The United States Constitution

Introduction The United States’ constitution has stood the test of time since its adoption in late 18th century. During 17th century, Americans were under colonial rule that denied them rights and powers to govern themselves. Then, Americans fought for their independence gradually by demanding their recognition and inclusion into the colonial government that had oppressed for quite some time.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The United States Constitution specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Colonialists flooded the US in early 17th century from various parts of the world, majorly Europe because they were escaping religious persecution and in search of expansive land for agriculture. Under oppression, Americans made several initiatives in a bid to emancipate themselves and these initiatives culminated into independence in 1776. According to Garrett, in 1765, 13 colonies met to discuss the violation of fund amental rights and in 1774 and 1775, first and second continental congress respectively resolved to have independence (12). In 1776, the United States got its independence and adopted a new constitution in 1787. This constitution has become the legal basis for the present government. Despite the fact that the formulation of the United States’ constitution dates back to more than 230 years ago, it is still remarkably viable in the modern government. The preamble of the United States’ constitution envisages a perfect union of diverse states based on common defence, liberty, justice and tranquillity. Even though the preamble dates back to more than two centuries ago, it formed the basis of federal form of government that still exists today. American government has a federal model of government that other countries are trying to emulate for it is a perfect union of diverse states. Garrett argues that the United States’ constitution has stood the test of time because it established federal government as it exists currently (19). The existence of the federal government reflects viability of the United States’ constitution in modern governance. Therefore, current union of states has its basis in the United States’ constitution, which envisaged perfect union and how federal government functions and relates with central government. The United States’ constitution is still viable in modern governance because it has an elastic clause that makes it flexible and adaptive to modern changes, which are consistent with new forms of governance. According to Section 8 of Article I, Congress has powers to make necessary amendments that are essential and consistent with the United States’ constitution.Advertising Looking for assessment on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The United States’ constitution is a legal framework that anchors several amendme nts and provisions in view of evolving legal issues of governance in the modern world. Wedes argues that, the elastic clause is particularly relevant to modern governance because it does not only give power to Congress to conduct necessary and appropriate amendments, but also ensures that the constitution is in tandem with dynamic needs of governance (p.1). For instance, Congress has made several amendments in modes of taxation, regulation of commerce and security issues with regard to terrorism. Thus, elastic clause has made the United States’ constitution remain viable and reliable in current governance. Moreover, the amendment process of the United States’ constitution is decidedly stringent to protect it from undue mutilation and changes that would make it lose its viability over time. The United States’ constitution has the first ten amendments that form basis of human rights, which are inalienable. From independence, the first ten amendments have remained and are truly viable as they are provisions that stipulate inherent and immutable rights of every citizen in America. For instance, the first amendment to the United States’ constitution provides and guarantees freedom of expression, religion, association and petition. The first amendment assured Americans that the federal government will protect and secure their rights for posterity. In addition, Garlinger states that, the fourteenth amendment to the United States’ constitution forbids any state from making or enforcing any law that restrict the privileges or deprive life, liberty and property (p.32). Hence, in spite of numerous attempts to amend the constitution, the amendments to United States’ constitution are central to human rights and have become the cornerstone in advocacy of human rights, thus still viable in the present government. Supreme Court of the United States also has powers to review the constitutionality of statutes, amendments and treaties th at congress makes to guarantee their consistency with the constitution. According to Prakash and Yoo, Marbury v. Madison (1803), did set a precedent, which gave powers to Supreme Court to review the constitutionality of congressional statutes and amendments (890). Currently, Supreme Court still has powers to review and determine the constitutionality of statutes and amendments of the Congress. Thus, Supreme Court has a considerable role in ensuring that the United States’ constitution remains viable and consistent across all ages except few amendments that enhance its application in modern governance.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The United States Constitution specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion Although the United States’ constitution is over 200 years old, it is still highly relevant in modern society. The constitution provides a legal framework, which anchors several provisions a nd amendments that occur over a period. The legal framework of the United States’ constitution has relatively remained constant for over 200 years, and is still relevant and viable because it is flexible in adopting new judicial and governing reforms. It is quite evident that the United States’ constitution been stable for a long period because of federal form of government, elastic clause, stringent amendment process and judicial review, all of which attest its viability and relevance in the modern United States. Works Cited Garlinger, Paul. â€Å"United States Constitution: The Amendments.† New York University  Law Review 2.4 (2009): 30-34. Garrett, Sandy. United States History, Constitution and Government. New York: Harcourt Publisher, 2005. Prakash, Saikrishna, and Yoo, John. â€Å"The Origins of Judicial Review.† Chicago Law  Review, 2003: 887-933. Wedes, Samuel. â€Å"A Living Constitution, the United States Constitution: Does It Stand The Test of Time?† Government, 2006: 1-33. This assessment on The United States Constitution was written and submitted by user Emmalee Herring to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on The Future “class Of 2005“

Summer time is almost here when schools out the students cheer no teachers or tests and 3 months of fun nothing but spending all day in the sun laying out and swimming all day this is the life of a kid after may staying out and sleeping in late is something that no children hate hanging out with friends and parties at the fair come if you want stay if you dare graduation parties time for the seniors to go on to college for them they will be missed you know but in august we will be the "big cheese" and make all the underclassman drop to their knees super class day we can hardly wait finally its out turn to win as if the day was fate one more year and we will be done and then ites nothing but fun no school forever we make the choices no parents or teachers with their nagging voices were almost done it will go fast then all we have to hold on to is the past all of us our college bound leaving this town ourselves will be found hopefully we will stay in touch life wouldnt be the same and everybody would be missed much... Free Essays on The Future â€Å"class Of 2005â€Å" Free Essays on The Future â€Å"class Of 2005â€Å" Summer time is almost here when schools out the students cheer no teachers or tests and 3 months of fun nothing but spending all day in the sun laying out and swimming all day this is the life of a kid after may staying out and sleeping in late is something that no children hate hanging out with friends and parties at the fair come if you want stay if you dare graduation parties time for the seniors to go on to college for them they will be missed you know but in august we will be the "big cheese" and make all the underclassman drop to their knees super class day we can hardly wait finally its out turn to win as if the day was fate one more year and we will be done and then ites nothing but fun no school forever we make the choices no parents or teachers with their nagging voices were almost done it will go fast then all we have to hold on to is the past all of us our college bound leaving this town ourselves will be found hopefully we will stay in touch life wouldnt be the same and everybody would be missed much...

Blade Runner And Fifth Element Cityscapes Film Studies Essay

Blade Runner And Fifth Element Cityscapes Film Studies Essay Blade runner greets the viewer with a fascinating opening scene where the camera hovers over a vast industrial mega polis called Hades. The year is 2020 and overpopulated Hades is trying to reinforce itself. The place is filled with corroded skyscrapers which shoot flame and gases into the environment creating a sense of hazy and polluted atmosphere. Also, in this shot and in subsequent shots flying cars, called spinners, are seen moving around the cityscape. The entire Hades cityscape was a forced perspective miniature set with larger miniature elements in the foreground which get smaller and smaller as we approach the horizon. Special photographic effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull and his crew constructed the whole set on a plywood table which was about 20 feet wide at the back and 5 feet wide in the front. The actual horizon on the screen is just 15 feet away from the camera. They designed the table according the focal length of the camera, which provided them the base in accor dance to field of view of the camera. This sort of careful planning enabled them to build the miniatures just inside the field of view without wasting valuable production time and money. Chief model maker Mark Stetson relied primarily on etched brass cutouts as elements to create buildings in the shot. But because these cutouts were two-dimensional, they had to stack a number of them together and stagger them across randomly to create depth in the whole shot. states that by using this technique Trumbull was soon posed with a problem: â€Å"But as we got into putting the thing together, we realized quickly that the etched metal stuff would have given away the trick if we’d use it too close to the foreground.† They overcame this by building foam cast models and put them in the foreground. Those models were highly detailed and separately mounted using C-Stands. They were positioned carefully so that the camera could fly right in between creating depth. Another hurdle was creating the atmospherics in the cityscape. Director Ridley Scott wanted smoke and haze in the distant background to add to the drama of the whole scene. Douglas Trumbull created this effect using studio fans and smoke detectors. He first contained the set using black cloth all around it and set up the smoke detectors to trigger the fans. So when they fed smoke into the contained set, fans powered up and pushed the smoke around creating a natural progression of smoke in the environment. Describing his perception of the Hades cityscape, Mark Stetson states: â€Å"I just had this scheme, I just wanted to do it as a series of silhouette and smoke. I wanted the smoke to really be the light and the light to light it up. Everything about that miniature had to be lights.† The way light was used in this shot to create volumetric effects and reflections played a major role making it look real and credible. About 20,000 fiber optic cables (about 7 miles long) were used to light the H ades cityscape. The light cables were threaded up from beneath the plexi glass, on which the brass etched cutouts were mounted. They also mixed and experimented with a lot of interactive lights like axial, blinking, etc which created variety and helped improve the overall aesthetics of the shot.

