An Analytical Response to the 1978 film, F. I. S. T. Essay Example for Free

An Analytical Response to the 1978 film, F. I. S. T. Essay The plot of the film basically revolve around the life of a worker who desperately seeks a better and a more comfortable life by working hard in a very low-paying job with a management who imposes very harsh and unjust rules and guidelines. The story also deals with the struggles of the workers to earn respect and the right and fair kind of treatment they deserve. The plot centers on the life and struggles of Johnny Kovac’s character which was played by Sylvester Stallone. The character was portrayed as a willful trucker who decided to join the Federation of Interstate Truckers (FIST) to fight and campaign for just treatments among all the country’s truckers like him (â€Å"F. I. S. T. 1987†). Through out the story, Kovac was challenged by a lot of more powerful individual since he was seen as a very strong threat to their deceptive intentions. He also received a lot of threats and physical tortures since he was actually fighting very powerful people. But despite all these challenges, Kovac was nevertheless able to prove that he is stronger than anyone who opposes his intentions to uplift the lives of simple truckers who just deserve fair treatment from their superiors. This was the major conflict and drive of the story. Kovac, as the main protagonist both serves as a hero and the base character of the story where all the other conflicts and highlights are based from. The story emphasized on Kovac’s principles and his efforts of fighting for their rights as truckers. Kovac and all the other characters in the story were portrayed to be simple and typical people with whom, viewers can easily empathize. However, his defeat and death at the end has put a rather distressing and saddening effect to the story. II. Issues The story was basically about the lives and struggles of truckers. Just like other workers, truckers have rights and privileges that they can demand from their superiors. However in this movie, the workers were rather treated unjustly by the management. They were given inadequate compensation and several unfair rules and regulations have been imposed on them. Kovac, as a trucker himself stood up and fought for his principles and afterwards fought for the influence of the labor union, FIST, which he became part of. The movie had a particular emphasis on the laborer’s rights and privileges. The unjust treatments to these workers portrayed in the film are one manifestation that in the real world, this undeserved treatment is also observable. Through the depiction of this issue it can be implied that some capitalist may really have been so fed up by their wealth that they forget that there are still other important things to consider aside from getting richer and this is the welfare of their workers. And because of this issue, the characters of the movie can be observed to seek for their rights and privileges in a rather aggressive way because of the unpleasant manner their company has used to treat them. The issues were basically about, (1) what implications can unjust treatment and deprivation of privileges causes workers; and (2) how well do labor unions actually help in eliminating the hostile relationships between workers and companies. And because this issue has been depicted to have taken all the patience of the workers, some of them have even developed stronger sense of selfishness and greed. Some also developed greed towards money. Kovac on the other hand became more and more obsessed of recruiting for member to join FIST since he wanted his mission and his intention to voice out the wants of the workers to be accomplished as early as he can. These implications may in some ways appear similar to the effects of unjust treatments to laborers people experience in real life. Just like in this film, people may indeed grow hostile and aggressive once their rights and privileges will be deprived of them. But nonetheless, if there is one lesson that this movie was able to send out, it is the fact that it is never just and acceptable to fight for one’s principle in destructive ways. III. Discussion In several ways, this movie appears to carry considerable significance to the real occurrences of unjust treatment among workers in the society. In real life, these incidents are undeniable that is why unions exist. However, the arguable thing is this movie is that Kovac and his other colleagues appeared to fight for what they believe in rather hostile and destructive ways which only made the situations worse. Aside from this, a lot of characters were also depicted to be deceived by wealth and power which made them turn their . backs to their moral perspectives. Thus, this can be considered as one of the moral threats unjust treatments can really cause an individual. In its entirety, the movie appears to be a total representation what goes on in a union and how its members fight for what they believe in. But what appears to be an upsetting and disturbing part of the story is the aggression and immorality which brought about . worse situations and events. IV. Opinion Truly, every person in this world deserved fair treatment as every person deserves equal rights and privileges as well. In a company, the relationship of the executive management to the workers can be considered very crucial. In order to form a pleasant relationship between these two, each party must respect and provide the deserved treatment and benefit of the other party. Because once this rule is broken, hostility might definitely spark which will eventually form an unpleasant relationship between the workers and the management. Personally, I think the movie had an interesting inspiration; however, the real message was not that effectively sent out to the viewers because of the distractions that came from all the unnecessary actions and violence portrayed in the film. But nonetheless, I see this film as a good depiction of how worse a situation may get once a worker’s rights and privileges be unjustly deprived from him or her. Works Cited â€Å"F. I. S. T. (1987): Plot Summary. † The Internet Movie Database. IMDb. com. (n. d. ). (14 May 2009). http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0077531/plotsummary. F. I. S. T. Dir: Norman Jewinson. Writer: Joe Eszterhas and Sylvester Stallone. Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Rod Steiger, Peter Boyle, Melinda Dillon, David Huffman, Kevin Conway and Tony Lo Bianco. Chateau Productions, 1987.

