Essay on Analysis on Benetton’s Advertisements - 1154 Words

Analysis on Benetton’s Advertisements Analyse and comment on the controversial nature of the Benetton’s adverts paying close attention to the race issues and the most recent death row campaign Images are fast replacing words as our primary language. They define our ideas of beauty, truth, and history. In our age, the photographer, not the philosopher is king. (From Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light) What kind of advertising company would depict images that convey messages which are totally opposite from the purpose and nature of the company itself? What kind of advertising company would cause unnecessary pain and distress to the ones affected by the disturbing images of which the†¦show more content†¦My intentions are to discuss the social and cultural implications of Benetton’s ads to discover why they have become so criticised and whether or not they are beneficial to our society. In 1989 Benetton became the first company to eliminate pictures of its products from its advertisements. The photographer Oliviero Toscani, who has a long history in dealing with art, was given total control over Benetton’s ads. The first advert was named ‘war’. The advert depicts two men of different race united with handcuffs. This is the first thing that comes to our mind. These are the denotations. There is a white man and a black man. It seems that both of these are men are dressed in denim jackets as well as having the same colour shirt. However all these points are very simple, if one looks at the picture very carefully then there are many inferences that can be made. Although the ad shows two men handcuffed together, some people may assume the black man was cuffed to the white man. This led to many complaints about racism after this ad appeared. When you look at the black man a sense of criminality is symbolised. On the other hand if you look at the white person a sense of heroism has been symbolized. Throughout the late 1900’s black people were always put after every other white person. They had no equal rights and always came second. AlthoughShow MoreRelatedEthics in Advertisement of United Colors of Benetton2289 Words   |  10 PagesEthics in advertisement of United Colors of Benetton Are Benetton ´s advertisements ethical or not? Contents Introduction: 3 The United Colors of Benetton strategy 3 Three separate cycles of building Benetton’s value 4 Utilitarianism approach 6 Deontological approach 7 Conclusion 9 References 9 Introduction: As the students of MME (Economics and Management studies), we have chosen the topic, which involves our study program, which is the Marketing and Consumer behavior. Our topic is focusedRead MoreThe Company United Colors Of Benetton3607 Words   |  15 Pagesproduction and design. It makes it intricate to compare the firm with other companies in the fashion industry, since business rivals can be lesser and focus on just one element of the business chain. Benetton’s major competitors include: Inditex, HM and GAP (Maguire, 2003, p. 16). The three firms’ are Benetton’s competitors because they target similar consumer segment in the marketing environment. Evidently, its competitors in the market do not exist exactly in the same industry since Inditex and BenettonRead MoreBenetton Brouhaha - Is Benetton’s Approach to Advertising as Depicted in â€Å"Benetton Brouhaha† More Strategic or Structural in Nature?3761 Words   |  16 PagesMarketing 601 Assig nment 1 Benetton Brouhaha Benetton Brouhaha Is Benetton’s approach to advertising as depicted in â€Å"Benetton Brouhaha† more strategic or structural in nature? The purpose of this paper is to practice critical thinking by applying elements of reasoning to the article â€Å"Benetton Brouhaha†. The question I will answer: â€Å"Is Benetton’s approach to advertising as depicted in the article more strategic or structural in nature?† I will approach this question by applying critical thinkingRead MoreA Message Without Words Essay2804 Words   |  12 PagesSelect one (1) of the picture ads from the Benetton advertisement images document, located in the online course shell. Assume you are the project lead at Benetton. You and your team are tasked with revitalizing a social conscious campaign to address a world issue Benetton wants to draw attention to. Craft a message for this image and its appeal to the public on behalf of Benetton. The message selected for revitalizing a social conscious campaign to address a world issue that Benetton wants toRead MoreThe Impact Of Advertising On People s Engagement With Social Issues Essay1601 Words   |  7 Pagessensitive to events and thus less responsive, he suggests, than we had been before. Eric Watts and Marc Orbe, in their article on spectacular consumption, explore how culture is shaped by public consumption, through an analysis of the Whassup! ads for Budweiser. In their analysis, Watts and Orbe argue that the effectiveness of the ads were reliant on two conflicting attitudes about Black America held by predominantly white America: first a apprectiation for the sameness of Male bonding, and an attractionRead MoreLogistics and Outsourcing in China: the Benetton Group S.P.A. Case3073 Words   |  13 Pagesmade the group able to experience revenues for over 2 billion euros in the last four years and a net income of 102 million euro in 2010, despite the crisis that strongly affected world performance in the industry. Figure 2. The Group Profit Analysis 2010. Benetton Investors Report The importance of Logistics for the Apparel Industry In the past, the main players in the apparel industry used to compete primarily on style, price and marketing as these factors mattered most for customerRead MoreThe Role of Advertising in Marketing Communications9872 Words   |  40 Pagespublic relations are as follows: High credibility: News stories and features are more authentic and credible to readers than ads. Ability to catch buyers off – guard: Public relations can reach prospects who prefer to avoid sales people and advertisements. Dramatization: Public relations have the potential for dramatizing a company or a product. 5. DIRECT MARKETING – Use of mail, telephone, fax, e – mail, or internet to communicate directly with or solicit response or dialogue from specific customersRead MoreThe Sustainable Century By Design Or Disaster9705 Words   |  39 Pagessolar heating units, organic food, etc. Many other products simply have less packaging, reduced material input or some other â€Å"sustainably quality†. Some companies employ sustainability branding to attract and appeal to the sustainability market. Benetton’s message of peace, love and equality is a case in point. These â€Å"markets† will not immediately cause an end to the 20th century supply and demand apprati. This is not the point either. Instead, sustainability values embody a whole different consumerRead MoreThe Sustainable Century By Design Or Disaster9705 Words   |  39 Pagessolar heating units, organic food, etc. Many other products simply have less packaging, reduced material input or some other â€Å"sustainably quality†. Some companies employ sustainability branding to attract and appeal to the sustainability market. Benetton’s message of peace, love and equality is a case in point. These â€Å"markets† will not immediately cause an end to the 20th century supply and demand apprati. This is not the point either. Instead, sustainability values embody a whole different consumer

Stand By Me by Rob Reiner essay - 879 Words

The film Stand By Me by Rob Reiner, teaches young viewers about life. The film revolutionizes and challenges how young viewers perceive the world. Stand By Me follows a quartet of young inseparable boys on a elusive and irrevocable quest to discover a dead childs body, where they are suffused into the pressures of adolescence, and uncertainty. It delves into the troubled dispositions of each characters whom are ostracized by their families. It explores the coming of age, as the young boys move closer destination, tension arises as they are overwhelmed by the solemness of what they are to find. It also emphasises that death is an essential and inevitable part of life, as illustrated by the untimely death of a young boy, Ray Brower. Stand†¦show more content†¦The diegesis of the adult Gordie voice-over reinforces that he remembers articulately the powerful sentiment of having seen Ray Brower. Seeing the face of death for the first time had prevailing impact on all of the three boys but particularly Gordie, whos deceased brother have a connection with Ray Browers death. Gordie starts weeping heavily Why did Danny have to die, Chris?. Gordies rhetorical question to Chris conveys that Gordie is still grieving for his brother, and questions deaths way of claiming loved ones as well as its existence. In conclusion, the film Stand By Me teaches young viewers about life. This was communicated through the protagonists Chris, Gordie, Teddy and Vern, who embark on an adventure from childhood to maturity. The young boys were subjected to intellectual and emotional growth, greater conflict and major obstacles, which have revolutionized them in various. The journey has taught the viewers about life by exploring the coming of age from all the four characters, the catalyst of their transformation from childhood to adolescence. It has illuminated the audience on how incidents can revolutionize connections and has also conveyed the certainty of death, how it is predestined and elemental. Overall, Stand By Me is a gripping and poignant film with compelling messages about life through the experiences of four, dedicated

