European Union problem question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

European Union problem question - Essay Example The â€Å"freedom of work† through European Union countries is a fundamental right which encompasses a region without internal boundaries where independence is guaranteed in agreement with the endowment of the treaty. This right is applied under certain conditions and also approved to the family members, regardless of the nationality. However, the description of â€Å"family member† must comprise the registered companion, if the law of host country treats registered companion as comparable to marriage. In the context of free movement, marriage partners who are not nationals of an EU member country must obtain visa while crossing the border unless they have acquired the residence card . As Juanita was Columbian national from the beginning, she should acquire permissions from the â€Å"Secretary of State† in order to get visa. The immigration rule to enter UK depicts that a couple, in this case Roger and Juanita, must be capable of representing adequate original documented proofs which can specify that they have enough money, acceptable housing facility, and have not any supplementary resources for the non UK partner. However, there are other particular exemptions in this regulation which should be pursued by Roger in order to make Juanita enter in the UK . 5. Marriage in overseas nation takes place after mutual authorisation. The legal structure practiced in foreign states can act together with the law of UK in a complicated manner, and therefore the direction of ‘surrogate or registrar’ is essential in order to avoid complications in marriage and immigration problem in the UK or Netherlands. In present days, the laws regarding marriage and national immigration obligation are different in the UK and the Netherlands. The reason why Juanita faced problems while entering in the UK was due to its strong immigration policy system and its continuous development or transformations. There are increased concerns about the purpose of marriage, because some couple might conduct agreement marriage exclusively for immigration reasons. As marriage to someone authorises to live or work in the UK, it can considerably enrich the right for the foreign person. Therefore, a mutual authorisation is required for Roger and Juanita. It is obligat ory for Roger and Juanita to confirm that marriage authorisations are not settled, as there is a strong probability of viewing their marriage as fake and only a means to enter in the UK. The key issue is whether they seek genuine marriage in the sense that they are undertaking a promise to lastingness. Simultaneously, when the appeal for marriage ascends out of genuine

The BCG study Essay Example for Free

The BCG study Essay The Boston consulting group is a global management consulting firm serves as an advisor to clients in the private, public, and non-for-profit sectors across the world. Now, the Boston consulting group is private company with more than 75 offices in 43 countries and recorded revenues $3700 million in 2012. The headquarter of the Boston consulting group is in Boston and employed 6200 consultants. The company was founded by Bruce D. Henderson in 1963 as a division of the Boston sage deposit and trust company. In 1975, Handerson arranged an employee stock ownership plan and the buyout or all shares was completed in 1979. Serving as a management consulting firm, Boston consulting group acts as an adviser to many businesses, governments, and institutions. The recent clients of the Boston consulting group include Google, IBM, American Airlines, Ford Motor Company, Tata Group, Havard School of Public Health, Russian Ministry of Energy, Government of Canada and so on. As a world’s leading advisor on business stratedy, the Boston consulting group focus on cooperate clients to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their enterprises. The SWOT analysis of Boston consulting group: Strangths Weaknesses Well accepted in the industry of consulting. Expertise covers a wide range of insustries. Lagging behind in the technology area. Comperetively low scale on the area of oprations. Opportunities Threats Strengths: Well respected and globally accepted brand in the strategy consulting domainBCG, over the years has cultivated and built up a reputation for itself and a corporate brand which has become almost synonymous to strategy consulting. In the process, BCG has pioneered some path breaking ideas and concepts in the strategy consulting domain that provided innovative frameworks and solutions to address the needs and problems of business  community. The companys focus on conceptual, strategic thinking has yielded many concepts that went on to become classics of strategy, and resulted into many academic constructs, tools and methodologies. It pioneered the growth share matrix/BCG Matrix model which was one of the famous concepts in resource allocation strategy and was the basis for origin of further models.The company also formulated many concepts, including the experience curve, time-based competition, sustainable growth, and total shareholder value, which many organizations have leveraged to improve their competitive positions. Most of BCGs models are regarded as benchmarks in strategic management and business consulting areas. The strong acceptance of BCG as a strategy consulting brand differentiates it from many of its peers and equips the company with competitive traction. Expertise developed across multiple industry sectors strengthens its business reach The company has gradually developed broad expertise in offering services for various industries, including automotive, biopharmaceuticals, consumer products, energy and environment, engineered products and infrastructure, financial institutions, insurance, media and entertainment, medical devices and technology, health care payers and providers, metals and mining, private equity, process industries, public sector, retail, technology and software, telecommunications, industries, transportation travel and tourism, and social impact. The company works with humanitarian organizations on a range of areas, including poverty and hunger, global health, education, community and economic development, arts and culture, philanthropy, and corporate social responsibility. The expertise developed across multiple sectors, industries and areas enables the company to keep its business sustenance at high levels. Weaknesses: Lagging technology enabled offerings with a poor presence in technology consulting BCG, on a relative basis to its competitors lagged in integrating and utilizing technology in its various offerings and also has a relatively weak technology consulting practice. Technology consulting is one of the high potential areas for consulting companies to take advantage of the growth potential it offers in long term. In recent years, technology companies, such as Capgemini and Infosys, added business and strategy consulting capabilities to their portfolio to pursue cross-selling  opportunities for consulting services for their existing clients. Further, consulting companies, such as Accenture and Deloitte Touche, developed technology capabilities pursuing growth opportunities. As a result various companies, such as Accenture, Capgemini, Booz Allen Hamilton, IBM and Infosys, have achieved strong presence in technology consulting. However, BCG has not been a significant player in the technology consulting area. Also, most of its competitors developed strong research andanalytics platforms to support their various consulting practices by creating large outsourcing capabilities in strategic locations. The companys poor presence in high growth practice areas, such as technology adversely impacts its growth prospects and cross-selling opportunities. Lower scale of operations limits its competitive ability The companys scale of operations is comparatively lower than its competitors. Many of its competitors, such as McKinsey Company, Accenture, Deloitte and Booz Allen Hamilton, have substantially greater financial and other resources than the company. For instance, the company’s competitor, Booz Allen Hamilton reported revenues of $5,859.2 million during the financial year ended March 2012 (FY2012). Also, the company’s another competitor, Accenture reported revenues of $27,862.3 million during the financial year ended August 2012 (FY2012). Comparatively, BCG recorded revenues of $3,700 million in FY2012. Large scale enables these competitors to leverage on their facilities and resources to achieve operating efficiency. The company stands to lose out often in bidding for larger projects and assignments due to its lower scale which also impacts its operating efficiency significantly. Opportunities: Management consulting market potential in emerging markets The emerging markets are expected to record strong growth in coming years driven by their contribution to global commerce. Despite the global economic slowdown and recession in developed countries, the emerging markets continued to maintain growth. In coming years, the emerging markets are forecasted to increase their contribution to global commerce and consumption. This can be perceived by the growth prospects for emerging markets. For instance, the emerging and developing economies real GDP growth is forecast to reach about 5.5% and 5.9% in 2013 and 2014, respectively, compared to a growth of 2.1% in 2009. The growth is being driven by China, India, and other emerging Asian  economies. Positive outlook for emerging markets provide growth opportunities for various businesses. Moreover, in recent years, most of the companies in emerging markets continue to pursue global practices in their operations. Positive outlook for emerging markets provide growth opportunities for various businesses. Moreover, in recent years, most of the companies in these markets continue to pursue global practices in their operations. BCG being one of the major players in the business consulting market is in a position to capitalize on growth opportunities in providing services for companies in emerging and developing markets. Positive outlook for non-IT end markets drives demand for consulting servicesSome of the companys non-IT end markets returned to growth trajectories in 2011. Markets including the healthcare, oil and gas, and pharmaceutical markets are forecast to show a steady growth. For instance, the US healthcare sector is providing positive growth opportunities for the company. According to the industry estimates, the total US healthcare expenditures were $2.7 trillion in 2011, and are expected to reach $3.5 trillion by 2016. The US healthcare expenditures are projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of about 4.6% during 2007-11. Healthcare spending in the US is expected to reach 20% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2021. The global oil, gas and consumable fuels market is forecast to reach a value of $10.9 trillion in 2014, growth at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 13.5% during 2009–14. In addition, the US government initiatives are catalyzing the growth of new energy projects. Further, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. According to MarketLine, the global pharmaceuticals market grew by 3.5% in 2011 to record a value of $782.1 billion and it is forecast to reach $971.1 billion in 2016, an increase of 24.2% since 2011. BCG conducts research and analysis across a range of industries, including biopharmaceuticals,benergy and environment, and health care payers and providers, among others. Positive growth in such end markets will result in the origin of new projects, thereby creating the demand for the companys consulting services. Threats: Intense competition BCG operates in a highly competitive consultancy business and requires product and solution innovation on a regular basis to create and maintain competitive edge.The company faces competition from other large  players in the consultancy market such as McKinsey, Accenture, Deloitte Consulting, Booz Allen, and Ernst Young International. BCG also faces competition from companies that originated in the strategic consulting environment such as Bain, firms with core competence in IT solutions such as IBM, Capgemini, Hewlett Packard, and Infosys entered and extended their presence in the consulting industry, bringing a new breed of innovations and solution design, allowing other smaller IT companies to do the same. This trend may put pressure on the margins of mainstream consultancy firms such as BCG. Intense competition in the marketplace may negatively impact BCGs growth in market share and margins. Continued and prolonged weakness in global economic outlook In recent years, the global economy has undergone significant turmoil amid stock market volatility, difficulties in the financial services sector, tightening of the credit markets, softness in the housing markets, concerns of inflation and deflation, reduced corporate profits and capital spending, reduced consumer spending and various other economic difficulties. According to industry estimates, the global economy is expected to remain weak and uncertain in 2013. The downturn in the euro zone is forecasted to continue till the end of 2013. The recent macroeconomic data, state-level regional data, and the increased volatility in the financial markets in the US shows significant downside risksto the economic growth in the near term. In addition, factors such as weak household balance sheetsand confidence, relatively tight financial conditions, and continued fiscal consolidation are expected to halt the growth. According to the IMF, the US economic growth is expected to fall from 2.2% in 2012 to 1.9% in 2013.Weak economic outlook could affect business prospects of the company. The company derives most of its business in strategy consulting and substantial part from government and quasi-government agencies. The government bodies in developed world have deferred their various expenditures to curtail growing fiscal deficit. Similarly, large organizations in these countries have planned to go slow on their domestic growth strategies. The company may find it difficult towin new consulting business from these regions.

How Does the Tell Tale Heart Fulfil Your Expectations of A Gothic Essay

How Does the Tell Tale Heart Fulfil Your Expectations of A Gothic Story? From a gothic story such as the tell tale heart, by Edgar Allan Poe, I expect numerous amounts of gory deaths, intense suspense, hideous horror, plently of fear and espically paranoia. They should also contain a variety of literacy techniques including imagery, sentence structure, punctation and repititation in my essay I will be focusing on the amounts of death, horror, fear, suspense and the amount of literacy techniques used throughout the story. Edgar Allan Poe uses a lot of suspense in the Tell Tale Heart. To increase the effect the suspense he incorprates it with literacy techniques. One example of mixing literacty techniques with suspense is when Edgar Allan Poe uses imagery to descirbe the man creeping into the old mans bedroom when the old man wakes up. ‘I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed, crying out --"Who's there?" I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour, I did not mo...

