International Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

International Business Environment - Essay Example Once a British colony, Kuwait's independence was granted in 1961. Throughout, its economy's survival is almost entirely bolstered by its oil production and sales. With the income, the government can have considerable support for its revenues, and attract in foreign workers (Factsheet, 2007). When Iraq under Saddam Hussein absorbed Kuwait in the 1990s, Iraq was overthrown from the country by a US-led military coalition, an event known as the 1991 Gulf war. With that aid, Kuwait became a close ally of the US (Factsheet, 2007). As IMF and the World Bank encouraged most of the countries to do, Kuwait opened to foreign capital and vied for international investment starting from the 1990s. Mainly, Kuwait's strategy is to produce and sell as much oil as they can worldwide that it would become largely, the sole provider of the world's oil and US would certainly have it in its interests. (Pfeifer, 2002) Being the fourth largest producer now, this isn't a far-fetch goal. FDI had been advocated by many to be the boost developing economies need in order to progress sustainably. Globalization through FDI is a mainstream event since the 90s. But policymakers in Kuwait as in the other developing countries are not aware that when their economic fundamentals do not match what is needed for this increase in FDI, however many the incentives they offer to attract FDI , they would just go to waste. But, internationalization through exports is Kuwait's overriding strategy; it is a country looking toward development by globalizing through FDI. (Nunnenkamp, 2001) Kuwait's Foreign Direct Investment A costly financial initiative like the later-to-be-discussed FDI Law is implemented because Kuwait anticipates the potential benefits to outweigh these costs. But the view's shortcoming is that Kuwait, like the others, cannot be sure if FDI really could do much in gearing them towards development. After all, the impact of FDI relies on many

Exploring Another Ethnicity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Exploring Another Ethnicity - Essay Example I wondered if my friends would identify a mosque as a different place as I thought the church was at that particular time. Having been brought up in a deeply rooted Islamic culture, I had never associated myself with any other religion before but I knew about their existence. My prior knowledge concerning Christianity and the urge to prove what really happens in other religions however helped me to gain some confidence, which could not be sufficient to withstand uneasiness. I thought it unfair to have religious differences such as one religion dominating a particular region of the world. As an Arab amongst the congregation, I appeared odd and abandoned due to the hijab I was wearing unlike the warmly and familiar feeling I usually have when I attend mosques. In fact, at some point I could hide my face when I realized that someone within the congregation was staring at me. The similarity between the church and the mosque is that the attendees recognize their way of worshipping and rel igious status as the best compared to others. There is uniformity in the way Christians and Muslims carry out their prayers when they are in their prayer gatherings. Christians do have a pastor who conducts the prayers as it is in mosques where there are Imams guiding Muslims in worship. Additionally, there are two different holy books used by the two distinctively different religions by their respective followers in worshiping. Interestingly, the two different religions believe in God whom they respect and fear (Stefon, 2010). Quran and Bible share most of the stories especially in the Old Testament such as the stories of Moses and Abraham that really connects the two religions. I further realized that Christians also believe in continuous prayers at specific times such as in the evening and early mornings just like Muslims. Additionally, both religions do have almost similar believe concerning family issues such as women submitting to their husbands and prohibition of sex before m arriage. However, there are numerous beliefs that both religions do not agree on such as the existence of trinity according to Christians’ beliefs and the fact that Jesus is a son of God as claimed by Christians. Muslims believe that Jesus was a human prophet and not divine as claimed by Christians and that there is only one God who is the creature of the universe. Muslims further believe that God who is referred to, as Allah is the father to everyone and that there is nothing special or divine about Jesus that should make him worshiped directly or indirectly. Muslims also believe in original sin and that Jesus did not die on the cross to save humanity from sin but instead God made it to appear so. Christians strongly believe in salvation in the name of Jesus to cleanse their original sins that Muslims are strongly opposed to (Ra?isa?nen 2010). My perception towards Christianity is influenced by the Islamic belief that Jesus was not God’s begotten son hence should not be worshiped as Christians do since he was just a prophet and a great teacher. Additionally, Muslims consider that calling Jesus God or son of God is blasphemy and that there is no day God’s word has never existed. Muslims do not believe that Jesus died for our sins as claimed by Christians that all their (Christians) sins were forgiven after the death of Jesus on the cross. Muslims regard themselves as perfect and the true

Effectiveness Of Information Technology On Supply Chain Management

Effectiveness Of Information Technology On Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Management is the concept known as the management of the materials and the information across all the partners within an industry including customers customers and suppliers suppliers. Supply Chain Management introduces the initiatives for competitive advantages to companies and it reinforces the use of technology for more accurate and faster communication among supply chain partners. The field of supply chain management has become tremendously important to companies in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. The term supply chain refers to the entire network of companies that work together to design, produce, deliver, and service products ( Hausman, 2001) Generally speaking, the supply chain is the sequence of enterprises from suppliers to end customers. The National Research Council refers to it is an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..association of customers and suppliers who, working together yet in their own best interest, buy, convert, distribute and sell goods and services among themselves resulting in the creation of a specific end product ( National Resource Council, 2000) According to the Mentzer Supply chain management is defined as the systemic, strategic coordination of the traditional business functions within a particular company and across businesses within the supply chain, for the purposes of improving the long-term performance of the individual companies and the supply chain as a whole. (Mentzer et al.,2001 in www.emeraldinsight.com) Companies cannot work for themselves and are hence automatically part of at least one supply chain. The key participants are the manufacturers and their respective suppliers that collaborate to create and support the end-product as well as the customers that purchase the latter. A typical supply chain comprises the following layers.