Changes in Higher Learning Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Changes in Higher Learning - Research Proposal Example This implies that there are the great emphasis and increased focus on what specific majors translate to in terms of a job. The increased concentration on careers that follow after college education has led to an abandonment of some majors, mainly arts, which cannot be easily related to the desired careers. As a result of this abandonment, institutions have also started changing and focusing more on professional majors. According to Breneman’s research, many art colleges were shifting attention and focusing more on professional fields (Baker, Baldwin and Makker 2012, para. 4). This implies that some majors may totally be forgotten in the future if this shift continues. The shift to professional fields could be greatly be attributed to economic changes and need for more finances. Liu, et al. argued that many students are more concerned about well-paying jobs hence increased focus on a qt professional job as opposed at arts that may arguably be seen to basically provide meaningful philosophies of lift. in Baker, Baldwin and Makker 2012, para.5). Zernike echoes this basing her argument on a survey carried out by the University of California that showed a great shift of focus on comparing student’s goals in 1971 and 2009. â€Å"In 2009, 78 percent of freshmen students were more focused on wealth while only 48 percent were after meaningful philosophy as opposed to 1971 where only 37 percent were focused on wealth while 73 percent were focused on meaningful philosophy† (2009, para.7).  

Understanding Paul’s Case through Structuralism Essay Example for Free

Understanding Paul’s Case through Structuralism Essay Willa Cather presents â€Å"Paul’s Case† using vivid symbolism and language to depict Paul, his personality, his environment, as well as his life style. Willa Cather does not directly state Paul’s feelings, but through the use of language and symbols we can imply many things about Paul, and the type of person he is. Using structuralism and semiotics to analyze Paul’s case provides the opportunity to take certain concepts in the story and understand the true meaning that lies behind them. In â€Å"Paul’s Case† language and symbolism will provide an effective understanding of Paul’s withdrawn and misunderstood behavior, as well as how his â€Å"reality† of life affects him externally and internally, the meaning behind the change in narration and the sequence of events that led to the tragic ending of Paul’s life. â€Å"Paul entered the faculty room suave and smiling. His clothes were a trifle outgrown and the tan velvet on the collar of his open coat was frayed and worn; but for all that there was something of the dandy about him, he wore an opal pin in his neatly knotted black four-in-hand, and a red carnation in his buttonhole. (Cather 490) There are many concepts that lie behind this quote. His suave smile is representing his calm relaxed personality, he has been suspended from school, but his unsettle demeanor portrays that he is not filled with sorrow. His clothing is described as trifle, outgrown, frayed, and worn which can represent low economic status, or a definite need of attention. His teachers frown upon the red carnation in his buttonhole. The flower is symbolic of his attitude. The underlying sign of the red carnation flower is the concept of defiance. The author does not state that Paul is being defiant, but it can be implied by the reactions from his teachers. The meaning behind the language in the beginning of the story and the symbolism behind his behavior and his clothing is that Paul is withdrawn and misunderstood. â€Å"The structure of language itself produces realitythat we can think only through language, and therefore our perceptions of reality are all framed by and determined by the structure of language. † (Derrida) In â€Å"Paul’s Case,† we can only determine Paul’s reality through the language that identifies Paul’s experiences. â€Å"The moment he turned into Cordelia Street he felt the waters close above his head. After each of these orgies of living, he experienced all the physical depression which follows a debauch; the loathing of respectable beds, of common food, of a house penetrated by kitchen odors; a shuddering repulsion for the flavorless, colorless mass of every-day existence; a morbid desire for cool things and soft lights, and fresh flowers. † (Cather 494) This is the type of life Paul dreams of having. The interpretation behind this concept is happiness. Happiness that comes from having a warm comforting home, and â€Å"cool things. † Unfortunately Paul desires these things because he has the exact opposite. â€Å"His ugly sleeping chamber; the cold bathroom with the grimy zinc tub, the cracked mirror, the dripping spigots; his father, at the top of the stairs, his hairy legs sticking out from his night-shirt, his feet thrust into carpet slippers. † (Cather 494) This description of his environment depicts Paul’s â€Å"reality. † Paul is depressed about having to go home, he does not like being there. Paul cannot control these circumstances because he does not want to accept that this where he comes from. Paul wants to live a lavish life style; he does not accept his â€Å"reality. † According to the descriptions provided in the text Paul is struggling with both internal and external conflicts. â€Å"Writers and dramatists learn from infancy: it’s stronger to show the audience than to tell them. To say that â€Å"George was a good friend† leaves no impression; for impact, the writer shows what friendship meant to George. (Bernstein) At the time that Paul decides to flee to New York, Willa Cather changes the narration to be from Paul’s perspective. â€Å"Here and there on the corners were stands, with whole flower gardens blooming under glass cases, against the sides of which the snow flakes stuck and melted; violets, roses, carnations, lilies of the valley-somewhat vastly more lovely and alluring that they blossomed unnaturally in the snow. † (Cather 499) The use of language has shifted into positive descriptions of the atmosphere. Paul is not, as it seemed in the beginning, an abnormal person. He is a person with dreams and ambitions just like everyone else. The fact that he went to such extreme measures to fulfill his dreams of visiting New York shows his determination. He did not ever want to return to Cordelia Street. For him, home was worse than jail, and the thought of it was sickeningly vivid. This shows just how unhappy he was at home. The change in narration occurs to provide the reader with a prominent perception of Paul’s life and through his explanation of the environment we can imply that he is finally content with his life at this point in time. His golden days went by without a shadow, and he made each day as perfect as he could. † (Cather 500) â€Å"A lie will easily get you out of a scrape, and yet, strangely and beautifully, rapture possesses you when you have taken the scrape and left out the lie. † (Montague) â€Å"He could remember a time when he had felt so at peace with himself. The mere release from the necessity of petty lying, lying every day and every day, restored his self-respect. † (Cather 500) Paul’s unhappiness caused him to lie. The author says, â€Å"petty lying† which is defined as meaning less lying to prove that he above the others. The underlying concept behind the lying is that Paul is ashamed of who he is, it is not directly stated in the text, but it is implied by Paul’s behavior. â€Å" His dearest pleasures were the grey winter twilights in his sitting-room; his quiet enjoyment of his flowers, his clothes, his wide divan, his cigarette, and his sense of power. † (Cather 500) This description of the things that brought happiness to Paul is a dream. The dream he longed to obtain no matter what he had to do to get it. Through the system of language that is used through the story we learn that Paul seems to self-absorbed, unhappy, and not quite sure of whom he is. These characteristics of his personality lead Paul to a tragic ending. Paul commits suicide. â€Å"He felt something strike his chest, and that his body was being thrown swiftly through the air, on and on, immeasurably far and fast, while his limbs were gently relaxed. The because the picture making mechanism was crushed, the disturbing visions flashed into black, and Paul dropped back into immense design of things. † (Cather 502) This use of language does not state directly that Paul committed suicide, but the author states, the picture making mechanism was crushed, the disturbing visions flashed into black. The concept behind this line is that his memory of life disappears. Paul would rather be dead then to go back to the life he had back home. The Language in the story is not difficult to understand. When Willa Cather describes certain concepts or images in the story there can be more then one meaning that one can obtain from it. Language is a system that is used to communicate ideas and thoughts. Words are just a jumble of letters the true meaning is the concept that lies behind them.

The Themes of How Sharp Snaffles got his Capital and Wife Essay exampl

The Themes of â€Å"How Sharp Snaffles got his Capital and Wife† Romance, ‘The Big Lie’, humor, and Moral, â€Å"How Sharp Snaffles got his Capital and Wife† contains all of these in a wonderfully written story by William Gilmore Simms. Sit back and enjoy a â€Å"potation†(423) from a â€Å"corpulent barrel of Western uisquebaugh †(422) while I argue my truths or is that ‘Lie’. This romantic story is about the trails and tribulations Sam Snaffles endured to capture the affections of Mary Ann Hopson. Sam describes Mary Ann as â€Å", and so all over beautiful! O Lawd! When I thinks of it and them times, I don’t see how ‘twas possible to think of buck-hunting when thar was sich a doe, with sich eyes shining me on!† (426) After Sam is denied Mary Ann’s hand in marriage, because he has no capital, they meet in the forest outside of Mary Ann’s home she tells Sam â€Å"I’ll be true to you, Sam. I loves nobody in all the world so much as I loves you†(434) Sam gets the capital needed to satisfy her father and marry his true love in the end. The Webster’s definition of ‘Big Lie’ is â€Å"a deliberate gross distortion of the truth used especially as a propaganda tactic† and this is well illustrated in the story. The story opens at the end of a week of hunting and the group is sitting around the fire awaiting â€Å"The Lying Camp!† The main character Sam Snaffles is requested to tell the story of how he found ‘Capital ‘ so he could marry his true love, Mary Ann Hopson. As Sam begins his story he is called down by the ‘Big Lie’ saying, â€Å"All you’ve been a-saying is jest nothing but the naked truth as I know it.†(426) Sam’s reply is â€Å"And how’s a man to lie decently onless you lets him hev a bit of truth to go upon? The truth’s nothing but a peg in the wall that I hangs the lie upon.†(426) Sam’s story of how he got the ‘capital’ is amazing and just to show how big it grew, here’s a descripti on of the total capital Sam got, â€Å"From the b’ar . . . First, thar waur the hide, $20; then 450 pounds of meat, at 10 cents, was $45; then the grease, 14 pounds, $14; and the tallow, some $6 more; and the biled marrow, $11.† The geese â€Å"2700 wild-geese, at 50 cents, you sees, must be more than $1350.† The honey â€Å"got something over two thousand gallons of the purest, sweetest, yellowest honey you ever did see.† Humor is located throughout this story. One of my favorite parts is when Mary Ann’s father asked Sam’s horse if Sa... ... look in the mirror and asked him what he saw: that won’t edzactly do. I tell you now, look good, and ax yourself ef you’re the sawt of looking man that hes any right to be feyther-in-law to a fine, young, handsome-looking fellow like me, what’s got the â€Å"capital?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then he laughed out at the humor of the situation; and he says, ‘Well, Sam Snaffles, you’ve got me dead this time. You’re a different man from what I thought you. But, Sam, you’ll confess, I reckon, that ef I hedn’t sent you off with a flea in your ear when I hed you up afore the looking-glass, you’d never ha’ gone to work to git the â€Å"capital.†(461)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is a humorous story that tells of romance and gives us a lesson in life and full of honesty (lies). This merging of all these themes has created a wonderful story that will make me read more of William Gilmore Simms stories. I wonder what Bald Head Billy Baldly did during the Flurriday War? Work Cited Simms, William Gilmore. â€Å"How Sharp Snaffles got his Capital and Wife†. The Writings of William Gilmore Simms Vol V Stories and Tales. Columbia, SC: Guilds, John C. 1st ed. University South Carolina Press, 1974.

