Gender, Culture and the Media Essay Example for Free

Gender, Culture and the Media Essay Media, in the context required, is a term used to define an interactive transmission that is visualized and then especially designed to reach a large audience, for e. g. a whole nation. These audiences, however, are very different from one another, depending on their culture and gender identities. The variance in culture and sexual identities, have an obvious impact on media which is why there is a dire need for exploring the relationship between the two. The most important tool in exploring and understanding the relationship between media and culture is communication. This is because communication plays a very effective role in the manner through which interaction is carried out with the masses (Gaunlett, 2002). For this purpose, extreme emphasis is given to the cultural differences that may occur. Such is the case of international campaigns or chains of restaurants; whenever they want to promote any product, they have to consider the differences, and keeping these differences in mind, they alter their product accordingly for e. g. , McDonalds in India, do not usually serve their people beef burgers as cow is sacred to them. Likewise, Indian people can relate more to it than others who are just viewing this product on an Indian channel. On this note, I would like to add that it is also a TV channel’s responsibility to be aware of the ethics with regard to culture. Although, media is known to show us situation and relationships from other people’s point-of-view, the impact is originated from a certain culture or social class, for that matter. However, it has been changing from time to time with the global development. So, we can say that the relationship between media and gender today, is different from how it was years ago. The reason is because people’s thought have changed in the passing years, the role models have changed and the attitudes of people have changed, which without doubt influences media. It is for these contemporary audiences that the media has to alter whatever it promotes, in the manner that is much acceptable to them. The rest is mere perception on the audience’s part. Talking about the perception of various people and how they interact with things like talk shows, MTV, the Internet, soap operas, television sitcoms, dramatic series etc. , it is very likely to notice that the people interact with the media on the basis of their culture and gender identities (Dines, 2008). An example is that of Lorillard’s Newport cigarettes, introduced in 1957, which after its struggle period in the early stages of introduction, became very popular with the African American crowd. Another comment on the same example is that Newport cigarettes contain menthol, which is supposed to be associated with women mostly. Relating this with media, the advertisements for this brand also focused on African American people in the beginning, as they had identified them as their target market. With the change in society and changing views of people, Newport gained its market recognition and broadened their target market and today it owns a most coveted place in the tobacco industry. In the society that we live in today, people dedicate a lot of time to television, magazines, surfing the net, and other publications. As a result, it is very inevitable to say that they come across culture and advertising almost everyday. Among these people, a large segment belongs to the younger generation, who are particularly sensitive and relatively effected much easily by the same. Childhood culture is an inter-textual universe which connects TV programs to movies, videogames, toys, T-shirts, shoes, games, crayons, coloring books, bed linens and towels, pencil cases, lunch boxes etc. This is where the impact part comes into play, which media has on children and that which the children have on the media (Geertz, 1977). One of the greatest impacts of the above stated example on media is that when a television program (for kids) is produced, a lot of things have to be taken into consideration. Not too much violence, abusive language or false imagery should be used. As far as sexual identity is concerned, men and women have different views, likes and dislikes, regarding different things. Women are more likely to read magazines like Gourmet, Culinary Trends, Bon Appetite, Food and Wine etc. Lately, men have also developed a similar trend in reading magazines but there choices are those like Extreme Sports, Chicago Sports, and Sports Illustration etc. Another aspect is that of men leading the global scene. When it comes to voiceovers, men dominate, regardless of the product. Men continue to work in their late ages on screen whereas women tend to disappear in their late thirties. Facial lines and grey hair are considered to be signs of maturity in males, while the same would pronounce females ‘old’ and not fit for TV (Buikema, 2009). On the other hand, it is also reported to have said that with the developing sense of equality with regard to sexes, the Times magazine cover wondered if feminism was dead in June 1998. To sum up, the media shows us situations and relationships from other people’s point-of-view and we begin to think that we can now see ‘how the world works’, in lives other than our own. Soap-operas showing how neighbors, friends and lovers interact with each other are not behaviors that the media has created by itself. It is the likes of people that have affected media to follow the same. That too, varies from culture to culture. Some counties believe in open cultures while others observe closed culture where too much intimacy and involvement is not look upon as appropriate. People claim that the reference points for them are film and TV but actually it’s the way round- people, their cultures and genders influence upon the way they interact with the media. References: Buikema, R. , Tuin I. , (2008), â€Å"Doing Gender in Media, Art and Culture†. Routledge Dines G. , McMahon J. , (2008), â€Å"Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-reader†. Sage Publications Gauntlett D. , (2002), â€Å"Media, Gender, and Identity: An Introduction†. Routledge Geertz, C. (1977). The Interpretation of Cultures. Basic Books

