The objective of this qualitative study will be to explore the Thesis

The objective of this qualitative study will be to explore the influence of socialization and ambition may have on the under-representation of women in the U.S. Congress - Thesis Example Children will also identify with the political ideologies that are supported by their parents.1 It has been proven that the children of educated parents tend to support ambitious characters. Since children at this stage tend to identify with their families, it is this support that can inspire a female child to harbor dreams of being an achiever in later life. In addition, parents from higher socioeconomic settings are usually more concerned with political developments. They also expose their children to political systems and encourage them to develop opinions about various political aspects. The daughters of parents who dynamically speak about politics with their offspring tend to be more assertive in stating their views about various political functions. Family discussion patterns that include parents cheering their children when they express their personal political opinions are frequently better oriented toward participation in public affairs. Conversely, there are parents that do not encourage their children to develop political and other views that are in any way different from their own. These parents emphasize on the significance of being respectful and promoting social harmony by maintaining that their children have to avoid any deep arguments or give in immediately they sense that the person they are arguing with is unfriendly. Daughters from such families are usually more likely to embrace traditional roles that call for them to be accepting of other’s opinion. Daughters from socio-oriented family units are usually less critical of facts, and experience few arguments in the home. Such realities encourage them, from a young age, to value social harmony over exploring new fields which may bring considerable challenges and conflicts.2 Moreover, the daughters from families that support open communication and the development of distinctive ideas are encouraged to be more daring and to engage in critical thinking and

Progress Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Progress Era - Essay Example The laborers were subjected to unfair payments, most of them were not able to own or even operate businesses, acquire material and properties or even upgrade to better housing standards. Due to the progressive movement ideologies, people were able to identify that the prevailing poor economic conditions of the country were motivated by the high levels of poverty in the country. (George Wanshington university 1999)Since the poverty had stricken various people, the progressives wanted to turnaround the poverty levels so that more people would be able to fend for themselves and that would lead to the progress of the country as a whole. The progressives also expressed issue to do with escalating cases of child labor in the country. The country experiences increased cases of child labor due to the increased industrialization. The poor conditions in the country also contributed in a big way to the increased child labor. (Putman 2000) Most people were not able to adequately fend for their families, thus, minor citizens would be employed in the manufacturing industries to help their parents provide for them. There were various issues concerning the child employment in the country, in a census conducted in 1890, close to one million children who were aged between ten and fifteen years worked in America. In the 1910 census, there were more than 2 million which indicated an increase from the previous census. (Davis 2003)During the time, it was even more serious since children as young as five and six were employed in companies to work for as long as eighteen hours every day. This was sore to the progressives who looked fo rward to a child labor reform which would eventually relieve the country of the high levels of child labor in the country. As seen from the above, it is clear that the progressive reformers were convicted that the

Domestic Marketing And International Marketing Marketing Essay

Domestic Marketing And International Marketing Marketing Essay Tesco operates globally; in addition to UK it operates in Republic of Ireland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey and Poland. Tesco also operates in Asian market which includes; South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan. Tesco performance is highly influenced by the above countries government legislations including EU. For operating in these countries, Tesco has to develop the job opportunities for the local people in order to grow the business in these countries. Economic: Like any other organisation the Tesco is also influenced by economic factors, one of the most influential factors is a high unemployment level in the market, which has effectively decreases the demand for many products. These economic factors are externally generated and is not in companys control, but the effect of these economic factors are on performance and marketing mix of the organisation. Tesco is expanding internationally and expecting to contribute great amount to tescos profit but still highly dependent on UK market. Social/Cultural factors: Due to current trends of market customers have moved to One-Stop and bulk shopping practice which is in response of variety of social changes. In result of this change Tesco has increased the amount of non-food products available for sale. The existing demographic changes where there is an increase in female workers and result in decline the home meal preparation the Tesco focused on added value products and services for the customers. Customers are becoming more health conscious and their attitude towards the food is constantly changing, the example is increase demand of organic products. Technological: Technology is a major macro-environmental factor which has influenced the production and development of many products of Tesco. This benefits both customer and the organisation in shape of goods are readily available, personalised services and convenient shopping experience. Due to launch of Efficient Consumer Response the Tesco stores are utilising the following technologies; Wireless devices Intelligent scale Electronic shelf labelling Self checkout machine Radio frequency identification Environment: One of the main societal issue which has affected and threatening the food retailers was environmental issues, the core area for the organisation to act in a social responsible way. Due to these ethical stance Tesco social responsibility is concerned with the ways that an organisation exceeds the minimum stakeholders specified obligations by regulation and corporate governance. Tesco focuses on the strategy for sustainable consumption and production of cut waste and reduce the consumption of resources to minimise the environmental damage. Legislative: Like any other organisation Tesco is not free of Governments various legislations and policies which directly influence the Tesco performance. For example The Food Retailing Commission, has suggested the enforcement of Code of Practice has banned many current practices of Tesco. In order to apply the politically correct pricing policies, Tesco offers consumers price reduction on fuel purchases based on the amount spent on groceries at its stores. Segmentation, targeting and positioning model of Tesco: Market Segmentation: It is process through which the organisations identify the different portions of the market according to how the market will respond to various products and services features. Segmenting any market is a vital part for any organisation to identify their customer needs and wants. Tesco has entered the market with a range of segmented products and services based on demographic, geographic, psychographic and behavioural. The reason for dividing the market into small segments is to address the needs and wants of smaller groups based on various factors and to produce according the consuming habits of the buyers. Tesco has segmented the market in such a way, which covers all kind of population regardless of social, aging, gender and environment. Tesco has segmented the market by providing food and non-food products to the buyers to give options to everyone. Targeting: Tesco entered to the market with the range of options including targeted to the richer (Tesco finest) and poorer end (Tesco value) ends of the market, which has taken significant number of customers from Sainsbury. Tesco has also targeted to the multi-cultural customers; for instance, by providing Indian currys food which has increased the number of customers in Tesco by having an option of food variety. Positioning: Positioning plays an important role when attracting customers, this is a process where customers build an image of the brand and are able to understand the uniqueness of the particular brand or product when compare to the other brands or products. Tesco has positioned its markets through different ways; for instance, Tesco Extra larger market, Tesco supermarket sized standard large supermarket, Tesco metro in between Tesco express and Tesco supermarket, Tesco Express neighbourhood convenience store. Tesco is large organisation providing every kind of product to the customers and opened in every town that is convenient for everyone. Select two products in different markets and make justified recommendations for which market segments should be targeted. There are number of alternate products that consumer buy due to their cultural and religion reasons. If we take an example of meat and halal meat to justify why market segments should be targeted. Taking into account that there are many multinationals lives in the UK from different cultural and religion background. Tesco is providing a wide range of food products which also includes the meat. Considering the segmentation when we divide the market into small segments to justify and fulfil the needs of consumers its very important to look into what type of markets organisations are targeting based on the demographic and behavioural aspect. Some of the markets targeted are based on muslim community who do not eat pork and the meat providing the stores are not halal, considering the fact that not every customer is buying a meat just due to the religious reasons the organisations should target the local market where they segment the products. If Tesco segment the market in such a way that fulfil the locals requirement it will be more effective to the organisation to target the market. The prime example is Asda, inspite that it is also one of the superstore it provides the halal meat for those who can not buy meat because of religious reasons. They feel comfortable to go to Asda and do the meat purchase. Considering this example the organisations should target the markets through segmentation. Select two different buying situations and explain how buyer behaviour affects the marketing activities. Explaining the situation where buyer behaviour affects the marketing activities the tobacco is a prime example of certain situations where customers prohibits the smoking and banned the advertisement which influences the youngsters. The buying behaviour has changed the marketing activities since the policies about the sale of tobacco came into effect. In any store the tobacco is not sold unless the consumer is above 16 years old. This restriction has changed the marketing terminologies for the suppliers. Propose new positioning for a selected product/service. Launching any new product or service it is very important that the organisation has done the marketing process. Understanding the customer needs and wants is very important to conduct the research and design the strategies to fulfil the market demand. When positioning any product of service there are number of factors involve to consider, from which the cultural and religion factors are key areas. When position any product in the market it is very important to understand the cultural and social values of the targeting market. For example as we have discussed earlier that muslim community go for halal food, similar to successfully positioning the market in India the organisation needs to make sure that providing the vegetarian products to the consumers. Task 3 The extended marketing mix: The marketing mix model is used as a tool to assist in defining the marketing strategies to the marketers. Some marketing mix models follow the 7 Ps but we consider only 4 Ps which are most common variables used in constructing a marketing mix that includes; price, product, place and promotion. In context of Tesco, its entry in Chinese market should adapt to the culture of the customers in the China. However, the company should keep itself on the organisations own policies and grounds. Product: considering the Chinese market, once the Tesco take control of their shops the management should set off their strategies by marketing their products in such a way to boost the companys market presentation and market share. Tesco needs to consider revising their strategies and models of their products to provide Chinese customers what they need and want. By developing such strategies to customise the products to fulfil local requirements Tesco will build its image in Chinese territory. Price: by looking at Tesco situation, as its an established super store but launching in Chinese market one way is to acquire the cost advantages by enhancing the efficiencies process, expanding the large suppliers contacts on lower cost materials. If the rival super markets will be incapable to lower their costs of products by a comparable quantity, the chances for Tesco to sustain a competitive advantage anchored cost leadership. Place: placing the product with attractive price is very important for an organisation. since Tesco is placing its products in Chinese market to develop its successful operations it should make an investments in store expansions in low-income areas. Through this the Tesco will be able to open sites in economically disadvantage areas in China and this will enable the company to gain the trust of local luminaries favour from the local government by providing employment to the locals. Promotion: Tesco should constitute the approach, which is based on long-term strategic plan that centres on generating value to expand the loyalty of their customers. Tesco should not only strapping in non-food as food products and services but also establishing and extending the long-term good relationship with the consumers by ensuring a competent provision of its products and services. Task 4: Plan marketing mix for two different segments in consumer markets: As market segmentation is the process of dividing a total market into market groups consisting of people who have relatively similar product need. The market mix of various market segments sometime vary. The organisations have to customise the prices and features of the products according to the needs and wants of the target market segments. The 4 Ps are the parameters of marketing that the manager has to control, depend on internal and external constraints of the marketing environment. Applying the marketing mix into two different segments is one of marketing managers role. Through applying the customise marketing mix according to the market segments give an organisation a competitive advantage to attract the local buyers. The objective of marketing mix is to make a decision that centres the four Ps on the customers in the target market in order to create perceived value and generate a positive response. Segmenting Indian market: If we segment Indian market, we have to consider all the variable factors involved in making marketing mix decisions, as India is one of the emerging markets in the economy the marketing mix decisions will be base on all the pestle factors as well as swot analysis. Product decision: Product refers to tangible or physical product as well as services. When taking the product decision to segment Indian market one should consider the following: Brand name Functionality Quality Packaging Warrantly Styling Above are some of factors to be consider while making product decision. When segmenting an Indian market, we should consider the cultural and social environment of the country also the localities where we open the stores. What kind of audience we are targeting to segment the product. Is it based on age, cultural or belief factors. Price decision: Pricing is also one of the important element, when segmenting the Indian market the marketing manager has to consider following aspects; Pricing strategy Suggested retail price Cash and early payment discounts Bundling Price flexibility Price discrimination When look at Indian market, we should consider the fact either introduce the pricing strategy based on skimming or penetration, again depends on what type of audience we are the targeting. Place decision: Distribution is about getting the products to the customer. When targeting Indian market we need to consider the following channels; Distribution channels Market coverage Inventory management Warehouse Distribution centres Transportation Order processing Promotion decision; Promotion represents the various aspects of marketing communication that circulates the information about the product with the objective of generating a positive customer response. Making decisions to do product promotion in India one need to consider what strategy should be adopted. It includes: Promotional strategy Advertising Personal selling and sales force Sales promotions Publicity Marketing communication budget The differences in marketing products and services to business rather than consumers: The difference between the two concepts is that business marketing tends to concentrate on the sales of goods and services between businesses on the other hand consumer marketing is to concentrate on the sale of goods and services to the end consumers. The way reaching the business customers needs to be different than approaching consumers. Business to business usually use the direct marketing methods where as end consumers uses indirect method of marketing; Business to Business marketing approach: Networking Selling Tenders/proposal Presentation Seminars Telemarketing Consumers marketing approach: Advertising Signs Media relations Sponsorship Website Word of mouth The difference between domestic marketing and international marketing: International marketing is facing more complex environment. Domestic marketing is conducted in the country of resident and faced corresponding structure of market environment is relatively simple, which consist of the familiar factors to companies, such as domestic political, economic, legal, cultural, environmental and legal issues. However international marketing is facing more complex environments, its a market with multi-level structure and inevitably be subjected to the world market environment including worlds political, military, economic, technological and other aspects.