Investment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Investment Law - Essay Example Unit trusts and OEICs share some common benefits such as diversification, simplicity, and income and growth potential (Jorion, 2005). However, OEICs outweigh unit trusts in terms of benefits that they offer. The key area of distinction is the pricing structure of an OEIC which is more straightforward and transparent. Moreover, OEIC has a more flexible structure in that it can entail a variety of sub-funds that offer different investment objectives. Adding new sub-funds and creating share classes is not only easy in the case of an OEIC but also inexpensive (Jorion, 2005). The paper also discusses the legal structures of both the investment vehicles and concludes that unit trusts are legally more complex than OEICs. However, the tax treatment for both investments is similar. A unit trust is a fund of stock market investments divided into equal portions called units. Unit trusts are open-ended collective investments. A unit trust is open-ended because the number of units in each trust is determined according to supply and demand factors. A unit trust is collective because it pools money from many different investors which is then looked after by a professional investment manager. Unit trust funds allow units to be created when people invest and units to be cancelled when individual investors cash in their investment. The price of the unit trust reflects the value of investments in the fund, called the net asset value, plus charges calculated within the spread. Each day the total assets of the fund are valued. The total value is divided by the number of units that are issued and the unit price is set for that day. However, the administration and charges are deducted before determining the value of the investment (www.chartwell-investment.co.uk). Unit trusts are available in different dimensions such as those that concentrate across a geographical area, a specialized sector of industry, or a specific type of stock. For example, an investor can choose a fund specializing in UK companies, or one that concentrates its investments in the Far East. Unit trusts are authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Benefits Diversification - Investment in a unit trust can limit risk by spreading your investment and pooling your money with other investors to achieve a much wider investment spread. This means that you do not have all your eggs in one basket rather your investment will be diversified across a range of investment asset classes. Simplicity - Investment in a unit trust is considered simple as compared to the alternative of investing directly in a diverse selection of shares and bonds which would demand quite a lot of research otherwise. Income and Growth Potential - Designed as a medium to long term investment vehicle, unit trusts can cater to the needs of investors with varying objectives, namely, income and growth. Unit trusts are popular investment vehicles for both capital growth as well as income, however, it must be noted that these investments are subject to risk in the short-term and, therefore, are recommended for medium to long-term investment horizon. Professional Fund Management - Unit trusts are handled by professional fund managers who ensure that the fund is appropriately allocated to asset classes as per the objectives of the investors. Pricing Structure Unit trusts have a "bid/offer spread", that is the buying

Historical Milestones in Production and Operations Management Essay

Historical Milestones in Production and Operations Management - Essay Example While the process involved may vary from organization to organization depending on the nature of output be it tangible product or intangible service, the essential elements of production and operation management is concerned with the management of input-throughput-output process effectively and efficiently Operation Management can, therefore, be defined as â€Å"the management of the conversion process, which converts land, labor, capital and management inputs in to desired outputs of goods and services†. The progression of terms used for this management function over the centuries as manufacturing management, production management, and operations management, is a good indication of the evolution process it has undergone and the historical milestones it has achieved which will be the focus of evaluation in this essay. The origins of operations management can be traced to the Industrial Revolution era which began in the 1700s in England. The main features of the changes which t ook place during this era were the Centralized production, Powered machinery, and concept of Factory production. One of the landmark achievements of this era was the steam engine being invented by James Watt in 1764, which provided a new source of energy to power the factory concept. Another key milestone which revolutionized the discipline was the 1776 publication of Adam Smith’s seminal work known commonly as â€Å"The Wealth of Nations† which proposed the economic benefits associated with specialization of labor. His recommendation was that work should be broken down to subtasks, and assigned to workers where they became specialized in performing this tasks with efficiency through repetitive performance. As the industrial revolution gained momentum and spread to other parts of the world, Eli Whitney from America developed the concept of â€Å"Interchangeable parts† in 1970, laying the foundation for volume productions and standardized parts and the inception of large-scale factories in industries such as textile. By the mid-1800s, the traditional manufacturing systems associated with cottage and artisan productions was completely replaced by factory systems which also brought in new challenges such as managing the workforce and management of quality issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Cement Industry Essay Example for Free

