How marketing research determines the mamanement decision problem.

How marketing research determines the mamanement decision problem. The management decision is always connected with the problem or opportunity the company comes across at some point its business activity. It may be the decision about the introduction of the new product or adoption of the most effecting pricing or campaign.To help the client undertake the decision which action to follow, the market researcher starts with the research process, which first step is the problem definition. The researcher must understand what the needs and objectives of his client are and know how to translate the management problem into the market research problem. Market research problem unlike the managerial problem does not focus on action but rather concerns what kind of information is needed to come to the solution or make the decision. To be able fully understand what kind of information is needed the researcher often is required to consult with management (problem audit), industry experts, investigate the secondary data or undertake some qualitative research.Data analysisThe understanding of the problem comes also from the deep understanding the environmental context of the problem that means the background of the problem. The factors here are past information and forecast, Resources and Constrains, Objectives, Buyer Behavior, Legal environment, Economic Environment, and Marketing and Technological skills. The company exists with the complex environment all of its factors have an impact on it.The second step in the research process is the design formulation. It is the set of procedures and instructions, the blueprint of the research. It answers the following questions:a) What kind information is needed? (regarding a problem or population)b) How obtain and how use the secondary data?d) Whether the qualitative, descriptive or causal research is needed?e) How collect the qualitative data and what kind of measurement and scaling procedures use (how to...

Key Civil Rights Legislation, Court Cases Activities

Key Civil Rights Legislation, Court Cases Activities During the 1950s and 1960s, a number of important civil rights activities occurred that helped position the Civil Rights movement for greater recognition. They also led either directly or indirectly to the passage of key legislation. Following is an overview of the major legislation, Supreme Court cases, and activities that occurred in the Civil Rights movement at the time. Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955) This began with Rosa Parks refusing to sit in the back of the bus. The boycotts goal was to protest segregation in public buses. It lasted more than a year. It also led to the rise of Martin Luther King, Jr. as the foremost leader of the civil rights movement. National Guard Called to Force Desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas (1957) After the court case Brown v. Board of Education ordered that schools be desegregated, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus would not enforce this ruling. He called out the Arkansas National Guard to stop African-Americans from attending all-white schools. President Dwight Eisenhower took control of the National Guard and forced the admission of the students. Sit-Ins Throughout the South, groups of individuals would request services that were denied to them because of their race. Sit-ins were a popular form of protest. One of the first and most famous occurred at Greensboro, North Carolina where a group of college students, both white and black, asked to be served at a Woolworths lunch counter that was supposed to be segregated. Freedom Rides (1961) Groups of college students would ride on interstate carriers in protest to segregation on interstate buses. President John F. Kennedy actually provided federal marshals to help protect the freedom riders in the south. March on Washington (1963) On August 28, 1963, 250,000 individuals both black and white gathered together at the Lincoln Memorial to protest segregation. It was here that King delivered his famous and stirring I have a dream... speech. Freedom Summer (1964) This was a combination of drives to help get blacks registered to vote. Many areas of the South were denying African-Americans the basic right to vote by not allowing them to register. They used various means including literacy tests and more overt means like intimidation by groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Three volunteers, James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman, were murdered and seven KKK members were convicted of their murder. Selma, Alabama (1965) Selma was the beginning point of three marches intended to go to the capital of Alabama, Montgomery, in protest to discrimination in voter registration. Two times the marchers were turned back, the first with a lot of violence and the second at the request of King. The third march had its intended effect and helped with the passage of the Voting Rights of 1965 in Congress. Important Civil Rights Legislation and Court Decisions Brown v. Board of Education (1954) - This landmark decision allowed for the desegregation of schools.Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) - This ruling allowed for any accused individual to have the right to an attorney. Before this case, an attorney would only be provided by the state if the result of the case could be the death penalty.Heart of Atlanta v. United States (1964) - Any business that was participating in interstate commerce would be required to follow all rules of the federal civil rights legislation. In this case, a motel that wanted to continue segregation was denied because they did business with people from other states.Civil Rights Act of 1964 - This was an important piece of legislation that stopped segregation and discrimination in public accommodations. Further, the U.S. Attorney General would be able to help victims of discrimination. It also forbid employers to discriminate against minorities.Twenty-Fourth Amendment (1964) - No poll taxes would be allowed in any states . In other words, a state could not charge people to vote. Voting Rights Act (1965) - Probably the most successful congressional civil rights legislation. This truly guaranteed what had been promised in the 15th amendment: that no one would be denied the right to vote based on race. It ended literacy tests and gave the U.S. Attorney General the right to intervene on behalf of those who had been discriminated against. He Had a Dream Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr  was the most prominent civil rights leader of the 50s and 60s. He was the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Through his leadership and example, he led peaceful demonstrations and marches to protest discrimination. Many of his ideas on nonviolence were fashioned on the ideas of  Mahatma Gandhi  in India. In 1968, King was assassinated by James Earl Ray. Ray was against racial integration, but the exact motivation for the murder has never been determined.