Essay --

In this paper there will be instructions on how to break a colt. An interesting fact about horses in general is that they live breath run walk, to be used to ride and they enjoy it. People have a passion for them, and it's viral to understand how to help one's colt to accomplish as much as possible. The first thing that will be taught to one in this paper is the first thing that is needed to know to start a colt which is catching them. To start off one will need to get the colt into a confined place, or a round pin where one can catch the colt easily and it's the safest place to catch a colt. Corner the colt not meanly just so the place the colt is in is smaller. The norm is the colt gets frightened by one's touch, so let them sniff one's hand then reach around their neck which might frighten them so just do this step again and they should let up on it. Next, reach for their neck and put the lead rope around it and slide the halter on. Once your comfortable with the way your colt acts to the halter, the colt might not be ready until you have gone is to through this step a few tim...

Although Gimpel Appeared to Be a Fool, He Is a Man of Wisdom Essay

Although Gimpel appeared to be a fool, he was really a wise man. Gimpel the fool through clever characterization, underlying symbolism, and an in-depth point of view, the short story â€Å"Gimpel the Fool†, written by Isaac Bashevis Singer, clearly reinforces the age-old concept that repentance, along with good deeds, will ultimately be rewarded in time. Gimpel’s whole-hearted yet gullible characterization weaves an important pattern in the story’s meaning. â€Å"Gimpel the Fool† is a story of laughter and sadness. Gimpel was a boy that had a reputation of being a fool since his early age. People were always playing tricks at him. Although Gimpel appeared to be a fool, he was really a wise man. He showed he was a wise man by loving the children that were not his, being a believer in his religion and by not taking advice from the Devil. There are many ways in which Gimpel appeared to be a fool. First the young men of the village spent a great deal of time m aking fun of poor Gimpel. It appeared that he was taken in by their stories to an extreme degree. Even as he went about his employment in the bakery, the townspeople continued to tell Gimpel fantastic tales that became more and more fantastic. An example of people making fun of him was the following: â€Å"Gimpel, there is a fair in heaven; Gimpel, the rabbi gave birth to a calf in the seventh month; Gimpel, a cow flew over the roof and laid brass eggs. Gimpel, while you stand here scraping with your baker’s shovel the Messiah has come. The death heaven arisen. What do you mean? Gimpel said. I heard no one blowing the ram’s horn! The kid said. Are you deaf? And all began to cry, We heard it, we heard! Gimpel, your father and mother have stood up from the grave. They are looking for you† (Singer 79). Because Gimpel believed everything that everyone told him he became the foolish boy of the town. The reason why Gimpel believed what people told him was that all of these stories were kind of real to him. Each story of each person would reveal any want and desires that they might have in their â€Å"psyche†. That was why the story was so easily to invent. The worst trick that the townspeople did to him was the marriage to Elka. Elka was the town’s slut. She already had a child that she said was her brother. Gimpel, being the fool that everyone knew, believed every word that she said. Then Gimpel marries Elka without knowing all her real story. Even though the people of the town knew the truth no one told him anything. In addition, on their wedding day a guy brought a crib because Elka was pregnant with another child from another man that was not Gimpel. When they started living together Elka did not allow Gimpel to use the same bed with her. After four month, Elka appears with another baby. She tells Gimpel that the baby was premature. Then Gimpel tells her â€Å"Is he not a little too premature.† However the thing was that Gimpel never slept with her so he must n ot have how babies were formed (Singer 82). Another thing was that Elka was always with other men instead of Gimpel. At one time Gimpel caught her with another man, but she denied everything. Elka â€Å"swore and cursed† him. But he continued with her even though she was not faithful to him. In many ways Gimpel was a wise man. The love of the children was very important to Gimpel. He always thought that there were his. When Elka became sick she told Gimpel the truth that the kids were not his and she was never faithful to Gimpel (Geimer850-851). This was Gimpel’s reaction: â€Å"What is there to forgive? You have been a good and faithful wife. Woe, Gimpel! She said. It was ugly how I deceived you all these years. I want to go clean to my Maker, and so I have to tell you that the children are not yours.† After he knew that the children were not his, he did not disown them. He continued to treat them the same. When he went to retire he took most of his money out of the bank and divided the money in to equal parts for each one of them (Singer 86-87). Furthermore Gimpel’s Religion beliefs are very strong. He was Jewish and his beliefs in the religion did not let him be a bad person. Even when he knew the truth of him being mocked by other, Gimpel does not care. The only thing he does is forgive everyone and continue his life. An example of this occurs when Gimpel find Elka with another man and he goes to the rabbi to tell him what happened: â€Å"I said to the rabbi, What shall I do? You must divorce her at once, said he. And what if she refuses? I asked. He said, You must serve the divorce, that is all you’ll have to do. I said, Well, all right, Rabbi. Let me think about it. There is nothing to think about, said he. You must not remain under the same roof with her.† This shows that he was a religious person, because he went directly to the rabbi did not go to anyone else. Because he was the fool, everyone knew he does not get upset; and he forgave Elka and he dropped the charges that he made of her cheating on him. He said that he saw a shadow and he was wrong about Elka being with another man (Singer 83-85). Gimpel shows his wisdom, too by rejecting the devil’s influence. At the end Gimpel gets a visit from the devil, and this is what happened: Devil: Gimpel, why do you sleep? Gimpel: What should I be doing? Eating replace? Devil: The whole world deceives you, and you ought to deceive the world in your turn. Gimpel: How can I deceive all the world? Devil: You might accumulate a bucket of urine every day and at night pour it into the dough. Let the sages of Frampol eat filth. Gimpel: What about judgment in the world to come? Devil: They have sold you a bill of goods and talked you into believing you carried a cat in your belly. What nonsense! Gimpel: Well then, and is there a God? Devil: There is no God either. Gimpel: What, is here, then? Devil: A thick mere. Then one night Elka appeared in Gimpel’s dream. She told him to do not do that, because the only person he was deceiving was himself. After all he did not take any advice from the devil (Singer 87). The story â€Å"Gimpel the Fool† was a wonderful and humorous story. This story presents a humorous psychological study as well as an analysis of the nature of reality. This kind of story can only be done by a â€Å"Jewish writer†. For Singer people do not have to be â€Å"insane† to make this kind of story. From the beginning, Gimpel was not sure why people treated him like a fool. His apparent foolishness consists in his taking the line of least resistance to avoid the â€Å"world† around him. The people around him mostly created the world that Gimpel lives. Gimpel the intelligent â€Å"or sainted fool† was an invention of â€Å"Yiddish fiction.† The way that Singer showed this character was in a different way that concludes that Gimpel was a creation of â€Å"irony† in way (Siegel 365). In conclusion Gimpel was a saint, he looked and acted like a fool because of his innocence. He showed that his foolishness was intelligence and because of his good heart he never let anyone suffer not even himself. The rejection of the devil showed his beliefs in God and the possession of a good and understanding heart. Forgiving everyone of what they did to him was a wise thing to do. Here on earth it does not matter much if you are a fool like Gimpel who forgives and forgets; it only means that people can pick on you and make fun of you. However, in God’s view it is the most important and amazing thing to do. Gimpel himself showed everyone that being a fool has some benefits.

