear system for market outcomes and the volume of blogs. Our results suggest that blogs are predictive of market outcomes, new and traditional media act synergistically, pre-launch magazines advertising spurs blogging activity but become less effective post-launch and that market outcomes have some effect on blogging. We find detailed support for some of these findings via a unique and novel text mining analysis. We discuss the managerial implications of our findings. I-Introduction Consumer generated media (CGM) such as blogs (a contraction of the term â€Å"Web logs†) have witnessed explosive growth in the last few years. For example, the number of blogs worldwide is estimated to be 184 millions with a readership of 346 million (March 2010). In contrast, in March 2003, the number of blogs was essentially zero. Other types of CGM have also seen similar growth patterns, e. g. , Facebook, which started in February 2004, now has about 400 million members worldwide (February 2011). There are also indications that blogs are now being seen as similar to mainstream media sites – the number of blog sites in the top 100 most popular sites (blogs and mainstream media) worldwide was twenty-two in 2008 and blogs were being viewed by consumers as â€Å"sites for news, information, gossip etc. † (2008). In 2010, four of the top ten entertainment sites were blogs (March 2010). It is clear from these statistics that there is considerable activity (multi- media posting, blogging, visits, traffic etc. ) on the part of consumers. However, an important question, from a managerial perspective, is whether this activity leads to (differential) business outcomes such as sales or profits. In addition, little is known about the relationship between traditional or old media (where the company creates content and delivers it to consumers) and consumer generated, or new, media (where consumers create content and there in an exchange of this content between other consumers and potentially, the company). That is, are there any synergies between new media and old media? In this research, we take the first step towards answering these questions. Blogging is perhaps the most established and largest form of consumer generated media at this point in time. The total worldwide viewership of blogs is estimated to be about 346 million (March 2010). Wikipedia defines as a blog as â€Å"a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blogging is a worldwide phenomenon with the two biggest blogging markets being the United States and Japan. The number of blogs in the United States is about 23 million (about 12% of all US Internet users) and about 8 million in Japan (about 5% of all Japanese Internet users) in 2009. However, if one examines the total number of posts by language, Japanese language posts account for 37% of all posts worldwide followed closely by English language posts at 36%. Fina lly, readership of blogs in these two markets is ery high – about half of all Internet users in the US and about one-fifth of all Japanese Internet users have read a blog in the past year. While there are many informal opinions on the effectiveness of CGM in general (and blogs in particular) vis-a-vis market outcomes, there is limited empirical research that sheds light on this issue, especially for the launch of new products. The majority of the existing research has focused on online chatter (newsgroup postings, reviews and ratings) and its effect on market outcomes. There is some evidence that volume of online user ratings is positively correlated to sales. Blogging, on the other hand, has been seen as a unique type of user generated content as being a highly personal, non-directed communication tool. As Kumar (2005) note, blogs are unique for sociological reasons – they comprise a â€Å"highly dynamic, temporal community structure† that â€Å"focuses heavily on local community interactions† – and for technical reasons – blogs â€Å"offer us a ready-made view of evolution (of content) in continuous time. † In addition, blogging activity was probably the most pervasive CGM activity on the web during the time of our data. Given these unique characteristics of blogs as opposed to reviews, it is not obvious that bloggers’ activity should affect market outcomes. Surprisingly, there is very little research that has tried to quantify the effect of blogs on market outcomes, especially in the presence of traditional media and/or an examination of pre- and post-launch changes in the role of old and new media. Two recent empirical papers have focused on blogs and market outcomes. Dhar and Chang (2009) explore the relationship between music album sales (imputed via sales ranks on Amazon. om) and online chatter (as seen in blogs and on social networks). Using 108 music albums in early 2007 (before four weeks and after four weeks of their release), they find a positive correlation between both the number of blogs and Myspace member intensity with future music sales. Gruhl (2005) propose a new methodology to automatically generate a query of blog keywords to detect spikes in Amazon. com’s book sales rank. They conclude that their new algorithm could adequately predict the changes and spikes of future sales ranks. Thus, while these two studies suggest that there may be a correlation between blogging activity and market outcomes, they do not use actual sales data but only sales ranks from Amazon. com. To the best of our knowledge, the second issue that we outline above – the positive relationship between traditional media and new media – has not been investigated in the literature. Our expectation is that there will be a positive correlation between the quantity of traditional media and new media as traditional media is likely to provide discussion materials for bloggers. From a managerial perspective this issue is crucial, as managers have no direct control over CGM (blogs in our case). However, if there is indeed a synergistic relationship between traditional media, which are under managerial control, and new media, which are outside managerial control, then managers can leverage this relationship. Specifically, they can carry out â€Å"better† resource allocation and media planning (to traditional media) as they can take the spillover effect (from traditional to new media) into consideration. We examine the role of new media with respect to market outcomes as well as the relationship between new media and traditional media using data of two different clothing