Citizenship in the Age of the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Citizenship in the Age of the Internet - Essay Example In other countries, most of the public services are controlled by private authorities making the use of Government sites redundant. Part two of the article â€Å"How government online provision is currently organized and what it costs† talks about how the Government runs the online facilities and the cost associated with it. The major points are as follows: Part three â€Å"Future developments and strategy† discusses the strategy for the development of the Government sites in the future to facilitate the citizens of the country. The main points in this section are as follows: Part one of the article â€Å"Changes and challenges in information exchange across the department† points out the general practice of communication and the challenges the department faces because of it. The points discussed under this part are as follows: Telephone communication has reduced in importance, as it is not suitable for people not speaking English. Also it was seen that this mode of communication failed to provide new information to the Department. The third part â€Å"Pension credit† discusses the progress made by the Government to improve communication between the Department and the customers for the credit facilities. The points in this regard are as

The buccaneer journal of Dampier Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The buccaneer journal of Dampier - Essay Example The text was published in the name of â€Å"A New Voyage Round the world†. William Dampier has a unique regard as well: he circumnavigated the earth thrice in his life (Dampier). In the underlying text which was published in 1700, William Dampier expressed about nature and romance in the context of deep sea and oceans. He titled his work as a composition of mixed relations among places and actions (Pirates & Privateers). It was a strange phenomenon of the time which was unbelievable to be curtained that it could be published even being a very scholastic and romantic piece of writing describing nature of piracy or buccaneering. The former buccaneers were the hunters who resided at Hispaniola and Caribbean. At the time of William Dampier, he encountered with the buccaneers who were formerly log wood cutters. He found them when he got a job to bring logwood to London via boat (Dampier). During his travel for working, he was used to spend his time in search and exploration of several aspects of natural, plants and animals. As he used to surround around the deep blue sea, so his most concern was water related nature. He wrote a number of valuable daily records in his journal which afterwards came in to being as a book named â€Å"A new voyage round the world†. Dampier was so happy that he could form his fortune with the work through which he could earn as well as he could spend a plenty of time in non work activities like nature exploration. But meanwhile a storm came around all the way and caused huge damages. It forced Dampier to take accompany with some privateers. Throughout his text of new voyage, William Dampier has referred to a term named as privateers. But in fact these privateers were the real buccaneers or pirates. Dampier spent over a year with those privateers (in real pirates). He wrote details of only one attack of those buccaneers. They were caught on that raid but they however managed the escape from

Lego Branding Community Essay Example for Free

Lego Branding Community Essay Online communities are becoming â€Å"places† of belonging, information, and emotional support that people cannot do without. These social groups have a real existence for their participants, and thus have consequential effects on many aspects of behaviour. This article examines collective value creation and empowerment in an online brand community. It presents the main features of an online brand community, the process of value co-creation, and motivators for participating in online brand communities. These key factors jointly characterize collective value creation and empowerment. This netnographic study focuses on an online brand community called BrickBuilders, which is a meeting place for LEGO builders in Finland. BrickBuilders’ members feel a sense of belonging, they share similar motivations, and they create value together. Introduction A brand community can be formed by any group of people who share a common interest in a specific brand and who create a parallel social universe rife with its own myths, values, rituals, vocabulary, and hierarchy (Muniz and O’Guinn, 2001; Cova and Pace, 2006). Brand communities become more than a place. They become a common understanding of a shared identity, which can be found in both face-to-face interactions and in cyberspace (Muniz and O’Guinn, 2001). Analysts no longer question whether the concept of community should have a place in the domain of marketing (Cova and Pace, 2006). However, the concepts of brand community and online brand community are relatively new and have yet to find their place in the academic world. Traditionally, companies produced products relatively independently. Today, consumers and other stakeholders can create value more collectively. The purpose of this article is to describe and analyze collective value creation and empowerment in an online brand community. Main Features of Online Brand Communities Muniz and O’Guinn (2001) used three constructs to identify the distinguishing features of brand communities. First, a sense of belonging is a connection that members feel toward one another and the collective sense of difference from others outside of the community. The second feature is the presence of shared rituals and traditions that surround the brand. Rituals and traditions perpetuate the community’s shared history, culture, and consciousness. Traditions include certain behavioural norms and values. The third feature is a sense of moral responsibility, which is a felt sense of duty or obligation to the community. The sense of moral responsibility is what produces collective action. Heinonen and Halonen (2007) have identified motivators for online brand community activities. Members want to belong to something, build and strengthen their identities, get feedback from others, and create something new. The Process of Collective Value Creation Schau and colleagues (2009) have identified the process of value co-creation in online brand communities. The process consists of four thematic practices, which are social networking, impression management, community engagement, and brand use. Social networking is a practice that focuses on creating, enhancing, and sustaining ties among brand community members. These include welcoming, empathizing, and governing. These practices operate primarily in the intangible domain of the emotions and reinforce the social or moral bonds within the community. Impression management includes evangelizing and justifying. Online brand community members act as altruistic emissaries and ambassadors of good will. Members devote time and effort to the brand, share the news of the brand, and inspire others to participate in the community. Community-engagement practices are those that reinforce members’ escalating engagement with the brand community. These include staking, milestoning, badging, and documenting. Staking, milestoning, and badging mean that community members bring out brand experiences and proclaim openly that they are fans of a particular brand. Documenting occurs when brand community members construct a narrative of their brand experiences. Brand-use practices are specifically related to improved or enhanced use of the focal brand. These include grooming, customizing, and commoditizing. Grooming means that members share, for example, homemade tools and advice. Customizing means modifying existing ideas and discovering new ideas, which result in customized products. Commoditizing means that members rant or chastise some products, but at the same time, they have new ideas on how those products could be developed. Synthesis of the Theoretical Framework The main features of online brand communities, value co-creation, and motivators for participating in online brand communities (Heinonen and Halonen, 2007; Kozinets, 2010; Muniz and O’Guinn, 2001; Schau et al., 2009) are the key factors that jointly – realized in various combinations – characterize collective value creation and empowerment in an online brand community. The collective value creation and empowerment in the online brand community may occur when its members have a sense of belonging, they create value together, and they have similar motives. The collective value creation and empowerment of the online brand community allows mutual interaction between the online brand community and the company as well as other stakeholders. Companies have an opportunity to communicate with consumers and influence their opinions (Kozinets, 2010) and vice-versa. We have moved away from one-way transactions to a relationship-based interaction model that emphasizes consumers’ and other stakeholders’ roles in networks and communities.