Effect of Bone Marrow Composition Changes With Age

Effect of Bone Marrow Composition Changes With Age PROJECT TOPIC: INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECT OF BONE MARROW COMPOSITION CHANGES WITH AGE BETWEEN THE TWO GENDERS ON FINE STRUCTURE ANALYSIS (FINESA) TECHNIQUE A short 100 word lay-person summary– The project is about the investigation into the bone marrow composition changes with age between the two genders and its effect on the structure MRI technique fineSA. It utilizes MR to excite the rectangular prism shape volume in the human body to generate a signal that is processed to provide information about anatomical structure of interest. It will be conducted in a 12 weeks period commencing with literature review of relevant journals and conference papers relating the topic. It will be followed by the modelling of a bone marrow phantom aimed at adding a uniform composition structure that will control the outcome of the project. It will then be concluded with the analysis of the processed clinical data for both genders with different age range. Aim The main aim of this project is to identify a trend between different gender subjects with a varying range of ages from 18-80 and other measures of signal which can be attributed to bone marrow composition and its effect on the fineSA technique. FineSA is a technique that defines anatomical structures using MR data by acquiring data from rectangular prisms located in the anatomical region and region of interest. It is currently unknown what happens to the fineSA in regards to bone marrow (BM) changes. By identifying the trend it will enable the technique to be adjusted to suit each subject and not generalise its bone marrow applications as it is currently done. The research will fill a gap in the industry concerning the bone marrow composition (BMC) changes with ages with the use of the fineSA techniques. Objectives Carry out a detailed literature research related to BMC changes with age and sex. Relevant journals and conference papers will be analysed to support the research work. The modelling of a bone marrow phantom to observe the effect of fat will be accomplished. The fluid around the phantom will simulate the bone marrow and that will give the signal expected. Analysis and evaluation of a clinical data set for different gender ages ranging 18-80 will be carried out. It will be started by looking at the k0 on the spectra with respect to the age and the expected bone marrow composition. The data obtained from the company is made of spectra in Matlab format and the relevant information will be extracted in Matlab. It will also be necessary to investigate the effect of noise as noise is measured during the acquisition. Resources and necessary approvals I will need to complete Human Subjects Protection training in order to work with patient data. It is used to fulfil the requirement for education in the protection of human subjects. The ethical review board that approved this study is Western Institutional Review Board (WIRB) located in the USA. There are no known health risks associated with this research. Literature review According to the literatures, bone marrow does changes with age and becomes fatty and so it is expected to give a higher signal in the MR technique used. According to an early studies conducted, for daughters and their parents to compare (BMF) content assessed by inphase and out-of-phase MRI in between family members. It was found that the daughters had less BMF and BM whole body and regions where BMF was assessed than their mothers and fathers. This was in agreement with a previous studies that link increased BMF with age [1]. MR spectroscopy studies have demonstrate that vertebral fat content increases as the bone density (BD) decreases. Several literatures have suggested a relationship between bone mineral content and bone marrow fat (BMF) which has been found to lead to bone weakness. A study was conducted on fifty-six female patients with the age range 50–65 years to assess vertebral bone marrow fat (BMF) content’s relationship with osteoporosis by the use of chemical-shift magnetic resonance imaging (CS-MRI). It was however concluded that BMF content calculated with CS-MRI was not reliable for predicting bone mineral density in female patients aged between 50 and 65 years and so further research was recommended [2]. Differences in the relationship between BMF and bone has also been attributed to the potential ethnic differences in African American and Caucasian men and women. This was shown in a study done to evaluate the relationship between BMAT and BMD for potential sex and ethnic differences