Carlito's Way by Edwin Torres Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Carlito's Way by Edwin Torres - Term Paper Example According to these sentiments, success is never an absolute factor but a variable factor that depends on personal point and according to the views of an observer. The book Carlito’s way tells a thrilling story of a gang superstar by the name Carlito Brigante. According to the author, this character has gone through all dimensions in the life of a true gangster. The writer describes the life of Carlito through a series of conflicts that are inspired by his life in Harlem and the lives of his colleagues. Carlito goes through a series of trouble with law enforcers and his fellow gang members. The writer uses these conflicts and events to portray the life of an ordinary hustler in the USA. This paper provides a criminological-forensic and psychological assessment of the book in relation to the life of the main character and the author’s position. According the author’s account on the life of Carlito, it is evident that he is a psychopath. According to Cohen, psychopa th is a personality disorder (1965). The criminologist adds that psychopaths are emotionless criminals who have no feelings for other people. In addition, psychopaths have no any respect for social laws. Being emotionless also indicates that psychopaths are fearless persons who get involved in crime without considering the possible outcomes or punishment. Such individuals are satisfied by causing pain and suffering on their victims. According to the author’s chronological account of Carlito, it is evident that he was a psychopath. Carlito fits in all categories of psychopaths according to criminology literature. Firstly, Carlito is a primary psychopath; this is because he does not respond positively to punishment. According to the book, Carlito was a jailbird. He did not respond to any form of punishment accorded to him by the law enforcers. Carlito was in and out of prisons for cases related to drug trafficking assault and robbery (Torres, 1994). The numerous times he was ar rested did not alter his involvement with crime. Carlito cannot only be considered as a primary psychopath but also a secondary psychopath. This is demonstrated by his ability to take risks in crime. According to the author, Carlito was a true risk taker. He lived a lavish life that required him to have a lot of money. The main reason for his continued involvement with crime was to support his lavish lifestyle financially. The risk taking aspect is demonstrated by the fact that his determination was not hindered by possible risks such as arrest, or being killed by a member of a rival gang. Finally, Carlito can be described as a charismatic psychopath, this aspect is demonstrated by his influence among members of his gang and other people that he dealt with. Carlito was an irresistible person who was an attractive and a charming liar. He used these characters to influence and manipulate his victims for his personal gains. His manipulative attitude is demonstrated by the fact that he was a popular pimp. Most readers who have previously read the book usually have opposing views concerning factors that influenced Carlito into crime. However, an objective analysis of the book proves that there were three main reasons that influenced Carlito into crime. Firstly, Carlito engaged into crime for economic reasons. His involvement with crime was to provide finances required to support his lavish lifestyle. Secondly, Carlito had an irresistible urge to commit crime for self-satisfaction. This explains why he was rearrested five hours for assault just a few hours of being released from a five-year prison sentence. Carlito also had a rebel attitude that inspired him to commit crime. This attitude made him to be always against the law and the country’

Robots in industry Essay Example for Free

Robots in industry Essay Robots are needed in industry. They bring many benefits to workers as well as company owners by taking care of difficult and dangerous jobs and by being cost effective. They constitute another tool in manufacturing sites that contain, for example, advanced assembly lines. The concept of a robot goes back as far as the Egyptians time. Early ideas about the use of robots presented problems in terms of their functions to society and the way in which they affected the opportunities of skilled workers. However, robots managed to stay in industry for good. Presently, single purpose systems, like welding or palletizing robots, are dominating the market. At the beginning of 1998, analysts estimated the robotics industry at $8 billion worldwide. Further developments in the robotics field will be driven by the development in related industries such as the industry of sensors and the industry of chips. Future customers will probably ask for robots with more autonomous capabilities. This idea is driving robot-manufacturing companies to consider new developmental areas in the field of robotics. In general, the sections below will basically explore, in order, the concept of a robot this project is concerned with, the history of robots in industry, a more detailed study on the robots market and the nations that use them, the current status of the industry, and possible future trends. The word robot was coined by Karel Capek who wrote a play entitled R. U. R. or Rossums Universal Robots back in 1921. The base for this word comes from the Czech word robotnik which means worker. In his play, machines modeled after humans had great power but without common human failings. In the end these machines were used for war and eventually turned against their human creators. But even before that the Greeks made movable statues that were the beginnings of what we would call robots. For the most part, the word Robot today means any man-made machine that can perform work or other actions normally performed by humans. Most robots today are used in factories to build products such as cars and electronics. Others are used to explore underwater and even on other planets. With these three components, robots can interact and affect their environment to become useful. Since robots are used mainly in manufacturing, we see their impact in the products we use every day. Usually this results in a cheaper product. Robots are also used in cases where it can do a better job than a human such as surgery where high precision is a benefit. And, robots are used in exploration in dangerous places such as in volcanoes, which allows us to learn without endangering ourselves. Advantage of robots With the advancements of robotics, people would have the ability to create a robotic version of themselves by uploading their conscience (brain) to a robotic body. By no longer residing in a carbon-based body, repairs and maintenance could be easily improved, leading to near immortality. Also, with intelligent robots at our command, humans could let robots do everything for them, giving people freedom from mundane or hazardous tasks, and creating more leisure time. Robots can do things we humans just dont want to do, and usually do it cheaper. Robots can do things more precise than humans and allow progress in medical science and other useful advances. Disadvantages of robots As with any machine, robots can break and even cause disaster. They are powerful machines that we allow to control certain things. When something goes wrong, terrible things can happen. Luckily, this is rare because robotic systems are designed with many safety features that limit the harm they can do. Theres also the problem of evil people using robots for evil purposes. This is true today with other forms of technology such as weapons and biological material. Of course, robots could be used in future wars. This could be good or bad. If humans perform their aggressive acts by sending machines out to fight other machines, that would be better than sending humans out to fight other humans. Teams of robots could be used to defend a country against attacks while limiting human casualties. Either way, human nature is the flawed component thats here to stay. Job Displacement Some people are concerned that robots will reduce the number of jobs and kick people out of their jobs. This is almost never the case. The net affect of advanced technology such as robots (or cars, electric drills and other machines) is that humans become more productive. Disadvantages of continuing advancements on Robotics Continuing advancements on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, really one in the same, poses many potential hazards. Due to the advantages of silicon-based over carbon-based life forms, they could replace or enslave us, due to superior strength, speed, and lack of morals inherent with AI among many other things. For one, they would be able to self-replicate, which would make them nearly impossible to stop. With their built-in intelligence, they could make duplicate upon duplicate of themselves in a short amount of time. Because they would be able to think, Robots would be tremendously more dangerous than nuclear weapons. Due to their supposedly unbiased reasoning and logic, robots could easily be placed in positions of power, thereby disrupting the political scene worldwide. If robots could think to do things for themselves, then they would take over skilled and unskilled labor jobs, leaving millions jobless. Robots pose a serious quandary in their classification. The Future Of Robotics The population of robots is growing rapidly. This growth is lead by Japan that has almost twice as many robots as the USA. All estimates suggest that robots will play an ever-increasing role in modern society. They will continue to be used in tasks were danger, repetition, cost, and precision prevents humans from performing. Some Definitions Of The Word Robot And Other Relevant Words: Robot Or automaton, mechanical device designed to perform the work generally done by a human being. The Czech dramatist Karel Capek popularized the expression [from Czech, = compulsory labor] in his play R. U. R. (Rossums Universal Robots), produced in Prague in 1921. Modern robotics has produced innumerable devices that replace human personnel and the term robot is used to designate much of this machinery. It is used frequently in fiction, referring to a self-controlling machine shaped like a human being. Robot A mechanical device for performing a task which might otherwise be done by a human, e. g. spraying paint on cars. Robotics Science and technology of general purpose, programmable machine systems. Contrary to the popular fiction image of robots as ambulatory machines of human appearance capable of performing almost any task, most robotic systems are anchored to fixed positions in factories where they perform a flexible, but restricted, number of operations in computer-aided manufacturing. Such a system minimally contains a computer to control operations and effecters, devices that perform the desired work. Additionally, it might have sensors and auxiliary equipment or tools under its control. Some robots are relatively simple mechanical machines that perform a dedicated task such as welding or spray painting. Other more complex, multitask systems use sensory systems to gather information needed to control its work. A robots sensors might provide tactile feedback, so that it can pick up objects and place them properly, without damaging them. Another robot sensory system might include a form of machine vision that can detect flaws in manufactured goods. Some robots used to assemble electronic circuit boards can place odd-sized components in the proper location after visually locating positioning marks on the board. The simplest form of mobile robots, used to deliver mail in office buildings or to gather and deliver parts in manufacturing, follow the path of a buried cable or a painted line, stopping whenever their sensors detect an object or person in their path. More complex mobile robots are used in more unstructured environments such as mining. Artificial Intelligence The subfield of computer science concerned with the concepts and methods of symbolic inference by computer and symbolic knowledge representation for use in making inferences. AI can be seen as an attempt to model aspects of human thought on computers. It is also sometimes defined as trying to solve by computer any problem that a human can solve faster. Examples of AI problems are computer vision (building a system that can understand images as well as a human) and natural language processing (building a system that can understand and speak a human language as well as a human). These may appear to be modular, but all attempts so far (1993) to solve them have foundered on the amount of context information and intelligence they seem to require. My Thoughts I think that robots are good and better the workplace to make jobs easier and quicker. Also they can perform dangerous task such as jobs with chemicals. It is better for the employee because they are cheap and can work 24 hrs, but the workers are out of a job. Technology is changing all the time and robots are becoming more and more powerful. We all depend on robots very much and this dependency will grow. But robots can break down or get a virus. But over all I think robots will become better and better.