Time and Change in Poetry Essay -- Robert Herrick Thomas Hood Poems Es

Time and Change in Poetry Comparing and discussing two poems written by two different people in two different times on the subject of time and change. Time and Change I will be comparing and discussing two poems written by two different people in two different times on the subject of time and change. The subject time and change is part of our everyday lives and it affects our behaviour and attitudes. The first poem I will be studying is â€Å"To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time† which I will refer to as poem 1 and is by Robert Herrick in the 16th Century. The title of the poem makes the reader think that it has a sexually orientated meaning to it. The second poem is â€Å"I Remember, I Remember†, which I will be referring to as poem 2 and is by Thomas Hood in the 18th Century. The title of this poem suggests to the reader that it is a personal poem based on the poets own life experiences. Both poems talk about time and change in different ways. Poem 1 is written to instruct young people what to do with their time and poem 2 is written in first person narrative and talks about how different life is. Both poems encourage you to read them and put the same message across to enjoy what you have while it lasts. I think the time and change topic is very important and by studying and analysing each poem carefully, you can see a new perspective on life. A theme is something that you can find throughout a poem, play, book etc. It lets the reader/audience know what it is about and lets you understand the meaning of the piece more clearly. The themes of the two poems look at the concept of the changes between being youthful to growing old and discuss how time passes quickly in your life. They both convey natur... ...It is always instructing young people what to do with their time and how to spend it, as well as a instructive advice. I feel the poem repeats its message too many times but this helps to put the point of the poem across more strongly for people to underrstand what it is about. I think both poems put the point of time and change across strongly in their own, unique way and it helps people to understand what the actual subject matter means and is trying to demonstrate. The poems are written well and both discuss how ageing affects you. Poem 2 make sme think of my childhood and my most precious memories whereas poem 1 makes me think of my future and what could happen. Both poems have the impact to make you think of the past, present and future and lets you know that all three are different and its down to you as to what you do with your life and time.