and shoes brand that are both promoted in fashion blogs. We consider the number of units sold, customers or subscribers (all a proxy for demand) as market outcomes, blogs as representations of consumer generated media and magazines advertising as traditional media. We specify a simultaneous equation model that links sales to advertising and blogs as well as a model that links blogs to advertising. Our results, after controlling for many temporal and cross-sectional factors, suggest that first, the volume of Blogstock (cumulative sum of past blog posts) is positively correlated with market outcomes (volume of clothing sold, and the volume of shoes sold) post launch. Second, the interaction between blogs and magazines advertising has a positive effect on market outcomes. Third, we also find that traditional media (magazines advertising) positively affects new media (the volume of blogs) pre launch. In other words, bloggers consume advertising, independent of the product, and this ncreases their blogging activity. Finally, we find that the effect of blogs varies between pre and post launch. In general, the positive relationship between magazines advertising and the volume of blogs pre-launch becomes weaker after launch. This result suggests that while magazines advertising can independently increase blogging pre-launch via the provision of information and content, post-launch (i. e. , once the product is available), consumers may rely less on traditional media, leading to a much weaker relationship between new and old media at that point. These last three sets of results shed light on the possibility that, broadly speaking, advertising and blogs act synergistically (with the relationship changing somewhat post-launch). The process explanations for our findings is not obvious. We take the first step in eliciting process explanations by carrying out a novel text mining analysis of the blog posts for the two markets (shoes and clothing) for which we have access to the textual content data. The findings from the text mining analysis suggest that blogs may affect market outcomes as they represent a rich source of product information and consumer opinion for other consumers. Also, bloggers do use advertising as a subject for blogging pre-launch but turn their attention to product attributes post-launch. II-Data Our data come from fashion market. We consider data from two brands – clothing and shoes. We first describe the market outcome data for each product market and then we describe the measurement of traditional and new media. III-Market Outcomes The daily sales of clothings were made available for the total fashion market based on a nationally representative consumer panel. The data include daily sales of two new pieces of clothing introduced in the period from January 2013 to March 2013. For shoes, the outcome variable we use is based on the same principle. We have data of two new models that were released (launched) in the period from January 2013 to March 2013. IV-Traditional Media The traditional marketing variable we use is magazines advertising. This was measured in units of daily or monthly Gross Rating Points (GRPs). There are some differences in the patterns of magazines advertising pre and post launch across the two brands. For clothing, most of the advertising is post launch. Typically, commercial ads in this market begin to air about five days pre launch and then the heavier advertising kicks in post launch. In contrast, for shoes, pre-release magazines GRPs are larger (on average) than the post-release magazines GRPs. Specifically, peak advertising for shoes was, not surprisingly, a week before its launch date in order to generate high demand at the time of the opening. V-New Media We obtain blogging data from blog 1 (www. leblogdebetty. com) for clothing data and blog 2 (www. sorayabakhtiar. com) for the shoes data. Both the brands scan and index the two blogging sites on a daily basis using keywords with coverage of about 64% of all blog articles. They then aggregate the data and provide the count of the daily number of blogs that mention a particular keyword on a specific temporal period such as day or month (multiple mentions in the same temporal unit are counted as one). As is typical for most blogs, its contents appear in a reversal chronological order and also include the blogger’s profile, â€Å"trackbacks† (links showing other websites, typically other blogs, that a blog is linked to), and comments. Buzz Research archives the contents of all blog posts. It also carries out lexical analysis of the contents of each tracked blog by using a proprietary text- mining method and classifies each blog as positive, negative and/or neutral with respect to a given keyword. We therefore have access to the actual content of all posts as well as the daily percentage of positive, negative and neutral blogs for the movies and cellular phone service markets. There is big increase in the average number of blogs per period post launch in all two brands. Interestingly, for the two brands markets where we have valence data, the biggest growth is in the percentage of neutral blogs post launch. To illustrate the relationship between marketing outcomes and both traditional and new media, we pick a product across our two brand markets. The figure suggests that magazines advertising, blog volume and shoes buyer are temporally correlated. Dividing the data temporally at the date of release we see that magazines GRPs and the number of blogs exhibit an increasing trend pre-release, but a decreasing one post-release. While we illustrate a typical data pattern through this example, the pattern is not identical for all brands across product markets. In conclusion, these data are novel in the sense that they combine marketing data for both traditional and new media along with market outcomes from a market where new media have proven to be important (at least in terms of activity). Our data are also novel in the sense that they enable us to focus on new product launches. In addition, the fact that we have data from two different brand markets (frequently purchased consumer goods) with varying characteristics (e. . , more versus fewer new product launches) will help us determine if the relationship between market outcomes and new media as well as the relationship between new media and traditional media generalizes across product markets. Finally, the availability of the actual blog post text (for two