Influences in Conference and Banqueting industry Assignment

Influences in Conference and Banqueting industry - Assignment Example The paper tells that hospitality industry encompasses the establishments that provide accommodation, meals, drinks, conferencing services among other related services. The hospitality industry provides two major services, which are the overnight accommodation and sustenance for people. The UK tourism industry has recorded tremendous growth over the years, and even during the recession, the industry continued to expand. In 2010 July, the amount spent overseas visitors was  £1.96b, which represented a 15.9% rise as compared to the 2009 value of  £1.69b. This shows how the industry has potential for growth. Therefore, hospitality industry contributes significantly to the economy and employs millions of people. Conference and banqueting is one of the fields under the hospitality industry. This field provides conferencing activities to several people including local residents to international tourists. Banqueting is currently a lucrative business especially with the growth of conferen cing facilities. Banqueting refers to the act of serving food and beverage to a group of individuals eating together, for example, in cerebration or conference. It is a highly profitable venture, and as such, most facilities in the hospitality industry have incorporated it in their services. The hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing industries, and indeed, the largest in the world. In the UK, this industry makes up a significant part of the economy, with its over 50, 000 guest houses and hotels and an annual turnover of  £ 50 billion. In addition, the industry employs over 1.7 million workforce. (British Hospitality Association, 2008). This industry is large and wide, and ranks third among the top sectors that provide employment. The industry is diverse due to ownership, innovation, grading system and classification, leisure facilities, level of service and future trends. Narrowing down, the conference and banqueting industry contributes ? 18.8 billion to the economy of UK according to the UK Events Market Trends Survey results. The business prospect of this industry increases annually, thus, it has attracted many investors especially during the preparation for the 2012 Olympics. Currently, the industry does not only provide meeting and food services, but there are additional services such as shops, nightclubs, hair and beauty salons, internet, gymnasium, shops, and laundry services. Conferencing services are mostly for business people whom after the meetings would prefer to have a little leisure and relaxation. Thus, the conference and banqueting industry has included the mentioned services to ensure that the guests do not leave the premises to go and look for leisure activities elsewhere. Research reveals that most hotels have special facilities in built for conference and banqueting events, as it has emerged a very profitable business area. An example of hotel or hospitality provider that has excelled in the area of conference and banqueting is the Villa Park or Aston Villa. The hotel that offers hospitality and events services emerged the best in the category of ‘Best UK Unusual Events’ during the prestigious M&IT Awards. Apart from excellent services, Villa Park is located centrally less than two miles from the M6, and offers spacious free car parking spaces, which makes it a perfect venue to host events. Another example of facility that offers good conference and banqueting services is The Royal Over-Seas League, which is a Private Members’ club that offers unique services for all kinds of occasions. Referred to as ROSL in short, the facility has eclectic collection of events and meeting rooms, as well as styles and designs that offers exquisite views of various places. Factors that have

Researchers and laboratories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Researchers and laboratories - Essay Example Overall, there is an expectation from this key customer group that there be a cost effective and guaranteed delivery mechanism in the postal services. Time is critical for them. But they are more particular about the time of delivery being committed rather than just being fast. In short, a fast, reliable and economical delivery mechanism is what is expected out of the postal services from this key customer group. The courier service has been picked up as the business for consideration. This would work more like the postal services and would make use of the airline industry which would also benefit by introducing such a service. With the changing and dynamic scenario of currency exchange rates and international travel playing a major role in the airline industry, the courier or postal services will bring in a semblance of stability to the industry. Also, there are gaps in the airline industry which could make operation of the postal services profitable. Based on all these conditions, the airline industry is chosen to support the postal services that are planned for the purpose. In order to evaluate the possible impact of such a postal service on the using customers and the major or key customers and what they look for in this business, a survey is planned. The following groups of people are considered key customers for the business: 1. Researchers and two, Laboratories. These industries requi re delivery of a message or information from the researcher to the lab and vice versa swiftly as well as without any ambiguity. Therefore, the possibility that these people would become a key customer is high. Aims and Objectives The aim of this work is to ensure that an appropriate survey is conducted on a key customer group resulting in gathering relevant information that will help the management to make appropriate decision. The objectives of this project are to conduct a market research and survey on the usefulness and acceptability of a postal service. In order to achieve both the aim and the objectives, it is important that an appropriate target or key customer group is identified. Secondly, a proper questionnaire is also designed for the purpose of conducting a survey. In line with this need, the following jobs are subsequently done. Key Customer Group Many of the schools and colleges have research fellows working under their stewardship. In addition, there are also researchers in private and public labs who are also on the job of research. It will be impossible for the researchers to share their work with their other colleagues without having appropriate communication methodology. Though with the large scale increase in technology, namely internet and email, it is still found that there is nothing that would equal printed paper sharing and the ease with which one can share the printed paper. Therefore, it is imperative that this group of people make use of the postal services more than any other group of people and it would be important for the postal servic

