Investigate their human resources, administration, finance and sales Essay

Marks and Spencer’s have many different store departments but also have many different departments of their business, its functional areas. I am going to look at and investigate their human resources, administration, finance and sales and marketing departments to then see how each contributes to the running of Marks and Spencer’s. Human Resources: The human resources department aims to carry out 5 major things, these being: 1. Recruiting, keeping and dismissing employees. This is a major task for M&S as they need the right type of employees for the business to operate it’s best, also the employees shall decide the businesses success present and future. Recruiting new employees could be hiring new people from outside the business or promoting workers already working in the business. Many businesses such as M&S like recruiting from outside the business to bring new ideas and enthusiasm. M&S would want to keep all their existing employees as they would risk losing experienced and trained staff, plus recruiting new workers and training them can prove to be expensive. Sometimes M&S would have to dismiss or sack employees, this may be due if an employee cannot carry out their job efficiently or effectively. Also many employees are dismissed or made redundant, as their jobs no longer exist, say the fall in a particular product could lead to the dismissal of many staff. Read more:Â  Human Resource Management Essay 2. Monitoring and providing good working conditions. Working conditions includes; the cleanliness of a place, the provision of rest areas, hours of work and holidays. Working conditions have a great impact on how well a business operates and how well employees can carry out their work. They are normally a subject for negotiation between trade unions and human resources. M&S have an area for staff to relax and spend their breaks in. The whole store would be regularly cleaned every day for both the workers and customers. 3. Training, developing and promoting employees. Human resources need their staff to be able to ensure that employees are able to do their jobs, they may give training at M&S or through course at local colleges, planning jobs so that employees enjoy new experiences and develop new skills also promoting employees to more senior positions to give the business the skills and experience it needs. 4. Negotiating with trade unions. The human resources department of M&S would have to discuss and agree pay and working conditions with trade unions or other representatives of the workforce. This process is called collective bargaining. 5. Health and safety is an important responsibility for human resources, as it requires M&S to provide all employees with a secure risk free working environment. That is what the human resources function of M&S had to ensure is carried out. Here are some typical job titles within an organisation such as M&S. Job title Description Human resources director Deciding the overall staffing policies of Boots. Also he/she advise senior management. Setting the human resources budget. In charge of all human resource functions in Boots. Human resources manager He/she manages the human resources department and staff involved with industrial relations and trade union negotiations, also ensuring his/he staff is following the policies of Boots. Recruitment officer Responsible for the taking on of staff and section of staff, depending on their standard of work they offer to Boots and the customers of Boots. Training/staff development officer He/she are responsible for training and developing of their staff to bring or take them to a higher level. Personnel/staffing officer Keeping staff records, monitoring staff welfare. Health and safety officer He/she makes sure all aspects of health and safety are in order for staff matters. Also they monitor accident and prevention. Security officer General security, responsible for all security staff. Human resources administrative assistants Administrative work relating to the human resource function. Finance: Now I am going to look at the finance function of M&S. The finance department of a business manages the money for the business. The department controls the financial transactions of a business and help managers to plan for the future. The various activities of the finance department are: 1. Recording all the financial matters of M&S as they are constantly spending money or receiving it from sales. It is vital that they keep all records of all the activities in order to, calculate whether the business is being profitable, asses how much tax the business will have to pay and to help managers to make the right decisions. 2. All businesses have to prepare their accounts in order to summarise their financial affairs during a year, plc’s are required to publish their results legally as they are a public company such as M&S. They have to do the following; the balance sheet which states both what a businesses aims and its debts, profit and loss account- which records the profit or loss made during a lengthy period of time usually a year, the inland revenue have to confirm that M&S has paid the correct amount of tax, suppliers are able to see whether business can pay it’s debts and finally shareholders can decide whether it’s worth investing in the business or not. 3. M&S have to pay the wages of all their employees and it involves the finance department in a number of ways. The business has to deduct income tax and national insurance from each employees pay, it may be required to operate a pension scheme for its more elderly employees and to make sure the correct amount of wages or salaries has been given out to employees. 4. All businesses need some resources and capital to trade successfully. To purchase these resources businesses may need to raise large sums of money, known as capital, but not M&S as they are already fully developed and expanding across the globe. But nevertheless a business has 2 main sources of capital; a loan raised by borrowing money from a bank or another business and retained profits, if M&S has been very profitable they may be able to invest in the business and obtain resources they may need. Some typical job roles in the finance function in M&S would include; Job Description Financial director Giving advice to senior managers on the overall financial policy of M&S. Overseeing the budget of M&S. In charge of all finance function in M&S. Financial Manager Managing the finance function and staff. He/she also advises other members of staff with any financial queries. Chief Accountant He/She ensures that final preparation of accounts M&S are in good and correct order. Management accountant He/She produces continuous financial information to M&S. Credit Controller Advising on credit policies. Making sure money owing to M&S kept in confidence. Credit control clerks Helps check accounts of new and existing customers accounts. He/She works below the Credit Controller but assist the credit controller. They also remind customers of overdue payments Chief Cashier He/She is responsible for the receipt, safe keeping accounting and banking all money received from boots. Payroll Administrator He/She is in control of ensuring that all of M&S employees payroll and salary/wages section. Wages Clerks He/She helps and assists the payroll administrator, in the production of wages ands salary details. Administration: The administration department provides important support services to other departments in the business. Not all admin departments in all businesses are the same. In small businesses the admin department may take responsibility for human resources or finance, but in a large organisation such as M&S it is usually most likely to be specialised. The admin department makes considerable use of computers and IT as it is required for a lot of their jobs. There are as always many activities for the administration department; they can be broken down into 5 groups: 1. Clerical services are the main role of every admin department. The department may provide clerical services to all other departments within the business. These maybe; word-processing, making telephone calls, booking accommodation for staff, sorting and delivering incoming mail and posting outgoing mail, organising meetings and keeping records of what takes place at these meetings, talking responsibly on behalf of the whole company and creating and keeping records of the company. 2. All businesses require regular cleaning M&S is no exception as it is especially true as M&S have cafes, which require thorough cleanliness. Admin also organises the maintenance of the building, they may decorate the inside and outside of the building if they wish. 3. Health and safety is a big issue with all businesses. It includes; providing safety clothing, warnings for workers, ensuring that there are no dangers around the workplace and providing regular medical checks for those working in risky environments. 4. Security is an increasingly important issue for all businesses, security duties would include; signing visitors in and out of premises, ensuring that unauthorised people are kept out by use of patrols or even guard dogs, protecting computer systems from hackers, patrolling to prevent shoplifting by employing guards in uniform. 5. Information technology is being more widely used by the minute, nearly all businesses use some form of IT nowadays. The admin department may use IT to; make spreadsheet for financial data, a database of customers and employees, payroll systems to calculate employees wages and salaries, e mail for communicating internal and external, web based systems, web sites for selling goods etc. Typical job roles of the administration function would be: Job Description Administration manager Managing the administration operations of M&S. Administration assistant Assists with administrative tasks in particular areas. Secretary of Boots A senior executive responsible for all the legal affairs of M&S. It manager Managing all IT requirements of M&S, including equipment maintenance and advising on future needs. Office manager/senior administrator Responsible for ensuring the administrating operations in particular office or department. Chief security officer He/she is responsible for the security staff and advising on security requirements. Security Responsible for maintaining and monitoring security to the required standard. Reprographics supervisor (photo coping and printing) Ensuring all reprographics are done and to a high standard, as it reflects on Boots reputation from the quality of leaflets and formal letters etc. Pa / Secretarial staff These staff are mainly there to providing secretarial and administrative support to senior members of staff and Word processing operator/Data input clerk (worker) He/she type out letters and any other documents and also input data into a computer system. Maintenance of Staff He/she is responsible for routine maintenance work, which may include painting or decorating. Cleaning Staff Cleaning of general office areas, facilities and equipment Marketing and Sales: Marketing and sales involve businesses in many ways. Marketing is the process that helps all businesses to discover and meet the needs of customers. Doing market research, carrying it out in the local and wider community enables the business to discover: 1 Customer reactions to existing products 2 What new goods and services customers want 3 Whether or not new products will prove to be popular 4 The prices customers are prepared to pay for goods 5 How satisfied customers already are with the service Marks and Spencer’s therefore do the following; discover customer needs through market research, advise customers of products through promotion then achieve their sales. There are 2 types of research that can be carried out, Primary- gathering data for the 1st time by asking for views and opinions through questionnaires, interviews, surveys etc and Secondary research which is research that has already been done by someone else such as newspapers web site etc. The best-known marketing activity is promotion. 1 Advertising on TV, radio, internet, billboards, newspapers etc 2 Sales promotions, giving free samples like buy 1 get 1 free etc 3 Public relations, attempting to influence the publics opinions of the business and its products through sponsorship, trade fairs the press and media Businesses try to achieve their sales through a number of ways: 1 Selling products through shops 2 Personal selling such as when sales reps encourage customers to buy their products 3 Internet selling is an increasingly important sales method as it is spreading and growing bigger The typical job roles you can expect are: Typical job Title Job Role Marketing Director Responsible for over all marketing function and its aims and objectives. Sales Director He/She is responsible for the sales function. Sales Manager He/she is responsible for M&S entire sales staff and achievement of sales targets usually within the UK. Export Manager This individual is responsible for agents and sales overseas. Advertising Manager In charge of advertising and publishing successful advertising campaigns. Sales Coordinator This person is responsible for giving urgent information required by sales staffs that are travelling. Sales Representatives M&S sales staff who visit customers in UK and abroad. Market Researchers This team is relied upon to find out what customers want and whether or not there is a need for this new product. Order Clerks This staffs are responsible to accept and process sales orders. Telephone Sales staff Accept and process telephone orders.

