Coke Marketing Plan

Table of Contents Executive Summary6 Situation Analysis7 History of the Product/Brand8 Market Analysis9 Product Evaluation10 Competitor Analysis12 Marketing Objectives13 Marketing Strategies16 Selecting Target Market17 Developing the Marketing Mix18 Product Strategy19 Pricing Strategy20 Placing and Distribution22 Promotion Strategy23 Evaluation, Monitoring and Control24 Monitoring and Controlling26 Sales Analysis27 Market Share Evaluation27 Marketing Profitability Analysis27 Market Research27 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Giant soft drink company Coca-Cola has come under intense scrutiny by the investors due to its inability to effectively carry out its marketing program. Consequently it is seeking the help of new Marketing Company to develop a professional marketing plan which will help the business to achieve its objectives more effectively and efficiently, and regain their iron fist supremacy on the soft drink industry. When establishing a new marketing plan every aspect of the marketing plan must be critically examined and thoroughly researched. This consists of following four major areas: †¢ Situation Analysis †¢ Marketing Objectives Market Strategies †¢ Implementation, Evaluation, Monitoring and Control Once Coca-Cola will have carefully analyzed these areas and have examined the industry in general the most suitable marketing strategies will be selected and ‘external threats and opportunities’ will be monitored and internal efficiency will be revised accordingly. SIT UATION ANALYSIS HISTORY OF THE PRODUCT / BRAND The organization that we have selected is The Coca-Cola Company which is â€Å"the largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of soft drinks in the world† (The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K). The company offers over 400 products/brands in more than 200 countries (The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K). The product selected is their soft drink called Coca-Cola. Their mission statement and vision are given below: Mission everything we do is inspired by our enduring mission: †¢ To Refresh the World†¦ in body, mind, and spirit. †¢ To Inspire Moments of Optimism†¦ through our brands and our actions. †¢ To Create Value and Make a Difference†¦ everywhere we engage. (The Coca Cola Company 2007, Mission, Vision & Values) Vision To achieve sustainable growth, we have established a vision with clear goals. †¢ Profit: Maximizing return to shareowners while being mindful of our overall responsibilities. †¢ People: Being a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be. †¢ Portfolio: Bringing to the world a portfolio of beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy peoples’ desires and needs. †¢ Partners: Nurturing a winning network of partners and building mutual loyalty. †¢ Planet: Being a responsible global citizen that makes a difference. (The Coca Cola Company 2007, Mission, Vision & Values) MARKET ANALYSIS Changes occurring in the organization’s macro- and micro environments have revealed a number of risk factors that have an influence on Coca Colas business, sales and consumer acceptance. Firstly, increased awareness about health issues has given rise to obesity concerns in relation to the consumption of Coca Cola (The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K). This may reduce the product’s demand. Secondly, water which is a major ingredient of Coca-Cola is becoming a scarce commodity and its quality is deteriorating due to pollution etc. This can increase the products production costs (The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K). Thirdly, a major portion (approximately 83 % in 2006) of The Coca Cola Company’s business comes from its bottling partners to whom it sells its concentrates and syrups. Consequently, maintaining good relations with the bottling partners is essential for the business. The bottling partners financial situation also affects Coca Colas business (The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K). Increase in cost of energy(electricity, natural gas etc) and raw materials(high fructose corn syrup, sucrose etc) can have a negative impact on the product’s profits (The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K). Unfavorable political and economic conditions in the local as well as international markets can have an adverse effect on the company’s profits (The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K). Unfavorable weather conditions like unusually long spells of winter cold can decrease the demand for the product (The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K). PRODUCT EVALUATION Product Life cycle The product life cycle comprises of five stages: product development, introduction, growth, maturity and decline (Kotler et al. 2006, p. 314). Coca-Cola is currently in the maturity stage, which is evidenced primarily by the fact that they have a large, loyal group of stable customers. In this regard, Coke has the advantage of it’s establishment of a strong brand name. Furthermore, cost management, product differentiation and marketing have become more important as growth slows and market share becomes the key determinant of profitability. SWOT Analysis: SWOT stands for Strengths Weakness Opportunities Threats. SWOT analysis is a technique that consists of examining the current activities of the organization- its Strengths and Weakness- and then using this and external research data to set out the Opportunities and Threats that exist. Strengths: Coca-Cola has been a vital part of world culture for a very long time. The product's image is loaded with over-romanticizing which has not failed to move people. The Coca-Cola image is displayed on a variety of items like T-shirts, hats etc. This extremely powerful branding is one of Coca-Cola's greatest strengths. Enjoyed more than 685 million times a day around the world Coca-Cola stands as a simple, yet powerful symbol of quality and enjoyment† (Allen, 1995). Coca Cola enjoys a large amount of customer acceptance as compared to it’s main competitors (The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K). Coca-Cola's bottling system is also one of their main strengths. I t enables them to conduct business on a global scale and at the same time maintain a local approach. The bottling companies are locally owned and operated by independent business people who have been authorized to sell products of the Coca-Cola Company. Coca Cola does not have outright ownership of its bottling network, its main source of revenue is the sale of concentrate to its bottlers (The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K). Weaknesses: Weaknesses for any business need to be both reduced and monitored in order to effectively achieve productivity and efficiency in their business. This applies to Coke as well. Although domestic business as well as many international markets are prospering (volumes in Latin America were up 12%), Coca-Cola has recently reported some â€Å"declines in unit case volumes in Indonesia and Thailand due to reduced consumer purchasing power. According to an article in Fortune magazine, â€Å"In Japan, unit case sales fell 3% in the second quarter [of 1998]†¦ scary because while Japan generates around 5% of worldwide volume, it contributes three times as much to profits. Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Japan account for about 35% of Coke's volume and none of these markets are performing to expectation. Coca-Cola on the other side has adverse effects on the teeth which causes health concerns among the consumers. It also has got sugar due to which continuous or excessive drinking of Coca-Cola can cause health problems like diabetes. Opportunities: Brand recognition is a vital factor affecting Coke's competitive position. Coca-Cola's brand name and reputation is well known across 94% of the globe. The major issue over the past few years has been to get this brand name introduced to as many emerging markets as possible. Changes in packaging have also affected sales and industry positioning, but on the whole the public has remained unaffected by the launch of new products. Coca-Cola's bottling system enhances the company’s prospects of growth opportunities around the world. This strategy gives Coke the opportunity to serve a large and diverse geographic market. Threats: At present, the threat of new competitors in the carbonated soft drink industry is not very substantial. On the other hand, the threat of substitutes is a very possible threat. The soft drink industry has a strong hold, but consumers have a lot of options available to them. Possible substitutes that continuously put pressure on both Pepsi and Coke include tea, coffee, juices, milk, and hot chocolate. This pressure has increased a lot during the last few years owing to increased health awareness. Even though Coca-Cola and Pepsi control nearly 40% of the entire beverage market, health concerns can adversely influence product demand. Of course, both Coke and Pepsi have already diversified into these markets, allowing them to have further significant market shares and offset any losses incurred due to fluctuations in the market. Consumer buying power is another key threat in the industry. The rivalry between Pepsi and Coke has produced a very slow moving industry in which management must be sensitive to and timely respond to the changing attitudes and demands of their consumers or risk losing market share to the competition. COMPETITOR ANALYSIS Coca Cola competes in the non-alcoholic beverages segment with various firms including PepsiCo Inc, Nestle, Cadbury Schweppes plc, Groupe Danone, Kraft Foods Inc etc (The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K). Specific beverages that Coca Cola competes with in Pakistan include Pepsi, RC Cola, Makka Cola and Amrat Cola. Competitive forces affecting Coca Cola’s business include pricing, advertising, product promotion programs, innovative ideas, production techniques, bottling, brand and trademark development and protection (The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K). MARKETING OBJECTIVES The marketing objectives section will indicate targets to be achieved across several marketing decision areas. The purposes of objectives include: †¢ To enable a company to control its marketing plan †¢ To help to motivate individuals and teams to reach a common goal †¢ To provide an agreed, consistent focus for all functions of an organization. (Kotler, Adam, Brown, & Armstrong, Priciples of Marketing, 2006) All objectives should follow criteria called SMART i. e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed. (Johnson) Coca Cola Marketing Objectives: †¢ The goals and objectives that are set by the company are firstly to put the Coke the Classic segment back on the growth path. †¢ In terms of volume, the company wanted to sell 8 million 8 oz. cases and by the end of the previous year the company had actually sold 7 million cases, but the target was 6 million 8 oz cases. †¢ The distribution goal is to achieve 40% numeric Distribution within 4 weeks of re-launch, currently it is 35. 55%. †¢ And in terms of share, the goal was to get and regain 65% of market within one year. Currently it is 60% of the market share. †¢ The recent performance of the business unit has been impressive and the company wants the coming years to be even more beneficial. †¢ To survive the current market war between competitors †¢ To increase the size of the worldwide Coca Cola enterprise by 20%, currently it is 10%. †¢ To increase awareness of the product on the market by increasing advertising. †¢ To achieve a 30% return on capital employed by August next year, current return on capital is at 20%. (Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Company) MARKETING STRATEGIES SELECTING TARGET MARKET Target Market is defined as â€Å"A set of buyers haring common needs or characteristics that the company decides to serve†. (Kotler, Adam, Brown, & Armstrong, 2006) Once the situation analysis has completed, and the marketing objectives determined then the company’s attention turns towards the target market. As we know that the soft drink market is very large, and a product cannot be for all the people, so the company must choose which of the market segments have the greatest potential for its products. The target market is where Coca-Cola focuses its marketing efforts as it feels this is where it will be most productive and successful. The target market for Coca-Cola is very wide as it satisfies the needs for many different consumers, ranging from the healthy diet conscious consumers through Diet Coke to the average human through its best selling drink regular Coke. Most Coke products satisfy all age groups as it is proven that most people of different age groups consume the Coca-Cola product. This market is relatively large and is open to both genders. A marketing organization can adopt one of the three market-coverage strategies: †¢ Un-Differential †¢ Differentiated †¢ Concentrated (Kotler, Adam, Brown, & Armstrong, 2006) The most apparent method used by Coca Cola is with no doubt the differentiated marketing method as Coke satisfies a range of different markets. Diet coke satisfy’s the weight consciousness, regular coke, sprite, fanta, coffee, iced tea etc for average user group. Each product of beverages satisfies a particular group of people. Differentiated Marketing is defined as â€Å"A market coverage strategy in which a marketing organization decides to target several market segments and designs separate offers for each†. (Kotler, Adam, Brown, & Armstrong, 2006) DEVELOPING THE MARKETING MIX The marketing mix is probably the most crucial stage of the marketing planning process. It is also known as the 4 Ps of marketing. In 1964 Neil H. Borden published his article â€Å"The Concept of Marketing Mix† after which this term became popularized. This is where the marketing tactics for each product are determined. The marketing mix refers to the combination of the four strategies: †¢ Product Strategy †¢ Price Strategy †¢ Place Strategy †¢ Promotion Strategy [pic] (NetMBA) The most successful businesses have continually monitored and changed their marketing mix due to internal and external factors. PRODUCT STRATEGY A product can be defined as â€Å"Anything that can be offered to the market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a want or