within a large sample with DXA and whole-body MRI data. The results obtained was found to be consistent with a previous findings done in Caucasian women and of Asian men and women. However there is reported inverse association between BMF and BMD in studies of men and women without ethnicity explicitly [3]. A further study conducted on 211 subjects also suggested that BMC changes are different for both male and female subjects. The largest change in the BMC in the lumbar spine was seen to have occurred from 5 to 24 years in the male subjects. Conversely, the largest decrease occurred after 45 years in female subjects. In an earlier research by Dunnill et al. [4] to investigate the changes in cellular and BMF in the vertebral bodies and correlate those changes with age and sex, no differences between the sexes for age-related variations was found. This also implied more research need to be done to ascertain the relationship between BMC and age and sex [5]. Methodologies The project will be managed with the aid of programme of work with details on a Gantt chart that list all the tasks dates. The milestones mark the completion of a task and meetings with the supervisor for review. Literature research (2 week) A review of relevant literatures in relation to BMC changes with age and gender. Outcome 1: Literature review finished and theories for further research have been studied. Phantom Modelling (2 week) Arrangement will be made with the company for this to be carried out Outcome 2: Pantom modelled and analysed. Data analysis and evaluation (3 week) The clinical data will be analysed will be carried out at this stage and then evaluated. Outcome 3: Data analysed and a conclusion drawn. Draft write up (2 week) Write the first draft of the dissertation which will be presented to the research supervisor for review. Outcome 4: Complete first drafted of the report. Final dissertation (2 week) The final copy will be produced and reviewed for any errors and ethical issues by supervisor and then submitted. Outcome 5: Complete the final report for submission. Contingency (1 week) This is an open period where any problems encountered will be dealt with. Conclusion The research plan was conducted to evaluate the purpose and methodologies that will be employed for the project to be successful. With the timelines drafted and the resources effectively utilised the project is expected to be successful. At the end of the project, the results should guide the industry in use of the fineSA with bone marrow composition changes with age application. If it is concluded that there is a trend in the bone marrow composition changes with age, it will require changes made to the technique used in acquiring the signals. This could lead to having to adjust for composition the current technique used.

Contemporary Brand Management Report for EasyJet

Contemporary Brand Management Report for EasyJet Background Overall, the travel market has performed well since 2001, with revenue growth accelerating from 3% in 2002 to 11% in 2004, with total sales for that year being estimated at US$ 549.4 billion. However, some sectors performed better than others, and the share of air transport fell gradually between 1999 and 2003, partly as a result of falling fares due to industry liberalisation and the growth of low-cost airlines. However, sales rose strongly in 2004 as the travel industry recovered and economic conditions were stronger. Indeed, over the period from 1999 to 2004, online sales grew by a spectacular 403%, to reach US$85.2 billion, and the online share of total travel retail sales increased from just 4% in 1999 to almost 16% in 2004. Air transport is by far the largest transportation sector in terms of overall sales, due to its high prices and convenience, with a value share of 58% in 2004. (Global Market Information Database, 2005). As of 2004, no-frills airlines were continuing to expand, although there were signs of a shake-out in the industry as several smaller businesses went bankrupt in 2004, and intense competition has also brought some major US carriers to the brink of bankruptcy. In 2004, Air France Group became the leading airline in the world in terms of value market share, after the merger of Air France with Dutch national carrier KLM. The combined airline now operates a fleet of 550 aircraft, serving 189 destinations in 84 countries, through more than 1,800 flights per day. Air France Group had an estimated market share of 6% in 2004, overtaking the previous market leader, Japan Airlines Co Ltd (JAL), and is thus one of the strongest brands in the market, due to its new European identity, and high level of coverage. (Global Market Information Database, 2005). JAL Group itself was also the result of a merger in 2002 between Japan Airlines and Japan Air System, and its share fell in 2004 to 5%, due to the group’s poor financial performance in that year. Although domestic routes were reported to have performed well in 2004, the slump in the international segment gave rise to a  ¥72.1 billion (US$687 million) operating loss, due to the adverse effects of very low travel confidence in Japan, which prevailed in the first half of fiscal 2004. Nevertheless, JAL continued to increase its leading share in the domestic Japanese market to 43%, well ahead of the number two company, All Nippon Airways, with 34%, due to its strong connections with its country of origin. (Global Market Information Database, 2005). The