Inventory Management Methods

Inventory Management Methods Introduction Success of an inventory management process entails the balance of costs of inventory with the benefits of the inventory (Alison et al., 2005). Inventory in business is one of the tangible and visible components of a company. Inventory management is the act of keeping and placing stock in a business. Many businesses have problem keeping the inventory. Each and every service provided anywhere is concerned with operation management technique in one way or another. Its objectives are to provide goods and services that the customers demand for in the right quantity, quality and cost at the appropriate time (Waller et al., 1999). ABC analysis The ABC analysis groups inventory into three classes. Class A contains 80 percent of the total value of inventory. Class B contains 15 percent of the total value of inventory while class C contains 5 percent of the total value of inventory (Bowersox Cooper, 1992). The ABC analysis gives a simple and quick review of the inventory. The ABC analysis also gives a clear view and meaning of the whole assortment of products in the inventory, thereby making it an efficient method to control inventory investment. The ABC analysis makes it easy for an inventory manager to devote resources to only those places where it will have the biggest positive feedback. Nike, Inc is an American manufacturer of shoes. In their ABC analysis, leather forms class A, sole forms class B while shoe lace forms class C (Cousins Spekman, 2003). ABC analysis is a vital method for management of inventory. Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) EOQ is a technique for inventory management that minimizes ordering and holding costs for the year. EOQ is a crucial accounting formula that determines when the combination of inventory carrying cost, order and costs are the least (Simchi et al., 2003). The result obtained from the formula gives the most effective quality to order. There are two models used in EOQ: Q and P models. In the Q model, whenever the stock on hand reaches the recorder point, a fixed quantity of materials is ordered. Advantages of the Q model are that the inventory materials are at the most economical quantity and inventory control personnel automatically devote attention to stocking the only items that are needed, when they are needed. A major disadvantage of the Q model is that the suppliers may be inconvenienced by orders that are raised at irregular intervals. In the P model, the stock position of every item in the inventory is closely monitored. Advantages of the P model are that the inventory and orderi ng costs are low and the model can be used on materials that are used irregularly or in seasons. Sales estimates are easily calculated for seasonal materials and the purchase of these materials can be planned in advance. A disadvantage of the P model is that is inefficient because it compels a periodic review of inventory. At Best Buy, the demand for desktop computers is 1000 units per month. Every time an order is placed, Best Buy incurs 4000 dollars in order cost. Best Buy incurs further costs in purchasing each computer at 500 dollars and the retailer charges a holding cost of 20 percent. The annual demand, D, is equal to 12000 dollars (1000 multiplied by 12). S, the order cost per lot is 4000 dolars. C, the price per unit, is 500 dollars. The annual holding cost, h, is 0.2. From these values the optimal order size and the optimal order frequency can be calculated. The formula for optimal order size, Q*, is given by SQRT((2DS)/hC) (Russ, 1999). Substituting the letters with the corresponding values gives the number 980, which is the optimal order size. Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) This is a process where the vendor makes orders for clients and customers according to the demand information they get form the customers. Both the customer and the vendor are held together by an agreement that conclude the costs, the inventory level and the fill rates.VMI use IDE (Electronic Data Interchange) to specify their delivery quantities which are sent to clients and customers by the use of distribution channel (John et al., 2008). VMI is an inbound logistic plan based on the idea that the dealer should be in charge of managing customers inventories by using the demand information provided by the customer himself. This eliminates a step in the information chain and creates a better demand visibility for the supplier, who can synchronize his manufacturing process to the actual demand with the result of having less inventories and lower logistic costs (Disney Towill, 2003). Hennes Mauritz (HM) AB, a new clothing retailer situated in Sweden is famous for its cheap but chic fashion. While other vendors are struggling, HM sees the economic slowdown as a chance to enlarge, go into new markets and to put in new brands. In September 2008, HM was all set to go into Japan, known as one of the worlds most competitive fashion markets. It was to open another store in Japan in November and a third one was to be launched soon. In Japan, HM decided to enter into a  collaboration  of design with designer Rei Kawakubo, who was the creator of well-established  fashion brand, Comme des Garà §ons. Last year, HM got into China and has established itself in 30 more countries with more 1,600 stores worldwide. As a result of effective vendor management inventory skills, it was able to establish in other countries. This has come as a result of planning which is essential in VMI, knowing the demand, improved quality of production. As a result they HM increased its inven tory annual turns and reduced material obsolescence and hence a considerable increase in assets. It was able to improve its customer services and responsiveness through scheduling forecasting of the fluctuations. VMI has some benefits to the supplier and the customer.VMI ensures that the company operation of production is not interfered with by shortage of material. Secondly, they make sure that the distributor is not caught short on products. Moreover it helps in ensuring that the customers and the suppliers do not have more inventories that are necessary to meet the needs of the customers.VMI also improve the planning processes that are beneficial to the business. Some of the pros and cons of VMI to the supplier include: bullwhipping effect reduction, lowering reliance to forecasting, it reduces the order of modifications and simplifies production plan. To the customers, it assists in reduction of stock, reduces financial cost, simplify the purchase process and increases sales. To both the customers and the suppliers, VMI helps in reducing the data entry errors, improves the speed of the process, reduces stocks level and it improves the service level (Vereecke Muylle, 2006). VMI plays a major role in cost management. In this case, the supplier holds stock on site or near the buyer. By doing this, the customer is given instant access and the power to get stock while they pay for only what they have sold. This increases the stock turnover and reduces investments in the stock. The supplier is mandated to replenish the stock in many VMI business partnerships. This also comprises of stock ordering, logistics and freight management and counting and stocking the stock. By doing this, the expenses are handled by the supplier and hence they are responsible for regulation of the prices to the customers. Another benefit of VMI is that they distinguish variations of demands and errors of forecasting between the downstream and the upstream chain supply associates. This type of decoupling assists in reducing the levels of stock and the linked stock maintenance costs (Hollensen, 2001). Conclusion VMI as a supply chain practice is very essential in monitoring, planning and managing the inventory or stocks of an organization by a vendor for the organization.VMI has many advantages which range from cost, delivery and also quality. It is necessary to have VMI in a business as they play a big role in the management of the inventory. The advantages of the VMI outweigh the disadvantages and hence they are vital in an organization which requires major stock taking during business. Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) systems have been proven to be a technique for improving the efficiency of supply chain operations. VMI is made efficient by the execution of an electronic means that eradicate many of the built-in delays associated with traditional ordering systems and enable the establishment of shared inventory management systems (Xu et al., 2001). Part 2:- Recent trends in operations and supply chain management. Introduction Modern company may choose to cooperate through supply chain arrangements that combine their personal strengths and distinctive resources. In the past year, supply chain management has showed organizations that they can attain sustainable competitive advantage whether they are in competition with other suppliers of not (Vergin Barr, 1999). Due to this, many companies have been involved in outsourcing logistic functions which has provided a great opportunity to many companies to operate efficiently, be flexible, improve their service levels and have a better focus on their main benefit of the organization. Overview Outsourcing logistics has been one of the trends that have been on the rise in supply chain management (Walter et al., 2003). Many companies have really gained from outsourcing and thus they have improved their involvement with providers and facilitated the integration of the whole supply chain. Outsourcing has led to development of various partnership initiatives which have been successful in exploiting the logistics flow and the customer demand. For instance, Dell Computer Corporation opened up the Direct Model of sale and service of PCs directly to the consumers. This is a way of outsourcing which ha been of great impact on Dell Inc. Dell Computer Corporation a leading computer systems company was started in 1984. Dell trades its computer systems straight to end customers, avoiding distributors and retailers. Dell matches supply and demand because its consumers order computer configurations online computer configurations are built up from components that are available. Its strateg y is to give customized, low cost, and quality computers that are distributed on time. Dell successfully employed this strategy via its resourceful manufacturing operations, better supply chain management and direct sales model. Dell uses the phone or online through the internet to take orders directly from its customers. Other recent trends in operations and supply chain management include, planning for the demand; as more manufacturing companies come up, the level of quality of products increases and hence the demand has to be planned for. Having a demand focused approach assists an organization deliver and have a demand driven model (Alan, 2008). Planning for the demand improves the management efforts and helps overall costs and customer services efforts .The other trend is globalization; the business market becomes global as a result of improvement in communication. Processes like manufacturing, distribution, selling, invoicing, returns have a big impact on the thirdly, increased competition is another trend the trend in supply and operation management. Due to the increase in market, demand and supply, there is high competition form all the companies selling the same products. This comes as a result of high demand and also having many suppliers. Dell has decreased the cost of intermediaries that w ould increase the cost of PC for the customer. Dell also saves time on handing out orders that other organizations normally incur in their sales and distribution system. Moreover, by dealing directly with the customer Dell gets a clearer indication of market inclination. This helps Dell to plan for the future apart from having better managing its supply chain (Walter et al., 2003). The company with the products of highest quality has an upper hand over the other companies (Wikner et al., 1991). As a result of competition, the prices are also affected and hence they reduce due to many suppliers in the market. Many companies are viewing their  supply  chains in two ways to help offset this trend. Dell Inc looks at ways to decrease cost and still create a more efficient value  chain  to remain cost competitive. Second, companies are looking at ways they can offer value-added services to get together the demands of more complicated customers (Vivek, 2009). Dell Inc does this by taking orders direct form the customers and delivering their products at home. Reorganization of the procedures with better design, better collaboration across networks and new services will help your company stay competitive and strengthen relationships with your customers. Conclusion Many recent trends in operations and supply chain management have come up in the business industry. Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) systems have been proven to be a technique for improving the efficiency of supply chain operations. Experience has shown that developments in these two areas can lead to eradication of between 20 percent and 30 percent of the previously required supply chain inventory. Nevertheless, in order to achieve this level of success, it is vital for those companies that have not yet applied VMI to follow a best practice approach. Flourishing VMI programs take benefit of a key supply chain association that has been reaffirmed many times over (Michael   Nigel, 2003).