The Impact Of Branding On Customer Loyalty

The Impact Of Branding On Customer Loyalty Branding is a promise of satisfaction which creates a relationship between consumer and producer. A brandings success depends on how the product has been perceived by its audience. The method and mode of delivery also plays a crucial role in reaching its audience. Branding has established itself to become an important instrument in ensuring the successful growth of a product. The continuous fierce competition among brands has seen a progress in Branding concepts over the decades has made it a relevant part of any product. Numerous studies focused on branding activities and their impact on retention, attainment and loyalty of customers across industries within western countries already exist. (Michael, 2009) It is therefore relevant to research the impact Branding has on customers loyalty in a specific industry in Singapore. This study focuses ultimately on the fast food industry in Singapore. The benefits of applying Branding in the fast food industry are customer loyalty, Consumer t rust and perceived risk to its reputation in-times of crisis (Ko, 2006). This study recommends that fast food outlets in Singapore should concentrate in their branding strategies and rejuvenate their branding activities in order to retain and keep their customers loyal towards a fast food brand, as well as attract new ones. Via an in-depth research of literature and analyzing the perception customers have towards Branding; this paper aims to study the impact of Branding on customers loyalty within the fast food industry in Singapore. Deductive approach and a quantitative methodology of analysis will be used. A set of research questions and objectives were established. The primary sources of data were collected through a physical questionnaire performed in person and online. By evaluating the results, one can understand customers perception towards Branding of a Fast Food name. A total of 200 individuals were approached to participate in the survey, out of which a total of 100 custom ers responded. After the collection of data the SPSS software was used to evaluate the results of the survey. The dimensions that are considered for this study are: 4Ps of Marketing Mix (Product, Place, Pricing and Promotion), customers expectation towards a brand of a fast food outlet which would lead to the customers loyalty towards the fast food outlet. Background of Research The world has evolved so much that both men and women are equally competing in all fields. This is due to the development of technology and globalisation. This does not just apply to technology but also the food industry. Everything is fast moving and demand has populated almost every industry to have products instantly. The food industry is also a victim of such demand that Fast Food has taken over the world by storm back in early 90s in Singapore and has been a ever growing industry in Singapore. Such fast food is sought after in a country where 78% is working population. (Ministry of Manpower, Singapore Workforce, 2011)The younger generation of Singapore has also fallen prey to the fast food culture in Singapore. There are over 376 household fast food franchises operating successfully in Singapore (Economies Survey Series, 2011). This also brings about the fierce competition between the fast food giants in gaining market shares. Brands of such fast food outlets have become popular and competing against each other to be the No. 1 brand for fast food in Singapore. Fast food industry is dominated by foreign brands (Local Fast Food in Singapore, 2012) It requires the fast food giants to look for strategies to better compete with their competitors and attract customers on a consistent basis. Maintaining and upholding their brand image to retain customers are the main challenges the industry is facing. One of the only ways to differentiate one another is to brand themselves uniquely to attract and retain customers. Branding has influence and have a perceived value towards customers. Timeline has also created such Branding image on products. (Tanja, 2008) Authenticity and tradition of a Brand is also considered when timeline comes in. If a fast food brand is able to survive the period with new brands popping day in, day out; then the brand is looked upon as sustainable on its own as it has already built upon its original grounds and managed to communicate it to the customers. (Michael, 2009) Branding has created a competitive atmosphere among fast food names in the world. All names trying to gain recognition has turned their attention to Branding strategies in order to improve sales. (Steve, 2003) Typically, consistent promotion and updating customers of their latest product via mass media has been the way fast food industry has been embarking on and in attracting its customers. This has been one of their strategies in pulling customers towards them. However the industrys players have realized that not only keeping the customers updated about their products is important but winning customers loyalty is equally important. Mark and Glynn (2010) have claimed that brand quality and reputation influences customer value and customer loyalty. Businesses should deliver a brand image that customers want as a tool to differentiate their products. Laurence (2012) has mentioned that repetition and consistency are the ingredients of brands that win the memory game. Those who ignore these rules will end up being ignored by customers as well. Therefore branding has been a vital factor that has determine a company doing successful business in the food industry, Thus many of Singapores fast food franchises has turned their attentions to branding which has impact on customer loyalty. Branding effects spread out positively aiding organisations in terms of donations. Fast food outlets have adopted certain societies which run on voluntary funding. Recognition is also gained through this manner where customers identify the respective fast food brand to be society conscious. (Giep and Moriarty, 2008) Supporting environmental friendly campaigns has also made audience have a second look at such fast food brands. To think that fast food names are usually unhealthy but franchisers have made a point by embedding that health factors are also being looked into while their products are being produced with less harm done to surroundings. Such efforts are made known to the customers via their Branding strategies. (Eric, 2012) The marketing mix which consists of Product, Place, Price and Promotion has a very crucial role in what is perceived by customers. Being the product it is supposed to satisfy the customer needs. But the product should be beyond satisfaction which should create trust and loyalty develops. Subsequently the place where items are acquired should be reachable to its audience making it friendly. Any item which is beyond reach is considered unfriendly. (Evert, 2002) In Singapore Fast Food outlets have their own strategies in reaching out to its targeted audience. Although the mentioned fast food outlets has already well established in their country of origin, they are circumstances it is not necessary to be the same in Singapore. Asian countries had realised the power of branding rather late and country such as Singapore which depends on foreign investments have also jumped onto the bandwagon to support Branding. For example, A W restaurant which was introduced in Singapore in 1991 ceased from operations in 2003. It was indicated that it was unable to sustain and keep up competition with its rivals within Singapore. (Andrew, 2007) Fierce competition in terms of branding strategies has swallowed its victim in Singapore. The other players were able to create the loyalty in their brand was the factor which A W restaurant was unable to replicate. Other fast food names such as Wendys and Dominos Pizza has re-entered the competition realising the marketing strategies of successful fast food outlets in Singapore. This means that there is space for competitors and the competition is gaining rivalry among the fast food chains. The strategies concerned concentrated on retaining customers and developing a bond between the brand and the customer. At the same time consistent communication with its audience via promotion lets the customers know that the brand keeps in touch with its customers. The bond is deemed as service quality towards its customers. As a result, this type of branding strategies directly influences the perception of customers towards service quality which in turn ensures loyalty. However, just knowing only branding as a crucial factor for doing successful business is not going to be enough for the fast food industry. Before building a successful brand image and increasing the advantages, it is important for fast food businesses to know and understand how the customer evaluates their brand as a base for improving their sales, encouraging people to buy frequency and gaining customer loyalty. Research Philosophy My philosophy in this dissertation is to state the impact of branding which influences customers loyalty to a certain fast food brand in Singapore and how the loyalty towards a brand contributes to the expectations of customers. At the same time how marketing elements create the brands image among customers. I will be also stating the importance of Marketing where trust is born on a brand. Marketing is part of Branding strategy whereby it is the base for building a name and trust. It creates demand for such items where there is competition. Research Objectives The first objective is to explore how marketing elements influence Branding and further stamp out the importance of marketing which has a vital role on Branding. A look at the marketing mix against Branding will give us a clearer picture on how the image of branding is built through time. Not all marketing approaches turns out to be positive for a Brand and to emphasize on the direction of marketing which will eventually built a positive image instead of a negative one as marketing done without any research will lead to disastrous results. Examining the marketing elements lets us learn the direct impact it has on Branding. Another objective of this research is to realise the factors of customers expectations which affect Branding. A study of the factors which influences customers expectation will allow us to extract these factors and study its perks which have direct impact on the way a customer perceives a Brand. This factors comes in any form which will be further siphoned as in which factors are the major stakeholders of customers expectations. From the factors identified, emphasis can be placed on ratings as most important and less important factors which contribute to customers expectations. The last objective of this research is to examine the relationship between Branding and loyalty. The study should give us a macro level and micro level image of the relationship between Branding and customer loyalty. By looking at the Branding image which creates loyalty towards a Brand will let us discover if loyalty towards a Brand is of perception or due to pure Branding effects which creates loyalty. On the other hand if it is the taste of the food made which creates the loyalty towards a fast food brand. This also indirectly reads out if loyalty is imposed by Branding statements or level of satisfaction gained by customers. Research Question The following research questions were raised to guide the research; Q1: Is service quality important than Branding to customers of fast food outlets in Singapore? Q2: What are the benefits to fast food chains applying Branding in Singapore? Q3: Do Branding strategies influence the loyalty of customers towards their favourite fast food name? Q4: Do customers support all the branding tactics of fast food outlets in Singapore? Q5: How effective are fast food branding methods in retaining their customers? Research Structure The study attempts to gather specific information on Fast Food outlets in Singapore and their Branding policies. The collection of data will be carried out through a quantitative methodology approach. From the research questions we crack down on the facts that give importance leading to the objective. Once the objectives are recognised, it creates a flow of deep literature review. The hypothesis will be derived after an in-depth study of the literature materials. Specific tools for analysis will be utilised during the course of the study. Various calculable variables should be identified by utilising the quantitative method. A survey form consisting of multiple questions will be created after a look at literature review. The survey will be in the form of a web-questionnaire. The internet will be used as the basic form of data collection once the questionnaire is tabulated. A review of the data collected will be undertaken with the SPSS software package. Summary Most of the studies on Branding strategies are created and in place with western nations generally. Thus this study has focused on a Asian region which is Singapore. The study relates widely on Branding in the Fast Food industry in Singapore and its impact on customer loyalty. The study looks at the current trends being practiced in the industry and at the same time pointing out the increase of such knowledge in the industry. This also shows the importance being given by the stakeholders to the concept. Branding has become essential to fast food brands. In this study the main objective was to find the relationship between Branding and customer loyalty and how Branding has an impact on customers loyalty in the fast food industry in Singapore. Through the use of the 4 Ps, the study attempts to identify the best way to retain a customer in the fast food industry. Apart from contributing to Branding and customer loyalty from a theoretical point of view the paper also highlights the dimensions of Branding, which becomes a criterion for customers to evaluate how efficient a fast food name is with its Branding outcome. Chapter Two: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction Rapid growth of population has increased the number of patrons turning to fast food outlets to fulfil their daily hunger needs as mentioned. This has intensified the need to differentiate and attract customers in order to sustain and gain market share for fast food outlets hovering in Singapore. Such outlets have to turn to Branding strategies in order to gain a foothold in the market. Thus the design and implementation of Branding methods create trust as well as build a bonding between the fast food name and customers. Bonding in turn creates trust between both. This chapter emphasises on the 3 main literature aspects of the research which are; Concept of Branding, Dimensions of Branding and Customer Loyalty. To start off, Branding history and Branding in Singapore will be analyzed theoretically. At the same time the current progress of Branding trends in Singapore will be highlighted. Subsequently Branding and Fast food industry will be studied. Information of customer loyalty in Singapore will be also discussed. Finally understanding the relation between Branding and the impact on customer loyalty will be looked upon. 2.2 Concept of Branding Geoffrey (2000) has mentioned that Branding is differentiated by providing perceived quality and an ability to perform to changes in customer taste. Rita and Sameena (2009) had identified that Brands are tricky. They are the most important concept which almost all CEOs are very worried about or having difficulty in delivering the actual meaning of Brand. Branding has become hard to tackle. Dunn (2010) has argued that Branding is a complex idea which is demanding and not understood by many businesses. Branding has no time limitations and can be built within a short or a long period. However when it comes to today context, building it in a short time is the target of fast food brands. Successful branding understands the needs and wants of customers and prospects. In order to achieve this, integration of brand strategies through the company at every point of public contact is needed. Brand is something that stays within the hearts and minds of customers, clients and prospects. Some can be influenced whereas some are not possible. Brand is a source of a promise to every customer. Branding is the foundation marketing communication (Laura, 2012) Brand identity is part of Branding. Brand identity needs to be identified before Brand Image is developed. Brand image and Brand identity will shift according to times. Brand image will definitely change due to time and it needs to be refreshed according to time to maintain the image. (Wilson and Ira, 2008). Kapferer (2012) has quoted that brand identity is not based on the latest advertisements seen: it is the sum of all previous contacts with the brand-its inertia. We can understand that brand image is built on time and does not happen overnight. The perception of the product carries weight of the brand image concerning its age and quality as well. 2.3 Dimensions of Branding Brand Actualization has 5 interlinked dimensions. Brand Experience, Brand Community, Brand Culture, Brand Communication and Brand Innovations (Brandxpress, 2005, 5 dimensions in Branding) Figure 1.1: 7 Dimensions of Branding image3374.jpg Muyiwa (2011) has concentrated on the 7 dimensions which he deems important to branding which are Brand Vision, Brand Value Proposition, Brand Positioning, Brand Identity, Brand Behaviour, Brand Communications and Brand Economics. He has mentioned that managers at times discover that branding strategies needs to be evolving in order to be successful. The 7 dimensions examine the principals of Branding from the perspective of an economy. Figure 1.2: Burnett Model This model consists of 4 dimensions with essence which is the brand factor at the centre. The functions describe what the Brand is and what does it carry along with it in terms of the product. The Personality/Image describes the form of imagery people have upon the Brand and affective deposition to the Brand The Source represents what the company is about and their objectives. Lastly the Differences portion explains how different the brand is from the rest and what makes it different from the rest of the competitors. 2.4 Marketing Mix (4Ps) Marketing Mix is considered as a strategy and is a model framework. Marketing mix can be broke down into the 4 Ps which are Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Figure 1.3: 4Ps of Market Mix, (McCarthy, 1960) marketing-mix.gif 2.4.1 Product Rustler (2012) has mentioned that creativity is product. Product is more than just developing ideas. Dogra (2012) had defined that product means anything that is capable or can be provided to achieve a need or a want. It can be either tangible or intangible. She also has mentioned that being a product it must deliver minimum level of performance. If it fails, the other aspects of the marketing mix will not be of any good .Hong, Kotler and Nancy, (2007) have stated that a core product includes the benefits that the target audience will reap. Harsch (2012) had classified product of more to a physical item that a service rendered by firms as Product does not gain any currency in service business. It can be considered as functionality, quality, appearance, packaging, brand, service, support and warranty. 2.4.2 Price Peter and Kerzner (1997) have argued that price is the easiest aspect a competitor can battle on during competition. However they also clarified that business with a significant cost advantage and reserves can never be easily matched. Don and Beth (2009) have also argued that Price has become increasingly irrelevant as markets are becoming very aggressive and in turn makes pricing attractive but no longer a profit statement. This is also aided by consumers who have more choice and resistant to prices. Shay and Cynthia (2009) mentioned that price can be defined as the value on audience member pays for to experience the brand. Price can be considered as an investment on the certain item or product a customer is willing to pay. Price can be considered as list price, discounts, financing, leasing options and allowances. 2.4.3 Promotion Allan (2009) has indicated that promotion is talking about the different ways a product can be marketed. He further mentioned that promotion is the communicating tool to reach audience other than pricing. Promotion adds value to product being marketed. One of the primary goals of promotion is to escalate the perception of the product, firm or brand. Michael, Fredile and Terry (2010) defined promotion as a key pillar to the 4Ps which is referred to terms such as promotions and promotion activities which can be confusing. Both are different but relates to getting to the general targeted audience. And in turn gain audience trust which builds loyalty between the products to customer. Promotion can be also considered as advertising, public relations, message, direct sales, sales media and budget 2.4.4 Place Place refers to products being available where ever and when ever customers need them. Place also refers to the physical distribution of the product concerned including storing and transportation. (Charles, Hair and Carl, 2011)Place is at times referred to as Distribution which is also carries the same terms as Place. Distribution decides the quantity to be produced for the place according to geographic location. (Gitman and Carl, 2008)The product needs to define its needs in order to fulfil as a product which a place or person requires. Once this is established, the Place can be determined. (Phil Stone, 2001)Distribution is essential in Place marketing. Distribution activities should be programmed within the choice of marketing channel. The distribution activities are programmed primarily consisting of activities aimed at development and maintenance of the relationship with retailing organizations and physical distribution. This ensures that products are available at point of purcha se. (Herbert and MacFie, 1996). Place can be referred to as locations, logistics, channel members, channel motivation, market coverage, service levels, internet and mobile. 2.5 Fast Food Branding According to Ed Pendrys (2011) fast food has matured since the days it has started to travel globally. Reaching out to the audience was not of a priority initially when fast food outlets were introduced. However as Fast food names were becoming dominant restaurants, branding was given a second look in order to gain or attract customers in creative manners. In times to come, it turned into business competition to retain and maintain profit through Branding mediums. Richard R. Wilki (2006) has stated that the competition has reached its levels that fast food names are toying with emotions to reach out to audience. Such methods create relationships among customers and the Brands concerned. According to S.Ramesh Kumar (2009) consumer behaviour is influenced by Branding strategies. Whether a fast food brand is able to retain its customers solely depends on how it reaches out to its audience It develops a relationship with customers which will have a everlasting bonding as long as the Bran d is able to continue its efforts in building on its current relationship. 2.6 Customers Expectation Customer expectations are related to Customer satisfaction. As satisfactions are fulfilled, expectations rise on the specific brand of product. However customers do still switch brands when they are satisfied as at times future products of the same brand or product might not meet their requirements, in other word expectations. Numerous studies have resulted that 60 to 85 percent of satisfied customers do switch brands. So it does not necessarily mean that customers expectations are met when sales are high.(Timothy and Terry, 2001)A customer does patronizes a brand without any expectations. When competitors in the market are scarce for the certain product, customers assume that their expectation is fulfilled as their having the best. By fulfilling the customers expectations, a certain degree of trust is gained. This can be considered as a motivation factor for customers to select a brand (Ziglar and Hayes,2001) According to Neal, Quester and Hawkin, (2002) the customers expectations are matched to the performance of a product, is the main of marketing as it is important to achieve customer loyalty. However at the same time always a satisfied customer does not mean to be necessarily a loyal customer (Shrake, 1999) Figure 1.4: Caresoft Model ececutionModel1.jpg Source: Caresoft Global (2012) The Caresoft model consists of three major aspects which are; Efficiency, effectiveness and Flexibility. This model was created just for the meeting and exceeding customers expectations. The model emphasises on no backtracking and does not believe in service recovery as expectations are to be fulfilled at the first contact. Although service recovery option is definitely available, Caresoft are minimising the options to be used in order to stamp out the need to have the first impression. The model is named as an engagement model. The aim of the model is to provide quality service with or without a product at optimum levels to customers. At the same time to fine tune the commitment level and control. The level of investment required is also to be controlled via the model which will look at capitalising on maximum satisfaction fulfilled with cost savings initiatives. (Caresoft, 2012) 2.7 Customer Loyalty in Singapore Many researches have been done worldwide for the dimensions of determining customer loyalty. David (2002) have argued that most studies have generalised customer loyalty as a single factorial construct without differentiating between repurchases, additional purchases and referrals. Richard (2010) has created a Matrix which looks into 2 dimensions of customer loyalty which are the value of a customer expressed in terms of Economic profit and customer loyalty elements that are most important to a companys customer. Oliver (1997) also came up with a framework that breaks down Customer loyalty into 4 phases which are cognition-affect-conation-action. This phase describes the customers attitude towards a certain product until the last phase where the customer reaches loyalty to the product. Moreover E.Hayes (2008) has indicated that customer loyalty can be conceptualised into three distinct types which are, Advocacy loyalty, purchasing loyalty and retention loyalty. Ruijian of Oklahoma State University (2007) has elaborated the customer loyalty into 2 dimensions as well which are attitudinal loyalty (antecedent) and behavioural loyalty. He has further broken it down into 4 segments which are true, latent, spurious and low loyalty. Esther (2004) has stated loyalty is the regular repurchase of a brand or from a store based on commitment towards the specific brand or store. Clopton, Stoddard and Clay (2001) have mentioned that customer loyalty makes an enormous difference between the costs of retaining a loyal customer and winning new customers. Singapore has a population which has about 91.6% consuming fast food and the numbers are ever growing. This is also partially due to the increase of population in recent years. At the same time fast food franchises have also grown in numbers throughout the years. The numbers of fast food outlets have exceeded the amount of primary schools in Singapore. This trend creates easy access to fast food where the findings were done on consumption of fast food (Health Promotion Board, 2010).The percentage of Singaporeans eating at fast food restaurants are rated at about 2 to 5 times a week by Lew and Barlow (2005). In 2010 the fast food industry has grown about 3.8% compared to 2009(Economics Survey Series, 2010) Industry experts expect that this trend will be increased and carried on in the next following years. Even though customers are spoilt for choices, they do return back to the very same product due to certain factors. It includes quality, service, taste, brand image, promotion, price and accessibility. In Singapore, Naleeza and Yaw (2007) has claimed that customer loyalty at times depends on small factors like the chilli sauce provided by the fast food industries. In November 2011, McDonalds fast food restaurant withdrew their curry sauce temporarily due to supply issues (Jessica, 2011). It also caused an uproar of Singapore McDonalds customers showing their grief over social networking websites over the lack of curry sauce availability. Chapter Three: Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction Branding is defined by Kotler and Armstrong as a combination of name, term sign or design developed to identify a product or service provided by a seller or a group of sellers. At the same time it helps to differentiate them from each other to compete and excel in a market. There are studies which have been conducted to learn and analyze the relationship between Branding and its success. But there are also evidences that this fact could be contradicting. Kapferer (2008) has mentioned that Branding alone has no immediate effect as mentioned by Kotler and Armstrong. Just Branding without emotions leads to lesser effect of Branding is their argument. Thus we can determine that Branding has mixed reviews from its users. And there is a need for certain elements to be present for Branding to be a full success. Kumar (2009) had also listed that Branding is not a factor for loyalty of a customer but the customers experience in utilising a Brand plays a vital role when comes to customers loya lty towards a Brand. He has further mentioned that a customer will still consider all options available for a product before ultimately setting upon a Brand and loyalty has no place when branding is concerned. A limited few researches have been done pitting Branding being affected by emotions. And at the same time, experience of a Brand influences the decision of customer instead of the other factors. Experience of a Brand is targeted towards service received by customers from a Brand. So service quality is the main part of experience. Hereby a framework will be structured to analyse the relationship among experience and emotional attachment towards a Branding which impacts the customer loyalty in Fast Food Industry in Singapore. It will also examine to what level a customer is willing to go with emotion as a factor towards a Brand and experience as a factor towards a Brand. We can also look at if Brandings of fast food given importance to emotional values when considering reaching out to customers. 3.2 Hypotheses Hereby, the research is going to hypothesize that there is positive effect of Branding which does have impact on customer loyalty therefore emphasizing for a fast food Brand to be more Branding conscious in order to achieve customer loyalty. Such emphasis should lead to Branding as their core business strategy. Hypothesis Branding positively affects the customers loyalty in Fast food names in Singapore Parsa and Francis (2002) have underlined that quality service has been undertaken by fast food outlets since the time it was introduced in Singapore as entrepreneurs followed up on the success it gained in the western countries. And in no time it was appreciated in Asian countries such as Singapore. Quality service has not just been a differentiator

