Zenith of Islamic Art and Architecture in Iran

VISUAL ART OF PERSIA BY: KHUSHBOO MEHBOOB course title: ZENITH OF ISLAMIC ART & ARCHITECTURE IN IRAN 1. Painting 2. Miniature 3. Calligraphy ? 1. 2. Painting Miniature Nushirvan Eating Food Brought by the Sons of Mahbud: Folio from the Shahnama (Book of Kings), Ilkhanid period (1206–1353), 1330s Iran, Tabriz Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Nushirvan Receives Mihras, Envoy of Caesar: Folio from the Shahnama (Book of Kings), Ilkhanid period (1206–1353), ca. 1300–1330 Iran or Iraq Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paperKamal-od-Din Behzad Of Herat School, â€Å"Khamseh Nezami† Baysunghur's_Shahname †¢ Garden Scene, Aq Quyunlu period (1396–1508), ca. 1430 Iran, possibly Tabriz Opaque watercolor and gold on undyed silk Khusraw being cared for by Shirin, Safavid miniature painting, Iran, 17th century Allegory of Worldly and Otherworldly Drunkenness: Folio from the Divan (Collected Poems) of Hafiz, Safavid period (1501–1722), ca. 15 31–33 Sultan Muhammad (Iranian, active first half of 16th century) Iran, Tabriz Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paperSaki by Reza Abbasi from the Moraqqa’ e Prince Muhammad-Beik by Reza Abbasi Golshan 1609 Golestan Palace Mollahs in the presence of Nasser-ed-Din Shah Qajar, Iran Fat‘? -‘Ali Shah Qajar, in 1798 3. Calligraphy A Calligraphic Panel in Nastaliq Script. Iran. Dated 1021 AH / 1612 AD. Signed Ahmad Al-Hosseini Qur'an of Ibrahim Sultan, dated 1427; Timurid Iran (Shiraz) Ink, colors, and gold on paper An Illuminated Quran, Iran. Dated 734 AH / 1333 -1334 AD. Mir Emad Hassani (1554 – 1615) Nizam Ganjavi's Khamsa. Iran.Dated 875 AH / 1471 AD. Book of Prayers, commissioned by Fath ‘Ali Shah Persia, Qajar, 19th century, Arabic text in naskh script within gold clouds, interlinear Persian translation; lacquer binding with gold floral design Octagonal Qur’an Case, Persia, Qajar, 19th century, decorated with calligraphic Qur’a nic inscriptions and prayers Lacquer Pen-box, signed by Muhammad al-Sultani, Persia, probably Isfahan, Safavid, 17th century, cartouches containing inscriptions in nastaliq script, and decorated with gold foliate motifsStand for a Qur'an manuscript, Muzzafarid period (1314–93), dated a. h. 761 / a. d. 1360 Made by Hasan ibn Sulaiman al-Isfahani Iran or Central Asia Wood (teak); carved, painted, inlaid THREE SAMANID CALLIGRAPHIC POTTERY BOWLS NISHAPUR, EASTERN IRAN, 10TH CENTURY Each with brown slip painted decoration around the cavetto over white ground, one ‘signed' Ahmad in its centre and inscribed baraka wa yumn wa surur wa sa(‘a)da wa sala(ma), one with stylized bird in its centre 9 7/8in. (25. 3cm. ) diam. (max. ) (3) Mihrab (prayer niche), Ilkhanid period (1206–1353), a. . 755 / a. d. 1354– 55 Iran, Isfahan Mosaic of polychrome-glazed cut tiles on stonepaste body; set into mortar Safavid Cut Steel Panel. Iran. Late 10th century AH / 16th centur y AD Illustrated A Pair of Antique Persian Isfahan Qalamkar Blocked Print & Painting in the Center with Persian Calligraphy at top Wall Hanging Carton. Qajar Dynasty iranian calligraphy on coins Helmet, late 15th century; A Silver Inlaid Brass Bowl. West Iran. 8th century AH / 14th Century AD Casket, brass with inlaid gold and silver, Iran, 1300-1350 Thanks

Chris’s major flaw in Horses of the Night

Imagination limits reality. In â€Å"Horses of the Night†, Margaret Laurence suggests that attempts to live unconstrained by an uncontrollable circumstance using imagination as an escape can prove insufficient and detrimental. Chris, the protagonist, is born into the Great Depression, has a dream that cannot come true. Chris attempts to escape this circumstance to realize his dreams. These attempts at escape leave Chris in a broken psychological state. Chris has a dream of becoming an engineer but his environment prohibits him.He is a hopeful young man who moves into Manawaka to attend high school. The relationship between Chris and Vanessa offers insight into Chris’s inner most thoughts and motivations. He says, â€Å"What I am going to be is an engineer, civil engineer. (287)† This statement is juxtaposed with â€Å"The Depression did not get better, as everyone had been saying it would. It got worse, and so did the drought. (288)† This contrast is used to establish the central conflict of the story, Chris’s unachievable dream. The Depression is Chris’s inescapable circumstance that he has no way of overcoming.Although he is innovative and hardworking there is nothing he can do about his environment. Throughout the exposition, of the story Grandfather Connor acts as a reminder of Chris’s reality. He references Chris’s deceased father by mocking Chris for chasing his dreams. â€Å"Wilf wasn’t much good, even as a young man†¦ If the boy takes after his father, it’s a poor lookout for him. (285)† This quote not only foreshadows the inevitability of Chris’ failure, but also reminds him of his hopeless reality. The Depression is described by Vanessa as an uncontrollable force brought upon the people by a malevolent God.An allusion to the Bible is made when Vanessa describes the depression’s effect on Manawaka as â€Å"Children of Israel being afflicted by Jehovah but n ever in real danger of annihilation(288)† this again reaffirms the circumstance of Chris’s environment are unchangeable and unaffected by human means. Chris’s dream is pure and full of good intentions but the timing of his existence did not benefit him. But in turn prohibits him from ever achieving his dream. Chris surrounded by pessimism, grief and depression uses imagination to escape.Chris uses false hopes to fulfil his dream of becoming an engineer by using imagination to escape reality . He fabricates the reality around him in order to escape using imagination. When Vanessa asks him about Shallow Creek, Chris weaves a fantastical story. These fabrications serve as an insight to Chris’s primary escape: imagination. Chris understands that his situation is inescapable but he will not accept that his dream cannot be achieve. Furthermore, when Chris faces negativity or confrontation he removes himself to his surroundings mentally. This trait is shown thoug h his conflicts with Grandfather Connor.When Grandfather Connor bludgeons Chris with harsh words, Vanessa comments â€Å"he gave no sign of feeling anything(285)† and â€Å"He would not argue or defend himself, but he did not apologize, either. He simply [appears] to be absent, elsewhere. (286)† Whenever he faces resistance or any form of reality, he escapes to his imagination. By ignoring the negative aspects of his life he cannot understand the fragility of his unachievable goal. The night before his departure Chris explains that â€Å"anybody can do anything at all, anything, if they really set their minds to it.(290)†The action Chris takes prohibits the realization of his dream while his constant escape from an undesirable circumstance is disconnecting him from reality. Vanessa was an optimistic girl that bought into all of Chris’s tales and believed in all of Chris’s strange fantasies and unreachable dreams. But as the story progresses and the description of the effects of the great depression worsen, she becomes less naà ¯ve to the destructive reality of her circumstance. This is unlike Chris who is still seemingly optimistic about his situation.By persisting and working hard Chris’s only companion through his journey to realize his dream is his imaginative false hopes. It drives Chris forward motivating him to never stop believing and focus on the end goal. Although he is innovative though his business ventures it still cannot overcome the fact that his circumstance I far too much for him to handle. The reality of the great depression cannot be overcome by even the most hardworking because the circumstance surrounding Chris is an unstoppable force that will inevitable crush Chris’s dreams.Even though Chris persistently tries to realize his dream the reality of his circumstances could not be escaped. Imagination although motivating Chris’s escape from reality, using imagination, not only destroys h is dream but also his mind. Chris is cynical because he realizes that his once hopeful theory is now crushed by reality. He says â€Å"To believe in a God who is brutal. What else could He be? (298)† Chris, although, did all he could to achieve his goal, his circumstance, or the will of God, is prohibiting him.For Chris there is nothing more  disappointing than to persevere to acquire his dream but to lose it all because of an uncontrollable force. When Chris talks about the war, he mentions â€Å"What kind of God would pull a trick like that? (298)† Chris understands the detriments of war yet he still feels the need to leave his current circumstance of Shallow Creek. Ironically, Chris escapes the reality of his circumstance by facing the reality of war. Even though he escapes so many times he cannot physically escape the reality of war. Chris comes home, insane and hospitalized.This implies that Chris escapes into his imagination, going insane. Chris never faces rea lity. When reality is all around him there is no way to ignore it. Before he could merely shut himself off to the world, but in war there is nothing you can escape to, only insanity. Chris’s attempts to escape the reality of his circumstance, be it through imagination or false hopes prove, futile and fatal. Dreams need to be grounded within the boundaries of circumstance or else they will never come true, because reality will trample over imagination. Chris’s major flaw in Horses of the Night Imagination limits reality. In â€Å"Horses of the Night†, Margaret Laurence suggests that attempts to live unconstrained by an uncontrollable circumstance using imagination as an escape can prove insufficient and detrimental. Chris, the protagonist, is born into the Great Depression, has a dream that cannot come true. Chris attempts to escape this circumstance to realize his dreams. These attempts at escape leave Chris in a broken psychological state. Chris has a dream of becoming an engineer but his environment prohibits him.He is a hopeful young man who moves into Manawaka to attend high school. The relationship between Chris and Vanessa offers insight into Chris’s inner most thoughts and motivations. He says, â€Å"What I am going to be is an engineer, civil engineer. (287)† This statement is juxtaposed with â€Å"The Depression did not get better, as everyone had been saying it would. It got worse, and so did the drought. (288)† This contrast is used to establish the central conflict of the story, Chris’s unachievable dream. The Depression is Chris’s inescapable circumstance that he has no way of overcoming.Although he is innovative and hardworking there is nothing he can do about his environment. Throughout the exposition, of the story Grandfather Connor acts as a reminder of Chris’s reality. He references Chris’s deceased father by mocking Chris for chasing his dreams. â€Å"Wilf wasn’t much good, even as a young man†¦ If the boy takes after his father, it’s a poor lookout for him. (285)† This quote not only foreshadows the inevitability of Chris’ failure, but also reminds him of his hopeless reality. The Depression is described by Vanessa as an uncontrollable force brought upon the people by a malevolent God.An allusion to the Bible is made when Vanessa describes the depression’s effect on Manawaka as â€Å"Children of Israel being afflicted by Jehovah but n ever in real danger of annihilation(288)† this again reaffirms the circumstance of Chris’s environment are unchangeable and unaffected by human means. Chris’s dream is pure and full of good intentions but the timing of his existence did not benefit him. But in turn prohibits him from ever achieving his dream. Chris surrounded by pessimism, grief and depression uses imagination to escape.Chris uses false hopes to fulfil his dream of becoming an engineer by using imagination to escape reality . He fabricates the reality around him in order to escape using imagination. When Vanessa asks him about Shallow Creek, Chris weaves a fantastical story. These fabrications serve as an insight to Chris’s primary escape: imagination. Chris understands that his situation is inescapable but he will not accept that his dream cannot be achieve. Furthermore, when Chris faces negativity or confrontation he removes himself to his surroundings mentally. This trait is shown thoug h his conflicts with Grandfather Connor.When Grandfather Connor bludgeons Chris with harsh words, Vanessa comments â€Å"he gave no sign of feeling anything(285)† and â€Å"He would not argue or defend himself, but he did not apologize, either. He simply [appears] to be absent, elsewhere. (286)† Whenever he faces resistance or any form of reality, he escapes to his imagination. By ignoring the negative aspects of his life he cannot understand the fragility of his unachievable goal. The night before his departure Chris explains that â€Å"anybody can do anything at all, anything, if they really set their minds to it.  (290)†The action Chris takes prohibits the realization of his dream while his constant escape from an undesirable circumstance is disconnecting him from reality. Vanessa was an optimistic girl that bought into all of Chris’s tales and believed in all of Chris’s strange fantasies and unreachable dreams. But as the story progresses and the description of the effects of the great depression worsen, she becomes less naive to the destructive reality of her circumstance. This is unlike Chris who is still seemingly optimistic about his situation.By persisting and working hard Chris’s only companion through his journey to realize his dream is his imaginative false hopes. It drives Chris forward motivating him to never stop believing and focus on the end goal. Although he is innovative though his business ventures it still cannot overcome the fact that his circumstance I far too much for him to handle. The reality of the great depression cannot be overcome by even the most hardworking because the circumstance surrounding Chris is an unstoppable force that will inevitable crush Chris’s dreams.Even though Chris persistently tries to realize his dream the reality of his circumstances could not be escaped. Imagination although motivating Chris’s escape from reality, using imagination, not only destroys his dream but also his mind. Chris is cynical because he realizes that his once hopeful theory is now crushed by reality. He says â€Å"To believe in a God who is brutal. What else could He be? (298)† Chris, although, did all he could to achieve his goal, his circumstance, or the will of God, is prohibiting him.For Chris there is nothing more  disappointing than to persevere to acquire his dream but to lose it all because of an uncontrollable force. When Chris talks about the war, he mentions â€Å"What kind of God would pull a trick like that? (298)† Chris understands the detriments of war yet he still feels the need to leave his current circumstance of Shallow Creek. Ironically, Chris escapes the reality of his circumstance by facing the reality of war. Even though he escapes so many times he cannot physically escape the reality of war. Chris comes home, insane and hospitalized.This implies that Chris escapes into his imagination, going insane. Chris never faces re ality. When reality is all around him there is no way to ignore it. Before he could merely shut himself off to the world, but in war there is nothing you can escape to, only insanity. Chris’s attempts to escape the reality of his circumstance, be it through imagination or false hopes prove, futile and fatal. Dreams need to be grounded within the boundaries of circumstance or else they will never come true, because reality will trample over imagination.