Social Networking Sites In Election Campaigns Media Essay

Social Networking Sites In Election Campaigns Media Essay Internet is fast growing communication tool these day with numerous social networking sites operating and eminent personalities posting their thoughts on them and communicating with people. It is becoming the medium of election communication as political parties across the world are logging on to the Internet and it is impacting the political system and voting behaviours. An interesting phenomenon in political communication is the use of social networking sites like Facebook, You Tube and Friendster, that are being used as a means of election campaigning. The study focuses on use of social media in political campaigning and communication in past at different countries and how these can be implemented in Indian scenario and what would be its types and benefits. Table Of Contents Introduction 2 Past Cases ( Use of SNS in EC ) 6 Benefits 9 Presence in India 10 Conclusion 12 Introduction: Social networking sites are online services or platforms that focus on building and reflection social relations among people. They proved to be a fundamental communication tool in every aspect and a limitless source of information campaign strategy. Their effectiveness to gather and communicate a targeted political message, raising the stakes in strategy and aggressive social media participation helps in election campaigning. The use of social networking sites in political parties spans across increased media exposure, funding, participation and has increased mobilisation and enthusiasm in numerous recent political campaigns. Social networking sites has become fast and low cost communication tool and enables quick and easy access to political information among potential users. Campaigning managers use these sites as an effective way for recruiting new employees and other campaigning strategies. From past two decades social networking sites and systems is been used in political campaigning and dialogues. In year 1996 email and social networks was widely used as source of communication among political parties and groups of people. During year 2006 at Belgian elections catchphrase Think was circulated among people through Myspace so as to stimulate people in discussions and thought around voting preference and encouraging people to reconsider voting for right party. In the same year a survey was conducted on Myspace users over 18 years of age and it was found that they were three times more likely to take part in an online political discourse than traditional way. In year 2007 it was found out that 40% of all social networking users  had  used Myspace and Facebook  as a source for  political information  in the United States (US) and  20%  of people used  these sites  to discover the political interests of their friends.  It has been  suggested  that Myspace is so effective that it should be a key part to any campaign strategy. Barack Obama has successfully used Twitter, Myspace, Youtube and Facebook as an effective tool in communicating and mobilising people. He spends around $2 million in election campaigning and building a social networking site known as MyBarackobama.com. Republican Party also used social networking sites in 2008 elections to promote John McCain. There is great potential for political parties to raise large sums of money in short periods of time using social networking sites through micro-fund-raising. The use of micro-donations not only enable candidates to raise funds rapidly it gives a sense of involvement and participation to those who have donated, no matter how small the amount. In the year 2008 US presidential election $55 million was raised in one month and 80% of which were online donations. With social networking sites political campaigning add to a visibility to politicians personal and professional life. It leads to accountability and risk. As they can filmed anywhere and these could be uploaded anytime which goes around like a disease among people and can be used for political gains. These political strategies were used in American politics. Another fact related to same is that some parties even hire people who not only keep track of their accounts but also of competitors account and keeps on uploading and distributing such video content through Youtube. . An example of this  high-level of exposure can be seen in the 2006 US election cycle  as  one senator was filmed making a racial slur, which was uploaded to YouTube and it became the most viewed video. This increased exposure of political candidates adds another dimension to political campaigning of smear campaigning of opposition candidates with ease. While political parties may not have the level of control over the content that is distributed but these social networking  sites have facilitated an  increase  in  the rate of political participation.  As these networking sites create an easily accessible medium for people to find, distribute and absorb. Evidence from a number of studies supports the theory that the Internet has beneficial effects on online political involvement. Internet use encourages higher levels of political participation: for example, forwarding e-mails with political content, online voting, and so forth. And online communications through social networking sites can aid in political engagement. YouTube and other social media sites allow campaign strategies to easily target limitless voters with great communication power. According to a Pew Internet and American Life study, 46% of American voters have used the Internet, text messaging or email for political mobilisation, discussion and to access political news and information and 35% of people in the US watched political videos on YouTube. In 2008 presidential elections in US new technologies combined with these social networking sites have been used as to advertise to potential voters and their mobilisation. The demographic for the internet has widened and social networking is no longer just for young people. In year 2006 over 50% of American YouTube and Myspace users were 35 years or older, and the proportion of 12 to 17 year olds were declining. Social networking sites  do not just represent a young demographic.  