Impact of Recession on Movie Industry

Impact of Recession on Movie Industry Foreword Writing this dissertation was a long and exhausting process which included many setbacks and failures. Nevertheless it also was fulfilling and exciting as I was driven by my passion and interest in movies and cinemas in general. I always intended to work for the movie industry one day and hold well- grounded hopes of achieving this goal in the near future. Maybe this dissertation will help to convince the studios of my passion and capabilities. My thanks go to Mr Nick Bowen, who was an outstanding tutor and helped me through rough and inconvenient times with his competence and great sense of humour. I also would like to thank me interviewees Mr Arwed Fischer and Mr Jan Fantl, who provided me with many important information and an inside into the industry. Without them, a big part of the report would not have reached the standard it has now. Finally, I am very grateful for the help of my parents who made it possible for me to go to London and provided me with everything I needed in order to be successful and happy in the future. I do not want to forget to thank everybody else who supported me during this tough time and cheered me up after one of the occasional setbacks. Executive Summary Recently the film studios are experiencing a boost of attendances and ticket sales despite the financial crisis. This already happened in past recessions and therefore will be analysed in this report. One reason for that economical immunity seems to be the technological development such as sound and colour in the past or 3D cinema nowadays. Nevertheless there are some issues the industry has to deal with at the moment, e.g. piracy or substitution goods like videogames. Although 3D movies did fail continuously in the past in terms of economical success, the studios tried it again with an advanced technology and exceeded all expectations when Avatar was released. In this context factors such as rising ticket prices or the limited number of 3D capable cinemas play a big role as well in order to determine the future potential the 3D technology. A few companies already started to produce and sell 3D capable TVs which are supposed to the next economical success the movie landscape. IMAX cinemas suffered a long period of very low attendances and decreasing ticket sales until advanced 3D technology has been used to produce movies. Since then the IMAX group notes record breaking attendances and boosting profits. Two surveys have been analyzed and compared to each other. One, published in 2005 by Opinion Dynamics Corporation alre ady showed some curious facts on 3D cinema and its likely success in the future. The second one has been generated online by the author of this report in 2010 amongst a group of people from 10 countries. In terms of forecasting a success of 3D movies it is very hard for the studios to forecast the success of a single movie or even a whole new technology. They mostly try to find what is most appealing to the audience (unlike independent productions) and therefore have their analysts forecasting risks and returns. Nevertheless DisplaySearch 3D Display Technology conducted a forecast which is quite optimistic and expects increases in every sector of the movie industry (cinemas, home cinemas etc). The recommendations include the authors personal opinion of how the 3D technology will influence the cinema landscape and the options studios have to market it properly. By interviewing people from the movie industry the author gathered some inside knowledge which he tried to apply to his recommendations. Therefore it is expected that the boom of 3D movies will slow down slightly but continue to strengthen again. In the long term it is expected that the new technology will have a positive impac t on the movie industry. 1. Introduction According to Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, the upcoming 3D movie technology is the greatest innovation to occur in the movie business in 70 years. (CNN Online, 2008) This statement shows the hope of the whole industry for more attendances and a revolution in the movie market. An increasing amount of movie studios shift their productions towards the new technology. As a result this is discussed in a rising number of TV-shows, magazines and newspapers. Despite the fact that videogames are becoming more popular and the financial credit crisis has reduced average income, going to the movies still seems to be a big part of daily life all over the world. This happens even though the whole film industry seems to be in a crisis, as will be explained below. Initially 3D movies were produced using 2 separate projectors to produce one double image and running two separate rolls of film. Nowadays the technology is far more advanced which means that digital projectors are installed in cinemas producing sharper and steadier images. There also is a difference in production between real movies and animated ones. Animated movies are not produced with real cameras but use computers to create and render every single shot from two angles. Live action movies on the other hand are filmed by new dual lens digital cameras that are able to capture two points of view. (BBC news, 2009) Movie attendances in the United States decreased by 2, 6 %, falling to its lowest level since 1997, whereas revenues fell from $1,484 billion in 2004 to $1,364 billion in 2008. In the same period the amount of screens jumped from 35,993 to 39,476. To be able to show 3D movies, it is necessary to upgrade to digital screens; here the number increased from only 138 in 2004 to 4,576 in 2008, a rising trend. (Marche du film, 2009) Linking these data leads to the conclusion that the movie industry is keen to establish and invest in a new technology in order to make going to the cinema more attractive to its customers and increase attendances in the short and long-term. The following report analyses the current status of the movie industry and shows the likely economic impact in times of recession on the worldwide market. The industries main current issues and a forecast based on trends and profound market research are also examined. 2. Literature Review This chapter summarises and evaluates the related research of what has been written about the research topic. Opinions and data from many different people, working for the movie industry or being close enough to venture a forecast, have been taken into account and evaluated objectively. The chapter also defines and explains the new 3D movie technology, its history and its characteristics from different perspectives. Furthermore it covers several models and theories and talks about reports and how to estimate their importance. This is followed by an evaluation to point out weaknesses or gaps in the literature. The final part will consist of a link to the initial research question and what the plan for proceeding is. Overall, there are 3 main questions to be covered in this chapter: 1. How did big studios fight back in past recessions? 2. How have technical developments influenced business in the past in different markets? 3. What are current issues in the industry? It also is evident that due to the newness of the topic chosen, there are certain constraints in terms of what kind of literature is currently available. Therefore the main sources cited are websites as well as primary research. 2.1 Comebacks of the Studios in Past Recessions After the first big Wall Street Crash in 1929, admissions rose by 58% compared to the previous year. (Entertainment times online, 2008) According to John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners in America, this means that â€Å"In the past four decades there have been seven recession years in this country, and the box office has climbed strongly in five of those years,† (Entertainment times online, 2008) According to the Academy of Management Journal (1996), between 1936 -1950 property based resources such as long-term contracts with stars and theatres helped financial performance to stabilize. Contrary to the period of 1951-65, when knowledge- based resources such as coordination and production talent and budgets increased financial performance. (Academy of Management Journal, 1996, pp. 519-543) Asking some of the most important and powerful people in the U.S. and UK movie industry shows that the majority believes that the current recession either is an opportunity or even a reason for rising sales. But what is the reason for that surprising success in economic downturns? Besides new technologies, which unfortunately are not always released at the right time, the studios decide to publish more comedies and action movies, to help the audience to escape from their monetary problems. In the USA, three of the top-five movies in terms of gross profit of 2009 are comedies: Mall Cop, Hes Just Not That into You and Bride Wars. (CNN movies, 2009) This permits us to draw the conclusion that a recession does not necessarily lead to a break-down of sales in the movie industry. But did past recessions really have no impact or even a positive impact on the movie industry? Not everyone agrees with the theory of increasing sales in recessions though. Gerald Peary, a documentary filmmaker and critic in Boston, Massachusetts, believes that the market will be flooded with intellectually less challenging movies since they are the ones that are more likely to succeed on the audience with smaller budget. In his opinion The dumber the movie is, sometimes, the more money it makes, which states that Those movies are somehow both critic proof and depression proof. (CNN movies, 2009) Another point of view is represented by Basinger, the film historian who assumes that it is still too soon to predict any trends concerning the recession and movies. She points out that recessions leads to faster changes in the movie scene. Also for her, going to the movies is not highly affected by the crisis, as it still is [] the cheapest and fullest way to abandon your troubles and lose yourself in a story. (CNN movies, 2009) Even in some of the worst recessions, economy ever has experienced, the movie industry mostly has been of the few sectors that was able to maintain its position in the market or even increase admissions. This is due to peoples not changing consumer behaviour. Even though they got affected by economic downturns, most of them still wanted to escape from their misery for a few hours. It also is an opportunity for independent film makers to realize low-budget productions, as movie studios get more cost- conscious when their stocks fall during a crisis. Henceforth studios prefer to invest little money in innovative productions and directors hoping for a reasonable return of investment. 2.2 Technological influence on Business in the past Around 120 years ago, films were little more than drawings that seemed to come alive with motion. Then, in 1877 Emile Reynaud had patented a machine, the ‘Praxinoscope, which projected seemingly moving paintings onto a screen. An upgrade of his invention, the Projection Praxinoscope, which was a large-scale Praxinoscope, got patented in 1888 and was used for public projection. Reynaud started to screen his films, accompanied by music on a regular base. Yet that early atmosphere and technology were very similar to today screenings. (Kinogeschichte, 2009) Using spools to feed and take-up the extended picture band, sequences were no longer limited to short cyclic movements. This was the first and important step for commercial use which has been so essential for successful cinematography. (Exeter, 2000) Nevertheless, there were still many issues concerning films, amongst other things the length of them or the lack of sound. To compensate this problem, it was tried to create a more realistic, narrative and psychological atmosphere using on-screen text and a pianist accompanying the film. Back in 1927, after the introduction of movies with full sound, cinema attendances jumped up from 57 million to 90 million in 1930 (Shmoop statistics, 2009) and made them even more popular. This demonstrates that introducing a revolutionary technology can lead to soaring attendances and higher box office sales for the studios. Also the lack of colour on screen was tried to be compensated to improve the movie experience. One of the first ideas was to tint the film reels but later prising companies such as ‘Technicolor and ‘Eastmancolor, made it possible to use new ways of colouring and achieved the objective of a deeper and more intense atmosphere. (Inventors library) Nowadays black/white movies disappeared almost completely from the world of movies. Although, the success of films like ‘Schindlers List (Steven Spielberg, 1993) and ‘Clerks (Kevin Smith, 1994) shows that it is still possible to achieve commercial and critical success with monochrome. (David Parkinson 1995, pg 112) After releasing the first full-colour, La Cucaracha (1934), coloured movies became more and more popular. In the late 1930s, the films,Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937, Disney), were a huge success. Last one still is considered a milestone as it was thefirstfeature-length animated film. (Filmsite, 2007) Introducing new, revolutionary technologies and giving them the chance to go to maturity stage of the product lifecycle always has been very profitable for movie studios. Be it the implementation of sound or the introduction of colour, people loved to spend their money on being amused in cinemas. 2.3. Current issues in the industry There are more problems and issues the movie industry has to deal with besides the current substantial crisis and recessions. These will be examined in the following sections. 2.3.1 Videogames as substitution goods Amongst many threats for the movie industry such as the highly developed internet, DVDs and an increasing amount of home activities, one of the main problems for the movie theatres and studios is the rising and durable success of videogames. First released in the 1980s, videogames have been designed for a significantly smaller target audience. This was attributed to the fact computers were still in the early stage of their product life cycle and thus the presence of computers in the average household was a much less common occurrence. The commercial use of computers was much more prominent during this period, than their household residential usage. Even with the introduction of platforms such as the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) in the 1990s, the Videogame industry was still viewed as a niche market. It was never anticipated to develop into a competitor of the movie industry as it is nowadays. Currently, the profit generated from videogames equates to that of their movie counterparts. Current trends indicate that consumers have a tendency to spend more on buying videogames as opposed to going to the movies which has been identified as a huge threat for the studios. Just recently, in the beginning of November 2009, Activision Blizzard Incs released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and anticipated more than $660 million in sales from 11-13 million sold units by the end of 2009. Also previous games were big hits in terms of sales as the table below shows. Top video games sales on their first day ( Reuters, 2009) Figure 1 These data can be compared to Top Hollywood worldwide opening weekends: ( Reuters, 2009) Figure 2 As aforementioned and illustrated by the tables (Figure 1 Figure 2) above, it is evident that data solidifies the trend that an increasing number of consumers are changing their consumer behaviour and purchasing videogames which they may enjoy at home. Another possibility for the rising success of videogames could be the fact of potential consumers rather staying home than spending money on transport for getting there and quite expensive snacks and drinks in the cinema. This data backs up the trend that more and more consumers tend to shift from going to the movies to buying videogames which they can enjoy at home. Even if they are more expensive (around $50/ unit depending on the platform) the duration of playing them is far higher than only two hours. This makes them a substitution good with which the studios have to deal with now and most likely even more in the future. On the other hand this also creates new opportunities for the movie and the game industry to work together and create profits by co-operating. This is already working in terms of converting movies to videogames but also the other way around. 2.3.2 Piracy Another very recent issue and problem for the movie industry is the rapid spread of illegal movie copies, also known as pirate copy. In 2007, downloads of movies rose by 50 % in Germany, mostly saved as digital copies. ( Welt online, 2009) According to The Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI), the cost of motion picture piracy is significant high and an essential threat to the studios and the whole industry. The loss for the movie industry was $6, 1 billion in 2006. Taking all industries into account that are related to the movies that number would add up to $20.5 billion annually. This means that not only the studios and related companies lose money. It also means that people are losing jobs. Piracy being absent, 141,030 new jobs would have been added to the U.S. economy in 2006 (IPI, 2006) Henceforth the studios are in an on-going war with the movie pirates trying to reduce losses. The enormous impact on U.S. and worldwide economy forced the industry to consider distinct strategie s to decrease or even stop piracy. Besides Ads, showing movie pirates chased by police and going to prison as for every other federal crime, the industry also adopted a hard line by suing them for compensation. This found its peak in sending four men to prison for one year and ordering them to pay $3.6 million of compensation to major film companies such as Warner Brothers, Columbia, Twentieth Century Fox, Sony BMG and EMI. (CNN Piracy, 2009) They operated a Swedish movie pirate website which has been judged of being illegal. In total, piracy and the recession have reduced DVD sales in the UK by around 10 % and in the US by even 13 %. The problem for the studios is that DVD sales are responsible for half a titles long-term profits and more than double the revenue than from tickets sold. (Independent Online 3D Revolution, 2010) Hence Hollywood always tries to find new ways of protecting their movies and anticipate copyright theft. Consequently they always need new technologies which cannot be hacked but according to Arwed Fischer (Fischer, 2010), it is almost impossible to find the perfect safety. Hackers are able to break any copy protection within days or hours. In fact, this made him quit the job as resources seem to be wasted on nothing. Critics on the other hand state that the way of how to calculate losses for the movie industry is neither transparent nor comprehensible. The studios claim that each single pirate copy is the same as one loss of attendance. This is one of the reasons why mentioned losses are extraordinary high. People that just downloaded the movie and never considered going to the cinema or buying it on DVD are not included in these statistics which makes them quite subjective. On the other hand, the new 3D technology makes studios feel quite safe at the moment as it yet is impossible to pirate 3D featured movies. Hence people who want to experience this new way of cinema must go to the m ovies and pay for their tickets. James Cameron also is aware of this unique selling point when he says: You can pirate a 3D movie but you cant pirate it in 3D, so you cant bottle that 3D experience. (New Yorker Online, 2009) Although this is a justifiable and legitimate objection, piracy remains one of the industries biggest problems. Even if not each ‘pirate can be considered a loss of attendance and ticket sales, it remains an act of stealing. The studios spend millions of Dollars to produce profitable movies which are linked to many jobs. That should not be undermined by downloading movies instead of going to see them in the cinemas and pay the entrance fee. 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction This chapter explains the approaches used to facilitate a precise and specific answer to the initial research question. In order to gather relevant and accurate information both, quantitative and qualitative data will be used. However the authors focus will be on qualitative data collection. The potential bias of primary is quite low due to a wide range of interview partners, all from different sides. Secondary data has been gathered under same criteria in order to minimise the risk of potential bias. Where, if possible, the author tried to look for alternative explanations and to show that he was aware of any potential bias. 3.2 Justification of Research Perspective Every research requires distinct methods recommended for structuring research programs. In this dissertation, it has been chosen to base all outcomes and results on actual data or professional forecasts like interviews, surveys and questionnaires. Copies of them can be found in the appendix. A high level of discipline was necessary and essential at the beginning of the research. Even though it got disappointing at some points, as the researcher took a wrong path, objectives from books by Mark Saunders (2009) helped the author to keep focused and motivated. According to Saunders * â€Å"Data are collected systematically * Data are interpreted systematically * There is a clear purpose; to find things out† (Saunders et al, 2009) 3.3 Primary Data Collection The author attempted to use all the important primary data collection methods such as interviews, networking and surveys in order to analyse the data objectively. This leads towards an accurate answer to the initial research question. Interviews with people from the movie industry such as former employees of copyright companies and cinema owners have given a deep insight into the topic. Interviewees are: * Arwed Fischer, former employee of X-Protect GmbH in Munich * Representative of the Kinopolis group, one of the biggest German cinema chains, who wants to stay anonymous. * Jan Fantl, producer, production manager and former director Several approaches for the interview structure have been considered and led to the following conclusion: Although unstructured interviews have the advantage of complete freedom in terms of content and structure ( Kumar R, 2005), the author of this report decided to mostly use structured or hybrid interviews for his research purposes. This represents a spot in-between the unstructured and structured interviews in Figure 3. That was given due to the fact that face-to face interview were not possible for a number of reasons such as travelling cost or lack of time of the interviewees. Nevertheless personal interviews would have given the author some advantages such as observing his interviewee as well as listening to him or the chance to gather the data more efficiently. (Hollwitz, J. Wilson, C.E. 41-52) Therefore it has been decided to make use of telephone interviews, which are far less costly than personal ones, and mail questionnaires which require accurate question design to match reading comprehension of the interviewees. (Using Structured Interviewing Techniques, 1991) Especially mail interviews have been proofed to be quite efficient because interviewees took their time to think about the questions before answering them. An online survey has been generated and distributed by the author of this report. 47 people aged 22- 50 and from 10 countries filled out this online survey which has been piloted before with 5 people in order to make it more precise and accurate for a wider audience. It was created on the 07.April 2010 and has been closed on the 07.May 2010 .To generate it the online platform www.surveymonkey.com has been used. The complete survey can be found in the appendix of this report. Due to easier access given times and resources it was not possible to have interviews in other countries like the USA or India. At a later point in this report it has been compared to another survey taken by Opinion Dynamics Corporation in 2005 before the 3D technology boomed yet. This will show the process and change of customers opinion on 3D movies. Also a questionnaire has been conducted by the author. It has been sent via to several people of the movie industry. The response rate was rather poor as asked peo ple seemed to be busy. Standard questions have been used in order to facilitate the collection of data and due to limitations in terms of time and resources. The questionnaire can be found in the appendices in section 8.1 As aforementioned, the potential bias has been considered in the evaluation process. Another option to be deemed is the use of a supervisor or mentor. He made sure that collected data was rather objective than subjective and could provide the author with constructive criticism. 3.4 Secondary Data Collection Thanks to a wider range of secondary data available, the author collected a lot of relevant information on the topic. He did this through a critical evaluation of literature, not only from the USA but also from Europe to accomplish a fair and accurate picture of the industry and its potential in the future. Parts of the research were also based on past and current trends and forecasts that justify arguments and recommendations. In order to sufficiently cut down the total amount of data, the author interpreted data sourced mainly from smaller subgroups rather than â€Å"all possible groups† (Saunders et al 2009, p 150 152)This method saves the author valuable time and also makes research and evaluation of data more efficient by using a smaller pool of information. As every other method, this one also has disadvantages, such as gathering the wrong kind of data or using irrelevant data which cannot answer the initial research question accurately. Also some academic literature such as the The Academy of Management Journal has been used to provide a different angle of the research question. A SWOT analysis on the current situation of the 3D Technology and outline possible threats and opportunities for the whole movie industry has been carried out. As a planning tool a SWOT analysis has many benefits like the simplicity of taking one. Nevertheless this can lead to problems like underestimating the value of a SWOT analysis or to an imprecise and weakly conducted analysis. (Ferrel Hardline, 2007, p. 119-120) More benefits can be seen in Figure 4: (Ferrel Hardline, 2007) Figure 4 3.5 Conclusion of Methodology Using all the aforementioned methods and approaches, the author attempted to find an accurate answer to the research question. Giving the reader a deep insight into the topic and a widespread view of the 3D Technology opportunities and risks has lead to a complete understanding of the subject. All data has been analyzed and evaluated neutrally so a conclusion has been objectively drawn. 4. Findings and Analysis This chapter starts with an explanation of the technical side of 3D technology used today followed by an overview of the history of 3D movies and a SWOT analysis. After that, the role of 3D movies in general and in combination with IMAX cinemas as well as the importance of Avatar will be discussed. The chapter will concluded with the comparison of two surveys (for further information please see research methodology) and a forecast. 4.1. How does 3D technology exactly work? First of all, the binocular vision system is based on the fact that the eyes of a human being are spaced 5 cm apart. Consequently each eye sees the picture from a different angle. At the same time the binocular vision system in a brain is using the difference to calculate the distance. The brain also has the ability to show a relationship between those images even though they are slightly different. The brain can choose objects in the two scenes and work out how far an object is between those images. (How Stuff works 3D glasses, 2010) The reason for wearing 3d glasses is to provide different images into your eyes. The movie screen in fact shows two different images and the glasses cause one of the images to go into one eye and the other one to enter the second eye. There are two widespread systems of doing it * Polarization: The majority of the big studios such as Disney or Universal the first choice are polarized lenses for the glasses because they allow colour viewing. Two synchronized projectors project two individual views onto the screen, each with a diverse polarization. The glasses only let one of the images to enter each eye because they hold lenses that are polarized as well. This is comparable with the polarization of sunglasses. (Filmindustry, 2009) * Red/Green or Red/ Blue. Since polarization cannot be used on a traditional TV screen (unlike on upcoming 3D TVs which will be dealt with later on in section 4.7) the red/green system is used. Again 2 images are displayed on the screen, one in red and one in blue/green. The filters of the glasses only allow one picture to enter each eye. The brain has to correlate those pictures as aforementioned. It is not really possible to use a nor