Cloze Passage

My First Unforgettable Evening |remember |happened |cheeks |scene | It () many years ago, when I was a little girl. I can neither ( ) the beginning nor the end , but whenever I think of the (), tears flow freely down my (). |young |carried |trudged |imagine | |visiting |overcoat |flooded |held | When I was (), my family led a poor life in the country.One evening we were () some relatives and the weather was very bad. It rained so hard that the roads were () with water. On our way home that evening, my Dad () me on his back. My Mom ()my elder brother’s hand, and held an umbrella for Dad and me. Dad gave his ( ) to my elder brother. As you can (), many country roads are difficult to walk on. This road was especially bad after the rain. However, we ()together through the mud and the rain for more than an hour. |hard |comfortable |decreasing |fell |achieved |Though I was on my Dad's back, I wasn’t ()either. I was fat at that time and it may have been () for Dad to hold me f or such a long time. He almost ( ) down four or five times. In hopes of ()my father's burden, I tried to â€Å"carry† myself, through force of will alone. That may sound funny, but I was just a kid. Of course, I ()nothing. |arrived |caught |covered | |asleep |puddles |placing | When we () home, the inside of our house was ( ) with rain water.The rain had come through our leaky roof and ( ) were everywhere. Mom put bowls and tubs all around the house to try to catch the rain. Then she put me and my elder brother to bed, carefully () us on the remaining dry spots. I fell asleep ( ) soon. When I opened my eyes, I found Dad and Mom were sleeping in chairs, both having () bad colds. |realized |represent |mind | |earliest |forget |passed |This is my very ( )memory, and luckily, it () nothing but my parents’ love. I () the depth of my parents’ great love for the first time. Though the evening has long since( ), and now we live a happy life, I won’t () the rain w e lived through together. The rain, that evening, and especially my parents' love, will stay in my () forever. How to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle |maintain |important |gentlemen |lead |absolutely |Good morning, ladies and (), I am here today to talk about how to () a healthy lifestyle. First of all, I am () sure that all of you will agree with me that it is indeed very () to lead a healthy lifestyle during old age. Here are some tips as to how to lead a ( ) lifestyle. |ageing |brisk |regular |exercises |promote |stamina | First of all, () exercise is very important as it slows down the () process. () walking, cycling and swimming are very good ypes of ( ). If done regularly, they can ( ) good health. Taichi and yoga are also very good for you. You may begin doing them for a few minutes a day and then slowly build up your(). |important |refrain |abstain |stroke |diseases |stand | The next most () point for healthy lifestyle is to ( ) from smoking. Smoking is the main cause of lung c ancer and it can also lead to heart(). If you () from smoking, the chances of getting a () is lower.By smoking, you may also lose some of your friends because they may not be able to () the bad smell. |wisely |consume |containing |indigestion |toxin | Eating () is also important. Older people should choose food () fewer calories because they do less physical activity. They should () more fruits and vegetables. It is also important for them to drink plenty of water because it helps to reduce () and helps to flush out ( ) from the body. avoid |interests |Listening |community |active |surfing | Another important factor is to () stress by maintaining good family relationships. It is good to do () service and take up some hobbies to keep you occupied. It is also good idea to learn new skills that () you. To keep your mind (), you can read books, magazines and newspapers and discuss issues with your friends and family. () to the radio, watching television and () the Internet are also ways to be occupied and be aware of the latest news. Thank you all for listening.

International Financial Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Financial Markets - Essay Example From this point, bond portfolios can be restructured in a systematic manner outlined as under: In the events when interest rates are expected to decrease, it would be advisable to restructure the bond portfolios drifting towards securities constituting long-term maturities. This will allow the portfolios to earn maximum capital gain because there is a stronger likelihood that the price of the bonds having long maturities are expected to increase by a greater amount than that of bonds having short maturities in case of a decrease in the yields. Conversely, in the events of an increase in the interest rates, it would be advisable to restructure the bonds portfolios drifting towards short-term securities as it may likely to result in decreasing the capital losses from a decrease in the prices of long-term maturities compared to the increase in the prices of securities having short-term maturities. ... ter 1 year Price of Bond 2 (5yr) after 1 year Price of Bond 3 (10yr) after 1 year Price of Bond 4 (20yr) after 1 year Price of Bond 1 (2yr) after 2 years Price of Bond 2 (5yr) after 2 years Price of Bond 3 (10yr) after 2 years Price of Bond 4 (20yr) after 2 years Bond Current Price P1 P2 2yr 109.5 104.4599 105 5yr 120.23 115.0694 109.2377 10yr 126.63 122.9504 118.6706 20yr 126.46 123.9087 121.6928 Holding Period Returns Bond 1 (2yr) Return for 1 year: 0.23 - 5.04006 = -4.81 Bond 2 (5yr) Return for 1 year: 0.85 - 5.16058 = -4.31 Bond 3 (10yr) Return for 1 year: 2.03 - 3.67964 = -1.64 Bond 4 (20yr) Return for 1 year: 3.19 - 2.55135 = 0.638 Bond 1 (2yr) Cumulative Return for 2 years: [0.23(1.0113) + 0.23] -4.5 = -4.0374 Bond 2 (5yr) Cumulative Return for 2 years: [0.85(1.0113) + 0.85] -10.99 = -9.2804 Bond 3 (10yr) Cumulative Return for 2 years: [2.03(1.0113) + 2.03] -7.96 = 3.877 Bond 4 (20yr) Cumulative Return for 2 years: [3.19(1.0113) + 3.19] -4.76 = 1.656 Bond 1-year Return 2-year Return 2yr -4.81 -4.0374 5yr -4.31 -9.2804 10yr -1.64 3.877 20yr 0.638 1.656 Task 5 Holding period return is considered as quite significant because the period covering this return pertains to the time horizon for which the investment is to be held in the portfolio. In the light of the holding period returns generated for the four bonds, it can be closely observed that if the time horizon is kept as 1 year, securities having short-term maturities, are unable to provide any returns, rather they are incurring losses. Only 20-year bond is providing the holding period return of 0.638 while rest of the other three securities, are in negative zone. On the other hand, if the 2-year time horizon for holding the securities in the portfolio is taken into consideration, it can be noted that the