Politically engaged people  and political participation is increasing throughout the community through the use of social networking sites. Thus, social networking is playing a substantial role in political process in recent years. Not only it has been effectively utilised by political parties of western countries in the campaign cycles, political issues groups and otherwise unrepresented minorities, but also as a means of open and uncensored communication for citizens in countries with oppressive government control over other media conduits. The use of these online tools has seen a shift in the funding models of political parties through the highly effective use of micro-donations. These sites have expanded the reach and accuracy of strategically targeted communications by political parties to potential voters.  There is an increase in  political participation  and people garner a greater sense of contribution through the use of social networking sites and social media, influencing involvement with political parties in the greater community.   Social networking sites have proven to be a powerful political tool and we can only expect that it will grow limitlessly alongside the political machine. Past Cases of Social Networking Sites as a tool in Election Campaigning: Kenya Elections: In Kenya elections in year 2006 these social media such as Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Flickr etc. is been used in mobilising and sharing and gathering of information and raising the money in restricted time. It was also seen social media as a way to get involved in political parties response to mainstream media. During the Kenya post-election crisis people mobilised a website called Ushahidi for people to collaboratively report where violent clashes has taken place. Perspectives and commentary on the post-2006 election crisis in Kenya were seen in online networking sites as a way to criticise the media and government and it was found that views and discussion topics seen in social networking sites were much more diverse that seen in mainstream media. Internet and Social Networking Sites in Election Campaigns: Gabriela Womens Party in Philippines wins the 2007 Elections Philippines also embarked on using Internet, social networking sites and the mobile phones for their 2007 elections. Gabriela Womens Party (GWP), among others, was one of them. Given the limited funds for mass forms of communication, the party made use of new communication technologies, in particular, the Internet and social networking sites like YouTube and Friendster along with its website, to augment traditional campaign techniques. The (GWP) won two seats, making it the first and only womens group in the country to attain such a feat in the party list group contest (Alojamiento, 2007). Maximizing YouTube YouTube and Friendster are very popular among young female Internet users in the country. It was only logical for the GWP to turn to these sites to expand their networks and establish their presence among Filipino voters. Political advertising is an obsession among politicians in the country especially when it comes to TV advertising. All parties make efforts to be on television and spend the maximum amounts on advertising. Television advertising being expensive, the GWP after a few commercials on television, extended this kind of advertising to YouTube by uploading a video endorsement of Angel Locsin, a young local celebrity. Use of Social Media in US : Over the past two decades  online  social networking  sites and  systems  have  been  effectively  used  to increase political  dialogue. In 1996 email was widely used across social networks as a means of facilitating  people and groups for political purposes .  In 2007 it was estimated that  40% of all social networking users  had  used Myspace and Facebook  as a source for  political information  in the United States (US) and  20%  of people used  these sites  to discover the political interests of their friends.   Barack Obama successful used Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Facebook among others to communicate and mobilise people. He also had a $2 million dollar custom campaigning and social networking site built called MyBarackobama.com (Walmsley 2008; Crow 2008; Talbot 2008).  The Republican party used social networking sites during the 2008 to promote candidate John McCain, even at 71 years of age, which demonstrated their understanding of the importance of its use. Political parties are now actively engaging with social networking sites as part of their campaign strategies. Political campaign strategies have successfully used social networking sites to increase campaign funding. Howard Dean, in 2004, was the first US politician to explore the financial value in using the Internet as part of his campaign strategy. He successfully used the Internet to facilitate small donations online instead of the traditional big fund-raising events. During this same year Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry raised $80 million in online donations. Within two months of creating a MySpace page during the US 2006 election cycle one Republican candidate raised donations by 20%  The Barack Obama campaign during the 2008 US presidential election raised $55 million in one month 80% were online donations and 90% of those were under $200 each. This was before he had run a single fund-raising event . Social networking sites create an easily accessible medium for people to find, distribute and absorb political information. YouTube and other social media sites allows campaign strategies to easily target limitless voters with great communication power .According to a Pew Internet and American Life study, 46% of American voters have used the Internet, text messaging or email for political mobilisation, discussion and to access political news and information 35% of people in the US watched political videos on YouTube .This ease of access combined with new technologies enables campaigners to strategically target and customise their marketing approach. Social networking sites enable a more targeted approach to election campaigning. The US Republican 2008 presidential campaign used an internal database, called the Voter Volt, matched with internet searches to advertise to potential voters using social networking sites .These new technologies combined with the use of social networking sites not only increases the accuracy of the campaign message through targeted advertising, it has also helped to increase the size of the audience.  