Change Model Essay

The aim of this essay is to critically analyse the background of the Qantas and its decision to launch Jetstar on May 2004 that operated around 800 flights a week across network of 14 destinations within Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Secondly, this essay will evaluate how Data Collection Feedback Cycle change model is used to gather major information and to critically analyse it. Thirdly, this essay will critically evaluate the background of Qantas and Virgin Blue and will also highlight various reasons that eventually led the Qantas group for the launch of the Jetstar. Fourthly, this essay will also critically analyse the revenue and profit performance of Qantas prior the introduction of Jetstar i.e. 2002. Fifthly, it will continue to critically evaluate the trend in Qantas and Virgin Blue in 2003. Then the sixth paragraph will also critically evaluate the trend in Qantas after the launch of Jetstar. Lastly, the essay will also look into the annual reports of the year 2005-2009 and critically analyse the significant value added by the Jetstar to the Qantas group; and will critically analyse whether the executive decision of Qantas to launch Jetstar in order to retain the 60% domestic aviation market from its competitors has been a strategic success or not. This paragraph will critically analyse the change management information gathered to launch Jetstar low cost airline in May 2004 by using the Data Collection Feedback Cycle change model. Nadler (1977) as cited in Cumming and Worley (2009:122) highlights that the Data Collection Feedback model consists of five phases that are (1) planning to collect data, (2) collecting data, (3) analysing data, (4) feeding back data and (5) following up on the data collected. In planning to Gather information to justify change Nadler (1977) argues that primary methods such as, direct interviews with CEO and key change agents, observing and identifying the need for change and the use of un obstructive measure as sampling technique, force field analysis and scatter diagrams, could be used to gather major information. In contrast Danaher have used various published data to trace the evolution of the Jetstar strategy of its initial position, to its efforts to attain price competitiveness and service parity, followed by its highly focused, cost-effective service delivery strategy. Based on it they have developed a hierarchical model with parameters estimated at the  individual level. This allows us to study not only how service design and pricing initiatives shift the perceived performance of Jetstar relative to its competitors but also how the airline can move market preferences toward areas in which it has competitive advantage. After done with the planning of the collection of data from competitors performance on its revenue, sales profits, passenger numbers and market share in 2002, 2003 and 2004 against Qantas key performance indicators for the same period between 2002, 2003 and 2004 from the Annual Reports of both Virgin Blue and Qantas domestic operations. Nadler (1977), after the data has been collected data they are analysed using the qualitative change data such as directors report, World Business Briefing /Australia: Airline Profit(2004).The reminder of this essay will critically analyse the data collected from secondary sources such as Annual Reports, newspaper articles and journal articles to analysis the data sourced to evaluate what would be the most effective change to be implemented by Qantas in responding to Virgin Blue competition the Australian aviation domestic sectors. This paragraph will evaluate the basic background of Qantas and Virgin Blue and will also highlight various reasons that eventually led the Qantas group for the launch of the Jetstar. After the deregulation of Australian aviation market there were several airline companies entering the market however the most significant entrance was of low fare airlines Impulse in June and Virgin Blue in August 2000. The arrival of Impulse Airlines and Virgin Blue doubled the number of players and dramatically challenged the stable duopoly of Qantas (after its merger with Australian Airlines) and Ansett, setting off a vicious price war (Traca, D., 2004). However, Impulse facing a major trouble in the cash flow agreed on May 1, 2001 to hand over its operations to its biggest rival, Qantas Airways. As per the deal Impulse stopped its passenger service under its own name on May 14 and leased 21 aircraft as well as cabin crews and pilots to Qantas. The deal led the stock of Qantas heaved by 26% closing at $3.40 per share giving Qantas a significantly stronger position in the Australian market (Gaylord, 2001). Qantas, Australia’s leading domestic and international carries launched a budget airline called Jetstar in May 2004 (Qantas annual report, 2004). With Jetstar Qantas’s aim was to cover the low fare segment of the aviation  industry, which came into existence in the year 2000 with its competitor, Virgin Blue. Virgin had been successfully eating up QANTAS market share by attacking it from below as a no frills provider. In 2001 the collapse of Ansett in domestic market, led Qantas to lease extra flights, add hundreds of special flights in order to help stranded travellers due to Ansett crisis. At the time Qantas flew more than 50,000 former Ansett passengers for free and other 65,000 on heavily discounted fares. Due to this Qantas was able to deliver a profit before tax of $631m and net profit after tax of $428 million at the end of 2002, 30 June, despite of the fact that the world’s aviation market was suffering from â€Å"constant shock syndrome†, due to the September 11 attack followed by bombings in Bali, the war in Iraq and of course the devastating outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Qantas annual report, 2003). The shutdown of Ansett also highly benefitted Virgin Blue, since the event provided a wide opportunity for Virgin Blue to grow rapidly and become Australia’s second leading domestic carrier. In 2000 it started with only one route (Brisbane to Sydney) with two aircrafts and a team of just 200 people. In 2001, with the opportunity to widen its market segment, 14 new routes were launched (virginaustralia – history). The aim of this paragraph is to highlight how Qantas and Virgin Blue became the only two players in the Australian domestic aviation market in 2002. It will also look in to the key financial indicators of both the companies so that a comparison could be drawn out. In 2002 there were only two companies that survived the fare war of 2000-2001. One of them was Qantas that gained 80% of the domestic market share following Ansetts cessation. Whereas, the number of international passenger declined by 11% which makes an average decline of about 25% in global aviation market (Traca, D., 2004). In the same year Qantas domestic carried 1485 million passengers making a RPK of $2034 million and the ASK of $2503 million (Traffic and capacity statistics, 2002). Qantas announced its financial results for the year ended 30th June 2002. As per the financial result the company had $631 million of profit before tax, a net profit after tax of $million, revenue of $ 10,968.8 million and earnings per share of 29.1 cents (Qantas annual report, 2002). The other survivor of the fare war, Virgin Blue managed to emerge as second Australian Domestic carrier, covering of about 20% of the domestic market  (Traca, D., 2004). Due to its strategic low operating cost and soaring market share, it was able to achieve net profit before tax of $34.8 million and revenue of $388.3 million. In this year the airline carried 3.2 million passengers, its traffic as measured by RPK’S was 3169 million, capacity measured by ASK’S was 3898 million (Virgin Blue annual report, 2004). In March 2002 Patrick Corporation, the premier port cargo handler, bought 50% of the airline. This change made Godfrey, chief executive of Virgin Blue confident about the enlargeme nt of the domestic operation and also expansion into the international market with service to South Pacific (Traca, D., 2004). This paragraph critically analyses the key financial indicators of the Qantas and the Virgin Blue of the year 2003. It will also highlight how Virgin Blue concentrating only of the leisure domestic market was slowly overcoming the market share of Qantas. In 2003 Qantas domestic carried 1768 million passengers making a RPK of $2262 million and the ASK of $2683 million (Traffic and capacity statistics, 2003). Qantas announced its financial results for the year ended 30th June 2003. As per the financial result the company had $502.3 million of profit before tax, a net profit after tax of $343.5 million, revenue of $11,374.9 million and earnings per share of 20 cents (Qantas annual report 2003). Speaking of announcements, in the Annual General Meeting held on 16th October 2003 it was announced that â€Å"the airline is investigating the establishment of separate domestic low cost airline to