Charity Leaflet; Quaker Homeless Action Essay Example

Charity Leaflet; Quaker Homeless Action Essay Whatever has brought these men and women to our shelter, few that we meet have even the weakest hopes that life may get better. the greatest challenge for Friends is not material. It is to be part, by whatever means, of the process that restores and nourishes self-worth in those who have lost every last grain of it.Quaker Homeless Action (QHA) is a charitable organisation bringing services and friendship to homeless people (rough sleepers) in Britain. Almost all of QHAs income is donated by individuals and Quaker Meetings. In recent years donations have been around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½30,000 each year. QHA does most of its work in London, but the council of QHA are continually seeking to assist like minded charity groups throughout Britain. All QHAs work is done by unpaid volunteers Quakers and non-Quakers except that in recent years an administrator has been employed temporarily each year to help run Quaker Open Christmas.Open ChristmasQuaker Open Christmas is still a main focus for QHA activity. It provides a welcome, food and shelter for homeless people in London over the holiday season. It also gives volunteers an opportunity to learn about the lives and problems of others, and to do something practical in response. QHA works closely with Crisis and with two drug rehabilitation groups, Equinox and Mainliners, which enables them to help house guests and direct them to drug rehabilitation programmes if they wish. This work goes on throughout the year as the other groups are aware of our guests. Some would say that that the QHA are serving the people no one else wants. This is because we do allow dogs and we do not turn someone away who is on drugs although usage at the shelter is forbidden.Tea RunAs an extension of the work traditionally carried out in the days of Toynbee Hall and the soup kitchen at Pott Street Church in the East End, volunteers started taking tea and sandwiches to people sleeping rough in the City and West End in the 1980s.This has continued eve ry Saturday since with volunteers from PMs around. London. QHA provides co-ordination and limited funding. The Tea Run enables Friends to make contact with people who are homeless, a contact which we hope is at least as valuable as the tea and sandwiches. It also carries on the work begun at the Open Christmas.Mobile LibraryAt Christmas, 1999, QHA launched a weekly mobile library serving central London. This enables the homeless people we are serving to have access to books. With no address, they are unable to borrow from local libraries. It is much appreciated. We have had requests for books on subjects ranging from childcare to plumbing, for dictionaries to help in learning English as a foreign language, for a Bible and the Koran, for books on learning about Quakers as well as the expected fiction especially science fiction and fantasy, thrillers and horror. Helping to feed the mind is just as valuable as feeding the stomach. We were fortunate to receive a grant to cover the purc hase and conversion of the van and the first years running costs. Following a letter in The Bookseller, books have been donated by publishers and literary agents as well as by many individuals. On-going help is always needed to process these books for use on the van as well as more volunteers, especially drivers for the runs.We are also carrying leaflets about schemes for poor or non-readers and those those suffering from dyslexia.CampaignsQHA supports the Churches National Housing Coalition (CNHC), which campaigns for Government policies which will help homeless people, and is represented on the Quaker Housing and Social Inclusion Group (HSIG).;Seed MoneyAlthough QHA started in London and most of its activities are still based there, homelessness is not confined to the capital. QHA has provided seed money as well as support and encouragement to help start up projects around the country. These have included support to several rent guarantee schemes, funding for starter packs for new ly housed homeless people to get the basic necessities for their flats, aid to a hostel in short term difficulty and other related projects. We have begun a project in conjunction with BIA Quaker Social Action to provide a guarantee against damage to the property for newly housed young people. Occasionally seed money is available for other projects for homeless people.VolunteersMore volunteers are always needed, to replace people who have had to move on, and to allow for services to be improved and extended. Volunteering is not an easy option. Working with homeless people can be challenging and, increasingly, volunteers are expected to understand, and observe Hygiene and Health and Safety regulations which (rightly) apply as much to a temporary soup kitchen as to the Ritz or a hospital. The rewards, however, can he considerable.New ChallengesIn recent years, in spite of a number of charitable and Government initiatives to combat homelessness, economic circumstances and changing legi slation have combined to make the threat of homelessness more real for many. This has been increased by cuts in Social Service budgets. Newly housed Council tenants, asylum seekers, ex-prisoners and unemployed single people are finding the safety net less supportive than in the past. In the last year, QHA has responded to requests for funding from rent guarantee schemes involving Friends away ftom London, and a shelter for vulnerable young people. We would like to do more, financially and in a practical way, but we are constrained by funding and also by the fact that many of our volunteers are already very stretched.OrganisationQHA is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. This allows us to accept Charities Aid Foundation vouchers. We are governed by a Council of about sixteen Friends and attenders who are guided by an Annual General Meeting. There are many exciting questions about how we can respond to growing needs, what new work we should take on and how Quakers may best contribute. We hope Friends will continue to offer their support and guidance.

Free Essays on Death In Venice

On the Discourse of Desire The progression in the discourse of desire in Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice depicts the shift between the intertwining discourses evident in the novella, beginning with the Apollian discourse to the fateful pathological desire that will evidently end Aschenbach’s life. Aschenbach sets out on his ill-fated journey to Venice, the city of intrigue and mystery, because he desired change, a breakage from his structured and prototypical will. Throughout his journey, Aschenbach encounters several disfigured men whom have been referred to as â€Å"gondolier figures.† These gondolier figures embody the concept of transportation of either spiritual or physical will that later becomes the underlining theme of Aschenbach’s transformation. Upon settling into his Venetian hotel, Aschenbach ventures into the hotel’s parlor where he first meets Tadzio. He is completely captivated by the boy’ beauty, â€Å"his face, pale and gracefully reserved†¦framed by honey-colored curls†¦lovely mouth†¦an expression of exquisite, divine solemnity† (21). Aschenbach’s admiration is from a purely artistic stance by mentally framing the boy’s face, â€Å"the temples and ears richly and rectangularly framed by soft dusky curls† (25). Aschenbach views Tadzio as a work of art, an inspiration for his distinguished writing to â€Å"work in the presence of Tadzio, to use the boy ’s physical frame as the model for his writing† (39). Aschenbach references of Tadzio to Narcissus, â€Å"it was the smile of Narcissus leaning over the mirroring water† (43) marks the beginning of Aschenbach’s new discourse of desire. Narcissus is a mythological character that was greatly admired and desired by the nymph Echo. When Narcissus rejected her, she died of grief leaving only her voice while Narcissus himself him withers away, by a pond. This reference becomes a foreshadowing of forthcoming events. Aschenbach’s desire intensifie... Free Essays on Death In Venice Free Essays on Death In Venice On the Discourse of Desire The progression in the discourse of desire in Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice depicts the shift between the intertwining discourses evident in the novella, beginning with the Apollian discourse to the fateful pathological desire that will evidently end Aschenbach’s life. Aschenbach sets out on his ill-fated journey to Venice, the city of intrigue and mystery, because he desired change, a breakage from his structured and prototypical will. Throughout his journey, Aschenbach encounters several disfigured men whom have been referred to as â€Å"gondolier figures.† These gondolier figures embody the concept of transportation of either spiritual or physical will that later becomes the underlining theme of Aschenbach’s transformation. Upon settling into his Venetian hotel, Aschenbach ventures into the hotel’s parlor where he first meets Tadzio. He is completely captivated by the boy’ beauty, â€Å"his face, pale and gracefully reserved†¦framed by honey-colored curls†¦lovely mouth†¦an expression of exquisite, divine solemnity† (21). Aschenbach’s admiration is from a purely artistic stance by mentally framing the boy’s face, â€Å"the temples and ears richly and rectangularly framed by soft dusky curls† (25). Aschenbach views Tadzio as a work of art, an inspiration for his distinguished writing to â€Å"work in the presence of Tadzio, to use the boy ’s physical frame as the model for his writing† (39). Aschenbach references of Tadzio to Narcissus, â€Å"it was the smile of Narcissus leaning over the mirroring water† (43) marks the beginning of Aschenbach’s new discourse of desire. Narcissus is a mythological character that was greatly admired and desired by the nymph Echo. When Narcissus rejected her, she died of grief leaving only her voice while Narcissus himself him withers away, by a pond. This reference becomes a foreshadowing of forthcoming events. Aschenbach’s desire intensifie...