largest US carrier, AMR, was virtually on a par with JAL in both 2003 and 2004 in terms of value market share, and also saw its share fall slightly, to 5% in 2004. The American airlines all suffered from the events of 11 September 2001 and from the economic downturn, and have continued to perform badly. UAL Corp saw its global share fall from almost 6% in 2001 to just over 4% in 2004, while the share of Delta Airlines fell to 4% over the same period. United Air Lines was the most severely hit of the â€Å"big three† US airlines after 11 September 2001, and was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the end of 2002. However, after undergoing a drastic restructuring programme, the airline had received the necessary financing to emerge from bankruptcy by the end of 2003. All the US airlines are currently experiencing brand identity crises, as the US continues to associate air travel with the spread of international terrorism. The European airlines British Airways (BA) and Deutsche Lufthansa have also experienced mixed fortunes. While the share of BA fell steadily over the review period, to 4% in 2004, that of Lufthansa rose, placing it almost equal with BA, and Lufthansa recorded increased sales and achieved profits in the first quarter of 2004, compared to a loss in the same period of the previous year. (Global Market Information Database, 2005)Both these firms are struggling to compete with the strongly growing no frills airlines, potentially indicating that the national brand reinforcement is no longer enough to build a strong brand in the airline industry, and that something more is needed. Brand Essence Govers and Schoormans (2005) provide one of the best pieces on the concept of brand management, claiming that, beyond their functional utility and purpose, products and series have a symbolic meaning, and parts of this symbolic meaning are accounted for by concepts like brand personality and product-user image, which describe the symbolic meaning associated with the brand or product class. Plummer (1984) also focused strongly on the personality of brands, claiming that there are, in reality, two different faces of brand personality, and it is necessary to understand both faces in order to better grasp the totality and power of this useful strategic concept. A brand presents itself to the world in many ways, through the product itself, through its packaging, its name and where it is sold. A brand sold in a supermarket or via the internet, is attempting to communicate something, but the world, on the other hand, interprets the brand through many different filters; through experience, t hrough perceptions, misconceptions, the value systems of the individuals out there in the world, and, of course, all the noise in the system. The two faces of brand personality therefore are input, that is, what advertisers want consumers to think and feel, and out-take, what consumers actually do think and feel, and these two perspectives on brand personality can be expressed in two forms. The first can be seen as the brand personality statement; and the other as the brand personality profiles, which are consumer perceptions of the brand. (de Chernatony and McDonald, 2003) In terms of a brand personality for an airline, this can be vitally important, as few markets are as brutally competitive as the airline market. However, just because the competition is tough, thats no reason to be tough on customers, like many airlines do, as they are convinced that travellers care mainly about price. As a result, many airlines most notably the major U.S. carriers and budget airlines seem to have made cutting costs the top priority at the expense of their service quality, and have built brand personalities around looking to pinch every penny. However, Prokesch, S. E. (1995) claims that it doesnt have to be that way, even in a cutthroat, mass-market business such as air travel. He argues that there are plenty of people who will pay a premium for good service, even among those who travel economy, and points at British Airways’ profits as a key indicator because, while the world airline industry has racked up billions of dollars in losses in the last five years, British Airways has remained solidly profitable on the back of outstanding customer service. EasyJet has taken this lesson to heart, recruiting senior marketers in each of its major European markets in 2004, in order to coincide with its major full-scale brand relaunch that year. The airline, whose previous marketing communications were accused by some of lacking the lustre of its early years, hired dedicated country managers for the UK, France, Germany, Spain and the rest of Europe, who were responsible for putting in place tailored strategies that relate to their markets perceptions of easyJet. (Rogers, Oct 2004) As a result, the airline managed to develop a fresh corporate identity and brand personality, along with its first sonic logo. It also relaunched its website, substantially increased its European advertising budget to back its first UK TV campaign, and changed typography, by removing the .com from most marketing communication and the cartoon style plane from its ads. The 11m euro ( £7.6m) campaign, which ran across Europe, featured the strapline Come on, lets fl y, and was created by Sledge, easyJets first UK ad agency, with media through OMD. This campaign was driven by the belief that although the â€Å"original marketing created lots of noise† it failed to â€Å"define the airlines distinctive attributes.