service the leisure market in Australia† (Preliminary monthly traffic and capacity statistics, July 2003).In this same year Virgin Blue carried 6.8 million passengers, its traffic as measured by RPK’S was 7194 million, capacity measured by ASK’S was 9078 million. Taking advantage of the fact that Virgin Blue had no other competitor serving the price sensitive market of Australia, it earned revenue of $914.6 million, compared to previous year the revenue earned up roared by 135.5% and the number of passengers carried also increased by 107% (Virgin Blue annual report, 2003). This paragraph will critically analyse the launch of Jetstar in May 2004 and the changes that it brought in the key financial indicators of Qantas and as well as of Virgin Blue. Following the announcement made in 2003 Annual  General Meeting Qantas Introduced Jetstar in May 2004. In the first year Jetstar alone carried 273,000 passengers. Prior Jetstar Qantas already had Qantas Domestic and Qantas Link serving domestic passengers. With these three Qantas in total carried 1973 million passengers. Compared to 2003/04 the number increased by 9.4% (Traffic and capacity statistics, 2004). In the same year Total Domestic (Qantas, Qantas Link and Jetstar) traffic was measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs) of $2451 million while capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) increased to $3021 million (Traffic and capacity statistics, 2004). On 19 August 2004, Qantas announced its financial results for the year ended 30 June 2004. In the announcement it was stated that the company had achieved a profit before tax of $964.6 million and a net profit after tax of $648.4 million. Similarly, $11.4 billion of revenue, earning per share of 35.7 cents (Qantas annual report, 2004/05). Despite increasing domestic competition during the year Virgin Blue continued to show strong growth and profitability. During the year Virgin Blue carried over 10million (m) passengers, an increase of 53% compared to previous year. Doubling its passenger number the third time in a row in this same year it welcomed its 20 millionth passenger. Its revenue for the 2004 financial year was $1362.3million which is 49% more than the previous year. In the same year profit before tax was up by 45% to 226.2million and a Net Profit After Tax of 158.5million (Virgin blue annual report, 2004). Till March 31, 2004 Virgin Blue had 44 Boeing Net Generation 737 – 700 & 737 -800 aircraft out of which 36 were leased and 8 were owned. However, during the year the fleet was increased by 15 aircrafts. Since the day of establishment Virgin Blue was committed to keep its cost base low and they are continuously working through it so that they could consistently provide their customers with low fares travel. Their cost per ASK for the financial year 2004 was 8.16 cents whereas a year before it was 8.48 cents. A decrease of 3.5% put the company on a good front in terms of scale and productivity (Virgin blue annual report 2004). The Australian discount airline Virgin Blue, has won 30% of the market from Qantas, the national carrier, which will introduce a low-fare airline, Jetstar. Fare surcharges are being imposed by both groups as fuel pr ices rise (Shaw, 2004). Jetstar’s initially offered $48 for Melbourne to Hobart route and from $54 for Sydney to the resorts south of Brisbane. The price was similar  to what the price Virgin Blue was offering at the same period. All Jetstar flights offered one class of travel, with unreserved seating. In contrast Virgin Blue offered assigned seating and baggage connections to final destinations (Henly, 2004). This paragraph critically analyse the key indicators for Qantas and Virgin Blue for launching Jetstar in May 2004. It is very clear with the annual report that Jetstar has been profitable ever since it was launched in the year 2004 (Jetstar Media centre). However, the road wasn’t quiet smooth in the initial years. From its launch Jetstar was exclusively using a â€Å"low price† message in its communication, but it was lagging way behind Virgin Blue in terms of quality. The Jetstar overall quality disadvantage was greater at 22.3% (6.02 versus 7.75) (Danaher et.al, 2011. pp. 586 -594, Fig 3). Jetstar was already appealing on the price front, and then it addressed its deficit in quality and tackled that by focusing on some specific sub attributes (not disclosed by the company) that provided Jetstar a good opportunity to overcome the point of difference with Virgin Blue. Then the price perception of Jetstar relative to Virgin Blue dramatically improved from 6.9% deficit in March 2008 to 2.5% deficit in only 3months i.e. 7.42 versus 7.62 (Danaher et.al, 2011. pp. 586 -594, Fig 3). Since the establishment the main concern as a parent company for Qantas Group was that whether Jetstar would financially be profitable in its own right. Hence, it did by earning revenue of $1.020 billion, $1.414 billion, and $1.605 billion in the year 2007, 2008, and 2009 respectively. It was 7%, 10%, 12% of Qantas group revenue respectively (Qantas annual report, 2009). Similarly, in the same order the profit earned was $79 million, $104 million and $118 million (Danaher et.al, 2011. pp. 586 -594, Table 2). Similarly, speaking of market share of Jetstar, it has increased by 29% from the year 2008-2009. Earlier with the perceived mediocre price competitiveness and low quality it was in a poor position as compared to Virgin Blue, whereas, with the necessary remedies taken within the 1st quarter of 2008 it was in position almost equal to Virgin Blue in terms of covering the large proportion of the target market. Jetstar Market Share of Domestic Australian Leisure Air Travel was 14% in the first quarter of 2008, with the changes made the market share increased to 14.6% and it gradually kept on increasing and it had 18.1% of market share in March 2009. Further, with the increase in profit it improved its perceptual position, whereas,  Virgin Blue has remained relativ ely stationary. In conclusion if we are to pay close attention to the domestic growth strategies of the country’s largest airline company; Qantas, its decision of launching Jetstar seems be a successful strategic decision. It was matter of concern that the Virgin Blue an airline company focusing on the price sensitive market would whether survive the competition with 82 year old veteran airline company. However, with its striking approach of low fare Virgin Blue today covers 35% market share of the domestic aviation sector. By critically evaluating the financial indicators of both companies for the year 2002-2004 and also following the series of events, it becomes quiet clear that though Virgin Blue had started small it managed to cover 20% of the target market in 2002. In further years concentrating only in the no frill travel it was able to hold the 30% of the market share, which became a matter of concern for Qantas because though it was making more profits then Virgin Blue it was losing it domestic market grip, therefore, led to the launch of Jetstar. However, even after the Launch of Jetstar Qantas performance was not like it was expected because in the year 2004 Qantas domestically carried only 2061 million passengers which were only 88 million more than the last year. However, with the necessary major changes (not disclosed by the company) Jetstar alone was able to regain the market share of 18.1% by March 2009. REFERENCE LIST Gaylord, B. (2001). Qantas to Absorb Competitor As Fare War Takes a Victim. The New York Times; Business Day. 11Shaw, J. (2004). World Business Briefing /Australia: Airline Profit. The New York Times; Business Day. Henly, G, S. (2004). Travel Advisory; New Offshot of Qantas Offers Lower Fares. The New York Times; Travel Danaher. J. P., Roberts. H. J., Roberts. K., Simpson. A. (2011). Applying a Dynamic Model of Consumer Choice to Guide Brand Development at Jetstar Airways. Marketing Science, 30(4), 586 – 594. Doi: 10.1287/mksc.1100.0619 Traca. D., (2004). Virgin Blue Fighting With National Champion. INSEAD, 5179. Traffic and Capacity Statistics. Retrieved from: http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/investors-traffic-statistics/global/en Jetstar Media Centre. Retrieved from: http://www.jetstar.com/mediacentre/facts-and-stats/jetstar-group Nadler, D. (1977). cited in Cumming and Worley (2009). Organization development & change, 9th edition, South- Western Cengage Learning. Qantas annual report (2002). Retrieved from http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/about/investors/2002AnnualReport.pdf Qantas annual report (2003). Retrieved from http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/about/investors/2003AnnualReport.pdf Qantas annual report (2004). Retrieved from http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/about/investors/2004AnnualReport.pdf Virgin Blue annual report (2004). Retrieved from http://www.virginaustralia.com/cs/groups/internetcontent/@wc/documents/webcontent/~edisp/annual-rpt-2004-a3.pdf

