Research Topics

Numerous ethical arguments can be made both for against business and free-markets

OBJECTIVES As a person with knowledge of the free market, the author has always brought up to his superiors the viability of strategy formation regarding the analysis of this topic and at times fails to understand the reasons or logic behind certain strategic implementations imposed on it. By delving into this project paper, the author intends to have better insights into how the numerous ethical arguments both for and against free markets are thought up, formulated and then imparted down. The author hopes to have an in-depth understanding as to how the ethical arguments both for and against free markets encourage competition among economies effectively and profitably in this era of internationalization where competition is extremely intense. In order to reinforce the learning objectives, two key focal issues were focused upon, i.e. innovation and diversity. Innovation was discussed with regard to the ethical arguments both for and against free markets where they were renowned for their developmental capabilities to constantly innovate. Diversity came under strategic thinking and formation as the author considered the diverse culture, political climate, economic surroundings, social environment, technological settings, government policies and legal systems in order to better understand the issues being discussed.   EXECUTIVE BRIEF This essay utilized the consequentialist and non-consequentialist theories as the model approaches to review the present ethical arguments both for and against free markets and how they dealt with critical situations. From the analysis, key trends in the ethical arguments both for and against free markets were then identified, how they worked and their effectiveness in dealing with critical situations was ascertained. The paper then moved on to assess these arguments with regard to their suitability to critical situations, during which the internal capabilities of these arguments in relation to the consequentialist and non-consequentialist theories being followed was determined also. An overall analysis of the impact and validity of the ethical arguments both for and against free markets was also conducted to assess and compare the validity of these arguments with those of others. Gaps in the validity of the ethical arguments both for and against free markets were then identified. Finally, several choices of strategies to prove the validity of these ethical arguments both for and against free markets as effective means in critical situations were recommended and evaluated in terms of appropriateness to the issues reviewed, feasibility in carrying out the options and acceptability within the key stakeholders and decision makers. Several key implementation issues related to managing strategic change were also addressed as well.     INTRODUCTION Free market pertains to a market where price is dependent on unregulated supply and demand. More often than not, this type of market leads to the efficient and effective implementation of the economic policies and tasks necessary to satisfy the customers and stakeholders. A free market also focuses on the careful management of the processes involved in the production and distribution of products and services (2001). More often than not, small companies don’t really have the capabilities to actively participate in a free market. Instead, these companies engage in activities that various schools of economics typically associate with participating in a free market. These activities include the manufacturing of products, product development, production and distribution. However, free markets deal with all operations done within companies and organizations. Activities such as the management of purchases, the control of inventories, logistics and evaluations are often related with free markets. A great deal of emphasis lies on the efficiency and effectiveness of processes. Therefore, free markets include the analysis and management of internal processes.     Arguments favoring Free markets A. Utilitarianism The occurrence of countries and governments favoring the existence of free markets nowadays reflects the growing difficulty for them during a certain period of time to freely express their actions and expressions in terms of economic transactions. And even ordinary people were no exception to these. This is the reason why the idea of free markets flourished so people can have the choice to determine the most effective ways to express their economic actions through the application of methods derived from various fields of studies. Through the existence of free markets, problems involving freedom of expression in terms of economic decisions and transactions were solved in different ways and alternative solutions were then relayed to the people. The people then selected the appropriate course of action in line with their skills, actions and personal goals. More often than not, free market outputs and ideas in the 20th century were concerned with complicated issues such as top-level strategy, resource allocation, designing of facilities and systems, and the analysis of large databases (2003). Free market ideas actually may vary according to the ideas and philosophy of the individual. But in the 20th century, the concept of free market was popularized by the help of mass media. This scenario brought the possibility of working closely with top level managers in order to identify and solve a variety of economic problems into reality. The government control of businesses and economy can cause the limited access to important services. The establishment of market principles within businesses will certainly convert their products and services from a public to a private commodity. This will further result into the deprivation of basic products and services to the poor people, who obviously do not have the capacity to purchase expensive goods and services. Aside from the issue of cost-efficiency, government control of businesses cannot be always enough to answer the needs of a particular economy. For instance, when bankruptcy among businesses becomes prevalent, the businessmen will definitely have to rely on the government services. Obviously, government control of businesses will be less effective in a nation where poverty is overwhelming, and it is sure that government control of businesses will not be able to provide ample solutions whenever bankruptcy among businesses spreads throughout the place ( 2000). The government control of businesses and economy can also possibly establish social discrimination, bringing along with it economic and social inequalities.     Arguments against Free markets Whenever a government makes measures to control a market or economy, it typically involves processes that implement the policies and tasks necessary to satisfy the business’ customers, employees, and management effectively and efficiently. The government focuses on the careful management of the processes involved in the implementation of government regulations for the control of businesses. A. Egoism Government control of businesses and economy offers several advantages to both the government and the private sector itself. On the part of the private sector, government control of businesses will certainly reduce its operating costs, and this can even enable the private sector to raise funds. The private sector can also benefit from the reduction of government expenditures as the government control of businesses will enable the private sector to convert financial losses into tax revenues. On the part of the government, controlling of businesses will certainly boost the growth and economic development of a particular country. This is caused by the establishment of an environment that enhances healthy competition resulting to high efficiency rates and significant reduction of costs ( 1981).     