During the 2008 US Election new technologies allowed The Republican National Committee to increase the number of potential voters on their database by 6-fold compared to their 2004 campaign .The use of these new tools have the added potential to increase mobilisation. Benefits of Social Networking Sites usage in Political Campaigning: Mass Coverage: The biggest advantage that social networking sites provide in an election campaign is of mass coverage with sites such as Myspace, Twitter, Facebook , Youtube, Linkdein , orkut etc. Data table from i strategy labs generating no of users of facebook between age of 18 and 24 are as follows: It can be seen youth between age 18 and 24 using facebook accounts for 40.8% and in middle age group constitute of 16.6%. So political parties targeting youth and middle age group can be benefited if campaigning through these sites. Cost Effective : Political campaigning through these sites is very cost effective methods as the cost involved is very low. And in past micro donations can be arranged easily through these sites only. This has been seen in presidential elections in year 2008 taken place ay US. Emergence of new political parties: With social networking sites as a tool used for election campaign emergence of new political parties can be seen. More of individual politicians are encouraged and are emerging out in elections. They are reaching to public with their ideas being communicated well using the videos on Youtube or post on twitter or on Facebook account or through blogs with many followers acting as agents and their promoters. Environmental and Societal benefits: The other benefits associated with campaigning through networking sites are of environmental and societal benefits to general public in all. While campaigning through these sites the major tool of campaigning traditionally that is pamphlets is through emails, posts and blogs. Thus reducing the usage of paper and saving trees. Also society is saved from traffic jams, noise pollutions when campaigning is done on these sites. Moreover while campaigning on these sites an add on feature of more visibility leading to accountability is been ensured, giving a right to voters to have all information and then deciding upon the right candidate to vote for. Presence in India: Political parties in this day and age are now trying to use web as a medium to gain attention of the masses. Employing internet as a strategy to make an appeal to the masses is also being used a host of NGOs and non-profit organizations, such as the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy and Public Interest Foundation. These organisations are using internet, alongwith traditional media like radio and television, to launch initiatives geared toward raising awareness among the electorate. There are nationwide campaign ensuring to increase transparency in Indian elections by combining information about constituencies and candidates. The purpose of these campaigns are: Provide information regarding the representatives based on the information they have provided through affidavits to the Election Commission   Provide information about a constituency Give a chance to the public to give feedback on work done by their elected representatives The media excitement around the election is being generated by the middle-class urban youth, who   believe in bringing about a change. Of late, many Indian politicians have begun considering internet as a viable medium for interactive communication and are, consequently, making their presence felt in the World Wide Web.  For instance BJP has launched a website for its prime ministerial candidate and for its chief ministerial candidate as well. Similarly, even the congress party is making use of social networking sites like youtube, facebook, twitter etc. to run social marketing campaigns. Thus, the presence of social networking sites in the indian electoral scenario is spellbound as the political parties now are resorting to online campaigning and voting systems. CONCLUSION : The present study and other studies cited in this paper mostly point out to both the importance of new media technologies and the trend towards their exploitation in current political settings. Their maximization for political campaigning should be viewed, however, in the context of where these new technologies operate Though studies have demonstrated that new technologies have been playing significant roles in campaigns in the US, the diffusion of online campaigning in parts of Asia, particularly in the Philippines, is unfolding but at a slower pace. These do not discount the promises of the Internet for political campaigning. If offline conditions change, it is likely that online uses will follow. In the meantime, it is important to look at the Internet as an integral part of a holistic political campaigning strategy, which can complement the use of traditional media and grassroots campaigning by reaching the growing segment of the population using the Internet. Future studies in this field of political communication would help in understanding how far the applications of the Internet and its contemporaries would go in bringing political actors closer to the public and how politics itself would change in the years to come as these new technologies become more sophisticated at the same time societies around the world evolve and change

Kafkas Hunger Artist Essay -- Kafka Hunger Artist

Kafka's Hunger Artist Kafka, in his masterpiece "The Hunger Artist," suggests that humans can never satisfy their desires. This is illustrated through the metaphorical hunger artist for whom nourishment is not being nourished at all. The viewing public's interest is derived from their desire to see the hunger artist cheating, but to view this would put an end to that desire. Finally, Kafka presents this idea while the artist is at the circus and describing when people wish to view the starved man. The hunger artist's nourishment is spiritual. The man only wishes to be honored by the public. As he continuously spirals downward in his health, he looses all forms of material nourishment. As the days go on, there is conflict between the artist and the audience, as they do not believe him honest in claiming not to have eaten. By searching for the audience's approval, a symbol for spiritual nourishment, he loses both material and spiritual nourishment. The climax of the story occurs when he finally achieves his final goal which he believes will give...