Cement Industry Essay In today’s world of rapidly increasing competition, firms are selling goods and services through a variety of direct and indirect channels. In mass advertising, marketers are exploring new forms of communication, such as experimental, entertainment and viral marketing. Creative Advertising is the means to break clutter in such new forms it helps Differentiation, Recognition, Recall and Persuasion in an effective manner. Creativity in advertising involves disciplined thinking and requires the creative person to think differently within specific constraints. The advertisement project is a complex exercise that that consumes a lot of effort, cost and time from different experts in the team which requires every part of the project process to be well-studied, documented and well planned. A lot of research needs to get conducted about the audience, product and media of the advertisement. Increasing sales is not the only goal of the advertising decision and could also involve introducing a new product, delivering the product message, etc. The most important aspect of the creative advertising process is the idea and the creative concept. Advertisers use different ways of thinking via several types of creative strategies to promote publicity, public relations, personal selling and sales promotion. One such creative advertisement campaign is the Vodafone’s ZooZoo ads which caught the fancy of the consumers and helped the company develop its own entity in a splendid and innovative manner. The advertising landscape has experienced dramatic change over the past several years and as the advertising medium gradually shifts to the digital platform, agencies are finding new ways to connect with the customers and build their brands. This media confluence is one of the foremost challenges of creative advertising as the advertisers have to reinvent the mass message model, help consumers tell stories, play in an evolving arena and develop talent with creative vision. INTRODUCTION Advertising has long been viewed as a method of mass promotion in that a single message can reach a large number of people. But, this mass promotion approach presents problems since many exposed to an advertising message may not be within the marketer’s target market, and thus, may be an inefficient use of promotional funds. However, this is changing as new advertising technologies and the emergence of new media outlets offer more options for targeted advertising. Advertising also has a history of being considered a one-way form of marketing communication where the message receiver is not in position to immediately respond to the message. In fact, it is expected that over the next 10-20 years advertising will move away from a one-way communication model and become one that is highly interactive. Another characteristic that may change as advertising evolves is the view that advertising does not stimulate immediate demand for the product advertised. That is, customers cannot quickly purchase a product they see advertised. But as more media outlets allow customers to interact with the messages being delivered the ability of advertising to quickly stimulate demand will improve. It is estimated that worldwide spending on advertising exceeds (US) $400 billion. This level of spending supports thousands of companies and millions of jobs. In fact, in many countries most media outlets, such as television, radio and newspapers, would not be in business without revenue generated through the sale of advertising. Most organizations, large and small, that rely on marketing to create customer interest are engaged in consistent use of advertising to help meet marketing objectives. However not every advertisement achieves its objective as the consumer is subjected to innumerable ads daily in newspapers, television, billboards, websites, etc. Therefore those Ads which catch customer’s attention have something unique which makes then interesting and unforgettable. The majority of copywriters agree that creativity is extremely important in ads and it usually works more effectively in catching the interest of people/customer than all other techniques put together. The originality of the idea or ad makes it more recognizable and is able to beat the competition. Creativity is the marriage of imagination and execution, thinking and doing. Creativity in the context of todays world is underpinned by the fact that almost anything is possible given technology and platform advances. Technology is changing behavior, but ideas and how we tell the stories are everything – this is how we influence behavior. Its about the idea and the story, not simply the devices or technologies, which create great and enduring ideas and are the hallmark of Creative Advertisements. ABOUT ADVERTISING Definition of Advertising: Advertising is defined differently by different authorities and the institutions dealing with the subject of advertising. The American Marketing Association defines advertising as â€Å"the placement of announcements and persuasive messages in time or space purchased in any of the mass media by business firms, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and individuals who seek to inform and/ or persuade members of a particular target market or audience about their products, services, organizations, or ideas.† Purpose of Advertising: Through advertising, one can disseminate the message very effectively. Within few seconds the message can be disseminated to masses. The basic purpose of advertising for commercial advertisers is to identify and differentiate one product from another in order to persuade the consumer to buy that product in preference to another. Non-commercial advertisers (political parties, interest groups, religious organizations and governmental agencies) use advertising to educate people for their cause. Major Decisions before committing for any advertising campaign: Like other area of marketing management, decision-making is necessary in advertising. This relates to 5Ms mission, money, message, media and measurement. Mission: What are the advertisement objectives? Decision in regard to mission is a basic one as other decisions are to be adjusted as per the mission or objective or purpose of advertising decided. It can be: Introduction of new product or service, or information about new features, repositioning of the brand or just reminder campaigns etc. Money: How much money to be spent. Advertising is costly and companies have to spend billions of dollars for this purpose. Advertising objectives determine the required budget. Message: What is the message to be sent? Positive results depend on message. It should be attractive and meaningful. It’s the job of the creative copywriters and artists. Message can be communicated by written words, pictures, slogans and so on. Media: What kind of media to be used. Selection of media depends upon cost, coverage, effectiveness and budget in hand. Wrong decision on media may make advertising ineffective and money spent will be wasted. The steps here are deciding on desired Reach, Frequency and Impact. Measure: How are the results to be determined? Evaluation of advertisement in order to judge its effectiveness. The post advertising sale is one major consideration. The other consideration is visibility of the advertisement. Steps involved in influencing customer decision: There is a very famous principle in ad world called as AIDA principle, which describes the steps that a prospective customer goes through before deciding to buy. AIDA stands for A- Awareness, I- Interest, D- desire and A- Action. Awareness Ad should surprise the customer. Interest This is usually where benefit phrases come heavily into play. Desire Third step, customer realizes that product is good and beneficial. Action- The fourth stage occurs when the prospect decides to take Action and become a customer. HISTORY OF ADVERTISING History of ads can be traced back to 3000-4000 BC. There are signs that Romans used to announce gladiator fights by painting on the walls. Egyptians used papyrus to make sales messages and wall posters. Commercial messages and political campaign displays have been found in the ruins of Pompeii and ancient Arabia. Lost and found advertising on papyrus was common in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Active advertising in print media started in late 19th century. 20th century has witnessed evolution of advertising through various media. The concept of creativity in advertising was not discussed much until the 1960s, when a sea change in the way of producing advertising transformed the field forever. The central feature of this Creative Revolution was that creativity came to be valued over the formulas and research that previously drove the production of ads. Creative teams, a mainstay of nearly all agencies since the 1960s, did not exist prior to that time. The reigning paradigm was reason the why advertising that spoke to consumers in terms of unique selling propositions (USPs). The Creative Revolution changed not only the ground rules for making advertising, but also the kinds of people who were recruited into the business. The preeminence of creativity over formulaic advertising was strongly articulated and the effect was to place creativity before the other services of an advertising agency market research, media analysis, and other support functions. CREATIVE ADVERTISING To really stand out in the crowd, an ad concept has to be really out of the box, something that intrigues an audience or at least make them look twice. There is no second chance at making a good first impression. With both online and offline advertising you only have seconds to catch the attention of your consumers. If that doesn’t happen, your ad campaign is considered a failure. Today’s advertising message must be better planned, more imaginative, more entertaining and more rewarding to customers. Inclusion of creative ideas (original, novel, out of box and useful ideas) in the ad campaign is called creative advertising. Creative advertisements are made not only to sell the product but to entertain the target audience. Creativity in advertising does not arise in a vacuum; it requires a certain degree of both general knowledge and field-specific knowledge. This is clearly true if we think of creativity as a form of innovation – we cannot know what is novel without a sense of what is already known in any area. The ad’s impact depends not only on what it says, but often more important, how it says it execution is decisive and this is the crux of Creative Advertising. TYPES OF CREATIVE STRATEGIES Creative Strategies are used in order to obtain consumer attention and provoke shoppers to purchase or use a specific product. Creative Strategies promote publicity, public relations, personal and sales promotion. Creative strategies are divided into three basic forms: Weak Strategies: Generic and Pre-emptive strategies describe the two weakest forms of advertising that were most popular through the 1940s. A generic strategy gives a product attribution. Consumers arent learning anything new about the product. It enhances the product in no other way. A pre-emptive strategy is a form of advertising that makes a generic claim stronger. Middle Strength Strategies: Unique positioning and Brand Image are the two types. This proves that something about your product is truly unique. This is commonly found when producers take an average product and add a new, unique element to it. In brand image, an advertiser is not trying to create rational thinking. This type of advertising strives to create emotion and give a brand a personality. A common way of doing this is by using a celebrity as a spokesperson. Strong Strategies: Affective and resonance advertising are the two types. Making people feel really good about a product is called affective advertising. This is difficult to do, but often humor and an honest character can make affective advertising possible. Resonance advertising is a way of identifying with consumers. If an advertiser can create a campaign that certain target markets identify with, then resonance advertising has been achieved. FUNDAMENTALS OF CREATIVE ADVERTISING The Fundamentals of Creative Advertising provides an understanding of how to create and produce ad campaigns. The focus is on the various media available, the thinking and planning behind the campaign, the creative brief, and the creative solution and execution of the ad campaign. Market research underpins virtually all of the decisions made at the campaign planning stage. Through market research both the client and the agency are better able to understand the marketplace, identify and profile the target audience, test their creative ideas, choose the most appropriate media form and, finally, evaluate the success of the campaign. The client will normally provide basic and initial research about the target market and audience in the client brief, which is then supplemented by research undertaken by the agency. Having received the brief from the client, the creative ad team must now take all the knowledge that they have and use it to develop a campaign that will meet the requirements of the brief. They need to look closely at all the information they have been given and understand what it really means. The creative ad team must also identify any gaps in their knowledge that can be filled through market research. The Creative Brief: Role of the brief: A creative ad team will transform a client brief into a creative brief. Together they will develop an advertising strategy based on the information supplied in the client brief and the supplementary research undertaken. The campaign strategy is then articulated in the creative brief, which