The Atomic Bombings Of Japan - 1029 Words

One of the most argued topics in all of history is the atomic bombings of Japan in August of 1945. Many argued that we should have done exactly as we did, they would argue it was the only way to get Japan to surrender and to not lose any more American lives. Others believe that it was very unethical in dropping the atomic bombs. The director of Nuclear Studies Institute at American University in Washington D.C, Peter Kuznick, was against the whole idea, stating that â€Å"Truman knew he was beginning the process of annihilation of the species. It was not just a war crime; it was a crime against humanity.† Back in the fall of 1945, there was a poll, the Roper Poll, that the people of the United States took to determined whether they think if we should have dropped the atomic bombs, Fat Man and Little Boy, on the Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Back then 53.5 percent of the people who took this poll agreed with it. Harold Steele was among this percentage. Steele was a U.S. Army Infantry lieutenant in European theater during World War II, when he was interviewed by Mark DePue he stated that, â€Å"I come even more proud of a president that had the courage, the conviction. But also, he’d been a battery commander in the artillery in World War I. . .And that helped him make decisions without probably thinking too long. Get this sucker over. . .We’re fighting to the last blood, the last person!. . .The kamikaze pilots and all the other factors brought into being that were not evenShow MoreRelatedThe Atomic Bombing Of Japan2375 Words   |  10 PagesIntroduction: The research question of this essay is â€Å"To what extent was the atomic bombing of Japan at the end of the Second World War Justified? In 1945, the United States authorized the dropping of the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The first bomb, dropped on August 6th 1945, had a total casualty rate of 135,000, including non-combatant civilians, and as this, the atomic bombing of Japan at the end of the Second World War has indeed been a hugely discussed topic withinRead MoreThe Atomic Bombing Of Japan1228 Words   |  5 Pagesnation in world’s history to subject many human beings to the atomic bombs purposely. That fact is well known to many people, but too little Americans think that the atomic bombing of Japan by the U.S. in August of 1945 in such cautious terms. Before the bombings occurred, there was a debate which was limited to the few top officials who knew of the secret of â€Å"tube alloys† and secret â€Å"S-1†. Once there was an announcement of the bombings, those who were amongst the war, overall accepted these actsRead MoreEssay on Atomic Bombing on Japan937 Words   |  4 PagesHiroshima: Was Dropping the Atomic Bomb a Military Necessity? On the morning of August 6th, 1945 at around 8:16 a.m., the United States dropped the first bomb on Hiroshima. This bomb was given the nickname â€Å"Little Boy.† Three days after the first atomic bomb was dropped, on August 9th, 1945 at around 11:02 a.m., the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. This bomb was given the nickname â€Å"Fat Man.† These two bombs immensely destroyed these cities and took the lives of many peopleRead MoreThe Dropping Of The Atomic Bomb Essay1734 Words   |  7 Pagesdropping of the atomic bomb was used to save American lives; the most common excuse as to why President Harry Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. In Major Problems in the History of World War II it has been discussed in the chapter The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II that former President Truman recalled how he learned about the atomic bomb project as well as the public opinion on the Atomic Bomb. I believe that the solution that Truma n gave when dropping the Atomic Bomb shouldRead MoreThe Atomic Bombs in Japan1373 Words   |  6 PagesOn August 6th, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima without any precedent. The explosion viciously destroyed four square miles of the city and killed 90,000 and injured 40,000. (Weber, â€Å"Was Hiroshima Necessary?†) Three days later, a second atomic bomb stroked the city of Nagasaki which killed approximately 37,000 people and injured 43,000 (Weber, â€Å"Was Hiroshima Necessary?†). These actions of the United States still remain controversial today and the UnitedRead MoreA Closer Look at the Bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki1485 Words   |  6 Pages On August 6, 1945 the course of history was changed. Two atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima, and three days later, August 9, 1945, on Nagasaki that ended World War II. Japan had already been a defeated nation from conventional bombs and World W ar II. Many innocent lives were lost, psychological scars were left on the lives of the bomb survivors, and thus many lives were changed forever. The atomic bombings caused many people to have genetic effects due to the radiationRead MoreAtomic Bombs And Its Effects On Japan1369 Words   |  6 PagesCan you imagine how many atomic bombs that have killed many Japanese during, World War II in Japan? On August 6, 1945, a new weapon with a significant explosive power known as the atomic bombs just has been dropped on Japan. The dropping of this weapon on Hiroshima and Nagasaki there were 262,020 civilians were killed. The United States to chose the atomic bomb in order for Japan to surrender and end the war quickly. Likewise, President Truman as the duty as president and Commander in Chief to protectRead MoreMoral Dilemma in History: The Atom Bomb708 Words   |  3 PagesOn August 6, 1945, the B-27 superfortress, the Enola Gay, dropped the first atomic weapon on Hiroshima. Two days l ater, the B-29 bomber, the Bockscar, dropped the second and final atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Japan surrendered days later on September 2nd, 1945. Since the days of the bombings, there has been much debate about whether use of the the atomic bombs was even necessary to end the war. Even President Truman and Secretary of War Henry Stimson grappled with its necessity even after they authorizedRead MoreThe Worldly Struggles Of The Sun Shines Essay1479 Words   |  6 Pagessituation, were quite common in Japan. Since the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Korean and Japanese people have been struggling to recover, both mentally and physically. In this paper, I will discuss the issue with nuclear weapons by explaining the events in history leading to the Atomic bombings, the victims’ struggle to recover from the bombings, and the action people are taking from the bombings in today’s society. The tension between the United State and Japan have? been around sinceRead MoreHiroshima, Japan, And Japan1352 Words   |  6 PagesHiroshima, Japan and Nagasaki, Japan Leader of Japan: Hideki Tojo, Minister of war Leader of United States: General Douglas MacArthur Hiroshima Hiroshima is a city located in Honshu, Japan. On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima became the first city in the world to be struck by an atomic bomb. (Hiroshima, britannica.com) From 1868 it was a military center, and was a target for the atomic bombing by U.S. during World War II. Nagasaki Nagasaki is a city located in Kyushu, Japan. Before

Fice Of Comptroller Of Currency - 2178 Words

Good morning, your Honor. I am Theresa Pacholik and I am representing Group One. Please let me introduce my colleagues: Chelsea Rowell, Miles Brown and Kimberly Hudson. We come in front of you today with our clients, the Office of Comptroller of Currency (OCC) to show why the court should uphold the decision of the district court against Grant Thornton, LLP. We will discuss the negligent actions performed during the audit conducted by Grant Thornton and how their unsafe and unsound practices impacted Keystone Banks’ regulators, shareholders and the public. Background. Grant Thornton LLP vs. FDIC, took place in West Virginia District Court in 2004. We are here today as a result of the appealed filed by Grant Thornton. In asserting for the OCC, we will prove why Grant Thornton is responsible for not acting in accordance with the laws and regulations designed for independent financial institutions while conducting an audit for the First National Bank of Keystone. The OCC is an independent bureau of the U.S. Department of Treasury that is responsible for supervising all national banks and federal savings associations, including federal branches and agencies of foreign banks (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 2015). The First National Bank of Keystone became incorporated in 1904 in Keystone, West Virginia. Keystone Bank was a member of the National Banking Association within the Federal Reserve System and originally serviced McDowell County and the surrounding area as