( Werner, 2002) Primary producer Multiple tiers suppliers Ones own company Intermediary trade in the form of wholesale and retail End-users A supply chain is the process of moving goods from the customer order through the raw materials stage, supply, production, and distribution of products to the customer. All organisation have supply chains of varying degrees, depending upon the size of the organisation and the type of product manufactured. These networks obtain supplies and components, change these materials into finished products and then distribute them to the customer. Managing the chain of events in this process is what is known as supply chain management. ( Ligus, 1999) The bullwhip effect is a major cause of supply chains problems. It describes how small fluctuations in demand at the customer level are amplified as orders pass up the supply chain through distributors, manufacturer, and suppliers. As an example consider disposable diapers. Babies generally consume diapers at a more or less consistent rate when aggregated over a large group of customers. Nevertheless, order fluctuations invariably become considerably larger as one moves upstream in this supply chain. Consequences of the bullwhip effect can be severe, including excess and fluctuating inventories, shortages and stock outs, longer lead times, higher transportation and manufacturing costs, and mistrust between supply chain partners.(Fisher, 1997) The Supply Chain Operation Model (SCOR) was designed to enable companies to communicate, compare and learn from competitors both within and outside of their industry. It only measures supply chain performance but also effectiveness of supply chain reengineering. Further it has the ability to test and plan future process improvements. The SCOR is a process reference model. Process reference models integrate the well-known concepts of business process reengineering, benchmarking, and process measurement into a cross functional framework( SCC,2001) The evaluation of supply chain management information technology enables companies to integrate activities and organisations that were previously separate. Inside a larger organisation the key element for forging new efficient processes is sharing data between functions in real time. The objective is to eliminate administrative tasks that were develop when information could only be shared by sending documents between these areas. ( Eloranta, E Holmstrom, J et al., 2001) Information technologies are no longer considered as nice to have instead it is believed that is a must. Whoever uses the information technologies effectively in managing his business will have more chance to succeed in todays world. Capturing the necessary data is one part of the race but filtering and changing the data into information effectively is the most important concept. Companies produce vast amounts of data everyday but they require advance tools to manipulate the data to reach the informative data which helps to manage their business. The purpose of this research is to introduce the supply chain management concept and initiatives; and point the information technologies used in this area to achieve the expected benefits from the management of a supply chain. It emphasis how information technologies effect supply chain management and how can it be used to manage the supply chain more effectively. In this piece of work, the basics of Supply chain management and the initiatives of the supply chain management are being described. The effects of information technologies, as the inevitable backbone of the supply chain management, will be explained in detail. 3. Rationale for Chosen Topic: Companies strive to improve market share, grow corporate profit, and gain strategic advantage. In order to achieve these goals, supply chain competency must be placed at the heart of a companys business model. Firms realize that the competition is driven by customer demand. Effective supply chain management can offer customers high quality products and services with low prices. Effective SCM can help lower production and distribution costs through seamless cooperation between business partners in their supply chain. The big retail chains have fought to a standstill in price wars over the last decade. Now they are realising that the lending edge IT is an invaluable weapon in the battle for market share ( Masters) 4. Research Questions: Formulating a series of questions adds clarity to the research process. Therefore, the fundamental questions for the proposed research topic are: What are the benefits of IT on management of supply chain? What are the effects of IT system on supply chain management? What are the benefits of vendor managed inventory in supply chain management? 5. Research Objectives: The research objectives explain the purpose of the research and define standards for what the researcher is going to do. The objectives specify the information needed to accomplish the research process. The aim of this research is to gain a better understanding of supply chain management and how affect IT on management of Supply Chain by analyzing the vendor managed inventory (VMI). This VMI concept will be introduced and its benefits to supply chain management 6. Literature Review: Information is crucial to supply chain performance because it provides the foundation on which supply chain processes execute transactions and managers make decisions. Without information, a manager will not know what customer want, how much inventory in stock, and when more products should be produced and shipped. In short, without information a manager can only make a decision blindly. Therefore, information makes the supply chain visible to a manager. Given the role of information in a supply chains success, managers must understand how information is gathered and analysed. This is where IT comes into play. IT consists of the hardware and software throughout a supply chain that gathers, analyses, and acts on information. It serves as the eyes and ears of management in a supply chain, capturing and analysing the information necessary to make a good decision. Using IT systems to capture and analyse information can have a significant impact on a firms performance. For example, a major manufacturer of computer work-stations and serves found that much of the information on customer demand was not being used to set production schedules and inventory levels. The manufacturing group lacked this demand information, which forced them to make inventory and production decisions blindly. By installing a supply chain software system, the company was able to gather and analyse data to produce