is approved by the client. Developing the brief: Before the creative brief can be formulated, the objectives of the advertising campaign have to be identified, together with a strategy for achieving those objectives. It is important to remember that the advertising medium itself is only one part of the communication strategy, which in turn is part of the overall marketing strategy. As such, the broader marketing strategy has to be considered before the creative brief can be formulated. The Creative Concept: The creative team: At the heart of every successful advertising campaign is the creative concept. The task of having an original concept, and a range of ideas allied to this concept, is in the hands of the creative team. The best creative teams have the capacity to be both original and fluent when it comes to generating such ideas. In other words, it is not just about having a novel idea†¦it’s about having lots of them! Research and Familiarization: The way the creative brief is written and its content can be an important trigger for your ideas and will also provide an important point of focus in terms of advertising objectives; who you are talking to, what you want to say to them, and how you want them to respond. For this reason it is best to keep referring back to the brief every so often during the creative process to make sure that you are staying on track. Idea Generation (Ideation): The secret to having good ideas is to have lots of ideas to choose from. The more ideas, the greater the chance, that there will be few ‘winners’ among them. Quantity equals quality, so don’t hold back and pre-judge your ideas, just have lots of them – the wilder the better! Wild ideas may be unusable in their raw state, but they can provide a springboard to a better idea as they can help you to see things from a different perspective. Once the basic campaign concept for the advertisement has been formulated and agreed by the client, it’s down to the creative team to coordinate its execution. In traditional creative partnerships, the copywriter will write any body copy so that the message is conveyed in a punchy and memorable way, using the correct tone of voice to evoke the right mood or provoke the desired reaction. The art director will be responsible for ‘crafting’ the advertisements – making sure that they look visually strong and have a consistency of layout and composition across the campaign. Crucially, they must also exude and reflect the brand values. EXAMPLE OF A CREATIVE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN Creative ad campaigns instill a sense of awe and marvel in the people they target. They cause us to stand back and wonder, â€Å"How did the brand even come up with that?† When a brand gets an ad campaign right, they stand out amongst the myriad of typical, hackneyed, and lackluster ads that bombard us daily. Just like the Vodafone ZooZoo ads. Vodafone is known for its unique advertisement campaign such as pug, happy to help service and the â€Å"ZooZoo† advertisement campaign. As Vodafone was a new brand in India, it had a challenging task to develop its own entity. The previous name of this Indian company was associated with a pug. Vodafone decided to come with a new persona for itself, so the people of the country can associate it with the company. The company came with a brilliant persona for itself, which was very apt for it, The â€Å"ZooZoo†. With 25 such commercials planned, releasing one a day, to sustain interest till the end of the IPL SEASON 2.HaritNagpal, chief marketing officer, Vodafone India explains, â€Å"†¦the brand was in need of an idea that would work doubly hard, as it was planning to spend some four months’ worth of marketing monies in one month†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ZooZoo are advertisement characters promoted by Vodafone during the Indian Premier League Season 2. OM experimented with several characters and finally â€Å"ZooZoo† was born as a completely Indian concept. The name had to be catchy, funny and memorable, though the name actually never pops up in any of the communication. Zoozoos are white creatures with ballooned bodies and egg heads who were used to promote various value added services of Vodafone. Each ad used a story which was enacted by the Zoozoos. These ads though look animated are actually real humans in the ZooZoo costumes. The ZooZoo advertisements were created in South Africa by Ogilvy Mather, an international advertising, marketing, and public relations agency and Nirvana Films. Ogilvy Mather were asked by Vodafone to create a series of 3D advertisements which could be aired each day during the IPL Season 2. They spent near Rs. 30 million to make these advertisements. The campaign created the buzz both in the traditional media as well as in social networking sites like Face book and Twitter and video sharing website, YouTube. Zoozoos are part of a unique and innovative advertisement strategy aimed at outdoing the strategies of Vodafone’s competitors. By the means of ZooZoo, Vodafone has tried to represent an image of the urban common man who is the main drive force behind the increased usage of telecom VAS services in the tele-communication industry. Through ZooZoo characters they have tried to showcase how the various offers by Vodafone can be useful for an urban common man. What Vodafone did was they projected the usage of their VAS services through various advertisements based on different themes as per the product (VAS) that they were offering. The various services offered by Vodafone such as chota recharge, group SMS service, busy alert service, fashion tips, recharge anywhere, bhakti songs, stock alert, voice SMS etc were shown to the viewers not by normal advertisement ways but through some funny catchy ZooZoo ads which were successful in immediately drawing the attention of urban population including all age groups. Each of the advertisement was specific to one particular VAS service revolved around the same to make the customer understand the service. Because of the uniqueness attractiveness of these Zoozoos, Vodafone was able to draw the attention of the audiences quickly towards these ads which became soon very popular thus the VAS offered by Vodafone. The success of ZooZoo is the success of minimalism and simplicity. As a part of a unique and innovative advertisement strategy which was being tried for the first time in India, the ZooZoo also generated tremendous mass appeal through the internet. The ZooZoo campaign has been able to generate a lot of curiosity among the viewers. The fan club of ZooZoo touched to several million and various interactive quizzes came up in these days as evident in the wallpapers and screensavers in the cell phones. All these transformed into a great viral marketing event. Another important advantage is that it involves very low cost in the implementation of the ZooZoo campaign and this amount as compared with the benefits it generated was infinitesimal. There is no celebrity required as a brand ambassador, unlike the campaigns being run by its competitors like Airtel and Idea, which resulted in a dual advantage. ZooZoo advertisements helped Vodafone increase its customer base by 3.8 % in the 1st quarter of 2010. The reason behind the Zoozoos becoming so famous is its familiarity with the cartoons which people used to watch as kids and invokes pleasant memories and fantastical world people used to live as children. It also does not produce bias of any kind (class, creed, religion etc) and hence this advertising strategy of Vodafone has been able to capture the imagination of millions across the country. The ad campaigns have given Vodafone a new look that will go a long way in further improving its brand image. The commercials have hit the Indian market like storm and will now probably go into history as one of the most brilliant advertising idea for the industry and the results it achieved are instructive for marketers and advertising agencies. Vodafone has benefited immensely from this campaign as the Zoozoos have become a brand in themselves. The creativity in the advertisement campaign caught the attention and fancy of the consumers, aroused curiosity, told stories and made people retell the story. In their remarks about the brand, the campaign achieved a remarkable success. We are all familiar with the standard measures of advertising effectiveness memorability, message comprehension, persuasion and likeability. However, getting people to talk and discuss the advertising gives it a multiplier effect that helps to reach and impact more people than before. As the media gets more cluttered and expensive and viewers get cynical about the message, there is a need for advertising to be spoken about to make the brand and it’s messaging more impactful. It is not just traditional 360 degrees integrated communication by using multiple media to bombard the consumers with the message. Rather effective advertisement is all about developing creative content that naturally lends itself into being talked about and thus gets present in multiple media. CREATIVE ADVERTISING IN DIGITAL WORLD As consumers spend more time online, they have more control over traditional advertising vehicles, and chose to create and share their own content. As a result, some advertisers are evolving to a confluence culture where traditional methods of work must adapt to embrace the new reality of interactive content, emerging media, and production/consumption methods. Confluence culture thus suggests that agencies as units and the advertising profession as a whole face numerous challenges to their traditional ways of operation as they grow and morph and react to cultural shifts, particularly when it comes to creativity and ideas. Interactive creativity is built around engagement, and it recognizes that people are inherently social and look to create and maintain relations not only with other people but also with brands. Brand stories, both in traditional media and online, provide ways for advertisers to engage consumers more deeply with their brands. An engagement perspective changes the view of a brand from a transactional perspective, in which a brand addresses a transient need, to an interactional perspective, by which the brand story becomes part of a persons own story about him or herself. The act of consuming media online has become synonymous with the act of producing media. Many online users are not content with accessing and viewing or listening to content from established sources; rather, they want to interact with message content by adding to it or repurposing it for new and different uses. Some traditionally closed models of information distribution (e.g., Web pages) therefore have given way to new, open models. These new systems, including the social media sites Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube, enable consumers to distribute content that they create. Interactive creativity therefore involves providing consumers with the tools they need to be creative themselves. To promote its new line of coffees, McDonalds developed a site where visitors could create their own coffee ring snowflakes. On the CNN site, consumers can select news headlines to make into t-shirts, branded with the CNN logo. In each of these settings, the brand becomes the base for the creative product, and the time spent on the sites during the creation process allows brand registration to occur. Participation suggests that brand stories actually are created and disseminated in a partnership between advertiser and consumer. Leaders in the confluence culture will be those creative strategists who have an understanding of all aspects of the advertising process and use creative skills to solve brand problems. These individuals-nimble, digital, and prepared for new challenges will be able to consider the stories people tell, craft resonant brand narratives, and help clients use these stories to connect people to brands in new and exciting ways. Agencies embracing the creative strategist approach will be poised to provide outstanding messages for clients, protect against economic downturns as clients embrace the value of such messages, and find even more innovative ways to communicate. CONCLUSION Creative Advertising comes with its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to harnessing the power of creativity so that the message gets conveyed in an appropriate manner keeping the holistic vision of the brand into context. The real success of an ad campaign for its creativity can be measured by evaluating the sophistication level of below parameters: * Time and Space consumed * Superiority over competition * Distinguish Products * Influence customers * Was it Eye Catchy * Relate with the Values of Target Audiences Advertising is an exciting field and the industry is constantly changing to provide new challenges and creative problems to solve. The true test of creativity is the ability to adapt to change, and consistently find new and original solutions. Advertising is likely to play a crucial role in marketing products and services for the foreseeable future, but the opportunities offered by new technology and media provide a much broader canvas for advertisers and creative teams. REFERENCES 1. Marketing Management – Kotler, Keller, Koshy, Jha 2. Advertising in Rural India: Language, Marketing Communication, and Consumerism Bhatia 3. What is Advertising? Advertising Society Review 6, no. 3 (2005) 4. The fundamentals of Creative Advertising by Ken Burtenshaw, Nick Mahon Caronine Banfot 5. Inclusive Branding by Klaus Schmidt Chris Ludlon. 6. Zenith International Journal of Business Economics Research 7. Rediff.com Business – The Magic of the Zoozoos 8. Wikipedia – Creative Strategies