B. Kantian Ethics The impacts on citizens and the general public from the government control of businesses and markets and other new developments in the business sector are being reflected in other countries in the globe, especially in Europe. Businesses in the UK, for instance, are in the process of continued transformation towards the government control of their products and services. It became obvious that the business owners had already grown tired of waiting for the profit out of their own concerted efforts. In the year 2000 alone, almost 200,000 businesses transferred under the control of the UK government to avoid further bankruptcy. There is a process in the UK, just like in most countries, of a very tedious government control process of businesses, wherein the business owners have the obligation to look out for alternative marketing strategies that can provide ample profit (2004). More often than not, this is the consequence of unjustified business marketing strategies, resulting to an even more degradation of the quality of the products and services being offered to the extent where they can no longer be given to those in need. Technically speaking, government control of businesses and markets can be subdivided into four (4) main areas: 1. Financing mechanisms: many countries have transformed financing mechanisms into obligatory insurance funding. These can be classified as private, as these are primarily efforts made by the government rather than non-government organizations. Only a number of countries have allowed voluntary organizations to gain control of public financing. 2. Government ownership of business facilities: the holistic government control of business companies and organizations. There are instances where certain rehabilitated business facilities have been totally controlled by the government also, but with negligible total impact. 3. Employment: there have been a number of research studies conducted regarding government control of businesses, and it showed that the government control of employment contracts is not a big deal. When the government control of the business facilities is almost total, employment contracts may be transferred towards the jurisdiction of private business organizations where the citizen works. 4. Standard utilization of private contracts: this has become prevalent especially in businesses where there’s a possibility to utilize private contracts for other purposes. Evidence from UK indicates this is a potential source of problems where there have been consistent demands to reduce wages and working conditions. Distributive Justice in a Free Market In lieu of the present developments in free markets, there have been significant visions of learning regarding justice that evolved. A majority of these learning visions are based on the idea that obtaining justice involves a social process where knowledge is denied instead of being acquired passively. Obtaining justice, then, transforms into an interactive process. The interaction is being verified through the help of the participants in the process of obtaining justice such as the government and the public consumers. In this framework, high quality of justice would mean the continued guidance and support of the active learning process of the public consumers. Obviously, this would call for an intensive and phased guiding strategy. When in the active pursuit of justice under a free market, the interaction of government with the public consumers forms an integral part towards its success. Collaboration as a method of obtaining justice is gradually being used nowadays. Through this approach, the public consumers can learn from their governments implementing free markets through the imitation of their techniques in the socialization processes. In the process, the public consumers are able to obtain the chance to see their own ideas in a different aspect and therefore be able to take alternatives into consideration. The relative effectiveness of this approach is determined with the capability of the public consumers to continuously challenge their pre-acquired knowledge by trying to adapt to the interpretations of the government. Aside from the public consumers and the government, the different resources of learning regarding free markets belong to a third category of factors of an environment with justice. Moreover, learning methods have shown signs of significant growth over the past years. Consequently, obtaining knowledge becomes more complicated. This is because the transformation of all this information into knowledge requires the public to possess the appropriate reference frameworks. But governments can certainly help the public consumers transform information into valuable knowledge.     SYNTHESIS Deriving from the analysis between the numerous ethical arguments both for and against free markets, many strategic options would become imperative. It is therefore essential to evaluate these strategic options as to whether they are appropriate to the issues addressed, whether they are feasible enough to be implemented and their acceptability to key stakeholders. There is definitely a need to reconcile both the inside-out and outside-in capabilities. While the free market’s mechanism involves focusing on its core competencies with market position following its resource base, the countries practicing this type of economy will be put into a disadvantageous position should they choose to neglect both the macro as well as the micro industry environment. Therefore, these countries have to be aware of the latest free market changes, as well as changes in political, economic, legal and even demographic trends in order to develop the outside-in capabilities, such as market sensing, customer linking, channel bonding and technology monitoring (1994). The advantages enjoyed by countries under a free market economy may come in the form of increased revenues. Knowing what the free market economy demands and the latest trends could help these countries fully exploit their research and development capabilities to come out with products which are not only cost-effective but also high in quality. The strategic option can even be used as marketing tool where the focus is on staying close to the citizens and listening to their feedbacks. On the flip side of the coin, there will be huge mobilization of resources involved, and the associated risks bestowed on the government. Nevertheless, the mentioned strategic option seems the most practical in the wake of globalization, since there is a sudden shift towards a more integrated and independent world free market economy. The key stakeholders too should not have any objections so long as the country’s core economy is not threatened. By virtue of the country’s centralized control of its business under a free market economy, it is being expected that major barriers should not exist in carrying out such an option except additional time may be required given the scope and span of operations. CONCLUSION The results of the analysis carried out on the numerous ethical arguments both for and against free markets indicated very significant effects, even amidst the threats of unrest. Therefore, we could conclude that the concept of free markets could still be expected to be patronized by countries all over the world. The review of the free market’s capabilities and resources revealed very little inconsistencies regarding its economic strategies. This is coherent with its traditional inside-out approach. However, the need to reconcile both the inside-out and outside-in approaches becomes imperative now for the countries practicing this type of economy. The analysis among the numerous ethical arguments regarding free markets revealed certain gaps, most of which are biased towards the environment. However, these gaps paved the way towards determining a number of recommended strategic options to secure the competitiveness of the free market economy. Also, countries under a free market economy have to find a balance between adherence to internal forces within the economy and to the changing forces of the environment in order to implement such strategic options.                   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Numerous ethical arguments can be made both for against business and free-markets

OBJECTIVES As a person with knowledge of the free market, the author has always brought up to his superiors the viability of strategy fo...

