Consumer Behavior Case Study Do Our Avatars Learn Essay

1) According to the text, classical conditioning occurs when a stimulus that elicits a response is paired with another stimulus that initially does not elicit a response on its own. As time passes, the second stimulus is able to cause a similar response because of the fact that we associate it with the first stimulus. An example of classical conditioning would be one that was demonstrated by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. He conducted research on digestion in dogs. Pavlov was able to induce classically conditioned learning when he paired a neutral stimulus (a bell) with a stimulus that was known to cause a salivation response in dogs (he squirted dried meat powder into their mouths). The powder represented an unconditioned stimulus due to the fact that it was naturally capable of causing the response. As time passed, the bell represented a conditioned stimulus. Initially, the bell didn’t cause salivation. However, the dogs learned to associate it with the meat powder and began to salivate at the sound of the bell only. The drooling of these canine consumers because of a sound, now linked to feeding time, represented a conditioned response. Pavlov demonstrated a basic form of classical conditioning that primarily applies to the responses that the autonomic (e.g., salivation) and nervous (e.g., eye blink) systems control. Meaning, it focuses on visual and olfactory cues that induce hunger, thirst, and other basic drives. When marketers are able to consistently pair these cues with conditioned stimuli, such as brand names, consumers may learn to feel hungry or thirsty when they encounter these brand cues at a later point. This is an example of how classical conditioning can operate for a consumer who visits a new tutoring Web site and is greeted by the Web site’s avatar who resembles Albert Einstein. The individual might not pick of the olfactory cues the first time he visits the Web site, but over a period of time he/she will. 2) According to an online source, instrumental conditioning (also known as operant conditioning) is a form of learning in which an individual modifies the occurrence and form of its own behavior due to the consequences of the behavior. The difference between instrumental conditioning and classical conditioning is that instrumental conditioning deals with the modification of â€Å"voluntary behavior† or operant behavior. Operant behavior â€Å"operates† on the environment and is maintained by its consequences. On the other hand, classical conditioning deals with the conditioning of reflexive behaviors which are elicited by antecedent conditions. Behaviors that are conditioned via a classical conditioning procedure are not maintained by consequences. This is a learning process that we most closely associate with the psychologist B.F. Skinner. Skinner demonstrated the effects of instrumental conditioning by teaching pigeons and other animals to dance, play Ping-Pong, and perform other activities when he systematically rewarded them for desired behaviors. Due to the fact that responses in classical conditioning are involuntary and fairly simple, we make those in instrumental conditioning deliberately to obtain a goal, and these may be more complex. The desired behavior might be learned over a period of time as a shaping process rewards our intermediate actions. From all of this research about instrumental conditioning, we conclude that a consumer who purchases a new outfit for his avatar on a virtual world would be modifying the occurrence and form of the avatar’s behavior due to the consequences of the behavior. 3)I believe that consumers do build associative networks through their avatar’s experience just as they would with any other product or service. The text states that we each have organized systems of concepts that relate to brands, manufacturers, and stores stored in our memories. The contents, however, depend on our own unique experiences. We should think of these knowledge structures, or storage units, as complex spider webs filled with pieces of data. Any information that is incoming gets put into nodes that connect to one another. When separate pieces of information are viewed as similar, we chunk them together under some more abstract category. Then, we are able to interpret new, incoming information to be consistent with the structure we just created. This helps to explain why we are better able to remember brands or stores that we believe â€Å"go together.† Recent research has indicated that people can recall brands that are not as obviously linked. However, in these cases, marketers have to work harder to justify why the two things go together. I do believe that this network is part of the consumer’s overall associative network for that brand. This is because in the associative network, links form between nodes. For instance, the text states that a consumer might have a network for â€Å"perfumes.† Each node correlates to a concept related to the category. This can be an attribute, a specific brand, or a related product. When the consumer is asked to list perfumes, she only recalls those brands that show up in the appropriate category.

Segmentation: Marketing

What are the weaknesses of mass marketing, as opposed to segmented marketing? What advantages does a company gain from market segmentation, as opposed to treating the market as single entity? MASS MARKETING:- Mass marketing is a market strategy in which firm or industry treat market with single offer or one strategy. In this marketing term wide range of customers and audience are concentrated. As there is no segmentation and focusing concern so large amount of customers are possibly exposed to the product.For example as audience is focused on radio, television and newspapers in which large and broad audience are targeted by the companies and industries towards their product. Mass marketing is the opposite of segmented marketing as it focuses on high sales and low prices. Mass marketing aims is to provide services and products that will appeal to the whole market. Segmented marketing targeted a specific or particular segment of the market for example specialized services or goods with few or no competitors.WEAKNESSES OF MASS MARKETING AS OPPOSED TO SEGMENT MARKETING:- Mass marketing focus to produce one type of goods and services to consumers, it is possible to reduce the level of risk involved in implementing this marketing term by market research although there is always a danger that demand for the product may fall. To determine any risks that may occur, a business must continuously examine the life cycle of their products and to analyze their product portfolios, this should ensure that the business goods continue to satisfy the market. The high cost of fixed capital costs that are incurred may prevent many businesses from operating a market. * Developing a product that would appeal to a mass market is difficult as it must appeal to all customers. Appealing to individual customers would be very challenging for the business. * Businesses in mass marketing can be defenseless to fluctuations in demand. A decrease in demand would lead to unused spare capacity tha t would effectively increase the unit cost per product. SEGMENTATION:- Market segmentation is the concept in which markets certain group or people are targeted and focused.Researcher has shown that racial similarity, role congruence, labeling intensity of ethnic identification, shared knowledge and ethnic salience all promote positive effects on the targeted market. In market segmented we have seen that their customers and consumers are loyal and strongly affinity to the particular brand or product. As in market segmenting the market is divided into individual markets with similar wants and needs as on the products consumption. Broadly markets can be divided according to a number of general criteria, such as by industry or public versus private.Although there is difference in industrial and consumer market segmentation but both of them have similar objectives. Why segmentation? One of the main reasons for using market segmentation is to help companies to better understand the needs of a specific customer base. Mass marketing assumes that all customers are the same and will respond to the same advertising. By looking at ways in which potential customer groups are different from each other, the marketing message can be better targeted to the needs and wants of those people.Often. Dividing consumers by clearly defined criteria will help the company identify other applications for their products that may not have been obvious before. These revelations often help the company target a larger audience in that same demographic classification, improving market share among a specific base. Segmenting the market can also serve to identify smaller groups of people who make up their own, previously unknown subsets. SEGMENTATION OR SINGLE ENTITY MARKET:-Segmentation is much more valuable market strategy as compare to the market as a single unit because it’s much more hard and difficult to focus and know about the demands and needs of, customers and consumers if they are spread in a larger quantity. Market as a whole is difficult to handle if the areas of it are specifically are not defined and segmented well enough to know about them. There are all sort of customers found in market, each of them are different in needs and wants, and their budgets and choices also differ, so to reach and fulfill their necessities market must be segmented and defined sufficiently.Is it possible to segment a market too far? What are the potential disadvantages of segmenting a market? Choose a market to provide examples of these potential disadvantages? Market segmentation is one of the best market strategies to apply and survive in market conditions. As in it product and services are enhanced and polished for the specific audience who demand, need and purchase them. In big wide world of billions of different types of people each and every company or industry first of all have to segment and target the specific group to at least introduce their product and check th e result from audience as it goes in profit or loss.But if the segmenting occurs again and again and went to deep in the specification and selection then it will be quit a difficult issue to solve and face, because there are certain criteria for segmentation if those will not be fulfilled then segmentation will give negative effect, some of them are given as follow:- * It is potential to measure. * It must be large enough to earn profit. * It must be stable enough that it does not vanish after some time. * It is possible to reach potential customers via the organization's promotion and distribution channel. It responds consistently to a given market stimulus. * It can be reached by market intervention in a cost-effective manner. * It is useful in deciding on the marketing mix. As it’s obvious that each an everything, strategy or planning have its own positive and negative side as well, so we can only try to minimize those disadvantages by research and investigations. Some of the disadvantages of over segmenting market are given below:- * The segment will be simply too small to be addressed economically or meaningfully. * Customers are misinterpreted on their needs by too much segmentation. As there is always competitor market segment also working in market which will increase the costs and lesser profit margin of your product. * Further segmenting introduce new products in market which need higher mass of advertisement to make its place in market, which will be needing lots of market research and risk as well because of new entry in market. The type of segmentation you use will depend on a lot of factors including the cost not only of conducting the research, but also of implementing the solution and the business impact.Consequently ideally for each segment or group you want to know what the economic value and the economic potential for each group is and have some idea as to whether this is increasing or falling. Consequently most quantitative segmentat ion studies are detailed and complex. A more cost-effective approach is to develop groups based on qualitative research. Typically a business wants to minimize the number of segments it has as each costs money to target properly (database marketing and digital printing techniques allow for far finer targeting without too much additional cost).With small numbers of big segments, a good researcher will be able to identify these groups within a programmer of qualitative research. This will not gather economic data, but it enables deeper insight into each group and, if monitored over time, provides core information about how segments change and develop. For example:- As we have seen that APPLE products and software’s are well known in market and are consume by thousands of customers around the world. They target the lead class of public with higher prices and best services in return.There applications can only be installed by APPLE STORE as from which soon of them are free and ot hers are paid as well as they bound their customers to do so. But if to maintain or increase their prestige, they will further segment there applications only to be installed after payment, then it will be too much expensive to afford that market term which will for sure affect their sells. As in market their competitors are developing day by day and offering really cheap amount for the look alike product and services as compare to them. The application provided by them are also free and approx. similar as given on APPLE STORES.

What is a personal experience that gave you the feeling of greatest achievement of satisfaction because of the challenges you met?