Texas City Disaster: a Painful Way to Learn Essay -- Hazardous Materia

Texas City Disaster: a Painful Way to Learn In the bright, clear, spring morning of April 16, 1947, an event occurred in the Texas City Harbor in Texas City. To the survivors of this disaster, what happened on that Sunday morning was like the end of the world. Sadly, to those who did not make it, this indeed became the end of their world. This event that brings unforgettable painful memories from 50 years ago is referred to as the Texas City disaster. It all began with the French cargo ship, S.S. Grandcamp, a 437-foot ship that arrived at Texas City Harbor on April 11, 1947. Upon arrival, the Grandcamp was already loaded with 16 cases of small arms ammunition, 59000 bales of sisal binder twine, 380 bales of cotton, 9334 bags of shelled peanuts and some oil field, refrigeration and farm machinery. Over the next few days, bags of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, shipped from Nebraska via rail by TCT (Texas City Terminal Railway company) were being loaded onto the ship. By the morning of April 16, 1947, No. 2 hold had 1420 tons of ammonium nitrate while No. 4 had 880 tons. At 8 am that morning, a longshoreman smelled smoke coming out of hold No. 4. He alertly notified his co-workers and they moved several bags of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and found flames between the cargo and the hull. They tried putting out the fire with a jug of drinking water and fire extinguisher but their effort ended in vain while the flame got worse. Some crewmembers started hauling boxes of arm ammunition out of hold No. 5 (to avoid explosion!) In hold No. 4, some crewmembers called for a hose line to distinguish the fire but the ship captain, Charles de Guillebon, interfered because he did not want water to ruin his precious cargo. Instead, he or... ...gineer in the chemical plant is not like to be committed again. 50 years and 6 months after the Texas City disaster, a lot of changes has been made to ensure the safety of handling hazardous material due to the disaster. It was a wake up call for people around the world to look deeply into the safety issues and for government to assume an active role in enforcing those issues. For the residents in Texas City who decided to stay and rebuild after the disaster, it was more than a wake up call for safety. It was a painful memory that made people even stronger. It was a call for the community to come together and make Texas city a major industrial center again. It was a joint effort to make Texas City a better and safer place to live. However, watch out! No place is safe enough and Texas City disaster can very well strike again somewhere around the world today!