Process Analysis How to Change Your Oil free essay sample

In order to keep your car running well, you must regularly change your oil and oil filter. This involves draining the old oil, changing the oil filter, replacing the oil with clean oil, and disposing of the old oil. The equipment required includes four to six liters of oil, a socket wrench, a funnel, an oil filter, a car jack, an oil catch-pan, and oil rags or paper towels. The first step in changing your oil is to place the car jack under the frame of the car and lift it up high enough for you to lie underneath. This allows you to have easy access to the oil pan. After the car is lifted to a comfortable height, turn the car on and idle it for two to three minutes in order to warm up the oil. Heating up the oil allows it to drain more quickly and ensures you stir up all of the loose sediment in the oil. We will write a custom essay sample on Process Analysis: How to Change Your Oil or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Once your car is warmed up and turned off, remove the oil cap. The cap is located under the hood of your car on top of the engine. This is where you will add oil after you are done draining the old oil. Doing this will help the oil drain more easily because air can flow in as the lines empty. Once this step is completed, you will need to lie under your car and look for a flat metal pan close to the engine. It should have a bolt or plug toward the bottom. This is the oil plug you will need to remove in order for the used oil to drain. Directly beneath the plug, place your pan with a couple of paper towels beneath that for catching the oil. Removing this plug can be tricky; the oil will come out of the pan as soon as you do this. You will begin by loosening the plug counter-clockwise with the proper sized socket wrench. Once you have loosened the plug with your wrench, remove it the rest of the way with your hand. Make sure you have your oil catch-pan placed directly beneath the oil pan before you remove the plug. You must also be careful not to drop the plug into the used oil; it is a messy job trying to find the plug in the black stuff. Now you wait. It will take several minutes for all the oil to drain out of the engine. When the oil has ceased running out of the crankcase, replace the plug. Hand tighten it at first to make sure you are not cross-threading the oil plug when you screw it back in, and then tighten it the rest of the way with your wrench. While you are poking around underneath the car, take a minute to locate the oil filter. You will need to replace this next. This next step requires you to locate the filter assembly. Filters are not put in a standard position, so they can be on the front, on the back or on the side of engine depending on the model. Examine the replacement filter you purchased to get an idea of what to look for. Typically, they are white, blue, or black cylinders about five inches long and three inches wide, like a soup can. After you find the filter, unscrew it. Get a good grip with your hands and twist counter-clockwise at a slow and steady pace. Make sure the catch-pan is still under the car collecting the spilling oil; there will be some oil trapped in the filter that will be released when unscrewed. In order to prepare the new filter, dip the tip of your finger in the new replacement oil and smear it on the gasket ring of the new filter. This will lubricate the gasket and create a good seal for the new filter and ensure that you will be able to remove the filter later. Carefully screw on the new, lubricated filter, being careful to not cross the threads. The filter will generally say how tight to tighten it, so refer back to the directions on the box for more specific instructions. In general, you will tighten the filter until the gasket touches, then one quarter-turn more. With all of the openings plugged, it is time to replace the oil that was removed. Now, you will add the new oil to the car at the hole made by removing the oil cap. The quantity needed is in the car’s owners manual, usually listed under â€Å"capacities.† To prevent a spill on the engine, use the funnel to control the flow of the oil. When you have added the required amount of oil, replace the cap. To get the pressure up and ensure you have installed everything correctly, start the engine and run it for two minutes. This is also when you reset your oil change light. Voila, you have just changed your oil. Now that you have completed your task, it is time get the sludgy mess into a more permanent container. Adding the used oil to the new container you have just emptied or an empty milk jug is the best disposal technique. Once your catch-pan is drained, make sure your oil filter is also empty. You can add this oil to your disposal container and then you may dispose of your old oil in a designated collection site. Typically, all places that sell motor oil will have this information on hand. Changing your own oil is  significantly less expensive than having a professional do the work. Over time, your oil will break down again and your filter will become clogged with contaminants. Depending upon your driving habits and type of vehicle, this may take as few as three months or 3,000 miles, or be as long as 20,000 miles or twenty-four months. When this time comes, you now know how to solve the problem.