Avons Marketing Strategy Essay -- essays research papers

Avon’s mission statement is to be the company that best understands and satisfies the product service and self-fulfillment needs of women globally. They state on their web site that their dedication to supporting women touches not only beauty-but health, fitness, self-empowerment and financial independence. This is a good mission statement for a company selling beauty products to women all over the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Avon started selling beauty products door to door in 1886. For generations women have been purchasing Avon products from small catalogues through a representative calling on consumers in their homes. During the days when most women were at home rather than building their own careers this method of direct selling was appropriate. In 1979 Avon purchased Tiffany & Co Jewelers as well as a chemical maker and health-product company. By the year 1988 Avon was removing themselves from the health care industry. Their debt had reached $1.2 billion and stock prices had bottomed out. During 1989 Avon was the target of two take over attempts. The company was successful in warding off both bids. Avon launched their new web site in 1997. This was a turning point for the company as they were offering products directly to the customers thus cutting out the need for the representatives that they had spent decades relying on. Avon estimated that they had 500,000 sales representativ es in the United States alone. The sales results from this Internet site have not produced the gain the company had hoped for. In 1998 Avon set up mall kiosks around the United States. This was their first attempt at operating retail stores. This was a major departure in the way the company has done business in the past. The intention of the kiosks was to aim sales at younger consumers not already aware of the Avon brand. To help the relationships between Avon and its sales representatives these kiosks are now franchised to the representatives. Andrea Jung was named CEO of Avon in 1999. During the year 2000 Avon relaunched its web site emphasizing the availability of Avon representatives on line to help potential customers with their needs. At the same time Avon created a new product line to be carried by major retailers and sold only in stores.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Avon’s sales have increased but at a rate of only 5% per year during the past ten years ... ... telephone number that commission is earned and this is not a way to gather information for other purposes. Avon will want to make customers aware that they now have the opportunity to shop in the convenience of their own home, and one of the most inexpensive forms of advertising will surely be word-of-mouth. This will certainly be used if sales reps are confident that they will receive the amount of commissions they deserve. As a result, Avon will also want to implement a â€Å"first time user profile† that will allow customer’s who are registering for online purchases to indicate who has referred them to their sites, and provide an incentive such as commission if this person is a sales representative.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Avon will be able to measure its success by monitoring its sales and profit growth. The company will also want to evaluate the market share it owns in the online business in comparison to competitors. Should this online business fail to be profitable in the long run, the company may want to reevaluate its current target market and determine if the most users of their products do have access to computers and feel comfortable using this new method of shopping

Research Paper Essay

Pharmaceutical Companies, Intellectual Property, and the Global AIDS Epidemic This case is provided at the end of chapter 3 of your text (Luthans and Doh). After reading the case, and performing research on the topic, answer the following questions: 1.) Do pharmaceutical companies have a responsibility to distribute drugs for free or at low cost in developing countries? What are the main arguments for and against such an approach? 2.) What are the principal arguments of pharma companies who oppose making exception to IPR laws for developing countries? What are the arguments by NGOs and others for a differential treatment? 3.) What impact would you expect South Africa’s decision to levy duties on drug imports from Western nations to have on the international distribution of drugs to South Africa? 4.) In June 2002, the WTO extended the transition period during which least-developed countries (LDCs) had to provide patent protection for pharmaceuticals. In your opinion, do you think this is an appropriate change in policy, or a dangerous precedent? What could be some of the negative ramifications of this resolution? What about effects for other industries? 5.) Given the initiatives announced by global development and aid organizations and among pharmaceutical companies themselves, was it necessary to relax IPR rules in order to ensure that adequate supplies of AIDs medications would be available for distribution in the developing world? 6.) What role do MNCs have in providing funding or other assistance to international organizations such as the Global Fund? Present your answers using APA-format: Eight to ten pages, double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font. Also, please be sure to cite all scholarly information paraphrased or quoted from your researched sources of information on the case topic. Finally, be sure to include a separate Reference Page on which you list all of your research information sources according to correct APA citation style, depending on the kind of source: book, chapter, published article, internet article, etc. Submit this assignment to your instructor in Learning Plan 6 via the Assignment Drop Box labeled Research Paper. This assignment is worth 275 points and will be graded based on the Writing Intensive Rubric. Be sure that your paper shows multiple revisions with improved focus and clear writing for a general audience. Please remember to check your paper against the criteria in the Writing Intensive Research Paper Rubric before submitting it (see link above in this paragraph). Also, please let your Instructor know if you have any questions at all regarding producing or submitting this Research Paper assignment as the course progresses.a