Time Bank

Time bank is a unique organisation that holds vast amount of knowledge and skills belonging to its customer. The way time bank operates is by allowing individuals to exchange their knowledge, skills with others. The concept of the Time Bank is based on the fact that people are all individually different, we all have different types of knowledge and we all have different set of skills, no one is good at everything, the typical situation is that we only have the capacity to be good at certain things and not all things.In a world without Time Bank, we have to pay for things we can’t do, for example I am not an expert with computers, if my computer breaks down then I would have to pay for someone to fix it. However, with the existence of Time Bank, I can exchange a skill which I am good at for someone else’s help with the repair of my computer. To illustrate this example more specifically, If a member of the Time Bank has spent two hours repairing my computer then that pers on would have banked two hours worth of time with the Bank, in another word, that person will have two hours worth of credit.When that person needs help with something he has difficulty with, he is entitled to two hours free help from another individual. So individuals can build up their credit by helping others with things that they are good at. This way, people can save time and money in dealing with difficult tasks. It is clear that Time Bank offers a service that many needs, but no such provider exists in the current market in Colchester. However, as Time Bank is such a new concept promotion of the Bank is vital. Effective promotional method needs to be used to introduce people to this new concept.I shall look into these methods in the rest of this essay, but before doing so, it is important to assess who would use Time Bank, i. e. its target audience. 2. Target Audience: One of the key reason that people will want to use Time Bank will be because that they can save money, from this it follows that Time Bank is unlikely to attract very wealthy individuals. Further, it is likely that only people who can offer knowledge or skill in return will use the Bank, this will mean that the younger and older groups are probably excluded from the target audience, as they are likely to be limited with the help they can offer.So, main target group of Time Bank is likely to be working individuals and possibly students. So, we have to have this in mind when selecting the promotion methods for the Bank. 3. Advertising: Placing adverts on local newspapers, radios and internet, magazines and possibly on television may be a good way to build the awareness of the Bank’s presence. Yellow pages is another idea, however, with the expansion of the internet Yellow pages is not as much used by people as before. So, instead, it may be a better idea to place advert on the internet, for example, Yell Colchester.With newspapers and radios it will be a good idea to place the advert on popular Colchester local papers and local radio stations such as BBC Essex and Heart Essex. In terms of magazines, if possible, it would be a good idea to select magazines that our target audience is most likely to read, something like magazines advising on money matters or D. I. Y. magazines (as it is likely that people who are interested in D. I. Y will find it more enjoyable to exchange their skills and bank their time with the Time Bank). Putting up adverts on the internet is also a good idea, an excellent website to place advert is www. sk. com, as people who go on to ask. com will normally be in the need for some kind of help, so an advert on this website will capture some of our key audiences. It may be a better idea to take advantage of free advertising, such as placing adverts on Gumtree Colchester. Putting up posters in University campus may also be a good idea, students are likely to be a key user of the Time Bank, the reason being that students do not earn any income as a result they are likely to prefer to save money by using the Time Bank.Sponsoring a University newsletter or website is another idea to build awareness in the student market, the sponsorship will enable Time Bank’s logo to appear and be seen by students. In terms of working individuals, it may be a good idea to put up posters in job searching agencies such as Reed, or paying for an advertising space on job searching websites. Distributing leaflets is another possible idea, we could position few leaflet distributors on busy locations in Colchester, such as city centre during busy times such as weekends. 4. Publicity:Publicity is a great way to promote the Time Bank, as most publicity can be done for free and more details of the Time Bank can be exposed compared to the advertising option. Writing articles on topic related to the Time Bank: The Time Bank can write an article relating to saving time and money and try to place it on to publications that our target audience mi ght read, as mentioned before, magazine relating to money matters or D. I. Y. magazines are possible options. To target students it may be a good idea to write articles for school newsletters.However, the problem that we may encounter with this promotion method is that there is no guarantee that the article we write will be accepted and published by our preferred magazines. So, to enhance the chance of our article being published it is a good idea to provide a well written article. Magazines, tends to have a long lead time, writing articles for internet magazines might be a better option, as there are higher demand for articles with internet magazines. Newspaper is another source we can supply our articles to.Newspapers have a much shorter lead time than magazines and they are often looking for materials. So, it may be a good idea looking to writing an article to local Colchester newspapers. Press releases: Sending out press releases to local newspapers is another effective promotio nal tool. However, the press release must be newsworthy in order for it to be published by local newspapers. The fact that there is no other organisation that is providing the same type of service as the Time Bank will make the press release newsworthy. Online Forums:Posting message on online forums is a cost effective way of promotion. There will be tons of D. I. Y forums, money savings forums, student forums etc on the net, posting messages or answering queries posted by other people will promote the Time Bank. When answering queries, we can post a link of the time bank’s website or/ and explain the workings of the Time Bank in the process of answering. www. Ask. com is another great internet place to get free advertising; free advertising can be gained by answering queries posted by people on the Q & A page.Try to get an interview slot on local radio shows: It will be ideal is a interview slot can be secured on either Heart Essex or BBC Essex, as these two stations are quite popular stations it will mean that they will reach out to a wide rage of audience. An interview discussing the how the Time Bank works will not only give Time Bank free advertising but also can enable people a better understanding of what Time Ban is and how it works. And this is important due to the fact that the Time Bank is such a new concept. 5. Conclusion – evaluation of the promotional methods:In the above sections I have discussed many possible promotional methods for the Time Bank. Each method have its pros and cons; advertising on the television, radio, newspapers, internet and magazines are an effective way of reaching a wide audience and is a good way of building brand awareness of Time Bank. But, such way of advertising can be costly. It was mentioned that it is possible to get free advertising from certain websites such as Gumtree Colchester, it is suggested that free advertising offered by websites should be taken full advantage of.I then looked into ways of promotion by gaining free publicity on magazines, local newspapers, local radios and internets. I think that emphasis should be placed on these types of promotion, the reason being that such methods are cost effective and it will enable people to get a better understanding of the Time Bank. Time Bank, being a new thing in the market will mean that careful explanations on the concept and workings will be needed for people to fully understand. With the advertising methods, only limited information can be displayed, but with publicity much more detail can be introduced.So, the best way to promote in my view is to select a few paid advertising methods that can target our key audiences, such as putting a paid advert on ask. com and on yell. Colchester and take advantage of free online advertising as much as possible to build Time Bank’s brand awareness. A big part of the promotion should be based on publicity, efforts should be devoted to try to get articles and press releases published in relevant magazines, and newspapers etc and get interview slots on popular local radio stations such as Heat Essex and BBC Essex.

Hot desert biome essays

Hot desert biome essays The hot desert biome is exactly as it sounds, hot and dry. The desert biome consists of 1/5 of the world. Most hot deserts are found towards the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn. Most hot and dry deserts do not have many plants. The plants they do have are mostly low down plants. These plants include some shrub and cactus like plants. The desert climate is different from other biomes as well. The desert is a very unique biome and has many characteristics that other biomes do not possess. The animals of a desert usually are nocturnal, meaning that they come out at night because the hot sun is too much to bear. Some animals have to live in caves for shelter from the sun as well as animals that must borough in the sand to stay cool. Some of these animals include the armadillo lizard, bobcat, rattle snakes, coyote, javelina, and the thorny devil. The vegetation of a desert is unlike any of the other biomes. Some of this vegetation includes cacti. Cacti are different because the actual plant holds the water inside itself for a long period of time. It also has spikes surrounding it for protection from predators going after its water supply. These plants also have a thick waxy covering itself protecting itself from water loss. The desert usually has cryptobiotic soil meaning that the soil is poor. Other plants include desert ironwood, Joshua tree, barrel cactus, and the creosote bush. The climate of a desert is also quite different from all other biomes. Dry desert climates are formed by high-pressure zones in which cold air descends. Then the descending air becomes warm but, instead of releasing rain, the heat from the ground evaporates the water before it can come down as rain. The ground is hot because the suns rays beat down on it directly overhead. There is not a lot of atmosphere to protect it from radiant energy. There is approximately one inch of rainfall in a dry desert per year. The ...

Free Essays on Ireland

Ireland, island, of the British Isles, the westernmost and second-largest of the group, in the North Atlantic Ocean, and separated from Great Britain by St George's Channel on the south-east, the Irish Sea on the east, and the North Channel on the north-east. Politically, the island is divided into Northern Ireland, a constituent part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. The island is divided into four historical provinces- Connaught (Connacht), Leinster, Munster, and Ulster- and administrative units called counties. The Republic of Ireland consists of Connaught, Leinster, and Munster provinces, totalling 23 counties and, in the north, 3 counties of Ulster Province. Northern Ireland consists of 6 counties divided into 26 districts, the remainder of Ulster Province. The area of the island is 82,378 sq km (32,342 sq mi) of which the Republic of Ireland is 68,895 sq km (27,136 sq mi) in extent, and Northern Ireland 13,483 sq km (5,206 sq mi). The population of the is! land (1991) is 5,103,555, of which that of the Republic of Ireland is 3,525,719, and that of Northern Ireland is 1,577,836. North to south, the maximum length of Ireland is 486 km (302 mi); its extreme width is 280 km (174 mi). Malin Head, at latitude 55Â °27' north, and Mizen Head, at latitude 51Â °27' north, are, respectively, the northernmost and southernmost points on the island; easternmost and westernmost points are demarcated by longitude 5Â °25' west and longitude 10Â °30' west. he history of Ireland after the union was principally concerned with the struggle for Irish civic and religious freedom and for separation from Great Britain. Hardly had the union been established when dissatisfaction in Ireland gave rise to the armed outbreak of July 23, 1803, under the Irish patriot Robert Emmet. The uprising was easily suppressed, and for some time no further armed revolts occurred. In 1823 the Catholic Association was founded, which demanded, and finally o... Free Essays on Ireland Free Essays on Ireland Ireland, island, of the British Isles, the westernmost and second-largest of the group, in the North Atlantic Ocean, and separated from Great Britain by St George's Channel on the south-east, the Irish Sea on the east, and the North Channel on the north-east. Politically, the island is divided into Northern Ireland, a constituent part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. The island is divided into four historical provinces- Connaught (Connacht), Leinster, Munster, and Ulster- and administrative units called counties. The Republic of Ireland consists of Connaught, Leinster, and Munster provinces, totalling 23 counties and, in the north, 3 counties of Ulster Province. Northern Ireland consists of 6 counties divided into 26 districts, the remainder of Ulster Province. The area of the island is 82,378 sq km (32,342 sq mi) of which the Republic of Ireland is 68,895 sq km (27,136 sq mi) in extent, and Northern Ireland 13,483 sq km (5,206 sq mi). The population of the is! land (1991) is 5,103,555, of which that of the Republic of Ireland is 3,525,719, and that of Northern Ireland is 1,577,836. North to south, the maximum length of Ireland is 486 km (302 mi); its extreme width is 280 km (174 mi). Malin Head, at latitude 55Â °27' north, and Mizen Head, at latitude 51Â °27' north, are, respectively, the northernmost and southernmost points on the island; easternmost and westernmost points are demarcated by longitude 5Â °25' west and longitude 10Â °30' west. he history of Ireland after the union was principally concerned with the struggle for Irish civic and religious freedom and for separation from Great Britain. Hardly had the union been established when dissatisfaction in Ireland gave rise to the armed outbreak of July 23, 1803, under the Irish patriot Robert Emmet. The uprising was easily suppressed, and for some time no further armed revolts occurred. In 1823 the Catholic Association was founded, which demanded, and finally o...