Modern Racism Essay

Racism is a problem that has characterized the American society from the historical past and has refused to go away. Though at present, racism is not depicted in overt terms but still kept observations reveal that racism still raises its ugly head in an institutionalized manner. The dream as projected by Martin Luther King Junior where he hoped for a society in which individuals would be judged by the content of their character as opposed to the color of their skin has failed to be fully realized. This paper shall aspire to look at the evidence of racism in the modern American society by citing up specific examples from the various incidences in the country. Background: Despite the tremendous achievements that have been realized following the civil rights legislations, racism has remained one of the most pressing social issues in the American society. Racism is often treated as an issue of the past but in reality, racism is still thriving within the American society. This however can be traced not in the overt practices as the case of the Jim Crow laws in the Southern States at the height of the Civil War, but rather in the covert ways (Wheeler, 2005, p 5). The blame campaigns being witnessed in the American society is a clear example of racism in modern times. In the recent times, the victims have been blamed for the predicament that they find themselves. For instance, the unemployed are blamed for unemployment; those who are not educated are being faulted for not accessing education; and the homeless are being blamed for not having the homes (Dols, 2004, para 3). Evidence of Modern Racism: There has been some statistics that were revealed by studies indicating some biasness in events leading to unemployment and lopsided delivery of criminal justice. After the economic booms of the 1990s, majority of those affected by the economic downturn were the blacks. In the early 2000s, the rate of unemployment amongst the blacks was said to be rising at a faster rate compared to the unemployment rate of the whites (Wheeler, 2005, p 75). The lay-offs that were carried in some of the big corporations including Coca-Cola; Sears; and J. P. Morgan reflect on issues of discrimination in modern times. The African American work force in these corporations comprised of 18% at Coca-Cola, 16% at Sears and J. P. Morgan and yet the lay-offs at these corporations had high proportions of the black workforce with percentages given as 42, 54 and 30 for the respective corporations (Dols, 2004, para 5). Another study at the University of Chicago revealed that African Americans applying for a job were more likely to be denied the opportunity than their white counterparts using the name criterion. It is also worthy noting that studies indicate that African Americans are most likely be found guilty of drug offences compared to the whites (Cole and Smith, 2006, p 16). Apart from the examples provided above, the Africa Americans have continued to bear the consequences of the slavery and the Jim Crow rules at the height of discriminative policies in the United States (Smith, 1995, p 6). Conclusion: The incidences of racism are rampant in our society even though most individuals would think that we have advanced from the dark years. The government and the stakeholders need to be proactive in addressing the issue of modern day racism through the enhancement of affirmative policy actions that would bring parity and stop propagation of the racism connotations. Work Cited: Cole, George, F. and Christopher E. Smith. 2006. The American System of Criminal Justice. Cengage Learning, ISBN 0495006017, 9780495006015 Dols, Chris. 2004. Racism lives on in modern America. Retrieved on 17th August 2010 from; http://badgerherald. com/oped/2004/11/18/racism_lives_on_in_m. php. Smith, C. Robert. 1995. Racism in the post-civil rights era: now you see it, now you don’t. SUNY Press, ISBN 0791424383, 9780791424384 Wheeler, Albert, J. 2005. Racism: a selected bibliography. Nova Publishers, ISBN 1594544794, 9781594544798

Prose Appreciation “The Fly” By Katherine Mansfield Essay

â€Å"The Fly† by Katherine Mansfield is a short story which focuses on the trials and tribulations faced by those who lost relatives in World War One. Many who lost family and friends in the war struggled for years with grief, while others accepted the shortcomings and managed to overcome it. Everyone faced their own challenges, and everyone overcame them different ways, or in some cases not at all. Katherine Mansfield is one of many people who lost relatives in the war. She herself lost her brother in WW1 like Mr. Woodifield and the boss did. She wrote this story because she felt like she was a victim of helplessness and darkness, struggling with grief and also struggling with the Tuberculosis treatment she was going through at the time. This relates to the story because the boss felt like he was on his own after the death of his son, â€Å"Ever since his birth the boss had worked at building up this business for him; it had no other meaning if it was not for the boy.† He felt like he had no reason to do anything, like he was helpless and in the dark. The theme ‘time is a great healer’ fits these thoughts, because no matter what the boss might think, over time he is slowly getting over the death of his son even though he said â€Å"Time, he declared then, he had told everybody, could make no difference.† Six years have passed since the death of their sons, and Mr. Woodifield has overcome his grief, and has forgotten about his son, needing the help of whisky to remember that his daughters visited his grave. The boss however, believes that he is still wrought with grief, when in fact he has overcome it. He can no longer cry when his son is mentioned, and he can no longer use the photograph on the wall to force the emotions of grief on him. He forgets about his son, and that indicates that perhaps he is over his grief more than he would like to think. Time has healed him, and made it so he can no longer grieve as he used to. Mr. Woodifield is the one who forces the boss to come to terms with his feelings. He is si mply visiting his old friend and employer, when he recalls that he had something to tell him, however he could not remember what it was. Feeling pity for the man who is â€Å"on his last pins,† the boss offers him a drink of whisky to help recall his memories, which Mr. Woodifield is successful in doing. However the memories are not pleasant ones for the boss. Mr. Woodifield informs him that his daughters went to  visit his son Reggie’s grave, and happened to see the boss’ son there. They remark that the graves are well-kept and very nice. This brings up memories that the boss didn’t want to remember, and as soon as Mr. Woodifield had left, he asks his messenger to let no one bother him for a half hour. During this time the boss attempts to recall his feelings of grief for his son, and failing to do that he turns to the photograph, hoping that will help. A fly however falls into his inkwell and forces his attention towards it, coincidentally making him once again forget his son. He focuses on the fly and helps it out, then watching as it cleans itself. He decides that he will test the fly , and proceeds to drop ink onto it. On the fourth drop the fly gives in, and the boss throws it away, just as he did with his memories of his son, which â€Å"For the life of him he could not remember.† Similes play a part in making the reader understand the story. For example when describing Mr. Woodifield using the simile â€Å"He peered out of the great, green leather arm-chair by his friend, the boss’s desk, as a baby peers out of its pram,† gives you the impression that Mr. Woodifield is perhaps getting on in age, and yet is still curious about everything that goes on around him. Another example is when Katherine talks about grief saying â€Å"we cling to our last pleasures as the tree clings to its last leaves,† meaning that the boss refused to let go of the grief, even though subconsciously he had already done so. The use of the metaphor â€Å"The day had come when Macey had handed him the telegram that brought the whole place crashing about his head,† forces the reader to imag ine the boss’ feelings and reaction when he got the news about his son. He was devastated, and the metaphor used really enforces the point. To further enforce the point of devastation and grief, imagery is used. The two major ones are the fly and the boss himself, however there is also the photograph on the wall. The boss represents all those who have lost someone in the terrible war, yet they kept a faà §ade of being strong, and being the leader when in public, and when in private they were grieving their loved ones. He is a symbol of authority and power, keeping control when needed. The fly symbolizes those who lost their lives in the war. The young men who were shipped off to fight for their country, and who were getting more and more worn out the more years the war went on for. It symbolizes the constant struggle they had to deal with, and eventually they couldn’t handle it no more. Eventually the last inkblot killed the fly, just  as the last year of war killed a lot of the remaining young men and their innocence. The photo, while not mentioned as much, represents the innocence the young men had, and then lost in their first year of war. The things they had to do and see robbed them of the boyish innocence they went in with. â€Å"The expression was unnatural. It was cold, even stern-looking.† They all were changed by the horrendous happenings that they had to bear witness too. Overall this story sends out a message that everyone has their own way to grieve and everyone will spend different amounts of time doing so. Eventually however time will heal even the worst feelings of grief, and that is why I liked this story. It shows that no matter what things will get better one day. Things will get better, even if you don’t believe it ever will. Others should read this story, because at some time in their lives, they will have to face a challenge, and this story will remind them that time will help. They won’t overcome it straight away, but with time, they will get better. Just like Mr. Woodifield, and even the boss did.

Biography of Walter Cronkite, Journalist and Anchorman

Biography of Walter Cronkite, Journalist and Anchorman Walter Cronkite was a journalist who defined the role of network anchorman during the decades when television news rose from being the  neglected stepchild of radio to a dominant form of journalism. Cronkite became a legendary figure and was often called the most trusted man in America. Fast Facts: Walter Cronkite Known For: Broadcast journalist and anchorman who covered key moments in American historyAlso Known As: The Most Trusted Man in AmericaBorn: December 4, 1916 in  St. Joseph, MissouriDied: July 17, 2009 in New York City, New YorkEducation: University of Texas at AustinSelected Awards: Presidential Medal of Freedom, NASAs Ambassador of Exploration Award, Four Freedoms Award for the Freedom of SpeechNotable Quote: And thats the way it is. Originally a print reporter who excelled as a battlefield correspondent during  World War II, Cronkite developed a skill for reporting and telling a story which he brought to the embryonic medium of television. As Americans began receiving much of their news from television, Cronkite was  a familiar face in living rooms across the country. During his career Cronkite covered combat up close, putting himself at risk on a number of occasions. In less dangerous assignments he interviewed presidents and foreign leaders, and covered critical events from the  McCarthy era  to the early 1980s. For a generation of Americans, Cronkite provided a highly credible voice and a steady and calm manner during tumultuous times. Viewers related to him, and to his standard closing line at the end of each broadcast: And thats the way it is. Early Life Walter Cronkite was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, on December 4, 1916. The family moved to Texas when Cronkite was a child, and he became interested in journalism during high school. While attending the University of Texas,  he worked for two years part-time for the Houston Post newspaper, and after leaving college he took a variety of jobs at newspapers and radio stations. In 1939, he was hired to be a war correspondent by the United Press wire service. As World War II intensified, the newly married Cronkite departed for Europe to cover the conflict. Formative Experience: World War II By 1942, Cronkite was based in England, sending dispatches back to American newspapers. He was invited into a special program with the U.S. Army Air Force to train journalists to fly aboard bombers. After learning basic skills, including firing the airplanes machine guns, Cronkite flew aboard an Eighth Air Force B-17 on a bombing mission over Germany. The mission turned out to be extremely dangerous. A correspondent from the New York Times, Robert P. Post, who was flying  on another B-17 during the same mission, was killed when the bomber was shot down. (Andy Rooney, a correspondent for Stars and Stripes and a future CBS News colleague of Cronkite, also flew on the mission and, like Cronkite, made it back to England safely.) Cronkite wrote a vivid dispatch about the bombing mission which ran in a number of American newspapers. In the New York Times of February 27, 1943, Cronkites story appeared under the headline Hell 26,000 Feet Up. On June 6, 1944, Cronkite observed the D-Day beach assaults from a military plane. In September 1944, Cronkite covered the airborne invasion of Holland in Operation Market Garden by landing in a glider with paratroopers from the 101st Airborne Division. Cronkite covered the fighting in Holland for weeks, often putting himself at considerable risk. At the end of 1944, Cronkite covered the German offensive that turned into the Battle of the Bulge. In the spring of 1945, he covered the end of the war. Given his wartime experiences, he probably could have gotten a contract to write a book, but he chose to keep his job at United Press as a correspondent. In 1946, he covered the Nuremberg Trials, and following that he opened a United Press bureau in Moscow.   In 1948. Cronkite was back in the United States. He and his wife had their first child in November 1948. After years of travel, Cronkite began gravitating to a more settled life, and began to seriously think about jumping from print journalism to broadcasting. Early TV News In 1949 Cronkite began working for CBS Radio, based in Washington, D.C. He covered the government; a focus of his job was to broadcast reports to stations located in the Midwest. His assignments were not very glamorous, and tended to focus on agricultural policy of interest to listeners in the heartland. When the Korean War began in 1950, Cronkite wanted to return to his role as  an overseas correspondent. But he found a niche in Washington, delivering news about the conflict on local television, illustrating troop movements by drawing lines on a map. His wartime experience seemed to give him a certain confidence on the air, and viewers related to him. At that time, TV news was in its infancy, and many influential radio broadcasters, including even Edward R. Murrow, the legendary star  newsman of CBS Radio, believed television would be a passing fad. Cronkite, however, developed a feel for the medium, and his career took off. He was essentially pioneering the presentation of news on television, while also dabbling in interviews (once taking a tour of the White House with President Harry S. Truman) and even filling in as the host of a popular game show, Its News to Me. The Most Trusted Man in America In 1952, Cronkite and others at CBS put serious effort into presenting, live on the air, the proceedings of both major party political conventions from Chicago. Before the conventions, CBS even offered classes for politicians to learn how to appear on television. Cronkite was the teacher, giving points on speaking and facing the camera. One of his students was a Massachusetts congressman, John F. Kennedy. On election night in 1952, Cronkite anchored CBS News coverage live from a studio at Grand Central Station in New York City. Sharing the duties with Cronkite was a computer, Univac, which Cronkite introduced as an electronic brain that would help tally votes. The computer mostly malfunctioned during the broadcast, but Cronkite kept the show moving along.  CBS executives came to recognize Cronkite as something of a star. To viewers across America, Cronkite was becoming an authoritative voice. In fact, he became known as the most trusted man in America. Throughout the 1950s, Cronkite reported regularly on CBS News programs. He developed an early interest in Americas early space program, reading anything he could find about newly developed missiles and plans to launch astronauts into space. In 1960, Cronkite seemed to be everywhere, covering the political conventions and serving as one of the journalists asking questions at the final Kennedy-Nixon debate. On April 16, 1962, Cronkite began anchoring the CBS Evening News, a position he would hold until he chose to retire in 1981. Cronkite made sure he wasnt merely the anchorman, but the managing editor of the newscast. During his tenure, the broadcast expanded from 15 minutes to a half-hour. On the first program of the expanded format, Cronkite interviewed President Kennedy on the lawn of the Kennedy family house at Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. The interview, conducted on Labor Day 1963, was historically important as the president seemed to be adjusting his policy on Vietnam. It would be one of the last interviews with Kennedy before his death less than three months later. Reporting on Key Moments in American History On the afternoon of November 22, 1963, Cronkite was working in the CBS newsroom in New York City when bells indicating urgent bulletins began ringing on teletype machines. The first reports of a shooting near the presidents motorcade in Dallas were being transmitted via wire services. The first bulletin of the shooting broadcast by CBS News was voice-only, as it took time to set up a camera. As soon as it was possible, Cronkite appeared live on the air. He gave updates on the shocking news as it arrived. Nearly losing his composure, Cronkite made the grim announcement that President Kennedy had died from his wounds. Cronkite stayed on the air for hours, anchoring the coverage of the assassination. He spent many hours on the air in the following days, as Americans engaged in a new sort of mourning ritual, one conducted via the medium of television. In the following years, Cronkite would deliver news about the Civil Rights Movement, the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, riots in American cities, and the Vietnam War. After visiting Vietnam in early 1968  and witnessing the violence unleashed in the Tet Offensive, Cronkite returned to America and delivered a rare editorial opinion. In a commentary delivered on CBS, he said that, based on his reporting, the war was a stalemate and a negotiated end should be sought. It was later reported that President Lyndon Johnson was shaken to hear Cronkites assessment, and it influenced his decision not to seek a second term. One big story of the 1960s that Cronkite loved to cover was the space program. He anchored live broadcasts of rocket launches, from projects Mercury through Gemini and to the crowning achievement, Project Apollo. Many Americans learned how the rockets operated by watching Cronkite give basic lessons from his anchor desk. In an era before TV news could utilize advanced special effects, Cronkite, handling plastic models, demonstrated the maneuvers that were being performed in space. When Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969, a nationwide audience watched the grainy images on television. Many were tuned into CBS and Walter Cronkite, who famously admitted, after seeing Armstrong make his famous first step, Im speechless. Later Career Cronkite continued covering the news through the 1970s, anchoring events such as Watergate and the end of the Vietnam War. On a trip to the Middle East, he interviewed Egyptian president Sadat and Israeli prime minister Begin. Cronkite was given credit for inspiring the two men to meet and eventually forge a peace treaty between their countries. For many, the name Cronkite was synonymous with  the news. Bob Dylan, in a song on his 1975 album Desire, made a playful reference to him: I was sittin home alone one night in L.A.Watching old Cronkite on the seven oclock news... On Friday, March 6, 1981, Cronkite presented his final newscast as an anchorman. He chose to end his tenure as anchor with little fanfare. The New York Times reported that he had spent the day, as usual, preparing the newscast. In the following decades, Cronkite appeared often on television, at first doing specials for CBS, and later for PBS and CNN. He remained active, spending time with a wide circle of friends that came to include artist Andy Warhol and Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart. Cronkite also kept with his hobby of sailing in the waters around Marthas Vineyard, where he had long kept a vacation home. Cronkite died at the age of 92 on July 17, 2009. His death was front-page news across America. He is widely remembered as a legendary figure who created and embodied a golden age of television news. Sources Brinkley, Douglas. Cronkite. Harper Perennial, 2013.Martin, Douglas. â€Å"Walter Cronkite, 92, Dies; Trusted Voice of TV News.† New York Times, 17 July 2009, p. 1.Cronkite, Walter. Hell 26,000 Feet Up. New York Times, 17 February 1943, p. 5.