‘Macbeth’ English Coursework Essay

1. The scene opens with Lady Macbeth speaking in soliloquy; as a director I would tell the actress to look agitated, maybe wringing her hands and pacing the stage, quite near the back of the stage so it looks as if she is almost trying to hide. In the first soliloquy she seems less powerful compared to when she is with Macbeth. Lady Macbeth begins to imagine noises that represent bad omens, for example, ‘the owl shriek’d’. She probably didn’t hear that noise but an owl shrieking is a symbol of evil and she knows she is doing wrong. She then begins to go over the plans as if she is reassuring herself of what to do and wondering what is going on and how the plan is doing. Lady Macbeth obviously wasn’t that confident because she even says that she needed an alcoholic drink to calm her and make her brave again. Then when Macbeth enters, still in soliloquy, she panics that Macbeth hasn’t committed the murder, that they woke up and caught him and she expresses her doubts very obviously as shown in this quotation, ‘I am afraid’ this shows how she lacks confidence and proves that she wasn’t ‘bold’. Then when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth begin to talk to each other they are both very nervous and jumpy but slowly Lady Macbeth begins to regain control again and she can then comfort and sooth Macbeth who is very shocked and seems almost hysterical. Then Macbeth’s concerns worry Lady Macbeth but she still remains in control because she starts to command and order Macbeth around. For example, ‘give me the daggers’, ‘get on your nightgown’; Lady Macbeth regained her calm and Macbeth has become worried. Lady Macbeth gets worked up because of Macbeth’s doubting and worrying and she is almost shouting in rage at him when she says ‘infirm of purpose’ and as a director I would definitely say to be bossy and very angry towards Macbeth. She then begins to insult him which shames him as he is supposed to be a brave warrior when she calls him a ‘child’ so she has definitely regained her control and is ‘bold’ at the end of the scene. 2. In lines 16-31 Shakespeare creates lots of tension and anxiety by showing Lady Macbeth who is supposed to be very brave and someone who would rather ‘bash her baby’s brains out’ than show cowardice being nervous and jumpy. Lady Macbeth says that she couldn’t do it herself and doubts that Macbeth has the willpower to do it as well. Following this there is a very jumpy quick exchange between them in lines 22-30. The punctuation in this section is very short like full stops exclamation marks it is very quick answering, they almost finish off each others sentences. This would make the audience think whether they were going to get away with it? Would they be found out? Could they cover it up? Lie about it? So this creates a lot of anxiety as the audience want to know what is going to happen to them. 3. Macbeth is in a state of shock when he returns from Duncan’s Chamber. He hears sounds which frighten him so he appears very shocked and upset when he enters the scene. He is concerned that they will be found out and in that era the punishment would have been death for high treason. When he talks to Lady Macbeth they have a very quick and nervous exchange. During this exchange he begins to realise the seriousness of what he has just done and Macbeth then begins to feel guilty. He doesn’t seem to be able to focus on one thing at a time but the two dominant things he talks about is that he won’t be able to get spiritual forgiveness and he won’t be able to sleep. He then starts to talk about two lodgers praying and the fact that when they said ‘Amen’ he couldn’t because he had gone against God and broken the Divine Right of Kings. The Divine Right of Kings is an ancient belief system that was the eldest son of the king or queen would become the next ruler of the country. Macbeth had killed the king and taken his place so broken this spiritual belief. So Macbeth knows that he has disobeyed God and cannot get forgiveness. This is shown in lines 37-44. In these lines a very strong metaphor is used to show just how guilty he feels. The metaphor is: ‘Hangman’s hands’. This is comparing his hand to those of someone who kills frequently so this means that Macbeth’s guilt is so strong that it feels as though he has killed more than one person. The second dominant topic is that Macbeth sleep has the power to heal and nurture people who are troubled and weary but he has lost the right to sleep and will never sleep again. Lines 47-52 use a lot of good personification which further shows the guilt that Macbeth is feeling. He refers back to the witches in this extract:’ Glamis hath murder’d sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.’ this suggests that the witches are on his mind and how their prophecies have driven him to treachery. He then begins to question why he is jumpy; why his guilt and regret is so great; why he can’t go back in the room or even look at his hands. 4. The scene starts off with Macbeth in control because Lady Macbeth couldn’t commit the murder but after Macbeth did he couldn’t re-enter the room and face what he had done. Their relationship is very interesting because they have a large reliance on each other. Lady Macbeth needs Macbeth to commit the murder and Macbeth needs Lady Macbeth to drive him and push him so he has courage to commit the crime. Macbeth looses all his control in the relationship after he commits the murder because he is so haunted and shocked by what he has done and he then needs Lady Macbeth to calm him and make him feel at ease. You can find this change between lines 20-79. Lady Macbeth is in complete control at the end because she begins to call Macbeth names to make him feel ashamed of his cowardice and uses very commanding vocabulary to make him hide what they know and she is in some ways scared in case he can’t pretend that he doesn’t know anything. 5. The main themes of the play are nearly all mentioned in this scene. To me the most significant theme is that this story is about a man who potentially could have been great, powerful and strong but has been corrupted by darkness, witches and greed. Witchcraft is the theme that got them to this stage and is what really drives Macbeth to commit the murder. The witches’ prophecy drives him to killing anybody who got in his way especially Macduff’s family in Act IV Scene 2. Macbeth is constantly referring back to the witches and seems to have complete trust in them. An example showing that they are on his mind is in Act II Scene 2 when he is distraught about the murder in lines 55-57. Lady Macbeth also refers to witchcraft when she hears bad omens like the ‘owls’ scream’ so witchcraft and darkness is a main concern and theme of this particular scene. The theme of deception is carried on throughout this scene; at a more physical level than the deception of the witches with their contradicting language. In this scene, Act II Scene 2, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are putting the blame of the murder on the King’s guards and appearing to be unaware of the situation. Bloodshed and guilt is another key issue especially with phrases like ‘Hangman’s hands’ and they very graphic visual image in lines 76-79. This theme is referred to throughout the rest of the play and eventually until Lady Macbeth’s death. The guilt is so strong that it causes her to take her own life and the guilt rules Macbeth into decisions and causes a lack of sleep which is another key theme. His lack of sleep is because he has ruined his own equilibrium. Macbeth knows that he has disrupted the Divine Right of Kings so therefore upset God. So Macbeth finds that he is unable to pray and has lost the right to sleep which is ‘nature’s healer’ which is a theme which continues right from the murder to the end of the play. He becomes mentally disturbed. The final topic in this scene is the power shifting in the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. They both rely on each other to be strong.

Enter to win a pass to the Nonfiction Writers Online Conference or membership in the Nonfiction Authors Association

Enter to win a pass to the Nonfiction Writers Online Conference or membership in the Nonfiction Authors Association Contest Alert! Enter to win a pass to the Nonfiction Writers Online Conference or membership in the Nonfiction Authors Association NOTE: As of April 4, the winners have been chosen! BIG CONGRATS to Lula Lucy at Lulalucy.com for winning a Gold access pass to the Nonfiction Writers Conference, and KUDOS to Carolyn Howard Johnson for winning the Authority Membership in the NF Authors Association for a full year!!!! And thanks for all who entered. Wow well over   200 entries!   DOUBLE NOTE: The conference is May 2-4, and I assume some of you are still interested in attending. If so, use this link to sign up and mention FUNDSFORWRITERS35. Youll get 35% off the sign up fee.   FundsforWriters has teamed up with the Nonfiction Writers Conference and Nonfiction Authors Association to host an EASY contest. Two winners will be selected at random to receive one of two great prizes: A Gold access pass to the Nonfiction Writers Conference, happening May 2-4, 2018 (this event is virtual- no travel required!). Value: $225 Authority membership in the Nonfiction Authors Association for a full year! Value: $190 How to Enter: This is a blog comment contest so all you need to do to enter is post a comment below that answers this question: What are your top three writing goals this year? That’s right, simply answer the above question in the comment area below. Feel free to include your book title if applicable and a link to your website. Remember to include your email address when you register your comment so that we can contact you if you win! This contest will run from March 16 to April 1, 2018. (Winners announced April 3, 2018.) About the Prizes One winner will receive a Gold Access pass to the 8th annual Nonfiction Writers Conference, happening May 2-4, 2018 and featuring opening keynote speaker Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project, Better Than Before, and The Four Tendencies. Event speakers will cover how to write, publish, promote and profit with a book! NFWC is completely virtual- all sessions are delivered via phone or Skype. Your Gold pass includes all event recordings, an invitation to our attendees-only Facebook group, and access to our Ask-a-Pro sessions- complimentary 15-minute consulting sessions with industry experts, delivered via phone or Skype. Learn more about NFWC: http://NonfictionWritersConference.com/register-nfwc-2018/ One winner will also receive a full year of Authority membership in the Nonfiction Authors Association, a vibrant community for writers. Membership includes access to recordings from weekly teleseminars with industry experts, marketing â€Å"homework† sent via email each week, exclusive templates, checklists and other content, discounts off our year-round Nonfiction Book Awards and Nonfiction Writers Conference, and discounts with our partners including IngramSpark, Office Depot and more. Learn more about NFAA:  https://NonfictionAuthorsAssociation.com Additional Contest Guidelines Open to legal residents of the United States, age 18 or older. No purchase necessary, void where prohibited. The Sweepstakes is governed Two winners will be chosen at random to receive the prizes listed above. The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined Enter Below to Win! Post your comment What are your top three writing goals this year? Thanks for joining us- and feel free to share this contest with your writer friends!  Ã‚   C. Hope Clark, Editor, FundsforWriters.com