Biography of Victoriano Huerta, President of Mexico

Biography of Victoriano Huerta, President of Mexico Victoriano Huerta (December 22, 1850–January 13, 1916) was a Mexican general who served as president and dictator of Mexico from February 1913 to July 1914. An important figure in the Mexican Revolution, he fought against Emiliano Zapata, Pancho Villa, Fà ©lix Dà ­az and other rebels before and during his time in office. Fast Facts: Victoriano Huerta Known For: President and dictator of Mexico, February 1913–July 1914Born: December 22, 1850 in barrio of Agua Gorda within the municipality of Colotln, JaliscoParents: Jesà ºs Huerta Cà ³rdoba and Marà ­a Lzara del Refugio MrquezDied: January 13, 1916 in El Paso, TexasEducation: Military College of ChapultepecSpouse: Emilia guila Moya (m. November 21, 1880)Children: Nine A brutal, ruthless fighter, during his reign the alcoholic Huerta was widely feared and despised by his foes and supporters alike. Eventually driven from Mexico by a loose coalition of revolutionaries, he spent a year and a half in exile before dying of cirrhosis in a Texas prison. Early Life Victoriano Huerta was born Josà © Victoriano Huerta Mrquez on December 22, 1850, the only son and eldest of five children of peasant farmer Jesà ºs Huerta Cà ³rdoba and and his wife Marà ­a Lzara del Refugio Mrquez. They lived in the barrio of Agua Gorda within the municipality of Colotln, Jalisco. His parents were of Huichol (Wixritari) ethnicity, and although Jesà ºs Huerta was said to be partly of European descent (mestizo), Victoriano considered himself indigenous. Victoriano Huerta was taught to read and write by the village priest, and he was said to have been a good student. By the time he was a teenager, Huerta earned money as a bookkeeper in Colotln. He wanted to join the military, and sought admission to the Military College of Chapultepec. In 1871, General Donato Guerra, leader of the Mexican army at the time, led a garrison of troops into Colotln. Needing secretarial help, Guerra was introduced to Huerta who impressed him greatly. When Guerra left the city, he took Huerta with him, and at the age of 17, Huerta entered the military academy in January of 1872. There he took classes to become an artillery officer, specializing in mathematics, mountain gunnery, topography, and astronomy. He was an outstanding student, and made second lieutenant by December 1875. Early Military Career Huerra first saw military action while at the academy, when he participated in the Battle of Tecoac fought on November 16, 1876 between then-president Sebastin Lerdo de Tejada and Porfirio Diaz. As a member of the army, he fought for the president and was thus on the losing side, but the battle brought Porforio Diaz to power, the man who would he would serve for the next 35 years. When he graduated from the academy in 1877, Huerta was one of three men chosen to continuing his education in Germany, but his father died and he elected to stay in Mexico. He joined the engineering branch of the army and was given assignments for repairing military institutions in Veracruz and Puebla. By 1879 he was promoted to Captain, and acted as engineer and quartermaster. At the end of 1880, he was promoted to Major. While in Veracruz, Huerta had met Emilia guila Moya, and they married on November 21, 1880: they would eventually have nine children. In January 1881,Porfirio Dà ­az assigned Huerta special duty on the Geographic Survey Commission, headquartered in Jalapa, Veracruz. Huerta spent the next decade working with that commission, traveling all over the country on engineering assignments. In particular he was assigned to astronomical work, and one of the projects under his direct supervision was the observation of the Transit of Venus in December 1882. Huerta also supervised surveying work for the Mexican National Railway. A Military Force Huertas technological and intellectual uses in the army took on a more aggressive stance in the mid-1890s. In 1895, he was sent to Guerrero, where the military had risen against the governor. Diaz sent troops in, and among them was Victoriano Huerta, who there gained a reputation as an able field officer: but also as a man who gave no quarter, who continued to slaughter rebels after they had surrendered. Proving to be an effective leader of men and a ruthless fighter, he became a favorite of Porfirio Dà ­az. By the turn of the century, he rose to the rank of general. Dà ­az tasked him with the suppression of Indian uprisings, including a bloody campaign against the Maya in the Yucatan in which Huerta razed villages and destroyed crops. In 1901, he also fought the Yaquis in Sonora. Huerta was a heavy drinker who preferred brandy: according to Pancho Villa, Huerta would start drinking when he woke up and go all day. The Revolution Begins General Huerta was one of Dà ­az most trusted military leaders when hostilities broke out after the 1910 election. The opposition candidate, Francisco I. Madero, had been arrested and later fled into exile, proclaiming revolution from safety in the United States. Rebel leaders such as Pascual Orozco, Emiliano Zapata, and Pancho Villa heeded the call, capturing towns, destroying trains and attacking federal forces whenever and wherever they found them. Huerta was sent to reinforce the city of Cuernavaca, under attack by Zapata, but the old regime was under assault from all sides, and Dà ­az accepted Maderos offer to go into exile in May of 1911. Huerta escorted the old dictator to Veracruz, where a steamer was waiting to take Dà ­az into exile in Europe. Huerta and Madero Although Huerta was bitterly disappointed by the fall of Dà ­az, he signed up to serve under Madero. For a while in 1911–1912 things were relatively quiet as those around him took the measure of the new president. Things soon deteriorated, however, as Zapata and Orozco figured out that Madero was unlikely to keep certain promises he had made. Huerta was first sent south to deal with Zapata and then north to fight Orozco. Forced to work together against Orozco, Huerta and Pancho Villa found that they despised one another. To Villa, Huerta was a drunk and martinet with delusions of grandeur, and to Huerta, Villa was an illiterate, violent peasant who had no business leading an army. The Decena Trgica In late 1912 another player entered the scene: Fà ©lix Dà ­az, nephew of the deposed dictator, declared himself in Veracruz. He was quickly defeated and captured, but in secret, he entered into a conspiracy with Huerta and American ambassador Henry Lane Wilson to get rid of Madero. In February 1913 fighting broke out in Mexico City and Dà ­az was released from prison. This kicked off the Decena Trgica, or â€Å"tragic fortnight,† which saw horrible fighting in the streets of Mexico City as forces loyal to Dà ­az fought the federals. Madero holed up inside the national palace and foolishly accepted Huertas â€Å"protection† even when presented with evidence that Huerta would betray him. Huerta Rises to Power Huerta, who had been fighting with Madero, abruptly changed sides and arrested Madero on February 17. He made Madero and his vice president resign: the Mexican Constitution listed the Secretary of Foreign Relations as the next in succession. That man, Pedro Lasurain, took the reins, named Huerta as Minister of the Interior and then resigned, making Huerta Secretary of Foreign Relations. Madero and Vice-President Pino Suarez were killed on February 21, supposedly while â€Å"attempting to escape.† No one believed it: Huerta had obviously given the order and hadnt even gone to much trouble with his excuse. Once in power, Huerta disowned his fellow conspirators and attempted to make himself dictator in the mold of his old mentor, Porfirio Dà ­az. Carranza, Villa, Obregà ³n and Zapata Although Pascual Orozco quickly signed on, adding his forces to the federalists, the other revolutionary leaders were united in their hatred of Huerta. Two more revolutionaries appeared: Venustiano Carranza, governor of the State of Coahuila, and Alvaro Obregà ³n, an engineer who would become one of the revolutions best field generals. Carranza, Obregà ³n, Villa and Zapata could not agree on much, but they all despised Huerta. All of them opened fronts on the federalists: Zapata in Morelos, Carranza in Coahuila, Obregà ³n in Sonora and Villa in Chihuahua. Although they did not work together in the sense of coordinated attacks, they were still loosely united in their heartfelt desire that anyone but Huerta should rule Mexico. Even the United States got in on the action: sensing that Huerta was unstable, President Woodrow Wilson sent forces to occupy the important port of Veracruz. The Battle of Zacatecas In June 1914, Pancho Villa moved his massive force of 20,000 soldiers to attack the strategic city of Zacatecas. The Federals dug in on two hills overlooking the city. In a day of intense fighting, Villa captured both hills and the federal forces were forced to flee. What they didnt know was that Villa had stationed part of his army along the escape route. The fleeing federals were massacred. When the smoke had cleared, Pancho Villa had scored the most impressive military victory of his career and 6,000 federal soldiers were dead. Exile and Death Huerta knew his days were numbered after the crushing defeat at Zacatecas. When word of the battle spread, federal troops defected in droves to the rebels. On July 15, Huerta resigned and left for exile, leaving Francisco Carbajal in charge until Carranza and Villa could decide how to proceed with the government of Mexico. Huerta moved around while in exile, living in Spain, England, and the United States. He never gave up hope for a return to rule in Mexico, and when Carranza, Villa, Obregà ³n and Zapata turned their attention to one another, he thought he saw his chance. Reunited with Orozco in New Mexico in mid-1915, he began to plan his triumphant return to power. They were caught by US federal agents, however, and never even crossed the border. Orozco escaped only to be hunted down and shot by Texas rangers. Huerta was imprisoned for inciting rebellion. He died in prison at El Paso, Texas, on January 13, 1916, of cirrhosis, although there were rumors that the Americans had poisoned him.​ Legacy of Victoriano Huerta There is little to be said that is positive about Huerta. Even before the revolution, he was a widely despised figure for his ruthless repression of native populations all over Mexico. He consistently took the wrong side, defending the corrupt Porfirio Dà ­az regime before conspiring to bring down Madero, one of the few true visionaries of the revolution. He was an able commander, as his military victories prove, but his men did not like him and his enemies absolutely despised him. He did manage one thing that no one else ever did: he made Zapata, Villa, Obregà ³n and Carranza work together. These rebel commanders only ever agreed on one thing: Huerta should not be president. Once he was gone, they began fighting one another, leading to the worst years of the brutal revolution. Even today, Huerta is hated by Mexicans. The bloodshed of the revolution has been largely forgotten and the different commanders have taken on legendary status, much of it undeserved: Zapata is the ideological purist, Villa is the Robin Hood bandit, Carranza a quixotic chance for peace. Huerta, however, is still considered (accurately) to be a violent, drunk sociopath who needlessly lengthened the period of the revolution for his own ambition and is responsible for the death of thousands. Sources Coerver, Don M. Huerto, Victoriano (1845–1916). Mexico: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary Culture and History. Eds. Coerver, Don M., Suzanne B. Pasztor and Robert Buffington. Santa Barbara, California: ABC Clio, 2004. 220–22. Print.Henderson, Peter V.N. Woodrow Wilson, Victoriano Huerta, and the Recognition Issue in Mexico. The Americas 41.2 (1984): 151–76. Print.Marley, David F. Huerta Marquez, Jose Victoriano (1850–1916). Mexico at War: From the Struggle for Independence to the 21st-Century Drug Wars. Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio, 2014. 174–176.McLynn, Frank. Villa and Zapata: A History of the Mexican Revolution. New York: Basic Books, 2002.  Meyer, Michael C. Huerta: A Political Portrait. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press 1972.Rausch, George J. The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta. The Americas 21.2 (1964): 136-45. Print..Richmond, Douglas W. Victoriano Huerta in Encyclopedia of Mexico. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997. 655–658.