Shakespeare Family

Shakespeare Family Who was William Shakespeare’s immediate family? Did he have children? Are there direct descendants around today? William led two very different lives. There was his home, family life in Stratford-upon-Avon; and there was his professional life in London. Other than one account from a town clerk in 1616 that Shakespeare was in London with his son-in-law, John Hall, there is no evidence that his family had much to do with London. All of his property was in Stratford, including a large family home called New Place. When purchased in 1597, it was the biggest house in the town! Shakespeares Parents: Father: John ShakespeareMother: Mary Arden There is no exact record of when John and Mary married, but it is estimated to be in about 1557. The family business evolved over time, but it is widely recognised that John was a glove maker and leather maker.   John was very active in Stratford-upon-Avon’s civic duties and in 1567 he became mayor of the town (or High Bailiff, as he would have been titled then). Whilst there are no records, it is presumed that John’s high civic standing would have enabled the young William to study at the local grammar school. Shakespeares Siblings: Brother: Gilbert Shakespeare (born in 1566)Sister: Joan Shakespeare (born in 1569)Sister:  Anne Shakespeare (born in 1571)Brother:  Richard Shakespeare (born in 1574)Brother:  Edmund Shakespeare (born in 1580) Infant mortality was common in Elizabethan England, and John and Mary lost two children before William was born. The siblings above lived until they were adults, with the exception of Anne who died at the age of eight. Shakespeares Wife: Wife: Anne Hathaway When he was just 18 years old, William married 27-year-old Anne Hathaway in a shotgun wedding. Anne was the daughter of a farming family in the nearby village of Shottery. She fell pregnant with their first child outside of wedlock and the couple had to obtain special permission from the Bishop to marry. There is no surviving wedding certificate. Shakespeares Children: Daughter: Susanna Shakespeare (born in 1583)Daughter:  Judith Shakespeare – Twin (born in 1585)Son: Hamnet Shakespeare – Twin (born in 1585) The child conceived out of wedlock to William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway was daughter named Susanna. A few years later, they had twins. However, in the summer of 1596, Hamnet died, aged 11. It is thought that William was grief stricken and his experience can be read in his characterisation of Hamlet, written not long after. Susanna married John Hall in 1607; Judith married Thomas Quiney in 1616.Shakespeares Grandchildren: Elizabeth Hall (born in 1608)Shakespeare Quiney (born in 1616)Richard Quiney (born in 1618)Thomas Quiney (born in 1620) William had only one grandchild from his eldest daughter, Susanna. Elizabeth married Thomas Nash in 1626, and later remarried to John Bernard in 1649. From William’s youngest daughter, Judith, there were three grandsons. The eldest was named Shakespeare because the family name had been lost when Judith married, but he died in infancy. Shakespeares Grandparents Grandfather: Richard ShakespeareGrandfather: Robert Arden Above William’s parents in the family tree, information becomes a little sparse. We can’t be sure of the names of William’s grandmothers because the â€Å"men of the house† would have taken control of legal affairs, and so only their names will have appeared on historical documents. We know that the Arden’s were wealthy fathers and the Shakespeare family held civic responsibilities in the town. It is likely that this combined power was what enabled them to obtain special permission from the Bishop for their children to marry to stop the baby being born out of wedlock; this would have brought shame on their family and their reputation at the time. Shakespeares Living Descendants: Wouldn’t it be great to discover that you are a descendant of the Bard? Well, technically, it is possible. The direct bloodline ends with William’s grandchildren who either did not marry, or did not have children to continue the line. You have to look further up the family tree to William’s sister, Joan. Joan married William Hart and had four children. This line continued and there are many of Joan’s descendants alive today. Could you be related to William Shakespeare?

Incite, Incentive, Incent, Incentivize

Incite, Incentive, Incent, Incentivize Incite, Incentive, Incent, Incentivize Incite, Incentive, Incent, Incentivize By Maeve Maddox The first two words in the title, incite and incentive, have been in the language a long time: incite (1483) verb: to urge or spur on incentive (1475) noun: something that arouses feeling or incites to action. The verbs incent and incentivize are later arrivals that currently offend the sensibilities of many speakers: Some neologisms deserve to be throttled, wrapped up in black plastic, and dropped into the deepest crevices of the  Marianas Trench as soon as they are created. Two such words are  incent  and  incentivize. –Writing, Clear and Simple (2007) Does it bug you when you hear a word that’s not really a word–Take this example: incent. I hear this all the time, especially in business. As in, â€Å"What can we do to incent our staff to work harder?† –Edit This Blog (2011) You receive incentives to incentivize you. What do you get when youre incented? Incents? Incention?–Commenter reacting to another reader’s defense of incent. The verb incent, a backformation of the noun incentive, has an OED entry that documents the forms incented and incenting, but none for plain incent. The earliest citation is from 1844: â€Å"Incented by the stupid ambition of an ignorant mother, she thought that the purse of the one was far superior to the heart of the other.† The most recent (1997) identifies incent as not quite standard by enclosing it in quotations: â€Å"Workers need to be ‘incented’ with bonuses, stock options, and dispersed decision-making.† The verb incentivize first appears on the Ngram Viewer in the late 1950s, but doesn’t make much of a showing until the 1980s, when it begins to soar. Since then it has become a staple of business vocabulary. How can health plans incentivize members to take care of their health? Use objective measures to incentivize midlevel providers for increased productivity. FDA outlines plan to incentivize high-quality manufacturing. All of the words in this group derive from Latin incendÄ•re, â€Å"to kindle, set on fire.† An incentive is something that provokes a person to action. â€Å"Incentive pay† is documented from 1943. The noun incentive in the sense of payment to encourage a worker dates from 1948. Some readers object to both incent and incentivize, preferring the phrase â€Å"offer incentives to,† or the verb motivate. Others reject incent, but accept incentivize, arguing that motivate does not have quite the same meaning: There really is a difference between incentives and motivation. What an incentive is â€Å"I am going to pay you to want what I want.† And as long as you pay people to want what you want they do it. The minute you stop paying them to want what you want, they stop. And they are not motivated to do anything. They were just incentivized to do just that. –Clayton Christensen, BBC InBiz podcast, September 6, 2012. Regardless of one’s aversion to the sound of incentivize, railing against it is futile. When a new word is perceived as filling a gap, it will prevail. Incentivize is here to stay, right along with amortize, alphabetize, anesthetize, burglarize, commercialize and all the other -ize verbs we may or may not find pleasing to the ear. Incent, on the other hand, is supremely expendable. For one thing, it is used with the same meaning as incentivize. For another, the sound is so close to incite and incense as to invite misunderstanding. Incite can be used with a neutral meaning, for example, â€Å"to incite interest,† but is usually used in the context of stirring up trouble, as in â€Å"to incite violence.† The verb incense (accent on the second syllable) means, â€Å"to provoke to anger,† as in â€Å"Failure to abide by these requirements could incense an already emotional worker and trigger unnecessary and irksome litigation.† An inattentive listener might misunderstand the motives of an employer who wants â€Å"to incent his workers.† At present, incite isn’t so much as a speck on the Ngram Viewer so it may not be too difficult to ignore it into oblivion. As for incentivize, speakers who can’t bear to utter the word have options: prompt drive motivate inspire stimulate influence encourage offer incentives bribe Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†List of Greek Words in the English Language50 Synonyms for "Song"