The Tragic Characters Of Sophocles Antigone - 1652 Words

In literature, a tragedy is a drama where the main character in the end suffers extreme sorrow because of their mistakes or poor judgment. If characters’ fates are to suffer the extreme sorrows, then these characters are tragic characters. These tragic characters, however, must follow Aristotle’s principles which include hamartia, hubris, peripeteia, anagnorisis, nemesis, and catharsis. If the character has all six of Aristotle’s principles, then the character can qualify as an Aristotelian tragic character. Two examples of Aristotelian tragic characters are from Sophocles’ Greek play Antigone from the trilogy dealing with Oedipus and his children (Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone). The two Aristotelian tragic characters are Creon, the king of Thebes in Antigone, and Antigone herself. Creon‘s hamartia, his flaw that causes his downfall, includes his stubbornness which causes him to not listen to the opinions of others, including Tiresias, additionally, this also connects to hubris since he also did this because of his pride. In Antigone, Creon is an Aristotelian tragic character. His six principles are more obvious to the reader. Tiresias tries to warn Creon as to what will come if he doesn’t change his ways now, but he ignores Tiresias even though he is a prophet. Creon says Tiresias sold â€Å"his wisdom† and â€Å"lets out his words for hire† (Sophocles 837). This means that Creon thinks that Tiresias has come to say these things to him because someone pays TiresiasShow MoreRelatedTragic Characters of Sophocles Antigone: Examining Creons Hubris 998 Words   |  4 Pagestragedies were particularly popular during the ancient times. Through out his lifetime, Sophocles wrote tens of plays, but one in particular, Antigone earned him his e steemed title. In Antigone, there is much debate present about who the tragic character is. A tragic character (sometimes called tragic hero) is a character who undergoes a reversal of fate, essentially hubris. Many opine the Creon is the tragic character as he experiences the ultimate reversal of fortune when his son, wife, and niece dieRead More The Tragic Hero: Creon or Antigone? Essay1293 Words   |  6 Pagestragedy Antigone, the characters Antigone and Creon can both be thought of as the tragic hero of the play. Though Antigone does show some of these characteristics of a tragic hero, Creon demonstrates the attributes more clearly and concisely. Creon is the King of Thebes, as well as the uncle of Antigone. Creon took the throne after a tragic quarrel between his two nephews, Eteocles and Polyneices. Despite his harsh governing and his crude ideals, he is not good or bad. Creon is the tragic hero ofRead MoreAntigone Character Analysis1422 Words   |  6 Pages Antigone, the final play in a series including Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, discusses the ideas of leadership, family, and choices. It features two central characters: Antigone, a girl who chooses to illegally bury her brother, and Creon, a king who decrees the burial of the brother to be illegal. Upon the first encounter of the text, it appears that Antigone is the â€Å"hero† of the play, but on further analysis, one realizes that the tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, is actually Creon. The ideaRead MoreAntigone by Sophocles1059 Words   |  5 Pages In the book Antigone, Creon and Antigone can be considered as the tragic heroes of the play. Antigone is considered the tragic hero because of the characteristics she shows such as her ambition to defeat Creon, Creon shows more of the characteristics clearly. Creon is the king of Thebes. He is also Antigones uncle. Creon became king after a fight between Eteocles and Polyneices. One may see Creon as a harsh and controlling ruler, but he is not good nor bad because he shows signs of both like whenRead MoreWho Is More Tragic, Creon or Antigone?863 Words   |  4 Pagesdownfall of the character. In Antigone, both Creon and Antigone share some tragic elements: tragic hero, hamartia, hubris, and nemesis. However, Creon is a more tragic hero than Antigone because his character has tragic elements that are absent from the character of Antigone: anagnorisis, peripeteia, and catharsis. There are many tragic elements that both Creon and Antigone share. According to Aristotle, the hero must be a character of high birth or national prominence. Since Antigone is royalty andRead MoreTragic Heroism of Creon Essay1032 Words   |  5 PagesCreon, a character in the Greek tragedy â€Å"Antigone†, resembles a perfect example of a tragic hero. This play was written by Sophocles, a historic playwright during the 5th century. It begins with the illegal burial of Polyneices, Antigone’s beloved brother. Creon, the King of Thebes, is coerced to condemn his niece Antigone to death. Being loyal to his city, Creon follows through with his punishment of Antigone. By doing so, his character is changed forever. Creon has the qualities of a tragic hero:Read MoreCreon as Tragic Hero1586 Words   |  7 PagesFinest In the Greek play Antigone, Creon and Antigone can both be claimed the title of Tragic Hero. Creon was made king when Oedipus Rex fled the kingship. Creon is the brother in law of Oedipus, and was giving the kingship only because Oedipus’s sons, Eteocles and Polyneices were killed trying to fight for the thrown. Antigone is Oedipus’s daughter and Creon’s niece. When it comes down to who the tragic hero is, Creon most definitely walks away with the title. A tragic hero by definition is ordinaryRead More Creon As Tragic Hero of Sophocles’ Antigone Essay836 Words   |  4 PagesCreon As Tragic Hero of Sophocles’ Antigone Since the play’s inception, there has always existed a contention concerning the true hero of Sophocles’ Antigone. It is a widely held belief that Antigone must be the main character simply because she and the drama share name. This is, of course, a very logical assumption. Certainly Sophocles must have at least meant her to be viewed as the protagonist, else he would not have given her the play’s title. Analytically speaking, however, Creon doesRead MoreAntigone - Paper 131697 Words   |  7 PagesGreek drama was written in such a way that the characters are the pivotal aspect of the play. The main characters in Sophocles’ epic play, Antigone, are both very strong personalities, which naturally leads to conflict. Antigone and King Creon both have very intense beliefs and roles in this play that oppose each other, and although there is a family tie, will lead to an imminent tragedy. Antigone is a young women who believes in the loyalty of her family and fears no one and nothing. She is willingRead MoreEssay about The Greek Gods Did Not Think Before They Acted1615 Words   |  7 Pagesstep back and rationally understand situations it essentially is too late. In Sophocles’ play Antigone, the author follows the Aristotalean principles of a tragic heroine in contriving the character Antigone. One distinct component of a tragic hero that Antigone comprises of is that she comes from a noble family that holds a dignified stance in society and has good morals. As a descendent of the Labdacus family, Antigone comes from nobility as her father was once the King of Thebes. After her father

William Shakespeare s The Crucible - 1294 Words

of them can attain being imprisoned and even when they do battle to determine who wins Emily’s hand that is ultimately left to fate as the gods intervene when Arcite initially wins the bout. They make no attempt, as romantic heroes, to romance the object of their affection. Furthermore, despite the Knight’s tale being a romance, its center is more on the competition between the two men as opposed to the relationship Emily would have with one of them. Chaucer devotes two pages to their argument on who deserves Emily more, Arcite who loves towards her is a â€Å"love as to a creature† or Palamon whose love Arcite mocks as an â€Å"affeccioun of hoolynesse †. It is this lack of agency and the different affections that Chaucer subverts in the Miller’s†¦show more content†¦His serenades disturb Emily’s sleep, his gifts are often unwanted, when he finally resorts to words he uses lines like â€Å"I moorne as dooth a lamb after the tete, † which bypass any romantic feelings. Nicholas on the other hand knows how to use his words, when he courts Alison â€Å"This nicholas gan mercy for to crye, And spak so faire, and profred him so faste, That she hir love hym graunted atte laste,† The word â€Å"faire† implies that he is using the language of romances to his advantage. The reader is told the Nicholas is a scholar and a well-read one at that. It wouldn’t be stretch to say that he then would use his knowledge of romantic tradition to successfully seduce. The odd parallel mentioned before has to do with how we map the characters. At face value we can say that Nicholas is Arcite’s counterpart and that Absolon is Palamon’s but that doesn’t match story wise as Nicholas is the one who wins Alison’s favor while Alcite dies and Palamon is the one who marries Emily but Absolon is farted on. Could this an attempt by Chaucer to comment on ineffectiveness of genuine romantic sensibilities? That only a simulacrum of romance referenced from texts is more applicable and successful. Next is a look of motifs that Chaucer made both tales share or manipulated to further prove a point. As I mentioned just earlier it is how both tales end that messes up character mapping and while I proposed that this was possibly meant as some

MENDEZ Surname Meaning and Family History

Mendez is a patronymic surname meaning son or descendant of Mendel or Mendo, both given names that derived as a reduced form of the medieval name Menendo, itself derived from the Visigothic name Hermenegildo, meaning  complete sacrifice from the Germanic elements ermen, meaning whole, entire, and gild, meaning value, sacrifice.  Mendes is the Portuguese equivalent of the Mendez surname. The beginnings of the Mendez surname have been traced back primarily to the village of Celanova, Spain, according to the Instituto Genealà ³gico e Histà ³rico Latino-Americano. Mendez is the 39th most common Hispanic surname. Surname Origin:  Spanish Alternate Surname Spellings:  MENDES, MENENDEZ, MENENDES, MÉNDEZ, MÉNDES   Famous People with the Surname MENDEZ Fernando Lugo Mà ©ndez - a former Catholic Bishop and the current President of ParaguayEva Mendes - American actress and international spokeswoman for Revlon CosmeticsTony Mendez -  CIA officer best known for efforts  during the 1979 Iran hostage Where is the MENDEZ Surname Most Commonly Found? The Mendez surname is most prevalent in Mexico, according to surname distribution data from Forebears. It is most common, however, in Guatemala, where it ranks as the 16th most common surname in the country, followed by Venezuela (28th), the Dominican Republic (32nd), and Mexico and Nicaragua (35th). Mendes is also the 50th most common last name in Spain where, according to WorldNames PublicProfiler, it is found in greatest numbers in Asturias, where the surname is believed to have originated, followed by the Canary Islands and Galicia.  The Mendes spelling, meanwhile, is found more commonly in France (especially in the area around Paris) and Switzerland (especially the Genfersee region).   Genealogy Resources for the Surname MENDEZ 50 Common Hispanic Surnames Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 50 common Hispanic last names? Mendez  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Mendez  family crest or coat of arms for the Mendez surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Mendes DNA Surname ProjectMales with the Mendes, Mendez and other surname variants are invited to join this DNA project to combine Y-DNA testing and traditional genealogical research to sort out various Mendes and Mendez family lines. MENDEZ Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Mendez surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Mendez query. FamilySearch - MENDEZ  GenealogyExplore over 2  million  historical records which mention individuals with the Mendez surname, as well as online Mendez family trees on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. MENDEZ Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Mendez surname. DistantCousin.com - MENDEZ Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Mendez. GeneaNet - Mendez  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Mendez  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Mendez  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Mendez  from the website of Genealogy Today.----------------------- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back to  Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins

Affirmative Action Is The Current Method For Combating...

Affirmative action is the current method for combatting the systematic racism and general bigotry that has long plagued American society. It is a source of much debate, both from the legal and moral perspectives. When it comes to higher education, it has been the subject of serval Supreme court decisions and many philosophical papers. Affirmative action’s stance makes a statement about how American society intends to handle its problems of bigotry; if it wants to ignore them, or if it wants to choose to face them, and recognize that previsions must be made to rectify the past, and those issues that haunt it in the present. It is an undeniable fact that racism still prevails. The full extent to which race impacts one’s lifestyle is undefinable; it effects where people live, what jobs they have, what schools they go to. Today, just under fifty percent of Hispanic and Black students attend high-poverty schools. At such schools, the resources available to the student bod y are quite limited; henceforth, there is less test prep, less push towards attending institutions of higher education, and less emphasis on education within the school environment and in local culture at large. Affirmative action aims to compensate for the aforementioned downfalls of belonging to a minority group by giving a small push to such students. Since it is easy to prove that currently poverty-stricken minorities have yet to break the cycle of poverty, this system is aimed at allowing that cycle toShow MoreRelatedThe Racism Of Black Men By Martin Luther King Jr.1720 Words   |  7 Pagesaffect by the racism that is seemingly still embedded within our culture like a repugnant weed that has yet to be pulled from its roots? Although race relations have improved throughout the United States in the past 50 years, institutionalized racism is still prevalent in many black lives in various magnitudes. This can be attributed to the United States being founded upon said systematic discrimination and exploitation (Harris and Lieberman). If the United States continues on its current path, oneRead MoreRacism and Ethnic Discrimination44667 Words   |  179 PagesRACISM AND ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION IN NICARAGUA Myrna Cunningham Kain With the collaboration of: Ariel Jacobson, Sofà ­a Manzanares, Eileen Mairena, Eilen Gà ³mez, Jefferson Sinclair Bush November 2006 Centro para la Autonomà ­a y Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indà ­genas Center for Indigenous Peoples’ Autonomy and Development Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 Contents 1. 2. Introduction Structure of the study 2.1 Scope and methodology 4 7 7 3. RacismRead MoreSchool Leadership Roles And Responsibilities10143 Words   |  41 PagesBohlin establish that schools must build a community of virtue. The community of virtue is intertwined within the curricula, parent engagement, and the nurturing of character by the classroom teacher or leader. Their work also includes many guides to action strategies and pitfalls to avoid in the educating of character development in young people. Ryan and Bohlin (1999) provide some fundamental groundwork in character education with sample programs from Tigner, an overview of virtues from Stenson, andRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pages Movement made possible the appearance of every hominid species since then, including our own some 150,000 years ago, and the spread of Homo sapiens from our African cradle to every major area of the planet since 50,000 b.p.. These migratory currents have connected all the continents since 1500 C.E., helping create the political, social, and ethnic landscapes of the world today. Premodern societies were far from static.1 But we cannot project this fact into a history of mobility that is one

17th Century Seduction Poems Are Relevant In The 21st...