Boys don’t cry versus the teena brandon story Essay

I have chosen to write about the difference between fact and fiction between a documentary and a docudrama. Between how important getting information out to the public and what sells to the viewing public for entertainment. I would like to state that I feel quite fortunate that I watched the documentary, â€Å"The Teena Brandon Story†, first then I watched the movie, â€Å"Boys Don’t Cry†. I had viewed the movie years ago; I had heard that this movie was a true story based on fact from the documentary. In my second viewing from an analytical standpoint, let me just say I was quite floored about how could they call, â€Å"Boys Don’t Cry† a docudrama when there were so many important facts that were excluded from this film. Both film and documentary did receive Academy Awards. â€Å"The Teena Brandon Story,† is a documentary about Brandon Teena (aka Teena Ray Brandon), a transgendered person, who was murdered along with Lisa Lambert and Phillip Devine in 1993 in Falls City, Nebraska. The story is told through interviews with the people who loved and hated Brandon for his difference. Recorded interrogation and trial transcripts, all of which showed that Brandon’s girlfriends thought he was a male. All talked about how he was the best boyfriend and so in tune with their feelings and so giving. Brandon Teena’s police tape, photographs, and file film footage. â€Å"Boys Don’t Cry†, is a film based on actual events. Brandon Teena is the popular new guy in a tiny Nebraska town called Falls City. He hangs out with the guys, drinking, cussing, bumper surfing, and becomes quite the ladies’ man in town. He has been warned by his cousin that â€Å"they† do not play like that down there. Brandon ignores the warning and becomes one of the guys and dating the local hometown beauty. He has forgotten to mention that he is wanted in his hometown of Lincoln for forgery, grand theft auto, stealing and most importantly that Brandon Teena was actually a born a woman named Teena Ray Brandon. When his friends find out they feel betrayed and lash out violently with murder. Trauma is the focus of â€Å"Boys Don’t Cry† and community is the focus of â€Å"The Teena Brandon Story†. The differences stems from narrative and documentary. Narrative creates a story around a character while a documentary creates an argument around a historical incident. Both films use the same material and they were released a year apart, although the character portrayal is negative in both films the narrative was sued for slander. The documentary displayed Lana Tisdel as white trash and in the film she was portrayed as white trash. The family sued the filmmakers and I believe why is because the documentary showed the actual Lisa Tisdel in her interviews and the filmmakers were sued because they captured her likeness maybe because it showed her as a druggie and alcoholic. â€Å"Boys Don’t Cry† and â€Å"The Teena Brandon Story† made sure to refer to Teena Brandon as Brandon and to call her â€Å"him† they did not follow the wishes of his mother and call him â€Å"she†. The suspicion that they were lesbians was not okay in the documentary and the film; it seems that they were more okay with her having a sexual identity crisis. Both pieces expose a core of homophobia among not only the killers but Brandon himself he insist that he is not a â€Å"dyke†. There was an attitude that she is going to get a sex change operation and that was â€Å"okay,† for some reason. One of â€Å"Boys Don’t Cry† biggest copycat moments of the documentary is the opening scene of the movie begins with the start of a long dark and lonesome road and flashing lights with a single line going down the pavement and â€Å"The Teena Brandon Story† begins the same way. Brandon Teena was murdered by John Lotter and Tom Nissen. When they found out that Brandon was actually a girl passing as a boy and dating their good friend Lana Tisdel the men became and enraged and killed her. The documentary tells the events of Brandon Teena leaving Lincoln, Nebraska and going to Falls City, Nebraska since people did not know him there. Too many people in his hometown started finding out that he was a girl and problems were arising more frequently. The documentary gave you a reason and a time frame of why and when Brandon left Lincoln and went to Falls City. The movie did this weird transition and maybe the only reason why I noticed it was because it was all so fresh in my mind and I was looking for differences but, â€Å"Boys Don’t Cry† did the transition of when Brandon went to Humboldt by showing him, I guess in the bar where Candace, also known as Lisa Lambert worked as a bartender. A barroom brawl breaks out and in to help him fight is John Lotter and that is how the friendship of him along with Tom Nissen began. They showed Brandon ending up in Falls City because John Lotter suggested they go to a party which Candace points out is seventy miles away. This is where he meets Lana Tisdel, the love of his life. The movie gave you the impression that Brandon was going to return to Lincoln until everyone in Falls City, Nebraska was accepting of him and did not know his secret. The movie gave off a feeling of a love story in a sense with certain circumstances gone bad, kind of like a Romeo and Juliet spin off rather than about someone passing for a man and getting into trouble all the time back home for passing as a man. In â€Å"The Teena Brandon Story†, all of the real names were used in the documentary and the parents gave permission and also gave testimony as well. In â€Å"Boys Don’t Cry†, the names were all used except for the female victim Lisa Lambert and her son. Their names were changed to Candace and Tanner, which poses the question of rights in the docudrama. This crime was actually a triple homicide not a double as they so blatantly portrayed in the movie. The people that were murdered were Brandon Teena, Lisa Lambert and Phillip Devine. Phillip Devine was a young black guy that was visiting Lisa Lambert at the time. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. In my opinion, they did not see the relevance of mentioning the third murdered victim in this horrific incident. I feel that it was a cheap rip off in my eyes.

How to balance Penn Foster studies with work and/or family demands Essay

Ther is a saying: â€Å"My purpose in life is to have a life with purposes† is a quote I lived by throughout many years. I think it is very important to have goals and to accomplish those goals a well as you can. I am forty seven years old, I am married and Father of two children, We have many purposes, one of them is their education , their health, but we also know that we don’t have enough time nor enough education to supply all their demands, and the many things that the current system demands. My new purpose is my graduation as Electrical Engineering Technology in Penn Foster College, perhaps It gives me the opportunity to study at distance in my own pace, and to make enough money to realize one of my dreams, â€Å"One of my purposes† without having to leave and still be able to be with my family, is very important to me. Our Daughter is Sixteen years old, She is currently a Junior in High School, where she is a part of important clubs and is on the varsity lacrosse team. Just like many teenagers Karen is very friendly and has a lot of different things happening in her life. She demands a lot of time from us; we have to getting her to and from school or practices everyday, there are also social events she attends. Our Son is ten years old; he is in elementary school and just started Karate classes. My Wife and I help each other out by taking turns with each of our child’s individual demands so we each have time to study. Even though it is not easy, it is worth it. We know that the sacrifices we make won’t only help our children with their future, but it will help ours too. Some day my plan is to retire as professional; and the Penn Foster studies is a great investment for the future of my family and I. Sometimes it is very difficult to make them understand why I am so busy. Why we do not go away for vaction as frequent as we did. Same thing occurs with my sisters and mother, they ask why I haven’t been attending a lot of the family events or why I don’t call as much as before. But there is just so many things I need to care for, and so many going through my head all through out the day, that when I do finally have free time, my main focus is too get in as much studying as possible. I decided to bring the books every where, to my work place, to my children practices, to some places that we are used to it, even to my bathroom. I installed shelves just to have them close to me. My son is always looking for me and ask me why take me so long in the bathroom when I don’t get out soon. My job demands many times to make more work hours over time or even on weekends, I try to do it, but I know that I have to dedicate some time to my studies and to my family, perhaps the more soon I can graduate, more soon We can see the results, and even more more soon I will dedicate more time to my family, because at the same time I will make more money as a professional Electrician. I hope some day, I can have my own electrical company, to get the licenses necessary to run it or who knows to apply for electrical inspector. I am thinking to have an administrative job as I am getting older.

Employment Values of Cadbury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Employment Values of Cadbury - Essay Example The company had become popular because of its employee friendly nature and the workforce increased from 230 to 2685 during the period 1879 to 1899. Traditionally it was believed that labour was a cheap source of capital but Cadbury believed that economizing on labour was unethical and the workers should be regarded as invaluable asset of the company (Price, 2007). Till now Cadbury has taken certain human resource initiatives like sharpening of employee learning skills by imparting extensive training program and conducting managing by value programs (Kozami, 2002). The program focused on interacting and understanding the values of the employees. The company was a member of organizations like Business in the Community and Institute of Business Ethics (Simms, 2005). Cadbury Schweppes believed that for a successful company a set of business ethics is very important because it improves the productivity of the workers and employees. Cadbury Schweppes was taken over by Kraft Foods Group Inc in the year 2010 by  £11.5 billion (House of Commons, 2011). The takeover of Cadbury over Kraft Foods was disapproved largely by the employees of Cadbury and the Britishers. The employees of Cadbury were unsure about the security of their jobs. The management of Kraft had claimed that after the acquisition they would not shut down any of the Cadbury’s plants and had made some commitments to employees. Kraft had failed to keep its commitment by closing down the Somerdale factory which was one of the major chocolate manufacturing industries of Cadbury (House of Commons, 2010). Some economist believed that the management of Kraft lacked sufficient knowledge and expertise to operate the Somerdale Factory.

Out of African film and the book changes by Ama Ata Aidoo Essay

Out of African film and the book changes by Ama Ata Aidoo - Essay Example Despite huge difference in their classes, Farah is treated like a close friend by Karen. She always fearlessly interacted with him to discuss work affairs. Karen and Denys overcome many stereotypes associated with a British colonial lifestyle. For example, Karen disregards the life of a delicate British lady and deals with many work affairs which traditionally used to be looked after by men. Denys also disregarded the aloofness of a typical British aristocrat and treated the local Africans with great respect. This trait helped him to transcend cultural boundaries and effortlessly interact with different African tribes. The scene where Karen begs to have land set aside for â€Å"my Kikuyu† to live on once she is forced to leave Kenya is very significant because it shows that she wants what is the best for the Kikuyu people. It shows her loyalty to them and how attached she has become to them during the times she spent in Kenya. The representation of colonialism in Tarzan: The Ape Man is different from that in Out of Africa. In the latter, the British colonists more or less try to act as peacemakers with the locals. In the Tarzan film, there is a very clear line between the whites and blacks. No importance is given to the blacks who only look like mere shadows in the background. There is obvious othering of the African nation. In The African Queen also, the attitudes and observations about Africa and its people are different than those in Out of Africa. The colonialists are shown as civilized people, while the Africans are characterized by negative values. There is no harmony between the colo nialists and the Africans who are shown as primitive and simple people (Stafford). Esi is a strong and independent woman in the book Changes who leaves her husband to get able to live a fulfilled life. This is not the kind of thing which is usual for even a modern African woman living in contemporary times. The story starts with these words, â€Å"Esi