recommended stocking levels. Using the IT system enabled the company to cut its inventory in half because managers could now make decisions based on information rather than educated guesses. Large impacts like this underscore the importance of IT as a driver of supply chain performance. (Chopra, S. and Meindl, P., 2001) An efficient way to improve the effectiveness of SCM is to use Information Technology (IT). IT-solutions improve the integration with other actors in the supply chain and make the business processes more effective. This is done by reorganizing the processes and automating the information-flow between the businesses involved (Wu et al., 2004). Information technology has developed in a very fast pace in the area of supply chain management. This has generated new tools and solutions to handle the information sharing between different actors in supply networks. These types of supply chain technologies are of great current interest which is indicated by a research made by AMR Research Inc. The research indicates that nearly $15 billion been spent on SCM software since 1999 in the US alone (Ruppel, 2004). The most typical role of IT in SCM is reducing the friction in transaction between supply chains partners through cost-effective information flow. Conversely, IT is more importantly viewed to have a role in supporting the collaboration and coordination of supply chains through information sharing. Present IT as one of the key cures for bullwhip effect in supply chains. IT can be used for decision support. In this instance the analytical power of computers is used to provide assistance to managerial decisions. (www.emeraldinsight.com) Supply chain management is a vital part of the search for competitive advantage, today there is a wide range of software technologies that help to provide lean and efficient supply chains. All of which enable data, which might previously have been seen half way around the world by mail, to be delivered almost instantly with little cost or effort. (Johannson, M., 2003) A fast development of information technology has given the information flow within the supply chain a more central role than before. IT is a very important component within supply chain management and the development of IT has created many new opportunities for managing the supply chain. (Paulsson, U., Nilsson, C-H., Tryggestad, K., 2000) The internet is seen as the next big supply chain opportunity as it has gained increased reliability and security over recent years. As businesses have gained experience of this technology they are now able to take full advantage of sales automation through the internet. (Johannson, M., 2003) The supply chain absorbs as much as 60 to 80 percent of a sales dollar. Therefore it is of great importance to evaluate and analyze how the supply chain activities can be done more efficiently. This thesis focuses towards these types of activities, when a real-time IT-Logistics solution is implemented within the supply chain. This is done by many companies and the supply chain is becoming more and more essential to the firms competitive strategy. (Ballou, R. H., 2004) Information Technology (IT) is playing an increasingly critical role in the success or failure of the supply chain. IT ranks highly as the essential ingredient and backbone for the success of supply chain integration.(Barut, M., Faisst, W., and Kanet, J.J., 2002). IT has become one of the keys to operating success. It is impossible to achieve an effective supply chain without IT. Since suppliers are located all over the world, it is essential to integrate the activities both inside and outside of an organization. This requires an integrated information system (IS) for sharing information on various value-adding activities along the supply chain. (Gunasekaran, A. and Ngai, E.W.T., 2004) As customer demand steadily increases the importance of the application of information technology became clear, However success is not guaranteed by the technology itself, but by its application. (Eloranta, E Holmstrom, J., 2001) Over time, there have been numerous initiatives that have attempted to create efficiency and effectiveness through integration of supply chain activities and process. They have been identified by names such as quick response, electronic data interchange ( EDI), short cycle manufacturing, vendor-manage inventory (VMI), continuous-replenishment planning ( CRP), and efficient consumer response (ECR). (Coyle, J.J, Bardi, E.J., Langley, C.J., 2003) Electronic Data interchange ( EDI) allows companies to place instantaneous, paperless purchase orders with suppliers. EDI is not only efficient, but it also decreases the time needed to get products to customers as transaction can occur more quickly and accurately than when they are paper based. (Chopra, S. and Meindl, P., 2001) Prior to installing EDI many retail outlets would place orders for goods during stock out situations. For manufacturers this meant unpredictable peaks and falls in the order process, therefore making it difficult to establish a manufacturing cycle for their products. Retailers would stock up at the beginning of the season and face increasing stockholding costs plus the risk of having to mark down products at the end of the season to make way for new products. (Stafford, J., 1997) Continuous Replenishment Program (CRP) is an efficient replenishment concept within the Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) arena. It focuses on improving the flow of products in the supply chain, both forward to the customer and eventually the end customer, and backward to the supplier.(Ahlerup, T., 2001) Vendor manage inventory process can be defined as A mechanism where the supplier creates the purchase orders based on the demand information exchanged by the retailer/ customer To say this is a simple terms, VMI is a backward replenishment model where the supplier does the demand creation and demand fulfilment. In this model, instead of the customer managing his inventory and deciding how much to fulfil and when, the supplier does. The Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) concept is one type of joint chain scheduling which takes care of the customers demand. This leads to increased flexibility for the supplier and efficient replenishment for the customer. (Vollmann, T. E., et al 2005) In order to make this work, it is necessary to have compatible systems that can support several standards of information flows from different actors. According to Vollmann this can be done through an open IT-architecture with a common platform for all actors within the network. VMI also helps by conveying customer demand data to the manufacturer, who can then plan production accordingly. This helps improve manufacturer forecasts and better match manufacturer production with customer demand. (Chopra, S. and Meindl, P., 2001) Vendor managed inventory (VMI) is a technique that allows suppliers to be empowered by managing inventories of agreed-upon items. VMI is now a widely practiced initiative in the retail industry. For example, Procter and Gamble (PG) and Wal-Mart have developed well-functioned VMI systems. A Web-based VMI system, in which the suppliers monitor inventory information via the Internet and replenish the items according to a predetermined contract, will improve customer service, reduce inventory buffers, reduce administrative costs, and reduce uncertainty for the supplier. The literature review identifies that IT is expected to have a pivotal role in managing supply chains, now and in the future. In fact it seems that the use of IT is crucial, especially in fast-moving industries, and particularly for managing contemporary supply networks. Moreover, the close relationship of the concept of SCM and IT sometimes makes it hard to assess which one contributes benefits. For example implementing a VMI model with EDI information transmission can lead to substantial reduction of inventories and at the same time increase material availability. 