During the 17th century, certain poets wrote poems with the specific purpose of persuading a woman to have sexual intercourse with them. Three of these seduction poems utilize several strategies to do this: Andrew Marvell’s â€Å"To His Coy Mistress,† and Donne’s â€Å"A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning† and â€Å"The Flea.† Some of the reasoning used by both poets is similar to the reasoning used today by men to convince women to have sexual intercourse with them. These gimmicks vary from poem to poem but coincide with modern day rationalization. The tactics used in 17th century seduction poems are relevant and similar to the seduction tactics used in the 21st century. Through his writing, Andrew Marvell uses several strategies to get a woman to sleep†¦show more content†¦In the final stanza of the poem, Marvell presents a solution to all the predicaments he had previously mentioned. â€Å"While the youthful hue/ Sits on thy skin like morning dew/ And while thy willing soul transpires†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (33-35), he writes, proposing that while they are both young and willing, they should have sex. He then suggests the type of sexual activity they participate in: â€Å"Let us roll all our strength and all/ Our sweetness into one ball† (41-42) suggesting what is known in modern terms as sixty-nine. Many of the tools Marvell used in his poem â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† to seduce women are utilized in this century. First, Marvell’s argument that his vegetable love will grow for his woman is comparable to the words that men commonly use today. Men will tell a woman they love her simply to get her in bed. They try to convince their woman that they will always be there to hold and to cherish them, so committing to sex is a profession of that love and will guarantee permanence in the relationship. If a man promises a woman that he will always be around, and shows it, she will trust him. If a woman trusts a man she will be much more likely to sleep with him. Secondly, Marvell brings up the issue of aging, also used today by men to get women in bed. â€Å"Life is short† is the modern clichà ©, and men and women both approach sexual relations with the attitude that youShow MoreRelatedLove in To His Coy Mistress and The Flea Essay1850 Words   |  8 Pagesimagery. E ach poem was written in the 17th century, just after the Renaissance. The poets were metaphysical poets. Although the metaphysic was originally a derogatory term, metaphysical poetry used intellectual and theological concepts in an ingenious way. Metaphysical poetry was partly written in rebellion against the highly conventional Elizabethan love poetry just prior to the time. Conventional love poetry what one would generally expect of a love poem. A perhapsRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 Pagesinformation on their various effects. The number of the sources is then increased by the mention of a book dedicated to Alexander by Aristotle (obviously Secretum secretorum) and a work by Hermes (al-Hà ¢dà ®tà »s). There is, however, no indication of the relevant source for most of the instructions, so that it cannot be determined whether the sources of all are the same as those just mentioned. The differing degree of explicitness of the instructions makes it probable that the author collected his material

The Effects Of Media Violence On Children - 873 Words

According to the Media Education Foundation, once a child reaches eighteen years of age, they have witnessed around 200,000 acts of violence and 16,000 murders (jacksonkatz.com). Our society loves entertainment and a grand portion of this entertainment contains violence. Children constantly consume violent visuals, due to their prevalence. Majority of our society is uninterested in the effects of media violence since its effects do not show immediately. Misinformation is our greatest enemy in the battle against media violence. Children under the age of eight do not easily differentiate fiction and the real world (Media Education Foundation). Young children are vulnerable, and their inability to accurately distinguish reality from fiction is one of the main culprits in why fictionalized violence being shown to children is dangerous. As members of families and communities, we must make an impact ourselves through leadership. Violence is widespread and easily available through media ou tlets, causing our children mental harm. We are active caretakers and we can easily protect our youth by the usage of parental controls on television set, mobile devices, and computers. â€Å"Ninety percent of movies, 68% of video games, and 60% of TV shows show some depictions of violence† says Caroline Knorr, a parenting editor for Common Sense Media (cnn.com). A main concern with children’s exposure to violence is the amount of violent content itself. An oversaturated market ofShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children974 Words   |  4 Pagesmany kinds of media, like Internet, video game, television and film. It is generally believed that some of the bad information such as violent content in the media can have a negative effect on people, and it can end up causing some social problem. It is clear that children are more likely to be influenced by media violence than other age groups because of their world outlook and personality are not formed. Furt hermore is if media violence does have some profound influence on children, this will leadRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children884 Words   |  4 Pagesis all this necessary to fabricate in the media? What are characters in movies teaching kids? What about the language in music talking about killing people and talking about violence like it’s the cool thing? What about new channels always talking about guns, bombs and threats to the public, is this what is influencing are children because they view it as a norm? Some may agree with this as others may disagree. Media violence is not the factor in violence today. Studies show that over 90% of homesRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children1357 Words   |  6 Pagesthe graphic cruelty and violence. According to American Psychological Association, the harmful influence of media violence on children dates back to the 1950s and 1960s, and remains strong today. A child that watches violence or hears about violence can be influenced to become violent. Indeed, in reviewing the totality of empirical evidence regarding the impact of media violence, the conclusion that exposure to violent portrayals poses a risk of harmful effects on children has been reached by theRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children1943 Words   |  8 PagesFor many years now, the media has been a big part of our lives. Almost everybody in the world is or has connected to it one way or another. It is a way for families and friends to have fun together, for interesting topics that people are interested in, or to just enjoy alone. However, there is a problem that can be seen across all types of media: violence. Violence can be seen as a distraught way to get over problems. There is judgement issues involved for violence. It is done by bullies in schoolRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children2411 Words   |  10 PagesMedia Violence is definitely harmful to children as the exposure of media violence can desensitize children (age 6-12) to violence and in the real world; violence becomes enjoyable and does not result in apprehensiveness in the child. There have been several studies and experiments regarding the adverse effects of violence used in video games, television, as well as movies. With both preschool and school-aged children, studies have found that they are more likely to imitate the violence they seeRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children2122 Words   |  9 Pagesexposed to various types of media, for example books or magazines, television, song lyrics, video games, and movies. Media often portrays, aggressive action, behaviour, and violence. This content can negatively affect not only adolescents and adults, but can have an even greater effect on children even from the moment they are exposed to it. Children who are exposed to violence in the media may display aggressive and violent behaviour. Young people especially children under the age of eight thisRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children1903 Words   |  8 Pagesdepict different forms of violence. Some people feel that there is too much violence exposed in the media. Many studies have made the claim that the media is responsible for much of the violence seen in the world we live in. However, people have choices and responsibilities we cannot allow ourselves to blame it on other things such as the media. The violence seen in our media has an impact on both adults and children. Since children are also exposed to various forms of media, there has been additionalRead MoreEffects of Media Violence on Children2430 Words   |  10 PagesThe Effect of Media Violence on Children and Levels of Aggression. It has been said that children are like sponges when it comes to attaining knowledge. This seems to be true whether they are learning to speak or how to show emotion. Feelings and emotions become more imminent once children begin to go through adolescents. Children acquire the ability to aggression, sadness, and happiness more readily. Males typically exhibit higher levels of aggression then females according to some researchRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children1270 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent forms of violence. Some people feel that there is too much violence exposed in the media. Many studies have made the claim that the media is responsible for much of the violence seen in the world we live in (List and Wolfgang). However, people have choices and responsibilities we cannot allow ourselves to blame it on other things such as the media. The violence seen in our media has an impact on both adults and children. Since children are also exposed to various forms of media, there has beenRead MoreWhat Is the Effect of Media Violence on Children1314 Words   |  6 PagesYasser Abdelaziz Ms. Williams English 1010-18 13, December 2010 The Effect of Media Violence on Children Although very little research was done on it in the past, media violence has sparked much controversy in recent history. As technology becomes more advanced, new methods of uncovering the media’s effects on children have emerged. Advances in Neuroscience, for example, can become tools to understanding the effects media violence has from a psychological standpoint. The brain in its underpinnings