The Effect of Drug X on Self

The Effect of Drug X on Self Introduction Anxiety forms part of an individual’s body mechanisms in which it communicates that something or an act is wrong and hence, there is need to undertake corrective measures (Aleksovski, 2009). This sign has been categorised as one of the essential human survival tactics as it ensures individual wellbeing. An anxious individual can describe the act as jittery, nervous, jumpy, confusion, and nervous, among other feelings.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on The Effect of Drug X on Self-Reports of Anxiety in a Sample of Undergraduate Psychology Majors specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, stress is a behavioral mechanism that occurs to the human body as a result of the change in either internal or external environment of the individual (Aleksovski, 2009). A student who is preparing for examination can be subjected to stress. Drugs have been developed with the aim of suppressing an individu al’s level of stress thus reducing anxiety levels among patients or students (Putwain, 2005). The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of a new drug on perceptions of anxiety in order to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety in college students during scheduled exams. There are a number of past studies that have been carried out by psychologists in a view to study stress, anxiety, their relations, major causes, and how they can be prevented. In a study carried by Dr. Susannah Murphy, a neuroscientist in the University of Oxford found out that there is a closer relationship between antidepressants and anxiety (Nauert, 2010). The study also revealed that the use of antidepressants had an immediate effect on the neurotransmitters in the brain. However, it was concluded that some drugs responded faster than others in the reduction of anxiety among human beings. Studies that have been carried on animals (mice) which have artificially been induced to stress and th en given the antidepressants drugs have shown that the drugs reduce stress (Ito, Nagai, Oikawa, Yamada Hanawa, 2011). Students waiting for exams are induced to artificial stress and as a result, they are prone to anxiety. This conclusion can be made based on past studies in order to support the current research paper. The emotional wellbeing of students plays a great role in ensuring that students do well in their school tests and examinations. On the other hand, stress is believed to cause perceived anxiety among school children which is an emotional feeling (Putwain, 2005). Research studies have been carried to determine the drugs that are often used suppress stress as a step towards the reduction of stress anxiety on students.Advertising Looking for proposal on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is important to note that prolonged stress can cause clinical depressions among students (National Institut e of Mental Health n. d.). This results from pressure to pass exams and from parents and teachers who also expect better grades from their children and students, respectively. Students can go for a very long time without ever knowing that they are stressed out. The research study hypothesis is that that experimental drug X will produce an increase in the perceived anxiety on students. The dependant variable which is the experiment research outcome is the behavioral effect that the experimental drug produces when injected on the students. On the other hand, the independent variable of the hypothesis is the experimental drug X which is injected to the subjects under the study. The research study aims at proving that indeed the new drug X can be used to suppress educational stress thus leading to anxiety reduction. The unique aspect of the study is that it projects the application of the use of antidepressants on students rather than health adults. Previous studies have dealt largely o n family people, patients, and workers. In contrast, this study specializes on undergraduate students of the ages between 21 and 25 years old. Another aspect worth of consideration is that it derives its foundation on the studies that have already been carried out, making the expected outcomes more reliable and dependable. The previous studies have been based on placebo and specific drug tests; however, this particular study applies the specific drug while the control group is not subjected to any form of drugs. Lastly, past researches have been carried in laboratories or hospitals but this one is carried on a classroom setting. The study offers an educational and psychological breakthrough in establishing the relationship that exists between examinations and perceived anxiety among students. It would be possible to use the results in future consultation for the purpose of averting stress among students. Method Participants The proposed research study intends to use human participan ts from the undergraduate psychology class population. A sample of 30 students would be enough for the study. The students will have special characteristics as they are supposed to be of between 21 and 25 years old. The students will be from the same year of study and the issue of race and color will be considered.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on The Effect of Drug X on Self-Reports of Anxiety in a Sample of Undergraduate Psychology Majors specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This would ensure that data from different demographical backgrounds and statuses is collected. They also need to have been studying very hard towards their examination. Out of the 30 students 15 will be male and 15 will be female. The students will voluntarily participate in the study and to get their attention, a notice will be placed in the psychology class notice board and the school website. It will also be passed on through Facebook and Tw itter as they are easy means of communication and interaction. The message will entail the expected benefits of the drug X one used. It is believed to reduce anxiety and stress among students. The drug X has been found fit by the national bureau of food stuffs and drugs. Supposing the participants respond rate is more than 100% or over 30, for example 60, then systematic sampling will be used. Their names will be arranged alphabetically before subjecting them to selection. The 60 subjects will be divided by 30 to get 2, where every second, fourth, sixth up to thirtieth subject is reached and recorded. The sequence will be followed, recording the subjects until a sample of 30 participants was reached at. Upon the approval of their consent and that of the institution to carry out the study, the subjects will be ready for the experimental study. No form of motivating the students to participate in study shall be applied as the study is purely voluntary. Lastly, all participants will be provided with an informed consent that must be completed in order to participate. Apparatus Based on the nature of the study, the research will require questionnaires, drug X, drug delivery mechanism, and examination papers. The applicability of these apparatus is discussed more in a precise and elaborate manner under the design and procedure. Design and Procedure Because of the requirements and the nature of the study, the researcher has deemed it necessary to make use of experiment study design. The study will be carried by a single researcher who is me using the theoretical framework and learning gained from the psychology class.Advertising Looking for proposal on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, research assistants will be used when the need be and where necessary. The proposed study involves two levels of independent variables. The two levels of independent variables that will be used include a control group where no drug tablets use and specific dose of drug X. The study will use two groups where one will be a control group (Group B) and the experimental group (Group A). To make the study simple and viable, the two groups will be divided on the basis of gender parity. For the control group, 8 females and 7 males will be used while 7 females and 8 males will be used in the experimental group. The study will be carried on the same time simultaneously. However the subjects will be placed in different rooms. Group A will be given the tablet of new drug X and placed in an examination room with a 10 minutes exam. The subjects can swallow or chew the drugs. However, in this case, the subjects will be required to chew the tablet to allow quick absorption in the blood mai nstream. They will be issued with issued with a test after a period of thirty minutes to ensure that the drug has been absorbed in the blood mainstream. They will be observed for any form of anxiousness so as to aid in supporting the collected information using the survey tools. After the exam they will be administered with a self report survey to measure the effects of the drugs on the participants’ anxiety and stress levels. The same procedure will simultaneously be carried on the control group (Group B) only that they will be not be given drug X. it should be noted that the experiments will be carried in the same time to avoid any participants interactions (from the two different groups). This would reduce the chances of having Hawthorne effect which subjects study to biasedness. Data collection To collect data under the self report survey, survey tools will be used. A well designed questionnaire will be distributed to each participant in the two research experimental grou ps. The questionnaires will have well structured questions that are not leading and ones that would require easy and simple answers. The reason why questionnaire will be used is because of its applicability in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, it is also cheap, reliable, and it collects data which can be used for in depth analysis. Surveys allow reliability and validity because of their standardized nature. The collected data will be compiled and responses that will be similar in either wording or implications will be grouped together. The grouped data and information will then labeled using digits that would be easily subjected to SPSS for analysis. The data and information was later evaluated. Data Analysis The survey data will undergo thorough analysis process. The raw data that has undergone weighting and labeling will be recorded and stored in a computer ready for analysis. Using different data analysis software, the data will undergo SPSS analysis. Descriptive statistics will be generated where the similarity in collected data will be found. The measurements of the data will be expressed as measures of variability and those of tendency. On the measures of central tendency, mode, mean, and median will be calculated in order to describe the data distribution. On the other hand, measures of variability will be subjected to standard deviation and variance calculation. This will determine the spread of the scores of the collected data on the certain behaviors under the study. Lastly, the final data will involve, hypothesis testing is conducted using inferential statistics. The hypothesis testing will determine whether the hypothesis is supported or nullified. It will be carried based on the different variables used in the study. This will form a basis from where discussion of the results and conclusion will be made. Reference List Aleksovski, G. (2009). Anxiety symptoms. Web. Ito, N., Nagai, T., Oikawa, T., Yamada, H., Hanawa, T. (2011). Antidepressant- like Effect of l-perillaldehyde in Stress-induced Depression-like Model Mice through Regulation of the Olfactory Nervous System. Web. Nauert, R. (2010). Some antidepressants work fast for anxiety. Web. National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Depression and College Students What do these students have in common? Web. Putwain, D. (2005). Researching academic stress and anxiety in students: Some methodological considerations. British Educational Research Journal, 33(2), 207-219.