7. Research Methodology: The research design phase starts with the election of research methodology for the proposed study. The objectives of the study, the availability of information, cost of obtaining data, and appropriateness of the topic determines the research methodology used for the study. As the research is exploratory in nature, Qualitative research will be deemed more appropriate by choosing a case study, exploration of question of what the benefits of IT in SCM are. For the purpose of this investigation many different forms of primary research will be gathered by doing email and telephone interview. The goal is to understand the current state of IT implementations in SCM and what practical benefit they have recognised in SCM. Through the gathering of this primary research the information is mainly qualitative, this type of research does not involve numbers and figures or analysis of part performance but rather finding out peoples opinions and feelings, this type research also becomes increasingly important as a way of trying to predict further into the future. ( Dooley, D. Dransfield, et.al.1999) I will also use secondary data from the previous researcher, surveys and some contemporary issues. Secondary information will be used as a starting point for the further primary research, therefore it will be used in a majority of the research, this is due to the limitation of primary research and there is also a great deal of valuable information available through secondary research that the researcher fell need to be included, as it provides a good foundation for which to compare primary information and will therefore ensure validity. 8. Data Collection Methods: The data collection or gathering process is the stage in which the researcher collects data about the proposed topic. In this study, primary and secondary data collection method will be used to identify the nature of the problem. The articles from the business journals, the business books and other publicized material will be investigated to present the ideas of different academics on the issue of managing strategic change. Their findings on the issue will be included and research process and the comparison of opposite ideas will be based on the ideas of these academics. Athens Online Journals, University Libraries, Barnet Libraries, City Business Library , and British Library will be used to collect the required articles and books for the investigation. 9. Data Analysis: This is the stage where the researcher accomplishes several procedures to transform the data into useful information which helps answering the management problem and phenomenon. The proposed data analysis approach is qualitative data analysis method for this research. Data obtained through email surveys and telephone interview, various text books, journals and articles will be critically analysed by using a structured and systematic approach. The first aim here is to approach to the concept systematically and rigorously by doing so. The second aim is to establish a relationship between different ideas and structure them to reach to a conclusion. 10. Resource Requirements: The library facilities will be helpful to find sources such as published copies, course books, journals and samples. Internet is the most powerful source to gather information about companies, published copies, journals, samples, literature and secondary data. The other researches about the same subjects will be obtained through Internet websites and library.

Ethics :: Informative, Good, Evil

Ethics is defined as the knowledge of the principles of good and evil. Sensitivity to ethical issues should be prerequisite for any profession that holds public trust. Nursing holds a public trust and therefore we must be aware of ethical concerns when dealing with patients (Barry, 2002). Ethical dilemmas such as consent force nurses to decide on possible actions to take. By discussing the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence and applying the ethical theories I hope to make it clear how nurses justify their actions. My understanding of ethical accountability is that I am answerable to myself; I must always be truthful, fair and respectful and I believe I must treat others as I would like to be treated. Nurses faced with an ethical dilemma have to decide which possible action is the right action to take and how choice of this action over others is justified (Singleton and McLaren, 1995). During the module we have looked at various ethical models including Seedhouse’s Ethical Grid (1998) and Curtin’s Ethical Decision Making Model (1982) which provide guidance toward the resolution of clinical dilemmas; some of the aspects of these models will be evolved in the next section of this assignment. Rumbold (1999) insists that respect for a person’s autonomy is one of the crucial principles in nursing ethics and ethical models. Gillon (1986, pp.56) defines autonomy as â€Å"the capacity to think, decide, and act on the basis of such thought and decision, freely and independently and without let or hindrance†. Therefore, it can be said that patients can expect to be fully informed of any methods of treatment available to them, in order to exercise their rights to consent to or refuse such treatment. In order for a nurse to fully respect patients autonomy, she must respect whatever decision the patient makes, and to act otherwise is to disregard the patient as an autonomous being (Fletcher et al., 1995). Fletcher, Holt, Brazier et al. (1995) discuss that when considering patient well-being, nurses may demonstrate paternalism towards their patients. Paternalism is to believe that it is right to make a decision for someone without taking into consideration those person s wishes, or even to override their wishes; therefore overriding autonomy. This happens all the more in Mental Health and Learning Disability services because people assume that they may not have capacity to make decisions for themselves. Singleton and Mclaren (1995) suggest that justification for nursing interventions rest on the concept that the principle of beneficence and non-maleficence takes precedence over considerations of respect for the patient’s autonomy.