Analyzing Jesus Christ in the Gospels vis-a-vis Galilean Lifestyle

Analyzing Jesus Christ in the Gospels vis-a-vis Galilean Lifestyle AUTHORS NOTE: The following paper received first place at the 2005 Concordia University Presidents Showcase, Tier Two, and was presented at the Southern California Conference on Undergraduate Research at the University of California, Riverside. Jesus in Context: The Influence of the Galilee Region on the Life and Ministry of Jesus and His Followers Introduction: History, Faith, and the Cultural Context of Jesus of Nazareth According to the popular periodical Newsweek, 93 percent of Americans believe that Jesus of Nazareth existed as a historical figure (The Christmas Miracle), yet scholars continue to struggle with the question of how best to understand the founder of the worlds largest religion. Assuming that Jesus lived in a definite historical period, one of the most significant factors in developing an accurate portrait of Jesus life is an understanding of the cultural setting in which he lived. Due to the lack of a common foundation on which to build a thesis for such a portrait, however, scholars often clash over the specifics of the major influences that contributed to Jesus ministry. Many scholars contend that Jesus was an apocalyptic prophet of the Judaic tradition, the exclusive product of Hebrew beliefs and customs. In such Judaic renderings of the life of Jesus, put forward by scholars like E.P. Sanders, gentile culture plays only a peripheral role in the development of Jesus beliefs and mi nistry. By contrast, others have de-emphasized Jesus role as a Jewish prophet and cast him instead as a Hellenistic teacher of wisdom, who inherited much of his material from the philosophy of the Greek cynic school. Writing from this perspective in his book The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant, J.D. Crossan describes Jesus as a peasant Jewish cynic (Crossan 421). In addition to the question of Jesus cultural influences, scholars often question whether studying and assessing the Jesus presented in the Bible the Jesus of faith can be anything other than an obfuscation or interference in discovering the historical man who lived in the first century A.D. the Jesus of history. At the extreme end of skeptical scholarship are contentions that dismiss the Jesus of faith not as irrelevant or obfuscating, but as outright fraudulent. Scholars in this camp will often argue that the Jesus presented in the New Testament is an elaborately constructed myth, with St. Paul often credited as the intelligence behind the construction. In contrast to the skeptical view, early 20th century scholar Rudolph Bultmann suggests, in his influential writings such as The History of the Synoptic Tradition, that attempts to find the objective Jesus of history apart from orthodox Christian faith produced only diverse and often conflicting results (McLaughlin). Following Bultmanns suggestion, I begin this study with the presupposition that the conflict between history and faith whether artificial or actual has been largely fruitless as a focal point of historical Jesus research. Rather than attempting to reconcile competing theories, I suggest that secular scholars and religious researchers alike would benefit from the introduction of a common foundation on which to construct a portrait of the historical Jesus. Such an interpretive approach can be found in what I and other scholars have termed Jesus Galilean Context. I suggest that the Galilean Context of Jesus can serve as a mutual focal point between the two often juxtaposed poles of Biblical scholarship those that favor a purely secular interpretation Jesus, and those that wish to emphasize the Christ of tradition while offering fresh insights for both the scholarly community and the Church. A broad survey of the Galilean Contexts ramifications for contemporary scholarship lies beyon d the scope of this study. However, an overview of the Galilee regions cultural, historical, and geographic makeup is sufficient to demonstrate the significance of Jesus Galilean Context as an interpretive tool for shedding light on the development of his life and ministry. Furthermore, a Galilean interpretation of Jesus offers insight into the differences between Jesus and the religious establishment of his time, and can be useful in explaining the characteristics of Jesus ministry that caused him to be put to death. Barring Jesus of Nazareths alleged supernatural activity, the trait that most sets him apart from his contemporaries is his uncanny ability to reach across cultural boundaries and appeal to those who were traditionally excluded from first century Jewish society. Taking into account both Biblical and secular sources, it is clear that Jesus utilized the cultural diversity, economic climate, and geography of the Galilee region as the primary vehicle by which to communicate his message to both Jews and Gentiles. Historical Context: An Intercultural Crossroads Just as Galilee culturally stands at the center of Jesus life and ministry, likewise the Sea of Galilee (see Figure 1) itself is central to understanding what it was for Jesus to be a Galilean. A natural depression surrounded by fertile hills, the Sea of Galilee forms a natural amphitheater 690 feet below sea level, making it the second lowest point on the Earths surface. In contrast to the low elevation of the sea, the adjacent Hills of Galilee rise 1,500 feet above sea level on the western coasts, while the Golan Heights reach over 2,000 feet above sea level to the east. With a circumference of 33 miles and an approximate area of 64 square miles, the Sea of Galilee is the largest freshwater body in Israel. Because of its freshwater composition, the Sea of Galilee would more accurately be described as a lake or inland sea. The Sea of Galilees status as a lake was well known in ancient times, as is revealed in Josephus description of the region in The Jewish War: The Lake of Gennesar has sweet, excellent water, perfectly pure, and the lake ends in pebbly or sandy beaches everywhere (Maier 310). Similarly, the author of Luke 5:1 records that Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret when he addressed the masses. Both authors associate the Sea of Galilee with the fruitful plain of Gennesaret, which lies on the seas northwestern coast. Luke is not unique in using alternate names for the body of water commonly called Galilee, and the names attached to this lake are often indicative of the cultural composition of the region. In Hebrew, Galilee is often known as Yam Kinneret or Chinneroth, both of which describe the lakes elegant lyre shape (Dunston). Galilees roots in Jewish history reach deep into the soil of the Old Testament, with the first mention of the region being made in Joshua 20:7. In Isaiah 8:23, Galilee is called by the Hebrew word Gelil haggoyim, meaning the region of nations (Galilee: Etymology). In its Old Testament context, the word nations is synonymous with gentiles or heathens, which strongly implies that Galilee was wedged within the vicinity of many non-Jewish peoples. In spite of the groping fingers of the nations, however, the region would remain under the control of the Israelites until the armies of Assyria flooded the Northern Kingdom in 732 B.C., seizing Galilee from its Semitic masters (Sea of Galilee). Along with the rest of Palestine, Galilee would later buckle beneath the pressure of Alexander the Greats quest for Hellenistic hegemony in c. 330 B.C. Scholars who see echoes of the Greek cynic school in Jesus teachings find support for their position in the resulting fusion of Jewish and Greek culture, which still permeated the region in the first century A.D. Out of Alexanders conquests rose the Decapolis on Galilees eastern shore (see Figure 1) a collection of ten Greek cities eventually unified under Roman rule (Middendorf). The Gospels indicate that Jesus and his entourage visited the Greek Decapolis on the eastern shore of Galilee, where they journeyed to the city of Gadara as recorded in Mark 5:1. Among the Gentile population, Christ performed a series of miracles including the exorcism of the demon Legion mentioned in Mark 5. Following the miracle, Jesus saw the opportunity he had to spread his message amongst the Gentile population of the region and used the cured man as a vehicle for his reputation, as revealed in the Gospel narrative: As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demonpossessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you. So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. (Mark 5:18-20; emphasis mine). As a result of this missionary activity, Jesus popularity grew in the region, as evidenced by the great multitudes of people from Decapolis mentioned in Matthew 4:25. Based on Scripture, it seems that Jesus actually made a second trip into the Decapolis later in his ministry. Mark 7:31 reports that after an interlude in Tyre and Sidon to the north of Galilee, Jesus returned to the Galilee region and went into the region of the Decapolis. In the decades following his ministry, Jesus influence on the Decapolis would continue to reverberate in the growing Christian community. Philadelphia, a Decapolis city far south of the Sea of Galilee, would become the site of a thriving church for whom the author of Revelation offers the highest praise in verses 3:7-11. Following Alexanders conquests, Galilee would remain in cultural and political flux until the Maccabean revolt during the last century B.C. briefly reclaimed the lost crown of Jewish sovereignty. With a large Jewish migration into the region during the mid-100s B.C., Galilee briefly regained its Jewish character, only to fall again to Roman conquest in 63 B.C. The author of John refers to the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1), connecting Galilee with the Roman city of Tiberias (see Figure 1), which stood on the lakes western shore. For Jews living in the era of Roman occupation, Tiberias was a place of dubious reputation. Constructed under the direction of Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, Tiberias was a stalwart monument to the Roman presence in the region. In spite of Tiberias pre-eminence, the citys odious cemetery repulsed the local Jewish population, who viewed the presence of a burial ground as ritually unclean (Sea of Galilee). Intercultural tolerance was in short supply in first century Palestine, however, and Herod eventually attracted Jewish settlers to the city by force. Left to brace themselves against a crumbling wall of ethnic identity, these Jews would continue to practice their traditions throughout the first century, eventually transforming the once profane city of Tiberias into a center of Jewish scholarship that would play a decisive role in the compilation of rabbinical commentaries such as the Mishna and the Talmud (Sea of Galilee). In a technical sense, first century Galilee was a client kingdom of the Roman Empire, meaning that it was essentially self-governing but ultimately subjugated to the greater will of its imperial masters (Hanson). A client king, such as Herod Antipas, would rule autonomously, but he, in turn, would be responsible for maintaining Caesar Augustus good will by sending tribute to Rome. From a practical standpoint, this meant that the local region could maintain much of its cultural identity, as it did under the Jewish Antipas (Hanson). However, the peace that such a system created was ephemeral, being constituted by the necessity of compromise rather than contentment. On the occasions when this structure weakened, the stirrings of rebellion could burst through the dam of stability. Josephus reports in Jewish Antiquities that while the Romans were distracted by internecine strife between Archelaus and Antipas, revolutionary activity took its toll on the Galilee region: the whole country was without any government, and erupted in violence. Judas, son of Ezekias the bandit plundered Galilee, while Simon, a slave of Herod, crowned himself king and burned the royal palace in Jericho until he was caught and beheaded Athronges, a huge shepherd with his burly brothers conducted a guerilla campaign and others also spread ruin and desolation over the country (Maier 258). It was this internal tension that stirred the authorities of Jesus time to question his motives and accuse him of undermining the Roman authority. Reporting for PBS From Jesus to Christ, L. Michael White, Professor of Classics and Director of the Religious Studies Program University of Texas at Austin, posits that the term Galilean itself carried loaded connotations in the first century. To some, he suggests, it just might mean an outsider, or someone whos not really an old Jew of the traditional sort. Precisely because the Galilee had traditionally not been Jewish at the time of the Maccabean Revolt a hundred or 150 years before Jesus. But from another perspective, Galilean also took on the coloration of being rebellious, or insurrectionistso for some, the term Galilean might also mean something political (From Jesus to Christ). Many of Christs followers, in fact, wanted him to be a revolutionary figure in the vein of Judas the Galilean, as evidenced by their attempts to crown him king in John 6:15. Yet, Jesus himself seems to have been alienated from the anti-Roman movement, because he responds to the attempted coronation by departing into a mountain himself alone. Nonetheless, the Roman authorities appear to have associated him with the more radical currents of the Galilee. Ironically, the immediate consequence of Jesus teachings was the same as that of many Galilean radicals, as described by Josephus: Tiberius Alexander crucified James and Simon, the sons of Judas the Galilean, who had aroused the people to rebellion (Maier 273). Developmental Context: Galilee During Christs Formative Years Because of the ethnic composition of the region, it would be possible for an individual living in first century Galilee to experience aspects of both Jewish and Gentile culture. As the two worlds became, of necessity, more entwined, it is likely that each succeeding generation would become more of a composite of the two. Little of Jesus youth is revealed in the Gospels, yet the impact that these years would have on his ministry cannot be underestimated. In the isolated hills of the Galilean town of Nazareth (see Figure 1) that Christ would find the raw materials of many of his most enduring parables seeds being sown, grapes ripening on the vine, and farmers ardently shaping the land. Such images resurface throughout the teachings of Christ, as in the parable of the farmer and the seeds in Matthew 13, the parable of the sheep in Matthew 18, and the parable of the fruit tree of Matthew 3. By contrast, Jesus rarely draws on examples from commerce or military life in his teachings, nor does he employ the legalistic language that would be expected of a teacher from Jerusalem. Although the New Testament is our only source of Nazareths history until the 4th century A.D., the agricultural character of this small community can be inferred by two means. Although such etymological constructions are at best speculative, many linguistic scholars believe that the name Nazareth derives from a root word meaning separated, which describes the towns relative distance from the rest of the Galilean community (Baird). While this may be one shade of meaning, the word Nazareth may have its origins in the Hebrew word netser, which means sprout or shoot (Baird). Some argue that this refers to the towns being an offshoot of the greater Galilee region (Baird). This may be true, but to argue that sprout refers to the towns size would be to read into the Hebrew language an idiom for which there is little evidence, and it seems apparent to me that a literal reading of netser is most appropriate. If this is the case, the