Business Writing vs. Academic Writing

Business Writing vs. Academic Writing Recent college graduates often struggle with the difference between academic and business writing. The University of Houston’s Academic Center recently published a good article that delineated key differences: Writing at work focuses on problem solving. Work-related writing targets multiple audiences with different perspectives. Writing at work may be read by unknown readers. Writing produced at work can be used indefinitely and can be used in legal proceedings. The format for work documents varies greatly from the format for academic documents. There is one other very significant difference not listed in this article: business writing needs to be clear and concise. Academic writing, by contrast, is more often focused on development of thought, and length is encouraged. Students are often rewarded with higher grades if a paper is longer, uses an impressive vocabulary, and/or complex sentence structure. Business writing is different: one should write to express, not impress. This does not at all mean business writing should be â€Å"dumbed down.† Writing clean, short documents is harder. As Blaise Pascal wisely stated, â€Å"I’m sorry this letter is so long. I did not have time to make it shorter.†

Answer qusetion of final exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Answer qusetion of final exam - Essay Example xplain why and how the events take place and subsequent pattern of behaviour of man under certain condition involving emotional and metaphysical reaction. The role of brain and conscious and unconscious activities of the mind are seen to be the responsible for the general behaviour of man. The cognitive theory, therefore, defines brain and the mind as two independent entities that work in tandem to produce actions and reactions of man, to an event. Descartes treated body and mind of a man separately. He believed that body is inanimate object that acts only at the behest of the mind. It is also known as Cartesian dualism. He says that one cannot find out the nature of physical things without the participation of ‘intelligence’ which instead of ‘seeing’ judges them do be so. The mind therefore understands and recognizes other objects because of its inherent ability to represent complex structures rather than relying on sensation and imagination (Descartes, 1901). The theory of dualism, though controversial at that time, was much appreciated and even corroborated by the later philosophers. Kim, through his theory of causal closure and overdetermination, has tried to correlate mind and body. The overdetermination hints at causes that might constitute non physical causal effects. It can be explained in the following example. If, one is having headache and takes appropriate medication he will get the relief . But if at the same time, he would rest, process of recovering would be expedited. The need to know the working of mind becomes all the more important because of the fact that all our intentional and non intentional decisions and emotive expressions have a definite voluntary and involuntary actions associated with them. Hence our state of mental causation results in some form of physical actions. In other words, our beliefs and desires are linked with some definite actions that are designed to rearrange the physical aspects of our surrounding through the

3 works of art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

3 works of art - Essay Example d people are casually having conversations with each other while partying though in a moderate manner not as most young people’s style of current clubbing. The artist to bring out then impressionistic taste, he utilized intensively harmony and balance aspects coupled with rich colors in defining the exact appearance of the entire landscape’s components. This is evident in the way he manages to give clear and well-defined images like people’s skin color, their clothes and varied delicacies including wine on the table. The location depicted in this picture is along Seine River where the impressionist together with his wife and fellow colleague Gustave Caillebotte held a party for their friends. The most striking aspect in this encompasses the setting of the entire party and varied delicacies found on the table besides people’s clothing having a taste of French. Hence, this signifies the changing of French social interaction during late 19Th period due to inf luence from the then Industrial Revolution. Through this artwork, the viewer is capable seeing a barmaid standing behind a serving table and other reflected images of quests in a partying joint seated. This artwork depicts the then French social class especially in partying joints including bars where after liberation of the female gender one was capable of partying freely and without any intimidation with men. However, based on Manet’s mode of painting, besides the woman in this image selling varied types of wines and fruits, she is also selling herself as a prostitute. The depiction of this notion is by the presence of oranges, which Manet through his works associated with prostitution. This particular Manet’s image whose location is a bar, since its painting and introduction to the public for scrutiny has attracted numerous criticisms by scholars. The most intriguing aspect that catches the eye of the viewer encompasses the two images of a man and woman whereby the latter stares in front of her

Security problem in Taiwan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Security problem in Taiwan - Essay Example Remarkably lax policies have made Taiwanese nightclubs a heaven for alcohol and substance abusers and sexual offenders. It has become a favourite pastime for a large population to go to clubs late at night and abuse illegal drugs. However, there is not the growing issue of illegal drugs only which is contributing to chaos in the country. There are other dangers lurking in the shadows of nightclub culture which have more far-reaching consequences. These dangers are related to unfortunate incidents of rape, kidnapping, and assault which are becoming very common in Taiwan because a very facilitating environment is provided for such crimes in the country. This environment raises the probability rate of such crimes. In order to help resolve this issue, I propose the solution based on 12 am curfew. This curfew is already being practiced in many countries around the globe where same kind of nightclub dangers were encountered as in Taiwan. This solution is effective because Despite the media focus on drugs like ecstasy, many incidents of assault and rape have also been reported in Taiwan because of young women not being able to defend themselves in an intoxicated state. Especially in a culture where drinking is heavily promoted, violence is endemic. Taiwan is a country which comes to life late at night. It would not be an exaggerated statement if said that it is a country which never sleeps. Due to a plethora of nightclubs which remain open to visitors all hours at night, the streets glow with hedonistic abandon and are seen packed with jubilant people looking for all kinds of activities. This culture leads to two big problems, vandalism and drug abuse. The state of Springfield police statistics also serve to prove the efficacy of 12 am curfew. For example, a report compares the number of calls for a six month period before and after enforcement of the 1 am curfew. It is revealed that â€Å"the calls for service declined from 1,197 to

Enhancing Occupational Health and Safety Term Paper - 1

Enhancing Occupational Health and Safety - Term Paper Example Occupational hazard and occupational diseases are the inevitable; they will be there in the present environment of work environment where corrosive chemicals, heat and many other factors are involved. The manufacturing unit is the worst hit where many people are losing their lives due to many accidents. However, it is very much important to reform the health related programs in the recent organizations as the expectations of the employees are changing with the changing working time and working environment. The financial relives are not the only effective factor for the satisfying job, in the recent time the leave structure, flexibility of work time, the health insurance packages and internal medical supports have become the great issues. The new generation of employees has new expectations from the employees and practically it is the responsibility of the employers to take care of the health of the fellow employees as far as they are working in the same company. This particular paper will focus on the recent scenario of the occupational hazards and with respect to that the safety measures will be discussed intensely. The concept of occupational health safety was evolved in the Europe in the early nineteenth century. The rapid reformation of the occupational health reformation was seen in the Europe and eventually the new trends of the safety measures were shifted to America from the Europe (Taylor, Easter & Hegney 2). The changing in the legislation has helped many poor women and children to stay out of the occupational accidents and occupational hazards. However, the occupational disasters and accidents have a great impact over the local publics too. The laws related to the occupational hazards and standard of safety must be strict enough to have great implications over the present work culture. A great organization has different degrees of satisfactions. According to many motivational

The Central Intelligence Agancy (CIA) Assignment

The Central Intelligence Agancy (CIA) - Assignment Example The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is the leading independent intelligence agency of US government which is responsible to provide the national security concerns to US government. It was formed under National Security Act of 1947. The agency controls sensitive nature of work and therefore directly reports the security concerns to the senior policymakers of US government. Senate and President of United States decide the appointment for director of Central Intelligence agency, who is responsible for all the operating, budgeting and human resource matter of the Agency. The Director of CIA works as a National Human Source Intelligence Manager (HUMINT) (FAS, 2009, 1). The history of intelligence activities in United States started in the period of George Washington but since World War II these activities are properly coordinated and directed by government. For this purpose, a New York lawyer â€Å"William J. Donovan† was appointed as the first coordinator of information. He then became the head of the Office of strategic Services (OSS) in 1942 when US entered in World War II. The responsibilities of OSS were to collect and analyze information. However, it was dissolved after World War II along with other agencies and the functions of OSS were transferred to state and War departments (DNI, 2011, 7). After some time, President Truman (The US President of that time) felt the need of Intelligence organization and decided to create a separate intelligence agency of United State. Truman, under National Security Act 1947, established Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).... These staff includes the human resources, protocol, public affairs, legal issues, information management, and mission innovation (FIA, 2009, 1). VISION The Agency has a vision to secure the world from threats. The vision statement of CIA is â€Å"One Agency. One Community. An Agency unmatched in its core capabilities, functioning as one team, fully integrated into the Intelligence Community† (CIA Website) The statement clearly reveals the future direction of CIA. The agency wants to be the unmatched intelligence agency in the world. It wants to create secure and peaceful environment in United States. It wants second to be none. MISSION & GOALS OF CIA â€Å"We are the nation’s first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish and go where others cannot go. We carry out our mission by: Collecting information that reveals the plans, intentions and capabilities of our adversaries and provides the basis for decision and action. Producing timely analysis tha t provides insight, warning and opportunity to the President and decision makers charged with protecting and advancing America’s interests. Conducting covert action at the direction of the President to preempt threats or achieve US policy objectives. † (CIA Website) The mission of CIA reflects the true picture of intelligence. The agency is number one in providing intelligence services. Its primary purpose is to collect the information which is against the peaceful environment and interest of America. The agency also analyze the information in order know the hidden threats and then convey it to the US official decision makers. Finally the agency implements the action plans according to the direction of decision

Iphone Demand and Supply Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Iphone Demand and Supply - Research Paper Example The entire process includes a transaction and involves the exchange of goods and services for money. This paper helps to discuss and provide an insight into how demand and supply has changed the world in the present modern era with the help of electronics, in specific, the iPhone. This phone has become a phenomenon in the world today, however a news article talks about how the demand outstrips the supply in China for this particular commodity and how that has affected the people at a micro economic level in the country. China Unicom Ltd. Said that it was not being able to meet the demand for iPhones in China with an equal level of supply because of the excess in quantity that has been demanded by the people there. The iPhone is no longer a good that falls under the category of luxury goods because this very fact that its demand is growing day by day, shows that the people are easily able to afford the same and want to purchase it at the price that it has launched at. According to the company, an estimated 200,000 iPhones were pre ordered the very day that the phone went on sale in the country (from the USA) and another 400,000 were sold on that day. The company was able to attract so many buyers because of the popularity that the phone had gained over the Chinese market because of the sale of its previous model, which had further excited a wider consumer base. Even though the phones are more expensive, they offer better features as well as data services which have attracted such a wide consumer base. In economic terms, it is clear and evident that this particular phone has appealed a great deal to at least half of the Chinese market because more and more people have bought it at the price at which it was launched. The iPad was also released in China and went on sale at a fast pace as well. However, the crux of the matter remained that the iPhone’s demand exceeded the supply that the company was able to give to the people. This goes to show that there was an extension of demand in the particular commodity at the same or even higher price. Since the iPhone 4 was costlier than the previous version, an extension (and not just an increase) in demand can be noticed here in economic terms which means that there is movement along the demand curve where the sale and purchase of iPhones in China are concerned. As per the article, â€Å"As of the second quarter, Apple was the fifth-largest smart phone vendor in China with 7.1% of shipments, according to Beijing research firm Analysys International.  Nokia  Corp. had the largest share with 26.7%.† this very statement helps in understanding the kind of consumer base that Apple has created for itself in China; and that even in deep cut throat competition, the company has been able to sustain its position in the Chinese market, which can be seen when the demand for the phones exceeded the supply level. In a nutshell, the concepts of supply and demand  can be viewed with the help of u nderstanding the