Components of metaphors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Components of metaphors - Essay Example Using our example above, the eagle is the topic of the metaphor. Vehicle: This refers to both the expression and concepts that are called upon by the words i.e. the term that is being used metaphorically or non-literally. Using our example above, the lion is the vehicle of the metaphor. Grounds: This refers to the relationship between the topic and the vehicle. There is a relationship between the lion and the eagle. This is in relation to the strength of the lion and the tenacity of the eagle which is being used as the ground that supports this metaphor. The tenacity of an eagle is being equated to the strength of the lion. b) Explain the claim that metaphor is found in most writing very frequently. Illustrate with examples taken from the attached text about Jack Ashley (Appendix A). The metaphor is a powerful language tool as well as being a quite complex one too. Metaphors are powerful tools to give ideas to people that they will always remember. This is one of the reasons why the metaphor is found in writing very frequently. Metaphors are also great tools of imagery. Imagery refers to the method whereby a writer would utilise words that paint pictures of scenes and characters in the minds of their readers. In this age of expanded imagination, writers have had to adopt metaphorical writing to enable the reader to actually experience the scene as well as the characters in the story. Metaphors are one of the effective tools in writing fiction. They give life to the normally dull prose thus their frequent use. With these features, it is very easy to see why the claim that metaphors are found in most writing very frequently is quite true. We have sought metaphorical examples from the Jack Ashley text as below: ‘If the media is a smug insiders club’: The metaphorical component of this metaphor refers to the media as the topic of discussion. The vehicle would be the insider’s club while the ground for this is equating the smugness of the insider ’s club to the current media characteristics. ‘Britain seems much more of a stitched-up country’: The metaphorical component of this metaphor refers to the Britain as the topic of discussion. The vehicle would be the stitched-up country while the ground for this is equating the characteristic of the new Britain to the perpetual collusions between the wealthiest and most powerful citizens. ‘Parliament starts to feel like a fig leaf for things as they are’: The metaphorical component of this metaphor refers to the parliament as the topic of discussion. The vehicle would be the fig leaf while the ground for this is equating the characteristic of parliament to the fig leaf. A fig leaf is construed as a devise intended to conceal something regarded as shameful therefore equating the parliament to it, means that without the backbenchers and strong journalism, parliament would be a shameful institution. B. Comment on the teaching implications. How could sui table materials be designed to enhance intermediate students’ ability to understand metaphorical language, to re-use metaphors they have seen before appropriately in new contexts, and to know about metaphor in general? You may refer to examples of effective or ineffective materials from existing EFL textbooks if you wish; if so please include a copy of the relevant section. Difficulties are encountered by

McDonald's Financial Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

McDonald's Financial Accounting - Essay Example McDonald’s was formed in 1940 as a barbeque restaurant but later developed into a huge chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. â€Å"McDonald's is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 33,000 local restaurants serving more than  64 million people in 119 countries each day. More than 80% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women† (About McDonald’s.com, 2011). The accountant’s report accompanying the Annual Report usually refers to the auditor’s report. The purpose of the accountant’s report is to give an opinion on the presentation of the financial performance of the organization. The auditors review the entire financial data before forming an opinion on the financial statements of an organization. The accountant’s report of McDonald’s is reviewed by the Ernst and Young, who are a Public Accounting firm and are the auditors of McDonald’s. According to them, the financial statements of McDonald’s seem to be fairly presented in all material respect and that the financial statements are prepared in accordance with the U.S Generally Accepted Accounting Principle. The main idea or the main purpose of this report is to assure the shareholders and the investors that the company in question is not performing any fraudulent activity that may not be in line with their respective objectives (McDonald’s, 2010) Financial Statements are a proper record of financial performance of any given business entity. These financial statements provide a reflection of an organization’s performance with respect to the resources being used in order to attain the favorable/unfavorable results. The most important financial statements are: Income Statement The income statement displays the net profit or loss made by a company through the normal course of its operation. The profit or loss reported within the Income statement pertains to a specific period of time (usually 12 months which constitutes a year end). The only transactions recorded within the Income Statement are those which affect the profit. These transaction normally tend to be affiliated with the income earned and the expenditure incurred during a period of time. The Consolidated Income Statement of McDonald’s shows a profit of $4946.3 million in the year ending 2010. This profit figure is 8.6% and 14% higher than the profit figures of 2009 and 2008 respectively. These figures clearly suggest that McDonald’s has performed extensively well; keeping in mind the global economic crisis that had prevailed within the global economy(McCallig, 2008). Balance Sheet The Balance Sheet is a statement that portrays the result at any particular point in time. The Balance Sheet provides a snap shot of the entire business in question since its inception till the point in time when the Balance Sheet is created. The Balance Sheet is categorized into broader categories showing the assets, liabilities and the equity of a business entity. These categories are shown separately with the assets portion under one heading while the equity and liabilities portion under the other heading. The assets portion must eventually tie up with the amount displayed under the equity and li