Throughout my entire life, overcoming a lot of challenges has always given me a certain degree of satisfaction. However, it was my passion for track and field that provided me with the greatest satisfaction among all the challenges I have faced so far.My high school track career basically started during my freshmen year at John Cooper School in Texas. Initially, I did not take the sport very seriously because I was preoccupied with other things such as   my academics, a big drama production, and other sports such as volleyball and soccer.Moreover, I thought that my school, being a college preparatory institutions, were not as competitive in sports as compared to public schools. Nevertheless, I always enjoyed competing at various sports events during my freshmen and sophomore year at the school. However, when my parents informed me that I would be transferring to a public school nearby, I was filled with mixed emotions.I was first hesitant because I would leave behind all my friends and all the extracurricular activities I was involved in. However, I was also excited to try out and hopefully compete in a more serious and competitive athletic program that this new school would offer.Generally, adjusting the environment of a new school was not difficult for me since my family was constantly moving from one place to another due to my father’s work in an oil company. In short, I was used to seeing new people and new things.   However, what stood out about my new school was its seemingly unmatched athletics department. During that time, the school's sports program was unlike anything I have ever seen before.To finally satisfy my excitement,   I enrolled in the track class during the offseason period which signaled the start of my fruitful journey. As I expected, the training was very rigid and at the same time, very extensive. It consisted of long hours of running on the track, running with weights on your back, doing various exercises up and down a stee p hill, working on field events, and lastly tough weight lifting workouts after school.During my first weeks in training, I was already disheartened and I wanted to quit. I knew it was going to be hard but I had no idea it was more difficult than i expected. Moreover, the seasonal changes in weather was never a factor during our training as we ran when it was freezing cold, scorching hot,   raining hard, and even during the Christmas break and certain public holidays.To top it all, my track coach was a very strict but encouraging man who accepted no excuses from anyone. For him, it's either we do it or we don't. Despite all the difficulties I faced, I was determine to prove to my coach and, more importantly, to myself.I found that all my hard work and perseverance paid during our   first practice meet when I was informed that I was officially a member of the Woodlands High school varsity track and field team. This was a great accomplishment for as I literally went through the ey e of the needle just to make the cut.  From then on, I was on a roll. Not only did I set personal records in the 100m, 200m, 4 by 1 and 4 by 2 relays, but I also help set a school record in the 4 by 2 relay race and 3rd in the school records for both the 100m and 200m dash.I was also both honored and privileged   to participate in Texas Relays at the University of Texas, which is considered as the most prestigious high school track meet competition. In addition, I also competed in the the District Championship where I won one gold medal in the 200m dash and 2 silver medals in the 100m dash and 4 by 1 meter relay.However, among all the competitions I have participated in, the most significant and most fruitful one was the Regional Championships at Waco Baylor. Although I wasn't able to qualify for the next level which was the State Championships,   I felt a surge of satisfaction as I passed the finish line of my last event because I knew in my heart that I had fulfilled my goal s and surpassed the expectations that I have set when I first joined the varsity during training.My achievements became complete when I was awarded most valuable sprinter of the year and appointed as captain of the girls track team in our Principal’s Leadership counsel the next year.Even though I didn't reach the highest competitive level, which is the State Championships,   I still glad that I chose not to quit when times were rough and instead kept on pushing and moving forward. Personally, making the varsity alone was a highly significant accomplishment for me, so to win in extremely competitive events where the very good athletes were also competing was not only a monumental achievement but also a blessing.More importantly, however, I believe that the most important aspect of all the lessons I have learned and all the achievements I have made so far is my over-all growth. For the better part of my life,   I have been running and running just to reach that finish line and accomplish my goal. Looking back, however, I realized that in my journey so far, it is not always the destination that is important.What's important is the people I have met who made a considerable impact on my life and have contributed to my growth and more importantly, the experiences I have gained as I struggled and worked hard to fulfill my tasks.In short, I realized that it in reality, in was not the State Championships that was mattered most, rather, it was the significant events such as the long hours I spent to improve myself and the extremely tedious training   hours I went through and also the people such as my coach who taught me the value of hard work and perseverance, my family who never failed to support me in all my endeavors, and my friends who were always there for me when I needed them most.These are things that mattered most. Personally, to have these experiences under my belt and to have these people by my side as I go further in my career as a track and fi eld varsity player is my greatest achievement in life so far other than winning medals in competitions.

On-Site Daycare for Students Children Research Paper

On-Site Daycare for Students Children - Research Paper Example TO: [Insert Name of School] FROM: [Insert Name] DATE: November 27, 2011 SUBJECT: On-site Daycare for Students Children Background Information According to Chigona and Chetty (2008), the issue of teenage pregnancy is becoming a barrier to the education of young women, especially when the support is insufficient or absent. The authors argue that these girls undergo misunderstanding as well as pressure rather than receiving the support they need. It thus becomes hard for the teenage mothers to go on with their studies. Chigona and Chetty (2008) argue that if support is provided for the students’ mothers, they will continue and complete their final examinations. The issue of students’ mothers is global because the study by Chigona and Chetty was done in South Africa thereby showing that the issue is not only in America but also in other continents. On the other hand, Manson and Goulden (2008) claim that the rate of women drop out from Phd programs is increasing as compared to men. The two authors reveal how difficult it is for a woman to read and succeed in studies while looking after a child. Healy (2011) shows how students can benefit from on-site day cares to go on with their studies and care for their children. Healy (2011) expounds on a daycare center located in the school compound of Morton East High School. The student parents are able to study and look after their children. The center is set up in the first-floor of the classrooms block. According to Healy (2011), the daycare has helped the students complete their studies successfully. Additionally, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2010) conducted a research to examine the importance of assisting teenage mothers to acquire college education. According to their research, the Corio Bay Senior College (CBSC) is one of the schools, which are encouraging young as well as expecting parents to go on with their education. The college achieves this by offering flexible optio ns that support their schedules. The school has a program for the young parents, which objects to provide intensive case management as well as on-site child care. The thought of coming up with the care program according to the author was because of the complex problems experienced by students’ mothers (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2010). Problem Many teenagers are becoming mothers early and at the same time desire to go to colleges. The issue of taking of a child and attending college is hard thereby calling for support of these mothers’ parents. The students with children have problems commuting to school because they have to organize issues concerning daycare before getting to school, especially those living many kilometers away. The students are stressed even when in class because their kids are under the care of strangers who are far from their reach and so they cannot check on the children often as they ought to. This makes them anxious and cannot concentrate in class and end up underperforming. Similarly, the students waste much money traveling when they have free time to check on the children at home or other far day cares. Further, institutions have been underperforming because of lack of sufficient funds to run their business. With the implementation of the on-site day care project, the learning institutes will have some additional income to handle pressing issues. Proposal and

Is It Important To Be Civilized Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Is It Important To Be Civilized - Essay Example Is It Important To Be Civilized? The use of civilization and connected notions are contentious because they may mean inferiority and superiority, and may also mean directionality to social transformations that may or may not be desirable or realistic. A civilized individual is one who has respect for other people, have an open mind, and treat others as he would expect of others. This paper will discuss if it is essential for an individual to be civilized. The paper will agree with Mark Rothko’s statement in relation to civilization. For a person to be successful in any field, he or she should be civilized. The individual should be well conversant with subjects from a number of fields. Nevertheless, civilization does not only mean to be educated. This is because a large number of individuals are not open minded or are not mindful of others. On the other hand, if a person is educated in a number of disciplines, for example, Sociology, Anthropology, Literature, Theology, Philosophy, Mythology, and Archeology, he or she would have a significant prospect on what it entails to be civilized. These subjects concentrate on the understanding that dissimilar cultures have their sole ways of how a person is civilized. Also, every nation and subcultures within nations contain specified techniques of teaching and defining what it entails to be civilized. For instance, the novel technologies introduced in 1994 contained tremendous promise for interdisciplinary subjects and specifically for American studies.

Three Laws in One Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Three Laws in One Life - Essay Example Johannes is said to have been a rather sickly child, but was impossibly brilliant and excelled through his schooling, despite constant bullying and teasing by the other pupils. Somewhat of a loner, Johannes considered himself as an outsider, and tended to keep to himself during his childhood years. Kepler was introduced to mathematics and astrology at a young age, and began attending the University of Tbingen in 1587. There he concentrated solely on his studies, proving himself as a superb mathematician. He graduated from there in 1591 and went on pursuing various different studies, until April of 1594, when he was offered the position of teacher of mathematics and astronomy at the Protestant school in Graz, Austria - he immediately accepted. In April 1597, Kepler married Barbara Mller, and together they had three children: Susanna (1602), Friedrich (1604-1611), and Ludwig (1607-1663). It was in that same year in which he married that he published his first significant piece of work, The Cosmographic Mystery, in which he explained his argument on the relative distances of the planets from the Sun in the Copernican System. It was in this work which he defended the Copernican theory that the Sun, rather than the Earth, was at the center of the solar system. Although some had doubts, Kepler's opinions proved to be remarkably accurate. "Kepler was forced to leave his teaching post at Graz due to the Counter Reformation because he was Lutheran and moved to Prague to work with the renowned Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe." ("Kepler Mission," 2005). "Unlike Brahe, Kepler believed firmly in the Copernican system." ("Astronomy 161," n.d.). When Brahe died in 1601, Kepler was appointed as his successor and given the title of 'Imper ial Mathematician', the most esteemed appointment in mathematics in Europe. What are the Most Important Things Johannes Kepler Accomplished in his Lifetime It was at this point in his life when Kepler truly began his list of incredulous accomplishments. Within a span of only several years he published numerous works, including Astronomia Nova ("New Astronomy") in 1609, which contained his first two laws: one that planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun as one of the foci, and the other, that a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times. Following an opposite precept to other astronomers, Kepler brought an excitingly new view to things. "Kepler took an openly dynamic approach, introducing the physics into the heavens." ("The Galileo Project," 1995). In 1613 Kepler published a work on chronology and the year of Jesus' birth which demonstrated that in his opinion the Christian calendar was in error by five years, and that Jesus had actually been born in 4 BC - an opinion that is now universally shared. Between 1617 and 1621 Kepler published still more ingenious works, including Epitome Astronomiae Copernicanae ("Epitome of Copernican Astronomy"), which was the most instrumental introduction to heliocentric

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 13

Report - Essay Example However, this earned Qays the nickname Majnun, which refers to a mad man (Russell and Cohn 16). In this regard, it can be argued that, in the society in which Qays and Layla came from, public display of affection or love was considered as madness, and as such, people who were deeply in love would not marry those they love, since, being considered mad would mean their marriage would be scandalous. For instance, Layla father refused to allow Majnun or Qays Layla’s hand in marriage, arguing that, such a marriage would only result in a scandal and that it would not be okay for his daughter Layla, to be married to a madman (Russell and Cohn 23). In this regard, it is clear that love was not considered as a requirement or foundation for marriage. Despite Layla being in love with Majnun, her father forced her to marry another person she did not love. This story of Layla and Majnun also depicts love as a very strong bond between two persons that if broken, is very devastating. Because Majnun loved Layla so much, failing to get her hand in marriage devastated Majnun to the extent that he was overcome with too much grief that he disappeared into the wilderness, abandoning his family, his home to lead a life of solitude that was miserable. Additionally, the story of Majnun and Layla depicts love as a feeling of emotion that lasts forever and binds people together, forever. Even though she was married to another person, both Majnun and Layla hoped that one day would be together. When Layla’s husband died, she thought that she would at last be with the one she loves, but the demands of tradition denied her this opportunity, and as a result of heartbreak and devastation, she gave up and died. On hearing of the death of Layla, the one he deeply and truly loved, Majnun travelled to the place where his beloved Layla had been buried; he cried, wept and wept in devastation and also gave up as a

Research into the reality of having a True Distributed Computer System Essay

Research into the reality of having a True Distributed Computer System - Essay Example A distributed computer system is a set of organized independent computers (also known as terminals) that comes into view to its users like a single logical system. Distributed computer system offers a well-organized means to deal with fault-tolerance as well as proficiently share system resources like that memory units, processing fundamentals, data files, plus various resources. An effective and successful implementation of a distributed program typically necessitates one or more of the data and communication resources that exist on numerous terminals located at distant places of the Distributed computer system (Xing & Shrestha, 2006). This paper presents a detailed analysis of some of the main aspects of the reality of having a true Distributed Computer System. In this scenario this paper will assess some of the main aspects of the development of true Distributed Computing Environment which can offer appropriate co-operating subsystems. The main and core objective of this research is to assess important factors on which the development and establishment of a true distributed computer system is presently feasible and based upon these available systems and technologies. The effective implementation of numerous computer systems will need attention collectively to the structure of physical design in addition to the selection and accomplishment of an appropriate system’s setting in that to build and run system applications. A systems arrangement is foundational upon the domain structure. The domain structure limits the allocations as well as exchanging of data items. This feature eases the major problem in the application of a capability technique to uphold domains in a structure without combined memory that is a main stand of potentials to be required. It as well formulates the organization of the non shared items similar as they are able to be required simply at one computer at a time. Necessary sharing is as well managed