The Central Intelligence Agancy (CIA) Assignment

The Central Intelligence Agancy (CIA) - Assignment Example The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is the leading independent intelligence agency of US government which is responsible to provide the national security concerns to US government. It was formed under National Security Act of 1947. The agency controls sensitive nature of work and therefore directly reports the security concerns to the senior policymakers of US government. Senate and President of United States decide the appointment for director of Central Intelligence agency, who is responsible for all the operating, budgeting and human resource matter of the Agency. The Director of CIA works as a National Human Source Intelligence Manager (HUMINT) (FAS, 2009, 1). The history of intelligence activities in United States started in the period of George Washington but since World War II these activities are properly coordinated and directed by government. For this purpose, a New York lawyer â€Å"William J. Donovan† was appointed as the first coordinator of information. He then became the head of the Office of strategic Services (OSS) in 1942 when US entered in World War II. The responsibilities of OSS were to collect and analyze information. However, it was dissolved after World War II along with other agencies and the functions of OSS were transferred to state and War departments (DNI, 2011, 7). After some time, President Truman (The US President of that time) felt the need of Intelligence organization and decided to create a separate intelligence agency of United State. Truman, under National Security Act 1947, established Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).... These staff includes the human resources, protocol, public affairs, legal issues, information management, and mission innovation (FIA, 2009, 1). VISION The Agency has a vision to secure the world from threats. The vision statement of CIA is â€Å"One Agency. One Community. An Agency unmatched in its core capabilities, functioning as one team, fully integrated into the Intelligence Community† (CIA Website) The statement clearly reveals the future direction of CIA. The agency wants to be the unmatched intelligence agency in the world. It wants to create secure and peaceful environment in United States. It wants second to be none. MISSION & GOALS OF CIA â€Å"We are the nation’s first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish and go where others cannot go. We carry out our mission by: Collecting information that reveals the plans, intentions and capabilities of our adversaries and provides the basis for decision and action. Producing timely analysis tha t provides insight, warning and opportunity to the President and decision makers charged with protecting and advancing America’s interests. Conducting covert action at the direction of the President to preempt threats or achieve US policy objectives. † (CIA Website) The mission of CIA reflects the true picture of intelligence. The agency is number one in providing intelligence services. Its primary purpose is to collect the information which is against the peaceful environment and interest of America. The agency also analyze the information in order know the hidden threats and then convey it to the US official decision makers. Finally the agency implements the action plans according to the direction of decision

Challenges of Ecotourism in Antarctica Essay Example for Free

Challenges of Ecotourism in Antarctica Essay Antarctica is one of the largest and most fragile environments on earth. It is rare and unique, and few people get the opportunity to visit such an extraordinary place. Antarctica’s unique environment and climate sets it apart from other tourist destinations. However, the hostile wilderness creates many challenges for ecotourism. There is a concern regarding the high concentration of tourists and their environmental impact at the few landing sites available. The real debate is whether tourism can benefit, or threaten the conservation of Antarctica. Ecotourism, in its early historical origins has been closely linked to nature – oriented tourism. For example, Laarman and Durst, in reference to ecotourism, defined it as a nature tourism where a traveler is interested and drawn to a destination because of its features and natural history. The visit combines education, recreation, and often adventure’ (Laarman and Durst 1987:5). Defining ecotourism is not easily done, difficulties defining it are mainly due to the multidimensional nature of the definitions, and the fact that each dimension involved represents a continuum of possibilities (Blamey 1997). The Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as ‘responsible travel to natural areas, which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people’ (Western 1993:8). Ceballos-Lascurain (1987: 14) defines ecotourism as ‘traveling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations (both past and present) found in these areas’. The tourism industry of Antarctica is often overlooked as a factor of environmental degradation. It is important that more attention is drawn to assessing the current state of this large continent. Beck (1994) states that, tourists, scientists, and other visitors to Antarctica have tremendous environmental impacts. Tourist shipping can pose an environmental risk, and there is good reason for concern. There have been several marine accidents in recent years. There was the case of an Argentinean supply vessel Bahia Paraiso, which ran a ground on January 28, 1989, spilling 600 metric tones of fuel into Antarctica’s pristine waters (Culver 1991). Other environmental impacts include engine emissions that contribute to air pollution. The noise generated from outboard motors on inflatable zodiacs, turbulence created from tourist ships and the â€Å"grey water† sewage they emit also creates harmful effects. More responsibility is being demanded out of eco tourists visiting Antarctica. For example Salen Lindblad’s 164-passenger ship the Frontier Spirit has been reinforced, and also contains a sewage treatment plant, refrigerated waste storage area, and a special storage area for non-biodegradable waste (Cebellos-Lascurain 1996). Another main concern is in the peninsula region of Antarctica where there are several highly concentrated, high profile sites. The concentration of tourism activities leads to the potential for over visitation in these areas. A present study of Magellanic penguins demonstrates that human impact puts a great amount of stress on the species. Simple human presence can be physiologically stressful for breeding at nest sites (Fowler 1999). The Antarctic environment is very fragile and not used to human activities. However the study also found that birds exposed to high levels of tourists are not effected over time and concludes that as a result tourism should be concentrated to certain areas while others are kept off limits to human presence. People have been going to Antarctica for over 100 years. Prior to 1950, nearly all trips to Antarctica were either exploratory or scientific expeditions (Cessford 1997). As a result of human activity in the area there has been a connection with industrial, national and scientific programs. Human activity has also caused the development of alien microbes, fungi, plants, and animals. These â€Å"alien† species that are mostly European in origin exist on most of the sub – Antarctic islands and some even occur on the continent itself. These species in turn can have both a direct and indirect impact on the Antarctic ecosystem (Fenot 2004). It has only been recently that biologists have conducted any research into diseases of Antarctic wildlife to note the effects of human activity. These studies look at marine mammals and penguins for bacteria flora and pathogens (disease causing organisms). Blood tests for antibodies of a variety of species have also been taken to check for viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic disease. A study conducted in the summer season of 2000/2001, Dr. Todhunter and Dr. Terris took swab collections of specimens from passengers’ boots aboard the Kapitan Khlebnikov, which led to tentative findings of a wide range of potential pathogens. In another study 233 fecal samples from 8 bird species were taken from 6 different penguin colonies, which are regularly visited by tourists. The samples were investigated for pathogens of potential human origin. No human related bacteria were found, which suggests that the tourism industry in the Antarctic region has achieved its goal of not introducing any pathogens so far. While the tourist season only ranges from October to April, currently tourism in Antarctica involves over 30 agencies, and 40,000 tourists per annum (Lambert 2005). Antarctica is the ultimate destination for anyone interested in natural history, but it also challenges the same people that visit to think about our responsibilities to all life on earth† (Lambert 2005). Tourists to Antarctica are most likely to fall in to the category of eco tourist, as there are no restaurants, theaters or art galleries, and the experience is about learning about and viewing one of the earth’s last untouched continent s. Boo (1990) states that for conservation management to succeed, tourism must be a tool to educate thus creating real benefits for a geological location. Although tourism and human contact on Antarctica is showing some negative impacts, it has also encouraged conservation efforts in the region. Another step towards the recognition of potential environmental impact is the creation of the IATTO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators). In 1991 seven tour operators active in Antarctica formed IATTO. It was created to act as a single organization. The goal of IATTO is to promote and practice safe environmentally responsible private-sector travel to the Antarctic. Currently there are 80 member organizations representing 14 countries. IATTO 2008) This environmental protocol designates Antarctica as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science and seeks to ensure human activities, such as tourism, have no adverse effects on the Antarctic environment, or on its scientific and aesthetic values. With a recent increase in the number of members in the IAATO it shows that companies are becoming more aware of the environmentally se nsitive concerns related to Antarctica and the importance of such an organization. The increase in membership does not necessarily mean that there has been a drastic increase in the number of tourists visiting Antarctica. All current Antarctica tour operators file yearly environmental impact assessments to their national authorities. There are few places on earth that have never been to war, where the environment is fully protected and scientific research has priority over anything else. (IAATO 2008) The Antarctic treaty can be accredited with the successful protection of Antarctica. Formed on June 23, 1961 the treaty covers the area south of 60 degrees latitude and consists of 46 countries. Its objectives are simple and unique, demilitarize Antarctica and make it a zone free of nuclear tests, and disposal of radioactive waste. As well as be used for peaceful purposes only (IAATO 2008). To promote international cooperation in the Antarctic and set aside disputes over territorial sovereignty. The treaty parties meet each year and have adopted over 300 recommendations and negotiated separate international agreements, of which 3 are still in use. These include: 1. The convention for the conservation of Antarctic seals which was established in 1972. 2. The convention for conservation of Antarctica marine living resources established in 1980. 3. The protocol on Environmental protection to the Atlantic Treaty established in 1991. These agreements and the original treaty provide the rules to govern all activities in relation to Antarctica. Collectively known as the Antarctica Treaty System (ATS). In conclusion it is apparent that Antarctica is a very fragile environment, and any kind of human involvement can pose great risks if the correct precautions are not taken. It is clear to me that eco tourism can benefit the great continent of Antarctica, those visiting become ambassadors as they learn about the importance of preservation. Boo (1990) explains that tourists become emotionally attached to an area and will contribute funds to preserve it. It is important for organizations like the IAATO to continue their promotion of safe and environmentally responsible travel to the Antarctic. Continued research is necessary to make sure that tourists as well as scientists leave as little of a human footprint as possible. Antarctica is a beautiful place on earth, and I believe that when people are educated about their impact on such a vulnerable area and regulations are put in place to protect the area that everyone should be able to experience the Antarctic continent in all of its magnificence.