What is learning

Learning is a continuous process that involves the transformation of information and experience into abilities and knowledge. Learning, according to me, is a two way process that involves the learner and the educator leading to knowledge acquisition as well as capability.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on What is learning? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It informs my educational sector by making sure that both the students and the teacher participate during the learning process to make it more real and enjoyable so that the learners can clearly understand. There are many and different learning concepts held by students and ways in which the different views affect teaching and learning. One of the learning concept held by students is, presentation of learning material that is precise. This means that any material that is meant for learning should be very clear put in a language that the learners comprehend (Blackm an Benson 2003). The material should also be detailed with many examples that are relevant to the prior knowledge of the learner. This means that the learner must have pertinent prior knowledge. This can be obtained by the teacher explaining new ideas and words that are to be encountered in a certain field or topic that might take more consecutive lessons. Different examples assist the students in approaching ideas in many perspectives. The learner is able to get similarities from the many examples given thus leading to a better understanding of a concept since the ideas are related and linked. Secondly, new meanings should be incorporated into the students’ prior knowledge, instead of remembering only the definitions or procedures. Therefore, to promote expressive learning, instructional methods that relate new information to the learner’s prior knowledge should be used. Moreover, significant learning involves the use of evaluation methods that inspire learners to re late their existing knowledge with new ideas. For the students to comprehend complex ideas, they must be combined with the simple ideas they know.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Teaching becomes very easy when a lesson starts with simple concepts that the students are familiar with. The students should start by understanding what they know so that they can use the ideas in comprehending complex concepts. This makes learning smooth and easy for both the learner and the educator (Chermak Weiss 1999). Thirdly, acquisition of the basic concepts is very essential for the student to understand the threshold concepts. This is because; the basic concepts act as a foundation in learning a certain topic or procedure. So, the basic concepts must be comprehended first before proceeding to the incorporation of the threshold concepts. This makes the student to have a clear understanding of each st age due to the possession of initial knowledge (Felder Brent 1996). A deeper foundation of the study may also be achieved through getting the differences between various concepts clearly and by knowing the necessary as well as the unnecessary aspects. Basic concepts are normally taught in the lower classes of each level. They include defining terms in each discipline. These terms aid in teaching in all the levels because they act as a foundation. The stage of acquiring the basics determines the students’ success in the rest of their studies. This is because lack of basics leads to failure since the students can not understand the rest of the context in that discipline, which depends mostly on the basics. For learning to become effective to the students, the basics must be well understood as well as their applications. Learning by use of models to explain certain procedures or ideas in a certain discipline is also another learning concept held by students. Models are helpful i n explaining complex procedures and they assist the students in understanding better (Blackman Benson 2003). For instance, in economics, there are many models that are used by the students so that they can comprehend the essential interrelationships in that discipline. A model known as comparative static is used by the students who do economics to understand how equilibrium is used in economic reason as well as the forces that bring back equilibrium after it has been moved.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on What is learning? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The students must know the importance of using such kind of models, the main aspect in the model and its relationship with the visual representation. A model is one of the important devices that must be used by a learner to acquire knowledge. They are mainly presented in a diagram form using symbols or arrows. It simplifies teaching especially to the slow lear ners who get the concept slowly but clearly. It is the easiest and most effective method of learning complex procedures or directions. Most models are in form of flowcharts. Learners should get used to learning incomplete ideas so that they can make more complete ideas available to them and enjoy going ahead. This is because, in the process of acquiring the threshold concepts, the prior knowledge acquired previously might be transformed. So, the students must be ready to admit that every stage in the learning process they get an understanding that is temporary. This problem intensifies when the understanding of an idea acquired currently changes the understanding of an idea that had been taught previously. This leads to confusion that can make the weak students lose hope. That is why the teacher should always state clear similarities as well as differences of various concepts. On the other hand, the student should be able to compare different concepts and stating their similarities as well as differences (Watkins Regmy 1992). The student should also be careful when dealing with concepts that seem similar and must always be attentive to get the first hand information from the teacher. Teaching and learning becomes very hard when learners do not concentrate by paying attention to what the teacher is explaining. For the serious students, learning becomes enjoyable and they do not get confused. According to Chemkar and Weiss (1999), learners must not just sit down and listen, but they must involve themselves in some other activities such as reading, writing, discussing or solving problems. Basically, they must be very active and concentrate on what they are doing. These techniques are very essential because they have a great impact to the learners.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Students always support learning that is active than the traditional lecture methods because they master the content well and aids in the development of most skills such as writing and reading. So methods that enhance active learning motivate the learners since they also get more information from their fellow learners through discussions. Students engage themselves in discussion groups or class presentations to break the monotony of lecture method of learning. Learning is a two way process and so both the teacher and the student must be involved. Active learning removes boredom in the class and the students get so much involved thus improving understanding. This arouses the mind of the student leading to more concentration. During a lecture, the student should write down some of the important points that can later be expounded on. Involvement in challenging tasks by the learners is so much important. The task should not be very difficult but rather it should just be slightly above t he learner’s level of mastery. This makes the learner to get motivated and instills confidence. It leads to success of the learner due to the self confidence that aids in problem solving. For instance, when a learner tackles a question that deemed hard and gets the answer correct, it becomes the best kind of encouragement ever. The learner gets the confidence that he can make it and this motivates him to achieve even more. This kind of encouragement mostly occurs to the quick learners because the slow learners fail in most cases. This makes the slow learners fear tackling many problems. So, the concept might not apply to all the learners but for the slow learners who are determined, they can always seek for help incase of such a problem. Moreover, another concept held by students is repetition because, the most essential factor in learning is efficient time in a task. For a student to study well he or she should consider repetition, that is, looking at the same material over and over again. For instance, before a teacher comes for the lesson, the student can review notes and then review the same notes after the teacher gets out of class. So, the student reviews the notes many times thus improving the understanding level (Felder Brent 1996). This simplifies revising for an exam because the student does not need to cram for it. Reviewing the same material makes teaching very easy since the teacher does not need to go back to the previous material and start explaining again. It becomes very hard for those students who do not review their work at all because they do not understand the teacher well and are faced by a hard time when preparing for examinations. Basically, learning requires quite enough time so that it can be effective. It also becomes a very big problem for those who do not sacrifice their time in reviews. Acquisition of the main points improves understanding of the material to the student. Everything that is learnt or taught may not be of im portance. Therefore, the student must be very keen to identify the main points when learning. These points should be written down or underlined because they become useful when reviewing notes before doing an exam. It helps in saving time and leads to success. For those students who do not pay attention, it becomes very difficult for them to highlight the main points. They read for the sake of it and make the teacher undergo a very hard time during teaching. To overcome this problem, the students must be taught how to study so that learning can be effective. Cooperative learning is also another concept held by the students. It is more detailed than a group work because when used properly, it leads to remarkable results. This is very encouraging in teaching and the learning environment as well. The students should not work with their friends so that learning can be productive, instead every group should have at least one top level student who can assist the weak students. The groups a ssist them in achieving academic as well as social abilities due to the interaction. This learning concept benefits the students more because, a fellow student can explain a concept in a better way than how the teacher can explain in class. Assignments are then given to these groups through a selected group leader (Felder Brent 1996). Every member must be active in contributing ideas and respect of one’s ideas is necessary. It becomes very easy for the teacher to mark such kind of assignments since they are fewer than marking for each individual. Learning becomes enjoyable because every student is given a chance to express his or her ideas freely and in a constructive manner. Teaching is also easier because the students encounter very many new ideas during the discussions. Some students deem it as time wastage but it is necessary in every discipline. Every group member should be given a chance to become the group’s facilitator whose work is to distribute and collect as signments. Dormant students are forced to become active because every group member must contribute his or her points. Cooperative learning is a concept that requires proper planning and organization. Completion of assignments is another student held learning concept. Its main aim is to assist the student in knowing whether the main concepts in a certain topic were understood. This acts as a kind of self evaluation to the student and also assists the teacher to know whether the students understood a certain topic. The assignments must be submitted to the respective teacher for marking. Those students who are focused follow the teacher after the assignments have been marked for clarification purposes. This enhances learning and the student understands better. Many students differ with this idea because they do not like relating with the teacher (Marton Beaty 1993). This leads to very poor grades since communication is a very essential factor in learning. Teaching becomes easier and en joyable when there is a student- teacher relationship. Assignment corrections are necessary to both the student and the teacher since the student comprehends the right method of solving a certain problem that he or she could not before. Lazy students who do not do corrections make teaching hard for the teacher because they make the other students to lag behind. Learning may also become ineffective for them due to low levels of understanding. Acquisition of facts is still another student held concept that aims at understanding reality. Students capture the essential facts so that they can understand how they suit in another context. Many students fail to obtain the facts because they think that they can get everything taught in class or read from books. When studying, the student must clearly understand the topic so that he or she can develop a theme. This helps in making short notes by eliminating unnecessary information. So, the facts must always be identified and well understood i n order to apply them where necessary. Teaching becomes easier when the facts are well comprehended by the students because it enhances effective learning. Effective learning occurs when a student possesses strong emotions. A strong memory that lasts for long is linked with the emotional condition of the learner. This means that the learners will always remember well when learning is incorporated with strong emotions. Emotions develop when the students have a positive attitude towards learning (Marton Beaty 1993). This is because they will find learning enjoyable and exciting unlike those with a negative attitude who will find learning boring and of no use to them. Emotions affect teaching since a teacher will like to teach those students with a positive attitude towards what he is teaching rather than those with a negative attitude. The positive attitude leads to effective learning because the students get interested in what they are learning and eventually leads to success. Learni ng does not become effective where students portray a negative attitude since they are not interested thus leading to failure. Furthermore, learning through hearing is another student held concept. This concept enables them to understand what they hear thus calling for more attention and concentration. They prefer instructions that are given orally and are very keen but they also participate by speaking. Teaching becomes very enjoyable since the students contribute a lot through talking and interviewing. Learning occurs effectively because the students involve themselves in oral reading as well as listening to recorded information. In this concept, learning is mostly enhanced by debating, presenting reports orally and interviewing people. Those students who do not prefer this concept as a method of learning do not involve themselves in debates or oral discussions but use other learning concepts. Learners may also use the concept of seeing to understand better. This makes them rememb er what they saw and most of them prefer using written materials (Van Rosum Schenk 1984). Unlike the auditory learners who grasp the concept through hearing, visual learners understand better by seeing. They use their sight to learn and do it quietly. They prefer watching things like videos and learn from what they see. Learning occurs effectively since the memory is usually connected with visual images. Teaching becomes very easy when visual images are incorporated. They include such things like pictures, objects, graphs. A teacher can use charts during instruction thus improving the students’ understanding level or present a demonstration for the students to see. Diagrams are also necessary because most students learn through seeing. Use of visual images makes learning to look real and the student gets the concept better than those who learn through imaginations. This concept makes the students to use text that has got many pictures, diagrams, graphics, maps and graphs. In learning students may also use the tactile concept whereby they gain knowledge and skills through touching. They gain knowledge mostly through manipulative.Teaching becomes more effective when students are left to handle equipments for themselves for instance in a laboratory practical. Students tend to understand better because they are able to follow instructions (Watkins Regmy 1992). After applying this concept, the students are able to engage themselves in making perfect drawings, making models and following procedures to make something. Learning may not take place effectively to those students who do not like manipulating because it arouses the memory and the students comprehends the concept in a better way. Learning through analysis is also another concept held by students because they are able to plan their work in an organized manner which is based on logic ideas only. It requires individual learning and effective learning occurs when information is given in steps. This mak es the teacher to structure the lessons properly and the goals should be clear. This method of organizing ideas makes learning to become effective thus leading to success and achievement of the objectives. Analysis improves understanding of concepts to the learners (Watkins Regmy 1992). They also understand certain procedures used in various topics because they are sequential. Teaching and learning becomes very hard for those students who do not know how to analyze their work. Such students learn in a haphazard way thus leading to failure. If all the learning concepts held by students are incorporated, then remarkable results can be obtained. A lot information and knowledge can be obtained through learning as long as the learner uses the best concepts for learning. Learners are also different because there are those who understand better by seeing while others understand through listening or touching. So, it is necessary for each learner to understand the best concept to use in orde r to improve the understanding level. For the slow learners, extra time should be taken while studying and explanations must be clear to avoid confusion. There are also those who follow written instructions better than those instructions that are given orally. Basically, learners are not the same and so require different techniques. Reference List Benson, A., Blackman, D., 2003. Can research methods ever be interesting? Active  Learning in Higher Education, Vol. 4, No. 1, 39-55. Chermak, S., Weiss, A., 1999. Activity-based learning of statistics: Using practical applications to improve students’ learning. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 361-371. Felder, R., Brent, R., 1996. Navigating the bumpy road to student-centered instruction. College Teaching, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 43-47. Marton, F. Beaty, E., 1993. Conceptions of learning. International Journal of  Educational Research, Vol. 19, pp. 277-300. Van Rossum, E., Schenk, S., 1984. The relati onship between learning conception, study strategy and learning outcome. British Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. 54, No.1, pp. 73-85. Watkins, D., Regmy, M., 1992. How universal are student conceptions of learning? A Nepalese investigation. Psychologia, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 101-110. This essay on What is learning? was written and submitted by user Elle Spears 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.