Does Beowulf evoke a human element that allows the reader to associate :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

Does Beowulf evoke a human element that allows the reader to associate with the plot? If so, then how does such humanity affect the story? There is a human element in Beowulf that transcends time. It is a portrayal of emotions common to the human experience of life that allow Beowulf to evoke a response from all. The human element within the epic story of Beowulf is characterized by Hrothgar. Hrothgar is the most human character in the poem. He is the person with whom we can most easily identify. By not being afraid to hide his emotions in a society where it is a sign of weakness for a man to show his feelings, gives him perhaps not a heroic quality of his own , but a quality nonetheless – the quality of human nature. The virtues of a good warrior are wisdom and courage. A good king must possess not only these qualities, but he also must be concerned for the welfare of his people. Hrothgar possesses wisdom, but his courage is lacking. However upon closer inspection of the prose, one begins to see Hrothgar not as a coward, but as a symbol of basic human reaction. For example, when Grendel attacks the hall, all Hrothgar can do is hold his head in despair. While others react in violence when threatened, Hrothgar lacks the strength to do so. Although it is not a celebrated virtue of human nature, all can relate to the feeling of despair that arises when a positive solution to a negative situation is beyond one’s immediate control/ In another situation, after Grendel's mother attacks the hall and escapes with the body of Esher, we see Hrothgar trembling "in anger and grief". When Beowulf comes to find out what's wrong, Hrothgar practically begs him to kill the monster. His grief, at this point, verges on hysteria. This point in the epic allows the readers to bring the story back to something that they can relate to, a focal point. By being able to tap into the feelings expressed by Hrothgar, one can truly understand how helpless this once strong king must feel. The emotions of Hrothgar also allow the reader to compare him to Beowulf who shuns such emotional outbursts and who isn’t wise enough to realize his shortcomings due to age. Instead of admitting that he is too old to protect his country, Beowulf attempts to relive his youth by fighting the dragon.