Why Marijuana Should be Legalized Essay example - 1689 Words

Debate on why Marijuana should be legalized Marijuana is a public name for an illegal substance (drug) produced from the Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) plant. It is also called weed, ganja, grass, kaya and pot. The drug has many chemical compounds and in particular, it has THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) which is responsible for changing mind functions leading to alternations of cognition, mood, behavior, perception and consciousness. â€Å"It is the most widely used illicit substance in the world† (World, 2010, p. 198). Its usage includes religious, medicinal, recreational and spiritual purposes. In the beginning of the 20th century, in most countries marijuana was illegalized. In our society today, a big debate has emerged. People are†¦show more content†¦If the drug use was legalized, there would be ways to regulate and control its accessibility and usage among kids and the youth. A regulated, legal market in marijuana would reduce its sales and use among the young individuals (Marijuana, 1999). Since it is not, many kids and teenagers can easily access the drug and take it in. â€Å"Marijuana dealers usually do not care how old you are as long as you have money† (Marijuana, 1999). Since our aim is to lessen the drug’s consumption, we need to have open programs to enlighten the youth about the drug, regulate its usage among kids and have treatment and rehabilitation programs for individuals with Marijuana related problems. The government has tried to use criminal penalties to prevent Marijuana use for over 75 years (Marijuana, 1999). This has been done by trying â€Å"to chase peaceful people who happen to like to get high† (Marijuana, 1999). Locking them in prison only worsens their situation. This is because they can easily get the drug in prison and continue to consume it. These people need to be understood and taken to treatment and rehabilitation centers. According to Pi (2007), Marijuana was illegalized due to another reason. In 1930, the drug was illegalized â€Å"in the United States for population control of Mexican and Black minorities† (Pi, 2007) because legislators were â€Å"afraid that one day the minorities would overthrow the white government† (Pi, 2007). Such a reason is irrelevant.Show MoreRelatedWhy Marijuana Should Be Legalized1014 Words   |  5 Pagesreason that marijuana should be legal is that there is no good reason for it not to be legal. Some people ask why should marijuana be legalized? but we should ask Why should marijuana be illegal? From a philosophical point of view, individuals deserve the right to make choices for themselves. The government only has a right to limit those choices if the individuals actions endanger someone else. This does not apply to marijuana, since the individual who chooses to use marijuana does so accordingRead MoreWhy Marijuana Should be Legalized1510 Words   |  7 Pages12 16 January 2015 Why Marijuana should be legalized Multiple studies have found that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco yet somehow is still considered a schedule 1 drug along with other more extreme drugs such as heroin. Marijuana is the leaves and shredded flowers of hemp plant called Cannabis sativa which is usually a green or gray mixture. Marijuana can be not only smoked in the form a joint, blunt, bowl, bong, etc but can also be eaten. Uses of marijuana can be medically orRead MoreWhy Medical Marijuana Should Be Legalized1245 Words   |  5 PagesWhy Medical Marijuana should be legalized all over all the United States. In today’s society, debates regarding legalizing Medical Marijuana occur frequently. The discussions arise in almost every state. Both sides bring solid arguments; however, opponents of the approval are facing the fact, which is very hard to ignore. Medical Marijuana has proven to cure people with life-threatening diseases much more effectively than official treatments; to have second-to-none side effects; and to be aRead MoreWhy Marijuana Should Be Legalized Essay1605 Words   |  7 PagesCannabis II. The History of Marijuana III. The Prohibition IV. Economic Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana V. The Medical Benefits of Marijuana VI. Marijuana vs. Alcohol and Tobacco VII. Marijuana Stimulates Creativity and Brain Cell Growth VIII. Conclusion Should marijuana be legalized for recreational and medical purposes? Thesis: Since marijuana is not harshly dangerous to one’s health nor is it a hard narcotic, it should be legalized to promote a positive society. Read MoreWhy Marijuana Should be Legalized Essay622 Words   |  3 Pagesyears ago and perhaps even more than 12,000 years ago. It is considered by many to be one of the most resourceful crops on earth. It can be used for industrial, medical, and recreational purposes. Rather than waging war on marijuana users, this resourceful crop should be legalized and utilized. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The cannabis sativa plant produces more protein, oil, and fiber than any other plant on earth. In fact, it can be used to produce more than 5,000 textile products ranging from ropeRead MoreWhy Marijuana Should Be Legalized Essay883 Words   |  4 PagesWhy Marijuana Should Be Legalized Willie Nelson once said, â€Å"I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?† Marijuana has been a plant for longer than any human has been alive. Civilizations have used marijuana for hundreds of years for hundreds of purposes. But ever since the 1970’s when growing or havingRead MoreEssay on Why Marijuana Should Not be Legalized1595 Words   |  7 PagesLegalization or decriminalization of marijuana is opposed by a vast majority of American’s and people around the world. Leaders in Marijuana prevention, education, treatment, and law enforcement adamantly oppose the substance, as do many political leaders. However, pro-drug advocacy groups, who support the use of illegal drugs, are making headlines. They are influencing decision making thru legislation and having a significant impact on the national policy debate here in the United States andRead MoreEssay about Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized1554 Words   |  7 Pageserroneous. Early in the 1900s, a surge of Mexicans immigrated to the U.S., and the marijuana they brought with them was qu ickly associated with them. In the 1930s, tensions between white Americans and Mexican immigrants were heightened due to the Great Depression, and the use of marijuana was ultimately prohibited for the general public in 1937 with the Marijuana Tax Act (Marijuana Timeline). By the 1960s, marijuana became a symbol of counterculture, and the government stopped any research involvedRead MoreLegalization of medical marijuana at the federal law Essay1653 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Why should marijuana be legalized? Marijuana can be argued for different reasons. In my case I will be arguing the medical purposes for legalizing marijuana. Marijuana has positive features, and how people prefer using marijuana. Marijuana helps individuals get through a variety of things that they suffer. Marijuana provides relief from pain, rather than other medications out there. Many individuals prefer marijuana over anything else to relax. An argument on why people using marijuana spendRead MoreLegalization Of Marijuan It Is A Criminal1470 Words   |  6 Pagesago, CNN the world s most recognized news station. They were showing a story about how medical marijuana helped a three years old girl, who was suffering from a several epilepsy. From the story, this three year old girl could have a hundreds of seizures within a day. However, one day his father, who was a retired military, he made a research and found a good testimonies about how a medical marijuana helped these men, chi ldren, and women with the same condition as his daughter. Therefore, he decided

Quality Management Toys Ltd

Question: Discuss about theQuality Management for Toys Ltd. Answer: Introduction Toys Ltd. should implement in order to achieve higher results in its sales improving sales performance force performance, and also to explore how these improvements should be implemented. Toys Ltd. is a middle size private owned enterprise that was established in 1990 with the acquiring of facilities in Cyprus. The company is merchandising over 3000 different products in toys area per year and it is ranked as relative one of the Middle-size Wholesalers in Cyprus. More specifically, Toys toys main domain is to import selected toys from factories mainly in China (also it imports products from Italy, Turkey and Germany) and then storage them (Coelho, 2016). The sales team comes then and it promotes all of the products to costumers mainly in Cyprus in wholesalers and final retailers. Academic, researchers and consultants support that key elements for the improvement of the sales operations of a firm include development of an effective reward system, completion of training sessions, colla boration between sales and marketing departments, and adoption of relationship marketing strategies, which concentrate in long-term relationships and profitability. After the analysis of the current situation of the company and its business environment it was found that, Toys Ltd. implements a tactic that is volume oriented. Moreover, the company does not organize training session for its sales personnel and has not created a marketing department. Besides that, improving sales performance the educational background of the stuff is weak. All these weaknesses make the firm less competitive. The conduction of the external analysis indicated that GDP growth and consumption rate are declining, specifying the weak foundation of the Greek economy. In the same length, birth rate is also declining, and this fact reduces the target audience and sales performance of the firm (Thomas, 2013). Analysis also showed that toy market is characterized by high concentration; more specifically, the leader of the market (Jumbo) holds the 36 % of the market. Hence, large competitors have better negotiation power resulting in the offering of better promotions and lower prices. Finally, analysis showed that Cyprus retail sector is declining following the trend of the other sectors of the economy. After the analysis of the academic literature and the external and internal environment of Toys Ltd., some recommendation could be sketched (Ni, Flynn Jacobs, 2016). First, Toys Ltd. should establish a marketing department, which will be responsible to assemble and analyze market data (market share, competitors share, retail sector evolution, customers data etc.); create and develop communication campaigns; support salespersons to develop their customer base, and maintain the good and profitable relationships with the loyal customers of the firm. Moreover, the duties of the marketing department will focus on the establishment of the brand of the company. Secondly, Toys Ltd. can focus in new product categories such as electrical and high tech games, which illustrate high growth. Thirdly, Toys Ltd. should make some improving sales performance improvements it its recruiting system focusing in education background and working experience. In the same length, the firm should introduce training session for sales representatives concerning sales and key account management. Finally, taking advantage of digital technologies, Toys Ltd. should develop a CRM strategy in order to develop long term profitable relationships with retailers and wholesalers. This strategy includes three basic steps: 1) acquire the customer, 2) retain the customer in the company, and 3) extend the relationship resulting in augmented purchases and profits (Tan, Tse Chen, 2014). Reference List Coelho, C. M. (2016).Science4you in UK: a toy story(Doctoral dissertation). Ni, J., Flynn, B. B., Jacobs, F. R. (2016). The effect of a toy industry product recall announcement on shareholder wealth.International Journal of Production Research,54(18), 5404-5415. Tan, K. H., Tse, Y. K., Chen, J. (2014). Quality risk in global supply networks.Global Supply Chain Quality Management: Product Recalls and Their Impact, 47. Thomas, V. (2013). Playing at the crossroads.

Pierre Bourdieu - Distinction a Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste free essay sample

