Improving Secondary School Music through psychology Essay

Music education is a field of study that involves the teaching and leaning music. Music education goes beyond teaching of notes and rhythms to development of a person as whole. Music touches on developing of the affective domain that includes the appreciation of music and its sensitivity. On the other hand, music expands the cognitive development through the recognizing and interpreting the music symbols and notations. Music needs to be improved through any possible means especially in secondary school. These have been done through participation and performing different types music. Research Focus The focus of the research is how to improve secondary schools music through psychology. There are various ways that can apply to this as the most important issue is to make music enjoyable and helpful to the secondary school students. This can be done through applying music in the curriculum to enable learners understand the concepts and importance of learning music in schools. These can be determined through the responses that can be got from both the teachers and the learners. The decision as to whether music should be improved through psychology will only be determined through the responses that will be collected. Research Question The research question is whether music needs to be improved through psychology in secondary schools. If there is a necessity to improve music, how would it be done and how effective would it be in improving the students and their capability in education. Literature Review According to Hallam Susan, (2006, p8) the Music teachers are fighting to incorporate music in class. She says that music has a powerful psychological impact to students’ lives and has a great importance in education. When learning to play instrument, it has long demonstrated intelligence and when the students are playing together, it teaches them on how to corporate and how to do things together. (Barbara, 1985,p 14) It has also been proved that music has other effective impacts to education thus advocating for the need for it being improved. (Gonzalez, 1999,p 3) Music psychology in education can help in improving the student’s concentration as well as overcoming loneliness. Secondary school students, being teenagers, music has power to help them overcome conflicts. Music helps the students in improving their vocal skills as well as motivating them and enabling them moody through out their learning. Though music on the other hand has lots of unnecessary learning, learning too much of history makes has no impact to the music learning and has nothing to add to it. This is the reason why music has to be improved and only the helpful parts would be taught in secondary schools. (Edwin, 2003, p. 25) Research methodology There are only two methods that can be used to collect information from the respective parties; -Questionnaire -Interviewing In the questionnaires, a set of simple questions is given and either the learner or the teacher is supposed to fill in. Multiple choices are given to ease the viability in responses given. The answers provided are then sampled to give a conclusion regarding to the matter. In the interviewing, the interviewer and the person to be interviewed need to have a direct questioning and responses. They can either conduct the interview live or through the phone. The information collected is analyzed and the conclusion is met. Conclusion Music is an essential subject that should be taught in secondary schools. Music has an advantage and has been of the same benefit as other subjects that are in the curriculum. There is necessity to improve music in schools as it would help the student to always feel relaxed and concentrate in other subjects hence improving their performance. Reference: Barbara. K, 1985, Music education, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Edwin, G, 2003, Learning sequences in Music, Chicago, GIA publications Gonzalez, G. 1999, Music Education, Canyon College, Hallam S, 2006, Music psychology in education, London, Institute of education

Employee Turnover and Retention

Employee turnover is a ratio comparison of the number of employees a company must replace in a given time period to the average number of total employees. A huge concern to most companies, employee turnover is a costly expense especially in lower paying job roles, for which the employee turnover rate is highest (Beam, 2010). Most associates’ average employment time with them is 7 years. Some of the common reasons why employees leave their company includes employee decided to do contract work instead of fulltime, moving out of province or employee feel that their company or position is just not a good fit (Devernichuk, 2010). Employee Turnover Costs Employee turnover is a very expensive and time consuming. There are several direct cost associated with employee turnover in the company. This includes: * Separation Costs. Cost incurred for exit interview, separation/severance pay, administrative expenses, or any increase in unemployment compensation. * Replacement Costs. Cost in advertising the position vacant, entrance interviews, testing, travel/moving expenses, pre-employment administrative expenses, medical exams and acquisition and dissemination of information. * Vacancy Costs. Cost due to increased overtime or temporary employee who fill-in the vacant position. * Training Cost. Time and resources spent in training the new employee and loss of productivity while new employee is on training. â€Å"Studies have estimated direct turnover costs per employee to be 25-30% of an individual employee’s salary/benefits package, with hidden costs inflating that figure substantially† (Insight Communications, n. d. ). Reducing employee turnover rates have many advantages to the company like profitability, productivity and competitive advantages. Employee Retention Employee retention is a process in which the employees are encouraged to remain with the organization for the maximum period of time or until the completion of the project. Employee retention is beneficial for the organization as well as the employee. Many employees today leave the company or organization once they feel dissatisfied with their job or their employer. Once they feel the dissatisfaction or unhappiness with what they’re doing they will easily leave the company and switch to a different company which is not good to the employer. Employers should know how to retain its employees (Compare Infobase Limited, 2007). Employee Retention Strategies * Trust in Management. The primary factor for employee to stay in the company is the level of trust for the management. This means that the leaders should do the right thing and be truthful, treat people with respect and acknowledge their accomplishments. * Hire Wisely. Hiring is a very critical stage to avoid high employee turnover. A person who is doing the hiring process should screen the applicant wisely and if in doubt with the person, don’t hire. Career Path Opportunities. Most people are seeking for improvements; they don’t want to be stuck in one position for many years. Giving them an opportunity for advancement will likely make them stay in the company. * Treating Employees with Respect. Every individual needs to be treated fairly and with respect. * Employee Recognition. Recognizing employees is a good strategy in retention. Employees that are recognized with the hard work they did will more likely to stay with the ompany because of their job satisfaction and recognition. * Compensation. Offering above average compensation is the greatest way to retain employees. Satisfied employees with how much they make will make them stay longer in the company. Recommendations Company must be honest at the hiring process of what the benefits are and also thoroughly describe what the salary and the position is. They must explain what they expect from an employee and what the employee expects from them to avoid employee leaving. This will eliminate the feeling that their company or the position is not a good fit. Conclusion Based on the information we gathered, we have concluded that company have avoided issues on employee turnover and retained their employees as long as possible by developing effective strategies that satisfy the needs of their employees. Hiring the right people will increase retention and conducting a regular employee satisfaction survey in an organization will help reduce employee turnover rates.