SWO Service Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

SWO Service - Case Study Example However, in recent years it is facing various problems related to maintaining sustainability of its business. It has acquired a substantial sales order for the upcoming six months but it needs to decide upon whether to expand its business further or not. This study discusses about the detailed company and industry analysis to have conclusive evidence to decide upon the sustainability of the business in future. First of all the key issues related to the company performance have been identified. Then the industry analysis has been performed which discusses about the internal and external business factors which have an impact on the company. Then the consumer analysis has been done which includes segmentation strategies and the product mix associated with each segments. Then the trade analysis, competitive analysis and external analysis of the company has also been done. An alternative analysis has been performed which discusses about the targeting of the particular segment consisting o f the mid-sized distributors and the relevant positioning and promotional strategies to be employed by the company. Lastly, a recommendation has been provided regarding the best strategy needed to be applied by the company to regain its competitive advantage in the market and have a sustainable growth and development in future. Table of Contents Problems and Analysis 5 Issues 5 Constraints 5 Objectives 5 Industry Analysis 5 Internal Factors 6 External Factors 6 Key Success Factors 7 Consumer Analysis 7 Trade Analysis 8 Competitive Analysis 9 External Analysis 9 Political Factors 10 Economical Factors 10 Technological Factors 10 Corporate Capabilities 11 Alternative Analysis 11 Recommendation 12 Works Cited 13 Problems and Analysis Issues SWO Service is experiencing different kinds of issues which are having a significant impact on the performance and growth of the company. The company has failed to generate revenues at a steady rate since its inception. The penetration pricing strat egy followed by the company initially helped it to increase its market share but now it is facing problems to successfully position its products and is losing sales on various grounds. Constraints The constraint that can be identified as regards to SWO Service is the financial constraint. It does not have adequate fund sources available to them to expand its business on a large scale. Objectives The personal objectives include more profit required by the owners of the company. It is in accordance with the company objective which is to decide upon expansion of its business to increase the profitability of the company. Industry Analysis In order to facilitate the formulation of a successful strategy and help in its decision making process regarding the sustainability of the business processes followed by SWO Service it requires to have a comprehensive analysis of the industry in which it is operating its business activities. Industry analysis actually involves identification of the ec onomic factors that helps a company to boost its performance and profitability in the operating industry (Palepu, and Healy 2-16). Industry analysis of SWO Service includes identification and analysis of its internal and external business environment which is explained below: Internal Factors Strengths George, one of the owners of SWO Service is one of its strength. George is experienced in the field of software industry and has the acumen of all different technical aspects of the software industry. Moreover SWO Service develops quality software which is acknowledged by the customers. Weaknesses The organizational structure of SWO Service is one of its major weaknesses. The various business activit

International business & strategic management assignment - 1

International business & strategic management - Assignment Example The Danish political system focuses on increasing international security and stability, which will be essential in handling the demands and expectations of the international investors. Denmark has a population of 5.6 million with a GDP of $211.9 billion per annum. In addition, the region has approximately $37,900 income per capita with an inflation rate of 0.8 percent. Similarly, the nation has an unemployment rate of 7.1 percent and the FDI inflow of $2.1 billion (Denmark, 2015). Denmark is one of the global nations with low-context culture, which is essential in determination of the consumer behaviour. For instance, in Denmark, rules are important while knowledge is publicly accessible. In addition, message is delivered best verbally in comparison to non-verbal attribute. Technology continues to shape operations and transactions by business entities. In the banking industry in Denmark, technology plays a critical role in the automation of the operations. For instance, banking industry provides online and mobile banking and the private investment in accordance with the needs of the target audiences. Denmark focuses on the promotion of environmental protection mechanisms and strategies in the midst of global warming or climate change. This makes it essential for the internal and international investors to focus on the adoption of environmental CSR programs and strategies for protection and conservation of the environment. Denmark legal system focuses on the illustration of critical regulations and rules for the opening of retail banking. It is the obligation of the internal and international investors to adopt and comply with such regulations. Prior to 2015, South Africa had one of the most stable political systems in the world. In addition, the political policies and regulations provide the perfect platform for the growth and

The Relationship between Animal Abuse and Human Abuse Essay

The Relationship between Animal Abuse and Human Abuse - Essay Example Abuse to animals is a horrible crime that ultimately touches us all, both as a society and as individuals. It is a documented fact that many serial killers began their life of violent crime by abusing animals. The evidence is in - it can no longer be denied: There is a connection between animal abuse and violent acts against humans such as domestic violence, elder abuse, child abuse and murder. Recent research has indicated that animal abuse and other forms of family violence often co-occur. Further, a child's violence towards animals is an indicator of potential future violence towards people Given these links, human and animal welfare organizations are beginning to work together to better detect and prevent violence towards both animals and people. In some parts of the U.S. these initiatives have been incorporated into the legal framework. Partello (1997) found that pets fill a variety of human needs, from acting as child substitutes, to providing companionship and unconditional love. These companion animals no longer live in barns and kennels but are an integral part of the human family. Ironically, this means that they suffer at the hands of abusers, just as children do. In a study by DeViney, Dickert, and Lockwood (1983) it was found that companion animals were abused in 88% of the families in which children were abused. Because abuse of animals by children invariably signals great distress, parents and other significant adults need to be informed that certain forms and/or patterns of cruelty should not be dismissed as typical childhood actions. You will note that cruelty to animals can be a sign of conduct disorder, and hurting animals is considered one of the earliest reported symptoms. A child's cruelty toward another animal can be an attempt to gain control over a creature that is smaller and weaker and may be the only way the child can feel powerful. It may reflect a desire to inflict pain or be a displacement of hostility. A child experiencing brutalization may also act on it towards animals. It is imperative that social workers, teachers, administrators, and psychologists become aware of animal abuse and its relationship to human violence so that they can design appropriate prevention and intervention programs. Primary prevention may focus on educational programs that protect children with clear guidelines for acceptable behavior with animals. Because abuse of animals by children invariably signals great distress, parents and other significant adults need to be informed that certain forms and/or patterns of cruelty should 4 not be dismissed as typical childhood actions. I. Animal Abuse Expands into Human Abuse Carpenter (2006) for those

Defining Social Responsibility Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Defining Social Responsibility - Assignment Example An act of social responsibility that has influenced my life is the recycling of waste done by the waste-management department the area where I live. This not only reduces waste but also helps save money and resources. Having been raised in such an environment, this act of government has influenced me in a very positive way since I tend to produce minimal waste. The motivation behind it reflects my personal value of building a safe environment to promote better health of the society as well as other living beings. Social responsibility, as the name implies, is the responsibility of an agency, organization, individual, or entity toward the society for its prosperity, development, and well-being. An act of social responsibility that government can take is allowing religious freedom to people. â€Å"[R]eligious values are healthy for society, and that restoring them is the key to overcoming our current moral and social problems† (Wilson, 1991). Another example that supports my def inition of social responsibility is that doing something for others also enriches the life of the contributor (Loeb, 2010, p.

How to reduce the incidence of lower extermity amputations in diabetes Literature review

How to reduce the incidence of lower extermity amputations in diabetes with Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy - Literature review Example This study looks into hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), a popular treatment method for decompression sickness. It utilizes a special sealed chamber which is pressurized up to three times the normal atmospheric. Inside the chamber the patient can breathe pure oxygen, hence effectively increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood. Over the years, HBOT has been used to treat various illnesses including gas embolism, gas gangrene, skin grafts, bone infections and many others. While HBOT has been used to treat many conditions, there is still conflicting evidence as to its effectiveness in treating infections of the skin and tissues. In a research by Meryl Brod it was mentioned, â€Å"Lower extremity ulcers are among the most common and costly complications of diabetes. They are a leading cause of amputation and account for more hospital days than other diabetic complications†. Aside from its economic cost, diabetic ulcers has a negative impact on a person’s quality of life; thereby making treatment for lower extremity ulcers a priority for many health care practitioners. Having said this, it is now important to qualify that this critical appraisal isn’t really about preventing amputations among diabetic patients, but rather, finding an effective treatment to cure foot ulcers. The researcher searched two databases, PubMed and Google Scholar. The search terms used were hyperbaric oxygen therapy, curing diabetic ulcers, preventing diabetic amputations, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and diabetes, and effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen in curing diabetic wounds. Thousands of resources were returned so several criteria for inclusion was created. Resources were accepted or rejected based on the following criteria: (1) the study cover the treatment for diabetes wounds and ulcers (2) the study must not be older than 1995; (3) the study must be in English; (4) the study must involve human subjects. Accepted resources were subjected to an ancestry search of th eir references to discover new resources which can be used to address the clinical question. Ten (10) studies were then included at the end of this search. The resources are intentionally international in scope in order to determine what factors may affect the efficacy of HBOT in treating lower extremity wounds and ulcers. Method for Appraising Articles For the purpose of this study, methodology for rapid critical appraisal (RCA) will be utilized. Through the RCA, this critical appraisal paper will review each study in order to determine (1) its level of evidence, (2) how well it was conducted, and (3) how useful it is to practice (Fineout-Overholt et al. 2010).

Defining Social Responsibility Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Defining Social Responsibility - Assignment Example An act of social responsibility that has influenced my life is the recycling of waste done by the waste-management department the area where I live. This not only reduces waste but also helps save money and resources. Having been raised in such an environment, this act of government has influenced me in a very positive way since I tend to produce minimal waste. The motivation behind it reflects my personal value of building a safe environment to promote better health of the society as well as other living beings. Social responsibility, as the name implies, is the responsibility of an agency, organization, individual, or entity toward the society for its prosperity, development, and well-being. An act of social responsibility that government can take is allowing religious freedom to people. â€Å"[R]eligious values are healthy for society, and that restoring them is the key to overcoming our current moral and social problems† (Wilson, 1991). Another example that supports my def inition of social responsibility is that doing something for others also enriches the life of the contributor (Loeb, 2010, p.

Great Works of Western PhilosophyDiscuss Thomas Aquinas's criticisms Essay

Great Works of Western PhilosophyDiscuss Thomas Aquinas's criticisms of the view that God's existence is selfevident - Essay Example There is no denying the fact that though both of them were believers, yet in their theological and philosophical confabulations, they seem to be more concerned about establishing the relevance of their approach rather then proving the existence of God. Anselm, an Italian philosopher tends to rely on pure logical catechism. Aquinas, hailing from an aristocratic background, being the son of Count of Aquino, tends to extend a more refined version of the Averroists' view of 'double truth, which believed that the Catholic faith has two dimensions, one based on reason that emanates from philosophy and the other based of revelation, ensuing from theology. However, Aquinas while refuting the ontological argument seems to divest religion of its inherent need for faith and mysticism. In doing so, both the luminaries reduce God to a concept, much unlike the alive and awesome God of the scriptures. Yet, the interesting thing is that this approach of Aquinas towards faith evolved into a living in fluence that cleared the way for the proliferation and sustenance of a scientific temperament in the West amidst the surrounding theological constraints. Anselm was a theologian who commanded a considerable influence in the 11th century. In 1078, he propounded his famous ontological argument for the existence of God in his well-known book 'Proslogium'. Anselm was both repudiated and acclaimed by some of the most noteworthy philosophers and theologians. Thomas Aquinas and Immanuel Kant challenged this ontological argument for the existence of God, while it was acclaimed and built upon by Leibniz, Descartes and Spinoza. Anselm's ontological argument for the existence of God proceeds somewhat like this: 1. God stands to be the greatest entity that can be conceived by human mind. (Axiom) 2. If God is not the greatest entity, then definitely something greater then God ought to exist. (Axiom) 3. Yet, it is impossible to conceive an entity greater then God. (Axiom 1, repeated). 4. As axiom 2 is in contradiction with axiom 1, thus 2 is certainly false. 5. Hence, God Exists. To put the argument of Anselm in simple words: 1. Even if an individual doubts the existence of God, still one knows that God is the greatest entity that can be conceived by human mind. 2. There is no denying the fact that the capacity to exist in the mind and outside the mind stands to be greater then the capacity to exist merely in the mind. 3. Thus, the individual who denies the existence of God, in a way declares that it is possible to conceive something that is greater than God is. 4. This premise stands to contradict the definition of God and hence cannot be true. 5. Thus, God exists. In a personal perspective, Anselm intends to validate a synthetic argument by pretending that it is in fact an analytic argument. He is trying to prove the existence of something without trying to correlate its existence with the real world. Grave doubts tend to mar the assumption that concludes that it is possible to validate or deny the existence of something by merely resorting to its definition. As per Encarta, it is next to impossible to valida