Lifespan Development of Adolescence 11 to 21 years

LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT OF ADOLESCENCE         The youth is our future and the future belongs to them that is why parents all over the world beyond differences must take care of their children for them to live a life that’s full and satisfied. The total well being of the children relies heavily on their upbringing. Their perception and ways of thinking is brought about by the internal and external environment that surrounds them. Therefore it is evitable for parents to expose them in a healthy atmosphere.       Their behavior, religious belief and health condition can be easily developed inside the family. On the other hand a teen-ager who has been neglected maybe shy and non confident in nature, children like this will always be alone even they are with others and their potentials are hard to nourish. Some youth, the media has become their teacher while growing because of the absence of their parents.       Therefore it is important for the parents to be there while their children experienced the changes they are going to face as an adolescent. Children while experiencing the puberty stage of their life has many questions that only parent can understand especially the girls who presume that they are not a child anymore but less of an adult.       When Physical Development changes occur girls may ask about things differently and how to do about it. The Physical changes of breast and hips enlargement may somehow affect their curiosity and it is in this stage the natural sweet smell of a female has been brought about by their sudden changes in hormone and cleansing the body brought about by menstruation and other liquid secretion. For the boys it is the occurrence in Adams apple, the development of muscles and increase in strength begins to develop during teen-age years. Their voice may also change in tone.  A bad smell due to active perspiration may also occur during this time. During this time one of their worst problems in physical changes is pimples on their face.       Psychological changes in adolescent usually take place, the urgency of sexual intimacy may be new to a teen-ager but they will experience it naturally or some may even tend to experiment on some sensitive issues in morality such as sexual activities.  Peer pressure or having to belong to a group is another psychological factor that affects the changes and thinking of a teenage individual that they may tend to join a group just to have a feeling of acceptance.       And during this time they are going to find their own individuality, attending to this needs, children may be misled by media and peer pressures. Vices come in their mind subconsciously like smoking, drinking and drugs. Parents should definitely need to know such activities performed by their children. And during this stage children may develop a very strong sexual intimacy to their opposite sex. Sometimes these intimacy leads to early pregnancy and early marriage.        The thinking skills and ability of a person during this stage may also be developed maturely if they experience struggle in life. During this stage they may be neglectful about morality and values and this is the role of the parents and teacher to harness their children to righteousness. They may tend to be a school girl or boy or a lover sigh. This children starts to be dependent and they don’t want to be push through in decision making. At home they may long for parents love even more due to the changes in behavior.       At this stage they may feel conscious about their physical look and how others think about how they dressed up and speak up. So they chose to change according to others perceive then to be. And this maybe the result of a fear pressure of anxiety of beginning to develop their personality. They intend to search for the meaning of life or be careless in doing what their friends tells them to do.       In some cases maturity sets in early in life depending on their experiences and upbringing in life. At this age they may wonder or struggle to face challenges early in life. Problems of solitude or breakout to family relationship may tend to experience by rebellious child. Again parents must have to play a very crucial role in developing the thinking of a child. It is not much of the talking but the expression of love and cares is more important. Teach the children well enough. Give them time to be with you, give them a bit of physical touch, sometimes a pat in the back is enough, and give them words of encouragement and appreciation if they do good. This will make your child grow more than happy and successful, but worthwhile.                  Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Lifespan Development of Adolescence 11 to 21 years

LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT OF ADOLESCENCE The youth is our future and the future belongs to them that is why parents all over the world ...