Philosophical Autobiography Essay

Life is what not it’s cracked up to be. Sure, it sounds like good, but eventually we all encounter despair, failure, suffering, frustration, the being unloving of our own hearts and of those around us, and finally death. Experience tells us even the best aspects of life are ultimately unsatisfying.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Probably the most significant question we can ask ourselves is what the most important thing in life is. The question has far reaching implications in that the answers that we arrive at can determine the course of the rest of our lives. Many would consider money or financial success as the most important factor in life. The high rate of suicide amongst lottery winners would contradict this. Others would search for fame, yet the list of famous people who have committed suicide or died from an overdose of drugs continues to grow. Good health would be high on anyone’s priorities, and the presence of love in ones life is also of major importance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I would propose that wisdom is the most important thing in life. The best definition of wisdom that I have read is â€Å"the best means to achieve the best ends†. Wisdom is needed to achieve the best results in the myriad decisions we all need to make daily in our personal, financial, family, work, community lives. Each one of us has a unique mindset or set of beliefs which are continuously changing and which we use to make decisions, each of which has significant roll on effect on how the rest of our lives turn out. These mindsets are determined by the unique environments we have grown up in, our age, our education and the cumulative impact that each life experience has had on us. Our unique mindset is either working in our favor or working against us in each and every situation that we face. One way that we can test how online our thinking is in a particular situation is to look at the results we achieve as a result of the actions we took. Good results means our governing beliefs were online, bad results means that we need to re-evaluate our beliefs to determine what caused the negative outcome. I would propose that life is very much like a game and that a comparison between the two is very enlightening. In any game, you need to be fit, possess certain skills and have a good knowledge of the rules in order to participate. In life, we need to have a good knowledge of the rules that apply and to use this knowledge continuously in order to assess and make decisions in every situation that we face. The more intensely we play the game of life, the better our knowledge and application of the rules, the better the results we will achieve, much like a football player who is skilled, trains hard and knows the rules. During the course of our lives we progress from being dependent on our parents for food and shelter and emotional support, to being independent as we become young adults. We learn to make decisions for ourselves, and as we see the results of our decisions we get feedback and the resultant experience adds wisdom to subsequent decisions. The next stage is to develop relationships with others, or interdependence, and it is through these relationships that significant personal growth can occur. Many of us however have a low sense of self esteem which holds us back in relating to others. We look at the results we have and are achieving in our lives. If our results are unsatisfactory, we reassess our beliefs and make adjustments to our actions. Additional feedback is our emotions like fear, anger, unhappiness, disappointment etc. Our target is to lead a joy-filled, intense yet balanced life, leading to continually increasing wisdom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, most of us need to unwind and get away from our hectic schedules from school, work, and other things that keep us busy. Like other young adults, they hang out in bars to have some fun but in my case, I rather go to the beach or in the mountains with my family to spend time with them and at the same time to recollect, meditate and appreciate the creation of God. Each place has its own beauty that attracts my attention. I love nature that much. I am thrill and feel excited every time I gaze their natural beauties. These are the places where I can meditate, recollect and reminisce my past or the things I do previously.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I like going to the beach if I want to find enjoyment and fun. I like the beach a lot because the breeze is very fresh. When I am in the beach, I enjoy staying under the heat of the sun while reading my favorite book and the sun makes my skin tan and adorable to look at. I also feel free and at ease. I can wear too my favorite swimwear.   When I am in the beach, it gives me an opportunity to surf and play beach ball games which I cannot do when I am at home and school. I also bury myself under the sand as a sort of relaxation and therapy to my body and when I do that, it gives me a sort of relief. Going to the beach also gives me an opportunity to meet new set of people from different walks of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, going to the mountains is also an interesting thing to do. It is fun and adventure. If I want to be on my own and don’t want to be disturbed by people, I immediately go to the mountains. The air there is as fresh as in the beach but it is not crowded with people. I can only find trees and animals. The chirps of the birds really inspire me and want to live life to the fullest. It makes me realize, too, that though birds live simply, they are happy and contented with their lives. They don’t ask for more but happy of what they have. This is the perfect place for meditation and for adventure. I am free from air and noise pollutions from the city where I live. When I am on the mountains, it gives me an opportunity to sleep early and helps me wake up excitedly the next day to have a brisk walk or climb some mountainous areas. Moreover, as a wide reader, I love to read detective and inspirational books. These would help me develop my critical thinking and analyze why things happen that way. Hence, I also like the works of Shakespeare especially the story of Hamlet. Considered as one of the greatest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Hamlet is also one of the best-known plays in world literature. It is distinguished to be one of the first of its kind of being peculiarly a â€Å"philosophical play†, in addition to having a variety of metaphysical and psychological theories. Although revenge tragedies already existed during and before its time, Hamlet best exemplifies the genre of Elizabethan revenge. A center of many arguments is the apparent delay of Hamlet’s revenge. Critical discussion of this supposed procrastination has a long history. Goethe thought Hamlet too sensitive, Coleridge and A.W. von Schlegel too intelligent to be capable of action. The early 20th century English critic A.C. Bradley saw him as restrained by melancholia, the 19th century German scholar Herman Ulrici by moral scruples; the Freudians viewed him as too complex-ridden to kill his uncle (â€Å"Hamlet†). This aspect of Hamlet’s behavior is seen either as a flaw or a virtue. The story contains four sons of murdered fathers (Hamlet, Laertes, Fortinbras, and Pyrrhus), but Hamlet differs from the three’s pursuit for revenge. He even goes as far as feigning insanity in order to conceal his real agitation and divert attention from his task of revenge. The subject of revenge, which is one of the focal themes of the play, transcends every genre, for there is a Hamlet in every one of us. As Hamlet in the story suffers pain and grief as a result of the circumstances surrounding his father’s death, the usurping of the throne and by the betrayal he felt from his mother’s remarriage to his father’s brother, Hamlet is then filled with the dilemma of whether to take revenge against the wrongdoer. Suffering and grief as a consequence of injustice and oppression is as old as man’s history. Even during the course of the play, Hamlet’s torment alienates him from all those around him, even though he has a close friend to confide with. Such inner turmoil is only expressed in his soliloquies but unknown to those around him. Certainly, the depth of suffering is known only the most by the one who suffers.   How people variously react to such agonies is showcased in the play’s story. Most often, it is the common desire to act as the three other young men (Laertes, Fortinbras, and Pyrrhus) did — pursue their task of vengeance with ruthless single-mindedness. However, Hamlet’s situation is far more complicated. This shows that indeed, vengeance is far from simple. While it seeks to retaliate by inflicting pain for pain, Shakespeare’s Hamlet shows the peril of vengeance. All those who sought revenge died. Hamlet’s loved ones (such as Ophelia), those whom he could have sought solace and comfort, and himself also died. They became victims of Hamlet’s reckless rage as a result of his deflected and unfulfilled desire for retaliation. Revenge therefore, sinks both the offender and the avenger, pulling down along with it the innocent. It is a bearer of destruction. While most revenge plays justifies the avenger by emphasizing him or her as a victim, Hamlet’s character hangs a question above it. At the very core of revenge is bitterness, and is like a ‘rotten apple that spoils the whole bunch’. It has destroyed everything that’s good in Hamlet and made him much more evil than his stepfather. The danger of retaliation is to do greater harm than what was received. No one overcomes evil, with evil. Before bitterness could do its harm, it is best thrown out. Truly, Shakespeare’s Hamlet speaks to every individual in every genre, since ALL of us must pass through a time of making that choice: â€Å"TO BE (bitter) OR NOT TO BE (bitter)? That indeed is a question we all must face.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, I believed that I am a one of a kind person so the saying or quote that would definitely describe me is â€Å"The Grateful One†. The reason I chose this quote is because this is what I perceive myself as and this is what other people think about me too. Not all people are being appreciative and thankful of what they have in life. Some of them would only be grateful when things go smoothly and when they can get the things they want. But through the years and seasoned with testing and circumstances, I have learned that I should be grateful in every way; thus, thanking those people who have helped me shape my character not only those people who brought positive impacts in my life but including those people who have hurt me. It is so irony to be grateful for those people who have hurt me but to some degree, their negative actions toward me make me strong as an individual and learn to depend on God. I have learned, too, that I should not only be thankful during the times when my spirit is uplifted but as well as the time when I am also down because I believe that everything has a purpose why things happen and during those gloomy days of my life, I was able to ponder and see the true beauty of life; thus, showing me who are my true friends are.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, I never let the day pass without being appreciative and thankful to every people I meet. I may not directly say thank you to them but at least I would tell them that I appreciate to be with their presence. But most of all, I will continually be grateful to God for giving me a family and parents who are very supportive and really inculcated that good conduct. Actually, I come from a strong Christian background and my family tells me, consistently, to always acknowledge God and to remember where my blessings come from. I am what I am today because of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though I am very active with my academic career and civic organizations, I had this experience before that totally teach me a lesson. It teaches me how to listen some advices from others especially from our parents. This is my other side. To let go of someone you dearly love is very painful to do. The pains cause by ending relationship is very unbearable. Some people may find their world tear apart when they realize that their relationship with their partner is not going well. I have had this relationship in the past that truly marks in my heart and in my mind. I do love this person very much despite of his weaknesses and flaws but many people around us do not like the idea of being us together. At first, I try not to give ear to their comments and opinions because of my love for my partner. But in a long run, I decide to call it quits because I find out that my partner is having an affair with other man; take note, it’s a â€Å"man.† It truly hurts me a lot because he exchanges me to a man! It is a big slap my on face. That is the first factor I consider when I break up with him. He is not trustworthy and faithful. I just strongly believe that a woman is meant to be with a man and a man is meant to be with a woman. Though I live in a liberated world but I cannot just take and stand with this kind of idea that is having an affair with same sex. When I break up with him, I feel so much freedom that I never been experiencing when we are still together. I don’t know why I feel that way, but that is how I really feel. I feel like a bird being imprison in a cage for a long time and has the chance to be released. When my friends especially my parents learn about it, they are very happy and relieve. They don’t just like my partner because they can smell something fishy on him. After the break, I feel such joy in my heart and feel more beautiful inside.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, many people think of personality as being made up of observable traits such as shyness, friendliness, and initiative. However, such traits are only the outward expression of various inner conditions and processes such as intelligence, attitudes, interests, and motives. Normal persons develop relatively consistent personalities that are distinguished by certain dominant traits. Persons belonging to the same cultural group—such as a family or nation—have many traits in common. But each person exhibits different traits under different circumstances, and each has unique traits as well as those he or she shares with others. It is also known that personalities develop throughout life, and may even undergo fundamental changes as result of psychotherapy or other treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, personality is produced by the interaction of heredity and environment. Inborn qualities affect the individual’s response to the outside world, and the environment influences the way in which inborn capacities develop. However, the precise reasons why one person develops certain personality traits, while other develops other traits, are not known.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What you have known to yourself is not known to others. They only base their judgments on what they see and that is your personality. Basically, the treatment of people on you depends on how you carry yourself, through your composure when you are irritated and how you dressed up yourself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An example of this is how you dress up yourself.   Don’t wear clothes that will give others a reason to criticize and not respect you at all but rather wear clothes that would motivate them to respect you as a person because if you would like to be respected, pay respect first to yourself by wearing clothes decently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I have observed that people that I meet pay me respect because of the way I dress and talk to them. I have a number of experiences that with regards to how I dress up and gaining respect from others. They find my personality respectable because of how I act and how I carry my clothes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another thing, we cannot deny that there is always prejudice and biases wherever we go. People will treat you nicely or give you special treatment if they find you attractive or appealing but if you are not attractive to their eyes, they will just ignore you as if you do not exist. It usually happens in big and known department stores or any establishment. If you wear flashy clothes and very attractive to look at, the salesperson will entertain you very well and gives you a welcome smile but if you wear just a simple dress and you are not that attractive, there is a tendency that the salesperson will not give you a fair treatment. She/He might think that you cannot afford the stuff they are selling and why does she/he bother entertaining you?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are times too that attractive people are always popular and they are respected because of their good looking appearances. Moreover, many people would be fanatic to them and may imitate their styles. Just like the actresses and actors that we have in the past and at present. Because of their charisma, many people would try to imitate and dream to be like them. But if you only have a plain face, there is always a tendency that people would make fun of you. So we cannot deny that in this world, most people are looking only for the outside appearance and they forgot to look what is in the heart.

Knife crime in uk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Knife crime in uk - Essay Example The knife crimes happening through out UK has increased to alarming levels and a research done by British Crime Survey clearly illustrated that the number of knife crimes happening in the UK has reached the level of 130000 offences annually. Similarly to curb out these crimes different techniques are being applied by the government of Britain. This article would further revolve around the topic of knife crimes in the UK and would evolve with a detailed conclusion as to how much alarming the situation is and what is being done by the government accordingly. Different laws have been passed out by the UK legislation through out the 19th century to limit the use of knives. These laws have a basic aim of reducing the knife crimes happening through UK. They prohibit the sale, carrying, use and also production of these tools. The Prevention of Crime Act in 1953 clearly illustrates that any object which may cause harm to any individual if used is an offensive weapon. Similarly keeping this Act in mind new acts have been placed by the government which declares knife as an offensive weapon and its use on any individual should be widely prohibited. The current act of Violent Crime Reduction 2006 clearly states that knives should not be carried in public places or schools without any genuine excuse. However folding knives which have a blade of less than three inches are still allowed to be carried in the UK. Knives which are banned in UK include gravity, flick and samurai swords. The new act of 2006 has increased the sentence from two years, for carrying a knife in a public place, to a maximum of 4 years. The laws for the carrying and using of knives are eligible on the teenagers also. As recently a teenager was sentenced to life imprisonment was stabbing another teenager with a knife. Furthermore the buying of knives is prohibited to teenagers who are younger than 18 through this new act. The teachers and police have been granted the power to check any individual for the possession of knives. Cases of Knife Crimes There are many horrible and terrifying cases which are enough to threaten the whole society. In UK, knife crimes are increasing day by day. It is easier to carry a knife as people think it is not as harmful as a gun. However, the mentioned cases would provide clear evidence that holding a knife is equally harmful and dangerous as holding a gun or other weapon. These weapons should not be used to harm people but for the defense f the country. Those who were expected to hold books and pens and concentrate on their studies for the bright future of their country are instead holding weapons and destroying the image of UK. A 16 year old teenager murdered Martin Dinnegan in June 2007. Such a violent behavior from the youth is tragic and shows that the country is moving towards horrible future. The incident happened as a result of 'dirty looks' passed on by two groups on each other in Holloway. On such a minor issue Martin Dinnegan lost his life in the age of 14. As Dinnegan realized the i ntentions of Chin, he started to run away from them and screamed for help. Regardless of his continuous cry Chin stabbed him to death. The case of Martin Dinnegan was observed by the judge Brian Barker. According to him, the attack was planned and intentional as a revenge of rivalry. The attack showed an inhuman behavior and the selfish and severe attitude of a person