British airways Essay

British Airways is one of the International Airlines that provides its flights to 570 destinations in 133 territories. It mainly operates from the Heathrow and Gatwick. It faces many problems like 531 million pounds loss in revenue because of lack of international market study, employee relationship (strike problem) and many more. Hence an effective strategy is the only chance to overcome these problems. The strategy of British Airways includes the innovation in technological accessories, customers relationship, employee relationship, safety and security of stake holders and so on. Introduction: Any business has challenges from different elements like globalisation, information and technology, socio and cultural factors, political factors and so on. To meet these challenges a clear strategy is very crucial for any organization. A strategy is a clear vision of what the organisation will be based on a sustainable competitive advantage. Actually, strategy is a road map for future directions and scope. It is a long range plan for five years and more. It develops mission, objective and goals for an organisation. To develop an effective strategy any organisation must set an account with different factors. Environmental analysis, present analysis, strength, weakness, opportunities and so on are the factor through which a strategy can be developed. Part 1 1) Identify the mission, Values and key objectives of an organisation within its environment. The mission statement of British Airways is â€Å"To be the undisputed leader in world travel for the next millennium†. The values of British Airways: Honest. Reliable On time Good service Objectives of British Airways: British Airways based in London is the largest airlines in the United Kingdom and provides daily flights to more than 400 cities world-wide. Like most large corporations the airline must focus on a variety of goals and objectives both for short-term and long-term survival in the competitive global market. General objectives of British Airways: With an objective of becoming the world’s largest leader in global premium airline, British Airways will continue to focus on customer service at every level of passenger’s journey. The overall Objectives are divided into three areas. Global (appeal to all passenger’s, whether for leisure or business travel in order to create repeat customer’s). Premium (ensure that passenger’s receive the highest quality of service where ever they encounter the airlines). Airline (maintain the focus on aviation with the largest equipment, products and services). Strategic objectives of British Airways: British Airways provides four strategic objectives: Airline of choice (remain the top choice for International flights for premium customers as well as cargo, economy and shorter flights). Top-quality services (provides the best customer service for passengers on all routes and classes of travel and improve online service). Global city growth (continue to expand the list of top-tier countries through airline partnership). Meet customer’s needs (exploring the latest options and products to enhance customer loyalty. A stakeholder is a person or organisation that has an interest in a business, for example benefit from it. As a customer you are a stakeholder in British Airways. Even if someone is working part time they are stakeholders in their employers business. You can be a stakeholder as a customer, in all shops you buy from and anywhere you spend leisure money, it could be going to the cinema or supporting your football match. Stakeholders of o buy products or services, they are looking for a wide range of products and service s. They also want easy accessibility and hope to buy good quality products and services at a competitive price. They are really important as they provide money for the business in order to be successful. Suppliers Suppliers stock the business with the supplies the business needs, if they are late then it will cause a conflict between business and suppliers. Therefor it is vital that all the business suppliers are on time. Suppliers are probably the third important part in a business, they provide the products/services and if they are not in time it poses to be a threat to the financial state of the business. On the other hand, suppliers aren’t that important in decision making because they are scared of losing their contract with British Airways. Employees May want an increase in pay rise. Staffs have a very big interest in British Airways, they have an interest in the business in the form of wages, bonuses, discounts, and holiday pension. Owner’s In contrast it may want a decrease in pay rise for their employees you could say that the owners probably one of the most important people in a business. Local and national communities Give planning permission depending on the business a person wants to do. Part 2 2) Investigate the economic, social, and global environment in which organizations operate. What is an economic system: An organised manner in which a state or a nation allots its resources and allocates goods and services in the national community. An economic system is loosely defined as a countries plan for its services, goods, and the exact way in which its economic plan is carried out. Basically there are three major/different types of economic systems prevailing around the world and they are: Market Economy: In a market economy, national and state governments play a minor role. Instead consumers and their buying decisions drive the economy. In this type of economic system, the assumptions of the market play a major role in deciding the right path for a country’s economic development. Market economies aim to reduce or eliminate entirely subsidies for a particular industry, the pre-determination of prices for different commodities, and the amount of regulation controlling different industrial sectors. The absence of central planning is one of the major features of this economic system. Market decisions are mainly dominated by supply and demand, the role of the government in a market economy is to simply make sure that the market is stable enough to carry out its economic activities properly. Planned Economy: A planned economy is also known as a command economy. The most important aspect of this type of economy is that all major decisions related to the production, distribution, commodity and service prices, are all made by the government. The planned economy is government directed, and market forces have very little say in such an economy. This type of economy lacks the kind of flexibility that is present a market economy, and because of this, the planned economy reacts slower to changes in consumer needs and fluctuating patterns of supply and demand. On the other hand, a planned economy aims at using all available resources for developing production instead of allocating the resources either for advertising or marketing. Mixed Economy: A mixed economy combines elements of both the planned and the market economies in one cohesive system. This means that certain features from both market and planned economic systems are taken to form this type of economy. This system prevails in many countries where neither the government nor the business entities control the economic activities of that country – both sectors play an important role in the economic decision – making of the  country. In a mixed economy there is flexibility in some areas and government control in others. Mixed economies include both capitalist and social economic policies and often arise in societies that seek to balance a wide range of political and economic views. http://www.economywatch.com/world_economic-indicators/type British Airways operates in the Mixed economic system as British Airways was privatised on February 1987 and the government has less intervention as it’s a private company the only intervention that the government would have is only setting the prices of the air tickets. What is Social Welfare: Social welfare is about how people, communicate and institutions in a society take action to provide certain minimum standards and certain opportunities. It is generally about helping people facing contingencies. Social welfare which British Airways does for its employees. Social Welfare Policy: Is basically to improve and protect the standard of living of the people or citizens as a whole. In the United Kingdom the Name â€Å"Social Policy† is used to apply to the policies that the government uses for welfare and social protection and the ways in which welfare is basically developed in a society. There are various social welfare policies that the United Kingdom’s adopts and they are: Social welfare policy that British Airways has adopted/follows: The impact that social welfare initiates on British Airways as well as the wider community is firstly that British Airways adopting the work place regulation is that it benefits the employees of British Airways and that the employees can work without any head aces as British Airways has provided all it employees with training in safety measures, plus rest time is given to the employees and to the crew members of British Airways accommodation is given because the crew is normally flying for endless hours/long journeys. The workers are also made alert about the basic terms and conditions of the organisation which are basically ethics, code of conduct, and the responsibility of the organisation. The other social welfare policy which British Airways provides its employees is social security for its employees similar to contribution benefits (Retirement pension, maternity allowances) and also non contributor benefits (social fund, working tax benefits) to its employees, which gives the employees the freedom to do whatever in their personal life. The Employment Law in British Airways states and illustrates the normal working hours, conditions, and the acts of the organisation. What is Industrial Policy: Industrial policy comprises all government interventions which consist of: 1. Directed towards the supply side of the economy that consists of enterprises, industries, sectors). 2. Aims to influence the industrial structure of the economy and its industrial changes. Industrial policy purposefully affects incentives to produce specific goods or incentives to enter or exit a specific goods market. It is not limited to manufacturing and includes all types of commercial economic activities. Industrial policy interventions have to be justified because if competitive markets worked adequately, any such intervention would: 1. Distort optimal allocation, 2. Distort dynamic competition and its benefits (innovation, flexibility, consumer’s sovereignty etc.). 3. Privilege specific enterprises or industries or sectors at the expenses of others, 4. Would disadvantage taxpayers and consumers. (An European industrial policy: concepts and consequences, Oliver Budzinski). Industrial policy is concerned; it is the government sponsored economic program in which the public and private sector coordinate their efforts to develop new technologies and industries. Government provides the financial support and capital to the private sector by direct subsidies, tax credits or government- run developmental banks. Industries policy emphasise cooperation between government, banks, private enterprise, and employees to strengthen the national economy. http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com Impact of Industrial policy on British Airways: In the United Kingdoms the Industrial policy has affected a lot of industries but the Industry that suffered the most was the aviation industry including all the airlines even British Airways. Therefore British Airways has changed its strategy of working and has been successful as British Airways adopted new policies. One of the policy that states to reduce Co2 emissions by 15% by all airlines and British Airways has decided to reduce by 50% as they are working on creating a new kind of fuel which is known as bio diesel which is pollution free and environment friendly. Fiscal Policy: Government spending  policies that influences macroeconomic conditions. These policies affect tax rates, interest rates and government spending in an effort to control the economy. Monetary Policy: The action of a central, bank currency or other regulatory committee that determine the size and rate of growth of the money supply, which in turn affects interest rates. Monetary policy is maintained through actions such as increasing the interest rate, or changing the amount of money banks need to keep in the vault or bank reserves. Impact of fiscal and monetary policy on airline industry as well as British Airways: The principles of economics tell us that governments can sometimes improve market outcomes. Methods of influencing market outcomes can come in the form of monetary and fiscal policies. Monetary policies influence shifts in aggregate demand for goods and services by increasing the money supply, reducing the equilibrium interest rates and stimulating investment spending or decreasing the money supply, raising equilibrium interest rates, lowering investment spending (Mankiw, 2004). Fiscal policies shift the aggregate demand curve by increasing or decreasing government spending or through the increase or decrease in taxes (Mankiw). Because these policies influence aggregate demand, the government uses such policies to try and bring stabilization to the economy. Such polices affect different industries on many different levels. Some industries have positive effects and some negative. In analysing how monetary and fiscal policies affect the airline industry, we can look at how these policies affect employment, growth of the industry, and product prices. Many fiscal policies directed toward the airline industry have had profound effects. One such policy is represented by the excise taxes and fees levied on air carriers. Such taxes and fees are allocated by the Government to fund improvements of airports, provide security for the airlines and airports, allocate funding for the FAA, provide for services for international customers, and support operations at airpark facilities. These fees represent roughly 26% or $52 of a standard 200-dollar round-trip airline ticket (Air Transport Association, 2005). Current economic conditions of the airline industry are dismal, especially due to the tragic events of September 11th. The Air Transport Association (ATA) argues that such fiscal policy in these trying times hinder the air carriers’ ability to right themselves through a self-help policy. The ATA further explains that in an effort to stabilize the industry, such taxes and  fees can account for the elimination of over 129,000 jobs, forced many carriers into bankruptcy, and, because consumers react heavily to price increases in this industry, hinder their ability to allocate funds by raising ticket prices. With this current fiscal policy, air carriers have little manoeuvrability of funds to meet the demands of an operating budget. Mike Smith (personal communication, June 10, 2008), former owner of Pacific Crest Aviation in Big Bear Lake, CA, adds that go verning agencies institute other fees to generate operating revenues for airports. On example of this is landing fees. Landing fees vary from airport to airport, but play a key role in the determination of where air carriers decide to base their operations. In attempts to accumulate more funding through fiscal policy, Mr. Smith explains that the FAA continues to suggest the implementation of user fees. Still to be determined how such a fee would impact the airline industry; present fiscal policies have air carriers screaming for reform. Deregulation is another fiscal policy that has considerably impacted areas of the airline industry. Since deregulation in 1979, the airline industry experienced substantial growth. With the emergence of new competition in the industry this created numerous amounts of jobs, drove ticket prices down, and expanded the available market for various air carriers. Through an industrial wide growth of over 200%, new carriers were able to open positions to thousands of new employees in various parts of the nation. Average ticket prices in 19 79 remain relatively unchanged today. As an extremely competitive market emerged, the rally for passengers on each carriers flights kept ticket prices down as carrier created connecting flights through this new open sky policy; reaching more consumers, minimizing opportunity cost, and offering competitive pricing. The Airline industry continues to be affected by the overall condition of the nation’s economy. When healthy spending exists and pleasure travel is frequent, air carriers are able to fill flights, raise prices, and maintain a stable economic environment. However, when condition of the nation’s economy falls, so do the buying habits of the consumer. This is where the airline industry finds itself today. Struggling to fill flights in a slow economy and fighting heavy fiscal policy. Recent monetary policies made by the federal government to improve market conditions are sure to have an effect, but how it will impact employment, growth, and prices in the airline industry are  still unknown. The most Recent monetary policy made by the government came in the form of economic stimulus checks. This in-flow of money into the economy in an attempt to stimulate the purchase of goods and services throughout the United States may help diminish the effects of our current sluggish e conomy. Little to no data exists to show how this has impacted any growth in the airline industry. So far, there seems to be little change in the spending habits of the consumer to travel via air. Because the economic position of the airline industry has been struggling for so long, improvements due to any single event may be impossible to track. Whether changes in fiscal policies, monetary policies, or internal carrier structure help to improve conditions in the airline industry, changes will happen slow and will reflect economic condition in the nation’s marketplace. By successfully managing opportunity cost, and adapting to an ever changing economic environment, airline industries can have economic success. However, the well-being of the nation’s economy will have a direct impact on the level of success experienced in the airline industry. During economic shortfalls in the nation’s economy, travellers will have fewer resources available to travel for pleasure. Contributing to the negative economic influences in the airline industry, future and existing policies targeting the airline industry will continue to hinder the industry’s ability to recover losses in periods of economic hardships. http://www.taxreformpanel.gov Makiw, N.G. (2004) Principles of economics (3rd edition). Chicago, 2: Thomson South-Western. PESTLE Analyses on British Airways: PESTLE Factors Key Points Implications for British Airways Political Heavy regulation (AEA, 2009). Increased security due to past terrorist threats (DFT, 2008) Compliance is essential if British Airways wants to continue. Sufficient security measures should be in place to ensure consumer confidence and competitive advantage in maintenance. Economic Global economic crisis: world growth is projected to just over 2 per cent in 2009 (IMF, 2008). Pound weakness especially against the Euro. Oil prices declined by 50% since their peak retreating to 2007 levels. Decline in fuel prises the dollar strengthens (IMF, 2008). UK Consumer spending saw its sharpest decline for 13 years between July and September 2008 (Channel 4, 2008) Possible reduction in the amount of business travel as companies are cutting costs and using alternative means of communication such as telecom fencing. British Airways is vulnerable as a United Kingdom operating airline to a poor exchange rate. Fluctuation in oil prices and exchange rates will directly affect British Airways cost base. More intense competition. Social The United Kingdom has an aging population. Increasing Unemployment Potential opportunities for growth as older generations have more time to spend on leisure activities such as international travel. Increased bargaining power as an employee. Technological A recent survey revealed that 34% of online consumers plan to use price- comparison sites more in 2009 (NMA, 2009) Online booking services and check-in is becoming increasingly used by the airline industry. Increased consumer awareness and therefore bargaining power. British Airways must ensure that they remain up to date with these technological advances whilst avoiding becoming overly reliant, as this may isolate certain consumer markets (i.e. the elderly) who don’t feel comfortable using such technology. Environmental/Ethical Noise pollution controls and energy consumption controls. Cancellations of flights and loss of baggage. New legislation (e.g. climate change bill) enforcing tighter environmental regulation may increase operational costs each year. Such ethical issues could have a detrimental effect on reputation if left unresolved. Legal Collusion and price fixing. Recognition of trade union and industrial action e.g. cabin crew strikes. Open skies agreement. Restriction on mergers will have an impact on British Airways proposed alliance with American Airlines. Good employee relations are essential if British Airways wants to avoid industrial action and interrupted operations. Opportunity for British Airways and its competitors to freely transport aircrafts between the European Union and the United States.