Real Estate Reservation System Essay Example for Free

Real Estate Reservation System Essay And helps to easily check the availability status of various properties. The assence of system is really important to be realized by each and every business. Giving importance to it makes a big difference of somehow uplifting of improving the process of the company. Floyd and Allen (2008), In recent years, many economists have recognized that the lack of effective real estate laws can be a significant barrier to investigate in many developing countries. In most societies, rich and poor, a significant fraction of the total wealth is in the form of land and buildings. Real Estate is a piece of land, including the air above, the ground below, and any buildings of structures on it. Real Estate can include business and or residential properties and are generally sold either by a relator or directly by individual who owns property. In the Philippines, one of the growing businesses is Real Estate development. Aside from the development and rising of tall buildings and establishment in the metropolitan area, nearby provinces are now on the stage of land development with its continuous expansion in the provinces such as, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga and Batangas. Some people may benefits from knowing about Real Estate when faced with personal and business decisions relating to housing, investment and other business activities. The researchers chose this topic because it will help the Employed Citizen of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦City to know the effectiveness of Online Reservation System. Theoretical/Conceptual Framework Roosevelt (2008), Every person who invests in well-selected real estate in a growing section of a prosperous community adopts the surest and safest method of becoming independent, for real estate is the basis of wealth. The researchers chose the paradigm thru Floyd and Allen (2008) words that coordinated with the problems of this study. In order to understand the flow of the study, the researchers prepared a research paradigm. Employed Citizen of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. City Hall Yr. 2012-2013 Effectiveness Accessibility Availability Uses Investment Housing Business Activities Fig 1. Research Paradigm The purpose of this is to illustrate the effectiveness of Online Reservation System in the Employed Citizen of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. City Hall. Statement of the Problem This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Online Reservation System to the Real Estate Company, especially this study is sought to answer the following questions. 1. What are the uses of Real Estate Online Reservation System in terms of: 1. 1 Investment; 1. 2 Housing; 1. 3 Business activities? 2. Does the effectiveness of the study corresponds with the following: 2. 1 Accessibility; 2. 2 Availability? 3. Is there an effectiveness in using Online Reservation system the Employed Citizen of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. City Hall? Hypothesis

The Cask of Amontillado Essay example -- essays research papers

The Cask of Amontillado   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Irony and symbolism are tools used in writing to convey individual messages throughout the story. It is Edgar Allan Poe’s intense use of symbolism and irony throughout the Cask of Amontillado that gives this short story its suspense and horror filled theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cask of Amontillado is a horror short story, which revolves around the themes of revenge and pride. The plot involves two men: Montresor, the narrator, who is an Italian aristocrat seeking revenge against the second main character: Fortunato, a proud man that flaunts about his knowledge of wines and who finally walks into his own death. Irony is defined as words or actions that convey a reality different from appearance or expectation. The use of such device in the story gives it humor and wit. The continuous use of irony is detected through style, tone and the use of exaggeration from Montresor, the narrator. From the start we can blatantly see the irony in the story. The name Fortunato implies that this man is of good luck, when in actuality he was about to face the end of his life. The setting itself in which the story takes place also contains an ironic element. It is during Venice’s Carnival that the characters meet. Carnival is supposed to be a time of celebration and happiness for everybody. However, in the tale it is a time for revenge and death. The mood changes drastically when the two characters leave the carnival for the d...