a need. It includes physical objects, services,, persons, places, organizations and ideas†. Businesses must think about products on three different levels, which are: †¢ The Core Product †¢ The actual product †¢ The Augmented Product Coca Cola customers are buying a wide range of soft drinks. Consumers will buy the coke product because of the high standards and high quality of the Coca-Cola products. The Coca-Cola also offer a help line and complaint phone service for customers who are not satisfied with the product or wish to give feedback on the products. Positioning Positioning is the process of creating, the image the product holds in the mind of consumers, relative to competing products. Coca-Cola and Franklins both make soft drinks; although Franklins may try to compete they will still be seen as lower market from Coca-Cola. Positioning helps customers understand what is unique about the products when compared with the competition. Branding The popularity of the brand is often the deciding factor. Over the time Coca Cola has spent millions of dollars developing and promoting their brand name, resulting in worldwide recognition. ‘Coca-Cola' is the most recognized trademark, recognized by 94% of the world's population. (Coca-Cola, Our Herittage) PRICING STRATEGY Price is a very important factor in the marketing mix as it can affect both the supply and demand for Coca Cola. The price of Coca-Cola’s products is one of the most important factors in a customer’s decision to buy. Price will often be the difference that will drive a customer to buy the one product over another, as long as most things are about the same. For this reason pricing strategies need to be designed with consumers and external influences in mind, in order to effectively achieve a stable balance between sales and covering the production costs. Price strategies are important to Coca Cola because the price determines the amount of sales and profit per unit sold. Businesses have to set a price that is attractive to their customers and provides the business with a good level of profit. Long before a sale was ever made Coca Cola had developed a forecast of consumer demand at different prices which without doubt determined whether or not the product came in the market. The pricing strategy a business will use will have to focus on achieving the marketing plan’s objectives and support the positioning of the product, and take external factors such as economic conditions and competitors in to account. As customer loyalty has established with Coca-Cola, it can now slowly raise the price of its product. There has been a severe pricing competition between Coca-Cola and Pepsi products as each company competes for customer recognition and satisfaction. Till now it appears as if Coke has come up on top, although in order to gain long term profits Coke had to sacrifice short term profits where in some cases it either went under of just broke even, but as seen it has been all for the best. Pricing Methods There are four major pricing approaches that can be used. †¢ Cost-based Approach †¢ Buyer-based Approach †¢ Competition Approach †¢ Relationship Approach Kotler, Adam, Brown, & Armstrong, Priciples of Marketing, 2006) Over the years Coca-Cola has lost ground here in its pricing but has regained its strength as it employed the Competition-Based Pricing Method which allowed it to compete more effectively in the soft drink market. Now the Coca-Cola has become a market leader with loyal customers and some technological edge, thus the case currently with Coke, it was first the follower but through effective management has now become the leader of the market and is working towards achieving the marketing objectives of the Coca Cola. Survival in the market place, own 60 % of market share by 2007, increase further awareness of product and a return on 20% on capital are the current objectives for 2007†. (Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Company) PLACE AND DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY The place P of the marketing mix refers to distribution of the product i. e. the ways of getting the product to the market. The distribution of products starts with the producer and ends with the consumer. One key element of the Place/Distribution factor is the respective distribution channels that Coca-Cola has elected to transport and sell its product. Selecting the most appropriate distribution channel is important, as the choice will determine sales levels and costs. The choice for a distribution channel for any business depends on numerous factors, these include: †¢ How far away the customers are †¢ The type of product being transported †¢ The lead times required and †¢ The costs associated with transport There are four types of distribution strategies that Coca Cola could have chosen from, these are: intensive, selective, exclusive and direct distribution. It is apparent from the popularity of the Coca-Cola’s product n the market that the business in the past used the method of intensive distribution as the product is available at every possible outlet. From supermarkets to service stations to your local corner shop, anywhere you go you will find the Coca-Cola products. PROMOTION STRATEGY In today’s competitive environment, having the right product at the right place in the right place at the r ight time may still not be enough to be successful. Effective communication with the target market is essential for the success of the product and business. Promotion is the P of the marketing mix designed to inform the market about who the company is, how good the product is and where they can buy it. Promotion is also used to persuade the customers to try a new product, or buy more of an old product. The promotional strategy is the combination of personal selling, advertising, sales promotion and public relations that are used in its marketing plan. Now days as most of the target market is most likely to be exposed by media such as television, radio and magazines, Coca-Cola has used this as the main form of promotion for extensive range of products. Although advertising is usually very expensive, it is the most effective way of letting the customers to know about Coca-Cola Products. Coca-Cola also utilizes promotions such as contests, coupons, and free samples. These activities are an effective way of getting people to give the product a check. EVALUATION, MONITORING & CONTROL The goal of the marketing plan is to outline the strategies, tactics, and programs that will make the sales goals outlined in the coke business plan a reality by the end of the season. There are a number of Key Performance Indicators KPI’s that are needed for the measurement/evaluation of the performance they can be given as, The monthly and the annual revenue generation, then the amount of expenses incurred in a month or in a year, then the increased level of customer satisfaction and ensuring the brand loyalty. For complying with these scenarios the advertising efforts made by the company the strength of the distribution channels, the launch of the new products and the pricing will be measured. The possible increase in growth of the target market also depends on all these efforts made by coke. The people who are responsible for the monitoring and control of the marketing plan involves, the Marketing Executives, Sales Managers, Media Managers, Market Research Departments, and the Product Managers. Some activities must be carried out for precisely and closely evaluating the effectiveness of the strategies and tactics for example the gathering and structuring of data regarding market, product, customer and the pricing trends, then the generation of daily sales report should be maintained and then in the end continuous reconfirming of the marketing budget and activities by the managers of different divisions Financial Forecasts Financial forecasts are predictions of future events relating strictly to expected costs and revenue costs for future years. There are five major marketing expenditures, which include research costs, product development costs, product costs, promotion costs and distribution costs. Sales force composite is the most logical method in forecasting revenue. This involves estimates from individual salespeople to sell to work out a total for the whole business. Once these costs and revenues are forecasted, management can then decide which combination of marketing mix strategies will deliver the most sales revenue at the lowest cost. Implementing Implementation is the process of turning plans into actions, and involves all the activities that put the marketing plan to work. Successful implementation depends on how well the business blends its people, organizational structure and company culture into a cohesive program that supports the marketing plan. For its further success, Coca Cola must impose several key changes. Production needs to be on time and meet the quota demanded from wholesalers. It must also be efficient so as not to build inventory stocks and inventory prices. The marketing needs to be motivated and knowledgeable about the product. The forms of promotion such as advertising must be attracting and enticing to the target market to get the greatest amount of exposure possible for the product. This will ensure the success of the product in the stores. Distribution of the product must be efficient. This problem has already been taken care of with convenient transport routes to commercial areas and transport already being arranged. MONITORING AND CONTROLLING Monitoring and controlling allows the business to check for variance in the budget and actual. This is important because it allows Coca Cola to take the necessary actions to meet the marketing objectives. There are three tools Coca Cola should use to monitor the marketing plan. They are the following: Sales Analysis The sales analysis breaks down total business sales by market segments to identify strengths and weaknesses in the different areas of sales. Sellers of Coca Cola products vary from major retail supermarkets to small corner stores. This gives its products maximum exposure to customers at their convenience. Market Share Analysis Market share analysis compares Coca Cola’s business sales performance with that of its competitors. Coca Cola looks to increase its market share by over 60%. With the changes Coca Cola is currently undergoing, they aim to regain an iron fist control of the market. Target market various age groups and lifestyles from high school students too universities, and male or female. Marketing Profitability Analysis This analysis looks at the cost side of marketing and the profitability of products, sales territories, market segments and sales people. There are three ratios to monitor marketing profitability; they are market research to sales, advertising to sales and sales representatives to sales. The results of these three tools can help Coca Cola determine any emerging trends, such as the need for a different product. Comparing these results with actual results gives the business an idea on when to change. Market Research When attempting to implement a new Marketing plan a business must address its target market and conduct the relevant information to insure the new marketing plan both differs from the old and is better for the business. When conducting market research a business must first define the problem and then gather the appropriate information to solve the problem. There are 3 types of information a business can gather to solve its problems. †¢ Exploratory Research which clarifies the problem an d searches for ways to address it. †¢ Descriptive Research is used to measure and describe things like the market potential for a product and characteristics of the target market. †¢ Casual Research is used to test a hypothesis about a cause and effect relationship. Coca Cola through its market research has addressed all three types of research to define the problems raised by shareholders and gathered information to serve their needs. Factors Influencing Consumer Choice When making decisions on products a business must look at factors that influence consumer choice such as psychological factors, Socio-Cultural factors, Economic factors and Government Factors. Psychological Factors: such as motivation, perception, lifestyle, personality and self concept, learning, and attitudes influence the consumer’s behavior towards a product and Coca Cola has addressed this issue by introducing Diet Coke to satisfy health conscious lifestyles. Socio-Cultural factors: such as culture, subculture, socio-economic status, family and reference groups influence the consumer’s behavior towards a product. Economic factors: such as Disposable income and discretionary income. Coca Cola has addressed this side of the influence by maintaining a low price on the price of its products. Government Factors: such as new regulations, inflation, interest rates all influence consumer spending and choice. (Alberto, 2007) References Alberto, J. (2007). Strategy Moves. Pearson Education. pp. 145-150 Coca-Cola. (n. d. ). Coca-Cola Company. Retrieved 07 03, 2007, from -: http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/index. html Coca-Cola. (n. d. ). Our Herittage. Retrieved 07 01, 2007, from The Coca-Cola Company: http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/brands/index. html Kotler, P, Adam, S, Brown, L & Armstrong, G 2006, Principles of Marketing, Pearson Education Australia, China , pp. 125, 331 Johnson, M. (n. d. ). Marketing, Market Planning, Market Objectives. Retrieved 07 03, 2007, from Tutor 2 U: http://www. tutor2u. net/business/marketing/planning_setting_objectives. asp Kotler, P. , Adam, S. , Brown, L. , & Armstrong, G. (2006). Priciples of Marketing. China: Pearson Prentice Hall, pp. 330-350 Kotler, P. , Adam, S. , Brown, L. , & Armstrong, G. (2006). Principles of Marketing. Pearson Prentice Hall, pp. 245,249 NetMBA. The Marketing Mix. http://www. netmba. com/marketing/mix/. NetMBA Business Knowkedge Centre. The Coca Cola Company 2007, Mission, Vision & Values. Retrieved July 05, 2007, from http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/mission_vision_values. html The Coca Cola Company 2007, 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Retrieved July 05, 2007, from http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/annual_other_reports. htm[pic]