Apple Inc. in 2012 Essay Example for Free

Apple Inc. in 2012 Essay Introduction: Apple Inc. initially started as ‘Apple Computers’ and was mainly known as a computer company with its devices known as ‘Macintosh’. With a few years down the road, it was transformed into a ‘mobile devices company’ and major contribution in this regard was by non-other than Steve Jobs. He revolutionized many industries and paved a way for a more technology-oriented future at Apple. Background:The recently deceased CEO of Apple Steve Jobs was considered to be the most influential and innovative  person in the technology industry for the past decade or so. It was assumed that after his demise Apple as a company would fail to be at its best and would lose way in this battle of technology giants which includes Google, Samsung, HTC, just to name a few. But recent products and market share has proven otherwise that Tim Cook is doing a fine enough job and it is more of an image or brand which is what Apple is and as long as their product line shows consistency, consumers will buy them no matter who is in charge. The tool that will be used for writing this case will be based on SWOT analysis. Starting with strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and finally threats. A concept known as ‘blue ocean strategy’ will also be implemented and defined how it played a role in the success of Apple and making it what it is today. SWOT Analysis: It starts by taking a look at all the angles of a company and then working on those angles to perfect any issues that appear during ‘evaluation’ phase. Strengths:Apple being a ‘brand’ was highly successful and quickly became a status symbol for many who used to buy Apple products (Anon 2013). Marketing was its strongest point and also an area, which had to be because if they were to penetrate a global market where many individual competitors were already acting it was important for Apple to do so. Design, being a brand is not easy and Apple made sure its products were uniquely identifiable as well as easy to use, even for a first time user. Jony Ive who is the head of design at Apple is famous for his distinct product designs and quality. Factors reduced below the industry standard: These are the ones, which are not used regularly and can be put on a back burner to make room for new features. For e.g. setting a design language and focusing on improving that over the years rather than changing it every year. Bigger profit margins, this was possible due to high sale price and also the customer was loyal and was willing to pay more for Apple products. Factors that industry has taken for granted: In Macs, Apple has removed all those features which were not used by consumers and were considered to be obsolete such as firewire ports and have added more advanced one such as thunderbolt and HDMI under its pro line of books. Weaknesses: Developing an ecosystem was a good thing but it had its side effects too. As alternative products were available at low costs, it was difficult to retain a new customer for a long term as sticking to the Apple ecosystem was costly. Incompatibility (Anon 2013) was partially killed in Macs when Apple switched  to Intel chips but due to running its own OS and proprietary set of core applications, many high-end apps that developers or professionals used were missing and were only available on Windows OS. After Jobs demise, a few leading management executives left Apple and it was perceived as a setback for the company. Steve was ruthless in his approach but kept everyone together. Though Apple makes its own devices but the hardware used in many iPhones and iPads is purchased as raw products from Samsung, which is its biggest competitor. Opportunities:After stepping into the mobile phone industry, Apple changed the way people communicated and it ushered a new era for hand held devices. This includes applications that could be installed on a smartphone and one could use it as a ‘minicomputer’ while working on the go. As far as an ecosystem of the company is concerned, Apple made full use of its pioneering into the smartphone business by launching an App Store which was the hub for all things mobile, which later on included the iPad. Factors raised well above the industry standard: Product designs are key to Apple’s success and have been improved significantly by adopting uni-body designs and utilizing this approach for a more firm and sturdy product. Factors which industry has never offered: Invention of an iPad is one such example where a whole new category has been created to consume media and be productive while being portable too. iPad was a revolutionized product of its own as its created a whole new industry and category for people to create and consume media, productivity or just casual use. An advantage which iPad enjoyed as being a new product was the ability to run those same apps available for an iPhone. Further down the line, as companies are trying to penetrate different sectors of a market, Apple can do so by entering a television business as well as wristwatches (Anon 2013). Samsung and Motorola among many others have already released a few watches but with Apples engineering skills and design elements, one can argue just how well this opportunity will be for Apple to exploit and use it to their own advantage. Threats: Competitors are catching up to Apple and Android OS is its biggest rival in smartphone/tablet business. With such rapid change in technology, it is not easy to sustain unless you keep on innovating. Android being an open source operating system has more market share and more market area covered as compared to Apple. It is cheap for a manufacturer to produce and android device than it is for Apple to bring its top class product in  such markets. Size also matters for many consumers as Samsung, HTC, LG and many more have re-defined smartphone screen sizes and Apple is playing catch up in that area. In countries such as India, Malaysia, Singapore, there are many alternatives and they are low cost as they use slightly low end hardware but deliver same set of features which high end manufactures do. As said before, Samsung controls the pricing for silicon and display provided to Apple, it puts them at an advantage and can hinder the manufacturing process for many devices. Businesses should focus less on their competitors and more on alternatives as people try to find low cost alternatives for buying products and companies should also focus on creating new customers (Anon n.d.). Conclusion:It is to be believed that Apple has taken the market by storm and others are to slow to react but with time it all changes as competitors catch up and are innovating in areas where Apple still has to step a foot in, this makes Apple and its rivals kept on their toes and are innovating day by day to progress and outperform each other. Samsung and Google dominate areas, such as wristwatches and eyewear, respectively. Only time will tell how good and how long can one thrive and succeed in this battle of technology giants. Recommendations:For Apple to succeed it is important for them to invest in wearable as this is going to be the next big thing in the technological invention. While on the other hand, Samsung should also work on their smartphone designs as they lack class but are full of features. This takes a huge chunk out of a market, which purely buys products on design and looks such as iPhone or even more recently the HTC one series. References BIBLIOGRAPHY SWOT Analysis of Apple. (2013). Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/swot-analyses/apple-swot-analysis.html Whar is Blue Ocean Strategy? (n.d.). Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://guides.wsj.com/management/strategy/what-is-blue-ocean-strategy/

Social Media and Young Adolescents

Social Media and Young Adolescents As technological innovations continue to expand, access to devices that connect one to social media have become more readily available to the public. A study conducted by Radesky et al. (2016) about the use of mobile technology among children found that mobile device usage by young children, even among those from disadvantaged backgrounds, continues to increase rapidly (p.504). The increasing usage of social media networks is strongly affecting the social development of young adolescents. The effects social media is having on young adolescents is can be positive or negative depending on how the child is being exposed to it. For instance, social media positively affects adolescents by enabling them to build stronger social connections with their peers as they are able to easily stay connected to them. In contrast, these connections can also have a negative effect on the social development of young adolescents if they are victims of bullying or other damaging relationships because thei r abuser can easily remain connected to them. In addition, the use of social media among young adolescents will also have an impact on their mental health as they can be exposed to unrealistic ideals of body image which can affect their self-esteem and have long term effect on their social development. It is highly important for the effects of social media usage on the social development of young adolescents to be studied because there can be many long-term effects if this milestone is not met. It is the job of professionals in the early childhood field alongside parents to assure they are educated in the matter and give the children the tools to surpass each developmental stage. One of the many benefits of the advances technology has made is the way in which people can remain connected and easily reached throughout the day. This indicates that young adults are able to remain connected to their friends outside of school hours, which aids their social development. According to Minna Ruckenstein (2013), mobile phones, game consoles, and computers are an essential part of the sociality between children in increasingly diverse ways (p.476). By having access to devices in which social interactions can occur outside of a school setting, children and young adolescents are practicing social skills on a regular basis. In addition, a study conducted by Sarah Wilson (2016) indicated that social media usage was helping children and adolescents stay connected to people in many ways. For instance, not only were they able to maintain relationships with peers but they were also able to remain in contact with long-distance friendships and find long-lost friends and family thr ough social media sources. Furthermore, social media is being used as a topic of communication among children. More specifically, meanings from home (and many other places) are carried to the playground, and in the social context of playing with media texts, children participate in social processes of meaning-making and identification (Willett, 2015, p.411). This indicates that media is being used as a form of socialization among children, therefore, if fostered away from the use of social media, some children could potentially risk the inability to build strong relationships with their peers. It is clear that when it comes to the social development of young adolescents, social media networks are an essential part of communicating and building relationships with one another. In contrast, although the use of social media networks has positive effects on the social development of young adolescents, there are also dangers that arise from using it. For example, if children are being victims of bullying, having access to social media can cause the aggressors to have another source at which to attack. Research on bullying and social media usage among children has found that online bullying, though sometimes anonymous, is typically done by peers whom know the victim personally. (Canty, Stubbe, Steers, Collings, 2016, p.52). This would mean that these victims would not be able to escape the bullying, it would follow them to their homes. In addition, the study found that children and young people recognise a greater likelihood of doing or saying something they would not if it were face-to-face (Canty et al., 2016, p.53). To further explain, children may feel more inclined to act a certain way if they are behind a screen because it is not as intimidating as in pe rson, which can result in a higher risk for online bullying and thus be detrimental to the social development of the victim. Another danger with young adolescents using social media is that their use may be uncensored and parents cannot always control what their children are doing or whom they are interacting with. For instance, children could be exposed to communicating with complete strangers they have never met, which could end up being predators. A study conducted by Elizabeth Daniels and Eileen Zurbriggen (2016), explored the dangers with teen sexuality and social media use. They found that young adolescents are using social media as ways in which they can post provocative images to capture the attention of their peers and attain social acceptance (p.938). The problem with this is that social media is being used as a way to attract attention but in doing that, everyone on the internet is having access to these inappropriate photographs of young adolescents, whom are underage and with a possible lack of understanding of the dangers that may come with it. This may result in a negative form of social dev elopment because they are growing up and engage in provocative content that may be above their developmental age. Apart from the positive and negative effects on the social development of young adolescents when using social media, there are also factors that may affect their mental health in connection to their social development. For instance, social media can become addictive and impede children from face to face interactions or in other cases more serious factors can occur such as self esteem problems and depression. Studies have shown that social media addictions are very real and can cause a lot of problems for youth in and outside of school because there is a lack of attention span and face to face communication with peers (Bà ¡nyai et al., 2017, p. 2). An addiction is a mental health problem that could potentially cause a lot of long term problems if it goes unresolved. These children could end up isolated from their peers and eventually struggle graduating from school or finding a job. Furthermore, the constant use of social media could affect at-risk children in many ways when it comes to self esteem. This is because of the pressures of being socially accepted by peers, as well as the pressure to look a certain way that is perceived by the media. Some of these negative aspects to the mental health of young adolescents include increased risk-taking behaviours, cyberbullying, depression, exclusion of minority groups and negative influences on health and wellbeing, namely reduced self-image and self-esteem (Richards, Caldwell, Go Caldwell, 2015, p.1154). This can affect the social development of children and young adolescents because not only are they dealing with the changes of transitioning from a child to a teenager but they now have to struggle with a mental health problem, which can result in loss of friendships and interest in activities they previously enjoyed. As an early childhood professional, it is highly important to be informed about the issues surrounding social media and young adolescents. With the up rise in technology and social media usage within schools, one needs to understand all aspects of the effect it has on the social development of children and young adolescents because if ignored there can be detrimental effects. As an educator, one needs to make choices on how to deal with the media students are using and in which ways to help them meet their full potential within social development, therefore it is very important to know the positives and negatives of social media usage. It is important to note that steps can be taken by parents, professionals and creators of media sites in order to prevent some of these issues. For instance, some of the social media risks for children can be minimised by adding in safety features (Richards, Caldwell, Go Caldwell, 2015, p.1154). If features are added to make sites safe, children will still be able to use them and interact with peers but in a way which inhibits access to inappropriate content or interactions with people they have never met before. In addition, there is a tool called the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, which is used to assess whether a child has an addiction to social media or not. This could be used to test children whom one thinks could be having a problem with a social media addiction and thus develop a treatment to help the child early on (Bà ¡nyai et al., 2017, p. 10). Lastly, it is advised for educators to teach children and youth about social media in school so that they are prepared for the things they may encounter while connected to the online world. Daniels and Zurbriggem (2016) posited that media literacy curricula that address social media specifically are important given the almost whole scale adoption of social media by young people and the electronic footprint using it entails (p.960).Teaching children about social media could highly aid in fostering a safe social development and prevent some of the negative outcomes. In conclusion, social media usage can affect the social development of young adolescents in many ways. There are positive outcomes to using social media such as better connectivity to peers and social acceptance as one is able to interact with peers outside of the school setting. To contrast, there are also negative outcomes such as increased forms of bullying that carry on from the school to the home, and risks of meeting strangers or being exposed to content that is not age appropriate. Lastly, there can be many detrimental factors to social development when it comes to mental health. Addiction to social media has been reported among youth as well as issues such as self esteem, which can result in young adolescents forming negative relationships with peers and having long term problems in and outside of the online world. Early childhood professionals, parents, and community members should realized the importance of this growing issue and aid young adolescents with social media usage. Social media sites should be made safe with restrictions for people under a certain age, tests should be conducted to help children battle social media addictions, and education on social media should be taught in school. These methods could aid in helping children have a safe social development and grow to be healthy adults. Overall, social media should be used among young adolescents with a great deal of supervision and a high level of education about the dangers of social media usage should be given, especially in a time where social media is easily accessed. References Bà ¡nyai, F., Zsila, à ., Kirà ¡ly, O., Maraz, A., Elekes, Z., Griffiths, M. D., Demetrovics, Z. (2017). Problematic Social Media Use: Results from a Large-Scale Nationally Representative Adolescent Sample. Plos ONE, 12(1), 1-13. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0169839 Canty, J., Stubbe, M., Steers, D., Collings, S. (2016). The Trouble with Bullying Deconstructing the Conventional Definition of Bullying for a Child-centred Investigation into Childrens Use of Social Media. Children Society, 30(1), 48-58. doi:10.1111/chso.12103 Daniels, E., Zurbriggen, E. (2016). Its Not the Right Way to Do Stuff on Facebook: An Investigation of Adolescent Girls and Young Womens attitudes Toward Sexualized Photos on Social Media. Sexuality Culture, 20(4), 936-964. doi:10.1007/s12119-016- 9367-9 Radesky, J. S., Eisenberg, S., Kistin, C. J., Gross, J., Block, G., Zuckerman, B., Silverstein, M. (2016). Overstimulated Consumers or Next-Generation Learners? Parent Tensions About Child Mobile Technology Use. Annals of Family Medicine, 14(6), 503-508. Richards, D., Caldwell, P. H., Go, H., Caldwell, P. Y. (2015). Impact of social media on the health of children and young people. Journal Of Paediatrics Child Health, 51(12), 1152-1157. doi:10.1111/jpc.13023 Ruckenstein, M. (2013). Spatial extensions of childhood: from toy worlds to online communities. Childrens Geographies, 11(4), 476-489. doi:10.1080/14733285.2013.812309 Willett, R. (2015). Childrens Media-referenced Games: The Lived Culture of Consumer on a School Playground. Children Society, 29(5), 410-420. doi:10.1111/chso.12067 Wilson, S. (2016). Digital technologies, children and young peoples relationships and self- care. Childrens Geographies, 14(3), 282-294. doi:10.1080/14733285.2015.1040726