Brand Association

BRAND ASSOCIATIONS AND CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF VALUE OF PRODUCTS BY NZUKI KITHUNG’A PETER UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI PAPER PRESENTED TO SUPPLY OF ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS (SAP) CONTENTS Page 1. Background Meaning of a brand and Its Importance 2. Theoretical Framework on Brand Associations Perceptual Dimensions of Brand Associations Brand Associations and Value Creation Brand Association and Value Creation Model 3. Measurement of Brand Associations Less Structured Approaches Structured Approaches 4. Research in Brand Associations Brand Extensions Branding Country ofOrigin Celebrity Brand Preferences Product Attributes Brand Associations and Brand Equity 5. Critique of Research in Brand Associations Techniques used Operational Definitions Clarity of Image Brand Association Strength Other Constructs Moderating Variables 6. Future Research Directions Theoretical and Practical constructs Techniques Used Multiple Segments Industrial goods and Services 7. References 3 4 9 10 12 14 15 2 1. 0 Introduction A successful brand is the most valuable resource a company has. In fact, one authority speculates that brands are so valuable that companies will soon include a â€Å"statement of value† addendum to their balance sheets to include intangibles such as the value oftheir brands. Brands are used as external cues to taste, design, qualify, prestige, value and so forth. In other words, consumers associate the value of a product with the brand. For example, the value of Kodak, Sony, Coca-cola, Toyota and Marlboro is indisputable. One estimate of the value of Coca-cola, the world’s most valuable brand, places it at over $35 billion. How does a brand create value to the customer? Why do certain brands have more value than others? Naturally, companies with such strong brands strive to use those brands globally (extend them). The purpose of this paper is to review literature on the core associations ofbrands used to position brands as strategies to create competitive advantages. 1. 1 Meaning of a brand and Its Importance A brand is a distinguishing name and/or symbol! ntended to identity the goods or services of either one seller or a group of sellers, and to differentiate those goods or services from those of competitors (Aaker, 1991; Stanton, 1994, and Kotler, 1996). A brand thus signals to the customer the source ofthe product, and protects both the customer and the producer from competitors who would attempt to provide products that appear to be identical. Ancient history provides evidence of the impor tance of brands. In those days, names were put on such goods as bricks in order to identify their maker (Farquhar, 1989). It is also known that trade guilds in medieval Europe used trademarks to assure the customer and provide legal protection to the producer. In the early sixteen-century, Whisky distillers shipped their products in wooden barrels with the name of the producer burned 3 into the barrel. The name showed the consumer who the maker (brewer) was and prevented the substitution of cheaper products. In 1835, a brand of scotch called â€Å"Old Smuggler† was introduced in order to capitalize on the quality reputation developed by bootleggers who used a special distilling process (Aaker, 1991). Although brands have long had a role to play in commerce, it was not until the twentieth century that branding and brand association became so central to competitors. In fact, a distinguishing characteristic of modern marketing has been its focus upon the creation of differentiated brand associations to accentuate the bases of differentiation. The idea has been to move beyond commodities to branded products – to reduce the primary of price upon the purchase decision. Consumers associate the value of the product with the brand. The brand can convey either a positive or a negative message about the product to the consumer (Kim and Chung, 1997, p. 361). The underlying value of a brand is often based upon specific association of a â€Å"use context† such as heart attack prevention can provide a reason-to-buy which can attract customers. Such an association represents the product’s meaning to customers. Brand associations represent bases for purchase decision and for brand loyalty. There are a host of possible associations that a firm can build in a brand. Not all associations need to be built but rather those that directly or indirectly affect consumers’ buying behaviour. Product attributes (customer benefits) are an important class of associations, but there are others that can be important in some contexts (Aaker, p. 114). The following section deals with the brand associations that a firm can build and how they create value to both the firm and consumer. 2. Theoretical Framework on Brand Associations 2. 1 Perceptual Dimensions of Brand Associations As noted elsewhere in this paper, brand association is anything that is linked in memory to a brand (Aaker, p. 09). The association reflect the fact products are used to express lifestyles whereas other associations reflect social positions, and professional roles. Still others will reflect associations involving product applications, types of people who might use the product, stores that carry the product, or salespeople who handle the product or even the country of origin. Kelle r (1998) defines brand associations as informational nodes linked to the brand node in memory that contains the meaning of the brand for 4 consumers. These associations include perceptions of brand quality and attitudes towards the brand. Keller and Aaker both appear to hypothesize that consumer perceptions of brand are multi-dimensional yet many of the dimensions they identify appear to be very similar. The image that a good or a service has in the mind of the consumer how it is – positioned probably more important to its ultimate success than are its actual characteristics. Marketers try to position their brands so that they are perceived by the consumer to fit a distinctive niche in the marketplace a niche occupied by no other – product (Schiffman and Kanuk, 1994) According to Aaker (1991) there are at least nine brand associations. The associations convey either the concept, or the meaning of the product in terms of how it fulfils a customers need. In todays highly competitive environment a distinctive product image is most important. As products become more complex and the market place more crowded, consumers rely more on the products image than its actual attributes in making purchase decisions. One of the brand associations that a firm can use in differentiating its product is Customer benefit Customer benefit refers to the need that is satisfied by a product. For example, cavity control by a toothpaste is a customer benefit. Customer benefit may be rational, psychological (emotional) benefit, or self- expressive benefit. A rational benefit is closely linked to a product’s attribute and would be part of a â€Å"rational† decision process. A psychological benefit relates to what feelings are engendered when buying and! or using the brand (Aaker, p. 1 19). An example of a rational benefit for a computer to a consumer would be its ability not to loose work whereas a psychological benefit would be the feeling of being professional. For a car, the emotional benefit would be the feeling of safety when driving it as a driver of a Volvo car would testify. The self-expressive benefit relates to the ability of a brand to help a consumer to communicate his or her self-image. Since consumers have multiple roles, the consumer has an associated self-concept and a need to express that self-concept. The purchase and use of brands is one way to ftilfil the need for self-expression (Aaker, 1991). He gives the example of a consumer who may define him/herselfas successful and powerful by driving a Mercedes Benz, 5 Product attributes These refer to a product’s characteristics. Attributes are associated with a product’s rational benefit. For example, a Volvo car’s attribute is durability. Similarly, a shampoo’s attribute would be its safety to use every day. A marketer requires to identify an attribute that is important to a major segment and not already claimed by a competitor, e. g an attribute that offers something extra (like features or services that offer something better). The identification of an unmet customer problem can sometimes lead to an attribute previously ignore by competitors (Aaker, p. 115). Indeed, unmet needs are strategically important because they can represent opportunities for firms that want to make major moves in the market. Use / application A marketer can associate a brand with a particular use or application. For example, a beer can be associated with good friends in a warm social setting. A study of the coffee market revealed that there were nine relevant use contexts for coffee (Glen, et al, 1984). User / Customer Another way of positioning a brand is to associate it with a type ofuser or customer. This involves identifying the brand with its target segment. For example, a brand can be associated with those who are interested in weight control as would be the case of a new drug. Celebrity /Celebritv This is the individual who endorses a brand. Linking a celebrity with a brand can transfer associations such as reliability, strength, performance, and so on. The extend to which the association can be linked to the celebrity depends on how credible the person is perceived by the audience. Specifically, a source is more persuasive when the audience perceives him or her as highly credible than when perceived s being low in credibility (DeLozier, 1976). In other words, the person need not be credible but it is how the consumers perceive him. Lifestyle / Personality ‘The brand can be viewed as a person. Like a person, a brand can be perceived as being competent, trustworthy, active, or youthful (Aaker, 1996). A brand personality may help communicate a product’s attribute and thus contribute to a functional benefit. Similarly, it can help create a self-expressive benefit that becomes a vehicle for the customer to express his or her own personality. Compe titors A firm positions its brand using the organization’s attributes such as innovation, a drive for quality, and a concern for the environment. A firm can position its brand with respect to a competitor. Sometimes it is not important how good customers think a firm is, but how they believe it is better than a given competitor. While this brand association can be accomplished by comparative advertising, it is not usually allowed in some countries (Cateora, 1996). Country of Origin One more strategic option that a marketer has is to associate a brand with a country. The country of origin has an effect on the market’s perception of a product either a positive – or a negative perception. Cateora (1996) asserts that a company competing in global markets may manufacture products world-wide and when the customer becomes aware of the country of origin, there is the possibility that the place of manufacture will affect product/brand image (p. 349). The influence may be to add credibility or to lower it. 2. 2 Brand Association and Value Creation Brand associations are useful to marketers. Marketers use brand associations to differentiate, position, and extend brands, to create positive attitudes and feelings towards brands, and to suggest attributes or benefits of purchasing or using a specific brand (Aaker, 1991). However, brand associations are of more use to the customer than the marketer. The way a brand association creates value to the customer will depend on the customer’s perception of value. For each individual, reality is a totally personal phenomenon, based on that person’s needs, wants, and personal experiences. Customers 7 everywhere respond to images, myths, and metaphors that help them define their personal identities. Thus, different customers will perceive reality differently. Indeed, Schiffrnan & Kanuk et al (1996, p. 61) contends that although two individuals may be subject to the same stimuli under apparently the same conditions, the way they recognize them, select them, organize them, and interpret them is a highly individual process based on each person’s own needs, values, and expectations. The underlying value of a brand name often is its set of associations — its meaning to people. Associations, according to Aaker (1991) represent the bases fo r purchase decisions and for brand loyalty. There are a host of possible associations and a variety of ways they can provide value (p. 110). He identifies the following as the possible ways in which associations create value to the customer: helping to process / retrieve information about a brand; generating a reason to buy, and creating positive attitudes / feelings. 2. 3 Brand Associations and Value of Products Model Brand associations help consumers judge the value of a product. For example, country of origin influences consumers in making judgements as to whether a product is of value or not. Consumers tend to have broad but somewhat vague stereotypes about specific countries and specific brands that they judge â€Å"best†. For example, French perfume, Italian leather, Japanese electronics and so on (Cateora, 1996; p. 349). Using the example of country of origin as a basis forjudging value of products, a model for brand associations and consumer perceptions of value of products can be depicted schematically as in the following diagram (Figure 1) Associations †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Product attributes Relative price Use / Application User / Customer Celebrity / Person Life Style/Personality Competitions Country of Origin †¢ Value Process / Retrieve Information †¢ Reason-to-buy Create Positive attitudes †¢ Figure 1: Conceptual Framework of the effects of brand association on perceived value. 8 The model shows that a product is of value to the customer and hence it can be bought to satisfy a need depending on its attributes, its use, or whether it can be associated with a particular customer group. Similarly, a consumer will consider a product as being valuable if he/she can associate it with a certain celebrity, lifestyle or country of’ origin. Proponents of brand positioning suggest that brands should develop distinct images and that these images will attract specific consumer segment (Hoek, et al, 2000). Consequently, the consumer segment will see the brand as being valuable to them. How’ do marketers determine the brand associations that convey the value of a brand to the consumer? Association research (research on brand associations) is important to marketers since they would want to gain an insightful picture of how a brand is perceived by consumers as well as its competitors. The techniques that have been utilized by firms to measure brand associations form part of the next section. 3. Measurement of Brand Associations One of the key functions of brand management is to keep one jump ahead ofcompetitors by imprinting the brand firmly on the consumer psyche — and keep it there (Emerald, 2000). A firm therefore requires understanding consumer perceptions of its brand(s) visa-avis those of competitors. This calls for the measurement of brand associations. The techniques used to achieve this objective can be grouped into two categories structured and structured techniques ( Aaker, 1991; Low & Lamb, 2000). — less- 3. 