† (Rogers, Oct 2004) As a result, the new campaign was aimed at creating more emotion around the brand, meaning that, although easyJet remained price-driven, it also focused on the all important customer service. This re launch appears to have pushed easyJet away from its previous position, near the foot of the airline industry brand pyramid. Previously viewed as a last resort for travellers who cared only for costs, with no thought to service or comfort, the company performed well, despite previously being one of the UKs most hated brands. However, with fuel prices rising, and cost cutting initiatives only being able to produce a certain amount of return, the firm has repositioned and re branded itself in order to move of the foot of the brand pyramid, leaving this space to Ryanair, and similar budget carriers, and moved itself into the middle market, with the likes of BMI. Although the carrier is still perceived as a long way below BA and the other premium service carriers, its brand re launch has now enabled it to move into the top five in the list of the UK’s preferred airline brands (Curtis, 2004) Positioning Most people have an opinion about easyJet, which is one of its core strengths, built on the back of the budget airline’s initial positioning as a liberator, enabling people to travel more frequently around Europe, with prices more akin to domestic train travel than the traditionally high prices charged by European flag carriers. Also, under the guidance of Stelios Haji-Ioannou it developed as one of the UKs most distinctive brands, with a trademark anti-establishment attitude. However, the sector has seen growing competition from domestic entrants such as Thomsonfly and Continental start-ups such as Wizz, from Eastern Europe, with higher fuel prices are also hitting profits. As a result, in positioning terms, some feel easyJet has been squeezed between airlines such as British Airways and the ultra low-cost Ryanair. (Rogers, Jul 2004) It is as a result of this that EasyJet hired Sledge as its first ad agency to develop the Lets fly positioning, and has recently launched a mult imillion-pound drive aimed at business travellers. (Marketing (UK), 2005) The airline had previously focused its positioning and marketing efforts on holidaymakers, but is now looking to increase its share of the business market, with print, poster and radio advertisements carrying the strapline ‘Youre a business. You work it out.’ (Marketing (UK), 2005). In contrast, it is a different story for one of easyJet’s key competitors: British Airways, for whom it would appear that, no matter how badly the firm performs, the UK public will always remain loyal. BA has a clear lead as Britains favourite airline, and is seventh place in the overall best-loved brands table; however this doesn’t tally with the reality of its declining fortunes, mainly at the hands of the budget airlines, which, with easyJet’s recent rise excluded, fail to make it into the top five airlines. This can be seen as a testament to easyJet’s strength, and successful positioning switch, that it has managed to make it into such list, especially when you compare the years of heritage and investment behind the BA brand, with the new re launch of easyJet. Comparing the easyJet brand, and relative success, to that of Ryanair, anlysts have claimed that: â€Å"both easyJet and Ryanair spotted a gap in the market, but there is a difference between a good-value proposition and being cheap. (Curtis, 2004), and this has been cited as the reason Ryanair failed to make the top five.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Celebrity endorsement The use of celebrities as part of marketing communications strategy is a fairly common practice for major firms in supporting corporate or brand imagery. Firms invest significant monies in juxtaposing brands and organisations with endorser qualities such as attractiveness, likeability, and trustworthiness. They trust that these qualities operate in a transferable way, and, will generate desirable campaign outcomes. But, at times, celebrity qualities may be inappropriate, irrelevant, and undesirable. Several studies have examined consumers response to celebrity endorsements in advertising. Findings show that celebrities make advertisements believable (Kamins et al. 1989) and enhance message recall (Friedman and Friedman 1979). Furthermore, celebrities aid in the recognition of brand names (Petty, Cacioppo, and Schumann 1983), create a positive attitude towards the brand (Kamins et al. 1989), and create a distinct personality for the endorsed brand (McCracken 1989). Ultimately, celebri ty endorsements are believed to generate a greater likelihood of customers choosing the endorsed brand (Heath, McCarthy, and Mothersbaugh 1994) Thus, the use of celebrity endorsements is an advertising strategy that should enhance the marginal value of advertisement expenditures and create brand equity by means of the secondary association of a celebrity with a brand (Keller 1993). However, celebrity endorsements are expensive for the firm, and depending on the status of the celebrity, remuneration could run into millions for several years. A contract may also include a profit sharing plan, with firms often building special and costly advertising campaigns around celebrities. For example, Coca Cola Co. reportedly spent $25 million in an advertising campaign with