Information system development life cycle models Essay

Health information managers must understand the components of information systems and how information systems affect the organization, individuals within the organization, and interested publics outside the organization. Information systems provide opportunities to improve internal operations, create competitive advantage in the marketplace, improve patient-care delivery, enhance research, and provide better service. Information system risk occurs when the systems are not well integrated, are poorly managed, or do not support the goals of the organization. In order to exploit information system opportunities and minimize threats and risks, a thorough understanding of information system components and how these relate to the organization is necessary. An information system is composed of a group of components (people, work processes, data, and information technologies) that interact through defined relationships to accomplish a goal. Information systems must be able to adapt to environmental change. A good example of a health-related information system is an order entry system. The goal of the system is to process physician orders. The system is composed of a group of components including people (nurses, physicians, unit secretaries, laboratory personnel), data, work processes, and information technologies. Each of these components interacts through defined relationships. fails to accommodate the environment or if the interactions among its component parts fail, the system becomes nonfunctional and disintegrates. Thus, a system must be composed of a group of components that: ï‚ · Interact through defined relationships ï‚ · Work toward accomplishing a goal ï‚ · Self-adapt and respond to environmental changes Figure 2-1 provides an example of the relationship of these characteristics. An information system is composed of a group of components (people, work processes, data, and information technologies) that interact through defined relationships to accomplish a goal. Information systems must be able to adapt to environmental change. A good example of a health-related information system is an order entry system. The goal of the system is to  process physician orders. The system is composed of a group of components including people (nurses, physicians, unit secretaries, laboratory personnel), data, work processes, and information technologies. Each of these components interacts through defined relationships The peoples enter orders in a predefined way through a data entry terminal (hardware) and through interaction with software. Through the predefined interactions between the hardware and software, the order is processed. The order entry system is self-adapting and able to accommodate environmental changes such as order volume. The example depicted in Figure 2-2 demonstrates the characteristics of a system as applied to an information system: component parts working in predefined relationships that can self-adapt to environmental changes to accomplish a common goal. As the bidirectional arrows depict in Figure 2-2, at any given time there is a potential three-way interaction between all system components. People interact or are affected by work practices, data, and information technologies. Work practices affect people and may be impacted by data availability and information technologies. Information technologies may affect work practices, people, and the input, processing, or dissemination of data. Thus, we see that information components are highly interrelated. Recognizing these interrelationships is very important, since a problem with one component will likely adversely impact all other components within an information system. When information system problems arise, it is crucial that all information system components and their relationships be examined System Elements Systems have three principal elements: inputs, processing mechanisms, and outputs. Figure 2-3 depicts their simple relationship. In the order entry example given previously, inputs include physician orders such as laboratory, radiology, or pharmacy orders that are entered in a computer terminal on the patient-care unit. The orders are subjected to several processing mechanisms that check their consistency and completeness before they are routed to the appropriate department. The output of the system is a requisition for a specific type of test, procedure, or pharmaceutical. In addition to inputs, processes, and outputs, most systems also have a  feedback loop. Feedback provided by the system influences future inputs. In the order entry example, feedback regarding nonavailability of an ordered drug in the pharmacy department inventory might be provided to the physician. In this case, the system might suggest what alternatives or substitutes are available Information System Components All definitions of an information system must embody the essence of the four system characteristics that were previously presented. Thus, an information system is a group of interrelated and self-adapting components working through defined relationships to collect, process, and disseminate data and information for accomplishment of specific organizational goals. The components of an information system should be broadly interpreted. For example, information system components should be viewed to include people, work procedures, data, and information technologies (Alter, 1992). Although organizational goals may not be specifically included in the components of an information system, they must be viewed as the driving force for the development, design, implementation, and evaluation of information systems. Each information system must be evaluated in terms of its contribution to meeting the goals of the organization Information System Types In Chapter 2, six types of information systems are discussed: transaction processing systems (TPS), management information systems (MIS), decision support systems (DSS), executive information systems (EIS), expert systems (ES), and office automation systems (OAS). Early systems in health care were principally transaction processing systems. These systems automated operational functions such as accounting, payroll, inventory, and admission/discharge systems. Later, other transaction systems, such as order entry, were added to the capabilities. Management information systems emerged in the late 1970s and gradually became more sophisticated during the 1980s. One factor influencing the growth of MIS during this period was the introduction of the national prospective payment (diagnostic-related groups or DRGs) system for Medicare patients. Because of DRG implementation, hospitals needed information systems that provided better filtered and formatted data for making managerial and strategic decisions. The  implementation of DRGs also revealed the weaknesses of current information systems in linking and integrating data. Weaknesses associated with the proliferation of stand-alone systems and the historical emphasis on financial systems became magnified during the 1980s coiera When the same kind of decision is made on a regular basis, it will require access to the same kind of data and may use the same knowledge. In these circumstances, one can develop a regular process or information system to accomplish the task. An information system could thus be anything from the routine way in which a clinician records patient details in a pocket notebook, the way a triage nurse assesses patients on arrival in an emergency department, through to a complex computer-based system that regulates payments for healthcare services. An information system is distinguished from other systems by its components, which include data and models. Recall from the last chapter that there are several different kinds of information model, including databases and knowledge bases. These different information components can be put together to create an information system. For example, consider a calculator that can store data and equations in its memory. The data store is the calculator’s database, and the equation store is its knowledge base. The input to the calculator becomes the equation to be solved, as well as the values of data to plug into the equation. The database communicates with the knowledge base using a simple communication channel within the device, and the output of the system is the value for the solved equation (Figure 3.6). There are many potential internal components that could be included within an information system, including a database, a knowledge base, an ontology, and decision procedures or rules of inference. The different components of an information system are connected together with input/output channels, which allow data to be shifted between the components as needed. A patient record system is a more complex example of an information system. Its purpose is to record data about particular patients in some formalized fashion to assist in the control Wager2009  An information system (IS) is an arrangement of information (data), processes, people, and information technology that interact to collect, process, store, and provide as output the information needed to support the organization (Whitten & Bentley, 2005). Note that information technology is a component of every information system. Information technology is a contemporary term that describes the combination of computer technology (hardware and software) with data and telecommunications technology (data, image, and voice networks). Often in current management literature the terms information system and information technology are used interchangeably. 6.1.1 What Is a System?shortliffe Until now, we have referred informally to health information systems and computer systems. What do we mean when we refer to a system? In the most general sense, a system is an organized set of procedures for accomplishing a task. It is described in terms of (1) the problem to be solved; (2) the data and knowledge required to address the problem; and (3) the internal process for transforming the available input into the desired output (Figure 6.1). When we talk about systems in this book, we usually mean computer-based (or just computer) systems. A computer system combines both manual and automated processes; people and machines work in concert to manage and use information. A computer system has these components: ââ€"  Hardware: The physical equipment, including processing units (e.g., the central processing unit (CPU)), data-storage devices, comunication equipment, terminals, and printers ââ€"  Software: The computer programs that direct the hardware to carry out the automated processes—i.e., to respond to user requests and schedules, to process input data, to store some data for long periods, and to communicate informative results to the users; at times the software will prompt the users to perform manual processes System Design and Engineering in Health Care 235 ââ€"  Customers: The users who interact with the software and hardware of the system, issue requests, and use the results or forward them to others; there will be other users who are concerned with providing input, system operations, backup, and maintenance The role of a computer is, broadly speaking, the conversion of data into information. Every piece of data must be supplied by a person, by another computer system, or by data collection  equipment, as seen in patient monitoring (see Chapter 17). Information that is output is delivered to health care professionals or becomes input to another computer system. In other words, a medical computer system is a module within the overall health care delivery system. The overall health care system not only determines the need for the computer system (e.g., which data must be processed and which reports must be generated) but also the requirements for the system’s operation (e.g., the degree of reliability and responsiveness to requests for information). Acquisition and operation of a computer system has implications for the organization of an institution. Who controls the information? Who is responsible for the accuracy of the data? How will the system be financed? The installation of a computer system has sociological consequences as well. The introduction of a new system alters the work routines of health care workers. Furthermore, it may affect the traditional roles of health care workers and the existing relationships among groups of individuals—e.g., between physicians and nurses, between nurses and patients, and between physicians and patients. Important ethical and legal questions that arise include the confidentiality of patient information, the appropriate role of computers in patient care (especially in medical decision making), and the responsibility of developers and users for ensuring the correct operation of the system (see Chapter 10). Although the technical challenges in system development must be met, organizational factors are crucial determinants of the success of a computer system within the institution. These factors can differ greatly among institutions and can make the transfer of a well-functioning system to another site difficult. 6.1.2 Functions of a Computer System Computers have been used in every aspect of health care delivery, from the simple processing of business data, to the collection and interpretation of physiological data, to the education of physicians and nurses. Each chapter in Unit II of this book describes an important area for the application of computers in biomedicine. The unique characteristics of each problem area create special requirements for system builders to address. The motivation  for investing in these applications, however, is the computer’s ability to help health professionals in some aspect of information management. We identify eight topics that define the range of basic functions that may be provided by medical computer systems: 1. Data acquisition and presentation 2. Record keeping and access 3. Communication and integration of information 4. Surveillance 5. Information storage and retrieval 6. Data analysis 7. Decision support 8. Education .