United Biscuits :: United Biscuits Business Management Essays

United Biscuits 1. Introduction United biscuits were founded in 1948 with the merger of two Scottish family businesses, these were McVities and the Price and McFarlane Lang group. It was developed furthermore when they acquired Crawford’s Biscuits and MacDonald’s Biscuits. More recently in 2000, United Biscuits was bought by Finalrealm who were a consortium of investors and the company reverted to a private company status. 2. Ownership In 2000 United Biscuits were bought by a consortium of four businesses, these four businesses own different percentages in the company which is dictated by the amount of money which they invested. The four businesses were Cinven who own 30%, PAI Partners who also own 30%, Nabisco who own 25% and finally MidOcean Partners who own 15%. United Biscuits were reverted to being a private limited company, this is unusual because private companies tend to be smaller than public companies and often are family businesses. To be a private company there must be at least two shareholders, which United Biscuits have two more than the minimum. Shares in privately owned companies cannot be traded on the Stock Exchange and often shares can only be bought with the permission from the board of directors. The board of directors is a group of officials whose job it is to protect the shareholders’ interests, they also choose the managing director who looks after the daily running of the company. With private limited companies the shareholders choose the board of directors, who then choose the management, this is done at an annual shareholders meeting. Companies that are private have limited liabilities and this may make them more attractive to stakeholders in the company because they are only liable for their share value. Shares are a good way of generating capitol for new ventures because they can release shares for a certain amount and depending on how many they sell they will have an instant rise in capitol. There are only a few disadvantages in comparison to an unlimited liability business, they have to share the profits out between the shareholders and decisions can’t be made quickly, they also cost more to set up. United Biscuits could become a public limited company, and to do this they would have to float their stocks on the Stock Exchange. One of the main benefits of doing this is that large amounts of capital can be raised very quickly, to every â€Å"up-side† there must be a â€Å"down-side† and this is that the control of the business can be lost if large amounts of shares are bought because this would possibly result in a takeover. To become a public company the directors must apply to the Stock

Life as a Teacher

Education is the only way to help a person succeed. Despite all the government cuts in the schools children don't stop learning. As well they are learning at an early age as early as the age of their first few months. Children need and use everyday items to help them grown and learn to succeed in life. The government is cutting programs not only in day cares but in Regular Schools. These programs are here to help the children achieve what they wanna do in life. Not only life’s goals but their dreams as well. One thing I have noticed in being a childcare teacher kids start learning at an infant stage just by looking at wind chimes to simple solid colored balls. An infant teacher can put a bucket of water or different colored blocks in front of the infant and there are many things the child experiences when they are introduced to items like these. Children begin to learn about senses, touch, smell to colors of things. This is where children begin to learn to say first words to their very first steps. Second as they begin to progress in their early stages they begin to explore new things such as walking and picking up things. When they move into a toddler waddler room they learn new things such as jumping on two feet to putting on a shirt. Some people don’t realize a lot of the time parents do not have the time to work with their children a lot of the time they miss out on their development stages. We as teachers see the need of the kids and help them grow into people who can be independent in their life’s. Toddlers begin to explores more senses such as touch, feel, smell and taste. This is a big key in their stages of growing. Lastly as they begin to learn about their colors and numbers and shapes in the toddler class they move into a preschool area where materials are a big key. This year the government is cutting back on programs that help us with materials for the students to grown in the development stages. A lot of the time we as teachers who don’t make a lot have to bring items that we have at home to work with in the class room. Preschoolers enjoy these things and helps them with recognizing things as well as using them at home with parents. You can give a child paper and macaroni and the child will make something remarkable such as a house. Day cares and early childhood schools are a big role in a child’s life. This is where they begin to learn about different areas in school. As a teacher it brings me such joy to see how far my kids have come in learning and growing. Just the simple items that I might have bring many creative ideas to a child’s mind. Governments only concern about America is money. To a lot of us its the child’s education and growth. It takes a lot of gift to be a teacher and brings such joy to our faces when the child succeeds.

Role of Thirunangai Essays

Role of Thirunangai Essays Role of Thirunangai Essay Role of Thirunangai Essay RolesOfWomen Women are equal to men that is one of the basics of human rights. What does this mean? Was there a time when men and women were not equal and what is it to be a woman. Women are viewed as girls, mothers, wives, grandmothers, relatives and friends. When a girl is born her room is often painted in pink and her cloths are the same colour. Pink is the light colour of red, the color of blood. This is because women have to reproduce and make children. Red has been a controversial colour during the Communist era because it was the emblem. Women are mothers. They bear there babies in their womb for no more than nine months. A woman can have multiple births and they get Women are equal to men that is one of the basics of human rights. What does this mean? Was there a time when men and women were not equal and what is it to be a woman. Women are viewed as girls, mothers, wives, grandmothers, relatives and friends. When a girl is born her room is often painted in pink and her cloths are the same colour. Pink is the light colour of red, the color of blood. This is because women have to reproduce and make children. Red has been a controversial colour during the Communist era because it was the emblem. Women are mothers. They bear there babies in their womb for no more than nine months. A woman can have multiple births and they get Women are equal to men that is one of the basics of human rights. What does this mean? Was there a time when men and women were not equal and what is it to be a woman. Women are viewed as girls, mothers, wives, grandmothers, relatives and friends. When a girl is born her room is often painted in pink and her cloths are the same colour. Pink is the light colour of red, the color of blood. This is because women have to reproduce and make children. Red has been a controversial colour during the Communist era because it was the emblem. Women are mothers. They bear there babies in their womb for no more than nine months. A woman can have multiple births and they get Women are equal to men that is one of the basics of human rights. What does this mean? Was there a time when men and women were not equal and what is it to be a woman. Women are viewed as girls, mothers, wives, grandmothers, relatives and friends. When a girl is born her room is often painted in pink and her cloths are the same colour. Pink is the light colour of red, the color of blood. This is because women have to reproduce and make children. Red has been a controversial colour during the Communist era because it was the emblem. Women are mothers. They bear there babies in their womb for no more than nine months. A woman can have multiple births and they get