Are We Living in a Surveillance Society?

We might think no one else either knows or cares what we get up to, as long as we compliance the law, unless we are a celebrity. But with massive development of technology, that is no longer the case and I totally agreed with the statement that we are living in a surveillance society. Moreover, I strongly believed that the level of surveillance will grow even further in the future. If we use loyalty cards or credit cards we can earn points and receive money off vouchers, but we also allow retailers keep data on what we've bought and where we've bought it. The money we spend on credit cards is also monitored to check for any unusual spending patterns, which could indicate the card has been stolen. With the increasingly sophisticated technology, using internet becomes a daily activities of most of the people especially those who live in town. However, when we use the internet, records are kept about what we've been searching for, that can help if we want to log back on and do a similar search, but sad to say, it also means the provider keeps detailed information about our surfing habits. The same thing happen when we use the Global Positioning System (GPS). It not only will guides us any destination that we want to go, but also alerts us to speed and traffic light cameras on the way  ¬ which record our progress. Besides, when we use our mobile to call anyone, this will be logged by the telephone company and could be used by police to locate where the phone was at the time. In short, if this issue continues to develope, we would not have any freedom again as our daily life will be monitored. Thus, I hope that appropiate steps should be taken to solve this problem before our life become no privacy at all.

British Airways

Also it is member of International Airlines Group. Nowadays British Airways is using strategy of Marketing Mix including 4p’s. First of all, what is it Marketing Mix of 4 p’s? â€Å"Marketing Mix† is said for different performances which companies have to choose to bring a product or service to market. Marketing Mix 4 p’s: * Product: characteristics and features * Price: pricing strategies * Place: location, distribution channels * Promotion: advertising, promoting to the customers Going into more deep and applying this theory to such company as British Airways I can say that Product strategy is the main strategy of Marketing Mix (4 P’S). Without Product strategy there is no Place, Price and Promotion. Speaking about BA it is transporting industry its product is not physical and cannot be touched. British Airways product strategy includes flight  services, quality of flights, various destinations across Europe and  the world, executive class, business class, speed, security, support  facilities and years of experience. Nowadays, the main aircrafts which BA uses to transport people are Airbus A318-100, Airbus A319-100, Airbus A320-200, Airbus A321-200, Airbus A380-800, Boeing 737–400, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 767-300ER, Boeing 777–200, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787–8, Boeing 787–9. Most of the airplanes which are 77% use either Rolls-Royce or IAE alliance engines. Another 23% is divided between General Electric  and the  CFM International  consortium. To the year 2012 BA operates over 400 aircraft, carries over 62  million passengers annually, and serves more than 200 destinations. British Airways is not only Airline Company it also has its own  engineering branch  to exploit its aircraft fleet, this includes line maintenance at over 70 airports around the world. One more vital option of 4 p’s is Place. The main â€Å"place† were customers can consume services of British Airways is situated in Waterside, close to its main airport at London Heathrow Airport. However BA is international company and you can also find it in main airports all over the world. Also there are two important service centers in Glasgow  and  Cardiff Airports. Turning to the third option which is Price the organization should set the price relative with the value delivered and perceived by the  customer. British Airways has set its services in the way that customers can chose how much they want to pay for this service. Comparing with other Airline Companies BA poses four types of services economy class, premium economy class, business class, premium business class. The difference is in quality of â€Å"product which are you consuming† and the price. So price of the tickets are varied from ? 00 to ? 400. Main success of the company depends on its promotion. People in the promotional team of British Airways know their. First slogan â€Å"The World’s Favourite Airline† was established in 1989 with the song of â€Å"The Flower Duet† by  Leo Delibes. After this there were a lot of changes like â€Å"Upgrade to British Airways†, â€Å"The World’s Favourite Airline†, â€Å"The World’s B est Airline†, â€Å"We’ll Take More Care Of You†, and â€Å"Fly the Flag†. One of the latest tricks was â€Å"Christmas gift voucher† which is promotional prices. This works during the Christmas holidays and offers lowest prices for their customers. For example flying to 14 travel zones from ? 59 return on UK and Europe destinations and  from ? 269 return on the rest of the world In the end I would like to say that British Airlines is one of the biggest companies in this area and one of the best companies. For a long time it provides its clients with high level services and security which is the most important things in this business. Meanwhile, price is responsible to the quality. Service is easily available and well promoted. British Airways There was a one-sided decision taken to introduce swipe cards. It was unplanned because it was introduced at the start of the summer quarter when they had it has one of its busiest quarters. From the perspective of sense making, management needs to be aware of the key elements that are important to the situation. In BA the management did not form an awareness of key element; they did not realize that the move was being interpreted to manipulate their working patterns. The management did not understand the importance of not introducing an unpopular system before the peak season. Finally, this was not a decision made by examining different alternatives and evaluating them properly. This was an ad hoc decision taken by the management without considering its consequences. From the point of view of change management, there strength of organizational dissatisfaction, vision for the future and possibility of immediate, tactical action must be stronger than the resistance within the organization. The employees did not want the change, they felt that the swipe system would be used to manipulate their working patterns and shift hours. From the perspective of contingency, the management is supposed to identify what can go wrong in the given situation. The BA management had not planned for the event that the imposition of the swipe card would lead to refusal by workers of the swipe card resulting in a strike. From the point of view of process, it is necessary for the management to methodologically study the process of employee decision making, employee concerns about swipe cards and reason for rising absenteeism. The management did not study the mood of the employees, the effect of lack of consultation, poor pay rates and dissatisfaction with the management. From the perspective of organizational development, I would make sure the event is more planned and communicate to the employees so that they are taken into consideration with the decision. From the perspective of sense making I would make the management understand the key elements. Then I would make management come up with alternatives before making a decision. From the perspective of change management, I will recommend that BA management should first set a vision for the organization, then it must assess the dissatisfaction with the current system, next it must suggest tactical action that is acceptable to the employees and then suggest action. From the perspective of contingency, I would recommend that the BA officials should assess all the contingencies that are possible because of the change and should develop risk reduction strategies. From the perspective of process, I would recommend that the BA management should methodically study the process of employee decision making and evaluate the manner in which the management action will affect the process of decision making of BA management. References Palmer, I, . Dunford, R. , Akin, G. , (2009) Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach (2ed. ) New York: McGraw Hill. British Airways British Airways British Airways Also it is member of International Airlines Group. Nowadays British Airways is using strategy of Marketing Mix including 4p’s. First of all, what is it Marketing Mix of 4 p’s? â€Å"Marketing Mix† is said for different performances which companies have to choose to bring a product or service to market. Marketing Mix 4 p’s: * Product: characteristics and features * Price: pricing strategies * Place: location, distribution channels * Promotion: advertising, promoting to the customers Going into more deep and applying this theory to such company as British Airways I can say that Product strategy is the main strategy of Marketing Mix (4 P’S). Without Product strategy there is no Place, Price and Promotion. Speaking about BA it is transporting industry its product is not physical and cannot be touched. British Airways product strategy includes flight  services, quality of flights, various destinations across Europe and  the world, executive class, business class, speed, security, support  facilities and years of experience. Nowadays, the main aircrafts which BA uses to transport people are Airbus A318-100, Airbus A319-100, Airbus A320-200, Airbus A321-200, Airbus A380-800, Boeing 737–400, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 767-300ER, Boeing 777–200, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787–8, Boeing 787–9. Most of the airplanes which are 77% use either Rolls-Royce or IAE alliance engines. Another 23% is divided between General Electric  and the  CFM International  consortium. To the year 2012 BA operates over 400 aircraft, carries over 62  million passengers annually, and serves more than 200 destinations. British Airways is not only Airline Company it also has its own  engineering branch  to exploit its aircraft fleet, this includes line maintenance at over 70 airports around the world. One more vital option of 4 p’s is Place. The main â€Å"place† were customers can consume services of British Airways is situated in Waterside, close to its main airport at London Heathrow Airport. However BA is international company and you can also find it in main airports all over the world. Also there are two important service centers in Glasgow  and  Cardiff Airports. Turning to the third option which is Price the organization should set the price relative with the value delivered and perceived by the  customer. British Airways has set its services in the way that customers can chose how much they want to pay for this service. Comparing with other Airline Companies BA poses four types of services economy class, premium economy class, business class, premium business class. The difference is in quality of â€Å"product which are you consuming† and the price. So price of the tickets are varied from ? 00 to ? 400. Main success of the company depends on its promotion. People in the promotional team of British Airways know their. First slogan â€Å"The World’s Favourite Airline† was established in 1989 with the song of â€Å"The Flower Duet† by  Leo Delibes. After this there were a lot of changes like â€Å"Upgrade to British Airways†, â€Å"The World’s Favourite Airline†, â€Å"The World’s B est Airline†, â€Å"We’ll Take More Care Of You†, and â€Å"Fly the Flag†. One of the latest tricks was â€Å"Christmas gift voucher† which is promotional prices. This works during the Christmas holidays and offers lowest prices for their customers. For example flying to 14 travel zones from ? 59 return on UK and Europe destinations and  from ? 269 return on the rest of the world In the end I would like to say that British Airlines is one of the biggest companies in this area and one of the best companies. For a long time it provides its clients with high level services and security which is the most important things in this business. Meanwhile, price is responsible to the quality. Service is easily available and well promoted. British Airways There was a one-sided decision taken to introduce swipe cards. It was unplanned because it was introduced at the start of the summer quarter when they had it has one of its busiest quarters. From the perspective of sense making, management needs to be aware of the key elements that are important to the situation. In BA the management did not form an awareness of key element; they did not realize that the move was being interpreted to manipulate their working patterns. The management did not understand the importance of not introducing an unpopular system before the peak season. Finally, this was not a decision made by examining different alternatives and evaluating them properly. This was an ad hoc decision taken by the management without considering its consequences. From the point of view of change management, there strength of organizational dissatisfaction, vision for the future and possibility of immediate, tactical action must be stronger than the resistance within the organization. The employees did not want the change, they felt that the swipe system would be used to manipulate their working patterns and shift hours. From the perspective of contingency, the management is supposed to identify what can go wrong in the given situation. The BA management had not planned for the event that the imposition of the swipe card would lead to refusal by workers of the swipe card resulting in a strike. From the point of view of process, it is necessary for the management to methodologically study the process of employee decision making, employee concerns about swipe cards and reason for rising absenteeism. The management did not study the mood of the employees, the effect of lack of consultation, poor pay rates and dissatisfaction with the management. From the perspective of organizational development, I would make sure the event is more planned and communicate to the employees so that they are taken into consideration with the decision. From the perspective of sense making I would make the management understand the key elements. Then I would make management come up with alternatives before making a decision. From the perspective of change management, I will recommend that BA management should first set a vision for the organization, then it must assess the dissatisfaction with the current system, next it must suggest tactical action that is acceptable to the employees and then suggest action. From the perspective of contingency, I would recommend that the BA officials should assess all the contingencies that are possible because of the change and should develop risk reduction strategies. From the perspective of process, I would recommend that the BA management should methodically study the process of employee decision making and evaluate the manner in which the management action will affect the process of decision making of BA management. References Palmer, I, . Dunford, R. , Akin, G. , (2009) Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach (2ed. ) New York: McGraw Hill.