categories) opens up the possibility to conduct a deeper text-mining analysis. VI-Managerial Implicati ons So far, we have discussed the findings purely from a statistical point of view. However, it may be useful to translate these findings in a manner that uantifies the effect sizes from a managerial point of view. We therefore ran two experiments – the first to get a sense of how managers could change resource allocation and the second to see how managers could use blog data to improve sales forecasts. In the first experiment, we use the estimates from the clothing market data. To illustrate short-term effects, in the experiment, we assumed there were only three periods, two in the pre-release and one in the post-release. Recall that blogging is outside the control of managers. We therefore used the marketing instrument under managerial control in our data set – traditional magazines advertising. In the experiment, we increased the Adstock by one percent in the first pre-release period. The output we measured was the percentage increase in the size of the daily volume sold in the post-release period. A ten percent increase in the Adstock results in a 3. 3 percent increase in the number of blogs at the second pre-release period. As a result of this increase in the Adstock, we find that the net increase in the sales volume is 2. 1 percent. A decomposition of this overall increase due to traditional media versus new media suggested that the increase in the Adstock directly enhances the sales by 0. 13 percent while the interaction between blogging and advertising increases the sales by 0. 1 percent. Furthermore, the largest and most significant increase in the sales volume at post-launch is led by the indirect impact from advertising via blogging activity, which accounts for 1. 9 percent. Similar experiment for the other product markets also support these findings with the overall effect being slightly smaller for shoes (0. 4%). In addition to simulating the short-term effects of advertising, we use a simulation setting similar to the above experiments and expand the time horizon from one period to ten periods. The largest indirect effect of the ten percent increase in Adstock decays slower than do the other two effects across two product categories. The peaks of the indirect effects are located at the third period for t he clothing and at the second period for the shoes. These are resulted from the larger estimates of the carry-over constants of Adstock and Blogstock at post-launch in the blog equations. In the second experiment, we hold out the last observation from each brand and re-estimated the model. We then use the model estimates for prediction and computed the difference in the predicted value and the actual data across all the held out observations. We do this for the full model and a restricted version of the full model where the response coefficients for the number of blogs and the cumulative number of blogs were set to zero. Thus, the difference in prediction (based on the Root Mean Square Deviation) between these two models shows the extent to which the use of blog data can improve sales forecasts. The improvement in RMSD is very high for shoes, and modest for clothing. VII-Conclusion, Limitations and Directions for Future Research This paper adds to the very limited, but rapidly growing field of research into the effectiveness of new media, especially in the case of new product launches. Using a unique dataset from two product markets (a major new media market), we are able to combine into a single source, data on market outcomes, traditional media (magazines advertising) and new media (volume and content of blogs). We used a simultaneous equation model to capture the effect of new media on market outcomes and the effect of market outcomes on new media. While this in itself is somewhat novel, we were also able to include the major marketing activity (mgazines advertising) in both equations, both directly and via interactions. Thus this allows us to investigate two open questions in this domain – (a) whether new media (blogging activity in our case) leads to (differential) market outcomes and (b) whether traditional marketing actions (i. e. , magazines advertising) and new media act synergistically. We also make a first attempt, to the best of our knowledge, to use the content of the blog posts to shed â€Å"process† light on our econometric findings via a careful and methodical text mining analysis. Using data from clothing, and shoes brands, we find that patterns across the two categories showing clear linkages between traditional media, new media and market outcomes. In general, we find that cumulative blogs (Blogstock) are predictive of market outcomes, blogs and magazines advertising act synergistically, pre-launch advertising spurs blogging activity (that is predictive of marketing activity) but becomes less effective in inducing blogging activity post- launch and market outcomes also do have some effect on blogging activity. Our text mining results provide additional support for some of these findings. From a managerial point of view, in the experiment using clothing estimation results, we find that a one percent increase in the traditional marketing instrument (magazines advertising) leads to a median increase in market outcomes of 0. 2%, with a majority of the increase coming from the increase in blogging activity generated by the advertising pre-launch. Our analyses do also have a few limitations (driven mostly by the nature of the data). First, as noted earlier, the aggregate nature of our data makes it very hard to offer micro-level causal explanations of the effectiveness of new media and the synergistic relationship between new and traditional media. While our text mining analyses shed some light on our findings, it would be very beneficial to obtain datasets that link individual activity to market outcomes for a larger variety of new media. Second, our measures of new media are at present limited to blog content – volume – and in two product markets, keywords and valence. ). Third, our model could be improved with the potential use of non-parametric models to model the effects of both old and new media and the associated interactions. Finally, our data do not contain information on all marketing instruments and hence we use proxies (such as lagged sales in the case of distribution). We hope that with better data, future research will be able to address these limitations.