The Hunting of Ancient Human Beings Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Hunting of Ancient Human Beings - Term Paper Example These hominids evolved into Homo Erectus 1.5 million years ago followed by the Neanderthal man 200000 years ago. These hominids were hunter-gathers and used stone tools for this work and each stage was marked by improved intellect and mind. Due to increased population leading to overhunting, a Neolithic Revolution occurred 12000 years ago thus shift from hunting and gathering to plant and animal domestication in the Middle East along the Nile. This paper will discuss the hunting methods of the early man from Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Neanderthal men to the beginning of Agriculture by the Homo sapiens. The Homo habilis is the earliest species of â€Å"humans† or bipedal beings. They were regarded as the â€Å"handymen† or â€Å"skillful human† by Louis and Mary Leaky who discovered their fossils alongside at Olduvai Gorge in Africa in 1959. According to the archeologists, Homo habilis existed 2.5 million years ago and were the earliest tools making hominid. They had a brain fifty percent larger than their predecessors the Australopithecus who lived 3-4 million years ago (Duiker & Spielvogel 3). They were regarded as handy as they could use their hands to grasp objects and make stone tools marking the beginning of the Paleolithic period (Old Stone Age). They were bipedal humans in that they had an upright posture and could walk with their legs, unlike the Australopithecines who were more like chimpanzees. According to Brown, Fairfax, and Sarao, they had â€Å"larger teeth than human and elongated premolars† (n.p). Their brain had a cranial capacity of 55 0cc. The development of the brain was a very crucial for early men as it determined the way of life and advancement to the next stage of evolution. These hominids depended on hunting and gathering hence intellect determined the types of tools to make and the type of game and fruits to gather as well as survival tactics.

Strategic Management Pharmaceutical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Management Pharmaceutical - Essay Example Pfizer Inc. pays a special attention to the product mix and geographical location (Johnson, Scholes 1998). Pfizer Inc. follows two pathways: growth with the same products in the same markets and development of new products for the same markets. Pfizer Inc follows vertical-integration which allows the company to integrate upwards. Also, growth strategy involves HRM and resource location aimed to meet the highest industry requirements and customers' demands. It was stated above that marketing departments work more closely with R&D departments to ensure that the products which are developed are those which cater for the changing needs of target customers and different needs of varying customer segments. In recent years, high failure rates in the introduction of new products have led departments to be very risk averse, with most 'new' products emerging being merely extensions of existing product lines and not truly new and innovative offerings. Its best selling and innovative products in clude Lipitor, Diflucan, Zithromax, Viagra, Celebrex etc.

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Inter-Religious And Inter-Racial Marriages Essay

Inter-Religious And Inter-Racial Marriages - Essay Example Respect for each other is paramount, especially so in the case of inter - religion marriage. (Meera Chowdhry, 2000, Family Matters, Inter - Religion Marriage, www.boloji.com). Marriage is a partnership between two members of the opposite sex. The usual roles and responsibilities of the husband and wife include living together, having sexual relations only with one another, sharing economic resources and being recognized as the parents of their children. The Bella Online's marriage editor Ms Kristen Houghton's, opinion about marriage is that the institution of marriage encompasses in its ambit numerous factors. The main factor affecting marriage is Religion. A person's religious or spiritual beliefs should be either the same or at least congenial to that of one's spouse. This is so because a person's religious beliefs are an integral part of a person and if there is a difference of religious opinions, then the marriage may be affected adversely. (http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art27452.asp, n. d. ) Meera Chowdhry, 2000, Family Matters, Inter - Religion Marriage, www.boloji.com states that, "Religion is a way of life. We by the virtue of being born in a certain religious backdrop learn to follow a way of praying or accepting God as Christ or Krishna and so forth. Thus following the teachings, I do not see the teachings of Krishna any different from that of Christ. How does it matter then which religion is older It is more important to have a harmonious relationship with one's spouse." The author is saying that religion is usually determined by the family into which one is born. Further, there is not much disparity between different religions. The main import is to follow the teachings of the religion, which one follows. From the perspective of marriage, it is much more important for the husband and wife to have mutual understanding and respect for each other than to concentrate on the differences in the personal religion that they follow. From the foregoing, we can conclude that happiness in marriage is more dependent on mutual understanding and mutual respect than it is on religion. It is the belief of many people that introducing two contradictory beliefs into a marriage is inviting marital strife, which could increase the rate of divorce. Further, many people also believe that having parents of two different religions causing psychological stress on the offspring as they are often effectively forced to choose one parent over the other. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interreligious_marri ge, n.d). A person professing a different faith is considered inferior and ineligible from the point of view of matrimony (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interreligious_marriage, n.d.).Having the same, religious and spiritual beliefs are part of the essential criteria, for many people seeking a partner in marriage. Many people feel strongly that the person they are going to marry should be of the same religion, have the same traditions and customs and the same intensity of belief in God as they themselves do. For most people this is an integral part of their idea of marriage. However, there are still others who marry someone who belongs to a different religion. Such people have to overcome opposition from their families on entering a matrimonial alliance of this type. Despite all this, if true love prevails in the relation between husband and wife, then such trifles as which spouse's religion is superior or inferior will be relegated to the background. This statement is based on common experienc e. The offspring born to such couples will learn to respect religion irrespective of the particular

DISCUSSION AND REPLY TO A DISCUSSION( 4th year Nursing course) Essay - 1

DISCUSSION AND REPLY TO A DISCUSSION( 4th year Nursing course) - Essay Example The article also attempts to determine the extent to which formal FPDR policies exist in hospitals, and the level of awareness among the nurses there. Thus, the article has a great utility to the practicing nurses as it explicates salient issues about the practice of FPDR identified by nurses who responded to the qualitative portion of the survey. The conclusions of the study have great implications for the practice of nurses who experience family presence during resuscitation. "The practice of FPDR impacts both family members and members of the resuscitation team. Nurses weigh these impacts when considering whether or not to bring family members to the bedside." (McClement, Fallis, and Pereira, 2009). According to the findings of the study, the majority of critical care nurses support FPDR which suggests that the formal policies in hospitals to facilitate this process. Therefore, the article provides illumining insights into the nurse's perspective in regards to the presence of fami ly members during resuscitation and it also deals with benefits and risks of FPDR for family members and health care professionals.

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Discussion - Assignment Example My choice of the percentage difference is a function of age and health because the two determine my choice of medical insurance plan. If I were elderly and/or sickly, I would chose a traditional unrestricted indemnity plan because it provides a patient with choice and security (Santerre and Neun 110). 2. Suppose the supply curve of medical services is perfectly inelastic. Analyze the impact of an increase in consumer income on the market price and quantity of medical services. Next, assume the demand for medical services is perfectly inelastic while the supply curve is upward sloping. An increase in consumer income will cause an increase in demand and market price but the quantity supplied will remain unchanged because medical practitioners have no choice in supplying medical services (Santerre and Neun 115). Prices of medical services will increase in response to increased costs of production. This will eventually in an increase in the supply of medical services. Producers always increase supplies when there is a price increment. However, there will be no change in the quantity demanded because consumers have no choice in the consumption of medical services as indicated by a perfectly inelastic demand curve (Santerre and Neun 115). In a perfectly competitive situation, lack of information may result in high prices and low quality of a medical good. This is because price and quality of products is unknown to consumers and producers. Producers may take advantage of consumers by producing low quality products and charging high prices so as to improve their profit margins. 3. 1. Explain the difference between the explicit and implicit costs of production. Cite an example of each. Suppose you are to specify a short-run total variable cost function for a nursing home. Explain the variables you would include in the function. What is the expected relation between a change in each of these variables and short-run total variable costs? Explicit costs are