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Sixteen

Elena hurried toward Robert E. Lee, feeling as if she'd been away from it for years. Last night seemed like something from her distant childhood, barely remembered. But she knew that today there would be its consequences to face. Last night she'd had to face Aunt Judith. Her aunt had been terribly upset when neighbors had told her about the murder, and even more upset that no one seemed to know where Elena was. By the time Elena had arrived home at nearly two in the morning, she had been frantic with worry. Elena hadn't been able to explain. She could only say that she'd been with Stefan, and that she knew he had been accused, and that she knew was innocent. All the rest, everything else that had happened, she had had to keep to herself. Even if Aunt Judith had believed it, she would never have understood. And this morning Elena had slept in, and now she was late. The streets were deserted except for her, as she hurried on toward the school. Overhead,, the sky was gray and a wind was rising. She desperately wanted to see Stefan. All night, while she'd been sleeping so heavily, she'd had nightmares about him. One dream had been especially real. In it she saw Stefan's pale face and his angry, accusing eyes. He held up a book to her and said, â€Å"How could you, Elena? How could you?† Then he dropped the book at her feet and walked away. She called after him, pleading, but he went on walking until he disappeared in darkness. When she looked down at the book, she saw it was bound in dark blue velvet. Her diary. A quiver of anger went through her as she thought again of how her diary had been stolen. But what did the dream mean? What was in her diary to make Stefan look like that? She didn't know. All she knew was that she needed to see him, to hear his voice, to feel his arms around her. Being away from him was like being separated from her own flesh. She ran up the steps of the high school into the nearly empty corridors. She headed toward the foreign-language wing, because she knew that Stefan's first class was Latin. If she could just see him for a moment, she would be all right. But he wasn't in class. Through the little window in the door, she saw his empty seat. Matt was there, and the expression on his face made her feel more frightened than ever. He kept glancing at Stefan's desk with a look of sick apprehension. Elena turned away from the door mechanically. Like an automaton, she climbed the stairs and walked to her trigonometry classroom. As she opened the door, she saw every face turn toward her, and she slipped hastily into the empty desk beside Meredith. Ms. Halpern stopped the lesson for a moment and looked at her, then continued. When the teacher had turned back to the blackboard, Elena looked at Meredith. Meredith reached over to take her hand. â€Å"Are you all right?† she whispered. â€Å"I don't know,† said Elena stupidly. She felt as if the very air around her was smothering her, as if there were a crushing weight all around her. Meredith's fingers felt dry and hot. â€Å"Meredith, do you know what's happened to Stefan?† â€Å"You meanyou don't know?† Meredith's dark eyes widened, and Elena felt the weight grow even more crushing. It was like being deep, deep under water without a pressure suit. â€Å"They haven't†¦ arrested him, have they?† she said, forcing the words out. â€Å"Elena, it's worse than that. He's disappeared. The police went to the boarding house early this morning and he wasn't there. They came to school, too, but he never showed up today. They said they'd found his car abandoned out by Old Creek Road. Elena, they think he's left, skipped town, because he's guilty.† â€Å"That's not true,† said Elena through her teeth. She saw people turn around and look at her, but she was beyond caring. â€Å"He's innocent!† â€Å"I know you think so, Elena, but why else would he leave?† â€Å"He wouldn't. He didn't.† Something was burning inside Elena, a fire of anger that pushed back at the crushing fear. She was breathing raggedly. â€Å"He would never have left of his own free will.† â€Å"You mean someone forced him? But who? Tyler wouldn't dare-† â€Å"Forced him, or worse,† Elena interrupted. The entire class was staring at them now, and Ms. Halpern was opening her mouth. Elena stood up suddenly, looking at them without seeing. â€Å"God help him if he's hurt Stefan,† she said. â€Å"Godhelp him.† Then she whirled and made for the door. â€Å"Elena, come back! Elena!† She could hear shouts behind her, Meredith's and Ms. Halpern's. She walked on, faster and faster, seeing only what was straight ahead of her, her mind fixed on one thing. They thought she was going after Tyler Smallwood. Good. They could waste their time running in the wrong direction. She knew what she had to do. She left the school, plunging into the cold autumn air. She moved quickly, legs eating up the distance between the school and the Old Creek Road. From there she turned toward Wickery Bridge and the graveyard. An icy wind whipped her hair back and stung her face. Oak leaves were flying around her, swirling in the air. But the conflagration in her heart was searing hot and burned away the cold. She knew now what a towering rage meant. She strode past the purple beeches and the weeping willows into the center of the old graveyard and looked around her with feverish eyes. Above, the clouds were flowing along like a lead-gray river. The limbs of the oaks and beeches lashed together wildly. A gust threw handfuls of leaves into her face. It was as if the graveyard were trying to drive her out, as if it were showing her its power, gathering itself to do something awful to her. Elena ignored all of it. She spun around, her burning gaze searching between the headstones. Then she turned and shouted directly into the fury of the wind. Just one word, but the one she knew would bring him. â€Å"Damon!† [The End]

Analyse the Purchasing Power Parity Theory and Discuss Its Applicability

Question: â€Å"Analyse the purchasing power parity theory and discuss its applicability† In this essay I will analyze the theory of Purchasing Power Parity and discuss its applicability. I will begin by explaining the basic concepts of PPP. In order to get a deeper understanding of the theory I will also briefly touch on topics such as the Law of One Price, the Big Mac index and similar subjects related to the Purchasing Power Parity theory. Furthermore the PPP theory will be put in to practice and its applicability will be discussed and evaluated using real life examples. It is necessary to understand the functions of the PPP theory before giving a definition to it. The purchasing power parity theory is a measurement that is being used within the economy to compare the currencies of different countries and to see if their currencies are under or over valuated. It is also commonly used as a measurement to compare the living standard between two countries. The Purchasing Power Parity theory is developed on the basis of the law of one price (LOP). The law states that once converted to a common currency, the same good should sell for the same price in different countries. (Kalinda Mkenda, 2001) To give an example of this lets neglect all the factors such as taxes, tariffs and transportations costs. The law of one price can then be explained with the following formula: e = PSWE/PUK where e equals the nominal exchange rate and P price. If I buy a bike in Sweden for 1000:- this means the same bike should, in theory cost ?100 to buy in UK which gives us a nominal exchange rate of 10. If a bike would sell for any price higher in UK, there would be a clear advantage for consumers to go to Sweden to buy bikes (remember that factors such as travelling costs are neglected in this example). Also, it would be beneficial for traders to go to Sweden and buy bikes and sell them in UK for a profit, also called arbitrage. However, this kind of activity would slowly drive prices higher in Sweden and lower in UK and in the end resulting in market equilibrium based on the theory of supply and demand (Mankiw & Taylor, 2006). This leads us to the Purchasing Power Parity theory which states that price differences between countries in the long run is not sustainable because the market will drive the prices to equilibrium and that â€Å"a currency must have the same purchasing power in all countries† (Mankiw & Taylor, 2006 p. 650). â€Å"Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) are currency conversion rates that both convert to a common currency and equalise the purchasing power of different currencies. In other words, they eliminate the differences in price levels between countries in the process of conversion. (OECD, 2010) The PPP can be expressed in either absolute or relative terms. The absolute theory on measuring exchange rates is the one mentioned above and is the theory this paper will mainly focus on. The other version, relative, is based on price movements. (Ong, 2003) It states that the inflation rate between two countries must be the same if the exchange rate is going to stay the same. That is, if the inflation in one country X is higher than the country Y, its exchange rate will depreciate against country Y exchange rate based on the following formula: % e = % Inflationx -% Inflationy here e is the change in exchange rate. As stated above, the absolute PPP theory is mainly used as a tool of measuring how a currency is valuated and whether it’s under or over valuated. One very popular way to do this is using the Big Mac index (See appendix A) put together by The Economist. The Big Mac index is an index of how much a Big Mac costs in different countries. With this index we can compare the predicted exchange rate with the actual exchange rate to how a country’s currency is valued. When we compare the PPP we use a basket of goods which is identical in the comparing countries, in this case our basket is a Big Mac. When doing this we can predict an exchange rate based on the Law of one Price and PPP. When comparing the predicted exchange rate with the nominal exchange rate and this illustrates whether a currency is over or under valuated. Looking at the Big Mac index (See appendix B) we can see that Norway’s currency is over valuated by almost 90% against the American dollar. This implies that in the long run the Norwegian Krone is expected to depreciate against the US dollar using the PPP theory. PPP is also being used for comparing different living standards in different countries. If you for example use the GDP per capita you don’t quite get an accurate overview of the standards as factors such as living costs and pricing varies between the countries. By eliminating the price differences in two countries and compare the raw price differences we get a clear overview of a country’s living standard. Looking at the data in table 1 (See appendix C), we can see that the difference of GDP per capita between Sweden and UK is about ~8500 units, however, by comparing the GDP per capita based on PPP per capita we discover a much smaller difference (~1000 units. This suggest that the actual living standard of these two countries are quite similar, something that does not show when comparing GDP per capita which is why using PPP is a better method than using GDP per capita when measuring welfare as it takes into account differences in prices and purchasing power. (International Monetary Fund, 2009) By developing root unit tests that account for both structura l change and maintaining a long-run mean or trends Papell and Prodan (2006) argues that there is additional evidence that PPP is valid in the long run. However data shows that there can be substantial and long periods of time with deviation from PPP exchange rate for either the relative or the absolute versions. (Pakko and Pollard, 2003) We can describe these variations with a few main explanations, starting off with the assumptions we had to make while explaining the law of one price: taxes, tariffs and transportations costs, but also adding a few points such as differentiated goods, pricing to market and non-traded goods. Marrewijk et al , 2006), (Pakko and Pollard, 2003), (Moffat, 2010) One simple reason why the law of one price and PPP fails is that exchange rates are influenced by many other different factors than just pricing. The existence of trade barriers and costs is one. Any variable that will increase the price in another country such as shipping costs or taxes will neglect the arbitrage opportunity and affect the exchange rates related to the PPP theory. Other important factors to consider are that when explaining the law of one price we use a basket of identical goods, in real life however, very few goods are the same and people in different countries consume different goods. Also, some goods cannot be traded across borders; real estate, haircuts and carwashes are examples of these, also called non-tradable goods. While a piece of property can be traded, its location cannot be changed, thus, prices of property can vary widely between different locations and we can expect this to account for deviations from PPP. When calculating the PPP we also require the markets to be perfectly competitive. If a market is not perfectly competitive some firms may have more control than others and may use this as an opportunity for price discrimination and regulate the price for an identical good differently depending on the customer (Economist, 2010b) which will also cause the PPP to deviate from its expected value. As we can see by this, the purchasing power parity is a useful theory to use for measuring a country’s expected currency and living standard in the long run as it consider factors that are left out when using data such as GDP per capita or CPI, this way you get a much better perspective of the actual values. The theory has been excessively tested in empirical studies with mixed results ( Mac Donald, 1993), (Abuaf, N and Jorion, P, 1990), (Papell and Prodan, 2006), (Patel, 1990). Studies show that in the short-term there can be substantial deviations from the expected PPP and exchange rates related to the previously discussed factors, which makes it limited for predicting exchange rates in the near future. However, this argument illustrates that this theory holds true in the long run when calculating currencies and long term equilibrium.