Apollo 11 Essays (449 words) - Spaceflight, Apollo Program

Apollo 11 Apollo 11 The Apollo 11 mission is accomplished. The Eagle has landed safely on the moon. This is a big day for all mankind. The Apollo 11 team com-pleted the mission and returned home to Earth. Here you can see Niel A. Armstrong`s footstep. It will stay like this forever on the moon.__________ Text: The_Viruz Like Niel Armstrong said when he stepped out of ?the Eagle?; ?One small step for man ? one giant leap for mankind.? This is a big day for everybody. Now scientists can study the moon closer. The Apollo 11 team took the first step on the moon, and which planet will be the next? The mission Niel A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. finished the mission by Here you can see the three Apollo 11 astronauts: - Niel A. Armstrong ? Commander - Michael Collins ? Command - Module Pilot - Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. ? Lunar Module Pilot____________________ performing a manned lunar landing, and returning safely back to Earth. Apollo 11 was launched on July 16. 1969 at Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. The Apollo 11 mission lasted in 8 days, 3 hours and 18 minutes. The American flag on the moon.____ When Niel Armstrong walked on the moon he placed an American flag in the moon-dust. He also placed a sign where it was written: ?Here Men From Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon July 1969 A.D. We Came In Peace For All Mankind? The moon The moon is 348,400 kilometres from the Earth. The moon is the closest neighbour planet to Earth. The astronauts from Apollo 11 collected samples from the moon. These first samples were dark-coloured rocks. The rocks were covered with a thick layer of moon-dust. The rocks were about 3,7 billion years old. The Apollo 11 team were the first human bodies who set their feet upon the moon. They stayed on the moon for 21,6 hours. The journey home The three astronauts were very tired. They had worked really hard to make the trip to the moon safe. But it wasn't only the astronauts who did the hard work. At Kennedy Space Centre there were hundreds of people working. The technicians told the astronauts what to do. The Apollo 11 mission started many months before the ?take off?. The astronauts went through many tests and hard training programs, before they went into the space. They had to learn how to fly the space craft, and how to manage different situations. Mission complete Now the Apollo 11 mission is over. The mission went well, and no one got hurt. The astronauts did a very good job, and technicians as well. The mission is complete, and it was successfully accomplished. Astronomy

Concept Paper

Concept Paper Concept Paper Concept Paper: Protect Your Project! What is a concept paper? What purposes does writing of this kind of paper have? Looking for answers for these questions? This article will help you make this issue clear for you! A concept paper as a kind of the academic writing A concept paper acts as a proposal for a project. Sometimes the notions concept paper and proposal are even used as synonyms. So, why should you write a concept paper? This kind of paper is called to present a preliminary summary of your project. The success of your project will depend on the success of your concept paper. Other words, you should convince the committee that your project is worth doing, it will have the theoretical value and the practical application. So, what kind of information should a concept paper contain? When writing a concept paper you should state the following:The purpose of your investigation. Why did you decide to investigate this issue? What will be the use of the results of this invest igation? The subject of your research. What questions will you consider? The methodology. In what way will you conduct your research? The literature review. What works will your project be based on? Concept paper writing tipsThink over the title of your concept paper. It should be a good illustration of the main idea of your project. The title should be made clearly and correctly. Do not forget that it will be the first thing that your audience will read. If you are going to persuade this audience that your project will be VERY GOOD, nothing may cause any doubt about that! You should state what period of time it will take you to complete your project pointing out the main stages of the writing process. One should mention that this is the characteristic of concept papers. Your audience should know not only what you are going to write about but also how long you will do. When writing your concept paper use different examples, statistical data or results of some obs ervations. That will help you complete 2 tasks. Firstly, the usage of such elements will help catch the interest of your readers. Secondly, your concept paper will sound more convincing when containing such information. Keep in mind this information when writing your concept paper. Remember: the more clearly and convincing you will write it, the more chances you will have in getting high points for your project.

CV Portfolio Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

CV Portfolio - Personal Statement Example My resultant aptitude towards the applied sciences leads to the development of certain core skills 1 with notable strengths in the Academic and Self Management Areas while my Communication and Interpersonal skills leave much to be desired. My structured thinking and "fluid" learning abilities allow me to research, accumulate, synthesize, analyze, organize, and interpret large amounts of information, information which once coupled with my problem solving and organizational abilities allows me to creatively and innovatively resolve most or all forthcoming challenges. My major weakness, probably due to my somewhat introvert character, lies in my weakness to actively communicate and effectively interact with my immediate and not so immediate surroundings. I am well versed in written communication and the use of information and IT systems tools and services, but am at a disadvantage when it comes to associating with co workers and students, and presenting orally my thoughts and conviction s. Although I am fluent in several languages and do adapt quickly, this ability to change and move from my comfort zone can only be done on an individual or personal basis; I should have great difficulty in adapting as part of a team and I believe that my presence in a team would impede the performance of the said team. This apparently has to do with my perceived introversion and my individualistic "Apollonian" nature; since "No Man is an Island" this has to be dealt with if I am to be successful in any future endeavors. My background, influencers and resultant core skills point me in the direction of the Pure and Applied sciences in general, and the field of engineering in particular. I believe that my strong abilities in the areas of mathematics and physics as well as my ease of learning and strong problem solving skills will allow me to become one of the top performers in this field, specifically Communications Engineering. I am not sure that I would call this an aspiration. I guess my aspirations have to do more with making a descent living and have enough time on the side to be able to do the things I've never done: Play sports, learn music, adventurous travel, write, indulge in good cuisines and fine wines, and generally fill my life's portrait with vivid colors instead of shades of gray. My basic strategy is to use my existing aptitudes as a tool, a medium and a catalyst to increase and maintain at an acceptable level my standard of living in order to enrich that part of me that has seemingly been ignored these past years: My "Dionysian" Self. I firmly believe that the above strategy will allow me to develop fully as a person and lead a balanced and full life, and to maintain through continuous development an impressive and excellent career, while simultaneously leading a full and happy life unaffected by the dreary grayness of today's mechanized world. KENNY'S SKILL ASSESSMENT FORM 5 = Fully proficient; 4 = Very Comfortable; 3 = Average/OK; 2 =Needs

Planning and conducting research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Planning and conducting - Research Proposal Example It usually includes interaction with potential customers regarding their work, interests, opinions, trends and buying habits as well as paying attention to customer insights for future plans regarding products and services. The purpose of market research is to: 1) know the customer needs and wants; 2) to know if the customer is satisfied with the product or need; 3) identify potential target markets; and 4) establish the best advertising strategy for a given group of customers (Bull, 1994). The purpose of this study is to determine what particular research method is deemed effective in addressing the shortcomings, from the planned success, the consortium has experienced in the past three years. As a consortium of twenty-five tour operators in the United Kingdom that sells about 100 holidays and has 6000 customers that have already placed orders in the past, it is important to know which part of the services provided by the operators is most liked and least liked by the customers. The primary aim of this paper is to determine what are the services that need to be upgraded and services that are unnecessary. This paper will try to present a method that will be able to answer the following questions. This study is operated under the quantitative paradigm wherein the survey method will be utilized in order to elicit the relevant information needed to complete research (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 1992). Besides, quantitative research plainly and distinctively specifies both the independent and the dependent variables under investigation (Matveev, 2002). It also follows resolutely the original set of research goals, arriving at more objective conclusions, determining the issues of causality and eliminates or minimises subjectivity of judgment (Kealey & Protheroe, 1996). The research variables were primarily analyzed in order to provide description on the factors that concerns the topic of the study. The variables of the study imply quantitative research wherein the data, situations, or other facts collected will be explained or correlated with other data. Basically, this research based its findings through quantitative research methods because this permits a flexible and iterative approach. Through this method, qualitative elements that do not have standard measures such as behaviour, attitudes, opinions, and beliefs are analysed. As such, the information that the informants of the study shared to the researcher will be accordingly examined, analysed and interpreted to answer the research questions presented. In order to gather the necessary data, the research will employ the survey method. The survey method will be implemented in three successive data collection procedures. These include the pretest of the questionnaire, the actual survey, and the back-checking after the analysis of the data. The pretest of the survey is necessary in order to identify possible shortcomings of the instrument that may hinder the efficient collection of valid and reliable data. On the other hand, the back-checking that will be implemented is to provide assurance that the results of the analysis are consistent with that of the available information and facts in the field. This research

An Experience at the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

An Experience at the Workplace - Essay Example For the first time I had been in an advertising agency and I had no clue how it operated. While I was sitting in the lobby a man approached and asked me to follow him. The office was small so it hardly took 20 seconds to get to the room where other office members were sitting and planning out something. I was quickly introduced and asked to take a seat. My job for the first few days was just to observe how other members handled and went about with a project. The company had many clients and different people were assigned different projects. I was involved in a team of 5, including myself, and the team was working on an outdoor shoot. I was explained about the project and it looked very exciting. I was told that it was an ATL activity as the advertisement would be placed on a billboard once completed. It was a car photo shoot and the job was to take a few pictures from a professional camera and by a professional photographer. That was the first time I came across ATL, BTL and some oth er basic terminologies of advertising. I showed a lot of commitment to understanding what was going on and just within 2 days I was assigned a job. My job was to communicate with the company that provided us the car for the photo shoot, the model who would be driving the car, the hair stylist and the photographer. I was given their phone numbers so that I could stay in touch with them and keep updating them on changes made on the project. I still remember how excited I was just before the night of my first shoot. I had never witnessed anything like this before and I knew it was going to be some experience (Moon, 2004). I left early for work on the day of the shoot and soon realized it was the kind of day everyone panicked and made sure they all did their part.  