Self Reflective Log Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Self Reflective Log - Essay Example By the time we were ending our project, we had become so close, that if one did not know us better, he or she would have thought that we had known each other all our lives. I believe that our diverse cultural backgrounds played a significant role in the formation of the bonds of work and friendship which made our team such a success. One of the greatest benefits that I personally reaped from being within this team is the confidence in my ability to do all the tasks that are assigned to me, most especially those concerned with the promotion of the principles and practices within Belif. This new confidence in myself has enabled me to think of a greater role for myself in future than I had previously considered. Moreover, through the team work, I have managed to attain the skills which I think are necessary for dealing with prospective issues concerning the promotion of various products that are offered by Belif. I have found that the only way to convince stakeholders to accept a propos ed product is by making it as attractive, creative, and cost effective as possible (Stevens, Williams and Smith 2000 p.607). I have learnt that this is the only way through which these stakeholders can develop any interest in what one has to offer them. In the course of my stay at the Belif, several group and individual tasks have been completed. This was the most exciting part of the work, and all of the activities being important, individuals were given the opportunity to share what they had done individually and also as teams. It was, indeed, a privilege to work and share activities and experience with a group of people who were not only friendly, but also supported me whenever I experienced any problems. Moreover, all members within the work group were willing and able to help each other out to finish all the work that had been assigned to us. All the people involved in the work put in as much effort as they could to do it, and because of this, all the team members were able to work effectively together to ensure that the work was done successfully (De Sousa, Pellissier and Monteiro 2012, p.31). Belif is a unique company because it has facilities which are dedicated to making the lives of all it employees, as well as those individuals who are related to them, comfortable in their environment. Among these facilities are those which are designed to make their children and guests feel at home in their new environment by encouraging them to participate in such programs as health education and dialogue between members of diverse groups and backgrounds (Scotton, 2002 pp.276). Despite this, there are also some problems which are faced by the staff of Belif and among these is the shortage of staff especially when there is an influx of new products in the market and orders for them might overwhelm the Belif staff. One of the most fulfilling aspects of being a staff member of Belif is being able to work with my fellow employees to make sure that the working environm ent is as comfortable and efficient as possible (Schyns 2006, p.192). In addition, I have found that at Belif, the six thinking hats theory is applied in almost every aspect of the business and this is perhaps the reason why the company has displayed such a high level of success. Education is one of the most important aspects that dominate the world today and it has become essential for individuals to have a good education in order to prosper. This is the reason

Locate a scholarly article describing an applied or mixed-methods Essay

Locate a scholarly article describing an applied or mixed-methods approach to research, preferably a research article where this - Essay Example and (2) what are the internal and external factors which seem to impact new product success and failure? (Wei & Morgan 377)1. On the other hand, for the quantitative strand, the research questions focused on the following hypotheses: (1) A firm’s market orientation is associated positively with its new product performance; (2) The supportiveness of a firm’s organization climate is associate positively with its market orientation; and (3) The supportiveness of a firm’s organizational climate is associated positively with its new product performance (Wei & Morgan 378, 379)2. The study adapted a mixed-methodology called sequential exploratory mixed-methods research design. As explained in Hesse-Biber, in this type of mixed-methods design, â€Å"the qualitative component is primary and is used to generate theory or specific theoretical constructs† (71). In this study, the qualitative strand was utilized in theory development and the quantitative strand was use d in the testing of three hypotheses.

Budget Forecast and Cost Elemental Plan for Oakworth Offices Essay

Budget Forecast and Cost Elemental Plan for Oakworth Offices - Essay Example In the construction of a good budget forecast that can depend upon for cost analysis, all revenue and expenses must be correctly matched with, the budget estimate must make sense and proper methods such as variance analysis must be able to draft from for example in comparison with actual and expected expenditure. In defining a good construction plan, project costs must be clearly defined, to achieve far and more reaching goals in the industry (Building LLC 2014). The driving force towards establishing a good construction budgeted forecast is to is to be aware of the amount of cash the investor or shareholder is ready to spend on the project so as to avoid running of budget deficits in the long term. They will assist both the management and the project council to deduce if extra cash needs to be handed in, the project will continue for the foreseeable future purposes. The body in charge of quantity surveying must analyze critically the cost and expense required and make sure there is no wastage of resources when there are inaccurate estimations that will have future imbalances when compared to the source of money pocket. (Xiao, Xui, Xiao 2009).Project Budgeting will, therefore, include costs such as soft costs, construction costs, other owner contracted, facilities and furniture expenses. In the preparation of budget forecast for the Oaks worth, two stories building an evaluation of time provides a 10-month construction period, which would be allocated in tabular form as provided below. The time required for each project activity will be allocated based on the cost allocation methods such as the direct method and step down method that majorly bases on the amount of cash to be spent in the project process. (Schwulst 2014).

Masafi staregic marketing pan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Masafi staregic marketing pan - Essay Example 8 Core Competencies 8 Future Industry Analysis 8 Market Analysis 9 Perceived Customer Value 9 Customer Analysis 10 Segmentation 10 Targeting 11 Positioning 11 Marketing Strategy 13 Service Marketing: 7Ps Framework 14 Brand Strategy 18 Final Budget 20 Recommendations 21 Appendices 25 Executive Summary The study will propose a marketing plan for Masafi’s mineral water. The project will start with the mission and vision of the organisation. Following these, the study will provide a brief history of Masafi. A PLC and BCG matrix has been implemented for the purpose of the study. Then a market analysis has been conducted in order to understand the customer value and current customer trend. Then the study will provide a marketing plan including overview of the industry, key competitors, STP analysis and Marketing Mix. Finally, the study will provide recommendation plans basis on the critical issues. Background Analysis Masafi is a growing FMCG company in the Gulf and Middle East regi on headquartered in Dubai. The organisation used to manufacture and distribute mineral water and other food products (Masafi, 2013a). Here the project will conduct a marketing audit for the mineral water and will propose a new marketing plan for the products. ... Product diversification and business expansion in different global markets. Retention of long-term leadership within the mineral water industry. Expansion of brand portfolio and provision of social and health services for the global community. Vision The vision statement of Masafi is â€Å"Premium Products for Enhanced life†. Organisational Setup Masafi was founded in the year 1976. Masafi has been able to enter the domestic market with an estimated start-up capital of 5.5 million US dollar. In the year 2007, Masafi earned revenue of 40.2 million US dollars. Masafi has joint ventures with several international companies. For example, the organisation has joint ventured with UAE based organisation Khadamat facilities in order to recycle the plastics that are used for packaging (Carter and Dunston, 2006, p.161). Product Portfolio Analysis The product portfolio analysis will determine the key product lines of Masafi in terms of Market share, PLC and BCG Matrix. Sales or Profit In the year 2002, Masafi managed to increase its growth by 8%. At that point of time, the economic situation was not favourable for mineral water industry. However, the organisation managed to sell more than 3.6 million litres of mineral water bottles in that specific year. Several experts at that point of time expected that the organisation would avail a significant growth during the next 10 years. In the year 2012, the organisation increased its growth by 6% comparing to the last year. In terms of market share and profit, the key products of Masafi are mineral water bottles and facial tissues. Product Life Cycle Masafi’s mineral water has a short life cycle. From the starting years, the organisation has introduced mineral water of various flavours. The