How to write a winning tutor resume

How to write a winning tutor resume Those who can, do. Those who can teach, make money. Tutoring is a great, flexible job option for a lot of different people: teachers who want a part-time hustle, students who want to put their recent academic or test-taking success to work, subject matter experts who want a side hustle (noticing a theme?), and plenty of others. Tutoring is a big freelance business, and can be a very lucrative one. It’s not your average 9-to-5 job, so it’s important to think of your tutoring resume as a unique document worthy of your time and attention, instead of just emailing the doc of your catch-all resume. And if you are a student or a recent grad looking for a tutoring gig, it might actually be your first brush with resume-ing. Whatever the case may be, we’ve got tips and strategies to get you through the initial writing, and get you tutoring. Plan before you write your resume.Think about what job you’ll be applying for, and who will be reading your resume. Will it be a recruiter at an academic or test prep center? If so, you may need to make your resume more inclusive, to cover the variety of topics you’re able to teach. Will it be a client (or client’s parent), deciding whether you’re the one for a private tutoring gig? In-person or online? All of these things can affect the information you present, and what you choose to emphasize.For example, if you’re applying for a tutoring center, you might want to highlight your years of experience working with dozens of students to raise grades and work on writing skills. If you’re going to be working as a one-on-one tutor, emphasize either your own expertise (perfect SAT score, 4.0 GPA in calculus, etc.) or what you’ve helped others to achieve (your students have raised their SAT scores an average of 200 points). And if you’re going to be an online tutor, you might want to emphasize your strong tech skills in addition to your teaching skills. Tutor jobs are not one-size-fits-all, so make sure your resume fits what you’re trying to achieve.Start with the basics.The top of your resume should always be your core information: contact info, including a (professional and respectable) email address. If you have social media that supports your tutoring or teaching, feel free to include it- but only if it’s relevant. Your blog â€Å"Josh’s Tutoring Tip of the Day† is a great link to include. The â€Å"Josh rants about what happened in the game last night† Twitter feed is not.Josh Smith(444) 111-1111JoshTheTutor@emaildomain.comWebsite: JoshsTutorTips.govTweetgram profile: @thetutorguyWith social media comes great responsibility, so if you do choose to include it in your tutoring resume, definitely do the precautionary sweep to make sure that everything is appropriate and professional-looking. This is especially true if you’re planning to work with younger students- if parents look you up and see tota lly inappropriate partying pictures or a strident political manifesto you wrote back in freshman year, they might think twice about hiring you to work with their kid. And creating a professional brand is a good idea anyway, so having an online portfolio of your teaching and tutoring can be a big asset.If you have a strength that you really want to see, consider using a headline. This is just a brief one-liner that shows off what you most want the reader to see. For example:Perfect LSAT-Scorer and Results-Focused Tutor  or  Math Whiz Who Makes Calculus EasyNext, show off your education.Tutoring is an area where it’s okay to brag about your educational bonafides, because you want to show that you’ve got the education and expertise to back up your teaching. The Education section can also help convey a lot of background information about you in a very brief, concise way. Here’s an example of a tutor looking for a job at a writing center that also helps students prepare for standardized tests.EDUCATION ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS  State University of California,  Bachelor of ArtsGraduating May 2018Major: EnglishOverall GPA: 3.8Major GPA: 4.0Awards: The 2017 Undergraduate Prize in Writing Excellence  Yosemite High School, Sacramento, CA,   High School DiplomaOverall GPA: 3.9SAT Score: 1580 (800 Verbal, 780 Math)ACT Score: 36This is a pretty hefty â€Å"Education† section, and includes information that you might not need on a regular professional resume (like test scores and high school GPA). But in this case, it shows that the tutor is high-achieving as a college writer, and also that she performed very well on standardized tests as a student herself- particularly on verbal sections. All of that is information that can help set her apart from other applicants for the tutoring job.Depending on your own strengths and the information that’s most relevant to the tutoring job you’re seeking, you can pick and choose informa tion to include here- as long as it’s related to your academic career.Focus on your tutoring experience.In a regular resume, you wouldn’t necessarily think of breaking your work experience into two sections because you usually want the reader to get a sense of your experience as a whole. In a tutor resume, you should. Why? Because you want the reader to really focus on your specific tutoring qualifications, so those should go front and center. Pull out your directly relevant tutoring, teaching, or subject matter expertise experience first, and then if you have relevant work experience, add an â€Å"Other Work Experience† section. For example:EXPERIENCEAlgebra Tutor  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stonecroft High SchoolMarch 2015 – presentCreate practice worksheets and quizzes for Algebra I and II studentsHelp students raise their algebra gra des by an average of 13%Tutor students one-on-one and in small groups  General Math Tutor  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stonecroft Community Center Homework HelplineJune 2016 – presentTutor students between 3rd and 12th grade on general math concepts, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, precalculus, and calculusProvide customized one-on-one tutoring for students who attend the Community Center’s afterschool homework help program  OTHER EXPERIENCECamp Counselor  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Happy Day Camp, Smithville, ILSummer 2016 – Summer 2017Manage daily activities for children age 10-12Create physical and educational activities for kids of diverse learning abilitiesHost the annual â€Å"Math is Magic† variety show for campersThe benefit of breaking up the experience sections h ere is that the tutor is able to show off the strong tutoring experience he has, while also including other jobs (here, the camp counselor position) that supplement the idea that he is a strong leader and teacher, without that second job distracting from the tutoring expertise.Pick your skills wisely.You’re applying for a very specific job, so make sure that any skills you include are laser-focused that job. You may be great at organizing meetings or negotiating tricky disputes between colleagues, but someone reading your resume for a tutoring job needs to know what you bring to the table as a tutor, not necessarily a general employee. If you have subject-specific skills that align with what you’d be teaching, use them here. If you have tech skills that enhance your tutoring, use them here. This is also a good place to list strengths that can help you stand out, like language skills. For example:KEY SKILLS:Multilingual (fluent in English and Spanish, able to speak and write basic Mandarin)Illustrating complicated mathematical information and breaking it down to the most essential informationProofreading and editingThis tutor may have 15 more skills that make her invaluable as an employee, teacher, or coach. But she chooses to focus on the ones that show value as a tutor hired to teach and review complicated concepts with someone who may not understand right away. And including a note about languages spoken helps broaden her appeal as well, as she’s showing that she can work with students who may feel more comfortable working in Spanish or Mandarin.Let your expertise shine through.And†¦that’s it. One of the key things to remember about your tutoring resume is that it doesn’t have to be a complex beast, with information about everything you’ve ever done. This is especially true if you’re becoming a tutor as a part-time or second job. You want your tutoring resume to be specific to and focused on the tutoring job you want, while showing off the top skills you bring as a tutor. The average resume gets only a few seconds of consideration, so it’s important to make your information pop, and your value clear right away.

Before the civil war

Before the civil war, a woman had a specific place in society, one that was extremely inferior to that of men. People had developed notions of what it meant to be a woman. The Civil War changed those notions. The War was the beginning of womans strive for suffrage in America. As the war came to an end, women became more involved in the world, and were allowed to achieve and accomplish a lot of things that only men had done in the past. The attributes of True Womanhood, by which a woman judged herself and was judged by her husband, her neighbors, and society could be divided into four cardinal virtues- piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. (Welter 152). In her work, American Quarterly: The cult of True Womanhood, Barbara Welter explains her view on the role of a woman before the Civil War. In order for a girl to reach true womanhood she would have to reach for perfection in the four above categories. After the war, two of these attributes began to decline greatly in women, as they began to find new roles in society. Women started becoming more independent, and the submissiveness and domesticity gradually started to fade. They still had these qualities, but they were definitely not as strong as they had been before the war. Submission was perhaps the most feminine virtue expected of women. Men were supposed to be religious, although they rarely had time for it, and supposed to be pure, although it came awfully hard to them, but men were the movers, the doers, the actors. Women were the passive, submissive responders. (158-9). Women were very submissive before the war, but after it, they felt that they had earned a new role. They learned to perform the duties formerly only performed by men, and now felt that they did not have to give in so easily to the commands of them. A wife should occupy herself only with domestic affairs-wait till your husba...

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

Human resources Management - Essay Example d, recruitment of the manpower requirement of these stores will have to be undertaken as soon as possible and the best possible way to achieve this is to undertake a job analysis. A job analysis refers to the process undertaken to pinpoint and establish in detail the particular job duties and requirements and the importance of the same, where the analysis is conducted on the job and not the person (www.hr-guide.com). It is undertaken as an initial step towards successive human resource management actions such as defining a job domain, writing a job description, selection and promotion, training needs assessment, compensation and organizational analysis/planning (en.wikipedia.org). While the whole process may take some time to complete and shall entail the company some costs, the results of a job analysis are far greater than the time and costs involved as the same shall help spell the success of the proposed stores. The proposed job analysis may take the form of structured or unstructured interviews of incumbent employees, direct observation of employees at work, or the administration of questionnaires on existing employees. As against the interview and questionnaire methods, a job analysis undertaken through direct observation makes possible the gathering of first-hand knowledge and information about the job being analyzed as it allows the analyst to see, or experience in some cases, the work environment, the tools and pieces of equipment used, the relationships among workers and the complexity of the job. However, the observations may not be as conclusive as the presence of observers may cause alterations in the normal work behavior of the employees being directly observed (www.jobanalysis.net). The interview method of job analysis, on the one hand, requires that the interviewer possess effective listening skills as concentration can easily be disturbed by interruptions, the interviewers own thought processes and the difficulty of remaining neutral

The Role of women in Kuwait Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Role of women in Kuwait - Research Paper Example This assessment is conducted with respect to three distinct time periods in Kuwaiti history that is the Pre-Oil Kuwait, the Post-Independence Kuwait and Modern Kuwait. The Traditional Role of Women in Kuwait Before the discovery of oil in Kuwait, the country’s economic situation was at its worse. This is reflected in the fact that during the Pre-Oil period, the nation was classified as one of the poorest countries in the world (Shelash, 1985). The traditional Kuwaiti society was essentially diversified in its sustenance, with dependency upon several industries such as fishing, while, agriculture did not play a significant role in the country’s GDP. In this simple setup, gender roles were highly stereotypical, where the male member of the house acted as the head of the family as well as the provider and economic caretaker of the house. Shelash (1985) noted that the man of the house also enjoyed complete authority over other members of the family, especially women in matt ers relating to marriage and other important decisions pertaining to the affairs of the household. Therefore, in the traditional Kuwaiti society, women had no participation whatsoever in the arrangements and affairs of the family either economically or socially. Moreover, male dominance in the attribution of roles was so stringent that any woman who was caught violating the rules faced serious and severe repercussions. Shelash (1985) concluded that such practices reflected the existence of immense discrepancies and inequalities between the rights of men and women. Men, in traditional Kuwaiti society enjoyed freedom to choose their wives while, women had no say in matters relating to marriage. This further stems the notion that the role of Kuwaiti women has traditionally been limited to accommodating to the needs and wants of the men of the society which for commentators such as Shelash (1985) is reflective of the submissive role of women in pre-independence Kuwait. Several commentat ors have sought to explore the relationship between the roles of women in countries of the Arabian Peninsula such as Kuwait, the cultural implications of their status in their countries and Islam. Shelash (1985) concludes that the seemingly passive role that Kuwaiti women were traditional expected to abide by in the Pre-Oil era of the country was a result of culture rather than the teachings of Islam. The Kuwaiti culture expected women to be docile and submissive citizens, whose roles were limited to that of mother, wife, daughter and sister (Keedie and Beck, 1978:26). Educational opportunities in traditional Kuwait were also limited and highly restricted for girls; it was not until three years before the country’s independence in June 1961 that the female population was able to go to school, significant discrepancy in the gender-based percentage of students attending school in Kuwait remained till the period of 1961-1962, as male attendance in educational institutions greatl y surpassed the percentage of female students in the classroom (Shelash, 1985). Rizzo (2005) asserts that in the case of Kuwait, the role of women has been traditionally associated with her family along with the cultural and religious values of the country. This view postulates that despite of the progress that Kuwait has experienced as a consequence of the discovery of its oil-reserves and even with its subsequent transformation into an industrialized and modern society, past, present and previous Kuwaiti governments have