Freedom of Choice in Shakespeares King Lear :: Essays on King Lear

         Humans, like all creatures on the earth, have the privilege of the freedom of choice.   There are two broad ranges of factors that affect the decisions a person makes.   The first factor that affects decision making is internal and includes a person's character and intellect.   The second factor is external such as environment and interaction with other people. Naturally, each decision a person makes results in a repercussion of some degree, usually either helpful or hindering, and rarely inconsequential. The concept of justice is based on the fact that decisions are always followed by consequences.   It strictly adheres to the rewarding of good deeds and the punishment of evil.   King Lear, a play by William Shakespeare, is a grave tragedy that is a prime example of the Elizabethan conception of justice.   Lear's kingdom turns to chaos because of a break in the "Great Chain of Being" and restores to order when justice prevails. Its tragic labelling stems from t he prevalence of death the just punishment for many of its characters.   The deaths of Lear, Goneril, and Edmund are prime examples of justice prevailing for evil, and in Lear's case unnatural, acts.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Lear's ultimate fate is death.   His early demise is a direct result of breaching the "Great Chain of Being" which states that no mortal will abandon his position in the hierarchy of ranking set by God.   Lear's intention of abdicating his throne is apparent from the outset and is seen in the following speech spoken during the opening scene of the play:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . . . 'tis our fast intent   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To shake all cares and business from our age,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conferring them on younger strengths while we   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unburdened crawl toward death. . .1      Ã‚  Ã‚   Evidently the splitting of Lear's kingdom and abdication of his throne is not an act of necessity, but an act toward easing the remainder of his life.   Lear's disruption of the "Great Chain of Being" is in an unnatural fashion because the abdication of his kingship is without dire or mortal cause.   The method of passing down his land to his heirs is also unnatural, as seen in the following excerpts:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . . . Know that we have divided   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In three our kingdom. . .   Ã‚  Ã‚   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Movie review Saw III Essay -- essays research papers

One of the best horror series recent is the Saw Franchise. 'Saw III' is 2006's superlative horror film and the best in the Saw trilogy. Everyone in 'Saw III' deserves an eminent collaborative achievement award, the actors Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Bahar Soomekh, and Angus Macfadyen. The director, Darren Lynn Bousman, and producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules, made the Saw franchise magnificent. Darren Lynn Bousman is the first horror director to ever have his first two major Hollywood films open up at number one, which was Saw II and Saw III. He is one of the most successful horror directors of all time. He is coming back to direct Saw IV. All the actors did an astonishing job. Tobin Bell has a loathsome attitude that is right for this character Jigsaw, a creepy serial killer who plays with his victims lives. Shawnee Smith?s performance was unpredictable, it kept you on the edge of your seat. A role women rarely have the opportunity to play. She plays an insecure, emotional woman with a self-destructive personality. Angus MacFadyen is a phenomenal underrated actor who has yet had...

Eurodisney Business Case Essay

1) How could the company have erred so badly in its estimates of spending patterns of European customers? * The idea was market Euro Disney as a complete holiday package and encouraging people to stay in the hotels and eat all meats in the complex. * While setting prices the Company was unable to estimate spending patterns of European consumers and competitors price alternatives. Due to the location advantage and incredible accomodation prices consumers prefer to stay in the city center. * Travel time to Paris city center from Euro Disney is only 35 minutes and cost of accomodation in Disneyland is as much expensive as a best hotel in Paris. People prefer to stay overnight in the city center instead of staying in the park. * At the end of 1992, it became clear that the numbers were not being met – there was a recession and people were bringing their own food and not staying in the hotels for many nights. Park admission prices were also very high ($42.25US for adults) * Skimming Pricing: is relatively high pricing strategy. It is tempting where product is highly differentiated. Setting prices assuming that demand will not be determined by price and therefore the price can be high with large profit margins. It assumes inelastic demad curve, which sales will not affected by prices. * Penetration Pricing: Setting prices assuming that demand will increase with lower prices and decrease with higher prices and therefore there are limitations on your profit margin. Elastic demand curve assumption. * Eurodisney saw itself in a monopoly position, and positioned itself in a relatively inelastic demand curve with attracting customers regardless of higher prices. As a result of skimming pricing policy high prices, visitors shortened their stay, avoided hotels abd brought their own food and drink. Many visitors arrived early in the morning, staying late at night or check out early in the morning. 