Film review Movie Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Film - Movie Review Example The setting of a young girl growing up and, understanding the ideals of the society in which she lives appeals greatly. In fact, the juxtaposition of Marji’s life with the reforms in Iran is ingenious. From the movie, one can get an insight into how the government affects the peoples’ individual life. The movie is very interesting to watch. The protagonist in the film is Marjane Satrapi. Marji’s role revolves around portraying how revolutions based on a common course could turn sour. Marji’s outspoken nature on the injustices under the newly formed Iranian government seeks to expose the Iranian people who live in oblivion. On the other hand, the minor characters are the Islamist fundamentalist and the communist groups. These minor characters shape the plot of the film and develop the major character, Marjane. The antagonizing stands taken by the two groups motivate Marji’s reaction to the political ideologies of Iran. The most noticeable technique in the film is the use of flashbacks. The use of flashback creates an educational purpose. This technique centers on Marji’s life and her interaction with the Islamist fundamentalist leading to the current situation she is in. Through flashback, the viewer can pick up the personalities of the characters as they develop. Another technique is the use of a story within a story. The two major stories are Marji’s life and the story of Iran’s revolution, intertwined to form a whole. Both stories complement each other. The film is based on Marjane Satrapi’s autobiography (2004), set during the same period as the Iranian revolution. Based on the book, the movie covers all the major themes effectively. The film utilizes all the techniques used in the book to relay its message. In fact, application of flashbacks directly comes from the

Financial analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial analysis - Essay Example The succeeding years thereafter showed an optimistic trend implying an adjustment in the operating system. It can be noted that it was in late 2003 that Verizon innovation were observed immediately the year after as seen on the total net income of 2004. Assets over the five-year period remain at almost the same level while the total liabilities are decreasing, with a slight increase in 2005, suggesting a good overall trend. ratio by 2002 shows that the company has begun acquiring better investments and a considerable increase in earnings. Return on investment shows a positive trend over a five-year period with the same noted decrease in 2003 because of the transition in Verizon’s marketing strategy. 2005 was constant and remain within the normal range of 0.5 to 2.0 (reuters.com). The low and steady current ratio proves a standard cash payment system since the company is service-oriented, with the consumers paying on a monthly basis (Rosenbush 58). Total debt/equity and long-term debt/capital ratios show that the company’s financial resources are stable and strong enough to pay both the short and long-term debts that it has incurred. The gradual decrease in both debt ratios also suggests that Verizon is able to manage the payment of its debts properly over the years, implying a steady growth in earnings during this period. Sprint Nextel Corp. and AT&T Inc. are some of Verizon’s competitors in the telecommunications industry (Rosenbush 58). Figure 2 presents a comparison of the profitability of Verizon against its competitors from 2001 to 2005. This shows that over a five-year period, Verizon has been competing with AT&T for the market shares. Sprint Nextel Corp. has negligible effect in terms of competitiveness with the other two companies. The graph suggests that Verizon was only able to out-run AT&T beginning on 2004. This

Written Response to a poem (English Literature class) Essay

Written Response to a poem (English Literature class) - Essay Example are associated with images, the poet attempts to capture a sense of deep connection between himself and his audience that manages to transcend normal cultural or social bounds. While not all poetry is able to reach this level, Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"Dream Deferred† does. In this poem, Hughes uses simile and imagery to illustrate what happens to a human soul when it is blocked from being able to fulfill its dreams. In this poem, Hughes asks a series of questions that are heavy with simile and imagery as a means of answering his opening question, â€Å"what happens to a dream deferred?† Each question explores a different possible answer to this question by using similes to suggest what the results of these possibilities might be. The most basic definition of a simile is that it is a comparison between two things – objects or ideas – that uses the words ‘like’ or ‘as.’ The first possible response to having to defer one’s dreams is having the dream â€Å"dry up / like a raisin in the sun† (3-4). Since raisins are already dried and shriveled, a raisin in the sun is instantly understood to be something so dry and shriveled that it is no longer edible, making this an effective simile. Next, Hughes suggests that a dream deferred might â€Å"fester like a sore – / and then run† (4-5). This is a particularly unpleasant compariso n as it refers to first a wound and then a deep infection that goes untreated long enough to ooze. The third possibility suggests that the deferred dream might â€Å"stink like rotten meat / or crust and sugar over† (6-7). Like the raisin, this possibility suggests something that has lost all of its usefulness but it goes further because it also suggests that in becoming useless for positive benefits, it has also become actively negative as it rots and putrefies. A less visible but still tangible simile is suggested through the fourth possible reaction to a dream deferred as Hughes indicates it can be like a heavy load

Making sense of data Essay Example for Free

Making sense of data Essay This is due to the atoms of the metal gaining kinetic energy. As they move faster they collide with passing electrons, inhibiting their passage. This creates not only resistance, but also more heat as electrons try to get rid of their energy. Considering all factors, I think that the results still clearly portray that there is a positive correlation between the length of wire and resistance. The resistivity of the metal can be calculated by using RL=k Where: R is resistance L is length K is the constant of resistivity (The ability of a metal to conduct). To maximise accuracy, I will use the point closest to the line of best fit to calculate this value. RL=k 200. 7=k 14? m=k This figure is a very rough approximation due to the Inaccuracy of the equipment used. Experiment 2: Cross-sectional Area and Resistance The purpose of this experiment is to prove the relationship between cross-sectional area and resistance. As the cross-sectional area increases, the resistance should decrease. This should happen because there will be more room for the electrons to flow through the metal. There will be fewer collisions, thus less resistance. This experiment was conducted by using multiple strands of wire, side by side. In order to calculate the total cross-sectional area, the number of strands multiplied the cross-sectional area of one strand. Note: Where the AreOhms column says E, this refers to Exp or x10^-4 ect. Cross-Sectional Area (m ) Amps (mA) Volts(V) Ohms(? ) Area(m ) Ohms(? ) Inv 0The cross-sectional area of wire used was 3310 cm, and the length was 1m for every trial. Using data from the above table: Yet again the resistivity can be calculated, this time using the equation: R = ? L A Where: R is resistance ?  m A graph to show the relationship between 1/R and Cross-sectional Area The positive correlation illustrates the proportionality between 1/R and the cross sectional area. The straight line is due to 1/R being the inverse of R. Instead of the resistance decreasing as the area increases on the graph, it makes both axes increase. This makes it easier to extract trends and identify errors. Also the regression of plots can be calculated. The regression of this particular line is 9. 919. This implies that the results plotted are almost perfect, that being 1. This exemplifies that there is definitely a relationship between the cross-sectional area of wire and the resistance. I would imagine that the minute errors are systematic. Small miss-calibrations in the equipment could lead to such errors, and using analogue meters would definitely contribute to this Conclusion In conclusion, both experiments have proven the relationships between the dimensional properties and resistance of wire. In each experiment, the resistivity of the wire was calculated. As it is a constant, it should always be the same for that particular wire. However, the resultant values arent incredibly similar. This may be due to the fact that Nichrome is an impure metal. Composed of both Chrome and Nickel, it may be un-uniformly proportioned, thus giving a different resistance. I would consider the second value to be the most accurate due to the fact that the line of regression on the graph is very close to 1 (perfect). It is very evident that there was a much larger error margin for the first set of results which could also be due to` lack of accuracy when measuring lengths of wire. Calculating is a much more reliable method, as illustrated in the cross-sectional area experiment. If I were to improve the experiment, I would use digital meters, which will have a much higher resolution and accuracy. To further the integrity of my results I would ensure that all measurements are made accurate and exact. As Physics Making Sense of Data Coursework 1 Calvin Stewart 22/04/2002 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Our appearance Essay Example for Free

Our appearance Essay Our appearance, the way we dress, etc. , reflects who we are. It is therefore important to be consistent in the style we adopt through our lives. By juliettebr our appearance, the way we dress, etc. , reflects who we are. It is therefore important to be consistent In the style we adopt through our lives. The way we dress says a lot about our personality. It can reflect our lifestyle, t can show our music taste etc.. A good appearance can favor our popularity and It can even improve our self-esteem. Hoaever, does the way we look really reflect our ersonality? And If we arent consistent in our style, does It make us different people? On the one hand, when we dont kncr. l someone we automatically judge someone just by their appearance. A wise person once said: *You never get a second chance to make a first impression. We make up an opinion about the person and most of the time we can say whether someone is nice or not. This opinion can be true, but it can also be harmful when we think its a prejudgment. On the other hand. ou cant judge a book by its cover. The same as with persons. Wearing a black jacket with spikes will not turn someone toa gothic. and wearing old-fashioned clothes will not turn someone in a grandparent. Everyone has to develop their style during life because that will make us unique, In summary, we have to give the people around us an idea of who we are so we just have to be ourselves and mirror our personality in the way we dress, There is nothing wrong with n ot being consistent in our style, but we have to be sure that Our appearance iS the real us.