Essay Questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 14

Questions - Essay Example rom varied functional disciplines and development processes of a product for team tasks without necessarily removing them from positions of operations. Contrary to most organizational structures, matrix management utilizes both product and functional departments to establish a dual authority system. Matrix method segments authority into two, both of project and of functional areas. Each employee is answerable to two supervisors. The first supervisor is a functional one who oversees the workers related to a particular area of function. The second supervisor must be overseeing either a specific or a temporary project. Matrix organization structure has various advantages to the organization. Sharing of experts and equipment across projects of the organization gives room for efficient use of resources. Secondly, it allows formal coordination of projects and products across all the functional departments. In addition, sharing of information is efficient because employees meet and interact with many people, enhancing speedy decision processes. Furthermore, employees enjoy motivation and self-esteem due to autonomy and self-management opportunities that matrix organization presents to them. However, matrix organization also has a few limitations that may at times make it unpopular (Gido and Clements 448). The matrix structure method poses tough forms of organization alongside complexities of its structures. It also creates tough battles and conflicts between departments since they share resources. Consequently, the management of the organization may fail to establish accountability on its resources. In such circumstances, there is easy measurement of employees’ performance leading to increased accountability. Secondly, divisional organization leads to project departmentalization hence leading to the expansion of the company. In circumstances where divisional side is subordinate to the functional side, there is an achievement of efficient labor specialization, which

Finance and Financial Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Finance and Financial Markets - Essay Example The supporters of efficient capital market theory claim that the stock prices are efficient enough to fully represent information. But, the efficient capital market theory remains silent when the median revenue before the 1987 crash were $18.6 million, and right after the two years of crash, the median revenue increased to $34.7 million. Before the market crash of 1987, the standard deviation of revenue was $276 million, but after two years of crash, the standard deviation of revenue increased to the level of $327 million. On the one hand, capital markets crashed; on the other hand, the median revenue and standard revenue were steadily increasing. In this paper, a critical evaluation of efficient capital market theory is carried out in the following parts of the essay. Besides, types of capital markets, technical analysis and fundamental analysis are incorporated into this piece of writing. Definition An efficient capital market is such type of stock market where the current stock pr ices fully reflect information, including the information of risk (Schweser, 2004). In the year of 1970, Eugene Fama (1970) introduced the concept of ‘Efficient Capital Markets’. In which, efficient capital markets are clearly defined. ... And, this theory is less relevant to small and medium sized companies. As the small and medium sized companies do not have sufficient volume and sufficient size of capitalization in stock markets, the application of this theory would not serve any of their major objectives. An efficient capital market is based on certain assumptions: first, this theory assumes that the market participants fully understand stocks. And, on the basis of this understanding, they value stocks. Second, a piece of information appears in a random fashion; all pieces of information are independent of each other with regard to timing. Third, fund managers instantly start evaluating the prices of stocks as soon as a new piece of information arrives. In order to make appropriate investment decisions, they carefully monitor the stocks movements. Types of efficient market Weak-form efficient markets In this type, stock prices reflect the historical market information. This type of efficient market is based on the assumption that stock prices reflect currently available historical market information. Consequently, no relationship exists between past and future stock prices. The historical value of information is already incorporated into the current prices. Hence, it would be of no value to study the previous stock prices. Additionally, this type of efficient market hypothesis may be implausible in many situations (Poterba and Summers, 1988; Pesaran and Timmermann, 1995,2000). Semi-strong form efficient market In the semi-strong form, stock prices rapidly adjust to information that is publically available. This stock price adjustment can be upward or downward. It depends upon the nature and type of information available publically.

Pharmco National Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pharmco National - Essay Example What is effective and evident practice of one manager does not necessarily mean appropriateness to other managers as well. Sharing of knowledge as one context in the system does not get an absolute support from the employees, considering the fact that it is one investment that they nurture through years of experience and they are not set of giving it. Doubts relating to threats in position exist among managers that impede them to be one in meeting the intranet prospects. Likely, each function performs in a world different from the others and concentrates on meeting the objectives of their particular area only. Knowledge capturing by intranet system differs from person to person interaction in conceptualization of information. Knowledge barrier is evident in all concerned functions, particularly among Marketing and Sales role that speak their own language in performing their respective responsibility. The Intranet system does not bridge the differences of each area and utilization of knowledge for use by others. There is absence of common contextualization of the knowledge management system that makes it difficult to acquire participation of involved personnel. 1. The project fails to account the details of the nature of responsibility of involved function.

Finance and Financial Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Finance and Financial Markets - Essay Example The supporters of efficient capital market theory claim that the stock prices are efficient enough to fully represent information. But, the efficient capital market theory remains silent when the median revenue before the 1987 crash were $18.6 million, and right after the two years of crash, the median revenue increased to $34.7 million. Before the market crash of 1987, the standard deviation of revenue was $276 million, but after two years of crash, the standard deviation of revenue increased to the level of $327 million. On the one hand, capital markets crashed; on the other hand, the median revenue and standard revenue were steadily increasing. In this paper, a critical evaluation of efficient capital market theory is carried out in the following parts of the essay. Besides, types of capital markets, technical analysis and fundamental analysis are incorporated into this piece of writing. Definition An efficient capital market is such type of stock market where the current stock pr ices fully reflect information, including the information of risk (Schweser, 2004). In the year of 1970, Eugene Fama (1970) introduced the concept of ‘Efficient Capital Markets’. In which, efficient capital markets are clearly defined. ... And, this theory is less relevant to small and medium sized companies. As the small and medium sized companies do not have sufficient volume and sufficient size of capitalization in stock markets, the application of this theory would not serve any of their major objectives. An efficient capital market is based on certain assumptions: first, this theory assumes that the market participants fully understand stocks. And, on the basis of this understanding, they value stocks. Second, a piece of information appears in a random fashion; all pieces of information are independent of each other with regard to timing. Third, fund managers instantly start evaluating the prices of stocks as soon as a new piece of information arrives. In order to make appropriate investment decisions, they carefully monitor the stocks movements. Types of efficient market Weak-form efficient markets In this type, stock prices reflect the historical market information. This type of efficient market is based on the assumption that stock prices reflect currently available historical market information. Consequently, no relationship exists between past and future stock prices. The historical value of information is already incorporated into the current prices. Hence, it would be of no value to study the previous stock prices. Additionally, this type of efficient market hypothesis may be implausible in many situations (Poterba and Summers, 1988; Pesaran and Timmermann, 1995,2000). Semi-strong form efficient market In the semi-strong form, stock prices rapidly adjust to information that is publically available. This stock price adjustment can be upward or downward. It depends upon the nature and type of information available publically.

Being A Leader Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Being A Leader - Assignment Example The most important aspect of leadership in education, in my opinion, is to make sure that those employees that are supervised are comfortable with the leadership style and area able to work within it. My Approach to Leadership I believe that my approach to leadership comes closest to participatory because I want employees to have a say in the decision making process as well as to have an interest in what we are doing. In primary school as in any other aspect of education, teachers must have a way to express themselves and to make sure that they are doing what is necessary to help students progress in their studies. I enjoy having teams at work that can come together to share knowledge as well as to design activities so that we are all doing similar things in the classroom. Although we have guidelines that we must meet, we can still help students have fun with the curriculum and we can teach in a way that encourages inclusion rather than exclusion. Kahai, Sosik and Avolio (2006) sugge st that participative leaders are able to steer their employees towards positive growth and to strive for solving problems instead of creating more problems. Employees understand that they are part of the solution and feel they do not have to carry out the problem on their own. When employees know that they are supported in their opinions, whether they are positive or negative, they are more open to finding solutions, because they are able to have their opinions heard. Kahai, Sosick and Avolio also state that the organizational climate will be more positive because problem solving methods allow a basis for employees to feel that their â€Å"higher order needs† are met (p. 126) and they will meet the requirements of the task because they feel valued. The Organization’s Values James and Connelly (2009) suggest that an organization’s culture is difficult to describe and to predict. They state that an organization’s culture will consist of a variety of  "beliefs, symbols, values and assumptions† (391) and it will be dependent on what the individual organization believes is important to run the organization. In a primary school, the organizational climate is as good as the principle that sets the stage for what is needed in their school. In the public school where I work, the organizational climate is one of very positive reinforcement from the principal. The principal sets the leadership for the school and our principal encourages staff to come to them with problems and with other ideas for the school. As a leader within that structure, it is up to me to make sure that I keep in mind what the principal wants and to assist the teachers that I work with in my team to do what is required of us as a team. I believe that my school has strong values and that we put the needs of the students first. I see that there are a variety of ethical considerations that many people within the school have that are important to discuss. Many of the initiatives that our school has come from the National Challenge. This challenge states that by this year, 2011, at least 30% of children should be able to â€Å"gain five or more GCSEs A*-C, including both English and mathematics† (Storey, 2011). In order for students to do this, they must have effective leadership in the classroom as well as in the school. The primary school will begin the focus of the national challenge because students must have the skills they need by the time the move to secondary school.