Research Paper on Obesity

Research Paper on Obesity Obesity is the prime concern of all health conscious in modern world. People   who thought obesity as a sign of good and strong health also realized now that obesity is a health problem. Writing a research paper on obesity is required by science, humanity and sociology students very often. The subject is of worldwide significance and professors in all disciplines including business and social sciences may ask their students to write research papers on obesity.   When obesity research paper is prepared, it needs a good understanding of   the concept of obesity research paper and its requirements. When you as a student need to write a research paper on obesity, you require having only lines below: A little research to formulate your opinion about obesity is needed, that means you must know what this research of obesity means actually. Introduction of thought, description of obesity and stories attached with the research internationally can be the other main content of your research paper on obesity. After that, for writing a research paper on obesity, you should convey your apprehensions and explain the causes of obesity. Then you should explain the effects of obesity and its dangers on human health. In next paragraphs you ought to show a somber apprehension about obesity and its dangers and explain the sufferings human men and women may face if obesity is not managed well. One may also give details in research paper on obesity the different methods and precautions to control and limit obesity on priority. Custom research paper on obesity ought to include the prescribed parts such as title, table of content, introduction, literature review, research methodologies, findings, conclusion, references, appendices, tables and graphics. Whenever you need to do a research paper on obesity topics, you should select a topic of current importance having long term effects on human body and mind. Topics of obesity are huge enough and you can select from a variety of topics around the glob. When you think, writing a research paper on obesity is not a complex task, answer is a certain yes. If you focus of few basics express in the above lines, you can bring into being a good quality paper on obesity. When it comes to the research paper writing, it always needs time that most students often lack during their semester programs. Obesity research paper help is available at many online libraries and offline journals. You can for sure utilize such help from these sources. Point you necessitate to umpire is not to plagiarize or violate copyrights. If permission is needed, request the publisher for permission and include content after you acquire authorization only.   Help is also provided by the companies that offer custom research papers on obesity. When you need to place an order for custom research papers on obesity you should only rely on a company with great standing such as CustomWritings.com . With our company your time and money will be protected and you will have an original and high quality research paper on obesity from this company. Feel free to place your order for a custom research paper on Obesity.

Old Testament Essays - Religion, Enma Eli, Mythology, Free Essays

Old Testament Essays - Religion, Enma Eli, Mythology, Free Essays Old Testament The Old Testament is a compilation, and like every compilation it has a wide variety of contributors who, in turn, have their individual influence upon the final work. It is no surprise, then, that there exist certain parallels between the Enuma Elish, the cosmogony of the Babylonians, and the Book of Genesis, the first part of the Pentateuch section of the Bible. In fact, arguments may be made that other Near Eastern texts, particularly Sumerian, have had their influences in Biblical texts. The extent of this 'borrowing', as it were, is not limited to the Bible; the Enuma Elish has its own roots in Sumerian mythology, predating the Enuma Elish by nearly a thousand years. A superficial examination of this evidence would erroneously lead one to believe that the Bible is somewhat a collection of older mythology re-written specifically for the Semites. In fact, what develops is that the writers have addressed each myth as a separate issue, and what the writers say is that their God surpasses every other. Each myth or text that has a counterpart in the Bible only serves to further an important idea among the Hebrews: there is but one God, and He is omnipotent, omniscient, and other-worldly; He is not of this world, but outside it, apart from it. The idea of a monotheistic religion is first evinced in recorded history with Judaism, and it is vital to see that instead of being an example of plagiarism, the Book of Genesis is a meticulously composed document that will set apart the Hebrew God from the others before, and after. To get a clear picture of the way the Book of Genesis may have been formed (because we can only guess with some degree of certainty), we must place in somewhere in time, and then define the cultures in that time. The influences, possible and probable, must be illustrated, and then we may draw our conclusions. If we trace back to the first appearance of the Bible in written form, in its earliest translation, we arrive at 444 B.C.. Two texts, components of the Pentateuch referred to as 'J' and 'E' texts, can be traced to around 650 B.C. Note that 'J' refers to Yahweh (YHVH) texts, characterized by the use of the word 'Yahweh' or 'Lord' in accounts; 'E' refers to Elohist texts, which use, naturally, 'Elohim' in its references to God.1 But 650 B.C. isn't our oldest reference to the 'J' and 'E' texts; they can be traced, along with the other three strands of the Pentateuch, to at least 1000 B.C. Our first compilation of these strands existed in 650 B.C.. We must therefore begin our search further back in time. We can begin with the father of the Hebrew people, Abraham. We can deduce when he lived, and find that he lived around 1900 B.C. in ancient Mesopotamia2. If we examine his world and its culture, we may find the reasons behind certain references in Genesis, and the mythologies they resemble. The First Babylonian Dynasty had begun around 1950 B.C. and would last well into the late 16th century B.C.. The Babylonians had just conquered a land previously under the control of the Assyrians, and before that, the Summering. Abraham had lived during a time of great prosperity and a remarkably advanced culture. He was initially believed to have come from the city of Ur, as given in the Bible as "...the Ur of Chaldees". Earlier translations read, however, simply "...Land of the Chaldees"; later, it was deduced that Abraham had come from a city called Haran3. In any case, he lived in a thriving and prosperous world. Homes were comfortable, even luxurious. Copies of hymns were found next to mathematical tablets detailing formulae for extracting square and cube roots.4 The level of sophistication 4000 years ago is remarkable. We can also deduce that it was a relatively stable and peaceful society; its art is characterized by the absence of any warlike activity, paintings or sculptures.5 We also have evidence of an Israelite tribe, the Benjamites, in Babylonian texts. The Benjamites were nomads on the frontier of its boundaries, and certainly came in contact with Babylonian ideas- culture, religion, ethics. The early tribes of Israel were nomadic, "taking with them the early traditions, and in varying latitudes have modified it"6 according to external influences. The message remained constant, but the context would subtly change. In addition to the Benjamites in Mesopotamia, there were tribes of Israel in Egypt during the Egyptian Middle Kingdom period7, which certainly exposed these people to Egyptian culture

Barriers To Sustainable Tourism Developments Tourism Essay

Barriers To Sustainable Tourism Developments Tourism Essay Introduction Tourism is highly known as one of the world’s fastest growing industries and become the major contributor to the country’s economic growth in terms foreign exchange earnings and creates job opportunities in both large and small communities. Hence, the increasing economic importance of tourism has captured the attention and interest in most developing countries. However, people have not been thinking about the range of impacts resulted from tourism which is broad and could even negatively impact on the destination community. The uncontrolled rapid growth of tourism can poses a significant threat towards the environment and social community in other words tourism can result serious environmental and social-cultural problems. Therefore, in a way to controlled and minimize the negative impacts of tourism, sustainable tourism development need to be achieved. Sustainable tourism today become highly important in the tourism industry and it is important to encoura ge more people to travel green and to ensure that the tourism is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. Many destinations have also recognized the importance of achieving sustainable tourism development. However, for many developing countries worldwide sustainable tourism has not properly been translated into wide practice and there can be economic, social, and physical barriers that tend to pose great hindrances to sustainable development. In order to determine how the tourism industry can move towards sustainability, it is important to examine the barriers that hinder sustainable tourism, and then develop strategies to reduce the barriers. Thus, aim of this paper is to analyze and evaluate the barriers of implementing sustainability initiatives and achieving sustainable tourism development particularly in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia. 2.0 Literature Review on Sustainable Tourism Tourism is a significant global industry with a huge impact towards the environment. Tou rism is also the world’s largest industry, with total receipts from the international tourism equaling US $682 billion (WTO, 2006). The tourism industry also employs an estimated of 10 percent of the global workforce and capital formation. Due to this significance of this industry and that environmental degradation has impacted most tourism destinations; the need to implement more sustainable practices has come to forefront of global issues (Graci, 2004). The need to plan for tourism in a sustainable manner is evident through the developments that have occurred worldwide since the United Nations Conference on Environment Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. In the conference, tourism was identified as one of the five main industries in need for achieving sustainable development (Theobald 1998, Budeanu 1999, Pryce 2001). The World Tourism Organization, World Travel and Tourism Council, and the Earth Council published Agenda 21 for the travel and tourism industry in 1 995, which this document aimed to establish systems and procedure to incorporate sustainable development considerations into the decision making process of tourism activities. It also highly emphasized the importance of partnership between tourism industry and government and demonstrated the benefits of making the whole industry sustainable, not only just the niche ecotourism sector (Pryce, 2001). The idea of sustainable tourism has its roots in the concept of sustainable development, defined by the Brundtland Commission as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (World Commission on Environment and Development 1987). Other effective adoption or concept of ecologically sustainable tourism, defined by the World Tourism Organization (2002) is:

Oh What a Lovely War Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Oh What a Lovely War - Movie Review Example The stage production and the film differ from each other in many ways. The stage adaptation of the World War was more lighthearted and funny. It had a backdrop on which were projected harsh images of the war, but in sharp contrast the action on the stage was more comic in nature. Attenborough’s film however, had huge sequences of the war interspersed with motifs from the stage production. The stage play made use of Pierrot costumes, but the film did not make use of them. However, what was used in the film was the ‘cricket scoreboards’ that were used in the play, depicting the number of deaths that took place. The songs in the film are filled with dark comedy depicting the madness of the war. E.g. ‘When this Lousy war is over’ and Good-bye-ee.’ The songs though highly patriotic were masked by irony that hides the hideousness and carnage of the war. One of the most memorable scenes shot by Attenborough for the film was a crane shot of the final s equence showing hundreds of graves, on a large expanse of land. This scene is highly charged with emotion and is sure to bring tears to ones