1 Projective Techniques The central feature of all projective techniques is the presentation ot’an ambiguous, unstructured object, activity, or person that a respondent is asked to interpret and explain (Aaker, et al, 1998). These writers argue that projective techniques are used when it is believed that respondents will not or cannot respond meaningfully to direct questions about (1) the reasons for certain behaviours or attitudes or (2) what the act ofbuying, owning, or using a brand means to them (p. 1 98). Respondents may be unwilling or unable to reveal feelings, thoughts, and attitudes when asked direct questions for a number of reasons. First, they may be unwilling because they feel the information is 9 embarrassing or private (Aaker, 1991; p 136). Alternatively, respondents may simply b unable to provide information as to why they buy certain items because they do not kno tile real reasons. Man of projective techniques employed in the measurement of brand associations are meant to address problems aforementioned since they allow the respondent to project h self or him-self into a context, which bypasses the inhibitions, or limitations of more direct questioning (Aaker, p. 136). The techniques involve focusing on a discussion upo the use experience, the decision process, the brand user, or off- the- wall perspectives such as considering the brand to be a person or an animal. Another characteristic of projection research is the use of ambiguous stimuli, wherein there is freedom to project experiences, attitudes, and perceptions. There are many projective (indirect) approaches to understanding brand associations. The commonly used methods are word association, picture completion, Thematic Apperception Tests, sentence completion, and story completion (Aaker, 1991; Kotler an Armstrong, 1996; Aaker, et a! 1998). 3. 2 Structured Approaches According to Aaker (1991), structured approaches involve scaling brands upon a set of dimensions. He argues that scaling approaches are more objective and reliable than qualitative approaches since they are less vulnerable to subjective interpretation. Scaling consumer perceptions involves the determination of perceptual dimensi ons, identification of the target segment. and the interpretation ofthe brand profiles. The perceptual dimensions may include the product attributes and benefits, user ofthe brand, or relevant competitors (Day, et al, 1979). Scaling methods that marketers have utilized include semantic differential (Fry and Claxton, 1971), Likert scale, conjoint analysis, and natural grouping (Aaker, 1991). 4. Research in Brand Associations Research interest in branding continues to be strong in the marketing literature (Alden, et, al, 1999; Kirmani, et al, 1999). Likewise, marketing managers continue to realize the power of brands manifest in the recent efforts of many companies to build strong Internet â€Å"brands† such as amazon. com and msn. com (Narisetti, 1998). The way consumers perceive brand is a key determinant of long-term business — consumer relationships. Hence, building strong brand perceptions is a top priority for many firms today (Morris. 1996). Many of the studies involving brands have focused on the product attributes or benefits. Aaker and Stayman (1991) conducted a study to test whether two brands of beer had established associations with their use contexts in terms of whether the consumers felt â€Å"warm†, â€Å"friendly†, â€Å"healthy†, and â€Å"wholesome† in using the beers. They employed picture interpretation as a technique to achieve their objective. The findings were that one brand ofbeer was associated with â€Å"warm† and â€Å"friendly† dimensions whereas the other brand was evaluated higher on â€Å"healthy† and â€Å"wholesome†. Hoek et al (2000) using qualitative interviews examined the descriptive and evaluative attributes employed by consumers in choosing products of value to them. Their findings revealed that descriptive attributes determine the proportion of consumers who hold favourable attitudes about the brand. However, the findings did not provide knowledge on how descriptive attributes affect consumer’s behaviour. Although descriptive attributes could be predicted, the attributes had only a weak relationship with usage behaviour and so provided brand managers with little guidance. Again, the study suggested that longitudinal work was required to examine whether over time, users of a product category who associate descriptive attributes with a brand they do not currently use eventually go on to purchase that brand. While many studies have focused product attributes, others have pursued the line of brand extensions (Keller, 1990; Smith and Park, 1992; Broniarczyk and Alba, 1994, Srinivas, et al, 1994). Others have tended to dwell on branding (Rooney, 1995) and brand preferences (Aireck and Settle, 1999). Studies that have focused specifically on brand associations are those of Kim and Chung (1997), Till (1998), and Chen (2001). Kim and Chung (1997) in their study on the effect of country of origin and the value ofa product identified that the brand can convey either a positive or negative message about the product to the consumer on the basis of where it is made. Till (1998) attempted to identify how celebrity endorsers can be used effectively in advertising. Although the study did not focus on the effect of celebrity as 11 creating the value of a product, it shed light on how endorsers can be used to help consumers to retrieve information on a brand to buy (a value to the consumer). Ihe study by (Then (2001) may be regarded as one of the studies that were directly related to brand associations and how they’ create value of products. The purpose of the research was to identif the types of brand associations and to examine the relationship hetween association characteristics and brand equity. The findings revealed that there were two brand associations brand’s equity — — functional attribute and organizational attribute that contribute to a either low or high equity. 5. Critique of the Researches in Brand Associations Marketing researchers have not used consistent definition or measurement technique to assess consumer perceptions of brands and the value they attach to such brands. Keller (1998) considers brand associations as consisting of brand image, brand knowledge, and brand awareness. He further says that brand associations include perceptions of brand quality and attitudes towards the brand, These constructs can be labelled as product attributes according to Kotler and Armstrong (1996). Yet Aaker (1991) clearly says that the concepts relate to distinct categories of brand associations, each signifying a different aspect ofthe brand. He argues that a brand manager will be primarily interested in those associations that directly or indirectly affect buying behaviour and whether they are strong and shared by many or weak and differ from person to person (p. 113). Keller and Aaker both appear to hypothesize those consumer perceptions ofbrands and hence associations are multi-dimensional, yet many of the dimensions they identify appear to be very similar. Furthermore, Aaker’s and Keller’s conceptualisation of consumers’ psychological representation of brands have not been subjected to empirical validation. Consequently, it is difficult to determine ifthe various concepts they discuss, such as brand attitudes, perceived quality, and customer benefits are separate dimensions of brand associations (multi-dimensional) as they propose, or they are simply indicators of brand associations (uni-dimensional). The second criticism levelled against studies on brand associations is the measurement techniques employed. Many of the methods used such as the projective techniques tend to be more subjective and employ small samples (Aaker, 1991). Even those that are 12 regarded as being objective and reliable than qualitative approaches i. e. , scaling methods face tile problem of validity. Aaker (1991) observes that there is always a concern with the validity of the scaling task. Can a respondent actually position beers on an â€Å"aged a long time† dimension? He observes that there is the possibility ofunfamiliaritv with one or more of the brands, The other problem is that the respondent may be unable to understand operationally what â€Å"aged† means, or how to evaluate a brand on this dimension (p. 151). Thus any ambiguity in the scale or inability of a respondent to use the scale will affect validity and reliability ofthe results. The measurement of brand associations needs to be done wit. h respect to a specified segment within the context of a competitive set of brands. This implies that brand associations and consumer perceptions of value ofproducts should be done for one segment. However, much of the time the scaling task should be done for multiple segments (Aaker, 1991). The implication here is that any relevant segment defined by age, income, usage rate will have different perceptions from others. Marketers may not only be interested in the associations with the brand but also with the association strength, that is, how confident the consumers are about the associations with the brand. Similarly, the marketer may be interested in understanding whether the consumers have a clear image of the brand association. There is yet another criticism on studies on brand associations. There appears to be other emerging constructs for brand associations. Aaker (1991) provides eleven types of brand associations, which Kotler and Armstrong (1996) consider to be part of the levels of a product. The question here is how significant these constructs are to a brand association measurement? Again, which associations discriminate between buyers and nonbuyers? Lastly, the model used as a basis for identifying brand associations and how they create the value of products is itself questionable. Narisetti (1998) observes that technology plays a big role in brand associations and value of products. Where does technology fit in the model? Similarly, familiarity with a brand appears to moderate the dimensionality ofbrand associations. Where can this aspect be shown in the model? 13 6. Future Research Directions There is growing importance ol brands and consumer perceptions ot brands among marketing researchers. To address this issue, marketers need to develop extensive conceptual treatments of brand and associations and related issues. To achieve this objective, it is imperative for the marketers to design practical measurement of the constructs. : number of’ studies that attempt to measure some aspect of consumer brand associations do not use consistent measurement techniques. Again, there is need to use methods that help in discriminating between brands. Indeed, Aaker (1991) argues that a major consideration is whether the perceptual dimensions discriminate between brands. Ifa measurement technique can be developed to help an attribute to discriminate, i. e.. set one brand off against another, it might be worth. He posits that factor analysis may be a useful tool in reducing a set of factors (associations) to a few factors or dimensions by combining the words or phrases whose meanings are similar (p. 149). Secondly, the empirical works operationally brand associations as uni-dimensional. Yet conceptual models depict the brand associations as multi-dimensional (Keller and Aaker, 1997). Third, marketers need to employ multiple segments in measuring the usefulness of brand associations in helping consumers on the choice of products As noted earlier, any relevant segment defined by age, lifestyle, or user status may well have different erceptions from others. For example, the user and nonuser groups quite often differ in their brand perceptions (Aaker, 1991, p. 151). Lastly, may of the studies have focused on consumer goods Specifically, many have been carried among fast-moving consumer goods (brands with short consumption cycles that are tvpicafly bought from supermarkets) (Hoek, et al, 2000). There is need to focus on industrial goods or on services. It is therefore proposed that a research aimed at identifying the brand associations of industrial goods or services would be more beneficial to academicians and practitioners. 4 REFERENCES Aaker, D. A (1991), Managing Brand Equity: Capitalizing on the value of a Brand Name (New York: the Free Press) Aaker, D. A; Kumar, Wiley & Sons, Inc. ) Aaker, D. A (1996), Building Strong Brands (New York: The Free Press) Alden, D. L, Steenkamp, J. B. E and Batra, R (1999) â€Å"Brand Positioning through Advertising in Asia, North America, and Europe:The Role qf Global (‘it/lure† Journal of Marketing, Vol. 63, January. Alreck, P. L and Settle, R. B (1999) â€Å"Strategies forBuilding Consumer Brand Preference† Journal of Product and Brand Management, ‘ol. No. 2 Badri, M. A; Davis, D. L and Davis, D. F (1995) â€Å"Decision Supportfor Global Marketing Strategies: The Effect of Country of Origin on Product Evalua tion† Journal of Product and Brand Management, Vol. 4 No. 5 Broniarczyk, S. M and Alba, J. W (1994) â€Å"The Importance of Journal of Marketing Research, May Brandin Brand Extension† ‘, and Day. G. S (1998), Marketing Research (New York: John Calderon, H; Cervera, A and Molla, A (1997) â€Å"BrandAssessment: A Key Element of Marketing Strategy† Journal of Product and Brand Management Vol. 6 No. 5 Cateora, P (1996) International Marketing (New York: McGraw Hill) Chen, A. C (2001) â€Å"Using Free Association to Examine the Relationship between the Characteristics ofBrand Associations andBrand Equity† Journal of Product and Brand Management Vol. 10 No. 7 Chernatony, L and McDonald, M (2000) Creating Powerful Brands (London: Butterworth-Heinemann) Day, G. S; Shocker, A. D and Srivastava, R. K (1979) â€Å"Customer-oriented Approache. c to Identifying ProductMarkets† JoLirnal of Marketing, Vol. 43, Fall in Aaker, D. A (1991) Managing Brand Equity (New York: The Free Press) Fry, J. N and Claxton, J. D (1971) â€Å"Semantic Differential and Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling Descriptions of Brand Imagesâ€Å", Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 8, May Hoek, J; Dunnet, J; Wright, M and Gendall, P (2000), â€Å"Descriptive and Evaluative Attributes: What Relevance to Marketers? † Journal of Product and Brand Management, Vol. 9 No. 6 Kapferer, J (1997), Strategic Brand Management (London: Kogan Page Ltd) 15 Kirmani, A; Sood, S and Bridges, S (1999) â€Å"The Ownership Effect in Consumer Responses to Brand Line Stretches’ Journal of Marketing, Vol. 3 January. Kim, C. K and Chung, J. Y (1997) â€Å"Brand Popularity, Country Image and Market Share: An Empirical Study Journal ofInternational Business Studies, 2nd Quarter. â€Å", Kotler, P and Armstrong, G (1996). Principles of Marketing (New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India) Lederer, C and Hill, S â€Å"See Your Brands’ Through Your Customers Eyes† Harvard Business Review, June 2001 Lim, K and O’Cass, A (2001) â€Å"Consumer Brand Classifications: An Assessment of Culture of Origin versus Country of Origin Journal ofProduct and Brand Management, Vol. 0 No. 2 â€Å", Maklan, S and Knox, S (1997), â€Å"Reinventing the Brand: Bridging the Gap between Customer and Brand value Journal of Product and Braiid Management, Vol. 6 No. 2 â€Å", Narisetti, R (1998), â€Å"New and Improve† The Wall Street Journal, 16 November Nilson, T. H (1999) Competitive Branding (New York: John Wiley & Sons Ltd) Quester, P and Farrelly, F (1998), â€Å"Brand Asociatnand Memory Decay Effects of Sponsorship: The Case of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix† Journal of Product and Brand Management, Vol. 7 No, 6 Rooney, J. A (1995), â€Å"Branding: A Trendfor Today and Tomorrow Product and Brand Management, Vol. 4 No. 4 â€Å", Journal of Schiffman, L. G and Kanuk, L. L. (1996) Consumer Behaviour (New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India) Smith, D. C and Park, W. C (1992), â€Å"The Effects ofBrand Extensions on Market Share and Advertising Efficiency† Journal of Marketing Research, August. Stanton, W. J. Etzel, l. J and Walker. BJ (1994) Fundamentals of Marketing (New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. ) Till, B. D (1998) Using Celebrity Endorsers Effectively: Lessonsfrom Associative Learning Journal of Product and Brand Management, Vol. 7 No. 5