Media literacy Essay Example for Free

Media literacy Essay Media Education is the process of teaching and learning about media. [1] It is about developing young peoples critical and creative abilities when it comes to the media. Media education should not be confused with educational technology or with educational media. Surveys repeatedly show that, in most industrialized countries, children now spend more time watching television than they do in school, or also on any other activity apart from sleeping[2] Media Education has no fixed location, no clear ideology and no definitive recipients; it is subject to whims of a financial market bigger than itself. [1] Being able to understand the media enables people to analyze, evaluate, and create messages in a wide variety of mediums, genres, and forms. A person who is media literate is informed. There are many reasons why media studies are absent from the primary and secondary school curricula, including cuts in budgets and social services as well as over-packed schedules and expectations. Education for media literacy often uses an inquiry-based pedagogic model that encourages people to ask questions about what they watch, hear, and read. Media literacy education provides tools to help people critically analyze messages, offers opportunities for learners to broaden their experience of media, and helps them develop creative skills in making their own media messages. [3] Critical analysis can include identifying author, purpose and point of view, examining construction techniques and genres, examining patterns of media representation, and detecting propaganda, censorship, and bias in news and public affairs programming (and the reasons for these). Media literacy education may explore how structural features—such as media ownership, or its funding model[4] affect the information presented. Media literate people should be able to skillfully create and produce media messages, both to show understanding of the specific qualities of each medium, as well as to create independent media and participate as active citizens. Media literacy can be seen as contributing to an expanded conceptualization of literacy, treating mass media, popular culture and digital media as new types of texts that require analysis and evaluation. By transforming the  process of media consumption into an active and critical process, people gain greater awareness of the potential for misrepresentation and manipulation (especially through commercials and public relations techniques), and understand the role of mass media and participatory media in constructing views of reality. [5] Media literacy education is sometimes conceptualized as a way to address the negative dimensions of mass media, popular culture and digital media, including media violence, gender and racial stereotypes, the sexualization of children, and concerns about loss of privacy, cyberbullying and Internet predators. By building knowledge and competencies in using media and technology, media literacy education may provide a type of protection to children and young people by helping them make good choices in their media consumption habits, and patterns of usage. [6] Concepts of media education Media education can be in many ways. In general, media education has come to be defined in terms of conceptual understandings of the media. [1] Usually this means key concepts or key aspects. This approach does not specify particular objects of study and this enables media education to remain responsive to students interests and enthusiasms. David Buckingham has come up with four key concepts that provide a theoretical framework which can be applied to the whole range of contemporary media and to older media as well: Production, Language, Representation, and Audience. [1] These concepts are defined by David Buckingham as follows: Production Production involves the recognition that media texts are consciously made. [1] Some media texts are made by individuals working alone, just for themselves or their family and friends, but most are produced and distributed by groups of people often for commercial profit. This means recognizing the economic interests that are at stake in media production, and the ways in which profits are generated. More confident students in media education should be able to debate the implications of these developments in terms of national and cultural identities, and in terms of the range of social groups that are able to gain access to media. [1] Studying media production means looking at: Technologies: what technologies are used to produce and distribute media texts? Professional practices: Who makes media texts? The industry: Who owns the companies that buy and sell media and how do they make a profit? Connections between media: How do companies sell the same products across different media? Regulation: Who controls the production and distribution of media, and are there laws about this? Circulation and distribution: How do texts reach their audiences? Access and participation: Whose voices are heard in the media and whose are excluded? [1] Language Every medium has its own combination of languages that it uses to communicate meaning. For example, television uses verbal and written language as well as the languages of moving images and sound. Particular kinds of music or camera angles may be used to encourage certain emotions. When it comes to verbal language, making meaningful statements in media languages involves paradigmatic choices and syntagmatic combinations. [1] By analyzing these languages, one can come to a better understanding of how meanings are created. [1] Studying media languages means looking at: Meanings: How does media use different forms of language to convey ideas or meanings? Conventions: How do these uses of languages become familiar and generally accepted? Codes: How are the grammatical rules of media established and what happens when they are broken? Genres: How do these conventions and codes operate in different types of media contexts? Choices: What are the effects of choosing certain forms of language, such as a certain type of camera shot? Combinations: How is meaning conveyed through the combination or sequencing of images, sounds, or words? Technologies: How do technologies affect the meanings that can be created? [1] Representation The notion of representation is one of the first established principles of media education. The media offers viewers a facilitated outlook of the world and they re-represent reality. Media production involves selecting and combining incidents, making events into stories, and creating characters. Media representations allow viewers to see the world in some particular ways and not others. Audiences also compare media with their own experiences and make judgements about how realistic they are. Media representations can be seen as real in some ways but not in others: viewers may understand that what they are seeing is only imaginary and yet they still know it can explain reality. [1] Studying media representations means looking at: Realism: Is this text intended to be realistic? Why do some texts seem more realistic than others? Telling the truth: How do media claim to tell the truth about the world? Presence and absence: What is included and excluded from the media world? Bias and objectivity: Do media texts support particular views about the world? Do they use moral or political values? Stereotyping: How do media represent particular social groups? Are those representations accurate? Interpretations: Why do audiences accept some media representations as true, or reject others as false? Influences: Do media representations affect our views of particular social groups or issues? [1] Audience Studying audiences means looking at how demographic audiences are targeted and measured, and how media are circulated and distributed throughout. It means looking at different ways in which individuals use, interpret, and respond to media. The media increasingly have had to compete for peoples attention and interest because research has shown that audiences are now much more sophisticated and diverse than has been suggested in the past. Debating views about audiences and attempting to understand and reflect on our own and others use of media is therefore a crucial element of media education. [1] Studying media audiences means looking at: Targeting: How are media aimed at particular audiences? Address: How do the media speak to audiences? Circulation: How do media reach audiences? Uses: How do audiences use media in their daily lives? What are their habits and patterns of use? Making sense: How do audiences interpret media? What meanings do they make? Pleasures: What pleasures do audiences gain from media? Social differences: What is the role of gender. social class, age, and ethnic background in audience behavior? [1] UNESCO and media education UNESCO has had a long standing experience with media literacy and education. The organization has supported a number of initiatives to introduce media and information literacy as an important part of lifelong learning. [7] Most recently, the UNESCO Action for Media Education and Literacy brought together experts from numerous regions of the world to catalyze processes to introduce media and information literacy components into teacher training curricula worldwide. [7] UNESCO questionnaire In 2001, a media education survey was sent out by UNESCO in order to better understand which countries were incorporating media studies into different schools curriculum as well as to help develop new initiatives in the field of media education. A questionnaire was sent to a total of 72 experts on media education in 52 different countries around the world. The people who received this questionnaire were people involved in academics (such as teachers), policy makers, and educational advisers. The questionnaire addressed three key areas: 1) â€Å"Media education in schools: the extent, aims, and conceptual basis of current provision; the nature of assessment; and the role of production by students. †[8] 2) Partnerships: the involvement of media industries and media regulators in media education; the role of informal youth groups; the provision of teacher education. †[7] 3) â€Å"The development of media education: research and evaluation of media education provision; the main needs of educators; obstacles to future development; and the potential contribution of UNESCO. †[7] The results from the answers of the survey were double-sided. It was noted that media education had been making a very uneven progress because while in one country there was an abundant amount of work towards media education, another country may have hardly even heard of the concept. One of the main reasons why media education has not taken full swing in some countries is because of the lack of policy makers addressing the issue. In some developing countries, educators say that media education was only just beginning to register as a concern because they were just starting to develop basic print literacy. [7] In the countries that media education existed at all, it would be offered as an elective class or an optional area of the school system rather than being on its own. Many countries argued that media education should not be a separate part of the curriculum but rather should be added to a subject  already established. The countries which deemed media education as a part of the curriculum included the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Australia. Many countries lacked even just basic research on media education as a topic, including Russia and Sweden. Some said that popular culture is not worthy enough of study. But all of the correspondents realized the importance of media education as well as the importance of formal recognition from their government and policy makers that media education should be taught in schools. [7] History Media literacy education is actively focused on the instructional methods and pedagogy of media literacy, integrating theoretical and critical frameworks rising from constructivist learning theory, media studies and cultural studies scholarship. This work has arisen from a legacy of media and technology use in education throughout the 20th century and the emergence of cross-disciplinary work at the intersections of scholarly work in media studies and education. Voices of Media Literacy, a project of the Center for Media Literacy representing first-person interviews with media literacy pioneers active prior to 1990 in English-speaking countries, provides historical context for the rise of the media literacy field and is available at http://www. medialit. org/voices-media-literacy-international-pioneers-speak Media education is developing in Great Britain, Australia, South Africa, Canada, the United States, with a growing interest in the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, India, Russia and among many other nations. UNESCO has played an important role in supporting media and information literacy by encouraging the development of national information and media literacy policies, including in education[9] UNESCO has developed training resources to help teachers integrate information and media literacy into their teaching and provide them with appropriate pedagogical methods and curricula. United Kingdom Education for what is now termed media literacy has been developing in the UK since at least the 1930s. In the 1960s, there was a paradigm shift in the field of media literacy to emphasize working within popular culture rather than trying to convince people that popular culture was primarily destructive. This was known as the popular arts paradigm. In the 1970s, there came a recognition that the ideological power of the media was tied to the naturalization of the image. Constructed messages were being passed off as natural ones. The focus of media literacy also shifted to the consumption of images and representations, also known as the representational paradigm. [10] Development has gathered pace since the 1970s when the first formal courses in Film Studies and, later, Media Studies, were established as options for young people in the 14-19 age range: over 100,000 students (about 5% of this age range) now take these courses annually. Scotland has always had a separate education system from the rest of the UK and began to develop policies for media education in the 1980s. In England, the creation of the National Curriculum in 1990 included some limited requirements for teaching about the media as part of English. The UK is widely regarded as a leader in the development of education for media literacy. Key agencies that have been involved in this development include the British Film Institute,[11] the English and Media Centre[12] Film Education[13] and the Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media at the Institute of Education, London. [14] Australia In Australia, media education was influenced by developments in Britain related to the inoculation, popular arts and demystification approaches. Key theorists