A Teacher Essay Essay Example for Free

A Teacher Essay Essay Being a public school teacher is certainly one of the most challenging careers, but it is absolutely the most important profession there is. After all, without teachers, there wouldnt be any other professions! As a teacher, you create the foundation for your students upon which they will build the rest of their lives. You are not only influencing the future of your own students, but you are affecting the collective future of all of humanity for generations to come. You may not be able to see the long-term affect that you have on your students, but you are writing on the pages of who they believe they are, what they believe they are capable of, and who they will choose to be and become. This will determine what they choose to contribute to the world, which will have an impact on shaping the world of tomorrow for all of us. We each touch and affect countless others throughout the course of a lifetime. Everything we say, feel and do has a ripple effect that influences the present and the future of the collective consciousness on Earth. As a teacher, you have the ability to have a profound impact on your students lives in the present and far into the future. Think back on the teachers you had in your youth, and think of the ones that had the greatest impact on your life, both positively and negatively. How did they help shape your ideas about yourself and about the world? Did they contribute to your self-esteem, or to your self-doubts? Being a teacher takes great patience, strength, courage, stamina, compassion, intelligence, humor, kindness, caring, heart, generosity, etc. It often involves a great deal of self-sacrifice as well, because unfortunately, our present society greatly undervalues this most noble of professions. Those who choose a career of being a teacher do so knowing that they will face great challenges with little financial reward. You must therefore find the rewards of this career in other ways, by knowing that you are giving your students the tools with which they can succeed at life. Our present educational system in North America, and in other parts of the world, is antiquated and stale, leaving most students and teachers feeling  uninspired. Memorizing facts for tests is not learning. Knowledge is a living, growing thing, and in order to truly learn, the mind must be engaged with passion and interest. The ideal teaching environment is one in which the students are able to think, ask questions, and explore the relevance that the information has in real life, and the impact it may have on their own lives. Young people must know why it is important for them to know what is being taught to them, otherwise it will simply feel like a waste of time, and they will be bored and disinterested. In North America, we have developed a terrible apathy toward education, and many students feel that school is not cool. In Africa, children are begging to have an opportunity to go to school, because they know that education is the key to the future. Oprah Winfrey recognizes how important education is: she honors teachers everywhere as unsung heroes, and has been funding the building of schools in Africa because she believes that education and knowledge empower people to create a more successful life. In our present North American school system, being in a classroom can be very tiring and draining for both the teachers and the students. As a teacher, you keep giving energy continually to your students, but if nothing is coming back to you, it can feel demoralizing and even depressing, which can lead to burnout. It is important for you as a teacher to find ways to keep you and your students motivated and inspired. Most people do not realize the full impact that teachers have on students. Teachers have the ability to support a persons self-esteem, or to destroy it. Many young people may be experiencing devastating pain at home, either physically, emotionally, mentally or even spiritually, so school may be the only place where they can receive support and encouragement. This is particularly true of bad kids, who are often suffering greatly at home, and as a result, they begin to live down to other peoples expectations of them. If they are labeled as bad, then they will feel bad and will do bad things because that is who they have come to believe they are. As a teacher, you can foster and encourage your students (and yourself) to  have a strong desire to succeed in school, and in life. The ideal classroom environment is one that inspires co-operation, rather than competition. In life, as each one wins, we all win, because the joy of one raises the vibration of the collective consciousness for us all. We have a situation in schools today, particularly in public schools, where everyone wants to be the same, and no one wants to stand out. Therefore, we must try to encourage them all to be outstanding! One of the ways you can do this is to encourage your students to be stars. This can be challenging with older students because they will act like everything is stupid and they dont care, but they really do care. You can create a board with the name of everyone in your class, including yours, and have gold stars that you can stick on the board next to each persons name as they accomplish any positive achievement, including teamwork and positive effort. Although you may have to pay for this out of your own pocket, it is very inexpensive and will repay great rewards for all concerned. Perhaps the students can even give stars to each other, to you, and to themselves for any positive accomplishment. You can give stars out for grades, but also for class participation, for effort, for improvement, for attitude, for citizenship, for extra credit, etc. You could even further motivate the students by having a play day or pizza day when the class collectively gets a certain number of stars. You dont have to pay for this yourself, you can have a collection jar where the students can contribute their own money to such a reward celebration. Ideally, you want to make teaching fun and rewarding for you, and have learning be fun and rewarding for your students, so be as creative as possible. Rewards dont have to require money, but feeling like a star can create infinite rewards for life. You can encourage your students to make a star chart for themselves at home, or better yet (with their parents permission), to put gold stars on their mirror whenever they have a sense of accomplishment or overcoming challenges that way they can start to see themselves as a star on a daily basis. I would recommend this for you as  well, and for everyone. A positive, inspiring and encouraging environment has infinite positive ripple effects. You can make your classroom into an oasis where I and my students can all feel good about yourselves. This will create positive energy that keeps growing, which will energize you instead of draining you. If you inspire your students, you will feel inspired, and vice versa. Likewise, if you motivate them, you will feel motivated, and vice versa. Encourage your students to work together and to be self-motivated, so that all the energy is not just coming from you. Foster group work and group discussion, where each person has a sense of making an important contribution to the whole. The more fun and interesting you can make it for you and your students, the more you will all put into it, so you will all get more out of it and want to be there. As a teacher, you are the cornerstone of our society, and you make the greatest contribution there is to changing and affecting our world. I applaud you, and everyone in your profession. May you be inspired to inspire, motivated to motivate, and encouraged to encourage.

Why “software as a service” is going to dominate the next several years in information management. Essay Example for Free

Why â€Å"software as a service† is going to dominate the next several years in information management. Essay Why â€Å"software as a service† is going to dominate the next several years in information management. Introduction                  Saas is the acronym for software as a service. It is usually used to describe deliverance of software via the internet to the end users eliminating any need for applications or servers managed locally. Software is only delivered as a service not through a CD or any other media disc to be loaded in any one’s computer. This service is paid for through a subscription service and is not always located or installed in the computer. Since Saas came into being, it has broken barriers to its acceptance and yet it is more considered to the traditional hosting options. The more stunning instance is the people’s unwillingness to take up the traditional on-premise deployment. This has been proven by studies and surveys carried by different IT companies showing that, in the few years back, 90% of the respondents were willing to deploy these traditional on-premise deployments but today it has declined and is pegged at 56%. This paper discusses why Saas will dominate IT management in future (Creese, 2010). Based to studies carried out, the willingness for Saas consideration grows as the company’s size grow. The highest willingness for this ‘software as a service’ consideration lies with the large enterprises, which are also always the least to take on the traditional deployments. So as the main aim of every premise is to grow and expand, Saas will see itself on a high demand as many companies are sprouting up. Also those with most advanced and successful ERP implementations are mostly considering Saas deployments. According to Mint Jutras, a world class implementation of ERP is at 15% based on the results as from when these ERP were implemented. Most of the progress is on the company wanting to achieve the company’s specific goals and also the current universal metrics performance like complete percentage delivery along with customer retention. Those companies with world class ERP implementations are more willing to consider Saas deployment with more preferen ce lying with the manufacturing sectors where the top performers are twice likely to add up Saas as a deployment option (Lisserman, 2010). Despite the past unwillingness to consider SaaS ERP, the good thing of the SaaS equation in most cases extends beyond the evident advantages of outsourcing the maintenance and feeding of the hardware and the involved software. (Lisserman, 2010) when for instance we consider cost, Saas deployment portrays a lower ownership cost and startup costs. A Chief Financial Officer from one small company deciding on the SaaS route about two years ago showed an estimated investment up-front in an on-premise solution accommodating eight users was $160,000. This amount was mainly for implementation services, and also included hardware and involved software. The real up-front cost for the chosen SaaS solution was less than $90,000 and allowed up to twenty-five users. Despite the fact that software and service costs and also pricing models always vary from solution to solution, this difference is atypical. In fact 48% of survey respondents ascertained the lower cost of Information Technology staff as an the most advantage of a software as service (SaaS) solution. Many of the interviewed companies simply said that they don’t have the staff they felt are required to sufficiently support hardware, infrastructure and software, and hence are not interested in investing in the traditional resources. Heavy customization required in these latest resources present the highest barrier to incorporation of this service. Most people also feel that they do not have the required resources for Saas ERP customization, but there are arguments which can be brought about to counter this. This perception prevents most of the companies, in fact more than 27% of the interviewed to take up this solution. First and for most, one should not think that they cannot customize a SaaS ERP solution. This is because, most recent ERP solutions are offering so many options to customize, configure and tailor solutions that users think of performing customizations, although they are normally not touching the codes or structuring barriers to potential upgrades. In addition, if the requirements truly require modification of the code, some (but not all) vendors, even those providing multi-tenant solutions, will always support customization. These Saas vendors will incorporate the customization into the typical invention, mostly with switches and settings that will efficiently either â€Å"hide† the changes away from other consumers or make them optional. Also they can offer the tailored solution in a single-tenant environment (Creese, 2010). Nonetheless, while a lot of individuals or enterprises may think their businesses are unique (hence making customization a necessary option), a great deal of what they do can be quite comparable to any other business or at any rate similar to other businesses in that same industry. The obvious perceived differences frequently arise from the â€Å"we have always done it or we do it this way† mentality. More so, those supposedly unique business processes may always pre-date the accessibility of tools and know-how that can improve these processes Arthur, 2010). However if one truly feels that they require these heavy customization, then they may take time to reevaluate their businesses to ascertain if they really possess the right software tools for the project being undertaken. Fit and functionality should always be the top priority for any company seeking to acquire an ERP for its operations. Also the ease of use should be of great consideration. These two aspects should go hand in hand for any company, and I believe that Saas solution has these aspects. Owing to this, even the one that is perceived as the best fit, if it does not easily navigated on, or does not allow one to work naturally, does not save one’s time and effort, then it will simply never get used to your overall business operations and will never produce quality and value required by any business (Lisserman, 2010). Conclusion                  Trying to balance the advantages and disadvantages of Saas ERP, the prons outweigh the cons and therefore Saas seems to dominate the information technology in future. It shows a great deal in cost savings, start up costs and information technology cost along with its hardware are substantially low. Although the cost of subscription seems to equal the software and maintenance cost in due course, there are sustained savings realized by not incurring the purchase cost and its maintenance. If you feel that you do not posses enough IT staff today, there is no need to acquire or hire some. On the other hand, if you got a good number of staff, let them engage in the most strategic activities in your business other than the day to day maintenance (Creese, 2010).. Whether you opt to a multi-instance or multi-tenant, take time to evaluate the providers of the solution’s approach and carefully track records in terms of innovation deliverance. You should always look for those that update more frequently and also provide â€Å"opt in† enhancements. Moreover, do not engage yourself or your software into unwarranted and excess current customizations. Software configuration is a good undertaking but code modification and having to continue a routine maintenance of it is perceived not to be fair undertaking. If one feels the need to customize, he/she should be sure that they possess the right solution for the same. If in any case you operate in a distributed atmosphere, you can put into consideration the advantages which can be brought about by Saas in terms of enterprise standardization and access provision to the remote employees in ensuring that remote sites are brought up quickly. Also, if you already have invested or intend to invest in other applications that will surround your ERP or already surrounding it, you must take into account the integration capabilities and requirements that come with the said solution. References Creese, Guy (18 May 2010). SaaS vs. Software: The Release Cycle for SaaS Is Usually (Not Always) Faster. Gartner blog. Gartner, Inc. Jumping to SaaS? Take Agile Software Development Along with You. DevX.com. QuinStreet Inc. 8 January 2008. Lisserman, Miroslaw (20 December 2010). SaaS And The Everlasting Security Concerns. Forrester Research. Arthur, Charles (2010-12-14). Googles ChromeOS means losing control of the data, warns GNU founder Richard Stallman | Technology | guardian.co.uk. Guardian. Source document