Socrates Discourse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Socrates Discourse - Essay Example In that context Socrates classifies his oppressors to be as much enshrined in the machinations of the past as in the present. Socrates unravels the ploys of his detractors to attribute his fame and name to some esoteric ability to perform mysterious and unnatural feats. As per Socrates, his fame could be deemed to be the direct outcome of a wisdom that is natural and human and therefore not beyond the aspirations of any human. As per the words of Socrates, his present plight originated from his honest and bold audacity to question the validity and truthfulness of the elites of his times, be it the politicians, seers, poets, artisans or teachers. The trial of Socrates originated not from some personal sin or crime, but rather from the daring of the accused to indulge in a free play of ideas, thereby making the populace see through their proponents’ so called wisdom and sensibility. As per the Apology, the only crime Socrates seems to have committed is to challenge the status qu o of the elites of his times. In

Must Liturgy Adapt to Culture or vice versa Essay

Must Liturgy Adapt to Culture or vice versa - Essay Example It would seem that the trend in the liturgical changes points to an adaptation to the people’s way of life or culture. In the light of an increasing secularisation of society, the question begs: Must liturgy adapt to culture, or vice versa? The Essence of Liturgy One must rest upon the definitions of liturgy and culture to be able to take a handle on this question. The word liturgy comes from the Greek word liturgia which signifies an act of public service done for the community. From a Christian point of view , and particularly Anglicans, as explained in the Guiding Principles of Christian Worship, liturgy has come to be known as â€Å"the work of the people of God,† or their public obligation to give God thanks and adoration. It is very important to establish the relevance at this early of the six guiding principles of Christian worship as contained in the Book of Common Prayer. These are, one, that the Holy Scripture must be the foundation and the basic content of al l Christian worship; two, that tradition must be carefully respected; three, that the language in edification must be relevant to and understood by the congregation; four, that ceremonies need not be identical across cultures but must not also contradict Scripture or the Creeds; five, that the words and the liturgies should seek ecumenical convergence with the Universal Church, and six, that these words and forms of the liturgies must maintain continuity with the Church’s historic tradition, while giving way to creativity and innovation in response to societal change. Liturgy then is the vehicle for the people’s expression of their faith. In the exegesis of the six principles, it is said that in finding such expression, nothing must contradict the Holy Scriptures, it being the foundation of worship. Such deference includes the use of words, concepts and images. It is also said that in the process of expressing faith, tradition must be respected and preserved as close a s possible to when it transpired as indicated in the Holy Scriptures. One can see where Fr. Kavanagh is coming from. The admonition to adapt culture to liturgy has all its foundation rested on the guiding principles but reflects a growing fear of the consequences of the reverse happening. Torevell (2004) observes that liturgy is becoming less popular and the reason he cites is that people no longer have that creative and restorative sense of rite but rather look at liturgy as a stable act of repetition. The Essence of Culture Culture, according to Davey (2012), is a framework of behavioural patterns, values and experiences shared within and by a social group. It is the â€Å"order of life in which human beings construct meanings through practices of symbolic representations,† according to Inda and Ronello (2008). Samovar (2009, pp.144-146) define it as a set of social rules that provide the framework and meaning to events, objects and people, to make sense of the surround ings and lessen the uncertainty about the environment. It provides a sense of identity, of self, of belonging. It is learned, transmitted via generations and acquired through interactions, observation, and imitation from art, proverbs, history, teachers, parents, books and media. It is symbolic and its symbols are used exclusively by the group. It is about the group’s standards, their beliefs, their traditions, their habits, their peculiar way of living their lives or understanding

Russia and Central Asian Water by John C.K. Daly Assignment

Russia and Central Asian Water by John C.K. Daly - Assignment Example In the meantime, Russian economic security has been depleted by the loss of many of its previous territories, these â€Å"Stan† nations, and therefore cannot invest currently in creating a cascade system so that all nations can enjoy this scarce resource. Uzbekistan and others who support this particular country’s position believe that the freshwater reserves should be classified as transboundary rivers which make them open to international rules and regulations regarding its usage. However, this appears to be a weak argument that does not meet with appropriate resolution under diplomatic strategy. A scarce resource such as water which is needed desperately for human health reasons and food production seems to make individuals proverbially grasp at straws as a means to ensure their continued longevity, agricultural health and human survival. In an effort to try to deal with the issue and formulate some diplomatic or economic solution, five countries in the region create d the Interstate Coordinating Water Commission in 1992 to try to create a solution that would best fit every country’s needs (Daly). However, after many meetings since its inception, hardly any regionally-based solution has been developed, thus allowing these disputes to continue. The main problem in this case is that no nation who is disputing the water’s usage maintains the economic resources, financially, to ensure that appropriate facilities are created to better allocate this scarce resource.

Three Impressionist Works of Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Three Impressionist Works of Art - Essay Example The artists in the Impressionism subject matter were the daily work or routine in everyday’s life and the scenes during that period. They are known to include Camille Pissarro and Alfred Sisley who painted countryside and river scenes giving a clear example of what Impressionism was among another artist. Introduction In this context we are going to analyze critically on the contribution of three impressionists namely Claude Monet, Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas who are also known to be the contributors to the formation of Impressionism. In Claude Monet’s art we will use his art of a woman with a parasol, in Edouard’s art we will use his painting of Olympia (oil in canvas) while in Edgar’s art we will analyze his Glass of Absinthe (oil in canvas) Painting. Through their paintings, most artists were seen to be interested in their type of art and can be said to have influenced artists like Giuseppe De Nittis an Italian and James Abbott McNeill who was an Ameri can among others. In this setting, we will be able to see how the three painters tried to put across their negative feelings on the women as they show them as enjoying the freedom and luxury (Weinberg, 2009). 1. The three artists in the Impressionist period tried to use short strokes in painting using oil on canvas in which they used brighter colors by blending them to produce different shades in their paintings. In Claude Monet’s art which is believed to be her wife Camille Pissarro, he tries to portray a lady enjoying the breeze in the outside environment. In Edouard Manet’s painting on Olympia, there is a prostitute lying on the bed with white beddings which are tucked next to her is a lady who looks like her servant showing how she is relaxed. The nude picture of the prostitute can be seen to have won a necklace and a bangle showing how she is interested in jewelry which could be bought by the middle or upper class. In Edgar Degas pointing on the Glass of Absinthe commonly known as L’Absinthe, the setting is in a cafe with a lady and a gentleman sited next to a drink.