Paul Claudel, Le soulier de satin, Day III, Scene ii There is an economy of cultural goods, but it has a specific logic. Sociology endeavours to establish the conditions in which the consumers of cultural goods, and their taste for them, are produced, and at the same time to describe the different ways of appropriating such of these objects as are regarded at a particular moment as works of art, and the social conditions of the constitution of the mode of appropriation that is considered legitimate. But one cannot fully understand cultural practices unless ‘culture’, in the restricted, normative sense of ordinary usage, is brought back into ‘culture’ in the anthropological sense, and the elaborated taste for the most refined objects is reconnected with the elementary taste for the flavours of food. Whereas the ideology of charisma regards taste in legitimate culture as a gift of nature, scientific observation shows that cultural needs are the product of upbringing and education: surveys establish that all cultural practices (museum visits, concert-going, reading etc. , and preferences in literature, painting or music, are closely linked to educational level (measured by qualifications or length of schooling) and secondarily to social origin. 1 The relative weight of home background and of formal education (the effectiveness and duration of which are closely dependent on social origin) varies according to the extent to which the different cultural practices are recognized and taught by the educational system, and the influence of social origin is strongest—other things being qual—in ‘extra-curricular’ and avant-garde culture. To the socially recognized hierarchy of the arts, and within each of them, of genres, schools or periods, corresponds a social hierarchy of the consumers. This predisposes tastes to function as markers of ‘class’. The manner in which culture has been acquired lives on in the manner of using it: the importance attached to manners can be 1 Bourdieu et al. , Un art moyen: essai sur les us ages sociaux de la photographie (Paris, Ed. de Minuit, 1965); P. Bourdieu and A. Darbel, L’Amour de l’art: les musees et leur public (Paris, Ed. de Minuit, 1966). understood once it is seen that it is these imponderables of practice which distinguish the different—and ranked—modes of culture acquisition, early or late, domestic or scholastic, and the classes of individuals which they characterize (such as ‘pedants’ and mondains). Culture also has its titles of nobility—awarded by the educational system—and its pedigrees, measured by seniority in admission to the nobility. The definition of cultural nobility is the stake in a struggle which has gone on unceasingly, from the seventeenth century to the present day, between groups differing in their ideas of culture and of the legitimate relation to culture and to works of art, and therefore differing in the conditions of acquisition of which these dispositions are the product2 Even in the classroom, the dominant definition of the legitimate way of appropriating culture and works of art favours those who have had early access to legitimate culture, in a cultured household, outside of scholastic disciplines, since even within the educational system it devalues scholarly knowledge and interpretation as ‘scholastic’ or even ‘pedantic’ in favour of direct experience and simple delight. The logic of what is sometimes called, in typically ‘pedantic’ language, the ‘reading’ of a work of art, offers an objective basis for this opposition. Consumption is, in this case, a stage in a process of communication, that is, an act of deciphering, decoding, which presupposes practical or explicit mastery of a cipher or code. In a sense, one can say that the capacity to see (voir) is a function of the knowledge (savoir), or concepts, that is, the words, that are available to name visible things, and which are, as it were, programmes for perception. A work of art has meaning and interest only for someone who possesses the cultural competence, that is, the code, into which it is encoded. The conscious or unconscious implementation of explicit or implicit schemes of perception and appreciation which constitutes pictorial or musical culture is the hidden condition for recognizing the styles characteristic of a period, a school or an author, and, more generally, for the familiarity with the internal logic of works that aesthetic enjoyment presupposes. A beholder who lacks the specific code feels lost in a chaos of sounds and rhythms, colours and lines, without rhyme or reason. Not having learnt to adopt the adequate disposition, he stops short at what Erwin Panofsky calls the ‘sensible properties’, perceiving a skin as downy or lace-work 2 The word disposition seems particularly suited to express what is covered by the concept of habitus (defined as a system of dispositions)—used later in this chapter. It expresses first the result of an organizing action, with a meaning close to that of words such as structure; it also designates a way of being, a habitual state (especially of the body) and, in particular, a predisposition, tendency, propensity or inclination. The semantic cluster of ‘disposition’ is rather wider in French than in English, but as this note—translated literally—shows, the equivalence is adequate. Translator. ] P. Bourdieu, Outline of a Theory of Practice (Cambridge, C ambridge UJniversity Press, 1977), p. 214, n. 1. 2 as delicate, or at the emotional resonances aroused by these properties, referring to ‘austere’ colours or a ‘joyful’ melody. He cannot move from the ‘primary stratum of the meaning we can grasp on the basis of our ordinary experience’ to the ‘stratum of secondary meanings’, i. e. , the ‘level of the meaning of what is signified’, unless he possesses the concepts which go beyond the sensible properties and which identify the specifically stylistic properties of the work. Thus the encounter with a work of art is not ‘love at first sight’ as is generally supposed, and the act of empathy, Einfuhlung, which is the art-lover’s pleasure, presupposes an act of cognition, a decoding operation, which implies the implementation of a cognitive acquirement, a cultural code. 4 This typically intellectualist theory of artistic perception directly contradicts the experience of the art-lovers closest to the legitimate definition; acquisition of legitimate culture by insensible familiarization within the family circle tends to favour an enchanted experience of culture which implies forgetting the acquisition. 5 The ‘eye’ is a product of history reproduced by education. This is true of the mode of artistic perception now accepted as legitimate, that is, the aesthetic disposition, the capacity to consider in and for themselves, as form rather than function, not only the works designated for such apprehension, i. e. , legitimate works of art, but everything in the world, including cultural objects which are not yet consecrated—such as, at one time, primitive arts, or, nowadays, 3 E. Panofsky, ‘Iconography and Iconology: An Introduction to the Study of Renaissance Art’, Meaning in the Visual Arts (New York, Doubleday, 1955), p. 28. 4 It will be seen that this internalized code called culture functions as cultural capital owing to the fact that, being unequally distributed, it secures profits of distinction. The sense of familiarity in no way excludes the ethnocentric misunderstanding which results from applying the wrong code. Thus, Michael Baxandall’s work in historical ethnology enables us to measure all that separates the perceptual schemes that now tend to be applied to Quattrocento paintings and those which their immediate addressees applied. The ‘moral and spiritual eye’ of Quattrocento man, that is, the set of cognitive and evaluative dispositions which were the basis of his perception of the world and his perception of pictorial representation of the world, differs radically from the ‘pure’ gaze (purified, first of all, of reference to economic value) with which the modern cultivated spectator looks at works of art. As the contracts show, the clients of Filippo Lippi, Domenico Ghirlandaio or Piero della Francesca were concerned to get ‘value for money’. They approached works of art with the mercantile dispositions of a businessman who can calculate quantities and prices at a glance, and they applied some surprising criteria of appreciation, such as the expense of the colours, which sets gold and ultramarine at the top of the hierarchy. The artists, who shared this world view, were led to include arithmetical and geometrical devices in their compositions so as to flatter this taste for measurement and calculation; and they tended to exhibit the technical virtuosity which, in this context, is the most visible evidence of the quantity and quality of the labour provided; M. Baxandall, Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy: A Primer in the Social History of Pictorial Style (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1972). 3 popular photography or kitsch—and natural objects. The ‘pure’ gaze is a historical invention linked to the emergence of an autonomous field of artistic production, that is, a field capable of imposing its own norms on both the production and the consumption of its products. 