Lufthansa airlines bankruptcy to profitable airline

Lufthansa airlines bankruptcy to profitable airline This report will take a closer look at the turnaround of Lufthansa airlines which went from near bankruptcy in 1991 to a now profitable airline. The evolutionary patterns of strategy and structure are identified in this report as well as how strategic leadership and German culture contributed to the turnaround. Furthermore, this paper will analyse the airline industry in terms of Porters five forces and will also take an extensive look at Lufthansas current situation by means of a SWOT and TOWS analysis. Additionally, Lufthansas business-level and corporate-level strategy will be identified and the Star Alliance, the worlds most important airline alliance, will be discussed in detail. 2.0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Company Background The Lufthansa Aviation Group is considered to be one of the worlds leading air transport corporations. It includes a number of independent group and affiliated companies with business segments in passenger airlines, logistics, aircraft maintenance, catering, tourism and IT services. Lufthansas headquarter is located in Cologne, Germany and its operational centre for passenger and cargo services is situated in Frankfurt (Key data on environmental care and sustainability at Lufthansa 2002/2003). Lufthansa is 78 years old and has currently about 93,000 employees worldwide and in 2003-reported revenue of about 16 billion Euros (Lufthansa Key Figures 2003- see also Appendix I). In terms of traffic performance, Lufthansa is in third position in worldwide passenger transport. For many years the company has also been the market leader in international cargo traffic. In 2002, Lufthansas 368 aircrafts operated on routes to 327 destinations, carrying 50.9 million passengers and 1.63 million tons of airfreight. Lufthansa was also one of the founding members of the Star Alliance in 1997, when 16 partners joined into the worlds largest airline alliance (Key data on environmental care and sustainability at Lufthansa 2002/2003). 3.0 The Industry Background The organization also has to deal with cyclical risks. General economic fluctuations as well as geopolitical developments can have a large impact on the performance of the Lufthansa Group. As good examples serve the events of September 11, the Iraq conflict and the outbreak of SARS in Asia along with a stagnating global economy which seriously influenced the business activity of the entire airline industry in a negative way (Heerkens 2003). Lufthansa is also confronted with some capital market risks as its international business activities expose it to exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations in the international money, capital and also the foreign exchange markets (Zea 2003). A substantial threat is the price of fuel since fuel consumption remains one of the main cost items for the whole airline industry. In 2003, it contributed 7.6% to Lufthansas total operating expenses. Fluctuations in fuel prices can have a significant affect on the organizations operating result (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Furthermore there is the threat of higher costs of insuring Lufthansas fleet. Insurance costs increased dramatically after the events of September 11 and since then stayed at a very high level. The reason for that are the massive additional premiums that are being charged for insuring against war and similar events. In case of more wars and terrorist attacks the premiums are likely to increase even further (Zea 2003). There are also a number of infrastructure risks that Lufthansa will have to deal with. There are plans for an extension of the runway system at Frankfurt Airport, which is a major hub for Lufthansas operations, and is extremely important for the long-term competitiveness of the German airline. The extension project is also crucial for securing Frankfurt Airports future as an international air traffic hub, which also applies to the building of the maintenance hangar for the new Airbus A380 super jumbo that will be used from 2007 onwards. Nonetheless, a range of operational restrictions on extending the airport has recently been debated which would hinder its efficient use. In case a solution cant be found, Lufthansa would have relocate part of their business to alternative hubs. Additionally, bottlenecks in many European air traffic control systems cause many flight delays. The infrastructural limitations are a huge burden on the profitability of all European air carriers. On top of t hat, they are inhibiting the industry to keep up with the growing demand for air transport services (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). There are also a few risks relating to the development of alliances. One of the foundations for Lufthansas commercial success was its integration into the Star Alliance, the worlds leading airline partnership system. Currently, many of the airlines worldwide are in a loss-making situation which, in the case of a few of Lufthansas partners like United Airlines and Air Canada, reached proportions that threatened their existence and also affects Lufthansa negatively. In regards to the Star Alliance, there are also challenges of coordinating and incorporating strategic activities like the establishment of a common global brand, a shared technology platform as well as joint training and personnel development (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Being part of the Star Alliance also poses the threat that Lufthansa might lose its identity. It is vital for them to preserve the Lufthansa brand (Bruch Ghoshal 2002). Labour unions are an additional threat; especially in Germany they have a lot of power. Labour unions can initiate strikes, which in the past have already led to delays of departures and substantial costs to Lufthansa (Steinborn 2003).   4.0 The Company Objectives Structural analysis of an industry is a useful way of determining a companys long-term profitability. Comprehending the dynamics of the competitive forces in an industry can give an insight whether an industry is attractive and whether there are any chances for returns on capital. Michael Porter, a professor at Harvard Business School, created a framework for understanding the structure of an industry. According to Porter, the five competitive forces that can have an impact on an industry are threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining powers of buyers, competitive rivalry, as well as the threat of substitutes (Analysis of industries 2003). 4.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Threat of new entrants The threat of new entrants offers the possibility that new firms are going to enter the industry, which will consequently lead to a reduction of industry returns by generally passing more value to consumers in terms of lower prices and also increasing the cost of competition. Factors like economies of scale, capital requirements, product differentiation, access to distribution channels, switching costs as well as brand value determine the threat of entry (Analysis of industries 2003). From my point of view it currently seems very difficult to enter the airline industry as this area of business as well as the world economy is facing a period of recession. Due to large product differentiation the entry barriers are fairly high. There is a range of flag carriers, charter airlines as well as a number of low-fare airlines in the industry. All these different types of airlines offer an extensive range of products that seem to satisfy most customers needs. Additionally, entering the aviation industry requires very high capital investments because aircrafts, technical support and IT services need to be purchased or leased. This industry is also very labour and fuel intensive which requires a lot of funds. Companies with an interest in entering the market also require access to distribution channels. This means that it is necessary to gain trust within the industry so as to get access to take-off and landing spots. This can be quite challenging as national policies still p lay a major role in the aviation industry. Furthermore it is a requirement to obtain permission from governments to enter airspace. Moreover once the market is entered, it is very difficult to exit which raises switching costs to a high level. Throughout the last decade the market opened due to the deregulation policy, which provided low budget airlines with an opportunity to enter the industry. The first entrants like Ryanair and Easyjet utilized this opportunity and developed strong brand names due to their first-mover advantage. Airlines that recently entered the market that have a similar price and cost structure generally find it more difficult to generate the traffic that is required to fill the seats in their aircrafts (Jacob Jakesova 2003). All in all it can be said that the threat of new entrants is not that high in the airline industry in the current business environment. 4.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bargaining power of suppliers Factors that are connected with the bargaining power of suppliers include the threat of forward integration as well as the concentration of suppliers in the industry. Supplier power decreases the ability for competitors in the industry to earn higher profits (Wheelen Hunger 2000, p. 64). The main suppliers within the airline industry are the manufacturers of aircrafts like Airbus and Boeing, fuel suppliers such as Shell, British Petroleum and Chevron Texaco. Furthermore there are technical support and IT services as well as the catering services. Suppliers are very concentrated in the airline industry as Boeing and Airbus supply most commercial fixed-wing aircrafts. The concentration of suppliers makes it difficult for the airlines to exercise leverage over the two manufacturers and negotiate lower prices or play one supplier against the other. Moreover, at the current stage, aircrafts for long distance travel cannot be substituted by any other product, which strengthens the bargaining power of the suppliers even more. Fuel providers have an excellent bargaining position as they can increase fuel prices without regarding the airlines as an important customer group. Forward integration, which is the expansion of a business products or services to related areas in orde r to directly satisfy the customer needs, is fairly low. The reason for this is that it can be assumed that neither aircraft manufactures, fuel providers nor technical support companies will purchase an airline and staff it with flight attendants, commercial pilots, a maintenance crew and operate flights across the world (Jacob Jaksova 2003). Nevertheless, the strong position fuel suppliers as well as the relatively strong position of manufacturers of aircrafts need to be taken into account when operating an airline. 4.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bargaining power of buyers Buyers can have significant power, as they are able to push down prices, and negotiate for better quality and service. Buyer power is determined by relative volume of purchase, switching cost, standardization of the product, brand identity, elasticity of demand as well as quality of service (Del Vecchio 2000). Since customers are not very concentrated and generally dont purchase plane tickets in large volumes they do not have a strong bargaining position. A single purchase of an airline ticket does not represent a significant fraction of the amount offered. Switching costs are quite low as consumers have a range of choices when selecting an airline. Due to the Internet, information about prices is also less fragmented and much easier to compare. Quite frequently, a customer can find price differences for the same flight and one seat is generally not any better, since everyone arrives at the destination at the same time. Considering the worldwide recession as well as the psychological effects of September 11, airline companies are under substantial pressure as customers switch to alternative transportation like trains. Vacation travelers also tend to shop around for the best price. Traveling by plane is quite expensive and can make up the largest part of the expense of a family vacation. For that reason, demand is quite elastic for some buyers. As soon as the price drops, the demand increases. However, airlines can move their prices in tandem with other airlines, which forces customers to purchase tickets for the market price until a price war starts (Analysis of Industries 2003). Nevertheless, all in all it can be said that the bargaining power of buyers is relatively low. 4.4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Threat of substitute products The airline industry is threatened by a number of substitutes. This threat is quite substantial within Europe, where Lufthansas main customer base is located. Many European countries have an excellent railway system with high-speed trains like the ICE in Germany and the TGV in France. These trains can travel up to 300km/h fast and can cover large distances within the countries in just a few hours. Trains can be considered the largest threat as they offer a variety of advantages over flying. From my point of view it seems that flying is much faster, but on a domestic flight in a European country there is not much of a difference in comparison to trains. The reason for that is that it always takes a while to get to the airport, as they are mostly located further away from cities; check-in and security checks usually require being there at least an hour before take-off. After the plane has landed, it usually takes at least another 30 minutes to get out of the plane, claim the baggage an d organise transportation to leave the airport. Railway stations on the other hand can be much more easily accessed than airports, there is no check-in and security check required and the destination railway station is generally in a very central location close to hotels or offices that need to be visited on a business trip. Furthermore, trains offer generally great scenery while travelling and also offer more legroom. Most importantly the prices are generally lower than those of prestigious airlines like Lufthansa. Alternatively, travellers could use their own car, which would be more time consuming, but would have the advantage of increased flexibility and having transportation at the destination location and not having to use public transportation or taxis. Depending on the distance, this substitute can be either more costly or less expensive (Jacob Jaksova 2003). Moreover, short international trips to major European capitals are often done by bus and also by ferry if it is a tr ip to the United Kingdom. From my experience this is the most inexpensive way of travelling throughout Europe. However, there is no real substitute to flying if the desired destination is overseas. The only alternative to planes would be ships and unless the customer is looking for a relaxing trip on the oceans, it will just take too long to reach the destination. Recently there is also a tendency of larger companies towards purchasing corporate jets rather than flying first class. According to Costa et al. (2002) corporate jets might reduce first class traveller by 10% by 2005. 