The Impact of Universal Studios Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Universal Studios Essay Universal Pictures, or Universal Studios, has been around for a little over a century and it is currently regarded amongst the top six movie studios in America. It grosses billions of dollars in revenue annually and produces major hits and movie stars. Universal is also owned by a giant media conglomerate known as NBC Universal, which is quite different from its humble beginnings. This paper will provide a brief insight into the relationship between Universal Pictures and its impact on the movie industry along with how Universal became a big name in Hollywood. The man who started it all was Carl Laemmle. Born in Wà ¼rttemberg Germany, Laemmle was the tenth of thirteen children, eight of which died of a cruel epidemic of scarlet fever. At the age of thirteen, he was apprenticed to a family friend as a bookkeeper and office manager. A few years later, at the age of seventeen, Carl persuaded his father to let him buy passage to the United States. After arriving, Carl worked as an errand boy in New York for a short while then moved to Chicago where his brother Joseph lived. There Carl worked as an office boy until his next move took him to Wisconsin. There he worked in a clothing company and met his wife Recha Stern who gave birth to a son, Carl Jr., and a daughter , Rosabelle. Carl got into an argument with his employer and moved back to Chicago looking for an enterprise that might multiply his family’s savings. Carl decided to go into the film industry after seeing The Great Train Robbery, which left a â€Å"heavy impression† and a profound business idea (Zeirold 89). In 1906, Laemmle began purchasing nickelodeons. As Laemmle’s business bloomed, the Motion Picture Patents Company was born, which sparked one of his many contributions to the industry, the Independent Moving Pictures Company of America. Founded in 1909, the Independent Moving Pictures Company of America, condensed to IMP, was created to spite the MPPCo. IMP caused its biggest blow to the MPPCo when they snatched up Florence Lawrence, nicknaming her the â€Å"Biograph Girl,† and produced many hit films with her, thus creating the star system we know today. In 1910, Carl joined another organization named the Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company. This company led to the downfall of the MPPCo and the creation of major studios, such as, MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures), Twentieth Century-Fox, Paramount Studios, and Universal Pictures. Universal, whose name came from Laemmle â€Å"observing† a Universal Pipe Fittings wagon, was created from the remnants of IMP and was sited in New York (Dick 33). The new Universal studio was a horizontally integrated company, with movie production and distribution of exhibition venues. As Laemmle’s business grew he searched for a new foothold to permanently house his studio and, following the westward trend of the industry, by the end of 1912 the company was focusing its production efforts in the Hollywood area. On March 15, 1915, Laemmle opened the worlds largest motion picture production facility, Universal City Studios, on 230 acres of converted farm just over the Cahuenga Pass from Hollywood. Studio management became the third facet of Universals operations, with the studio incorporated as a distinct subsidiary organization. Unlike other movie moguls, Laemmle opened his studio to tourists. Universal became the biggest studio in Hollywood, and remained so for a decade. However, it sought an audience mostly in small towns, producing mostly inexpensive westerns, melodramas, and serials. The reason for Laemmle’s low budget and lower-class films were because he personally funded all of Universal’s endeavors. One of his greatest â€Å"investments† was character actor Lon Chaney, nicknamed â€Å"The Man of a Thousand Faces.† Chaney started working for Universal when it began in 1912, but was not truly recognized until 1918 in the silent picture Riddle Gawne. He began his early career presented as a team alongside Dorothy Phillips and William Stowell, starring in fourteen films from 1917 to 1919. However, Chaney’s greatest contributions to Universal were The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera. The Hunchback of Notre Dame was Universals Super Jewel of 1923 and was their most successful silent film, grossing over $3 million, and set the standard for all future horror films in the industry. The Phantom of the Opera made Universal more interested in possibly making higher budget, â€Å"grade-A† films. Chaney eventually left Universal for MGM and retired shortly after making a few films for Howard Dietz. In the late 1920s, Universal became a very powerful movie studio but was not considered part of the â€Å"Big Five.† It was, however, given companionship alongside Columbia Pictures and United Artists which became collectively known as the â€Å"Little Three.† Although it was the largest of the Little Three, Universal Pictures lost money during each year of the 1930s except 1931, 1934 and 1939. This desperate ï ¬ nancial situation led to a change in ownership in 1936 and several management upheavals thereafter. Universal had traditionally engaged primarily in the production of low-budget features and â€Å"sub-features† aimed at the subsequent run and rural markets, with only an occasional prestige ‘A’ picture. This policy of reliance on programme pictures remained fairly stable throughout the decade of the 1930s; those periodic forays into ‘prestige’ production and away from the basic programme formula generally met with ï ¬ nancial disaster and precipitated most of the decade’s management turnovers. The case of Universal is somewhat unique when compared with MGM or Warner Bros. Under the conservative leadership of its founder, Carl Laemmle, Universal specialized in the secondary, largely rural, independent theatre market, and most of its product consisted of rather short features without top rank star players. Unlike MGM or Warner Bros., short subjects had always been a fundamental part of Universal’s production strategy. In an effort to remove itself from its near-bottom industry ranking, the company ï ¬â€širted occasionally with the prestige feature market during the 1930s, usually to its ï ¬ nancial detriment. During this decade it did its best ï ¬ nancially when it concentrated on its primary business: turning out low-budget features at high speed. Universal’s short subject releases maintained this philosophy throughout the 1930s with amazing consistency, considering the turnover in management (including the ouster of Laemmle and his son, Carl, Jr, in 1936 ). Early in the 1930s, the studio’s emphasis was shifted to two-reel comedies, starting with the likes of Slim Summerville, Arthur Lake and Benny Rubin as starring comedians. The Universal two reelers took a decidedly interesting swing when former Hal Roach studio manager Warren Doane was hired in 1932 to organize a production unit. Doane, in turn, brought in Roach employees James W. Horne, a young George Stevens and Alf Goulding as directors, as well as a long-time member of Charles Chaplin’s staff, Albert Austin. The unit lasted until 1934, with Stevens leaving for RKO quite a bit earlier. Unfortunately most of these ï ¬ lms have been unseen for decades, locked away in Universal’s ï ¬ lm vaults, unavailable for fresh appraisal. A handful of the Doane shorts viewed by the author revealed no hidden treasures, a disappointment considering the behind-the-camera talent involved. However, Mr. Mugg, a 1933 series entry, was nominated for an Academy Award. Another Universal short comedy from this period, although not from the Doane unit, which could provide both a â€Å"new† look at a legendary humorist and a cinematic treatment of an early Depression school of political thought, is a single Robert Benchley two reeler entitled Your Technocracy and Mine. In addition to the comedies, Universal had the ‘Mentone’ revue series, Strange As It Seems and later Stranger Than Fiction, short lived Goofytone News series produced by a New York independent studio, and travelogue and sports series. Universal produced its own twice-weekly newsreel, the only non-Big Five company to do so. In a reversal of the situation with MGM and Warner Bros. at this time, Universal also had its own in-house animation unit, headed by Walter Lantz, at the beginning of the 1930s, but allowed Lantz to go independent during the ownership turmoil of 1936. The unstable nature of the company at mid-decade also abbreviated the production of colour cartoon s after just six shorts made in 1934 and 1935. Colour did not return to the Universal cartoon release schedule until the 1939–1940 season, when the Lantz studio switched to all-colour production. The area of short ï ¬ lm production for which Universal is best known, however, is the serial. Serials generally were considered the domain of small, independent producers such as Mascot and Republic. Of all of the major studios, only the two ‘mini-majors’, Universal and Columbia, produced serials. This may be largely attributed to the aforementioned need for producers without theatres to cater to rural and niche markets. Throughout the decade of the 1930s that was to prove so turbulent for Universal, the studio still managed to crank out an average of four 12-episode serials per year. The subject matter ranged widely, from Westerns to jungle adventures to mysteries to air adventures and more. One Universal serial available in its entirety for viewing today is the 1934 Perils of Pauline. Other than the title, borrowed for name recognition value, the Universal Perils bears no resemblance to its famous early silent forebear. This serial was obviously the beneï ¬ ciary both of several standing sets evidently left over from other productions and of a rather large st ock footage library. The latter fact is particularly apparent in the scenes of a Chinese revolution that opens Chapter 1, and of numerous jungle and other location scenes in the following episodes. It is not at all uncommon to have clean backlot shots of the serial’s characters reacting to shaky, ï ¬â€šickering, scratched and undercranked shots of revolutionary carnage or charging tigers. Both the extensive use of existing sets and of stock footage permit the story to hopscotch from one location to another, all over the Far East and, ultimately, back to New York City. The result is that this series is essentially a mixture of virtually every type of serial ever done at Universal, including science ï ¬ ction. Much more successful, as evidenced by their popularity even today, were the studio’s three Flash Gordon serials. The battles between Buster Crabbe’s Flash and Charles Middleton’s Ming the Merciless of the Planet Mongo combine streamline, art-deco styling of the late 193 0s with sci-ï ¬  camp in a package that is still appealing. The promotional booklet, For Your Box-office: Line up with Universal 1935–1936, provides a fascinating look at the manner in which the studio tried to sell its product to exhibitors during the last year of the Laemmle regime. The promotional hype expended on the company’s shorts suggests their perceived audience appeal as well as the content of some of the long unseen short series. Announcing the ï ¬ rst â€Å"Flash Gordon† series, the advertising copy proclaims: ‘53 million people read it in the Daily and Sunday newspapers! Now Universal adapts Alex Raymond’s sensational newspaper adventure strip for a serial of 13 episodes!’ The page devoted to Universal Newsreel reminds theatre owners that Graham McNamee, ‘National Broadcasting Company’s Ace Announcer’, narrated the reels. It goes on to assert the statistically unsupportable ‘First! Fast! Foremost! Holder of the World’s Record for Miraculous Scoop after Sc oop.’ Moving to the entertainment short series, For Your Box-office describes the ‘Mentone’ series as having ‘more stars and headline acts than the best vaudeville show! †¦ And at prices you can afford to pay!’ Three other one-reel series are depicted thusly: ‘Stranger than Fiction’-‘Facts, freaks and fancies from every corner of the globe! Each reel is a box-office magnet in itself’; ‘Studio Novelties’—‘Gems of comedy, musical comedy, trick photography, satire and short subjects! A new and novel series’; and ‘Going Places’—‘The short that never fails to do things! From one end of the world to the other †¦ and back again †¦ with the enchanting personality and voice of Lowell Thomas.’ As frequently happened with studio press books, which were designed to sell a company’s product before production on the season’s wares had actually commenced, some of the announced projects never reached the screen. Speciï ¬ cally, in this case, the promised 13 episodes of the new ‘Studio Novelties’ dwindled to a mere four ‘Specials’. In sum total, Universal’s product actually conformed to the basic format of its competitors, with the exception of serial production. Content and quality are hard to judge at this point in time with relatively few of the ï ¬ lms available for re-evaluation. The original nitrate negatives for most of the Universal short subjects still survive and are housed in the company’s Kearny, New Jersey, vaults. Hopefully, they will be transferred to safety ï ¬ lm before they are consumed by the inevitable nitrate decomposition. As has been previously noted, serials were generally the province of low-budget producers, not of major studios. Beyond serials, Universal’s greatest successes were its novelty series (Strange As It Seems, Stranger Than Fiction), travelogues (Going Places) and musicals (Mentone series). An interesting aspect of Universal’s short subject programme was that it continued to release silent ï ¬ lms through 1931, over 2 years after the ‘ talkie revolution’. Presumably this was for the beneï ¬ t of the more than 1500 small silent theatres that were still in business despite having been unable to afford the conversion to sound. Beyond that, one gets the impression that Universal was just struggling to turn out a product during the turbulent 1930s, with any ideas of visual style being secondary. The studio’s shorts, like its features, tended to be all over the map in terms of production polish. One may ï ¬ nd a rough correlation between Universal’s B-grade Western feature productions and a number of its Western-themed serials. However, as with Warner Bros.’ lack of gangster shorts, it is something of a surprise that the studio known for its world-class horror ï ¬ lms (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera, etc.) attempted virtually nothing in the way of horror/science ï ¬ ction serials until decade’s end (Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, and The Phantom Creeps). In conclusion, Carl Laemmle worked vigorously to bring down the MPPCo powerhouse with IMP and kick start a major movie studio which he called Universal. Universal made great impacts on the industry in the fields of horror, sci-fi, and serials; impacts that changed the movie industry forever.