Essay on Mobile Revolution Essay

Mobiles are no more a luxury or a life style product. Mobile phones, which were one of the beautiful possessions of anybody not until a decade ago, have now become a necessity to the common man. The entry of private service providers with CTMA, GSM and of course, 3G technologies has changed the Communication sector in India beyond imagination. Many new competitors have entered the mobile market resulting in reduction of the STD rates and Local call rates. Plans are also on anvil to enable mobile users to switch over to other service providers without changing their number, also called Mobile Number Portability (MNP). The mobile users in India have increased tremendously during the last decade. Youth, both in rural and urban India, have welcomed and accepted mobiles with open hands. The decrease in call rates can be imagined from the fact that it cost around? 16 per minute when mobiles were introduced in India and today it costs as little as 1 paisa per 2 seconds offered by companies like MTS. Even the size of mobile phones has changed to an unimaginable level. They have become very handy today compared to their walkie-talkie resemblance when they were introduced. The immense benefit offered by a mobile has triggered this revolution. With a mobile phone in hand, one can be available round the clock, and can get the up-to-date information on anything. The availability of internet on mobile phones has increased its utility tremendously. It has made mobile phones, to an extent, an essential item for carrying out a business transaction. The facility of sending short messages or pictures enables a person to send the message across without actually bothering to disturb the other person. For traders, it helps them get the price details of any products without even bringing the products to the market. The introduction of mobile banking helps people carry their bank in their mobile. Some people even carry their office in their mobile phones. However, mobile phones also have some demerits as they can be used to detonate bombs. Some instruments which have cameras in them can be used for taking unnecessary photographs. Constant use of mobile phones may create health problems and increase risk of accidents on road. In spite of these demerits, mobile phones are becoming popular day-by-day as their advantages fairly outweigh the demerits. In fact, the mobile revolution has occurred very fast in India. This symbolizes the country’s transformation from an inward looking tentative nature to a confident and resurgent global economic power. The mobile phone service providers have also increased manifold during the years. Some of the important market players are: Aircel, Airtel, BSNL, MTNL, Idea Cellular, Tata Indicom, Tata DoCoMo, Reliance Communications, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone, Videocon Telecommunications, MTS India and Spice Telecom. Even in rural India, mobile phone has brought a tremendous change to rural telephony, marginalizing the middlemen and empowering women, strengthened by the formation of self-help groups. It has vastly improved access to information and helped in the explosive growth in connectivity. Even at sea, fishermen in Kerala use the mobiles to keep track of rates for their catch in the market. The improvement in infrastructure and support from the Government has acted as a catalyst for mobiles to make tremendous inroads into rural India. The role of mobile telephones are varied, in that, they help assess the market information, coordinate travel and transport, manage remote activities and increase the remunerative working days. As a result, the rural marketing scenario has also undergone a change. Today, the rural consumer is better informed and price conscious. The total mobile penetration is increasing at a quick pace with companies like Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Reliance Communications, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Tata Teleservices, etc. aving unveiled big network expansion plans and innovative marketing strategies specially tailored region-wise. Some of these companies are using a door-to-door marketing strategy in villages and B and C category census towns. They are involving members of gram panchayats and trained market-feelers to make residents aware of the usefulness of mobile telephony and how the system of pre-paid refills work. Handset manufacturers too are gearing up with Nokia incorporating nine Indian languages on certain handsets to promote sales. Value-for- money handsets priced between 1,000 and 1,400 with a plethora of tariff plans to choose from is also one of the reasons for driving subscription growth in these regions. Handsets are being imported in bulk by some service providers. It is expected that voice short messaging service will become a focus area in future, especially in rural areas and service providers are already planning implementation of the same. The pace at which mobile revolution has occurred in India can be attributed to the easy to understand operations. For an illiterate, mobiles phones were so easy to operate that they needed to understand only two buttons the green button for answering a call and the red button for disconnecting a call. Everything else can be learnt with usage and passage of time. Even today, most of the mobiles are used on this two button principle, which makes it a popular device. Gone are the days when people use to queue up before a Public Call Office (PCO) and wait their turn for an hour, only to end up without connectivity. Mobile phones have also removed the necessity to remember telephone numbers of other people. In-built phone books in the instruments enable a person to call the other person, without ever having to remember the other person’s number. Actually, mobile phones have become an all-in-one tool in the pocket, which has replaced even the old pocket diary. It is also slowly replacing purse, with the introduction of mobile transactions. No wonder, life without mobile phones have become unimaginable and unthinkable to many.