INDUSTRY AND EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS Assignment

INDUSTRY AND EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS - Assignment Example Competitive pricing strategy is an example of the effect of intensive industry rivalry. UK retail industry has been selected for this assignment. UK retail industry is quite complex and saturated. The major players within this industry are trying to back or support the purchasing power of people in order to achieve potential competitive advantages and significant market share. Hike in fuel price, troubled housing and mortgage market influenced the retail industry in UK to change the overall business strategy. The organizations within the industry are trying to provide discounted budget and value-added commodities to the people. Several interesting aspects behind the topic motivated to conduct a research work (Ellis-Chadwick, Doherty and Hart, 2002, pp.9-11). This assignment will reveal some interesting facts that will enhance the knowledge about global business environment and impact of external environment factors on it. ... The leading organizations within the similar industry are trying to capitalize on the potential competitive advantages that have been developed due to several favorable external environment factors. It is known to all that globalization, implementation of advanced technology, favorable economic and political business environment are the major growth drivers of several global industries. The assignment will try to reveal the impact of several external environment factors on the business performance of a specific industry. It will discuss about the current profitability situation of the industry and the major factors behind this profitability. Moreover, the assignment will try to discuss about the impact of these factors in future business perspective of that particular industry. UK retail industry has been selected for this assignment. Several leading organizations, such as Tesco, ASDA, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s are competing with each other within this potential growin g industry. These organizations are implementing several competitive strategies in order to secure their existing market share within the UK retail industry (Lewis and Thomas, 1990, p.22). It is true that several industrial and external environmental factors are controlling the business growth of this industry. Political situation, economic growth, technological revolution and social trend are deciding the growth of current UK retail industry. Several theories have been applied in order to meet the objective of the study. The study will analyze the impact of these factors on the business performance of Tesco. In addition, the study will design the future effect of these factors on the organization. Methodology A proper and effective research is

Social progress Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social progress - Assignment Example Green (2014), explains the relationship between social progress and GDP of a country. The social progress status of a country, according to Green (2014), is independent of its GDP level. In most countries, however, a high social progress status is dependent on high GDP. When a country’s levels of income rises, social progress that emerges from economic development end up getting exhausted (Porter & Stern, 2014). Several social and environmental challenges result from a country’s economic growth. Fast-growing economies that disregard social progress concerns show success and improved GDP. A high social progress status, therefore, does not necessarily mean improvement in GDP. For instance, nations such as Chad show low social progress index but have comparatively high GDP. It is justified that social improvements result from many myopic reforms that cause the GDP-Social Progress cohesion (Grzesiak et al., 2014). The cohesion ensures that a rise in GDP influences positive changes in social progress index of a particular economy. Deloitte imperative is a strategy that focuses on addresses fundamental economic issues such as incorporating social progress in economic growth (Talbot, 2014). It emphasizes the need for governments to visualize beyond the boundaries of micro-economic levels in supporting social progress. Social progress is imperative in evaluating business because it relates to the per capita income. Business success in a region depends on consumers’ purchasing power. Social progress, therefore, is a vital component to consider when evaluating a business. Social entrepreneurial behavior is fundamental to driving social progress in any economy (Skoll & Osberg, 2013). It is important because social entrepreneurs get motivated through opportunities they identify and vision they pursue. Green, M. (November 11, 2014) What the Social Progress Index can reveal about your country. TED Talk.

Advanced Managerial Accounting Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Advanced Managerial Accounting Report - Essay Example Both articles illustrate the advantages associated with using target costing. The project phases of the M-Class project were concept phase, risk and opportunities, project realization, goal oriented, and production phase. At Mercedes Benz the usage of target costing was first brought to the company by the engineering staff, not the accountants. A company that was mentioned in article 8.1 was Olympus. This company made the change from cost targets to target costing. At Mercedes Benz target costing was a logical choice because the company was designing the product from scratch and at the same time it was introducing a new production facility. To be successful with target costing companies have to consider a variety of factors including price led costing, customer orientation, focus on product and process design, cross functional teams, life cycle cost reductions, and value chain

Personal responsibility Essay Example for Free

Personal responsibility Essay If one cannot rely on himself, then others cannot rely on him. At some time in one’s life there will be someone who depends on them for something. If this person doesn’t have their self-figured out then how will they figure out how to take care of that person’s needs? You are the only one that can take control of your life and to rely on someone else to do it for you is hurting yourself and those around you. Personal responsibility is a necessity in life and also helps the community as a whole become more efficient. I was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 2012 and transitioning from the Military to the civilian life style with a pregnant wife was one of the most challenging periods of my life. Instead of taking a break from working and living at home with my mom and collecting unemployment benefits, I had personal responsibility to get up and find a job after getting out to do what it takes to take care of my family. After working full time for a year we were barely making it, living pay check to paycheck. During this time I was consistently looking for new job opportunities. I didn’t blame anyone for my poor situation but myself and realized if I didn’t do anything I would be stuck here for the rest of my life. I just recently moved to San Diego County, receiving better pay and benefits to support my family’s needs. While my current job is paying the bills and we are living comfortably, I start to look into the future. My son will grow up, and he will have more complex and expensive needs like School field trips, sports uniforms, and college Tuition. So I decided to go to school to advance my career in the IT industry. By the time I graduate with my bachelor’s degree, I will have 10 years of IT experience with certifications in specific fields. This goal will allow me to reach my financial goal before reaching the age of 30 and way before my son is ready for college. Getting a degree isn’t just a matter of going to school and graduating, there is work that is required to get the grades to pass and keeping a High GPA. That will take dedication to project groups, taking the time to do the reading, and write the essay. If you take the initiative to do more than just pass your class, it will reflect on your professional career. In conclusion, there are many things that come into play when it comes to personal responsibility. For me it was the fear of failure, the positive stress I instilled in myself to be motivated to excel my professional career for the sake of my family. In order to take care of others, first you must take care of yourself.

Digital Music Case Study Media Essay

Digital Music Case Study Media Essay The industry condition that led to the revolution in audio distribution was the transformation of music from conventional songs and albums to new digitally recorded formats. The MP3 format not only provided the means to store more songs in a given media by reducing the size of each song but it also enabled digital music players to play these songs with relatively high levels of clarity. The new format also enabled the songs to be downloaded and played on personal computers. Another aspect of the revolution in digital music was the ability of the software to convert existing CDs to the new MP3 format. On a broader scale, the industry condition witnessed the advent of media sharing applications which enabled the users to freely share as well as distribute songs in MP3 format with users who possessed the same file sharing application. Napster was the most popular among such media file sharing applications (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). The stakeholder who would be benefitted the most from this digital revolution would be the consumers of the music, especially those who have a personal computer as well as an access to the internet. With the increased feasibility of sharing media files in the new MP3 format had increased the possibility of users with respect to the acquisition of freely available media files (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). Question 2: Why did the music stores created by the record labels fail to attract many subscribers? What, if anything, should the record labels have done differently? Answer: The music stores created by the record labels fail to attract many subscribers due to their utilization of proprietary file formats. These file formats meant that the songs would have limited playability in terms of the music playing devices. It also drastically limited the digital rights management schemes and this was further subjected to limited offering of media selection. However the unrestricted peer to peer services such as Napster, Gnutella and Kaazaa provided a large selection of free media in the new format which did not incur costs that were commonly incident on media obtained from authorized stores. It is this feature of the unrestricted media sharing applications which led to the music stores created by record labels being rendered as ineffective (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). The record labels should have at least considered the option of changing the format of their offered media to MP3 format in keeping with the current environmental trends and consumer preferences. This would have enabled the record labels to manage the competition by free sharing apps to some extent by providing the popular media format to the consumers (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). Question 3: What will determine how long the success of the iPod and iTunes endures? Should Apple allow its iPods to play non-iTunes songs? Should Apple allow iTunes songs to play on non-iPod MP3 players? Answer: The factors which would determine the longevity of the success of the iPod and iTunes pertain fundamentally to the appeal of the product / service offerings of Apple. One of the main factors is the coolness of the products which has been successful in appealing to the younger faction of the target segment. Adequate emphasis also needs to be maintained on the smart strategies adopted by Apple which has been instrumental in developing strong relationships with the record labels. These record labels had accurately identified the cool factor of Apples products and were able to foresee viable prospects if an association were to be established with it. Other factors which would contribute to the determination of the longevity of the success of the iPod and iTunes would relate to the use of widely adopted and popular media formats, competitive pricing of the media products (purchase as well as downloads) and the possibility of licensing agreements with the record labels by means of which a comprehensive solution could be provided wherein a one-stop music shopping portal would be offered to the consumers (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). Apple currently permits the playing of non-iTunes songs on its iPod. The restriction in this regard is experienced when the users burn music to blank CDs. In this case the non iTunes songs would not be written on the storage media due to restrictions imposed by Apple with respect to non-iTunes songs. Apple should permit iTunes songs to be played on non iTunes compatible MP3 devices. Currently the imposition of this decision would not hold much relevance as Apple has already achieved 73% of the MP3 players market share due to the relaxation in the restrictions which were imposed on the playability of the media formats (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). Question 4: Why would musicians sign away their copyright privileges to their songs through Creative Commons? Answer: Musicians sign away their copyright privileges to their songs through Creative Commons due to the varying degrees of openness which would have an impact on the extent of sharing of media undertaken by the consumers. This degree of openness has been deemed as highly successful for the file sharing applications and the same could be utilized by the musicians for promoting that their music was ready and available for downloading. A significant aspect of this approach is that musicians have been enabled to promote their music for downloading without bearing any risk of infringement lawsuits that would otherwise have been imposed by record labels in such situations (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ). Question 5: How is podcasting likely to impact the appropriability of recorded music, radio broadcasting, or other types of audio transmissions? Answer: Podcasts are likely to impact the appropriability of recorded music, broadcasting and other types of audio transmission in terms of the creation rights of such media. Users can freely create and develop the podcasts and share the same with users on the internet. The boundaries of recording have been removed with the possibility of sharing free MP3 media on the net without the presence of restrictions and barriers. The musicians who utilize this method do not approach music labels for obtaining the legal rights to their compositions. Users of such applications have no labels but they are able to generate the require popularity levels in the public. This would directly result in the incurrence of heavy loss to the record labels and would in fact pose a threat to the already existing music productions which have been developed by them. The trend in this regard has already commenced though in its infancy stages, and has gained popularity especially with music bands. An apt example of thi s the initiatives of the famous rock band, Motorhead which had released its new album with download permission being provided to the users. Some of the features of their offering were: The songs were provided in the currently popular MP3 format and this was beneficial for appealing to the consumers preferences. Moreover the standard pricing for albums ($.99 a song) was not imposed on the songs. The band had provisioned that the consumers would be permitted to pay whatever amount that they felt to be nominal in their opinion. The band had not used any record label for distributing this release, but still they managed to get the required reach as desired for their songs. The above features exhibit the manner in which podcasting has affected and will continue to influence the appropriability of recorded music, broadcasting and other types of audio transmission (Protecting Innovation: The Digitial Music Distribution Revolution ).