How do theories of leadership provide practical advice on how to be an Essay - 1

How do theories of leadership provide practical advice on how to be an effective leader Discuss, with reference to at least two theories or models of leadership - Essay Example With these transformations, various leadership theories and models have been applied or used. Researchers and experts do not unanimously agree on a solitary leadership style that should be implemented in organizations to achieve success. Rather, they have argued that using or combining different theories based on the wants and needs of an organization will give out the best results. This paper will depict how leadership theories and models provide practical advice on how to be an effective leader. Moreover, transformational leadership theory and path goal theory will be incorporated in the essay. Philosophers and Researchers have studied or engaged in lengthy discussions about the nature of leadership. However, no conclusive facts and evidence exist as to what makes effective leadership (Judge, T. 2004, 36). The different perspectives advocated by researchers on leadership have led to examination of various variables. For example, characters of good leaders, the use of power, leadership models and theories, and the various leadership styles (Gillespie, N. 2004, 600). Historically, leadership definitions majorly focussed on the behaviours of leaders (Yukl, G. 2002, 56). For example, the conduct, values and behaviours of popular ancient Greek and Roman leaders were described in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives. The behaviours of these leaders were used as part of leadership training to subsequent leaders. Machiavelli provided Lorenzo de Medici in the early 16th century with a detailed prescription on how to become an effective leader in his book the prince. Lorenzo de Medici w as a leader in an Italian state/city. James Macgregor examined the leader follower relationship in his book leadership (1978) during the 20th century. The main goal of a transformational leader is to â€Å"transform† an organization or people (Nell, E. 2005, 98). The leader changes their heart, mind, insight, understanding and vision.

Humanitarian interventions can only be strong states's strategies, Term Paper

Humanitarian interventions can only be strong states's strategies, discuss - Term Paper Example the front, with examples such as liberation of Iraq from dictatorial rule, which was successful after the US military managed to apprehend the then president Saddam Hussein (Chomsky 2007 p 30). It has also been in the forefront to restore democracy as well as suppressing armed militia for example in Somalia during the first battle of Mogadishu, invasion in Afghanistan among others. As it is today, the global economy depends highly on peace especially due to the various international trade organizations in place and hence, any country which may seem to jeopardize growth as a result of war and oppressive leadership should be made to account for its own short comings. These interventions however, should not be based on the greed to serve personal vendettas but for the common good of preserving humanity. This essay is a critical evaluation on humanitarian intervention, supporting the idea that they can only be successful if conducted by strong states, citing examples of successes and fai lures mostly from the US perspective. Humanitarian interventions as discussed herein, involves exercising liberty to disregard the sovereignty of a country with a genuine reason in order to protect the rights of the citizens as the understanding of international customary law dictates (Nye 2008 p 66). Many citizens continue to die as a result of power hungry politicians, who are willing and able to kill their fellow country men for them to remain in power. In defense, rebel movements especially in the third world countries continue to emerge resulting to more deaths and destruction of property. The Iraq government for example under the watch of president Saddam did not only pose a great threat to its neighbors such as Iran and Kuwait but also to its own citizens, who faced brutality from security forces, especially those who dared to criticize his rule. It is estimated that 300000 Iraqis died as a result of atrocities committed against them by Saddam’s regime. Most of these victims

Implementation of RfId Technology in Libraries Research Paper

Implementation of RfId Technology in Libraries - Research Paper Example In addition, the paper will look at this by identifying the benefits of this form of technology to the libraries, then go to an extent of comparing these to the benefits, and make a decision. e. Motivation The development of technology and their applications to help make work easier in modern organization has motivated this research. Libraries have significantly remained in the rear in terms of equipment used in transmitting their services to the public and for effectiveness and usefulness in the classification of lent and borrowed books; the use of this knowledge is sought. The essay will begin by a foreword after which the synopsis of the knowledge is sought and after this, we will see the benefits of this technology to the libraries and couple with this is the identification of the obstacles faced when implementing this. A conclusion in form of decision or summary will ultimately follow. Overview of RFID technology Technological advancement is something good when it comes to the i mprovement required in performance and reduction of the costs. The development of this form of technology started all the way in 1945 when the British developed a simple form of the technology to help them in the identification of the aircrafts for the enemies and theirs. Between the 1960’s, and 70’s, the system was further developed for the security and safety of nuclear material and here the equipment and the personnel got tagged (Ngai et al, 2010). In 1977 this new knowledge was made for use by the civic sector, this was suggested by a group of conglomerates, and it is at this time and by the companies that several applications of this technology were explored. Partly, the motivation behind the development of the technology was the failure by the bar code in identification. In... The essay begins by a foreword after which the synopsis of the knowledge is sought and after this, we will see the benefits of this technology to the libraries and couple with this is the identification of the obstacles faced when implementing this. A conclusion in form of decision or summary will ultimately follow. Tis article makes a a conclusion that at the click of a mouse, RFID systems have enabled book tracking, customer compliance and most importantly, the safety of library workers. With all the benefits RFID technology provides, it is no wonder most libraries in the world today are choosing to embed RFID tags in their books as well as developing their own RFID safety systems. Like many technologies today, once libraries adopt the use of RFID systems, it is often hard for them to go back to initial systems because of the current efficiency they experience. The impact of information technology advancement is currently evident in every sector and field across the world. RFID technology is becoming more pervasive in the education sector and it is widely being used in libraries and has become a boon to the field of library, especially in relation to securing and library resources, archives and materials. There is need for the development of RFID technologies and infrastructure that are less c ostly in order to enhance their use in libraries. It is evident that RFID use in libraries poses serious privacy and security implications hence their need for the development of advance security protocols and procedures.

Critical summery reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Critical summery reading - Essay Example h the article, it can be found that subject matter is detailed in a complex manner, where normal readers can get discomfort in extracting the information supplied by the writer. But for a reader who has knowledge in the history of Middle east can find this article highly professional and informative. Here, the paper focuses on critically reviewing the chapter â€Å"The Modern Middle East: State Formation and World War† of the book â€Å"The Middle East in International Relations† by Fred Halliday. Here, the introductory part of the chapter is highly dramatic, where the author states about the pathetic condition of Iraqis in coping up with the Industrial revolution emerged in Europe .The chapter in different paragraphs praises about the culture of Middle east and African region and criticizes Europe for being manipulative and exploiting. (Halliday 90)â€Å"In North Africa, European colonization involving large-scale settlement and agrarian change generated major armed resistance in Algeria and Libya, and powerful mass nationalisms in Morocco and Tunisia†. Moreover, this chapter is greatly informative with detailing of historical facts about various states and nation which can instantly attract the attention of the

Linguistic Data Collection with Critical Commentary Essay

Linguistic Data Collection with Critical Commentary - Essay Example Center of discussion in this paper is linguistics, the study of the structure and nature of a language. Traditionally, it encompasses syntax, phonology and semantics. Synchronic study of linguistics aims at describing a language as it appears at the time. Diachronic studies describe a language in its historical development. The philosophers from Greek brought a debate on the origin of language. They were the first in the Western countries to get concern about the theory of linguistic. Thrax Dionysus wrote the first Greek grammar during the first century Before Christ. It was a roman grammar model that led to Renaissance and medieval vernacular grammars. The rise of linguistics historically in the 19th century enabled it to become a science. During early 20th and late 19th centuries, a linguistic structuralist school was set up by Ferdinand de sausure. It allowed analysis of actual speech and learning about the basis and structure of a language. Noam chosky argued in 1950s that, struc turalist program must study native speakers’ competence and not the performance. His approach to linguistic is referred to as transformational generative grammar was revised severally in the recent period to become an extended theory. It is also important to look at discourse markers since they will help in the deeper understanding of the information distinguishing between the right and false information regarding the organization. The paper will examine phonetic transcription whereby real words from the interviewee will give a clear distinction between the previous and the current perception of the Freemasonry. It helps to give clear pronunciation of words by the speaker in order to be understood better. The following lines give the aspect of discourse, 01.15 01:0049 interviewee statements. Data Collecting Techniques There are different methods of collecting data in linguistics. They include participant-observation, interviews, introspection, written data and questionnaires. In the participant-observer, the researcher must be one of the native speakers of the language to apply this method of data collecting (Kontra, 2004). The method can be applicable to this research but, it cannot allow room for acquiring all the required information. Introspection is a method of data co

Budget Planning and Putting Learning into Practice Assignment

Budget Planning and Putting Learning into Practice - Assignment Example Being significantly under or over budget means that there are significant changes in some factors that were not foreseen or anticipated at the time these budgets were made. The information therefore does not necessarily mean that the organization need to come in exactly as planned because at the onset, it is understood that these are just benchmarks for planned performance. As emphasized, â€Å"preoccupation with the dollars and cents in the budget, or being rigid and inflexible, is usually counterproductive† (Garrison, Noreen, & Brewer, 2009, p. 383). For example, if the budget for sales for the year 2013 was stated as $5,000,000; significantly under budget means arriving at actual sales figure of just $2,000,000 and the organization should verify the causes of this variance. Applying what one learned from the theories and concepts of managerial accounting would assist in making one more productive in the work place through the provision of direction and guidance in principles and techniques that have been tested to be the best practices through time. As emphasized, managerial accounting assists managers through the performance of three vital activities: planning, controlling, and decision making (Garrison, Noreen, & Brewer, 2009). Through strategies and techniques in undertaking these relevant functions, managers are able to make responsible and effective decisions after the use of analytical decision-making tools, which are learned through managerial accounting. For example, in learning the concepts on planning, the manager would be made aware of taking into account purchasing for raw materials, where the costs of which are projected to increase by as much as 30% for the coming year. Therefore, through planning, the manager could purchase appropriate volumes of these raw materials to avail of its low prices before the new and increased price would be implemented. In doing so, revenues and profits are maximized as costs are

Early childhood education Essay Example for Free

Early childhood education Essay

Fiji Water Essay Example for Free

Fiji Water Essay FIJI Water has recently been accused of greenwashing. Greenwashing is a term that is used to describe companies that mislead their consumers into believing that they are an environmentally safe company. With the threat of global warming due to greenhouse gases, many people have become extremely sensitive to companies that aren’t doing their part to keep the world a great place to live for thousands of years to come. This has caused problems for FIJI Water because their business is successful only if they are able to get consumers to buy their water even though they aren’t an environmentally friendly company. Fiji, an island located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, has to ship bottled water 5,500 miles to the United States, which produces 216,000,000 pounds of greenhouse gases per trip. This has a huge impact on the environment and therefore has led to many conservationists attacks due to FIJI Water’s claim to go carbon negative. FIJI Water promised to reduce their packaging by 20 percent per year, supply at least 50 percent of the energy used at its plants with renewable energy, optimized logistics and use more carbon-efficient transportations modes, restore degraded grasslands in Fiji, and support recycling programs for plastic bottles. They claimed that this would have a net reduction of carbon in the atmosphere, and used the slogan â€Å"every drop is green† to symbolize that their company wasn’t doing any harm to the environment. While they promised this and created a website to show that they were going carbon negative, there were no numbers to prove that they actually accomplished what they intended to do. I completely agree with the conservationists that they are greenwashing because it’s hard to believe that a company exporting 90 percent of their products to places that are thousands of miles away and emit a ton of greenhouse gases would be able to be carbon negative. Some companies don’t get caught for their greenwashing, but when it’s completely obvious it’s hard to fool customers, especially conservationists.