name clearly carries agrarian connotations. Secondly, it must be remembered that Galilees primary source of food production was its shoreline fishing industry. Geographically cut off from the regions cornucopia and too small to participate in any significant trading, Nazareth would, by necessity, have relied on small-scale agriculture for its survival (Hanson). Much like the Kibbutzim small, socialistic Jewish settlements of modern Israel, Nazareth would most likely have been a self-sufficient village that produced most of its own goods. Aside from its rural qualities, other characteristics of Nazareth must be inferred from the Biblical texts. In particular, the question arises as to where and when Jesus developed his sage knowledge of Jewish scripture and tradition, as well as his provocative orators skill. According to John 7:15, the initial reaction to Christs literacy was one of surprise: The Jews were amazed and asked, How did this man get such learning without having studied? The picture seems to be one of a supposedly ignorant villager suddenly displaying a profound knowledge of Jewish learning, revealing himself to be distinct from the other peasants of his day. Although Nazareth appears to have been a Semitic island in an intercultural sea, it seems implausible to assume that Jesus grew up in ethnic isolation. Consider, for example, his easy tolerance of non-Jewish peoples and customs and his eventual conflicts with the conservative element of the Jewish religion. According to many Biblical scholars, these skills could hardly be expected in a man who had been reared in isolation, with limited cross-cultural contact (Reed 104). A plausible explanation, then, must be sought outside of Nazareth. While Nazareth did exist apart from the Sea of Galilees cosmopolitan coastline, the Jewish hamlet was only an hours walk worldly-wise Sepphoris, Antipas capital of Galilee (Reed 105). In his book Archaeology and the Galilean Jesus, Professor Jonathan Reed asserts that it would be almost impossible for Jesus not to have seen Sepphoris (see Figure 1) at some point in his life, out of curiosity, if not necessity (Reed 105). In spite of its prominence in Galilean society, however, Sepphoris is completely absent from the Gospel narratives. That the Bible never mentions Christ teaching in this city has usually been explained as a political snub to Antipas or a necessity for Christs safety, in light of John the Baptists execution (Reed 104). Other scholars contend that Jesus did teach in Sepphoris, but that his teachings there were not well-received and thus dismissed by the Gospel writers (Reed 104). The latter theory seems odd, since the Gospel writers include multiple accounts of audienc es unfriendly to the teachings of Jesus, including his childhood neighbors in Nazareth. What both of these theories fail to recognize, however, is the probability that Jesus had visited Sepphoris in his youth, but chose not to return in adulthood. According to the Gospels, Josephs trade was carpentry, and as sons usually took on the trade of their fathers in first century Palestine, Christ is also called a carpenter in Mark 6:3. Assuming that Christ was born in the first decade of the first century, he would likely have been too young to participate in Antipas ambitious construction of Sepphoris in A.D. 3 or 4. However, should Joseph have been contracted to work in the city, it is likely that he would have taken the young Jesus with him for on the job training. Putting aside Antipas initial building project, Nazareths close proximity to Sepphoris would seem to indicate that Joseph, or perhaps Jesus himself, would have sought work in the bustling Roman city. If Jesus career did bring him to Sepphoris, then a plausible explanation can be offered for the ease with which he learned to cross traditional cultural boundaries. Recent excavations of the site reveal that its inhabitants were mostly from the upper-class, as evidenced by the presence of extravagant ritual baths called miqweh in the houses of the city (Reed 107). The sheer cost of transporting fresh, clean water from the Sea of Galilee into the city of Sepphoris would have made these a luxury (Meyers). While Jesus would denounce elitist attitudes during his ministry, he draws from a wealth of material that may have been engendered by contact perhaps as a hired worker with Sepphoris urban nobility. For example, the parable of the royal banquet in Matthew 22:1 -14 describes an occurrence that Jesus may have witnessed while in Sepphoris, while the rich men of Luke 12 and 16 may have been based on personages met in the city. Assuming that Jesus did have contact with Sepphoris, then it may have been his experiences as a hired laborer that fueled Christs later criticisms of the wealthy. A traditional picture of class warfare begins to emerge when one recognizes that Jesus belonged to a lower-income family. In Luke 12:24, Mary the mother of Jesus makes an offering of a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. This offering of birds was customary of poor families, who could not afford to offer the usual lamb (LaSor 83). While Sepphoris no doubt brought Jesus into contact with the gentiles, evidence suggests that the city was largely Jewish in character, but of a less traditional style (Reed 107). In archaeological digs, ample piles of pig bones have been found in the second and third century strata, but the first century layer of the city includes almost none indicating that the Jews, who did not eat pork, were the dominant citizens of the city during the time of Christ (Reed 107). In spite of the Jewish presence in the city, the culture of Sepphoris would have been of a more urbanized type than that found in Judea. Writing in Jewish War, Josephus reports that Sepphoris took a pro-Roman position in the first-century Palestinian revolt (Chancey). Sepphoris decision to routinely harbor Roman garrisons is described by Josephus as a betrayal of the allies of their tribe and an insurrection against the common religious center of Jerusalem (Chancey). German Scholar Walter Bauer, cited in Archaeology and the Galilean Jesus, argues that the religious life of Sepphoris was distanced from the legalistic religion of the Pharisees and contends that by extension so was Christ in his early years. Clearly, the rift between Christ and the legalism of the Jerusalem authorities that resulted from Christs upbringing offers one plausible explanation for his death. However, while Bauers argument may be sufficient in explaining Jesus later conflicts with the Pharisees, it may overemphasize the role of Sepphoris in shaping the religious life of the young Christ. Because of Jesus economic position, it is unlikely that he would have viewed the aristocracy of Sepphoris of as role models to be emulated. Like the majority of Galileans, Jesus was alienated from both the secular wealthy and the religious elite. If, as the saying goes, individuals are defined by the company they keep, then Jesus distance from the prominent people of his time is proved in his choice of average Galilean fishermen as companions. Socio-Economic Context: On the Shores of Galilee It was shortly after his baptism that Jesus made his way to the shores of the Sea of Galilee itself. A remarkably fertile country, the hills of the Galilean seashore would have been brimming with life as Jesus strolled among them, teaching the people and proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand (Mrk 1:15). For the fishermen who worked along Galilees coasts, however, the iridescent majesty of the sea would not have been the primary motive for slogging around its waters on a daily basis. Rather, these men were motivated by the perennial need for economic survival. Although many Galileans owned their own fishing boats and equipment, there is little evidence to suggest that they participated in a free market economy, such readers in the Western world might envision. While Galilean society was not communistic by any stretch of the imagination, its primary economic movers were political and familial structures, with production largely seen as an ends to maintaining the stability of both (Hanson). Generally speaking, the legs that carried Galilean society were peasant fishermen or farmers whose primary economic motive was to feed their families, with family units serving as both producer and consumer (Hason). It must be realized, however, that the Galilean concept of family was much broader than that with which most Americans are familiar, and usually included a complex network of inner and outer relations. In order to maximize production and prevent domestic squabbles semi-formal trade relations were established among kin, creating endeavors of mutual interest (Hanson). Fishing in Hellenistic Galilee usually took one of four forms: casting a line with bronze hooks, dipping a flaxen net into the sea, primitive fish traps, or pronged tridents (Hanson). It is unclear from Mark 1:18-19 what type of net Simon and Andrew were using, since the Greek word used in this passage, dictua, is a generic term for nets (Hanson). Matthew 1:18 clarifies in telling us that Simon and Andrew were working with an amphiblestron, or hand-held casting net (Hanson). In spite of their relative independence, the fishermen of first century Galilee crawled through life at subsistence level, producing only enough to meet their basic needs (Hanson). Roman client kings, such as Herod Antipas, were supportive of the fishing industry only insofar as it gave them the ability to profit by levying severe taxes and tolls on the fishermans product. This constant taxation which allowed Antipas to pay tribute to the reigning Caesar left the average fisherman in Galilean society just slightly above the status of the average laborer. So, it was in keeping with his concern for the marginalized of society that Jesus first followers were drawn from the decks of Galilean fishing boats. Mark 1: 16 records that as Jesus walked by the shores of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, casting a fishing net into the sea. Although John 1:36 records that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist and already knew of Jesus coming, the response of the fishermen to Christs invitation to become fishers of men (Mrk 1:17) is profound. Considering that the very survival of these men rode on their ability to bring in a bounty of fish each day, their abrupt decision to forsake their nets and follow him (Mrk 1:18) reveals the unique skill of Jesus in appealing to the average Galilean. His ability to frame his invitation (follow me) in a Galilean context (fishers of men) drove home a provocative point that would have been lost on these brothers had Christ engaged in sophisticated theological argumentation. Because of Christs clever association of his message with the Galilean fishing economy, the fishermen were drawn to Christs larger theme of eternal life. Jesus invitation to the fishermen is consistent with the teaching style he used during his Galilean ministry, which relied on the imagery of the region to convey theological points. In Mark 6, for example, Jesus uses a boys small fish most likely sardines and five loaves of bread to feed a five thousand people. Through this example, Jesus demonstrates the process by which his teachings would reach the world first from through his death (illustrated by the broken bread and fish), then through the Apostles on Pentecost (He gave them [the loaves and fish] to the disciples), and from the Apostles to all the nations of the world (and the disciples gave them [the loaves and fishes] to the crowds). A large fishing net, called a sagene, is mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 13:47 as an illustration of the Kingdom of Gods cross-cultural reach (Hanson). Like a net dragged behind a boat, Jesus explains, the Kingdom of Heaven pulls in a diversity of people some good for consumption and some stale and rotten all which will be sorted out at the end of the age. Where most Jews expected the Messianic kingdom to be exclusively Semitic, Jesus sagene illustration is a bold departure from tradition, especially when one considers that Galilee is home to over thirty different species of fish. James and John, Jesus second set of seafaring apostles, may have been mending such a net in Mark 1:20. Their reaction to Jesus call to ministry was the same as that of Simon and Peter, and it may have been partially inspired by the endorsement that the former pair of fishermen had given to the traveling Messiah. It is likely that some knot of kinship bound the Yonah family of Simon and Peter together with the Zebedee family of James and John, for in Luke 5:10, the Gospel writer records that the sons of Zebedee were partners with Simon. The Greek word usually read as partners koinonoi would more be more accurately translated as cooperative-members, implying that familial trade relations existed between the two fishing interests (Hanson). Based on the fact that both families owned their own boats and fishing equipment, some scholars have concluded that they represent a sort of upper middle class in Galilean society (Hanson). Others argue that this conclusion inappropriately reads free-market ideas into the Galilean economy and infers a degree of economic stratification that probably did not exist in first century Galilee (Reed 165). While the inference of an upper middle class may be a historical hyperbole, Mark 1:20 does indicate that the Zebedee family at least had hired servants. Accordingly, it can be inferred that Galilean fishermen were higher up the economic ladder than those who contributed the raw materials and manual labor that supported the fishing trade. Nonetheless, it is true that the hiring of itinerant peasant workers was a common practice that in no way indicates membership in the upper class (Reed 165), although we may assume that the Zebedee family was capable of maintaining a living. Jesus not only mingled with the fishermen of Galilee, but he also lived with them during his ministry at Capernaum (see Figure 1). Archaeological evidence suggests that Capernaum was near the bottom of Galilees social registry, lacking in niceties such as marble, frescoes, mosaic, and ritual baths (Reed 165). While the affluent left their indelible mark on society by sponsoring public buildings like the theater at Sepphoris, no such projects have been found among the ruins of Capernaum (Reed 165). Thus, Capernaum became the setting for Jesus to work with common or even lowly people, who would become his primary followers throughout much of the Galilean ministry. Capernaum clearly influenced Jesus treatment of the poor, satisfying his drive to reach those of his own social class with his message. In addition, Capernaum would have extended Christs interaction with Galilees non-Jewish population. Although the unassuming city lingered on the edge of Antipas tetrarchy, Capernaum appears to have been part of a regional trade network (Reed 165). Because of this, the city would have witnessed a steady stream of gentile merchants and sojourners passing through on business. This intersection of Jews and Gentiles is exhibited by Matthew 8:5, in which a Roman centurion implores Jesus to heal his dying servant. Much like American peacekeepers in Iraq today, the centurion may have been viewed by Jewish peasants as a necessary, but unwelcome, foreign intruder. Apparently, the Gentiles faith startled Jesus (Matt 8:10), who immediately healed the mans withering servant and declared the centurions faith superior to that of Jewish Israel. During a later trip through Capernaum, Christ would again display his tendency to cross cultural boundaries by calling Mattew, a tax collector, into his retinue (Mark 1:14). In the pristine holiness of dusty Renaissance paintings and chapel windows, we tend to imagine the apostles as