History And Structure Of English English Language Essay

History And Structure Of English English Language Essay The intriguing question, whether language and culture have something to do with each other was the propellant behind this research. Defining language as a exclusively human entity for communication using sophisticated variables and culture as the know-how required for smooth subsistence in a society, the Sapir-Whorf Hypotheses has been studied with evidence collected from my Mother tongue [Malayalam] in relation to English. Doctrines of linguistic relativism [language does not impose but influences thought process i.e. language predisposes the mindset towards a specific world reality] and linguistic determinism [language determines the categories of thought i.e. perception is at the mercy of language] have been captured with citations from literary texts of renowned linguists and have been subjected to the penetrating light of analysis with the evidence collected in terms of categories of language like gender, religion, time etc. The research has led to conclusions which support the theses at its weaker level and establish the one to one relation existing between the two subjects in question. The concerns of translation have been addressed briefly along with posing the debate of deterministic approachs viability to the readers discretion. Accepting the influence of language and culture to great extent, the paper tries to show how perception shapes up under the two with research proof and theories supporting the same in background. Key Terms Language Culture Sapir-Whorf Hypotheses Linguistic Relativism Linguistic Determinism Translation Categories 1. Introduction Language, unique to mankind, which is the method of relaying thoughts by the use of signs, can be analyzed in wake of its connection to culture which is itself a diverse entity constituting knowledge, traditions, values, art, rituals and much more that are provided by the historical, environmental and psychological dimensions of human exposure which a person acquires as being part of the society. There seems to be a one to one correspondence between sounds, words and sentences in a specific language and the manner in which the user of that language perceives the world around him/her. A well acknowledged hypothesis is to treat language as a free channel for the relay of ideas as it does not obstruct transparent ideas from being transmitted. Structuralists considered language as sound entwined with systematic thought as language less thought was similar to uncharted nebula. There exists no distinction nor an idea before language was conceived. But this has been challenged later by ling uists, who have defined language as comprising a kind of logic or type of reference which is the key in shaping the speech communitys ideas. The diversity in vocabulary of two languages can be linked to the diverse ideas and opinions presented in the two languages .While considering culture in a larger horizon it are imperative to think what it inculcates. So culture therefore can be treated as what an individual should know as to perform effectively in the social structure of a society and that the result of this involvement in different aspects doesnt in any way have something to do with biological characterization. Illustrating the bond between language and culture can be done easily by reflecting upon the Sapir-Whorf Hypotheses (1921) which have two doctrines, linguistic relativism and linguistic determinism. The weaker version of the notion, the idea of linguistic relativism, proposes that there exist infinite possibilities with regard to the framework of human languages. Langu age, it says in no way forces realty. The grammatical items of a language do not decide a communitys world perception but plays a major part in the mindset of the speaker to a specific perception. Whereas, linguistic determinism intends to say that language determines how we conceive ideas and our intellectual psyche .Sensory inputs and the diasporas of worldly perceptions one gathers depends on the differences and categories engraved within a language and the speaker realizes the universe around as demarcated by the mother tongue. These hypothesiss present clearly how culture emerges as a roadblock in front of a translator while trying to reconstruct a piece of literature well cushioned in the cultural heritage of the area. The levels to which the idea can be recaptured remains questioned as every piece of literature is well immersed in its social and historic variables of the culture concerned and also have to let go of the native base and try to pitch itself in new regions with d ifferent social norms. When one plans to translate, the matrix of the text, the matrix of the society out of which the article has emerged and the social matrix in which Meta article will be developed has to be considered. The rituals and norms in a region will differ from those of other parts and language is the manifestation of these different cultures. In specific situations words tend to deliver a good deal of ideas but certain visuals rarely have their counterparts in other languages. 2 Literature Review 2.1 An introduction to Sociolinguistics-Ronald Wardaugh Goodenoughs (1957,p 167) defines culture as: A society culture consists of whatever it is one has to know or believe in order to operate in a manner acceptable to its members, and to do so in any role that they accept for any one of themselves. One long standing claim concerning the relationship between language and culture is that the structure of a language determines the way in which speakers of that language view the world. A somewhat weaker version is that the structure does not determine the world view but is still extremely influential in predisposing speakers of a language toward adopting a particular world view. The opposite claim is that the culture of a people finds reflection in the language they employ: because they value certain things and do them in a certain way, they come to use their language in ways that reflect what they value and what they do. In this view, cultural requirements do not determine the structure of a language but they certainly influence how a langu age is used and perhaps determine why specific bits and pieces are the way they are. If speakers of one language have certain words to describe things and speakers of another language lack similar words, then speakers the first language will find it easier to talk about these things. A stronger claim is that if one language makes distinctions that another does not make, then those who use the first language will more readily perceive the differences in their environment which such linguistic distinctions draw attention to .The strongest claim of all is that the grammatical categories available in a particular language not only help the users of that language to perceive the world in a certain way but also at the same time limit such perception. They act as blinkers, you perceive only what your language allows you or predispose you to perceive. Romaine (1999) states the position as follows: No particular language or way of speaking has a privileged view of the world as it really is T he world is not simply the way it is but what we make it through language .The domain of experience that are important to cultures get grammaticed into languagesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. [And] no two languages are sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality. Finally the claim that it would be impossible to describe certain things in a particular language because that language lacks the necessary resources is only partially valid at best. When one analysiss the ideas presented by Wardaugh its evident that the Sapir-Whorf Hypotheses remains still unproved. It seems that it is possible to speak about anything in a language given that the person is ready to use some amount of ambiguous or roundabout figures of speech. Still some concepts might be better expressed in some languages than the others. All languages gives its speakers a system for making any type of inference that they have to make of the world in addition to their own language which can talk about any other language. If this is the case, then language must be a highly sophisticated entity, one which lets its speakers to break through any perceptions that exist and to make is happen quite easily. 2.2 Language and the Mediation of Experience: Linguistic Representation and Cognitive Orientation-Michael Stubbs A famous formulation of this puzzle was made by Marx (1852), who radically unified the individual and the social: Human beings make their own history, but they do not make it of their own free will à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The tradition of all the dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the minds of the living. Saussurean structuralism leads almost inevitably to the view that the language system itself creates meaning. The most explicit source is work by Sapir (1884-1939) and Whorf (1897-1941). The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is often taken as the classic source of the view that the grammatical categories of language construct implicit theories of the world. Famous passages in Whorf (1956) include: We cut nature up, organize it into concepts, and ascribe significances as we do, largely because we are parties to an agreement to organize it in this way an agreement that holds throughout our speech community and is codified in the patterns of our language (p. 213). This is a claim about linguist ic relativity. But a view that languages embody conventions which codify thought slides easily into determinism: The agreement is, of course, an implicit and unstated one, but its terms are absolutely obligatory; we cannot talk at all except by subscribing to the organization and classification of data which the agreement decrees [pp. 213-14, emphasis in original] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the forms of a persons thoughts are controlled by inexorable laws of pattern of which he is unconscious. (p. 252)We dont speak a language, the language speaks us (Foucault, 1980; G. Williams,1992: 248-58).There are certainly areas of experience which are both abstract and differently grammaticaliced in different languages, for example, in systems of tense, aspect, mood and modality, and evidentiality. It is common for such meanings to be marked in the grammar as obligatory categories, but languages differ considerably in what can and must be encoded. There are many areas of human life of which we can have no direct experience at all, and where all our knowledge comes to us via language. It is therefore plausible that language influences thought, for most of us, at least some of the time. Nelson (1991) points out that a great deal of our knowledge of the world is acquired through language, and that many cultural concepts which children acquire early do not exist independently of the ways in which we talk about them. The book says that much of the challenge posed by Whorf and others remains unsolved: it is especially tough to break free of these roundabouts of arguments where language is both root and proof. It speaks of many variants of the outlook that language and ideas are related. It believes it is reasonable that if the world is continually talked about in specific ways, then such behavior can influence thinking. Proposes that there does not exist is no credible proof that language determines thought in any absolute way. On the contrary, it says that all languages provide resources which are being continuously developed to express new thoughts. However, it has evidence that linguistic choices can make people reach baseless conclusions. And thinks it is highly probable that, if these resources are constantly exploited in regular codings, then behavior of language can lead to stereotyped thinking. 2.3 How does our language shape how we think-Lera Boroditsky For a long time, the idea that language might shape thought was considered at best non testable and more often simply wrong. From experiments, we have learned is that people who speak different languages do indeed think differently and that even flukes of grammar can profoundly affect how we see the world. Language is a uniquely human gift, central to our experience of being human. Language is so fundamental to our experience, so deeply a part of being human, that its hard to imagine life without it. Most questions of whether and how language shapes thought start with the simple observation that languages differ from one another. Clearly, languages require different things of their speakers. Certainly, speakers of different languages must attend to and encode strikingly different aspects of the world just so they can use their language properly. Scholars on the other side of the debate dont find the differences in how people talk convincing. All our linguistic utterances are sparse, encoding only a small part of the information we have available. Its possible that everyone thinks the same way, notices the same things, but just talks differently. Believers in cross-linguistic differences counter that everyone does not pay attention to the same things: if everyone did, one might think it would be easy to learn to speak other languages. Learning to speak new languages requires something more than just learning vocabulary: it requires paying attention to the right things in the world so that you have the correct information to include in what you say. The result is a profound difference in navigational ability and spatial knowledge between speakers of languages that rely primarily on absolute reference frames (like Kuuk Thaayorre) and languages that rely on relative reference frames (like English). What enables them in fact, forces them to do this is their language. Patterns in a language can indeed play a causal role in constructing how we think. In practical term s, it means that when youre learning a new language, youre not simply learning a new way of talking, you are also inadvertently learning a new way of thinking. Apparently even small flukes of grammar, like the seemingly arbitrary assignment of gender to a noun, can have an effect on peoples ideas of concrete objects in the world. Such quirks are pervasive in language; gender, for example, applies to all nouns, which means that it is affecting how people think about anything that can be designated by a noun. The article has talked about how languages form the system in which we think about space, time, colors, and objects. It also points to effects of language on how people read events, rationale about causality, maintain track of amount, comprehend matter, observe and experience sentiment, reason about other peoples minds, opt to take risks, and even the way they choose professions and spouses. Taking up the all arguments, the author shows that linguistic processes are pervasive in most elementary domains of thinking, involuntarily determining us from the nuts and bolts of cognition and observation to our loftiest conceptual ideas and chief life decisions. Language is vital to our understanding of being human, and the languages we speak deeply shape the method we imagine, the method we observe the world, the method we live our live. 3. Language and culture: Evidence from Mother Tongue 3.1 Proverbs Onam vanalaum, Unni piranalum, Koranu kumpilil thane kanji which translates as that even at the time of cultural festivities [here Onam, a cultural festival of the Malayalam speech community] and even when a child is born [here Unni, which is an endearment term used for boy, child or son] still a lower class/caste member will have to have his meager food [here