Johnson v. Misercordia Hospital Essay Example

Johnson v. Misercordia Hospital Essay Example Johnson v. Misercordia Hospital Paper Johnson v. Misercordia Hospital Paper In 1980, patient (plaintiff) James Johnson filed suit against Misericordia Community Hospital alleging medical malpractice. The suit specifically alleged corporate negligence in the appointment of Dr. Lester V. Salinksy (independent member) to the medical staff at Misericordia Community Hospital. During the surgery, Dr. Salinsky severed the femoral artery, resulting in partial paralysis for Johnson (casebriefs. com). Ultimately, Johnson suffered a permanent paralytic condition to his right thigh muscles with resultant atrophy and weakness as well as a loss of function after undergoing hip surgery performed by Dr. Salinsky (Showalter, 2012). Salinsky settled litigation with the plaintiff Johnson before trial, but Misericordia disputed the allegation that the hospital was negligent in the hiring of Salinsky. The issue of significance revealed during the trial of Johnson v. Misericordia Community Hospital is that Salinsky’s qualifications, medical standing and references listed on the application of employment were never verified by Misericordia. During the trial it was revealed that; Dr. Salinsky presented an application for employment with information that included significant misstatements and exclusions that should have been a cause for a denial of appointment to Misericordia’s medical staff. For example, Salinsky failed to answer questions related to his malpractice liability insurance and also failed to mention that his privileges had been suspended, diminished, revoked or not renewed at any hospital. Instead, not only were Salinsky’s requested orthopedic privileges and appointment to the hospital’s medical staff approved; Salinsky was also elevated to the position of Chief of Medical staff shortly after joining the medical staff. Misericordia’s medical staff coordinator, Jane Bekos stated that an examination of Misericordia’s records reflected that at no time was an investigation made by anyone representing Misericordia, of any of the statements recited in Salinsky’s application or employment (Showalter, 2012). This was an oversight on behalf of Misercordia despite the fact that the Salinsky’s application for employment authorized Misericordia to contact his malpractice carriers, past and present, and all the hospitals that he had previously been associated with, for the purpose of obtaining any information bearing on his professional competence, as well as his moral, and ethical qualifications for staff membership State the relevant laws that the case uses. The Doctrine of Corporate Negligence holds health-care facilities, such as hospitals, nursing homes and medical clinics, accountable for the well-being of patients. Under the Doctrine of Corporate Negligence the hospital owes certain â€Å"duties† directly to the patient, which cannot be delegated to the medical staff. Under the Doctrine of Corporate Negligence Misericordia Community Hospital, owes a duty to its patients to refrain from any act which will cause foreseeable harm to others even though the nature of that harm and identity of the harmed person or harmed interest are unknown at the time of the act (westlaw citation). The Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Thompson v. Nason Hospital classified the hospital’s duties into four categories. 1) a duty to use reasonable care in the maintenance of safe and adequate facilities and equipment; 2) a duty to select and retain only competent physicians; 3) a duty to oversee all persons who practice medicine within its walls as to patient care; and 4) a duty to formulate, adopt and enforce adequate rules and policies to ensure quality care for the patients. The hospital also failed to adhere to its own bylaw provisions and to the Wisconsin statues related to medical credentialing. The respondeat superior doctrine holds an entity liable for the negligent acts of an employee arising from the course of his or her employment. At the onset of Salinsky’s employment he was an independent contractor. Hence, Johnson is not claiming Misercoridia vicariously liable for the negligence of Salinsky under respondeant superior. Salinsky would have had to be an employee of Misercordia for the respondeant superior doctrine to hold up throughout a court trial. Globally the Corporate Negligence Doctrine means that hospitals are no longer immune from tort liability when a case of negligence is brought to court. The hospital duty is owed directly to the patient. Hospitals who wish to avoid liability in cases such as Johnson v. Misercordia Community Hospital should ensure that the organization has an established and functioning credentialing system. Each application for employment should be verified including the applicant’s prior hospital affiliations and malpractice carriers. There should also be an established procedure utilized to approve medical privileges to the hospital and elevation to other positions in the hospital. The appointment and approval of medical privileges should also be approved by the governing board or executive committee after the credentials of the applicant have been verified. The adoption of corporate liability (negligence) has been linked to the rising number of medical malpractice claims, the ever increasing cost of healthcare (particularly in the United States) and also the issues related to obtaining and maintaining medical malpractice coverage for health care providers and entities. References Personal Injury and Corporate Negligence. (n. d. ). The Law Offices of Stephen R Bough. Retrieved March 15, 2014, from boughlawfirm. com/articles/personal-injury-corporate-negligence JOHNSON v. MISERICORDIA COMMUNITY HOSP. | Leagle. com. (n. d. ). JOHNSON v. MISERICORDIA COMMUNITY HOSP. | Leagle. com. Retrieved March 14, 2014, from leagle. com/decision/198180799Wis2d708_1746. xml/JOHNSON%20v. %20MISERICORDIA%20COMMUNITY%20HOSP. ’ Showalter, J. S. (2012). Liability of the Healthcare Institution. The law of healthcare administration (6th ed. , pp. 157-190). Chicago, Ill. : Health Administration Press.

Globalization and Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Globalization and Technology - Essay Example Information technologies such as the internet are a factor that positively influenced globalization around the world. The internet has influenced globalization in several ways. People can use the internet to communicate across the world with other people. Cultural barriers were broken due to the internet because people can use the internet to learn about other cultures. A database that can be access with the facility of the internet that is very useful to learn about cultural matters is the CultureGrams database. An example of a website that has used the internet to reach the global population is Facebook. The internet led to the development of virtual companies. One of the most successful virtual companies with global sales of $8.7 billion in 2009 is the online auction site EBay (Ebay, 2011). EBay is one of many companies that is benefiting from e-commerce transactions. In 2010 the size of the US e-commerce marketplace was $153 billion (Plunkett Research, 2011). The corporate world can utilize the internet for many purposes. One of the primary benefits of having a corporate website is that it can help a company generate additional revenues. The revenues that a company can generate using e-commerce are not limited to their domestic region. The internet allows companies to reach global customers. Normal physical stores do not have that capability.

Marketing and Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing and Supply Chain Management - Essay Example It is in this particular instance that each of the individual companies shows their prowess and showcases what type of management they have and how stable that management is. Adversities always call for the greatest minds to work out the best management cues that will definitely allow the company to withstand any turbulent moment and engage the stakeholders in every aspect of the decision-making pyramid. Relationship management is the main source of relief for any company that is seeking leverage in economic hardships (Goldberg 2001, p. 11). However, these relationship management strategies may come with even worse effects if not handled properly. Thus, understanding what the company requires and how this can be achieved with minimal changes is an essential step towards meeting the goals of the company. The maximum is expected but this has to be approached in a slow but sure manner (Bowersox, Closs and Cooper 2002, p. 33). As will be witnessed in this report, the case of ChemCo indus tries is one significant study that will help us understand the importance of key accounting management, the relevance of relationship management and how a mishap in implementing either can lead to total disaster. The case study will also be used to investigate the impact of KAM as applied by the company and what impact it had on its stakeholder sin the long run. The report will also explore the different ways and means through which internal and external relationships can be harmonized to create a company that has better and stronger economic outlook despite the challenges they face. Supply Chain Management and Business-to-Business Marketing Business –to-Business marketing can be defined under the notion of the changing relationships between the organisations engaging in either supplying or distribution of products amongst each other. They may be defined as the continuing interactions between the two parties rather than a sequence of encounters where manipulation of prices o r demand is done by the supplier as they engage with suspicious customers (Hoegh 2008, p. 302). This can be related to the fact that those given the chance to deal with the marketing strategies may have competing interests in the business which may hinder rational decision making when the company is in question this may be witnessed and confirmed by the fact that ChemCo’s KAM manager decided what prices were to be set for certain clients while neglecting others in a bid to win over clients during their downhill financial trend. When dealing with the market and the organisation, there is something called marketing logistics that needs to be reconsidered to help understand what is expected in any setting. The market logistics are aimed at critically analysing the relationships between the two parties. This is where theories such as the 4P’s, Porter’s five force analysis and PCDA model of quality control come into focus. The company looks at the best ways through w hich their products can be attractive, how their prices and processes can be maintained or altered to improve their appeal to their clients or how they can analyze their processes and improve them to meet the demands of the clients (Hines 2004, p. 66). As such, any supply chain manager will seek to use even broader logistics to come up with a strategy that suits the entire chain and works at meeting the goals of the company whether by including the subsidiaries or delegating duties and targets for each of the subsidiaries to achieve (Mentzer et. al. 2001, p. 3). However, it is crucial to understand that chain management does not exclude even the smallest retailers in the chain. Instead, as a manager, considering the benefits of