The History And Background Of Puma Marketing Essay

The History And Background Of Puma Marketing Essay Puma is a German company that established in 1948 by Rudolf Dassler. Puma produces sport categories such as sport shoes and sport clothing for different types of sports like football and golf. Puma is considered as the third successful brand at this field; the other two companies are Nike and Adidas (Puma, n.d.). The most commonly made Puma products are the athletic Puma shoes and that due to the fact that the first pumas products were shoes. For more details, Puma first football sneaker was produced in 1948 and it was worn in the first football match after the war by the Herbert Burdenski; the scorer who scored the first goal after the war (Puma,n.d.). As well as that, 48% of Puma profits from footwear which makes it the most selling Puma product (Puma, 2013). Puma shoes contain different types of sneakers for different types of sports such as running shoes, football shoes and cricket shoes. Varieties: Puma shoes have a unique design, using the technology; the shoes moulds are injected with the light foam materials by L.I.F.T (Lite Injected Foam Technology). As a result, this way decreases the weight of the shoes which makes the shoes very light and speedy. Moreover, it saves the materials of the shoes/cheaper to make; because with this process there is no need for -sutures and adhesions- process (Nely, 2010). As well as that, Puma shoes designed in a way that allows the feet to breathe some fresh air which makes the shoes smooth and comfortable for the wearer. In addition, the Puma shoes made to prevent friction and sliding so it protects the person who wears them from any accidence (Nely, 2010). Colours: There are the main colours for each type of shoes and also the customers can be customized by the customer. For example, the customer can change the colour of more than 10 parts of the shoe to match the costumers taste; from the outsole to the Puma logo (see appendix 1). This gives the customer who liked the design of the shoes but not its colours the ability to change it to suit his taste and his outfit. Logo: Moreover, the Puma logo stands for a jumping Puma; a type of cats that can leap with a one bounce to twenty feet high. The puma logo is putted on each of Pumas products and its shoes (Mokokoma, 2009). This logo expresses the strength, the speed and the power that Puma have in its shoes. Slogan: In addition, the Puma slogan is the nature of performance which means that every action is real, every attitude is innate and all of the player movements are natural. Puma uses this slogan with most of its shoes with changing the word -performance-. For example, it used slogan the nature of the Speed junkie for evoSPEED 1 FG shoes which gives an idea to the costumers about the main feature of this shoes (Puma, 2012). Personality: Puma personality is all about agility, speed, strength and creative. Its personality can be seen and known just by looking at the pictures they use on Puma website; athletics wearing Puma shoes and they are running agility and flexibility and their face features express the strength they have (see appendix 2). Promotion:- Social media: Puma has many social media accounts; on Facebook . Twitter, Youtube, Tumbler and Instagram as @ Puma which they can be found so easily. On their Facebook Page, they have more than 9 million people who liked their page! They also publish news constantly and include pictures with the resent news; so they avoid make the news boring and hard to read (Puma Facebook, 2013). Moreover, on Youtube, they have their own and official channel since 2005. On Youtube, they promote their selves by uploading videos for their new products or their events and their videos are about 3 minutes so they keep it interesting and not tedious (Puma Youtube,2013). Furthermore, on Instagram account, they post interesting and colourful pictures for their products and they attract their customers attention to their new product by distributing part of its pictures. For example, they post a picture of their new shoes that called Puma pigeon shoes and it was hidden between pigeons so only part of it can be seen (see appendix 3) (Puma Instagram,2013). Sponsorships: Puma sponsors of many sport teams, players, athletes and even coaches from different countries. It sponsors of many national football teams such as Italy team, Austria team and Switzerland team. What is more, Italy national team won the FIFA World Cup in 2006 and the players were wearing blue Puma shoes (Puma, 2006). Puma also sponsors of running athletics like Usain Bolt and Moses Kipsiro. Usain Bolt is the fastest man in this world (Puma, n.d.). In addition, it sponsors of golfers such as Lexi Thompson who won the Navistar LPGA Classic in 2011 and turned from Novice player to the youngest professional player at golf (Puma, 2011). Events: Puma holds events for different sports in many places in the world to promote their products. For instance, Puma held a campaign SOoo Fast in 2005 which demonstrated the fact that Puma has spirit of hilarity and adventure. The event was about people wearing shoes of Puma SOoo Fast and doing different activates like dancing. The aim of SOoo Fast campaign was to show the physical exertion and mental effort mixed with fun (Modi, 2010). As well as that, there is a calendar for the upcoming events on Puma website to inform people about their events, they update it every month and this month they have 9 upcoming events (see appendix 4). Advertising: Puma advertisements are so colourful, creative and interesting. They use different media to advertise about their products such as TV, social media, banners and posters. Advertising on social media are always attractive and are spoken directly to the customers minds by using the words you, your, we, us and after every shoes advertisement they say share your shoe pictures and tag our account (Puma Twitter, 2013). This way is very useful to the social media users who want to share everything they have and take or buy everything they dont have to share it with others. Moreover, the banners they use are so creative and innovative; sometimes they use animal or background that matches the shoes colours and sometimes they create attractive designs that show the strength of the shoe (see appendix 5). Price:- Cost and discounts: There are varying prices for Puma shoes. According to Puma store on their website the highest cost for a pair of shoes is 220$ -AMP Cell Fusion Golf Shoes- and the lowest one is 55$ -PowerCat 4 IT Indoor Trainers- so they are available for everyones financial condition. Although, there is a discount -more than 20$- on some shoes such as Faas 300 Running Shoes; it was 75$ and now it is 45$. Shipping: Puma store on the official website provides free shipping to its customers who buy a product over 85$ and this is available every day to every customer. Pricing comparison: Compared to Puma competitors prices -Nike and Adidas- Puma has lower prices than them. Puma has reasonable prices which makes it suitable for everyone. Place: Company headquarters: The main Puma headquarter is in Germany at Herzogenaurach city and the other three headquarters are in Boston-USA, London-UK and Hong Kong-China (graphisoft, n.d.). On the puma website they put the address details for all of their headquarters. Online: Puma has official website on World Wide Web -Puma.com-. The official website establishes everything about Puma brand. The official also gives the customer the ability to find the Puma stores on his country and give him the location of the stores by providing a map of the store. Marketing description:- Inform: Puma keeps informing their costumers about every product that released. Moreover, Puma always gives an idea for its customers about the new shoes by using the suitable media to inform the target audience of the new shoes. They always want their costumers to know every single detail about their new sneakers like where it is made or when it is released. For instance, puma informed their costumers on Instagram, twitter and the Puma official website about the new Puma Mobium Elite shoes and they give lots of details about it. They said where it is from -Germany-, who designed it Ray Horachek -, where the costumer can find them -in every Puma stores- and when it is available -6/2/2013-. They also post a picture about how the Mobium shoes get created (see appendix 6) (Puma Instagram, 2013). Remind: Puma also keeps reminding its costumer about the new shoes to stay in their minds and never forget about it. Moreover, to remind the costumer Puma keeps repeating the new products advertisings in different social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter For example, when it comes to Mobium Elite shoes, Puma did not stop publishing about it on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. They post different pictures of it and tweet about it on Twitter for more than 2 months since it released to remind. Persuade: Puma uses some ways to convince its costumer to buy the shoes. They speak directly to the costumers minds to make them feel that Puma shoes are their shoes and they need to get them. In addition, they show them famous sport players wearing Puma shoes which make the costumer feels that those Puma shoes are not normal because even the popular players wear them. For instance, when they advertised about Mobium Elite shoe, Puma on twitter said Be first to experience Adaptive Running , Prepare for the future of running and They were born to keep moving; those statements captured the customers hearts which makes some of them said Running will never be the same and The Mobium definitely makes me run Faster!. Furthermore, they post a picture of Sabrina Mockenhaupt wearing Mobium Elite shoe; she is a famous long-distance runner from Germany. On twitter they also announced about a contest for the most innovative shoe; everyone who shares a picture of him/her running with Mobium Elite shoe will enter the competition (Puma Running Twitter, 2013). Companys Branding Message:- Puma brand want to deliver its message to its customers minds that they are not a company which produces sport categories just for sports without any other purpose. However, Puma is a company which mixes the sport and the lifestyle together and makes them one brand that called Sportlifestyle. For more clarification, Puma mixes its performance that is all about the strength, agility and technical innovations with the lifestyle that is influences by cultural relevance, leadership style of urban and thrilling design innovation. Puma is trying to give the players from Sportlifestyle brand the joy and it is trying to make them enjoy every joyful moment in every game. Moreover, Puma says from its advertisements that we are making the customer enjoys the sport in his daily life without forgetting the fashion and