Graffiti: Class or Collapse of Art? Essay

Graffiti means writing on wall. Anything marking or writing, on anything is a common practice for humans right from the time when they learned to do so. It is not easy to get rid of the habit, but a section of refined society now gets angry at that and calls it a social problem, besides naming it as graffiti vandalism. Therefore this essay looks at this problem and tries to explain why graffiti serves more than it harms. Broad Meaning of Graffiti Though the latest Wordpower Dictionary defines graffiti as â€Å"unauthorized writing or drawing on a surface in a public place† (Graffiti, 2008), in reality, the word contains more meanings, where it includes any expression on any surface. This is an age-old practice, and once it was the only way for people to release emotions or to share ideas. Even the word ‘graffiti’ is taken from the old Greek word ‘grafficar’, â€Å"which generally means drawings, markings, patterns, scribbles, or messages†, in â€Å"written, painted or carved form on any surface† (Stowers, 1997). Thus, graffiti can be defined as a visible example of human expression, ranging from cave drawing to the scribbles on road. But there is more. It also has high utility and artistic value. Actually the practice of graffiti and the desire to improve it has helped the development of art in many ways. Therefore it would be unfair to see graffiti in the light of vandalism. One should consider the role of graffiti in the society as a whole – where it informs, educates and entertains people, besides passing all food for thought. It is true that everyone wants to be noticed, and that wish sometimes gives birth to odd wall writings or bad messages. But that is just a little part of graffiti, which has developed as a serious art over the years. However, there is a link between random graffiti and the development of fine art. In fact this random graffiti practice by the teenagers in 1960s gave birth to graffiti art – which gradually has risen to rank after it took the cue from the teens of New York who would ‘tag’ or write their names and addresses on the body of subway cars. Soon the normal improvising tendency of humans followed, which added spray painting into it, gradually various styles of writing came up, followed by local and regional styles. With time, this flow of events pushed graffiti from casual art to a serious art. And this wave of artful declaration even created a genre of artists who would devote their skills on numerous surfaces except the conventional canvases or other objects recognized as the carrier of art, like piece of wood or metal, etc. Thus subway scribbles grew into subway art, and then moved on towards many directions – converting trains, cars, boundary walls or public places into static or moving exhibition of various expressions – some of them would be praised, while some would draw public anger for carrying wrong message at wrong place or for being an artless wonder or painting the town red with spray painting. Value of Graffiti Graffiti is valuable on many grounds and the majority of the society accepts that. Otherwise it could not have reached such a great height. Today graffiti artists are in great demand where they are commissioned to do the beautification of large areas or open spaces, trains, bridges etc. It is now an established fact that graffiti provides much needed relief to the mind with its ‘homely’ or ‘comely’ effect. It can provide a food for thought too – especially if it contains serious social messages like anti-drugs, anti-smoking or anti aids. Why it is Criticized Today? Much like other areas of life, graffiti art too is blamed when it does anything that hurts public mind. Bathroom scribbles are not, by any means graffiti art, yet they belong to the rank of graffiti, so are the self-expressions that make their way to the neighbors’ boundary walls or even terraces. These are pure vandalisms, not graffiti art, these acts cannot be supported, even if some of such works look beautiful or hints about the promise of future Picassos or Rembrands in their creators. Art at the cost of others suffering cannot be supported, and from this angle graffiti is sometimes criticized mainly because of the wrong selection of ‘canvases’, which belong to someone else or belong to public. However, this practice of mischievous art is age old too – there are plenty of proofs across the globe where ancient graffitists stamped their mark on the places of interest – even â€Å"archaeologists have found ancient graffiti on the great pyramid at Giza in Egypt, on walls of Pompeii† (Graffiti, 2008). How Graffiti Fulfills the Preconditions of Art Leaving aside the little faction of scribblers, the real graffitists work even harder than the conventional artists at times. Graffiti art too takes no less imagination, skill, planning and hard work to produce an expression over unconventional canvas. However, like a twist in the tale, quite a few of graffitists made their mark after such roadside stints in their teens. As for example, James Top, a graffiti artist now known as â€Å"Train muralist† (Carlson, 2008), who in his own words, had started his apprenticeship in graffiti at the age of 12 years when he joined the gang of graffitists, who would spare no house in the neighborhood from their ‘projects’. James has come a long way from writing his names on the building walls to create murals for the trains. This gives another twist to the debate – even childhood tagging can spark the artist in a person – and it is still really unknown that how many of today’s famous artists taught themselves through this mischievous dose of adventurism. The working methods or the principles of drawing or painting, all are equally applicable to graffiti art like any painting job, especially if it involves spray painting (Chalfant et al. , 1987), besides the application of the tricks of varying perspective or other fine touches of art. Graffiti art has also come a long way establish numerous branches of application. It also has its own language, like â€Å"Crew†, â€Å"Writers†, or â€Å"King†, â€Å"Queen†, etc. , which indicates a