Strengths and Weaknesses of a Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strengths and Weaknesses of a Leader - Essay Example Moreover, people tend to follow those whom they see as providing a means of achieving their own desires, wants, and needs. Leadership and motivation are closely interconnected. By understanding motivation, one can appreciate better what people want and why they act as they do. The motivation given by the leadership makes the followers to depict certain behavioral attitudes. These values transformed by the leader in his/ her followers are different in men and women. As mentioned by Weber in his definition of charismatic leader Schmidt is an extraordinarily gifted person who emerged in situation of desperation for Novell and provided the organization with a set of ideas providing a radical solution to the crisis. Through his openness for change and volatility he succeeded to make the employees of the organization believe that he is the right person whom they should follow. They validated Schmidt's extraordinary gifts and which resulted in repeated success of organization. The want of good leadership can issue from physiological and security needs. Good leadership helps to assure that the organization and its jobs will continue to exist. In addition, the ego demands that one-respect person from whom orders and directions are to be received. It is very frustrating to be subjected personally to a command from an individual who is deemed unworthy and incompetent. Reasonable orders and directions: The order i... equirements of the situation, capable of being executed, complete but not unnecessarily detailed, clear and concise, and given in a manner that stimulates acceptance. Unreasonable orders incapable of accomplishment serve only to increase insecurity and frustration. Unreasonable orders that work contrary to the best interests of the organization may lead to a form of malicious obedience; the employee takes great delight in following them to the letter in hopes of harming the superior who merits little respect. A socially relevant organization: The trend toward greater social expectations of private organizations has impact upon such an organization's employee's expectations. This want issues from human needs of self-esteem, and levies a highly challenging responsibility upon the organization's management. In a job environment where the most of the above mentioned conditions will fulfilled the employees will be more committed and productive. In the case of Networking software maker Novell Schmidt kept moods and emotions as a central point in the leadership process. More specifically it was proposed that emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and manage moods and emotions in the self and others, contributed to effective leadership in Novell's rebuilding. Schmidt kept his focus on four major aspects of emotional intelligence: The appraisal and expression of emotion, the use of emotion to enhance cognitive processes and decision making, knowledge about emotions and management of emotions. By manipulating these four aspects he developed collective goals and objectives. He instilled in his colleagues and sub ordinates an appreciation of the importance of new ideas, enthusiasm to work hard, confidence in himself and trust with in themselves and other teammates. He

Time Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Time Management - Essay Example In the article, entitled Time Management Essential, the author emphasized the need to have enough time to achieve all of one’s set goals. The author gives a simple but clear definition of time management. â€Å"Time management really means managing yourself and your job responsibilities effectively.† (Ohio.com -Time Management Essential 2004) Bruch and Ghoshal (2002) reported of a ten year study of busy managers in which researchers found that managers fritter away 90 percent of their time in ineffective activities. Not only do managers utilize their time ineffectively but Jane Bergen (2006) noted that 30 percent of all employees time was spent searching for lost documents. (Key Organization Systems 2000-2008) The author of Time Management Essential posits two major reasons for the inefficiency of small businesses, namely, poor planning and poor communication. Similarly, Patricia Katz 2006, argues that â€Å"a lack of communication and a lack of attention† are tw o factors for spouses to separate. (Key Organization Systems 2000-2008) Katz 2006 proposes that the there has been an increase by 33 percent for individuals reporting excessive work hours on the part of their spouse. Further Hewlett and Luce in 2006 noted that 45 percent of high-earning managers are so fatigued at the end of a work day; they are unable to have a proper conversation with their partner. (Key Organization Systems 2000-2008) 13 percent of workers claimed to have seen their coworkers display angry outbursts because of stress in the workplace. Maseda in a 2004 Gallup Poll noted that 80 percent of workers reported stress from job related activities. (Key Organization Systems 2000-2008) Poor planning results in long unproductive hours at work and subsequently an increase in the stress level of employees. Consequently, it is essential that an organization develop strategies to assist in the effective

Winshield Survey Summary And Relection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Winshield Survey Summary And Relection - Essay Example In this way, community partnerships arise in the form of the community members working together with the various health providers in their within for the easier facilitation of betterment of community health (Rohrer, 2010). Participating family’s community and environment (Riverside, Ca) is a superb initiative in the way it eases healthcare awareness and outreach to all community members in the region leading to a healthier community. It is an aspect I would recommend adoption of in every community. Cultural diversity and vulnerable populations within the communities mostly have a sense of alienation both by others and by themselves. Due to this health care providence and services are not as effective in reaching them as the other community members. This may lead to weaker communities thus advocating for outreach programs in their target. There are various aspects of the community that could affect resident health. These range from internal and external conflicts, adverse cultural beliefs and practices that demine conventional health care, cultural diversities leading to segregation of population groups, and population demographics such as overpopulation among others (Rohrer, 2010). This has effect in various ways such as inaccessibility to health facilities and straining on their workload capacities. There are various Healthy People 2020 LHI such as low mortality rates in the community (Rohrer, 2010). This is as a result of reduced health related deaths due to good health care standards. This will lead to a healthier and improved working population. This will enable for development to

The pragmatic views of Abraham Lincoln Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