Gender roles of anime

Gender roles of anime The world of anime is extremely diverse, exploring many different themes and issues. This essay will be looking at the female role and the image that is portrayed in Japanese anime. Focus upon the suggestion of transformation from young girls to adulthood will be discussed in reference to Sailor Moon and in order to realise the idealised / fantasised aspect of anime, comparisons will be made to society and the stereotypical role of women in Japan. At first glance Japan appears to be a country where traditional hierarchy and formalities still stand with great importance; a dedicated, industrious nation where the men are the dominant breadwinners working for large corporate businesses and the women are shy, submissive wives, yet wise, over-ambitious mothers fixated on their childrens success in education. However, since the 1980s and 1990s women are moving away from this stereotype, relying less on their husbands to bring an income into the household and as a result, becoming more independent both financially and socially. (footnote susan napier page 76). In comparison to Japanese women twenty years ago they are now marrying and giving birth much later, which has been suggested is due to the bid by the Japanese Government to increase equal opportunities in employment and education. As a result there are now more career-oriented women which are attending higher education. (footnote Professor Sumiko Iwao) Considering education is important when addressing anime as this is where many relationships, friendships and emotions are explored. High school students in Japan have to compulsory attend two hundred and forty days a year at school; on top of this students tend to spend over two hours a day at after-school clubs, be that sport or academic related, as well as daily commuting to and from school for up to four hours. Foot note (Johnson and Johnson).Clearly education in Japan takes up a significant amount of adolescents time and so it is no surprise that many anime are centralised around students and school life. Due to the pressures placed upon school children to succeed and attain the best grades at school, high stress levels, feelings of despondency and entrapment are all emotions that are can be often associated with adolescence. Therefore the fantasy world that is presented in manga and anime could be seen as a way to escape the complications and miseries of mundane everyday life. A lot of Japanese anime stems from the still imagery of manga which is aimed at women just as much as it is at men (footnote susan napier). As a result of this, the Japanese animation industry is also targeted both towards a male and female audience. In comparison to the Western animation industry where the vast majority of the programs seem to be aimed mainly at young boys, the Japanese animation industry appears to cater for both sexes across a very wide age bracket too. This includes animation for children, as well as for teens and adults, which can range from simplistic stories to beautifully complex storylines addressing many difficult issues, to romance, action, and even pornography. As a result, anime is very popular as there is something available for everyone, making it very appealing to the masses and an important aspect of Japanese culture. One anime which has proved to be popular not only in Japan but in America too is Sailor Moon Sailor Moon was a popular series that aired on Japanese television from March 1992 to February 1997, only a month after the first issue of the manga was published. Compared to many other Sho-jo anime, Sailor Moon redefined the concept of the magical girl genre, (footnote Paul Gravett) since previous anime did not use their powers to fight evil. Sho-jo anime is the term given to the intended market audience, and although Sailor Moon is popular amongst boys the main target audience is young girls, typically referred to as the Sho-jo in Japan. (footnote) Written by Naoko Takeuch, the story of Sailor Moon is a humorous, mysterious and action filled journey fused with typical Sho-jo elements of love interests and friendships. The 200 episodes follow the development of a young fourteen year old girl, Usagi Tsukino, who upon learning of her superpowers from a talking cat, has the ability to transform into a super heroine Sailor Scout. Along with four other girls, they try to fight the evil Negaverse, and save Earth as well as humanity from destruction. The characters of Sailor Moon, as well as many other animes, appear to have no set nationality. Usagi has long flowing blond hair, pale skin and large blue eyes; an image which could possibly be described as appearing more Western than Japanese. This image, coupled with the American cheerleader style outfits of the super heroines, certainly suggests that there is a strong influence. The long toned limbs, short skirts and the tight, figure hugging costumes of conventional American super heroes, accentuates the legs, the small waists, large hips and in particularly the fully developed breasts of the characters, suggesting a more mature sexualised form of the young girls once they have transformed. Whenever the Sailor Scouts transform, the image illustrated is very suggestive of the characters being naked; they are literally being stripped in order to be reborn with new identities, that of fighters, but ultimately stronger, confidant women. The transformation scenes raise contradicting issues concerning whether females are purely sexual objects to be looked at and fantasised over by men, or if it is showing that developing young women are becoming freer and liberated in modern society. The transformations begin with a 360Â ° view of the characters in their naked form which once again portrays the characters in a rather sexualised yet somehow innocent manner. They loosely resemble the body of bare Barbie doll, which of course is related to childhood and thus connected to the Sho-jo culture. A leotard is then materialize, which highly resembles the swimsuit worn during a Miss American Beauty Pageant, suggesting that these girls have the perfect body to which impressionable young girls should be striving to achieve. Their bodies are then wrapped in the cheerleader style, sailor uniforms of their super heroine character. The sailor outfits, along with any other style of school uniform, are a popular fetish item regardless of whether the viewer is Japanese or not making this transformation sexualised once again. Finally, the girls appear to be raised up in the air, almost as if they are flying. It is in images of flight that the possibilities of escape (from the past, from tradition) are most clearly realised Susan Napier page 156 This gives the viewer the impression that the girls are breaking free from the bonds that are restricting them, liberating themselves, which in turn suggests the possibility of freedom, change and redemption both in context to the anime situation but also society. The transformations that the Sailor Scouts undergo, inevitably force the girls to grow up quickly when they should be enjoying their childhood. Also, Sailor Moon is the chosen one, meaning that involuntary changes are going to happen to her and that responsibilities are going to be thrust upon her. These are issue that any teenager encounter during puberty regardless of sex or nationally and so can be easily related to. The transformation scene therefore poses the question of whether these images are for pure sexual gratification appealing to men and intrigued adolescents of both sexes; a cheap attempt to boost audience viewing figures with the notion of sex sells; or whether it is to increase the empowerment of women. Whichever way these images are viewed, the transformation scene of the girls is opposing the traditionally upheld expectations of women being shy, subordinate and obedient to men in society. The fighting stances that each of the girls adopt certainly suggests a sudden growth from giggling adolescent school children into more confrontational adults. Sailor Moon stands with her legs wide apart and a hand on her hip appearing fearless as well as dominant; Sailor Mercury adopts a slightly more submissive position than that of Sailor Moon with her legs bent at the knees, and, in the tableau of the warriors together she is crouched on floor suggesting the possibility of sexual submissiveness; Sailor Mars, like Sailor Moon, is stood with her legs wide apart but looking back over her shoulder at the viewer with a hand on her hip suggesting a more temptress nature to her character; Sailor Jupiter also has a wide leg stance and during her first transformation the viewer is actually able to catch a glimpse of her bottom under her skirt possibly suggesting that this Sailor Scout is more sexually mature. Throughout all of the transformations and the majority of the fight scenes, the skirts of all of the Sailor Scouts, including Sailor Venus are blown up by the wind, resulting in the viewer catching a tantalising display of upper-thigh from the teenage girls. The eroticism and idea of strong women in Sailor Moon are effortlessly incorporated into the series even though the intended audience is for young girls, which significantly contrasts with the preconceived expected behaviour of women within Japanese society as being subservient. It is interesting to note as well that all the protagonist characters of Sailor Moon are female, be that good or evil, and the male characters are either the womens subordinates under their order and control, or their sidekicks. All these factors contribute towards challenging the traditional hierarchy values of Japan upheld by some men and women. One scene in particular which challenges this notion and consequently addressing the awareness of equality between men and women is during Episode 13 entitled Girl Power! The End of Jadeite in a battle between the Sailor Scouts and Jadeite, who is part of the Shitennou of the Dark Kingdom. Jedetite: Your trusty Tuxedo Mask is dead! Cry and Wail! Can you do nothing without the help of a man?! Women are such foolish creatures in the end! Sailor Mars: Only old men think men are better than women these days! Sailor Mercury: Thats right! Scorning women is positively feudalistic! Sailor Moon: Down with sexual discrimination! Jedetite is openly sexist towards women, frequently claiming how females are unable to match his power or intelligence. It is ironic then that it is the Sailor Scouts who defeat Jedetite, resulting in Queen Beryl placing him into an eternal sleep as punishment for losing the battle. Jedetite and his chauvinistic opinions are in other words silenced by women. Usgai has very feminine traits, that of wanting to nurture and heal people which are seen once she discovers the use of the Moon Healing Escalation. In order to defeat many of the monsters she faces Sailor Moon has to first heal them. (develop) The constant mentioning of Usagis body weight throughout the series raises the question of whether the writer and consequently the programme is being nurturing and understanding to its target audience, reassuring girls of any age about their body and encouraging them to be happy, or whether it is actually making young girls feel more self-conscious and obsessive over their own weight issues. The issue of the body appearance, especially in the Sailor Scouts transformations as already discussed, would certainly suggest the latter.

The Image of Fire in Faulkner’s Short Stories, Barn Burning and Shingles for the Lord :: Barn Burning Shingles

The Image of Fire in Faulkner’s Short Stories, Barn Burning and Shingles for the Lord The image of fire was very prominent in Faulkner’s short stories â€Å"Barn Burning† and â€Å"Shingles for the Lord.† Throughout the two stories, fire emerged as a destructive device. The production of fire directly or indirectly destroyed property and the image of the characters, Snopes and Pap. Fire symbolized the character’s deceitful ways and destruction of his identity in society. The fathers present in the two stories possessed deceitful natures. In the story â€Å"Barn Burning,† Snopes’ ill manner erupted into arson. He appeared as the defiant worker. After destroying the landowner’s expensive rug, he refused to pay the ten bushels of corn and burned the landowner’s barn (18-21). His resort to fire symbolized his derogatory ways. Fire was his most destructive tool to facilitate his revenge. In comparison, in â€Å"Shingles for the Lord,† Pap indirectly produced fire. In his misleading plot, he tried to outsmart a fellow worker by removing shingles off the church roof at night. However, the lantern he used for light created a fire in the church (39). His accidental manufacture of fire was a result of his deception toward his fellow worker. Fire was an ultimate consequence of his behavior. Each character used fire as a destructive weapon and ultimately destroyed himself. In â€Å"Barn Burning,† Snopes’ use of fire in the beginning of the story presented him as an outcast. At a trial for arson, the judge told Snopes, â€Å"I can’t find against you, Snopes, but I can give you advice. Leave this country and don’t come back to it† (5). Snopes’ use of arson destroyed his self-image in front of societal figures. He was banished due to his actions. In â€Å"Shingles for the Lord,† Pap’s destruction of the church by fire destroyed society’s perception of him. The use of fire labeled him as an arsonist, a reduced man, and an untrustworthy individual. The preacher, Whitfield, told Pap, â€Å"If there is any pursuit in which you can engage without carrying flood and fire and destruction and death behind you, do it. But not one hand shall you lay to this new house until you have proved to us that you are to be trusted again with the powers and capacities of a man† (41). Pap’s arson destroyed society’s respect for him and labeled him as an outsider among the people. Faulkner’s use of fire signified the father figure’s deceitful ways and the ultimate deconstruction of each father’s presence in society.