Axial age thinkers

Axial age thinkers Introduction It is evident that there have been radical changes in the political, religious and philosophical structures over time in the world history. One such transformational age was the axial age. Karl Jaspers, a famous German philosophy was the one behind the descriptions of the axial age.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Axial age thinkers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The axial age basically refers to the period between the 800 to 200BC (Morris 458). One of the significant attributes associated with the axial age was the spread of revolutionary thinking. The axial age was originally witnessed in the West, and further spread to Persia and India (Morris 460). The axial thinkers played a significant role in the determining of the nature of the philosophy of the post axial age. The revolutionary thinkers also had a great influence on religion, and they mostly shared common characteristics with respect to t heir places of origin. One of the profound and universal trends of the axial thinkers was their views towards religion and philosophy. The spiritual and philosophical frameworks that were laid by the revolutionary axial thinkers are still used in the present date (Freedman 234). The foundations of humanity during the axial age were laid by individual thinkers of the axis age. The Socrates, Plato and the Aristotle were greatly influenced by the teachings of the axial thinkers. The basic fact that all the axial thinkers had in common was the dire need to discover the basic ideologies of existence and their respective implications on human life (Achebe 67). Individual axial thinkers in China- Confucius China was a home to one of the many axial age thinkers: Confucius, Mo Tzu and Lao-Tse. The axial Chinese philosophers laid emphasis on the principles of ethical human existence (Freedman 243). This paper attempts to critically analyze the works of Confucius and how his philosophical pers pectives contributed to the transformations of the philosophical schools of thought, his implications on the on the ethical principles of human existence. Arguably, it is evident that Confucianism rose from the teachings of Confucius. Confucianism is considered as one of the world’s religion which originated from China and subsequently spread to Korea. It is based on ethical and philosophical perspectives of Confucius (Kung-fu-tzu), an axial age thinker. The works of Confucius focused morality, both at personal level and government level, the rightness in relation to social relationships, and justice. This ethical and philosophical value were soon integrated into Chinese culture, and as a result, gained dominance compared with other present schools of thought such as Legalism and Taoism (Freedman 249).Advertising Looking for term paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Confucius teachings were widely accepted, and as a result, spread further into Europe. Confucius teachings widely drew on the ethical and moral perceptions of the society; his teachings were and still widely accepted as a framework for religious and ethical issues in the society. Confucianism is considered to be more rational compared to the western philosophical perspectives; it draws a correlation in terms of Christian ethics (Morris 470). An account of the Analects reveals that Confucius laid much prominence on the value of study; as a result he was always viewed as the Greatest Master. Confucius tried to establish a correlation between the theory of life and implications on the society, he wanted his students to analytically and critically study themselves and try to relate with the outside world. In his philosophical work, he used scriptures to relate moral problems that were present during the axial age (Morris 475). The basic teaching of Confucius was based on individual morality and political morality; hi s argument was based on doing what is right rather than doing what is to ones advantage. Simply put, it was the practice which was based on reciprocity, which implies that one should not do to others what he does not want himself or does not want to be done to him. Ruling was to be based on moral example rather than ruling through the use of violence. Confucius was of the view that a ruler who deployed the use of force can be termed unsuccessful in his ruling practice. The Analects depicts that the job of a ruler is to govern, rather than killing. The Chinese rulers at the axial time did not obey this principle towards the exercising of leadership. Confucianism proposes a government system that is based on ruling by example (Morris 480). Confucius argued that the laws established by the government were meant to put people in line, but governing by virtue would make people to control themselves with or without the presence of the laws and punishments of the government. The principle of self control is paramount for individual development; this explains why the Chinese have been successful, whenever an opportunity presents itself to do so. Interestingly, the Confucian school of thought condemns the desire to make high profits; this was a negative influence to the prosperity of the Chinese people. Evidently, this principle has been ignored over time (Morris 483). Another teaching of Confucius was based on the limitations of morality. Morality in itself is a limitation to towards the realization of self interest. Confucius however states that morality should not serve as an excuse to deny oneself. It is based on the principle that, if you do not want it for yourself, then you should not do it for others. Whatever you like for yourself, you should do for others.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Axial age thinkers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A similar implication is depicted in the Analects of Confucius, which is referred to as the principle of mutual profitableness. The principle mutual profitableness is also practiced by the Japanese. Helping yourself and others is the Confucian philosophy and one of the characteristics of Chinese civilizations. The Confucian school of thought is hostile to the desire to make high profits; this is contrary to the principle of mutual profitableness and the principle of self interest (Morris 490). A critical aspect of the implications Confucius philosophy was that it later became a widely accepted religion among the Chinese. The Confucius aspect of religion was later disputed by Socrates, whose lifetime was after the death of Confucius. It is somewhat interesting to note that the Socrates philosophical projects concerning religion was rejected by the Chinese; this later saw Confucius being made a Chinese god, with every temple in almost every city being dedicated to him. Conclusion The Confucianism practices do not conform to the phil osophical perspectives of Confucius; however, his perspectives played a significant role in shaping the aspects of Chinese religion. The Confucius ethical and philosophical principles significantly affected Chinese cultural background (Freedman 240). It can be argued that Confucius principles gained dominance because its basis drew a correlation with the Chinese traditions. His political philosophies were based on ethical perspectives of leadership by virtue of example. Achebe, Chinua. Things fall apart. Portsmouth NH: Heinemann, 1996. Freedman, Russell. Confucius: the golden rule. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2002. Morris, Ian. Why the West Rulesfor Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future. New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010.