Bill Cosby as its spokesperson for Coke (Advertising Age 1986), and IBM spent $40 million in an advertising campaign involving MASH actors (Reuters 1987). Overall, the use of celebrities as spokespersons in advertisements constitutes a significant investment in intangible assets by the sponsoring firm, an investment that management hopes to offset with greater future sales revenues and profits. A possible choice of celebrity to endorse easyJet would be Michael Moore, the American author and film maker, renowned for his antiestablishment attitude. Although the signing of Moore would undoubtedly be controversial, and possibly difficult to achieve, easyJet’s image has been founded on being controversial and willing to offend people, especially those in positions of authority, in the pursuit of its ultimate goals, and thus Moore’s backing would help support these ideals, and ensure that they remained at the forefront of easyJet’s branding. However, Moore’s anti-Bush and anti-America rhetoric has often caused him to be at odds with a large portion of the population of the United States, and although easyJet doesn’t operate in the US, this is something to consider, as the firm may wish to expand to the US in the future, and may also have a large number of potential passengers amongst Americans living in Europe. Special Interest: Online Presence EasyJet is often cited as the firm which pioneered many of the innovations that shaped the market for low-cost air travel, and information technology and an online presence has been at the heart of those developments. For example, EasyJet was the first Great Britain carrier to sell tickets online, in April 1998; however launching that first site was relatively straightforward compared to the headaches that the company faces today when managing and updating a live site that handles millions of customers each year. As such, easyJet’s online presence is of vital importance to the company for its future brand management strategies. (Warren, 2003) Indeed, Campaign (UK) (2003) recently reported that EasyJet has appointed OMD Europe to handle its  £3 million online business across European markets including Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. One excellent example of how easyJet is attempting to widen its brand visibility and appeal through the internet is the recent agreement that easyJet entered into with First Choice Inc., seen as being the final nail in the coffin in both companies tenuous relationship with agents. First Choice Inc.’s vertically integrated online accommodation subsidiary, ‘Hotelopia’, will provide rooms in 10,000 hotels across the world through the easyJet web site, with easyJet getting the commission for the booking, although the commercial details of the agreement have not been released. In addition to the financial benefits, this agreement will also enable easyJet to spread its brand image and appeal to a much wider audience, thus increasing the impact of its brand management strategies. (Davern, 2004) References Advertising Age (1986) E. F. Huttons Spokesman Idea a Cos Celebre. p. 1. Campaign (UK) (2003) EasyJet picks OMD Europe for online media business. Issue 43, p. 7. Curtis, J. (2004) Brands we love, brands we hate. Marketing (UK); 9/29/2004, p34. de Chernatony, L. and McDonald, M. (2003) Creating Powerful Brands in Consumer Service and Industrial Markets, 3rd Edition. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann. Davern, F. (2004) First Choice hops into bed with easyJet. Travel Trade Gazette UK Ireland; Issue 2465, p. 3. Friedman, H. H. and Friedman, L. (1979) Endorser Effectiveness by Product Type. Journal of Advertising Research, p. 63. Global Market Information Database (2005) The World Market for Travel and Tourism. Euromonitor International. Govers, R. C. M. and Schoormans, J. P. L. (2005) Product personality and its influence on consumer preference. Journal of Consumer Marketing; 2005, Vol. 22 Issue 4, p189. Heath, T. B., McCarthy, M. S. and Mothersbaugh D. L. (1994) Spokesperson Fame and Vividness Effects in the Context of Issue-Relevant Thinking: The Moderating Role of Competitive Setting. Journal of Consumer Research; p. 520. Kamins, M. A., Brand, M. J., Hoeke, S. A., and Moe, J. C. (1989) Two-Sided Versus One-Sided Celebrity Endorsements: The Impact on Advertising Effectiveness and Credibility Journal of Advertising; Vol. 18, Issue 2, p. 4. Keller, K. L. (1993) Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Customer-Based Brand Equity. Journal of Marketing; p. 1. Marketing (UK) (2005) EasyJet targets business traffic. 4/27/2005, p. 5. McCracken, G. (1989) Who is the Celebrity Endorser? Cultural Foundations of the Endorsement Process. Journal of Consumer Research; p. 310. Petty, R. E., Cacioppo, J. T. and Schumann, D. (1983) Central and Peripheral Routes to Advertising Effectiveness: The Moderating Role of Involvement. Journal of Consumer Research; p. 135. Plummer, J. T. (1984) How Personality Makes a Difference. Journal of Advertising Research; Vol. 24, Issue 6, p. 27. Prokesch, S. E. (1995) Competing on Customer Service: An Interview with British Airways Sir Colin Marshall. Harvard Business Review; Vol. 73, Issue 6, p. 100. Reuters (1987) April 3. Rogers, D. (Oct 2004) EasyJet relaunches with top-level rejig. Marketing (UK); 10/13/2004, p. 5. Rogers, D. (Jul 2004) EasyJet. Marketing (UK), 7/21/2004, p. 22. Warren, L. (2003) Blazing the easyJet trail. Computer Weekly; 9/30/2003, p. 28.