Third World Debt Essay -- essays papers

Third World Debt For most of the Developing countries, the need to exploit their resources, increase their GDP up to an acceptable level and overcome their inability to cope with the necessary imports to cover domestic wants, caused a major increase in their external debt. Prior to the Third World debt crisis in 1982, Developing countries managed to keep the levels of external borrowing at low points, mainly due to the fact that the loans they were receiving had comparatively low interest rates, and their purpose was to increase imports of capital goods. Additionally, their mail loaners were Developed countries and financial institutions, such as the World Bank. However, in the period between 1982 and 1989, a major increase in Third World counrties’ external debt led to economic difficulties and even high political instability. During the 20-year period between 1970 and 1989 the external debt of Developing countries grew from $68.4 billion to $1283 billion, an increase of 1846 % . The main reasons for which Third World Debt rose dramatically during the 80’s have their roots to the late 70’s.The most significant ones are: Â · Rise in oil prices. It led most of the OPEC countries to stock their oil surplus in order to face the crisis and benefit from increasing demand. Therefore, profit-purpose banks were encouraged from governments to grant loans to LDC countries, in order to avoid the effects of the increase in oil prices. A significant numb...

Nature and Love in the Poetry of Dafydd ap Gwilym :: Poetry

Nature and Love in the Poetry of Dafydd ap Gwilym Essay is 1550 words in length Dafydd ap Gwilym has been acclaimed as the greatest poet of the Welsh language. As Rachel Bromwhich commented, Dafydd’s life "coincided miraculously in both time and place with an unprecedented opportunity to mate the new with the old" (Brom 112). Perhaps "mate" is a more appropriate choice of words here than Rachel intended. As his poetry depicts, Dafydd tried to mate a great many things in his time; the man is immortalized as a ball of raging hormones. A self-proclaimed "Ovid’s man," Dafydd took pleasure in identifying himself with the authoritative source of courtly love, a fresh trend in Wales during his life (Summer 29). Love, specifically courtly love, was among the new themes Dafydd merged with the traditional themes like nature. Even the ancient topic of nature, under Dafydd’s molding, took on new forms. Dafydd personified elements of nature to be his trusted messengers in poems such as "The Seagull." In the "Holly Grove," nature is subtly described a s a fortress or protector of sorts. Variations of these elements of secret, protected, and secluded love mesh with images of nature throughout Dafydd’s poetry. However, nature seems to be much more than a confidant or mere factor in his search for love; Dafydd’s poems such as "Secret Love" suggest that nature is essential in this endeavor. Though Dafydd’s attempts at love are not limited to the natural realm, poems such as "Trouble in a Tavern" make it evident that only in the natural setting is Dafydd a successful lover. Elements in the poetry of courtly love express the need for a love affair to remain secret. The object of a poet’s love in these poems is typically a married woman, or unattainable by some other means. Andreas Capellanus’s The Rules of Courtly Love captures this element of forbidden love by saying, "marriage (was) no real excuse for not loving" (Cap 115-116). As Patrick Ford wisely pointed out, the need to maintain secrecy in a forbidden affair is not a new idea to modern readers. These elements of courtly love do not escape Dafydd’s poetry. His poem "Secret Love," among others, emphasizes the level of secrecy necessary in maintaining a love affair. Dafydd considers himself a learned lover, who found that "The best form of the words that work / Is to speak love in secrecy" (Sec 1-2).

Group Analysis of Two Poems Sharing the Same Topic Essay

Group Analysis of Two Poems Sharing the Same Topic: Cockroaches Morley in his poem â€Å"Nursery Rhymes for the Tenderhearted† and Wild in his poem entitled â€Å"Roaches† constitute two distinct tones through their use of imagery and perspective. Morley’s tone toward roaches is whimsical while Wild’s attitude is bleak. Morley lighthearted entertaining poem is more to depict his own personal fear of the cockroaches, which is an example of his own perspective. Wild’s message is the opposite, he forces the fear upon the reader, he causes the reader to be scared with the imagery that he uses. In the first poem Morley takes a whimsical look at the common kitchen cockroach through images of its leaving behind evidence on its nightly visits, using words and phrases that give the reader an almost benevolent picture of what most people detest. The speaker addresses the roach directly, personifying it. The images are of the roach snacking and playing in the kitchen: â€Å"reclining on the cheese,† â€Å"browsing among the tea leaves,† â€Å"trekking on the biscuits,† â€Å"drowsing in the sugar bowl,†. Just how any normal person would encounter a cockroach, Morley depicts the poem as if it were his own encounter. One can tell that the speaker/Morley doesn’t have such a gruesome perspective towards the cockroaches. Wild’s viewpoint of roaches contradicts Morley’s by validating the cockroach’s misaligned reputation through dark diction and nightmarish images, making the reader uncomfortably aware of its eeriness. Unlike Morley’s friendly roach who raids the kitchen at night, Wild’s creepy roaches take possession of human beings invading their bodies. This roach, as opposed to Morley’s, is eating disgusting gunk in the bathroom that no person would ever consider to be a meal, something so noxious. Look more:  first poem for you kim addonizio analysis essay The roaches begin to take over his body, †nibbling his toes,† â€Å"probing in his veins,† and â€Å"scrambling up his throat† in the same way that roaches take over the sewers in the dark of night â€Å"crouched like lions in the ledges of sewers† â€Å"black eyes in the darkness†. Wild places the roaches in a position that makes the reader squeamish and uneasy, he makes you build up this picture in your head that not that these creatures are only two inches long but that they are some type of demon. Wild leaves this image on a reader that sets the tone to be terrifying, as if when you were to stumble upon a cockroach in the restroom, you basically walked into your own death sentence. While Morley paints this pretty picture that they are nothing but harmless creatures, and misunderstood.

Independent Trust: Assurance in Modern Development Essay

In these economically unstable times with deep collapses and shifts within the global business community, it is essential for a company to provide stable, reliable service to its clients in bilateral partnerships of trust. The nature of an independent trust company is one of total solidarity with its individual clients, resisting the temptation of common prevalent lapses of ethics within the business community. With firm and friendly partnerships in place, our company moves into the continually developing economic environment with assurance in the fact that new clients, situations, and communities can be well served by our team of professional experts who continually keep watch on the life generating business developments across the globe. The confidence and positive outlook of our staff lends well to the retaining and expanding of our client base, and in a pact of mutually beneficial investments and market gauges, our company consistently hits the mark in providing the highest level of intelligent excellence to each individual with whom we come into contact, our staff members and all the clients we serve. The environment where our company is based, with locations in Jersey and Geneva, lends to a beautifully positioned placement within Europe. The liberated nature of the core societies in which we work shores up the ability of our company to make wise and independent decisions while are uniquely tailored to the needs of our global clients. Individuals from the United Kingdom, Far East, Middle East, and Eastern Europe are well served by the strategic location of our offices, both in terms of the unique legal structures of Geneva and Jersey as well as the convenience of their global positioning and welcoming infrastructure. Our staff members are able to travel easily between our offices and to make trips across the world in order to best serve our clients. People are never â€Å"out of sight, out of mind†, rather our full devotion and energy is invested in our staff members and clients, with meetings, trips, and travel being the means in which we are able to make assured decisions in the mutually beneficial agreements with clients and businesses. In looking to the structure of our company, it is important to note that we have a very high level of qualified staff members, employing six chartered accountants and numerous ICSA and STEP qualified personnel. The top managers are very easily approachable and support the company workers with proactive and confident attitudes, aiming to keep the company driven in steady and positive directions. Benefits are arranged in a flat organizational structure, with all employees enjoying the extra perks of retirement and health investments, the choice to live and work in either of our two lovely office environments in Jersey or Geneva, having to the option to change jobs and immerse oneself in a new and exciting cultural environment, and to relax during business meeting and trips as well as personal leisure time, including dinner and drinks, and stimulating excursions to Sark, France, or the mountains of Switzerland. Everyone knows how important it is to enjoy the work environment, and encouraging the happiness of our employees and clients in essential to doing good business. While our staff and clients are nurtured by the care of our company, the level of expertise and the commitment to performance is what drives our constant impulse to provide the highest level of service to our business partners. A company always has to sustain performance in the present as well as keep an eye on the attainable goals for the future. With our recent purchase of another company which was heavily involved with charities in Africa, working with AIDS, children, and animal sanctuaries, we have now opened up to our Southern market and are strategically placed to conduct careful business in this developing economy which is ripe with potential. Catering to the unique needs of our clients and partnerships always involves a sense of ethics and wanting to provide not only business services, but also to provide a heartfelt level of care to the people we engage. More and more, it is understood that morality in the business and investment communities, in the modern day market, is vital to the health and sustainability of individual people, businesses, communities, and nations. Without a true and faithful grasp of the essential elements of conducting good business, a company with be sure to falter or collapse, a situation which has never been experienced by our company, even within these economically challenging times. With eyes on our current clients and partnerships, care being given to maintaining and developing relationships, and strategic plans being crafted for the implementation of our future in opening market possibilities, our company enjoys the satisfaction of knowing that we are catering to the real needs of our worldwide friends and stepping in to provide the real needs to the market demands. In adding to the idea of morality in business, it is important to highlight what we avoid, in order to also provide a clear image of the business we do conduct. There is never a time when it is alright for us to ignore or set aside a potential working relationship. In connecting with our clients, we don’t ever assume that we are in a particular power position or exude any sort of elitist arrogance. The over confidence and greed which is the demise of many businesses is consistently rejected by our staff team, and we never accepted outside commissions. The level of importance of each individual member of our company is horizontal. Although one person may have a more complicated task to perform at any given time, there is never a time when any person in our company believes that the other person is not absolutely and vitally essential to our well selected team. To us, each staff member, client, and business is a partner, each person and organization equally essential to the web of relationships in which we weave and network. By placing trust and positive regard in our well selected partners, we pulse energy into the ties which bind us and generate life not only in social or emotional terms, but also in business and economic terms. It would be a great honor and pleasure for our company to receive the award of Independent Trust Company of the Year. By taking note of our strength and resilience through very difficult economic times, the powerful friendliness of our company team, the devotion with which we serve our global partners, and the high level of ethics with which we infuse our company, we hope that you will see the value in naming us for this prestigious gift. The hard work and determination of our solid and caring team members would be nothing more than expanded and rejuvenated by the dedication of this award to our stable and well positioned independent trust company. In aiming high, resisting immoral business temptations, catering to the true needs of our staff members and clients, making informed business decisions, working for the sustainability and development of our company, and nurturing our personal and professional relationships, we are sure that the quality and performance of our company is justifiably notable and well deserving of nothing less than the highest honor and best regard.