The pragmatic views of Abraham Lincoln - Essay Example Abraham Lincoln has been the most debated, analyzed, and scrutinized President in the history of the United States. He was a complex political genius who carried with him the charm of the average citizen.For this reason, Lincoln has often been misrepresented by anecdotes or attributed writings. While some scholars have argued that Lincoln's views on equality, race, and slavery shifted during the course of his career, this is a simplified look at many of his seemingly ambiguous positions. While in his writings and speeches there are references to a position that would allow some slavery in the antebellum period, his actions and words during the Civil War denounced slavery as a national evil. For Lincoln, these moral compromises were made for political expediency and pragmatism. Lincoln's views on race, slavery, and equality did not change throughout his career, but the shifting political foundations of the country dictated Lincoln's position as he strove to maintain a cohesive Union o f states.There is an ample amount of primary reference material available for the study of Lincoln's political and personal views. The 1946 compilation Abraham Lincoln, His Speeches and Writings edited by Roy P. Basler is one of the more complete sources for this area of study. Carl Sanburg remarks in the preface of the book that, "...Abraham Lincoln, is best to be known by an acquaintance with all that he wrote and said."1 The key to Sandburg's notation is that to know Lincoln we must know all that he wrote and said. ... Early in his career he could see the destructive forces of slavery at work on the new nation. In a speech titled "The Perpetuation of our Political Institutions" addressed to the Young Men's Lyceum in Springfield Illinois on January 27, 1838 Lincoln warns, "If destruction be out lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."2 This statement indicates Lincoln's early inclination to value a united Union that was free, and shows his depth of understanding that a divided Union would lead to self destruction. The speech is a stern lecture on the horrors of lynching slaves and admonishes the reader that respect for the law is the most important attribute in the maintenance of unity. While the speech is clearly aimed at the unconscionable actions taken by the "...pleasure hunting masters of Southern slaves.", it also contains a universal message of equality.3 Lincoln speaks of equality and its association with th e respect for law when he writes, "And, in short, let it become the political religion of the nation; and let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay, of all sexes and tongues, and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly upon its altars."4 Basler points out that this speech, given when Lincoln was a young man and not yet active outside local politics, has been criticized as being "highly sophomoric".5 Yet, it illustrates Lincoln's core belief that the reverence for law and the moral obligation of equality will need to be shared by all Americans to build a successful future. The inequality of the elitist economic system was addressed in Lincoln's career while running for the General Assembly in Illinois. In an article announcing his

Rhetorical Analysis of a Controversy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Rhetorical Analysis of a Controversy - Essay Example In the wake of violence involving guns, the ban on guns is a hot topic nowadays. A lot of people have been killed in college or schools shootings in the recent years. Moreover, other crimes are also happening in the US. Having a gun for self-defense is a constitutional right of citizens of many countries around the world. Same is the case with the US. Every US citizen is allowed in the Constitution to keep an allowed model of gun for self-defense. So this constitutional section is a big bar behind banning general people to have guns. So it might not be possible to ban the possession of guns altogether. However, it is possible to regulate this matter in an intelligent manner, so that no one will be able to misuse guns which are meant to defend rather than to terrorize or kill others. In the recent years, we have seen many incidents around the world where a kid took the gun of his or her parents and shot either a parent or someone else. Although there are many shooting events that have triggered the discussion about banning the guns, the occasions or situations that gave rise to the controversy are the shooting accidents in the recent years. This occasion took lives of many people. In some cases, the shooter himself committed suicide after killing a lot of people. There were plenty of shooting incidents in the year 2014. A large number of precious lives ended due to these shootings. It is not difficult to identify that who is the stakeholder. There is no denying the fact that a person who dies cannot be gained back again.

Winshield Survey Summary And Relection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Winshield Survey Summary And Relection - Essay Example In this way, community partnerships arise in the form of the community members working together with the various health providers in their within for the easier facilitation of betterment of community health (Rohrer, 2010). Participating family’s community and environment (Riverside, Ca) is a superb initiative in the way it eases healthcare awareness and outreach to all community members in the region leading to a healthier community. It is an aspect I would recommend adoption of in every community. Cultural diversity and vulnerable populations within the communities mostly have a sense of alienation both by others and by themselves. Due to this health care providence and services are not as effective in reaching them as the other community members. This may lead to weaker communities thus advocating for outreach programs in their target. There are various aspects of the community that could affect resident health. These range from internal and external conflicts, adverse cultural beliefs and practices that demine conventional health care, cultural diversities leading to segregation of population groups, and population demographics such as overpopulation among others (Rohrer, 2010). This has effect in various ways such as inaccessibility to health facilities and straining on their workload capacities. There are various Healthy People 2020 LHI such as low mortality rates in the community (Rohrer, 2010). This is as a result of reduced health related deaths due to good health care standards. This will lead to a healthier and improved working population. This will enable for development to

Rhetorical Analysis of a Controversy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Rhetorical Analysis of a Controversy - Essay Example In the wake of violence involving guns, the ban on guns is a hot topic nowadays. A lot of people have been killed in college or schools shootings in the recent years. Moreover, other crimes are also happening in the US. Having a gun for self-defense is a constitutional right of citizens of many countries around the world. Same is the case with the US. Every US citizen is allowed in the Constitution to keep an allowed model of gun for self-defense. So this constitutional section is a big bar behind banning general people to have guns. So it might not be possible to ban the possession of guns altogether. However, it is possible to regulate this matter in an intelligent manner, so that no one will be able to misuse guns which are meant to defend rather than to terrorize or kill others. In the recent years, we have seen many incidents around the world where a kid took the gun of his or her parents and shot either a parent or someone else. Although there are many shooting events that have triggered the discussion about banning the guns, the occasions or situations that gave rise to the controversy are the shooting accidents in the recent years. This occasion took lives of many people. In some cases, the shooter himself committed suicide after killing a lot of people. There were plenty of shooting incidents in the year 2014. A large number of precious lives ended due to these shootings. It is not difficult to identify that who is the stakeholder. There is no denying the fact that a person who dies cannot be gained back again.

A System Reformers View Essay Example for Free

A System Reformers View Essay In the wake of the global rise of terrorism, the System Reformer feels an urgent need to develop and activate a common anti-terrorism program to protect all regions and nations from the disasters on many accounts. In this regard, the System Reformer agrees to the UN viewpoint that under no circumstance the fundamental rights of the humans should be vitiated. These include, right to life, right to freedom from torture in any form, right to freedom of thought and religion, besides holding the convention that restriction to other rights should also be strictly within the parameters of the international humanitarian law, and has to be temporary in nature and free from any bias of race, color, sex, language, religion or social origin. However, this comprehensive objective is now under severe threat due to the global rise of terrorism, which is no more limited to the boundary of any nation. Moreover, terrorism has already severely affected the process of globalization and the global fraternity. The System Reformer believes that the lack of collective action against terrorism has allowed it to grow, besides believing that there is much room for improvement in the planning and approach of UN regarding the issue of terrorism. Thus this report is presented from the viewpoint of a System Reformer, with appropriate founding voices belonging to old, contemporary and modern era. Works Cited A more secure world: Our shared responsibility, United Nations Report, 2004. Retrieved Nov 21, 2007. www. un. org/secureworld/report2. pdf isi, Angela. Kofi Annan on Collective SEcurity. The Economist DEc. 2004: 14. undy, H. G. Grotius and International Society of To-day. The American Political Science Review. 52. 8(2004):800-808. tson, Richard. Woodrow Wilson and His Interpreters, 1947-1957. The Mississippi Valley Historical Review 35. 2 (2005): 207-236. ght, Martin, International Theory: The Three Traditions. London Leicester University Press, 1991.