Asses the use of coconut only in brazil and how to make more Research Proposal

Asses the use of coconut only in brazil and how to make more sustainable the production of bio diesel - Research Proposal Example It is a delicate balancing act the environmentalists have been grappling with for decades, and now the world gradually seems to be heeding that call. One available option is to look for raw and renewable resources that we have at our disposal to provide much of the world with cheaper and more environmentally friendly biodiesel. This report has generated the knowledge that coconut oil is showing great promise in this area, and Brazil is a country that is potentially able to provide much of its own biodiesel in the form of its own naturally available coconut trees scattered throughout the region. The aim of the study has been to determine the feasibility of implementing a massive effort in Brazil to use coconut oil in the production of biodiesel fuel in the near future. Part of building a sustainable future for all inhabitants of the earth involves making use of the raw materials that we have today. For ages, the world’s population has been known to discard raw materials that they seemingly have no use for, yet new findings are suggesting that many such materials may unlock the mystery of how to lessen our dependence on non-renewable resources (Kumar 557). For some time now, bio diesel has been seen as one such way to provide a much needed source of energy and power to the world, yet it has required too many of the earth’s resources that we are simply unable to replenish. This is beginning to change, however, with the discovery that some of the raw materials we have in abundance, and can replenish, are able to produce bio diesel fuel in record amounts. One such possibility involves taking coconut oil and turning it into a biodiesel that can be early produced and utilized on a massive scale (Kumar 558). Brazil is one of the worldâ€⠄¢s largest sources of coconuts, so it makes sense to focus a project around Brazilian coconut oil and its potential to

Period of Baroque Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Period of Baroque - Essay Example Renaissance, through its new ideology and reform, resulted with a variety of styles. The idea of individualism and freedom of artistic creations influenced Michelangelo in a different manner. He was, in a way opposite of Leonardo. He was emotional and inward oriented. While painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he described the creation of the universe in his own way. He represented God as an old man with bears, most probably because of the humanism. Also, the humanism of Renaissance allowed him to represent a naked man, together with God, in same size. Renaissance was a start of reform and it was a return to classical values. In opened a new viewpoint in terms of ideology and style. After Renaissance, Baroque period have started. The artistic center moved from Florence to Rome. The reconstruction and redecoration of Rome gave rise to different artistic ideas and styles. One of the features of Baroque which distinguished it from Renaissance period is that it was international. Baroque style spread all through Europe, it was also accepted in Russia and passed into the New World. Caracci and Andrea Pozzo became famous with their ceiling frescoes and Caravaggio with his style, his way of representing figures and use of light etc. The paintings on ceilings in Baroque period differed from Renaissance. In this period the paintings became more elaborate and variety of images created an allegory in a way, representing the glorification of the miracles. There were flying figures on ceilings. and everything took place above us. Therefore the perspective moved from walls to ceilings and scientific reality gave its place to illusion and movement. The Baroque period had its own way of representing naturalism and reality. Michelangelo Merisi Da is better known as Caravaggio and he was an Italian baroque painter. His works portrayed saints and other biblical figures as plain ordinary people. Little is known about his early life but one might assume from his painting that he was a very catholic person with good morals. But actually this is not the case- His fame came when he unveiled his three life size paintings narrating the life of Saint Matthew in 1600. At that time his life was filled with notorious violence. It is said that a full transcript of his trial pending and police records would fill several pages. Several of these violent incidences almost ended in his death. He was later ordered to quit Rome after one of his alliances was killed during a violent accident. He wanted to paint saints and biblical figures

Print Media Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Print Media Analysis - Essay Example Europe is different than America in that it has a common currency without a common government to oversee economic policy (Krugman). The these two articles both tackle the future of the Euro – and attempt to assess the issues involved and the odds of success. The first article, by Timothy Garton Ash, outlines the history of riots and dissatisfaction that have erupted in the European Union since the beginning of this financial crisis, then goes on to outline the steps that would be necessary for preserving the European Union. It is important to note that this article is from the end of last year, and many things have happened in the interim, but essentially the issues stay the same, which is that the relationship between the EU’s poorer and richer countries is fraying. Krugman’s article indicates that the fall of the Euro, and possibly the EU, is imminent, and he faults failed economic policy, as well as the fundamental nature of the EU, as the problem. Interesting ly, both of these articles come from and espouse a liberal perspective, though in very different, and somewhat contradictory, ways. Krugman’s article faults conservative measures, such as budget cuts and austerity, for the depression’s continuance, but dislikes the EU as a structure, while Ash treats the large, overarching government of the EU as a good thing. The ideological spin of the Krugman article is inherently liberal, especially in his visceral attacks on austerity measures. He indicates that any good economist could have indicated (and did indicate) that austerity measures would lead to a depression (Krugman). This is a fundamentally liberal perspective, as it calls for higher government spending. Conservatives would argue that the deficit explosion is too much to handle, and that the Greece and other country’s addiction to debt is the fundamental issue, and that the austerity measures are the only method of stopping the explosion of such debt to unmana geable proportions. Ash’s article also takes a liberal perspective, in most ways. Firstly, it inherently treats the large government of the EU, with some centralized authority and one of the most byzantine bureaucracies on the planet, as good thing, talking about how it should be â€Å"saved† and the methods in place to do so. A conservative would likely be for smaller government, and find the dissolution of the European Union not at all problematic. He focuses much more than Krugman on the political situation on the ground, observing that the German declaration that funds going to Greece must come with â€Å"government oversight† (from Germany), and how Greeks with a national memory of the Second World War find that troubling (Ash). Liberal ideologies are present in both of these articles, but in two different ways. Kruger demonstrates socio-economic liberalism, seeing large government spending as a good thing, while Ash sees large governments as inherently goo d and worth saving (something that Kruger disagrees with, calling the Euro a â€Å"failed experiment†). Though conservatives talking about these issues might have some good points – for instance, that it irresponsible for a country as small as Greece to drive up debts that are unmanageable in order to provide social programming. Consistently spending more money than is available is an irresponsible thing to do, and conservatives are right to point that out. However,

Case Analysis (another one) Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis (another one) - Case Study Example Before 2007, the firm realized same growth rate that exceeded five percent for 15 consecutive years. This growth helped the company to establish its brand in the market, setting it apart from its rivals. The company maintained â€Å"standardization,† which helped it build its brand regardless of its rapid expansion. A lucrative business, the company has manage to merge growth and profitability with its competitive advantage, particularly by espousing strong ethical values (Ivey 7). In the recent years, however, Starbucks is showing weaknesses attributed to high prices, market saturation, and long waits in its stores due to the inexperience of its baristas and managers. The quality of coffee is low, and the food the company provides highly unattractive. With respect to opportunities, coffee culture is growing at a rapid pace globally, providing Starbucks with a chance to go up-market and compete with established coffee firms, especially in the luxurious European market and emer ging markets such as China, India, Brazil, and Russia. In this case, Starbucks will manage to cope with the threats posed by Dunkin Donuts, McDonald’s, and Peet’s Coffee & Tea, as well as those resulting from financial crisis and the company’s overexposure in the market (Ivey 8). Based on the strategic issues that Starbucks is encountering, which contribute to its downfall, the firm should hire additional managers and train its baristas appropriately to help streamline its menus, fill orders faster, and improve the overall services delivered to clients. The organization should also offer more products and services beyond coffee to address the diverse needs of its clients. The company should also provide its clients with natural food that does not affect their health negatively. In addition, the firm should lower the prices of its products and enforce fair workplace arrangements for it to create a

Period of Baroque Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Period of Baroque - Essay Example Renaissance, through its new ideology and reform, resulted with a variety of styles. The idea of individualism and freedom of artistic creations influenced Michelangelo in a different manner. He was, in a way opposite of Leonardo. He was emotional and inward oriented. While painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he described the creation of the universe in his own way. He represented God as an old man with bears, most probably because of the humanism. Also, the humanism of Renaissance allowed him to represent a naked man, together with God, in same size. Renaissance was a start of reform and it was a return to classical values. In opened a new viewpoint in terms of ideology and style. After Renaissance, Baroque period have started. The artistic center moved from Florence to Rome. The reconstruction and redecoration of Rome gave rise to different artistic ideas and styles. One of the features of Baroque which distinguished it from Renaissance period is that it was international. Baroque style spread all through Europe, it was also accepted in Russia and passed into the New World. Caracci and Andrea Pozzo became famous with their ceiling frescoes and Caravaggio with his style, his way of representing figures and use of light etc. The paintings on ceilings in Baroque period differed from Renaissance. In this period the paintings became more elaborate and variety of images created an allegory in a way, representing the glorification of the miracles. There were flying figures on ceilings. and everything took place above us. Therefore the perspective moved from walls to ceilings and scientific reality gave its place to illusion and movement. The Baroque period had its own way of representing naturalism and reality. Michelangelo Merisi Da is better known as Caravaggio and he was an Italian baroque painter. His works portrayed saints and other biblical figures as plain ordinary people. Little is known about his early life but one might assume from his painting that he was a very catholic person with good morals. But actually this is not the case- His fame came when he unveiled his three life size paintings narrating the life of Saint Matthew in 1600. At that time his life was filled with notorious violence. It is said that a full transcript of his trial pending and police records would fill several pages. Several of these violent incidences almost ended in his death. He was later ordered to quit Rome after one of his alliances was killed during a violent accident. He wanted to paint saints and biblical figures

Case Analysis (another one) Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis (another one) - Case Study Example Before 2007, the firm realized same growth rate that exceeded five percent for 15 consecutive years. This growth helped the company to establish its brand in the market, setting it apart from its rivals. The company maintained â€Å"standardization,† which helped it build its brand regardless of its rapid expansion. A lucrative business, the company has manage to merge growth and profitability with its competitive advantage, particularly by espousing strong ethical values (Ivey 7). In the recent years, however, Starbucks is showing weaknesses attributed to high prices, market saturation, and long waits in its stores due to the inexperience of its baristas and managers. The quality of coffee is low, and the food the company provides highly unattractive. With respect to opportunities, coffee culture is growing at a rapid pace globally, providing Starbucks with a chance to go up-market and compete with established coffee firms, especially in the luxurious European market and emer ging markets such as China, India, Brazil, and Russia. In this case, Starbucks will manage to cope with the threats posed by Dunkin Donuts, McDonald’s, and Peet’s Coffee & Tea, as well as those resulting from financial crisis and the company’s overexposure in the market (Ivey 8). Based on the strategic issues that Starbucks is encountering, which contribute to its downfall, the firm should hire additional managers and train its baristas appropriately to help streamline its menus, fill orders faster, and improve the overall services delivered to clients. The organization should also offer more products and services beyond coffee to address the diverse needs of its clients. The company should also provide its clients with natural food that does not affect their health negatively. In addition, the firm should lower the prices of its products and enforce fair workplace arrangements for it to create a