Successful strategies for small music venues

Successful strategies for small music venues This study will analyse what successful marketing strategies for small music venues are. The topic is of special interest due to different factors. According to different surveys among them the Mintel Live Entertainment and Music Concert study, there is a growing interest in live music acts (Music Week, 20.10.2007). People are increasingly interested to catch a band rather than going to a club or watching a comedy acts, so says Keith Ames, member of the Musicians Union (Music Week 17, 25.07.09). On the other hand, one can read more often about the closure of smaller live music venues, venues that can host around 200 people. A number of venues were forced to close down, among them The Point in Cardiff and The Charlotte in Leicester. These venues have hosted big named artists. The venues, especially Leicesters legendary Charlotte, were symbolic for their traditional public house environment. Many promoters are complaining that festivals, stadiums and arenas are dominating the market and drawing the money away from the smaller gigs and tours. That might be in favour for the bands itself but smaller operating venues are not in favour of that concept. The promoter Rupert Dell mentions to Music Week, that it is almost impossible to make money if venues are operating under a capacity below the 300-500 mark, though, there are places that do well, mostly be relying on the bar. It is up to the small live music venues to find a way to successfully compete against the bigger venues. They have to basically think outside the box to attract people on the venues. Many venues around the UK have become very successful in viral marketing, also knows as word-of-mouth, and targeting the right fan base. Social networking became an essential part of the venues marketing approaches. Mintels research also indicates that social networking sites and downloading have promoted, rather than damaged, the live music industry, with the result that regular internet users are more likely to go to gigs. Though, Dell believes that social networking sites can hinder as well as help and says venues have to be prepared to work harder than ever to attract the crowds. Many local venues around the UK still follow their concept that they have been there for ages and doing a good job. There venues include The Ruby Lounge and Night Day in Manchester, Sheffields Leadmill or the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, on which the focus will rely on in this study. There are many more factors that make it difficult for smaller music venues to compete against the bigger ones. One of them used is the Licensing Act 2003: An Act to make provision about the regulation of the sale and supply of alcohol, the provision of entertainment and the provision of late night refreshment, about offences relating to alcohol and for connected purposes. (Legislation.gov.uk) The license requirements cost too much money for the venues. The benefits for the venues itself are too little. Though, it has put into question of the Licensing Act 2003 really harms or encourages the small live music venues. The Licensing Act 2003 has been changed in favour for the small venues (FAQ Licensing Act 2003). Since small venues were still struggling so much, the Parliamentary Select Committee allows certain premises to operate without an entertainment licence. The so-called Two-in-a-bar rule, allows venues that host a capacity up to 200 people can operate without an entertainment license when only one or even two artists are performing in the venue (The Independent, 16.02.2000). There have been many approached to expand that rule since the venues are still struggling. That is only one factor the venues have to deal with. Therefore it is the venues task to find a way to stay competitive and solvent. In order to do so, the venues have to find a successful marketing strategy. To evaluate that, different study aims and objectives have arise which will be exemplified in the following excerpt. Study aims The aim of this study is to investigate what marketing strategies are adopted by small and private owned live music venues in order to compete against the bigger ones. In order to achieve this aim the following objectives were devised. Study objectives The objectives of this study are as followed: understand how live music entertainment is successfully marketed understand the marketing approaches that are available for implementation and taken by managers of live music venues understand the problems faced by the organisations marketing a service like that investigate how small music venues market themselves using the Leeds area for a study case. 1.4 Choice of topic This paper is an investigation in the marketing approaches of live indoor music venues and which strategies are most appropriate for promoting the venue and the staging event. As mentioned above, there has been an immense increase in the live music during the recent years. But even though that is the case, many live music venues are forced to close down. That effects especially smaller venues. Besides of frequent concert visits, the author is genuinely interested in the marketing action provided by those venues in the events industry. And after reading an article about the struggle of small live music venues, it was of great personal interest to see what can be done to compete against the wide range of live music venues. Chapter 2 2. Music performances in the event context In attempting to explain music performances in the events nature, the author finds that music events are classed as fairs and festivals (Goldblatt, 1997) and art festivals/events (Getz, 1997). These events need a lot of support and technical back up and therefore have the potential bring the spectators and performers together. According to this statement Goldblatt (1997, p7) also quotes: Fairs and festivals provide unlimited opportunities for organisations to celebrate their culture while providing deep meaning for those who participate and attend. Gretz on the other hand describes entertainment events as followed: Art festivals are universal, but with considerable diversity on form and type of art featured Gretz (1997) sees it as essential put art festivals in three different categories: Visual (e.g. handicraft, sculpture, painting) Performing (e.g. music, dance, drama, cinema, poetry; usually involving performers in from of the audience) Participation (no separation of audience and performer) In the context of this study, one can say that live music performances can be categorised under art and festival events, more precisely they can be defined as performing arts. After having music events categorised, the next chapter will deal with the wide field of marketing and marketing of small music venues. Chapter 3: Marketing 3.1 Introduction In order to satisfy the study objectives one and two of this dissertation, the author will explain the terms of the marketing concepts and explains as well as marketing strategies which can also be implemented in businesses such as music venues. 3.2. What is Marketing? Marketing is an essential and indispensable part for all sorts of businesses, including the events industry. The complexity of marketing is also seen in the wide range of literature that exists. Marketing is an always changing topic. Definitions are steadily renewed and expanded. Dibb, Simkin, Pride and Ferrell (2006) are defining marketing as followed: Marketing consists of individual and organisational activities that facilitate and expedite satisfying exchange relationships on a dynamic environment through the creation, distribution, promotion and pricing of good, services and ideas. Kotler (1997) states: Marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating, offering, and exchanging products of value with offers. Blythe (1998) declares: Marketing is the management process which identifies, anticipates and satisfies customer requirements efficiently and profitably. The author finds these definitions mentioned above appealing because it succeeds in addressing the importance of management and profit in relation to marketing, and the modern day of business. As one can tell from the definitions above, the focus of marketing is on satisfying human needs in return of benefits for the business. A business need to satisfy their customers in order to succeed. That is the major concept of marketing. When the customers a kept happy, they will return to the business to provide additional custom. For the business itself, marketing should provide a financial benefit and a greater understanding of the organisation. Therefore it is extremely important for marketers to understand their markets customer, competitors and market trends and also the businesss capabilities. Understanding general market trends is also very relevant for a business. That includes all those that include the market environment: social trends, technological enhancements, economic patterns, changes in the legal and regulatory arena, political influences (Dibb, Simkin, Pride and Ferrell, 2006). The product or service offered must be in line with the customer needs and also the service level must clearly be determined. Furthermore pricing and payment issues must be decided, channels of distribution establishes in order to make the product or service available and the promotional strategies need to be devised and executed to communicate with the targeted customers. Is that the case, marketers can develop their marketing strategies and programmes. According to Dibb et al. (2006) marketing consists of the ASP approach: Analyses first, then Strategy decisions with, finally, the formulation of marketing Programmes. This approach consists of basics like satisfying customers and stakeholders, target the right customer group, facilitating exchange relationships, staying ahead in a dynamic environment, increasing the market share and one of the most important facts enhancing the profitability or income. For marketing live entertainment events, marketers use a slightly different kind of marketing which is classified as service marketing. This will be explained in the following chapter. 3.4 Service Marketing 3.4.1 Introduction Relating to study objective number one which covers the questions how music entertainment is successfully marketed, the author sees it as inevitable to give an understanding of service marketing. Service marketing is the most appropriate kind of marketing in the context of entertainment. The author sees it for necessary to define first what exactly is meant by the word service and characteristics service has. Berry (1990) defines service as followed and at the same time shows the distinction to the word good: In general, good can be defined as objects, devises, or things, whereas service can be defined as deeds, efforts, or performances. Hoffman et al. (2006) lists four main characteristics for services: intangibility, inseparability, heterogeneity and perishability. Due to the importance of these terms, they will be briefly explained in the following sub-chapters. 3.4.2 Intangibility Hoffman et al. (2006) defines intangibility as followed: A distinguishing characteristic of services that makes them unable to be touched or sensed in the same manner as physical goods. An example of intangibility could be a concert to be enjoyed at a music venue. The customer purchases a concert ticket, which entitles the customer to an experience. Since the concert experience is intangible, it is subjectively evaluated; that is, customer of services must rely on the judgements of others who have previously experienced the service for pre-purchase information. The customer will return with the experience of the concert and his memories, the physical ownership that he retains is only the ticket stub. An importing part of a service marketing programme involves to reduce the customers perceived risk by adding physical evidence and the development of strong brands. 3.4.3 Inseparability Hoffman et al. (2006) offers following definition: A distinguishing characteristic of services that reflects the interconnection among the service provider, the customer involved in receiving the service, and other customers sharing the service experience. An example for inseparability could be a musical performance that is created (produced) as it is experienced (consumed) by the audience. The interaction between customer and service provider defines a critical incident. Critical incidents represent the greatest opportunity for both gains and losses in regard to customer satisfaction and retention. 3.4.4. Heterogeneity A distinguishing characteristic of services that reflects the variation on consistency from one service transaction to the next. (Hoffmann et al, 2006) Heterogeneity makes it impossible for a service operation to achieve perfect quality on an ongoing basis. Many errors in service operations are one-time events. Another challenge that heterogeneity defines is that the consistency can vary from firm to firm, it also varies when interacting with the same service provider on a daily basis. 3.4.5 Perishability A distinguishing characteristic of services in that they cannot be saved, their unused capacity cannot be reserved and they cannot be inventoried. (Hoffmann et al, 2006) The customer is usually involved in the production process of a service at the same time as it is produced. Therefore it can be difficult to control and monitor and ensure stable standards. It is not possible with services to pre-deliver an inspection that is open to manufacturers of goods. These explanations provide a brief overview about the characteristics of services which include music performances. Following it will be explained how a service like that can be marketed and brought to the target customer. 3.5 Communication in Service Marketing Introduction With the focus on the second study objective where is was questioned which marketing approached are available, there will be an investigation of the field of service marketing. Marketing within events is based on communication. This can be done by directly informing the customer of a service that is offered, though customer feedback or market research. The main role of a communication strategy is to inform or remind a customer about a service that is offered. The organisation has to create customer awareness and also position an offered service in the customers evoked set of alternatives. Keeping the customer updated with the services is an essential part of the communication service, since people forget quickly and easily (Bateson, 1992). There are two ways in which communication of services may be handled: non-personal sources and personal sources. Non-personal sources are mediums such as television advertising or printed information in newspapers or magazines. Personal sources are on face-to-face basis. It is though all individuals who are in contact with the consumer of purchase, consumption and postpurchase stages. The objectives and strategies of communications can differ, depending on the nature of the target group (Hoffmann et all., 2009). Therefore communication strategies and objectives will be closer described in the following sections. 