6 An art which, like all PostImpressionist painting, is the product of an artistic intention which asserts the primacy of the mode of representation over the object of representation demands categorically an attention to form which previous art only demanded conditionally. The pure intention of the artist is that of a producer who aims to be autonomous, that is, entirely the master of his product, who tends to reject not only the ‘programmes’ imposed a priori by scholars and scribes, but also— following the old hierarchy of doing and saying—the interpretations superimposed a posteriori on his work. The production of an ‘open work’, intrinsically and deliberately polysemic, can thus be understood as the final stage in the conquest of artistic autonomy by poets and, following in their footsteps, by painters, who had long been reliant on writers and their work of ‘showing’ and ‘illustrating’. To assert the autonomy of production is to give primacy to that of which the artist is master, i. e. , form, manner, style, rather than the ‘subject’, the external referent, which involves subordination to functions even if only the most elementary one, that of representing, signifying, sa ying something. It also means a refusal to recognize any necessity other than that inscribed in the specific tradition of the artistic discipline in question: the shift from an art which imitates nature to an art which imitates art, deriving from its own history the exclusive source of its experiments and even of its breaks with tradition. An art which ever increasingly contains reference to its own history demands to be perceived historically; it asks to be referred not to an external referent, the represented or designated ‘reality’, but to the universe of past and present works of art. Like artistic production, in that it is generated in a field, aesthetic perception is necessarily historical, inasmuch as it is differential, relational, attentive to the deviations (ecarts) which make styles. Like the so-called naive painter who, operating outside the held and its specific traditions remains external to the history of the art, the ‘naive’ spectator cannot attain a specific grasp of works of art which only have meaning—or value—in relation to the specific history of an artistic tradition. The aesthetic disposition demanded by the products of a highly autonomous field of production is inseparable from a specific cultural competence. This historical culture functions as a principle of pertinence which enables one to identify, among the elements offered to the gaze, all the distinctive features and only these, by referring them, consciously or unconsciously, to the 6 See P. Bourdieu, ‘Le marche des biens symboliques’, L’Annee Sociologique, 22 (1973), 49 126; and ‘Outline of a Sociological Theory of Art Perception’, International Social Science Journal, 20 (Winter 1968), 589-612. 4 universe of possible alternatives. This mastery is, for the most part, acquired simply by contact with works of art—that is, through an implicit learning analogous to that which makes it possible to recognize familiar faces without explicit rules or criteria—and it generally remains at a practical level; it is what makes it possible to identify styles, i. e. , modes of expression characteristic of a period, a civilization or a school, without having to distinguish clearly, or state explicitly, the features which constitute their originality. Everything seems to suggest that even among professional valuers, the criteria which define the stylistic properties of the ‘typical works’ on which all their judgements are based usually remain implicit. The pure gaze implies a break with the ordinary attitude towards the world, which, given the conditions in which it is performed, is also a social separation. Orteya y Gasset can be believed when he attributes to modern art a systematic refusal of all that is ‘human’, i. e. , generic, common—as opposed to distinctive, or distinguished—namely, the passions, emotions and feelings which ‘ordinary’ people invest in their ‘ordinary’ lives. It is as if the ‘popular aesthetic’ (the quotation marks are there to indicate that this is an aesthetic ‘in itself’ not ‘for itself’) were based on the affirmation of the continuity between art and life, which implies the subordination of form to function. This is seen clearly in the case of the novel and especially the theatre, where the working-class audience refuses any sort of formal experimentation and all the effects which, by introducing a distance from the accepted conventions (as regards scenery, plot etc. ), tend to distance the spectator, preventing him from getting involved and fully identifying with the characters (I am thinking of Brechtian ‘alienation’ or the disruption of plot in the nouveau roman). In contrast to the detachment and disinterestedness which aesthetic theory regards as the only way of recognizing the work of art for what it is, i. e. , autonomous, selbstandig, the ‘popular aesthetic’ ignores or refuses the refusal of ‘facile’ involvement and ‘vulgar’ enjoyment, a refusal which is the basis of the taste for formal experiment. And popular judgements of paintings or photographs spring from an ‘aesthetic’ (in fact it is an ethos) which is the exact opposite of the Kantian aesthetic. Whereas, in order to grasp the specificity of the aesthetic judgement, Kant strove to distinguish that which pleases from that which gratifies and, more generally, to distinguish disinterestedness, the sole guarantor of the specifically aesthetic quality of contemplation, from the interest of reason which defines the Good, working-class people expect every image to explicitly perform a function, if only that of a sign, and their judgements make reference, often explicitly, to the norms of morality or agreeableness. Whether rejecting or praising, their appreciation always has an ethical basis. Popular taste applies the schemes of the ethos, which pertain in the ordinary circumstances of life, to legitimate works of art, and so performs a systematic reduction of the things of art to the things of life. The very seriousness (or 5 naivety) which this taste invests in fictions and representations demonstrates a contrario that pure taste performs a suspension of ‘naive’ involvement which is one dimension of a ‘quasi-ludic’ relationship with the necessities of the world. Intellectuals could be said to believe in the representation—literature, theatre, painting—more than in the things represented, whereas the people chiefly expect representations and the conventions which govern them to allow them to believe ‘naively’ in the things represented. The pure aesthetic is rooted in an ethic, or rather, an ethos of elective distance from the necessities of the natural and social world, which may take the form of moral agnosticism (visible when ethical transgression becomes an artistic parti pris) or of an aestheticism which presents the aesthetic disposition as a universally valid principle and takes the bourgeois denial of the social world to its limit. The detachment of the pure gaze cannot be dissociated from a general disposition towards the world which is the paradoxical product of conditioning by negative economic necessities—a life of ease—that tends to induce an active distance from necessity. Although art obviously offers the greatest scope to the aesthetic disposition, there is no area of practice in which the aim of purifying, refining and sublimating primary needs and impulses cannot assert itself, no area in which the stylization of life, that is, the primacy of forms over function, of manner over matter, does not produce the same effects. And nothing is more distinctive, more distinguished, than the capacity to confer aesthetic status on objects that are banal or even ‘common’ (because the ‘common’ people make them their own, especially for aesthetic purposes), or the ability to apply the principles of a ‘pure’ aesthetic to the most everyday choices of everyday life, e. g. , in cooking, clothing or decoration, completely reversing the popular disposition which annexes aesthetics to ethics. In fact, through the economic and social conditions which they presuppose, the different ways of relating to realities and fictions, of believing in fictions and the realities they simulate, with more or less distance and detachment, are very closely linked to the different possible positions in social space and, consequently, bound up with the systems of dispositions (habitus) characteristic of the different classes and class fractions. Taste classifies, and it classifies the classifier. Social subjects, classified by their classifications, distinguish themselves by the distinctions they make, between the beautiful and the ugly, the distinguished and the vulgar, in which their position in the objective classifications is expressed or betrayed. And statistical analysis does indeed show that oppositions similar in structure to those found in cultural practices also appear in eating habits. The antithesis between quantity and quality, substance and form, corresponds to the opposition—linked to different distances from necessity—between the taste of necessity, which favours the most ‘filling’ and most economical foods, and the taste of liberty or luxury—which shifts the 6 emphasis to the manner (of presenting, serving, eating etc. ) and tends to use stylized forms to deny function. The science of taste and of cultural consumption begins with a transgression that is in no way aesthetic: it has to abolish the sacred frontier which makes legitimate culture a separate universe, in order to discover the intelligible relations which unite apparently incommensurable ‘choices’, such as preferences in music and food, painting and sport, literature and hairstyle. This barbarous reintegration of aesthetic consumption into the world of ordinary consumption abolishes the opposition, which has been the basis of high aesthetics since Kant, between the ‘taste of sense’ and the ‘taste of reflection’, and between facile pleasure, pleasure reduced to a pleasure of the senses, and pure pleasure, pleasure purified of pleasure, which is predisposed to become a symbol of moral excellence and a measure of the capacity for sublimation which defines the truly human man. The culture which results from this magical division is sacred. Cultural consecration does indeed confer on the objects, persons and situations it touches, a sort of ontological promotion akin to a transubstantiation. Proof enough of this is found in the two following quotations, which might almost have been written for the delight of the sociologist: ‘What struck me most is this: nothing could be obscene on the stage of our premier theatre, and the ballerinas of the Opera, even as naked dancers, sylphs, sprites or Bacchae, retain an inviolable purity. 7 ‘There are obscene postures: the stimulated intercourse which offends the eye. Clearly, it is impossible to approve, although the interpolation of such gestures in dance routines does give them a symbolic and aesthetic quality which is absent from the intimate scenes the cinema daily flaunts before its spectators’ eyes . . . As for the nude scene, what can one say, except that it is brief and theatrically not very effective? I will not say it is chaste or innocent, for nothing commercial can be so described. Let us say it is not shocking, and that the chief objection is that it serves as a box-office gimmick. . . . In Hair, the nakedness fails to be symbolic. 8 The denial of lower, coarse, vulgar, venal, servile—in a word, natural— enjoyment, which constitutes the sacred sphere of culture, implies an affirmation of the superiority of those who can be satisfied with the sublimated, refined, disinterested, gratuitous, distinguished pleasures forever closed to the profane. That is why art and cultural consumption are predisposed, consciously and deliberately or not, to fulfil a social function of legitimating social differences. Translated by Richard Nice 7 8 O. Merlin, ‘Mlle. Thibon dans la vision de Marguerite’, Le Monde, 9 December 1965. F. Chenique, ‘Hair est-il immoral? ’ Le Monde, 28 January 1970. 7