who influenced Australian media education were Graeme Turner and John Hartley who helped develop Australian media and cultural studies. During the 1980s and 1990s, Western Australians Robyn Quin and Barrie MacMahon wrote seminal text books such as Real Images, translating many complex media theories into classroom appropriate learning frameworks. In most Australian states, media is one of five strands of the Arts Key Learning Area and includes essential learnings or outcomes listed for various stages of development. At the senior level (years 11 and 12), several states offer Media Studies as an elective. For example, many Queensland schools offer Film, Television and New Media, while Victorian schools offer VCE Media. Media education is supported by the teacher professional association Australian Teachers of Media which publishes a range of resources and the excellent Screen Education. Africa In South Africa, the increasing demand for Media Education has evolved from the dismantling of apartheid and the 1994 democratic elections. The first national Media Education conference in South Africa was actually held in 1990 and the new national curriculum has been in the writing stages since 1997. Since this curriculum strives to reflect the values and principles of a democratic society there seems to be an opportunity for critical literacy and Media Education in Languages and Culture courses. Europe In areas of Europe, media education has seen many different forms. Media education was introduced into the Finnish elementary curriculum in 1970 and into high schools in 1977. But the media education we know today did not evolve in Finland until the 1990s. Media education has been compulsory in Sweden since 1980 and in Denmark since 1970. In both these countries, media education evolved in the 1980s and 1990s as media education gradually moved away from moralizing attitudes towards an approach that is more searching and pupil-centered. In 1994, the Danish education bill gave recognition to media education but it is still not an integrated part of the school. The focus in Denmark seems to be on information technology. France has taught film from the inception of the medium, but it has only been recently that conferences and media courses for teachers have been organized with the inclusion of media production. Germany saw theoretical publications on media literacy in the 1970s and 1980s, with a growing interest for media education inside and outside the educational system in the 80s and 90s. In the Netherlands media literacy was placed in the agenda by the Dutch government in 2006 as an important subject for the Dutch society. In April, 2008, an official center has been created (mediawijsheid expertisecentrum = medialiteracy expertisecenter) by the Dutch government. This center is more a network organization existing out of different partners who have their own expertise with the subject of media education. The idea is that media education will become a part of the official curriculum. The history of media education in Russia goes back to the 1920s. The first attempts to instruct in media education (on the press and film materials, with the vigorous emphasis on the communist ideology) appeared in the 1920s but were stopped by Joseph Stalin’s repressions. The end of the 1950s the beginning of the 1960s was the time of the revival of media education in secondary schools, universities, after-school children centers (Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Voronezh, Samara, Kurgan, Tver, Rostov on Don, Taganrog, Novosibirsk, Ekaterinburg, etc.), the revival of media education seminars and conferences for the teachers. During the time when the intensive rethinking of media education approaches was on the upgrade in the Western hemisphere, in Russia of the 1970s–1980s media education was still developing within the aesthetic concept. Among the important achievements of 1970s-1990s one can recall the first official programs of film and media education, published by Ministry of Education, increasing interest of Ph. D. to media education, experimental theoretic and practical work on media education by O. Baranov (Tver), S.Penzin (Voronezh), G. Polichko, U. Rabinovich (Kurgan), Y. Usov (Moscow), Aleksandr Fyodorov (Taganrog), A. Sharikov (Moscow) and others. The important events in media education development in Russia are the registration of the new specialization (since 2002) for the pedagogical universities – ‘Media Education’ (â„â€" 03. 13. 30), and the launch of a new academic journal ‘Media Education’ (since January 2005), partly sponsored by the ICOS UNESCO ‘Information for All’. Additionally, the Internet sites of Russian Association for Film and Media Education (English and Russian versions) were created. Taking into account the fact that UNESCO defines media education as the priority field of the cultural educational development in the 21st century, media literacy has good prospects in Russia. Canada In North America, the beginnings of a formalized approach to media literacy as a topic of education is often attributed to the 1978 formation of the Ontario-based Association for Media Literacy (AML). Before that time, instruction in media education was usually the purview of individual teachers and practitioners. Canada was the first country in North America to require media literacy in the school curriculum. Every province has mandated media education in its curriculum. For example, the new curriculum of Quebec mandates media literacy from Grade 1 until final year of secondary school (Secondary V). The launching of media education in Canada came about for two reasons. One reason was the concern about the pervasiveness of American popular culture and the other was the education system-driven necessity of contexts for new educational paradigms. Canadian communication scholar Marshall McLuhan ignited the North American educational movement for media literacy in the 1950s and 1960s. Two of Canadas leaders in Media Literacy and Media Education are Barry Duncan and John Pungente. Duncan passed away on June 6, 2012, even after retired from classroom teaching but was still active in media education. Pungente is a Jesuit priest who has promoted media literacy since the early 1960s. Media Awareness Network (MNet), a Canadian non-profit media education organization, hosts a Web site which contains hundreds of free lesson plans to help teachers integrate media into the classroom. MNet also has created award-winning educational games on media education topics, several of which are available free from the site, and has also conducted original research on media issues, most notable the study Young Canadians in a Wired World. MNet also hosts the Talk Media Blog, a regular column on media education issues. The United States Media literacy education has been an interest in the United States since the early 20th century, when high school English teachers first started using film to develop students critical thinking and communication skills. However, media literacy education is distinct from simply using media and technology in the classroom, a distinction that is exemplified by the difference between teaching with media and teaching about media. [15] In the 1950s and 60s, the ‘film grammar’ approach to media literacy education developed in the United States, where educators began to show commercial films to children, having them learn a new terminology consisting of words such as fade, dissolve, truck, pan, zoom, and cut. Films were connected to literature and history. To understand the constructed nature of film, students explored plot development, character, mood and tone. Then, during the 1970s and 1980s, attitudes about mass media and mass culture began to shift. Around the English-speaking world, educators began to realize the need to â€Å"guard against our prejudice of thinking of print as the only real medium that the English teacher has a stake in. †[16] A whole generation of educators began to not only acknowledge film and television as new, legitimate forms of expression and communication, but also explored practical ways to promote serious inquiry and analysis—- in higher education, in the family, in schools and in society. [17] Typically, U. S. media literacy education includes a focus on news, advertising, issues of representation, and media ownership. Media literacy competencies can also be cultivated in the home, through activities including co-viewing and discussion. [18] Media literacy education began to appear in state English education curriculum frameworks by the early 1990s as a result of increased awareness in the central role of visual, electronic and digital media in the context of contemporary culture. Nearly all 50 states have language that supports media literacy in state curriculum frameworks. [19] In 2004, Montana developed educational standards around media literacy that students are required to be competent in by grades 4, 8, and 12. Additionally, an increasing number of school districts have begun to develop school-wide programs, elective courses, and other after-school opportunities for media analysis and production. There is no national data on the reach of media literacy programs in the United States. [20] The evolution of information and communication technologies has expanded the subject of media literacy to incorporate information literacy, collaboration and problem-solving skills, and emphasis on the social responsibilities of communication. Various stakeholders struggle over nuances of meaning associated with the conceptualization of the practice on media literacy education. Educational scholars may use the term critical media literacy to emphasize the exploration of power and ideology in media analysis. Other scholars may use terms like new media literacy to emphasize the application of media literacy to user-generated content or 21st century literacy to emphasize the use of technology tools. [21] As far back as 2001, the Action Coalition for Media Education (ACME) split from the main media literacy organization as the result of debate about whether or not the media industry should support the growth of media literacy education in the United States. Renee Hobbs of Temple University in Philadelphia wrote about this general question as one of the Seven Great Debates in media literacy education in an influential 1998 Journal of Communication article. [22] The media industry has supported media literacy education in the United States. Make Media Matter is one of the many blogs (an â€Å"interactive forum†) the Independent Film Channel features as a way for individuals to assess the role media plays in society and the world. The television program, The Media Project, offers a critical look at the state of news media in contemporary society. During the 1990s, the Discovery Channel supported the implementation of Assignment: Media Literacy, a statewide educational initiative for K-12 students developed in collaboration with the Maryland State Board of Education. Because of the decentralized nature of the education system in a country with 70 million children now in public or private schools, media literacy education develops as the result of groups of advocates in school districts, states or regions who lobby for its inclusion in the curriculum. There is no central authority making nationwide curriculum recommendations and each of the fifty states has numerous school districts, each of which operates with a great degree of independence from one another. However, most U. S. states include media literacy in health education, with an emphasis on understanding environmental influences on health decision-making. Tobacco and alcohol advertising are frequently targeted as objects for deconstruction, which is one of the instructional methods of media literacy education. This resulted from an emphasis on media literacy generated by the Clinton White House. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) held a series of conferences in 1996 and 1997 which brought greater awareness of media literacy education as a promising practice in health and substance abuse prevention education. The medical and public health community now recognizes the media as a cultural environmental influence on health and sees media literacy education as a strategy to support the development of healthy behavior. Interdisciplinary scholarship in media literacy education is emerging. In 2009, a scholarly journal was launched, the Journal of Media Literacy Education,[23] to support the work of scholars and practitioners in the field. Universities such as Appalachian State University, Columbia University, Ithaca College, New York University, the University of Texas-Austin, Temple University, and the University of Maryland offer courses and summer institutes in media literacy for pre-service teachers and graduate students. Brigham Young University offers a graduate program in media education specifically for inservice teachers. The Salzburg Academy for Media and Global Change is another institution that educates students and professionals from around the world the importance of being literate about the media. Impacts of Media Literacy Education on Civic Engagement Media literacy education appears to have a positive impact on overall youth civic engagement. [24] Youth who attend schools that offer media literacy programs are more likely to politically engage online and are more likely to report encountering diverse viewpoints online. [25] Youth Interest in Media Literacy A nationally representative survey found that 84% of young people think they and their friends would benefit from training on verifying information found online. [26] National Association for Media Literacy Education More than 600 educators are members of the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), a national membership group that hosts a bi-annual conference. In 2009, this group developed an influential policy document, the Core Principles of Media Literacy Education in the United States. [27] It states, The purpose of media literacy education is to help individuals of all ages develop the habits of inquiry and skills of expression that they need to be critical thinkers, effective communicators and active citizens in today’s world. Principles include: (1) Media Literacy Education requires active inquiry and critical thinking about the messages we receive and create; (2) Media Literacy Education expands the concept of literacy in all forms of media (i. e. , reading and writing); (3) Media Literacy Education builds and reinforces skills for learners of all ages. Like print literacy, those skills necessitate integrated, interactive, and repeated practice; (4) Media Literacy Education develops informed, reflective and engaged participants essential for a democratic society; (5) Media Literacy Education recognizes that media are a part of culture and function as agents of socialization; and (6) Media Literacy Education affirms that people use their individual skills, beliefs and experiences to construct their own meanings from media messages.