Group Presentation Essay Example for Free

Group Presentation Essay 1. Watch two of Pal’s commercials. What do they emphasize? After watching two of the commercials for Pal’s you see that they emphasize a lot on how fast their product is made and how popular their food products are too many people including old to young. Pal’s product line consists of a focused group of food, hamburgers, ham and chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, French fries, and breakfast biscuits and beverages, soft drinks, tea, coffee, milk shakes with a unique flavor profile designed to meet their customers taste requirements. Pal’s has developed the ability to effectively integrate manufacturing, service, and retail into its operational systems. They have also learned to apply world-class management principles and best-in-class processes that cause other companies emulate to our systems. 2. What type of waiting line model is found at Pal’s drive-thru restaurants? Pal’s drive-thru facilities have been designed to be efficient and effective. The equipment, facilities, and technologies that Pals uses to meet customer needs are components that serve our manufacturing, service and retail needs through ongoing use of our Benchmarking, Innovation and Product/Service/ Process Introduction processes. Their process layout is designed so that raw materials enter through a delivery door and are worked forward through the store with one process serving the next process in the processing/assembly/packaging line until a finished product is handed to an external customer. The major technologies involved are order taking, cooking, holding, filtering, order delivery, and packaging. They have developed proprietary state-of-the-art technology to achieve product and service quality and to provide efficient product flow. 3. What waiting time do you think is acceptable at a drive-thru restaurant? What order accuracy? I would think that anytime from 5-7 minutes would be acceptable wait time for a drive-thru restaurant. I did some research and it said that in 2011 Wendy’s is fastest once again with an average time of 145.5 seconds, while Taco Bell is second at 146.7 seconds and McDonald’s has the longest time at 184.2 seconds. Though the benchmark brands have not increased their speed over past years, all the operators who commented for  the study say they are working to improve the efficiency of their drive thus so that the speed can improve. Order accuracy should be almost always correct. By getting customer orders correct it will make them have a good experience with your company and they will be happy with your business, making them want to come back. 4. From the Baldrige award data, what is the average order speed at Pal’s and at its best competitor? What other things does Pal’s measure? In customer satisfaction, including food quality, service, and order accuracy, Pals is outperforming its primary competitor. For example, customer scores for quality in 2001 averaged 95.8 percent, as compared with 84.1 percent for its best competitor. Pals order handout speed has improved more than 30 percent since 1995, decreasing from 31 seconds to 20 seconds, almost four times faster than its top competitor. Errors in orders are rare, averaging less than one for every 2,000 transactions. The company aims to reduce its error rate to one in every 5,000 transactions. In addition, Pals has consistently received the highest health inspection scores in its market and in the entire state of Tennessee. Pals aims to provide the quickest, friendliest, most accurate service available. 5. What influence do you think Pal’s name has on customer expectations of service? I believe that the name of a company has a lot of influence on how customers think about them. If you are known for your fast service and good food your name will be popular and be advertised a lot which will help your business grow. If you have a good name you want to keep it and make sure to keep customers satisfied and happy with your service. 6. What factors associated with order completion time are beyond Pal’s control? Pals is exhaustive in its pursuit of useful data, the basis for sound planning and decision-making. Owner/operators also maintain a communications log. They record what they have learned about sales, expenses, customers, staff, products, services, equipment, and suppliers, and they list ideas for improvement. Weekly logs are sent to senior Pals executives, who comb the entries for issues and opportunities to be addressed at formal monthly management reviews of organizational and  business results. Data are gathered systematically at all levelsprocess, shift, individual store, and entire business. The companys enterprise resource planning system, SysDine, is a key tool, generating store-level and company-wide data on sales, customer count, product mix, ideal food and material cost, and turnover rates. This information supports daily operational decisions. It also is used to update Pals Balanced Sc orecard of Core Performance Measures, which links directly to its key business drivers: quality, service, cleanliness, value, people, and speed. Managers regularly review the value of the data collected, and the company employs an outside statistician to evaluate the type of information tracked, how it is used, and how it is collected. 7. How does Pal’s â€Å"drive-thru only concept† affect speed of service? The quick-service restaurant business, the facilities and equipment must be capable, reliable, and sanitary. The drive-thru facility at Pal’s has been designed to be efficient and effective. The equipment, facilities, and technologies that Pal’s uses to meet customer needs are components that have been determined to serve the manufacturing, service, and retail needs by our staff through ongoing use of our benchmarking, innovation, and product/service/process introduction processes. Pal’s has created an environment that promotes continual improvement. Pal’s leadership supports this environment by being a role model for its systematic evaluation and improvement processes. Because of the management-led and organization-wide focus on continual improvement, major results are improving. 8. What are Pal’s core values? How does employee training differ at Pal’s? The companys Business Excellence Process is the key-integrating element, a management approach to ensuring that customer requirements are met in every transaction, today and in the future. Carried out under the leadership of Pals two top executives and its 17 store owner/operators, the Business Excellence Process spans all facets of the operationfrom strategic planning to on-line quality control. Every component process, including those for continual improvement and product introduction, is interactively linked, producing data that directly or indirectly inform the others. Developed with the aid of benchmarking studies, the companys training  processes support improvement in operational and business performance. Owner/operators and assistant managers have primary responsibility for staff training. They use a four-step model: show, do it, evaluate, and perform again. Employees must demonstrate 1 00 percent competence before they are certified to work at a specific workstation. Initial training for all employees includes intensive instruction on effective listening skills. In addition, in-store training on processes, health and safety, and organizational culture is required for new staff at all facilities via computer-based training, flash cards, and one-on-one coaching. Cross training is required of all store-level staff to ensure their complete understanding of all production and service procedures as well as quality standards. Recognizing that most of their front-line workers are first-time entrants into the labor force, Pals management believes it has responsibility to help its workers develop knowledge and skills that can be applied in future jobs. This approach, along with competitive wages and financial incentives, has made the restaurant chain a desirable place to work for high school and college students. Pals has leveraged its reputation by implementing a statistically controlled, talent-based hiring system that helps managers identify applicants with attributes associated with effective job performance and customer satisfaction. 9. How does Pal’s use technology? Pal’s Leadership Team members partner with three information technology firms to maintain awareness of currently available and emerging technologies and methods for making information and data more reliable, accurate, available, and usable. Input from these partners is considered during strategic planning where their data capabilities and requirements are aligned with their business objectives and action plans. At Pal’s, they ensure that hardware and software are reliable and user friendly by using established standards and specifications in the selection of each of the computers and point-of-sale terminals they use in all operations. Their standards and specifications include strict criteria to review reliability and user friendliness. They also test new systems in advance before installing them in all of their stores. During use, they measure and review mean time  between failures on their systems components, and we routinely assess whether they have sufficient redundant backup. To help assure the reliability of the software, they also have strict controls over who can make changes in the programs. Changes are tested and verified prior to being used on a production basis. They review the way their systems perform within operations with the people who actually use the equipment and programs. They also keep abreast of technology changes through their partners, trade shows, and publications. During strategic planning they use this input to analyze how their systems are meeting all current user requirements. They also assess what is needed to support our strategic objectives and action plans.