3.5.1 Communication Strategy in service marketing The development of a service marketing strategy has similarities to the regular marketing strategy which includes the identification of the target market, selection of a positioning strategy and tailoring a communication mix to the targeted audience that reinforces the desired positioning strategy. The three objectives of a communication strategy in general are to inform, to persuade and to remind. It is possible that these objectives can change over the course of the products life circle, depending whether the organisation would like to target current users or nonusers (Hoffman et all., 2009). 3.5.2. Determining a target market In order to meet the general communication objectives, the service organisation must analyse the need of consumers and then categorise consumers with similar needs into market segment (Masterman and Wood, 2006). The segmentation can be applied on a very simple level. A differentiation can simply be implemented by categories such as consumer/organisational markets or male/female segment or local/national/international market. Often segmentation can be a little more sophisticated by using lifestyle, attitudes or opinions and interest. An example of a music event is be a concert production. Of interest here for determining the target group is firstly the music taste of the targeted audience, lifestyle and also reference groups. Age, gender or economic situation are less relevant here (Cottle and Ratneshwar, 2003). Once the target audience has been evaluated, objectives can be developed for each identified target group, as each group may have different communication preferences. 3.5.3. Organisations positioning strategy After having selected the target group, it is necessary to establish a positioning strategy. A positioning strategy is a plan for differentiating the organisation from its competitors in consumers eyes (Hoffman et all, 2009). But there is also the competitive position, which determines the position among the competitive environment. Positioning involves a strategic manipulation of the organisations marketing mix variables: product, price, promotion, place, physical evidence, people and processes. Every single of the components is controllable. When these are effectively combined, the organisation can balance the factors that are uncontrollable and which exist in every organisations environment like technological advances, customer needs, new and existing competitors, government regulations, economic conditions and the effects or seasonability. Kotler (1997) states that companies that fail to alter their positioning strategy to reflect environmental changes in order to differentiate themselves from competitors often falter in the long term. 3.5.4. Competitive position When identifying the current position, the process uses market share trends to determine whether the organisation is a market leader, market challenger, market follower or market nicher. A market leader will have different strategic options to an organisation on a niche market or a smaller player in the field. In relation to the study objectives one and two, the authors finds it relevant to explain the characteristics of a market nicher since small music venues feature characteristics of a market nicher. Often market nicher tend to be very successful with their strategy by avoiding direct conflicts with the larger competitors. In order to achieve this success, the organisation created a kind of specialism in a particular area. This can be the a product itself, the service level or the market that they operate in. The professional competence protects them from attacks and provides enough space for growth of the right target market was selected. Growth in this context does not necessarily mean market expansion but more through market penetration (Hoffman et al, 2009). 3.5.5 Positioning According to Ries and Trout (1992), positioning refers to the position that a product has in the consumers mind in comparison to the competing product. It is important to determined the desired position for each target market. The marketing mix can change according to the target market since the focus has to be changed according the preferences of the target audience. For changing the existing position of a product or brand, marketing communications are often used. By repositioning, the organisation has the chance to gain market share, attract a new market, or recondition an offered product that is coming to the end of their life cycle. Marketing communication helps to change existing approached of a service by using new information, imagery and comparisons. When positioning, it is necessary to have a good understanding of the current position. In order to see how a product is perceived when comparing it with the competitors, it requires a good market research in each target market. Depending on the organisation, there are several criteria on which a product is evaluated. For a concert venue, the ease of access, atmosphere or performance may be of major interest. It is important to identify which is the most relevant criteria for each target group. When having evaluated that, positioning can be made a lot easier, also by using different tool like a positioning map. These maps are very useful for evaluating the competitors offerings and also to advise future strategic actions (Masterman and Wood, 2006). Positioning is an essential aspect of a marketing plan and often leads to a so called positioning statement. These positioning statements shows how an organisation wishes to perceive their products and brand and created consistency, clarity and continuity in how it addresses to target market (Kanzler, 2003; Davidson and Rogers, 2006). 3.6 Communication Mix Introduction In an attempt to satisfy study objective one and two of this dissertation, the author within this chapter explains the concept of the communication mix, also known as promotional mix, and as well explains what tools are available to marketing personnel to marketing a service like live music performances. 3.6.1 What is the communication mix? The communication mix is a set of communication tools which marketers use to communication with their target market. The major tools that are used are media advertising, public relations, sales promotion and the personal selling. This promotion mix has been extended to word-of-mouth, corporate identity, sponsorship and corporate hospitality, e-marketing, exhibitions and events and merchandising (Masterman and Wood, 2006). Wigram (2004) states, when utilising these different methods, the organisation can deliver experiences and information which are relevant to the different target audiences and which collectively deliver the brand vision. When staying in subsequent contact with the customer, it is also important to consider the communication budget (Boone and Kurtz, 1993). Especially for small firm that is very important due to the limited budget that is available. When the budget has been determined, the target audience, objectives and budgets are divided among the different areas of the communication mix. Following there will be different communication tools explained that are relevant and most appropriate for small businesses such as live music venues. Public Relations Due to the complexity of PR, the topic be briefly explained and explained why PR is appropriate for small organisations including music venues. In the following sub-chapter, there will be an explanation of PR as well as how it is relevant to an organisation like a music venue. What is PR? Public relations is a wide field and there a different definitions for this term. Palmer (2008) states that PR is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its public. Masterman and Wood (2006) write that PR is used to raise the success of an organisation. It covers a corporate, financial, marketing, community and internal activity. As mentioned before, PR aims to change the opinions of the parties that have a certain influence on the success of an event. PR should also focus on credibility and reputation and therefore with the external perception. Yeshin (1998), Pickton and Broderick (2001) and Fill (2002) agree that PR has a very wide role, not only to support the marketing act. It engages managing communications with every group of the organisation that are considered an important factor in the successful implementation of an event. Uses of public relations Following there are listed a few ways of how to use PR. They are adopted by Masterman and Wood (2006, p88) and can be categorised as follows: Customer retention: using PR activity such as events, launches and media liaison to support marketing push to retain customer, grow sales and market share. Investment: using PR activities such as corporate hospitality to encourage new and further investment via the development of investor relations. Bargaining status: using PR to build brand in order to achieve better relationships with supplier and customers Staff relations: using PR to portray a healthy organisation in order to attract and maintain a desired quality of staff. Business development: initiating and building new business through PR activity such as events, corporate hospitality and business-to-business communication on order to develop business from new or existing customers. The author believes that these categories describe very well, how PR can be engaged in a business and what benefits it can bring for the organisation. Media advertising Introduction Advertising is a very suitable tool for reaching various target groups. Individuals are subjected to at least 600 advertisements a day (Clow and Baack, 2004). Mostsly the crucial factor for the choice of media are the costs. Due to a wide range of tools, even small firms can advertise events very favourable. Advertisements are designed to transfer an event message to the customer, inform, persuade and remind him (Boone and Kurtz, 2002). The advantage of media advertising is that one can reach a mass audience, also on a selective basis (Pickton and Broderick, 2001). Shimp (1997) confirms that advertising is a crucial factor for the successful introduction of a brand or event. Greetz (1997) adds that advertising increases the awareness of an events and that it can demand in sales. Following there will be a brief explanation of a few tools that are very suitable for organisations of all kind. Television Television targets a very wide group of people, often on a national level; very suitable for big events like e.g. World-wide sport events. A disadvantage is the cost of production which can be relatively high and therefore not affordable for small businesses. Newspaper Newspapers have a few advantages. One of them is the credibility and also that it offers a great targeted flexibility, from regional and local editions. Boone and Kurtz (2002) also state that local newspaper have a great impact on the local community, since they can be more easily involved. Furthermore, with newspapers, they have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive, especially local papers. Magazines When advertising in consumer magazines, it has the advantage that they are highly segmented. They offer a sophisticated targeting opportunity. Though, promoters often have to plan a long time ahead. During that time, the event plan could might have changed. Cost-wise, it depends on the magazine, whether it is a small more local magazine or a national one. Radio Radio is a very effective mass medium for creating a one-to-one relationship with the customer. It has a great flexibility in advertising locally, regionally or nationally (Clow and Blaack, 2004). As Masterman and Wood (2006) put it: The beauty of local radio for event organisers is its place in the community. Using local radio, can also be relatively inexpensive and target the local listeners. Outdoor Outdoor includes traditionally posters, billboards, transportation and street furniture. This kind of advertising is very low in costs, has a broad reach and long life. Also fly-posting is a very popular medium and often used for music and club promoters (Masterman and Wood, 2006). E-marketing The internet is another mass medium that is nowadays widely used. This mass advertising and e-mail is a cheap ways for direct marketing. Many venues have their own websites which can add longevity to an events. It is a good opportunity for very creative and innovative event marketing strategy. The websites should be updated regularly with information that are of interest to the various target groups. 3.7. Problems arising with the service communication mix Introduction With the focus on the third study aim which focuses on the problems that are faced by the organisations marketing services like live music performances, there will be an investigation on problems that arise within the communication mix. According to Hoffman et al (2009), inseparability and intangibility offer special challenges that have to be followed when implementing and developing a communication strategy. There are different problems that can appear, e.g. mistargeted communication, the management of the consumers expectation, internal marketing communication and selling/operating conflicts (George and Berry, 1981). These problems will now be further explained. 3.7.1. Mistargeted communication Positioning is very important in marketing. It can improve the organisations marketing efficiency when targeting different marketing activities according to the different target group who behave differently towards the organisation. The consequences of mistargeted communication for certain service organisations are clearly more significant than for traditional goods-producing organisations because of the shared consumption experience. Mistargeted communications are communication methods that affect an inappropriate segment of the market. 3.7.2. Managing Expectations Another problem are the customers expectations. An organisations communications are often interpreted as an explicit service promise that consumers use to base their initial expectations. The organisation has the opportunity to direct control the sources of expectation. Though, the organisation cannot influence past experiences and competitors activities. By having that control, the organisation has to define the objectives for the communication mix. One strategy for an organisation including a music venue, would be to reduce consumer expectations as much as possible. That would result in a higher satisfaction level of the customer. On the other hand, in competitive terms, many organisations build up expectations in order to differentiate themselves in the market place and try to attract people to them and not to the competitors. However, there is a risk, that organisations promise too much and increase the customers expectation to an unrealistic level. It would be most effective to match the expectations of the customer to the performance characteristics of the service delivery system (Bateson, 1992). 3.7.3. Internal marketing communications So far, it marketing communications were only mentioned to the external environment. But also internally, marketing communication is extremely important since it can be highly motivated if empathised by the staff. The staff has to have a clear understanding of the communication methods within the organisation. It might raise the