kanji, which is rice without separating out the water after steaming] in a humble bowl [here kumpil, which is a bowl made by forming a cone out of a leaf].While a native speaker will be able to feel the pathetic condition of the lower class and how they stand oppressed in life, a English speaker will not perceive this the same way as he is unaware of the caste system, the cultural fervor associated with Onam and birth of a child and how kumpil is a marker of the poverty. Onamthinnu edak puttu kachavadam which is a phrase used when someone talks or does something irrelevant when he/she must be doing something else. The phrase translates as selling puttu [a local cuisine made by steaming ground rice layered with coconut] while the celebrations of Onam is in full swing. This phrase also illustrates how the people despise the materialistic attitude and want all to be part of cultural celebrations. An English speaker might be able to identify the concept he will not be able to associate as strongly as a native speaker with the idea as the ideas of harmony and friendship spread by Onam and how puttu is part of life in the area is known properly only to them 3.2 Folk songs Allayal thara venam, aduthorampalam venam, Alinu chernoru kulavum venam; Kulipanayi kulam venam, kulathil chenthamara vena, Kulichu chenakam pukan chandhanam venam. Puvayal manam venam, pumanayal gunam venam, Pumaninikalayal adakam venam; Nadayal nripan vena, arikil mantrimar venam, Nadinu gunamulla prajakal venam. This is a folk song widely popular throughout the Malayalam speech community. It translates as: If you have a banyan tree, you must have an enclosing structure for it, you must have a temple near the tree and a pond close to the tree. For bathing you must have a pond, in the pond there must be lotus plants and afterwards must have sandal at home to use soon after the bath. Flowers should have fragrance, a deer must be virtuous and the damsels must be disciplined. A state must have a king, also ministers to assist and citizens useful to the state. In an English setting one will just see this song as random cluster of ideas but in the linguistic area corresponding to Malayalam, people will surely have the vision of a country side with banyan trees and people sitting on the enclosing chatting, temple near the tree and the rituals, the temple pond with lotus plants and taking bath in it before going into the temple for religious ceremonies, radical concept of well nurtured women being di sciplined, beautiful like a flower and virtuous, of Mahabeli and his rule in the region when the king and his subordinates along with good natured people lived a happy existence and so on. 3.3 Rituals Auspicious time When the idea of conducting a ceremony or event like marriage, starting something new etc comes to the mind of an English speaker he thinks of the time or place with regard to when and where it is comfortable, affordable and so on. But when a Malayalam Speaker speaks of events his perceptions often lingers about the auspiciousness of the day, place and time. When a speaker says that the time for marriage is so and so it means that the time has been chosen in accordance with beliefs of the person concerned and has been authenticated by a priest or religious head. Lighting the lamp at night In the region home to Malayalam, many households practice the ritual of lighting the lamp at night and placing it in front of the main door. For an English speaker this would rather be to have light in the darkness. But to a native the idea of lighting of the lamp at night means to cast away all evil forces of the dark and also brings in the image of the elderly in the house reading scriptures. So the perception for a native will be rich in culture fervor unlike a foreigner. 3.4 Beliefs Lunar eclipse When an English speaker speaks of lunar eclipse, the idea of sun blocking off moon comes to ones mind and nothing more. But when a Malayalam speaker does the same the belief that the asura Rahu is eating up moon resulting in the eclipse is also in background. So the mythological stories will be playing in ones mind while talking about lunar eclipse in Malayalam whereas nothing of that sort exists for the English Speaker. Sacred grove When a native speaker says sacred grove i.e. kavu, the religious elements comes to mind along with the wilderness housing idols and esp. the idea that it houses snakes considered holy and worshipped. But the English speech community will never associate snakes with a sacred grove because their culture doesnt give snakes such status in religious context. Therefore they will perceive a sacred grove as a holy place of worship covered in wilderness and nothing more. 3.5 Religion Address terms When we consider an English speaker, his address term for father doesnt change with religion. But in Malayalam, the natives following different faiths have different terms for addressing their father. While a Hindu calls his father achan, a Christian calls him appan and a Muslim calls him uppa. So while an English Speaker does in no way convey his religion in speech, a Malayalam speakers way of addressing his father reveals his faith and thereby shapes another persons perception of him/her. Greetings or Blessings As English speech community consists of people of who believe in faiths prophesying monotheism they usually say may God bless you or in Gods name. But as Malayalam natives are chiefly of faith which acknowledge existence of Goddesses and polytheism, they have phrases like bhagavathi nine kathu kollum which translates as the Goddess will protect you which cannot be realized in its utmost sense by the English speaker. 3.6 Cultural Festivals Onam The festival of Onam is something is deeply encoded in the cultural fervor of the Malayalam speech community. While the English speaker might grasp the idea, history and rituals associated with the festival, the festivities will never be relished by him/her like a native who has vivid images of the tasty Onasadhya [the rich lunch on the festive day], of a festival transcending religious boundaries, of the fun while setting up the pookalam [a type of flower arrangement] and much more. Vishu The festival of Vishu celebrated among the Malayalam speakers brings about the images of kannikonna [a tree bearing yellow flowers], kanni [a ritual associated with Vishu], kayineetam [he ritual of giving gifts to the young members of the family by the elders at time of Vishu] and so on. Even if the English speaker tries to realize the idea of Vishu, he/she will still never be able to have the same approach to it as a native because he lacks the social attributes. 3.7 Abusive Language Reference to female genitals The Malayalam culture seems to have some kind of predisposition towards using abusive language with reference to female genitals. When a native abuses someone he/she tends to abuse him/her with abusive terms associated with his female relations genitals. When an English speaker abuses he doesnt tend to be inclined to this unlike a Malayalam speaker which shows that former doesnt think along the lines thought upon by the latter. Affinity to female relations English language does not discriminate among males and females a lot when concerned about abusive words. But Malayalam shows strong affinity for abusive words which pertain to female relations of the person concerned .Most of the taboo words often tend to pertain to females which shows how much language and culture are related and how much perception is influenced. 3.8 Colors The Malayalam language has 7 colors: chumala [red], manja [yellow], karup [black], vella [white], uutu [violet], neela [blue] and pacha [green]. It doesnt have terms for orange, indigo, grey etc which thereby limits their world view to some extent. As some colors of the rainbow are absent, one who speaks of it will talk about in as different shades of a color unlike an English speaker who will be able to separate and talk about each color. 3.9 Address Terms Unlike English speech community which doesnt have a culture which has a caste system, Malayalam has in place a society with prevalent caste norms which defines the reality to some extent. The address terms often used reflect these caste norms present like in nom and aen used by the upper caste and lower caste people respectively in the place of personal pronoun I. Similarly words like adiyan and thampran were used by the workers and subordinates to landlords and kings instead of I and you. 3.10 Kinship Terms While talking of kinship terms too Malayalam boasts of a large number of words to signify the relations unlike English which has very few words in this aspect. While English confines itself to terms generalized to signify both maternal and paternal relations and both elder and younger relations, Malayalam provides specific terms for the same. For example vallyamma/vallyachan refers to the wife of elder brother or husband of the elder sister of the father and cheriyamma/cheriyachan refers to the wife of younger brother or husband of the younger sister of the father. Also it has a lot of synonyms for signifying the same relation like veli, antherjanam, bharya all for the same word wife. Then some relations absent in English language are also present like the concept of muracherukan/murapennu [which speaks of the son and daughter of a brother and sister respectively being deemed to enter wedlock at time of birth by custom] 3.11 Gender Malayalam has no grammatical indication of gender and is similar to English in this. But the disposition towards the two genders is entirely different for a Malayalam speaker from an English speaker. In Malayalam Language, many words for prostitute exist like veshya, vebicharini etc but there seems no word for a male counterpart. Also the concept of Devi [ installing a chosen female of the community as the Goddess of the temple, restricting her worldly pleasures and the deity to authorize rituals] has no where a parallel idea which floats the thought of a male being subjected to the same measures. 3.12 Time Concepts 4 nimisham/mathra/kashta/noti = 1 ganitham 10 ganithams = 1 Neduveerpu 6 neduveerpu/ 240 mathra = 1 vinazhika 60 vinazhika = 1 nazhika 60 nazhika = 1 day (Each present day hour = 2.5 nazhika. Also 1 day has 864,000 nimisham/mathra and present day consists of 86,400 seconds which implies that 1 second = 10 nimisham/mathra) 15 days = 1 paksham 2 pakshams/ 30 days = 1 month 365 days = 1 human year/Deva day/Divya day Therefore we find a clear demarcation between how the Malayalam speech community has varied concepts regarding time inculcated by culture when considered along the lines of an English speaker. While an English speaker normally would talk of time with terms like seconds, minutes, hour etc, a Malayalam native will perceive time not the same way as units differ. Also while talking of time the Malayalam speech community will have differing perception of the external reality as they dissect time not the way done by an English speaker because unlike the latter who thinks of the day as 24 hours, the former considers the same as 60 nazhika which will make no sense what so ever when conveyed to the latter. 3.13 Art Forms Art forms have their say in perception and speech communitys language. While an English speaker will have just things as signs or symbols, a Malayalam native has words like aangyam and mudra where aangyam simply refers to various signs but mudra has a deeper connotation of bringing in a dancers poses or steps. Similarly various words associated with art forms specific to the culture in question like arangetam'[ first performance of an artist or of an event], padham [refers to the various parts of a dance performance esp. Margamkalli, a Christian dance form] and many more are exclusive to Malayalam speech community. 3.14 Profession In Malayalam language, terms for various professions are typically associated with a particular group, like a specific gender, class or faith. For example, koythukaran/koythukari [a farm hand] is someone who brings along the perception of lower class. A vayidyan [practitioner of traditional medicines] brings with term an image a male member of the society and never does a female cross ones mind when the image concerned is talked about. Also when one talks of kapiyar [assistant to the priests in church] the imagery being projected is of a Christian follower who carries out the basic duties in the religious ceremonies. 3.15 Cuisines The Malayalam Speech community boasts of a large variety of culture specific delicacies which in no way can be translated and grasped by an English native. Cuisines are deeply cushioned with cultural fervor may it be religion or occasion. Be it pathiri [ pancake made of rice flour] is a typical Muslim food item or pallukachal [ boiling of milk] which marks the beginning of a new life in a new house. 3.16 Dress Chattyum-mundum [a native attire of females among native Christians] illustrates how a particular reference to a type of dress has influence over the speakers reflection of reality. While an English speaker might identify the dress and who wear it he will not be able to grasp the various images of Rosary wielding old females and so on. Also mundum-neriyathum [a traditional attire of 2 mundus making a set, with one mundu worn similar to men as lower garment and the other worn on the upper half resembling a sari] identitys the person as a part of Hindu religion, most probably the higher class. 4. Language and culture: Research Findings from Mother Tongue Consider language  as an exclusively  human  ability for acquiring and using complex systems of  communication and culture as an integrated pattern of human knowledge, faith, and manners that depends upon the ability for representative notion and communal education. Although all observers may be confronted by the same physical evidence in the form of experiential data and although they may be capable of externally similar acts of observation, a persons picture of the universe or view of the world differs as a function of the particular language or languages that person knows. (Lee 1996, page 87) .When one takes into consideration the evidences gathered from Malayalam, [mother tongue/language] Sapir-Whorf hypothesis remains relevant though the strong variant fails to hold ground and the weaker doctrine dominates the argument. Linguistic determinism can no longer be thought as a strong claim as the examples cited as evidence clearly demarcate between the determining and influen cing effect on display between language and culture. The main problem of which among language and culture influences the other still remains debatable but an agreement upon the use of the term influence rather than determine has been reached or linguistic relativism has been recognised over the deterministic approach. The proof offered by the Mother tongue have illustrated how cultural fervour stands as an obstacle in the way of a translator who has to keep in mind the native culture, the resultant culture and idea originally conveyed all have to be kept in mind and given their due. The whole variety of examples taken from all aspects of language like Kinship terms, Proverbs, Folk songs, Religion, Time units and many more provide conclusive evidence regarding the two way relation of language and culture i.e. both are interdependent and one cannot be considered in isolation from another. The proof that anthropological studies and linguistics studies must go in hand in hand and the pe rception of world reality gets enriched in being multilingual is the straightforward answer of the research. How languages across the globe have similarities like being sexist, having culturally rich vocabulary etc are some of the notable results. The human e