Decline in 4th and 5th Century Art and Literature

Decline in 4th and 5th Century Art and Literature Does the notion of ‘decline’ have any relevance for our understanding of the art and literature of the fourth and fifth centuries? Since the Renaissance it has been common for critics to judge the fourth and fifth centuries as a period of cultural and artistic decline. It has been argued that the Late Roman Empire produced an era of â€Å"artistic and cultural stagnation†[1] and it is crucial to explore whether this notion of ‘decline’ is really relevant in terms of creating a balanced understanding of fourth and fifth century art and literature. Furthermore, it is necessary to address the difficulties produced by dealing with the nature of change within a traditional society[2]; particularly, the judgement of whether that change is for the better or worse, and the impact of modern prejudices on our appreciation of Late Antique art and literature. The notion of ‘decline’ can be interpreted as significant to our understanding of art in this period; especially in terms of the major changes in style which were characteristic of the fourth and fifth centuries. The most fundamental of these changes was the general movement away from the ‘naturalistic’ conventions of classical art[3] towards a more abstract and symbolic style. It is this movement, or decline, away from the esteemed classical apex which has been marked as a negative development[4]. Decline is also apparently seen through the deterioration in the overall quality of Late Antique art. Not only has the workmanship of the period been described by critics as ‘cruder’[5], but the originality of pieces has also been questioned. One such example is the Adlocutio relief on the Arch of Constantine; the juxtaposition of opposing art styles, ‘naturalistic’ and ‘abstract’, has not only been described as of less high quality than earlier art, but it has also formed the basis of the Renaissance critics’ perception of ‘artistic decline’[6]. The quantity of large scale sculpture, an intrinsic part of public display for Emperors and the Roman elite, decreased during the fourth and fifth centuries[7]. This could be interpreted as a change in taste and a new focus on different media for public display, or it could provide further evidence for the ‘decline’ of art. The literature of the fourth and fifth centuries has faced similar criticisms, which also mainly focuses on its movement away from classical conventions. One view is that â€Å"the literature of the period is mostly, as literature, second-rate and unoriginal†[8]. The concept of ‘unoriginality’ is significant to texts from Late Antiquity as many writers had a much greater engagement with earlier literature than their predecessors[9], this could be interpreted as imitation and even more importantly as a decline in creativity or originality. Perhaps more significant however, is the momentous change in style away from that of the classical period. This deviation from the classical ideal has been seen as a debasement and a devolution[10], which may have provided a foundation for the notion of ‘decline’ during the fourth and fifth centuries. The highlighted issues have been based on the lack of eloquence, rhetorical skills or poetic poise in comparison to writers such as Cicero, Ovid and Virgil. Contemporaries such as Jerome and Augustine comment on the changes in style in their works. Jerome describes the style of the religious works as â€Å"rude and repellent†[11] and Augustine declares that such works are â€Å"unworthy to be compared to the stateliness of Ciceronian eloquence†[12]. The influence of Christianity on writers of this period could provide an explanation for the apparent decline in quality of literature. An example where this has affected literature is the subsidiary role of poetry within a society which is completely dominated by the Church and its religious texts[13]. There is a much greater focus on less creative works such as theological literature, which consisted of a high proportion of commentaries on the scriptures[14]. Furthermore, the focus of cultural authority had shifted away from expressive and non-religious literature, and so such works lost their ability to be either intellectually or culturally relevant to contemporary readers[15]. It may be possible to suggest that the notion of decline does have relevance for our understanding of art and literature of the fourth centuries, and perhaps any decline or deterioration is caused by the influences of the strong religious inclinations of this period[16]. However, on the other hand, it is important to recognise that the judgement of decline in relation to this period may have been affected by modern prejudices and the perceived criteria of what constitutes good art and literature. In terms of the artistic ‘decline’, perhaps it would be more beneficial to view this period more neutrally and to recognise that it represents a different concept of art and its stylist mannerisms[17]. More relevant than the notion of decline has to be the notion of change, especially considering that the fourth and fifth century art movement marks the first time since the fifth century BC, that the naturalistic classical conventions shifted towards the abstract[18] and towards the new age of symbolic Middle Age portrayals. A significant area of change and development is the use of churches as an art form[19]. Although public buildings had been a common form of artistic experimentation throughout the history of the Romans, the fourth century brings a new dimension with the influence of Christianity. An example of this is the Church of Magia Sophia in Constantinople, whose architecture demonstrates the artist skill and creativity of the period. The church is described in great detail by Procopius of Caesarea who compares the experiences of viewing it with coming â€Å"upon a meadow with its flowers in full bloom†[20]. The exploration of domes, vaults and space is clearly just as prominent as it was before Late Antiquity[21]; it is just done through the building of Christian churches rather than traditional construction programmes. The Late Antique period features an increase in art works of silver and ivory[22] and also includes the use of elaborate carving techniques in Christian Sarcophagi. Some examples include one from the Mausoleum of Helena, which shows battle scenes between Romans and barbarians, and one from the Mausoleum of Constantina, which is decorated with acanthus scrollwork and cherubs[23]. The increase of the use of high quality carving is a clear demonstration of why the notion of decline should not be applied to the art of the fourth and fifth centuries. Furthermore, the art of this period is not only believed to be of high quality but it also shows a considerable amount of innovation. This included the expanded use of opus sectile panels of inlaid coloured marbles, for example the panels used in the secular Basilica of Junius Bassus from the Esquiline in Rome[24]. Figurative mosaics were also used in more innovative ways, and were introduced into the walls and vaults of buildings rather than just into floors, for example at the Mausoleum of S. Contanza in Rome[25]. An element of continuation can also be seen throughout fourth and fifth century art and shows the merging of new Christian iconography with traditional motifs and styles. Mosaics, for example, continue to be as intricate and stylized in villas[26] and are of the same high quality in public buildings. Some of the more elaborate mosaics seen from this period include the mosaics of St Lawrence at the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia[27] in Ravenna, and the mosaics of saints at the Hagios Georgios in Salonika[28]. Imperial art also continues to be prominent well into the fifth century, including bronze and marble statues, reliefs and dedications, and columns and triumphal arches[29]. Some examples of this are the bronze of Constantius II and the marble Theodosain portraits[30]. Many of the traditional motifs survive until after the fifth century[31] and demonstrate that a complete decline cannot have been possible as artists were still able to continue creating works as they had done before. An example of the persistence of classical iconography can be clearly seen in the calendar of the year 354[32]. The notion of decline does not necessarily take into consideration the stages necessary in any stylistic progression and that the â€Å"continuous dialogue† between classical and abstract methods of representation in art[33], is something to be celebrated as development rather than criticised as decline. The relevance of decline in literature is perhaps similarly misjudged and the literature of the fourth and fifth centuries may be under-rated by critics because of the overall conception of a cultural deterioration[34]. The scholars, who suggest that this is a period of â€Å"cultural stagnation†, may have dismissed much of the rich material which was developed alongside the rise of Christianity.[35] The literature of this period needs to be assessed on its own terms and its own context[36], rather than under the constraints of modern fashions and preferences. Rather than being in decline, this period is arguably the ‘Golden Age’ of Christian literature[37] and its sheer volume of surviving works means that it is one of the richest periods for literature in antiquity. Important literary figures, who have all made huge contributions to the Christian literature of the age, include Athanasius, Ambrose, Jerome and Augustine. Augustine has been described as a â€Å"marvellous genius† and his work the â€Å"City of God† has been described as one of the first great philosophies of history. [38] Similarly popular Jerome, who was responsible for the translation of the bible, managed to raise â€Å"scriptural studies to a level not surpassed for many centuries†[39]. Aside from just religious texts, the literary sources for Late Antiquity include panegyrics, legal codices, biographies, histories and geographies[40]. The influence of Christianity led to an increase in popularity of biography, as it supported the role of the individual[41]. One of the best examples is Athanasius’ ‘The Life of Antony’, which helped to spread the concept of monasticism. The increase in biographies of entire communities rather than just an individual are also seen, mainly monastically based, for instance Palladius’ Historia Lausiaca.[42] Historical works were common throughout the period and demonstrated a continuation in traditional literary form; however, they took on a much stronger religious focus, and many took polemical positions either defending or condemning Christianity[43]. Arguably one of the most important of the historical works was the History of Rome by Ammianus Marcellinus. He not only wrote in a style reminiscent of early historians[44], such as Livy or Tacitus, but he also showed a remarkable lack of bias which is often evidenced in the writings of contemporaries[45]. There are also enough surviving letters to make the fourth and fifth centuries one of the major periods for ancient epistolography. Just one example are the letters from Q. Aurelius Symmachus of which we have nine hundred surviving letters, covering the entire period from the 360’s to AD 402[46]. A particularly highly criticised area of literature, in terms of decline, is poetry as many critics thought that they were few writers of that age who could actually rank as true poets in terms of style.[47] However, there is a scholarly split in this matter as many see the fourth century as the time when poetry re-emerged in both popularity and strength[48]. Poets like Porfyrius Optatianus had a huge impact through their poetic achievements and the poetry of the age had a distinctive character that set it apart from its predecessors[49]. Innovation in poetry can be seen through the development of multiple pattern poems, which pushed the boundaries of conventional poetry. One of the key figures in the movement is Porfyrius who had a â€Å"singular ability to manipulate verbal surfaces in varied ways†[50]. The criticism that late antique poetry suffers from an increasing level of imitation and unoriginality should be readdressed as authors may have taken up traditional forms bu t they endowed them with new and exciting qualities[51], which thus created a unique and original work. What appears to be actually prominent in fourth and fifth century poetry is diversity[52] rather than decline. Further literary diversity is brought to the fourth and fifth centuries by the influences from the East and their developments in literary languages. Syriac was already developed as literary language before the fourth century, but it was during this later period that its influence began to be truly felt. The most important surviving works are from Aphrahat and Ephrem and both their texts demonstrate the sophistication of the Syriac culture[53].The importance of Syriac literature can be seen in the fact that Jerome, writing in 392, had already read in Greek translation a work by Ephrem on the Holy Spirit[54]. Their works showed an awareness of Greek rhetorical models[55] and further suggest that this was a period of development and not decline. Less extensive, although still important, is the emergence of the Coptic literature of the Egyptians. Coptic literature was mainly functional and used in a religious context but it did include a translation of the bible. In conclusion, it is possible to understand the reasoning behind the judgement of fourth and fifth century art and literature as part of an overall notion of decline, but much of this is based on modern values and not those of the contemporaries to such art forms. In terms of understanding the literature and art of the period in a non biased and non prejudiced way, it would appear far more beneficial to dismiss the notion of ‘decline’ and adopt a more neutral notion of ‘development’ or ‘change’. A fundamental part of understanding this art and literature is the appreciating of some of its unique features, it particular the conflict and compromise[56] between several religious philosophies and two opposing art styles. Whether viewed in a negative or positive light, it seems wrong to dismiss the art and literature of the period under the demise of decline, when it is in fact diverse, vigorous, and of a high quality. Furthermore, I conclude that th e notion of decline should not have any relevance on our understanding of the art and literature of the fourth and fifth centuries. (Word Count- 2,443) Bibliography Primary Sources Augustine, Confessions, trans. A.C. Outler [Library of Christian Classics], 7 (Philadelphia, 1955) Jerome, Ciceronian or Christian?, in J.Stevenson. 1973. Creeds, Councils and Controversies. London Procopius, Buildings, trans H.B. Dewing [Leob Classical Library], 7 (Harvard, 1940) Secondary Sources Brock, S. 1997. Syriac Culture, in A. Cameron P. Garnsey (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13: The Late Empire, AD 337-425. Cambridge. 708- 719. Brown, P. L. 1980. Art and Society in Late Antiquity, in K. Weitzmann (ed.), Age of Spirituality: A Symposium. New York. 17-28. Cameron, A. 1993. The Later Roman Empire: AD 284-430. London. Cameron, A. 1997. Education and Literary Culture, in A. Cameron P. Garnsey (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13: The Late Empire, AD 337-425. Cambridge. 665-707. Dihle, A. 1994. Greek and Latin Literature of the Roman Empire: From Augustus to Justinian. London. Elsner, J. 1997. Art and Architecture, in A. Cameron P. Garnsey (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13: The Late Empire, AD 337-425. Cambridge. 736-761. Elsner, J. 1998. Imperial Rome and Christian Triumph: The Art of the Roman Empire, AD 100-450. Oxford. Ermatinger, J. W. 2004. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Connecticut. Gibbon, E. (ed.) Bury, J.B. 1966. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roma Empire: Volume 3. London. Grant, M. 1998. From Rome to Byzantium: The Fifth Century AD. London. Jones, A. H. M. 1964. The Later Roman Empire 284-602: A Social, Economic and Administrative Survey Volume II. Oxford. Mastrangelo, M. 2009. International Journal of the Classical Tradition. The Decline of Poetry in the Fourth Century West. Vol 16. 311-329. Mcgill, S. 2012. Latin Poetry, in S. F. Johnson (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Late Antiquity. Oxford. 335-360. Roberts, M. 1989. The Jewelled Sky: Poetry and Poetics in Late Antiquity. New York. Salzman, M. R. 1990. On Roman Time: The Codex-Calendar of 354 and the Rhythms of Urban Life in Late Antiquity. Berkeley. Smith, M. 1997. Coptic Literature, in A. Cameron P. Garnsey (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13: The Late Empire, AD 337-425. Cambridge. 720-735. Strong, D. E. 1976. Roman Art. London. 1 [1] Ermatinger 2004:2 [2] Brown 1980:17 [3] Ermatinger 2004:9 [4] Elsner 1997:739 [5] Elsner 1997:737 [6] Elsner 1998:18 [7] Elsner 1997:737 [8] Grant 1998:77 [9] Mcgill 2012:337 [10]Mcgill 2012:335 [11] Jerome Ep. 22.30 [12] Augustine Confessions 3.6-5.9 [13] Mastrangelo 2009:311 [14] Jones 1964:1011 [15] Mastrangelo 2009:312 [16] Grant 1998:80 [17] Ermatinger 2004:9 [18] Elsner 1997:736 [19] Grant 1998:82 [20] Procopius Buildings 1.1.59 [21] Elsner 1998:11 [22] Cameron 1993:159 [23] Strong 1976:315 [24] Elsner 1997:737-8 [25] Elsner 1997:738 [26] Ermatinger 2004:9 [27] Grant 1998:84 [28] Strong 1976:324 [29] Elsner 1998:11 [30] Elsner 1997:736 [31] Elsner 1998:249 [32] Salzman 1990:70 [33] Roberts 1989:68 [34] Cameron 1997:707 [35] Ermatinger 2004:2 [36] Mcgill 2012:335 [37] Cameron 1997:666 [38] Grant 1998:78 [39] Jones 1964:1011 [40] Ermatinger 2004:2 [41] Cameron 1997:699 [42] Dihle 1994:416 [43] Ermatinger 2004:4 [44] Ermatinger 2004:5 [45] Gibbon 1966:122 [46] Cameron 1997:696 [47] Jones 1964:45 [48] Dihle 1994:400 [49] Mcgill 2012:335 [50] Mcgill 2012:336 [51] Mcgill 2012:337 [52] Mastrangelo 2009:313 [53] Brock 1997:709-10 [54] Brock 1997:717 [55] Brock 1997:714 [56] Ermatinger 2004:2