Julius Caesar Analysis :: essays papers

Julius Caesar Analysis Aristotle was perhaps the pioneer of modern day dramas, more specifically dramatic tragedies. He first defined what a tragedy is: A drama which contained hubris, pathos and/or bathos, and the most valued element in a tragedy, a tragic hero. This was usually the main character who is noble in his deeds, yet has one flaw which causes him to fall. The tragic works of Shakespeare were no exception. In the drama, Julius Caesar the reader can clearly see many of the principles of a tragedy. That is all except for the tragic hero. Ideas as to who is the tragic hero range from Cassius to Julius Caesar himself. The trouble is all characters have material to prove and disprove them. However the hypothesis that Marcus Brutus is the tragic hero is incorrect. One element to a tragic hero is the hero has only one tragic flaw, and Brutus clearly has more than one flaw in his character. The first flaws in Brutus character is his naivete and the assumptions he makes about other characters. Through out the entire story these two flaws are reflected in many of his decisions and actions. A specific example is his view on the Roman populace. Thinking all Romans are honorable and noble it is not only incorrect, but it plagues him until the very end of the play. One instance occurred as the conspirators were meeting. Brutus stated, Lets kill him boldly, but not wrathfully...... This shall make our purpose necessary and not envious.... (Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, 2.1. 172 & 177-178). He honestly believed that all involved were going to kill Caesar for honorable reasons. Not once did he question the motives of everyone, where, in reality Brutus probably was the only involved for noble reasons. Brutus undoubtedly convinces the reader of his own naivete when he states, ... let us bathe our hands in Caesars blood... Lets all cry ^Peace, freedom, and liberty!! (3.1. 106 & 110) Just by his enthusiasm, Brutus is not aware of any other motives. He simply believes that , Peace, freedom, and liberty are the only motives. Another example was during his speech at Caesars funeral. ... not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more (3.2. 18-20). Addressing the nobility of his actions and his love for Rome, Brutus surmises that the people understand him because of their equal love for their country. This assumption is evident because he uses it as the sole reason for killing Caesar. A reason that Brutus believes the people agree with, otherwise he would not use it to rationalize such a

How to Adapt and Thrive within Singapore’s Culture Essay -- Country An

How to Adapt and Thrive within Singapore’s Culture Expansion is an exciting and somewhat scary adventure. As Speedy Errands starts to embark into the global marketplace, we must learn more about the country to develop our branch. A new environment is harder to understand if we know nothing about the culture, landscape and its inhabitants. To achieve this branching-out Speedy Errands we must learn about the culture of Singapore, which includes the following: country history, social climate, family life, attitudes, religions, education, values, and economics. This report has been conducted to educate our company about the new environment and culture we want to become emerged. History of Singapore The history of a country will give us insight into their cultural environment and their values. The original occupants of Singapore were fishermen and pirates. Western countries did not know about Singapore’s culture until Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles of the British East trading company came to the island in 1819 looking for more trading posts. In 1825, Singapore became a major trading port. With the industrial development, in the 20th century, Western countries had a higher demand for tin and rubber, which helped Singapore emerge as one of the major ports in the world. After World War I, the British started to modernize Malayan defenses, and in 1921, a large naval base was built in Singapore. The establishment of an air base followed. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by the Japanese invaders in February 1942. The island remained under Japanese control until September 1945, when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces. In 1959, Singapore became self-governin g, but its defense and foreign policy were still under ... ...Asian Cultures. Sojourn: Journal Of Social Issues In Southeast Asia, 10(1), 65-89. Youngblood-Coleman, D. (2003). History: Country Watch Publications. Country Review:Singapore.http://www.countrywatch.com/cw_country.asp?vCOUNTRY=6 Weston, R., & Hayes, A. (2004). Celebrating families in Singapore. Family Matters, (69), 83-87. Hing Ai, Y. (2004). Ideology and Changing Family Arrangements in Singapore. Journal Of Comparative Family Studies, 35(3), 375-392. Koh, A. (2004). Singapore Education in "New Times": Global/local imperatives. Discourse: Studies In The Cultural Politics Of Education, 25(3), 335-349. How funds under Community Engagement Masterplan will be spent - Channel News Asia. (2012, April 10). Channel News Asia - Latest News, Singapore, Asia, World and Business News - channelnewsasia.com. Retrieved May 1, 2012, from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/storie

Differences In Animal Phyla Essay -- essays research papers

Because they are grouped in the same kingdom, the nine animal phyla share the same fundamental characteristics- they are multicellular, heterotrophic eukaryotes that obtain nutrients through ingestion, they lack cell walls, they have nervous tissue and muscle tissue, and they reproduce sexually and have a unique embryonic life cycle. However, the animal phyla have a great number of differences as well. Some are visible to the naked eye, while others are less obvious, and still more cannot even be seen after embryonic development. What are these differences, and how did they shape the development of the phylogenetic tree? In animals, the embryo becomes layered through the process of gastrulation, or the formation of the two layered, cup-shaped embryonic stage from a blastula. These layers are called germ layers. Most animals are triploblastic, meaning they have three germs layers. These are the ectoderm, the endoderm, and the mesoderm. The ectoderm is the outermost layers which forms the body’s covering and the central nervous system. The endoderm is the innermost germ layer. It forms the digestive tube and gives rise to most organs. The third layer, the mesoderm, exists between the endoderm and ectoderm. It forms the muscles and most other organs towards the upper layer of the animal. Diploblastic animals, or animals with only two germ layers, lack mesoderm. There are only two diploblastic phyla: Porifera, the sponges, and Cnidaria, the â€Å"bag animals.† All other animals are ...

Levi and Strauss & Co

Levi Strauss & Co. is a flourishing business. Since the early days, it has been a leader in the garment industry. The original and most famous Levi Strauss product is blue jeans. Jeans have become desirable and even fashionable clothing for not only miners, farmers, and cowboys, but also for movie stars, executives, women, children, and teenagers from all over the world. Throughout its history, however, the company has researched and developed a number of other products. The company now markets a wide range of clothing and accessories, all under the brand name Levi’s.Many new Levi products have been launched over the years. Some of these have succeeded beautifully, but others have flopped completely. The company is still best known, however, as the maker of Levi jeans, the pants that are guaranteed to shrink1, wrinkle, and fade2. In 1954, flushed with the success of the cotton twill pants it had introduced a few years earlier, Levi brought out a line of permanent press (no-iro n) slacks. Within six months, 5 out of every 100 pairs sold had been returned, and Levi had to admit it didn’t have the right fabric for permanent press.Fifteen years later, as the company was planning its major expansion, it hit on a couple of equally dramatic flops. First was the denim bathing suit—which, when wet, weighed the wearer down to the point of imminent drowning. Next was a line of disposable (throw-away) sheets and towels. These, Levi discovered, were not high on the consumer’s list of priorities. Unable to interest hotels in the product, the company was saved when the factory that made the sheets burned down. Levi absorbed the $250,000 loss.Eventually Levi created six new divisions, ranging from jeans to accessories and including a sizable effort in women’s sportswear, Levi’s for Gals. The diversification3 worked. In the mid-1970s Levi’s sales hit the billion-dollar mark, having taken 125 years to reach that milestone. Four yea rs later sales hit $2 billion. In 1979 the company ranked 167 on Fortune’s4 list of the 500 largest industrial corporations, and 20 in net profits. 5 Between 1970 and 1980 Levi had grown an average of 23 percent a year.In 1979 alone it sold 143 million garments. In menswear, though, all Levi products had been aimed at the middle of the market. The company had brought out a line of moderately dressy slacks and polyester leisure suits—the Action Slack and Action Suit—and was doing a brisk business with them. But the tempting upper end of the market remained untouched. â€Å"If we want to grow we’re probably going to have to go to upper moderate price points,† one Levi official explained, â€Å"and somewhat higher taste level for our products. In short, they needed to sell more expensive clothes—like the Tailored Classic. If Levi could sell sport coats, dress slacks, and, above all, suits, a whole new market would open up. The Tailored Classic might make money all by itself. But even more important, it would get Levi into the business of producing fancier and costlier clothing. The consumer would come to think of it as a manufacturer of dress apparel and it could spin off6 many more such lines in the future. Why, with such a record of success would any company be worrying about making new products?Part of the answer, obviously, is the sheer riskiness of depending so heavily on a single item. The boom in jeans was in many ways a historical accident, and what history has given it can also take away. Then, too, the demographics of the marketplace were already beginning to change. Jeans, to be sure, were no longer the exclusive province of youth: baby boomers7 who had grown up on Levi’s kept on wearing them into their twenties. But they would no longer be wearing them everywhere and all the time, as they did when they were teenagers.And the next generation of adolescents was not so numerous. The birthrate had peaked i n 1957; by 1964, demographers agreed, the baby boom in the United Stated was over. The bulge in the population that the boom had created would soon be moving into a world of casual slacks, leisure suits, and coats and ties. From a marketing point of view, that’s where the action would be. Finally, the competition had been gearing up. Levi’s had always shared the market with Blue Bell’s Wranglers and other national brands like Lee. But now everyone seemed to be selling jeans.Back in 1970 Levi probably couldn’t have foreseen the popularity of â€Å"designer† jeans skimming off8 the upper end of the market. But they could certainly anticipate cut-rate models gnawing away at the low end. To sell their wares, Levi knew, retailers would have to slash prices. The profit outlook in a saturated, competitive marketplace like this was bleak. Adapted from: Boyd, F. (1994). Making Business Decisions: Real Cases from Real Companies. USA: Addison-Wesley Publishin g Company. _________________________________________________________________________________________