To the virgins to make much of time Essay example -- English Literatur

To the virgins to make much of time GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may, GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may, Old time is still a-flying: And this same flower that smiles to-day To-morrow will be dying. The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, The higher he's a-getting, The sooner will his race be run, And nearer he's to setting. That age is best which is the first, when youth and blood are warmer; but being spent, the worse and worst Times still succeed the former. Then be not coy, but use your time, and while ye may go marry: For having lost but once your prime you may for ever tarry. I have chosen â€Å"To the virgins to make much of time† as my second poem because I feel it has much useful meaning to it and also because I agree with the title of the poem. I feel that people should live life to the full whilst they can. The first line, I think is the best of the whole poem: â€Å"gather ye rosebuds while ye may†. This image means that we should find a man/woman whilst you’re still young and beautiful. The poem has a very simple rhyming pattern of ABAB. This means that the poem is fluid and rhyt...

The Influence of Alcohol and Drugs in Edgar Allen Poe Life

The influence of alcohol and drugs in Edgar Allan Poe’s life â€Å"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dreamed before† (Edgar Allan Poe). Darkness and sadness are strong characteristics of Edgar Allan Poe’s writing. The tragedies during his life, such as the death of his biological and adoptive moms, followed by the death of his young wife Virginia were important factors which formed his gothic style. Poe is known for his drinking problems and use of drugs.Those habits had a big influence in his life and in his works. Family members, classmates, depression and disasters influenced Poe to use alcohol. The possibilities of Poe been an alcoholic increased because of the environment and the society in which he grew up (Scharf, Douglas 3). Genetics probabilities were really high to him too, once his father, David Poe, and his brother Henry Poe had hard drinking problems (Poe, Drugs and Alcoh ol 7).The most part of Poe’s problems as depression and alcoholism appeared more evidently while he was passing the age of mid-twenties (Black, Jamee A. ). His addiction to alcohol started while he was attending the University of Virginia and was introduced to it by classmates (Poe, Drugs and Alcohol 9). Depression, heart troubles and a brain lesion were clinically proved and part of Poe’s life (Black, Jamee A. ). Was extremely hard for him to handle with his emotional and physical weaknesses, so to relief his pain he used alcohol as anesthetic (Black, Jamee A. 6). More and more, Poe’s addiction to alcohol was increasing and this over drinking was causing now trouble in different sections of his life.His carrier was one of the first affected starting in June 1835, when the editor of the Southern Literary Messenger gave an opportunity to Poe to work helping with this paper. The people responsible for the paper and the readers really liked Poe’s effort and creativity, but he was fired after arrived repeatedly times drunk at work (Poe, Edgar Allan 2). The madness and depression that Poe felt were increasing as increased his over drinking (Black, Jamee A. 1). Poe went so far that he got into a point that he drank absinthe and brandy which is a really dangerous mixture (Poe, Drugs and Alcohol 27).Between the many possible causes of Edgar Allan Poe’s death, his problem with alcohol is really considerable as one important reason of his early death (Scharf, Douglas 1). Even though Poe was completely addicted to alcohol, many times, he tried very hard to fight against his alcoholism. Right after his first long drinking experience, during college, he tried to stay away from it (Black, Jamee A. 3). His drinking times were intermittent and he stayed abstain from alcohol for months in some of those periods (Poe, Drugs and Alcohol 8).Promises were made and repeatedly times he said that would never drink again. As one side of Poe tells him that he should stop with alcohol, the other side tells that he should drink to relief his emotional pains and usually he followed this last side once is a lot easier to deal with it (Black, Jamee A. 6). In 1847, Poe’s get extremely hard into drinking, one of the worse times during his whole life, after the death of his young wife Virginia (Hennelly, Mark M. 1). After this event he could stop drinking alcohol anymore (Poe, Drugs and Alcohol 14).Other important characteristic of his life is the use of drugs. Some evidences show that Poe really used drugs but for medical benefits in which the doctors gave to him as a medicine (Scharf, Douglas 4). Few doctors believed that Poe was not addicted to drugs and that he just used as written on the medical prescription (Poe, Drugs and Alcohol 4). The problems and pains that Poe felt were so hard for him to deal with that he used drugs to forget about all these trouble (Black, Jamee A. 7). Opium was the main drug used by Poe, it made him get it the dream-world (Hennelly, Mark M. 0).While Poe was trying to get away from alcohol were times when he used uncontrolled amounts of Opium (Poe, Drug and Alcohol 2). The use of drugs, even for medical benefits, made him addicted to drugs and this is appointed as one of the cause of Poe’s death (Black, Jamee A. 11). Poe’s works are a visible reflects of his life, history and habits, including the use of alcohol and drugs. Between the large amounts of Poe’s works written in first person is remarkable that couple of his fictions narrators admitted the use of Opium (Poe, Drugs and Alcohol 1).Roderick Usher, the narrator of the short story The Fall of the House of Usher, was a depressed man addicted to drugs which cause one of the strongest suspicions of bonds between Poe and his characters (Scharf, Douglas 4). He had a tendency for gothic style after all the tragedies during his life, and he appeared with an irregular behavior when related with women after th e death of Virginia (Poe, Edgar Allan 6). An example of his personal life in his work is showed at the beginning of the poem The Raven when the narrator is reading a book to try to forget someone who he loved and that he lost.Passages of Poe’s stories and poems are seemed as he was having a hallucination while he was writing it, and it’s possible that he was under alcohol and drugs influence (Poe, Drugs and Alcohol 5). â€Å"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity† (Edgar Allan Poe). Alcohol and drugs had expressive influence into Poe’s style and writing. Even though all the troubles caused by those disasters during his life, without them Poe wouldn’t have the characteristics that made him and his works so unique.

Three Miles North Of Marianna

Three miles north of Marina, Florida Caverns State park offers more outdoor recreational opportunities than any other place I know of in Florida. What other spot do you know that has hiking, biking, camping, picnicking, horseback riding, cannoning, kayaking on rapids, boating, fishing birdwatchers, golfing, spring hunting, and, of course, spelunking? It is the caverns that give the state park its name. Created during the Depression as a ICC project, the 1,300-acre park is honeycombed with caves large and small.This urn-Florida- like geological feature is the result of Florist's limestone base bumping the ail end of the uplift that becomes the Appalachians. And while the caves here do not match Mammoth Cave or Carlsbad Caverns, they nonetheless have an impressive array of stalagmites, stalactites, columns, flowstone, and other formations created over thousands Of years by the steady drip Of water. One large cave may be visited on guided tours. The tour takes about 25 minutes, and the cavern is a constant temperature of 59 degrees.Native Americans once used the caves for shelter and storage, and their history is told in the park's informative museum. The rest of the caves are off limits or even gated to protect fragile formations and colonies of endangered gray bats. These shy insect-eating creatures are easily disturbed, but warmly welcomed by campers for the tons of mosquitoes they eat. Bats and insects are not the only residents in the park, which is a safe haven for alligators, deer, and beaver as well as home for a rich variety of birds, fish, and other wildlife.Some have claimed sightings of the ivory-billed woodpecker in the area, although such are not confirmed and most believe this largest of all woodpeckers is now extinct. But if the ivory-billed survived anywhere, it might be in these rich floodplains. Gigantic beech, magnolia, sweet gum, and oak trees shade the lowland areas, and the understood flowers all year long with everything from columbine, nat ive azalea, and sage to leafless, bottlers, and the lovely January-blooming topmasts lily.The river floodplain trail is the best way to see the many faces of the area. In 30 minutes, you will go through natural tunnels, climb boulders, see virgin forest and some of the largest trees in the state, and be able to peek into several caves. The horse trails may also be hiked and loop along spring runs and through deep forest. Riders must provide their own horses. The Chipolata River bisects the park from north to south and is joined within it by two spring runs.In the middle of the park, the river dips below ground for more than 1,000 yards before reappearing. A century ago, a channel was cut across the natural bridge so logs could be floated downstream. The ditch is narrow, fast, obstructed, and not recommended for the inexperienced paddled. Fed by rainwater and springs, the Chipolata can be very clear and is an easy paddle stream or down. Alligators bask in the few sunny spots, discour aging river swimming. Even so, there is a great spring group about a mile upstream of the boat ramp.Called Bezel, the main spring has a clear shallow run from the east and leads to a lovely spring pool that strongly invites a dip, even a skinny dip when no one is around. Three more springs line the banks just below and above Bezel, and the park is a popular pull-out for overnight and weekend cancers. The official swimming area is yet another spring called Blue Hole. The spring forms three pools, one of which has a nice beach and dive littoral. The water in the main spring is a deep, milky blue and its 68 degrees are very refreshing on a hot summer day.The Florida Caverns Golf Course is adjacent to the park and is a separate concession. Park fees are $3. 25 per car, and there are additional, if reasonable, charges for cavern tours, canoe rentals, camping, horseback riding, and golfing. The cavern tours are very popular, so call ahead if you plan a weekend visit. Development is increa sing around the park, but once inside you can explore the glories of natural Florida in greater variety than just about anaphora.