Al :: Essays Papers

Al â€Å"Alphonse Capone was born on January 17,1899 in Brooklyn New York to Gabriele, who was thirty years old, and his pregnant twenty-seven-year-old wife Teresina, his two-year-old son Vincenzo and his infant son Raffaele (Bergreen 1996 p.7).† Capone grew up in a rough neighborhood by the time he was eleven he was in two gangs one was the kids gang the brooklime rippers and the forty thieves juniors. Capone quit school in sixth grade at the age fourteen. Between scams, he was a clerk at a candy store, a pin boy at the bowling alley and a cutter in a bookbindery; later on he became part of the notorious five points gang in Manhattan. Capone was once a bouncer at the Harvard Inn for Frankie Yale. Capone got the nickname scar face from an incident he had at the Inn where he insulted a female patron and was attacked by her brother. The attack left a scar on Capone’s face. Capone met an Irish girl in 1918 named Mara (Capone nicknamed her Mae) at a dance. On December 4th Mae gave birth to their son Albert â€Å"Sonny† Francis Capone, and on December 30th they married (Kobler 1992 p.20). The first time Capone was arrested he was charged with disorderly conduct and the murder of two men, Capone was never tried for the murders. Yale sent Capone to work with his old mentor John Torris, who was working for his uncle, â€Å"Big Jim† Colisimo. Colisimo was a Chicago crime boss. When Colisimo forbade Torris from running a bootleg racket, Torris decided to eliminate his uncle. Torris saw Capone’s potential and soon Capone was helping Torris manage his bootlegging business. By 1922 Capone was Torris’s right hand man and became a full partner in his businesses, which included saloons, gambling houses and brothels. Torris was shot by a rival gang member and decided to leave Chicago. Capone became a major crime boss, the men trusted Capone and he proved to be a better business man and expanded his business holdings and now controlled night clubs, horse tracks, breweries, brothels and gambling houses there were reports that said his income was $100,000,000 a year. He also got a cleaning and drying plant chain in Chicago. The mayor also known as big bill Hale Thompson Jr said that Capone was bad for his political image so he ran him out of Chicago (Tully 1958 p. Al :: Essays Papers Al â€Å"Alphonse Capone was born on January 17,1899 in Brooklyn New York to Gabriele, who was thirty years old, and his pregnant twenty-seven-year-old wife Teresina, his two-year-old son Vincenzo and his infant son Raffaele (Bergreen 1996 p.7).† Capone grew up in a rough neighborhood by the time he was eleven he was in two gangs one was the kids gang the brooklime rippers and the forty thieves juniors. Capone quit school in sixth grade at the age fourteen. Between scams, he was a clerk at a candy store, a pin boy at the bowling alley and a cutter in a bookbindery; later on he became part of the notorious five points gang in Manhattan. Capone was once a bouncer at the Harvard Inn for Frankie Yale. Capone got the nickname scar face from an incident he had at the Inn where he insulted a female patron and was attacked by her brother. The attack left a scar on Capone’s face. Capone met an Irish girl in 1918 named Mara (Capone nicknamed her Mae) at a dance. On December 4th Mae gave birth to their son Albert â€Å"Sonny† Francis Capone, and on December 30th they married (Kobler 1992 p.20). The first time Capone was arrested he was charged with disorderly conduct and the murder of two men, Capone was never tried for the murders. Yale sent Capone to work with his old mentor John Torris, who was working for his uncle, â€Å"Big Jim† Colisimo. Colisimo was a Chicago crime boss. When Colisimo forbade Torris from running a bootleg racket, Torris decided to eliminate his uncle. Torris saw Capone’s potential and soon Capone was helping Torris manage his bootlegging business. By 1922 Capone was Torris’s right hand man and became a full partner in his businesses, which included saloons, gambling houses and brothels. Torris was shot by a rival gang member and decided to leave Chicago. Capone became a major crime boss, the men trusted Capone and he proved to be a better business man and expanded his business holdings and now controlled night clubs, horse tracks, breweries, brothels and gambling houses there were reports that said his income was $100,000,000 a year. He also got a cleaning and drying plant chain in Chicago. The mayor also known as big bill Hale Thompson Jr said that Capone was bad for his political image so he ran him out of Chicago (Tully 1958 p.

Resturant Law Essay -- essays research papers

In the business world every business has its own set of laws and regulations to follow and adhere too. Some have very few laws and others have so many it is mind numbing but, each law is set up to protect every worker, customer or person associated with that business’s location. However, some of these laws are outdated or just plain unnecessary in today’s 21st century business environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The business that I chose to examine is the restaurant industry. I chose it because I have a great love for cooking and I hope to someday open my own restaurant. It made great sense to learn some of the laws now while still in school that could impact my future business endeavors. First I will review the laws and regulations pertinent to the restaurant business and then I will explain the impact of those laws on the restaurant business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first laws that I found were the laws from OSHA. OSHA contains many laws that are designed to create a safe workplace and keep workers out of situations that can be potentially harmful. Without OSHA many workplaces would be a lot more unsafe than they are now. OSHA reduced the number of work place injuries and deaths, making it one of the most important sets of laws to govern all business and especially the restaurant business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  OSHA calls for two different types of fire prevention equipment to be placed in all restaurants. First it calls for automatic sprinklers to be installed per OSHA standards. These standards are that they have a certain spraying pattern, densities, water flow that can cover the whole area that it is above. After meeting those specs the business then has to get the system to meet water supply standards. Basically the standard is that the system has a water supply that can flow for thirty minutes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next statute that must be met is the piping needs to be protected from freezing and corrosion from the surrounding environment. This assures that if a fire occurs the piping will be able to take the water pressure that is flowing through to the sprinkler system. Also it calls for the system to have a proper drainage system that allows the system to drop the water from the sprinkler system and then have it drain back into a reservoir. The final statute from OSHA 1910.159 is that the sprinklers be space... ...and not even paid in a way that allows them to live in a normal way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is only one change that I feel the Department of Labor should enact. That is a raise in the minimum wage. Many friends I have work so hard for their $5.25 and never really have much to show for it. If the minimum wage was raised many people who are working two part time jobs to make ends meet would have a better chance of making those ends meet. Not to mention raising minimum wage could spur the economy by placing more spending power into the hands of the demographics that tend to spend the most, the youth of America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this country we have seen the world of business change over and over. As the country has grown so has the need to keep our workers safe and happy. The laws I have discussed are meant to keep the restaurant industry a safe and happy place for the many people who work in them day in and day out. Without those laws the restaurant industry would not be a very healthy or safe place to frequent as much as American people do. So each of the laws are essential to making the industry profitable and safe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Cahill Essay -- essays research papers

The Gifts of the Jews Catholic author thanks Jews for Western values Review by April Witt for Miami Herald Published: Tuesday, April 14, 1998, If not for the Jews, no one would know to love justice, yearn for freedom, struggle for faith in one God or hope for a tomorrow better than today. Jews helped invent Western culture and without Jewish ideas and values there would be no civil rights movement, democracy or even history. That's the central, sweeping premise of The Gifts of the Jews, the latest book by Roman Catholic scholar and best-selling author Thomas Cahill. ''The Jews gave us the Outside and the Inside -- our outlook and our inner life,'' writes Cahill, who will be at Temple Judea in Coral Gables tonight to talk about the book. ''We can hardly get up in the morning or cross the street without being Jewish. We dream Jewish dreams and hope Jewish hopes. Most of our best words, in fact -- new, adventure, surprise; unique, individual, person, vocation; time, history, future; freedom, program, spirit; faith, hope, just -- are the gifts of the Jews.'' Cahill, 58, has his own gift: making history accessible, even compelling to a mass culture largely ignorant of its patrimony. His last book, How the Irish Saved Civilization, was a New York Times bestseller for more than a year and a half. The Gifts of the Jews, the second in a planned series, climbs onto the list next week. ''I tell history as a story and people love stories,'' Cahill said in ...