Critical Analysis of Robert Frost

Benjamin Swan Prof. Bittenbender ENG208W: Studies in Poetry 04/14/13 Frost’s Metaphoric use of the Natural World in Poetry Born in San Francisco in the spring of 1874, Robert Frost is considered to be amongst, if not solely, the greatest poets in American history. Around age eleven, Frost moved to New England where the majority of his poetic inspiration is presumably drawn from. Although he never managed to obtain a collegiate degree, he did attend both Dartmouth and Harvard, two of the countries most prestigious universities.Publishing his first poem entitled â€Å"My Butterfly† in 1894, Frost began his career as a poet just as the modernist literature movement of the early twentieth century was gaining traction in the United States. Although Frost did not break from poetic convention as radically as some of his peers in the modernist movement, he is nevertheless considered a modernist poet in part due to the use of the New England vernacular that is present in the maj ority of his poetry.Another influence on Frost’s work as a poet comes from New England as well; this is the influence of growing up in New England’s natural landscape and the life he led on a farm there. Frost’s love for the natural and tendency towards including it in his writing is possibly the most distinguishable constant in his work. The following quote best describes this constant in his work, â€Å"As Frost portrays him, man might be alone in an ultimately indifferent universe, but he may nevertheless look to the natural world for metaphors of his own condition. † (The Poetry Foundation).The purpose of this paper will be to explore the some of the pieces in which Frost’s use of nature as a metaphor or simile for the human condition, as well as identifying the theme that the human race is alone in the vast universe where it occurs. Perhaps the best example of this recurring theme and Frosts use of nature as a metaphor can be found in his poem â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay. † In this piece, nature’s change from spring to summer is a metaphor for the loss of innocence in the world. Frost points to the fact that the world started out innocent when he opens by saying â€Å"Nature’s first green is gold† (Line 1).He glorifies our innocence by comparing it to the beauty of tree with golden buds just before they bloom. This observation and metaphor is true to the human condition as well, as we are born innocent. He continues on to describe how this doesn’t last for very long though when he says, â€Å"Then leaf subsides to leaf† (5). He then makes an allusion to the Bible about this loss of innocence in the following line, â€Å"So Eden sank to grief,† (6). As for the recurring theme, at the end of the poem man is left alone in the universe, stripped of innocence and disconnected from God.Another prime example of the recurring theme and frosts use of nature to illustrate his point can be found in his poem entitled â€Å"Desert Places. † In this poem the theme is clearly the loneliness and isolation felt by Frost. He uses nightfall during winter in the woods as a metaphor for loneliness. His description and figurative language paint a picture of the most lonely and isolated place imaginable, a wintry desert place. From here he lets the reader know that this place will only get more lonely before when he says â€Å"Will be more lonely ere it will be less† (10).After painting this picture of the most lonely place the reader can imagine, Frost concludes by saying that â€Å"I have it in me so much nearer home To scare myself with my own desert places. † (15, 16). This is where the recurring theme fits in; Frost internally is more concerned about his human condition where he finds himself alone in a vast universe that is indifferent to his existence. The entire poem sets up the delivery of these last two lines so that the reader can understand the significance of this theme to his life.The next poem examined is entitled â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. † Although Frost does use nature as a metaphor for the human condition in this poem, it’s theme is in stark contrast to the one found in â€Å"Desert Places. † In this poem, the woods in winter are a metaphor for isolation and solitude rather than loneliness. This could be for a couple of different reasons; perhaps it is the fact the speaker has the companionship of his horse. Either way, the poem begins in the woods as the speaker thinks back to civilization and the man whose property he is on. He notes that it is an nusual place to stop in the middle of the night since it serves no practical purpose and that his â€Å"horse must think it queer† (5). From here the speaker makes the observation that â€Å"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,† and takes a brief moment to enjoy the beauty, isolation, and solitude they offer befor e carrying on about his business (13). In contrast to the theme in â€Å"Desert Places† Frost appears to have found peace with the human condition in being alone in the woods that represent the vast and indifferent universe. Another poem that contains just one of the two constants being examined is entitled â€Å"Birches. In this poem Frost observes birch tree’s that have been permanently bent from the weight of winter snow and ice, this observation makes him nostalgic for the days he used to swing from the branches of these trees as a boy. He recalls being playing as carefree boy and the birch trees become a metaphor for his childhood innocence that he longs to have back. Near the end of the poem Frost writes, â€Å"It’s when I’m weary of considerations, And life is too much like a pathless wood† (44, 45) that he feels the most nostalgic for his carefree childhood.This statement makes the â€Å"pathless wood† a metaphor for the trials of a dulthood that are like cobwebs and twigs that poke you in the eye in untamed woods (45). He longs to escape the reality of trials and this can be seen in the line stating â€Å"I’d like to get away from earth awhile† (48). Although the recurring theme of the being alone in the vast universe does not present itself in this poem, the constant of nature as a metaphor can be found again in this piece.The final poem that this paper will examine Frosts use of nature as a metaphor and the recurring theme of the human condition is entitled â€Å"Out Out—. † In this poem Frost takes the reader to a logging community where the days work is coming to end. In this setting, nature is a metaphor for both the livelihood and mortality of a young man/older boy working with a chainsaw at a logging camp to make firewood. Frost paints the picture of beautiful landscape off of which the subject is making a living, but when he is distracted from his work he accidentally cuts h and nearly clean off.Even with the doctor’s best effort to try to save the boys life, the boy passes away during the operation. It is here that the recurring theme reveals itself when Frost writes, â€Å"No more to build on there. And they, since they Were not the one dead turned to their affairs† (33, 34). In this poem the bystanders represent the indifferent universe, they continue on with their lives, as the boy dies alone. In conclusion, the influence of the New England landscape has clearly played a huge role in Robert Frost’s life’s work as a poet.One is hard pressed to find a poem of his that does not contain some kind of metaphor inspired by the natural world surrounding him. Although the great poet does explore the recurring theme of the human condition where man is alone in the vast and indifferent universe, this theme is not nearly as constant as his metaphoric use of natural world. Frost was able to make a name for himself through this poetic style and will remain as one of the greatest American poets there ever was and will be. References â€Å"Robert Frost. †Ã‚  The Poetry Foundation. The Poetry Foundation, n. d. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.