Marketing in a Higher Education Institution Essay

I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Jake Ansell, for all his support and encouragement during this challenging dissertation period. My gratitude also goes out to all academic and support staff of the MSc Marketing and Business Analysis course for what was an educational stimulating academic year. All the knowledge passed on and assistance given formed a solid foundation that was invaluable during the course of working on this dissertation. I would like to also like to take this opportunity to extend my appreciation to my family members, course mates and friends, who acted as pillars of strength by continuously keeping check and giving out words of encouragement during the dissertation phase. ABSTRACT The nature of the rapidly changing Higher Education (HE) industry has forced universities to implement more innovative marketing strategies. In order to remain competitive, there is a need for universities to not only engage in marketing strategies that are relevant to the existing HE context, but also be aware of foreseeable changes that are taking place to enable them to alter their positions and adapt smoothly without being left behind. This study investigates the marketing strategies employed by the College of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Edinburgh and the relevance of these strategies in the context of the fast-moving HE industry. Three main areas were studied in the literature review- demands of the industry, current marketing philosophies and practices within the industry and trends that likely to shape the future of the industry. A proper understanding of these areas is important as it used as a comparative yardstick to evaluate the College’s existing strategic position and the direction it is heading towards. Qualitative research was used given the exploratory nature of the study that aimed to uncover thoughts, experiences and ideas of respondents. In-depth interview was used as the main research method as there was a specific need to gather detailed information from select-few respondents based on their job expertise. On a smaller scale, focus group interviews comprising students were also conducted as a complementary research to generate their perception and views regarding the Higher Education Industry. Upon analysis, discussion of the findings was divided into three sections based on their relevance to the research questions and the gaps observed in the literature review. The key findings was that the general philosophy of the College’s marketing is in line with the existing standards expected of the HE, but there is inadequate marketing for undergraduate levels which was brought about by an arguably false interpretation of high demand. The study also shows that there is under-utilization of the role of student ambassador and lack of gender-based marketing, both of which were identified in the literature as important in keeping up with fiercer competition and addressing challenges of the future. In terms of fee structure, high-income household students are expected to pay the largest share of costs because of their ineligibility to apply for most loans and grants. However, they are seen to be willing to pursue HE studies and view it as an investment for a better career. Low and middle-income household students, although are not affected much at undergraduate level, are likely to seek employment after their studies instead of commencing a postgraduate degree. The findings and analysis brought about several recommendations which include focusing on international marketing to increase the level of international students, hence generating higher revenues that could be channelled at funding purposes for postgraduate level to increase participation of low and middle-income household students. Recommendations for strengthening marketing efforts at undergraduate level, tailoring gender-based marketing and efficient utilization of student ambassador schemes were also provided. The study concludes that while the current marketing philosophy fits the existing context (with exception to undergraduate level), a lot can be done to capitalized on emerging trends to ensure that the College is better prepared to deal with the changes of the future. 1.0 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION This Chapter will present the purpose of the research, along with the objectives that are aimed to be achieved. It also brings into attention the relevant research questions that the study seeks to answer. The Introduction Chapter concludes with a structure of report to demonstrate the organization and structural design of this study. 1.1 Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to analyze the current marketing strategies employed by the University of Edinburgh’s College of Humanities and Social Science and its relevance to the rapidly changing higher education industry, to enhance the knowledge available in existing research and also to set the foundation for further research. Existing research on higher education is vast but there is limited research on contemporary strategies in the fastchanging higher education industry. More importantly, there has been very few studies done on the University of Edinburgh and the Colleges associated with it, in terms of its effectiveness in executing marketing strategies and preparatory measures in dealing with future challenges. The objectives of this research are: 1) To investigate the relevance of marketing strategies adopted by the College of Humanities and Social Science with regards to the existing context of the Higher Education industry. 2) To investigate the competitiveness of marketing strategies employed by the College of Humanities and Social Science with regards to the foreseeable changes to the Higher Education industry. In order to do this, there was need to gain a general understanding on the Higher Education industry and also the transformations that it has witnessed and are likely to face in the recent future. Upon identifying the underlying and emerging factors that are set to affect the marketing strategies undertaken by the College, the study was limited to a focused area of study and the following research questions were derived: 1) Are the general marketing philosophies of the University of Edinburgh in line with contemporary standards expected in the Higher Education industry? 2) To what extent are Student Ambassadors being empowered and utilized as a marketing tool to provide the edge in a competitive student recruitment market? 3) Are there initiatives on gender-based marketing to capitalize on the trend of consistently increasing number of female students in Higher Education? 4) How would a new fee-structure, if implemented, affect marketing strategies in recruiting UK, EU and Overseas students? 1.2 Structure of Report The report is organised as follows: CHAPTER ONE: Reveals the purpose of the study and central issues that are observed. It moves on to identify the research objectives that the study endeavours to appreciate through the assessment of key research questions (previous section). CHAPTER TWO: Provides an overview of the Higher Education industry and explores three main section- demands in higher education, contemporary marketing philosophies and practices of the industry, and the higher education fee structure. Each section is concluded by establishing their relevance to the research questions being posed. CHAPTER THREE: Discusses the methodology used in addressing the research questions. This Chapter establishes the reasons for the selection of methods and techniques used, and highlights the limitations in place. It also provides reasons as to why other methods were not employed. CHAPTER FOUR: Provides findings from the primary research and analysis linking the findings to the literature review. This Chapter is divided into three sections- New-age marketing philosophies of the higher education industry, relationship between tuition fees structure and marketing strategies with regards to recruitment for UK, EU and Non-EU students, and under-utilization of resources to capitalize of emerging trends (student ambassador and gender-based marketing). It also critically discusses the strengths and weakness of the College’s marketing strategies. Recommendations were also provided in this chapter to counter weaknesses that were observed. CHAPTER FIVE: Concludes the study and reiterates the summarized findings, analysis and recommendations of the previous Chapter. Areas for future research and research limitations that could be improved on were also highlighted. Note: In this research, ‘College’ would refer to College of Humanities and Social Science, University of Edinburgh. This is distinct from ‘University’ which would refer to the University of Edinburgh as a whole. Although this study is done in the College, the word ‘University’ will be used in some discussion areas which encompass both the College and the University. 2.0 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW The Literature review will emphasize on three areas: demands for Higher Education, contemporary marketing philosophies and practices of Higher Education, and Higher Education fee structure. A firm comprehension of these areas will provide a good understanding on the current structure of Higher Education and the direction it is heading towards. 2.1 Demands for Higher Education The implementation of effective marketing strategies depends significantly on clear understanding of demands within an industry. This section of the literature review aims to look into the patterns seen in demand, from both local and international perspectives, and how they have evolved over the years. It would seek to review motivations that drive demand for higher education and identify emerging trends that could have an effect on future demands in the higher education industry. Such understandings are vital for institutions in continuing to remain competitive and also in laying the foundations to facilitate possible changes in strategies for the future. Statistical figures show that in 1950, about 50,000 tertiary level students studied in institutions outside their home country (Brickman 1975). Europe and North America were the most popular continents of study destination and a vast majority of the students were from these regions. In terms of Asian students, few studied away from their home countries and for those who did, the majority followed the colonial path with students from India, the Malay Peninsula and Hong Kong heading to the United Kingdom and ones from Indochina preferring an education in France (Cummings and So 1985). Out of a total of 900,000 students who studied abroad in tertiary institutions in 1984, Asian students constituted about 45% of them in 1985. The sharp increase of Asian students was contributed by factors such as increment in income per capita in Asia which made it affordable for them to pursue a degree overseas and also the perception that overseas degrees were viewed as a platform to achieve good employment opportunities. Another contributing factor was the rapid expansion of secondary education in many Asian countries, hence creating more qualified tertiary-level applicants that the local education system could accommodate (Cumming 1984). Over the last decade, developed countries around the world saw a significant increase in demand for tertiary education and there have been a large volume of research in economic literature to assess and analyze the driving forces that brought about this shift. Albert (2000) states that all these studies lead to one major contributing force that has resulted in high demand for higher education; the positive association between level of education and income and career prospects. Testing this hypothesis in the UK context, Greenaway and Haynes (2000) reported that an average earning difference between a graduate and a nongraduate stands at  £410,000 while Skidelski (2000) through a study using a different methodology projects the figure at  £400,000. These figures are supported strongly by the report of UK’s Department of Education and Skill using Labour Force Survey data which estimated a lifetime average differential of  £400,000 as well (Greenaway and Haynes 2003). Therefore, given the similar period in which these studies were done, the UK figures asserts the findings of Albert (2000) whereby there is validity in the perception of association between income and level of education. Another important finding by Albert (2000) is the role of gender in explaining demand, in which women were noted to be relatively more motivated and inclined than men to demand for higher education on the basis that it would enable them to compete on par with men in career advancement opportunities. This is supported by Broecke and Hamed (2008) in which they stated that although women has been historically under-representation in higher education, statistics show that by 1992, they have caught up with men in terms of participation in England and as of 2008, are ahead of men by 7.2%. In a report submitted to the United Nations, Johnson and Vanderpool (2003) found that in the Carribean, the number of women in higher education outnumber that of men, and in some institutions even show 3.2:1 ratio. It is also estimated that the ratio could go up as high as 8:1 in favour of women. In the United States, the participation of women in higher education increased from 43% in 1971 to 56% in 1997 and the gap continues to widen (United States General Accounting Office 2000). In the UK context, the numbers of undergraduate female student applicants over the past 3 years have been consistently placed at 56% compared to male student applicants at 44% (see Appendix 1).This trend is of importance to higher education marketing in terms of weighing the importance of gender in relation to the establishment of target groups. While women may be seen as the ones more inclined to embrace higher education, it also indicates that little focus have to be channelled to them in marketing campaigns as compared to males. In terms of undergraduate students in the UK higher education industry, a significant portion of 88% consists of UK students in 2009/10. This is followed by Non-EU and EU students at 8% and 4% respectively. Figures based solely on undergraduate students enrolled on a full time basis indicate that UK students emerge as the significant front runner with 84% ahead of Non-EU students at 10% and EU students at 6%. As for part-time undergraduate students, UK students are again the majority at 94% followed by Non-EU students at 4% and EU students at 2% (see Appendix 2). Although the pattern across both these modes of study is quite similar, there is a difference in terms of percentage variation between the 2009/10 enrolments compared to the previous academic cycle of 2008/2009. While all full time students regardless of geographical background recorded a positive variation in enrolment, UK and EU part time students recorded a decrease in enrolment by 3% and 7% respectively. Only Non-EU part -time students registered a positive increment from 2008/09 to 2009/10 with an increase of 6% (HESA 2011). Sastry (2004) argues that the number of students obtaining postgraduate courses immediately after their undergraduate studies is expected to rise due to the fact that there has been increasing number of graduates over the years. Therefore, as supported by Hesketh and Knight (1999), postgraduate study is viewed as an option for undergraduates to differentiate themselves from the pool of other graduates seeking employment. Non-EU students make up about 43% of overall full-time postgraduate students in UK in 2009/10. This consists of a significant portion of total postgraduate students and the number has nearly doubled in the past seven years, indicating that this is a recent and emerging trend (HESA 2011). Overall, without taking UK into account, Non-EU students constitute 69% of students at all levels of study (see Appendix 3). This trend has seen the number of Non-EU students increase by almost 200% from 1995 to 2010. Income received by higher education institutions from Non-EU students during this same period has also increased significantly from  £455 million in 1995 to  £2,580 million in 2010 (see Appendix 4). Given that this is now a major market for UK tertiary institutions, there has been a rise in efforts taken to continue reaching prospective students abroad (Hemsley-Brown and Oplatka 2006). Important factors that come into play when assessing the ability of the UK higher education to remain   attractive are the standard and reputation of institutions, the expansion of local education system in countries abroad, particularly China and India, and the competitiveness of the UK market as opposed to other study destinations (Ramsden and Brown 2008). Employment opportunities in the UK is also a reason for Non-EU students to take up a postgraduate course as students who have studied in the UK for at least one full academic year would be eligible to apply for a Post-Study Work Visa. Guruz (2009) stated that incentives in the form of research grants and employment opportunities abroad are major forces that are considered by foreign students when choosing a study destination. However, it has to be brought into attention that the current UK Government has tightened visa regulations and the Post-Study Work Visa would be abolished in 2012 (The Guardian 2011). Therefore, the changes in regulation may bring about significant changes to the enrolment of international students in postgraduate courses in the UK. UK students consist of about 45% of the total number of full-time postgraduate students in the region, almost similar to the number of Non-EU students. However, UK students make up 82% of the part-time postgraduate students in 2009/10 (HESA 2011). This is partly due to the fact that the high postgraduate fees require students to work in order to finance themselves. Other contributing reasons include company scholarship and students not wanting to leave their jobs in times of economic turmoil (Jongbloed 2003). EU students make up about 12% of full time postgraduate students, with most of its students coming from the new countries admitted into EU since 2004. However, increasing or perhaps even retaining the current level of enrolment of EU students may be a challenge as projections show that the population of 1830 year olds in EU are set to fall by 14% over the next 20 years. Of the new countries admitted into the EU in 2004, it is projected that their combined population of 18 year olds will decrease by a significant 37%, from 1.5 million in 2007 to 1 million in 2027 (Ramsden and Brown 2008). Reviewing this section shows that there is an increasing number of Non-EU students, particularly Asians, opting to study out of their home countries. Overall, over the years, there are a growing number of students who embark on higher education and one of the major contributors to this is the positive association between level of education and career prospects. The secondary research also reveals that although the majority of undergraduate students come from the UK, most of the postgraduate students in the UK are made up of Non-EU students. The trend of growing number of female students in the higher education industry was also observed. 