Easyjet free essay sample

The aim of this report is to provide a detailed analysis of the viability of Easyjet’s current business model in the highly competitive airline industry. Easyjet’s critical success factor is built around its leading market position in European convenient airports, low fares, and exceptional customer orientated services. However, the successful growth of EasyJet has brought it into direct competition with Legacy Carriers and similar Low Cost Airlines. This Report has been divided into three sections, the first section analyses the business model using the four-box framework: Customer Value Proposition, Profit Formula, Key resources and Key processes. Easyjet’s customer value proposition is based on providing low fares with customer orientated services using key resources and processes such as standardized fleets and online booking systems to maintain its cost structure which is a crucial component of its profit formula. Together with this, to maximise revenue, a number of methods such as sophisticated yield management techniques are in place. The second section analyses the dependencies and constraints of the business model. Easyjet’s business continuity to an extent depends on IT systems, Processes at the London Luton Airport and Markets where customers value low price and quality at the same time. Macroeconomic activities outside its control such as industry consolidation, weakened consumer confidence, inflationary pressure, competition, regulatory intervention, airport charges, and the rising cost of fuel are the constraints that disrupt the viability of their business model. The third section provides resolutions to Easyjet’s current problems. Airport charges are increasing. For instance, Spain and Italy have witnessed a rise of 10. 9%, currently. This has been coupled with an increased competitive pressure from flag carriers in primary airports. To avoid these threats, a solution of moving to secondary airports within closer proximity to their primary counterparts has been examined in detail. 1 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis 1. The Business Model of EasyJet 1. 1 Theory The concept of Business Model has been identified by Johnson (2010, p. 22) as â€Å"a representation of how business creates and delivers value both for the customers and the company†. He introduced a four-box business model framework, which includes four key elements: Customer Value Proposition (CVP), Profit Formula, Key Resources and Key Processes. CVP is described as how a company creates value for a given set of customers at a given price. While, Profit Formula outlines how a company identifies its assets, cost structures, margins and resource velocity to create value for itself and shareholders. On the other hand, Key resources and processes form part of the operational model, they are the assets used by the organisation to deliver value to its customers and its business, they include employees, products, technology, brand product development, business rules and behavioural norms (Johnson, 2010, pp. 24-46). 1. 2 Easyjet’s Business Development In 1995, EasyJet was set up as a Low Cost Carrier (LCC) drawing on the business model from the American LCC– Southwest. This was due to the fact that back in those times, the European market was deregulated and low price could drive up the demand of air travel (IMD International, 2002). Compared with legacy airlines, it served passengers the same routes but charged cheaper fares, making travel by airplanes much more affordable for the masses. (Jones, 2005) Stelio Haji-Ioannou, EasyJet’s founder announced that the company’s business principle was â€Å"No frills, No extra†. (Jones, 2005, p. 3) This meant that EasyJet could maximize its revenues, avoiding extra expenses such as travel agents’ commissions and free food/drinks. For the former it focused on direct sales over telephone bookings. Figure 1 highlights the important differences of the four key elements of Business Model Framework between Legacy Airlines and EasyJet. 2 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis Figure 1: The EasyJet’s business model compared with legacy airlines at its beginning stage Legacy Airlines Provide high quality and Provide low fare with no frills convenient service to passenger to primary airports with with one package price Customer Value Proposition EasyJet punctual, convenient, and safe flights. ? High fares ? Low fare ? Travel agents – adds on Profit Formula ? Direct sales (telephone and ? High direct costs and high overheads ? High unit margins ? Medium resource velocity website booking) ? Maximize possible revenue from each flight ? Cost structure (lower administrative and overhead cost) ? High resource velocity ? High load factor ? Market regulation ? Market deregulation ? Primary Airports ? Single type of plane ? Well trained staff ? Smaller Airport ? Brand Key Resources ? Online system (lower cost ? High quality service and better information management) ? Sub contract system Key Processes ? Medium ? Reserved Boarding ? Standardized maintenance procedures ? Rapid turn around ? Point to point services ? Non reserved boarding Source: Johnson (2010) Jones (2005) In November 2000, EasyJet announced to float on the London stock exchange at a price of 310p, valuing the company at ? 777 million. Stelio (2000) stated that this move was an exciting moment in the development of EasyJet and aimed to help EasyJet expand its capacity by purchasing 32 new 737700 Boeing jets. Moreover to expand its size rapidly, EasyJet used mergers and acquisitions as a key strategy. In 2002, the company purchased low-cost airline Go (initially set up by British Airways) for 3 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis ?374 million. With this acquisition, EasyJet combined its fleet of 35 aircrafts with Go’s 27 aircrafts, and started to operate on 89 routes between 36 airports in Europe. The aggressive expansion of fleet and routes enabled EasyJet to replace Ryanair as the biggest low-cost airline in Europe. Also, EasyJet bought GB Airways in 2007. EasyJet’s chief executive Andy Harrison is reported to have said that, â€Å"This is an acquisition which both strengthens our customer offering at London Gatwick, our biggest base with an attractive catchment area, and allows us to fully capitalise on the potential of the airport through a larger number of slots. † (BBC, 2007) 1. 3 EasyJet’s Current Business Model 1. 3. 1 Customer Value Proposition (CVP) Rae (2001) stated that EasyJet’s mission was to serve customers with low price and safe flights. It is important for EasyJet to ensure safe flights for passengers because people might be concerned about whether the low price covers safety. As a result, for CVP, EasyJet provides low fares with no frills, delivers passengers to the primary airports as legacy airlines and high safety guarantee. Having realised different customers have different demands on destinations and travelling time, EasyJet segmented its destinations into two categories which are business and leisure. The business destinations are such as Glasgow where most people usually go for a short stay for business reasons, while, leisure destinations such as Palma are where people usually go for a long stay. On the other hand, with regards to flight time, EasyJet segments the time according to the two destination segments. Weekdays, early mornings and early evening flights are reserved for business passengers. Whereas, weekends, midday and late evening ones are for leisure ad non-business purposes. (Barlow, 2000) Although EasyJet segments its market, it announces to focus more on business people since 2010. EasyJet CEO Carolyn McCall in 2010 stated they were targeting to increase its market share of the business travellers and boost revenues, marking a significant change in strategy for the LCC. (EasyJet, 2010) It launched a flexible fare option which targeted corporate travellers in that year. The campaign included preferential boarding, free hand luggage and flexibility to change flights two hours before departure. â€Å"We do leisure and we do it really well. The business traveller proposition is another kind of product. † (Bloomberg, 2011) At present, the airline industry has become more competitive with big rivals such as Ryanair and British Airways. In some routes, it cannot compete with other LCCs such as Ryanair in terms of price. (BBC, 2013) Thus, it is crucial for EasyJet to provide better customer service to counterbalance its relatively higher prices. As â€Å"customer service could be high-touch (friendly behaviour is cheap)†. (Johnson, 2005, p. 139) 4 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis Figure 2: Overall satisfaction % with EasyJet, 2008-2012 Source: (EasyJet Annual report, 2012) According to Figure 2, the overall customer satisfaction decreased in the year 2010, therefore, EasyJet announced several measures to improve customer satisfaction. As passengers were complaining about the complicated boarding procedures, finally in 2012 EasyJet allocated seating on all its flights. These were approximately more than thousand a day which shorten the boarding times for customers, not affecting the on time departing standards. To provide better customer services, EasyJet asked its staff to concentrate on five promises which are safety first, on your side, a big smile, make it easy and open upfront (EasyJet, 2013) Moreover, in order to attract more customers, EasyJet offers a special Fearless Flyer course which can help those nervous flyers to conquer their fears of flying. In addition to this, EasyJet has benefited a lot from the development of internet. Its user-friendly website is highly efficient and uncluttered, providing users with an open and short booking process, and has now become the top UK website. (Tnooz, 2013) The average time of internet user surfing on EasyJet’s site is the longest time compared to its competitors (Figure 3). Furthermore, EasyJet developed an online check-in system via website and a mobile boarding card. Both are widely used to reduce the operational costs and simplify the boarding process. 5 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis Figure 3: On-site Engagement comparisons in April-June 2013 Source: (SimilarWeb, 2013) However, to keep its key principle of no frills, EasyJet manages its partnership with alliances closely to provide variety of ancillary services. These alliances enable users to make use of services such as Starbucks coffee, travel insurances, car hires, hotel bookings and even charity donations. To avail these services, users have to pay separately. These ancillary earnings also represent a significant part of EasyJet’s supplementary revenues. 1. 3. 2 Key Resources and Key Processes To contribute to its CVP, EasyJet has adjusted its key resources and processes so as to sustain in a highly competitive market. For instance, it keeps the principle of using a single fleet to lower the maintenance costs. At the beginning, EasyJet only used Boeing 737 aircrafts, but in 2002 purchased 120 airbus A319 aircrafts plus 120 options. (EasyJet, 2002) Since then, the Boeing planes have been phased out through wet leasing or sales. Now, EasyJet’s fleet is only from the Airbus A320 family, and is the largest operator of Airbus A319. By using single fleet, same standardized plane, the maintenance cost is relatively lower compared to other airlines that use a mixture of different aircrafts. Apart from using a single fleet, EasyJet uses a young fleet as well. In 2007 EasyJet called on the EU to ban the use of planes which were made before 1990, after 2012. This will ensure the safety of the flights which is EasyJet’s foremost principle. It will also reduce its maintenance cost of aircrafts and improve cost efficiency in terms of fuel. As a result, the average age of EasyJet’s aircraft is just 5 years (Airfleets, 2013) while Southwest’s fleet age is approximately 11. 9 years. (Airfleets, 2013) To ensure safe flights, EasyJet has collaborated with Airbus and Nicarnica Aviation for high altitude testing of AVOID1, a volcanic ash detection technology (EasyJet website, 2011). 1 AVOID: Airborne Volcanic Object Imaging Detector 6 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis To reduce overhead and operating costs, EasyJet adopted a sub-contracting system. Apart from providing an aircraft, pilot, cabin crew, and sales people, rest of the tasks were assigned to subcontractors (Sull, 1999). Moreover, in 2012, EasyJet created a Lean Program to save the budget around ? 35 million in 2013’s financial year. EasyJet used three main strategies to achieve this. Firstly, it optimised the crew cost. As EasyJet engaged with unions, it was difficult for them to lay off employees. Thus, the efficiency of crew planning was required. For example, EasyJet spread times of flights from five to fifteen minutes in order to reduce number of crew from seven to four which helped in lowering costs. (Mohanty, 2013) Moreover, EasyJet drives cost efficiencies through strict controls of overhead costs, procurement processes and improvement of operational performance. (EasyJet, 2012). As staffs are providing services through each step of the way, EasyJet stated that their people are one of their key resources. (EasyJet, 2012) Therefore, it puts more effort in training its staff to guarantee the quality of the services such as punctuality and safety. It has launched apprenticeship schemes to train its successful applicants through an Advanced Apprenticeship in Aeronautical Engineering. (EasyJet, 2012) With its excellent staff and crew, EasyJet has the capability to provide quality services. To ensure the improvement of services, EasyJet rewards its employees based on performance only, no seniority system . This means that each employee will be paid differently and this system encourages employee to perform more efficiency (EasyJet, 2013). McCall 2013 explains that EasyJet leads pan-European short-haul network with the highest presence on Europe’s top 100 market pairs. (EasyJet, 2012) It operates routes between primary airports which most people want to fly to, so the unique network is also one of a key resource of EasyJet to build up its competitive advantages. However, it does not recognise the importance of secondary airports in closer proximity that can actually reduce costs without effectively damaging its established clientele. However, to further enhance its network expansion, EasyJet opened new bases in France, UK and Portugal. It has also launched new routes between London -Moscow and also won the rights to fly the last great monopoly route in European aviation between Milan-Linate. At the moment, EasyJet is providing services with 605 routes, 23 bases and 214 aircrafts. (EasyJet, 2012) These key resources and key processes all support EasyJet’s CVP to provide a more differentiated service to customers which in turn generates sufficient profit and satisfaction for the company and its stakeholders. 1. 3. 3 Profit Formula Taking advantage of key resources and key processes towards CVP, EasyJet experienced a steady growth in number of passengers flown over the period 2000-2013, and has achieved more than 60 million passengers by the end of September 2013 (Figure 4). 