Impact Of Recession On Business Of British Airways Commerce Essay

Impact Of Recession On Business Of British Airways Commerce Essay The global economy is experiencing problems ever since. There have been notable economic recessions in international business history. These recessions were managed in a variety of ways depending on the strategies which were implemented on a business-to-business basis. Each international company have intensified their efforts in order to come up with a variety of strategies which are geared towards the implementation of business policies and practices aimed towards the reduction of the impact of economic problems in the performance of their business. Depending on the extent of damage that the recession has caused the financial performance of a particular company, they have differing efforts in terms of redirecting their strategies and goals just to be able to combat the adverse effects of this economic downturn. Some efforts have proved to be effective. Unfortunately, some proved to be not effective which even forged some businesses to shut down or to merge with other businesses in o rder to battle the survival of the fittest in the environment of the worlds toughest businesses. In the field of economics, the term economic recession is described to an incident in the situation of a country wherein the gross domestic product reflects a negative growth in a period of at least two consecutive quarters  [1]  . Given the fact that the United States is the global leader when it comes to the consumption of goods and services, once this country experiences the phenomena of the recession, such will send shockwaves to the global economy and will inevitably affect the other countries in the world. When the United States experienced the phenomenon of the economic recession, many countries have been affected and their economy also experienced a downturn as the financial crisis hit their respective areas and shows effects which are negative to the business. Furthermore, in a scholastic work published by Leamer (2008), he stated that it is not enough that we only take a look at the two consecutive quarter negative growth of the gross domestic product in order to define recession. In his work, he mentioned that recession according to the National Bureau of Economic Research refers to that situation wherein there is a significant decline in activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, visible in industrial production, employment, real income, and wholesale-retail trade. Such definition of the concept of economic recession takes a broader look on the phenomenon rather than paying dedicated attention on the decline of the nations gross domestic product. There are other academic works which contest the inclusion of only the gross domestic product in understanding economic recession. The occurrence of recession is not primarily concentrated only on one sector of the economy that is why there is a need to take a look at economy-wide measures in order to fully understand the theory which lies beneath such economic activity. The committee also holds that there are four indicators which wil be useful in understanding economic recession including employment, personal income less transfer payments, and volume of sales of the manufacturing and trade sectors, and industrial production.  [2]  This concept strengthens the assumption that understanding the occurrence of economic recession cannot be full by only looking at the gross domestic product, rather it also entails an understanding of other economic variables which may prove to be just as useful in understanding recession. The occurrence of every recession in the global economy can be characterized by the painful increase in the rate of unemployment and a decline in the personal income of the citizens of the nation  [3]  . Such aspects should not be disregarded in order to understand the realizable signs to claim that the economy is in trouble and it is in fact experiencing the occurrence of recession. In 2001, when economists claim that the United States is experiencing economic recession, such signs have been visible in their business performance. Although the occurrence of such has been hard to accept, there is no way but to do so to move on with global business. As mentioned earlier, to fully combat recession, various strategies have been formulated in order to improve business performance with the objective of bringing in additional profit for the company to provide a better living on its employees. While some efforts have proved to be useful, it is very unfortunate that some caused more troub le and resulted with a number of companies shutting down, especially the small ones and those which were hardly hit, causing a big number of employees to have lost their jobs. In the course of this paper, the researcher will study the concept of recession, including the variety in its definition and the signs which will be indicative of the economic trouble. While studying the concepts which underlie recession, the researcher will study the case to the situation faced by the British Airways, one of the worlds providers for air travel. Just like any other businesses, it cannot be denied that British Airways also experienced recession. The paper will examine how the company faced these problems, including the strategy which it has formulated to combat recession and also the long term effect which were brought about by the recession. RESEARCH PURPOSE As what has been mentioned, economic recession is a global phenomenon. The United States is a global leader in business, any economic downturn in the country will send shockwaves all over the world, affecting every local market. The main purpose of this research is to take a closer look on the impacts of global recession in the economy of United Kingdom, specifically in the business performance of British Airways. In the course of the research process, adhering to its main purpose, various economic indicators will be studied to know how it leads to the occurrence of economic recession. Furthermore, the core of the study will be focused on the business of British Airways and will look at how recession affects its global business in terms of sales, profitability, and sustainability of the business in the global market. RESEARCH QUESTION To fully understand the study, the researcher will be guided with several questions which will shape the foundation and backbone of this paper. The research questions will guide the researcher to be able to achieve desired results of this study. One of the questions which the research will try to answer will be those associated with recession itself including how it occurs, historical background, what are the signs and indications that the economy is indeed experiencing recession, and its variety of effects on different businesses globally. Moreover, with much more intensive focus, the research intends to answer question regarding the business performance and status of British Airways in the global market. The study will answer questions including those associated with the indications that the business of British Airways is indeed affected by economic recession and what are the efforts including business strategies and redirection of business practices done by the company to combat the inevitable effects brought about by recession. The main question which the research will consider will include main focus on the significant effects of recession with British Airways in terms of sales, profit, and sustainability. RESEARCH STRATEGY AND DESIGN The design of research which will be utilized in the conduct of this study will be a conclusive research. The researcher opted for this research design because of the belief that such design will be the most useful and most appropriate in the process of gathering relevant information and in provision of the effects which the occurrence of economic recession has brought in the business of British Airways. The conclusive research is a formal and structured research in which data will be subjected to quantitative analysis  [4]  . By quantitative analysis, the research will make use of presentation of relevant figures especially those related to sales and profit in order to fully grasp the effect of recession in the business. Moreover, the type of conclusive research which will be utilized in the study is descriptive research. Descriptive research is one of the two types of conclusive research wherein the major objective is the description of something, which normally refers to marke t functions or characteristics. In the case of this study, the researcher will describe the characteristics of the market of British Airways as reflected by the obvious results of economic recession. This will be made possible by providing a picture of the current situation of the company in the global landscape. The major assumption in which the research will operate is that these characteristics are brought about by the inevitable effects of global economic recession in every international business. It will include the description of various groups related to the critical operation of the business such as the consumers, salespeople, organizations, and the market areas. Through a description of these relevant groups, the researcher will find it easier to provide a look at the effects of recession as shown by the people who were affected the mostly by the occurrence of such situation. Such research design is also expected to provide an association of to until what degree is marketin g variables associated with such economic situation. The research strategy will attempt to answer the 6 Ws which are associated with the conduct of a descriptive, conclusive research. The first is concerned as to who were considered the market of the business, which pertains to the bulk of passengers flying through British Airways. Another one will be what information are relevant and can be obtained on these passengers such as on why, if ever, they no longer fly the said airline. The research strategy will also attempt to delve into when such incident began to happen, where, and why it leads to such situation. Lastly, the chosen research design will also provide information as to the ways in which the company combats the recession. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research methodology will include data collection and analysis which will provide a better understanding of the issue at hand. Because of the difficulty of obtaining first hand information from the groups which are directly concerned with British Airways including its market of passengers and the authorities or business divisions which are associated in the performance of business, the data will mainly come from secondary sources which will provide the backbone of the study. The primary sources of information will be useful in this study because they can provide first hand information on the problem because they have a direct connection to the business. Nonetheless, such will be hard to obtain and will entail dedicated time to be extracted. With that, the researcher opted to make use of secondary data sources which will also provide the same quality of information as primary data. The secondary data which will be collected in the purpose of this study will include those information extracted from secondary sources such as books, academic journal, scholastic articles, and information which will be derived from the website. It will include sources such as annual company reports and financial statements which will show relevant quantitative information which will prove the claim that the occurrence of economic recession has indeed affected the business operation of the company. This information were previously collected and used for other problems, other than the topic of the researcher. Nonetheless, to be assured that the use of such data is valid, the researcher will see to it that those data were used on studies which are of the same context as to that of this research. These data will be carefully analyzed, including methods to verify the veracity of the sources and steps to assure that the data are genuine and indeed reflective of the situation of the compan y. There is a need to careful select the sources so as to be assured of relevant information usage. A thorough analysis of these data will assure the researcher of a more coherent study with findings which are true. The data will be analyzed to derive information relevant to the economic situation and to input actual variables in business operation. If these data are not carefully analyzed, a weak research will result. With that, the researcher will put an utmost importance to data analysis to be assured of reaching the purpose and objectives of this study as these data try to answer the relevant research questions. VALIDITY AND COHERENCE Aside from a careful analysis and presentation of information relevant in the completion of this research, the researcher also puts an unwavering emphasis on the validity and coherence of the information. This means that the data which will be presented must reflect only what is relevant or essential in the study that is, economic recession and will omit information which are invalid, or those which are related to variables other than recession. The data must be also coherent with the purpose of the study to avoid deviance from the topic at hand. REVIEW OF RELATED CONCEPTS AND THEORIES Currently, British Airways is celebrating 90 years of flying with pride, providing its wide array of clients with excellent services on their flights resulting to ultimate customer satisfaction. To fully understand the current business of British Airways, it is also of utmost importance that we take a closer look at its extensive history. The very beginning of the rich history of this airline can be traced back as early as the beginning of the history of civil aviation pioneering on the days after thee First World War. After a period of 90 years since the worlds first schedule air service which happened on August 25, 1919, there have been a lot of changes in terms of air travel. Each decade was marked by new innovation and developments which brought British Airways into its current position in the global market. The first decade of the operation of the company was marked by launching the worlds very first international scheduled air service which flew between London and Paris. The se cond decade, however, was characterized by the merging of Britains four major fledging airlines to provide a better service to the flying public. On the other hand, the third decade was marked by the merging of small air transport companies in the United Kingdom