The Southwest Airlines

The Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline. Southwest is the largest airline in the world by number of passengers carried per year (as of 2009). Southwest maintains the third-largest passenger fleet of aircraft among all of the worlds commercial airlines. As of May 3, 2009, Southwest operates approximately 3,510 flights daily. Southwest has its headquarters on the grounds of Love Field in Dallas, Texas. Southwest Airlines has carried more customers than any other U.S. airline since August 2006 for combined domestic and international passengers according to the U.S. Department of Transportations Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Southwest Airlines is one of the worlds most profitable airlines, posting a profit for the 37th consecutive year in January 2010. Southwests successful business model involves flying multiple short, quick trips into the secondary (more efficient and less costly) airports of major markets, and using only one aircraft type, the Boeing 737. The Southwest Effect The success and profitability of Southwests business model led to a common trend being named after the company, the Southwest Effect. Since Southwests original mission in Texas was to make it less expensive than driving between two points (in the early 1970s, during the first major energy cost crisis in the U.S.), it developed a template for entering markets at rates that allowed the airline to be profitable, yet only on the basis of lean operations and high aircraft use. The key concept to the Southwest Effect is that when a low-fare carrier (or any aggressive and innovative company) enters a market, the market itself changes, and usually grows dramatically. For example, when fares drop by 15% from their historical averages, the number of new customers in that market may not just double, but actually quadruple, or more. Southwest has been a major inspiration to other low-cost airlines, and its business model has been repeated many times around the world. Europes EasyJet and Ryanair are two of the best known airlines to follow Southwests business strategy in that continent (though EasyJet operates two different aircraft models today). Other airlines with a business model based on Southwests system include Canadas WestJet, Malaysias AirAsia (the first and biggest LCC in Asia), Sir Richard Bransons and Australias Virgin Blue (although Virgin Blue now operates two aircraft types), Qantass Jetstar (although Jetstar now operates two aircraft types), Thailands Nok Air, New Zealands Freedom Air, Mexicos Volaris and Turkeys Pegasus Airlines. Although Southwest has been a major inspiration to many other airlines including Ryanair, AirAsia and Jetstar, the management strategies, for example, of Ryanair, AirAsia and Jetstar differ significantly from those of Southwest. Goals and Objectives Ensure highest quality Customer Service in the air or on the ground. Ready to help customers under any circumstances. Are there to ensure you make it from point A to point B safely To stay the most successful with low-fare, high frequency point-to-point carrier. History of Southwest Airline Ø On February 20, 1968 the Texan Aeronautical Commissions approved plans to fly in 3 states, the c5eators are Rollin King and Herb Kelleher Expanded through 1980s to 1990s by 1993 Southwest Airlines could fly in 34 states in 15 states They also expanded into new destinations California, Northwest, Florida, East Coast The competitors could not keep up, 500 pound cockroach that was too big to stamp out: Ø While the airfare was dropping the traffic went up tremendously, in 1994 United started a shuttle service, the large air carriers were feeding traffic into transpacific and transcontinental routes, they could not keep up In 2004 Southwest Airlines is fourth largest domestic carrier, customer boarded In 2002 they traveled in 58 cities and 30 states, it has been 13 years in a row that they are profitable, even after September 11, 2001, net income fell 52.9 percent, Southwest was the only airline company that had a profit all the other companies were in the red Was the first airline to achieve the Triple Crown, they had five difference Triple Crown dedicated to the Employees of Southwest Airlines for their excellent achievements. Southwest Airlines Mission and Vision Statement Mission The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit. To give ordinary people the opportunity to fly. To the employees We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer. Vision To have a conservative increase growth, capitalize and cutback schedules of other airlines. To continue expanding conservatively in long-haul success. New Mission Statement Southwest Airlines is a company that is for anyone and every that wants to get from point A to point B by flying. Our service and philosophy is to fly safe, with high frequency, low-cost flights that can get passengers to their destinations on time and often closer to their destination. They fly in 58 cities and 30 states and are the worlds largest short-haul carrier and we make sure that it is run efficiently and in an economical way. Their technology is current such as our check-ins process is faster. Striving to expand and grow in a conservative manner is key, and being financially stable by keeping quality high and cost low. Their excellence is managing cost by our rapid twenty-minute gate turnaround, a non-stop flight with our airplanes, and a more productive workforce which keeps above our competitors. They treat our employees like customers, family and motivate and compensate them for doing a job well done. They continue to be in the Fortune Magazines most admired companies (2 nd in 2002) 100 best companies to work for. Since 1972 we have ranked first in Money Magazines featured in The 30 Best Stocks. In their communities they make donations to charities to organizations and people in time of need. New Vision Statement Their vision is to expand our locations both domestic and overseas by being the largest and most profitable airline company to achieve both short and long-haul carriers efficiently and with low cost. Also to be an airline carrier that has the most productive workforce to guarantee the best flight possible for each and every passenger. Acquisitions Morris Air One airline influenced by Southwest was Morris Air, founded in 1984 by June Morris and David Neeleman, based in Utah and operating in the northwestern U.S. Southwest Airlines purchased Morris Air and absorbed the capital and routes into its inventory and service. David Neeleman worked with Southwest for a short period. When his non-compete agreement expired, Neeleman founded JetBlue Airways, a competing airline that also incorporates (and in some ways, improves upon) many principles and practices pioneered by Southwest, including building a positive, warm employee culture and operating a simple fleet. Muse Air Southwest Airlines has mostly pursued a strategy of internal growth, rather than by acquisition of other airlines as commonly occurs. However, in addition to acquisition of Morris Air Transport (see above), Southwest did acquire competitor Muse Air in 1985, which operated McDonnell Douglas MD-80s. Muse Air was renamed TranStar Airlines. TranStar Airlines was then closed in August 1987. ATA Airlines Towards the end of November 2008, Southwest announced it was buying the operating certificate and the remaining assets of ATA Airlines. This acquisition transferred to Southwest Airlines ownership of New York LaGuardia slots formerly controlled by ATA. The transaction did not include any aircraft, facilities or employees of ATA. Political: Deregulation in 1978 1st big political win for southwest airlines. Government helped two major airlines get out of financial trouble after 9/11 attack. Economic: When economic conditions are unfavorable: Airliners very susceptible/vulnerable Discount airlines see profits People look for cheaper travel options Social: Flying on planes to get to where you need to be has been the norm for the last 30 years and will continue to be the norm in the foreseeable future. As more and more Spanish speakers come to live and travel in the US there is more need for airlines to be bi-lingual. Technological: Some airlines have converted to e-tickets, and have a self-checking machine. Many people use the internet to compare prices to find the best option for their trip. Environmental: Airlines have cut prices and offered expensive frequent flyer programs just to grab customers away from other airlines The regular airlines are starting to get away from the hub system and switch to the point to point system that southwest airlines uses. Legal: Legal issues have hindered airlines from making a full 9/11 recovery. Porters 5 forces Model Rivalry among competitors: There is high competition for Southwest airlines because other airlines are also there in US which are providing same services to the customers. Its main competitors are United airlines, Alaska airlines etc. Rivalry among competitors sets the price-Southwest Airlines is a discount airliner. Rivalry is increasing, as the market decreases, and competitors downsize, the competitors become more or less equal in size and capacity. This means that as economic conditions worsen, competitors downsize and then compete for the same remaining market. Threats of new entry: The threat of new entrants is low, the demand is not high. On top of that, there are hurdles, not necessarily the greatest; the FAA. Government regulations and restrictions imposed on those involved in this industry. Such would be government sanctions consequent of international issues. Threats of substitutes: Threats of substitutes is very high because many other form of transportation such as high speed trains, video conferencing, buses etc. While these alternates cannot offer the speed of travel, most of Southwest Airlines customers are attracted to the low price. Bargaining power of Buyers: The bargaining power of buyers is very high because many other airlines are present for which passengers can opt for instead of Southwest airlines. Suppliers include those who provide service/products necessary for Southwest Airlines to their business function. For Southwest Airlines, suppliers include mechanics (and other maintenance people), providers of fuel, food (the snacks that are offered). The suppliers do not have much bargaining power. Customers include both residential and commercial sectors. There is no bargaining power for customers, as there is no threat of backward integration; it is unlikely that customers of Southwest Airlines are going to build their own airplanes and fly themselves. Bargaining power of suppliers: The suppliers power is low for Southwest airlines because they have to charge the premium according to the strategy of competitors otherwise the passengers can switch off to the other airlines where he can have maximum benefits in terms of quality of service and the monetary value. BCG Matrix The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is a simple tool to assess a companys position in terms of its product range. It helps a company think About its products and services and make decisions about which it should keep which it should let go and which it should invest in further. In 1970s, BCG experience curve work led to inside that has a significant impact on business thinking i.e. of rapid growth in market share was the important as the curve suggested then the usual approach resource allocation in which each business unit funded in on growth seems to be recipe for its failure. Business with low market share but high potential would never generate enough cash to win the race down the experience curve. Those with the high market share but few changes of growth would generate far more cash than those would use productivity. The BCG matrix can be diagrammatically represented as follow Question Marks Question marks are products that grow rapidly and as a result consume large amounts of cash, but because they have low market shares they dont generate much cash. The result is large net cash consumption. A question mark has the potential to gain market share and become a star, and eventually a cash cow when the market growth slows. If it doesnt become a market leader it will become a dog when market growth declines. Question marks need to be analysed carefully to determine if they are worth the investment required to grow market share. Dogs Dogs have a low market share and a low growth rate and neither generates nor consumes a large amount of cash. However, dogs are cash traps because of the money tied up in a business that has little potential. Such businesses are candidates for divestiture. Stars Stars generate large sums of cash because of t heir strong relative market share, but also consume large amounts of cash because of their high growth rate. So the cash being spent and brought in approximately nets out. If a star can maintain its large market share it will become a cash cow when the market growth rate declines. Cash Cows As leaders in a mature market, cash cows exhibit a return on assets that is greater than the market growth rate  ± so they generate more cash than they consume. These units should be  µmilked extracting the profits and investing as little as possible. They provide the cash required to turn question marks into market leaders. Strategies for Southwest airlines Ansoff Matrix Market Penetration Strategy Encouraging existing Customer to buy more Showing benefits for using more (associating freebies/extra service/membership with primary offering). Try to look for foreign entrants weakness. Product Development Seek additional distribution channels (More tie ups collaboration: Try seeking collaboration with international carriers, Bilateral discussions over seats and code-sharing between the carriers). New product development. Market Development Strategy Try to find out new customer group (Old-retired persons). Special offering for first time fliers. Diversification strategy May go for other services like international flights etc. (concentric diversification). May go for arrangement fashion shows (horizontal diversification). May go for other things, which can lure the youth. SWOT Analysis of Southwest Airlines Strengths Southwest has successfully adopted a cost leadership strategy. Southwest maintains operating expenses per available seat mile at 15-20% below average. The company has no baggage handling, no meals, no central reservations, and no assigned seats. Because all of its planes are Boeing 737s, maintenance, turnaround, and training costs are contained. The company has embraced technology that will reduce costs (e.g., ticketless travel). The company has a reputation for great customer service. 28 years of safe, reliable operations 5 consecutive years of Triple Crown Customer Service 5 consecutive years of record profits and 24 consecutive years of profitability Top ranking in the Airline Quality survey conducted by The National Institute for Aviation Research for two of the last three years A route system that has grown to 52 airport in 25 states, carrying more than 50 million customers on 243 Boeing 737 aircraft, etc. The company has a strong, fun-loving, employee-oriented culture. The companys mission statement focuses on these aspects of the business. The companys growth has been steady and planned. Southwest enters new markets only when they can achieve frequent flights. The companys marketing focuses on its low prices, convenience service and sophisticated combination of advertising, public relation and promotions. Weaknesses Gap between Southwest and the rest of the majors has narrowed as other carriers have attempted to emulate Southwest formula. Southwests competitors are offering shuttle services that compete directly with the company. They are also operating, investing in, and forming alliances with regional carriers. As the result of its steady, planned growth strategy, there are numerous untapped domestic markets Pilot and Flight Attendant Unions have increased salary and benefit packages to be the highest in the industry. Continued increases in Seat cost per Mile will not allow southwest to remain a low fare carrier. External Opportunities and Threats Opportunities There are opportunities for expansion to new markets. The new Boeing 737-700 has the ability to fly longer distances nonstop, which may change the definition of short haul. Demographic trends appear favourable to an airline focusing on price and reliability. The consumer continues to seek convenience and time savings. Flying, rather than driving, will meet that need if the price is right and the airline is reliable. The competition is looking to international, rather than domestic markets, for growth opportunities. Improved computer technology will allow more ticketless transactions and reservations made by PC. Threats Southwests ability to hold the line on costs will impact its cost leadership position. The largest cost component is labour. This cost could be impacted by union actions, which cover 85% of Southwests workforce. The second largest cost component is fuel, which could be negatively impacted by economic or political events. Government regulation could hinder Southwests ability to control costs, control fares, or enter new markets. Recent government crackdown on safety (e.g., insulation, cargo fire detection) means costly retrofits. Proposed re-regulation would limit existing firms ability to respond to under-pricing by new companies. Prior to deregulation in 1978, carriers were limited in their ability to enter new markets. The government recently proposed an increase in facility tax rates, which would have resulted in higher costs. Improved telecommunications may lower demand for air travel, or may lower demand for discount airlines. E-mail and teleconferencing can result in less need to travel. Consumers may demand personal technology on planes, such as movies, phones, games, etc. Alternative forms of transportation, such as a high-speed railway, could weaken demand for air travel. Also, if the economy weakens, people may choose to drive rather than fly. Southwest would be hurt if the public perception were that low price equates to low quality. Competitive Advantage for Southwest airlines Focus on Customer Service. Embracing the New economy through the use of internet tickets sales. Focus on lowest cost fares. Internal demand Keeping fares lower through cost reduction methods Lowest cost due to no assigned seating No meals on flights Lower overhead expenditures Use Hubless system to reduce costs