4.5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Competitive rivalry Highly competitive industries are generally less profitable as the cost of competition is high or customers are receiving the benefits of lower prices. Competitive rivalry is affected by industry growth, brand identity, fixed costs, as well as barriers to exit (Wheelen Hunger 2000, p. 63). It can be said that the airline industry is highly competitive and that industry growth is fairly moderate with airlines struggling in taking away market share from each other. The barriers to exit are considered to be very high. Planes that are grounded dont earn any returns and it is quite complicated to dispose of these assets. Due to bankruptcy laws, airlines that are in financial stress can often remain competitors for a long time (Del Vecchio 2000). In Lufthansas home market, the European airline industry has seen some recent changes with the development of low budget airlines that compete with the more mature airlines. Additionally, recent airline crises like September 11 put even more pressure on all competing airlines. This leads to a process of consolidation and the creation of strategic alliances. Airlines within one alliance dont tend to compete directly with each other anymore, which lead to a slight decrease of the pressure (Jacob Jakesova 2003). By utilizing a range of strategies a company can have an effect on the five forces of competition and thus reform the attractiveness of an industry. Historically, various strategies shifted the principles of competition and future events like war or new inventions are likely to reshape the airline industry again. Lufthansas ability to be very cost effective is also of advantage. As part of its strategic change, Lufthansa implemented Program 15, a strategic cost management program. The goals of this program included an improvement of the competitive position through a reduction in cost, internationalisation of cost-structure and making staff conscious of reducing costs in their daily work. This cost management contributed substantially to Lufthansa making profits again in 1999 (Bruch Goshal 2000). Generally it can be said that Lufthansas change management during its crisis was outstanding. Its management was able to identify the signals for the potential problems, showed great strategic leadership through CEO Jà ¼rgen Weber and transformed the organization into a profitable company. This experience in strategic change management is very valuable and will surely help the organization with any challenges in the future (Bruch Sattelberger 2001b). Furthermore, Lufthansas management is very conscious of the need for innovation and customer service. They developed the brand ambassador concept where employees with use of personality and dedication create brand loyalty through day-to-day interactions with the customer (Rubens 2004). They recently also introduced a range of innovations and quality improvements at their passenger airlines and some innovations will be implemented in the near future. A special focus is on the business class on long-haul routes as this segment is the most profitable one. The key feature of Lufthansas new business class is a technically sophisticated seat that converts into a flat bed, which is 2 meters long, the longest bed in this class (Manuelli 2003). Lufthansa is also the first airline in the world that offers broadband Internet access on board its planes (Anonymous 2003). On the ground, they are also improving procedures for their status customers with Lufthansas Priority Service by relying on the Internet, mobile phones and check-in terminals simplify reservations and ticket sales as well as to reduce check-in times. A good example of Lufthansas innovative strength is their new terminal at Munich Airport, which was build to optimise operational procedures. In accordance with the best international standards they reduced the minimum connecting time to 30 minutes (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). An additional strength of Lufthansa is that it has a policy of operating a young and modern fleet. They recently started a fleet renewal program in 2003 and by 2005 they will replace older aircrafts with ten new Airbus A340-600 jets, as well as ten new Airbus A330-300s. By 2007 the new Airbus A380 super jumbo will go into service that can carry 40% more passengers than the currently largest aircraft. The average age of Lufthansas fleet is just under 9 years, which puts them into a good position in comparison to airline world average of almost 15 years (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Another strength, which gives Lufthansa a comparative advantage, is the use of a premium executive jet service on North Atlantic routes like Dà ¼sseldorf-Newark and Munich-Newark. This involves flights in Boeing and Airbus aircrafts that were remodelled so they fit 48 business class seats only and no economy class. Lufthansa introduced this service, because they identified that these routes were in high demand for business class travellers (Ghazvinian Fragala 2002). Lufthansa also offers a very good website that has a lot of features the customers can utilize. Online bookings have more than doubled in 2003. Lufthansa are also constantly expanding their destinations, which can be reached with etix, the companys electronic tickets that offer convenient paperless travel. The number of passengers that use etix is gradually increasing as it can be used to fly to 70 per cent of Lufthansa destinations (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Lufthansas Miles More customer loyalty program is also a great tool to encourage customers to fly Lufthansa again. The program has grown in popularity since it was introduced ten years ago and developed into the leading frequent flyer program in Europe (Miles More). Furthermore, Lufthansa is one of the founding members of the Star Alliance, the worlds leading airline alliance. The alliance was voted Alliance of the Year in 2003 on three different occasions (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). The Lufthansa group consists of seven independent subsidiaries. Lufthansa centrally coordinates their strategy development process. A principal element of the Lufthansa group is clear customer-supplier-relationships between the seven companies. However, the relationships between the individual companies are a weakness, as they dont function as planned. Lufthansa has not reached the required relationships for a market-based internal coordination. So far, the internal customers dont act as normal customers yet since the demand conditions, which they would never demand with other external business partners (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Another weakness is that the openness for change has almost vanished since Lufthansas amazing turnaround was achieved. During the turnaround, changes were implemented very quickly, but today it takes a very long time for small innovations to take place. Lufthansa also admits not to be perfect in the areas of punctuality, luggage safety, waiting periods, technical reliability and telephone availability, but is in the process of improving this situation (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Another weakness could be that Lufthansa does not do anything about their low-budget competitors in the European market. Lufthansas management claims that they would not start a low-fare airline under its name, as it would cannibalize its own traffic and damage its brands (Anonymous 2002). 5.0 Economic strategy of Lufthansa According to Hitt (2003, p. 122), a Economic strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions the firm uses to gain a competitive advantage by exploiting core competencies in specific product markets. The literature suggests that there are a number of different business-level strategies. However, I believe that in the case of Lufthansa an integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy is used. The reason for this is that Lufthansa operates globally and therefore it is vital for them to implement cost leadership strategies as well as differentiation strategies in order to develop competitive advantages. Lufthansas Program 15 serves as a good example of a cost leadership strategy. After Lufthansa had undergone privatization they implemented this extensive strategic costs management program with the goal of reducing overall unit cost by 20% within five years (Bruch Sattelberger 2001a). In terms of a differentiation strategy, Lufthansa constantly tries to come up with a range of innovative ideas to stay ahead of the competition. A list of these ideas could be seen in the strengths section of my SWOT analysis of Lufthansa. It can be concluded that Lufthansa has made the right decision to implement an integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy, since the literature also suggests that there is a relationship between the successful use of this strategy and above-average returns (Hitt 2003, p. 135). 5.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Corporate-level strategy of Lufthansa According to Hitt, a corporate level strategy involves specific actions by a company to gain a competitive advantage by having a group of different businesses competing in several industries (2003, p. 183). In the case of Lufthansa, the organisation consists of seven economically independent subsidiaries that include LH Passenger Service, LH Cargo AG, LH Skychef, LH Ground Services, LH Technical Services, Thomas Cook Travel Agency and LH IT services. The individual Lufthansa companies are quite successful. LH Technical services, LH Skychef and LH Ground Services are number one in their market (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Product diversification, a primary corporate-level strategy deals with the scope of the industries and markets in which the company competes in addition to how managers buy, establish and sell different businesses to equal skills and strengths. In regards to Lufthansa, the organisation uses a related diversification corporate-level strategy which means that Lufthansa generates more than 30% of its sales revenue outside a dominated business and its businesses are related to each other since Lufthansa centrally coordinates their strategy development process. Lufthansas motives for such a corporate level strategy are likely to be issues such as taking advantage of economies of scope, sharing activities, transfer of core competencies, and an increase in market power as well as blocking competitors through multipoint competition (Hitt 2003, p. 187). 5.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strategic Alliances While concentrating on internal costs and structural redevelopment, Lufthansa also worked on its external relationships by implementing the strategy: growth through partnerships (Bruch Sattelberger 2001b). While in other industries globalization triggered a wave of mergers of companies that operate internationally; airlines had to look for alternatives because national ownership regulations do not allow cross-border mergers. No airline worldwide has the capacity infrastructure to offer a suitable network by itself. Only through cooperating and alliances can the industry cater for the mobility requirements of the world economy. Therefore, founding the Star Alliance was a logical consequence and Lufthansa was one of the key-founding members of the first airline network in the world (Global Network Five years of Star Alliance). The purpose of the Star Alliance is to realize higher revenues and decrease costs by exploiting synergy effects. The synergies range from shared use of ground facilities like check-in-counters, a city office in Paris and also airport terminals. At the airports in Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Shanghai and Beijing the Star Alliance has its own check-in area with staff member of partner airlines. In addition the first Star Alliance Lounge went into service 2001 at Zà ¼rich airport. Other advantages include common frequent flyer programs, joint travel agency contracts collective market research and joint purchasing of materials and equipment (Economic effects for the airlines). Alliance members can also use code sharing a system by which two or more airlines agree to use the same flight number for a flight in order to attract more business by means of extending their networks through partner airlines (Collis 1998). Besides cost-saving synergies, the combined networks of Star Alliance members also offer many customer benefits. In comparison with other industry alliances, the Star Alliance is the recognized market leader (see Appendix 2). For 82 % of all offered flight connections, the Star Alliance is the fastest network. Every four seconds an aircraft of the Star Alliance starts or lands somewhere in the world and it possible to fly once round the world in 36 hours with Star Alliance airlines. Other fundamentals of its brand value include the presence of its members in important home markets and large international hubs, a high degree of customer recognition, excellent service and good cooperation between the frequent-flyer programs of the individual airlines. Furthermore each airline has its individual strengths with a strong market position in its home bases and regional hubs like Lufthansa in Germany. Due to the good cooperation, a whole network of these hubs was established and regional str engths complement each other (see Appendix 3). Additionally, most members also have regional alliances with smaller airlines, which improve the Star Alliance network even further (Global Network Five years of Star Alliance). Research has also shown that alliances result in lower ticket prices and more flight connections. It is suggested that there is a price advantage of an average 6% in comparison with conventional tariffs. In terms of the Star Alliance this leads to estimated passenger savings of between 50 and 82 million dollars per year. Additionally due to the sharing of terminals service counters of the airlines are more easily seen and found and walking distances are decreased. Having counters in the same area at airports also creates a single contact point and improves changes and baggage loading. Staff members of partner airlines can also help and advise customers with enquiries on behalf of the entire alliance. For the alliance to work properly certain level of quality needs to be ensured. This is achieved through frequent mutual quality checks. Jointly agreed quality standards in the areas of security, services and environmental protection are checked on a regular basis (Global Network Five years of Star Alliance). 5.3 Strategic Leadership and German Culture Strategic leadership, which is the ability to anticipate, envision, maintain flexibility and empower others to create strategic change as necessary (Hitt 2003, p. 386) was extremely important in Lufthansas turnaround. The main responsibility for effective strategic leadership generally rests at the top, especially with the CEO, but also with other recognized strategic leaders like members of the board of directors and the top management team. In the case of Lufthansa, the formulation and implementation of strategies was also in the hands of the top-level management, in particular Dr. Jà ¼rgen Weber, who was Lufthansas CEO at the time. In 1992 Jà ¼rgen Weber realized the full extent of Lufthansas problems and called for a crisis management meeting with 20 carefully selected senior managers. The outcome of this meeting was Program 93, 131 key actions aimed at drastically cutting about 8,000 jobs, lowering non-personnel costs, reducing the aircraft fleet as well as increasing revenues by DM 700 million to reduce the losses of DM 1.3 billion. The Executive Board then appointed a number of different teams that had the task to achieve the implementation of these 131 projects. Line management was responsible for the implementation of the staff cuts. It was seen as important for the success of Program 93 that line managers took that responsibility to realize the unavoidable cuts, on the one hand, but also to motivate the remaining employees, on the other hand. Jà ¼rgen Weber also created the OPS team (Operations Team) as a forceful engine in the process of implementing the 131 actions. They constantly monitored, created activities, advised and supported the line managers who were ultimately responsible for the implementation process. Weber showed his total support for the OPS team and personally supported them in many ways. He also implemented visible actions like a 10% reduction of the salaries of all Executive board members (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Furthermore, to convey and spread these actions, Lufthansa implemented Town Meetings, which were initially an idea by General Electric. A typical agenda of a Town Meeting would mainly involve a talk with the particular Lufthansa units management about problems a