Ernest Rutherford :: Nuclear Physics Science Chemistry Essays

Ernest Rutherford Ernest Rutherford is considered the father of nuclear physics. Indeed, it could be said that Rutherford invented the very language to describe the theoretical concepts of the atom and the phenomenon of radioactivity. Particles named and characterized by him include the alpha particle, beta particle and proton. Even the neutron, discovered by James Chadwick, owes its name to Rutherford. The exponential equation used to calculate the decay of radioactive substances was first employed for that purpose by Rutherford and he was the first to elucidate the related concepts of the half-life and decay constant. With Frederick Soddy at McGill University, Rutherford showed that elements such as uranium and thorium became different elements (i.e., transmuted) through the process of radioactive decay. At the time, such an incredible idea was not to be mentioned in polite company: it belonged to the realm of alchemy, not science. For this work, Rutherford won the 1908 Nobel Prize in chemistry. In 1909, now at the University of Manchester, Rutherford was bombarding a thin gold foil with alpha particles when he noticed that although almost all of them went through the gold, one in eight thousand would "bounce" (i.e., scatter) back. The amazed Rutherford commented that it was "as if you fired a 15-inch naval shell at a piece of tissue paper and the shell came right back and hit you." From this simple observation, Rutherford concluded that the atom's mass must be concentrated in a small positively-charged nucleus while the electrons inhabit the farthest reaches of the atom. Although this planetary model of the atom has been greatly refined over the years, it remains as valid today as when it was originally formulated by Rutherford. In 1919, Rutherford returned to Cambridge to become director of the Cavendish laboratory where he had previously done his graduate work under J.

Transformation Essay -- essays research papers

America is ever changing. Over the centuries it has transformed in many ways. There has been an increase in immigrants, especially Hispanics, which has caused a transformation of both language and culture. Richard Rodriguez in his book Brown: The Last Discovery of America, and in other essays has brought his views on these matters and presents brown as a new way of describing America. Brown as color; as impurity; as language; as America. Richard Rodriguez is a writer who is artistic, and has an idealistic way of recounting things. In his essay â€Å"Late Victorians† he writes how a woman jumps off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. He describes it as â€Å"†¦before she stepped onto the sky. To land like a spilled purse at my feet,† (Encounters, 496) He compares the woman hitting the ground as a â€Å"spilled purse.† When you think of a spilled purse you don’t think of tragedy, so his comparing this insignificant incident of a purse hitting the ground to the death of a woman catches you off guard. Rodriquez says it in such a tranquil manner that the tragedy seems to be unrealistic. He again shows romanticism somewhere else in the essay: On a Sunday in summer, ten years ago, I was walking home from the Latin mass at Saint Patrick’s, the old Irish parish downtown, when I saw thousands of people on Market Street. It was San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day parade-not marching backs. There were floats. Banners blocked single lives thematically into a processional mass, not unlike the consortiums of the blessed in Renaissance painting, each saint cherishing the apparatus of his martyrdom. (493) Rodriguez’s comparing the parade with religious allusions makes it more glorious. He compares the parade of floats and banners to a â€Å"processional mass.† He satirically portrays gays as saints just as he is coming from church, which considers homosexuality as a sin. He is basically beautifying the parade. He romanticizes to capture your attention and to bring you into his world. He wants you to see things as he sees them. He wants to â€Å"defy anyone who†¦say[s] what is appropriate to my voice† (Brown, xi).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rodriguez, in his essay â€Å"Peter’s Avocado,† expresses â€Å"[b] rown as impurity,† (Brown, 194). This brown is not brown as color but as something â€Å"mixed, confused, lumped, impure, unpasteurized, as motives are mixed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (â€Å"Peter’s Avocado†, 197). However, brown can be... ...of the United States not for the battles and politics, but for the transformation and complexity of language that occurred through the centuries. â€Å"I eulogize a literature that is suffused with brown, with allusion, irony, paradox-ha! -pleasure,† (Preface, xi). With disconnected allusions, metaphors, and unrealism Rodriguez not only conveys his ideas throughout his essays but also is able to show us part of himself as a writer. He respects people’s role in society. He treasures how assimilation can change a culture. He has a passion for brown for converting color and race. He loves language for it’s continuous changes that it has been through over time. He values transformation, whether it is of color, culture, language, or a nation. Work Cited: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rodriguez, Richard. â€Å"Late Victorians,† and â€Å"The Achievement of Desire.† Encounters: Essays for Exploration and Inquiry. 2nd ed. Ed. Pat C. Hoy II and Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. 475-492, 493-505 ----. â€Å"The Triad of Alexis de Tocqueville,† â€Å"In the Brown Study,† â€Å"The Prince and I,† â€Å"Peter’s Avocado,† and â€Å"Hispanic.† Brown: The Last Discovery of America. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc, 2002.