2.2 Contemporary Marketing Philosophies and Practices of Higher Education In order to remain relevant in rapidly changing industry, it is important for institutions to keep abreast with current needs of the market and changes that are required of the industry to remain competitive. Therefore, this section of the literature review attempts to assess the paradigm shift of traditional higher education marketing to contemporary strategies required by the industry and also look at key areas that could be fully utilized to enhance the efficiency of higher education marketing campaigns. The marketing of higher education needs to encompass the traditional emphasis on product, place, price and promotion but also include people, process and physical evidence through a service-oriented marketing approach which gives due credence to the value of the intangible and inseparable. In this context, the components of people, process and physical evidence have been altered slightly to represent a more appropriate connotation in regards to the higher education industry. Newman and Jahdi (2009) described people as ‘calibre’ or ‘champions’ whereby such human qualities in an institution would be pivotal in attracting students. This echoes the view held by McGrath (2003) in which a positive correlation between the development of education market and high priority on variables such as managerial competence, role-model associations and performance. The component of process has been defined as ‘capability’, where issues such as communication between the institution and prospective student, relationship marketing and enrolment procedures should be handled efficiently to gain competitive advantage. Newman and Jahdi (2009) further asserts that considerations as small as publicising opening hours for consulting and enrolment purposes as well as offering refreshments could, once combined, prove to be the ‘added value’ that would inevitably enhance the end service that is being marketed. The final component, physical evidence was represented by ‘charisma’, whereby elements such as geographical location, facilities and amenities are taken into account. Factors such as history and heritage of a location and the tradition of graduation ceremonies could provide a sense of identity that students would take pride in being associated with the institution (Roper and Davies 2007). However, Newman and Jahdi (2009) stated that the implementation of marketing mix could potentially lead to adverse consequences as marketing rhetoric may not necessarily always reflect educational reality. They go on to state that although there are indications that higher education marketers have started to take the leap into focusing on people, process and physical evidence, these elements need to be expanded to include contemplation and thoughts of higher education from staff and students as this would be able to minimize the mismatch of the marketing rhetoric and the reality of the environment. Critically, Newman and Jahdi (2009) also argued that knowledge and skills acquired in tertiary educational institutions should not be conveniently marketed as mere commodities that are to be sold as predetermined packages to those who have been targeted. Instead, there should be a genuine attempt to convey that education is a challenging industry that would require effort and planning by students, hence projecting the reality. Evans (2004) holds similar views about the need to craft a marketing effort that is as close to reality as possible, particularly given the context of the current climate whereby effectiveness, quality, competition and evaluation are a matter of public discourse and information are widely available and easily accessed. This is supported by Crosby et al. (1991), in their argument that a false representation in marketing could lead to adverse effects and negatively impact upon the credibility of an institution. Therefore, although not predominantly derived from a moral standpoint, the need to eliminate unsubstantiated benefits and other positive associations with an institution is vital in terms of marketing implications as failure to appreciate this growing issue may cause an institution’s credibility being put to question. Student ambassadors are very much part of UK higher education institutions and they have been known to assist in marketing efforts of their respective universities, predominantly via engagement with prospective students through campus tours. In recent times, student ambassadors have widened their scope of marketing operations and have now extended their services through handling multiple tasks, which include organizing residential summer schools to help prospective students to gain insights into university lifestyle in hope that this would encourage them to take up higher education courses. Another new area embarked by student ambassadors is their participation in mentoring activities, particularly for the disadvantaged youths (Ylonen 2010). These recent expansion in their activities have been encouraged the former Labour government’s initiative to expand participation in higher education for groups that are under-represented through its Aimhigher programme. In analyzing the relationship between higher education decision-making amongst the young and the role played by student ambassadors in this aspect, Gartland and Pacsuzka (2007) found that student ambassadors who are deemed trustworthy by prospective students could play a key role in widening their participation gap as prospects are more likely to consider them as a preferred choice of contact point when making further enquiries, especially if they do not have a family background in higher education. This is supported by Reay et al. (2005) in their argument that information gathered through relationships and networks are taken more seriously compared to ones obtained from official sources such as prospectuses and the Internet. Therefore, student ambassadors can potentially be seen as mediators and their interventions would greatly influence decisions made by prospects. Taylor (2008) argued that one of the challenges faced in institutions is to connect the territories of academia and school environment and hence, the role of a student ambassador fits in well as although they speak from the standpoint of the institution, there is not much difference in the age bracket between both these groups and this would create a more casual and appropriate comfort zone for prospective students to engage in. This finding is particularly relevant to marketers in determining the age group of candidates to be selected as student ambassadors, given that they consist of not only undergraduates but also mature postgraduate students. In a study of an Aimhigher programme in south-east London, Ylonen (2010) found that most student ambassadors had very vague ideas of what they thought their tasks would be like and many of them stated that their expected roles as perceived during training and their actual roles were very different. Although they generally had sound knowledge of higher education lifestyle and its environment, many lacked the thorough knowledge of procedures that occur within an institution, such as financial issues. Coordinators, most of whom are marketing officers within their respective universities, have also noted that many potentially good student ambassadors failed to apply because they did not see themselves to fit into the characteristics set by the coordinators (Terion and Leonard 2007). These weaknesses are of relevance to higher education marketing units as contemporary research suggests that despite having a valuable student capacity in the form of student ambassadors, their potentials are being under-utilized due to administrative and training setbacks. The flaws seen in this system is viewed to be largely due to the fact that there isn’t a national model of the student ambassador scheme to be used as a guideline and all higher education institutions are expected to craft and implement their strategies independently. Although it is important to have flexibility and a certain degree of autonomy, a scheme without guidelines can arguably be go astray and lose its sense of direct ion (Ylonen 2010). Literature in this area of study reveals that in terms of higher education marketing, there should be a focus on service-oriented marketing through an innovation of the extended 4Ps, which would include the elements of ‘calibre’, ‘capability’ and ‘charisma’. Apart from that, it also indicates that the growing importance of the role of student ambassadors have gone large unrecognized. Despite them being available in most universities, there is a lack of effective utilization of these roles. 2.3 Higher Education Fee Structure The future of higher education in the UK has been put into uncertainty by the recent changes in tuition fees policy and many are unsure as to how these changes would impact on demands by students across levels of households. Although the changes have been made effective in England and Wales, the Scottish Government has yet to make an official announcement on this issue. However, a comprehensive review of the changes that have been taking place in the fee-structure and how it has affected the industry as a whole and demand, in particular would enable higher education marketers to prepare for the changes that although unclear, appear to be imminent. The financing of the higher education industry has been a subject of debate for the past five decades and had been given high priority by successive governments, regardless of political inclinations. During this phase, there has been a shift from a fully-funded taxpayer scheme to a ‘cost-sharing’ system, whereby students are required to cover a certain portion of their tuition fees (Dearden et al. 2010). The change of system sparked a wide range of concerns, particularly the reservations that it would lead to a lower level of participation (Connor and Dewson 2001). The introduction of the 1998 Teaching and Higher Education Act was the first significant change made to the higher education financing structure as it marked the unprecedented introduction of tuition fees at a cap of  £1,000 a year for degree courses (Claire and Jonathan 2005). Maintenance grants that were previously offered were reduced  in stages and later eliminated only to be replaced with maintenance loans which were established in 1999 (Christie and Munro 2003). The 2004 Higher Education Act paved way for another significantly policy to be put in place in 2006, which saw the implementation of deferred fees which was applicable to all students, regardless of economic background (Harrison 2011). The new fee had a cap of  £3,000 and universities had the prerogative to decide the amount to charge each student (Dearden et al, 2004; 2005). Fee loans were provided, only to be repaid by students after graduation if they’re earnings were above  £15,000. Apart from that, the 2004 Higher Education Act also reinstalled maintenance grants which were to be distributed to poor students (Harrison 2011). In the year 2006, the value of this grant was significantly increased. As a result of the introduction of tuition fees along with the substitution of maintenance grants with loans, many argued that it would not only lower participation but also be discriminative against students from lower-income households (Dearden et al. 2010). On the contrary, there were also proponents of the new system who claimed that requiring student to contribute to their studies would instil a sense of responsibility in them and hence, at a larger scale, increase efficiency and quality of higher education (Greenaway and Haynes, 2003; Goodman and Kaplan, 2003). Apart from that, the benefits gained by higher education in terms of wages and salary brackets would offset the negative impact caused by the introduction of tuition fees. Another advantage of imposing tuition fees is that only students who are committed on acquiring skills and knowledge would enrol into institutes and not ones who wish to have prolonged ‘laddish’ times, hence in a way addressing the issue of youth unemployment (Lange 1998). It is also interesting to note that in the UK, government spending on higher education continues to grow despite larger share of financial burden being on placed students as shown by 2007 figures whereby  £918m,  £349m and  £564m were spent on maintenance grants, student fee loans and maintenance loans respectively (Dearden et al. 2010). In 2010, another significant policy change was made to the higher education financing structure in England and Wales, whereby the upper tier for tuition fees was increased from  £3,000 to  £9,000 (BBC 2010). While poorer students would be protected by a large number of scholarship and bursaries, students from middle and high-income households would be the group that is most negatively affected (Directgov 2011). Highly successful students who go on to land high paying jobs would also be affected as they would be required to pay loan amounts that are significantly higher than those with average incomes (The Guardian 2010). In the case of Scotland, the Cubie committee was formed in 1999 following the Scottish devolution to look into the higher education financing. The Cubie Report (2000) proposed that an endowment scheme be put in place and through the Education (Graduate Endowment and Student Support) (Scotland) Act 2001, students were required to pay  £2,000 when their annual earnings reached  £10,000. The repayment was later raised from  £2,000 to  £2,289 for students commencing their studies in 2006/07 academic period (The Cubie Report 2000). However in 2007, the government tabled the Graduate Endowment Abolition (Scotland) Bill which aimed at scraping the endowment scheme and the move was approved in 2008, hence restoring free education in Scotland (BBC 2008). Based on the United States context, Kent (1994) studied the relationship between the state’s public spending on higher education and the impact of tuition fee costs on higher education participation. The finding was that $1,000 increase in tuition fees would bring about a 3.7ppt reduction in participation among African Americans. On a wider scale, Kent (1995) found that there was a reduction in participation among Americans in higher education, in which a $1,000 increase in fees resulted in a 2.4 decrease in participation. On assessing a policy made in 1982 which led to financial aids being removed from students with deceased, disabled or retired father, Dynarksi (1999) found that the impact of aid withdrawal led to decrease tertiary participation by 3.6ppt. Supporting this finding is a study done by Seftor and Turner (2002), whom upon analysing the impact of aid withdrawal, found a small impact of reduction in participation by 0.7ppt per $1,000 of aid withdrawn. The UK context of higher education financial constraint on students and its effects on participation can be viewed at two separate phases; the 1998 reforms and the 2006 reforms as described earlier. The 1998 reforms, in terms of grants alone, saw low income students being the most significantly impacted, with participation estimated at 2.3ppt lower than what it would have been without the abolishment grants (Dearden et al. 2010). On the other hand, the increase in loans received by this group resulted in an increase in participation and hence, offset the negative impact brought about by the abolishment of grants. Therefore, there were no significant changes to participation for the lower income group. High income students, however, recorded a reduction of 5.4ppt in participation as even though the abolishment of grants had no impact on them, the increment of tuition fees was a significant impact (Dearden et al. 2010). Study on the 2006 reforms showed that both the lower and higher income groups did not record overall changes in participation (Forsyth and Furlong 2003). Therefore, this section of the literature indicates that despite concerns by many that an increment in tuition fees can be discriminatory towards lower income groups, studies have shown that the negative impact brought by the hike in fees are often outweighed by grants or loan packages. This also brings about serious implications to higher education institutions on deciding the type of financial assistance and the accurate target groups to ensure that participation does not see an unhealthy dip. Such a consequence could be detrimental to the economy of the country as many research seem to suggest that the economic well being of a nation state is directly associated with the level investments spent on education (Barro and Sala-i-Martin, 1995; Bassanini and Scarpenta, 2001).