Many of today’s drivers have dangerous habits

Observing driver’s behavior nowadays, one can conclude that undoubtedly many are said to be poor when it comes to driving skills. Now there is more than anecdotal evidence that American drivers are woefully in need of refresher courses in basic driving skills. The results of the second annual GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test suggest that licensed Americans â€Å"lack basic driving knowledge and exhibit alarming behaviors on the road.† The study revealed that one in 11 drivers out of nearly 18 million people would fail a state drivers test if one were administered to them today. Furthermore, the study shows drivers deliberately disregard pedestrians and treat driving as the new â€Å"down time,† where they catch up on the day's activities, diverting their attention from the road. (Ripley, 2007) New finding had come up but still indicates that drivers still do not have adequate knowledge of basic rules of the road, and they exhibit bad habits behind the wheel. One of the most dangerous behavior for drivers is the concern for pedestrians. Roughly one out of three drivers usually do not stop for pedestrians even if they’re in a crosswalk or at a yellow light. Another things is that one out of five drivers do not know that a pedestrian has the right of way at a marked or unmarked crosswalk. Another concern that has a connection with the latest trends is that some drivers treat driving as a time to catch up on activities that they failed to do in their hectic day. Doing stuffs like cellphone chatting, texting, e-mailing friends, selecting songs on their iPods, putting on make up, changing clothes and reading. These activities are considered to be distracting and of course dangerous. Most drivers also drive through yellow lights. Drivers also drive at least 10mph over the speed limit they are always in a hurry and cannot be bothered to slow down. The most common driver’s dangerous habits are: use of handheld cellular phones while driving, not respecting pedestrians in crosswalks, drivers do push through driving even though they are drunk, driving under the influence of drugs, too fast driving when raining, not slowing down when passing through humps, not blowing horns when there are people crossing the street, too many unskilled drivers are on the road, drivers are not using hand signals, bike lanes are out of hand, drivers use to cut lines and the speed limits are too low. Its good to break the rule sometimes but one must remember that life should never be put at risk so we must remember to drive responsibly. Work Cited Ripley, Tom . â€Å"Study Says American Drivers Suck† December 4, 2007 Retrieved from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ;http://www.drivingtoday.com/sweetridz/features/archive/amer_drivers_suck/index.html;

Interview with someone who lived during WWII Essay

1.Question: Were you involved in the war? Any family members involved in the war? Answer: He was not involved in the war because he was too young. However, his father worked as an electric engineer for the army and operated radars. He had two uncles who were also in the army and had another uncle in the navy. 2.Question: Were you active in civil defense, Red Cross, war industries, other volunteer activities? Answer: He was in the boy scouts and was extremely patriotic. He collected scraps of aluminum, steel, iron, and paper for the war effort. He did not see this job as a burden and even competed for respect by trying to collect the most materials. He was also a coastal watcher and was assigned to watch for enemy submarines along the eastern coast. However, he never actually saw one. 3.Question: Any military experiences or personal anecdotes? Answer: He became a casualty-reporting officer in 1957 when he was stationed in Alaska. Before then, he was generally pro-war, but after telling two or three wives that their husbands were dead, he became more passive. He said his job as a casualty-reporting officer changed his view towards war and caused him to question the Vietnam War and the policies of President Bush. 4.Question: How did you view the war then? Answer: During the time of the war, he was nonchalant to the war. In fact, he said the worst part about the attack on Pearl Harbor was that he could not go to the beach on that day. As a child, he did not understand much about the war. For example, he said that when he learned about the Pearl Harbor invasion, he asked himself â€Å"what’s a Pearl Harbor?† and when he read about the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, he asked himself â€Å"what’s an atomic bomb?† He viewed the war as a game, because he never experienced any major losses. He thought that there was no way the United  States could lose and never worried for one second. 5.Question: How did you view military or political leaders during World War II? Answer: He admits that most of his opinions concerning them were affected by his father’s views and by movies, which he labels as propaganda. For example, he hated Himmler, Goebbels, Hitler, Goering, and Tojo because movies portrayed them as villains. He disliked Franklin D. Roosevelt because of his farm policies, which forced farmers to kill pigs in order to drive pork prices higher. He liked Churchill and idolized Dwight D. Eisenhower. 6.Question: Who do you feel was responsible for the war? Answer: He said the French were responsible for World War II because they created unfavorable and impossible situations for the Germans with their reparation system. He said that Hitler would never have risen into power if France had not burdened the German economy so heavily. He also felt that Japan was responsible for the war in the east, but the United States could have prevented the war from escalating by lifting its embargo on Japanese products. 7.Question: Did you suffer any deprivations because of the war? Answer: During World War II, Bill’s father worked with radars as an electrical engineer and was sent oversees to North Africa in 1943. Bill missed his father after he was called off to duty. Other than that, he suffered no other deprivations. 8.Question: Do you have any comments about rationing? Answer: Rationing was not very hard for his family because he had numerous relatives who were farmers. He maintained that the rations were adequate for his family and friends and that he never knew anyone who starved because of rationing. However, gasoline rations caused many problems for his family  because they moved around often. 9.Question: What were you doing when you first heard the news of Pearl Harbor? Answer: He was getting ready to go to the beach in Florida when he received a phone call from his father saying that Pearl Harbor had been attacked. His dad had to go directly to Pearl Harbor but he was just saddened that he could not go to the beach. It was not until several days later did he find out the severity of the situation when he saw a movie clarifying the Pearl Harbor attack. 10.Question: Did you know about the Nisei camps? Answer: No, like most Americans, he did not know about the Nisei camps until after the war had ended. At the University of Illinois, he had a close Japanese friend, ***** *********, who lived in a Nisei camp during World War II. Yukio was eleven years old when he was driven out of his home and sent into a Nisei camp. Yukio told Bill that there was plenty of food in the Nisei camp. The only bad memory he had of the camp was the giant fence that he was not allowed to cross in order to get his soccer ball. After Yukio’s family was released from the Nisei camp, they moved to Chicago to escape the bad memories that remained present in the west coast. 11.Question: How were Jewish refugees received in America? Were the welcomed? Answer: Bill said that as a child, he knew very little about the immigration laws for the Japanese and the Jewish. However, he distinctively remembered many restaurants and hotels hanging signs that read: â€Å"no Jews allowed†. He said that he always felt sympathetic towards the Jews because he had a close Jewish friend during the war. 12.Question: How were African Americans treated during the war? Answer: He said that he never had any friends that were African American during his childhood. He said there were no African Americans or any other  non-Caucasian races in any of the schools that he attended. He told me that African Americans were generally underused because they were thought of as inferior to the Caucasians. He even told me that some African Americans underwent experimental testing similar to the experiments that Hitler had used on the Jews. At Tuskegee, the United States military infected them with syphilis in order to study its effects on human beings. 13.Question: Was the war discussed in school? Answer: He said that kids usually talked about the war during school, but their teachers abstained from discussions about the war. Even in history class, teachers refused to discuss â€Å"current events† because they felt that the kids were too young to learn about the war. However, the children were allowed to sing patriotic songs for almost an hour every day. I think that Bill answered my questions without any bias or prejudice. He is currently taking many history courses at ******** so his historical knowledge is very accurate. His answers are impartial because he likes to view the war from different viewpoints. He told me that one must study World War II not only from the side of the Allies, but must gain the perspective of the Axis. During our interview, he constantly got off the subject and started lecturing me about the history of World War II. In fact, he brought several of his college textbooks and used his books to prove whatever point he was trying to make. Initially, after he told me about the syphilis experimental testing that the United States military administered on African Americans, I was reluctant to believe him (though I never showed any skepticism). However, he took out one of his textbooks, showed me the article on the Tuskegee experimental testing, and immediately gained my complete trust and confidence. Both his historical knowledge of World War II and his short-term (and probably long-term) memory are very accurate. I trust that the answers he gave concerning his childhood are also very accurate. Another reason that I think he was not biased in answering my questions was that he answered every one of them. He never tried to avoid any specific questions. Also, none of his relatives was injured or killed because of the war so it is unlikely for him to hold a grudge against the  Germans or the Japanese. However, one of the adverse effects of being too impartial is that he is unable to formulate any of his own opinions. For example, when I asked him who he thought was responsible for the war, he gave me a fifteen-minute history lecture about how France burdened Germany with reparation payments, which left the Germans economically destitute. Then he went on to discuss all the causes that were listed in his book, which took another fifteen minutes. After listening patiently for almost half an hour, I asked him who he felt was responsible for the war when he was a child. He answered, â€Å"When I was a kid, I was more interested in sports so I didn’t really care who was responsible for the war. Movies. Movies and my father convinced me that Hitler and Tojo were the ones responsible for the war†. I learned many things about life during World War II from Bill. For example, I learned that kids during that era were pro-war and very patriotic. This may have resulted from movies that were designed for propaganda. At that time, everyone went to the movies at least once a week, which may have greatly contributed to patriotism and to the war effort. I also learned that many children were active in collecting scraps of aluminum, steel, iron, or paper for the war effort. I do not know if these scraps actually helped build a lot of planes and ships, because it is foolish to think that there was that much scraps lying on the ground for the kids to collect, but it probably did get everyone involved and committed to the war effort. In addition, I learned that few Americans knew about the Nisei camps or the German concentration camps during World War II. It was not revealed to the public until after the war ended. Immigration laws were not widely publicized during the war either. I learned that rationing in the United States was not too awful and that no one starved or went hungry because of it. In fact, many felt that rationing was a major step up from the hunger caused by the Great Depression. Finally, I learned that some African Americans were the subjects of experimental testing during World War II. How can Americans shamelessly condemn Hitler’s experimental testing on the Jews when they are committing the same crime?