thorough cultivation of this form of art (Farrell, 1994). It’s Not Terrorism Anyway No matter how much a dull, black scribble on a white wall creates visual pollution, it’s not a third degree offense as to arrest the person for antisocial act. In fact this inherent habit of humans to commit nuisance command a fresh look at the subject itself, because this habit is not limited into graffiti vandalism only, it equally works at eve-teasing or street vandalism. Thus it would be unfair to push graffiti from the rank of art on account of a common human habit that shows up in all other areas of life. On the other hand, if someone wants to look at this subject from a considerate point of view, one would surely discover that not everyone could rise to a stature of finished painter, though inwardly wishing to be one – and thus it’s that deep, unfulfilled desire eventually makes way to such nuisance. Nuisance is, however is not as menace as terrorism and it does not make sense to blame a form of art only because any visible human expression technically can be included in its category. Possible Reasons Behind Such Acts Under the blame-game, one important question often takes a backseat – Is it good to block the age-old learning habit by practicing art in an open space? Even in the ancient times the artists and painters practiced their skills over the rocks or any other places that would prove suitable to their chosen form of expression. Those days are gone. Now cities are crying for space, where the skyscrapers block the skyline. From this angle, graffiti vandalism could be seen as a side effect of too much urbanization. Mirror Reflection Off late, a term like reverse graffiti is often being heard, referring to a â€Å"number of street artists around the world have started expressing themselves on the soot covered surfaces through images, tags or positive slogans on environment† (Chapman, 2007). This proves a point in favor of the graffiti artists – not all of them supports graffiti vandalism. Since these artists are over their teens, it indicates that most of the graffiti vandalisms are mostly the immature enthusiasm of the teenagers. Conclusion There cannot be any doubt that graffiti is an art. It is only a misconception arising out of the wide meaning of the word ‘graffiti’ influences the protesters of graffiti art. Hence it would be wrong to generalize graffiti art as vandalism. However, it is also a fact that even graffiti vandalism has proved to be the breeding ground for future artists – perhaps it is the lack of space or peer influence that encourages the teens (mostly) to ‘tag’ or ‘write’ on walls or public places. In any case, it is not a crime of a great degree – unless it shows it purposefully shows hatred or uses filthy language. Leaving aside these, graffiti art too commands creativity, imagination and skill, besides a desire to meet the challenge to express ideas on an unconventional canvas. Therefore, the writing on the wall is – graffiti will stay, irrespective of recognition or debate, so long the humans would think and want to express their thought. References Carlson, J. 2008. â€Å"James Top, Graffiti Artist†. 1 April 2008. http://gothamist. com/2008/02/18/james_top_graff. php Chapman, M. 2007. â€Å"Reverse Graffiti: Clean Green Street Art†. 1 April 2008. http://www. inhabitat. com/2007/01/11/reverse-graffiti/ Chalfant, H. & Prigorr, J. 1997. â€Å"Spraycan Art†. London: Thames and Hudson. Farrell, S. 1994. â€Å"Graffiti Q &A†. 1 April 2008. http://www. graffiti. org/faq/graffiti_questions. html â€Å"Graffiti: Vandalism posing as art? † 2008. 1 April 2008. http://www. users. bigpond. com/rdoolan/graffiti. html Stowers, G. C. (1997). † Graffiti Art: An Essay Concerning The Recognition of Some Forms of Graffiti As Art†. 1 April 2008. http://www. graffiti. org/faq/stowers. html

Mktg 2101 Red Bull Case Study

MKTG 2101 Consumer Behaviour Case Study -Red Bull: Rampaging through Global Markets 1. What segmentation base has Red Bull adopted to target customers? How should Red Bull further segment the market in the future? Red Bull have adopted a segmentation base strategy relating to market demographics. In particular the company has targeted young active people aged 16 – 29 years. Red Bull also use geography, identifying mainly university students and urban professionals who needed an ‘energy boost’ throughout their busy schedules and activities.Mateschitz’ strategy aimed to target opinion leaders, believing that â€Å"the authority of one alpha bee can influence the buying habits of hundreds†. The Red Bull segmentation strategy also has an important psychographic component, particularly focussing on young people with attitudes, perceptions and lifestyles that are consistent with risk taking, fast paced and energetic behaviours; highlighted with the company motto â€Å"No Red Bull, No Wings†. In order to continue to succeed, I believe that Red Bull must optimise opportunities in the growing economies of India and China.With greater economic freedoms and increased population growth in the middle class there are millions of young people falling into an attractive demographic for the Red Bull product. These young people will be the opinion leaders of the future in their countries, therefore holding the key for a success. Ways in which the company can expand its current activities to begin the process will lie in the correct marketing strategies; in particular I believe that the continued sponsorship of extreme events in these regions will be the perfect way to introduce young people to the product in an exciting new way. . How does Red Bull arouse the motivations of customers to purchase its energy drinks? Red Bull and Mateschitz explain â€Å"we are always looking for a more creative, different point of view† (Dolan 2005) to promote and present the product to the customer. This attitude is consistent with the brand personality and the image of its customers. It is for this reason that the company aligns itself with the young male – fast paced and energetic, interested in extreme sports, risky behaviour and never satisfied with the last thrill.The company too, is never