Media Essay -- essays research papers fc

In the late Seventies, America became shocked and outraged by the rape, mutilation, and murder of over a dozen young, beautiful girls. The man who committed these murders, Ted Bundy, was later apprehended and executed. During his detention in various penitentiaries, he was mentally probed and prodded by psychologist and psychoanalysts hoping to discover the root of his violent actions and sexual frustrations. Many theories arose in attempts to explain the motivational factors behind his murderous escapades. However, the strongest and most feasible of these theories came not from the psychologists, but from the man himself, "as a teenager, my buddies and I would all sneak around and watch porn. As I grew older, I became more and more interested and involved in it, [pornography] became an obsession. I got so involved in it, I wanted to incorporate [porn] into my life, but I couldn’t behave like that and maintain the success I had worked so hard for. I generated an alt er-ego to fulfill my fantasies under-cover. Pornography was a means of unlocking the evil I had burried inside myself" (Leidholdt 47). Is it possible that pornography is acting as the key to unlocking the evil in more unstable minds? According to Edward Donnerstein, a leading researcher in the pornography field, "the relationship between sexually violent images in the media and subsequent aggression and . . . callous attitudes towards women is much stonger statistically than the relationship between smoking and cancer" (Itzin 22). After considering the increase in rape and molestation, sexual harassment, and other sex crimes over the last few decades, and also the corresponding increase of business in the pornography industry, the link between violence and pornogrpahy needs considerable study and examination. Once the evidence you will encounter in this paper is evaluated and quantified, it will be hard not come away with the realization that habitual use of pornographic material promotes unrealistic and unattainable desires in men that can leac to violent behavior toward women. In order to properly discuss pornography, and be able to link it to violence, we must first come to a basic and agreeable understanding of what the word pornography means. The term pornogrpahy originates from t... ...onse to Langton." Philosophy & Public Affairs. Summer 1992: 65-79. Jenish, D’Arcy. "The King of Porn." Maclean’s. 11 Oct. 1993: 52-56. "Did Sexy Kalvin Klein Ads Go Too Far?" Maclean’s. 2 Oct. 1995: 36. Kaminer, Wendy. "Feminists Against the First Amendment." The Atlantic Monthly. Nov. 1992: 111-118. Leidholdt, Margaret. Take Back The Night: Women on Pornography. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1980. Nicols, Mark. "Viewers and Victims." Newsweek. 10 Aug. 1983: 60. Russell, Diana E.H., ed. Making Violence Sexy: Feminist View on Pornography. New York: Teachers College Press, 1994. Webster’s Dictionary. Miami Florida. P.S.I. & Associates. 1987: 286. Weisz, Monica G., and Christopher M. Earls. "The Effects of Exposure to Filmed Sexual Violence on Attitudes Toward Rape." Journal of Interpersonal Violence. March 1995: 71-84. Whicclair, Mark. R. "Feminism, Pornography, and Censorship." Contemporary Moral Problems. ed. James White. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN: 1994. White, Mary. "Women As Victim: The New Stereotype." Spin. Apr. 1992: 60-65.

Creating a Computer Program in the C Language about Super Smash Brothers Melee :: Biophysics Programming Gamecube

Super Smash Bros. Melee At first I had absolutely NO idea what to do for my biophysics final project. I wanted to make my program at least slightly interesting and this summer program is practically full of gamers. I decided to benefit my peers and myself by making my final project a program revolving around the Nintendo Gamecube game, Super Smash Bros. Melee. Before I wrote my program I needed the statistics of the win percentages of computers when they play a specific character. Both computer players have one life and both of them are at level 9 difficulty, the highest level difficulty in the game. I chose the map called â€Å"Final Destination† because random maps, although they create less bias, made the battle between two characters most of the time 50/50. I had the two computers fight for about twenty or thirty games to get statistically significant evidence for the win percentages of a computer character versus another. My program calculates the number of games needed to play to collect enough coins to collect a certain goal of trophies. Super Smash Bros. Melee uses a slot machine system for players to put coins in to have a chance to receive a new or old trophy. My program, however, can not actually be utilized to calculate anything in the game, for I had to add some tweaks to my program to make it more interesting for the viewers. The tweak I added was whenever the computer you were â€Å"betting on† won, you would win 5 coins, and whenever the computer lost, you would win 0 coins. That is not true in the real game, because two level 9 computers facing off would only get 1/10th of a coin each game. Each character in Super Smash Bros. Melee is numbered off in alphabetical order so I could input the win percentages between two computers. There are 25 playable characters in the game, but with the allotted time given, I had no time to test over 300 different combinations of characters (25x25 matrix) in one weekend. Instead of testing all twenty five characters, I tested five of them(which is still a lot of testing!). My program inputs are: 1) Character # whom you are betting on 2) Character # whom your character is battling 3) Starting Number of Trophies 4) Desired Number of Trophies(max 242)

Attitudes towards initial tourism development with no prior tourism exp

This essay is trying to critically analyse the journal article written by A Lepp (2008) entitled ‘Attitudes towards initial tourism development with no prior tourism experience: the case of Bigodi, Uganda’. The journal use qualitative method to assess the resident’s attitudes towards the start up of tourism programs in a rural village in Uganda. Due to the geographical isolation they couldn’t establish any tourism attractions prior to the 1990’s. But in 1991 the country initiated to introduce some tourism projects and eventually it formulated year by year. And this study is conducted on the basis of the interview taken in the residents of Bigodi in 2003. So the study proves that the signs of initial tourism created anxiety, suspicion and fear to the local people who experience it as an entirely new concept. The journal article gives a brief idea about the general attitudes about developing tourism concepts to an undeveloped country. The article starts with the usual style introduction and rationale for the study. Then the literature review begin with the theory of Doxey (1976) who introduce the Irridex model which suggest that the residents attitudes towards the tourism development will pass through the different stages including ‘ Euphoria’, ‘Apathy’, ‘Irritation’ and ‘ ‘Antagonism’(Wang, 2006 p: 412). He supports Harril (2004) who says that there is not enough study conducted on the proposed tourism to find the residents attitudes. Instead of that the researches are takes place on the established tourisms. Keogh(1990), Jhonson et.al (1994), Hernandez et. Al (1996) and Cheyne (2000) are shown as the literatures rose about the attitudes of residents towards the future tourism operations and they all listed certain positive a... ...and Environmental Development) the attitudes of bigodi residents were started to change. Because their involvement colud aware about the benefits which they can by the implementation of tourism in their village. If local needs are need to be met, sustainable tourism requires the participation of local communities. Conversely, residents that are poorly informed, marginalised or alienated from decisions making are likely to respond within hospitable attitudes toward current and future tourism developments (Butcher, 1997). Visitors need to feel welcomed at a destination. Destinations that fail to provide this genuine hospitality are at a disadvantage to those that do. Hospitality represents the social capital associated with a destination, and while it is relatively intangible it plays a significant role in the sustainability of tourism initiatives.