to form the British Airways Limited which became the primary competitor of the merger formed by the four companies during the second century. Furthermore, on the fourth, fifth, and sixth decade up to the present of the companys operation, more and more innovations had been on the rise to make the airlines known in the global market in terms of provision of excellent air services  [5]  . It is said that British Airways is United Kingdoms largest international scheduled airline with flights to 148 key destinations globally at best located airports. It is also said to be one of the leading scheduled premium international airline in the world. The principal business of the company is in the airport in Heathrow, which is one of the premiere airports in the world and serving a relatively large geographical area. During the end of the year 2009, it is said according to company statistics that they have already flown a total of 33 million passengers in different key destinations globally. During the same year, the company said that they have earned nearly a total of  £9 billion in revenue which was almost 2.7% higher than the revenue which they have generated in the previous year. The traffic of passenger is said to have accounted to 87.1 per cent of the total revenue, 7.5 per cent is attributed to airline cargo and 5.4 pr cent is constituted from other business activitie s of the airline  [6]  . The main activities which were carried out by British Airways in the course of its business operation include undertakings on both local and international scheduled air services involving carriage of the traveling public, and freight and mail and provision of ancillary services. The fleet of the company operates in different places in the global landscape with 38 networks in the America, 9 in the United Kingdom, 67 in Europe,12 in Middle East and South Asia,15 in Africa and 7 in Asia Pacific. These networks of operation of British Airways only go to show that the company has intensified operations all over the globe. Such also connotes that once economic trouble comes along the way of their operation, it is indeed inevitable that the global operation on these locations will also be dramatically affected  [7]  . The occurrence of global recession has affected global markets and brought about bad performance for every global business. One of the most significant years in which the recession was felt in the global market was during the year 2001. When the World Trade Center bombing happened, the economy of the United States suffered and it sent shockwaves to different local economies which affected the global market as well. The effects brought about by recession did not only last during that year. Until the present, the effects of the said recession can still be felt by some while others have already recovered from the economic downturn in terms of realizable increase on their sales and profit. During the first month of 2009, it was declared that Britain was experiencing recession  [8]  . While some are actually trying hard to escape the adverse effects of recession, unfortunately for Britain its effects were highly realized and very visible in their economy. This was said to be one of th e most unfortunate events in the history of the countrys economy since the 1990s where it experienced the adverse effects of the episode of economic recession. When the British economy was declared to be officially in recession during January 2009, the Office for National Statistics announced that the gross domestic product of the countrys economy showed a decline of 1.5 per cent during the last quarter of the year 2008 and a .6 per cent drop during the previous quarter. Following the definition of recession, which connotes two quarters of consecutive drop in the gross domestic product of the country, such statistics would have been enough to show that indeed the British economy is suffering from a recession, just like most economies in the global landscape. Prior to this occurrence of recession, the biggest drop in the gross domestic product of Britain is said to be during the 1980s. The recession brought about in Britain is said to be because of the direct result of the credit crunch in the global market in which manifestations were seen and felt as early as August 2007 and seen to be worsening during the autumn of 2008. The central probl em is said to be the banks operating in Britain which is said to have invested their reserves into assets which were assumed to be illiquid, unsafe, and worthless. This uncertainty in the economic situation is said to be damaging into different businesses in Britain for reasons including: lack of credit opportunities which resulted into the companies weakened abilities to hire workers, make new investments, and start innovative projects. This prompted various economic activities to slow down and cut back on the two main drivers of growth which include investment and employment  [9]  . Although recession was just declared in Britain during the year 2009, the early effects of such economic occurrence have been already felt by British Airways during the year 2001 in which the economic downturn in the United States have sent shockwaves towards other economies in the globe. During the 2001-2002 Annual Report which was released by British Airways, it acknowledges the fact that they have been on a bad year of operation as shown by their sales and profit margins. In the statement of the chairman of the company during that year, it showed that the company incurred a pre-tax loss of 200 million pounds compared to the previous year in which they registered a profit amounting to 150 million pounds. To add to the consequences of the economic downturn, no interim dividend has been paid and the Board also recommended not paying any final dividend because they have been operating on a loss. The disappointing financial report in their annual operation that year did not at all surp rised the shareholders for it was somewhat expected because of the obvious situation in the global economy. That year was also regarded as the worst in their operations, although it has not been the most difficult by far for the management. On that same year, the people working behind the company were also affected. There has been a significant 20 per cent reduction in the workforce of the company brought about by thee economic crisis. Nonetheless, this reduction was done on a voluntary basis such as through elected severance and early retirement  [10]  . Moreover, also on the annual report for the year 2002, the Chief Executive Officer of British Airways strengthen the assumption that the company is experiencing financial crisis as brought about by the global recession. They considered that year to be the toughest in the history of their business and they also considered it as an impact of the terrorist attack in the United States affecting the general of the global economies. In their efforts to bring back the company in the landscape of profitability, they have formulated various strategies and policies which are all geared towards a better business performance in the upcoming years. They have formulated various activities in order to practice cost efficiency and used technology in order to develop a more convenient way for the public to be bale to book their flights  [11]  . When the economy of Britain was declare to be experiencing recession during January 2009, in the Annual Report released by the British Airlines the occurrence of such has also been acknowledged as shown by their business performance on that given operating year. The company also recognized that the global airline industry is highly and fiercely competitive subject into heavy global regulations, and highly exposed to the changes which were evident in the behavior and confidence of the consuming public. They are even more challenged with the current economic situation that is an economy which was suffering highly from the consequences of the occurrence of recession. The sharp declines in growth can also be highly associated with record prices in oil and commodity and the unprecedented financial crisis bringing about global recession. One of the most significant effects of recession in British Airways is seen on the market to which it caters. The most significant impact of recession in the airline company is reflected by its premium passengers who cut back sharply their travel spending in order to save money. Statistics shows a significant 2.8 per cent decrease in the traffic of premium passengers in British Airways. This is said to last longer because a recent survey showed that almost 47 per cent of businesses will incur fewer travels abroad in order to save. In addition to this, more passengers are opting to spend the holidays in the comfort of their own homes to cut back on costs  [12]  . Furthermore, in a statement which was released by the Chief Financial Officer of British Airways, he acknowledges the fact that during the previous year that their record profitability has put them into a condition in which they can combat economic slowdown. However, with the recession greeting the year 2009, it proved otherwise as they have suffered from dramatic losses in terms of sales and profit making them face the sharpest downturn in the course of the history of their business. When they have incurred profit in the previous year, they said that they are in a good position to combat economic downturn and the perpetual increase in the price of fuel. Unfortunately such did not come true and they instead suffer from the consequences of the poor condition of the economy in the global landscape. In order to control the effects of recession, measures to be able to combat market, credit, capital, and liquidity risks have also been implemented. The over-all management of these risks is focused on the unpredictability of the financial markets as it seeks to minimize the adverse effects brought about by the occurrence of recession. More efforts have been extended by the management to be bale to combat the adversity of recession and to bring back profit in the operation of the business of Britush Airways  [13]  . The business of British Airways during the turbulent time of economic recession can be better understood by taking a closer look at the key performance indicators of the business. Because of the unprecedented downturn in economic conditions, the company was not able to meet their financial target. In terms of their financial operating margin, a loss has been incurred attributed to soaring fuel prices and the economic recession  [14]  . In December of 2008, the International Air Transport Association a 2.5 billion dollars in terms of loss for the airline travel industry to be brought about by decrease in traffic because more people or travelers are cutting down on their costs because of the economic crisis. These were brought about by current economic conditions. After the economic downturn brought about in 2001, the airline industry recovered during the year 206 but that does not seem to be for long because eon January of 2009, recognizable losses in terms of profit have been incurred. Many of the worlds leading airlines, including British Airways, have been in poor financial health and are not well-equipped to combat the global recession.  [15]  The financial loss for the year 2008-2009 has been very drastic for the companys management and made them formulate strategies in order to combat the downturn. However, even though they are experiencing losses, they have not formulated any policy related to increase in air fare. The management believes that doing so will not help increase sales, rather it will just lower demand  [16]  . In the balance sheet which was released by the Annual Report of the British Airways, the total assets for the year 2008 totaled to 11,229,000 million pounds which was relatively lower compared to 11,938,000 million pounds during the year 2008. Moreover, their cash and cash equivalents for the year 2009 only totaled to 219 million pounds as against in 2008 where it was 433 million pounds  [17]  . These significant declines as reflected in the companys annual financial statements are enough testimonies to the fact that British Airways, just like any other company in Britain is indeed in the turmoil of economic recession. The management of British Airways acknowledges the fact that it has been a very difficult year for the financially but they are doing well financially. For the operating year 2008-2009, the company was able to incur a loss before tax amounting to 401 million pounds as compared to its profit before tax of 922 million pounds in the previous yea  [18]  r. In order to manage sustainability of business performance, the company is also geared towards various measures. One of which is to strengthen their name through their brand reputation. Their brand, being of significant commercial value, is taken well care so that it can be prevented from erosion and destruction from the publics perspective. Competition is also highly managed in order to achieve sustainability. The management ahs acknowledged the fact that indeed competition is very fierce in their industry. With that, they have formulated conscious efforts in order to get ahead of the competition and find their edge in the market. Moreover, other issues which were addressed in order to manage sustainability include employee relation, debt funding, management of environmental conditions, fuel prices and currency fluctuation, and deregulation among others  [19]  . In order to potentially manage sustainability despite an economy suffering from recession, the future direction of Brit ish Airways is also geared towards environmental related strategies which they hope will also increase their performance. The efforts of the company are focused towards adding value and enhancing their reputation in the global landscape while getting the trust of the shareholders and stakeholders in achieving a sustainable business  [20]  . Furthermore, to be able to combat the effects of such economic downturn, it is just but normal for British Airways and other businesses to invest on their intensive and conscious efforts to bring back profitability to the business. In the undeniably incredibly tough environment in which the airline operates, a dedicated focus is given towards pulling the business through the immediate crisis as it embarks on immediate preparations for better economic times. They have developed strategies which were mostly based on an upgraded customer service, competitive cost base, corporate responsibility, perpetual plans for growth, and other strategies which aim to improve the way they do business  [21]  .