Marketing Campaign of Cathay Pacific Airways for SARS Recovery Plan

Table of 	Content 	 TOC \o “1-3″ \h \z 	 	 	1      	Executive Summary. 	PAGEREF _Toc49385059 \h 3 	 	 	2      	Introduction. 	PAGEREF _Toc49385060 \h 4 	 	 	3      	Campaign Introduction. 	PAGEREF _Toc49385061 \h 5 	 	 	4      	Analyses. 	PAGEREF _Toc49385062 \h 7 	 	 	4.1            	Goal 	PAGEREF _Toc49385063 \h 7 	 	 	4.2            	Network. 	PAGEREF _Toc49385064 \h 8 	 	 	4.3            	Pricing. 	PAGEREF _Toc49385065 \h 8 	 	 	4.4            	Brand and Public Relations. 	PAGEREF _Toc49385066 \h 8 	 	 	4.5            	Product and Distribution. 	PAGEREF _Toc49385067 \h 8 	 	 	5      	Effectiveness Estimating. 	PAGEREF _Toc49385068 \h 9 	 	 	6      	Conclusion. 	PAGEREF _Toc49385069 \h 9 	 	 	7      	Reference. 	PAGEREF _Toc49385070 \h 10     	1          	Executive Summary 	Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome 	(SARS) was once wildly spread to 32 nations around the world and caused 916 	people died in the first 6 months of 2003. Much about this new disease still 	remains unknown and puzzled. But SARS has shown a clear spreading capacity 	along the route of international air travel. It is a challenging threat to 	public health. Social, economic and psychological impact is enormous in the 	mobile and interconnected world today. Especially to areas like China, Hong 	Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Canada, the loss was devastating, both in 	economy and human life. 	Airlines again experienced another 	“hurricane” after 911 and economic slump. Fortunately the situation has been 	contained now, and airlines start to wage a series of campaigns, programs 	and promotions to stimulate the market in the after SARS era. Governments 	assist those industries and businesses been seriously hit by SARS to launch 	recovery plans. Modern airline marketing concepts and strategies are used in 	this SARS-fighting battle such as network management, product and brand, 	pricing and distribution and market planning. All these measures, associate 	with activities initiated by other industries and businesses become a 	perfect example of marketing campaign of airlines for SARS recovery plan.   	2          	Introduction 	Hong Kong was severely damaged by the 	SARS economically, socially and psychologically. 302 people were dead and 	1446 affected up to August 16th 2003. All businesses were nearly 	at idle during the SARS ravage period, especially the tour industry, 	transportation, hotels, restaurants and shopping centers. As an locally 	based airline—Cathay 	Pacific Airways(CX), experienced the worst situations ever. According to its 	statistic, CX lost 1,241 million Hong Kong Dollars in the first six months 	of 2003 and the profit shrank 25.1% in passenger business. Figure 1 and 2 	below illustrate the profit/loss and margin of a ten-year-comparison with 	year 2003. 	 	Figure 1: CX profit/loss & margin in 	10 years. Source: Cathay Pacific website 	 	Figure 2: ATK performance in 10 years. 	Source: Cathay Pacific website 	With such a huge loss, Cathay Pacific 	has launched an unprecedented marketing campaign consisting of pricing, 	networking, product and service and promotion strategies of airline 	marketing, and the cooperation of other supporters to attract customer and 	regain business. This report will examine all marketing elements involved in 	the campaign, analyse the rationales and goals behind and estimate the 	effectiveness. 	3          	Campaign Introduction 	In order to regain and retain 	customers, and rebuild people’s confidence about Hong Kong, CX has initiated 	a number of activities, promotions and programs to help rebuild Hong Kong 	after SARS and maintain Hong Kong’s position as the region’s leading 	position as the aviation hub in the region. The following programs are 	included in the campaign. 	²   	Hong Kong Welcomes You 	CX is supporting the tourism recovery 	by giving away more than 10,000 tickets to draw travellers back to Hong 	Kong. 	²   	Hong Kong Rugby Seven 	CX will co-sponsor this popular 	sporting event with Credit Suisse First Boston from 2004 to 2006. 	²   	Visit Hong Kong Now 	This promotion launched overseas 	offers up to 50% off flight and hotel packages. 	²   	 Early Bird Promotion This 	overseas promotion has been launched since May during SARS impact. It offers 	discounted fares to draw passengers back to Hong Kong. Over 80,000 tickets 	have been sold since June. 	²   	Yum Sing Card CX will 	launch the “Yum Sing” card, which passengers can use to redeem discounts at 	certain restaurants, attractions and shops. 	²   	We Love Hong Kong CX is 	participating this campaign to help Hong Kong get out of the swirl of SARS 	by encouraging people to get out, spend money and resume a normal life. 	²   	Operation Unite—Take 	off With Hong Kong CX is 	strongly support this program to unite communities together and fight the 	aftermath of SARS. 	²   	Cathay Pacific World Pass A 	multiple-ticket promotion to help Hong Kong businessmen to renew overseas 	contacts and leisure travellers become ambassadors of Hong Kong overseas and 	recover confidence about Hong Kong. 	²   	Ongoing Familiarization Tour CX is 	inviting and hosting varies of interests and media groups to visit Hong Kong 	for fact-finding and familiarization. It helps to rebuild Hong Kong’s image 	and confidence.   ²   Flying without fear An educational program created by CX to inform general public about the health protection measures of Cathay Pacific Airways. The following are campaign promotion coupons of hotels, restaurants, attractions, stores and transportation. SARS disaster is unique and sudden; its impact to airlines is entirely and unprecedented in aviation history. Airlines need full-scale, omni directional marketing strategies to cope with the damages caused by SARS. What airlines have done is not merely a sales promotion or a seasonal, occasional package to increase revenue in a “peaceful era”. CX’s campaign is a good example of the efforts and reactions that airlines engaging now. It does not aim at a specific market sector but the whole instead. The purpose of this campaign is not to achieve common corporative goals. It is more like a “risk management” and ‘emergency action” for the whole company to struggle with SARS and the declines in business. 