2) Could a better reading of the impact of cultural differences on revenues have been achieved? There were a few cultural blunders made: * A no alcohol policy (wine is customary for lunch and dinner in France) and this discouraged visitors * It made mistakes with predicting the peak periods and had to lay off a number of staff when there were fewer visitors, but France has very strict labour laws so they found this to be very difficult * Disney failed to predict demand for breakfast. They told that Europeans dont take breakfast however demand for breakfast is 10 times more than capacity * Tour bus drivers were not catered for properly, so tour companies did not recommend visiting Euro Disney as much as they would have * In America there is a well-established theme park culture. In planning Euro Disney there do not seem to have been many contingency plans established. The attitude towards customer habits was very complacent, assuming that there would be so many customers every day, each staying an average number of nights spending an average amount of money (for America that might be the case). * Leftist demonstrators against to American culture. They called the Park an American cultural abomination. * Disney management failed to research the culture thoroughly enough 3) What suggestions do you have for fostering a climate of sensitivity and goodwill in corporate dealings with the French? * Cultural differences need to be addressed and not just assume that the foreign country will adopt domestic views. The way Europeans took holidays, bought souvenirs, took transport and ate, all affected Euro Disney’s performance * Disney did not understand the differences in the United States compared to European Labor Laws. This resulted in a waste of funding because labor costs in Europe were significantly higher than in the United States 4) How do you account for the great success of Tokyo Disneyland and the problems of Euro Disney? What are the key contributory differences? Euro Disney contrasted Tokyo in a number of ways. * Disney invested heavily in the Euro initiative while it never invested any funds in the Tokyo Park since the Tokyo Disneyland was owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company. * Tokyo Disneyland was a major success with a turnover of over 16 million in 1991 as compared to the low turnover in the Euro Disney. * An increasing trend in Japan towards leisure along with increasing appetite for the American food as opposed to the French who never valued the American foods contributed a lot to the success of Disney land in Tokyo. 5) Do you believe that Euro Disney might have done better if located elsewhere in Europe rather than just outside Paris? Why or why not? * With change of location to be somewhere else in Europe other than Paris, Euro Disney could have not done any better. This is because people in the Europe follow relatively similar cultural norms. It was not only the French who had problems with them, but also others. In Spain where they thought of at first had no adequate space for the establishment of the facility. The master spirit on the sides of the Americans could also not allow them to work in any environment. Moreover a general wave of recession and economic downturn all over the Europe, did not allow such capital intensive project. 6) â€Å"Mickey Mouse and the Disney Park are an American cultural abonimination†. Evaluate this critical statement. * Although European public acceptance of the theme park itself has not been a problem for Euro Disneyland there has been a different type of cultural clash. Most Europeans believe there is cultural imperialism * â€Å"Mickey Mouse and the Disney Park are an American cultural abomination† This is a statement connected to the hard line taken by the French Leftist who never accepted the American people to erode their culture. They claimed the pollution on their country’s cultural ambience was due to the arrival of Mickey Mouse and the company. They wanted to see more European culture in the park than the American culture. 7) Consider how a strong marketing approach might be made to both European consumers and middlemen, such as travel agents, tour guides, even bus drivers. * The strategy was very greedy in buying all the surrounding land so no one else could benefit from the project. This is not going to promote any local support and isolates the project from and other business support. The scale of the investment also isolated them more in the case of a failure. * The idea was to market the Disney as a complete holiday encouraging people to stay in the hotels and eat all meals in the park. * The travel time to Paris was 35 minutes from Euro disney and the hotel Disney cost as much as the best hotel in Paris, many people may prefer to stay overnight in the city center. * High competition in tourism industry. People passing through the area may decide to take the more traditional visit to Paris instead. * Marketing approach is very strong local partnership is important. In planning, Disney were more interested in the moneymaking ventures than the fundamental details such as providing enough restrooms for coach drivers. Inpatient drivers resulted a decrease in the number of visitors. * Tour guides have direct communication with customers. 8) Discuss the desirability of raising admission prices at the very time when attendance is static, profits are nonexistent, and new attractions are months and several years in the future.   * Skimming Pricing: is relatively high pricing strategy. It is tempting where product is highly differentiated. Setting prices assuming that demand will not be determined by price and therefore the price can be high with large profit margins. It assumes inelastic demad curve, which sales will not affected by prices. * Eurodisney saw itself in a monopoly position, and positioned itself in a relatively inelastic demand curve with attracting customers regardless of higher prices. As a result of skimming pricing policy high prices, visitors shortened their stay, avoided hotels abd brought their own food and drink. Many visitors arrived early in the morning, staying late at night or check out early in the morning.