style influences (Koch, 2012). Everyone who sees the pictures that Puma posts on Instagram can notice its brand message. They upload on their Instagram account pictures of normal people wearing Puma sneakers and doing their daily activities in front of scenes from everyday life. Furthermore, they post pictures which show that Puma shoes designed in certain ways to give their customers the fashion and style. As well as that, they use the PUMAlife, PUMAstyle and Sportlifestyle hash tags with most of their Instagram photos to share them with everyone (see appendix 7). Puma also says it is message directly in its twitter bio PUMA successfully fuses the creative influences from the world of sport, lifestyle fashion. All of the above proves that Puma message is to let everyone feels and lives the joy moments after Puma mixed the sport with the lifestyle. Two Different Advertisements:- First Advertisement: The first advertisement was displayed on a Japanese TV Spot and it is about Puma PowerCat 1.12 shoes (shabba08, 2012). This advertisement shows the journey of a football between PowerCat 1.12 shoes wearers in Japan. Type: TV advertisement URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreenv=ZPY5yNVtBD8NR=1 Target audience: The target audience of this advertisement is Japanese from both gender girls and boys but mostly for boys -there are six boys who hit the ball and one girl-. The target audiences age is between 15 and 35 so they are all youth -the video shows different ages starting from the footballer who is 29 years old at the begging years to the little boy at the end who looks 15 years old-. Furthermore, when it comes to the financial background of the target audience it is not specific type because as the advertisement shows that the PowerCat 1.12 wearers are from different social positions -some of them dressed nicely football outfits and the others were farmer and villager-. Moreover, as the video shows that the most PowerCat 1.12 wearers are the people who are interesting in football and playing it -PowerCat 1.12 designed as football boots (Elliot, 2011)-. Advantages: Using the captain of the Japanese national team Makoto Hasebe in this advertisement is one of its advantages since the nationality of the target audience is Japanese. Therefore, this is a good way to attract the Japanese people who are interesting in playing football because Makoto Hasebe is one of the most famous football players in Japan. Showing the power and the strength of the PowerCat 1.12 shoes in this advertisement is also another advantage. It shows that every foot wears PowerCat 1.12 shoes get the power to run and jump after the ball no matter where is the player; in stadium, street or even a farm and no matter how old the player 15 or 30. It also shows the strength on the player face when he is hitting the ball with PowerCat 1.12 shoes and the joy and happiness after hitting the ball. Disadvantages: Using only one girl in this advertisement is not enough to show that this product is also for girls. If someone watch it for one time only, he will notice and remember the six boys but he will not remember the girl. To deliver the message that this product for both genders, there should be more girls who are wearing PowerCat 1.12 shoes; regardless of the fact that she was not wearing PowerCat 1.12 shoes but got the power to hit the ball from the guy who was next to her and he was handling PowerCat 1.12 shoes on his shoulder. Using this kind of idea for football commercials -passing the football around the world and then back to the playground- has became so familiar, commonplace and hackneyed. This kind of advertisement has being used a lot, so now it is not that much interesting to the viewers because the customers want new ideas to attract them, to steal their hearts and to persuade them to buy the product. Second Advertisement: The second advertisement is contributed on Puma official website online and it is about Puma evoSPEED shoes (Puma, 2012). This advertisement shows the speed of those shoes and how can anyone become fast just by wearing them. Type: Online video URL: http://www.puma.com/evospeed Target audience: The target audience of this advertisement are men from everywhere in the world who are youth and about 24 to 35 years old. In addition, this advertisement is directed to the sport players and the people who are doing those activities; the sports are running, football, cricket, golf and motor racing. This advertisement shows the players who are popular in playing those sports and they are from different countries, so this proves what I said before. Moreover, it is for the people who want the speed and want to be fast like Usain Bolt the fastest person on the earth. Advantages: Using the fastest man in the world Usain Bolt in this advertisement to present the evoSPEED shoes is a really useful way to attract the people who want to be faster and to persuade them to buy the those shoes. As well as that, it gives the customer an idea about from where Bolt gets his speed and gives them an opportunity to be like Bolt and get the speed of Bolt. Using a treadmill for the sport players to race on it and also the speed of this treadmill is the speed of evoSPEED is a great idea to show the rated speed that evoSPEED shoes have. They show that everyone could not handle the speed of treadmill which is the evoSPEED but only the one who was wearing them was able to keep up with the treadmills speed. This was an amazing way to inform the customers about the features of evoSPEED shoes. Disadvantages: In the advertisement they make the golfer Rickie Fowler faster than the footballer Sergio Agà ¼ero and the cricketer Yuvraj Singh. This is not true in the real life because Sergio Agà ¼ero is faster than him and how can a golfer be faster than footballer. As a result, this kills the credibility of a good concept for a commercial. Using F1 driver Fernando Alonso for such an advertisement about how to speed up your feet is useless because F1 drivers do not race using their feet, they race using cars. Therefore, the customers will not feel the need to have evoSPEED shoes for a motor race cause they only need to speed up their cars to win. Rather than using F1 driver who only need a fast car, they could use a basketball player who really needs quick feet. S.W.O.T Analysis:- Strengths: Puma is a well-none company and it is recognized in the worldwide at the shoes field because it has been established since 1948 and it started producing shoes since that time. Furthermore, for now most of Puma profits come from selling footwear -48.8 %-. As well as that, Puma has about 80 stores around the world in different countries that sell their shoes (Puma, 2013). Puma is sponsoring of many famous players and teams in various sports and the most important thing that they are sponsored of the fastest man on the earth Usain Bolt which can make Puma the best in the running shoes field compared with the competitors (Sammy, n.d.). Puma has great, different, innovative, unique and modern shoes designs and some of the Puma shoes designers are taking the idea of the shoes from some animals and getting inspired by them like what Raymond Horaceks idea for the Mobium shoes; he get inspired by cats to create those shoes (Puma Youtube,2013). That can be a good point for puma to be different that its competitors Nike and Adidas. Puma has an excellent management and good employees, staff and teams who manage the work and create the shoes. As what Owen Shifflett (Puma designer) said that Puma teams work together, they face the challenges together and they are friendly which make them try to create the best shoes every time (Shifflett, 2011) Weaknesses: Compared to the top Pumas competitors -Nike and Adidas- Puma has the lowest market shares in the athletic footwear which it is 7% while 31% for Nike and 16% for Adidas (see appendix 8) which creates a negative effect in the costumers minds. Puma focuses on some sports like football, running and golf and produces the most innovative shoes for them while neglect some other important sport such as basketball and swimming. While Nike and Adidas produce shoes for every sport even basketball since it is an important sport. This is can be knowing just by looking at the Puma official website cause there is no basketball section. Compared to the competitors Nike and Adidas, Puma has less financial strength than them and they get less money from its sales than them. In 2012, Puma got 3.27 million euro from selling its products while Adidas got 14.88 million euro (see appendix 9). Opportunities: Big events like Olympic and Boston marathon can be a great opportunity to raise their sales since Puma is really good at producing running shoes. Since the Pumas competitors are huge companies which they only use professional designers, Puma can take a step forward and cooperate with young designers to mentor them and to bring out their creativity so they will have professional designers in the future. Puma is starting to use technology to produce light width shoes such as the Puma tennis shoes which have been injected with light foam materials (apsense, 2011). Puma can focus more on lifestyle and fashion to become the first Sportlifestyle brand in the world to reach one of its goals (Puma, 2012). To became also different than its competitors. Puma can increase the health awareness campaigns to give the brand a good image. For example, make a new campaign like the campaign that held in 2012 which called Puma Project Pink to fight against breast cancer and to play football no matter what (Puma YouTube, 2012). Threats: Designs and ideas of Puma shoes are being copied and imitated by the competitive companies which sometimes they make shoes better than Puma shoes. Since the competitors are better than Puma, they get the advantage of being the best in producing shoes so that Puma lose its customers. Some of Pumas Asian competitors copy the Puma shoes designs and produce the same style of shoes with the Puma logo on them in cheaper prices. Therefore, Puma lose their customers who are looking for lower prices (shoesobsessions, 2009). There are many competitors outside that are competing Puma and trying to be better than it in the footwears field (hoovers, n.d.). As a result, it makes it hard to Puma to stay on the top because of the high competition. Nowadays, it needs a lot of money to sponsor an excellent sport players; millions of dollars. Therefore, Puma cannot make much sponsorship of the top good players since it has low financial strength so they cannot use many good players to advertise about their shoes. Appendix:- Appendix 1: Appendix 2: Untitled-1.gif Appendix 3: Appendix 4:301c80dea44e11e2b51f22000a9f4da7_7.jpg events.png Appendix 5: Appendix 6: creative-shoes.gif3b7b5674707f11e2b56022000a9f1354_7.jpg Appendix 7: Appendix 8:350px-Footwear_market_shares.pnghashtag.jpg Appendix 9:

Financing Higher Education Literature Review

Financing Higher Education Literature Review REVIEW OF LITERATURE Dunn and Sullins (1982) conducted a study on cost-benefit analysis and its applicability in Higher Education. The main objective of the paper was to discuss whether cost-benefit analysis can be applied to higher education institutions. This paper examines the problems which arise while performing cost-benefit analysis for evaluating Higher Education. The problems include, selecting the productivity index to use with a cost-benefit analysis, determining the discount rate to be used in the analysis, identifying and measuring the costs of higher education, identifying and measuring the benefits of higher education, and defining the time horizon for investments.So cost-effectiveness analysis and cost benefit analysis can be differentiated and to further highlight why cost-effective analysis may be a more useful tool to evaluate higher education. The major finding of the study was that the use of cost-effectiveness analysis could eliminate certain problems associated with cost-benefit ana lysis. Still the problems of identifying and quantifying relevant cost and defining the social discount rate remains. Eicher (1998) studied the Costs and Financing of Higher Education in Europe. The major objective of the study was to analyse optimal financing. For this the study compared Modes of Financing Higher Education in OECD Countries 1993. Evolution of student numbers in Europe from 1955-1994 and public expenditure per student between 1975 and 1992. The major findings of the study were that the financing of higher education in Europe is going through a period of confusion and change. But based on observations and economic studies, the following views were strained: Student involvement in the funding of their educations is still lower than the optimal appears to explain in many European countries; Tuition fees are growing in different forms and procedures and this trend will remain. In relation to the evolution of fees, there is a need that in most nations the students aid systems be reconsidered and modified. A harmonisation of fees and student aid systems is highly necessary if one needs to continue to shape a unified Europe. Singh and Venkataramani (2012) studied Institutes of Higher Education as delivery channels. They discuss its effect on the financial welfare of the people and highlights the steps taken by numerous participants to deliver financial education with an objective of increasing the knowledge of consumers about financial services. Less than desired results have been acquired from these interventions. As it is a gigantic task to provide financial education in a country like India to a large section of the population, a necessity arises aimed at the dedicated contribution of every stakeholder and a sustainable strategy in place. The findings of the study are that it would be a sustainable and cost effective approach to engage institutions of higher education in the financial education drive. Gupta (2006) conducted a study on Positive Action in Higher Education in India and the US. The study makes an effort to comprehend the fine distinctions of a caste-based reservation policy that exists in higher education with respect to the controversies, court judgments, a consequent amendment to the constitution in India; and positive action policies, court verdicts, and substitutes to affirmative action in some universities in the US. The major objective of the study is to make apparent the commonness and differences among India and the US in relation to legal, political, socio-cultural, economic, and psychological viewpoints. Chakrabarti (2009) investigated Determining factors of Participation in Higher Education and the selection of Disciplines. The major emphasis of this paper was to study the part played by economic, social and demographic features in determining the possibility of the rural and urban youths in India participating in higher education. The study used data available with National Sample Survey (NSS), the major findings of the study were that youth from schedule caste (SC) and schedule tribe (ST) upbringing have significantly lower chances of going to a higher educational institution when compared with other social groups in rural region. A significant effect on the higher educational attendance is exerted by the educational profile of the households head. The increasing cost of higher education has a harmful impact when it comes to the participation in higher education. As compared to their male counterparts, female youths have a significantly greater likelihoods of attending a Higher Ed ucation institutions for Arts or Humanities course in urban India. However, it is found that for other streams like Science, Commerce, Medicine, Engineering and professional courses, gender bias against female is strong even after adjusting for social and economic background of the family. Sharmila and Dhas (2010) studied Progress of Females Education in India. The major objective of the study was to examine the trends in females education, the investments in education and infrastructural provisions in India. The findings of the study were that from the female literacy levels and its variation over time revealed a noteworthy progress in the performance of womens education. Another finding was that the gaps among rural and urban literacy rates for women re coming down. Rather than being a hindrance to women’s education poverty in rural India acts as a thrust factor for females’ education. Urbanization improved attainment of females’ education in India. It showed that the decrease in girls’ drop-out rates is essential for realizing women’s education. The study further calls for an increase in women centered educational infrastructure so that womens dropout rates can be studied and female literacy levels can be improved in India Rani (2014) studied Fairness in the circulation of government subsidies on education in India. The main objective of the paper was to estimate how uniformly the public expenditure is dispersed by levels of education throughout different states in India, by means of the benefit incidence analysis. The study found out that there exists a difference between the circulation of government subsidies at elementary levels of schooling and higher levels of education. At elementary levels the subsidies are pro-poor, but as they go to higher levels of education the benefit to them decreases. The study suggested a two-way approach of guaranteeing the quality of learning outcomes amid government financed schools and differential user fees at greater levels of education. Pilkington and Nair (2013) examined Global tendencies in higher education and an unanticipated convergence among France and India. The major objective of the study was to inspect an unanticipated convergence among the higher education systems of two diverse countries, to be specific France and India. The study addresses the matter of the commodification of higher education in order to ascertain if the later progression has been accepted, stimulated or opposed by governments. This is done after making a brief comparative survey. The study found that it is the GATS rules that regulate the global trade in higher education services partially determine the modern settings in which the higher education organizations function, through the improvement of new modes of transfer such as e-learning and distance education. The investigators then spread their focus to reduce the gap between France and India. They say that the convergence of academic, economic and institutional factors helps push t he new idea of an Indo-French knowledge-based triangle. Kaul (2006) conducted a study on Higher Education in India and about seizing the available opportunity. The paper analyses the current policy environment to assess its competence in ensuring that India remains ahead of the curve in the information segment which in recent year is growing exponentially. In the delivery of higher education and technical training the part of the private sector has been highlighted.The study found that in order to sustain the trend of increased technical manpower and the big boom in the BPO/KPO sector it is necessary that India continue to produce greatly skilled manpower at a speeded pace. The suggestions made in the paper is that India requires to have a active demand based strategy in the direction of private higher education comprising foreign institutions/universities eager to set up a campus in India or engaging into joint-ventures. Gupta (2005) studied Global Trends in Higher Education and the Indian Situation. This paper focused the political, economic, socio-cultural, ethical, philosophical, legal, and practical facets of the widespread subject of worldwide trends in private higher education, overall. The further focus is on the driving forces, reasons and consequences of the rise of private higher education in India throughout the last three decades. The paper further discusses the role of courts in private higher education in India. Mamoon (2005) explored planning a creative approach towards Safeguarding Economic Efficiency of Higher Education Improvements in Pakistan. The paper proposes that the government of Pakistan’s policy of current higher education is being followed at the cost of elementary education. This paper also points out that the bias in higher education is shared among countries that are developing, since the growth and processes of growth are much more receptive to higher education than elementary or secondary education. The major cause as to why disparities are growing into one of the fastest growing economies of the world, specifically India and China are the unequal education policies of these governments. Mishra (2003) examined self-financing of establishments of higher education in India. The paper discusses the possibility of self-financing institutions of higher education the higher education system which is mostly government supported and funded is in deep financial strain as the costs are increasing and the budgetary resources being limited with increasing needs. The paper suggests that it is necessary to devise means to self-finance the institutions of higher education. The study further found that as long as the government funds higher education the private costs will be low. If the government stops funding, then it will have an adverse effect on the demand for higher education. This paper recommends that there is a need to restructure India’s higher education system from academic to a more of professional and technical. Upadhyay (2008) conducted a study on the Economics of Higher Education in India, while keeping women as the prime focus of the study. The paper examines the part played by the economic aspects in the enrollment choice at the higher education level in India. The major finding of the study was that the degree of participation of female in the post reforms period is in a disadvantaged position.As a determining factor of economic progress, the women’s education has started to lose its importance. The determinant factors in women’s enrollment decision in the post reform period were considered to be the relatively low probability of getting jobs, the unfavorable prospect for lifetime earnings of different female degree holders at higher education levels. Sethi et al. (2011) examined Higher Education and Economic Development within a Globalist Era in India. The paper focuses on the in’s and out’s of higher education in India in the context of India’s education system and why India is still a developing country. They said that education which is the basic for any economies development is in a bad shape in India. So, there must be some changes. These changes primarily include the change in the education system. They further suggested certain changes, these changes primarily include changes in India’s education system. Joshi (2012) studied Sustainable Development of the Higher Education Sector in India. They say, given that higher education is important, economic progress of India in current years is driven by mainly the services sector especially by IT and ITES the sustainable improvement of higher education becomes crucial. The paper raises the question as to where India’s higher education stands today and further the challenges that are confronting this sector. It also studies the proposed reform measures in this sector. The study found that the demand and supply in higher education sector is seriously mismatched. It is therefore crucial to reform higher education system and enhance Indian talent pool so as to maximize the potential of IT and ITES on the one hand and to catalyze the countries growth which is driven by the services sector on the other hand. The extension of the higher education sector and enhancement in its quality can assist India in avoiding the unemployability of gradua tes on the one hand and the phenomenon of ‘missing teachers’ on the other. Further it can make higher education affordable. Basant and Sen (2014) looked into the Parental Education as a Criterion for Affirmative Action in Higher Education. Use of reservation policies as affirmative actions, to address the issues of inclusion has been in place in India for a long time. With inclusion of new social groups, the policies scope has increased, but the efficacy can be debated. The paper inspects if parental education is a suitable measure for positive action. The study used three rounds of National Sample Survey data. Empirical results suggest that parental education as a determinant of participation in higher education not only transcends the impact of caste, religious, and economic status, it is also very attractive for the ease of implementation. Agarwal (2006) examines funding needs in higher education in India. The paper relates the growth of higher education in India to the changing funding pattern. Further the paper suggests ways to ensure that higher education remains affordable and accessible to all. The author stresses the need for greater adaptability in the higher education system so that it continues to provide the needed skills and trained workforce to the economy as it integrates with the world economy. Policy measures required to promote, sustain, and enhance world-class research are also included. Considering the weaknesses in the prevailing regulatory and quality assurance environment, the paper provides a roadmap for reforms towards improved accountability of the system. Nair and Kumar (2005) talked about financing of higher education. The article also talks about the development of higher education in India. They discussed current educational system in the country and the concentration by the State on higher and technical education is looked at. The article further says that the financing of Higher Education in the country by the State, is a drain on its exchequer and that more methods have to be found out to move the financial obligations outside the State coffers. The experience of other countries is looked at briefly. For better money flow to this sector, it is very important, to look at providing adequate legislative protection to these self-financed universities, which attract funds from sponsors, financing agencies and corporates. The need for adaptability to the job market and the synchronization between job creation and higher education has been explained in detail. Various development models are hinted at with concentration on specific para meters. The article suggests that once the ground rules are clearly laid down, it may become possible to develop several models, which may be accepted by the financial agencies, for funding higher education in India. Patel (2009) examined Private higher education in India. He says Education is one of the dominant sectors of the Indian economy in terms of enrolment of children, employment of adults and investment of financial resources. While school education has a broad base, higher education suffers from a narrow base covering only about 7% of the relevant age group population. With the expansion of school education, the pressure on the higher education system to expand is expected to continue in India. In this context, two criteria of efficiency and mobilisation of resources are put forward in justification of privatization of higher education. When higher education is left to the market forces, it results in elitisation of a basic need; it puts higher education firmly out of reach of the millions of under-privileged of India who dream of going to the university one day.

Fortinbras as Foil for Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- GCSE Coursework S

Fortinbras as Foil for Hamlet In the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the character of Fortinbras, has been used as a foil for the main character, Hamlet. Hamlet and Fortinbras have lost their fathers to untimely deaths. Claudius killed Hamlet's father, King Hamlet, and King Hamlet killed Fortinbras' father. Both Hamlet and Fortinbras have vowed to seek revenge for the deaths of their fathers. Since the revenge tactics of Hamlet and Fortinbras are completely different, Hamlet perceives the actions of Fortinbras as better than his own and the actions of Fortinbras, then, encourage Hamlet to act without hesitating.      Hamlet, after learning that his father's death was a murder and vowing to take revenge, wants to be certain that what he has been told is the absolute truth before he attempts to take revenge on Claudius. Even after Hamlet is sure beyond any shadow of a doubt that Claudius is the murderer, he hesitates to kill him. Fortinbras, on the other hand, has been taking action even before the play begins. As the play opens, the audience learns that Denmark is in a state of alert; the country has been preparing for a war. From Horatio, the audience also learns that the young Fortinbras is getting ready his "lawless resolutes"(I.i.111) for action against Denmark for the killing of his father and for the return of lands previously owned by Norway (I. i. 79-107).   These differences between Hamlet and Fortinbras' actions are further mentioned in Hamlet's last soliloquy (IV. iv. 32-66).    Before the soliloquy begins, Hamlet has been informed by one of Fortinbras' Captains that Norway is preparing to fight Poland over a "little patch of land"(IV.iv.19) and that twenty thousand men are eager to fight for th... ...nts itself. Hamlet is so determined to do something he does not wish to think about the consequences anymore.    Works Cited and Consulted: Bradley, A.C. "Shakespeare's Tragic Period--Hamlet." Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Toronto: MacMillan, 1967. Danson, Lawrence. "Tragic Alphabet." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York City: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 65-86 Manning, John. "Symbola and Emblemata in Hamlet." New Essays on Hamlet. Ed. Mark Thornton Burnett and John Manning. New York: AMS Press, 1994. 11-18. Rose, Mark. "Reforming the Role." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York City: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 117-128 Wagner, Valeria. "Losing the Name of Action." New Essays on Hamlet. New York: AMS Press, 1994. 135-152.   

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay example -- Post-traumatic stress d

There are hundreds of different kinds of psychiatric disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV). One of them is called Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Based on the research, post-traumatic disorder usually occurs following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape (Harvard Women’s Health Watch, 2005). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the risk factors, pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, diagnostic criteria and tests, treatment, prognosis and future research and approaches to treat this psychiatric illness of post-traumatic stress disorder. Risk Factors As to all other kinds of disorders, determining the risk factors is a major influential aspect of a person’s life in exposing herself to such diseases and illnesses. The factors that put people at risk for post-traumatic disorder are having a history of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. In addition to that, people who have been abused as children or who have had other previous traumatic experiences at a time in their lives are more highly to develop the disorder (Harvard Women’s Health Watch, 2005). Other risk factors that contribute to PTSD include motor vehicle crashes, disasters, torture, and comorbid substance abuse (Miller, 2000). The most common precipitating events for PTSD in women were rape and physical assault. For men, physical assault and other traumas were the most prevalent. However, both genders are at heightened risk for PTSD when it comes to motor vehicle accidents. These are the major risk factors people may face that predict the likelihood of post-traumatic stress disorder to occur. Furthermore, according to Harvard Women’s Health Watch 2005, people do not necessary have to encounter the traumatic events directly in order for PTSD to develop. Pathophysiology Until now, there has not been a definite understanding of how post-traumatic stress disorder occurs in the brain. The exploration into its pathophysiology is fairly recent. However, there is research around it discussing about PTSD’s pathophysiology and coming to a complete understanding. In a normal person without the disorder, a stress hormone, adrenaline, releases from the body and prepares it to flee o... ...ive therapy is say to process â€Å"the strengthening of a cognitive plan that can guide thinking and behaviour in future potential encounters with trauma†¦,† (Wells & Sembi, 2004, p. 308). Future research also includes postmortem brain studies because it is significant in understanding psychiatric disorders to the neurobiology level (Soboslay, Martin, & Kleinman, 2004). Scientists are attempting to determine which treatments work best for which type of trauma. Works Cited Thomas Miller, Assessment of Life Stress Events: the Etiology and Measurement of Traumatic Stress Disorder International Journal of Social Psychiatry, Vol. 38, No. 3, 215-227 (1992) J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2004 Dec ;35 (4):307-18 15530845 (P,S,E,B) Metacognitive therapy for PTSD: a preliminary investigation of a new brief treatment. [My paper] Adrian Wells, Sundeep Sembi Deep-Soboslay A, Martin CE, Kleinman JE. The development of a posttraumatic stress disorder brain collection. Psychiatry. 2004 Winter;67(4):416-8. Harvard Women's Health Watch http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch_resources.htm Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed.