Ethnographic Research Project Essay

The subject of the Ethnographic Research project is Fall-Line Motorsports, a full service participant in the motorsports industry. Located in Chicago’s northern suburbs, the firm specializes in racing, servicing and modifying street and professional high performance vehicles such as BMWs, Porsches, Audis, Mercedes-Benz, Corvettes, and other high end transportation. (Fall-Line Motorsports, 2006) In the form of ethnographic research, Fall-Line Motorsports, is subjected to focus on the sociology of meaning through close field observation of sociocultural phenomena. Typically, observing the motorsport â€Å"community† (not necessarily geographic, but within the work and limited leisure environment).   Selection of informants or participants who are known to have an overview of the activities of the community and requesting such informants are asked to identify other informants representative of the community. (Ethnographic Research, 2006) Several informants/participants are interviewed multiple times within the work environment.   The purpose is to use information from previous informants/participants to elicit clarification and deeper responses upon re-interview.   Ã‚  The intent of this process is to uncover common cultural understandings related to the environment under study.   Ã‚  It should be noted that study utilizes the approach from the point of view of art, i.e. marketing, symbols, images and cultural preservation, i.e. behavior, customs and norms, as a descriptive rather than analytic endeavor. (Ethnographic Research, 2006) cultural immersion Observation â€Å"Aspects of motorsports has had long been considered exclusively European in nature, most notably sports cars and grand prix motor racing, began to achieve a level of acceptance that would make them important elements of the American automobile culture in the years to come.† (Inge, 1989, p. 110) One of the most noticeable practices in the shop environment was the constant human activity.   The machine and tools were merely instruments that served as extensions of the men working around them.   The level of concentration was amazingly intense.   Empirical analysis yielded high productive output, efficiently, effective craftsmanship only second to the obvious dedication and resourcefulness.   Ã‚  It was difficult to imagine that any facility of the same size could match or possible exceed the results of Fall-line Motorsports, particularly in the motorcar racing industry. Macro-ethnography Broadly-Defined Cultural Groupings Motorsport racing is a sport of addiction. â€Å"Once you experience it firsthand, you feel compelled to keep following it. In many cases, you quickly identify with a driver, his sponsor, or the make of car he drives. You watch races on television, you scan the newspaper for articles or photographs, you see people on the street wearing a NASCAR T-shirt or cap, you notice numbered decals on the back windows of cars and trucks, you start to recognize (and buy) products based on which team they sponsor.   A cultural reading of NASCAR’s evolution shows that stock car racing has become part of our national consciousness, both accepted and recognized by corporate America and the media.† (Bodine et al. 1997, p. 3) Since the very first visit to Fall-line Motorsports, I became completely enthralled with the motorsport business.   I saved and pulled together every nickel and dime I could muster in order to purchase the latest and best technology they had to offer. At that time, my single aspiration in high school was to have the fastest car on campus, and with their help, I achieved my goal.   Anecdotal analysis of American culture represents motorsports racing as an interesting phenomenon connected to our romanticism of the old American West. Stock car racing is more than a sport; it represents an important element of this nation’s culture and heritage. It is a sport with ties to the rebellious actions of post-Revolutionary frontiersmen. This is an activity with deep roots, the lines that connect the America of today with the America of yesterday. â€Å"Breaking NASCAR’s ties to its traditional Southern identification might be enough to get a culturally and ethnically-diverse audience involved in the sport.   Opening new Winston Cup markets—especially in large urban areas within reach of new facilities, like the California Speedway near Los Angeles and Quad-Cities International Raceway Park near Chicago—might be the catalyst to attract minorities as fans and participants.† (Bodine et al. 1997, p. 116) ethnographic method involve gaining informants Gathering Of Data In The Form Of Observation One particular afternoon presented the opportunity to develop the informant relationship.   I went down to Fall-line Motorsports to purchase and have installed a cold air intake.   The installation took approximately four hours. Upon completion, I paid my bill on a job well done and left.   Like any new device, I felt a real world test was warranted.   I found a major open through fare, position the car in empty, place the shift into first gear and press the accelerator down to the floor. In an instant the bolts to the sub frame ripped off and the differential fell out. Clearly, the only option was to return the Fall-line Motorsports.   Upon my return, the car was completely incapacitated.   Right then, JP, the chief engineer wasn’t able to repair immediately.   However, he drove me home which was quite a distance from the shop.   Ironically, the accident and the ride home provided me the opportunity to talk with JP at length about the business, the industry, and the people of motorsports. Hence, my informant relationship was established. During the conversation, even though motorsports has southern origin attached to it, it was discovered that one of the first northern drivers to find success as a â€Å"NASCAR Grand National competitor was Fred Lorenzen, who was raised in the town of Elmhurst, Illinois, not far from Chicago. Lorenzen became familiar with NASCAR racing while camping out with friends in his parents’ backyard.† (Bodine et al. 1997, p. 67) Micro-ethnography Narrowly-Defined Cultural Groupings Local spectators consume the regional sport commodity over a period of time, with different degrees of intensity of consumption. Consequently some races are enormously more important than others, with different meanings to different viewers or fans depending on their geographical location.   â€Å"Thus the standardization of the time length of games and events, and the calendarisation of sport goes hand in hand with its commoditization.† Forster, 2004, p.4) So much as the study goes, first hand participation is essential, unlike a â€Å"restaurant guides do not offer the kind of ethnographic information we might wish to have on American food ways, but as ephemeral publications that are part of as well as a commentary on popular cultural behavior, they have much to offer the student of American food ways.† (Inge, 1989, p. 488)   Also associated within the confines of this world is the mechanic.   Steve is one of the mechanics and a true fan of the sport. He typifies the motorsport fan, family man, calm , Midwestern civility and calmness that carries the day. â€Å"The group is socially dynamic. It is a sport that thrills and draws by the tens of millions to speedways and television sets each year, yet we have never considered what the sport means to us as a country, as a community of Americans. Community plays a large part in the sport of stock car racing. The sport itself is a community, one that travels to race tracks all over the country each week. As is the case with transitory social groups, the NASCAR Winston Cup participants look to each other for solidarity. The drivers, mechanics, officials, media people, and families of NASCAR move about the nation as a community with its own rules, ethics, and etiquette.† (Bodine et al. 1997, p. 10)    The deepest layer inside the motorsport subject is the driver.   One overwriting commonality that stands as an attribute to all who ride in the â€Å"beast† is the rituals practiced by the drivers. Whether it involves the silent act of prayer or wearing certain article of clothing in a particular fashion, the practice is uniform and convincing.   It even sometimes involves the people related to the drivers. Before a driver embarks into a race there are a series of different rituals that are performed. Mark Boden, 45 years old owner and operator of Fall-Line Motorsports and a driver at Fall-line motorsports, says goodbye to his wife and children before he goes into a race. He systematically walks over to the car to check and recheck the machine as to let his family know of his confidence.   With assurance, he says a prayer and is prepared to race. â€Å"When I go off I tell who ever I’m with ‘I’ll see you in a little bit’ or ‘I’ll be back.’ I walk over to my car and check my tire pressure, get my racing suit on, put my helmet on, and drive to the line. As I’m driving I start to loose my breath, but by the end of the first lap I am back to normal,† say Mark. Emic perspective Cultural Perception The general competitive balance result remains unchanged. Underlying the argument is a set of assumptions concerning the behavior of motorsports with respect to the quality of games (higher uncertainty of outcome leads to higher quality of games). In this scenario, drivers attract fans by winning. JP, head engineer at the firm epitomizes this argument. He is required by the demanding world of motorsports competition to know and understands every aspect of the BMW M3 models in addition to every other car he works on.   Within his challenging environment, he serves as a critical source of reference for the mechanics and other engineers. Miraculously JP has been able to find solutions when others have failed.   It seems he is able to answer any question posed to him. â€Å"American racing fans, NASCAR is autoracing, and the on-track exploits of its heroes–both names from the past such as David Pearson, Daryl Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, and Richard Petty, and names of the present such as Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.–have, in many quarters, attained a status bordering on folklore.† (Clark et al, 2004)   JP understands that the fan is comparing his work, his results with the major competitors. With the shadow of the legends looking over his should, JP designs various parts that will enhance the cars’ performance if other parts aren’t able to meet Fall-Lines standards. Etic perspective Non-Members (Outsiders) Perceive African American ownership in sports has been a long sought after goal. Many have tried and only a few have succeeded in the multibillion-dollar arenas of professional football, baseball and basketball. Yet, look a little lower on the radar screen and you’ll see another sport has attracted the attention of a pair of former athletes in an arena not generally frequented by African Americans–professional auto racing. Washington Erring Motorsports, which recently completed its second year on the NASCAB circuit, is being touted as NASCAR’s first minority-owned race team in over 25 years. (Smith, 2000, p. 28) Symbols Material Artifact Of A Culture, Such As Art, Clothing, Or Even Technology The sport, â€Å"with its noise, dirt, powerful cars, and consumption of alcoholic beverages,† became â€Å"a symbol of the southern way of living.† As with Daniel’s analysis, Johnson’s depiction of stock-car racing anchors the activity’s origins in deadly speed contests among southern moonshiners and federal revenue officers in the 1930s and 1940s. When not outrunning the law, moonshiners â€Å"participated in informal races between themselves and others interested in automobiles.† (Hall, 2002, p. 629) For motorsports, obvious merchandise opportunities would include t-shirts, hats, and model cars. For landscapes it might be travel packages or hiking gear. Corporate customers might be interested in software, design services or office supplies. Unique content on Artemis Images’s website could be used to draw traffic to other companies’ sites. Chris and her team planned to license the content on an annual basis to these sites, creating reach and revenues for Artemis Images. (Bell, 2003, p.173)   At work, Steve and Mark only wear a Fall-Line t-shirt and jeans.   Clearly branding themselves where ever and when ever they can. National and international sporting events attract millions of fans to the communities that host the events.   Unlike the limited seasons and markets in baseball, basketball, and football, motorsports facilities play host to events throughout most of each year. Major events are held almost weekly throughout the year in the United States, Europe, and other areas of the world. â€Å"Motorsports is truly international in scope and stature, and racing attracts millions of fans to areas widely recognized for their involvement in the sport.† (Gnuschke, 2004, p. 2) Cultural patterning Relate Symbols Across Varied Forms Of Behavior And In Varied Contexts â€Å"Budweiser, Burger King, Cellular South, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, Comp Cams, Domino’s Pizza, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hertz Rental Equipment, Hilton Properties, Ikon Office Solutions, Kroger, Ledbetter Meats, Millington Telephone Company and the list goes on†¦obviously; the list of participating corporate sponsors and involved business partners will increase over the racing season. Some examples of the global importance of motorsports include the following excerpts and highlights of studies of motorsports events in the United States and around the world.† (Gnuschke, 2004, p. 2) Tacit knowledge Deeply-Embedded Cultural Beliefs It all stated with a simple model, â€Å"†¦the recipe for a classic American hot rod is simple. First you find the smallest, lightest chassis available. Then you add one big American V-8 engine and beefed-up driveline. For good measure, you modify that V-8 to produce even more horsepower.   Ã‚  It all started in the 1930s when ingenious American youths (now our grandfathers and fathers) figured out that the new Ford V-8 engine would fit in the smaller and lighter Ford Model A.† (Anson, 1996, p.14) In essence, professional motorsports is in the business of entertainment. Instead of artists, you have athletes, which in the case of motorsports are race drivers. The stage and the arena is a racetrack.   â€Å"As a business, the primary motive of any motorsports series is profit. So you need to keep spectators happy which in turn keeps sponsors happy. Also up there in the need-to-keep-happy list are the stars of the show themselves. Because they are the ones whom spectators come to spectate.† (Manila Bulletin, 2005) Reference(s) http://www2.chass.ncsu.edu/garson/PA765/ethno.htm Ethnographic Research – Retrieved 12.06.06 http://www.fall-linemotorsports.com Fall-Line MotorSports– Retrieved 12.06.06 Thomas Inge, 1989, Handbook of American Popular Culture. Publisher: Greenwood Press. Place of Publication: Westport, CT. Page Number: 110, 488 Brett Bodine, Mark D. Howell, 1997, From Moonshine to Madison Avenue: A Cultural History of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Publisher: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. Place of Publication: Bowling Green, OH. Page Number: 3, 67, 10, 116 John Forster, Nigel K. Ll. Pope, 2004,   The Political Economy of Global Sporting Organisations. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: New York. Page Number: 4 John M. Clark, T. Bettina Cornwell, Stephen W. Pruitt, 2004, The NASCAR Phenomenon: Auto Racing Sponsorships and Shareholder Wealth. Journal Title: Journal of Advertising Research. Volume: 44. Issue: 3. Publication Year: 2004. Page Number: 281+ Eric L. Smith, March 2000, Racing for Dollars. Magazine Title: Black Enterprise. Volume: 30. Issue: 8. Page Number: 28. COPYRIGHT 2000 Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc. Randal L. Hall, 2002, Before NASCAR: The Corporate and Civic Promotion of Automobile Racing in the American South, 1903-1927. Journal Title: Journal of Southern History. Volume: 68. Issue: 3. Page Number: 629+. Joseph R. Bell, Joan Winn, 2003, Artemis Images: Providing Content in the Digital Age. Contributors: Journal Title: Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice. Volume: 28. Issue: 2. Page Number: 173+. COPYRIGHT 2003 Baylor University; John E. Gnuschke, Fall 2004, Economic Impact of the Memphis Motorsports Park. Magazine Title: Business Perspectives. Volume: 16. Issue: 3. Page Number: 2+. Mike Anson, 1996, American Tradition of Hot Rodding Lives, Extending to Miatas. Newspaper Title: The Washington Times. Page Number: 14. COPYRIGHT 1996 News World Communications, Inc Manila Bulletin, July 5, 2005,   When Sport Gets in the Way of Entertainment. Page Number: NA. COPYRIGHT 2005 Manila Bulletin Publishing