John Locke: Human Understanding Essay -- philosophy, knowledge

When considering knowledge, Locke is interested in the ability for us to know something, the capacity of gathering and using information and understanding the limits of what we know. He believes this also leads him to realise what we perhaps, cannot know. [1] He wants to find out about the origin of our ideas. His main stand-point is that we don’t have innate ideas and he aims to get rid of the sceptical doubt about what we know. The innate ideas which Locke sets out to argue against are those which â€Å"the soul receives in its very first being, and brings into the world with it†. [2] â€Å"Let us suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters†. [3] This quote depicts the idea of the â€Å"Tabula Rasa†, that at birth are minds are completely empty like that of a blank slate and it is our experiences which draw on the blank slate, in order to form thoughts and ideas. He has two types of argument against innate ideas; direct and indirect. The indirect argument can be seen as the more positive of the two, and the idea of it is that we are able to explain all knowledge we have without innate ideas but from other sources. The direct argument is the more negative view, and focuses on the problem of universal assent which Locke believes to be an insufficient idea and also necessary and absent. He expands from this by saying that modified universal assent is too inclusive and depends on the order of discovery. So really he is saying that the argument for innate principles doesn’t work, especially with regard to universal assent. He believes that if universal assent existed, it could be explained in other ways and therefore is not innate. However, Locke doesn’t believe that universal assented principles can exist at all and thi... ...t innate epistemic principles – revised December 1996 3. Reading: Ariew & Watkins 270-290 (Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Book I Chapters I and II, Book II Chapters I - VIII) 4. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section3.rhtml 5. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section4.rhtml 6. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section4.rhtml 7. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section3.rhtml 8. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section6.rhtml 9. Reading: Ariew & Watkins 270-290 (Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Book I Chapters I and II, Book II Chapters I - VIII) 10. http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/quotes.html 11. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section1.rhtml 12. http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/terms.html