Tourism on Malacca

Tourism on Malacca, Malaysia TABLE OF CONTENT Page 1. 0 Executive Summary 2. 0 Situation Analysis 1 2. 1 Market Summary 2 2. 2 Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threat Analysis 3 2. 3 Competition 4 2. 4 Product Offerings 5 2. 5 Distribution 6 3. Marketing Strategy 7 3. 1 Objective 8 3. 2 Target Markets and Segmentation 9 3. 3 Positioning 10 3. 4 Marketing Mix 11 4. 0 Recommendation and Implementation 12 1. 0 Executive Summary 2. 0 Situation Analysis 2. 1 Market Summary This part is study about the SWOT analysis, competition, product offering and distribution. The SWOT analysis is divided into four parts which are strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threat. The strength of tourism in Malacca are World Heritage Tours, cultural diversity and multiculturalism, transportation, accommodation, entertainment places and weather. The weaknesses of tourism in Malacca are poor transportation system and poor road infrastructure. The opportunities are Malacca International Airport, improved road infrastructure, new market and transportation system. The threats are environmental degradation, regional safety, Bangkok from Thailand, and Bali from Indonesia. The next is about some competitions between Malaysia and other countries. From this study we made the comparison of tourism between Malaysia and other countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. Each of them has their own culture and own benefits to the tourists as well. After that, there is the product offering which the tourism in Malacca can offered to the tourists. It briefly explains what type of tourism services can be offered by tourism Malacca compared to others. The last is about the distribution. It showed the distribution channel that tourism Malacca used towards the tourists as the customer to visit Malacca. 2. 2 Strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threat analysis Strength †¢ World Heritage Tours Malacca was listed as a World Heritage Tours on 7 July 2008. There are some historical places such as St Paul’s Hill, A Famosa and Dutch Square. These historical places had become the main of the tourist attraction. The tourists can enjoy the Malacca’s traditional Chinatown house that exhibits Peranakan Architecture at Jonker Walk. †¢ Cultural diversity and multiculturalism Melaka is home to an eclectic mix of cultures and historic architecture that continually entice tourists into the region. It offers visitors a rich array of events and festivals throughout the year that highlight its unique cultural identity and history. Melaka consists of variety of culinary treats. Fresh seafood is prepared with Malay and Indian spices, along with a touch of European flair that has outlived its benefactors. Peranakan dishes, a result of Chinese immigrants assimilating into the local demographic, feature Chinese noodles and a long list of sundry spices. †¢ Transportation Melaka Sentral is the main transportation hub of buses services and taxi services in Malacca. It is easier for tourists travel all the historical places by using pubic bus or taxi. The price of taxi services from Melaka Sentral to A Famosa is around 15 to 20 ringgit which is affordable. The tourists also can take trishaw as the tool of transportation to visit all the tourist attraction. †¢ Accommodation There are more than hundreds of hotels, resorts and budget hostel located within the centre of the town. These leisure establishments and hospitable resting easily accommodate the tourists every year. The tourists can find their own accommodation based on their budget. There are some hotels provide a good facilities such as swimming pools, sport facilities, bars and restaurants. So, they may carry these indoor activities if they choose to stay at hotel. †¢ Entertainment places There is a lot of entertainment places located around the Malacca. Shopping centre is one of the places that tourists may choose to go. Mahkota Parade and Pahlawan are the two main shopping centres in the Malacca. There will be some sale seasons in the whole year. The tourists can use the lowest price to buy the souvenirs or cloths during this period. Bars is another entertainment places that tourist choose for relaxing. From there, the tourists can able to adopt local culture and enjoy local foods. †¢ Weather The stable weather patterns in Malacca make any time of year a good time to visit. Melaka is situated within three degrees latitude of the equator. The degree is between 25oC – 33oC. The weather patterns in Melaka aren't extreme. Weaknesses †¢ Poor transportation system Malacca has a really poor public transportation system that the public transports systems are not standardized. Most of the taxis in Malacca don't have a metered system and their charges are random and dependent upon the driver and passenger. A 1. 6-km monorail system was opened with much fanfare in October 2010, but it was plagued with problems and promptly taken out of service. As of December 2010, the monorail is not operational and its planned extension is in doubt. †¢ Poor road infrastructure The streets in the older/historical part of the city are very narrow, so they quickly become clogged during peak hours. This is especially so during the weekends, when cars from other parts of Malaysia and from Singapore flood to the city. Finding a car park lot is also extremely difficult during weekends. Most of the roads are also one-way, so plan your route properly. Opportunites †¢ Malacca International Airport The RM190 million airports, which has a new terminal capable of handling 1. 5 million passengers a year, is targeted to be an airport hub for health tourism. There are more air plane from Airasia and and Firely are expected to fly directly into Malacca. Provided the airlines service which could boost the Malacca tourism market. Moreover, it also more job opportunities for the local citizens and improve the lifestyle. Improve road infrastructure Due to traffic jam especially during the festival season period. There are a lot of cars travels from different places. The limited parking is the main issue will happen on this period. So, a proper infrastructure of road should be implemented. A more parking lot should be make and enlarge the road size should also be implemented. The road constructed should rene w or repair any road which is damage or harmful to the drivers. †¢ New market Malacca located at the southern region of the  Malay Peninsula. It is close proximity to Asian Neighbours such as Singapore and Indonesia. It’s an opportunity for Malacca open a new market at the Strait of Malacca. It’s a strategy location for investor open a new business at there. Open a resort will attract more tourists come to Malacca and create more job opportunity. †¢ Transportation system Malacca Monorial had opened to the public on 21 October 2010. But, the monorial is no longer operational since after a series similar problems happened. It is benefit to the passengers if the monorial is able to operate. By using monorial, the passengers are able saving their time and it’s easy for tourists visit all the tourist attraction. Threats Environmental degradation Today, the increase of shipping activities along the shipping lane and the rapid development in the coastal areas threaten the ecologically fragile environment of high bio-diversity bordering the Straits. Different types of pollutants from industries, agriculture, and land-use activities and domestic wastes are discharged into the Str aits. Along the coast, sand mining, development in mangrove swamps and land reclamation have degraded the habitat for marine life. The economic and ecological losses would rapidly create enormous costs and unforeseeable downstream effects †¢ Regional safety The number of foreign workers keeps increase in the Malacca due to manufacturing and agricultures sectors. It has become a serious problem as all kinds of social and security problems are cropping up. It may affect the image of Malacca and create an anxious toward the foreign tourists. †¢ Bangkok, Thailand It is the capital city of Thailand. This city is famous and appreciated by tourist for its versatility and multiple points of interests. It is one of the largest shopping centers and the largest outdoor market in Asia. Besides the shopping, Bangkok has developed into a magnet for food lovers of all origins. With the Skytrain or underground train service provided, it brings a lot of benefit to the passengers and tourists. †¢ Bali, Indonesia Bali is one of the thousands of islands that together constitute the Republic of Indonesia. It has become a primary destination for tourist from all over the world. Balinese cultures with its Hindu religious ceremonies and rituals are one of the chief attractions of Bali. Bedugul Botanical Gargen which showcases almost 2000 different species of plants and 320 varieties of orchids. Warungs or Roadside cafes serve up the best food to all the visitors. . 3 Competition The Definition of Tourism As the global population ages and travelling becomes cheaper and quicker than it is today and tourism will continue to be a cornerstone of the global economy. The increased emphasis on sustainability and lifestyle decisions will also heavily influence tourism and the way it is marketed in the future. (Tsiotsou & Ratten, 2010). Consumer behavior is a dynamic an d eclectic field of tourism marketing (Mattila, 2004). Global consumption of tourism means that there are many different aspects of the environment people are influenced by. Consumption patterns are changing globally as more people become classified as middle-class in developing countries such as China and India and can afford more time to travel. More people worldwide can afford to stay in hotels but the geographic origin of these consumers is changing. The changing nature of the global hotel industry means that future research should discuss in more depth how consumers’ decision marketing processes are changing (Louviers et al. , 2003). As consumers are aging this will create changing demands in what services and facilities are offered to tourists. More research is required on the mature consumer and how tourist resorts will be affected by these changes. For example, Moschis et al. (2003) highlighted that more research is required on how mature consumers respond to monetary incentives. Kim and Geistfeld (2003) also found that the demand for full service restaurants will increase because of the aging population and stressed the importance of further research focusing on this demographic segment of the population. Another research avenue for consumer behavior studies in tourism marketing is to further analyze the cross-cultural differences of the global travel market. Mueller et al. (2003) found that Irish and American consumers have a different perception of service encounters. (Tsiotsou & Ratten, 2010). According to Mohamed (n. d. ), culture in tourism is an important issue. The relationship between tourism and culture can take many forms and the outcome can be viewed as negative and positive when meeting of hosts and visitors occurs and possibly leads to the transformation of the hosts’ culture. The destruction of local culture as a result of tourism is well documented. Like its Asean neighbors, Malaysia too regards tourism as a very important sector that brings the much-needed foreign exchange, new jobs and businesses. Heritage tourism, classified as a subclass of cultural tourism by the World Tourism Organization, has been identified and spelt out in the new Tourism Policy by the Tourism Ministry as one of the new niche products to be developed extensively for the next ten years. Paralleled with the growing interest in heritage tourism and the global influx of the alternative tourists, tourist arrivals in the Malaysian heritage cities, especially Penang and Malacca, have improved over the years. Despite this, the real potential of culture and heritage as tourism resources is not fully realized. They are not well attended and only started to be appreciated. Malaysia is experiencing a tremendous pace of tourism development. Tourism sector has been recognized by Malaysian government as a major source of revenue and catalyst to the Malaysian economic renaissance. Tourist arrivals to Malaysia for the last ten years have shown a significant rise. In the year 2004, this country attracted 15. 7 million foreign tourists generating around RM29. 7 billion into the company. Major tourist market for Malaysia has been the neighboring ASEAN nations especially Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei. Other main traditional foreign markets include China, Japan, Taiwan and India. Coupled with the growth in tourism is a booming interest in the ‘new tourism’. Cultural tourism has emerged as a potential form of alternative tourism among both international tourists as well as Malaysian domestic travelers. Cultural tourism in Malaysia attracted great publicities with the increase in the number of incoming tourists annually. Malaysia has marvelous cultural tourism resources that are readily available to be explored such as the existence of multi-cultural, historical buildings, colorful lifestyles and friendly atmosphere. In Malaysia, heritage and culture has also been identified as new niche products to be developed extensively in tourism development. Cultural vibrancy is clearly manifested in the ongoing and successful â€Å"Malaysia: Truly Asia† promotional drive by the country’s promotion arm, Tourism Malaysia. In this promotion, Malaysia boasts to host a wide variety of Asian ethnic groups that making it into a little Asia. Malaysia also has distinctive multicultural architectural heritage with strong Islamic, Chinese and Western influences; all of which have been portrayed in the heritage buildings. The management of culture and heritage in Malaysia was put under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, established on the 20th of May 1987, combining Department of Culture from the Ministry of Culture, Youths and Sports with the Malaysian Tourism Development Corporation from the Ministry of Trade and Industries. On 22nd October 1992, the ministry was renamed into Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism. This ministry was later divided in Mac 2004, into two ministries, namely the Tourism Ministry and Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage. This separation is seen as recognition of tourism as a potential number one sector of the country and a move to appreciate the value of heritage of the country. Agencies under this ministry are the National Archives, the National Art and Gallery, the Department of Museum and Antiquities, Malaysian Handicrafts (Kraftangan Malaysia), the National Film Development Corporation (Finas), the National Art Academy, the National Library and the Istana Budaya (the Culture Palace). Despite the move to strengthen the ministries, the separation of the cultural elements from the Tourism Ministry can give impacts on the direction of ‘cultural and heritage tourism’, leaving this niche area as a no-man’s land! Tourism in Singapore The management of tourism in Singapore has undergone various changes over the decades. The adoption of different policies and strategies aimed at promoting and championing tourism in Singapore has been subject to socio-economic changes on the local and global fronts. A deeper understanding of the issues pertaining to tourism development in Singapore necessitates a review of the â€Å"background† of these challenges as they relate to particular social, economic and political conditions of Singapore. Tourism management in Singapore has sought to be adaptable to the changes in the wider socio-economic environment. Tourism policies and strategies have thus largely corresponded to global forces influencing trends in tourism and economic development, as well as responded to local factors such as changing social conditions in the city-state. Yeo et al, n. d. ). As stated in Wikipedia, tourism in Singapore is a major industry and contributor to the Singaporean economy, attracting 11,638,663 tourists in 2010, over twice Singapore's total population. Its cultural attraction can be attributed to its cultural diversity that reflects its colonial history and Chinese, Malay, Indian and Arab ethnicities. It is also environmentally friendly, and maintains natural and heritage conservation programs. Along with this, it also has one of the world's lowest crime rates. As English is the dominant one of its four official languages, it is generally easier for tourists to understand when speaking to the local population of the country, for example, when shopping. Transport in Singapore exhaustively covers most, if not all public venues in Singapore, which increases convenience for tourists. This includes the well-known Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system. The Orchard Road district, which is dominated by multi-story shopping centres and hotels, can be considered the center of tourism in Singapore. Other popular tourist attractions include the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, which allows people to explore Asian, African and American habitats at night without any visible barriers between guests and the wild animals. The Singapore Zoo has embraced the ‘open zoo' concept whereby animals are kept in enclosures, separated from visitors by hidden dry or wet moats, instead of caging the animals. Jurong Bird Park is another zoological garden centred around birds, which is dedicated towards exposing the public to as uch species and varieties of birds from around the world as possible, including a flock of one thousand flamingos. Besides, the tourist island of Sentosa, which attracts more than 5 million visitors a year, is located in the south of Singapore, consists of about 20-30 landmarks, such as Fort Siloso, which was built as a fortress to defend against the Japanese during World War II. Guns from the World War II era can be seen at Fort Siloso, from a mini-sized to a 16 pound (7  kg) gun. Moreover, the island has built the Tiger Sky Tower, which allows visitors to view the whole of Sentosa, as well as the Sentosa Luge, a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleighs supine and feet-first. Steering is done by shifting the weight or pulling straps attached to the sled's runners. Singapore has two integrated resorts which house casinos, namely Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. Tourism in Thailand Thailand is neighbourhood of Malaysia; in another saying it’s Malaysia’s competitors too. Thailand country is most famous for its architecture of the oldest temple such as Bang Pa-in, Ayutthaya, Wat Phra Sisanphet, Ayutthaya and etc. Whereas the most popular place which are attraction for tourist are Kanchanaburi which is a good place for nature lovers, Pattaya beach which is just two hours drives from Bangkok, Doi Tung Royal Villa, Sukhoithai, Ko Nang Yuan,Surat Thani,Phuket and etc. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) board has used â€Å"Amazing Thailand† as their theme, while the new tagline is â€Å"Always Amazes You† which is to reinforce the many aspects of â€Å"Thainess†. They were gave more strength on many traditional aspects. The TAT’s marketing campaigns for 2011 will be highly visible worldwide through traditional promotional channels including TV commercials and vignettes, print advertisement. Moreover there also be an increased use of celebrity ads, which invite popular actors or sports person to major events in Thailand, and encourage them to shoot their film in Thailand so that the world knows the beauty of the country. Besides that, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has come up with this campaign so call â€Å"Bangkok is Waiting for you† by CNBC Asia Pacific. This is for welcomed the tourist to explore the tradition, unique cultures, exquisite architecture, foods and ways of living of its inhabitants. Tourism in Indonesia Last but not least, Indonesia is one of the competitors of Malaysia which is located at the South of Malaysia. Indonesia is bigger area compare to Malaysia. It has most beautiful place which tourist attraction such as Bali, Jakarta, Borobudur, Mount Bromo, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Lombok, Yogakartas and etc. The official Indonesia government authority that is responsible for tourism sector in Indonesia is the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Indonesia. In effort to boost the acceleration of the international and domestic tourist movement, department already create 2 promotional tourism theme entitled â€Å"Indonesia Ultimate in Diversity† International level and â€Å"Ayo, Tamasya Jelajahi Nusantara† for domestic that both will show the unique status of Indonesia(Ardiwidjaja. R). They have launch certain campaigns by yearly, such as 1991,2008,2009 and recently 2010. Year 2010 have lots of support compare to the previous years by travel and tourism industry in Indonesia, including the Ministry of Culture & Tourism, the Provincial Government of West Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara Culture & Tourism Office, Lombok Sumbawa Promo, Garuda Indonesia as Official Airlines, other supporting airlines, Indonesia National Air Carriers Association (INACA), Board of Airline Representatives Indonesia (BARINDO), Association of Indonesian Tours & Travel Agencies (ASITA), Indonesia Hotels and Restaurant Association (PHRI), Indonesian Conference and Convention Association (INCCA), Pacto Convex as the event organizer, supported by national and international media. Lombok and Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara have set a target of wooing one million tourists to visit the islands by 2012. 2. 4 Product Offerings 2. 5 Distribution Distribution The distribution of travel and tourism products or services is a most important activity along the tourism chain majorly in Melaka tourism aspect. There are two main considerations which need to be distinguished: first, the degree to which organisations become involved in organising and structuring the overseas distribution channel such as the Melaka’s government anticipation, and second, organisations' reactions and responses to marketing and distribution strategies of intermediaries in overseas markets. As a result of organisations' activeness or passiveness with regard to these two considerations, four trade-oriented strategies are possible: by-passing, co-operation, conflict, or adaptation. A by-passing strategy means travel and tourism organisations or airlines would relinquish any collaboration with the distribution channel. Melaka’s government should considering opening a proper international airport in order to compete with the other states such as Penang, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bharu, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. The appropriateness of this strategy for public and private travel and tourism organisations seems very limited, considering the current importance of intermediaries in most overseas marketplaces. Adventure tourism is at the cutting edge of world tourism, and its newness merits a comprehensive examination, unhindered by the confines of traditional delineations. Despite a number of attempts to define the concept of ‘adventure tourism’, consensus remains to be lacking within the academic community; indeed, as the boundaries of knowledge are receding, the number of proposed definitions and conceptualisations appear to be increasing. †¢ be of a heightened nature – a stimulating context will induce a range of emotions(of which excitement will be key), and separate it from everyday life; such as creating the new idea from the istorical and existing buildings and spots which they could improvise on making it interesting †¢ entail intellectual, physical or emoti onal risks and challenges – these will be absorbing the interest and love towards the beauty of Melaka’s nature †¢ be intrinsically rewarding, providing opportunities for enjoyment, learning and self-development [pic] Distribution in tourism is mainly regarding these three factors which decide the upstream of the tourism industry. A consumer who comes to Melaka is a major factor for the tourism industry as it drives in Malaysian and non-Malaysians into the province of Melaka. Melaka is mainly known as ‘Bandaraya Bersejarah’ which has been known for many years. They could use this as a competitive advantage to pull the attentions of tourist. Segmenting the tourist is a vital procedure as they can be identified and classified which type of tourist. This can be group based on their point of interest, culture and beliefs. Trade including travel agents, wholesalers who do tourism as their main business , can be good intermediaries for the government and tourist. Melaka Tourism industry invites the involvement of travel agents to support the tourism industries as they can reach to the tourism and penetrate easily into the market. This is main reason why for the past 5 years, travel agents in Melaka had subsequently raise up due to the encouragements gave by the Melaka state government itself. Sub line industry and sector associations or professionals including RTOs, VICs, media, industry suppliers and airlines industry. Small to medium-sized enterprises [SMEs] located throughout the globe that offers both direct travel-related services (accommodation, dining, transport, recreation and entertainment) and ancillary services (insurance, software, content, finance, weather, news, maps). Distribution plays a vital role in the development of the tourism in Melaka. There are more places and hot spots that are yet to be explored in the state, as the sub-urban areas are rich with natural beauty of their historical traits such as in Alor Gajah, Jasin, Machap and many more. If the distribution role is played wisely, the advantages could be fully capitalized and tourism industry will be a huge leap for Melaka. 3. 0 Marketing Strategy 3. Objective 3. 2 Target Market and Segmentation 3. 3 Positioning Positioning is the act of differentiating a brand in customer’s mind in relation to the competitor in term of attributes and benefits that this brand does offer. It also can said as a process of developing str ategy for â€Å"filling a slot† in the mind of customer. Positioning can be categorized by benefits, price, quality, competitor, usage and experiences. In tourism Malacca, it included two categories which are benefits and experiences. Benefits For the benefits, Malacca can give a feeling that is back to the past of Portuguese occupied Malacca at a long time ago for tourists themselves. They can feel the historical culture in Malacca and they are able to understand more history from Malacca. The second thing of benefits is the local foods on Malacca. We know that Malacca is the one of the state on Malaysia country. It provides the local foods like nasi lemak, curry ayam, rojak and other that the tourists can’t eat and enjoy this kind of foods on their country. It is advantages for Malacca to attract more tourists to come to the place together. Besides that, Malacca also provided three wheel bicycle for people who may tired after the long journey of visit. The three wheel bicycle can let the tourist to enjoy the comfortably when sitting on it and see around the view of the tourism place. Experience For experience sector, Malacca comes out a slogan which is â€Å"Visiting Malacca Means Visiting Malaysia†. This slogan give the meaning that Malacca is a tourism place combined all historical culture together and the different race staying together in a one place with peaceful and harmony. Besides that, Baba Nyonya is also an experience sector for tourism Malacca. Baba Nyonya is famous among the Malacca Area and we can know more about the culture of BABA Nyonya at The Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum. Jonker Walk Street also provided an experience for tourists because a lot of traditional foods and drink of Malaysia are selling along the street. The tourists can enjoy the foods along the street and it can give the tourists unforgotten memory at that place. Zoo Malacca can be one of the experiences too for tourists. Zoo Malacca gives people a different view of zoo in Malaysia and let people know what animals are available in Malaysia. Besides that, crocodile farm also can be the experience because there are few crocodile farm to show in Malaysia. It can make the tourists to know different type of crocodile species and know their lifestyle as well. 3. 4 Marketing Mix The marketing mix is probably the most famous marketing term nowadays (Marketing Mix, 2000). Marketing mix also can be defined as Four P’s which include product, price, place and promotion. When marketing their products or services, firms need to create a successful combine of the right product, sold at the right price, in the right place and using the promotional strategy. This Four P's are the tools that the marketer can control, subject to the internal and external restrict of the marketing environment (The 4 P's of Marketing, 2002). The goal is to make decisions that center the Four P's on the customers in the target market in order to generate a positive response and establish perceived value (The 4 P's of Marketing, 2002). Place (Distribution) Place is about getting the products or services to the customer. Place can also be defined as the location of all the points of sale which give prospective customers with access to tourist product (Tourism Destination Market, 2003). However, the place where the tourist buys the tourism product can be varied. Travel agents, tour operators and tour wholesalers are a few examples of the place or distribution in tourism. A travel agency is a business that helps customers to plan their holidays and help to make various types of travel arrangements such as flight tickets and accommodation reservations. Tour operators are businesses that combine two or more travel services and sell them through travel agencies or direct sell them to final customers as a package tour (Tour operator, 2001). On the other hand, tour wholesaler is a company that sells tour packages and tour product to travel agents. Tour wholesalers normally receive a 20% discount from accommodations and transportation companies then pass on a 10 to 15% discount to the retail agent (Tour wholesaler, 2009). In the meantime, customers will choose the agency which may give them the highest satisfaction. Nowadays, the Internet has enabled entirely new forms of social interaction and activities. The Internet is the newest and it is most powerful tool available to tourism marketers. Marketers can take this advantage by creating tourism Melaka official website in order to update the current information for visitors. Tourism destination web sites may consist of pictures, videos, sounds, animations, graphics, text and interactive maps . If the visitors have accessed to according Web site and read though all of the information, they will have a good understanding of the history, culture and viewpoints of Melaka and it will win the minds of potential tourist. Promotion Promotion is the business of communicating with customers. Besides, through the promotion it can provide information that will aid customer in making a decision to purchase a product or service. Promotion also includes of advertising, sales promotion, travel shows and public relations. Tourism in Melaka can be further developed by promoting many aspects that state has. Melaka is a place not only popular for its historic importance, with a rich cultural history Malacca is a shopping heaven. Shopping in Melaka can be an xciting experience if visitors know what to shop for and from where. Many types of media can be used to promote tourism in Melaka. For example, marketer can use the traditional print media, both newspapers and magazines. There are travel w riters to describe about the viewpoints of Melaka, to inform and entertain the readers. Besides, the social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have become a tool for promoting tourism. Nowadays, most of the people are spending their time on Facebook, but maybe just 20 minutes on the other Website. So, by creating a Facebook fan page or updates current information on Twitter about Melaka tourism, it is essential way to attract international tourist to visit Melaka. In addition, government should set a law that businessman cannot charge exorbitant rate to tourist. Tourists must charge in same price as local for products or services that they buy. Moreover, the quality of products or services must be at the top priority for business. By having this way, it can build the reputation of Melaka and it can also fascinate tourist to make Melaka as their favourite spot to visit or holiday destination. On the other hand, Government has put great effort into enhancing and developing the basic infrastructure and facilities such as transportation and telecommunications in order to meet the requirements or expectation of the tourists. Moreover, marketers can organize some promotional programmes and exhibitions in Melaka in order to attract tourists who are from different country. Marketers can introduce tour package to international tourist which the tours with quality and lower price. As the part of its promotional effort, Malaysia’s national airline such as MAS and Air-Asia may together with local hotels and offered a special packages which consisting of accommodation, flight and tour arrangement as well. These promotional packages can be advertised on TV, newspapers, magazines, brochures, Internet and so on. No doubt that, the number of tourist in Melaka will be increased if marketer able to manage the promotion strategy well. Product Product is referring to the product or services offered to customers, its characteristics, how the product branded. In order to attract international tourists to visit Malacca as a travel destination, intangible product are service based (wikipedia, n. d). Besides, to retain competitiveness in the market, product differentiate is required and it is one of the strategy to differentiate a product from competitors in the same industry. In order to attract international tourist, the services including the procedure of trip, accommodation, transport and others need to be plan well. Since Malacca is known as heritage city in Malaysia, therefore it can be a starting point provide tourist to getting know the Malacca history place. For example, A’ Farmosa, the landmark of Malacca ;Dutch square which also called as Red Square as the area is surrounded by red painting buildings; Jonker Street is a lively street famous for it’s culture and heritage; Stadhuys which is History and Enthnography Museum; Chris Church and many others historical areas. Rather than the historical places, having Malacca duck tour around Malacca city, river cruise which takes passenger from the jetty and night cruise is more interesting as can see light in the riverbank’s buildings, water fountain show and bridges; lastly is Taming Sari Revolving Tower which offers breathtaking 360-degree views of the historic city and coastline. Away from the city, experience the nature such a way help tourist release stress and pressure such as Butterfly farm, Zoo Malacca, Crocodiles farm and many others. This kind of places which help tourist to enjoy the natural resources. Food is another thing to attract tourist to come to Malacca. One of the most famous foods at Malacca is chicken rice ball which can taste for the original chicken rice ball. Others food like Satay Celup, Baba Nyonya Food, cendol and many others. There are many shopping centres in Malacca which allow tourist visit for spend other leisure times. Besides that, based on the customer’s preferences, provide the standard otel experience in their budget which good and imaginative staff for serving them. Therefore, create something specifically memorable for the trip for them. Providing them the hotel at location which allows them easily to visit all the places they wish to go. Security of the tourist is important. Therefore, transportation is needed duri ng the travel period. Along with the trip, the tourist always is guidance by the tour guide depend on the race of the tourist. Therefore, they can enjoy the trip without language barrier. Pricing Different people have their different budget for the trip. In theory, price is determined by the discovery of what customers perceive is the value of the item on sale. We had offer different kind of strategy due to different kind of consumer which including seasonal pricing, last minute pricing, package deals. Seasonal pricing is a mix of price throughout a year to cover low and high season. This kind of strategy is to cater for different levels of demand due to the time of a year. Like for example, the school holiday period and local event of Malacca. While last minute pricing also is a way used to attract the consumers for booking for the travel. It is a common method and basically discounting the prices according to forward bookings and promoted on last minute booking websites. Discounting always is unavoidable in a competitive market and in order used to attract business. It can be deal by adding several conditions like minimum to stay, number of travelers in the booking. Continuously, package deals are another way to attract international tourist. Different packages need to be meeting with different need of niche market. We can develop packages with complimentary tourism partners in Malacca to stimulate demand such as cooperate with the local business. In other word, we work with multiple attractions to create bigger package and lead to deeper discount. For example, work with trolley car tour, museums and other attractions in order to offer package discount. We also can offer the saving packages with bundle lodging, activities, accommodation and food for the families, honeymooners and groups travel. 4. Recommendation and Implementation References 1. Tsiotsou R. & Ratten V. (2010). Future Research Direction in Tourism Marketing, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 28, 1-3. 2. Mattila, A. S. (2004), Consumer Behavior Research in Hospitality and Touris m Journals, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 23, 449-57. 3. 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