Hums

Many airlines operating fixed wing aircraft have adopted a pro active approach to improve operational safety by analyzing flight data on a routine basis to provide better visibility of their operation In flight operations quality Assurance (FAQ) programmer. A simple description of HUMS Is that It Is a system for monitoring the status of technical components, principally shafts, bearings, gears and other rotating components. The level of vibration Is recorded by accelerometers. The data is stored in a data card which is later taken out and brought too ground station for reading off at the end of each flight.Operational information from the flight thus becomes available from the ground station via a terminal. The list thus printed also informs regarding any limit values that have been exceeded and description of failures in HUMS. Most of the information is analyses manually and this provides valuable additional information during trouble shooting. Advanced helicopter monitoring systems were Implemented In the early sass's following concern over the alarm worthiness of helicopters and, at the time, technical defects were the mall Issue.The acronym HUMS, Health and usage Monitoring Systems, was introduced for these systems. With the introduction of HUM systems, the number of incidents relating to the chemical malfunctions decreased and as a consequence the proportions of incident relating to the aircrew error increased. Thus later a need was envisaged of developing a system called HOMO. AIM accepted use in aviation and in context to India Air Force. WORKING The system consists of sensors, computers, software and analytical methods that, when taken together are able to record vibration and other parameters and thus deduce the health of the machine.The HUMS information is received and processed by the Digital Acquisition and Processing Unit (ADAPT) before being stored on a magnetic card which is placed in the cockpit unit prior to flying. This card is taken out on le aving the helicopter after the flight and data are loaded into a ground station for further electronic processing. A HUMS is like a doctor applying many stethoscopes to a patient continuously and keeping a constant check on his health. Helicopters having more rotating and moving parts, will fall part if not properly maintained, hence their mechanical health is critical to the safety of flight.The deployment of HUMS as a life saving and cost effective equipment is a boon. There are number of sub systems in HUMS which determine parameters and determines he health of the helicopters. We will be dealing with the most important subsystems in the subsequent paragraphs. In HUMS the wear or damage to the components is identified while in service itself. Inevitably components wear out or fail unexpectedly. The traditional monitoring techniques such as oil debris and engine performances trending are aimed at identifying these problems before they become hazardous.Techniques using conventional flight data can be used here, for example, engine performance trends can be calculated from engine parameters gathered in flight. Still the traditional Accident Data is usually inadequate for monitoring wear in rotating components and so a host of specialized techniques have been developed to measure the â€Å"health† of the rotors and transmission. These rely heavily upon vibration measurement and require special instrumentation and data acquisition systems. A PC based ground station provides the aircraft operator and maintain the simple diagnosis of the aircraft and required maintenance actions.Advanced mechanical of aircraft monitoring superior to any other monitoring system available. THE SUB SYSTEMS As stated earlier there are number of sub systems which gather information in flight bout the health and usage and wear and tear off the components and can be read over a ground station. Major ones are:- (a) Rotor Track and Balance. Each helicopter main rotor blade should fo llow one in front and along the same path, and blades should be spaced at equal angles. This track is measured in terms of blade height past a fixed point and the angle between the successive blades.A photo sensitive device on the nose looks at the blade tips at two points on the either side of the nose. The leading and the trailing edges of the blades can be detected, and the timing of their passes gives the blade eight. The interval between one blade passing over the sensor and the following blades gives the system lead/lag information. Infrared techniques can be used if the helicopter is to be flown at night. (b) Engine Monitoring. Engine Monitoring parameters include vibration, gas temperatures and pressures, and shaft speeds. Engine Vibration can indicate excessive wear on ball bearings or races.Small changes in the engine vibration signature must be recognized early. Two accelerometers are used to compile a good engine spectrum. The known frequencies of rotating components can first be used o detect simple imbalance. Then they are subtracted from the known spectrum. The remaining spectral lines are analyzed for more subtle defects. Gas temperatures are used to calculate thermal fatigue. High/Low temperature excursions, together with mean temperatures, are used to estimate damage caused by metal expansion and contraction. (c)Gear Box Vibrations.The importance of gearbox vibration monitoring can not be over estimated. Cracks, broken gear teeth and excessive wear are critical areas that must be caught early. Gear vibrations are revealed by strategically positioned accelerometers. There might be 20 shafts in the gear box but fewer than half this number of accelerometers are needed to monitor them all. The problem is to separate very small signals caused by a single tooth defect from larger signals (d) Oil Debris Monitoring. Any moving metal surfaces in contact with one another will produce debris.Most of it will end up in oil. Therefore, metal particle detec tion is a useful means of monitoring wear in the engine and gear box. Particles lesser than ten microns are the result of normal wear and are no cause of concern, unless they are being ground down from larger particles. The presence of metal flecks greater than hundred microns in size indicates a serious wear problem. Particles that size are large enough to cause further damage to other parts of the engine, which in turn leads to creation of more large particles.Magnetic plugs were originally introduced to capture debris and prevent secondary damage. Today they have become an early warning device for heavy wear. A refinement of this is the quantitative debris monitor, which consists of an electronic metal particle detector used in the place of the magnetic plug. The monitor uses an electromagnetic to attract debris. The debris causes a flux disturbance in the drive coil, which in turn generates a voltage pulse that is proportional to particle size. A processor grades and counts the particles by size.