Impact of New Media Technologies on the News

Impact of New Media Technologies on the News This essay argues that new media technologies have impacted on the structure of international news. As development of new media technologies is not a linear progression (Logan, 2010), what constitutes ‘new media technology’ changes from time to time. The exact definition of new media is arbitrary as television back in the 1950s is considered the new media but at this present moment, it no longer is. Recognising the transitory of the term ‘new media technologies’, I agree with Logan (2010)’s definition of new media technologies as digital, two-way interactive media with ‘the ability to combine text, audio, digital video, the Web, email, chat and a cell phone’ (ibid, 2010: 5), which is different from electric mass media such as TV or Radio posit by McLuhan in 1964 (ibid, 2010). As Shapiro (1999) articulates, â€Å"the emergence of new, digital technologies signal a radical shift of who is in control of information, experience and resources † (cited in Croteau William, 2003: 322) reinforces my support on the statement that new media technologies have impacted the structure of international news. Therefore, in order to illustrate my stance, I will discuss how the functionality of new media technologies, specifically mobile devices and the social media platform- Twitter have impacted the structure of international news in terms of its news production and distribution. Furthermore, I will look at the wider discussion sphere as to how new media technologies have impacted the media environment with relations to the structure of international news. As media coverage on international news according to Moeller (1999) focuses mainly on war, famine, pestilence and human misery issues, I will be using the case studies of 7/7 London Bombing and the Israel-Gaza conflict as examples. First of all, this essay argues that the functionality of new media technologies like smartphones have impacted the structure of international news in terms of news production. With the increase to access and ownership of new media technologies, in this context culture production tools, â€Å"today everyone is a reporter† (Utley cited in Holms, 2001: 126). Smartphones are typically defined as mobile phones with advanced capabilities such as internet access, camera function, voice and video recording (Smith, 2011). These capabilities within a mobile device, I argue are potential mediated tools for news gathering, enabling ordinary citizens to generate their own news content especially in times of unfortunate event. For example, during the 7/7 London bombing incident where journalists were denied access to the sites of bombings, the public capture images and videos of the bombing attacks using smartphones (Allan, 2007). These photographs and videos captured by ‘people who are not professional journalists and are unrelated to news organisations’ are what Wardle Williams (2008) defined as user-generated contents (UGC). With relations to the 7/7, news agency and organisation like Reuters and Sky News initially have no confirmation of what was going on at London’s Liverpool Street station (Allan, 2007). Instead of obtaining news material from professional journalists, evidences of this breaking news came from UGC captured by eye-witnesses (Allan, 2007). This demonstrates that in times of emergency, producer of international news rested in the hands of whoever has the means of cultural production (Beckett, 2009). Realizing the difficulties entering the site of incident, BBC News site publicly solicit photos and statement of witness (Allan, 2007) and as a result, received over thousands of news materials. As such, this proves that the functionality of new media technologies like that of smartphones has enabled the production of UGC, thus aff ecting the production of international news which are formerly generated ‘exclusively’ by professional journalists (Beckett, 2009). Due to the functionality of smartphones that connects users to the Internet, this essay moves on to argue that social media, another form of new media technology has impacted the structure of international news in terms of news sourcing and distribution. Hahn (2013) asserts that BBC journalists’ referral to Twitter has increased by 500% between 2010 and 2012. As opposed to traditional international news sourcing which rely on the four global news agencies namely Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, Reuters and Agencia EFE (Belair-Gagnon, 2013), Twitter has become a valuable source of reportage for modern journalists (Hermida, 2010). BBC News editor agreed that social media help journalists to see what people were seeing and experiencing in real time (Belair-Gagnon, 2013). For example, updates of 7/7 bombing documented by citizens on Twitter allow news organisations to come up with a precise timeline of the attacks. Furthermore, amateur journalists who are on the ground in t imes of emergency sent texts on to Twitter and further spread it across other social media like Facebook, Instagram and MySpace through actions of ‘re-tweeting’, re-blogging’, ‘sharing,’, and ‘tagging’ (Belair-Gagnon, 2013). This decentralized distribution of international news to not only official news organisations but also other unofficial avenues like that of social media is a sign of how new media technologies have impacted on the previously vertically distributed international news (Goode, 2009) by changing it into the present day horizontally shared model. However, I acknowledge that there have been concerns over the quality of UGC and legitimacy of tweets used in international news reporting (Bowman Willis, 2003). For example, in the event of the 7/7 bombing, mainstream media misreported the number of explosions, causing many to thought there were six explosions but in actual there were only three (BBC News, 2005). Despite the uncertainty over the authenticity of the information extracted from social media, mainstream media still adopts the ‘publish then filter’ journalistic style (Kperogi, 2011). As messages on Twitter often consist of unsubstantiated rumours whenever there is a major breaking news event, such unverified news source may jeopardizes a media organisation’s corporate ideology such as that of BBC’s ‘being impartial and accurate’ (Hermida, 2010). Nevertheless, despite such risks, BBC still broadcasted a ‘shaky’ video clip taken with camera documenting the real-life sto ry event of commuters being trapped underground (Allan, 2007). This is probably due to public’s demand for minute-by-minute report (Belair-Gagnon, 2013), especially in times of emergency like that of 7/7 has changed the traditional structure of international news of presenting news as a whole. Owing to globalization, flow of information has speeded up and with global communications infrastructures that links distant communities across the globe, new media technologies supply us news feeds across the world (Terry, 2007). As such, this essay argues that despite the controversy over the inaccuracy and low quality of news sourced via new media technologies, UGC remain valuable to newsgathering in times of crisis (Belair-Gagnon, 2013). After looking at how new media technologies have impacted the structure of international news in terms of production and distribution, I further argue that new media technologies has caused a ripple effect to the wider international news media environment. This statement is supported by Kperogi (2011)’s assertion that the new media technologies have challenged the ‘dominant cultural hegemony’ of global media organisations. For example, the emergence of citizen journalists which is the resultant of new media technologies have become the watchdog of mainstream media (McQuail, 2008), thus indirectly affecting the structure of international news. Meraz (2011) further contends that as contemporary cultural production tools have been ‘democratized to the masses’, the increase in citizen journalism has contributed to the creation of panopticon effect where mainstream media are under the surveillance of citizen monitoring (Stones cited in Meraz, 2011). As a m atter of fact, citizen journalists who are generally perceived to uphold the notion of ‘freedom of expression’ (Krumsvik, 2010) often question the editorial structure of international news which they condemned as narrow, homogenous and pre-determined by news agencies (Holm, 2001). As the Internet has allowed media users to bypass traditional gatekeeper in publishing news (Holm, 2001), citizens are being given an opportunity to create a networked public sphere that deviates from the hegemony public sphere. For example, the creation of Twitter-sphere and the use of hashtag ‘#’ (Butcher cited in Hermida, 2010) such as #GazaUnderAttack demonstrate a deviation from the Western international news that deliberate structure Israel as the only victim in the Israel-Gaza conflict. As such, I argue that the prominent usage of hashtag demonstrates how new media is used to provide narratives of war from a marginalized group’s news angle. As the intention of contem porary journalists practice is to provide independent and wide-ranging information that a democracy requires in news reporting (Bowman Willis, 2003), Goode (2009) reckons such journalistic practices poses challenge to mainstream corporate media. Therefore, new media technologies have empowered citizen journalists the ability to challenge the spreading of the dominant Western worldview on the structure of international news. In order to mediate the contestation from citizens as discussed above, international news organisations such as CNN, BBC, ABC, Fox News and MSNBC initiate corporate-mediated citizen journalism projects such as iReport.com, UCG Hub, i-Caught, uReport.com and FirstPerson.com. (Belair-Gagnon, 2011; Kperogi, 2011). This incorporation of citizen journalism in the mainstream media offers ordinary people the opportunity to contribute unedited, unfiltered and uncensored UGC (Kperogi, 2011), reflecting news organisations democratic practice in news structuring. Furthermore, news organisations also solicit public’s opinion for example, BBC uses SMS poll to gather audiences’ heterogeneity views (Lee-Wright, 2010). This connotes news organisations, in the face of new media technologies advocate open conversation, transparency as well as encouraging heterogeneity of opinions in structuring international news reporting (Belair-Gagnon, 2011) by recognizing the usefulness and credibili ty of UGC (Bruns, 2007). Nevertheless, I argue that this adoption of corporate-mediated citizen journalism is a double-edged sword that on one side, seemingly advocating citizen journalism but on the other hand, retaining the dominant hegemony ideology. As Jurrat (2011) asserts, structure of international news can never be free of hegemonic control. Kperogi (2011) further points out that the very creation of corporate-mediated citizen journalism in actual represent hegemony cooptation of citizen journalism. This statement is reflected through Moeller (1999)’s assertion that international news reporting have always made references that resonates and emphasizes the Americans in mainstream news channel. This is because media globalization is dominated by Western transnational media corporation and as such, allowing the West, particularly the United States to exert hegemony across the world (Terry, 2007). For example, even though UGC are gathered in CNN’s iReport.com, the selection of these UGC is still subjected to the control of gatekeeper (Kperogi, 2011). Such highly editorially controlled news suggests that homogeneity opinions are still very much preferred (Lee-Wright, 2010), thus implying that media cultural imperialism still exist. News help stronger countries influence weaker ones. For example, in the Israel-Gaza conflict, CNN and Fox News presents the Hamas group as terrorist organisation, framing the idea for audiences that US support for Israel is justified. Being one of the superpower in the media industry, the spreading such homogenous media content worldwide (Terry, 2007) is undeniable, branding Hamas or rather Palestinians as terrorists. Furthermore, there may even be a possibility of media domestication (MacGregor, 2013) where actions of altering video and text supplied by making it relevant to local context such as modifying news angles and omitting irrelevant material. For example, the way how the current Gaza war is narrated conforms to the Western’s dominant hegemony ideology of framing the Hamas as terrorist organisation instead of showing how Palestinians being victimized. Such deliberate framing I argue, gives the US authority the justification to supply ammunition to Israel. This essay concludes that new media technologies have indeed impacted on the structure of international news in terms of its production, where news organisations have become reliant on user-generated content and its distribution, where previously vertically distributed news have become horizontally distributed. Besides that, social media, Twitter in particular has emerged as a powerful tool for reporting breaking news stories and generating stories angles (Belair-Gagnon, 2011). Even though there have been speculations over the usage of UGC and Twitter feeds, I argue that these new media technologies still have positive significances in the structure of international news. Discussing on a wider spectrum, new media technologies have further advocated the manifestation of citizen journalism which proves to pose quite a challenge to the hegemonic structure of international news. Nevertheless, I concede that the dominant Western ideologies of media organisations though being contested, re main dominating in this global media landscape. As a conclusion, in this globalized technological determinism society, technology is the impetus in the development of cultural production, in this context, the structure of international news.