4          Analyses The after SARS campaign initiated by CX contains several elements in airline marketing skills such as: networking, pricing, product, promotion, branding, public relations and distribution. 4.1         Goal Obviously, the goal of this campaign is to use all marketing strategies and skills to regain business, attract passengers back to Hong Kong, rebuild faith and confidence, remove fear and doubt, resume normal life and business operations and to fly CX again. The goal of the campaign intends to send messages to the public that:   W   Hong Kong Government and people are working hard together to fight the war against SARS and the situation has been under controlled. W   It is safe to come and visit Hong Kong now after the dedications and efforts have been put in and the disease has been contained. W   CX has taken all sanitary and protective measures to ensure passengers’ health and safety. W   CX has associated with the government and many business sectors in Hong Kong to offer worldwide costumers low fares of flight, accommodation, transportation, shopping, attraction and interesting locations and tasty food. It is the best time to visit Hong Kong now. 4.2         Network This campaign uses worldwide network of CX’s route structure. It includes all service destinations and locations around the world. It provides passengers convenient and comfortable flights with special offers, discounts and varies kinds of promotion and package among CX service destinations(codeshare and OneWorld passengers excluded in non-Cathay flights). However, convenient and seamless connections are also available through OneWorld partners to 135 countries and 570 destinations. 4.3         Pricing In this battle against SARS, CX uses low price strategy to draw customers to fly again. As in other businesses and industries, price may be the first and most sensitive issue that customers consider first. With quality services but very good offers in price, customers may still be attracted even bearing slight uncertainty of flight during SARS period. “Visit Hong Kong Now”, “Early Bird Promotion” are two typical pricing programs in CX’s SARS campaign. Up to 50% off discounted price is offered to the market. 4.4         Brand and Public Relations CX is a well-known and quality air carrier from the most dynamic, cosmopolitan city, the Pearl of the East—Hong Kong. It’s brand awareness and company image are high and well acknowledged by the market and airline industry. At this most critical and difficult moment, CX has demonstrated its dedications, willingness, cooperative spirits and sincerities to stand with Hong Kong by supporting programs like “Hong Kong Welcomes You”, “We Love Hong Kong”, “Operation Unite”, for example, to assist recovery. It will increase CX’s brand awareness more, create positive perceptions, earn people’s trust and friendship and enhance CX’s public relations. 4.5         Product and Distribution CX has introduced  new services and products combined with hotels, restaurants, attractions and shopping as a package with lower-than-ever prices to the market. It is targeting at all market tiers from business travelers to tourists and backpackers. The offers are full-scaled and objects are worldwide. All overseas branch offices, travel agencies, ticket centers and traditional sales channels are all involved in distribution. 5          Effectiveness Estimating The effectiveness of the marketing campaign has progressively increased revenue with the SARS threat fading away and people start to resume normal life. These programs initiated by CX has stimulated the market even more and encouraged passengers’ intentions to take flights earlier. Discounted fares and special packages include hotels, restaurants, transportation and attractions motivate costumers to visit Hong Kong  right away after SARS gone. The supports and dedications to the communities to fight rebuild and refresh Hong Kong would win people’s acknowledgement and trust. Hong Kong people would choose and advocate CX as their airline from home. From the statistics, CX’s business and number of passengers have progressively risen after the campaign in place. Figure 3 below shows the operational results from March to July 2003.   Figure 3: Passenger Load Factor, March-July 2003            Source:CX website                       Nevertheless, in spite of the rising number of passengers carried by CX, the yield remains relatively low compared to the same period previous years due to the SARS recovery campaign and depressed market price. After all, this is the inevitable experience that CX has to pass through. The market will take time to recover and the effectiveness of the campaign will be expected to increase accordingly. 6          Conclusion Airline marketing elements and skills are not just used in ordinary sales to boost business. It surely can be used in critical situation and when business risks are encountered, such as SARS. From the advertisement campaign and promotion programs launched by CX, we can see a typical example of how airlines use marketing strategy as a tool to save the business when emergency comes. The object is clear, to regain business and encourage passengers to fly CX again by sending the messages to the public through an advertisement campaign: W   SARS is under control now, and no longer a threat to public health. W   CX has taken all necessary actions to protect passengers and prevent SARS from spreading again. W   CX, as one of the family members of Hong Kong, has demonstrated strong support to Hong Kong and Hong Kong people by various activities and programs. W   It is safe and best deal to visit Hong Kong and fly CX now. W   It is a good bargain to join the promotion package now and take the advantages of high quality services and low fares.  Marketing skills like pricing, product and service, branding and public relations, promotion and distribution etc. are used in the campaign. Passengers will be back and business is expected to return to normal soon. 7          Reference Airline Business Magazine, 2003 Apr, May, Jun, July, Aug issues. Cathay Pacific Airways. <http://www.cathaypacific.com/intl/0,,,00.html> Accessed Jun 2003 Department of Health, Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China <http://www.info.gov.hk/dh/> Accessed Aug 2003  World Health Organization, <http://www.who.int/en/> Accessed July 2003 Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Marketing Campaign of Cathay Pacific Airways for SARS Recovery Plan