The Butterfly Effect essays

The Butterfly Effect essays The Butterfly Effect is an engrossing unpredictable and original thriller...- Paul Fischer, Dark Horizons. It's one of several reviews by critics around the world. The cinematography, editing techniques, and sound direction help provide vision to an oddly shaped motion picture. Most techniques go unnoticed to just a viewer, but to a film critic, dissecting a movie becomes habit. I believe one of the most important techniques in a movie is the cinematography. There are various little, maybe unnoticeable to some, shots in this movie that try to justify the scene or what the director is trying to convey. For instance, within the first five minutes of the film, main character Evan Treborn, played by Ashton Kutcher, is sitting at the table writing in a notebook. The camera is shooting Evans hand writing in his notebook, which allows us, the audience to see from Evans point of view. Another example of character point of view is when Evan is leaving in the moving van and Kaleigh Miller, played by Amy Smart, is running up to the moving van. The camera is angled at the passenger rear-view mirror shooting Kaleigh running to the moving van. This type of shot also gives us an insight on Evans character and helps the viewers form a relationship with him. There are other scenes in the movie, that can explain an additional point the directors, Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gr uber, were trying to make. In example, nearly thirty minutes into the film, an undefined female character enters the dorm room with Evan and is looking under his bed. At this time the camera is shooting down on her and gives the audience the feeling of inferiority towards the female. While on the next shot, the camera is point up towards Evan, giving us the impression of superiority. These type shots help the viewer learn about the character and his or her role in the motion picture. Not only does the cinematography of a picture affect the...

Beneficence vs. Non-maleficence

Beneficence vs. Non-maleficence Beneficence and Non-maleficence are two interrelated concepts which consist of bringing no harm to others. Although the two are interrelated, there is a big difference between the two. Beneficence refers to the act of helping others whereas non-maleficence refers to not doing any harm. Therefore, the main difference between the two is that beneficence asks that you help others while non-maleficence asks that you do no harm to others to begin with. When you combine both concepts, the main point is that you must act selflessly in a way that will help the other individual and you must not act on your own beliefs. As mentioned before, beneficence refers to the actions that help others. In other words, these actions are done for the benefit of others. According to the UCSF school of medicine, â€Å"beneficence is an action that is done for the benefit of others. Beneficent actions can be taken to help prevent or remove harm or to simply improve the situations of others† (Pantilat, 2008). The UCSF school of medicine also provides clinical applications in which they mention how physicians are â€Å"expected to refrain from causing harm, but they also have an obligation to help their patients† (Pantilat, 2008). It certainly seems confusing considering the fact that sometimes in order to provide care, patients can experience harm. UCSF also mentions that there is a difference between obligatory and ideal beneficence. UCSF mentions that there is a common confusion between ideal beneficence and obligatory beneficence. According to the UCSF school of medicine, â€Å"Ideal beneficence co mpromises extreme acts of generosity or attempts to benefit others on all possible occasions† (Pantilat, 2008). According to the UCSF, â€Å"physicians are not necessarily expected to live up to this broad definition of beneficence,† however they most certainly are required to promote the welfare of patients no matter what (Pantilat, 2008). Because of the knowledge that physicians possess, they are obligated to prevent and remove harm and â€Å"weigh and balance possible benefits against possible risk of an action† (Pantilat, 2008). Not only this but the UCSF expands on the definition of beneficence by saying this can also include â€Å"protecting and defending the rights of others, rescuing persons who are in danger, and helping individuals with disabilities† (Pantilat, 2008). The following are a few examples the UCSF provides in regard to beneficence: â€Å"resuscitating a drowning victim, providing vaccinations for the general population, or helping someone quit smoking† (Pantilat, 2008). Non-maleficence as defined earlier basically states that you must do no harm no matter what and refrain from providing â€Å"ineffective treatment or acting with malice toward patients† (Pantilat, 2008). UCSF makes a point to say that this principle offers little useful guidance because many times therapies or treatment provided by physicians can also have serious risks or consequences (Pantilat, 2008)). According to the UCSF, â€Å"physicians should not provide ineffective treatments to patients as these offer risk with no possibility of benefit and thus have a change of harming patients† (Pantilat, 2008). The school of medicine continues to say that, â€Å"In addition, physicians must not do anything that would purposely harm patients without the action being balanced by proportional benefit† (Pantilat, 2008). The reason UCSF says this is because they believe that many procedures and interventions can cause harm in relation to benefits and therefore, the physician must make sure to inform the patient of all risks prior to any procedures. And ultimately, the physician should not pressure the patient into having any procedure done and should solely allow the patient to decide based on the proper information provided to him or her. An example of non-maleficence is stopping any medication that is shown to be harmful or refusing to provide treatment to a patient which has not been proven to be effective in trials. Another example of non-maleficence is not encouraging someone to smoke when you know how harmful it can be.

Accounting Theory DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Accounting Theory DB - Essay Example s of the dissenter’s decision, I too changed my opinion based on the fresh insights into the matter shown by the CFO and agreed with the dissenter’s decision of using the current rates as they would give a truer picture. The current value of the restructured debt would be more apparent using the dissenter’s method. SFAS 115 was also brought up immediately in which marketable equity securities were to be offered either at a fair or the current market value. My opinion on this was sought for its impact on objectivity and bias. I preferred using the market value and my response was acknowledged for its correctness. I was informed of a new standard which would only allow FIFO to be used as inventory and I was asked about its usefulness in terms of verifiability. I agreed with the new standard which was then explained by the CFO, Mr. Washington, as being more verifiable due to elimination of double calculation if both FIFO and LIFO were used. Majority of my suggestions in the exchange of emails in the activity were right. I had a tendency of going for the majority in the first problem but on reflection the dissenter’s decision seemed more appropriate as using the current discount rate would affect the financial position of the corporation in a positive way. My instinctive response was of using the current market value or a fair price of the securities on offer in the market was correct. Using FIFO for inventory as a sole criterion in the new standard was also an appropriate decision. Exposure to accounting theory does influence reasoning power as one can make a more appropriate choice as and when required during a corporation’s financial planning and implementation. Knowledge of the minimum standards set up by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and FASB (Financial Accounting Standards Board) helps in making pertinent decisions which can influence the success or failure of a corporation. These regulatory bodies ensure transparency and consistency in