Levi Strauss Case Study Marketing Essay

Levi Strauss Case Study Marketing Essay Levi Strauss is the worlds best-known jeans brand, but its hard to see much chance of the company regaining its former glory without a substantial overhaul. Iconic or not, what kind of future lies in store for a company which derives around 85% of its annual revenues from selling pants? And only really two sorts of pants at that, which are also sold by just about every other clothing manufacturer on the planet. Either Levi Strauss needs to diversify substantially, and bolt on other brands or more likely needs to sacrifice its long cherished but out-of-date independence and become part of someone elses larger multi-brand portfolio. These years of struggle against a vast array of competitors have merely added to the gradual erosion of the brand. The development of value line Signature has helped, but despite doubling in size during 2004, its contribution has steadily decreased ever since. In the late 1990s, Levis became a victim of their own success. Too involved in corporate restructuring, the company effectively ignore a seismic shift in the youth market. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Levis 501 jeans had managed to dominate the market for everyday clothing as a result of high quality manufacturing and smart marketing. There were many kinds of jeans, went the general perception, but Levis was the brand to which all others aspired. A brilliant marketing campaign, especially in Europe, reinforced the brands hip status. But in the late 1990s, Levis jeans suddenly became a victim of its own success. They were seen by the new generation of teenagers as the jeans my Dad wears, and that put them completely out of fashion. Fashions in cut came and went but Levis failed to respond, leaving the market wide open for competitors The companys biggest mistake, arguably, was to ignore the baggy cut, which rode in on the back of the mid-1990s grunge movement, and remained the leading fashion style for the rest of that decade. While Levis stuck rigidly with the 16-inch straight-leg cut that appealed to the now ageing market who had rediscovered the brand in the 1980s, even the least hip of US retailers began selling extreme-cut. Millers Outpost, Tommy Jeans, JNCO and even JC Penney and Sears were selling jeans with legs as wide as 23 or 40-inches. The fashion-conscious teenage market began buying their jeans from other manufacturers, while a new breed of retailers, led by The Gap, captured the middle ground. Protecting their premium status, Levis refused to chase the market and strictly adhered to their long-established policy of only selling through specialist outlets and avoiding discount stores including Wal-Mart. Although this held the brands perceived value it also restricted sales to only around half of the US retail market. Worse still, later that decade the market as a whole began moving away from denim altogether as combat and cargo pants became the new fashion Question 2) How could a sensitive and informative Marketing Information System (MIS) have helped Levis to identify these environmental variable and form future strategies ? THE NEED FOR MARKETING SUPPORT In 1986, Levis relaunched the 501 with the Launderette and Bath commercials. The tremendous success of these executions and the campaign that developed from them has been well documented. All of the commercials featured the 501 jean and most stated 501 specifically in the end frame. The advertising success was not restricted to the 501 alone. There was a halo effect on the whole Levis range. But naturally the 501 took on a dominant share of Levis business. This dominance was intended. The 501 was positioned as definitive. It is an anti-fit jean which is right for most people, and, in a sense, 501 for most people took fit out of the purchasing equation. Despite this, there were (and still are) a significant number of people who, for reasons of personal physique or style, did not consider the 501 as the right fit for them. For this significant minority Levis developed a range of other Red Tab fits. The range includes: Historically the strategy had been to sell these non-501 Red Tab fits in-store, via POS and retailer advice. Levis own retailer and consumer research indicated, however, that the non-501 Red Tab fits had been underperforming in the market. There were a number of reasons. l Many consumers were under the impression that Levis was really just about 501. They were unaware of the availability of other Red Tab fits. So if they tried on 501 and were not completely happy, they would try on another brand, rather than another Levis fit. Or if they knew from the start that they wanted a fit other than 501, they would go directly to another brand. 517: Regular Fit 518: Loose Fit 511: Zip Fly 536: Girls Fit l Many retailers were not directing failed 501 traffic onto other Red Tab fits. l Some retailers, in the absence of specific consumer demand for non-501 Red Tab fits, were deciding not to stock these fits at all. The above factors created a problem that reproduced itself Levis was losing out to competitive brands in this significant minority of the premium jeans market. And there was a risk that if no action was taken, the scale of the problem would spiral. Clearly the Red Tab range required marketing support, and advertising was deemed necessary. THE BRIEF We determined that there was a very specific role for advertising: to raise awareness of the multiplicity of Levis Red Tab fits. Advertising should make people understand that if they want something other than 501, it will be there in the store for them. They can discover exactly the right fit in-store. And we drafted a very simple proposition to address this task: Levis Red Tab jeans come in as many different styles as the people that wear them. THE ADVERTISING MINEFIELD This seems relatively straightforward. But in fact, in identifying these as the role for advertising and proposition, we had also identified what advertising could not do or say. Examination of previous competitive advertising relating to product ranges and fits indicated to us a series of problems and misconceptions both strategically and creatively. It was important that we map out for the creative team where these perils and pitfalls lay, in order that they could steer a clear path through the minefield. The 501 issue We were concerned that above-the-line support for fit numbers other than 501 would confuse people and dilute the definitive status of 501. We realised that we could not expect people to memorise a series of fit numbers and their definitions. It had taken a great deal of time and money to establish one fit number in public consciousness. Indeed, we did not want non-501 fit numbers to develop their own identify to the extent that they became sub-brands. The non-501 Red Tab fits could not approach the wealth of heritage and associated imagery commanded by 501. They could not really aspire to being brands in the same sense. More importantly we did not want to compromise in any way the definitive status of 501. Thus we specified in the brief that executions should avoid discussion of or comparison with 501s. Moreover, we determined that we could keep the Red Tab communication separate from 501 communication by adopting an entirely new medium for Levis: posters. More specifically, Adshels offered a street level impact, in keeping with our youthful target and within sight of most retailers. Since advertisings role was not to raise awareness of individual fit numbers, we decided its effectiveness should not be judged by peoples ability to recollect specific numbers, but by their awareness that Levis have a range of Red Tab fits. Range advertising Advertising a range of products is often strategically unsound and creatively uninspiring. People generally do not buy ranges; they buy individual products. A range campaign tends to proclaim the benefits of the range as a whole, or to highlight the differences within the range. But if people are interested in individual products, all they really want to know is what is good about that product. Moreover, a brief for range advertising can often lead to creative cul-de-sacs: a row of products and an invitation to the consumer to make his or her own choice etc. Consequently, although the objective of the advertising was not to establish individual fit identities, we did specify that each execution should feature one fit only and would talk about the benefits of that fit. Across a range of executions we aimed to establish a sense of the multiplicity of the fits, thereby addressing the key objective. Fit adverting Fit messages also pose a strategic and creative challenge. People choose different jeans fits for reasons both of personal physique and current fashion. If advertising addresses one motivation, it struggles to communicate the other. And the more obvious creative solutions tend not to be challenging or motivating. For example, a tight fit can be communicated by showing a thin person and a loose fit by showing a fatter person. But the latter expression clearly does little for loose fit. And what of the people who wear loose fit for style rather than physical reasons? Alternatively, a fit message can be conveyed by showing the overall style or fashion of the wearers of different fits. For example, a punk in tight jeans and a hip-hop fan in loose jeans. But youth fashion cannot easily be compartmentalised into discrete tribes with conveniently different jeans fits. Moreover, young people quite naturally recoil from any cynical attempt by advertisers to mirror their own street-level cultures. And, as with the above, what of the people who do not choose fits for fashion reasons? We concluded that these more literal expressions of fit were not worth exploring and we directed the team to seek out more lateral solutions. THE CREATIVE SOLUTION The creative team, conscious of the objectives of the advertising and the strategic and executional minefields to be avoided, came up with an innovative solution to the brief. They developed a range of executions each employing a black and white still from the respected photographer Bill Brandt to deal with one Red Tab fit message. They did not talk about fit in a literal way. Rather they implied the various fit messages. Moreover the images employed were not completely unrelated to fit. (They were not vegetables or fruit!) Rather all the executions focused on the human form, which is after all the basis of any fit choice. ADVERTISING EFFECT The poster campaign ran nationally for four weeks only in April 