Table of Content TOC \o “1-3″ \h \z 1 Executive Summary . PAGEREF _Toc49385059 \h 3 2 Introductio...

Criticism Essay on American’s Health

Criticism Essay on American’s Health

Write a criticism of the following proposition: although it is impossible to measure the gains exactly, a moderately warmer climate would...

Intercultural Communication

Intercultural Communication Educating for Intercultural Competence   Introduction             The globe is no longer divided by artificial and arbitrary geographic boundaries, becoming one economic and political marketplace, and as economies become interdependent and as electronic communication media become more available, the process of continuous change in the world’s technology and society will persist to hasten. In order for institutions, such as business organizations, schools and companies to attain and maintain a proper stance in this international marketplace and to function effectively in diverse and multiple cultures, leaders must incorporate training and education regarding intercultural communication as a foundation for learning ( 1996). In addition, the role of education becomes essential for with proper education, competence will be enhanced and developed, including giving importance to the cultures and beliefs of other individuals in the community. This paper discusses the role and importance of the development and focus on education as a response to intercultural competence, with reference to the current society and the changes happening to global societies. It also aims to tackle the emphasis on the English language as a medium for international communication and relations, which should be given emphasis in the curriculum of academic institutions and incorporated in employee development in various business organizations. Diversity in the Society and Intercultural Communication              (1995) reports that today’s expanding racial, ethnic and cultural diversity makes it evident that it will be nearly impossible in the future to manage a workforce or market products as we have in the past. Due to the open-mindedness of many individuals nowadays, many opted to travel and settle in different nations and societies in their quest to seek and obtain employment. In addition, due to the fast-changing technology, many are able to efficiently communicate with other individuals in different countries. Given this diversity in the society in terms of culture and communication, it is essential to recognize the importance of the presence of other cultures and languages. Herein lies the importance of intercultural communication in determining intercultural competence, for intercultural competence is dependent on effective intercultural communication, and somehow determines the success of various economies of nations around the globe.              Intercultural communication is defined as the interaction between people from differing cultures or the communication between groups with different value structures, and the need for increased intercultural understanding and improved intercultural communication has become increasingly important to a world of blending cultures, experiences, and business practices (1996). This increasing importance to various societies in terms of economic and political success, led nations to assess their citizen’s intercultural competence, specifically in education and language. Intercultural competence can be defined as the ability to develop and maintain relationships, the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with minimal loss or distortion, and the ability to attain compliance and obtain cooperation with individuals from other cultures (2000). With intercultural competence, many individuals can relate to other individuals having different cultures effectively. Being intercultural competent also enables individuals to communicate effectively to others, in terms of business, education and marketing. In addition, if an individual is said to be intercultural competent then the person is characterized by heightened awareness and capacity to engage in intercultural interactions that are interdependent, respectful, informed by cultural understanding, and mutually negotiated. Instead of experiencing such interactions as compromising or diminishing one’s own cultural values and experiences, or as threatening one’s own sense of self, they are experienced as enhancing a person’s identity and role as a member of the society, and these characteristics describe the intercultural maturity of an individual ( 2005). In essence, not only does intercultural competence determine the intellect of an individual who are good in making relations with persons from other cultures, but also it determines one’s values and ethics in terms of respect for others. The intellect and values of an individual are largely influenced by his or her family and community, including the person’s education and learning from his or her society. Therefore, it can be inferred that intercultural competence is not only acquired from education and training, but also developed through time and with the influence of values and ethics.   