Growing Years Essay

People come and people go, moments are gone through and experiences are created. What only remains are memories ,and for that reason these growing years are considered to be golden. Growing up is the most important aspect of an individual’s life as it determines on their state of mind and how they look at life when they are old enough. Some go through a hard time whereas some may just cruise through a good life. Life is definitely a long journey but how we go about it is up to us, we see a lot of what life has to offer us at the time of childhood and teenage years. A lot of attractions and distractions, basically the good things and the bad and how these influence us. I have gone through different situations in my life, have had to make pretty tough choices ,but one of the best things I’ve learnt from these growing years is that your life is never at a stand still even when you think it is. The modern world has loads to offer teenagers like me. But at the same time I would like to include myself to agree on the fact that growing up as a person from within isn’t an easy task. I’ve found myself in different instances at a stage where I don’t seem to be agreeing with my parents. Well obviously my mind is developing and I have opinions of my own. This did lead into quarrels at times, its not that I may necessarily be wrong but I don’t think anyone’s parents would like their child to not agree with them on any aspect. The solution that I found to this problem was to be more understanding to thoughts and opinions that people shared with me. I could consider myself lucky to go on that path because I’ve come across quite a few people who have thought in another sense and are perhaps now leading messed up lives at home and away. But then again that’s all part of growing up, it could be scary at times but life has much more to offer than just a scare. My growing up like anyone else’s has its own ups and downs, but lucky for me I’ve learnt from my older brother’s experiences and have been cautious into not making the same mistakes as he has made. We come across many friends in this period of life, many come, couple of them remain in our present time but only some or none remain as you move on all the way. Yes when we’re young we’re all joyful and think that nothing can ever affect our friendship and lifestyle. But what we forget is that those who are surrounding us are growing up too, and they begin to think differently and that’s what fade’s them away from us. No doubt that I’ve learnt quite a lot from my friends but one regret would be there that some of them aren’t present in the bonds of friendship around me. Due to all the distractions that growing up has had on me, I’ve had a conflict with education and living reality itself. I guess I was just taking it too easy and was playing around with the responsibilities that were put upon me. Each year that you grow certain tasks are handed to you, be it from your parents or life itself. Whereas at the same time certain things are expected from you. I am quite sure that I personally never was in favour of this. Probably that could’ve been one of the reasons I quarreled with my folks. I guess I just couldn’t live up to the expectations. For instance, when I was out with my friends I had to be home by a certain time. I thought of this as reasonable to an extent but sometimes I went over my curfew. Obviously this wasn’t acceptable from my parents as it was heading me towards indiscipline. I always thought that a couple of years back I was invincible and nothing but good things could come out of what I was doing, basically I was happy in satisfying myself. Therefore I guess I was looking for some space of my own which my parents weren’t willing to give me at that point of time which would be my early teenage years. But now I realize that all I was doing was just neglecting my tasks and duties. Life cannot be lived with one owns satisfaction and happiness, its also about sacrifice, sacrifice that my parents have made in order to help me live a good life, as they think of my future and happiness before their own and perhaps I have to carry out these values to a family of my own. But yea I was too young then and still am now but I can certainly say that I’m in a better sense of mind to understand these things now. For this reason now I understand why my parents decided to give me this space now as I could use it more rightly. I’ve been infatuated with material things and have gotten lost in the unreal world of dreams and fantasies. More importantly my teenage years brought about certain feelings and emotions in me that made me interact with the opposite sex. Definitely this is a normal feeling and there’s nothing wrong with it. Going on dates and having serious relationships with girls was another aspect of my growing up. This perhaps made me well versed with the word â€Å"love† but what I’ve experienced with most girls was just infatuation and a phase that eventually had to fade away. This all is a part of growing up, but when it begins to interfere with your personal life or becomes a part of your personal life then I guess things just seem to be all messed up. Your moods and attitudes can easily alter at any given moment. In my case I could see this coming and still couldn’t take control of it. A really funny situation I guess for many but for me it was just a result of getting too involved in something that never was. I devoted a large amount of my time on telephones and going out which in the end added up to nothing. While making hasty decisions I never really thought twice or overlooked at what I was doing after a while. The mess began to add up and soon I found myself lagging behind in stuff that really mattered for me as a person as I didn’t give much attention to it previously. I still do mostly all these things but within boundaries and don’t make it control my lifestyle as now I perhaps am in control of things and myself. Opening myself up as a person was never a problem but opening up to the wrong people was a mistake that I constantly committed and trusting the wrong people too was involved in this. In a way I remain happy at the fact that I’ve gone through experiences such as these at a young age, as it keeps me prepared for the future. Neglecting my duties as a growing child ,I constantly came across a lot of troubles ,this included studies ,social life etc. There came times when my parents were really unhappy with me and my future remained a question mark in their minds as it built a lot of tension within them. But what I’m grateful about is that they never lost faith in me and they constantly always explained to me about what was right and always heard my side of the story too. Perhaps because of their love and affection it was a quick process for me to realize my mistakes and undo my way of thinking. I’ve at times tried to make my brother as my idle and live the way he did, in a quite reserved but jovial way. There have been instances where I just wanted to be in my brother’s shoes as I felt that he handled himself quite well while he was growing up. According to me he did everything at the right time and that’s why he enjoyed quite a bit. But I can’t escape the fact that him n me are two different personalities and we just have to be our own people. I hear from a lot of people who are elder to me, that my age is the best as I don’t have to worry about a lot of stuff. It brings upon confusion to me as I think the responsibilities that are on me ar en’t too easy to fulfill though they’re necessary. But as a growing child, I explored a lot that perhaps people my age wouldn’t. Main reason for this being that I was quite curious and being the youngest in my family always accustomed me to what elders usually do and how they behave. It was serious conflict as one hand I was neglecting my given duties and on the other hand I intended on doing things that I wasn’t capable of. Eventually I realize that being older than I already am isn’t an easy task either and probably when I do come to that age I would wish to be where I am right now. Keeping that in mind, I’ve experienced times that I’ve wished and wanted to act older than I already am. But what I was leaving behind only I know. That of being a kid and enjoying the best of what it has to offer. Being a kid or a teenager, I always hated to lose and I still do, be it anything perhaps at studies or at sport, or losing friends. But while growing up you’ve to accept to lose at times and you’ve to be open to that fact. Understanding that I guess has helped me into not being stuck up and has helped me in growing further as a person. In my years of growing up I have come across many instances that I’ve witnessed people breaking up their relationships with each other just over meaningless arguments. Having fights is normal but it goes over limit when it starts effecting the way two people think about each other. There has to be space for understanding certain things as every person has his/her own opinions over matters. But many yet remain oblivious to this. That’s why perhaps it is easy to ruin things but hard to keep it together. I sometimes sit to think about most of those teenagers who have slit their wrists and committed suicide in depression, well in their case they never liked losing either and resorted into ending their life. I can probably relate to some teenager problems considering I’m in the same age group and perhaps have gone through the same at some stage, but my upbringing has excluded the thought of suicide from me. Everything has to come to an end at one point in time and that refers to our lives as well, so we should wait until then. That’s why we teenagers are always told that there’s a time for everything. In my times of growing up, I’ve had a lot of fun even through all the hardships that have come along my way. Going to gigs and parties with friends was no more of an exciting thing to me as before. Since I’ve cut down on that there’s more value to it now then there was before. One of the most important tasks that I’ve learnt in my journey of growing up is setting priorities. Something I wasn’t good at doing so sometime back. There are loads of distractions available to get you off your way but if you have your priorities set out I don’t think you could go off track. Part of becoming an adult brings a lot of confusion in our minds. There come times when people have asked me what I’ve wanted to be when I grow up, and I’m left with no answer. I realize I can’t be young all my life but it just seems with all the competition around I’m growing up much faster than I should be. But that’s how this modernized world works, and I could probably deny the fact but cant hide from it. Accepting this I’ve got an ambition, something that I hope to become and achieve. But I realize that this task isn’t easy for some people and this has helped me into understanding the problems that some teenagers go through. They cant deal with the pressure and therefore breakdown into depression. Understanding aspects like these and looking into my own life, it has been quite easy to give way to other people’s opinions and sometimes accept what someone else says on top of your own word. Being unselfish is a part of growing up too. These values instilled in me thankfully is to my advantage and would perhaps benefit me in my future. There sure have been times when I just have been fed up of happenings around me and wished that everything should just stop. At the end of things I still would have to get on with my life and deal with my problems as that’s part of growing up. I do wish that sometimes things should be quite different from what they are, but then if life had to be so predictable there wouldn’t be any fun left in life itself. Believing in something of this sort has made me want to enjoy life as it comes even through its good times and bad. Understanding that behind every face there’s a story, and that’s why some people act in the manner that they do, we have to be open to whatever this life has to offer us. Growing up isn’t an easy task but how would we ever know where our silver lining lies if we don’t want to grow up. These growing years are considered golden as they’re times once lived they can never come back. We have the ability at times like these to make the most of our lives and should definitely use it. We never stop learning and that’s why everyday we look at our life through a different light. Every year that I grow it brings me closer to my adult age and cuts off a year from my life. There surely is a time for everything and in life there are no short cuts to that. From now on I would like to take things as they come and enjoy myself under those means. Therefore I would like to live my life to the maximum level and in the right manner. I’m still growing and s o far the journey has been incredible.