1993. Millward Brown tracking showed very high advertising recognition: over 40% of a sample of 17 to 29-year-olds recognised the posters. More importantly, spontaneous and prompted awareness of Red Tab rose from 35% to 45% and from 57% to 75% respectively. The percentage of respondents able to quote any non-501 fit number rose from 50% to 60%. We are unable to divulge actual sales data. SUMMARY The planners role does not only entail pointing the creative team in one particular direction; it can also involve illustrating to them the strategically unsound and creatively fruitless routes. In advertising non-501 Red Tab fits for the first time, Levi Strauss were entering a minefield. By identifying the best role for advertising and mapping out the geography of that minefield, the planner was able to play a part in the development of advertising which maintained Levis best standards of creativity and effectiveness. CREATIVE BRIEF Why are we advertising? To raise awareness of the range of Levis Red Tab jeans by demonstrating that Levis produce different fits to compliment different body shapes and personal styles. Who are we talking to? Boys and girls, 15 to 19 years old. They are aware of Levis advertising and recognise that 501s are the original, definitive jeans. In fact, they may already own a pair of 501s, but find certain aspects of 501s either inconvenient (ie button fly) or uncomfortable. They are at the middle end of the market (early/late adopters) and are often insecure and lack confidence. They therefore need to be reassured that they can buy into the imagery associated with 501s, while having a pair of jeans that fits comfortably and flatters their individual shape. What must the advertising say? Levis Red Tab jeans come in as many different styles as the people who wear them. And why should the consumer believe it? Levis make a range of different fits to suit your shape and tastes. What tone of voice? Confident, classic (ie timeless), cool and sexy. What practical considerations? The campaign must work as both posters and press. The campaign should avoid discussion of, or comparison with, 501s. This is not an opinion leader campaign, and is aimed at a younger, more mass-market consumer. Question 3) Analyse the importance of the various marketing mix elements in the success :failure of Levi, how important is design? Levis share of the denim market plummeted. In 1990, according to Tactical Retail Monitor, more than 48% of men chose Levis as their preferred choice of jeans. By 1998, this had tumbled to 25%, while Lee and Wrangler had risen from 22% to 32%, and private label brands including Gap from 3% to more than 20%. In sales terms the brand slipped from a 30% US market share to 14%. (Upmarket designer labels such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein got a great deal of publicity but never achieved more than around 7% of the market). The percentage of teenage boys who thought Levis was a really cool brand had dropped from 21% in 1994 to just 7% by 1998. Levis position has, for the most part stabilised since then, but competition remains intense The Levis brand now houses several sub-brands. Chief amongst these is Levis Red Tab, which includes the legendary 501 button-fly design. (The number 501 was originally the products stock number, first adopted in 1890; the red fabric tab was first used in the back pocket from 1936). Levis Vintage features a broader range of classic retro designs. In pursuit of the youth market, the company has tried to turn back the tide with more extreme cuts, such as Levis Engineered Jeans, introduced in 2000 and supposedly designed ergonomically to fit the bodys contours. Some cuts are even pre-stained with oil. Another stylised new design launched in early 2003 as Levis Type One. These offered exaggerated versions of traditional features such as rivets, stitching and the tab, blown up in size. However sales were slow to take off, especially in the US, despite high profile marketing, including a Super Bowl ad (which the company later claimed admitted was unsatisfactory). They, along with another st ylised line known as Silvertab, were replaced by the Levis Capital E line. Levis ICD, a partnership with Philips to market workwear with integrated electronic devices such as mobile phones, MP3 players etc, was withdrawn in 2002. The group also licenses out the Levis brand to other manufacturers for branded T-shirts and accessories. Combined sales of the core brand improved in 2007, reaching almost $3.2bn. Levis is primarily a menswear brand, with just under three quarters of all pairs sold bought by men. After its many attempts to introduce more stylized or fashion-oriented designs had failed, the company agreed to abandon its premium positioning and chase the mass-market as well. A new design, Levi Strauss Signature, launched in July 2003, initially available exclusively through Wal-Mart. By the end of the year it had become apparent that the new line was the much-needed hit for which the company had been searching. The group rebranded the range as Signature by Levi Strauss, extended distribution to Target Stores and Kmart in 2004, and also introduced the range into selected mass-marketers in Australia (including Coles Myers Target and Kmart), Japan and other Asian markets. It was also launched in the UK (through Asda), France (through Carrefour), Germany (through Wal-Mart) and Switzerland (through Migros), but performed poorly and was withdrawn in 2007. Yet after a strong start, sales of the Signature line have fallen steadily since 2005, declining from a peak of around $410m that year to $260m in 2007. Dockers, first launched in the US in 1986, is the companys khaki-based casualwear line. It was launched as something of a reaction to inroads into the market by Gap and others, serving as a halfway point between jeans and smarter dress pants. Dockers Slates, a sub-brand of dressier and more expensive trousers, was discontinued in 2004. Although it has been generally successful, Dockers remains very much the second string in the groups portfolio behind its jeans line. In 2004, Levi Strauss put the Dockers brand up for sale in order to concentrate on its still struggling core business, but failed to attract a suitable buyer. Sales of the brand were reported at $1bn for 2003, but had fallen to around $775m by 2005, with sales concentrated in the US. Since then it has repositioned itself as a wider casualwear brand, diversifying into shirts, sweaters and blazers, as well as a line of womens clothing. The unit was rewarded with an increase in revenues for 2006, its first for several years . For 2007, it generated sales were around $915m. The group also generates significant income from royalties on Dockers belts, footwear and other accessories manufactured by other companies under license. Levi Strauss has production facilities and customer service centres throughout the world. Until comparatively recently the company maintained a policy of manufacturing its goods in the regions in which they are sold, but rising labour costs and declining sales made this increasingly unfeasible. Production in the US and Europe began to be farmed out to cheaper regions in the late 1990s. Having already closed six of its US factories by 2003, the group announced that the remaining four in North America would also be shuttered by early 2004. The group supplies its products to around 60,000 retail outlets worldwide. It owns and operates around 200 of its own Levis or Dockers branded stores, and franchises around another 1,300. More than half of these stores are located in the Asia Pacific region. Otherwise sales are through department stores and national chains. There are three regional business units: Levi Strauss North America operates local subsidiaries in the US, Canada and Mexico, and accounts for almost 60% of revenues, or $2.5bn in 2007 (compared to a peak of $4.8bn in 1996). Levi Strauss EMEA is the second biggest market, but performance there took longer to recover than in other markets. Sales rose in 2007 for the first time in several years, finally returning above the $1.0bn barrier. Asia Pacific remains the smallest market for now, but has been the companys strongest performing region for several years. Sales rose by a further 6% in 2007 to $805m, with Japan contributing a little under half of all sales. Question 4) As a strategic marketing consultant, advise Levi about what now it should now do ? It is every businesss objective to maximize their profits and lessen their expenses. Levis has invested on one of the most important resource that a company could have its employees. Their corporate strategy has now been aligned with their human resource management which is valuing their employees due to high costs of recruiting and training new staff. It must be noted that losing an employee can be very expensive and high staff turnover can eventually ruin a business. The last thing that businesses need is for its competitors to benefit from the training, knowledge and experience that it has built within its workforce. It is suggested that employers give their people the opportunity to make their own benefits decisions. This way, employees will take a keener interest in their benefits. The traditional company benefits package often has a rigid one size fits all approach; it fails to consider the varying needs of individual employees. In addition, the traditional company benefits package may sometimes be complicated and difficult to manage. Thus, it is greatly recommended that companies like Levi Strauss and Co. implement a flexible benefits package to help reduce costs and provide a greater choice for their workforce. Furthermore, flexible benefits provide additional lifestyle choices along with traditional company benefits such as private healthcare and the company pension scheme which will allow employees to choose the benefits that they want which in turn will motivate them and make them more productive. It is also important that companies like Levi Strauss and Co. consider some of the following pointers: (1) the main goals of the companys employee benefits programme, the last time that the company last reviewed their benefits scheme, steps or initiatives undertaken to ensure that the companys benefits programme underpins their business strategy, knowledge of employees regarding the benefits that the company offers and how they benefits from it, issues like sickness and absence, healthcare and dental care, and (6) the extent of the relevance and significance of the recruitment and key staff in employers business and their industry.