Development of Intercultural Competence through Education and Training             It was already mentioned that education and learning, influences the ability of an individual to become intercultural competent. Not only does it depend on one’s knowledge of language, but also on one’s ability to empathize and respect another’s cultures and beliefs. With this information, it is best to evaluate the role of education in developing the students’ intercultural competence. In general, academic institutions inculcate and teach students regarding intercultural communication and competence through class discussions, and most of the time, without concrete applications and actual activities, the importance and values incorporated in these concepts are easily forgotten. This is why, aside from the classroom discussions that can be facilitated in schools and universities, one good way to develop intercultural competence is through research and actual experiences. In relation to this is the study done by (2001), which emphasizes on acquiring knowledge regarding intercultural communication and competence in the industry through three stages, namely, building up industry experience, collecting data from industry and identifying research topics, and integrating theory in research. These three stages comprise the Knowledge-Based approach, which are useful in integrating and practicing intercultural competence in education. In stage one, two steps were taken to build up student industry experience, including initial contacts with industry and inviting industry guest speakers from companies. Visits to organizations were also done, so the students can look at the current key issues in the industry in relation to their theoretical knowledge, and to the research areas in which students showed interest (2001). Moreover, the managers of the chosen companies were invited to give students seminars about biculturalism, managing diversity, and communicating in a multicultural environment, and at the end of each seminar, students interested in doing research in the company can also make appointments with the manager to take field trips in the company. This kept students enlightened with important intercultural issues in the industry, and associate their academic knowledge acquired from the subject (2001). The second stage took the students some time for they had some field trips to collect authentic data from various sources, such as organizational CEO reports, company mission statements, and corporate meetings, which were made a major source of data because meetings could provide condensed and significant information (2001). Collecting data enable the students to enhance their skills, which equipped them to confirm and test the relevance of their initial associations to the academic knowledge by examining significant findings from their data (Yunxia 2001). The third stage or integrating theory in research was a complicated stage because it involved an intensive quest for an appropriate approach to solving industry problems. Students not only had to analyze existing approaches, but also had to make their own contribution to a particular research area (2001). As a conclusion to the study, the knowledge-based approach helped develop the intercultural competence of the students through its emphasis on integrating theoretical with applicable strategies, and these strategies proved to be essential in closing the gap between theory and practice (2001).   Moreover, in countries where ethnic diversity is on the rise, whether due to political upheavals, economic conditions, climactic catastrophes, shifting populations, or simply increased contact among people of different backgrounds, successful relationships with friends, neighbors and intercultural partners depend on the ability to deal with differences in a positive manner. From the arena of international business to family life, there is an increasing need to be able to deal effectively and appropriately with diversity, whether ethnic, racial, religious, or cultural. With this, international and intercultural educational organizations play an important role, and this is to provide not only pleasant and productive educational experiences form their participants, but also to indirectly affect their families, neighbors, and communities. Organizations, such as the World Learning provide important intercultural educational experiences, where participants develop intercultural competencies that help them become more effective in their chosen fields, whether in social work, education, politics, business, or others (2000). Furthermore, in order for one to truly become intercultural competent, it is important to learn about an individual’s own culture and about other cultures. One way is to cultivate relationships with individual who can serve as cultural informants, or people whom a person can question about the culture and verify perceptions. Another way is to attend cultural events in communities to learn about rituals and values, and demonstrate interest to members of that culture’s community. Finally, one can be flexible in his or her intercultural interactions by reserving judgments about behaviors and intentions until he or she understands the cultural context in which they were generated ( 2006).   Conclusion             Education and environmental influence are essential in the development of intercultural competence and communication. In academic institutions, students are taught to become intercultural competent through discussions and activities, while in the community, individuals are developed to become intercultural competent through real-life associations and communication. Intercultural communication determines intercultural competence, for if an individual does not have the skills and interest to communicate, then he or she will never desire to develop his or her knowledge and skills to become more competent.             Intercultural competence does not only mean the ability of an individual to express his or her views and opinions intellectually. It also means that he or she must be developed wholistically to be able to understand and respect the culture, religion, beliefs, and practices of other individuals in the society. This concept means that an intercultural competent person is intelligent and at the same time respectful and open-minded regarding the issues and changes happening in his or her community. Without open-mindedness and ethno-relativism, knowledge regarding other cultures will not be applied effectively, and opens opportunities for racial discrimination and injustice in the society. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Intercultural Communication