Brand and Esprit Essay

America, 1968. Susie and Doug Tompkins are travelling through California in a station wagon filled with homemade clothes. Theirs is an unconventional method of selling – from the back seat of a vehicle – but even their very first customers are delighted, and one of the world’s most successful young fashion brands is born: Esprit. Worldwide success As the Esprit headquarters developed in Europe (Dà ¼sseldorf) and Asia (Hong Kong) in the 70s, the founder company Esprit USA gradually became an entirely self-sufficient company. What began in Germany with young sportswear fashion for women marketed under the name of Esprit de Corp soon became one of the most successful young fashion brands on the European market. The American rights were bought back in April 2002, and since then the Esprit group has been one of few global companies to hold 100% of a brand worldwide. In the first six month of the 2003/04 business year Esprit Holdings Limited achieved consolidated sales of 810 million Euro (per 31.12.03) – an impressive growth of 32% compared to last fiscal year. The Esprit Holdings Limited share price is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange (second listing in London), the Hang Seng index and the MCSI index Hong Kong, as well as the FTSE All World Index for Hong Kong. Excellent products A team of international designers translates the Esprit attributes into regular collections self-confidently, naturally, stylishly and sensually: twelve collections are produced for six order dates per year and product line for Women Collection, Men Casual, Kids, edc youth, Shoes + Accessories and Esprit Sports Women, Men + Kids; the twelve edc and Women Casual collections can be ordered monthly. Four collections are produced a year for Esprit Bodywear and Men Collection. Although the company focuses on the product and price/performance ratio, Esprit also invests continuously in quality and fit – high standards that are also maintained in manufacture. â€Å"Our customers expect us to produce contemporary, high quality and yet affordable goods†, explains Heinz Krogner. â€Å"And not only do we have to do so, but we have to make sure we do so continuously and over a long period of time†. Global image The consistent implementation of the image includes a distinct appearance on the outside, and for years now Esprit’s in-house â€Å"Image office† has been responsible for ensuring that the brand is shown in the same look all over the world. This office is responsible for developing and monitoring every means of communication for advertising, promotional activities and point-of-sale, and co-ordinates and carries out the shoots for Esprit’s current image campaigns – in short, everything that visually represents the Esprit company. The Global Image Office is based in New York. Lifestyle philosophy The lifestyle idea is at the very heart of Esprit’s philosophy. From pure product to overall service strategy: since 1990 successful license partnerships have supported the company on its global development into a lifestyle group. Co-operations with companies with a strong market presence have helped to create what is now a large pool of Esprit licenses. Please see â€Å"US license partners† for more information. Quality first Esprit is an international youthful lifestyle brand offering smart, affordable luxury and bringing newness and style to life. The Group offers 12 product lines encompassing women’s wear, men’s wear, kid’s wear, edc youth as well as shoes and accessories through over 640 directly managed retail stores and over 12,000 wholesale points-of-sale worldwide, occupying over 817,000 square metres directly managed retail space in more than 40 countries. Esprit licenses its logo to third-party licensees that offer products bearing the same Esprit quality and essence to consumers. Esprit also operates the Red Earth cosmetic brand which includes cosmetics, skin care and body care products. â€Å"Penetrating into existing markets while entering new ones.† The Group will continue to penetrate into existing markets and expand newer ones through wholesale distribution channels in the new financial year. Over 200 partnership stores, 500 shop-in-stores and 700 identity corne rs are planned for FY2005/2006. Europe In Europe, partnership stores will be used to gain penetration in core markets such as Germany, Benelux and France where the Esprit brand already has substantial brand presence. Shop-in-stores and identity corners concept with department stores and multi-label retailers will be used to enter new markets in order to minimize capital expenditure requirements. U.K., Italy and Spain will be the newer European markets of focus for FY2005/2006. USA Esprit is faced with difficult times in its US operations. Key department stores have discontinued sale of the brand (Nordstrom is the only major store to carry Esprit and Dillard’s, Macy’s East, Macy’s West and Marshall Field’s have all received their last wholesale shipments), a number of licensing agreements have been put on hold and the brand will stop US distribution of Collection women’s suits and career apparel, as well as the entire men’s wear line. Furthermore, three executives have recently resigned. Having recently reintroduced the brand in the US after an absence of 15 years, Esprit is facing up to the fact that brand recognition is not what it used to be and changes have to be made. The company intents to revise its US strategy, confessing that it had misjudged its popularity there. â€Å"I have overestimated our brand power in America,† said chief executive Heinz Krogner. â€Å"Sixty percent of the women knew our brand, but they didn’t see any relevance. We have made mistakes.† [1] Asia Asia wholesale initiatives for the fiscal year include entering the India market as well as expanding the distribution channels to duty free stores in Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. In November 2005, Esprit announced that it will step up garment sourcing from India. The company plans for a new store in partnership with Madura Garments, part of the Birla Group, and sourcing from India will naturally increase. Although China and Taiwan are still the biggest source of products for Esprit, the company already sources products like shirts and trousers from India. Esprit is increasing its efforts to penetrate the Indian market, with the partnership with Madura Garments marking a beginning to that effort. Stores have already been launched in Mumbai and Bangalore. COO Thomas Johannes Grote told the Economic Times that India would become â€Å"one of the most important markets† for Esprit within the next 10 to 12 years. What do they sell? Esprit Holdings Limited is engaged in the sourcing, retail and wholesale distribution and licensing of quality and lifestyle products designed under the globally recognised Esprit brand name. It has been a listed company in Hong Kong since 1993 and has a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange since December 1998. Up to 2004 the Group has controlled retail space of over 400,000 square meters in more than 40 countries spanning 5 continents. It operates approximately 630 directly managed retail stores and has over 9,700 wholesale outlets. The brand Esprit has been an international lifestyle fashion brand name applied to an extensive range of 12 lines, covering women’s, men’s and children’s apparel, footwear and accessories. Its main line, â€Å"women’s casual† covers the largest segment of the brand’s portfolio (39% of total turnover), appealing to most consumers because of its casual and sportswear for everyday lifestyle. It constitutes the most competitive division of the portfolio. EDC women (13% of total turnover), appeals to trend conscious women through an up-to-date mix of items that fit women’s outgoing lifestyle. Although it is one of the fastest growing segments in the company, it is not doing well considering the competition. This is the segment where Esprit losses the race among big shapers of the industry such as Spanish ZARA and Swedish H&M. Men’s casual (11% of total turnover) provides smart and urban wear for men. The designs combine quality cutting with new fashion highlights and provide the required relaxation fit for the socially conscious after work. Licensed products bearing the Esprit name range from time wear, eyewear, jewel and fragrance, to bedding and other home products. In addition, the Group owns the Red Earth brand name and distributes its cosmetics, skin and body care products. Fashion companies not only sell products, but also identify with their customers through certain values. Esprit has been a pioneer in having a clear identity and a courageous thirst for sharing what they believe in with their public. The following are the main characters within the brand’s identity: The end consumer Esprit is a well-recognized brand, which reaches a very big audience, across 5 continents. In their own words, they are a youthful lifestyle brand that targets customers with young attitude, not age. Although the brand counts with 12 different lines, directed at women, men and children, most customers are women, ranging between 15 and 35 years old. They turn to the brand in search of youthful stylish items that will never go out of fashion. They have simple but refreshing taste. They are looking mostly for stylish, yet comfortable clothes. They appreciate Esprit’s quality clothing, which is at all times at a democratic price. The brand counts with a large number of loyal customers. Its â€Å"e*club†, an online membership club which rewards repeated purchases and offers special promotions and services, has a large audience across the globe. It is impossible for us to know exactly how many people are loyal to Esprit’s core values since the birth of the brand, or how many of their customers even know about the compelling letters to prevent aids and its questioning of the way we shop in this ever more consumerism lifestyle we have seem to engaged. It would be interesting to conduct such a survey before suggesting any concrete communication strategy. How does Esprit deliver customer satisfaction? As we described before, Esprit’s target audience is looking for something stylish, yet not too fashionable. Its customers put quality first, before latest trends. They want their clothes to last, not to be very expensive, and to have a simple yet tasteful touch. They want their clothes to say something about them, something Esprit conveys as well: reliability, comfort, good reputation, seriousness with a little touch of playfulness, trustworthiness, honesty, credibility. Esprit delivers customer satisfaction by not letting its clients down. By representing values its customers like to feel connected to. By being honest and not trying to sell something that it’s not suitable for the customer. Esprit stands for a traditional brand, which has steadily grown by being true to itself, to its values, by not letting other brands’ strategies change its own. Also, by not taking too many risks. And that is what its customers expect: reliable products, at fair prices, which will not imply any mayor risk. Esprit’s shops are comforting and make one feel safe. They are attractive, yet not flashy. Taking into consideration that the brand targets not only teenagers but also grown-ups, the atmosphere has to be more calmed and stable. A regular customer who walks into an Esprit shop knows what they will find there and will never be disappointed. Esprit makes its clients feel like part of a whole. Part of those women in society who are not intimidated by the fast moving market of clothing. Women who do not let the industry tell them what to wear, or to buy products with little quality and at ridiculous prices. That is why they are faithful to Esprit, because it makes them feel safe and confident. Obviously there is a market for these women, considering that Esprit –unlike H&M or ZARA- sells basically the same collection all over the world. How do they attract and retain customers? Esprit lives thanks to a loyal group of customers. However, their constant growth derives from the success in attracting new customers every year. They do so by offering an alternative option to shops like ZARA and H&M, whose quality is lower and atmosphere might be too intimidating for some people. The fact that they sell items for the whole family in one shop also brings them repeated purchases in their different product lines. The fact that they sell the same collection all over the world also makes repeated purchases more plausible. Whether the client is in China, Germany or the United States, they can feel at home when they enter the shop. The brand retains customers by offering a quality product, at the same time as a superior service. Unlike many other clothing shops, at Esprit employees are very attentive and strive for making customers feel comfortable and not only pleased, but delighted. That explains part of the success in keeping such a loyal audience. Esprit also offers discounts and special promotions to loyal customers. Through e*club, its online membership club, Esprit offers credit (e*club points) in their stores for every purchase done through the e*club card. As an e*club member, customers are invited to enjoy special promotions, such as double e*points weeks and special shopping hours. Also, a member of the e*club can have access to other benefits such as free call centre service and personal access to their account balance. Joining the e*club is free. Esprit offers as well the possibility to do online shopping, which allows customers to view the items online and request for the measures and colours they prefer. If they are not satisfied they can always return the merchandise and get their money back, which not many shops are ready to offer yet. Shipping is for free, in those countries where the programme is available. To keep their clients informed, Esprit also offers a regular newsletter, in which they inform of the latest collections and news in the fashion industry. Subscription is for free and for every new entry clients get important discounts.