7 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis Figure 4: Number of passengers in 2000-2013 Source: EasyJet Annual Reports (2000-2013) Figure 4 shows a self-generated graph for the increase in passenger numbers. It identifies EasyJet’s growth rate year on year. 2002 and 2003 witnessed the most dramatic rises in passenger numbers, 60% and 79%, respectively. This was due to EasyJet’s rapid expansion through acquiring small airlines and purchasing new aircrafts. However, after 2008, especially in 2009 and 2013, the growth apparently slowed down as a consequence of the ongoing European Debt Crisis which made negative effect on the business of travel market. EasyJet’s attractions to huge number of passengers mainly depend on its affordable price. This also partially explains why in Figure 5, EasyJet successfully improved its load factor and indicated an upward trend, especially after 2007. Figure 5: EasyJet Load Factor Trend in 2001-2013 Source: EasyJet Annual Reports (2001-2013) Normally, the more passengers and higher the load factor in flights, the more likely an airline will get large revenues. EasyJet’s revenues (Figure 6) mainly base on passenger revenues, which are 8 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis generated by ticket prices multiplying passenger numbers. EasyJet adopts a yield management 2 system to control ticket prices. Figure 6: EasyJet’s Operating Revenues (? million) 2002-2013 Note: 2012 and 2013 passenger revenues and ancillary revenues are not disclosed. Source: EasyJet Annual Reports (2002-2013) The operating revenue contains Passenger revenues and Ancillary revenues. Passenger revenues shared the majority, so operating revenues roughly increased. Ancillary revenues increased gradually with time. Figure 7 below represents the revenue per seat rose steadily in 2008-2012, which implies EasyJet has improved its revenue model over time. Figure 7: Revenue per seat since 2008-2012 Source: EasyJet Annual Report (2012) 2 Yield management explains why customers pay different prices with same products and services. In EasyJet, the earlier the passengers book a ticket, the less they will pay. 9 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis EasyJet focuses on cost leadership, so apart from the revenue model, cost structure is also significant to the business model. In order to investigate the efficiency of the company, Figure 8 analyses its operating costs excluding fuels, while total cost by category is presented in Appendix 4. EasyJet’s main costs were airport and ground handling charges, together counting for 29% by average, and then followed by fuel price counting for 25% of total operating cost. The rises in airport charges are now a concern. (Mohanty, 2013) Figure 8: EasyJet’s Operating Costs excluding fuel charges from 2002 to 2013, ? million Note: Operating costs includes ground handling, Airport charges, Navigation, Crew, Maintenance, Advertising, Selling, Marketing and other costs, excluding fuel charges Source: EasyJet annual reports (2002-2013) Figure 9 compares the growth rate of operating revenues and operating costs. In the recent five years, the growth rate of operating revenues was smaller than what it was prior to 2008, however, relatively more stable. While the growth rate of operating costs generally decreased, showing an improvement of cost disciplines. The little sudden increase in costs in 2012-2013 was because of higher airport charges. Figure 9: EasyJet Operating performance from 2002-2013 Source: EasyJet Annual Reports (2003-2013) 10 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis Based on the above analysis of operating revenue model and cost structures, Figure 10 outlines the trends of operating profit in the years 2002 to 2013. Figure 10: EasyJet Operating profit3 2002-2013 ? million Source: EasyJet annual reports (2002-2013) In general, EasyJet has improved its operating profit to 500 Million in 2013, 5 times as much as in 2003. The operating profit decline in 2008 and 2009 was affected by oil price crisis, but it increased steadily afterwards. Figure 11: EasyJet Profit before Tax Margin from 2004-2013 Note: In 2008- 2009, oil price crisis Source: EasyJet Analysts’ presentation (2013) Ryanair Annual Reports (2008-2013) Figure 11 reveals the trend of Profit before Tax Margin (PBT Margin)4, indicating that EasyJet was undergoing profitability in past years and also possibly, this trend will be continued in the future. The 3 Operating profit is calculated by total revenue (passenger revenue + ancillary revenue) minus operating costs including fuel and ownership costs. 11 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis development of PBT margin is out of better cost control, improvement of revenue model, and continuous improvements in yield management systems. Margin is very useful when comparing companies in similar industries. Therefore, Figure 11 also compares EasyJet PBT Margin and Ryanair Operating Margins5. They almost had the same margin pattern, but Ryanair’s margins were always higher, which built a competitive competency in the company’s cost management and revenues. This is one of the main reasons why EasyJet cannot set lower prices on the same routes than Ryanair. In order to see how well the company can generate a return on the accumulation of assets, it is important to identify return on assets (ROA)6and return on capital employed (ROCE)7 ratios. Figure 12 shows total assets and ROA for the years of 2001 to 2013, and Figure 13 represents the development of ROCE during 2008 to 2013. Figure 12: Total Assets and relevant ROA from 2001-2013 Source: EasyJet Annual Reports (2001-2013) 4 PBT Margin is a companys earnings before tax as a percentage of total sales or revenues. The higher the pre-tax profit margin, the more profitable the company. 5 Operating Margin represents operating profit as a percentage of total revenues. 6 ROA is the percentage figure describing how efficient management is at using its assets to generate earnings, calculated by dividing a companys annual earnings by its total assets. 7 ROCE is a financial ratio that measures a companys profitability and the efficiency with which its capital is employed, calculated by dividing a company’s Earnings before Interest and Tax (EBIT) by Capital Employed. 12 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis The total assets roughly increased over time. Although, ROA was less than 10%, it had increased steadily after reaching the lowest points in 2009 and reached a peak in 2013. Figure 13: ROCE (including operating leases adjustment) in years of 2007-2013 Source: EasyJet Annual Reports (2008-2013) With the introduction of a dividend policy and the needs to maintain a strong balance sheet, EasyJet introduced ROCE as a key performance indicator and â€Å"The director of the airline was paid on the basis of the performance of ROCE † ( Mohanty, 2013, p. 11). The board targeted at an average ROCE of 12% through the five years planning cycle since 2011(EasyJet, 2012). However, in Figure 15, only the year of 2013 achieved that target. Nonetheless, ROCE has continually increased since 2009, which implies efficient utilization of capital employed by EasyJet, and less risks for shareholders to invest in. In particular, ROCE leaped from 11. 3% in 2012 to 17. 4% in 2013, indicating a stronger performance of EasyJet. In conclusion, EasyJet shows a strong performance in terms of revenue growth, capital discipline, return improvements and operational excellence. However, its profit is constrained by such uncontrollable costs as oil prices, airport charges and the exchange rate. Besides, given that the airline industry is highly competitive, the growth rate of passengers and revenues may not be able to boost further as the previous levels. Thus, further analysis of EasyJet’s business situation and feasible solutions to its existing problems will be carried out further in the report. 1. 4 A Circle of Success In a nut shell, all of the four elements come together to create competitive success for an organisation. Interacting with each other, they significantly affect a firm’s business model. Because of their complementary nature, failure in one could break down the whole model, resulting in organisational failure, altogether. To maintain success, EasyJet uses a combination of these elements together. Key 13 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis Resources and Processes are linked to its Customer Value Proposition which in turn are related to its financial success. For instance, its standardised and young fleet together with continuous improvement of facilities ensures flight safety, punctuality of service and high brand recognition. This in turn results in higher profitability inherent in its profit formula. Together with this, using a no frills approach enables them to concentrate on maximising seat revenues with supplementary support from ancillary revenues. Their main success lies through a strong network in Europe, facilitating both business and leisure passengers. This in turn again results in overall customer satisfaction and through that sufficient financial viability. EasyJet shows a strong performance in terms of revenue growth, capital discipline, return improvements and operational excellence. However, currently they have started to face a lot of complications. The industry is highly saturated together with high competitive pressures and increased airport charges may not be able to boost further growth of passengers and revenues. To maintain success even in these difficult times, it may be necessary to suggest some minor changes in their business model after rectifying the current problems in the next section. 14 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis 2. Dependencies and Constraints 2. 1 Internal and External Dependencies According to Philips and Czaban (2013, P. 61) Business models create particular dependencies that influence competitive success†. Dependencies could be internal or external to the business, some primary (strong) to the success of the business while others are secondary (weak) to the success of the business. Primary internal dependencies arise from the organisations resources, activity systems, control systems and competence, on the other hand, primary external dependencies arises from the product, service and customers (Philips and Czaban, 2013). 2. 1. 1 Internal Dependencies EasyJet creates and captures value via its activity system; some of its activities are done in-house while others are sub-contracted to third party representatives. EasyJet’s business continuity to an extent depends on IT systems and Processes at the London Luton Airport and other designated business areas. Network disruption8 such as loss of systems and access to facilities would have an adverse effect on productivity, reputational and financial performance (EasyJet, 2012). In October 2013, thousands of EasyJet’s passengers faced lengthy delays and cancellations as a result of a Europe-wide system failure†. Gatwick airport faced the worst disruption with 14 flights to and from London Airport cancelled. The technical problem prevented passengers from booking and using online check-in facilities. Stranded passengers were left with no other option but to lodge into a nearby hotel or spend a night at the airport. Passengers booked on the cancelled flight were eligible for compensation, they had the option to either re-book a ticket or claim a refund (Reynolds, 2013). In the first half of 2013, EasyJet cancelled 436 flights which appears to be 12% higher than 2012. Disruption cost has risen by ? 1. 4 million due to the increased pressure from the EU261 passenger compensation payment scheme; in addition, the cost of de-icing created by bad weather is ? 6. 3 million higher. This unforeseen circumstance has an adverse effect on EasyJets brand reputational, operational and hence, financial performance (EasyJet, 2013). A decent proportion of EasyJets activity system depends upon third-party9 service providers. EasyJet is in a contract with third party representatives that represent a significant proportion of its cost base and operational activities. The inability to effectively manage third partys performance, loss of 8 Network disruptions are caused by epidemics/pandemics, forces of nature (extreme weather, volcanic ash etc) and acts of terrorism 9 Third party suppliers are any or all owners/providers of the following: hotels, apartments, villas and other accommodation; transfer services; insurance; car rental; or any other travel services listed on the Website. 15 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis contract, failure to re-new contract or negotiate favourable terms would have a negative effect on its future operating cost (EasyJet, 2013). 2. 1. 2 External Dependencies EasyJets external dependencies come from its product/service mix and its customers. EasyJet depends on markets where customers value low price and quality at the same time. Easy jet’s differentiated service is one of its critical success factors. However, Incumbents are beginning to adopt the low-cost business model which appears to be a threat on its value proposition (EasyJet, 2013). The successful growth of EasyJet has brought it into direct competition with Legacy Carriers and Charter Operators. In October 2011, Legacy carrier British Airways (BA) reduced its fares by up to 20 per cent on its short-haul routes from London Gatwick airport. British Airways also introduced one way flights to nine European destinations (Malaga, Amsterdam, Bologna, Bordeaux, Verona, Marseilles, Naples, Turin and Genoa) with prices starting from just ? 39. The introduction of cheaper fares by British Airways and other Legacy Carriers poses a threat on EasyJet’s differentiated service (Mawer, 2011). LCC compete mainly on cost, there is minimal or no customer loyalty since most passengers are price sensitive and would travel with whichever airline that have the lowest fare with reliable services. LCC have been criticized because they use sophisticated yield management; they price the most cost sensitive item as low as possible then charge extras for additional services (McCoster, 2003). Figure 14: Price comparisons for flights from London in April 2013 Source: BBC News (2013) 16 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis Due to sophisticated yield management techniques used by LCCs, tickets purchased few days before departure are not cheaper than those available from Legacy Carriers. BA’s fare on the London to Barcelona route appears lower than EasyJet for most of the period. Customers who purchased tickets six weeks before the flight and few days before take-off got the best deals (Gornal, 2013). The competition in the European Airline is becoming overwhelming, Legacy carriers are beginning to adopt the low cost business model are competing on with LCC on short haul routes. According to Bloomberg (2013) BA is looking to expand its capacity by 8 per cent in the next two years, aided by introducing short-haul jets to fly short haul routes. EasyJet responded quickly to competition in the market by offering flexible fare 10 options to woo business travellers away from Legacy carriers. However, the price of the ticket is more expensive than EasyJet’s normal fare: travelling from Gatwick to Malaga between 5th and 12th December’s return flight’s quote came up as ? 476. 98 (Mawer, 2011). Figure 15 shows EasyJet and Ryanairs initial ticket fare appears lower than BA’s fare; however, after including the cost of additional services, BA’S ticket was ? 37. 48 cheaper than EasyJet and ? 50. 68 cheaper than Ryanair (Mawer, 2011). Figure 15: London-Malaga Fare Comparisons Source: Daily Mail (2011) British Airways provides free seat reservation, inflight tea and coffee, debit card usage and holdbaggage allowance weighing up to 23kg, which is 3kg more than EasyJet’s standard allowance. Sport 10 Flexi fare option allows business customers passengers make unlimited date changes, the price of the ticket includes free hold-luggage, priority boarding with no booking fees 17 BMAN72801 EasyJet’s Business Model Analysis equipment’s are also free if it is part of the checked baggage allowance. On the other hand, EasyJet’s passenger would have to pay ? 22 for priority boarding, ? 8 debit card fee, ? 10 for inflight tea and coffee, ? 50 for sport equipment’s on a return trip (Daily Mail, 2011). 2. 2 Constraints EasyJet’s success is created by its business model and its ability to control the assumed dependencies. Dependencies come from organisational routines and resources. It is evident that an organisation’s constraints are derived from its dependencies. A constraint is anything that limits a company from reaching its goal. Philips and Czaban (2013) defines constraints as the casual forces at work that disrupts the viability of a business model, thus, restricts the business in getting the right level of investment to grow and maintain its business activities . In a nut shell, constraints slow down volume. According to