Intercultural Communication Educating for Intercultural Competence Introduction The globe is no longer divided by arti...

ESSAY ON DOCUMENTARY AND REALIST PHOTOGRAPHY

DOCUMENTARY AND REALIST PHOTOGRAPHY       Society has always been in the turmoil of sickness, injury, disability, death, old age, unemployment and poverty. These problems have led men to unite with a common to goal – to manage these circumstances in the sense of protecting people or their country from experiencing these problems, or providing support to those who are experiencing it. Hence, social management has been the tool that social workers use to maintain the welfare of a certain community: physically, emotionally, financially and even spiritually. Such management involves risks for it deals with the development of a certain society, which concerns a vast number of individuals. Risk management is an example of social management. According to Al-Arhabi (2002), “the application of risk management framework goes well beyond social protection since many public interventions such as sound macroeconomic policy, good governance and access to basic education and health care all help to reduce and mitigate risk and hence vulnerability.” Al-Arhabi basically interprets social management, or social risk management as something that is much better than social protection. He further explains that lacking or inappropriate social risk management instruments will negatively impact economic development and growth that can perpetuate poverty, or increase the level of poverty.   There have been many forms of instruments that social workers, government officials, and other concerned citizens have used to instigate social management and express their sympathy to the society. One of which, is the art of photography. Photography is a way of seeing of what is happening around one’s environment of society for it captures one decisive moment in time. The Farm Security Administration (FSA) of America has used this form of art to conquer poverty in a subtle way, simply by taking pictures of certain moments that would have an emotional appeal to those who would take notice. Such action could be considered as a covert form of social management.   The FSA was organized in the 1920’s because to fight the “social and economic dislocations caused by the distressing agricultural climate.” (Gorman, 2001).  The organization has provided a body of documentary photography commonly known as the FSA photographs.  Although it was not the primary work of FSA, it is, however, arguably the most recognized legacy of the agency. Walker Evans, one of FSA’s photographers, once commented on the principle in photography that his colleague Agee used. He said that Agee wanted to “shock and scare people. He wanted to make people who were not poor. . . really feel what it was like to be up against it.” (Curtis, 1989) Agee was Evan’s main influence in photography. Like Agee, Evans faced different problems in expressing his social concern. He struggled to capture realism in photography, and fortunately was able to achieve it. Curtis (1989) states that “… He produced precisely the effects he intended. In so doing, he helped perpetuate popular misconceptions that cameras do not lie and that photographs are true because they are mechanical reproductions of reality. Documentary photography derived its power and authority from artful manipulations of these fictions. “   As one of the photographers that FSA hired, Evans’ task was or public relations; he was supposed to provide visual evidence that there was need, and that the FSA programs were meeting that need. This was the fact that Gorman (2001) has described. “Beyond serving this institutional image, the photographers were to document aspects of ‘the American way of life’ that caught their eye.” Basically, the indignity of migrant living conditions was the reality that FSA photographers had captured. Their social work is one of the most widely used sets of images in the public domain. It continues to be used in documentaries and social commentaries about America’s rural past (Trachtenberg, 1989).     According to Huff (1998), a unique element of the social work profession has been its ability to blend skill technique, and theory with art. The word “art” refers to the emotional component of social work practice that is essential for success. Huff continued that “feelings are just as essential to the understanding of social problems as they are to understanding individual instances of domestic violence or homelessness.” As an admirer of the art of the FSA, and at the same time agreeing with the group’s objective, he also states that “… Adding visual elements to our communications will help professional social workers move beyond communicating with other experts and social workers and reach the wider audience that the social work advocacy mission demands.” This comment simply implies that FSA’s work, as a symbolical medium of communication, can trigger emotions as it convinces others to understand the problems of the society and how to act upon it. FSA’s documentary photography can also be considered as a mean of social management to create a national identity for America. National identity is a factor of social concern because it can be the basis of a society’s strength. Brady (1999) states that:   “Historians that herald the decade of the 1930s as the one in which America forged its national culture have added much to an understanding of 20th century America. It is the goal of this project, however, to demonstrate that even in Stryker’s work–a project charged with creating a national identity–regional identity could never be fully subverted. America, even today, is a constant negotiation of more local and national ways, and the American ever defies conventional definition; the FSA project, for its critical timing and its great breadth, provides an excellent set of lenses through which to view these phenomena.” (Brady, 1999, p.1)               National identity creates confidence to the members of the society and any actions done to achieve this can be considered as a form of social management, perhaps in a covert way, because it unintentionally gave America a national heritage that they can be proud of, and at the same time illustrates the face of America in that time, which can serve as a reminder of economic difficulties. Brady (1999) cites that documentary photographers were not just “chasing the truth,” rather they “… were after a particular reaction from the people observing the photograph. Being that documentary photography’s primary appeal is to the emotions, it oddly enough proved a particularly manipulative vehicle…” Such manipulative vehicle can be a free ride to unity and social stability. It has been. Brady (1999)continues:   “Charged with showing the extent of the depression’s economic disaster and the effectiveness of FSA programs to alleviate it, Stryker (one of FSA’s most profound photographers) possessed a very specific motive, and by the end of his run he had more than a quarter million photographs in which to express it. Through film, radio, and magazines, the 1930s represented in many ways the advent of American mass culture, and the FSA photographs–circulated in exhibits, newspapers, and picture magazines–became a primary crucible in which the American identity would be shaped.” (Brady, 1999, p.1)               To sum it all up, the documentary photography of the FSA can be considered as a covert form of social management simply because it managed to shape the identity of America. By reflecting the poverty that America has faced in the 1920’s and 1930’s, it has created an appeal that have captured the hearts of Americans, as it captured the American way of life. As compared to other social management motives, the purpose of the FSA photography is unique in its own way because it did not only stand as a tool for social awakening in many circumstances to Americans. It also stood as the “divine hand” that has shaped the identity of America to what it is now.   References   Al-Arhabi, Abdulkarim (2002). Poverty and Social Risk Management in Yemen. Oxford University Press of the World Bank, Yemen     Brady, Pat (1999). Out of One, Many. xroads.virginia.edu, USA.   Curtis, James (1989). Mind’s Eye, Mind’s Truth: FSA Photography Reconsidered. Temple University Press, Philadelphia.     Gorman, Juliet (2001) Farm Security Administration Photography Home.  Oxford University Press     Huff, Daniel D. (1998).  Every picture tells a story. Social Work. Volume: 43. Issue: 6. COPYRIGHT 1998 National Association of Social Workers; COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group     Trachtenberg, A. (1989). Reading American photographs. New York: Hill & Wang. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

ESSAY ON DOCUMENTARY AND REALIST PHOTOGRAPHY

DOCUMENTARY AND REALIST PHOTOGRAPHY Society has always been in the turmoil of sickness, injury, disability, death, old age, unem...

WEAK-FORM EFFICIENCY

No excess returns can be earned by using investment strategies based on historical share prices or other financial data. Weak-form efficiency implies that Technical analysis will not be able to produce excess returns. To test for weak-form efficiency it is sufficient to use statistical investigations on time series data of prices. In a weak-form efficient market current share prices are the best, unbiased, estimate of the value of the security. The only factor that affects these prices is the introduction of previously unknown news. News is generally assumed to occur randomly, so share price changes must also therefore be random. Notice that this looks stationary and quite random: a pattern that we previously fitted with the mean model. Hence, the forecasting model suggested by this plot is …where alpha is the mean of the first difference , i.e., the average change one period to the next. If we rearrange this equation to put Y(t) by itself on the left, we get: Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

WEAK-FORM EFFICIENCY

No excess returns can be earned by using investment strategies based on historical share prices or other financial data. W...