satisfied, continuing sponsorship of extreme sports, owning Formula 1 racing teams and even developing its own sports such as BMX bike riding, Kite Boarding, Freeskiing, paragliding and more! The company is able to continually satisfy the needs of the market, arousing the customer with exciting new promotions and events which challenge the limits of human belief. For example, the Red Bull sponsored BMX events where the riders are attempting and completing unseen tricks and ‘death defying’ acts on a weekly basis.The company has also attempted a viral marketing strategy, in order to get the product to the consumer in a cheap and effective way. However, these efforts are also well calculated, for example, the drivers of the Red Bull VW Beetle are generally extremely good looking females aged 19 – 28 years, attractive and corresponding for the targeted young male. 3. Describe the brand personality of Red Bull. Why do you think the concept of brand personality is so important to Red Bull?Brand personality allows the consumer to develop a meaningful attachment to the product. People do not develop meaningful, long lasting relationships with the thing itself, it is when the consumer is able see the product with a certain persona, with feeling and meaning; it is then that the relationship develops and potentially blossoms. Red Bull and Mateschitz understand this and have created a brand personality that embodies excitement, energy and exhilaration, â€Å"Red Bull isn’t a drink, it’s a way of life†.People are overwhelmed with the image, the amazing aura around the events and the excitement created by the athletes. Young people feel the product, the brand and the colours when they see these competitors doing the amazing things that they aspire to, enshrouded with the simple colours of silver and blue. A clean, refined image burned into their brain, connected to the memories of thrilling moments when their heart was pumping, hands were sweating and adrenalin was frantically pulsating through their bodies.By creating these experiences for their consumer Red Bull are facilitating the development of important relationships with their product. In my opinion, maintaining brand personality and relationships is imperative for Red Bull. Mateschitz himself states, â€Å"We don’t bring the product to the people. We make it available and those who love our style come to us† highlighting his acknowledgement of the importance of people aligning themselves with the brand personality and developing a meaningful and long lasting relationship with the Red Bu ll productReferences * Dolan, K. (2005). The Soda With Buzz. Forbes. com http://www. forbes. com/global/2005/0328/028 print. html * Sciffman, L. , O’Cass, A. , Paladino, A. , D’Alessandro, S. and Bednall, D. 2011. Consumer Behaviour, 5th Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall: Australia * Gschwandtner, G. (2004). The Powerful Sales Strategy Behind Red Bull. Selling Power. September. http://www. sellinpower. com Mktg 2101 Red Bull Case Study MKTG 2101 Consumer Behaviour Case Study -Red Bull: Rampaging through Global Markets 1. What segmentation base has Red Bull adopted to target customers? How should Red Bull further segment the market in the future? Red Bull have adopted a segmentation base strategy relating to market demographics. In particular the company has targeted young active people aged 16 – 29 years. Red Bull also use geography, identifying mainly university students and urban professionals who needed an ‘energy boost’ throughout their busy schedules and activities.Mateschitz’ strategy aimed to target opinion leaders, believing that â€Å"the authority of one alpha bee can influence the buying habits of hundreds†. The Red Bull segmentation strategy also has an important psychographic component, particularly focussing on young people with attitudes, perceptions and lifestyles that are consistent with risk taking, fast paced and energetic behaviours; highlighted with the company motto â€Å"No Red Bull, No Wings†. In order to continue to succeed, I believe that Red Bull must optimise opportunities in the growing economies of India and China.With greater economic freedoms and increased population growth in the middle class there are millions of young people falling into an attractive demographic for the Red Bull product. These young people will be the opinion leaders of the future in their countries, therefore holding the key for a success. Ways in which the company can expand its current activities to begin the process will lie in the correct marketing strategies; in particular I believe that the continued sponsorship of extreme events in these regions will be the perfect way to introduce young people to the product in an exciting new way. . How does Red Bull arouse the motivations of customers to purchase its energy drinks? Red Bull and Mateschitz explain â€Å"we are always looking for a more creative, different point of view† (Dolan 2005) to promote and present the product to the customer. This attitude is consistent with the brand personality and the image of its customers. It is for this reason that the company aligns itself with the young male – fast paced and energetic, interested in extreme sports, risky behaviour and never satisfied with the last thrill.The company too, is never satisfied, continuing sponsorship of extreme sports, owning Formula 1 racing teams and even developing its own sports such as BMX bike riding, Kite Boarding, Freeskiing, paragliding and more! The company is able to continually satisfy the needs of the market, arousing the customer with exciting new promotions and events which challenge the limits of human belief. For example, the Red Bull sponsored BMX events where the riders are attempting and completing unseen tricks and ‘death defying’ acts on a weekly basis.The company has also attempted a viral marketing strategy, in order to get the product to the consumer in a cheap and effective way. However, these efforts are also well calculated, for example, the drivers of the Red Bull VW Beetle are generally extremely good looking females aged 19 – 28 years, attractive and corresponding