Plato and the Allegory of the Cave Essay

The son of a wealthy and noble family, Plato (427-347 B.C.) was preparing for a career in politics when the trial and eventual execution of Socrates (399 B.C.) changed the course of his life. He abandoned his political career and turned to philosophy, opening a school on the outskirts of Athens dedicated to the Socratic search for wisdom. Plato’s school, then known as the Academy, was the first university in western history and operated from 387 B.C. until A.D. 529, when it was closed by Justinian. Unlike his mentor Socrates, Plato was both a writer and a teacher. His writings are in the form of dialogues, with Socrates as the principal speaker. In the Allegory of the Cave, Plato described symbolically the predicament in which mankind finds itself and proposes a way of salvation. The Allegory presents, in brief form, most of Plato’s major philosophical assumptions: his belief that the world revealed by our senses is not the real world but only a poor copy of it, and that the real world can only be apprehended intellectually; his idea that knowledge cannot be transferred from teacher to student, but rather that education consists in directing student’s minds toward what is real and important and allowing them to apprehend it for themselves; his faith that the universe ultimately is good; his conviction that enlightened individuals have an obligation to the rest of society, and that a good society must be one in which the truly wise (the Philosopher-King) are the ru lers. The Allegory of the Cave can be found in Book VII of Plato’s best-known work, The Republic, a lengthy dialogue on the nature of justice. Often regarded as a utopian blueprint, The Republic is dedicated toward a discussion of the education required of a Philosopher-King. The following selection is taken from the Benjamin Jowett translation (Vintage, 1991), pp. 253-261. As you read the Allegory, try to make a mental picture of the cave Plato describes. Better yet, why not draw a picture of it and refer to it as you read the selection. In many ways, understanding Plato’s Allegory of the Cave will make your foray into the world of philosophical thought much less burdensome. * * * * * * [Socrates] And now, I said, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened: –Behold! human beings living in a underground cave, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching all along the cave; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning round their heads. Above and behind them a fire is blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the way, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets. [Glaucon] I see. [Socrates] And do you see, I said, men passing along the wall carrying all sorts of vessels, and statues and figures of animals made of wood and stone and various materials, which appear over the wall? Some of them are talking, others silent. [Glaucon] You have shown me a strange image, and they are strange prisoners. [Socrates] Like ourselves, I replied; and they see only their own shadows, or the shadows of one another, which the fire throws on the opposite wall of the cave? [Glaucon] True, he said; how could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads? [Socrates] And of the objects which are being carried in like manner they would only see the shadows? [Glaucon] Yes, he said. [Socrates] And if they were able to converse with one another, would they not suppose that they were naming what was actually before them? [Glaucon] Very true. [Socrates] And suppose further that the prison had an echo which came from the other side, would they not be sure to fancy when one of the passers-by spoke that the voice which they heard came from the passing shadow? [Glaucon] No question, he replied. [Socrates] To them, I said, the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images. [Glaucon] That is certain. [Socrates] And now look again, and see what will naturally follow if the prisoners are released and disabused of their error. At first, when any of them is liberated and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn his neck round and walk and look towards the light, he will suffer sharp pains; the glare will distress him, and he will be unable to see the realities of which in his former state he had seen the shadows; and then conceive some one saying to him, that what he saw before was an illusion, but that now, when he is approaching nearer to being and his eye is turned towards more real existence, he has a clearer vision, -what will be his reply? And you may further imagine that his instructor is pointing to the objects as they pass and requiring him to name them, -will he not be perplexed? Will he not fancy that the shadows which he formerly saw are truer than the objects which are now shown to him? [Glaucon] Far truer. [Socrates] And if he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away to take and take in the objects of vision which he can see, and which he will conceive to be in reality clearer than the things which are now being shown to him? [Glaucon] True, he now. [Socrates] And suppose once more, that he is reluctantly dragged up a steep and rugged ascent, and held fast until he ‘s forced into the presence of the sun himself, is he not likely to be pained and irritated? When he approaches the light his eyes will be dazzled, and he will not be able to see anything at all of what are now called realities. [Glaucon] Not all in a moment, he said. [Socrates] He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. And first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves; then he will gaze upon the light of the moon and the stars and the spangled heaven; and he will see the sky and the stars by night better than the sun or the light of the sun by day? [Glaucon] Certainly. [Socrates] Last of he will be able to see the sun, and not mere reflections of him in the water, but he will see him in his own proper place, and not in another; and he will contemplate him as he is. [Glaucon] Certainly. [Socrates] He will then proceed to argue that this is he who gives the season and the years, and is the guardian of all that is in the visible world, and in a certain way the cause of all things which he and his fellows have been accustomed to behold? [Glaucon] Clearly, he said, he would first see the sun and then reason about him. [Socrates] And when he remembered his old habitation, and the wisdom of the cave and his fellow-prisoners, do you not suppose that he would felicitate himself on the change, and pity them? [Glaucon] Certainly, he would. [Socrates] And if they were in the habit of conferring honors among themselves on those who were quickest to observe the passing shadows and to remark which of them went before, and which followed after, and which were together; and who were therefore best able to draw conclusions as to the future, do you think that he would care for such honors and glories, or envy the possessors of them? Would he not say with Homer, Better to be the poor servant of a poor master, and to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner? [Glaucon] Yes, he said, I think that he would rather suffer anything than entertain these false notions and live in this miserable manner. [Socrates] Imagine once more, I said, such an one coming suddenly out of the sun to be replaced in his old situation; would he not be certain to have his eyes full of darkness? [Glaucon] To be sure, he said. [Socrates] And if there were a contest, and he had to compete in measuring the shadows with the prisoners who had never moved out of the cave, while his sight was still weak, and before his eyes had become steady (and the time which would be needed to acquire this new habit of sight might be very considerable) would he not be ridiculous? Men would say of him that up he went and down he came without his eyes; and that it was better not even to think of ascending; and if any one tried to loose another and lead him up to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death. [Glaucon] No question, he said. [Socrates] This entire allegory, I said, you may now append, dear Glaucon, to the previous argument; the prison-house is the world of sight, the light of the fire is the sun, and you will not misapprehend me if you interpret the journey upwards to be the ascent of the soul into the intellectual world according to my poor belief, which, at your desire, I have expressed whether rightly or wrongly God knows. But, whether true or false, my opinion is that in the world of knowledge the idea of good appears last of all, and is seen only with an effort; and, when seen, is also inferred to be the universal author of all things beautiful and right, parent of light and of the lord of light in this visible world, and the immediate source of reason and truth in the intellectual; and that this is the power upon which he who would act rationally, either in public or private life must have his eye fixed. [Glaucon] I agree, he said, as far as I am able to understand you. [Socrates] Moreover, I said, you must not wonder that those who attain to this beatific vision are unwilling to descend to human affairs; for their souls are ever hastening into the upper world where they desire to dwell; which desire of theirs is very natural, if our allegory may be trusted. [Glaucon] Yes, very natural. [Socrates] And is there anything surprising in one who passes from divine contemplations to the evil state of man, misbehaving himself in a ridiculous manner; if, while his eyes are blinking and before he has become accustomed to the surrounding darkness, he is compelled to fight in courts of law, or in other places, about the images or the shadows of images of justice, and is endeavoring to meet the conceptions of those who have never yet seen absolute justice? [Glaucon] Anything but surprising, he replied. [Socrates] Any one who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eyes are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light, which is true of the mind’s eye, quite as much as of the bodily eye; and he who remembers this when he sees any one whose vision is perplexed and weak, will not be too ready to laugh; he will first ask whether that soul of man has come out of the brighter light, and is unable to see because unaccustomed to the dark, or having turned from darkness to the day is dazzled by excess of light. And he will count the one happy in his condition and state of being, and he will pity the other; or, if he have a mind to laugh at the soul which comes from below into the light, there will be more reason in this than in the laugh which greets him who returns from above out of the light into the cave. [Glaucon] That, he said, is a very just distinction. [Socrates] But then, if I am right, certain professors of education must be wrong when they say that they can put a knowledge into the soul which was not there before, like sight into blind eyes. [Glaucon] They undoubtedly say this, he replied. [Socrates] Whereas, our argument shows that the power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already; and that just as the eye was unable to turn from darkness to light without the whole body, so too the instrument of knowledge can only by the movement of the whole soul be turned from the world of becoming into that of being, and learn by degrees to endure the sight of being, and of the brightest and best of being, or in other words, of the good. [Glaucon] Very true. [Socrates] And must there not be some art which will effect conversion in the easiest and quickest manner; not implanting the faculty of sight, for that exists already, but has been turned in the wrong direction, and is looking away from the truth? [Glaucon] Yes, he said, such an art may be presumed. [Socrates] And whereas the other so-called virtues of the soul seem to be akin to bodily qualities, for even when they are not originally innate they can be implanted later by habit and exercise, the of wisdom more than anything else contains a divine element which always remains, and by this conversion is rendered useful and profitable; or, on the other hand, hurtful and useless. Did you never observe the narrow intelligence flashing from the keen eye of a clever rogue –how eager he is, how clearly his paltry soul sees the way to his end; he is the reverse of blind, but his keen eyesight is forced into the service of evil, and he is mischievous in proportion to his cleverness. [Glaucon] Very true, he said. [Socrates] But what if there had been a circumcision of such natures in the days of their youth; and they had been severed from those sensual pleasures, such as eating and drinking, which, like leaden weights, were attached to them at their birth, and which drag them down and turn the vision of their souls upon the things that are below –if, I say, they had been released from these impediments and turned in the opposite direction, the very same faculty in them would have seen the truth as keenly as they see what their eyes are turned to now. [Glaucon] Very likely. [Socrates] Yes, I said; and there is another thing which is likely. or rather a necessary inference from what has preceded, that neither the uneducated and uninformed of the truth, nor yet those who never make an end of their education, will be able ministers of State; not the former, because they have no single aim of duty which is the rule of all their actions, private as well as public; nor the latter, because they will not act at all except upon compulsion, fancying that they are already dwelling apart in the islands of the blest. [Glaucon] Very true, he replied. [Socrates] Then, I said, the business of us who are the founders of the State will be to compel the best minds to attain that knowledge which we have already shown to be the greatest of all-they must continue to ascend until they arrive at the good; but when they have ascended and seen enough we must not allow them to do as they do now. [Glaucon] What do you mean? [Socrates] I mean that they remain in the upper world: but this must not be allowed; they must be made to descend again among the prisoners in the cave, and partake of their labors and honors, whether they are worth having or not. [Glaucon] But is not this unjust? he said; ought we to give them a worse life, when they might have a better? [Socrates] You have again forgotten, my friend, I said, the intention of the legislator, who did not aim at making any one class in the State happy above the rest; the happiness was to be in the whole State, and he held the citizens together by persuasion and necessity, making them benefactors of the State, and therefore benefactors of one another; to this end he created them, not to please themselves, but to be his instruments in binding up the State. [Glaucon] True, he said, I had forgotten. [Socrates] Observe, Glaucon, that there will be no injustice in compelling our philosophers to have a care and providence of others; we shall explain to them that in other States, men of their class are not obliged to share in the toils of politics: and this is reasonable, for they grow up at their own sweet will, and the government would rather not have them. Being self-taught, they cannot be expected to show any gratitude for a culture which they have never received. But we have brought you into the world to be rulers of the hive, kings of yourselves and of the other citizens, and have educated you far better and more perfectly than they have been educated, and you are better able to share in the double duty. Wherefore each of you, when his turn comes, must go down to the general underground abode, and get the habit of seeing in the dark. When you have acquired the habit, you will see ten thousand times better than the inhabitants of the cave, and you will know what the several images are, and what they represent, because you have seen the beautiful and just and good in their truth. And thus our State which is also yours will be a reality, and not a dream only, and will be administered in a spirit unlike that of other States, in which men fight with one another about shadows only and are distracted in the struggle for power, which in their eyes is a great good. Whereas the truth is that the State in which the rulers are most reluctant to govern is always the best and most quietly governed, and the State in which they are most eager, the worst. [Glaucon] Quite true, he replied. [Socrates] And will our pupils, when they hear this, refuse to take their turn at the toils of State, when they are allowed to spend the greater part of their time with one another in the heavenly light? [Glaucon] Impossible, he answered; for they are just men, and the commands which we impose upon them are just; there can be no doubt that every one of them will take office as a stern necessity, and not after the fashion of our present rulers of State. [Socrates] Yes, my friend, I said; and there lies the point. You must contrive for your future rulers another and a better life than that of a ruler, and then you may have a well-ordered State; for only in the State which offers this, will they rule who are truly rich, not in silver and gold, but in virtue and wisdom, which are the true blessings of life. Whereas if they go to the administration of public affairs, poor and hungering after the’ own private advantage, thinking that hence they are to snatch the chief good, order there can never be; for they will be fighting about office, and the civil and domestic broils which thus arise will be the ruin of the rulers themselves and of the whole State. [Glaucon] Most true, he replied. [Socrates] And the only life which looks down upon the life of political ambition is that of true philosophy. Do you know of any other? [Glaucon] Indeed, I do not, he said. [Socrates] And those who govern ought not to be lovers of the task? For, if they are, there will be rival lovers, and they will fight. [Glaucon] No question. [Socrates] Who then are those whom we shall compel to be guardians? Surely they will be the men who are wisest about affairs of State, and by whom the State is best administered, and who at the same time have other honors and another and a better life than that of politics? [Glaucon] They are the men, and I will choose them, he replied. [Socrates] And now shall we consider in what way such guardians will be produced, and how they are to be brought from darkness to light, — as some are said to have ascended from the world below to the gods? [Glaucon] By all means, he replied. [Socrates] The process, I said, is not the turning over of an oyster-shell, but the turning round of a soul passing from a day which is little better than night to the true day of being, that is, the ascent from below, which we affirm to be true philosophy? [Glaucon] Quite so.