Online Marketing Research Proposal Writing Tips

Online Marketing Research Proposal Writing Tips Online Marketing Research Proposal Writing Tips Would you ever decide to start your own business without business plan? If you are responsible enough, you have definitely said â€Å"no† to the question. Businessmen are really careful when the question is about spending marketing dollars, but the truth is that sometimes they do not pay due attention to the effective marketing research. When you need to deal with the marketing research proposal writing, make sure to follow simple tips mentioned below while planning the project. Aims and Objectives When working on this section, ensure to include the basic goals of the marketing research. Also, remember to provide specific objectives of the project. Your number one task is to explain the value of the research that you are going to conduct, stating why exactly your proposal should be approved and mentioning all useful and positive results and gains your research will bring. Magnified Market Research word illustration on white background. Framework Analysis Although this part of the marketing research proposal is tightly linked with the objectives and aims section, it must be more concentrated on depth of the background circumstances that indicate the reasons why the certain marketing research project is actually proposed. While the objectives and aims of the paper provide descriptions for the specific research outcomes, the framework analysis segment must show the practical standpoint of these outcomes. The author is required to provide information from trustworthy sources on the topic he is researching. Then one can demonstrate the certain need for the proposed research plan. Hypothesis As a rule, hypothesis includes only a couple of sentences and provides the reader with an overview of the research possible outcomes. Data Collection Make use this very part of marketing research proposal in order to provide a thorough description for each of the data collection methods that you are going to use during the research phase. Feel free to address the overall strategy or the methods of the individual data collection. As a rule, they include such methods as social networking research, focus groups, in-home tests, etc. Make sure to be clear and specific about every method. The thing is that the more detailed the section will be, the more chances you will have to see your proposal accepted. Research Methods This is where you can talk about the research methods merits. Make sure to discuss the implications of every data collection method, as well as to explain all the methods that you are going to use in order to interpret information. Besides, you will also need to discuss the means used to evaluate all data that has been collected. Budget Timeline This very segment must detail the timeline that your project research will follow. In order to get your proposal approved, make sure to pay due attention to the specifics. Provide a short and realistic budget projection for your marketing research proposal. Ethical Considerations These issues are highly crucial for any research. This is the section that you should use to delineate each of the ways that your research will abide by the ethical code in practice and method. Plus, among the rest of the responsibilities, address factors like data security, privacy, confidentiality and research participants consent. At you have a great opportunity to get professional research proposal help from highly qualified academic experts. Check it out!

Re-write of Curriculum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Re-write of Curriculum - Essay Example The element of time contributed to the great success of the workshop. Teaching the workshop in a five-day intensive allowed me to present the information in a more thorough and I believe cohesive way. I feel that the set up of the workshop, being intensive, created an outlet which allowed the participants to leave behind their â€Å"normal life† and delve into this process of yoga and leadership. The participants came ready and expecting this type of process to happen. They showed enthusiasm and eagerness to learn as much as they can during this five-day immersion in yoga and the Integrated Yogic Leadership Model. Because they had the same purpose, an instant connection was formed amongst the participants that greatly contributed to the development of a peaceful and harmonious relationship within the group. I feel that this five-day intensive workshop gave enough time for students to walk away from the mundane cares of the world, to listen and learn of new tools to support the m on their journey to becoming a leader. At the end of the workshop they returned to their own worlds confident and renewed, armed with a new perspective on leadership. To better understand the curriculum I will describe each day’s intention and briefly explain the experiences. Again, referring to the section of Emerging Adults where I explained the importance of highly experiential exercises for this age group. This five-day intensive workshop was held on June 6-10, 2010 at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, the largest holistic retreat center in North America. This group of 19 emerging adults gathered to delve into this curriculum. Throughout the entire workshop the participants would go through an experiential exercise then move into a dyad or triad share and then come back to the larger group and have a group share. The sessions were: morning session 8:30-11:30am; afternoon session 1:30-4:00. Yoga sessions were scheduled in the afternoons at 4:15-5:45 and in the