for the targeted young male. 3. Describe the brand personality of Red Bull. Why do you think the concept of brand personality is so important to Red Bull?Brand personality allows the consumer to develop a meaningful attachment to the product. People do not develop meaningful, long lasting relationships with the thing itself, it is when the consumer is able see the product with a certain persona, with feeling and meaning; it is then that the relationship develops and potentially blossoms. Red Bull and Mateschitz understand this and have created a brand personality that embodies excitement, energy and exhilaration, â€Å"Red Bull isn’t a drink, it’s a way of life†.People are overwhelmed with the image, the amazing aura around the events and the excitement created by the athletes. Young people feel the product, the brand and the colours when they see these competitors doing the amazing things that they aspire to, enshrouded with the simple colours of silver and blue. A clean, refined image burned into their brain, connected to the memories of thrilling moments when their heart was pumping, hands were sweating and adrenalin was frantically pulsating through their bodies.By creating these experiences for their consumer Red Bull are facilitating the development of important relationships with their product. In my opinion, maintaining brand personality and relationships is imperative for Red Bull. Mateschitz himself states, â€Å"We don’t bring the product to the people. We make it available and those who love our style come to us† highlighting his acknowledgement of the importance of people aligning themselves with the brand personality and developing a meaningful and long lasting relationship with the Red Bu ll productReferences * Dolan, K. (2005). The Soda With Buzz. Forbes. com http://www. forbes. com/global/2005/0328/028 print. html * Sciffman, L. , O’Cass, A. , Paladino, A. , D’Alessandro, S. and Bednall, D. 2011. Consumer Behaviour, 5th Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall: Australia * Gschwandtner, G. (2004). The Powerful Sales Strategy Behind Red Bull. Selling Power. September. http://www. sellinpower. com

Free Essays on Freedom Fighters

Freedom Fighters Since humans began their lives on this earth, there has almost always been the presence of hate. People have hated each other because of the way that they live their lives, the way they act, and in countless times, only because of the color of their skin. Here, we have seen the United States discriminate against almost every race; Chinese, Spanish, Russian, and Japanese. Native-Americans, and African-Americans are two groups of people that have probably endured the most discrimination. Native-Americans were pushed out of their land, forced to live in reservations and in many cases give up their unique culture. African-Americans were brought to the United States for white people to use as slaves; even after slavery was banned they were still given almost no rights. While I am sure that almost all Native- Americans and African- Americans wanted to end the discrimination that was going on, not many people stepped forward to fight for their rights, and freedom. Rosa Parks, and Nat Turner were two African-Americans from two different periods of time, and both used different methods of fighting for what they believed in, but still worked to change how they were being treated. Crazy Horse was a Native-American that used methods similar to Nat Turners to fight for the rights of his people, and their land. Together, these three remarkable people worked to change the way that they were being treated, they were determined to lead the lives that they believed they deserved to lead. One day in 1841 in Bear Butte, South Dakota, somewhere around the Black Hills a child who would become one of the most respected Indian chiefs was born to the Oglala Sioux Indians (Kallen 70). This child who was first called Curly because his hair grew in waves, would become known as Crazy Horse because he charged through the arrows of another tribe that the Sioux were fighting (Kallen 77). This was not to be Crazy Horse’s last act of... Free Essays on Freedom Fighters Free Essays on Freedom Fighters Freedom Fighters Since humans began their lives on this earth, there has almost always been the presence of hate. People have hated each other because of the way that they live their lives, the way they act, and in countless times, only because of the color of their skin. Here, we have seen the United States discriminate against almost every race; Chinese, Spanish, Russian, and Japanese. Native-Americans, and African-Americans are two groups of people that have probably endured the most discrimination. Native-Americans were pushed out of their land, forced to live in reservations and in many cases give up their unique culture. African-Americans were brought to the United States for white people to use as slaves; even after slavery was banned they were still given almost no rights. While I am sure that almost all Native- Americans and African- Americans wanted to end the discrimination that was going on, not many people stepped forward to fight for their rights, and freedom. Rosa Parks, and Nat Turner were two African-Americans from two different periods of time, and both used different methods of fighting for what they believed in, but still worked to change how they were being treated. Crazy Horse was a Native-American that used methods similar to Nat Turners to fight for the rights of his people, and their land. Together, these three remarkable people worked to change the way that they were being treated, they were determined to lead the lives that they believed they deserved to lead. One day in 1841 in Bear Butte, South Dakota, somewhere around the Black Hills a child who would become one of the most respected Indian chiefs was born to the Oglala Sioux Indians (Kallen 70). This child who was first called Curly because his hair grew in waves, would become known as Crazy Horse because he charged through the arrows of another tribe that the Sioux were fighting (Kallen 77). This was not to be Crazy Horse’s last act of...