Saving the Old Growth Forests Essay -- Logging, Deforestation Essays

Saving the Old Growth Forests America’s Old Growth Forests are an endangered resource that is quickly disappearing. The ancient forests are being unnecessarily wasted, and are growing smaller and smaller with each passing moment. Because the logging industry and the organizations in control of much of the remaining old growth (approx. 5%) are failing to see its value from an ecological/spiritual perspective, the children of tomorrow may never gaze upon the history of today if we do not take a stand now, and prevent the short-sightedness of others from destroying what ultimately belongs to us all. Alternatives to Destruction: Saving the Old Growth Forests. Imagine walking down an ancient path amidst a forest of tangled and twisted trees, some of which have existed since before a time even great grandparents can remember. The air echoes with sounds of life, and the fragrance is that of cedar or juniper†¦ or something not quite either. The living things that dwell here, bridge a gap in time that many are totally unaware of and for the reasons about to be explained, may never become so. The beauty that surrounds this place is unexplainable in the tongue of man, yet its presence can be felt by all who choose to behold it. At least for now†¦ â€Å"In addition to being places of magnificent beauty, the old growth forests of the world represent hundreds of years of life on this planet, and many of the trees are the tallest living things on the planet (Old Growth Forests, 2004).† Because of their size, these trees, and the forests they reside in, are targeted by logging companies such as Weyerhaeuser as highly profitable areas that provide supposed economical benefits to surrounding communities in the way of new jobs. Howe... ...te, and one of world’s most precious and oldest resources will cease to exist, and the only bridge left that spans this ever widening gap in time will be forever closed to those who follow after us. References Brown, P. (1998). Issues and Opportunities Emerging from the Kyoto Protocol [Special issue]. Climate, and Forests. Abstract retrieved March 30, 2004, from http://www.wri.org/wri/biodiv Old Growth Forests. (2004). Saving the Tallest Living Things on Earth [Special issue]. Preserving America's Ancient Forests. Retrieved March 30, 2004, from http://www.americanlands.org/forestweb/oldgrowthed.htm Rain Forest Action Network. (2004). Wake Up Weyerhaeuser. RAN. Retrieved March 30, 2004, from http://www.ran.org/ran_campaigns/old_growth/ Seideman, D. (1993). Out of the Woods: Vol. . A Forest of Voices (2nd ed.) [Conversations in Ecology].Mayfield.

Managing the Transition from Maturity to Decline: Diamond Power Corporation :: essays research papers

Managing the Transition from Maturity to Decline: Diamond Power Corporation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This case study, prepared by Richard C. Scameborn, follows the Diamond Power Specialty Company from its humble beginnings in 1903 to its decline in 1991. The birth of Diamond came with the invention of the hand cranked soot blower. As the years and technology progressed, so did the Diamond soot blower. Along with this main product, Diamond also added several other products to its line, but none had the profitability of the soot blower. Diamond had the market to itself for a number of years, but eventually two competitors sprang up to challenge Diamond: Copes-Vulcan and Bayer Company. Competition did not become fierce until World War II, when the soot blower became a major commodity used by the U.S. Navy to clean boilers on board its ships. At this point, the soot blower industry became a seller's market and the need for strategy (both corporate and business) became a necessity for growth and survival.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diamond Power's main mission at its beginning, to produce soot blowers that would efficiently clean the inside of boiler as it continued working, basically stayed the same up until the addition of competition into the market. At this point, Diamond had to revise its mission to include technological advances to stay ahead of it main competitor, Copes-Vulcan. With the passage of time, production efficiency and technology were not enough. Diamond eventually had to add foreign sales, customer service, and replacement part production to its original plan to keep ahead of the game. By the 1970's, the mission to supply replacement parts and service became one of Diamond's top priorities as it opened parts and service plants in New Jersey, Georgia, Ohio, Texan, Colorado, North Dakota, California, and Washington.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diamond Power's goals over the years seem to stay pretty congruent with its mission up until the early 1980's. Basically, Diamond's goals included staying on the moderate levels of technology, building a foreign market by exporting machines and parts and establishing joint-venture manufacturing companies overseas, establishing an extensive and profitable domestic aftermarket support system that included minifactories that supplied both parts and service, and to keep the upper hand on the soot blower market share. Diamond Power's parent corporation, McDermott, Inc, utilized several different corporate strategies to try to achieve Diamond's goal of a profitable and extensive aftermarket support system. However, some of the decisions made by McDermott, Inc in regards to its replacement part division caused more harm than good. For example, when a small operator began to copy and sell Diamond replacement parts at a lower cost than Diamond with great success, McDermott